Mid-Season Predictions

The All-Star game is this week, so MLB will begin the second half of the 2011 season this week So it!s
time to take a look at what we e"#ect to see in the second half and where we think things will end $#
come #ost-season time
NL West
%!m going to let some of m& bias show thro$gh B'(%)*+ That!s what % think an&time % see an )L
,est team There is no one that roots for an )L -ast or .entral team that can tell me that the& get
#$m#ed when the *iants, /iamondbacks, or Padres come to town The& sho$ld 0$st swa# the Astros
with the (ockies and then 0$st delete that di1ision, in m& o#inion )ow that wo$ld be an interesting
di1ision change
B$t if %!m forced to think abo$t the )L ,est witho$t being allowed to fall aslee# then % g$ess % wo$ld
sa& &o$ ha1e to like the *iants -1en witho$t B$ster Pose& the& still seem like the best team in that
di1ision Pl$s the& won the ,orld Series last &ear so &o$ ha1e to think that e"#erience will #a& off
down the stretch
There is certainl& some good #itching in this di1ision, % think the #roblem for me is that there are
almost no com#elling hitters T$lowit2ki is abo$t it and he!s not ha1ing that great of a &ear reall& B$t
#itching comes $# big in the #ost-season, so if the *iants or /-Backs can get in the #la&offs and get a
fa1orable match$# the& might be able to win at least one ro$nd
M& #rediction is the *iants get in with the worst record of an& #la&off team and get swe#t in the first
ro$nd