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Starting over
For most teams, second half still holds a lot of hope
Posted: Friday July 13, 2001 10:49 AM
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Barry Bonds is hoping his production continues through the regular season and post season. AP |
By John Donovan, CNNSI.com
It is too late, we hate to say, for at least 10 of the 30 teams in baseball. Ten of them -- five in each league -- started the second half of the season at least 10 games back in the wild card standings. That's kind of like being the sixth car in line waiting to turn left on a green light with a mile-long funeral procession coming the other way.
It's just not going to happen, you know?
Still, that leaves 20 teams thinking that ... with a break here or there or a good trade and maybe if the pitchers start pitching like they're supposed to and maybe that first baseman starts hitting finally and we can just get the starters to go seven innings maybe and no one hits it to our right fielder please and ... still, you have a lot of hope out there.
This weekend, the last weekend of interleague play for the year (though it slides through the week), hope springs big-time for teams like the Giants and Dodgers and Red Sox and so many others. Teams that might be good enough, if everything falls right.
The Giants play a team this weekend that has had everything go right. The Red Sox, where everything seems to be falling apart all the time, play a team in more disarray than they are. The Dodgers play maybe the biggest underachievers of the first half.
Everyone wants to start well. No one wants to stutter.
But everyone can't be the Mariners.
On to the start of the second half with This Weekend in Baseball, with a special note: Because of interleague play and those darned schedule makers, we have a split weekend. Everyone starts a new series on Sunday. We've made note of that for your quick and easy reference. Next weekend, we get back to your normal slate of full-weekend, non-interleague games.
So check out these TWIB ratings. Four balls, remember, are the max a series can get.
Let the races begin |
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San Francisco Giants
Team Page | Schedule |
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Seattle Mariners
Team Page | Schedule |
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Wow, the Seattle Mariners had one heck of a memorable first half, didn't they? San Francisco remembers it, of course, because it was kind of like their second half last season.
Well, maybe the Giants' second half of 2000 wasn't quite as impressive as the M's first half of '01. The M's won almost three of every four games they played in going 63-24. But last year, the Giants ended up with 97 wins after finishing the first three months of the season at a mere 38-38. They went 59-27 (.686) after that. Not bad at all.
San Francisco has the potential for another good second half this time around. The Giants' pitching staff is credible (4.48 ERA) and their offense the same (at the break, they had a .261 team batting average and 118 home runs, third in the NL, thanks to 39 dingers from Barry Bonds). They, and maybe the Dodgers, seem the ones most likely to give the Diamondbacks a run in the NL West.
No one will challenge Seattle in the second half. That's how good their first half was and how big their lead is now. Still, no one in their right baseball mind expects the Mariners to keep this up. At this pace, the M's win 117 games. At a .500 clip from here on out, they win about 101.
That said, no one expects a big dropoff, either. This team is solid. The Mariners scored more runs than anyone in the first half and their 4.00 ERA was fourth in the AL. They're healthy and they have the luxury of a practically insurmountable lead in the AL West. Seattle is THE team to beat.
(With that said, you can't mention the Giants without mentioning Barry Bonds, who had a better first half this year than either the Giants' second half last season or the Mariners' first half this season. No one ever hit that many homers before the break. But -- there is often one of those, right? -- he didn't hit a one in his last 13 games and 44 at-bats before the break.)
(And, oh yeah, if you talk Seattle, you have to talk Ichiro Suzuki. He may not get George Sisler's hits mark, but he's got Rookie of the Year locked up and he's certainly worth tuning in, if you get a chance.)
A fast start to the second half is much more critical to San Francisco than it is to Seattle, just because the Giants still trail the Diamondbacks. Bonds helped his team off to a good start Thursday night by hitting No. 40 in his first at-bat.
Can the Giants get on a second-half roll again? Can the Mariners keep their roll going?
Let's roll with that second half and find out.
Sunday, by the way, San Francisco is at Texas while Arizona comes to Seattle.
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The A's are under the perhaps mistaken impression that they still can make the wild card race interesting. Well, maybe. But they hit only .250 in the first half! That's .250! Only the Mets were worse. The Dodgers, remember, were sizzling before the break, winning nine in a row at one point and 10 of their last 13. Chan Ho Park (8-5, 2.80 ERA) against Tim Hudson (9-5, 3.02) on Friday, Luke Prokopec (6-4, 4.18) vs. Barry Zito (6-6, 4.58) on Saturday. On Sunday, Los Angeles is at Pittsburgh and Colorado is at Oakland.
This isn't rocket science, folks. It's not even dissecting-a-frog science. Two dominant pitchers, a solid offense ... the Diamondbacks are around to stay. The Angels don't have a prayer -- c'mon, that's only the 16th time TWIB has used that this year -- to make the playoffs but, you know, they still have to play. Curt Schilling (12-4, 3.20 ERA) goes for the Diamondbacks on Friday. Randy Johnson (11-5, 2.71) goes for them on Saturday. Sunday, Arizona starts a series in Seattle that should be watchable. The Angels host San Diego in one that should be banned.
If the Red Sox are to stick with the Yankees -- and there are many who think they can't -- well, you couldn't ask for a better second-half aperitif than the Mets, who have shown no signs of being able to win consistently. Boston is without Pedro Martinez for a while -- maybe a long while -- but the Sox still have Hideo Nomo, Tim Wakefield, a decent bullpen and a good offense. The Mets have none of that. OK, so the Mets won Thursday. We're not thinking they're back yet. Sunday, Boston at Montreal and Toronto at the Mets.
The Cubs are scheduled to star in the upcoming Scary Movie 3: The Club that Would Not Die. They won again Thursday afternoon. They still have the solid pitching (let's throw out that All-Star performance by Jon Lieber). They could do it. It's possible. Of course, for something really scary, check out the White Sox in the second half. Yikes! Friday, the ChiSox send Mark Buehrle (6-4, 3.29 ERA) against the ChiCubs' Kerry Wood (8-5, 3.69). Sunday, the White Sox at Milwaukee, Kansas City at the Cubs.
We mention this only because it's the Battle of Ohio thing, Cincinnati still has yet to win two in a row at home and the Indians have an offense worth watching (though, problem is, you have to turn your head from the rather unpretty pitching staff). Sunday, Cleveland at Houston and Detroit at Cincinnati.
New York Yankees at Florida Marlins, Thursday-Saturday
The Yanks won nine of their last 10 before the break and had given up more than three runs only once in their last eight games. And that one time, they won anyway. So they start the second half by losing to Florida, 9-3. Go figure. A lot of people still like the Marlins in the NL East, but that 2-7 stretch before the break was just plain ugly. Maybe Thursday was the start of a turnaround. Maybe not. Saturday, Roger Clemens (12-1, 3.55 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster (10-8, 4.29). Sunday, Yankees at Philadelphia, Baltimore at Florida.
Minnesota Twins at Milwaukee Brewers, Thursday-Saturday
The Twins had a five-game cushion at the half. Five games! No one called that but, with Mays, Radke and Milton, they should hang around. The Brewers should go away (they lost to the Twins 13-5 Thursday night). Still, Milwaukee can make some noise in a division that seems ready for some shaking up. Sunday, Minnesota at St. Louis and the White Sox at Milwaukee.
Toronto Blue Jays at Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday-Saturday
There's going to be some major pruning in Toronto if the Jays fall off the table right away in the second half. And it's not that big of an if. They don't seem to have the firepower to stick with the Yankees or Red Sox. Everyone's expecting the Phils to fall, too, and their 2-1 loss Thursday night to Toronto dropped them back into a first-place tie with Atlanta. But, you know, everyone expected the Phils to fold for the whole first half and they didn't. We'll see. Sunday, Toronto at the Mets and the Yankees at Philadelphia.
Baltimore Orioles at Atlanta Braves, Thursday-Saturday
If there aren't T-shirts made for the Cal Goodbye Tour, someone is missing out. The O's surprised in the first half, hanging around .500 for much of it. But they're clearly getting the youngsters ready. The Braves have to find a replacement for injured SS Rafael Furcal -- fill-in Mark DeRosa had the game-winning single Thursday and has 15 hits in his last 26 at-bats -- if they are to claim another NL East title. Sunday, Baltimore at Florida and Tampa Bay at Atlanta.
San Diego Padres at Houston Astros, Thursday-Saturday
This is the lone NL series on the docket. The Astros came into the break 8-2 in their last 10 and only a half-game back of Atlanta in the wild card race. And they start the second half by rolling over in a 7-2 loss to the lowly Padres on Thursday. Not exactly the start they wanted. Wade Miller Alert: Miller (11-3, 3.79 ERA) goes Saturday for the Astros. Sunday, San Diego at Anaheim and Cleveland at Houston.
Detroit Tigers at St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday-Saturday
Remember when everyone picked the Cardinals to win the NL Central? Some even picked them to go all the way. Well, injuries have slammed them. Still, they were only 5 1/2 back in the race for the wild card at the break. Plenty of time. The Tigers, one of those 10 pretty much out of it, still managed a 7-5 win over St. Louis on Thursday. Sunday, Detroit at Cincinnati, Minnesota at St. Louis.
Colorado Rockies at Texas Rangers, Thursday-Saturday
After a wasted first half by both teams, the Rockies, it seems, at least have a chance to come back. OK. Maybe it's only a slim chance. But it's a better chance than the Rangers have. It's Mike Hampton (9-5, 4.02 ERA) vs. Rick Helling (5-8, 5.54) on Friday. Sunday, Colorado at Oakland and San Francisco at Texas.
Kansas City Royals at Pittsburgh Pirates, Thursday-Saturday
You figure if the Royals didn't dump Tony Muser in the first half, no use dumping him now. But if they play the second half any worse, they may have no choice. Sunday, Kansas City at the Cubs, Los Angeles at Pittsburgh in the lone NL series of the next batch.
Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Montreal Expos, Thursday-Saturday
This series is taking the place of corporal punishment in several states. Sunday, Tampa Bay at Atlanta and Boston at Montreal.
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