The Beauty of the Wild Card

The wild card race for Major League Baseball is always one that comes down to the wire. Last year, the National League witnessed the tightest battle, with the Rockies and the Padres fighting it out in a one-game winner take all to get to the post season. The amazing story is that the Rockies not only won, but won their way through the divisional series, and the championship series to gain a berth to the World Series against the Boston Red Sox. Unfortunately, if we all remember, the story ended there, with four quick games and a sweep by the Red Sox for their second title in the last four years.

Nearly half way through the 2008 season, the National League again remains another close race, but just between two teams, St. Louis and Milwaukee. The real race that we will see come September will fall in the American League with 4 teams, if they keep the pace they're at. The unbelievable Rays, the untimely A's, the no wonder Yankees, and the up and coming Twins. A betting man would say the Yankees will blow the other three out of the water and win the wild card for the second straight year, but fans here in Oakland say the A's will give it the best shot they've got. The Rays will have to continue to play well and it's a very young team, which results in the classic "choke" come crunch time. The Twins will have the toughest time, mainly because no one is really hitting for them, and the pitching staff is is left with all the pressure.

I believe the ticket to the post season will be punched for the team who makes the best trades come July 31. The Yankees, being the team with the most leverage, but smart GM's can come up big. My question to the readers out there, is who will win the Wild Card?? Here are my picks as of June 26, 2008.

National League: It'll be close, but I'm going to go on a limb and say the Brewers will beat the Cards out in a one game playoff.

American League: As much as it pains me to say it, the Yankees will go on a tear in the second half and clinch the A.L. spot.

America's Tournament

One of the greatest smells in the world comes around 7 a.m. on any golf course in America. It's the smell of fresh cut grass, giving the course a fresh look for that hungry golfer looking for birdies.

This week the grass that gets cut out at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California, will lay at the feet of some of the best golfers in the world for the 108th meeting of the U.S. Open conducted by the USGA. Some of golf's greatest memories have happened at the U.S. Open. The putt in 1999 by Payne Stewart out at Pinehurst No. 2, to last year's winner Angel Cabrera lighting up a cigarette to calm the nerves on number 18 at Oakmont Country Club.











Just as in any other tournament he plays in, all eyes are on Tiger Woods to win his third U.S. Open in the last eight years. The hot story is if he will be the Tiger we all know after recovering from knee surgery in April. This will be his first tournament back since the surgery. Tiger says the knee is a little sore, but I'm sure a guy like him will play through the pain. So far, Tiger is 0 for 1 in majors this year, so we'll have to wait another year to see if Tiger can be the first person to win the Grand Slam of golf in the same year.

Day 1 is filled with great groupings, of course headlined by the group of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Adam Scott. Mickelson is ranked #2 in the world, and is still seeking his first U.S. Open championship. Other notable groups on Thursday are Stewart Cink, Sergio Garcia, and Vijay Singh, followed by Mike Weir, and the last two years' Master's Champions, Trevor Immelman and Zach Johnson.

It's America's tournament and ultimately, any member of the USGA has a chance to play. The field is always littered with a few players who have played their way through qualifying rounds to buy themselves a spot to play in the U.S. Open.

Players to watch: Jim Furyk (runner up in the 2007 U.S. Open), and Segio Garcia (a.k.a El Nino) winner of this year's Player's Championship in search of his first major of his career. Garcia finished second to Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship in 1999.