First Half Standings.

Earlier this year I made some predictions about what teams would be a maker and breaker to win the 2010 World Series and so far some on my predictions were right and some were wrong and some teams even became surprise teams.


The American League East Best 3 Teams.
1. New York Yankees - First Place (56-32)
2. Tampa Bay Rays - 2 Games Back (54-34)
3. Boston Red Sox - 5 Games Back (51-37)


Now in the American League I did pick the New York Yankees to win their division and to make it back to the World Series, well so far so good. In the start of the year the defending World Champions got off to a slow start and were 2nd place in their division by the Tampa Bay Rays but not anymore as the Yanks have the best record in baseball (56-32) as the Yanks look like they’re in good shape. As for the Tampa Bay Rays at point they were leading the division in the AL East but hit a few bumps along the road but they are right where their suppose to be with their record begging (54-34) only 2 back from the Yankees. The Rays still can turn things around and take over in the AL East but like I said before this year the Rays are going to be your American League Wild Card winner. For the Boston Red Sox who came in this year came into play with the best pitching staff in the American League having Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, and John Lackey well they hit a big big speed bum as 9 of their superstar players are on the DL and it has been a tough year for the Red Sox losing starting pitcher Clay Buchholz, left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, left fielder and DH Jeremy Hermida, third baseman Mike Lowell, catcher Victor Martinez, second baseman the 2008 AL MVP winner Dustin Pedroia, set-up man in the bull pen Manny Delcarmen, and their number one starting pitcher Josh Beckett. The Red Sox hit a huge hole but still somehow find their way of only begging 5 games back with a record of (51-37) but I still think with all their injuries this season might be over, but hey you never know what can happen.



American League Central 3 Best Teams.
1. Chicago White Sox - First Place (49-38)
2. Detroit Tigers - .5 Game back (48-38)
3. Minnesota Twins - 3.5 Games Back (46-42)


Well the American League Central is probably on the tightest divisions in baseball and no one really saw the Chicago White Sox begging the team leading this division but somehow the White Sox are top with a record of (49-38) but I think when everything is said and done they won't be there in the end. As for the Detroit Tigers well they have always been a team to look out for and are a team that is always there in the end only a half game back behind the White Sox with their record begging (48-38) and with red hot Miguel Carbrera carrying this team anything can happen. For the Minnesota Twins this was the team I picked to win the division and I still think they will in the end. They are only 3.5 half games back of the White Sox and in the second half I think they will take the division but it won't come easy as the White Sox and Tigers won't go down without a fight. The Twins first half record is (46-42).


American League West Best 2 Teams.
1. Texas Rangers - First Place (50-38)
2. Los Angeles Angels 4.5 Games Back (47-44)


Well in the start of this year I said watch out for the Texas Rangers as they might be a surprise team and they have been more than a surprise team as they are leading their division for the first time since 1999 and from a little bit help from Elvis Andrus, Ian Kinsler, Michael Young, Nelson Cruz, Josh Hamilton, Vladimir Guerrero, Tommy Hunter, and C.J. Wilson. As this team has been one of the best teams and have proved it having a record of (50-38). Also the Rangers traded in the division and picked up Mariners ace Cliff Lee in a 6 man deal. Lee who got rocked in his Texas Rangers debut I think will only help this team get better and win the division by a long shot. The Los Angeles Angels who has been the King of the AL West has fell off broad trailing the Rangers by 4.5 games seems like they may not hold that crown anymore. With losing some key players in the offseason they are lucky they still have a shot at winning the division with their record begging (47-44). Now I said the 2 best team in the west but I just wanna throw the Seattle Mariners in this because before the year I said they would take the division in the West but seems this one of the biggest bust yet. They came in the year having 2 of the top best pitchers with Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee begging their 2 go to go guys and adding Jack Wilson and Chone Figgins who is probably having one of his worst seasons of his career and haven't lived up to the hype. The Mariners are 15 games back of the division and it looks like their season is over begging (35-53).


National League East Best 3 Teams.
1. Atlanta Braves - First Place (52-36)
2. New York Mets - 4 Games Back (48-40
3. Philadelphia Phillies - 4.5 Games Back (47-40)


Well the Atlanta Braves are no surprise that they are the best team in the National League (52-36), but I didn't think they would have been this good. I picked them to be the team to win the NL Wild Card but they have taken their game to a whole different level and to think at one point they lost 9 games in row and now they are the kings of the NL East is saying something. I still think they fall off a little bit in the second half and will win the NL Wild Card, I just think in the end their pitching won't hold up when it comes to crunch time. As for the New York Mets I have no idea how they are even in the thick of things begging on 4 games back of the division it’s a surprise that their even this good, well there really not this good (48-40). I mean their best pitcher on their team isn't Johan Sanatana its Mike Pelfrey who has came out of nowhere and has helped this along with David Wright. Other than that they have nothing and I think they will fall and won't be a problem come September. As for the 3 time Division Champion, the 2 time National League Champion, and the 2008 World Series Champion the Philadelphia Phillies well they are no longer the kings of the NL East as they started off as one of the best team in the NL having the best pitcher in baseball Roy Halladay but then boom just like that they hit a cold spot and fell down to third place in the division (47-40). They lost their leader Jimmy Rollins for the most of the first half of the season, they lost left hander J.A. Happ who is on the DL but is expected back in the end of July. They lost Ryan Madson who just returned from the DL and right when Jimmy Rollins came back they lost 2 of their key player’s third baseman Placido Polanco and second baseman Chase Utley. Now Polanco is expected back after the all-star break but as for Utley well he may not be back intill the beginning or middle of September. They also have bull pen guys Antonio Batardo and Chad Durbin on the DL as well. When I think the dark clouds clear I still think this team will win their division for the 4th straight year and they will make it back to the World Series but it won't be easy because nothing comes easy in this game.


National League Central Best 2 Teams.
Cincinnati Reds - First Place (49-41)
St. Louis Cardinals - 1 Game Back (47-41)

Well in everyones mind no one really saw the Reds begging on top in the National League Central as they are one of the surprise teams in the NL. Everyone thought this would have been a one sided favorite in the St. Louis Cardinals as they have owned their division for the past 2 years and have been to the World Series twice in 6 years. But the Reds have a lot younger ball club as do the Cardinals but right now the Reds are the team to beat (49-41). The Reds have help from Scott Rolen, a possible 2010 MVP Award Winner in Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Jonny Gomes, Laynce Nix, and Drew Stubbs. Their only problem is if their pitching can hold it together for the whole season? Thats something will just have to find out in the second half. The St. Louis Cardinals end the first half of the season 1 game back of the division (47-41) and their pitching has done everything to help them win like Adam Wainwright the second best pitcher in the NL, Chris Carpenter, and Jaime Garcia. It’s been the Cardinals line-up that has been so so this year. If they they want to win their division this year they’re going to have to have everyone start picking it up. I think the Cardinals will win their division but it might come down to 1 game to decide who will take the NL Central crown.


National League West 4 Best Teams.
1. San Diego Padres - First Place (51-37)
2. Colorado Rockies - 2 Games Back(49-39)
3. Los Angeles Dodgers - 2 Games Back (49-39)
4. San Francisco Giants - 4 Games Back(47-41)


Now coming into this year everyone knew the NL West would be a mass but no saw the Padres leading this division as their another surprise team in the NL. This team had put together some pretty good pitching and hitting (51-37) and one of the reasons why they are the second best team in the NL. The team is really led by their pitching with Matt Latos and Jon Garland. Their line-up is very strong with 3 times Gold Glover Adrian Gonzales. But I think in the end the Padres won't have enough pitching to win the division but then again every team in this division doesn't really have strong pitching, so there for anything can happen. Now over to the Rockies who were my pick to win the NL West division who are playing really good baseball (49-39) and only 2 games out of first with one of the best pitchers in the game Ubaldo Jimenez this team looks really. Also having a very strong bull pen is one of the keys of winning a division. Also they have one of the best hitting catchers in the game with Miguel Olivo who for some reason did not make the all-star team but he is the number one catchers in the NL. Then the Rockies have one the best young outfielders in Carlos Gonzalez who last year got on base every at bat in the postseason in the NLDS. So I still think the Rockies win this division and if they can pick up another pitcher they will be good to go. The Los Angeles Dodgers this year I don't know how they are keeping up in the division (49-39) and only 2 games back of San Diego, but I guess when you have a good hitting team it doesn't really always matter about pitching. In the outfield they have Andre Ethier who is a great hitter and is batting over .300 and just an outstanding star. Then in the infield their led by first baseman James Loney who is also batting over .300. But really the best pitcher they have on this team in Clay Kershaw and that's about it for the Dodgers pitching. But somehow they are keeping up in the division. I still think they won’t last long and fall in the second half. Now over to the San Francisco Giants who had one the best pitching staff in baseball with 2 back to back CY Young Award Winner Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Barry Zito, and Jonathan Sanchez. But Giants line-up has once again failed them to be a team to win the division (47-41), but still only 4 games back of San Diego. The Giants line-up is led by Aubrey Huff and rookie star Buster Posey that is it. Pablo Sandoval hasn't really done anything this year and their pitching has been off and on, sometimes it will look good and sometimes it will look really bad. In the end I think the Giants will end up right where they are right now unless their hitting can get it together.

3 Walk Offs!!

As of lately the Phillies haven't been much to talk about in the National League East as the last time they won a series it was against the Blue Jay in the middle of June and have dropped down to third place in the division behind the New York Mets and first place Atlanta Braves. Here in July right before the All-Star break in back to back to back nights the Phillies have won all 3 games against the first place Reds in walk off fashion.

We start on July 8th, 2010 game one against the Reds and we take you to the bottom of the 12th inning with the game tied 3-3 and catcher Brain Schneider hits a walk off home run to win the game 4-3 for the Phillies and was the hero in the first game of a four game series.

Now over to July 9th, 2010 and this game is probably one of greatest come backs in Phillies history and they do have a lot might I add but this one was a fun one to watch in the end. The score in the bottom of the 9th inning was 7-1 and your thinking as a fan this game is over considering the way this team has been playing not so great. Victorino starts things off with a double and Werth get on, Howard would then hit a single and score Victorino from second now a 7-2 Reds lead. Greg Dobbs the next batter would then hit a 3 run home run to now cut the lead 7-5 Reds. Two batters later Cody Ransom who was brought up from Triple A would hit a 2 run home run to tie the ball game a 7-7! WOW!! Just when you thought they were out they pulled themselves right back in down 6 runs in the 9th inning. But the firework don't go off in till the bottom of the 10th inning where Ibanez would hit a leadoff double to start the inning, then the big guy Ryan Howard would hit a 2 run walk off home run to win the ball game 9-7 for the Fighin' Phils and he would be the walk off hero in this game that looked like another ugly lost for the Phils, instead they make it a ugly lost for the Reds.


Now to game 3 of this 4 game series on July 10th, 2010 was indeed another good one as it was a pitching duel between Reds left hander Travis Wood and Phillies ace right hander Roy Halladay. Both pitchers matched each other pitch for pitch in this game and at one point one pitcher was perfect through 8 innings of work and you probably think it would be Roy Halladay but it was indeed Reds rookie pitcher Travis Wood who shut down the Phils bats going 9 innings giving up 1 hit, no runs, no walks, and having 8 strikeouts. Roy Halladay on the other hand who this year has already thrown a perfect game matched Wood shutting down the Reds bats going 9 innings giving up 5 hits, no runs, 1 walk, and 9 strikeouts. Both pitchers worked well in this ball game but there was only one winner in the end. The fireworks would start in the bottom of the 11th inning with Ruiz on second and Valdez on first and coming to the plate with 1 out would be Jimmy Rollins who would hit an RBI single and win the ball game 1-0 in WALK OFF STYLE and he would be the walk off hero for the third straight night!!

So the Phillies would win game 3 of this 4 game series and will look for their first 4 game sweep over the Reds tomorrow as the Phillies will give the ball to left hander Cole Hamels who has an ERA of 4.05 with 6 wins, 7 losses. Going against him will be the Reds left hander Matt Maloney who has an ERA of 4.76 with no wins and 1 lose on the year. Phillies - Reds tomorrow afternoon at 1:35 p.m.


I'm Seth Lempert for Beyond Baseball,
Goodnight everyone.

2010 Top 5 Best Players of the NL and AL of The First Half.

Before we get to the Top 5 best players of the National League and American League let talks about the things that have happened so far this year. A lot of history has been made in 2010. This year has been the year of the "PITCHER" where we have seen 4 no-hitters, 2 of them perfect games. The first no-hitter came on April 17th, from Rockies pitcher Ubalado Jimenez who walked 6 batters on 128 pitches thrown. One month later on mother's day May 9th, A's pitcher, Dallas Braden threw his first complete game, shutout, no-hitter, and perfect game of his career. When people thought of Dallas Braden people thought of the guy who stood up to Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez who ran across Braden's pitching mound. About 2 weeks later on May 29th, Phillies ace Roy Halladay who everyone thought would already have a perfect game in his career threw his first ever perfect game and made history with Dallas Braden to become 2 of the first pitchers in history to throw 2 perfect games in one month. Then 4 days later on June 2nd, Tigers pitcher Armando Galarrage went 8 2/3 innings with a perfect game but on a ground Jason Donald was called safe when he was out by a foot step by umpire Jim Joyce. Galarrage almost made history, well we he really did make history and would have been the 3rd pitcher this year to throw a perfect game and the 21st pitcher to do so. Two weeks later on June 25th, D-Backs pitcher Edwin Jackson threw his first career no-hitter on 8 walks and 149 pitches thrown. Jackson's no-hitter at one point looked like he would have been the losing pitcher where he walked the bases loaded no outs and somehow got out of the jam he put himself in. So where in 2009 they called it the year of the cycle where 8 different players hit for the cycle, we call 2010 the year of the pitcher!


Now to our Top 5 best of the first half. We start things off in the National League.

Our first player on the list is Colorado Rockies pitcher Ubalbo Jimenez who right now is that best pitcher in the game. Not only did he throw 1 of 4 no-hitters this year but he's 1st in wins with 14 and is 4th in ERA with a 2.27. He has become the Ace of this Rockies pitching staff and looks like he could be the NL CY Award Winner if he keeps it up in the second half of the year. Right now he is on pace to win 22-28 and have an ERA of 2.20 - 2.22 on the year.

Second on this list for the NL is Cincinnati Reds First Baseman Joey Votto who is a big reason why the Reds are in 1st place in the National League Central. Votto is 1st in home runs with 21, 5th in batting average batting .313, and 5th in RBI's with 59. Votto has a good shot of winning the NL MVP if he stays healthy. He is also on pace of hitting 35-40 home runs, drive in 115-120 RBI's and at least bat .310 -.317 on the year.

Third on this list in the NL is Los Angeles Dodgers Right Fielder Andre Eithier who is batting .322, 14 home runs, and 50 RBI's. Eithier is 2nd in the league in batting average. He is one of the reasons why the Dodgers are in 2nd place in the National League West and hopes to win the teams 3rd division title over the San Diego Padres.
Eithier is on pace to hit 25 home runs, drive in 90-95 RBI's and bat .320 - .318 on the year.

Forth on this list in the NL is St. Louis Cardinals First Baseman Albert Pujols the former 2008 and 2009 NL MVP this year started off a tad slow but started to pick it up this year and is the one the key reasons why the Cardinals have won their division the past few years and have themselves a World Series Title. Pujols this year is batting .303, 20 home runs, and 61 RBI's. He is 2nd in home runs, and 3rd in RBI's. If some how Pujols can go on a hot streak in the second half of the year he would be in line to win his 3rd straight MVP and his 4th in his career. Right now he's on pace to hit 35-40 home runs, drive in 135-140 RBI's and bat around .315 on the year.


Last on this list in the NL is St. Louis Cardinals Pitcher Adam Wainwright who right now is the second best pitcher in the National League. He is 2nd in wins with 12, 2nd in strikeouts with 123, and 3rd in ERA with a 2.24. To me this guy is the Cardinals ace with a out a doubt. He will be one of the main reasons if the Cardinals win their division again this year. He is on pace to win 20-25 games, have 150-170 strikeouts, and have an ERA of 2.19 - 2.22 and could possible win his first ever CY Young Award.



Now over to our top 5 best in the American League.

First on this list in the AL is Detroit Tigers First Baseman Miguel Carbrera, words cannot explain what is going on right now. This guy right here is the best hitter in baseball. He is leading the League in 1st in average .347, 1st in RBI's with 73 and 2nd in home runs with 21. Carbrera is the reason why the Tigers are in first place and one of the hottest teams in the American League. Miguel Carbrera right now is on pace to win the AL MVP Award and could possible win the first ever Triple Crown of the 21 century if he stays healthy. No player of our time has ever done that and the last player to do so was Carl Yastrzemski back in 1967. If he could do so he would be one the greatest hitters of all time, right now he's on pace to hit 40-45 home runs, drive in 160-165 RBI's and bat .345 - .350 on the year.

Second on this list for the AL is New York Yankees Second Baseman Robinson Cano. Cano this year has made his first all-star game and some would say it’s about time he did. This year he is batting .337, 16 home runs and 55 RBI's. He is one of the Yankees hottest players and is the key reason they are in first place in their division, looking to repeat as World Champions he would be the reason they would do so. Cano is on pace to hit 20-23 home runs, drive in 95-100 RBI's and bat around .330 - .335 on the year.

Third on this list for the AL is Seattle Mariners Pitcher Cliff Lee. Lee would have an outstanding year with both the Indians and Phillies but would be traded in the offseason to the Seattle Mariners. Lee started the year on the DL but when he came back he didn't waste time being the best pitcher in the American League. Lee is 1st in ERA with a 2.34 and 1st in complete game with 5. Lee looks like he might be the starting pitcher in the 2010 All-Star game and with the trade dead-line coming up who knows what team he will finish the year off with. Without that being said Lee is on pace to win 16 games and have an ERA of 2.29 - 2.30.

Forth on this list is Tampa Bay Rays Pitcher David Price who is having the best year of his career right now. Price is 1st in wins with 12 and 2nd in ERA with a 2.42. Price is the main reason they are only 2 games out of first in their division and are leading the American League Wild Card. Price back in 2008 help get the Tampa Bay Rays to their first ever World Series and is trying to do so again and is on pace to win 20-25 games, have about 145 strikeouts, and have an ERA of 2.38 - 2.42 on the year.

Last on this for the AL is Texas Ranger Left Fielder Josh Hamilton who right now is the second best hitter in baseball. He is a key reason why the Texas Rangers are in first place in their division and he is another player on pace of winning the AL MVP Award and could possible win the Triple Crown Award if he can pass Miguel Carbrera and team mate Vladmir Guerrero in RBI's. Hamilton is 2nd in home runs with 21, 3rd in batting average .340, and 4th in RBI's with 63. He will be a big reason the Rangers will win their division for first time since 1999. Hamilton is on pace to hit 35-40 home runs, drive in 138-143 RBI's, and bat around .340 - .345 on the year.


So those are my top 5 best players of the National League and American League of the first half so far. Who's yours?


For Beyond Baseball,
I'm Seth Lempert.

Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee?

It has been an argument that has started since the biggest trade in baseball history back in December of 2009, which pitcher would you rather have on your team as a Philadelphia Phillie Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee?


Roy Halladay as a Phillie in 2010 has put up an ERA 2.42, 9 wins, 7, losses, and 112 strikeouts. Halladay this season started the year off 4-0 in his first 4 starts and looked to be the best pitcher in the National League. Halladay threw 2 complete games and one of those games was a shutout against the Atlanta Braves on April 21st, 2010. Then a month later against the Florida Marlins on May 29th, 2010 Roy Halladay threw his first ever career perfect game and became the first Phillie to do so since Jim Bunning did that back in 1964 and Halladay became the second pitcher this season to throw a perfect game in the same month. After his perfect game the "Doc" lost his next 3 starts and his record went to 8-6 with an ERA of 2.43 which was still one of the best in the NL. On June 25th he picked up his 9th win against his former team the Blue Jays and that was a win he needed badly. Against the Reds Halladay went 8 innings with 10 K's gave up 13 hits, and 4 earns runs the "Doc" blew a 3 run lead in his hands and got the lost and his record was now 9-7. So the first half of the year for Halladay has been a full of ups and downs and in this game its never easy being the best. Halladay should get at least 1 or 2 more starts before the all-star break and will see what the "Doc" can to.


We now take a look at former Phillie Cliff Lee who in the offseason headed over to the Settle Mariners. In the beginning of the 2010 season Lee would start the year on the DL but when Lee came off the DL he went 7 innings giving up on 3 hits and striking out 8 batters against the Texas Rangers. In that game Lee would get a no decision. Lee would then win 4 in row in his next 4 starts and looked to be the "M's" best pitcher on the team. On June 29th against the New York Yankees the team that he was lights out against the 2009 World Series Lee would set an all time new major league record by walking his 5th batter this season in 144 innings pitched, no one has ever done that before. Lee would also throw his 3rd straight complete game in a row and became the first Mariner to do that since Randy Johnson did so back in 1998. Lee will most likely get at least 1 more start on the year and go for complete game number 5 and his 4th straight. Lee so far as a Mariner has an ERA of 2.45, 7 wins, 3 losses, and 78 strikeouts, but with the trade deadline right around the corner who knows if he will still be a Mariner for long as the Yankees, the Dodgers, the Mets, the Rangers and even the Phillies might try to get Lee off their hands.


So there have you people what pitchers would you like to have on your team? I mean the Phillies at one point had both pitchers on the team but traded Lee to get some prospects. The Phillies already had Lee signed for the 2010 season for 9 million dollars but they heard that Lee wanted the test the free agency market and didn't let Halladay fall to another team. But as you can see Lee has been pretty good with a team that is in dead last and as for the Phillies well their no longer kings of the National League East anymore as their 3 games out first against the Atlanta Braves. If you had both pitchers on this team who knows how good the Phillies would be, they would probably be the best team in baseball and I still think when everything is said and done the Phillies will be right there at the end. As for Lee who knows what team he will be with come at the end of July who knows maybe the Phillies will get him back, at Yankee Stadium when Lee was pitching a Phillie scout was there looking at Lee, but only time will tell.


For Beyond Baseball,
I'm Seth Lempert.

Rookie Lights Up the Speed Gun In His First Spot Light!

June 8th, 2010 will be a day that young rookie Stephen Strasburg will never forget as he finally made his first major league debut for the Washington Nationals and proved to everyone that he is the pitcher that everyone expects him to be. Last night at Nationals Park with a sold out crowd of 44 plus thousand fans on hand all eyes were on young Stephen Strasburg to finally see this kid pitch in the big leagues. With his first pitch being a ball it hit the speed gun at 97 mph, then with another fastball coming in clocked at 98 mph it was no joke that this kid throws some heat alone with nasty change-up, 2 seam sinker ball, and really good curve ball. At one point of this game he hit the gun with a 100 mph fastball that set up the rest of pitches to strike out 14 batters in 7 innings of work. Although he gave up a 2 run home run on 4 hits he bounced back and did what he had to do to keep his new team in the game. The 21 year old prove that someday he will be the number starting pitcher for this club whether it be next year or in 3 years this kid has the stuff the be one of the greatest pitchers in years to come if he stays healthy.

So Strasburg gets his first major league win (5-2) with a 2.57 ERA but remember he was pitching against the Pirates who aren't that great of a team and you like to see he face better line ups like the Braves, Phillies, Marlins and so fore to see how he would really do in the show, but still you have to say to yourself wow that's amazing that in his first major league debut he only went 7 innings striking out 14 hitters on 105 pitches. Strasburg during the whole night was clocked with fastball averaging from 97-100 mph on the gun and if he can keep that up during the rest of his career by also mixing up his pitches he will have no problem pitching in the big league. It’s just a matter of time to see if he will keep it up and if he can always control his fastball. Strasburg struck out 14 batters almost tying a major league record by a rookie that was set back in 1971 where J.R. Richard struck out 15 batters in a first major league debut. Strasburg is now second on the list with 14 K's in his first start. If you’re a Nationals fan you must be saying to yourself forget Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, Adam Wainwright, Johan Santana. WE GOT STRASBURG!!!!!!!


This Beyond Rookies of Rookies, This Beyond Baseball.

Who Wants To Ride The Wain-Train?

If you were to ask who is the heart and soul of the St. Louis Cardinals most people would say Albert Pujols but if you were to ask me who the heart and soul for this ball club is I would pick big gun and third starter Adam Wainwright. On Friday night Wainwright picked up his 8th win of the season and his 2nd complete game and 1st shut out of the year against the Brewers by a score of 8-0. Wainwright only gave up 2 hits in the ball game striking out 8 batters on 103 pitches. His last start before Friday's game he went 7 innings against the Cubs where he picked up his 7th win of the year. In that game against the Cubs he also picked up 8 K's. Boy I'm telling you this guy is a pitching machine, who would think that this guy 3 - 4 years ago would be the guy leading his team in wins where he was in bull pen. Wainwright is the third starter for the Red Birds but he could easily be the number one starter. His first complete game this year came back on April 18, 2010 against the New York Mets where he struck out 9 Met batters. Wainwright this year is ranked 2nd in the NL in wins with (8), ranked 1st in the NL in strikeouts with (85), ranked 2nd in the NL in complete games with (2), and ranked 4th in the NL in ERA with a (2.05). Wainwright has definitely made a name for himself in St. Louis and have proven that he get the job done. Now who wants to ride the Wain-Train?


Seth Lempert,
For Beyond Baseball.


2010 NL CY Young

1. Rockies - Ubaldo Jimenez - ERA 0.78, 10 wins, 1 loss, 70 strikeouts.
2. Mets - Mike Pelfrey - ERA 2.39, 8 wins, 1 loss, 52 strikeouts.
Cardinals - Adam Wainwright - ERA 2.05, 8 wins, 3 losses, 85 strikeouts.
Phillies - Roy Halladay - ERA 2.03, 8 wins, 3 losses, 77 strikeouts.
3. Cubs - Carlos Silva - ERA 3.12, 7 wins, 0 losses, 42 strikeouts.
Cardinals - Chris Carpenter - ERA 2.76, 7 wins, 1 loss, 70 strikeouts.
4. Braves - Tim Hudson - ERA 2.30, 6 wins, 1 loss, 33 strikeouts.
Mariners - Josh Johnson - ERA 2.10, 6 wins, 2 losses, 77 strikeouts.
Padres - Jon Garland - ERA 2.15, 6 wins, 2 losses, 42 strikeouts.
Giants - Barry Zito - ERA 2.78, 6 wins, 2 losses, 48 strikeouts.
5. Giants - Tim Lincecum - ERA 3.14, 5 wins, 2 losses, 83 strikeouts.
Cardinals - Jaime Garcia - ERA 1.32, 5 wins, 2 losses, 51 strikeouts.

Perfection Taken Away! Griffey Hangs Up His Jersey.

After seeing Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay throw the 20th perfect game in Major League history 5 days ago, Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarrage was on the verge of making history by begging the 21st pitcher to throw a perfect game and be the 267 pitcher to throw a no-hitter until the bottom of 9th with 2 outs away. With 2 outs away Jason Donald hit a weak ground ball over to first baseman Miguel Cabrera who threw over to the pitcher Galarrage who was covering first base and what everyone thought was a perfect game Donald was called safe. When you go back and look at the replay on ESPN.Com its clear to say that Donald was out by a foot step and umpire Jim Joyce blew the call that he makes 9 out of 10 times. "I cost the kid a perfect game. I saw the replay and I missed the call, I'm sorry. Worst call of my career." said Joyce. All Galarrage did was look at Jim Joyce with a smile and say are you kidding me? The next batter he got out on a ground ball and what could have been 27 up, 27 down, was 26 up and 28 down. He wouldn't get a no-hitter all he would get was a complete game shutout on 88 pitches thrown. Armando Galarrage could have joined Dallas Braden and Roy Halladay who have thrown perfect games this year and could have made history by begging the 3rd pitcher to throw a perfect game in one season that has never happened before and could have been the 21st pitcher to throw a perfect game and the 267 pitcher to throw a no-hitter. But thanks to Jim Joyce that didn't happen and the talk and buzz around Major League Baseball is now should instant replay be used for calls like this and not just for home runs or should it stay the way it is now? After seeing a call like this it makes you think that instant replay should have an effect to the game now. Armando Galarrage stayed perfect through 8 2/3 innings pitched until that call was made and all he had to say was "nobody is perfect and everyone is human and we all make mistake and if I was him I would be unhappy with myself but there's nothing I can do. It is what it is and I'm happy that he was man enough to say I'm sorry to me. I respect him for that and hopefully I'll get another chance at this again." So Galarrage who stayed cooled and calmed was indeed perfect but wasn't perfect on Wednesday night.



On Wednesday one of the all time greats Ken Griffey Jr. retires after playing 22 years in the big leagues and would put him 5th on the all-time home run list with 630 career home runs joining the list with Barry Bonds-762, Hank Aaron-755, Babe Ruth-714, Willie Mays-660, and now Ken Griffey Jr. joins that list. Griffey also retires with 1,836 career RBI's, 13 time All-Star, 10 time Gold Glove Winner, and won the 1997 AL MVP Award. Griffey never won a World Series and you would think he did when he played with the Mariners back in the early 90's when they had Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson and he never won a World Series. The best part of his career is that he never use steroids during his playing days and if injuries didn’t cost him his career he would have been the one to break the home run record and be the all-time home run king without a doubt and in my book and I think to every sports writers book he is a first ballot Hall of Famer. He was just a great player all around he could hit, run, steal, catch, throw, everything you could ask for in a player and after 22 years in the big leagues it was time to hang up the jersey. Griffey played 13 years with the Seattle Mariners, 8 years with the Cincinnati Reds, and 1 year with the Chicago White Sox. He ended his career in Seattle the place that he calls home and probably the place that will retire his jersey number 24. The kid who brought life to the North West side of baseball is retired as one of the all time greats.



This is Beyond History, This is Beyond Baseball.