Professional baseball is consistently inconsistent. You never know what is going to happen from one moment to the next. And just when you think that something is a sure bet, it falls through. Take Tuesday night’s MLB All-star game for
Professional baseball is consistently inconsistent.
You never know what is going to happen from one moment to the next.
And just when you think that something is a sure bet, it falls through.
Take Tuesday night’s MLB All-star game for instance.
For the past few days leading up to the battle, the talk was about the NL’s great bullpen. The critics said that if the NL had a lead late, the game was all but over.
Well that pen did everything under the sun but save the contest and home-field in the World Series.
Who would have thought that a first-year All-star would crush an Eric Gagne heater giving the AL an “unlikely” 7-6 win?
When Hank Blalock drilled that 2-run homer off the Dodgers’ ace closer in the eighth, it more than won the game for the Americans.
It symbolized the chaotic nature of baseball.
Expect the second half of the season to follow along the same lines.
While I expect the Braves to close out the NL East in work-man like fashion, the rest of the divisions are really up for grabs.
Yes, that includes the NL West and AL Central.
Who knows what pitcher will come on and save the day for the D’Backs or Twins? The Rockies aren’t that far out of contention even with a spotty pitching staff.
No one will count out the A’s with their young arms. And of course, there is one or maybe two teams out there that will acquire some player during the trade deadline that could alter the playoff landscape.
Already on Wednesday, the Blue Jays shipped leadoff hitter Shannon Stewart to the Twins.
While Toronto received the promising Bobby Kielty in the deal, the Twins really got the better end of the trade because of their lack of consistent offense.
Now, even at 7 1/2 games out of first place, the Twins still are in contention.
The D’Backs will get Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson back for the second half of the season. When you add those two aces with the young studs that have played well for Arizona, San Francisco’s five-game edge isn’t safe.
The only things that are safe bets in the game right now are that Pedro Martinez will not finish the season and the Braves will choke in the playoffs.
Everything else is up for grabs.
