The Filibuster

A bunch of teams are clustered right around .500 and above and no division is even close to being set at this point. Does this mean baseball is starting to reach parity?

Sean

Caledonia, MI
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Beware, my friend. I sense... something. This... parity you speak of...

IT'S A TRAP!

It's not real.

Just make-believe.

The truth is, the same old teams are still atop the same old divisions. The Yankees. The Red Sox. The Phillies. Okay, so the Mets and Dodgers may be out, but it's not their faults! They can blame poor ownership and mishandled funds!!!

I know that a quick glance at the standings may confuse the casual onlooker, that one could be easily misguided by the way the teams stack up. But let's face it: the NL and AL Centrals have been crapshoots for a decade, the NL West has been a contest in mediocrity for a long time. The Angels' dominance of the AL West was only usurped last year and in 2011 they have put themselves back in contention.

This is not parity. This is, like our US American social ladder, a classic case of 99% of the wealth being in the hands of 1% of the population and everyone else is left to fend for himself. The effect resembles something like parity. But it ain't.

It's pitching.

I really believe that the Mitchell Report and its subsequent juicy fallout has forced teams to go back to what always works: good pitching. With good pitching, you might have a decent shot at accumulating wins. The Giants are a perfect example of a team that gets by on minimal offense and middle-of-the-pack payroll. It's not the stuff of dynasties... but when it works, it works, and that's what teams are doing.

The Pirates are winning because of pitching (they can't hit). The Braves are winning because of pitching (they have a hard time scoring too). The Diamondbacks could always hit, but this year they have... PITCHING.

Great pitching is the best defense against great hitting. I didn't write that. Baseball wrote that.

When the Orioles and Blue Jays can compete in their own division... when the Nationals have a shot at the big boys in the NL East... that's when I'll consider parity's existence.

But right now that seems like something that could only be found in a galaxy far, far away.

Hate me. Fine. Just don't hate me 'cuz I'm right.

Peace,

Jeff

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