On the 2008 All-Star Break, I should be happy
Three of my four teams are in first place in their divisions this morning of the 2008 All-Star Game.
The Angels have a respectable 6-game lead in the AL West.
The Cubs lead the NL Central by 4.5 games, and the White Sox lead the AL Central by 1 1/2 games.
Even the Dodgers are only one game behind the Diamondbacks in the NL West.
For the first time in memory, all my teams were able to make the postseason and we even got to see an El-Train World Series with the Cubs and Red Sox.
So, I’m happy, right?
Something like.
Los Angeles is a lock, as I see it. They are the most consistent team of all the ones I have mentioned.
The big question on my mind is whether the Red Sox and Cubs will fade for the fall. If I had to bet on a strangler, it would be the Red Sox. This is the team that fell from first to worst in the blink of an eye. World champions in 2005, they hit rock bottom in 2006.
I have more confidence in Lou Pinella in the Cubs’ dugout to get his team out of whatever second-half stalemate it might get into.
By some miracle, Red Sox captain Ozzie Guillen has put the hysteria aside this year and just let his team make the news, but I’m bracing myself for outbursts that could ignite clubhouse fights and losses. at crucial moments.
The Dodgers are arguably playing in the weakest division in baseball. Yes, they’re in second by just one game, but the leading D-Backs are on top with a losing record. The Snakes aren’t even winning half of their contests.
If the Dodgers finish on top, their chances of collecting pennants and rings in the postseason are not good.
I have argued before that the goal of many baseball teams is not to go all the way and win the World Series. You’re building competitive teams that meet and exceed your payroll and overhead costs.
“Getting Closer” is no longer a restricted objective in Horseshoes. It seems to be the primary unwritten goal of today’s baseball business.
That’s why I’m happy so far, but I’m not convinced that any team except the Angels would pay for an expensive late-season increase to their roster, an impact player who would clinch the final victory in October.