Rays' relievers show plenty of fire
Posted: Thursday, October 09, 2008 3:14 PM
A look at the top surprises and disappointments of the playoffs through the LDS:
THUMBS UP:
TAMPA BAY BULLPEN: Early in the season the Rays hoped Troy Percival would provide a veteran presence in closing games. In October, Percival is hobbled and J.P. Howell and Grant Balfour are sharing the load as the team’s closer. And Balfour’s competitive fire -- on display for all to see during his verbal “battle” with Orlando Cabrera of the White Sox in the ALDS -- is a reflection that these Rays aren’t just happy to be in the playoffs.
PHILADELPHIA STARTERS: The collective blood pressure of Phillies fans rose as Brett Myers struggled through his last two regular-season starts. Then he stifled the Brewers in Game 2 as did Cole Hamels in Game 1 and Joe Blanton in Game 4. The trio held a strong Brewers lineup to nine hits and three runs in 21 innings.
DODGERS PITCHING: L.A.’s arms took the hill and challenged the Cubs hitters. A lineup that scored an NL high 855 runs -- 56 more than the next team -- was neutered. And the Dodgers walked only six batters in three games.
BOSTON DEPTH: The best hitter for the Red Sox in their ALDS against the Angels? Jason Bay. In his first postseason, he showed no problem with the spotlight. Jed Lowrie and Jacoby Ellsbury also shined in pressure situations. The Red Sox got virtually nothing from the bats of David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and Jason Varitek and still beat the AL’s best regular-season team.
THUMBS DOWN:
ANGELS OFFENSE: Southern California is raging over the call of Angels manager Mike Sciocsia to put on a suicide squeeze in the ninth inning of Game 4. But where the fans’ rage should really be directed is at those who wield the big bats for this club because those big bats were once again soft.
The Angels produced a measly total of six extra-base hits in the four games against Boston and only one (a double) from the trio of Vladimir Guerrero, Mark Teixeira and Torii Hunter. The misplaced frustration of Angels fans reminds me of San Francisco fans in 2000 raging over a pinch-hitting decision by Dusty Baker in Game 4 of the NLDS. The Mets won that series largely because Barry Bonds was invisible, making the final out in an inning nine times in the last three games. Bonds did not hit a home run in the four games, batting a humbling .176.
ANGELS FUNDAMENTALS: The team that thrives on small ball made poor defensive plays and two crucial base running mistakes.
CUBS, CUBS, CUBS: Interesting point: Former Cubs manager Dusty Baker was run out of Chicago for his team’s NLCS failures in 2003 -- see Game 6 (does the name Steve Bartman ring a bell?) and Game 7 -- and late-season failures in 2004 when the team missed the playoffs.
Contrast that with current Cubs manager Lou Piniella receiving a pass so far despite a pathetic postseason performance over the last two seasons. In the playoffs, Piniella’s Cubs are 0-6 with all of 12 runs scored. A wise baseball student, Rob Tracy of Elias Sports Bureau, predicted this year’s outcome to me calling the Cubs’ lineup unsuited for the rigors of postseason – too reliant on power, unable to manufacture runs and a bad match against the power pitching Dodgers.
TV RATINGS: Each year the cries grow louder for a best-of-seven LDS. And each year, network television provides the sobering response. The reality is TV doesn’t love the LDS. ESPN had no problem walking away from the postseason. Fox wanted out of the first round completely. TBS took the LDS package with one LCS as a sweetener but ratings are down significantly this year, even with a playoff field featuring both Los Angeles teams, both Chicago teams, the Red Sox and the Phillies. So many of the nation’s biggest TV markets were represented but viewership did not reflect added interest. There will be no best-of-seven LDS until TV shows an appetite for it.
FIVE MORE SWINGS:
1. SPEAKING OF BARRY BONDS…he appeared at a San Francisco hospital fund-raiser Tuesday. Reports are he looked healthy. Reports also reminded us that his court date is set for March of next year when spring training will be underway.
2. REPORTS FROM LOS ANGELES…indicate that the senior Angel, Garret Anderson, has likely played his last game in Anaheim. He played in 145 games this season (557 at-bats) but his production dropped noticeably (a .758 OPS, sixth best on the team). Anderson put in 14 years with the Angels, accumulated over 2,300 hits and was a big part of the 2002 World Series winners.
3. A BIG PART OF THE PADRES DISINTEGRATION…was the disastrous year for Khalil Greene. Breaking his hand in frustration in late July cost Greene the final two months of the season. Now the Padres are filing a grievance to recoup $1.5 million in salary. Hard to see the organization winning the grievance -- despite the logic behind the move -- and you have to wonder how it impacts management’s relationship with Greene.
4. RICH HARDEN STAYS WITH THE CUBS. The club exercised his option after tests gave them faith in the health of his shoulder. Now the Cubs need to keep general manager Jim Hendry, the last survivor of the Andy MacPhail-Dusty Baker era.
5. I MAY HAVE TO REVISE MY NL CY YOUNG THINKING – AGAIN. This after I talked to someone close to the Mets’ situation. What I heard were stories of a very divided clubhouse that is extremely sensitive to the written and spoken word. Carlos Delgado is a leader to the Latin players but one man stands above and alone: Johan Santana. His shutout on the final Saturday raised his esteem in New York by multiples. And he did lead the NL in innings and ERA, was second in strikeouts and had seven leads blown by the bullpen. So do I sway over to Santana or stay with Sabathia?
