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38 °F 5 Day Forecast Friday, December 19, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend July 7, 2003 Commentary Halfway through, M’s, A’s and G-men all in the MLB hunt By TIM PYLE Mail Tribune A player hitting for the cycle. A catcher’s first career triple. An RBI from an American League pitcher. Advertisement A rookie’s first-ever home run. Those were among the highlights I witnessed on just Day 1 of my three-games-in-as-many-days adventure in the Bay Area last week. Oakland’s Eric Byrnes, Ramon Hernandez and Mark Mulder and San Francisco’s Francisco Santos were the respective providers of the noted accomplishments in a 5-2 Athletics win at Pacific Bell Park last Sunday. But beyond the individual feats in that game and in two clashes between American League West rivals Oakland and Seattle on June 30 and July 1 at Network Associates Coliseum, and deeper yet than even victories, there’s something else Major League Baseball teams are measuring this time of year. With the season’s numeric halfway point now past and its traditional one — the All-Star break — nearing, teams are taking stock of where they stand. I had the opportunity to make my own observations, up close and personal, of the three squads closest to the Rogue Valley, all of which are very much contenders. Here’s where I think they stand, in the order of how many times I saw them play: OAKLAND — The starting pitching, especially the top three, is superb. And that’s a great place to start with any team. What’s lacking is pop in the lineup and perhaps another relief arm or two. From watching the A’s (49-38 through Sunday) for three straight days, their offensive struggles were apparent. Outside the Byrnes-led, five-run effort against the Giants, Oakland managed just four runs in splitting two games with the Mariners. Through Friday, the A’s ranked 10th of 14 teams in the AL in batting average with a .254 mark and ninth in runs. With shortstop Miguel Tejada and third baseman Eric Chavez struggling the first half of the season, the attack has often been anemic. Tim Hudson — one of the big three starters, along with Mulder and Barry Zito — owns just six wins despite the league’s third-best ERA at 2.89. Still, Oakland is firmly in the wild-card race, if not so much the AL West-title hunt with Seattle holding a six-game edge. If general manager Billy Beane can make another of his well-documented magnificent moves for a productive bat, the A’s could mount a run come September and October. The starting pitching and defense are definitely championship-caliber. SEATTLE — Speaking of pitching and defense, the Mariners may boast the best combination in baseball. What’s more, Seattle’s lineup is solid and efficient, if not spectacular. The Mariners (55-32) are a purist’s delight in that they always make the routine play, advance the runner and drive a man in from third with less than two outs. Accordingly, they hold the AL’s best record and are just ½ game back of Atlanta for the top mark in the majors. Perhaps Seattle’s only real need is another big bat in the lineup, but any team can use that. The Mariners rank first in the AL in team pitching (the A’s are second) with a 3.55 ERA and third in team batting with a .278 average. They are fifth in runs scored. This could be Seattle’s year, but they’ve had similarly capable teams the last few seasons and failed to reach the World Series. SAN FRANCISCO — How the Giants (53-34) are in first place in the National League West, I’m not exactly sure. On paper, they’re nothing extraordinary, besides, of course, the incredible Barry Bonds. The rest of the lineup is average, at best, and the pitching doesn’t really intimidate, although starter Jason Schmidt is quickly becoming one of MLB’s top aces. Still, San Francisco possesses a five-game bulge in its division and shows no signs of fading into the Bay. With closer Robb Nen sidelined for the season, the Giants do need some bullpen help. An offense that sits sixth in the NL with a .265 average and seventh in runs could also use a boost. San Francisco is fifth in the league in team pitching, sporting an ERA of 3.90, largely on the work of a starting rotation that has been surprisingly good. The Giants could very well make the playoffs (although the return of aces Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling to Arizona, five games back, has got to scare the San Fran faithful), but I don’t see them doing much damage in the postseason this year. The Mariners, first, and A’s, second, are both better equipped for a shot at October glory. Reach reporter Tim Pyle at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! 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