Climbing the Ladder with the American League 9/8/08

Rays Swept on way to Fenway & Playoff Race Heats Up plus more in this week’s Climbing the Ladder with the American League.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays have dropped the first games of their 9 game, 10 day road trip.  Tampa leads the American League East by just a game and a half and will not travel to Boston to face the team who is gunning for their seat atop the American League East.  Tampa is a combined 6-15 in the parks they will be traveling to (4-5 Rogers Center, 0-6 Fenway, & 2-4 Yankee Stadium) this week and could watch their division lead slip from reach as the week goes on.

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox’s fate rests in their own hands.  This week the Sox will throw Jon Lester, Dice-K, and  Josh Beckett against the Rays in hopes of finishing the series leading the division.  With Monday’s sell out, the Red Sox will set the consecutive home sellout record with 456 games.  Boston is a combined 269-159 over this stretch while batting .297, scoring 2,724 runs and belting 529 home runs.  Speaking of home runs, the next home run hit in the Majors will mark the 250,000 home run in MLB history since 1876.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays have run off a streak of 8 consecutive wins including a three game sweep of the American League East divisional leading Tampa Bay Rays.  When closer BJ Ryansurrendered a home run to Rocco Baldellion Saturday night, it snapped a string of 49 consecutive innings with out allowing a home run.  Toronto has allowed the 2nd fewest home runs in the American League this season with 126 long balls.   Toronto moves onto to play the Chicago White Sox beginning Monday night.

New York Yankees

Yankee starting pitcher Mike Mussina’squest of finally winning 20 games in a season took a bit of a hit yesterday when Moose fell to 17-8 after allowing 4 earned runs over 6 innings against the Seattle Mariners.  Mussina still has 4 starts left this season with the last coming against the Boston Red Sox, who will likely have a playoff spot locked up and resting its players.   If Mussina manages to win 20 games, some believe it may solidify his chances of reaching the hall of fame.

Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles have lost lost 8 in a row and are just 1-9 over their last 10 games.  There doesnt seem to be any relief ahead for the O’s as Baltimore’s opponents for the remainder of the season are a combined 47 games over .500 with just the A’s and Indians under the .500 mark.

Chicago White Sox

Chicago is currently 48-23 at home this season, holding the 3rd best winning percentage at home behind the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays. Chicago has hit 26 home runs over their last 9 games at U.S. Cellular Field and has hit an extra base hit in 39 straight home games.  Chicago’s 127 home runs at home this season is the best in the Majors.

Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins have fallen out of first place in the Central and has seen the Wild Card slip from their reach.  The Twins will need to have a tremendous finish the the season to make the playoffs in 2008.  With the division race between with the White Sox being a lot closer than the Wild Card race with Boston, the Twins will need to keep it close until they face the White Sox on the 23-25th of September.

Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians finally moved ahead of the Detroit Tigers this week and now lead the Detroit Tigers by a game in a half for the third spot in the Central.  Cleveland is really rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers to make the playoffs this year as a playoff birth by the Brew crew will grant Cleveland a player to be named later to complete the Sabathia deal.  The player to be named is said to have the talent to make the Majors and could come from a list of four players. Outfielder Michael Brantleyand third baseman Taylor Greenare the most talented players on the list.

Detroit Tigers

With the Detroit Tigers having one of the most disappointing seasons in recent history, a major roster shake up could come after the season ends.  The Tigers roster is filled with very expensive players who have already begun to decline or are on the verge of doing so.  With a number of the Tigers arms either  leaving the team, not pitching well, or unable to do so because of injury, Detroit will need to do something drastic to make improvements.

Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals can not make up their mind if they want to try and win now or plan for the future.  It is unsmart for a team to sign players like Jose Guillenand Gil Mechewhen they could be saving the $91 million they spent to sign a free agent who can help them win 90 games.

Los Angeles Angels

The Angels, who have had an uncharacteristically tough go at it over the last few weeks remain the best team in the American League by just one game over the Tampa Bay Rays.  The Angels have written up a long term plan for success and the proof of that speaks for itself.  Six of the seven Angel minor league affiliates qualified for the post season play and should provide the Major league club with not only a steady sting of quality players but also bargaining chips to ensure that LA remains a playoff team for may years to come.

Texas Rangers

It is now more apparent than ever that Texas will need to be seriously involved in the acquisition of a few arms during the off season.  Texas has a tremendous offense but are seriously missing pitching and defense.  We’ve seen teams like the Tampa Bay Rays, the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels have success with this good pitching and defense and the Rangers should take note.

Oakland Athletics

The Oakland Athletics are just 14-35 since July 11th and have pretty much fallen off the face of the baseball planet.  Its hard to remember when the A’s held sole possession of first place for 7 days this season and 19 days tied for first.  Those days, along with many of the players who helped the A’s win, are long gone.

Seattle Mariners

Blow up the Seattle Mariners! Or at least get rid of some of the players who can at least bring some young talent into the organization.  Seattle stated last week that they would not be in the running for any big free agent names and will instead, change its ways by laying the framework for a plan that can help the team thrive for years to come….In other words, the Mariners are rebuilding.