Sep 03 2008
MLB’s race to 100
The 2008 Major League Baseball season is all but over for 3 teams. These teams have been mathematically eliminated from the season with no chance of seeing the playoffs. With that said, there is still one race for them that none of them want to win. It is MLB’s race to a 100 loses.
As of today the Pittsburgh Pirates , the Washington Nationals , and the Seattle Mariners are all but through with their season with no more than pride on the line. The pride at stake is to not be the team that loses 100 games. Right now, the Nationals have a 2 game lead with 86 loses, the Mariners are next with 84, and the Pirates are in third with 79.
So, what does it mean for these teams. That is quite simple; it is time to evaluate your young players and see what they can do. It is time to shop your players that do not fit in with the program that you are trying to run. And it is time to start looking at the free agent market to see where you can gain strength. Season are not a lost cause just because of elimination. As a matter of fact, it is not too bad of a place to be if you are these teams. They need to rebuild to get better.
If you break them apart prior to the trade deadline, you would know that the Mariners were getting old, the Pirates lacked power in their lineup, and the Nationals could not play consistently to save their careers. With that, you need to take all the names off the board and start all over. Teams can be rebuilt and teams can come from the cellar. In 1991, the Atlanta Braves went from worst to first and never looked back until the last couple of year. If they can do that, then so can these teams.
