May 2008 - Posts
An executive of a team in another professional sport recently told me that if he were in baseball his first move would be to hire the Florida Marlins’ baseball department. How can you argue? The Marlins traded their best hitter, Miguel Cabrera, and a standout pitcher, Dontrelle Willis, to the Tigers over the winter. Florida scaling back its payroll yet again was a signal to the big payroll East Coast teams that they were waiting on a new stadium in Miami.
So how can the Fish possibly be the division leaders as we approach June 1? Last year’s team was .500 on June 8, 31-31. This year’s team is eight games above .500.
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Here’s what I realized on the journey to Paris where I’m covering the French Open: the most disappointing team in the majors is Seattle. Heading into play today the Mariners have the game’s worst record -- this from a team with a payroll north of $100 million and expectations to match.
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It hasn’t been easy for the baseball fan in San Francisco this year. The Giants are a bad team, their farm system is barren at the high levels, their ballpark is for the first time featuring swaths of empty seats and their “new” face is a non-contributor.
But the point here is that living in the Bay Area has meant listening to a segment of fans who apologize for Barry Zito. And it fuels my inner fire raging over what has happened to starting pitching.
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As if the Mets needed yet another distraction manager Willie Randolph has scrambled to deal with the fallout of comments made earlier this week to a New Jersey newspaper -- the Record of Hackensack.
Blaming the perception that he is not a "fiery" manager on many issues -- including race and the way he has been presented by the Mets' own television network (SNY) -- has placed Randolph under the microscope. So far, scrutiny is not serving Randolph well -- the Mets have dropped three straight in Atlanta since the manager spoke out.
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Watching the Angels last night wearing throwback 1970s uniforms complete with the small “a” topped by a halo brought back memories of Rudy Meoli, Jerry Remy, Dave Chalk, Paul Hartzell and of course Nolan Ryan and Frank Tanana. It also brought to mind a recent conversation with a general manager of another American League team.
Asked which team he thinks is the best in the AL, the GM responded, “When healthy, the Angels.”
Surprising, I believe, is that assessment. Immediate answers to that question would involve the Goliaths in Boston and New York, the growing threat in Detroit and the slow but very sound power built in Cleveland.
The Angels are good, we know that, but are they truly better than the aforementioned quartet?
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What has happened to major league baseball in Chicago? In the late 1970s, I went to college in Indiana, close enough to enjoy baseball in both Chicago ballparks. As a New Yorker, I was accustomed to tough press, fans that boo and the expectations created by the “Bronx Zoo” Yankees of that era.
So what did I find in Chicago? Mellow ball. Broadcaster Jack Brickhouse sounding like your favorite uncle selling mediocre Cubs players as budding stars. Ernie Banks wanting to play two and fans watching Cubs games from rooftops across the street from a half-full Wrigley Field. It was friendly, calm and probably too complacent. Winning was hoped for, not demanded.
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Sunday provided a chance to check on some members of the new wave of starting pitchers barreling into the game.
GREG REYNOLDS, the second player chosen in the 2006 draft, made his debut for Colorado. Working in pitcher-friendly Petco Park in San Diego, Reynolds displayed terrific movement on a low-90’s fastball as well as a willingness to change speeds. For five innings, he kept the light-hitting Padres at bay. One question: With only one strikeout, does Reynolds have strong swing-and-miss stuff? His final line: 5.2IP, 6H, 4ER, 2BB, 1K.
BRIAN BANNISTER of the Royals threw a two-hitter over eight innings at Baltimore. He is now 4-4 with a 3.75 ERA. Not bad for someone discarded by the Mets with the thought that he would be a soft-tossing lefty. The Royals made a terrific trade giving up Ambiorix Burgos for Bannister.
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It looks like the perfect trade, the deal last December between the Rangers and Reds that sent Josh Hamilton to Texas in exchange for Edinson Volquez and Danny Herrera. Hamilton could cement centerfield for Texas for the next decade. Volquez could be an electric starter in the National League despite pitching in a bandbox.
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San Diego is a fascinating team to watch. Last year I had several NL coaches tell me that baseball was morphing into a game revolving around athletes and their speed. The days of ‘slow pitch softball’ slugging were over. Yet the Padres were one out from last year’s NL playoffs with a notable lack of speed. And they field a 2008 team with even less speed.
Any analysis of why the Padres have the NL’s worst record through 20 percent of the season must look at the team’s lack of athleticism. Doubt not that the Padres chief executive officer Sandy Alderson sets the team’s philosophy. Also doubt not Alderson’s track record -- his emphasis on on-base percentage, power and pitching without walks worked wonderfully in Oakland.
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Have you ever told anyone they shouldn’t have insurance? Perhaps you have questioned the amount of insurance purchased but the concept itself? Not me.
So in a recent USA Today piece on the growing number of pre-free agency players signing multi-year contracts, the stance of agent Scott Boras, while hardly surprising, was notable.
For those unfamiliar with this topic here’s the scoop: Clubs try to lock up their best young players to contracts that fix costs. Other benefits of such deals include avoiding arbitration (something many players also appreciate) and in some cases, a year of free agency.
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One month into the season here’s the scoop on how some familiar faces are faring with their new teams:
PASSING WITH FLYING COLORS
JOHAN SANTANA: Where would the Mets be without their staff leader – make that savior? He has a sterling 0.92 WHIP that augurs better long-term numbers than 3-2 and a 3.12 ERA through his first six starts.
DAN HAREN: Anyone still question Arizona’s decision to move kids for a solid 1-A starter?
TORII HUNTER: What seemed like a crowded outfield looks just fine with Hunter as the Angels’ anchor in centerfield.
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