Padres fans finally have a reason to smile
With all the hype about A-Rod being stuck on 599 home runs, it would be nice to talk about a real story in the MLB. Taking a look at the standings, it’s absolutely astounding to see how many great team stories there are going on in both leagues.
The AL East has been business as usual, with the Yankees, Rays, and Red Sox all contending for the division crown. It is highly likely that the Wild Card will come out of this three horse race. To be brutally honest, the AL East is the most boring division in the league.
The AL Central has also held true to its annual menage-a-trois, with the White Sox, Twins, and Tigers all scrapping for the division title. This race is always entertaining, and if history means anything will probably be decided in the last week. Expect the Tigers to make some more moves with Carlos Guillen and 
Magglio Ordonez both on the shelf. With rookie Brennan Boesch hitting the rookie wall, Detroit is struggling on offense and got a little help Wednesday when they acquired Shortstop/Third Baseman Jhonny Peralta from the Indians.
The AL West is where the story starts getting interesting. While my Mariners pick is looking like absolute dog shit, the Texas Rangers continue to roll right along with a 7.5 game lead in MLB’s only 4 team division. The addition of Cliff Lee to a bolster what was a mediocre pitching staff has the Arlington faithful brimming with optimism. The resurgence of Vladimir Guerrero has softened the blow of what has been a very disappointing year from Ian Kinsler. Look for the Rangers to make a move to add another bat before the deadline (Jorge Cantu?)
The NL East is led by the Atlanta Braves who have appeared to recapture some of the magic that led them to 14 consecutive division titles in the 90′s/00′s. With the Phillies struggling mightily on offense, the Braves have capitalized big time and taken a 3.5 game lead on the defending NL Champs. Perhaps Bobby Cox’s impending retirement lit a fire under this team. Tim Hudson has come into his own after fully recovering from his 2008 Tommy John surgery, anchoring the staff with an 11-5 record and career low 2.40 ERA. Rookie phenom Jason Heyward seems to have injected some life into what was a very vanilla offensive attack. His steal of home against the Nationals was the first of its kind for the Braves since Rafael Furcal did so in 2000. If Chipper Jones can get healthy for the stretch run, this team should hold off the Phils. You have to love how they have been getting it done with a synergistic mix of battle tested veterans and young talent.
While the Cardinals are doing what everyone expected them to do, the real story here is the Cincinnati Reds. Featured a July 1st BaseballMoves article, the Reds dynamic offensive attack has them tied with the Cards for the division lead. Enough cannot be said about the performance of rookie pitcher Mike Leake in 2010. With Edinson Volquez back from Tommy John surgery, their rotation is sufficient enough to compete, given how prolific their offense is. This neck and neck, two team race will also likely come down to the wire. Expect a few deadline deals from the Cardinals, as GM John Mozeliak has never been afraid to pull the trigger on a deal.
It’s only appropriate that this article is closed out with MLB’s feel-good divisional race, the NL West. The San Diego Padres are currently in first place with a microscopic payroll of just under $38 million. The only team with a lower payroll is the Pittsburgh Pirates, who needless to say will not be making a trip to the playoffs in 2010. Featured in a May 6th BaseballMoves article, the Padres have not stopped winning with their combination of speed, defense, and pitching. While the fickle SD fan base likely won’t start showing up in droves until late August, the most satisfying part about this run is keeping hometown hero Adrian Gonzalez in America’s finest city. It never made sense why a team would want to deal a player performing so well while making so little money. While they have the best record in the National League, they cannot sit on their laurels with the Giants and Dodgers right on their heels. The Giants have arguably the best rotation in all of baseball and are still my pick to take the division. I’m still not sold on the Dodgers, as both their starting pitching and relief corps have a lot of room for improvement. No matter what happens, I’m rooting for my home town Padres and hoping for October baseball in the Whale’s Vagina.
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Cary, what’s your feelings on the fear that if the Padres finish with the division lead that teams throughout the MLB will play copycat and focus on bullpen as opposed to starting pitching while emulating the Padres? I know Fantasy Baseball nuts have been a bit worried. Can the Padres formula work for other teams, or is it a fluke?
It’s a very interesting proposition that I hadn’t yet entertained. I think other teams would be a bit foolhardy to try and copy the Padres, as they have found themselves in the perfect storm in 2010. First of all, PETCO Park is where home runs go to die. As I mentioned back in May, you can get by with mediocre pitching (starting or relief)due to the sheer size of the playing field. What they have is a great mix of speed and defense on the offensive side of the ball that enables them to win. Secondly, they happen to play in a division with a group of teams with average-at-best offenses. To be honest with you, as a baseball fan this brand of baseball can be very grueling at times. Growing up on American League bash the hell out of your opponent baseball makes it difficult to watch a 3-2 game with average pitchers who are most likely products of their environments.
Back to their relief corps which has been absolutely astonishing this season. Relief pitching is the most ephemeral position in the game. It varies so much year to year that you’d be unwise to focus on it as a means of success. Sure you want capable, powerful arms in your pen but take a look at the Mets disaster when they traded for JJ Putz after signing K-Rod, still having an injured Billy Wagner on their team (Wagner came back later that season but was dealt to the Sox). It blew up in their face and they were god awful. You’re better off developing this talent at the minor league level.
[...] placed on the 15 day DL, this move was one that has been speculated about for weeks (including yesterday in a BM post). You have to like the move, as Cantu was born in Texas and will likely thrive [...]