Viewing The MLB Playoff Contenders: 2008 Summer Movies Edition

While I'm realizing it's never easy to say goodbye to the long, lost summer.....

....for all intents and purposes Labor Day marks the unofficial end of the Summer season, and with September fast approaching that could only mean one thing:

THE HUNT FOR OCTOBER BEGINS! (Figured I might as well be the first to say it before we get bombarded by those lame Dane Cook commercials again on TBS)

So before you say, "Not another one of those boring September prediction articles again?" I've decided to compare this year's playoff contenders to this year's Summer movie year, or more specifically, compare the teams to my favorite genre, the superhero films of 2008!

The Dark Knight Division - No question this was the top superhero movie of the summer and quite possibly of all time.  This movie delivered in all aspects and has no blemishes that can be picked apart, Batman's voice notwithstanding. It's also hard to find any weaknesses in the following teams:

NOTE: Records shown are as of August 31st.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (83-53)

K-Rod's 53 saves & on pace to make Bobby Thigpen's saves record irrelevant. A pitching staff led by Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, and John Lackey (who's already won a Game 7 in the World Series).  Mark Teixeira has hit .371 with 8 HRs since coming over in a mid-season trade and finally providing the offensive punch needed behind Vladmir Guerrero.  Finally, a manager in Mike Sciocia who refuses to let this team lose sight of the big picture and get owner Arte Moreno his first World Championship ring. Much like TDK, the Angels have no weak spots on their roster.

Fall Question: Some wonder if director Christopher Nolan will decide to rest on his laurels after the box office records TDK set.  Now only if they had Celine Dion come out with a memorable song for the soundtrack TDK would smash Titanic's record.  At this point the Angels' biggest opponent may be complacency.

Chicago Cubs (85-52)

A top notch offense led by Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, and Ryan Theriot. A pitching staff led by Carlos Zambrano and Ryan Dempster.  Kerry Wood taking care of business in the bullpen (28 saves). Sweet Lou Piniella is determined to make sure the Cubs can erase 100 years of futility. The Cubs are stacked!

Fall Question: Zambrano was unable to pitch against the Phillies recently due to a reported "tired arm".  Will that arm issue linger on into the Fall?  As long as Wood is mentioned, the question of durability must also be asked.

Iron Man Division - The surprise hit of the summer, Iron Man delivered with great humor, emotion, and of course it's always great to see robotics blowing things up. The teams in this division came out of nowhere or surpassed expectations but fall just short of the TDK division.

Tampa Bay Rays (84-51)

The surprise hit of the season, Tampa Bay has blown away expectations and as of today stand with a 5.5 game lead in the AL East. Rookie Evan Longoria has led the charge and the pitching of Scott Kazmir (sorry Mets fans) and Matt Garza is setting up for what could be baseball's version of Armageddon, a World Series Game 1 from Tropicana Field!

Fall Question: Will the young guns succumb to playoff pressure?  How about a daunting schedule that includes their final 8 games away from home? 

Milwaukee Brewers (80-56)

Two words: Sabathia and Sheets.  CC may have dropped the initials but hopefully garnered the NL Cy Young, even for two months of work (9-0 since his mid-season trade).  Ryan Braun is pacing the offense.  Much like how it took so long for Robert Downey Jr. to resurrect his career, Milwaukee may be celebrating playoff baseball for the first time in 26 years.

Fall Question: Will durability be an issue for Sabathia?  Will the Brewers also have the same issues with pressure as the Rays did?  Will Prince Fielder go back to being a meat lover if it means more HRs in October?

Chicago White Sox (77-59)

In a division where Detroit was expected to smash their way to a pennant, the Sox have done it with pitching and a surprise season from Carlos Quentin, the potential AL MVP this year.

Fall Question: Can Gavin Floyd and John Danks carry the pitching with Jose Contreras gone for the year?  Will Ozzie Guillen keep his cool or go off the deep end during the stretch run, thus becoming an unwelcome distraction?

Minnesota Twins (77-60)

Iron Man was in the theaters for eight weeks.  The Twins have somehow, someway remained in the playoff hunt the entire year despite losing Johan Santana and Torii Hunter. From former AL MVP Justin Morneau to the great season that Glen Perkins is having, Manager Ron Gardenhire just knows how to keep the ship running.

Fall Question:  Will they possess enough depth to outlast Chicago?  They also have to deal with the White Sox and the Rays in September?

The Incredible Hulk Division - This movie revived the franchise that was almost left in shambles by Ang Lee's version in 2003.  Unfortunately though, it will be overshadowed by the previous two teams due to a lack of depth.

Arizona Diamondbacks (69-67)

This team could be extremely dangerous if they reach the playoffs.  They have postseason experience, a power hitter in Adam Dunn who could smash fastballs the way the Hulk smashes buildings, and two rock solid pitchers in Dan Haren/Brandon Webb who will cause trouble in a 5 game series.

Fall Question:  Poor offensive statistics from their lineup, hitting only .198 as a team in their last 10 games, will need to hit the ball to give their pitchers a chance to win. 

Boston Red Sox (79-57)

The World Champions are still chugging along quite nicely, even after sending Manny Ramirez away.  Dice-K is showing that he was worth that huge contract with a 16-2 record. Since the Hulk's first adaptation in 2003, the Red Sox have won two World Series and have revived their value as well.

Fall Question: Will the health of starting pitchers Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield, and Jon Lester come back to haunt them?  Also, will closer Jonathan Papelbon continue to uphold the bullpen? Can Jason Bay provide the punch needed alongside Big Papi when the leaves change?

Philadelphia Phillies (75-62)

The Hulk was known for smashing left and right, much like the Phillies when it comes to smashing the ball out of Citizens Bank Park. Pat Burrell, Ryan Howard, and potential NL MVP Chase Utley buoy a powerful offense. Jamie Moyer continues to defy age with every 70 MPH pitch.

Fall Question:  Will Cole Hamels be able to lead the pitching staff in the stretch run?  Will closer Brad Lidge have nightmares of Albert Pujols still smashing his fastball? Can last year's MVP Jimmy Rollins focus more on his play and less on blasting the Philly fans?

Hancock Division- This July 4th film had all of the expectations to be great, but had some "Say What" moments (I won't reveal the spoilers) that just took the film in a whole different direction. These two teams were also known for their roller-coaster-like seasons:

Los Angeles Dodgers (67-70)

Joe Torre's first season in Chavez Ravine was guaranteed to be a bust until the surprising mid-season acquisition of Manny Ramirez.  While he and Matt Kemp have helped in leading the offense to stay in the NL West "race", this team's success can also be attributed to the pitching of Derek Lowe and Chad Billingsley.

Fall Question: Will they have enough offense to overcome (yet) another injury to Brad Penny? Much like how the movie took everyone for a ride, will Man-Ram do the same thing in the middle of a pennant race?

New York Mets (76-61)

This team knows a thing or two about failing expectations.  Since Jerry Manuel took over this team has regained focus and Johan Santana has rebounded from a slow start and will be a force come September. 

Fall Question: The greatest challenge of all will be forgetting about last year's epic collapse, but also if they can keep Pedro Martinez healthy.  Will SS Jose Reyes continue to play at the level we all know he's capable of?

Finally, I know what you're thinking, i've forgotten someone haven't I? Well you know I couldn't do any baseball column without mentioning the New York Yankees (72-64) and I have a special division all for themselves: The Speed Racer Division.  A movie that was all flash to attract the kiddies but in the end people realized the truth: that there was no substance whatsoever. 

The Yankees are going into September trailing by 11.5 games in the AL East and 6.5 games out of the wild card. Jorge Posada and Chien-Ming Wang are out for the year, and when you're relying on Carl Pavano and Sidney Ponson to be the anchors of your pitching staff, it's a safe bet to say: Better luck next year! Much like the Speed Racer movie, the Yankees 2008 season was an absolute dud. Although getting to see Christina Ricci was the lone redeeming quality of the film, it wasn't enough.  The joy of seeing Hank "The Stank" Steinbrenner eat his words will be a site to see.