Red Hot New Rivalry (Reds @ Cardinals, Sept 3 – 5)
Highlight September 3rd through 5th on your calendar, no matter whether your rose-colored glasses skew towards the Redbirds of St. Louis or the Big Red Machine in Cincinnati. Baseball’s hottest new rivalry, Reds vs. Cardinals, will write its final regular season chapter over Labor Day weekend, with both teams still in contention for the top spot in the National League Central. Since a franchise high point the in the late 80’s and early 90’s, the Reds have been mired in decades of mediocrity, however with the team’s resurgence towards the top of the standings this season, the two divisional foes have reignited the flame.
Cincinnati second baseman, Brandon Phillips, poured proverbial gasoline on the fire when he recounted his personal sentiments towards St. Louis, telling reporters, “I’d play against these guys with one leg. We have to beat these guys. I hate the Cardinals. All they do is [expletive] and moan about everything, all of them, they’re all little [expletive]s, all of ‘em. I really hate the Cardinals. Compared to the Cardinals, I love the Chicago Cubs. Let me make this clear – I hate the Cardinals.” Read the rest of this entry »
Trading Players and Places in the NL East (Braves @ Phillies, Sept 20 – 22)
After running a streak of 14 straight NL East pennants over the course of the 90’s and early 2000’s, the Atlanta Braves have not seen the playoffs since they fell short to the Houston Astros in the 2005 NLDS. Now, in longtime manager Bobby Cox’s final season as Braves’ skipper, the team is once again in position to make a post-season push. Forming their most likely opposition are the Philadelphia Phillies, who have walked away with their own divisional pennants in back to back seasons now. The battle for the NL East looks to come down to one final high intensity series scheduled to begin on September 20th, spanning three games. Both the Braves and Phillies positioned themselves for late season runs as they moved to add the necessary pieces before the trade deadline approached. Read the rest of this entry »
Traditional Turmoil atop the AL East (Red Sox @ Yankees, Sept 24 – 26)
The Yankees and Red Sox will renew their acquaintance for one more 3 game series in 2010, in the regular season’s penultimate set of games. As usual, playoff implications should once again be on the line when the two teams take the field at Yankee Stadium on September 24, 25 and 26. The Yankees currently lead the AL East, facing intense competition from both the Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays currently trail the Yanks by just one game, with the Red Sox sitting in 3rd place, well within striking distance. The three AL East leaders are put in a unique situation by the lack of parity found throughout the rest of the American League. Were any of the three to relocate the Central or Western divisions, they would either find themselves as division leaders or mired in merely a two team race, with the Texas Rangers standing as the sole team in the AL with a comparable record. Read the rest of this entry »
How Will the West Be Won? (Giants @ Padres, Sept 9 – 12)
When the Padres and Giants square off in a 4-game series beginning September 9th, unexpected implications will be on the line. Only a season ago, the San Diego Padres finished the regular season a full 20 games back in the National League West. To the see Fathers atop the standings at this late juncture is a surprise to many, perhaps even San Diego fans themselves. Just a year after trading away Jake Peavy, their ace over the past few seasons, a wide selection of analysts and writers across the country expected the Padres to take a step backwards in 2010, though so far the San Diego ship appears to be sailing along, full steam ahead. Their closest competition for divisional supremacy comes out of San Francisco where the Giants are in the midst of an impressive turn around in their own right. While the Giants faired slightly better than the Padres over the course of the 2009 season, sporting a winning percentage of .543 and finishing just 7 games back of the pennant and 4 out of Wild Card berth, San Francisco fans haven’t enjoyed post season play since they won the West in 2003. In 2008, the two teams finished 4th and 5th within the 5 team division. Read the rest of this entry »
A Lap Around the AL Central Carousel (Twins @ White Sox, Sept 14 – 16)
A new year should once again mean a new name atop the ever changing carousel better known as the American League Central. With the Detroit Tigers winning the pennant in 2007, the White Sox following suit in 2008 and the Twins taking home the crown last season, great competition has defined the division at the expense of consistency. The 2010 season will most likely see one of the previous two division winners once again lay claim to the automatic playoff berth afforded to the AL Central winner. The Twins and White sox will match up on September 14th in the first game of a 3-game series. The competition should heat up, as it’s likely only one of the two teams will realize their playoff aspirations, with a three-set of better record teams currently competing for the AL East’s top spot. Read the rest of this entry »