Well it is finally official: BYU is going independent in football beginning next season. They will join the West Coast Conference in all other sports. I have already chronicled my thoughts on the blog before, but to recap I think the move will likely create more revenue and exposure (at least in the regular season) but will probably make it harder for them to access the BCS. BYU will likely not be able to have the scheduling power and BCS automatic access guarantees that fellow independent Notre Dame has. It is really tough not to be tied into a conference, but BYU definitely has resources that could help it to at least remain competitive. I think it will make it harder competitively in the long haul, however, unless they do join another conference at some point. If it was me in charge of the decision I probably would have stayed in the Mountain West Conference and worked out some sort of new television package if at all possible.
As for the men's basketball program, I think the Mountain West Conference is definitely a better conference top to bottom than the West Coast Conference but the WCC is more top heavy with Gonzaga and to a lesser extent Saint Mary's which made a run to the Sweet 16 last season. I don't know that it will be a huge drop-off, but I think it will be a drop-off nonetheless. There are some bad teams and bad programs in the WCC that have been down for a while that will really hurt BYU's strength of schedule. BYU does significantly help the conference, though, and should help it to be a bit more of a player nationally. I would put it just a step down from the Mountain West at this point in basketball.
Perhaps the biggest loser in all of this is Utah State. To seem my full thoughts on the subject, simply scroll down the blog. It now appears more than ever though, that USU made a big mistake in turning down the Mountain West. They are now left in what is barely still a conference in the WAC.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Giants get big bounce back win
The San Francisco Giants (73-60) got a nice 5-2 bounce back win over the Colorado Rockies (69-62) at AT&T Park. A loss would have allowed the Rockies to tie the Giants in the loss column so this win allowed them to create a little distance in the standings. There's another big game tomorrow night at 7:15 p.m. MT on FSN Rocky Mountain with Tim Lincecum and Ubaldo Jimenez squaring off. A win would allow for a winning homestand leading into a big 10-game road trip. The Phillies (74-58) won tonight so they remain 1.5 games up on the Giants, but San Francisco did pick up a game on the Padres (76-55) who lost to the Diamondbacks (54-79) tonight. San Diego now leads the Giants by 4 games and has lost a season high six straight games.
Madison Bumgarner threw six strong innings tonight and even hit an RBI double in the 5th inning to give the Giants a 2-1 lead. In such a crucial game, it was very impressive for a kid just barely 21 to have such a good performance.
After Melvin Mora hit a tying home run in the top of the 8th off of Jeremy Affedlt it appeared the Rockies had the momentum. However, the Giants showed that resiliency that they have been showing all year. Andres Torres hit a home run in the bottom half of the 8th that just can't be talked about enough. It was a huge homer in so many ways because it gave the Giants the lead right back as well as stopping the Colorado momentum. Buster Posey's two-run double was big-time as well as it provided breathing room for closer Brian Wilson who had a shut down 9th inning to complete the win.
Madison Bumgarner threw six strong innings tonight and even hit an RBI double in the 5th inning to give the Giants a 2-1 lead. In such a crucial game, it was very impressive for a kid just barely 21 to have such a good performance.
After Melvin Mora hit a tying home run in the top of the 8th off of Jeremy Affedlt it appeared the Rockies had the momentum. However, the Giants showed that resiliency that they have been showing all year. Andres Torres hit a home run in the bottom half of the 8th that just can't be talked about enough. It was a huge homer in so many ways because it gave the Giants the lead right back as well as stopping the Colorado momentum. Buster Posey's two-run double was big-time as well as it provided breathing room for closer Brian Wilson who had a shut down 9th inning to complete the win.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Giants defense falters in 9th
I remember a line that longtime White Sox broadcaster Hawk Harrelson said when I was watching a game as a little kid: "And the walk. The dreaded lead-off walk." The White Sox were up 4 runs that day in the 9th inning and gave up a "dreaded" lead-off walk that came around to score for the Blue Jays. The White Sox were able to win that game and were fortunate that they had a multi-run lead to work with that day.
Tonight as I watched the Giants take on the Rockies, the term of dreaded lead-off walk was very applicable. The Giants took a 1-0 lead in the 5th off of an RBI single by Buster Posey that followed two walks to start the inning from Rockies pitcher Jorge De La Rosa. In the 9th, Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez walked Dexter Fowler to begin the inning. Fowler came around to score on a triple by Carlos Gonzalez off of Giants closer Brian Wilson. Gonzalez scored on a throwing error that went into the dugout on the play. Huston Street retired the Giants in order in the bottom half for a 2-1 Rockies win.
Fact is lead-off walks often come around to score. You put a guy on base for free to start an inning and the other team still has all three outs to work with to get the guy around. They can even score him without a base hit in some instances with enough well-placed outs. It's just a tough way to start an inning and I feel has a much more negative impact on a team's psyche than does a lead-off single. A lead-off walk feels like you just gave something away and that in itself gives the other team momentum. A single to start an inning isn't optimal, but at least the hitter has earned his way on.
In my book, the key at-bat of the night was Sanchez walking Fowler, who had fallen behind 0-2 and still worked a walk. Granted, this whole thing might have been different if right fielder Cody Ross hadn't misjudged the ball that turned into a triple for Gonzalez. That ball simply should have been caught and instead of being down 2-1 with nobody out it should have remained a 1-0 Giants lead with one out and a man on first. That's a big difference. It could be argued that Fowler would have scored easily on Ryan Spilborghs' triple later in the inning to tie the game and he would have. But the momentum may or may not have been different. And in any case that would have only resulted in a tie game instead of the Giants being behind. It was just a crushing loss. Ross should have made the play and the throwing error by Freddy Sanchez that allowed Gonzalez to score from third didn't help. The defense let the team down and has to be better if they are going to make a playoff push.
The Rockies improved to 69-61 while the Giants dropped to 72-60. The Rockies are now two back of the Giants for second in the West and the Giants still trail the Padres (76-54) by five games. San Diego lost at Arizona (53-79) tonight to extend their season worst losing streak to five games. It's too bad the Giants haven't been able to take more advantage of that. The Phillies (73-58) still lead the Giants in the Wild Card chase by 1.5 games and now trail the Braves (76-55) by 3 games in the NL East. The Reds (76-55) have a pretty good lead in the Central over the Cardinals (69-60) at six games.
All this being said, the Giants are still very much in the Wild Card race and need to turn it around starting tomorrow night against the Rockies. Madison Bumgarner goes for the Giants and is countered by right hander Esmil Rogers of the Rockies.
Tonight as I watched the Giants take on the Rockies, the term of dreaded lead-off walk was very applicable. The Giants took a 1-0 lead in the 5th off of an RBI single by Buster Posey that followed two walks to start the inning from Rockies pitcher Jorge De La Rosa. In the 9th, Giants starter Jonathan Sanchez walked Dexter Fowler to begin the inning. Fowler came around to score on a triple by Carlos Gonzalez off of Giants closer Brian Wilson. Gonzalez scored on a throwing error that went into the dugout on the play. Huston Street retired the Giants in order in the bottom half for a 2-1 Rockies win.
Fact is lead-off walks often come around to score. You put a guy on base for free to start an inning and the other team still has all three outs to work with to get the guy around. They can even score him without a base hit in some instances with enough well-placed outs. It's just a tough way to start an inning and I feel has a much more negative impact on a team's psyche than does a lead-off single. A lead-off walk feels like you just gave something away and that in itself gives the other team momentum. A single to start an inning isn't optimal, but at least the hitter has earned his way on.
In my book, the key at-bat of the night was Sanchez walking Fowler, who had fallen behind 0-2 and still worked a walk. Granted, this whole thing might have been different if right fielder Cody Ross hadn't misjudged the ball that turned into a triple for Gonzalez. That ball simply should have been caught and instead of being down 2-1 with nobody out it should have remained a 1-0 Giants lead with one out and a man on first. That's a big difference. It could be argued that Fowler would have scored easily on Ryan Spilborghs' triple later in the inning to tie the game and he would have. But the momentum may or may not have been different. And in any case that would have only resulted in a tie game instead of the Giants being behind. It was just a crushing loss. Ross should have made the play and the throwing error by Freddy Sanchez that allowed Gonzalez to score from third didn't help. The defense let the team down and has to be better if they are going to make a playoff push.
The Rockies improved to 69-61 while the Giants dropped to 72-60. The Rockies are now two back of the Giants for second in the West and the Giants still trail the Padres (76-54) by five games. San Diego lost at Arizona (53-79) tonight to extend their season worst losing streak to five games. It's too bad the Giants haven't been able to take more advantage of that. The Phillies (73-58) still lead the Giants in the Wild Card chase by 1.5 games and now trail the Braves (76-55) by 3 games in the NL East. The Reds (76-55) have a pretty good lead in the Central over the Cardinals (69-60) at six games.
All this being said, the Giants are still very much in the Wild Card race and need to turn it around starting tomorrow night against the Rockies. Madison Bumgarner goes for the Giants and is countered by right hander Esmil Rogers of the Rockies.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Starting pitching struggling for Giants
The Giants (71-59) have lost the last two nights at home to the Diamondbacks (52-78) behind poor starting pitching from Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito. Zito in particular had a rough week. I feel for him, he really seems to put it all out there when he pitches. But the fact is that the starting pitching just has to be better or this team just isn't going anywhere. Bruce Bochy said as much after the game and even had a closed-door meeting with his starting pitchers, in which I can only imagine that he gave a sever chastisement that Zito said was deserved. Matt Cain goes tomorrow and he actually did have a solid start on Monday against the Reds (74-55) so hopefully he can build on that starting tomorrow at 2:05 p.m. MT.
The Giants trail the Phillies (72-57) by 1.5 games in the Wild Card chase and the Padres (76-52), who have dropped to in a row to the Phils, by 6 games in the National League West. The Wild Card in particular is very much in reach and even the divisional race isn't totally out of hand. There's a lot of baseball to be played and I think the Giants will at least make things interesting down the stretch.
In Washington D.C. tonight, Nationals (55-75) out fielder Nyjer Morgan went out of his way to bump into Cardinals (69-58) catcher Bryan Anderson as Morgan was crossing home plate to score. Anderson wasn't even blocking the plate and Morgan went out of his way to bump into him. Just a very unsportsmanlike play. That sort of thing is totally uncalled for. Morgan just seems like a total head case to me. The Nats defeated the Cards 14-5 in the game.
The Giants trail the Phillies (72-57) by 1.5 games in the Wild Card chase and the Padres (76-52), who have dropped to in a row to the Phils, by 6 games in the National League West. The Wild Card in particular is very much in reach and even the divisional race isn't totally out of hand. There's a lot of baseball to be played and I think the Giants will at least make things interesting down the stretch.
In Washington D.C. tonight, Nationals (55-75) out fielder Nyjer Morgan went out of his way to bump into Cardinals (69-58) catcher Bryan Anderson as Morgan was crossing home plate to score. Anderson wasn't even blocking the plate and Morgan went out of his way to bump into him. Just a very unsportsmanlike play. That sort of thing is totally uncalled for. Morgan just seems like a total head case to me. The Nats defeated the Cards 14-5 in the game.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Giants almost complete comeback, big day for Rockies
The San Francisco Giants (71-57) overcame a 10-1 deficit in the 5th inning of Wednesday afternoon's game against the Cincinnati Reds (73-54) to take an 11-10 lead in the 8th inning only to lose in 12 innings by a 12-11 score. I DVR'd the game and wasn't really paying much attention to it after the Reds took a big lead but started really watching in the 8th inning after Juan Uribe hit a 3-run home run to cut the lead to 10-8. Then a few batters later, Andres Torres doubled home the tying runs, then scored himself to give the Giants an 11-10 lead. I've been really impressed with the offense this home series and hope the team continues to swing the bats well at home.
The Reds rallied for the tie in the top of the 9th, then scored the winning run in the 12th on an RBI single by MVP and Triple Crown candidate Joey Votto. Votto also hit two home runs in the game and it's safe to say the Reds wouldn't have won without him. As Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said after the game, that's what an MVP candidate does, comes through for you when you need him. He's really a big time player and will keep the Reds right in the thick of things deep into the season.
The Giants remain one game back of the Phillies (70-56) in the Wild Card race and now trail the Padres (76-49) by 6.5 games. The Phils have lost three straight at home to the Astros (57-69). The Padres just never seem to lose and are starting to run away with the West. The Phillies still trail the Braves (73-54) in the East by 2.5 games.
Speaking of the Braves, they coughed up a 10-1 3rd inning lead to the Rockies (66-60) in Denver and ended up losing 12-10. You never can count the Rockies out at home and they showed why again in this games. Truly a remarkable comeback and when you think that the Giants almost completed a comeback from the same deficit on the same afternoon you have to think it was a day of historic proportions. Hats off to the Rockies, that is quite the achievement. The Rockies are now 41-20 at home; that mark is second only to (ironically) the Braves who are 44-17 at Turner Field in Atlanta.
The Reds rallied for the tie in the top of the 9th, then scored the winning run in the 12th on an RBI single by MVP and Triple Crown candidate Joey Votto. Votto also hit two home runs in the game and it's safe to say the Reds wouldn't have won without him. As Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said after the game, that's what an MVP candidate does, comes through for you when you need him. He's really a big time player and will keep the Reds right in the thick of things deep into the season.
The Giants remain one game back of the Phillies (70-56) in the Wild Card race and now trail the Padres (76-49) by 6.5 games. The Phils have lost three straight at home to the Astros (57-69). The Padres just never seem to lose and are starting to run away with the West. The Phillies still trail the Braves (73-54) in the East by 2.5 games.
Speaking of the Braves, they coughed up a 10-1 3rd inning lead to the Rockies (66-60) in Denver and ended up losing 12-10. You never can count the Rockies out at home and they showed why again in this games. Truly a remarkable comeback and when you think that the Giants almost completed a comeback from the same deficit on the same afternoon you have to think it was a day of historic proportions. Hats off to the Rockies, that is quite the achievement. The Rockies are now 41-20 at home; that mark is second only to (ironically) the Braves who are 44-17 at Turner Field in Atlanta.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Pitch counts playing too large a role
Texas Rangers (70-54) starter Rich Harden was pulled from his start against the Minnesota Twins (72-53) with two outs in the top of the seventh inning last night despite not having given up a hit to that point. This comes within a couple of weeks of the Twins pulling starter Kevin Slowey after he had a no-hitter through seven innings. In both cases the bullpen was not able to hold down the combined no-hitter. Both managers said that their decisions were based on pitch counts and wanting to save their respective pitchers' arms for later in the season.
I get that you want to preserve pitchers' arms and all that, but I think too much is made of pitch counts. I think if a pitcher hasn't given up a hit, then he is probably okay to keep pitching until he does. I think a pitcher deserves that. Edwin Jackson, then of the Arizona Diamondbacks (49-76) was allowed to throw 149 pitches by then-manager A.J. Hinch in his no-hitter against the Tampa Bay Rays (77-48) earlier this season. I think that was the right cause and Jackson does not appear to have suffered any ill effects from the additional pitches.
I think too much is being made out of pitch counts and I especially feel this about the way the Nationals (53-72) have handled rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg this year and how the Yankees (77-48) babied along Joba Chamberlain a couple of years ago. I think if Strasburg is pitching well, then he should be allowed to go back out there provided he is putting in the requisite conditioning work. I think the said work would be evident in how well he pitches late into a game -- if he has been pitching well then he deserves to stay out there.
I have seen multiple times where a starter was dealing through 7 or 8 innings but then was removed because "the pitch count got him." One that comes to mind are a game I watched last year when Cliff Lee was pitching for the Indians (50-74) against the Cubs (52-74) at Wrigley Field and was just dealing. However, once he was removed from the game for pitch count restrictions, the Cubs won the game in the late innings. Another is from two years ago when Johan Santana absolutely shut down the Phillies (70-54) for the Mets (62-62) at Shea Stadium through 8 innings. But as you can probably guess the pitch count got him and the Phils rallied for a huge, come-from-behind 9th inning against an anemic Mets bullpen to get the win. I feel that if these pitchers had been left in these games that there teams would have had a much higher percentage chance of winning those ballgames.
I'm glad that my team, the Giants (70-56) seem to subscribe to more of (though probably not wholly) the old-school philosophy of letting their starting pitchers throw a lot of pitchers and remain out there deep into games. A lot of rookie pitchers are being capped at 150 innings and being forced to postpone or miss starts or go to the bullpen in order to not go over their limit. Matt Cain pitched 190 innings in his rookie season and is one of the better pitchers in the National League today. He seems to be doing fine. The Giants commonly let their starters throw 120 pitches, which is more than a lot of teams, and they are rewarded by doing so. Their staff is still one of the most solid in the game.
I think the long-term effects of throwing a lot of pitches in games have been exaggerated. Early in the 20th century it was not unheard of for guys like Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson to win 30 games in a year -- and I think their careers certainly weren't any worse off for it. Nowadays for whatever reason (paranoia?) that just doesn't happen anymore.
I get that you want to preserve pitchers' arms and all that, but I think too much is made of pitch counts. I think if a pitcher hasn't given up a hit, then he is probably okay to keep pitching until he does. I think a pitcher deserves that. Edwin Jackson, then of the Arizona Diamondbacks (49-76) was allowed to throw 149 pitches by then-manager A.J. Hinch in his no-hitter against the Tampa Bay Rays (77-48) earlier this season. I think that was the right cause and Jackson does not appear to have suffered any ill effects from the additional pitches.
I think too much is being made out of pitch counts and I especially feel this about the way the Nationals (53-72) have handled rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg this year and how the Yankees (77-48) babied along Joba Chamberlain a couple of years ago. I think if Strasburg is pitching well, then he should be allowed to go back out there provided he is putting in the requisite conditioning work. I think the said work would be evident in how well he pitches late into a game -- if he has been pitching well then he deserves to stay out there.
I have seen multiple times where a starter was dealing through 7 or 8 innings but then was removed because "the pitch count got him." One that comes to mind are a game I watched last year when Cliff Lee was pitching for the Indians (50-74) against the Cubs (52-74) at Wrigley Field and was just dealing. However, once he was removed from the game for pitch count restrictions, the Cubs won the game in the late innings. Another is from two years ago when Johan Santana absolutely shut down the Phillies (70-54) for the Mets (62-62) at Shea Stadium through 8 innings. But as you can probably guess the pitch count got him and the Phils rallied for a huge, come-from-behind 9th inning against an anemic Mets bullpen to get the win. I feel that if these pitchers had been left in these games that there teams would have had a much higher percentage chance of winning those ballgames.
I'm glad that my team, the Giants (70-56) seem to subscribe to more of (though probably not wholly) the old-school philosophy of letting their starting pitchers throw a lot of pitchers and remain out there deep into games. A lot of rookie pitchers are being capped at 150 innings and being forced to postpone or miss starts or go to the bullpen in order to not go over their limit. Matt Cain pitched 190 innings in his rookie season and is one of the better pitchers in the National League today. He seems to be doing fine. The Giants commonly let their starters throw 120 pitches, which is more than a lot of teams, and they are rewarded by doing so. Their staff is still one of the most solid in the game.
I think the long-term effects of throwing a lot of pitches in games have been exaggerated. Early in the 20th century it was not unheard of for guys like Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson to win 30 games in a year -- and I think their careers certainly weren't any worse off for it. Nowadays for whatever reason (paranoia?) that just doesn't happen anymore.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Aubrey Huff, funny MLB things
Here's a really great article that I just read on espn.com about Giants slugger Aubrey Huff:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=5479224
I really enjoyed reading this. Huff has been our best offensive player all year and seems to be a great clubhouse presence as well. He really has a desire to win and enjoys the winning atmosphere. I remember him saying after a Dodgers game in which fans got there early chanting "Beat LA" and that carried with it a playoff type atmosphere that he had been waiting for that type of thing his whole life. Huff hit his 21st home run of the season tonight in helping the Giants (69-54) beat the Cardinals (65-54) to move within five games of the Padres (73-48) in the NL West and stay one back of the Phillies (69-52) in the Wild Card chase.
A couple of things that I found humorous were the Athletics' (61-60) ball boy admitting that he has used his job in order to get at least one female's number. The ball boy if I remember correctly took a slight fall the other night and now seems to be all the rage. The A's have taken the first two of a four-game home series against the Rays (74-48) and are 7 games back of the Rangers (68-53) in the AL West. It seems like they are just doing enough to remain on the fringe of the division race, but time is running out to make a push. Maybe they're off to a start of something like that as they have won four in a row.
The other thing is the "McCutchen Man Crush Crew" in Pittsburgh in honor of Pirates (40-82) out fielder Andrew McCutchen. It consisted tonight of about four guys in front of a huge sign. After McCutchen got an RBI single tonight against the Mets (61-61) the guys were dancing and styling. Pretty funny stuff. And honestly the Pirates need something to smile about -- they have the worst record in baseball and tonight's 7-2 loss to the Mets ensured that they will have a losing season for the 18th consecutive year. Ouch.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=5479224
I really enjoyed reading this. Huff has been our best offensive player all year and seems to be a great clubhouse presence as well. He really has a desire to win and enjoys the winning atmosphere. I remember him saying after a Dodgers game in which fans got there early chanting "Beat LA" and that carried with it a playoff type atmosphere that he had been waiting for that type of thing his whole life. Huff hit his 21st home run of the season tonight in helping the Giants (69-54) beat the Cardinals (65-54) to move within five games of the Padres (73-48) in the NL West and stay one back of the Phillies (69-52) in the Wild Card chase.
A couple of things that I found humorous were the Athletics' (61-60) ball boy admitting that he has used his job in order to get at least one female's number. The ball boy if I remember correctly took a slight fall the other night and now seems to be all the rage. The A's have taken the first two of a four-game home series against the Rays (74-48) and are 7 games back of the Rangers (68-53) in the AL West. It seems like they are just doing enough to remain on the fringe of the division race, but time is running out to make a push. Maybe they're off to a start of something like that as they have won four in a row.
The other thing is the "McCutchen Man Crush Crew" in Pittsburgh in honor of Pirates (40-82) out fielder Andrew McCutchen. It consisted tonight of about four guys in front of a huge sign. After McCutchen got an RBI single tonight against the Mets (61-61) the guys were dancing and styling. Pretty funny stuff. And honestly the Pirates need something to smile about -- they have the worst record in baseball and tonight's 7-2 loss to the Mets ensured that they will have a losing season for the 18th consecutive year. Ouch.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Utah State turned down MWC?
According to an open letter from Utah State published in the Deseret News, the Aggies were contacted before Nevada and Fresno State about joining the Mountain West Conference. The letter said that USU turned down the interest from the MWC out of a commitment to solidarity to the Western Athletic Conference. This commitment included a contract with a $5 million buyout should USU have left the WAC within the next five years. Such a deal was signed by Fresno State and verbally agreed to (though not signed) by Nevada. Both schools defected to the MWC last night.
As honorable as solidarity is, I think Utah State should have been looking out more for itself than for the WAC if the MWC did indeed contact the Aggies about potential membership. Even if Fresno State and Nevada had stayed in the WAC and BYU had joined for basketball, the MWC still would have been a stronger basketball league overall with perennial powers New Mexico, UNLV and San Diego State. Of course there is no question that the Mountain West is the superior league in football as well with TCU and Boise State headlining the conference.
Utah State should have done what was best for Utah State, not what they thought would be best for the WAC. The letter said USU expected all WAC institutions to honor the agreement of solidarity among the schools remaining following Boise State's announced departure to the MWC earlier this summer. I would not have expected other schools to remain loyal to the WAC and not look out for their own interests and I think Utah State is naive for thinking that. Because they chose to remain behind the Aggies are now in a six-team league that is in serious trouble and now may not get BYU to join for basketball either. Sounds a lot worse than the Mountain West, doesn't it?
All this being said, there could still be several things that could still happen in the coming days and weeks that could alter the NCAA landscape. BYU could very will still go independent and be looking to move its basketball and other programs elsewhere. Right now, though, the West Coast Conference looks like a better fit for BYU than the WAC as presently configured. After all, the WCC has national power Gonzaga as well as Sweet 16 entrant from last season Saint Mary's in the league and consists mainly of religious schools. We'll see what happens: the WAC may very well look to the WCC or other places to expand and create a more viable and attractive league for BYU.
Interesting piece in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (that I saw posted on a friend's Facebook page) about TCU as well as BYU and the MWC that I think is an interesting read:
http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/08/18/2412369/hold-your-panic-tcu-fans-dominoes.html
I think the article is accurate on a lot of counts, particularly in BYU's self-aggrandizement of itself. It definitely is not on the same level as Notre Dame and has not qualified for the BCS out of the MWC the way Utah and TCU have. I think independence is a tough call and may not be as cut and dried a negative issue as Engel makes it seem, but I do think it would be a risky move. There is little doubt that the proposed move to independence would bring more national exposure on networks such as ESPN as well as more money flowing into the school. However, the competitive aspect may not be as promising. As I've already said, they haven't qualified for the BCS out of the Mountain West and it only stands to reason that qualifying for the BCS as an independent would only be more difficult.
There are benefits to more freedom in scheduling including playing a more national schedule, not having to play teams they don't want to play and being able to play more teams from BCS conferences. However, I think these pros are offset by how difficult the schedule would be and as I noted, they haven't been able to qualify for the BCS out of the MWC. I think there is also something to be said for playing for a conference championship. Winning your conference makes any year sound good, even with a couple of losses. Now with a couple of losses you don't have anything to show for it and are not headed to a BCS game. Of course, BYU may get cold feet and opt to stay in the MWC. My hunch, though is that they will go independent and join the WAC (if they can revamp with other schools -- and that's a big if) or the West Coast Conference for all other sports.
In other sports news, my San Francisco Giants (68-54) got a crucial win over the Philadelphia Phillies (68-52) to pull within one game in the Wild Card race and remain six back of the red hot San Diego Padres (73-47) in the West. It looks like the Wild Card should be the primary focus, at least for now. The Phils are still only 2.5 games back of the Braves (68-52) in the East and could very well make a run at the divisional crown. The Giants now face the Cardinals (65-53) in St. Louis for a weekend series. It's important to take at least two of three as the Cards are also a Wild Card contender (not to mention keeping pace with Philadelphia). I was encouraged by the Giants' performance tonight and I think they will continue to at least stay in the race. I think the rest of the season should be fun.
Elsewhere in baseball, the White Sox (66-55) salvaged the final game against the Twins (70-51) in Minnesota, winning 11-0 after losing a pair of heart breakers. They are now four back in the AL Central after capturing that must-win game tonight. I'm not going to say they are dead yet and I think they still have a hot streak left in them to make the division race a tight one right down to the wire.
As honorable as solidarity is, I think Utah State should have been looking out more for itself than for the WAC if the MWC did indeed contact the Aggies about potential membership. Even if Fresno State and Nevada had stayed in the WAC and BYU had joined for basketball, the MWC still would have been a stronger basketball league overall with perennial powers New Mexico, UNLV and San Diego State. Of course there is no question that the Mountain West is the superior league in football as well with TCU and Boise State headlining the conference.
Utah State should have done what was best for Utah State, not what they thought would be best for the WAC. The letter said USU expected all WAC institutions to honor the agreement of solidarity among the schools remaining following Boise State's announced departure to the MWC earlier this summer. I would not have expected other schools to remain loyal to the WAC and not look out for their own interests and I think Utah State is naive for thinking that. Because they chose to remain behind the Aggies are now in a six-team league that is in serious trouble and now may not get BYU to join for basketball either. Sounds a lot worse than the Mountain West, doesn't it?
All this being said, there could still be several things that could still happen in the coming days and weeks that could alter the NCAA landscape. BYU could very will still go independent and be looking to move its basketball and other programs elsewhere. Right now, though, the West Coast Conference looks like a better fit for BYU than the WAC as presently configured. After all, the WCC has national power Gonzaga as well as Sweet 16 entrant from last season Saint Mary's in the league and consists mainly of religious schools. We'll see what happens: the WAC may very well look to the WCC or other places to expand and create a more viable and attractive league for BYU.
Interesting piece in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (that I saw posted on a friend's Facebook page) about TCU as well as BYU and the MWC that I think is an interesting read:
http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/08/18/2412369/hold-your-panic-tcu-fans-dominoes.html
I think the article is accurate on a lot of counts, particularly in BYU's self-aggrandizement of itself. It definitely is not on the same level as Notre Dame and has not qualified for the BCS out of the MWC the way Utah and TCU have. I think independence is a tough call and may not be as cut and dried a negative issue as Engel makes it seem, but I do think it would be a risky move. There is little doubt that the proposed move to independence would bring more national exposure on networks such as ESPN as well as more money flowing into the school. However, the competitive aspect may not be as promising. As I've already said, they haven't qualified for the BCS out of the Mountain West and it only stands to reason that qualifying for the BCS as an independent would only be more difficult.
There are benefits to more freedom in scheduling including playing a more national schedule, not having to play teams they don't want to play and being able to play more teams from BCS conferences. However, I think these pros are offset by how difficult the schedule would be and as I noted, they haven't been able to qualify for the BCS out of the MWC. I think there is also something to be said for playing for a conference championship. Winning your conference makes any year sound good, even with a couple of losses. Now with a couple of losses you don't have anything to show for it and are not headed to a BCS game. Of course, BYU may get cold feet and opt to stay in the MWC. My hunch, though is that they will go independent and join the WAC (if they can revamp with other schools -- and that's a big if) or the West Coast Conference for all other sports.
In other sports news, my San Francisco Giants (68-54) got a crucial win over the Philadelphia Phillies (68-52) to pull within one game in the Wild Card race and remain six back of the red hot San Diego Padres (73-47) in the West. It looks like the Wild Card should be the primary focus, at least for now. The Phils are still only 2.5 games back of the Braves (68-52) in the East and could very well make a run at the divisional crown. The Giants now face the Cardinals (65-53) in St. Louis for a weekend series. It's important to take at least two of three as the Cards are also a Wild Card contender (not to mention keeping pace with Philadelphia). I was encouraged by the Giants' performance tonight and I think they will continue to at least stay in the race. I think the rest of the season should be fun.
Elsewhere in baseball, the White Sox (66-55) salvaged the final game against the Twins (70-51) in Minnesota, winning 11-0 after losing a pair of heart breakers. They are now four back in the AL Central after capturing that must-win game tonight. I'm not going to say they are dead yet and I think they still have a hot streak left in them to make the division race a tight one right down to the wire.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
BYU looking to go independent
Espn.com reported that BYU is likely to become and independent in football in time for the 2011 football season. The reported move would come on the heels of their rival (and my school) Utah accepting an invitation to join the Pac-10 beginning next season. All of BYU's other sports would reportedly play in the WAC beginning next season.
I tweeted this morning that I thought the move would be more positive than negative for BYU. I've given it some more thought throughout the day and I have had a tough time grasping that as the correct position. I think it could produce a greater strength of schedule and subsequently a higher BCS ranking with a higher chance of playing for the national title. That way they aren't stuck playing lackluster teams like Colorado State, Wyoming and New Mexico every year.
The down side is that they won't be in a conference and won't be able to aim for a conference championship. They also would not have powers TCU and Boise State on the schedule every year in competition for a crown. The BCS might not guarantee BYU an automatic slot the way it does for Notre Dame if it finishes in the top 8. They also might not have the ranking guarantees they would have in the Mountain West Conference in terms of BCS inclusion. You may take this with a grain of salt since it is coming from a Utah fan but if BYU was unable to qualify for the BCS via the Mountain West Conference it would seem to me to be only tougher to gain access with both a tougher schedule and a tougher ranking required for getting into one of the high profile bowl games.
I think going from the Mountain West to the WAC would definitely be a downgrade for BYU's men's basketball program. I don't think there is any question that the MWC is superior to the WAC in both football and basketball. The MWC had four teams (including BYU) make the NCAA Tournament last season with seeds of 3, 7, 8 and 11 while the WAC had two teams make it -- both as 12 seeds. The basketball strength of schedule would take a definite hit, particularly with the defections of Fresno State and Nevada to the Mountain West today and a conference title would not be making as big of a statement. I'm sure it would be fun around these parts to have Utah State and BYU playing in the same league in basketball and I think that would produce some memorable battles. New Mexico State is usually tough as well but with all due respect I don't think those programs are at the same level as UNLV and New Mexico of the MWC.
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out over the next few days. I fully expect the move to independent status to be announced soon. It's a definite gamble but there could be some benefits to it as well.
I tweeted this morning that I thought the move would be more positive than negative for BYU. I've given it some more thought throughout the day and I have had a tough time grasping that as the correct position. I think it could produce a greater strength of schedule and subsequently a higher BCS ranking with a higher chance of playing for the national title. That way they aren't stuck playing lackluster teams like Colorado State, Wyoming and New Mexico every year.
The down side is that they won't be in a conference and won't be able to aim for a conference championship. They also would not have powers TCU and Boise State on the schedule every year in competition for a crown. The BCS might not guarantee BYU an automatic slot the way it does for Notre Dame if it finishes in the top 8. They also might not have the ranking guarantees they would have in the Mountain West Conference in terms of BCS inclusion. You may take this with a grain of salt since it is coming from a Utah fan but if BYU was unable to qualify for the BCS via the Mountain West Conference it would seem to me to be only tougher to gain access with both a tougher schedule and a tougher ranking required for getting into one of the high profile bowl games.
I think going from the Mountain West to the WAC would definitely be a downgrade for BYU's men's basketball program. I don't think there is any question that the MWC is superior to the WAC in both football and basketball. The MWC had four teams (including BYU) make the NCAA Tournament last season with seeds of 3, 7, 8 and 11 while the WAC had two teams make it -- both as 12 seeds. The basketball strength of schedule would take a definite hit, particularly with the defections of Fresno State and Nevada to the Mountain West today and a conference title would not be making as big of a statement. I'm sure it would be fun around these parts to have Utah State and BYU playing in the same league in basketball and I think that would produce some memorable battles. New Mexico State is usually tough as well but with all due respect I don't think those programs are at the same level as UNLV and New Mexico of the MWC.
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out over the next few days. I fully expect the move to independent status to be announced soon. It's a definite gamble but there could be some benefits to it as well.
McGrady signs with Pistons, MLB notes
The Detroit Pistons signed Tracy McGrady to a one-year deal and it just seems to me that neither side is going to benefit from this relationship. The Pistons are not a contender and McGrady has a huge ego and appears to have left his best playing days behind him. So I'm skeptical but I suppose I'll still have to stick with rooting for the Pistons (my second favorite NBA team) even though I really don't like McGrady.
As for baseball, the Giants (67-53) lost two of three to the Padres (71-47) this weekend and now trail in the National League West by five games. The Padres just looked like the better team overall as sad as that is for me to say. After dropping the opener to the Phillies (67-51) tonight in Philadelphia tonight, the Giants now trail the Wild Card by one game as well. The Giants absolutely have to win one of the next two in Philadelphia to stay within striking distance in the Wild Card. Tomorrow looks like it could be a win -- I'd take Matt Cain starting over Joe Blanton on any day of the week. I gotta keep my head up about all this as there is a lot of baseball yet to be played and a lot is possible.
Other series to check out going on right now are the Rays (73-46) and the Rangers (67-51) in a match-up of division leaders as well as the Twins (69-50) hosting the White Sox (65-54) in a series that features the top two in the AL Central. The Twins won the opener, so the pressure is on the Sox to get at least one of the last two at Target Field.
As for baseball, the Giants (67-53) lost two of three to the Padres (71-47) this weekend and now trail in the National League West by five games. The Padres just looked like the better team overall as sad as that is for me to say. After dropping the opener to the Phillies (67-51) tonight in Philadelphia tonight, the Giants now trail the Wild Card by one game as well. The Giants absolutely have to win one of the next two in Philadelphia to stay within striking distance in the Wild Card. Tomorrow looks like it could be a win -- I'd take Matt Cain starting over Joe Blanton on any day of the week. I gotta keep my head up about all this as there is a lot of baseball yet to be played and a lot is possible.
Other series to check out going on right now are the Rays (73-46) and the Rangers (67-51) in a match-up of division leaders as well as the Twins (69-50) hosting the White Sox (65-54) in a series that features the top two in the AL Central. The Twins won the opener, so the pressure is on the Sox to get at least one of the last two at Target Field.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Giants drop opener to Padres
Just got through watching the opener of the Giants-Padres series in which San Diego (68-46) beat the Giants (66-51) by a score of 3-2. San Francisco scored two in the first to take an early 2-0 lead but were unable to score afterward. Jonathan Sanchez took the loss after guaranteeing a three game sweep this weekend. I like his confidence and hope he is right about the Giants winning the division at least.
The Padres' bullpen was lights out again tonight. Luke Gregerson, Mike Adams and Heath Bell each pitched a scoreless inning in relief of Mike Richard. Gregerson had hitters looking overmatched in his inning of work and Bell was solid but I thought Adams wasn't that great. Aubrey Huff absolutely crushed a ball that nearly was a two-run home run and a 4-3 lead in the 8th, but it was not to be. There aren't many parks where that ball isn't a home run, but unfortunately tonight AT&T Park was one of them. Huff was really upset after and I don't blame him.
As tough as the loss was tonight, the Giants have to come back tomorrow and get that win behind Madison Bumgarner. We're still only 3.5 games back in the division and with wins the next two days could be just 1.5 back. I still have to think optimistically. Tomorrow's game is at 2 p.m. MT and is available on FOX.
The Padres' bullpen was lights out again tonight. Luke Gregerson, Mike Adams and Heath Bell each pitched a scoreless inning in relief of Mike Richard. Gregerson had hitters looking overmatched in his inning of work and Bell was solid but I thought Adams wasn't that great. Aubrey Huff absolutely crushed a ball that nearly was a two-run home run and a 4-3 lead in the 8th, but it was not to be. There aren't many parks where that ball isn't a home run, but unfortunately tonight AT&T Park was one of them. Huff was really upset after and I don't blame him.
As tough as the loss was tonight, the Giants have to come back tomorrow and get that win behind Madison Bumgarner. We're still only 3.5 games back in the division and with wins the next two days could be just 1.5 back. I still have to think optimistically. Tomorrow's game is at 2 p.m. MT and is available on FOX.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Big weekday series approaching 8/9/2010
There are some big-time baseball series going on this week in baseball that could have an impact on how the races look. Here's the Baseball Weekdays Preview 8/9/2010:
Let's start with the battle for first place in the NL Central with the first place Cincinnati Reds (64-48) hosting the second place St. Louis Cardinals (61-49) for three games starting tonight with the Reds holding a two game lead in the division. Tonight and tomorrow night's games start at 5:10 p.m. MT and Wednesday's game begins at 10:35 a.m. MT. Tonight's game is available on ESPN and espn3.com and all the games are on MLB Extra Innings and mlb.tv. The Reds start Mike Leake, Johnny Cueto and Bronson Arroyo and the Cards counter with Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia and Adam Wainwright. So both teams are definitely bringing it with their starting pitchers and that should help make it a great series with Cincinnati's MVP candidate Joey Votto going up against reigning MVP Albert Pujols. I'll take the Reds to win two of three at home and pick up an extra game on their division lead. I still can't get over how well they are pitching this year.
Another big series gets under way in the AL Central tomorrow night with the first place Chicago White Sox (63-48) hosting the second place Minnesota Twins (63-49) for three games with all three starting at 6:10 p.m. MT. The opener is on MLB Network and they are all on MLB EI and mlb.tv. If the Sox lose in Baltimore (37-74) tonight then the division would be all tied up for the series. I think Chicago will win two of three and maintain a narrow lead.
Yet another big series features two American League division leaders as the East leading Yankees (69-41) visit the West leading Texas Rangers (64-47) for two games on Tuesday and Wednesday that both start at 6:05 p.m. MT. Wednesday's game in available on ESPN and espn3.com and both are on MLB EI and mlb.tv. I'll pick the Rangers to win both, especially as they have Cliff Lee pitching on Wednesday and don't have to face CC Sabathia in either game.
Another series of note is a rematch of the last two National League Championship Series when the Los Angeles Dodgers (58-54) visit the Philadelphia Phillies (62-49) for three games all starting at 5:05 p.m. MT Tuesday through Thursday with the finale on MLB Network and all of them on MLB EI and mlb.tv. The Phils have been rolling and I think they'll take two of three.
Also check out my thoughts on Brandon Morrow's dominating pitching performance yesterday just below this space.
Let's start with the battle for first place in the NL Central with the first place Cincinnati Reds (64-48) hosting the second place St. Louis Cardinals (61-49) for three games starting tonight with the Reds holding a two game lead in the division. Tonight and tomorrow night's games start at 5:10 p.m. MT and Wednesday's game begins at 10:35 a.m. MT. Tonight's game is available on ESPN and espn3.com and all the games are on MLB Extra Innings and mlb.tv. The Reds start Mike Leake, Johnny Cueto and Bronson Arroyo and the Cards counter with Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia and Adam Wainwright. So both teams are definitely bringing it with their starting pitchers and that should help make it a great series with Cincinnati's MVP candidate Joey Votto going up against reigning MVP Albert Pujols. I'll take the Reds to win two of three at home and pick up an extra game on their division lead. I still can't get over how well they are pitching this year.
Another big series gets under way in the AL Central tomorrow night with the first place Chicago White Sox (63-48) hosting the second place Minnesota Twins (63-49) for three games with all three starting at 6:10 p.m. MT. The opener is on MLB Network and they are all on MLB EI and mlb.tv. If the Sox lose in Baltimore (37-74) tonight then the division would be all tied up for the series. I think Chicago will win two of three and maintain a narrow lead.
Yet another big series features two American League division leaders as the East leading Yankees (69-41) visit the West leading Texas Rangers (64-47) for two games on Tuesday and Wednesday that both start at 6:05 p.m. MT. Wednesday's game in available on ESPN and espn3.com and both are on MLB EI and mlb.tv. I'll pick the Rangers to win both, especially as they have Cliff Lee pitching on Wednesday and don't have to face CC Sabathia in either game.
Another series of note is a rematch of the last two National League Championship Series when the Los Angeles Dodgers (58-54) visit the Philadelphia Phillies (62-49) for three games all starting at 5:05 p.m. MT Tuesday through Thursday with the finale on MLB Network and all of them on MLB EI and mlb.tv. The Phils have been rolling and I think they'll take two of three.
Also check out my thoughts on Brandon Morrow's dominating pitching performance yesterday just below this space.
Brandon Morrow's dominating performance
Pitcher Brandon Morrow (9-6, 4.45 ERA, 151 SO in 127.1 IP, 1.37 WHIP) of the Toronto Blue Jays (59-52) lost a no-hitter yesterday with two outs in the ninth inning when Tampa Bay Rays (67-44) third baseman Evan Longoria poked a hit just beyond the reach of second baseman Aaron Hill. The defensive play would have been a spectacular one and simply had to be ruled a hit. Hill looked like he did everything he possibly could to come up with the ball and said as much after the game; I don't feel like he should be blamed at all. I feel for Morrow in a big way, I can't imagine how tough it would be to come within inches of a no-hitter and not get it.
Not to be lost in the shuffle, however, was how truly dominating Morrow was yesterday. He struck out 17 batters, walked only 2 and gave up just the 1 hit in a complete game shutout. Bill James has a metric called "Game Score" which measures how dominating a pitcher's performance was based on statistics and Morrow's start yesterday ranked as the 4th best single start by a pitcher since 1920. Really remarkable stuff. "He was putting guys away better than I've ever seen," said Longoria after the game. That's high praise from a player who is fast becoming a superstar in his own right.
Not to be lost in the shuffle, however, was how truly dominating Morrow was yesterday. He struck out 17 batters, walked only 2 and gave up just the 1 hit in a complete game shutout. Bill James has a metric called "Game Score" which measures how dominating a pitcher's performance was based on statistics and Morrow's start yesterday ranked as the 4th best single start by a pitcher since 1920. Really remarkable stuff. "He was putting guys away better than I've ever seen," said Longoria after the game. That's high praise from a player who is fast becoming a superstar in his own right.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Giants lose 3 of 4 to Braves
The Giants (63-49) lost three of four in Atlanta to the Braves (64-47) this weekend. It wasn't a particularly encouraging series to watch as they went 2 for 32 with runners in scoring position. That just isn't good enough and if you do that you're not going to win any games. Fortunately the Giants still hold a half-game Wild Card lead over the Phillies (62-49) who have been tearing it up as of late. I'm hoping the Phils just overtake the Braves in the East so I don't have to have a conflict of interest. The Giants face the Cubs (47-63) for four games this week and anything less than winning three of four will be a disappointment. I think it's realistic to aim for a sweep. The big series is this weekend at home against the first place Padres (63-46) where the Giants could very well have a chance to take over first.
Some thoughts on the series this weekend: The Braves' pitching staff looked pretty good. Their bullpen has a lot of hard throwers with movement on their pitches. That probably had something to do with the Giants not being successful with runners in scoring position. I tweeted that I think Travis Ishikawa should get more playing time and I stand by that. He is hitting for average and plays a solid first base. I'd like to see him get in there more. I do realize that sometimes you have to play the hot hand, so he may not necessarily be an every day player but I think he's earned more playing time.
Some thoughts on the series this weekend: The Braves' pitching staff looked pretty good. Their bullpen has a lot of hard throwers with movement on their pitches. That probably had something to do with the Giants not being successful with runners in scoring position. I tweeted that I think Travis Ishikawa should get more playing time and I stand by that. He is hitting for average and plays a solid first base. I'd like to see him get in there more. I do realize that sometimes you have to play the hot hand, so he may not necessarily be an every day player but I think he's earned more playing time.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Giants keep rolling (wahoo!)
My San Francisco Giants (62-45) are playing so well right now. They just swept the hated Los Angeles Dodgers (54-52) and just pounded the Colorado Rockies (55-51) in Denver 10-0 tonight. They've won four straight and 8 of 10. The offense is rocking it as evidenced by Pat Burrell's game winning two run home run in the 8th inning on Saturday and Edgar Renteria's two-run triple Sunday night. The pitching is doing great and the offense just continues to roll.
The Giants acquired right-handed reliever Ramon Ramirez from the Red Sox (61-46) and left-handed reliever Javier Lopez from the Pirates (37-69) in exchange for pitcher Joe Martinez and outfielder John Bowker. I'm really sad to see Bowker, who was the opening day right fielder for the Giants, leave. Bowker was tearing up pitching in Triple-A with a high average and lots of home runs. I think he'll play well for the Pirates and has a lot of potential. It's too bad he hasn't recognized it with the Giants yet. I have to admit that I was initially upset when Andres Torres was getting starts over Bowker this year, but I'm not anymore. Torres is having a great year as a lead-off hitter and is among the league leaders in extra base hits. It's really cool after he spent several years in the minor leagues that he's having such success now. It's a true feel good story and I think he was a big part of why the Giants felt they could include Bowker in the deal for Lopez.
Phillies (58-48) first baseman twisted his ankle on Sunday against the Nationals (47-60) and has been placed on the disabled list. Hopefully he only misses a couple of weeks and the Phils can weather the storm because they won't be making the playoffs without him. They are only two games back of the Braves (60-46) in the NL East right now.
I'm pretty dang excited that the Rays (67-39) have overtaken the Yankees (66-40) for the AL East lead although there is still a lot of baseball to be played. There are some good races out there in pretty much all of the divisions with the exception of the AL West where the Rangers (61-44) have a commanding eight game lead over the Athletics (53-52).
The Giants acquired right-handed reliever Ramon Ramirez from the Red Sox (61-46) and left-handed reliever Javier Lopez from the Pirates (37-69) in exchange for pitcher Joe Martinez and outfielder John Bowker. I'm really sad to see Bowker, who was the opening day right fielder for the Giants, leave. Bowker was tearing up pitching in Triple-A with a high average and lots of home runs. I think he'll play well for the Pirates and has a lot of potential. It's too bad he hasn't recognized it with the Giants yet. I have to admit that I was initially upset when Andres Torres was getting starts over Bowker this year, but I'm not anymore. Torres is having a great year as a lead-off hitter and is among the league leaders in extra base hits. It's really cool after he spent several years in the minor leagues that he's having such success now. It's a true feel good story and I think he was a big part of why the Giants felt they could include Bowker in the deal for Lopez.
Phillies (58-48) first baseman twisted his ankle on Sunday against the Nationals (47-60) and has been placed on the disabled list. Hopefully he only misses a couple of weeks and the Phils can weather the storm because they won't be making the playoffs without him. They are only two games back of the Braves (60-46) in the NL East right now.
I'm pretty dang excited that the Rays (67-39) have overtaken the Yankees (66-40) for the AL East lead although there is still a lot of baseball to be played. There are some good races out there in pretty much all of the divisions with the exception of the AL West where the Rangers (61-44) have a commanding eight game lead over the Athletics (53-52).
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