Now that the free agent draft is done, and everyone has at least 40 games, it is time to take a look back at was has happened thus far, and what is to come. So far it has been a season of teams winning alot, and teams losing alot. Currently there are 4 teams at .540 or better, and 4 teams at .430 or less, with Ken hovering around the .500 mark. I have to admit, some of the allure and tension of “draft day was lost, as it took literally a whole month to complete. Nevertheless, it was still a thrill to actually finish it, field a complete team, and start playing the actual games.
Once again, my team was slow out of the gate, losing to Joe and Keith, and beating Doug, to start 8-7. From there we have gone gangbusters, going 25-5 in my next 6 series’, and are at 33-12 right now. Steve just asked me yesterday if I thought anyone would win 100 games this year, and I hadn't even thought about it before, but now I have some numbers. Keith and I are both on pace to win 115 games or more. Will this happen, I would say highly unlikely. To win 100, I would have to play at a .580 pace the rest of the season. Will that happen? Again I say unlikely. So far alot of our wins have come in close games due to timely hitting, and a very good bullpen, which I invested heavily in, using my 3rd and 4th picks to get Nen and Jackson. Thus far they have been awesome, but who is to say that they will continue to do so, and that the timely hitting will continue. If I play .500 ball the rest of the way, we will win better than 90 games, and I am rather optimistic about that. I think Keith is certainly a better bet to win 100 than I am, as I think his winning has been more of a dominating type, while mine has been a bit more luck.
It is amazing what the luck of the draw will bring you. I'm not trying to take anything away from Joe, who is playing very well right now, but I would have an 8 1/2 game lead over him if I was in that division, rather than leading Keith by 1/2 game, yet being 17 pct. points behind. But it is just the luck of the draw, and I can accept that. Thankfully I got the 3rd pick in the draft, not the 9th, as I don't really know how I would have handled that scenario. I was pretty pleased with the way I drafted, with the exception of the Higginson and Easley picks, one of which has been righted in my trade with Steve. Top to bottom my team can run pretty well, are somewhat powerful, and plays a solid defense. They don't do any of these exceptionally, but do all of them fairly well. Kevin Brown along with my 2 stud relievers are anchoring the lowest ERA staff in the league, but I am not expecting to stay there. Last player selected in the draft (almost) Tim Wakefield is pitching out of his mind, and I can't believe it will last. Also, I just slightly weakened my staff, and I am sure it will all catch up to me.
The main thing that has gotten me where I am is my record against the 5 teams under .500. I am 26-4, while only going 7-8 against the teams over .500. But it doesn’t matter where the wins come from, as long as they keep on coming, and I am just hoping to keep winning enough to make the playoffs. Hopefully we can pick up the pace a little bit, and let's have a really exciting playoff race. Go Rangers!!