jgold: baseball is a sport with lots of variance. Games are frequently decided on just a few calls. Ever seen that questionable ball lead to a rally? Or how about when a pitcher hangs a curveball on an 0-2 count and the batter crushes it to tie the game? When a terrible team sweeps a 3-game series against a great team, its not shocking...that's just baseball. Statistically, 162 games can work that variance out much better than 81. No player is prescient enough to say "hey we'll be in contention in September so let's take it easy now in June." Do teams fall asleep for some games? Yeah, you'll see that happen. But when have you seen a team go easy on a division rival at any time in the season? Especially when both teams are expected to contend for the division title? Also, it seems like you're a big Tigers fan but Leyland is a damn gamer. I don't see him ever backing off any opponent...right?
