Going Yard

I visited Camden Yards for the third and final time this season. After tomorrow, the Orioles will not be playing baseball. Nor, as of today, will the Oakland A's or the Chicago Cubs. How you like them apples, Nomah? Dusty Baker might want to get his resume ready.

The Orioles, who haven't made the playoffs since 1997, are probably the Worst Good Team in baseball, just as the Rangers are the Best Bad Team. With a legitimate ace, a few excellent relievers, a strong lineup, and a rookie surprise in Newhan, the O's could have expected a much better record. They're 9th in the league in runs scored, 3rd in batting average; though they're just 19th in ERA.

Of course, the Yankees are 20th in ERA and 2nd in runs scored, while the Red Sox are 11th and 1st in those respective categories, despite finishing 1 to 3 games back.

A day before the end of the season, the AL East is 21 games above .500 as a division. This occurred despite apparent improvement of four teams in the division. The Yankees will end within a game of last year's win total, the Red Sox have improved by three, and the Orioles and D-Rays by six each. However, all this is offset by the collapse of the Blue Jays, who quietly won 86 games last year, and quietly lost 93 this year. In 2002, however, the AL East was 16 games below .500, and in 2001 a whopping 42 games down.

Some statistical oddities, to be sure, but a relevent train of thought as we size up opponents like Minnesota, which is 45-29 v. the AL Central and and 46-40 v. the rest of baseball. The Central was 40 games below .500 this year, and has been every year since 1994, when three of the teams of the brand-new Central Division were above .500 when they went on strike. Despite these numbers, the Twins are still considered the #1 contender outside the East, which is a two-team juggernaut once again.

OK, I'm going to stop rambling and go to bed.