Rich Harden is one of the twenty questions for the second half of 2008.
The Second Half of Major League Baseball Season Is upon us. I have Twenty Questions I will ask and try to answer reguarding the second half of baseball season.
1. Will The Yankees Come Back?
The Yankees are currently 6 games behind the first place Boston Red Sox. The Yankees will no doubt have the veterans, but the lack of pitching with the absence of Chien-Mien Wang will lead to more pressure on Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte, who have pitched well in the first half. Add in Phillip Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, and the question again is: When Will The Yankees Bats Wake Up? To Attempt to jumpstart a lifeless offense, the Yankees took a big risk and signed Richie Sexon. He adds another first baseman to the Yankees, but will he readjust his plate approach now that he's in Pinstripes?
Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi will hit. When will the rest of the offense do the same? The Yankees better wake up this second half, or there will be no postseason for the Yankees and no World Series Coronation for Yankee Stadium.
2.Can The Phillies hold on to the NL East?
The Phillies are currently in First Place, but they do not have a comfortable lead, with both the Florida Marlins and the New York Mets breathing down their neck. They have the offense, with Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell, and Chase Utley will continue to chase Dan Uggla for the NL Home Run Lead.
Jose Reyes, Hanley Ramirez, and Jimmy Rollins will keep being the catalysts for their teams, and all three are poised for a big second half as the battle for the NL East is about to heat up.
3. Can Jason Marquis finally have a good second half?
Jason Marquis for the past two seasons has not had a good second half. He ran into September troubles in 2006, leading to Marquis not pitching in the postseason while his team at the time, the Cardinals, went on to win the World Series.
Marquis again struggled in the second half of 2007 and didn't pitch in the Cubs three game postseason against Arizona.
It is imperative for Marquis to get off on the right foot for him to have a better second half than the last two years.
4. Can the Cubs keep Rich Harden Healthy?
The Cubs traded for Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin in exchange for Matt Murton, Sean Gallagher,Eric Patterson and Josh Donaldson. Some Cubs fans were questioning if the Cubs gave up too much, but if the Cubs keep Harden healthy, he adds another piece for the Cubs in their rotation and is insurance in case a starter gets hurt.
5. Can C.C Sabathia Take Milwaukee to the top of a crowded NL Central?
C.C Sabathia had an even better second game than his debut game, as C.C went all nine innings and even hit his first National League Homerun. Milwaukee now has a great 1-2 punch in the rotation, as they now have Ben Sheets and C.C Sabathia. However, St. Louis is still ahead of Milwaukee in the Wild Card Standings. It will be quite a battle for the NL Central down the stretch. The Cubs had better not get comfortable, or one of these team could leapfrog them in the standings.
6. Can Detroit Get Hot and Stay Hot?
The Tigers, with all of their Spring Training Hype, the Tigers have played Mediocre Baseball, and their record shows it, as they are sitting one game above the .500 mark. Miguel Cabrera is now a First Baseman, Brandon Inge has his Third Base Spot back, and will the Tigers ever get hot and stay hot? If so, expect them and the White Sox to batlle for the AL Central.
7. Can Josh Hamilton continue to try to win the Triple Crown?
If Big Brown has taught us anything, he proved that winning the Triple Crown in Horse Racing is difficult. There hasn't been a Triple Crown Winner in Horse Racing since Affirmed in 1978.Same thing for Baseball. There hasn't been a Triple Crown Winner since Carl Yazstrzemski in 1967. Many have tried but all since then have failed. The last player at Midseason who had a shot at the Triple Crown was Derrek Lee in 2005. Derrek ended up leading Baseball with a .335 batting average. Right now, Hamilton has a huge lead in RBI, ranks third in the AL in homers, and is ninth in the league in batting average. His teammate Ian Kinser,leads the league with a .337 batting average. Josh Hamilton can continue writing the chapters in his storybooks, and he would write a big one if he was to win the baseball Triple Crown.
8.Can Francisco Rodriguez continue to save games at a record setting pace?
Bobby Thigpen set the single season saves record, with 57 saves in 1990. Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez is closing in at a record pace. K-Rod has 38 saves by the break, and that he is on pace for 65saves on the year. He has a shot to break the saves record, but I don't think he will break the record. He will have over 50 and be in the running, but with Texas begining a resurge in the second half and other AL teams getting hot, Francisco Rodriguez will end up just short.
9. Does Anybody Want to win the NL Worst?
That's right. The NL Worst. The 2008 NL West is starting to resemble the 2006 NL West, when San Diego ended up winning the NL West with an 82-80 record. Arizona has the lead, but the Los Angeles Dodgers are breathing down their neck, and if Tim Linsecum and Matt Cain continue to be a dynamic Pitching duo for San Francisco, the NL Worst may not be won until the final week of the season.
10. Can The Tampa Bay Rays Rebound?
The Tampa Bay Rays Stumbled entering the All Star Break, as they lost seven in a row and lost their lead in the AL East to Boston. The Rays will continue to look to Evan Longoria for offense and Scott Kazmir will dominant pitching. If the Rays rebound and make it to October, that spells trouble for either the Red Sox or Yankees, as one of them will not make it to October.
11.Can Both Chicago Teams Play In October?
The Cubs currently are tied with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim with the best record in Baseball. The White Sox currently have the best record in the American League Central. Both teams have played great baseball, and there is a possibility of both teams playing in October. The Cubs strength has been their offense. The White Sox Strength has been their revamped bullpen. If the Cubs can pull away from the Central while both the Cardinals and Brewers are battling each other for the Wild Card, both the Cubs and White Sox look like they can make the playoffs.
This brings up a completely defferent Question:
12.Can There Be A Windy City World Series?
Knowing how the league has been a league of Parity so far this year, Anything is Possible.
13.Will Somebody Make An offer to Barry Bonds in 2008?
Barry's Agent said that he talked to every single Major League Team, but all thirty of them said no to Barry. There was talk of Arizona becomin interested in Bonds, but I don't think Barry Bonds would want to play for a Rival of the San Francisco Giants.
I think Barry still wants to play. I just don't see anyone giving him a chance to comeback.
14.Who will Lead Baseball In Wins at the end of 2008?
Barndon Webb of the Arizona Diamonbacks.
15. At The end of 2008,Who Will Lead the league in Strikeouts?
Tim Linsecum of the San Francisco Giants.
16. Who Will Lead Baseball in ERA at the end of 2008?
Justin Duchsherer of the Oakland Athletics. He's the only man in baseball with an ERA under two at the All Star Break.
17. Who will lead the league in Homeruns?
Ryan Howard and Adam Dunn will slug it out for the league in homeruns. I Still think Prince Fielder can get hot in this second half.
18. Who will lead the league in RBI's?
Josh Hamilton already has 95 RBI's at the All Star Break. He could break the record for RBI's in a season, set in 1930 by Hack Wilson of the Chicago Cubs.
19.Can Chipper Jones hit .400 at the end of the season?
He cooled it down at the break, as he's now hitting .376. I think Chipper Jones will be close, but I don't think he will hit .400.
20. Who Are My Division Champions and Wild Card Winners?
AL West: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
AL East: Boston Red Sox
AL Central: Chicago White Sox
NL East: Philladelphia Phillies
NL West: Arizona Diamondbacks
NL Central: Chicago Cubs
AL Wildcard: Tampa Bay Rays
NL Wildcard: Milwaukee Brewers
No comments:
Post a Comment