Food for thought:

I don't think San Fransisco, Atlanta or Boston will crash and burn and play like Detroit the rest of the way....but I do think they'll all fall, and I don't think any of them are going to win their divisions. When you're playing .700 ball and you fall to .550, that's a decline. I think all three of those teams could, and moreover, probably should do it.

And about statistics underrating players like Robert Fick, my formula doesn't. It uses his performance from April. And every other player in the league's performance in April. My formula says that Atlanta is winning a lot of close games, and therefore, at least to some point, luck is swinging in their factor. At some point I think luck will run out for these teams and they'll return to where they should be. That's all I'm saying.

 

Willing to bet that Atlanta doesn't win the East?? I have $50 that says they will.

 

If I had $50 to my name right now I'd take that. Sadly, college has taken any $50 I may possess and/or may ever possess. I think Philadelphia is the more talented team. Atlanta is well coached, and they always seem to come through when it counts, but I'm reluctant to count on a guy like Julio Franco to stay hot all season, or Robert Fick, or Marcus Giles. And I personally don't put a hell of a lot of faith in Ray King or Roberto Hernandez. And this team managed to develop injury problems before the season ever started.

 

I'll give ya Franco, he may fall off, but Fick was an All Star last year. King pitched great last year out of the pin and Hernandez had over 20 saves. Who would of thought that Remlinger would have done what he did last year? Wouldn't you expect more of King and Hernandez this year than Rimy last year. Love them or hate them, the Braves have it figured out.

 

KL,
using simple math, in order for the Giants to fall to .550 baseball, they must win only 65 or 66 games the rest of the way...that is pretty much a .500 clip. playing .550 baseball the rest of the way would give them about 94 wins...not bad...but maybe not assuring them of the division...even though they are already 7 games up in the division.

add to that that they have three legitimate starters (Reuter, Schmidt, and Moss) and formidable bullpen and a lineup that can score runs just about anywhere, i say they are the favorite to not only win the division, but win the NL again.

no one in baseball will win at a .700 clip this year...not even the yankees...so it is easy to say that many of these clubs will fall off their early season pace.