There are some players that are valuable to a team. Whether it's a lefty specialist coming in from the bullpen. Or perhaps it's a guy off the bench who can play a variety of positions. To be named the Most Valuable Player of the year, however, the guy needs to be something extra special. He needs to be the caliber of player that can vault his team from being a mere contender, to a potential championship bidder. And in 2010, both the American League and National League had those kinds of players.
We start first with the American League where Texas Rangers' All-Star center-fielder, and Batting Title Champion, Josh Hamilton, took home the coveted Most Valuable Player award. The first sentence alone is enough to put Hamilton into contention for the MVP prize. That doesn't tell the whole story though, because he is also a tremendous fielder. He may not have pulled in a Gold Glove yet, but he is certainly capable of snatching one each year he patrols the outskirts. He has speed enough to run down the deep drives, and is athletic and daring enough to make tremendously difficult and sometimes dangerous grabs. In fact he quite often pays the price physically for his acrobatic maneuvers out in Arlington's center-field. So he is a stellar fielder and any contending team needs a solid presence in center.
Oh, but Josh is so much more than just a good defender. The man can rake! He set a career-high in average with a league-leading .359. He also had a career-best on-base percentage and slugging percentage, and tied his best home-run total with 32 for the season. His at-bats were so astoundingly good, that from the beginning of June until the end of July, he had 90 hits in 216 plate-appearances. That's an average of .416. Most guys are considered on a 'hot streak if they hit .400 for a week. To due so for two entire months is simply ridiculous! Unfortunately Hamilton missed all but two days in September due to injury, so just imagine what he could have done with another month of playing time.
The other men high on the voting list certainly deserve recognition as well. Miguel Cabrera especially should have probably received more votes than he did. Cabrera is one of the best hitters in the game, but somehow is probably still underrated. He mashed a career-high 38 homers to go with his career-high 126 RBI, all on a team where he was the lone big-bat in the lineup, and in a pitching-friendly ballpark. He hit a fantastic .328, with an equally fantastic .420 OBP. While we're touting him, throw in 45 doubles and 111 runs for good measure, too. For his career, he has never hit less than 100 RBI in a season, and has hit below .320 only twice in 7 full years. The Lumber Menace is simply a ferocious hitter, but the fact that he did not drive his team into the playoffs with his gaudy numbers, probably kept him off of many people's top spot. But his day will come. Oh, his day shall come.
Robinson Cano finished third, despite some lofty numbers of his own. 'Don't cha know', Rob Cano set career-highs in 2010 in HR, RBI, OBP, SLG, OPS+, TB, and just about every other abbreviations know to mankind. He is a phenomenal second-baseman as well, having won the A.L. Gold Glove. He also was an All-Star and a Silver Slugger. Had he won the MVP, it would have been the second year in a row that a player was an MVP, All-Star, Gold Glover and Silver Slugger, as Joe Mauer did it in 2009. As far as I can tell, this special accolade surprisingly does not have a snazzy name to go with it. I mean four strikeouts in a game is a 'golden sombrero', so four major honors in one season should have a clever nickname too, right? Let me know if this special circumstance actually does have a name or not, or whether you can think of one.
Over in the National League, the story was quite similar. Lots of talented players vying to be the Most Valuable Player. A case could have been made for each of the top three finishers, but ultimately Cincinnati Reds 1B Joey Votto took home the trophy. He did so by leading the National League in OBP and SLG, both were career-highs. He was second in the N.L. in average with .324, third in RBI with 113, and third in homeruns with 37, and each category was a career-best for Votto. He was consistently great all year long and most importantly, helped catapult Cincinnati back into the playoffs.
Albert Pujols beat Votto in many statistical categories in 2010. Fat Albert had more runs, hits, doubles, homeruns, runs-batted-in, total bases, and walks. He had won the last two MVP awards and had won three overall in his illustrious career. In fact, since Pujols entered the league, he has never finished outside of the top ten in MVP voting, and has finished in the top three 8 times. Even Carlos Gonzalez, the multi-talented outfielder from Colorado, despite his lopsided splits of home and away stats, beat out Votto in average, RBI, total bases, steals, runs, and hits. So right now some of you might be scratching your head, asking 'How did Votto win?'
Because neither Pujols nor Gonzalez guided their team to the playoffs, that's how. The theory goes like this; If a MVP-type player were not on his team, would that team still have made it to the playoffs? In Cincinnati's case, no they could not have made it without Joey Votto. Therefore, he is worthy of winning the Most Valuable Player honors. If the Cardinals had been able to possibly squeak into the Wild Card, though, I don't know if Votto would've won. However, since the Reds took the division from the once dominant St. Louis, all bets were off.
It's very important to the voting writers that the winning player come from a playoff team. Unless a player's stats are so vastly superior to a competitor, a guy from a non-playoff team usually can't count on getting too many first-place votes. And that's why Votto walked away with the MVP award and a near-unanimous decision. Not that he didn't deserve it, mind you. It's just that when you look at the stats alone, it's a little tough to see Votto beating out both Gonzalez and Pujols. But the game isn't simply played for statistical purposes, it's played to win games and make it to the World Series. Cincinnati got closer than St. Louis and the Rockies, and there's your outcome. Some may say that's not fair, but it's the way they vote.
While we are talking about Most Valuable Players, there is one player in particular I would like to discuss, and his name is Derek Jeter. Jeter has been possibly the most consistently valuable member of the New York Yankees over the past 16 years, and one of the greatest Yankees of all-time. He leads the franchise in hits, he will eclipse 3000 hits for his career sometime next year, he is certain to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and stands a very good chance of having his number retired by the Yankees once his career is finally over. Having said all that, Jeter or his agent representatives apparently think the New York Yankees franchise now owes him more than he is worth as a baseball player. They collectively believe he is to be rewarded as an icon, and this really ticks me off.
I honestly do appreciate everything Derek Jeter has done over the years as a player. He is dynamic presence on the field, the ideal of sportsmanship, and a true team captain. But he is just one of many players in the Yankees franchise and in baseball in general that have come and gone. Despite all his great qualities, he is not an anomaly that will never come again, and when offered a very reasonable contract offer of 3 yrs/$45 million, the Jeter camp scoffed. They supposedly counter offered with a demand of somewhere around 6 years at roughly $20-$23 million a season. If these numbers are an accurate representation of what Jeter and his agents want, these people are close to being out of their minds'.
Jeter's abilities are declining. As I've said in a previous post, he won a Gold Glove this year by mistake, and he just had the worst statistical year of his entire career. But then again, in 2009 he batted .334, so maybe 2010 was just an off year for Jeter. Perhaps in 2011 Derek will see a return to greatness, but regardless of what occurs Jeter is being offered $15 million to play his position for the next three years, at which point he will be 39. Even Yankee fans must see that as a very reasonable deal.
Apparently Jeter, and many other players in baseball and other sports, keep thinking that they are owed something. I know this is the beginning of a much larger rant, so I will try to keep this focused. Jeter is being offered $15 million a year, he wants $20-something a year. At some point, professional athletes need to realize that while they deserve some monetary reward for having finely tuned talent and being forced to deal with public scrutiny, they are being paid an absurd amount of money to play a child's game. To bicker over two or three million dollars while most people are struggling to make ends meet is sickening. And while I don't mean to just pick on Jeter, this case does especially annoy me. The reason is not because Jeter has made a stupid amount of money from his contracts, and endorsements over the years. It annoys me because of this question I must ask: Does he believe that because he has been the face of the franchise for years now, he deserves more than he is worth as a player?
That is the crux of my annoyance. While players bicker over contracts, they often use the leverage of being a very talented player. 'I'll do this for you, so pay me this.' In Jeter's case, though, he's already done it. He's not going to get better. He's been paid extremely well for being extremely good, and now he's being offered a very nice sum to remain with the team. But now ego, or envy, or entitlement, or some perverse combination is being mixed into the scenario and a player is demanding reward for past deeds that he's already been rewarded for. It's the ultimate exclamation of, 'It's not enough!' and I would have expected better from such a strong character.
Perhaps Jeter is being influenced by his agents or maybe he has nothing to do with this affair apart from his name being used. Or maybe age does funny things to people who see talent slipping away. After all, Brett Favre used to have some dignity. I'm just furious that it gets to this point with some people. Aubrey Huff just won a World Series Championship with the S.F. Giants and was rewarded nicely with a 2 year/$22 million deal. He seems perfectly content. Apparently that's a rarity. Must we now have to put up with athletes who get paid millions upon millions and still proclaim that they aren't getting a fair shake? I don't know if I'll be able to put up with it. Can you?
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Big Brother
Recently my older brother sent me a link to a New York Times Op-Ed piece that contained two separate arguments. The first argument, by John Rosenthal, stated that instant replay should be expanded to more on-the-field calls. The second part was written by Kirk Victor and proclaimed that umpires need more accountability, and therefore should have reviews of their performance made public. Both articles were short, to-the-point, and obviously based upon opinion as they were in the Op-Ed section. Today, I will examine these crucial arguments, in addition to throwing my hat into the conversation taking place about expanding the Wild Card playoff system. A lot of what I write will be opinionated, so if you don't agree, please feel free to comment.
Let's take the first issue raised by Mr. Rosenthal, which states that "Baseball should install an additional umpire in the broadcast booth, one with the authority and respect of his colleagues to use instant replay to review (and overturn) calls." He goes on to say, "The process would take far less time than an umpire meeting, and it would greatly reduce the number of bad calls." The author lays down parameters by saying the only calls the booth official could influence are "calls on catches, tags and safe or out plays." He claims this would go faster than the current system of umpires getting together to make the call. Rosenthal seems somewhat enraged by the Armando Gallaraga missed perfect game as he makes mention of it twice in his article. While I agree that what happened to Gallaraga was a travesty, these claims by Rosenthal are unfounded.
Quite frankly, I think Mr. Rosenthal is denying reality. He states this instant replay process would take much less time than an umpire meeting. Yet I am constantly watching baseball, and rarely (perhaps once a game) do I see umpires meeting on a bad call, let alone it taking more than two to three minutes. The umpires have even made it a point of late to cut short manager arguments once a controversial call is made. There is no doubt that there are still incidents where a bad call and the subsequent tirades by managers slows the game somewhat, but it is so infrequent that it often times livens up the crowd, especially if the end result is a manager being thrown from a game. This is a characteristic of baseball that separates it from other sports that use instant replay.
Instant replay in other sports, specifically football, often slows that game to a crawl. The rules are specific, and while it is rare, the potential is there for the head coaches to impact the game with complaint 6 times. Each time the official has to meet with the coach and discover the complaint, then watch what is supposed to be no more than 60 seconds of video (but which often times is two to three minutes), then discuss the final call, make the call, and adjust the ruling on the field. This process at best takes four minutes and at worst possibly 10. I have seen, quite often, crowds boo in frustration before a ruling is even made because the officials and coaches are taking too much time away from the game itself. And this is supposed to help the methodical pace of baseball?
Rosenthal's other point that this process would reduce the number of bad calls is also unfounded, because there has been no specific study done to show how instant replay has benefited or hurt other sports. Many football coaches have of late called for a removal of the instant replay system because it fails to properly remedy the situation. And ultimately, there are going to be complaints from the side that doesn't win, and there always will be a losing party. In the current baseball system, it is simplified. The umpires are the final authority, human error and all. They make a call, meet if necessary if it seems as though a mistake could have been made, and whatever they agree on as they saw it from multiple angles is the call. Game on. The only reason instant replay has even entered the picture is because homerun calls take place far away from the view of umpires, and the many configurations of fields today with their yellow lines, padded walls, and railings make it difficult for officials to see where a ball landed or bounced off of. It's for boundary calls only. As far as baseball is concerned, instant replay should stay there, and end there.
The other article in this Op-Ed piece called for more accountability for the umpires. He states, "At the heart of the problem is this: umpires are rarely held accountable for their poor calls." Tell that to Jim Joyce. Now this is not a factual statement, but baseball umpires are probably one of the most hated figures in all of sports, and that is due in large part to the human element. Where other sports are being taken over by instant replay and other technologies, in baseball the man behind the mask is the law. This allows people to point more blame at the individual himself, then perhaps at a flawed technology or a bad camera angle would. To make any work review public who simply incite commentators, sports writers and the common fan into a foaming frenzy. Let's not forget, Mr. Joyce actually received death threats for his bad call that kept Gallaraga from his perfect game.
In his article, Victor writes "After every game, Major League Baseball provides each umpire with an analysis of his performance, including which calls he got right and which ones he got wrong." He states this system doesn't work because it gives the umpires no incentive to improve. Does he suggest an incentive to improve would be to not receive death threats? If an umpire has a great review, how many nice letters from fans do you think he'll receive? Probably not many and likely zero. If he has a bad review, particularly during a playoff game, how many psychotics do you think will send that man a death threat or a hate letter? Probably lots more. The fact is, people take their sports too seriously. They 'bleed' the team colors, and start fights over who has the better star player. Do we really need to point out to the fan-base and say 'Hey, that's the guy, let's go get him because he made a mistake!' A man died in Latin America over a soccer game because of this kind of behavior.
Perhaps more actual incentives could be used to help support the umpire reviews. Maybe if Major League Baseball gave bonuses to umpires that got a certain percentage of calls right. Fines probably wouldn't work as well, because countless sociological studies have proven that incentives work much better than punishment. Umpires wouldn't have to think twice about trying to make the right call for money or not, because they wouldn't find out if it was correct or not until after the game anyway. So Victor makes a decent point about how to try and improve the accountability of umpires. He just goes about trying to solve it in a very ridiculous way.
The third and final issue that is currently being discussed in many baseball circles is the potential to expand the playoffs. The Wild Card playoff system started in 1994 but due to the players' strike that cut the season short, wasn't actually implemented until 1995. The expansion was necessary because MLB grew in size, and was reorganized into three divisions per league. Three playoff teams per league would have been uneven, so a Wild Card playoff team was added. It made everything nice and level and has given us some incredible baseball moments in the past 15 years. The new rule would be quite different however.
As stated in an article by Overthemonster.com, "this would entail adding a second wild card team to each league, and having the two wild cards play a best-of-three series for the playoff spot. The division winners would all get a short first round bye." I highly recommend looking at the full article here http://www.overthemonster.com/2010/11/16/1817522/should-the-mlb-expand-the-playoffs-the-argument-for-a-second-wild-card. A lot of people seem to be in favor of this, mainly because it opens the door to the playoffs for teams that reside in more competitive divisions. In past years, a second or third place team in a great division may have missed out on the playoffs, while a mediocre team cruised to a division win simply because they play with weaker teams. But this fails to account for the fact that, for the most part, there is parity in baseball. Certain teams will always have more money to spend, but division powers shift and reassemble all the time. In a matter of two or three year one division can go from being everyone's punching bag, to being the dominant division for playoff contenders. Just look at the San Diego Padres of this year. This solution is a temporary fix for teams that complain that they were good, just not good enough to make it in. And it instead presents the major probably of adding a bye into the baseball schedule, something that has never been done before.
Now if this three game series happened immediately following the season, and if perhaps the regular season was compacted with more double-headers, then perhaps this system would work. However, you and I both know that this won't happen because advertisement and money drive the sports world. This new series will take place a couple of days after the regular season, so Nike and Coke, and others can probably spend money, and the division winners will have to sit, losing precious momentum from the end of the season. Players already complain about how much time it take to play in October, with days off before the regular season to the playoffs and days off between series. Hell, even travel days aren't absolutely necessary. Why there is a constant push to have the playoffs invade November makes no sense to me. This system will be great for somebody's pocket, and we may even get some great baseball out of it, but in the end, I think it will hurt the final product, which is the game itself. But when it comes to money and the playoffs, maybe the game doesn't matter as much anymore. Afterall, two great teams made it to the World Series this year, but because the teams didn't have flashy big payrolls and huge names for advertisers to sell, the ratings suffered.
I know I'm a little old-fashioned when it comes to some things in baseball, but I truly believe these three ideas really represent something hurtful to the game. Progress and change are wonderful things, but too often people want change to suit their own means. In my humble opinion, none of these potentialities would benefit the game of baseball in much of a way, but all three could possibly hurt it. That is what I worry about. The game is so great as it is, and if we recklessly add and subtract elements, without proper review and patience, then we might end up killing what we love. I know baseball will survive, and maybe these rules will come into effect and be great for the league. If that is the case, then I will be the first to say I was wrong. I guess we'll have to wait and see what the ones in power decide.
Let's take the first issue raised by Mr. Rosenthal, which states that "Baseball should install an additional umpire in the broadcast booth, one with the authority and respect of his colleagues to use instant replay to review (and overturn) calls." He goes on to say, "The process would take far less time than an umpire meeting, and it would greatly reduce the number of bad calls." The author lays down parameters by saying the only calls the booth official could influence are "calls on catches, tags and safe or out plays." He claims this would go faster than the current system of umpires getting together to make the call. Rosenthal seems somewhat enraged by the Armando Gallaraga missed perfect game as he makes mention of it twice in his article. While I agree that what happened to Gallaraga was a travesty, these claims by Rosenthal are unfounded.
Quite frankly, I think Mr. Rosenthal is denying reality. He states this instant replay process would take much less time than an umpire meeting. Yet I am constantly watching baseball, and rarely (perhaps once a game) do I see umpires meeting on a bad call, let alone it taking more than two to three minutes. The umpires have even made it a point of late to cut short manager arguments once a controversial call is made. There is no doubt that there are still incidents where a bad call and the subsequent tirades by managers slows the game somewhat, but it is so infrequent that it often times livens up the crowd, especially if the end result is a manager being thrown from a game. This is a characteristic of baseball that separates it from other sports that use instant replay.
Instant replay in other sports, specifically football, often slows that game to a crawl. The rules are specific, and while it is rare, the potential is there for the head coaches to impact the game with complaint 6 times. Each time the official has to meet with the coach and discover the complaint, then watch what is supposed to be no more than 60 seconds of video (but which often times is two to three minutes), then discuss the final call, make the call, and adjust the ruling on the field. This process at best takes four minutes and at worst possibly 10. I have seen, quite often, crowds boo in frustration before a ruling is even made because the officials and coaches are taking too much time away from the game itself. And this is supposed to help the methodical pace of baseball?
Rosenthal's other point that this process would reduce the number of bad calls is also unfounded, because there has been no specific study done to show how instant replay has benefited or hurt other sports. Many football coaches have of late called for a removal of the instant replay system because it fails to properly remedy the situation. And ultimately, there are going to be complaints from the side that doesn't win, and there always will be a losing party. In the current baseball system, it is simplified. The umpires are the final authority, human error and all. They make a call, meet if necessary if it seems as though a mistake could have been made, and whatever they agree on as they saw it from multiple angles is the call. Game on. The only reason instant replay has even entered the picture is because homerun calls take place far away from the view of umpires, and the many configurations of fields today with their yellow lines, padded walls, and railings make it difficult for officials to see where a ball landed or bounced off of. It's for boundary calls only. As far as baseball is concerned, instant replay should stay there, and end there.
The other article in this Op-Ed piece called for more accountability for the umpires. He states, "At the heart of the problem is this: umpires are rarely held accountable for their poor calls." Tell that to Jim Joyce. Now this is not a factual statement, but baseball umpires are probably one of the most hated figures in all of sports, and that is due in large part to the human element. Where other sports are being taken over by instant replay and other technologies, in baseball the man behind the mask is the law. This allows people to point more blame at the individual himself, then perhaps at a flawed technology or a bad camera angle would. To make any work review public who simply incite commentators, sports writers and the common fan into a foaming frenzy. Let's not forget, Mr. Joyce actually received death threats for his bad call that kept Gallaraga from his perfect game.
In his article, Victor writes "After every game, Major League Baseball provides each umpire with an analysis of his performance, including which calls he got right and which ones he got wrong." He states this system doesn't work because it gives the umpires no incentive to improve. Does he suggest an incentive to improve would be to not receive death threats? If an umpire has a great review, how many nice letters from fans do you think he'll receive? Probably not many and likely zero. If he has a bad review, particularly during a playoff game, how many psychotics do you think will send that man a death threat or a hate letter? Probably lots more. The fact is, people take their sports too seriously. They 'bleed' the team colors, and start fights over who has the better star player. Do we really need to point out to the fan-base and say 'Hey, that's the guy, let's go get him because he made a mistake!' A man died in Latin America over a soccer game because of this kind of behavior.
Perhaps more actual incentives could be used to help support the umpire reviews. Maybe if Major League Baseball gave bonuses to umpires that got a certain percentage of calls right. Fines probably wouldn't work as well, because countless sociological studies have proven that incentives work much better than punishment. Umpires wouldn't have to think twice about trying to make the right call for money or not, because they wouldn't find out if it was correct or not until after the game anyway. So Victor makes a decent point about how to try and improve the accountability of umpires. He just goes about trying to solve it in a very ridiculous way.
The third and final issue that is currently being discussed in many baseball circles is the potential to expand the playoffs. The Wild Card playoff system started in 1994 but due to the players' strike that cut the season short, wasn't actually implemented until 1995. The expansion was necessary because MLB grew in size, and was reorganized into three divisions per league. Three playoff teams per league would have been uneven, so a Wild Card playoff team was added. It made everything nice and level and has given us some incredible baseball moments in the past 15 years. The new rule would be quite different however.
As stated in an article by Overthemonster.com, "this would entail adding a second wild card team to each league, and having the two wild cards play a best-of-three series for the playoff spot. The division winners would all get a short first round bye." I highly recommend looking at the full article here http://www.overthemonster.com/2010/11/16/1817522/should-the-mlb-expand-the-playoffs-the-argument-for-a-second-wild-card. A lot of people seem to be in favor of this, mainly because it opens the door to the playoffs for teams that reside in more competitive divisions. In past years, a second or third place team in a great division may have missed out on the playoffs, while a mediocre team cruised to a division win simply because they play with weaker teams. But this fails to account for the fact that, for the most part, there is parity in baseball. Certain teams will always have more money to spend, but division powers shift and reassemble all the time. In a matter of two or three year one division can go from being everyone's punching bag, to being the dominant division for playoff contenders. Just look at the San Diego Padres of this year. This solution is a temporary fix for teams that complain that they were good, just not good enough to make it in. And it instead presents the major probably of adding a bye into the baseball schedule, something that has never been done before.
Now if this three game series happened immediately following the season, and if perhaps the regular season was compacted with more double-headers, then perhaps this system would work. However, you and I both know that this won't happen because advertisement and money drive the sports world. This new series will take place a couple of days after the regular season, so Nike and Coke, and others can probably spend money, and the division winners will have to sit, losing precious momentum from the end of the season. Players already complain about how much time it take to play in October, with days off before the regular season to the playoffs and days off between series. Hell, even travel days aren't absolutely necessary. Why there is a constant push to have the playoffs invade November makes no sense to me. This system will be great for somebody's pocket, and we may even get some great baseball out of it, but in the end, I think it will hurt the final product, which is the game itself. But when it comes to money and the playoffs, maybe the game doesn't matter as much anymore. Afterall, two great teams made it to the World Series this year, but because the teams didn't have flashy big payrolls and huge names for advertisers to sell, the ratings suffered.
I know I'm a little old-fashioned when it comes to some things in baseball, but I truly believe these three ideas really represent something hurtful to the game. Progress and change are wonderful things, but too often people want change to suit their own means. In my humble opinion, none of these potentialities would benefit the game of baseball in much of a way, but all three could possibly hurt it. That is what I worry about. The game is so great as it is, and if we recklessly add and subtract elements, without proper review and patience, then we might end up killing what we love. I know baseball will survive, and maybe these rules will come into effect and be great for the league. If that is the case, then I will be the first to say I was wrong. I guess we'll have to wait and see what the ones in power decide.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The King and the Good Doctor
First off, before we even begin to discuss the Rookie of the Year awards that I skipped over last time, or the Manager of the Year winners, or even the coveted Cy Young awards, I would just like to state my annoyance at how Roy Halladay's nickname is Doc, as in John Henry "Doc" Holliday. It bothers me, because while the nickname does not suite Matt Holliday of the St. Louis Cardinals, it still makes more sense because the names are actually the same. It's really quite petty, and so stupid that it irritates even myself for bringing it up. I love Roy Halladay and think the Good Doctor is a fantastic nickname, but still, it's aggravating to some extent. Anyway, off we go to some more awards!
I know, the Rookie of the Year winners were out when I wrote my last post, but I didn't have enough space to congratulate them properly. To be honest, I have all the space I want for these posts, but I try to keep them at a reasonable length for you, the fine readership. So let's start with the young lads, shall we? First up is American League Rookie of the Year Neftali Feliz. Neftali is such a cool name, and this kid is as cool as they come. In his first full year in the big leagues, the young fireball pitcher saved a rookie-record 40 games. He did so in style, striking out more than a batter per inning while walking only 18 all year. Those are superb numbers. Second in A.L. voting was Detroit Tigers center-fielder Austin Jackson, who had a wonderful season batting leadoff, but when stacked up against Neftali's numbers, Mr. Jackson (if you're nasty) just had to settle for number two.
Over in the National League, the other R.O.Y. winner was catcher Buster Posey, and this baby-faced dude had a little bit more of a fight on his hands for the honors. Posey was matched up against Jason Heyward, the right-fielder from Atlanta who caught the baseball world by storm during Spring Training. Heyward had a great first couple of months, but a subsequent hand injury kept his second half numbers down. And then came Posey. The World Series battery played 34 less games than the J-Hey Kid, but tied him in homers, had a higher batting average and slugging percentage, and had just 7 less RBI and 20 less hits. It was a close race, but I think what pushed Posey over the edge was that he was able to come in and not only handle a bat pretty well, but also a young pitching staff, with poise and maturity. Both were deserving, but Buster was better.
On to the Manager of the Year awards. Both leagues had tremendously talented men competing for the accolades this year. In the National League, Dusty Baker brought the Cincinnati Reds back to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. But there was also Bruce Bochy, who took a rag-tag group of throw-aways and youngsters and won a World Series Championship. But ultimately Bud Black proved to win the hearts of the voting sports writers, as he lead his No-Name Friars to a 15 game win increase from the previous year. Just two years removed from a 99 loss season, Black took a team that absolutely nobody in baseball thought would win 90 games, and came achingly close to playing October baseball. The fact that the team didn't make the playoffs is almost irrelevant. All three of these men could have taken home the award, but Black is the one doing it, and boy does he deserve it.
Meanwhile, in the American League, Ron Gardenhire took a team that was supposed to be good, and made sure they won despite losing a dominant closer, and a power hitting first-baseman. The Minnesota Twins' manager definitely had severe competition however, as Ron Washington took his Rangers to the World Series, Joe Maddon scored the best record in the A.L., and Terry Francona won 89 games with a team riddled by injuries all season. Each man guided his men to a great season, but in the end, Gardenhire's patient mentoring and skilled game-management took the cake. And in thanks for his efforts, he's been granted with a two-year extension by the Twins. I'm proud of my co-worker. Oh, you didn't know? I work for the company that owns the Twins. So I'm practically a member of the team. Well no, not really. But a man can dream.
And then it came down to this, the Cy Young awards. I had speculated about this during the season, and in the end, I was only partially correct. Roy Halladay, the Good Doctor, Rapid Roy, dominated not only in Philadelphia, but all over the Senior Circuit, and blatantly exhibited that he was the pitcher to beat in 2010. With a stat-sheet that included 9 complete games, 4 shutouts, a 7.30 K/BB ratio (the best of his career by far), a perfect game during the regular season, and a no-hitter in the playoffs, no one could really compete with Halladay in 2010. He led all of baseball in innings pitched by the way too. He not only gave Philadelphia everything they ever could have expected, he helped redefine what it means to be an ace pitcher, and made history while doing it. Congrats to all the other wonderful pitchers in the National League this year. But take a seat gentlemen, because Rapid Roy deserves some hardware.
The case wasn't so cut and dry in the American League. Far from it actually. Today it was announced that Felix Hernandez won the A.L. Cy Young award for the first time in his career. First, let's talk about all the great stuff King Felix did this year. He was second to Halladay in IP by just one inning. He was second in all of baseball in strikeouts by one. He led all pitchers with an outstanding 2.27 ERA, and even threw 6 complete games for good measure. He was the lynch-pin that held the Seattle Mariners together during a dismal season. What Hernandez didn't do was win a lot of games, though. But King Felix can hardly be held accountable for that. While only recorded 13 wins to go with his 12 loses, Felix pitched an incredible 30 quality starts. For those of you unaware, a quality start in baseball is when a starting pitcher goes at least 6 innings while giving up no more than 3 earned runs. To pitch 30 out of 34 games with a quality start and walk away with only 13 wins is practically a crime. Over the course of the last two months in baseball, Hernandez gave up only 11 ERs, and dropped his ERA by 0.57. Now it hurts me a little inside that somebody can take home a Cy Young award while only collecting 13 wins. However, the award is supposed to honor the best pitcher in the game, not the pitcher on the best team, or with the best lineup scoring runs for him. While there is something to be said for winning games over having a lot of strikeouts or a low ERA, Hernandez did everything he possibly could to ensure those wins. More often than not though, he was let down by the other 8 guys on the field. So while I don't 100% agree that Hernandez should be given the 2010 A.L. Cy Young, I have to honor the man for the tremendous year he was able to compile. He certainly helped make the Year of the Pitcher a reality.
The only remaining major award left is for the Most Valuable Player. I was right with one Cy Young. Let's see if I'll be close with the MVPs this year. Once the awards have been completed, I'm going to start in on some Hot Stove discussions, and hopefully even bring back some individual analysis that I began over a year ago now. It's been a great year for me personally. I hope you've enjoyed it too, and you keep enjoying it as long as I can type these little explosions of mine. Until next time folks.
I know, the Rookie of the Year winners were out when I wrote my last post, but I didn't have enough space to congratulate them properly. To be honest, I have all the space I want for these posts, but I try to keep them at a reasonable length for you, the fine readership. So let's start with the young lads, shall we? First up is American League Rookie of the Year Neftali Feliz. Neftali is such a cool name, and this kid is as cool as they come. In his first full year in the big leagues, the young fireball pitcher saved a rookie-record 40 games. He did so in style, striking out more than a batter per inning while walking only 18 all year. Those are superb numbers. Second in A.L. voting was Detroit Tigers center-fielder Austin Jackson, who had a wonderful season batting leadoff, but when stacked up against Neftali's numbers, Mr. Jackson (if you're nasty) just had to settle for number two.
Over in the National League, the other R.O.Y. winner was catcher Buster Posey, and this baby-faced dude had a little bit more of a fight on his hands for the honors. Posey was matched up against Jason Heyward, the right-fielder from Atlanta who caught the baseball world by storm during Spring Training. Heyward had a great first couple of months, but a subsequent hand injury kept his second half numbers down. And then came Posey. The World Series battery played 34 less games than the J-Hey Kid, but tied him in homers, had a higher batting average and slugging percentage, and had just 7 less RBI and 20 less hits. It was a close race, but I think what pushed Posey over the edge was that he was able to come in and not only handle a bat pretty well, but also a young pitching staff, with poise and maturity. Both were deserving, but Buster was better.
On to the Manager of the Year awards. Both leagues had tremendously talented men competing for the accolades this year. In the National League, Dusty Baker brought the Cincinnati Reds back to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. But there was also Bruce Bochy, who took a rag-tag group of throw-aways and youngsters and won a World Series Championship. But ultimately Bud Black proved to win the hearts of the voting sports writers, as he lead his No-Name Friars to a 15 game win increase from the previous year. Just two years removed from a 99 loss season, Black took a team that absolutely nobody in baseball thought would win 90 games, and came achingly close to playing October baseball. The fact that the team didn't make the playoffs is almost irrelevant. All three of these men could have taken home the award, but Black is the one doing it, and boy does he deserve it.
Meanwhile, in the American League, Ron Gardenhire took a team that was supposed to be good, and made sure they won despite losing a dominant closer, and a power hitting first-baseman. The Minnesota Twins' manager definitely had severe competition however, as Ron Washington took his Rangers to the World Series, Joe Maddon scored the best record in the A.L., and Terry Francona won 89 games with a team riddled by injuries all season. Each man guided his men to a great season, but in the end, Gardenhire's patient mentoring and skilled game-management took the cake. And in thanks for his efforts, he's been granted with a two-year extension by the Twins. I'm proud of my co-worker. Oh, you didn't know? I work for the company that owns the Twins. So I'm practically a member of the team. Well no, not really. But a man can dream.
And then it came down to this, the Cy Young awards. I had speculated about this during the season, and in the end, I was only partially correct. Roy Halladay, the Good Doctor, Rapid Roy, dominated not only in Philadelphia, but all over the Senior Circuit, and blatantly exhibited that he was the pitcher to beat in 2010. With a stat-sheet that included 9 complete games, 4 shutouts, a 7.30 K/BB ratio (the best of his career by far), a perfect game during the regular season, and a no-hitter in the playoffs, no one could really compete with Halladay in 2010. He led all of baseball in innings pitched by the way too. He not only gave Philadelphia everything they ever could have expected, he helped redefine what it means to be an ace pitcher, and made history while doing it. Congrats to all the other wonderful pitchers in the National League this year. But take a seat gentlemen, because Rapid Roy deserves some hardware.
The case wasn't so cut and dry in the American League. Far from it actually. Today it was announced that Felix Hernandez won the A.L. Cy Young award for the first time in his career. First, let's talk about all the great stuff King Felix did this year. He was second to Halladay in IP by just one inning. He was second in all of baseball in strikeouts by one. He led all pitchers with an outstanding 2.27 ERA, and even threw 6 complete games for good measure. He was the lynch-pin that held the Seattle Mariners together during a dismal season. What Hernandez didn't do was win a lot of games, though. But King Felix can hardly be held accountable for that. While only recorded 13 wins to go with his 12 loses, Felix pitched an incredible 30 quality starts. For those of you unaware, a quality start in baseball is when a starting pitcher goes at least 6 innings while giving up no more than 3 earned runs. To pitch 30 out of 34 games with a quality start and walk away with only 13 wins is practically a crime. Over the course of the last two months in baseball, Hernandez gave up only 11 ERs, and dropped his ERA by 0.57. Now it hurts me a little inside that somebody can take home a Cy Young award while only collecting 13 wins. However, the award is supposed to honor the best pitcher in the game, not the pitcher on the best team, or with the best lineup scoring runs for him. While there is something to be said for winning games over having a lot of strikeouts or a low ERA, Hernandez did everything he possibly could to ensure those wins. More often than not though, he was let down by the other 8 guys on the field. So while I don't 100% agree that Hernandez should be given the 2010 A.L. Cy Young, I have to honor the man for the tremendous year he was able to compile. He certainly helped make the Year of the Pitcher a reality.
The only remaining major award left is for the Most Valuable Player. I was right with one Cy Young. Let's see if I'll be close with the MVPs this year. Once the awards have been completed, I'm going to start in on some Hot Stove discussions, and hopefully even bring back some individual analysis that I began over a year ago now. It's been a great year for me personally. I hope you've enjoyed it too, and you keep enjoying it as long as I can type these little explosions of mine. Until next time folks.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
And the Winner Is...
It's award season and lots of players are looking forward to hearing their names called for specific awards. A few major ones have already been handed out, but a few crucial honors are still on the shelf. And in other baseball news, the Hot Stove is starting to heat up. We're going to go over all of this, and say some goodbyes too. So let's hit it, shall we?
Let's go over some awards for starters. The American League and National League Silver Sluggers have come out, and there weren't too many surprises. In the A.L. the winners were C Joe Mauer, 1B Miguel Cabrera, 2B Robinson Cano, 3B Adrian Beltre, SS Alexei Ramirez, OFs Jose Bautista, Carl Crawford, and Josh Hamilton, and DH Vladimir Guerrero. The only surprise here may have been Chicago White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez, who hasn't been much of a slugger in his career. But in 2010, Ramirez finished among all A.L. shortstops; first in homeruns, first in average, third in hits, and third in RBI. So by all accounts he deserved the award, he just wasn't on too many people's radar, including mine.
Over in the National League, the winners were C Brian McCann, 1B Albert Pujols, 2B Dan Uggla, 3B Ryan Zimmerman, SS Troy Tulowitzki, OFs Ryan Braun, Carlos Gonzalez, and Matt Holliday, and pitcher Yovani Gallardo. I agree with almost every single selection, except maybe Ryan Zimmerman. Now I know most of you will call me a homer because of this, but I think Mets' third-baseman David Wright may have been passed over here. Wright beat Zimmerman in hits (166-161), homeruns (29-25) RBI (106-85), runs (87-85) and stolen bases (19-4). Even Casey McGehee of the Milwaukee Brewers had more hits and more doubles than Zimmerman. True, Wright had 24 points less average than Zimmerman and nearly 70 more strikeouts, but this does not construe a runaway victory. The case can be made that Zimmerman was a bit more consistent than his two nearest competitors, but there is a case also to be made against his selection. That's all I'm saying.
The Gold Gloves awards were similar in that I had only minor grievances with the selections. In the American League the Yankees almost made a clean sweep of the infield. The honorees include C Joe Mauer, 1B Mark Texiera, 2B Robinson Cano, 3B Evan Longoria, SS Derek Jeter, OFs Carl Crawford, Ichiro Suzuki, and Franklin Gutierrez, and P Mark Buehrle. Again, I only had one problem and that is with the selection of shortstop Derek Jeter. Everyone keeps saying that he isn't the defensive player he used to be, and that he might potentially have to move to another position one day. But then he goes and wins a Gold Glove? Either everyone is wrong in their assumptions, or something isn't right with this choice, and I think it's the latter.
True, Jeter is a fine defensive SS still, and he only had 6 errors and a field percentage of .989. Those are wonderful statistics. However, he had 74 less potential outs than Yuniesky Betancourt of the Royals, and 135 less assists than Alexei Ramirez. What this means is that while Jeter still fields quite well, he isn't getting to the ball nearly as much as he used to. His range is severely restricted, and yet he is awarded for it. I love Derek Jeter, but this doesn't make sense. I personally would have liked to see the award to one of the younger, more agile shortstops, like Ramirez, or Elvis Andrus. But I don't get to vote.
In the National League, C Yadier Molina, 1B Albert Pujols, 2B Brandon Phillips, 3B Scott Rolen, SS Troy Tulowitzki, OFs Michael Bourn, Carlos Gonzalez and Shane Victorino, and P Bronson Arroyo all won. I have to say, I agree with every choice in the N.L. I'd also like to give an extra-special congratulations to the fine gentlemen who won both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger this year. It is a difficult feat to accomplish, and it means you are the best at your position in just about every aspect. Congrats also to Ichiro Suzuki who won his 10th consecutive Gold Glove, one for every year he has been in the league. That is just incredible! One can only imagine the records he might have broken had he started in America earlier.
There is other baseball news to be told, however. The Florida Marlins are making an early splash, pardon the pun. They tried to sign their Silver Slugger second-baseman Dan Uggla to a substantial contract worth $48 million over 4 years. The second-baseman declined the offer, though. Now I know most of you will take umbrage at a baseball players scoffing at $48 million, but as one MLB Network commentator put it, you have to put it in perspective. Now the perspective is skewed for sure, but if you go by the numbers, Uggla had his best statistical year ever in 2010. His potential ceiling could be even higher, and he is proving to be possibly one of the best hitting second-basemen of all-time. Does that mean he needs to make more than $12 million? I have no idea. But it appears that it is more than the Marlins are willing to spend, because I just found out while writing this segment that the Atlanta Braves just acquired Dan Uggla by trading Omar Infante and lefty reliever Mike Dunn. This seems awfully lopsided toward the Braves advantage, but I don't know much about Mike Dunn, and the report I just read doesn't say much about him. The coming days should shed some light on this deal. But as of right now, the Marlins really screwed up this deal, and the deals that shipped Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller out of town aren't looking too bright either.
Finally, a sad farewell to two of baseball's finest. Seattle play-by-play man Dave Niehaus and ultimate-utility man Ed Fitzpatrick both passed away this week. Fitzpatrick played from '62-'77 for the Angels, Royals, Pirates, Rangers, and Brewers and did just about everything on the field. He played catcher, outfielder and first-baseman. He even played 2B and 3B a couple of times. He was the kind of guy you wanted on your team, because he gave it all at whatever you asked him to do. Likewise, Dave Niehaus gave everything he could to the fans of Seattle baseball. In 2008 he was honored with the Ford C. Frick award for excellence in baseball broadcasting. He was the first person to call Alex Rodriguez A-Rod, and constantly told the Seattle faithful to "Get out the rye bread and mustard, Grandma, it is grand salami time!" whenever a grand slam occurred. Both of these men will be missed by much of the baseball world. But we should also be thankful for what they gave us while they were here. Thanks guys. And thank you for reading. More awards are coming out in the next few days, so stay tuned folks.
Let's go over some awards for starters. The American League and National League Silver Sluggers have come out, and there weren't too many surprises. In the A.L. the winners were C Joe Mauer, 1B Miguel Cabrera, 2B Robinson Cano, 3B Adrian Beltre, SS Alexei Ramirez, OFs Jose Bautista, Carl Crawford, and Josh Hamilton, and DH Vladimir Guerrero. The only surprise here may have been Chicago White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez, who hasn't been much of a slugger in his career. But in 2010, Ramirez finished among all A.L. shortstops; first in homeruns, first in average, third in hits, and third in RBI. So by all accounts he deserved the award, he just wasn't on too many people's radar, including mine.
Over in the National League, the winners were C Brian McCann, 1B Albert Pujols, 2B Dan Uggla, 3B Ryan Zimmerman, SS Troy Tulowitzki, OFs Ryan Braun, Carlos Gonzalez, and Matt Holliday, and pitcher Yovani Gallardo. I agree with almost every single selection, except maybe Ryan Zimmerman. Now I know most of you will call me a homer because of this, but I think Mets' third-baseman David Wright may have been passed over here. Wright beat Zimmerman in hits (166-161), homeruns (29-25) RBI (106-85), runs (87-85) and stolen bases (19-4). Even Casey McGehee of the Milwaukee Brewers had more hits and more doubles than Zimmerman. True, Wright had 24 points less average than Zimmerman and nearly 70 more strikeouts, but this does not construe a runaway victory. The case can be made that Zimmerman was a bit more consistent than his two nearest competitors, but there is a case also to be made against his selection. That's all I'm saying.
The Gold Gloves awards were similar in that I had only minor grievances with the selections. In the American League the Yankees almost made a clean sweep of the infield. The honorees include C Joe Mauer, 1B Mark Texiera, 2B Robinson Cano, 3B Evan Longoria, SS Derek Jeter, OFs Carl Crawford, Ichiro Suzuki, and Franklin Gutierrez, and P Mark Buehrle. Again, I only had one problem and that is with the selection of shortstop Derek Jeter. Everyone keeps saying that he isn't the defensive player he used to be, and that he might potentially have to move to another position one day. But then he goes and wins a Gold Glove? Either everyone is wrong in their assumptions, or something isn't right with this choice, and I think it's the latter.
True, Jeter is a fine defensive SS still, and he only had 6 errors and a field percentage of .989. Those are wonderful statistics. However, he had 74 less potential outs than Yuniesky Betancourt of the Royals, and 135 less assists than Alexei Ramirez. What this means is that while Jeter still fields quite well, he isn't getting to the ball nearly as much as he used to. His range is severely restricted, and yet he is awarded for it. I love Derek Jeter, but this doesn't make sense. I personally would have liked to see the award to one of the younger, more agile shortstops, like Ramirez, or Elvis Andrus. But I don't get to vote.
In the National League, C Yadier Molina, 1B Albert Pujols, 2B Brandon Phillips, 3B Scott Rolen, SS Troy Tulowitzki, OFs Michael Bourn, Carlos Gonzalez and Shane Victorino, and P Bronson Arroyo all won. I have to say, I agree with every choice in the N.L. I'd also like to give an extra-special congratulations to the fine gentlemen who won both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger this year. It is a difficult feat to accomplish, and it means you are the best at your position in just about every aspect. Congrats also to Ichiro Suzuki who won his 10th consecutive Gold Glove, one for every year he has been in the league. That is just incredible! One can only imagine the records he might have broken had he started in America earlier.
There is other baseball news to be told, however. The Florida Marlins are making an early splash, pardon the pun. They tried to sign their Silver Slugger second-baseman Dan Uggla to a substantial contract worth $48 million over 4 years. The second-baseman declined the offer, though. Now I know most of you will take umbrage at a baseball players scoffing at $48 million, but as one MLB Network commentator put it, you have to put it in perspective. Now the perspective is skewed for sure, but if you go by the numbers, Uggla had his best statistical year ever in 2010. His potential ceiling could be even higher, and he is proving to be possibly one of the best hitting second-basemen of all-time. Does that mean he needs to make more than $12 million? I have no idea. But it appears that it is more than the Marlins are willing to spend, because I just found out while writing this segment that the Atlanta Braves just acquired Dan Uggla by trading Omar Infante and lefty reliever Mike Dunn. This seems awfully lopsided toward the Braves advantage, but I don't know much about Mike Dunn, and the report I just read doesn't say much about him. The coming days should shed some light on this deal. But as of right now, the Marlins really screwed up this deal, and the deals that shipped Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller out of town aren't looking too bright either.
Finally, a sad farewell to two of baseball's finest. Seattle play-by-play man Dave Niehaus and ultimate-utility man Ed Fitzpatrick both passed away this week. Fitzpatrick played from '62-'77 for the Angels, Royals, Pirates, Rangers, and Brewers and did just about everything on the field. He played catcher, outfielder and first-baseman. He even played 2B and 3B a couple of times. He was the kind of guy you wanted on your team, because he gave it all at whatever you asked him to do. Likewise, Dave Niehaus gave everything he could to the fans of Seattle baseball. In 2008 he was honored with the Ford C. Frick award for excellence in baseball broadcasting. He was the first person to call Alex Rodriguez A-Rod, and constantly told the Seattle faithful to "Get out the rye bread and mustard, Grandma, it is grand salami time!" whenever a grand slam occurred. Both of these men will be missed by much of the baseball world. But we should also be thankful for what they gave us while they were here. Thanks guys. And thank you for reading. More awards are coming out in the next few days, so stay tuned folks.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Off-Season Begins
I said it already, but I think it bares repeating. Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants for pulling off an incredible World Series win. And what was even more incredible was how many people showed up to personally congratulate the team on the streets of the San Fran. Crowd estimates were somewhere between 200,000 and 1 million people on Market Street and the surrounding avenues. This was a party for the ages, and the Giants and their Bay area fans definitely deserved it. But now we must move on, for the off-season has already begun for the other 29 teams.
There are lots of openings in baseball. Some manager positions have already filled up. The Marlins, Cubs, and Diamondbacks have all retained their interim managers for at least one full year. The Milwaukee Brewers appeared to have chosen Ron Roenicke, former Angels bench coach, to take the reigns in the dugout. The Pirates job is still open, but apparently Clint Hurdle is the running favorite. And my beloved Mets are closer to have their stuff together now that Sandy Alderson has been named General Manager. A skipper is still proving allusive, however.
Rest assured that their are also some ridiculously talented players that as of yet, do not have a home ballpark to go to. Some of the bigger names you'll obviously know. The Yankees have three huge free agents this year in Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte. It's assumed that all three will be back with the Yankees, since only Pettitte played for a short time with another team. But at what cost? Jeter can't troll shortstop forever, and how much will it take to keep the legend in pinstripes, even as just a symbol of bygone legacy? Rivera can still get it done, but should they sign him for 3-4 years? The same goes for Mr. Pettitte. The fact that the Yankees couldn't get it done this year marks a peculiar time for them. Their Hall of Fame stars are getting older, and they might not have the space to keep them around, and put together a World Series team. It's a tough position for G.M. Brian Cashman. I'm sure the Steinbrenner family with throw bags of money around to make it a little easier, though.
Not all big free agents are in, or are bound for New York. Cliff Lee might be, though. But then he might stay in Texas, or maybe go to the Angels, or maybe even Detroit. There are just a few teams who can afford to give Lee the $100 million contract he is looking for. But we've seen surprise teams poke their heads into the money pot several times over the past couple of years. Could the Orioles or Nationals make a unexpected play for the Cy Young winner? It's anybody's guess right now.
There are also some big name hitters on everyone's radar. Jayson Werth of the Philadelphia Phillies might be patrolling right field for a new team next year. But he got his shot in Philly, and he's absolutely adored by the public there, so there is a strong possibility he's not going anywhere. Plus the Phils need a right-handed bat in their lineup, so why let a known guy leave, for an unknown newcomer. The Phils do have some young talent in the outfield with Ben Francisco and Dominic Brown. Should they get a chance to start everyday?
Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena are both probably going to leave Tampa Bay, as that team tries to cut payroll. Maybe they wouldn't have to if people would actually go to their freaking games! But I digress. Pena had a miserable year, having almost as many strikeouts (158) as points in his average (.196). He will most likely only get a one-year deal wherever he goes, just to prove himself. Crawford on the other hand had a great year, doing his normal thing with a great average and tons of steals, while adding some power to his resume. He will get a long-term deal to play, and will probably love getting off of that artificial turf in Tropicana Field. There are tons of contenders for these talented outfielders, since besides Werth and Crawford, the next biggest name is Manny Ramirez. Something tells me not many teams will actually want him in the field next year.
There are many, many others who will hit free-agency in the coming days. Some big names who had an option with their 2010 team, but either turned it down, or were turned down include; Adrian Beltre, Vladimir Guerrero, pitchers Brandon Webb, Chris Young and Jeff Francis. Guerrero especially might return to Texas, but he has never been clutch in the playoffs, so maybe they might go a different route. In addition, the World Series Champion Giants stand to potentially lose Aubrey Huff, Edgar Renteria, Juan Uribe, Pat Burrell, and Jose Guillen. I think Aubrey will get a new deal, but the others, although Renteria and Uribe were instrumental in winning the W.S., might not be back for a repeat run. We'll see.
Paul Konerko had a comeback year with the White Sox. Will he be with them in 2011? There are other 1B options for many teams including the aforementioned Pena, Adam Dunn, Derek Lee and Lance Berkman. Jim Thome and David Ortiz are potentially open for D.H. assignment as well. Victor Martinez wants to catch, but he can play first. And fellow catcher A.J. Pierzynski is also a new free-agent. Solid starters and relievers are also to be had in the likes of Carl Pavano, Ted Lilly, Joe Beimel, Arthur Rhodes, Jon Rauch, Joaquin Benoit, Kerry Wood, Brian Fuentes, Rafael Soriano, and potentially (depending on whether teams pick up their options) Bronson Arroyo, Matt Thornton, Darren Oliver, Jon Garland, and Aaron Harang.
This off-season isn't the strongest in recent memory. There are plenty of opportunities to make teams better, though. Whether with a giant splash, or with precision deals and value pickups that could mean the difference between playing baseball in October, or going fishing. I love the hot stove time of year, so I'm looking forward to this with great anticipation. And don't forget, the awards start coming out in the next week or so. Keep an eye out to see if I was right about anything or not.
As we wrap up this particular post, there are two things I would like to say. First, best of luck to George Lee "Sparky" Anderson, the phenomenal manager of the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers starting in 1970, all the way up until 1995. This three-time World Series Champion, the first man to ever man a W.S. team in both leagues, is in failing health. The 76-year-old was one of my first memories of baseball. I had several Sparky Anderson cards growing up, and while reading his baseball card I first realized that players weren't always called by their first names, and my love affair with nicknames was born. The Hall of Fame Manager is a dynamic personality, who was beloved by players and fans alike. I wish him and his family the best while coping with this terrible disease.
And on a somewhat lighter note, I would like to say that I can't stand Joe Buck. I think he is a terrible play-by-play commentator and I wish Fox had the good sense to get rid of him. However, Fox has no good sense, as evidenced by the scandalous slap-fight they had with Cablevision which kept me, and several other millions from being able to see the N.L.C.S., or most of the W.S. I hate Fox in every possible way. And while I don't hate Mr. Buck, I think he sucks. He's the Michael Bay of baseball commentators. He tries to over-dramatize every possibly outcome as if he is trying to replicate great announcers of the past. It isn't working Joe. And learn how to read. You misread a blurb about the new Harry Potter movie, calling it the Deadly Hallows. You get paid how much to be bad at your job? I might be terrible at writing blogs, but I don't get paid, so suck it. Anyway, have a good day people.
There are lots of openings in baseball. Some manager positions have already filled up. The Marlins, Cubs, and Diamondbacks have all retained their interim managers for at least one full year. The Milwaukee Brewers appeared to have chosen Ron Roenicke, former Angels bench coach, to take the reigns in the dugout. The Pirates job is still open, but apparently Clint Hurdle is the running favorite. And my beloved Mets are closer to have their stuff together now that Sandy Alderson has been named General Manager. A skipper is still proving allusive, however.
Rest assured that their are also some ridiculously talented players that as of yet, do not have a home ballpark to go to. Some of the bigger names you'll obviously know. The Yankees have three huge free agents this year in Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte. It's assumed that all three will be back with the Yankees, since only Pettitte played for a short time with another team. But at what cost? Jeter can't troll shortstop forever, and how much will it take to keep the legend in pinstripes, even as just a symbol of bygone legacy? Rivera can still get it done, but should they sign him for 3-4 years? The same goes for Mr. Pettitte. The fact that the Yankees couldn't get it done this year marks a peculiar time for them. Their Hall of Fame stars are getting older, and they might not have the space to keep them around, and put together a World Series team. It's a tough position for G.M. Brian Cashman. I'm sure the Steinbrenner family with throw bags of money around to make it a little easier, though.
Not all big free agents are in, or are bound for New York. Cliff Lee might be, though. But then he might stay in Texas, or maybe go to the Angels, or maybe even Detroit. There are just a few teams who can afford to give Lee the $100 million contract he is looking for. But we've seen surprise teams poke their heads into the money pot several times over the past couple of years. Could the Orioles or Nationals make a unexpected play for the Cy Young winner? It's anybody's guess right now.
There are also some big name hitters on everyone's radar. Jayson Werth of the Philadelphia Phillies might be patrolling right field for a new team next year. But he got his shot in Philly, and he's absolutely adored by the public there, so there is a strong possibility he's not going anywhere. Plus the Phils need a right-handed bat in their lineup, so why let a known guy leave, for an unknown newcomer. The Phils do have some young talent in the outfield with Ben Francisco and Dominic Brown. Should they get a chance to start everyday?
Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena are both probably going to leave Tampa Bay, as that team tries to cut payroll. Maybe they wouldn't have to if people would actually go to their freaking games! But I digress. Pena had a miserable year, having almost as many strikeouts (158) as points in his average (.196). He will most likely only get a one-year deal wherever he goes, just to prove himself. Crawford on the other hand had a great year, doing his normal thing with a great average and tons of steals, while adding some power to his resume. He will get a long-term deal to play, and will probably love getting off of that artificial turf in Tropicana Field. There are tons of contenders for these talented outfielders, since besides Werth and Crawford, the next biggest name is Manny Ramirez. Something tells me not many teams will actually want him in the field next year.
There are many, many others who will hit free-agency in the coming days. Some big names who had an option with their 2010 team, but either turned it down, or were turned down include; Adrian Beltre, Vladimir Guerrero, pitchers Brandon Webb, Chris Young and Jeff Francis. Guerrero especially might return to Texas, but he has never been clutch in the playoffs, so maybe they might go a different route. In addition, the World Series Champion Giants stand to potentially lose Aubrey Huff, Edgar Renteria, Juan Uribe, Pat Burrell, and Jose Guillen. I think Aubrey will get a new deal, but the others, although Renteria and Uribe were instrumental in winning the W.S., might not be back for a repeat run. We'll see.
Paul Konerko had a comeback year with the White Sox. Will he be with them in 2011? There are other 1B options for many teams including the aforementioned Pena, Adam Dunn, Derek Lee and Lance Berkman. Jim Thome and David Ortiz are potentially open for D.H. assignment as well. Victor Martinez wants to catch, but he can play first. And fellow catcher A.J. Pierzynski is also a new free-agent. Solid starters and relievers are also to be had in the likes of Carl Pavano, Ted Lilly, Joe Beimel, Arthur Rhodes, Jon Rauch, Joaquin Benoit, Kerry Wood, Brian Fuentes, Rafael Soriano, and potentially (depending on whether teams pick up their options) Bronson Arroyo, Matt Thornton, Darren Oliver, Jon Garland, and Aaron Harang.
This off-season isn't the strongest in recent memory. There are plenty of opportunities to make teams better, though. Whether with a giant splash, or with precision deals and value pickups that could mean the difference between playing baseball in October, or going fishing. I love the hot stove time of year, so I'm looking forward to this with great anticipation. And don't forget, the awards start coming out in the next week or so. Keep an eye out to see if I was right about anything or not.
As we wrap up this particular post, there are two things I would like to say. First, best of luck to George Lee "Sparky" Anderson, the phenomenal manager of the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers starting in 1970, all the way up until 1995. This three-time World Series Champion, the first man to ever man a W.S. team in both leagues, is in failing health. The 76-year-old was one of my first memories of baseball. I had several Sparky Anderson cards growing up, and while reading his baseball card I first realized that players weren't always called by their first names, and my love affair with nicknames was born. The Hall of Fame Manager is a dynamic personality, who was beloved by players and fans alike. I wish him and his family the best while coping with this terrible disease.
And on a somewhat lighter note, I would like to say that I can't stand Joe Buck. I think he is a terrible play-by-play commentator and I wish Fox had the good sense to get rid of him. However, Fox has no good sense, as evidenced by the scandalous slap-fight they had with Cablevision which kept me, and several other millions from being able to see the N.L.C.S., or most of the W.S. I hate Fox in every possible way. And while I don't hate Mr. Buck, I think he sucks. He's the Michael Bay of baseball commentators. He tries to over-dramatize every possibly outcome as if he is trying to replicate great announcers of the past. It isn't working Joe. And learn how to read. You misread a blurb about the new Harry Potter movie, calling it the Deadly Hallows. You get paid how much to be bad at your job? I might be terrible at writing blogs, but I don't get paid, so suck it. Anyway, have a good day people.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
They Might Be Giants
First I'd like to apologize for almost three full weeks of no blogs. I was knee-deep into a fantastic theatrical show that I was directing, and barely had time to crash into bed, let alone make coherent baseball comments. But I'm back now! Just in time for the season to be over. (Sad face) But that doesn't mean we can't wrap-up what was missed. So here we go ladies and germs.
The San Francisco Giants made their way past the seemingly much better Philadelphia Phillies. How was this accomplished? With dynamite pitching, that's how. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and even rookie Madison Bumgarner all pitched well enough to slide past the defending National League Champions. Lincecum bested the suddenly mortal Roy Halladay to take Game 1, Cain made the Phils look silly in Game 3, Roy Oswalt couldn't prevent a walk-off victory in Game 4, and Game 6 saw very little Philly offense at all. In truth, that was the reason the Phils lost. Their vaulted, and expensive offense just couldn't figure out the San Fran pitching staff. So while this series originally looked lopsided to the Phillies' advantage, it turned out to be controlled mostly by stud starting pitchers, and clutch hitting by the Giants.
Over in the American League, however, it was pure domination of the Texas Rangers over the defending World Series Champion New York Yankees. The Yanks managed to take Game 1, but that was due to an inept Ranger pen. And if C.C. Sabathia had not pitched a solid Game 5, even though the Rangers outhit the Yanks 13-9 that day, then the series would have been over even sooner. Because like it or not, the Rangers pretty much owned New York. They outhit the champs on a regular basis, and in both Game 3 and 6, Cliff Lee and Colby Lewis made the Yankees look like a junior varsity team. Sadly, Mark Texiera went out with a hamstring injury, but in all honesty, that didn't make much of a difference to the Yanks, as he wasn't hitting squat and Lance Berkman was a decent defensive replacement. Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz were instead the stars of this series, belting homers and driving in runs. And thus the World Series match-up was set.
At the start, it looked like the Rangers were another fierce offensive power that the Giants were going to have to overcome. But just as the Giants were able to get past Philadelphia, Texas soon realized just how good the Giants young hurlers are. Game 1 of the Fall Classic saw neither Lincecum, nor Lee looking particularly good, though. Lincecum was able to hang on to get a victory after pitching 5 and 2/3, but Lee didn't really have any pitches working for him that day, and his streak of 7-0 in the playoffs came crashing to an end. Besides, who would suspect the Giants would put up 11 runs on 14 hits!? The game was somewhat tainted by ugly play though, as the Rangers had four errors, two by returning right-fielder Vladimir Guerrero, and the Gints had two themselves. So Game 2 would be much more of a pitchers duel, right?
Uh, think again. Matt Cain pitched 7 and 2/3 of stellar baseball, allowing only four hits and continuing his postseason of not allowing a run. The Giants totaled 9 runs in this stomp-fest, though. I don't think the Giants had scored 20 runs in a week during the regular season, and here they were pounding the juggernaut Rangers' offense into dust. By the Way, Cain ended up pitching 21.1 innings in the postseason and only allowed one unearned run. That's just disgustingly good. So while the Rangers bats showed up a little late in Game 1, they completely called in sick for Game 2. Would Game 3 show a glimmer of hope for fans in Arlington?
Eh, kinda. Josh Hamilton finally got on the board by blasting a homer, but it wasn't game determining, and other than that, his entire series was pretty dreadful. But the Rangers got the win, and Texas fans starting to think that this series might not be as dull as it started out. And maybe even fans outside of Texas and California would start paying attention. But then Game 4 happened, and the audiences that actually did pay attention were introduced to Madison Bumgarner. Da Bum threw 8 absolutely dominate innings, struck out 6, walked only 2 and allowed a mere 3 hits, all as a rookie in the postseason. Madison pitched so well that he made the Rangers look like...well, the Yankees. So while I and other baseball fans love this rookie sensation throwing a wonderful game, it doesn't make for wide audience appeal, and by the time Game 5 rolled around, I don't think many people were watching. In fact, Dancing with the Stars received higher ratings than Game 5 did. And it's unfortunate, because those non-viewers missed a hell of a pitching performance by Mr. Hash, aka, Tim Lincecum. He also tossed 8 great innings, allowing only a homerun to Nelson Cruz. But that homerun paled in comparison to Edgar Renteria's three-run blast at the top of the 7th. Brian Wilson was his usual eccentric, but shut-down self, and the game and series were over.
And while I give my sincerest congratulations to the deserving San Francisco Giants, I must admit, I was a little disappointed in this contest. The Rangers had the potential to come out and challenge the Giants hitters, but instead most of them looked lost throughout the series. Middle-of-the-order hitters Josh Hamilton and Vlad Guerrero batted .100 and .071 respectively. In fact, only two Rangers batted above .200; Michael Young who batted exactly .250, and 1B Mitch Moreland who batted a ridiculous .462.
On the other hand, the Giants seemed to get hitting from somebody new every night. Lead-off hitter Andres Torres set the table night after night and made the Rangers' pitchers respect his speed. Juan Uribe had some big RBIs. And eventual MVP Edgar Renteria hit .412, including the series deciding homerun. This San Francisco hodge-podge of castaway characters like Cody Ross, Uribe, Pat Burrell and Aubrey Huff came together to support a sublime pitching staff and bring San Francisco its first baseball championship. It's the kind of team that nobody thought at the beginning of the year could go all the way. And if they start again next year with the exact same roster, no one will pick them to repeat. But that is why they are so deserving. They came together when it mattered. Hunkered down and got big hits when it mattered. And most importantly, pitched some outstanding games when it mattered. So congratulations to a scrappy team who had what it took to beat up the All-Stars. And here's to a wonderful 2010 season of baseball. May 2011 be even better.
And to my readership, thanks so much for sticking with me this year. There have been ups and downs. Lovely pictures, and stupefying grammatical errors. But you kept coming back, and for that, I can't thank you enough. And one last final note. A few days ago a gentleman emailed me and asked me to refer his website. Well I took a look at it, and it is something I think is worth sharing. So when you are done reading this, head on over to www.bestcollegesonline.net/blog/2010/10-unforgettable-world-series-moments. I might have picked #2 as my number #1, but it's a great list nonetheless. I'll be back soon with off-season rumors, trades, signings and general musings. Only 103 days until pitchers and catcher report!!! That's for you Vinny.
The San Francisco Giants made their way past the seemingly much better Philadelphia Phillies. How was this accomplished? With dynamite pitching, that's how. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and even rookie Madison Bumgarner all pitched well enough to slide past the defending National League Champions. Lincecum bested the suddenly mortal Roy Halladay to take Game 1, Cain made the Phils look silly in Game 3, Roy Oswalt couldn't prevent a walk-off victory in Game 4, and Game 6 saw very little Philly offense at all. In truth, that was the reason the Phils lost. Their vaulted, and expensive offense just couldn't figure out the San Fran pitching staff. So while this series originally looked lopsided to the Phillies' advantage, it turned out to be controlled mostly by stud starting pitchers, and clutch hitting by the Giants.
Over in the American League, however, it was pure domination of the Texas Rangers over the defending World Series Champion New York Yankees. The Yanks managed to take Game 1, but that was due to an inept Ranger pen. And if C.C. Sabathia had not pitched a solid Game 5, even though the Rangers outhit the Yanks 13-9 that day, then the series would have been over even sooner. Because like it or not, the Rangers pretty much owned New York. They outhit the champs on a regular basis, and in both Game 3 and 6, Cliff Lee and Colby Lewis made the Yankees look like a junior varsity team. Sadly, Mark Texiera went out with a hamstring injury, but in all honesty, that didn't make much of a difference to the Yanks, as he wasn't hitting squat and Lance Berkman was a decent defensive replacement. Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz were instead the stars of this series, belting homers and driving in runs. And thus the World Series match-up was set.
At the start, it looked like the Rangers were another fierce offensive power that the Giants were going to have to overcome. But just as the Giants were able to get past Philadelphia, Texas soon realized just how good the Giants young hurlers are. Game 1 of the Fall Classic saw neither Lincecum, nor Lee looking particularly good, though. Lincecum was able to hang on to get a victory after pitching 5 and 2/3, but Lee didn't really have any pitches working for him that day, and his streak of 7-0 in the playoffs came crashing to an end. Besides, who would suspect the Giants would put up 11 runs on 14 hits!? The game was somewhat tainted by ugly play though, as the Rangers had four errors, two by returning right-fielder Vladimir Guerrero, and the Gints had two themselves. So Game 2 would be much more of a pitchers duel, right?
Uh, think again. Matt Cain pitched 7 and 2/3 of stellar baseball, allowing only four hits and continuing his postseason of not allowing a run. The Giants totaled 9 runs in this stomp-fest, though. I don't think the Giants had scored 20 runs in a week during the regular season, and here they were pounding the juggernaut Rangers' offense into dust. By the Way, Cain ended up pitching 21.1 innings in the postseason and only allowed one unearned run. That's just disgustingly good. So while the Rangers bats showed up a little late in Game 1, they completely called in sick for Game 2. Would Game 3 show a glimmer of hope for fans in Arlington?
Eh, kinda. Josh Hamilton finally got on the board by blasting a homer, but it wasn't game determining, and other than that, his entire series was pretty dreadful. But the Rangers got the win, and Texas fans starting to think that this series might not be as dull as it started out. And maybe even fans outside of Texas and California would start paying attention. But then Game 4 happened, and the audiences that actually did pay attention were introduced to Madison Bumgarner. Da Bum threw 8 absolutely dominate innings, struck out 6, walked only 2 and allowed a mere 3 hits, all as a rookie in the postseason. Madison pitched so well that he made the Rangers look like...well, the Yankees. So while I and other baseball fans love this rookie sensation throwing a wonderful game, it doesn't make for wide audience appeal, and by the time Game 5 rolled around, I don't think many people were watching. In fact, Dancing with the Stars received higher ratings than Game 5 did. And it's unfortunate, because those non-viewers missed a hell of a pitching performance by Mr. Hash, aka, Tim Lincecum. He also tossed 8 great innings, allowing only a homerun to Nelson Cruz. But that homerun paled in comparison to Edgar Renteria's three-run blast at the top of the 7th. Brian Wilson was his usual eccentric, but shut-down self, and the game and series were over.
And while I give my sincerest congratulations to the deserving San Francisco Giants, I must admit, I was a little disappointed in this contest. The Rangers had the potential to come out and challenge the Giants hitters, but instead most of them looked lost throughout the series. Middle-of-the-order hitters Josh Hamilton and Vlad Guerrero batted .100 and .071 respectively. In fact, only two Rangers batted above .200; Michael Young who batted exactly .250, and 1B Mitch Moreland who batted a ridiculous .462.
On the other hand, the Giants seemed to get hitting from somebody new every night. Lead-off hitter Andres Torres set the table night after night and made the Rangers' pitchers respect his speed. Juan Uribe had some big RBIs. And eventual MVP Edgar Renteria hit .412, including the series deciding homerun. This San Francisco hodge-podge of castaway characters like Cody Ross, Uribe, Pat Burrell and Aubrey Huff came together to support a sublime pitching staff and bring San Francisco its first baseball championship. It's the kind of team that nobody thought at the beginning of the year could go all the way. And if they start again next year with the exact same roster, no one will pick them to repeat. But that is why they are so deserving. They came together when it mattered. Hunkered down and got big hits when it mattered. And most importantly, pitched some outstanding games when it mattered. So congratulations to a scrappy team who had what it took to beat up the All-Stars. And here's to a wonderful 2010 season of baseball. May 2011 be even better.
And to my readership, thanks so much for sticking with me this year. There have been ups and downs. Lovely pictures, and stupefying grammatical errors. But you kept coming back, and for that, I can't thank you enough. And one last final note. A few days ago a gentleman emailed me and asked me to refer his website. Well I took a look at it, and it is something I think is worth sharing. So when you are done reading this, head on over to www.bestcollegesonline.net/blog/2010/10-unforgettable-world-series-moments. I might have picked #2 as my number #1, but it's a great list nonetheless. I'll be back soon with off-season rumors, trades, signings and general musings. Only 103 days until pitchers and catcher report!!! That's for you Vinny.
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