Mark Zinno: 6-4-3 All-Star Break
The All Star break is here. And we hit the theoretical mid-way point of the season. Now the real question is where will be in two and a half months? Only time will tell, but it's been a great ride so far. Here we go!
Top 6 -
1. Red Sox - at the All Star break last year, they were 9.5 games out. This year they own the best record in the AL. Think managers don't make a difference? They do.
2. Cardinals - a picture of consistency. The fans of the best baseball city in America have nothing to complain about.
3. Pirates - they have faded the last two seasons the August heat. If they want to break 20 losing seasons, they will have to withstand it.
4. Athletics - like the Orioles, they are proving last year wasn't a fluke. Let's see what they look like in September.
5. Rays - maybe it was just winning 14 of their last 16 against the worst teams in the majors, but winning the games your supposed to is part of what good teams do.
6. Braves - they started out the hottest. They are still in first place. They are also three games under .500 on the road.
4 stats -
1. Chris Davis tied Reggie Jackson's AL record with 37 home runs at the All Star break. Jackson would only hit 10 home runs in the second half that year.
2. Forget home runs, Miguel Cabrera has 95 RBIs. It's tough to think that Hack Wilson's 191 RBI record-setting season would be in jeopardy, but if anyone could pull it off, it's Cabrera.
3. Clayton Keshaw's ERA hit a season high 2.14 back on April 23rd. It sits at a major league best 1.98 at the break. He only has an 8-6 record.
4. 41-year old Raul Ibanez has 24 home runs at the break. That is all.
Bottom 3 -
1. Astros - as predicted, the Astros are holding up their end of the bargain as the worst team in the league.
2. Marlins - doing a great job at giving Houston a run for their money. At least the Astros didn't make the taxpayers pay for their new stadium.
3. White Sox - I figured they'd be bad. I didn't think they would be this kind of terrible!
Zinno
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