Projection: July 27, 2009

BOS	94	68	0.580		PHI	89	73	0.549
NYY	92	70	0.568		ATL	84	78	0.519
TBR	89	73	0.549		NYM	81	81	0.500
TOR	82	80	0.506		FLA	80	82	0.494
BAL	72	90	0.444		WAS	64	98	0.395
DET	89	73	0.549		CHC	86	77	0.531
MIN	83	79	0.512		STL	85	78	0.525
CHW	81	81	0.500		MIL	79	83	0.488
CLE	70	92	0.432		HOU	77	85	0.475
KC	66	96	0.407		PIT	77	85	0.475
					CIN	76	86	0.469
TEX	90	73	0.556		LAD	100	62	0.617
LAA	89	74	0.549		COL	90	72	0.556
OAK	75	87	0.463		SFG	82	80	0.506
SEA	74	88	0.457		ARI	73	89	0.451
					SDP	63	99	0.389

ALDS: Red Sox over Tigers, Yankees over Rangers
NLDS: Cubs over Dodgers, Rockies over Phillies

ALCS: Red Sox over Yankees
NLCS: Cubs over Rockies

World Series: Red Sox over Cubs

Pair of former Angels/Cards options for Twins

The Twins are in a dire need of a solid second baseman and a batter with a low amount of strikeouts to be slotted in the 2 hole of the batting order. Adam Kennedy and David Eckstein are two candidates that should be available considering the status of the Athletics and the Padres, respectfully.

David Eckstein is the more ideal candidate. Although he new to the position of 2nd base, he's been performing very well there. Offensively, although Kennedy has been putting up better numbers, Eckstein puts the ball in play more. Eckstein might not get more hits, but he can advance the runner as well as anybody which is exactly how the Twins play baseball even with the power of Mauer, Morneau, Kubel, and Cuddyer. Eckstein has also been one of the most difficult players to strike out in baseball.

The key to all of this is health. David Eckstein has been out with a hamstring injury and although he's close to returning, those injuries tend to hang around or at least make him more vulnerable to a hamstring injury in the future. If the Padres can get him back and prove that he's healthy in the next few days, I would get the Twins on the phone as soon as possible. But the backup plan can always be Adam Kennedy.

Projection: July 20, 2009

BOS	95	67	0.586		PHI	88	74	0.543
NYY	93	69	0.574		ATL	81	81	0.500
TBR	88	74	0.543		NYM	80	82	0.494
TOR	82	80	0.506		FLA	76	86	0.469
BAL	72	90	0.444		WAS	62	100	0.383
DET	90	73	0.556		STL	89	73	0.549
MIN	89	74	0.549		CHC	83	79	0.512
CHW	83	79	0.512		MIL	81	81	0.500
KC	68	94	0.420		CIN	80	82	0.494
CLE	65	97	0.401		PIT	78	84	0.481
					HOU	74	88	0.457
TEX	87	76	0.537		LAD	99	63	0.611
LAA	86	77	0.531		COL	89	73	0.549
SEA	78	84	0.481		SFG	85	77	0.525
OAK	71	91	0.438		ARI	71	91	0.438
					SDP	69	93	0.426

ALDS: Red Sox over Rangers, Yankees over Tigers
NLDS: Phillies over Dodgers, Rockies over Cardinals

ALCS: Red Sox over Yankees
NLCS: Rockies over Phillies

World Series: Red Sox over Rockies

Houston Astros - Team of the Day: July 19, 2009

The Dodgers defeated the Astros in a close game 4-3. Manny Ramirez was kept at bay, however, the Astros could not contain Matt Kemp who managed to score all of the Dodgers' run. I would like to give credit to Alberto Arias of the Astros who managed to commit 2 errors, gave up 1 hit, allowed 1 walk, and only 1 unearned run in the 1 inning he had pitched, however, you cannot commit two errors in one inning in a close game and expect to win, especially against one of the best teams in the league in the
Dodgers.

Kuroda was good enough allowing 3 runs over 5 innings, Russ Ortiz was better with 2 runs over 6 innings, but the Dodger bullpen of Guillermo Mota, Ramon Troncoso, and Jonathan Broxton was lights out. The bullpen pitched 4 innings, allowed 0 hits, 1 walk, and struck out 5. This is how the Dodgers were able to make their comeback and win the game.

Houston Astros – Team of the Day: July 19, 2009

Russ Ortiz (HOU) vs. Hiroki Kuroda (LAD)

Ortiz has had an up and down season being in and out of the rotation. His last two outings have been rough, but the few leading to that, he’s been going deeper into games, keeping his team in the game. He’s faced the Dodgers once and won the game. He wasn’t lights out but he got the job done. Manny Ramirez drove all the runs in against him that day, so clearly the key to this game (as it is most games against the Dodgers) is to keep Manny at bay.

Although, Kuroda did not face the Astros yet this year, and the current Astros that have faced him have had virtually no success, the sample size is too small to make any declaration of dominance against the Astros lineup. When on the mound, Kuroda has underperformed. Dodgers bullpen is weaker because of overuse.

Astros will win this game in a close battle.

All-Star Break Awards

Best Team: Boston Red Sox
Worst Team: Washington Nationals

Team With Toughest Schedule: Baltimore Orioles
Team With Easiest Schedule: Philadelphia Phillies

Strongest Division: American League East
Weakest Division: National League East

Most Surprising Team: San Francisco Giants
Most Disappointing Team: Cleveland Indians

Team Poised for Strong Second Half: Minnesota Twins
Team Poised for Second Half Collapse: 3-way tie (Kansas City Royals, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros)

Projection: July 13, 2009

BOS	97	65	0.599		PHI	87	75	0.537
NYY	93	69	0.574		NYM	82	80	0.506
TBR	89	73	0.549		ATL	79	83	0.488
TOR	80	82	0.494		FLA	77	85	0.475
BAL	73	89	0.451		WAS	64	98	0.395
DET	89	73	0.549		STL	89	73	0.549
MIN	88	74	0.543		CHC	81	81	0.500
CHW	82	80	0.506		MIL	81	81	0.500
CLE	67	95	0.414		CIN	80	82	0.494
KC	67	95	0.414		PIT	78	84	0.481
					HOU	74	88	0.457
TEX	87	75	0.537		LAD	99	63	0.611
LAA	86	76	0.531		COL	88	74	0.543
SEA	76	86	0.469		SFG	85	77	0.525
OAK	71	91	0.438		ARI	71	91	0.438
					SDP	70	92	0.432

ALDS: Rangers over Red Sox, Yankees over Tigers
NLDS: Dodgers over Phillies, Rockies over Cardinals

ALCS: Yankees over Rangers
NLCS: Dodgers over Rockies

World Series: Yankees over Dodgers

Projection: July 6, 2009

BOS	96	66	0.593		PHI	86	76	0.531
NYY	93	69	0.574		NYM	82	80	0.506
TBR	90	72	0.556		ATL	79	83	0.488
TOR	80	82	0.494		FLA	79	83	0.488
BAL	72	90	0.444		WAS	68	94	0.420
MIN	89	73	0.549		STL	87	75	0.537
DET	88	74	0.543		MIL	84	78	0.519
CHW	82	80	0.506		CIN	82	80	0.506
CLE	70	92	0.432		CHC	81	81	0.500
KC	67	95	0.414		PIT	78	84	0.481
					HOU	72	90	0.444
TEX	89	73	0.549		LAD	97	65	0.599
LAA	84	78	0.519		COL	86	76	0.531
SEA	75	87	0.463		SFG	81	81	0.500
OAK	70	92	0.432		SDP	73	89	0.451
					ARI	70	92	0.432

ALDS: Rangers over Red Sox, Yankees over Twins
NLDS: Dodgers over Phillies, Rockies over Cardinals

ALCS: Yankees over Rangers
NLCS: Dodgers over Rockies

World Series: Yankees over Dodgers