Yes it's true. I'm now on Twitter, although I still don't fully know how to use it. But it seems like a cool way to shoot off thoughts on sports so I'm going to try it. And some of my posts will be right here on the feed on my blog. The address to access my Twitter account is:
twitter.com/dpaysports
I tried for derekpaynesports but it was too long so I'm shortening it. I can even text updates to Twitter which will also appear on here so that should enable more frequent (albeit shorter) thoughts. I will of course continue updating my blog itself regularly as well.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Oswalt to Phillies, other trades
The Philadelphia Phillies (56-46) acquired starting pitcher Roy Oswalt from the Houston Astros (42-59) today in exchange for pitcher J.A. Happ and two prospects. Oswalt has been the Astros ace for years and should really give the Phillies a bump in their rotation that also includes Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels. It really just furthers my confidence that the Phils will be in the playoffs. They have already won eight straight as it is and trail the Atlanta Braves (58-43) by 2.5 games. They have really cut into the Braves' lead in the East and I think that the Phils will take the division for the fourth consecutive year.
In other trades that went down today, the Texas Rangers (59-42) acquired infielder Jorge Cantu from the Florida Marlins (51-51) and the San Diego Padres (60-40) acquired Miguel Tejada from the Baltimore Orioles (31-70). Also, the Minnesota Twins (56-46) have just acquired Matt Capps from the Washington Nationals (44-58) to help bolster their bullpen. Cantu should provide Texas with a little extra pop in an already potent lineup and Capps should be good for some late inning relief for the Twins to help them in the AL Central chase. Tejada is a mere shadow of the player who once won the MVP with the Athletics and I don't think his contribution will be too extreme, although I think he could help the Padres to some degree. Yeah it's that time of year, trades are going down all over the place. The Giants (58-45) have yet to make a move, we'll see if they get in on the action before the deadline at 2 p.m. MT on Saturday.
In other trades that went down today, the Texas Rangers (59-42) acquired infielder Jorge Cantu from the Florida Marlins (51-51) and the San Diego Padres (60-40) acquired Miguel Tejada from the Baltimore Orioles (31-70). Also, the Minnesota Twins (56-46) have just acquired Matt Capps from the Washington Nationals (44-58) to help bolster their bullpen. Cantu should provide Texas with a little extra pop in an already potent lineup and Capps should be good for some late inning relief for the Twins to help them in the AL Central chase. Tejada is a mere shadow of the player who once won the MVP with the Athletics and I don't think his contribution will be too extreme, although I think he could help the Padres to some degree. Yeah it's that time of year, trades are going down all over the place. The Giants (58-45) have yet to make a move, we'll see if they get in on the action before the deadline at 2 p.m. MT on Saturday.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Wilson's orange shoes
Giants closer Brian Wilson has been fined $1,000 for wearing his bright orange cleats that were a gift to him at the All-Star Game in games. The fine comes on the heels of comments from Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez who said the shoes were "too flashy" and that something should be done about them. Major League Baseball told Wilson that his shoes needed to be at least 50 % black, which is the dominant color on the Giants regular home and away jerseys. In order to conform with the rules, Wilson colored in half of each shoe with what he joked were "Nike Air Sharpies" so that they are now half black and half orange. When asked if he could tell if the shoes would indeed be 50% black, he said "I've got pretty good eyes. I think I can eyeball 50 percent."
In response to Rodriguez's complaining, Wilson said "Too flashy. I didn't know that's in the rulebook. Oh it's not in the rulebook. The fact that he thinks these shoes throw 97 to 100 with cut might be a little far fetched. I guess we should have these checked as performance-enhancing shoes." Wilson is hilarious and I agree with what he's saying. Rodriguez should probably focus on worrying about his team and not on an opponent's shoes. The American League didn't complain about them at the All-Star Game. The whole thing is pretty silly to me and I think it's pretty ridiculous that Wilson was fined without a warning for such a minor thing.
Giants rolling, trade deadline approaches
My San Francisco Giants (58-44) have won 13 out of their last 16 games as well as 17 of their last 21. They have been tearing it up lately to say the least. Their pitching has been good for the most part though they did have a rough outing today in coughing up a 9-2 lead to the Marlins (50-51) before winning in extra innings. Rookie Buster Posey now has a 21 game hitting streak and is starting to make a run for Rookie of the Year. He's definitely been the best rookie in July. I believe he leads the Majors in hits this month. The kid looks like he's going to play a big part in carrying the offense for years to come. The Giants conclude their four game home series against the Marlins tomorrow at 1:45 p.m. MT on MLB Extra Innings and mlb.tv before taking on the hated Dodgers (54-46) this weekend. The Giants are only 2 games back in the NL West and have a 1.5 game lead in the Wild Card. I can't tell you how much fun it is to watch a team that is playing so well. Every game seems like such an event and something to get excited for.
The Phillies (55-46) have been playing better as of late and really played well in their crucial weekend series against the Rockies (51-50) in earning a four game sweep and have now won 7 in a row as they keep up their winning ways. They trail the Giants by 2.5 games in the Wild Card and the Braves (58-42) by 3.5 in the NL East. I'd really prefer it didn't come down to those two teams, but my preference is definitely the Giants.
The trade deadline is on Saturday and rumors abound. The Dodgers acquired outfielder Scott Podsednik from the Royals (42-59). He'll be helpful, he's a good player, but I'm not extremely worried about him pushing the Dodgers over the top. Dan Haren has moved from the Diamondbacks (37-64) to the Angels (52-52) who hope he can help them catch the Rangers (59-42) in the AL West. Of course the Athletics (51-49) have surpassed the Angels for second place now. The big piece in play is Astros (42-59) ace starting pitcher Roy Oswalt who would like to play for a contending team. It would be cool if the Phillies could land him and use that as a springboard to pass the Braves. I'll be interested to see what happens, but time is running out for a deal to get done. I'll also be interested to see if the Giants can get another hitter before the deadline.
The Phillies (55-46) have been playing better as of late and really played well in their crucial weekend series against the Rockies (51-50) in earning a four game sweep and have now won 7 in a row as they keep up their winning ways. They trail the Giants by 2.5 games in the Wild Card and the Braves (58-42) by 3.5 in the NL East. I'd really prefer it didn't come down to those two teams, but my preference is definitely the Giants.
The trade deadline is on Saturday and rumors abound. The Dodgers acquired outfielder Scott Podsednik from the Royals (42-59). He'll be helpful, he's a good player, but I'm not extremely worried about him pushing the Dodgers over the top. Dan Haren has moved from the Diamondbacks (37-64) to the Angels (52-52) who hope he can help them catch the Rangers (59-42) in the AL West. Of course the Athletics (51-49) have surpassed the Angels for second place now. The big piece in play is Astros (42-59) ace starting pitcher Roy Oswalt who would like to play for a contending team. It would be cool if the Phillies could land him and use that as a springboard to pass the Braves. I'll be interested to see what happens, but time is running out for a deal to get done. I'll also be interested to see if the Giants can get another hitter before the deadline.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Baseball thoughts from New York
The San Francisco Giants (53-43) took two of three from the Dodgers (51-45) in L.A. earlier this week and looked like an entirely different team from the last time the two teams met. Tuesday's game was a rather unforgettable one, with the Giants showing a lot of heart and coming behind from a 5-1 deficit in the third and eventually taking a 6-5 lead in the 9th and holding on to win by that score. They won the first of four in Phoenix last night against the Diamondbacks (37-59) and now hold a half-game lead over the Reds (53-44) for the Wild Card.
The Phillies (49-46) have struggled since the Break, going 2-6 to this point but somehow are in second place in the NL East, seven games behind the Braves (56-39) and just 3.5 behind the Giants (feels good to refer to the Giants as leaders late in the year) for the Wild Card. It's imperative they start playing better with a four game wraparound series this weekend at home against the Rockies (51-44).
As for me, I'm in New York and will be attending the Kansas City Royals (41-54) at New York Yankees (60-34) game tonight at 7 p.m. ET (5 p.m. MT). I'm pretty excited as it will be my first time in the new Yankee Stadium. Brian Bannister is pitching for the Royals and A.J. Burnett goes for the Yankees in his first start since cutting his hand punching a door last week. The Yankees won the series opener 8-4 last night but I'm hoping the Royals can pull it out tonight despite right fielder David DeJesus (one of their best players) going on the disabled list today with a thumb injury.
The Phillies (49-46) have struggled since the Break, going 2-6 to this point but somehow are in second place in the NL East, seven games behind the Braves (56-39) and just 3.5 behind the Giants (feels good to refer to the Giants as leaders late in the year) for the Wild Card. It's imperative they start playing better with a four game wraparound series this weekend at home against the Rockies (51-44).
As for me, I'm in New York and will be attending the Kansas City Royals (41-54) at New York Yankees (60-34) game tonight at 7 p.m. ET (5 p.m. MT). I'm pretty excited as it will be my first time in the new Yankee Stadium. Brian Bannister is pitching for the Royals and A.J. Burnett goes for the Yankees in his first start since cutting his hand punching a door last week. The Yankees won the series opener 8-4 last night but I'm hoping the Royals can pull it out tonight despite right fielder David DeJesus (one of their best players) going on the disabled list today with a thumb injury.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Giants robbed; look ahead to Dodgers
At left: Travis Ishikawa clearly beats Henry Blanco's tag for what would have been the winning run but was called out by umpire Phil Cuzzi.The San Francisco Giants (50-42) lost to the New York Mets (49-43) by a score of 4-3 in ten innings today at AT&T Park. However, the real story of the game was that the Giants by all rights should have won the game in the bottom of the ninth when Travis Ishikawa slid under the tag of Mets catcher Henry Blanco. David Wright fielded Freddy Sanchez's ground ball with one out in a 3-3 game in the ninth and fired a high throw home. Blanco clearly tagged Ishikawa late. It kind of took the wind out of the sails of the Giants who had rallied from 3-1 down at the start of the inning behind Ishikawa's two-run pinch-hit single. Ishikawa and manager Bruce Bochy both argued with home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi but of course to no avail. You can see for yourself in the photo I'm posting that the call was missed.
Cuzzi had a rough day behind the plate and missed several calls including many balls and strikes. It's frustrating to see what should have been a four game sweep taken away, although winning three of four is still a very good start following the All-Star Break. Cuzzi probably should have rung up Mets first baseman Ike Davis on a couple of breaking balls from Brian Wilson on 1-2 and 2-2 counts in the tenth but somehow called those balls. Davis, hitting with two outs, doubled off the bricks in right field to bring in Jason Bay who had singled a batter earlier. It proved to be the winning run.
All this being said, the Giants still had chances to win but Aubrey Huff bounced out to Davis with runners still on first and third following the controversy to end the inning. And in the tenth Eli Whiteside struck out on a 3-2 curve ball from Mets pitcher Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez who ended up throwing 47 pitches on the day over two innings and was responsible for coughing up the two run ninth inning lead. Whiteside was hitting with runners on first and second following Edgar Renteria's two-out double and an intentional walk of Juan Uribe. The Giants showed resiliency in not going down quietly in the ninth or tenth. I like that the team has such great heart.
Ishikawa, Bochy and well pretty much everybody said that Cuzzi missed the call and even Blanco said "He was safe all the way. Everybody was surprised when he called it out." I think it's cool that an opposing player admitted that, but it still sucks that the call was missed. The Giants travel to southern California to face their hated rivals the Dodgers (49-43) for three tomorrow through Wednesday. Coverage of all three games starts at 8 p.m. MT on mlb.tv. I would throw in MLB Extra Innings but for some reason today's Giants-Mets game wasn't on there and I had to bust out my computer to catch it on mlb.tv. Doesn't make sense but most games typically are on Extra Innings and I would think at least two of these three will be.
The Giants need to turn it around on the Dodgers after being swept at home by them recently. Ever the optimist I feel like the Giants should win two of three with Bumgarner, Lincecum and Zito starting, but with the series in Dodger Stadium I would more realistically say the Dodgers will win the series. But go Giants nonetheless. This Dodgers series is important not just for the standings but for the teams psyche after dropping five of the first six this season as well as not playing well against the NL West in general. They have to improve their play within the division from here on out if they want to have good odds of making the playoffs.
One good thing about this weekend was that the Dodgers were swept in St. Louis by the Cardinals (51-41) in four games, including an epic late game meltdown today that really makes me happy. With the Giants winning their series it puts them back ahead of the Dodgers in the West and just a half-game behind the Rockies (50-41) for second place after they lost two of three in Cincinnati (51-42). The Padres (54-37) lead the division by four games and still seem to never lose after sweeping the Diamondbacks (34-58) in San Diego this weekend. But as a Giants fan I'm just focusing on just being a half-game back of the Rockies and Reds for the Wild Card.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Giants playing well
The San Francisco Giants (50-41) have won the first three games of a four game set with the New York Mets (48-43) by scores of 2-0, 1-0 and 8-4. Tim Lincecum went the distance with a complete game shutout on Thursday and Barry Zito threw eight scoreless innings last night. Tonight the Giants offense came alive, sparked by home runs by Andres Torres and Buster Posey as well as another extra base hit for Pablo Sandoval. Matt Cain was solid on the mound as well.
Posey has been tearing it up and going into the game tonight he led MLB in average for July. The kid's fast becoming a star and his opposite field home run to right was something to behold. I don't know when the last time was that I saw a right-handed hitter hit a home run to right field at AT&T Park before tonight. You have to be awfully strong to do that. Hopefully Sandoval's first three games after the All-Star Break are an indication of how strong he will be playing in the second half. If he keeps up the hot streak he's capable of carrying the team and should help make the Giants quite a force to be reckoned with. The fourth game of the series with the Mets is tomorrow at 2:05 p.m. MT and is available on MLB Extra Innings and mlb.tv. Johan Santana will be pitching for the Mets and Jonathan Sanchez for the Giants.
The Giants have moved up to second in the National League West and in a dead heat with the Cardinals for the Wild Card lead. This five game win streak and winning 9 of 10 has been refreshing on the heels of that 7 game losing streak. Hopefully the team can keep it up.
Posey has been tearing it up and going into the game tonight he led MLB in average for July. The kid's fast becoming a star and his opposite field home run to right was something to behold. I don't know when the last time was that I saw a right-handed hitter hit a home run to right field at AT&T Park before tonight. You have to be awfully strong to do that. Hopefully Sandoval's first three games after the All-Star Break are an indication of how strong he will be playing in the second half. If he keeps up the hot streak he's capable of carrying the team and should help make the Giants quite a force to be reckoned with. The fourth game of the series with the Mets is tomorrow at 2:05 p.m. MT and is available on MLB Extra Innings and mlb.tv. Johan Santana will be pitching for the Mets and Jonathan Sanchez for the Giants.
The Giants have moved up to second in the National League West and in a dead heat with the Cardinals for the Wild Card lead. This five game win streak and winning 9 of 10 has been refreshing on the heels of that 7 game losing streak. Hopefully the team can keep it up.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
National League wins All-Star Game (finally)
The National League beat the American League 3-1 tonight to win the Major League Baseball All-Star Game for the first time since 1996. The win ensures that the National League will have home field advantage in the World Series this year. It's about freaking time the National League wins. So optimistically this means the San Francisco Giants could have home field advantage in the World Series. But that's getting ahead of ourselves.
The big hit came from Braves catcher Brian McCann in the seventh inning. With the American League nursing a 1-0 lead with two outs in the inning, McCann cracked a bases clearing double to put the National League up 3-1 which would end up being the final margin. Not surprisingly, McCann was named MVP of the game. It was a clutch hit and really just helped the NL break the long winless streak. Jonathan Broxton of the Dodgers pitched the ninth to earn the save. He was aided by a terrific play by Cubs right fielder Marlon Byrd who threw out Red Sox DH David Ortiz at second base following a shallow fly ball from Blue Jays C John Buck that landed in front of Byrd. Instead of there being two on and one out, there was one on with two out. That's a big difference and the game ended one batter later.
I enjoyed Byrd and outfielders Michael Bourne of the Astros and Chris Young of the Diamondbacks do a simultaneous jump following the last out being recorded. I like seeing guys look like they enjoy the game; it brings a smile to my face every time. Byrd is fast becoming a favorite of mine because he always seems to have a smile on his face and enjoys playing the game. I saw an interview he did on Sunday and he just seemed ecstatic to be going to the All-Star game. He also smiled a lot in the game tonight and pumped his fist after sliding in just ahead of the throw for the third National League run. So he's a player I'm going to pay more attention to him.
Also in baseball today, longtime New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner passed away this morning at the age of 80. He was a polarizing figure and I have to admit that I didn't really ever like the way he ran things because I didn't (and don't) think it was good for baseball. He tried to buy championships and it tore down the integrity of the game in my opinion because it meant teams weren't on as equal of footing financially. I don't want to delve too much into that right now. Steinbrenner is said to have often been good to his players and to have been good in the community and it's notable that so many people are lamenting his loss. But that still doesn't change the way I feel that he wasn't good for the game overall.
The big hit came from Braves catcher Brian McCann in the seventh inning. With the American League nursing a 1-0 lead with two outs in the inning, McCann cracked a bases clearing double to put the National League up 3-1 which would end up being the final margin. Not surprisingly, McCann was named MVP of the game. It was a clutch hit and really just helped the NL break the long winless streak. Jonathan Broxton of the Dodgers pitched the ninth to earn the save. He was aided by a terrific play by Cubs right fielder Marlon Byrd who threw out Red Sox DH David Ortiz at second base following a shallow fly ball from Blue Jays C John Buck that landed in front of Byrd. Instead of there being two on and one out, there was one on with two out. That's a big difference and the game ended one batter later.
I enjoyed Byrd and outfielders Michael Bourne of the Astros and Chris Young of the Diamondbacks do a simultaneous jump following the last out being recorded. I like seeing guys look like they enjoy the game; it brings a smile to my face every time. Byrd is fast becoming a favorite of mine because he always seems to have a smile on his face and enjoys playing the game. I saw an interview he did on Sunday and he just seemed ecstatic to be going to the All-Star game. He also smiled a lot in the game tonight and pumped his fist after sliding in just ahead of the throw for the third National League run. So he's a player I'm going to pay more attention to him.
Also in baseball today, longtime New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner passed away this morning at the age of 80. He was a polarizing figure and I have to admit that I didn't really ever like the way he ran things because I didn't (and don't) think it was good for baseball. He tried to buy championships and it tore down the integrity of the game in my opinion because it meant teams weren't on as equal of footing financially. I don't want to delve too much into that right now. Steinbrenner is said to have often been good to his players and to have been good in the community and it's notable that so many people are lamenting his loss. But that still doesn't change the way I feel that he wasn't good for the game overall.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Spain wins first World Cup
At left: Spain celebrates its first World Cup championship.Spain won the 2010 World Cup yesterday with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in Johannesburg, South Africa. Andres Iniesta scored in the 116th minute (in extra time) and it proved to be the winner. It was really a pretty ugly game with a lot of fouls and so forth and the Netherlands strategy has to be questioned. Spain seemed to play the purer form of soccer and appeared to be the better team. So hats off to the Spaniards; it's quite an achievement. I'm not sure they have stopped partying in Madrid and all throughout Spain and who can blame them?
It was quite the World Cup I have to say. There was a lot of drama, such as Ghana missing a game winning penalty kick that would have sent them to the semi-finals and then losing the match in as big of a heart breaker as you can imagine in penalty kicks, and Landon Donovan's late goal against Algeria to send the USA to the knockout stage. South Africa was a great host country if you ask me and the atmosphere was quite festive throughout. It was the first time the World Cup was ever held in Africa and I thought it was just spectacular. Having the Tournament in South Africa brought a unique feel to it that has never been present before and I am glad I was able to watch some of it. Now, we look forward to 2014 in Brazil and hope that the USA can improve then on its Round of 16 appearance this year.
Monday, July 12, 2010
All-Star Game tomorrow; Ortiz wins Derby; MLB thoughts
David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox (51-37) won the Home Run Derby tonight at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, topping Hanley Ramirez of the Florida Marlins (42-46) in the final round by a total of 11 to 5. Ortiz seems like a nice guy and it was cool to see him win. It doesn't mean too much for the second half of the season, but it was fun to see all the players relax and participate and watch the Derby. Many of them had their kids on the field which was also cool. It was a very festive atmosphere and I always enjoy watching it. I liked how Ortiz said it was for the fans, he really seems to get it. He also gave a shout out to former Major League pitcher Jose Lima, who died earlier this year which was cool to see.
The All-Star Game is tomorrow night. Coverage starts at 6 p.m. MT on FOX. It's kind of a big deal in case you haven't heard. Here are the starting line-ups for both teams:
National League:
SS Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins
2B Martin Prado, Atlanta Braves
1B Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
DH Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
3B David Wright, New York Mets
LF Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers
CF Andre Ethier, Los Angeles Dodgers
RF Corey Hart, Milwaukee Brewers
C Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals
SP Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado Rockies
American League:
RF Ichiro, Seattle Mariners
SS Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
1B Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
CF Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
DH Vladimir Guerrero, Texas Rangers
3B Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
C Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
2B Robinson Cano, New York Yankees
LF Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Rays
SP David Price, Tampa Bay Rays
For the full rosters, check out mlb.com. I'm really stoked for the big game tomorrow and I'm really pulling for a National League victory. It's about time I say.
As for my San Francisco Giants (47-41), I said that if they finished the last seven games of their road trip 5-2 that it would be successful. Well, 6-1 would be considered great. Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey, among others, carried the load for the offense and the pitching was solid during a four game sweep of Milwaukee (40-49) and taking two of three from the Nationals (39-50). I don't think I've ever seen a team play as bad over the course of a series as the Brewers did this week. They just looked awful and it made you wonder how they ever won games. I don't think they are as bad as they looked, although the Giants probably had something to do with that. It was good to go into the break on a positive note after that seven game losing streak and the Giants are right in the midst of the playoff races. Here's a look at the contending teams in the National League West:
W L GB
San Diego Padres 51 37 --
Colorado Rockies 49 39 2
Los Angeles Dodgers 49 39 2
San Francisco Giants 47 41 4
And now the National League Wild Card:
W L GB
Colorado Rockies 49 39 --
Los Angeles Dodgers 49 39 --
New York Mets 48 40 1
Philadelphia Phillies 47 40 1.5
San Francisco Giants 47 41 2
St. Louis Cardinals 47 41 2
So as you can see the Giants are only two back in the Wild Card and four back in the division. So there is definitely perfectly good reason for hope. I'm going to keep the faith alive. As for the Phillies, they had a very big four game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds (49-41) at Citizens Bank Park this weekend after dropping two of three to the Atlanta Braves (52-36). The Braves have opened up a 4 game lead on the Mets and 4.5 on the Phils, but it's hardly insurmountable. And the Phils are only 1 back in the loss column in the Wild Card hunt. They showed a lot of heart in sweeping the Reds in four very close games this weekend after a tough series against Atlanta to stay right in the thick of the race. I still think it will be an upset if they don't at least make the playoffs.
The Chicago White Sox (49-38) have been tearing it up and I'd have to say they are the hottest team in baseball. I think it's been 25 wins in 30 games now and they erased what was about a 9 game division deficit about a month ago to the Twins (46-42) and now the Sox lead the Tigers (48-38) by a half-game in the AL Central at the break. They are riding an 8 game win streak and that has followed closely on the heels of an 11 game win streak. It's too early to say for sure, but there is reason to believe that my preseason pick to win the division will be accurate.
The Texas Rangers (50-38) acquired star pitcher Cliff Lee from the Seattle Mariners (35-53) on Friday and Lee made his Rangers debut last night against the Baltimore Orioles (29-59). The Orioles won the game and swept the four game series in Arlington, but Lee gives the Rangers a legitimate number one starter and makes them the clear cut favorite to win the AL West. With Lee in the rotation and a potent offense, the team even has the potential to do some damage in the playoffs.
The All-Star Game is tomorrow night. Coverage starts at 6 p.m. MT on FOX. It's kind of a big deal in case you haven't heard. Here are the starting line-ups for both teams:
National League:
SS Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins
2B Martin Prado, Atlanta Braves
1B Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals
DH Ryan Howard, Philadelphia Phillies
3B David Wright, New York Mets
LF Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers
CF Andre Ethier, Los Angeles Dodgers
RF Corey Hart, Milwaukee Brewers
C Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals
SP Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado Rockies
American League:
RF Ichiro, Seattle Mariners
SS Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
1B Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
CF Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
DH Vladimir Guerrero, Texas Rangers
3B Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
C Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
2B Robinson Cano, New York Yankees
LF Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Rays
SP David Price, Tampa Bay Rays
For the full rosters, check out mlb.com. I'm really stoked for the big game tomorrow and I'm really pulling for a National League victory. It's about time I say.
As for my San Francisco Giants (47-41), I said that if they finished the last seven games of their road trip 5-2 that it would be successful. Well, 6-1 would be considered great. Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey, among others, carried the load for the offense and the pitching was solid during a four game sweep of Milwaukee (40-49) and taking two of three from the Nationals (39-50). I don't think I've ever seen a team play as bad over the course of a series as the Brewers did this week. They just looked awful and it made you wonder how they ever won games. I don't think they are as bad as they looked, although the Giants probably had something to do with that. It was good to go into the break on a positive note after that seven game losing streak and the Giants are right in the midst of the playoff races. Here's a look at the contending teams in the National League West:
W L GB
San Diego Padres 51 37 --
Colorado Rockies 49 39 2
Los Angeles Dodgers 49 39 2
San Francisco Giants 47 41 4
And now the National League Wild Card:
W L GB
Colorado Rockies 49 39 --
Los Angeles Dodgers 49 39 --
New York Mets 48 40 1
Philadelphia Phillies 47 40 1.5
San Francisco Giants 47 41 2
St. Louis Cardinals 47 41 2
So as you can see the Giants are only two back in the Wild Card and four back in the division. So there is definitely perfectly good reason for hope. I'm going to keep the faith alive. As for the Phillies, they had a very big four game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds (49-41) at Citizens Bank Park this weekend after dropping two of three to the Atlanta Braves (52-36). The Braves have opened up a 4 game lead on the Mets and 4.5 on the Phils, but it's hardly insurmountable. And the Phils are only 1 back in the loss column in the Wild Card hunt. They showed a lot of heart in sweeping the Reds in four very close games this weekend after a tough series against Atlanta to stay right in the thick of the race. I still think it will be an upset if they don't at least make the playoffs.
The Chicago White Sox (49-38) have been tearing it up and I'd have to say they are the hottest team in baseball. I think it's been 25 wins in 30 games now and they erased what was about a 9 game division deficit about a month ago to the Twins (46-42) and now the Sox lead the Tigers (48-38) by a half-game in the AL Central at the break. They are riding an 8 game win streak and that has followed closely on the heels of an 11 game win streak. It's too early to say for sure, but there is reason to believe that my preseason pick to win the division will be accurate.
The Texas Rangers (50-38) acquired star pitcher Cliff Lee from the Seattle Mariners (35-53) on Friday and Lee made his Rangers debut last night against the Baltimore Orioles (29-59). The Orioles won the game and swept the four game series in Arlington, but Lee gives the Rangers a legitimate number one starter and makes them the clear cut favorite to win the AL West. With Lee in the rotation and a potent offense, the team even has the potential to do some damage in the playoffs.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
James to Heat
LeBron James announced tonight that he will be signing a five year contract with the Miami Heat to play with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in South Beach. The move immediately makes the Heat the favorite to win the Eastern Conference next year, although the Celtics and Magic will still be forces to be reckoned with. It's going to be fun to see these guys play together -- they are going to win a lot of games. I'd be surprised if they didn't win at least one NBA Title during their run together. I'm glad the decision is over with and we can now see where the rest of the free agents are going to go.
It seems like James' heart is still in Cleveland to some extent as he said that in a perfect world he might have been able to stay in Cleveland but he wanted a better chance to win. It's sad to me that places like Cleveland aren't always considered top threats to win and that bigger, more glamorous markets are deemed better opportunities. But such is life in sports I guess. And James is taking a smaller contract than he could have gotten in Cleveland so there is something to be said for that (although he should make up that money with endorsements particularly as he will now be based in Miami).
It seems like James' heart is still in Cleveland to some extent as he said that in a perfect world he might have been able to stay in Cleveland but he wanted a better chance to win. It's sad to me that places like Cleveland aren't always considered top threats to win and that bigger, more glamorous markets are deemed better opportunities. But such is life in sports I guess. And James is taking a smaller contract than he could have gotten in Cleveland so there is something to be said for that (although he should make up that money with endorsements particularly as he will now be based in Miami).
Boozer on his way to Bulls
More NBA free agent news: PF Carlos Boozer has agreed to a five year deal with the Chicago Bulls for roughly $80 million and will leave the Utah Jazz. Boozer has been great at times with the Jazz, but also inconsistent, oft-injured and frustrating. But his roughly 20 points and 10 rebounds per game will not be easy to replace here in Utah. I'm hoping Paul Millsap is up to the challenge. I'll be interested to see what happens with the Jazz's other free agents. I thought Boozer wasn't guaranteed to stay with the Jazz, but I thought it was likely he would. This is a bit of a surprise, but I think the Jazz will be okay and still competitive.
In other news Ray Allen has re-upped with the Celtics for 2 years and $20 million and Kevin Durant has agreed to a five year, $86 million extension with the Thunder. Allen, along with the also recently re-signed Paul Pierce as well as Kevin Garnett, should keep the Celtics relevant in the East for at least another year or two. The Thunder are becoming an increasingly dangerous team, with Durant evolving into a genuine superstar. I think they will be in the upper half of the Western Conference next season.
It's all set for the World Cup Final on Sunday: it will be Spain vs. the Netherlands at 12:30 p.m. MT on ABC. Neither nation has ever won the World Cup before so we are assured of a first time winner. I'll have more on that as the championship match draws closer.
In other news Ray Allen has re-upped with the Celtics for 2 years and $20 million and Kevin Durant has agreed to a five year, $86 million extension with the Thunder. Allen, along with the also recently re-signed Paul Pierce as well as Kevin Garnett, should keep the Celtics relevant in the East for at least another year or two. The Thunder are becoming an increasingly dangerous team, with Durant evolving into a genuine superstar. I think they will be in the upper half of the Western Conference next season.
It's all set for the World Cup Final on Sunday: it will be Spain vs. the Netherlands at 12:30 p.m. MT on ABC. Neither nation has ever won the World Cup before so we are assured of a first time winner. I'll have more on that as the championship match draws closer.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Wade and Bosh to sign with Heat
Two of the most sought after free agents, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, announced today that they will both be signing with the Miami Heat. Wade has played his entire career in Miami while Bosh is coming over from the Toronto Raptors. The move should help the Heat improve and help them draw closer to championship contenders. I don't know if they will be able to win it all unless they get some other supporting players.
Speaking of other players, LeBron James has yet to announce his decision but word has come out that he will do so tomorrow night at 7 p.m. MT in a one hour special on ESPN. I think he will either stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers or join Wade and Bosh in Miami. I'll be interested to see what he chooses to do. Word was James had been trying to recruit Bosh to join him with the Cavaliers but that Bosh did not want to play in Cleveland. So that shows that James has some desire to remain in Cleveland. I don't know if he'll want to stay unless he knows someone else will be coming also. We'll know tomorrow night. Oh and this from Conan O'Brien's Twitter account: "I don't care where LeBron James ends up... As long as it's not at 11 pm on TBS." Good stuff considering all that's happened in the late night talk show world.
As for the Jazz, there is no news yet on any of their free agents. I think things should start moving one way or another when dominoes start to fall following the James decision.
Speaking of other players, LeBron James has yet to announce his decision but word has come out that he will do so tomorrow night at 7 p.m. MT in a one hour special on ESPN. I think he will either stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers or join Wade and Bosh in Miami. I'll be interested to see what he chooses to do. Word was James had been trying to recruit Bosh to join him with the Cavaliers but that Bosh did not want to play in Cleveland. So that shows that James has some desire to remain in Cleveland. I don't know if he'll want to stay unless he knows someone else will be coming also. We'll know tomorrow night. Oh and this from Conan O'Brien's Twitter account: "I don't care where LeBron James ends up... As long as it's not at 11 pm on TBS." Good stuff considering all that's happened in the late night talk show world.
As for the Jazz, there is no news yet on any of their free agents. I think things should start moving one way or another when dominoes start to fall following the James decision.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Division by division midseason looks
Okay, so I'm revising my first half National League MVP pick from Mets third baseman David Wright to Reds first baseman Joey Votto. Votto is hitting .316 with 21 home runs and 59 RBI. His OBP is .419 and his SLG is .595. Wright is still a good candidate and if he keeps ups his pace he could still win the MVP, but Votto's numbers are just slightly better. Also key is that Votto has meant a lot to the Reds, I don't think there is any way they would be first or maybe even second right now without him.
And now I'm set to give a division by division review of roughly the first half of the season and I'll even include the Wild Cards. I would like to take the opportunity now to say that I could still reasonably have gotten all of the postseason teams correct in my preseason picks. They aren't all in position right now, but they're all reasonably close.
AL East:
My preseason pick: Tampa Bay Rays
Current leader: New York Yankees
My thoughts: The Rays (50-33) hit a rough spot but are now just two games back of the Yankees (52-31) and figure to be in the race all year. The Red Sox (49-35) are still in the race also and should make things interesting. I think it'll be a three team race all the way down to the last week or so, just as I thought before the season. These three could very well end up with the three best records in the American League but only two get in. I think the Rays and Yankees will make it and the Red Sox will be on the outside. The Rays seem to be playing with a chip on their shoulders and the Yankees are just really, really tough and don't figure to have any sort of prolonged slumps (though I would like very much to see that happen). I think the Yanks take the division and the Rays the Wild Card.
AL Central:
My preseason pick: Chicago White Sox
Current leader: Detroit Tigers
My thoughts: I said just a few weeks ago that the only one of my preseason picks I wished I'd had back was picking the White Sox (44-38) to win the Central. They were really struggling, particularly on offense, and were well back of the Twins (45-38) and Tigers (45-37). An eleven game win streak and sustained strong play later it turns out I may have been on to something. The Sox are merely one game back of Detroit and have been playing like the team I expected them to be. Starting pitcher Jake Peavy went down tonight with an injury (uncertain of how serious it is), but even so the team really seems to have gelled and I'm going to take them to win the Central. This too will be a tight race into September though, and I suspect all three of these teams will have something to say.
AL West:
My preseason pick: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Current leader: Texas Rangers
My thoughts: The Rangers (49-34) led the division for much of the season last year, but faded down the stretch. They have a 4.5 game lead over the Angels (46-40) right now and I'm going to say the Rangers are going to hold on and win the division this year behind improved pitching and of course the acquisition of former Angels slugger Vladimir Guerrero in the offseason. Guerrero has been outstanding for the Rangers and coupled with Josh Hamilton and others in the lineup, the Rangers offense has been dynamic. They too recently had an 11 game win streak. The Angels just seem to have been scuffling along and not playing great baseball. I think they'll stay within striking distance, but I don't think they have enough for a fourth straight division title. I picked the Seattle Mariners (34-49) to finish second in the division after a promising 2009 season and it turns out they have been one of the biggest disappointments in all of baseball, trailing Texas by 15 games.
AL Wild Card:
My preseason pick: New York Yankees
Current leader: Tampa Bay Rays (Yankees lead East)
My thoughts: You can refer to above in the AL East section. The Wild Card is definitely coming out of the AL East. No team not in first in another division is within five of the Rays.
NL East:
My preseason pick: Philadelphia Phillies
Current leader: Atlanta Braves
My thoughts: I had the Braves (49-35) pegged to make the playoffs and still think they will, I'm just surprised that they have been on top of the division for so long. I think the Phillies' (43-39) experience will help them to ultimately win the division, but it will be closer than I originally thought. A lot depends on if the Phillies can get fully healthy and how much they can stay in the race in the mean time. The Mets (47-37) have been surprisingly solid and they look like they will be making the race interesting in their own right down the stretch. The Marlins (39-43) have been a bit of a disappointment so far and the Nationals (37-47) are still bad, but not as bad, and have Stephen Strasburg.
NL Central:
My preseason pick: St. Louis Cardinals
Current leader: Cincinnati Reds
My thoughts: The Reds (48-37) have to be the biggest surprise in baseball. They've had some great hitters all along, but now their pitching is coming along to match and their consistency has been very unexpected. The Cardinals (45-38) are right there and I don't see them going anywhere. However, I'm going to pick the Reds to win it now, although I picked them fourth in my preseason picks. I didn't expect the Milwaukee Brewers (37-47) to have great pitching, but I expected it to be average enough to keep them relatively close with their great lineup. They've been a disappointment and I honestly only expected a little bit more than this from the Cubs (37-47).
NL West:
My preseason pick: Colorado Rockies
Current leader: San Diego Padres
My thoughts: I picked the Padres (49-34) to finish dead last in the West, but their pitching has been nothing short of outstanding all season long and they have had decent if not great offense with timely hitting. The Padres seem like a tight knit bunch and I think they will win the division now in stark contrast to what I had picked before the season. The Dodgers (45-37) are in second, but I think the Rockies (45-38) will take second and even put some heat on the Padres. The Rockies are notoriously a second-half team and I think this year will be the same. They are already showing signs of heating up. Tonight they came back from six runs down in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Cardinals tonight. I think the Giants (43-40) will be in the mix too, but it's sadly looking like they will take fourth. However, I think all four of these teams will stay in the race and anything can happen, so there is reason to hope for the Orange and Black.
NL Wild Card:
My preseason pick: Atlanta Braves
Current leader: New York Mets (Braves lead East)
My thoughts: The Mets have been good, but I think they will fade just enough down the stretch to not actually win the Wild Card. Since I now have the Padres winning the West, I'm going to take the Rockies with the Wild Card behind a solid second half.
And now I'm set to give a division by division review of roughly the first half of the season and I'll even include the Wild Cards. I would like to take the opportunity now to say that I could still reasonably have gotten all of the postseason teams correct in my preseason picks. They aren't all in position right now, but they're all reasonably close.
AL East:
My preseason pick: Tampa Bay Rays
Current leader: New York Yankees
My thoughts: The Rays (50-33) hit a rough spot but are now just two games back of the Yankees (52-31) and figure to be in the race all year. The Red Sox (49-35) are still in the race also and should make things interesting. I think it'll be a three team race all the way down to the last week or so, just as I thought before the season. These three could very well end up with the three best records in the American League but only two get in. I think the Rays and Yankees will make it and the Red Sox will be on the outside. The Rays seem to be playing with a chip on their shoulders and the Yankees are just really, really tough and don't figure to have any sort of prolonged slumps (though I would like very much to see that happen). I think the Yanks take the division and the Rays the Wild Card.
AL Central:
My preseason pick: Chicago White Sox
Current leader: Detroit Tigers
My thoughts: I said just a few weeks ago that the only one of my preseason picks I wished I'd had back was picking the White Sox (44-38) to win the Central. They were really struggling, particularly on offense, and were well back of the Twins (45-38) and Tigers (45-37). An eleven game win streak and sustained strong play later it turns out I may have been on to something. The Sox are merely one game back of Detroit and have been playing like the team I expected them to be. Starting pitcher Jake Peavy went down tonight with an injury (uncertain of how serious it is), but even so the team really seems to have gelled and I'm going to take them to win the Central. This too will be a tight race into September though, and I suspect all three of these teams will have something to say.
AL West:
My preseason pick: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Current leader: Texas Rangers
My thoughts: The Rangers (49-34) led the division for much of the season last year, but faded down the stretch. They have a 4.5 game lead over the Angels (46-40) right now and I'm going to say the Rangers are going to hold on and win the division this year behind improved pitching and of course the acquisition of former Angels slugger Vladimir Guerrero in the offseason. Guerrero has been outstanding for the Rangers and coupled with Josh Hamilton and others in the lineup, the Rangers offense has been dynamic. They too recently had an 11 game win streak. The Angels just seem to have been scuffling along and not playing great baseball. I think they'll stay within striking distance, but I don't think they have enough for a fourth straight division title. I picked the Seattle Mariners (34-49) to finish second in the division after a promising 2009 season and it turns out they have been one of the biggest disappointments in all of baseball, trailing Texas by 15 games.
AL Wild Card:
My preseason pick: New York Yankees
Current leader: Tampa Bay Rays (Yankees lead East)
My thoughts: You can refer to above in the AL East section. The Wild Card is definitely coming out of the AL East. No team not in first in another division is within five of the Rays.
NL East:
My preseason pick: Philadelphia Phillies
Current leader: Atlanta Braves
My thoughts: I had the Braves (49-35) pegged to make the playoffs and still think they will, I'm just surprised that they have been on top of the division for so long. I think the Phillies' (43-39) experience will help them to ultimately win the division, but it will be closer than I originally thought. A lot depends on if the Phillies can get fully healthy and how much they can stay in the race in the mean time. The Mets (47-37) have been surprisingly solid and they look like they will be making the race interesting in their own right down the stretch. The Marlins (39-43) have been a bit of a disappointment so far and the Nationals (37-47) are still bad, but not as bad, and have Stephen Strasburg.
NL Central:
My preseason pick: St. Louis Cardinals
Current leader: Cincinnati Reds
My thoughts: The Reds (48-37) have to be the biggest surprise in baseball. They've had some great hitters all along, but now their pitching is coming along to match and their consistency has been very unexpected. The Cardinals (45-38) are right there and I don't see them going anywhere. However, I'm going to pick the Reds to win it now, although I picked them fourth in my preseason picks. I didn't expect the Milwaukee Brewers (37-47) to have great pitching, but I expected it to be average enough to keep them relatively close with their great lineup. They've been a disappointment and I honestly only expected a little bit more than this from the Cubs (37-47).
NL West:
My preseason pick: Colorado Rockies
Current leader: San Diego Padres
My thoughts: I picked the Padres (49-34) to finish dead last in the West, but their pitching has been nothing short of outstanding all season long and they have had decent if not great offense with timely hitting. The Padres seem like a tight knit bunch and I think they will win the division now in stark contrast to what I had picked before the season. The Dodgers (45-37) are in second, but I think the Rockies (45-38) will take second and even put some heat on the Padres. The Rockies are notoriously a second-half team and I think this year will be the same. They are already showing signs of heating up. Tonight they came back from six runs down in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Cardinals tonight. I think the Giants (43-40) will be in the mix too, but it's sadly looking like they will take fourth. However, I think all four of these teams will stay in the race and anything can happen, so there is reason to hope for the Orange and Black.
NL Wild Card:
My preseason pick: Atlanta Braves
Current leader: New York Mets (Braves lead East)
My thoughts: The Mets have been good, but I think they will fade just enough down the stretch to not actually win the Wild Card. Since I now have the Padres winning the West, I'm going to take the Rockies with the Wild Card behind a solid second half.
Monday, July 5, 2010
MLB first half awards
I'm really not a fan of either New York team, but it's hard to not select players from each team as the MVPs of the first half of the baseball season. Yankees (50-31) second baseman Robinson Cano has been having an outstanding first half, hitting .343 with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs along with a .396 OBP and a .569 SLG. He's really become a complete player, hitting for speed and power and is a big reason the Yankees are in front in the AL East.
Mets (46-36) third baseman David Wright (.315 BA, 14 HR, 64 RBI, .391 OBP, .541 SLG, 15 SB) has been really stepping up his game this year. He's had the talent, but I don't remember him ever having a season like this. He'd have to be my first half National League MVP. Leading the league in RBIs, plus hitting for average and power as well as having some speed on the bases and being thought of as a good defender at the hot corner.
As for the Cy Young leaders, I'm going to have to go with Josh Johnson (8-3, 1.82 ERA, 115 SO, 0.96 WHIP) of the Marlins (38-43) for the National League and David Price (11-4, 2.42 ERA, 90 SO, 1.20 WHIP) of the Rays (48-33) for the American League. The AL has a tight group including Clay Buchholz (10-4, 2.45 ERA) of the Red Sox (49-33) and Cliff Lee (8-3, 2.34 ERA) of the Mariners (34-47) among others. Price is really becoming a top of the rotation guy, though, and I think is more valuable to his team than the other guys are to theirs. His numbers are very comparable and I think he is ready to become a big game pitcher.
As for the National League, Ubaldo Jimenez (14-1, 2.27 ERA) of the Rockies (44-38) is who everyone is assuming is running away with the award. However, since June got under way, he has been very hittable and is now fourth in the league in ERA. Johnson just hasn't gotten as much hype, but leads the NL in ERA and deserves to be the All Star Game starter. He doesn't have as many wins, but his team hasn't played as well and I'm a big believer that ERA is more indicative of how a pitcher is going than is record.
Rookies of the year for the first half are Tigers (43-37) left fielder Brennan Boesch (.345, 12 HR, 46 RBIs) for the AL and Cardinals (45-37) pitcher Jaime Garcia (8-4, 2.10 ERA) for the NL. Boesch has been having a monster first half and I think it's downright criminal that he isn't on the All Star team. Twins (44-38) broadcaster Bert Blyleven insinuated that Boesch doesn't deserve to be on the All Star team because it's something that's earned over years of solidifying yourself as a player and not over a couple of months in a season. I disagree with that because I think each All Star Game should feature the players who are having the best seasons. That should be the reward, the Hall of Fame can be a reward for a good career. Boesch is having a great rookie season (great for any season really) and deserves to be going to Anaheim.
Garcia is like Boesch in that he doesn't get talked about as much as Jason Heyward of the Braves (48-34) or Ike Davis of the Mets or Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals (36-47). Those guys are all having good years and I particularly was gushing over the hot starts Heyward and Strasburg have gotten off to. However, Strasburg needs to maintain his pace (very possible, by the way) to earn such consideration and Heyward has slumped a bit and been bothered by injuries some, though I still think he is going to be a superstar sooner rather than later. Garcia has a solid record and is second only to Johnson of the Marlins in ERA in the National League. So as far as I'm concerned he's even an early Cy Young candidate. I bet most people don't know that he has a better ERA than Jimenez.
Anyway, these are my first half awards. Of course a lot can change in the second half of a season and I'll give my final awards after the regular season ends.
Mets (46-36) third baseman David Wright (.315 BA, 14 HR, 64 RBI, .391 OBP, .541 SLG, 15 SB) has been really stepping up his game this year. He's had the talent, but I don't remember him ever having a season like this. He'd have to be my first half National League MVP. Leading the league in RBIs, plus hitting for average and power as well as having some speed on the bases and being thought of as a good defender at the hot corner.
As for the Cy Young leaders, I'm going to have to go with Josh Johnson (8-3, 1.82 ERA, 115 SO, 0.96 WHIP) of the Marlins (38-43) for the National League and David Price (11-4, 2.42 ERA, 90 SO, 1.20 WHIP) of the Rays (48-33) for the American League. The AL has a tight group including Clay Buchholz (10-4, 2.45 ERA) of the Red Sox (49-33) and Cliff Lee (8-3, 2.34 ERA) of the Mariners (34-47) among others. Price is really becoming a top of the rotation guy, though, and I think is more valuable to his team than the other guys are to theirs. His numbers are very comparable and I think he is ready to become a big game pitcher.
As for the National League, Ubaldo Jimenez (14-1, 2.27 ERA) of the Rockies (44-38) is who everyone is assuming is running away with the award. However, since June got under way, he has been very hittable and is now fourth in the league in ERA. Johnson just hasn't gotten as much hype, but leads the NL in ERA and deserves to be the All Star Game starter. He doesn't have as many wins, but his team hasn't played as well and I'm a big believer that ERA is more indicative of how a pitcher is going than is record.
Rookies of the year for the first half are Tigers (43-37) left fielder Brennan Boesch (.345, 12 HR, 46 RBIs) for the AL and Cardinals (45-37) pitcher Jaime Garcia (8-4, 2.10 ERA) for the NL. Boesch has been having a monster first half and I think it's downright criminal that he isn't on the All Star team. Twins (44-38) broadcaster Bert Blyleven insinuated that Boesch doesn't deserve to be on the All Star team because it's something that's earned over years of solidifying yourself as a player and not over a couple of months in a season. I disagree with that because I think each All Star Game should feature the players who are having the best seasons. That should be the reward, the Hall of Fame can be a reward for a good career. Boesch is having a great rookie season (great for any season really) and deserves to be going to Anaheim.
Garcia is like Boesch in that he doesn't get talked about as much as Jason Heyward of the Braves (48-34) or Ike Davis of the Mets or Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals (36-47). Those guys are all having good years and I particularly was gushing over the hot starts Heyward and Strasburg have gotten off to. However, Strasburg needs to maintain his pace (very possible, by the way) to earn such consideration and Heyward has slumped a bit and been bothered by injuries some, though I still think he is going to be a superstar sooner rather than later. Garcia has a solid record and is second only to Johnson of the Marlins in ERA in the National League. So as far as I'm concerned he's even an early Cy Young candidate. I bet most people don't know that he has a better ERA than Jimenez.
Anyway, these are my first half awards. Of course a lot can change in the second half of a season and I'll give my final awards after the regular season ends.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Giants and Phillies trying to stay in races
The San Francisco Giants (41-40) finally won a game on Saturday night, but still dropped three of four in Denver to the Rockies (44-38). The Giants have now lost eight of their last nine games as well as ten of their last twelve. They are now solidly in fourth place in the National League West, trailing first place San Diego (49-33) by 7 1/2 games.
The Giants are now on the periphery of the race and simply cannot have this type of play continue or they will fall out of the division race altogether. The team has shown some resiliency in the last two games that is encouraging, so I'm hoping that will lead to a solid four games series in Milwaukee (37-45) this week. The first game of that series is tomorrow at 2 p.m. MT.
One thing I'm hopeful about is that the Giants are still only 4 1/2 games behind in the Wild Card race that the New York Mets (46-36) lead. The bad news is they are in sixth place in that race. Hopefully this resiliency they've shown in winning last night despite blowing a six run lead and today where they scored three in the eighth to tie the game before losing in 15 innings will come through.
My second favorite team, the Philadelphia Phillies (42-38) are just ahead of the Giants in the Wild Card race and trail the Mets by three games. They trail division leading Atlanta (48-34) by five games with a big series featuring the two starting tomorrow night at 5 p.m. MT on ESPN. The key for me is the Phils only trail the Mets by two in the loss column and the Braves by four. So they are right in the race. I'm much more optimistic about Philadelphia because they have won the last two National League Pennants and came from behind in September to win the NL East from the Mets. Once Chase Utley and Placido Polanco come of the disabled list, I think they will be playing even better. I think they will be able to hang in the race until then and maybe even do some damage -- even without those players the Phillies are still a dangerous team.
The Giants need to do much better on the last seven games of their current road trip which will take them up to the All Star break. They then have a big series at home against the Mets right after the break that could really push them into the race, or push them out altogether. The key is keeping things relatively close over these next seven. I think they need to go at least 5-2 for me to consider it a success as they are visiting two teams with sub .500 records in Milwaukee and Washington (36-47). I think 4-3 is the more likely scenario, however and I wouldn't even be too surprised at 3-4 the way they have been playing. The Giants are exactly halfway through the season today and as such I'll try and get back on later tonight for a sort of mid-year review of baseball.
The Giants are now on the periphery of the race and simply cannot have this type of play continue or they will fall out of the division race altogether. The team has shown some resiliency in the last two games that is encouraging, so I'm hoping that will lead to a solid four games series in Milwaukee (37-45) this week. The first game of that series is tomorrow at 2 p.m. MT.
One thing I'm hopeful about is that the Giants are still only 4 1/2 games behind in the Wild Card race that the New York Mets (46-36) lead. The bad news is they are in sixth place in that race. Hopefully this resiliency they've shown in winning last night despite blowing a six run lead and today where they scored three in the eighth to tie the game before losing in 15 innings will come through.
My second favorite team, the Philadelphia Phillies (42-38) are just ahead of the Giants in the Wild Card race and trail the Mets by three games. They trail division leading Atlanta (48-34) by five games with a big series featuring the two starting tomorrow night at 5 p.m. MT on ESPN. The key for me is the Phils only trail the Mets by two in the loss column and the Braves by four. So they are right in the race. I'm much more optimistic about Philadelphia because they have won the last two National League Pennants and came from behind in September to win the NL East from the Mets. Once Chase Utley and Placido Polanco come of the disabled list, I think they will be playing even better. I think they will be able to hang in the race until then and maybe even do some damage -- even without those players the Phillies are still a dangerous team.
The Giants need to do much better on the last seven games of their current road trip which will take them up to the All Star break. They then have a big series at home against the Mets right after the break that could really push them into the race, or push them out altogether. The key is keeping things relatively close over these next seven. I think they need to go at least 5-2 for me to consider it a success as they are visiting two teams with sub .500 records in Milwaukee and Washington (36-47). I think 4-3 is the more likely scenario, however and I wouldn't even be too surprised at 3-4 the way they have been playing. The Giants are exactly halfway through the season today and as such I'll try and get back on later tonight for a sort of mid-year review of baseball.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
NBA musings
At left: The Jazz selected Gordon Hayward from Butler.
The Utah Jazz drafted Gordon Hayward from Butler with the ninth pick in the NBA Draft last week. I was hoping we could get Greg Monroe from Georgetown, but my second favorite team, the Detroit Pistons nabbed him a couple of picks earlier. I don't think there were any can't miss big men on the board at number nine so I'm not really upset that the Jazz didn't get a big man.
Hayward had a monster run with Butler during this year's NCAA Tournament and my dad and I had the privilege of watching him play in person during the Bulldogs' Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight victories over Syracuse and Kansas State. I think he was the best player on the court on either team in both of those games and helped carry Butler to victory. He had an incredible step-back three that really was something to behold.
I just think Hayward has a lot of the intangibles and knows how to win. He's a good player and a good teammate and genuinely cares about basketball and winning. I think he will be a good fit here in Utah. I'm not particularly enamored with the booing that took place at Energy Solutions Arena at the draft day party last week. I think we should be happy to be getting a good player and again I didn't think there were any sure-fire, can't-miss guys that we passed up to get him (I mean it's not like we passed on Monroe, John Wall or Evan Turner).
In case you haven't heard, the NBA Free Agency period is under way and players are now permitted to talk to teams. The big question on everyone's mind is what will happen with LeBron James. Reports are that he has already met with the Nets and Knicks and still plans to meet with the Heat, Bulls, Clippers and Cavaliers. He'll be able to make a lot of money wherever he goes. My bet is he will re-sign with Cleveland but I wouldn't be surprised to see him go and the most likely of those scenarios to me is him going to Miami to team with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. There's a lot of big-name free-agents out there including Dirk Nowitzki (likely to re-sign with Dallas), Amare Stoudemire as well as Carlos Boozer. I think Boozer will be back in Utah but that's far from a guarantee from me.
The World Cup quarterfinals begin tomorrow with Brazil vs. the Netherlands at 8 a.m. MT and Ghana vs. Uruguay at 12:30 p.m. MT with both games on ESPN and espn3.com. On Saturday it's Germany vs. Argentina at 8 a.m. MT and Spain vs. Paraguay at 12:30 p.m. MT with both of those games on ABC. And of course if you own one of those new 3-D televisions you can watch in 3-D. I don't have one so I guess I will "settle" for HD on the games I watch which will be hopefully at least part of three of the four games. The semis are next Tuesday and Wednesday.
Check out below for more pictures including a comparison I make of Dodgers pitcher Vincente Padilla to The Joker.
Bengie Molina traded to Rangers
At left: Bengie Molina has been traded to the Texas Rangers.Bengie Molina was traded from the Giants to the Texas Rangers (47-30) last night for relief pitcher Chris Ray. It's a really, really sad thing for me to have to see. Molina is one of my favorite Giants players of all-time because he had all the intangibles that make someone a great player and a winning player. He was a great catcher and a good hitter with some pop in his bat, but also a really good teammate. He genuinely seemed to care for his teammates as well as his family and friends and had a sincere desire to win.
He was also a very clutch hitter and was someone I always liked having at the plate in crunch time. I particularly remember a game late in the season last year at AT&T Park against the Arizona Diamondbacks that the Giants absolutely had to have in order to stay in the pennant race. The Diamondbacks led by two in the bottom of the 8th inning with two outs and two runners on for the Giants. Bengie, nursing a sore calf, muscled out a three-run home run to left field. It was one of those very cool baseball moments that I may never forget. He got a curtain call with the crowd chanting "Bengie, Bengie" and it was just awesome. I'm glad I got to see him hit a home run in person during my visit to San Francisco this year. I'm really going to miss having him on the team.
Buster Posey looks like he will be taking over as catcher. I really like Posey and think he is already a good player that will only be getting better. He's a good hitter and I hope he'll be good behind the plate too. I think he'll fill that spot in the lineup well. But that doesn't change that I'm really going to miss Bengie and wish that he would have been able to stick around for at least the rest of the season. Based on his comments, Bengie seems a little upset about being traded and I could really tell that he loves this Giants team and his teammates. I wish him well with the Rangers and think they are fortunate to be getting such a good guy on their team.
Giants have now lost six straight
Pictured: Dodgers pitcher Vincente Padilla reminds me of The Joker.
So the Giants (40-38) were swept by the Dodgers (43-35) after dropping the last two to the Red Sox (47-32) and then lost the opener of their road trip tonight to the Rockies (42-37). So that's now six straight losses by the Giants. I don't know how much more of this I can take. We're falling further behind in the standings every day and are now in fourth place in the National League West. We need to win tomorrow to tie the Rockies in the loss column for third and still only be a few games back of the second place Dodgers. The Giants really need a solid road trip.
As I watching the Giants-Dodgers game yesterday I couldn't help but notice that Dodgers pitcher Vincente Padilla (2-2, 5.05 ERA) looks like the character "The Joker" from the Batman movies. And he is indeed a nemesis to the Giants. Not only did he pitch very well yesterday in helping the Blue Crew complete the sweep, but he also hit Giants center fielder Aaron Rowand (.239 avg, 7 hr, 24 rbi) in the face with a pitch earlier this season in Los Angeles, fracturing a bone in Rowand's cheek and landing him on the disabled list. Rowand has struggled pretty much ever since the injury and has even found substantial time on the bench when healthy, but has really been turning it around at the plate recently and hitting well. Rowand took Padilla deep for a home run to straightaway center field yesterday. It was really cool to see him exact some measure of revenge. I also enjoyed Giants relief pitcher Santiago Casilla (1-2, 2.51 ERA, 2 saves) throw a pitch clearly aimed at hitting Padilla, showing him the Giants haven't forgotten about the Rowand incident. Unfortunately those were about the only things I have enjoyed over the last six games.
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