To know list: 8 moon shots in our own little home run derby

[1] FIRST HALF TRUTH

Offense is down, but not by much

A tougher steroids policy and a cold April have led to a lot of talk about a decline in offensive numbers. Too much talk, it turns out. The slight decline through the first three months of 2005 does not even match the drop-off between the first halves of 2001 and 2002.

Of course, in this (fading?) era of sluggers, any decline is worth examining. So, to what do we attribute the fall-off? Yes, fewer players could be on the juice. Yes, the quality of starting pitching seems to be on the climb-there were 99 complete games through June, compared with 61 through the first three months of 2004. And, no, it hasn't been a banner year for elite sluggers--Barry Bonds has yet to bat, and Sammy Sosa and Jim Thome have 16 homers combined.

Put those reasons together, and you can see why first half offense is down compared with the past two seasons--if only slightly.--Shawn Reid

[2] TSN STAFF POLL

Who will win
the N.L. East?

58%   Braves
33%   Nationals
 9%   Marlins
 0%   Mets, Phillies

[3] KEEP THE FAITH

Second half surges

So your team slogged through the first half of the season--it's not over, baby! Starting in 2000, six of the 10 biggest jumps in winning percentage after the All-Star break have landed teams in the playoffs.

Team, year            Pre-ASB        Post-ASB       Win % diff.

 1. A's, '01          .506 (44-43)   .773 (58-17)      .267
 2. Astros, '00       .345 (30-57)   .560 (42-33)      .215
 3. Twins, '03        .473 (44-49)   .667 (46-23)      .194
 4. Blue lays, '02    .395 (34-52)   .579 (44-32)      .184
 5. Mets, '01         .427 (38-51)   .603 (44-29)      .176
 6. Devil Rays, '01   .307 (27-61)   .473 (35-39)      .166
 7. Braves, '04       .517 (45-42)   .680 (51-24)      .163
 8. Cardinals, '01    .500 (43-43)   .658 (50-26)      .158
 9. Astros, '04       .500 (44-44)   .649 (48-26)      .149
10. A's, '02          .568 (50-38)   .716 (53-21)      .148

Team, year            Finish

 1. A's, '01          Won A.L. wild card, lost in ALDS
 2. Astros, '00       4th in N.L. Central
 3. Twins, '03        Won A.L. Central, lost in ALDS
 4. Blue lays, '02    3rd in A.L. East
 5. Mets, '01         3rd in N.L. East
 6. Devil Rays, '01   5th in A.L. East
 7. Braves, '04       Won N.L. East, lost in NLDS
 8. Cardinals, '01    Tied 1st N.L. Central, lost in NLDS
 9. Astros, '04       Won N.L. wild card, lost in NLCS
10. A's, '02          Won A.L. West, lost in ALDS

[4] TEST YOUR NFL KNOWLEDGE

For the Ravens and Patriots, none of it's true

Pop quiz: What do the Rams, Falcons and Chargers have in common?

A. They lost in the NFL playoffs last season.

B. They are moving home for training camp.

C. Their star quarterbacks never have dated Tara Reid.

D. All of the above.

The answer, of course, is D. What you didn't know is that with the Rams, Falcons and Chargers now training camp homebodies, only 16 teams still hit the road for the glorified workouts and scrimmages that send football fans into a sweat-drenched tizzy. To find out which teams are where, check out the map on page 18.--Mike Nahrstedt

[5] And now, a legit quiz question

I'll be wearing a new uniform in training camp, but I'm not sure my life will change as much as the lives of those around me.

* The tight end will have more space in which to run patterns.

* The running back will face a lot fewer eight-man fronts.

* The receivers will see more of Lenny Walls and less of Champ Bailey.

* The tackles will have to hold their blocks longer.

And all because

See page 28.--M.N

Who am I?

[6] NHL UPDATE

Top talent

The next NHL collective bargain agreement might enable teams to buy out signed players to get under the salary cap. Teams would not be able to re-sign those players. An All-Star squad of big-money players signed for the 2005-06 season who suddenly could find themselves as free agents:

LW   John LeClair, Flyers
 C   Bobby Holik, Rangers
RW   Owen Nolan, Maple Leafs
 D   Derian Hatcher, Red wings
 D   Darius Kasparaitis, Rangers
 G   Olaf Kolzig, Capitals

--Kara Yorio

[7] YOU HEARD IT HERE

'I actually feel like a major leaguer again.'

--Reliever Danny Graves, on how things have changed since joining the Mets after seven-plus seasons with the Reds (page 63)

[8] PLAYING THE OLD COURSE

You'll feel reborn (if you can get on)

The Old Course at St. Andrews, site of this week's British Open, is open to the public, though that is a tad misleading. Play at "the birthplace of golf" is limited to those with certifiable handicaps of 24 or lower (36 or lower for women). A round costs about $210 U.S., and planning ahead is essential. About half of all starting times can be booked online (standrews.org.uk) with tee times for next year available on or after the first Wednesday in September. Most of the rest are put into a daily lottery; golfers apply one day in person for play on the next (except on Sundays, when the course is closed). Singles sometimes can get on by joining a two- or three-ball match. Hotels and tour companies have some tee times at their disposal, too.--Steve Gietschier

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COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning