MLB Update!
I was in the Memphis International Airport on Saturday quite early a few days ago. While I sucked down a four dollar venti mocha from Starbucks, acting as pretentious as I could on three hours of sleep, I noticed a guy wearing a Miguel Cabrera shirt and donning a Marlins cap. Curiosity got the best of me, so when I discovered him on my flight to the big Shreve I thought maybe I would make a little bit of Marlins-related conversation. It turns out that the guy was a theater enthusiast (possibly an actor of some sort), which I gleaned from the acting magazine he read on the airplane. He was also a huge Marlins fan, and he explained to me that he knew someone in the Marlins front office, making Marlins tickets easy for him to acquire. Apparently he had also sung the national anthem at a Marlins game, which seemed reasonable given his set of interests and his singer-like appearance.
I thought this was interesting news, and as we discussed the Marlins' playoff chances off the plane he shared with me some relatively interesting Marlins commentary. He also discussed his Wild Card views (after some prodding) which seemed to consist of him being high on his Fish while simultaneously being down on the Phillies and worried about the Marlins. He also discussed his thoughts on Cabrera, who "could really hit despite not being able to field or speak English." He, like everyone else on the planet, was down on Mike Lowell, which was understandable.
So with this news, it's time to re-cap the NL Wild Card race.
Philadelphia:
I don't honestly know too much about the Phillies. I do know that they have Billy Wagner and a really good lineup. I don't know if that will be enough. Their starters are basically unknowns except for Brett Myers, who has emerged this year as a borderline ace. They're starting Cory Lidle and Jon Lieber, along with Vicente Padilla, which basically means that nobody knows how well any starter is going to pitch on any particular night. So the Phils have to score a lot of runs, which they've shown a propensity to do. Still, there's not a single team left on their schedule who isn't fighting for a playoff spot (or, in the case of the Reds, can't explode for a ton of runs). So the Phillies are going to have to pitch to win, which they may not be able to do. Overall odds of winning: 5-1.
Houston:
This team is the exact opposite of the Phillies, which means that I automatically think they have a better chance. Plus, they have three aces. They still aren't hitting very well, and really hurt themselves by not getting a hitter before the deadline. But they do get to play the Brewers, Pirates, and Cubs some, and this should really help their chances. (Note how I didn't mention the Reds, who are hitting the living crap out of the ball.) Overall odds: 2-1.
Florida:
This team is the best synthesis of pitching and hitting, but they're also maddeningly inconsistent. The D-Train has been the truth, which is really a side story: is Willis a legitimate ace now? I think the answer has to be yes. It's a must that they beat the Astros in that series on the road, because the Fish have a tough schedule coming in, including a series with the Cards this week. There are no teams with losing records. None. This could spell bad news for the Fish, but they have won a World Series and are crafty. Overall odds: 4-1.
NY Mets
This team is really strange, and they have Pedro Martinez. That alone should qualify them as contenders. Pedro has single-handedly kept this team's morale up by simply winning most of his starts. The confidence given to Benson and even Glavine from these results have been awesome. Plus, David Wright has been untouchable in August. Now, if they could just get Beltran to play well... hey, they are the Mets. Overall odds: 4-1 (they play the Rockies!)
Washington
I watched them play, and I will say that with their current lineup it is very unlikely that they can win. Jose Guillen is the best player in that lineup, but he is being protected (protected !?!?) by Preston Wilson and Vinny Castilla, two strikeout artists. Teams don't have to pitch to Guillen, and the other hitters can't make them pay. John Patterson, Chad Cordero, and Livan have been brilliant, but with their brutal September schedule it doesn't seem to follow that they can win this mess. Overall odds: 20-1.
I thought this was interesting news, and as we discussed the Marlins' playoff chances off the plane he shared with me some relatively interesting Marlins commentary. He also discussed his Wild Card views (after some prodding) which seemed to consist of him being high on his Fish while simultaneously being down on the Phillies and worried about the Marlins. He also discussed his thoughts on Cabrera, who "could really hit despite not being able to field or speak English." He, like everyone else on the planet, was down on Mike Lowell, which was understandable.
So with this news, it's time to re-cap the NL Wild Card race.
Philadelphia:
I don't honestly know too much about the Phillies. I do know that they have Billy Wagner and a really good lineup. I don't know if that will be enough. Their starters are basically unknowns except for Brett Myers, who has emerged this year as a borderline ace. They're starting Cory Lidle and Jon Lieber, along with Vicente Padilla, which basically means that nobody knows how well any starter is going to pitch on any particular night. So the Phils have to score a lot of runs, which they've shown a propensity to do. Still, there's not a single team left on their schedule who isn't fighting for a playoff spot (or, in the case of the Reds, can't explode for a ton of runs). So the Phillies are going to have to pitch to win, which they may not be able to do. Overall odds of winning: 5-1.
Houston:
This team is the exact opposite of the Phillies, which means that I automatically think they have a better chance. Plus, they have three aces. They still aren't hitting very well, and really hurt themselves by not getting a hitter before the deadline. But they do get to play the Brewers, Pirates, and Cubs some, and this should really help their chances. (Note how I didn't mention the Reds, who are hitting the living crap out of the ball.) Overall odds: 2-1.
Florida:
This team is the best synthesis of pitching and hitting, but they're also maddeningly inconsistent. The D-Train has been the truth, which is really a side story: is Willis a legitimate ace now? I think the answer has to be yes. It's a must that they beat the Astros in that series on the road, because the Fish have a tough schedule coming in, including a series with the Cards this week. There are no teams with losing records. None. This could spell bad news for the Fish, but they have won a World Series and are crafty. Overall odds: 4-1.
NY Mets
This team is really strange, and they have Pedro Martinez. That alone should qualify them as contenders. Pedro has single-handedly kept this team's morale up by simply winning most of his starts. The confidence given to Benson and even Glavine from these results have been awesome. Plus, David Wright has been untouchable in August. Now, if they could just get Beltran to play well... hey, they are the Mets. Overall odds: 4-1 (they play the Rockies!)
Washington
I watched them play, and I will say that with their current lineup it is very unlikely that they can win. Jose Guillen is the best player in that lineup, but he is being protected (protected !?!?) by Preston Wilson and Vinny Castilla, two strikeout artists. Teams don't have to pitch to Guillen, and the other hitters can't make them pay. John Patterson, Chad Cordero, and Livan have been brilliant, but with their brutal September schedule it doesn't seem to follow that they can win this mess. Overall odds: 20-1.
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