No MOTN!

Skipping MOTN! today because there are more important things to talk about. Such as...

 

STEROIDS!

 

I'm kidding.

 

 

Victor Martinez to Boston for Justin Masterson and Nick Hagadone.  Yowzers.

 

Masterson has been up and down, showing flashes of #2-3 starter stuff, mixing it with a big glass of fail against lefties.  Probably tops out as a solid starter, worst case is he is middle relief. Hagadone is one of the better prospects in the Red Sox organization.  Behind Buchholz, Bowden, and Kelly in terms of pitchers.  TJ surjury in 2008, returned this year to A ball in Greenville. Closed for university of Washington and was a PAC-10 All-Star in 2007.  Could be a closer, could be a starter, but definately has lightening stuff.

 

More to come...

Commander in Cheap

Come on Obama.

 

Etiquitte my man, etiquette.

 

Maybe he was charging them for hoops lessons.

 

 

First One Of The Day

Jarrod Washburn to Detroit...details coming in...


*Update*

Luke French and Mauricio Robles are the two players going to Seattle from the Tigers.

So to be clear on this...Detroit got a 35-year old flyball pitcher who hasn't been giving up as many home runs as his stats say he should...and Seattle got a younger version of Washburn who is under control for several years and a guy in Robles who is K-ing the crap out of A-ball.

Well done Seattle. I still think Detroit will be fine. If Washburn keeps this up, they win the Central by a semi-comfortable margin. It's better for Seattle in the end, but Detroit fans shouldn't be too upset...until midnight strikes or Washburn accepts arbitration and gets over $10 Million next year.

Christmas Come Early

Going to forget about the usual link-o-rama this morning.  Just going to recap some things and the rest of the day will be trade rumors and analysis...

-Boston had quite the day yesterday. The most beloved player in the city not named Thomas Brady showed up on 'The List'.  Fenway cheered when he hit his 3-run shot yesterday.  Ortiz tipped his cap.  The media fired every single possible bullet they could find at him. The team had his back. My favorite quotes are from Mr. Pedroia himself...

"I don't read very good. I don't read articles or anything like that, so no." In response to if he will read Michael Schmidt's article that broke the news.

also...

"In 2003, I was in college, hitting rockets there," he said. "I don't know shit about what was going on then."

Wow, since when did Pedey start talking like Paps? I think it has something to do his ability to hit the high and inside fastball.

-A heaping pile of honesty from Bronson Arroyo. I knew I always liked him. He's probably used steroids and this is his way of covering it up. He does close with a classic "I do what I do." I think this admission was just another way that Arroyo likes to cover his bases.

-Speaking of the Red Sox they are looking to acquire either Victor Martinez from the Indians or Adrian Gonzalez from the Padres. I think they need to make one of these deals happen.

-Umpire Bill Hohn should get suspended.  Just ask the Braves. Don't believe me?  Well lets go to the Zapruder like footage of the fist bump between Hohn and Marlins catcher John Baker...Good Job Asshat.

-The Orioles traded their All-Star closer George Sherrill to the Dodgers for two decent prospects named Josh Bell (3B) and Steve Johnson (RHP).  Two mid-level prospects for a reliever?  Good day for Baltimore.

-Nope, that would be the current team you play for.

I am just going to say "Wow, you couldn't have guessed that Manny would show up on the 2003 list when he was arrogant enough to get caught in 2009?"  I hate stupid people. Oh, and in case you didn't notice Bill, us Sox fans arn't exactly thrilled Ortiz tested positive.  We know what it means and what we will hear for a long time.  However, Bill, every team since the 1980's has been tainted.  Good job figuring that one out...or not. 

Anyways, enough for now...back with more in a bit.

Children of the Steroid Era

I love baseball.  No, correction, I am in love with baseball.  My parents know this, my friends know this, and my girlfriend knows this.  If there is a game, a story, a book, or a picture of something having to do with baseball I will lose my focus on whatever I am doing and start thinking about hot dogs, beer, and baseball. 

 

The history of the game is some of the most interesting reading anyone could do.  From the humble roots (which we still havent totally pinned down, though we have our ideas) to the deadball era, to the home run boom to the war to the pitching fueled 60's to today, the long ball era, there are great stories that we know and thousands more we may never know.  Men from all walks of life played the game, from college boys to illiterate farm hands to the poorest of the poor in Latin America, the game is filled with the every single story line of success, failure, hardship, and victory all combined with honesty, cheaters, hard workers, bums, stars, role players, perfection, imperfection, and, of course, the fans who pay to watch it all unfold in front of them on a daily basis.  No, no sport has captured the American people for as long as baseball has, and no sport has a fan base as knowledgeable and rabid as the most die hard of baseball fans.

 

Growing up in the 1990's provided me with a unique view of the game.  The era of the Free Agent began to take off.  Guys making 5, 10, 25 MILLION dollars to play a game.  The incentives created were just too big for there not to be shenanigans.  Guys have always tried to find ways to circumvent the rules to their advantage.  Horse pills to boost stamina, speed to keep themselves going at a super human pace.  All these things were there the whole time.  Everyone knew it, but why get in the middle of it. Sure it may have enhanced the performance of a few people, but it did nothing to prevent injuries, recover faster, boost strength, or, most importantly, teach you how to hit a curveball.  All of this was done during the era of the Reserve Clause which bound players to teams whether they liked it or not. There are stories of negotiation tactics by players who had leverage (Koufax and Drysdale are a famous example) but until the clause was lifted there was not much that could be done.  It was lifted, the money flew into the game like never before, and now players were able to be paid what they thought they were worth.

 

This brings us to today.  Baseball, if you did not know, is a multi-multi-multi-BILLION with a B dollar industry.  There is lots of money to be made because after all, this is a business.  The number one goal is to put fans in the seats and get them to buy jerseys, t-shirts, and foam fingers.  In 1994 MLB lost the trust of the fans.  The fans saw the players strike as greed that was unbecoming of a group of individuals who were lucky to be where they were. Then, a few years later, came 1998.  The most magical, amazing summer that baseball had seen in a long time.  Mark McGwire v. Sammy Sosa.  Each going back and forth chasing the most coveted record in American Sports...61.  61 Home Runs in a season.  61 times the ball was hit just right, launched at the right angle, and sent everyone on the base path home.  It's the most exciting play in sports...hands down. The chase captured America and as a 10 year old it captured me more than anything in sports had up until this point. 

 

Now we know the true story.  Yes, there were guys who played the game right.  Ripkin, Griffey, Biggio, and men like them who held themselves with integrity.  There were, also, the legends, our heros, who decided to take short cuts.  McGwire will never make the Hall of Fame because of it.  Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmero, and Alex Rodriguez, all locks for the Hall, are now on the edge because of what they did. Everyone who grew up during the same time I did has a hero who was dirty.  Downright stinking dirty.  It doesn't hurt anymore, our memories will never go away, but we will never look at success in the game of baseball the same way we did before we heard of anabolic steroids and hgh.  I have come to terms with it, and after today's revelations, a new handful of kids will have to come to terms with it.  It is part of growing up.  Life is a messy game that gets increasingly more complicated every single day.  The days of Pete Rose running full force into Ray Fosse at the All-Star Game are over.  The eras of men who smoked, drank, and played like overgrown sandlot kids is gone.  I'm not complaining, like I said, it doesnt change how much I love the game. It doesnt change how I view the game, it doesnt change what I still believe to be true.  I know the game is not a sacred virgin, in fact, anyone who knows the history of baseball knows that it never was. Today was just another one of those days that makes you shake your head and realize that in life, just like sports, 'If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying'.

 

By the way, the Red Sox won today...David Ortiz knocked in the go ahead runs...a 3-run 400+ foot home run to centerfield.  Hopefully this is a sign that things are going to be back to normal at Fenway....the crowd wanted a curtain call and got it.  Like I said, we don't care anymore, it doesn't change a thing, it just sucks to hear.

Someone Has The List

Ortiz and Ramirez on 2003 Doping List

 

I think that speaks for itself.

 

I knew Manny would be on it...I thought Ortiz would be...I just never wanted to believe.

 

 

Thursday at the Crazies...

I think that is an appropriate title for this morning.  29 hours to go...

 

Hi, my name is Matt Garza, and I enjoy being fined by Bud Selig.  Everyone knows it happens, retaliation that is, so don't go blabbing your mouth.  No one cares except your teammates who want to know that you have their back. 

 

Minaya is thisclose to being fired.  In other news the Pope is still Catholic, the sky is still blue, and the Mets have won 5 in a row...wait, what was that last one?  Well, I just hope that Minaya doesn't flip out like this disgruntled Mets employee. Road rage Mr. Met? You are better than that.

 

Baseball WANTS the Cubs to win? Yeah, and I shit Krugerrands. Of course, MLB is actually taking this claim seriously.  I wonder if this is the same argument Bobby Cox uses every night when he gets tossed for arguing balls and strikes?

 

A long response to Bill James and his Steroid Essay.  If you have time to read this go ahead.  It basically deconstructs James' argument that at some point we will over look the entire thing.  A lot of what James has to say is philosophical (crazy, right?) and there is a lot to say about drug use in baseball.  Even if steroids were legal or the rule was never enforced...there is just that stain for regular folk who look at these ballplayers and go "Really, you can't be happy with just playing the game and competing, you have to go enhance your performance?"  For the record I think James is right.  At some point we will stop caring...as long as Albert Pujols is clean.

 

That's pretty much it for this morning...most of the news centers around trade rumors and such.  It will all be posted here.

 

Identity Crisis

This post is going to be a temporary moment of rage...

 

 

The Boston Red Sox are not the Wild Card favorite.  They are certainly not the favorite to win the AL East, I think that ship has passed them by this past week.  I know that every team, even the good ones, go through phases during the season when no one can hit, no one can pitch, and as a result of this, the team performs far below expectations. Right now it looks like the Red Sox are going to drop another game behind the Yankees to fall to 3.5 games back.  No, this is not an insurmountable deficit, but it is also a 6.5 game swing since the All Star Break...which was 2 weeks ago.  This is not a bad team, its hard to say the 2nd best team in the AL East is bad, but there is something they lack...and identity.

 

Pre-2004 The Red Sox were lovable losers.  They fought, they scrapped, and us fans always said 'This is the Year' and they always disappointed in September and October.  In 2003 and 2004 they were a band of idiots.  They gave their middle finger to the world and said 'We are going to win if it fucking kills us'.  They did.  Trot Nixon's disgusting looking helmet matched his filthy jersey every night.  Johnny Damon looked like a caveman and behaved as such.  Ortiz and Manny were the comedians.  Millar was the Cowboy.  There were veterans who saw this as their last shot, there were young guys looking to make a difference.  They grew together.  Pedro even joined in on the fun.  This was a team that saw that being a team and playing their hearts out was the only path to success.  They did it with grit...they were determined to win at all costs.  In 2007 they were the favorites.  They were a combo of the old guard looking for a win and young kids who had good guidance.  Schilling was on his way out but he was a leader.  Varitek, the Captain, had shown his age, but he was the man in the clubhouse. Mike Lowell brought that dirtdog attitude of the 2004 team, same with Pedroia and Ellsbury.  Ortiz and Manny were still Ortiz and Manny, and the team thrived on being the team to beat all season.  They were confident, cocky, but they wanted it.

 

This team does not want it.  You can see it in their at-bats, you can see it in their defense, you can see it on the mound when Beckett or Lester are not out there.  They act as if they were robbed of something that was rightfully theirs last year and they are ripping apart at the seams because of it.  Dice-K decided that Japan and the WBC was more important than winning a World Series and now he is public enemy number 1.  Ortiz wants it, but isn't the same Big Papi. Pedroia and Youk still have the intensity.  Lowell is old and wants it, but just cant quite do it.  Paps is over confident, there is no shortstop to be seen, and Bay hasn't turned up for a game in god knows how long.  J.D. is not the player Theo paid for...wait, he was a 30 outfielder who was bound to decline during the contract so they did get what they paid for!  Anyways, this years team lacks a spark plug...and it's clear that if they do not find one soon, they will be exiting before anyone thought they would.

 

It may come down to a 9-17 (soon to be 9-18) record against the AL West. Which is a massive problem that a team of this calibre is capable of playing .333 ball against 2 teams that are not good, one team that only offers offense, and one team that we know will be there every year. 

 

Or, they just suck so bad right now that they are just an inch here or there away from going on a 10-2 run that will vault them up the standings.  I don't see it happening soon, but hopefully it will happen when they realize that if they don't..they are an also ran.

Sanchez to Giants and Other Related News

In an anticipated move that most have waited weeks for...The San Francisco Giants have traded for Freddy Sanchez, second baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The booty?  Tim Alderson, the 4th ranked prospect in the Giants organization and a top 30 prospect overall (according to Keith Law over at the World Wide Leader).  That's an impressive haul for the Pirates who ended up with Jeff Clement, Ronny Cedeno, and 3 pitchers for Ian Snell and Jack Wilson earlier in the day.  Neil Huntington is serious about the whole 'building up the farm system thing'.  Alderson should develop into a solid number 3 starter and his future battery mate Clement could be a solid backstop or first baseman, depending on his knees and if he learns to hit Major League pitching.  At the end of the day, the Pirates cannot be mad at the situation they have put themselves in this year.  Trading Nate McLouth, Adam LaRoche, Jack Wilson, Ian Snell, and Freddy Sanchez has brought quite a haul in for them.  Hey, if you throw enough prospects at a wall...one of them will stick.

 

Now some more bullet points...

 

-Cleveland is now looking to trade Victor Martinez...or at least they are listening to offers. Consider the Red Sox on the top of this list.

 

-Roy Halladay better enjoy his home in Canada...because unless Ricciardi pulls the trigger and sends him to the Red Sox, Halladay is a Jay until he hits Free Agency.  I wonder if J.P knows something about the 2011 draft class that no one else does...like is there a Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, and a Lars Anderson waiting for him? Well it can only be two of them because he will only get two compensation picks for letting Halladay leave in 2011...instead of at least 3 players who have proven themselves in some level of the Minor Leagues at the moment. That is what he is dealing with...prospects now or later.

 

There are probably only one or two more big trades left in this deadline period....unless something really cool pops up tomorrow or Friday morning.  You know where to be to follow it...on the Internet at this place.  Because I sure am not filtering through all the crap they do. I will just post comments on what goes down.

Trade Updates

A very big trade happened today.

 

Lee to Philly? 

 

Looks like it as of 1:30pm on this Wednesday afternoon.  The deal as of now...

 

Cliff Lee and someone for Carlos Carrasco, Jason Knapp, Jason Donald, and Lou Marson.

 

What are the implications of this?  It means that J.P. Ricciardi has a tough decision to make this week. Does he trade Halladay to Boston?  Does he hold onto Doc? Or does he send him somewhere else for an inferior offer?  Very interesting stuff.  If Lee to Philly then Boston is in the driver's seat.

 

*Update* That other player is Ben Francisco...and the trade has been accepted.

 

Oh yeah, that big trade I mentioned was a 7 player swap between the Mariners and Pirates...the highlights are Jack Wilson and Ian Snell to the Mariners for Jeff Clement, Ronny Cedeno, Aaron Pribanic, Brett Loriun, and Nate Adcock.

 

Win for the Pirates there I would have to say.

 

Halladay To....

Seattle...he has a game to pitch tonight.  Anyways, lets get on with the MOTN! (it's early, I know, but I want to post trade ideas later and I don't want this hanging over my head for the handful of people who check out what I have to say every now and then...

 

Well...Roy Halladay is on the mound against Seattle, who is sending out Ryan Rowland-Smith who was recently recalled to the Show.  If you would like to know more about what Halladay brings to the table, I would suggest not reading anymore of this post because, well, he is the Best Pitcher In Baseball (BPIB).  Roland-Smith apparently retired 14 batters in a row during his last start, or what I like to call 31.1% of a Buehrle (yeah, I am going to reference him here until it gets old).  His curveball is his best pitch so, well, this year it has been his slider, but for his career it is his curveball.  He had a decent year last year, 5-3 with a 1.37 WHIP and 3.42 ERA in 118 1/3 innings, but his FIP says his ERA was artificially low and according to this year (6.73 FIP to a 3.48 ERA) he is going to get lit up soon.

 

Zack Greinke takes the mound tonight against the Baltimore Orioles who are sending out potential future ace Chris Tillman for his first MLB start.  Greinke is Greinke, and like Halladay, I have nothing more to say about him.  About Tillman I will say this...the kid is an animal. 2.70 ERA in 96 2/3 innings while posting 99 K's to only 26 BB's during his tenure in AAA.  Tonight is the next big step for the Orioles, with Wieters being the first big one this year.

 

Joba v. Garza...Yankees v. Rays...it's on ESPN too.  We all know what this one is about.

 

Tigers v. Rangers.  Justin Verlander takes the mound tonight against Scott Feldman, who I had no idea has posted a 9-3 record with a 3.59 ERA.  What?!? Yeah, He has a great cutter and in his 16 starts this season has a 3.06 ERA.  He has a 1.14 WHIP on the year, but his FIP is almost a full run higher than his ERA, which is artificially deflated based on a very low BABIP (.237).  The Rangers do have greatly improved defense...but not this good.  He will regress to mean in BABIP which will raise the WHIP and probably the runs allowed.  Verlander has slowed down since his hot start, but still finds himself near the top of many pitching categories (tops in K's).  Too bad he is in Arlington tonight, because at home, he is 7-0 with a 1.15 ERA, on the road...4-5 with a 4.76 ERA.

 

Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers visit St. Louis and Joel Pineiro tonight.  Pineiro has been quite the surprise this season, his 2.95 ERA is HIGHER than his FIP (2.92) which, because it is so close, means he is putting together a great season without many statistical abnormalities (other than his ERA, which is healthy 1.45 runs lower than his career average).  He has an now effective fastball which at times has been the pitch that kills him the most.  Kershaw has been lowering his walk totals which hurt him last year and now he can claim his rightful place as the best pitcher for the Dodgers.  Should be a doozy.

 

Other games to watch...Matt Cain faces off against the Pirates and Zack Duke this afternoon.  Aaron Laffey and the Indians are out in Anaheim against John Lackey and the Angels.  J.A. Happ may make his last start as a member of the Phillies against the Diamondbacks. 

 

Enjoy

 

 

 

Twittle-do and Twittle-dee

I don't really get the fad either JoePa...Shockingly, I don't really care what other people really think.  Now, lets take a gander at said thoughts...

 

 

Speaking of Twitter...I think I am just going to go make myself a fake account and lay waste to world of trade rumors...now where shall I send Halladay...

 

Honus Wagner...The Bashing Dutchman? Maybe.  Certainly for his position he was (and still is).  Any all-time team is going to see him starting at shortstop.

 

Yeah...what about Ian Snell?  Not that he would change the course of a season for a team, but this looks like a pitcher who would love a change of scenery and could be a decent 4-5 starter...or a 3rd on a not so great team.  He certainly has the stuff to do that.  Either that or he is the Dallas McPherson of pitchers.

 

Size Doesn't Matter.  I do not find this to be all that shocking.  Have you ever seen Dustin Pedroia hit a home run?  He literally throws his entire body behind it and it floats into the first row of the Green Monster.  If he has even hit the Sports Authority Sign above the Monster I would be stunned.

 

If You Give a Moose a Muffin...he will eat it.  If you give a bureaucrat tax dollars...well, I like to avoid that at all costs. You think DC is pissed they spent all this money on a team that is worse than the Mets?

 

Hey, lets play the obvious game! I'm still stunned that Bill Plaschke holds weight as a credible sports writer...he is like that crazy teacher who can't be fired because she has tenure and the law requires he to stay.  Seriously, he is almost as bad at Mitch Album...and I cannot stand Album.  Still, neither are as bad as Mike Lupica, who has a garbage dump for brains and gets paid to write.  Anyways, yeah, Scully deserves something big.  Lets face it, he is the best thing about the Dodgers.

 

Hopefully something happens today with a trade or two...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beer Here

Every now and then you click a link...then another link...then another link...and even Internet GPS has no clue where you are, but that is sometimes a good thing.

 

9 Famous Vendors

 

They all seem fairly respectable.  But every Sox fan who frequented Fenway in the 1990's knows who should be on this list...

 

The Coke Guy.  Who was then fired for his antics...I think he spilled a coke on someone and they flipped out...i also heard a story about someone throwing money at him and hitting a woman...whatever it was it made headlines and people were mad. After that he became the Crunch N' Munch Guy at the Garden which was nice to see. He signed autographs. 

 

His name is Dave Kerpen...you can join his actual political campaign here

 

Or you can watch this show if you cannot get enough Dave.

 

Paradise Hotel

 

Excellent.

 

A Halladay Update-Tacular

We are approaching 2 major landmarks.  The first being that we are about 72 hours away from the baseball trade deadline.  This is when GM's get zero sleep and when they do finally take a nap their dreams are invaded by prospects, tobacco chewing scouts, owners who are pointing to the bottom line, and packs of hungry beat writers looking to break the story.  The second deadline comes today, which is the imaginary and, frankly, idiotic deadline set by J.P. Ricciardi on trading Roy Halladay.  After all, when the Phillies end up meeting Toronto's demand for J.A. Happ, Kyle Drabek, and Dominic Brown on Friday afternoon, they will gladly accept.  Anyways, as of now, here is where it all stands.

 

Philadelphia- The Favorties.  They know what Toronto wants and they know Toronto will keep the newly anointed best pitcher in baseball (A title held by Johan Santana until this year...not that Halladay wasn't #2 all along because he was).  I bet they pull the trigger, especially because it seems that Gillick and Manuel want Doc Halladay.

 

Red Sox- Will require Buchholz, Bard, and probably Casey Kelly.  Whatever the request from Toronto is, it will be significantly more expensive than the offer to the Phillies.

 

Dodgers- Unwilling to part with Billingsly and Kershaw.  They have nothing to offer beyond that.

 

Yankees- Joba and Hughes plus other. Will cost as much as the Red Sox would have to spend prospect wise. The loss of Hughes will effectively end their chances at postseason success as the rest of their bullpen is a mess except for Rivera unless they deal for a solid arm for the pen as well.

 

White Sox- Dark Horse candidates.  Clayton Richard has looked good...almost too good to give up.  He would certainly be apart of the package needed to pry Halladay away from Toronto.

 

There are other fringe teams. I doubt the Rangers make a serious play.  Neftali Feliz would be the centerpiece to that deal.  There is always the Brewers who are reluctant to give up Alcides Escobar and Mat Gamel, both of which the Jays would want.  Also, the Angels, but they wont give up Joe Saunders or Jered Weaver which means no deal.

 

 

I think he is heading to the Phillies if he gets traded.  The Red Sox could pull it off, but to be honest, I'm not sure how much I want them too.  It might be fun to watch Halladay lay waste to the National League like CC did last year.  As one senior scout said in the article linked above "The National League stinks...It's terrible."  Over/Under 1.65 ERA (C.C. Sabathia's in the NL last year) for Doc? I say under.

MOTN!

Get ready kids, it's another exciting edition of MOTN! The time when I get to tell you what to follow and you obey my exact commands (Except for tonight...at 9pm I will be watching this).

 

Two teams battling it out for who will finish second to the Phillies and contend for that all important Wild Card spot play tonight.  The Atlanta Braves will send out Jair Jurrjens (9-7 2.67) to face the Florida Marlins who respond with Ricky Nolasco (7-7 5.42).  The last time Jurrjens was on the mound he faced off against Tim Lincecum and won, throwing 7 2/3 innings of 1-run, absolutely dominant ball.  His secondary stats say he is not a 2.67 ERA pitcher, but it is hard to argue that he is turning himself into the ace of the Braves staff.  Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson will be a formidable front of the rotation duo for years to come.  Nolasco has bounced back from his downright awful first half.  In his last 9 starts he has shown off how dominant he can be (68 K's to only 13 BB's, thats better than a 5:1 ratio right there in 59 1/3 innings) and how downright awful he can be (back to back starts against Arizona and Philadelphia yielded 11 runs and 16 hits in 12 innings).  Those other 7 outings he never gave up more than 2 earned runs.  Should be a good battle.

 

The Yanks and Rays play again tonight, as C.C. Sabathia and Scott Kazmir take the mound for their respective teams.  Kazmir has been dreadful and the Rays have to start wondering if there is something (injury wise) wrong with him.  C.C. Is looking to continue his less than dominant, but still very good first season for the Bronx Bombers.  I think everyone knows what is at stake here for both teams, especially with the Red Sox facing the Athletics tonight. 

 

In a battle of two teams in the NL Central, the Chicago Cubs are battling the Houston Astros tonight, when Ryan Dempster and his Cubbie teammates invite Roy Oswalt and the Big Puma-less Astros into Wrigley.  Oswalt is a second half monster and Dempster is coming off a broken toe and looks to right the ship on his slightly above average season so far.  The Cubs won last night in an exciting, Grand Slam walkoff in the 13th by Alfonso Soriano.  Oswalt, except for a slight hiccup against the Cards in his last outing, giving up only 10 earned runs in 45 innings pitched in his last 6 outings with a 37/7 K:BB ratio.  Not bad at all.

 

BUZZZZZZZZZ.  The Buzzsaw Chad Billingsley will be facing Adam Wainwright as the Dodgers play the Cardinals tonight.  This is all I need to say about Adam Wainwright...1.57 ERA in July.  Billingsley had a hot start and then cooled off seeing his ERA gain a full run to a still respectable 3.72 ERA.  This is a match up I don't have much to say about as these two guys speak for themselves...especially that absolutely disgusting Wainwright curveball.

 

There are other games with minor notes attached to them.  Jason Marquis faces the Mets and Mike Pelfrey in his attempt for win number 13 on the season.  Jarrod Washburn might be making his last start for the Mariners tonight when he faces Mark Rzepczynski and the Blue Jays.  In another half-great matchup, Cole Hamels faces the Diamondbacks and the National League Cy Young front runner Dan Haren.  Is Cole Hamels a top 10 lefthander in baseball right now? I don't know about that. 

 

I feel like I am forgetting about something....

 

Mark Buehrle goes for Perfecto #2 tonight against the Twins.  And now the obligatory Johnny Vander Meer footnote...only one pitcher has thrown two no-hitters in a row, and that was Johnny Vander Meer in 1938. 

A Fun Follow Up

Best of the Worst

 

I always love stuff like this because they are fun questions to debate with friends.  I'm not sure how much I buy the accuracy of this simulation, or any simulation attempting to match teams from 100 years of baseball, but what do I know.  Anyways, the 1995 Cleveland Indians were the best loser of the World Series.  This does not come as a shock as they pushed what may be the second best team of the decade to 7 games, all of them close, and came up a bit short.  Little did they know they had a roster full of players who will land in the Hall of Fame or the Hall of Very Good.  The Indians would make it back in 2 years, only to lose to a stacked Marlins team, and then to the ALCS in 1998, where they were stomped out by the best team of the 1990's, the 1998 New York '125-win' Yankees.  Wow, almost as unlucky as that 2nd best team and the teams that followed and came before for the franchise that got screwed big time during my formative years...The Atlanta Braves.

 

 

My Mind Is Like A Sponge...And My Job Lacks Something To Absorb

I think that says it all...I guess I wasn't that good at economics. After all thinking that I could get a decent internship when people with degrees are being fired is just not sound reasoning. Stupid Max...

 

Anyways, on to what i have been doing to occupy my time.  Constructive? No. Useful? No. Keeps my sanity during the day? YES!

 

Then Go Back There. Arms are trained in America differently because 1. you pitch more often and 2. we are paying your a lot more to throw a ball.  Be a man and say you have some corrections that have to be made. Also, if there is any way to get the fans to turn on you fast than giving up 4 runs, 12 hits, and 3 walks in 5 innings it would be blaming the Red Sox for your lack for efficiency.  If he comes back and is the same level of effectiveness that he has been since coming over to America (Dice-K 2008 is what record and ERA are not the go to stats for how a pitcher actually is performing) he will get his ass thrown out of Boston.

 

Agreed.  He should be inducted as a player and his plaque should mention his suspension from the game and his gambling.  The best case for him not to make is that he is a lying scumbag who is trying to profit off his illegal activity.  The best case for him to make it...he's Pete Rose.  This is one of the cases where you either stand on one side or the other.  Obviously, you cannot bet on baseball, but he never did as a player, and thus, should be inducted as a player.  I think this goes without saying, but I will say it anyway.  He should never be allowed, in any form, to participate in the activities of Major League Baseball and all of its entities ever again.

 

They Absolutely Should Be Public. I would love to know the names of the guys who voted against Seaver, Ripken, and Rickey Henderson.  There are a few guys who are 100% locks for the Hall of Fame and should get 100% of the vote. It was appauling not to see Ripken get to the level of Seaver.  Hell, Ted Williams only got 93% of the vote, which is less than what Nolan Ryan received. How stupid is that? If anything, making these votes public will lead to an SEC style witchhunt. Very entertaining.

 

How's Emilio Bonifacio Doing? Not nearly as well as Josh Willingham, who makes Mark Buehrle look normal by accomplishing something that is even more rare than the Perfect Game.  Also, in unrelated Nationals news, John Lannan is trying to strike out less batters this season than total games his team is going to win. In all seriousness, he is the one pitcher worth paying to see in the Nationals Rotation.  He is the poor man's Mark Buehrle (wow, a second reference to Buehrle).

 

When I Have Nightmares Tim Lincecum Rescues Me.  I really should just make this blog about how much I am in love with Tim Lincecum.  Picking my favorite Red Sox player has always been hard for me. Growing up it shifted between Nomar, Mo Vaughn (though he never signed autographs which I will never forgive him for), Lou Merloni, Brain Daubach, Trot Nixon, John Valentin, Mike Greenwell, Troy O'Leary, Reggie Jefferson and a handful of others I am sure that I am forgetting at this moment.  I have been and still am a fan of the team in general (though I do have a certain affection for Jon Lester at the moment).  However, I have always had a favorite non-Sox player who I was just obsessed with.  Growing up, this was Ken Griffey Jr.  He will probably be the first Hall of Fame induction I go to as watching the Mariners of the mid-90's are some of my fondest memories (Jay Buhner, Alex Cora, Tino Martinez, Edgar Martinez, and Randy Johnson are players I will always remember).  I mean, who doesn't love Griffey Jr (by the way, in the era of steroids, he will probably get close to 100% of the HoF vote because he did it clean. If he didn't get injured, he would be approaching 800 HR's by now). Anyways, right now, my favorite Non-Red Sox is Tim Lincecum.  Every time I get the chance to watch or listen to his games I will make sure I find the time to do so. If I had to build a team around one pitcher...well, we all know who I would pick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some Things Never Go Away

As if I need to explain this story...Minaya v. Rubin

 

Everyone has the ability to cram their foot down their throat, especially in sports, but as much as the Failcoeur episode of last week spoke volumes about how the Mets are performing on the field, well, Tony Bernazard and his antics and the perfect snapshot of the turmoil that is the BBall Ops of the the the New York Mets.  I mean, how else are you supposed handle a situation when a member of your organization calls a minor league player a name that is also a not so polite term for a part of the female anatomy, rips off his shirt and challenges the team to a fight, and curses out a Diamondbacks scout and then a member of his staff for saying that Bernazard should handle the situation (the scout was in his seat) in between innings. 

 

So how does Minaya handle it...by calling out Adam Rubin, questioning his motives for publishing this story (apparently Rubin wants to work in baseball and has inquired about it) and engaging in a small amount of character defamation (video at link above).  Whatever happened to a standard form apology and letting the story die? Well even in the most public of positions that sometimes does not happen.  It is not like Minaya cares...he has a foot out the door and will be pushed out at seasons end.

Blast From The Past

I was not planning on doing any blogging this weekend while being away...but then I saw something that that I had to post.

 

Blast From The Past

 

Two things.  The first is good for Junior Spivey, he was fun to watch and a former All-Star.  The second is HOLY CRAP...2001 was a long time ago. A long, long time ago.  It is a weird feeling to realize that the 2000's was the first decade that I remember from start to finish in vivid detail.

 

This makes me wonder...the world has changed a lot in the past 10 years...what will the next 10 years bring?

Perfection Part 2

I was lucky enough to have my boss out of the room for the last 2 innings of today's ChiSox game...I must be doing something right if God blessed me with that today.

 

Anyways, here it is for those of you who did not see it...

 

The Play Of The Year

 

 

Perfection

I'm not a good enough writer to comment on what just happened in the South Side of Chicago...I do not believe that anyone is.

 

So I will just link to the box score because sometimes that's all you need to see.

 

#16

 

 

The Book of Mets

Do priests ever stop having faith?

 

Nope

 

I would like to add that trading for Jeff Francoeur was probably punishment for a large sin...

 

 

Slumping Like A Champ

Today's links are brought to you by the Red Sox lineup...hopefully these links hit more than they do.

 

Look Out! I am going to assume this confrontation went something like this...

 

"You hurt my brother!"

"I didn't mean to Mr. Ball.  I only have a leather hand warmer to protect me!"

"Oh wait, you're Jeff Francoeur.  Sorry for the scare, I'll just fly right by you now."

 

Red Sox retired number policy is a joke. Ok, i don't agree completely with it, but I do not have that much of a problem with it. Wade Boggs=Great player, top 5 3rd baseman of all time, but he left Boston for New York...which gets you some problems in Beantown.  By the way, no player has worn his jersey number since Boggs left Boston. Anyways, the real story is congrats to Jim Rice.

 

Tony Bernazard Update. I am not sure what there is to investigate. The guy is a nut. A funny nut, but still a nut. Oh, and he sucks at his job.

 

Ignorance is Bliss...

 

A little story about why competition is the best solution for everything.

 

This will be close, but I think Helton is destined for the Hall of Very Good

 

Back with more after my meeting.

Operation Iraqi Baseball

Every now and then there are just really cool stories that make you realize that there are still good people in this world who will donate baseball supplies for free publicity on a cable news network.  This is one of those stories.  People helping people...

 

Iraq's National Pastime?

 

I do not have much to say about this other than read the article and watch the story.  I'm glad to see they are getting what they need to play the greatest sport in the world.

LaRoche To Red Sox

Adam LaRoche, first baseman for the Pirates, has been traded to the Boston Red Sox...

 

.247/.329/.441 slash line does not inspire confidence.  Nor does his glove.  However, he does have a lot of pop to his bat, but not a ton of plate discipline.  He is making $ 7 million which means the Sox will be on the hook for about $3 million.

 

Looks like he is a platoon candidate to face right handed pitchers (.833 OPS against them).

 

By the way, would have more numbers, but baseball reference and fangraphs have essentially shut down due to this rumor.

 

Back with more later.

 

 

Do You Want To Be A F-Ing Fighter!?!

I am a big fan of Mixed Martial Arts and the UFC.  It is the next generation of combat sports and these guys are serious athletes.  The new season the 'The Ultimate Fighter' is coming up in September, but it is the first season of the show that gives me the title for this post...

 

See Title

 

Anyways, it seems that the Mets are taking a cue from Dana White...

 

Underage Drinking? That's a fight.

 

I am starting to think that the Mets are in a lot of trouble, more than the public problems we know about.  We know their farm system is, well, depleted, and that injuries have ravaged some key players, but holy cow, we now have executives trying to start fights with 19-20 year olds?  Is this how the Mets motivate players? No wonder they suck. Bernazard also went on a "profanity-laced tirade" at an assistant when he noticed that a scout was sitting in the seat that he wanted during a game.  The guy is just a loose cannon who needs his boss, Omar Minaya, to step in and ask "What is going on?"

 

Now I have never been upper level management for anyone, never mind an MLB team, but this strikes me as behavior that is just as detrmental to a club, if not more so, than having a diva player in the clubhouse.  In order to get your employees to produce at the most efficient level possible you need to make sure they realize 1. There are incentives for you to do this (advancement, more money, you don't get fired) and 2. You truly appreciate the hard work they put in. This does not mean let them walk all over you so you can be their friend, this means that you praise when you should and criticize when you have to. Of course, for the VP of player development, having two of the worst teams in AA and AAA ball speaks more about you and your job performance than the players themselves, which leads to be believe that Tony Bernazard is on his way out shortly and this was just his final hurrah.

 

 

There Is No Easy Solution

As I was falling asleep last night flipping between Baseball Tonight, ESPNews, and Hannity the ESPN ticket caught my eye...

 

Nats, Strasburg Not Close

 

Wait, what? I thought this was to be assumed, but then there was more...

 

"There are a lot of things that are happening behind the scenes that nobody is going to know about because we're not going to talk about it," Nationals interim general manager Mike Rizzo said, according to the Washington Post.

 

Ok, to me this means one of a few things. The first is that the Nats are just playing the game, communicating through the media with Boras, and by August 17th a deal will be in place.  The second though that crossed my mind was that the Nats are just not interested in signing Strasburg.  The third thought was that Boras said "$50 Million or we walk".  Those are the three options which I will now comment on.

 

Option 1: The Nats are playing the game:  I think this is entirely plausible.  Here is the deal, while Strasburg may hold all the cards, the Nats hold not only the checkbook, but they also hold the only opportunity to play at the highest level that Strasburg will see this year.  The Dodgers and Red Sox figured out what to do with Boras.  Give him a number that is fair, say this number is not going down, but it is not going up, and see what happens.  There will be jawing back and forth, but at the end of the day it is all one big game for these two parties to partake in.  No one expected this deal to get done before midnight on August 17th which leads me to believe that this is not all that unlikely.

 

Option 2: The Nats are just not interested in playing the game: I also believe this.  Remember, Rizzo is an INTERIM GM.  That interim tag sticks out to me because this team cannot even settle on a new GM or just give the guy a contract.  I would not be surprised if the Nationals are in such disarray that they cannot put together a package for Strasburg and Boras to look at.  This is most unlikely of options because I am confident that, unless there is some sort of collusion or conspiracy going on in MLB, the Nationals have every intention of signing him. 

 

Option 3: Boras and Strasburg are greedy: I find this to be the most likely reason for this report.  It is very possible that Boras has said "I do not care what you want to offer, it is $50 million or we walk." Of course, Strasburg would have to be ok with this, making him the King of All Morons.  As a 21 year old male I can tell you one thing, IF SOMEONE OFFERED ME 25 MILLION DOLLARS TO THROW A FUCKING BALL I WOULD TAKE IT AND RUN. Hell, if they even low ball Strasburg and offer him $15 Million he would be an idiot not to take it.  Why? Because his value will never be greater than it is now.  Imagine if he goes and plays Independent ball for a year and gets lit up a few times which could happen, he now loses millions of dollars because he has stepped up a level and was exposed. I also think that, under this scenario, this displays a major character flaw.  An overconfident jackass kid who thinks he should be treated like the second coming of Jesus Christ.  I understand he wants what he thinks is "fair value" for his services, but I cannot help but believe if Strasburg refuses a record breaking deal that he is a "Do You Know Who I Am" type.  I hope this is not the case because if it is, I might find myself wishing bad on someone else, which is an unacceptable thing to do.

 

Just a note on that last paragraph, from everything I have read and heard about Strasburg he seems like a very down to earth kid who works his ass off. He was a fat kid Freshman year who got into shape and worked everyday to make his dreams come true. I have a feeling he will sign because his dream is to play pro ball.

Jumping The Gun

After long nights of drinking and the activities that follow the next morning you generally wake up with a head splitting headache or with your brain in a thick fog that prevents you from doing anything for a few hours...unfortunately I did no drinking last night (or the night before or the night before that) and still woke up this morning and felt like I killed a bottle to my head.  I still feel that way so forgive me if today's bloggy goodness does not exceed expectations as much as it usually does.  Now, on to the show...

 

 

Holy crap the Red Sox are bad right now.  Not sure they are even a top 5 team in the AL at the moment (if they are they sit at 5 behind NYY TB LAA TEX). Anyways, I live with a Yankee fan and a Phillies fan...I hope some sort of cosmic justice is heading my way so I don't have to take crap from a kid who doesn't know the Yankee line-up, rotation, or anything about the team other than "We have 26 Championships".  Kiss my ass.  Anyways, here is a cool article about how Jason Varitek makes catching look easy. Ok, it is really about how he has the pitchers work the zone.

 

What will happen when he throws 100 pitches 3 times in 10 days? I still think he is going to be a total bust...maybe even worse than Smoltz.

 

I will put my net worth on him not being traded.  This amounts to approximately ten cents.  Point being, he ain't going anywhere.

 

Ichiro in the HOF? I honestly cannot think of a better leadoff man this past decade.  He is a hitting machine, a speedy little guy, and to top it off, has a cannon for an arm.  If he can produce for another few year he will be a lock.

 

Baseball games are long enough at it is... I am a true believer that for everytime you get screwed in a game, you end up getting a call in your favor...that just how it works.

 

 

There are some other things I wanted to post, but those are things that I have a lot to say about...

 

 

MOTN!

Matchups of the Night!

 

I guess I do not need to mention anything more than that...

 

Cubs v. Phillies again tonight and two former teammates are on the mound as Rich 'Balsa Wood' Harden takes on Smolderin' Joe Blanton in Philadelphia.  Needless to say, Harden has been a disappointment to the Chicago Cubs since being acquired.  However, Harden is 5-1 with a 2.17 ERA away from Wrigley this season and just came off a 6 inning 1 unearned run, 3-hit display against the LOLNats.  Blanton has been much more impressive lately, coming off back to back 7+ inning outings.  He is pitching on 10 days rest and in holds a team high 10 quality starts.  Maybe tonight the Cubs won't check out after 3 innings.

 

Ryan 'The Big' Sadowski will take the mound once again for the San Francisco Giants as they look to rebound against Derek Lowe and the Atlanta Braves who thrashed them last night 11-3.  Sadowski has looked good in his only 3 starts of the season, going 2-1 with a 1.00 ERA.  Lowe looks to perform up to expectations in the second half and is coming off a 6 inning display against the Mets that, without one bad inning which resulted in three runs, was a great performance.  This will be a good test for Sadowski as the Giants look to regain the lead in the NL Wild Card race from fellow division opponent...

 

Colorado, who sends Aaron Cook to the mound tonight in the best pitching match up of the day.  Max Scherzer will be on the hill for the struggling Diamondbacks who are looking to salvage some of the season, or maybe just survive it.  Scherzer has posted a quality start in 5 of his last 6 starts, including one at Colorado on June 23rd when he went 6 innings giving up 3 earned runs while striking out 5 and walking one. Cook was lit up in every category his last start out by the Padres except in runs (9 hits, 3 walks, 2 k's over 6 innings).

 

Other things to keep an eye on...Rick Porcello matches up against Garret Olsen as the Tigers take on the Mariners.  Josh Beckett heads to the mound to continue his hot streak after Red Sox losses and will face 23 year old Tommy Hunter.  Last, but not least, Cliff Lee will be auditioning to teams tonight when he faces the Blue Jays and Brett Cecil in Toronto.

 

Enjoy.

Productivity at the Workplace

One of my bosses just emailed me.  Apparently they are starting to notice that there is ZERO accountability around the office (I noticed this my first day) and are now trying to crack down.  I guess I will just have to head to the underground in order to continue with my nefarious deeds.  Now, on to said deeds...

 

It has been a tough 24 hours for Jon Heyman following two erroneous reports that stated the Mets turned down a trade for Halladay and that Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel's jobs were safe (far from it). So it is with some skepticism that I point you in the follow direction...Phillies will NOT be trading Drabek.   

 

Now, if this report is true, which I will assume until further notice, I think the Phillies are signaling they are out of the running for Halladay.  Sure Carlos Carrasco is a great prospect, but he is not Kyle Drabek, or J.A Happ, AND Toronto is holding all the cards.  Remember, at worse, they hang on to Halladay for another year and a half, get some compensation picks for him leaving as a type A free agent, and all is well.  The best is that they get some team to pony up 2-3 grade 'A' prospects plus another toss in or two and they walk away with a deeper farm system.  You have to figure that Drabek not being included is a total deal breaker, at least if I was in Ricciardi's shoes, it would be.  We're not talking about sending you a 2 starter here, this is Roy Halladay, the best pitcher in the AL and probably all of baseball.  I either get what I want or you can see how far Pedro Martinez gets you. 

 

A simple reminder of economics for those of you who may have misremembered...when demand is greater than supply, the price will be driven up. 

 

Or, the Phillies are going to head in the Cliff Lee direction.

 

A Scrappy Team of Links

I was texting back and forth with a friend of mine last night who happens to be an Atlanta Braves fan.  He, of course, is optimistic that if the offense comes around, the Braves will be contending for a playoff spot.  I agree.  That's not the point, however, of mentioning this.  This particular person has been an ardent supporter of Jeff Francoeur...until now.

 

"hells ya, we r scrappy as shit, now that french is gone, i can stop protecting him like the piece of the shit he is."

 

Well played, and now, onto today's links.

 

How does one increase their trade value? By being the major player in your franchise's largest comback in 84 years. 

 

Mantle v. Musial. I will use my patent pending solution for grading Major League Ballplayers...Career-Musial, Peak of Career-Mantle, Drinker-Mantle. 2 to 1 in favor of Mantle. Side Note: Musial deserved to have his "Ted Williams" moment at the ASG...he would have made it to the plate too.

 

Not shocking. You obviously cannot pin all the injuries the Mets have suffered this season on Minaya, but still, with that payroll he has put together an absolutely atrocious team.  Imagine what a good GM can do with $140 Million.  Actually, we have proof, they are called the Boston Red Sox.

 

Speaking of the Red Sox it wasn't long ago they had a 3 game lead. Now they have company atop the AL East, a team that is 8 games better than them when not playing head to head...the New York Yankees.  I don't expect the offense to continue to be as slow as it has been, but I have to assume that if this keeps up the Sox will trade for a bat (named Victor Martinez).

 

Honesty. In his prime, Jose Guillen was probably worth this contract, at least according to FanGraphs that argument could be made. It is refreshing to hear someone who once behaved like a spoiled brat and was benched for a playoff series now realize that he is lucky to be where he is and, in fact, does not deserve his payday.  This is not the same as Ted Williams refusing to sign a $125,000 contract for the 1960 because he felt he did not play well in 1959 (he didn't) and said he will be paid $90,000 because that reflects his true value, but nevertheless, I like it. I also did not know that Jose Guillen was only 33. 

 

If this was true, and Minaya didn't take it, he would have been fired on the spot. Fortunately for him (and Roy Halladay) this rumor that circulated around late last night turns out to be a complete fabrication.

 

What happens when you piss off two Pirates? You probably end up trading a great double play duo away.  Hope you like San Francisco Freddy Sanchez...I know they will like you.

 

 

 

 

 

MOTN!

Today's Matchups Of The Night are brought to you be the US Postal Service and my Boss...who had me send a letter to UConn and demanded I get delivery confirmation for it...$5.65 (which is the equivalent of 1 footlong subway sandwich in poor intern speak) later I'm wondering why I do this crap for free.

I get my revenge by doing this all day though...cue evil laugh.

There are 3 series starting tonight that I will be keeping my eye on...Giants v. Braves, Red Sox v. Rangers, and Cubs v. Phillies.

Sanchez v. Hanson is the best matchup of the night for 2 reasons. One is that Tommy Hanson has been lights out as of late and secondly, Jonathan Sanchez is coming off a no-no. If the Braves want to show they are for real, beating up on the Giants for 4 games is a good start. They do have to face Lincecum which means only 3 games are up for grabs...

Smoltz v. Millwood tonight in Arlington. Millwood has regressed since starting off on fire while the Sox are looking to see what Smoltz can offer for his 5th start, which have gone like this- Bad, Good, Bad, Good. I'm sure Theo and Co. are hoping this trend does not continue.

Cubs v. Phillies, Lily v. Lopez. The Cubs and the Phillies are flying high after this weekend. If the Cubs take the series they are going to cause some panic in St. Louis. If the Phillies take the series, they probably end up with a 7 or 8 game lead in the East. This is the best series of the mid-week games.


After that there are a smattering of interesting stories. Jason Schmidt makes his first start of the year for the Dodgers, David Price meets the White Sox and Gavin Floyd tonight. Big series for both the Rays and White Sox. Also, the Cardinals take on Houston tonight in Texas.

Muahahaha.

This Is Power

I want to do some power rankings because I feel that...well...there isn't much else to do today. Lets give a good rundown here...

 

1. Boston Red Sox- Yes, they looked really bad this weekend...not 3rd place bad, but bad.  Still, they are tops in the AL East and for me, that is good enough.

 

2. Los Angeles Dodgers- Could be #1, probably should be, but that pitching is too suspect for me to say that they are the best team in baseball right now.

 

3. New York Yankees- Another team that could lay claim to the #1 spot, though it is a little bit shaky.  Must have felt good to see Joba pitch well over the weekend.  The Tigers are not an elite team, but they are a good one, and the Yankees sweep of them sends signals that this team will contend.

 

4. Los Angeles Angels- The perennial favorites in the AL West are capitalizing on two breakout years from Juan Rivera and Kendry Morales, plus an All-Star calibre year from Torii Hunter.  Supposedly in the hunt for Halladay...only weakness is the bullpen and a true, game changing bat.

 

5. Tampa Bay Rays- 3rd in the AL East gets you #5 in my book.  There is not much to say, this team could win the East still or fizzle out a little bit.  I still like their chances better than the Yankees but up to date they have been just a stop behind.  Leading the league in stolen bases and having power to back it up helps.  The young pitching is good, but I doubt they would have been mad if the Jackson/Joyce deal didn't happen.

 

6. Philadelphia Phillies- Reigning World Champions, leading their division by 6.5 games, and they are the 6th best team in baseball?  They have limited starting pitching depth at the moment, but they can make up for it with the bats.  Deal for Halladay and they might just take over the #1 spot.

 

7. San Francisco Giants- A tale of two teams. Tim Lincecum is Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain is winning, and Jonathan '3-8' Sanchez tossed a no-no which should have been a perfect game.  However, their bats are asleep at the plate. 5 runs against Pittsburgh? Pitt gives up the 6th fewest runs in the NL which softens the blow, but for a Wild Card leader to be shut down by a team that changes its look everyday it did not look good.

 

8. Colorado Rockies- The Rockies and the Giants are very close to each other.  The most telling stat about the Rockies...they are 32-14 under Jim Tracy. They also have 3 pitchers that sport an ERA under 4.00...and they have the NL wins leader- Jason Marquis.  Yikes.

 

9. St Louis Cardinals- They are probably better than this spot, but the left side of the infield is still a glaring concern, however their outfield is starting to come together.  They have the best 1-2 punch in Carpenter/Wainwright that's not named Lincecum/Cain, and their closer, Ryan Franklin, sports a spiffy 0.76 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and a K/BB ratio of 3.50, not to mention a bitching beard.

 

10. Chicago Cubs- Well, well, well...the Cubbies, where to begin.  I will start with saying that this team is hot.  A 4-game sweep of the Nationals is a sign of a good team because they realized they had an opportunity to pick up a game or two, went out, and did it. The pitching is good, but the dreadful offense is finally waking up.  Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez look like an older version of when they were the most feared duo in the NL Central. 

 

11. Texas Rangers- Without pitching you can only go so far.  Still, if someone told me that a week after the ASG the Rangers would be 8 games over .500 without the help of Josh Hamilton for most of the year I would have laughed in their face.  I still do not think they make the playoffs, but they could give the Angels a scare or two.

 

12. Detroit Tigers- The Best Team in the Al Central, which features a bunch of teams lumped together, per usual.  Being swept by the Yankees does not help, but do not fret Tigers fans...you will still be around in September.

 

13. Seattle Mariners- Who has allowed the fewest # of runs in the AL this year?  The same team that has scored the second fewest.  This is a .500 team at best and will probably end up trading away Erik Bedard and Jarrod Washburn, but for now, they are just 4 games back.

 

14. Chicago White Sox- I think they are a big player in the Halladay dealings.  Still, I think they are probably the 3rd best team in the AL Central when it is all said and done.  This is a team that is getting younger and have one of the most consistent and durable starters in the game in Mark Buehrle.

 

15. Minnesota Twins- 4 good, young starters.  The best catcher in the game and one of the best 1st basemen in the game.  This teamalways makes things interesting in the AL Central and I have no doubt that this year will be more of the same.  If they win the Division I would be less than surprised.

 

16. Milwaukee Brewers- At one point they would have been in my top 10 but they have stumbled a little bit.  I think their offense will only be able to carry them so far.  Prince Fielder is in the midst of having a career year, even if he doesnt hit 50 home runs, and Ryan Braun is Ryan Braun.  Casey McGehee has been a welcome sight for the BrewCrew as well and not much else can be said about All-Time saves leader Trevor Hoffman.  Still, when you only have Yovanni Gallardo to count on in your rotation things are not looking good, no matter how well YoGo is throwing.

 

17. Houston Astros- The two central divisions are shaping up for 2 of the best races in baseball.  Houston, who I thought was going to be garbage, is actually looking like they might contend for the playoffs. Remeber, Roy Oswalt is a hell of a second half pitcher (2.86 ERA 4.06 K/BB ratio) and Wandy Rodriguez has been outstanding.  Just remember...they are currently 46-46 while their Pythagorean record is only 43-49.

 

18. Toronto Blue Jays- Once again, the 4th place team in the AL East...but that is not the story.  If Roy Halladay goes, the fans will revolt.

 

19. Atlanta Braves- Probably the 2nd best team in the NL East and still could contend for the Wild Card.  Pitching is their strength....hitting is not.

 

20. Florida Marlins- Probably the 3rd best team in the NL East. Poor showing against the Phillies makes me wonder just how much this team can contend down the stretch.

 

21. Cincinatti Reds- An interesting team. Good, young core, but just not there yet.  Jay Bruce is out for 6 weeks with a fractured wrist which doesnt help much, but at least Joey Votto is back and is continuing to hit.

 

22. Baltimore Orioles- Yes, they are last in the Al East, so why rank them here?  One simple reason, they are young, they are good, and on any given day they can create a multitude of problems for any team in baseball.  In 2 years they will be a top 5-10 team in baseball...if not higher.

 

23. New York Mets- Ok, now we are down to the truly bad teams.  Yes, the Mets are absolute garbage.  Without David Wright and Johan, this is a bottom 5 team.  Still, it is not anyones fault as injuries have decimated the team.  Tough luck has killed their season. They won't finish above .500.

 

24. Pittsburgh Pirates- They take 2 of 3 at home against the Wild Card leading Giants.  They actually have a good pitching staff, probably because their management hasn't traded them all away yet. 

 

25. Oakland Athletics- Why did they trade Dan Haren?   Billy Beane is usually given too much credit for what he does, but he is still a good GM.  Remember, their pitching staff is very, very young.  Could be good in a few years which is what it looks like they are aiming for.

 

26. Arizona Diamondbacks- Dan Haren could win the Cy Young.  Justin Upton is going to be a superstar for years to come.  Mark Reynolds is pounding the ball on the way to eclipsing his own strikeout record.  Other that that, there is no reason to watch this team.

 

27. San Diego Padres- Adrian Gonzalez got off to a great start.  Since April he has hit .250 in May, .235 in June, and .140 in July.  (note, his OPS in May and June were both above .900 which is extremely good.. in July it has been .444).

 

28. Kansas City Royals- Last 61 games? 19-42. That's ugly.

 

29. Cleveland Indians- They give up the most runs in the AL and are not looking any better.  Mark Shapiro cannot be happy with this team that many though would contend.

 

30 Washington Nationals- Post-Acta start...0-4.  As mentioned before, 120 losses is an outside shot...I predict 118.

Class Class Class

About to grab a bite, saw this over the weekend and had to post it...

 

Awesome

 

Yup, he has a child on the way too.  I should just stop here before I get out of control.

Latching Onto Drinks

Weekend wasn't long enough...found out this morning that the highlights of my day come down to variations in my beverage choices.

 

Damn.

 

Onto the hardball...

 

Saw a stat this weekend about the Royals this weekend.  They have gone 19-42 in their last 61 games...thats a .301 winning percentage, which is almost at the level of the Nationals.  So I have to link to this story...and this one, and will follow them both up with this. I think the Nationals really are not that bad, I mean, their line up is decent, but they just cannot pitch. I do not think the reach of the level of the '62 Mets, but I think 110 losses will be easy to reach and 120 is not outside the realm of possibility.

 

I still don't think he is going anywhere. No doubt he has been the most consistent pitcher in the AL the past few years, and a move to the NL would make his numbers look even better, but I don't think the Phillies shell out the necessary number and quality of prospects for this to happen.

 

Here is something that I will have to keep an eye on...Congratulations! Nobody lost better than you!

 

Neato...note that Jayson Werth did not accomplish this.

 

Space Junk. Hey, I like knowing that worthless crap.

 

 

Off to a meeting...brainstorming...can only think of one line from The Office (New Boss episode this past season...Jim in a Tux...classy).

 

'What is a two-way petting zoo?"

(pause)

'You pet the animals and they pet you back.'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Green Beans and Baseball

Best News Story Of The Day Seriously, this guy missed the frivolous lawsuit era by just a hair...also, he has zero legal experience, which is demonstrated quite well in the story.

 

On to baseball...

 

Is Zack Greinke becoming the best quote is baseball? Um, yes.

 

Lugo DFA'd Someone will take a gamble with him...maybe he just wasn't a Boston player.

 

Say What? Of course they go into it in detail and I have no doubt Albert could play 3rd base (he is the best defensive 1st baseman in MLB), but why would you want Troy Glaus in your lineup!  I kid, this is a reasonable solution actually.

 

Howard Fastest To 200.  I think he has a shot at 500...a shot.  People forget that Ryan Howard is 29 and has a physique that does not tend to help players as they age. A note on that...he looks much more fit that he did 2 years ago and if he will end up being a DH because he can't field a ball.  There is no reason he cannot hit 40+ Home Runs for the next 5 years...he would need just 100 after that, which is possible.

 

O-Dawg.  Yeah, he has had a phenomenal season.  He is also one of the best guys in baseball. 

 

And to top of the midday link-o-rama (2 posts full of links...jeeze i'm lazy today)

 

Halfway Decent. I would expect nothing less from Paps.

 

 

 

Making It Rain

I have to post this for two reasons.  The first reason being that I find Pacman Jones to be a fascinating character.  He is, somehow, allowed to play in the NFL, most likely because he has never been convicted of any 'alleged' crime he may have committed.  I think a lot of people know that he is a bad egg and is a stain on the NFL.  In all honesty, he has a lot of raw talent...but he is just too dumb to realize it.  It would be hard for me to imagine a scenario where he was not told by Coaches/GM's/Owner's that he needs to cut the crap and play ball.  The second reason is that stupid people also fascinate me.  Maybe Pacman wasn't afforded the same educational opportunities as some...I mean, a free ride to college? Who doesn't get those.  Not only did his probably waste his time at West Virginia, but he probably never opened a book.  His hubris is outstanding.  Even being suspended for over a year the best he could do is say he wants to be called Adam instead of Pacman.  Well, this may be an old story, but the video came out today, and lets just say it wasn't him improving his community.

 

This Is What He Does Instead This video is almost the definition of NSFW so do not open this up around your boss, unless he is cool, or your female coworkers, who will look down on this type of activity.

 

Beyond the racial slurs and the nudity and the fat chicks, every now and then people show off just who they really are. What I took away from this video is that Pacman wants to be the first gangsta meteorologist...

 

Well done.

 

And don't be impressed by the stack of bills in his hands...those are Washingtons, not Benjamins.

 

An idiot and a cheapass.

The Open

Spending the morning at work...watching The British Open.  Not a bad way to spend my time. Tiger just landed in one of those awesome links bunkers on the 5th. Not sure how much the Green Day TNT was just playing during highlights is really helping.

 

All teams are in action tonight in the baseball world.  Lets see what exactly is going on.

 

I'm really posting this for the awesome title. Also, there was a lot of discussion regarding the Giants dropping Barry Zito and eating his salary.  Well, that might not be the best idea, but I really cannot see a reason for the Red Sox to keep Lugo around.  He may have a worse rap than he really deserves, but ever since not resigning Orlando Cabrera after 2004, the Red Sox have yet to find a shortstop that is worth any sort of salary (Edgar Renteria will forever be etched into my mind as the worst fielder I have ever seen even though everywhere else he plays he is great.  Which leads to this, there are players who can handle Boston/New York/Chicago and there are players who just cannot.)

 

 Those Crazy Pirates. For the second year in a row the Pirates seem to be very active, and by active, I mean dumping every veteran player they have for a slew of prospects in order to build up their farm system. They seem headed in that direction again...wait, what did that article say, they are signing Jack Wilson and former batting champ Freddie Sanchez?  I guess some teams (Red Sox and Giants) will have to look in a new direction. Plus, maybe the management in Pittsburgh might finally be making their fans happy for a little bit.

 

Standing Headline Of The Day.  Not that it involves the Yankees, that is not the point, it is the point that yet another Latin player has lied about his age.  I wonder if the players know what is going on or if it is all their representation..I'm going to go out on a limb and say the players are in not totally in the dark, but they are not the driving force.

 

Just heard The Killers on the TNT broadcast...I like it, a lot (The Killers are one of the best American rock acts of the past 5 years) but I have never heard them during a PGATour event.

 

We Know Knuckleballers Can. What about other pitchers?  Well, the short answer is yes.  If you want the nitty gritty, click on through to the link.  What I like about articles such as this is that they reject a previous hypothesis using data that is only available now and that this research can have a great impact on the game.  I'm sure pitchers already knew to do this in some respects, but hey, can't help for it to be confirmed that pitching away is a good thing.

 

Why Change Anything? Frankly, there is almost nothing Riggleman can do other than bring a different feel and voice to the clubhouse.  Lets be honest, the Nationals problems are not just their current lineup, this is an organization that has to be cleaned out from top to bottom. If they fail to sign Strasburg it will be a clear signal that something has to be done...even if MLB has to step in.

 

 

 

 

MOTN!

After a little bit of a vacation the second half of the season starts up...

 

Good pitching matchups today! Well, maybe they are more interesting...

 

Mets v. Braves- Oliver Perez v. Derek Lowe...Two pitchers who received big deals over the offseason.  Lowe has been disappointing so far (8-7 4.39 ERA) especially because many people saw him as the safe choice for free agent pitching needs over the winter.  Oliver Perez (2-2 8.78 ERA) has been total crap.  A lot of people, including me, thought the Mets were finally going to get the monkey off their back and win the NL East this year. Too many injuries and poor performances have made that a tough goal to achieve and I think they are not going to be able to make it. The Braves still have an ok shot at a playoff spot...unless this keeps happening.

 

Probably the best team matchup of the night goes to Phillies v. Marlins, or in pitching terms, Old control pitcher v. Inconsistent young pitcher.  Jamie Moyer has been everything the Phils do not need him to be and more.  He is nearing the ERA Mendoza line of 6.00 (and by nearing I mean his ERA currently stands at 5.99) and although he is 8-6, it is clear in this case that ERA sometimes can be used to judge a pitcher and win-loss record is by far the worst.  Chris Volstad will be on the mound for the second place Marlins.  He comes into the game with a 4.44 ERA and a 6-8 record.  I think the Marlins need to solidify their bullpen if they want to make a serious run at the Wild Card or the Phillies, who should run away with the East, but have yet to show they have the capability to do so.

 

The night cap is Astros v. Dodgers.  The Astros are playing way above their heads right now, however their best pitcher, Wandy Rodriguez is on the mound for them tonight to face Randy Wolf.  The Astros are probably out of the playoff race right now, but hell, at 44-44 and playing in the NL Central, I guess anything could happen.

 

 

Yeah, kind of a quiet night, and I have been a total waste of human being today at work. I've been too lazy to even listen to the radio or music.  I seriously need some motivation, but right now, it is nowhere to be found. Once it hits me that I have the biggest test of my life coming up at the end of September maybe that will get me into gear. Seriously, this is only my second post of the day and I havent read half of the news I usually do.  I did change my facebook picture in honor of a man you can listen to here. That was pretty much the extent of my activity today. Maybe I will perk up soon.  Until then, I'm just going through the motions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Classic

Well...that was a long day.  In case you do not know, the day after the MLB All-Star game is the only day during the year when none of the 4 major professional sports have action.  I spent my night watching Top Chef and then falling asleep to the Triple-A All Star Game which was entertaining.  Anyways, here are a few links to start off the day...

 

They Should Play The Canadians. I would love to go to this game, but will likely settle for a sports bar near Fenway because 1. I'm not a Bruins season ticket holder and 2. Imagine the freaking price of a marquee event at Fenway with the Red Sox brass behind some of the shenanigans...this game will be priced at a level that will leave most true Bruins fans deciding between a family vacation or freezing their asses off at Fenway for an afternoon. Hockey is a great sport and I think the Winter Classic is the best idea a professional sport has had for a major promotion in a long long time.  Seriously, name a better one.  The ratings have been going up every year and until the BCS Bowls start later that day, hockey commands the spotlight.  Not to mention it is an OUTDOOR HOCKEY GAME IN JANUARY which is enough to get ESPN to cover the thing like crazy. Combine that with Fenway Park and the freezing cold that is a New England winter and I think this is a recipe for a great day in Boston...except the NHL fouled it up big time.  How on earth can you have the Bruins play in the biggest game of the NHL regular season and NOT have them play the Montreal Canadians? I do not want to pay $250+ to see the Flyers, but I would consider that act of extreme fiscal irresponsibility if it was the best rivalry in hockey (Ovie v. Crosby not withstanding). Here is a note to the NHL, if you have an entire day to yourself, make it worthwhile.  Ovie v. Crosby, Bruins v. Canadians, hell, last year's Blackhawks v. Red Wings game was great!  Bruins v. Flyers? Fail.

 

A Fun Thing To Watch.  So just how good is Albert Pujols? Well, up to this point, he is Stan Musial good.  How good is Stan Musial? Well Bill James ranks him as the second best Left Fielder to Ted Williams (Probably 3rd now since Barry Bonds, statistically, most likely takes that top spot) and Musial is also a top 10 player of all time.  A great debate that always rages is how to compare players from different time periods, i.e. what kind of holy hell might Albert Pujols create if he played in the 40's and 50's. We will never be able to answer that question but something tells me he would probably be the best player in the game (maybe two to Williams). Only time will tell where Pujols ends up in terms of being an all-time great, which he will be when he retires.  Can he top Lou Gehrig for the top spot in all-time 1st base rankings?  If he keeps up at a Musial-like pace, the question will become where does he rank in the top 5 all time, right behind Ruth and in front of Wagner, or somewhere between Wagner, Williams, Bonds, Cobb, Mays, and Aaron (which is close to what my top 7 or 8 looks like, but that was just off the cuff, I have a feeling that Bonds, Musial, and Gehrig fit somewhere in my top 10). 

 

Time To Dump Zito? Tim Kawakami certainly thinks so, but it is not as cut and dry as he thinks it is.  Yes, Barry Zito has one of the worst contracts in MLB (Vernon Wells is closing in on that at a very rapid pace).  There is no doubt in my mind that Zito will not win another Cy Young and will probably never attain that level of effectiveness again.  That being said, he is an innings eater, a decent back of the rotation guy, but he is prone to getting lit up more than any other pitcher (which Neyer points out).  Here is the thing though...can any team eat $18 million a year? The Yankees could, maybe, but at this point Zito is not actually killing the Giants.  He does have some value, and, unlike Vernon Wells, actually contributes to his team (Zito has an RAR of 9.1...he has been worth around 1 win).  So he is essentially a slightly above replacement level pitcher.  Still, can the Giants find someone better, who costs around the league minimum, who will eat up 200+ innings a year?  They have one future ace in their system in Madison Bumgarner and another great prospect Tim Alderson and there is no doubt these two are being groomed to replace Johnson and Zito.  Kawakami is right, at some point this move will have to be made, but for now, this seems like a very severe move.  Plus, at least the Giants should be around to take the mind off of the Raiders out there in the Bay Area...who Kawakami has a wonderful relationship with.  I remember seeing this last year and thought it was just the most perfect proof that the Raiders are the landfill of the NFL.  This is also proof that my brain stores things that are totally worthless. 

 

Why Don't Reporters Consult Sabermetricians? Because 1. They don't understand it 2. They are suffering from a bad case of hubris and 3. So are most Sabermetricians.  Seriously, I love sabermetrics and I think it has done wonderful things for the game of baseball, and yes, this particular Forbes article was the most poorly written, poorly researched,and poorly constructed piece of crap that has floated around the baseball interwebs in a while.  I never bothered linking to it because it was factually inaccurate to the point that a 5-year would know better.  On the larger question, there are too many smart people in the baseball world that think they have an answer to everything.  They are generally annoying know-it-alls who see players as lumps of statistical meat.  How many people predicted Heath Bell to have the season he is having? Not many, mostly because they failed to see the person that Heath Bell is, an overweight closer who decided to lose 25 pounds this off season by using WiiFit!  The guy is about having fun and playing well...and my fantasy teams are glad he loves his kids Wii.

 

Unfair Comparison. Bush won things. The Royals ban bloggers.

 

 

There are games today more...more on that shocking development later.

Let Teddy Manage!

From the Washington Post via CTB...

 

Acta Was Too Soft

 

Ok, living in DC and watching too many Nationals games for my own good I do have a decent view of what goes on with this team day to day (a team that is 4th in the hearts of fans in the city...I think it is safe to say that the Redskins are #1 but a very close #2 are the Capitals) so I have a few thoughts to offer on this...

 

1. This is probably the only logical reason for firing Manny Acta.  If you have ever seen the guy you know he is always smiling, having a fun time, and has a passion for the game that is refreshing. I mean, he has to, after all, watching your team lose day after day there is either something wrong about you or you just love that you have the opportunity to manage in the big leagues.  Acta was the latter. The only problem with this approach is that, unfortunately, MLB is not a sandlot game, and that these are grown men who sometimes act like boys and need a smack in the head.  Acta didn't believe in giving out spankings though.

 

2. His team needs a firebrand.  Acta is perfect for a group of veteran players because he can have fun and handle those types of personalities.  To work with young players you need part fun guy, part punkass, and part in-your-face sergeant.  Two examples of this would be Joe Maddon and Fredi Gonzalez, two guys who have shaped their young teams into threats.  The Nationals need someone who can be one of the guys, make an ass of himself in the club house, and get a team fired up.  The Nationals need an old guy who can do this...Bobby Valentine perhaps? 

 

3. There were two players on the team who have had some issues in the past.  One, Lastings Milledge, is not longer on the team and is starting to get the lovely tag of 'failed prospect'.  Beyond his MySpace Page and his X-Rated Hip Hop Lyrics, Lastings Milledge is just flat out lazy as hell...But So Were The Nationals.  You have a kid who has all the talent in the world and you let him act like a spoiled little brat who pouts and stamps his feet at a Toys R Us because his mom won't buy him a new G.I Joe.  In this case the Mets had the audacity to require their players to show up early, warm up, and get ready for a game in a semi-regimented fashion.  I mean, how dare you treat your players like they are expected to perform at 100% everytime they step on the field! Anyways, those hardasses in Queens were too much for Lastings so he was traded to a team that would allow him to be the gangsta that he is.  Word.  How does the story end? With Milledge unable to maintain a starting role on the worst team in baseball and, thus, traded to the Pirates in the steal of the year for the Nationals. Apparently it was when Milledge showed up late one day and Acta said nothing which started the ball rolling on the 'Acta is too soft for this team' movement.

 

The next player needs almost no introduction.  He has, shall we say, a colorful personality...and entire page dedicated to him in Tampa Bay where he started his career.  Here are some of my favorite, albeit alleged, Elijah Dukes stories...

 

He threw a Gatorade bottle at a pregnant woman...a 17-year old woman who he impregnated (who by the way was once a foster child).

He has 5 kids with 4 different women

He threaten to kill a woman by sending her text messages like 'dont let me see you when you come home'

He threaten to kill his wife by sending her a text message with a picture of his gun

He was arrested on possession of Marijuana charges

He has pulled a 'Do You Know Who I am" (allegedly it was a traffic stop and he said something to the effect of 'I play pro ball, nobody can fuck with me')

He also left a few voice messages on his wife's phone, one that said 'You're dead dawg, I ain't even bullshittin', your kids too, dawg'.

 

He has also thrown every single item that can be found on a coffee table or kitchen at various women over the past few years.  Now, I will say, since coming to Washington he hasn't done anything that stupid.  Maybe somebody got to him, who knows (Oh, and that Little League incident this year was a PR disaster for the Nats...you can't fine a guy for being 5 minutes late for hanging out with a bunch of kids).  Anyways, something tells me that he might have been turning around a little bit, but needed a firm presence in the office to make him realize that he has two choices, baseball or jail.

 

Anyways, it seems that Acta just was not the right personality to handle this crowd and you know what, they might be on to something here.  I still think Manny Acta is going to make a good manager one day on a good team.  There has not been a manager who just gets it right away, the good ones have been around forever and know what and what not to do and how to deal with every kind of personality.  Acta can still reach that point, but it just was not meant to happen in Washington.