MLB Reaches the First Quarter Pole

Traditionally, Memorial Day marks the completion of the first one-quarter of the baseball season, although nowadays most teams are past the 30 % mark having played 48-50 games.

So far there have been quite a few surprises as there is a greater parity now than perhaps ever before. There are no really bad teams and overall most teams are .070 either side of .500 with the exception of the Redsox so far.

In the AL, four teams are already positioning themselves for a postseason appearance. In the East, the Redsox have played superbly and opened a double-digit lead over all their division rivals, including the surprisingly disappointing Yankees. The Yankees pitching has been crushed by injuries and underacheivement, and their bats and defense has also underperformed. To be 13 1/2 games back at this point is shocking and unimaginable for New York. Toronto has been hit hard by injuries as well, while Baltimore is showing improvement and young Tampa Bay is taking strides forward.

Over in AL Central, a big dogfight is underway between the Tigers and Indians. Both teams have excellent lineups and pitching staffs and the close race between these two should continue for the remainder of the season. The Whitesox are a step back in every way, while the Twins have endured some tough injuries that has pushed them back out of the race a little more than what was projected. The Royals are vastly improved, but still quite a ways behind the other four clubs and that will continue this season.

Out in the AL West, after a slow start, the Angels have put it together and opened a comfortable lead over the Mariners and A's. Seattle is playing better than projected while the A's have been decimated by injuries and just hope to stay near .500 until they get healthy. Surprisingly, Texas is the worst team in the league and looks to be a cellar dweller for the entire season with their woeful pitching.

In the National League, there looks as if there will be good close races throughout the season in all three divisions. In the East, the Mets look to be the best team in the league so far with a good mix of strong hitting, good pitching, and nice defense. The Braves are a very good team and will stay in the race as will the Phillies, who are rebounding after a slow start. Florida is competitive but will not be a factor, and rebuilding Washington is already out of it.

In the Central, young Milwaukee got off to a good start and, despite some recent struggles, have a comfortable lead over the other five teams in the division. All five other teams have shortcomings and will struggle for the most part. Chicago has problems with pitching and offense, Pittsburgh is young with pitching issues, Houston has a lot of holes everywhere, St Louis is having a hangover from their title last season, and Cincinnati is not very talented for the most part.

Out in NL West, it looks much like the AL Central with four, maybe five teams, fighting it out throughout the season. The Dodgers have the best team on paper, but they have problems with their offense and their pitching is not as good as advertised. The Padres probably have the league's best pitching, but they have issues with their offense as well. Arizona is young and unproven and prone to inconsistency, while the Giants have gotten alot out of their pitching thus far which has helped make up for their offensive inadequacy. The Rockies have been inconsistent on offense and in their bullpen, but have shown signs of turning that around in the last week which may mean having them stay in the race as well for a longer period than originally believed.

My picks remain as Boston, Detroit, Cleveland, and Anaheim in the AL; and New York, Atlanta, Milwaukee, and San Diego in the NL.

2007 NHL Stanley Cup Finals Outlook

The Stanley Cup Finals began tonight, Monday, 28 May, between the Ottawa Senators and the Anaheim Ducks. I feel the series is fairly even and there very well may at least a couple of games that go into overtime. Ottawa has an edge on defense, while Anaheim has the edge offensively, in goal, and overall team speed and talent. Ottawa has the better special teams and powerplay. Like Calgary in '04 and Edmonton in '06, the recent trend of Canadian teams making it to the Finals and coming just a little short will continue so my forecast for the 2007 Stanley Cup finals is.....

......ANAHEIM 4 games to 3 games over OTTAWA