Keys to Success: NL East

In Spring Training, most people thought the National League East would be a two team race between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets. The Phillies haven't disappointed with a 69-49 record, but the Mets have had one of the most injury proned seasons I've ever seen and they're now too far back in the standings to contend for a playoff birth. So while the Mets have struggled, the Florida Marlins and Atlanta Braves have taken advantage of the opportunity and both teams have themselves right in the thick of the Wild Card race. As we head down the stretch, these three teams will play each other a number of times and how they perform against each other will be the deciding factor in who continues to the playoffs and who begins preparing for next season.

Philadelphia Phillies: Before the trade deadline, the Phillies were starting to play like the best team in the National League. Then, they went and got one of the best pitchers in baseball, Cliff Lee, and all he's done since joining the team is win four straight games and have a 0.82 ERA. The man has only given up three earned runs in 33 innings! Combine Lee with the continued dominance of J.A. Happ and Joe Blanton, and the Phillies have three starters who are carrying the rotation, and none of them were significant pieces of last year's championship team. Let's not

forget the fact that they still have Cole Hamels (a World Series MVP), they've added Pedro Martinez to the starting rotation, and they have the experience of Jamie Moyer. With all the talent in their starting rotation, I don't think it would surprise anyone if the Phillies made it back to the World Series again this season.

Oh yeah, the Phillies have a pretty good offense too. I just named all the reasons why pitching could win them a championship, and they also feature an offense that leads the National League in runs, home runs, and slugging percentage. Arguably, this is a team with the best 1-6 lineup in baseball. As a pitcher, when you look at the lineup and see Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard, Werth, and Ibanez, you have to wonder how you're going to get three outs and get out of an inning. It's a team with a great combination of power and speed, and it doesn't hurt that they play in such an offense-friendly ballpark. This is a group of guys who know how to win big games and they have the experience of knowing what it takes to win a championship.

Now that I've made the Phillies out to be invincible, what could be their downfall? Last year's championship team had an outstanding bullpen, which was probably the best in the league. This season, the bullpen has been anything but stable and Charlie Manuel needs to get this straightened out before the playoffs begin. In 2008, Brad Lidge was 41 for 41 in converting save opportunities and Ryan Madson, J.C. Romero, and Chad Durbin were lights out as the middle relievers. So far in 2009, Lidge leads the league in blown saves (8) and he has a 7.21 ERA. Not good! Madson has remained effective, but Romero and Durbin have had injury problems and don't appear to be as sharp. The starting pitching appears strong enough to be able to go deep into games, so it should help keep the bullpen rested and fresh during the playoffs. If the Phillies are going to repeat, they'll need these guys to pull everything together and close out games the way they did last season.

Florida Marlins: In my opinion, the Marlins might be one of the most intriguing teams in the National League. You look at their roster and statistics and wonder how they can be competing for a Wild Card spot, but they're only four games behind Colorado. It's a team that doesn't have much star-power (outside of Hanley Ramirez) but they have guys who can swing the bat and score a lot of runs. Ironically, while the Marlins' offense has been unexpectedly good, the pitching has been rather disappointing. If they're going to catch the Rockies and Giants in the Wild Card standings, I think it will all come down to pitching for the Fish.

In Spring Training, Bobby Cox talked about how he thought the Marlins had the best young pitching staff in the National League. Really? Maybe he's talking about a different pitching staff. Josh Johnson has been the one brightspot for the pitching staff this season. He has a 2.99 ERA, a 12-3 record, and he's produced 20 quality starts in the 25 games he's pitched in this season. Outside of Johnson, no other starter has an ERA below 4.00 and only two other pitchers have accumulated over 100 innings. I don't think anyone doubts the fact that Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez are tremendously talented pitchers, but it doesn't matter if they can't translate those skills into results. And if we call the starting pitching bad, I'm not sure what kind of word to use for the bullpen. The Matt Lindstrom experiment as the closer didn't work, and the Leo Nunez project hasn't been much better. It must be a tough decision for a manager when he looks at his bullpen in the 9th inning and he asks himself, "Do I bring in the guy who's already blown four saves? Or the other guy who has an ERA of 6.00?"

The series coming up this weekend is HUGE for Florida. They have a three game series in Atlanta and they're going against three good starting pitchers for the Braves. If Florida can come away with a series win and continue to win the games they're supposed to down the stretch, they could find themselves in the playoffs.

Atlanta Braves: For the first time in the past couple years, Braves fans have something to really be excited about. Atlanta got a big win last night against the Mets as Kenshin Kawakami outpitched Johan Santana and the Braves won the three game series in New York. They still have a substantial amount of ground to make up in the Wild-Card, but it was a big momentum game for a team who has had difficulty winning close games on the road. Now, they have an opportunity to build on that momentum as they head home for a three game series against the Marlins, and they have three of their best starting pitchers taking the mound.

In order for Atlanta to win the Wild Card spot, I think they need some guys to step up on the offensive end. The starting pitching is solid with Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens, Javier Vazquez, and Tommy Hanson and the bullpen appears to be good with Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano, so the Braves just need to consistenly score some runs. Chipper Jones and Brian McCann have had pretty good years, but still not up to the standards they set for themselves. If both guys can stay healthy long enough to get into a good rhythm at the plate, they'll both probably get their averages up over .300 and have plenty of opportunities to pick up RBI's. Along with Jones and McCann, I think the other guys that need to produce are Adam LaRoche and Ryan Church. I'll admit I was extremely cynical of the decision to bring LaRoche back to Atlanta, but he's been on fire since joining the club, hitting .404 with six home runs and 12 RBI's in 17 games. Church is a guy who doesn't have any eye-popping stats, but the Braves could use a player who can help them in the bottom of the lineup and provide solid defense. If LaRoche can stay hot, and Ryan Church can pick up the slack in the outfield while Nate McLouth is on the DL, the Braves could finally make a return to the playoffs.

Prediction: As I said in my NL Central blog, I think the National League will come down to the Phillies and Cardinals. It's too early to predict what a series between those teams would look like, but the Phillies have a great shot at repeating. I think the Marlins are going to struggle with youth and inexperience down the stretch and the Braves will continue to play well. I don't think Atlanta will do enough to catch the Rockies and Giants in the Wild Card, but there will be reason for optimism heading into next season at Turner Field

Keys to Success: NL Central

If I had written this blog a month ago, I probably would have had to do a lot more research. At one point, the National League Central looked like it could end up being a four team battle that would go down to the last week of the season. As we went into the All-Star Break, the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, and Milwaukee Brewers all looked like they could compete for the division crown and make the playoffs. But over the past few weeks, the Cardinals have started to separate themselves from the rest of the pack, the Cubs are hanging in the Wild Card race, and the Astros and Brewers have really been fading. So let's take a look at the Cardinals and the Cubs and figure out what both teams need in order to have postseason success.

St. Louis Cardinals: What a year for the Cards! In the preseason, everyone seemed to hand the Central division to the Cubs on a silver platter and we figured the Cardinals would have another solid year but finish behind Chicago. Instead, the Cardinals have been consistently good all season behind the excellence of Albert Pujols and some great pitching. I would say I'm pretty neutral towards most teams in baseball and I pull for certain players more than teams, but it's hard not to admire the Cardinals organization. Every year, they seem to be fundamentally sound and competitive, and they do it with professionalism and class. St. Louis fans seem to be among the most passionate and knowledgeable fans of any sport and they have great pride in their team, as they should. They have made some big acquisitions in the past few weeks, and getting Matt Holliday from the A's appears to be one of the best trade deadline moves we've seen in recent years. Doesn't Holliday just seem like a good fit in St. Louis? Another guy who plays hard and carries himself the right way, on and off the field.

So what are the keys for the Cardinals to make a deep run into the postseason? Honestly, they just need to keep playing the way they have been playing over the past couple weeks. The top three guys in their starting rotation really look great right now and their bullpen has turned out to be one of the best in the National League. If Chris Carpenter can stay healthy into the playoffs and Joel Pineiro can continue his great season, the Cardinals have a 3-man pitching rotation that is very intimidating to other teams. Pineiro seems to produce a quality start every time he goes out, Adam Wainwright might be the best pitcher in the game no one talks about, and Carpenter is a former Cy Young winner who has unhittable stuff when he can stay healthy. And if John Smoltz can turn his season around and regain some of his old form by playoff time, it's a huge bonus. Combine those starters with Ryan Franklin, a guy who's emerged out of nowhere to lead the league in saves with a 1.13 ERA, and the Cardinals make for an extremely difficult series.

On the offensive side of the ball, I think it will be about the guys not named Holliday or Pujols. Albert Pujols is a virtual lock for another National League MVP award and Matt Holliday has been arguably the best hitter in the game since coming to St. Louis, so the Cardinals are in pretty good shape with those two guys carrying the offense. But, if they are going to win a championship, everyone will need to step up and contribute. While Holliday and Pujols will get most of the attention, I think guys like Mark DeRosa (another great midseason pickup), Colby Rasmus, and Skip Schumaker will have to come up with some clutch plays down the stretch. Ryan Ludwick, Chris Duncan, and Rick Ankiel will have to provide solid protection for Pujols and Holliday in the lineup or come in and get a big pinch hit in a key moment. When you look at this team, they appear to have a lot of really good pieces in place and they're hitting their stride at the right point of the season. And as we've learned so many times in the playoffs, it's not about being the best team as much as it's about being the hottest team.

Chicago Cubs: I wonder if Cubs fans consider this season a disappointment? Part of me thinks they have to be disappointed at how the team has played this year, but another part of me thinks Cubs fans go into every season thinking their team will let them down again and this year is no different. But hope should not be lost in the windy city! The odds don't look good, but this could be one of those years where the Cubs pull everything together at the end of the year and sneak into the playoffs and really do some damage. However, the Cubs seem to be going in the wrong direction, with a 3-7 record in their last 10 games and they're now five games behind the Wild Card leader, Colorado.

For a team with so much talent, there are a number of areas you could look at where the guys from the north side need to improve. The starting pitching has been pretty good (but struggled with injuries), the bullpen appears to be deteriorating in a hurry, the hitting has been brutal (riddled with injuries), and the away record is pathetic. So while all these areas are important for success, I think the two biggest factors for Chicago will be their offense and their bullpen. There are a few guys who really produced last season and haven't been able to replicate that success again this season. Aramis Ramirez and Geovany Soto have dealt with injuries most of the year, and they've really struggled with getting into a consistent rhythm at the plate. Milton Bradley has been a mediocre offseason acquisition who hasn't really produced much and seems to be ejected every couple weeks after he blows up at an umpire. And while he's talked most of the year about nagging injuries he's played through, Alfonso Soriano has been quite streaky, with many prolonged droughts. Soriano does have 19 home runs and 25 doubles, but he is also sporting a .243 batting average and only eight stolen bases. I think Soriano sets the tone for the Cubs offense and when he is hitting the ball well, it energizes the rest of the lineup and really picks the team up. He'll need to get hot down the stretch if the Cubs are going to battle their way back into the playoffs.

Next, we have the issue of the bullpen. When you're heading into the last couple months of the season, you don't want to be worrying about finding a new closer. After running up an 11.25 ERA and blowing 3 saves in the month of August, Kevin Gregg has been removed from the closer's role and Lou Piniella is now scrambling to find a replacement. The first choice appears to be Carlos Marmol, who has given up 52 walks in only 56 innings! Marmol already has four saves this season, but he also matches that number with four blown saves. If I'm a Cubs fans and I see those stats, I'm thinking "uh-oh." The other problem with making Marmol the 9th inning guy is the issue of finding a new set-up man. I think the plan will be to have Angel Guzman serve as the set up man in the 8th and then turn the game over to Marmol in the 9th. If that situation doesn't work, the Cubs may switch the order and give Guzman a chance to close games, but they'll probably be out of any postseason discussions if things get that bad.

Prediction: The Cubs are done! They're headed in the wrong direction at the wrong time of the year and they just can't stay healthy. Maybe they need an offseason where they aren't reading their press clippings and listening to everyone tell them how good they are. As you could probably tell, I really like the Cardinals and their chances this season. They don't appear to have many weaknesses and they're playing their best baseball of the year. They'll win the Central division going away and I like them to advance in the playoffs. Depending on how the final standings end up, I think the Cardinals and Phillies are who it will come down to as the National League Champion.

Tis the Season!

The beginning of college football season is quickly approaching and fans around the country are getting excited about Saturdays in the Fall. There appear to be many interesting storylines as we head into this season and I'm sure it'll be another exciting year that ends with people complaining about the lack of a playoff system. Will Florida repeat as National Champions (The National Championship Game will be the Rose Bowl this season)? Will the SEC rule the college football world again? Will Colt McCoy outduel Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow for the Heisman Trophy? Will the Men of Troy make their way through the PAC 10 without any slip-ups? All of these questions will be answered as the season progresses and we'll also probably see one of my favorite things, angry coaches at press conferences.

Most coaches in sports never really have any noteworthy moments in press conferences. They don't particularly enjoy dealing with the media, but they suffer through it and make all the politically correct comments and keep themselves out of trouble. However, we are blessed to have coaches who lose their cool from time to time and the ability to record these moments and post them on YouTube. So in honor of the beginning of another college football season, I want to provide my favorite moments where football coaches can't hide their anger and frustration. I also went ahead and included some NFL coaching rants, because there were a few I just couldn't leave off. Enjoy!

And this last one is my personal favorite. It's not a coaching meltdown, but it is a halftime interview with a coach. Ladies and Gentleman, I give you the one and only, Joe Kines:

Second Chances?

I can't stand Michael Vick. Actually, there's not a professional athlete I dislike more than Michael Vick. I think he was overrated as an NFL quarterback and he was a horrible example of how to represent yourself with class and professionalism. And I thought all of these things BEFORE we learned about his enjoyment of electrocuting and strangling dogs! Now that Vick has been reinstated to the NFL and he's signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, there seem to be hourly updates on ESPN about Vick's comeback to football. I'm already disgusted with the coverage of the mindless idiots (except Tony Dungy) who continue to talk about Vick deserving a second chance and how he's learned from his mistakes, because they're talking like the dogfighting charges were Vick's only mistake. In the famous words of Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, "THAT'S NOT TRUE!". Let's look at a timeline of events:

2001: Vick's father said Michael held dogfighting matches in the garage of their home in Newport News, Virginia.

2004: Two men were arrested in Virginia for distributing marijuana out of a truck registered in Michael Vick's name. After the incident, Falcons coach Dan Reeves told Michael he needed to surround himself with quality people and remember his actions represented the entire organization.

October 2004: Vick and other members of his party were caught on tape stealing a watch as they passed through a security check in Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta. After a police

report was filed by the individual who'd had his watch stolen, the watch was returned to the man and Vick's representatives prevented any further police involvement.

March 2005: A woman filed a civil suit against Vick because she'd contracted herpes in 2002 after engaging in intercourse with Vick (I guess Mike already had STD's before he even went to prison) and he failed to inform her that he was infected with the disease. Vick settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount.

November 2006: Vick was fined $10,000 for an "obscene gesture" directed to fans in the Georgia Dome after a game against the New Orleans Saints. In other words, Michael gave the Falcons fans his own version of the "Dirty Bird".

April 2007: Police discover evidence of dogfighting activity at Vick's property in Surry County, Virginia and begin to uncover a six-year long dogfighting ring involving drugs and gambling.

July 2007: Charges are filed against Vick for his involvement in the dogfighting ring, including financing, participating in the fights, executions, and handling money wagered on matches between the dogs.

September 2007: While awaiting sentencing regarding his felony convictions, Vick failed a drug test and tested positive for marijuana, which led to him being ordered to home confinement until he received his sentence from the courts.

October 2007: Vick failed an FBI administered polygraph test regarding questions about his involvement in the dogfighting and killing dogs.

December 2007: Vick began serving his 23 month federal prison sentence in Leavenworth, Kansas.

So Michael Vick deserves a 2nd chance huh? How many other people could go to federal prison for multiple felonies, have involvement in drug distribution and gambling, fail drug tests, steal property, and still get to return to work? Let me know the next time it happens in any business other than sports and entertainment. This is a man who invested thousands of dollars into turning household pets into vicious killers and then he electrocuted, strangled, and bodyslammed the dogs that weren't vicious enough for his liking. When he had a chance to come clean about his involvement and legal problems, Vick lied to his owner, the NFL commissioner, his millions of fans and supporters, and Federal investigators! And now that Michael Vick has served his time in prison and he has no other choice but to be remorseful, we're supposed to believe him? His past behavior shows an attitude that has no regard for the law or any sort of respect for other people, and his most recent comments indicate he still doesn't really understand the severity of his crimes.

When Vick says, "I can't understand why I was involved in such pointless activity. Why did I risk so much at the pinnacle of my career?" Michael, if I may, not only was it pointless and very risky, you forgot to mention how unbelievably cruel and inhumane you're actions were. It seems like a case of an individual who isn't sorry, he's just sorry he was caught. People might provide the argument about how we all make mistakes, but that's insanity. No, most of us don't make a number of mistakes BEFORE being convicted of federal charges and then hope to get forgiveness from our supporters and previous employer. What a world talented athletes get to live in! So while I can hope Michael Vick won't last a year in the NFL, he'll continue to get his chances. Any time I watch him play in a game, I'll hope for a free safety to take a shot at his knee and end his career, but it might not even be necessary. More than likely, Mike's true character will shine through and he'll find himself in trouble again and he'll be hoping for yet another chance. So stay classy, Mike Vick! Stay classy.

Overachievers & Underachievers

As is the case with every baseball season, there have been some guys who've been pleasant surprises and there have been others who've really disappointed. In this blog, I've come up with two teams - The Surprise-Stars (guys who have had unexpectedly good seasons) and The Let-Downs (guys who haven't lived up to expectations). Now for the lineups!

The Let-Downs:

1B: Jason Giambi, Oakland Athletics - So much for changing the culture in the Oakland locker room! Giambi was released last week.

2B: Kelly Johnson, Atlanta Braves - With multiple trips to the DL and a trip to the minor leagues, Kelly Johnson belongs on the bench, which is where he is.

3B: Garrett Atkins, Colorado Rockies - Last season, Atkins hit 21 home runs with a .286 batting average. This year, how about 7 home runs and a .222 average?

SS: J.J. Hardy, Milwaukee Brewers - He was recently sent down to the minors because of his lack of production - enough said.

C: Geovany Soto, Chicago Cubs: He's been injured most of the year so he probably deserves a pass, but it's still disappointing since he was so great last year.

LF: Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs: If he's not going to learn how to play the outfield, he at least needs to make up for it offensively. A .245 average

and 8 stolen bases doesn't cut it.

CF: Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers: An alcohol relapse, trips to the DL, a .260 average, and only 8 home runs = rough year!

RF: Magglio Ordonez, Detroit Tigers: He has 6 home runs and 36 RBI's this season. How's that for a guy who's making $19 million per year?

SP: Aaron Harang, Cincinnati Reds: Many thought Harang would have a strong year after struggling last season. Instead, he continues to struggle with a 6-13 record and 4.4 ERA.

RP: Brad Lidge, Philadelphia Phillies: When you're perfect in converting save chances the previous season, leading the league in blown saves the next season has to be a disappointment.

The Surprise-Stars:

1B: Kendry Morales, Los Angeles Angels: In his previous three seasons, he'd hit 12 home runs for his career. This year, he's hit 25 home runs and he's showing no signs of slowing down.

2B: Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay Rays: He's filled in wherever the Rays have needed him and he continues to produce. He's projected to finish the season with 28 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and an average near .300.

3B: Mark Reynolds, Arizona Diamondbacks: Although he has a lot of strikeouts, Reynolds has 36 home runs and 80 RBI's. If he played for a good team, he'd be in the conversation for runner up NL MVP (behind Albert Pujols).

SS: Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland Indians: He's been one of the few bright spots for the Indians

this season. Cabrera has provided solid defensive help, hit for average, and stolen bases.

*Honorable Mention: Jason Bartlett: Bartlett has been a monster at the plate this season. He's currently hitting .341 and he has 11 home runs (more than the last four seasons combined).

C: Mike Napoli, Los Angeles Angels: Napoli earns this spot by default because there haven't been any big surprises at catcher this season. While he's struggled defensively, Napoli is batting around .300 and he's already hit 16 home runs.

LF: Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia Phillies: He seemed like a nice offseason pickup for the Phillies, but no one expected what he's done. Ibanez is projected to finish the year with a .297 average, 43 home runs, 123 RBI's, and he will probably end up in the top 3 for NL MVP voting.

CF: Michael Bourn, Houston Astros: Last season, Bourn struggled for the Astros with an average of .229 and 41 stolen bases. This season, Bourn already has 42 stolen bases and he's raised his average to .289.

RF: Bobby Abreu, Los Angeles Angels: When Abreu left New York, it seemed like he was on the downside to his career. Instead, his batting average is the highest it's been since 2000 and he's projected to steal 35 bases. Not bad for an old man.

SP: Edwin Jackson, Detroit Tigers: The Tigers probably thought Jackson would be a good addition to the back-end of their rotation, but he's turned in to a star. He has a 2.79 ERA and his BAA is only .226.

*Honorable Mention: Javier Vazquez, Atlanta Braves: Vazquez has an ERA of 2.90 and he

already has 171 strikeouts. It's a shame his record is only 10-7.

*Honorable Mention: Josh Johnson, Florida Marlins: His ERA is 2.92 and he has an 11-2 record. Now that he's finally healthy, his pitching is absolutely filthy.

RP: Ryan Franklin, St. Louis Cardinals: At the beginning of the season, the closer spot was a big question mark for the Cardinals and Franklin has really stepped up with a 1.20 ERA and 28 saves.

*Honorable Mention: David Aardsma, Seattle Mariners: The journeyman reliever seems to have found his niche in Seattle. 27 saves and a 2.02 ERA has been huge for the Mariners as they've been able to use Aardsma as their closer and not call up any of their prospects.

Keys to Success: AL Central

If playoff teams were decided by which teams had the best records in their league, no one from the American League Central would make it! Actually, the first place team in the central (Detroit) isn't even one of the top six teams in the American league! Frankly, it's a collection of mediocre teams who spend the season hovering around .500 and beating each other up. But alas, the central will have a division champion who will qualify for the playoffs, and it should be a very competitive race between the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and Minnesota Twins. Here's who I think the difference makers will be:

Detroit Tigers: I don't know whether to say the Tigers have had a solid year and they have a good chance to win the division, or they've underachieved again and they're better than what the record indicates. As good as they've been at home in Comerica Park (36-18), the Tigers are

abysmal on the road (23-36). And as good as Edwin Jackson and Justin Verlander have been at the top of the rotation, Armando Galarraga and Rick Porcello have a combined ERA of almost 5.oo! So while there are a number of things that need to happen for the Tigers to make the playoffs, I'll pick two and go from there.

The first one I already mentioned, and his name is Edwin Jackson. When he came over from the Rays in the offseason, it seemed like a nice pick up for Detroit but no one really thought too much of it. So far, Jackson has been outstanding with an ERA of 2.79 and 120 strikeouts in 152 innings and he's given his team 17 quality starts out of the 23 games he's started. He won't get much consideration for the Cy Young award because he only has eight wins, but he really should be in the conversation. He will need to continue to dominate in order for the Tigers to keep their slim division lead. As for my second key - paging Magglio Ordonez! In his previous three seasons, Mags' home run and RBI totals were (2006: 24,104)(2007: 28,139)(2008: 21,103), and this season he currently has 6 home runs and 36 RBI's. Six home runs! Fortunately for Detroit, Curtis Granderson and Brandon Inge have really stepped up in the power department, but Ordonez needs to deliver. He's one of the leaders on this team and they have always depended on him as a great hitter and run producer. So Magglio, it's time to lead your team and earn the $19 million you're getting paid this season.

Chicago White Sox: Ozzie Guillen always keeps things interesting on the south side doesn't he? While part of me thinks the White Sox are destined to win the World Series because they have the support of Barack Obama (he wanted the Steelers and Tar Heels to win and look what happened!), Chicago will need to snap themselves out of the funk they've been in for the past couple weeks. However, they also made some BIG acquisitions in the past few weeks that could fuel them towards repeating as division champions and making the playoffs again.

In my opinion, the keys for the White Sox will be the performance of the recent additions to the club, Jake Peavy and Alex Rios. Although he's returning from injury, Peavy has the ability to be the best pitcher in the game and he could feed off the adrenaline of playing for a contender. By playing in a division that doesn't feature a lot of high powered offense, Peavy could be the difference maker for the White Sox if he is able to shut down the opposition and go deep into games. And while Alex Rios has struggled this season, he is a guy who can provide more power to the lineup and the ability to hit for average and steal bases. The White Sox seem to have no shortage of power hitters, so it'd be great of Rios could join with Gordan Beckham (who could be the AL Rookie of the Year) and Scott Podsednik at the top of the lineup and really set the tone by getting on base and putting pressure on opposing pitchers. When you combine Rios' hitting potential with Peavy's pitching potential, the White Sox really could get hot down the stretch and be a team no one wants to face.

Minnesota Twins: Things aren't looking good for the Twinkies. They're five games back in the Central, ten games back in the Wild Card, and they've lost 7 of their last 10. It's a testament to the Twins organization that they always seem to be in the hunt in the central division, but the pitching hasn't been as strong this season as it has been in years past. Big things were expected of Scott Baker and Francisco Liriano and they haven't gotten the job done. Even Kevin Slowey's 10-3 record is a bit misleading, with an ERA of 4.86 and BAA of .309. Slowey should probably be thanking Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau for providing so much run support. Mauer continues to emerge as one of the young superstars of the game and Morneau should be considered one of the best players no one talks about.

I think the key for the Twins is a couple guys who have been dreadful this season, Nick Punto and Joe Crede. Punto was great at second base for the Twins last season with a .284 average. This year, he's platooned with Alexi Casilla and he can barely keep his batting average over .200. It says something when you're batting .200 and you're still outplaying your competition (Casilla is batting .172). As for Joe Crede, maybe we should just look at his one great year with the White Sox as a one-hit wonder. While Crede does have 15 home runs, he's only batting .237 and he's not exactly setting the world on fire with his defense. Don't forget that Crede is rather injury proned and he could go down at any point, forcing the Twins to deal with another injury and possible call-up. Basically, if the Twins are going to do anything, these guys need to contribute. There's some real talent in the heart of order, but they have gotten NO production from the bottom of the order. Throw in Delmon Young (who's plays so far below expectations that everyone just knows he'll be bad) and you've got a problem.

Prediction: I think the White Sox are going to come back and overtake the Tigers for the division. The Twins are heading in the wrong direction and I don't think they'll be turning it around. And no one from this division is making the Wild Card - I guarantee it!

A Different Perspective

This past week, I finally took advantage of an opportunity to read a book that I'd been wanting to read for a long time, The Shack. Someone recommended it to me a few years ago and I see it in stores all the time, but I finally picked it up after it'd been sitting on our table for the past month. After a couple days of sitting by the pool and taking a chair out to the beach to read, I had flown through this fascinating story of tragedy and transformation that really made me think about my own life.

I'll admit I went into reading this book with high expectations, but I really had little idea what the story was. The author, William Young, is able to draw you in from the beginning as you learn about the main character, Mack, and what has caused him so much pain in his life. I don't want to give away any of the book because I would encourage people to read it, but as the story progresses you follow Mack's journey to find peace and a new personal relationship with God, which happens in a very unique environment. Personally, I was captivated by Mack's experience and I couldn't put the book down because I wanted to see what would happen next, but I get like that when I read interesting books.

After finishing the book, I wanted to look up some background information about the characters and the author, and there's no shortage of info about this story! However, I was rather disappointed when I found out this story was fictional, because reading the Foreword made me believe it was a true story about the author's friend. My googling about the book also revealed a number of critics who have spoken out against The Shack and William Young because of scriptural issues they believe the story has and the inaccurate portrayal of God it represents. I won't get into those issues because I really don't know enough about either side to have an accurate opinion, but I do believe the book still provides an interesting perspective on many spiritual topics.

While this wasn't a book that has changed my way of looking at God or how I want to live my life, there were many times when I would finish reading a paragraph and I'd really stop and think about what the author was saying. The Shack provided many thought-provoking moments for me about expectations God has of me, free-will and how it works with God's plan for my life, the Holy Spirit, and a number of other things. I would recommend any book that gets people thinking about those things in their lives in a relevant way and how God wants to speak to them. And if you're turned off by all of those things, it's a pretty cool story anyway.