Good day, baseball fans. Well, just when it seemed as if the Major League Baseball wild-card talent search would become a two-team plate-spinning contest, the A's and the Houston Astros went ahead and stopped winning six days of the week. Go figure. As the two of them got a tad stuck in neutral since last Monday, the Yankees, Phillies, Nats and Marlins realized that treading water might be mildly amusing --and at least stops you from drowning-- but it won't get you to the other side of the pool. Eyebrows are furrowing in the cities of Cleveland and Texas, while Blue Jays and Twins fans can still hold onto a string-thin hope of actually staying in this mediocre mixer. And you might not believe what you see a few scrolls down your computer, but the White Sox have been dragged from their # 1 throne seating for the first time since I've been writing this column. Might be hard to get it back when you realize who's keeping the seat warm now. [Last Week's Positions in Parentheses] 1. St. Louis Cardinals: ( 2 ) Yep, that's right, here they are atop the pack, despite losing three of four to the Cubbies to finish the weekend. Chris Carpenter or Roger Clemens? That's the talk already around the baseball media: who's in the lead for the Cy Young at year's end? Say all you want about being 42 years-old, with a half-season's worth of nonexistent run-support, but I'm afraid 17 wins and 6 complete games tips this scale to C.C. 2. Chicago White Sox: ( 1 ) The Southsiders got their pinstripes a little tattered this week when they strutted into Boston to play the Red Hots. Fortunately for them the Sunday game was rained out. Scott Podsednik has to take a seat on the DL for a spell, which will hurt this ballclub, but it won't kill it. My money says it makes this resilient group of guys stronger down the stretch. 3. Boston Red Sox: ( 6 ) The streaking Sox have started mixing their special magic potion again. It's a cauldron, actually, and I know for a fact where they hide it. Don't know the recipe, but I bet it doesn't contain Accidentally Placed Ingredients --more like a pinch of attitude, a teaspoon of courage, and two ice cold pints of talent. And I don't care who you root for: after last year's heroics, it's tough watching Curt walk off the mound like he does too often these days. 4. Oakland Athletics: ( 3 ) The A's are agin playing a little like the B-minuses these past several days. And on the other side of the country the Yankees are eating it up like addicts. But let's not start saying the ol' "what have you done for me..." line just yet. They are still 40 - 11 since early June. Yeah, that's above average... 5. Atlanta Braves: ( 5 ) Say what you will about the Braves, but Mike Hampton's on the roster again, as is Chipper, and their bullpen has stepped it up a notch. They also are the only team in the NL East who has played consistently well these past couple of months. Oh, and one more thing: Atlanta does NOT lose their division. It just doesn't happen anymore, I don't think. Wake me up when it does, even though I may be sleeping for a couple more years. 6. Houston Astros: ( 4 ) I've been checking them out a little this week, and there's something not quite right going on when Clemens, Pettitte, and Oswalt are in the dugout. Add to that an offense scuffling a little, and you've got the makings of a wild-card race again, folks. Step right up. Your guess is as good as mine who's going to put the pressure on the 'Stros, but I sure hope it's someone. I hate "Magic Numbers" in early September. 7. New York Yankees: ( 8 ) Look who's back, it's Jaret Wright. Now that Al Leiter has shown he's actually pretty hittable, Wright and Mussina become the answers to New York's Pitching Prayers. Let's face it, though. This team is owned by its offense. Look at A-Rod: 6 HRs in 9 games, on pace for well over 50 ...again. This guy's my MVP vote. Sorry Johnny. 8. Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim): ( 7 ) I know, I know, why did the Angels drop to #8, they didn't doing anything wrong, except take back control of the AL West in the face of the seemingly unflappable A's. Well, I have no answer for you. But don't worry. You're still in the Top-10, and have the sturdiest son-of-a-gun in Bartolo Colon. You'll be fine, trust me. 9. Philadelphia Phillies: ( 11 ) No soap operas going on on this Philadelphia ballclub. In fact, I don't think anyone's tuning in at all to what is really becoming pretty entertaining daily programming. This guy Chase Utley is a godsend, and Rollins and Abreu there to back him up, makes one almost forget their real hero Jim Thome is gone for the season....I said "almost forget". 10. Florida Marlins: ( 9 ) What a frustrating week for Marlins fans: they were 12 - 6 going into this week, then they lose a double-header to the Rockies! Then win 2 games, then lose two games, then win two games. Not good, and the Astros are opening the door for them too. I think they should threaten the whole team with trade talk. Worked with AJ Burnett, who has won 6 straight decisions. It's time for this team to stop messing around and play like they should be (or like I predicted they would, damnit!) 11. Cleveland Indians: ( 10 ) The tribe were starting to look scary again, let me tell you. But I don't care what you say, finishing the week by being swept by the Devil Rays is enough to put some tarnish on the shiniest silver. Too bad for them, the Yankees decided to start dominating this week, too. But the Indians still own one of the best bullpens around, and that will come in more than handy in late-season close games against wild-card foes. You'll see. 12. New York Mets: ( 12 ) I gotta tell ya: watching that collision in center field the other day was an horrendous experience, and the negative impact those injuries will have on the Mets is a fraction of what Mike Cameron has had to go through. Poor guy. Poor Mets fans also. This team was already doing the "one-step forward, one-step back" dance for far too long to be taken seriously anymore. Put a cork in this one... 13. Toronto Blue Jays: ( NEWCOMER ) Edging into their sliver of the spotlight are the Jays, who are really playing pretty good baseball. For a while now they've stayed within megaphone shouting distance of the playoff contenders, and are putting together some W's. They get in to the Rankings by doing this without Roy Halladay! Impressive for a bunch of players noone has heard of. 14. Minnesota Twins: ( 14 ) Not if they can help it. Juuussst staying alive. Barely. But they are. Right when things looked so bad that they would pull a Baltimore and start drifting into obscurity, the team fights back with pitching alone. It won't take them anywhere by itself, but here they are for now. 15. Washington Nationals: ( NEWCOMER ) Everyone said it was inevitable: you can't count on winning one-run games for the entire season and get into the playoffs. Heard that one. At one point last week they had lost their last 13 one-run contests, and on their way to disappearing altogether. But they haven't, and remember: in the National League, all you have to do is not stink up the joint and you've got a first class ticket to a playoff hunt. Well done, Nats. You're not gone from the picture. This writer's going to do a little David Copperfield trick, however. Enjoy the week. Keep the game on your mind, and your mind in the game.