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The first half of the season is over.  And now we are about to get into crunch time in MLB.  There are things every baseball fan should be looking forward to in the American league.  Here is the list.

5.  Jim Leyland and the Tigers.  Have got to be the biggest disapointment in the American League.  The pitching has let the Tigers down.  Verlander with a 7-9 record and a ERA close to 5.  The Tigers do not have and ace on there staff.  Dontell Willis hasn’t been productive and is now in single A baseball.  So now the Tigers who spent more money than the Yankees and Red Sox combine in the off season.  Now see themselves 47-47 sitting 7 games out of first place.  Can the Tigers find some pitching and turn this season around they’ve 68 games to do so.

4.  The Angles are once again leading the A.L. West.  Why this is the team to watch in the second half of the season.  They’ve have one huge issue this team cannot hit.  You wonder will this team have the guts to after a bat.  Torri Hunter,Vlad Guerro and Garret Anderson has still not giving this team enough production at bat.  And maybe the single reason on why they won’t will all this season.  Now the Angels can keep there team in place without trading for a big bat.  They just need to call him.  BARRY BONDS can help this Angels team to a championship.  Forget all the baggage the man can still flat out hit.  So lets see if the Angels can be aggressive enough to get a bat.

3.What will be a list without the bronx bombers.  The Yankees have had a hard 1st half of the season.  The Yankees two young pitchers Hughes and Kenndey have not worked out.  The ace of there staff Wang maybe out for the season due to and ankel injury.  And the Yankee bats have been suspect at best.  With all that being said the Yankees sit only 6 games out of first place.  And still have a good chance to get in the postseason for the 14th time in a row.  But the issue is can they get some pitching and hitting?  And will Joba Chamberlin become the starting pitching that they so desperatley need?  The Yankees have been fortunate that Mike Mussina has found the fountain of youth.  Winning 11 games in the 1st half of the season.  Mussina has been the MVP for the Yanks the question is who is going to carry the torch for the second half?

2.The Champs are still here.  With even David Oritz going down with a wrist injury and with Curt Schilling career might be over. And also despite the Red Sox being 0-6 against up and coming Tampa Bay Rays.  The Red Sox at the end of the 1st half season find themselves on top of the A.L. East.  The Red Sox have gotten help from JD Drew, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkillis have been on fire.  With all that being said the Red Sox still have Manny Ramirez, Josh Beckett and David Oritiz and still will be the team to beat in all of MLB.

1.The team that has not only been the talk of the American League but all of baseball.  The Rays who changed there name from Devil Rays to just Rays.  Had and outstanding 1st of the season.  With the young studs like Carl Crawford, B.J. Upton and rookie sensation Evan Longoria. Also the pitching for the Rays has been outstanding. Scott Kazmir,James Shields, Andy Sonnanstine and Troy Percival.  The Rays have lead the A.L. East almost the whole 1st half of the season.  But the Rays have now lost seven in a row.  And this team now looks tired.  Can this young Rays team just ran out of steam? Will the Rays go get a Ken Griffey Jr. or Xavier Nady this Rays team will have to do something.  If not it will be 11 seasons in a row without going to the playoffs.