AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2006 > August > 03 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USAL, NL wild-card races don’t compare
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mark Bradley
At least one and probably two National League teams will carry mediocre records into postseason play. The American League is rather different. Were the Toronto Blue Jays in the NL, they’d have the league’s third-best record. The Jays, alas, have almost no chance to qualify for anything in the AL East.
At least two AL teams that would stand a realistic chance to win the World Series won’t make the playoffs. The White Sox won it all last season but wouldn’t, at the moment of this writing, qualify for the postseason. The Twins, who rode the arms of Francisco Liriano and Johan Santana to get back in the wild-card chase, might have topped out. (Especially now that Liriano has a sore shoulder.) But if Liriano returns to health and if Minnesota could somehow gain entrance to the division series, which team — and which pitchers — would you less like to face in a best-of-five?
Even the Red Sox, who have for most of the season been one of the three best teams in baseball, aren’t guaranteed an October invite. Jason Varitek has been lost for a month, and Boston didn’t help itself before the trading deadline. The imperial Yankees did, landing Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle and Craig Wilson, and now the prospect of a postseason without pinstripes — a distinct possibility even a fortnight ago — seems less likely.
As for Philadelphia, the team that dumped Abreu and Lidle … well, the not-really-Phightin’ Phils awoke Thursday only 3-1/2 games behind Cincinnati for the wild-card lead in the National League. That’s the NL, sad to say: You can essentially give up on the season and still not be out of anything.
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Comments
By Knuckleballer
August 3, 2006 02:01 PM | Link to this
Mets are the NL’s main hope for dethroning the AL in the WS. There is always the chance that an NL team could get hot going into the playoffs and run the table ala 1997 Marlins.
Braves just placed A. Jones on waivers which means that the pecking order of teams has 48 hours to claim him. If not, the Braves can negotiate with any team to move him. Andruw becomes a 10/5 guy in twelve days which would allow him to block any trade. With Boras involved, my insticts tell me that Andruw will be moved soon. I think it would be a wise move for the Braves.
By shawn
August 3, 2006 02:14 PM | Link to this
Do it JS….Do it
By Bob in SF
August 3, 2006 03:48 PM | Link to this
Hey Knuckleballer. Teams place almost EVERYBODY on the active roster on waivers during this time just to see who will get claimed or passed through so they can deal accordingly up until the waiver trade deadline, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are actively shopping Andruw. It’s pretty standard practice for all GMs. JS will pass many guys through in case they get a silly offer for someone or so he can leave his options open. Unfortunately most of the guys that the Braves would want for a stud like A. Jones will not make it through the waiver wire w/o being claimed…
By Moore Cowbell
August 4, 2006 09:57 AM | Link to this
Bob, you are 100% correct, this is just the AJC trying to sell papers. But anything can happen, especailly since the Braves ARE low in the pecking order.
You know I am going to laugh my head off when the NL wild card wins the series. I have no idea who it will be but I think Florida has the best chance with their pitching. These teams are playing playoff baseball right now so whoever wins it will be battle tested come October. Anything can happen after that, and since whoever wins the ALCS will think that the NL has nothing to compete with them, they will be ripe to lose the 1st 2 games in the series before realizing they are in a dog fight. I just hate how columnists just assume the AL is going to waltz away with the World Series crown, this scenario is EXACTLY why October baseball is so great. One thing I do know is the Mets will NOT be in the World Series. They don’t have the pitching and they will be too fat and relaxed to turn it on again come October.