fullcountpitch.com

By Gary Armida

We have now entered my least favorite time of year. The Major League Baseball All-Star break is the worst time for a true baseball fan. Yes, it is worse than the off season because at least the off season has free agency and trade rumors. All we have is the “important” all-star game and a day or two of bad television. There are no baseball games to watch, no fantasy baseball moves to make, and no other sports to even occupy our time. Fortunately, it is only a few days long, but it is excruciating nonetheless.

While we all sit and try to figure out what to do this week (here’ a hint-there’s some good content coming out on FCP this week, so spend your time here), let’s take a look at what’s going on around the world of baseball.

• As we head into the All-Star break the division leaders are Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles (Angels), Philadelphia, Chicago, and Arizona. The Red Sox, the White Sox, the Phillies, and the D-Backs are all only ahead by 1.5 games or fewer. The races are heating up with the red hot Mets, the upstart Twins, the surprising Rays, and the Dodgers (sorry no adjective for a sub-.500 team) inching closer to overtaking the division leader. Look for the Dodgers to overtake the Diamondbacks for the West title as the D-Backs just have too many offensive problems. The D-Backs are rumored to be going after an outfielder like Raul Ibanez, but even adding just one player will not be a cure. The Phillies are in trouble as the Mets seem to have it all figured out at this point (more on that in a moment). Expect the Red Sox to get a challenge from the Yankees, but have the Rays fade under the August pressure of a pennant race.
• As stated previously, the Mets seem to have it all figured out. Since the hiring of Jerry Manuel, the Mets are 16-9, having won their last nine games. Their pitching has been solid, getting great performances out of Mike Pelfry and Johan Santana. I stated that firing Willie Randolph was a poor idea, but that doesn’t look to be the case 25 games into the Manuel regime. The Mets seem a looser bunch that is playing hard every day. They were the official FCP pick to win the National League pennant so hopefully they can live up to expectations in the second half.
• Justin Duchscherer didn’t win yesterday, but he finishes the first half with a 1.82 ERA. He’s a great story as he made the transition from top setup man to staff ace. Because he toils in Oakland he is getting overlooked. Long-term health is a concern, but Duchscherer figures to remain a good competitor for the remainder of the season. Expecting a sub-2.00 ERA for the season is unrealistic, but Duchscherer should be a solid pitcher for the remainder of the year.
• CC Sabathia mania has taken hold of Milwaukee. In his first week as a Brewer, Sabathia has gone 2-0, most recently throwing a complete game this Sunday while hitting a homerun. So far, Sabathia has lived up to his ace status. The Brewers will be legitimate contenders as along as Sabathia and Sheets can make their starts in the second half.
• One of the main reasons the Phillies are in first place is their surprising pitching. Guys like Chad Durbin and Jamie Moyer have done better than expected. But, the young lefty, Cole Hamels is the real reason that the Phils have a shot at the post season. His ERA of 3.15 is impressive, but the fact that he’s pitched at least 7 innings during his recent outings is the real key to success.
• Don’t look now, but the Tigers’ Justin Verlander is officially back from his horrendous start. He now has an ERA of 2.71 during his last 70 innings. If Verlander can match his 2007 form, the Tigers do have the capability of making a run at the Central crown.
• Now that Harden and Sabathia are off the market, teams are now looking at guys like Brian Fuentes and Randy Wolf. Both will likely yield a good package, but the fact that they are mediocre left hander should persuade teams not to get into trade talks.
• Josh Hamilton has 93 RBI heading into the break. Before the “record” talk begins, let’s remember that Hack Wilson had 191 RBI. So Hamilton only has 98 more to go in his last 70+ games. That RBI record seems unbreakable, even in this offensive era.
• Finally, the rest of the FCP staff will be checking in this week with an article which marks the first time all of the staff will have an article in the same week. Because of that, after my Bobby Murcer piece, I’ll take the rest of the week off in order to recharge my writing batteries. Of course, if something breaks, I’ll be writing about it. Enjoy the FCP staff’s work for the remainder of the week.