So it’s the beginning of September and the biggest topic in sports is the NL pennant race. While the AL standings appear to be clearing up, it’s anybody’s best guess as to who will finish on top in the NL East, Central, and West. Yet will it matter who makes it into the playoffs? The Yankees will surely be waiting there to finish them off regardless. Well, not so fast.
The Phillies or the Braves will be coming out of the NL East. It’s doubtful either of these teams will make it past round one of the playoffs. The Phillies lack experience, and, well, hitting. The Braves have been erratic ever since the season started. While Maddux, Burkett, and Glavine have each held their own, the Braves boast only one everyday player with a .300+ average: Chipper Jones. That rules out the NL East contenders.
Enter the NL Central challengers. Houston boasts the best NL record, and has arguably the best bats in the division. With a lineup that consists of Biggio, Bagwell, Berkman, Alou and Hidalgo, Houston apparently should have no problem putting up runs in the postseason. Granted, the team also has a talented young pitching staff with fireballers Roy Oswalt, Wade Miller and Octavio Dotel. However, let it be known that certain players and teams have trouble performing in the postseason. Houston has choked in years past, and it would not be a surprise if they did so again this year. The Cubs are right behind the Astros in the standings, but we all know how the Cubbies perform when they make the playoffs. So that leaves us with the Cardinals, who have the potential firepower to make and win the World Series. However, the key word there is potential. With a healthy J.D. Drew combined with Edmonds and Pujols, the Cards boast a formidable lineup. However, their pitching is more than impressive with a rotation that includes Darryl Kile and Matt Morris, and a bullpen that boasts Steve Kline, Dave Veres, Mike Matthews, Mike Timlin, and Jason Christiansen. Looking at the NL Central’s chances, the Cards have the best chance to make a dent in the playoffs, if they make it.
Finally, we come down to the NL West, which includes the best contender to dethrone the Yankees. Arizona aces Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling lead a dynamic pitching staff which is rounded out by setup man Bret Prinz and closer Byung-Hyun Kim. Luis Gonzalez, who is having a spectacular season, will lead the Diamondbacks deep into the postseason. As for the Giants, regular season success has meant little post-season triumph. Barry Bonds, who is on pace to hit 65+ home runs, will put up his typical October stats: a sub – .200 average with little to no power. Then there are the Dodgers, a team everyone thought was done after suffering injuries to Adrian Beltre, Kevin Brown and Andy Ashby. However, to the surprise of everyone, the Dodgers find themselves in the thick of things, and could do some damage come playoff time. Kevin Brown has returned from injury and Shawn Green is enjoying arguably his best season in the majors. The Dodgers have the potential to stir some trouble up come playoff time.
Adam Taliaferro took the field against the Miami Hurricanes this past Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Yet, the former Penn State football player did so without the helmet and pads in light of a career-ending injury suffered last season against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Taliaferro, who was told there was a strong chance he might never walk again, unleashed a deadly smile in front of 107,000 screaming fans as he led his team back onto the field. However, the former cornerback still has a few reminders of how close he came to being paralyzed. Taliaferro limped onto the field, his right hand tightly curled due to nerve damage. Though the Nittany Lions lost the game 33-7, it is hard to imagine a more inspirational moment in recent history.
Lennox Lewis and Hasim Rahman had no problems getting things started, even if it was in front of a national audience. The two fighters were involved in a memorable squabble on ESPN’s Up Close, after each directed childish remarks at one another. Lewis, who was still bitter after Rahman called him “gay,” fired back at the opposing heavyweight by telling him to bring his sister over. Rahman, who apparently has had a lot of family jokes directed at him, took Lewis’ comment personal and it was downhill from there. After a riot which lasted close to seven or eight minutes, Rahman and Lewis were finally separated with the makeshift studio in shambles. The two will have to blow off steam until November 17th, the scheduled date of their bout.
In what went rather unnoticed last week, linebacker Jessie Tuggle retired after a storied 14 year career with the Atlanta Falcons. The leading active tackler in the NFL was given an ultimatum by the Falcons, who told him he would either be released or cut. Tuggle, who remains relatively unknown to fans outside of the South, led the team in tackles yearly until recently, when he has been hit hard with injuries. The Falcons are currently engaged in a youth movement at linebacker, where Keith Brookings, Mark Simoneau and Henri Crockett are poised to take over. Tuggle had 12 straight 100+ tackle seasons and 5 Pro Bowl appearances.