Baseball, the Beatles and Hobbits
The Fan was going to write about teams with new managers this year, but maybe that will wait until tomorrow. Why is baseball such a defining sport in some people? The Fan has to consider that other sports may hold the same passion for others that is baseball here at heart. All that can be said is that there are three defining themes that underline life for this author: Baseball, the Beatles and Hobbits.
To some, there is the belief that we all long for Eden. The heart yearns for the simple, the beautiful and the fulfilling. But we've been kicked out of the garden and the simple always turns to complex. At first, we accept the complex and believe that it's an evolutionary necessity. We are mistaken of course and find whatever we can that brings us back a bit to the garden.
Baseball was and is such a haven. From childhood to having a giddyup when crossing the street, baseball is a trip back to the garden no matter how crazy, sad and messed up life can become. Even the ball parks are these emerald green islands in the middle of grey cities.
That's not to say that baseball is always stress free--and not just with drama and close games. Between labor issues, drugs, corked bats, hold outs, lock outs and the Chicago Black Sox, there have always been threats to the game.
And there is evolution with the emphasis on conditioning, statistics, specialists and technology. But take the game back to the field and it's simplicity itself. It's the same simplicity that some find tedious. No matter how evolutionary, as the commercial says: "It's still 90 feet from third to home."
This isn't the space to delve into the place in the soul held by the Beatles and Hobbits, but these are Edens for the Fan and so is baseball.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Friday, March 03, 2006
The Body Fails Us
The Fan has a bum knee. It hurts so badly that the simple act of kicking off a pair of slip-on shoes sends shards of pain throughout the body. The situation has led to reflections of athletes who prematurely faced the breakdown of their bodies. There is an appreciation for the desire to at least attempt what is now beyond reach. The reflection gives new appreciation for why Jeff Bagwell is in Spring Training.
Jeff Bagwell has hit 959 extra base hits in his career. 449 of them were homers. Remember that most of his career was played in the Astrodome...one of the worst hitting parks ever. He has a lifetime on base percentage of .408. Between runs scored and runs batted in, Bagwell has contributed to 3046 runs for the Houston Astros.
He has been an All Star and a heralded player for a dozen years. He is the worst front office mistake made by the Boston Red Sox since Babe Ruth.
But several years ago, Bagwell's shoulder deteriorated to the point where he couldn't even throw the ball. Remember that Bagwell is not old by baseball standards. He is only 36 and it is certainly understandable that Bagwell wants to do what he's done his whole life.
The Fan's reflection led to memories of other players over the years who struggled the same way with youthful desires to do things their bodies no longer had the ability to fulfill. Some had some success in the attempt. Others tried and couldn't make it happen. Here are a few of those memories:
Rico Carty
Rico Carty came up as an outfielder with the (then) Milwaukee Braves and hit well over .300 for five of his first six years with the team. Carty's last two years with the (now) Atlanta Braves were spectacular with batting averages of .342 and .366.
Carty then began a series of lost years as chronic injuries derailed his promising career. The advent of the designated hitter in the American League allowed Carty to hit, and though it was painful to watch him limp around the bases, he did some damage for the Indians, A's and Blue Jays. Although Carty had some good batting years, particularly for the Indians, he was never the player he could have been.
Don Mattingly
Don Mattingly had a four year run rarely seen in the history of MLB. Besides being a perennial gold glove first baseman, Mattingly averaged 46 doubles, 30 homers, 121 RBI, and 210 hits. His batting average during those years: .343, .324, .355 and .327. He was widely held to be the best player in the game. He was the Pujols of his time.
Back problems short circuited his career and he couldn't muster 20 home runs for the last six years in his career. He finally retired after only 13 years.
Tony Conigliaro
Tony Conigliaro, or "Tony C" as his passionate fans used to call him, led the American League in homers at the age of 20. Two years later, after 95 games, Conigliaro was beaned by a Jack Hamilton fastball and never fully regained the full vision in his damaged eye.
Tony C missed all of 1968 but returned in 1969 and received the Comeback Player of the Year award as he came back to hit 20 homers. He hit 36 the following year, but his vision plagued him and, at the age of 27, was finished as a ball player. Tragically, he had a major heart attack ten years later and died at the age of 55.
Tony Oliva
The same year that Tony Conigliaro hit the scene in 1964, he battled another Tony for Rookie of the Year and might have won if he hadn't broken his arm in August. The other Tony...Tony Oliva, ended up winning the award as he hit 32 homers and batted .323.
For the next eight years, Oliva was one of the most exciting players in baseball. But Oliva blew out his knee and lost all of 1972. The injury was so severe that Oliva's career would have been over. But he also benefited from the new designated hitter rule and was able to prolong his career as a DH for three more years, but never to the effect of his earlier years.
He played long enough for the Fan to remember his limp, even more pronounced than Carty's.
Frank Tanana
Frank Tanana could throw the ball through a wall when he first came up for the California Angels in 1974. He struck out 269 batters in his second year (in 257 innings!) and in the following year, struck out 262 while winning 19 games. He also led the league in E.R.A. that season.
But after a few years, Frank Tanana blew out his arm. The story is similar to dozens of other players over the year. But Tanana loved baseball and adapted to become one of the best and most crafty pitchers for another 15 years. Tanana won 158 more games after blowing his arm out and ended up with 240 career wins.
Frank Tanana is a good place to end this retrospective. His win for the Tigers on the final day of 1987 put them in the playoffs. Tanana's unique tenacity makes him overlooked for the Hall of Fame, where he belongs.
With this throbbing knee, the Fan is rooting for Jeff Bagwell.
The Fan has a bum knee. It hurts so badly that the simple act of kicking off a pair of slip-on shoes sends shards of pain throughout the body. The situation has led to reflections of athletes who prematurely faced the breakdown of their bodies. There is an appreciation for the desire to at least attempt what is now beyond reach. The reflection gives new appreciation for why Jeff Bagwell is in Spring Training.
Jeff Bagwell has hit 959 extra base hits in his career. 449 of them were homers. Remember that most of his career was played in the Astrodome...one of the worst hitting parks ever. He has a lifetime on base percentage of .408. Between runs scored and runs batted in, Bagwell has contributed to 3046 runs for the Houston Astros.
He has been an All Star and a heralded player for a dozen years. He is the worst front office mistake made by the Boston Red Sox since Babe Ruth.
But several years ago, Bagwell's shoulder deteriorated to the point where he couldn't even throw the ball. Remember that Bagwell is not old by baseball standards. He is only 36 and it is certainly understandable that Bagwell wants to do what he's done his whole life.
The Fan's reflection led to memories of other players over the years who struggled the same way with youthful desires to do things their bodies no longer had the ability to fulfill. Some had some success in the attempt. Others tried and couldn't make it happen. Here are a few of those memories:
Rico Carty
Rico Carty came up as an outfielder with the (then) Milwaukee Braves and hit well over .300 for five of his first six years with the team. Carty's last two years with the (now) Atlanta Braves were spectacular with batting averages of .342 and .366.
Carty then began a series of lost years as chronic injuries derailed his promising career. The advent of the designated hitter in the American League allowed Carty to hit, and though it was painful to watch him limp around the bases, he did some damage for the Indians, A's and Blue Jays. Although Carty had some good batting years, particularly for the Indians, he was never the player he could have been.
Don Mattingly
Don Mattingly had a four year run rarely seen in the history of MLB. Besides being a perennial gold glove first baseman, Mattingly averaged 46 doubles, 30 homers, 121 RBI, and 210 hits. His batting average during those years: .343, .324, .355 and .327. He was widely held to be the best player in the game. He was the Pujols of his time.
Back problems short circuited his career and he couldn't muster 20 home runs for the last six years in his career. He finally retired after only 13 years.
Tony Conigliaro
Tony Conigliaro, or "Tony C" as his passionate fans used to call him, led the American League in homers at the age of 20. Two years later, after 95 games, Conigliaro was beaned by a Jack Hamilton fastball and never fully regained the full vision in his damaged eye.
Tony C missed all of 1968 but returned in 1969 and received the Comeback Player of the Year award as he came back to hit 20 homers. He hit 36 the following year, but his vision plagued him and, at the age of 27, was finished as a ball player. Tragically, he had a major heart attack ten years later and died at the age of 55.
Tony Oliva
The same year that Tony Conigliaro hit the scene in 1964, he battled another Tony for Rookie of the Year and might have won if he hadn't broken his arm in August. The other Tony...Tony Oliva, ended up winning the award as he hit 32 homers and batted .323.
For the next eight years, Oliva was one of the most exciting players in baseball. But Oliva blew out his knee and lost all of 1972. The injury was so severe that Oliva's career would have been over. But he also benefited from the new designated hitter rule and was able to prolong his career as a DH for three more years, but never to the effect of his earlier years.
He played long enough for the Fan to remember his limp, even more pronounced than Carty's.
Frank Tanana
Frank Tanana could throw the ball through a wall when he first came up for the California Angels in 1974. He struck out 269 batters in his second year (in 257 innings!) and in the following year, struck out 262 while winning 19 games. He also led the league in E.R.A. that season.
But after a few years, Frank Tanana blew out his arm. The story is similar to dozens of other players over the year. But Tanana loved baseball and adapted to become one of the best and most crafty pitchers for another 15 years. Tanana won 158 more games after blowing his arm out and ended up with 240 career wins.
Frank Tanana is a good place to end this retrospective. His win for the Tigers on the final day of 1987 put them in the playoffs. Tanana's unique tenacity makes him overlooked for the Hall of Fame, where he belongs.
With this throbbing knee, the Fan is rooting for Jeff Bagwell.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Who Are Those Marlins?
You can tell the Florida Marlins had another "cleansing" this off-season when, behind Miguel Cabrera, Wes Helms and Pokey Reese, their most experienced batter is probably Dontrelle Willis. If Florida's fans like young players, this year should be their nirvana.
The Fan has to wonder how the loss of all those experienced players will affect Cabrera. The young star has improved every year in homers, runs batted it, average, on-base percentage and slugging and last year blossomed into a full-fledged star. Will anyone pitch to him this year? And if not, will Cabrera lose the patience that he has steadily gained over the past two years?
The Marlins have an incredible 17 rookies on their 40 man roster and eight others have three years of major league service or less. Two of those eight are viable stars in Willis and Cabrera. The rest are a collection of young players that are unproven. It could be a fun year for Marlin fans...or it could be a very long one.
You can tell the Florida Marlins had another "cleansing" this off-season when, behind Miguel Cabrera, Wes Helms and Pokey Reese, their most experienced batter is probably Dontrelle Willis. If Florida's fans like young players, this year should be their nirvana.
The Fan has to wonder how the loss of all those experienced players will affect Cabrera. The young star has improved every year in homers, runs batted it, average, on-base percentage and slugging and last year blossomed into a full-fledged star. Will anyone pitch to him this year? And if not, will Cabrera lose the patience that he has steadily gained over the past two years?
The Marlins have an incredible 17 rookies on their 40 man roster and eight others have three years of major league service or less. Two of those eight are viable stars in Willis and Cabrera. The rest are a collection of young players that are unproven. It could be a fun year for Marlin fans...or it could be a very long one.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Nasty Stuff?
There was an article on ESPN.com today about Derek Lowe that got the Fan thinking of pitchers labeled in recent years with "nasty stuff." The three that come to mind are Lowe, Jeff Weaver and A.J. Burnett. Far too often, nasty stuff for these three has meant stinging hands for the winning team.
Lowe is the only one of the three who has won more than 50% of his games. And that, in large part, is due to his one brilliant 21-7 year with Boston. Lowe also has the advantage of seizing a big game and making himself part of something special. He has been the hero.
The rest of the time, Lowe has only been so-so with a lifetime E.R.A. of 3.84. Last year's so-so year has been explained by off-field problems. Okay, let's see what happens then. Lowe does have the advantage of pitching half his games in Los Angeles, a good pitcher's park.
Weaver has always had nasty stuff. In watching several of his games over the years, what you see is the story of his career: two nasty slider strikes and then a double in the gap. Weaver has a career earned run average of 4.44 with a sub-.500 lifetime record. In Detroit, he looked like an up and coming star. And then he hit New York.
Unlike Lowe in Boston, Weaver folded in New York like a bad American Idol contestant. He has put together two unremarkable years for the Dodgers. His stats show the enigma he is. His WHIP (walks plus hits compared to innings pitched) was terrific at 1.17. But he gave up 35 homers and lost 12 games to his 14 wins. And though he won his last four decisions, he only pitched well in one of them.
A.J. Burnett is the younger of the three and as such, garnered a big contract in free agency this off-season. But is a big contract of merit to someone who has a career record of 49-50? Like Weaver, Burnett had some pretty impressive stats last year. He struck out 198 batters in 209 innings. But he was still 12-12.
Burnett finished with three straight wins, but by then, the Marlins were out of it. When they were still in the race, he lost seven straight.
Now Toronto has pinned part of its hopes on the 49-50 star. Like Lowe and Weaver, sooner or later, Burnett's "nasty stuff" has to translate into more wins than losses.
There was an article on ESPN.com today about Derek Lowe that got the Fan thinking of pitchers labeled in recent years with "nasty stuff." The three that come to mind are Lowe, Jeff Weaver and A.J. Burnett. Far too often, nasty stuff for these three has meant stinging hands for the winning team.
Lowe is the only one of the three who has won more than 50% of his games. And that, in large part, is due to his one brilliant 21-7 year with Boston. Lowe also has the advantage of seizing a big game and making himself part of something special. He has been the hero.
The rest of the time, Lowe has only been so-so with a lifetime E.R.A. of 3.84. Last year's so-so year has been explained by off-field problems. Okay, let's see what happens then. Lowe does have the advantage of pitching half his games in Los Angeles, a good pitcher's park.
Weaver has always had nasty stuff. In watching several of his games over the years, what you see is the story of his career: two nasty slider strikes and then a double in the gap. Weaver has a career earned run average of 4.44 with a sub-.500 lifetime record. In Detroit, he looked like an up and coming star. And then he hit New York.
Unlike Lowe in Boston, Weaver folded in New York like a bad American Idol contestant. He has put together two unremarkable years for the Dodgers. His stats show the enigma he is. His WHIP (walks plus hits compared to innings pitched) was terrific at 1.17. But he gave up 35 homers and lost 12 games to his 14 wins. And though he won his last four decisions, he only pitched well in one of them.
A.J. Burnett is the younger of the three and as such, garnered a big contract in free agency this off-season. But is a big contract of merit to someone who has a career record of 49-50? Like Weaver, Burnett had some pretty impressive stats last year. He struck out 198 batters in 209 innings. But he was still 12-12.
Burnett finished with three straight wins, but by then, the Marlins were out of it. When they were still in the race, he lost seven straight.
Now Toronto has pinned part of its hopes on the 49-50 star. Like Lowe and Weaver, sooner or later, Burnett's "nasty stuff" has to translate into more wins than losses.
No Other Game
There is no other game like this. There is no game with the history, the subtleties, the nuances, the speculation, the expectation, the statistics and the aura. And there is no other time of year like this one. The winter has been long, but after months of rain and snow and freeze and thaw, baseball is alive again. Spring Training is here.
We have the Olympics out of the way. Football is speculating on the draft. Major League Baseball blooms like the first crocus of spring and like the first flowers, you never know what to expect or what range of colors will appear this year.
Major League Baseball is this rich continuing book that writes a new, fresh chapter every year and gives as much anticipation as the next Harry Potter book.
Will Clemens pitch again? Will Damon put the Yankees over the top? Will Pedro help resurrect the Mets? Will Toronto be a force again after a dramatic off-season? Will Mike Lowell return to greatness and have a big season in Boston? Will the White Sox repeat? Contend? Will Soriano play left field? Will Bonds come close to Aaron? Will Griffey stay healthy? Will Texas get enough pitching? Can the Pirates or Royals ever get to .500? Who will be the breakout star? Who will have a career year? Whose career will crash and burn?
Last year's breakout stars were Derrek and Carlos Lee. How many of us saw that coming? After the previous year and a half, who would have wagered that Andy Pettitte would win 17 games and have the best second half in baseball? Who saw Bob Wickman saving 45 games?
And so we start fresh. Forget about steroids. Everyone is watching now and no one wants to have to bow out like Palmiero. Forget about labor issues. The two sides never were more cooperative or more fearful of a work stoppage. Baseball has always had side issues. But they still have to play the games and no one knows how they will turn out.
Football has overtaken baseball as the sport of the day, but that's all it is: A day a week. It's an exciting day, it's true. But MLB is a 162 game adventure where we are sure to see things we've never seen before, even though we've watched with interest for decades. The Fan loves football. But MLB is the PASSION.
And this is the time of year where the passion takes hold and a thousand memories are rekindled and expectation is rampant for the start of something new and exciting. Here we go, fans. Our new garden of delight is about to bloom again.
There is no other game like this. There is no game with the history, the subtleties, the nuances, the speculation, the expectation, the statistics and the aura. And there is no other time of year like this one. The winter has been long, but after months of rain and snow and freeze and thaw, baseball is alive again. Spring Training is here.
We have the Olympics out of the way. Football is speculating on the draft. Major League Baseball blooms like the first crocus of spring and like the first flowers, you never know what to expect or what range of colors will appear this year.
Major League Baseball is this rich continuing book that writes a new, fresh chapter every year and gives as much anticipation as the next Harry Potter book.
Will Clemens pitch again? Will Damon put the Yankees over the top? Will Pedro help resurrect the Mets? Will Toronto be a force again after a dramatic off-season? Will Mike Lowell return to greatness and have a big season in Boston? Will the White Sox repeat? Contend? Will Soriano play left field? Will Bonds come close to Aaron? Will Griffey stay healthy? Will Texas get enough pitching? Can the Pirates or Royals ever get to .500? Who will be the breakout star? Who will have a career year? Whose career will crash and burn?
Last year's breakout stars were Derrek and Carlos Lee. How many of us saw that coming? After the previous year and a half, who would have wagered that Andy Pettitte would win 17 games and have the best second half in baseball? Who saw Bob Wickman saving 45 games?
And so we start fresh. Forget about steroids. Everyone is watching now and no one wants to have to bow out like Palmiero. Forget about labor issues. The two sides never were more cooperative or more fearful of a work stoppage. Baseball has always had side issues. But they still have to play the games and no one knows how they will turn out.
Football has overtaken baseball as the sport of the day, but that's all it is: A day a week. It's an exciting day, it's true. But MLB is a 162 game adventure where we are sure to see things we've never seen before, even though we've watched with interest for decades. The Fan loves football. But MLB is the PASSION.
And this is the time of year where the passion takes hold and a thousand memories are rekindled and expectation is rampant for the start of something new and exciting. Here we go, fans. Our new garden of delight is about to bloom again.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
The New Yankee Stadium
A recent spate of news articles announced that the New York Yankees have agreed with the city to build a new $800 million stadium across the street from the present site. Why does the Fan have the same feeling as the announcement several years ago of New Coke? It may have been touted as a good thing, but the Pepsi-like soda couldn't replace Coca-Cola Classic.
Information on the new park (for more information, click here) mentions that the new field will have the same dimensions as the original. Dirt from the original will be brought to the new park. The new facade will duplicate the original. The truth culled from this news implies the truth: It won't be the original.
Well...even the original isn't the original. Three decades ago, the original original was renovated and the Yankees spent two (or was it three?) long years in Shea Stadium. The renovation prettied up the old park and left enough of the original to at least remind fans of the old place. But besides ending Bobby Murcer's Yankee career, it wasn't the same place.
The right field corner was fifteen feet further back. The death valley that was center field and left-center was shortened with a new fence (though they left the old fence back there and created monument park behind the new one). The monuments that used to be in play in Center were no longer.
But at least it was still on hallowed ground. Now the ghosts of Yankee glory will have to find their way across the street. It could have been worse. The Yankees were seriously tempted to find a new home across the bridge in New Jersey.
Part of the Yankee mystique is their ballpark. When teams come to play the Yankees, the House that Ruth Built is a big part of what happens. The Fan remembers the Horace Clarke days too well to call Yankee Stadium a weapon. A bad team will still play bad there and the Red Sox comeback took part in the Yank's ball yard. But it does give the Yankees something that no one else has: the history of more than two dozen championships.
The good news is that Steinbrenner's team will have a brand new home in 2009 that will at least have the feel of the old park. It won't be New Jersey. The bad news is that once accomplished, unlike with Coca-Cola, there is no turning back.
A recent spate of news articles announced that the New York Yankees have agreed with the city to build a new $800 million stadium across the street from the present site. Why does the Fan have the same feeling as the announcement several years ago of New Coke? It may have been touted as a good thing, but the Pepsi-like soda couldn't replace Coca-Cola Classic.
Information on the new park (for more information, click here) mentions that the new field will have the same dimensions as the original. Dirt from the original will be brought to the new park. The new facade will duplicate the original. The truth culled from this news implies the truth: It won't be the original.
Well...even the original isn't the original. Three decades ago, the original original was renovated and the Yankees spent two (or was it three?) long years in Shea Stadium. The renovation prettied up the old park and left enough of the original to at least remind fans of the old place. But besides ending Bobby Murcer's Yankee career, it wasn't the same place.
The right field corner was fifteen feet further back. The death valley that was center field and left-center was shortened with a new fence (though they left the old fence back there and created monument park behind the new one). The monuments that used to be in play in Center were no longer.
But at least it was still on hallowed ground. Now the ghosts of Yankee glory will have to find their way across the street. It could have been worse. The Yankees were seriously tempted to find a new home across the bridge in New Jersey.
Part of the Yankee mystique is their ballpark. When teams come to play the Yankees, the House that Ruth Built is a big part of what happens. The Fan remembers the Horace Clarke days too well to call Yankee Stadium a weapon. A bad team will still play bad there and the Red Sox comeback took part in the Yank's ball yard. But it does give the Yankees something that no one else has: the history of more than two dozen championships.
The good news is that Steinbrenner's team will have a brand new home in 2009 that will at least have the feel of the old park. It won't be New Jersey. The bad news is that once accomplished, unlike with Coca-Cola, there is no turning back.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Real Questions
What happens when a superstar finds himself with diminished physical abilities due to injuries and wear and tear and is faced with trying to regain former glory. Junior Griffey thrilled us all with a resurrection last season before he again went down. This year other stars are faced with the question if there is anything left.
The big story this week is the return to Spring Traing for Jeff Bagwell. In what has to be a difficult and uncomfortable story, the Astros want Bagwell to hang it up and he wants a chance to earn the paycheck he is going to get either way.
The Astros are in the most uncomfortable position as they can recoup their loss on Bagwell's salary if he is physically unable to play. Their insurance policy on him will kick in and the Astros can get much needed funds for other players.
At the same time, Bagwell has been a warrior for the franchise and they have to walk a fine line for him and their fans that have appreciated and loved Bagwell over the years. It has to be a bad business situation when you want to open your arms to your long time star while at the same time hoping he isn't capable of playing.
It will be interesting to find out how this all plays out and if Bagwell has anything left.
In a much less awkward situation, Jim Thome will try to revive his career with the White Sox. Thome--in all reality--lost the entire year last year due to back and elbow injuries.
Thome is one of those big guys and is now 35 years old. Please refer back to a previous blog entry that makes the case that big guys like Thome only have an eight to ten year shelf life. Thome has had his ten years and is working on the twelfth. Can he defy history and be close to the player (and hitter) he was? The odds are against him.
The one player who can defy the odds is Barry Bonds. Bonds is just plain bigger than life and will, by his inner force, have one last historic year. If he does, he'll put the steroid talk away forever. There has never been a smarter hitter, nor a more determined one.
Bonds may or may not catch Aaron this year, and he may or may not play beyond this year, but he will go out with a bang, and when he does, no matter how much he is disliked, the fact will remain that he is the greatest player of this generation.
One has to wonder if the people of Babe Ruth's day recognized the history they were watching. Do the people of our time appreciate Ruth's significance more than they did at the time? Will the same be true for Bonds?
Whether it's because of race or because of the negative perception concerning his personality, Bonds is not appreciated for his greatness. Bonds is among one of the three best Major League Baseball players of all time.
What happens when a superstar finds himself with diminished physical abilities due to injuries and wear and tear and is faced with trying to regain former glory. Junior Griffey thrilled us all with a resurrection last season before he again went down. This year other stars are faced with the question if there is anything left.
The big story this week is the return to Spring Traing for Jeff Bagwell. In what has to be a difficult and uncomfortable story, the Astros want Bagwell to hang it up and he wants a chance to earn the paycheck he is going to get either way.
The Astros are in the most uncomfortable position as they can recoup their loss on Bagwell's salary if he is physically unable to play. Their insurance policy on him will kick in and the Astros can get much needed funds for other players.
At the same time, Bagwell has been a warrior for the franchise and they have to walk a fine line for him and their fans that have appreciated and loved Bagwell over the years. It has to be a bad business situation when you want to open your arms to your long time star while at the same time hoping he isn't capable of playing.
It will be interesting to find out how this all plays out and if Bagwell has anything left.
In a much less awkward situation, Jim Thome will try to revive his career with the White Sox. Thome--in all reality--lost the entire year last year due to back and elbow injuries.
Thome is one of those big guys and is now 35 years old. Please refer back to a previous blog entry that makes the case that big guys like Thome only have an eight to ten year shelf life. Thome has had his ten years and is working on the twelfth. Can he defy history and be close to the player (and hitter) he was? The odds are against him.
The one player who can defy the odds is Barry Bonds. Bonds is just plain bigger than life and will, by his inner force, have one last historic year. If he does, he'll put the steroid talk away forever. There has never been a smarter hitter, nor a more determined one.
Bonds may or may not catch Aaron this year, and he may or may not play beyond this year, but he will go out with a bang, and when he does, no matter how much he is disliked, the fact will remain that he is the greatest player of this generation.
One has to wonder if the people of Babe Ruth's day recognized the history they were watching. Do the people of our time appreciate Ruth's significance more than they did at the time? Will the same be true for Bonds?
Whether it's because of race or because of the negative perception concerning his personality, Bonds is not appreciated for his greatness. Bonds is among one of the three best Major League Baseball players of all time.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
The Plight of the Marlins
Nine years ago, the Fan spent his fortieth birthday watching a Marlin home game. This was before the championships and the subsequent fire sales. The Marlins were a new franchise and there was a good crowd in the stands.
The Marlins were the new kids and there was some magic in the park. Lots of kids filled the stands and it had a wholesome and family feel to it all.
There was the magic of watching the game with a young friend with the same name as Chipper Jones' ex-wife. She loved baseball and the Fan taught her how to keep score. It was a joy to teach this baseball fanatic who had such passion for life, something new and special about the game.
These magic memories include a homer by then hero, Jeff Conine, that won the game. It wasn't like a childhood spent in Yankee Stadium, but it was pretty darn close.
It has been painful watching the franchise sink to a point when even a playoff-contending team can only draw six or seven thousand fans. What other franchise has won two championships in its first decade? How could something that special languish like it has.
Part of the problem, of course, is the ballpark. Though pretty and homey inside when watching, it doesn't suit the climate when the combination of 90 degree heat combines with 90 percent humidity, not to mention the downpours that can appear in a matter of minutes.
It seems ironic that an area that boasts multi-million-dollar condo expansions everywhere one looks, can't support a new ballpark for a professional team that brings in 25 wealthy athletes.
The lack of support, whether it be the ballpark, the weather, or all the other things to do in the area, has left the owners no choice but to sell off talent twice in the past six years. That compounds the problem of attendance as loyalty takes a hit whenever the sell off happens.
Now the Marlins are listening to offers from other cities that would love to have them. It's a sad scene. It would be hard not to have a future pilgrimage possible to remember that memorable birthday with that memorable, passionate, and lovely girl who left her team and this world far too soon.
Nine years ago, the Fan spent his fortieth birthday watching a Marlin home game. This was before the championships and the subsequent fire sales. The Marlins were a new franchise and there was a good crowd in the stands.
The Marlins were the new kids and there was some magic in the park. Lots of kids filled the stands and it had a wholesome and family feel to it all.
There was the magic of watching the game with a young friend with the same name as Chipper Jones' ex-wife. She loved baseball and the Fan taught her how to keep score. It was a joy to teach this baseball fanatic who had such passion for life, something new and special about the game.
These magic memories include a homer by then hero, Jeff Conine, that won the game. It wasn't like a childhood spent in Yankee Stadium, but it was pretty darn close.
It has been painful watching the franchise sink to a point when even a playoff-contending team can only draw six or seven thousand fans. What other franchise has won two championships in its first decade? How could something that special languish like it has.
Part of the problem, of course, is the ballpark. Though pretty and homey inside when watching, it doesn't suit the climate when the combination of 90 degree heat combines with 90 percent humidity, not to mention the downpours that can appear in a matter of minutes.
It seems ironic that an area that boasts multi-million-dollar condo expansions everywhere one looks, can't support a new ballpark for a professional team that brings in 25 wealthy athletes.
The lack of support, whether it be the ballpark, the weather, or all the other things to do in the area, has left the owners no choice but to sell off talent twice in the past six years. That compounds the problem of attendance as loyalty takes a hit whenever the sell off happens.
Now the Marlins are listening to offers from other cities that would love to have them. It's a sad scene. It would be hard not to have a future pilgrimage possible to remember that memorable birthday with that memorable, passionate, and lovely girl who left her team and this world far too soon.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Sorry Soriano
So Alfonso Soriano doesn't want to play left field. The Fan bleeds for him. If you gave the Fan $10 million in hard cash, he's cook the hotdogs, mow the outfield, and catch batting practice.
It is hard for the average Joe watching from the inner city, suburbia or the cornfields of Kansas to identify with a man living out our dreams and making money we'll never dream about, refusing to play a position out of his comfort zone.
Let's face it, Soriano never looked comfortable at second base either. He always looked awkward and it's hard to imagine him looking any less awkward anywhere else. Jose Vidro is a great second baseman, and before his injuries, an All Star caliber player. Get real, Alfonso.
There are so many stories to root for this year. Can Griffey bring it back like the second half of last year? Will Giambi continue his resurrection? Can Nomar play first base in Los Angeles and hit like the Nomar of old? How close will Bonds get to Aaron in this his final year?
With all these great stories, the true Fan can only hope Soriano sits on the bench or is released. He is the anti-Jeter...the anti-Schilling of baseball and doesn't deserve his good fortune.
So Alfonso Soriano doesn't want to play left field. The Fan bleeds for him. If you gave the Fan $10 million in hard cash, he's cook the hotdogs, mow the outfield, and catch batting practice.
It is hard for the average Joe watching from the inner city, suburbia or the cornfields of Kansas to identify with a man living out our dreams and making money we'll never dream about, refusing to play a position out of his comfort zone.
Let's face it, Soriano never looked comfortable at second base either. He always looked awkward and it's hard to imagine him looking any less awkward anywhere else. Jose Vidro is a great second baseman, and before his injuries, an All Star caliber player. Get real, Alfonso.
There are so many stories to root for this year. Can Griffey bring it back like the second half of last year? Will Giambi continue his resurrection? Can Nomar play first base in Los Angeles and hit like the Nomar of old? How close will Bonds get to Aaron in this his final year?
With all these great stories, the true Fan can only hope Soriano sits on the bench or is released. He is the anti-Jeter...the anti-Schilling of baseball and doesn't deserve his good fortune.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
The Flagrant Fan is Back
After a two year hiatus, and inspired by Peter Gammons getting into the blog environment, it's time to get the Fan back to the game. What has happened between two years off and the Fan's 284 previous blogs? The steroid scandal, another Yankee post season loss, the decline of Sammy Sosa, the World Baseball Classic, the White Sox winning the World Series (??!!) and an ERA win for the Fan's favorite pitcher--Roger Clemens.
Let's start with the World Baseball Classic. I'm a fan of Major League Baseball. The WBC means nothing to the Fan. I understand conceptually and empiracally about the desire to celebrate the world with baseball. But to a MLB fan, the whole thing is just a distraction.
You see, the Fan doesn't have a desire to see Roger Clemens pitch for the last time against South Africa or Jamaica. The Fan doesn't want to see one of the best players in the game get hurt in a game that doesn't count. And maybe, just maybe--if the Fan was honest--there is the fear that the WBC will give Cuba one more chance to shine.
The commissioner speaks of the WBC in glowing terms of globalizing the game. Players on rosters such as: Wang, Ichiro, Godzilla, Seo, Rodriguez and others don't already do that? A significant percentage of MLB rosters already include players born outside of the United States. The point has already been made and the reality already exists. If you want a worldwide tournament, wait for the Olympics.
The Fan applauds the Red Sox for their trend of signing young emerging players such as Beckett and Crisp. The strategy is less expensive and has a greater chance at being a great move for years to come. Contrast this with New York's strategy the last few years.
When is the last time the Yankees lured a superstar who was less than 32 years old? I believe this trend has led to the breakdowns we have seen in the last three post-seasons. I just read Peter Gammons' blog where he stated that 43-year old, Randy Johnson, was the key to the season. Isn't that a bit like making a '69 Cutlass the key to successfully making a cross country trip? A '69 Cutlass is a great car, but it's expensive to maintain and its best days are behind it.
It saddens the Fan that Sammy Sosa has turned down the National's offer to play in Washington this season. The Fan appreciates that Sosa doesn't want to play if he is no longer good enough to be Sammy. But Sammy Sosa was fun and explosive and a bit of a primadonna, but he wasn't boring. The Fan--remembering the bombs off of Sosa's bat in the Home Run Derby--will miss him.
After a two year hiatus, and inspired by Peter Gammons getting into the blog environment, it's time to get the Fan back to the game. What has happened between two years off and the Fan's 284 previous blogs? The steroid scandal, another Yankee post season loss, the decline of Sammy Sosa, the World Baseball Classic, the White Sox winning the World Series (??!!) and an ERA win for the Fan's favorite pitcher--Roger Clemens.
Let's start with the World Baseball Classic. I'm a fan of Major League Baseball. The WBC means nothing to the Fan. I understand conceptually and empiracally about the desire to celebrate the world with baseball. But to a MLB fan, the whole thing is just a distraction.
You see, the Fan doesn't have a desire to see Roger Clemens pitch for the last time against South Africa or Jamaica. The Fan doesn't want to see one of the best players in the game get hurt in a game that doesn't count. And maybe, just maybe--if the Fan was honest--there is the fear that the WBC will give Cuba one more chance to shine.
The commissioner speaks of the WBC in glowing terms of globalizing the game. Players on rosters such as: Wang, Ichiro, Godzilla, Seo, Rodriguez and others don't already do that? A significant percentage of MLB rosters already include players born outside of the United States. The point has already been made and the reality already exists. If you want a worldwide tournament, wait for the Olympics.
The Fan applauds the Red Sox for their trend of signing young emerging players such as Beckett and Crisp. The strategy is less expensive and has a greater chance at being a great move for years to come. Contrast this with New York's strategy the last few years.
When is the last time the Yankees lured a superstar who was less than 32 years old? I believe this trend has led to the breakdowns we have seen in the last three post-seasons. I just read Peter Gammons' blog where he stated that 43-year old, Randy Johnson, was the key to the season. Isn't that a bit like making a '69 Cutlass the key to successfully making a cross country trip? A '69 Cutlass is a great car, but it's expensive to maintain and its best days are behind it.
It saddens the Fan that Sammy Sosa has turned down the National's offer to play in Washington this season. The Fan appreciates that Sosa doesn't want to play if he is no longer good enough to be Sammy. But Sammy Sosa was fun and explosive and a bit of a primadonna, but he wasn't boring. The Fan--remembering the bombs off of Sosa's bat in the Home Run Derby--will miss him.
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Mike Lowell was the forgotten man during last year's Marlin championship run. Lowell had been the steady rock earlier in the Marlins' season belting 32 homers and knocking in 105 runs. His numbers would have been much higher but Lowell broke his hand. Ivan Rodriguez, Miguel Cabrera, great young pitching and an old timer manager led the Marlins to the Series title. Lowell had bit parts in the post season including one heroic hit, but his earlier season was largely forgotten.
Ivan Rodriguez is now gone and Cabrera is appearing to seem human after all. Mike Lowell has come to the fore as the leader of the Marlins offense and has helped the not-so-surprising team to the top of the NL East. Tonight's game against Houston is a perfect example.
Luis Castillo led off the game with a single and took third on Pierre's single. Castillo then scored on a wild pitch. But then Pierre got thrown out trying to steal. That could have ended a potentially big inning with only one run. But then Lowell came up and hit his twelfth homer of the season.
In the fifth inning, with the Marlins up 3-1, Lowell was pitched around and walked and came in to score on a Lenny Harris double.
On Lowell's next at bat, after the Astros had scored a run in the top of the seventh to cut the Marlins' lead to 5-2, Lowell responded in the bottom of the seventh with his thirteenth homer to put the nail in the game.
Lowell now has 13 homers in 38 games and is on pace to hit 54. He is also batting .349, with a slugging percentage near .700 and an OPS over 1.110. In short, he is having a monster year and is continuing his pattern of getting better every year, increasing his production while increasing his walks and lowering his strikeouts.
And Lowell has become one of the best fielding first baseman in the league. Scott Rolen may be the best fielding third baseman in the National League, but Lowell, right now, is the best third baseman in that league.
Ivan Rodriguez is now gone and Cabrera is appearing to seem human after all. Mike Lowell has come to the fore as the leader of the Marlins offense and has helped the not-so-surprising team to the top of the NL East. Tonight's game against Houston is a perfect example.
Luis Castillo led off the game with a single and took third on Pierre's single. Castillo then scored on a wild pitch. But then Pierre got thrown out trying to steal. That could have ended a potentially big inning with only one run. But then Lowell came up and hit his twelfth homer of the season.
In the fifth inning, with the Marlins up 3-1, Lowell was pitched around and walked and came in to score on a Lenny Harris double.
On Lowell's next at bat, after the Astros had scored a run in the top of the seventh to cut the Marlins' lead to 5-2, Lowell responded in the bottom of the seventh with his thirteenth homer to put the nail in the game.
Lowell now has 13 homers in 38 games and is on pace to hit 54. He is also batting .349, with a slugging percentage near .700 and an OPS over 1.110. In short, he is having a monster year and is continuing his pattern of getting better every year, increasing his production while increasing his walks and lowering his strikeouts.
And Lowell has become one of the best fielding first baseman in the league. Scott Rolen may be the best fielding third baseman in the National League, but Lowell, right now, is the best third baseman in that league.
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
The thing about Major League Baseball is that life is mirrored on the field. Similar to an crime movie, problems are solved in two to three hours. There are good guys and bad guys and depending on the movie, either one could win. For the Fan, Randy Johnson has always been one of the bad guys. The bad guys won big last night.
Randy Johnson has always portrayed this scowling, oppressive presence on the mound. He is unlovely, gangly and uncouth to look at. He showed his bad guy presence during the All-Star game when he buzzed John Kruk to prove a point. And, worst of all, Johnson had the temerity to consistently challenge Nolan Ryan's single season strikeout record while also threatening Roger Clemens' record for Cy Young awards.
And then the bad guy beat the good guys in the deciding game of the 2001 World Series. The fan's teeth gnash when the bad guy is as good as Randy Johnson has been. From the second half of 1998, when Johnson was traded to Houston, until the end of 2002, Johnson won 91 games and lost 28. Johnson is now 234-118 in his career with 3952 strikeouts in 3185 career innings. Incredible.
The bad guy seemed finished last year. His velocity down, his back aching, Johnson limped through last year and ended up with a 6-8 record. More telling was that for the first time in his career, Randy Johnson gave up more hits than innings pitched. The Fan tried to avoid feelings of satisfaction.
And then there is the concerted effort in the past few years to make the bad guy look almost human. He appeared on baseball shows attempting to hit a baseball. He is shown gracefully bowling a beautiful left hook in a commercial. A sporting magazine showed him as a driven man and a family man. The Fan almost gave in to taking Johnson off the bad guy list. Almost.
Last night, at the age of forty, Randy Johnson did something Roger Clemens has never done: a perfect game. His last fastball was 97 MPH after only hitting 92 last year. The perfect game wasn't against any run of the mill team. The gem beat the Atlanta Braves. Granted, the Braves aren't what they were, but they are still the Braves. The bad guy made it look easy.
Sometimes, the admission has to be made that the bad guy is one of the best to ever work his craft. Sometimes, a true Fan has to acknowledge the bad guy with a tip of the cap. That was an awesome performance, Randy Johnson.
Randy Johnson has always portrayed this scowling, oppressive presence on the mound. He is unlovely, gangly and uncouth to look at. He showed his bad guy presence during the All-Star game when he buzzed John Kruk to prove a point. And, worst of all, Johnson had the temerity to consistently challenge Nolan Ryan's single season strikeout record while also threatening Roger Clemens' record for Cy Young awards.
And then the bad guy beat the good guys in the deciding game of the 2001 World Series. The fan's teeth gnash when the bad guy is as good as Randy Johnson has been. From the second half of 1998, when Johnson was traded to Houston, until the end of 2002, Johnson won 91 games and lost 28. Johnson is now 234-118 in his career with 3952 strikeouts in 3185 career innings. Incredible.
The bad guy seemed finished last year. His velocity down, his back aching, Johnson limped through last year and ended up with a 6-8 record. More telling was that for the first time in his career, Randy Johnson gave up more hits than innings pitched. The Fan tried to avoid feelings of satisfaction.
And then there is the concerted effort in the past few years to make the bad guy look almost human. He appeared on baseball shows attempting to hit a baseball. He is shown gracefully bowling a beautiful left hook in a commercial. A sporting magazine showed him as a driven man and a family man. The Fan almost gave in to taking Johnson off the bad guy list. Almost.
Last night, at the age of forty, Randy Johnson did something Roger Clemens has never done: a perfect game. His last fastball was 97 MPH after only hitting 92 last year. The perfect game wasn't against any run of the mill team. The gem beat the Atlanta Braves. Granted, the Braves aren't what they were, but they are still the Braves. The bad guy made it look easy.
Sometimes, the admission has to be made that the bad guy is one of the best to ever work his craft. Sometimes, a true Fan has to acknowledge the bad guy with a tip of the cap. That was an awesome performance, Randy Johnson.
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Take a tip from the Fan: Never move during baseball season if you love the game. This very good season churned on while the Fan was blacked out like the old days before the Internet and Baseball Tonight. I apologize to my loyal readers for the absence. The move was very much like this MLB season, full of surprises, good and bad, at the same time predictable. And the fun continues.
The season is nearly a fourth over (or, for the optimist, three fourths to go) and the surprises equal the predictable. The Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Marlins, Astros and Cubs are as good as expected. The Orioles are as improved as expected.
The Angels in particular are playing as well as expected, but in an unexpected way. The team has had terrible injuries to several of its stars, but they still roll along winning seven out of their last ten. The latest terrible injury is to Troy Glaus with a shoulder injury. Glaus was placed on the 60-day disabled list, which is a shame as he was off to a great start after being injured much of last year. Glaus had already homered eleven times this season after only reaching sixteen last year.
The real surprises so far this season are many. Nobody expected the Devil Rays to win the AL East, but most thought they would be vastly improved. On the contrary, they have only won ten games in thirty-six attempts and have lost nine of their last ten. Old Piniella must be coughing up blood at this point.
Nobody expected the Reds to 20-17 at this point in the season. Adam Dunn has an on-base percentage of .490 to go along with his eleven homers. Sean Casey is batting .374 with 15 doubles. Barry Larkin and Ken Griffey Jr. are contributing. The pitching isn't spectacular, but has been better than expected with Paul Wilson and Aaron Harang leading the starters. Danny Graves isn't unhittable, but he has saved seventeen of the Reds' wins.
A surprise on the negative side has been the Royals. The ugly ducklings turned swans last year have been abysmal to this point. The pitching staff in particular is scary with a staff 5.28 ERA. The pitchers have given up 467 base runners in 305 innings. Ugh!
The Seattle Mariners have fallen on similar hard times. The Mariners pitch alright--although Hasegawa and Pineiro have had horrible starts to their season. The Mariners hit for a decent team average as well. Consider though that the Mariners have only hit 24 homers in 36 games. Bret Boone, Edgar Martinez and John Olerud are all batting in the high .240's and have collectively seemed to get old all at once. The manager is taking the heat, but this is a team that was kept together for two seasons too long.
Just about every team in the AL Central is a surprise. The Royals have been discussed already for their sour season. But the Twins are above expectations, as are the White Sox, Indians and even the Tigers. While the Tigers don't seem capable of maintaining their .500 record, the other three seem to be ready to battle it out the rest of the season.
The Twins seem to be doing well with mirrors. Lew Ford is a blossoming and unexpected new star and Christian Guzman is off to a good start. The relief pitching has been sublime so far as unlikely heroes like 85 year old, Terry Mulholland is contributing well along with unexpected closing success by Joe Nathan. Nathan's ERA is down to 1.37 and has struck out 26 batters in 19.2 innings pitched. It seems hard to believe that the Twins can hold on, but they haven't cracked yet.
The White Sox and Indians are good, but seem no better than .500 teams, but neither does the Twins. The winner of this division may end up with 85-90 wins.
The most fun surprise so far this season has been the Rangers and the Brewers. The Rangers have a chance to stay in contention in the AL West while the Brewers won't win a division any time soon, but they've turned into a fun team to follow.
Lyle Overbay has blown open the league so far this season. The Brewers have a pitcher who hits...or is that a hitter who pitches? Scott Podsednik has already scored 30 runs and has stolen 20 bases without being caught. And recently, Ben Sheets is starting to live up to his potential as he recently struck out 18 batters. Sheets is 4-2 with a 2.90 ERA. There is a fun story everywhere you look on this team.
Overbay has been amazing. Batting .369 this season, Overbay already has 21 doubles to go along with five homers and 38 RBI. Overbay is on pace to hit sixty doubles and a 150 RBI.
Brooks Kieschnick is batting .368 as a pinch hitter and has a 1.47 ERA in twelve pitching performances. Now that is fun stuff.
The Rangers are just as fun to watch as they have several young stars that have gelled under Buck Showalter. Soriano, Blalock, Young, Texeira, Nix and Mench have to be entertaining for the Rangers' fans night after night. Playing nearly .600 baseball is by far the number one team surprise of the year.
The season is nearly a fourth over (or, for the optimist, three fourths to go) and the surprises equal the predictable. The Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Marlins, Astros and Cubs are as good as expected. The Orioles are as improved as expected.
The Angels in particular are playing as well as expected, but in an unexpected way. The team has had terrible injuries to several of its stars, but they still roll along winning seven out of their last ten. The latest terrible injury is to Troy Glaus with a shoulder injury. Glaus was placed on the 60-day disabled list, which is a shame as he was off to a great start after being injured much of last year. Glaus had already homered eleven times this season after only reaching sixteen last year.
The real surprises so far this season are many. Nobody expected the Devil Rays to win the AL East, but most thought they would be vastly improved. On the contrary, they have only won ten games in thirty-six attempts and have lost nine of their last ten. Old Piniella must be coughing up blood at this point.
Nobody expected the Reds to 20-17 at this point in the season. Adam Dunn has an on-base percentage of .490 to go along with his eleven homers. Sean Casey is batting .374 with 15 doubles. Barry Larkin and Ken Griffey Jr. are contributing. The pitching isn't spectacular, but has been better than expected with Paul Wilson and Aaron Harang leading the starters. Danny Graves isn't unhittable, but he has saved seventeen of the Reds' wins.
A surprise on the negative side has been the Royals. The ugly ducklings turned swans last year have been abysmal to this point. The pitching staff in particular is scary with a staff 5.28 ERA. The pitchers have given up 467 base runners in 305 innings. Ugh!
The Seattle Mariners have fallen on similar hard times. The Mariners pitch alright--although Hasegawa and Pineiro have had horrible starts to their season. The Mariners hit for a decent team average as well. Consider though that the Mariners have only hit 24 homers in 36 games. Bret Boone, Edgar Martinez and John Olerud are all batting in the high .240's and have collectively seemed to get old all at once. The manager is taking the heat, but this is a team that was kept together for two seasons too long.
Just about every team in the AL Central is a surprise. The Royals have been discussed already for their sour season. But the Twins are above expectations, as are the White Sox, Indians and even the Tigers. While the Tigers don't seem capable of maintaining their .500 record, the other three seem to be ready to battle it out the rest of the season.
The Twins seem to be doing well with mirrors. Lew Ford is a blossoming and unexpected new star and Christian Guzman is off to a good start. The relief pitching has been sublime so far as unlikely heroes like 85 year old, Terry Mulholland is contributing well along with unexpected closing success by Joe Nathan. Nathan's ERA is down to 1.37 and has struck out 26 batters in 19.2 innings pitched. It seems hard to believe that the Twins can hold on, but they haven't cracked yet.
The White Sox and Indians are good, but seem no better than .500 teams, but neither does the Twins. The winner of this division may end up with 85-90 wins.
The most fun surprise so far this season has been the Rangers and the Brewers. The Rangers have a chance to stay in contention in the AL West while the Brewers won't win a division any time soon, but they've turned into a fun team to follow.
Lyle Overbay has blown open the league so far this season. The Brewers have a pitcher who hits...or is that a hitter who pitches? Scott Podsednik has already scored 30 runs and has stolen 20 bases without being caught. And recently, Ben Sheets is starting to live up to his potential as he recently struck out 18 batters. Sheets is 4-2 with a 2.90 ERA. There is a fun story everywhere you look on this team.
Overbay has been amazing. Batting .369 this season, Overbay already has 21 doubles to go along with five homers and 38 RBI. Overbay is on pace to hit sixty doubles and a 150 RBI.
Brooks Kieschnick is batting .368 as a pinch hitter and has a 1.47 ERA in twelve pitching performances. Now that is fun stuff.
The Rangers are just as fun to watch as they have several young stars that have gelled under Buck Showalter. Soriano, Blalock, Young, Texeira, Nix and Mench have to be entertaining for the Rangers' fans night after night. Playing nearly .600 baseball is by far the number one team surprise of the year.
Monday, May 03, 2004
The Texas Rangers are 16-9 and in first place in the AL West after sweeping the seemingly unstoppable Boston Red Sox. It's hard to believe that is the truth. The Rangers have had Ivan Rodriguez and never won. They had Juan Gonzalez and never won. They had Rafael Palmeiro and never won. They had Alex Rodriguez and never won. But after watching the Rangers finish the sweep of the Red Sox, this team seems to have something really good going.
And how can you not give credit to Buck Showalter for the turnaround? Showalter has a track record of taking struggling teams and making them better. Showalter took over a bad Yankee team in the early 90's and was on the way to 100 wins in 1994 before the strike shortened the season. The Yankees struggled the following season and came in second and Showalter was gone. Joe Torre came to manage New York the following season and the Yankees won it all.
Showalter then was hired as the first manager of the new Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998. But he didn't start his job in 1998. Showalter helped set up that franchise and he did it well. The first year of their existance, the Diamondbacks lost 97 games. The following season, Showalter took them to a 100 win season. What an accomplishment for the second year in a franchise history.
Again, as did the Yankees, the Diamondbacks struggled after their 100 win season and they only won 85 the following year and came in third. Showalter was fired. The following year, just as in New York, the Diamondbacks won it all.
How much of those championships for the Yankees and Diamondbacks were because Showalter was no longer the manager? How much was because he had set them up so well? The Fan truly believes that Showalter is the biggest single factor as to why those two champions came to be.
Championship teams are usually very good fundamental teams who take care of the small details, play the game correctly and win close games. Showalter has sometimes been criticized as too tough. That's funny, because that's the same thing Bill Parcells is praised about. And is it any coincidence that both Parcells and Showalter have such good track records in turning bad teams around?
And now look at the job Showalter has done with the Rangers. The Rangers have been terrible for a long time. Despite the superstars they have had on their team, they have been terrible. Showalter came on board last year and they lost 91 games. But he did something fantastic. He introduced six or seven really good young players to the majors and played them, not just in mop up games. They played regularly.
Blalock was slated to be a star and his playing time was expected. You can say the same thing about Teixeira. But Showalter played Nix and Young and Mench and R.A. Dickey. That experience is paying of this year as that core of players is leading the team to better times. And Soriano, who showed a stubborn side to being coached on the Yankees, looks like a better player this year at the plate and in the field. You have to give that credit to Showalter.
The 2004 Texas Rangers are fun to watch and you can see the buzz in the crowds that are starting to build at their games. And the Rangers are for real. They pound the ball. They throw strikes and they field very well. Let's hope that Showalter's history doesn't repeat itself and that they win it all this year so Showalter doesn't have to get fired and leave the genesis of another great team to someone else who will take his team to the next level.
And how can you not give credit to Buck Showalter for the turnaround? Showalter has a track record of taking struggling teams and making them better. Showalter took over a bad Yankee team in the early 90's and was on the way to 100 wins in 1994 before the strike shortened the season. The Yankees struggled the following season and came in second and Showalter was gone. Joe Torre came to manage New York the following season and the Yankees won it all.
Showalter then was hired as the first manager of the new Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998. But he didn't start his job in 1998. Showalter helped set up that franchise and he did it well. The first year of their existance, the Diamondbacks lost 97 games. The following season, Showalter took them to a 100 win season. What an accomplishment for the second year in a franchise history.
Again, as did the Yankees, the Diamondbacks struggled after their 100 win season and they only won 85 the following year and came in third. Showalter was fired. The following year, just as in New York, the Diamondbacks won it all.
How much of those championships for the Yankees and Diamondbacks were because Showalter was no longer the manager? How much was because he had set them up so well? The Fan truly believes that Showalter is the biggest single factor as to why those two champions came to be.
Championship teams are usually very good fundamental teams who take care of the small details, play the game correctly and win close games. Showalter has sometimes been criticized as too tough. That's funny, because that's the same thing Bill Parcells is praised about. And is it any coincidence that both Parcells and Showalter have such good track records in turning bad teams around?
And now look at the job Showalter has done with the Rangers. The Rangers have been terrible for a long time. Despite the superstars they have had on their team, they have been terrible. Showalter came on board last year and they lost 91 games. But he did something fantastic. He introduced six or seven really good young players to the majors and played them, not just in mop up games. They played regularly.
Blalock was slated to be a star and his playing time was expected. You can say the same thing about Teixeira. But Showalter played Nix and Young and Mench and R.A. Dickey. That experience is paying of this year as that core of players is leading the team to better times. And Soriano, who showed a stubborn side to being coached on the Yankees, looks like a better player this year at the plate and in the field. You have to give that credit to Showalter.
The 2004 Texas Rangers are fun to watch and you can see the buzz in the crowds that are starting to build at their games. And the Rangers are for real. They pound the ball. They throw strikes and they field very well. Let's hope that Showalter's history doesn't repeat itself and that they win it all this year so Showalter doesn't have to get fired and leave the genesis of another great team to someone else who will take his team to the next level.
Friday, April 30, 2004
They are having a wild and wooly one in San Francisco. The Marlins scored four runs in the first. Dontrelle Willis gave two of those back in the bottom of the first. The Marlins scored five more in the top of the second which included a double and a run scored by Willis. After two innings, Miguel Cabrera had the unique batting line of: 0 0 0 2, thanks to two sacrifice flies. That gave the Marlins a 9-2 lead and the start of a laugher, right? Wrong.
Willis couldn't get anyone out in the bottom of the second and was sent to the showers. His relief, Tommy Phelps could only get one out. Nate Bump relieved him and walked in a run before ending the inning. By then, seven runs had scored and now after two innings, it's a 9-9 game.
Between the two teams, they have given up 18 runs in two innings on 16 hits and 8 walks. It's going to be a long, long night in San Francisco. Oh yes, Barry Bonds has already walked twice in that game. The Fan has said it before and will say it again, the walking of Bonds is a travesty and an embarrassment. And many times, it backfires on the opposing team as baserunners leads to rallies and rallies score far more runs than a one run homer by Bonds.
With the poor start by the Giants, if it continues, the unthinkable could happen...the Giants could trade Bonds to an American League team for the pennant run. The Fan just has a feeling...
Speaking of weird games, the Cubs sent their best pitcher to the mound tonight against the Cardinals. Kerry pitched eight innings and struck out 10, but didn't factor in the decision. The Cardinals had last at bats and came up to hit in the bottom of the ninth. But they didn't get a chance to hit. Cub's pitchers: Kyle Farnsworth, Kent Mercker and LaTroy Hawkins walked four batters to give the Cardinals the win. What a lousy way to lose a game...four walks in the bottom of the ninth.
The Yankees won their fourth game in a row to finish April with a winning record, the thirteenth straight time in a row they have done that--an American League record.
Javier Vasquez got the win and has pitched well in four of his five starts. Jeter had a hit and an RBI and now has a modest two game hitting streak after going 32 straight at bats without a hit.
And the top story of the night? Roger Clemens won his fifth straight decision and has started the season with a 5-0 record with a 1.95 ERA. How's that for a 41 year old retired pitcher? Clemens actually walked in a run in the first inning but settled down and pitched six innings, giving up only one run as he struck out six. What an amazing story.
Willis couldn't get anyone out in the bottom of the second and was sent to the showers. His relief, Tommy Phelps could only get one out. Nate Bump relieved him and walked in a run before ending the inning. By then, seven runs had scored and now after two innings, it's a 9-9 game.
Between the two teams, they have given up 18 runs in two innings on 16 hits and 8 walks. It's going to be a long, long night in San Francisco. Oh yes, Barry Bonds has already walked twice in that game. The Fan has said it before and will say it again, the walking of Bonds is a travesty and an embarrassment. And many times, it backfires on the opposing team as baserunners leads to rallies and rallies score far more runs than a one run homer by Bonds.
With the poor start by the Giants, if it continues, the unthinkable could happen...the Giants could trade Bonds to an American League team for the pennant run. The Fan just has a feeling...
Speaking of weird games, the Cubs sent their best pitcher to the mound tonight against the Cardinals. Kerry pitched eight innings and struck out 10, but didn't factor in the decision. The Cardinals had last at bats and came up to hit in the bottom of the ninth. But they didn't get a chance to hit. Cub's pitchers: Kyle Farnsworth, Kent Mercker and LaTroy Hawkins walked four batters to give the Cardinals the win. What a lousy way to lose a game...four walks in the bottom of the ninth.
The Yankees won their fourth game in a row to finish April with a winning record, the thirteenth straight time in a row they have done that--an American League record.
Javier Vasquez got the win and has pitched well in four of his five starts. Jeter had a hit and an RBI and now has a modest two game hitting streak after going 32 straight at bats without a hit.
And the top story of the night? Roger Clemens won his fifth straight decision and has started the season with a 5-0 record with a 1.95 ERA. How's that for a 41 year old retired pitcher? Clemens actually walked in a run in the first inning but settled down and pitched six innings, giving up only one run as he struck out six. What an amazing story.
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
Baseball is a lot like a perennial flower bed. Now where else are you going to hear a comparison like that? Many perennials have really showy years, off years and so-so years. Every year is different and every year is most interesting. Baseball is again blooming despite hints of scandals and a vagabond team in the NL East. Let's look at the garden for some interesting stories so far this year.
Brooks Kieschnick is one of the most interesting stories in baseball. In 1993, Kieschnick was the tenth player picked overall in the draft. The Cubs drafted him as an outfielder, although Kieschnick was a top pitching prospect as well. It was a struggle for Kieschnick as he bounced around and played for eleven different minor league clubs with a few cups of coffee with the Cubs and then the Reds.
Then the Milwaukee Brewers had/have a budget crunch and needed some versatile players who wouldn't cost a lot of money. They had an interesting idea: Why not give Kieschnick a chance as both a relief pitcher and a pinch hitter. Why not? Two players for the price of one. The experiment was partially successful last year. Kieschnick batted well, hitting .300 with five homers and nine RBI in 64 at bats. He had a nifty .618 slugging percentage.
But Kieschnick struggled pitching and ended up with a 5.26 ERA in 42 appearances. The thirty-two year old wasn't assured of a job when he came to spring training. Manager Ned Yost was quoted several times as saying that if Kieschnick didn't make the team as a pitcher, he wouldn't make it at all. Kieschnick had a decent spring and then Yost was quoted as saying that Kieschnick was only going to be a pitcher. Yeah, right.
Kieschnick already has 14 at bats (relief pitchers hardly EVER get at bats) and is batting .286 with a homer and three RBI. But the key stat is that he is pitching really well this year too. He pitched three scoreless innings tonight to lower his season ERA to 1.80 in six appearances.
You have to root for a player like Kieschnick. Now Ned Yost is saying that he'll DH Kieschnick in interleague games. It would be even sweeter if he started a game in the outfield and maybe came in to pitch an inning. Heck, after his inning, he could go right back out to the outfield. Real men love Kieschnick.
Derek Jeter extended his hitless streak to 32 at bats. Booed by the hometown fans during the Red Sox series, the Yankee fans rallied around him tonight and cheered and chanted during each of his at bats. It didn't help though as he still went 0 for 4. The streak is by far, Jeter's worst slump of his career.
The Fan can't understand how Jeter keeps getting blasted on his fielding. He has had no shoulder the past two years and last year also tore the ligament in his hand, all the while playing in pain every day and never letting it show. The respect Jeter has from his peers in baseball far outstrips the lack of it Jeter gets from some media circles.
One of the best fantasy league players this year is the one and only Mark Loretta. Who? Loretta has flown under the radar so far in his career, but the second baseman for the Padres has a .298 lifetime batting average. Last year, Loretta had a 185 hits on the way to hitting a very good .314. Loretta also had a career high 13 homers.
This year, Loretta is off to a .365 start with 4 homers and 14 RBI to go along with 15 runs scored. Loretta batted ninth for much of his career but is now batting second. Loretta doesn't strike out often (62 times in 589 at bats). Loretta is also a very good fielder with only 57 errors in his nine year career (.986 fielding percentage). This is a very good little player who may start getting his due.
Brooks Kieschnick is one of the most interesting stories in baseball. In 1993, Kieschnick was the tenth player picked overall in the draft. The Cubs drafted him as an outfielder, although Kieschnick was a top pitching prospect as well. It was a struggle for Kieschnick as he bounced around and played for eleven different minor league clubs with a few cups of coffee with the Cubs and then the Reds.
Then the Milwaukee Brewers had/have a budget crunch and needed some versatile players who wouldn't cost a lot of money. They had an interesting idea: Why not give Kieschnick a chance as both a relief pitcher and a pinch hitter. Why not? Two players for the price of one. The experiment was partially successful last year. Kieschnick batted well, hitting .300 with five homers and nine RBI in 64 at bats. He had a nifty .618 slugging percentage.
But Kieschnick struggled pitching and ended up with a 5.26 ERA in 42 appearances. The thirty-two year old wasn't assured of a job when he came to spring training. Manager Ned Yost was quoted several times as saying that if Kieschnick didn't make the team as a pitcher, he wouldn't make it at all. Kieschnick had a decent spring and then Yost was quoted as saying that Kieschnick was only going to be a pitcher. Yeah, right.
Kieschnick already has 14 at bats (relief pitchers hardly EVER get at bats) and is batting .286 with a homer and three RBI. But the key stat is that he is pitching really well this year too. He pitched three scoreless innings tonight to lower his season ERA to 1.80 in six appearances.
You have to root for a player like Kieschnick. Now Ned Yost is saying that he'll DH Kieschnick in interleague games. It would be even sweeter if he started a game in the outfield and maybe came in to pitch an inning. Heck, after his inning, he could go right back out to the outfield. Real men love Kieschnick.
Derek Jeter extended his hitless streak to 32 at bats. Booed by the hometown fans during the Red Sox series, the Yankee fans rallied around him tonight and cheered and chanted during each of his at bats. It didn't help though as he still went 0 for 4. The streak is by far, Jeter's worst slump of his career.
The Fan can't understand how Jeter keeps getting blasted on his fielding. He has had no shoulder the past two years and last year also tore the ligament in his hand, all the while playing in pain every day and never letting it show. The respect Jeter has from his peers in baseball far outstrips the lack of it Jeter gets from some media circles.
One of the best fantasy league players this year is the one and only Mark Loretta. Who? Loretta has flown under the radar so far in his career, but the second baseman for the Padres has a .298 lifetime batting average. Last year, Loretta had a 185 hits on the way to hitting a very good .314. Loretta also had a career high 13 homers.
This year, Loretta is off to a .365 start with 4 homers and 14 RBI to go along with 15 runs scored. Loretta batted ninth for much of his career but is now batting second. Loretta doesn't strike out often (62 times in 589 at bats). Loretta is also a very good fielder with only 57 errors in his nine year career (.986 fielding percentage). This is a very good little player who may start getting his due.
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Perhaps the Yankees aren't dead. They sure looked it after this past weekend getting swept by the Red Sox. The struggling team from the Bronx next had another tough team in the Oakland Athletics with ace Tim Hudson on the mound. Mike Mussina couldn't hold a four run lead as his pitching woes continued. Before you could say, "Mr. Steinbrenner," the Yankees had fallen behind 8-4 and it looked like their woes would continue. And then the Yankees batted in the bottom of the eighth.
By the time the dust settled, the Yankees had punished Jim Mecir and Roberto Rincon for six runs on five hits and three walks. Mecir and Rincon both had Earned Run Averages under 2.50. Mecir never did get anyone out and was charged with five of the six runs although Rincon didn't help him any by walking two and making sure all of Mecir's baserunners scored.
Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth inning for his sixth save (he now has a 0.75 ERA).
The win doesn't hide the problems. Mussina gave up eleven more baserunners in six innings and now has a 6.55 Earned Run Average. Derek Jeter went 0-3 with a sac bunt and an intentional walk to extend his hitless streak to 30 at bats. But the come from behind win has to breath some life into the moribund bunch and could help turn the season around.
The loss was especially tough for the A's, who have now lost four in a row and have fallen all the way to third place, two games off the pace.
By the time the dust settled, the Yankees had punished Jim Mecir and Roberto Rincon for six runs on five hits and three walks. Mecir and Rincon both had Earned Run Averages under 2.50. Mecir never did get anyone out and was charged with five of the six runs although Rincon didn't help him any by walking two and making sure all of Mecir's baserunners scored.
Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth inning for his sixth save (he now has a 0.75 ERA).
The win doesn't hide the problems. Mussina gave up eleven more baserunners in six innings and now has a 6.55 Earned Run Average. Derek Jeter went 0-3 with a sac bunt and an intentional walk to extend his hitless streak to 30 at bats. But the come from behind win has to breath some life into the moribund bunch and could help turn the season around.
The loss was especially tough for the A's, who have now lost four in a row and have fallen all the way to third place, two games off the pace.
Monday, April 26, 2004
Since it is a semi-slow night in Major League Baseball, it's time to re-introduce a regular feature of this site: The Fan's Box Score Favorites. The Fan has been nuts about box scores since childhood and it's only natural to see players that catch the eye. These players are followed more closely than the others. They may include favorites traded away from the favorite team. They could be exciting rookies. The box score favorites tend to evolve as the season rolls along (for example, if a player gets hurt, there is no reason to keep looking, right?). So here we go:
Alfonso Soriano/Texas Rangers - Of course you have to follow the guy traded for A-Rod. He was the goat of the post-season with his wild swinging and automatic strikeouts. So how is he doing the last seven days? Not bad. Soriano hasn't been hitting the ball over the fence this season, but he is batting a robust .338 and has seemed to cut down his strikeout ratio. Case in point is his last seven days where he has batted 21 times and only struck out twice. He has batted a respectable .286 this past week as his teammates have gone crazy around him. All that hitting will only help Soriano who bats third in the order.
Hank Blalock/Texas Rangers - In truth, the Fan could follow each and every young Texas Ranger. Unbelievably, the Rangers are in first place and are killing the ball. Blalock, like all his mates this year, is batting at a .325 clip. The past seven days, he's batted .308 with a homer, two doubles and six runs batted in. He now has 17 RBI for the season and is on pace to reach 125 by the end of the season.
Miguel Cabrera/Florida Marlins - Cabrera turned 21 this season and followed up his sensational debut last year with a fast start this year. He had six homers before the league caught up with him. He had a tough week though and only has batted .250 in his last seven to bring his season average down to .304 with no homers and only one double to go along with four runs batted in. He should bounce back and hit at least forty homers this season.
Derrek Lee/Chicago Cubs - The Fan is rooting so hard for the Cubs. This team just attracts those who root for underdogs. They sure aren't playing like underdogs so far. Derrek Lee is a great first baseman, but needs to hit too. He started slowly and is only batting .254 for the week. But he is heating up and batted .273 last week with seven RBI in only six games.
Manny Ramirez/Boston Red Sox - The Fan picked Ramirez as this year's AL MVP, so it makes sense that this feature has to follow his progress. And what progress it is! Ramirez batted .357 last week and lowered his average! Manny had two homers and two doubles last week and accounted for the only runs in Boston's 2-0 victory over the Yankees. Manny is on pace to bat .392 with 45 homers and 135 RBI. Sounds like the MVP is right on track.
Melvin Mora/Baltimore Orioles - Last year, Mora was having an outstanding, breakout season and the Orioles were batting really well only to see Mora go down with an injury. The Orioles and Mora never recovered. This year, the Orioles lineup doesn't depend so much on Mora but it's a happy thing to see Mora starting off this year like last year. Mora batted .348 last week to lift his season average up to .333. He had a double and a homer and drove in four runs. But the real contribution was the ten runs he scored last week in front of Palmeiro, Lopez, Tejada and others. Mora is on pace to drive in 114 runs and score 162!
Ken Griffey Jr./Cincinnati Reds - The Reds have been a major surprise this year and Griffey is playing full time again. Coincidence? Maybe. Griffey did have a tough week last week with a .217 average his last seven games, but golly, that man has only played a handful of games the last few years. And he is back to making the highlight reels with his fielding in centerfield. It's early yet and Griffey will heat up.
Adam Dunn/Cincinnati Reds - Two years ago, Dunn was a monster rookie. Last year, he looked overcoached and lost his edge for a very disappointing season. It's a shame when young players get overcoached. A decade or more ago, a catcher for the Red Sox came up a young player and hit the stuffing out of the ball. His name was Rich Gedman. Gedman had three great years where he averaged .288 with 20 homers and 80 RBI. Good numbers for a catcher! Then he came under the tutelage of Walter Hriniak (Wade Boggs' batting guru). Gedman's next five years: .258, .205, .231, .212 and .200. Rick Harden is having the same trouble with overcoaching in Oakland. Oh yeah, Dunn...
Dunn only batted .200 last week with one homer, but he did have five RBI. Dunn is still hitting .316 for the year with 8 homers and 15 RBI. He also has a .500 on base percentage so far this year.
Alfonso Soriano/Texas Rangers - Of course you have to follow the guy traded for A-Rod. He was the goat of the post-season with his wild swinging and automatic strikeouts. So how is he doing the last seven days? Not bad. Soriano hasn't been hitting the ball over the fence this season, but he is batting a robust .338 and has seemed to cut down his strikeout ratio. Case in point is his last seven days where he has batted 21 times and only struck out twice. He has batted a respectable .286 this past week as his teammates have gone crazy around him. All that hitting will only help Soriano who bats third in the order.
Hank Blalock/Texas Rangers - In truth, the Fan could follow each and every young Texas Ranger. Unbelievably, the Rangers are in first place and are killing the ball. Blalock, like all his mates this year, is batting at a .325 clip. The past seven days, he's batted .308 with a homer, two doubles and six runs batted in. He now has 17 RBI for the season and is on pace to reach 125 by the end of the season.
Miguel Cabrera/Florida Marlins - Cabrera turned 21 this season and followed up his sensational debut last year with a fast start this year. He had six homers before the league caught up with him. He had a tough week though and only has batted .250 in his last seven to bring his season average down to .304 with no homers and only one double to go along with four runs batted in. He should bounce back and hit at least forty homers this season.
Derrek Lee/Chicago Cubs - The Fan is rooting so hard for the Cubs. This team just attracts those who root for underdogs. They sure aren't playing like underdogs so far. Derrek Lee is a great first baseman, but needs to hit too. He started slowly and is only batting .254 for the week. But he is heating up and batted .273 last week with seven RBI in only six games.
Manny Ramirez/Boston Red Sox - The Fan picked Ramirez as this year's AL MVP, so it makes sense that this feature has to follow his progress. And what progress it is! Ramirez batted .357 last week and lowered his average! Manny had two homers and two doubles last week and accounted for the only runs in Boston's 2-0 victory over the Yankees. Manny is on pace to bat .392 with 45 homers and 135 RBI. Sounds like the MVP is right on track.
Melvin Mora/Baltimore Orioles - Last year, Mora was having an outstanding, breakout season and the Orioles were batting really well only to see Mora go down with an injury. The Orioles and Mora never recovered. This year, the Orioles lineup doesn't depend so much on Mora but it's a happy thing to see Mora starting off this year like last year. Mora batted .348 last week to lift his season average up to .333. He had a double and a homer and drove in four runs. But the real contribution was the ten runs he scored last week in front of Palmeiro, Lopez, Tejada and others. Mora is on pace to drive in 114 runs and score 162!
Ken Griffey Jr./Cincinnati Reds - The Reds have been a major surprise this year and Griffey is playing full time again. Coincidence? Maybe. Griffey did have a tough week last week with a .217 average his last seven games, but golly, that man has only played a handful of games the last few years. And he is back to making the highlight reels with his fielding in centerfield. It's early yet and Griffey will heat up.
Adam Dunn/Cincinnati Reds - Two years ago, Dunn was a monster rookie. Last year, he looked overcoached and lost his edge for a very disappointing season. It's a shame when young players get overcoached. A decade or more ago, a catcher for the Red Sox came up a young player and hit the stuffing out of the ball. His name was Rich Gedman. Gedman had three great years where he averaged .288 with 20 homers and 80 RBI. Good numbers for a catcher! Then he came under the tutelage of Walter Hriniak (Wade Boggs' batting guru). Gedman's next five years: .258, .205, .231, .212 and .200. Rick Harden is having the same trouble with overcoaching in Oakland. Oh yeah, Dunn...
Dunn only batted .200 last week with one homer, but he did have five RBI. Dunn is still hitting .316 for the year with 8 homers and 15 RBI. He also has a .500 on base percentage so far this year.
Today was baseball day at the Fan's house. After watching Baseball Tonight on Sunday morning (Why don't they change the name for the day time?), it was time for watching the Yankees embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Red Sox. After watching the series, it's hard to tell if the Red Sox are that good or if the Yankees are that bad. There is definitely trouble in the Bronx and that team doesn't look like it's going anywhere. After a day of baseball which finished with the Braves beating the Marlins, the Fan couldn't help notice things that have changed in the Major Leagues during a lifetime of watching the games. Here is an unofficial and incomplete list of things that have changed in this Fan's lifetime:
- The umpires ignore batters who call time when digging into the batters box.
- The players use all kinds of armor and equipment when batting and running the bases. Old ball players never wore batting gloves.
- The bats are different. Each player uses different bats. There are red ones, white ones, black ones and bats with all kinds of writing and markings. Back in the old days, all the bats looked the same.
- If a pitcher bounces a pitch in the dirt, the umpire immediately throws that ball out of the game. That never happened five years ago and longer.
- In that same category, the fielder catching the last out always throws the ball in the stands. It used to be a game in a game to see which player could roll the ball to the mound and get it to stay there.
- The gloves all look different. Pedro used a red one. Jorge had a multi-colored catcher's mitt. What's with that?
- Catchers now wear what looks like hockey masks. The name of the MLB catcher who invented them is beyond memory.
- Umpires no longer have those bubble chest protectors behind the plate. And then never stand directly behind the catcher.
- Shortstops hit homers. Mark Belanger hit 20 homers in his career and had a lifetime slugging average of .280. Yet he started for 17 years. Tejada and A-Rod hit that many in two months.
- Catchers hit for average. Piazza and Posada are weapons. Rick Dempsey was never a weapon. Ray Fosse made the All Stars as a .256 hitter.
- Middle of the road pitchers used to have records like 16-15. Phil Niekro had a two year stretch where his records were 19-18 and 21-20. Now a middle of the road pitcher has a 10-10 record.
- Starters were expected to finish. Now managers are scolded for ruining young pitching careers if two games in a row involve 110 pitches. Mike Cuellar had 172 complete games out of 379 starts. Mel Stottlemyre completed 180 in ten years. Jim Kaat completed 180. Bartolo Colon is considered a "horse" and has completed 28 games in seven years. At that pace, he'll catch Stottlemyre in 45 years.
- Leo Durocher would never intentionally walk Willie Mays three times in a game. What is going on with Bonds should lead to a rule change of one intentional walk a game. It's disgraceful.
- Catchers never gave third-base-coach-like signals to the pitcher to call pitches with runners on second base. That is brand new in the last few years.
- And finally, for tonight at least, players used to shake teammate hands after a homer or a job well done. The high five, fist pump, wrist slam, low five, and jumping chest bumps were unknown 30 years ago.
Things change but it's still the best game there is.
- The umpires ignore batters who call time when digging into the batters box.
- The players use all kinds of armor and equipment when batting and running the bases. Old ball players never wore batting gloves.
- The bats are different. Each player uses different bats. There are red ones, white ones, black ones and bats with all kinds of writing and markings. Back in the old days, all the bats looked the same.
- If a pitcher bounces a pitch in the dirt, the umpire immediately throws that ball out of the game. That never happened five years ago and longer.
- In that same category, the fielder catching the last out always throws the ball in the stands. It used to be a game in a game to see which player could roll the ball to the mound and get it to stay there.
- The gloves all look different. Pedro used a red one. Jorge had a multi-colored catcher's mitt. What's with that?
- Catchers now wear what looks like hockey masks. The name of the MLB catcher who invented them is beyond memory.
- Umpires no longer have those bubble chest protectors behind the plate. And then never stand directly behind the catcher.
- Shortstops hit homers. Mark Belanger hit 20 homers in his career and had a lifetime slugging average of .280. Yet he started for 17 years. Tejada and A-Rod hit that many in two months.
- Catchers hit for average. Piazza and Posada are weapons. Rick Dempsey was never a weapon. Ray Fosse made the All Stars as a .256 hitter.
- Middle of the road pitchers used to have records like 16-15. Phil Niekro had a two year stretch where his records were 19-18 and 21-20. Now a middle of the road pitcher has a 10-10 record.
- Starters were expected to finish. Now managers are scolded for ruining young pitching careers if two games in a row involve 110 pitches. Mike Cuellar had 172 complete games out of 379 starts. Mel Stottlemyre completed 180 in ten years. Jim Kaat completed 180. Bartolo Colon is considered a "horse" and has completed 28 games in seven years. At that pace, he'll catch Stottlemyre in 45 years.
- Leo Durocher would never intentionally walk Willie Mays three times in a game. What is going on with Bonds should lead to a rule change of one intentional walk a game. It's disgraceful.
- Catchers never gave third-base-coach-like signals to the pitcher to call pitches with runners on second base. That is brand new in the last few years.
- And finally, for tonight at least, players used to shake teammate hands after a homer or a job well done. The high five, fist pump, wrist slam, low five, and jumping chest bumps were unknown 30 years ago.
Things change but it's still the best game there is.
Friday, April 23, 2004
The Yankees look lost. Watching them tonight against Boston, the most expensive team in sports can't seem to do anything right. They are getting shaky starting pitching. They aren't hitting. They missed two fly balls in the outfield. This looks very much like a .500 team right now.
The number one concern is starting pitching. Mike Mussina is 1-4 and has given up 55 baserunners in 28.1 innings. Yikes! Jose Contreras should not be starting as his two years in the majors shows that he doesn't have what he needs to start. He could be great in relief as he was last year in the playoffs, but he shouldn't start. But who else is there? Vazquez and Brown will be fine, but there is big trouble after that.
Key Yankee batters have started off very slowly. The entire team has started the season batting .229. Bernie Williams is batting .191. Derek Jeter is batting .209. Gary Sheffield is only batting .268. Jason Giambi is batting .227. Alex Rodriguez is batting .206. All of those players have proven track records and will bounce back and end up where they usually do.
The Red Sox announcers mentioned that Kenny Lofton hasn't been a good fit in the Bronx. That is no surprise. He has never been a popular player and you have to wonder if Steinbrenner overruled someone to get an old centerfielder who is on the downward side of his career. Williams doesn't look physically healthy enough to play out there yet. Bubba Crosby should be given a shot despite his major gaff tonight.
You can bet that Mr. Steinbrenner is not a happy man.
In similar situations to the Yankees are the Phillies and the Angels. Both teams joined the Yankees in spending a lot of money in the off season and starting with high expectations. The Phillies are 5-9 and are already five and a half games behind the Marlins. The Angels are at .500 so far. The Phillies should be able to untrack a bit playing the Expos this weekend.
The standings have some surprises so far. The Twins lead the AL Central. The Reds are only a game back of the Cubs in the NL Central. The surprising Dodgers are on top of the NL West with the Padres right behind. The Giants and Diamondbacks are 6-10 and 5-10 respectively and look in deep trouble. It's going to be an interesting season.
The Fan is playing Fantasy Baseball for the first time this season. Being in New England, some of the folks at work thought it would be more challenging to be in a National League Only league. The Fan is enjoying the experience so far, but there is one problem. Sometimes there is hesitance to talk about some up and coming or surprising performances so far this season. My opponents in our fantasy league read this space and could get tips and use them. Hmmm... What's more important: Writing about what I love or winning a fantasy league? No question its the former.
One of those players is the Arizona third baseman, Matt Kata. He has opened the season batting .371 and is starting to get a lot of playing time. Mr. Kata might be one of this years box score heroes this year.
Barry Bonds is batting over .500 so far with 20 RBI. There is a lot of speculation why Bonds is getting more to hit this season and the most plausible reason seems to be that the Giants are playing poorly and have been behind early. There is less of a reason to walk Bonds if you are already ahead in the game. Bonds getting pitches to hit is good for baseball. Bonds walking three times a game is terrible for baseball.
The number one concern is starting pitching. Mike Mussina is 1-4 and has given up 55 baserunners in 28.1 innings. Yikes! Jose Contreras should not be starting as his two years in the majors shows that he doesn't have what he needs to start. He could be great in relief as he was last year in the playoffs, but he shouldn't start. But who else is there? Vazquez and Brown will be fine, but there is big trouble after that.
Key Yankee batters have started off very slowly. The entire team has started the season batting .229. Bernie Williams is batting .191. Derek Jeter is batting .209. Gary Sheffield is only batting .268. Jason Giambi is batting .227. Alex Rodriguez is batting .206. All of those players have proven track records and will bounce back and end up where they usually do.
The Red Sox announcers mentioned that Kenny Lofton hasn't been a good fit in the Bronx. That is no surprise. He has never been a popular player and you have to wonder if Steinbrenner overruled someone to get an old centerfielder who is on the downward side of his career. Williams doesn't look physically healthy enough to play out there yet. Bubba Crosby should be given a shot despite his major gaff tonight.
You can bet that Mr. Steinbrenner is not a happy man.
In similar situations to the Yankees are the Phillies and the Angels. Both teams joined the Yankees in spending a lot of money in the off season and starting with high expectations. The Phillies are 5-9 and are already five and a half games behind the Marlins. The Angels are at .500 so far. The Phillies should be able to untrack a bit playing the Expos this weekend.
The standings have some surprises so far. The Twins lead the AL Central. The Reds are only a game back of the Cubs in the NL Central. The surprising Dodgers are on top of the NL West with the Padres right behind. The Giants and Diamondbacks are 6-10 and 5-10 respectively and look in deep trouble. It's going to be an interesting season.
The Fan is playing Fantasy Baseball for the first time this season. Being in New England, some of the folks at work thought it would be more challenging to be in a National League Only league. The Fan is enjoying the experience so far, but there is one problem. Sometimes there is hesitance to talk about some up and coming or surprising performances so far this season. My opponents in our fantasy league read this space and could get tips and use them. Hmmm... What's more important: Writing about what I love or winning a fantasy league? No question its the former.
One of those players is the Arizona third baseman, Matt Kata. He has opened the season batting .371 and is starting to get a lot of playing time. Mr. Kata might be one of this years box score heroes this year.
Barry Bonds is batting over .500 so far with 20 RBI. There is a lot of speculation why Bonds is getting more to hit this season and the most plausible reason seems to be that the Giants are playing poorly and have been behind early. There is less of a reason to walk Bonds if you are already ahead in the game. Bonds getting pitches to hit is good for baseball. Bonds walking three times a game is terrible for baseball.
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