The BaseBlawg

Kim Ng to Interview for Angels GM Position

2011-10-19T16:30:00.000-04:00

Buster Olney reported this morning that Kim Ng is going to be interviewed for the Angels open GM position (which resulted in me thinking "OMG! Kim Ng!" and subsequently tuning out my professor for the remainder of the class I was in).

For those familiar with me and my blog, you probably know by now that I have a bit of an obsession with Ng and her quest to become the first female general manager. I wrote about her way back in March when she left her position as the Dodgers Assistant GM to become a Sr. VP of Baseball Operations in the Commissioner's office. And I wrote about her more recently when her name was floated among the candidates for the Cubs GM position. Basically any time her name pops up on my news feed I feel compelled to write about her.

Now let me be clear: my fascination with Ng is not merely because she could be the first female to break into the boys club that has thus far characterized the MLB GM position. No, my fascination with Ng comes from the fact that she has already had an outstanding career in baseball operations, and Ng becoming the first female GM seems to be all but inevitable.

Ng became assistant GM of the New York Yankees in 1998, and following the 2001 season made the lateral transfer to become assistant GM of the Dodgers, where she served until this March before leaving to work as a Senior VP of Baseball Operations for the Commissioner’s Office. In total, Ng has served as an assistant GM at the major league level for 13 full seasons. During her time with the Dodgers Ng handled all of the arbitration cases, many of the minor league free-agent signings, and maintained the club’s compliance with MLB’s rules for roster management and player eligibility.

So yeah, she knows her stuff and is amazing at her job. Ng maintains that her ultimate goal is be an MLB GM, and based on her résumé I believe she has earned it. Will it be with the Angels? Who knows. But this is Ng's 5th time interviewing for a GM position, and she shows no signs of giving up on her goal. One of these days Ng will shatter the glass ceiling and become the first female GM. And until then I'll continue to scan the front office rumors and follow her progress.

The Best of John & Suzyn - Postseason Edition

2011-10-09T19:08:00.000-04:00

With the expiration of the WCBS radio contract, the status of John and Suzyn as Yankees announcers is up in the air for next season. But I won’t get into that because it makes me pretty sad. Instead, I’ll be optimistic that John and Suzyn will be back in the booth next season, and until then here is the final batch of John and Suzyn quotes for 2011:

“Game 1 will start back up at 1-1, which is almost like 0-0.” – Sterling, 10/1 v. Tigers

“Who’s the leadoff hitter? Why it’s Brett Gardner, batting 9th! That’s kind of a running joke…” – Sterling, 10/2 v. Tigers

“Being the intrepid reporter that I am, I must confess it is raining.” – Sterling, 10/2 v. Tigers

“Well Inge is known to have some power but San Diego… er… Santiago is usually a gap hitter at best.” – Waldman, 10/3 @ Tigers

John: “Did you give a temperature tonight?”

Suzyn: “Yes I did. Would you like to know what it is? It’s 61 - it says right on the scoreboard.” 10/4 @ Tigers

“AJ… with a bravissimo performance!” – Sterling, 10/4 @ Tigers

“I’ll give you a stat. Actually we could give you 8 billion stats because that’s how many they produce, and most of them mean nothing. But I’ll give you one that really means nothing in a minute.” – Sterling, 10/6 v. Tigers

“Now here’s Kelly who is 4 for 8 in the series, and I never got my dumb point out.” – Sterling, 10/6 v. Tigers

“When Hughes is right this is what he looks like. His fastball is a stream of milk.” – Sterling, 10/6 v. Tigers

End of Year Awards - Top Players

2011-10-06T11:00:00.000-04:00

And last but not least and the Year End Awards series, I give you my 10 choices for AL Player of the Year!

2011 Stan Musial Award (Top Player)

This was a terribly tough choice. Any of the first five guys on this list could receive first place MVP votes, but ultimately I went with Miguel Cabrera as my top choice. Miggy just simply had a more well-balanced season than everyone else, in my opinion. He played in 161 games, hit .344/.448/.568 with 111 runs, 48 doubles, 30 home runs, 105 RBI, and drew 108 walks. Not only did he hit with power in timely situations, but he also hit for average and was willing to work the count to get on base.
Jose Bautista will likely end up winning the AL MVP – the first place votes are likely to be very divisive, but Bautista will be high enough on everyone’s ballot that an accumulation of 2^nd and 3^rd place votes will put him over the top. This season the slugger hit .302/.447/.608 while scoring 105 runs, hitting 24 doubles, 2 triples, 43 home runs, and knocking in 103 RBI. He also drew 132 walks.
Jacoby Ellsbury only played 18 games in 2010, but he came back with a vengeance this season. He racked up 212 hits with a line of .321/.376/.552, 46 of which were doubles, 5 of which were triples, and 32 of which were home runs. He also scored 119 runs and stole 39 bases while driving in 105. Just how great was Ellsbury’s season? He set new career highs in runs scored, hits, total bases, doubles, home runs, and RBI. At just 28-years old Ellsbury’s name could be at the top of MVP ballots for many years to come.
Ok, maybe I’m biased because as a Yankees fan I see Curtis Granderson play every day. But his season has been much more impressive than his .262 batting average would indicate. Indeed, his .364 OBP and .552 slugging percentage are much better indicators. Curtis scored 136 runs and racked up 153 hits this season including 26 doubles and 10 triples. He also drove in 119 RBI and walloped an impressive 41 home runs. And all this from a guy who doesn’t consider himself a home run hitter.
Adrian Gonzalez is the second MVP candidate from a Red Sox team that was full of them this year. He signed a huge contract last offseason and didn’t disappoint. He hit .338/.410/.548 with 108 runs scored, 45 doubles, 27 home runs, and 117 RBI. It’s no surprise that the Red Sox offense was such a powerhouse with the trio of Ellsbury, Gonzalez, and Pedroia.
Justin Verlander is undeniably going to be the AL Cy Young winner (likely on a unanimous vote), and the baseball world is buzzing with discussion of whether he will also garner serious votes for AL MVP. At 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 250 strikeouts in 251 innings pitched, he has certainly made a strong case for himself.
Robinson Cano had a quietly great season while his teammate Curtis Granderson absorbed most of the MVP chatter. Cano’s slash line was .302/.349/.533 with 104 runs scored, 188 hits, an incredible 46 doubles, 7 triples, 28 home runs, and 118 RBI. On a Yankees team full of sluggers Cano is probably the most consistently productive hitter year in and year out.
Dustin Pedroia is the third and final Red Sox on my list. While he didn’t put up the astronomical numbers of Ellsbury and Gonzalez, he nonetheless had a great season. Pedroia posted a line of .307/.387/.474 with 102 runs scored, 195 hits, 37 doubles, 21 home runs, and 91 RBI.
Josh Hamilton is a incredible story of redemption, and it is great to see him have another strong season. Hamilton hit .298/.346/.536 with 31 doubles, 25 home runs, and 94 RBI. Unfortunately Hamilton was sidelined for about 7 weeks with a broken arm, hurting his overall season numbers.
Challenging Verlander for the AL’s best ERA was Angels’ righty Jered Weaver. Weaver finished the season with a solid 18-8 record, a 2.41 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP and 198 strikeouts in 235.2 innings pitched.

End of Year Awards - Top Reliever

2011-10-05T11:04:00.000-04:00

Following up on yesterday's "Best Pitcher" post, today’s blog post continues with the top AL Relievers…

2011 Goose Gossage Award (Top Reliever)

My vote for best AL reliever goes to the Yankees’ David Robertson. Sure, it is a sexy choice to give these awards to closers (and closers are usually closers because they are amazing relievers), but this year Robertson was better than any AL closer. Affectionately known as “Houdini,” Robertson allowed only 9 runs while striking out an even 100 in 66.2 innings. He needs to work on his WHIP (giving up 40 hits and walking 35), but if he is able to get that under control his is my choice as Mariano Rivera’s heir as closer.
Speaking of Mariano Rivera, he is number 2 on my Top Relievers list. You may have heard of the guy – he’s been pretty good for quite a few years now. So good, in fact, that he is now officially the greatest closer in the history of the game after setting the all-time saves record this season (with 603). This season Mo continued to be Mo, racking up 44 saves, 60 strikeouts, and allowing just 13 runs in 61.1 innings.
Rounding out my list is Tigers’ closer Jose Valverde. He was perfect in save attempts this season, going 49-for-49, and you can’t argue with results. His ERA (2.24) and WHIP (1.19) are a bit higher than you’d like from your closer, but Valverde consistently got the job done when he needed to.

End of Year Awards - Top Pitcher

2011-10-04T11:00:00.000-04:00

Today’s blog post continues with the End of Year Awards, this time with 5 choices!

2011 Walter Johnson Award (Top Pitcher)

My top pick for best AL pitcher goes to one Justin Verlander. He is undeniably going to be the AL Cy Young winner (likely on a unanimous vote), and the baseball world is buzzing with discussion of whether he will also garner serious votes for AL MVP. At 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 250 strikeouts in 251 innings pitched, he has certainly made a strong case for himself.
Challenging Verlander for the AL’s best ERA was Angels’ righty Jered Weaver. Weaver finished the season with a solid 18-8 record, a 2.41 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP and 198 strikeouts in 235.2 innings pitched.
Rays’ righty James Shields is my third pick for best AL pitcher. He turned in a 2.82 ERA, threw 11 complete games (4 of which were shutouts), and struck out 225 batters in 249.1 innings. No small feat when you consider Shields pitched many of his games against the Rays’ power-hitting AL East rivals.
CC Sabathia gets my 4^th place vote. CC is always great, but this year the caliber of pitching in the AL was incredible. CC finished the season 19-8 with a 3.00 ERA and 230 strikeouts in 237.1 innings pitched. The only real hitch in his season came against the rival Boston Red Sox, against whom he went 1-4 with a 6.39 ERA in 31 innings spread over 5 starts.
My final vote for best AL pitcher goes to the Yankees’ David Robertson. Affectionately known as “Houdini,” Robertson allowed only 9 runs while striking out an even 100 in 66.2 innings. He needs to work on his WHIP (giving up 40 hits and walking 35), but if he is able to get that under control his is my choice as Mariano Rivera’s heir as closer.

The Best of Failed Mascots

2011-10-03T11:00:00.000-04:00

Last night while watching the Phillies/Cardinals game I was reminded how great the Philly Phanatic is. Which got me wondering, what were the worst mascots that ever graced a baseball field?

Dandy (New York Yankees)

Dandy is the short-lived mascot the Yankees would prefer you forget. He was introduced in 1979 to compete with the newly popular Philly Phanatic and his mustache was designed to invoke the image of Thurman Munson. But just a few weeks before Dandy was to debut, Yankees outfielder Lou Piniella got in a fight with the San Diego Chicken. And just a few days after Dandy’s first appearance, Munson died tragically and suddenly in a plane crash. Not wanting this mascot to remind fans of their fallen captain, Dandy was confined to the upper deck of Yankee Stadium until his retirement in 1981.

The Gold Sox Sock (Amarillo Gold Sox)

The Gold Sox Sock made its debut this past summer. He was temporarily retired after just one game so his costume could be redesigned. I’m guessing this one looked better on paper.

The Baseball Bug (Cleveland Indians)

The Baseball Bug roamed Municipal Stadium from 1980 to 1981, when he was retired for no real reason beyond being a pretty horrible mascot.

Luckily for the Indians, they now have a much better mascot named Slider. Yeah… Slider is better.

The Crazy Crab (San Francisco Giants)

The Crazy Crab was introduced in 1984 and retired at the end of that same season. He was seemingly doomed from the start when Giants’ executives encouraged the fans to abuse the Crab. The fans took this encouragement to heart and pelted him with refuse to the point that the costume had to be reinforced with fiberglass to protect the performer inside.

Henry the Puffy Taco (San Antonio Missions)

Henry is actually not a failed mascot, but he probably should be. Sure, everyone loves tacos, but a taco and its ingredients should never be described as “puffy.”

The Best of John & Suzyn - September

2011-09-30T14:48:00.001-04:00

Love ‘em or hate ‘em (and personally, I love ‘em), you have to admit that Yankees radio duo John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman call some gems on WCBS. Here are the best from September:

“Since the All-Star break Andruw is hitting… oh, I’ll throw a number out… he’s hitting .340, let’s say.” – Sterling, 9/5 v. Orioles

“I was talking to the Orioles coaches about Chris Jakubauskas and they said I just like saying his name. Chris Jakubauskas!” – Waldman, 9/5 v. Orioles

“The 1-1 is a drive to right center… to the gap… IT IS A… caught. He caught it.” – Sterling, 9/5 v. Orioles

John: “Boy, Tommy Hunter is really laughing out there on the mound. It’s almost as if something is funny.”

Suzyn: “Well, he’s on a last place team and he’s pitching in mud.” – 9/6 v. Orioles, as rain continued to fall after a 4 hour rain delay

“If you were a tour guide you would tell the Yankees: ‘Avoid Anaheim! Just don’t go there!’” – Sterling, 9/11 @ Angels

Suzyn: “Well Mark, after losing all these games recently John and I think the win today feels like the biggest win of the year!”

Mark Teixeira: “I don’t know if I’d go that far.”

Suzyn: “We’re very dramatic.” – 9/11 @ Angels

“Dig this, Suzyn. If the Yanks win tonight, they’ll be four games up. No more half-game jazz.” – Sterling, 9/12 @ Mariners

“Not only will Mariano hold the saves record, but baby there’s no one close!” – Sterling, 9/12 @ Mariners

Suzyn: “John, have we ever seen Felix Hernandez give up 6 runs?”

John: “No. You gave the stats earlier!” – 9/12 @ Mariners

“It’s not that this ballpark is overly big, but it is… I mean, not overly… but it’s big.” – Sterling, 9/12 @ Mariners

“Can the Yankees get the 28^th out? What am I talking about? There are only 27 outs.” – Sterling, 9/13 @ Mariners

“The Yankees are doing about everything wrong. That’s why they’re having so much trouble winning games.” – Sterling, 9/17 @ Blue Jays

“The soap operas Suzyn and I watch always have a good twin and an evil twin. That’s like AJ.” – Sterling, 9/19 v. Twins

“It’s only when Nova has trouble with one pitch or another than he starts getting into trouble.” – Waldman, 9/20 v. Rays

“Maybe Boston’s pitching went south when they all started taking an hour and a half between pitches.” – Waldman, 9/25 Game 1 v. Red Sox

Suzyn: “We’ve now hit 5 hours, John.”

John: “Well I hope I get a prize for that.” – 9/25 Game 2 v. Red Sox

Suzyn: “What could Russell have said to get thrown out?”

John: “I bet he said ‘Aw shucks, I think that was a strike.’” – 9/26 @ Rays

“There is a guy here who has one of those blackboards – one of those white blackboards that you can write on and erase.” – Waldman, 9/26 @ Rays

End of Year Awards - Top Manager

2011-09-28T18:00:00.000-04:00

Today’s blog post continues with the End of Year Awards…

2011 Connie Mack Award Choices (Top AL Rookies)

Angels’ manager Mike Scioscia gets my vote for top manger this year. It’s no secret that he specializes in playing small ball, and it has definitely paid off for the Angels this season. Rookie Mark Trumbo leads the team with 29 home runs, and the team as a whole has only hit 155 homers this season (compare that to the Yankees’ 218). In addition, the Angels have only scored 663 runs, putting them 10^th in runs scored in the AL. But nonetheless, they have won 86 games and until this week remained in the Wild Card competition. The reason? They score runs when it really matters thanks to well-placed bunts, sac flies, and smart baserunning.
Coming in second for my manager picks is the Rays’ Joe Maddon. His managerial style is very similar to Scioscia’s, which is not surprising, given the fact that Maddon worked under Scioscia in the Angels’ organization and made it widely known that he wanted to manage the Rays the same way. The Rays could have easily fallen out of contention long ago with the powerhouse Yankees and Red Sox in the same division, but thanks to Maddon’s aggressive style of play they are going into Game 162 tied with the Red Sox for the lead in the Wild Card.
Rounding out my list is Tigers’ manager Jim Leyland. Sure, it should be easy to win games when your team has two guys who are arguably the top-two MVP picks (Verlander and Cabrera). However, coming into the season the Tigers weren’t the clear favorites in what appeared to be a deep AL Central. But as the Twins, White Sox, and Indians dropped out of contention one by one the Tigers have continued a stellar level of play, running away with the division and looming as a very tough opponent in the postseason.

End of Year Awards - Top Rookie

2011-09-27T12:26:00.000-04:00

It’s that time of year where we baseball bloggers start throwing around our opinions on which players deserve year-end awards. So I am going to start my awards picks with the American League rookies.

2011 Willie Mays Award Choices (Top AL Rookies)

My top choice is Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer. With just 2 games remaining in the season Hosmer has hit .295/.337/.470 with 27 doubles, 3 triples, 19 home runs, and 78 RBI in 515 at-bats. On a Royals team stacked with young talent Hosmer has certainly stood out this year. Look for him to be an impact player for many years to come.
Rays starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson comes in second on my list. Hellickson has posted a 13-10 record with a 2.90 ERA and 116 strikeouts over 183 innings pitched. Those are solid numbers for any pitcher, but are even better when you consider that Hellickson pitches so many of his games against the Rays’ power-hitting AL East rivals.
Angels first baseman Mark Trumbo rounds out the list for the sheer power numbers he has put up this season. He has hit .254/.291/.477 with 31 doubles, 29 home runs, and 87 RBI in 539 at-bats. In true power-hitter form, Trumbo has also racked up 120 strikeouts and drawn just 25 walks this season. While his pure power numbers are better than Hosmer’s, Trumbo is not as well-rounded as Hosmer. Obviously the raw talent is there for Trumbo – he simply needs to focus on his plate discipline in the coming years.

Honorable Mention: Ivan Nova (NYY) – 16-4 record, 3.70 ERA, 98 strikeouts in 165.1 innings pitched

Gratuitous Self-Promotion (aka An Announcement!)

2011-09-25T11:00:00.000-04:00

As some of you know, I started this blog back in February as a way to forget about law school for a bit. Since then it has grown at a pretty good clip and I've had a great time writing the posts. I have been fortunate enough to meet a lot of fantastic bloggers, and old friends and new have been very supportive of my writing.

Last week I was given an unexpected opportunity to be the Lead Writer on Yanks Go Yard, a Yankees news and opinion blog on the FanSided Network. Of course, I accepted this offer. Not only will I get to work with a great staff of writers, but I will also get to write about my beloved Yankees.

So please bookmark Yanks Go Yard and visit often. I will continue to write about general baseball news on this blog and also contribute to the Dugout Doctors, so if you haven't already bookmarked those sites please do that as well. Thanks to everyone who has helped and supported me in my writing. I look forward to receiving your feedback on my future posts!

Photo of the Day

2011-09-22T00:08:00.001-04:00

The photobomb in this Yankees clubhouse celebration is brought to you by Alex Rodriguez.

Those Pesky Orioles Are Spoiling Everything

2011-09-21T01:13:00.001-04:00

The Orioles have no postseason hopes, but that's not stopping them from making the most of the last month of the regular season. Despite the fact that they are sitting firmly in last place and were eliminated from contention weeks ago, the Orioles are proving to be an influential force in several American League playoff races.

(You may remember that I wrote a post two weeks ago about how the playoff races were already decided. Well, as a wise man often says, "you can't predict baseball.")

The Orioles' September schedule has been a killer: 7 games against the Red Sox, 6 against the Rays, 4 each against the Yankees and Blue Jays, and 3 each against the Angels and Tigers. Faced with this lineup at the end of a long season the Orioles could have simply rolled over and waited to reboot in 2012. Instead they are playing like this month is their very own playoff run, and proving to be a thorn in the side of many teams.

The Orioles took 2 out of 3 games from the Angels last week, creating a speed bump in the Angels' pursuit of the Rangers for the AL West title. They also posted wins against the Red Sox on Monday and Tuesday, narrowing the Red Sox Wild Card lead over the Rays to a mere 2 games.

Going into today's games the Rangers and Tigers have identical records, leaving the Yankees' ALDS opponent up in the air. If the Orioles continue their strong play into the four game series with the Tigers this weekend they could essentially stamp the Rangers' ticket for an ALDS meeting with the Yankees, while the Tigers would face the Wild Card winner. And the three-game series against the Red Sox in Baltimore on September 26-28 will likely decide whether the Red Sox see postseason play or whether they go home to play golf while the Rays play in October.

And this, my friends, is exactly what makes baseball great. With a record of 64-90 the Orioles are terrible by all accounts. But they are also having a huge and undeniable impact on the final weeks of the season, not to mention adding some incredible drama to what could otherwise have been a bland and predictable playoff race. And if that kind of excitement isn't good for baseball, I don't know what is.

A First Look at Playoff Gear

2011-09-18T10:00:00.005-04:00

With a win over St. Louis Saturday night the Phillies joined the Tigers as the first teams this season to clinch their divisions. And you know what that means... merchandising opportunities for MLB! So what can we look forward to in this year's batch of playoff apparel?

There appear to be three shirt designs to choose from. The first one is a grey hoodie and/or tee with retro-ish neon sign type writing and what appears to be the team's home stadium at the top of the design.

The second shirt is in team colors and features the "Division Champions" logo on the front and a full roster on the back.

The final shirt option is my personal favorite. I've been pretty fond of the playoff hoodies over the past couple of years, and this year it looks as though MLB has gone with a simple logo that focuses largely on the teams' logos. It's a nice contrast to the busy-looking grey shirt above, and I appreciate the fact that it seems to celebrate the actual team, and not the playoff institution itself. (What a concept.)

Speaking of putting the focus on the actual playoff process, how about this cap? I'll admit I'm not much of a cap wearer, but this is a little much, no?

The second cap option is along the same lines, just with different wording/design. If you look closely at this one you will notice that it is simply a blue cap with the logo photoshopped onto it. Apparently none of these caps had gone to production in time for MLB to post them in the online shop.

Again, I saved my favorite for last. I like the look of old, worn caps, and even though these also have photoshopped logos in the picture, the final embroidered product should look pretty cool. (At least on the Tigers cap - there is a lot going happening on the Phillies cap.)

So there it is folks. If you have playoff aspirations for your team and want to buy some new gear this fall, it's probably going to be one of these shirts or caps. Simply use your imagination and insert your team's colors/logo where applicable.

Another Hit Streak Snapped: Adrian Beltre

2011-09-17T21:32:00.002-04:00

In what has been a tough week for hit streaks Adrian Beltre is the latest player to have his streak snapped. When Beltre’s 19-game streak began on July 16 he was hitting .268/.308/.489. Six games into the streak Beltre went to the disabled list with a hamstring strain that caused him to miss the last week of July and the entire month of August. When Beltre returned to the field September 1^st he picked up right where he left off. Over the course of 19 games he hit .395/.422/.737 with 8 doubles, 6 home runs, and 19 RBI, raising his season number to .290/.328/.532.

Magglio Ordonez currently owns MLB’s longest-running hit streak at 14 games. If we have learned anything from Beltre’s, Ellsbury’s, and Montero’s broken streaks this week, it appears that Ordonez’s greatest challenge in extending his streak will come between games 18-20.

Ellsbury's Hit Streak Ends

2011-09-16T21:17:00.000-04:00

Jacoby Ellsbury’s 18-game hit streak came to an end last night when he went 0-4 against the Rays. Ellsbury began his streak on August 26 with a slash line of .312/.369/.516. Over the past 18 games he has added to his strong season by batting .377/.448/.727 with 11 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, and 13 RBI. In the powerhouse AL MVP race Ellsbury is certainly using the final month of the season to distinguish himself as a serious candidate.

The next hit streak on the horizon belongs to Adrian Beltre, who will put his 19-game streak on the line against the Mariners tonight.

Email From A Non-Fan

2011-09-14T19:19:00.005-04:00

My friend Jacqueline is not a baseball fan, but she is learning. We go to minor league games and watch games on TV, and slowly but surely she is getting to know baseball. The other night she even analyzed someone's attempt to lay down a "punt" (bunt).

Anyway, J is one of my favorite people to watch baseball with because she asks a lot of questions and gives me an excuse to talk about baseball. So it made my morning when she sent me this urgent email, and I felt that I should share it:

Apparently J noticed the Twitter explosion last night after Mariano got his historic save and wanted to know what all the fuss was about. Hopefully I was able to give her a good explanation!

*EDIT: Another non-baseball-fan friend told me that I should explain in this post what a save is (because she too was curious), so here is the language from MLB's Official Rule Book.
A pitcher receives a save when he meets the four following conditions:

He is the finishing pitcher in a game won by his team;
He is not the winning pitcher;
He pitches at least 1/3 of an inning; and
He enters the game with a lead of no more than 3 runs and pitches at least 1 inning; OR he enters the game with the potential tying run on base, at bat, or on deck; OR he pitches for at least three innings.

Montero's Hit Streak Comes to an End

2011-09-13T11:14:00.000-04:00

Miguel Montero’s 18-game hitting streak came to an end Monday night as he went 0-3 with a strikeout against the Dodgers. Montero’s streak began on August 20 and since then he has raised his slash line from .267/.340/.437 to .280/.348/.460. This rise in average is largely due to the fact that during these 18 games Montero hit .352/.395/.577 with 7 doubles, 3 home runs, and 16 RBI, helping the D-Backs to an impressive 14-4 record during this time.

The next hit streaks on the horizon belong to Adrian Beltre and Jacoby Ellsbury, with each riding a 16-game streak coming back into action following yesterday’s off day.

September 11 Remembered

2011-09-10T21:25:00.002-04:00

Baseball Bloggers Association press release composed by Bill Ivie:

This Sunday will mark the tenth anniversary of the heinous attacks that took place on American soil. Thousands of people lost their lives in Washington DC, New York City, and in Pennsylvania.

Over the course of time, various tributes have been raised to the American heroes that were involved in that day’s actions. People have spoken, God Bless America has been sang at sporting events, our own National Anthem took on a new meaning, and moments of silence have been observed all over the world.

Sometimes the hardest thing for someone that writes, hosts radio shows, or utilizes Social Media to do is to not speak or be heard. Over the next few days, the subject matter of that day will be examined. Beyond that, we have decided to be “heard” in a new way.

A moment of silence would not be enough for websites such as this one. So, instead, we bring to you an entire day. This website, as well as the websites listed below (all members of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance) have decided to collectively go into a “black out” period for the entire day this Sunday, September 11, 2011. No posts will be written. No Tweets will be sent. No Facebook posts will occur. For 24 hours, this group of websites has chosen to observe our own “moment of silence” in honor of the citizens, military members, civil servants and true American heroes that passed away on that day.

We will return on Monday with the same great content that we have always brought to our fans.
Until then, we will join you in watching the game. We will be fans for the day. We will be Americans.

Thank you.

And God Bless America.

Happy Birthday Suzyn Waldman!

2011-09-07T03:00:00.000-04:00

Today is Suzyn Waldman's birthday, and what better time to celebrate all the great things she has accomplished in her career and the huge strides she has made for women in sports broadcasting.

In 1987 she became the first female announcer on WFAN. In 2005 she became the first woman to hold a full-time position as an MLB broadcaster on WCBS. And that's not all - according to MLB.com

The word "first" invariably precedes the name of Suzyn Waldman in every facet of her television and radio career. The first woman to work on a nationally televised baseball broadcast, Waldman added another first, being the first woman to provide play-by-play for a Major League team, when she started broadcasting New York Yankees games for WPIX, MSG Network and WNYW/FOX5 in the mid ‘90s. The first and only woman ever to host an NBA pre- and post-game show, working in that capacity for the NY Knicks on WFAN, Waldman provided play-by-play for the WNBA on Lifetime TV and was an analyst on St. John's Basketball games for MSG and WFAN.

She also spent 15 years on the Broadway stage - you know, just for good measure.

So happy birthday Suzyn! Here's to many more!

A Not-So-Bold End of Season Prediction

2011-09-06T13:12:00.001-04:00

To be frank, the last month of the regular season is shaping up to be quite the snoozefest. The division and wild card winners are all but locked up. And barring some colossal collapse down the stretch (which is possible, of course) the playoff field for the AL will consist of the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, and Rangers, and the NL will be represented by the Phillies, Braves, Brewers, and Diamondbacks. There seem to be no races in sight.

But as Suzyn Waldman kindly pointed out during yesterday’s Yankees/Orioles broadcast there is one race that is still in high contention. And that is the race for worst record in the American League. (The Astros are a lock for the worst NL record.) There are currently four teams bottoming out the AL standings:

Baltimore 55-84

Kansas City 59-83

Minnesota 58-83

Seattle 58-83

So which team will end up with the unenviable title of “League’s Worst Record?”

The Orioles certainly have the toughest schedule over the final three weeks of the season. They are currently in the middle of a series with the division-leading Yankees and will then face the Blue Jays, Rays, Angels, Red Sox (2 series), and Tigers. Yikes. Factor in the Orioles 18-38 record against their rivals in the AL East and it looks like it will be an ugly end for the O’s.

The Royals are perennial losers, albeit loveable ones. They face the anemic offense of the Mariners this weekend, and then finish the final three weeks solely against AL Central opponents. It goes without saying that the Royals won’t see any postseason action, but they certainly have the power to make White Sox and Tigers lives more difficult down the stretch. This young Royals team could finish strong, giving them a positive springboard going into the offseason.

If the Royals are perennial losers, the Twins are perennial underdogs. Indeed, even though they have had a disappointing, injury-laden season, there are a lot of variables that could prevent them from bottoming out the standings. Joe Mauer is back in the lineup and Justin Morneau could return this weekend in the DH role. The Twins biggest opponent down the stretch will be fatigue, which is already a problem for every team at this point in the season. But the Twins schedule is particularly exhausting – they dropped a double header to the White Sox yesterday, they’ll play a double header in Cleveland on the 24^th, and in between they will make a trip to New York for a single makeup game against the Yankees.

The Mariners don’t score runs, plain and simple. They have scored a mere 483 runs this season, 61 fewer than the next lowest scoring AL team (the Twins). The Mariners only saving grace is their solid pitching staff that does not allow many runs. They’ll see some tough competition down the stretch in the Rangers and Yankees, but also have a considerable number of games remaining against the Royals, Twins, and A’s.

Final Prediction: Look for the Orioles to hold the AL’s worst record when the regular season ends on September 29^th. The Royals, Twins, and Mariners all have the chance to influence the remainder of each other’s seasons, but the Orioles (who already hold the league’s worst record by a slight margin) are at the mercy of the powerhouse Yankees and Red Sox, not to mention the Rays and Blue Jays, who could arguably be contending teams this year if they were in any division other than the AL East.

The Best of John & Suzyn: August

2011-09-01T10:00:00.009-04:00

Love ‘em or hate ‘em (and personally, I love ‘em), you have to admit that Yankees radio duo John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman call some gems on WCBS. Here are the best from August:

“You know, Suzyn, I don’t see much difference between home and away in baseball. But thanks for telling me it’s August.” – Sterling, 8/1 @ White Sox

“Here’s Robbie Cano hitting .299. That’s as close as you can get to .300 without hitting .300.” – Sterling, 8/4 @ White Sox

“The 1 and 2 is up and in so the count is 2 and 1.” – Sterling, 8/6 @ Red Sox

“Have you noticed that when Gardner dives back into first he replaces the dirt? Does a little… gardening?” – Waldman, 8/7 @ Red Sox

“That’s why he’s the executive producer: he is texty and sexy.” – Sterling, referring to their executive producer who had just given them some information, 8/24 v. A’s

“Gardner has been successful on 23 of his last 24 steals. I think that stat is right. If I’m wrong I’m only wrong by one, let’s say.” – Sterling, 8/24 v. A’s

Suzyn: “I don’t think this game will ever end.”

John: “No, I can’t see how it will.” – 8/25 v. A’s as the game neared its 6^th hour of play

“And Curtis Granderson hits a home run! That’s another grand slam! Or in this case, a Grander-slam!” – Sterling, 8/25 v. A’s

“I know there are a lot of people in the New York area who still don’t have power and are used to watching on television. Well this is radio – welcome to us.” – Waldman, 8/29 @ Orioles

“Nick Swisher runs out to the bleachers with his arms open like he’s going to invite everyone to his house for cupcakes.” – Waldman, 8/29 @ Orioles

John: “That gives the Yankees a 5-4 lead!”

Suzyn: “And the biggest moth just flew up here…” – 8/31 @ Red Sox

Must Read Article: "Why Couldn't I Buy A Dodgers Hat at Dodger Stadium?"

2011-08-31T14:23:00.000-04:00

Eric over at Pitchers & Poets has a great (albeit depressing) post about his recent trip to a Dodgers game. It is yet another vivid example of the devastating impact the McCourt saga has had on the entire Dodgers franchise, the city of LA, and the game of baseball itself. Sad.

Will the Cubs Give MLB its First Female GM?

2011-08-31T10:00:00.005-04:00

Back in March I wrote an article about Kim Ng and her continuing quest to become MLB’s first female General Manager. Now it looks as though that quest could soon be coming to an end. Bleacher Nation reports that Ng’s name has been floated in the discussion for the Cubs new GM (along with Dan Evans and Ned Colletti). And while the Cubs are still in the early stages of their GM search, Ng could be a legitimate candidate for the job.

Ng is no stranger to MLB front offices and she is highly thought of in executive circles. She became assistant GM of the New York Yankees in 1998, and following the 2001 season made the lateral transfer to become assistant GM of the Dodgers, where she served until this March before leaving to work as a Senior VP of Baseball Operations for the Commissioner’s Office. In total, Ng has served as an assistant GM at the major league level for 13 full seasons. During her time with the Dodgers Ng handled all of the arbitration cases, many of the minor league free-agent signings, and maintained the club’s compliance with MLB’s rules for roster management and player eligibility.

During Ng’s time with the Dodgers there were two GM changes, once before the 2004 season, and again at the end of the 2005 season. In both of these instances the Dodgers went outside the organization to fill the position, despite the fact that Ng interviewed for the opening in 2005 before ultimately being passed over in favor of Ned Colletti, who at the time served as assistant GM for the San Francisco Giants. Since then Ng has interviewed for two other GM positions: once in 2008 with the Seattle Mariners and again in 2009 with the San Diego Padres. When Ng left the Dodgers to work for the Commissioner’s Office this year she maintained that her ultimate goal is to someday be a GM, and sees her position as Senior VP of Baseball Operations as an asset that will make her a more well-rounded GM candidate.

Perhaps the Cubs will finally make Ng’s dream a reality, and at the same time shatter the long-standing glass ceiling that has insulated MLB’s fraternity of exclusively male GMs.

Criticism of Joe Mauer Is Unfair, Says Joe Mauer

2011-08-30T10:00:00.002-04:00

Last night Joe Mauer missed his fifth straight game due to a neck injury (officially being called a “hyperextended neck”). Injuries are nothing new to the Twins or their fans this season – their players have made a total 24 trips to the disabled list and the only two starters to avoid the DL so far this season are Michael Cuddyer and Danny Valencia. Mauer himself has missed nearly half the Twins’ games this season (64 out of 134). With this plethora of injuries it comes as no surprise that the Twins have struggled mightily this year and currently sit 17 games behind the Tigers in the AL Central. So are the Twins just having one of those unlucky seasons? Or do certain players deserve criticism for how they condition themselves?

Deserving or not, Mauer in particular has faced no shortage of criticism for his time on the bench this season. People have questioned everything from Mauer’s off-season preparation to his general “lack of toughness.” And through it all Mauer has maintained that this criticism is unfair. Only Mauer knows for sure how prepared he was for the season and how much physical abuse his body can take on the field, and chances are there is some stuff going on that the fans are not privy to. But like it or not, Mauer’s shiny new $184 million contract has propelled him into the group of highly paid athletes who perform under a microscope. Couple this with Mauer’s status as a hometown hero and for the remainder of his 8-year contract he can expect to be scrutinized more heavily than his teammates who make far less money.

And yes, some of this criticism will be unfair. But there are steps Mauer can take to help himself. Mauer has been fairly tight-lipped about his injuries, which isn’t exactly unheard of in sports. Athletes play hurt every day, and at this point in the baseball season most players have some type of injury nagging at them. But the problem comes when a player doesn’t know when to rest a nagging injury, and suddenly he finds himself headed for the disabled list. Was Mauer ever truly ready to start the year after off-season knee surgery? It doesn’t seem like it, but that is over and done with, and Mauer seems to have learned from it. “Maybe [the injuries are] something I need to be more upfront with, and it’s one of the things I’ve learned,” he said. And that’s a great start.

In that same vein Mauer needs to make sure that fans know exactly how much he wants to be in the lineup every day. Twins fans love Mauer, and he loves them back. But it’s a long season (made longer by the Twins’ struggles) and even the most beloved players sometimes need to remind the fans that they haven’t given up and that they still take the field every day looking for a win. Mauer addressed his latest injury on Saturday by saying “I’ve always said, ‘If I’m in the lineup, I’m in the lineup.’” This statement was likely an attempt to minimize any worries about the severity of the neck injury, but it doesn’t exactly drip disappointment at once again being scratched from the lineup.

For years now the Twins have consistently found ways to be competitive and there is no reason to think that this injury-plagued season isn’t a fluke. Next season is a brand new day, so to speak, and if anyone is going to lead the Twins to a resurgence in 2012, there is no one better suited for the task than Joe Mauer.

Critics Are Missing the Point of the Little League World Series

2011-08-25T11:14:00.000-04:00

The Little League World Series has gotten a lot of flack this year. Bill Plaschke wrote a scathing article about it last week, essentially saying that the televised tournament is nothing more than a glorified reality show capitalizing on the raw emotions of the children and their parents. A few days later Jelisa Castrodale penned an article criticizing the month-long coverage of 69 televised games as excessive. And just yesterday Dan Wetzel at Yahoo Sports went so far as to argue that the Little Leaguers playing in televised games should be paid, essentially adopting the familiar refrain that we have heard for years concerning college athletes. All three of these articles can be summed up as follows: ratings for the LLWS are the highest they’ve ever been, and the ESPN/ABC/Disney conglomerate is profiting greatly from the increased advertising dollars at the expense of the players.

I’ll be honest – prior to this year I never had much interest in watching the LLWS. And a good deal of my new-found interest can be traced directly to the negative press that just keeps mounting in response to the tournament. After all, there is truth to the old adage that ‘there is no such thing as bad publicity,’ and I decided to tune into a few games to see what all the fuss is about.

Yes, there seem to be ample advertising dollars in the mix (these games wouldn’t be broadcast in primetime on ESPN if they weren’t profitable). And true, listening to Nomar Garciaparra and Orel Hershiser analyze a 12-year old’s delivery to the plate is a little ridiculous. I’ll even concede that the camera sometimes lingers a bit too long on a player who is trying to choke back tears because he has just made a costly error in the late innings.

But despite all of this there are some great aspects of televising the LLWS that these columnists seem to ignore. The first is the access provided to the friends and families of the players. These Little League teams come from all over the world, and it is just not feasible for all of the players’ friends and families to fly to Williamsport. Broadcasting more games means that Grandma and Grandpa don’t have to worry about missing a game – they can watch their grandson and his team live as the game progresses. A team making it deep into the LLWS is exciting, but an extended stay in Williamsport is also expensive. Not everyone can afford to commit the two weeks and thousands of dollars to follow a team to the LLWS, but thanks to the television schedule, family members can be assured they will see their Little Leaguer’s big moment from the comfort of their own home.

The second benefit of televising so many LLWS games is the exposure children are getting to the game. Every game begins with a cute animated song sequence featuring the characters from Phineas and Ferb. If you are an adult and don’t know what Phineas and Ferb is, well, that’s because it is a Disney cartoon popular among Disney’s tween audience. Those who are skeptical of the commercialization of the LLWS may say that the Phineas and Ferb tie-in is just another way for Disney to market itself through its relationship with ESPN and ABC, but it also demonstrates that the target audience for the LLWS games is, for the most part, children. And anything that exposes children to the positive aspects of baseball is a good thing in my book. With the seemingly never-ending scandals in MLB it is refreshing to have a few weeks in the summer when children can watch their peers compete on a world stage in meaningful games.

In the LLWS these 11-13 year olds are role models to their peers and younger children. Kids can watch others who are just a few years older than them and think “that could be me someday.” Televising the LLWS can inspire children who have never played baseball to go out for their local Little League team, which is wonderful for the game when we consider the low rates of organized baseball participation in inner cities over the past few years. These broadcasts are also great for growing the game internationally, as teams such as the one from the Netherlands make repeat appearances at Williamsport and generate excitement for baseball in their hometowns and countries.

Are there some valid criticisms of the televised LLWS games? Yes. But let’s not be too hard on Little League International or the networks that choose to televise the games. Say what you will about the commercialization of the tournament. But at the heart of these broadcasts are young boys playing the game they love, the families and friends who support them, and the children watching at home who are inspired to pick up a baseball for the first time in their lives. And that sort of positive exposure for the game is something that baseball fans should be thankful for.