Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez, from Puerto Rico, got a chance to meet with veteran pitcher and fellow countrymen Javier Vazquez. Vazquez has said to be interested in playing with the Fish in 2011. If the Marlins do indeed sign the Puerto Rican native pitcher, the team would be adding an experienced pitcher to their young yet talented rotation.
Vazquez seems to have more success pitching in the National League as opposed to the American League. While pitching for the Expos, Diamondbacks, and Braves, Vazquez went 90-93 with an ERA of 4.02. In the American League, however, Vazquez has posted a record of 62-56 with an ERA of 4.65 while pitching for both the White Sox and the Yankees. This past season for the Yankees, Vazquez did not have a great year going 10-10 with an ERA of 5.32. Unfortunately for Vazquez, he was not added to the Yankees playoff roster this past postseason.
Aside from Vazquez, the Marlins have also been reported to have interest in former Marlin Carl Pavano. Pavano, a type A free agent however, is looking for Cliff Lee type money this offseason. If the Marlins are not able to sign either of these veteran starters, it is still important that the Marlins go after a veteran starting pitcher to help out their young rotation. If anything, the addition of a veteran starting pitcher can serve as competition for the fifth spot in the Marlins rotation.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
One Step Back... Two Steps Forward
Just when Marlins fans thought that the Fish were heading in the right direction, they pull off the biggest slap in the face since the organization traded Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the Tigers in 2007. The Marlins sent fan favorite Dan Uggla to the Atlanta Braves (that's right, that was not a typo) for infielder Omar Infante and left-handed reliever Mike Dunn.
Before you think that I'm going to bash the organization just like all the other Marlins fans, I'm not. The trade actually seems reasonable. The Marlins upgraded on the defensive side of the ball in Omar Infante and acquired that left-handed power arm out of the bullpen that they had been looking for in Mike Dunn.
It seems like the Marlins are going back to what helped them go all the way in 2003. If you remember, the Marlins went ahead and dealt two fan favorites in Preston Wilson and Charles Johnson to the Rockies for Mike Hampton and... oh, this guy named Juan Pierre... The Fish then spun Hampton to the Braves for Tim Spooneybarger. Although the latter did not pan out, the former, Juan Pierre definitely paid dividends in 2003. In addition the Marlins signed Pudge Rodriguez to help a young pitching staff.
No, the Marlins did not acquire Pudge this season, but they did sign veteran catcher John Buck to a three-year deal for $18 Million. Buck had a career year with the Blue Jays in 2010 hitting .281, 20HR, and 66RBI. The only issue I have with the signing is the number of years. I realize that John Baker is injured, but I feel that by signing Buck to a three-year deal, you are sending a message that he will be the Marlins primary catcher for the next three seasons, barring a trade, of course. Perhaps the thought process behind the signing was that we needed more offensive production out of the catcher's spot.
Although I am not in complete agreement with the moves the Marlins made today, as a fan, I am not about to turn my back on this team. Whether you like it or not, the Marlins seem to be in almost every game, year in and year out, and have a knack for finding young talent. The problem with that gift however is that sooner or later, these diamonds in the rough will play their way out of South Florida.
Before you think that I'm going to bash the organization just like all the other Marlins fans, I'm not. The trade actually seems reasonable. The Marlins upgraded on the defensive side of the ball in Omar Infante and acquired that left-handed power arm out of the bullpen that they had been looking for in Mike Dunn.
It seems like the Marlins are going back to what helped them go all the way in 2003. If you remember, the Marlins went ahead and dealt two fan favorites in Preston Wilson and Charles Johnson to the Rockies for Mike Hampton and... oh, this guy named Juan Pierre... The Fish then spun Hampton to the Braves for Tim Spooneybarger. Although the latter did not pan out, the former, Juan Pierre definitely paid dividends in 2003. In addition the Marlins signed Pudge Rodriguez to help a young pitching staff.
No, the Marlins did not acquire Pudge this season, but they did sign veteran catcher John Buck to a three-year deal for $18 Million. Buck had a career year with the Blue Jays in 2010 hitting .281, 20HR, and 66RBI. The only issue I have with the signing is the number of years. I realize that John Baker is injured, but I feel that by signing Buck to a three-year deal, you are sending a message that he will be the Marlins primary catcher for the next three seasons, barring a trade, of course. Perhaps the thought process behind the signing was that we needed more offensive production out of the catcher's spot.
Although I am not in complete agreement with the moves the Marlins made today, as a fan, I am not about to turn my back on this team. Whether you like it or not, the Marlins seem to be in almost every game, year in and year out, and have a knack for finding young talent. The problem with that gift however is that sooner or later, these diamonds in the rough will play their way out of South Florida.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Marlins Moving in the Right Direction After Trading Maybin and Miller Away
Now it's official: The Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis trade to the Tigers for Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, Burke Badenhop, and Mike Rabello was a complete flop! The only positive that came out of that trade was getting rid of Dontrelle Willis before he imploded in Detroit.
In the last 48 hours, the Marlins have dealt Andrew Miller to the Red Sox and Cameron Maybin to the Padres. In return, the Marlins received three pitchers in total: Dustin Richardson from Boston, and Ryan Webb and Edward Mujica from San Diego. The Maybin deal speaks volumes as the Marlins desperately need relievers. The Marlins bullpen paced the National League in blown saves with 25 of them in 2010.
In addition to adding relief, the trade might mean that the Marlins do intend on signing Dan Uggla to a long-term deal despite rumors indicating that the Marlins are listening to offers for the 2010 Silver Slugger Award recipient at second base.
In the last 48 hours, the Marlins have dealt Andrew Miller to the Red Sox and Cameron Maybin to the Padres. In return, the Marlins received three pitchers in total: Dustin Richardson from Boston, and Ryan Webb and Edward Mujica from San Diego. The Maybin deal speaks volumes as the Marlins desperately need relievers. The Marlins bullpen paced the National League in blown saves with 25 of them in 2010.
In addition to adding relief, the trade might mean that the Marlins do intend on signing Dan Uggla to a long-term deal despite rumors indicating that the Marlins are listening to offers for the 2010 Silver Slugger Award recipient at second base.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
The Return of Rodriguez and Hill Bodes Well for the Fish
The Marlins announced the resigning of manager Edwin Rodriguez to a one-year contract yesterday. Despite the fact that there were other choices available, bringing Rodriguez back was probably the smartest move. Rodriguez finished with a record of 46-46 with the Marlins after replacing Fredi Gonzalez in June. The injuries to Chris Coghlan, Josh Johnson, and Ricky Nolasco were huge blows to the organization and perhaps lead to Rodriguez's misleading record of 46-46. Before the injury to Coghlan, Rodriguez and the Marlins posted a 15-13 record. After the Marlins lost Coghlan for the season, the Marlins finished 31-33.
What set Edwin Rodriguez apart from Fredi Gonzalez was the fact that Rodriguez came out of the dugout to argue with the umpires a lot more than Gonzalez ever did during his time with the Marlins. Those actions shown by Rodriguez instantly gained the respect of the players. Just ask those players who have played for Bobby Cox in Atlanta. It is very important as a player to see your manager fight for you and for your team. One of the most important things that Rodriguez said that the team has a lot of individual awards, but that they "have not grown as a team yet." Retaining Rodriguez was probably the best decision the organization could have made for the 2011 season. After going through a managerial change during the season, the last thing the players need is to adjust to another manager with another managerial style.
In addition to the return of Edwin Rodriguez, infield coach guru Perry Hill returns to the organization. Hill previously held the position as infield coach with the Marlins from 2002 to 2006. While with the Marlins, Luis Castillo, Mike Lowell and Derrek Lee were all awarded Gold Gloves. The Marlins are in much need of a defensive help as the Marlins committed the fifth most errors in Major League Baseball with 123.
Now that the Marlins have their coaching staff set for the 2011 season, it's time for the Front Office to turn their attention towards locking up Dan Uggla and Ricky Nolasco to long-term deals.
What set Edwin Rodriguez apart from Fredi Gonzalez was the fact that Rodriguez came out of the dugout to argue with the umpires a lot more than Gonzalez ever did during his time with the Marlins. Those actions shown by Rodriguez instantly gained the respect of the players. Just ask those players who have played for Bobby Cox in Atlanta. It is very important as a player to see your manager fight for you and for your team. One of the most important things that Rodriguez said that the team has a lot of individual awards, but that they "have not grown as a team yet." Retaining Rodriguez was probably the best decision the organization could have made for the 2011 season. After going through a managerial change during the season, the last thing the players need is to adjust to another manager with another managerial style.
In addition to the return of Edwin Rodriguez, infield coach guru Perry Hill returns to the organization. Hill previously held the position as infield coach with the Marlins from 2002 to 2006. While with the Marlins, Luis Castillo, Mike Lowell and Derrek Lee were all awarded Gold Gloves. The Marlins are in much need of a defensive help as the Marlins committed the fifth most errors in Major League Baseball with 123.
Now that the Marlins have their coaching staff set for the 2011 season, it's time for the Front Office to turn their attention towards locking up Dan Uggla and Ricky Nolasco to long-term deals.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants
Who would have thought that a group which consisted of castoffs and misfits would be crowned as the
2010 World Champions? My guess is that not a lot of people predicted that!
Since the departure of Giants great Barry Bonds, the Giants organization had been working towards rebuilding an aging ball club. In 2009, the Giants' "rebuilding effort" consisted of having players such as Bengie Molina, Randy Winn, Rich Aurillia, and Randy Johnson on their roster. As a result, the hitting had been the Giants' Achillies' heal that prevented them from reaching the postseason.
So in 2010 the Giants began their quest for a championship by signing Aubrey Huff? No one would have seen this one coming! Huff had never been on a postseason team and had a sub-par season with the Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers in 2009. Mark DeRosa also signed with the Giants which gave them a formidable everyday lineup. Unfortunately for the Giants, DeRosa went down with season-ending injury, and the Giants' third baseman, Pablo Sandoval was not able to duplicate his success at the plate from 2009. Not to mention on and off injuries or ineffectiveness by Aaron Rowand, Edgar Renteria, and Barry Zito to name a few.
The Giants had rookie sensation Buster Posey taking care of business in the minor leagues and so the organization felt that it was time to call him to the show. About a week and half or so later, the Giants sent aging catcher Bengie Molina to the Rangers for reliever Chris Ray. Soon after that, the Giants signed Pat Burrell, who had been released by the Rays, to a minor league contract. In a season with such high hopes, the Giants were in fourth place in the NL West and just three games over the .500 mark on June 30th. This minor setback was just that, minor. The Giants turned things around in July as they finished with a record of 20-8 and vaulted themselves into the first place in the Wild Card. After a 13-15 August, the Giants felt that is was necessary to keep adding offensive help to the organization. They proceeded to add Mike Fontenot from the Cubs, Jose Guillen from the Royals, and Cody Ross from the Marlins. This figured to be the final piece of the puzzle as the Giants leap frogged the San Diego Padres in the NL West and made their first postseason appearance since 2003.
Even after making it to the postseason, the Giants offense still figured to be the issue as they faced the Atlanta Braves. NLDS hero, Cody Ross silenced many critics by hitting .286 with one home run and three runs batted in. Defeating the Atlanta Braves was somewhat of an upset but not shocking. Their next opponent, the Phillies, would definitely eliminate them with their superior pitching rotation. Well, Cody Ross once again stunned, silenced, and baffled not only the Phillies pitching but sports world. He not only carried the Giants to the World Series, but was awarded the NLCS MVP. Ross hit an impressive .350 with three home runs and knocked in five runs. Two of Ross' home runs came off of Roy Halladay, who not only threw a no-hitter in the division series against the Reds, but also threw a perfect game against the Marlins while Ross was still with the club.
On to the World Series where yet again, the Giants were looked down upon. Cliff Lee and the Rangers had just finished defeating the "Evil Empire" (the New York Yankees). The Giants responded in Game One of the Series by beating down the Rangers 11-7 in what figured to be a pitchers duel between Cliff Lee and Tim Lincecum. Game Two started off as a pitchers duel between C.J. Wilson of the Rangers and Matt Cain of the Giants. Unfortunately for Wilson, Edgar Renteria drew first blood with a solo home run. The Giants went on the win 9-0. Game 3 went to the Rangers in Texas 4-2 behind stellar pitching from Colby Lewis. The Giants however, homered twice off Lewis, one by Ross and the other by outfielder Andres Torres. Game Four was decided by another rookie sensation, starter Madison Bumgarner. Bumgarner pitched eight shutout innings against the Rangers in a winning effort. Finally, in Game Five, a re-match from the first game actually lived up to its expectations as the Rangers and Giants exchanged scoreless innings until the seventh inning where eventual World Series MVP, Edgar Renteria connected off of Cliff Lee with a three-run home run which figured to be all the scoring the Giants needed as they went on to defeat the Rangers 3-1.
To quote Vin Scully: "In a year that has been so improbable...the impossible has happened!" This postseason has probably been one of the most memorable in baseball history. No one outside of San Francisco would have thought that the Giants would be the ones hosting the parade when it is all set and done. This season truly defines baseball as sports' masterpiece. Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants.
2010 World Champions? My guess is that not a lot of people predicted that!
Since the departure of Giants great Barry Bonds, the Giants organization had been working towards rebuilding an aging ball club. In 2009, the Giants' "rebuilding effort" consisted of having players such as Bengie Molina, Randy Winn, Rich Aurillia, and Randy Johnson on their roster. As a result, the hitting had been the Giants' Achillies' heal that prevented them from reaching the postseason.
So in 2010 the Giants began their quest for a championship by signing Aubrey Huff? No one would have seen this one coming! Huff had never been on a postseason team and had a sub-par season with the Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers in 2009. Mark DeRosa also signed with the Giants which gave them a formidable everyday lineup. Unfortunately for the Giants, DeRosa went down with season-ending injury, and the Giants' third baseman, Pablo Sandoval was not able to duplicate his success at the plate from 2009. Not to mention on and off injuries or ineffectiveness by Aaron Rowand, Edgar Renteria, and Barry Zito to name a few.
The Giants had rookie sensation Buster Posey taking care of business in the minor leagues and so the organization felt that it was time to call him to the show. About a week and half or so later, the Giants sent aging catcher Bengie Molina to the Rangers for reliever Chris Ray. Soon after that, the Giants signed Pat Burrell, who had been released by the Rays, to a minor league contract. In a season with such high hopes, the Giants were in fourth place in the NL West and just three games over the .500 mark on June 30th. This minor setback was just that, minor. The Giants turned things around in July as they finished with a record of 20-8 and vaulted themselves into the first place in the Wild Card. After a 13-15 August, the Giants felt that is was necessary to keep adding offensive help to the organization. They proceeded to add Mike Fontenot from the Cubs, Jose Guillen from the Royals, and Cody Ross from the Marlins. This figured to be the final piece of the puzzle as the Giants leap frogged the San Diego Padres in the NL West and made their first postseason appearance since 2003.
Even after making it to the postseason, the Giants offense still figured to be the issue as they faced the Atlanta Braves. NLDS hero, Cody Ross silenced many critics by hitting .286 with one home run and three runs batted in. Defeating the Atlanta Braves was somewhat of an upset but not shocking. Their next opponent, the Phillies, would definitely eliminate them with their superior pitching rotation. Well, Cody Ross once again stunned, silenced, and baffled not only the Phillies pitching but sports world. He not only carried the Giants to the World Series, but was awarded the NLCS MVP. Ross hit an impressive .350 with three home runs and knocked in five runs. Two of Ross' home runs came off of Roy Halladay, who not only threw a no-hitter in the division series against the Reds, but also threw a perfect game against the Marlins while Ross was still with the club.
On to the World Series where yet again, the Giants were looked down upon. Cliff Lee and the Rangers had just finished defeating the "Evil Empire" (the New York Yankees). The Giants responded in Game One of the Series by beating down the Rangers 11-7 in what figured to be a pitchers duel between Cliff Lee and Tim Lincecum. Game Two started off as a pitchers duel between C.J. Wilson of the Rangers and Matt Cain of the Giants. Unfortunately for Wilson, Edgar Renteria drew first blood with a solo home run. The Giants went on the win 9-0. Game 3 went to the Rangers in Texas 4-2 behind stellar pitching from Colby Lewis. The Giants however, homered twice off Lewis, one by Ross and the other by outfielder Andres Torres. Game Four was decided by another rookie sensation, starter Madison Bumgarner. Bumgarner pitched eight shutout innings against the Rangers in a winning effort. Finally, in Game Five, a re-match from the first game actually lived up to its expectations as the Rangers and Giants exchanged scoreless innings until the seventh inning where eventual World Series MVP, Edgar Renteria connected off of Cliff Lee with a three-run home run which figured to be all the scoring the Giants needed as they went on to defeat the Rangers 3-1.
To quote Vin Scully: "In a year that has been so improbable...the impossible has happened!" This postseason has probably been one of the most memorable in baseball history. No one outside of San Francisco would have thought that the Giants would be the ones hosting the parade when it is all set and done. This season truly defines baseball as sports' masterpiece. Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Cody Ross Surprises on the National Stage
If the Division Series had an MVP hardware to hand out, Cody Ross would arguably be the recipient. Tim Lincecum would be a close second with his 14-strikeout winning effort in Game 1. If it were not for Ross, however, Lincecum would not have been the winner. Ross got the lone RBI of Game 1 against the Braves. In the clinching game, Ross broke Derek Lowe's no-hit bid in the sixth inning with a home run. After the Braves took the lead in the bottom half of the sixth, Ross got the go-ahead RBI single with the bases loaded in the seventh inning. Although this may have come to a surprise to the national audience, Marlins fans are well aware of what Cody Ross is capable of doing when the pressure is on. Cody didn't really put it all together with the Marlins in 2010, but in his career year in 2009, Cody hit .389 at Turner Field with a homer and six RBI. FYI, Cody hit .500 (13-26) with three homers and six RBI at Citizens Bank Park, the home of the Philadelphia Phillies, whom the Giants will face in the NLCS. It's good to see Cody get a chance to succeed on the national stage.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Doc Halladay Sensational in Postseason Debut
This 2010 postseason has already started off with a bang! Roy Halladay wasted no time in his postseason debut by pitching a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the Division Series. This was the second postseason no-hitter of all time. The first no-hitter was Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956 World Series with the New York Yankees. Halladay threw 104 pitches while walking one and striking out eight. He had pinpoint control and did not need his defense to bail him out until probably the last play of the game where catcher Carlos Ruiz made a nice play to throw out Brandon Phillips at first base.
Granted, this is only the first game of the postseason for the Phillies, but you can only imagine how tough it will be on the Cincinnati Reds to bounce back in Game 2 against familiar foe Roy Oswalt. Oswalt has a career record of 23-3 against the Cincinnati Reds. I doubt that history will repeat itself with Oswalt on the mound, but this series figured to be a tough one for the Reds from the get-go and after just one game in, the series has not disappointed.
Granted, this is only the first game of the postseason for the Phillies, but you can only imagine how tough it will be on the Cincinnati Reds to bounce back in Game 2 against familiar foe Roy Oswalt. Oswalt has a career record of 23-3 against the Cincinnati Reds. I doubt that history will repeat itself with Oswalt on the mound, but this series figured to be a tough one for the Reds from the get-go and after just one game in, the series has not disappointed.
2010 Postseason Predictions
These are my predictions for the 2010 Postseason. Just like the Rockies of 2007 and the Rays of 2008, I predict that the Rangers will have their magic carpet ride end against good Phillies pitching in the World Series.
NLDS: Reds vs. Phillies (Phillies in 3); Braves vs. Giants (Braves in 5)
ALDS: Rangers vs. Rays (Rangers in 5); Yankees vs. Twins (Yankees in 4)
NLCS: Braves vs. Phillies (Phillies in 6)
ALCS: Yankees vs. Rangers (Rangers in 7)
World Series: Rangers vs. Phillies (Phillies in 5)
NLDS: Reds vs. Phillies (Phillies in 3); Braves vs. Giants (Braves in 5)
ALDS: Rangers vs. Rays (Rangers in 5); Yankees vs. Twins (Yankees in 4)
NLCS: Braves vs. Phillies (Phillies in 6)
ALCS: Yankees vs. Rangers (Rangers in 7)
World Series: Rangers vs. Phillies (Phillies in 5)
Thursday, September 30, 2010
2010 Playoff Picture: A Postseason to Remember
Even though there are still three games remaining in the regular season, the playoff picture for 2010 seems to be all but figured out. This year's playoff will probably be one of the most exciting postseasons baseball has seen in quite some time. Don't get me wrong, last year's postseason was full of excitement and lasting memories, but I feel that 2010 has a lot more to offer.
The teams involved in this year's postseason are full of excitement and there are reasons to pull for each team. The appealing factor about this year's playoffs is that there are quite a few "Cinderella stories." It's a toss up between the Rangers, Reds, Giants, Braves, or the Padres (if they can pull it off this weekend). Having said that, these are not your traditional Cinderella stories like the Angels of 2002, or the Marlins of 2003. For example, the Rangers have been in first place for about 150 consecutive days, but they still have a Cinderella story quality to them. The Rangers are very similar to the 2008 Rays in that despite winning their division, they are the underdogs in the American League.
The most surprising team in the National League and maybe even in the Major Leagues might be the Cincinnati Reds. The National League Central Champs have exceeded all expectations this year and have enjoyed this wild ride by overtaking the St. Louis Cardinals. Earlier in the season their was an altercation between the Reds and Cardinals which could have been the turning point in the Reds season. It's amazing though how the Reds pitching has been able to hunker down and come through this season. This same pitching staff however will face a tough challenge this postseason.
The Giants and the Braves have finally seen their rebuilding efforts pay off as they are both within one win and a Padres loss away from clinching a playoff spot. The Giants are full of exciting and young talent with Rookie of the Year candidate Buster Posey and 2-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum. In addition to those young studs, the Giants have veterans in Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell, and spark plug Juan Uribe. The question that the Giants have had these last few years have been on offense. They had the pitching figured out, but it was the offense that always put the Giants in question as far as playoff aspirations. The Giants answered their offensive needs by picking up Huff in the offseason, Burrell as a free agent after being released from Tampa Bay, Cody Ross and Jose Guillen in two separate deals from the Marlins and Royals respectively. Down in Atlanta, Bobby Cox had announced his retirement before this season began, so what would be a better way to send him off than to make the playoffs? The answer to that question would be to win it all. But before the Braves start thinking World Series, they'll have to go through the Giants and either the Reds or their division rivals and defending National League Champions Phillies. Don't get me wrong, I'm not putting the Braves down, in fact winning one for Bobby before he retires would be some story for the 2010 season.
The non-Cinderella story teams in the playoffs still have some appeal to them. The heavily favored Phillies in the National League still managed to make this season a memorable one by acquiring perhaps the most dominant pitcher in the game today in Roy Halladay. As a reward he threw the 20th perfect game in Major League history. Not only were the acquisitions memorable, but injuries which should have derailed the Phillies managed to keep them in the race and once the regulars returned, they jumped over the Braves to take the National League East.
The Tampa Bay Rays are not considered underdogs in this postseason because they have maintained a relatively healthy team this whole season. The Rays are currently tied with the Yankees in the AL East and playing for home-field advantage in the American League. The Rays have bounced back from last season's disappointing season. They will now have a chance to return to the Fall Classic where they lost to the Phillies in 2008.
Whether the Twins play at the Metrodome or at Target field, the end result is the same: playoff bound! The Twins have had a successful season at their new ballpark and an easier entrance into the postseason compared to last season where they played the Tigers in a tie-breaking one game playoff last season. The Twins received a huge blow during spring training when they lost their star closer Joe Nathan to Tommy John surgery. They overcame the loss and eventually added two closers to the fold in Matt Capps and Brian Fuentes. The Twins are still missing their star firs baseman Justin Morneau but he is due to return for the ALCS if they make it that far. In order to do that, they're going to have to beat either the Rays or the Yankees in the ALDS.
And finally, the Defending Champions New York Yankees. The Yankees arguably have the best motivation for the 2010 postseason which is to repeat as World Series Champions. In addition to the greatest and most obvious motivation, the Yankees will be playing with heavy hearts during this postseason as they will try to win one for "The Boss." Within two days, the Yankees family lost two of the most influential people in the organization, former owner George Steinbrenner (July 13th) and Public Address Announcer Bob Sheppard (July 11th).
This 2010 regular season has been one to remember, it has been known as the year of the pitcher, the year of the comeback wins, and the year of the unbelievable. With that being said, one can only dream of the possibilities that the 2010 postseason will have in store for us fans.
The teams involved in this year's postseason are full of excitement and there are reasons to pull for each team. The appealing factor about this year's playoffs is that there are quite a few "Cinderella stories." It's a toss up between the Rangers, Reds, Giants, Braves, or the Padres (if they can pull it off this weekend). Having said that, these are not your traditional Cinderella stories like the Angels of 2002, or the Marlins of 2003. For example, the Rangers have been in first place for about 150 consecutive days, but they still have a Cinderella story quality to them. The Rangers are very similar to the 2008 Rays in that despite winning their division, they are the underdogs in the American League.
The most surprising team in the National League and maybe even in the Major Leagues might be the Cincinnati Reds. The National League Central Champs have exceeded all expectations this year and have enjoyed this wild ride by overtaking the St. Louis Cardinals. Earlier in the season their was an altercation between the Reds and Cardinals which could have been the turning point in the Reds season. It's amazing though how the Reds pitching has been able to hunker down and come through this season. This same pitching staff however will face a tough challenge this postseason.
The Giants and the Braves have finally seen their rebuilding efforts pay off as they are both within one win and a Padres loss away from clinching a playoff spot. The Giants are full of exciting and young talent with Rookie of the Year candidate Buster Posey and 2-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum. In addition to those young studs, the Giants have veterans in Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell, and spark plug Juan Uribe. The question that the Giants have had these last few years have been on offense. They had the pitching figured out, but it was the offense that always put the Giants in question as far as playoff aspirations. The Giants answered their offensive needs by picking up Huff in the offseason, Burrell as a free agent after being released from Tampa Bay, Cody Ross and Jose Guillen in two separate deals from the Marlins and Royals respectively. Down in Atlanta, Bobby Cox had announced his retirement before this season began, so what would be a better way to send him off than to make the playoffs? The answer to that question would be to win it all. But before the Braves start thinking World Series, they'll have to go through the Giants and either the Reds or their division rivals and defending National League Champions Phillies. Don't get me wrong, I'm not putting the Braves down, in fact winning one for Bobby before he retires would be some story for the 2010 season.
The non-Cinderella story teams in the playoffs still have some appeal to them. The heavily favored Phillies in the National League still managed to make this season a memorable one by acquiring perhaps the most dominant pitcher in the game today in Roy Halladay. As a reward he threw the 20th perfect game in Major League history. Not only were the acquisitions memorable, but injuries which should have derailed the Phillies managed to keep them in the race and once the regulars returned, they jumped over the Braves to take the National League East.
The Tampa Bay Rays are not considered underdogs in this postseason because they have maintained a relatively healthy team this whole season. The Rays are currently tied with the Yankees in the AL East and playing for home-field advantage in the American League. The Rays have bounced back from last season's disappointing season. They will now have a chance to return to the Fall Classic where they lost to the Phillies in 2008.
Whether the Twins play at the Metrodome or at Target field, the end result is the same: playoff bound! The Twins have had a successful season at their new ballpark and an easier entrance into the postseason compared to last season where they played the Tigers in a tie-breaking one game playoff last season. The Twins received a huge blow during spring training when they lost their star closer Joe Nathan to Tommy John surgery. They overcame the loss and eventually added two closers to the fold in Matt Capps and Brian Fuentes. The Twins are still missing their star firs baseman Justin Morneau but he is due to return for the ALCS if they make it that far. In order to do that, they're going to have to beat either the Rays or the Yankees in the ALDS.
And finally, the Defending Champions New York Yankees. The Yankees arguably have the best motivation for the 2010 postseason which is to repeat as World Series Champions. In addition to the greatest and most obvious motivation, the Yankees will be playing with heavy hearts during this postseason as they will try to win one for "The Boss." Within two days, the Yankees family lost two of the most influential people in the organization, former owner George Steinbrenner (July 13th) and Public Address Announcer Bob Sheppard (July 11th).
This 2010 regular season has been one to remember, it has been known as the year of the pitcher, the year of the comeback wins, and the year of the unbelievable. With that being said, one can only dream of the possibilities that the 2010 postseason will have in store for us fans.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
A Pair of Sanchezes Should be Recognized
The Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez and first baseman Gaby Sanchez have played exceptionally well for the Fish this season. Anibal (12-9; 3.35) has finally been able to pitch a complete season, reaching a career high in wins (12), starts (28), innings (172), and strikeouts (132). For those who don't know, Sanchez has battled through injuries requiring Tommy John Surgery while in the Red Sox organization and shoulder surgery with the Marlins. Anibal should seriously be considered for NL Comeback Player of the Year. If not in the National League, then he should at least be recognized within the organization.
The other Sanchez in the pair, Gaby, should definitely be considered for rookie of the year. Gaby leads all National League rookies in hits (145) RBI (78) and doubles (35). Unfortunately for Gaby, he is facing tough competition in Jason Heyward, Buster Posey, and Jaime Garcia. Not only has Gaby been a consistent surprise on offense but he has been a steady hand on defense. Gaby has only committed nine errors in 133 games, that comes out to a fielding percentage of .992.
The Fish have been fortunate enough to have both Sanchezes step up this season in an otherwise on and off season. Both of these players deserve some kind of recognition for their unsung performances.
MLB New Postseason Ideas Creates a lot of Debate
Major League Baseball made some changes for the 2011 season by starting the season earlier in order to not have the postseason spill into the month of November. For the players, this is a great idea. For baseball fans who want to watch live baseball for as long as possible might not see it as a good idea. None-the-less, that topic might not be as interesting as the idea of adding another Wild Card team from each league. This would be great for baseball! Business and TV ratings would rise up and baseball would make a serious attempt at reclaiming its title as America's Pastime. This idea has been thought about because the consensus is that it is too easy for a Wild Card team to advance through the postseason. By adding a Wild Card team, the two Wild Card finalists would either play a one game playoff or a three game playoff series against each other. This would weaken the Wild Card team because the team would have already used their star pitching. So for example, if this new playoff format were to have been implemented for this postseason, the Rays and the Red Sox would play a three game series. If the Rays beat the Red Sox in the series, they would go into the next series without their ace David Price and Matt Garza. This would be tough for the Rays to advance through the postseason. In addition, baseball purists who aren't even convinced of the current postseason format would not stand for this change. The feeling would be that Major League Baseball would cheapen its postseason. Think about that, more than half (16 of 30 teams) would reach the postseason every season. So while it would be great for the business side and for the fans, I'm not sure that a new postseason format would be what Major League Baseball needs.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Despite Having Slim Playoff Hopes, J.J. Should Sit Out the Rest of the Way
The inconsistent 2010 Florida Marlins seem to be facing a dilemma. Should Josh Johnson pitch again this season, or not? To me, the answer is obvious, sit him. Marlins ace Josh Johnson had been scratched from his last start due to shoulder and lower back complications. Luckily, tests revealed no structural damages on the pitcher. The Major League ERA leader has struggled in his last seven starts going 1-3 with and ERA of 4.25. Out of those last seven starts, Johnson received three no decisions due to lack of run support or bullpen meltdowns. The Marlins are currently eight games back behind the Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card standings. In other words, it would take quite a run for the Marlins to make the playoffs. The smart thing to do would be to shut J.J. down for the season and make sure he is healthy and ready to go for the 2011 season. Although Ricky Nolasco's situation was a bit different, the Marlins should be consistent for once and follow suite with Johnson. In this situation the risk is not worth the gain.
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