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Here is The Daily Hat Trick review, in three sentences or less, of the 30 clubs in Major League Baseball.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AL East
Tampa Bay Rays (25-19) – After losing Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, and Matt Garza to free agency, they did not “rebuild”. They “reloaded”.
New York Yankees (23-19) – First rate payroll…second place record…third rate starting pitcher consistency.
Boston Red Sox (23-20) – I suppose they decided it was unfair that they were anointed AL East champs before the season started and dug themselves into an 0-6 hole to give the team a real challenge. They have won 6 straight. I would say they are up to the challenge.
Toronto Blue Jays (22-21) – Once again, they aren’t that bad. They aren’t that good either. How much longer before Triple Crown candidate Jose Bautista asks for a trade?
Baltimore Orioles (19-23) – They got off to a great start. They won’t suck as much as they usually have and that is a moral victory for manager Buck Showalter in 2011.
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| Rays manager Joe Maddon: crazy like a fox! 2 |
AL Central
Cleveland Indians (26-15) – Best record in the majors...biggest surprise in the majors... among the lowest attendance in the majors.
Detroit Tigers (22-21) – If Jim Leyland stops smoking, will Miguel Cabrera stop drinking? Good starting pitchers…underachieving bats…undesirable bullpen.
Kansas City Royals (21-22) – That Kansas City has lost 7 of their last 10 and is just one game below .500 is cause for celebration, unless you’re Vin Mazzaro.
Chicago White Sox (20-25) – I don’t know what is more disappointing, that the White Sox are playing so badly or that Ozzie Guillen hasn’t give us a vault of soundbites expressing that disappointment.
Minnesota Twins (15-27) – Minnesota will not be successfully defending its back to back American League Central Division titles.
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| Cabrera's legal problems make his past weight issues seem preferable. 3 |
AL West
Texas Rangers (23-21) – Making an impressive push to repeat as division champs, the first step to repeating as American League champions.
Oakland Athletics (22-22) – They have a shot at a return to the playoffs this year. They’d have a better shot if they swung the bats like bats and not garden hoses.
Los Angeles Angels (22-23) – The Angels no longer have the vice grip on the division that they used to, but that doesn’t mean they can’t return to the top. Not having Kendrys Morales at all, this season, is going to make that task more difficult, though.
Seattle Mariners (19-24) – No wonder Ken Griffey, Jr. fell asleep on this team….
NATIONAL LEAGUE
NL East
Philadelphia Phillies (26-17) – I would say, “Why not just stop the season and hand them the National League pennant now?” but I said that last year and, well, that’s why they PLAY the GAMES!
Florida Marlins(24-18) – Josh Johnson would win the Cy Young if the season were only 40 games long. The Marlins have an excellent opportunity to return to the playoffs for the first time since winning the World Series in 2003.
Atlanta Braves (25-21) – The tomahawk chops on! Bobby Cox may be retired, but the Braves remain competitive. Jair Jurrjens could challenge for the National League Cy Young.
New York Mets (21-22) – The Mets are a hot mess, but their record is surprisingly not vomit-inducing…yet.
Washington Nationals (20-23) – The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. This perennial laughing stock may be in the cellar, but they a re much more competitive than in years past. When cannon-armed starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg comes back next year, watch out!
NL Central
St. Louis Cardinals (26-19) – If you’d have told me 35 year old Lance Berkman would be in the running for the National League Triple Crown before the season started, I’d be looking for the Candid Camera.
Cincinnati Reds (25-19) – The Reds key batters are as strong as last year, setting the defending National League Central Division champs up for a dogfight with the Cardinals this season.
Milwaukee Brewers (21-23) – The best position players…not some of the best pitchers. Enjoy Prince Fielder while you have him because it wouldn’t surprise me to see him join fellow big bellied Brewer turned Yankee C.C. Sabathia in pinstripes after this season.
Pittsburgh Pirates (20-23) – Gimme a light! “Suck Lite”! Just because they’ve improved doesn’t mean they’re relevant.
Chicago Cubs (19-23) – 1908 was a long time ago. Cubs fans will continue to think that in the coming offseason.
Houston Astros (15-29) – Owner Drayton McLane could have sold the club after its World Series appearance in 2005 and made a lot more money if he planned on doing nothing afterwards.
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| Brewers fans will be really sad when they don't have the big fella to poke fun at anymore. 4 |
NL West
San Francisco Giants (24-19) – Lights out pitching can always compensate for anemic batting. The Giants are making a solid bid for a second straight National League pennant.
Colorado Rockies (23-19) – Every year this team looks solid. Last year, they sputtered late. Can they make it back to the playoffs after a 2010 absence?
Arizona Diamondbacks (20-23) – Yawn....
Los Angeles Dodgers (20-25) – Divorce really hurts everyone: the players who don’t know if their paychecks will clear or bounce, the Dodgers fans of Los Angeles, the Giants fan who got the crap beaten out of himself by frustrated Dodgers fans, and said Dodgers fans whom the LAPD identified and will soon be spending quality time behind bars.
San Diego Padres (19-25) – Last year the Padres made a strong run on a skeleton payroll to come within one game of reaching the playoffs. ♫ Back to life! Back to re-al-i-ty! ♪♪
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| Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and (now) ex-wife, Jamie. I wonder what he's thinking here. Hmm.... 5 |
1) Image from sportslogos.net; the Major League Baseball logo is a trademark of Major League Baseball.
2) Image from sports.popcrunch.com
3) Image from sportsbybrooks.com
4) Image from stuffandthingsblog.wordpress.com
5) Image from advocate.com
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