Fans Club Guerrero

We are a little over one quarter of the way through the season of major league baseball, and like every season there's been some beautiful stories and sad stories so far. With Barry Bonds finally caught the baby in the circuits, we can now focus on teams and pennant races.

Stop Detroit "City

The biggest surprise in all of baseball should be the Detroit Tigers. As we approach Tuesday's games, Detroit has the best record in the majors at 30-14, one game ahead of world champions title, the White Sox. The Tigers were expected to improve under new manager Jim Leyland, but nobody could have predicted such success.

Detroit will be in the race for the long term because of their outstanding starting pitching. The staff of the Tigers' leads everyone with a 3.26 ERA and 1.20 whip. Veteran Kenny Rogers has been exemplary in his first year in Motown. He goes to another all-star at birth, a record of 7-2 with an ERA of 2.91. Rookie Justin Verlander has been outstanding, winning 6 of his 9 starts, including a five-hit shutout of Kansas City on Monday night. fourth-year pro Nate Robertson is 4 -2 with a 3.03 ERA and 23 years, Jeremy Bonderman, who would be the ace of clubs in the coming season, a 1.14 WHIP is around 8 strikeouts per 9 innings.

Angels Can not Get Out Of The Infield

No American League team has been more disappointing than the Los Angeles Angels. Mired in last place in the AL West, as the Royals are worse than the anemic Angels. Their offense was pathetic. They are dead last in the majors with a 0299 base percentage and last in the AL flow percentage.

The only player hitting anywhere near its average is Vladimir Guerrero. But angels do not have the programming to protect Guerrero, the teams have already begun to rise in the star outfielder. Los Angeles had a chance to acquire Manny Ramirez in the off-season, but decided the price tag was too high for the Red Sox slugger, and went with the unproven young as Casey Kotchman, Robb Quinlan and Dallas McPherson. They combined for 2 hours and 11 RBIs thus far.

Return of the Big Red Machine

More in the senior circuit, Cincinnati had a red boot. Cincinnati is suspended closely with St. Louis in the NL Central and would be the representative of the National League wild card, if the season ended today.
The Reds home runs belted the second largest of the National League behind the Brewers. Adam Dunn leads the team with 16 big flies, behind Albert Pujols, who is in a league of his own. Dunn and his fellow outfielder Austin Kearns 26 years are both slugging over .500 and with the return of Ken Griffey Jr. in the lineup, the offense should continue to put Cincinnati up an impressive all season.

While the Reds offense was expected to be good, not much was expected of the pitch. A trade with the Red Sox in March changed all that, however. Cincinnati Bronson Arroyo was acquired in the deal for outfielder Wily Mo Pena with the hope that it would be ace of the team. Arroyo was not disappointed because he has a 2.40 ERA NL-leading 1.08 and a whip. He even blew up a home run in each of his first two starts. The rest of the Reds' staff has been average at best, however, and ultimately will be their downfall.

The Loveable Losers

In a position all too familiar to their long-suffering fans, the Chicago Cubs have trouble again. As the Angels in the American League, the Cubs can point to their pitiful offensive production that the reason for their problems. Chicago is last in the overall percentage of baseball with a .364 slugging percentage and 0301 based on the lowest ranks of the NL.

Injuries have decimated the Cubs. Star pitchers Kerry Wood and Mark Prior have left.