JASON ROSS: BASEBALL AT 100
The Major League Baseball season has now hit the 100 game mark and the "dog days" of August are right around the corner. So what have we learned so far? Half of the 6 divisions are already decided. Houston, Washington and the Los Angeles Dodgers have nearly lapped their competition. These three teams have been the most consistent and most complete this season.
The other three divisions should have races that last the final two months. The American League East and Central along with the National League Central are logjams at the top with less than 2 games separating first and second place. This includes the two teams that made it to last year's Fall Classic. The Indians haven't been as "special" as last year but are hanging on in front of Kansas City. The defending World Series Champion Cubs have been a mess but they somehow still lead the NL Central. The last race is where we could have some great drama and that is in the American League East. The Red Sox, Yankees and Rays are all still in the chase to win the division. Anytime you have the Yankees and Red Sox involved it makes for great drama. These two long time rivals will play each other ten more times.
The Wild Card is another story. The addition of the extra team a few years back has left the door open for many. The American League has eight teams within 5 games of the top spot. This leads to good intrigue over the final two months. The National League is a little more selective but the race will be fun. Baseball has a funny way though of changing over the long marathon. Could the Dodgers injury of Clayton Kershaw derail their dreams? Will Washington finally figure out how to win in the post-season? Can the Cubs repeat? Will the Yankees return to the post-season? Will a major trade occur that changes the complexion of the pennant races?
The season can be long but that is also part of the charm of baseball. You need all 162 games to write the yearly story. That story will take twists and turns in the post-season too. I for one am still a fan of America's pastime. Locally it is tough to watch the A's and Giants struggle but there is still always something to play for even when a post-season isn't on the horizon. I look forward to the final push and anticipate learning more about the teams and players along the way.
Many questions are still left to be asked and answered. The one that I am asking right now is, how many more home runs will Aaron Judge hit, and how far will they travel? My answer as a Yankee fan is hopefully a lot more and all the way to the moon. Enjoy the final 62 games and go Yankees.
