Step Up or Step Off

Forget almost everything that I wrote on my last blog. Seems that most of my baseball predictions are coming apart like a pair of 15 year old jeans.

Who thought the Yankees would reel off a 24-9 record coming out of the All-Star break with the dreadful pitching staff they had during the first half? New York has chainsawed almost 10 games off of the 14 1/2 game deficit they trailed the Red Sox back in June. Not only are the Yanks breathing down the Sox back, they are neck and neck for the Wild Card with, of all teams, the Seattle Mariners.

I mentioned in my last blog that I thought the AL Wild Card team would come out of the AL Central as Detroit and Cleveland were jockeying back and forth for supremacy of that division. Well, neither team is lighting it up in the last couple weeks, even the Royals are only 12 1/2 games back at this point.

My National League predictions are just as proposterous. I said the Cubs would bypass the Brewers in the NL Central. Well they were able to tie Milwaukee for one day before sliding back into second place, maintaining that position even though the Brewers have been doing their best to give the division away to the lowest bidder.

St Louis, the defending World Champions, have been hanging around all season, mired between last and third place in the NL (comedy) Central. With a decimated pitching staff, injuries, and Albert Pujols having a relatively down season at the plate, the Cardinals began what will probably be their biggest road trip of the season and what will most likely define their season. Winning 12-4 in Milwaukee Tuesday night pulled the Redbirds within 4 1/2 games of the Brewers and put St Louis is serious contention. Everything is riding on the next 6 games, (2 more in Milwaukee and 4 in Chicago against the Cubs) and if the Cardinals have the heart of a champion, it will be on full display this week. Gonna keep a close eye on this one through the weekend.

I still think the Padres or the Dodgers will take the NL West. I really don't think Arizona has the experience down the stretch to hang on.

I am not a big fan of the heat and really looking forward to high school football again this year. I will once again be covering our neighbors in Dexter and South Haven for the Traveler. Also looking forward to ACHS having a turn around season under 2nd year head coach Darren Wegner. Go Bulldogs and Dexter/South Haven Cardinals!!