Baseball is great because it has a history. Other "sports" just don't measure up. Yeah, in the early 18th Century Chuck Bednarik knocked Frank Gifford goofy enough that he would someday think it was a good idea to marry Kathie Lee, and in the late Victorian period Dr. Naismith figured out a use for freakishly tall people, but baseball is the only game with a real, living history. The [sponsor unnamed on principle] Hometown Heroes recognitions wouldn't even make sense in any other game.
Most of baseball's history is wonderful, but there are painful exceptions. See Aaron F. Boone, Bucky F. Dent, Bobby Valentine with his foot in the Dodger Stadium fence, Pete Reiser planting his face into the Ebbets Field wall. Then there is one of the most famous episodes in baseball history: the Phillies collapse in 1964. I don't remember it, as I was 3 years old at the time. But throughout my life as a fan, any time a team has threatened to lose a lead once thought insurmountable, the '64 Phillies have been referenced. The first question for me was, "How did these guys ever get a big lead in the first place?"
The only impressive offensive numbers were posted by Richie (Later known as Dick by name and attitude) Allen, who produced .318, 29HRs, 91RBI, and Johnny Callison, with .274, but 31HRs and 104 RBI. No one else on the team bested Wes Covington's 13HRs and 58RBI. Not a lineup to scare anyone.
The pitching was the better end of things with Jim Bunning and Chris Short, both adequate starters. Yes, Bunning is in the Hall of Fame, but that has a lot more to do with his later life career as a pitiful Republican (redundant, I know) senator from the dopey state of Kentucky, and baseball's perpetual desire to kiss enough government butt to keep the anti-trust exemption in place. Short was 17-9 with a stellar 2.20ERA, while Bunning posted 19-8 with a 2.63.
As the legend tells, they led by 6.5 with 12 to play. On Sept. 21, they commenced a 10 game losing streak. By the time they won their last 2 games, it didn't matter. The Cardinals had passed them, and it took the Phillies beating the Reds in those last two to tie Cincy for second place. The winners were led by 57 wins (out of 93) from Bob Gibson, Curt Simmons and Ray Sadecki. These were the Cardinals of Brock, Flood, Boyer, Groat, Shannon, White, McCarver and Javier. I'm not sure why the Phillies were ever ahead of them in the first place.
There is no such confusion about this season. The 2006 Cardinals were universally recognized as head and shoulders above the rest of their division. Pujols, Rolen, and Edmonds in the middle of the order; Molina, a second coming of Matheny, to handle the pitchers; Juan Encarnacion newly placed in right field. Just throw some guys out there to staff the other spots; won't make any difference. Chris Carpenter won the Cy Young last year. Mulder, ace 1a, along with Marquis, who couldn't be nearly as erratic as last year. Could he? And, after all, Izzy will be there to clean everything up. And besides, the Astros have no offense. Cakewalk. Should just go straight to the playoffs.
Six months later, the losing streak has reached seven. The lead is down to 1.5. There are five left to play. I don't want to see the Cards make any history this year. Now, most of us would be thrilled to see them lose in the NLDS to the Mets. Just get there! Let sleeping Phillies lie.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Thursday, September 21, 2006
David Ortiz, Record Holder
In 1938, enroute to a second place finish, 9.5 games behind NYA, Jimmie Foxx of the Boston Red Sox hit 50 home runs. That year, The Beast had the biggest home run year by any Red Sox player, ever. Ted's best: 43 in 1949. Yaz': 44 in 1967. Rice had a season of 46; Mo Vaughn a 44; Manny's hit 45; Rico hit 40 once; Freddie Lynn made 39. Great hitters, all. Impressive sluggers. Then there's Papi. 47 last year, 41 in '04. So, we expected big things this year. Very Big Things. We haven't been disappointed--at least not with David Ortiz.
Papi tied Foxx last night; he didn't waste any time bounding ahead. Tonight, in the first inning, off the game's best in Johan Santana, Ortiz creamed one over Williamsburg's bullpens, into the stands. It was a great, majestic shot. The kind that the writers describe Ruth blasting. The staff of Johnny Brusco's Pizzas and Subs earned my undying gratitude by figuring out where to find the mysterious ESPN2 just in time for their patrons to see the history unfold.
A big man (and that's an inadequate description of Mr. Ortiz) just isn't supposed to be able to pull his hands in and get a full swing on a ball just off the plate inside. Papi does, regularly. Left handed batters aren't supposed to fare well against southpaws. Papi does. And this wasn't just any lefty--this was Johan flipping Santana. He's going to win his second Cy Young in just a few weeks. Best pitcher in the American League. David got him.
For good measure, he extended his record to 52 in the seventh off of Matt Guerrier.
The Sox are in second place, 10.5 games behind NYA after tonight's action. Seems some things never change. The season has proved a disappointment in many ways, especially when the expectations were so high early on. David Ortiz has single-handedly ensured that when Sox fans think of 2006, some of the memories-52 or more of them-will be spectacular!
Papi tied Foxx last night; he didn't waste any time bounding ahead. Tonight, in the first inning, off the game's best in Johan Santana, Ortiz creamed one over Williamsburg's bullpens, into the stands. It was a great, majestic shot. The kind that the writers describe Ruth blasting. The staff of Johnny Brusco's Pizzas and Subs earned my undying gratitude by figuring out where to find the mysterious ESPN2 just in time for their patrons to see the history unfold.
A big man (and that's an inadequate description of Mr. Ortiz) just isn't supposed to be able to pull his hands in and get a full swing on a ball just off the plate inside. Papi does, regularly. Left handed batters aren't supposed to fare well against southpaws. Papi does. And this wasn't just any lefty--this was Johan flipping Santana. He's going to win his second Cy Young in just a few weeks. Best pitcher in the American League. David got him.
For good measure, he extended his record to 52 in the seventh off of Matt Guerrier.
The Sox are in second place, 10.5 games behind NYA after tonight's action. Seems some things never change. The season has proved a disappointment in many ways, especially when the expectations were so high early on. David Ortiz has single-handedly ensured that when Sox fans think of 2006, some of the memories-52 or more of them-will be spectacular!
Sunday, September 17, 2006
A Call For Arms
Pitching is the name of the game. The total breakdown of a pitching staff has turned a mid-September four game Red Sox-NYA series boring. The lack of it has ended the Braves' ridiculous run of championships. The lack of it may end the Cardinals' quest for that follow up to the 1982 World Series Championship. The lack of it may cost Dusty Baker his job; has knocked the Reds out of the race; put the Giants down, and on and on.
Most of the strong organizations will spend a very frustrating winter trying to find pitching that just isn't out there. Perhaps not so the Red Sox.
Consider a few young pitchers from days gone by:
Year 1, pitcher A: Age-21; Record- 2-7; ERA-5.48
Year 1, pitcher B: Age-22; Record- 7-17; ERA-4.56
Year 2, pitcher A: Age-22; Record- 12-11; ERA-2.94
Year 2, pitcher B: Age-23; Record- 14-8; ERA-3.68
Year 3, pitcher A: Age-23; Record- 14-11; ERA-3.85
Year 3, pitcher B: Age-24; Record- 10-12; ERA-4.28
Year 3, pitcher C: Age-20; Record- 3-11; ERA-5.64
Year 4, pitcher A: Age-24; Record- 14-13; ERA-3.80
Year 4, pitcher B: Age-25; Record- 20-11; ERA-2.55; Cy Young Award
Year 4, pitcher C: Age-21; Record- 18-11; ERA-3.38
The years: 1988-1991; the team: Atlanta Braves; the pitchers: A is John Smoltz, B is Tom Glavine and C is Steve Avery. The lesson: young pitchers, especially those who probably deserve a little more time in the minors but get advanced because there isn't anybody else to use, need some time to become Major League pitchers. But look what can happen when somebody believes in them and hangs with them.
I don't know for sure that the Sox expected any of their huge class of young pitchers to have to contribute this year. If they were counting on any of them, it probably was Papelbon, but not in the role he starred in. The group, as of 9-17:
Jon Lester, 22, 7-2, 4.76
Craig Hansen, 22, 2-1, 6.06
Craig Breslow, 26, 0-2, 4.66
Manny Delcarmen, 24, 2-0, 4.76
Kason Gabbard, 24, 1-3, 3.13
David Pauley, 23, 0-2, 7.88
Jonathan Papelbon, 25, 4-2, 0.92, 35 saves
As bad as this year has been, if there are a couple of guys in this group who even wind up resembling Glavine and Smoltz, with a bit of an Avery thrown in somewhere, the next fifteen years will be a lot of fun.
Just hang in there for a little while, Red Sox Nation!
Most of the strong organizations will spend a very frustrating winter trying to find pitching that just isn't out there. Perhaps not so the Red Sox.
Consider a few young pitchers from days gone by:
Year 1, pitcher A: Age-21; Record- 2-7; ERA-5.48
Year 1, pitcher B: Age-22; Record- 7-17; ERA-4.56
Year 2, pitcher A: Age-22; Record- 12-11; ERA-2.94
Year 2, pitcher B: Age-23; Record- 14-8; ERA-3.68
Year 3, pitcher A: Age-23; Record- 14-11; ERA-3.85
Year 3, pitcher B: Age-24; Record- 10-12; ERA-4.28
Year 3, pitcher C: Age-20; Record- 3-11; ERA-5.64
Year 4, pitcher A: Age-24; Record- 14-13; ERA-3.80
Year 4, pitcher B: Age-25; Record- 20-11; ERA-2.55; Cy Young Award
Year 4, pitcher C: Age-21; Record- 18-11; ERA-3.38
The years: 1988-1991; the team: Atlanta Braves; the pitchers: A is John Smoltz, B is Tom Glavine and C is Steve Avery. The lesson: young pitchers, especially those who probably deserve a little more time in the minors but get advanced because there isn't anybody else to use, need some time to become Major League pitchers. But look what can happen when somebody believes in them and hangs with them.
I don't know for sure that the Sox expected any of their huge class of young pitchers to have to contribute this year. If they were counting on any of them, it probably was Papelbon, but not in the role he starred in. The group, as of 9-17:
Jon Lester, 22, 7-2, 4.76
Craig Hansen, 22, 2-1, 6.06
Craig Breslow, 26, 0-2, 4.66
Manny Delcarmen, 24, 2-0, 4.76
Kason Gabbard, 24, 1-3, 3.13
David Pauley, 23, 0-2, 7.88
Jonathan Papelbon, 25, 4-2, 0.92, 35 saves
As bad as this year has been, if there are a couple of guys in this group who even wind up resembling Glavine and Smoltz, with a bit of an Avery thrown in somewhere, the next fifteen years will be a lot of fun.
Just hang in there for a little while, Red Sox Nation!
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Good Game, Great Guy
Tom Glavine won tonight. And the Mets beat the Dodgers. Glavine's line: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, 101 pitches, 62 for strikes. He is listed at 13-6 with a 3.98 ERA. And none of that had anything to do with his greatest victory tonight. He pitched. Into the 7th. It was his second start since he got back.
Tom was out for a couple weeks. While he had been diagnosed with Raynaud's Phenomenon in 1990, he never made any noise about it. Believe me, he has been my favorite player since 1988. If there had been reports about this, I'd have seen them. Raynaud's causes numbness in the extremities. Glavine has pitched the last 16 years with no feeling in the index and middle fingers of his gifted left hand after his pitching assignments. Just the cost of doing his job.
287 wins into his Hall of Fame career, the cold spread to his ring finger. At that point, he knew he was in trouble. The trouble was diagnosed as blood clots. Devastating words to a pitcher. Remember James Rodney Richard? Glavine might need surgery, they said. The implication was that his season, this magical Mets' season, would be lost. And perhaps his career was over.
Tommy John, Bert Blyleven, Jim Kaat. Great pitchers, all. Genuine competitors. All just short of 300 wins. None of them in the Hall of Fame. All just short of immortality because the clock ran out on them. Not because of illness/injury. Tommy would go to the Hall, on the first ballot, with no more wins. That isn't the issue.
The issue is that cosmic justice cried out for Glavine to get to finish his career, and leave on his own terms. Tom was never elegant like Maddux. I saw Greg Maddux pitch a complete game with 76 pitches. Tom grinds his out. He never threw as hard as Smoltz. I doubt that anyone ever stood in a batter's box and felt fear for their physical well-being because Tom Glavine was on the mound. He never had Avery's stuff.
What Tom always had was intelligence and determination. And toughness. He may look like everybody's brother-in-law, but that guy is as tough as nails. I appreciate Maddux, but when he was done, he quit. Almost asked out of the game. Whenever Bobby Cox came out with Glavine on the mound, he had to bring a crowbar. He never quit. He never asked out.
He was the heart and soul of the Braves' run. Oh, they've won a few more divisions since he left for New York. But they haven't advanced in the postseason. Not once. Not since their guts-Tom Glavine-got cast off over one stinking year on a contract.
He won all of those games, picked up a couple of Cy Youngs, led the greatest team sports run in history, and all the time gave strong leadership to the players' union-often bearing the fans' wrath post-1994, because he was the leading voice and face for all the players during that strike.
He also set the standard for lending his name, face and energy to the charitable community in Atlanta, principles that he carried to New York, leading to his 2005 Clemente Award nomination by the Mets.
I am thrilled that I'll get to watch Tom win his 300th game sometime next year. And if everything breaks just right, maybe I'll be in the stands at Turner Field as Tommy wins that game in a far more attractive uniform than the Mets' orange and blue. I'm delighted that he will continue his career until he's ready to call it quits. But I'm far more grateful that he is well, and back to doing what he loves. He is what all players should be.
I have already informed my wife that our vacation, 5 years after Tom hangs up his spikes, will be at Cooperstown, NY, on Induction Weekend. I wouldn't miss it for the world.
Tom was out for a couple weeks. While he had been diagnosed with Raynaud's Phenomenon in 1990, he never made any noise about it. Believe me, he has been my favorite player since 1988. If there had been reports about this, I'd have seen them. Raynaud's causes numbness in the extremities. Glavine has pitched the last 16 years with no feeling in the index and middle fingers of his gifted left hand after his pitching assignments. Just the cost of doing his job.
287 wins into his Hall of Fame career, the cold spread to his ring finger. At that point, he knew he was in trouble. The trouble was diagnosed as blood clots. Devastating words to a pitcher. Remember James Rodney Richard? Glavine might need surgery, they said. The implication was that his season, this magical Mets' season, would be lost. And perhaps his career was over.
Tommy John, Bert Blyleven, Jim Kaat. Great pitchers, all. Genuine competitors. All just short of 300 wins. None of them in the Hall of Fame. All just short of immortality because the clock ran out on them. Not because of illness/injury. Tommy would go to the Hall, on the first ballot, with no more wins. That isn't the issue.
The issue is that cosmic justice cried out for Glavine to get to finish his career, and leave on his own terms. Tom was never elegant like Maddux. I saw Greg Maddux pitch a complete game with 76 pitches. Tom grinds his out. He never threw as hard as Smoltz. I doubt that anyone ever stood in a batter's box and felt fear for their physical well-being because Tom Glavine was on the mound. He never had Avery's stuff.
What Tom always had was intelligence and determination. And toughness. He may look like everybody's brother-in-law, but that guy is as tough as nails. I appreciate Maddux, but when he was done, he quit. Almost asked out of the game. Whenever Bobby Cox came out with Glavine on the mound, he had to bring a crowbar. He never quit. He never asked out.
He was the heart and soul of the Braves' run. Oh, they've won a few more divisions since he left for New York. But they haven't advanced in the postseason. Not once. Not since their guts-Tom Glavine-got cast off over one stinking year on a contract.
He won all of those games, picked up a couple of Cy Youngs, led the greatest team sports run in history, and all the time gave strong leadership to the players' union-often bearing the fans' wrath post-1994, because he was the leading voice and face for all the players during that strike.
He also set the standard for lending his name, face and energy to the charitable community in Atlanta, principles that he carried to New York, leading to his 2005 Clemente Award nomination by the Mets.
I am thrilled that I'll get to watch Tom win his 300th game sometime next year. And if everything breaks just right, maybe I'll be in the stands at Turner Field as Tommy wins that game in a far more attractive uniform than the Mets' orange and blue. I'm delighted that he will continue his career until he's ready to call it quits. But I'm far more grateful that he is well, and back to doing what he loves. He is what all players should be.
I have already informed my wife that our vacation, 5 years after Tom hangs up his spikes, will be at Cooperstown, NY, on Induction Weekend. I wouldn't miss it for the world.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Labor Day Evaluations and Expectations
Easy stuff first: both New Yorks are in. The Mets woke up on Labor Day with a 16 game lead. No one else in the NL East has demonstrated any ability to mount a winning streak of any consequence. The Phils are a game over .500, and the Fish got even with a win yesterday. Congrats to the NL East Champs.
The Yankees' lead isn't as big, but it's just as secure. The Red Sox are depleted, and the Blue Jays couldn't even take any advantage of that over the weekend. Besides that, the perennial AL East victors just don't lose leads like theirs with a month left. Just doesn't happen. The Yankees are in.
The probables: Oakland has mounted another stunning second-half run, and have run away from the pack in the process. Billy Beane gets mocked routinely for Moneyball, but most years he just laughs all the way to the playoffs. This year should be no different. Oakland wins the West.
A week ago the Cardinals wouldn't have made my probable list. They were stumbling all over the place, and the Reds seemed much more threatening. Funny what a 7-2 homestand and a 2-8 West Coast roadtrip by your pursuers does for the appearance of things. Mulder's been awful and is now out for the season, Edmonds' availability is as up in the air as his performance due to post-concussion syndrome, Molina's been banged up, Pujols missed 20 games and still, "that's a winner" as one tremendous announcer used to say. (If you've seen Joe Buck's Bud ad with the bartender asking who Joe would have a beer with if he could choose anyone, then I suspect you've felt a little welling of the eyes like I have; then if you've seen his Holiday Inn ad, I'm sure you've been as creeped out as I have)
That leaves the AL Central and the NL West. All season it had looked like the Tigers had run away with their division in one of the best stories of the last several seasons. Jim Leyland resurrected the moribund Detroiters, recalling Sparky Anderson's 1984 performance. Now, all that can be said is that the Tigers should still win, but the White Sox did take the World Series last year, and things have returned to form on the South Side. And the wonder that is the Minnesota Twins continues to amaze. Not too long ago they were on the chopping block for contraction. Now they have a list of division wins and wild card contentions under their belts. Still, a 5 game lead on Labor Day, with Detroit's pitching staff, should hold up.
The Dodgers should win the NL West. Nomar's a great story, when healthy. Maddux is a new man out of Chicago, and any baseball fan can understand that. Regardless of the vilification of Paul DePodesta, his regime clearly did some things right in the draft with all of the fantastic young players that have enjoyed at least the proverbial cup of coffee this year. The only issue is that the Padres won't go away. Three games is little to nothing; one bad LA series at the same time as one good SD series, and it's all even. And if you think that can't happen, you haven't been watching the NL West this year.
Wild Cards: It isn't easy for me to ever say anything nice about Der Komissar for Life, but he was right about the Wild Card. Look at the NL. Nine teams are within 7 games. And Milwaukee made it a nice round 10 until this 0-10 they've posted here lately. Teams that have no business being in the playoff still have visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads. Keeps interest, attendance and ratings up. It works every year.
That said, the Padres and Phillies are clearly the top of the also-rans. Were I to engage in such behavior, I'd bet on the Padres. I like Bochy. Hoffman is pitching well, while Flash Gordon is DL'ed. Plus, even when he's healthy, he's still Flash Gordon, which isn't Trevor Hoffman.
I do have to say that I am enjoying the Phillies' story. Trade your best player and a reliable starting pitcher and get better? Who concocted that formula? That, and the spectacular confirmation from Ryan Howard that last year was no fluke makes that Phillies a neat story. I still see the Padres.
The only shame of this season is that one of those three AL Central teams will stay home. At 57 losses, the currently third place Twins would be in first place in the NL Central and NL West, tied for first in the AL West, three behind the Yanks in the AL East, and only 6 behind the best record in baseball Mets. It won't be fair, but either the Chisox or Twins will miss the dance. In a photo finish, I will take the White Sox pitchers to come through and have the kind of September that launched them to the WS Championship last year.
Worst part of September: football has started.
Best part of September: they will play all of these baseball games, and those who will move on have to earn it themselves.
Happy Labor Day!
The Yankees' lead isn't as big, but it's just as secure. The Red Sox are depleted, and the Blue Jays couldn't even take any advantage of that over the weekend. Besides that, the perennial AL East victors just don't lose leads like theirs with a month left. Just doesn't happen. The Yankees are in.
The probables: Oakland has mounted another stunning second-half run, and have run away from the pack in the process. Billy Beane gets mocked routinely for Moneyball, but most years he just laughs all the way to the playoffs. This year should be no different. Oakland wins the West.
A week ago the Cardinals wouldn't have made my probable list. They were stumbling all over the place, and the Reds seemed much more threatening. Funny what a 7-2 homestand and a 2-8 West Coast roadtrip by your pursuers does for the appearance of things. Mulder's been awful and is now out for the season, Edmonds' availability is as up in the air as his performance due to post-concussion syndrome, Molina's been banged up, Pujols missed 20 games and still, "that's a winner" as one tremendous announcer used to say. (If you've seen Joe Buck's Bud ad with the bartender asking who Joe would have a beer with if he could choose anyone, then I suspect you've felt a little welling of the eyes like I have; then if you've seen his Holiday Inn ad, I'm sure you've been as creeped out as I have)
That leaves the AL Central and the NL West. All season it had looked like the Tigers had run away with their division in one of the best stories of the last several seasons. Jim Leyland resurrected the moribund Detroiters, recalling Sparky Anderson's 1984 performance. Now, all that can be said is that the Tigers should still win, but the White Sox did take the World Series last year, and things have returned to form on the South Side. And the wonder that is the Minnesota Twins continues to amaze. Not too long ago they were on the chopping block for contraction. Now they have a list of division wins and wild card contentions under their belts. Still, a 5 game lead on Labor Day, with Detroit's pitching staff, should hold up.
The Dodgers should win the NL West. Nomar's a great story, when healthy. Maddux is a new man out of Chicago, and any baseball fan can understand that. Regardless of the vilification of Paul DePodesta, his regime clearly did some things right in the draft with all of the fantastic young players that have enjoyed at least the proverbial cup of coffee this year. The only issue is that the Padres won't go away. Three games is little to nothing; one bad LA series at the same time as one good SD series, and it's all even. And if you think that can't happen, you haven't been watching the NL West this year.
Wild Cards: It isn't easy for me to ever say anything nice about Der Komissar for Life, but he was right about the Wild Card. Look at the NL. Nine teams are within 7 games. And Milwaukee made it a nice round 10 until this 0-10 they've posted here lately. Teams that have no business being in the playoff still have visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads. Keeps interest, attendance and ratings up. It works every year.
That said, the Padres and Phillies are clearly the top of the also-rans. Were I to engage in such behavior, I'd bet on the Padres. I like Bochy. Hoffman is pitching well, while Flash Gordon is DL'ed. Plus, even when he's healthy, he's still Flash Gordon, which isn't Trevor Hoffman.
I do have to say that I am enjoying the Phillies' story. Trade your best player and a reliable starting pitcher and get better? Who concocted that formula? That, and the spectacular confirmation from Ryan Howard that last year was no fluke makes that Phillies a neat story. I still see the Padres.
The only shame of this season is that one of those three AL Central teams will stay home. At 57 losses, the currently third place Twins would be in first place in the NL Central and NL West, tied for first in the AL West, three behind the Yanks in the AL East, and only 6 behind the best record in baseball Mets. It won't be fair, but either the Chisox or Twins will miss the dance. In a photo finish, I will take the White Sox pitchers to come through and have the kind of September that launched them to the WS Championship last year.
Worst part of September: football has started.
Best part of September: they will play all of these baseball games, and those who will move on have to earn it themselves.
Happy Labor Day!
Saturday, September 02, 2006
News, Mostly Good Off the Field; Mostly Bad On
Jon Lester's lymphoma is described as "treatable" and there are comments from Red Sox brass about expecting him at Spring Training for the 2007 season. Given that he has cancer, this is about as encouraging as things could be. Continue to hold this good kid in your prayers.
Papi didn't play today, and won't for a few more days. He's continuing to wear a heart monitor, just to make sure. There would be no excuse acceptable for doing anything else. If the big man never hits another home run, his wife and children deserve to have him around with them. Props to the Sox for dealing with his situation correctly--especially when Ortiz wants to play. Would they be as thorough if the division and wild card deficits were one game instead of closer to ten? We'll never know (not this year), but I'd like to think that they would.
On to the games themselves! Yuck! The Sox continue to fall apart, with Schilling now going to miss his Monday start, and Papelbon out for what's expected to be a week with a fatigued shoulder. Kevin Jarvis (Kevin Jarvis?) set a team record today, becoming the 27th pitcher to throw for the Bostons this season. 27. The active roster April through August is, of course, only 25. That says it all.
Theo decided to be competitive for the next 5 years rather than to make a stupid trade to get a leg up this year. That's ok, as long as the next 5 years ARE competitive. An '07 result resembling '06, and John Henry may have trouble remembering just why he wanted young Mr. Epstein back.
The Cardinals have benefited from the Reds finally playing at their level of talent. And mid-America should be grateful that the Redbirds' level is just slightly above the Reds'. Remember the old saw of the 1948 Braves, "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain?" What must be LaRussa's line: "Carpenter and.....well, Carpenter?" Cardinals' fans need to look no further than their own playoff history to know how precarious it is to have one good starter heading into postseason. When the 1982 Braves suffered a rainout in St. Louis just far enough into NLCS Game 1 for Phil Niekro to be unavailable until Game 4, well, there was no Game 4. Beware, red people!
The Braves' unprecedented run is probably over. Having split with the Phillies today, there are still too many teams ahead of them in the Wild Card chase to reasonably expect them to make it. If Mike Hampton, John Thomson and Kyle Davies return healthy next year with Smoltz and Hudson, things should brighten considerably. That's if Braves' management sobers up and picks up the relatively modest $8 million option they hold on Smoltz. They have already dispensed with Glavine and Maddux. But this goes far deeper than the current administration. Hank Aaron and Dale Murphy hit their final home runs in jerseys that did not say Atlanta. Phil Niekro's 300th win was pitched for the Yankees! For crying out loud, express some gratitude for once (not to mention, do good business) and pick up John's option now! This year can just be a lull; don't make it anything bigger, please.
Most of the Braves' position players are young enough to expect improvement (Francoeur-learn to take a dadgummed pitch once in a while), and the Jones boys are still reliable when healthy. Adam LaRoche's OPS is really close to .950, and Renteria's return to the NL reminded him how to play. Don't go nuts with the starting 8 or the starting pitchers, but for once, actually work on the bullpen.
Giants, let go of Bonds, Alou, Finley, Durham and anyone else eligible to draw Social Security before the decade is over, and spend that fortune on a few players in their 20s. It's a strategy that actually works for several other teams (see the other side of the Bay).
Cubs...oh, like anything will make a difference. You're still the Cubs.
It's 10 pm on September 2, and I'm already sick of football.
Here's to an exciting last month of the real game!
Papi didn't play today, and won't for a few more days. He's continuing to wear a heart monitor, just to make sure. There would be no excuse acceptable for doing anything else. If the big man never hits another home run, his wife and children deserve to have him around with them. Props to the Sox for dealing with his situation correctly--especially when Ortiz wants to play. Would they be as thorough if the division and wild card deficits were one game instead of closer to ten? We'll never know (not this year), but I'd like to think that they would.
On to the games themselves! Yuck! The Sox continue to fall apart, with Schilling now going to miss his Monday start, and Papelbon out for what's expected to be a week with a fatigued shoulder. Kevin Jarvis (Kevin Jarvis?) set a team record today, becoming the 27th pitcher to throw for the Bostons this season. 27. The active roster April through August is, of course, only 25. That says it all.
Theo decided to be competitive for the next 5 years rather than to make a stupid trade to get a leg up this year. That's ok, as long as the next 5 years ARE competitive. An '07 result resembling '06, and John Henry may have trouble remembering just why he wanted young Mr. Epstein back.
The Cardinals have benefited from the Reds finally playing at their level of talent. And mid-America should be grateful that the Redbirds' level is just slightly above the Reds'. Remember the old saw of the 1948 Braves, "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain?" What must be LaRussa's line: "Carpenter and.....well, Carpenter?" Cardinals' fans need to look no further than their own playoff history to know how precarious it is to have one good starter heading into postseason. When the 1982 Braves suffered a rainout in St. Louis just far enough into NLCS Game 1 for Phil Niekro to be unavailable until Game 4, well, there was no Game 4. Beware, red people!
The Braves' unprecedented run is probably over. Having split with the Phillies today, there are still too many teams ahead of them in the Wild Card chase to reasonably expect them to make it. If Mike Hampton, John Thomson and Kyle Davies return healthy next year with Smoltz and Hudson, things should brighten considerably. That's if Braves' management sobers up and picks up the relatively modest $8 million option they hold on Smoltz. They have already dispensed with Glavine and Maddux. But this goes far deeper than the current administration. Hank Aaron and Dale Murphy hit their final home runs in jerseys that did not say Atlanta. Phil Niekro's 300th win was pitched for the Yankees! For crying out loud, express some gratitude for once (not to mention, do good business) and pick up John's option now! This year can just be a lull; don't make it anything bigger, please.
Most of the Braves' position players are young enough to expect improvement (Francoeur-learn to take a dadgummed pitch once in a while), and the Jones boys are still reliable when healthy. Adam LaRoche's OPS is really close to .950, and Renteria's return to the NL reminded him how to play. Don't go nuts with the starting 8 or the starting pitchers, but for once, actually work on the bullpen.
Giants, let go of Bonds, Alou, Finley, Durham and anyone else eligible to draw Social Security before the decade is over, and spend that fortune on a few players in their 20s. It's a strategy that actually works for several other teams (see the other side of the Bay).
Cubs...oh, like anything will make a difference. You're still the Cubs.
It's 10 pm on September 2, and I'm already sick of football.
Here's to an exciting last month of the real game!
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