Just like to say that my Dodgers are in the driver’s seat. And my Angels are still in it.
Oh yeah. And the Giants suck!
At this point, I think the idea of Pujols as MVP over Bonds has been thoroughly shot down, but to pile on:
Pujols has hit in the #3 slot 99% of the time this season (1 in the 9th spot as PH). Looking at the surrounding spots (Spots 1, 2, 4, and 5) we get an idea of the strength of the men getting on base ahead of him and the men protecting him in the lineup.
Spot Avg OBP SLG
1 .293 .336 .376
2 .278 .349 .472
4 .288 .404 .547
5 .330 .414 .636
Bonds has hit in the cleanup spot 99% of the time. His surrounding teammates have done the following.
Spot Avg OBP SLG
2 .255 .335 .376
3 .300 .342 .494
5 .252 .314 .378
6 .265 .344 .409
The contrasting differences couldn’t be more obvious. Bonds is surrounded by guys that essentially can’t hit all that well and make up for it by also failing to hit with power. The #3 slot in the lineup of the Giants is the only one that looks like a major league hitter that might concern a pitcher but that’s probably because the #3 slot sees a ton of good pitches in an effort to avoid Bonds with runners on base. What do you think would happen to Bonds and Pujols numbers (and the numbers of the surrounding batters) if you switch the two players? Bonds surely wouldn’t be walked as much, because who wants to keep loading the bases for Rolen and Edmonds? Hence, Bonds pure numbers would likely move well past Pujols. Put Pujols by the bay and the lack of protection and runners on base would surely dampen his raw numbers.
Using ESPN, we can compare spot by spot in the lineup. (using OPS in MLB)
San Fran St. Louis
Spot OPS Rank OPS Rank
1 .834 5 .712 22
2 .711 25 .821 7
3 .836 16 1.039 2
4 1.352 1 .951 5
5 .692 27 1.050 1
6 .752 20 .719 25
7 .765 10 .778 7
8 .733 13 .656 25
At this point, Bonds might as well have a cadaver (or Mario Mendoza) hitting behind him.
Not impressive in that division
You misspelled “Schilling”.
Um, the same thing that happens to them *every * October?
Agreed. It must be nice having no intradivisional competition.
If Schilling wins it, I’ll scream. It should be Santana by far.
ERA:
Santana - 2.62
Schilling - 3.26
Ks:
Santana - 260
Schilling - 203
Record:
Santana - 20-6
Schilling - 21-6
IPs
Santana - 223
Schilling - 226
Santana’s got a huge edge in ERA and Ks, and everything else is about a wash. It should be Santana in a land slide.
I don’t think Red Sox fans want to be bringing up what happens to who every October.
And the Dodgers magic number is: 4. Any combination of Dodger wins and Giant losses. Hell, the Dodgers are gonna win this just on Giant losses for the rest of the season alone!
Actually, I misspelled “Santana.” 
And by what logic would you give Schilling the Cy Young over a guy with who’s been more than a half-point better in ERA and has 60 more strikeouts?
If you’re the Dodgers, do you roll over for the Giants this weekend? I think I’d consider it. Suppose it winds up with the division seeds going Cards-Braves-Dodgers. If the Cubs get the wild card, they can’t play the Cardinals. So they would get Atlanta and the Dodgers get the Cardinals. But if the Giants snag the wild card, they would draw the Cardinals and the Dodgers would get the Braves. If I’m Los Angeles, that is more appealing. So they win for losing. Should they?
Interesting question. If they’ve already clinched, the temptation is there. But…it’s the Giants. I just don’t see it happening. The rivalry is too intense. It would require the Giants purposely not running up the score or jeering. The second that happened, the gloves would be off and the Dodgers would clean their clocks, just because. Forget the playoffs - kill the Giants. Shortsighted, I’ll admit, but that is what would happen.
If the Pads can get it done and the Dodgers don’t fall apart against the Rocks, we’ll be in good shape. I still think that we’ll end up having to win at least one against the Giants in the last weekend. It’s not even close to over yet. If there’s a play off for the division, it will be in SF.
September 28th and all five California teams have a realistic shot at the playoffs. Amazing.
Haj
Yeah. I live on the North Side and work in the NW Suburbs. I know approximately ONE Sox fan.
Trust me, you won’t find me here.
Any So-Cal(Good) or No-Cal(Evil) team loves the notion of stomping on each other’s playoff dreams and would never tempt fate by letting the other team squeek in as a wild-card. Parties are thrown when one team drags the other down out of the playoff picture, even if that team isn’t in the playoffs. Padres enjoy doing that also with the Dodgers and Giants.
It’s that So-Cal, No-Cal, Lo-Cal thing.
Being as I’m in Houston, and being as no one else has mentioned them yet, I believe y’all are forgetting the strange wonder that has been the Astros’ late season. IIRC, best record in baseball since August, folks. Cubs lost tonight, Giants are behind as I write this; by tomorrow the NL Wild Card looks to be a solid three-way race.
Clemens is pitching the best he has all season, the 3-6 hitters have been crushing the ball, Lidge is approaching automatic at closer, and Manager Phil Garner is starting to look like a minor genius with his maneuverings to take best advantage of an unimpressive bullpen in the late innings. On the down side, all season it has seemed like either everyone hits or no one hits, the starting rotation, after Oswalt and Clemens, has been a black hole of torment and despair, even if they win all four of their remaining games they still may end up edged out of the race, and if they do somehow make it they’re highly unlikely to get out out of the first round.
But, hell, I’m gonna be at the park tomorrow night, and Root For the Good Guys™ anyway. So, er, go 'Stros!
Top of the 4th must have hit you like a load of base hits:D
Courage, Kyla. Mr. Future Hall of Famer just laid a big-time egg, and the Giants are winning.
Now if only Glendon Rusch can revert to form and find that one bad outing we all know he has left in him.
Another amazing come from behind Dodger win! Five run 9th to put it away.
Ishii pitched a phenomenal game. After the first inning he was unstopable. That was the best Dodger starting pitching in weeks. It would have been a shame had that been wasted.
Finley is the hero again! LoDuca meanwhile is batting like .200 for the month of August.
Is Milton Bradley not the stupidest sack of shit in all of baseball? That guy makes more mental errors and baserunning blunders than the whole rest of the team combined.
Over in the Junior Circuit, the Angels are tied for first. I-5 Freeway Series?
Woo Astros! Can’t wait to see if Clemens can sweep the Cards out of town. I know it’ll be an uphill struggle, but if we can somehow grab the wildcard it will be awesome.
All of you will bow before the mighty Athletics juggernaut…er, make that the juggerNOT…
Goddamn fucking Mariners. The only reason we’re not 3 games out is that the Angels have been playning like shit too. Well, it should be an exciting weekend.
And don’t count my Rangers out just yet. A five game win streak is not that unreasonable*, and this team always seems to come through when their backs are against the wall. Man, what a great season it’s been.
*Plus at least one more A’s loss to the Mariners, followed by the Angels winning two of three at Oakland.
Pash
Worst hypothetical World Series matchup EVER.
Well, we can agree on that at least!
Regional World Series’ are death in the ratings. If the Mets played the Damn Yankees in the series, no-one in the country would care outside of New York. Of course, to New Yorkers, there is no country outside.