{"id":786,"date":"2012-09-20T17:14:52","date_gmt":"2012-09-20T22:14:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.baseballroundtable.com\/?p=786"},"modified":"2012-09-21T10:11:40","modified_gmt":"2012-09-21T15:11:40","slug":"home-team-out-of-the-race-still-plenty-to-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baseballroundtable.com\/home-team-out-of-the-race-still-plenty-to-watch\/","title":{"rendered":"Home Team Out of the Race – Still Plenty to Watch"},"content":{"rendered":"

Even if your favorite team is out of the race, there is still a lot to keep you interested as the 2012 MLB season winds down.\u00a0 Here are just a few things that BBRT will be watching for outside of the Division and Wild Card races and post-season competition.\u00a0 (Stats includes games through September 19.)<\/p>\n

Will the Pirates\u2019 Andrew McCutchen save MLB the embarrassment of having the Giants\u2019 Melky Cabrera \u2013 serving a 50-game suspension for testing positive for testosterone \u2013 win the batting title?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The suspended Cabrera is one plate appearance short of the 502 needed to qualify for the batting title.\u00a0 MLB rules say a player short of the plate-appearance requirement can still win the batting crown if you add the necessary plate appearances as outs (in this case, just one) and their average would still lead the league.\u00a0 The addition would leave Cabrera\u2019s average at .346.\u00a0 McCutchen is hitting .340.\u00a0 BBRT says, \u201cGo Andy, go!\u201d<\/p>\n

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BBRT likes this M. Cabrera.<\/p><\/div>\n

Can the good Cabrera \u2013 Miguel \u2013 become the 16th<\/sup> player and first since 1967 to win the Triple Crown?\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Currently, Cabrera leads the AL in average at .333; RBI at 130; and trails Josh Hamilton in home runs 42 to 41.\u00a0 BBRT is rooting for this Cabrera.<\/span><\/p>\n

Who will win theAL batting crown?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The top contenders seem to be:<\/p>\n

– The Tigers\u2019 Miguel Cabrera at .333 (shooting for the triple crown);<\/p>\n

– The Angels\u2019 Mike Trout at .327 (working to become just the sixth rookie batting champ and only the third since 1900);<\/p>\n

– The Twins\u2019 Joe Mauer at .324 (who would become the only catcher to win four batting titles \u2013 he\u2019s already the only catcher with three);<\/p>\n

– The Yankees\u2019 Derek Jeter at .322 (looking to add a batting title to his Hall of Fame career.)<\/p>\n

Can surprising knuckleballer R.A. Dickey of the Mets become only the second pitcher in MLB history to win a Cy Young Award with a last place team?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Dickey currently sits at 18-6, 2.67 with five complete games, three shutouts and 205 Ks for the 66-82 Mets (just one game out of the NL East basement).\u00a0 First, of course, Dickey has to keep winning while the Mets lose their way to the bottom of the standings.\u00a0 Then, Dickey has to beat out another surprising hurler, the National\u2019s Gio Gonzalez, 19-8, 2.95, with two complete games, one shutout and 196 Ks.\u00a0 Coming into this season, these two Cy Young candidates had a combined record of 82-87 (Dickey \u2026 41-50 over nine seasons; Gonzalez \u2026 41-37 over four seasons.)<\/p>\n

The only Cy Young Award winner ever on a last place team?\u00a0 Steve Carlton in 1972.\u00a0Carlton went 27-10, 1.97, with 30 complete games, eight shutouts and 310 Ks for the 59-91 Phillies.<\/p>\n

Will the Pirates break their 19-year under-.500 streak?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The last time the Pirates finished above .500 was in 1992, when they won the NL East with a 96-66 record (their third straight NL East title).\u00a0 This year, the Pirates were 16 games over .500 on July 28.\u00a0 Since that time, they have fallen to 74-74.\u00a0 BBRT is hoping the Pirates break their streak of futility.<\/p>\n

Will Chipper Jones finish with a flourish?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In his last season, the future Hall of Famer is likely to see post-season action with the Braves (who appear headed for a Wild Card slot).\u00a0 BBRT looks forward to watching Chipper close out the season \u2013 and then seeing some post-season Chipper.\u00a0 The forty-year-old Jones is having a solid final season:\u00a0 .297, 14 HRs, 60 RBI in 102 games.<\/p>\n

Will Detroit\u2019s Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander become the first two pitchers from the same team to finish 1 & 2 in strikeouts (in their league) since the Cubs\u2019 Kerry Wood and Mark Prior in 2003?<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0 (The last time it was done in the AL was by the Angels Nolan Ryan and Frank Tanana in 1976).\u2019<\/p>\n

Currently, Scherzer leads the AL in Ks with 224, with Verlander second at 223.\u00a0 \u00a0Next is Seattle’s Felix Hernandez at 207.<\/p>\n

How many pitchers will achieve 20 wins this season?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Four hurlers seem to have a good shot at the 20-win club.\u00a0 Gio Gonzalez of the Nationals (currently at 19); R.A. Dickey of the Mets (18); David Price of the Rays (18); and Jered Weaver of the Angels (18).\u00a0 It will be the first 20-win season for any of this quartet who make it.<\/p>\n

Will the Nationals activate Strasburg for the playoffs?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Big question.\u00a0 BBRT would, but that\u2019s kind of \u201cold school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Will Roger Clemens take the mound for the Astros before season end?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

BBRT hopes not.\u00a0 But, it might sell some tickets. \u00a0And,so it delays his Hall of Fame eligibility for five years? \u00a0There are probably bigger concerns in that area.<\/p>\n

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BBRT loves this gentleman slugger.<\/p><\/div>\n

Will the Orioles get Jim Thome back in the line-up?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

BBRT hopes this gentleman gets a chance to help the Orioles and add to his 611 career home runs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Even if your favorite team is out of the race, there is still a lot to keep you interested as the 2012 MLB season winds down.\u00a0 Here are just a few things that BBRT will be watching for outside of the Division and Wild Card races and post-season competition.\u00a0 (Stats includes games through September 19.) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n