MLB First Half Review

Being that today's Home Run Derby marks the beginning of this year's All-Star break, I thought it would be fitting to review the first half of the season.

Divisional Leaders

AL East- Boston Red Sox by 0.5 games
AL Central- Chicago White Sox by 1.5 games

AL West- L.A. Angels by 6 games

NL East- Philadelphia Phillies by 0.5 games
NL Central- Chicago Cubs by 4.5 games

NL West- Arizona Diamondbacks by 1 game

It looks like very division is wide open for 2-4 teams. In the AL East, you have to take the Tampa Bay Rays seriously. All of that young talent is finally translating into wins. And you can never count out the Yankees in that division.

In the AL Central, the White Sox and Twins could battle to the end for the division, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Tigers made a surge in the second half and stole the division.

In the AL West, the Angels will be tough to beat, especially since their pitching has been top-notch. The Athletics and Rangers are still in this race though, but their offense is all they have going for them.

In the NL East, Philadelphia is the best team right now, but look out for the Mets. Since Willie Randolph left, the Mets have a winning record and I wouldn't be surprised to see them run away with this division. The Marlins are another young team like the Rays, but I don't think they have the pitching to make the playoffs.

In the Central, the Cubs have been the best all year, so far. St. Louis and Milwaukee have a chance to make a run for the division, but if the Cubs continue to do what they are doing, I don't know if any NL team can beat them.

The NL West is the worst division in the league right now, with the Diamondbacks in 1st place- with a record of 47-48... The Dodgers aren't far behind and San Diego is last in that division, 10 games back. Your guess is as good as mine as to who will win this division.

The Angels and the Cubs have the best records at the break, but the Red Sox have the same amount of wins as the Angels, just two more losses in two more games played.

Top Hitters

Chipper Jones leads the league in batting average with an average of .376

Ryan Howard leads the league in home runs with 28

Josh Hamilton leads the league in RBI with 95

Top Pitchers

Brandon Webb leads the league in wins with 13

Tim Lincecum leads the league in strikeouts with 135

Justin Duchscherer leads the league in ERA with an ERA of 1.82

Players to Watch Out For

In the AL, you have to keep an eye on A-Rod. He missed a few weeks with an injury at the beginning of the season, but is quietly having another great season. He's batting .312 with 19 homers and 53 RBI. If Josh Hamilton continues to hit the way he has, he has to get the MVP. Another big surprise for that Texas team is Milton Bradley, who is having the best season of his career with 19 homers and 57 RBI. Rookie Evan Longoria of the Rays is having an amazing season and will probably win Rookie of the Year with his 16 home runs and 53 RBI. Ian Kinsler is another Ranger who is having a career year. He's leading the AL in average with an average of .337 and he's hit 14 homers and doubled 34 times. Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are probably the two front runners for Cy Young honors.

In the NL, it's all about pitching. Rookie Edinson Volquez is having a phenomenal year with 12 wins and a 2.29 ERA. The Cy Young can go to about 8 pitchers in the NL. Guys like Volquez, Tim Lincecum, Dan Haren, Ben Sheets, Carlos Zambrano, Brandon Webb, Cole Hamels, and Chad Billingsley are all having career years. And now that C.C. Sabathia is a Brewer, you could add him to that list because moving him to the NL could be scary for NL teams. Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman, Chase Utley and Chipper Jones are all having amazing seasons at the plate. There are two players that I think are the most underrated players in the whole league...

1. Florida Marlins SS- Hanley Ramirez- In his third season, Ramirez is batting .311 with 23 home runs and 45 RBI. Not to mention, 23 stolen bases and a great glove and arm at shortstop.

2. Milwaukee Brewers OF- Ryan Braun- Last year was Braun's first year. He only had 451 at-bats, but he made the most of them with a whopping 34 home runs and 97 RBI. This year, he already has 377 at-bats with 23 homers and 66 RBI. This guy is going to be the next A-Rod, if not, better.

Predictions

AL Winner- N.Y. Yankees (You watch and see)

NL Winner- Chicago Cubs (The curse is over)

AL MVP- Alex Rodriguez

NL MVP- Ryan Braun

AL Cy Young- Roy Halladay

NL Cy Young- Tim Lincecum

AL Rookie of the Year- Evan Longoria

NL Rookie of the Year- Edinson Volquez

2008 World Series Champs- New York Yankees

The End of an Era? I Hope Not

Have you ever seen the statistics of an athlete, but never saw that athlete perform? For instance, you can find anywhere that Alex Rodriguez hit 52 home runs last year. But, what does this do for you if you didn't see him hit the home runs? A-Rod's homers could have been balls that just made it over the wall, or inside-the-park home runs that weren't really monster shots. That was just an example. To clarify that, A-Rod earns every home run he hits.

What I was trying to accomplish by that example was to illustrate what it's like to hear or read about an athlete, but not actually see the real thing. Just like the game telephone- there is an original message, but the story changes after it's been told by a few people. This leads me to my main topic- Tiger Woods. Since 1996, I've heard how this kid Tiger Woods was the most amazing golfer you will ever see. I was never really into golf. I don't know why, but it just never interested me. As twelve years passed, I never watched a single golf tournament, but keep in mind, I knew of a few golf pros. Tiger, Mickelson, Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player were just about the only golfers I knew of. Until, this past U.S. Open. For the last year I watched a little bit of golf here and there, but I never really understood all the rules. I decided to watch the 2008 U.S. Open out of curiosity. Let me tell you, the 2008 Open made me a golf fan for life.

We all know how Tiger and Rocco Mediate went to a sudden-death playoff, in which Tiger won. I've always admired Tiger Woods...I've admired him for his accomplishments. I knew of his accomplishments, but I never lived through them. I never saw him accomplish these feats. I've seen the Yankees win 4 World Series from 1996-2000, which made me appreciate the wins more. It would be different if I read in the papers about the Yankees winning, but didn't witness it. If you're wondering where I am going with this, here's your answer. Tiger Woods won the 2008 U.S. Open in one of the best golf tournaments in history. (The announcers in the event and media have confirmed this!) I witnessed this event! I can honestly say that the only golf event I watched from beginning to end was Tiger Woods' last Major win...

Yes, I said last Major win. Just yesterday, Tiger addressed the issues on his knee injury. He said his left knee has been sore for the last 10-12 years. This would mean that his knee was sore for almost his whole professional career. Now, we aren't going to take this into account to his playing, because anyone could have health problems that contribute to their play. Tiger played how he played in his career, regardless of his injuries. He played through them. I don't think he was making an excuse, he was just being honest. Mickey Mantle was hurt for most of his career and the guy is one of the best baseball players we've ever seen. Not that I've seen the Mick play live...

So, Tiger just had the ACL in his left knee completely rebuilt and the doctors said he should have the leg healthier than it's been in 12 years. But, the million-dollar question is, when will Tiger be back? Tiger said it could be 6 months it could be 2 years... Some are saying that Tiger will retire after his knee recovers because he will have been out of the game so long that he won't want to return. There's no financial reason for tiger to return...he's the highest money-making athlete of all-time. Tiger has a wife and a child. He could enjoy his family if he wanted to. The question I ask is does Tiger have enough love for the game to come back after this injury? Tiger's biggest inspiration is his late father...we all know the story...Tiger was coached by his dad all of his life. And Tiger gets all of his inspiration after his dad's passing in 2006. I think Tiger will be back. After seeing him play for the first time in my life, I would be deeply saddened if Tiger was gone forever. I want to see him win a few more championships and pass Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 Major Championships. Tiger made it 14 Major wins with this past U.S. Open. Some people look at Tiger as the chosen one, or the golden boy of golf. But, I don't look at him that way. You know why? Because Tiger earned everything he has. He plays his heart out every time he steps on the golf course and that is what I respect and love most about him. I give everything my all and so does Tiger. Most of all, I know Tiger isn't playing for fame or money...Tiger is playing for you...and me...and his dad...