This is as playing out the string as playing out the string gets: two teams going nowhere with nothing even remotely interesting between them. I don't think an All-Star team from the Royals and Mariners could play .500 ball in the AL, although they would probably have a three game lead in the NL Wild Card right now. Still, here we are, the schedule is the schedule and we've got four simply incredible days of baseball to look forward to.
As "mazoboom" notes, the "Worst Team Standings" are heating up, thanks to an incredible two weeks from our Royals. After spending most of the season 10-games behind the Devil Rays, the Royals now have a legitimate chance of being the 2nd worst team in the American League.
Tonight, our dreams of glory our pinned on the slightly fatty arms of the once-regarded Odalis Perez (1-3, 5.48 ERA). (He was a Dodger once and league-average too!!) The Royals have shown an endless ability to churn out generic 5.00 something ERA pitchers this season and Odalis is no different. Close your eyes and imagine upside...
The Mariners counter with Jarrod Washburn (8-13 4.39 ERA). One wonders, what is the origin of a name like "Jarrod"? Its in the same family as "Jarret" and (of course) "Jared" I guess, but that doesn't really get us anywhere. How do you say it even? Whats the perfectly correct was to say "Jarrod"? Names like those always ended up as grimey little closed mouth affairs where I was raised, something like "Jeredt" or some such. No offense to anyone, but all these names sound like half-names or something, a coherent enough sound ("Ja" then "ra" "ed" or "et") but just missing some larger goal or payoff or something. Ohh to be young and having childen in the 1970s-80s, the possibilities were endless. . .
Lastly, loyal reader "Berroa is the devil" alerted me to an interview posted today at Baseball Digest Daily with She Who Will Not Be Named. BDD is good people, and always worth a look in general, especially today. She is an inspiration to all aspiring writers.