parity or parody in the mlb?

It’s the day after Memorial Day, 2008. Who are the six best teams in baseball?

6. LAA Angels (31-22)

4./5. CHC Cubs / ARZ Diamondbacks (30-21)

3. BOS Red Sox (32-22)

2. FLA Marlins (30-20)

1. TB Rays (31-20)

Yes, the two Florida teams, 29th and 30th in payroll, are 1st and 2nd in terms of record.

How about the six worst teams?

5./6. KC Royals / DET Tigers (21-30)

3./4. COL Rockies / SF Giants (20-31)

2. SD Padres (19-33)

1. SEA Mariners (18-34)

Compared to last year’s final standings, this is where these twelve teams stand this year, as of right now:

1. TB Rays (‘07 Rank: 30) 

2. FLA Marlins (25)

3. BOS Red Sox (1)

4. CHC Cubs (12)

4. ARZ Diamondbacks (5)

6. LAA Angels (3)

25. KC Royals (27)

25. DET Tigers (9)

27. COL Rockies (6)

27. SF Giants (25)

29. SD Padres (8.)

30. SEA Mariners (9)

Among the bottom six, you have four of the top 11 teams in baseball last year, including the NL Champions, and a team that lost to them in an extra playoff game. Among the top six, you have four teams that made the playoffs, including the World Champion Red Sox, but also, two of the worst six teams in baseball from last year, leading everyone. So while half of the teams in these twelve have stayed in a relatively similar position, the other six teams have gone from first to worst, or worst to first.

There has never been a season like this in baseball. And, while it might be a frustrating sight to watch the Mets, Mariners, Rockies, and Tigers struggle, especially for those fans, it is such a joy and a surprise to see the Rays, Marlins, Cardinals, and White Sox doing not just well, but exceptionally well, much better than anyone could have predicted.

This is going to be a good summer for baseball. Just wait until September, when the playoff picture begins to unfold, and we see some of these teams that were supposed to write off 2008 vieing for one of those 8 slots. We’ll also see, then, some of the traditional powerhouses (Yankees, Indians, etc.) trying to ward these upstart young teams off in September.

–jl–

my omaha predictions.

The super regional matchups will be:

Miami, FL vs. Arizona

South Carolina vs. Georgia

Florida St. vs. Oklahoma St.

Pepperdine vs. CS Fullerton

UNC vs. Coastal Carolina

UC Irvine vs. LSU

Vanderbilt vs. Long Beach St.

Texas A&M vs. Texas

Going to Omaha:

Miami, FL / Georgia / Florida St. / Pepperdine / UNC / UC Irvine / Vanderbilt / Texas

And as for the national champion: I expect the Tar Heels to win it all in Omaha.

–jl–

the road to omaha.

I’ll post the brackets first, then put in my opinion as to who will be going to Omaha.

Bolded seeds are overall seeds, and are the (1) seeds for their respective region.

Miami, FL Bracket

(1) Miami (FL) vs. (4) Bethune-Cookman

(3) Ole Miss vs. (2) Missouri

Ann Arbor, MI Bracket

(1) Arizona vs. (4) Eastern Michigan

(3) Kentucky vs. (2) Michigan

Raleigh, NC Bracket

(1) NC State vs. (4) James Madison

(3) Charlotte vs. (2) South Carolina

Athens, GA Bracket

(8} Georgia vs. (4) Lipscomb

(3) GA Tech vs. (2) Louisville

Tallahassee, FL Bracket

(4) Florida St. vs. (4) Bucknell

(3) Tulane vs. (2) Florida

Stillwater, OK Bracket

(1) Oklahoma St. vs. (4) Western Kentucky

(3) TCU vs. (2) Wichita St.

Stanford, CA Bracket

(1) Stanford vs. (4) UC Davis

(3) Arkansas vs. (2) Pepperdine

Fullerton, CA Bracket

(5) Cal St. Fullerton vs. (4) Rider

(3) Virginia vs. (2) UCLA

Cary, NC Bracket

(2) UNC vs. (4) Mount St. Mary’s

(3) Elon vs. (2) UNC-Wilmington

Conway, SC Bracket

(1) Coastal Carolina vs. (4) Columbia

(3) Alabama vs. (2) East Carolina

Lincoln, NE Bracket

(1) Nebraska vs. (4) Eastern Illinois

(3) Oral Roberts vs. (2) UC Irvine

Baton Rouge, LA Bracket

(7) LSU vs. (4) Texas Southern

(3) New Orleans vs. (2) Southern Miss

Tempe, AZ Bracket

(3) Arizona St. vs. (4) Stony Brook

(3) Oklahoma vs. (2) Vanderbilt

Long Beach, CA Bracket

(1) Long Beach St. vs. (4) Fresno St.

(3) California vs. (2) San Diego

College Station, TX Bracket

(1) Texas A&M vs. (4) Illinois-Chicago

(3) Houston vs. (2) Dallas Baptist

Houston, TX Bracket

(6) Rice vs. (4) Sam Houston St.

(3) St. John’s vs. (2) Texas

 

–jl–

memorial day and missing you.

Today’s the unofficial beginning of a long summer. Before the middle of August, I will have come and gone from Boston, seen at least a half a dozen baseball games, organized music for the fall for the church, and completely prepared for my second year at UF. Meanwhile, friends of mine have other plans… some have already left for a while. A few are headed to New Mexico to work in the woods out there. Another is in Texas at a summer camp. And another is off to France until December.

All of these departures happen the same week that has found joy for so many in that of high school graduations. Many of my friends from church, including some of my closest friends, have finished up high school and are moving on to bigger and better things in college. For one or two of them, I couldn’t be any prouder to see them grow up and move ahead the way I have.

And so, as a result, I get this very strange juxtaposition of feelings: of sadness and joy; the turning of pages in directions far and near, and a longing to know how I’m supposed to deal with all of this. In particular, how am I supposed to deal with not seeing, much less communicating, with someone so near and dear to me for a whole 3 months? We’re going to be 1700 miles apart from each other, as opposed to a regular summer of 40. How am I supposed to develop a friendship in spite of this looming wall?

This is going to be harder than I thought.

Patience, understanding, and relentless love will all be necessary.

Then, in August, we’ll see where this experience takes me. Hopefully, it’s to the start of something good. 

–jl–

the harbor city that harbors nothing.

It was good tonight to see friends who I hadn’t seen in hours, days, weeks, and months, respectively. It was good to be able to chill out and catch up with a few of these. What was bad about tonight were the events that led to the harsh, but very true, reality that I found: I need to get out of Melbourne.

After going to lunch with a friend, we decided to hit a few of the music stores in the area. Sadly, the first (and best) one was under renovation. So, instead we went downtown to try our hand. The place downtown had nothing, and the picture that I took in my mind of the scene outside of the guitar store on New Haven fits my feelings best… It is cloudy, warm, humid, and getting ready to rain. There is nobody in sight, except for the raggedy old man in the wheelchair that sits outside of a coffee shop across the street, staring out into nowhere. The streets, with all of their shops and foods and colors, are dull and lifeless this afternoon, a stern, yet painfully true, reminder, that Melbourne, is, indeed, Melbour-ing.

Later in the day, after meeting friends for dinner in the busiest part of town, I enter a Best Buy. Again, not very many people are out and about, although it is 8pm, and in the heart of the Shopping District of town. Business in the store has ground to a halt, with one cashier open, and the hallways of the large store barren of people, of hustle and bustle, save for the blue-shirted employees taking care of their own, useless chores.

Moving to my favorite spot in town, the local coffeeshop, I enter on Open Mic Night, ready to,  as a friend put it, “sit back and laugh at the others.” And the acts at the House of Joe this night, were, indeed laughable. Nobody on the stage, my friends included, took themselves seriously when they were up there, and used the time on a stage at a coffee shop to entertain others to simply fool around. The one guy that did take himself seriously was foolish and naive, singing through his nasal cavity, keeping a sheepish grin on his face while he played guitar and sang songs– original songs– about his girlfriend being “stupid” and “dumb”– words a 5th grader would use to taunt younger kids on a playground. People left, including some of my own friends, who simply “couldn’t bear it any longer.” I attempted to restore some class to the night by playing myself, but, by that point, the shop had emptied out to people smoking on the porch and those in front of me wondering if I knew anything that they knew.

 It sickens me to think that, in this community of nearly 200,000 people (Palm Bay included), that the entire place is beginning to take a nosedive. While it was a Thursday night, I know from experience that the acts on Saturday night are not much better. The same washed-up people do the same things in the same order, which, honestly, would bore someone like me to tears. I need to get out of the same, monotonous cycle that I’ve taken over and over this summer– get up, lounge about the house, do something around town, come back home late, sleep, repeat. And so, thank goodness for the quartet gig in Orlando this weekend. Thank God for surprise birthday parties, and high school graduations, and barbecues. And, most importantly, thank the Lord above for me leaving Melbourne for Boston in 14 days. I hear it’s nice in the summer.

–jl–

jon lester is wicked awesome.

Jon Lester threw a no-hitter tonight at Fenway Park. He walked two, struck out nine, and used 130 pitches to complete the 18th no-hitter in Red Sox history.

What makes me proud of Jon Lester for this brilliant performance tonight is two-fold. The first is that he was able to actually accomplish the feat of the no-hitter, just the 238th in baseball history, and only in his 22nd career start. It takes lots of hard work, determination, and a little bit of luck for all 27 outs to prevent the opposition from putting up a 1 in the hit column. It’s a rare and an unbelievable accomplishment. But if you know the story of Jon Lester, that makes it all the more impressive, heart-warming, and unbelievable.

Less than two years ago, in August 2006, Jon Lester was placed on the DL for back trouble. He soon found out that his back pain was caused by a form of lymphoma. He was unsure if he was going to live, unsure if he would ever pitch again in the Major Leagues. After aggresive chemotherapy and training, Lester re-worked his way back up to the Majors and, last July, made his first start, a win, in Cleveland. In October, he started, and won, Game 4 of the World Series, the series-clinching game for the Red Sox. And now, he’s thrown a no-hitter. All of this, within 18 months of being declared cancer-free. 

Tom Singer puts it best when he says this in his column tonight: “In sports, we tend to throw around the word ‘inspiration’ like it was rice at a wedding. Hyperbole is our impersonation of Chicken Little, and when something truly inspiring punctures the monotony of a mundane Monday evening, we have to convince people that this time the sky truly is falling.

“You will not come across anything more uplifting than a 24-year-old willing himself to a no-hitter in his 22nd start after getting knocked off the mound by a diagnosis of cancer.”

 I’m so proud, and so happy for, Jon Lester this evening. He’s a new inspiration for so many people, cancer survivors, and baseball fans.

–jl–

a wrap on the regular (college baseball) season.

Now that the Gators’ 2008 regular season college baseball campaign is over, those in the Gator Nation can begin to look forward, first and foremost, to next week in Hoover, Alabama for the SEC Tournament. As of Saturday morning, Florida was the 4 seed in the tournament… however, with a win today and Kentucky’s loss, that will make the seedings look something like this:

1. Georgia (21-8-1 SEC)

2. LSU (18-11-1)

3. Florida (17-13)

4. Kentucky (16-14)

5. Alabama (16-14)

6. Vanderbilt (15-14)

7. South Carolina (15-15)

8. Ole Miss (15-15)

The Gators will have a favorable side on their half of the bracket, going 3-for-3 against Vandy, 2 of 3 against LSU, and 1 of 3 against South Carolina. That being said, there’s a chance that these Gators could make it as far as the Championship Game on Sunday, something that would bolster their resume and continue their recent hot streak.

It is almost certain that Florida will make it into the NCAA Baseball Tournament, but the question that remains to be answered is where the Gators will be playing in the First Round. Talk is that Florida will be a 2 seed in the regional in Miami, hosted by the projected #1 overall seed Hurricanes. However, that projection was as of Tuesday, before the Gators went on a 4-game win streak over South Florida and nationally-ranked Vanderbilt. The biased talk on the television broadcast today was that the Gators were making a case to the Selection Committee to host a first-round regional. And with a good showing next weekend, I might be making the trip up to Gainesville the last weekend of May. Otherwise, it might be a trip to Miami.

–jl–

thank God for friends.

I had my wisdom teeth out earlier this afternoon, and, throughout the course of this afternoon and evening, realized, in yet another dimension, how loving, caring, and important to me my friends are.

Let’s look at the events of this day to further explain myself. My day started off with an old friend of mine calling me, telling me she was in town for the morning, wondering if we could grab lunch before I headed off to surgery. The phone call from her was completely random, and the timing of it all so convenient, that it was an opportunity that couldn’t be passed up. And it was good catching up with someone who I haven’t had a deep conversation with in a couple of years, and hadn’t even seen in months.

Obviously, the major event of my day was the removal of my two upper wisdom teeth. The procedure was clean, quick, and easy (the procedure itself only took about 3 minutes) and so I thought I’d spend the rest of my day just sitting idly by on the couch, much like a potato. However, all things considered, I have been fairly active and fairly pain-free this afternoon and evening. I can attribute it to two things: 1. Tylenol, and 2. My friends.

It’s often said that laughter is the best medicine, but I think that laughter can be substituted for friendship. Upon getting back to my house, I’ve received phone calls, IM’s, Facebook wall posts, all from different people, all of which I kindly and truly appreciate for thinking of me in this rough time.

The kindness and compassion of three people stood out to me over all the others, though. Three came over to my house and spent my entire evening with me, two of them semi-randomly. Two were going to watch their TV show together at a house, and decided to make that house mine. And the other one, who is so close to me that I call her my sister, abandoned her own family for very nearly the entire evening to come over and keep me company. For these three to give up their own time to come and befriend me in my state was heart-warming and a true blessing. I cannot thank them enough for what they did for me today to brighten my day, despite the gloom of surgery. These three that were over proved, once again, to me why I behold them as such close friends, and why our friendships have lasted as long as they have.

I write this story not for personal satisfaction, but, rather, in thanksgiving. I am so glad to have such great friends such as these. The group of people that I befriend, and admire for befriending me, does not end with just these few… it extends out to anyone with whom I have a mutual friendship, no matter how great or small. So, to all of you who consider me a friend: thanks for taking the time to have a working relationship with me. I appreciate, and thank God for, each and every one of you.

–jl–

i believe barack has the lock.

John Edwards has just come out and endorsed Barack Obama. I think that’s Game-Set-Match: Obama. What will be interesting, now, is to see what happens with the Vice-Presidential nominee. Will Barack choose Clinton, satisfying the “dream ticket” idea, or will he choose John Edwards? And really, I think he’ll go with Edwards, despite the fact that he was already on the ballot four years ago. Here’s why:

John Edwards will court working, middle-class voters, helping the Obama campaign to lessen the deficit that he has against Clinton.

John Edwards will court the moderates and those in the South, the Bible Belt, that are normally red states. I think that both Carolinas, and possibly Virginia, can go to the Democrats. Obama/Edwards can take some swing states that could be so key in the election.

The two change candidates are moving forward to November. I’m really looking forward to it.

palm bay fire news ticker.

Just putting down the facts as I see them across the news wires…

All public and charter schools are closed in Palm Bay today. No word on whether they will be closed tomorrow.

2500 acres have burned in Malabar… 3500 acres have burned in Palm Bay. 100 homes have been destroyed or damaged. Fortunately, there have been no deaths or injuries. Firefighters, coming from around the state, have had much trouble controlling the fires due to the strong winds that are kicking up embers and starting up fires away from the ones that are being fought. This set of fires has been deemed ‘out of control.’

Gov. Charlie Crist has declared a state of emergency for the county, and is touring the area today.

These fires are all suspected to be the work of at least one arsonist. a $10,000 reward is being posted for information leading to an arrest. Police are actively working on following up some tips, but have no suspects yet.

Here is what is expected to happen today: As the fire rages on, the winds will shift from NW to E. This seabreeze wind will bring some moisture into the air, raising humidity levels, but not raising them enough to put a dent in the drought index. As a result of these easterlies, a fire line will likely (once again) jump I-95, shutting it down from the county line to Malabar Rd. US 1 should remain open, as the wind will be blowing from the E this afternoon, away from the river. I’m now seeing that I-95 is already closed from US 192 to SR 60 (Melbourne to Vero Beach).

 The fire danger will remain with the area through the next few days. No rain is expected until a slight chance at the end of the week.

–jl–