After having appeared on the Andy $am$ 30 & 30 in 30 show for 91.3 WTSR last night, I've been antsy to discuss the Wild Card Races. It's been another few weeks since I've posted, so again I've missed a lot of baseball action. However, it appears as though the real excitement just began recently as the Wild Card spots were thought all but determined a few weeks ago. Not so anymore, as the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves have lost their stranglehold on the final playoff golden ticket. Who is making a play for entrance into October baseball? Read on, and we shall see.
Let's start in the American League, where the Boston Red Sox have been absolutely abysmal of late. In the month of September the Sawks have gone 5-14, and have sputtered to only a 2 game lead in the Wild Card over the Tampa Bay Rays. The reason that gap closed so quickly was due to the Rays taking two of three from the Sox in the weekend series, forcing Boston to light a fire under their collective butts in order to make it to October. That light came yesterday in the second game of a double-header versus the Baltimore Orioles, when they outscored the O's 18-9. While that seems like a good sign, the offensive output was necessary in order to get pitcher John Lackey out of yet another terrible start, of which he's had many this year. With Lackey being effectively ineffective, the Red Sox are relying on Josh Beckett and Jon Lester to carry the rotation. Erik Bedard has been serviceable, and Tim Wakefield has been losing his knuckleball all season, so if for any reason Lester and Becket can't get it done, look for New England natives to bemoan a season that should-have-been.
The team directly in the rear-view mirror is the division rival Rays. They've gone 11-6 during September and before taking two of three from the Red Sox this past weekend, they swept Beantown at home the weekend before. The key to the Rays success is again good pitching. All five starters have at least 10 wins and only Wade Davis has an ERA north of four. Kyle Farnsworth and Joel Peralta have been the real workhorses of the bullpen, but it's been enough to put the Rays in contention. The offense, amazingly has been able to compete even while lacking for a star hitter to carry everyone else. For sure Evan Longoria is a stellar player, but he was hurt early on, and his production has been hindered since. A .244 average is well below what he is capable of. However, Johnny Damon has provided a spark at times; Ben Zobrist has been driving in a ton of runs; B.J. Upton, for his terrible average, still knows how to hit homers and steal bases, and Casey Kotchman and Matt Joyce have produced as well. Most importantly, the team is playing well when it really counts, in late September.
The other team making a run at not only the Wild Card, but a Division Championship is the Los Angeles Angels. The Halos owe a lot of this season to rookie Mark Trumbo who leads the team in homeruns, RBI, and slugging percentage. Without Trumbo taking over for the injured Kendrys Morales this season, the Angels would have been floating up to Heaven a long time ago. As the offense has held on, the pitching staff is what really makes this team go, as Jered Weaver is having a Cy Young caliber season, Dan Haren has been fantastic as well, and even Ervin Santana, despite the win-loss record, has been very solid for the Angels this year. The hopes of a post-season rely heavily on these three pitchers, and other offensive players besides Trumbo need to step up. Torii Hunter has been good, and the infield has been contributors, but unless this team starts clicking on all cylinders soon, the post-season may just be out of reach.
Meanwhile, over in the National League, the Atlanta Braves have been falling apart, quite literally. Tommy Hanson hasn't pitched since early August, Jair Jurrjens since late August, Tim Hudson was on a bad streak until he ran into the Mets who gave him a tremendous start, Derek Lowe has given up 15 runs in his last three starts, and Brandon Beachy has pitched more than 6 innings only once in the past two months, making the bullpen work even harder to finish off games. The bullpen, for their part, has been extraordinary. However, the workload is starting to accumulate, and in the past few games Craig Kimbrel and Johnny Venters have been giving up homeruns like they were lottery tickets. Perhaps it's because those two, plus Eric O'Flaherty have pitched a collective 230.2 innings. That is a tremendous amount for three relievers to pitch, especially young guys who aren't exactly used to that sort of workload. This has been necessary because the Braves have played many close games due to a anemic lineup. The Braves have the 12th worst team average in the NL, 12th worst OBP, and are 5th in strikeouts. Dan Uggla caught fire late, and Freddie Freeman has had a very good rookie campaign, but if not for Chipper Jones staying healthy, I don't know if the Braves would be where they are now.
Where the Braves are, is on the hot seat, because here comes the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cards have been listed as clinically dead multiple times this season. First when Adam Wainwright was lost during Spring Training, then when Albert Pujols was sputtering in the early part of the season, and then finally when Milwaukee ran away with the Central a few weeks back. The Cardinals have kept plugging away, though, and now sit only 2.5 games back of the Braves. Thanks in large part to the offensive output of Lance Berkman early in the season, the Cardinals have managed to remain competitive even when all aspects of the team weren't clicking. Now that Pujols has returned to normal, Matt Holliday and Berkman are still hitting the ball around the park, and Jon Jay has taken over centerfield from the now-gone Colby Rasmus, the lineup is humming along quite nicely. The addition of Edwin Jackson has helped that rotation, and while it doesn't match up with the division leading teams heading to the playoffs, it's very serviceable, and could surprise folks.
Don't forget about the defending World Series Champions, the San Francisco Giants. They have won 8 straight games and sit just 1 game back from the Cardinals in the Wild Card hunt. Their offense has been atrocious this season, but with Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, and Comeback Player of the Year candidate Ryan Vogelsong leading the rotation, anything is possible. With Barry Zito being oft hurt this season, and now Jonathan Sanchez being out, the emergence of Bumgarner and Vogelsong has been crucial. Over in the dugout, not much has been going right. Kung Fu Panda Pablo Sandoval has comeback to have a great 2011, and is leading the team is just about every offensive category, which is remarkable seeing as how he missed some time with a wrist injury. The loss of Buster Posey this season was huge, and the lineup has struggled mightily to overcome his loss. Carlos Beltran came in and has provided some help, but one man cannot make a team go. The Giants seemed to win by miracles last year as guys came out of the woodwork to win games at the last minute. This year is different. If the rotation can carry the hitters for just a little while longer, than anything can happen in the playoffs. Getting there will still be a struggle, though.
So who is going to make it in the end? I have no idea. If I had to wager a guess, I would say the Red Sox and Cardinals would make it in. They look as though they have the depth enough to make it in. But you never can tell with so few games left. Every pitch counts, and one blooper here, or one error there can make or break a season. It looked as though the playoff run was going to be a snooze-fest, but it has turned into something excited to watch. I hope you're as interested as I am.
I would be extremely remiss if I did not mention the incredible feat that was accomplished by Mr. Mariano Rivera yesterday versus the Minnesota Twins. As he had done 601 times before, The Sandman came into the game in the ninth inning and gave his team an exceptional performance. He worked a clean inning with no hits or walks allowed, as he has done for a large part of his career 1209 regular season innings. He collected his record-breaking 602 save with a big grin and humble enthusiasm. His teammates surrounded him, and then pushed him onto the mound for the standing ovation he well deserved.
Mariano is without a doubt the greatest closer the game has ever seen. Since 1996 when he became a relief pitcher, Mo has had an ERA above three just once. His career 2.22 ERA is simply incredible, especially for being age 41 and still throwing enough heat on that famous cutter of his to break guys bats, as he did again on Monday night. What sets Mariano apart from his competitors is not so much the phenomenal regular season stats, as it is his post-season numbers. Mo has played in a ridiculous 31 playoffs series in his career, and is an outstanding 8-1 with 42 saves and a 0.71 ERA. Over the course of his October career, he has struck out 109 hitters and walked just 25. He is the epitome of calm, cool and collected, and has closed out more playoff series wins than any other pitcher in history. Whether in the regular season, or with the World Series on the line, Mo knows how to get it done. I can't say enough about Mariano, as he is one of those players that defies the logic of time and pressure. He is the "beast under your bed. In your closet, in your head." He is, in short, the greatest.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
September Call-Outs
Usually September is a time to look forward. The playoffs are in sight, and many young players get a shot at glory during this month. But seeing as how I've been a little negligent in recent weeks and month, I would like to take this time to do some analysis of the earlier part of the year. In particular, those who signed big contracts in the off-season, only to barely show up for the 2011 campaign. The prime suspects: Adam Dunn, Jayson Werth, and Carl Crawford.
Before I begin my tirade, though, I'd like to point out an egregious error I made in my last post. The error was not a statistical one, but one of omission. I failed to mention how the New York Yankees broke a Major League Baseball record by hitting three grand slams in one game versus the Oakland Athletics. The Yanks were at one point down 7-1 on August 25th, when 2B Robinson Cano took things into his own hands, and smacked a grand salami in the 6th inning to cut the lead to 7-6. Russell Martin then hit his second homer of the day, this time with the bases juiced, and made the game 10-7 in the Yankees' favor. Then all hell broke loose, and the Bronx Bombers lived up to their name, driving in 12 more runs over the next two innings, including another slam by Curtis Granderson, which at the time was his MLB-leading 38th homer. That win, and the outstanding record-breaking offense, helped catapult the Yanks into a tremendous run that saw them take two of three from the Red Sox, put them on a current four-game winning streak, and gave them the American League East division lead. That is some offense!
Back to my original post idea. Let's start with Mr. Carl Crawford, of the aforementioned Red Sox. In the off-season Crawford was coveted above all other free-agents. He had just come off a fantastic offense year which saw him win his first Silver Slugger, and Gold Glove awards. He was commanding contracts talks anywhere from $100 million and up when the Red Sox finally signed him to a staggering 7-years, $142 million, making him the second-highest paid outfielder ever. What has Boston received in return for this investment? Not much, honestly.
Carl hit a grand slam on Saturday versus the Texas Rangers, but these productive outbursts are more mirage than oasis. Previous to 2011, Carl Crawford had been placed on the Disabled List once, in 2008. 2011 comes along, and he's been on the DL, what, 75 times already? At least that's what it seems like. He was on there once this year, and I think he was put on twice more as precaution. An understandable move by Boston seeing as how they have put too much money into this guy to see him sit on the bench for a good part of the year. Crawford riding the bench as been almost more productive at times, though. He's hitting a meager .252 with 11 dingers, 17 stolen bags, and 52 RBI. The smaller home park is accountable for some of Crawford's increased power, but the stolen bases is a huge dropoff from his normal speedy game. Let's cut Carl a break and say that drop is due to his injuries and that next year he'll return to normal. What isn't normal, and hasn't looked that way for some time, is Crawford's comfort level at the plate.
Early on in the season, Crawford look absolutely lost at the plate. Maybe it was nerves, or the money that got him flustered, but it stuck with him for a long time, and he's only broken out of it in fits and spurts. His on-base percentage is a terrible .286, which is well below his career aver of .333. He's only walked 19 times this season, which is a number bench players usually see on their stat sheets. Perhaps most unproductive of all, he doesn't have a distinct role on the team. He was supposed to the speedy guy atop the lineup with Jacoby Ellsbury, but instead he's batted pretty much 1-9, and hasn't felt home anywhere. He's a man lost in a forgettable year right now. I doubt this will continue throughout his contract, but Boston fans have great memories. If Crawford struggles early on next year, 2012 may feel eerily similar to 2011.
Our next call-out is the third-highest paid outfielder of all time, Jayson Werth. Werth had a wonderful career in Philadelphia. He found a home hitting fifth behind Ryan Howard, and was a huge fan favorite out in right field. He was on top of the world. Then he became a free-agent, was purchased by the Washington Nationals for a ridiculous 7-years, $126 million, and has struggled mightily ever since. The reason, of course, is because when he was with Philly, Jayson was a cog in the well-oiled Phillies machine. He was not a star player, but a terrific asset to the team's overall construction. When he traveled just over 100 miles south to Washington, he took on a new role. He was still not the solo star player, because Ryan Zimmerman has that nailed down there, but he was expected not only to bring the same production he had with Philly over, but to compensate for the loss of Adam Dunn, who was a perennial 38-40 homerun hitter. Try as Jayson might, this was impossible from the get go.
This is not entirely Jayson's fault. First, he was given more money then he was reasonably worth as a player, but who in his right mind is going to say no to more money? Then Ryan Zimmerman goes down very early in the year, leaving Werth to act as the star player for about two months, which he wasn't up for. Add in the nerves of joining a new team, and a fanbase looking for a spark of any kind from an inferior team, and the recipe for success was tainted from the start. Jayson has stayed healthy, and he's tried to contribute as best he can. His homeruns are down, so he's been stealing bases more. He's not seeing good pitches because for the most part there isn't much protection around him in the Nationals lineup, so he's swinging at much more and therefore his strikeouts are up. His walks and RBI are down too, as a result. This may sound like I'm taking it easier on Werth than I am Crawford, but Werth has had significantly less to work with. Again, perhaps next year will be different. Hopefully Stephen Strasburg will come back healthy. Zimmerman should come back to full health and make up for a underwhelming season. And perhaps Bryce Harper may even be up by then, and provide another pressure valve for Werth. I don't see Jayson duplicating his numbers in Philly any time in the immediate future, but Washington is a team that is on the rise. Jayson may have gotten in the elevator while it was still in the basement, but he just might ride it all the way to the top.
The man Jayson effectively, or rather ineffectively replaced in Washington, has been the most dreadful of all the players mentioned. Adam Dunn is having one of the worst statistical seasons....ever. It's actually mind-boggling how bad he has been, and yet still receives playing time. It goes to show how monetarily invested team's get in a player, when he is consistently hitting well below .200, and yet still plays. That has been changing of late as Adam has been losing time and at-bats. While primarily he is the designated hitter, the Chicago White Sox have put Adam at first to try and see if time in the field will get his groove back like Stella. It hasn't. Instead, Adam has just made it apparent that there is very little anyone can do to get him out of this terrible funk.
For those of you who haven't seen, let's run by the stats real quick. In 2011 Dunn numbers look like this: .163 average (which is over 80 points lower than his already terrible career average of .244), 11 homeruns (he usually hits about 38), and 40...40!!! RBI (season average is closer to 95). Most telling of all is his slugging percentage of .288, which is almost half of his 162 game average of .505. Meaning that he is not driving in runners because he hasn't been hitting extra bases. These numbers are in all actuality, embarrassing, and Dunn knows it. He's said several times that he's ashamed of his performance and that he's trying everything he can think of to get out of this funk. It's more than likely too late for this season, but my hope is that 2012 will be a turnaround for Adam, as he's too established and productive a player to free-fall into oblivion like this.
I don't relish the fact that these guys are struggling. All players go through this once in a while, but it's amazing how each one of these guys switched teams, signed a huge contract in the off-season and now are not the same productive player they have been. The money certainly has something to do with it. If you are financially secure, there has to be some small part of a player that knows the internal push to get better and succeed is reduced. Then there is the pressure of starting a new life somewhere. Most players move to their new city, have to enroll their kids in new schools, or have to deal with being apart from their families if they go to the new town alone. Off-the-field issues are sometimes harder to deal with then just not hitting well. Then there are the fans. Rabid fans like the ones in Boston or other old-school baseball towns can sometimes go a little nuts. If a new guys comes in and isn't performing well, they only get a certain amount of leeway before the boo birds show up. All of this, plus injuries and new coaches, and new teammates make it tough for big name players to transition.
Let's hold back the tears, however. These guys get pay millions upon millions to deal with these issues, and when they don't perform up to capability, then perhaps the fans have a right to boo. After all, it's the fans money that keeps a team going. It's all a very complicated matter that goes much deeper than just "He sucks." We all use that excuse, but in truth, if a guy sucks, there is probably a lot more to it than that. Sorry that I had to call you out Crawford, Werth and Dunn. It's not personal, it's just that, well, you guys suck right now.
Before I begin my tirade, though, I'd like to point out an egregious error I made in my last post. The error was not a statistical one, but one of omission. I failed to mention how the New York Yankees broke a Major League Baseball record by hitting three grand slams in one game versus the Oakland Athletics. The Yanks were at one point down 7-1 on August 25th, when 2B Robinson Cano took things into his own hands, and smacked a grand salami in the 6th inning to cut the lead to 7-6. Russell Martin then hit his second homer of the day, this time with the bases juiced, and made the game 10-7 in the Yankees' favor. Then all hell broke loose, and the Bronx Bombers lived up to their name, driving in 12 more runs over the next two innings, including another slam by Curtis Granderson, which at the time was his MLB-leading 38th homer. That win, and the outstanding record-breaking offense, helped catapult the Yanks into a tremendous run that saw them take two of three from the Red Sox, put them on a current four-game winning streak, and gave them the American League East division lead. That is some offense!
Back to my original post idea. Let's start with Mr. Carl Crawford, of the aforementioned Red Sox. In the off-season Crawford was coveted above all other free-agents. He had just come off a fantastic offense year which saw him win his first Silver Slugger, and Gold Glove awards. He was commanding contracts talks anywhere from $100 million and up when the Red Sox finally signed him to a staggering 7-years, $142 million, making him the second-highest paid outfielder ever. What has Boston received in return for this investment? Not much, honestly.
Carl hit a grand slam on Saturday versus the Texas Rangers, but these productive outbursts are more mirage than oasis. Previous to 2011, Carl Crawford had been placed on the Disabled List once, in 2008. 2011 comes along, and he's been on the DL, what, 75 times already? At least that's what it seems like. He was on there once this year, and I think he was put on twice more as precaution. An understandable move by Boston seeing as how they have put too much money into this guy to see him sit on the bench for a good part of the year. Crawford riding the bench as been almost more productive at times, though. He's hitting a meager .252 with 11 dingers, 17 stolen bags, and 52 RBI. The smaller home park is accountable for some of Crawford's increased power, but the stolen bases is a huge dropoff from his normal speedy game. Let's cut Carl a break and say that drop is due to his injuries and that next year he'll return to normal. What isn't normal, and hasn't looked that way for some time, is Crawford's comfort level at the plate.
Early on in the season, Crawford look absolutely lost at the plate. Maybe it was nerves, or the money that got him flustered, but it stuck with him for a long time, and he's only broken out of it in fits and spurts. His on-base percentage is a terrible .286, which is well below his career aver of .333. He's only walked 19 times this season, which is a number bench players usually see on their stat sheets. Perhaps most unproductive of all, he doesn't have a distinct role on the team. He was supposed to the speedy guy atop the lineup with Jacoby Ellsbury, but instead he's batted pretty much 1-9, and hasn't felt home anywhere. He's a man lost in a forgettable year right now. I doubt this will continue throughout his contract, but Boston fans have great memories. If Crawford struggles early on next year, 2012 may feel eerily similar to 2011.
Our next call-out is the third-highest paid outfielder of all time, Jayson Werth. Werth had a wonderful career in Philadelphia. He found a home hitting fifth behind Ryan Howard, and was a huge fan favorite out in right field. He was on top of the world. Then he became a free-agent, was purchased by the Washington Nationals for a ridiculous 7-years, $126 million, and has struggled mightily ever since. The reason, of course, is because when he was with Philly, Jayson was a cog in the well-oiled Phillies machine. He was not a star player, but a terrific asset to the team's overall construction. When he traveled just over 100 miles south to Washington, he took on a new role. He was still not the solo star player, because Ryan Zimmerman has that nailed down there, but he was expected not only to bring the same production he had with Philly over, but to compensate for the loss of Adam Dunn, who was a perennial 38-40 homerun hitter. Try as Jayson might, this was impossible from the get go.
This is not entirely Jayson's fault. First, he was given more money then he was reasonably worth as a player, but who in his right mind is going to say no to more money? Then Ryan Zimmerman goes down very early in the year, leaving Werth to act as the star player for about two months, which he wasn't up for. Add in the nerves of joining a new team, and a fanbase looking for a spark of any kind from an inferior team, and the recipe for success was tainted from the start. Jayson has stayed healthy, and he's tried to contribute as best he can. His homeruns are down, so he's been stealing bases more. He's not seeing good pitches because for the most part there isn't much protection around him in the Nationals lineup, so he's swinging at much more and therefore his strikeouts are up. His walks and RBI are down too, as a result. This may sound like I'm taking it easier on Werth than I am Crawford, but Werth has had significantly less to work with. Again, perhaps next year will be different. Hopefully Stephen Strasburg will come back healthy. Zimmerman should come back to full health and make up for a underwhelming season. And perhaps Bryce Harper may even be up by then, and provide another pressure valve for Werth. I don't see Jayson duplicating his numbers in Philly any time in the immediate future, but Washington is a team that is on the rise. Jayson may have gotten in the elevator while it was still in the basement, but he just might ride it all the way to the top.
The man Jayson effectively, or rather ineffectively replaced in Washington, has been the most dreadful of all the players mentioned. Adam Dunn is having one of the worst statistical seasons....ever. It's actually mind-boggling how bad he has been, and yet still receives playing time. It goes to show how monetarily invested team's get in a player, when he is consistently hitting well below .200, and yet still plays. That has been changing of late as Adam has been losing time and at-bats. While primarily he is the designated hitter, the Chicago White Sox have put Adam at first to try and see if time in the field will get his groove back like Stella. It hasn't. Instead, Adam has just made it apparent that there is very little anyone can do to get him out of this terrible funk.
For those of you who haven't seen, let's run by the stats real quick. In 2011 Dunn numbers look like this: .163 average (which is over 80 points lower than his already terrible career average of .244), 11 homeruns (he usually hits about 38), and 40...40!!! RBI (season average is closer to 95). Most telling of all is his slugging percentage of .288, which is almost half of his 162 game average of .505. Meaning that he is not driving in runners because he hasn't been hitting extra bases. These numbers are in all actuality, embarrassing, and Dunn knows it. He's said several times that he's ashamed of his performance and that he's trying everything he can think of to get out of this funk. It's more than likely too late for this season, but my hope is that 2012 will be a turnaround for Adam, as he's too established and productive a player to free-fall into oblivion like this.
I don't relish the fact that these guys are struggling. All players go through this once in a while, but it's amazing how each one of these guys switched teams, signed a huge contract in the off-season and now are not the same productive player they have been. The money certainly has something to do with it. If you are financially secure, there has to be some small part of a player that knows the internal push to get better and succeed is reduced. Then there is the pressure of starting a new life somewhere. Most players move to their new city, have to enroll their kids in new schools, or have to deal with being apart from their families if they go to the new town alone. Off-the-field issues are sometimes harder to deal with then just not hitting well. Then there are the fans. Rabid fans like the ones in Boston or other old-school baseball towns can sometimes go a little nuts. If a new guys comes in and isn't performing well, they only get a certain amount of leeway before the boo birds show up. All of this, plus injuries and new coaches, and new teammates make it tough for big name players to transition.
Let's hold back the tears, however. These guys get pay millions upon millions to deal with these issues, and when they don't perform up to capability, then perhaps the fans have a right to boo. After all, it's the fans money that keeps a team going. It's all a very complicated matter that goes much deeper than just "He sucks." We all use that excuse, but in truth, if a guy sucks, there is probably a lot more to it than that. Sorry that I had to call you out Crawford, Werth and Dunn. It's not personal, it's just that, well, you guys suck right now.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
August Rush
I have never seen this movie, but I did some checking and August not only is the eighth month of the Georgian calendar year named after Roman Emperor Augustus, but it also refers to something grand, or majesty. So as I am majestically rushing to get a post in at the end of August, I felt the title made some sense. The reason I am rushing is because this month, like the rest of this summer, has been immensely busy for me. Apart from work and theater, there was a funeral that required attending, an earthquake that hit Virginia and shook apparently everyone on the east coast except me, a brother that needed moving, and the latest and greatest, Hurricane Irene, which saw to it to send me and my fiancée packing for one evening. It's been hectic.
While I'm sharing things, I want to be quite honest with you, my faithful readership. I barely know what's going on in the baseball world right now. Not only don't I have time to check into things, but without cable, it's even harder to catch little tidbits here and there to reference. So please be prepared. This post will be quick and probably without much point as I try to sum up not only for you, but for myself, what the heck is going on in baseball right now. So sit back and relax.
Holy crap, here comes the Milwaukee Brewers. They have won 21 of 26 games in August so far, and have been 32-11 since the All Star Break, making them the hottest team in the game. Led by MVP candidates Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, the outstanding rotation of Yovanni Gallardo, Shaun Marcum, Zach Greinke, and Randy Wolf, and John Axford closing games at a league-leading pace, this team has been almost unbeatable. The team is second in the NL in team average, fourth in homeruns, and fifth in on-base-percentage. Their pitching has been holding the team up like never before, and with the offense putting up numbers the way they can, this team is looking like a serious contender for the National League Championship.
Elsewhere in the NL Central, the Cubs fired GM Jim Hendry because, well... he kind of sucked of late. After nine off-and-on successful years, the Chicago Cubs decided that it was time to take a different course. The reason? Hendry had been responsible for some of the most disastrous deals in recent baseball history. Still with the team are Alfonso Soriano's roughly $60 million until 2014, the now retired? Carlos Zambrano's $22 million until next year, and they are still paying Kosuke Fukudome's contract even though he's with the Indians. For a full list of Hendry's moves, check out MLBTradeRumors.com's handy-dandy Transaction Tracker. The Cubs may have gotten rid of the ship's captain, but they still need to steer it out of icy waters, which make take a year or two of frugal baseball management.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are showing everyone in the league that they are no joke. They have hit the third most homeruns in the NL and driven in the fifth most runs. But they have always been a good run-producing team. The real difference this year is that the young pitching staff is holding their own against the competition. Led by Ian Kennedy's huge breakout year of 17-4, with a 3.03 ERA, the staff is showing people that there is more to this snake's bite than just the bat. I'm not sure if that made sense or not. Anyway, the young Daniel Hudson, who came over from the White Sox late last year, has been proving a young stud in the making as well. Josh Collmenter and Joe Saunders haven't been getting the same victory totals, but they've been keeping their ERA's low, and not walking too many, which is a recipe for continued success. The real question is, will the Diamondbacks be able to hold off the San Francisco Giants who keep surging and stumbling due to their erratic offense. As there is no other serious competition in that division besides the Giants, the D'Backs could very well take the West this year.
Justin Verlander has been the best pitcher in baseball this year, and finally is getting some of the respect he deserves. It's always been Sabathia and Beckett and others getting the American League pitching pomp and circumstance. Now though, Verlander is leading not only the AL, but both leagues in almost every pitching category. He's first in wins (20), first in innings pitched (215.2), first in strikeouts (218), first in opponent batting average (.190), and first in WHIP (.90), but he's only third in ERA (2.38), so I guess he sucks. With 20 wins already, and the whole month of September to go, he could collect another 4 or 5, depending on how close the race is for the AL Central. The Tigers should be wary not to push him too hard, though. While Verlander has been a workhorse his whole career, if he goes down, so do the Tigers chances of having any post-season success. In the meantime though, Verlander should be getting his trophy polish ready, because I think I see a Cy Young coming his way.
There has been some other big news around the league. Jose Tabata and Jered Weaver both received contract extensions recently. Tabata's extension is for 6 years, with option years in 2017, 2018, and 2019. If the extension is played out in its entirety, Tabata will receive $37.25 million. This seems a very team-friendly contract as Jose won't make anything north of $9 million for any season of the extension. Tabata is a skilled centerfielder with very good speed. He's only 23 so his power numbers will go up, but it appears he will be a solid lead-off or number 2 hitter in the lineup for years to come. It's nice to see the Pirates signing their young talent to stay. Meanwhile in Los Angeles, the Angels signed Jered Weaver to a five-year, $85 million extension. "The deal includes a full no-trade clause", according to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, and various "significant" bonuses for winning the Cy Young and MVP awards and for earning All-Star berths, writes Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. Weaver is having the best season of his career as he has the second best ERA of any starting pitcher, and could easily eclipse his career win total of 16 in a season this year. Congrats to both players.
This post wouldn't be complete, however, without mentioning one of my favorite players accomplishing a tremendous feat. The 40-year-old Thome became the eighth player in baseball history to reach 600 homeruns, hitting two in one game against the Detroit Tigers. It's true that Thome isn't the player he once was, but he's been a productive asset to the Twins over the past two years. Soon after hitting his 600th though, Thome was asked to become a productive part of his former club, the Cleveland Indians, as the Twins traded him through waivers. With Travis Hafner out again, Thome will be the regular DH for the rest of the season as the Tribe tries to fight back against the White Sox and Tigers atop the AL Central.
But let's get back to Big Jim for a second. The Illinois native is one of the most dominant power hitters ever to play the game. His 1665 RBI are 27th best All Time, and his 1715 walks are 8th best All Time. The ferocity with which he hits homeruns is so palpable, that seeing him hit is like watching fireworks go off. His days as an Indian during the mid to late 90's, when he, Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez were all knocking the stuffing out of baseballs, must have been a thing of beauty to see in person. His electric and amicable personality always made me root for him, even when he was with the Phillies. While he might play for a little bit longer still, many think this might be his last year. It's a wonderful way to go out, if he does. Hitting 600 homeruns is an accomplish only 7 living people in the whole world can say they've done. I can't think of a finer person to be a part of those ranks. Congratulations Jim.
Thanks again to my readership for putting up with my delays and for continuing to bug me about writing another post. I started out doing this for myself, but I quickly learned that I was writing this for you all. Thanks for being a part of this little baseball-minded universe I've created here. Your support, feedback and comments are always appreciated. Until next time, whenever the hell that is!
While I'm sharing things, I want to be quite honest with you, my faithful readership. I barely know what's going on in the baseball world right now. Not only don't I have time to check into things, but without cable, it's even harder to catch little tidbits here and there to reference. So please be prepared. This post will be quick and probably without much point as I try to sum up not only for you, but for myself, what the heck is going on in baseball right now. So sit back and relax.
Holy crap, here comes the Milwaukee Brewers. They have won 21 of 26 games in August so far, and have been 32-11 since the All Star Break, making them the hottest team in the game. Led by MVP candidates Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, the outstanding rotation of Yovanni Gallardo, Shaun Marcum, Zach Greinke, and Randy Wolf, and John Axford closing games at a league-leading pace, this team has been almost unbeatable. The team is second in the NL in team average, fourth in homeruns, and fifth in on-base-percentage. Their pitching has been holding the team up like never before, and with the offense putting up numbers the way they can, this team is looking like a serious contender for the National League Championship.
Elsewhere in the NL Central, the Cubs fired GM Jim Hendry because, well... he kind of sucked of late. After nine off-and-on successful years, the Chicago Cubs decided that it was time to take a different course. The reason? Hendry had been responsible for some of the most disastrous deals in recent baseball history. Still with the team are Alfonso Soriano's roughly $60 million until 2014, the now retired? Carlos Zambrano's $22 million until next year, and they are still paying Kosuke Fukudome's contract even though he's with the Indians. For a full list of Hendry's moves, check out MLBTradeRumors.com's handy-dandy Transaction Tracker. The Cubs may have gotten rid of the ship's captain, but they still need to steer it out of icy waters, which make take a year or two of frugal baseball management.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are showing everyone in the league that they are no joke. They have hit the third most homeruns in the NL and driven in the fifth most runs. But they have always been a good run-producing team. The real difference this year is that the young pitching staff is holding their own against the competition. Led by Ian Kennedy's huge breakout year of 17-4, with a 3.03 ERA, the staff is showing people that there is more to this snake's bite than just the bat. I'm not sure if that made sense or not. Anyway, the young Daniel Hudson, who came over from the White Sox late last year, has been proving a young stud in the making as well. Josh Collmenter and Joe Saunders haven't been getting the same victory totals, but they've been keeping their ERA's low, and not walking too many, which is a recipe for continued success. The real question is, will the Diamondbacks be able to hold off the San Francisco Giants who keep surging and stumbling due to their erratic offense. As there is no other serious competition in that division besides the Giants, the D'Backs could very well take the West this year.
Justin Verlander has been the best pitcher in baseball this year, and finally is getting some of the respect he deserves. It's always been Sabathia and Beckett and others getting the American League pitching pomp and circumstance. Now though, Verlander is leading not only the AL, but both leagues in almost every pitching category. He's first in wins (20), first in innings pitched (215.2), first in strikeouts (218), first in opponent batting average (.190), and first in WHIP (.90), but he's only third in ERA (2.38), so I guess he sucks. With 20 wins already, and the whole month of September to go, he could collect another 4 or 5, depending on how close the race is for the AL Central. The Tigers should be wary not to push him too hard, though. While Verlander has been a workhorse his whole career, if he goes down, so do the Tigers chances of having any post-season success. In the meantime though, Verlander should be getting his trophy polish ready, because I think I see a Cy Young coming his way.
There has been some other big news around the league. Jose Tabata and Jered Weaver both received contract extensions recently. Tabata's extension is for 6 years, with option years in 2017, 2018, and 2019. If the extension is played out in its entirety, Tabata will receive $37.25 million. This seems a very team-friendly contract as Jose won't make anything north of $9 million for any season of the extension. Tabata is a skilled centerfielder with very good speed. He's only 23 so his power numbers will go up, but it appears he will be a solid lead-off or number 2 hitter in the lineup for years to come. It's nice to see the Pirates signing their young talent to stay. Meanwhile in Los Angeles, the Angels signed Jered Weaver to a five-year, $85 million extension. "The deal includes a full no-trade clause", according to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, and various "significant" bonuses for winning the Cy Young and MVP awards and for earning All-Star berths, writes Scott Miller of CBSSports.com. Weaver is having the best season of his career as he has the second best ERA of any starting pitcher, and could easily eclipse his career win total of 16 in a season this year. Congrats to both players.
This post wouldn't be complete, however, without mentioning one of my favorite players accomplishing a tremendous feat. The 40-year-old Thome became the eighth player in baseball history to reach 600 homeruns, hitting two in one game against the Detroit Tigers. It's true that Thome isn't the player he once was, but he's been a productive asset to the Twins over the past two years. Soon after hitting his 600th though, Thome was asked to become a productive part of his former club, the Cleveland Indians, as the Twins traded him through waivers. With Travis Hafner out again, Thome will be the regular DH for the rest of the season as the Tribe tries to fight back against the White Sox and Tigers atop the AL Central.
But let's get back to Big Jim for a second. The Illinois native is one of the most dominant power hitters ever to play the game. His 1665 RBI are 27th best All Time, and his 1715 walks are 8th best All Time. The ferocity with which he hits homeruns is so palpable, that seeing him hit is like watching fireworks go off. His days as an Indian during the mid to late 90's, when he, Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez were all knocking the stuffing out of baseballs, must have been a thing of beauty to see in person. His electric and amicable personality always made me root for him, even when he was with the Phillies. While he might play for a little bit longer still, many think this might be his last year. It's a wonderful way to go out, if he does. Hitting 600 homeruns is an accomplish only 7 living people in the whole world can say they've done. I can't think of a finer person to be a part of those ranks. Congratulations Jim.
Thanks again to my readership for putting up with my delays and for continuing to bug me about writing another post. I started out doing this for myself, but I quickly learned that I was writing this for you all. Thanks for being a part of this little baseball-minded universe I've created here. Your support, feedback and comments are always appreciated. Until next time, whenever the hell that is!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
New Jersey
My beloved state of New Jersey gets a bad rap more often than not. While I would love to take an entire blog to illustrate why my state is, at times, one of the best places to live in the country, this post title refers instead to the gaggle of new players in the majors leagues that switched team jerseys as a result of the recent July trading deadline. At the request of one of my readers, we will delve into the wheeling and dealing that occurred just one week ago. So let's get to it.
As my good friend, The Big Man-Tuna says, "Go Big." Go Big we shall by starting with possibly the biggest and most impactful trade of the deadline: Hunter Pence to the Philadelphia Phillies. Hunter Pence has been one of the most consistent outfielders of the past five years in terms of offensive output and defensive gumption. While sabermetric analyzers may say he's not the greatest glove in rightfield, he surely gives 110% on every play, as I've seen numerous occasions where he is diving, sliding and jumping to save an inning or game. He has put up 25 homers each of the past three years and could surpass those numbers while hitting in the friendly Citizen's Bank Park. While not a tremendous on-base guy, he puts the ball in play, and that is precisely what he'll be doing in the fifth spot in the lineup.
The Houston Astros received for Pence, young pitching prospect Jarred Cosart, the 19 year old phenom Jonathan Singleton, whom the Phillies really didn't want to give up, a righty reliever Josh Zeid, and a player to be named later. Houston is clearly heading in the right direction in trying to collect as many young talented players as possible. This deal works for Philly as well, as they now have catapulted themselves past the Boston Red Sox as the front-runner for the World Series Championship. Is Pence that good? He may not seem like it to some, but lately everyone gets better when they get to Philadelphia. Pence will be no exception. The crowd already loves him, and when you are loved, good things happen.
The Houston Astros weren't done dealing big name players though. They shipped the speedy Michael Bourn off to the Atlanta Braves for the also speedy outfielder Jordan Schafer, lefty pitcher Brett Oberholtzer, and righties Paul Clemens and Juan Abreu. "None of the three pitchers are top 50 prospects, but they did rank ninth, 26th, and 27th respectively for the Braves on Baseball America's preseason rankings, and the team has a highly-regarded farm system," as reported by Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors.com. Bourn has immense speed, as he has stolen at least 40 bases for the 'Stros three years running (pun!), and would have done so again this year. He will be a tremendous lead-off option for Atlanta, who has struggled to find someone to start the offense early. If Bourn can set the tone, the Braves will challenge the aforementioned Phillies for the NL East title, but most likely will still have to settle for the Wild Card.
Of course, the Astros weren't the only team moving people around. The Colorado Rockies surprisingly sold on their ace pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez. And stranger still, the buying team isn't used to buying. The Cleveland Indians, the organization that sold C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee in successive recent years, is seeing this year as something of a turnaround. They led the AL Central for most of the first half of the year, but have been playing mediocre ball since the All-Star break, and are struggling to keep up with the Detroit Tigers. As a sign to the fans that this team is ready to compete now and in the near future, the front-office trading for the 27 year old Jimenez, hoping that the second half of his 2011 campaign will not mirror his first. Jimenez is under very affordable team control until 2013, but in order to get him the Tribe had to part with lefty prospect Drew Pomeranz, who Baseball America ranked as the 14th best prospect in all of baseball last month. The Rockies also received minor league pitcher Alex White, Joe Gardner and position player Matt McBride. This move may help The Indians next year, but I think this rally cry may be short-lived for the Tribe this year.
Another surprise buying team was the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Bucs have been playing far above expectations this year, and are still kind of in the hunt for the NL Central title, despite having lost 8 in a row, and having gone 1-9 in their last 10. The additions of 1B Derrek Lee from the Orioles, and OF Ryan Ludwick from the Padres apparently have done nothing but harm to the team dynamic. I loved Derrek Lee for years, but his offensive contributions have been sub-par for the past two years, as injuries and four different teams have messed with his rhythm. Ludwick is a nice piece to a competitive team, but I think the Pirates were expecting him to come in and add a significant amount of offense, when Ludwick has always been a streaky player at best. Too bad the Pirates didn't keep the receipt on these purchases.
Another San Diego Padre, Mike Adams, was very sought after by several teams. The outstanding setup man to closer Heath Bell had a 1.13 ERA with the Friars, and had a swell 5.44 K/BB ratio. He was traded for by the Texas Rangers who wanted to sure-up their bullpen, as closer Neftali Feliz has been an enigma for much of the 2011 season. Feliz's walks are up and his strikeouts are down, as is the velocity on that fastball of his. Feliz has battled some injuries and probably some over-hyped expectations, so the Rangers hope that Mike Adams will step in and assume the setup role. The Rangers didn't stop there, though. They also acquired Koji Uehara from the Baltimore Orioles just one day prior to getting Adams. The 36 year old Uehara has been ridiculously good for the past three years and his 7.75 K/BB ratio is actually well below what his a capable of. Uehara may even share time as setup man, or even close out some games to give Feliz some rest. However the bullpen rotation works, one thing is for sure, the Rangers sure fixed whatever problem they might have had.
Other big name players were traded around baseball. The St. Louis Cardinals, still desperate to find an everyday shortstop, got one in Raphael Furcal. Furcal waived his 10-and-5 rights to be traded from the Dodgers. For those of you not familiar, 10-and-5 rights means that a player who has been in the league for ten years, the last five of which have been spend with his current team, cannot be traded without his consent. Furcal has been dreadful this season, and injury-plagued most of the past five years, but he adds speed and high contact to any lineup. Meanwhile Erik Bedard was traded from the Seattle Mariners to the Boston Red Sox. Bedard is having something of a comeback year as he is healthy and effective as a starter. Boston is desperate for both as Daisuke Matsuzaka is out for the season, Clay Buchholz is extremely slow to recover from back spasms, and Jon Lester has spent stints on the DL. This trade was complicated as it transpired between the Sox, M's and Dodgers, but really only Bedard was the big name in this deal.
Utility fielder Mike Aviles was also acquired by Boston from Kansas City. Meanwhile the Mariners traded Doug Fister and David Pauley to the Detroit Tigers who were looking for more pitching. The Indians sold in addition to buying as they moved Orlando Cabrera to the San Francisco Giants. NL West rival to the Giants, the Arizona Diamondbacks, tried to stay in the playoff hunt by acquiring sidearm pitcher Brad Ziegler from the Athletics to bolster the bullpen, and grabbing Jason Marquis from the Washington Nationals to add depth to the already surprising sturdy rotation.
All in all it was a very exciting trading deadline. It's always fun to see new players in new uniforms. Sometimes it fits, and sometimes the move turns out to be a bust. As with most things, time will tell. Once again I must say that my postings may become infrequent as I'm in another theater show, I'm moving, and I'm looking for a new job. If you know anyone who wants to pay me to write inane baseball articles, you sent them over here! So until next time folks, watch some baseball for me.
As my good friend, The Big Man-Tuna says, "Go Big." Go Big we shall by starting with possibly the biggest and most impactful trade of the deadline: Hunter Pence to the Philadelphia Phillies. Hunter Pence has been one of the most consistent outfielders of the past five years in terms of offensive output and defensive gumption. While sabermetric analyzers may say he's not the greatest glove in rightfield, he surely gives 110% on every play, as I've seen numerous occasions where he is diving, sliding and jumping to save an inning or game. He has put up 25 homers each of the past three years and could surpass those numbers while hitting in the friendly Citizen's Bank Park. While not a tremendous on-base guy, he puts the ball in play, and that is precisely what he'll be doing in the fifth spot in the lineup.
The Houston Astros received for Pence, young pitching prospect Jarred Cosart, the 19 year old phenom Jonathan Singleton, whom the Phillies really didn't want to give up, a righty reliever Josh Zeid, and a player to be named later. Houston is clearly heading in the right direction in trying to collect as many young talented players as possible. This deal works for Philly as well, as they now have catapulted themselves past the Boston Red Sox as the front-runner for the World Series Championship. Is Pence that good? He may not seem like it to some, but lately everyone gets better when they get to Philadelphia. Pence will be no exception. The crowd already loves him, and when you are loved, good things happen.
The Houston Astros weren't done dealing big name players though. They shipped the speedy Michael Bourn off to the Atlanta Braves for the also speedy outfielder Jordan Schafer, lefty pitcher Brett Oberholtzer, and righties Paul Clemens and Juan Abreu. "None of the three pitchers are top 50 prospects, but they did rank ninth, 26th, and 27th respectively for the Braves on Baseball America's preseason rankings, and the team has a highly-regarded farm system," as reported by Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors.com. Bourn has immense speed, as he has stolen at least 40 bases for the 'Stros three years running (pun!), and would have done so again this year. He will be a tremendous lead-off option for Atlanta, who has struggled to find someone to start the offense early. If Bourn can set the tone, the Braves will challenge the aforementioned Phillies for the NL East title, but most likely will still have to settle for the Wild Card.
Of course, the Astros weren't the only team moving people around. The Colorado Rockies surprisingly sold on their ace pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez. And stranger still, the buying team isn't used to buying. The Cleveland Indians, the organization that sold C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee in successive recent years, is seeing this year as something of a turnaround. They led the AL Central for most of the first half of the year, but have been playing mediocre ball since the All-Star break, and are struggling to keep up with the Detroit Tigers. As a sign to the fans that this team is ready to compete now and in the near future, the front-office trading for the 27 year old Jimenez, hoping that the second half of his 2011 campaign will not mirror his first. Jimenez is under very affordable team control until 2013, but in order to get him the Tribe had to part with lefty prospect Drew Pomeranz, who Baseball America ranked as the 14th best prospect in all of baseball last month. The Rockies also received minor league pitcher Alex White, Joe Gardner and position player Matt McBride. This move may help The Indians next year, but I think this rally cry may be short-lived for the Tribe this year.
Another surprise buying team was the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Bucs have been playing far above expectations this year, and are still kind of in the hunt for the NL Central title, despite having lost 8 in a row, and having gone 1-9 in their last 10. The additions of 1B Derrek Lee from the Orioles, and OF Ryan Ludwick from the Padres apparently have done nothing but harm to the team dynamic. I loved Derrek Lee for years, but his offensive contributions have been sub-par for the past two years, as injuries and four different teams have messed with his rhythm. Ludwick is a nice piece to a competitive team, but I think the Pirates were expecting him to come in and add a significant amount of offense, when Ludwick has always been a streaky player at best. Too bad the Pirates didn't keep the receipt on these purchases.
Another San Diego Padre, Mike Adams, was very sought after by several teams. The outstanding setup man to closer Heath Bell had a 1.13 ERA with the Friars, and had a swell 5.44 K/BB ratio. He was traded for by the Texas Rangers who wanted to sure-up their bullpen, as closer Neftali Feliz has been an enigma for much of the 2011 season. Feliz's walks are up and his strikeouts are down, as is the velocity on that fastball of his. Feliz has battled some injuries and probably some over-hyped expectations, so the Rangers hope that Mike Adams will step in and assume the setup role. The Rangers didn't stop there, though. They also acquired Koji Uehara from the Baltimore Orioles just one day prior to getting Adams. The 36 year old Uehara has been ridiculously good for the past three years and his 7.75 K/BB ratio is actually well below what his a capable of. Uehara may even share time as setup man, or even close out some games to give Feliz some rest. However the bullpen rotation works, one thing is for sure, the Rangers sure fixed whatever problem they might have had.
Other big name players were traded around baseball. The St. Louis Cardinals, still desperate to find an everyday shortstop, got one in Raphael Furcal. Furcal waived his 10-and-5 rights to be traded from the Dodgers. For those of you not familiar, 10-and-5 rights means that a player who has been in the league for ten years, the last five of which have been spend with his current team, cannot be traded without his consent. Furcal has been dreadful this season, and injury-plagued most of the past five years, but he adds speed and high contact to any lineup. Meanwhile Erik Bedard was traded from the Seattle Mariners to the Boston Red Sox. Bedard is having something of a comeback year as he is healthy and effective as a starter. Boston is desperate for both as Daisuke Matsuzaka is out for the season, Clay Buchholz is extremely slow to recover from back spasms, and Jon Lester has spent stints on the DL. This trade was complicated as it transpired between the Sox, M's and Dodgers, but really only Bedard was the big name in this deal.
Utility fielder Mike Aviles was also acquired by Boston from Kansas City. Meanwhile the Mariners traded Doug Fister and David Pauley to the Detroit Tigers who were looking for more pitching. The Indians sold in addition to buying as they moved Orlando Cabrera to the San Francisco Giants. NL West rival to the Giants, the Arizona Diamondbacks, tried to stay in the playoff hunt by acquiring sidearm pitcher Brad Ziegler from the Athletics to bolster the bullpen, and grabbing Jason Marquis from the Washington Nationals to add depth to the already surprising sturdy rotation.
All in all it was a very exciting trading deadline. It's always fun to see new players in new uniforms. Sometimes it fits, and sometimes the move turns out to be a bust. As with most things, time will tell. Once again I must say that my postings may become infrequent as I'm in another theater show, I'm moving, and I'm looking for a new job. If you know anyone who wants to pay me to write inane baseball articles, you sent them over here! So until next time folks, watch some baseball for me.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Deadline and Congratulations
"I'm out of it for a little while, and everyone gets delusions of grandeur!" Now you have to know where that quote is from. If you don't, well then I just feel sorry for you. Once again, I've been out of the loop for a little bit. Not quite as long as last time of course, but a lot of big stories have come up in the past couple of weeks. I'm going to try and touch on them all here..., but not in the creepy way. Begin!
The Atlanta Braves won their 10,000th game on July 15th against the Washington Nationals. It is only the third time a team has crossed this milestone in baseball history, and congratulations are in order for one of the best franchises ever assembled. (In case you are wondering, the Giants and Cubs have the first and second-most wins.) It is hard enough to put together a good team over the course of 10 years, let alone for decade upon decade, and especially in today's game with free-agency and high contracts throwing things out of whack. It was easier back when the Braves began as the Red Stockings, because players were basically indentured servants to the owners. Still though, to keep talent around long enough, and to scout the next young phenom for over 135 years, as the Braves organization has done, is truly something special. If you would like to read a more detailed synopsis of how, when, and where those 10,000 wins were collected, check out this article http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/662374/Braves-10000-Wins-Timeline.png It's a great read, and has a super graphic attached to it.
A few less spectacular, but nonetheless interesting feats were accomplished recently. The Texas Rangers won 12 games in a row dating back to July 4th, having been slightly interrupted by the All-Star break. The winning streak had been over by this point, but Ranger's right-fielder Nelson Cruz tried to have a winning streak all by himself on July 22nd versus the Blue Jays, by driving in 8 runs during a 12-2 rout. Nellie has been up and down this year, especially due to his earlier injury, but he's still on schedule to have one of his best statistical years ever in RBI, doubles and homers. When Nellie does get hot, it get hot in heare. That last sentence was not a typo.
The Seattle Mariners were at the opposite end of the winning spectrum, as they lost 17 straight games between July 6th, and uh, yesterday. They finally won a game versus the lowly... wait. The Yankees? The team who lost a franchise-record 17 games in a row, turns around and breaks the streak against the third-best team in the league? Go figure! I have to give credit where credit is due, though. The Mariners had been hanging tough like New Kids with the rest of their division up until that point. However, I think they were playing way above their potential, and reality is a cruel mistress. Sometimes she smacks you down, hard. The Mariners will be fine though. In a couple of years.
Speaking of the American League division, Mr. Hideki "Godzilla" Matsui hit his 500th career homerun last week. That's right, Hideki Matsui has gone yard 500 times in his career. It does have to be stated that 332 of those homeruns were in Japan, in a different league with a different style of play and different caliber of players. However, it should not be said that Matsui got any of those 500 dingers the cheap way. It may not count in MLB record books alone, but Matsui should be extremely proud to have crossed such a historic feat.
Some major roster moves are being made since the trading deadline comes and goes in just three more days. The New York Metropolitans managed to move another big piece of their team, by sending rightfielder Carlos Beltran to the San Francisco Giants yesterday for a highly touted hurler named Zach Wheeler. Many teams were suitors for Beltran, including strangely, the Yankees, Phillies, Rangers and Indians. The Indians did end up getting an outfielder piece today though, as they traded a couple of minor leaguers to the Chicago Cubs for Kosuke Fukudome. Fukudome is hitting at a .273 clip, but his playing time this year has been considerably reduced, so it's not like he was lighting the world on fire. The first Japan-born player to ever play for the crowd in The Friendly Confines, didn't find the confines so friendly. Kosuke was largely considered a bust signing by many a Cub fan, as his average and defense never amounted to much. Maybe Cleveland will be a better home for him.
Another big deal happened the other day and it included three teams. The Chicago White Sox sent starter Edwin Jackson and utility-man Mark Teahen to the Toronto Blue Jays for reliever Jason Frasor and starter Zach Stewart. The Jays then turned that around and immediately traded Jackson, outfielder Corey Patterson, and relievers Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzepczynski to the St. Louis Cardinals for center-fielder Colby Rasmus, and three other relievers. Sorry, I just couldn't type anymore relievers names after Rzepczynski-whosi-whazits-now.
Edwin Jackson is no stranger to being traded, as he's been with five teams in the last four years. Rasmus, however, is a different story. He's been a highly regarded centerfielder for what feels like forever now, but he's also been underperforming for the Cards this year. Some sabermetric lovers out there think that this lack of production is actually the norm for Rasmus, and that his solid 2010 numbers were a mere mirage. The truth may prove otherwise as Rasmus will try to replicate what his new teammate Yunel Escobar did last year when he was traded to the Jays and turned his career around for the better.
Last but certainly not least, we should mention a very special accomplishment by Ervin Santana. The 28-year-old threw the third no-hitter of 2011 last night in Cleveland and turned around his personal history at Progressive Field. That was the place of his Major League debut, which was quite a harsh welcome for the young man back in 2005. As a Sports Illustrated article put it, "The first four batters he faced in the majors teamed up to hit for the cycle - Grady Sizemore led off with a triple, Coco Crisp doubled, Travis Hafner singled and Ben Broussard homered." Well Ervin got the last, or at least most recent laugh, as he fanned 10 batters and was in control all evening. Congrats to Santana, who threw the first no-hitter for the Angels in 27 years.
There is still lots more baseball to be played, but I can't believe that the season only has two more months left. I'm going to try and do my mid-season reviews next time, but at this rate, they might be late-mid-season reviews. Thanks for keeping the love alive folks! Until next time.
The Atlanta Braves won their 10,000th game on July 15th against the Washington Nationals. It is only the third time a team has crossed this milestone in baseball history, and congratulations are in order for one of the best franchises ever assembled. (In case you are wondering, the Giants and Cubs have the first and second-most wins.) It is hard enough to put together a good team over the course of 10 years, let alone for decade upon decade, and especially in today's game with free-agency and high contracts throwing things out of whack. It was easier back when the Braves began as the Red Stockings, because players were basically indentured servants to the owners. Still though, to keep talent around long enough, and to scout the next young phenom for over 135 years, as the Braves organization has done, is truly something special. If you would like to read a more detailed synopsis of how, when, and where those 10,000 wins were collected, check out this article http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/662374/Braves-10000-Wins-Timeline.png It's a great read, and has a super graphic attached to it.
A few less spectacular, but nonetheless interesting feats were accomplished recently. The Texas Rangers won 12 games in a row dating back to July 4th, having been slightly interrupted by the All-Star break. The winning streak had been over by this point, but Ranger's right-fielder Nelson Cruz tried to have a winning streak all by himself on July 22nd versus the Blue Jays, by driving in 8 runs during a 12-2 rout. Nellie has been up and down this year, especially due to his earlier injury, but he's still on schedule to have one of his best statistical years ever in RBI, doubles and homers. When Nellie does get hot, it get hot in heare. That last sentence was not a typo.
The Seattle Mariners were at the opposite end of the winning spectrum, as they lost 17 straight games between July 6th, and uh, yesterday. They finally won a game versus the lowly... wait. The Yankees? The team who lost a franchise-record 17 games in a row, turns around and breaks the streak against the third-best team in the league? Go figure! I have to give credit where credit is due, though. The Mariners had been hanging tough like New Kids with the rest of their division up until that point. However, I think they were playing way above their potential, and reality is a cruel mistress. Sometimes she smacks you down, hard. The Mariners will be fine though. In a couple of years.
Speaking of the American League division, Mr. Hideki "Godzilla" Matsui hit his 500th career homerun last week. That's right, Hideki Matsui has gone yard 500 times in his career. It does have to be stated that 332 of those homeruns were in Japan, in a different league with a different style of play and different caliber of players. However, it should not be said that Matsui got any of those 500 dingers the cheap way. It may not count in MLB record books alone, but Matsui should be extremely proud to have crossed such a historic feat.
Some major roster moves are being made since the trading deadline comes and goes in just three more days. The New York Metropolitans managed to move another big piece of their team, by sending rightfielder Carlos Beltran to the San Francisco Giants yesterday for a highly touted hurler named Zach Wheeler. Many teams were suitors for Beltran, including strangely, the Yankees, Phillies, Rangers and Indians. The Indians did end up getting an outfielder piece today though, as they traded a couple of minor leaguers to the Chicago Cubs for Kosuke Fukudome. Fukudome is hitting at a .273 clip, but his playing time this year has been considerably reduced, so it's not like he was lighting the world on fire. The first Japan-born player to ever play for the crowd in The Friendly Confines, didn't find the confines so friendly. Kosuke was largely considered a bust signing by many a Cub fan, as his average and defense never amounted to much. Maybe Cleveland will be a better home for him.
Another big deal happened the other day and it included three teams. The Chicago White Sox sent starter Edwin Jackson and utility-man Mark Teahen to the Toronto Blue Jays for reliever Jason Frasor and starter Zach Stewart. The Jays then turned that around and immediately traded Jackson, outfielder Corey Patterson, and relievers Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzepczynski to the St. Louis Cardinals for center-fielder Colby Rasmus, and three other relievers. Sorry, I just couldn't type anymore relievers names after Rzepczynski-whosi-whazits-now.
Edwin Jackson is no stranger to being traded, as he's been with five teams in the last four years. Rasmus, however, is a different story. He's been a highly regarded centerfielder for what feels like forever now, but he's also been underperforming for the Cards this year. Some sabermetric lovers out there think that this lack of production is actually the norm for Rasmus, and that his solid 2010 numbers were a mere mirage. The truth may prove otherwise as Rasmus will try to replicate what his new teammate Yunel Escobar did last year when he was traded to the Jays and turned his career around for the better.
Last but certainly not least, we should mention a very special accomplishment by Ervin Santana. The 28-year-old threw the third no-hitter of 2011 last night in Cleveland and turned around his personal history at Progressive Field. That was the place of his Major League debut, which was quite a harsh welcome for the young man back in 2005. As a Sports Illustrated article put it, "The first four batters he faced in the majors teamed up to hit for the cycle - Grady Sizemore led off with a triple, Coco Crisp doubled, Travis Hafner singled and Ben Broussard homered." Well Ervin got the last, or at least most recent laugh, as he fanned 10 batters and was in control all evening. Congrats to Santana, who threw the first no-hitter for the Angels in 27 years.
There is still lots more baseball to be played, but I can't believe that the season only has two more months left. I'm going to try and do my mid-season reviews next time, but at this rate, they might be late-mid-season reviews. Thanks for keeping the love alive folks! Until next time.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Mr. Mister
Ok, I'm starting to get back into the regular swing of things here. Still, there are a few major moments in baseball that need a little discussing on this blog before they can be put to rest. I'm speaking, of course, of Derek Jeter's historic campaign for 3,000 hits, and the All-Star game. I'm not saying these are on par with each other, seeing as how each year we have an All-Star game, and only very infrequently does a player collect 3,000 hits. I'm just saying they are both big stories that just occurred. Let's first give credit where it is deserved, and start with the big man himself.
Mr. Mister was a terrible band from the 1980s, that gave us the teary ballad "Broken Wings." Why am I bringing it up? Well, as you noticed by the blog title, that name can also now refer to Derek Jeter. The man who was affectionately referred to as Mr. November by Yankees play-by-play man Michael Kay during the lengthened post-season of 2001, now can also be called Mr. 3,000. On July 9th versus David Price and the Tampa Bay Rays, Jeter made "history with an exclamation point." Again, I quote the gregarious Michael Kay.
Kay just knows how to sum up the accomplishments of such an outstanding player such as Derek Jeter. To say Jeter has had his ups and downs of late is an understatement. The guy has had to live with the burden of being a living legend in the Bronx, while slowly becoming a less than superb player in the twilight years of his career. Derek had one last surprise up his sleeve for the Yankee faithful, and it was something that hadn't been done before in pinstripes. Jeter not only became the first Yankee player to ever collect 3,000 regular season hits, but he added the "exclamation point" by making it a homerun. A feat carried out by one other man in history, Wade Boggs.
Derek wasn't finished with the drama yet that day. He continued to have his best game of the season by going 5 for 5, whilst driving in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth. Since that day, he has gone 4 for 22, and has kept his mediocre season on pace. For one day though, the Yankee fans remembered what it was like when they saw #2 step to the plate, and everything was right with the world. Before and after that day however, the only thing heard is that Jeter is old. Jeter looks tired. Jeter should be moved to left field, or DH, or to the bench. It's a shameful way for the fans and media personalities alike to treat the man who basically rebuilt the team in his image for the past two decades. It is the nature of the business unfortunately, and especially in the fast-paced epicenter that is New York, it is 'What have you done fore me lately?'
When you look at his 2011 statistics, Jeter's season is not great, but it's still decent. Cleveland Indians' Asdrubal Cabrera should have been selected to go to the All-Star game ahead of Jeter, but Jeter was really the only choice behind Cabrera. There just aren't many good shortstops in the American League today. Cabrera did end up playing in the All-Star game due to Jeter's invitation pass. On that subject, I'm emotionally torn. I like to think that Jeter declined to attend because he knew he shouldn't have been selected, and he'd been there before, so it would be a nice gesture toward the younger Cabrera to step aside. However, the fans voted him in, so for their support should he at least have shown up in Arizona and maybe played one inning, or just waved his hat to the adoring fans before sitting on the bench and enjoying his glory? I know I'm putting him between a rock and a hard place, but that's what legendary players like Jeter have to deal with. No one has handled this kind of pressure with more class, though.
The All-Star game did actually commence without Jeter's presence. Yankee teammate, Robinson Cano won the coveted Home Run Derby Championship. This title has unfortunately brought some unwanted baggage along with it in recent years, as players have worn themselves, and thrown off their swings by swinging too hard for the fences during this event. I'm sure Cano will be fine though, as he's gotten five hits in five games since the All-Star break.
The player who really shined during the game itself was Milwaukee Brewers' first-baseman Prince Fielder. He smacked a big 3-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning, which gave the National League the lead for the rest of the game. After that, he seemed to be everywhere as MLB tried to find another star in a small-market to broadcast to the world. Credit the fantastic pitching from the NL stars as well. A strong argument can now be made that the NL is the stronger of the two leagues. I know, analysts have said the AL is more dominant in both hitting and pitching for the past decade and a half now. However, I think the majority of those writers are bias and refuse to the see the changing of the guard. With the incredible pitching from the likes of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Clayton Kershaw, and Jair Jurrjens, just to name a brief few, the National League is a force to be reckoned with.
And as I mentioned before, without Asdrubal Cabrera to solidify the shortstop vote in the AL, who else was there in that position to choose from. In fact, besides possibly 1B, the National League has probably more depth at every position. There are still star players in the American League without question. However, the utter dominance of AL play has come to an end in the past few years, and more people need should accept that. What do you think?
Sorry for the small aside there, but it's been a while and I have lots of baseball questions and ideas running through my head. Gotta get 'em all out before I go crazy! Anyways, it's good to be back. See you soon sports fans.
Mr. Mister was a terrible band from the 1980s, that gave us the teary ballad "Broken Wings." Why am I bringing it up? Well, as you noticed by the blog title, that name can also now refer to Derek Jeter. The man who was affectionately referred to as Mr. November by Yankees play-by-play man Michael Kay during the lengthened post-season of 2001, now can also be called Mr. 3,000. On July 9th versus David Price and the Tampa Bay Rays, Jeter made "history with an exclamation point." Again, I quote the gregarious Michael Kay.
Kay just knows how to sum up the accomplishments of such an outstanding player such as Derek Jeter. To say Jeter has had his ups and downs of late is an understatement. The guy has had to live with the burden of being a living legend in the Bronx, while slowly becoming a less than superb player in the twilight years of his career. Derek had one last surprise up his sleeve for the Yankee faithful, and it was something that hadn't been done before in pinstripes. Jeter not only became the first Yankee player to ever collect 3,000 regular season hits, but he added the "exclamation point" by making it a homerun. A feat carried out by one other man in history, Wade Boggs.
Derek wasn't finished with the drama yet that day. He continued to have his best game of the season by going 5 for 5, whilst driving in the winning run in the bottom of the eighth. Since that day, he has gone 4 for 22, and has kept his mediocre season on pace. For one day though, the Yankee fans remembered what it was like when they saw #2 step to the plate, and everything was right with the world. Before and after that day however, the only thing heard is that Jeter is old. Jeter looks tired. Jeter should be moved to left field, or DH, or to the bench. It's a shameful way for the fans and media personalities alike to treat the man who basically rebuilt the team in his image for the past two decades. It is the nature of the business unfortunately, and especially in the fast-paced epicenter that is New York, it is 'What have you done fore me lately?'
When you look at his 2011 statistics, Jeter's season is not great, but it's still decent. Cleveland Indians' Asdrubal Cabrera should have been selected to go to the All-Star game ahead of Jeter, but Jeter was really the only choice behind Cabrera. There just aren't many good shortstops in the American League today. Cabrera did end up playing in the All-Star game due to Jeter's invitation pass. On that subject, I'm emotionally torn. I like to think that Jeter declined to attend because he knew he shouldn't have been selected, and he'd been there before, so it would be a nice gesture toward the younger Cabrera to step aside. However, the fans voted him in, so for their support should he at least have shown up in Arizona and maybe played one inning, or just waved his hat to the adoring fans before sitting on the bench and enjoying his glory? I know I'm putting him between a rock and a hard place, but that's what legendary players like Jeter have to deal with. No one has handled this kind of pressure with more class, though.
The All-Star game did actually commence without Jeter's presence. Yankee teammate, Robinson Cano won the coveted Home Run Derby Championship. This title has unfortunately brought some unwanted baggage along with it in recent years, as players have worn themselves, and thrown off their swings by swinging too hard for the fences during this event. I'm sure Cano will be fine though, as he's gotten five hits in five games since the All-Star break.
The player who really shined during the game itself was Milwaukee Brewers' first-baseman Prince Fielder. He smacked a big 3-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning, which gave the National League the lead for the rest of the game. After that, he seemed to be everywhere as MLB tried to find another star in a small-market to broadcast to the world. Credit the fantastic pitching from the NL stars as well. A strong argument can now be made that the NL is the stronger of the two leagues. I know, analysts have said the AL is more dominant in both hitting and pitching for the past decade and a half now. However, I think the majority of those writers are bias and refuse to the see the changing of the guard. With the incredible pitching from the likes of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Clayton Kershaw, and Jair Jurrjens, just to name a brief few, the National League is a force to be reckoned with.
And as I mentioned before, without Asdrubal Cabrera to solidify the shortstop vote in the AL, who else was there in that position to choose from. In fact, besides possibly 1B, the National League has probably more depth at every position. There are still star players in the American League without question. However, the utter dominance of AL play has come to an end in the past few years, and more people need should accept that. What do you think?
Sorry for the small aside there, but it's been a while and I have lots of baseball questions and ideas running through my head. Gotta get 'em all out before I go crazy! Anyways, it's good to be back. See you soon sports fans.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Hibernation
Oh, hi. I haven't seen you in quite some time. You look great. I've been, um, busy with some stuff. You know, this and that. So, I still like you and stuff. Do you like me? Really? You mean it? Oh, we should definitely get together soon and talk. Right now? Hell, now is as good a time as any!
Ok, so I know we are not in a relationship, but I still feel like I need to reconnect. I've been gone for what feels like forever, and I've missed what seems like a crap-ton of baseball goings-on. So forgive the lack of depth in this particular post, but there are many topics I need to touch on. Come join me on a little journey I like to call, the last month and a half I missed.
The Toronto Blue Jays extended shortstop Yunel Escobar until 2013 worth $5 million each year. That takes care of his arbitration years, but the extension also gives the club the option to re-up with Escobar in '14 and '15 for another $5 million a year. Was it worth it? Well, he's only 29 and could potentially have the best year of his career with a great second half. True he's had his attitude problems, but they seem to have faded as he's departed from Bobby Cox. Maybe this guy just needs a little leeway. I think this could be a very good/great deal for the Jays come 2015.
In off-the-field news, Major League Baseball rejected the Frank McCourt/Fox TV proposed deal that would have given the news network a 17-year hold on Dodger baseball, and given McCourt the money to meet payroll for his players. Now that commissioner Bud Selig has laid Mjolnir (look it up) down on this deal, it's only a matter of time before MLB assumes total control of the L.A. Dodgers and sells the team off to an owner who won't completely screw up one of the most storied franchises in all of sports.
Albert Pujols broke his wrist and will be out for 4-6 weeks, which puts a huge damper on the Cardinals hopes for a... What's that you say, he's fixed? Pujols is apparently a magician and has healed his broken wrist is a mere two weeks. Yes, folks, Albert Pujols wrist has defied all medical logic and was ready to go in just 16 days. Of course, the sports critics all over immediately started debated whether Fat Albert took any illegal substance, like a human growth hormone, to cure this ailment. That would be a severe lack of concern for possibly being caught on Albert's part. It's also quite possible that his original diagnosis was just plain wrong. As MLB has no blood test for HGH available, I guess this matter will go unresolved for now. One things for certain, my fantasy just got back to normal.
Then there was the case of Jim Riggleman, the now former manager of the Washington Nationals. I hadn't heard one word of this debacle until Davey Johnson was announced as the Nationals coach for the next two and a half years. Wha? During my baseball absence, Riggleman saw fit to have it out with Nationals ownership and the Washington area press, and either demanded, or simply had a discussion about (depending on which version of the story you are hearing) a contract extension. When everything illuminated for old Jim that his tenure in Washington was not secure over the long haul, he "chose not to work under those conditions any more.” He stomped off, pulled a Charlie Sheen in interview after interview, but now appears more reflective and calm about his departure. Two things are clear after this whole episode has cleared. One is, Riggleman will most likely have a hard time finding another managerial position now, and the second is, 'you don't mess around with Jim.'
Speaking of new coaches, Bob Melvin has taken over for Bob Geren in Oakland after apparently every relief pitcher Geren has ever been involved with said he was a terrible coach. Even if some players may be a little happier with Geren out of the driver's seat, the team still can't hit for crap. The Athletics are ranked 28th overall in runs scored, homeruns, and average, and are 29th in on-base percentage. So unless the hitting coach Gerald Perry is getting replaced soon, this move won't matter much for Billy Beane's boys.
Meanwhile in Florida, grandpa is home. 80-year-old Jack McKeon has come back to the city he won a 2003 title with, to clean up shop. His first day back on the job, old Jack benched Hanley Ramirez because he "said he 'didn't like' the way that Ramirez was running during Sunday's (June 19th) game," according to Yahoo Sports. Jack's presence couldn't turn around a horrific June for the Marlins, as they went 5-23, losing 11 in a row at one point, and set a franchise record for loses in a month. But July has been kinder so far to the stately manager. Since Jack's first day on June 20th, the club has a record of 11-8, and have won their last 5. Only time will tell if Jack has the magic to turn around this team's season.
Speaking of National League East teams, there was a tale of two cities while I was away. In the City of Brotherly Love, Cliff Lee wasn't showing any to opposing hitters, as he threw three straight shutouts from June 16th to the 28th. He came back to Earth with a walloping from Toronto, but then went back to being fabulous in the his last start versus Atlanta. That was a big weekend series as well, as the Phillies retained a healthy lead on their division rival the Atlanta Braves, by taking two out of the three games before the All-Star break. Philadelphia now has a two game lead over Boston for the best record in baseball. Nothing unexpected there.
In New York, the situation was a little different. The much-maligned Mets were scoring runs in bunches. In fact, they broke a franchise record by scoring 52 runs in four games while on an interleague trip. Lead by possible NL MVP Jose Reyes, the lineup seemed to do no wrong, for a while. But then Reyes pulled something while attempted to get back to first base, and once again the Mets are without another star player. It looks like the injury isn't too serious though, and a short DL stint might do the trick. In more recent news for the Mets, following the All-Star game which came and went this past Tuesday, Francisco Rodriguez was traded suddenly to the Milwaukee Brewers for two players to be named later. The coming weeks will tell what holds for the Mets as Carlos Beltran might be traded away, and David Wright, Ike Davis and Johan Santana could all make return appearances for the club.
Some big name roster moves have been made in the past few weeks as well. Before K-Rod was shipped off, J.C. Romero was released by the Phils, and then picked up by the Nats. The Cubs released starter Doug Davis. Ryan Franklin was cut by the Cardinals, quite a dropoff there. Meanwhile, Mike Cameron was cut by the Boston Red Sox. None of these moves should be of any real surprise, as none of these players were playing particularly well. It's just always weird to see guys who have had sustained success suddenly lose it and fall off with one team. Who knows, though, perhaps they can regain the lost magic with another team in time for the playoffs.
br /> I know that was a lot to cover in such a short time, but please indulge me as I'm still trying to catch up on all I've missed. Have I mentioned that I got rid of cable television and thus my beloved MLBNetwork and my ability to actually watch baseball? Well, now you know. I hope to be much more in your face for the foreseeable future. I know you thought you could get rid of me, but it's just not possible. And don't worry, I'll be covering the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game in my next post. And I think something important happened in New York. Something about this guy named Derek Jeter. I don't know, sounds like a bum to me. Until next time sports fans!
Ok, so I know we are not in a relationship, but I still feel like I need to reconnect. I've been gone for what feels like forever, and I've missed what seems like a crap-ton of baseball goings-on. So forgive the lack of depth in this particular post, but there are many topics I need to touch on. Come join me on a little journey I like to call, the last month and a half I missed.
The Toronto Blue Jays extended shortstop Yunel Escobar until 2013 worth $5 million each year. That takes care of his arbitration years, but the extension also gives the club the option to re-up with Escobar in '14 and '15 for another $5 million a year. Was it worth it? Well, he's only 29 and could potentially have the best year of his career with a great second half. True he's had his attitude problems, but they seem to have faded as he's departed from Bobby Cox. Maybe this guy just needs a little leeway. I think this could be a very good/great deal for the Jays come 2015.
In off-the-field news, Major League Baseball rejected the Frank McCourt/Fox TV proposed deal that would have given the news network a 17-year hold on Dodger baseball, and given McCourt the money to meet payroll for his players. Now that commissioner Bud Selig has laid Mjolnir (look it up) down on this deal, it's only a matter of time before MLB assumes total control of the L.A. Dodgers and sells the team off to an owner who won't completely screw up one of the most storied franchises in all of sports.
Albert Pujols broke his wrist and will be out for 4-6 weeks, which puts a huge damper on the Cardinals hopes for a... What's that you say, he's fixed? Pujols is apparently a magician and has healed his broken wrist is a mere two weeks. Yes, folks, Albert Pujols wrist has defied all medical logic and was ready to go in just 16 days. Of course, the sports critics all over immediately started debated whether Fat Albert took any illegal substance, like a human growth hormone, to cure this ailment. That would be a severe lack of concern for possibly being caught on Albert's part. It's also quite possible that his original diagnosis was just plain wrong. As MLB has no blood test for HGH available, I guess this matter will go unresolved for now. One things for certain, my fantasy just got back to normal.
Then there was the case of Jim Riggleman, the now former manager of the Washington Nationals. I hadn't heard one word of this debacle until Davey Johnson was announced as the Nationals coach for the next two and a half years. Wha? During my baseball absence, Riggleman saw fit to have it out with Nationals ownership and the Washington area press, and either demanded, or simply had a discussion about (depending on which version of the story you are hearing) a contract extension. When everything illuminated for old Jim that his tenure in Washington was not secure over the long haul, he "chose not to work under those conditions any more.” He stomped off, pulled a Charlie Sheen in interview after interview, but now appears more reflective and calm about his departure. Two things are clear after this whole episode has cleared. One is, Riggleman will most likely have a hard time finding another managerial position now, and the second is, 'you don't mess around with Jim.'
Speaking of new coaches, Bob Melvin has taken over for Bob Geren in Oakland after apparently every relief pitcher Geren has ever been involved with said he was a terrible coach. Even if some players may be a little happier with Geren out of the driver's seat, the team still can't hit for crap. The Athletics are ranked 28th overall in runs scored, homeruns, and average, and are 29th in on-base percentage. So unless the hitting coach Gerald Perry is getting replaced soon, this move won't matter much for Billy Beane's boys.
Meanwhile in Florida, grandpa is home. 80-year-old Jack McKeon has come back to the city he won a 2003 title with, to clean up shop. His first day back on the job, old Jack benched Hanley Ramirez because he "said he 'didn't like' the way that Ramirez was running during Sunday's (June 19th) game," according to Yahoo Sports. Jack's presence couldn't turn around a horrific June for the Marlins, as they went 5-23, losing 11 in a row at one point, and set a franchise record for loses in a month. But July has been kinder so far to the stately manager. Since Jack's first day on June 20th, the club has a record of 11-8, and have won their last 5. Only time will tell if Jack has the magic to turn around this team's season.
Speaking of National League East teams, there was a tale of two cities while I was away. In the City of Brotherly Love, Cliff Lee wasn't showing any to opposing hitters, as he threw three straight shutouts from June 16th to the 28th. He came back to Earth with a walloping from Toronto, but then went back to being fabulous in the his last start versus Atlanta. That was a big weekend series as well, as the Phillies retained a healthy lead on their division rival the Atlanta Braves, by taking two out of the three games before the All-Star break. Philadelphia now has a two game lead over Boston for the best record in baseball. Nothing unexpected there.
In New York, the situation was a little different. The much-maligned Mets were scoring runs in bunches. In fact, they broke a franchise record by scoring 52 runs in four games while on an interleague trip. Lead by possible NL MVP Jose Reyes, the lineup seemed to do no wrong, for a while. But then Reyes pulled something while attempted to get back to first base, and once again the Mets are without another star player. It looks like the injury isn't too serious though, and a short DL stint might do the trick. In more recent news for the Mets, following the All-Star game which came and went this past Tuesday, Francisco Rodriguez was traded suddenly to the Milwaukee Brewers for two players to be named later. The coming weeks will tell what holds for the Mets as Carlos Beltran might be traded away, and David Wright, Ike Davis and Johan Santana could all make return appearances for the club.
Some big name roster moves have been made in the past few weeks as well. Before K-Rod was shipped off, J.C. Romero was released by the Phils, and then picked up by the Nats. The Cubs released starter Doug Davis. Ryan Franklin was cut by the Cardinals, quite a dropoff there. Meanwhile, Mike Cameron was cut by the Boston Red Sox. None of these moves should be of any real surprise, as none of these players were playing particularly well. It's just always weird to see guys who have had sustained success suddenly lose it and fall off with one team. Who knows, though, perhaps they can regain the lost magic with another team in time for the playoffs.
br /> I know that was a lot to cover in such a short time, but please indulge me as I'm still trying to catch up on all I've missed. Have I mentioned that I got rid of cable television and thus my beloved MLBNetwork and my ability to actually watch baseball? Well, now you know. I hope to be much more in your face for the foreseeable future. I know you thought you could get rid of me, but it's just not possible. And don't worry, I'll be covering the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game in my next post. And I think something important happened in New York. Something about this guy named Derek Jeter. I don't know, sounds like a bum to me. Until next time sports fans!
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