By Punch N. Judy
BaseballBigMouth.com baseball news 

Alright I promised a National League report and being a man of my word, a National League report you’ll get. Before we get started though let me say it’s not for lack of trying that this league is low on my to-view list. From the lackluster rosters to the parity prevalent in all three divisions, I’m sorry but this league is just plain B.o.r.i.n.g! It’s not that I’m a DH kinda guy, (I actually think its this evil that has fostered the age of the one-dimensional specialist that I loath so dearly) or that I’m blinded by years of living in an American League city, (Detroit) it really comes down to the cold hard fact that for the last decade the Senior Circuit has become vastly inferior in on-field talent. They are the old AFC trying to best the 49ers and Cowboys in the Super Bowl. Heck, look no further than Turner Field for your facsimile of the Buffalo Bills. Think the much-anticipated trade deadline has become uneventful? That’s because AL teams have no interest (save for my Tigers) in acquiring National Leaguers that may not be up to snuff in a tougher loop. But, like most elements of sport, one day this trend will right itself and the balance of power will either level off or shift entirely the other way. With the young pitching talent flying through the AL farm systems though, the NL is still a few lean years away. Until more teams like the Mets show a willingness to overpay for prime free agents, the teams “over there” will continue to languish in mediocrity. Sorry Cardinal fans, that’s just the truth. So now that I’ve told you how I really feel . . .

Punchless Post-Season Predictions

LOS ANGELES DODGERS- The recent 17-1 rampage was about as impressive as it gets. The big three of Derek Lowe, Brad Penny and Greg Maddux are the most impressive NL trio this side of Houston. Gamers like Bill Mueller, Nomah Garciaparra, and the underrated Rafael Furcal make the Dodgers the team to beat over here in the West. How this group hasn’t run off and hid is just one more fact that boggles Punch’s mind. Since He Who Shall Not Be Named took over this group of Red Sox cast-offs, the wait has been on for the consistency that marks a contender to take shape. If Jeff Kent can keep himself in the lineup somehow, I really do think this club can at least reach the Series.’ Keep your eye on LA. Pick-World Series Bound.

NEW YORK METS - Count me among the few who are just not sold on this team as some sort of powerhouse. I like their young guys at third, (David Wright) and short, (Jose Reyes) but that pitching staff has more burn holes than a frat house couch. Aside from Billy Wagner, the only thing certain for this staff is that no starting pitcher will throw more than six innings in a playoff start. Nonetheless, I will root hard for my boy Pedro, (especially if he’s facing The Empire) and wear my Oscar Madison Met cap backwards every time I write a post-season story where the New Yorkers are featured. Pick- Shocking first round exit.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS - I never was much of a Tony LaRussa fan. Yeah he obviously is a great manager. You don’t rank third all-time if you’re some scrub. However the ridiculous post-season fades by La Russa led teams lead me to believe that this guy is nothing more than a phenomenal frontrunner that can’t stop the bleeding when things go awry. Getting broomed in two World Series (for the longest time the Heckler and myself thought the 90’ one was fixed) and almost swept in a third (lest we forget 88’) is all the proof you need. Pick- Another post-season flop in the Mid-West.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES - I must be crazy (or just overtired perhaps) to think that this overpaid, under-managed, underachieving band of misfits could finally win an invitation to the post-season ball. Well, I’m not really. When you look at the Reds and there wobbling applecart of a pitching staff, and the win-one-lose one mentality of the rest of the field, the Phillies somehow become the de facto best of the rest. With a pretty consistent everyday lineup led by Ryan Howard, (who could pass for Dick Allen in swing ferocity) and Chase Utley, I just think the Phils will outlast this tongue wagging field down the stretch. Pick- NLCS bound, depending on the match-up.

Any National League fans out there? Let me hear from ya! I firmly stand behind my claim that your league is second rate, and welcome your rebuttal.

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This entry was posted on Monday, August 28th, 2006 at 7:47 pm and is filed under Punch N. Judy Pinch-hits, Baseball News and Views, Baseball. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.