[Cali Panthers Fan]

This is still a very good team, and one that is primed to do damage in the playoffs because it's built on pitching and defense, not whackadoodle power. Guess what always gets neutralized in the playoffs...power bats.

I guess I don't know what any of you really expect. Baseball is a hard sport to predict and even harder to maintain regular success, yet this team has been in the mix for the last few years despite a lot of turnover to the starting staff and every day fielders. Nothing is a guarantee for success. You can find all the superstars you want and put them all together, but winning takes more than pure talent. Just look at San Diego. They have a solid to good rotation, an all-star middle of the lineup with some decent supporting players, and yet they can't get a sniff of the playoffs right now. Yet the Reds are knocking on the playoff door despite a roster very much in flux from an older core to a bunch of young prospects without any elite pitching to back it up.

Just be happy they're in the mix despite the fact the offense hasn't been there this year. I'd rather watch a team that wins a lot of nights with great pitching and defense than whatever the Jays were with guys like Tanner Roark or Trent Thornton pitching.