The AL in brief

By David Martin Sports Central Columnist

In the American League, the class is exactly where it was expected, with one exception. The Texas Rangers are only one game back in the often-tight AL West. Of course, the AL West usually is a battle between the A's and the Mariners, with the Angels providing some competition in the last two years.

But the Rangers, since Alex Rodriquez came to Arlington, have been the AL West's whipping boys. Now that he's gone, the Rangers have had a resurgence. Whipping boys sometimes develop thick skins, and in Texas, they have overall team youth that suggests they should be whipping boys.

But the Rangers have had decent pitching and great hitting. They have a manager who knows how to develop young players, and has them going, if not on all cylinders, all the cylinders that they can simultaneously hit at one time for their age.

And speaking of age, the Mariners, in a three-way battle with Tampa and Kansas City for the AL's worst record, is showing theirs. By far, the Mariners seem like one of baseball's oldest teams. All you need to know is that Edgar Martinez still serves as their everyday designated hitter. A good one, one of the best, but well past his prime, and expressing it on nearly a nightly basis.

As for Kansas City, many expected more of this bunch, who wildly overachieved a year ago. They aren't just showing their warts, their showing their warts' warts, and it ain't pretty. The Royals already have their work cut out for them in trying to get clear of the AL Central cellar, with Detroit drastically improved on a year ago (at their current pace, they'll have eclipsed last season's number of wins by the end of July) and Cleveland proving themselves to be a decent club without a scintilla of a bullpen. Give the Tribe a bullpen, and they're threatening in the AL Central.

In the AL East, there haven't been any real surprises, but there's been a strong sense of underachievement in the division's top teams, New York and Boston. The Yankees have been slow to find their bats, but have found them in recent weeks. The Yankees had shaky starting pitching to begin the year, as well, and the two weaknesses left Red Sox fans ecstatic, especially since the Sox came flying out of spring training with pitching that ot-er teams could only dream of. Slow bats were excused as two big components remained on the DL.

And then, the June swoon that arrives in the month of its namesake arrived a month early. Red Sox fans struggled to comprehend just how badly they'd been dominated by the Texas Rangers. The Cleveland Indians completed a season series victory, taking four of six matchups in May. We know now that the Rangers are a legitimate ballclub, at least in the short term.

We also know now that Pedro Martinez of 2004 is not the Pedro of 1999, or even the Pedro of 2003. Martinez's struggles have been noteworthy, because it had been assumed that with two legitimate aces in the rotation (with the acquisition of Curt Schilling in the offseason), the Sox would be a hands-down division title contender.

With Martinez and Lowe each underperforming through two months, and the Yankees' pitching finding its stride in concert with its bats, the Sox seem doomed to fighting with the AL West runner-up for a wildcard spot. Again. Add to the Sox' list of woes continued stints on the DL for Nomar Garciaparra and Trot Nixon through two months (with Nixon's return still not on the immediate horizon as we head into mid-June), a return-to-earth of what had been a lights-out bullpen, injuries to last season's batting champion, and a key setup pitcher/part-time closer, questionable on-field management, pronunciations by Martinez that he wasn't sure he wanted to be in Boston beyond this season, persistent rumors that management is unhappy with Garciaparra's timidity in returning, not to be confused with suggestions that Garciaparra is prepared, even happy, to move on to another team, and Sox fans' malaise is in full force.

The Angels in the AL West, even with injuries to key components, look like the strongest team in the AL. The AL Central is tight, but without compelling strength enough to challenge for a wildcard spot.

The AL East could see a real battle develop if the Sox starting rotation continues to be a question mark, and Orioles' pitching improves in the longer term. Granted, the O's pitching will need to improve a lot, but, nothing is impossible. For the first time in several years, the Orioles seem to have more components for winning than not.

Other random comments: "Spider Man 2" weekend is upon us, and the bases will be free of logos, but watch carefully and see if you see more of the on-deck circle than you've ever seen before.

The San Diego Padres are in Fenway for the first time ever. That's a really cool thing. And the Dodgers will be visiting Fenway for the first time since before the move to Los Angeles. Adding oddity to history, the Dodgers are now owned by a Bostonian.

Fan voting for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game has either got to go, or the lists of names from which to choose not be supplied until mid-May, when players have determined at least in part, the arc of their seasons. Some cases in point: Nomar Garciaparra led the AL voting for shortstop until this past weekend, despite the fact that he's been injured all season long to this point.

More disturbing, the 10th-best (numbers-wise) shortstop in the AL overtook Garciaparra in voting over the past weekend. Derek Jeter's struggles have been the subject of wide and wild speculation, while the all-star voters have completely ignored the very good performances of the likes of Michael Young in Texas, Carlos Guillen in Detroit, or even Miguel Tejada in Baltimore. How insane is that?

And, arguing the point for holding the lists until later in the season is one Kevin Millar of the Boston Red Sox. Millar is listed in the balloting as a first baseman. Anyone paying attention knows that he's A) played unworthy of being listed at any position and B) has played more games at rightfield than at first base. Unbelievable.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.