AJC > Sports > Braves > Blog > Archives > 2006 > July > 11
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Wild-card race: the Lost Episode
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A few thoughts about the Braves’ postseason chances, while pondering how many hours of life I’ve recently wasted watching nil-nil soccer games and the Century 21 (trademark) Home Run Derby. Hours and hours … back, back, back … gone.
Oh, and throw in another half-hour watching the severely disappointing first “Lost Episode” of the Dave Chappelle Show — please, if they’re all this mediocre, lose them again. Burn them. I’ll rewatch DVDs of the first two always-sensational seasons. The between-skits banter from Charlie Murphy and Donnell Rawlings in place of Chappelle is painfully uncomfortable to watch.
OK, the Braves. This information is provided not only as comfort for those who hope and/or believe the Braves can still make the playoffs, but also for those stubborn cynics who refuse to acknowledge 1. The progress made in the past 2-1/2 weeks by the Braves; or 2. The rampant mediocrity and/or parity of all those eight teams — yes, eight — ahead of Atlanta in the wild-card race.
I’m simply a humble information provider, not suggesting the Braves will or won’t make the playoffs (although I have to say, I’m starting to get this little itch that tells me we’re in for a stirring race-to-the-wire the likes of which we haven’t seen around Atlanta for a lot of Septembers….)
The Braves, without even a three-game game winning streak, trimmed 3-1/2 off the wild-card lead last week, from 10 games to 6-1/2. After a 10-game losing skid, they finished the half going 10-6, including 7-3 in their final homestand.
That much, most of you know.
So I went back and checked how all the teams ahead of the Braves in the wild-card standings have done recently, curious to see how on earth not one of those teams had been able to separate itself from the pack, or at least how one of them hadn’t been able to move more than 6-1/2 games ahead of Atlanta.
Here’s what I found, and I’ll list the teams in order of current standing in the wild-card race. In the case of each team, I admittedly went back only as far as I needed to for the purposes of making my point, which is the prerogative of this scribe and the folks paying for the Stats, Inc. service.
You want to make another point, do your own research:
1. Los Angeles (46-42): Dodgers are 10-12 with a 4.85 ERA and only 11 home runs in 22 games since June 16, and have won just one of their past four series.
2. Colorado (44-43): Rockies are 10-11 with a .258 batting average since June 16, including three straight home losses to Arizona to close the “first half.”
3. Cincinnati (45-44): Reds went 1-8 with a 6.69 ERA to finish half. ‘Nuff said.
4. San Francisco (45-44): Giants are 11-12 with a .252 average and 4.52 ERA since June 16, and with one series win in five before the break.
5. Milwaukee (44-46): Brewers are 9-11 with .244 average and 5.01 ERA since June 19, and lost three in a row to the lowly Cubs to close the first half.
6. Arizona (43-45): D-backs are 9-23 with a 6.13 ERA since June 5. Six-one-three.
7. Houston (43-46): Astros are 7-13 with a .242 average and shaky bullpen since June 18, and lost three in a row to Central rival St. Louis before the break.
8. Philadelphia (40-47): Phillies are 7-18 with 5.72 ERA since June 11, and are expected to start selling off parts (Burrell, Gordon, etc.) any day now.
9. Atlanta (40-49): Braves are 10-6 with .292 average and 3.73 ERA since June 23, and lead the majors with .339 average and .564 slugging percentage in July.
10. Florida (38-48): Marlins’ youth is showing; 3-7 with a 6.93 ERA in July.
11. Washington (38-52): Nationals are 8-18 with a 6.51 ERA since June 12, and are expected to shed some big salaries before the July 31 trade deadline.
See, it doesn’t look so impossible for the Braves any more, does it?
OK, that’s it. I’m done.
You folks should see “The Devil Wears Prada” if you haven’t already. Don’t let anyone dismiss it as a “chick flick.” It’s hilarious.
And if you missed it a few months back, buy George Jones’ “Hits I missed … and One I Didn’t.” Or just buy it and give it to someone who thinks Tim McGraw or Garth Brooks is country music. Because it ain’t. The Possum (George Jones), now that’s country.
