Boo!
It's not so much -- at least for the time being -- that I'm being proven wrong. Lord knows that happens often enough and is an unavoidable side effect of my job. Rather, it's because I like intrigue and competition as much as the next guy, and right now I'm not getting any. Which is why, as of April 29, I have this to say to the N.L. West:
I'm ticked off at you.
This was supposed to be the most competitive division in baseball, with four teams -- that's Arizona, L.A., Colorado and San Diego, if you're keeping score -- theoretically capable of pushing or exceeding 90 wins, packed tight like sardines in oil and overloading normally forgettable first-half series with intrigue. A genuine 162-game pennant race.
Clearly, that was wishful thinking.
Arizona is off to a red-hot start, no question. This isn't the NBA, so teams with a .731 winning percentage (19-7) will usually find themselves at the head of the class. Unfortunately, nobody else has answered the bell. L.A. has rallied to reach 12-13. At 12-15, the Giants have a record that seems just about right ... except it actually leaves them in third place ahead of would-be contenders Colorado and San Diego, both at 10-16. Put them together and it's a combined 44-60 record, a .423 clip.
Granted, everyone in the division has been bitten (zing!) by the Snakes, who are 17-5 against their N.L. West brethren, a stat that ought to even out a little between now and September. It had better happen relatively soon, though, because Arizona has already run up a 6.5 game lead on L.A., and are nine up on the Pads and Rox. Another couple weeks of this, and the chances of a wild, free-for-all finish could go out the window. I don't particularly like to make wild, sweeping declarations before May 1, nor to channel my inner Stephen A. Smith, but at the end of the day, quite frankly, if San Diego and Colorado find themselves 10 or 11 games behind in the middle of next month, they'll need more than rally caps to get back into the race.
The Dodgers are in a precarious position. Tuesday they kick off three games in Miami against the first place Marlins, who started Mark Hendrickson on Opening Day but still sit ahead of their divisional rivals. Will their hot streak last? Probably not, but that doesn't necessarily help the Blue right now. Then they head into Colorado for three more against the Rockies, who, as I just mentioned, can't afford to lose any more ground.
Obviously, it's too early to coronate the Diamondbacks. A lot can happen between now and September. But the window for that ultra-exciting four-team pennant race is closing awfully fast, if it hasn't done so already.
As a baseball fan, am I the only one who thinks it's a bummer?
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No, I don't think it's a bummer at all.
I wish the race would continue just this way.
But I know it won't.
Right now the D-backs PITCHERS are hitting better than most teams.
Every team is one good week away from being right back in it. The D-backs are one bad week from falling back to the pack.
Posted by: Tom in AZ | April 29, 2008 at 02:44 PM
I don't think it's a bummer at all. I don't believe AZ can sustain their winning ways for a whole season. I also don't think LA is as bad as they've looked at times through the first month. I believe that Loney, Kemp, Martin, Ethier, Bills, Broxton, LaRoche, Kershaw, etc.. are superior to Reynolds, Drew, Jackson, Young, Snyder, etc..
They just haven't started as hot as those crimson cloaked luck jobs in the dessert.
Posted by: Karl Hungus | April 29, 2008 at 02:56 PM
It's pretty sad when the Dodgers MLB site tries enticing fans to vote in the All Star game online ballots with the likes of Jones, Pierre, and Garciaparra pictured...
"Matt Kemp drew the short straw, the only Dodgers semi-regular not on the ballot, while outfielders Andruw Jones, Juan Pierre and Andre Ethier are joined by the rest of the Dodgers regulars: catcher Russell Martin, first baseman James Loney, second baseman Jeff Kent, shortstop Rafael Furcal and third baseman Nomar Garciaparra."
I understand DeWitt may not be up with the big club at the All Star game, but his name/picture deserves mention over Nomar's in this case! No Kemp or DeWitt? Complete B.S.
If this is how MLB runs the All Star game voting, partly based on CRAP performance or NON-performance during the year, does that mean Schmidt was an option last year? (I know, fans don't vote on pitchers...)
Posted by: Brian | April 29, 2008 at 03:12 PM
I was equally disgusted by that "All-Star" campaign too Brian. You couldn't PAY me to vote for any of those guys. Maybe if this were 1998, I'd vote for two of em. And if it were 1998, I would've never have heard the name Juan Pierre. Sometimes I do believe that is ok to live in the past.
Posted by: Karl Hungus | April 29, 2008 at 03:51 PM
Karl-
I think the Dodgers are still very much in it, and they're certainly helping themselves tonight. I just wonder if my big hope, that all four teams would be in it down the stretch, will come to pass.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | April 29, 2008 at 05:17 PM
K-Bro's--
Any thought about my post on the "Coming together?" thread about Andruw's eyes?
Posted by: dodgerskip | April 29, 2008 at 06:40 PM
dodgerskip-
Honestly, that's one of the first places I go when players get into slumps, at least in my head. It's always something I think of, so in that sense, you and I are on the same page. When they get back in town, I'll ask. The only think that makes me think it's not the main issue is that even in his good seasons, he's never hit for a really high average. But since we're talking about Major League pitching, it only takes a slight change to throw things off. I know even in my men's league, when I got my prescription for contacts changed, it helped me out... and nobody in my league throws like Brandon Webb.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | April 29, 2008 at 08:43 PM
BK
Exactly my thinking. I know pride comes into play with a lot of these guys. So hopefully he would be open to the suggestion. If Jones gets glasses and turns his year around though how long before his team-mates start calling him "Ricky Vaughn."
Posted by: dodgerskip | April 29, 2008 at 09:51 PM
I just can't imagine Torre handing AJ a bat and a helmet saying, OK, Ricky (Andrewu), go out there and put one over the fence." I wonder if Bowa has "talked" to AJ about the slump. Love to hear that one-way conversation!
Agree with Brian, Kemp got slighted on the ballot. The guy has been treated like an "A" ball player since he came up and this is just the latest slight.
I can't imagine AJ representing the Blue in the All Star game.
Posted by: Jack | April 30, 2008 at 07:14 AM
dodgerskip-
Technically, of course, he could either get contacts (if he doesn't already have them), or more stylish frames... but Ricky Vaughn glasses would be ideal (haha).
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | April 30, 2008 at 07:31 AM
I think Nomar, AJ and Pierre on the allstar ballot is a bunch of bull. Furcal... yes, Martin... yes Penny...yes, but come on a guy hitting 0.165 who couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat? The allstar votes are a joke, does the NL really think it can win if AJ or JP represent it? Maybe there should be an allstar DL team, maybe Nomar can captain that one with Mark Prior and Mike Hampton, and the AL team can have Rocco Baldeli. They can race around like the sausages in Milwaukee in hospital beds.
Posted by: poppinfresh | April 30, 2008 at 07:52 AM
Lots of comments and we can all agree that Pierre, Jones, and Garciaparra are not All-Stars. But for all the whining, does anyone truly believe that Matt Kemp is one today? The comment about this not being 1998 was right on the money, but it's not 2010 either.
Posted by: dalegribel | April 30, 2008 at 10:33 AM
dalegribel, i agree with you, Kemp has potential, but he hasn't shown he is an allstar as of yet.
Posted by: poppinfresh | April 30, 2008 at 12:44 PM