"I made my arguments and went down in flames. History will prove me right." -- Texas Rangers owner George W. Bush after voting against realignment and a new wild-card system during a Major League Baseball owners meeting in September 1993. Bush was the lone dissenter in a 27-1 vote.
Round three of predictions-that-probably-won't-turn-out-accurate.
AL WEST
The teams:
Los Angeles Angels
Oakland A's
Seattle Mariners
Texas Rangers
The outlook:
Where does one begin? The AL West in recent memory was a good division. Now it is...well, not something I'll be staying up to watch unless my team is on a road trip.
The A's are without Barry Zito, the Mariners were a mess last year, the Angels can't decide what city they play in, and the Rangers play in a place where it is too damn hot to play anything but night games unless you're testing a new formula of high endurance Gatorade.
Look for a St. Louis Cardinals-esque just-a-little-above-500 record to take this division.
Spaulding prognostication:
AL West champion -- Texas Rangers
Up next: NL East
Alex Rodriguez says he wants to stay with the Yankees, but I'm just not buying it.
New York Times, 11/16/06:
Sound familiar? Remember when A-Rod was named the captain of the Texas Rangers in January 2004?Rodriguez maintained that he was comfortable with the Yankees and in New York and had no desire to leave...
“One hundred percent, yes,” he said. “My family now is beginning to really get comfortable here — my wife and my daughter. And I love New York, I love the challenges New York brings.
“There’s no question last year was a very challenging year for me personally, but I think New York wants to see people have a tough time and come out of it and fight through it.”
Rodriguez has a no-trade clause and has consistently said he has no plans to waive it.
"I feel good about with who I am bed with and who I am married to with the Rangers," he said. "I don't feel betrayed at all. I am very honored to work for an owner like Tom Hicks, who I feel is the best owner in the game. I definitely hope to be here at least seven years and then ask Mr. Hicks if we can negotiate into my 40s. I am pretty sure it will work out for the best for the organization and for the fans who deserve a winner. The effort has started and we are on our way."By mid-February 2004 A-Rod was in New York.
Having pretty much failed Gut Check #1 by winning only one game of their three game series with Detroit after taking the opener, the White Sox now return home to face two decent teams (the Texas Rangers and the Minnesota Twins). Playing the next six games against the backdrop of a sold out U.S. Cellular Field, the White Sox have a lot of work to do.
On the plus side, the Detroit Tigers FINALLY play somebody with some level of talent in the Oakland A's and the disappointing-to-date, Cleveland Indians. (Detroit's schedule doesn't show it, but I'm pretty sure they get to play a Kansas City or a Tampa Bay at least twice a week).
Now 5.5 games behind the Tigers in the AL Central and a slim 2.5 games up on the Yankees for the Wild Card, the White Sox need to stop their downward spiral in what so has been an absolutely dismal second half that has delivered one win over the past six games (and only two in the last nine if you track it back before the All-Star break).
To correct course tonight the Sox send Mark Buehrle to the bump who could use his own course corrected.
The usually steady Buehrle has delivered a string of completely non-Buehrle-esque games in his last few starts that have done nothing but help fuel questions about whether this White Sox rotation is still gassed from last year's playoff run.
Tonight's press notes report that "Mark Buehrle is 0-3 with a 13.81 ERA (22 ER/14.1 IP) in his last three starts." Yikes! Typically stats that bad are put up by guys on the team NotGoodNotGoodAtAll covers.
One cannot help but hope that the Sox will remember that they are a good team after they get a good ol' dose of home cooking -- and based on their record so far this year, home cooking is exactly what they need. More from tonight's game notes:
Home Field Advantage -- At 33-14, the White Sox own the third-best home record in baseball and are on pace to finish with 57 wins at U.S. Cellular Field, matching the franchise record set in 1912 ... the Sox have won 32 of their last 43 home games, outscoring the opposition, 263-176.Time to get it going 56.
