May Positional Rankings

New Month, New Rankings

Two months into the season and we are starting to see the separation in the division. Teams are showing their true colors. The same goes for players. The good players are rising to the top after slow starts and the pretenders are falling back down to earth. It’s a long season and anything can happen but let’s see how are positional leaders are two months into the season. I warn you this list is crazy.

CATCHERS
5. Bengie Molina (Giants) – He’s got a .722 OPS and only 13 strikeouts.
4. Victor Martinez (Red Sox) – Right where he belongs in the top 5. He’s not the best in the business but he’s right up there.
3. Brian McCann (Braves) – It’s a shame he doesn’t get talked about because he’s got an .811 OPS and it’s nothing new for him.
2. Ryan Doumit (Pirates) – What? Is he for real? We’re going to wait and see on him but I’m guessing he might be. This is the first instance of weird in this list.
1. Joe Mauer (Twins) – Welcome to the world of no surprises. Mauer is one of the very best players in baseball. Minnesota is lucky he took a hometown discount.

First Baseman
5. Paul Konerko (White Sox) – Thanks to a slow start by Pujols, Konerko has snuck himself into the list. He always plays well in a contract year. However, I’m sure he won’t be in the top 5 when the season ends.
4. Joey Votto (Reds) – What an awesome name and an awesome season he’s having. He’s batting .312 with 10 dingers. He’s a big reason the reds are still competing.
3. Miguel Cabrera (Tigers) – This kid is a beast and should be a lock to be a top 3 player at his position for years to come. Just so long as he lays off the fried foods.
2. Kevin Youkilis (Red Sox) – Here’s a guy who is as steady and productive as they come. Not to mention he’s the kind of leader they need on the field.
1. Justin Morneau (Twins) – The Twins had better hope Morneau is willing to give them a discount. It would be a shame to have to break up him and Mauer.

SECOND BASEMAN
5. Dan Uggla (Marlins)- Hate the name. Love the numbers. 12 home runs. 31 RBI’s. Well played.
4. Ty Wigginton (Orioles) – Baltimore may have no shot of sniffing first place in the AL East but Wigginton’s numbers are reason to find hope for the future.
3. Kelly Johnson (Diamondbacks) – A .942 OPS for a young player full of potential.
2. Robinson Cano (Yankees) – Well, it’s about the Yankee’s landed a player of quality.
1. Chase Utley (Phillies) – .974 OPS makes him the most dangerous second baseman in the game. And he’s clutch too.

SHORTSTOP
5. Juan Uribe (Giants) – Juan Uribe? Really? Juan Uribe? ….Moving on.
4. Alex Gonzalez (Blue Jays) – The passion for baseball may be dead in Toronto, but at least Alex Gonzalez is killing it. Now, just to keep track, this is one Blue Jay so far.
3. Stephen Drew (Diamondbacks) – With Drew and Johnson, Arizona is building themselves a nice middle infield.
2. Troy Tulowitzki (Rockies) – Still hate Coors Field, but Troy is the real deal and an .869 OPS is proof positive.
1. Hanley Ramirez (Marlins) – His attitude sucks. He’s spoiled and lazy, but the boy can sure play ball. There is no arguing that.

THIRD BASEMAN
5. Adrian Beltre (Red Sox) – Wow. Apparently someone’s career isn’t completely dead. But almost.
4. Casey McGehee (Brewers) – 40 RBI’s and a .306 avg. are good enough to put you on this list.
3. Ryan Zimmerman (Nationals) – I don’t care what anyone says. Even if Stausberg comes up, Zimmerman is still the best player on the team.
2. Evan Longoria (Rays) – He’s clearly the best player at his position, just not after 2 months of the season. That honor goes to….
1. Jose Bautista (Blue Jays) – .940 OPS and 15 home runs. This guy is surely making a great case to be traded when the Blue Jays realize it’s hopeless. This makes two Blue Jays so far.

LEFT FIELD
5. Josh Hamilton (Rangers) I know, “Where has he been?” Just wait, the list gets weirder.
4. Carl Crawford (Rays) – I love when Crawford plays well. He is the king of the hot stove talk.
3. Josh Willingham (Nationals) – A .945 OPS. Him and Zimmerman make a really tough middle of the lineup in Washington.
2. Ryan Braun (Brewers) – He is a fierce hitter. He’s hitting .331 with 10 stolen bases. They should be thankful they locked him up when they did.
1. Alfonso Soriano (Cubs) – I told you this list got weirder. Uribe and Hamilton was one thing, but Soriano. No, we don’t count fielding either. He has .990 OPS. You have to respect that.

CENTER FIELD
5. Andrew McCutchen (Pirates)- Two Pirates? One list? This can only mean one thing. Someone is getting traded.
4. Marlon Byrd (Cubs) – Marlon Byrd is on this list. That’s insane. This is the weirdest rankings of all time. I’m calling it now.
3. Colby Rasmus (Cardinals) – Kids got a lot of pop in his bat. He’s a force for sure.
2. Alex Rios (White Sox) – It’s nice to see Alex remember how to hit. Now if he could just teach that to the rest of the White Sox they might be alright.
1. Vernon Wells (Blue Jays) – What a stud. He is proving the naysayers wrong. I always believed in you Vernon! We have 3 Blue Jays. Insane. Insane.

RIGHT FIELD
5. Kosuke Fukudome (Cubs) – The whole Cubs outfield is in their respective top 5’s? I don’t get it.
4. Nick Swisher (Yankees) – Dirty 30 and his false hustle (which I stole from Joe Cowley) are in the top 5. This list is blowing my mind.
3. Magglio Ordonez (Tigers) – Batting .327 with 7 home runs. Always been a excellent player, and has never gotten the credit.
2. Jason Heyward (Braves) – A .979 OPS. Looks like someone is living up to their hype.
1. Jayson Werth (Phillies) – This guy is right at the top which is where he belongs.

STARTING PITCHING
5. Tim Hudson (Braves) – Apparently Hudson and Zito got together to resurrect the good name of the Big 3.
4. Livan Hernandez (Nationals) – A 2.08 ERA makes Livan one of the best pitchers in the NL this season.
3. Doug Fister (Mariners) – If I had told you that after two months Fister would be the best on Seattle’s staff, would you have believed me? I don’t blame you.
2. Jaime Garcia (Cardinals) – 1.14 ERA means that Dave Duncan is a genius. I don’t know what he’s doing but it always seems to work.
1. Ubaldo Jimenez (Rockies) – With an 0.88 ERA is it too early to give him the CY Young award?

CLOSERS
5. Neftali Perez (Rangers) – 13 saves and a 0.90 WHIP and the Rangers are competing in the West for a reason.
4. Heath Bell (Padres)- 13 saves for him on a first place team in a tougher division puts him ahead of Perez.
3. Rafael Soriano (Rays) -13 save and an ERA of 1.40. It’s hard to imagine the Rays not making the playoffs.
2. Francisco Cordero (Reds) – 15 saves. He has solidified a pitching staff that is full of potential.
1. Matt Capps (Nationals) – The Nationals lead the league in saves? What? Really? I told you this list was amazingly weird.

Mike Cahill

Why The Twins Are Good

Minnesota Twins Breakdown

The Minnesota Twins have a new ballpark, yet they’ve never changed their road map for success.

For their entire existence, the Minnesota Twins have managed to survive – and sometimes even thrive – as a self-reliant, small-market family operation.

The Twins winning philosophy comes from scouting and stability. During their 22-year existance, they have had only three general managers (Andy MacPhail, Terry Ryan and Bill Smith), two managers (Tom Kelly and Ron Gardenhire), one minor league director (Jim Rantz) and a wealth of All-Star caliber homegrown talent, from Kent Hrbek, Kirby Puckett, Frank Viola, Chuck Knoblauch, Brad Radke and Torii Hunter to the core of this current group, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, Scott Baker, Jason Kubel, Denard Span and Nick Blackburn.

It is, however, another fact of life that the Twins have had to operate under the “as one window closes, another one opens” policy, with their financial constraints having forced them to make painful trades such as Johan Santana to the Mets in 2007 and Knoblauch to the Yankees in ’98 while allowing other core players such as Hunter and shortstop Cristian Guzman to leave as free agents.

But they go on and continue to compete year after year in the AL Central because of their ability to replenish from within. Quite simply, they continue to scout, draft and develop players better than most teams in baseball and they take further pride in the fact that most of their scouts have been with them for years.

“We are very much an organizational success,” GM Bill Smith said. “You look around at Mauer, Morneau, Cuddyer, Kubel, Span – all of these were high school players we drafted and developed into quality major league players and I’m very proud of that.”

Painful as it was to lose Torii, it wound up opening the door in center field for Span. Denard Span was handed the starting centerfield position this off-season when the Twins shipped Carlos Gomez to Milwaukee.

As for the forced trades of their signature players, the Twins got a plentiful return from the Yankees for Knoblauch in righthander Eric Milton (who won 56 games for them from 1998-2002 before hurting his arm), Guzman (a two-time All-Star in six years as their everyday shortstop) and outfielder Brian Buchanan (who they later flipped to the San Diego Padres for shortstop Jason Bartlett).

The Santana deal really hasn’t provided the return the Twins hoped for. Carlos Gomez was shipped to Milwaukee in return for up and down SS J.J. Hardy. Gomez could never prove he can hit enough to be an everyday outfielder. The three righthanders in the deal have flopped, as Philip Humber has stalled out at Triple-A, Deolis Guerra had a shaky year between Single-A and Double-A and Kevin Mulvey went to Arizona on waivers.

With that deal Smith got the best he could, but his subsequent trade of Bartlett and righthander Matt Garza to the Tampa Bay Rays for outfielder Delmon Young and infielder Brendan Harris made champions of the Rays and has come to haunt the Twins.

“Trading Johan was a very difficult decision that we had to make,” said Smith, who essentially was in a no-win situation when the Yankees and Red Sox dropped out of the bidding, leaving only the Mets to make a deal with. “But this is not new to our organization. You go back to that ’87-’91 core and eventually we had to let (Tom) Brunansky, (Gary) Gaetti and the others go. The only two we kept were Puckett and Hrbek.”

After Hunter defected to the Angels, the Twins stepped up to the plate to sign Morneau to a six-year, $80 million deal. This off-season they managed to sign St. Paul, MN native Joe Mauer to an eight year, $184 million dollar contract with a full no-trade clause.

Mauer leaving Minnesota would have torn out an organization’s heart, much like NBA free agent Lebron James would do if he leaves Cleveland.

The Twins find themselves in first place, battling the Detroit Tigers to remain there. The Twins will go as far as their core stars, Morneau (.381, 11 HR, 34 RBI) and Mauer (.341, 2, 21). Yet the consistent play by 2B Orlando Hudson both in the field and at the plate (.301, 2, 13), and timely hitting by other role players have the Twins ready for another post-season run.

Francisco Liriano (4-3 3.25) has regained his 2006 form, providing a steady ace of a young core of pitchers. Carl Pavano, knock on pitching rubber, has stayed healthy (4-5, 4.17). Scott Baker (4-4, 4.48), Nick Blackburn (5-1, 4.50), and Kevin Slowey (5-3, 4.53) consistently keep the Twins in games.

The Twins have hit a bull’s eye when it comes to a small market team succeeding and surviving. It’s no coincidence the new open air ballpark the Twins now play in is called Target Field.

Last night there was a first between the Yankee and Twins, a game suspended due to rain. One would hope Target Field does indeed change the financial landscape for the Twins, because otherwise it looms as a potential postseason disaster for baseball, which approved the $500 million deal to build it despite the fact it will not have a retractable roof. Bud Selig is going to have a lot of explaining to do about that when baseball’s postseason is delayed for days because of snow in Minnesota.

Jay Maguire

Interleague Sucks

Why Interleague is For The Birds

Your alarm goes off at the same time, and your routine from when your feet hit your bedroom floor to when you pull out of your driveway is consistently consistent. Your travel the same roads to work, and use the same coffee cup for your morning cup of creativity.

A few times every year you decide to switch it up. You wake up early, have tea instead of coffee, and take a different way to the office. Your wardrobe and attitude exudes a sense of change, and although the change gives you a little rush, you quickly return back to the same ole routine you’ve become accustomed to.

Welcome to Interleague Play folks.

For the first time in Major League Baseball history, teams from the American League and National League competed in regular season, head-to-head competition during the 1997 campaign. The first Interleague game was on June 12 as the Texas Rangers hosted the San Francisco Giants at The Ballpark in Arlington.
For the first five seasons of Interleague Play, each division played against the same division from the other league (NL East vs. AL East, NL Central vs. AL Central and NL West vs. AL West). As of the 2002 season, a new format to Interleague Play was instituted where teams play Interleague games against various divisions.
Supporters of Interleague Play describe how beautiful the scenery is going a different way to work. Seeing teams you wouldn’t ever see play your favorite team during the season, ignoring the discussion about meeting in the World Series. Supporters will almost certainly point out the theory that each league has a distinctive style of play that the other league isn’t used to playing.
Interleague Play does in fact break the mediocrity, the mundane, and crushes routine. It’s a break from the norm. Switching from boxers to briefs, or wearing your hair down instead of the typical bun your officemates always see you in.

What’s the point?

The new car smell has worn off. Change has transformed into slightly different. This slightly different diversion has become an unproductive set of games.

Interleague Play gives us gems such as Mets and Yankees, A’s and Giants, Angels and Dodgers, Cleveland and Cincinnati, Brewers and Twins, etc. These supposed rivalries create a buzz within those cities where these teams play, but that buzz can’t be felt around the rest of the baseball world.

If MLB wants to create a buzz it desires by implementing Interleague Play, there are options. Embrace the distinctive differences between the two leagues by displaying them in the ballparks that don’t experience the differences.

Have the DH rule in National League parks, and have pitchers hit in American League parks. Throw out the winner of the All-Star game hosts the World Series, and implement the league with the best record throughout Interleague Play gets to host the World Series.

Allow fans to experience a new strategy and game plan. Allow fans all across baseball to experience Interleague Play by cheering on their respective league’s teams. That buzz that a few cities experience in cross-town rivalries will shake the baseball world. It also creates a buzz for the Interleague games that really have no rivalry attached to them.

After the first full weekend of Interleague Play, the National League has a slight edge with a 22-20 record after the first weekend. The Oakland A’s were the only team that swept a series, as they swept their Bay Area rivals San Francisco Giants.

The first weekend saw some extra inning thrillers, K-Rod vs A-Rod with the game on the line, and a heated exchange between arguably the best player in the game Albert Pujols and possibly the best manager in the game Tony LaRussa.

The thrills, the excitement, the heated exchanges, the game-saving catches, and the rivalries were good, but cannot be described as purposeful.

Interleague Play provides a change of routine, yet seems to be an unproductive change. Interleague Play allows rivalries to be started, revived, and heated. It also has an opportunity to be more than simply a break from the usual routine. MLB says they continue to explore ways to strengthen the sport; Interleague Play is something they should look at.

Jay Maguire

Contenders or Pretenders?

They Might Be Giants, But Are They For Real?

At this time of year there are two types of baseball fans: those hopeful that their team will be competing in October, and those who have given up hope. The problem is at this time of year it is hard to know what teams are for real and what teams are a win away from turning it all around. So I’m here to help you figure out which teams are contenders and which are pretenders.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Tampa Bay Rays (1st Place AL East) – Contenders and that isn’t even debatable. This team is stacked with some of the best pitching in baseball. Match that with an offense that can score a lot of runs in a hurry and you have to believe they’ll be playing in October.

New York Yankees (2nd Place AL East) – Contenders. They have considerable issues on their pitching staff. Even Burnett doesn’t instill much confidence in you but with an offense like that they should muscle their way into the wild card.

Toronto (3rd Place AL East) – Pretenders. What a nice story, especially in a baseball city that couldn’t be less interested. But this team doesn’t have the horses to contend deep into September. They should be gone by early June.

Boston Red Sox (4th Place AL East) – Pretenders. Pitching and defense was the mantra of the Red Sox. Neither of those things has equated into wins. This team is certainly talented but with an offense that scores runs as inconsistently as they do, they can’t stay competitive in the long haul. Maybe in a lesser division, but this is the AL East.

Minnesota Twins (1st Place AL Central) – Contenders. They are, as usual, the class of the AL Central. They hit the ball a ton and Jon Rauch has stepped up big time in place of injured closer Joe Nathan. It’s their division to lose and it’s doubtful they’ll collapse.

Detroit Tigers (2nd Place AL Central) – Pretenders. They’ll keep the Twins honest all summer and certainly will give people pause but ultimately their bullpen isn’t strong enough to keep them competitive enough to win a division or compete for the Wild Card.

Texas Rangers (1st Place AL West) – Pretenders. This is the only team with a record over .500 in their division and I think it’s doubtful they make the postseason. The Angels aren’t far behind and they are battle tested. Texas also hasn’t had to play baseball in Arlington in the dead of summer. That won’t favor them.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Philadelphia Phillies (1st Place NL East) –Contenders. Two words: Roy Halladay. The man is a beast and capable of winning them the division by himself. If he needs help he’ll get it from one of the best offenses in baseball.

Florida Marlins (2nd Place NL East) – Pretenders. This is a young team that is too inconsistent to compete with the Phillies for the next 4 months. And with Hanley Ramirez and Freddy Gonzales at odds that could translate into clubhouse tension that is never good for winning.

Atlanta Braves (3rd Place NL East) – Pretenders. They are a nice team full of some good young players but they are a little too green to play well enough to make the playoffs. They’ll play spoiler to some team come September but they’ll need more seasoning before they make the postseason.

St. Louis Cardinals (1st Place NL Central) – Contenders. Holliday and Pujols haven’t been great so far this year but they have the luxury of struggling in one of the weakest divisions in baseball. The Cubs may give them a scare but ultimately the Cardinals have the best balance in baseball.

Cincinnati Reds (2nd Place NL Central) – Pretenders. This team has had a good run and now it’s time to head back to mediocrity. This team is better than it’s been and the future looks pretty good, but the present is a probably 3rd place finish.

San Diego Padres (1st Place NL West) – Pretenders. They have exceeded everyone’s expectations, but this is a team with too much inexperience and not enough pitching to play meaningful baseball through the rest of the season.

Los Angeles Dodgers (2nd Place NL West) – Contenders. This is a team that got off to a slow start but they are loaded with veterans and a solid pitching staff. This is a team that can make hay in their division.

San Francisco Giants (3rd Place NL West) – Contenders. It’s impossible to label this team as pretenders when they are loaded with the pitching the Giants have. This division is a two team race and the Giants should make it interesting.

Mike Cahill
Twitter

How The Rays Were Built

This is How You Make The Best Team in Baseball

When did the Rays really begin to build a winning baseball team?

Was it in 2002, when Carl Crawford, the Rays veteran all-star made his major league debut?

What it in 2006, when Evan Longoria was chosen in the first round?

Maybe it was a year later, in 2007, when David Price was the Rays top pick.

Something happened before the Rays playoff run in 2008, and if I had to pick one event, I wouldn’t pick any of the three above.

When did the Rays run to prominence start, when Andrew Friedman became the Rays Director of Baseball Development in 2004. Now the Rays GM, Friedman has turned the Rays from a cellar-dweller to one of the best teams in baseball.

But how exactly were the Rays built? Through scouting, drafting and trading better than just about every other team in the major leagues.
2010 is the first season that the Rays haven’t had the lowest payroll in the AL East, although they are still well below the Yankees and Red Sox.
Most of the players currently on the Rays are young, home-grown and talented.

At the moment, the Rays have 10 players that they originally drafted, and another nine they acquired in trades while giving away some of their home-grown talent.

Only six free agents are on the Rays roster, and none of them were a major free agent signing when they went to Tampa. In fact, over the past few years, Pat Burrell has been the biggest free agent signing made by Tampa, and he was recently cut.

Despite the Rays potent lineup, it is all about the pitching staff in Tampa right now, as they have allowed the fewest runs in the MLB.
Matt Garza is the only member of the current starting rotation who didn’t come through Tampa’s system, but he was acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Twins (in which the Rays gave up former first round pick Delmon Young).

Among their starters, rookie Wade Davis has the worst numbers with a 3.35 ERA and 4-3 record. Most teams would have Davis as their second starter, even though he is only a rookie.

The bullpen has been great too, even though they are without one of their best relievers, J.P. Howell.

The line-up features the Rays main free agent acquisition, Carlos Pena, but he is surrounded by guys like Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, and B.J. Upton who came through the Rays system.

Even guys like Jason Bartlett and Ben Zobrist, who have played a key role in turning the Rays around, were acquired for cheap in trades with other teams. Bartlett seemed like a minor part of the deal for Matt Garza with the Twins, and Zobrist arrived when the Rays were unloading Aubrey Huff.

With a 2010 payroll of around $72 million, the Rays are still below the major league average for team payroll. They have to think differently than a team like the Yankees, who can always find a quick fix through free agency.

The Rays already have a clear replacement for Carl Crawford (should he choose to leave through free agency) in Desmond Jennings. If the pitching staff falters, Jeremy Hellickson could be a solid third starter on most other MLB teams.

Despite all of the young home-grown players on the Rays, most would still rank their farm system as one of the best in baseball. This is what keeps the Rays going, and what will make them a competitor for years to come.

Although it’s not as great of a story as the Oakland A’s in Moneyball, the Rays have found small market success through years of good drafts and smart trades. With Andrew Friedman still in place, there is no reason to think that will change anytime soon.

Brett Kettyle
Twitter

Video: T-Rex Throws First Pitch

Wild Video of a Dinosaur Throwing the First Pitch

This is a wild video of a baby T-Rex (not a full grown one LOL) throwing out the first pitch during a Memphis Redbirds game. He’s got decent form, but gets a little wild on the release.

Horrible joke, just watch.

Dude has actually done this before …

Wild stuff, man.

Matt Anaya
Twitter

5 Ways To Fix The White Sox

We Give You 5 Ways To Fix The Struggling Sox

The White Sox are broken. There’s no two ways about it. The South Siders hopes of making the playoffs may be hopeless by the end of May. Minnesota keeps chugging along as the class of the AL Central while the Sox continue spinning their wheels hoping to gain a little momentum before it’s too late.

The team that was supposed to rely on their pitching and defense has had trouble relying on either. Their starting staff has been wildly inconsistent and they have proven to have more defensive gaffes than they could have imagined. Couple that with an offense that can’t manufacture runs and you get a last place team.

While tensions run high in the organization between manager Ozzie Guillen and general manager Kenny Williams, the White Sox are holding out hope that fortunes will change. But fortunes don’t start by waiting around for things to get better. A plan of action must be implemented. The Sox are broken, but I have 5 ways to fix them.

5. Play Defense – This seems like a no brainer but I’m not sure Guillen is on the same page. When you are a team that can’t score runs, protecting runs should be your primary concern. Still, Andruw Jones, a 10 time gold glove center fielder, spends far too much time in the DH spot. The fact is that Alex Rios and Jones are your two best outfielders they should be playing out there every day. Left field can be a platoon of Carlos Quentin and Juan Pierre with the other guy handling DH duties. Defense cannot be overlooked when you don’t score runs.

4. Give Gavin Floyd A Tune Up – Gavin Floyd has had some success for the Sox but that seems like a long time ago. He’s the pitcher the Sox need to be worried about. Freddy Garcia figured it out. Jake Peavy found his legs. Mark Buerhle is exactly what you knew he’d be, and John Danks has been your ace.
But Floyd has been useless out on the mound and it’s time to sit him. Daniel Hudson waits patiently in the minors for a chance to enter the rotation. See what he can do. Let Floyd figure it out in the minors. If he does than you have six starters. That isn’t a bad thing.

3. Stay The Course With The Coaches – Too often when a team hits the skids a manager or coach gets axed for no reason. Rumors have been swirling for weeks about the job security of hitting coach Greg Walker. While he, and pitching coach Don Cooper, would be convenient scapegoats for the White Sox problems, it’s best to stay the course.
Both guys have had success and they can’t make a player do his job well. If both guys are coming in and putting the work in and it’s acknowledged by the players then firing them only serves to make your organization look unstable. Panic never solves anything.

2. Don’t trade A.J Pierzynski – A.J becomes a 5/10 player in a few weeks meaning he has been in baseball 10 years and spent 5 years with the same team so he can block any trade that he isn’t found of. Still, the Sox are best off keeping A.J. Minor league prospect Tyler Flowers is just that: a prospect. He looked very green in spring training and doesn’t seem to be the guy you want handling your pitching staff if you hope to turn things around. The White Sox could get value for A.J but that doesn’t make it a smart move. They’d be better off working on a new deal for A.J. He’s the best option for the club today and for the next few years.

1. Stop Trying To Be The Twins – The White Sox have seem obsessed with playing a Twins style of baseball, focusing on doing the little things right and playing small ball. It’s time to put that to bed.

First off, the Twins don’t even play a Twins style anymore. That’s a homerun hitting team. Not to mention that if they Sox want to emulate the Twins, they should do it from the minor league level. The Twins bring everyone up the right way. They farm their players well. The White Sox can’t bring guys in that they hope will fit the mold. The White Sox need to develop their own organizational philosophy. Until then they’ll always be looking up at the Twins.

Mike Cahill
Twitter

The Future of Wrigleyville

Wrigleyville is Changing as we Speak

Don’t look now but the Cubs are destroying Wrigleyville. The team most responsible for the areas immense popularity is now responsible for its greatest demise. And like Emperor Nero, the Cubs brass play the violin while Wrigleyville’s authenticity burn.??Plans move forward to tear down the 3500 block of Clark Street.

The proposal is to build a mall in its place, fully equipped with a hotel, Apple Store, Best Buy, and CVS. And new Cubs owner, Tom Ricketts, hasn’t said a word. ??The businesses around Wrigley Field are as much a part of the culture of Cubs baseball as day games and Ron Santo. They are woven into the fabric of that stadium, representing not only the authenticity of one of baseballs original teams, but of the city they play for.

Chicago is a proud city built upon the traditions and diverse cultures of the neighborhoods inside it. Wrigleyville has been a standard for that diversity and culture for years. The personality of a neighborhood is the businesses within it. It’s the boutique’s and storefronts. It’s the shops and theaters and diners that have long given places like Chicago and New York the flavor that makes them so wonderful to live in and visit.??

In efforts to “mall” Wrigleyville a number of small businesses will be forced to either relocate or shut down forever. Local bars such as the Irish Oak and Mullens will close. The Salt and Pepper diner, a permanent fixture of Wrigleyville for years, will be forced to shut down. And IO (formerly Improv Olympic), which has been the birthplace for such performers as Chris Farley and Tina Fey, will say goodbye to its historic location.

??Not only is Wrigleyville representative of Chicago’s rich history, but it remains one of the few baseball neighborhoods where it’s still safe to watch baseball. Often now stadiums are built in run down industrial parks or in low income neighborhoods where land and property taxes are cheap and the residents don’t have much say.

Even Chicago’s counterpart, the White Sox, play baseball in an area that has seen better days.??Still Wrigleyville has remained a safe neighborhood. Some will lampoon Wrigleyville for the social scene it has become and the drunken fools who tend to inhabit the area during the season. However, it doesn’t change the fact that Wrigleyville is where baseball is celebrated by the community. T

he Cubs are shared by everyone who lives there. They belong to the fans who get down to the area early, and who hang around for hours after the games. They belong to the business owners who have worked tirelessly to make themselves an important part of the community. The Cubs belong to Wrigleyville.

It’s up to Ricketts to decide what kind of owner he wants to be. The Cubs loyal fan base doesn’t know much about their owner, but how Ricketts plays this will speak volumes about his character and judgment. Cubs’ fans will find out if Ricketts is smart enough to see that his Cubs brand extends far beyond the walls that surround the friendly confines.

Perhaps there’s hope. Ricketts has had his own plans for development around the stadium. It has been proposed that the empty lot adjacent to Wrigley would be converted into a parking garage and well as house offices, a hall of fame, and various retail shops and restaurants. So Ricketts knows that a fan’s experience needs to be more than just the product on the field.

Maybe Tom Ricketts doesn’t care. Maybe the proposed triangle building is a sign that under the new regime what once was doesn’t matter anymore. Maybe tradition in a traditional city is overrated and outdated. After all Ricketts has ironically battled with Alderman Tunney over putting a Toyota logo on the famed red Wrigley Field sign. Ricketts wants income and he wants it now. Perhaps tearing down the unique flavor and atmosphere that Wrigley is so famous for matters little to Tom Ricketts.

Now is the perfect time to take a stand. Cubs brass should stand up and tell Alderman Tunney they are against the destruction of one of the most eclectic and unique blocks in the baseball. They should be against the nine story hotel that will over look Wrigley and could create another rooftop fiasco. Fans will get to watch for free what the Cubs spent years trying to get the rooftops to pay for.

The good people of Wrigleyville are standing up and speaking out against it. They are mobilizing with a Facebook Page, and urging everyone to join in the fight. No one is against Best Buy, CVS, and Apple as a company. No one is against those companies moving in if there is land available. They are against doing it at the expense of the small business owners who have thrived in that community for years, becoming part of the flavor of Addison and Clark.

The Cubs have a chance to play heroes and we can only hope they rise to the occasion. If not they will stand by and watch the destruction of their unique baseball atmosphere. Let’s hope Ricketts joins the fight. Forget the Triangle Building in 2014, his baseball legacy begins with this. ?

Mike Cahill
Twitter

Trevor Hoffman Continues To Struggle

Milwaukee Fans Have Seen This Before

Wisconsin fans have seen this scenario play out before their eyes before. Hall of Fame-caliber players who appear to be at the end of the line, think Brett Favre blowing game after game with slews of interceptions, and now add Trevor Hoffman not being able to record an out while blowing another save.

Hoffman just might have run out of chances Tuesday with the most horrific meltdown of what has been a nightmarish season for him. Failing to retire any of the five hitters he faced, the all-time saves leader surrendered three runs in the bottom of the ninth to allow Cincinnati to pull out a 5-4 victory at Great American Ball Park.

The Brewers have experienced some crushing late-inning losses this season, but under the circumstances, this was the worst. It extended the team’s losing streak to eight games, ruined a brilliant Milwaukee debut by right-hander Marco Estrada and left nearly everyone wearing a Brewers uniform without an ounce of confidence in the bullpen.

“You’ve got to get 27 outs, not 24,” said Macha. “We’ve got to figure out what we’re doing. The whole bullpen has been doing that.

“They didn’t miss any pitches (in the ninth) today. That’s the tough part of this game. You play your heart out and get to the ninth inning and you’re not closing them off.”

The numbers tell the story as to how awful Hoffman has been. In 14 appearances, he has allowed 21 hits and seven walks over 13 innings, with only eight strikeouts. He is 1-3 with an atrocious 13.15 earned run average.

Hoffman has blown five of 10 save chances, one more failure than in all of 2009, when he had 41 opportunities. He has surrendered seven home runs, five more than he did in 55 appearances last season.

Hoffman was so brilliant (1.83 ERA, .183 opponents batting average) last year, the Brewers quickly re-signed him for $7.5 million with a mutual option for 2011 for $7 million. Now, everyone is wondering if he reached the end of the line with no warning.

Even Hoffman was at a loss for words when asked to explain his performance this season.

“I’m not getting things done,” said Hoffman, who remained four saves shy of 600 for his career after his 999th appearance. “I’m not getting outs. There’s not a whole lot to analyze about it. If there was an answer at this point in time, I think we would have found it.”

For years, Hoffman fooled hitters with a back-breaking changeup that allowed him to get by with a below-average fastball. But he’s not fooling anybody anymore. He lacked command of his changeup from the start of the season, which prompted him to use his fastball and get tagged.

Hoffman went back to using his changeup more but left it up against the Reds and paid a heavy price. It started with a base hit on a cutter to Paul Janish, followed by a game-tying, two-run homer by pinch-hitter Scott Rolen on a 1-2 changeup.

Chris Heisey doubled on a first-pitch cutter, Brandon Phillips drew a walk and Joey Votto lined a first-pitch changeup off the wall in right to end it. Rolen is 6 for 13 (.462) lifetime against Hoffman with four homers.

“He’s the all-time saves leader,” Rolen said. “I’ve seen the ball fairly well off him in the past, and I saw the ball well today. Imagine my surprise when I saw the ball going out of the park.

“You think the fans were shocked? I was shocked.”

But it has become less shocking to Brewer fans with each blown save by Hoffman.

Hoffman’s collapse ruined a day in which lefty Manny Parra turned in four gritty innings in a spot start and the newly summoned Estrada held the first-place Reds to one run over the same span.

“Estrada pitched his heart out,” said Macha. “What a lift he gave us. We bring this kid up today and he just picks us up and carries us.”

Afterward, Macha was evasive when asked if Hoffman would be removed from the closer’s role, saying he wanted to discuss it with pitching coach Rick Peterson. There is no obvious Plan B because LaTroy Hawkins, who has closing experience, is on the disabled list.

Hoffman also dodged a question about his future.

“I can’t worry about that,” he said. “I feel prepared and ready to go out there. I’m just not getting it done.”

President Obama preached about it when on the campaign trail and now those associated with the Milwaukee Brewers are carrying on his message. They want change.

Whether that means simply a new closer, new manager, new lineup, or some even believe a new first baseman.

With an eight game losing streak, the worst home record in the majors, hideous pitching both from the starters and bullpen, and the unclear future of Prince Fielder, the Brewers are losing their support and fan’s confidence.

Jay Maguire

AL West Recap

A Perfect Game is Not The Only Thing That Has Happened in the AL West

AL West Recap

1. Texas Rangers – 22-18

Typically known as an offensive team, the Rangers are in first this year because they have been solid on both sides of the ball. The team is fifth in the AL in both runs scored and ERA; and the Rangers have gotten contributions from some unexpected sources this year.

Offensively, the biggest story has been the resurgence of Vlad Guerrero. While he never has terrible with the Angels, it appeared a lot of his power had slipped away last year. This year, Vlad has 8 homeruns and a .547 slugging percentage (to go along with his sparkling .345 average). Nelson Cruz has shown everyone that his breakout last year was no fluke, as he is off to a great start (.304/7/25) despite already spending 15 days on the DL. Pitching wise, the Rangers have gotten huge boosts from C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis. Wilson, who has made the transition from reliever to starter look easy, is leading the team with a 2.55 ERA through eight starts. If Scott Feldman and Rich Harden can pitch more like they did in 2009, the Rangers high powered offense will make this team tough to beat.

2. Oakland Athletics – 20-20

Although they have been one of the bigger surprises of 2010, it’s hard to overlook the fact that the A’s have gotten a little bit lucky. With a -14 run differential, we would expect the A’s to be under .500 at this point. The A’s pitching has been solid, although injuries have kept Brett Anderson and Justin Duchscherer off the mound at times this year. Dallas Braden has been the biggest story of the pitching staff, with a perfect game to go along with his 4-3 record and 3.50 ERA. With Gio Gonzalez finally starting to live up to his potential, the A’s will have a dominant pitching staff if Ben Sheets returns to form.

Offensively, the A’s lack anything that resembles a good lineup. Ryan Sweeney is the only starter hitting over .300 (also the only starter hitting over .280 for that matter) and nobody on the team has more than four homeruns. While the A’s have the pitching rotation of a playoff team, they will struggle to keep pace with the Rangers if the offense can’t find some answers.

3. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – 18-23

What happened to the Angels? After winning the division the past three years, the Angels are off to a slow start because of bad pitching and an average offense. Although Jared Weaver and Joel Pineiro have been solid at the top of the rotation, the Angels haven’t had anyone pitch like an ace in the early part of 2010. At the bottom of the rotation, Joe Saunders and Scott Kazmir have struggled. While the bullpen doesn’t have a ton of blown saves, it has been far from dominant in 2010. Only Fernando Rodney has an ERA below 3.50, and a lot of the Angels relievers are walking too many batters.

On offense, the team doesn’t have anyone hitting over .300, and the team is 12th in the AL at getting on base. While Kendry Morales (9 HR, 29 RBI) has brought plenty of power and Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu have made solid contributions, the offense will struggle as long as Erick Aybar, Hideki Matsui and Brandon Wood continue their terrible starts. Although there is potential in the Angels pitching, I’m no longer convinced that this team will be able to challenge the Rangers for the division title.

4. Seattle Mariners – 14-25

As I mentioned in my six bold predictions article earlier this yearI didn’t think that the Mariners had enough to compete for the division title. However, I didn’t foresee the Mariners being this bad. The Mariners 130 runs scored are the lowest in the AL, and even with a good pitching staff (4th in the AL in runs allowed) the Mariners will struggle to compete. While Ichiro and Franklin Gutierrez continue to excel, the rest of the offense has been terrible. Gutierrez leads the team with four homeruns and 20 RBI. Offseason additions Chone Figgins and Casey Kotchman have been terrible, both hitting under .200 on the year.

The biggest story on offense so far has been Ken Griffey Jr. supposedly falling asleep in the clubhouse. Pitching wise, the Mariners have actually been pretty good. Doug Fister and Jason Vargas have greatly exceeded expectations (both with ERAs well under 3.00) and Cliff Lee has been great since returning from the DL. The bullpen has had some issues (8 blown saves on the year) but has been solid overall. Until the offense picks it up, the Mariners, like the A’s, will struggle to compete even with a good pitching staff.

Brett Kettyle
Twitter

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