Off to London

Well, I'm leaving for London tomorrow, so I don't expect to be blogging tomorrow. I guess it's possible, but I would wait until Saturday, Sunday, or Monday before I would expect anything. It should be fun, and I'll be there for a month. I don't know what I'll do without baseball.

For details on my journey, I will have another blog entitled "American Wildcat in London" which you can find in the blogroll to the right. Just in case anyone cares.

Mid-Season Awards

Well, half the season is over now, so it's time to give away the mid-season awards (which is slightly idiotic, but I'm bored). Let's see how this turns out at the end of the season. Here are the biggies:

AL MVP

Josh Hamilton (TEX)

This is probably the easiest choice until I get to the NL Cy Young Award. He leads the AL in HR (19) and RBI (76; by 16), is 8th in BA, and is 5th in R. He's been the big story so far with his comeback from his drug addiction to baseball superstardom. Again, it just makes you wonder how good he'd be if he hadn't used drugs. Also, it makes you wonder how good the Rays would be with him.

NL MVP

Chase Utley (PHI)

I would have chosen Lance Berkman, but his team stinks, and I at least think the MVP's team should be at least good as a result of their performance. I would have chosen Chipper Jones, but the run production isn't their even with his obscene BA and OBP. I would have chosen Albert Pujols, but he's been injured and the stats aren't there. I would have chosen Adrian Gonzalez, but the Padres stink so the Berkman Rule applies here. So, why did I choose Utley over Dan Uggla when I gave Uggla the All-Star start over Utley (when was the last time two second baseman were this good with last names starting with "U"?)? Well, he's more valuable. Simply put, the Phillies are the better team and are winning the NL East over the Florida Marlins. Their stats are actually strikingly similar.

AL Cy Young

Joe Saunders (LAA)

I want to put Cliff Lee here, but the Berkman Rule again applies. I think of this award as the MVP (Most Valuable Pitcher), which is why I don't consider pitchers for the Most Valuable Player Award. Lee has been good and his ERA is almost .60 below Saunders, but no one means more to their team's success than Saunders. When John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar were hurt, most thought the Angels were sunk, but then Joe Saunders became the ace and more than kept the Angels in the race. His 11 wins are the most in the AL, and his 3.03 ERA isn't too shabby either. Ervin Santana deserves an Honorable Mention for essentially doing the same thing, but he has two fewer victories and an ERA .30 higher.

NL Cy Young

Edinson Volquez (CIN)

I wonder how many baseball fans still don't know who this is. I guess we might be able to call him Pedro Jr. I guess I also have to make an exception to the Berkman Rule, but when your stats are so obscenely good, you can make exceptions. As of now, Volquez leads in all but one Triple Crown categories: W (10; one down to Brandon Webb, but this is the least important of the categories), ERA (1.71; by .83 over Tim Lincecum), and K (110; by 7 over Lincecum). Webb started out as the heavy favorite, but he has really cooled lately. Lincecum has been awesome as well, but just not as good as Volquez.

AL Rookie of the Year

Joba Chamberlain (NYY)

None of the hitters have been phenomenal, but David Murphy gets the Most Valuable Position Player part of this award. However, you can't ignore Joba's 2.03 ERA and 56 K in 48.1 IP. Armando Galarraga deserves an Honorable Mention for his 7 wins and holding the Tigers rotation together when Justin Verlander stinks, Dontrelle Willis can't throw it over the plate, and Jeremy Bonderman and Nate Robertson are still thinking back on '06.

NL Rookie of the Year

Geovany Soto (CHC)

His .280/.367/.508 line with 12 HR, 46 RBI, 20 DB, and 26 R give him every right to the award. I don't want to give it to Kosuke Fukudome because, first, Soto is better and, second, because I don't think he should be a rookie with his Japanese League experience. Soto, without McCann, would be the starting catcher in the NL. Soto is also first among rookies in HR and RBI and third in BA. Pretty good. As for the pitchers, Jair Jurrjens has been the most impressive, but Soto has been an All-Star.

Killing Me Softly

Well, Tim Wakefield was at it again last night. He struck out one, gave up two hits, and only walked one. Miraculously, he has allowed three runs or less in the past six starts while going seven innings in all of them. That's pretty good for anyone. In Kentucky, we recently had our high school baseball tournament, and a team had a knuckleballer. He was only a freshman and couldn't throw hard, so they taught him to throw a knuckleball and eephus pitch. So his 13-17 team faced my high school team who was number three in the state, and predictably, my high school lost. At first, they weren't being patient, but when they were patient, they couldn't hit iit very hard. Just goes to show you that throwing 100 mph isn't the only way to get outs, and knuckleballs could save your arm.

Barry Bonds Refuses to Play in Minors or Indy Leagues

Good because no one wants you anyway.

Ichiro to Leave M's?

Jon Heyman wrote an article talking about possibly trading Ichiro. While it seems a far fetch right now, it may not be too bad of an idea. He makes $17 million per year for the next four years, so he's a bit expensive. The $17 million could be used on a couple good offensive players instead of one. With Sexson and Ichiro gone, the Mariners could spend money on actually improving their team. They could trade Ichiro and Bedard to get really good prospects, and then trade them to get really good players. Still, at age 34, he might be getting a little too old to spend quite so much money on. However, no one really looks down the road anymore, so there would be plenty of takers (Braves? Cubs? White Sox?). The advantage would be for Seattle based purely on baseball, but with the bad PR and loss of popularity from Seattle, they probably won't do it. I mean, if Ichiro's not there, why go watch?

100th Post

This sure doesn't mean much, but I think it's cool. Like a 100th HR or something like that. After 100 posts and about a month and a half, I hope I am not ending up as this blog, who is explaining the rules of how blogs die. Unfortunately, I say this as I am about to go to London for a month (on Friday), and I am unsure of how much I will be blogging. I can guarantee that I will be back, and I will blog again when I am back on July 27th. In between now and then, I don't know how much I will be able to blog, but I will be blogging from another Blogger site entitled "American Wildcat in London" (clever name right?) to chronicle my journeys through Oxford and London, if anyone cares (but I haven't posted anything on it yet; wait until Friday or Saturday). The site will be on the blogroll on the right. Hopefully, I will be blogging on both every day, so if I only post maybe once a day, don't worry too much. Anyway, here's to 100 more posts.

And the NL All-Stars Are ... (Final Edition)

Here's the second part of the final series of my condemnation of All-Star voters (the AL is here):

Catcher

Should be the starter: Brian McCann (ATL)
Lost in the glory of Chipper Jones' season, McCann has had a great season. His ..306/.379/.562 line with 14 HR, 44 RBI, 22 DB, and 35 R make him the best choice. However, this season, four catchers have a legitimate argument to be in the discussion.

Reserves: Russell Martin (LAD) and Geovany Soto (CHC)
My sincere and utmost apologies to Bengie Molina because he deserves to be here in any other year, but the time is now for the young catchers to take over the game. Martin was the easiest as his .315/.412/.451 line, 38 R, and 6 SB are better than the other two. Soto beats out Molina due to his better OBP (.358 to .333), SLG (.508 to .449), HR (12 to 6), and R (26 to 24).

First Baseman

Should be the starter: Lance Berkman (HOU)
His .354/.438/.683 is tops among NL first sackers except for Pujols' OBP (.475). Berkman was a favorite for the NL MVP until his Astros have fallen recently.

Reserves: Adrian Gonzalez (SD) and Albert Pujols (STL)
Gonzalez might be the most underrated and unheard of great player in the game. With 21 HR and 65 RBI while playing at Petco, Gonzalez is truly astounding and deserves to be in the game. Until Pujols' recent injury, Pujols may have had an argument for the starter spot with his .347/.475/.631 line, 16 HR, 42 RBI, and 41 R. He still deserves to be in the game. My apologies to Derrek Lee, but I can't have four first basemen.

Second Baseman

Should be the starter: Dan Uggla (FLA)
Yes, I said Uggla. Just a quick comparison between the two reveals Uggla's advantage. Uggla has a .294/.379/.643 line with 23 HR, 57 RBI, 57 R, and 24 DB to Utley's .291/.379/.643 with 22 HR, 63 RBI, 57 R, and 19 DB. It's so close, but Uggla gets the nod with the SLG being the big difference. You can throw the fact that Utley has 40 less K in my face, but I'm still taking Uggla.

Reserve: Chase Utley (PHI)
Who else? Maybe Brandon Phillips or Kelly Johnson, but I can't.

Third Baseman

Should be the starter: Chipper Jones (ATL)
David Wright and Aramis Ramirez have arguments, but how can you deny Chipper's .394/.485/.631 line compared to Wright's .272/.369/.466 and Ramirez's .299/.404/.530? Chipper's just been better.

Reserve: Aramis Ramirez (CHC) and David Wright (NYM)
I couldn't justify leaving either off.

Shortstop

Should be the starter: Hanley Ramirez (FLA)
It's a tough battle between Ramirez, Jose Reyes, and Miguel Tejada, but the lines tell the story. Ramirez has a .295/.386/.521 to Tejada's .294/.332/.468 to Reyes' .297/.356/.490. Ramirez also has more HR and R.

Reserve: Jose Reyes (NYM)
Quietly having a really good season despite the Mets not doing well. It's not his fault Beltran and Delgado can't knock him in. Reyes' line, five times the SB (26 to 5), and more R (55 to 53) give him the edge over Tejada, who has gotten worse each month.

Outfield

Should be the starters: Ryan Ludwick (STL), Nate McLouth (PIT), Ryan Braun (MIL)
Ludwick has been the man, as he is another unknown having a great year, with a .297/.370/.606 line with 16 HR, 56 RBI, 47 R, and 21 DB. McLouth has a .292/.375/.546 line with 15 HR, 51 RBI, 58 R, and 24 DB. Braun has also been awesome with a .288/.325/.565 line with 20 HR, 56 RBI, 44 R, and 19 DB.

Reserves: Carlos Lee (HOU), Pat Burrell (PHI), Carlos Beltran (NYM), Xavier Nady (PIT)
This wasn't as hard as the AL to pick, but there were some good ones left like Kosuke Fukudome, Aaron Rowand, Alfonso Soriano, and Corey Hart.

Pitcher

Should be the starter: Edinson Volquez (CIN)
His 10-2 record with miraculous ERA of 1.71 with 110 K in 95 IP makes this decision pretty easy.

Reserves: Brandon Webb (ARI), Aaron Cook (COL), Ben Sheets (MIL), Ryan Dempster (CHC), Tim Lincecum (SF), Brad Lidge (PHI), Jon Rauch (WAS), Kerry Wood (CHC), Billy Wagner (NYM), Brandon Lyon (ARI), Tim Hudson (ATL)

Rauch gets in because I need a National, and he has been pretty awesome (15 SV, 2.39 ERA). Tim Hudson gets in with a need for another starter and having more IP with almost the same ERA of Santana, but honestly, they are about the same. My apologies to Johan Santana (who could very easily be on the list with a better record), Kyle Lohse (who has the record but not the ERA or IP), Carlos Zambrano (because he's actually worse than Hudson and is injured), Dan Haren (because there were already enough Diamondback pitchers and had a higher ERA than Hudson), Brian Wilson and Jose Valverde (because they have high ERA's with their saves), and Matt Capps (because he just lost the competition with Wagner and Lyon at the end).

Pretty tough, but the lack of DH made the NL a little easier. Interesting note, each league should have the middle infields occupied by guys on the same team (Texas and Florida).

New Low?

Well, the Mets just lost, again. However, this time it was against the Mariners, the worst team in baseball. This time it was by the score of 11-0. This time it was R.A. Dickey who shut them down for seven innings. R.A. Dickey is the same guy who throws knuckleballs for a living, and not all that well I might add. Before tonight, Dickey was 0-3 as a starter with a 13.50 ERA in 11 IP with 8 BB and 7 K (he has a 1.96 ERA as a reliever). Not exactly the model of an outstanding pitcher. I guess everyone has their bad moments during the season, but this one was a doosy.

Haren Ices Sox (ESPN headline)

Wouldn't his feet get cold?

Francoeur Visits Eye Doctor

Jeff Francoeur went to the eye doctor in an attempt to end his season-long slump. For those who don't know, Frenchy was hit underneath his right eye by a pitch when he fouled off a bunt attempt, and the doctors said his vision would slowly deteriorate. Therefore, he has finally gone to the eye doctor (after doing God knows what else) to fix his hitting. Now, I know how helpful eye doctors can be for athletes, and his day (.320 with five HR and a .553 SLG in 26 day games) and night (.207 with three HR with a .323 SLG in 50 night games) splits indicate that he does't see as well at night.

However, I think most of his problems would be solved by him not stepping in the bucket. Every time he hits, he does that. He steps out, which causes his shoulder and hips to bail early. That causes him to not be able to see the ball as well or reach the outside pitch. When your hips bail early, your power goes way down because a big part of your power comes from your legs. But here's the thing. If Francoeur can't see very well, he might think the slider is a fastball, which would cause his hips to start to clear early in order to turn on the fastball, and that would explain what is going on. Also, for as long as I've known Frenchy, he's always stepped in the bucket, so maybe it is more of a sight thing. However, I think if he kept his shoulder and hips in longer, it would solve most of his problems because he seems to hit the ball, but he always gets under it (another indication of his shoulder because when the shoulder leaves, the hand becomes weaker and unable to sustain power through the swing, which causes pop ups). Actually, he's only struck out 54 times this season (on pace for around 110) which would be fewer than the 130 he has been striking out so far in his career. I hope this works because I think Frenchy has taken a lot of heat for his start this season, and at 24, I don't think he deserves it.

And the AL All-Stars Are ... (Final Edition)

As promised, here are my selections for the All-Star Game. Today is the AL, and tomorrow, I'll tackle the NL. For each position, I'll tell you who should be the starter and the reserves . I'll still use the "all teams get a representative rule" (even though I think it's dumb), so bear with me as I try to decide. Here goes:

Catcher

Should be the starter: Joe Mauer (MIN)
His .331/.417/.437 line should be enough, and it is the most impressive. However, let's add on an AL-catcher-leading 18 DB, 29 RBI, and 46 R just to make sure. There's no question he deserves it, even over the captain.

Reserves: Dioner Navarro (TB) and A.J. Pierzynski (CHW)
Pierzynski ties Mauer for the 18 DB and 29 RBI, and his .299/.338/.437 line is impressive as well. As for Navarro, he's been one of the quietest and most pleasant surprises for a surprising Rays team, possibly even giving Tampa a reason to pass on Posey. His .323/.365/.452 line is actually better than Pierzynski's, but he doesn't have as many AB's.

First Baseman

Should be the starter: Kevin Youkilis (BOS)
It's so close between Youkilis and Justin Morneau, but let's compare stats. Morneau's .305/.362/.485 line with 11 HR, 59 RBI, 42 R, and 14 DB is impressive, but Youk's .305/.377/.542 line with 13 HR, 47 RBI, 47 R, and 19 DB is just better. Miguel Cabrera and Casey Kotchman have been good, but their numbers aren't those of Morneau and Youkilis.

Reserve: Justin Morneau (MIN)
For reasons stated above. Impressive, just not impressive enough.

Second Baseman

Should be the starter: Ian Kinsler (TEX)
Numbers are numbers, and no one's are better than Kinsler's. His .306/.364/.497 line with 11 HR, 46 RBI, 63 R, 22 DB, and 19 SB are too good to ignore. This one isn't close.

Reserves: Mark Ellis (OAK) and Brian Roberts (BAL)
Polanco's .312/.366/.415 line with 16 DB and 37 R is pretty good, and Robert's .290/.368/.466 line with 25 DB, 43 R, and 20 SB is actually better. Jose Lopez has been good, but he doesn't get on base or steal bases. Mark Ellis is also close, but his .254 BA is the downer for me. However, Ellis gets in because of the annoying "everyone gets a representative" rule.

Third Baseman

Should be the starter: Alex Rodriguez (NYY)
He was out for a little bit, but his .332/.410/.615 line with 14 HR, 41 RBI, 17 DB, and 40 R are still really good. Joe Crede is really close, but A-Rod has the same stats in less time.

Reserve: Joe Crede (CHW)
His .275/.348/.521 line with 15 HR, 45 RBI, 33 R, and 14 DB are really good, and with a lack of real alternatives, he gets the nod. Casey Blake has had a surprisingly good season as a bright spot in a lackluster offense (and luckily for him, in a contract year), but he lacks the BA and SLG of Crede. Evan Longoria has done pretty well, but his .249 BA kind of kills it for me.

Shortstop

Should be the starter: Michael Young (TEX)
An all-Texas middle infield is my choice for the All-Star team. With a serious lack of production among shortstops, no one really stands out, but Young's .277/.330/.399 line with 54 R, 18 DB, and 38 RBI are tops among shortstops with Orlando Cabrera, Derek Jeter, and Bobby Crosby following steps behind.

Reserves: Orlando Cabrera (CHW)
Another White Sox reserve, Cabrera's .274/.324/.374 line is comparable to Jeter's and better than Crosby's. Crosby has more DB, RBI, BA, and OBP, but Cabrera has more R and SB. Jeter is is just worse than Cabrera.

Outfield

Should be the starters: Josh Hamilton (TEX), Jose Guillen (KC), and Carlos Quentin (CHW)
Josh Hamilton is the MVP at this point, so he is no surprise. Guillen's .294/.324/.518 with 13 HR, 60 RBI, and 28 DB really make him a logical choice here. Quentin's .280/.392/.533 with 17 HR, 56 RBI, and 49 R make him the next logical choice, maybe even slightly better than Guillen.

Reserves: Johnny Damon (NYY), Grady Sizemore (CLE), Manny Ramirez (BOS), Milton Bradley (TEX)
Lots of good choices here as I leave David Murphy, Ichiro Suzuki and Vladimir Guerrero off the list, but you have to draw the line somewhere. I would love to have a couple more slots for outfielders, and I have no doubt that a couple of these players will be on the 32nd player ballot. Choose wisely because this is a tough one.

Designated Hitter

Should be the starter: Aubrey Huff (BAL)
Oh yeah, Aubrey Huff. His .271/.342/.500 line with 14 HR, 42 RBI, 42 R, and 20 DB make him better than the competition. Hideki Matsui's .323/.404/.458 with 7 HR, 34 RBI, 37 R, and 13 DB and David Ortiz's .252/.354/.486 with 13 HR, 43 RBI, 36 R, 10 DB are good, but the injury really hurts him (literally and figuratively).

Reserve: Hideki Matsui (NYY)
Matsui is just better and healthier. Sorry Big Papi. Rest that hand.

Pitcher

Should be the starter: Cliff Lee (CLE)
This was a tough one. I also considered Felix Hernandez, Roy Halladay, and Joe Saunders, but Lee and his start and ERA seem to give him the ever-so-slight edge over the competition. His 2.45 ERA is at least .30 better than his competition. Saunders has the most wins, but loses due to his low strikeout rate, and Hernandez and Halladay lose due to their records (which I know aren't their faults, but how can you deny a 10-game winner for guys barely over .500?). Again, a tough choice, but I give it to Lee.

Reserves: Felix Hernandez (SEA), Roy Halladay (TOR), Joe Saunders (LAA), Ervin Santana (LAA), Francisco Rodriguez (LAA), Jonathan Papelbon (BOS), Mariano Rivera (NYY), Joakim Soria (KC), Joe Nathan (MIN), Gavin Floyd (CHW)
Do I really have to justify these picks because it would take too long. My apologies to Vicente Padilla and Mike Mussina (both of which will probably get in because of their 10 wins but inferior ERA's), Shaun Marcum and John Danks (who lack the wins but have the ERA's), Jon Lester (who deserves it based on making me want to weep when I think of what he's been through), C.C. Sabathia and Josh Beckett (who are having sub-par years but still might get in anyway), and Rich Harden and Scott Kazmir (who have been spectacular but have missed extended periods of time).

Man, this was hard. There were a lot of tough decisions. Anyway, I made some interesting observations. Chicago's five selections were the most, just ahead of Texas' four. Dioner Navarro, who almost no one knows about, was the only Ray selected even though they're second in the AL East, and Baltimore and Kansas City had two even though they are worse teams. Also, the DH takes up spots that could be given to more deserving players (ie. all the outfielders or more pitchers). They really should make it 35 players with the "representation" rule becoming defunct.

Mets Owner Praises Randolph?

Well, that's what the headline says, but listen to this:


"The intent here clearly was to respect Willie, to respect his feelings and to do it in person," Wilpon said. "It's never easy to fire anybody. Believe me, it is not easy to do, and Omar took a lot of time. We took a lot of time listening to him and thinking about it."


To do it in person? They couldn't have told him he was fired in person in New York before they had to fly across country to do it in Anaheim so that Randolph had to take a lonely plane flight home? And, didn't Randolph ask Minaya to just do it before they got on the plane? Why the excuses, especially the ones that don't make sense? Also, he says, "It's not easy to fire anybody", which makes me think he would rather have Minaya do the dirty work instead of him doing it to Minaya. Next, he says:


"It's all a matter of performance, and Willie knew this when he started," Wilpon said. "Recognize we gave Willie the chance -- Omar gave Willie the chance to be in this position. He had never been a manager in the major leagues or minor leagues."


Okay, I recognize that you gave Omar the chance to give Randolph the chance to manage, but that's a load of horses***. Don't give me any of the "Well, we did give him a shot didn't we?" stuff because you probably should have given him the chance to finish what he started.

Mark Teixiera Hits 3 HR's in Win

About damn time.

Sabathia Hits Monster Home Run While K'ing 10

I guess this means that NL teams will have to pony up an extra prospect now that C.C. Sabathia can hit as well.

Ricciardi on the Hot Seat

According to Tim Dierkes at mlbtraderumors.com, J.P. Ricciardi, the Toronto GM, is on the hot seat. Now, I don't agree with what he said about Adam Dunn, but I don't think he should be fired. I doubt that he would be fired based solely on what he said or else he'd probably be gone by now (unless the Blue Jays are like the Mets and want to make a long, drawn-out ordeal of this). He'll probably be fired because the Jays are in last place. However, let's look at a few things. First, the Blue Jays have the best record of any last place team, and at 35-41, a six-game winning streak puts them at .500. Second, he put together a great pitching staff that has given up the third fewest runs in the AL, and with the youth of Marcum, McGowan, and Litsch, they should be good for awhile. Third, this season is really Vernon Wells' fault. After signing a 7 year/ $126 million deal, he has not been the same. He only hit 16 HR with 80 RBI last season after hitting 32 with 106 in '06 and 28 and 97 the year before. At age 29, he should be in his prime as a hitter, and with him, he should be a great four or three hitter. However, this season he only has 7 HR and 28 RBI as this offense has really struggled. Sure, Ricciardi needed to add more offense, but everyone figured Alex Rios and Wells would be a formidable duo in the middle of the order. Fourth, they have been over .500 the past two seasons. $92 million is a lot of money, but if you are going to compete with the Red Sox and Yankees, you need more money. If you want to throw the Rays in my face, all other GM's would be fired because few have that farm system (stop pointing out the Angels and Rangers; I get it already; let me finish ... geez). Ricciardi hasn't been the best GM in baseball, but he really doesn't deserve to be fired. He could use Burnett to get a good offensive player (assuming Burnett can improve and have some trade value, but because he is a pitcher, he should have quite a bit anyway) and trade Overbay for a couple good offensive players. They need some offense, so maybe they should trade for Dunn. Wouldn't that be a fun press conference?

Lohse Wins His 9th

Explain to me who couldn't have used him this season. The Angels, White Sox, and the Blue Jays are the only exceptions I'll give. Everyone else is just plain stupid. I felt this way during Spring Training when no one had signed him yet. He sat at home until March 14th. Last season, he was a combined 9-12 with a 4.3 ERA in 192.2 IP. While the ERA wasn't that good and no one knew Lohse would be this good, I have a hard time believing that teams didn't have $4 million to spend to strengthen the rotation. The Cardinals did, and now, they have a pitcher with a 9-2 record with a 3.63 ERA in 94.1 IP. Who couldn't use that? The Phillies maybe?

Contenders vs. Pretenders

Well, we're almost to that half-way point in the season, so it's time to take a look at who still has a chance.

NL East

Philadelphia Phillies (C)- With that offense, they should have no problem winning a division that no one else wants to win. They could stand to get another starter to make them World Series-bound.

Florida Marlins (C)- Again, another good offensive team that needs a little pitching. Maybe this is why they didn't spend much this offseason. Now, they have the prospects and money to go after a big name if they want. If they don't, they won't make it to October.

New York Mets (P)- They have to add something. Anything really. Something to take their mind off of how crappy this season has been so far. They have a decent offense, decent starting staff, and decent bullpen. An addition to one of those could push them into a playoff spot, but I think the baggage is too much.

Atlanta Braves (P)- They can't get healthy and can't win on the road (unfortunately, half of their games come there). If they're going to make a push, they need to add a big starter and bullpen help. I just don't see it with them.

Washington Nationals (P)- Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

NL Central

Chicago Cubs (C)- Most complete team in the NL by far. With Big Z down, they need another starter, but they needed one anyway. They'll keep the spot warm until he comes back, and they'll still be in the division lead.

St. Louis Cardinals (C)- They shouldn't be, but I've learned to never count out La Russa and his team. They could stand another starter, reliever, and bat to push them into the division lead, but they are easily the Wild Card team at this point.

Milwaukee Brewers (P)- They have the offense, the rotation, and the bullpen, but they just can't put it together. If they add another starter, they could swing back into this, but the offense just has to perform better.

Pittsburgh Pirates (P)- I like Huntington and his plan, but even he can't take away the onus of sucking from this franchise in his first season. They need more pitching as well.

Houston Astros (P)- Their offense held them above board for awhile, but the pitching just isn't what they need it to be, especially with Oswalt being the next Woody Williams.

Cincinnati Reds (P)- I love their young guys (Votto, Bruce, Volquez, Cueto), but they just aren't good enough (please trade Harang to the Braves, now).

NL West

Arizona Diamondbacks (C)- They're just the most complete team in the worst division. I thought they were better than this but they've been too inconsistent. Luckily, when it matters, they'll get to beat the crap out of the worst division in baseball.

Los Angeles Dodgers (P)- I never really saw the draw to LA's young players. They haven't really done much for me. Anyway, when they get Furcal back, they'll be much more formidable, but they need another arm ... bad.

San Francisco Giants (P)- Pretty much as expected -- good pitching, poor offense. Except, they just aren't as bad as most thought they would be.

Colorado Rockies (P)- Quietly positioning themselves for an '07-type run. The return of Tulo and some pitching give them hope. Unfortunately, they were so bad up until now that they probably can't come back.

San Diego Padres (C)- They just don't have any semblance of an offense, and the pitching just hasn't been good enough (or healthy enough for that matter).

AL East

Boston Red Sox (C)- Best team in the AL, and they will probably be the best in the MLB by season's end. Scaringly, they are still awesome with Ortiz.

Tampa Bay Rays (C)- Great team, great makeup. They could stand another power bat and another starting pitcher, but they have a really good team without any additions.

New York Yankees (C)- Wait weren't they just in the cellar last week? Damn, well we never can count them out can we?

Baltimore Orioles (P)- They've been better than expected, but you're kidding yourself if you think they can beat out the teams ahead of them. Actually, they might be able to take the Yankees this season, but not the Rays or Red Sox.

Toronto Blue Jays (P)- They really could use some offense to support an awesome pitching staff.

AL Central

Chicago White Sox (C)- The best pitching staff in baseball will get you far. But that inconsistent offense is going to kill you eventually.

Minnesota Twins (P)- How are they still here? Gotta give 'em credit though.

Detroit Tigers (C)- If Zumaya and Rodney are healthy, they will take a lot of pressure off of the starting staff. It also seems as though that offense is starting to figure out how to hit again. Uh-oh.

Cleveland Indians (P)- There really isn't much of a remedy for the Indians. The only way to get them back in it is to make a serious push for offense, but I don't see it happening if they weren't willing to buy low on Jason Bay.

Kansas City Royals (P)- They did just sweep the Cardinals, but they have to get lucky at some point.

AL West

Anaheim Angels (C)- If they can get Teixeira or another big bat, they'll take the Red Sox's place as the best team in the AL.

Oakland Athletics (P)- Who else is ready to claim that Billy Beane is the smartest GM in baseball? No way they should be this good, but the pitching staff is just doing it.

Texas Rangers (P)- Just the opposite of Oakland -- plenty of offense, not enough pitching. Trading away part of the farm for Sabathia would put them in contention for the division. This team would be scary to play.

Seattle Mariners (P)- Hahahahahahahahaha.

Why the Cubs Won't Win

Gene Wojciechowski, who I like to read, just wrote an article about why the Cubs will win, so I decided to write one against that because I don't really like the Cubs (not really sure why but it feels good). Anyway, he (let's call him GW because typing his name repeatedly is kinda hard) gave us ten reasons, so I'll give you eleven. This should be fun.

1. The Billy Goat Curse
They shouldn't have insulted a guy's goat. Now, they can't win a World Series until they leave Wrigley Field. If they change the name in the proposed separation of Wrigley Field and Cubs deal, then does it count? You don't think this makes a difference? See Bartman and the meltdown thereafter.

2. The NL Central
There's almost no doubt the Cubs will win the division. Yet, the Cardinals are without Pujols and still hanging in there. Anyway, only two division winners in the the past six seasons (3 of last 8) have made it to the World Series to begin with. Maybe they should lose the division.

3. The Nontrades
While I agree with everything GW says about DeRosa, I wouldn't congratulate myself on keeping Jason Marquis. Marquis, after pitching a combined 48-31 in the first half, is 25-33 in the second half in his career. Remind me, but aren't the playoffs closer to the second half than the first?

4. The True Rookie
Apparently, GW doesn't think Fukudome counts as a rookie either. Geovany Soto has been outstanding this season, but how many rookie catchers have won the World Series in the past 105 years? Four. At least those are better odds than the Cubs winning the World Series.

5. Big Z
Well, he's hurt and no one knows for how long. That's not good for your ace. Anyway, his stats in the playoffs? How about 0-1 with a 4.37 ERA and 5 HR in 22.2 IP. Ouch. In the playoffs, a team needs an ace to be dominant to win. I'll take Josh Beckett and the Red Sox in 6.

6. The All-Star Game
The NL hasn't won in 11 years, and there's no reason to think they'll win this year, especially because everyone is so convinced that the AL is much better than the NL. If the NL doesn't win, then the Cubs don't get home-field advantage. That means someone else has the advantage. Well, the guy did say the Cubs wouldn't win the World Series in Wrigley Field. Techinically, they could win it somewhere else I guess.

7. Cha-ching
GW says the Cubs have money to play with, but honestly, who doesn't? Most teams, especially those in contention, have the money to play with. Some of them, namely the Red Sox, Rays, and Angels, have better farm systems to deal from. If I'm dealing Teixeira or Sabathia, I'm going to those other teams first.

8. Sweet Lou
For all the talk about how good of a manager he is, he has only won one World Series. Terry Francona has more. Mike Scioscia has as many. Bobby Cox has as many. La Russa has more. Lots of competition to get through with guys as good or better than him.

9. Playoff (S)Lumber
Derrek Lee is .226/.286/.298 in the playoffs. Aramis Ramirez is .196/.308/.464 in the playoffs. Alfonso Soriano is .225/.279/.319 in the playoffs. That's your fire power not firing too well.

10. The Red Sox
They're a whole .003 percentage points behind the Cubs for the MLB-leading record. If we're talking about the World Series and who's best, then we have to talk about the two best teams. Both teams have equal chances to get to the World Series, so don't say how do you know the Red Sox will make it because the Cubs may not make it either. Honestly, I'll take Beckett over Zambrano, Matsuzaka over Lilly, Lester over Dempster, and anyone over Marquis. Also, Big Papi and Ramirez are better in the playoffs than the above three (.317/.418/.587 ;.269/.373/.513). In this section, I'm assuming Zambrano and Ortiz are fully healthy.

11. 100 Years
Everything seems to be in perfect harmony for this. Exactly 100 years after the last World Series championship. The best team in the MLB. A lot of money spent on stars. Everything seems to be shaping up for them to win it, but somehow, I have this feeling that they'll fail for the exact reason that everything feels so perfect for them. Why do I get this feeling that the baseball gods are just bringing them up to let them fall really far and really hard as part of some cosmic joke?

Reading Between the Lines

Update: Ricciardi told Olney that he let his guard down and said something stupid. You think? He is now in the process of trying to call Dunn and the Reds to apologize. Good luck. Just never walk in Cincinatti. Dunn's a big guy who could probabl kick Ricciardi's ***.


So J.P. Ricciardi said some really dumb things about Adam Dunn. None of them provoked. None of them make any sense. All of them show Ricciardi as a poor loser. Essentially, he said that Adam Dunn sucks and is a lazy SOB. Adam Dunn has every right to be pissed, so he says:


"I don’t know the clown. I don’t know, and you can use the word ‘clown’ if you like."

"I’ve seen it, I haven’t heard it. I really don’t care what one guy thinks, to be honest with you. If I’m a G.M., I don’t know that I’d go out of my way to discredit a player — if I’m a player. He’s obviously won more than me, I guess. Or hasn’t. I know nothing about him."

"He’s not even in our country. This guy’s in another country talking ****."

"I don’t care about the perception people have of me, if anything happens, it looks like I ain’t going to Toronto. I can eliminate one team. I’m not converting my dollars into looneys and twoneys just yet. They’re really good, actually."

Apparently, Dunn does care what Ricciardi thinks or he wouldn't have gone on a profanity spree which ends up in him saying that being in Canada makes Ricciardi dumb. First, where the **** did this come from? Second, Dunn has every right to be pissed, but he might want to apologize the Canadians he may have offended. As far as I am concerned, let Ricciardi have it. Reading between the lines, I think Ricciardi might actually want to get Dunn, but he's probably been asked about him thousands of times and failed to trade for him a couple. Therefore, he's pissed at everyone for pointing out that his team sucks and that he's failed as GM. So he let's a guy minding his own business in Cincinatti have it out of f***ing nowhere. In recap, not the best idea. I know he might want to bring some attention to his team, but I doubt this was the way.

Can I Get a What-What?

Willie Randolph didn't know he was going to get fired. You've Got To Be Kidding Me. Right? This might be the most messed up part of this whole ordeal. Seriously? You didn't see all the articles? TV stories? Writings on the wall? I mean, really. He said, and I quote:

"I thought he was talking about whacking a couple of my coaches," the ex-manager told several New York-area newspapers Wednesday outside his home in Franklin Lakes, N.J.

"That's why I was stunned. I didn't think it was going to happen," Randolph said. "At the time, I felt the way he was talking to me, that I was pretty secure for the time being."

Wow. This also may point out just how backstabbing this whole thing has been. When Randolph had those meetings with the owners and Minaya a few weeks ago, apparently they convinced him that he was safe. How does that change so fast? Not only does that mean that there was no communication, there was no truth in the communication they did have. Second, Randolph used the term "whacking" for his coaches. That's not a very loving term. Granted, the ones "whacked" were probably his followers. But seriously, "stunned"?

Fielder Didn't Pay His Taxes

It has been reported that Prince Fielder owes more than $400,000 in unpaid taxes. I guess we now know why he was so pissed that the Brewers only paid him $670,000. He, unlike Latrell Sprewell, actually needed more money to feed his family.

Braves Looking at Winn

Get Matt Cain instead.

Apparently, the Braves have interest in Randy Winn. Why? His line is .298/.359/.447 to Blanco's .263/.375/.323, so the only advantage Winn brings is slugging and some batting average but Blanco gets on more. This is the problem with the Braves right now. They try to bring in older players to fill in where there are younger players just as good. The Braves are 11th in runs scored in the Majors, so they aren't really in desperate need of offense. Winn would not be a significant upgrade to Blanco or Brandon Jones besides experience. He has 2 years and $16 million dollars left on his contract. What are they going to do with him? I thought the whole point of getting Kotsay was to avoid blocking the centerfield prospects. The Braves need pitching. Use the prospects on pitching. Granted, Winn may not cost much in terms of prospects, but he is not worth wasting over $10 million on when they have someone with almost the same production. If they want more production from Blanco, put him at leadoff where his .375 OBP can be used. That way, Yunel Escobar can hit him over as the second-place guy. Then, Kelly Johnson can go to the seventh spot where they could use his power more. Unless Matt Cain is coming along too, I think Winn is a bad idea.

The All-Underachieving Team

Update: I would have picked Richie Sexson to be on the team, but I think we all saw this coming.


There's not much to talk about other than the NL getting their butts handed to them again last night, which kills my earlier statements. Although, Interleague play isn't over yet. Anyway, here are the players really underperforming to this point.

Catcher- Kenji Johjima (SEA)
I thought about Victor Martinez because of his power numbers, but I guess his elbow injury gives him a slight pass. Anyway, Johjima's .224/.265/.299 line is much lower than his career .278/.317/.418 line, and that line even includes this season's statistics. He's not a power guy, but right now, he's on pace for about 6-7 HR when he's hit 14 and 18 in the past two seasons. And the Mariners want to give him more AB's?

First Baseman- Adam LaRoche (PIT)
I thought about Carlos Delgado and Mark Teixeira here, but Delgado has been steadily declining and Tex is just a personal frustration. However, LaRoche has just been pathetic. His .221/.302/.370 line is much lower than his career .267/.335/.477 line. His 7 HR puts him on pace for 15-16 HR, which is much lower than 21, 30, and 20 HR in the previous three seasons. This is not the guy they traded Mike Gonzalez for.

Second Baseman- Robinson Cano (NYY)
Freddy Sanchez almost made it, but I figure no one really expected the last two seasons from him anyway, but Cano was supposed to continue to get. So, his line is .230/.276/.330 which is much lower than his career .302/.336/.467. His BA has always been around .300, and I don't think 70 points comes from random variation. His HR and RBI numbers are down in a lineup where he should have plenty of opportunities. Johan looks really good about now, doesn't he? Actually, I wouldn't have given Cano up for him either.

Third Baseman- Bill Hall (MIL)
There were a couple good ideas on this one (Adrian Beltre, Ryan Zimmerman), but they were at least close to their numbers even though both have been worse than expected. Hall, however, has just been sad. How sad? Sad enough to give up part of his job to Russell Branyan. His .218/.285/.390 line is worse than his career .259/.317/.460 line. His HR totals aren't worse than last year, but he was supposed to be better now that he is back at third, right? The one thing he's not doing is hitting doubles (10 this season; 35, 39, 39 the previous three).

Shortstop- Derek Jeter (NYY)
The up-the-middle combination for the Yankees is just not up to par. Jeter's career line: .316/.386/.459. This season: .272/.326.375. Ouch. After getting 39 doubles each of the past two seasons, he only has nine this season. He's on pace for his lowest HR and RBI totals since 2003. Cap'n Jetes has to pick it up, or the Yankees might not make the playoffs.

Left Field- Matt Holliday (COL)
How much more disappointing can you get? After deserving the MVP last season, he's been quite short of that this season. His .324 BA is fine, but it's his power that's disappointing in a place where power doesn't disappear. He only has 8 HR, 18 DB, and 31 RBI, which is significantly less than his 36 HR, 50 DB, and 137 RBI. He's more on pace for 24 HR and 80 RBI, which isn't bad but not MVP-like. Thr Rockies are struggling, and Holliday's lack of production is a big reason why. He's not a number two hitter. He's a clean-up guy.

Center Field- Nick Swisher (CHW)
Never known for his BA, his .229 BA is not terribly lower than his .248 career, but everything else is down. His SLG is .386, down from his career .454. He's only on pace for about 18-20 HR, about 60 RBI, and 25 DB, which are lower than last season's 22, 78, and 36. At age 27, he should be going up, not down.

Right Field- Alex Rios (TOR)
His .268 BA and .327 OBP aren't significantly lower than his career .285/.337, but his .371 SLG is a lot lower than his career .443. Why? He only has 3 HR compared to his 24 last season. He only has 16 DB compared to his 43 last season. At a time when the Blue Jays needed him to cement the middle of the order, his power disappeared.

Starting Pitcher- Roy Oswalt (HOU)
So many to choose from, but I stayed away from Barry Zito and Dontrelle Willis because they get bashed enough. How about let's bash Oswalt? Okay, his 5.04 ERA is almost 2 full points over his career 3.19 ERA. In a rotation that desperately needs him to be their ace, Oswalt just hasn't been there and, apparently, either has his fastball.

Relief Pitcher- Rafael Betancourt (CLE)
After being a best-kept secret in Cleveland, Betancourt has pitched like a best-kept-in-AAA guy. After being an instrumental part of the Indians' run last season, he's been a significant reason of their demise this season. His 6.23 ERA this season pales in comparison to his 3.11 career mark and even worse to his 1.48 ERA last season. Joe Borowski was bad, but at least, you knew what you were getting with him.

Closer- Manny Corpas (COL)
Like Betancourt, Corpas had been huge in the Rockies playoff run last season by going 19 of 22 in save opportunities, so they gave him a four-year, $8 million dollar contract that could grow to 6-years, $22 million. This season, he's 4 of 9 in save opportunities with a 6.37 ERA. Last season's ERA was 2.08. Even the year before when he was just a regular, old middle-reliever, his ERA was 3.62. But I guess the whole team is underachieving, not just him.

The Hard Debate on Harden

Rich Harden is the most intriguing and tantalizing pitcher available in the trade market according to Peter Gammons. One on hand, he's the best pitcher in the AL, is 26 years old, and is a rotation-changer. On the other hand, he is injury prone, and his 53.1 IP this season are almost more than the past two seasons combined. The previous season, he only pitched a little more than 120 IP. Yet, his talent and potential are so tantalizing that he is hard to resist. At $4.5 million this season and $7 million next season, he is really affordable, especially with his talent. So, do you pick him up or not?

On the side of steering clear, he is injury-prone. I just told you how many innings he's thrown in the past three seasons, and with an injury this season, there's no reason to believe he'll be healthy. $7 million is not a lot of money for an ace, but it's a lot for a guy who sits on the DL for the entire season. You could spend that money on someone with a better medical history. Next, Billy Beane is going to want a lot for him. He's a good pitcher under control for at least another season, and he doesn't have to give him up for that very reason. It will likely take three really good to good prospects to get him. He may not be worth betting the farm on.

On the side of taking the risk, he is a young ace. Let's say that again. He's a young ace. You don't find those on trees or in many farm systems. His career K/9 is 8.65, K/BB is 2.22, BAA is .225, and ERA is 3.49. Everything here screams ace. And, he's affordable, and with his contract expiring at the end of next season, he isn't the next Mike Hampton with a long, money-laden contract. If he gets hurt, you can let him go. About the prospects, they're just prospects. I wouldn't give a No. 1 or No. 2 prospect for him unless that was all Beane wanted. Remember the Tim Hudson trade? None of those prospects worked out. With Harden, you know you're getting a lot of talent at a premium position for a couple unknown talents. The unknown is how much he'll pitch.

So what to do? Honestly, I take the chance, especially if I'm a team like the Braves who need a young ace so desperately. If you get him and get to the playoffs to the World Series, next year is a bonus. Then, you'll have a chance at signing him to a long-term contract at age 28. With him, you can use his medical history to keep his cost down a few million dollars. Hell, maybe he'll sign a team-friendly contract (hahahahaha ... sorry). The Braves need a young ace to anchor the staff, and they have enough prospects to make things work without giving up too much. Other teams in similar conditions to take the risk are the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Cubs, and Dodgers.

Mussina Needs to Shut Up, Too

So everyone else has been rightfully bashing the spoiled brat of a man Hank Steinbrenner, but let's not forget Mike Mussina. He says, and I quote:

"We don't hit, we don't run the bases," Mussina said. "You get four or five at-bats a year at most, and if you happen to get on base once or twice, you never know. We run in straight lines most of the time. Turning corners, you just don't do that."

Um, dude, I run and turn corners, and I don't sprain an ankle. I chase my dog around the yard, and she turns corners a hell of a lot faster than Wang had to turn third. I have to stop and turn, and I don't hurt myself. If you ask me, you're being a baby about this. You are in much better shape than I am (trust me, much better), so by definition, after stretching and working out all the time, you should be less likely to pull muscles and sprain things. If you want to blame someone, ask your third base coach why he sent the pitcher home with a four run lead, and Wang pitching like a mad man. I guess we could go back to Little League and let a pinch runner in for when the pitcher gets on base?

Joe Torre is more intelligent than I give him credit for. He knew who was running the organization, so he got the hell out.

Time to Party Like It's 2005

Remember 2005 when the Padres went 82-80 and still won the NL West? Well, it might happen again, except the Padres won't win. A division that everyone said was the best division in the NL has, well, been the worst. The competition between the teams has more than caused a leveling. The competition caused that, but being worse than everyone else has caused their records to plummet even farther. The Arizona Diamondbacks are the only team over .500, and the Dodgers are second at 7 GAMES UNDER .500. How does this happen? If the Braves and Diamondbacks switch places, the Braves would be first, and the Diamondbacks would be third. Odd stuff. Considering the dominance of the Diamondbacks of the NL West during the first month, they may end up having a better record than 82-80 unless they continue their dismal effort against everyone else.

Willie Randolph Fired

Okay, someone explain this to me. He was day-to-day, so he gets fired on a day that he wins? Why the hell did they wait so long? Obviously, they wanted to do this a while ago, but for some idiotic reason, they waited until now. Did Bavasi's firing encourage them? As many have said, this was pretty damn classless. If you're going to do it, don't wait until the middle of the night to do it. You wonder why the Mets organization has done so bad over the past 10-15 years. You wonder why they had the epic collapse. The deceit. The infighting. The lies. This is like a bad soap opera without everyone having sex with the other people's significant others. But then again, how do we know that isn't part of it? This organization is messed up, and unfortunately for the Mets, they're messed up from the top down. The Wilpons stated that it was Omar's decision, but I think it was a "it's you or him move" and Minaya predictably saved his job. How can an organization function when you force people to choose like that? Then, Minaya is the one who put this team together, and he's safe? Unbelievable! Minaya has killed the farm system, built a bad team, and ultimately, hired the coaches. So how does he survive this? AAAAAHHHHHH! Real Monsters.

Rodney Back, Zumaya Close

Fernando Rodney has been activated, and Zumaya is close. Tigers have won 8 of their last ten. Offense has scored five or more in eight of their last ten. Uh-oh. Do I smell '06?

Another Great Headline

Yankees Wang Out Until at Least September.

That poor man.

Bill Bavasi Fired

Bill Bavasi, the Seattle GM, was fired today because the Mariners, well ... sucked. It wasn't really a shock. However, I wonder if this opens things up for others to be fired. Did the Mets owners wait until someone else made the first firing so that they could fire Randolph and have the excuse that they weren't the first, overreacting, impatient, etc.? Also, how long does McLaren last? How many players stay (let the fire sale begin in my opinion)?

Darren Beene chronicled Bavasi's tenure. The highlights are few and far between. Some of the bad are the traditional Horacio Ramirez-for-Rafael-Soriano trade, signing Chris Reitsma, trading the farm for Erik Bedard, declining to re-sign Jose Guillen (then trading away his replacement), getting Jose Vidro (although he didn't give up anything, but you have to fault them for keeping him in the lineup), trading Matt Thornton for Joe Borchard, etc. There really aren't many great things that he did. Some smart moves like signing Jose Guillen helped, but he left this team with little. I thought they had a chance because of the rotation (and I actually believed in Miguel Batista ... stupid, stupid, stupid) and the bullpen. The lack of offense has just been too much considering the rotation hasn't done much to help things either. A well-deserved vacation for Mr. Bavasi.

Interview with Bobby Cox

It's always cool to hear an interview with Bobby Cox. He seems optimistic considering the start. He likes the team, makeup, energy, and his new contract extension. Honestly, I haven't seen much of the energy, but he sees the team more than I have so I'll take his word for it. Anyway, hearing him so upbeat and happy about the team and his contract (he even said the possibility of staying past '09) make me happy as a Braves fan. I don't like his use of the bullpen, but I think if we had a starting rotation that could stay healthy, things would be easier for the bullpen. Also, how many teams other than the White Sox and Blue Jays aren't having trouble getting enough innings from their starters? Otherwise, he's an excellent baseball man and great defender of his players (check out this blog article by Shyster).

To get to the link, go to ESPN.com and their MLB section. At the top right, there should be a link where they usually have "Breaking News" stories. The link says Baseball Tonight: Bobby Cox. Check it out.

Mark Teixeira: Will He Stay or Will He Go?

I've seen this question posed a million times, and I've heard dozens of answers. At first, most considered that he would play for the Yankees or Orioles. Then, the Mets' name popped in. Now, it seems as though the Braves are gaining some steam. Other teams, like the Angels, are also choices in this discussion. So who is it going to be? Then, as Peter Gammons blogged, he could be traded.

First, let's assume he won't be traded for the reasons I'll name below. (Contracts in parentheses are from Cot's Baseball Contracts, which is on the blogroll to the right. Amazing site. Amazing.)

Braves- Most people think the Braves won't have the money to keep him, but I disagree whole-heartedly. Tom Glavine ($8 million), Mike Hampton ($15 million), John Smoltz ($12 million), and Mark Kotsay ($2.5 million) will be off the books, giving the Braves $37.5 million to spend. Even if the arbitration guys (Francoeur, McCann-who has a contract that will begin to escalate, etc.) cost $10 million, that leaves around $27 million. Teixeira will probably cost around $23 million. So, the Braves have enough money, but now the question becomes will they use it. Well, the Braves have always let free-agents go when they cost too much (Andruw Jones, J.D. Drew, Rafael Furcal), so that doesn't bode well. However, the biggest thing is the no-trade clause. The Braves have never given anyone a no-trade clause, but with Wren, no one really knows. Maybe he will, maybe he won't. Most don't think so, and I think Schuerholz's training will tell him not to. That would be the deal breaker as Boras really like no-trade clauses.

Yankees- They have the money and willingness to give no-trade clauses. Jason Giambi ($21 million), Bobby Abreu ($16 million), and Mike Mussina ($11 million) are all gone, giving them $48 million to play with (enough for Sabathia, too?). In other words, they have a lot of money, but we all knew that. In my mind, they are the front-runner.

Orioles- Baltimore is Teixeira's hometown, so this team is logical. Jay Payton ($5 million) and Kevin Millar ($2.5 million) will come off the books, but I think Peter Angelos will spend the money to bring such a big guy to Baltimore. In 2007, the payroll was at $93.5 million, but this year it is only at $67.2 million. Therefore, we know he can spend more. The question becomes the no-trade clause, but again, I think Angelos will actually approve that. However, because Teixeira is a true Boras man, he'll take the most money and benefits which equals the Yankees, not the Orioles. Maybe he becomes nostalgic, but he can become nostalgic when he's 40.

Mets- Really? Why the hell would he choose the bad New York team over the good one? Sure, Carlos Delgado ($16 million), Moises Alou ($7.5 million), and Orlando Hernandez ($6.5 million) come off the books, and that could increase with Pedro Martinez ($11 million) if he chooses to go or retire. But again, why go to the Mets? Chances are the Yankees will give Tex more than the Mets and any benefits the Mets can, so I seriously doubt they have a chance. Either Tex wants money (the Yankees), his hometown (the Orioles), to be comfortable (the Braves), or he wants back in the AL West (the Angels).

Angels- Well, I only see this if Tex really wants to go back to the AL West, but I doubt he really wants to do that. He toiled in enough obscurity in Texas, so I doubt he'll want to go farther west to the red-headed-step-child-Los-Angeles-team-who-is-really-better-than-the-actual-one. Anyway, Jon Garland ($12 million), Francisco Rodriguez ($10 million), and Darren Oliver ($2 million) will come off the books, but Garland and Rodriguez might come back which would leave the Angels strapped for cash. Honestly, I really doubt he ends up here.


Okay, now, will he be traded? If the Braves fall rapidly out of contention, then they have to think about it, but they have to get more back than two first-round picks that they would get from offering Tex arbitration. I think they could get that, but the earlier they trade him, the more likely they'll get a big bounty. However, the Braves are good enough that they'll stay frustratingly in contention but not good enough to actually win anything. Therefore, they'll refuse to trade him. I don't know which to choose. I have this overwhelming sense that he won't be back, so I would like to get something back that I might see help in the next season or two instead of two first-round picks that I won't see for another four, at least. If we're in contention, I would like to see him stay because he could help us win the World Series. What to do? Well, if we're 10 back by July 1st, then trade him. If we're 10 back by the All-Star break, trade him. If we're 8 back by July 31st, trade him. Otherwise, keep him.

Larry Bowa Interview

Usually, I don't read these things because they are usually feel good stories, but I couldn't resist an interview with Larry Bowa. The interview is pretty funny in some spots, and I could imagine his face getting red and about to pop while answering the helmet question.

Larry Bowa is a pretty cool guy, but he gets a lot of crap for his bad relationship with Scott Rolen, bad managerial record, and his temper. Honestly, I like guys who tell it like it is (ie. Ozzie Guillen) because sometimes I think we've all become too PC and image conscious. We don't want to say something that might hurt somebody's feelings or seem too harsh. Yet, sometimes it is better to go ahead and just say it. Maybe he's not manager material, but he's a good baseball guy who can at the very least coach third.

Also, I really agree with his comment about choking up on the bat. How many times do we see guys strike out for taking big swings. Choking up on the bat takes away power, but it adds control (and thereby, contact). Too many players still want to hit home runs with two strikes instead of just getting hits (Francoeur). Yet, Barry Bonds did it, and it worked well for him (so did steroids, but that's beside the point; still, even without steroids, he probably would have hit at least 500 HR anyway, if not close to 600).

The picture is also pretty priceless as well.

Batting Cages Strike Again

They used to take your money. Now, they take our All-Stars. Next, our children.

After injuring Chipper Jones the other night, the batting cages took aim at Paul Konerko tonight. Actually, the batting cage didn't do anything, but I like being dramatic. Anyway, Konerko just pulled a rib muscle while swinging during batting practice. These muscle pulls linger even after coming off of the DL, so he should be watched closely. I just thought it was weird that two injuries occurred underneath batting cages in the matter of a couple days (Chipper was hurt Friday). I wonder how many times that's happened in history period. Then, how many times has it happened to two former All-Stars? Anyone? ... Anybody? ... Yeah, I don't care that much either.

Wang Injured

Sounds so bad, doesn't it? I wonder if he understands how that sounds to American culture. I imagine someone has explained it to him, but it has to be embarassing because I am sure the New York fans let him have it when he's off. Anyway, this could be very detrimental to the Yankees because of him being their ace and seemingly getting things back on track. This team has already had a lot of trouble with their staff (although not as much as the Braves and Cardinals), and this won't help. Can Joba take up the slack? Can Moose continue his early season success? I guess this is why AL teams hate playing in NL parks.

This Really Irks Me

Update: In a miracle, Bobby Cox let Jorge Campillo throw a complete game. Granted, it was only an 8-inning complete game, but he must have been reading my blog last night. It's the only explanation. Don't you dare mention that he only threw 100 pitches. I'm warning you.
So I was watching the Braves game tonight, and in the top of the 8th, the Braves score 3 to make it 9-3 Braves. Most of us would figure the game is pretty much over. They just need to take care of business and the night's over. Right? I love Bobby Cox, and he is one of the best active and all-time managers. However, the one thing I will never agree with him on is his use of the bullpen.

He is a strict odds guy with his bullpen. He loves righty-righty and lefty-lefty matchups so much so that I can easily predict when he'll waddle out to the mound to change pitchers. Now, on normal nights, this might not be such a bad thing (although extremely annoying), and even makes sense. Yet, tonight, they are up by six, and he is still doing this. I understand the game's not over until the 27th out is officially in someone's glove, but seriously, when Royce Ring gets the first out of the eighth on four pitches, let him pitch the rest of the inning. Instead, Cox brings in Blaine Boyer to face the righties. He gets one out and then gives up a double, and because Casey Kotchman comes up, Bobby shuffles to the mound to bring in Ohman. Kotchman is a good hitter, but I think Boyer could have gotten him out. Luckily, Cox let Ohman finish the game.

So in conclusion, Charlie Morton pitches 6 solid innings, Manny Acosta pitches the seventh, Braves score 3 to lead 9-3, Ring pitches to one batter, Boyer pitches to two, Ohman pitches to the rest. That's five pitchers. At the most, the Braves should have used four (I think Boyer could have pitched two making it three, but that's being a little greedy and petty). Before you say that it was just one more pitcher, that would be 162 more appearances than necessary during the season. That's a little high due to circumstances, but with a tired bullpen already, one of those guys could have used a night off and pitched tomorrow night. Before you say that they only threw a few pitches, you have to remember that most of the pitches come warming up in the bullpen, so it really doesn't matter that Ring only threw 4 pitches. Only throwing a lot of pitches will make a difference. Bobby does this all the time, and it really bothers me (I guess a pet peeve if you want to call it that). It's really the only thing I can complain about in regards to Cox, but I can't help but wonder if his abuse of the bullpen led to injuries of Peter Moylan, Rafael Soriano, etc.

Mark Mulder Goes 5 in Rehab Start

Can we officially put Mulder into the Mike Hampton category? He can pitch in the minors but will probably get hurt in his return to the majors. How much can the Cardinals expect from him? Ace? No. 2? No. 5? I don't think they can expect (or will get) anything from him. Honestly, the Cardinals may not really need him all that much (although it would be nice), and I think Dave Duncan should win coach of the year (are there such awards for assistant coaches?). Regardless, he went five, struck out three, and walked none, so all in all, a positive step ahead.

Chad Tracy

Chad Tracy hit his first career walk-off home run last night, so congratulations to him. I still remember a couple years ago when he had so much promise, and people thought he was going to be great. Unfortunately, he hurt his right knee in the middle of last season. The previous two seasons he hit .308 and .281 with 27 and 20 HR and 72 and 80 RBI ('06 and '05 respectively). Therefore, he did pretty darn well. At age 28, he is just reaching his prime, and if he is healthy, he could be a valuable trade piece either now or in the off-season. Honestly, I think the best thing would be to wait and keep him for their post-season run, but he might bring more at July 31. Then again, teams may want to see him healthy before trading something away. It may not take too much to get him (maybe a B prospect or two), and I think he has some good seasons ahead of him. Maybe the Braves should trade for him (for a young pitcher or two).

Does Not Compute

Update: Billy Buckner won last night. Soo ... it worked out last night, but I still think something else is going on here. You just don't demote a guy with a 2.90 ERA.


The Arizona Diamondbacks sent Max Scherzer to AAA today, but I have no idea why. Read the article. Apparently, they wanted a guy who could pitch on consecutive days, and Scherzer hasn't done so in his professional career. Here's a wild thought: try it. I doubt something major will go wrong if he throws an inning on consecutive days, and if it does, then it was bound to happen anyway. Anyway, once he's done it, he's done it, and no one has to worry anymore. Instead, they bring up Billy Buckner (4-5 with a 4.48 ERA, 32 BB, 44 K, 80 1/3 IP in AAA) and demote Scherzer (0-2 with a 2.90 ERA, 14 BB, 33 K, 31 IP in MLB). Why does this seem bad? stupid? insane? It makes me wonder whether or not something else is going on. Jason over at IIATMS says it's always about the money, so let's put into action here. By sending him down, they could start his clock later. This would have been his 46th day in the majors, so I wonder (because that is the magic number for rookies) if they sent him down to keep him as a rookie next year. He starts his free-agent clock a year later. Then, he wouldn't be able to get Super-Two status, and the Diamondbacks save money. Plus, they don't have a terrible bullpen, so losing him won't kill them. Maybe it is always about the money. Thanks Jason.

MLB to Start IR on August 1

Okay, fine. I'm done arguing.

You've Got to Be Kidding

Earlier (see below), I wrote about the Braves injury problems. Well, if you didn't believe me, then check this out. Chipper actually got hurt during batting practice when a ball ricocheted off his bat then the batting cage then his eye. Are you serious? I thought the hamstring was bad, but this is incredible. I think the baseball gods are screwing with the Braves for fun.

Braves Injury Roll Call

With the news that Tom Glavine is out until at least the All-Star Break with an injury, I figured I would detail who's injured and their significance to the team. Without further ado and in reverse order of injury:

Tom Glavine (out until the All-Star Break) was supposed to be the No. 3 starter who ate innings.

John Smoltz (out for the season) was supposed to be the dominant No. 1 in a No. 2 disguise.

Mark Kotsay (out indefinitely) was supposed to fill in for Andruw Jones in center.

Matt Diaz (out for at least another month) was supposed to finally be the everyday left-fielder.

Peter Moylan (out for season) was supposed to be the 8th inning guy.

Mike Hampton (ha ha ha; I doubt he'll ever come back) was supposed (I can't believe I just used that word in the same sentence as Hampton) to be the No.4 who acted more like a No.3.

Mike Gonzalez (should be back soon, but I have heard that for two months) was supposed to come back and be the 7th inning guy.

In recap, three of the Braves top starting pitchers are out. Two of three outfielders are out (and the other can't drive in a run). The 7th inning and 8th inning guys are out. In addition, Rafael Soriano (the closer) has been out for all except two weeks of the season. Now, let's see who could be injured soon for an extended period of time.

Chipper Jones (partially torn hamstring) is the everyday 3rd baseman and MVP of the team (and maybe the MLB).

Rafael Soriano (hurt elbow ... still) is still the closer (and seeing Acosta and Boyer suddenly have melt-downs seem to indicate that the Braves need Soriano).

Jair Jurrjens (twisted ankle) is the second-best Atlanta starter this season, but I don't think anyone thinks this is really serious ... yet.

Jeff Bennett (might be killed if he steps foot in Chicago again) is the ever-versatile reliever who has done more good than harm this season.

Smoltz to Try Comeback ... Eventually

John Smoltz is going to rehab as though he's coming back. I'm actually crying as I write this because I don't want to say it, but I'm starting to wonder if he should. First, I think he's a Hall of Famer (although not a first-ballot but probably a seventh or eighth), so he doesn't need to prove any more. Second, after this major surgery and his advanced age, he could really injure himself by coming back. Third, if he comes back, how effective will he be? Can he still throw hard? Will he be able to throw his slider? How many times can he pitch? At this point, we need someone who is durable and effective, and I'm not sure he can be that way. Fourth, how much will he cost? $12 million? $4 million? $1 million? Not being sure of his health at his age and still signing him to a contract above $1 million is asking for trouble (although one year contracts are generally acceptable risks). With Tex needing a new contract, having the extra $12 million dollars that Smoltz could earn next season would come in handy considering we need Tex and a new starting pitcher (and we all know how much those cost these days).

This is so hard to say because he's been so good for the Braves for so long, but at what point do you just say good-bye. With his competitive personality, he may never want to stop, convincing himself that next season will be better. I don't know. Maybe I don't know enough about the surgery and coming back from it, but I doubt he'll be able to come back effectively. If he does and fails, then he won't have ended his career any better and he'll have to endure more surgery. He shouldn't have to go through that. John, rehab, play golf, and work on your Hall speech.

Would They Just Fire Him Already

Willie Randolph's job is more precarious than ever. My question: why not just fire him? Everyone knows they want to, but they just won't. Besides the fact that Willie Randolph is not the only guy who should be fired (I'm not saying he should), this charade is just ridiculous. You might as well fire him now and take the pressure off of everyone. All this is doing is making Randolph, the players, and the fans anxious. Also, in baseball, day-to-day is a death sentence considering no one knows what will happen on a certain day. No game is a gimme.

Alfonso Soriano to Magically Heal Himself

Alfonso Soriano was hit by a pitch from Jeff Bennett a couple days ago and is on the DL. Initially, doctors said it would take 6 weeks to heal, but now, Soriano says he'll be back sooner. Hmm, well, how would this happen. A fully qualified doctor says that it will take 6 weeks to heal, but Soriano, not a qualified doctor, says it won't take that long. Which leads to a few questions. Is this just a stunt to show the people of Chicago that he cares (but ultimately, really ... really wants to start the All-Star Game, which ironically is around the time he should be healed or why he would want to be healed faster)? Does he know voo-doo or magic spells to heal himself (if he does, can he talk to Atlanta and share because they could use it)? OR is he using HGH to heal himself faster (okay, maybe not, but in this day and age, are we sure?)?

I Doubt This Is the Major Problem

The Mariners are reeling, and Kenji Johjima is being the target of the problems. Ken Rosenthal reports, "One of the many complaints the Mariners' starting pitchers have with Japanese catcher Kenji Johjima is that he costs them strikes. 'He umpires,' according to a rival executive. 'When he catches the ball, instead of framing it, he decides for himself if the pitch is a ball or a strike and yanks it out of the zone quickly.'" Maybe they should look at their second-to-last-in-the-AL runs scored at 257 or their run differential of -65. True, the Mariners pitchers haven't done well, but the offense has been deplorable as well. They knew their would be communication problems when they brought him over, and at such a crucial position for communication, it wasn't a smart idea. Oh, and they gave him an extension on April 25. Oops.

Ken Griffey Jr. Drama

A man who says he caught the ball is filing an injunction (I don't know what that means; maybe Shyster knows) to stop the ball from being sold. First, it's in the other guy's possession (the whole 9/10 of the law thing; is that a real law?). Second, tape shows that the ball landed in the other guy's glove first. Although I agree that it should end up in Griffey's hands, we can't really blame the guy for trying to sell it. Some say the ball could get $100,000 (although I doubt it), and that's a life changing amount for "Joe". Honestly, I like the "give 'Joe' $50,000 for the ball idea". 50K isn't a lot for Griffey, or the Reds for that matter, and then the matter could be resolved without anymore fuss. Yet, I think the other guy wants some attention and some of the bounty.