Just for Sport

Depending on your viewpoint, the first All-English UEFA Final was either a very fortunate or a very unfortunate pairing.  In my mind, it was terrible: The Soccer equivalent of the Red Sox versus the Yankees.  Bandwagon Red Sox fans are only outdone by bandwagon Manchester United fans.  On the other hand, Chelsea’s payroll this year is a whopping $270 million, bringing new meaning to the term "trying to buy a championship." 

Unfortunately for the popularity of soccer in the States, the game was rather unexciting and full of all the stereotypes and excuses that keep Americans from watching the game.  There were two goals in regulation, and they both came in the first half.  Nobody scored in 75 minutes of play.  Edward Van der Sar made a grand total of one save in 120 minutes, yet still ended up on the winning side.  Then there were the referees, who seemed determined to affect the outcome of the game, handing out cards for every mistimed challenge.   Finally, the superstar on each team lived up to their respective bad reputations: Cristiano Ronaldo apparently wanted to set a record for flops in one game, while Didier Drogba showed his maturity by throwing the wussiest slap recorded on television during extra time.

All in all, this was a missed opportunity for a highly visible game to have an impact on America.  Instead, stereotypes have been confirmed in the minds of those who need excuses not to watch.

Most Americans have no idea what this means.  These people will continue to not care after today. 

Interleague play starts tomorrow, which means at least one thing: Baseball records and statistics start to mean something.  Up until now, it’s all about positioning.  Sometimes the Pirates or the Royals stay close to the top of the division a couple of weeks in, but unless they make it to the quarterpole with a respectable record, it doesn’t matter.  Obviously, things can always change, but at this time of the year you can put some stock into trends and statistics.  Here are some observations about the state of the Majors:

American League 

East - As of today, the Rays are in first place in the AL East.  Who knew?  We did.  Will they keep it up?  A strong pitching staff, a surprise closer, and some young upstart players say they will probably stay in the race longer than most think.

Central - Our chosen AL representative, the Detroit Tigers, sit in last place in the Central, 6 games back of first.  Can they turn it around?  Only if their starting pitching delivers.   Minnesota and Chicago hover around .500, and both teams could go either way.  This will likely be a competitive division deep into September.

West - The Mariners do not look good at all.  The loss of Erik Bedard coupled with the offense acting their age is a recipe for last place in the league’s smallest division.  The A’s are off to a surprising start and the Rangers can’t decide if they’re a basement team or a contender - the end result will likely be a record around .500, which will be an accomplishment for this team.

Statistics and Trends to Note: 

• The Rays own the best home record at 16-8 as well as the best overall record.  Their 24-17 record puts them on pace for 95 wins.
• Only two teams have a winning record away from home: California and Oakland.  Could it be because they both get to play the Rangers and Mariners more than anybody else?
• The team with the worst record is Seattle, at 16-26.   They are on pace for a 62-100 season.
• The Tigers are 5-1 vs. LHPs and 11-24 vs RHPs.  Too many right-handed bats in the lineup?
• The Red Sox have scored by far the most runs: 216.  The next highest total is owned by Texas, with 200.  However, the Rangers have also given up an AL-high 229.  Puts the Edinson Volquez for Josh Hamilton trade in perspective, huh?

National League

East - The Marlins are the surprise team of the NL.  Has anybody mentioned that the have the league’s lowest payroll?  Meanwhile, the Mets are stuck around .500 and reportedly have chemistry issues.  The Braves play inconsistently, so it looks like the Phillies stand poised to benefit from a Marlins collapse - if it happens.

Central - It would be easy to say "I told you so."  So I’m going to do it.  The Cubs looks like they’re in control (for now), Houston is playing better than everybody thought, and the Brewers are tied for fourth with…Pittsburgh.  The only surprise in our mind is that St. Louis is playing so well, and they don’t even have key pieces of their rotation pitching at the moment.  If Carpenter and Mulder come in and pitch well, they could run away with the division.  On the other hand, they could struggle to find their mid-season form and create all kinds of chemistry issues.  The top three teams are separated by 2 games, so anything could happen, but it seems clear that by the All-Star break there will be only 3 serious contenders in this six-team division.

West - It looked like four teams would contend for the West division title, but only two appear to have a shot.  The Diamondbacks are red-hot as expected, and the Dodgers look good as well.  Only three teams in the entire league are 9 or more games back of first place, and they all call the NL West home.  

Statistics and Trends to Note:

• The Diamondbacks boast the best record in either league at 26-15, which puts them on pace for 103 wins.
• Three teams have home records over .700: The Braves (14-4), the Cubs(17-7), and the Diamondbacks (17-7).  The Braves are 6-16 on the road, however, making them and even .500 overall.
• San Diego has the worst record in either league at 15-27, which gives them an expected loss total of 104.
• All three teams at the bottom of the NL West have given up 200 or more runs.  The Rockies share the league "lead" with the Pirates.  The Padres have an already dismal run differential of -60.
• The best run differential belongs to the Cubs, at +68.  They also boast the most runs total at 238, while the Braves have given up the least runs: 154. 
• Atlanta, which sports a .500 record, is 1-11 in 1-run games.  Amazingly, the Reds are 8-3 despite sole possession of last place in the NL Central.