The highs and the lows of 2006’s Major League Baseball season were topped off by a nail-biting All-Star game. This season has given us plenty of exciting games and intriguing story lines to follow as we slide through the dog days of summer into the October postseason.

Returning to their prestige of the 1980s, both the Mets and the Tigers have found themselves atop of their respective leagues. Each case is somewhat of a surprise to say the least. Jim Leyland adopted a tough task coming into the Motor City, but has gotten the best out of his team and is without a doubt the manager of the year in the American League. The Mets appear to be on a fast track to the World Series. Their club is jam-packed with personality and talent, and they are one of the most entertaining teams to watch. While both look like a lock for playoff berths, there still is a lot of season to play, and all eyes will be monitoring their progress.

Never before has there been such a downpour of youngsters overtaking baseball. It seems that every team has a cornerstone to their franchise in place that just recently got old enough to drink legally. The wave of youngsters includes Jonathan Papelbon, Robinson Cano, Johnny Gomes, Carl Crawford, Scott Kazmir, Grady Sizemore, Justin Verlander, Joe Mauer, Francisco Liriano, Nick Swisher, David Wright, Jose Reyes, Ryan Howard, Dan Uggla, Ryan Zimmerman, Brandon Phillips, and Matt Holliday, to name a few, all of whom are between the ages of 21 and 26. They bring a lot of promise to baseball as half of them were All-Stars, and most of them should have been.

The steroid issue is still looming over MLB’s heads. At the forefront of the controversy is still Barry Bonds. The truth about his past would uncover a lot of what the last 20 years has been like behind the scenes, but that truth may never be uncovered. Bonds is still criticized and booed everywhere but in San Francisco, and he wasn’t selected for the All-Star festivities.

The Atlanta Braves streak of consecutive division crowns will end this season. On paper, they are still solid, but there are holes in the pitching staff. They haven’t played to their potential and have blown numerous games late.

The Florida Marlins are back to the pits of the National League after winning the World Series only three seasons ago. If they stay true to their historic pattern, we should expect a championship out of their no-name players in 2009.

The National League has two good teams, the Mets and Cardinals. The American League has about nine, making the two leagues extremely lopsided after the completion of the first half of baseball.

Alfonso Soriano, after all of the drama and difficulty, is still one of the top players in baseball. With 27 homers, his stock didn’t drop moving to outfield from middle infield, and the fans acknowledged his play by voting him a starter in the All-Star Game. He is the hottest player out there susceptible to trade bait, and where he ends up will have a huge impact on how the playoffs shake out.

Aaron Rowand’s catch is most amazing catch that I have seen in years. Most of this is due to the fact he suffered a broken nose sacrificing his body for the catch. Gary Mathews Jr., Coco Crisp, David Wright, and Tadahito Iguchi have turned out specific plays that are simply mind-boggling.

The Cincinnati Reds have been a nice surprise. Southern Ohioans are hoping that they don’t sink into their typical routine and fall fast after first-half success. The Redlegs have a solid core of veterans and youth and may be good enough for a playoff berth.

Roger Clemens is simply the most amazing pitcher to ever play, and he proved it by coming back three months after the start of Spring Training. The 43-year old is 1-2 since his return, but his ERA is 2.82. He could play for five more years if he chooses. The big question though, is can he salvage the Astros’ season?

Albert Pujols is the best player in baseball, period. He was on the disabled list for close to a month and still led the NL in homers when he came back.

Nomar Garciappara is hands down the comeback player of the year in the NL. He is having one of his best offensive seasons despite the health questions and position change. AL honors thus far are split between some guys named Thome and Giambi.

You knew I was going to get to the Yankees. Record-wise, they are right there in the thick of things. There are issues here though. Alex Rodriguez is still booed by fans, and very quiet trade rumors have surfaced. Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield have missed most of the season, and the entire roster, as a whole isn’t getting any younger. The pitching is a disaster, but they still have Derek Jeter, and Giambi is having a career year.

Pirates, Royals, Devil Rays. Take your pick on who the worst team is.

The Toronto Blue Jays were a sleeper pick for many to win the AL East despite playing the Yankees and Red Sox 40 times. They are hovering around five games out of first, but with a successful trade, they could seriously contend the rest of the way. They currently have four players who only play the corner infield positions. Time to shop.

The AL Central is the best division in baseball. As noted earlier, the Tigers are the best story so far, but also the best team so far. The Chicago White Sox are just as good as Detroit, but are overshadowed by their overly outspoken manager. Ozzie Guillen runs his mouth far beyond what he should be allowed to. He is a distraction to the team, and they maybe loving him now in Chicago, but he may someday cost them. If he continues to speak his mind about sensitive issues and publicly attacking people, he may tear apart what could be a dynasty in the making. Despite Guillen’s antics, the team hasn’t lost their swagger yet, and they will be right in the middle of the action in the fall. The Cleveland Indians are the biggest disappointment in baseball, on the other hand, and they continue to plummet fast into the cellar of major league teams. Picked to be a quality ball club, the Tribe is already looking toward 2007. The Minnesota Twins have heated up and may make this a three-team race. (See next posting).

Francisco Liriano is not only the rookie of the year to date, but he would also win the Cy Young if the season ended now. If he has a second half remotely close to his first half, (10-1, 1.83 ERA) we may see this 22-year old pull off just that. He is leading the unsuspecting Twins into AL Central contention.

The Chicago Cubs are a disaster. Time to sell, sell, sell.

I’m looking forward to what the rest of this season holds. Twenty of the teams at the break have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs, so as the temperatures heat up in July and August, we may see some tight races heat up as well. Let’s play ball.