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A second-half splurge

By Peter GammonsSpecial to ESPN.com

 

July 18

 

 

When the All-Star break arrived, there were five realities that seemed evident:

 

 

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Rivera

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Jeter

 

 

The Yankees were within a game of the best record in the American League, and Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera had all played so little that not one took his rightful place in Chicago.

 

 

The Braves are going to be in the playoffs, barring a plague or pestilence.

 

 

Kansas City being seven games in front in the AL Central may have been a greater shock than the Twins being 7 games out of first place.

 

 

The NL Central winner will take the division with 88 victories.

 

 

What the Diamondbacks, manager Bob Brenly and their developmental system did in the first half of the season to put Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson in position to take Arizona back to the postseason is one of the feel-good stories of the season.

 

 

This is a season in which the Royals -- the first place Royals -- say Desi Relaford is their MVP and the Dodgers are within hailing distance of the playoffs with an offense that has outscored only the Tigers. While the Mets are cashing out, the Marlins believe they are cashing in, and Albert Pujols is implanted on the public consciousness as baseball's next American Idol.

 

 

The Giants are second to the Yankees in home attendance. And while White Sox and Reds fans question the future of their respective managers (Jerry Manuel and Bob Boone), it is eminently clear that whoever made the decisions for the Cubs to hire Dusty Baker, the Giants to hire Felipe Alou, the Mariners to hire Bob Melvin, the Royals to hire Tony Pena (the first half manager of the year), the Indians to hire Eric Wedge and the Rockies to hire Clint Hurdle knew exactly what he was doing, as there is a new generation of terrific, significant managers.

 

 

All of which leads into the second half, and these things to watch:

 

 

10 storylines

As they get Williams, Jeter, Rivera, Armando Benitez and Nick Johnson meshed back into the lineup, are the Yankees a 105-win team?

 

 

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Brown

 

 

Can Kevin Brown remain healthy? If not, the Dodgers are not going to make it to October.

 

 

Can Pedro Martinez avoid another three-week breakdown? Without Pedro, the Red Sox are going to struggle to win the wild card.

 

 

Can the Twins start playing like the Twins?

 

 

Remember, Mark Prior and Carlos Zambrano have never pitched 120 innings in the big leagues, so as they approach the 175-200 innings level, will they sail in unchartered waters?

 

 

Will Preston Wilson continue to take the ball to right-center (thank you, Coors Field) and not try to pull everything (the curse of Pro Player) and be the entire season's most improved player?

 

 

If the pitching doesn't straighten out, is there a blowup coming in Cincinnati?

 

 

Is there another one of those second-half runs coming from the A's?

 

 

Will Pat Burrell please come home?

 

 

Will Houston's bullpen hold up in the dog days?

 

 

10 pleas for significant second-half impacts

Mike Hampton and Greg Maddux

Shawn Green

 

 

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Burrell

 

 

Pat Burrell

Edgardo Alfonzo

Wade Miller

Sammy Sosa

Brad Radke, J.C. Romero and Kyle Lohse

Derek Lowe

Paul Konerko

Ryan Dempster and Chris Reitsma. Attention Reds: Do you know how good Reitsma is?

 

 

Players with the threat of injuries who could determine playoff positions

Kevin Brown

Mike Sweeney

Kirk Rueter

Kazuhiro Sasaki

Matt Morris

Jeff Kent

Troy Glaus

Jermaine Dye

Manny Ramirez

 

 

10 players to watch blossom in the second half

Johan Santana, LHP, Twins

Miguel Cabrera, OF-3B, Marlins

 

 

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Berroa

 

 

Angel Berroa, SS, Royals. In praise of hitting coach Jeff Pentland.

Adam Dunn, OF, Reds. My, God, he's got it.

Luis Matos, OF, Orioles

Brett Myers, RHP, Phillies

Oliver Perez, LHP, Padres

Jerome Williams, RHP, Giants

Scot Shields, RHP, Angels

Rafael Soriano, RHP, Mariners

 

 

Five players to watch coming out of the minors after the break

Rich Harden, RHP, A's

Chase Utley, 2B, Phillies

Jimmy Gobble, LHP, Royals

Chin-Hui Tsao, RHP, and Garrett Atkins, 3B, Rockies

Khalil Greene, SS, Padres

 

 

Respones to the question: "Who have you seen in the minor leagues who has 'star' written all over him?"

 

 

 

 

 

Position players

 

 

Pitchers

 

 

 

 

Grady Sizemore, OF, Indians

 

 

Rich Harden, RHP, A's

 

 

 

 

Joe Mauer, C, Twins

 

 

Ervin Santana, RHP, Angels

 

 

 

 

Josh Barfield, 2B, Padres

 

 

Gavin Floyd, RHP, Phillies

 

 

 

 

Aaron Hill, SS, Blue Jays

 

 

Zach Greinke, RHP, Royals

 

 

 

 

Jeremy Reed, OF, White Sox

 

 

Cliff Lee, LHP, Indians

 

 

 

 

Bobby Crosby, SS, A's

 

 

Jeremy Guthrie, RHP, Indians

 

 

 

 

Jeff Mathis, C, Angels

 

 

Greg Miller, LHP, Dodgers

 

 

 

 

Guillermo Quiroz, C, Blue Jays

 

 

Chin-Hui Tsao, RHP, Rockies

 

 

 

 

Andy Marte, 3B, Braves

 

 

Edwin Jackson, RHP, Dodgers

This was posted a long time ago.

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Sorry about the screwy HTML if it's giving you problems.

thats pretty old mg

  • Author

My bad again...

 

I could've sworn it said July 28 up top...

 

Damn my fidgety contacts!

yup it is

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