Thome Arigato. Thank you, Mr. Thome, for the thrill of watching you hit home runs #599 and #600 last night. What a thrill it was to watch you put such a cap on your Hall of Fame career. Never mind all that Derek Jeter talk that was unfortunately dragged up by Twins' announcer, Burt Blyleven. That all was a drag on your moment. But this is your moment. This writer watched both milestones this season and was just as happy for both. They both were the capstones for two of the classiest careers in this era of baseball. This writer is fortunate to have seen your careers from beginning to end and your two homers put a gigantic smile on this face.
It was an unfortunate moment for Burt Blyleven to say something really stupid. First, Blyleven denigrated Jeter's achievement by stating that the media acted like Jeter was the first to ever reach 3,000 hits. He was the first...Yankee. And that was pretty special. Mr. Jeter will be sitting next to you in the Hall of Fame soon, Mr. Blyleven. Then Blyleven rhapsodized that nobody would be watching Thome's achievement (comparing it to Jeter's). This was while both ESPN and the MLB Network had done live feeds to the game to see if Thome would reach the milestone. After so many people had campaigned for Blyleven's inclusion in the Hall of Fame, it was a rather self-serving moment for the announcer.
And unfortunately, his comments set off a firestorm that took away from Jim Thome's moment. Ken Rosenthal of the great Foxsports.com site, picked up the theme from Blyleven and wrote today that Thome's achievement should not be overlooked. It was not. Again, ESPN was there. MLB Network was there. Buster Olney had two of his columns deal extensively with Thome's place in baseball in the past week. Yahoo Sports wrote a piece on Thome. This was a big deal and everyone knew it.
Which leads to a point about local announcers. MLB Network is showing four games a week now on its network. Those games always feature the home announcers and not MLB's announcers. That network also does dozens of live cut-ins every night to games all over the country. This new dynamic must force local announcers to clean up their acts a bit. Excessive homerism might work for the local markets, but on a national scale, they cut into the dignity of a national experience. Some broadcast teams get this. Michael Kay's "Seeya!" is just as emphatic for an opponent's home run as it is for a Yankee homer. But others simply carry on as if their own fans are the only ones that are watching. And yes, Burt Blyleven (and Ken Harrelson), this writer is looking at you. Blyleven should have known MLB Network would be peeking in and should have couched his comments accordingly.
And why choose this glorious moment to knock Derek Jeter? Both accomplishments were the result of storied and abundant careers. They are different. In the end, both players will end their careers with similar value. Jim Thome currently has compiled 71.1 rWAR while Jeter has compiled 70.5. Thome has 4,555 total bases and Jeter has 4366. Both should be celebrated as there isn't that great a difference between what the two have brought to baseball over the years.
Let Jim Thome's moment stand on its own. It's a testament to a very strong man who could hit a baseball a mile and did so often in his long, long career. This is Thome's 21st season. And the man is truly loved all around the country. Everyone loved that Thome reached this milestone. Everyone cheered for him. That should be enough for all of us. Don't muck it up. Don't compare it to anything else. Just enjoy it for what it is.
Thome Arigato. Thank you, Jim Thome. Good for you!
Showing posts with label Jim Thome. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jim Thome. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Who Gets the At Bats for the Twins?
Jim Thome's season in 2010 was remarkable. And now he is back for the 2011 season with a slightly larger paycheck. But how many at bats will he accumulate? The thing forgotten in the post-Thome-re-signing euphoria is that Thome would not have had that remarkable season if Justin Morneau hadn't missed half the season with concussion syndrome. All indications are that Morneau will be back at first base for the Twins.
Putting Morneau back at first pushes Michael Cuddyer back to the outfield. Cuddyer back to the outfield pushes Kubel out of the line up or back to the DH where he was in 2009. But Kubel is a left-hand hitting slugger, which is what Thome is, right? So who gets the at bats at DH, Kubel or Thome?
Kubel didn't have a good year in 2010. He finished at league average in OPS+ and was terrible in the outfield. But Kubel was a good slugger for the Twins in 2008 and 2009. He finished with a higher OPS+ than Thome did in both of those years. Kubel is also 28 compared to Thome's 40. So again, who gets the at bats?
It will probably depend on who starts out better. Thome had a dream season in 2010. But he was somewhat pedestrian in 2008 and 2009, which is why the White Sox gave up on him in the first place. That's no knock on Thome. He's a sure-fire Hall of Fame player who has graced the game with his class and his love of the game. It just doesn't seem likely that he will repeat his success from last year. And it's hard to get past how Thome looked in the post season. The Yankees had no trouble with him and made him look easy to get out.
Ron Gardenhire is a loyalty guy. Why else would he stick with a guy like Nick Punto for so long? Kubel is his guy, raised in his system. Kubel will get the job to lose at DH. That's the prediction from this end anyway. There is no way, barring injury, that Thome will get 340 plate appearances this year: 200 seems more likely. The Fan loves Thome and hopes he gets to 600 homers, but this Fan can't see him taking Kubel's job, not with the age difference and Kubel's history. There is no where else for Cuddyer to go because Young has won left and Span is your center fielder. Kubel's defense in right is too suspect. The Fan would take a combo of Kubel and Thome over Cuddyer, but it just doesn't work out defensively.
Putting Morneau back at first pushes Michael Cuddyer back to the outfield. Cuddyer back to the outfield pushes Kubel out of the line up or back to the DH where he was in 2009. But Kubel is a left-hand hitting slugger, which is what Thome is, right? So who gets the at bats at DH, Kubel or Thome?
Kubel didn't have a good year in 2010. He finished at league average in OPS+ and was terrible in the outfield. But Kubel was a good slugger for the Twins in 2008 and 2009. He finished with a higher OPS+ than Thome did in both of those years. Kubel is also 28 compared to Thome's 40. So again, who gets the at bats?
It will probably depend on who starts out better. Thome had a dream season in 2010. But he was somewhat pedestrian in 2008 and 2009, which is why the White Sox gave up on him in the first place. That's no knock on Thome. He's a sure-fire Hall of Fame player who has graced the game with his class and his love of the game. It just doesn't seem likely that he will repeat his success from last year. And it's hard to get past how Thome looked in the post season. The Yankees had no trouble with him and made him look easy to get out.
Ron Gardenhire is a loyalty guy. Why else would he stick with a guy like Nick Punto for so long? Kubel is his guy, raised in his system. Kubel will get the job to lose at DH. That's the prediction from this end anyway. There is no way, barring injury, that Thome will get 340 plate appearances this year: 200 seems more likely. The Fan loves Thome and hopes he gets to 600 homers, but this Fan can't see him taking Kubel's job, not with the age difference and Kubel's history. There is no where else for Cuddyer to go because Young has won left and Span is your center fielder. Kubel's defense in right is too suspect. The Fan would take a combo of Kubel and Thome over Cuddyer, but it just doesn't work out defensively.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Twins Should Bid For Cliff Lee
These are heady times for the Minnesota Twins. It wasn't long ago that the Twins were part of conversations about contracting Major League Baseball. Attendance was poor, Ownership wouldn't spend the money (or contended he didn't have it to spend) and the Twins seemed to be in terrible shape. But the last ten years have shown a rebirth of Minnesota baseball and the team now draws 3.2 million fans, good for third place in the American League. And the payroll, once the joke of baseball, rose to $107.5 million in 2010. The Twins have won their division six of their last nine years. The one dark cloud in this silver lining is their inability to take the team to the next level. Each of those six playoff teams have died before the World Series, five of them in the very first round of the playoffs. To this observer, their glaring weakness is obvious.
The Twins spent $84 million on their on-the-field players last year but only $22 million for their pitching staff. Their highest paid pitcher in 2010 was Carl Pavano at $7 million which took up nearly one third of their pitching budget. Reliever, Matt Guerrier, was second at just over $3 million. In contrast, the Twins had seven position players who made more than $5 million.
The playoffs have shown us the past few years that stud pitching gets the job done. The Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies have all had World Series runs that relied heavily on the likes of Sabathia, Pettitte, Beckett, Schilling and others. The Giants and Rangers this past season parlayed the same formula into the post season and the Giants' stud pitching won the day and the World Series. The Twins, in contrast, do not have a "stopper" type pitcher and haven't in any of their playoff runs. They have good pitchers. Pavano had a great season. Liriano lead the AL in WAR up until the last quarter of the season. But they aren't the kinds of pitchers you can get big performances from when it all comes down to winning or going home.
That's why this writer believes that no team needs to go after Cliff Lee more than the Twins. The Yankees can afford other options and have multiple ways to beat you. The Rangers need him as he deepens their rotation and makes them a viable playoff sizzler. But the Twins are destined to be a good enough team to make it to the playoffs but never good enough to get beyond. Let's face it, their rotation doesn't scare anybody. They win by playing smart and with a well balanced and talented line up. The Twins need Lee because they need someone who has more than a 50% chance of winning a playoff game.
While this is very easy for this Fan to write, the odds of it happening seem to be nil. The Twins simply don't make a splash in free agent waters. They always prefer to go after low valued talent like Jim Thome (and Carl Pavano in 2009) and building from within. The trouble is, they are superb at developing on-field players but not so brilliant at developing pitchers.. Signing Joe Mauer to a long term deal was the biggest splash ever for the Twins. Perhaps that speaks to a different day and a new reality based on burgeoning coffers due to the attendance boom.
If you can't develop your own stud, then signing one like Lee is the next best thing. Yes, he'll be expensive and yes, the Fan still thinks any long-term deal for the 33 year old Lee is future failure. By the end of Lee's big deal (which he is going to get from somebody), Lee will look a lot like Barry Zito looks now for the Giants. But at least the next two years will certainly improve a good team's chances of going deep into the post season.
There might be other options. The Fan still thinks De La Rosa has a big arm and can be that type of dominating pitcher. Perhaps the Twins could pry Greinke away from the Royals for a good package. But Greinke has no playoff experiences and there is no telling if he could be a stud in one.
The Twins are in a playoff rut because its rotation has simply not been up to the task of giving the Twins an advantage over another team's rotation. It is soft and can be had. Lee would change all that. He pushes everyone else that much deeper into the rotation and that's exactly where they need to be. Come on, Twins, pull the trigger!
The Twins spent $84 million on their on-the-field players last year but only $22 million for their pitching staff. Their highest paid pitcher in 2010 was Carl Pavano at $7 million which took up nearly one third of their pitching budget. Reliever, Matt Guerrier, was second at just over $3 million. In contrast, the Twins had seven position players who made more than $5 million.
The playoffs have shown us the past few years that stud pitching gets the job done. The Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies have all had World Series runs that relied heavily on the likes of Sabathia, Pettitte, Beckett, Schilling and others. The Giants and Rangers this past season parlayed the same formula into the post season and the Giants' stud pitching won the day and the World Series. The Twins, in contrast, do not have a "stopper" type pitcher and haven't in any of their playoff runs. They have good pitchers. Pavano had a great season. Liriano lead the AL in WAR up until the last quarter of the season. But they aren't the kinds of pitchers you can get big performances from when it all comes down to winning or going home.
That's why this writer believes that no team needs to go after Cliff Lee more than the Twins. The Yankees can afford other options and have multiple ways to beat you. The Rangers need him as he deepens their rotation and makes them a viable playoff sizzler. But the Twins are destined to be a good enough team to make it to the playoffs but never good enough to get beyond. Let's face it, their rotation doesn't scare anybody. They win by playing smart and with a well balanced and talented line up. The Twins need Lee because they need someone who has more than a 50% chance of winning a playoff game.
While this is very easy for this Fan to write, the odds of it happening seem to be nil. The Twins simply don't make a splash in free agent waters. They always prefer to go after low valued talent like Jim Thome (and Carl Pavano in 2009) and building from within. The trouble is, they are superb at developing on-field players but not so brilliant at developing pitchers.. Signing Joe Mauer to a long term deal was the biggest splash ever for the Twins. Perhaps that speaks to a different day and a new reality based on burgeoning coffers due to the attendance boom.
If you can't develop your own stud, then signing one like Lee is the next best thing. Yes, he'll be expensive and yes, the Fan still thinks any long-term deal for the 33 year old Lee is future failure. By the end of Lee's big deal (which he is going to get from somebody), Lee will look a lot like Barry Zito looks now for the Giants. But at least the next two years will certainly improve a good team's chances of going deep into the post season.
There might be other options. The Fan still thinks De La Rosa has a big arm and can be that type of dominating pitcher. Perhaps the Twins could pry Greinke away from the Royals for a good package. But Greinke has no playoff experiences and there is no telling if he could be a stud in one.
The Twins are in a playoff rut because its rotation has simply not been up to the task of giving the Twins an advantage over another team's rotation. It is soft and can be had. Lee would change all that. He pushes everyone else that much deeper into the rotation and that's exactly where they need to be. Come on, Twins, pull the trigger!
Monday, November 08, 2010
Glut of First Base/DH Free Agents
It's probably not a good year to be a free agent this year if you are a first baseman or DH. The pond is full of those types of ducks. The list? Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Carlos Pena, Johnny Damon, Lance Berkman, Manny Ramirez, Lyle Overbay, Aubrey Huff, Jorge Cantu, Russell Branyon, Hideki Matsui, Marcus Thames, Troy Glaus, Adam LaRoche, Derrek Lee, Ty Wigginton and Adam Dunn. Obviously, Damon and Ramirez are more known as outfielders, but Damon could probably survive in left field for a couple of dozen games. Manny could not.
That's seventeen players who need to find a job among thirty teams. It seems pretty reasonable that Huff will re-sign with the Giants, so the Fan will leave him out of this conversation. Cantu, Glaus and Thames will be considered role players. The Fan is tempted to put LaRoche in that category, but won't for now. So that brings us down to thirteen to consider as starter types in this position. As the Fan mentioned yesterday, all of the value of these players has to be generated by their bats. Few analysts give first baseman any brownie (or WAR) points for playing first and certainly there are none for playing DH.
Saying all of that, let's take a look at each of the remaining thirteen and rate and rank them and perhaps even make a suggestion or two about which teams they may end up with:
1. Johnny Damon: Surprised? Yeah. Understood. But at 37, Damon still provides flexibility. He can play left, first or DH. Damon can still steal a base for you (22 of 24 the last two years) and hit an occasional dinger. He would be worth a one year deal at $12 to $14. Angels? Tigers?
2. Lance Berkman: Berkman really doesn't want to DH. But he's been a first baseman for a long time and won't hurt you too badly there. Teams shouldn't give up on batting him right handed. The Fan still thinks he has a good year in him. One year deal at $12 to $14 with options.
3. Lyle Overbay: This ranking is surprising the writer as much as you probably. But Overbay is perhaps the best fielder of the bunch at first, has some pop and will give you 70 or more walks a year. Useless against lefty pitchers though. Tampa Bay?
4. Paul Konerko: Last year feels more like an outlier than anything else. It would seem improbable for Konerko to match it. But his problem is that he will want to command the dollars such a year would bring. But at 35, he still may have a couple of valuable seasons left in him. He really isn't much of a first baseman any more but he can play there if that's what you need. He would be an asset for Tampa Bay, but it's doubtful they will spend that kind of money he will want.
5. Derrek Lee: Lee is the same age as Konerko but didn't have the kind of year Konerko did. He looks much older. It wouldn't seem wise to move Lee to the AL, but after watching that World Series, perhaps we have to stop thinking of the AL as the dominant league, eh?
6. Adam Dunn: Dunn is one of the youngest of the bunch, but he plays old. He's slower than a mule and he wasn't disastrous at first base, but he isn't great either. It's also troubling that his walks, long one of his staples, were way down this past year. But he still hit his 38 homers, no? He is another bat that could help the Bay Rays. He would be a perfect fit for them.
7. Carlos Pena: Pena has had two awful seasons in a row. But it really seems like if he had a chance to work with a really good batting coach, he could come back in a big way. His power is still there. He's still a tremendous fielding first baseman. And, best of all, he could be a major bargain for somebody. The Fan doesn't think Tampa Bay should re-sign him as he is in too much of a rut there.
8. Jim Thome: The Twins certainly got their money's worth with Thome last year. He can still hit the ball a mile and can still get his fair share of walks. But golly, the guy has to slow down some time. Shown a willingness to play for peanuts.
9. Adam LaRoche: He may be rated too far down this list. Had a serviceable year last year with 25 homers with 100 ribbies. But this Fan just can't get past the strikeouts. 172 last year is just intolerable. And his power may have been inflated by playing in Arizona for half his games.
10. Ty Wiggintin: Wigginton, by all accounts, is a good egg and a great teammate. His willingness to keep trying hard despite his team's struggles early last year say a lot about the type of player he is. But he's simply a marginal talent who, if put in the right place, could have an Aubrey Huff type season.
11. Vladmir Guerrero: Vlad had a great half of a season last year, but really looked ancient in the second half and in the post season. He can only DH which limits his options. He just might have another league average season in him before he heads to the Hall of Fame. It's too bad that the carpet in Montreal ruined so many legs of so many great players.
12. Hideki Matsui: Matsui had a marginal season for the Angels. This Fan feels he is done as a productive major league hitter. He is a proud man who has done great things in his career. Can you see him being a marginal player somewhere for peanuts? This Fan can't.
12. Russell Branyon: Good golly, can he play for another team? He probably will. His power will always get him a cheap look with someone.
13. Manny Ramirez: Wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole. Sorry. He can ride off into the Barry Bonds sunset.
The first six on this list may get close to what they want for money. But the rest will be scrambling for jobs and it wouldn't be a surprise if a third of this list wasn't signed by the opening of Spring Training. Life goes on.
That's seventeen players who need to find a job among thirty teams. It seems pretty reasonable that Huff will re-sign with the Giants, so the Fan will leave him out of this conversation. Cantu, Glaus and Thames will be considered role players. The Fan is tempted to put LaRoche in that category, but won't for now. So that brings us down to thirteen to consider as starter types in this position. As the Fan mentioned yesterday, all of the value of these players has to be generated by their bats. Few analysts give first baseman any brownie (or WAR) points for playing first and certainly there are none for playing DH.
Saying all of that, let's take a look at each of the remaining thirteen and rate and rank them and perhaps even make a suggestion or two about which teams they may end up with:
1. Johnny Damon: Surprised? Yeah. Understood. But at 37, Damon still provides flexibility. He can play left, first or DH. Damon can still steal a base for you (22 of 24 the last two years) and hit an occasional dinger. He would be worth a one year deal at $12 to $14. Angels? Tigers?
2. Lance Berkman: Berkman really doesn't want to DH. But he's been a first baseman for a long time and won't hurt you too badly there. Teams shouldn't give up on batting him right handed. The Fan still thinks he has a good year in him. One year deal at $12 to $14 with options.
3. Lyle Overbay: This ranking is surprising the writer as much as you probably. But Overbay is perhaps the best fielder of the bunch at first, has some pop and will give you 70 or more walks a year. Useless against lefty pitchers though. Tampa Bay?
4. Paul Konerko: Last year feels more like an outlier than anything else. It would seem improbable for Konerko to match it. But his problem is that he will want to command the dollars such a year would bring. But at 35, he still may have a couple of valuable seasons left in him. He really isn't much of a first baseman any more but he can play there if that's what you need. He would be an asset for Tampa Bay, but it's doubtful they will spend that kind of money he will want.
5. Derrek Lee: Lee is the same age as Konerko but didn't have the kind of year Konerko did. He looks much older. It wouldn't seem wise to move Lee to the AL, but after watching that World Series, perhaps we have to stop thinking of the AL as the dominant league, eh?
6. Adam Dunn: Dunn is one of the youngest of the bunch, but he plays old. He's slower than a mule and he wasn't disastrous at first base, but he isn't great either. It's also troubling that his walks, long one of his staples, were way down this past year. But he still hit his 38 homers, no? He is another bat that could help the Bay Rays. He would be a perfect fit for them.
7. Carlos Pena: Pena has had two awful seasons in a row. But it really seems like if he had a chance to work with a really good batting coach, he could come back in a big way. His power is still there. He's still a tremendous fielding first baseman. And, best of all, he could be a major bargain for somebody. The Fan doesn't think Tampa Bay should re-sign him as he is in too much of a rut there.
8. Jim Thome: The Twins certainly got their money's worth with Thome last year. He can still hit the ball a mile and can still get his fair share of walks. But golly, the guy has to slow down some time. Shown a willingness to play for peanuts.
9. Adam LaRoche: He may be rated too far down this list. Had a serviceable year last year with 25 homers with 100 ribbies. But this Fan just can't get past the strikeouts. 172 last year is just intolerable. And his power may have been inflated by playing in Arizona for half his games.
10. Ty Wiggintin: Wigginton, by all accounts, is a good egg and a great teammate. His willingness to keep trying hard despite his team's struggles early last year say a lot about the type of player he is. But he's simply a marginal talent who, if put in the right place, could have an Aubrey Huff type season.
11. Vladmir Guerrero: Vlad had a great half of a season last year, but really looked ancient in the second half and in the post season. He can only DH which limits his options. He just might have another league average season in him before he heads to the Hall of Fame. It's too bad that the carpet in Montreal ruined so many legs of so many great players.
12. Hideki Matsui: Matsui had a marginal season for the Angels. This Fan feels he is done as a productive major league hitter. He is a proud man who has done great things in his career. Can you see him being a marginal player somewhere for peanuts? This Fan can't.
12. Russell Branyon: Good golly, can he play for another team? He probably will. His power will always get him a cheap look with someone.
13. Manny Ramirez: Wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole. Sorry. He can ride off into the Barry Bonds sunset.
The first six on this list may get close to what they want for money. But the rest will be scrambling for jobs and it wouldn't be a surprise if a third of this list wasn't signed by the opening of Spring Training. Life goes on.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
A Sublime Moment
This post won't be a wrap up of the third game of a three game sweep by the New York Yankees over the Minnesota Twins. Even now, the stratosphere is lighting up about Cano's heroics or the Thames homer or the Phil Hughes performance. Perhaps there will be a dozen or more stories on the failure of the Twins to execute once more against the Yankees, their utter failure to hit with men on base. Why compete with all of that? This Fan wants to focus instead on one sublime moment that meant little to the overall game.
The game was really over before the moment occurred. It began in the Twins' dugout at the end of the eighth inning. The camera focused on Ron Gardenhire talking to Jim Thome, who would be the first batter in the top of the ninth against Mariano Rivera. Perhaps the Fan could be all wrong about this. For all this Fan knows, Gardenhire could have been talking to Thome about anything. But in the Fan's fertile mind, they were discussing Thome's upcoming at bat. Here's how it might have gone:
Gardenhire: "This guy has been in your kitchen all week. He's been breaking your bats. Either cheat inside to get the barrel on it or wait for a pitch you know you can drive."
Thome: Got it, Skip. Will do."
Gardenhire: "Right. Don't let him get you inside. Don't let him eat you up. Now go get him."
Thome: "I'll do my best."
So future Hall of Fame slugger, Jim Thome, went up to the plate and he was expecting Rivera to do what Rivera always does and bust him inside. Thome saw the first one was that same inside cutter and Thome stayed off of it. "Don't let him eat you up," Thome repeated like a mantra. That was strike one.
Thome dug back in there expecting another inside cutter. Instead Rivera painted the outside corner with a back-door cutter. It was a perfect pitch and Thome wasn't expecting it. Strike two. Then Thome was 0-2 and in a heap of trouble. "Don't let him eat you up," he repeated again, and he dug back in there.
The next pitch would be an inside cutter. Thome just knew it would be. "I hope if it's a good one, I at least foul it off." He waited, knowing it was coming. It didn't. Rivera threw another back door cutter but it was just off the plate. Thome took it for a ball. "He's coming inside this time," Thome told himself as he dug back in there.
Thome waited, sure the pitch would be inside. Rivera went into his wind up and threw another perfect back-door cutter, outside black. Paint. Thome took the pitch and the umpire rang him up. With his bat on his shoulder, Thome looked out at Rivera stunned. He started walking to the dugout all the while with his eyes on Rivera. A small half-smile appeared on his face. "That son of a gun," Thome said in his mind as he walked back to the dugout. Thome never had a chance.
After nine innings and a myriad of moments, that was the moment that caught this writer's attention. It was the sublimest of all moments. It was the essence of what makes baseball the best sport on earth.
The game was really over before the moment occurred. It began in the Twins' dugout at the end of the eighth inning. The camera focused on Ron Gardenhire talking to Jim Thome, who would be the first batter in the top of the ninth against Mariano Rivera. Perhaps the Fan could be all wrong about this. For all this Fan knows, Gardenhire could have been talking to Thome about anything. But in the Fan's fertile mind, they were discussing Thome's upcoming at bat. Here's how it might have gone:
Gardenhire: "This guy has been in your kitchen all week. He's been breaking your bats. Either cheat inside to get the barrel on it or wait for a pitch you know you can drive."
Thome: Got it, Skip. Will do."
Gardenhire: "Right. Don't let him get you inside. Don't let him eat you up. Now go get him."
Thome: "I'll do my best."
So future Hall of Fame slugger, Jim Thome, went up to the plate and he was expecting Rivera to do what Rivera always does and bust him inside. Thome saw the first one was that same inside cutter and Thome stayed off of it. "Don't let him eat you up," Thome repeated like a mantra. That was strike one.
Thome dug back in there expecting another inside cutter. Instead Rivera painted the outside corner with a back-door cutter. It was a perfect pitch and Thome wasn't expecting it. Strike two. Then Thome was 0-2 and in a heap of trouble. "Don't let him eat you up," he repeated again, and he dug back in there.
The next pitch would be an inside cutter. Thome just knew it would be. "I hope if it's a good one, I at least foul it off." He waited, knowing it was coming. It didn't. Rivera threw another back door cutter but it was just off the plate. Thome took it for a ball. "He's coming inside this time," Thome told himself as he dug back in there.
Thome waited, sure the pitch would be inside. Rivera went into his wind up and threw another perfect back-door cutter, outside black. Paint. Thome took the pitch and the umpire rang him up. With his bat on his shoulder, Thome looked out at Rivera stunned. He started walking to the dugout all the while with his eyes on Rivera. A small half-smile appeared on his face. "That son of a gun," Thome said in his mind as he walked back to the dugout. Thome never had a chance.
After nine innings and a myriad of moments, that was the moment that caught this writer's attention. It was the sublimest of all moments. It was the essence of what makes baseball the best sport on earth.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
A Post Appreciating Jim Thome
One of the crimes of the steroid or PED era in baseball is that players who really stand above the crowd have gotten washed out for what they do. Jim Thome has been a fabulous power hitter his entire career (let's face it, he was a lousy fielder) and at the age of 40 is still a big-time contributer for the Minnesota Twins.
Thome was supposed to be a role player this season. He signed for only $1.5 million with the Twins after making over $138 million in his career. The Twins already had a DH in Kubel who had a good year last year. But injuries and lack of performance elsewhere led to Thome getting in the line up regularly, especially in the last two months, and he has proved that he is as much a threat now as ever. His OPS is his highest since 2007 and his OPS+ is his highest since 2002. He is slugging .578 and his On Base Percentage is .387. Not bad for an old guy. And that's not just in a handful or small sample size. He is up to 248 plate appearances now.
There is no doubt in this Fan's mind that Thome is a Hall of Famer and should be a first ballot one. He has hit 1031 extra base hits in his career. He has a career On Base Percentage of .404. He's driven in over 1600 runs and scored over 1500. And if he is fortunate enough to play another year (something his play this year has given him a good argument for), he could end up with over 600 homers.
Sure, he played in the PED era and thus his stats are looked at with a jaded eye. Sure, he was a lousy third baseman and a lousy first baseman. But as a hitter? Forget about it. He's been great. And since testing has gone into place, the Fan doesn't really see a drop off in his production that can't be accounted for besides the inevetible age decline. He has hit 108 homers in the last five years in mostly part time duty the last couple of years. He is a tough out just like he has always been.
One of the reasons that the Twins haven't missed a beat since Justin Morneau went out with a concussion is that Thome has allowed Kubel to go to the outfield so Cuddyer could play first. All three are hitting well and the Thome has made the most of his playing time. He has a 1.060 OPS in his last 28 days despite a BABIP (batting average on balls in play) of .259. Imagine what he would be doing if he had been a little luckier! He is holding his own against left-handers with an .800 OPS (above league average). and as usual is killing right-handers.
The Fan can already hear the arguments against Thome when he hits the HOF ballot:
- Played in the PED era. Yeah, so did a lot of players. Were they as good as him?
- Was mostly a DH. Okay, but that's why they put the rule in there in the first place. Edgar Martinez isn't a Hall of Famer?
- Never won an MVP. He was in the top ten in voting four times and was in the top twenty six times.
- Was never considered as one of the best players in his sport. Says who? Okay, he made only five All Star Games. But there were always a lot of big slugging first basemen. How many of them will finish close to or over 600 homers?
- Only hit .222 during post season play. Yeah, but he hit 17 homers or one less than Mickey Mantle (who didn't get the benefit of playoff series).
But forget about all of that right now because Thome is still playing and he is just another big reason why the Twins are doing as well as they are. Enjoy him while you can. He was and is all class and he's had one heck of a career. Thankfully, it isn't over yet.
Thome was supposed to be a role player this season. He signed for only $1.5 million with the Twins after making over $138 million in his career. The Twins already had a DH in Kubel who had a good year last year. But injuries and lack of performance elsewhere led to Thome getting in the line up regularly, especially in the last two months, and he has proved that he is as much a threat now as ever. His OPS is his highest since 2007 and his OPS+ is his highest since 2002. He is slugging .578 and his On Base Percentage is .387. Not bad for an old guy. And that's not just in a handful or small sample size. He is up to 248 plate appearances now.
There is no doubt in this Fan's mind that Thome is a Hall of Famer and should be a first ballot one. He has hit 1031 extra base hits in his career. He has a career On Base Percentage of .404. He's driven in over 1600 runs and scored over 1500. And if he is fortunate enough to play another year (something his play this year has given him a good argument for), he could end up with over 600 homers.
Sure, he played in the PED era and thus his stats are looked at with a jaded eye. Sure, he was a lousy third baseman and a lousy first baseman. But as a hitter? Forget about it. He's been great. And since testing has gone into place, the Fan doesn't really see a drop off in his production that can't be accounted for besides the inevetible age decline. He has hit 108 homers in the last five years in mostly part time duty the last couple of years. He is a tough out just like he has always been.
One of the reasons that the Twins haven't missed a beat since Justin Morneau went out with a concussion is that Thome has allowed Kubel to go to the outfield so Cuddyer could play first. All three are hitting well and the Thome has made the most of his playing time. He has a 1.060 OPS in his last 28 days despite a BABIP (batting average on balls in play) of .259. Imagine what he would be doing if he had been a little luckier! He is holding his own against left-handers with an .800 OPS (above league average). and as usual is killing right-handers.
The Fan can already hear the arguments against Thome when he hits the HOF ballot:
- Played in the PED era. Yeah, so did a lot of players. Were they as good as him?
- Was mostly a DH. Okay, but that's why they put the rule in there in the first place. Edgar Martinez isn't a Hall of Famer?
- Never won an MVP. He was in the top ten in voting four times and was in the top twenty six times.
- Was never considered as one of the best players in his sport. Says who? Okay, he made only five All Star Games. But there were always a lot of big slugging first basemen. How many of them will finish close to or over 600 homers?
- Only hit .222 during post season play. Yeah, but he hit 17 homers or one less than Mickey Mantle (who didn't get the benefit of playoff series).
But forget about all of that right now because Thome is still playing and he is just another big reason why the Twins are doing as well as they are. Enjoy him while you can. He was and is all class and he's had one heck of a career. Thankfully, it isn't over yet.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Dodgers and Rockies Try to Gear Up - White Sox Give Up
Three big deals occurred last night that beat the deadline for post season rosters. The Dodgers got Jim Thome from the White Sox for cash and a minor league player to essentially pinch hit since he can't play first base. The Dodgers also acquired Jon Garland from the Diamondbacks to bolster their rotation (too bad for knuckleballer, Haeger) for a player to be named later. And the White Sox also sent Contreras to the Rockies.
American League pitchers have a history of doing well after being traded to the National League. So perhaps Contreras can contribute for the Rockies after an abysmal season for the White Sox. Perhaps just getting away from his manager will take some of the pressure off of him.
Thome can't play in the field, so he becomes a pretty expensive pinch hitter for the rest of the season and post season. He may hit a homer or three to win a game or two for his new team. The biggest benefit he'll provide is a boost to Manny Ramirez and his morale. The two played together in Cleveland and really like each other.
Garland should help the Dodgers a lot. He is coming off a great start from this past week and appears to be peaking as the season goes along. He should be worth a win or two. Plus, he is familiar to pitching in the American League and that should help the Dodgers in the post season if they get to the World Series.
The moves prove the Rockies and the Dodgers are serious and ready to spend a little to get the job done. The moves also indicate that the White Sox have thrown in the towel and figure they have no hope to compete the rest of the way out.
American League pitchers have a history of doing well after being traded to the National League. So perhaps Contreras can contribute for the Rockies after an abysmal season for the White Sox. Perhaps just getting away from his manager will take some of the pressure off of him.
Thome can't play in the field, so he becomes a pretty expensive pinch hitter for the rest of the season and post season. He may hit a homer or three to win a game or two for his new team. The biggest benefit he'll provide is a boost to Manny Ramirez and his morale. The two played together in Cleveland and really like each other.
Garland should help the Dodgers a lot. He is coming off a great start from this past week and appears to be peaking as the season goes along. He should be worth a win or two. Plus, he is familiar to pitching in the American League and that should help the Dodgers in the post season if they get to the World Series.
The moves prove the Rockies and the Dodgers are serious and ready to spend a little to get the job done. The moves also indicate that the White Sox have thrown in the towel and figure they have no hope to compete the rest of the way out.
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