No, I haven't changed forums and become a movie blog reviewer. Although I did see some of The Missing with Cate Blanchett and Tommy Lee Jones, and it wasn't bad. Aaron Eckhart's death was gruesomely awesome. But back to baseball. I am the one who has been missing. It's been far too long since my last blog, but I'm back to make amends to this excellent readership of mine. Before I begin though, you may have noticed a few subtle new changes to my blog. For one, there is an advertisement at the top-right corner, and before you ask, no I have not sold out. Ok, yes I have. I get paid a very, very small amount of money when people click on it, but don't go clicking it just to earn me 10 cents or anything. It's tracked, and if people click on it repeatedly I will lose sponsorship. So click if you want to, but in moderation please. I don't want to get in trouble with the Man. Also, there is a little thing at the bottom of each blog which makes this site easy to share with others, or something. I'm not quite sure what that does yet, but it's new and cool and it's here now. Anyway, baseball!!
The trade deadline is upon us and that means, rumors, rumors and more rumors. There is a play called Rumors as well. You should check it out if you get the chance. While I do love me some theater, I love me a good baseball trade more. It's so interesting to see how general managers plan to help a club succeed in the present without mortgaging the future. The problem with the trading deadline is that it more often rumors than facts. That's the nature of the business. With hype from sources like ESPN, MLBNetwork, MLBTradeRumers.com and endless baseball blogs and sites like this one, I get a little sick of the overindulgence. "Are these the shadows of the things that Will be, or are they shadows of things that May be, only?" Therefore, I will not speculate on any specific trades, mainly because I don't have researchers and insiders working for me. Instead, I will merely comment on things that have actually occurred.
One team making a few ripples in the trade pond is the Los Angeles Angels...of Anaheim. In a matter of a few days, the Angels put together trades for Alberto Callaspo, a versatile infielder from the Kansas City Royals, and pitcher Dan Haren from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Callaspo was a good move because he fits the Mike Scioscia mold of a baseball player. Dan Haren on the other hand was a bit of a shock to me. Just when I thought that Haren would go to a team like the N.Y. Yankees, or maybe the Philadelphia Phillies, the L.A.A. Angels made a huge statement to the first place Texas Rangers, that they aren't quite dead in the water. While Danny Boy isn't having the best year, (a 7-8 record and 4.60 ERA with Arizona) he is a top of the rotation pitcher who can eat innings and strike 'em out with the best of them. In fact, Haren's strikeout/walk ratio is nearly 5/1. That's outstanding. Furthermore, it would have been terrible to see the Angels make this stellar move, just to have their new acquisition get pegged by a line drive and be out for the season. While Haren did actually get hit by a line drive in his first appearance as an Angel, he seems to be doing fine, and should make his next start with no problems. Joel Pineiro on the other hand, isn't so lucky. He hurt an abdominal muscle while warming up for a game the other day, and now it looks like he'll be out for at least 6-8 weeks, and possibly more. The Angels moves may have been all for naught. But we shall see.
Another big pitcher on the market, really the only big pitcher left, is Roy Oswalt of the Houston Astros, but it looks as though he may have been snatched up today by the Phillies. Like the Phils need another ace pitcher! Well, apparently they do. And if there are any other dominant pitchers out there who just happened to be named Roy, call up Phillies' GM Ruben Amaro, he'll probably give you a crap load of money. Now that Amaro has realized his monstrous error of not keeping both Roy Halladay AND Cliff Lee, he went looking for another solid starter to bolster this team. Although Oswalt certainly won't come cheap, and the Phillies pursestrings are about ready to pop, it looks as though this trade is all but sealed. I know, I said I wouldn't speculate, but I felt like writing, and I didn't feel like was waiting another couple of hours to get the final OK, when just about every analyst says it's going to happen. But strange things happen in baseball, and it's possible that this deal could collapse at the last minute. Personally, I don't know how Oswalt is going to fare in hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park. I mean, even Halladay gets rocked their sometimes, and he's the ultimate ground-ball pitcher. Again, we shall see.
Trades are not the only things making baseball news. Believe it or not, some actually baseball, played on a field, is also stealing the headlines. And who was making said big news. Well, none other than Matt Garza of the Tampa Bay Rays. Garza pitched his first career no-hitter on Monday versus the Detroit Tigers. The only thing that kept the performance from being perfect was a walk given up to rookie sensation Brennan Boesch. This is a departure from the other two no-hitters pitched this year by Ubaldo Jimenez and Edwin Jackson, who gave up six, and eight walks respectively. Not to take anything away from those great achievements, but there is something to be said for only allowing one baserunner all game as compared to eight. Garza also struck out six on his way to a 5-0 victory, bringing his total for the year to 11-5 with an ERA just north of four.
Elsewhere, there are some great battles taking place all around the league. Both Central divisions and the NL West are hotly contested. As are the NL and AL East divisions. And speaking of the AL East, there is a guy named Alex Rodriguez that you may have heard of. Well, he's gunning for homerun number 600, and when he does get it, he'll join some exclusive company. Only six players have ever hit 600 dingers before, and if A-Rod finishes his season strong, he could pass Sammy Sosa and take over 6th place on the all-time homerun list. Unlike a few years ago though, there are now some strong doubts as to whether Rodriguez will ever catch and/or pass Barry Bonds for the all-time record. Mostly due to recent injuries A-Rod has been dealing with. Personally, I don't care which one of them holds the record, because they are both tainted with the stink of steroids. I'm not saying their homeruns don't count, but I don't have to like it.
Well, I hope I can get back into the swing of things in the next few days and get back to writing more. I'm sorry I was absent for so long. Once again, theater kept me busy, and lately I've not been feeling well. But no more excuses, you need your baseball knowledge, and I desperately need to make 10 cents. Until next time folks!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
American League Mid-Season Review
Did I tell you, or did I tell you? Don't count out the Phillies. Well once again my prognosticating has been correct. Curse you brain, why must you always be right about the wrong things! But on to other issues. Today we're going to continue our Mid-Season Review of my pre-season predictions. We covered the National League last time, and now we're going to move on to the Junior Circuit. But first a quick question. Do you know why the American League is the Junior Circuit and the National League is the Senior Circuit?
In my predictions I was very boring when it came to the AL East. And unfortunately for all us Yankee-haters out there, I'm being proven somewhat correct. Currently the Yanks hold the best record in the baseball with a 56-32 standing. They have been well balanced with lengthy pitching from starters like C.C. Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, and Phil Hughes. Closer Mariano Rivera is having a fantastic year at the age of 40. And hits and homers are being contributed from all around the lineup card. AL Final Man All-Star Nick Swisher is having a great year, and 2B Robinson Cano is still batting an outstanding .336. While Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez aren't having quite the years they are used to, they are still getting the job done. And it always helps your chances to win when you have eight players voted to the All-Star game, even if all of them can't actually play in it.
All this is making it difficult for the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays to catch up. The Rays were off to an incredibly hot start earlier in the year, but they have cooled off in spurts. They are currently in second place in the AL East, but hold the second-best record in baseball. The Red Sox on the other hand, started off terribly, but then came on like gangbusters of late. Hitting the ball out of every park and getting outstanding pitching from guys like Jon Lester who has an 11-3 record with an almost 3-1 strikeout/walk ratio, and Clay Buchholz who is 10-4 with an itty-bitty 2.45 ERA. However, injuries are taking their toll on the Red Sox. But much like the Phillies, you can't count out the Red Sox just yet. Like I said in my original predictions, I wouldn't be surprised to see any of these teams take the AL East or the Wild Card. So this division will most likely come down to the wire, like it has for the past several years.
One division I was less correct about was the AL West. I came to the conclusion that the L.A.A. Angels would take the West in the long-run. And while the Angels aren't having a bad year, the injury to stud first-baseman Kendry Morales has really hurt this club. Morales provided average and power to the middle of the lineup, and with him gone due to a broken leg, the lineup has struggled. Especially of late the Angels have had a hard time getting both solid pitching and consistent hitting, resulting in a 2-8 record in their last ten games. And now with the Texas Rangers making possibly the biggest trade of the year, it looks as though the Angels might have to settle for second place this year.
Yes that's right folks, the Texas Rangers unloaded a few key prospects from their overflowing minor leagues to get Mr. Lee. Mr. Cliff Lee that is, from the Seattle Mariners. It's often much harder for a team to trade within its own division, but Texas pulled it off. They now have the ace they needed to add depth to the young pitching rotation. And with Josh Hamilton, Vladimir Guerrero, Nelson Cruz, Michael Young, Ian Kinsler and other talented individuals in the lineup, Lee may have another Cy Young season in store, despite his rough first outing. Most analysts are now saying the Rangers can run away with the division, which I don't like to count on. But if any division in baseball is a lock by mid-season, this one would have to be it.
Now on to one of my best predictions thus far. In my earlier blog I wrote "Now anything is possible and I wouldn't at all be surprised if either the Tigers or the Twins actually take the division, but I am betting that Chicago will have a stellar year, making it tough for those other teams to catch up." But picking the Chicago White Sox is not the part I'm most proud of, since Chicago currently stands in second place. I'm proud of the fact that very few analysts picked the Detroit Tigers to do well this year. But here they are, in first place. They are on a current five-game win streak, while the Pale Sox have a seven-game streak to match. Meanwhile the Twins have been fading fast, losing their last four in a row. Nothing against the Twins mind you, but I said their lack of pitching depth might hurt them, and with exception of Carl Pavano who is having a comeback year, this rotation is faltering fairly regularly. Other starters like Franciso Liriano switch from brilliant, to getting slaughtered every other start, and Scott Baker and Nick Blackburn have ERAs of 4.87 and 6.40 respectively. That is not a recipe for success right there.
The Minnesota Twins do have a hot bat in the likes of Justin Morneau who is hitting .345 with 18 bombs. Plus, the Twins General Manager Bill Smith is willing to take a plunge on a big trade. It was reported that the Twins were very interested in Cliff Lee before the Rangers snatched him up. So look for the Twins to respond by adding an arm or a bat before the trading deadline. Will it be enough however? Well, I'm sticking with my guns on this one. I think the White Sox rotation will win out in the end and that Chicago will take the division. But again I'll restate that I think either the Tigers or the Twins have the potential to fight for the AL Central all the way to the end of September.
So I've been pretty accurate so far in regards to the American League. I thought the Rangers would be good, but just not as good as they have been. Much like the Reds in the NL. I've been right so far about the Yankees. Big whoop. And I'm very pleasantly surprised that I didn't do so bad in the American League Central Division either. But there is a lot more baseball to play folks. Can you believe the baseball season is half over already though?! True, the All-Star break is a little bit more way than half of the season, but whatever. It's certain that these next couple of months will be hard fought all over the Major Leagues. I, for one, am looking forward to it.
P.S. While I was not a fan of the way he conducted business, all of baseball will mourn the passing of George Steinbrenner, who died today, July 13, 2010 at the age of 80. He was the driving force behind the re-establishment of the N.Y. Yankees as the premiere franchise in all of sports. And he was a reportedly devoted family man. I'm sure the All-Star will take the time to remember this larger than life character. George, it wouldn't have been the same without ya!
In my predictions I was very boring when it came to the AL East. And unfortunately for all us Yankee-haters out there, I'm being proven somewhat correct. Currently the Yanks hold the best record in the baseball with a 56-32 standing. They have been well balanced with lengthy pitching from starters like C.C. Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, and Phil Hughes. Closer Mariano Rivera is having a fantastic year at the age of 40. And hits and homers are being contributed from all around the lineup card. AL Final Man All-Star Nick Swisher is having a great year, and 2B Robinson Cano is still batting an outstanding .336. While Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez aren't having quite the years they are used to, they are still getting the job done. And it always helps your chances to win when you have eight players voted to the All-Star game, even if all of them can't actually play in it.
All this is making it difficult for the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays to catch up. The Rays were off to an incredibly hot start earlier in the year, but they have cooled off in spurts. They are currently in second place in the AL East, but hold the second-best record in baseball. The Red Sox on the other hand, started off terribly, but then came on like gangbusters of late. Hitting the ball out of every park and getting outstanding pitching from guys like Jon Lester who has an 11-3 record with an almost 3-1 strikeout/walk ratio, and Clay Buchholz who is 10-4 with an itty-bitty 2.45 ERA. However, injuries are taking their toll on the Red Sox. But much like the Phillies, you can't count out the Red Sox just yet. Like I said in my original predictions, I wouldn't be surprised to see any of these teams take the AL East or the Wild Card. So this division will most likely come down to the wire, like it has for the past several years.
One division I was less correct about was the AL West. I came to the conclusion that the L.A.A. Angels would take the West in the long-run. And while the Angels aren't having a bad year, the injury to stud first-baseman Kendry Morales has really hurt this club. Morales provided average and power to the middle of the lineup, and with him gone due to a broken leg, the lineup has struggled. Especially of late the Angels have had a hard time getting both solid pitching and consistent hitting, resulting in a 2-8 record in their last ten games. And now with the Texas Rangers making possibly the biggest trade of the year, it looks as though the Angels might have to settle for second place this year.
Yes that's right folks, the Texas Rangers unloaded a few key prospects from their overflowing minor leagues to get Mr. Lee. Mr. Cliff Lee that is, from the Seattle Mariners. It's often much harder for a team to trade within its own division, but Texas pulled it off. They now have the ace they needed to add depth to the young pitching rotation. And with Josh Hamilton, Vladimir Guerrero, Nelson Cruz, Michael Young, Ian Kinsler and other talented individuals in the lineup, Lee may have another Cy Young season in store, despite his rough first outing. Most analysts are now saying the Rangers can run away with the division, which I don't like to count on. But if any division in baseball is a lock by mid-season, this one would have to be it.
Now on to one of my best predictions thus far. In my earlier blog I wrote "Now anything is possible and I wouldn't at all be surprised if either the Tigers or the Twins actually take the division, but I am betting that Chicago will have a stellar year, making it tough for those other teams to catch up." But picking the Chicago White Sox is not the part I'm most proud of, since Chicago currently stands in second place. I'm proud of the fact that very few analysts picked the Detroit Tigers to do well this year. But here they are, in first place. They are on a current five-game win streak, while the Pale Sox have a seven-game streak to match. Meanwhile the Twins have been fading fast, losing their last four in a row. Nothing against the Twins mind you, but I said their lack of pitching depth might hurt them, and with exception of Carl Pavano who is having a comeback year, this rotation is faltering fairly regularly. Other starters like Franciso Liriano switch from brilliant, to getting slaughtered every other start, and Scott Baker and Nick Blackburn have ERAs of 4.87 and 6.40 respectively. That is not a recipe for success right there.
The Minnesota Twins do have a hot bat in the likes of Justin Morneau who is hitting .345 with 18 bombs. Plus, the Twins General Manager Bill Smith is willing to take a plunge on a big trade. It was reported that the Twins were very interested in Cliff Lee before the Rangers snatched him up. So look for the Twins to respond by adding an arm or a bat before the trading deadline. Will it be enough however? Well, I'm sticking with my guns on this one. I think the White Sox rotation will win out in the end and that Chicago will take the division. But again I'll restate that I think either the Tigers or the Twins have the potential to fight for the AL Central all the way to the end of September.
So I've been pretty accurate so far in regards to the American League. I thought the Rangers would be good, but just not as good as they have been. Much like the Reds in the NL. I've been right so far about the Yankees. Big whoop. And I'm very pleasantly surprised that I didn't do so bad in the American League Central Division either. But there is a lot more baseball to play folks. Can you believe the baseball season is half over already though?! True, the All-Star break is a little bit more way than half of the season, but whatever. It's certain that these next couple of months will be hard fought all over the Major Leagues. I, for one, am looking forward to it.
P.S. While I was not a fan of the way he conducted business, all of baseball will mourn the passing of George Steinbrenner, who died today, July 13, 2010 at the age of 80. He was the driving force behind the re-establishment of the N.Y. Yankees as the premiere franchise in all of sports. And he was a reportedly devoted family man. I'm sure the All-Star will take the time to remember this larger than life character. George, it wouldn't have been the same without ya!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
National League Mid-Season Review
If you are an avid reader of this blog, as I know you are, you probably remember me writing some predictions a few months back. Well, even though there are still a few games left to play before the All-Star break, this is a pretty good opportunity to evaluate how I've done in my first attempt at premonition. So without further ado, let's begin the National League Mid-Season Review.
Let's start with the National League West and my utter lack of baseball understanding. In my prediction special, I actually took the time to list the many reasons why the San Diego Padres wouldn't compete this year, and since then the Padres have done everything to prove me wrong. True, the team ranks 25th in both team average (.247), and homeruns (58), but even those lame statistics can't deter the pitching frenzy that is happening. The Padres are tied with the third best record in baseball because of young, talented arms like Mat Latos, Clayton Richard, and Wade LeBlanc. Adding to the pitching depth are veteran starter Jon Garland and closer extraordinaire Heath Bell, amounting to a MLB-best 3.09 team ERA, with 12 shutouts, which is tied with the Mets for the most in baseball. But the real story is the nearly flawless bullpen, which has found gold in guys like Ryan Webb (1.71 ERA) and Joe Thatcher (1.65 ERA). Quality starts, followed by a shutdown pen and a dominant closer means that the Padres don't have to crush the ball to win, although a trade for a hitter would certainly help. 'Pitching wins ball games' the old adage goes, and it is certainly helping San Diego to be the surprise team of the year, for just about every analyst. "You stay classy San Diego."
In my prediction special I ended up picking the Colorado Rockies to take the NL West division, with the L.A. Dodgers and the S.F. Giants making strong pushes to contend. Which is sort of what's happening. The Rockies haven't put all the pieces together, yet. After the other night's showing, where they came back from 9-5 down in the ninth to win in walk-off fashion, maybe the fight is just starting to show in this club. Today they finished sweeping St. Louis, so maybe things are coming into focus quickly for the ol' Rocks. Having Tulowitzki out will definitely hurt this team, though. If future All-Star Carlos Gonzalez and the Rocks can hang on, Tulo might arrive just in time to lead the team to the playoffs. I still think the Rockies can pull it off, but the Padres and the other solid teams in the West will make this tough division even tougher to win now.
One division that I thought was a lock, is actually shaping up to be a real competition. The NL East is up for grabs because the Philadelphia Phillies are hurting mightily. For many reasons which I spoke of in my last blog, the Phils are devastated by injuries, which has left a gap for the Atlanta Braves and N.Y. Mets to squeeze into. The Braves are led by dynamic pitching and consistent hitting. (Hello, world? It's me, Martin Prado. Take notice!) But the Braves are still maybe one bat away from running away with the East, leaving room for the Mets to potentially take over, should their pitching hold up. If Carlos Beltran comes back and has a return to prominence, the Mets could overtake the Bravos. But don't count out those Phils either. The East will most likely be a close race well after the All-Star break. But given the Phil's ailments, it looks like the Braves have the advantage to win it.
The St. Louis Cardinals are a great team. They have stellar pitching, led by Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. But what's this? Rookie Jaime Garcia, who I failed to mention in my 'Rookie Sensation(s)' blog, is taking the Central by storm. Lefty Garcia is 8-4 with a piccolo 2.17 ERA. And Colby Rasmus is having an unsung year, having already matched his '09 HR total. Matt Holliday is starting to live up to his contract, and Albert Pujols, despite not having a ridiculously dominant year, is still hitting extremely well. So why isn't this team in first place?
Because the Cincinnati Reds are busting through, that's why! While I thought the Reds would compete, I didn't think they would do this well, this soon. Led by Final Man Joey Votto, the tremendous Reds' offense is leading the National League in team average, homeruns, runs scored and total bases. Holy Crap! While Votto is having an MVP year at first, the pitching is keeping up as well. Starters Mike Leake, Johnny Cueto and Bronson Arroyo are all having great years, so the Reds didn't have to rush Homer Bailey back from his injuries, Aroldis Chapman up from the minors, or Travis Wood into this rookie campaign. Although Wood was recently called up, and he has some great stuff in his repertoire. The Reds have taken full advantage of the Chicago Cubs' utter ineptitude and the Cardinals' somewhat faltering ways. Watch out everybody, the Big Red Machine might be gearing up again.
Let's review then. While I was way off in my prediction that San Diego would suck, I certainly wasn't the only one. Pretty much every baseball show I watch has said this was not to be expected. Don't believe me? Look it up for yourself. But I have been pretty good with the other divisions thus far. True, I didn't think the Braves would be leading the East, but no one can predict injuries. And I thought the Reds would be good, but I was wrong about the time-line. So while I've failed a little, I've also done alright in some respects.
It's always fun to try and predict the future. More often than not the predictor is wrong. But that just drives up anticipation, because the next time you guess the future, it might end up proving you right. Then you can gloat to everybody how you know more than they do. Not that I would do such a thing.
Next time we'll review how little I know about the American League. See you then.
Let's start with the National League West and my utter lack of baseball understanding. In my prediction special, I actually took the time to list the many reasons why the San Diego Padres wouldn't compete this year, and since then the Padres have done everything to prove me wrong. True, the team ranks 25th in both team average (.247), and homeruns (58), but even those lame statistics can't deter the pitching frenzy that is happening. The Padres are tied with the third best record in baseball because of young, talented arms like Mat Latos, Clayton Richard, and Wade LeBlanc. Adding to the pitching depth are veteran starter Jon Garland and closer extraordinaire Heath Bell, amounting to a MLB-best 3.09 team ERA, with 12 shutouts, which is tied with the Mets for the most in baseball. But the real story is the nearly flawless bullpen, which has found gold in guys like Ryan Webb (1.71 ERA) and Joe Thatcher (1.65 ERA). Quality starts, followed by a shutdown pen and a dominant closer means that the Padres don't have to crush the ball to win, although a trade for a hitter would certainly help. 'Pitching wins ball games' the old adage goes, and it is certainly helping San Diego to be the surprise team of the year, for just about every analyst. "You stay classy San Diego."
In my prediction special I ended up picking the Colorado Rockies to take the NL West division, with the L.A. Dodgers and the S.F. Giants making strong pushes to contend. Which is sort of what's happening. The Rockies haven't put all the pieces together, yet. After the other night's showing, where they came back from 9-5 down in the ninth to win in walk-off fashion, maybe the fight is just starting to show in this club. Today they finished sweeping St. Louis, so maybe things are coming into focus quickly for the ol' Rocks. Having Tulowitzki out will definitely hurt this team, though. If future All-Star Carlos Gonzalez and the Rocks can hang on, Tulo might arrive just in time to lead the team to the playoffs. I still think the Rockies can pull it off, but the Padres and the other solid teams in the West will make this tough division even tougher to win now.
One division that I thought was a lock, is actually shaping up to be a real competition. The NL East is up for grabs because the Philadelphia Phillies are hurting mightily. For many reasons which I spoke of in my last blog, the Phils are devastated by injuries, which has left a gap for the Atlanta Braves and N.Y. Mets to squeeze into. The Braves are led by dynamic pitching and consistent hitting. (Hello, world? It's me, Martin Prado. Take notice!) But the Braves are still maybe one bat away from running away with the East, leaving room for the Mets to potentially take over, should their pitching hold up. If Carlos Beltran comes back and has a return to prominence, the Mets could overtake the Bravos. But don't count out those Phils either. The East will most likely be a close race well after the All-Star break. But given the Phil's ailments, it looks like the Braves have the advantage to win it.
The St. Louis Cardinals are a great team. They have stellar pitching, led by Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. But what's this? Rookie Jaime Garcia, who I failed to mention in my 'Rookie Sensation(s)' blog, is taking the Central by storm. Lefty Garcia is 8-4 with a piccolo 2.17 ERA. And Colby Rasmus is having an unsung year, having already matched his '09 HR total. Matt Holliday is starting to live up to his contract, and Albert Pujols, despite not having a ridiculously dominant year, is still hitting extremely well. So why isn't this team in first place?
Because the Cincinnati Reds are busting through, that's why! While I thought the Reds would compete, I didn't think they would do this well, this soon. Led by Final Man Joey Votto, the tremendous Reds' offense is leading the National League in team average, homeruns, runs scored and total bases. Holy Crap! While Votto is having an MVP year at first, the pitching is keeping up as well. Starters Mike Leake, Johnny Cueto and Bronson Arroyo are all having great years, so the Reds didn't have to rush Homer Bailey back from his injuries, Aroldis Chapman up from the minors, or Travis Wood into this rookie campaign. Although Wood was recently called up, and he has some great stuff in his repertoire. The Reds have taken full advantage of the Chicago Cubs' utter ineptitude and the Cardinals' somewhat faltering ways. Watch out everybody, the Big Red Machine might be gearing up again.
Let's review then. While I was way off in my prediction that San Diego would suck, I certainly wasn't the only one. Pretty much every baseball show I watch has said this was not to be expected. Don't believe me? Look it up for yourself. But I have been pretty good with the other divisions thus far. True, I didn't think the Braves would be leading the East, but no one can predict injuries. And I thought the Reds would be good, but I was wrong about the time-line. So while I've failed a little, I've also done alright in some respects.
It's always fun to try and predict the future. More often than not the predictor is wrong. But that just drives up anticipation, because the next time you guess the future, it might end up proving you right. Then you can gloat to everybody how you know more than they do. Not that I would do such a thing.
Next time we'll review how little I know about the American League. See you then.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Call in the Medics
"It is unavoidable." Emperor Palpatine said that in The Return of the Jedi. While he was referring to Luke Skywalker's potential conversion to the dark side, the same can also be said of baseball injuries. Every team will suffer a major setback due to an injury at some point. The only real difference is who gets hurt and for how long. For instance, my beloved Mets suffered a horrific year in 2009 chiefly because of consistent and devastating injuries to key players. While no team in 2010 has been quite so handicapped as the Mets were last year, the scars of battle are starting to mount for several teams.
For starters, a Mets rival, the Philadelphia Phillies are wearing and tearing at a breakneck (pardon the pun) clip these days. Earlier in the year shortstop and sparkplug for the team Jimmy Rollins went down with a calf injury. He missed about a month of action and came back, only to be injured again. Now that he's back from his second stint on the disabled list (DL) he's taking over the third spot in the lineup, which is normally reserved for 2B Chase Utley. Utley is out with a thumb injury that he sustained while diving head first into second-base. The ailment initially looked like a bad sprain. But according to the Philadelphia Inquirer the damage was much worse than originally thought, as part of a ligament was pulled off the bone and surgery was required. Meaning that Utley, the backbone of the Phillies offense will miss somewhere between 6 and 8 weeks to recover and resume normal baseball functions. And just to make matters a little worse for the Phils, third-baseman Placido Polanco, who was somehow leading the National League in 3B All-Star votes is also now injured with a left elbow inflammation. Before being injured, Polanco was having a great year hitting .318 and playing a stellar third-base in his return to the Phillies. Also, J.A. Happ has been missing from the starting rotation all season, catcher Carlos Ruiz has been out with a concussion, and the Phils recently added relief pitcher Chad Durbin to the walking wounding. Philadelphia is an extremely well build team, though, and have lots of pieces that they can sub in and out to make up for injuries. However, with the specific players that are injured, in addition to the length of time needed for recovery, this situation will prove to be a challenge for the club. If anyone can do it, the Phils probably can. Although as a Mets fan, I hope they don't.
Another club reeling from a recent rash of regressions is the Boston Red Sox. In a nine-day period, the Red Sox have placed five players on the DL. 3B Mike Lowell, who wasn't doing much anyway, 2B Dustin Pedroia went out with a broken left foot, catcher Victor Martinez left with a fractured left thumb, backup catcher Jason Varitek broke his left foot and will be out for six to eight weeks, and relief pitcher Manny Delcarmen strained his left forearm. Apparently the left side is indeed sinister for the Boston Red Sox. Again, the Sawks are a team built to deal with injury. Depth is a luxury with a high payroll team. When injuries pile up like this though, depth gets negated rather quickly. The Sox are now stuck with a third option catcher, and are without two huge bats in their lineup. And we haven't even mentioned that Jacoby Ellsbury, the speedy left-fielder/lead-off hitter has been out almost the entire season with a rib injury. Luckily the rookies have been stepping up a little for Boston, but they are going to have to step up quite a bit more if Bean Town is going to compete while so plagued.
There are some other teams dealing with injuries as well. Houston has put two pitchers and a shortstop on the DL recently. But with no disrespect to the Astros, they weren't competing this year anyway, so these setbacks aren't quite as devastating. It just helps speed up the process of the team selling off some of it's high-priced talent to other clubs. Elsewhere, Shaun Marcum of the Toronto Blue Jays went down with right elbow inflammation. Big stick Luke Scott of the Baltimore Orioles suffered a strained left hamstring while rounding the bases after a homerun. Detroit Tigers' fireball reliever Joel Zumaya fractured his right elbow in one of the most painful looking incidents I've ever seen, and will be out for the season. Rookie phenom Jason Heyward of the Atlanta Braves finally went on the DL for a deep bone bruise in his left thumb. And let's not forget that SS Troy Tulowitzki fractured his left wrist for the Colorado Rockies a few weeks back.
This is nothing new to baseball, though. Getting hurt and playing through pain is part of the game. These guys have to play a physically demanding 162 games a year, with very few days off in between. The wear and tear is tremendous, so injuries are expected. As a fan, I never like to see anyone go down hurt, even if it's a guy I don't particularly like. But injuries do impact the game, sometimes in dramatic ways. Perhaps the Phillies or Red Sox will suffer greatly from the untimeliness of these events. Maybe they can hold on and be better than before because they gave one guy a chance to shine in another's absence. Sometimes a team doesn't know what kind of talent they have waiting in the wings until a star player goes down. Who knows, maybe the next young stud is just getting his shot right now.
For starters, a Mets rival, the Philadelphia Phillies are wearing and tearing at a breakneck (pardon the pun) clip these days. Earlier in the year shortstop and sparkplug for the team Jimmy Rollins went down with a calf injury. He missed about a month of action and came back, only to be injured again. Now that he's back from his second stint on the disabled list (DL) he's taking over the third spot in the lineup, which is normally reserved for 2B Chase Utley. Utley is out with a thumb injury that he sustained while diving head first into second-base. The ailment initially looked like a bad sprain. But according to the Philadelphia Inquirer the damage was much worse than originally thought, as part of a ligament was pulled off the bone and surgery was required. Meaning that Utley, the backbone of the Phillies offense will miss somewhere between 6 and 8 weeks to recover and resume normal baseball functions. And just to make matters a little worse for the Phils, third-baseman Placido Polanco, who was somehow leading the National League in 3B All-Star votes is also now injured with a left elbow inflammation. Before being injured, Polanco was having a great year hitting .318 and playing a stellar third-base in his return to the Phillies. Also, J.A. Happ has been missing from the starting rotation all season, catcher Carlos Ruiz has been out with a concussion, and the Phils recently added relief pitcher Chad Durbin to the walking wounding. Philadelphia is an extremely well build team, though, and have lots of pieces that they can sub in and out to make up for injuries. However, with the specific players that are injured, in addition to the length of time needed for recovery, this situation will prove to be a challenge for the club. If anyone can do it, the Phils probably can. Although as a Mets fan, I hope they don't.
Another club reeling from a recent rash of regressions is the Boston Red Sox. In a nine-day period, the Red Sox have placed five players on the DL. 3B Mike Lowell, who wasn't doing much anyway, 2B Dustin Pedroia went out with a broken left foot, catcher Victor Martinez left with a fractured left thumb, backup catcher Jason Varitek broke his left foot and will be out for six to eight weeks, and relief pitcher Manny Delcarmen strained his left forearm. Apparently the left side is indeed sinister for the Boston Red Sox. Again, the Sawks are a team built to deal with injury. Depth is a luxury with a high payroll team. When injuries pile up like this though, depth gets negated rather quickly. The Sox are now stuck with a third option catcher, and are without two huge bats in their lineup. And we haven't even mentioned that Jacoby Ellsbury, the speedy left-fielder/lead-off hitter has been out almost the entire season with a rib injury. Luckily the rookies have been stepping up a little for Boston, but they are going to have to step up quite a bit more if Bean Town is going to compete while so plagued.
There are some other teams dealing with injuries as well. Houston has put two pitchers and a shortstop on the DL recently. But with no disrespect to the Astros, they weren't competing this year anyway, so these setbacks aren't quite as devastating. It just helps speed up the process of the team selling off some of it's high-priced talent to other clubs. Elsewhere, Shaun Marcum of the Toronto Blue Jays went down with right elbow inflammation. Big stick Luke Scott of the Baltimore Orioles suffered a strained left hamstring while rounding the bases after a homerun. Detroit Tigers' fireball reliever Joel Zumaya fractured his right elbow in one of the most painful looking incidents I've ever seen, and will be out for the season. Rookie phenom Jason Heyward of the Atlanta Braves finally went on the DL for a deep bone bruise in his left thumb. And let's not forget that SS Troy Tulowitzki fractured his left wrist for the Colorado Rockies a few weeks back.
This is nothing new to baseball, though. Getting hurt and playing through pain is part of the game. These guys have to play a physically demanding 162 games a year, with very few days off in between. The wear and tear is tremendous, so injuries are expected. As a fan, I never like to see anyone go down hurt, even if it's a guy I don't particularly like. But injuries do impact the game, sometimes in dramatic ways. Perhaps the Phillies or Red Sox will suffer greatly from the untimeliness of these events. Maybe they can hold on and be better than before because they gave one guy a chance to shine in another's absence. Sometimes a team doesn't know what kind of talent they have waiting in the wings until a star player goes down. Who knows, maybe the next young stud is just getting his shot right now.
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