The following is a conversation recently overheard between Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer and first baseman Justin Morneau.
Joe: Yo Justin, how's it goin'?
Justin: Not so hot. Rumor is our fan base is fixin' to take yet another hit. Football season, you know.
Joe: Yeah, heard that. It's too bad, too. With our stretch of games coming up against the dregs of the American League, we really have a chance to make a strong late run.
Justin: Amen, brother. Hey, so I hear you are a legit MVP candidate. Congrats, man. Been there, done that, would love to do it again sometime. How do you like your chances?
Joe: Too bad we can't get any media outlets to report on us; that really hurts. With all the attention being paid to those East Coast teams, you have to think it'll be someone from over there. Still, it sure is nice to be considered.
Justin: I'm sorry, what was that? I just got distracted; another one of those Brett Favre interviews on the television. Pretty sad the attention that guy is getting. And to think, we aren't even in Minnesota right now! You were saying?
Joe: Ah, nothing, no worries. Believe me when I tell you that you aren't the first to ignore me because of that dang [Brett] Favre cat. I'm sort of getting used to it.
Justin: Hey, could be worse. You could be that Sage Rosenfels fella right now. Whew, that dude has to have a complex. Started out as the future of Washington, got passed over in Miami in favor of some schlep named Fiedler, then was shipped out of Houston to a "great situation" only to learn five months later that Favre had another itch to scratch. That's gotta suck.
Joe: For real. I sure hope, for your sake, Kent Hrbek doesn't decide to make a comeback!
Justin: Very funny, kid, very funny.
This sort of give-and-take is not uncommon all around the league once late August rolls around. Most pennant chases are down to two or three contenders and the wild card rush is still a couple of weeks away, leaving lots of free time to discuss what really matters: MVP races and the upcoming NFL season. Even in Minnesota, where the Twins sit less than a half dozen games out of first, the collective fan base has moved on to follow every step of the aforementioned Favre as he preps himself for his first season as a Viking. As unfortunate as this is, it is the reality to nearly two dozen professional baseball cities and their teams.
But baseball must go on, even in those cities where frankly the race has been over since mid-May (Washington, I'm looking at you). In honor of such moribund franchises, what follows is a breakdown of the five most relevant irrelevant teams in Major League Baseball for the balance of the 2009 season.
1. Oakland Athletics
What role CAN they play — Only two teams in the AL sport worse records than the A's of Oakland. Things look bleak for a team that lacks any real quality depth within their pitching staff and has absolutely no power at the plate. Still, these A's have an opportunity to turn the division on its head as they face-off against the division leading Angels 10 times and the second-place Rangers for seven games. Throw in a series each against AL Central contending Chicago and Minnesota and the Athletics will be in position to rain on somebody's parade to be sure.
What role WILL they play — So far in '09, Oakland is 3-6 against the Angels and have actually played the division leaders pretty even. However, with Santana back on track and the return to health of Vlad Guerrero, Los Angeles clearly has the upper hand. Of the 10 games, seven are in L.A., so don't expect the A's to put up too great a fight. The real interesting point to note is the A's are 6-6 against Texas and of the six losses, four were by two runs or less. If these trends continue, and there is no reason to believe they won't, Oakland should do just enough to keep the Rangers out of the playoffs.
2. Milwaukee Brewers
What role CAN they play — Milwaukee still feasibly could play themselves back into either the division race or the wild card race, but that is unlikely at this point with the team remaining three games under .500. But the Brew-Crew has a talented lineup and could create havoc, changing the dynamics of the playoff chases completely. Milwaukee plays nine games against the division-leading Cardinals, so if the Cubs still hope to have a prayer at their third consecutive Central Division title, they had better become Brewer fans quickly. However, the Brewers also play the Cubs seven more times in September, so they'll be backed by the Cards for a bit, as well. Factor in three games each against San Francisco and Colorado and Prince Fielder & Co. play a key role in the contenders' plans.
What role WILL they play — Milwaukee is a very dangerous team to have to face in September. Their lineup, when producing, is as good as anyone's in the NL and with nothing to play for, you know they will revel in this role. The first series they play in September should set the tone for what is to expect from the Brewers as they travel to red-hot St. Louis and will face Carpenter and John Smoltz. If they steal two games from the Cards, expect the momentum to only build from there. If the Cubs are to win the NL Central, which is becoming more and more of a long-shot each day, Milwaukee will need to win at least six of the nine games against Tony La Russa's gang. I would anticipate this to happen, but am equally sure that the Cubs will not be able to put together the run of sustained wins they will need, so St. Louis will get in despite Milwaukee's efforts.
3. Kansas City Royals
What role CAN they play — Who says they have nothing to play for?! At 47-77, the Royals find themselves in their oh-so-familiar home below the other 13 AL teams in the standings. Still, this team is young and spunky and is hungry for a reason to play, which their remaining schedule provides. With Detroit holding a tenuous lead (at best) and the increasingly evident likelihood that the wild card team will come out of the AL East, the AL Central is a three-team fight for one playoff spot. With 15 games remaining against those three teams (Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and Minnesota Twins), KC could play the spoiler and return a little bit of sunshine to an otherwise bleak summer.
What role WILL they play — Sadly, even though the Royals can make a late run that would mess up the plans of some of their bitter rivals, it remains unlikely that they will make such a run. With a combined record of 16-23 against the Sox, Twins and Tigers, a case could be made that they can put up a fight; however since their hot start, KC has gone 9-19 against those same six teams since mid-May. Expect more of the same as KC is unlikely to create any real concern amongst their opponents.
4. New York Mets
What role CAN they play — As the Mets fade further and further out of contention, the natives are getting understandably restless in the stands of their new gem of a ballpark. With little to play for outside of pride, this seemingly pride-less bunch may well win as few as a dozen games the rest of the season. Injuries have torn this promising roster apart, but they have also become annual underachievers, which certainly doesn't position them very well as any sort of "spoiler" down the stretch. Still, the Mets play the Cubs (6 games), Rockies (3), Marlins (8), Phillies (4), and Braves (6) among their final 36 games. If what is left of this team can put together any sort of passion and consistency in late August and into September, they could have a deciding say in who represents the senior circuit in the playoffs come October.
What role WILL they play — As surprised as I would be to see the Mets actually put together a string of consistency — especially one born from pride and love of the game — this is not an awful team. With the disappointment the Mets have felt in each of the last two seasons down the playoff stretch, you have to think they would love nothing more than to stick it to the Phillies in 2009. Unfortunately, with only four games against the Phils and a combined 14 against the Marlins and Braves, the only way for them to do that would be to tank those games against Florida and Atlanta. This is a tough pill to swallow, even for the Mets. The likely scenario will be New York playing out the string at or near .500 with Philly winning the division on the strength of their current lead and the other two fading as September moves along.
5. Arizona Diamondbacks
What role CAN they play — Last year's NL West division champ is currently 15-games under .500 and sports one of baseball's worst home records (28-35). Injuries have derailed the team, particular within the ranks of their much-ballyhooed pitching staff, as has a shockingly unproductive lineup. Still, Arizona plays an astounding 22 of their last 37 games against the Dodgers, Giants, and Rockies, putting the underachieving Diamondbacks in the enviable position of being able to effect the outcome of their division rivals' playoff chances. The road to the NL Central title will pass through Phoenix again in 2009; unfortunately for the Diamondbacks, it is for all the wrong reasons as far as the home team is concerned.
What role WILL they play — Arizona has by far the most ability to make a difference in their division race. With the season-ending series against the Cubs, the D-Backs even have a say on what will go down in the wild card race. It is tough to predict how this team will fare as September rolls along, but I see them as being dangerous enough to impact their division race greatly. I fully expect the Rockies to suffer most from an Arizona resurgence and look for the Diamondbacks to knock Colorado into third place in their division. For good measure, I also expect the D-Backs to sweep the Cubs in the series during the season's last week to bury any playoff homes Chicago may have remaining at that time.
For this season's MLB postseason hopefuls, the Mets, Brewers, D-Backs, Royals, and A's will play an integral role. Each year, one or more teams that have sat at or near the bottom of the standings raise above their injury plague, unfortunate luck or underachievement to surprise some unexpected contender and knock them out of playoff contention. 2009 should be no different.
The only question left to answer is whether or not those five teams will answer the call and put their best foot forward in reveling in their underdog role.
Leave a Comment