If Your Team's Still In It, Here's How It Can Win the Pennant

(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Angels

The Positive

You sit atop the AL West by one-and-a-half games.  Jered Weaver has been incredible and your offense is fourth in baseball in runs.  Bobby Abreu was a great signing while Chone Figgins and Torii Hunter are All-Stars. 

Directions To Champagne

No pitching rotation has gone through more problems than you hence why you're 27th in baseball in ERA.  Nick Adenhart, a young prospect, tragically died, while Kelvim Escobar, Dustin Moseley, John Lackey, Erving Santana, and Scot Shields have all been hurt and/or struggling terribly. 

Joe Saunders is beginning to fatigue, so Weaver is the only reliable one on the pitching staff.  Brian Fuentes has done okay closing, but he is no K-rod.  All this with Vladamir Guerrero and Torii Hunter recently hitting the DL.  

Either Lackey and Santana step up or the Angels have to make a move for Halladay.  

Texas Rangers

The Positive

Although your offense has cooled off a bit with struggles to Kinsler and Cruz, the talent is still there.  You are 11th in baseball in runs and all this without Josh Hamilton, who is now back. 

Hank Blalock also is having an extremely productive year while Kevin Millwood is having his best season since 2005.  Even Andruw Jones looks a bit like his old self, minus the whole defense thing.

Directions To Champagne

Your offense can be explosive, there is no doubt about that.  Facing Kinsler, Cruz, Hamilton, Young, and Blalock is tough for any pitcher.  That pop with Kinsler, Andrus, and Cruz running all over the base paths could be lethal; however, your pitching is 20th in ERA in baseball. 

Injuries to Brandon McCarthy and Matt Harrison did not help your starting rotation, although they weren't having the best seasons anyway.  Aside from Millwood and Scott Feldman, the starting rotation is not good.  The bullpen is pretty solid with CJ Wilson and Frank Francisco, but there is no one to get the ball to them.  

Josh Hamilton needs to step things up if the Rangers want to outslug teams or the pitching must be fixed.  You are lucky to be only one-and-a-half games out with the 20th worst ERA in baseball.  

Seattle Mariners 

The Positive

You have the best ERA in the American League.  You have three starting pitchers with ERAs below 3.00 in Felix Hernandez, Jarod Washburn, and Erik Bedard.  Miguel Batista, and Mark Lowe are getting the ball to the nearly unhittable David Aardsma to close games out. 

Russell Branyan is having the best season of his career and Ichiro continues to hit like clockwork.  

Directions To Champagne

You are 27th in baseball in runs.  Russell Branyan has 22 home runs and 49 RBI which means no one is one base for him seen in the team's .317 OBP.  I would like to see you add Brandon (I wish his first name were Tom) Morrow to the rotation, but that means nothing if there is no offense. 

The loss of Adrian Beltre is huge because nothing in the lineup scares you but Ichiro and Branyan and who knows how long Branyan can keep this up.  Jose Lopez needs to continue his hot hitting and someone else needs to step up.  I can't even find anyone in their lineup who can be scary.

You have a step up on the Angels and Rangers, however, because as we all know, pitching wins championships.  Although, you do need some kind of offense.  Only four games back, so just a little offense away from the bubbly.

Oakland Athletics

The Positive

Good young pitching.  Trevor Cahill, Andrew Bailey, Josh Outman, Dallas Braden, Vin Mazzaro, and Brett Anderson are all extremely young and have shown great progress this season. 

We also did not get to see Joey Devine at all this year.  People also have forgotten about Justin Duchscherer who, if healthy, could be the veteran of this extremely young staff next year or just get traded away by Billy Beane.  

Directions To Champagne

Not this year.  Your pitching staff is set for many years to come, but unlike typical Beane teams, your offense isn't walking.  You're 27th in OBP and 25th in runs scored. 

Additions of Matt Holliday, Orlando Cabrera, Jason Giambi, and Nomar Garciaparra were thought to be just enough for this good young pitching staff, however, none have played well. 

Beane will definitely be trading Holliday before the trade deadline.  National League teams' mouths are watering.  

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