Second Division race highlights 2021 baseball pyramid at break

Halfway into the 2021 baseball season, the Second Division is producing a race such as we have never seen. All eight clubs are separated by less than two games.

A look at the standings through the baseball pyramid at the All-Star break reveals a thick race at the top and in the middle of the First Division, an incredibly tight Second Division from top to bottom, little suspense in the Third Division and another quandary such as only the baseball Fourth Division can produce.

Starting at the bottom, we see the Chicago White Sox on a clear path to winning the Fourth Division and entering next year's Third Division and Super League. They are clearly the best team in the American League Central, and it happens that the Fourth Division contains two divisional underlings, the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers, against whom to ring up many victories.

A different circumstance confronts the San Diego Padres, who have emerged this season as a national factor across the big leagues, but they are trapped in this Fourth Division with no one to play. 

In no other ordinal division of any other sport that we track on these pages do these sorts of problems arise, because the other sports play some kind of round robin schedule. But baseball's schedule, being imbalanced as it is, sometimes puts us in a tough spot with the Fourth Division. The problem is intensified because the division has only six clubs, rather than eight.

It often happens, like this year, that some team just stomps through the division, and it's hard sometimes to qualify a second club for promotion. Various rules have been tried here, and remain in force. But the Padres are "trapped," as it sometimes happens, because they're a division that lays out so they only get seven games, all against the Miami Marlins.

We do have a precedent in the Fourth Division that amounts to making the Padres eligible for promotion if they win five of those seven games. If they don't, we might have a problem, because it's likely every other team in the Fourth Division will have a losing record, except the White Sox. If the Padres win four, this becomes quite thorny. 

We might end up biting the bullet and saying that just in this one special case, the Fourth Division in baseball, the second promotion will be a judgment call. Hate to do that. Hope we don't have to. Because if you're looking at the teams in the Fourth Division, the White Sox and the Padres are the teams that have to go up. The White Sox will make it. And one supposes the Padres would make it if they played enough games. They might end up making it, though, simply because no one else reaches a winning record. 

In that case, we would have to suspend certain minimum requirements for promotion, but that sometimes becomes necessary to promote two Fourth Division teams. And why is it necessary to promote two Fourth Division teams? So that two Third Division teams can be demoted. There's usually no problem producing two teams that deserve it.

In the Third Division, we have no race to speak of. The San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners have raced way out in front of the pack, and it's likely they will be the two clubs promoted to next year's Second Division and Super League. At the bottom of this pile, we find the Pittsburgh Pirates and Texas Rangers, both apparently completing the long decent to the bottom tier.

The Rangers played among kings in the early days of this pyramid, which began tracking in 2010, but they now are facing their second straight demotion and the queasy reality of the Fourth Division for the first time. The Pirates were an original Fourth Division club in 2010, but they won it in 2012 and then won the Third Division in 2014. They spent five years in the Second Division before their demotion off 2019 and now they, too, face their second straight demotion.

Our Second Division is the stuff that dreams are made of, all eight teams riding within 1½  games of each other with many games remaining for each of these teams. The schedule lightweight here is Oakland, which has nine of its 22 Second Division games remaining. Everyone else has 15-20 games remaining. The A's come out of the All-Star break with a Second Division home series against the Cleveland Indians.

This is one division where every game is going to count. The top two finishers go to next year's First Division, and the top three finishers will be in the Super League. The bottom two finishers are going down. 

This is a tough, even assembly of teams, and one can see it from the fact that the Red Sox are 11-10 here. In every other division we run, and in the real standings, too, the Red Sox are a behemoth. But in this Second Division, they are 11-10.

One benefit of introducing the Super League is that it makes the whole First Division more interesting. There is a race for championship in the top tier, but, obviously not a race for promotion, so putting the top half of the First Division into the Super League raises the stakes in the middle of the league. 

When all the smoke clears, the only teams in the First Division now left standing still are the fifth-place and sixth-place teams, who occupy a middle station between Super League glory and Second Division banishment. They merely get to remain in the First Division.

We're pretty sure by now that the Arizona Diamondbacks will be banished, as they reached the All-Star break 3-21 in the top level. We ended up skipping 2020 in the pyramids because the teams didn't get around enough, but it remains that games were played, timed passed and the Diamondbacks declined so much from 2019 to 2021 that they are misplaced and not even competitive in this year's First Division. 

If we could have played the pyramids in 2020, the Diamondbacks would have been demoted then, probably, and they now would be fighting to stave off relegation to the Third Division. Instead, they're getting their brains beat in against the First Division.

At the top of the First Division, the Dodgers are one-half game ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers, no doubt a benefit of having the Diamondbacks in this company. A mere two games separates the third-place St. Louis Cardinals from the sixth-place New York Yankees. Add another half-game and we can throw in the Minnesota Twins, if they actually can win enough games against this group to reach the top half.

2021 National League lineal turns East

The Dodgers, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants are among the early leaders in the 2021 race for the National League lineal championship, but the prize rested in the East as the All-Star break arrived.

The National League traveling championship spent the first two months of the season on the West Coast, so the Dodgers, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants are among the contenders at the All-Star break.

But the break came with the championship crawling along the East Coast, passing successively to the Washington Nationals, the Miami Marlins, the Atlanta Braves and, later, the New York Mets. The Mets are the title holder at the pause, and they will put it on the line at home against the Atlanta Braves July 26-29.

It seems, though, that no team east of the San Joaquin Valley has the goods to sustain a championship streak. Perhaps the Milwaukee Brewers can do it, but they, and the St. Louis Cardinals, are the two clubs in the NL yet to play for this championship.

The Giants controlled the championship for most of a month, from May 9 to June 6, playing for it consistently during that period. In that time, the Giants won the title twice and defended it three times, losing only to a challenge to the Dodgers, but immediately winning it back in a counter-challenge.

Then the Giants ventured to Washington and lost two of three June 11-13. The title has been in the east ever since.

Ruling pushes White Sox out of Fourth Division

We needed a special ruling in 2015 to dig up two teams to promote from the Fourth Division. As a result, the Chicago White Sox finally have escaped. along with the New York Mets.

The Fourth Division is always a little difficult to figure, and the 2015 race even required a special ruling.

We dislike special rulings and hope to have everything covered in the rules, but new contingencies arise in new enterprises like this.

The problem with the Fourth Division is that it's desirable to promote two teams (that is, after all, the practice), but the Fourth Division often doesn't have two teams that can make a strong case for promotion. Quite often, one team will wipe out the Fourth Division and leave no one else with a winning record.

With only six teams in the Fourth Division, games already are harder to come by, and the 2015 six came from five different Major League divisions. In the larger and higher divisions, there is more crowding and more games because of it. So, in those divisions, it is required that no team can be promoted without at least 10 wins, no team can be demoted without at least 10 losses, and any team being promoted or relegated must face at least three other teams within that division.

In the Fourth Division, being smaller, we say its necessary to play at least two of the other clubs in the division. What of the win requirement? The 10-win requirement never was really tested until the end of 2015.

Until then, we said that a team that doesn't win 10 within the Fourth Division can't be promoted unless it has won at least 70 percent of its games and there is no other team with at least 10 wins and at least a .500 record to be promoted in its place.

Ending 2015, though, neither of those conditions held.

So, we had the Chicago White Sox, 8-4 in the Fourth Division and clearly the leading team. If the White Sox had just won one more game to go 9-3, there would be no decision here, but 8-4 is just less than 70 percent.

It's murky in the Fourth Division, and it's hard to get out of there. The Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates were in the original Fourth Division in 2010 and it took them each three years to escape. The Kansas City Royals were a Fourth Division original needing four years to escape. The Houston Astros fell to the Fourth Division in 2011 and they're still not getting out. The White Sox fell to the Fourth Division in 2012 and they're just now getting out with a special ruling.

The Orioles and Mets are original Fourth Division clubs that found their way out and back. In 2014, for example, the Orioles were in the Third Division, battling with the Kansas City Royals for promotion to the Second Division. But when the two clubs met in the American League Championship Series, the Royals won a four-game sweep, pushing themselves up to the second tier and pushing the Orioles back into the Third Division basement and demotion back to the Fourth Division.

The Royals are moving up to the First Division in 2016 after splitting the Second Division title in 2015. Meanwhile, the Orioles are doomed to another Fourth Division season in 2016.

Elsewhere in the Fourth Division, the New York Mets are 16-13 in 2015, clearly receiving a promotion to the Third Division in 2016. But the Mets were the second-place team (.583). What about the first-place team?

Who would you promote instead of the White Sox? In third place, we had the San Diego Padres, 9-7. They present the same questions as the White Sox, except their record isn't as good. In fourth place, we had the Houston Astros, 8-8, hardly the breakout season we have seen in the Major League race. Next down, it's the Miami Marlins at 12-17 and the Baltimore Orioles at 8-12. Can't promote either of them.

So, the White Sox will join the Mets in promotion. And the promotion policy will remain as stated above, with one addendum: If there is no team with fewer than 10 wins and a winning percentage of 70 percent or better, and there is no team with at least 10 wins and a .500 record, then a team with fewer than 10 wins and a winning percentage of .600 or better will receive preference for promotion.

A rule change, which is being considered, would lower the promotional requirement to eight wins within the Fourth Division. Supporters of the change say it would be a more realistic measure of promotional merit in a smaller division. Opponents say the 10-win requirement promotes excellence.

We're not sure what promoting excellence is supposed to do with the Fourth Division, but we cite the Oakland Athletics, who were 25-7 in the Fourth Division in 2013. No one else in the Fourth Division had a winning record that year and the second promotion went to the Royals, who were 17-17. So, the A's and Royals went to the Third Division in 2014.

And it was interesting how the Third Division shook out in 2014. Pittsburgh came in as the clear winner at 25-11. At the end of the regular season, Kansas City was second at 11-10, but the A's (17-17) were right there, as were the Orioles (13-14).

As it happened, the American League playoff race took the Athletics to Kansas City for that year's wild card game in the American League. The Royals won, as everyone knows, and they later swept the Orioles, dropping them to last place in the division at 13-18.

So, with that wild card game, the fortunes for the Royals and A's changed a lot. The A's came back in 2015 as the last-place team in the Third Division, which means their immediate future is somewhere down below. They will be joined in the 2016 Fourth Division by the Colorado Rockies.

2014 Bud Selig West standings and summary

The Angels won the Bud Selig West for the second time, blowing past the Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals for the 2014 title. The Angels, who won the 2014 title by 11 games, had last won the Bud Selig West title in 2011.

By BILL PETERSON

Big Leagues in Los Angeles

There was basically no competition anywhere the Angels went in 2014, except for the American League playoffs, where they lost in three games to the Kansas City Royals in the divisional round.

The Angels finished 98-64 during their Major League season to win the American League West by 10 games over the Oakland Athletics. They also won the Joe Cronin League by 10 games, and, here in the Bud Selig West, they chalked up a title by 11 games over the Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals.

The Dodgers and Cardinals have fought mostly between themselves for the Bud Selig West since 2011, but this  title for the Angels gives them their second Bud Selig West championship. They won it the first time in 2011 by two percentage points over the Cardinals.

2014 Chub Feeney League standings and summary

The Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals went to the National League Divisional Series neck-and-neck on top of the Chub Feeney League. The Cardinals prevailed in that series, and in the Chub Feeney League. The Cincinnati Reds, who won the first three Feeneys, fell all the way to the league basement.

By BILL PETERSON

Big Leagues in Los Angeles

Once again, the Chub Feeney League came down to the Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League playoffs. Once again, the Cardinals prevailed.

This time, the Cardinals beat the Dodgers in a four-game divisional series during the National League playoffs, securing a three-game margin on the Dodgers in the Chub Feeney. Entering the series, the Cardinals held a one-game lead on the Dodgers in the Chub Feeney League, so the Dodgers would have prevailed if they had won in three or four games. However, it went for the Cardinals.

The Chicago Cubs with their youth movement made a surprising run in the Chub Feeney League. Though the Cubs again finished last in the National League Central, they were 43-41 in the Chub Feeney League, putting them in third place, four games back of the lead.

The Cincinnati Reds, who won the Chub Feeney League in each of its first three years, plummeted all the way to the Chub Feeney basement in 2014, finishing 8½ games out of the lead.

2013 Bud Selig West standings and summary

The Texas Rangers won the American League pennant in 2010 and 2011, but not until 2013 did they win the Bud Selig West. The Rangers won by percentage points over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Dodgers still could have beaten both the Rangers and the Cardinals if they could have won in the National League Championship Series.

By BILL PETERSON

Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The Texas Rangers had nice three-year run though the American League, winning pennants in 2010 and 2011, then going to the playoffs in 2012. But in none of those years did the Rangers win anything in the Joe Cronin or Bud Selig Leagues.

The Rangers weren't bad in 2013, either, though they missed the playoffs because they lost a tie-breaker to the Tampa Bay Rays. However, they did win the Bud Selig West in a very close race. In the games behind column, the Rangers and Cardinals actually tied, but the Rangers, at 54-31 and a .635 winning percentage, finished percentage points ahead of the Cardinals, who were 61-38 and .616.

The Dodgers finished 2½ games back and could have made a run for the title in their National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. If the Dodgers had just won the series in seven games, they would have finished 49-38 with a .636 winning percentage, enough for the percentage portion of the title, though they still would have finished a game behind the Rangers. A four-game sweep of the Cardinals would have given the Dodgers the whole title. Instead, though, the Dodgers lost the series in six games, taking them out of either half of the title.

2013 Chub Feeney League standings and summary

The St. Louis Cardinals won the expanded Chub Feeney by five games over the Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds, who had won the first three Feeney titles. The Cardinals clinched victory at the very end, when the beat the Dodgers in a six-game National League Championship Series.

By BILL PETERSON

Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The St. Louis Cardinals took full advantage of the new order in the Chub Feeney League, winning the loop by a comfortable five games over the Dodgers and the three-time defending champion Cincinnati Reds.

In fact, the Cardinals, Dodgers and Reds were the only clubs to break even or better in the expanded Feeney League. Among the newcomers, the best was the Milwaukee Brewers, who finished 41-42, 13 games out of first place.

The Dodgers had a chance to win it in the National League playoffs, as they faced the Cardinals during the championship round. Entering those playoff games, the Cardinals were 53-30 and the Dodgers were 38-21, so the Cardinals held a three-game lead. If the Dodgers had swept that series, they would have won the Feeney, and they would have tied the Cardinals for the Feeney if they had won the series in five games. 

Instead, the Cardinals won it in six, padding their cushion over the Dodgers in the end.

2014 Fourth Division standings and summary

The Minnesota Twins and Colorado Rockies aren't for long staying in the Fourth Division. They finished one-two in the bottom tier in 2014, securing their advance back to the Third Division for 2015. The New York Mets, once again the second-place team, once again didn't win the 10 games they needed to advance.

By BILL PETERSON

Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The Minnesota Twins and Colorado Rockies must be joined at the hip. At the least, they are joined in the last three years of these standings.

The Twins and Rockies both were demoted from the Second Division to the Third Division for 2013, then from the Third Division to the Fourth Division for 2014.

Now, they're both headed back up to the Third Division  for 2015. The Twins won the 2014 Fourth Division outright at 18-14. The Rockies actually finished third, behind the New York Mets. However, the Mets, again, didn't win enough of their few games to earn promotion. They finished 9-7 and would have advanced with one more win. But they didn't get it.

Once more, the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox failed to advance, meaning the Astros will spend their fifth straight year in the Fourth Division, and the White Sox will be there for the fourth straight year.

2012 Third Division standings and summary

The Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers won the promotion sweepstakes from the Third Division in 2012 to the Second Division in 2013. The Nationals stomped through this group with a .654 winning percentage, while the Brewers have earned their second consecutive promotion.

By BILL PETERSON

Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The New York Mets and Cleveland Indians have been to the Fourth Division before. The Mets are going back. The Indians are saved by a technicality.

The Mets were a clear choice for relegation, finishing the furthest out of first place and with the second worst winning percentage in this group. The Indians (7-10) had the worst winning percentage, tying with the San Diego Padres at 9 1/2 games back. However, the Indians played only the Toronto Blue Jays and the Miami Marlins within the Third Division, short of the three opponents needed for promotion or relegation. So, the Padres are going down the the Fourth Division in 2013.

The winners in this group were the Washington Nationals and Milwaukee Brewers. The Nationals finished 34-18 to win this race by 7 1/2 games over the Brewers. But the Brewers were the only other club with a winning record in the Third Division, clinching their rise from the Fourth Division to the Second Division in two years.

2011 Second Division standings and summary

The Texas Rangers had the best record in the Second Division for 2011, but they only played two teams, so they don't get promoted. Instead, the Cincinnati Reds go to the top level, just two years after starting these standings in the Third Division. The Los Angeles Dodgers, just relegated for 2011, are going back to the top in 2012.

By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The Texas Rangers finished 2011 with the best record in the Second Division. However ...

A couple of important rules concerning promotion and relegation in these standings need to be addressed.

One, which doesn't apply here, states that no team can be promoted without at least 10 wins, and no team can be relegated without at least 10 losses. Obviously, the schedules within these divisions can't be balanced, because we're playing them off the actual Major League schedules and, sometimes, a team just won't play enough to produce a representative performance. It would seem wrong for a 9-3 team to be promoted over a team that goes 21-9, and it would seem pretty cheap to demote the 3-9 team instead of the 9-21 team.

The second rule, which does apply here, says a team must play against at least three teams in its division to be promoted or relegated. In this case, the Rangers played only two teams -- the Seattle Mariners, against whom they finished 15-4, and the Atlanta Braves, against whom they were 2-1. Should a team be promoted to any division, let alone the First Division, for going 15-4 against a terrible Seattle team in 2011? We don't think so, either.

So, the Rangers can claim the Second Division championship, but they can't be promoted. Instead, the Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds are moving up. The Dodgers, of course, had just been demoted to the second tier after the 2010 season. The Reds, who started this thing as a Third Division team in 2010, already will be in the First Division for 2012.

Going down in 2012, are the Mariners, who had those struggles with the Rangers, also going 0-3 against the Braves and 5-1 against the San Diego Padres. The Padres really got a lot of work in the Second Division, and didn't do it very well, finishing 25-38. They actually finished 1 1/2 games more out of first place than the Mariners, but their .397 percentage topped the Mariners (.321).

2010 Third Division standings and summary

The Cincinnati Reds blitzed through the Third Division to win easy promotion to the Second Division for 2011. The San Diego Padres beat out the Toronto Blue Jays by one game to earn the second promotion. Going down to the Fourth Division in 2011 are the Milwaukee Brewers and Houston Astros.

By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The Arizona Diamondbacks had a bad enough record in 2009 to be assigned the Fourth Division in 2010, but they won a tiebreaker with the New York Mets.

Somehow, though, the Third Division suited the Diamondbacks. Although they finished their Major League season 65-97 for the second worst record in the National League, they finished 19-23 in this Third Division group and easily escaped relegation for 2011.

The Cincinnati Reds, who won their first full-season Major League division since 1990, were the class of this group, earning the first promotion to the 2011 Second Division by five games. The San Diego Padres won a close race with the Toronto Blue Jays for the second promotion.

On the bad side, the Houston Astros were starting their long downward slide and got themselves kicked down to the Fourth Division for 2011, but they didn't struggle in the Third Division quite as badly as the Milwaukee Brewers, the last-place team in this group and, therefore, the first to be relegated for the following season.

2014 Henry Aaron Award standings and results

The San Francisco Giants did the Henry Aaron Award in style in 2014, setting all-time records in wins, title defenses and games holding the title. They already were going to be the Team of the Year by the end of August, and their postseason run made them the team of all time. So far.

By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The San Francisco Giants already were going to be the Henry Aaron Award Team of the Year in 2014 before the end of August.

By the end of October, they were breaking new ground with the prize.

The Giants, 41-18, set the all-time record in Aaron wins, also setting all-time Aaron records in title defenses (10) and defense opportunities (13). They also held the Aaron for 48 games (and counting!), another Aaron record. And the Giants didn't even need help from a new rule, effective in 2013, saying that the champion couldn't lose the Aaron in a break-even series (the other traveling competitions use tiebreakers). The Giants won every title defense cleanly.

The Giants enjoyed runs of two, three and four title defenses off their four title captures.

The big run came at the end. The Giants took the Aaron with three-of-four against the San Diego Padres in San Francisco during the last series of the regular season, then held it for four defenses through their seven-game victory against the Kansas City Royals in the World Series.

Despite interleague play taking place throughout the season, the Aaron stayed in one league for long stretches of time.

It began with the Toronto Blue Jays carrying it from the end of 2013 and stayed in the American League until April 27, when the Giants took it from the Cleveland Indians with a three-game sweep in San Francisco. The Aaron stayed in the NL until July 2, when the Indians took it from the Dodgers in a two-of-three win at Dodger Stadium ending on July 2.

The NL took it back when the Giants won two of three from the Detroit Tigers in Detroit, ending on Sept. 7, and it stayed in the NL for the rest of the season.

2014 Henry Aaron Award results

Total run tiebreakers, though they do not count, are given at the end of the results for reference.


Toronto 2, Tampa Bay 2 — March 30-April 3 at Toronto (Tampa Bay, 18-11).
New York (AL) 2, Toronto 1 — April 4-6 at New York.
Baltimore 2, New York (AL) 1 — April 7-9 at New York.
Toronto 2, Baltimore 1 — April 11-13 at Baltimore.
Minnesota 2, Toronto 1 — April 15-17 at Minneapolis.
Kansas City 2, Minnesota 1 — April 18-20 at Kansas City.
Cleveland 3, Kansas City 1 — April 21-24 at Cleveland.
San Francisco 3, Cleveland 0 — April 25-27 at San Francisco.
San Francisco 2, San Diego 1 — April 26-28 at San Francisco.
San Francisco 3, Atlanta 0 — May 2-4 at Atlanta.
Pittsburgh 2, San Francisco 1 — May 5-7 at Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh 2, St. Louis 1 — May 9-11 at Pittsburgh.
Milwaukee 2, Pittsburgh 1 — May 13-15 at Milwaukee.
Chicago (NL) 2, Milwaukee 1 — May 16-18 at Chicago.
Chicago (NL) 1, New York (AL) 1 — May 20-21 at Chicago (Chicago, 8-5).
Chicago (NL) 2, San Diego 2 — May 22-25 at San Diego (San Diego, 18-12).
San Francisco 2, Chicago (NL) 1 — May 26-28 at San Francisco.
San Francisco 3, St. Louis 1 — May 29-June 1 at St. Louis.
San Francisco 2, Cincinnati 1 — June 3-5 at Cincinnati.
San Francisco 3, New York (NL) 0 — June 6-8 at San Francisco.
Washington 3, San Francisco 0 — June 9-11 at San Francisco.
St. Louis 3, Washington 0 — June 13-15 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 2, New York (NL) 0 — June 17-18 at St. Louis.
St. Louis 2, Philadelphia 2 — June 19-22 at St. Louis (Philadelphia, 13-11).
St. Louis 2, Colorado 1 — June 23-25 at Denver.
Los Angeles 3, St. Louis 1 — June 26-29 at Los Angeles.
Cleveland 2, DODGERS 1 — June 30-July 2 at Los Angeles.
Cleveland 2, Kansas City 1 — July 4-6 at Cleveland.
Cleveland 2, New York (AL) 2 — July 7-10 at Cleveland (Cleveland, 21-16).
Cleveland 2, Chicago (AL) 1 — July 11-13 at Cleveland.
Cleveland 2, Detroit 1 — July 18-20 at Detroit.
Minnesota 2, Cleveland 1 — July 21-23 at Minneapolis.
Chicago (AL) 3, Minnesota 1 — July 24-27 at Minneapolis.
Chicago (AL) 2, Detroit 1 — July 27-29 at Detroit.
Minnesota 2, Chicago (AL) 1 — August 1-3 at Chicago.
Minnesota 1, San Diego 1 — August 5-6 at Minneapolis (Minnesota, 7-6).
Oakland 3, Minnesota 1 — August 7-10 at Oakland.
Kansas City 3, Oakland 1 — August 11-14 at Kansas City.
Kansas City 3, Minnesota 1 — August 15-18 at Minneapolis.
Kansas City 1, Colorado 1 — August 19-20 at Denver.
Kansas City 2, Texas 1 — August 22-24 at Arlington.
New York 1, Kansas City 0 — August 25 at Kansas City.
Detroit 2, New York 1 — August 26-28 at Detroit.
Detroit 2, Chicago (AL) 2 — August 29-31 at Chicago (Detroit, 21-17).
Detroit 3, Cleveland 1 — September 1-4 at Cleveland.
San Francisco 2, Detroit 1 — September 5-7 at Detroit.
San Francisco 3, Arizona 0 — September 9-11 at San Francisco.
Los Angeles 2, San Francisco 1 — September 12-14 at Los Angeles.
Colorado 2, Los Angeles 1 — September 15-17 at Denver.
Colorado 3, Arizona 1 — September 18-21 at Denver.
San Diego 2, Colorado 1 — September 22-24 at San Diego.
San Francisco 3, San Diego 1 — September 25-28 at San Francisco.
San Francisco 1, Pittsburgh 0 — October 1 at Pittsburgh.
San Francisco 3, Washington 1 — October 3-7 at Washington and San Francisco.
San Francisco 4, St. Louis 1 — October 11-16 at St. Louis and San Francisco.
San Francisco 4, Kansas City 3 — October 21-29 at Kansas City and San Francisco.

Aaron: Giants reach record streak 24 games

Inevitably, someone will stop the San Francisco Giants and wrestle away the Henry Aaron Award, but the Giants have once again defended the title this week and now have held it for 24 games, setting the all-time record.

Brandon Crawford had a big series for the San Francisco Giants against the Arizona Diamondbacks, going five-for-13 with a homer and three RBI (SD Dirk/Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license).

By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

Coming off of a spectacular 2014 in the Henry Aaron Award competition, the San Francisco Giants are continuing to streak with the prize in the early days of 2015, and they're doing it in record-setting fashion.

The Henry Aaron Award is the interleague traveling distinction, established in 2011.

The Giants won two of three on the road this week against the Arizona Diamondbacks to continue a run with the award that began last Sept. 25-28, when they took it from the San Diego Padres at home during the final series of the regular season. Thursday, the Giants squeaked past the Padres, 1-0 in 12 innings, to begin a four-game series for the Aaron in San Diego.

After winning the Aaron from the Padres at the end of last season, the Giants took it all the way through the postseason, including their seven-game World Series victory against the Kansas City Royals. The 2014 World Series marked the third time in four years of the Aaron that the prize was on the line during the fall classic.

The Giants now have held the Aaron for 24 straight games, eclipsing the previous record of 23 games set by the St. Louis Cardinals at the start of the 2012 season. The Cardinals had taken the Aaron from the Texas Rangers with a seven-game victory in the 2011 World Series.

The Giants compiled the greatest Aaron season in history with their 2014 effort, during which they won the honor every time they had the chance, then defended it ferociously. The Giants won the title four times and were successful in 10 of 13 defenses, accounting for all of the 17 series they played with the Aaron on the line. The Giants were 41-18 in Aaron games and held it for 48 games, the all-time record.

Henry Aaron standings, through April 9

Here are the results and standings in 2015 for the Henry Aaron Award, which distinguishes the team holding the interleague traveling prize going back to 2011.

A rendering of Henry Aaron's 1969 Topps baseball card.

2015 Henry Aaron (interleague) standings and results through April 9

Standings

                        W    L    P    T    G    D    A
San Francisco   3     1    2     0     4     1     1
Arizona             1     2    1     0     0     0     0
San Diego         0     1    1     0     0     0     0  

W — Wins. L — Losses. P — Times played for title. T — Titles won. G — Number of games that team held title after winning it. D — Title defenses. A — Title defense attempts.

Results
San Francisco 2, Arizona 1 — April 6-8 at Arizona.
San Francisco 1, San Diego 0 — April 9 at San Diego (ongoing).

Is the extra pitcher worth it?

Like the Oakland Athletics, the Detroit Tigers added a premium pitcher to a deep rotation at the non-waiver trading deadline and took a player out of their daily lineup to do it. Again, the questions about the Athletics' deal apply to the Tigers, even if Austin Jackson isn't as big of a loss as Yoenis Cespedes.

The Detroit Tigers made a deep starting rotation deeper by acquiring David Price from the Tampa Bay Rays. Is it worthwhile to deepen a deep starting rotation for the postseason (Keith Allison [original], UCinternational [crop]/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license)?


By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

The non-waiver trading deadline passed last week with quite a lot of smoke. Where there's smoke, there ought to be fire, but it remains to be seen if any of these deals will wind up so hot.

We've already discussed the deadline deal between the Oakland Athletics and the Boston Red Sox, in which left-handed pitcher Jon Lester and left fielder Yoenis Cespedes switched coasts. We don't believe it will add up as a plus for the Athletics, who added the pitcher at the expense of the mid-lineup hitter.

Another deal in much the same spirit occurred between three clubs – the Detroit Tigers, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Seattle Mariners. At the All-Star break, the Rays were nine games down in a division without a great club, which led us to believe the Rays would ride it out and take a crack at winning. But Thursday's three-wheeled deal perhaps was more than the Rays could refuse. They gave up left-hander David Price, their top pitcher, who wound up with the Detroit Tigers. The Rays brought in middle infielder Nick Franklin from the Mariners, while lefty Drew Smyly and 18-year-old Class A shortstop Willy Adames came in from Detroit. The Mariners bagged center fielder Austin Jackson from the Tigers to complete the trade.

Again, we scratch our heads. This time, it's about the Tigers, though not so much as we scratched them over Oakland's acquisition of Lester. The Tigers wound up giving quite a lot for Price – a good starting pitcher, their center fielder and a good prospect. But the Tigers already had depth in their starting rotation, more than any other club in the American League, including Oakland, and it is puzzling that they would pay the price they paid to add depth to a deep rotation when the postseason specifically doesn't reward depth in the starting rotation. The Tigers already had Justin Verlander (9-9, 4.79, 0.4 WAR), Max Scherzer (13-3, 3.27, 4.2), Rick Porcello (12-5, 3.24, 3.7) and Anibal Sanchez (7-5, 3.57, 2.4), along with Smyly (6-9, 3.93, 1.8). They have replaced Smyly with Price (11-8, 3.11, 2.7) at the immediate cost of Jackson (.730 OPS, 1.8 WAR).

A fourth consecutive American League Central title for the Tigers is all but a fait accompli. They entered Monday's games with a five-game lead on the Kansas City Royals and no one seriously believes the second-place club here can mount a challenge unless the Tigers were to entirely collapse. In any case, the Tigers are too far along to be selling out for division championships. They're trying to make that step they haven't made since 1984. They're trying to win the World Series.

So, this trade, for the Tigers, is about the playoffs. And the same kind of analysis that we applied to the Athletics applies to the Tigers. We can figure now that the front three pitchers for the Tigers during the postseason will be Price, Verlander and Scherzer. The fourth man will be Porcello. In that case, Sanchez becomes a non-entity during the postseason.

Again, we raise the question: Is it worth it for the Tigers to add Price to their postseason rotation if it means 1) Fewer starts for a fine pitcher in Porcello; 2) No starts for a fine pitcher in Sanchez, and; 3) Jackson has to be replaced in the every day lineup by someone who isn't as good?

Price is a terrific pitcher. No one can or should dispute that. The question isn't whether Price is worth having, but whether he's worth having for a club that already had enough good starters already, and whether it's worth Price to take starts away from, for example, Porcello or Sanchez. And the Tigers also have deprived themselves of a decent center fielder whose offense and defense will not be easily replaced.

We've been rather hammering on this lately. We argued on July 31 that the Dodgers should not make this sort of trade, we argued on Aug. 1 that the Athletics should not have made that sort of trade, and we argue here, today, that the Tigers should not have made this sort of trade.

We have here two instances of the wrong kind of club making the wrong kind of trade. To credit Oakland general manager Billy Beane and Detroit general manager David Dombrowski, at least they traded for top quality pitchers, unlike so many general managers we've seen at trade deadline. The criticism here is that both clubs already had enough quality and depth in their rotations to prosper in the postseason, so they ended up paying heavily for entities they do not need, and to the detriment of their offensive and defensive platoons.

The good news for the Tigers is that Price is under contract for 2015, so, unlike Oakland's deal for Lester, this one isn't a rental. The Tigers have Price in 2015, and they can build their 2015 club with that in mind.

As always, baseball is unpredictable. Among the game's pleasures is that it invites us to make predictions about the future, then, in time, tells us if our predictions are on target.

In the weeks leading to the trade deadline, for example, it required absolutely no ingenuity to find commentaries bemoaning that expanded playoffs and recent changes to draft compensation rules were killing this non-waiver trading period. In July, it turned out, five players were traded right as or after they were named All-Stars in their leagues – Cespedes, Price, Lester, Jeff Samardzija (from the Chicago Cubs to Oakland) and Huston Street (from the San Diego Padres to the Angels).

Lots of interesting changes here. We're predicting that the Angels will emerge from the clearing smoke better than anyone involved in an All-Star trade, that the Tigers didn't help themselves and that the Athletics hurt themselves. Perhaps the next few months will prove us wrong. Or not.

NL West: Dodgers, and no one else, according to WAR

The 2013 season went badly for most of the National League West. Only the Dodgers prospered and, if we subtract that 42-8 period, it wasn't so great for them, either. But the Dodgers are back with obviously the strongest team in the NL West for 2014, according to the 2013 WAR values of their 2014 players.

By WAR, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw was the best player in the NL West for 2013, carding a 7.9 (kla4067/Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license).

By BILL PETERSON
Big Leagues in Los Angeles

If we're just looking at 2013 player value, there's no one else to look at but the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West this season.

If we're just looking at payroll, it's the Dodgers, who hold the new all-time record at $234 million. If we're just looking at 2013, it's the Dodgers.

The Dodgers certainly have areas of vulnerability, but they have no match within the NL West.

Following is a list of each team in the division, giving each club's "top half" position players by 2013 WAR, its "second-level" position players, its top-level pitchers and second-level pitchers. For the top-half position players, we give the player's position and where he ranked at the position across big league baseball in 2013 WAR, then the actual WAR value for the player. For every other category, we give the player's overall 2013 WAR ranking, understanding that pitchers and position players are ranked separately.

More about all of this, including some important clarifications, can be found here. Bear in mind, though, that the 2013 WAR totals for each club only include these top players, and every club will have players with little, no or negative WAR value that actually would drag down its totals.

Los Angeles Dodgers (50.1 in 2013 WAR)

Top-half position players — 1B: Adrian Gonzalez, 10, 3.9; SS: Hanley Ramirez, 2, 5.4; 3B: Juan Uribe, 7, 4.1; RF: Yasiel Puig, 3, 5.0; C: A.J. Ellis, 12, 2.3. Totals: five players, 20.7 WAR.

Second-level position players — Andre Ethier, 90, 2.7; Carl Crawford, 154, 1.8; Scott Van Slyke, 214, 0.9; Justin Turner, 215, 0.9. Totals: four players, 6.3 WAR.

Top-level pitchers — Clayton Kershaw, 1, 7.9; Zack Greinke, 25, 3.9; Hyun-jin Ryu, 37, 3.3; Kenley Jansen, 62, 2.6; J.P. Howell, 118, 1.6. Totals: five players, 19.4 WAR.

Second-level pitchers — Paco Rodriguez, 126, 1.5; Jamey Wright, 188, 0.9; Chris Withrow, 214, 0.7; Brian Wilson, 230, 0.6. Totals: four pitchers, 3.7 WAR.

With three starting pitchers among the top 37 by 2013 WAR, the Dodgers are loaded in front of their pitching staff. With six relievers on this list, they are loaded in their bullpen.

Who would have ever thought the Dodgers would put four outfielders on these lists, and none of them would be Matt Kemp?

These categories show us that the Dodgers still have areas of need, particularly second base, where they are trying Dee Gordon at the moment. But they still have fewer holes than anyone else around.

Arizona Diamondbacks (42.9 in 2013 WAR)

Top-level position players — 1B: Paul Goldschmidt, 2, 7.0; 3B: Martin Prado, 15, 2.3; RF; Cody Ross, 12, 2.5; CF: Gerardo Parra, 4, 6.1; A.J. Pollock, 11, 3.5; LF: Mark Trumbo, 14, 2.2. Totals: six players, 23.6 WAR

Second-level position players — Mark Trumbo, 125, 2.2; Cliff Pennington, 151, 1.8; Aaron Hill, 198, 1.1. Totals: three players, 5.1 WAR.

Top-level pitchers — Patrick Corbin, 57, 2.8; Bronson Arroyo, 66, 2.5; Brad Ziegler, 109, 1.7. Totals: three pitchers, 7.0 WAR.

Second-level pitchers — Wade Miley, 135, 1.4; Addison Reed, 161, 1.2; J.J. Putz, 197, 0.9; Josh Collmenter, 200, 0.9; Will Harris, 206, 0.8; Matt Reynolds, 219, 0.7; Trevor Cahill, 225, 0.7; Joe Thatcher, 231, 0.6. Totals: eight pitchers, 7.2 WAR.

This everyday lineup has nice depth, though the Diamondbacks need a big bounce-back season from catcher Miguel Montero, barely a replacement player last year with 0.1 WAR. Also, Cody Ross is out of the picture right now as he tries to come back from a nasty hip contusion.

The starting rotation is weak, especially with Corbin missing the entire season with Tommy John surgery. Fortunately, the Diamondbacks signed Bronson Arroyo, who was about as good last year.

Colorado Rockies (43.1 in 2013 WAR)

Top-half position players — SS: Troy Tulowitzki, 3, 5.3; 3B; Nolan Arenado, 3.9; LF: Carlos Gonzalez, 2, 5.0; C: Wilin Rosario, 13, 2.3. Totals: four players, 16.5 WAR.

Second-level players — Michael Cuddyer, 137, 2.0; Justin Morneau, 138, 2.0; Brandon Barnes, 159, 1.7; DJ LeMahieu, 179, 1.4; Charlie Blackmon, 224, 0.8; Corey Dickerson, 230, 0.7. Six players, 8.6 WAR.

Top-level pitchers — Jhoulys Chacin, 9, 5.9; Jorge De La Rosa, 19, 4.3; Tyler Chatwood, 33, 3.4; Adam Ottavino, 78, 2.2. Totals: four pitchers, 15.8 WAR.

Second-level pitchers: — Wilton Lopez, 195, 0.9; Boone Logan, 225, 0.7; Matt Belisle, 239, 0.6. Totals: three pitchers, 2.2 WAR.

There is some talent here. The Rockies have 10 position players between the two position player lists, where the average club would have eight. And, because WAR accounts for park factors, these players aren't inflated by Coors Field. The Rockies should score some runs.

The Rockies have three All-Star level performers in Tulowitzki, Gonzalez and Chacin. They've got value throughout the lineup. Behind Chacin in the rotation, the Rox are in good shape with De La Rosa and Chatwood, but they could use a couple more. The bullpen has some nice performers, especially Ottavino.

It doesn't seem that there's quite enough here. In particular, there's to be no obvious relief closer. But this is a decent club that could rally to a playoff spot, if all breaks right.

San Diego Padres (32.2 in 2013 WAR)

Top-half position players — 2B: Jedd Gyorko, 2.2; SS; Everth Cabrera, 11, 2.8; 3B: Chase Headley, 11, 3.4; RF: Chris Denorfia, 6, 4.3; CF: Will Venable, 15, 3.2. Totals: five players, 15.9 WAR.

Second-level position players — Carlos Quentin, 140, 2.0; Yonder Alonso, 189, 1.2; Nick Hundley, 211, 0.9; Tommy Medica, 225, 0.8. Totals: four players, 4.9 WAR.

Top-level pitchers — Joaquin Benoit, 53, 2.8; Andrew Cashner, 70, 2.4; Alex Torres, 96, 1.9. Totals: three pitchers, 7.1 WAR.

Second-level pitchers — Tyson Ross,155, 1.3; Nick Vincent, 170, 1.2; Huston Street, 183, 1.0; Eric Stults, 210, 0.8. Totals: four pitchers, 4.3 WAR.

As always under manager Bud Black, the Padres have to pitch, run the bases and play defense. They can put a lineup together just from these lists, which is more than some other last place clubs from 2013 can say. However, the game does involve hitting, and the lack of a big bat is poison, even if the Padres are playing in a pitcher's park.

When you play in a pitcher's park, though, it helps to have pitchers, and the Padres are short on pitchers who can take the ball at the start of the game. Andrew Cashner is a big arm in front of the rotation, but he only has 33 career starts, including the 2014 opener against the Dodgers, and there's not much behind him. The bullpen has some achievement between Benoit, Torres, Vincent and Street. However, the last couple spots in the rotation and the bottom shelf pitchers in the bullpen stand to lose games for the Padres before their better relievers will be able to save them.

San Francisco Giants (35.2 in 2013 WAR)

Top-level position players — 1B: Brandon Belt, 7, 4.4; 2B: Marco Scutaro, 12, 2.4; SS: Brandon Crawford, 14, 2.4; 3B: Pablo Sandoval, 14, 2.5; RF: Hunter Pence, 8, 4.1; C: Buster Posey, 2, 5.2. Totals: six players, 21.0 WAR.

Second-level position players — Gregor Blanco, 101, 2.6; Juan Perez, 196, 1.1; Angel Pagan, 212, 1.0; Joaquin Arias, 219, 0.8. Totals: four players, 5.5 WAR.

Top-level pitchers — Madison Bumgarner, 26, 3.9. Totals: one pitcher, 3.9 WAR.

Second-level pitchers — Santiago Casilla, 176, 1.1; Tim Hudson, 180, 1.0; Jean Machi, 181, 1.0; Javier Lopez, 186, 1.0; Sergio Romo, 214, 0.7. Totals, five pitchers, 4.8 WAR.

We always say the Giants will go as far as their pitching takes them. If that's true, based on these lists, the Giants can't go far.

Starting pitchers Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and Ryan Vogelsong aren't even on these lists. Their decline in 2013 explains plenty about how the Giants fell so far last season. If they can rebound, that changes everything. But we have to see it first.

Good everyday lineup here with six players in the top half of their positions across the big leagues. And the Giants always bring fire out of their bullpen.

Bruce Bochy is about as good as it gets for a field manager. And it remains that the Giants have won two of the last four World Series. See how it goes.

Editor's note: All numbers in this piece are from or are extrapolated from Baseball-Reference.com, unless otherwise indicated.

50 wins on July 1: Playoffs likely for Boston, Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Red Sox each have 50 wins on July 1. History says that means each will last to at least the playoffs. History also says the World Championship is an unlikely outcome for either club.

Boston's Dustin Pedroia, left, and Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen, right (Keith Allison/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license).

By BILL PETERSON

Big Leagues in Los Angeles

At the start of business on July 1, we note two major surprises on top of the baseball standings. The Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates not only are both in first place, but both already have banked at least 50 victories.

The Pirates are, 51-30, the best record in the game. The Red Sox, 50-34, hold the best record in the American League.

Neither team has significantly invested in free agent signings. Nor has either team been through what we might call a phased rebuilding.

The Pirates have lurched along without a winning record for 20 years. In 2010, they won 57 games for the whole season. However, in the last few years, after going on nearly two decades of drought in their player development system, they have produced quality performers such as Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez and Starling Marte. They have improved themselves around the edges by adding in the likes of Russell Martin, Gaby Sanchez, Wandy Rodriguez and Francisco Liriano. The Pirates brought in a firm rotation anchor with the A.J. Burnett acquisition, in which they helped the New York Yankees dump part of a salary. They really have improved by inches, rather than miles. And they finally found a manager, Clint Hurdle, who has a winning touch. Put it all together and the Pirates lead a very competitive National League Central division.

The Red Sox were a force in the American League from the start of the present divisional alignment until September 2011, when they had their infamous collapse with a 7-20 finish. They figured out last year, when they won 69 games, that their clubhouse was too wealthy and complacent. They shed salaries and brought in veteran war horses like Stephen Drew, Shane Victorino and Mike Napoli, really not exciting anyone. But all of those players have a little bit of magic this year, and huge contributions from bit players like Daniel Nava, Jose Iglesias and Mike Carp have made the Red Sox a deep club. And they have two stars, Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz, who are playing like it.

Neither team walked in with blue prints making so much sense that anyone could see that they just had to work. But the standings tell us they're working. And history suggests something more: they're probably going to keep working. At least to the playoffs. Starting with 1996, the first full season under the present divisional alignment, 23 teams have arrived on July 1 with 50 or more wins. Only four have failed to reach the playoffs. All but six ended up winning their divisions. Of those 17 division winners, nine reached 100 or more victories.

Once the playoffs begin, though, it's a different story. Of the 23 clubs starting from 1995 that reached 50 wins by July 1, only six reached the World Series. And only two of those won it. In 1998, the New York Yankees had an incredible year, finishing 114-48 and winning their first of three straight World Series. Then, we saw a flash in the pan, the 2005 Chicago White Sox, who started strong and ended strong, sweeping the Houston Astros in a four-game World Series, little to be heard from again.

Here's the list, year by year.

1996: The Atlanta Braves were 50-30 on July 1, but only three games ahead of the Montreal Expos in the National League East. The Braves ended 96-66, won the NL East, then lost the World Series to the New York Yankees in six games after winning the first two in New York by a combined score of 16-1.

1997: The Baltimore Orioles were 51-27 in July 1, 5 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees in the American League East. The Braves were 52-29, 3 1/2 up on the Florida Marlins in the NL East. The Orioles held on and won their division by two games over the Yankees at 98-64. But the Orioles lost the American League Championship Series (ALCS) in six games to the Cleveland Indians. The Braves continued their surge to finish 101-61, nine games ahead of the Marlins in the NL East. However, the Marlins got the better of the Braves in the National League Championship Series (NLCS), then beat Cleveland in a seven-game World Series.

1998: The Braves, again, were dominant, 54-29 on July 1, 8 1/2 games ahead of the New York Mets in the NL East. But the Yankees were legendary, 56-20, 10 games ahead of Boston in the AL East. Both teams continued their dominance through the regular season. The Braves finished 106-56, 18 games in front of the Mets. But they lost to the San Diego Padres in a six-game NLCS. The Yankees finished 114-48, the best 162-game record in history to that point, 22 games ahead of the Red Sox. The Yankees went on to enjoy an 11-2 postseason, including a four-game sweep of the Padres in the World Series.

1999: The Indians were 50-26 on July 1, leading the AL Central by 12 1/2 games over the Chicago White Sox. They finished 97-65, 21 1/2 games ahead of Chicago, but fell in a five-game divisional series to the wild card Red Sox.

2000: This time, it was the White Sox turn to start fast in the AL Central, reaching 50-29 on July 1 for a 9 1/2-game lead on the Indians. The Indians surged in the second half, but the White Sox still won the division at 95-67 before losing the first round of the playoffs in a three-game sweep by the wild card Seattle Mariners.

2001: It was all about the Mariners, who were 58-21 on July 1, a full 20 games ahead of the Oakland Athletics and the Anaheim Angels. The Mariners did not let up in the second half and finished 116-46, the best record ever for 162 games. But the Athletics were even better in the second half, 64-19, ending with 102 wins and the wild card berth with the AL's second-best record. Both teams knuckled under to the Yankees in the playoffs, the A's in the first round and the Mariners in a five-game ALCS. But the Yankees couldn't complete the run in the shadow of Sept. 11, falling to Arizona in a seven-game World Series.

2002: A very strange year, with four teams hitting 50 wins before July 1. Two of them didn't even reach the playoffs.

In the American League, it was the Yankees (50-31) and the Mariners (51-30). In the National League, it was the Braves (51-30) and the Dodgers (50-31). With their great start, the Mariners still led the Angels by only 3 1/2 and the Athletics by only five games in the NL West. Both teams rallied in the second half. The A's put up a 57-24 and took the division with 103 wins. The Angels claimed the wild card with a 52-30 second half and a 99-63 overall record. The Mariners were only 42-39 after July 1, finishing 10 games behind the Athletics and missing the playoffs completely. The Yankees led the Red Sox by only two on July 1, but kept it up and finished at 104-57, winning the division by 10 1/2 games. The Minnesota Twins beat the Athletics in the first round of the playoffs, while the Angels cut out the Yankees. The Angels beat the Twins in a five-game ALCS before defeating San Francisco in a seven-game World Series.

In the National League, the Braves were off to their typical start and led the Expos by 8 1/2 games in the NL East on July 1. The Dodgers were a similar story to Seattle, leading the NL West by only 1 1/2 games on Arizona and 4 1/2 games on the Giants on July 1. The Dodgers were 42-39 in the second half, during which the Giants and Diamondbacks each won 50. Arizona won the division and San Francisco claimed the wild card. The Dodgers finished third in the division at 92-70. The Braves put up another 50 wins in the second half and finished 101-61, 19 games ahead of Philadelphia. However, the Giants beat the Braves in the divisional round and ultimately lost the World Series to the Angels.

2003: A lot of themes that we've seen in these last few years repeated themselves one final time here. On July 1, the Mariners (53-28), Yankees (52-30) and Braves (51-29) were cruising with comfy divisional leads. Once again, it was not to be for the Mariners. Oakland, down seven games on July 1, were 50-31 from that point, while the Mariners were 40-41. The A's won the AL West at 96-66, three in front of the Mariners, who again  missed the playoffs. The Yankees kept it going, though, winning the AL East by six games at 101-61. The Yankees ultimately won the AL pennant,  beating the wild card Red Sox in a seven-game ALCS. The Braves finished 101-61, winning the NL East by 10 games over the wild card Marlins. But the Braves lost their first playoff round to a Chicago Cubs team that finished the regular season only 88-74. The Marlins, for the second time in seven years, took the wild card to the World Championship, beating the Yankees in a six-game World Series.

2005: The White Sox were 53-24 on July 1, leading Minnesota by 10 1/2 games in the AL Central. Cleveland played a 51-34 second half and put a scare into the Sox, but it was only temporary. The White Sox won the division at 99-63, then finished off an 11-1 postseason by sweeping the Houston Astros in a four-game World Series.

2006: A super hot race took place in the AL Central. On July 1, the White Sox were back at 52-27, but they trailed 55-25 Detroit by 2 1/2 games. The Twins sat in a distant third, 11 games down. But the Twins were 53-31 in the second half and won the division at 96-66, one game ahead of the Tigers. The White Sox fell out of it completely at 90-72. The Tigers went to the World Series, where they lost in five games to an 83-78 St. Louis Cardinals club.

2007: The Angels were the hot starters, 50-31 on July 1 with a four-game lead on Seattle in the AL West. The Angels also had the division's best record for the remainder of the season and won it at 94-68. But the Angels lost in their first playoff round to the Red Sox, who ultimately beat the Colorado Rockies in a four-game World Series.

2008: A new team made the scene here. The Tampa Bay Rays were 50-32 on July 1, 1 1/2 games ahead of Boston in the AL East. In the National League, the Chicago Cubs were 50-33, 2 1/2 up on St. Louis in the NL Central. Both clubs continued their winning ways through September. The Rays won the AL East at 97-65, while the Cubs won the NL Central at 98-64. But the Cubs lost to the Dodgers in the first round of the playoffs. The Rays went all the way to the World Series, where they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games.

2011: It was all Phillies through September. On July 1, they were 51-31. At the end of the regular season, they were 102-60, winning the NL East by 13 games on Atlanta. But the Phillies fell to St. Louis in the divisional round, then the Cardinals beat the Texas Rangers in a seven-game World Series.

2012: The Rangers were tearing it up on July 1, 50-29, 6 1/2 games ahead of the second place Angels. But the Athletics were 57-26 after that point to finish 94-68, one game ahead of Texas for the AL West title. The Rangers settled for the second wild card and their dismal finish ended with a one-game loss to the Orioles.

Where we've seen clubs win 50 by July 1, only to lose the division, the circumstances usually involved close competitors who heated up in the second half. As far as the Pirates and Red Sox are concerned, the close competitors part of it is in play. The Pirates are only two games ahead of St. Louis in the NL Central, while the Red Sox are only 2 1/2 ahead of Baltimore in the AL East. Furthermore, the Red Sox and Pirates also have to watch for real challengers from down in the division. The Cincinnati Reds are positioned as the NL's second wild card, though they're 5 1/2 behind Pittsburgh in the NL Central. In the AL East, there is no team that can be counted out.

Thus, the Pirates and Red Sox both are susceptible to being caught. But history says it is unlikely. Until the World Series. If they get that far.