I know, it ain't politics. But like I said before, baseball is my other passion.
In the second half South Atlantic League North Division standings, Delmarva is in the lead with a 13-6 record, up by 1 1/2 games over Hickory. Their 8 game overall and home winning streaks came to an end tonight when they lost a 1-0 pitchers duel to Lexington. It was a good game, met some nice folks. Just couldn't put together hits...still we've given up just one run in the series - although having Eric Bedard down from the Orioles on a rehab start really helped.
In the International League's West division, my old hometown Toledo Mud Hens are tearing it up with the best record in the IL. At their All-Star break, Toledo is 57-32 and leads the West by 4 1/2 over Indianapolis. They have the best record by the same margin, because Indianapolis would be leading either of the other divisions. Hopefully they avoid the August meltdown (5-24) that killed their 2004 playoff hopes.
And my All-Star host Detroit Tigers are 42-44 at the break, 15 back of Chicago in 4th place in the AL Central. But a 5-3 roadtrip before the break helped. They were one bad Troy Percival pitch from 6-2 on the trip and a .500 mark.
I did an analysis on the Detroit Tigers forum of AL schedules for the second half...who's easiest and who's got the toughest. Here's what I wrote.
This is an analysis of remaining schedules for the AL teams - who has an easy path to the playoffs and who’s really going to have to work. Teams are listed in standings order, as of Sunday night. That’s the order I list opponents as well.
A plus number (like +100) indicates aggregate games better than even .500, a minus indicates games under .500. Schedule rank is 1st place hardest, 14th place easiest.)
1. Chicago (57-29), 1st in AL Central by 9 over Minnesota.
Remaining games: 76 (40 away, 36 home.)
Opponents: Los Angeles 3, Boston 7, Minnesota 13, Baltimore 4, New York 6, Texas 4, Cleveland 10, Toronto 3, Detroit 11, Seattle 6, Kansas City 9.
Finished with: Oakland, Tampa Bay.
Strength of schedule, all opponents: +84 (8th)
September opponents: -24 (10th)
Final two weeks (Cle, Min, at Det, at Cle): +68 (5th)
Critical stretch: The White Sox finish with 13 games on the road with all other ALC opponents sandwiched around 7 home games with closest pursuers Cleveland and Minnesota.
2. Los Angeles (52-36), 1st in AL West by 5 over Texas.
Remaining games: 74 (38 away, 36 home.)
Opponents: Chicago 3, Boston 7, Minnesota 4, Baltimore 6, New York 7, Texas 6, Oakland 13, Toronto 6, Detroit 4, Seattle 9, Tampa Bay 9.
Finished with: Cleveland, Kansas City.
Strength of schedule, all opponents: -52 (11th)
September opponents: -4 (8th)
Final two weeks (Tex, TB, at Oak, at Tex): -59 (13th)
Critical stretch: September roadtrip to Boston, Chicago, and Seattle can win them the West with a successful run and give them a look at two possible postseason opponents.
3. Boston (49-38), 1st in AL East by 2 over Baltimore.
Remaining games: 75 (32 away, 43 home.)
Opponents: Chicago 7, Los Angeles 7, Minnesota 6, Baltimore 6, New York 10, Texas 3, Oakland 4, Toronto 7, Detroit 6, Kansas City 6, Tampa Bay 13.
Finished with: Cleveland, Seattle.
Strength of schedule, all opponents: -111 (12th)
September opponents: +31 (7th)
Final two weeks (at TB, at Bal, Tor, NY): -60 (14th)
Critical stretch: They can bury the rest of the East with a successful long August/September homestand featuring Detroit, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, and Los Angeles.
4. Minnesota (48-38), 2nd in AL Central by 2 over Cleveland, leads wild card by 1 ½ over Baltimore.
Remaining games: 76 (39 away, 37 home.)
Opponents: Chicago 13, Los Angeles 4, Boston 6, Baltimore 3, New York 3, Texas 6, Cleveland 6, Oakland 10, Detroit 11, Seattle 7, Kansas City 7.
Finished with: Toronto, Tampa Bay.
Strength of schedule, all opponents: +341 (3rd)
September opponents: +133 (6th)
Final two weeks (at Oak, at Chi, KC, Det): +1 (9th)
Critical stretch: If they are to challenge Chicago, they need to do well on a late July roadtrip to Detroit, New York, and Boston. Detroit’s series is a 5 game series due to an early snowout.
5. Baltimore (47-40), 2nd in AL East by ½ over New York.
Remaining games: 75 (41 away, 34 home.)
Opponents: Chicago 4, Los Angeles 6, Boston 6, Minnesota 3, New York 8, Texas 10, Cleveland 3, Oakland 7, Toronto 9, Seattle 7, Tampa Bay 12.
Finished with: Detroit, Kansas City.
Strength of schedule, all opponents: -22 (10th)
September opponents: -93 (13th)
Final two weeks (at NY, Bos, NY, at TB): -18 (10th)
Critical stretch: The Orioles have been in a freefall since June. They must do well on a post-All Star game cross-country trip to Seattle, Minnesota, and Tampa Bay. They have three other west coast trips in this half (LA/Tex, Oak/Cle, Sea/Tex). Less than .500 on these and Baltimore’s hopes are about done.
6. New York (46-40), 3rd in AL East by 3 over Toronto.
Remaining games: 76 (43 away, 33 home.)
Opponents: Chicago 6, Los Angeles 7, Boston 10, Minnesota 3, Baltimore 8, Texas 7, Cleveland 3, Oakland 3, Toronto 13, Seattle 4, Kansas City 3, Tampa Bay 9.
Finished with: Detroit.
Strength of schedule, all opponents: +125 (7th)
September opponents: -73 (12th)
Final two weeks (Bal, Tor, at Bal, at Bos): +89 (2nd)
Critical stretch: The Yankees play their last 26 games within their division. They also have a big trip west (to Texas and LA) after the Boston series at Fenway coming out of the All-Star break.
7. Texas (46-40), 2nd in AL West by 2 ½ over Oakland.
Remaining games: 76 (40 away, 36 home.)
Opponents: Chicago 4, Los Angeles 6, Boston 3, Minnesota 6, Baltimore 10, New York 7, Cleveland 3, Oakland 14, Toronto 3, Seattle 10, Kansas City 4, Tampa Bay 6.
Finished with: Detroit.
Strength of schedule, all opponents: +49 (9th)
September opponents: -18 (9th)
Final two weeks (at LA, at Oak, at Sea, LA): +72 (4th)
Critical stretch: Two - roadtrip in August to Boston, New York, Cleveland, and Tampa Bay; and the final roadtrip facing their other 3 AL West opponents. The August roadtrip is against several wild card competitors.
8. Cleveland (47-41), 3rd in AL Central by 4 over Detroit.
Remaining games: 74 (33 away, 41 home.)
Opponents: Chicago 10, Minnesota 6, Baltimore 3, New York 3, Texas 3, Oakland 6, Toronto 3, Detroit 9, Seattle 7, Kansas City 14, Tampa Bay 10.
Finished with: Los Angeles, Boston.
Strength of schedule, all opponents: -386 (14th)
September opponents: -63 (11th)
Final two weeks (at Chi, at KC, TB, Chi): -39 (11th)
Critical stretch: With 43 games remaining (of the 74) against the 5 teams with records .500 or below, the only critical thing is avoiding injuries.
9. Oakland (44-43), 3rd in AL West by 5 over Seattle.
Remaining games: 75 (37 away, 38 home.)
Opponents: Los Angeles 13, Boston 4, Minnesota 10, Baltimore 7, New York 3, Texas 14, Cleveland 6, Detroit 6, Seattle 6, Kansas City 6.
Finished with: Chicago, Toronto, Tampa Bay.
Strength of schedule, all opponents: +311 (5th)
September opponents: +156 (5th)
Final two weeks (Min, Tex, LA, at Sea): +85 (3rd)
Critical stretch: 33 games against division opponents and two long eastern swings (Detroit, Baltimore, and Los Angeles in August; and Texas, Cleveland, and Boston in September.)
10. Toronto (44-44), 4th in AL East by 16 ½ over Tampa Bay.
Remaining games: 74 (32 away, 42 home.)
Opponents: Chicago 3, Los Angeles 6, Boston 7, Baltimore 9, New York 13, Texas 3, Cleveland 3, Detroit 7, Seattle 7, Kansas City 6, Tampa Bay 10.
Finished with: Minnesota, Oakland.
Strength of schedule, all opponents: -135 (13th)
September opponents: -181 (14th)
Final two weeks (Sea, at NY, at Bos, KC): -55 (12th)
Critical stretch: They need to put the hammer down with 20 of 26 games coming out of the All-Star break at home. If not, they have to survive a fearsome travel trip in August to Baltimore, Los Angeles, back east to Detroit, then New York. But they get cake in September.
11. DETROIT (41-44), 4th in AL Central by 12 ½ over Kansas City.
Remaining games: 76 (36 away, 40 home.)
Opponents: Chicago 11, Los Angeles 4, Boston 6, Minnesota 11, Cleveland 9, Oakland 6, Toronto 7, Seattle 9, Kansas City 13.
Finished with: Baltimore, New York, Texas, Tampa Bay.
Strength of schedule, all opponents: +186 (6th)
September opponents: +177 (T - 2nd)
Final two weeks (at KC, Sea, Chi, at Min): +34 (7th)
Critical stretch: I dunno, seems like we’re chugging uphill the whole way. No chances to make up ground directly with Baltimore, New York, or Texas anymore.
12. Seattle (39-48), 4th in AL West.
Remaining games: 75 (36 away, 39 home.)
Opponents: Chicago 6, Los Angeles 9, Minnesota 7, Baltimore 7, New York 4, Texas 10, Cleveland 7, Oakland 6, Toronto 7, Detroit 9, Kansas City 3.
Finished with: Boston, Tampa Bay.
Strength of schedule, all opponents: +464 (1st)
September opponents: +159 (4th)
Final two weeks (at Tor, at Det, Tex, Oak): +15 (8th)
Critical stretch: All but the last 2 ½ weeks, when they finally get some mediocre teams to play.
13. Kansas City (30-57), 5th in AL Central.
Remaining games: 75 (40 away, 35 home.)
Opponents: Chicago 9, Boston 6, Minnesota 7, New York 3, Texas 4, Cleveland 14, Oakland 6, Toronto 6, Detroit 13, Seattle 3, Tampa Bay 4.
Finished with: Los Angeles, Baltimore.
Strength of schedule, all opponents: +335 (4th)
September opponents: +262 (1st)
Final two weeks (Det, Cle, at Min, at Tor) +58 (6th)
Critical stretch: To avoid 100 losses, being close to .500 in the 21 games after the All-Star break would be a help. 2-4 against Chicago and Boston is acceptable, the other opponents being Cleveland, Detroit, Toronto, and Tampa Bay.
14. Tampa Bay (28-61), 5th in AL East. Worst record in baseball, 3 games behind Kansas City.
Remaining games: 73 (38 away, 35 home.)
Opponents: Los Angeles 9, Boston 13, Baltimore 12, New York 9, Texas 6, Cleveland 10, Toronto 10, Kansas City 4.
Finished with: Chicago, Minnesota, Oakland, Detroit, Seattle.
Strength of schedule, all opponents: +440 (2nd)
September opponents: +177 (T- 2nd)
Final two weeks: (Bos, at LA, at Cle, Bal) +120 (1st)
Critical stretch: Pity the poor Devil Rays. After August 1, when Kansas City leaves town, they don’t see another team currently under .500 the rest of the season. In fact, that 4 game series with Kansas City is all they see of bottom-feeders. An 11-62 finish isn’t so unlikely.
To be fair to the NL readers, I also did a quick run on their reamining games. In order from most difficult to easiest NL schedules:
1. Florida: 76 games, +149 (aggregate games from .500)
2. New York: 74 games, +94
3. Houston: 75 games, +61
4. Philadelphia: 73 games, +10
5. Washington: 74 games, -22
6. Cincinnati: 74 games, -32
7. Milwaukee: 74 games, -49
8. Atlanta: 73 games, -88
9. Chicago: 75 games, -91
10. Colorado: 75 games, -150
11. San Francisco: 75 games, -159
12. St. Louis: 74 games, -176
13. Pittsburgh: 75 games, -199
14. Arizona: 72 games, -234
15. Los Angeles: 74 games, -298
16. San Diego: 73 games, -310
Easy to see that playing a lot of games against the pitiful NL West buries your schedule ranking. One would have to say that the schedule favors Atlanta to reel in Washington in the NL East, St. Louis in an NL Central cakewalk, and San Diego maintaining the NL West lead. And the wild card may come from out there if a second team can manhandle that division - it appears the NL East and Central will beat each other up quite a bit.
Now, next time, it's back to the right-wing conspiracy. Needed a break but there's issues out there to address. It was my little All-Star break, now it'll be back to "work."
