2012 Hall of Fame Ballot

    In light of yesterday's steroid topic, I decided to talk about the Hall of Fame. With the Hall of Fame voting to take place in the first weeks of 2013, I wanted to share my ballot with you. Players on the ballot for the first time this year are: Curt Schilling, Mike Piazza, Barry Bonds, Craig Biggio, Sammy Sosa, Jeff Bagwell, and Roger Clemens.

Schilling won 58 games and
a World Series title with  in 4 seasons
with Arizona (2000-03)

    Given these first-time names, here is my ballot for this year and their notable career numbers:
Curt Schilling (Pitcher)- 216 wins, 3116 strikeouts, and an 11-2 postseason record
Mike Piazza (Catcher)- 427 home runs, career .308 batting average, 12-time All-Star
Craig Biggio (Second Base)- 3060 career hits, 1175 runs batted in, .281 batting average

    There are also a few other non-first-timers who I believe should make the cut:
Edgar Martinez (Designated Hitter)- 2247 hits, 309 home runs, 1261 runs batted in, .312 batting average
Tim Raines (Left Field)- 2605 hits,1571 runs, .294 batting average

    Justification time! First: the first-timers. Curt Schilling had more than 3000 strikeouts, which is a notable milestone for any pitcher. The thing that makes Schilling a sure thing though, is his postseason record. An 11-2 record and 3 shutouts when it matters most is why he gets the nod. Mike Piazza had an impressive .308 career batting average and is regarded as one of the greatest catchers of all-time. Most impressively, Piazza has the most home runs all-time by any catcher. The easiest decision for me was putting Craig Biggio on my ballot. If there is such thing as a sure-fire Hall of Fame statistic for me, it's 3000 hits in a career. Therefore, Biggio's 3060 hits leaves no doubt in my mind that he will be a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Piazza is the all-time leader
in home runs by a catcher (427)

    The reason I have Edgar Martinez on my ballot is because of how hard it is to put up his numbers as a purely designated hitter. When Martinez broke into the league in 1987, the designated hitter was fairly new, so I consider Martinez to be the one who brought the DH into the limelight. His 309 homers and .312 average as a DH gives him the nod for me. Tim Raines has what I consider borderline Hall numbers, but I think it's Tim's time. Now, you'll notice that Jeff Bagwell wasn't among the first-timers to make it on the ballot. Much like Raines, Bagwell has classic border-line numbers. Bagwell will definitely get into the Hall, but it'll be an exercise in patience.

    Three who are not on my ballot are Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, and Sammy Sosa. Even though, statistically these three rank among the greatest, it is their links to steroids that keep them off my ballot, now and forever.  Golden Globe corespondent Bob Ryan called Clemens, Sosa, and Bonds the "Toxic Trio"
Even though Clemens has more than 300 career wins, Sosa is towards the top of the all-time home run list, and Bonds is the home run king, all of those numbers can be thrown out because of their steroid use. It pains me to say that because I grew up watching and rooting for these three, but they are leading the charge to ruin the game, and that is why they will NEVER get my vote for the hall of Fame.

    Hall of Fame voting takes place in early January. Who will be next to receive the  highest honor in any sport and be enshrined into the Hall of Fame?

Steroid: Null and Void

    In the days where steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs are almost becoming a norm, we see consistent  forty home run seasons and increased power numbers from hitters. But what if I were to tell you that the steroid-infused heavy hitters still don't measure up to the greatest hitters of all-time. The question we must ask is: Does steroids even help at all? As far as helping current players be as powerful as the all-time greats such as Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, and Willy Mays: Not even close. When a ballpark changes its outfield dimensions, they are shortened more often than not. Even with the use of steroids to strengthen players, they still don't measure of to the greatest players ever, who for the most part, were naturally strong.

In 22 professional seasons,
Ruth hit 714 home runs-
third most all-time

    The main factor that I will focus on today is outfield dimensions  Even though the numbers of the great players, past and present, are similar, think about this: the parks that Mantle, Maris, Ruth, and Williams played in were significantly larger than the parks that Jeter, Pujols, Bonds and Sosa played in. To make my point, we will look at the past and present ballparks of two particular teams: the New York Yankees and the New York/San Francisco Giants.

    First. Yankee Stadium. I will be focusing on the distance from home plate to center field because that is the greatest distance for point A to point B in any park. In 1923, when Babe Ruth was a Yankee, the center field fence in Yankee Stadium was 520 feet away from home plate. In the years that Ruth was a Yankee, he hit, on average 43 home runs a year. Also, in the 18 years that Mickey Mantle played for the Yankees, after the center field wall had been moved in to 461 feet (still about 55 feet farther than the average present-day center field fence), Mantle average 30 home runs a season, even while being plagued by injuries throughout his career. These are impressive numbers by two of the greatest Yankees of all-time, without the use of anything but pure strength. Now let's compare it to the present-day steroid era. Since 1988, the center field fence at Yankee Stadium has been 408 feet away. Alex Rodriguez, who has 647 career home runs, has admitting to using steroids. In the nine seasons that Rodriguez has been with the Yankees, he is averaging 34 home runs a year. Does it sound like steroids gives an advantage? 

The New York Giants played
at Polo Grounds until 1963

    Let's look at a new team: the New York/San Francisco Giants. Until 1963, the New York Giants played at Polo Grounds. The center field fence at Polo Grounds was 483 feet away. In the six seasons that Hall of Famer Willie Mays played at Polo Grounds before the team departed for San Francisco, he averaged 31 home runs a season. Present-day: All-time home run king Barry Bonds, who was proven to have used steroids, averaged 39 home runs a year in the 15 years he played in San Francisco. However, San Francisco's AT&T Park has one of the shortest center field fences in the major leagues at 399 feet, almost 100 feet CLOSER than the Mays days.

AT&T Park (formerly known as SBC
Park0 has been the home of  San
Francisco Giants since 2000

    Now, I understand that the present-day pitchers are much more talented than they used to be, but given that and the fact that ballparks are MUCH smaller than they used to be, it is my conclusion that steroids does not give much of an upper hand. Players like Mays, Mantle, and Ruth never used steroids, but instead, were just that strong. Given all the information contained in this article, I hope you can agree that steroids is not at all going to help a present-day player keep up with the all-time greats. Only pure skill and love of the game can do that. Will we ever see anyone who can measure up to the giants of the game? I'm not sure, but if we do, I hope that they play the game with pure skill and heart. That is what makes great players, not steroids.

    

Hustler's Corner

    To feed off of yesterday's article concerning Josh Beckett and other lazy players destroying the game, I realize it may have seemed a little harsh, but I was making a point that it hurts me as a writer, a viewer, and a fan, to see grown men being paid great money to play a game and take it for granted. Players give up on their teams, they don't hustle, and they are not getting along with teammates and managers.

Freese hits a walk-off home run
in Game 6 of the 2011
World Series

    Now, not all players are like this. I am always on the lookout for players who always give 100% and do whatever they can to help their teams win games. These are the players that play the game the way that it is meant to be played. These are the players that will save the game.

Dee Gordon hustling
around the bases 

     The three players that caught my attention the most were Mike Trout, David Freese, Bryce Harper,and Dee Gordon . These are three young players who hustle, no matter what the situation. There is a reason why Mike Trout robbed as many home runs as he did last season. You can't get back that far on a ball without true hustle. David Freese has arguably been the MVP for the St. Louis Cardinals the past two seasons. He has also been an incredible performer in the postseason, when it mattered most. Dee Gordon was named as the fastest man in baseball by some of his fellow players. Bryce Harper was definitely a spark for the Nationals this season. He made a significant impact with his glove his bat, and his feet. These are players that never take a single play off.

    Some believe that Bryce Harper is a little arrogant and full of himself, but I believe that he is just as excited as any normal twenty year old should be about playing Major League baseball, and he plays like it. He tries his absolute hardest to make a positive difference for his team. Harper reminds me of one of my favorite players of all-time: Ken Griffey Jr. If you recall, when Griffey broke into the league as a teenager, much like Harper, he was classified as arrogant  but I saw an exciting, talented, confident young man who was fired up to get the opportunity to play the game he loved.

Harper fired up after crossing
home plate and scoring a run.

    Trout, Freese, and Harper are the kind of players the game needs more of. It is my sincerest hope that their enthusiasm for the game won't fade with age, much like Beckett's did, but for now, these young players are a breathe of fresh air in an era where the game is taken for granted and every accomplishment is clouded by suspicion because of the common use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.

    While former outfielder Manny Ramirez was with the Boston Red Sox, he would goof around in the field during games, jog to first base, and take his time chasing down a ball in the outfield. Ramirez was lazy, and his team and the league classified it as 'Manny Being Manny'. Ramirez's behavior was excused when it should have been disciplined. 

    All I can hope for is that one day, the game will return to the glory days when steroid use didn't make us question everything and where hustle and heart were the norm instead of the exception. Keep a lookout for my next piece when I explain my stance on why steroids really don't gives players an upper hand.

Bumbling Beckett

    When I used to think about Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Josh Beckett, I would think about an exciting young player breaking into the league with the Florida Marlins. However, as I look at Josh Beckett now, he seems to be a bitter shell of the young phenom who  placed the tag on catcher Jorge Posada for the final out of the 2003 World Series against the New York Yankees.

Beckett making final out of 2003 World Series
against the Yankess

    It probably seems harsh to call Beckett a bitter shell of himself, but it seems that he has gone from an exciting young player eager to help his team win, to a lazy, unenthusiastic veteran who, more often than not, costs his team ballgames. You might be thinking: "Could he really cost his team games?" Let me give you a couple of numbers. A newer statistic, known as Wins Above Replacement (WAR), shows the true value of any single player to his team, factoring in every little thing a player does in a game. The WAR displays the average number of wins a player adds to his team's record just by being on the field. The higher the number is, the more valuable the player. First of all Beckett's WAR over his entire 10 year career is 0.8, meaning that the teams that Beckett was on are less than a single win better with him than without him. But to make my point, during the 2010 and 2012 seasons (both with Boston) Beckett's WAR was actually negative, which, if you're following correctly, that Beckett was, in fact, HURTING his team by playing.

    The most disappointing thing about Beckett is how little he seems to care about the game, his team or anyone else but himself. For those of you who have been following this blog, you may remember the August 21st "Boston Coaching Carousel" article that chronicled the struggles of the Boston Red Sox. These are lines from that article:  "...Terry Francona subsequently resigned after reports surfaced that he had "lost control" of the team and that many of the players, including starting pitchers Josh Beckett and Jon Lester, were drinking beer and eating chicken in the clubhouse during the game...Francona wasn't the problem and neither is Valentine...it's the players. So, we must ask the question: If these players wouldn't play for Francona, is there anyone they will play for?" 

   As you can see, Beckett was the ring-leader behind the "loss of control". Josh Beckett had given up on his team. His selfish ways continued in 2012, getting then-manager Bobby Valentine dispatched the same way he did Francona the year before. Beckett is what's wrong with the game today: He's lazy, selfish, and has a problem with authority. If I'm making him out to be a villan, that's his problem, because I'm going off of what I've seen from him. If he's not going to play the game it was meant to be played, then he needs to leave the game before his style of play-or lack thereof-becomes the league norm and destroys the game we love.

    Now don't think that I'm naive enough to think that Beckett is the only one that acts like this. I know there's many more, but I use Beckett as the example. Players like these, who act like they don't care about the game, need to understand that they are among the luckiest men in the world to play a game for a living. If they can't appreciate that, the game would be better off without them. They need to either change their mentality or fade into the sunset before their remembered and emulated by future ballplayers. The game was meant to be fun for everyone, and watching these players who don't care, hurt the spirits of the players and fans who do, goes against everything baseball stands for in America. To quote my previous piece: "Keep it classy"

M-V-Posey

    If you every need a reminder of what a Most Valuable Player actually is, just look to San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, who has seemingly redefined the term for his team. The Giants have won two World Series titles in three years, largely due to the play of the 25-year old Posey.

Posey hitting a home run in the 2012 NLDS
against the Cincinnati Reds

    In 2010, Posey's rookie season, the Giants won the World Series in five games over the Texas Rangers. This gave the Giants their first World Championship since 1954, and their first since moving from New York to San Francisco between the 1957 and 1958 seasons. After the 2010 championship season, Buster Posey was named the National Rookie of the Year after a rookie campaign where he hit for a .305 batting average with 18 home runs and 67 runs batted in.

    However, Posey's true value to his team would not be felt until the following year. On May 25th 2011, after playing in only 45 games for the Giants, Posey suffered a season-ending injury when he fractured his fibula and tore multiple ligaments in this ankle trying to block home plate against the Florida Marlins. After the Posey injury, the Giants played average baseball, going 59-55 the rest of the way without their catcher. The Giants would finish 86-76 and miss the playoffs-one year removed from a World Series title.

Posey raising Commissioner's
Trophy after winning the
World Series

    Posey returned to his team to start the 2012 season, and the Giants were glad to have their young catcher's bat back in the lineup. Posey would have the best season of his young career. Posey would post career high's in home runs (24), runs batted in (103), and batting average (.336). These numbers helped the Giants return to the playoffs, and defeat the Detroit Tigers in 4 games to give the Giants their second World Series title in 3 years.

    Posey's great regular season numbers were rewarded when he was awarded the Hank Aaron Award (best hitter in each league), the Silver Slugger Award (best offensive player by position in each league) , and most importantly, the National League's Most Valuable Player Award.

    There's no doubt that the Giants were glad to have Posey back last season. With Posey, the Giants have 2 World Series titles, and an MVP behind the plate. Without Posey, the Giants have one of the worst team batting averages in baseball. With Posey legitimately being the difference between baseball in October or playing air hockey in the garage, the Giants would agree that Posey is certainly an MVP. Would you? The  Giants rollercoaster these last three years have shown us what a real 'Most Valuable Player' actually looks like.

Keep It Classy!

    I'M BACK!!! This is the first post in a good while, and even though the season is over, I'm going to continue to post throughout the offseason, with different editorials, 2012 Positional Rankings, etc, so even the season isn't going on right now, keep reading.

    The first of my offseason posts will deal with something that irked me quite a bit: I feel that Major League Baseball is losing its classiness and sense of sportsmanship. This became evident to me in the Divisional round of this year's playoffs. There is a big difference in winning a playoff series and winning the World Series, but from what I saw out of the San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, and Detroit Tigers, you would've thought that they had won it all after their respective first round victories.

    As a professional ball club, it is your job to make it to the postseason. Success is what you work for and it is expected that your team will be contending at the end of the year. However, when these three teams dispatched of their opponents in the first round, all of them celebrated as if their work was done and they were going home with a trophy. It was disgusting. They hadn't yet earned the right to celebrate to the extent that they did. It was utterly classless. Finish the job...then you can celebrate. These teams built themselves for contention, so it seemed ridiculous when they acted surprised when they surpassed STEP ONE.

    Let it be known that I'm not usually one to give praise to the New York Yankees, but in this instance, I must acknowledge them. The Yankees were the only one of the four teams that made it past the League Championship Series to do so professionally. When the final out was made to give them the series victory against the Baltimore Orioles, they shook hands, acknowledged Baltimore for their good postseason play, and walked off the field with poise and professionalism. The Yankees knew that their work wasn't finished and that they still had a long road ahead of them. I can't say the same for what I saw out of the other three teams.

   Perhaps it is a little unfair for me to compare the Yankees' professionalism against the other teams. After all, the Yankees were much more experienced in postseason play than the rest, but these younger, more inexperienced teams need to know that it's not good enough just to get to the playoffs, but in the "win now" society that we live in, playoff success is the only way to secure their jobs for another year.

    Maybe the league can take a lesson from the New York Yankees. Conduct yourselves with professionalism. After all you are professionals. As a fan, I love seeing young players have enthusiasm for the game, but I hate to see enthusiasm cross the line into arrogance. Realize the game is supposed to be fun, but in good taste. Keep it classy boys!

 

There Can Only Be One

  It's playoff time people!!! 162 games have gone past, and now we have the best baseball left to look forward to. All ten of these teams have done what it takes to get here, and now it's a dogfight to the finish, as there can only be one champion. As there will be two Wild Card play-in games, I am here to analyze and predict each match-up until I have selected a champion. Let's get started.

AL Wildcard Play-In game: Texas Rangers vs. Baltimore Orioles
  Even though the Rangers have stumbled as of late and fallen out of first place in the last calender year, and the Orioles are the surprise, feel-good team of the season, I believe it will be the Rangers' playoff experience that will win this game. The have won the American League Championship, yet come up short in the World Series two years in a row. This team is hungry and they will not let themselves lose this game. The Orioles are a young, talented team with the runaway Coach of the Year, Buck Showalter. They will be back, but their inexperience in the playoffs will cost them. But again, they'll be back. They're talented.

NL Wildcard Play-In Game: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves
  The defending champion St. Louis Cardinals have something to prove as they try to repeat as champs, but in my opinion, this will be no contest. For one thing, the Braves have defeated the Cardinals 5 out 6 times this season. Not to mention that the red hot Kris Medlen will get the ball for the Braves, and the Braves have won the last 23 games Medlen has started. The Cardinals are a good team, but they will not be repeating.

NLDS: Cincinnati Reds vs. San Francisco Giants

  The Reds are coming in with the second best record in the entire league, and are hosting this series, but this will not help them win. I believe the Giants will pull the upset and defeat the Reds in 7 games. Even though the Reds have a Cy Young candidate and a former NL MVP in Johnny Cueto and Joey Votto, the San Francisco Giants have ace pitcher Matt Cain and the likely 2012 NL MVP Buster Posey. The Giants have also had one of the best starting pitching rotations in the league. The Giants also have the sixth best starter ERA in the major leagues (3.75), so runs will also be at a premium. This, and the Giants' solid defense will win them this game and send the to the NLCS.

NLDS: Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves

  This will probably be the tightest and most competitive match-ups of the playoffs, because these teams are division rivals and are VERY familiar with each other. The Nationals are the league's best team and have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. However, this is the first playoff appearance by a Washington team since World War II, and this team is full of young players with little to no playoff experience. Even though it wasn't a problem during the remainder of the season, I believe this is when Washington will really feel Strasburg's absence. Despite all that, I think there is one crucial factor working for the Braves in these playoffs: Chipper Jones. This is his last playoff run, and I believe the Braves will play their most inspired baseball of the season. Braves Nation wants to send their beloved third baseman out as a champion. Plus, with Chipper leaving, Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward are out to prove that they can be the faces of this franchise for years to come after Chipper. Their great pitching, stellar defense, and solid hitting, combined with the fire in their bellies to win for Chipper, will send them past their division rivals to the NLCS.

ALDS: Oakland Athletics vs. New York Yankees

  Let's keep this short and sweet.The Athletics are this year's Cinderella team, as no one expected them to be here. but all good things must come to an end, and the ALDS will be the end of the road for Oakland. The Yankees are simply better and will move on. Nothing against Oakland, but I wouldn't be surprised if this 

series didn't make it to Game 6.

ALDS: Texas Rangers vs. Detroit Tigers

  This will be a 7-game series, as these two teams are evenly matched: good pitching, a lot of power, and solid defense. Yes, the Tigers have Prince Fielder, Justin Verlander, and probable MVP Miguel Cabrera (who won the first Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967), but as previously stated, the Rangers have a goal: get back to the World Series for a third straight year, and, unlike the previous two years, win it. Painful memories of the last two years, a squad full of talent, and pure want will fuel them into the next round.

NLCS: Cincinnati Reds vs. Atlanta Braves 

  This series will be one where runs truly must be earned, and I'm not just talking about good pitching. The Braves and the Reds are first and second in the National League in fielding percentage, as they don't make many errors. Therefore, there won't be any free runs. I think it will be the Braves' power, the consistency of Kris Medlen and Craig Kimbrel. and the playoff experience of Tim Hudson and Chipper Jones that will send the Braves to their first World Series since winning it all in 1995. Plus, closer Craig Kimbrel had 42 saves (second straight year with 40+ saves), and a ridiculous 1.01 ERA. If the Braves have the leading heading into the ninth inning, they will win.

ALCS: Texas Rangers vs. New York Yankees

  Even though both of these teams struggled to close out the regular season, this should be a great series. I expect it to go at least 6 games. However, the Rangers will make it to the World Series for the third straight year when all is said and done. I know I keep saying it, but the Rangers are on a mission to wipe away the scarring memories of two World Series losses in a row, and nothing will stand in their way.

2012 World Series: Texas Rangers vs. Atlanta Braves

  Okay, so I know that everyone, including myself, thought that last year's World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and these Texas Rangers was the best in history, but if this was the World Series match-up, as I believe it will be, it could become just that. These are the two teams in this year's playoffs that have the most to lose. As has been stated, the Rangers are trying to avoid a third straight World Series loss, and the Braves want to send Chipper out on top. This potential match-up would be one of the most passionate and intense match-ups in history and would be about as good as a World Series could get. In the end, I believe the third time will be the charm for the Texas Rangers, defeating the Atlanta Braves in 6 games to win the 2012 World Series, finally accomplishing the ultimate goal for the first time in franchise history. Yes, I know, that will put a bitter end to the stellar career of future Hall of Famer Chipper Jones, but he'll be able to ride into the sunset knowing that he was one of the best switch hitter's to ever play the game. Not to mention that he has that one World Series title from 1995 on his Cooperstown resume.

  So there you have it. With the 2012 MLB Playoffs just around the corner, it should be a great couple of weeks as we begin the battle for a new champion. Tune in Friday at 5:07pm, to see it all begin. Ten teams, one goal, but only one can be crowned the 2012 World Series Champion. Let's do it!

Ace in the Hole

    The Washington Nationals shut down starting pitcher Steven Strasburg on Saturday morning, after a terrible start against the Miami Marlins the night before. It was no surprise that Strasburg would be shut down, seeing as team management had been saying they would since before the start of the season, due to precautions taken from Tommy John surgery that ended Strasburg's season a  year ago. However, a couple of weeks ago, Nationals manager Davey Johnson said that they had decided that they were going to shut Strasburg down following his start on September 12 against the  New York Mets. Thus, it was a surprise when the Nationals suddenly decided to shut him down early, following his rough outing against Miami on Friday night. Strasburg struggled through 3 innings, allowing 6 hits, five earned runs, and two homers before being pulled from the game for, what turned out to be, the final time this season.

    The announcement of the premature shutdown came Saturday morning with manager Davey Johnson saying that "...his head just wasn't in it." as the reason for ending Strasburg's season one start early. What I wonder is anyone ever thought that the reason he pitched so poorly on Friday just might be because, not only did he know about the deadline before the season, but so did the media and the fans. As Strasburg's innings count rose, and everyone in the country began the "Countdown to Shutdown", all eyes were focus, without end, on Strasburg. So, of course his head wasn't in the start, and it was his own team's fault. If the Nationals hadn't made his impending shutdown so public, there wouldn't have been so much pressure on him, or a "Countdown to Shutdown" from the media and fans. Quite frankly, I don't see why Strasburg needed to be shut down.  He looked healthy and was having a great season. He was 15-6 with a 2.94 ERA and 195 strikeouts and an NL Cy Young candidate prior to his start on Friday night against Miami.

Strasburg in the Nationals dugout

   But, the shutdown happened, and right away, it seemed like the Nationals might regret the benching of their number one starter. In the first two games following the loss of Strasburg, the team struggled against the last place Miami Marlins. Poor pitching forced the game into extra innings, where the Nationals were eventually victorious. Then on Sunday, the offense was non-existent as the were blanked 8-0 by Miami. Pitcher Gio Gonzalez helped the Nats get back on track with a 5-1 win against the New York Mets last night, but it'll be interesting to see if they can stay consistent without Strasburg's skills and leadership. "Operation Loss-burg" begins tomorrow night as John Lannan takes the mound against the Mets (Strasburg's originally scheduled last start). It'll be interesting to see if the Nationals can maintain their season's success and make a statement in the playoffs, or if they'll suffer from "Stras-bite".

Boston Coaching Carousel

    After the departure of Terry Francona as Boston Red Sox manager after last season, not only were the Red Sox hoping to find a successful replacement for the man that won them two World Series in 4 years after an 86 year drought, but they were hoping to find someone to right the ship after a historically bad September amid controversy that surfaced about certain players quitting on the team at the end of the season. They had hopes that Bobby Valentine was the answer, hoping that his recent success coaching in Japan. Instead, what they got was a manager struggling to control his team's record on the field and his players off of it. However, despite reports, is Bobby really to blame?

    The Red Sox are 59-63 and in fourth place in the AL East. They are struggling to score runs and their pitching has been less than bargained for-both similar attributes to their collapse last September. Flashback: On August 31st 2011, the Red Sox were 83-52 and heading for a playoff spot under Francona. Then September hit...Boston's worst nightmare. They went 7-20 in the last month of the season, blowing a 9 game lead in the AL East- the worst collapse in baseball history-and missed the playoffs altogether. Terry Francona subsequently resigned after reports surfaced that he had "lost control" of the team and that many of the players, including starting pitchers Josh Beckett and Jon Lester, were drinking beer and eating chicken in the clubhouse during the game. Boston hoped to put that "season to forget" behind them coming into 2012, but instead, encountered more of the same with Valentine as manager. Players are refusing to play for him and have expressed their displeasure with him as manager.

    The players, however, are singing a different song. On July 26th, a players-only meeting was called to discuss the state of the team. Initial reports said that the team had asked for Valentine's job in the meeting, but second baseman Dustin Pedroia came to his team's defense, trying to explain the real meaning behind the meeting. "We try to play baseball the right way. I don't think Bobby should be fired. We haven't played well." 

    However, I'm not entirely buying that the players don't want Bobby fired. It's no secret that the Boston's season has been a disappointment, but shots of confrontations between Valentine and his players, Pedroia included, suggests that some players think he's the problem. The reality is that it is September 2011 all over again. The players have quit on Bobby the same way they quit on Valentine. Josh Beckett, the main piece in last year's 'Beer Gate' reports, has 'struggled' again this year, losing 5 of his last 6 decisions and surrendering 42 earned runs in his last 56 innings pitched during that span. Lester has also struggled this year.

    So, in my opinion, Valentine is not totally to blame. Red Sox players just seem to be quitters who don't want to work for the success they long for. The Red Sox have a long history of players quitting, no matter the manager: Josh Beckett, John Lester, Kevin Youkilis and Manny Ramirez to name a few. Sure, Valentine may not be doing the job they'd hoped for, but the team's woes should not fall entirely on him. The same team quit on Francona-no doubt a great manager and the only Boston Red Sox manager to win a World Series in over 90 years. The players owed their success, and for some, their careers to Francona and they still quit on him. So, Francona wasn't the problem and neither is Valentine...it's the players. So, we must ask the question: If these players wouldn't play for Francona, is there anyone they will play for?

Second Coming Of The Greats?

    Los Angeles Angels rookie center fielder Mike Trout has been taking Major League baseball by storm. In his first full season in the big leagues, Trout is generating a lot of buzz, by fans, analysts, and even other players around the league. However, controversy stems from frequent comparisons to some of the all-time greats like Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays. After hearing many of these comparisons, I've decided to do some of the math and see if the 21 year old Mike Trout really is worthy of being compared to the all-time greats this early in his career.

Mantle in 1951

    For starters, we'll be comparing Trout to the two players that he has already been associated with the most: Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. For the most fair comparison, Mike Trout's 2012 season will be compared with Mantle's 1952 season and Mays' 1951 campaign-the first full season for each.

    In 1952, Mickey Mantle posted a .311 average, 27 home runs, 87 runs batted in and 171 total hits. Mantle also scored 94 runs, drew 75 walks, and struck out 111 times.  (142 games)

    In 1951, Willie Mays ended the season with a .274 average, 20 home runs, 68 runs batted in and 127 total hits. Mays scored 59 runs, walked 57 times and struck out 60 times. (121 games)

    So far, through 89 games this season, Mike Trout has a .345 average with 20 home runs, 60 RBIs and 125 hits. He has scored 87 runs in 89 games (including a 20 game streak), walked 38 times, and struck out 85 times. He also has 36 stolen bases.

"Say Hey" Willie Mays in 1955

Since you can't really gain perspective on a full season without a full season worth or stats, I calculated Trout's projected numbers by season's end. Trout is on pace for a .344 batting average, 32 home runs, 96 RBIs, 199 hits, 139 runs scored, 61 walks, 136 strikeouts AND 57 stolen bases in 142 games. Trout is also on pace to break the American League single-season record for runs scored by a rookie-a record currently held by the great Joe DiMaggio.

   Since neither Mantle nor Mays were  consistent base stealers, let's put Trout's stolen base numbers into perspective using career stolen base king Rickey Henderson. In 1979, Henderson stole 33 bases in 89 games. In as many games so far this season, Trout has stolen 36.

    So using his projected 2012 totals, let's get some perspective on Trout's ranks among the best at the same points in their careers:

Batting Average

Trout- .344
Mantle- .311
Mays- .274

Rookie center fielder Mike Trout made
his 2012 debut for the Angels
on April 28.

Hits
Trout- 199
Mantle- 171
Mays- 127

Home Runs
Trout- 32
Mantle- 27
Mays- 20

Runs Batted In
Trout- 96
Mantle- 87
Mays- 68

Runs Scored
Trout- 139
Mantle- 94
Mays- 59

   Now, I know there's controversy because of the fact that this is the steroid era and, because of that, numbers are elevated but regardless, numbers never lie and these are great numbers. Although you can't tell whether someone will be one of the greats after one season, in comparison, Trout has the potential to do just that. I'm not saying that Trout will definitely end his career as one of the best to ever play the game, but potential is limitless, and potential doesn't always yield results, but 21 year old Mike Trout  truly seems to be a story book career in the making.

Piece of "Sheet" Cake

Sheets pitched for the Milwaukee
Brewers from 2001-2008

    Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Ben Sheets is blazing the comeback trail. After missing two full season due to injury, Sheets thought that his career was over following his two year absence from the game. However, the 4-time All-Star and Olympic Gold medalist was not ready to call it quits. On July 1st, the Braves announce that they had signed Sheets to a minor league contract. Two weeks later, Sheets made his major league debut against the New York Mets-his first start in nearly two years. Sheets had successful completed his comeback. However, the Sheets of old was not quite the one who returned. In 8 seasons as the ace of the Milwaukee Brewers pitching staff, Sheets was a strikeout pitcher, averaging 7.6 strikeouts per nine innings, but had a less than impressive ERA over those 8 years: a collective 3.77.

    Since his debut with the Braves on July 15th, Sheets has made 5 starts. He is currently 4-1 with a 1.41 ERA and 23 strikeouts, only allowing 5 earn runs to this point. He has transformed in a pitcher who pitches to contact, averaging only 6.4 strikeouts per nine innings and making his living on ground balls and quick outs.

    Sheets has been very consistent for a Braves team that was searching for help in their starting rotation. His only loss was against the Miami Marlins, and even then, Sheets pitched fairly well. He allowed 4 runs in 6 and two-thirds innings with 8 strikeouts, but Atlanta's lack of offense left Sheets with his only loss of the season.

Sheets on the mound for the Braves in 2012

Sheets should have about 9 more starts this season, and the Braves are hoping that he can remain equally consistent over the next 2 months of the regular season. Sheets' performance has been one of the feel good story lines of the second half and he may just be the answer that the Braves have been looking for if they want to make it deep into the playoffs.

   Despite not pitching for almost two years, Sheets still stayed around the game. One year ago, he was coaching his son's team, and now he's back in a big league rotation and probably better than ever. From the big league mound to the little league clubhouse and back again, the continuing story of Ben Sheets proves that success can sometimes be found in the most unlikely places.

Gold Is A Player's Best Friend

   One of the most coveted single season individual awards is a Gold Glove. Gold Gloves are given to the best defensive player at each position at the end of each season. However, when it comes to the outfield, the award is given to the three best outfielders in each league...not necessarily the best at the three separate outfield positions. With that being said, these are my current front runners by position for this hallowed award.

American League Gold Gloves

First Base: Mark Teixeira (NYY)

Second Base: Dustin Ackley (SEA)

Shortstop: Brendan Ryan (SEA) -Despite Seattle's struggles, their middle infielders, Dustin Ackley and Brendan Ryan sweep the Gold Gloves for those positions. This is something good that the M's can take away from a rather disappointing first half.                             

Third Base: Miguel Cabrera (DET)

Catcher: A.J. Pierzynski (CHW)

Outfield 1: Curtis Granderson (NYY)

Outfield 2: Austin Jackson (DET)

Outfield 3: Michael Brantley (CLE) -With perfect 1.000 fielding percentages, Granderson and Jackson are no-brainers Gold Glovers thus far. The conflict, however, comes with the third outfield award. Texas outfielder Craig Gentry also had a 1.000, but since Gentry is not an everyday player, I gave Cleveland Indians center fielder Michael Brantley the final spot.

Pitcher: Felix Hernandez (SEA)

National League Gold Gloves

First Base: Freddie Freeman (ATL)

Second Base: Brandon Phillips (CIN) -Even though Darwin Barney of the Chicago Cubs has slightly better numbers, Phillips has been very good for a winning team, and that gives him the edge.

Shortstop: Jimmy Rollins (PHI)

Third Base: Chase Headley (SD) -Third base in the National League has been a difficult position to play this season. No one had great numbers, with the exception of Philadelphia's Placido Polanco, who has only played 78 games due to injury. Thus, Headley gets the nod, only as, what seems to be the least of many evils at third base so far this season.

Catcher: Yadier Molina (STL)

Outfield 1: Alfonso Soriano (CHC)

Outfield 2: Andrew McCutchen (PIT)

Outfield 3: Shane Victorino (PHI/LAD) -Despite being traded to the Dodgers at the deadline, his consistent play in the field and the fact that he still remains in the NL helps him grab the last outfield spot.

Pitcher: Mark Buehrle (MIA)

    Be sure to check back soon for playoff predictions and opinions on current story lines in and around Major League Baseball. See ya 'round!

                                                                                                                                   

No Whammies, No Whammies!

    The trade deadline has come and gone, and now that the dust has settled on the busiest day of the baseball season, managers and executives around the league can only wait and see if the moves they made, or neglected to make, will pay off at season's end.

    I can't help but make a quick comparison of yesterday's deadline: From 1983 until 1986, a game show called "Press Your Luck" featured contestants who used a graphics board and a buzzer to try to win money. While monetary gain was the primary goal, contestants would do their best to avoid "Whammies" that were also strategically placed on the board. A Whammy was a fictional creature, created just for the show. Should a contestant land on a Whammy, all of the money that they had accumulated up to that point would be wiped away, and they would have to start over again from zero. Thus, during their turn, contestants, without fail, would say "No Whammies, Big Bucks, No Whammies!" before they pressed the buzzer and discovered their fate.

    That being said, who were the winners and losers of yesterday's trade deadline? Which teams will see positive results after their deadline moves? Which teams' hesitation during the deadline will cost them? Finally, which teams that did make moves will regret those moves and discover that they've landed on a Whammy and must start over?

Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers 

    Since the Dodgers are in a dead heat for first place in the NL West with the San Francisco Giants, they knew that they had to make some moves at the deadline if they were going to bolster their offense and make a playoff run. Earlier in the month, the Dodgers acquired SS/3B Hanley Ramirez and reliever Randy Choate from the Miami Marlins.Then, at the deadline, the Dodgers were busy acquiring outfielder Shane Victorino from the Philadelphia Phillies for relief pitcher Josh Lindblom and another minor league pitcher.They also worked out a deal with the Seattle Mariners for relief pitcher Brandon League in exchange for outfielder Leon Landry and righty pitcher Logan Bawcom. Ramirez and Victorino will certainly help boost a struggling Dodgers offense and League and Choate will add some depth to the bullpen. Even though the Dodgers failed to acquire their guy Ryan Dempster, they still seem to be the overall winner after the trade deadline.

Loser: Philadelphia Phillies 

    Even though the Phillies inked starting pitcher Cole Hamels to a new deal, making him the highest paid athlete in Philadelphia sports history, it came at a price. Their last place standing made them sellers at the deadline, but they sold away two-thirds of their starting outfield when they traded Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino to the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers respectively. In return for these two big name trades, the Phillies recieved nothing more than Nate Schierholtz, who will probably be a back-up outfielder, and a slew of minor league prospects. Losing two good starters in exchange for almost nothing puts them at the bottom of the trade deadline totem pole.

Winner: Texas Rangers

   The Texas Rangers have one of the top offenses in baseball, but after losing both Colby Lewis and Neftali Feliz to injury and moving Roy Oswalt temporarily to the bullpen, the Rangers knew what they needed to obtain at the deadline if they had any hope of making it to the World Series for the third straight season. At the last possible minute, they acquired Ryan Dempster from the Chicago Cubs to help their starting rotation. Not only that, but in a separate deal, the Rangers also acquired catcher Geovany Soto from the Cubs-Dempster's starting catcher in Chicago. The pitcher-catcher tandem coming to Arlington together will make the transition to the American League easier for both. It appears that the Rangers got just the help they needed to possibly reach the Fall Classic again.

Loser: Oakland Athletics   

    The Oakland Athletics' surprising season would have taken another turn for the better if they could have gotten a big name at the deadline to help them make a run for a playoff spot in the second half of the season. They badly needed a shortstop in place of Cliff Pennington who was just placed or the 15-day disabled list and/or a starting pitcher, as A's ace Brandon McCarthy is also temporarily down with an injury. Sadly, the only move the A's were able to make was a low key trade for 29 year old backup catcher George Kottaras- a far cry from the big name they hoped for and needed. I wouldn't be surprised that, if you see the Athletics miss out on the playoffs, they would look back on the trade deadline and say, "if only, if only..."

   Only time will tell if these moves will help or hurt their teams, but until then, let's sit back and enjoy the rest of the season and see if these players respond well in their new environments. See ya 'round!

   

Halfway Home

    With the All-Star break passing by a couple of weeks ago, I thought I would share my thoughts on the major awards through the first half of the season. Let's get started, shall we?

Most Valuable Player

Josh Hamilton (TEX) and Andrew McCutchen (PIT)

   From the onset of this season, Josh Hamilton has provided a spark for the Texas Rangers. For the past two years, Hamilton has been instrumental in the Rangers postseason success, reaching the World Series two straight years. So far in 2012, Hamilton is second in the American League in home runs (29), and is tied for first in runs batted in (84). He has slumped a bit in the month of July, but he is healthy again and the Rangers are in first place in the AL West, so he should be back to form in no time. Despite a terrible .173 batting average in July, he is still putting up MVP-caliber numbers. Not to mention that he did hit 4 home runs in one game against the Baltimore Orioles on May 8th.

    It's no secret that the Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the surprise teams in baseball this year.The Pirates are 58-44 and in second place in the National League West, 3 games behind the red-hot Cincinnati Reds. The driving force behind the Pirates success thus far is center fielder Andrew McCutchen, who is having arguably the best year of his career. He is batting a Major League best .368, is third best in the National League with 22 home runs and is tied for 6th in runs batted in with 66. He is one home run away from tying his career high of 23 and is currently shattering his career best in batting average by 82 points...an almost unheard of improvement from one season to the next. My other candidates for NL MVP are San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera and New York Mets third baseman David Wright, but for now, McCutchen is my front runner.

Cy Young Award-Best Starting Pitcher in Each League

Chris Sale (CHW) and R.A. Dickey (NYM)

    Chris Sale may only be a first year starter, but numbers would suggest that one year was all he needed to be a Cy Young candidate. He is ranked third in the AL in both wins (12) and earned run average or ERA (2.61). Sale is also third in the AL in WHIP (Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched) posting a solid 1.02, and tied for 10th in strikeouts with 114. Sale is the ace on a Chicago White Sox staff that is fighting for a playoff spot and his success could propel Chicago deep into the playoffs.

    Should he win, New York's R.A. Dickey certainly wouldn't be your typical Cy Young recipient. But then again, there is nothing typical about the way Dickey pitches. He is a knuckle ball pitcher, the only one in the major leagues today. However, what makes Dickey different than other knuckle ball pitchers even, is that the average knuckle ball travels between 60 and 70 miles per hour, and Dickey's knuckle ball has been clocked at around 83-85 miles per hour, making it even harder for hitters to pick up this whirlwind of a pitch. Dickey is tied for the major league lead with 14 wins, second the the NL with 147 strikeouts and has the second fewest losses in the major leagues (2). Probably the most baffling thing about Dickey's success this year is the point in his career in which this success came. Dickey is 37 years old in his 10th year in the league, the New York Mets are his 4th team, and he had only had 10 or more wins in a season one other time. This goes to show you that there isn't necessarily a timetable or prime for success. Now, I know that  knuckle ball pitchers can be a controversial issue with some, but as of right now, Dickey is the best choice for the Cy Young Award.

Rookie of the Year

Mike Trout (LAA) and Bryce Harper (WSH)

    There is no surprise that L.A.'s Mike Trout or Washington's Bryce Harper should be named Rookie of the Year in their respective leagues. Neither player started the season on their big league rosters, but were quickly called up to the Major Leagues and even more quickly impacted their clubs and turned them around. 

    The Nationals were fighting for first place in their division early in the season when Harper joined the team on April 27 and provided them the spark they needed to build a 3.5 game lead on the Atlanta Braves in the NL East as well as currently having the best record in baseball at 61-40. Harper also arguably plays the game harder than anyone in the league...the way it should be played.

    The Angels on the other hand, were bottom dwellers from the beginning of the 2012 season, which was surprising due to the major offseason acquisitions of Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson. There were talks of multiple World Series titles immediately following the arrival of Pujols and Wilson, but when Trout was called up to the Angels on April 28th, the Angels were sitting at the bottom of the division and the league at 6-14. Since Trout joined the team however, the Angels have come to life. The Angels have gone 42-24 with Trout on the team and have once again become competitive for a playoff spot, as expected. Oh, and Trout has been the owner of the 'Reigning Web Gem' on ESPN's Baseball Tonight for over 3 weeks! Just saying.

Manager of the Year

Bob Melvin (OAK) and Clint Hurdle (PIT)

    There is no doubt in my mind that Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin should receive the award for AL Manager of the Year. In his second year as Oakland's Manager, he has helped return the A's to relevance. In his first 201 games as Oakland's manager dating back to the middle of last season, Melvin is 103-98, including a surprising 56-46 record so far in 2012. Before Melvin, the Athletics struggled to stay out     of last place and one calender year later, they are fighting for first place and a playoff spot. Melvin took a group of players previously rejected by other teams and turned them in to this year's Cinderella story in baseball.

   The same can be said for the Pittsburgh Pirates and manager Clint Hurdle. In his second full year as Pirates manager, the Pirates are 58-44, tied for the NL Wildcard lead, and have been in first place in the division multiple times during the year.

    If these two teams can maintain this success through September and possibly lead their teams into October, their managers should be awarded for it.

Comeback Player of the Year

Adam Dunn (CHW) and Jason Heyward (ATL)

    Adam Dunn, to me, is the runaway Comeback Player of the Year in the American League. In 2011, Dunn posted basement numbers for the Chicago White Sox: a .159 batting average, 11 home runs, 42 runs batted in and only 66 hits in 122 games...by far the worst season of his career. But so far in 2012, Dunn is having an incredible bounce back year. So far in 2012, this bonafide power hitter has returned to form, batting .212 with a major league leading 31 home runs to go with 73 RBI's which is the 4th best in the AL. I think Minnesota's Josh Willingham and Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion deserve recognition for this award, but it's Adam Dunn's horrendous numbers last year that make him the favorite for the award.

    When Atlanta Braves right fielder Jason Heyward made the Opening Day roster as a rookie in 2010, expectations for Heyward were through the roof. However, after an okay rookie campaign in 2010, Braves nation was disappointed but thought "He's a rookie, he'll get better" and "It's a learning curve...wait 'til next year. He'll dominate!" He didn't.In 2011, Heyward hit a mediocre .227 with 14 home runs and 42 RBI's. He also missed 34 games with multiple injuries. Heyward shared the fans' disappointment after last season saying, "I need to go back to the basics...I haven't been playing well." He returned in 2012 with new life. Playing in almost every game for the Braves to this point, Hayward is hitting .271 with 17 home runs (one away from tying a career high) and 51 RBI's and a career high 15 stolen bases. Heyward is healthy, productive, and, in my opinion, could be on his way to NL Comeback Player of the Year.

    Stay tuned in the coming days for more first half predictions, including Gold Gloves, playoff predictions and more. See ya 'round!

More Than A Game

     Baseball is America's national pastime, a game that brings fans across the country together. But for some, baseball is more than just a game. Every spring, when that grass is watered for the first time, when the dirt is raked, and when the players take the field to begin a brand new season, it's a fresh start for players and fans alike. For the most passionate of baseball fans, there is nothing like the thrill of watching the team you love get a much deserved win, contrasted by the heartache of watching them lose even one game. There's something almost majestic about the game. It can be an escape from a world that can rough you up a bit.

For some fans, it is something to "believe in" in a world where injustices, cruelty, and fallacy can leave you speechless and not knowing where to turn. It's a dream yet to be realized or simply a memory-the one that got away. It's memories with your dad or granddad at the ballpark, hearing stories about the giants of the game, like Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, and Ted Williams, while eating your first hot dog, not knowing that this is the beginning of a life-long passion for America's game. It's a fresh start: if the last few months weren't really your friend, or life's just getting you down, it can all be instantly and temporarily wiped away, "It's okay, it's baseball season". I know, it sounds cheesy, but it's true. Sometimes baseball is more than just a game, more than a field, a team or a home run. It's more than a win or a loss. It's temporarily making best friends with complete strangers around you, coming together to root your team to victory. It can bring two enemies together, and put best friends at odds for an afternoon. There's nothing greater than showing that you're part of a team, part of something special. This is America...this is baseball.