As we approach the culmination of the baseball season, some interesting highlights have enriched the devoted fans. For instance, the Wild Card race in the National League may go down to the final day, as three teams are currently within two games of the division leaders. There may be a three-team playoff in early October. I wonder how they will decide to do that. Surely, a coin flip will not be involved, it’s more likely that inter-division records may decide the matchups.

For those of us who follow potential Triple-Crown winners and Most Valuable Players we are really in for a treat. Both Joey Votto of Cincinnati and Albert Pujols are currently neck and neck for this most difficult accomplishment.

In the American League it is also a two-player race. Josh Hamilton of the Rangers and Miguel Cabrera are close but it may take a tremendous September for Cabrera to catch Hamilton.

Here are some projections for this coming week. It appears to me that Tampa Bay has a better chance to be ahead of the Yankees by this time. The Rays get Toronto at home for three and visit Baltimore for three while the Yanks host Oakland (dangerous due to their pitching) for three and then get Toronto.

There is some question about New York’s starting pitching problems as well as the third base situation with A-Rod. Additionally, first baseman Mark Teixeira may be out for awhile. Without these two playing it will be difficult to win too many ball games and keep up with the injury free Rays.

"You can never tell a book by its cover," and the little league world series has proven that. As Hawaii has reached the finals, almost all of their players are around five-feet-tall, which reminded me of a softball tournament I played in a few years ago.

The teams were from all over the country and it was played at Cashman Field, a baseball field utilized by our local Las Vegas 51s Minor League team. As I saw the size of the Hawaiian team, I thought, with no big guys, they had little chance of beating our real good team. I played left field, and to start the game, I played shallow because based on their size I couldn’t believe these little guys could put a ball over my head.

Well, three innings later I was embarrassed after three shots were way over my head and I couldn’t catch up to any of them. Needless to say these guys could hit the ball long and short and we never had a chance of beating them in the championship game.

Again, you can never tell a book by its cover. These little guys just ate us up.

Have a great week.

P.S. If you play the pros this week, you’re sicker than me.

P.P.S. How about the Phillies sweeping the Padres in San Diego? Not bad.