Baseball at the Completion of 20 % of the Season

Most clubs have played 32 games which marks completion of about one-fifth of the regular season. There are some nice surprises so far.

In the American League East, Boston has opened a 7 game lead over Baltimore and New York. The Yankees have been surprising and pleasantly mediocre to this point as their pitching has been woeful, including the acclaimed reliever Rivera, "The Monkey". Baltimore and Tampa Bay have played a bit better than expected thus far. Toronto has been awful and is already 10 1/2 games back.

In the Central, Cleveland and Detroit are in a dogfight for the division lead with Minnesota and Chicago within striking distance still. Kansas City is already buried at 11 games out.

In the West, Anaheim, Oakland, and Seattle are neck and neck and neck with Texas just 4 1/2 back.

Over in the National League, things are much the same. Like the Redsox, Milwaukee has opened a 7 game lead in the NL Central over Chicago and the defending champion St Louis Cardinals find themselves 9 games out. Houston, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati are with the pack well behind the pace setting Brewers who have the best record at 24-10.

In the NL East, Atlanta and New York are staying right with each other while preseason favorite Philadelphia continues to lag at 7 games out and in fourth place, one behind Florida. The hapless Nationals are 9-25 and have fallen 13 games out already.

And out in the West, Los Angeles has a slim lead on Arizona, San Diego, and surprising San Francisco with punchless Colorado bringing up the rear but just 5 games back.

Top surprises so far include: the Red Sox having such a big division lead; Baltimore hovering near .500; Tampa Bay being more competitive than expected; Seattle staying in the race; Atlanta setting the pace in NL East; Milwaukee being in such a commanding position in the Central; Pittsburgh being more competitive than expected; and Arizona and San Francisco staying in the NL West race.

Biggest Disappointments include the Yankees, Blue Jays, Phillies, Cardinals. and Rockies.

I like what I am seeing from Boston, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Detroit, Atlanta, and the Mets; I cautiously am projecting them to be postseason bound at this time with both Western Division races to stay close and competitive into September. I am concerned about Colorado, Minnesota, Toronto, Cincinnati, and Philadelphia and delighted with the Yankees, St Louis, and both Chicago clubs having their struggles thus far.

My next outlook will come after Memorial Day, the traditional first pole or quarter mark of the season.

Thursday 10 May News Articles and Observations

Here are some recent news articles that caught my attention and some brief observations by me about them.

A. US Army Pinon Canyon In SE Colorado Expansion Opposition

The US Army is planning on claiming much of SE Colorado for expansion of the existing Pinon Canyon Military Training Reservation in the coming years and local opposition is organizing and increasing to this increasing threat to their homes and communities. This website has been established to provide information to all those interested about this. However, I think the US Army will get what it wants and will take it no matter what opposition, formal, legal, or whatever, arises.


http://www.pinoncanyon.com/


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B. "Free Trade": Pertinent Information for Better Understanding

This opinion column explains very clearly the costs and ramifications of "free trade" and why this terrible development is going to doom us as a people and society and force our children to pay a horrible, unimaginable, steep price when they reach adulthood.


http://www.newwest.net/index.php/topic/article/how_free_is_free_trade_for_the_west/C37/L37/


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C. Alternative Fort Collins News and Information Source

I came across this site which should prove invaluable in the future as an alternative news and reference source for the Northern Front Range corridor.


http://www.rmchronicle.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1


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