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Sporting News, The, May 31, 2004

If there's a baseball team that's a lot better than it has shown, it's ...

Kevin Wheeler

2-6 a.m. ET

weekdays

Definitely the Oakland As. They've been hovering in third place behind Anaheim and Texas, but that won't last. Barry Zito's ERA won't be approaching 6.00 in September, and Eric Chavez won't be hitting in the .230s, either. This is a team that finishes strong every year.

Bill Lekas

6-7 a.m. ET

weekdays

The Phillies. Their starting pitching will keep them from any prolonged losing streaks, and their lineup is capable of scoring in bunches. Injuries are the only thing that could cause a problem, but beyond that, the Phillies are a serious World Series contender.

Scott Wetzel

9 a.m.-1 p.m. ET

Saturdays and Sundays

I can't believe the Royals won't contend for the A.L. Central crown. The majority of their next 25 games are at home. Over that span they play the Tigers seven times as well as mediocre teams such as the Expos, Orioles and Mets.