No team in baseball is projected to win 100 games this year, and the NL West’s division leader isn’t above .500. Not only that, in five out of the six divisions, the lead is less than two games.
The tight competition should make teams yearn for four Wild Card spots in October. And as we all know, there’s only ONE OCTOBER!
Derek Jeter Is Having His Worst Season
Hank Steinbrenner’s mouth has started several controversies this year, but let me mention something he probably refuses to admit: Jeter has been mediocre this season.
Why hasn't anyone brought up the fact that a player who is making $21.6 million this year has a worse OPS than Ryan Theriot?
Derek Jeter is batting .284 /.345/.395 (or a .740 OPS) while the league average is .745. He’s never batted below .290 in a season.
It’s his worst hitting first-half performance since he sported a .730 OPS in the first half of the 1996 season, his first full season in the majors. To make matters worse, fellow New York shortstop Jose Reyes is posting better numbers across the board than “Jetes”.
Don’t think Jeter’s contributions can be measured solely by his bat? Well, Eric Hinske’s six stolen bases thwarts Derek Jeter’s total. Yes, Eric Hinske.
For all the troubles the third-place Yankees have had this season, you’d think that Jeter’s ineptitude would be talked about more often.
Jeter’s Not Alone
A.L. shortstops have been absolutely terrible this year. Sure, Miguel Tejada, Nomar Garciaparra, and Alex Rodriguez are no longer star shortstops in the American League, but their replacements are pathetic.
Consider these factoids.
All-Star Michael Young is the only A.L. regular shortstop with a batting average higher than .285. The five regular shortstops in the AL East have a combined 13 HRs or the same as J.J. Hardy of the Milwaukee Brewers. Freddie Bynum and Tony Pena Jr. have amassed 293 at-bats this season.
I still cannot wrap my head around the fact that teams continue to allow Freddie Bynum and Tony Pena Jr. to step into the batters box. I’m serious. I’ve thought about this for a long time.
A.L. Shortstops Are Not Alone
The American League may have snagged their 12th straight All-Star Game victory, but they should feel very lucky.
American League hitting, as a whole, hasn’t been this bad in about 15 years. Runs, hits, and home-run rates are all much lower than they have been. A.L. teams haven’t hit this badly (9.1 hits per game) since 1992 when they compiled a paltry 8.9 H/G. They also haven’t had this low of a home-run rate (0.96) since 1993, when A.L. teams hit 0.92 home runs a game.
Is better pitching to blame?
New Era of Elite Starting Pitchers
Even though the All-Star Game is not the best measuring stick for the best players in the game, it does serve as a barometer of whom the fans, coaches, and players feel deserves a spot.
This All-Star Game may be the sign of younger things to come. For the first time, the names John Smoltz, Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, and Curt Schilling were not on the roll for the All-Star Game—ironic, given the Hall of Fame ceremony before the game.
Just to illustrate how young the starters elected to the All-Star Game are, none of the top-20 active wins leaders were in this All-Star Game, and only Roy Halladay and Carlos Zambrano are listed in the top 50.
The Infamous Omar Minaya Trade
Just before the All-Star break in 2002, the Montreal Expos found themselves in the middle of the NL Wild-Card race. Knowing that it may be the last time they might have the chance to make the playoffs, then-GM Omar Minaya executed a steal of a trade with the Cleveland Indians.
Minaya sent a few minor-league prospects along with Lee Stevens for one of the game's top pitchers, Bartolo Colon.
And by steal, I mean for Indians GM Mark Shapiro. The Expos finished a game out of the Wild Card that year. Oh, and those prospects were Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee and Brandon Phillips.
The Upton Brothers Are Actually Identical Twins
You might not find this as cool as I do, but here you go anyway. B.J. Upton’s OPS is .787. His younger brother Justin has a .786 OPS. Maybe Justin hasn’t developed his old-man strength yet?
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