MLB: Standings At Mid-Season; Colorado Rockies , 2 Forward, Then Back.
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MLB --- WE can label any mid-season in sports as a hot corner, a necessary turning point, as a final opportunity to be smarter, faster, stronger---last call, last chance. Or, we can see it as only another few hours within a long stretch of games and conduct business as usual.
In baseball, those teams that are way behind in standings at mid-season and have pride and the will to play well, they’ll try to pump up, put forth extra effort to move ahead, even if it’s from last to fourth place within a division.
Meanwhile, teams that are still in contention for a playoff slot at mid-season, they too might chute up, seek the breakthrough, give it their all. And, those teams already far ahead, leading divisions by more than three or more games, well, they probably won’t change what’s been working, their tempo and style may stay as it’s been.
Here’s what 2013 pro- baseball in America looks like with half of its 162-game season now history for the 30 MLB franchises; and, we’re just 12 days from All Star week---
As of now, the American League leads the National League in games won, 618 over 607, and so leads the NL in least games lost, 587 over 617. Another way of expressing this is NL 11 games behind, NL 30 more games lost. Add that the AL has played fewer games than the NL (AL, 1,205 games played, NL, 1,224), which means that the NL could have put up more wins than the AL
Too, the AL
Leading the entire MLB today are the NL Central’s number one club, the 51-30 Pittsburgh Pirates, followed by the AL East’s leading team, the 50-34 Boston Red Sox, these being the only teams that have reached the 50 games won mark. Only Boston
Except for the NL East’s number one, the 48-34 Atlanta Braves, the remaining division first place clubs (both leagues) do not have commanding leads. The Braves are ahead of the NL East’s number two, the Washington Nationals, by six games.
Within the NL West, the leading Arizona Diamondbacks (42-40) are but one game ahead of number two, the Colorado Rockies (41-42).
Within the AL West, the Texas Rangers and the Oakland Athletics are tied at first place, 48-34 and 48-35 respectively, directly behind them the Los Angeles Angels (39-43---a nine game deficit).
Within the AL Central, the 44-38 Cleveland Indians are only one game ahead of the Detroit Tigers (43-38).
So, were league champions to battle today for the World Series title and number of wins were the deciding factor, it would be an eastern seaboard contest, the NL’s Pirates vs. the AL
But--it’s mid-season, and the small gaps between first and second place teams advise that all could turn around quickly within a matter of weeks, maybe sooner. Clear is that while mid-season/2013 speaks to the need for several teams to juice up and reach their highest potential, there’s very little assurance as to which will definitely remain above the rest (bettors, beware!).
As to teams at mid-season that aren’t supposed to be where they are, i.e., those that haven’t met expectations, they are the L.A. Dodgers, last place, NL West, at 38-43, and the Milwaukee Brewers, last place NL Central, 32-49, plus the Chicago White Sox, last place, AL Central, 32-47; and, the N.Y. Yankees, fourth place, AL East, 42-39 (six games behind first place team, the Red Sox, and one game ahead of last place, Toronto Blue Jays).
As for the Miami Marlins and Houston Astros, it’s business as usual---they have 30 wins each, and 51 and 53 losses respectively, the worst 2013 mid-season records, either league.
Relative to being a .600+ team by mid-season, any season, baseball is merciless, meaner than the proverbial junkyard dog. I almost wrote, “meaner than a bull facing red,” but red’s been doing well this year, as in the 50-34 Red Sox and 47-36 Cincinnati Reds---anyway, you get the picture: all baseball clubs play “against the odds,” even the best. Only two of 30 MLB teams are at or above .600 today, the .630 NL Central’s Pittsburgh Pirates and .605 St. Louis Cardinals, and only 12 are above .500.
Right now, the 41-42 Rockies are marginal, in that they are close to being .500 again, yet they are exceptional for they are in second place of the NL West, just one game behind division leader, the 42-40 Arizona Diamondbacks, therefore of playoff-candidacy if they can stay ahead of the 40-43 San Diego Padres and the 39-43 San Francisco Giants.
For nearly all MLB clubs, mid-season means that the values resulting from choices made by their managers has to go up a notch, Always important, field decision-making becomes more critical because some players begin to plateau from game fatigue (usually pitching staff “starters”), others suffer injuries and have to be rehabbed or benched. First year as Rockies manager, Walt Weiss, he can’t be faulted for the recent choices he’s made, the prints of which are evident from trust he’s placed in pitchers RH Jhoulys Chacin and reliever, LH Rex Brothers, in the consistently capable OF/IF Michael Cuddyer (.347 as of Saturday), catcher Wiln Rosario (.274, also as of Saturday) and rookie, Nolan Arenado. Friday last, Chacin went eight innings keeping the Giants scoreless, busted by a Buster Posey home run, Brothers holding the Giants back, final 4-1, Rockies ahead with a chance for a sweep of the Giants. It was only the second such run allowed by Chacin in more than 25 straight innings as starter, among them, seven scoreless vs. the Washington nationals a week ago, a shutout also ended by a big hit. Brothers hasn’t left the field in 20+ innings as a spoiler, as having given up runs gained by the Rockies offense and undoing a likely win. Cuddyer? He’s currently a phenom, having hit in 27 games straight, six HR’s within, for 14 total as of Sunday, a .380 batting average since May 28, game one of the streak. He’s now at the halfway mark toward the DiMaggio 56 . . . Arenado, his hit forced up the ninth winning run that beat the Giants on Saturday, 2-1 . . Rosario ’s solo HR added to the Rockies Friday night vs. Giants win, he’s put up 13 HR’s since April 1, along with more than 40 RBI’s.
That which is omitted by a manager has good or bad consequences, sometimes being a true crapshoot. Will manager Walt Weiss sending RH Juan Nicasio to triple-A leave a gaping hole in the starter rotation? Framing the positive now is Weiss having faith in NL Cy Young award winner, Roy Oswalt, that he’ll maintain his career 3.2 ERA and his 160+ wins record vs. his less than 100 losses.
Last year, the Rockies duality was greater in contrast. When pitching went well, the line-up couldn’t hit. When hitting was superb, the Rockies hurlers gave back runs, they accumulated embarrassing ERA’s. There were important hits and base-runners, but somehow the majority of base runners were left in scoring position at third outs. There’s been much less of this dichotomy in 2013, so far, which has pushed forward the Rockies chances for NL West ascendancy, possibly the top position as September closes.
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