Vikings over Bears

Pretty uninspired work this week. Our apologies.

1. Yankees: The Yankees are still the dominant team in the Major Leagues right now. They stuck it to Boston to prove who is the class of the AL East, and the team is really starting to play up to its talent. Tex and Sabathia are showing why they get paid so much, and the rest of the team is contributing in a way that makes it seem like the Yankees always know how to win. From top to bottom, lineup, rotation, and bullpen, the Yankees have the firepower to go the distance.

2. Angels: Kendry Morales and Bobby Abreu continue to play really, REALLY well for LA's other team. The Angels have started to pick up momentum and it doesn't look like they will slow down any time soon. The management deserves a lot of credit. The Angels are quickly proving themselves as the best team in SoCal. 

3. Phillies: Philadelphia has been hot and stayed hot taking 2 of 3 from the Braves. They now lead the East by 8. Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ and Cliff Lee have been outstanding. Of course, a glaring problem continues to be exposed, and that problem is once great closer Brad Lidge. His WHIP (1.85) makes him statistically twice as likely to allow two baserunners per inning than one. That is awful. Unless the rotation can keep its ERA in the mid 1s, there could be trouble brewing. At least for now, though, the Phillies are on a tear.

4. Dodgers: The Dodgers took two of three from the Rockies to help cement their case for the NL West crown. They are not as unstoppable as they were, but remain formidable and can keep playing at this level to make it into the postseason. 

5. Cardinals: Matt Holliday was hot when he was trading, and leaving Oakland for St. Louis only added fuel to his fire. He has been stellar with the Cardinals, giving the team an added offensive dimension that takes some pressure off of Albert, who has started to get hot again. They are well-built for October. The Cubs had a meltdown against the Phils, allowing the Cards to take the division lead. Pujols is back in the swing of things. 

6. Red Sox: The series against New York really hurt Boston. Even with V-Mart, their chances of winning the division have suffered a blow. They have managed to stay barely ahead in the Wild Card race, but people are starting to wonder whether Boston will be able to stand up to the Yankees or Angels come October.

7. Rangers: Between Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, Andruw Jones and Michael Young, there is a pretty good chance that someone is going yard every game. Too bad they play in the same division as the Angels. Well, they won't win the AL West, but like the Red Sox, they have a chance for the Wild Card.

8. Tigers: They haven't put away the division yet, but they rest here on the Power Rankings because they have probably the best chances of doing so. The offense was already good enough for a deep run. Now the rotation needs to keep coming around.

9. Giants: By sweeping the Rox, the Giants put themselves right back into the Wild Card conversation. Neither team is too far out for the divisional crown, but the final playoff spot is more readily available, and they are clawing for it tooth and nail.

10. Rockies: Colorado battled the Giants and won, making the NL Wild Card theirs to lose. Then, they got swept by the Giants. It is a VERY tight race. They have a relatively sound team, with a good lineup, ace, and closer, and might be dangerous in October.

1. Yankees: The Yankees are the dominant team in the Major Leagues right now. They stuck it to Boston to prove who is the class of the AL East, and the team is really starting to play up to its talent. Tex and Sabathia are showing why they get paid so much, and the rest of the team is contributing in a way that makes it seem like the Yankees always know how to win. From top to bottom, lineup, rotation, and bullpen, the Yankees have the firepower to go the distance.

2. Angels: Kendry Morales and Bobby Abreu continue to play really, REALLY well for LA's other team. The Angels have started to pick up momentum and it doesn't look like they will slow down any time soon. The management deserves a lot of credit. The Angels are quickly proving themselves as the best team in SoCal. 

3. Phillies: After a disappointing sweep by the Marlins, Philly has won 8 of 10, mostly thanks to the big bats and their best three pitchers. No, that doesn't include Cole Hamels. Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ and Cliff Lee have been outstanding. Of course, a glaring problem continues to be exposed, and that problem is once great closer Brad Lidge. His WHIP (1.85) makes him statistically twice as likely to allow two baserunners per inning than one. That is awful. Unless the rotation can keep its ERA in the mid 1s, there could be trouble brewing. At least for now, though, the Phillies are on a tear.

4. Dodgers: We said last week that they haven't exactly been slumping. Whether that was true or not at the time, right now, they are REALLY slumping. Add that to their not-so-blockbuster acquisition of George Sherrill as the only trade-deadline move, and you get this week's Dodgers, not even a safe lock to win the NL West. 

5. Cardinals: Matt Holliday was hot when he was trading, and leaving Oakland for St. Louis only added fuel to his fire. He has been stellar with the Cardinals, giving the team an added offensive dimension that takes some pressure off of Albert, who has started to get hot again. They are well-built for October. The Cubs had a meltdown against the Phils, allowing the Cards to take the division lead. The only reason the dropped is that their central player, El Hombre Albert Pujols, is in a bit of a "slump". He hasn't hit for average or power too much lately. 

6. Red Sox: The series against New York really hurt Boston. Even with V-Mart, their chances of winning the division have suffered a blow. They have managed to stay barely ahead in the Wild Card race, but people are starting to wonder whether Boston will be able to stand up to the Yankees or Angels come October.

7. Rangers: Between Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, Andruw Jones and Michael Young, there is a pretty good chance that someone is going yard every game. Too bad they play in the same division as the Angels. Well, they won't win the AL East, but like the Red Sox, they have a chance for the Wild Card.

8. Rockies: Colorado battled the Giants and won, making the NL Wild Card theirs to lose. They have a relatively sound team, with a good lineup, ace, and closer, and might be dangerous in October. It will be interesting to see if they can sneak up on LA for the West crown.

9. Tigers: They have cooled a bit, but picking up Washburn makes this one of the best rotations in the game. They haven't put away the division yet, but they rest here on the Power Rankings because they have probably the best chances of doing so. The offense was already good enough for a deep run.

10. Rays: A distant 3rd in the AL East race, the Rays still have a shot at the Wild Card. Not a good one, but a chance. They are still one of baseball's better teams, with help every fifth day from ROY candidate Jeff Niemann, but it may take too much to make the postseason.

And now to your AwardWatch

NL:

MVP: Albert Pujols… Nothing new here. Everyone knows that he has been the MVP of the first half and continues to play well. In fact, one of the only other players worth mentioning in this race has been his new teammate, Matt Holliday, who has been unstoppable since returning to the NL. The Cardinals are first in the NL Central thanks to Pujols's power and patience and defense and a host of other machine-like attributes, but Holliday has sure been a good pickup.

Cy Young: Tim Lincecum… The Dodgers looked like the unquestionable choice to win the NL West in the beginning of the season. They still look good, but thanks to some terrific pitching from Tim Lincecum and the rather unheralded Matt Cain, the Giants are making progress. It could be back to back Cy Young for the NL's leader in strikeouts. He gets it done, and its also fun to watch, a key ingredient in winning these sorts of awards. Interestly enough, Lincecum's first inning troubles in the All-Star game were pretty much the fault of the aforementioned first-half MVP.

ROY: J.A. Happ… Colby Rasmus and Randy Wells are also locked in what is starting to look like a three-horse race for the NL Rookie of the Year Award. Happ continues to deliver quality starts thanks to his ability to get out of sticky situations (opponents are posting only a .115 batting average with runners on), and if he continues to do so, he may outdistance a slumping Rasmus and Wells.

AL:

1. Yankees: The Yankees made a statement against the Sox last week, and have won 9 of 10 (it seems like they have been winning 9 out of every 10 for a while now). The pitching has settled in and the lineup has been as good as it gets. When you are stacked 1 through 9 like the Yankees are, it's tough to find ways to lose. Having the steady Mariano Rivera as a closer has been nice too.

2. Angels: Kendry Morales and Bobby Abreu have been playing really, REALLY well for LA's other team. The Angels have started to pick up momentum and it doesn't look like they will slow down any time soon. The management deserves a lot of credit. The Angels are quickly proving themselves as one of the premier teams in the AL. 

3. Cardinals: Matt Holliday was hot when he was trading, and leaving Oakland for St. Louis only added fuel to his fire. He has been stellar with the Cardinals, giving the team an added offensive dimension that takes some pressure off of Albert, who has started to get hot again. They are well-built for October. The Cubs had a meltdown against the Phils, allowing the Cards to take the division lead. It helped that the Redbirds took the opportunity to whoop up on the Pirates and Reds. They are hot, and have a playoff type team.

4. Dodgers: We said last week that they haven't exactly been slumping. Whether that was true or not at the time, right now, they are REALLY slumping. Add that to their not-so-blockbuster acquisition of George Sherrill as the only trade-deadline move, and you get this week's Dodgers, not even a safe lock to win the NL West. 

5. Red Sox: The series against New York really hurt Boston. Even with V-Mart, their chances of winning the division have suffered a blow. They have managed to stay barely ahead in the Wild Card race, but people are starting to wonder whether Boston will be able to stand up to the Yankees or Angels come October.

6. Phillies: Being swept by the Marlins was sort of tempered by a sweep of the Cubs, and it is tough to argue with the Phillies as the still being the favorite from that division. However, a glaring problem continues to be exposed, and that problem is once great closer Brad Lidge. His WHIP (1.85) makes him statistically twice as likely to allow two baserunners per inning than one. That is awful. They might be able to make it to the postseason like this, but they won't last long against the cream of the NL crop.

7. Rangers: Between Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, Andruw Jones and Michael Young, there is a pretty good chance that someone is going yard every game. Too bad they play in the same division as the Angels. They'll have a chance to gain some ground this weekend with a pivotal series against the Halos that could make or break their playoff hopes.

8. Tigers: They have cooled a bit, but picking up Washburn makes this one of the best rotations in the game. They haven't put away the division yet, but they rest here on the Power Rankings because they have probably the best chances of doing so. The offense was already good enough for a deep run.

9. Rockies: Colorado has held on to their Wild Card position with surprising strength, with an improved rotation the major factor in their success. The battle with the Giants is interesting, but don't forget that both teams are creeping up on the Dodgers for the division lead.

10. Giants: The changes made in the lineup may not have been as heralded as those made in Beantown, but the Giants made a major acquisition with Freddy Sanchez and got a little better with Ryan Garko, too. The offense is improving. Don't look now, but they are only a week of baseball games behind the Dodgers, and trending straight up…

We'll just briefly address this by saying that the Eagles now have quite possibly the fastest team in the NFL. Vick's signing may not drastically affect the play-to-play operations of the team, but with McNabb (once a big-time runner) and Jackson, Curtis, and Maclin at wide receiver and two speedsters, Westbrook and McCoy at halfback, Philly may shake up the typical NFL playbook.

The controversy will be absolutely nothing new in Eagles camp. It is important to note, however, that Vick was never really the problem child that his brother was. Obviously, he got himself kicked out of everyday life and into jail for a few years, but when he was a Falcon, he was a ballplayer and apart from a flicking off of the fans here and there, he didn't merit as much "he's a thug" talk as he has garnered since. Throw in news from training camp that backup Kevin Kolb may be injured and you get a viably positive situation, if you are of the opinion that people deserve a second chance.

Certainly an interesting story to keep your eye on, but the Eagles front office, in the SportsHuman opinion, made a keen moving in signing a player that is most likely the best "backup" in football.

And now to your AwardWatch

NL:

MVP: Albert Pujols… Nothing new here. Everyone knows that he has been the MVP of the first half and continues to play well. In fact, one of the only other players worth mentioning in this race has been his new teammate, Matt Holliday, who has been unstoppable since returning to the NL. The Cardinals are first in the NL Central thanks to Pujols's power and patience and defense and a host of other machine-like attributes, but Holliday has sure been a good pickup.

Cy Young: Tim Lincecum… The Dodgers looked like the unquestionable choice to win the NL West in the beginning of the season. They still look good, but thanks to some terrific pitching from Tim Lincecum and the rather unheralded Matt Cain, the Giants are making progress. It could be back to back Cy Young for the NL's leader in strikeouts. He gets it done, and its also fun to watch, a key ingredient in winning these sorts of awards. Interestly enough, Lincecum's first inning troubles in the All-Star game were pretty much the fault of the aforementioned first-half MVP.

ROY: J.A. Happ… Colby Rasmus and Randy Wells are also locked in what is starting to look like a three-horse race for the NL Rookie of the Year Award. Happ continues to deliver quality starts thanks to his ability to get out of sticky situations (opponents are posting only a .115 batting average with runners on), and if he continues to do so, he may outdistance a slumping Rasmus and Wells.

AL:

1. Yankees: Not doing anything at the trade deadline may end up hurting the Yankees. Or it may end up not mattering at all. The core has started to put it together and the Yankees now have the lead and a nice record in the best division in the better league, making them more credible as Number 1 holders than any other team. As we report here several times and as pretty much every other sports outlet is forcing you to care about this week, New York is playing against the rival BoSox this weekend in a series that could have major implications for the playoffs. Keep in mind that the RedSox have owned them so far this season.

2. Angels: Kendry Morales and Bobby Abreu have been playing really, REALLY well for LA's other team. The Angels have started to pick up momentum and it doesn't look like they will slow down any time soon. The management deserves a lot of credit. The Angels are quickly proving themselves as one of the premier teams in the AL. 

3. Dodgers: They haven't exactly been slumping, but a bad series against the Cardinals drops them a little bit in the rankings. Add that to their not-so-blockbuster acquisition of George Sherrill as the only trade-deadline move, and you get this week's Dodgers, still far ahead in the NL standings but no longer the sure-fire pick to represent the National League in the Fall Classic

4. Red Sox: The Sox won some games, and then they won a bigger battle–the bidding war for Victor Martinez, a player that may give them the edge over any other AL club in the playoffs. He gives Boston another weapon to help unseat the Yankees for the AL East crown, and the 1-2-3 of this rotation rivals that of Detroit. Now, they have dropped a few and have fallen behind in the division race, just in time for an incredibly hyped weekend series against the Bronx Bombers…

5. Phillies: When you take the NL's best offense and combine it with Cliff Lee, you get the makings of a solid playoff core. The Phillies saw just how important the acquisition of last year's Cy Young winner would be when he threw a complete game in his first start for the Phightins. Minor dings and dents have pulled them out of their hot-streak, but they should be able to coast into the postseason with their lineup and pitching. Cole Hamels will need to improve, but Joe Blanton has been unpredictably good. Like the Yankees and the Angels, Philly has an upcoming series against the next best opponent in their division (Florida) that will be important in the standings come October.

6. Rays: They remain good enough to be in the conversation. Upton has reached a point of acceptable play and Crawford continues to be hot. David Price will need to step up for the Rays to have any chance of playing in October, or playing for very long if they make it there.

7. Rangers: Between Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, Andruw Jones and Michael Young, there is a pretty good chance that someone is going yard every game. Too bad they play in the same division as the Angels. They'll have a chance to gain some ground this weekend with a pivotal series against the Halos that could make or break their playoff hopes.

8. Tigers: They have cooled a bit, but picking up Washburn makes this one of the best rotations in the game. They haven't put away the division yet, but they rest here on the Power Rankings because they have probably the best chances of doing so. The offense was already good enough for a deep run.

9. Cardinals: Matt Holliday was hot when he was trading, and leaving Oakland for St. Louis only added fuel to his fire. He has been stellar with the Cardinals, giving the team an added offensive dimension that takes some pressure off of Albert, who has started to get hot again. They are well-built for October. Still, they are neck and neck with the Cubs for division lead. Neither one has dominated on the level that their respective talents would warrant, and we couldn't justify putting two teams from that rather mediocre division race into our Power Rankings SO… the Cardinals hold on for now.

10. Giants: The changes made in the lineup may not have been as heralded as those made in Beantown, but the Giants made a major acquisition with Freddy Sanchez and got a little better with Ryan Garko, too. The offense is improving. Don't look now, but they are only a week of baseball games behind the Dodgers, and trending straight up…