So, my only solace in the Junkees winning the AL East for the umpteenth time is that at least my prediction about the AL East turned out to be right. While the Despiser predicted the Junkees would go the way of the '04 Mariners, I said that they would once again nail the AL East. Hey Despiser, the moral of the story is: never doubt the power of $200 million.
And with the top money team in the division winning once again, perhaps this will get the message across: competitive balance is still a problem in this game. Heck, if Boston wins tomorrow, 7 of the 8 playoff teams will be in the top half of the payroll rankings, the lone exception being San Diego (and if Bonds were healthy and DePodesta had half a brain, things might've been a lot different). And 5 of those teams are in the top 10 in payroll (Junkees, Red Sox, Angels, Cardinals, Braves). And if the Phils can pull it out, then we'll see 4 of the top 5 payrolls making it. Good for the game? I think not.
And next year, the Junkees' streak just might be in jeopardy. Toronto will have a healthy Halladay and the new ownership is adding payroll. If the Orioles stay healthy and have no off-field distractions with clowns like Ponson and Palmeiro, they should improve. And the Devil Rays went 39-32 in the second half, just a drop worse than the White Sox' 40-34. That's another team on the rise, where new management might finally give them credibility.
As for the upcoming ALDS, I'm hoping for the Yanks to play the Angels in the first round. They've been red hot in September, and the Yanks always have trouble with them (except for that bizarre series in August). It'll also be interesting considering how the team has changed since then: Anderson and Erstad aren't as good, Salmon, Eckstein, and Glaus are gone, but now there are Guererro, Figgins, and Cabrera.
But who knows, the Yanks might be taking on Cleveland. But with Jaret Wright going against Boston tomorrow, the Indians' chances look slim. Anyway, I'll hold off till we know for sure.
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5 comments:
Consider a certain CHEMICALLY ENHANCED SLUGGER's contribution of 10-15 Games.
MLB doesn't have the guts to do blood tests, to snuff him out.
Probably because his team is BALCO-EAST.
Could you please contribute something worthwhile?
Yankees win AL East! Smiles all around.
Correction, the Yankees are CO-AL East winners. It's official; Boston finishes with the same W-L record in the books.
It's not a money-free October, but how well do you think the Yankees will fare taking on the red-hot Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of North America of the Northern Hemisphere? And no homefield advantage for you Bronx Bums either!
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