It's time to give it up to the Milwaukee Brewers! Winners of twelve of their last fourteen games, the Brewers are an unwelcome sight right now for any contender...just ask the Cubs and the Phillies. And even though the Brewers have lost seventeen more games than they have lost for the season, Milwaukee's Brew Crew is a fun team to follow.
Today saw these Brewers beat up on the Cubs who desperately need to put together a winning streak. Team offensive giant, Richie Sexson went three for four with four RBI to lift his season total to one hundred. Sexson is perceived as this big guy who strikes out a lot and hits a homer once in a while. Let's take a closer look:
Last five year homer totals: 31, 30, 45, 29 and so far 36 this year.
Last five year RBI totals: 116, 91, 125, 102 and 100 so far this year.
Sexson also has a lifetime .271 batting average (and hits there consistently year after year) while increasing his total bases on balls every year for the last five years. This is a good player!
Geoff Jenkins is another great player who just can't seem to shake the injury bug. Jenkins had 28 homers and 95 RBI when he went down again this year with a fractured left thumb.
Another find is rookie leadoff hitter, Scott Podsednik. Podsednik is batting .313 with a fairly good OBP (for a leadoff hitter) of .379. He has stolen 31 bases and has 76 runs scored.
The Brewers have a few good arms in Ben Sheets, Wayne Franklin, Matt Kinney and new closer, Matt Kolb (13 saves with a 2.01 ERA). But my favorite pitcher and story has to be Brooks Kieschnick who had cups of coffee with the Cubs, Reds and Colorado. This year he is a pitcher...a pitcher who regularly pinch hits.
Kieschnick hasn't played the field at all this year but as a batter--mostly as a pinch hitter--has five homers and nine RBI in only 55 at bats. His batting average is .327, his OBP is .383 and has a slugging percentage over .600! What's more, in his first year as a pitcher, he hasn't performed too badly. He's won a game and lost a game and has a 4.76 ERA. Hey, that's lower than Jose Mesa! What a great story.
Speaking of great stories, I almost hesitate to write about Barry Bonds as so much has been written already. But the man has game-winning homers in the last three games he's played and has homered in 24 of the last 27 games he's played. His homer today was off an inside pitch from Randy Johnson that he turned on lightning quick. The man is simply amazing.
After mentioning Randy Johnson, makes me compare him to Pedro Martinez who just don't seem to be themselves. Johnson has a bad knee and is 4-7 on the year. Martinez, after being sick last week, got hammered by the Yankees today. I have a feeling that this series is going to go fifty/fifty for both teams the rest of the way.
Saturday, August 30, 2003
Friday, August 29, 2003
The Fan has never seen a baseball race like this. Oh yes, there have been two teams that went down to the wire. That is exciting in and of itself. But five teams tied for the wildcard in the National League? Three other teams within a game and a half behind those five? The race is stupifying. And the best part is that we aren't all tied up in June. This is the end of August--heading into September.
The Cubs, now a game and a half out, have lost two heartbreaking games to the Cardinals as their starters pitched with purpose and passion only to have the bullpen throw the games away. Last night's Cubs needed five pitchers to get three outs. That's when you know you're in trouble. The sad thing about the two games is that Sammy Sosa drove in nearly all of the Cubs' runs.
On the other side of that series, the two wins for the Cardinals has to drive them to an emotional push. Those kinds of wins bring a team together and make the fight much more cohesive...not to mention exciting.
The poor Phillies and Marlins can't win a game. To know how far they were ahead in this wildcard race, consider that the Phillies have lost nine of ten while the Marlins have lost eight of ten and it wasn't until tonight that the pack caught them to logjam the race.
The Expos have to be the scariest team right now as they are hitting and pitching very well while making great plays on defense. I wouldn't want to play them right now. All of the other contenders have played near .500 baseball. The wildcard race is like a great big ferris wheel spinning slowly into the night.
Nearly as interesting is the see-saw between the A's, the Red Sox and the Mariners. It's very weird looking at the wildcard standings and seeing the the Red Sox a half a game up on the Mariners. The Mariners? The Mariners haven't been the wildcard standings all year as they started on top in the AL West and stayed there until this week. Now they are two games back of the high flying A's.
You have to shake your head at the way a team suddenly loses their way. The Phillies and Marlins are now joined by the Mariners who have also lost eight of ten. Joel Pineiro was the ace of the Mariners early in the year. In his last two starts, he's only pitched eleven and two-thirds innings and has given up nine runs on fourteen hits. Meanwhile, Ichiro Suzuki has only six hits in his last forty-two at bats.
The race in the AL Central gets overlooked lately but the three teams at the top are all bunched up and any team can take it at this point.
The Fan will repeat himself one more time: Nick Johnson is the key to the Yankees lineup. Johnson's On Base Percentage for the year stands at .438 and he has scored 43 runs in 65 games.
And now it's time for the Fan's favorite boxscore players and how they fared the last seven days:
- Jose Reyes. I had to start with Reyes as the twenty year old has been flat out electrifying so far. In his last seven games, Reyes has batted .333 with three homers, six RBI and six runs scored. The youngster is now batting .312 for the season.
- Rocco Baldelli. Rocco had a quiet week as he batted .268 with three RBI. Baldelli is now batting .298 for the season.
- Coco Crisp. The speedy Crisp had a great week with a guady .429 average with seven runs scored and two RBI. Crisp has now scored 46 runs in just 71 games.
- Mark Teixeira. Teixeira had a miserable week with just three hits in twenty-two at bats. His season average sank to .245.
- Hank Blalock. Teixeira's teammate didn't do much better, batting .167 for the week. He did hit two homers though, good for three RBI. Blalock is still batting a solid .310 for the season.
- Pat Burrell. Burrell actually batted .267 for the week with two doubles, a triple and two homers to go along with five RBI. Burrell has crept over the Mendoza Line and is hitting .202 for the season.
- Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera's tough week matched the Marlins this week as the rookie only batted .217 for the week though he did have a homer and three RBI.
- Sean Burroughs. Jeff's son went crazy this week as he had fifteen hits in twenty-nine at bats! Six of those hits were for extra bases as he scored five runs and drove in four. Burroughs is now up to .299 for the year.
The Cubs, now a game and a half out, have lost two heartbreaking games to the Cardinals as their starters pitched with purpose and passion only to have the bullpen throw the games away. Last night's Cubs needed five pitchers to get three outs. That's when you know you're in trouble. The sad thing about the two games is that Sammy Sosa drove in nearly all of the Cubs' runs.
On the other side of that series, the two wins for the Cardinals has to drive them to an emotional push. Those kinds of wins bring a team together and make the fight much more cohesive...not to mention exciting.
The poor Phillies and Marlins can't win a game. To know how far they were ahead in this wildcard race, consider that the Phillies have lost nine of ten while the Marlins have lost eight of ten and it wasn't until tonight that the pack caught them to logjam the race.
The Expos have to be the scariest team right now as they are hitting and pitching very well while making great plays on defense. I wouldn't want to play them right now. All of the other contenders have played near .500 baseball. The wildcard race is like a great big ferris wheel spinning slowly into the night.
Nearly as interesting is the see-saw between the A's, the Red Sox and the Mariners. It's very weird looking at the wildcard standings and seeing the the Red Sox a half a game up on the Mariners. The Mariners? The Mariners haven't been the wildcard standings all year as they started on top in the AL West and stayed there until this week. Now they are two games back of the high flying A's.
You have to shake your head at the way a team suddenly loses their way. The Phillies and Marlins are now joined by the Mariners who have also lost eight of ten. Joel Pineiro was the ace of the Mariners early in the year. In his last two starts, he's only pitched eleven and two-thirds innings and has given up nine runs on fourteen hits. Meanwhile, Ichiro Suzuki has only six hits in his last forty-two at bats.
The race in the AL Central gets overlooked lately but the three teams at the top are all bunched up and any team can take it at this point.
The Fan will repeat himself one more time: Nick Johnson is the key to the Yankees lineup. Johnson's On Base Percentage for the year stands at .438 and he has scored 43 runs in 65 games.
And now it's time for the Fan's favorite boxscore players and how they fared the last seven days:
- Jose Reyes. I had to start with Reyes as the twenty year old has been flat out electrifying so far. In his last seven games, Reyes has batted .333 with three homers, six RBI and six runs scored. The youngster is now batting .312 for the season.
- Rocco Baldelli. Rocco had a quiet week as he batted .268 with three RBI. Baldelli is now batting .298 for the season.
- Coco Crisp. The speedy Crisp had a great week with a guady .429 average with seven runs scored and two RBI. Crisp has now scored 46 runs in just 71 games.
- Mark Teixeira. Teixeira had a miserable week with just three hits in twenty-two at bats. His season average sank to .245.
- Hank Blalock. Teixeira's teammate didn't do much better, batting .167 for the week. He did hit two homers though, good for three RBI. Blalock is still batting a solid .310 for the season.
- Pat Burrell. Burrell actually batted .267 for the week with two doubles, a triple and two homers to go along with five RBI. Burrell has crept over the Mendoza Line and is hitting .202 for the season.
- Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera's tough week matched the Marlins this week as the rookie only batted .217 for the week though he did have a homer and three RBI.
- Sean Burroughs. Jeff's son went crazy this week as he had fifteen hits in twenty-nine at bats! Six of those hits were for extra bases as he scored five runs and drove in four. Burroughs is now up to .299 for the year.
Tuesday, August 26, 2003
The Fan understand about being a fan. Right now the Pittsburgh Pirate fans have lost their hero and the San Diego Padre fans have found a new one. Brian Giles is one of the best players in the game. The fact that he played for the Pirates hid that fact quite well for a long time. Try to remember the last time you saw a Pirate game on national television?
But Brian Giles also was paid over $8 million a year by the Pirates and when you are losing, that's a lot of money to spend on one guy. That is the strategy that has worked for the Oakland A's and the Seattle Mariners. The Pirates are hoping they can duplicate that philosophy. But the thing is, how much of Giles play for the Pirates is responsible for ticket sales in Pittsburgh? How do you measure that? How do you measure the amount of tickets are lost when the team's message to its fans is that superstars are too expensive? That's a bitter pill and almost as damaging to fans morale as a baseball strike.
On the other side of the country, the message that San Diego is telling its fans is that they are serious about building a great team. The core is shaping up nicely and with Giles being only thirty-two years old with at least six good years left, he will be the cog in that core. Giles is from San Diego and going home is only going to help him even more to continue to put up the kind of world class numbers the world shouldn't be ignoring.
Elsewhere, Portland Oregon has passed a stadium bill in an election and become the front runners for the Expos. Portland is a beautiful city and all, but you better build a dome as it rains a lot there. The only other Expos option seems to be Washington. I can't imagine baseball agreeing to a team in Puerto Rico as the travel costs that would be added to the teams would be enormous.
The only problem with an Oregon Expos result would be that the National League West already has five teams. The NL Central has six. What seems to make sense to me is to move Milwaukee from the NL Central to the NL West (but make sure plenty of Cubs/Brewer games are scheduled) and move the new Oregon Expos into the American League West as that division only has four teams. Texas would love that...one more good team to have to contend with!
Oh those Phillies! They were beating the (for now) Montreal Expos 8-0 in the fifth inning and 10-4 in the sixth. They lost the game 14-10 as the Expos scored ten runs in the final two innings. "Ouch!" says those Phillies fans hoping for the wildcard. Yes, I know what it's like to be a fan.
In that Phillies game, the combined line of the Phillies' relievers is:
2 10 10 10 3 1
(Innings, hits, runs, earned runs, walks, strikeouts)
Quickly around the majors tonight: Toronto outlasted the Red Sox despite a late charge by the Sox. The game featured 31 hits and four errors.
The Cubs got another win from Mark Prior, who is really the front runner for the NL Cy Young award. Randall Simon has made a big impact in the first week playing for the Cubs. The man swings at everything but he rarely misses. He struck out only 32 times last year in 480+ at bats. The highlights showed him hitting a ball a ton that was pitched over his head! Oh! By the way, the Cubs beat division rival, the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Marlins lost again, this time to Pittsburgh as Jason Kendall took out his non-trade (he was hoping to go with Giles) frustration out on the fish including a two run homer. The Marlins are staying neck and neck with the Phillies as they shrink back to the wildcard pack that both teams could have owned.
The White Sox pounded Roger Clemens (sigh) as they won their sixth straight. Frank Thomas hit a grand slam. I hope Clemens doesn't finish the year poorly.
The Royals kept pace by beating Texas 9-2. Mike Sweeney broke out of his slump by going three for five with four RBI. Rafael Palmeiro hit his thirty-first homer of the season (521 for his career) and now has 93 RBI. Why would you want to dump a guy like that to go along with all your kids?
The Devil Rays are leading the suddenly anemic Seattle Mariners 3-0 in the fifth. The A's and Orioles are scoreless after four innings. The Orioles have really missed Melvin Mora and haven't shown the same potent offense since he had to shut it down. They will be a tough team next year.
But Brian Giles also was paid over $8 million a year by the Pirates and when you are losing, that's a lot of money to spend on one guy. That is the strategy that has worked for the Oakland A's and the Seattle Mariners. The Pirates are hoping they can duplicate that philosophy. But the thing is, how much of Giles play for the Pirates is responsible for ticket sales in Pittsburgh? How do you measure that? How do you measure the amount of tickets are lost when the team's message to its fans is that superstars are too expensive? That's a bitter pill and almost as damaging to fans morale as a baseball strike.
On the other side of the country, the message that San Diego is telling its fans is that they are serious about building a great team. The core is shaping up nicely and with Giles being only thirty-two years old with at least six good years left, he will be the cog in that core. Giles is from San Diego and going home is only going to help him even more to continue to put up the kind of world class numbers the world shouldn't be ignoring.
Elsewhere, Portland Oregon has passed a stadium bill in an election and become the front runners for the Expos. Portland is a beautiful city and all, but you better build a dome as it rains a lot there. The only other Expos option seems to be Washington. I can't imagine baseball agreeing to a team in Puerto Rico as the travel costs that would be added to the teams would be enormous.
The only problem with an Oregon Expos result would be that the National League West already has five teams. The NL Central has six. What seems to make sense to me is to move Milwaukee from the NL Central to the NL West (but make sure plenty of Cubs/Brewer games are scheduled) and move the new Oregon Expos into the American League West as that division only has four teams. Texas would love that...one more good team to have to contend with!
Oh those Phillies! They were beating the (for now) Montreal Expos 8-0 in the fifth inning and 10-4 in the sixth. They lost the game 14-10 as the Expos scored ten runs in the final two innings. "Ouch!" says those Phillies fans hoping for the wildcard. Yes, I know what it's like to be a fan.
In that Phillies game, the combined line of the Phillies' relievers is:
2 10 10 10 3 1
(Innings, hits, runs, earned runs, walks, strikeouts)
Quickly around the majors tonight: Toronto outlasted the Red Sox despite a late charge by the Sox. The game featured 31 hits and four errors.
The Cubs got another win from Mark Prior, who is really the front runner for the NL Cy Young award. Randall Simon has made a big impact in the first week playing for the Cubs. The man swings at everything but he rarely misses. He struck out only 32 times last year in 480+ at bats. The highlights showed him hitting a ball a ton that was pitched over his head! Oh! By the way, the Cubs beat division rival, the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Marlins lost again, this time to Pittsburgh as Jason Kendall took out his non-trade (he was hoping to go with Giles) frustration out on the fish including a two run homer. The Marlins are staying neck and neck with the Phillies as they shrink back to the wildcard pack that both teams could have owned.
The White Sox pounded Roger Clemens (sigh) as they won their sixth straight. Frank Thomas hit a grand slam. I hope Clemens doesn't finish the year poorly.
The Royals kept pace by beating Texas 9-2. Mike Sweeney broke out of his slump by going three for five with four RBI. Rafael Palmeiro hit his thirty-first homer of the season (521 for his career) and now has 93 RBI. Why would you want to dump a guy like that to go along with all your kids?
The Devil Rays are leading the suddenly anemic Seattle Mariners 3-0 in the fifth. The A's and Orioles are scoreless after four innings. The Orioles have really missed Melvin Mora and haven't shown the same potent offense since he had to shut it down. They will be a tough team next year.
Monday, August 25, 2003
In contrast to almost all the National League contenders, the Red Sox and the A's are doing what they need to do to contend.
The Red Sox, after a tough Oakland series, didn't get down and came back to sweep one of the best teams in the AL. And they beat the Mariners in convincing fashion after scrapping for wins in the two close games to start the series. First, Derek Lowe became the ace that he was last year and today, one of the best ever, Pedro Martinez, shut the veteran Mariners down for one run each game.
And what an acquisition David Ortiz has been. You have to wonder what the Twins were thinking to let this guy go. Only 27 years old, Ortiz is coming into his own in a park where he can either pull the ball out or knock it against that big green wall. Of David's 95 hits, 56 of them have been for extra bases. His 74 RBI in 99 games projects out to 120 RBI for a season if he played every day. He has already surpassed his career record for doubles with 34, triples with 2 and he's already tied his season high for homers. The guy has done everything you could ask him to do. And he's only cost the Red Sox $1.25 million.
The batting race tightened up in the Red Sox/Mariner series as well. The Red Sox kept Ichiro in check most of the series and now the great hitter is down to .331. Garciaparra is up to .325 and Mueller is batting .328. Garciaparra has already won one batting title and Mueller has been consistent throughout the season. The batting race is just one more fun one to watch the rest of the year.
I simply do not understand how the A's can pull off the kind of runs in the second half every year like they do. Every first half they look terrible and it looks like they will have an off year. Now they've come roaring back and amazingly, the A's and the Mariners are tied with the exact same record in the AL West. Didn't the Mariners have an eleven game lead at one point?
You can't ask for a better pennant race down the stretch as the Red Sox, the Mariners and the A's all have identical records. Only two of those teams will make it to the playoffs if the Yankees maintain their current play. The Yankees have won nine of eleven and have not shown any let up at all. The AL Central winner will have at least ten less wins than the three teams mentioned at the top of this paragraph. Amazing.
The playoffs are all about matchups. The Yankees don't match up well against either the Mariners or the A's. The Red Sox match up better against Seattle (in fact, they own them) but not against the A's. The A's don't match up well with the Mariners. The Yankees match up better with Boston. Who wins the races down the stretch will make a serious impact on which team makes it to the World Series.
In the meantime, the Phillies continue to look like a jet with only one engine as they are 9-12 in August. The Phillies will not make the playoffs and Larry Bowa will not be managing this team next season. The Fan is on a crusade. Boone got taken care of in Cincinnati and Bowa is next in the Fan's sights. This team will not contend with him in charge. Can you imagine where this team would be if Scott Rolen wasn't run out of town by Bowa?
Poor Jeff Weaver. He came in to pitch in the eighth inning against the Orioles with the Yankees up 3-1 and after getting his first out, gave up a homerun to Larry Bigbee. Weaver found out what the "yank" in Yankees stood for. On the flip side, struggling closer, Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect inning and a third for the save. Pettitte got the win and is now 16-7. The Yankees have to sign this free agent at the end of the year!
The Red Sox, after a tough Oakland series, didn't get down and came back to sweep one of the best teams in the AL. And they beat the Mariners in convincing fashion after scrapping for wins in the two close games to start the series. First, Derek Lowe became the ace that he was last year and today, one of the best ever, Pedro Martinez, shut the veteran Mariners down for one run each game.
And what an acquisition David Ortiz has been. You have to wonder what the Twins were thinking to let this guy go. Only 27 years old, Ortiz is coming into his own in a park where he can either pull the ball out or knock it against that big green wall. Of David's 95 hits, 56 of them have been for extra bases. His 74 RBI in 99 games projects out to 120 RBI for a season if he played every day. He has already surpassed his career record for doubles with 34, triples with 2 and he's already tied his season high for homers. The guy has done everything you could ask him to do. And he's only cost the Red Sox $1.25 million.
The batting race tightened up in the Red Sox/Mariner series as well. The Red Sox kept Ichiro in check most of the series and now the great hitter is down to .331. Garciaparra is up to .325 and Mueller is batting .328. Garciaparra has already won one batting title and Mueller has been consistent throughout the season. The batting race is just one more fun one to watch the rest of the year.
I simply do not understand how the A's can pull off the kind of runs in the second half every year like they do. Every first half they look terrible and it looks like they will have an off year. Now they've come roaring back and amazingly, the A's and the Mariners are tied with the exact same record in the AL West. Didn't the Mariners have an eleven game lead at one point?
You can't ask for a better pennant race down the stretch as the Red Sox, the Mariners and the A's all have identical records. Only two of those teams will make it to the playoffs if the Yankees maintain their current play. The Yankees have won nine of eleven and have not shown any let up at all. The AL Central winner will have at least ten less wins than the three teams mentioned at the top of this paragraph. Amazing.
The playoffs are all about matchups. The Yankees don't match up well against either the Mariners or the A's. The Red Sox match up better against Seattle (in fact, they own them) but not against the A's. The A's don't match up well with the Mariners. The Yankees match up better with Boston. Who wins the races down the stretch will make a serious impact on which team makes it to the World Series.
In the meantime, the Phillies continue to look like a jet with only one engine as they are 9-12 in August. The Phillies will not make the playoffs and Larry Bowa will not be managing this team next season. The Fan is on a crusade. Boone got taken care of in Cincinnati and Bowa is next in the Fan's sights. This team will not contend with him in charge. Can you imagine where this team would be if Scott Rolen wasn't run out of town by Bowa?
Poor Jeff Weaver. He came in to pitch in the eighth inning against the Orioles with the Yankees up 3-1 and after getting his first out, gave up a homerun to Larry Bigbee. Weaver found out what the "yank" in Yankees stood for. On the flip side, struggling closer, Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect inning and a third for the save. Pettitte got the win and is now 16-7. The Yankees have to sign this free agent at the end of the year!
All baseball fans and human beings had to feel a tinge of sadness along with the thrill of the great performance given by Yankees pitcher, Jose Contreras against the Orioles today. The victory certainly seems to mean that Jeff Weaver has officially lost any shot at ever being a meaningful pitcher for the Yankees.
Weaver has gone in two short years from being the best Tigers pitcher to being the worst Yankee pitcher. How and why did that happen? Was it bad coaching? Bad luck? Unknown injuries? Or is it that baseball is a lot like golf--it's all a mind game. Weaver would be well at this point to move on from the Yankees and get a fresh start elsewhere. One also wonders if he could also use a sports psychologist to restore his confidence.
Weaver heads a list of players who could use a change of scenery. Joe Torre is likely to continue to support pitching Weaver except in long games where the Yankees are being blown out. Sterling Hitchcock is going to benefit from being let go to another team and another chance and Weaver could/should be next.
I don't know if Pat Burrell and Jose Mesa need a change of scenery or a change in who manages the team. The Fan has watched several involving the Phillies and the Fan would be a nervous wreck playing for Larry Bowa. Contrast his style with Tony Pena for the Kansas City Royals. Pena has just as much fire as Bowa for winning but does so with a positive attitude and an understanding of human nature. Bowa reminds me more of Billy Martin who either pushed a player or broke them depending on their makeup.
Lou Piniella has that fire too and can explode into rages as good as Bowa's but Piniella has won every where he's gone so he has to be a major motivator too. For those of you who thought he was too harsh to Ben Grieve, you may have been right...for Ben Grieve, but a similar player with Grieve's personality is Jon Olerud and Pineilla never tried to change Olerud's style of play. The Grieve blowup makes Ben another player who could probably use another place to play.
Another player who could use a change of scenery is Bobby Higginson. Higginson has hit over 25 homers four times in his career and has driven in over a hundred runs twice. And that was all for bad ballclubs. It seems like he is sleepwalking. Good players are good players because they love the competition. It has to have taken a toll on his interest in pushing himself from day to day. By the way, the Tigers broke an eleven game losing streak today.
A change of location can really help a player in a rut. Mike Hampton is the number one example. Colorado was not conducive to his style of pitching and another organization (the Braves) took an interest in him and right now is the hottest pitcher in the league.
Weaver has gone in two short years from being the best Tigers pitcher to being the worst Yankee pitcher. How and why did that happen? Was it bad coaching? Bad luck? Unknown injuries? Or is it that baseball is a lot like golf--it's all a mind game. Weaver would be well at this point to move on from the Yankees and get a fresh start elsewhere. One also wonders if he could also use a sports psychologist to restore his confidence.
Weaver heads a list of players who could use a change of scenery. Joe Torre is likely to continue to support pitching Weaver except in long games where the Yankees are being blown out. Sterling Hitchcock is going to benefit from being let go to another team and another chance and Weaver could/should be next.
I don't know if Pat Burrell and Jose Mesa need a change of scenery or a change in who manages the team. The Fan has watched several involving the Phillies and the Fan would be a nervous wreck playing for Larry Bowa. Contrast his style with Tony Pena for the Kansas City Royals. Pena has just as much fire as Bowa for winning but does so with a positive attitude and an understanding of human nature. Bowa reminds me more of Billy Martin who either pushed a player or broke them depending on their makeup.
Lou Piniella has that fire too and can explode into rages as good as Bowa's but Piniella has won every where he's gone so he has to be a major motivator too. For those of you who thought he was too harsh to Ben Grieve, you may have been right...for Ben Grieve, but a similar player with Grieve's personality is Jon Olerud and Pineilla never tried to change Olerud's style of play. The Grieve blowup makes Ben another player who could probably use another place to play.
Another player who could use a change of scenery is Bobby Higginson. Higginson has hit over 25 homers four times in his career and has driven in over a hundred runs twice. And that was all for bad ballclubs. It seems like he is sleepwalking. Good players are good players because they love the competition. It has to have taken a toll on his interest in pushing himself from day to day. By the way, the Tigers broke an eleven game losing streak today.
A change of location can really help a player in a rut. Mike Hampton is the number one example. Colorado was not conducive to his style of pitching and another organization (the Braves) took an interest in him and right now is the hottest pitcher in the league.
Saturday, August 23, 2003
The Minnesota Twins had everything right where they wanted. They were playing division rivals, Kansas City, at home in their little ballpark with a chance to really make a statement. The Royals were ripe for collapse, on the ropes and gasping. The Twins won the first game. So far...so good. Then they lost last night in a good pitching duel. No problem. Win Saturday and the Twins would still make a statement. They even had Jose Lima starting for the Royals as he is going in the Lima direction shown the last three seasons of his major league career.
And true to form, they whacked Lima around for ten hits in four innings. The trouble was that they only scored three runs. Ten hits to score three run? In four innings? That's 2.25 baserunners per inning and managed only three runs? They only knocked three more hits for the final five innings and didn't score any more runs. The Royals won 4-3. When the chips are on the line and the contenders are rushing towards September, you have to have a guy step up and get the big hit. The Twins just haven't had that guy.
You have to wonder if the 7-0 start was as good as it will get for Lima. It was fun while it lasted, but it was too good to be true. Well, it was true, but it was too good to last.
Three other teams that are staggering in this pennant race are the Marlins, the Mariners and the Astros. Seattle's lead over Oakland is down to two games even though the A's are only playing .500 ball the last two weeks.
The Marlins could have zoomed by the Phillies as the Phillies sat on the wildcard lead despite loss after loss. The Marlins have now lost five straight. They have pitched fairly well but have stopped hitting. All the losing by the wildcard leaders means that the Diamondbacks are slithering back into the race. I'm a Fan more than I am anything else and I'd rather see brown shoes at a formal occasion than see the Diamondbacks winning the wildcard.
The Red Sox have responded to adversity and beat the Mariners again today. The win was not pretty as their closer, Kim, again looked shaky in the last inning and allowed the Mariners to tie the game. But Kim and Mike Timlin held the Mariners there and the Red Sox put it away in the bottom of the tenth.
Now that the Yankees have lost two straight and are now leading the Red Sox by "only" five games, I wonder if Steinbrenner will start calling the red phone again. The man has the patience of a sled dog in Florida.
And finally tonight, the Fan sends condolences to the Bonds family as Bobby lost his battle today and died. Though I never did get over you coming to the Yankees at the expense of my Bobby Murcer, you were a good man and a great talent and gave us the best player of our generation. Rest in peace, Bobby B.
And true to form, they whacked Lima around for ten hits in four innings. The trouble was that they only scored three runs. Ten hits to score three run? In four innings? That's 2.25 baserunners per inning and managed only three runs? They only knocked three more hits for the final five innings and didn't score any more runs. The Royals won 4-3. When the chips are on the line and the contenders are rushing towards September, you have to have a guy step up and get the big hit. The Twins just haven't had that guy.
You have to wonder if the 7-0 start was as good as it will get for Lima. It was fun while it lasted, but it was too good to be true. Well, it was true, but it was too good to last.
Three other teams that are staggering in this pennant race are the Marlins, the Mariners and the Astros. Seattle's lead over Oakland is down to two games even though the A's are only playing .500 ball the last two weeks.
The Marlins could have zoomed by the Phillies as the Phillies sat on the wildcard lead despite loss after loss. The Marlins have now lost five straight. They have pitched fairly well but have stopped hitting. All the losing by the wildcard leaders means that the Diamondbacks are slithering back into the race. I'm a Fan more than I am anything else and I'd rather see brown shoes at a formal occasion than see the Diamondbacks winning the wildcard.
The Red Sox have responded to adversity and beat the Mariners again today. The win was not pretty as their closer, Kim, again looked shaky in the last inning and allowed the Mariners to tie the game. But Kim and Mike Timlin held the Mariners there and the Red Sox put it away in the bottom of the tenth.
Now that the Yankees have lost two straight and are now leading the Red Sox by "only" five games, I wonder if Steinbrenner will start calling the red phone again. The man has the patience of a sled dog in Florida.
And finally tonight, the Fan sends condolences to the Bonds family as Bobby lost his battle today and died. Though I never did get over you coming to the Yankees at the expense of my Bobby Murcer, you were a good man and a great talent and gave us the best player of our generation. Rest in peace, Bobby B.
Friday, August 22, 2003
The incredible and interesting playoff races continued tonight as Oakland, St. Louis, Houston and Minnesota all lost their games and Philadelphia, Boston, Kansas City and the American's League's Chicago team all won.
The Cubs are beating Schilling and the Diamondbacks, 3-0 in the sixth inning as Sammy Sosa has already hit two homers and Carlos Zambrano has not yet given up a hit. Sammy now has thirty homers and over eighty RBI for the season.
Two homers were also hit by our friend, Pat Burrell, as he went three for four and was instrumental in bringing the Phillies from behind to win the game. In the process, they shut down Albert Pujols hitting streak as he went "Oh for Five."
The Marlins are winning early against the Giants as Cabrera singled and Gonzalez homered to plate two. Dontrelle Willis is pitching for the Marlins and has given up one run in four full innings.
The Red Sox beat Seattle as Jeff Suppon pitched a good game and Manny Ramirez hit his 31st homer. The Red Sox are now tied again with Oakland for the wildcard race. Oakland got a big blow today as ace, Mark Mulder, learned that he had a stress fracture in his hip and will be out for the rest of the season. Mulder had won fifteen games for the A's this year so that's a big loss.
Zambrano now has a no-hitter through seven!
...
Oh man. I knew Shea Hillenbrand would break it up! The no-hitter was broken up with two outs in the eighth inning. The Flagrant Fan was hoping...
The Cubs are beating Schilling and the Diamondbacks, 3-0 in the sixth inning as Sammy Sosa has already hit two homers and Carlos Zambrano has not yet given up a hit. Sammy now has thirty homers and over eighty RBI for the season.
Two homers were also hit by our friend, Pat Burrell, as he went three for four and was instrumental in bringing the Phillies from behind to win the game. In the process, they shut down Albert Pujols hitting streak as he went "Oh for Five."
The Marlins are winning early against the Giants as Cabrera singled and Gonzalez homered to plate two. Dontrelle Willis is pitching for the Marlins and has given up one run in four full innings.
The Red Sox beat Seattle as Jeff Suppon pitched a good game and Manny Ramirez hit his 31st homer. The Red Sox are now tied again with Oakland for the wildcard race. Oakland got a big blow today as ace, Mark Mulder, learned that he had a stress fracture in his hip and will be out for the rest of the season. Mulder had won fifteen games for the A's this year so that's a big loss.
Zambrano now has a no-hitter through seven!
...
Oh man. I knew Shea Hillenbrand would break it up! The no-hitter was broken up with two outs in the eighth inning. The Flagrant Fan was hoping...
Wednesday, August 20, 2003
With the Royals loss and the Twins win, those two teams are now tied. If Chicago wins, the White Sox will be in first by half a game. That's the bad news for the Royals. The good news is that they almost came back from way behind today to win in the ninth AND they have been counted out for dead a month ago and stormed back. We'll have to see which way they go this time. This Fan's sad opinion is that this is the beginning of the end of a great run.
The Cubs have bounced back tonight behind the brilliance of Mark Prior. If the 6-0 score (eighth inning) holds up, the Cubs will be only a half a game behind Houston. The Cardinals are losing huge, 13-0, so they will not be taking advantage of the opportunity to inch closer.
The Phillies are getting trounced by Milwaukee again and the more I see this collapse, the more I believe that there is no way that Larry Bowa will survive as manager. And with the talent they have, I wouldn't be surprised if it happens soon.
The Marlins, a half a game behind the Phillies are beating Colorado 1-0. That would not be considered a safe lead in Coors (obviously). Cabrera is two for two and has driven in the only run. Mike Redman is pitching very well again tonight.
Barry Bonds game winning homer last night reminded me of The Natural, one of the best baseball movies of all time. I will say this to you one more time: We are watching history folks. Sixty years from now, people will be asking you if you ever saw him play. The two best players ever: 1. The Babe. 2. Barry Bonds.
And now it's time for the Fan's favorite boxscore players and how they've fared the last seven days:
- Karim Garcia. Garcia has captured my fancy with his big week for the Yankees. Now I wonder why he sat today! Garcia came up to the plate thirteen times last week and had four walks and five hits (a tidy little .694 OBP!) with three homers, a double and seven RBI.
- Rocco Baldelli. Baldelli is the model of consistency. He batted .300 exactly for the week and is at exactly .300 for the year. What is promising is that his OBP seems to rise every week so that means he's getting more selective.
- Coco Crisp. Crisp didn't describe Coco's batting last week as he only hit .182 last week to pull his season average down to .262. His OBP is down to .301, which is very poor for a leadoff guy.
- Hank Blalock. Blalock batted a consistent .292 for the week with a homer, two doubles and seven RBI. He is now at .317 for the season with 21 homers and 72 RBI. His season OBP is .374. Excellent.
- Mark Teixeira. Teixeira struggled last week, batting only .192 but he did have three doubles and three RBI. He is batting a decent .250 for his rookie season with 19 homers and 61 RBI. Watch out next year!
- Michael Young. Young had a good week, batting .313 with a homer and three RBI. More importantly, he scored nine runs from the leadoff spot and now has scored 87 runs for the season to go along with his .310 batting average with 11 homers and 61 RBI.
- Pat Burrell. Burrell didn't make progress as it appeared he might as he batted only .182 for the week and shrunk back down to .201 for the year.
- Miguel Cabrera. The youngster had a great week as he batted .429 for the week with nine hits in twenty-four at bats. Cabrera had a double, a triple and two homers and drove in six runs. He's also improving his patience and walked four times last week.
- Jose Reyes. Reyes was as good as Cabrera as he had eleven hits in twenty-seven at bats for a week's average of .407. The twenty year old is now batting .308 in his rookie season.
Mark Prior is the man. He is the Cy Young Award winner this year and looks as dominant as Roger Clemens in his young years.
The Cubs have bounced back tonight behind the brilliance of Mark Prior. If the 6-0 score (eighth inning) holds up, the Cubs will be only a half a game behind Houston. The Cardinals are losing huge, 13-0, so they will not be taking advantage of the opportunity to inch closer.
The Phillies are getting trounced by Milwaukee again and the more I see this collapse, the more I believe that there is no way that Larry Bowa will survive as manager. And with the talent they have, I wouldn't be surprised if it happens soon.
The Marlins, a half a game behind the Phillies are beating Colorado 1-0. That would not be considered a safe lead in Coors (obviously). Cabrera is two for two and has driven in the only run. Mike Redman is pitching very well again tonight.
Barry Bonds game winning homer last night reminded me of The Natural, one of the best baseball movies of all time. I will say this to you one more time: We are watching history folks. Sixty years from now, people will be asking you if you ever saw him play. The two best players ever: 1. The Babe. 2. Barry Bonds.
And now it's time for the Fan's favorite boxscore players and how they've fared the last seven days:
- Karim Garcia. Garcia has captured my fancy with his big week for the Yankees. Now I wonder why he sat today! Garcia came up to the plate thirteen times last week and had four walks and five hits (a tidy little .694 OBP!) with three homers, a double and seven RBI.
- Rocco Baldelli. Baldelli is the model of consistency. He batted .300 exactly for the week and is at exactly .300 for the year. What is promising is that his OBP seems to rise every week so that means he's getting more selective.
- Coco Crisp. Crisp didn't describe Coco's batting last week as he only hit .182 last week to pull his season average down to .262. His OBP is down to .301, which is very poor for a leadoff guy.
- Hank Blalock. Blalock batted a consistent .292 for the week with a homer, two doubles and seven RBI. He is now at .317 for the season with 21 homers and 72 RBI. His season OBP is .374. Excellent.
- Mark Teixeira. Teixeira struggled last week, batting only .192 but he did have three doubles and three RBI. He is batting a decent .250 for his rookie season with 19 homers and 61 RBI. Watch out next year!
- Michael Young. Young had a good week, batting .313 with a homer and three RBI. More importantly, he scored nine runs from the leadoff spot and now has scored 87 runs for the season to go along with his .310 batting average with 11 homers and 61 RBI.
- Pat Burrell. Burrell didn't make progress as it appeared he might as he batted only .182 for the week and shrunk back down to .201 for the year.
- Miguel Cabrera. The youngster had a great week as he batted .429 for the week with nine hits in twenty-four at bats. Cabrera had a double, a triple and two homers and drove in six runs. He's also improving his patience and walked four times last week.
- Jose Reyes. Reyes was as good as Cabrera as he had eleven hits in twenty-seven at bats for a week's average of .407. The twenty year old is now batting .308 in his rookie season.
Mark Prior is the man. He is the Cy Young Award winner this year and looks as dominant as Roger Clemens in his young years.
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
The Royals loss to the Yankees tonight combined with Chicago and Minnesota wins brought those two winning teams to within one game of the Royals. Watching the Royals is like watching that marathon runner in the Olympics who led the whole race and then staggered around the track at the very end while those behind passed to victory. This Fan hopes it doesn't end like that but the signs are there.
The White Sox and Twins both have winning records since the AllStar break while the Royals are a few games under .500. The question will continue to be if the Royals have enough pitching to get the job done. As much as it's painful to say so, it doesn't look like it.
The Phillies, who have 27 straight games without a day off, lost to a Brewer team they have to beat. It's hard to figure how this team can look so poor on some nights and like World Champions the next. I have some doubts on whether Bowa is the right manager for this team.
Fortunately, the Phillies are being mirrored by the Marlins who are not taking advantage of the opportunity. The Marlins are losing 7-1 tonight in Colorado. Colorado is not a place I'd want to travel if I was in the midst of a wildcard race.
Billy Wagner is in for the ninth inning of a slugfest between the Cubs and Astros that the Astros are leading 12-8. Sammy Sosa has gone suddenly cold as he only has five hits in his last seven games (for a .217 average over that span). Sammy just flew out to end the game with runners on second and third. Game over. The Astros win. The Cubs are now one and a half games back.
The Cardinals are winning big over Pittsburgh so they will leap frog over the Cubs and stay a game behind the Astros.
Bobby Valentine made a great comment on ESPN's "Baseball Tonight" concerning the Astros veteran players. He basically said that they look like they lack spirit and fun and play all their games with a grim determination. That is a feeling I have had without being able to verbalize it. A friend of mine at work says that if it isn't fun, it's not worth doing. It doesn't look fun for the Astros. Valentine has really impressed me with his observations.
It appears that after getting to within two games of the .500 mark that the Orioles have either run out of gas or have quit on Hargrove. The last few times I've seen them play it looked like they were sleepwalking. Tonight their uninspired play led to a gimme run as they threw the ball all over the place on a play where they had a Devil Ray player caught dead between third and home. The Orioles are now ten games below .500.
The White Sox and Twins both have winning records since the AllStar break while the Royals are a few games under .500. The question will continue to be if the Royals have enough pitching to get the job done. As much as it's painful to say so, it doesn't look like it.
The Phillies, who have 27 straight games without a day off, lost to a Brewer team they have to beat. It's hard to figure how this team can look so poor on some nights and like World Champions the next. I have some doubts on whether Bowa is the right manager for this team.
Fortunately, the Phillies are being mirrored by the Marlins who are not taking advantage of the opportunity. The Marlins are losing 7-1 tonight in Colorado. Colorado is not a place I'd want to travel if I was in the midst of a wildcard race.
Billy Wagner is in for the ninth inning of a slugfest between the Cubs and Astros that the Astros are leading 12-8. Sammy Sosa has gone suddenly cold as he only has five hits in his last seven games (for a .217 average over that span). Sammy just flew out to end the game with runners on second and third. Game over. The Astros win. The Cubs are now one and a half games back.
The Cardinals are winning big over Pittsburgh so they will leap frog over the Cubs and stay a game behind the Astros.
Bobby Valentine made a great comment on ESPN's "Baseball Tonight" concerning the Astros veteran players. He basically said that they look like they lack spirit and fun and play all their games with a grim determination. That is a feeling I have had without being able to verbalize it. A friend of mine at work says that if it isn't fun, it's not worth doing. It doesn't look fun for the Astros. Valentine has really impressed me with his observations.
It appears that after getting to within two games of the .500 mark that the Orioles have either run out of gas or have quit on Hargrove. The last few times I've seen them play it looked like they were sleepwalking. Tonight their uninspired play led to a gimme run as they threw the ball all over the place on a play where they had a Devil Ray player caught dead between third and home. The Orioles are now ten games below .500.
Monday, August 18, 2003
If there are any further questions as to whether or not Barry Bonds is the National League's most valuable player, please review the recent series sweep of his team by the Montreal Expos during his absence. Bonds, who has been with his ailing father, is expected to play Thursday night but has to heavy heart as Bobby Bonds is seriously ill with a variety of ailments.
In the four games against the Expos, the Giants managed only four runs on six extra base hits (no homers) while leaving 32 runners on base. They only managed 24 hits during the four game set or an average of six hits a game. Without Bonds, the Giants are the Tigers with better pitching.
The Yankees ended Lima Time rocking Jose for six runs in four innings. Lima lost for the first time this year. The loss is a bad start for an important Royals week where they face the Yankees three times before closing the week with a four game series at Minnesota. The Royals loss combined with tonight's White Sox win lowers the Royals' division lead to two games.
Karim Garcia had three RBI for the Yankees and could be a key slugger for New York down the stretch. Dellucci is a nice player but has never hit for much in his short career and the Yankees could use big production from Garcia down the stretch and into the playoffs. Garcia is batting .333 since joining the Yankees and has big time power potential.
The Yankees have their biggest division lead over Boston of the year at five games. I wouldn't count the Red Sox out yet though as the two teams will face each other over a dozen times down the stretch.
In battles of the lower end of the divisions, Texas and Detroit are in the bottom of the sixteenth inning as neither team has scored a run since Detroit tied the game in the ninth inning. Either that's a lot of good relief pitching or a lot of bad hitting. A-Rod is oh for six.
Tampa Bay and Cleveland are also in the fourteenth inning as the Devil Rays scored a run in the top of the eleventh only to see the Indians tie it in the bottom of that same frame.
Hey! At least those teams are battling hard with nothing to lose but the ballgame.
In the four games against the Expos, the Giants managed only four runs on six extra base hits (no homers) while leaving 32 runners on base. They only managed 24 hits during the four game set or an average of six hits a game. Without Bonds, the Giants are the Tigers with better pitching.
The Yankees ended Lima Time rocking Jose for six runs in four innings. Lima lost for the first time this year. The loss is a bad start for an important Royals week where they face the Yankees three times before closing the week with a four game series at Minnesota. The Royals loss combined with tonight's White Sox win lowers the Royals' division lead to two games.
Karim Garcia had three RBI for the Yankees and could be a key slugger for New York down the stretch. Dellucci is a nice player but has never hit for much in his short career and the Yankees could use big production from Garcia down the stretch and into the playoffs. Garcia is batting .333 since joining the Yankees and has big time power potential.
The Yankees have their biggest division lead over Boston of the year at five games. I wouldn't count the Red Sox out yet though as the two teams will face each other over a dozen times down the stretch.
In battles of the lower end of the divisions, Texas and Detroit are in the bottom of the sixteenth inning as neither team has scored a run since Detroit tied the game in the ninth inning. Either that's a lot of good relief pitching or a lot of bad hitting. A-Rod is oh for six.
Tampa Bay and Cleveland are also in the fourteenth inning as the Devil Rays scored a run in the top of the eleventh only to see the Indians tie it in the bottom of that same frame.
Hey! At least those teams are battling hard with nothing to lose but the ballgame.
Sunday, August 17, 2003
What is amazing about MLB pennant and wildcard races is how much the teams involved are spinning their wheels. If one team were to put a winning streak together, they would blow the race apart. But it just isn't happening.
Take, for example, the National League Central Division race. Houston is leading the division by a half a game and have lost six of their last ten games. Pitching and spotty hitting has been a problem for them. Pitching problems in their starting ranks are a result of key injuries. While you can't plan against something like that, their great bullpen is also a concern due to overwork.
Meanwhile, the Cubs and Cardinals had a great opportunity to capitalize on the Astros' misfortune but both teams have only won half of their last ten games. The Cubs aren't hitting well and the Cardinals aren't pitching well.
The wildcard leaders, Philadelphia and Florida, aren't exactly taking charge either. The Marlins have won seven of ten to get back in the race after a tough streak but the Phillies have only been a .500 team for quite a long time. The Phillies are sabotaged by difficulties in closing games.
Tonight is a great example for the Phillies. Leading 6-3 going into the ninth, Jose Mesa--who has an ERA of 6.10 and has given up 1.7 baserunners per inning this season--came in and gave up four baserunners and a run. Mike Williams came in to fortunately get the final out. But when your main closer has an ERA over six and your backup closer has an ERA over five, then you sweat every close game. Fortunately for the Phillies, Thome and Burrell are starting to come on strong.
The Marlins seem to have an edge with good starting pitching and good relief pitching. They also have great clutch hitting but good pitching can shut them down.
In the American League Central Division race, the three teams involved are also treading water. The leading Royals are holding on by winning only five of their last ten. Their pitching is suspect and sometimes it seems as if they are winning with mirrors.
The White Sox, who made a major charge to get into the race are slipping back the other way. They have lost six of ten and have now lost Billy Koch. That may be a blessing though as Koch simply hasn't done the job. In the amazing statistic of the week, Koch leads the team with only eleven saves. Contrast that to the Braves and Dodgers who both have save leaders with over forty saves!
For all the talk of Frank Thomas not making the AllStar team, he seems to be clogging up the middle of the lineup. Batting only .259, Thomas only has 66 RBI, a paltry amount considering he has 28 homers. Ordonez and Valentin seem to be the leaders of that club and they better start righting that ship before it sinks.
The Twins seemed to be coming on strong, but coming on strong only means winning six of their last ten. That's not enough to get the job done. I seriously doubt the Twins pitching can get them where they want to go.
The top two American League wildcard teams are also spinning on idle. The A's have only won five of their last ten and the Red Sox have won only four of ten. Then again, that seems to be a result of the two teams playing each other and playing even. Do the Red Sox have enough pitching? Do the A's have enough hitting?
Part of the explanation for all the above mediocrity is the improved play of the "also-rans" of baseball. Last place Texas has won seven of its last ten. Next to last place Cleveland has won eight of their last ten. The Devil Rays have won more games than they have lost for three straight weeks.
In the National League, the last place Mets have won seven of ten but are the only bottom division team in the league with a winning record.
The real reason for the lack of clear leadership in the races is the current schedule. When the teams in each division playing each other nearly two dozen times, all they do is take turns knocking each other off.
On one hand, the close races lend excitement to the game and keep fan interest involved. On the other hand, it's sort of like watching two fat has-been heavyweight boxers stumbling through fifteen excruciating rounds.
Take, for example, the National League Central Division race. Houston is leading the division by a half a game and have lost six of their last ten games. Pitching and spotty hitting has been a problem for them. Pitching problems in their starting ranks are a result of key injuries. While you can't plan against something like that, their great bullpen is also a concern due to overwork.
Meanwhile, the Cubs and Cardinals had a great opportunity to capitalize on the Astros' misfortune but both teams have only won half of their last ten games. The Cubs aren't hitting well and the Cardinals aren't pitching well.
The wildcard leaders, Philadelphia and Florida, aren't exactly taking charge either. The Marlins have won seven of ten to get back in the race after a tough streak but the Phillies have only been a .500 team for quite a long time. The Phillies are sabotaged by difficulties in closing games.
Tonight is a great example for the Phillies. Leading 6-3 going into the ninth, Jose Mesa--who has an ERA of 6.10 and has given up 1.7 baserunners per inning this season--came in and gave up four baserunners and a run. Mike Williams came in to fortunately get the final out. But when your main closer has an ERA over six and your backup closer has an ERA over five, then you sweat every close game. Fortunately for the Phillies, Thome and Burrell are starting to come on strong.
The Marlins seem to have an edge with good starting pitching and good relief pitching. They also have great clutch hitting but good pitching can shut them down.
In the American League Central Division race, the three teams involved are also treading water. The leading Royals are holding on by winning only five of their last ten. Their pitching is suspect and sometimes it seems as if they are winning with mirrors.
The White Sox, who made a major charge to get into the race are slipping back the other way. They have lost six of ten and have now lost Billy Koch. That may be a blessing though as Koch simply hasn't done the job. In the amazing statistic of the week, Koch leads the team with only eleven saves. Contrast that to the Braves and Dodgers who both have save leaders with over forty saves!
For all the talk of Frank Thomas not making the AllStar team, he seems to be clogging up the middle of the lineup. Batting only .259, Thomas only has 66 RBI, a paltry amount considering he has 28 homers. Ordonez and Valentin seem to be the leaders of that club and they better start righting that ship before it sinks.
The Twins seemed to be coming on strong, but coming on strong only means winning six of their last ten. That's not enough to get the job done. I seriously doubt the Twins pitching can get them where they want to go.
The top two American League wildcard teams are also spinning on idle. The A's have only won five of their last ten and the Red Sox have won only four of ten. Then again, that seems to be a result of the two teams playing each other and playing even. Do the Red Sox have enough pitching? Do the A's have enough hitting?
Part of the explanation for all the above mediocrity is the improved play of the "also-rans" of baseball. Last place Texas has won seven of its last ten. Next to last place Cleveland has won eight of their last ten. The Devil Rays have won more games than they have lost for three straight weeks.
In the National League, the last place Mets have won seven of ten but are the only bottom division team in the league with a winning record.
The real reason for the lack of clear leadership in the races is the current schedule. When the teams in each division playing each other nearly two dozen times, all they do is take turns knocking each other off.
On one hand, the close races lend excitement to the game and keep fan interest involved. On the other hand, it's sort of like watching two fat has-been heavyweight boxers stumbling through fifteen excruciating rounds.
Saturday, August 16, 2003
One of the nicest stories in MLB this year is Rod Beck. Beck is remembered as "Gasoline Beck" by Red Sox fans in 2001 because they weren't aware that he was pitching with a blown out elbow. All they saw were six saves and five blown saves.
After the 2001 season, Beck had Tommy John surgery and missed the 2002 season. Since Beck is right-handed and since he was 34, he didn't receive a major league offer for 2003. But Beck knew he could still pitch and ended up in Iowa, pitching for their minor league team as he lived in a motor home behind centerfield. For a terrific article on Beck's minor league start to this season, please go to:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/s/2003/0515/1554407.html
When the Padres lost Trevor Hoffman for the season, they tried a couple of different options and none panned out. Finally they gave Rod Beck a call. All he's done since then is win two of his three decisions and convert sixteen out of sixteen save chances to go along with a 1.82 ERA.
Beck's success, along with other great stories like Chris Hammond for the Braves last year, are what make baseball unique and so very much fun to follow. Go Rod Go!
After the 2001 season, Beck had Tommy John surgery and missed the 2002 season. Since Beck is right-handed and since he was 34, he didn't receive a major league offer for 2003. But Beck knew he could still pitch and ended up in Iowa, pitching for their minor league team as he lived in a motor home behind centerfield. For a terrific article on Beck's minor league start to this season, please go to:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/s/2003/0515/1554407.html
When the Padres lost Trevor Hoffman for the season, they tried a couple of different options and none panned out. Finally they gave Rod Beck a call. All he's done since then is win two of his three decisions and convert sixteen out of sixteen save chances to go along with a 1.82 ERA.
Beck's success, along with other great stories like Chris Hammond for the Braves last year, are what make baseball unique and so very much fun to follow. Go Rod Go!
Friday, August 15, 2003
Aaron Boone came up to bat for the Yankees in the top of the ninth with the Yankees down a run to the Orioles. The Yankees had runners on first and second with one out. Boone was mired in a terrible slump as he started his Yankee career with six hits in fifty-one at bats (a .117 batting average!). The Yankees' bullpen blew a great performance by Roger Clemens the previous half inning, denying Clemens his 305th win. This was the time for Boone to come through.
Boone pulled the first pitch hard foul down the third base line--no balls, one strike. Boone took the next pitch the opposite way and the ball hit inches right of the right field foul line. Typical for a man in a slump to just miss a game tying double. Boone then took a slider outside. And then a pitch came pouring in towards Boone's hands. Boone brought his hands in and swung quickly. The ball jumped off his bat and flew down the left field line. The third base umpire ran down the line...and called it foul.
Boone jumped into the air and ran across the diamond--a stupid move fortunate not to be noticed. The Yankees screamed. When you're batting .117, this is the worst thing that can happen for the new guy in an embarrassing starting slump. Fortunately for baseball, the umpires consulted and the home plate umpire overruled the call--by the replay correctly--and Boone became a New York Yankee with a game winning three run homer.
Lost in the shuffle of the hour long ninth inning (Rivera again struggled in the ninth but got the save with one run scored) was a curious call from Torre to the Yankee bullpen an out into the eighth inning after Clemens struck out the first batter. Torre brought in Jesse Orosco, who looked every month of his forty-seven years and blew the win. The Yankees better hope Gabe White will join the club soon and save Torre from making that mistake again.
Sammy Sosa single-handedly beat the Dodgers for the second time in a week as he collected both RBI in a 2-1 complete game win for Mark Prior. Prior looks so good it's scary. Sosa now has 78 RBI in his 97 games. The Cubbies are back on top of their division by a half a game. As Mel Allen would have said: "How about that."
Randy Johnson, like Mariano Rivera, just isn't the same pitcher this year. The Braves hacked him up tonight for seven runs to push his season record to 3-5 with a 5.05 ERA after ten starts.
The Cleveland Indians beat Tampa Bay tonight 1-0 to improve their record to 8-2 in the last ten games. C.C. Sabathia pitched a complete game shutout to improve his record to 11-7 with a 3.28 ERA. With Hafner and Broussard blossoming as rookie hitters and pitchers like Sabathia and Anderson, the Indians are going to be a really good team in a couple of years.
The White Sox are suddenly tumbling again as they have lost three in a row. This is such a strange and exciting season as both Central Divisions in both leagues feature teams flip flopping back and forth in the standings. Between the Central Divisions and the wildcard races in both leagues, it's going to be an exciting last forty games of this season.
Boone pulled the first pitch hard foul down the third base line--no balls, one strike. Boone took the next pitch the opposite way and the ball hit inches right of the right field foul line. Typical for a man in a slump to just miss a game tying double. Boone then took a slider outside. And then a pitch came pouring in towards Boone's hands. Boone brought his hands in and swung quickly. The ball jumped off his bat and flew down the left field line. The third base umpire ran down the line...and called it foul.
Boone jumped into the air and ran across the diamond--a stupid move fortunate not to be noticed. The Yankees screamed. When you're batting .117, this is the worst thing that can happen for the new guy in an embarrassing starting slump. Fortunately for baseball, the umpires consulted and the home plate umpire overruled the call--by the replay correctly--and Boone became a New York Yankee with a game winning three run homer.
Lost in the shuffle of the hour long ninth inning (Rivera again struggled in the ninth but got the save with one run scored) was a curious call from Torre to the Yankee bullpen an out into the eighth inning after Clemens struck out the first batter. Torre brought in Jesse Orosco, who looked every month of his forty-seven years and blew the win. The Yankees better hope Gabe White will join the club soon and save Torre from making that mistake again.
Sammy Sosa single-handedly beat the Dodgers for the second time in a week as he collected both RBI in a 2-1 complete game win for Mark Prior. Prior looks so good it's scary. Sosa now has 78 RBI in his 97 games. The Cubbies are back on top of their division by a half a game. As Mel Allen would have said: "How about that."
Randy Johnson, like Mariano Rivera, just isn't the same pitcher this year. The Braves hacked him up tonight for seven runs to push his season record to 3-5 with a 5.05 ERA after ten starts.
The Cleveland Indians beat Tampa Bay tonight 1-0 to improve their record to 8-2 in the last ten games. C.C. Sabathia pitched a complete game shutout to improve his record to 11-7 with a 3.28 ERA. With Hafner and Broussard blossoming as rookie hitters and pitchers like Sabathia and Anderson, the Indians are going to be a really good team in a couple of years.
The White Sox are suddenly tumbling again as they have lost three in a row. This is such a strange and exciting season as both Central Divisions in both leagues feature teams flip flopping back and forth in the standings. Between the Central Divisions and the wildcard races in both leagues, it's going to be an exciting last forty games of this season.
Thursday, August 14, 2003
The Cubs and Red Sox both faced crisis coming into their respective series. The Cubs had just lost two of three from the Dodgers and had fallen two and a half games behind the Astros and further out in the wildcard race. The Red Sox started their series in Oakland after losing two of three to the Orioles.
Both teams left those losing series in a bad way and now had to begin series against important opponents. The Cubs had to face the Astros who were on top in the Central Division. The Red Sox had to play Oakland, their closest wildcard competitor. And both teams took it on the chin their first games by tidy pitching performances. Oakland's Tim Hudson handcuffed the Red Sox for a complete game shutout, out-pitching Pedro Martinez. Wade Miller outpitching the Cubs' Kerry Wood in a one run performance.
By then, Boston was tied with Oakland for the wildcard and the Cubs were three and a half back of the Astros. The Red Sox continued to struggle and lost the next game to Oakland and for the first time, the Red Sox trailed the wildcard race. Cub fans and the Red Sox nation groaned: "Here we go again. Another late season swoon."
But the Cubs roared back and won the next three games against Houston and the Red Sox won convincingly yesterday and came from behind today with a ninth inning Manny Ramirez bomb and won in extra innings with more Bill Mueller heroics.
Now the Cubs are only a half a game back of the Astros and only two and a half off the wildcard race. The Red Sox are back a game ahead of the A's in their wildcard race. These are fun teams with a lot of spirit and a lot of passionate players. The Cubs won't quit with Dusty Baker in the dugout and their hard nosed pitching and the Red Sox are playing more as a team than any team in long time Boston memory.
Personally, I don't believe the Astros can stay in the race. Their starters have been in and out with injuries and inconsistencies all year long and their bullpen has to be pretty gassed as they pitch tough games every day. Jimy Williams is a staff killer and Houston won't be any different.
The Cubs, then, will only have to worry about the resurgent Cardinals who are capable of anything with Pujols and Edmunds in the lineup.
The Cardinals were also given a big shot in the arm by two straight excellent starts by fill in starter: Garrett Stephenson. The Cubs have a lot of work to do but they showed character as did the Red Sox, by not folding when they most certainly could have.
Both teams left those losing series in a bad way and now had to begin series against important opponents. The Cubs had to face the Astros who were on top in the Central Division. The Red Sox had to play Oakland, their closest wildcard competitor. And both teams took it on the chin their first games by tidy pitching performances. Oakland's Tim Hudson handcuffed the Red Sox for a complete game shutout, out-pitching Pedro Martinez. Wade Miller outpitching the Cubs' Kerry Wood in a one run performance.
By then, Boston was tied with Oakland for the wildcard and the Cubs were three and a half back of the Astros. The Red Sox continued to struggle and lost the next game to Oakland and for the first time, the Red Sox trailed the wildcard race. Cub fans and the Red Sox nation groaned: "Here we go again. Another late season swoon."
But the Cubs roared back and won the next three games against Houston and the Red Sox won convincingly yesterday and came from behind today with a ninth inning Manny Ramirez bomb and won in extra innings with more Bill Mueller heroics.
Now the Cubs are only a half a game back of the Astros and only two and a half off the wildcard race. The Red Sox are back a game ahead of the A's in their wildcard race. These are fun teams with a lot of spirit and a lot of passionate players. The Cubs won't quit with Dusty Baker in the dugout and their hard nosed pitching and the Red Sox are playing more as a team than any team in long time Boston memory.
Personally, I don't believe the Astros can stay in the race. Their starters have been in and out with injuries and inconsistencies all year long and their bullpen has to be pretty gassed as they pitch tough games every day. Jimy Williams is a staff killer and Houston won't be any different.
The Cubs, then, will only have to worry about the resurgent Cardinals who are capable of anything with Pujols and Edmunds in the lineup.
The Cardinals were also given a big shot in the arm by two straight excellent starts by fill in starter: Garrett Stephenson. The Cubs have a lot of work to do but they showed character as did the Red Sox, by not folding when they most certainly could have.
Wednesday, August 13, 2003
Baseball excitement is back in Florida and in Kansas City. At this point in the season, the Marlins must look forward to extra inning games as they always seem to hit a homerun to win the game. It happened again tonight as Mike Mordecai became the latest improbable hero as he pinch ran for Mike Lowell and then came up in eleventh inning and put the game away with only his second homerun of the year. It's wonderful to see.
Even more exciting is to watch the Royals play. Fans are now starting to pack the stands and Tony Pena is some kind of manager and motivator. The Yankees hit a buzz saw and were murdered tonight 11-0. Watching the game, I couldn't help but feel good for that organization as the players are all pulling for each other and the fans are going crazy. Now that Mike Sweeney is back (four RBI tonight), their offense is even better and there is a possibility that they could actually pull this off.
The top three teams in the NL Central are now a game and a half apart. Houston, who lost two out of three to the Cubbies, are a game up on the Cardinals (who lost tonight to the Pirates) and a game and a half up on the suddenly surging Cubs.
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays had the best record in the AL East for the second week in a row. Lou Piniella is really getting a lot out of his players and could actually turn around a dead organization by his will alone. They aren't an easy win anymore.
And now for the Fan's favorite boxscore players and their last seven games:
- Rocco Baldelli. Baldelli batted .304 for the week to keep his season average at an even .300. I hope he ends up over the mark since he has been over .300 all year.
- Luis Matos. Kind of a new favorite for the Fan, Matos came from nowhere to join Melvin Mora (who I hope comes back soon) at the top of the Orioles batting success. Matos had kind of a quiet week as he batted .290 in 31 at bats. He did drive in five runs for the week.
- Coco Crisp. Kookoo for Coco Crisp had a tough week in some respects as he only batted .219 in 32 at bats. But he did score seven runs in the seven days and he hit two homeruns. Crisp is now batting .269 for the season.
- Hank Blalock. I haven't understood what Showalter has been doing with Blalock as he hasn't been in the lineup regularly and is up and down in the batting order. Maybe because of that, Blalock only batted .250 last week but he did manage four RBI. Blalock is still a solid .319 for the season.
- Laynce Nix. The football star with the baseball uniform batted .421 last week with a homer and four RBI. His season average is now .269.
- Mark Teixeira. Mark had a tough week, batting only .214, but he did have a homer and four RBI.
- Mike Lowell. Lowell is an inspirational story who is doing what star players do: Lead their teams during pennant races. Lowell batted .355 last week with eight RBI. He now has 98 RBI for the season!
- Miquel Cabrera. Cabrera was out-classed last week as he only batted .160 for the week with nine strikeouts in twenty-five at bats. His season average is down to .242.
- Pat Burrell. Well...we've been following the travails of Burrell this season and I finally have good news to report. Pat batted .400 last week! His OBP was over .500 and he had two homers a triple and four RBI. His batting average for the season is now a whopping .206. But, what has gone unnoticed is that his OBP for the year is a respectable .319.
- Jose Reyes. Reyes had another outstanding week as he batted .350 for the week to raise his season average to .300. This guy is going to be special.
- Bo Hart. Bo knows fielding but his batting has turned noticeably south. He sunk under .300 for the first time this season as he batted only .214 last week with nine strikeouts in seven games. He did score five runs though and made more highlight shows with his fielding.
- Sean Burroughs. Jeff's son had his second tough week as he only batted .235 last week with only one extra base hit. His season average is now at .283.
Congratulations to Mike Piazza for his five RBI performance in his first game back from a long injury shelving. Congrats also go to Wilson Alvarez, once a star, who has battled major injuries and has an ERA under 3.00 for the Dodgers while giving up only 1.07 hits and walks per nine innings.
Even more exciting is to watch the Royals play. Fans are now starting to pack the stands and Tony Pena is some kind of manager and motivator. The Yankees hit a buzz saw and were murdered tonight 11-0. Watching the game, I couldn't help but feel good for that organization as the players are all pulling for each other and the fans are going crazy. Now that Mike Sweeney is back (four RBI tonight), their offense is even better and there is a possibility that they could actually pull this off.
The top three teams in the NL Central are now a game and a half apart. Houston, who lost two out of three to the Cubbies, are a game up on the Cardinals (who lost tonight to the Pirates) and a game and a half up on the suddenly surging Cubs.
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays had the best record in the AL East for the second week in a row. Lou Piniella is really getting a lot out of his players and could actually turn around a dead organization by his will alone. They aren't an easy win anymore.
And now for the Fan's favorite boxscore players and their last seven games:
- Rocco Baldelli. Baldelli batted .304 for the week to keep his season average at an even .300. I hope he ends up over the mark since he has been over .300 all year.
- Luis Matos. Kind of a new favorite for the Fan, Matos came from nowhere to join Melvin Mora (who I hope comes back soon) at the top of the Orioles batting success. Matos had kind of a quiet week as he batted .290 in 31 at bats. He did drive in five runs for the week.
- Coco Crisp. Kookoo for Coco Crisp had a tough week in some respects as he only batted .219 in 32 at bats. But he did score seven runs in the seven days and he hit two homeruns. Crisp is now batting .269 for the season.
- Hank Blalock. I haven't understood what Showalter has been doing with Blalock as he hasn't been in the lineup regularly and is up and down in the batting order. Maybe because of that, Blalock only batted .250 last week but he did manage four RBI. Blalock is still a solid .319 for the season.
- Laynce Nix. The football star with the baseball uniform batted .421 last week with a homer and four RBI. His season average is now .269.
- Mark Teixeira. Mark had a tough week, batting only .214, but he did have a homer and four RBI.
- Mike Lowell. Lowell is an inspirational story who is doing what star players do: Lead their teams during pennant races. Lowell batted .355 last week with eight RBI. He now has 98 RBI for the season!
- Miquel Cabrera. Cabrera was out-classed last week as he only batted .160 for the week with nine strikeouts in twenty-five at bats. His season average is down to .242.
- Pat Burrell. Well...we've been following the travails of Burrell this season and I finally have good news to report. Pat batted .400 last week! His OBP was over .500 and he had two homers a triple and four RBI. His batting average for the season is now a whopping .206. But, what has gone unnoticed is that his OBP for the year is a respectable .319.
- Jose Reyes. Reyes had another outstanding week as he batted .350 for the week to raise his season average to .300. This guy is going to be special.
- Bo Hart. Bo knows fielding but his batting has turned noticeably south. He sunk under .300 for the first time this season as he batted only .214 last week with nine strikeouts in seven games. He did score five runs though and made more highlight shows with his fielding.
- Sean Burroughs. Jeff's son had his second tough week as he only batted .235 last week with only one extra base hit. His season average is now at .283.
Congratulations to Mike Piazza for his five RBI performance in his first game back from a long injury shelving. Congrats also go to Wilson Alvarez, once a star, who has battled major injuries and has an ERA under 3.00 for the Dodgers while giving up only 1.07 hits and walks per nine innings.
Tuesday, August 12, 2003
Have you ever watched a game where there was a batter on first or first and second and no outs and the manager calls for the next batter to bunt? Have you ever yelled at the T.V. when it happens something like, "What the hell are you thinking!" There is a fascinating Web page (http://www.users.nac.net/blacksaturn/rhoids2000/baseball/inningStateMatrix.htm) that gives a statistical overview of whether it's a good idea to bunt in certain situations. Here's a breakdown in plain English:
If there is a runner on first base and nobody out, then, according to the matrix set up on this Web page, there is an expectation of scoring 0.98 runs that inning. If you bunt that batter to second and now have one out, you have the exact same expectation (0.98)!
If you take the same scenario but this time making it first and second with no outs, there is an expectation of scoring 1.6 runs that inning. If you bunt the runners over to second and third and now have one out, there is an expectation of scoring 1.5 runs in that inning. So you've lost something there!
The above situations assume the bunt is successful. If in the first scenario, the bunt is unsuccessful and now there is a runner on first still but now with one out, the run expectation drops to 0.60. In the second scenario where the runners stay on first and second and now the bunt fails so there is one out, the run expectation drops back to 0.98 again. Fascinating!
I'm not smart enough to figure out all the writer is saying, but batting average does seem to play a part in the decision making process. According to the writer, the break even point for batting average: "Unless the batter when swinging away can achieve the singles outcome at least 29.2% (batting average = .292) the expected outcome favors bunting."
There is also another statistical nugget listed on the page that lists a success rate of 77% on stolen bases as the break even point on whether you should steal or not. Rickey Henderson was successful nearly 81% of his career so you can assume that his attempts were always helping the team. But the year he set the MLB record with 130 steals (1982 - 21 years ago!), he was thrown out 42 times for a success rate at a little over 75%. According to the statistical guru on the Web page, he didn't help his team that year. He did score 119 runs that season making his run expectation rate at 0.46 which seems to bear that out. Very interesting stuff if you like this sort of thing.
If you really are a mathematician and hunger for more of this stuff, see the following page: http://www.lunasoft.com/baseball/expectedruns.html
The bottom line for a Fan like me is that I'm happy as a cat in a tunafish factory if the stolen base or the bunt is successful and leads to runs and yell like anything at the manager if the opposite happens.
If there is a runner on first base and nobody out, then, according to the matrix set up on this Web page, there is an expectation of scoring 0.98 runs that inning. If you bunt that batter to second and now have one out, you have the exact same expectation (0.98)!
If you take the same scenario but this time making it first and second with no outs, there is an expectation of scoring 1.6 runs that inning. If you bunt the runners over to second and third and now have one out, there is an expectation of scoring 1.5 runs in that inning. So you've lost something there!
The above situations assume the bunt is successful. If in the first scenario, the bunt is unsuccessful and now there is a runner on first still but now with one out, the run expectation drops to 0.60. In the second scenario where the runners stay on first and second and now the bunt fails so there is one out, the run expectation drops back to 0.98 again. Fascinating!
I'm not smart enough to figure out all the writer is saying, but batting average does seem to play a part in the decision making process. According to the writer, the break even point for batting average: "Unless the batter when swinging away can achieve the singles outcome at least 29.2% (batting average = .292) the expected outcome favors bunting."
There is also another statistical nugget listed on the page that lists a success rate of 77% on stolen bases as the break even point on whether you should steal or not. Rickey Henderson was successful nearly 81% of his career so you can assume that his attempts were always helping the team. But the year he set the MLB record with 130 steals (1982 - 21 years ago!), he was thrown out 42 times for a success rate at a little over 75%. According to the statistical guru on the Web page, he didn't help his team that year. He did score 119 runs that season making his run expectation rate at 0.46 which seems to bear that out. Very interesting stuff if you like this sort of thing.
If you really are a mathematician and hunger for more of this stuff, see the following page: http://www.lunasoft.com/baseball/expectedruns.html
The bottom line for a Fan like me is that I'm happy as a cat in a tunafish factory if the stolen base or the bunt is successful and leads to runs and yell like anything at the manager if the opposite happens.
Monday, August 11, 2003
The Fan has a real dilemma tonight. Readers of previous posts have noted that the Fan is a serious Yankee fan and has been since Horace Clarke played second base at the Stadium...the OLD Yankee Stadium. But the Yankees are playing the Royals and I'd really like to see the Royals win their division. A Royals division win would be great for baseball and a great story.
At the same time, the Red Sox are playing the A's out in Oakland and quite frankly, a Yankee playoff series with Oakland, Seattle or the Red Sox would be difficult. But given my druthers, I'd rather face the Red Sox because they don't play the defense that Seattle does and the Red Sox don't pitch as well as Oakland can.
At this moment, the Royals are up on the Yanks by one in the eighth and Tim Hudson and the A's are up 2-0 on Pedro and the Red Sox. The Yankee pitching staff is starting to unravel a bit and the Red Sox great offense has sputtered against some really good pitching.
Oops! The Royals now have a three run lead as Hammond, Orosco and Prinz (the former Diamondback pitcher?? Where did he come from?) couldn't hold the Royals down and Sweeney, who is finally back, just broke the inning open with a two run double.
Oops again! The Yankees have pounced on struggling Royals' reliever, Mike McDougal for two runs, but now have two outs as Posada hit into his 401st double play of the year. The game is now over. Royals win...mixed feelings...
Raul Mondesi has accused the Yankees of trading him because they are anti-Dominican players. Oh please! They traded him because his average dropped from .320 at the end of April to the .250's by August. And then he didn't like being pinch hit for (so much for being a team player) so he left the Stadium. When asked, Soriano--also from the Dominican--basically said that he didn't know what Mondesi was talking about.
Peter Gammons has got to be one of the most unbiased writer of the game when it comes to international players and he has always been all over Mondesi. The man has talent rarely seen in MLB but has never driven in one hundred runs despite playing for good offenses wherever he's played.
I watched Mondesi play quite a few games for the Yankees and he could turn it on any time he wanted but rarely did. He hustled when he wanted but turned his mind off when he wasn't interested. Concerning Mondesi, the Yankees have to feel like the family that had another family steal their nasty dog. Whew! Glad that happened!
One more Yankee note: Aaron Boone has started his Yankee career with four hits in thirty-seven at bats. Yeesh!
At the same time, the Red Sox are playing the A's out in Oakland and quite frankly, a Yankee playoff series with Oakland, Seattle or the Red Sox would be difficult. But given my druthers, I'd rather face the Red Sox because they don't play the defense that Seattle does and the Red Sox don't pitch as well as Oakland can.
At this moment, the Royals are up on the Yanks by one in the eighth and Tim Hudson and the A's are up 2-0 on Pedro and the Red Sox. The Yankee pitching staff is starting to unravel a bit and the Red Sox great offense has sputtered against some really good pitching.
Oops! The Royals now have a three run lead as Hammond, Orosco and Prinz (the former Diamondback pitcher?? Where did he come from?) couldn't hold the Royals down and Sweeney, who is finally back, just broke the inning open with a two run double.
Oops again! The Yankees have pounced on struggling Royals' reliever, Mike McDougal for two runs, but now have two outs as Posada hit into his 401st double play of the year. The game is now over. Royals win...mixed feelings...
Raul Mondesi has accused the Yankees of trading him because they are anti-Dominican players. Oh please! They traded him because his average dropped from .320 at the end of April to the .250's by August. And then he didn't like being pinch hit for (so much for being a team player) so he left the Stadium. When asked, Soriano--also from the Dominican--basically said that he didn't know what Mondesi was talking about.
Peter Gammons has got to be one of the most unbiased writer of the game when it comes to international players and he has always been all over Mondesi. The man has talent rarely seen in MLB but has never driven in one hundred runs despite playing for good offenses wherever he's played.
I watched Mondesi play quite a few games for the Yankees and he could turn it on any time he wanted but rarely did. He hustled when he wanted but turned his mind off when he wasn't interested. Concerning Mondesi, the Yankees have to feel like the family that had another family steal their nasty dog. Whew! Glad that happened!
One more Yankee note: Aaron Boone has started his Yankee career with four hits in thirty-seven at bats. Yeesh!
Sunday, August 10, 2003
Fallen Angels. The Anaheim Angels lost again today to bring their record since the AllStar break to a Tigers-like 5-20. That is five wins and twenty losses. Such a record wouldn't be newsworthy except for the fact that the Angels are the World Champions.
Last year, the Angels were the "Angels With Dirty Faces" as they dove, bunted, ran and scrapped their way into the World Series. The defied all then opinion by beating the Yankees in the first playoff series and then winning the American League title. The little team that could then went on and beat the Giants in the World Series. It was an amazing run that started after the AllStar game last year.
A team hasn't fared this poorly after a World Series win since the dismantling of the Florida Marlins after their series win. Upon contemplation of the team's fall, it seems logical that a team that won with passion and spirit more than with talent would falter badly when that passion finally hits a wall. Injuries and sagging performances were that wall and it's now starting to spin the team downward quickly.
Let's start with the injuries. Darin Erstad has been injured twice and hasn't been a factor all year. Troy Glaus went on the disabled list at the end of July. Brad Fullmer went on the disabled list at the end of June. That's three really good hitters from their lineup. And Troy Percival has had hip problems despite having another good year.
And then there are performances by core players that are well below that of last year. Pitcher Kevin Appier was a solid starting pitcher for the Angels for two years with a winning record and an ERA under 4.00. This year, his ERA was at 5.63 when he was released. Mickey Calloway, another starter who helped the Angels down the stretch had a 6.81 ERA before he too was released.
John Lackey was 9-4 last year with a 3.66 ERA and started Game 7 of the World Series! This year, he is 7-10 with an ERA of 5.60. Jarrod Washburn was 18-6 last year with a 3.15 ERA. This year he is 9-11 with a 4.51 ERA. And now comes news that his start today was scrapped as his right elbow is hurting. The Angels' relief pitching has been excellent again, but their starters just can't get it done.
But pitching isn't their only problem. The hitting, from the infield especially, has not been what it was:
2002 2003
Eckstein .297 107 runs .253 52 runs
Kennedy .312 .268
Spiezio .285 .259
Even the Rally Monkey was fired according to the ESPN commercial!
Sammy Sosa personally defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers and Kevin Brown today. Brown only gave up five hits but two of them were homers to Sosa who now has 28 for the year. Keep in mind that Sammy missed at least a third of the year and is within seven homers of the leader, Barry Bonds!
As impressive in that game was Mark Prior who dominated, giving up only one run on five hits. Then again...it was the Dodgers, one of the worst hitting teams in baseball. Even so, a complete game five hitter is a complete game five hitter.
Last year, the Angels were the "Angels With Dirty Faces" as they dove, bunted, ran and scrapped their way into the World Series. The defied all then opinion by beating the Yankees in the first playoff series and then winning the American League title. The little team that could then went on and beat the Giants in the World Series. It was an amazing run that started after the AllStar game last year.
A team hasn't fared this poorly after a World Series win since the dismantling of the Florida Marlins after their series win. Upon contemplation of the team's fall, it seems logical that a team that won with passion and spirit more than with talent would falter badly when that passion finally hits a wall. Injuries and sagging performances were that wall and it's now starting to spin the team downward quickly.
Let's start with the injuries. Darin Erstad has been injured twice and hasn't been a factor all year. Troy Glaus went on the disabled list at the end of July. Brad Fullmer went on the disabled list at the end of June. That's three really good hitters from their lineup. And Troy Percival has had hip problems despite having another good year.
And then there are performances by core players that are well below that of last year. Pitcher Kevin Appier was a solid starting pitcher for the Angels for two years with a winning record and an ERA under 4.00. This year, his ERA was at 5.63 when he was released. Mickey Calloway, another starter who helped the Angels down the stretch had a 6.81 ERA before he too was released.
John Lackey was 9-4 last year with a 3.66 ERA and started Game 7 of the World Series! This year, he is 7-10 with an ERA of 5.60. Jarrod Washburn was 18-6 last year with a 3.15 ERA. This year he is 9-11 with a 4.51 ERA. And now comes news that his start today was scrapped as his right elbow is hurting. The Angels' relief pitching has been excellent again, but their starters just can't get it done.
But pitching isn't their only problem. The hitting, from the infield especially, has not been what it was:
2002 2003
Eckstein .297 107 runs .253 52 runs
Kennedy .312 .268
Spiezio .285 .259
Even the Rally Monkey was fired according to the ESPN commercial!
Sammy Sosa personally defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers and Kevin Brown today. Brown only gave up five hits but two of them were homers to Sosa who now has 28 for the year. Keep in mind that Sammy missed at least a third of the year and is within seven homers of the leader, Barry Bonds!
As impressive in that game was Mark Prior who dominated, giving up only one run on five hits. Then again...it was the Dodgers, one of the worst hitting teams in baseball. Even so, a complete game five hitter is a complete game five hitter.
Saturday, August 09, 2003
Could this be it? Could this be the time we've all been waiting for? What am I talking about? Pat Burrell hit two homers today and went three for four with three RBI. Burrell entered the game batting .196 and the slugger had endured being pinch hit for, double-switched with a pitcher and not even starting. Today he started...and stayed in the game...the whole game. And because of it, the Phillies came from behind and beat the Giants.
Burrell came up in the eighth with the Phillies down a run and hit a shot to left to tie the game. Then in the tenth inning, with Jim Thome on base, Burrell won the game with a two-run homer also to left. Way to go, Pat! We've been waiting for you!
And this kind of production is just in time as the Phillies have really been struggling and needed a big win. The Marlins are breathing down their backs for the wildcard and the Phillies' ace starting pitchers had been knocked around the past few games. Heck, Burrell even went over the Mendoza line with his performance today.
The wealth of amazing rookies this year continues as the Kansas City Royals, desperate and scratching and clawing to stay at the top of their division lost Jose Lima to a muscle pull. When Lima went down, they reached into their farm system and didn't get a turkey. Jimmy Gobble won his second straight start in as many appearances and after two games, has an ERA of 0.78. He didn't walk anyone and let in one run for the game.
What a great lift Gobble's starts have to be for the Royals along with the activation of their only star, Mike Sweeney. The Royals have to hope they hang on and that the White Sox will cool off.
Burrell came up in the eighth with the Phillies down a run and hit a shot to left to tie the game. Then in the tenth inning, with Jim Thome on base, Burrell won the game with a two-run homer also to left. Way to go, Pat! We've been waiting for you!
And this kind of production is just in time as the Phillies have really been struggling and needed a big win. The Marlins are breathing down their backs for the wildcard and the Phillies' ace starting pitchers had been knocked around the past few games. Heck, Burrell even went over the Mendoza line with his performance today.
The wealth of amazing rookies this year continues as the Kansas City Royals, desperate and scratching and clawing to stay at the top of their division lost Jose Lima to a muscle pull. When Lima went down, they reached into their farm system and didn't get a turkey. Jimmy Gobble won his second straight start in as many appearances and after two games, has an ERA of 0.78. He didn't walk anyone and let in one run for the game.
What a great lift Gobble's starts have to be for the Royals along with the activation of their only star, Mike Sweeney. The Royals have to hope they hang on and that the White Sox will cool off.
Friday, August 08, 2003
It's a fun and exciting time to be a Texas Rangers fan. There is so much for the fans to look forward to. Tonight in the first inning of their game with Toronto, Hank Blalock, the terrific second year player, hit a homer. Palmeiro got a hit a couple of batters later and then heralded rookie, Mark Teixeira, hit a two run homer. A revitalized Shane Spencer hit a single and then the Rangers' newest phenom, Laynce Nix hit a two run homer.
R.A. Dickey, another rookie for the Rangers, picked up his sixth win and new closer, Francisco Cordero, picked up his seventh save. Yes, this is an exciting and promising time to be a Rangers fan.
I hope Palmeiro declines the trade because the youngsters need veteran professionals to lead the way and you can't do better there than a future Hall of Famer like Rafael. If anyone crucifies Palmeiro for turning down the trade like they did Gonzalez, then they are pointing at the wrong guy. As I have said before, Texas made the deal with the no-trade clause, now they have to deal with it. Who can blame a guy for not wanting to upset his family's stability at the end of his career.
Buck Showalter deserves all the credit for letting the young kids play. Showalter could have played with his veterans and played for a .500 record. Instead, he played the kids and stuck with them through the young mistakes and the too-many strikeouts. His patience and intelligence has ensured a great future for the team. Which is logical as he did the same things for the Yankees and the Diamondbacks.
I might have to eat my words on the Armando Benitez/Jeff Nelson trade. Two days ago, I cried, "DOH!" at the trade but after two straight Nelson holds and Rivera saves, it's beginning to look a lot like 1998 again. Time will tell. The other story of the game was Nick Johnson who makes the Yankees' offense work. Tonight he was four for five with five RBI including a grand slam.
Bill Mueller had a tough night for the Red Sox. The Red Sox most valuable player (Nomar fans might disagree) went 1-9 in the double-header loss to the tough new Orioles and made a critical fielding error that cost the second game. Ouch.
R.A. Dickey, another rookie for the Rangers, picked up his sixth win and new closer, Francisco Cordero, picked up his seventh save. Yes, this is an exciting and promising time to be a Rangers fan.
I hope Palmeiro declines the trade because the youngsters need veteran professionals to lead the way and you can't do better there than a future Hall of Famer like Rafael. If anyone crucifies Palmeiro for turning down the trade like they did Gonzalez, then they are pointing at the wrong guy. As I have said before, Texas made the deal with the no-trade clause, now they have to deal with it. Who can blame a guy for not wanting to upset his family's stability at the end of his career.
Buck Showalter deserves all the credit for letting the young kids play. Showalter could have played with his veterans and played for a .500 record. Instead, he played the kids and stuck with them through the young mistakes and the too-many strikeouts. His patience and intelligence has ensured a great future for the team. Which is logical as he did the same things for the Yankees and the Diamondbacks.
I might have to eat my words on the Armando Benitez/Jeff Nelson trade. Two days ago, I cried, "DOH!" at the trade but after two straight Nelson holds and Rivera saves, it's beginning to look a lot like 1998 again. Time will tell. The other story of the game was Nick Johnson who makes the Yankees' offense work. Tonight he was four for five with five RBI including a grand slam.
Bill Mueller had a tough night for the Red Sox. The Red Sox most valuable player (Nomar fans might disagree) went 1-9 in the double-header loss to the tough new Orioles and made a critical fielding error that cost the second game. Ouch.
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