The End of an Era in Baltimore

It wasn't hard to see this day coming as the Baltimore Orioles have declined to pick up Melvin Mora's contract making him a free agent. It seems all but clear that Mora's tenth season with the Orioles was his last. Mora, from Venezuela, will turn 38 in 2010 and will hope to catch on with a contending team, something that has eluded him as a player. He made his displeasure public in 2009 when he got off to a bad start, was injured and was not given his starting job back after his return.

Mora had some good years in Baltimore. He was better suited for the outfield where he put up some stellar defensive numbers. While he had a great arm at third, his RTOT consistently came up in the negative column as an infielder. Just two years ago in 2008, Mora drove in 104 runs while compiling a 114 OPS+. That was worth the nearly $8 million the Orioles were paying him. But this year's decline to a 77 OPS+ made the $8 million option untenable to pick up.

Depending on his attitude at taking a lesser role at this point in his career, Mora could be a useful backup for somebody. He can play multiple positions and has had some good years at the plate. He certainly has more skills than someone like Miguel Cairo. The question is if he can accept that kind of role after playing nearly every game for the Orioles for eight years.

It would be easy to see a team like the Angels, Rangers or Tigers picking him up as he hit those teams really well in his career. To be sure, the Red Sox will miss him as they play the Orioles in 2010. He only had a .689 OPS against them over the years.

Mora's best years were 2003 and 2004 when he put together back to back years with an OPS+ of 143 and 155, especially 2004 when he had a career year and set personal bests in all offensive categories including a .340 batting average.

Yankees Even It Up

Now that was a great, nail-biter of a game. Game 2 of the World Series pitted Pedro Martinez for the Phillies against A. J. Burnett of the Yankees. After the Phillies took care of Sabathia and Game 1, the Phillies had to look in good shape going into this one, especially after Pedro's press conference where he pulled out all the stops and stopped only short of calling himself the best pitcher that ever lived...even if he could be right by saying so.

Of course, at age 38, Pedro bedazzles more with guile than the power pitching machine he used to be. It sure seems that he gets into the minds of the apposing batters. He'll have them blinking in silence at 88 MPH fastballs right down the middle and then after the batter is thinking, "What the heck, why wasn't I ready for that meatball," Martinez throws a sloppy curve into the dirt and makes them swing. It's downright entertaining unless of course, you are a Yankee fan.

But like Dorothy pulling the veil down from the great magician in the Wizard of Oz, Mark Teixeira pulled the magician's hat off of Pedro's head on a change up over the outside of the plate. He absolutely crushed it into the Yankee bullpen. The next thing you know, the magician is handing out hearts and courage with another homer by Matsui and a later run to get the magician out of the game.

Meanwhile, Burnett, who puts more fear into Yankee fans than into the other team had a better time of finishing off Phillies' at bats than usual. So far in the playoffs, he would always start 0-2 or 1-2, then throw a couple of curves in the dirt and walk the guy. Then he would be all off and start throwing wild pitches all over the place. Thursday night, he got the two strikes and then finished the guy off to the tune of nine strikeouts and seven innings with just the lone run.

Mariano Rivera finished it off by pitching two innings for the save. If his arm doesn't fall off this series, the Yankees have a chance. He bends, but he hasn't broken and once he gets through the eighth inning, the ninth is money. Although that first out to Howard was at least six inches outside.

It was a game the Yankees had to have and it was a game the Phillies could have really put the cuffs on. But the Yankees go to Philadelphia with a tie. The Phillies have been a weird team this year and have been better on the road than at home. The Rockies took a game from them in Philadelphia and then the Phillies rocked them at Coors. It will be interesting to see what happens. Cole Hamels will face Andy Pettitte on Saturday night.

It Was Over Quickly

C. C. Sabathia was good. He was determined and despite not having his best stuff, he pitched a hell of a game. His only problem was twice running into Chase Utley's bat. Two solo homers and the way Lee was pitching, it was over. It wasn't pretty later when the Yankee bullpen imploded, but it wouldn't have mattered. Other than Derek Jeter, who hit Lee like he's always hits Lee, the Yankees were defenseless.

A couple of observations early. Lee was leaving some first pitch strikes right in the middle of the plate early in the game. One to A-Rod, one to Damon and one to Teixeira come to mind. Lee isn't one of those pitchers you try to tire out with long at bats. He throws strikes so it isn't going to happen. If you get to him early, he can blow up in lightning speed. That happened a few times after his great start after the trade when he won a bunch in a row. After that streak, teams started getting to him early. That's probably a scouting report thing. The Yankees should put that in the memory bank and look for fat fastballs early in the game. Lee is a very good pitcher. But he isn't THIS good.

A couple more observations. The Phillies are a seriously cocky team. Of course, it is completely impossible for this writer to be objective, but between Rollins' prediction, Utley's "Look at me, ain't I pretty" look after his homers and Lee's demeaner on the mound on the pop up and comebackers, all looked like a team pretty full of themselves. Keep that in mind as we go along.

One last observation that is completely subjective--impossible for the Fan to be objective here--it didn't seem that the Yankees and the Phillies had the same strike zone. Again, the Phillies flat out beat the Yankees, but the Fan is just saying.

So, it's 1-0 Philadelphia and it doesn't look good for the Yankees.

The Astros Make a Solid Choice

From this Fan's perspective, the Astros dodged a bullet by losing out on the Manny Acta sweepstakes (for gosh sakes) and today named Brad Mills, Boston's bench coach for the last six years, as their new manager. For the story, click here.

Here is why the Fan likes this move: First, the Astros get someone who has been a part of a winning culture...ahem...unlike the guy that got away. Second, Mills has had a front row seat to one of the best managers in the business for six years. Francona is solid. He knows how to face pressure. He knows how to handle the media and he knows how to handle his players. And apparently, he knows how to delegate, a secret every good manager in any business, needs to have.

Francona's words speak for themselves: "I have given Brad more responsibility than I have ever seen a bench coach have. He totally runs spring training and he handles all the communication with the players." That my friends, is high praise. The best thing a manager does is give his charges the opportunity to succeed and have enough personal confidence to have his under-managers grow in their responsibilities.

The only question that remains is if Mills will have enough clout to help turn the Astros organization into one that mirrors Boston's. You may love them or you may hate them, but there is no smarter organization that Boston's. They just get it. Does that mean that everything always falls into place? Well, 2009 proves that it doesn't. But if you run your organization correctly, you never fall into the depths of hell and stay competitive throughout. And that's all a fan base can really ask for: a realistic chance to compete every year.

For Some, the Off Season Has Started

The early off season moves have started and they seem to have begun with non-players. The Indians got a new manager...the one that the Astros wanted. The Padres have a new General Manager. Tony LaRussa decided to stay with the Cardinals and now the big news is that perhaps Mark McGwire will be his new hitting coach.

Let's start with the Indians. They announced that they have hired Manual Elias Acta as their new manager. Umm... Do you think the Indians' fans are thrilled by that choice? As they were out there wondering who would replace Mr. Wedge, could you see them pondering Bobby Valentine or Buck Showalter or some big name like that? Perhaps they could pry LaRussa from the Cardinals. Something splashy and all, you know? And they hired Manny Acta. It's a given that a manager is given too much credit for when a team wins and when they lose. Even so, Manny Acta's major league record as a manager is 158-252. His .385 winning percentage is 285th on the list of managers of all time, slightly better than Alan Trammell and Art Fletcher. Preston Gomez has a better all-time winning percentage. So does Larry Rothschild and Dave Trembley. Can you feel the collective thud of enthusiasm in Cleveland?

Okay, so Acta managed the Washington Nationals. Yeah, they were a mess. But now he is being asked to take another team that is currently a mess and do what he couldn't do in Washington? This Fan doesn't get it. And the funny thing is that the Astros wanted him too and only didn't get him because their owner wouldn't give him a three year contract. Would you? Well, the Astros can rejoice because the Fan is sure that Trembley or Rothschild are available. And Acta is from the Dominican Republic. It's cold in Cleveland in the spring. He better pack his long johns.

The dual news that LaRussa is staying in St. Louis and could perhaps be bringing Mark McGwire back to the majors as a coach is double-the-fun news. Anyone who has read this blog for long knows that the Fan has a healthy dislike for Mr. LaRussa. He is an arrogant SOB if you ask this writer. But you know what? If he brings McGwire back and thumbs his nose at the upper echelon of baseball, he's a hero. McGwire may be a paragon for what we abhor about what we now know about PEDS and baseball, but he's a good guy too. And you may not agree, and no doubt many of you don't, but if 70% of the guys were using, how come they didn't hit 70 homers too? The Fan loves the guy. Always will. Who can blame the guy for not wanting to perjure himself? Look what it got Clemens and Tejada? Lying to congress will cost you a bit. But this Fan will never forget that Labor Day weekend when McGwire hugged his son and made the world a fun place to be. You go, LaRussa! Hope you get to the World Series next year. The only question remaining is if Duncan will still be there.

The Padres hired a GM from the Boston Think Factory. Not a bad idea. It's refreshing that someone with Hoyer's pedigree in sabermetrics and smarts got him a job like that. It shows good signs in San Diego and their fans should be encouraged.

The Fan's Been Sick

{{Switching to first person}} I got a call from my son on Sunday. He said that he'd heard I'd been sick. "Yes," I wheezed. Sometimes he and his wonderful lady friend, who he should hurry up and marry, were supposed to come over for dinner, but I politely asked if he could let the old man moan and groan on the couch alone for the weekend. He understood. But then he mentioned that I hadn't written my blog for a day or two. I guess that's what happens when you write over 550 entries in a baseball season and miss a day or two. I should be thankful that he reads regularly. It's kind of a bonding thing. But then the pride kicks in a little bit and the thought occurs to me that he's written two whole entries in HIS blog in five months and he's making me feel guilty? Puh! Oh well. That's life.

I was thinking about that as I semi-watched the Yankees clinch the American League pennant. By semi-watched, I mean that I watched a few of the early innings, but after the Angels scored the first run and the Yankees started leaving men on base, I retreated to the basement to play Hearts. I have become such a stress coward. I can't seem to take it for some reason. But to be like that is to miss so much of what makes baseball such a grand game. I need a sports psychologist I think. Do you suppose John Smoltz would refer me to his? Doubtful.

As I was thinking about what my son said about the empty blog days, the other thought occurred to me that I built some momentum with all those blog posts. Readership tripled over the summer. They have dwindled down again some. Do the big-time writers worry about that stuff? Do they pour over the web reports and see who came and who didn't and in what numbers and what the trends are? Do they write stories they think will bring more people to the site? Nah. Couldn't be. But I have to admit that I think about that when considering what I am going to write about. It's a losing proposition I have concluded. You can only write what you are passionate about and in the end, the whole will be valued over the parts. At least that's what I think now. Next week might bring different conclusions.

Okay, so what about the Yankees and the Angels? Well, there is good news and bad news for the Yankees. The good news is that Sabathia is spectacular and A-Rod has come into his October prime. Pettitte is reliable and is money when the going gets tough. Jeter is still Jeter and does the little things that sometimes turn the tide. The bad news is that A. J. Burnett is as reliable as those pilots who somehow missed the Minneapolis airport. Swisher, Cano and Matsui were terrible in the clutch. And Phil Hughes has lost his mojo. The sort of good news is that Mariano Rivera still gets it done but it is a bit worrisome that he topped out at about 89 MPH in that last game. Mo is like the wall of a great old city against the franks and other hordes. The people depend on that wall and have for a long time. But sooner or later, you know that wall is going to come down. Perhaps it will wait until some time after this world series. One can hope so.

It was kind of sad the way the season ended for the Angels. They are such a solid team, but when it came down to the end, they just kept messing up: errors, base running blunders...things you wouldn't expect them to do. Personally, I don't think those two runs the Angels gave up in the 8th would have made any difference in the final outcome. Rivera had no trouble with the last three batters who went 1-2-3. But even so, from a mental standpoint, to see a guy like Kazmir, who hadn't been to war with the club all season, at least until the end, kick that bunt into right field had to be a morale crusher. I mean, if one of your tried and true warriors from the entire season messes up, well, he's family, you know? And how mad would you have been after Jeter's comebacker when Kazmir then makes a point of throwing his best fastball to first? The butthole.

As for the World Series, I'm just glad Jeter, Mo, Posada and Pettitte will get to taste it again. It would be nice if they could win it. But I'm just happy they put some ghosts to bed and got there.

Thursday Could Have Been Worse?

There is always someone who says very sagely that there is always someone else in the world worse off than you are. Don't you hate that person? Really. Don't you just hate that person? Because they always show up at the height of a grand pity party to throw a wet blanket on even that. Right? Here you are having a miserable day and you start to grumble. Grumbling at least makes it feel a little better because it's getting some of the frustrations out and perhaps someone who cares about you is even giving a little much needed sympathy. Then along comes the preacher, teacher, mother, brother, husband, wife, best friend, boss, co-worker or construction worker who says gravely: "There's always someone else in the world worst off than you."

Drat that person. May he/she absentmindedly walk right into a water-filled pot hole and fill up their boots. You know why? Because the Fan is having one of those weeks and really wants to blow up at somebody or perhaps have a good cry. And yet, without that person even being around, that voice in the Fan's ear keeps whispering..."There always someone else..." Yeah, yeah, okay. But the Fan sure pities that poor person because they must be flat out miserable.

First of all, the Fan has caught one doozy of a cold. Yeah, you know the kind. The nose plugs up or drips constantly. The wheezing in the chest sounds like someone is sawing wood in there. Between the sneezes and blowing of noses, this old Fan just feels like someone rolled over him with a steam roller that has the New York Giants written on the side of it. And no, the Fan will never get over that Super Bowl.

So anyway, the Fan and his good wife settled down to watch the 3-1 Yankees to see if they can get in the World Series. The Fan has already decided, as usual, that the Yankees are going to lose. But at least he has been doing better on that old temper of his. The good wife of course is more optimistic and scolds the Fan for his lack of faith.

With plenty of tissues available and the garbage can right by the lounge chair available when needed, a coke can chilled to just the right temperature and a box of Wheat Thins at the ready, the game starts.

Oh. The Fan forgot to tell you that it snowed on Thursday. That's right. 6.5 inches of the blasted stuff fell on northern Maine on October 22, 2009. For cripes sake, the golf clubs aren't even out of the trunk of the car yet! The front garden hasn't been pruned for the winter yet. And we get 6.5 inches of the white, cold stuff.

Okay, back to the game. Jeter singles (man, is he the Man or what?). Damon singles. Okay, boys and girls, here we go. Then Teixeira comes up. Had he stunk up the CS up until that point or what? Well, he gets two quick strikes on him, including one in the dirt that made him look like a lefty-swinging Soriano. But he works the count back to 3-2. Lackey throws a curve that is at least six inches outside. "Yesss!" the Fan cries. Except the ump called him out on strikes. What!? Why the heck can't major league umpires call the strike zone anymore? Someone tried to rebut the Fan a week or so back by saying that the little strike zone they show on the telecasts are not accurate. Yeah, right. Then why would they have them then? That pitch went around the plate.

Well, if you saw the game, you know the rest. A-Rod wasn't ready for a really good pitch to hit (despite what the announcers said - heck, he hit that same pitch into the 40th row the other night) and popped out to the infield. Matsui then grounds weakly to first (instead of taking the pitch the other way like he usually does). See!? The good wife shushes and the Fan gets himself under control because we don't want another episode like earlier in this series.

Just then the Angels are coming up and...and...and...the power goes out. VVPPFFHHTTT goes the sound and then we are sitting in the dark. The power returns shortly, but good old Time Warner Cable is down for the count. No phone, no food no pets...we ain't got no cigarettes. There is no television signal, no phone signal and no Internet. It's all down. The good wife and the Fan looked at each other for a good long while. The Fan briefly thought about the bedroom, but that would be fun for her with phlegm all over eh?

So long story short. The Fan took his Nyquil, prayed for that good old Nyquil coma. Then the Fan walked his sorry body upstairs to bed, all the while with that awful person whispering, "Somewhere in the world someone has it much worse than you do." Yeah? Well, kiss my furry butt. Heh. But it figures they could have been correct all the while. Somewhere in New York, someone with a bad cold and a leak in the roof actually got to watch Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain throw away Game 5.

The Dodgers Bite the Dust

Bud Selig and the television executives will not have their dream series of New York versus Los Angeles as the Phillies took care of the Dodgers on Wednesday night sending the Phillies to their second straight World Series. We've long expected Vincente Padilla to crash and burn and it didn't take long into the final game to see it happen. Jason Werth hit a three-run homer in the first and Feliz homered in the second and it was pretty much over.

The Phillies are either a team of destiny, or they just know how to win. Brad Lidge, who had been spectacularly awful all season did not give up a run in the NLCS and finished with a WHIP of 0.75. Rollins, who did not even have an On Base Percentage over .300 this season, won the game for the Phillies in Game 4. The team never looks great on paper except for Utley and Howard, but they find a way to beat you, especially if you keep them in the game.

In the end, a lot of people will put this series (and last year's) on Joe Torre, which is a bit unfair. They will say that he hasn't won the big one since 2000 and can't get his teams over the hump. But a manager's only job is to put the players on the field that he thinks will give him the best chance to win and it's their job to get it done. They didn't. Loney and Belliard were the only Dodgers' starters that batted over .263 for the series. The bullpen failed on a number of occasions and they simply got beat.

Torre uses pretty much the same tactics that won his four world titles. Get the game to the closer. But the Dodgers don't have Mariano Rivera. That was surely evident when Broxton tippytoed around Matt Stairs in Game 4 with two out. Do you think Rivera would have been afraid of a guy because he got beat one time by him? Heck no.

So the point is, Torre didn't have the horses he had in New York during those winning years. He didn't have a team of winners. He had a bunch of players who found a way to get beat. The Phillies, on the other hand, are winners. Darned if this writer knows how they do it, but you can't argue with the results.

At Least McClellaned Manned Up...But...

Umpires sure have been a big story this post season. No doubt part of the problem for MLB umpires is that televised games now have a myriad of angles on every play so there is little wiggle room for the umpire who doesn't get it right. McClelland made two major gaffes last night in the Angels/Yankees game at third base. In the first play, catcher, Napoli, tagged both Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada as both were off the base. McClelland was screened by Posada and Figgins and didn't see that Cano was off the base. Only Posada was called out. Later, the Yankees hit a sacrifice fly with Nick Swisher on third. Replays showed that Swisher stayed on the base until Torii Hunter caught the ball. Again, McClelland didn't see it that way. He blew it again.

Watching the interview after the game with McClelland, you had to feel for the guy who had to admit in front of the entire sporting world that he missed both calls. At least he manned up about it. He didn't do what other umpires have done this post season and deny the error. That makes McClelland a stand up guy. It doesn't take him off the hook though. Stand up guy or not, the umpires are paid big bucks to get those calls correctly. And unfortunately for MLB, that wasn't the only missed calls. Nick Swisher was called safe on a pick off move when he was on second. Replays clearly show that he was successfully tagged out. But he was called safe nonetheless.

In the end, it wouldn't have mattered. Between the Yankees' offense and Sabathia's pitching, the Angels had no shot in the game and would have lost either way. But you hate to see a game so marred by poor umpiring.

Home Field Proves Big for Angels

As stated in a previous post, the biggest advantage of having a game played in your home field is "last ups." This is especially crucial in extra inning games as the Yankees showed in Game 2 when they were allowed to answer an 11th inning run with an Alex Rodriguez homer in the bottom of the eleventh. Game 3 again went into extra innings and this time the Angels had last ups and won the ballgame. But it wasn't just last ups that did it for the Yankees. There were a few questionable decisions by Joe Girardi and some horrible clutch hitting by anyone who did not hit a solo homer.

In this Fan's opinion, the Yankees gave the Angels several big breaks and should have won this game handily. They had first and second with no outs in the second inning. Cano, who seems to be one of the worst clutch hitters in baseball, grounded into a force out to make it first and third, one out. Nick Swisher, who is patient at the plate, except when men are in scoring position, swung wildly at a couple of pitches before popping up weakly to short left. And then Melky Cabrera finished the disappointing inning with a ground out.

Then in the fourth inning, after A-Rod's massive home run, Matsui walked and Posada singled. The Fan was thinking that Weaver was on the ropes. But the dream team of clutch trotted to the plate again: Cano, another force out. Swisher, struck himself out swinging at bad balls. Cabrera popped up. Cabrera again failed with men on first and second with one out as he struck out swinging, the last pitch in the dirt.

Cano finished the season batting .321, but did you know that he had a .567 OPS with runners in scoring position with a line of .207/.242/.332? Terrible. Nick Swisher batted .227 with runners in scoring position this year. Such situations to this observer, are the Yankees' Achilles Heel.

Several decisions made by Girardi backfired. It seemed at the time that Pettitte was laboring when he faced Vlad in the sixth. It seemed that Chamberlain would have been a better match up against Guerrero with two out in that situation. But Girardi kept Pettitte in there and Vlad hit it out. Tie game.

Later, Girardi replaced Johnny Damon in left field with Hairston, who was the DH at that point. The situation seemed to make that a good idea at the time because a sacrifice fly to left would have surely plated the winning run. But how many fly balls to left does Rivera ever give up? Not many that the Fan can remember. The move also meant that the Yankees lost the DH and that position was due up the next inning. Because of that, Rivera was limited to one inning. Truthfully, he couldn't have done worse at the plate than Cervelli who pinch hit for him. Cervelli swung at everything the pitcher threw, no matter where it was and struck himself out. Heck, Sabathia might have been a better pinch hitter.

The last gaffe of the night for Girardi was deadly. Robertson started the 11th for the Yankees and got two quick outs. For some reason, Girardi then brought in Aceves. Why? Aceves came in, gave up a single and a double, and the game was over. In this Fan's opinion, Girardi over-managed and tried to be overly brilliant. It backfired.

And so, the Angels have life. That's a scary thing.

Is There a Better Way to Lose?

The Angels had their guts ripped out on several occasions on Saturday night and finally had the emotionally deflating loss after thirteen innings when they had the chance to win on several occasions. Their closer blew the save. They left a million guys on base. And they lost the game on an error. The Dodgers on the other hand, knew they had lost after the first inning. Are both losses the same? Or is a blowout worse? Or is a gut-ripping game like Saturday night's worse?

The Fan got to pondering this after watching the drudging the Patriots put on the Tennessee Titans. The score was 52-0 at halftime. Is that better for the Titans than having a lead with 30 seconds to go and giving up a field goal with two seconds left on the clock? The Fan doesn't know. What do you think?

They call a lopsided win a "Laugher," sometimes spelled, "Laffer." During such a drubbing, which team is doing the laughing? The Fan would imagine that both teams could laugh at that point. Once a game is lopsided and all but over, both teams can relax and play it out stress free and wait to go at it again the next night. The Titans certainly looked pretty grim when the score was 59-0. But wouldn't you naturally relax after that and sort of play it like a free-for-all?

The Fan's instinct is that the Angels' loss was worse than the Dodgers' loss. After it was 8-0 by the fifth inning, couldn't the Dodgers conserve their energy and relax the rest of the game? The Angels on the other hand, played their hearts out for five hours and still came away with a loss. The former seems preferable than the latter. A blowout can be considered a fluke. A close loss can be indicative of a glaring weakness or two.

Many would say that both kinds of losses would be equally bad. In a seven game series, any loss is problematic and gets the other team closer to the ultimate goal. But the Fan still thinks he'd rather be in the Dodgers' shoes than the Angels.

A Fan Out of Control

Perhaps it is a reflection of the stress in my life. Perhaps it is too many decades of watching games go in so many different directions. Perhaps it is just another moment to reflect and figure out how to find the center of gravity again. But the fact remains that this Fan is out of control and it has become impossible to watch a game. Lord knows the wife is fed up with the bad behavior and she is right. It's humbling and it needs to stop.

Sporting events are just that. They are entertainment that alter little in the circling of this planet and the plight of the people spinning around on this earthly ship. They don't affect global hunger or the nuclear threat. They don't stop terrorists from altering thousands of lives. They are a diversion that allow us fans to forget about all of that for a few hours. These events are just another set of competitors in a two-thousand year old evolution of competitions from the original Olympics to now. But when a Fan loses all rational perspective and control in his behavior watching those events to the point where there is actual fear in watching them, something has gone terribly wrong.

Last night was the straw that broke the camel's back. The Fan's behavior was so erratic and so over-the-top emotional, so disturbing for the woman in my life that it just has to end. To her, I apologize. She doesn't need that nor does she deserve it. And while she stayed up until well past one to watch the end results, the Fan took a PM version of a famous pain reliever and went to bed well before the drama was finished.

It happened this way. First, there is no denying in this space that the Yankees have been as big a part of my life as the Beatles, family and God. Many times, the order of those parts of my life have been a bit out of proper order, but they have been the revolving uber-themes of my existence. As a blogger, I try mightily to keep this space neutral. I attempt to cover all of Major League Baseball without my true love affair for this one team that is five decades old to predominate. But the fact remains that I have lived and died with the Yankees since I was a little kid and the team was horrible. I have lived through the early Steinbrenner saga and the Billy Martin fiascoes and the two championships in the 70s and the long drought that followed. I suffered along with Don Mattingly who played brilliantly all those years without a championship. I sorrowed for Dave Winfield who couldn't put any kind of post-season heroics on the field during his Yankee years. And I certainly gloried through 1996-2000.

And then 2001 happened and that sickening feeling that this Fan can still recognize as Rivera tried to get the force on a bunt and threw errantly followed by that horribly lucky, broken bat plop of Luis Gonzalez whose probably performance-enhanced abilities just allowed him to get the ball to the back edge of the infield behind Jeter. It was the beginning of where the Fan is now.

It was quickly followed by the Yankees signing just about every past-their-prime, thirty-five year old free agent that hit the market. Which allowed another sickening loss to the Marlins in the World Series and was followed by the awful events of the 2004 series against the Red Sox and then the quick exits in 2005 through 2007.

This Fan saw the reputation of Jeter thrown through the mud. He can't field you know. He was finished you know. Alex Rodriguez was a post-season flop. There was scandal and overblown hype at everything A-Rod and Clemens did. There was disgrace and this Fan was defeated and disillusioned.

And then improbably, the Yankees put it all together this year. The Red Sox stumbled which I never saw coming. The Yankees put together 103 wins and seemed to have fun doing it. The Yankees had fun? Who saw that coming? They laughed? They joked around? They did pies in the face? Huh? Jeter restored his reputation. He worked hard in the off-season on his lateral movement and became decent in the field again. He had his best year at the plate since 2005. He was back on top of his game.

And then the Yankees beat the Twins three straight. A-Rod was the hero. Say what? But the pressure built inside me. I can't watch. The desire to see Jeter, Mo and Jorge win one more title is so strong that it tilted my universe. But I did watch as Sabathia dismantled the Angels and the Angels stumbled around. The game was never in doubt and it was okay. The Fan was okay. Until last night. And I lost it.

It started by watching A. J. Burnett. Golly, the guy kills me. Watching him time after time getting two strikes and then try to get cute and throw four straight balls or hit some guy in the foot. He's terrible to watch and it was insufferable. So I went downstairs in my stressed out state and played Hearts while the wife sat up there alone keeping vigil. The fact that she has become such an avid Yankee fan is my fault. And she is much more loyal now than me. Because she can watch and root and hope for the best while I cringe and grovel and spit epitaphs.

Finally, the Fan thought it was safe to go back up and watch a little. I came just in time to watch Joba shut the door on Vlad with the bases loaded. Okay. I can do this. The Yankees get a base runner on a Swisher single. Gardner pinch runs. I know he's going to steal second and set up a rally. But he doesn't steal. He just stands there allowing himself to be doubled up. Why did he pinch run then? I started shouting at the television. The good wife tries a few soothing words. They fall deaf on the floor.

Then Hughes comes in for the Yankees, gets an out and then a base runner. A double-play ball is hit to Jeter, my redeemed hero who had hit a homer earlier. Okay, there it is! We're okay! Except that Jeter blew it and got no outs. The Fan totally lost it. And I mean lost it.

The slippers got thrown. The shouting started. The storming around the room. Finally, out of cowardice or just plain stress reduction, the Fan gave the wife a meaningless kiss and stormed off to bed. The wife looked pissed and there was guilt and self-loathing. But I was beyond redemption and the seething emotions carried me to my bed where I reclined in a heap of frustration and despair. What the hell, William? What has happened to you?

And as such, this Fan missed Mariano Rivera and another big-time performance: 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. I missed A-Rod's clutch homer in the 11th to tie the game back up. I missed the 13th inning where the Angels imploded like I expected the Yankees to do. I missed the celebration that my good wife got to watch because I made her a fan and she is the good kind of fan. All of this I missed because I have lost control of my emotions and it is brutal.

I just want this too badly and it has to stop. Perspective is needed and win or lose, I need to get back to simply rooting for my favorite team. If they win, then it will be unbelievable. If they lose, then it's just a game. Life will go on. Lord help me, I need to get this back in order. It's embarrassing and a bit scary to be living like this. It seems like a form of madness. Again, if you read this, my dear beloved wife, I'm sorry.

And I apologize to my faithful readers too. You didn't need this piece. But I needed to write it.

Defense Costly for Phils and Angels

While we saw a startling contrast in climates during the two championship series games, both games turned on fielding plays. The Phillies wasted a stunningly beautiful performance by Pedro Martinez as the Dodgers rallied for two runs on good bunting, good eyes and a fielding gaffe by Chase Utley. Meanwhile, over in the Bronx, Sabathia was fantastic and the Angels played like they all had frostbite, committing three errors and missing an infield pop up that wasn't credited as an error.

First off, let the Fan state how disappointed he was that major league baseball players wimped out by wearing earflaps on their caps and ski masks. Chone Figgins, Erick Aybar and Robinson Cano looked more like they were going for a sleigh ride than they were playing in a baseball game. Tom Hanks once said that there is no crying in baseball. Well, he would also say there are no hoodies in baseball. Geez. That was pathetic.

But while Cano made some acrobatic plays at second for the Yankees (no way Soriano would have made those plays), Figgins and Aybar played like they were trolls frozen by the morning sunlight. They stood as stone figures while Hideki Matsui's innocent pop up landed between them allowing Johnny Damon to score a run. Damon was on second after singling to left because Juan Rivera couldn't figure out where to throw the ball, so he threw it in between everything.

Nobody should blame Chase Utley for those two bad double play throws in the last two games. Both times, the feeding infielders bobbled the ball and threw Utley's timing off. The errant throw from Utley in Game 2 went into the dugout and allowed the tying run to score for the Dodgers. But it wasn't Utley's fault that four Philadelphia relievers decided to walk the winning run around the bases.

The Phillies-Dodgers game featured two remarkable pitching performances. Vincente Padilla proved the Fan wrong and made Joe Torre look like a genius. Padilla was fantastic with a 95 MPH fastball that had all kinds of late movement. He pounded the strike zone and only allowed a homer to Howard on an ill-advised breaking ball that just hung up there too long. Other than that, he was buck. Pedro Martinez was even better. The Dodgers had no clue what to expect and what to do with Martinez's offerings. It was a masterful performance and a real throwback to the greatness of Pedro Martinez. Fortunately for the Dodgers, Manuel took him out after the seventh and allowed the Dodgers to get back in the game.

Sabathia also pounded the strike zone for the Yankees, striking out seven and walking one in eight innings. The only run off of him was on a bloops single. Mariano Rivera added to his post season legacy with the save in the ninth.

The Dodgers absolutely needed the win to tie the series. The Yankees needed to start off with a win at home. Missions accomplished.

They Shot the Sherrill

But they also shot the debutante. The Phillies used seven walks between newcomer, George Sherrill, and the young Clayton Kershaw to set up two 3-run homers to sink the Dodgers' hopes of starting the series off on a positive note. The 8-6 victory hands back home field advantage to the Phillies.

Kershaw was sailing along after four scoreless innings. Then he imploded in the fifth with the Dodgers holding a 1-0 lead on a homer by James Loney (after the Fan said he didn't have enough power to play first). Kershaw's fifth inning: Single, wild pitch, walk, homer, walk (the pitcher!), fielder's choice, wild pitch, strike out, wild pitch, walk, double and done for the day.

As bad and as disappointing as Kershaw's day was, it didn't hurt nearly as bad as George Sherrill's contribution to the night. The Dodgers clawed back on Hamels to make it a 5-4 game, which, with the Phillies' bullpen, is not a bad place to be. True to form, the Dodgers would score two more against Madson, which would have been enough. But Sherrill, who had to this point been brilliant for the Dodgers since coming over from the Orioles, walked the first two batters he faced and then coughed up a three-run homer of his own to Jason Werth. Seven walks against the Phillies is going to hurt you and six of the seven batters that walked, scored.

So now the Dodgers have to hope that Vincente Padilla has one more good game in him. Baseball fans have been waiting for Padilla to return to his normal form and the Dodgers have to hope that it isn't going to happen on Friday. The Phillies are taking a gamble of their own by starting Pedro Martinez who hasn't thrown a meaningful post season inning since the 2004 World Series. Somehow, it feels more comforting to pitch an aging version of the toughest pitcher of his generation than Blanton or Happ or any of the Phillies' other starters. To this Fan, it feels more possible for Martinez to summon up his old magic than for Padilla to keep up his own unfathomable magic in two months with the Dodgers.

Phillies and Dodgers - 2009 NLCS Preview

The best lineup in the National League squares up against the best pitching staff in the National League for the right to go to the World Series. The series starts tonight at 8:07 Eastern Time, 5:07 Pacific Time. It will be Cole Hamels versus Clayton Kershaw. The Phillies are the reigning champions and the Dodgers are led by Joe Torre, who has won more championships than anyone in the last thirteen years. On the surface of things, this should be an intriguing and see-saw series. Let's break it down a bit.

The Dodgers open the series with Clayton Kershaw. The kid is 21 years old. Can you remember the last time a kid that age was the opening pitcher of a series like this one? The Fan can. His name was Dwight Gooden on the 1986 Mets. That team went on to win the World Series. But Dwight Gooden already had 58 wins in his career, which is incredible when you think about it. Gooden was a strikeout pitcher who walked very few batters. Kershaw is a strikeout pitcher who walks a lot of batters. Gooden and Kershaw's ERAs at the age of 21 are strikingly similar however and there is one big benefit Kershaw has: He pitches left-handed.

The Phillies big hitters are pretty much all lefties. Howard, Victorino, Utley and Ubanez, but before you get excited about that, note that the Phillies had a slightly higher OPS against lefties than they did against righties. But those Phillies strike out a lot, which plays right into Kershaw's hand if he can throw strikes early in the count. Howard, Ibanez, Werth and Utley struck out 571 times this season. That's a lot of strikeouts.

Add all that up and throw Cole Hamel into the mix, who was so good in last season's post season, and you have a first game that seems to be a wash. If Kershaw is on top of his game, the Dodgers could win easily, especially if they get to Hamel. If Kershaw is shaky in the strike zone, it could go the Phillies' way.

The second game would pit Chad Billingsley against Cliff Lee. Lee is a difficult guy to predict. He can be absolutely brilliant and at times he can be killed. Fortunately for the Phillies, the former has happened a lot more than the latter. But the possibility is still out there, especially if you can get to Lee early. If he gets in a groove, you're pretty much done.

Billingsley is one of the most talented pitchers on the planet. He didn't pitch like that much during the home stretch. And Torre hasn't announced his rotation yet for the post season. Billingsley didn't start against the Cardinals when Torre went with Wolf, Kershaw and Padilla. But any of those four match up well with Lee in this Fan's opinion. The Fan would go with Billingsley on talent alone, but Torre likes to go with the hot hand, so we'll see.

But then you get to Game 3 and there are no pitchers among Pedro, Blanton, et al, that would seem to match up with whoever is left of Padilla, Wolf and Billingsley. It would seem that the Phillies best hope would be to steal the first two games, which doesn't seem possible. If the Dodgers seemed to have no trouble with Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, Cole Hamel and Cliff Lee don't appear to be close to those two Cardinal pitchers.

It will be interesting, but this series seems to favor the Dodgers. Unlike last year, they have home field advantage. Unlike last year, they have a top notch bullpen. Their core young players have a year more experience. They are the better fielding team. They have Sherrill this year who can shut down the big lefties in the ninth if Torre wants to go that route.

The Fan just doesn't see the Phillies repeating. But the old cliche still stands: That's why they play the games.

Atlanta Braves - 2009 Debrief

Finished with the NL West, our debriefing tour around the majors jumps to the National League East. Since a reader requested the Braves and the Fan appreciates his readers, we'll skip out of order and start with the Atlanta Braves, who made a late run at the wild card before running out of time in 2009. Before 2009's review, a couple of early concerns appear about 2010. What effect will having Bobby Cox in a lame duck year have on the team? What does Chipper Jones do in his last year of his contract and what will happen to him after that? Okay, we brought up two major questions, let's look at a lot of bright spots 2009 showed us.

First, the Braves began building the next great pitching dynasty. Yeah, the could have handled the Smoltz and Glavine situations better as they gave the last remaining cogs of the last dynasty a couple of thankless boots. But whether the Braves handled that mess wrongly or rightly, they did the right thing. It's time for a new generation. The problem is that right now, there are only two of the four cogs in place. But man, those two are great!

Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson finished with a 160 and 144 respectively in ERA+. Jurrjens is 24 and Hanson is 23. Expect those two to be one and two in the Braves' rotation for a long time to come.

Keith Medlin has the ability to become the third. Ranked as only the 11th best prospect in the Braves' system going into 2009, Medlin has a good fastball that he spots well and a really good curve. He struck out 9.6 batters per nine innings in 37 appearances with the Braves (4 as a starter). There is concern about his small size and the amount of exertion he seems to need to deliver his pitches. But he is certainly worth a shot in 2010.

All the other top pitching prospects for the Braves are a couple to three years away, so that means augmenting with veterans. Javior Vazquez had by far the best year of his career. He seems to crumble in big stress match ups still, but he still finished with a 1.044 WHIP and an unreal 5.41 strikeout to walk ratio. Bobby Cox seems to have a knack for getting the most out of guys like Vazquez, and it would seem to behoove the Braves to give Vazquez the ball again in 2010.

Derek Lowe didn't really come through for the Braves despite his desperation signing after the Glavine and Smoltz fiascoes. He had a winning record, but a 1.515 WHIP and the worst ERA+ year of his career. He's going to be 37 next year, so it's hard to imagine him being a factor. Likewise, Kenshin Kawakami was just okay in his 25 starts. He's going to be 35 next year and shouldn't be counted on either.

Tim Hudson, on the other hand, is the wildcard veteran. Plagued by injuries of late, Hudson did come back at the end of the year and pitched effectively. If he can put a whole season together next season, then the Braves should have as good a rotation as anyone in the division and could possibly be far and above all the others.

The bullpen was the biggest improvement this year over 2008. What had been a brutal weakness turned into a strength as Soriano, Moylan, Gonzalez and O'Flaherty were terrific. Soriano had 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings as the closer and Gonzalez finished at 10.1. Those kinds of arms don't figure to fade next year. If Medlin does not make it into the rotation, he did great in the bullpen in 2009, so he could swing back there very easily and be as effective.

The Braves' offense in 2009 really started poorly. So poorly in fact that they had a .728 team OPS through the first half of the season. June was the worst month at .688. Ugh. Brian McCann had eye problems and started badly and Jordan Shafer, one of the team's most highly touted prospects failed miserably as the starting centerfielder for the first 50 games. Where Shafer goes from here is a mystery and it's unfortunate. But hey, if you don't produce when your ticket gets punched, what can you say?

The team also made a huge mistake in signing an aging and lumbering Garret Anderson and giving him 496 at bats. He ended with an 85 OPS+ and was a huge drain on the lineup. Another drain was second baseman, Kelly Johnson, who finished with the ungainly line of .224/.303/.389. It's uncertain of this was just a bad season for Johnson or if he is more like the player of 2007 and 2008 when he finished above league average.

But the Braves' offense clicked along better in the second half. Shafer was replaced by Nate McLouth, a great addition from Pittsburgh. McLouth didn't come close to his career numbers in offense, which is a bit puzzling, but he was a big improvement over Shafer. The Braves also improved dramatically when Jeff Francoeur was traded away to the Mets and Matt Diaz took his place in right field. Diaz was great with a 133 OPS+. He's going to be 32 next year, so it's hard to predict this long time minor leaguer can repeat himself.

The offense also got a boost when Adam LaRoche returned and clicked his heels repeating over and over, "There's no place like home, there's no place like home." He put a merciful end to the Norton/Kotchmann platoon over at that position. LaRoche is a solid performer who got lost out in Pittsburgh.

Yunel Escobar continues to get in and out of Bobby Cox's doghouse, but his overall batting numbers go up every year. Still only 26, Escobar is maturing into a really good shortstop with spectacular play at times. He is coming into his peak years and should continue to improve over the next three to four years.

Chipper Jones fell off from his 2008 numbers when he improbably led the league in batting. The aging veteran still put up respectable offensive numbers and ended up over league average by quite a bit. The problem is his defense. He made 22 errors this year and the question is whether the Braves can continue to tolerate that defense as Jones slowly fades out from his Hall of Fame career. There is no DH in the National League, which is where Jones should probably be. Look for him to have a diminished role in his last year with the Braves next year.

Martin Prado had an excellent year at the plate and filled in all over the infield. He's just a super guy to have on the club.

The Achilles Heel of the Braves is their defense. They finished 20th out of 26 MLB teams in defensive efficiency. Their catchers, while good offensively, are far from good in throwing out runners and they make a lot of errors. We've already discussed Jones at third. Having Garret Anderson in the outfield couldn't have helped and that problem should go away next year.

The Braves are in good shape for 2010. They have some big question marks, but if Kelly Johnson can bounce back, if uber-prospect Jason Heyward is given a shot in Spring Training and can run around the outfield better than Anderson, if Hanson and Jurrjens continue to blossom and Hudson can come back, if the bullpen does as well as this year, if the defense can improve, then the Braves should be above 90 wins next year. Their 14 game improvement in the win-loss column from 2008 was no fluke.

Los Angeles Dodgers - 2009 Debrief

It's time to get back to debriefing for the 2009 season. The Fan had a trade show over the weekend and writing became sporadic. But the show was a success and now it's time to get back to business here. We've been working on the National League West and the only team left from that division to consider is the Dodgers. Since the team is still in the thick of things in the playoffs, it might be premature to consider them. But we have a lot of data from the 2009 season no matter what the playoff outcomes are.

Obviously, the easiest observation to make is that the Dodgers had a great season. Like duh, right? But like all teams in the majors, there are good things and a few clunkers to consider moving forward and looking back. The year started with guns going off and the Dodgers were quick out of the gate. They built a big lead early and then had the Manny Ramirez bombshell drop. His 50 game suspension was supposed to put a damper on the Dodgers, but Juan Pierre filled in nicely and the Dodgers never ran into serious trouble all year except for a short time in September. The Fan's best guess is that the Dodgers tended to run the same eight position players into the lineup game after game and they might have just run out of gas for a bit. We will consider depth shortly. But let's start with pitching.

The Dodgers finished tied for first in the majors in runs allowed which means you can't complain about that at all. If you combine that with the fact that (despite Manny in left for 108 games), the team also finished first in defensive efficiency in the majors, that's a pretty great combination. But there are some weird anomalies with the Dodgers when it comes to pitching. They gave up the fewest runs, the fewest hits and led the league in complete games. They were the third best team in the National League in giving up homers. But they ranked nine out of sixteen NL teams in walks. They had an astounding nine regularly contributing pitchers who averaged more than 3.5 walks per nine innings. And their closer, Broxton, just missed that number. Clayton Kershaw, the incredibly young pitcher with the huge upside, had early Randy Johnson type numbers where he struck out more than nine batters per nine innings (9.7) but walked 4.8 per nine along the way.

The rotation should be good for years to come whether they re-up Randy Wolf for another year or not. Wolf had one of his best years of his career and is a good guy to have along with the young guys. He pitched far better than his 11-7 record indicates and really was their anchor. Billingsley had a tough second half but overall, his numbers are still above league average and his BABIP of .366 in losses (.300 would be the normal expectation) would seem to indicate he had a bit of bad luck. His line drive percentage was nearly identical to his career. He should bounce back. He is only 25 and should be a good pitcher for a long time.

Clayton Kershaw is such a force. It doesn't seem that it will be a question of if he will harness his stuff but when. Other than his walks, his numbers are unreal. The combination of Kershaw and Billingsley will keep the Dodgers percolating for a few years to come. If you add in young James McDonald, who got his feet wet this year and is the Dodgers' best prospect to that duo and you have a young and dynamic trio of top notch starters. McDonald pitched mostly in relief this year and logged a 102 ERA+ in 45 appearances.

Huroki Kuroda is going to be 35 next year and his health is a big question mark. When he pitches, he throws strikes and keeps the Dodgers in the game, but he only managed 118 innings this year. It would be hard to imagine the Dodgers expecting much more from him. If the top three mentioned earlier of Kershaw, Billingsley and MacDonald are augmented from a pick of Jon Garland, Vincente Padilla and Charlie Haeger (who the Dodgers really should give a shot to) or perhaps even prospect Scott Elbert might be ready to break into the rotation as well.

The relief corp seemed to have one of those years like the Bay Rays did last year. They were great, but only Broxton has a big time arm. Tronsoco, Belisario and Mota walk a lot of guys and don't strike out more than nine per nine innings and it would seem to be a stretch to think they could continue to match the success they had this year. Torre seems to have found a niche for Jeff Weaver as a swing man and although he has some clunkers still in him, he was effective at times in multiple roles.

It doesn't seem that much will change for more than half of the Dodgers' lineup next year. Manny will be in left, Kemp in center and Ethier in right. You can pencil them in. All three had an OPS+ over 120 and Manny, despite appearances, was only slightly off his career numbers in OPS+ and other statistics. No worries in the outfield.

The infield could look different next year. Casey Blake will be the third baseman. But Furcal will most likely be allowed to walk. His place will either be taken by a free agent or two very good prospects in Ivan DeJesus, Jr. or Chin-Lung Hu. Both are very good in the field and show some promise with the bat. Next year would be a good year to give both a shot in Spring Training and see what happens. Orlando Hudson faded as the year went along and was ultimately replaced by Ron Belliard, who had a hot hand late. Going forward, Hudson is a better bet than Belliard to play second long term. But it would be a surprise if either was the starting second baseman next year.

Catcher, Russell Martin, is a bit perplexing. He had a really off year at the plate and one would think it was just a blip this year, but his OPS has fallen three years in a row, so it's hard to categorize his drop in numbers that way. His defense is still fine and for that reason, there is no reason to not continue with him as their number one catcher. The Dodgers can hope that his offensive numbers stop their decline and that 2010 will be a bounce back year.

First baseman, James Loney, is another perplexing player. His numbers offensively do not support the position he plays. He's a good fielder but he's no Keith Hernandez (but who is?). But he doesn't hit like Hernandez either, so a guy with little power production and league average OPS+ at a power position doesn't seem to make sense. Loney increased his on base percentage, but he still had his second year in a row around the league average level.

There is no reason to believe that the Dodgers will fare much worse in 2010 than this year. They have young core at the plate and on the mound with some quality veterans in support. A little tinkering around the infield and this team looks good to go next year.

Blown Saves Story of Post Season So Far

You can talk about A-Rod suddenly becoming Mr. October or Sabathia earning his money or Vladamir Guerrero hitting that single or the Dodgers sweeping the Cardinals. The story of the post season at the end of the division series rounds is the blown saves. We had Joe Nathan serving up a two run homer to A-Rod. We had Ryan Franklin taking one on the chin. We had Jonathan Papelbon blowing his first ever post season game and now we have poor Huston Street who gave up a two run double to Howard and a single to Werth to send the Rockies home for the season.

There has been so much debate on the value of closers. This very space went through the math to prove that starters were more valuable than closers. The value figures prove it. But what all that math fails to take into account is that if your closer doesn't get his job done, then the off season starts earlier than you wanted it to. The Dodgers moved on because Sherrill and Broxton did their jobs and Franklin couldn't. The Yankees moved on because Mariano Rivera is Mariano Rivera and Joe Nathan is not. And the Angels move on because Jonathan Papelbon let it get away.

Can there be any worse feeling for fans on the losing side than a game that goes perfectly their way until the final at bat? Can hopes get dashed any deeper or a loss be any more frustrating? Sure, other factors led to all four series wins. The Dodgers out pitched and outhit the Cardinals, whose bats suddenly went to sleep. The Yankees got a little help from Mr. Cuzzi, but it probably wouldn't have mattered anyway. The Angels had an easy time of it with Boston's lineup and the Angels' starters, for the most part, were better this series than the Red Sox' starters. And the Phillies are the defending world champions and simply had a better team than the Rockies. But even so, those losses in the last inning kill you.

This Fan would think that a blowout is easier to take. After all, in a blowout, by the fifth inning, the writing is on the wall and the mourning is spread out over four innings before the final out. But in a blown save, the heart is beating and hope is raging right up until the very end only to come crashing down like a Denver lineman on Tom Brady.

And so, after the Rockies, Red Sox, Twins and Cardinals ponder next season and their fans try to think of anything but what could have been, we are left with two very intriguing series between four teams that match up very well against each other. What will be the deciding factors? Can A-Rod continue his hot hitting? Will he need to with all his batting mates? Will the Angels beat the Yankees in a series like they have three times this decade? Will Manny come alive against the Phillies? Can the Phillies get three decent starts from their shaky rotation? Or will it once again come down to closers?

The much-maligned Brad Lidge was 2 for 2 against the Rockies in save opportunities, but he sure didn't look solid. Broxton is in uncharted territory as he has never been under this big a microscope. Rivera is Rivera, but will a walk, a stolen base and another doink hit do him in? The Angels forgot all about K-Rod, but will his replacement be good enough?

It will be interesting to watch. Too bad we have to wait endless days before it all plays out. The Phillies and Dodgers don't start until Thursday and the Yankees and Angels don't start until Friday. Nice going, Bud.

The Fan wishes he had a crystal ball, because there are no clear cut favorites out there. Just four great teams going after each other with perhaps a twist at the end...like a dagger.

Columbus Day

Columbus Day has become one of those nether holidays. Thanks to political correctness, we as a nation are somewhat embarrassed by the day. We won't go into politics or the America's aboriginal objection to the day. Suffice it to say that it is unique. It's another one of those holidays where some people have it off and some people don't Rob Neyer took the day off but Joe Posnanski did not. The Fan isn't talking about retail, hospital or other workers where no holidays really count. But for those who get holidays off, the banks are open and the post office is not. It's not even a holiday where sporting events are played during the day. The darn baseball playoffs have only one game scheduled and of course it starts at 8:07 Eastern Time. Heaven forbid those Philadelphia kids who go to school tomorrow get to stay up to watch their team. Thank you, Bud Selig. Good job.

Personally, the Fan wouldn't want to get rid of the day. For one thing, the Fan's wife gets the day off and the Fan likes when that happens. Having her sit on the couch while the Fan lays out another book is a nice feeling. But it's more than that. Without this holiday and the man it celebrates, there would be no Columbus Clippers, that storied AAA franchise. Our nation's capital would be the District of Eric or Leaf or something. And maybe the Fan does want to get into the politics of it after all.

We are the only nation of conquerors that feels bad about our conquests. Do the Russians feel guilty? What about the Minnesota Vikings? Wouldn't all practicing Catholics object to that name considering all the plundering of churches and killing of priests those rowdy bunches of pillagers performed? Germany doesn't feel guilty about their ancient history when all those Germanic tribes overran Europe and displaced those peoples. But in the end, the Fan supposes that it is better to be sensitive than insensitive. After all, the Fan is sure that the Yankees feel slightly bad for the Twins they just destroyed in the playoffs, right?

Anyway, that's just a couple of thoughts that were rolling around the brain on this non-holiday like holiday. If you have it off, enjoy it as guilt free as you can. If you are working, then feel free to not feel guilty at all since you don't get any benefit of the day anyway.

Angels and Yankees Advance - Phillies Inch Closer

Are the Angels the new 2004 Red Sox? After getting a long history of failing to beat the Red Sox in the playoffs off their backs with a rousing defeat of their nemesis, the Angels will face the Yankees in the American League Championship Series. The Yankees beat an over matched Twins' team and have won their first post season series since 2005. Meanwhile, on a frigid Colorado night, the Phillies have inched closer to facing the Dodgers in the NLCS.

Let's start with the Angels. This Fan has to admit that the Angels' come from behind victory was stunning and gratifying. Jonathan Papelbon is probably the most disliked reliever in baseball since John Rocker and to see him get beat was a thing of beauty. The Fan also has to admit that the Angels match up better with the Yankees than the current Red Sox do. The Yankees totally dominated the Red Sox toward the end of the season.

The Red Sox will have to do some serious thinking about their 2010 club as several things seemed to go wrong for them this year. The starting rotation turned out to be a mess after being touted so highly early in the year. The bullpen really was not as good as touted either. And their batting was anemic. Both David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis batted .083 in the series and did not provide any kind of help for the team. One has to question whether the Red Sox will continue with Ortiz or if the post season analysis will reveal that the Angels just did a masterful job of pitching to him. The Red Sox staff is one of the smartest in all of baseball and they have their work cut out for them.

The Angels on the other hand look dynamic and resilient. They had the upper hand in all phases of the series and when they had their backs to the wall in the third and final game, they answered and took the brass ring. Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu have been remarkable and Vlad Guerrero got his legs under him for one final big hit. This Fan would call their series with the Yankees as too close to call. Both teams seem evenly matched.

The Yankees got big time play from four of the remaining guys from their last championship. Andy Pettitte was brilliant against the Twins. Jorge Posada got the big home run against Carl Phreakin Pavano to put the Yankees ahead. Jeter, quiet at the bat after a good first two games, made another one of his patented heads up plays in the post season by ranging far to his left to get a grounder and then throwing home to hang pesky Nick Punto out to dry after he ranged too far past third base. Mariano Rivera came in for the last out in the eighth when the game was still 2-1 and shattered the great Joe Mauer's bat like no other reliever in baseball can do to get the final out. After the Yankees picked up two more runs off of Nathan and company, Rivera closed out the game. But there is no way to forget that this was a playoff coming of age party for Alex Rodriguez, whose homer off of Pavano when Pavano seemed untouchable, got the Yankees in the mindset where they could win the game. A-Rod was finally exonerated for post season failures in the past and was clutch often and put the Yankees over the top.

The Rockies probably should have started an experienced Jason Marquis instead of Jason Hammel against the Phillies. This writer feels that he would have given the Rockies a better chance to win the game. Hammel did not stop the Phillies and the Rockies also went to the Jose Contreras well once too often. The Rockies had stolen home field advantage from the Phillies by taking one of the games at Philadelphia, but then handed it right back to them with a loss at home. Utley and Howard came up big for the Phillies and the Phillies seem to be back in control.