So much has happened in baseball since I last posted on my blog! The Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw notched his Major League-leading nineteenth win on his way to yet another Cy Young award (remember my previous post about being "bad-ass?" Kershaw is definitely one of those!); the Houston Astros fired second-year manager Bo Porter; team owners elected a new Commissioner who will take over after Bud Selig retires in January (and they didn't pick me!); the Kansas City Royals inched their way closer to a playoff spot; and did you hear that Derek Jeter is retiring? I know; I had no idea either!
Let's take a peek at the division standings and how things look playoff-wise now that I'm back to the grind (by the way, my husband and I went to two games at Nationals Park during my hiatus, so I was definitely paying attention!). In the AL West, the Los Angeles Angels (which in Spanish means "the angels angels") became the first team to clinch a playoff spot and have the best record in the Majors. People will watch them because of Albert Pujols and Mike Trout, but they should also pay attention to Matt Shoemaker, Howie Kendrick, and Erick Aybar. They're surely going to have the AL West clinched by the end of the week, and people better start paying attention to these guys.
In the AL Central, things aren't so cut-and-dry. The Detroit Tigers are only a game and-a-half above the Royals, who refuse to give up and are hungry for a playoff birth. Some people are tired of the Cabrera-Verlander-Scherzer Tigers and want to see the Royals have a go at a pennant (they haven't amounted to much since the days of George Brett. Pine tar, anyone?). I would be happy with either team. The Tigers are always fun to watch since they have such collective talent, but the underdog Royals would be a breath of fresh air. And they have some cute guys on the team too!
As far as the AL East, it's Baltimore all the way. They hope to clinch their playoff spot tonight (or may already have, depending on when you read this), and they've played some really good baseball despite injuries to key players. Last year's home run leader, Chris Davis, has to serve a 25-game suspension for not submitting the appropriate paperwork to allow him to take his ADHD medication, but it's not like he was hitting anywhere close to last year, so the Orioles will be fine without him.
On to the National League, where my mighty Nationals are also hoping to clinch a playoff spot tonight (if they can beat those annoying Braves). Their lineup is solid, their starting rotation is strong (with Geo Gonzalez as the weakest link - who would've thought that would be the case this season?), and their bullpen is decent. They fired Rafael Soriano as their closer and replaced him with Drew Storen, who was the closer when the Nationals lost to the Cardinals in the 2012 playoffs, but Storen has matured a lot and is better able to handle stressful situations. Now if only I could afford to attend a playoff game...
In the NL Central, those darn Cardinals are in first place AGAIN. Aren't we all sick of the Cards? Really; give those Pirates a chance, will ya? The Bucs are only 3 1/2 games out, and are technically still "in it." Plus they have Andrew McCutchen, whom everyone loves, and a nicer ballpark and better fans. Plus the "pirate" was my high school mascot, so there's that. A lot depends on how the San Francisco Giants do (that whole Wild Card thing is a whole other story).
Lastly, the NL West belongs to the Dodgers, who have excellent pitching, a great manager in Don Mattingly, and an enigma named Yasiel Puig. While an all-LA World Series would be boring to most casual fans, I would find it interesting and would actually root for one if the Nationals and Orioles are eliminated in the playoffs. I could easily live vicariously through the LA fans but would have a hard time picking a favorite team (while I usually root for the National League team in the World Series, I like the Angels a little more than the Dodgers, so I would definitely be torn). Yes, a "Beltway Series" would be super-exciting for those of us here in the mid-Atlantic, but a west-coast series would suffice.
So as you can see, there is still a LOT of baseball to be played and most playoff teams to be decided. As for me, I promise to blog more, because I really missed writing while my life was busily filling up with family obligations, kids' activities, and the demands of my "real" (paying) job. I'll be back soon with more predictions and more shallow commentary (sorry!), but in the meantime, keep rooting for those Nationals, Orioles, and Pirates!
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