Yesterday’s performance by Sabathia was without a doubt, MVP like. He pitched a complete game 4 hitter that was gutsy and purely entertaining. Going into the 9th inning, it looked as if Sabathia picked up more steam. He was throwing bullets in the 90’s, striking out one and getting a game ending double play to win the game.

Throughout the game against the Cubs yesterday, the Brewers had no offense. The only way they were going to win this game was with Sabathia giving up nothing and the Brewers’ offense just getting enough. It seemed at one point that Sabathia was there best offensive player too. In an at bat in the 6th he drove a ball deep to right field that just hooked right of the foul poll. Manager Dale Sveum showed just how valuable Sabathia was to this team in the 8th. With the score tied, Sveum left Sabathia in to hit despite having players on the bench to hit for him. Sveum kept him in knowing he’d need him for the 9th. And sure enough, it was the right choice.

The heart and determination that Sabathia has shown this season with the Brewers just shows that he is the best MVP candidate. The simplest way to solve the MVP debate is that the Brewers would not be in the playoffs without Sabathia. And, no other team in the NL can say that about one player.

Joba Chamberlain’s life story has been well chronicled since his debut in the majors last year, a story that was intensified by the media thanks to his amazing performance. Born Joba Heath turned Joba Chamberlain, he has become one of the most popular players in baseball. But, Joba’s mother has stepped up recently and talked to the Journal Star in Nebraska (Joba’s mother talks about her son and her life). She has revealed that she was a big part of Joba’s life and the stories of Joba’s father raising Joba alone are not entirely true. But, the story is still entirely sad.

For those who don’t know the story, Joba was raised by his father alone after separating with Joba’s mother (apparently). Chamberlain’s father Harlan raised Joba in poor conditions against tall odds and helped his son become one of the most feared pitchers in baseball. Harlan, who has Polio along with other health problems, has been seen in Yankee Stadium cheering his son on with as much enthusiasm as Joba shows on the field which garnered more fan interest in Joba. It’s the story baseball fans love, overcoming adversity and becoming the best, but the story isn’t as it seems.

In the article, Joba’s mother talks about her son and her life by Colleen Kenney, Joba’s mother, Jackie Standley, says that she had much more contact with her now estranged kids as was reported. She said that Joba lived with her most of the time until he was about ten years old and when Joba was with his father he was only a mile away. Jackie said that she did take advantage of Harlan, waiting for him to come home from work so that she could dump the kids off on him and go to bars. She also, later in Joba’s life, picked up a crystal meth addiction.

A point in this story where things began to really turn around was when Joba was 10. For father’s day, Standley changed Joba’s last name(originally Heath, Standley’s maiden name) to Chamberlain, Harlan’s last name. It’s said that it is from then when Joba began staying with Harlan and Harlan began to take total control, which in hindsight was conducive to Joba’s success.

Me and my son have had a good relationship. We lived within a mile of each other for his whole life. … Once I gave him his last name, it’s like he took total power. It was like, he starts staying there more. I got to the point where I was not going to fight with him over it. Joba was getting to school, getting good grades. He was doing sports, which is what he wanted.I don’t know why Harlan is doing all this. I’ve called, tried to ask him, and he don’t want to speak to me, which is weird, because Harlan raised me.

Jackie Standley on Raising Joba Chamberlain

It seems like there isn’t much animosity in this story, just sadness. No matter what’s true, or who says what, what Joba Chamberlain has overcome is a testament to his character and he, not his mother or his father, should be getting the attention. A truly inspirational baseball tale.

Give me your keys Torii

The leader of the outlandish celebration was of course, Torii Hunter. With champagne bottles bursting throughout the Angels dugout Hunter put on goggles and pretended to be Michael Phelps. Yeah, that’s right you heard me, he pretended to be Michael Phelps. He then created a dance called “the fish” that he dedicated to Michael Phelps. He then had this to say…

People would think this gets old — but it never does, I’ve been in some celebrations in Minnesota, and this one ranks right up there with any of them.We’ve got a 17-game lead or whatever, why celebrate like this? Because we’ve worked hard for it. Everybody’s swimming, dancing, going crazy. And it’s lasting a long time. These guys are awesome. They don’t want to go home.

Torii Hunter on Celebrating the Angels AL West Title

How about not celebrating like an idiot though. Doesn’t he realize that there are kids watching this fool swim through puddles of alcohol and beer cans? Have a little respect man.

MLB: Last Call!!

I think it’s time for the MLB to step in on this matter. How about using non-alcoholic beverages and showing that you are in fact role models and you do have people looking up to you. Listen, afterwards they can party and drink all they want, I don’t care, but when you’re being seen by millions of people and more importantly, kids at least pretend like you have some responsibility.

So, MLB please make the politically correct move and do something about this. If you’re not going to make them celebrate with only non-alcoholic beverages at least make a statement addressing the situation and the league’s views on alcoholic consumption in excess.

The horse race has come down to Webb, Lincecum, and Sabathia. Webb has been looking for his 20th win for his last 3 starts and it seems dumb not to give the Cy Young to possibly the only 20 game winner in the National League. But, Webb has struggled in his last 3 starts, giving up at least 6 runs in each of them. Lincecum has shown the most talent and has been the most dominant but his numbers in the win column doesn’t show it. Sabathia has been remarkable, brilliant, unhittable and has had the most impact on his team compared to Webb and Lincecum.

I think that right there is why you have to pick Sabathia. He has turned the Brewers around and it seems like they will be a playoff team. I try to look at the Cy Young as the pitcher’s MVP. Which team would not be a contender without one of these pitchers. Lincecum and the Giants aren’t going to be a contender this season either way so I don’t think he should really be considered. Webb’s Diamondbacks play in the worst division in baseball and still struggle so he is needed.

But it seems to be that Sabathia has changed the entire dynamic of this team. They have a reliable pitcher in which they can chalk up a win on any day he pitches. If you want to use the ‘he didn’t play in the National League the whole year’ card, well at this pace he’s going to end up with like 14 wins any way so what more can you ask from the guy?

There are times, like, it’s one of those cities … I might catch some flack for saying this, but, you know, they’re front-runners. When you’re doing good, they’re on your side. When you’re doing bad, they’re completely against you.

Jimmy Rollins on Philadelphia Phillies Fans on Best Damn Sports Show Period

Well, he ended up catching a lot of flack for saying that. And, in his first game since those comments he was booed immediately, starting from the announcing of the starting lineups. Every at bat by Rollins was seranaded with boos. Now, Jimmy Rollins was the Phillie Faithful’s favorite player last year, as his MVP season led them storming into the playoffs in the last month passing the stumbling Mets. So, they’re booing him now, doesn’t that mean he’s right, that they are in fact front-runners?

The answer is yes. Of course fans are front-runners in the sense that Rollins meant. Fans love you when you play well and hate you when you don’t, deal with it. And Jimmy Rollins isn’t playing well at all this year. After his .296, 30 HR, 94 RBI season last year, he’s hitting .263 with only 8 HR’s and 42 RBI’s. When you drop off that much after a season in which Phillie fans thought they were set for the next couple of years, of course they’re going to be mad.

I don’t think that Phillies fans should have booed him like they did but they do have a point. Rollins knew he was wrong when he was saying it, and even though he stuck his neck out for his teammates (statements were more about his teammates than himself), keep it in the clubhouse. If you don’t know how fans act by now you should seriously understand quickly because fans booing you every day can destroy one’s confidence and ruin a season.

So we’ve hit the mid-season point and a lot has changed since the beginning, but the question is will this be how it ends. Both Chicago teams, Cubs and White Sox, stand alone in first place in their respective divisions. The Mets’ season has started just as disastrous as it ended last year and the Yankees, well they’re just hanging around waiting for a trade like always. But the big surprise of this season has to be the Twins and the Rays.

Big Surprises

For a team to lose the best pitcher in baseball and get nothing good in return to be 1.5 games back in their division is astounding. The Twins have played it very quietly this season and have made themselves into contenders in the American League. Their ten game win streak came to a close this past Saturday but they easily bounced back with a win over the Milwaukee Brewers. They have a solid, young team with one of the best closers in the game in Joe Nathan. Don’t be surprised if you see this Twin team in the running for the A.L. Wild Card or even the Central Division.

The biggest surprise of the season has the be the Tampa Bay Rays though. They have shocked the American League, putting up a 49-32 record at the mid-way point and have established themselves as a legitimate threat in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, the American League East. Throughout this season people have been calling it a fluke and that it’s just luck, but with half the season gone they are atop the A.L. East and have the players to catapult them into the franchise’s first post-season. They are also beginning to bring in bigger crowds and have been rumored to possibly bring in one of the game’s biggest stars in Ken Griffey. If the Rays can complete a trade for Griffey this team will have to be considered one of the best teams in baseball.

The Second City in First

Is this their year? The Chicago Cubs have finally fielded a team that may be able to get past the curse. But that’s what they think every year. This year is different though. The Cubs have one of baseball’s most potent all-around threat in Alfonso Soriano, and are led by a fiery coach who simply knows how to win in Lou Pinella. The Cubs have the best baseball team with a record of 49-33 and are playoff bound and possibly World Series bound. As for the other side of town, the White Sox have surprised some critics and stand atop a very difficult A.L. Central with a record of 46-35. Ozzie Guillen and his team have played great baseball in a division that was etched in stone by many writers that the Detroit Tigers would win. The White Sox have a powerful team that can score at any moment, and are possibly one trade away from having a team capable of making a significant impact down the stretch.

800 miles east of Chicago sits millions of disappointed New Yorkers. The Mets are crumbling again behind poor management, poor upper management, and poor play on the field. They’ve lost their manager in Willie Randolph in an absolute fiasco that ate up thousands of headlines, and the players such as Jose Reyes, and David Wright, have yet to prove they are as good as their paycheck. Speaking of overpaid, in the Bronx the Yankees are having yet again another unpredictable, chaotic season. New skipper, Joe Girardi hasn’t shown New York much with a 44-38 record sitting 5.5 games back of the Tampa Bay Rays. Injuries of Chien-Ming Wang, Jorge Posada, and M.V.P Alex Rodriguez have hampered the Bombers’ season and have yet to prove that they the best in the bigs as they should be. A trade is looming in New York that could make or break these Yanks but with the tumultuous season they’ve had so far, Bomber fans should consider themselves lucky to only be 5.5 games out.

So with that said I’ll give you the second half predictions with who I think will end up in the playoffs come the end of the regular season.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

EAST- Boston Red Sox

CENTRAL- Detroit Tigers

WEST- Anaheim Angels

WILD CARD- Tampa Bay Rays

NATIONAL LEAGUE

EAST- Philadelphia Phillies

CENTRAL- Chicago Cubs

WEST- Los Angeles Dodgers

WILD CARD- St. Louis Cardinals