Manny Ramirez has only played one game thus far with his new team, but his mere presence in the White Sox lineup has already paid dividends for Ozzie Guillen’s club as it pushes toward a division title. Both AJ Pierzynski and Paul Konerko hit game-winning home runs in Cleveland while no. 99 stood on deck.

It may just be a coincidence, as some suggest, but it’s not much of a stretch to say that whoever is hitting in front of Ramirez will see better pitches to hit. In his first start with the White Sox, he hit fifth behind Konerko and only provided a bloop single in a 1-3 day at the plate.

Konerko is already having an MVP type of year, hitting .319 with 33 home runs and 99 RBI entering the weekend series at Boston. Should Guillen continue to put Ramirez behind Konerko in the lineup, the batting average should climb and, with a little luck, Konerko could reach the 40 homer plateau.

The addition of Ramirez bolsters an already strong lineup, as the White Sox are in the top five in the majors in team batting average (.271) and home runs (155). They are also in the top 10 in baseball in runs batted in and hits. These numbers should only improve with Ramirez in the lineup and hitting behind Konerko.

Ramirez can, at times, be a destructive clubhouse guy, but with leaders like Konerko, Mark Buehrle and Pierzynski, Guillen shouldn’t have too much trouble keeping the mercurial slugger in line. Ramirez now has something to play for; a division title, and when he has that kind of purpose and drive, he can be a force in any lineup. He also hits well at US Cellular Field, with a lifetime .338 average on the south side.

The Sox have bullpen issues right now, but the lineup at Guillen’s disposal could simply outslug teams until Matt Thornton and JJ Putz return to health. Rookie Chris Sale will be a crucial member of the ‘pen for the time being. The hope is that they don’t lose too much ground to the Twins before they meet again at US Cellular Field starting September 14th and the Ramirez acquisition should help them toward that goal.

So let me get this straight: Morgan gets to home by taking out a catcher a couple of nights ago and the Marlins aren’t real happy about it. So they plunk the Morgan the next change they get and he goes to first base without so much as a word? Then after that Morgan, who is a great base stealer takes the free pass to first as a great opportunity to steal 2nd. And 3rd. Then he goes up to bat later and they throw behind him? Sounds like it was a little sour grapes by the Marlins if you ask me.

Look, I’m okay with the rule that if you take out the catcher and it wasn’t warranted then you are going to eat dust the next time you get up to the plate. It’s been done over and over and if Morgan didn’t understand that then he should have been educated on it. But as it turns out Morgan seemed to understand the rules because when he was drilled he walked quietly to first base.

But here’s the thing that the Marlins forget is there is another rule of baseball: if you put a great base stealer on base he will steal a base regardless of how he got there. Was he supposed to wait there to be doubled up or wait for the inning to end? Was his team not down by 11 runs at the time? Was it his job to respect the rules of the game to the point where it hurts his own team? I wish I could see the Marlins point of view in this but it appears they didn’t have a good one. They were pissed because they hit the one guy they don’t want on the basepaths. It’s the nature of the beast. If you throw a fastball down the middle to Pujols he will make you pay. If you put Morgan on the bases he will steal them. It’s pretty simple. It’s too bad no one educated the Marlins on how baseball is played.

Things get ugly when you go after psycho Morgan

How quickly records get lost when they aren’t about the long ball. Seems we follow Albert Pujols and his quest for the triple crown with the same intensity we used to follow the bloated home run chase of Sosa and McGwire and then later Bonds, but what about a record that might be just as hard to reach and take far more consistency? Seems we don’t pay any attention to that.

If you weren’t aware Seattle Mariners Ichiro Suzuki is 35 hits shy of his 10th season of 200 or more hits. The all time leader is Pete Rose with 10 but Rose can’t lay claim to what Ichiro can: if he gets 200 this year: they will have been done consecutively. As a matter of fact Ichiro has never had a season of less than 200 hits. So why is no one talking about this? Is it because a single doesn’t have the hammer of a home run? Is it because there are no fireworks for getting on first?

While no one would dispute that Ichiro Suzuki is a great player, what gets lost is exactly how good he is. He ranks 32nd in batting average all time in a day and age where players don’t hit for a high average consistently. In the last 30 years only two guys have had higher averages than Ichiro lifetime. He is in the top 200 all time for hits and only after 10 years. If he was 10 years younger( a disadvantage of playing in Japan for so long) he’d be threatening for Rose’s all time record. As a matter of fact if you add up the hits in both leagues Ichiro has an astounding 3400. And he’s got another 5 years left if he wants to keep playing.

But his accomplishments get overshadowed by players who swing bigger bats and make more highlights but when you look at the league leaders for the last decade you see Ichiro’s name. He’s someone who has 9 Gold Gloves, and MVP and was the Rookie of the Year. The fact is he has been the quintessential leadoff man in a league where leadoff men are hard to find. The fact I can find you 10 to 20 guys who have had a game that was like Albert Pujols, but I don’t know if I can find you 2 or 3 whose game was like Ichiros.

Ichiro will be forgotten on a team that is going nowhere in a city where football is king. He’ll miss the limelight on SportsCenter and he’ll be an afterthought when the start handing out the MVP but for those who watch, those who really watch they know they are witnessing something special. They know 10 seasons of 200 hits is something special and they’ll be glad they were watching.

Someone decided that when you gets tossed you should take something with you.

The calendar just turned to September meaning the Major League Baseball season is officially entering its final stretch.
Some teams have all but clinched their postseason ticket already, and need to just avoid a monumental collapse (a la the Mets in 2007 and 2008). Teams such as the Yankees, Rays, Rangers and Reds are near locks for the postseason.

Heading into the season’s final month (maybe not technically, since most teams don’t finish up until October 3rd) here are some things to look for as teams try to get one of the eight post season spots.

American League

At this point, it seems that three of the four AL playoff spots have been filled.
In the East, the Yankees have a 1 game lead over the Rays and the best record in baseball. The Rays are 7 games up on the Boston Red Sox for the Wild Card. Although the division is still not locked down, both the Yankees and Rays are almost assured of playing into October. That being said, I do expect the two teams to battle down to the wire in order to lock up home field advantage throughout the ALCS.

Like the East, the AL West is also seemingly already locked up. The Rangers have the largest division lead of any team in baseball, sitting 8.5 games ahead of the Oakland Athletics. Despite their deadline acquisition of Dan Haren, the Angels have fallen further out of the race, and sit 10.5 games off the pace.

At this point, it looks like the only AL playoff spot that could go down to the wire will come from the Central division. The White Sox currently trail the Twins by 4 games and will have to work hard to overcome the deficit in the last month. The Twins recently made another bullpen addition (Brian Fuentes) and the White Sox added aging slugger Manny Ramirez to their club to DH.

The two clubs play just three game over the remainder of the season (in Chicago) so the White Sox will have to at least make up some of the ground against their other opponents.

Playoff Predictions:

AL East: New York Yankees – Their offense is seemingly unstoppable (they lead the majors in runs scored with 54 more than the Cincinnati Reds) and have a solid pitching staff. With Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguez set to return in the near future, the Yankees will get even stronger by the time September ends.

AL Central: Minnesota Twins – Although their lead is hardly insurmountable, I think that the Twins just have a better team than the White Sox. If Justin Morneau can return this year, I think the Twins win the division easily. Since it looks like he might not, I have this division going down to the wire, but the Twins pulling it out in the end.

AL West: Texas Rangers – I don’t see a monumental collapse coming. Despite the struggles of Cliff Lee, the Rangers have maintained a huge lead in their division and I don’t see that changing. Nelson Cruz just returned from the DL to boost the lineup and Lee should soon be back to his old self, leaving the Rangers as runaway winners in the West.

AL Wild Card: Tampa Bay Rays – The Rays have played great, but in the end I don’t think they have the offense to catch the Yankees. Aside from Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford there isn’t a single hitter in their lineup that scares me.

National League

Unlike the American League, the NL looks like it will have at least a couple exciting races down the stretch.
The Reds appear to be pulling away in the NL Central, where they now have a 7 game lead on the slumping St. Louis Cardinals. The addition of Aroldis Chapman will bring even more excitement to the team, which should be playing in October for the first time since 1995.

In the West San Diego has a somewhat comfortable five game lead, but if anyone can pull of an improbable comeback it is the Colorado Rockies, who currently sit in third place, 7 games back. The San Francisco Giants are actually in second (4 games back), although they have had to work through the struggles of Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito in the second half.

The NL East looks like it will be the tightest division race. The Atlanta Braves currently have a 3 game lead on the defending NL Champion Phillies. Both teams have dealt with a multitude of injuries this year and are getting healthy for the stretch run. The Phillies will get a boost when Ryan Howard returns, but the Braves were more active around the trade deadline (and in August) by acquiring Rick Ankiel and Derrek Lee.

As if things weren’t interesting enough, the two teams will play each other in the last three games of the season (in Atlanta) which could ultimately decide the division.

The NL Wild Card might be the most exciting race to watch in September, as four or five teams have a legitimate shot to win it. The Phillies are the current leaders and the Giants are just 1.5 games back. The Cardinals (4 games back), Rockies (4.5) and Dodgers (6.5) are still within striking distance, although they will have to leap multiple teams to get into the playoffs.

Playoff Predictions:

NL East: Atlanta Braves – The Braves are the only team in the National League in both the top 3 in runs scored and ERA. They have the best run differential in the NL and will get what could be a crucial series with the Phillies to end the year at home, where they have the best record in baseball.

NL Central: Cincinnati Reds – The Reds have a pretty comfortable division lead and are getting quality contributions from their young talent. While I’m not completely sold on the pitching staff, the Reds should have enough to win the division behind the bat of Triple Crown contender Joey Votto.

NL West: San Diego Padres – The additions of Ryan Ludwick and Miguel Tejada finally have the Padres offense playing to a solid level, which is all they need with their terrific starting pitching. The Padres also might have the best bullpen in baseball, which could be a key factor in the playoffs.

NL Wild Card: Philadelphia Phillies – The Phils didn’t go out and get the Roy’s to spend October on the couch. With the team finally getting healthy (they have their entire starting lineup back for the first time in months it seems) I see them competing for the NL East crown but ultimately settling for the Wild Card.

August is over and so is the season for about 80% of the teams in baseball. So what’s left? For most it’s nothing more than the thrill of the individual competition. Whether it be to break a record, win an award or just achieve their own personal best, everyone is looking to be a top 5 guy. So here are the positional rankings for the season through august:

CATCHERS
5. Kurt Suzuki (A’s) – With nothing left to play for he’s hoping his .673 OPS is enough to keep him in the top 5.
4. Matt Wieters (Orioles) – Buck Showalter has turned the Orioles loose recently but Weiters has been good all season.
3. Victor Martinez (Red Sox) – A .285 average is a big reason the Red Sox haven’t thrown in the towel yet.
2. Mike Napoli (Angels) – He’s someone to build around for the future.
1. Joe Mauer (Twins) – Was there ever any doubt that Mauer would end up on the top spot?

FIRST BASEMAN
5. Paul Konerko (White Sox) – 31 homeruns and a .315 average…someone is in a contract year.
4. Kevin Youkilis (Red Sox) – an OBP of .411.
3. Joey Votto (Reds) – This would be your MVP if someone wasn’t standing in his way….
2. Albert Pujols (Cardinals) – Could we be looking at the best player in the last 30 years?
1. Miguel Cabrera (Tigers) – As long as he keeps away from the sweet table he’ll be amazing for a long time.

SECOND BASEMAN
5. Rickie Weeks (Brewers) – Welcome to Milwaukee’s bright spot.
4. Martin Prado (Braves) – His .317 avg. explains Atlanta’s playoff push.
3. Kelly Johnson(Diamondbacks) – It appears that the National League rules the second baseman competition.
2. Dan Uggla (Marlins) – Uggla with 29 home runs. The world is a beautiful place.
1. Robinson Cano(Yankees) – Leave it to the Yankees to have the best second baseman in baseball.

SHORTSTOP
5. Jose Reyes (Mets) – Who even knew he was playing this year?
4. Juan Uribe( Giants) – Test his blood now. I was pretty sure he was dead.
3. Stephen Drew(Diamondbacks) – It’s clear now that the pitching staff is killing the Diamondbacks.
2. Alex Gonzalez (Braves) – Great pickup by the Braves to get Gonzalez from the Blue Jays
1. Hanley Ramirez (Marlins) – It’s no question that he is the best shortstop in baseball. The real question is: How long will he play in Florida?

THIRD BASEMAN
5. David Wright (Mets) – The second best third baseman in New York.
4. Evan Longoria (Rays) – The most important player on an important team.
3. Scott Rolen (Reds) – You’ve got to get in the way back machine to remember the last time Rolen was this important.
2. Ryan Zimmerman(Nationals) – How much does Strasburg going down change how much money they are going to throw at Ryan Zimmerman in the short future?
1. Adrian Beltre (Red Sox) – Here’s something to consider: at least statistically A-Rod and Jeter don’t crack the top 5 of their positions for this year. That doesn’t seem right.

LEFT FIELD
5. Alfonso Soriano (Cubs) – Jim Hendry is screaming: “See! I told you it was a good contract!”
4. Delmon Young (Twins) – Batting .306 will keep you on the radar of major league opponents.
3. Josh Willingham (Nationals) – With him and Zimmerman hopefully the Nationals can matter in the next couple of years.
2. Matt Holiday (Cardinals) – St. Louis is hoping to keep him and Prince Albert in tandem for a few more years.
1. Josh Hamilton (Rangers) – Here’s your AL MVP. That’s just the end of it.

CENTER FIELD
5. Vernon Wells (Blue Jays) – He has had a stellar year. A nice rebound.
4. Torii Hunter (Angels) – What is he doing playing right field? Are the Angels really that stupid?
3. Colby Rasmus (Cardinals) – He’s been a great boost to an already dangerous lineup.
2. Andres Torres (Giants) – He’s hitting .285 with 13 home runs. Not bad for a guy in a playoff push.
1. Carlos Gonzalez (Rockies) – He’s doing well, but I don’t trust Coors Field.

RIGHT FIELD
5. Andre Ethier (Dodgers) – Good defense and a good hitter. Dodgers are lucky.
4. Corey Hart (Brewers) – 23 dingers and he’s hanging in Miller Park, fun summer.
3. Nick Swisher (Yankees) – .293 and that’s after he’s tired from never shutting up.
2. Jayson Werth (Phillies) – .297 for a team in the midst of a playoff push.
1. Jose Bautista (Blue Jays) – 41 homeruns when his previous high was 16………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

STARTING PITCHING
5. Mat Latos (Padres) – A 2.29 for a first place team in a tough division.
4. Tim Hudson (Braves) – It’s a nice story to see him rebound from Tommy John surgery.
3. Clay Buchholz (Red Sox ) – 15-5 with a 2.26. This could be your AL CY Young winner.
2. Roy Halladay (Phillies) – He has 9 losses but he shouldn’t have that many.
1. Adam Waitwright (Cardinals) – The NL CY Young race should be so close this year.

CLOSERS
5. Francisco Cordero (Reds) – 34 saves and the reason the Reds are able to keep a lead in the division.
4. Brian Wilson (Giants) – He’s pitching lights out in the midst of the pennant chase.
3. Joakim Soria (Royals) – It’s too bad KC isn’t playing in more meaningful games.
2. Heath Bell (Padres) – Who would have thought that Heath Bell would be the silver standard for closers this season?
1. Rafael Soriano (Rays) – He’s the best closer in baseball.

If you blinked you missed the pitch. That’s how fast Reds reliever Aroldis Chapman was in his MLB debut. The highly touted Cuban pitcher has spent much of the Red’s pennant chasing season getting hitters in the minors to chase his almost unhittable fastball. But on August 31st he had a chance to play for the Reds and show them what he’s got.

And he did not disappoint.

He retired the side in the 8th on 8 pitches. He had a strikeout and 2 weak ground outs. Half of his pitches tested the durability of the radar gun by hitting over 100 mph. There was certainly enough hype surrounding the 22 year old Cuban but when it was time to dazzle, dazzle he did starting with wowing the crowd during the warm up tosses. The velocity from his pitches had the stadium on their feet and have the Reds wondering how much he could matter for them in the postseason.

There is certainly hesitation because of his age and experience but if you saw him pitch last night he was a man on a mission and a pitcher with an arm like that is a boon to the team, especially in a pennant race. It appears the lead keeps growing for Cincinnati in the division so the question left is what do they need to go further in the postseason?

Aroldis Chapman is making a case and the Reds are certainly willing to listen.

This bat trick is bat shit crazy.

Meet Cincinnati Reds Manager Dusty Baker. You remember Baker, don’t you? He was the man who was unceremoniously run out of Chicago for ruining the Cubs? He was the man who was replaced by a bigger and better savior Lou Piniella? He was the man who went into hiding in Cincinnati?

Now Dusty Baker is the man who is about 20 games away from bringing a division title to the Cincinnati Reds for the first time in over a decade. So what happened to Dusty? How did he become a good manager again? How did he figure out how to get his teams to win?

The fact is Dusty hasn’t changed at all. He’s still laid back. He still uses “dude” all the time. He is still conversational with wristbands on and a toothpick in his mouth. He is still the same guy who won Manager of The Year honors 3 different times, including with the Cubs. Dusty Baker is still a good manager.

So what went wrong in Chicago? Why was Dusty ousted? Dusty was the victim of what everyone manager in baseball is the victim of at some point or another: expectations. Dusty in Chicago was let go not because they didn’t win, but rather because they were expected to win and they didn’t.

While GM’s are judged on progress and players on potential, managers are judged solely on results and it’s the reason why when they fall to meet expectations, they are forced to be held accountable for it when it is least often their fault.

Look at Dusty’s tenure in Chicago. In 2003 he takes them within 6 outs of their first World Series appearance since 1945, a feat Lou Piniella would never come close to replicating. By 2006 he was struggling to bring the Cubs to a 66-96 record. What was the difference in that time? Two names: Prior and Wood. He had these studs in 2003 but by 2006 they were non factors. Take the top two aces of a pitching staff and see just how much the record changes.

Let us not forget that the 2003 Cubs also had a prolific hitter in Sammy Sosa who shriveled up and faded fast in the coming years and by 2006 was not even a plaque on the stadium walls. Those the most productive hitter of his generation and see how much the record changes.

But this is what we do in sports, we hire managers to fire them. They get praised when things go right and vilified when they don’t. Dusty’s laid back demeanor was a “calming influence” in 2003 and by 2006 it was that Dusty didn’t care. The thing that changed was the players, the thing that always changes and always matters. It’s the reason why Jack Mackeon was a genius in 2003 but was never that smart again.

Certainly that doesn’t mean managers don’t matter. Some managers are better than others. Managers like Mike Scioscia seem to get the most out of their players and keep a team competitive. Managers like Joe Torre aren’t the best strategists but are great at managing egos. But remember: that same Joe Torre that will be enshrined in Cooperstown someday for his 4 rings is the same Joe Torre that got fired from Kansas City for not being what they hoped he’d be. And I do personally think Dusty is better suited for situations where he has less pressure. San Francisco and Cincinnati had no expectations when he got there and the Cubs had slightly more than those teams.

But don’t ever let the job Baker is doing surprise anyone. The fact is he has always been a good manager he just needed players to give him a hand. Trust me…it’s a theme in baseball.