Well, this division has turned out very differently than the ‘experts’ envisioned it. The Chicago White Sox are atop the fray with a 54-40 mark due to an offensive explosion that took place in May, and hasn’t really stopped. Carlos Quentin, who was acquired from Arizona during the offseason, has been bludgeoning the baseball to the tune of 22 hrs, 70 rbis, and a .277 average. Even Jermaine Dye is the owner of a batting average above .300, and as a fantasy baseball owner who learned the hard way that consistency is not his hallmark, I curse his name often. The twin towers, Thome and Konerko, have only been halfway effective because Konerko can’t stay healthy, and can’t hit for beans when he is. Alexei Ramirez, the ‘Cuban Missle’, has an awesome nickname and can play, to boot. The pitching has been hot and cold for the Sox, and the best of it has come from their 4th and 5th starters, John Danks and Gavin Floyd; which, obviously isn’t a good sign for them. The bullpen has been pretty solid, with Octavio Dotel returning to respectable form and Scott Linebrink posting solid numbers; meanwhile, Jenksy has been near dominant in converting 18 of 21 save chances.

The engine that makes the Southside Circus go, however, is skipper and all around bad ass, Ozzie Guillen. As far as I’m concerned, this guy could probably still strap it on, and his ‘slip up and get one in the ear hole’ approach to the game is something I think is sorely missing from baseball, these days. The man plays by no rules, in fact, I’m not really sure if he realizes there are rules to begin with. I mean, what other manager can throw the entire organization under the bus, including the GM, and somehow turn it into a resounding positive? I’d be willing to bet if the White Sox win the World Series we’ll begin to hearing rumblings of a bill floating around Congress by various Illinois politicians seeking to evict Lincoln from the $5, and replace him with Senor Guillen.

If resiliency had a name, it would be Billy Beane; but, if resiliency had a residency, it would likely be in Minneapolis. The preceding offseason saw two of the Twin Cities’ favorite sons, Johan Santana and Torii Hunter, purchase one way tickets out of town. Despite that fact, the Twins find themselves 11 games over .500 and a mere 1.5 games out of first place. How did the mid-market Twins manage to avoid running up the white flag 5 innings into the first game of the year, you ask? Well, residential studs Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer did not leave town, and terrorize opposing pitching, accordingly. Alexi Casilla and Jason Kubel have performed well and bolstered what was originally thought to be a deflated lineup. Delmon Young apparently threw away his power stroke along with the bat he flung at that umpire (only 3 hrs, but 10 sbs), but I truly don’t expect that trend to become a habit. Carlos Gomez, the prize acquisition from the Santana trade with the Mets, played exceedingly well during the first 2 months of the season, but, as young players are inclined to do, has struggled as of late. I’m personally rooting for him to reach the coveted 40/200 mark (40 SBs, 200 Ks), but I’m skeptical about his chances to swipe 40. The pitching has been mediocre, at best. When Livan Hernandez, the renowned innings-eater, headlines your staff, you better be able to hit. The bullpen has been a mixed bag with a vagrant bum impersonating the former strikeout machine, Pat Neshek, and Joe Nathan’s studliness resulting in the rest of the division agreeing to forgo 9th innings against the Twins, altogether. The Twins’ faithful have cause for hope, however, as electricity himself, Francisco Liriano, has been making substantial strides in his comeback from Tommy John surgery, and will likely be called up to the big league club early in the second half.

The Detroit Tigers, who were unanimously penciled in to win 100 games and already had ‘AL Central Division Champs’ t-shirts in storage, stand at an even .500 and 7 games back of the first place White Sox. This team was reputed to have assembled a lineup potent enough to rival the Murderers Row of lore, but the fireworks have only come in spurts, thus far. Big offseason acquisition, Miguel Cabrera, has not played poorly, but hasn’t met the probably unreasonable expectations placed on him since being traded over from the Marlins. I fully expect him to wind up with a 100, 35, 100, .300 line (R, HR, RBI, AVG.), but I’m sure the crime rate in Detroit will rise when the fans come to the realization that he won’t be competing for the Triple Crown this season. Injuries have also been a factor, as Gary Sheffield, Magglio Ordonez, and Jeremy Bonderman have spent substantial time on the DL. The real culprit, however, has been the sub-par pitching turned in by the starters and bullpen, alike. Justin Verlander, the slender fireballer hailing from my own alma mater, Old Dominion University, has not been quite the same pitcher this season. Dontrelle Willis has been so bad that the only way management could protect him from the hail of beer cans being launched at him in between innings was to send him down to the minors. Kenny Rogers, The Gambler, sports an atrocious 44/45 K/BB ratio, and the Tigers would probably be better off running the original Gambler (who will turn 70 on August 21st) out there rather than camera smooshing Kenny. Fireballer, Zoel Zumaya has finally returned, and management has added a ‘protection policy’ to his contract that requires the pitcher to completely cover himself in bubble wrap before he leaves the clubhouse each night to prevent him from getting hurt off the field, again. Fellow flamethrower, Fernando Rodney, also returned from injury, and has been rumored to be on the trading block. That should tell you how well he’s done this year. Todd Jones owns an ERA close to 5.00 and a 13/14 K/BB ratio, yet has somehow managed to convert 18 of 20 save chances. I suppose it doesn’t matter how hard or far they hit it, as long as it’s at someone, right?

The Kansas City Royals, that major league level farm club for the rest of the league, has played admirably considering the usual lack of substance to work with. Jose Guillen has performed well despite having to play through a few nagging injuries. David DeJesus is a burgeoning star, which means he’ll be packing his bags and relocating as soon as his agent is able to arrange it. Joey Gathright, who has compiled a mere 15 BBs over a span of 235 ABs, continues to wear out the grass between the dish and the dugout as he challenges Alfonso Soriano for the coveted ‘Wasted Speed’ trophy. The Royals pitching staff is better than their numbers indicate. Zack Greinke has long been considered a promising arm, and currently sports a 104/36 K/BB ratio. Gil Meche and Brian Bannister are cerebral hurlers in the grand tradition of The Professor, Greg Maddux, but, in truth are 3rd or 4th starters putting on their best 2-starter imitation. On a positive note, closer Joakim Soria has been ruthless on the bump, as he’s converted 25 of 27 chances and features a 46/9 K/BB ratio. See DeJesus, David for how that’s likely to turn out.

The rains in Cleveland come a little more often and stay a little longer, these days. The Indians’ record stands at 41-53 and a distant 13 games off the division lead. The white flag has already been run up the pole, as staff ace and reigning Cy Young Award winner, C.C. Sabathia, has since been shipped off to Milwaukee for a package of youths. As I type this I can’t help but recall a scene from Major League II, where the Asian groundskeepers exclaimed, “We suck again!.” Yes, you certainly do. Injuries have been the rule, not the exception, for the Indians this season. Stud receiver and 3-hole slugger, Vic “The Stick” Martinez, could hit nary a home run before being placed on the DL in mid-June with a right elbow injury. Number 2 gunner, Fausto Carmona, has been out since late May with a hip strain. Travis Hafner has been out of action since late May with a shoulder strain, but when healthy, he experienced a continuation of the slump that eclipsed much of his 2007 campaign. Let us not overlook the awful play that is fast becoming a Cleveland mainstay, and the players that call themselves pitchers are most at fault, here. Paul Byrd is horrendous, and shouldn’t be allowed to throw peanuts to children in the stands, let alone pitch a baseball from the mound. The Indian bullpen has to have a combined ERA somewhere around 7.00, but, then again, anybody who consciously chooses Joe Borowski to pitch the ninth either has little sense to being with, or no other options.

The fall from grace hasn’t been without its bright spots, however, Cliff Lee has been one of the best pitchers in the game, posting 2.31 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 106/20 K/BB ratio, on his way to a 12-2 record and starting honors for the American League All-Star team. Grady Sizemore, likewise, has continued to turn his talent into big time stats, as he is on pace to become only the 5th player in history to put up a 40/40 season. Jhonny Peralta, Casey Blake, and Ben Francisco have all played well enough to be disappointed at the dismal fortunes of their once successful franchise.

As for my predictions, I think the Twins will fade as the dog days of August wear on and their pitching deficiencies become amplified. The Tigers have played very well the last 5 weeks, and I expect them to make a serious run at the White Sox, but I don’t see them overcoming their pitching woes. Chicago has a deep bench, solid bullpen, and an experienced starting rotation, which will ultimately result in them laying claim to the title ‘division champs’. For the record, I expect the Royals to finish in the basement, and the Indians ton give the Twins a run for 3rd place in the standings. Now call up your bookie and bet the house on the exact opposite that you’ve just read.