The Not-Quite Second Half

The All-Star Game's in the rearview mirror, a "classic" whose exciting conclusion nobody but sportswriters and half the attendees actually saw.

But the best thing about the game for me was always the demarcation in the season, a place to breathe, look backward and forward and to take stock of the proceedings.

Some AL surprises:

Some sabermetricians had the Rays winning 89 games, but I didn't buy it. It's rare for a bevy of young players to improve simultaneously on the same schedule, but that's what the Rays have done. Because they've been carried by pitching and defense, they appear for real. Whether they secure a playoff spot, I'm dubious.

The White Sox are harder to dismiss. As I noted in March (The Delusions of Kenny Williams) this team entered the season with two reliable starters, a dismal outfield and a lot of waning stars. That was before Carlos Quentin won the role of Samson, John Danks turned off the home run spigot and Gavin Floyd discovered that he didn't have to suck. Throw in a splendid bullpen, generally good health for Jim Thome and a bounceback year for Jermaine Dye at age 34, and you've got a contender. Subtract Cleveland and, so far, Detroit, and the Sox have a chance.

I don't see much improvement ahead for the Tigers. Their pitching is predictably mediocre and their muscular lineup appears permanently atrophied. Sheff's bat speed has retreated to the bat cave forever. Renteria and Jacque Jones are disasters. There isn't much upside in the rest of the lineup, which has already been carrying the load.

The Twins are a nice story, but I don't think they're this good and I doubt they can keep it up. It's barely hyperbole to mention that Chase Utley has out-homered Minnesota. One day now, Nick Blackburn, the ace of the staff, is going to wake up and say, "Hey, I'm Nick Blackburn," and that will be the end.

The demise of the Mariners wasn't a shock to me, as I noted in February (Hot Stove Musings). Look at their roster: Mario Mendoza could start. I didn't realize their hurlers would make Seattle fans hurl, but Eric Bedard's semi-annual visit to the Disabled List certainly is no surprise. They never really were a contender.

Finally there's the Bronx Bombers, who cannot be counted out, despite their diddling. The bad news for Yankee fans is that the team is old and slow, doesn't have an ace and displays the defensive prowess of the Maginot Line. The bad news for Wild Card contenders is that the Yankees have four #2 starters and several young guys who can contribute in the #5 slot, the Greek God of Relief Pitching, and enough power in the lineup to light Saskatchewan for a week. And that's without the acquisition of Richie Sexson! (Snicker.) They're just six games out with 70 to play. The Yanks aren't a strong World Series candidate, but they are as good a bet for the playoffs as those named above.

Next post, I'll examine the confounding National League. In the meantime, here's America's Finest News Source.