The Red Sox are 34-34 against the Yankees since the start of the 2003 season. The teams have
split 14 playoff games. This season, the Yanks have a one game lead with a week and a
half left in the season. Given how these teams have battled over the past three years, it
only makes sense that either: (a) they will be tied in the standings when they meet for three
games at Fenway Park on the final weekend of the season or (b) they will be tied after that
final series and have a one game playoff at Yankee Stadium on October 3rd. Please note that
if the two teams are tied at the end of the season and they both have a better record than
all remaining second place teams, they would not have a one game playoff to determine the
division title. The league would use the head-to-head tiebreaker to determine the AL East
Champion (the Yankees lead 9-7 at this point) with the other club taking the Wild Card.
Cleveland is now 1 1/2 games ahead of the Red Sox in the Wild Card race.
Speaking of the Cleveland Indians, they have a record of 38-13 since late July
and are playing the best baseball in the American League. I haven’t seen the Indians
make a late season surge like this since Pedro Cerrano and Willie Mays Hayes played for them.
In the competence rankings, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ranks just above Mayor Quimby from
The Simpsons and just below Mayor McCheese of McDonaldland.
I knew that Tedy Bruschi was a great player. The last two weeks have proven that he is an
even better player than I thought. His return to the lineup (whenever that is) will be
very special.
Barry Bonds is back with the Giants after missing the first 140 games of the 2005 season.
If anyone was wondering how many games it takes for steroids to leave a person’s body and
allow them to pass a drug test, the answer is 140 games.
I looked at the fall television preview the other day. Still no CSI: Waltham. Maybe next year.
Eighteen of the 32 NFL teams are 1-1 after two weeks of play. It looks like the parity is back
in the NFL. Some of the biggest surprises through two weeks are:
- The Colts have scored only 34 points
- The Colts have given up only 10 points
- The Giants are 2-0 and have outscored two decent opponents 69-29
- The Minnesota Vikings are 0-2, have been outscored 61-21 and Duante Culpepper has a
TD/INT ratio of 0/8
- The top two rushers in the league are rookie Carnell "Cadillac" Williams of Tampa Bay and
Willie Parker of Pittsburgh.
- Drew Bledsoe, Carson Palmer and Trent Dilfer are among the top five rated passers in the league.
I was thinking, which is more volatile? The Nasdaq between 1999 and 2003 or sales of
Notre Dame “Return to Glory” t-shirts.
The Yankees 2005 projected starting rotation of Johnson, Mussina, Pavano, Brown and Wright
will earn $65.4 million this season. The fivesome has combined for a 40-32 record and an ERA of 4.64
That’s $1.6 million per win if you are counting. If you remove Johnson and Mussina, who have been
healthy for the most part, the remaining three have a combined record of 13-16 and an ERA of 5.53.
By contrast, Aaron Small, Shawn Chacon, Chien-Ming Wang and Al Leiter are a combined 25-11 with an
ERA of 3.92. Injuries have no doubt saved the Yankees season.
In Awe Part I: Even if the A’s do not make the playoffs this season, you can’t help but
be in awe of the job Billy Beane has done in Oakland. They have a chance to win 90 games
or more for the sixth consecutive year despite losing Mulder and Hudson priot to this season and players
like Tejada, Foulke and Giambi in the past few years. The A’s have a $55 million payroll which
ranks 22nd in Major League Baseball, $154 million behind the Yankees.
In Awe Part II: I’m nearly as impressed with the Braves organization. The last time
the Braves DIDN'T win their division, George Herbert Walker Bush was president, the Dow
was at around 2,500, the Braves top hitter was Lonnie Smith and Julio Franco was only 32
years old.
In Awe Part III: In his last 26 games, David Ortiz is batting .337 with 15 homers, 31 RBIs
and 22 runs. He has a good chance to have a 50 HR, 150 RBI season. Only four players (Babe
Ruth, Hack Wilson, Jimmie Foxx and Sammy Sosa) have accomplished this feat. If Ortiz reaches
50/150 and the Red Sox win the East, the voters will have a hard time not picking him for MVP.
I have a feeling that Papi will have more first place votes, but that A-Rod will win the
MVP. My logic is that A-Rod will finish no lower than second on any ballot but
that Ortiz will be third, fourth or fifth on many ballots because some voters simply
don’t believe that a DH should be the MVP. Though I agree that defense should not be
overlooked when it comes to voting for MVP, a DH should not be eliminated simply
because he doesn’t play in the field. I see no difference between a DH and a bad
fielder (Jose Canseco comes to mind).
