September 5, 2010
MLB
Major League Baseball 2010
AL East NL East AL Central NL Central AL West NL West
Wild Card drawing attention from division races, and that’s a good thing
As we commence the final days of summer, four of the six division races are still undecided and within one series, so no team is assured a post season position. That is except for the bride’s maid in the AL East, and the reason why is the Wild Card. Now I understand the purist point of view that if you’re not the best team in your division then how can you be the best team in baseball? Well, one could argue that perhaps the best two clubs in the league unfortunately reside in the same division, and are tied for the best record in baseball. So what if it comes down to the final series of the year and the Yankees have to beat their rival/nemesis Boston, who would love nothing more than to ruin the Yankees shot at a division and are at home. Meanwhile the Rays are playing the last place Royals who have called up half of the Cactus League for a tryout on the dime of MLB. Doesn’t quite seem fair does it? If the records are any indication and the Yanks and Rays are the best two teams in baseball then they should be able to slug it out in a 7-game series and not have anyone else handling their business. The Card also addresses the parity argument as in the case of the NL where there are 5 70-win teams battling for four spots, and a sixth team with 68 wins and a storied history. Once again, let’s settle this on the field by getting the best 4 teams from all divisions in the playoffs rotation and have the winner emerge. I simply don’t buy the counter argument that it takes away from winning the division, as despite a commanding 5.5 game lead neither the Rays or Yanks appear to be sitting starters or gearing up for the post season, and both want to take the flag. So take it for what it is, simply a way of making sure that the best clubs in the league are all on the field at the end of the year, and no who is waiting for next year can raise any BCS style arguments about not having the opportunity. What do you think of the wild card? Let us know here and in any of the quick links.
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At the end of the day it was arrogance that got the Rocket into trouble
We often used to talk about how amazing it was that Shaq and Kobe couldn’t find a way to get along because they had the potential to surpass the number of championships that “Jordan Bulls” were able to string together, and possibly do it consecutively, but someone did make a good point that we’re looking at this like rational people, business people, normal people who would say “ok, Shaq you got a 6’8 guy guarding you so it’s your night tonight, and the next night Kobe may have a weak defender guarding him so then it’s his turn to drop 30 etc.(remember the 04 series loss to Detroit??) That kind of arrangement could have lasted for years and the league would have had to find a way to deal with them. But perhaps it’s that same “I’m the man” mentality that makes world class athletes what they are, which is not normal, and that’s why only a select few on the planet can do what they do at their level. Unfortunately that is the same mindset that will probably land Roger Clemens in jail, at least for a short while. Now that the federal incitements have been handed down, it seems commonplace to revert back and see how the Rocket got into this mess, and at the end of the day it seems to be his own bully mentality that made him so intimidating on the mound that worked against him in formal setting. Already deposed, and with no admission of steroids, congress was not requesting any further information from him, at least at the time , so he was in the clear and his opponent was down. But rather than walk away he insisted on pounding him into submission by electing to testify UNDER OATH in front of Congress and the Nation, in retrospect to accomplish nothing more than to discredit his former trainer who claimed he injected Clemens, and to cast doubt on the previously released commission reports. He wasn’t even planning on pitching again, and others had come clean and months later are back on the field, in all-star games, and getting endorsements, a little more than a slap on the wrist. Unless something dramatically changes, this could be one of the saddest outcomes of the steroid era, as one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game won’t be remembered for his exploits on the diamond but off, and worst of all, he was going to the hall based on his numbers BEFORE he took the juice. He would have been the one that opened the door to the Hall for other known abusers because he would have been judged based on his body of work before the alleged infraction which would have changed the view of everyone else in the era, but now he’s lumped in with the Blacksox and Rose who may never get in. So, as a fan of the Rocket and the game a little advice….for once, realize that this is not a situation where you can intimidate or overpower your opponent, and perhaps for the first time in your life, you are the WEAKER combatant. So stand down, take the plea, pay the fine, do community service, and put this behind you so you can get on with restoring yourself to your rightful position among the all-time greats, because before he may have had a problem, what you don’t need now is trouble as well.
Have your thoughts on Roger Clemens changed? Is he being singled out? Let us know your thoughts here and in any of the quick links.
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With no more breaks or trades only thing in sight is the finish line
There seems to be a feeling of contemplation in most MLB cities as the trade deadline has come and gone, there are no more substantial breaks in play left to get healthy so they’re going to sink or swim with what’s on the field. The July/August turn has been a real litmus test for many as the MLB schedule couldn’t have been structured more perfectly to help separate the contenders from pretenders. In the American League, it’s “meat and potatoes” time for the Yankees as they’re coming off a tough series with Tampa Bay in which the Rays in which they lost 2 of 3 and saw their lead in the East trimmed to 2, they followed that up by dropping 2 of 3 to Toronto and found themselves in a tie for the division lead (and I don’t want to hear it about A-Rod and 600, if you give up 28 runs in six games you’re gonna’ drop 4/6). It doesn’t get any easier for the Empire as upcoming series with the Sox and Rangers could drop them into the Wild Card chase.
Moving to the AL West, the Rangers have already split the first two games against hapless Seattle, but have one more and then three with the A’s for an opportunity to get into the hunt for best record. The division is already theirs as the Angels have fallen off the map and are under .500 in August for the first time in almost a decade. But the Rangers have bigger fish to fry as they’ve got a shot to make up the five games on the Empire, as NY moves into a brutal six game stretch.
In the NL, it’s become a series of 3 two-team races. Starting in the Central where, although they seemed to sleep through the trade deadline without making any major moves, the Reds have held on to first place but it’s a tenuous lead at best. Once again, the schedule is conducive to settling the argument as the Cards come to town next week after the Reds travel to Chi-Town for 3 with the Cubs. I guess when you look at it, what moves would you make if your club was in the top five of all four major offensive categories (BA- 4th, HR- th, RBI-3rd, Hits-5th) and you had a fireballer in triple-A droppin’ three-digit heat topping out at 103MPH, that you can bring up for the stretch? Aroldis Chapman may have flown under the radar for quite some time but he could be a major component of the Reds push to stay on top of the division as St. Louis is the benefactor of the weakest schedule of any of the division leaders as they have only 3 games in the entire month of August against teams with a record above .500 and those three are against the Reds.
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With all divisions still within striking distance season gearing up for a wild finish
For the first time since the MLB re-alignment all of the divisions are within 5 games this late in the season, but is that due to parity, pitching, or lack of offense now that the players aren’t juiced? I think the answer is a combination of the three. No doubt the farm systems are working well as the young crop of talent being brought has been paying dividends both on the filed and on the ledger sheet as the ‘gap players’ are doing more than holding their own as the clubs try to stomach some the contracts of their marquis players. The Rays are still going toe-to-toe with the ‘Evil Empire’ and only have 2 players making 10 million per year. Obviously
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This year in particular the ALL-Star Game is more than a game for show
There will be plenty of chips in the center of the table when they throw out the first pitch for the 2010 All-Star game other than upset advertisers if the game is a sleeper. Ever since they raised the stakes by awarding the winner of the game the privilege of hosting the World Series for their league champion. However this year will double down that bet as the top teams in each league (Yankees/Braves) have 2 of top 3 home records in all of baseball. NYY is 28-13 second only to the Tigers in winning percentage, and the Braves have the best home record in all of baseball at 30-10, a winning percentage (.750) that is hotter that the summers in Hotlanta. Because of this long gone are the days of playing hometown boys 5 innings, letting pitchers finish out their inning if they’re getting rocked, and, gasp! playing for the tie in order to get to the airport in time for your flight. Ok, so it improves the TV ratings, probably the game itself, and increases the revenue for the league but is it really fair to a club that bust it’s @#% for the whole year to gain best record only to have it “awarded” to the opposing team because of that outcome of a game they couldn’t control? The Braves have the most to lose with this system and even with 4 players on the NL team (second in NL to St. Louis) that only represents 10% of the team so if the other 90% decide to hit Hollywood the night before or catch some rays in Newport, and aren’t ready to play come Tuesday, the entire Braves team may be regretting the outcome that warm Summer night when the weather turns cold in October. And what if the moon’s align and the Padres continue to surprise and make a return trip for the first time in a over a quarter century with their lone representative? I’m not trying to stir things up when there’s no war to be fought, and God knows Selig is up to his Dumbo’s in rhetoric over instant replay but, remember this entry come October when game 7 is scheduled to be in Yankee Stadium and the question is raised how they were so lucky to not be staring in the face of a 25% chance of placing another trophy in the case. Do you like MLB’s position on awarding the League that wins the All-Star game home filed advantage? Let us know here and in the All-Star game chat room or quick links:
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An amazing MLB season approaches the midway point
You can pick your storylines but this season is setting up to be best since the BigMac/Sosa/Jr. home run derby year. It’s all but confirmed that Strasburg is the real deal and so far has lived up to the hype going 2-0 and proving he can also do it on the road. His presence gave an added shot in the arm to an already compelling season, mind you he won’t be enough to get the Nats into the playoffs but this financial impact for them both at home and on the road has been well documented and in itself has become another reason to watch. Additionally, we only hope the pennant races can keep the momentum into the second half as they possess the perfect combination of the surprises teams of the year pitted against the ol’ guard in the AL East with the Rays trying to hold off the Yankees, back to the future as the Braves, Reds, and Dodgers are all leading or tied for the division lead, and great battles in the others. The Rays have proven they are the real deal and don’t just promise to be around at the end but (pardon the blasphemy) but may actually be the favorites to take the flag in the East. Despite just cracking the top ten in HRs, and 13th in batting average and hits, the Rays have done it with timely hitting as they’re 3rd in RBIs which has translated to a run differential of +103 second in the majors to the second place Yankees but almost double on anyone in the NL. With four hitters in the lineup at .300 and two just under at .285 they don’t give opposing pitchers much time to gather their thoughts, but the real deal is having five pitchers with an ERA under 3.00 making them the team to avoid in any 7-game series. With the Red Sox threatening to becoming a non-factor, the Rays are looking to become the new nemesis of the Empire and hope to declare that the King is dead come October. In the NL all of the races are within a half-game and with great stories the Phills are back again, with that young and consistent lineup, tied with the Metropolitans who seem to have put it together out of nowhere to challenge. However the best story of the year has been the revival of the Braves and Reds to are attempting to make a return to glory in years in seasons that were supposed to be “rebuilding”. The Reds are the new ‘lumber company’ as they sit near the top of the NL in most team offensive statistics (3rd BA, 4th HRs, 4th RBIs, and 3rd hits) and the Braves pitching staff has the best numbers on their storied history as only TWO pictures on their ENTIRE STAFF have an ERA of over 2.00 which is simply an astonishing stat and it would be great to see them back in the mix after the long hiatus. Lastly, the NL West will probably come down to the wire again with the Dodgers managed to survive losing the leading ‘triple crown’ candidate Andre Ethier and still are on top, but their hoping to make it through injury free season for the core of their lineup and JT seems to issuing plenty of days off. At the end of the day they will have to address the holes in their starting rotation as they’ve illustrated how you can’t survive with relief pitching alone. What has been the best storyline of the season thus far? Let u know here and in any of the quick links.
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Who will pass the interleague litmus test?
With a quarter of the year over it’s not too much of a stretch to state that the Rays, Reds, and even the Nats will be in the mix when things get decided, and one can argue that you may have two division winners in that mix. Unfortunately the Rays are the only team that’s getting any love from that group as the others are written off because of the strength on their division and this is exactly what makes interleague play so great. Set up as way to both bolster attendance and matchup teams that will never get an opportunity to face each other, also has an application for being the equivalent of sodium pentothal in regards to exposing the quality of each division/league for what it really is. Since the inception of interleague play the
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Several Surprises to start the season as the Rays are for real, Nats and Reds staking a claim
The sad part is that Blue Jays and Red Sox are not playing poorly, yet still find themselves 4 and 6 ½ back respectively. This will not be a division for the faint of heart again this year. In case you were one of the doubters the Rays are for real and ready to challenge the evil empire right now. The Yanks have gotten out of the blocks much faster than last year and they’ll need to keep the pace if they are going to going in as the division winners and not the Wild Cards. Meanwhile everyone is getting nervous in Beantown about now, as the Sox had to work to avoid getting swept by the Empire, and everyone’s wondering where all that pitching from last year went?
AL West
These teams will continue to shuffle the deck as they each go though the tough parts of their schedule. The division where .500 might be good enough to keep you in contention, suddenly has an unfamiliar leader. The Rangers sit in first place for the first time since I can remember, as “Big Daddy Valdi” has rejuvenated his swing hitting .339 with six jacks providing the added pop the Rangers needed. If the A’s want to stay in the hunt they’ll need to learn how to win on the road as .300 won’t get it done.
AL Central
With Mauer back in the lineup the Twins look to extend their lead as they are consistent both on the road and at home. If the pitching can hold up they can extend the lead, but a they’ve got a touch stretch coming up including series with the Yankees, Jays, and Red Sox so they’ll be tested.
NL Central
The Cards look good again to start the season as the surprising Reds are a trying to keep them in striking distance which may be tough to do as the Cards are soon to begin a long home stand but an upcoming 3 game set with the Reds will be the litmus test to see if Cincy has any staying power. It could be all smoke and mirrors right now as the Reds actually have a negative run differential (-21) but still manage to keep the ship afloat with duct tape. Right now the rest of the division doesn’t look as if it’s ready to challenge the establishment but the good thing is it’s early and plenty of moves can be made.
NL East
We stated at the beginning of the season that this division race is going to be great to follow all year, and the defending NL champs are going to have their hands full. So far so good for the Phils but the Mets despite injuries and the Nats despite themselves are only two games back. Even though their fans may not have noticed, the Nats can contend this year, and if they can stay afloat long enough to get “the Sensational Stasburg” into the starting rotation, they could be the sleeper team in the NL. I know, we’re getting way ahead of ourselves just 31 games into the season but it’s nice to talk about.
NL West
How about the Priest?? Picked to finish dead last they’ve lived off a strong offense (+43 run differential) and timely pitching to hold a slight lead in the division. The third team to take the reigns already this year, this will be a war a attrition and staying healthy. The two-time division champions LA had a terrible off season in regards to moves as the team got caught up in the divorce of the owners, and how much of a difference will Manny coming back actually make? Probably quite a bit as the Dodger bats are quiet with a -16 RD for the first time since Joe came to town. The aces of the Giant staff have been getting an unexpected lift from Barry Zito, who if can remain consistent, will create the best 3 man pitching stretch in baseball.
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Early Returns on the 2010 MLB Season
My first question after seeing the trend of the first 2 games is ‘what happened to the pitching??!’ The average run production is well over 5 for the first 3 games and there not even ‘juicing’ balls. Observation one: as the Shills, Johnsons, Rockets, and Glavins filter out of the game we have a dearth of dominating pitchers. It seems now if you can get 6 and a third out of your starter you shooting par for the course, of course now most bullpens aren’t just a job but an adventure and no lead is safe. It makes it great for the viewer but at this pace we will never see another 300 game winner in our lifetime. So who is best equipped to handle the changing times? Here’s the smacchat 2010 MLB season favorites.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
West
Angeles – The only team with five starters but losing ace starter John Lacky may come back to haunt them come playoff time. They have a younger Joel Pineiro and he’ll need to keep that ERA at 3.49 if he’s going to fill Lacky’s shoes. Godzilla is getting a little older and I’m not sure if a .274 clean-up hitter was worth the cash they threw at him, but Hunter, Matsui, and Morales is a formidable middle line-up to deal with.
Central
Tigers – I’m going to go against SI here as I don’t think Mauer has enough of a supporting cast to take the Twins to the pennant. I think the Tigers have much more fire power now that Damon is their set up man. The additions of JD and Austin Jackson, should be on base plenty of times for Ordonez and Cabrera to bring them around. In the pen, they’ve finally cut bait with Willis after 2 wins in as many years. The only question mark is how they will produce offensively without Granderson who has converted to the dark side.
East
Yankees – Speaking of the ‘dark side’ I was trying to find a reason why they wouldn’t win the division but the additions of Nick Johnson and Granderson, in addition to potentially the greatest top-to-bottom lineup since the Big Red Machine I just can’t see them getting knocked off prior to the ALCS. Now they are getting older, and it will be interesting to see how they persevere through 182 games, particularly if “Super Mario” who hits 40 this year, isn’t as consistent, and how can he be? Either way this will be their last hurrah with this club, I think they have the juice to win the division but not the AL.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
West
Rockies – The
Central
Cards – Much like the Yankees I want to go the other way but would you pick against Pujols and Holliday? Shumaker (.303) and Ryan (.292) may be the most underrated and appreciated 1-2 in baseball but they can certainly set the table for guns. They have the “Boardwalk & Parkplace” in the bullpen that you need to win a 7-game series in Carpenter and Wainwright, and the addition of Brad Penny should add another 10-12 wins to that rotation. No new acquisitions here either but if it ain’t broke…..
East
Braves – how’s this for an upset pick?? I’m not doing this just to just to go against the grain but I really think the youth movement for
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Baseball needs to stop aggrandizing “The Hall”
Hey as a baseball fan, I have rolled with all the punches MLB has thrown my way, from the strike long ago, to juicing/cooling the balls, to All-Star games that end in a tie, and lastly to “roid rage”, and I’m on the train for life. However, one of the things that I’ve most admired about baseball is how its Hall of Fame is viewed as the most respected of the Big 3 (NFL, NBA, MLB) but is quickly losing its luster as the baseball voters continue the farce that has become the