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MSNBC.com baseball analyst Ted Robinson gives his take on the hits and misses by players, managers, umpires and owners in Major League Baseball.

Robinson has an extensive background in covering the sport. He called the play-by-play on NBC's Major League Baseball Game of the Week telecasts from 1986-89. Additionally, he has been the lead play-by-play announcer for the Minnesota Twins, the television and radio play-by-play voice of the San Francisco Giants, and a member of the New York Mets broadcast team.



Closers make a difference down the stretch

Posted: Friday, September 21, 2007 12:53 PM

Pennant race stories from a good Thursday night:

 

WHY AREN’T MORE RELIEVERS IN THE HALL OF FAME? Trevor Hoffman saved his 40th game yesterday, his ninth such season and the Padres are streaking towards their third straight postseason berth. Mariano Rivera is still throwing 94-95 mph as he approaches his 38th birthday and the Yankees are heading for a 12th straight playoff berth.

 

Meanwhile, last night, the Mets suffered an agonizing loss to Florida while Billy Wagner (back spasms) was unavailable. Brett Myers calmly closed a one-run win for Philadelphia, which is suddenly closer to the Mets than the wild-card leader.

 

A team that hopes to contend better have a closer and one who is strong; hence the serious worry in the Mets camp about Wagner, who has struggled when available in September. And the concern in Boston where Hideki Okajima has been shut down and Eric Gagne needs to find himself. And the calm in places like San Diego and the Bronx where they know the ninth inning is theirs.

 

DUELING SHORTSTOPS. In the first half, Jose Reyes looked like the NL MVP. Last night, Reyes struck out in the ninth inning with the bases loaded and the Mets trailing by one. Jimmy Rollins batted in the eighth inning with his Phils tied in Washington and delivered the eventual game-winning hit. Since the All-Star break, Rollins has played like the MVP and the Phils are very much alive. Remember that they finish at home next week, as do the Mets, while the Padres play on the road.

 

DON’T FORGET ABOUT…Matt Holliday in the MVP race. We mentioned him here several weeks ago and he has only strengthened his claim with a torrid September (11 HR in the last 12 games, .382 BA, 11 HR, 23 RBI for the month). He has been the NL’s best hitter in 2007 and with the Rockies still, albeit barely, alive with nine days to play, Holliday is this corner’s MVP.

 

BEST/WORST PLAYER MOVE BY CONTENDING TEAMS. What were the Dodgers thinking when they dropped Marlon Anderson? He was injured early and Grady Little ran out of patience. Bad decision. Anderson played a big role in the Dodgers’ postseason push last year and the Mets, for whom Anderson was a key reserve in 2005, quickly grabbed him.

 

Last night in Florida, Anderson followed the Reyes ninth-inning strikeout with a three-run pinch double that should have been a game-winner. For the season, Anderson has 27 hits and knocked in 27 runs. As a pinch-hitter with the Mets, he has 13 hits since the All-Star break and driven in 14 runs. How does a NL team give up on a player who can play multiple positions, hit off the bench with some pop, and bats left-handed? Bad call by the Dodgers and great pick-up by the Mets.

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Comments

I gotta know something. Why is it that mention is made of Brett Myers, but not Rafael Betancourt and Joe Borowski? It's like MSNBC has a big problem with covering the Indians, unless they absolutely have to. Geez, what do they have to do to get the media's attention? Jump out of a cereal box or something? I mean, Cleveland is going to take the division, and not one word from any of your major contributors. Not one. You guys all act like Boston and the New York teams (all of them) are MLB's saviors. COME ON, break away from everything you know and talk about and be balanced in your articles. PULEZEE? Hey, what's this I see? Tony DeMarco is actually gonna say something first? Wow. Well, I could have told you it certainly wouldn't have been Celizic. It would take too much to even think the Indian's way...I sure wished you all wouldn't have such an infatuation with big market teams, instead of being balanced.

Mark Steve, Canton, Ohio (Sent Friday, September 21, 2007 4:45 PM)

I'm glad it looks like you get to do the division series, Ted- hope you get to do the Mets series

Ryan Y, Long Island, NY (Sent Sunday, September 23, 2007 5:41 PM)

I would agree that Okajima and Gagne have been very questionable for the Red Sox lately, but how can one discuss the importance of closing out games and the BoSox situation in that regard without mentioning Jonathan Papelbon? For the last two seasons has been and remains one of baseball's premier closers and will undoubtedly be one of the most reliable contributors to their upcoming post-season. With few bumps in the road, he is most often unhittable and also has that closer menatlity of absolute intensity and determination you need in your ninth inning "go to" guy.

Mark, Brookline MA (Sent Monday, September 24, 2007 1:30 PM)



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