I'm sure there are people that believe I'm too pessimistic. Why should I complain about a 1st place team? Why call them a house built on quicksand?
This is why they are not a team built to last:
Batting
Team Batting Avg - .259 (11th in AL)
Team Hits - 711 (12th in AL - ahead of only KC and Oak, teams they recently lost to)
Team Sacrifice Flies - 18 (13th in AL)
Grounded into Double Plays - 80 (most in all of baseball)
Pitching
Walks allowed - 308 (2nd most in AL)
Blown saves - 15 (most in AL)
Save % - 55 (13th in AL)
Granted, these are selective stats. They are middle-of-the-pack in most pitching categories, and they're near the top in fielding. Yet, they do not fare well in reliever stats, and, of course, they're absolutely dreadful at producing runs.
I wouldn't be so critical of their hitting woes, if the bullpen was stronger. They could be a defense-first team, and that would be enough to get them into the playoffs. Unfortunately, the team was built as a hitting team. With Grandy, Polanco, Maggs, Laird, and Guillen hitting well below their career average (or injured), the team must rely on the pitching. That puts the bullpen under more scrutiny.
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