Talkin' Baseball: Quarter Of The Way Through

49er16: Okay we're a quarter through the season. Is there any assumptions we can make this year?

The Colonel: One assumption we can definitely make is that the AL Central is terrible. The Indians "lead" the division again early in the season, but does it last this year? Are the Tigers truly this mediocre? Could the White Sox (yak) or Royals (pew) somehow win this division? The only thing for certain that we know about this division is that the Twins are garbage.

49er16: That would be the most Cleveland thing ever. Lead the division early in the season two years in a row and then start their collapse after the All-Star break and watch Detroit win the division by 9 games.

The Colonel: I would like the Indians more if they weren't all breaking ball pitchers besides Ubaldo Jimenz. Rotations like Cleveland's scares me. Breaking ball staffs usually wear down late because the divisional teams aren't fooled anymore.

49er16: But what do we make of the Tigers? I watch them and there's just something about them that seems off.

The Colonel: According to Fangraphs the Tigers offense is right where they should be in terms of hitting. And there's nothing that really jumps out about their pitching staff that seems wrong. I'm with you though that this team has a weird feel to it.

49er16: I just figured out why I have a weird feeling when watching the Tigers. Brandon Inge is no longer in Detroit. PROBLEM SOLVED!


The Colonel: Who do Tigers fans blame now that Inge is gone? Their punching bag has left for the coast.

49er16: Just a guess, Delmon Young.

The Colonel: Good choice! A bat throwing, anti-Semitic would be my punching bag.

49er16: We can definitely claim the AL East is the best division this year, right?

The Colonel: Absolutely! And the best part the Yankees and Red Sox are both looking up at everyone else in that division.

49er16: It would be ironic that the year the 2nd wild card is added, neither the Red Sox or Yankees made the playoffs.

The Colonel: That's why we both have to ride the Blue Jays and Orioles bandwagon hard. The Rays will always be there, but we can't lose faith in the Jays or Orioles.

49er16: Both of our bandwagon teams took two out of three this weekend! I'm not jumping off the Chris Hoiles Memorial train for anything.

The Colonel: Speaking of Hoiles, those mid-90's Orioles teams were great fun to watch. Aging Cal Ripken, Hoiles, Brady Anderson, Mussina, Scott Erickson, Palmeiro, and one of my all-time favorite managers Davey Johnson leading the way.

49er16: I would go further into this conversation, but I don't want to make my friend Kris cry. The Orioles have been quite rough with him over the years.

The Colonel: Okay moving on. Is it okay to admit I kinda like Interleague games? It's always fun to turn on the TV and random teams like the Royals and Diamondbacks are playing each other.

49er16: Are you ready though for Royals-Diamondbacks to either start or end the year? How would you like Interleague to end the season and a team's fate was in the hands of a Interleague series? That's where I'm not comfortable with it.

The Colonel: Yeah that's going to suck if a team is fighting for a playoff spot and they have to play a Interleague series to end the year. Look at it this way though, at least Bud didn't expand the teams to 32 to balance the schedule.

49er16: That's true. Probably the smartest thing Bud has done. Instead of expanding the teams, he just expanded Interleague. I'll take Interleague over a watered down sport like the NBA.

The Colonel: If he was David Stern there would be two teams in Charlotte and Vancouver right now.

49er16: Also if he was David Stern, the Red Sox and Yankees would somehow be leading the division and wild card right now.

The Colonel: And the A's would be in Oklahoma City right now.

49er16: We haven't discussed this yet on KSJ, but what do we make of Lincecum? He's been inconsistent all year long. I don't know if I want to live in a world where I look forward to Zito's starts over Lincecum's. 

The Colonel: He hasn't looked good all year. I think his decrease in velocity has frightened him and that's why he'll nibble at the corners and start walking people or giving up hits.

49er16: Can you explain though why he either looks good at first and then crap or crappy at the beginning and then good?

The Colonel: Well his few starts he has looked like himself at the beginning and then crap. I think what happens the hitters are fooled at first and then they remember he can't throw strikes or blow a fastball by the hitter. And that's when he starts nibbling and he gets lit up.

49er16: He really hasn't been the same since August 2010. Or at least not the same guy who won Cy Young's.

The Colonel: Yep. And that's why I didn't have a problem with the Giants extending Cain. The Giants should let Lincecum go in two years and collect the draft pick.

49er16: Then they can draft another crappy college bat!

The Colonel: Don't get me started.