Improvement

As it stands right this momenet, two and a half hours before tonight's game, our record is 14-17. Through May 5 last year, we were 10-21.

Surely it's not just me who sees a huge difference between those records. It's one thing to be three under and 2.5 games out of first. It's another to be 11 games under and pretty much out of it, barely a month into the season.

That seven game losing streak is what got us three games under. If we'd gone, say, 3-4 during those games, we'd be 17-14 and leading the division.

Ok, well, here's what I'm getting at:

It is May 6.

We are right there, ahead of Detroit, tied for third with Cleveland, a few steps away from leading the divsion.

Man, we've got a SHOT.

That's not to say it'll be like that all year. We could end up 27 games out, like we did last season. But as of right now, this second, 4:46 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, the Kansas City Royals are in the playoff hunt.

That looks so good in writing.

This is especially sweet for me, because this is only my third season as a fan and I haven't even been alive long to enough to see our last playoff appearance. I have only been exposed to Scott Elarton's dismal outings, Angel Berroa "forgetting" to run on a dropped third strike, the questionable, at best, managing decisions of Buddy Bell, and many other things I'd like to forget about. So if July and August come and we're hanging in there, that would be one heck of an improvement over last year, as far as I'm concerned.