THE
SECOND HALF
NEW YORK YANKEES
52-33 (1st place)
With a strong hold on the AL East the Yankees are looking into the last two and a half months of baseball in a very good position. Boston has faltered all season with inconsistencies on getting any sort of spark going. Buck's Baltimore squad has shown promise but the length of the season and their weak rotation will drop this team to the bottom of the pack. Toronto, a team I liked in April has the tools and always scores runs, but continues to find themselves in high scoring contests because of their rotation troubles. The bullpen is flat as well having them struggle mightily to stay in the race. Tampa Bay will have their runs of greatness and continue to play hard-nose baseball while no fans show up to watch. Joe Maddon has proved himself as one of the best managers in the game, but this year is proven to be different with weeks that they can hit the ball all over the field and those sorrow filled weeks where the Rays can't score a run for consecutive days straight. They will posses the biggest challenge to the Yankees down the stretch but if the breathing room continues to grow for your Bronx Bombers the only thing you'll be wishing for is health.
Andy Pettitte needs to be back by mid-August to roll into the playoffs as a number 2 starter. Nick Swisher needs to be more serious about the game and get his batting average up 20 points. Russell Martin needs to concentrate more on base hits and preserving a batting average over .220 to become something other then a defensive player.
The Yankees don't need much improvement, but to stop the postseason bleeding they need to be healthy and ready for what's to come in the future. A first round loss will be unacceptable. We want the Kuroda from June, where he posted a 1.86 ERA in compares sing to his lone July start against the Red Sox when he couldn't hold a 5-0 lead. If the Yankees pitching gives Joe Girardi the chance to over manage all hope is lost. He is comfortable with CC going eight innings and dealing Soriano in the 9th. The "stand in" closer will un-tuck his jersey a few more times this season, but as the season dwindles so will Soriano's production. The great thing is that the Bombers hit bombs and that will continue. Granderson, Big Tex, a healthy Rodriguez and the best second baseman in the game, Robinson Cano will always produce. It's a fact. However, will they produce enough to win a five game playoff? We'll that doesn't always seem to be proven.
The Yankees start of part two of the 2012 season against a well oiled Anaheim Angels who have turned their awful April around into one of the best teams in baseball, despite always looking up in their division to the powerhouse and well rounded Ranger team. They are coming off of a 3-1 winning series against Baltimore after losing two out of three to Toronto and Cleveland. With Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo and let's not forget Mr. Albert Pujols this Angels team is a force to be wrecking with. The team is very exciting to watch and usually play the Yankees very well. Hopefully being back in NY for the post all star break opening will fire up these pinstripe marvels and send the Angels packing for a long sad trip home.
Following this week the Yankees will take on the Blue Jays then fly out West for a four game series against the offensively struggling A's and then the Mariners, who have their own offensive woes. The only thing that could hurt or effect the Yankees success in these series is the travel. It's their last trip out West which is a great positive as they get the longest traveling done with in before the last two months of the season.
- After losing two of three to the Angels because of pitching trouble after the break the Yankees should take three of four from Oakland and two of three from the M's. Hoping not to see King Felix.
NEW YORK METS
46-40 (3rd place) 4.5GB
Well, well, well...
You couldn't ask for better after thinking about not going to a game all season in a protest to the Wilpons back in March when single season tickets went on sale. Don't lie! Unless you were like me thinking of how cheap tickets will be in August or September for what seemed to be a horribly long Mets season in 2012.
Well, well, well...
We couldn't have all been more wrong about something if we tried. Don't get me wrong here folks, a bad week or two out of the gate in the 2nd half could have all this hope shot down to shit and we all still wouldn't be completely surprised, but what you've witnessed so far has been nothing short of exciting. We saw a Johan no hitter and an RA Dickey pitching clinic. And let us not forget about David Wrights bat. The bullpen is by far the worst aspect of the team but you take the good you take the bad and there you have...that's right, "the facts of life".
David Murphy has turned it on batting over .400 during the last week and a half before the break. Ike Davis has showed some power in his bat all season and just needs to take the bull by its horns and swing for contact. Lucas Duda is becoming a viable option in the lineup minus his injury/sickness problems. The rotation as we know it has been fantastic while loosing Pelfrey. Now the Mets lost Dillon Gee for the remainder of the season because of a blood clot in his shoulder. He was rushed to the hospital a couple of days ago and now the Mets need to rush and find a replacement. Bautista? Or Matt Harvey up from the minors?
As long as David Wright can keep hitting for average all while helping the young guys progress and keeping the Scott Hairston's and the Andre Torres's hitting well, this team can shock. They already have. Now there is just two months and a couple weeks shy of completing what seemed to be an unfathomable task back in March.
Through the first half of the season the Mets are 18-12 against division rivals and they start the 2nd half with three games against the Braves and then three against the Nationals to hopefully gain some ground on the four and half back. If they could find some way to go 4-2 at the least the Mets can come home with high spirits to face a Dodgers team they manhandled a couple weeks ago and the then finally face the Nationals again. This all means that nine out of the Mets next twelve games will be against the division. The next two weeks help shape the NL East. Can the Nationals hold on? Will Atlanta fall down? It's up to the young Amazin's to keep the fans involved and hope alive.
- The Mets will deal with some tough pitching in the next two weeks and will need the help of small ball to win these close low scoring battles. Errors as always are a no no especially in these times of need for quality games. I see them splitting a between the six games on the road before coming back and doing some damage against the first place Dodgers. Yes, the Dodgers will be equipped will Matt Kemp, but the rest of that lineup is week. There wont be much scoring, but fundamental baseball will be the goal here. If they can keep it together and continue this "team" first trend New York fans might get lucky with having meaningful baseball deep into September.
52-33 (1st place)
With a strong hold on the AL East the Yankees are looking into the last two and a half months of baseball in a very good position. Boston has faltered all season with inconsistencies on getting any sort of spark going. Buck's Baltimore squad has shown promise but the length of the season and their weak rotation will drop this team to the bottom of the pack. Toronto, a team I liked in April has the tools and always scores runs, but continues to find themselves in high scoring contests because of their rotation troubles. The bullpen is flat as well having them struggle mightily to stay in the race. Tampa Bay will have their runs of greatness and continue to play hard-nose baseball while no fans show up to watch. Joe Maddon has proved himself as one of the best managers in the game, but this year is proven to be different with weeks that they can hit the ball all over the field and those sorrow filled weeks where the Rays can't score a run for consecutive days straight. They will posses the biggest challenge to the Yankees down the stretch but if the breathing room continues to grow for your Bronx Bombers the only thing you'll be wishing for is health.
Andy Pettitte needs to be back by mid-August to roll into the playoffs as a number 2 starter. Nick Swisher needs to be more serious about the game and get his batting average up 20 points. Russell Martin needs to concentrate more on base hits and preserving a batting average over .220 to become something other then a defensive player.
The Yankees don't need much improvement, but to stop the postseason bleeding they need to be healthy and ready for what's to come in the future. A first round loss will be unacceptable. We want the Kuroda from June, where he posted a 1.86 ERA in compares sing to his lone July start against the Red Sox when he couldn't hold a 5-0 lead. If the Yankees pitching gives Joe Girardi the chance to over manage all hope is lost. He is comfortable with CC going eight innings and dealing Soriano in the 9th. The "stand in" closer will un-tuck his jersey a few more times this season, but as the season dwindles so will Soriano's production. The great thing is that the Bombers hit bombs and that will continue. Granderson, Big Tex, a healthy Rodriguez and the best second baseman in the game, Robinson Cano will always produce. It's a fact. However, will they produce enough to win a five game playoff? We'll that doesn't always seem to be proven.
The Yankees start of part two of the 2012 season against a well oiled Anaheim Angels who have turned their awful April around into one of the best teams in baseball, despite always looking up in their division to the powerhouse and well rounded Ranger team. They are coming off of a 3-1 winning series against Baltimore after losing two out of three to Toronto and Cleveland. With Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo and let's not forget Mr. Albert Pujols this Angels team is a force to be wrecking with. The team is very exciting to watch and usually play the Yankees very well. Hopefully being back in NY for the post all star break opening will fire up these pinstripe marvels and send the Angels packing for a long sad trip home.
Following this week the Yankees will take on the Blue Jays then fly out West for a four game series against the offensively struggling A's and then the Mariners, who have their own offensive woes. The only thing that could hurt or effect the Yankees success in these series is the travel. It's their last trip out West which is a great positive as they get the longest traveling done with in before the last two months of the season.
- After losing two of three to the Angels because of pitching trouble after the break the Yankees should take three of four from Oakland and two of three from the M's. Hoping not to see King Felix.
NEW YORK METS
46-40 (3rd place) 4.5GB
Well, well, well...
You couldn't ask for better after thinking about not going to a game all season in a protest to the Wilpons back in March when single season tickets went on sale. Don't lie! Unless you were like me thinking of how cheap tickets will be in August or September for what seemed to be a horribly long Mets season in 2012.
Well, well, well...
We couldn't have all been more wrong about something if we tried. Don't get me wrong here folks, a bad week or two out of the gate in the 2nd half could have all this hope shot down to shit and we all still wouldn't be completely surprised, but what you've witnessed so far has been nothing short of exciting. We saw a Johan no hitter and an RA Dickey pitching clinic. And let us not forget about David Wrights bat. The bullpen is by far the worst aspect of the team but you take the good you take the bad and there you have...that's right, "the facts of life".
David Murphy has turned it on batting over .400 during the last week and a half before the break. Ike Davis has showed some power in his bat all season and just needs to take the bull by its horns and swing for contact. Lucas Duda is becoming a viable option in the lineup minus his injury/sickness problems. The rotation as we know it has been fantastic while loosing Pelfrey. Now the Mets lost Dillon Gee for the remainder of the season because of a blood clot in his shoulder. He was rushed to the hospital a couple of days ago and now the Mets need to rush and find a replacement. Bautista? Or Matt Harvey up from the minors?
As long as David Wright can keep hitting for average all while helping the young guys progress and keeping the Scott Hairston's and the Andre Torres's hitting well, this team can shock. They already have. Now there is just two months and a couple weeks shy of completing what seemed to be an unfathomable task back in March.
Through the first half of the season the Mets are 18-12 against division rivals and they start the 2nd half with three games against the Braves and then three against the Nationals to hopefully gain some ground on the four and half back. If they could find some way to go 4-2 at the least the Mets can come home with high spirits to face a Dodgers team they manhandled a couple weeks ago and the then finally face the Nationals again. This all means that nine out of the Mets next twelve games will be against the division. The next two weeks help shape the NL East. Can the Nationals hold on? Will Atlanta fall down? It's up to the young Amazin's to keep the fans involved and hope alive.
- The Mets will deal with some tough pitching in the next two weeks and will need the help of small ball to win these close low scoring battles. Errors as always are a no no especially in these times of need for quality games. I see them splitting a between the six games on the road before coming back and doing some damage against the first place Dodgers. Yes, the Dodgers will be equipped will Matt Kemp, but the rest of that lineup is week. There wont be much scoring, but fundamental baseball will be the goal here. If they can keep it together and continue this "team" first trend New York fans might get lucky with having meaningful baseball deep into September.
