Let’s go around Major League Baseball for three quick points followed by an update on the Nationals and Orioles. Tune in each Monday.
- Dodgers with Best Record: The incredibly expensive Los Angelos Dodgers have the best record at the All-Star break. With 61 wins and a commanding 11 and a half game lead in the National League West, the Trolley Dodgers have turned into bulldozers.
. - Rays Overtake Yankees: The Tampa Bay Rays have a 3 game lead over the New York Yankees. Aaron Boone should be getting nervous. A big trade for both teams to beef up for the playoffs, which they’ll need, may soon be coming.
. - Justin Verlander to Retire: Virginia’s own Justin Verlander has announced that this season will be his last. The Detroit Tigers drafted him second overall in 2004 out of Old Dominion University. He went on to win 3 Cy Youngs, 1 American League MVP, 2 World Series Championships, and threw 3 no-hitters. Verlander is a lock for the Hall of Fame. It has been a pleasure to watch him pitch. Cheers to a happy retirement.
Nationals (48-49): They’ve been over and under the .500 mark lately and just missed being above water for the All-Star break. The team looks a little better than their record implies as the Nationals have one of the best offenses in MLB thanks to aggressive base running. Lead-off hitter James Wood has scored an astonishing 89 runs at the break. That’s only 4 short the All-Star Break record set by Frank Thomas in the juiced-up and then union labor strike shorten season of 1994.
Orioles (46-51): Ouch. The O’s are clinging to a half-game to stay out of last place. Surprisingly, that half-game is over last season’s American League Champion Blue Jays. The Orioles should never have traded Cedric Mullins last season. Look at the centerfield carousel since. Owner David Rubenstein said he has “no financial limit.” Pete Alonso was signed under that kind of thinking and he’s been one of the few bright spots so far. Mike Trout is not too old and he’s from the east coast.
We’re at the All-Star break. Homerun Derby is Monday, game is Tuesday, then the season starts back up on Friday. In-between you may want to watch From Russia with Love or The Guns of Navarone.