For Tufts students, the month of September means the beginning of a new year-clean slates, clean notebooks, and a fresh chance to make the most of the year.
But in baseball, September is the beginning of the end.
Across the majors, the contending teams are looking to finish out the year on a high note, helping to solidify their chances for October post-season glory.
Perhaps the biggest headline this August has been the rise of the New York Yankees. The Yankees entered July four games behind division rival Boston Red Sox, but are now closing out August with a commanding lead in the AL East. With their notorious five-game sweep at Fenway Park two weekends ago, the Yankees cemented their presence atop the standings, outscoring the Sox 49-26 and building a six-and-a-half game lead.
Perhaps the most notable reason for the shifting tide in the East was the Yankees' acquisition of outfielder Bobby Abreu and starting pitcher Cory Lidle from the Philadelphia Phillies. Both players have made immediate positive impacts with the move to the Big Apple. The Boston team the Yankees have faced have been a shadow of themselves, evoking images of the injury-plagued Yankees earlier this season, when both Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui were on the disabled list.
In the AL Central, the Detroit Tigers appear to have the division title within their reach. A superb starting rotation, led by Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman and All-Star starting pitcher Kenny Rogers has helped the Tigers hold off both the surging Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox.
The more interesting race in the AL Central may not be the race for the division crown, but the hunt for second place. The Twins and the White Sox are the two front-runners for the AL wild card. But like the Red Sox, both teams have been plagued by key injuries.
Minnesota's rookie pitcher Francisco Liriano has felt soreness in his left arm since his 12th win Jul. 23., and his chance to play an integral role in the pennant race appears slimmer with each passing day. Still, his Twins pulled ahead of the White Sox for the wild card lead after winning the Aug. 25-27 series 2-1. With Jim Thome sidelined with a strained hamstring, the Twins have an opportunity to gain some ground on the Sox.
Out West, the Oakland Athletics look poised to take home the division title, barring a miraculous comeback by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The A's offense has been lackluster of late with the exception of slugger Frank Thomas, but the team's pitching may be its saving grace. Ace Barry Zito and two-man Dan Haren have kept Oakland in first place, with help from a solid bullpen.
In the National League, it is unclear whether anyone will emerge to take on the eventual AL champion in the World Series, especially without home-field advantage in the opening games. Only the New York Mets are on pace to win 90 games, an unimpressive total for a league-leading team, and even the Mets have issues they need to address before October.
The Mets have been the NL's dominant team all season long, but trouble has set in this August, as their once-stellar pitching rotation now looks vulnerable. Pedro Martinez is on the disabled list with a strained calf muscle, and Tom Glavine is battling a numbing sensation in his pitching hand. Steve Trachsel has emerged as the team leader in wins, but his ERA hovers around 5.00. Still, any team with the offensive production of Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, David Wright and Jose Reyes is going to win games, and the Mets may prove a tough team to overcome.
Other contenders in the NL include the St. Louis Cardinals, who have a powerful offense led by Albert Pujols and Jim Edmonds but lack pitching depth beyond Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter. The Los Angeles Dodgers have the lead in the West, thanks to recently strong performances from veterans Nomar Garciaparra, Greg Maddux and Derek Lowe. But several of the Dodgers' star players, including Andre Ethier, Russell Martin and Matt Kemp, are rookies, and they might lack the experience needed to win in October.
The wild card race in the NL is frenzied, as ten NL teams are within six games of the lead. The three front-runners are the Cincinnati Reds, the San Diego Padres and the Phillies, but all three teams are struggling to stay above the .500 mark. Whether any of them can stop the Mets in the NL playoffs, or can make a challenge to the decade-long dominance of the American League in the World Series, remains to be seen.
