MLB Questions: Senior Circuit Edition

And we’re back!!!

While we had a lot of fun dissecting the AL around 24 hours ago (now that's turn around!), there’s no reason the same enthusiasm can’t be found as we now lace up out boots and begin to target the National League [aka the senior circuit].

Maybe that wasn’t the best correlation right there.

Nevertheless, drop your DH-woes and sit back, relax, and ponder – alongside me, of course – the burning hot-stove questions (think ESPN uses that exact vernacular enough?) focusing directly, as well as I can possible hope to at least, on the haves and have nots on the other side of the baseball standings.

National League East
New York Mets [49-40] lead division by 1.5 games
-Once the hottest team in baseball, the Mets are now searching for answers – as quickly as they can attempt to – as their previous stranglehold over the NL East has all but evaporated away. Front and center of their recent woes is the cold-hard truth that Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, and Paul LoDuca have been more than disappointing this season. The pitching staff, with only John Maine reliable as of late, also needs big-time help. The penultimate question is easy, at least for me: Will Pedro, for better or worse, return this season and bring hope to the Mets nation?

Atlanta Braves [48-42] trail 1.5 for division lead & 2 games behind the wild-card leader
-Yep, they’re back. In fact, Atlanta stands to benefit the most with the recent woes in Shea and the dogfight that has become the NL West (they all can’t keep winning, can they?). While injuries have hurt a bit, guys like Tim Hudson, Brian McCann, and even Chipper have started to step it up. One letdown this season has yet to come around though. Will Andruw Jones escape his putrid performance thus far this season in time for the Braves to avoid coming up just short in the race for the Playoffs?

Philadelphia Phillies [46-44] trail by 3.5 games for the divison lead & 4 behind the wild-card chase
-I’m sorry, but I don’t buy this team. Not for one second, in fact. They have the wrong player leadership, the wrong front office, and definitely the wrong manager to rally the team into legitimate playoff contention. While they might flirt with a serious run, even until the last few weeks of the season, I gotta ask: At what point do the Phillies completely fall out of the playoff race? Something tells me, it’ll be a couple weeks after loss 10,000.

Florida Marlins [43-48] banished from playoff contention
-There they are…the little team that almost could. Despite an MVP-talent in Miguel Cabrera, this franchise has already twice blown up World Series-potential rosters. The money just isn’t in South Florida for the Marlins to properly re-sign talent. (Or so that’s what their management always has to say.) Despite plenty of young prodigies already littering the roster, even more may be on the way when one question is finally, perhaps, answered: Is the D-Train moving to a new destination soon?

Washington Nationals [37-53] banished from playoff contention
-Considering how deep and talented the division is (and how untalented the majority of their roster truly is), the Nats could honestly be worse. A lot worse, even. I won’t pick on them though. Instead, I’ll ask: Can Dmitri Young keep up this feel-good story and give Nats fans something positive to cling to?

National League Central
Milwaukee Brewers [49-40] lead division by 3 games
-What once seemed a runaway choice to secure the division title first, especially with Houston & St. Louis ridiculously underachieving, now has Brewers fans more than a little worried. The Brewers obviously haven’t been in this position, that is in first-place with a youthful, yet talented roster, in at least two decades. Can the Brew Crew right their ship in time to return to the land known as the Playoffs?

Chicago Cubs [46-43] trail division leader by 3 games & 3.5 games behind wild-card leader
-A few hours after Carlos Zambrano knocked Michael Barrett’s lights out, the Cubs seemed mere moments away from internal implosion. Fast forward several weeks and the Cubbies, their fans will now blame ME for saying this, are perhaps the most dangerous team lurking outside of the playoff race. There, I said it. I won’t banish them into further exile with any other comments. Well, except for one question. What excuse, justifiable or not, will Cub fans cling to this season when things ultimately go wrong?

St. Louis Cardinals [40-47] trail division leader by 8 games & wild-card leader by 8.5 games
-I think they’re TKO’d. But as the champs, they get a little more leverage than most would in such a situation. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out their main problem: when does this team, if ever this season, finally get healthy?

Pittsburgh Pirates [40-49] banished from playoff contention
-Even with their historic past, is this team currently thought of as anything except the team a skinnier Barry Bonds once played for?

Houston Astros [39-52] banished from playoff contention
-Not even this Astros team can contend for the playoffs. Honestly, is there a bigger disappointment this season that’s somewhat conveniently been swept under the rug of media attention?

Cincinnati Reds [37-53] banished from playoff contention
-Forget the team and its currently plight, or peril I should say, for a moment. Let’s have some fun instead. How many homers would Griffey have had if he’d stayed healthy? As of right now and for a career. You know you wanna at least venture a guess.

National League West
Los Angeles Dodgers [51-40] lead division by 0.5 games
-Raise your hand if you thought the Dodgers had the best record in the National League. [Hey, you in the back. Put your hand down, please.] While everything seems to be going well, I still spot this team as an easy-out in the first round. Despite being the only team above the 50-win mark, it’s important to mention, especially within the NL West, their playoff ticket is far from scratched. My real question is: what type of performance, and health, will we see from Brad Penny the second half of this season?

San Diego Padres [49-39] trail division lead by 0.5 games & lead wild-card race by 2 games
-Another poll question. [Get your hands ready again, please.] Who has the least losses in the National League? You guessed the Padres? Seriously. You’d be correct. Now nobody has serious doubts concerning the duo of Peavy/Young right now and the backend of that guy named Hoffman. At least not me. However, is Adrian Gonzalez really the guy to carry this team, with his power, through the murky waters of the NL West playoff chase?

Arizona Diamondbacks [48-43] trail division lead by 3 games & wild-card by 2.5 games
-Sorry to hate, but I’m still bitter over their World Series victory over the Yanks. Name five Arizona Diamondbacks. Go ahead. I’ll even spot you Randy Johnson. In fact, name two other Diamondbacks.

Colorado Rockies [45-44] trail division leader by 5 games & wild-card race by 4.5 games
-Who’s currently hitting .339, 16 homers, 70 RBIs, 57 runs, 30 2Bs, slugging .567, and has an OPS of .965? He’s your darkhorse NL MVP actually. Might be a good idea to get to know him.

San Francisco Giants [38-50] banished from playoff contention
-I won’t even mention the obvious. In fact, I’ll take a much different, and perhaps more appropriate route. Is Barry Zito the worst free agent signing of this past off-season AND is Tim Lincecum the real future ace in San Fran?

I know, that was two questions for the Giants. But neither involved that BALCO-related guy. (I might need to contact my attorney shortly, at least after making that remark.)

So it appears that the NL has been given its due. While it doesn’t often get the pub of the AL, don’t sleep on everything involved in its wicked and wild playoff chase. (Man, I wanted to use wacky too.)

In case you want more definitive storylines, I’ve got your back. Don’t forget about the logjams currently engulfing the NL West, the Braves/Mets/Phils battling in the East, and that team in Chicago currently looming in the Central.

Oh yeah, and some guy is going for 756, too.

All that and more for the next couple months as we push closer to October.

Until next time...

The Daily Check-up: Baseball nearing 65…Games

Despite my foray recently into pop-culture and infotainment-related materials, I’m clearly capable of cold-hard sport’s analysis.

At least, I think I am.

Despite baseball season taking a rather taxing toll on even its most avid fans, 162 games spanning from early April until the last few days of October, plenty can be learned as we approach the middle of June.

At least, I think there is.

Standings, statistics, and surprises.

Three rock solid categories to briefly delve into, as most teams march closer to their sixty-fifth game this upcoming weekend.

Standings
Your division leaders in the AL should come as no surprise.
-Boston has dominated the majority of the American League behind effective starting pitching and absolutely phenomenal bullpen work. Just wait until that Ramirez-guy catches up with the rest of the lineup. With a lead over 10 games, they seem to be more than ready to finally break the Yankee-stronghold on the AL East the last decade.
-Cleveland has stormed out to an early lead over Detroit behind ace-CC Sabathia’s torrid 9-1 start. Despite losing 2 of 3 in Cincy, the Indians 37-24 mark leaves them a ½ game ahead of the Tigers.
-Los Angeles, sporting the most wins in the American League (w/ Boston at 40), has quietly dominated at home (24-9) and rode the red-hot bat of none of than Vlad Guerrero to seize early control out West. What may be most surprising is who only trails them by 4 ½ games [Mariners].

Your divisions leaders in the NL should come as no surprise either. Well, except for the NL Central, of course.
-The New York Mets have seen steadier pitching, despite a recent hiccup in their bullpen against the Phils, than expected and maintained a 3-game cushion over Atlanta for the majority of the past month.
-The Brew-Crew (yes, from Milwaukee) rode the major’s best start, and despite recent .500 play, lead the slumping, yet potentially recovering, defending World Series-champion Cardinals, as well as the chronically underachieving Cubbies, by 5 games.
-The Padres, located in San Diego of course, apparently not missing the departure of manager Bruce Bochy as much as expected, are a strong 10-games over .500…leaving them a half game ahead of the upstart and dangerously youthful Arizona Diamondbacks. Never fear Dodger fans, as LA’s real team is only a game back in an extremely tight division race, thus far.

Statistics
In the AL, everyone else has dissected A-Rod’s April enough already. What may come as more interesting are some of these facts, as of the first week of June:
-Leading the Red Sox in homers and runs batted in…Mike Lowell.
-Second in the AL in hitting…Jorge Posada (10 points behind Maglio Ordonez)..
-Likely to see an All-Star game at 1^st base…Kevin Youklis (batting .342 with 73 hits).
-Detroit’s most productive outfielder not named Ordonez…Curtis Granderson (18 doubles and an AL-leading 9 triples).
-Slamming once again with 12 home runs and 43 runs batted in…Sammy Sosa.
-1.000 winning percentage for…Josh Beckett (8-0).
-16 combined wins for Angels starters…John Lackey (9 with a 2.37 ERA) and Kelvim Escobar (8).
-Foreign import 7-game winner…Dice-K.
-Seconds in the AL with 17-saves…Joe Borowksi.
-AL-leader in strikeouts, even over that Johan Santana-guy…Erik Bedard.
-Okay, leading the majors with 27 homers and 58 runs batted in is that A-Rod guy.

In the NL, it mainly seems to be all about Bonds (12 home runs, 9 behind tying Aaron’s 755-mark) stalking Hammerin’ Hank’s record. However, that isn’t the case when you dive head-first into the numbers.
-Two Rockies trail Cub D-Lee for the NL batting lead…Matt Holliday & Todd Helton.
-Cecil’s little boy is leading the NL with 22 homeruns…Prince Fielder.
-Right behind him, at 16, is none other than fellow Brewer…JJ Hardy.
-One Philly has 47 RBIs and 24 doubles…Chase Utley.
-Another Philly has the victories lead in the NL…Cole Hammels (8-2).
-Somebody doesn’t miss the fallout from the WBC…Jake Peavy (7-1, 1.68 ERA, and 11 quality starts).
-A Brewer has a major-league best 22 saves named…Francisco Cordero.
-Nearing 500 career saves and still going strong with 17 this season…Trevor Hoffman.

Surprises
-The jam-packed AL Central, which appears to be the biggest dogfight in the majors as of late, has Cleveland and Detroit keeping their heads both well above water. Despite a recent losing streak, Minnesota has remained near the .500 mark for the past few weeks. Yet, it’s the ChiSox, especially after dropping the ball at home versus the Yanks (losing 3 of 4), that are struggling to keep up with the frontrunner’s pace. As for the Royals. Well, they don’t like to talk about it.
-While Toronto and Baltimore have failed to make an effective push for 2^nd-place after the white-hot Red Sox, it’s the Yankees, or perhaps better suited as the Tankees, who have seen cold-pitching in April (beset mainly by injury after injury) and ice-cold hitting in May (A-Rod has returned to orbit after an incredible April) to see themselves staring 10 games behind Boston and as many as eight games under .500 earlier in the week. A weekend sweep of the Pirates, with a successful debut performance for the Rocket on Saturday, has the Yanks 30-31 and finally out of the AL East basement.
-Seattle, 33-26 after sweeping the Padres in interleague play, has to be one of the brighter spots out West. While a game ahead in the W column and two more in the loss column, Oakland has been playing their timeless tune of being unable to support solid pitching with any type of consistent offensive production. Texas has wilted under the “heat” to stumble out to an AL-worst .371 winning percentage. It’s going to be a long summer in Arlington for Ken Washington and company.

-Atlanta, not Philadelphia, has proven to be the NL East’s second best team. Currently #2 in the wild-card race, the Braves have been sparked by a return to form by born-again ace Tim Hudson.
-Chicago, as referenced perfectly throughout Pay’s article (below), have been downright terrible late in games and have stumbled, right alongside their fiery manager, to an underwhelming 27-33 start (especially after a spending spree equaling $300-million this off-season).
-San Francisco, perhaps more due to Zito than Bonds, have hovered a game or two below .500, at least before an embarrassing sweep against the A’s this past weekend, as Bond’s Chase for History has stalled in recent weeks.
-Houston (26-36) seems to have fallen and can’t get back up, to the disappointment of their fans. Fortunately for Philly and Florida supporters, their teams (32-21 and 31-33 respectively), have remained in the wild-card race thus far, despite two talented teams ahead of them in the standings.

And there you have it. Enough analysis to fill a page of USA Today. Or maybe even two!

The real questions remain: who will continue and who will see a change (whether for better or the worse)?

Only time tells those stories.

Until next time…

Crazy Eights: 8 Stories You Might’ve Missed

So it’s Friday night and I just logged a 7:30 to 3:30 teaching and a 4:00 to 9:30 at the school gym working. That means I’ll be asleep well before midnight and am officially ready to embark on a weekend where I sleep at least 14 hours a day. Can you say SPRING BREAK for teachers?

But before I throw out something witty and creative on Sunday for you all to enjoy (come on, play along with me), let’s check in on eight stories that seemed all too fitting to dabble with a bit on a fun-filled Friday night.

1) Eddie Curry’s last two games.
-Interesting or pathetic...I haven’t decided yet. Curry attempted 7 shots in a 92-90 loss to the 76ers on Wednesday night. He had 7 turnovers. Curry attempted 10 shots in a 96-92 defeat to the Timber Wolves tonight. He had 9 turnovers. The former 4^th pick in the draft is now 7^th in the NBA, as of Thursday night, in turnovers/game at 3.5. What’s most surprising is the players ahead of him. D-Wade, Iverson, Nash, Dwight Howard, Carmelo, and Yao. Unfortunately for Knicks brass/fans/anyone-who-bothers-to-speak-that-name, this is the only way Eddie gets mentioned amongst these types of talents.

2) David Carr has a new home
-"It's a case where we were obviously looking for someone to come in back up Jake and the opportunity to get a quarterback the caliber of David in free agency is unique," Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said. "We thought it was a good situation and a good opportunity for us." Translation: Jake Delhomme now has little-to-no job security. After last season’s rather putrid underachieving, the former golden boy of the Panthers now has a former #1- pick breathing down his neck. Enjoy that all season long.

3) NHL HOCKEY!
-Apparently the NHL’s Southwest Division was clinched by the Atlanta Thrashers tonight. Wait one moment. Hold the phone. Atlanta has a hockey team? There’s a Southwest Division? The NHL still exists? Could’ve fooled me. I thought they were still locked out. Small world I suppose.

4) M-M-Masters
-Gotta sneak this in quick before Pay bans me. Tiger is 5-back and Phil is 6-back. Barring a miracle Saturday run from either of the World’s top-2 players, CBS better hit the snooze button on drawing anything near a double-digit ratings share.

5) Good move for Goodell
-Already establishing himself as a more than competent replacement for Tags, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has established a six-member council of veteran players to advise him on a variety of issues, including player conduct. Who’s on the list? Glad you asked. Player’s Union President Troy Vincent, Takeo Spikes, Donovan Darius, Jeff Saturday, James Thrash, and Tony Richardson. While I can’t speak directly on their character, it’s a good move for Goodell to grab as many players on his side as he can. Especially with rather important, perhaps the best word is precedent, decisions lingering on Bengals oft-arrested wideout Chris Henry and the ‘Rain-Man’ Adam Jones [aka Pacman].

6) Assante Speaks
-Unable to garner the type of a long-term deal he desires – which is often difficult under the franchise tag – Assante Samuel is ready to push the Lance Briggs button [i.e. TRADE ME NOW!] with the Patriots. While hardly as vocal an issue as other NFL players this offseason, the Pats would be smart to keep the talented Samuel around. While his 10 INTs last year were an anomaly when compared to previous stats; he was a stud in the playoffs and remains the only truly reliable player these days coming out of the Patriots secondary. I can’t believe I’m giving advice to the Patriots. Only in a world where Atlanta has a hockey team…

7) Amazin’ METS!
-Who needs all those fancy-schmancy starting pitchers? The Mets are 4-0 after sweeping the defending champion Cardinals at Shea and thumping the Braves, often their greatest nemesis, in Atlanta. Sure it’s just the first week of the season; but the buzz in Shea is perhaps the Mets can make a run at 162-0. They’re just throwing it out there! Back off until they drop one pal!

8) Gotta love Sammy
-Yep, Sammy Sosa is officially back. Even on a rather awkward check-swing attempt, Sosa picks up the key RBI in a Rangers Friday night victory over the Sox (of the Red variety). He’s 2-10 with 4 Ks on the year thus far. Nevertheless, he’s in an MLB uniform (for now) and I’ll pull for him (for now). Key word, in case you missed it: for now. For now.

That’s all I got. Except that Ray Durham is currently hitting clean-up in the Giants lineup (and thus protecting Barry Bonds). I love that. I’m also rooting for Bonds this year. Why? Because nobody else will and I love messing with purists. Two birds with one Clement-laden stone.

PS: Sopranos/Entourage back this Sunday. Yeah, I think I’ll wake up for that duo.

See you all Sunday…

2007 MLB Preview: Part II of III [Truth vs. Myth]

It’s time to analyze a baker’s dozen worth of hot names/topics that the majority of baseball fans will be focused upon, one way or another, this upcoming season.

The question for you, the reader, is this: which of these two statements, per player, is a truth and which is a myth?

Let’s dive straight into it with…

13) Craig Biggio
Truth: Craig Biggio will reach the 3,000 hit milestone this season [70 hits to go].
Myth: Biggio will retire following this season, his 9^th-straight hitting under .300.

12) Eric Gagne
Truth: Gagne will be the stabilizing back-end of the Rangers bullpen to carry them through the intense dry heat of the Texas summer.
Myth: He’ll appear in less than 14 games this season, just as he did the previous two seasons (16 total).

11) Kenny Rogers
Truth: The gambler will again defy his old-age, 42 years young, and be the steady ace of the otherwise youthful Tiger-rotation.
Myth: The wheels are about to fall off for the pine-tar-laden pitcher.

10) Delmon Young
Truth: Forget the bat-throwing incident; this guy is as close to a complete player as any 21-year old in recent memory.
Myth: He’ll be a bust down in Tampa and his emotions will again get the best of him.

9) Randy Johnson
Truth: The dry Arizona heat will be just what the 44-year old pitcher needs, alongside a weaker NL lineup, to regain prominent form.
Myth: New York exposed something about Randy everyone now knows: he’s too quick to give up the deep homerun ball from start to finish.

8) Chris Young & Matt Holiday
Truth: These are the two young prospects you better learn about ASAP. [Young is the #2 pitcher, behind Jake Peavy, on the Padres staff and Holliday is the best player, a leftfielder, on a talented young Rockies team.]
Myth: Playing in the NL West, outside of Los Angeles and San Francisco, means these guys – productive or not – matter little in the public eye.

7) Alex Gordon
Truth: The Rookie of the Year third-basemen for the Kansas City Royals will be the best thing going in the Midwest you’ll never hear enough about.
Myth: He’s a Royal. Who cares?

6) Lou Pinella
Truth: Sweet Lou may not see the playoffs this season, but the Cubs will play their butts off for him and he will be the steadying force Dusty never seemed to be.
Myth: Risky free-agent signings and typical Cubby bad-luck will yet again doom another hapless Cub-manager.

5) Alfonso Soriano
Truth: The Cubs slugger will be a front-runner for the MVP award, enjoying a massive 50-homerun season at Wrigley Field.
Myth: The contract was far too large for a swing-happy guy who may still not be ready to play outfield in Wrigley.

4) Daisuke Matsuzaka
Truth: He’s the next it-guy and has 15-wins and Cy Young contention written all over him. Worth almost every penny.
Myth: The pressure of the contract and expectations, as well as the wear-and-tear of the MLB season is just too much for Dice-K in his first season; especially those trips to the Bronx. At least he wont be Hideki Irabu...right?

3) Roger Clemens
Truth: He’ll be a Yankee.
Myth: He’ll be in Houston or Boston, retired or pitching.

2) Alex Rodriguez
Truth: This will be his breakout year before banking another mega-contract next season.
Myth: Same old underachieving Pay-Rod shows up when it matters the most. Finally he’s shown the exit from the Big Apple.

1) Barry Bonds
Truth: He’ll slug home run number 756, whether you like it or not in the summer of 2007.
Myth: This season will be a wash one way or another as Aaron’s record lasts just a little longer.

Everyone Loves Barry.

Hopefully, we’ll find out the answers to these questions – and more – sooner than later.

Until next time…

2007 MLB Preview: Part I of III [Burning Questions]

So, it’s nearly MLB time. Yeah, that’s right…baseball is almost back. While most of us don’t really care about the national pastime until post-NBA Draft time, there are plenty of fans who are still salivating for the first pitch from their prospective teams.

So I decided to pop out a mini-three-part preview. Part I focuses on one burning question, selected out of a potential 4,567 per team, each squad will face this season. Part II will be a straight-up truth and myth section, with plenty of focus on the future for a baker’s dozen worth of prominent MLB superstars. Part III will be the meat and potatoes, aka predictions ala carte.

Without further adieu, let’s roll!

AL East:
Baltimore Orioles -- Is Nick Markakis really the “it-guy” that may put the Orioles back into contention?
Boston Red Sox -- Is Papelbon able to do it alone in the pen, or will Brendan Donnelly and Joel Pinero wind up being stellar off-season acquisitions?
New York Yankees -- Is Carl Pavano ready to make up for a downright hideous first two seasons in pinstripes?
Tampa Bay Devil Rays -- Can Delmon Young live up to his talent-related hype rather than the infamous bat-chucking hype?
Toronto Blue Jays -- Is the back-end of this rotation able to put up a .500 record?

AL Central:
Chicago White Sox -- How short of a leash does out-spoken manager Ozzie Guillen have on a
team that could finish anywhere from 1^st to 4^th?
Cleveland Indians -- Seriously, will this team ever live up to its pre-season potential…especially with this bullpen?
Detroit Tigers -- Will Gary Sheffield be the added power this team was missing last year or will he be nothing but a clubhouse nuisance and an oft-injured veteran?
Kansas City Royals -- How does this team avoid losing 100 games?
Minnesota Twins -- Can a guy named Boof Bonser really be a legit arm to accompany the likes of Johan Santana?

AL West:
Los Angeles Angels -- Is this team willing to move prospects mid-season in order to give Vladimir Guerrero help batting in runs?
Oakland Athletics -- Simply put, who will be this year’s Frank Thomas for this team?
Seattle Mariners -- When will this team blow up its entire roster, even possibly moving a guy named Ichiro?
Texas Rangers -- How deep into the dry summer months will Texas lurk at the top of the standings before its typical late-season collapse?

NL East:
Atlanta Braves -- Can Tim Hudson and Mike Hampton possibly stay healthy 90% of the season?
Florida Marlins -- Who do they trade Dontrelle Willis to this summer?
New York Mets -- Who’s going to keep the ship righted until (or if) Pedro returns at the end of the summer?
Philadelphia Phillies -- When will this team not underachieve immensely?
Washington Nationals -- What is missing in their starting lineup that they could’ve landed for Alfonso Soriano last season?

NL Central:
Chicago Cubs -- Kerry Wood and Mark Prior?
Cincinnati Reds -- Is this the year they finally trade Griffey?
Houston Astros -- Can they talk Roger into coming back yet again?
Milwaukee Brewers -- When is Ben Sheets gonna have that long awaited Cy Young-esque year?
Pittsburgh Pirates -- Does this organization know something the rest of the Earth doesn’t about their chances this season?
St. Louis Cardinals -- Is Chris Carpenter and Albert Pujols the most underrated duo of their kind in recent memory?

NL West:
Arizona Diamondbacks -- Are they that young team that nobody wants in the post-season?
Colorado Rockies -- Can Todd Helton return to MVP-form and lead this dangerous team of young talent?
Log Angeles Dodgers -- Can Nomar stay healthy and again be a leader for this team?
San Diego Padres -- How will Jake Peavy react to not pitching in the WBC.
San Francisco Giants -- How will that Bonds-character do this season?oHow

Plenty o’ questions here and plenty more still linger.

Part II is coming soon…