Midseason report card has Cards in the Series

Nathan Latil
DM Staff Columnist

With the conclusion of last evening's All Star Classic, the 2000 Major League Baseball season is officially half over, and it's safe to say that no one could have expected this.

Aside from the obvious, the Braves are once again leading the NL East, and Big Mac is keeping us all happy with a hearty serving of home runs. The play thus far is without a doubt surprising.

For evidence one must look no further than the standings. Take the American League. The Mariners are enjoying a three game lead over the Oakland Athletics. So much for the rebuilding year in Seattle. It gets better. In the east, the world champion Yankees are struggling to keep pace with the Toronto Blue Jays. That's right, the Blue Jays. The biggest surprise of them all has to be the Chicago White Sox, who are sitting on a gargantuan lead over the Indians, not to mention the best record in baseball at 55-32.

Unlike the AL, the National League favorites are, at first glance, right on track. Mind you, though, they have some incredible teams nipping at their heels. The Braves are once again struggling with the Mets, who are definitely on the rise. The Diamondbacks, despite the dominating pitching of Randy Johnson, are still being eyed by Barry Bonds and the Giants. The only sure thing, it seems, are the St. Louis Cardinals, who continue to increase their lead over the Reds.

So, taking all of this into consideration, what can we expect for the second half of the season? Well, I'll tell you.

We'll start with the most shocking news. NL Wild card: Atlanta Braves, AL Wild card: New York Yankees. Yes, I'm sorry to say that neither of last year's World Series participants will come home with the pennant. The Yankees just don't have the overpowering pitching staff they used to have and frankly, neither do the Braves. In New York, David Cone is on the verge of his worst season, and the rest of the staff, while consistent, just doesn't seem to have what it takes this year for a strenuous pennant race against David Wells and the Jays. The Braves find themselves in a similar situation. The loss of John Smoltz and the disappointing performance of Kevin Milwood appeared to be no problem early on for Atlanta, but as the season drags on the holes left in their staff are really taking toll.

Ace pitcher Greg Maddux is holding his own, but even he isn't having his best year on the mound. As a result, the Braves suffered their first losing month in five years. Chipper and Galarraga can hit all the homers they want, but they just aren't going to get it done against the resurging Mets.

Where does that leave the rest of the league? Easy. It will be tight race in the AL West, with Oakland edging out the Mariners, thanks to the play of Jason Giambi and company. The Diamondbacks will see their lead over San Francisco continue to grow as Randy Johnson becomes the first unanimous choice for the Cy Young.

The AL Central division mates of the White Sox will only pray for a race as close, as the South Side Bombers run away with it. Same goes for the National League Central, as the Cardinals and their newfound pitching will hold their lead for the rest of the season.

As for a World Series prediction, believe me when I tell you that the Cardinals and White Sox are both for real. Ultimately, though, it'll be the Cards taking home the gold, beating the Sox six to win their first World Series since '82.

Nathan Latil is a senior English major from Ocean Springs. He can be reached at njlatil@olemiss.edu