So here we are. Another summer is halfway over. The freedom of 16 hour-long, sun-scorched days is slipping away from us again. And with it, the reversion into our former happy-go-lucky lives full of youthful indiscretions.
But that's another article entirely.
This week, with the passing of Major League Baseball's All-Star Game, gives us a chance to reflect on all of the first-half happenings with the boys of summer.
Too good to be true
You've heard it before and you're getting ready to hear it again: The Seattle Mariners are for real. Their 19-game lead in the American League West is the biggest divisional lead at the all-star break in history. Oh yeah, and barring the onset of World War III, don't expect them to lose it either.
Besides Ichiro, this seemingly ragtag band of no-names happened to send seven other guys to the midsummer classic. Names like Bret Boone, Edgar Martinez and John Olerud will ensure the Mariners' continued success. Seattle will go to the A.L. Championship Series; whether or not they will beat the Yankess remains to be seen.
Barry Freakin' Bonds
Who can stop this guy? Apparently, the media can. Bonds cruised to a Major League-record 39 home runs before the break and then promptly slammed on the brakes. Could it be a coincidence that this slow down in productivity occurred just as the modern day circus we know as the media collectively jumped on the Bonds bandwagon?
At the end of June, the entire sports world was not pondering if Bonds would hit his 80th homer, but when. Unfortunately the sharks in the press smelled blood and, for lack of any other newsworthy stories, went for the kill. We saw them do it to Rick Ankiel until his freefall into Double-A ball lost its morbid appeal. Roger Maris nearly lost all of his hair during the media frenzy inspired by his assault on the Babe's home run record.
This is nothing new. Forget curiosity; it's overexposure that's killing this cat. If Bonds is going to have any chance of besting Mark McGwire's record 70 home runs, he's going to need the Arizona Diamondback's Luis Gonzalez to play Sammy Sosa to Bonds' Big Mac. Gonzalez is only four homers behind Bonds at the break and could be the glue that holds this home run race together. And after his consistent performance in the Home Run Derby on Monday, maybe Gonzalez will walk away with the title himself.
You poor, poor Mets
Please pray for the Metropolitans. They need your help. Where do I begin? Not even a year removed from losing the World Series to their cross-town rivals the Yankees, the Mets now reside in the basement of the N.L. East with the hapless Montreal Expos. Meanwhile, the Yanks are seven wins ahead of where they stood at the All-Star Break last season, even further humiliating the boys from Shea.
The Mets' disappointing record has them on pace for the third-worst finish by a team appearing in the World Series the previous year. And to make matters worse, their manager, the infamous Bobby Valentine, is catching more heat for whom he did not originally invite to the All-Star Game as the National League's manager (see Florida Marlins' outfielder Cliff Floyd) than for having his championship caliber team disintegrate into a squad incapable of reaching a .500 record.
Even if the Mets put forth the effort they are potentially capable of, they will never catch the surprising Philadelphia Phillies or the ever-present Atlanta Braves. They will be lucky if they outlast the Expos or even catch the Marlins for third in the division.
Ichiro-mania
I was going to talk about Ichiro, the Japanese superman, but I'm already sick of him. Anyone who has the nerve to sign a contract with a clause requiring that he shall only have his first name on his jersey in his first season in the big leagues is begging for a beat down. I don't care how good you are and in whatever big-time league you're in, that's just pretentious.
And that leaves me with one final thought: Man, I can't wait for college football to start.
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