The Coco Crisp-Jacoby Ellsbury Shuffle

Anyone remember the 2007 playoffs when Jacoby Ellsbury burst onto the scene with his speed, defense, and good looks to propel the Red Sox to a World Series victory? Ellsbury seemed to be unstoppable at the time and came through with huge plays-both offensively and defensively. Ellsbury was not the Red Sox starting outfielder for most of the 2007 season, but his hot play forced manager Terry Francona to play Ellsbury over former starter Coco Crisp, who was relegated to fourth outfielder. Crisp asked to be traded in the offseason, but GM Theo Epstein could not find a suitable taker.

Fast forward to 2008. Jacoby Ellsbury has been the Red Sox starting CF for the entire season while Crisp's play has fluctuated based on injuries and rest. Crisp's only notable moment this season was his matrix-esque dodging of a James Shields punch. Needless to say, it was not a very good season for Crisp. However, during the postseason, Jacoby Ellsbury has suddenly become colder than Jason Varitek by not recording a hit in his 14 postseason at bats. Ellsbury's slump has opened the door for Coco Crisp to regain his starting OF spot. And fortunately for the Red Sox, Crisp has thrived so far by hitting .500 in 16 postseason ABs including a huge hit off of Dan Wheeler in game 5 of the ALCS.

In part because of Crisp's hot streak, the Red Sox are now one game away from the World Series. Kudos to GM Theo Epstein for not trading Crisp. Depth is key to the success of any baseball team. It's funny how the Ellsbury and Crisp's roles have reversed from 2007 to 2008. With that said, Ellsbury is still the long term starter on this team and Crisp will probably ask to be traded again at the end of this season.

Sorry for Sveum

Does anybody understand the Brewers' thinking? After 150 games this season, the Brewers fired manager Ned Yost after the team struggled mightily in September. Yost's replacement, Dale Sveum, was seen as a calming influence who could guide the team into the playoffs. Sveum led the Brewers to only a 7-5 record, but the Brewers still made the playoffs because the Mets collapsed...yet again.

In the playoffs, the Brewers looked outmatched against the Phillies, who used their dynamic offense to defeat the struggling Brewers pitching. Ben Sheets was injured. Yovani Gallardo had just came back from a year long stint on the DL. And CC Sabathia looked tired after pitching on three days rest three times in a row to propel the Brewers to the playoffs. None of that was Sveum's fault. To me, the only questionable move Sveum made was starting Jeff Suppan in game 4. But its easy to play Monday morning quarterback when a team is eliminated.

So what's really going on here? Sveum did not lead the Brewers to the World Series, but he did an admirable job leading the fading Brewers to the playoffs. It's hard to believe that the Brewers had enough faith in Sveum down the stretch of the season, but they don't even have enough confidence in him to give him a chance at the job. Sveum has been a rising star in the coaching ranks for several years, so it is rather shocking that the Brewers denied him this opportunity. Seriously, who is a better candidate than Sveum? Some retread manager (Terry Collins)? To me, the candidate pool is not all that strong this offseason and unless the Brewers pay big bucks to well known manager (Bobby Valentine), how can they justify upgrading their manager from Sveum or even Yost?

I'm not sure if there was anything that Sveum did wrong in the eyes of the Brewers higher ups, but higher management clearly jumped off the Sveum bandwagon very quickly, which to me, is unfortunate given his small sample size. I would love to see Sveum coaching on Jerry Manuel's staff next season.

Why Wheeler?

Somehow, the Red Sox found a way to win game 5of the ALCS, a game that they had no business winning. Down 7-0, the Red Sox methodically came back against the AL's best bullpen to stun the Rays and the baseball community. And you know what, the Sox owe it all to Joe Maddon...and here's why.

After Big Papi took Grant Balfour deep to make the score 7-4, Maddon decided to bring in Dan Wheeler, his closer, to face Kevin Youkilis in with two outs in the sixth inning. I understand bringing out Grant Balfour, who has been terrible this series, but to bring in his closer in the seventh inning? And did I mention that there was no one on base? What gives? Did Maddon really plan on having his closer go 2.1 innings tonight after pitching 3 innings in game 2? The game was not on the line here, but Maddon managed like an inexperienced, panicked manager.

Mr. Maddon, just because a playoff game is tight does not mean that you have to manage any differently that you have during the regular season. What ever happened to Chad Bradford? Isn't he the righty specialist who is supposed to come in during the middle innings? Bradford would have been a better selection here because there was no one on base and also, that's his role. Role definition is important, yet overrated, in baseball right now, but using Wheeler this early threw his bullpen out of whack and ultimately cost the Rays the game.

Final thought, if the Rays score in the top of the ninth, who would the Rays have turned to close out the game? Would it have been Howell, who has only 3 saves in his career? Or how about flame throwing lefty David Price, who has just arrived in majors a month ago? Bradford couldn't have been an option here because he cannot get lefties out. If the 2008 Mets have shown me anything, definition is important in the bullpen and Maddon blew it by not sticking to the game plan.

Let's hope Maddon and the Rays can turn it around in game 6. Or else my remote will be on notice for a launch threw the TV.

Don't Trade Peavy

Just last season, the Padres signed stud SP Jake Peavy to a reasonable 3 year/$52 million dollar extension after Peavy unanimously won the NL CY Young award. However, just a year later, the Padres are now apparently trying their best to trade Peavy in an effort to maximize his value. Gm Kevin Towers apparently saw the Orioles bounty for Erik Bedard last season and is trying to move fast in order to upgrade the Padres horrific offense. To me, trading Peavy would be a mistake, unless they received a A++++++ stud position player in return. While the temptation to move Peavy will be high, Towers has to understand that Peavy is not Johan Santana or Erik Bedard. Peavy is a wonderful person and teammate who wants to stay in San Diego. He has reiterated that over and over again.

Towers can try to justify moving Peavy by saying that the Padres, who lost 99 games this season, cannot afford to keep Peavy because they want to rebuild, but I say thats a load of bull. Before 2008, the Padres made the playoffs for two consecutive seasons and seemed to be a team on the rise entering this season. This team still has the makings of a contender and to top it all off, they play in a ballpark that is very pitcher friendly. Behind Peavy and SP Chris Young, the Padres should have a great 1-2 punch, especially at PETCO park.

Jake Peavy is a flat out dominant ace. He doesn't just produce quality starts, he produces seasons with an ERA under three like its clockwork. Guys like that are few and far between. Furthermore, the contract Peavy signed is very team friendly! Given the fact that Peavy could/should have signed a mega deal like Johan Santana, the Padres should be grateful that Peavy re-upped with them at such a great price. I also understand that his contract could be a major selling point because the contract is so good. The Padres could make a killing on Peavy. Towers is probably looking at 3 premium level players (2 major league ready) in addition to whatever else he wants. That kind of deal doesn't come around that often either.

But please Mr. Towers, the Padres had one bad season. The problem here is not the pitching, the problem is instead about your inability to spend some money developing quality hitters or signing big bats. Move on from Trevor Hoffman. Move on from Brian Giles. That's $16.5 mil right there to spend. Take a chance on a free agent bat this season (Furcal? Hudson?) and start spending some money in the draft on quality bats. That's the problem here. And you know what, the Padres have a legitimate chance to compete next season...with Peavy. I would take my chances with Peavy and Young in a short playoff series...wouldn't you? Trading Peavy would be a sign to the fan base that a long, unnecessary rebuilding effort is underway, which would be tragic.

The Genius of Pat Gillick

In the next few days, I expect to see many more articles like this one praising the work of Phillies GM Pat Gillick. The Phillies have had a tremendous season and the shrewd moves made by Gillick have been a complementary reason why the Phillies won the pennant for the first time since 1993. Gillick's genius is not simply that he was able to acquire big name players, but it's his ability to to recognize the hand he is dealt and work around that.

When Ed Wade was fired as Phillies GM at the end of 2005, he left the Phillies with a solid core that would lead to their eventual pennant. Just take a look at these names: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Pat Burrell, Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Ryan Madson, Shane Victorino, and Carlos Ruiz were all acquired in some form by Wade. Once Gillick came aboard in November 2005, the nucleus for a great team was already in place, the hard part was finding spare parts to fill in the Phillies perceived weaknesses. Gillick has done a great job addressing those needs (pitching/right field/depth) through a series of moves:

1. Signing JC Romero
People forget just how bad the Phillies bullpen was at points during the 2007 season. Closer Tom Gordon was battling through injuries and poor performance and SP Brett Myers was forced into the bullpen to try and stabilize the backend. However, it was Gillick's acquisition of Romero that really saved the Phillies in 2007. Gillick signed Romero after he was cut by the Red Sox, surely hoping and praying that Romero would recapture his 2005 form. Luckily for Gillick, Romero has been spectacular for the Phillies in 2007 and 2008. Lefties have no shot against Romero and most importantly, Romero does not give up homeruns (only 5 this season). What a find.

2. Trading for Brad Lidge
This was the deal the propelled the Phillies to the NL Pennant this year. There is no doubt in my mind. Lidge was the main difference between the Phillies and the Mets and has been absolutely dominant so far in the postseason. Gillick acquired Lidge for some spare parts (Michael Bourn, Mike Costanzo, Geoff Geary) because of lingering questions about Lidge's ability to pitch under pressure. The post Albert Pujols 2005 NLCS moonshot Lidge had scared away many teams, but for some reason, Gillick was willing to take a chance on Lidge. And boy has that paid off. Lidge has yet to blow a save this season while dominating hitters to the tune of a 1.95 ERA this season. Lidge basically turned Phillies' games into 8 inning games...a la Mariano Rivera.

3. Trading for and signing Jaime Moyer
What an underrated move this has turned out to be. I remember laughing when the Phillies acquired Moyer in 2006 thinking "this guy is washed up." And yes, I laughed even harder when the Phillies gave Moyer a 2 year extension after the 2006 season think that, "there is no way this Grandpa will survive in that bandbox." Wow, was I wrong. Moyer's ability to locate his pitches has made up for his non-existent velocity and has made him one of the best pitchers in the NL this season. Moyer, at 45, had a 3.71 ERA this season pitching in one of the smallest ballparks in the NL. That's remarkable. Give the man his due.

4. Signing Jayson Werth
Everybody knew that Jayson Werth was immensely talented, but no one believed that he could avoid getting injured. Werth never seemed to stay healthy, but Gillick took a flier on Werth hoping that he would benefit from the Phillies small ballpark and platooning against lefties. What a find Werth has been, often hitting in between the two left handed studs in the Phillies lineup-Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. Werth absolutely kills left handed pitching (.303 BA, 16 HR), which is exactly what the Phillies need. Furthermore, he has provided the consistent punch in the middle of the lineup that Pat Burrell has been able to maintain throughout 2008. Tremendous player, tremendous find.

5. Spares
The real genius of Gillick is evident here. Be honest, how many of you would have been able to identify the names Greg Dobbs, Eric Bruntlett, Scott Eyre, or Matt Stairs before the season began? Not too many of us. Each of these guys fills a role for Phillies and has made an impact at some point during the season. The Phillies are a deep, deep team that can compete with any AL team.

-More GMs need to look at the strategy of Pat Gillick: acquire guys at low points, and depth, depth, depth. Let's contrast the Mets and Phillies for a second. The Mets had five guys have fantastic seasons and struggled to find consistency amongst the remaining 20 players. But the Phillies were able to overcome injuries (Jimmy Rollins, Brad Lidge) and inconsistency (Kyle Kendrick, Pat Burrell, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley) because of the depth that Gillick accumulated. It is impossible to win a pennant with only a handful of primary contributors in baseball, the entire roster (1-25 needs to be strong) and that's where the Phillies have succeeded. Omar Minaya needs to do a better job identifying complementary players to go along with his phenomenal core. Take notes from Gillick, Omar.

Phillies Win the Pennant

And I feel sick. Not quite up there with watching the Yankees make the World Series in 1999 and definitely not nearly as bad as watching the Yankees win on OUR field in 2000. But this hurts.

The baseball Gods are sticking a dagger through my Orange and Blue heart. And it hurts, alot. Not just because the Phillies won the pennant, but because I don't think that the Phillies were a better team than the Mets. In fact, I would still take the Mets over the Phillies in a seven game series (Yes, I am a homer!) Ughhh, I hate it.

At this point I am too bogged down with schoolwork and too amped on caffeine to say anything truly insightful, so I'll leave you on this.

Go Rays.

My Struggling Organization: Texas Rangers

One of the most vivid memories of my childhood was watching the Rangers and Yankees play in the ALDS every season. The Rangers were a fun team to watch because of their ridiculous lineup anchored by Juan Gonzalez, Ivan Rodriguez, and Rafael Palmiero (enter steroids joke here). Not too mention that they had two guys: Rick Helling and Aaron Sele, who had huuuuuuuuuuuge breaking curveballs that seemed to to float up to the sky before furiously spinning back over the plate for a strike. How cool is that? Not just one guy, but two. That's like having two Barry Zitos!

I would always get really excited about the Rangers for some reason. I would convince myself that this was going to be the year that they beat the Yankees behind those big bats and maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't crumble under the bright lights of Yankee Stadium. But my prayers were never answered. The Rangers were abused by the Yankees year after year because the Yankees' pitching would dominate the Rangers bats. And as I'm sure your aware, the Rangers pitching was terrible. No pitching+shut down offense=LOSERS!

And you know what's funny? The Rangers still have no pitching. They remain entertaining because of the offensive studs: Ian Kinsler, Michael Young, and Josh Hamilton just to name a few. But they still cannot pitch. I'll put it to you this way, you know your in trouble when no one in your starting rotation has an ERA under 4.50. Yikes.

Free Agents
Terrible, terrible, terrible. Those are the only words I can use to describe the $93 million dollars the Rangers have invested in horrible starters; namely Kevin Millwood and Vincente Padilla. Sure both of these guys have had good careers, but the Rangers paid both of them significantly more than either was worth. Kevin Millwood has been up and down throughout his career, which makes the $60 million dollar contract given to him after a stellar 2005 season look foolish. Doesn't anyone look at the trends? Millwood has been unable to sustain dominance from year to year...what made the Rangers think that he could be an ace? And as for Padilla, when the Rangers traded for him in 2006, that was a good move simply because they gave up almost nothing for him. But to give him $33 million dollars over three years? Again, doesn't anyone look at the trends? Padilla's ERA has been on the rise since 2004 and he has been no better than a #4 starter. What did the Rangers see in him?

(On second thought, maybe the Rangers have to overpay pitcher because no one wants to pitch in Arlington? Hmmmm...that makes sense. If that's the case, then why did the Rangers trade away homegrown pitching talent? Ugggg, so many questions.)

Trades
People can claim all they want that GM Jon Daniels is one of the rising stars in the world of baseball executives, but his growing pains were disastrous for the Rangers. Back in 2005, Daniels traded three players for SP Adam Eaton, a flyball pitcher who had never produced an ERA under 4 in his career. For some reason, Daniels thought that Eaton would perform well in Arlington, where homers are hit at a crazy high pace. Did we mention that Eaton was a free agent at the end of the season as well? Everything about this deal reeked of stinker. And that's before you realize that Eaton missed half the season with a finger problem and only pitched 65 IP in his Rangers career. Oh yes, the three players acquired for Eaton: OF Terrmel Sledge, SP Chris Young, and 1B Adrian Gonzalez. Ouch. Two all stars for 65 IP of crap. Nice work Jonny boy.

And then to top it all off, in 2006, Daniels traded for an alleged stud SP named Brandon McCarthy, who was one of the White Sox top prospects. McCarthy was armed with a beautiful changeup and phenomenal control was thought to have been ready to join the Rangers rotation in 2007. Daniels jumped at the chance to pick up a quality, young starting pitcher who could produce immediately. However, McCarthy's two years in Texas have been dreadful. He has dealt with more injuries than Cliff Floyd (circa 2006) and has yet to develop into a consistent starting pitcher. Oh yeah, can anyone remember the name of the guy who was traded for McCarthy. If you guessed SP John Danks you would be correct! Danks was the Rangers top prospect, but Daniels believed that Danks would not be ready for a few more seasons. That was a miscalculation: Danks had a superb 2008 campaign and is looking like one of the top lefties in the AL. Oooops.

And I know Rangers fans are clamoring for me to mention the trade that brought Josh Hamilton to Texas. Sure Hamilton has been great for the Rangers and looks like the second coming of God at the plate, but once again, the Rangers gave up a quality pitcher. This time around they gave up Edinson Volquez, who dominated the NL this season in a ballpark fit for a little league team. That's impressive. It's hard for me to harp on this trade considering how good Hamilton has been, but Volquez is just another example of a young starting pitcher who the Rangers have traded away. The problem is not only with developing pitchers, but there is a fundamental problem in the front office deciding who should stay and who should go.

Perhaps the best trade of the Daniels era was the Mark Teixeira trade. Daniels knew that the Rangers had a very small chance of signing Tex long term so he cut his losses when Teixeira's value was at its peak. In July 2007, Daniels moved Teixeira to the Atlanta Braves for SS Elvis Andrus, C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, SP Matt Harrison, and SP Neftali Felix. Andrus, 19, looks to be the real deal at SS while Saltalamacchia has tremendous potential behind the plate. If the Rangers can get anything out of Harrison and Felix, that will be a bonus. Elvis Andrus has the potential to be something special and the Rangers are lucky they got their hands on him.

The Eric Gagne trade was another heist by Daniels. Gagne, who was a free agent at the end of the 2007 season, was not going to re-sign with the Rangers at the end of the season. Daniels knew this, but he got lucky: the bullpen trade market was terrible and teams were willing to go above and beyond to add the missing piece to their bullpen. Ultimately, the Red Sox pulled the trigger on a deal for Gagne in which they sent OF David Murphy, OF Engel Beltre, and Sp Kason Gabbard to the Rangers. Little did the Red Sox know that Gagne would stink down the stretch for the Sox (GAG-ME) and that Murphy would shine as the Rangers regular left fielder in 2008. This dude plays hard and is a total gamer. Love his style. In addition, Beltre has developed into one of the Rangers' top prospects because of his raw talent and power. If he develops, this will be a major coup for the Rangers.

Draft
The Rangers recent drafts have been rather interesting for me to look at. They have drafted some quality players (Thomas Diamond, Eric Hurley, John Mayberry, Taylor Teagarden), but none of those guys have had any real impact in the majors for various reasons. Diamond has dealt with many injuries with Mayberry and Teagarden seem to have found themselves this season in the minors. It is time for these guys to start stepping up and produce with the big club. The hope for the future lies in the right arms of Michael Main and Blake Beaven who are your classic flame throwing Texans. Jon Daniels should say his lucky prayers every night that these guys stay healthy. Don't move them JD, please.

With the said, the Rangers have had recent success with 1B Chris Davis, whose power looks like a combination of Kevin Mass/Mo Vaughn/Mark McGwire. Lemme say this, dude has phenomenal potential and could be the next 45-55 HR guy. He's that good. For some reason, in 2003, 2B Ian Kinsler fell to the Rangers in the 17th round. Since then, all Kinsler has done is hit at every level and develop himself into one of the premier second baseman in the league. Very very good pick.

Prediction
*Until the Rangers develop some quality arms of their own, they will continue to struggle to compete. Pitching is the name of the game and it is impossible to compete when your team ERA is above 5.30. Developing pitchers will be the key to any future success. Pitching, pitching, pitching.

(Final thought: Let's hope team president Nolan Ryan knows what he's doing. I think he's got the right idea changing the culture with the Ranger's pitchers. And I am all in favor of no pitch counts! Wooooo! Go get 'em Nolan!)

The Sojo Effect

It's becoming brutally obvious to me that God is not a Mets fan. Ok fine, we get eliminated AGAIN on the last day of the season is cruel, heartbreaking fashion that nearly sends thousands of fans into local emergency rooms because their poor hearts can't take it anymore. You know what, we (and me!) can take that. We've done it before, and trust me, there will be plenty more chances for the Mets to break my heart into pieces followed by a collective team effort in spitting on it. I know that. I accept that. It's part of what being a Mets fan is all about.

But what I didn't think would ever happen is actually pretty damn close to happening: the Phillies are one game away from the World Series. Yes, it's the same Phillies that I said could never win a World Series because of their lack of starting pitching. Yes, it's the same Phillies who I said could never win a World Series because of their ridiculously small ballpark. But you know what, I'm okay with this. Baseball is unpredictable; and sometimes, it hurts.

But you know what, having Matt Stairs hit the game winning homer last night was like a double spit on my already depleted and drenched heart (imagine that). Because quite simply, Stairs is a scrub, who had a nice career, but has never done anything meaningful in the postseason, ever. If I'm going to get beat, let's not make it by the 25th man on the bench. Make it Utley, Rollins, Howard, or even Burrell...I dont care. Just please, the Phillies winning is bad enough. Do you have to rub it in???

(Note: I know what I just wrote goes against everything that Managers should be thinking on the bench. Of course you would rather get beat by Stairs instead of Ryan Howard...Howard is 100 times more dangerous. But folks, as a fan, watching a stiff beat you is like getting stabbed in the heart...and slowly watching the perpetrator twist it mercifully through. I would know this because I sat in the upper deck of Shea Stadium for game 5 of the World Series. We got beat by Luis f$($*ng Sojo. That kills me to this day)
I think most fans would agree with me: getting beat by a star is less painful than getting beat by a old bench player with diminished bat speed.

So as I watched Stairs' homer sail over the fence, I muttered a few profanities before turning the TV off. I couldn't take it anymore, my feeble heart had enough. It was like Sojo all over again. Only this time it wasn't a slow, pewny ground ball through the middle of the infield, instead it was a long majestic homer that seemed to travel to Pluto. Either way, same effect, I was crushed.

Part V: NL Central Amnesty

Jorge Says No! introduced amnesty earlier and we are happy to present to you our NL Central picks. Which contract would your team want to waive at the end of this season? Lets take a look:

Cubs:
There is only one logical choice here: RF Kosuke Fukudome. Fukudome made a name for himself early in the season through his clutch hitting, ability to get on base, and his quality at bats. Cubs fans were confident that Fukudome was the real deal and in turn would be the left handed hitter that they needed. However, Fukudome fell off dramatically in the second half to the tune of a .217 batting average and a pathetic 3 HRs. Fukudome no longer had quality at bats as he seemed to consistently flail at the ball. The Cubs would be better off cutting their losses instead of hoping for a massive turnaround.

Cardinals:
Back in 2006, there was no one on the Cardinals staff that I feared more than Chris Carpenter. Here was a guy who had battled through so many injuries to become one of the most dominant pitchers in the NL. With a huge, dramatic curveball and pinpoint command of his 91-94 MPH fastball, Carpenter seemed to be on the fast track to stardom. Before the 2007 season, the Cardinals gave him $65 mil over 5 years thinking that they had just signed their ace long term. However, Carpenter has only started 4 games since he signed the big contract because of Tommy John surgery and shoulder problems. the chances that he makes it back to his dominant form in unlikely.

Brewers:
Again, the choice is clear. SP Jeff Suppan parlayed two good seasons and a phenomenal playoff performance into a 4 year/$42 million dollar contract, which is about $20 million more than he deserves. Suppan has below average stuff and has been hit hard even in the national league. In his first two seasons with the Brewers, Suppan has delivered ERAs of 4.62 and 4.96 while producing only 22 wins. And to top it all off, Suppan rarely strikes out hitters, which is a severe hindrance given the porous Brewer's defense. The Brewers would be grateful to be rid of Suppan so they could pursue big C.C.

Reds:
SP Bronson Arroyo and his 2 year/$25 million dollar contract are tempting here, but Arroyo is serviceable for the Reds. My choice here is RP Francisco Cordero. Yes, the Reds signed Cordero only last season, and yes, Cordero did not have a bad season in 2008. But the facts are simple, it is stupid for a mid market team, who is far away from competing to be paying a closer $10 million dollars a season. That money could be better spent investing in young talent and specifically, pitching!

Pirates:
If SS Jack Wilson is not traded this offseason, then he would be a splendid choice for the Pirates. Wilson is a good player, who plays solid defense and hits for average, but should not be making anywhere near $7 million dollars. Wilson has struggled to maintain a solid OBP throughout his career and offers nothing spectacular to the table. He would be a good fit for a better team (Blue Jays), but the Pirates would benefit by cutting ties with him.

Astros:
Surprisingly, there is no one here who immediately jumps out at you. Miguel Tejada has proven to be a solid regular even though his skills are on the decline while Carlos Lee has been a force in the middle of the lineup during his tenure as an Astro. Sure Lee doesn't deserve the $100 million contract the Astros gave him, but his bat is too important for the Astros to lose. Also keep in mind that the Astros have very few young players who are close to playing in the big leagues right now, so any amnesty casualty would probably be filled by a veteran/stopgap/AAAA player. Amnesty is not really an option here.
(Photo: Sports Illustated)

Random Thoughts: More Playoffs!

-Jason Varitek, your best days are clearly behind you. I mean, clearlyyyy. I don't know why, but his bat speed has slowed terribly from the left side and he is basically an automatic out.

-Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, and Jason Bay have carried the Red Sox so far in the ALCS. But if they are going to win, Jacoby Ellsbury, David Ortiz, and JD Drew will have to step up.

-Was I the only person pulling for Terry Francona to pull Jon Lester after 4 IP? I know this sounds stupid, but I would rather have Lester save his stuff (whatever he has left) for a potential game 6 start, than having him try and will his way through.

-However, after watching Paul Byrd labor through the final 3 innings, I can see why Francona stayed with Lester for as long as he did.

-2008 playoffs=the BJ Upton coming out party. How immensely talented is this guy? Not only is he one of the fastest players in baseball, but Upton can flat out hit. But he needs to get his act together on the bases, that play at second base yesterday was despicable.

-Matt Garza delivered everything that Scott Kazmir could not. He was electric, dynamic, and dominant when it mattered most and the Red Sox had absolutely no chance to muster up a comeback against him. Even when runners were on base, I had no confidence in the Red Sox coming back. When Garza is on, he is as good as anyone.

-Even though he went hitless again yesterday, I think Jacoby Ellsbury is due for a big game 5. He looked better in game 4 (he actually hit the ball hard!) and he remains the key to the Sox offense.

-I officially hate Matt Stairs (more on that later). I'm bitter.

-With that said, Stairs homer was eerily similar to the majestic and stunning homer that Albert Pujols hit off of Brad Lidge in 2005. Both homers were absolute no doubters and both left me cursing at my TV.

-Also, Shane Victorino is quickly turning into the Charles Oakley of the Phillies. For some reason, he always comes up with a big hit or great catch to help the Phillies win a game. He does the little things well in big spots. A true rare breed of player and a guy that would love to have on my team. With that said, I still hate Shane Victorino. I'm very bitter.

-I have no qualms with Joe Torre brining in Jonathan Broxton in the 8th inning. I like having your best pitcher pitching when the game is on the line.

-With that said, starting Derek Lowe in game 4 was pure desperation. If the Dodgers had faith in Clayton Kershaw, or had Brad Penny or Jason Schmidt, then there is no way that the Dodgers are forced to pitch Lowe on short rest. He looked tired last night as he dragged through 5 innings. Still, I can't wait to see him pitch in game 7.

-The Dodgers are not dead yet. And neither are the Red Sox. But I still don't think either team has the ability to come back. Just not feeling it.

Disappointment

The more I think about the Mets collapse/failure/horror show this season, the more I have seen my disappointment fade away. Yes it still stings, hurts, kills; but there are several aspects about this Mets team that diminishes my disappointment. Maybe it's all of the injuries that this team had to deal with all year, or maybe it's the inconsistent play during the entire season, or maybe it's the HORRENDOUS bullpen, or perhaps it's just that this collapse wasn't as bad as the 2007 collapse. I can now sleep calmly at night, no longer cursing the thought of Tom Glavine giving up 7 runs in 0.1 innings in game 162. The fact is that this Mets team fought hard for the entire season, but they were a flawed, very flawed, team (Luis Ayala is our closer!)

That realization has brought a breath of fresh air into my thinking. For all you Cubs and Angels fans out there, how disappointed are you in your team right now? By my guess, your probably more disappointed that I am in the Mets. Your team teased you for the entire season because of their great play and then before you could really open your eyes, boom, they were eliminated. These teams were not flawed, they were favorites.

A for a team like the Yankees, who made the playoffs for 12 straight seasons, their fans have to be disappointed in the outcome of the season. Given the amount of money the Yankees spent this season, there is no excuse for not making the playoffs. But for a team like the Marlins, their fans have no right to be disappointed because the team overachieved so much. And wait, the Marlins have fans???

And so I ask you, the readers, how disappointed are you in your team? And why? Please list your team name and try to explain a little why your bitter/disappointed/frustrated/aggravated/upset/annoyed/pissed/etc.

Please Comment!

Random Thoughts: ALCS Game 2 Edition

-Probably my favorite part of the night: the Dan Wheeler glove shake! Even though I have watched numerous Rays games during the season, I never noticed the Wheeler glove shake until now. Anyone else notice this? Wheeler comes to the set, which is followed by a vicious glove shake to which Wheeler then resets and then throws the pitch. How cool is that? Not too mention that Wheeler was pretty darn good last night (3 IP).

-When was the last time we saw a second baseman as good as Dustin Pedroia? He can do it all. And seriously, when was the last time we had this many good 2b? In addition to Pedroia, we have Ian Kinsler, Chase Utley, Dan Uggla, Brian Roberts. That's a pretty amazing list considering how difficult it is to find a good 2b. I'd still take Pedroia over all of them for my money.

-Kevin Youkilis is immensly talented and plays a phenomianal 1b and 3b (dude can probably win a gold glove at both positions), but Youk, the beard's gotta go. That thing is fuggly.

-One thing that is evident when you watch the Red Sox play is their depth. Mike Lowell goes down, Kevin Youkilis fills in. JD Drew goes down, Coco Crisp comes in. Julio Lugo goes down, Jed Lowrie comes in. And to top it all off, Mark Kotsay can play multiple positions with seamingless ease. The Sox are deep, very very deep.

-For all you Sox fans out there, who would you have wanted out there in the 11th inning? The ghost of Mike Timlin, or Paul Byrd and his 84 MPH fastball? Hindsight 20/20, I would've gone with Byrd.

-Evan Longoria has officially joined the status of "if I'm starting a team, this guy could/should be my first pick." Also joining the group, Dustin Pedroia.

-If Jacoby Ellsbury gets on base just once yesterday, the Red Sox definitely would have won. Yes I know, that's sort of a bold statement, but the Sox 2-5 hitters went a combined 9-19 with 3 HR and 5 BB. That's very very impressive.

-How many times have we seen a team score 8 runs while having two hitters go 0-6 (Ellsbury and Kotsay)? Again, very impressive.

-If the Rays are going to keep winning, they are going to need a productive Scott Kazmir. With that said, the Red Sox cannot win without a productive Josh Beckett. The Rays have enough pitching (bullpen/Edwin Jackson) to cover for a mediocre Kazmir, while the Sox do not. Beckett is still their key to a championship.

-David Price=stud. It's impressive enough to watch a 23 year old throw 95 MPH, but Price's composure is tremendous. Even though he has only been in the bigs for a few weeks, Price was never rattled last night even after walking JD Drew. This guy will be an absolute terror in the AL East for the next 10 years.

Rays Nation!

So after watching bits and pieces of game 1 of the ALCS, I couldn't help but be proud of the growing Rays nation. Attendance has always been a struggle for the Rays for various reasons (terrible team, people don't care, early bird special) and many felt that the Rays would continue to draw poorly until they got a new stadium. The Juice Box (Tropicana Field) is a dump. There is nothing like field turf and catwalks to entice fans to see a game! Woooo! And it's not like the ghosts of Wade Boggs, Jose Canseco, Fred McGriff, Greg Vaughn, or Vinny Castilla were going to draw people to the Trop.

The only nights that the Rays would draw more than 10,000-15,000 were the dates when the Red Sox, Yankees, or Cubs were in town. To top it all off, probably 50-70% of the fans who attended these games rooted against the Rays. The Rays struggled to bring in anyone to average home games, but these three teams seemed to being in the entire state of Florida. Imagine that? The Rays were a road team even when they were at home. How terrible.

Well tonight, against the Red Sox in the ALCS, the Rays still did not draw a full house of Rays fans. However, from what I saw, the Rays had more fans on their side than anyone could have hoped even if there were roughly 30% Red Sox fans. The Trop was rockin' tonight even though the Rays ultimately lost. Fans were living and dying on every pitch and everyone seemed to throw their hands above their heads when Carl Crawford missed Kevin Youkilis's line drive. It's amazing what can happen when teams start to win.

My only hope is that some of these fans will actually stick around for 2009 instead of simply being posers, like most Marlins fans in 2003. (Note to fans: you are not a fan if you dessert your team after one good season!) This team is for real and has a tremendous chance to build something special in the land of retired folk. Tampa, stick by the Rays!

Sucks to be You!

Let's just say for a second that your Eric Hinske. Your entire career has been a disappointment, you have had one good season (Rookie of the Year) followed by a bunch of crappy ones. Yes you won a championship with the Red Sox last season, but you played no bigger role than I did in winning that championship. So this offseason, you look around for an opportunity to revive your career and get lots of playing time. Who comes along...the Tampa Rays! What an opportunity!

So you sign with the Rays, hoping and praying to the higher powers that playing time will come your way. And what do ya know, with Rocco Baldelli hurt, guess who starts in right field: Eric Hinske. And guess what, you seize the moment! A .406 batting average to go with 5 homers seals your fate as the starting right fielder! Wooohooo! And to top it all off, your play isn't half bad. Fourteen homers by the all star break help propel the Rays to the top of the AL East and into the hearts of mainstream media.

Unfortunately for Hinske, the decline began shortly after the break. Hinske hit only six more homers down the stretch to go along with a .235 average in August and a .218 average in September. Even with Hinske's struggles, the Rays entered the playoffs with the second best record in the AL and Eric Hinske's career was finally revived right?

Wrong. Even though he hit 20 homers during the regular season, the Rays decided not to include Hinske on the ALCS roster. Say whatttttt? Hinske was the team's right fielder for the majority of the year and played a vital role in the resurgence of the Rays. So what happened?

First of all, Hinske can't hit lefties at all. He only hit .143 against lefties all season to go along with one homer. Thos numbers are simply putrid. Secondly, the younger guys on the Rays stepped up and made Hinske expendable. Between Ben Zobrist, Gabe Gross, and Fernando Perez the Rays feel like they have three guys who can perform better than Hinske right now. Just take a look at their September stats:

Zobrist: .321, 5 HR, 12 RBI
Gross: .240, 2 HR, 6 RBI
Perez: .250, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 5 SB

The addition of Perez really has to hurt Hinske simply because Perez only has 60 ABs and only joined the Rays in September. The Rays obviously value his speed and defensive ability highly. Furthermore, the addition of David Price hurt Hinske's chances of making the roster because like Perez, Price was added to the roster in September and obviously is a supremely talented. He could be a major difference maker during the playoffs. He's that good.

So for Eric Hinske, lets just hope that he enjoys being a cheerleader. Maybe he'll even appear in the dugout in a dress, who knows? Did the 2008 season revitalize his career? I say no.

Either way, Mr. Hinske, I feel for you, this is a tough break.

Go Rays.

Why Trade Cano?

I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why people around the Yankees are even talking about trading Robinson Cano. Yes, Cano did have a terrible season in which he only hit .271 and had a terrifying .305 OBP. His power numbers failed to increase as well, which is also concerning because many within the Yankees believe that Cano will eventually have 20-25 HR potential. Furthermore, Cano was also terrible defensively throughout the season because he would have strange lapses where he wouldn't go hard after a ball or simply look lackadaisical going after a ground ball. There is no question that the 2008 season was a step back for Cano, but there are so many more reasons not to trade this guy away.

1. Even though I feel like he's been around forever (2005!), Cano is still only 25 years old (26 on Opening Day). You don't find too many 25 year olds with Cano's ability.

2. Second base is too hard of a position to fill. Look, I know that Cano stunk up the joint this year, but if you trade him away, who ya gonna go get? Unless his name is Orlando Hudson, there is no one else out there.

3. His potential is ridiculous. As a 23 year old, Cano hit .342 in 482 ABs and in 2007, Cano hit 19 HR and 97 RBI for the Yankees while primarily hitting in the bottom of the order. Anyone remember when then Yankee manager Joe Torre compared Cano to a young Rod Carew? I think Torre has a good idea what he's talking about with Cano.

4. Check out the splits for Cano this season. What stands out at you?

By Day/Month AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB HBP SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS April 106 6 16 3 0 2 7 7 1 14 0 2 .151 .211 .236 .447 May 95 13 28 7 0 2 12 5 1 6 1 1 .295 .333 .432 .765 June 101 13 29 7 0 2 14 2 1 6 0 0 .287 .302 .416 .718 July 101 11 33 6 1 3 17 3 1 9 0 1 .327 .352 .495 .847 August 100 14 29 4 2 4 10 7 0 18 0 0 .290 .336 .490 .826 September 94 13 27 8 0 1 12 2 1 12 1 0 .287 .303 .404 .707 Cano had a miserable April. From then on, he was good, not great. But if you take away April from Cano's stats, Robby would have hit around .290 for the season. That looks alot better than the .271 batting average he finished with for the season. 5. Money, money, money! At the end of last season, Cano signed a 4 year/$28 mil dollar extension with the Yankees that runs through 2011. Even with his down year, that contract is still regarded as very good amongst baseball people, who will watch Orlando Hudson probably approach a $35-$40 million dollar contract this season. Given his age and potential, I would still take Cano over Hudson any day.

Mr. Cashman, please use some common sense and hold onto Cano (unless your planning on trading Cano to Flushing). We'll gladly take him.

Part IV: NL East Amnesty

Jorge Says No! introduced amnesty earlier and we are happy to present to you our NL East picks. Which contract would your team want to waive at the end of this season? Lets take a look:

Phillies:
Let's turn back the clock to November 2006, the Phillies had just missed the playoffs by one game and attempted to address their biggest weakness, starting pitching, through the free agent market. The Phillies solution to their terrible starting pitching: SP Adam Eaton. Yup, this is the same Adam Eaton, who had just missed half of the 2006 season with a finger injury and was a notorious fly ball pitcher. Not exactly a good mix when you consider that the Phillies play in a bandbox: Citizens Bank Park. For 3 years/$24 million dollars, Eaton has won 14 games for the Phillies in two seasons while producing an ERA above 6 with the Phillies (6.29 in 2007, 5.80 in 2008). Eaton even struggled in AAA this season by going 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA. Yikes! I bet the Phillies would do anything to get rid of this stiff.

Mets:
Luis Castillo. Luis Castillo. Luis Castillo. Need I say more? For some reason, GM Omar Minaya decided that the slap hitting Castillo, who offers no power to a lineup, was worth 4 years/$26 mil. Oh yeah, and to top it all off, Castillo appears to be in massive amounts of pain whenever he does anything baseball related-run, hit, field, walk, jog. It's tough to watch. I understand Castillo's value would mainly come from hitting behind Jose Reyes, but even I could see that Castillo had limited ability and that his fastball hitting days were over. Seems like a wonderful invest, right Omar?

Braves:
Since Mike Hampton is going to be off the books at the end of this season, the only obvious choice is SP Tim Hudson. Hudson, who has been the ace of the Braves staff for the past two seasons, is owed $13 mil next season, but will probably not pitch. Hudson was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery in August of this year and will probably not be back until 2010. For the Braves, releasing Hudson would provide them with the relief they need to make a big splash on the free agent market.

Marlins:
The Marlins never spend money ($21 mil dollar payroll this season). Amnesty would do almost nothing for them.

Nationals:
Several options here because of stupid contracts given out by GM Jim Bowden. We could go with either OF Austin Kearns ($8 mil next season) and his .217 batting average. Or we could go with 1B Nick Johnson ($5.5 mil next season) only because of his vast injury history. Johnson missed all of 2007 and most of 2008 and has shown no ability to stay healthy. When healthy, he remains one of my favorite players because of his ability to get on base. Or finally, we could go with 1B Dmitri Young ($5 mil next season), who may struggle to provide anything in 2009 because of his diabetes. Young is a wonderful guy and a remarkable story, but his production may never approach 2007 levels.

To me, the best option for amnesty here is Austin Kearns. Even though Kearns has tons of potential, he has never shown any of it on the field and at 29, I am losing hope that he will ever reach his potential. Plus, I would rather use the $8 mil owed to Kearns to try and sign Ryan Zimmerman. That guy is the future.

Random Thoughts

-Anyone else hate the TBS schedule for the division series? Can we start these games at a normal time...please? 5 PM on a weekday is not my cup of tea...

-I will never watch FrankTV...ever. Thanks for ODing yet again on the ads TBS.

-(Warning: Mets bias) On the plus side, TBS...more Ron Darling! As far a commentary goes, Darling is as good as it gets in the business and he's an absolute delight to listen too.

-Red Sox=Dynasty. What a mix of young talent and veterans. Who needs Manny? How about this for a core: Ellsbury, Pedoria, Masterson, Lowrie, Mastsuzaka, and Lester. Oh yeah, I didn't even mention Beckett (FA in 2010) or Buchholz (stuck in AAA).

-What's up with Rich Harden? Diminished velocity is a bad sign for a guy with his injury history. Will the Cubs pick up his option? Not if there is colassal damage in that right arm.

-No more Corey Patterson! Wooooooooooooooo, Reds fans!

-Money player=Mark Teixiera. Easily the best offensive player for the Angels during the Division Series and made a fantastic catch at first to save the Angels season in the 9th inning (temporarily). Whichever team lands Tex is going to be lucky, this dude is a stud.

-Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye! Francisco Rodriguez! I think its doubtful that the Angels will spend $15 mil on a closer when they already have studs in the bullpen. Two words: Arre-dondo. (Note: K-Rod...we would love to see you close at Citi Field....just please, go easy on Omar in the negotiations)
-Please stay away Curt Schilling. Yes you had a great career and yes, I think you are a hall of famer. But wow are you annoying. If you retire, please stay off the radio/TV/Internet/telegraph for the time being. And to the media: please do not attempt to contact Mr. Schilling. Same goes for Jeff Kent. Stay away.

-Prediction time:
Rays in seven
MVP: Evan Longoria
Unheralded MVP: Chad Bradford
Guy to watch out for: Mark Kotsay
Potential Goat: Javier Lopez

Dodgers in five
MVP: James Loney
Unheralded MVP: Casey Blake
Guy to watch out for: Jayson Werth
Potential Goat: Pat Burrell

Playoff Baseball Makes Me Angry

After Jason Bay crossed home plate last night, I watched the Red Sox jump up and down all over SS Jed Lowrie, who had just won the series with a huge game winning single. My buddy, a Red Sox fan, started jumping up and down like a thrid grade girl while I starred blankly into the TV set. Watching the Red Sox win yet another playoff series, in such dramatic fashion, not only made me think about the Mets' failure, but it also made me really depressed? I said to myself, "The Red Sox won again....f*^k!" I felt like a Yankee fan, despising the success of the hated Red Sox and bluntly cursing them out for no apparent reason.

But why was I doing this? I am a Met fan, not a Yankee fan. The Red Sox have not done anything to the Mets besides give us the 1986 World Championship (thanks again Mr. Buckner!). Hell, I even like the Red Sox in 2004! Johnny Damon, wooooooooooo!

Nevertheless, I was about to throw the remote through the TV last night (rage...I know) at the sight of the Red Sox winning. Perhaps I'm just not ready to watch another team celebrate because of my disappointment. Or maybe, I'm just bitter at the fact that the Red Sox have become so good (4 playoff appearances in 5 years), while the Mets remain haplessly in neutral. Weren't the Red Sox known for being chokers, not the Mets? Role reversal stinks. Could it just be that I wanted the Mets to celebrate like 9 year old schoolkids by jumping and piling on top of each other-not the stinkin' Red Sox? I mean, the thought of Jose Reyes leaping on Luis Castillo and Scott Schoeneweis in a huge dogpile as Carlos Beltran sprints in from center field is probably one of the happiest thoughts I can think of. It's just beautiful.

No matter what the reason is, the fact is that I have become bitter. Very bitter. And I tell you this, if I have to watch Kevin Youklis jump around uncontrollably or watch Jonathan Papelbon act like an idiot (or dance!) after a victory, then a remote will be launched. TV, your on notice.

What to do? Masterson Edition

While scrolling through the web today, I came across this article about the future of Justin Masterson on si.com. For those of you who do not know, Masterson, 23, is one of the Red Sox best pitching prospects and is currently pitching out of the bullpen for the Sox as they try to win their third title in the past five seasons. And folks, Masterson has been great out of the bullpen. In 27 games out of the pen, Masterson has a fantastic 2.36 ERA as a reliever this season and is holding right handed hitters to .196 batting average. Statistically speaking, it would appear that Masterson has a long career ahead of him as a relief pitcher, but could he be an effective starter?

I think so. First of all, I love his stuff. Masterson has a hard diving fastball that comes in to right hand hitters, which results in many weak ground balls and strikeouts. To me, Masterson is a much better version of Derek Lowe simply because his stuff is better and he throws harder. Masterson struck out 39/54 IP as a starter in the majors this season while compiling 37 K/38 IP for AA Portland this season. So obviously the potential is there for Masterson to become a strikeout pitcher. Furthermore, Masterson has too much talent to be stashed away in the bullpen for an entire season. I would rather see Masterson take the ball 25-30 times in a season and give the Sox 160-200 IP rather than having him pitch 60-80 times out of the bullpen. To me, pitching out of the rotation maximizes a pitcher's value, unless he is closing. And last I checked, the Sox have a very good closer (see Papelbon, Jon). Plus, bullpen help is much easier to find than a young, quality starting pitcher.

And finally Sox fans, could you imagine a roation of Lester-Matsuzaka-Beckett-Masterson-Buccholz? That's a rotation that could be around for the next decade or so and has the makings of dominance; one through five. Simply put, thats a scary rotation folks.
(Photo: Getty Images)

Free Agent at the End of the Season: Derek Lowe

When I initially looked at this season's free agent class, Derek Lowe struck me as a pitcher who could benefit from a weak crop of pitchers. Nowadays, teams will pay pitchers big money for not only being a great pitcher, but for a being a consistent pitcher as well. And ever since Derek Lowe signed with the Dodgers, consistency has been his middle name. That's a far cry from the Red Sox Derek Lowe, who had a great 2002, but struggled mightily through 2004. Lowe attacks hitters with a fantastic sinker that dives down in the zone, which results in many ground balls. He is a control pitcher, who has done a phenomenal job limiting his walks (71 in 2004, 45 in 2008). Lowe will get big bucks this offseason and there are plenty of reasons why.

The Case for Lowe
-His experience.
Perhaps no pitcher on the open market can stake claim to the vast amount of experience Lowe has. He has pitched in playoff games. He has pitched out of the bullpen. He has started game 7. He has pitched a no hitter. This man knows how pitch despite the situation; and in this market, that speaks volumes.

-He's consistent.
Anyone look at Derek Lowe's stats over the past 4 seasons? Some pretty remarkable stuff. Here are his ERA's with the Dodgers:

2005: 3.61
2006: 3.63
2007: 3.88
2008: 3.24

That's pretty darn good, right? And how about this for consistency: Lowe has not won less than 10 games since 2002. Not many pitchers can claim to have done that. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, we have the Barry Zito/Scott Boras decree: Lowe takes the ball every fifth day. Since 2002, Lowe has started more than 30 games in each season and has thrown at least 200 innings five times during that span.

-October.
We have already mentioned Lowe's playoff experience, but who knew that Derek Lowe's lifetime ERA in the playoffs is 3.31? How many teams would love to have a guy like that next season? (Cough...Mets...please...) Lowe's been dominant at times in his career (2004 ALCS and 2008 NLDS) and he can make himself alot of money if continues to come up big during crunch time.

The Case against Lowe
-His age.
Lowe will be turning 36 next season, which isn't exactly the prime of his career. Who knows? Maybe Lowe will be find the fountain of youth ala Jaime Moyer, but pitchers usually decline around 36-38, if not sooner. Buyer beware.

-The away stats.
Even though Lowe has a 3.24 ERA this season, his home/away splits have to be somewhat concerning for prospective buyers. At Dodger Stadium, Lowe had a 2.30 ERA, but on the road his ERA ballooned to 4.42. Keep in mind that a 4.42 ERA is still decent, but can teams depend on Lowe to deliver the 2.30 ERA at a ballpark other than Dodger Stadium? Any GM would have to be confident that Lowe can deliver the goods before they commit to him.

Competition
Hmmm...where to begin here. Lowe has front end competition in CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets, but those guys should command much more than Lowe. The only pitcher I find comparable in Oliver Perez, who is about 10 years younger and 100 times more inconsistent than Lowe (if AJ Burnett opts out, I'd lump him in here). If I'm a GM, I'd prefer Lowe over Perez and even Burnett. Yes he doesn't throw all that hard, but the results speak for themself. Lowe is a winner and a dependable #2 starter.

Prediction
3 years/$36 mil
At this stage in the game, I can think of at least six teams that I think could be interested in Derek Lowe:

Dodgers
Mets
Yankees
White Sox
Rangers
Astros

The list of teams interested in Lowe could (and should) get longer. This guy can win and will be paid for it. Agent Scott Boras will no doubt look at the following contracts:

Derek Lowe (4 years/$36 mil)
Tim Hudson (4 years/$47 mil)
Kyle Lohse (4 years/$41 mil)
Jason Schmidt (3 years/$47 mil)

Obviously at Lowe's age, $12 mil per season is what the market dictates. If not for his age, Lowe could have commanded a long term deal, but he will have to instead focus on 3-4 years at a premium price. I wouldn't feel comfortable paying a pitcher until he is 40, but Lowe could be a major difference maker for a team in either 2009 or 2010.

Ned Colletti still stinks

There is no doubt that what the Dodgers did to the Cubs was impressive. Not only did they sweep the Cubs, but they won each game in such a convincing fashion. Yes last nights game was close, but I never thought at any time that the Cubs were going to come back. Kudos to Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley, and Hiroki Kuroda for pitching 3 great games against probably the best offense in the National League. And where would this offense be without Manny Ramirez? He was hands down the best player during the second half of the season and he is making himself lots of loot with this kind of performance.

After all of this praise for the Dodgers you would think that they would have an amazing GM right. Nope. the reality of the 2008 Dodgers is that many of their key players were acquired by the two GM's prior to Colletti (Dan Evans and Paul Depodesta).

Here's a list:
Matt Kemp (Evans)
Russell Martin (Evans)
James Loney (Evans)
Chad Billingsley (Evans)
Jonathan Broxton (Evans)
Blake Dewitt (Evans)
Derek Lowe (Depodesta)
Brad Penny (Depodesta)
Jeff Kent (Depodesta)

There is no doubt that when Colletti joined the Dodgers late in 2005, that he was given a great hand to work with. To be fair though, Colletti has had his fair share of hits with Rafael Furcal, the 2006 Nomar Garciaparra, Andre Ethier, Clayton Kershaw, Takasi Saito, and Hiroki Kuroda. I also like the type of contracts that Colletti has given out to his veteran free agents. Less years with more money each season. Think about it, the odds of having a crappy contract kill your franchise over a long period of time are greatly reduced.

But amazingly, Colletti has still managed to throw away over $120 million dollars worth of contracts during his tenure. Whether it has been injuries, poor performance, or just a stupid contract, Colletti's misses have been high profile misses. Jason Schmidt: 3 years/$45 mil; injured. Andruw Jones: 2 years/$36 mil; poor performance, injuries. Juan Pierre: 5 years/$44 mil; he's terrible. I can understand the Schmidt signing, even now, but signing two outfielders when the Dodgers already had Kemp and Ethier is just stupidity. How many other teams can claim to have $120 mil worth of contracts worth of waste?

I am convinced that Colletti would have been fired if not for his miraculous acquisitions of Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake. There is no doubt that those were two shrewd moves that not only won the Dodgers the division/NLDS, but saved Colletti's job. Because we have to remember, before they got Manny, the Dodgers were a huge disappointment and in grave danger of missing the playoffs again. Ned surely would have lost his job.

So good for Ned Colletti and the Dodgers for advancing to the NLCS. While this season might have been saved, I still think that Colletti is a pretty bad GM, who will eventually drive the McCourts crazy with all of his wasteful spending. Ned Colletti should be bowing down to Manny Ramirez. Anyone else think a 5 year, $200 mil dollar contract is out of the question for Colletti to give Manny?

Random Thoughts

-As of this morning, the Dodgers, Red Sox, Rays, and Phillies all find themselves up two games to none in the division series. They have each played phenomenal baseball (or watched the Cubs play terrible, cough...Dodgers) and have gotten great pitching and quality defense. Very good baseball to watch.

-With that said, I don't think the Cubs or White Sox are dead yet. The Cubs still have tremendous pitching, a great manager, and a scary offense; which could carry them through these next 2 games in Los Angeles. As for the White Sox, it would not surprise me to see the Rays struggle based on their lack of experience in the playoffs. We have seen them get tight down the stretch of the regular season and we'll see if the White Sox can capitalize.

-How good could the White Sox have been with Carlos Quentin in the middle of their lineup? He would have been the difference maker.

-Rich Harden, boy do the Cubs need you to be dominant tonight.

-Manny Ramirez, how good are you? And where can the Mets find one just like him? $$$$$$

-How do the Angels lose to the Red Sox every year? Is it like the curse of Jarrod Washburn or something? There is simply no excuse of the Angels to struggle like they have against the Sox given the fact that they have the best team is baseball and have an advantage in every aspect of the game. If they get swept again by the Red Sox, would that be a choke job? Or just a simple case of the Red Sox having their number? I say choke.

-Good to see you again J.D Drew. Where have you been all this time. Oh, the DL you say, with your friend Rafael Furcal. Good to see you both contributing.

-And Mr. Furcal, big postseason=big payday

-Is it weird hearing Michael Kay call the Phillies v. Brewers games or is it just me?

-There is no doubt in my mind that the execs at MLB are rooting for two things for their TV ratings.
1. Cubs in the World Series (obvious)
2. Red Sox v. Dodgers World Series

-Could you imagine the ratings for that number 2? Between Joe Torre, Manny Ramirez, the Sox, the Dodgers, East Coast, West Coast, Nomar, Lowe, and Andruw Jones (how'd he slip in there?); how could this not be one of the highest rated series of all time? The storylines are endless, big names galore, and both teams have very large followings.

-Anyone else notice how the Dodgers have $80 mil in contracts doing nothing for them during the playoffs? Yup, I'm talking to both of you, Andruw Jones and Juan Pierre.

-With that said, I would absolutely love to see the Rays battle the Brewers in the World Series. Any chance I have to see fans in Tampa go crazy, I will gladly take that opportunity. However, the ratings for this World Series would be very bad unless the Rays are somehow able to draw in millions of people, which they have failed to do over the past 10 seasons. Unfortunately, great story does not equal great ratings.

Youtube Special: Finally I will end on this. This past week has been very difficult for me after the demise of my New York Mets. With that said, this video has made me laugh and smile for no good reason. If you like Amare, you will love this.

A Message to the Higher Being

Dear Lord,

I'm not even sure at this point if you're a baseball fan, but I figured I'd write to you anyway. As you should know, the Chicago Cubs have not won a World Series in the past 100 years and they are on the verge of elimination at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers. One hundred years is a long time for these people to suffer God. Can the Cubs please win...just once? You see God, I am not a Cubs fan, I am instead a Cubs sympathizer. My New York Mets have disappointed me and beaten me down many times of the years (239 to be exact), but what these poor Cubs fans have to go through every year is just plain torture. And what's not to like about these people God? Their loyal, energetic, and passionate fans despite all of their team's struggles and after 100 years, that's damn impressive. The reality of the situation is that the Cubs 2008 season is on the brink of ending and Cubs fans are on the brink of joining Met fans in "keeping sharp objects away from us in the winter." We Met fans welcome all kinds of fans into our torture club, but I don't want to accept Cubs fans. I want to see them win (the World Series) or at least give some hope to these people who have believed (and continue to believe) for so long.

So let's see something amazing happen God, over these next 3 games, and hopefully throughout the rest of the playoffs. Cubs fans will be counting on you. And Mets fans (like me!) will be living through Cubs fans. So please, give us something to believe!

Thanks again,
Josh

P.S: Mets in 2009....I can start early, right God?

Its Game 7....

Just imagine that it is Game 7 of the Championship Series. Your watching the game with your family on some cold fallish night and your filled with optimism. Even though your team has some stiff pitching tonight, you have faith because its game 7, anything can happen! GAME 7, YEAHHHHH, WOOOOOOOOOOOO!! However, by the second inning, its 3-0. And it gets worse, by the fifth inning, its 6-0 and your about to throw your shoe at the TV in frustration.

Your mind begins to wonder about what could have been during game 7. What if we had Johan Santana on the mound? Or Roy Halladay? How bout Brandon Webb?
Would we have won the game? You may never know, but at least as a fan, you would feel confident that a win is within your reach.

And so I ask, if you could pick one starting pitcher to be on the mound from this years playoff teams to pitch a deciding game (game 5-Division Series or game 7-Championship Series), who would you choose?

Here's my list:
1. Josh Beckett
2. CC Sabathia
3. Jon Lester
4. John Lackey
5. Cole Hamels
6. Derek Lowe
7. Daisuke Matsuzaka
8. Carlos Zambrano
9. Jaime Moyer
10. John Danks
11. Rich Harden
12. Ervin Santana, Chad Billingsley (tie)

My list encompasses a combination of ability, performance this season, experience, and most importantly, playoff experience.

I'm looking to hear from you, the readers, whose on your list? Who do you want on the hill when it matters most?

PLEASE COMMENT!

Key to the Series: Josh Beckett

As I type this, the Red Sox are up 1-0 behind the splendid pitching of Jon Lester (how good was he last night!). With Dice-K pitching game 2, there is a very good chance that the Red Sox will be up 2-0 going back to Fenway. That would leave game 3 in the hands of Josh Beckett, who as we all know, is an absolute beast in the postseason. Beckett's 2008 campaign has been somewhat of a disappointment because of inconsistent performance and injuries. The Sox are deep enough and have enough experience to win some games without a contribution from Beckett, but they will need him on his A game if they are going to win.

Look, even if the Red Sox win game 2, I think game 3 is vital because of Beckett. If he can close the Angels out, then the Sox have to feel confident about Beckett and feel optimistic that they can win another title. If by some chance the Sox lose game 2, then Beckett's start will become huge and the pressure will be back on. Can the playoff wonder kid perform like his October self even with the injuries and poor performance? We shall see.

So maybe Beckett won't make or break this series, but nevertheless, he needs to prove he is healthy and dominant if the Red Sox are going to compete for a title.

Key to the Series: Vladimir Guerrero

Well duh! Who else could it be? Vlaaaaaaaaaaaad has a history of coming up small in the big moment by hitting only .167 in the 2004 ALDS and only .200 in last years ALDS. To top it all off, Vlad the Impaler has hit only 1 HR in 40 career post season at bats. That's simply not getting the job done. It's not surprising that in 2005 the Angels advanced all the way to the ALCS in part because Vlad hit .333 during the postseason. As Vlad goes, so go the Angels.

To semi quote the passover seder here, why is this post season different than any other for Vladdddy and the Angels? Because they actually have some power and depth in the lineup. Free agent acquisition Torii Hunter and midseason pickup Mark Teixeira have added both power and consistency to the Angels, which should allow Vlad to relax for the playoffs. The burden is not solely on him this year to produce, but I still don't think the Angels can win with him hitting around the Mendoza line.

Oh yeah, I love the name Vladimir Guerrero. Could you tell?

(Side note: Darren Oliver will have a big series. I just have a hunch)

Key to the Series: Jayson Werth

Who knew that Jayson Werth would have such a huge impact this season? And as a number three hitter? I never woulda guessed. But the reality is that Werth has been superb for the Phillies in right field in 2008 and has been vital to the success of their lineup. Werth has hit .273 with 24 homers this season in only 418 ABs. Furthermore, Werth has hit .303 against lefties, which is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Phillies.
While Utley and Howard are great, they are both left handed and need to have a righty in between them to separate them. That's where Werth fits in. As the #3 hitter, he will have to come through in the clutch especially when teams decide to either:

1. Walk Utley in front of him
2. Bring in a lefty (Brian Shouse!) to face Utley and Howard

If Werth cannot come through in this series, then the Phillies will struggle to win because the rest of their offense (outside of the big two) has been very inconsistent this season. Werth's importance has been magnified even more because of the injury to Pat Burrell, who might miss some time because of back issues. I think Werth will have a big series and feast off of any lefties that the Brewers throw at the Phillies.