MLB Playoff Update
The first round of the MLB playoffs is now over and only four teams are left alive. In the American League, the Oakland Athletics and the Detroit Tigers advanced and in the National League, the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals advanced. The Tigers surprisingly defeated the New York Yankees in the American League Divisional Series (ALDS), winning the series 3 games to 1. The Yankees, who supposedly had the best lineup in baseball history, were expected to win the series easily, after the Tigers had a rough last month of the season, falling from the top of the AL Central, to the Wild Card.
The Yankees were outpitched by the Tigers starters, Justin Verlander, Kenny Rogers, and Jeremy Bonderman, and Detroit’s stellar bullpen, led by flamethrower Joel Zumaya and veteran Todd Jones. Rogers, a 41 year old veteran who has struggled in the playoffs in the past and has never pitched well against the Yankees, had the game of his life in Game Three, pitching 7 and 2/3 innings of five hit baseball, striking out 8. Bonderman held the Yankees hitless for five innings in Game Four.
The Tigers are the major story of the playoffs so far and have taken the city of Detroit by storm. The Tigers carried manager Jim Leyland off the field and then later returned to celebrate with the 43,000 fans in attendance. The Tigers, who were one of the worst teams in baseball history just a few years ago, have developed good young players, like Verlander, Zumaya, and Bonderman and signed solid veterans, like Rogers, Jones catcher Ivan Rodriguez, and outfielder Magglio Ordonez.
In the other American League series, the Oakland Athletics easily took care of the Minnesota Twins, winning three games to none, by outhitting and outpitching them, including a big win over the top pitcher in the AL, Johan Santana. The A’s were led by longtime ace Barry Zito and Dan Haren, and a strong performance from the bullpen, Kiko Calero, Justin Duchshcerer and Huston Street specifically.
In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers fought hard to defeat the New York Mets, but fell three games to none. The Mets, who are without their two top starting pitchers, Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez, won with hitting. Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado make up the best hitting lineup left in the playoffs. In Game Three on Saturday, the Mets were down 4-3 after five innings, but rallied to score five more runs to win 9-5. David Wright had four RBI in the series, while Jose Reyes had three.
The Cardinals lost one game to the San Diego Padres, when Padres’ starter Chris Young dominated the Cardinal’s hitters, including perennial MVP candidate Albert Pujols. Chris Carpenter, who is the top candidate for the NL Cy Young Award, was able to win both games he started to help the Cards eliminate the Padres in the first round for the second straight season. Carpenter had a 2.02 ERA in his two starts, shutting down the Padres offense in both games.
League Championship Series Predictions
The Detroit Tigers carry momentum into the AL Championship Series (ALCS), which begins on Tuesday, October 10th. The Tigers were the best pitching team in the MLB this entire season, leading both leagues in team ERA. However, the pitchers struggled down the stretch and many experts wondered how the young pitchers and Rogers would handle the playoff pressure. After the Yankees series the Tigers’ pitchers proved that they have what it takes to win. The Athletics also have good pitchers, in Zito, Haren, Esteban Loaiza, and Rich Harden, who will matchup well against the Tigers’ starters. Both bullpens are strong and both lineups are made up of consistent hitters, like the Athletics’ Thomas, Mark Kotsay and Eric Chavez, and the Tigers’ Ordonez, Carlos Guillen, and Craig Monroe. The two teams are even, both strong in all areas of the game. The Tigers momentum and depth of pitching will lead them to the series win, in an evenly played series that goes seven games.
Prediction: Detroit Tigers in seven games.
Over in the NL, the Cardinals and Mets are both teams missing key starting pitchers, the Mets’ Pedro Martinez and the Cards’ Mark Mulder. Both Mulder and Martinez were brought in by their teams to lead them in series like this, but both are injured. The Mets’ are also missing playoff veteran Orlando Hernandez. The Cardinals have a strong lineup, with rookie Chris Duncan, the son of Cardinals’ pitching coach Dave Duncan, who hit 20 home runs in the second half of the season, MVP candidate Pujols who is one of the top three hitters in the league, and veterans Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen, but Rolen and Edmonds have struggled in the playoffs this year and in the past. However, Chris Carpenter is the best starting pitcher in the National League, and can carry the Cardinals to at least two wins. But the bullpen is inexperienced and the rotation is shaky after Carpenter.
The Mets pitching is no better than the Cardinals, but the lineup is much stronger. Reyes is one of the top leadoff hitters in the league and Wright, Delgado, and Beltran can hit for power and drive in Reyes and Paul LoDuca, who both get on base consistently. The Mets will rely on veteran starter Tom Glavine and closer Billy Wagner to lead the pitching staff, but will need the hitting to stay hot to win. In the end, the Mets’ hitters will lead them to victory, while the Cardinals will pick up two wins from Carpenter, who will establish himself as one of the game’s best.
Prediction: New York Mets in six games.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
National League Divisional Series Predictions - St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Diego Padres
St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Diego Padres
The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of the top teams in the National League since 2000, winning the division five times (including this season) and the Wild Card once in the seven seasons since 2000. The Cards reached the World Series in 2004 but were dominated by the Red Sox in four games. The Cardinals feature a veteran lineup led by MVP candidate Albert Pujols, Jim Edmonds, and Scott Rolen but after Chris Carpenter the Cardinals pitching staff is weak. The Padres on the other hand have won the NL West in back to back seasons, but last year were easily defeated by the Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs. The Padres now look for revenge against St. Louis, led by ace Jake Peavy, who had a very bad game against St. Louis last season.
The Padres do not have a lineup that is nearly as potent as the Cardinals. Adrian Gonzalez, who was acquired from the Texas Rangers in the off-season, had an impressive season quietly at first base for San Diego, hitting a team high 24 home runs, while driving in 82 runs, which is second on the team, to go along with a .304 average. Mike Cameron, one of the best centerfielders defensively, had a good season with 22 home runs and tied with fellow outfielder Brian Giles with 83 RBI for the team lead. Veteran catcher Mike Piazza had a surprisingly great season, hitting 22 home runs with a .283 batting average. The Padres offense has no one star, but is solid throughout, with Khalil Greene at short, rookie Josh Barfield at second, and former Cub Todd Walker at third. Dave Roberts, the Red Sox ALCS hero, gives San Diego good speed (49 stolen bases), while hitting .293. Roberts also had 13 triples on the season.
The Padres are led by young ace Jake Peavy, who has been a solid pitcher the past few seasons, but against the Cardinals in Game 1 of the NLDS last season, he allowed eight hits and eight runs in 4 innings of work. Peavy, who finished 11-14 this season with a 4.09 ERA can be dominate at times and the Padres are hoping to see the great Peavy, rather than the Peavy they saw in the playoffs last year. Peavy has 57 career wins and a 3.51 career ERA in 138 starts. Chris Young, who came over from Texas along with Gonzalez was very impressive all season, finishing 11-5 with a 3.46 ERA. David Wells was bothered by a sore foot after coming over from the Red Sox but provides a great post-season record (8-8, 3.15 ERA in 25 apperances, 16 starts)Veteran Woody Williams, a former Card, went 12-5 with a 3.65 ERA, but in his playoff career he has a 5.5o ERA in 36 innings pitched and last season against the Cards he alloed 5 earned runs in 1 and 2/3 innings pitched and will be the fourth starter in the rotation.
Clay Hensley, who pitched out of the bullpen last season, was a very consistent starter for the Padres and will be a long reliever and should play a key role for the Pads. The Padres have a great bullpen with Scott Linebrink (7-4, 3.57 ERA) and rookie Cla Meredith (5-1, 1.07 ERA) setting up all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman who had 46 saves this season. Alan Embree provides a good lefty reliever.
The St. Louis Cardinals rotation is missing a key piece, do to the injury to starter Mark Mulder, who will not pitch in the post-season. Chris Carpenter is the Cardinals' very reliable ace and finished 15-8 with a 3.09 ERA and should perform well for the Cards. Jeff Weaver, who was brought over from the Angels, will fill Mulder's spot and while he does not have a great post-season record, he was solid for the Cardinals, picking up 5 wins, including a key win over Milwaukee last Friday night, going 3-1 with a 4.15 ERA in September. Jeff Suppan will start the third game for the Cardinals after a 12-7 season, finishing with a 4.12 ERA. Suppan has good post-season success, picking up series clinching wins in 2004 in the NLDS and the NLCS, beating the legendary Roger Clemens in the second game. Jason Marquis should get the fourth starter if needed, because he has nine post-season starts since 2001, with both Atlanta and St. Louis, even though he has no wins in any of those starts. Marquis had 14 wins this season, but also had 16 losses and a 6.02 ERA. Anthony Reyes (5-8, 5.06 ERA) is a future star for the Cardinals, but should start the post-season in the bullpen, but could be called on for Game 4.
The Cardinals are hurt in the bullpen by the injury to closer Jason Isringhausen, who is not perfect, but is reliable. Braden Looper has stepped in as the closer and is off and on, but did finish with a 3.56 ERA this season. Adam Wainwright (2-1, 3.12 ERA) and Brad Thompson (3.34 ERA) are reliable set-up men.
Offensively the St. Louis Cardinals are the dominate team. Led by perennial MVP candidate Albert Pujols, the best hitter of this decade, the Cardinals can score a lot of runs. Pujols had another amazing season, even after missing time due to an injury. If it had not been for the injury, Pujols would have numbers similar to Ryan Howard's and would be the MVP without a doubt. Pujols did hit 49 home runs in 143 games, and drove in 137 runs along with a .331 batting average. Pujols has a career .332 batting average, 250 home runs, and 758 RBI in his six major league seasons. Jim Edmonds, one of the most exciting defensive players in the game, had 19 home runs and is a veteran leader, while Scott Rolen, also an exciting defensive star, hit .296 with 22 home runs and 95 RBI and led the Cards while Pujols was out. Rolen, Edmonds, and Pujols have been great together and this year are looking to get the World Series that they have missed. Yadier Molina is not a great hitting catcher, but is excellent defensively and David Eckstein is the same at shortstop, although he does hit well for contact, with a .292 batting average. Ronnie Belliard came over from the Indians and adds some power at second base, while rookie Chris Duncan, son of Cards' pitching coach Dave Duncan, put together a Rookie of the Year like season with 22 home runs and a .293 batting average in 99 games.
Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals in 5
In a close series, the Cardinals will out-slug the Padres in the end, winning Game 5 through the bat of Albert Pujols and arm of Chris Carpenter.
The St. Louis Cardinals have been one of the top teams in the National League since 2000, winning the division five times (including this season) and the Wild Card once in the seven seasons since 2000. The Cards reached the World Series in 2004 but were dominated by the Red Sox in four games. The Cardinals feature a veteran lineup led by MVP candidate Albert Pujols, Jim Edmonds, and Scott Rolen but after Chris Carpenter the Cardinals pitching staff is weak. The Padres on the other hand have won the NL West in back to back seasons, but last year were easily defeated by the Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs. The Padres now look for revenge against St. Louis, led by ace Jake Peavy, who had a very bad game against St. Louis last season.
The Padres do not have a lineup that is nearly as potent as the Cardinals. Adrian Gonzalez, who was acquired from the Texas Rangers in the off-season, had an impressive season quietly at first base for San Diego, hitting a team high 24 home runs, while driving in 82 runs, which is second on the team, to go along with a .304 average. Mike Cameron, one of the best centerfielders defensively, had a good season with 22 home runs and tied with fellow outfielder Brian Giles with 83 RBI for the team lead. Veteran catcher Mike Piazza had a surprisingly great season, hitting 22 home runs with a .283 batting average. The Padres offense has no one star, but is solid throughout, with Khalil Greene at short, rookie Josh Barfield at second, and former Cub Todd Walker at third. Dave Roberts, the Red Sox ALCS hero, gives San Diego good speed (49 stolen bases), while hitting .293. Roberts also had 13 triples on the season.
The Padres are led by young ace Jake Peavy, who has been a solid pitcher the past few seasons, but against the Cardinals in Game 1 of the NLDS last season, he allowed eight hits and eight runs in 4 innings of work. Peavy, who finished 11-14 this season with a 4.09 ERA can be dominate at times and the Padres are hoping to see the great Peavy, rather than the Peavy they saw in the playoffs last year. Peavy has 57 career wins and a 3.51 career ERA in 138 starts. Chris Young, who came over from Texas along with Gonzalez was very impressive all season, finishing 11-5 with a 3.46 ERA. David Wells was bothered by a sore foot after coming over from the Red Sox but provides a great post-season record (8-8, 3.15 ERA in 25 apperances, 16 starts)Veteran Woody Williams, a former Card, went 12-5 with a 3.65 ERA, but in his playoff career he has a 5.5o ERA in 36 innings pitched and last season against the Cards he alloed 5 earned runs in 1 and 2/3 innings pitched and will be the fourth starter in the rotation.
Clay Hensley, who pitched out of the bullpen last season, was a very consistent starter for the Padres and will be a long reliever and should play a key role for the Pads. The Padres have a great bullpen with Scott Linebrink (7-4, 3.57 ERA) and rookie Cla Meredith (5-1, 1.07 ERA) setting up all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman who had 46 saves this season. Alan Embree provides a good lefty reliever.
The St. Louis Cardinals rotation is missing a key piece, do to the injury to starter Mark Mulder, who will not pitch in the post-season. Chris Carpenter is the Cardinals' very reliable ace and finished 15-8 with a 3.09 ERA and should perform well for the Cards. Jeff Weaver, who was brought over from the Angels, will fill Mulder's spot and while he does not have a great post-season record, he was solid for the Cardinals, picking up 5 wins, including a key win over Milwaukee last Friday night, going 3-1 with a 4.15 ERA in September. Jeff Suppan will start the third game for the Cardinals after a 12-7 season, finishing with a 4.12 ERA. Suppan has good post-season success, picking up series clinching wins in 2004 in the NLDS and the NLCS, beating the legendary Roger Clemens in the second game. Jason Marquis should get the fourth starter if needed, because he has nine post-season starts since 2001, with both Atlanta and St. Louis, even though he has no wins in any of those starts. Marquis had 14 wins this season, but also had 16 losses and a 6.02 ERA. Anthony Reyes (5-8, 5.06 ERA) is a future star for the Cardinals, but should start the post-season in the bullpen, but could be called on for Game 4.
The Cardinals are hurt in the bullpen by the injury to closer Jason Isringhausen, who is not perfect, but is reliable. Braden Looper has stepped in as the closer and is off and on, but did finish with a 3.56 ERA this season. Adam Wainwright (2-1, 3.12 ERA) and Brad Thompson (3.34 ERA) are reliable set-up men.
Offensively the St. Louis Cardinals are the dominate team. Led by perennial MVP candidate Albert Pujols, the best hitter of this decade, the Cardinals can score a lot of runs. Pujols had another amazing season, even after missing time due to an injury. If it had not been for the injury, Pujols would have numbers similar to Ryan Howard's and would be the MVP without a doubt. Pujols did hit 49 home runs in 143 games, and drove in 137 runs along with a .331 batting average. Pujols has a career .332 batting average, 250 home runs, and 758 RBI in his six major league seasons. Jim Edmonds, one of the most exciting defensive players in the game, had 19 home runs and is a veteran leader, while Scott Rolen, also an exciting defensive star, hit .296 with 22 home runs and 95 RBI and led the Cards while Pujols was out. Rolen, Edmonds, and Pujols have been great together and this year are looking to get the World Series that they have missed. Yadier Molina is not a great hitting catcher, but is excellent defensively and David Eckstein is the same at shortstop, although he does hit well for contact, with a .292 batting average. Ronnie Belliard came over from the Indians and adds some power at second base, while rookie Chris Duncan, son of Cards' pitching coach Dave Duncan, put together a Rookie of the Year like season with 22 home runs and a .293 batting average in 99 games.
Prediction: St. Louis Cardinals in 5
In a close series, the Cardinals will out-slug the Padres in the end, winning Game 5 through the bat of Albert Pujols and arm of Chris Carpenter.
Monday, October 02, 2006
National League Divisional Series Predictions - New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
The New York Mets did not officially clinch the NL East until September, but unofficially the Mets have had the division won since July. The Mets got out to a very fast start behind the pitching of Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine and the hitting of a very powerful lineup. The Dodgers on the other hand struggled throughout the early part of the season and could not seem to find any way to win. But the Dodgers went on a remarkable run and are now in the playoffs with a team that is very balanced throughout.
The Mets are now without ace Pedro Martinez, who is out for the next 8 months after surgery. The Mets will now have to turn to veterans Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernandez to lead the pitching staff in the post-season. Hernandez has been a post-season star with the New York Yankees and last year pitched very well for the White Sox out of the bullpen. His career post-season record is 9-3 in 19 games, 14 starts, with a 2.55 ERA and 107 strikeouts and has three World Series rings. This season Hernandez was up and down and finished with a 4.66 ERA, but at times it seems as if he is a different pitcher during the post season and the Mets hope to see the man who put together that impressive record. Glavine had a very solid season, going 15-7 with a 3.82 ERA and in his playoff career 12-15 with a 3.44 ERA and one World Series ring.
After Hernandez and Glavine the Mets are weak, with Steve Traschel and John Maine rounding out the rotation. Traschel won 15 games this season but had a 4.97 ERA and has never pitched in the post-season. Maine, who came over in the Jorge Julio trade with the Orioles, has appeared to be dominant at times, but struggled at other times, and went 6-5 with a 3.60 ERA.
The Mets will depend on the offense to win, just as their New York counterparts the Yankees will. The two New York teams are very similar and both won this season with average pitching and dominant offenses. Jose Reyes is another one of the top leadoff hitters in baseball, much like Damon and Jeter. His .300 average, 19 home runs and 81 RBI, to go along with 64 stolen bases and a .354 OBP made him a legitamate NL MVP candidate. Carlos Beltran became the offensive leader of the team after struggling in his first season of his big Mets contract, hitting 41 home runs and driving in 116 runs, putting together a very impressive case for NL MVP as well. David Wright is the third of the big four in New York, and he hit .311 with 26 home runs and 111 RBI, while the fourth member of the big four, Carlos Delgado, had 38 home runs and 114 runs driven in. Cliff Floyd, Jose Valentin, Paul LoDuca (who could be the best catcher in the NL) and Shawn Green provide good support for the four stars.
The Dodgers on the other hand are very balanced throughout the entire team. The pitching staff is anchored by Derek Lowe (16-8, 3.63 ERA), Brad Penny (16-9, 4.33 ERA), and Greg Maddux (15-14, 4.20 ERA). All three pitchers have World Series rings and give the Dodgers much more depth than the Mets have. Chad Billingsley, a rookie, has been very impressive since coming up to the Dodgers and his 7-4 record with a 3.80 ERA will fill the fourth spot in the rotation.
The Dodgers do not have a poweful lineup, with the resurgent Nomar Garciaparra and J.D. Drew leading the team in home runs with just 20. Garciaparra hit .303 this season and drove in 93 RBI, while Drew had 100 runs driven in, also the team high. Russell Martin, the rookie catcher, hit .282, Rafael Furcal at short hit .300 with 15 home runs, Jeff Kent had 14 home runs, and rookie Andre Either hit .308. Kenny Lofton adds a veteran presence in center field and hit .301 out of the lead off spot, while Julio Lugo adds depth on the bench.
Prediction: New York Mets in 4
The Mets will get solid pitching in games 1 and 2 from Hernandez and Glavine, but Maddux will lead the Mets to a game three win and then the Mets will use offense to win game 4.
The New York Mets did not officially clinch the NL East until September, but unofficially the Mets have had the division won since July. The Mets got out to a very fast start behind the pitching of Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine and the hitting of a very powerful lineup. The Dodgers on the other hand struggled throughout the early part of the season and could not seem to find any way to win. But the Dodgers went on a remarkable run and are now in the playoffs with a team that is very balanced throughout.
The Mets are now without ace Pedro Martinez, who is out for the next 8 months after surgery. The Mets will now have to turn to veterans Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernandez to lead the pitching staff in the post-season. Hernandez has been a post-season star with the New York Yankees and last year pitched very well for the White Sox out of the bullpen. His career post-season record is 9-3 in 19 games, 14 starts, with a 2.55 ERA and 107 strikeouts and has three World Series rings. This season Hernandez was up and down and finished with a 4.66 ERA, but at times it seems as if he is a different pitcher during the post season and the Mets hope to see the man who put together that impressive record. Glavine had a very solid season, going 15-7 with a 3.82 ERA and in his playoff career 12-15 with a 3.44 ERA and one World Series ring.
After Hernandez and Glavine the Mets are weak, with Steve Traschel and John Maine rounding out the rotation. Traschel won 15 games this season but had a 4.97 ERA and has never pitched in the post-season. Maine, who came over in the Jorge Julio trade with the Orioles, has appeared to be dominant at times, but struggled at other times, and went 6-5 with a 3.60 ERA.
The Mets will depend on the offense to win, just as their New York counterparts the Yankees will. The two New York teams are very similar and both won this season with average pitching and dominant offenses. Jose Reyes is another one of the top leadoff hitters in baseball, much like Damon and Jeter. His .300 average, 19 home runs and 81 RBI, to go along with 64 stolen bases and a .354 OBP made him a legitamate NL MVP candidate. Carlos Beltran became the offensive leader of the team after struggling in his first season of his big Mets contract, hitting 41 home runs and driving in 116 runs, putting together a very impressive case for NL MVP as well. David Wright is the third of the big four in New York, and he hit .311 with 26 home runs and 111 RBI, while the fourth member of the big four, Carlos Delgado, had 38 home runs and 114 runs driven in. Cliff Floyd, Jose Valentin, Paul LoDuca (who could be the best catcher in the NL) and Shawn Green provide good support for the four stars.
The Dodgers on the other hand are very balanced throughout the entire team. The pitching staff is anchored by Derek Lowe (16-8, 3.63 ERA), Brad Penny (16-9, 4.33 ERA), and Greg Maddux (15-14, 4.20 ERA). All three pitchers have World Series rings and give the Dodgers much more depth than the Mets have. Chad Billingsley, a rookie, has been very impressive since coming up to the Dodgers and his 7-4 record with a 3.80 ERA will fill the fourth spot in the rotation.
The Dodgers do not have a poweful lineup, with the resurgent Nomar Garciaparra and J.D. Drew leading the team in home runs with just 20. Garciaparra hit .303 this season and drove in 93 RBI, while Drew had 100 runs driven in, also the team high. Russell Martin, the rookie catcher, hit .282, Rafael Furcal at short hit .300 with 15 home runs, Jeff Kent had 14 home runs, and rookie Andre Either hit .308. Kenny Lofton adds a veteran presence in center field and hit .301 out of the lead off spot, while Julio Lugo adds depth on the bench.
Prediction: New York Mets in 4
The Mets will get solid pitching in games 1 and 2 from Hernandez and Glavine, but Maddux will lead the Mets to a game three win and then the Mets will use offense to win game 4.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
American League Divisional Series Predictions - Yankees vs. Tigers
New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers
The Yankees and Tigers battled down to the end of the season to determine who would have the best record in baseball, but Detroit fell off towards the end and ended up finishing behind the Twins and because of that will face the difficult Yankees in the first round.
The Wild-Card winning Detroit Tigers put together the best season the team has had since the 1987 season, when the Tigers won the division and finished 98-64. Although the Tigers did seem to fall asleep at the wheel towards the end of the year, they still finished with 95 wins. The Tigers turned around what had been a losing franchise through a combination of young pitching, a good bullpen, a veteran ace, and good hitting.
The pitching staff consists of three starters who had great seasons, but none with a good record in important games or playoffs. Kenny Rogers, the veteran ace, finished with a record of 17-8 with a 3.84 ERA, but is 0-3 with an 8.85 ERA in 9 post-season games. The team's young starters, Jeremy Bonderman and Justin Verlander, do not have any post-season experience and Verlander's arm appeared to be tired down the stretch, in his first full season of baseball. Bonderman put together a 14-8 season with an ERA just over 4, while Verlander, the leading candidate for AL Rookie of the Year, went 17-9 with a 3.63 ERA. Nate Robinson (13-13, 3.84 ERA) should round out the playoff rotation, while Wilfredo Ledezma (3-3, 3.58 ERA) will move into the bullpen.
Veteran Todd Jones serves the Kenny Rogers role in the bullpen. Jones had 37 saves with a 3.94 ERA this season, and is set-up by young flamethrower Joel Zumaya (6-3, 1.94 ERA, 97 strikeouts in 83.1 IP). Fernando Rodney (3.52 ERA), lefty Jamie Walker (2.81 ERA), Jason Grilli and Zach Miner round out the bullpen. It will be interesting to see if Miner, or the young Andrew Miller, who was the Tigers' first round draft pick this season out of UNC, makes the post-season roster. Miller was impressive in his 8 games in the majors and it could give him solid experience to stay on the roster, as of September 28th, it was still up in the air.
The Tigers were led on the batting side by a group of veterans. Sean Casey came over mid-season from the Pittsburgh Pirates and took over at first base, after Chris Shelton, who got off to a blistering start cooled off, and hit .272 with 8 home runs and 59 RBI this season. Carlos Guillen at short and Placido Polanco at second give the Tigers a very good hitting and fielding middle infield. Guillen hit 19 home runs with a .320 batting average and 85 RBI, while Polanco hit .295. Brandon Inge gives the Tigers a good glove at third and power in the middle of the lineup, with 27 home runs and 83 RBI. Craig Monroe (28 HR) and Curtis Granderson (19 HR) are two young and powerful outfielders, while fellow outfielder Magglio Ordonez is the team's offensive star with a .298 batting average, 24 home runs and a team high 104 RBI.
While the Tigers success came from great pitching and a balanced offense, the Yankees success came from a dominating offense. The Yankees order is dangerous from top to bottom and its bench features players who could be starters on nearly every other major league team. The pitching staff is not nearly as good as the Tigers, but veterans Mike Mussina, Mariano Rivera, and Randy Johnson provide the playoff experience that Detroit's rotation lacks.
The first starter for the Yankees will be Chien-Ming Wang who has had a great season, with a record of 19-6 and a 3.63 ERA. Wang relies on the ground ball to get outs and has done a fantastic job this season doing that effectively. Behind Wang is Mike Mussina, who was nearly as good this season with a 15-7 record and a lower 3.51 ERA. After Mussina and Wang, the rotation gets shaky. Randy Johnson's bad back could keep him out of the playoffs entirely. Jaret Wright is a former ALCS hero who pitched the Indians to the World Series, but those days are long gone and Wright had a 4.49 ERA this season. Cory Lidle is an up and down pitcher who had a 4.85 ERA this season.
On the offensive side of the game, the Yankees have the best lineup in baseball. Johnny Damon is the game's best leadoff hitter, and hit .285 with 24 home runs and a very high 80 RBI out of the leadoff spot. Derek Jeter could be the second best leadoff hitter in baseball and he is batting behind Damon. Jeter hit .343, finishing just behind Joe Mauer for the AL batting title, with 14 home runs and 97 RBI, often driving in Damon after he got on base. Robinson Cano bats ninth, and often gets on base for Jeter and Damon, with a .342 batting average and 78 RBI. From there the Yankees lineup is a power house. Jason Giambi had 37 home runs at DH/1B, Gary Sheffield, one of the game's most powerful hitters, has returned from injury to play first, Alex Rodriguez has 35 home runs and 121 RBI, Bobby Abreu is an on base machine and also hit for power since coming over from the Phillies, and Hideki Matsui is back from injury and is one of the game's most consistent hitters.
Prediction: New York Yankees in 3
The Yankees will win behind solid pitching from Mussina and Wang in games 1 and 2, and then overpower the Tigers for the win in Game 3.
The Yankees and Tigers battled down to the end of the season to determine who would have the best record in baseball, but Detroit fell off towards the end and ended up finishing behind the Twins and because of that will face the difficult Yankees in the first round.
The Wild-Card winning Detroit Tigers put together the best season the team has had since the 1987 season, when the Tigers won the division and finished 98-64. Although the Tigers did seem to fall asleep at the wheel towards the end of the year, they still finished with 95 wins. The Tigers turned around what had been a losing franchise through a combination of young pitching, a good bullpen, a veteran ace, and good hitting.
The pitching staff consists of three starters who had great seasons, but none with a good record in important games or playoffs. Kenny Rogers, the veteran ace, finished with a record of 17-8 with a 3.84 ERA, but is 0-3 with an 8.85 ERA in 9 post-season games. The team's young starters, Jeremy Bonderman and Justin Verlander, do not have any post-season experience and Verlander's arm appeared to be tired down the stretch, in his first full season of baseball. Bonderman put together a 14-8 season with an ERA just over 4, while Verlander, the leading candidate for AL Rookie of the Year, went 17-9 with a 3.63 ERA. Nate Robinson (13-13, 3.84 ERA) should round out the playoff rotation, while Wilfredo Ledezma (3-3, 3.58 ERA) will move into the bullpen.
Veteran Todd Jones serves the Kenny Rogers role in the bullpen. Jones had 37 saves with a 3.94 ERA this season, and is set-up by young flamethrower Joel Zumaya (6-3, 1.94 ERA, 97 strikeouts in 83.1 IP). Fernando Rodney (3.52 ERA), lefty Jamie Walker (2.81 ERA), Jason Grilli and Zach Miner round out the bullpen. It will be interesting to see if Miner, or the young Andrew Miller, who was the Tigers' first round draft pick this season out of UNC, makes the post-season roster. Miller was impressive in his 8 games in the majors and it could give him solid experience to stay on the roster, as of September 28th, it was still up in the air.
The Tigers were led on the batting side by a group of veterans. Sean Casey came over mid-season from the Pittsburgh Pirates and took over at first base, after Chris Shelton, who got off to a blistering start cooled off, and hit .272 with 8 home runs and 59 RBI this season. Carlos Guillen at short and Placido Polanco at second give the Tigers a very good hitting and fielding middle infield. Guillen hit 19 home runs with a .320 batting average and 85 RBI, while Polanco hit .295. Brandon Inge gives the Tigers a good glove at third and power in the middle of the lineup, with 27 home runs and 83 RBI. Craig Monroe (28 HR) and Curtis Granderson (19 HR) are two young and powerful outfielders, while fellow outfielder Magglio Ordonez is the team's offensive star with a .298 batting average, 24 home runs and a team high 104 RBI.
While the Tigers success came from great pitching and a balanced offense, the Yankees success came from a dominating offense. The Yankees order is dangerous from top to bottom and its bench features players who could be starters on nearly every other major league team. The pitching staff is not nearly as good as the Tigers, but veterans Mike Mussina, Mariano Rivera, and Randy Johnson provide the playoff experience that Detroit's rotation lacks.
The first starter for the Yankees will be Chien-Ming Wang who has had a great season, with a record of 19-6 and a 3.63 ERA. Wang relies on the ground ball to get outs and has done a fantastic job this season doing that effectively. Behind Wang is Mike Mussina, who was nearly as good this season with a 15-7 record and a lower 3.51 ERA. After Mussina and Wang, the rotation gets shaky. Randy Johnson's bad back could keep him out of the playoffs entirely. Jaret Wright is a former ALCS hero who pitched the Indians to the World Series, but those days are long gone and Wright had a 4.49 ERA this season. Cory Lidle is an up and down pitcher who had a 4.85 ERA this season.
On the offensive side of the game, the Yankees have the best lineup in baseball. Johnny Damon is the game's best leadoff hitter, and hit .285 with 24 home runs and a very high 80 RBI out of the leadoff spot. Derek Jeter could be the second best leadoff hitter in baseball and he is batting behind Damon. Jeter hit .343, finishing just behind Joe Mauer for the AL batting title, with 14 home runs and 97 RBI, often driving in Damon after he got on base. Robinson Cano bats ninth, and often gets on base for Jeter and Damon, with a .342 batting average and 78 RBI. From there the Yankees lineup is a power house. Jason Giambi had 37 home runs at DH/1B, Gary Sheffield, one of the game's most powerful hitters, has returned from injury to play first, Alex Rodriguez has 35 home runs and 121 RBI, Bobby Abreu is an on base machine and also hit for power since coming over from the Phillies, and Hideki Matsui is back from injury and is one of the game's most consistent hitters.
Prediction: New York Yankees in 3
The Yankees will win behind solid pitching from Mussina and Wang in games 1 and 2, and then overpower the Tigers for the win in Game 3.
American League Divisional Series Predictions - Athletics vs. Twins
It seems like just yesterday that the baseball season was beginning, but all of a sudden the All-Star break came and went, the trading deadline passed, and the stretch run to the playoffs was completed. Now eight teams remain, four in the American League and four in the National League, all with eyes on the big prize, the World Series. All of a sudden the MLB Playoffs are here, and in two days, on October 3, the AL and NL Divisional Series begin.
Oakland Athletics vs. Minnesota Twins
The Twins snuck in with the AL Central Championship on the last day of the season and are coming off of an incredible 71-33 run, after starting the season at 25-33. The Oakland Athletics also had to overcome a slow start, as they went 24-29 over the first two months of the season, finishing at 93-69.
The Twins and Athletics have both been playoff regulars for most of the 2000s, but neither have had much success in the playoffs, even after very good regular seasons. This year the Athletics bring a mix of good, young, pitching and solid hitting, while the Twins are led by the best pitcher in baseball, Johan Santana, and two of the great young hitters of this generation, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.
The Athletics have been led by Frank Thomas, who put together a surprising MVP worthy season and brought veteran leadership to the team. Thomas hit .270 with 39 home runs and 114 RBI. Behind Thomas, the A's received good seasons from many players, especially Nick Swisher (35 home runs and 95 RBI) and Milton Bradley (14 home runs). The team is not one made of stars, but one made of good hitters, like Bobby Kielty, Mark Kotsay, Jay Payton, and Jason Kendall (who recovered from a tough 2005 season to hit .295). Bobby Crosby is injured, but could return if the A's make it to the ALCS. Eric Chavez had an injury plagued season, but still played excellent defense at third base. Defense and clutch hitting was a key ingredient to the success of the A's.
Pitching is what has truly led the Athletics into the playoffs. The quality starting pitchers and bullpen helped keep the A's in all the games that they played. Barry Zito, in his contract year, which could be his last with Oakland, put together another very good season, going 16-10 with a 3.83 ERA. After starting out 1-2 with a 5.93 ERA over the first five games of the season, Zito was nearly unhittable in May, going 3-1 in 6 games with a 1.32 ERA. Zito was 11-5 from June to August, as the Athletics turned the season around and took over the lead in the AL West, including a 4-1 August.
Even without Rich Harden, who pitched in only 7 games before falling to an injury, the rest of the staff was strong. Harden pitched five innings on September 29th and will be part of the playoff rotation. Dan Haren (14-13, 4.12 ERA) also had a 4-1 stretch in August during the team's best month. Esteban Loiaza finished 11-9 with a 4.89 ERA, but was up and down all season, with a 8.35 ERA in April, a 7.26 ERA in July, and a 5.11 ERA in September. However, Loiaza was almost untouchable in August, going 4-0 with a 1.48 ERA. Joe Blanton tied for the team lead with 16 wins and had a 4.82 ERA. Blanton also had his best month in August, with a 3.13 ERA and 3 wins.
The Twins turned things around when Francisco Lirano joined the starting rotation. However, Liranio went down with an injury in August and will not be available for the playoffs, but the Twins were able to keep the winning going even without the star rookie pitcher. Johan Santana took over the pitching staff, as he had the past three seasons, and Mauer and Morneau led the offense.
The Twins play together as a team just as much as the Athletics do, and in the same way only have two hitters (Mauer and Morneau) who had very good statistical seasons, with solid contributions from many others. Mauer, the hometown kid, hit .347, to win the AL batting title, while Morneau hit .321 with 34 RBI and 130 RBI, and is the leading contender for AL MVP. Luis Castillo hit .296 and Torii Hunter hit .278 with 31 home runs and 98 RBI.
Liriano had an amazing stretch in which he went 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA and 144 strikeouts before falling victim to an arm injury in August. He then ended his season in mid-September after trying to pitch once again, but not being able to. Santana had his third straight amazing season, going 19-6 with a 2.77 ERA and 245 strikeouts. Santana is the leading candidate for the AL Cy Young Award. Brad Radke overcame arm soreness to continue pitching in what could be his last MLB season, and was able to win 12 games for the Twins, while Carlos Silva struggled all year, finishing with a 5.94 ERA.
The Twins and Athletics are very similar teams. Both are team oriented, with only a few key players and many solid ones behind them. Hitting wise, the Twins are the better team, with Morneau putting together a slightly stronger season than Thomas, Mauer a better season than Nick Swisher, and Hunter a better season by far than Bradley.
Pitching wise, the Athletics have the better rotation, but the Twins have the better bullpen. After Johan Santana, the Twins rotation is very shaky, especially with Radke's arm troubles. Barry Zito may not be nearly as good as Santana, but Harden, Haren, Blanton, and Loiaza provide a much better back of the rotation, giving the team five reliable starters. Joe Nathan (1.58 ERA, 7-0, 36 saves), Pat Neshek (4-2, 2.19 ERA) and Juan Rincon (3-1, 2.91 ERA) of the Twins, are two of the best relievers in baseball, while Huston Street is good, with 37 saves and a 3.31 ERA, but not as good as Nathan, and the rest of the bullpen is not as deep as the Twins.
It should be a tough series and should last five games.
The Prediction: Twins Win in Five
Santana will win two games and the Twins offense will carry the team in the other games.
Oakland Athletics vs. Minnesota Twins
The Twins snuck in with the AL Central Championship on the last day of the season and are coming off of an incredible 71-33 run, after starting the season at 25-33. The Oakland Athletics also had to overcome a slow start, as they went 24-29 over the first two months of the season, finishing at 93-69.
The Twins and Athletics have both been playoff regulars for most of the 2000s, but neither have had much success in the playoffs, even after very good regular seasons. This year the Athletics bring a mix of good, young, pitching and solid hitting, while the Twins are led by the best pitcher in baseball, Johan Santana, and two of the great young hitters of this generation, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau.
The Athletics have been led by Frank Thomas, who put together a surprising MVP worthy season and brought veteran leadership to the team. Thomas hit .270 with 39 home runs and 114 RBI. Behind Thomas, the A's received good seasons from many players, especially Nick Swisher (35 home runs and 95 RBI) and Milton Bradley (14 home runs). The team is not one made of stars, but one made of good hitters, like Bobby Kielty, Mark Kotsay, Jay Payton, and Jason Kendall (who recovered from a tough 2005 season to hit .295). Bobby Crosby is injured, but could return if the A's make it to the ALCS. Eric Chavez had an injury plagued season, but still played excellent defense at third base. Defense and clutch hitting was a key ingredient to the success of the A's.
Pitching is what has truly led the Athletics into the playoffs. The quality starting pitchers and bullpen helped keep the A's in all the games that they played. Barry Zito, in his contract year, which could be his last with Oakland, put together another very good season, going 16-10 with a 3.83 ERA. After starting out 1-2 with a 5.93 ERA over the first five games of the season, Zito was nearly unhittable in May, going 3-1 in 6 games with a 1.32 ERA. Zito was 11-5 from June to August, as the Athletics turned the season around and took over the lead in the AL West, including a 4-1 August.
Even without Rich Harden, who pitched in only 7 games before falling to an injury, the rest of the staff was strong. Harden pitched five innings on September 29th and will be part of the playoff rotation. Dan Haren (14-13, 4.12 ERA) also had a 4-1 stretch in August during the team's best month. Esteban Loiaza finished 11-9 with a 4.89 ERA, but was up and down all season, with a 8.35 ERA in April, a 7.26 ERA in July, and a 5.11 ERA in September. However, Loiaza was almost untouchable in August, going 4-0 with a 1.48 ERA. Joe Blanton tied for the team lead with 16 wins and had a 4.82 ERA. Blanton also had his best month in August, with a 3.13 ERA and 3 wins.
The Twins turned things around when Francisco Lirano joined the starting rotation. However, Liranio went down with an injury in August and will not be available for the playoffs, but the Twins were able to keep the winning going even without the star rookie pitcher. Johan Santana took over the pitching staff, as he had the past three seasons, and Mauer and Morneau led the offense.
The Twins play together as a team just as much as the Athletics do, and in the same way only have two hitters (Mauer and Morneau) who had very good statistical seasons, with solid contributions from many others. Mauer, the hometown kid, hit .347, to win the AL batting title, while Morneau hit .321 with 34 RBI and 130 RBI, and is the leading contender for AL MVP. Luis Castillo hit .296 and Torii Hunter hit .278 with 31 home runs and 98 RBI.
Liriano had an amazing stretch in which he went 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA and 144 strikeouts before falling victim to an arm injury in August. He then ended his season in mid-September after trying to pitch once again, but not being able to. Santana had his third straight amazing season, going 19-6 with a 2.77 ERA and 245 strikeouts. Santana is the leading candidate for the AL Cy Young Award. Brad Radke overcame arm soreness to continue pitching in what could be his last MLB season, and was able to win 12 games for the Twins, while Carlos Silva struggled all year, finishing with a 5.94 ERA.
The Twins and Athletics are very similar teams. Both are team oriented, with only a few key players and many solid ones behind them. Hitting wise, the Twins are the better team, with Morneau putting together a slightly stronger season than Thomas, Mauer a better season than Nick Swisher, and Hunter a better season by far than Bradley.
Pitching wise, the Athletics have the better rotation, but the Twins have the better bullpen. After Johan Santana, the Twins rotation is very shaky, especially with Radke's arm troubles. Barry Zito may not be nearly as good as Santana, but Harden, Haren, Blanton, and Loiaza provide a much better back of the rotation, giving the team five reliable starters. Joe Nathan (1.58 ERA, 7-0, 36 saves), Pat Neshek (4-2, 2.19 ERA) and Juan Rincon (3-1, 2.91 ERA) of the Twins, are two of the best relievers in baseball, while Huston Street is good, with 37 saves and a 3.31 ERA, but not as good as Nathan, and the rest of the bullpen is not as deep as the Twins.
It should be a tough series and should last five games.
The Prediction: Twins Win in Five
Santana will win two games and the Twins offense will carry the team in the other games.
Friday, September 29, 2006
The Power of a No Hitter
What makes a meaningless late-September game at Yankee Stadium, with nothing on the line for either team, exciting? The possibility of a no-hitter. On the way to the Stadium for the game, I did not think that the game was going to be very good, especially after hearing that Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez would not be playing for the Yankees, and that Darell Rasner, a rookie pitcher would be making the start for New York. The crowd was intense throughout the last four innings of the game, even though the Yankees were losing 5-1 and then 7-1. The reason for the intensity was that the Yankees were being no-hit by the Baltimore Orioles' pitcher, Daniel Cabrera. The rabid Yankees fans could not bear to see their team be no-hit and while in normal circumstances, many fans would have left to beat the traffic, almost all of the 50,000 fans in attendence stayed to cheer the Yankees on, staying to see Robinson Cano break up the no-hitter with a bloop single in the 9th inning, with one out. Cabrera then sealed the one-hitter by forcing Bobby Abreu to ground into a game ending double play.The fans in the crowd were energized all game long. While my favorite baseball moment ever was going to Fenway Park, this game was a close second. The thrill of wondering if Cabrera could get another out was amazing. The fans watching their powerful team getting no-hit was fun for a diehard Red Sox fan, who hoped to see the Yankees lose. Most say that they want to see offense, but I will take a pitching duel anyday, I think that is a lot more exciting, especially when the pitcher who is doing excellent is the one you are rooting for.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Soriano's Season
On Saturday, Alfonso Soriano, the Washington Nationals' leftfielder, became only the fourth player in MLB history to record 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season. Soriano has 45 home runs and with 13 games left, he has the chance to become the first ever 45-45 man. Soriano's season is already better than those of the other 40-40 players, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Jose Canseco. Soriano has more home runs than the other three players and is also having a good defensive season, recording a league leading 20 outfield assists, becoming only the seventh player in history do that. Soriano is hitting .286 with 38 doubles and 91 runs batted in. Soriano is a legitimate contender for the National League Most Valuable Player Award, but the Nationals' poor record puts him at a disadvantage behind the Mets' Carlos Beltran, the Cardinals' Albert Pujols, and the Phillies' Ryan Howard.Soriano is having a career year at the best time for him. He is a free agent after this season and is the best hitter on the market, just barely ahead of Rangers' outfielder Carlos Lee. Soriano can play second base relatively well and has developed nicely in the outfield, with his strong throwing arm proving to be a solid weapon. The Nationals will try hard to resign Soriano, to make him the cornerstone of their franchise as they attempt to continue building as their new stadium is constructed. With Ryan Zimmerman already making an impact, the additions of outfielder Austin Kearns and shortstop Felipe Lopez, as well as a strong, young bullpen led by Chad Cordero and the currently injured Luis Ayala, the Nationals are on the way back up. The team needs to resign Soriano to continue their progress. The new owners should be willing to put their money into the team and Soriano would be the best place to put it.
If Soriano is not resigned by the Nationals, many teams will be gunning for his services. The Chicago Cubs, the Houston Astros, the San Diego Padres, and the Baltimore Orioles are all looking to add impact offensive players to the lineup. The Cubs may not be willing to throw enough money at Soriano, considering that the addition of him to the team is not enough to turn it around, same with the Orioles, who both need pitching, in the Cubs situation, they just need their star pitchers healthy. The Astros have solid pitching and a developing lineup and the addition of Soriano could bring them closer to the St. Louis Cardinals and make them a Wild Card favorite. The Padres are already a NL West contender with good pitching, so the addition of a powerful offensive threat like Soriano could push them towards being a World Series threat.
The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees always seem to be in the mix when a top player is on the market, but the Yankees have nowhere to play Soriano, with Robinson Cano at second base and a crowded outfield with Bobby Abreu, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, and Melky Cabrera. The Red Sox, however, seem unlikely to resign Mark Loretta and Trot Nixon, and may trade Coco Crisp, so Soriano could be tried at center or right field or moved back to second base, although the Red Sox seem to be ready to turn over that position to prospect Dustin Pedroia and may turn center field over to David Murphy, as he has been playing well since his major league debut, hitting a lead-off home run today against the Yankees has helped him prove he is ready to be a major leaguer. The Sox also have Jacoby Ellsbury, who tore up Double A this season with Portland, is waiting in the wings and may be just one season away from being the Sox starting centerfielder.
Soriano is one of the best players in the game today. He is 30 years old and in his prime, with great speed and great power ability. No player has ever had a 40-40 season twice in their career, but Soriano definitely has the chance to do that. This is his fourth season with at least 40 stolen bases, and he has had 30 and 35 twice. He seems to be in his prime when it comes to hitting and his power numbers should remain the same for the next few years. Soriano is often overlooked when the top players are considered and may be just outside the top tier (with Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Albert Pujols, and possibly Carlos Beltran and Ryan Howard), but he is up near the top. Whether it is with the Nationals or someone else, Soriano should be exciting to watch once again in 2007. 50-50 is out of reach now for this season, but who knows about next year, he has the ability.
Response to Peter Morris' A Game of Inches
In his book, A Game of Inches, Peter Morris discusses the evolution of judgment calls by the umpire in the game of baseball. Morris explains how from the early 1850s to the 1870s, the role of the umpire in the game changed. In the early days, the umpire was called upon to make a decision only when the team's appealed to him. The players were expected to make the correct calls themselves and the umpire was there only to mediate an argument between the two sides. As the game developed and competitiveness and cheating crept into it, the umpire was called upon more and more to make the call.By the 1860s, the umpires were calling more, but not much. For example, an umpire only called a ball foul, but never said if it was fair or not. So if a runner mistakenly thought the ball was foul, it was not the umpire's duty to inform him it was fair. Baseball writer and one of the main spokesman of the game in the mid 1800s, Henry Chadwick, described the amount of judgment calls an umpire was forced to make by the late 1860s, "The constant cry of judgment call...Has become a nuisance...There should be one spokesman in a nine and he should be the captain, and no captain...Will make appeals on points of play which it is the duty of the umpire to decide without any appeal, such as calling balks, balls, and strikes." (The Ball Player's Chronicle, July 11, 1867, taken from Morris, A Game of Inches). By the 1870s, the umpire was called upon to make a ruling on every play.
However, the idea that an umpire only makes a call on plays when appealed to has not disappeared from baseball altogether. In today's game there are three times when an umpire does not make the call unless appealed to. A batsman hitting out of order, a base runner failing to touch a base, and a player leaving a base too soon when tagging up for a sacrifice fly. Also, the umpire or the player may appeal on a checked swing.
In today's game, the umpires are relied upon for every call. If the umpire was not making a judgment, cheating would be rampant in the game and it would not be played fairly, which has always been an important theme in baseball. In the early days baseball players considered in manly and the correct thing to do to make the right call themselves. Now it has become so competitive and worth so much money, that no player would ever call himself out if the umpire made the wrong call. In the early days of baseball, it was considered dishonorable and against the game to not make the call. The game has certainly changed since the 1850s.
Friday, September 15, 2006
The Silent Candidate
When most people are asked who the AL MVP should be, the usual answer is Derek Jeter or David Ortiz. But the most valuable player in the American League is one who is often overlooked, Jermaine Dye. The Chicago White Sox would not be in playoff contention without the clutch hitting, solid fielding, and great leadership that they have received from the veteran outfielder. While Derek Jeter and David Ortiz banter back and forth in the media, Dye has let his on field play do the talking, which is what a true MVP should do. Last season Ortiz had a legitimate gripe in not being chosen as MVP, but this season he is not the top choice. No matter how good he has been, the Red Sox have not been good enough for him to be named MVP. All his talking and whining has made it even worse for him. Jeter has put together a great season, with an excellent batting average and a great RBI total for someone hitting in the second spot in the order, but Jeter plays on a team with top hitters at every position. Dye in no way plays on a team lacking in talented hitters, with Paul Konerko and Jim Thome in front of him, but Dye's contribution to the White Sox goes far beyond Jeter's contribution to the Yankees.
Dye is a player who has had a career that has gone mostly under the radar, at least until he won the World Series MVP Award last season for the White Sox. He hit .438 with a home run and 3 RBI in the Series to help the White Sox win. The Oakland, California native was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1993, but was traded to the Kansas City Royals after his rookie season in 1996. Dye won the NL Rookie of the Year Award that year with the Braves. Dye broke out in 1999 as a 25 year old, hitting 27 home runs and driving in 119 runs for the Royals. Dye's best season came in 2000 when he hit 33 home runs with a .321 batting average and a .561 slugging percentage. That season made Dye to expensive for the small market Royals and he was traded to the Oakland Athletics in 2001. After three seasons in Oakland, the 31 year old right fielder signed as a free agent with the White Sox and hit 31 home runs en route to the World Series victory.
This season, Dye leads the talented White Sox in six different batting categories, which is impressive, seeing that Jim Thome and Paul Konerko are in the same lineup as he is. Dye has 41 home runs, third in the AL, is sixth in batting with a .322 average, fourth in RBI with 112, second in total bases with 313, second in slugging percentage at .637, and ninth in batting average with runners in scoring position at .353. Dye's .983 fielding percentage is fifth best among rightfielders and he has committed just 5 errors, which is also fifth best.
Just as how the question, who is the American League MVP, garners the response of Jeter or Ortiz, the response of who is the most clutch hitter in the AL draws the response of Ortiz. But not this season. This season the best clutch hitter in the AL is Dye, who has 18 home runs that have either tied the score or put the White Sox ahead. In close and late situations, Dye is hitting .306 with 5 home runs and 18 runs batted in. Dye has stepped it up against the top competition in the majors, with a .417 batting average, 7 home runs and 13 RBI against division rival Detroit, a .360 average against the New York Yankees and a .321 average with five home runs and 17 RBI against the Minnesota Twins, who have the top pitchers in the AL. Dye has also hit ninth-inning, game-tying home runs off two of the league's best closers, the Twins' Joe Nathan and the Red Sox Jonathan Papelbon.
In a win last week against the Cleveland Indians Dye's performance proved his MVP worthiness. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Dye made a leaping catch, connecting with the wall. His catch stunned the crowd and he was left on the ground, shaken up. When he rose to his feet the crowd begin chanting, "MVP! MVP!" In the top of the sixth, Dye came up to lead off the inning and hit a home run, leaving him a single short of the cycle (he would ground out in his last at-bat), beginning the MVP chant once again.
Dye has competition, from Jeter, Ortiz, the Twin's Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Johan Santana, and the Athletics' Frank Thomas. But if the Chicago White Sox make the playoffs, Dye will certainly be the top contender for the World Series. But you won't see him on ESPN telling you that, you're going to have to catch a White Sox game to see him make his case.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Tris Speaker: An unrecognized great
Tristam "Tris" Speaker was one of the greatest Red Sox of all-time, but sadly not many modern day Red Sox fans know him, and those that do, know little about him. No outfielder other than Ty Cobb was a better ballplayer than Speaker was in the early 1900s to the 1920s. Speaker is the definition of an old-time baseball player. He could hit well, he could run well, and he was the finest defensive outfielder of his generation. Speaker, who was nicknamed the "Grey Eagle", was born in Hubbard, Texas on August 4, 1888. Speaker played major league ball for 22 seasons, 9 of those with the Boston Red Sox. Speaker later played for the Cleveland Indians for 11 seasons, managing the team for nine of those, the Washington Senators for one and the Philadelphia Athletics for one. Speaker's lifetime batting average, .345, is sixth best all-time and his 3,514 career hits is fifth best all-time. Speaker is one of baseball's greatest players because of his success with the Red Sox, his hitting ability, and his amazing fielding skills. Speaker represented exactly what a star baseball player of his generation hoped to be.Speaker was a key ingredient on the Red Sox when the team won the World Series in both 1912 and 1915. The Red Sox teams of 1912-15, were arguably the best Sox teams of all-time, with just one poor season in 1913. The Sox won over 100 games in both years, something that no Sox did again until 1946, and none have done since '46. The 1912 season was also the best statistical season for Speaker. At just 24, the Texan hit .383 (second best of his career, he hit .386 in 1916), with a career best 222 hits, 53 doubles, 10 home runs, with a .464 OBP and a .567 SLG percentage. Speaker would later manage the Cleveland Indians to a World Series win in 1920, proving he could be successful in that role as well.
Speaker's hitting ability led the team to those titles. He was not a power hitter, but no hitters were power hitters when he played. The skill that was valued most during Speaker's generation was the ability to hit for contact, to place the ball where the fielders were not playing. Speaker could do this with the best hitters and his 3,514 career hits proves that. With his speed, he turned many of those well placed hits into extra bases. His greatest offensive skill was hitting doubles, leading the league eight times and still holding the career record for most doubles with 793.
"The Grey Eagle" was a player who epitomized what was expected of a star ballplayer in the early 1900s. His combination of speed, defense, and hitting made him an all around player, while his toughness and willing to get dirty made him a fan favorite. He was a "Boston Dirt Dawg" before the term was popularlized.
Speaker's ability is exemplified through an unassisted double play during the 1910 season. Speaker caught a low line drive in centerfield and was fast enough to beat the runner to second base for the double play. Speaker holds the career record for most assists with 450.
As his teammate, "Smokey" Joe Wood said, "He simply did everything well. You couldn't ask for a better all-around player."
Speaker became the seventh ever player inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1937, with the phrase, "the greatest centerfielder of his day", inscribed on his plaque.
Baseball and Recovery
Sports are a very important part of American culture and in times of sadness and despair, the games that Americans love to watch become even more important. After times of tragedy, such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, sports have played a key role in the recovery of the nation. While sporting events were put to the side for awhile after 9/11, the games came back strong and help to unite the country. Fans and non-fans alike tuned in or attended sporting events to distract themselves from the pain of the horrific events of 9/11. The distinctly American game of baseball is the game that brought this country together more than any at that time.
Looking back on 9/11, amazingly now 5 years ago, all Americans can remember where they were when the tragedy occured. Whether you were at work, at school, at home, or wherever, you remember hearing and watching the events unfold before your eyes. Then with nothing else to do and unable to react, most Americans, including myself, watched coverage of the tragedy on TV, seeing the same thing over and over, always shocked as it happens. However, while most of us Americans were sitting and watching the events on TV, American heroes were out trying to save lives. In normal everyday life, most baseball fans look at the game's stars as heroes, but following 9/11, we had a little persepective. The first-responders who sacrafice their lives to help others are the true heroes of this country and we all saw that clearly after 9/11. The "baseball heroes" did not just sit back, however. Some of the game's biggest stars, Derek Jeter, Mike Piazza, and other New York Yankees and Mets went to Ground Zero, to try and cheer up the firefighters and rescue workers, as well as the mourning families still left searching for loved ones. They used their fame to help make things just a tiny bit brighter for those who were suffering greatly.
Baseball resumed on September 21, 2001 with an emotional game between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets at Shea Stadium in New York City. The sold out crowd, most with American flags, showed the world that America was not afraid of the terrorists and would not back down. The game was one that will be remembered by all, it is in many ways my most lasting memory of the days after 9/11, watching as grown men cried in the crowd during the National Anthem, and as the fans cheered for their Mets, forgetting for just a moment about the horror outside the stadium. The game ended with an eighth inning home run from Piazza, a fitting end to the game.
For the end of the 2001 season, the two New York baseball teams became "America's teams." With even some Boston fans admitting that they just could not root against the Yankees, not that they wanted them to win, but they wouldn't root against them. The Yankees went on a run to the World Series, which was one of the greatest post 9/11 stories. President George Bush threw out the first pitch of the Series in New York City, again sending the united message of no fear. America recovered from those tragic events of 9/11 and in many ways baseball helped that recovery along. It united this country around something uniquely American and helped distract us, if only for a moment, from the horrific events of that year.
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