Memorial Day Report Card:

Dan:

Each April, as the baseball season is still in its infancy, we watch as favorites struggle out of the gate, and hopeless underdogs tantalize fans as they hover near first. And each year I say the same thing: Talk to me on Memorial Day.

During those early weeks of the season, we don't have enough material to work with in judging what teams are for real and which ones aren't. To me, it seems you can't really take stock of the contenders and pretenders until you reach Memorial Day.

Now, here we are a few days past the holiday weekend, and, as I look at the Major League Baseball standings, I just don't know what to think. With so many pre-season favorites struggling, and so many pre-season clunkers hanging tough, this to date just may be the most topsy-turvy baseball season in recent memory.

As fans oohed and aahed at the early struggles of the Tigers, Indians and Yankees, I patiently waited for them to spend May rising toward the top of the heap. Meanwhile, I've been waiting for the Devil Rays, Athletics, Marlins and Cardinals of the world to plummet back down to their rightful places near the basement. And now that we've passed Memorial Day, I'm still waiting.

Entering June, what are the Rays still doing hanging around? They're good, but not this good, are they? Can you really see this team hanging around til September, or even making a push for October? At this point, I'm hesitant to make a guess either way. Given my Memorial Day theory, they should have started to fade by now. Maybe they'll hang til August . . . but that's got to be it. It's just got to be.

The Yankees? I thought they'd have pitching problems . . . but while I'd like to say I saw this coming, I didn't. This team is not good, and there may be too many holes for them to plug this year.

Still waiting for the Tigers and Indians to play like they are supposed to. Maybe they haven't received the memo that we've reached Memorial Day. And someone please tell Ozzie's Sox they are overdue to start fading. Not too long ago I said they weren't for real, and that the Royals were real. Brilliant.

And what is more surprising: That the Athletics are still contending (and just swept your Sox), or that the Mariners added another ace this year and are absolutely, positively terrible?

I thought the Marlins would be good . . . . good enough to challenge for third place. And the Cardinals should have been making their golf plans for October by now, not thinking about playing baseball in the fall. And remember when we thought the Giants would be so much worse -- SO MUCH WORSE -- than the Padres. Ah, yes. Those were the days.