It's award season and lots of players are looking forward to hearing their names called for specific awards. A few major ones have already been handed out, but a few crucial honors are still on the shelf. And in other baseball news, the Hot Stove is starting to heat up. We're going to go over all of this, and say some goodbyes too. So let's hit it, shall we?
Let's go over some awards for starters. The American League and National League Silver Sluggers have come out, and there weren't too many surprises. In the A.L. the winners were C Joe Mauer, 1B Miguel Cabrera, 2B Robinson Cano, 3B Adrian Beltre, SS Alexei Ramirez, OFs Jose Bautista, Carl Crawford, and Josh Hamilton, and DH Vladimir Guerrero. The only surprise here may have been Chicago White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez, who hasn't been much of a slugger in his career. But in 2010, Ramirez finished among all A.L. shortstops; first in homeruns, first in average, third in hits, and third in RBI. So by all accounts he deserved the award, he just wasn't on too many people's radar, including mine.
Over in the National League, the winners were C Brian McCann, 1B Albert Pujols, 2B Dan Uggla, 3B Ryan Zimmerman, SS Troy Tulowitzki, OFs Ryan Braun, Carlos Gonzalez, and Matt Holliday, and pitcher Yovani Gallardo. I agree with almost every single selection, except maybe Ryan Zimmerman. Now I know most of you will call me a homer because of this, but I think Mets' third-baseman David Wright may have been passed over here. Wright beat Zimmerman in hits (166-161), homeruns (29-25) RBI (106-85), runs (87-85) and stolen bases (19-4). Even Casey McGehee of the Milwaukee Brewers had more hits and more doubles than Zimmerman. True, Wright had 24 points less average than Zimmerman and nearly 70 more strikeouts, but this does not construe a runaway victory. The case can be made that Zimmerman was a bit more consistent than his two nearest competitors, but there is a case also to be made against his selection. That's all I'm saying.
The Gold Gloves awards were similar in that I had only minor grievances with the selections. In the American League the Yankees almost made a clean sweep of the infield. The honorees include C Joe Mauer, 1B Mark Texiera, 2B Robinson Cano, 3B Evan Longoria, SS Derek Jeter, OFs Carl Crawford, Ichiro Suzuki, and Franklin Gutierrez, and P Mark Buehrle. Again, I only had one problem and that is with the selection of shortstop Derek Jeter. Everyone keeps saying that he isn't the defensive player he used to be, and that he might potentially have to move to another position one day. But then he goes and wins a Gold Glove? Either everyone is wrong in their assumptions, or something isn't right with this choice, and I think it's the latter.
True, Jeter is a fine defensive SS still, and he only had 6 errors and a field percentage of .989. Those are wonderful statistics. However, he had 74 less potential outs than Yuniesky Betancourt of the Royals, and 135 less assists than Alexei Ramirez. What this means is that while Jeter still fields quite well, he isn't getting to the ball nearly as much as he used to. His range is severely restricted, and yet he is awarded for it. I love Derek Jeter, but this doesn't make sense. I personally would have liked to see the award to one of the younger, more agile shortstops, like Ramirez, or Elvis Andrus. But I don't get to vote.
In the National League, C Yadier Molina, 1B Albert Pujols, 2B Brandon Phillips, 3B Scott Rolen, SS Troy Tulowitzki, OFs Michael Bourn, Carlos Gonzalez and Shane Victorino, and P Bronson Arroyo all won. I have to say, I agree with every choice in the N.L. I'd also like to give an extra-special congratulations to the fine gentlemen who won both the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger this year. It is a difficult feat to accomplish, and it means you are the best at your position in just about every aspect. Congrats also to Ichiro Suzuki who won his 10th consecutive Gold Glove, one for every year he has been in the league. That is just incredible! One can only imagine the records he might have broken had he started in America earlier.
There is other baseball news to be told, however. The Florida Marlins are making an early splash, pardon the pun. They tried to sign their Silver Slugger second-baseman Dan Uggla to a substantial contract worth $48 million over 4 years. The second-baseman declined the offer, though. Now I know most of you will take umbrage at a baseball players scoffing at $48 million, but as one MLB Network commentator put it, you have to put it in perspective. Now the perspective is skewed for sure, but if you go by the numbers, Uggla had his best statistical year ever in 2010. His potential ceiling could be even higher, and he is proving to be possibly one of the best hitting second-basemen of all-time. Does that mean he needs to make more than $12 million? I have no idea. But it appears that it is more than the Marlins are willing to spend, because I just found out while writing this segment that the Atlanta Braves just acquired Dan Uggla by trading Omar Infante and lefty reliever Mike Dunn. This seems awfully lopsided toward the Braves advantage, but I don't know much about Mike Dunn, and the report I just read doesn't say much about him. The coming days should shed some light on this deal. But as of right now, the Marlins really screwed up this deal, and the deals that shipped Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller out of town aren't looking too bright either.
Finally, a sad farewell to two of baseball's finest. Seattle play-by-play man Dave Niehaus and ultimate-utility man Ed Fitzpatrick both passed away this week. Fitzpatrick played from '62-'77 for the Angels, Royals, Pirates, Rangers, and Brewers and did just about everything on the field. He played catcher, outfielder and first-baseman. He even played 2B and 3B a couple of times. He was the kind of guy you wanted on your team, because he gave it all at whatever you asked him to do. Likewise, Dave Niehaus gave everything he could to the fans of Seattle baseball. In 2008 he was honored with the Ford C. Frick award for excellence in baseball broadcasting. He was the first person to call Alex Rodriguez A-Rod, and constantly told the Seattle faithful to "Get out the rye bread and mustard, Grandma, it is grand salami time!" whenever a grand slam occurred. Both of these men will be missed by much of the baseball world. But we should also be thankful for what they gave us while they were here. Thanks guys. And thank you for reading. More awards are coming out in the next few days, so stay tuned folks.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Off-Season Begins
I said it already, but I think it bares repeating. Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants for pulling off an incredible World Series win. And what was even more incredible was how many people showed up to personally congratulate the team on the streets of the San Fran. Crowd estimates were somewhere between 200,000 and 1 million people on Market Street and the surrounding avenues. This was a party for the ages, and the Giants and their Bay area fans definitely deserved it. But now we must move on, for the off-season has already begun for the other 29 teams.
There are lots of openings in baseball. Some manager positions have already filled up. The Marlins, Cubs, and Diamondbacks have all retained their interim managers for at least one full year. The Milwaukee Brewers appeared to have chosen Ron Roenicke, former Angels bench coach, to take the reigns in the dugout. The Pirates job is still open, but apparently Clint Hurdle is the running favorite. And my beloved Mets are closer to have their stuff together now that Sandy Alderson has been named General Manager. A skipper is still proving allusive, however.
Rest assured that their are also some ridiculously talented players that as of yet, do not have a home ballpark to go to. Some of the bigger names you'll obviously know. The Yankees have three huge free agents this year in Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte. It's assumed that all three will be back with the Yankees, since only Pettitte played for a short time with another team. But at what cost? Jeter can't troll shortstop forever, and how much will it take to keep the legend in pinstripes, even as just a symbol of bygone legacy? Rivera can still get it done, but should they sign him for 3-4 years? The same goes for Mr. Pettitte. The fact that the Yankees couldn't get it done this year marks a peculiar time for them. Their Hall of Fame stars are getting older, and they might not have the space to keep them around, and put together a World Series team. It's a tough position for G.M. Brian Cashman. I'm sure the Steinbrenner family with throw bags of money around to make it a little easier, though.
Not all big free agents are in, or are bound for New York. Cliff Lee might be, though. But then he might stay in Texas, or maybe go to the Angels, or maybe even Detroit. There are just a few teams who can afford to give Lee the $100 million contract he is looking for. But we've seen surprise teams poke their heads into the money pot several times over the past couple of years. Could the Orioles or Nationals make a unexpected play for the Cy Young winner? It's anybody's guess right now.
There are also some big name hitters on everyone's radar. Jayson Werth of the Philadelphia Phillies might be patrolling right field for a new team next year. But he got his shot in Philly, and he's absolutely adored by the public there, so there is a strong possibility he's not going anywhere. Plus the Phils need a right-handed bat in their lineup, so why let a known guy leave, for an unknown newcomer. The Phils do have some young talent in the outfield with Ben Francisco and Dominic Brown. Should they get a chance to start everyday?
Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena are both probably going to leave Tampa Bay, as that team tries to cut payroll. Maybe they wouldn't have to if people would actually go to their freaking games! But I digress. Pena had a miserable year, having almost as many strikeouts (158) as points in his average (.196). He will most likely only get a one-year deal wherever he goes, just to prove himself. Crawford on the other hand had a great year, doing his normal thing with a great average and tons of steals, while adding some power to his resume. He will get a long-term deal to play, and will probably love getting off of that artificial turf in Tropicana Field. There are tons of contenders for these talented outfielders, since besides Werth and Crawford, the next biggest name is Manny Ramirez. Something tells me not many teams will actually want him in the field next year.
There are many, many others who will hit free-agency in the coming days. Some big names who had an option with their 2010 team, but either turned it down, or were turned down include; Adrian Beltre, Vladimir Guerrero, pitchers Brandon Webb, Chris Young and Jeff Francis. Guerrero especially might return to Texas, but he has never been clutch in the playoffs, so maybe they might go a different route. In addition, the World Series Champion Giants stand to potentially lose Aubrey Huff, Edgar Renteria, Juan Uribe, Pat Burrell, and Jose Guillen. I think Aubrey will get a new deal, but the others, although Renteria and Uribe were instrumental in winning the W.S., might not be back for a repeat run. We'll see.
Paul Konerko had a comeback year with the White Sox. Will he be with them in 2011? There are other 1B options for many teams including the aforementioned Pena, Adam Dunn, Derek Lee and Lance Berkman. Jim Thome and David Ortiz are potentially open for D.H. assignment as well. Victor Martinez wants to catch, but he can play first. And fellow catcher A.J. Pierzynski is also a new free-agent. Solid starters and relievers are also to be had in the likes of Carl Pavano, Ted Lilly, Joe Beimel, Arthur Rhodes, Jon Rauch, Joaquin Benoit, Kerry Wood, Brian Fuentes, Rafael Soriano, and potentially (depending on whether teams pick up their options) Bronson Arroyo, Matt Thornton, Darren Oliver, Jon Garland, and Aaron Harang.
This off-season isn't the strongest in recent memory. There are plenty of opportunities to make teams better, though. Whether with a giant splash, or with precision deals and value pickups that could mean the difference between playing baseball in October, or going fishing. I love the hot stove time of year, so I'm looking forward to this with great anticipation. And don't forget, the awards start coming out in the next week or so. Keep an eye out to see if I was right about anything or not.
As we wrap up this particular post, there are two things I would like to say. First, best of luck to George Lee "Sparky" Anderson, the phenomenal manager of the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers starting in 1970, all the way up until 1995. This three-time World Series Champion, the first man to ever man a W.S. team in both leagues, is in failing health. The 76-year-old was one of my first memories of baseball. I had several Sparky Anderson cards growing up, and while reading his baseball card I first realized that players weren't always called by their first names, and my love affair with nicknames was born. The Hall of Fame Manager is a dynamic personality, who was beloved by players and fans alike. I wish him and his family the best while coping with this terrible disease.
And on a somewhat lighter note, I would like to say that I can't stand Joe Buck. I think he is a terrible play-by-play commentator and I wish Fox had the good sense to get rid of him. However, Fox has no good sense, as evidenced by the scandalous slap-fight they had with Cablevision which kept me, and several other millions from being able to see the N.L.C.S., or most of the W.S. I hate Fox in every possible way. And while I don't hate Mr. Buck, I think he sucks. He's the Michael Bay of baseball commentators. He tries to over-dramatize every possibly outcome as if he is trying to replicate great announcers of the past. It isn't working Joe. And learn how to read. You misread a blurb about the new Harry Potter movie, calling it the Deadly Hallows. You get paid how much to be bad at your job? I might be terrible at writing blogs, but I don't get paid, so suck it. Anyway, have a good day people.
There are lots of openings in baseball. Some manager positions have already filled up. The Marlins, Cubs, and Diamondbacks have all retained their interim managers for at least one full year. The Milwaukee Brewers appeared to have chosen Ron Roenicke, former Angels bench coach, to take the reigns in the dugout. The Pirates job is still open, but apparently Clint Hurdle is the running favorite. And my beloved Mets are closer to have their stuff together now that Sandy Alderson has been named General Manager. A skipper is still proving allusive, however.
Rest assured that their are also some ridiculously talented players that as of yet, do not have a home ballpark to go to. Some of the bigger names you'll obviously know. The Yankees have three huge free agents this year in Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte. It's assumed that all three will be back with the Yankees, since only Pettitte played for a short time with another team. But at what cost? Jeter can't troll shortstop forever, and how much will it take to keep the legend in pinstripes, even as just a symbol of bygone legacy? Rivera can still get it done, but should they sign him for 3-4 years? The same goes for Mr. Pettitte. The fact that the Yankees couldn't get it done this year marks a peculiar time for them. Their Hall of Fame stars are getting older, and they might not have the space to keep them around, and put together a World Series team. It's a tough position for G.M. Brian Cashman. I'm sure the Steinbrenner family with throw bags of money around to make it a little easier, though.
Not all big free agents are in, or are bound for New York. Cliff Lee might be, though. But then he might stay in Texas, or maybe go to the Angels, or maybe even Detroit. There are just a few teams who can afford to give Lee the $100 million contract he is looking for. But we've seen surprise teams poke their heads into the money pot several times over the past couple of years. Could the Orioles or Nationals make a unexpected play for the Cy Young winner? It's anybody's guess right now.
There are also some big name hitters on everyone's radar. Jayson Werth of the Philadelphia Phillies might be patrolling right field for a new team next year. But he got his shot in Philly, and he's absolutely adored by the public there, so there is a strong possibility he's not going anywhere. Plus the Phils need a right-handed bat in their lineup, so why let a known guy leave, for an unknown newcomer. The Phils do have some young talent in the outfield with Ben Francisco and Dominic Brown. Should they get a chance to start everyday?
Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena are both probably going to leave Tampa Bay, as that team tries to cut payroll. Maybe they wouldn't have to if people would actually go to their freaking games! But I digress. Pena had a miserable year, having almost as many strikeouts (158) as points in his average (.196). He will most likely only get a one-year deal wherever he goes, just to prove himself. Crawford on the other hand had a great year, doing his normal thing with a great average and tons of steals, while adding some power to his resume. He will get a long-term deal to play, and will probably love getting off of that artificial turf in Tropicana Field. There are tons of contenders for these talented outfielders, since besides Werth and Crawford, the next biggest name is Manny Ramirez. Something tells me not many teams will actually want him in the field next year.
There are many, many others who will hit free-agency in the coming days. Some big names who had an option with their 2010 team, but either turned it down, or were turned down include; Adrian Beltre, Vladimir Guerrero, pitchers Brandon Webb, Chris Young and Jeff Francis. Guerrero especially might return to Texas, but he has never been clutch in the playoffs, so maybe they might go a different route. In addition, the World Series Champion Giants stand to potentially lose Aubrey Huff, Edgar Renteria, Juan Uribe, Pat Burrell, and Jose Guillen. I think Aubrey will get a new deal, but the others, although Renteria and Uribe were instrumental in winning the W.S., might not be back for a repeat run. We'll see.
Paul Konerko had a comeback year with the White Sox. Will he be with them in 2011? There are other 1B options for many teams including the aforementioned Pena, Adam Dunn, Derek Lee and Lance Berkman. Jim Thome and David Ortiz are potentially open for D.H. assignment as well. Victor Martinez wants to catch, but he can play first. And fellow catcher A.J. Pierzynski is also a new free-agent. Solid starters and relievers are also to be had in the likes of Carl Pavano, Ted Lilly, Joe Beimel, Arthur Rhodes, Jon Rauch, Joaquin Benoit, Kerry Wood, Brian Fuentes, Rafael Soriano, and potentially (depending on whether teams pick up their options) Bronson Arroyo, Matt Thornton, Darren Oliver, Jon Garland, and Aaron Harang.
This off-season isn't the strongest in recent memory. There are plenty of opportunities to make teams better, though. Whether with a giant splash, or with precision deals and value pickups that could mean the difference between playing baseball in October, or going fishing. I love the hot stove time of year, so I'm looking forward to this with great anticipation. And don't forget, the awards start coming out in the next week or so. Keep an eye out to see if I was right about anything or not.
As we wrap up this particular post, there are two things I would like to say. First, best of luck to George Lee "Sparky" Anderson, the phenomenal manager of the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers starting in 1970, all the way up until 1995. This three-time World Series Champion, the first man to ever man a W.S. team in both leagues, is in failing health. The 76-year-old was one of my first memories of baseball. I had several Sparky Anderson cards growing up, and while reading his baseball card I first realized that players weren't always called by their first names, and my love affair with nicknames was born. The Hall of Fame Manager is a dynamic personality, who was beloved by players and fans alike. I wish him and his family the best while coping with this terrible disease.
And on a somewhat lighter note, I would like to say that I can't stand Joe Buck. I think he is a terrible play-by-play commentator and I wish Fox had the good sense to get rid of him. However, Fox has no good sense, as evidenced by the scandalous slap-fight they had with Cablevision which kept me, and several other millions from being able to see the N.L.C.S., or most of the W.S. I hate Fox in every possible way. And while I don't hate Mr. Buck, I think he sucks. He's the Michael Bay of baseball commentators. He tries to over-dramatize every possibly outcome as if he is trying to replicate great announcers of the past. It isn't working Joe. And learn how to read. You misread a blurb about the new Harry Potter movie, calling it the Deadly Hallows. You get paid how much to be bad at your job? I might be terrible at writing blogs, but I don't get paid, so suck it. Anyway, have a good day people.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
They Might Be Giants
First I'd like to apologize for almost three full weeks of no blogs. I was knee-deep into a fantastic theatrical show that I was directing, and barely had time to crash into bed, let alone make coherent baseball comments. But I'm back now! Just in time for the season to be over. (Sad face) But that doesn't mean we can't wrap-up what was missed. So here we go ladies and germs.
The San Francisco Giants made their way past the seemingly much better Philadelphia Phillies. How was this accomplished? With dynamite pitching, that's how. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and even rookie Madison Bumgarner all pitched well enough to slide past the defending National League Champions. Lincecum bested the suddenly mortal Roy Halladay to take Game 1, Cain made the Phils look silly in Game 3, Roy Oswalt couldn't prevent a walk-off victory in Game 4, and Game 6 saw very little Philly offense at all. In truth, that was the reason the Phils lost. Their vaulted, and expensive offense just couldn't figure out the San Fran pitching staff. So while this series originally looked lopsided to the Phillies' advantage, it turned out to be controlled mostly by stud starting pitchers, and clutch hitting by the Giants.
Over in the American League, however, it was pure domination of the Texas Rangers over the defending World Series Champion New York Yankees. The Yanks managed to take Game 1, but that was due to an inept Ranger pen. And if C.C. Sabathia had not pitched a solid Game 5, even though the Rangers outhit the Yanks 13-9 that day, then the series would have been over even sooner. Because like it or not, the Rangers pretty much owned New York. They outhit the champs on a regular basis, and in both Game 3 and 6, Cliff Lee and Colby Lewis made the Yankees look like a junior varsity team. Sadly, Mark Texiera went out with a hamstring injury, but in all honesty, that didn't make much of a difference to the Yanks, as he wasn't hitting squat and Lance Berkman was a decent defensive replacement. Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz were instead the stars of this series, belting homers and driving in runs. And thus the World Series match-up was set.
At the start, it looked like the Rangers were another fierce offensive power that the Giants were going to have to overcome. But just as the Giants were able to get past Philadelphia, Texas soon realized just how good the Giants young hurlers are. Game 1 of the Fall Classic saw neither Lincecum, nor Lee looking particularly good, though. Lincecum was able to hang on to get a victory after pitching 5 and 2/3, but Lee didn't really have any pitches working for him that day, and his streak of 7-0 in the playoffs came crashing to an end. Besides, who would suspect the Giants would put up 11 runs on 14 hits!? The game was somewhat tainted by ugly play though, as the Rangers had four errors, two by returning right-fielder Vladimir Guerrero, and the Gints had two themselves. So Game 2 would be much more of a pitchers duel, right?
Uh, think again. Matt Cain pitched 7 and 2/3 of stellar baseball, allowing only four hits and continuing his postseason of not allowing a run. The Giants totaled 9 runs in this stomp-fest, though. I don't think the Giants had scored 20 runs in a week during the regular season, and here they were pounding the juggernaut Rangers' offense into dust. By the Way, Cain ended up pitching 21.1 innings in the postseason and only allowed one unearned run. That's just disgustingly good. So while the Rangers bats showed up a little late in Game 1, they completely called in sick for Game 2. Would Game 3 show a glimmer of hope for fans in Arlington?
Eh, kinda. Josh Hamilton finally got on the board by blasting a homer, but it wasn't game determining, and other than that, his entire series was pretty dreadful. But the Rangers got the win, and Texas fans starting to think that this series might not be as dull as it started out. And maybe even fans outside of Texas and California would start paying attention. But then Game 4 happened, and the audiences that actually did pay attention were introduced to Madison Bumgarner. Da Bum threw 8 absolutely dominate innings, struck out 6, walked only 2 and allowed a mere 3 hits, all as a rookie in the postseason. Madison pitched so well that he made the Rangers look like...well, the Yankees. So while I and other baseball fans love this rookie sensation throwing a wonderful game, it doesn't make for wide audience appeal, and by the time Game 5 rolled around, I don't think many people were watching. In fact, Dancing with the Stars received higher ratings than Game 5 did. And it's unfortunate, because those non-viewers missed a hell of a pitching performance by Mr. Hash, aka, Tim Lincecum. He also tossed 8 great innings, allowing only a homerun to Nelson Cruz. But that homerun paled in comparison to Edgar Renteria's three-run blast at the top of the 7th. Brian Wilson was his usual eccentric, but shut-down self, and the game and series were over.
And while I give my sincerest congratulations to the deserving San Francisco Giants, I must admit, I was a little disappointed in this contest. The Rangers had the potential to come out and challenge the Giants hitters, but instead most of them looked lost throughout the series. Middle-of-the-order hitters Josh Hamilton and Vlad Guerrero batted .100 and .071 respectively. In fact, only two Rangers batted above .200; Michael Young who batted exactly .250, and 1B Mitch Moreland who batted a ridiculous .462.
On the other hand, the Giants seemed to get hitting from somebody new every night. Lead-off hitter Andres Torres set the table night after night and made the Rangers' pitchers respect his speed. Juan Uribe had some big RBIs. And eventual MVP Edgar Renteria hit .412, including the series deciding homerun. This San Francisco hodge-podge of castaway characters like Cody Ross, Uribe, Pat Burrell and Aubrey Huff came together to support a sublime pitching staff and bring San Francisco its first baseball championship. It's the kind of team that nobody thought at the beginning of the year could go all the way. And if they start again next year with the exact same roster, no one will pick them to repeat. But that is why they are so deserving. They came together when it mattered. Hunkered down and got big hits when it mattered. And most importantly, pitched some outstanding games when it mattered. So congratulations to a scrappy team who had what it took to beat up the All-Stars. And here's to a wonderful 2010 season of baseball. May 2011 be even better.
And to my readership, thanks so much for sticking with me this year. There have been ups and downs. Lovely pictures, and stupefying grammatical errors. But you kept coming back, and for that, I can't thank you enough. And one last final note. A few days ago a gentleman emailed me and asked me to refer his website. Well I took a look at it, and it is something I think is worth sharing. So when you are done reading this, head on over to www.bestcollegesonline.net/blog/2010/10-unforgettable-world-series-moments. I might have picked #2 as my number #1, but it's a great list nonetheless. I'll be back soon with off-season rumors, trades, signings and general musings. Only 103 days until pitchers and catcher report!!! That's for you Vinny.
The San Francisco Giants made their way past the seemingly much better Philadelphia Phillies. How was this accomplished? With dynamite pitching, that's how. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and even rookie Madison Bumgarner all pitched well enough to slide past the defending National League Champions. Lincecum bested the suddenly mortal Roy Halladay to take Game 1, Cain made the Phils look silly in Game 3, Roy Oswalt couldn't prevent a walk-off victory in Game 4, and Game 6 saw very little Philly offense at all. In truth, that was the reason the Phils lost. Their vaulted, and expensive offense just couldn't figure out the San Fran pitching staff. So while this series originally looked lopsided to the Phillies' advantage, it turned out to be controlled mostly by stud starting pitchers, and clutch hitting by the Giants.
Over in the American League, however, it was pure domination of the Texas Rangers over the defending World Series Champion New York Yankees. The Yanks managed to take Game 1, but that was due to an inept Ranger pen. And if C.C. Sabathia had not pitched a solid Game 5, even though the Rangers outhit the Yanks 13-9 that day, then the series would have been over even sooner. Because like it or not, the Rangers pretty much owned New York. They outhit the champs on a regular basis, and in both Game 3 and 6, Cliff Lee and Colby Lewis made the Yankees look like a junior varsity team. Sadly, Mark Texiera went out with a hamstring injury, but in all honesty, that didn't make much of a difference to the Yanks, as he wasn't hitting squat and Lance Berkman was a decent defensive replacement. Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz were instead the stars of this series, belting homers and driving in runs. And thus the World Series match-up was set.
At the start, it looked like the Rangers were another fierce offensive power that the Giants were going to have to overcome. But just as the Giants were able to get past Philadelphia, Texas soon realized just how good the Giants young hurlers are. Game 1 of the Fall Classic saw neither Lincecum, nor Lee looking particularly good, though. Lincecum was able to hang on to get a victory after pitching 5 and 2/3, but Lee didn't really have any pitches working for him that day, and his streak of 7-0 in the playoffs came crashing to an end. Besides, who would suspect the Giants would put up 11 runs on 14 hits!? The game was somewhat tainted by ugly play though, as the Rangers had four errors, two by returning right-fielder Vladimir Guerrero, and the Gints had two themselves. So Game 2 would be much more of a pitchers duel, right?
Uh, think again. Matt Cain pitched 7 and 2/3 of stellar baseball, allowing only four hits and continuing his postseason of not allowing a run. The Giants totaled 9 runs in this stomp-fest, though. I don't think the Giants had scored 20 runs in a week during the regular season, and here they were pounding the juggernaut Rangers' offense into dust. By the Way, Cain ended up pitching 21.1 innings in the postseason and only allowed one unearned run. That's just disgustingly good. So while the Rangers bats showed up a little late in Game 1, they completely called in sick for Game 2. Would Game 3 show a glimmer of hope for fans in Arlington?
Eh, kinda. Josh Hamilton finally got on the board by blasting a homer, but it wasn't game determining, and other than that, his entire series was pretty dreadful. But the Rangers got the win, and Texas fans starting to think that this series might not be as dull as it started out. And maybe even fans outside of Texas and California would start paying attention. But then Game 4 happened, and the audiences that actually did pay attention were introduced to Madison Bumgarner. Da Bum threw 8 absolutely dominate innings, struck out 6, walked only 2 and allowed a mere 3 hits, all as a rookie in the postseason. Madison pitched so well that he made the Rangers look like...well, the Yankees. So while I and other baseball fans love this rookie sensation throwing a wonderful game, it doesn't make for wide audience appeal, and by the time Game 5 rolled around, I don't think many people were watching. In fact, Dancing with the Stars received higher ratings than Game 5 did. And it's unfortunate, because those non-viewers missed a hell of a pitching performance by Mr. Hash, aka, Tim Lincecum. He also tossed 8 great innings, allowing only a homerun to Nelson Cruz. But that homerun paled in comparison to Edgar Renteria's three-run blast at the top of the 7th. Brian Wilson was his usual eccentric, but shut-down self, and the game and series were over.
And while I give my sincerest congratulations to the deserving San Francisco Giants, I must admit, I was a little disappointed in this contest. The Rangers had the potential to come out and challenge the Giants hitters, but instead most of them looked lost throughout the series. Middle-of-the-order hitters Josh Hamilton and Vlad Guerrero batted .100 and .071 respectively. In fact, only two Rangers batted above .200; Michael Young who batted exactly .250, and 1B Mitch Moreland who batted a ridiculous .462.
On the other hand, the Giants seemed to get hitting from somebody new every night. Lead-off hitter Andres Torres set the table night after night and made the Rangers' pitchers respect his speed. Juan Uribe had some big RBIs. And eventual MVP Edgar Renteria hit .412, including the series deciding homerun. This San Francisco hodge-podge of castaway characters like Cody Ross, Uribe, Pat Burrell and Aubrey Huff came together to support a sublime pitching staff and bring San Francisco its first baseball championship. It's the kind of team that nobody thought at the beginning of the year could go all the way. And if they start again next year with the exact same roster, no one will pick them to repeat. But that is why they are so deserving. They came together when it mattered. Hunkered down and got big hits when it mattered. And most importantly, pitched some outstanding games when it mattered. So congratulations to a scrappy team who had what it took to beat up the All-Stars. And here's to a wonderful 2010 season of baseball. May 2011 be even better.
And to my readership, thanks so much for sticking with me this year. There have been ups and downs. Lovely pictures, and stupefying grammatical errors. But you kept coming back, and for that, I can't thank you enough. And one last final note. A few days ago a gentleman emailed me and asked me to refer his website. Well I took a look at it, and it is something I think is worth sharing. So when you are done reading this, head on over to www.bestcollegesonline.net/blog/2010/10-unforgettable-world-series-moments. I might have picked #2 as my number #1, but it's a great list nonetheless. I'll be back soon with off-season rumors, trades, signings and general musings. Only 103 days until pitchers and catcher report!!! That's for you Vinny.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Expect the Unexpected
The four Division Series are almost over and one thing is most certain about the playoffs; the dominant pitching from the regular season has certainly stuck around so far. The pitching might even be called, unexpectedly good. After all, the postseason is reserved for only the strongest teams, and strong teams usually have outstanding offenses. But so far the playoffs have been pitching heavy.
To see where I'm coming from you need look no further than Game 1 between the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds. When the Reds finished the regular season they were the top National League offensive team. When pitted against Roy Halladay, however, they might as well have been swinging toothpicks. The Good Doctor was dealing some fierce medicine during Game 1, throwing 9 no-hit innings and one mere walk away from dealing his second perfect game of the season and only the second perfect game in playoff history. As it stands, Halladay will have to be satisfied with only joining Don Larsen as having the second ever no-hitter in the postseason. While Larsen pitched a perfect game in the 1956 World Series, few times has a pitcher ever been more dominant than Rapid Roy was during Game 1. The ball danced down, in, and away from hitters all night, reducing All-Stars to shadows of themselves. This feat is almost unheard of. To accomplish it during the regular season, potentially against a weak team is one thing. To do it during the playoffs, after a tiring year of pitching, against an extremely volatile lineup, is just... amazing.
And the Phillies weren't done there. The other Roy was not nearly as sharp, but Oswalt still kept the Phils in the game long enough for their offense to come around. Then Cole Hamels took over in Game 3 and decided enough was enough from the Reds for the year. Hamels threw a shutout of his own, completing a sweep of the Reds, allowing only five hits all nights, striking out 9, (one more than Halladay) and continuing an awesome streak of pitching that he started over a month ago. Since August 24, Cole has allowed 2 runs or more only twice, has struck out 58 batters, and given up only 12. This man is on some kind of pace. With the potent Phillies offense behind them, it appears as though these three gentlemen can hurl the Philthies past just about anybody. But that remains to be seen just yet.
The City of Brotherly Love wasn't the only place where great pitching resides. In Game 1 of the series between the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays, Cliff Lee pitched 7 stellar innings, allowing only one run, while sending 10 men back to the bench with a K. In Game 2, C.J. Wilson replicated Cliff Lee's tactics, and pitched six great innings of his own, striking out seven and giving up just two hits, before relinquishing control to the fantastic Ranger bullpen. The tides quickly turned however. In Games 3 and 4 the Rays enjoyed some quality pitching from both starters and relievers, and provided just enough offense to even the series at two games a piece. Tomorrow marks the conclusion of this series and again two great pitchers match up, in Cliff Lee and David Price. It should be a titillating game for the eyes to behold.
Meanwhile, the New York Spankees did just what their humorous nickname says, and took it to the Minnesota Twins yet again, sweeping two cities at once. None of the Yankee starters were sublime, apart from maybe Phil Hughes, but the pitching was good enough to get to the strong bullpen, which gave up only one run to Minnesota over the course of the series. Probably the most anticipated series of the playoffs turned out to be a dud, marked with little drama, and the same ending as previous years. It looks like the only way the Twins will ever make it past the Divisional Series is to face someone besides the Yankees. Sad, but true.
However, whatever drama the Yankees/Twins series lacked, it was more than made up for by the Braves and Giants. Game 1 saw Tim Lincecum going all Rick James on everyone and becoming a 'Super-Freak' as MLB.com puts it. In addition to Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels, Lincecum gave one of the finest playoff pitching performances in recent years. Lincecum not only fanned 14 batters, a San Francisco Giants playoff record, but pitching a shutout as well, showing outstanding control by giving up only one walk, and surrendering just two hits to the Atlanta Braves. After a year of ups and down, The Freak showed that he is still a young phenomenon worthy of tremendous notice. The Atlanta starter, Derek Lowe, was no slouch. He just couldn't compete with Tim's numbers. In Game 2, Matt Cain did his workman-like best and kept the Braves down for nearly seven innings. But some shoddy bullpen pitching by the Giants, and some late-inning heroics from former pitcher Rick Ankiel brought home another playoff win for Bobby Cox and the Bravos. Jonathan Sanchez did his best Lincecum impersonation and struck out 11 batters in Game 3, the second-highest playoff total ever by a Giants pitcher. He was aided by some unfortunately misplays by Brooks Conrad, the suddenly second-baseman for Atlanta, and San Fran now leads the series 2-1. After the game, Conrad took full responsibility for his three errors, and expressed his disappointment and resolve by being contrite and straightforward. After a tough game like that, many men would shirk the limelight, but it takes a brave man (no pun intended) to face up to your critics. You earned a lot of respect last night Mr. Conrad.
So the playoffs have indeed been pretty stupendous so far. There has already been lots of record-breaking pitching, and there promises to be more drama in the coming League Championship Series, so stay tuned folks. If you miss these upcoming games, you might miss history in the making. And before I leave you, there is a question I want to ask. Rick Ankiel's late-game homerun in Game 2 marked just the second time a person has pitching in a playoff game, and in a later game hit a homerun as a position player. Can you name that other player?
To see where I'm coming from you need look no further than Game 1 between the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds. When the Reds finished the regular season they were the top National League offensive team. When pitted against Roy Halladay, however, they might as well have been swinging toothpicks. The Good Doctor was dealing some fierce medicine during Game 1, throwing 9 no-hit innings and one mere walk away from dealing his second perfect game of the season and only the second perfect game in playoff history. As it stands, Halladay will have to be satisfied with only joining Don Larsen as having the second ever no-hitter in the postseason. While Larsen pitched a perfect game in the 1956 World Series, few times has a pitcher ever been more dominant than Rapid Roy was during Game 1. The ball danced down, in, and away from hitters all night, reducing All-Stars to shadows of themselves. This feat is almost unheard of. To accomplish it during the regular season, potentially against a weak team is one thing. To do it during the playoffs, after a tiring year of pitching, against an extremely volatile lineup, is just... amazing.
And the Phillies weren't done there. The other Roy was not nearly as sharp, but Oswalt still kept the Phils in the game long enough for their offense to come around. Then Cole Hamels took over in Game 3 and decided enough was enough from the Reds for the year. Hamels threw a shutout of his own, completing a sweep of the Reds, allowing only five hits all nights, striking out 9, (one more than Halladay) and continuing an awesome streak of pitching that he started over a month ago. Since August 24, Cole has allowed 2 runs or more only twice, has struck out 58 batters, and given up only 12. This man is on some kind of pace. With the potent Phillies offense behind them, it appears as though these three gentlemen can hurl the Philthies past just about anybody. But that remains to be seen just yet.
The City of Brotherly Love wasn't the only place where great pitching resides. In Game 1 of the series between the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays, Cliff Lee pitched 7 stellar innings, allowing only one run, while sending 10 men back to the bench with a K. In Game 2, C.J. Wilson replicated Cliff Lee's tactics, and pitched six great innings of his own, striking out seven and giving up just two hits, before relinquishing control to the fantastic Ranger bullpen. The tides quickly turned however. In Games 3 and 4 the Rays enjoyed some quality pitching from both starters and relievers, and provided just enough offense to even the series at two games a piece. Tomorrow marks the conclusion of this series and again two great pitchers match up, in Cliff Lee and David Price. It should be a titillating game for the eyes to behold.
Meanwhile, the New York Spankees did just what their humorous nickname says, and took it to the Minnesota Twins yet again, sweeping two cities at once. None of the Yankee starters were sublime, apart from maybe Phil Hughes, but the pitching was good enough to get to the strong bullpen, which gave up only one run to Minnesota over the course of the series. Probably the most anticipated series of the playoffs turned out to be a dud, marked with little drama, and the same ending as previous years. It looks like the only way the Twins will ever make it past the Divisional Series is to face someone besides the Yankees. Sad, but true.
However, whatever drama the Yankees/Twins series lacked, it was more than made up for by the Braves and Giants. Game 1 saw Tim Lincecum going all Rick James on everyone and becoming a 'Super-Freak' as MLB.com puts it. In addition to Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels, Lincecum gave one of the finest playoff pitching performances in recent years. Lincecum not only fanned 14 batters, a San Francisco Giants playoff record, but pitching a shutout as well, showing outstanding control by giving up only one walk, and surrendering just two hits to the Atlanta Braves. After a year of ups and down, The Freak showed that he is still a young phenomenon worthy of tremendous notice. The Atlanta starter, Derek Lowe, was no slouch. He just couldn't compete with Tim's numbers. In Game 2, Matt Cain did his workman-like best and kept the Braves down for nearly seven innings. But some shoddy bullpen pitching by the Giants, and some late-inning heroics from former pitcher Rick Ankiel brought home another playoff win for Bobby Cox and the Bravos. Jonathan Sanchez did his best Lincecum impersonation and struck out 11 batters in Game 3, the second-highest playoff total ever by a Giants pitcher. He was aided by some unfortunately misplays by Brooks Conrad, the suddenly second-baseman for Atlanta, and San Fran now leads the series 2-1. After the game, Conrad took full responsibility for his three errors, and expressed his disappointment and resolve by being contrite and straightforward. After a tough game like that, many men would shirk the limelight, but it takes a brave man (no pun intended) to face up to your critics. You earned a lot of respect last night Mr. Conrad.
So the playoffs have indeed been pretty stupendous so far. There has already been lots of record-breaking pitching, and there promises to be more drama in the coming League Championship Series, so stay tuned folks. If you miss these upcoming games, you might miss history in the making. And before I leave you, there is a question I want to ask. Rick Ankiel's late-game homerun in Game 2 marked just the second time a person has pitching in a playoff game, and in a later game hit a homerun as a position player. Can you name that other player?
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Post-Season
The regular season has come and gone, folks. There has been some excellent baseball played up until now. There were extraordinary catches, dramatic homeruns, and of course, fantastic pitching all over baseball. And the season ended on such a great note, with the San Francisco Giants completing their come-from-behind story to beat out the San Diego Padres on the last day of the season for the National League West Division. To see that crowd go nuts as closer Brian Wilson struck out the last batter, was a thing of beauty. I can't say enough about how much I've enjoyed this 2010 MLB season so far, and I hope you have too.
But all of that was just the beginning. Now comes the post-season, where all the hard-work and determination of spring training and the regular season pays off for 8 teams. Those playoff teams, in case you have missed it, in the American League are the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees (Wild Card), Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers. Over in the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, S.F. Giants, and the Atlanta Braves (Wild Card) will all be playing in the Divisional Championship Series starting tomorrow on TBS. And the match-ups are looking intense. The Rangers are facing off against the Rays in Tampa, while the Twins play host to the visiting Yanks. Unfortunately for the Twins, former A.L. MVP and stellar 1B Justin Morneau will have to sit out the entire playoffs due to a concussion he suffered late in the season. But Minnesota has proven that they can overcome adversity and aren't about to roll over for the defending champs, no matter how potent of a lineup the Yankees put up. Over in Florida, the battle between speed, power and pitching prowess will be on display as both the Rays and Rangers have been known to dominate an opponent in 2010. The Rays won the regular season series between these teams, 4-2. If Tampa catches a red-hot Texas lineup though, the Rays' pitching may not be able to contain Cruz, Vladdy, Young, Kinsler and the newly healthy Josh Hamilton. Both of these series promise to be drawn-out and intense affairs.
Over in the National League, it's a slightly different story. The Giants provided some late-season drama, but aside from that, the playoff race in the N.L. was a little lackluster. The Reds had long-since clinched a spot in the postseason, so they were playing uninspired baseball. The Braves, who had stumbled mightily against division nemesis Philly, as well as everyone else, barely squeaked into the playoffs ahead of San Diego. And the Phillies, who having crushed Atlanta's hopes of a N.L. East Division Championship, were soaring high and refused to rest, so that they might win the best record in the league honors, which they did. So you had one team dominating everyone in their path, one team making a great run at the end, and two kind of mediocre teams falling ass-over-head into October. And frankly, the upcoming series don't hold as much promise as the A.L. series do.
Philly is looking pretty confident going into a series at home, versus the Reds. Cincinnati, while having a very potent offense, doesn't quite match well with the three stud pitchers the Phils are going to throw at them. So unless Joey Votto, Scott Rolen and the rest of the Reds can bring some serious bat strength, these games might turn out to be blowouts in favor of the two-time defending National League Champions. Over in San Fran, the Giants have probably the best starting three pitchers outside of Philadelphia, but their bats are a question mark. Third-baseman Pablo Sandoval has been picking up his average of late, but his season has been an abject disappointment compared to 2009. If San Fransisco is going to get past the Braves and stand a chance at making the World Series, then Aubrey Huff, possible Rookie of the Year Buster Posey, and others must continue to put up timely runs when it matters most. The Braves do have the pitching to compete with the Giants or anyone else, but their bats have been streaky at best. So unless Atlanta puts everything together, and soon, this might not be the wonderful last hoorah for manager Bobby Cox that everyone has envisioned just a few months ago.
Of course, I don't mean to sound like a bummer. For as much as I think the American League Division Series will be a bit better than the National League, I'm going to try and watch every single playoff game with excitement and anticipation. Maybe the Reds will surprise the Phils. Maybe the Yankees will make a strong repeat run. Who knows, maybe even the Atlanta Braves will find the magic touch and destroy everyone in their path. That's the beauty of the postseason. Everyone is back to zero. What each guy did in the regular season may have been great, but unless that same player continues the success that got him to the playoffs, then all those regular season stats are for nothing. The postseason is a time of potential rebirth. A stumbling September team can become an October juggernaut. It's why I love baseball. It's why I love the playoffs. And it's why, I hope, you will be watching too.
But all of that was just the beginning. Now comes the post-season, where all the hard-work and determination of spring training and the regular season pays off for 8 teams. Those playoff teams, in case you have missed it, in the American League are the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees (Wild Card), Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers. Over in the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, S.F. Giants, and the Atlanta Braves (Wild Card) will all be playing in the Divisional Championship Series starting tomorrow on TBS. And the match-ups are looking intense. The Rangers are facing off against the Rays in Tampa, while the Twins play host to the visiting Yanks. Unfortunately for the Twins, former A.L. MVP and stellar 1B Justin Morneau will have to sit out the entire playoffs due to a concussion he suffered late in the season. But Minnesota has proven that they can overcome adversity and aren't about to roll over for the defending champs, no matter how potent of a lineup the Yankees put up. Over in Florida, the battle between speed, power and pitching prowess will be on display as both the Rays and Rangers have been known to dominate an opponent in 2010. The Rays won the regular season series between these teams, 4-2. If Tampa catches a red-hot Texas lineup though, the Rays' pitching may not be able to contain Cruz, Vladdy, Young, Kinsler and the newly healthy Josh Hamilton. Both of these series promise to be drawn-out and intense affairs.
Over in the National League, it's a slightly different story. The Giants provided some late-season drama, but aside from that, the playoff race in the N.L. was a little lackluster. The Reds had long-since clinched a spot in the postseason, so they were playing uninspired baseball. The Braves, who had stumbled mightily against division nemesis Philly, as well as everyone else, barely squeaked into the playoffs ahead of San Diego. And the Phillies, who having crushed Atlanta's hopes of a N.L. East Division Championship, were soaring high and refused to rest, so that they might win the best record in the league honors, which they did. So you had one team dominating everyone in their path, one team making a great run at the end, and two kind of mediocre teams falling ass-over-head into October. And frankly, the upcoming series don't hold as much promise as the A.L. series do.
Philly is looking pretty confident going into a series at home, versus the Reds. Cincinnati, while having a very potent offense, doesn't quite match well with the three stud pitchers the Phils are going to throw at them. So unless Joey Votto, Scott Rolen and the rest of the Reds can bring some serious bat strength, these games might turn out to be blowouts in favor of the two-time defending National League Champions. Over in San Fran, the Giants have probably the best starting three pitchers outside of Philadelphia, but their bats are a question mark. Third-baseman Pablo Sandoval has been picking up his average of late, but his season has been an abject disappointment compared to 2009. If San Fransisco is going to get past the Braves and stand a chance at making the World Series, then Aubrey Huff, possible Rookie of the Year Buster Posey, and others must continue to put up timely runs when it matters most. The Braves do have the pitching to compete with the Giants or anyone else, but their bats have been streaky at best. So unless Atlanta puts everything together, and soon, this might not be the wonderful last hoorah for manager Bobby Cox that everyone has envisioned just a few months ago.
Of course, I don't mean to sound like a bummer. For as much as I think the American League Division Series will be a bit better than the National League, I'm going to try and watch every single playoff game with excitement and anticipation. Maybe the Reds will surprise the Phils. Maybe the Yankees will make a strong repeat run. Who knows, maybe even the Atlanta Braves will find the magic touch and destroy everyone in their path. That's the beauty of the postseason. Everyone is back to zero. What each guy did in the regular season may have been great, but unless that same player continues the success that got him to the playoffs, then all those regular season stats are for nothing. The postseason is a time of potential rebirth. A stumbling September team can become an October juggernaut. It's why I love baseball. It's why I love the playoffs. And it's why, I hope, you will be watching too.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Hot and Cold
Every player, whether he is a fresh-faced rookie or a steely-eyed veteran, goes through both periods of unbridled excellence, and abject misery. It's part of the game. The fact is, that if you are a great hitter, you still failed 7 out of 10 times. So there are lots of opportunities for a player to falter, and pick themselves back up. But what makes individuals and teams special is the ability to perform this task when it is most crucial. And there are few times less crucial then in September.
With just a few short weeks left for teams to make playoff pushes, now is the time to show stamina and composure. It is often hard for entire teams to exude this all at once, but there are special cases when this happens. For instance, the Colorado Rockies of 2007 won 21 of their last 22 games going down the stretch run to make the playoffs and eventually go to the World Series that year. The 2010 Rockies are trying to duplicate just that. So far this month, they are 11-4, with 10 of those wins being in a row. They are just 2.5 games back in the National League West as well as for the Wild Card spot. While this is due in large part to the performance of the team as a whole, one player doing much of the damage is SS Troy Tulowitzski. In his last ten games, Tulo has collected 15 hits, 9 homeruns, a staggering 21 RBI and scored 12 runs, while batting .375. Seven of those RBI, and two of those homeruns came against the then first-place San Diego Padres on Wednesday. To sum up, few people in all of baseball are hitting hotter than Troy Tulowitzski right now. And if things continue this way, Tulo may just be leading his team to another incredible September finish, and a possible playoff berth. But there are 14 games left for the Rocks to play, and anything can happen.
Another player smashing the ball right now is David Murphy of the Texas Rangers. This gentleman is doing his best Josh Hamilton impersonation, as one commentator pointed out a few nights ago. Since Josh Hamilton's injury a couple of weeks ago, Murphy has stepped up, and has a 13-game hitting streak to show for it. He's hitting .357 in his past 10 games and is providing the kind of awesome bench play that separates good teams from great ones. With guys like David Murphy coming off the bench, the Texas Rangers have enjoyed a solid month of September, having won their last 7.
Batters aren't the only ones having fun though. Pitcher Wade Davis has won his last 7 decisions for the surging Tampa Bay Rays. Davis has had a couple of hiccups in that stretch, still walking more batters than he should and letting up 7 homeruns since his July 8th start. However, since the All-Star break, and a short stint on the Disabled List, Davis has been solid for the Rays, and helped them take over first from the struggling New York Yankees.
But before we discuss the Yankees' woes, let's highlight one last player who is on an incredibly hot streak, albeit not for a contending team. Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs has won his last five starts and six out of his last seven starts. Since being promoted back to the starting rotation on August 9th, Big Z has not allowed an opposing team to earn more than 2 runs off of him, which has helped drop his ERA by 1.71. While the Cubs are far out of contention this year, this resurgence is a welcome sign for the hot-headed Zambrano who earned administrative ire earlier in this season by blowing his top in an argument with 1B Derek Lee. If Zambrano can ever learn to control that anger permanently, he could return to All-Star form. However, Zambrano recently reiterated a prior claim that once his current contract is completed in 2012, he will retire from baseball. We'll see though. After all, Roy Oswalt once said he wanted to finish his career in Houston. The potential for rings and money make players do funny things sometimes.
Now on to some teams and players that are more on the cold side of things. The aforementioned Yankees have lost 8 out of their last 10. Reasons why include an incredibly inconsistent and ineffective A.J. Burnett, the averages of Posada(.154, Granderson(.188), Jeter(.209), and Texeira(.179) in the last ten games, and injuries to left-fielder Brett Gardner and right-fielder Nick Swisher. Despite all this though, the Yankees are still an incredibly deep, well put together team that still is tied for the second-best record in baseball with the Minnesota Twins, and is guaranteed a spot in the playoffs this year. But a cold September is not what the doctor ordered for October success. Hot teams prevail come playoff time, so if the Yankees continue to struggle for the remainder of the season, a repeat championship might not be in the picture.
Other teams failing to make the grade right now are two playoff contenders. The Chicago White Sox just wrapped up a crucial three-game set versus the previous-mentioned Minnesota Twins in which they had to win at least two out of three, if not sweep the Twins in order to make up precious grown in the American League Central. Instead, the South Siders were swept, and a playoff bid is all but gone. In the other league, the Atlanta Braves are doing everything they can to give the East Division to the Philadephia Phillies for a fourth year in a row. The Bravos are 6-9 in September and travel to New York this weekend where the not-so-stinky-right-now Mets await them. If the Braves should lose two out of three to the Metropolitans, and then travel to Philly and fail to take that series, then their playoff hopes will be all but dashed. The Phillies are also another team I could have hightlighted in the "hot" section, as they have one of the best records in baseball since the All-Star break. However, I honestly forgot to include them, and I'm not about to go back and edit them in, because I don't like them very much. So screw it. They are a hot team, 'nuff said.
So the playoff picture is rounding into shape. The A.L. West is a two team race that will have both teams playing in October. All that is left to be decided there is who will take the division and possibly home-field advantage. The N.L. East is slowing coming into focus, unless Atlanta can turn things around quickly. The only real question, and the best playoff race going is the National League West. Just 2.5 games separate three teams. The Giants play both the Padres and the Rockies once more before the end of the season, so a lot is riding on this weekend and the following couple series. Are you as excited as I am? Probably not, but you freakin' should be!
P.S. This blog was written on Friday, so some statistics are two days out-of-date. My apologies.
With just a few short weeks left for teams to make playoff pushes, now is the time to show stamina and composure. It is often hard for entire teams to exude this all at once, but there are special cases when this happens. For instance, the Colorado Rockies of 2007 won 21 of their last 22 games going down the stretch run to make the playoffs and eventually go to the World Series that year. The 2010 Rockies are trying to duplicate just that. So far this month, they are 11-4, with 10 of those wins being in a row. They are just 2.5 games back in the National League West as well as for the Wild Card spot. While this is due in large part to the performance of the team as a whole, one player doing much of the damage is SS Troy Tulowitzski. In his last ten games, Tulo has collected 15 hits, 9 homeruns, a staggering 21 RBI and scored 12 runs, while batting .375. Seven of those RBI, and two of those homeruns came against the then first-place San Diego Padres on Wednesday. To sum up, few people in all of baseball are hitting hotter than Troy Tulowitzski right now. And if things continue this way, Tulo may just be leading his team to another incredible September finish, and a possible playoff berth. But there are 14 games left for the Rocks to play, and anything can happen.
Another player smashing the ball right now is David Murphy of the Texas Rangers. This gentleman is doing his best Josh Hamilton impersonation, as one commentator pointed out a few nights ago. Since Josh Hamilton's injury a couple of weeks ago, Murphy has stepped up, and has a 13-game hitting streak to show for it. He's hitting .357 in his past 10 games and is providing the kind of awesome bench play that separates good teams from great ones. With guys like David Murphy coming off the bench, the Texas Rangers have enjoyed a solid month of September, having won their last 7.
Batters aren't the only ones having fun though. Pitcher Wade Davis has won his last 7 decisions for the surging Tampa Bay Rays. Davis has had a couple of hiccups in that stretch, still walking more batters than he should and letting up 7 homeruns since his July 8th start. However, since the All-Star break, and a short stint on the Disabled List, Davis has been solid for the Rays, and helped them take over first from the struggling New York Yankees.
But before we discuss the Yankees' woes, let's highlight one last player who is on an incredibly hot streak, albeit not for a contending team. Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs has won his last five starts and six out of his last seven starts. Since being promoted back to the starting rotation on August 9th, Big Z has not allowed an opposing team to earn more than 2 runs off of him, which has helped drop his ERA by 1.71. While the Cubs are far out of contention this year, this resurgence is a welcome sign for the hot-headed Zambrano who earned administrative ire earlier in this season by blowing his top in an argument with 1B Derek Lee. If Zambrano can ever learn to control that anger permanently, he could return to All-Star form. However, Zambrano recently reiterated a prior claim that once his current contract is completed in 2012, he will retire from baseball. We'll see though. After all, Roy Oswalt once said he wanted to finish his career in Houston. The potential for rings and money make players do funny things sometimes.
Now on to some teams and players that are more on the cold side of things. The aforementioned Yankees have lost 8 out of their last 10. Reasons why include an incredibly inconsistent and ineffective A.J. Burnett, the averages of Posada(.154, Granderson(.188), Jeter(.209), and Texeira(.179) in the last ten games, and injuries to left-fielder Brett Gardner and right-fielder Nick Swisher. Despite all this though, the Yankees are still an incredibly deep, well put together team that still is tied for the second-best record in baseball with the Minnesota Twins, and is guaranteed a spot in the playoffs this year. But a cold September is not what the doctor ordered for October success. Hot teams prevail come playoff time, so if the Yankees continue to struggle for the remainder of the season, a repeat championship might not be in the picture.
Other teams failing to make the grade right now are two playoff contenders. The Chicago White Sox just wrapped up a crucial three-game set versus the previous-mentioned Minnesota Twins in which they had to win at least two out of three, if not sweep the Twins in order to make up precious grown in the American League Central. Instead, the South Siders were swept, and a playoff bid is all but gone. In the other league, the Atlanta Braves are doing everything they can to give the East Division to the Philadephia Phillies for a fourth year in a row. The Bravos are 6-9 in September and travel to New York this weekend where the not-so-stinky-right-now Mets await them. If the Braves should lose two out of three to the Metropolitans, and then travel to Philly and fail to take that series, then their playoff hopes will be all but dashed. The Phillies are also another team I could have hightlighted in the "hot" section, as they have one of the best records in baseball since the All-Star break. However, I honestly forgot to include them, and I'm not about to go back and edit them in, because I don't like them very much. So screw it. They are a hot team, 'nuff said.
So the playoff picture is rounding into shape. The A.L. West is a two team race that will have both teams playing in October. All that is left to be decided there is who will take the division and possibly home-field advantage. The N.L. East is slowing coming into focus, unless Atlanta can turn things around quickly. The only real question, and the best playoff race going is the National League West. Just 2.5 games separate three teams. The Giants play both the Padres and the Rockies once more before the end of the season, so a lot is riding on this weekend and the following couple series. Are you as excited as I am? Probably not, but you freakin' should be!
P.S. This blog was written on Friday, so some statistics are two days out-of-date. My apologies.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Cy Lame Duck
I bet your looking at the title of this blog, and going 'Huh?' I shall explain. This is both a combination of ideas, and an extremely corny play on words. A lame duck, as most of you probably already know, is according to www.dictionary.com "a person finishing a term of employment after a replacement has been chosen", usually a politician. The Cy in the title refers to the Cy Young award, which is given to the best pitcher in the American and National Leagues. Now what ties these ideas together is the play on words. Sigh Duck is a character from Pokemon, a children's card game from Japan. He was a little yellow duck that always had a headache, and therefore would sigh constantly. I was not into Pokemon as a child, but I saw the cartoon show a handful of times and for some reason Sigh Duck was always in it, and he cracked me up something fierce. But to further explain the title, I will have to go into more detail.
Today, we are going to discuss potential winners of the Cy Young award in 2010. The reason I combined the Cy Young award with the lame duck term is because neither Tim Lincecum of the S.F. Giants, nor the Kansas City Royals' Zach Greinke are going to repeat as Cy Young winners this year. So does everyone see why the title kind of makes sense? Good. Now why won't Lincecum or Greinke win? While neither pitcher has had a terrible year, there are just far too many other pitchers in both leagues that are outperforming these two.
Greinke will pitch over 200 innings, start at least 30 games, most likely keep his ERA under 4.00 and strikeout somewhere in the neighborhood of 180 batters this year. Unfortunately for Zach, the Royals, as we've mentioned in a previous blog, didn't have the power in the lineup to provide enough run support during his games. And to be honest, Zach just hasn't pitch that great this year. Lincecum has also run into occasional trouble, getting roughed up in several stretches throughout this season. However Tim still has a winning record, going 13-9 with a 3.69 ERA, and he will strikeout over 200 while throwing 200 innings. Quality stuff, but not nearly enough to compete for the Cy Young this year.
Who will unseat these gentleman this year? Let's start in the American League, where there are some great pitchers competing for the spotlight. 'King' Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners is leading the A.L. in both innings pitched (225.2), and ERA (2.39) but with an 11-11 record, there is little chance that he'll take the Cy Young when voting time comes. Felix can hardly be blamed by his offense not backing him up, but dems da breaks. Similarly, Jered Weaver of the Angels is having a great year, but 11-11 just doesn't cut it. There's Justin Verlander, who's 15-8, with a 3.53 ERA and 179Ks for Detroit. Not bad. L.A. Angel Ervin Santana is 16-9, but a 4.00 ERA is a little high. The Twins' Carl Pavano is 16-11 and has served as an ace for Minnesota. And there's the big teddy bear, C.C. Sabathia of the Yanks who is currently 19-6 with a 3.14 and 170Ks. All these men are extremely fine candidates.
There are some fellas mixed in that you wouldn't expect also. Take for instance C.J. Wilson of the Texas Rangers. In his first full season as a starting pitcher, C.J. has excelled, going 14-6 with a quality 3.25 ERA. He's kept pace with some of the best pitchers in the batter-happy American League. And while we are in the A.L. West, we have to discuss Trevor Cahill. In just his second season, the Oakland SP is 16-6 with a ridiculously low 2.61 ERA. While he doesn't strikeout a lot of guys, he manages to pitch to his strengths and that of the ballpark in order to pile up the wins. Cahill's rotation partner Gio Gonzalez has also been outstanding, going 14-8 with a 3.16 ERA, and we should mention he's won his last four games. And then there's David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays. In his first year as the true ace of the pitching staff, Price has shined, going 17-6 with a 2.87 ERA thus far. The guy can throw 98-mph and if anyone can give C.C. serious competition for the A.L. Cy Young this year, it's Price.
Of course two guys from Boston may have something to say about that. Jon Lester has won at least 15 games for the third year in a row to become the legitimate ace of the Red Sox's staff. His 2010 campaign has seen him pitch a 3.26 ERA to a 16-8 record, and he will strikeout another 200-plus hitters this year. Joining him atop the Boston rotation is Clay Bucholz, who for the first time in his career has a win total in the double digits. At just 25, Bucholz is having a career year, going 15-7 while tossing a minuscule 2.53 ERA. If Boston had not incurred so many injuries this year, these two guys might have been leading this team to the playoffs and potentially a World Series. But as it stands, Boston will most likely miss out on the post-season, and Lester and Bucholz might lose out on the Cy Young as a result.
If you thought the American League had all the great pitching, just check out the National League. There are plenty of veteran stars making strong runs for a Cy Young award. Roy 'Doc' Halladay is pitching his mind out in Philly, posting an 18-10 record with an outstanding 2.44 ERA and 201Ks. And to throw some extra stats into the mix, Roy has also thrown 8 complete games, one of which was a perfect game. However, Adam Wainwright is matching Roy almost step for step. While Wainwright can't claim a perfect game, he has an identical record so far, with an even better 2.38 ERA and has only 10 less strikeouts. Wainwright's fellow Cardinal, Chris Carpenter, is also having a fantastic year, going 15-6, and throwing a 3.09 ERA. Meanwhile, Tim Hudson of the Atlanta Braves has come back from injury with a bang, recording a line of 15-7 with a mere 2.41 ERA. He's had two rough outings in a row, but Hudson is still haven't a dynamite year. Do you see why this is being called the year of the pitcher?
But the talent storm doesn't stop there. Mat Latos of the San Diego Padres is leading all Major League pitchers with a 2.21 ERA, and posting a great 14-5 record to boot. There are more than a half-dozen other pitchers with a sub-3 ERA as well. They might not have the record to serious compete for the Cy Young, but we should mention them anyway. There's Josh Johnson of the Marlins (who unfortunately will sit out the rest of the season due to a back sprain), Brett 'Assault and Battery' Meyers of the Astros, Rookie of the Year candidate Jaime Garcia of the Cardinals, Roy Oswalt and his resurgence with the Phillies, Johan Santana (also out for the year with an injury) and R.A. Dickey of the Mets, and Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers. This is one of the best seasons of pitching in possibly a decade or more. And I haven't even mentioned Ubaldo Jimenez. Ok, that's not true, I've mentioned him a lot this year in other blogs. But the man is still probably the leading candidate for the Cy Young. Even though he's only gone 3-5 since the All-Star break, Ubaldo is still 18-6 with a 2.75 ERA and 186 strikeouts. He's also thrown the first no-hitter in Colorado Rockies' history and set a club-record in wins. This is pretty incredible year for Ubaldo, and all of these other talented starters.
So who will take home the hardware when all is said and done? While I usually don't make picks this early, you'll notice I kept my opinions quiet when it came to MVPs, but I will actually make a prediction for Cy Young. Why now, and not then. Well for starters, we are slightly closer to the end of the season. And additionally, starters play once every five or six days, whereas position players play everyday. Therefore, there is a much larger chance for a MVP candidate to falter or have a fantastic week and throw off a prediction immensely. A bad week for a pitcher usually means one bad start, and even a horrendous outing won't impede a pitcher's stats quite as much. So I feel safe in making predictions. Maybe later in the season, or even during the post-season I'll make a final MVP call. But right now, I'll put my proverbial money where my physical mouth is. The A.L. Cy Young winner will be, David Price. The N.L. Cy Young winner will be, Roy Halladay. Could I be wrong? Most definitely. You'll just have to keep watching, and reading, to find out.
Today, we are going to discuss potential winners of the Cy Young award in 2010. The reason I combined the Cy Young award with the lame duck term is because neither Tim Lincecum of the S.F. Giants, nor the Kansas City Royals' Zach Greinke are going to repeat as Cy Young winners this year. So does everyone see why the title kind of makes sense? Good. Now why won't Lincecum or Greinke win? While neither pitcher has had a terrible year, there are just far too many other pitchers in both leagues that are outperforming these two.
Greinke will pitch over 200 innings, start at least 30 games, most likely keep his ERA under 4.00 and strikeout somewhere in the neighborhood of 180 batters this year. Unfortunately for Zach, the Royals, as we've mentioned in a previous blog, didn't have the power in the lineup to provide enough run support during his games. And to be honest, Zach just hasn't pitch that great this year. Lincecum has also run into occasional trouble, getting roughed up in several stretches throughout this season. However Tim still has a winning record, going 13-9 with a 3.69 ERA, and he will strikeout over 200 while throwing 200 innings. Quality stuff, but not nearly enough to compete for the Cy Young this year.
Who will unseat these gentleman this year? Let's start in the American League, where there are some great pitchers competing for the spotlight. 'King' Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners is leading the A.L. in both innings pitched (225.2), and ERA (2.39) but with an 11-11 record, there is little chance that he'll take the Cy Young when voting time comes. Felix can hardly be blamed by his offense not backing him up, but dems da breaks. Similarly, Jered Weaver of the Angels is having a great year, but 11-11 just doesn't cut it. There's Justin Verlander, who's 15-8, with a 3.53 ERA and 179Ks for Detroit. Not bad. L.A. Angel Ervin Santana is 16-9, but a 4.00 ERA is a little high. The Twins' Carl Pavano is 16-11 and has served as an ace for Minnesota. And there's the big teddy bear, C.C. Sabathia of the Yanks who is currently 19-6 with a 3.14 and 170Ks. All these men are extremely fine candidates.
There are some fellas mixed in that you wouldn't expect also. Take for instance C.J. Wilson of the Texas Rangers. In his first full season as a starting pitcher, C.J. has excelled, going 14-6 with a quality 3.25 ERA. He's kept pace with some of the best pitchers in the batter-happy American League. And while we are in the A.L. West, we have to discuss Trevor Cahill. In just his second season, the Oakland SP is 16-6 with a ridiculously low 2.61 ERA. While he doesn't strikeout a lot of guys, he manages to pitch to his strengths and that of the ballpark in order to pile up the wins. Cahill's rotation partner Gio Gonzalez has also been outstanding, going 14-8 with a 3.16 ERA, and we should mention he's won his last four games. And then there's David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays. In his first year as the true ace of the pitching staff, Price has shined, going 17-6 with a 2.87 ERA thus far. The guy can throw 98-mph and if anyone can give C.C. serious competition for the A.L. Cy Young this year, it's Price.
Of course two guys from Boston may have something to say about that. Jon Lester has won at least 15 games for the third year in a row to become the legitimate ace of the Red Sox's staff. His 2010 campaign has seen him pitch a 3.26 ERA to a 16-8 record, and he will strikeout another 200-plus hitters this year. Joining him atop the Boston rotation is Clay Bucholz, who for the first time in his career has a win total in the double digits. At just 25, Bucholz is having a career year, going 15-7 while tossing a minuscule 2.53 ERA. If Boston had not incurred so many injuries this year, these two guys might have been leading this team to the playoffs and potentially a World Series. But as it stands, Boston will most likely miss out on the post-season, and Lester and Bucholz might lose out on the Cy Young as a result.
If you thought the American League had all the great pitching, just check out the National League. There are plenty of veteran stars making strong runs for a Cy Young award. Roy 'Doc' Halladay is pitching his mind out in Philly, posting an 18-10 record with an outstanding 2.44 ERA and 201Ks. And to throw some extra stats into the mix, Roy has also thrown 8 complete games, one of which was a perfect game. However, Adam Wainwright is matching Roy almost step for step. While Wainwright can't claim a perfect game, he has an identical record so far, with an even better 2.38 ERA and has only 10 less strikeouts. Wainwright's fellow Cardinal, Chris Carpenter, is also having a fantastic year, going 15-6, and throwing a 3.09 ERA. Meanwhile, Tim Hudson of the Atlanta Braves has come back from injury with a bang, recording a line of 15-7 with a mere 2.41 ERA. He's had two rough outings in a row, but Hudson is still haven't a dynamite year. Do you see why this is being called the year of the pitcher?
But the talent storm doesn't stop there. Mat Latos of the San Diego Padres is leading all Major League pitchers with a 2.21 ERA, and posting a great 14-5 record to boot. There are more than a half-dozen other pitchers with a sub-3 ERA as well. They might not have the record to serious compete for the Cy Young, but we should mention them anyway. There's Josh Johnson of the Marlins (who unfortunately will sit out the rest of the season due to a back sprain), Brett 'Assault and Battery' Meyers of the Astros, Rookie of the Year candidate Jaime Garcia of the Cardinals, Roy Oswalt and his resurgence with the Phillies, Johan Santana (also out for the year with an injury) and R.A. Dickey of the Mets, and Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers. This is one of the best seasons of pitching in possibly a decade or more. And I haven't even mentioned Ubaldo Jimenez. Ok, that's not true, I've mentioned him a lot this year in other blogs. But the man is still probably the leading candidate for the Cy Young. Even though he's only gone 3-5 since the All-Star break, Ubaldo is still 18-6 with a 2.75 ERA and 186 strikeouts. He's also thrown the first no-hitter in Colorado Rockies' history and set a club-record in wins. This is pretty incredible year for Ubaldo, and all of these other talented starters.
So who will take home the hardware when all is said and done? While I usually don't make picks this early, you'll notice I kept my opinions quiet when it came to MVPs, but I will actually make a prediction for Cy Young. Why now, and not then. Well for starters, we are slightly closer to the end of the season. And additionally, starters play once every five or six days, whereas position players play everyday. Therefore, there is a much larger chance for a MVP candidate to falter or have a fantastic week and throw off a prediction immensely. A bad week for a pitcher usually means one bad start, and even a horrendous outing won't impede a pitcher's stats quite as much. So I feel safe in making predictions. Maybe later in the season, or even during the post-season I'll make a final MVP call. But right now, I'll put my proverbial money where my physical mouth is. The A.L. Cy Young winner will be, David Price. The N.L. Cy Young winner will be, Roy Halladay. Could I be wrong? Most definitely. You'll just have to keep watching, and reading, to find out.
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