Adirondack Baseball Chronicle

NLDS Preview

2010-10-06T15:02:00.003-04:00

As Cliff Lee mows down the Rays, we move to the National League Division Series...

Phillies vs Reds
This matchup pits two of the best offensive attacks in baseball against each other. By now we all know the usual suspects in Philly - Utley, Werth, Howard, Victorino and Rollins. Over in Cincy the young Reds are led by presumptive NL MVP Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce and veteran Scott Rolen.
Game one starter Edinson Volquez pitched well against the Phillies in two starts this season. Further, the Reds hammered Volquez' opponent, Roy Halladay, in their only meeting against him this summer.
The key for the Reds is to get the game turned over to their bullpen with a lead. Cincinnati has a tremendous late game weapon in Aroldis Chapman that neutralize Utley and Howard in critical situations. Reds closer Coco Cordero has also had a good year and is a dependable stopper.
However, there's one major problem with the aforementioned.
Getting a lead on the Phils is going to be nearly impossible. The Phillies sport the greatest three-man rotation since the 1990's Braves with Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz. The 2010 Phillies are built to dismantle the opposition with strikeout pitchers and a firecracker offense.
I love the future for the Cincinnati Reds; I really do. They have several offensive stars and the most exciting young pitcher in the game with Volquez. I hate to say it, but wait till next year Reds fans.
Phillies in 4.

Giants vs Braves
I love this matchup. This series has the makings of a true classic, something the divisional round usually lacks. These teams are practically mirror images. Both have excellent pitching, sometimes spotty defense and pedestrian offensive games. Both bullpens are well-above average units, anchored by excellent closers in Brian Wilson and Billy Wagner.
It's hard to define a pivot point in this series. We know the pitchers on both sides must step up and deliver the performances we've come to expect. I like Bobby Cox' decision to go with groundballer Derek Lowe in game one. Lowe has a history of postseason success that bodes well for Atlanta's chances in that first game at Pac Bell. (or whatever it's called now)
For the Giants, Tim Lincecum has been on fire over the last month and Matt Cain has been steady all year. I look for some must-see TV in that first game between Lowe and Lincecum.
To decide who might win this series, I had to look at the 25-man rosters of both teams. I just think the Giants are a little deeper. That, combined with the home-field advantage, will spell the end for the Bravos. Make no mistake, this series could go either way and I think it's a near-lock to go the full five games. I expect the teams to split the first two and the two at Turner field before a Game 1 rematch in the clincher where Tiny Tim and Brian Wilson put the Giants in the NLCS.
Giants in 5.

ALDS Previews

2010-10-05T14:47:00.003-04:00

Baseball's purgatory is almost over. Tomorrow afternoon the playoffs get underway with an afternoon contest between the Rays and the Texas Rangers in St. Petersburg. It's the first of three contests on the day and the start of the always-frantic round of divisional play.
Here's our preview of the Junior Circuit matchups.
Tampa Bay vs. Texas
Just looking at the records, you'd have to like Tampa Bay's chances. They boast the league's best record and found a way to hold off the Yankees for the AL East crown. (which of course is essentially meaningless) Nevertheless, I have some serious concerns about the Rays' pitching staff. Beyond ace lefty David Price, who will pitch tomorrow, the Rays have been spotty. James Shields, he of the plus 5 ERA, gets the nod in Game 2, a very questionable decision. Shields is known for his track record of success in big spots, but the fact is he's been hit hard all year. His 5.18 ERA is inflated by a well-below average runners stranded rate of 68% (league average is closer to 75). Still, Shields has allowed 246 hits in 203 innings. There's no way to gloss that over; that's terrible.
Which makes a win in game one of utmost importance to the Rays. The problem is, they're facing Cliff Lee, who also has solid record in the postseason.
Defensively, both teams are very good. Their bullpens are both effective and their lineups, though inconsistent, have both speed and power.
This series is coming down to starting pitching. The Rangers will trot out CJ Wilson and Colby Lewis in games two and three, while the Rays will counter with the aforementioned Shields and the struggling Matt Garza.
Most experts expect the Rays to win a tough series. I'm no expert, but I do not concur.
The Rangers are going to upset Tampa simply because their lefthanded starting pitchers are going to silence Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena. Expect the Rangers to work carefully to Evan Longoria and go right after Crawford, Pena and BJ Upton.
Entering these playoffs, the Rangers have never won a postseason series. That changes in 2010.
Rangers in 4.

Minnesota vs New York
The only consequence the Yankees face by losing the AL East is that they must travel to sparkling Target Field to begin their playoff date with the Twins. Is that a problem? Maybe if you believe that Target will suppress the Yankees' power-hitting offense. Personally, I doubt it.
Look...the Yankees have plenty of problems. AJ Burnett is a mess, Javier Vazquez is useless and Andy Pettitte's health obviously a question mark. The 2010 Yankees are not as good as last year's version.
However, Joe Girardi has decided to pitch CC Sabathia in both Games 1 and 4, if it gets that far. That's the right decision. Sabathia is a proven workhorse who can handle the extra workload.
Both teams feature excellent offensive attacks, with New York sporting the best offense in baseball. The bats cancel each other out, so this series also comes down to pitching.
MLB Network's John Hart said last night that the Twins need ace Francisco Liriano to dominate with swing-and-miss stuff. That's entirly true. The problem is, in two starts against New York this year, Liriano allowed more than a hit per inning. The Yankees will strike out against him, sure, but they will also hit.
The key to this entire series rests on one aging Yank; Andy Pettitte. Expect to see a vintage Pettitte hold the Twins in check and win yet another postseason game. The Yankees fate is in Pettitte's left hand and he knows it. Expect him to deliver.
I'd love to say the Twins will find a way to get past the Yankees this time, but I can't see it. With Sabathia and Pettitte, the Yankees have more pitching. I see the Yankees veterans like Posada, Jeter and A-Rod stepping up. This is too much for Minnesota.
Yankees in 4.

NLDS previews tomorrow!

Battle of the Best - ALCS preview

2009-10-15T19:37:00.002-04:00

As we sit just minutes from the start of the 2009 NLCS, tomorrow night's opening game of the ALCS features what many people believe are the two best teams in baseball - the Los Angeles Angels and the New York Yankees.
Weather permitting, the series gets underway tomorrow night in New York. C.C. Sabathia takes the mound against Angels righty John Lackey. Game two will pit A.J. Burnett and lefty Joe Saunders. When the series moves west to L.A., Yanks lefty Andy Pettitte will be opposed by Jered Weaver.
On paper this looks like a great match up. The Yankees have been the league's best team all season and the Angels have seemed to have the Bombers' number in recent years. For certain, the Angels are not intimidated by the Yankees. In fact, not much scares this team since they have overcome a tremendous amount of adversity throughout the year.
Still, the Yankees have the edge in almost every category but managerial experience. The Yankees front two starting pitchers are better, though the Angels boast a deeper rotation. The Yankee bullpen has been significantly better and the difference between Yankees closer Mariano Rivera and Angels stopper Brian Fuentes is astronomical. The Angels feature a potent lineup, but the Yankees are even better. Even the Yankees' bench is superior, with Brett Gardner and Jose Molina more useful than Jeff Mathis and Macier Izturis.
To boot, the Yankees start the series at home in front of their raucous home crowd. I wish the series would turn out like it says it should on paper, but I don't see it. The Yankees will pound Lackey and Saunders to take a 2-0 lead to L.A. where they will beat Weaver to go up 3-0. I see the Angels grabbing a game at home before the Yankees finish it off in front of 50,000 people holding thunder sticks and wondering what happened.
Yankees in 5

Dodgers - Phillies II

2009-10-14T14:34:00.003-04:00

For the second straight season, the Dodgers and Phillies will meet in the NLCS. This time around, the Dodgers have the home-field advantage although the two teams remain largely unchanged.
This promises to be solid match up, with this Dodgers team improved from the squad that was eliminated in five games a year ago. Additionally, the Phillies have had a myriad of issues with their bullpen and especially closer Brad Lidge.
Both lineups are potent, with both speed and the ability to hit the ball out of the park. The Dodgers will trot out two lefthanders - Randy Wolf and Clayton Kershaw - at least four times during the series in an attempt to neutralize the Phillies' lefthanded power. It appears that Kershaw and not Wolf will get the nod tomorrow night, a wise move by manager Joe Torre. Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley is MIA and was left off the NLDS roster. Reports indicate he will be available in relief in this series. Regardless, the Dodgers are not counting on Billingsley to fill a rotation spot. Instead, Hiroki Kuroda will take his place.
I can't see this being a one-sided series like last year. I think the Dodgers will get the early 1-0 lead behind Kershaw tomorrow night and then drop game two heading back to Philly. There, I see the Phils taking two of three and then wrapping things up in Game six in LA.
There's something about the resilience of the Philadelphia Phillies. I firmly believe they are less talented than a year ago, yet more mature and more capable of winning it all. Despite their issues with the bullpen, Charlie Manuel seems to be able to steer the club around them and into the win column. They're going to repeat as NL champs.
Phillies in 6.

On to the second round

2009-10-12T22:09:00.002-04:00

After Brad Lidge struck out Troy Tulowitzki Monday night, the first round of the MLB postseason came to a close. The four higher-seeded teams all prevailed and in remarkably easy fashion. Fans can only hope the LCS match-ups provide a bit more drama then the first round did.
The next round starts Thursday night when the Phillies and Cole Hamels head to LA to take on the Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw. The NLCS is a rematch from last year in which the Phillies won in five games. Each team remains largely unchanged, with the biggest difference being the ineffectiveness of Brad Lidge this year compared to his stellar 2008. On paper, it appears to be an excellent match up, but it did a year ago as well and turned out to be disappointing.
In the American League, the Yankees and Angels have cruised through their first opponents on a collision course for each other. In the last ten years, no team has given the Yankees more problems than the Angels. Still, that was before the Yanks added C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira. This looks like a fantastic pairing of two nearly-equal teams. It's going to come down to starting pitching, as it always does this time of year. Game one is Friday night in the Bronx.

Goats of October

2009-10-11T22:18:00.002-04:00

October 25, 1986 was a day Bill Buckner would rather forget. That was the night Mookie Wilson's grounder eluded him and prevented the Red Sox from sending Game 6 of the World Series into extra innings. Of course, the Red Sox eventually blew a 3-2 series lead and Buckner became reviled in New England for the next decade or so.
This postseason has seen its fair share of ugly performances as well - and not just by the umps.
In game 2 of the NLDS between St. Louis and the Dodgers, the Cards had two out in the ninth and a 2-1 lead. A lazy fly ball drifted toward leftfielder Matt Holliday and promptly landed in his bread basket before careening onto the field. The Cards went on to blow the game and head back to St. Louis down 2-0 instead of all tied up. It was a truly pathetic performance by the impending free agent Holliday.
Friday night, the Twins nursed a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. Closer Joe Nathan came on and let up a single to Mark Teixeira. One batter later, Alex Rodriguez tied the game with a bomb. The Yanks went on to win in extra innings. Again, the team with the opportunity to tie a series completely blew it. And tonight in Minnesota, Nathan is getting hit around again as the Twins sit just three outs from elimination.

AL Division Series Previews

2009-10-07T14:31:00.002-04:00

Boston vs Los Angeles
This is probably the most closely-contested match-up of the first round. Both teams have potent offensive attacks and solid starting pitching. The difference between the clubs is the bullpens - and the BoSox pen is clearly superior. Papelbon, Wagner, Okajima and Bard basically shorten every game to a six-inning contest.
Each team's starting pitching is well above average. The Angel's season stats are not impressive, but their starters have been much better over the last two months, especially young lefty Scott Kazmir.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox have two aces in Josh Beckett and Jon Lester followed by a resurgent Daisuke Matsuzaka and the young flamethrower Clay Buchholz. On their game, the Boston pitching can simply shut the Angels down.
Ultimately, it comes down to pitching. I like the inspirational story of the Angels' 2009 season and I think their energy will keep the series closer than it should be. But in the end, Boston has just too much pitching and they will prevail.
Red Sox in 4

New York vs Minnesota
David and Goliath. I've yet to see one publication pick the Twins to win this and on paper it's easy to see why. Baseball isn't played on paper though and just dismissing the Twins' chances is foolish. They are overwhelming underdogs - but the annals of baseball history are lined with upsets that the experts never expected. (How about the Marlins and Yankees in 2003?)
When you look at both squads, there isn't a single component where the Twins are better. The Yankees have a better lineup, bullpen and better starting pitching. The experience of Ron Gardenhire is about the only area where the Twins have an edge, and it's a minimal one at that.
The Twins have one thing going for them. They have played their best baseball in the last month. That momentum will need to carry them.
I can't pick the Twins but I do believe this is a much closer series than most people believe.
Yankees in 5

NL Division Series Previews

2009-10-06T13:42:00.003-04:00

St. Louis vs. Los Angeles
Back in June, the Dodgers appeared to be well on their way toward their first pennant since 1988. They thrived in 50 games sans Manny Ramirez and everyone expected them to soar once ManRam cam back. Reality had other ideas and in their last 80 games, the Dodgers have been merely pedestrian. It took an implosion by Rockies reliever Franklin Morales to help LA clinch the division and avoid a tremendous collapse. Nevertheless, the Dodgers have an outstanding bullpen, a solid lineup with good power and speed and a shutdown lefty starting pitcher in Clayton Kerhsaw. Despite their sagging play, they are an excellent team.
The Cards have been the NL's hottest team in the last 100 games. The addition of Matt Holliday paid major dividends as St. Louis surged down the stretch. They boast a good lineup and two true aces in Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright.
Both teams are managed by Hall of Fame skippers so expect a crisp series with plenty of pitching changes and defensive replacements as the series rolls along.
The difference will be the starting pitching and the best player in baseball. The Cards top two will shut down the Dodgers and LA won't be able to keep Albert Pujols in check.
Cards in 4

Colorado vs Philadelphia
This promises to be a fantastic series and is one of two I'm most looking forward to. I truly enjoy watching the Rockies, who operate on a limited payroll and develop tremendous homegrown talent. They do it the old fashioned way and they do it very, very well.
The Phillies are every bit as explosive as they were in their title run last year. Their overwhelming weakness is a bullpen that is well below average. Closer Brad Lidge - or is he the closer? - had one of the worst seasons a reliever has ever had. To win, the Phils will need to build leads early in the games.
What stands out is the pitcher-hitter matchups. The Rockies are only a game over .500 against lefthanded starters and the Phillies have an abundance of southpaws. The only way the Rox can counter that is by forcing the starters to work hard and to get to the Phillies bullpen as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, two of Colorado's best starters, Aaron Cook and Ubaldo Jimenez are both righties. You have to think Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez will invite those matchups. The health of southpaw Jorge De La Rosa is in question as he has a groin injury. Should he be able to go in game three, and I expect he will, I think the Rockies keep it close. Still, Philly will be too much - this time around anyway.
Phillies in 4

Twins-Tigers preview

2009-10-05T19:42:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow night in Minnesota, the Tigers will play the Twins in a game to determine the AL Central champion. Rookie Rick Porcello will square off against Twins' ace Scott Baker. Both righties have pitched well lately, especially Porcello. The Twins will play a 163rd game for the second straight year, having lost to the White Sox last fall. As we know, Tuesday's winner will travel to the Bronx for a Wednesday night date with the New York Yankees.
Both teams are depleted offensively. The Tigers' lineup has been impotent all season and the Twins are without slugger Justin Morneau. Still, Minnesota has been scoring runs over their last 20 games en route to winning 16 of those contests.
The starters are evenly matched. Baker throws strikes and invites contact. He's efficient and adept at keeping the ball down. Porcello, just 20 years old, has showed tremendous poise down the stretch and has arguably been even better than Justin Verlander.
Both bullpens are average units and the Twins' pen has been terrible of late. It's imperative that the Twins push runs across in the first five innings as their pen is liable to surrender a few runs back to the Tigers.
Another note of interest concerns Detroit firstbaseman Miguel Cabrera who was involved in a domestic dispute Saturday morning. It's any one's guess how this will affect him, just something to bear in mind.
All signs point to a Minnesota win. They have the momentum and the home field advantage.
To me, this comes down to the starting pitchers. Porcello just doesn't miss enough bats. In his last 31 innings, he's punched out just 9 batters. By contrast, Baker has whiffed 29 men in his last 34 innings. Baker is clearly the better pitcher and he'll put the Twins into the postseason.
Twins 7 Tigers 3

2009-10-05T15:32:00.001-04:00

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Must see BV

2009-10-04T20:11:00.003-04:00

Last week former Mets and Rangers manager Bobby Valentine announced that he was returning from Japan to sign a studio analyst contract with ESPN. Immediately word leaked that the contract contained an out clause in the event that Valentine is offered a new managerial job. And soon after that, Valentine was linked to the opening in Cleveland as well as a potential opening in Florida.
The fact that Valentine has never managed anywhere else after being fired by the Mets in 2002 is not surprising. Despite being renowned for getting the most out of mediocre talent, Valentine is an outspoken figure that can grate on team administration and local media. In 2002, Valentine famously made light of the marijuana-smoking allegations levied against some of his players by imitating a batter high on pot during a press conference. What was funny to him infuriated the Mets image-conscious owners, Fred and Jeff Wilpon. Valentine was gone at the end of the year.
In the irony of ironies, Valentine would be an ideal fit for the present-day Mets. His workmanlike approach and attention to strategic detail would be a welcome change from the passive approach taken by Jerry Manuel and his predecessor, Willie Randolph. Nevertheless, Mets ownership remains the same and the odds of Valentine reclaiming his old post are slim.
Out in Cleveland, another underachieving team could also use a shot of BV. Valentine has to be considered a front-runner for the vacancy in Cleveland. Again, he would be filling the shoes of a "hands-off" skipper and assuming control of a clubhouse left to police itself. The addition of Valentine would have as much impact on the resurgence of the Indians as would a return to health of franchise player Grady Sizemore.
Either way, don't expect to see Bobby on ESPN for very long. He's got a new general manager to piss off.

Full of Kruk

2009-10-03T19:09:00.006-04:00

Taking a break from the division races for a day (Minnesota is half a game out, btw), I wanted to opine on ESPN and specifically, John Kruk. I'll admit it - I rarely if ever watch ESPN. If I want a recap of last night's baseball highlights, I tune into the MLB network. The biggest reason why I avoid the "Worldwide Leader" is because I just can't stomach the analysts on Baseball Tonight. Other than Peter Gammons, the show is chocked full of ex-players and general managers that add nothing of analytical value to the program.
John Kruk is the first person that comes to mind. As a player, Kruk was a portly "everyman" that got the most out of modest abilities. He worked hard and could turn on a fastball with the best of them. He epitomized the 1993 Phillies and their gritty, never-say-die attitude that led them to the NL pennant.
As an analyst, Kruk is dreadful. The man speaks as if his audience is a group of six-year-olds that have never been to a baseball game. If there is a bigger idiot working in front of a television camera today, I'd like to know who it is. No - it's not Tim McCarver. He's annoying, but far from stupid.
To cap it all off, Kruk, who's made millions in his career, apparently gets his hair done by New York Governor David Paterson. It looks as if someone place a freshly-killed muskrat on top of his skull. I'm not sure if Johnny is trying to impress the ladies, but someone needs to let him know that Alabama called and asked for it's mullet back.
Even Harold Reynolds knew enough to get the hell out of ESPN. Though he's also no genius, Reynolds acquits himself with a high-energy approach to his commentary. John Kruk delivers his commentary like he has a broom handle shoved up his ass.
If you can stomach ESPN's Baseball Tonight, more power to you. At least they reacquired Bobby Valentine, who has more brain power than the rest of the studio combined.

A single game in the Central

2009-10-02T21:07:00.002-04:00

As I write this, the Twins are poised to move within a single game of the AL Central lead by 11 o'clock tonight. Behind a Delmon Young grand slam, Minnesota leads Kansas City 5-0, while over in Detroit, the Tigers trail Jake Peavy and the ChiSox 8-0. Barring a tremendous comeback or two, the Central race is going to be baseball's focal point this weekend.
Still, the Twins will need to keep the pressure on and they face the Herculean task of upending Cy Young favorite Zack Greinke in one of the two remaining games. It's almost funny that these teams are in a dogfight for the right to face the powerhouse New York Yankees next week in one of the Division Series matchups. It's hard to figure who is more equipped to play New York as either team will be monumental underdogs. One good omen for the eventual winner is that Yankee ace C.C. Sabathia looks pedestrian tonight against the Rays. Keep in mind, C.C. has a history of lousy postseason performances.
We'll keep you posted.

2009's Most Disappointing Team

2009-10-01T20:54:00.002-04:00

When you consider the teams expected to qualify for the postseason that fell short you would undoubtedly think of teams like the Mets, Rays and Cubs. Sure, they were all disappointments but one team had a division title within reach in the middle of the summer and slowly let the opportunity fall through their fingers.
The Chicago White Sox had - and have - arguably the most impressive collection of talent in the AL Central. Their pitching staff is deep, with ace John Danks paired with steady Mark Buehrle and youngster Gavin Floyd. Their bullpen is fairly good with strikeout artists Octavio Dotel and Matt Thornton setting up closer Bobby Jenks. The ChiSox' lineup was solid all year. Young thirdbaseman Gordan Beckham had a fantastic year and will likely be named Rookie of the Year. Many are already proclaiming Beckham to be the face of the franchise. Shortstop Alexei Ramirez had a fine year as did veterans Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye. Even after trading away DH Jim Thome, the Sox could still push runs across. Right? Well, not exactly. The White Sox will finish the year among the most inept run-producing teams in the American League. Despite having a solid collection of offensive talent, the team did not score enough to win the required 90 games needed to win the Central.
In the end, Chicago could not hold off the vastly inferior Detroit Tigers. Perhaps Justin Verlander was another reason why; giving the Tigers a true ace that Chicago lacked. In that regard, the August trade for Jake Peavy may help close the gap for the South Siders in 2010. Peavy will take over as the ace of the White Sox staff and be the man responsible for fending off the Verlanders, Greinkes and Bakers of the division.

Roids anyone?

2009-09-30T20:39:00.002-04:00

It's been awhile since we heard from the anonymous straw man in possession of the list of players that tested positive in the 2003 voluntary test. 104 names are on the list and we've already heard about Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz.
What's interesting is the timing of the name drops. They seem to be occurring right before a significant event on the MLB calendar. A-Rod was exposed right during spring training and Big Papi was "outed" at the All-Star break. As we sit on the cusp of the postseason tournament, it's reasonable to expect that a name or two is going to leak again. Rest assured, it will be a prominent player on one of the playoff teams. Be it Vlad Guerrero, Albert Pujols or Todd Helton, someone is going to be named as having tested positive six years ago. Six years ago when it was not against MLB rules to use performance enhancers. The entire story is mind-numbingly boring. Each new name brings with it the customary mock outrage by the mainstream media. The same people that are paid to cover the teams and make their livings from baseball feign outrage and demand action be taken.
The problem is the person or people behind the leaks will never be revealed. That's because it's Major League Baseball behind the leaking of names. MLB and Bud Selig are so intimidated by the U.S. Congress that they are slowly releasing the names of the high-profile players in an effort to punish them with the notoriety the leak brings. It's ridiculous, petty and plainly obvious.
So instead of focusing on the playoff matchups next week, we're going to get a New York Times special report on the latest player from MLB's "secret" list. Now if anyone listens to the story, that's their fault.
Personally, I'll be getting my snacks ready for game time.

Angels celebration inappropriate?

2009-09-30T08:59:00.001-04:00

The Angels clinched the American League West Division Championship on Monday night and proceeded to celebrate as tradition dictates, by pouring champagne and beer over themselves, each other and presumably, into their bellies. Thats all well and good, however they created a mild firestorm by including Nick Adenhart in the party. Adenhart, a promising young pitcher with the Angels was killed in April after a game by an alleged drunk driver (who we kidding with this alleged business? The dude was hammered.) To their credit, the Angels players persevered and played championship baseball from about May on and all the while, bringing Adenhart's jersey to every game, whether home or away. It was hung with care in the dugout and players would pay respects prior to games by gently placing a hand on the jersey. All of this was looked upon with admiration, sadness and respect for the organization and their players. But on Monday night during the celebration, the inclusion of Adenhart took an awkward turn, as the team heavily doused the jersey with champagne and beer. Now fans around the country are voicing their opinion that this was an inappropriate and insensitive act, considering the nature of his death.

Personally, I feel bad for the players. They certainly loved and missed their fallen teammate. I'm 100% certain they meant no disrepect to Adenhart or his family or the legions of families who have been directly affected by drunk driving. However, my reaction is with the masses in that it took my brain about 2 milliseconds to register a feeling of uneasiness when I first watched the Angels pouring booze on his jersey and that feeling remains with the second, third and fourth viewing of said celebration. The man died as a result of excessive alcohol and the players poured buckets of the stuff all over his "tribute" jersey. Any reasonable person can see the sad irony in this picture. Again, I would not accuse any of the players of intent and I believe them when they say they were treating him like a teammate. But let me leave you with this: The Angels are a well run organization, with involved ownership, a squadron of front office people and multiple experienced coaches. The Angels have been in 1st place for a long time and had a sizeable lead over the Rangers and were certain to win the Division to advance to the playoffs. Are you telling me no one saw this coming? A gentle suggestion to some of the more sage veterans of the team like Tori Hunter to respect the nature of Nick's death would have gone a long way to making this a non issue.

Then we could instead discuss the appropriateness of the team going through 210 bottles of champagne and 22 cases of beer during Monday's celebration.

Will blue snow fall again?

2009-09-29T19:23:00.002-04:00

In 1964, Philadelphia Phillies fans witnessed one of baseball's greatest collapses when their beloved Phils blew a six and a half game lead with 12 games to play. The meltdown was even more dramatic than the 2007 Mets, who squandered a seven game lead with 17 games remaining.
That fall in '64, the Phillies and their fans rode a wave of confidence and momentum right up to the door of the postseason. Philadelphians were so sure the Fightins would play in October that Philadelphia's mayor famous proclaimed that "blue snow" would fall in Philadelphia before the Phillies lost the pennant.
The rest was history, and an unpleasant one for the Phillies faithful.
Monday night, the Atlanta Braves won their seventh straight to move within two games of the wildcard-leading Colorado Rockies. That's been the story everyone is focused on but the Bravos also cut the Phillies NL East lead to four. With just six games left, Atlanta overtaking Philadelphia would be a tremendous longshot. But mathematically, it could happen and both teams are moving in the directions it would require to make it possible.
The Phillies pitching is faltering at the wrong time. Their bullpen has been shaky all year and now their starting pitching has become somewhat suspect. Midseason acquisition Cliff Lee has struggled in his most recent starts and ace Cole Hamels has felt the effects of 2008's increased workload this season.
Meanwhile the Braves have won 14 of 16 and are enjoying some of baseball's best starting pitching. Even with their mediocre offense, the Braves pitching is so exceptional that it has carried the team. It remains a tremendous longshot for the Braves to overtake Philadelphia, but it's still possible. Anything can happen and baseball and the NL East race bears watching.

Squeeze Play?!?!

2009-09-29T14:56:00.002-04:00

The Twins, who are playing for their post-season lives, just botched a
squeeze play against the 1st Place Tigers. Here's the question: 1
out, man on 3rd.............why oh why do you not give your batter a
chance to drive in the run?!?!?!?!

A look at the 2010 free agents

2009-09-28T13:49:00.002-04:00

Every offseason, teams are presented with the opportunity to improve their clubs by signing players that are no longer under contract. These free agents come in all talent levels and pricetags. Traditionally, almost every free agent class was packed with high-impact players just entering their prime performance years. However, the renewed focus by teams to secure young talent beyond arbitration has depleted the free agent pool. Now, teams are offering longterm contracts to players before they are arbitration-eligible, thereby pushing back the date they become free agents. In addition, this ensures that the players signed early play their prime seasons with their original team. Therefore, by the time they enter free agency, the players are usually entering the decline phase of their careers.
This winter we again see a shallow free agent class, with just two premier hitters and one legitimate frontline starting pitcher. Leftfielders Matt Holliday and Jason Bay join pitcher John Lackey as the best of the available players this offseason. All three can expect hefty contracts. Holliday and Bay will seek - and probably get - about five years at $17 million per season. Lackey will probably command about $15 million a year for at least four years.
Holliday and Bay are expected to draw interest from their current teams, the Cardinals and Red Sox. I would guess that both clubs will be the early favorites to secure the rights to each player, with the wildcard being the New York Yankees. The Yanks will be free of Hideki Matsui's contract and will be looking at acquiring a leftfielder. We already know they can outspend any team if they choose too, so it's just a matter of what they want to do. The Mets have been linked to both players, but I can't see them overspending and that's probably what it would require.
Lackey will also have plenty of suitors. The Angels appear to be somewhat indifferent, leading many to believe he will not be returning to Anaheim. Look for teams like Dodgers, Mets, Orioles and Tigers all to show some level of interest. Lackey appears to be a good fit in Texas with the Rangers, but their financial troubles probably remove them from the hunt.
One free agent that will fly under the radar but would be a tremendous addition to any team is the Angels' Chone Figgins. Figgins will probably not return to the Angels with Brandon Wood ready to replace him, but he will certainly find many clubs vying to sign him. The Cubs, Giants, Yankees and White Sox will all take a look. Figgins plays excellent defense at third or in the outfield, hits for contact and has the speed to steal 30 bases. He's a prototypical top-of-the-order bat that will command at least $12 million over three or four years.

The lefty Strasburg

2009-09-27T10:52:00.002-04:00

A significant development occurred this week in MLB when Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman with granted residency in Andorra and declared an international free agent. Chapman, a 6'4" lefthanded pitcher, is considered the best arm to come out of Cuba in twenty years. Reported to be 21 (he looks more like 27), Chapman is essentially a two-pitch pitcher. He throws a 97-98 mph fastball and a tight slider that sits around 92. He's reached 100 mph several times during game action. Several scouts and baseball pundits have compared him to Steven Strasburg based on the sheer velocity of his fastball and his ability to completely overwhelm hitters. Watching Chapman pitch, you see an athletic young man with fairly smooth mechanics for someone so tall. I was reminded a bit of Dontrelle Willis, aside from the absence of the signature leg kick. Chapman has easy velocity and the tailing movement on his fastball is incredible. The ball literally breaks in to righthanders just as it crosses the plate. His slider has tight downward movement and is a second plus-pitch.
Not surprisingly, teams are now lining up to make offers to Chapman and his agent. The reported asking price is a contract worth a guaranteed $50 million, basically the same deal offered to Diasuke Matsuzaka. With this winter's free agent market light on frontline pitching, it's easy to imagine Chapman reaching his asking price.
So who's going to be involved? As one might expect, the usual big-market suspects are showing interest. The Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Mets and Angels have all confirmed their interest in Chapman. Some reports suggest Chapman prefers to play on the West Coast, leaving the Dodgers and Angels as frontrunners. Nevertheless, you can expect at least a dozen teams to make serious inquiries.
Scouts are quick to point out that, unlike Strasburg, Chapman is not MLB ready. Concerns about his fastball command lead many to believe that Chapman will need to spend some significant time in AA or AAA to hone his delivery and become accustomed to professional baseball.
Still, when you see him pitch, it's easy to picture Chapman striking out MLB hitters next summer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjbAYAeb7xc&feature=related

Will Atlanta rise again?

2009-09-26T17:00:00.002-04:00

Braves rookie righthander Tommy Hanson wasn't sharp Saturday afternoon, but it didn't matter. Yunel Escobar and Brian McCann combined for 5 rbi and the Braves beat the Nats 11-5 in D.C. to move within three games of the wildcard-leading Colorado Rockies. With just eight games left, the Braves will have to stay white-hot to tie the Rox but there's a valid reason why they might just do that.
The Braves boast one of the best starting rotations in all of baseball, led by the aforementioned Hanson and veteran Javier Vazquez. Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens and Tim Hudson round out the starting five and give the Bravos a slew of arms that induce groundballs, miss bats and - perhaps most importantly - pitch deep into games.
Atlanta sits at 84-70 and has won 9 of their last 11 games. Uncharacteristically, they're also scoring runs of late thanks in large part to McCann.
The remaining schedule is kind to Atlanta, with five games versus Washington, three against Florida and their last six contests in Turner Field. Meanwhile, Colorado plays St. Louis and Milwaukee in Colorado before finishing up with three in Chavez Ravine against the Dodgers.
Despite the hot streak, Atlanta will wake up Sunday morning no better than two and half games out. With a handful of games left to play, that is a significant gap. In a September devoid of drama, baseball fans have to be praying for a tie so we're treated to a one-game playoff between the two on Oct. 4.
It's ironic to consider that the Braves are following a similar path to the postseason that the Rockies did just two years ago when they won 20 of 21 en route to the National League pennant. With the arsenal of pitching the Braves have on board, it's not hard to envision them heading to the Fall Classic either.
Still, if you play the odds, the Rox remain the favorites. If all they do is play .500 baseball starting tonight, the Braves will still have to go 7-2 to force the playoff game.

A giant death knell

2009-09-25T16:13:00.002-04:00

Playoff hopes of San Francisco Giants fans were effectively vanquished Thursday night by the usual suspect - a putrid offense.
Clinging to a one-run lead in the top of the ninth against the Cubs, closer Brian Wilson yielded a go-ahead, two-run bomb to Jeff Baker. It would be easy to blame Wilson for the loss, but he's actually been one of the better stoppers in the league in 2009. Instead, the culprit reared its head in the bottom of the inning. The Giants already knew that the wildcard leaders - the Colorado Rockies - had lost. Rally for a simple two runs and they'd be just three games out. The inning had promise. The Giants put a man on with one out against Cubs closer Carlos Marmol. Just as quickly, the next batter, Aaron Rowand, fell behind 0-2. What happened next epitomized the Giants offensive futility. Marmol chucked a waste pitch - a slider - about two and a half feet up the first base line. Inexplicably, Rowand flailed at the offering to record the second out. Boos reigned down on Rowand as Fred Lewis pinch hit for the Giants in their final attempt at glory. Almost predictably, Lewis was struck out on three pitches.
The Giants will miss the postseason because they failed to address their offensive shortcomings. At the trade deadline, the Giants insisted on trading for slap-hitting Freddy Sanchez and the underwhelming Ryan Garko. This despite having chips on the farm to trade and legitimate bats like Matt Holliday available. With Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum already in tow, wouldn't it have made sense to lure the A's into dealing Holliday for lefthander Madison Bumgarner? But alas - GM Brian Sabean decided to fill the cupboard with more of what he already had - replacement level batters that fail to support a tremendous pitching staff.
Now, as Friday's action looms, the Giants remain four games behind Colorado with just nine games remaining.

One to watch

2009-09-24T19:19:00.002-04:00

Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane is known for his trading acumen and ability to recognize young talent. These skills have helped him transform the A's from the Hudson-Mulder-Zito era into a new age also founded on strong starting pitching.
In 2007, Beane traded ace righthander Dan Haren to the Arizona Diamondbacks for six players, one of whom was lefthander Brett Anderson. At the time, Anderson was a mid-level prospect with considerable upside. Two short years later, Anderson is one of the game's most promising young pitchers. Thursday night, the lefty turned in another fine performance against Texas in what has been a tremendous second half of the season.
Just 21 years old, Anderson has won 11 games with an ERA of 4.12 and a robust strikeout rate of 7.6 per nine innings. Walks, usually the Achilles' heel of young hurlers, haven't been much of an issue for Anderson. He's allowed 2.4 per nine innings and just 2.2 over his last 90 innings of work. The fact that he's increased his strikeout rate while simultaneously shaving walks is a great indicator of future success. Just as AL hitters should be figuring him out, Anderson has instead kicked his game up and become more dominant.
Scouts attribute the improvement to a simple increase in velocity. Anderson began the year working his fastball at about 90-91 mph. By June, he was throwing it at 94-95. That heater, coupled with a devastating slider, has made Anderson exceedingly difficult to hit. Once he begins to incorporate an effective change, this young man will dominate the American League.
Billy Beane doesn't always get his man. But this time, with young Brett Anderson, Beane has found a building block for the A's next postseason run.

Roll of the Dice-K

2009-09-21T21:47:00.002-04:00

Diasuke Matsuzaka had become a forgotten man in the Boston Red Sox starting rotation. Worn down from the World Baseball Classic, Dice-K performed nowhere near his career norms prior to being sent to the disabled list at mid-season. Matsuzaka returned with a sharp performance last week and followed that up with another solid start Sunday night.
The impact of Dice-K's return cannot be over stated - the Red Sox are now the favorites to win the American League pennant. A four-man front of Dice, Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz far exceeds that of the other three playoff teams. In addition, the Red Sox have hit at a .287 team clip over the last month and have scored almost five runs per game. Boston is on fire and only stellar pitching by their opponents stands between them and the World Series.

Return of the Jake

2009-09-20T00:05:00.002-04:00

28-year-old righthander Jake Peavy returned to the mound Saturday night and made his debut with the Chicago White Sox. Peavy got the win in a solid if unspectacular outing. He threw 73 pitches over five innings allowing three runs on three hits and striking out five. One of the hits was a bomb off the bat of Kansas City's Billy Butler. Still, Peavy looked good. He topped out at 91-92, down about 4 mph from his usual self. But his fastball had its signature late life, inducing a fair amount of swings and misses. Most importantly, number forty-four looked confident and pitched aggressively, several times brushing batters away from the plate. Word is the White Sox will give him about 75 pitches a start in his next three outings to close out the season. Peavy is poised to become Chicago's ace in 2010, moving lefty John Danks down to the number two slot in the rotation and Mark Buehrle to the third spot. With Gavin Floyd perhaps the major's best number four starter, the ChiSox have the makings of an excellent rotation next year. They have to be considered one the favorites heading into the season. Look for GM Ken Williams to trade closer Bobby Jenks for a bat, possibly a first baseman. With the Sox' payroll expected to be high next season, the team could use a bat that won't add much to payroll. An potential match might be the Texas Rangers who could send free-swinging slugger Chris Davis to the south side for Jenks.
Either way, seeing Peavy attack hitters as he's done for six years was an encouraging sign for White Sox fans and fantasy owners lucky enough to own "Peav."