Picking out the perfect jersey

The holidays are quickly approaching and whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, or Festivus, gift giving and receiving is on the mind. One essential item every baseball fan must have is the jersey from his/her favorite team. When selecting a jersey to buy there is an important set of guidelines to follow to ensure you sport a jersey that will let you fellows fans know - this is a real fan of (Insert your favorite team name here).

1. Avoid any player who has just signed/been traded to your team. Example - you are a die hard Brewers fan - don't buy the Sabbathia jersey. It looks like you are on the band wagon and chances are you jersey will be obsolete in a few short seasons.

2. Don't buy a jersey of the most popular player on the team. Everyone has a Jeter, Ortiz, Howard, Ichiro, etc jersey. You want to stand out as a true fan, not as someone who picked up their jersey at Target.

3. Select a player that is integral of your team's success, but does not necessarily get all the national spotlight. As my wife would put it, you want the "sneaky trendy" player. Fans of your team will see you as the die hard fan, who really knows the team. Some examples would include Carlos Guillen for the Tigers, Brian McCann for the Braves, or Kevin Youklis for the Red Sox. Be careful here, you don't want to pick someone too obscure - for instance if you start wearing the Tim Brydak jersey in Detroit - people will assume you are strange or related to Tim Brydak.

4. Avoid the Man-Crush/Flash in the pan jersey. Everyone has had this moment. An up an coming player catches fire for your team and everyone is comparing him to the next (insert cliche player here Ruth, Mantle, etc.). You get caught up in the moment and buy a jersey. Great move? Not so much. Remember these players often fizzle out, imagine how silly I would look going to games in my Chris Shelton jersey. Make sure your player has some staying power.

5. Home vs Away jersey. Now I am not going to even talk about alternative jerseys or alternative colors - they are simply a no. As for Home and Away jerseys, I believe it really comes down to preference. Take a careful look at your team's options and make the best call.

6. Jerseys of players no longer with the team. This is a tough one. There are two categories here 1. Retired players - these jerseys are fair game, enjoy your status as a long standing fan of that team. 2. Players who leave the team for another team. Sadly, your jersey will have to go into the closet for 5 years. Wearing this jersey anytime before then will advertise yourself as someone who really isn't that into the team, but still likes wearing the jersey. Don't be at a Toronto game this year in your AJ Burnett jersey - allow that wound to heal. After 5 years your jersey will be a tribute to time this player was with your organization. Example - it would totally be acceptable to wear the Mariners Griffey Jr jersey these days -its retro and shows you have been a fan for quite some time.

Best of luck with your holiday shopping and remember only 6 more shopping days until Christmas.

- In the interest of full disclosure I should add - I own a Jeremy Bonderman Tigers home jersey.

How to Fix the AL East in 2009

I must start this post with an apology. I had aspirations of previewing every team individually this off season. Unfortunately, December has not afforded as much free time as I had once hoped (seriously, who's Christmas tree falls over twice? And for the record, I didn't see it and it did make a sound - so at least we can settle that debate). So my compromise to you, the loyal reader (if you are out there), is an abbreviated preview of each team. So we will start out east, because we all have that east coast bias. So here it is, your AL east preview.

Tampa Rays -
2008 recap - Everything went right. No one had a career year, but everyone played well. They spent the entire year with everyone waiting for them to fall apart during the regular season, they didn't. Then we thought they might stumble in the playoffs against the more experienced White Sox, the didn't. We were sure the Red Sox would stomp them out in the ALCS, again the didn't. They put Tampa baseball on the map and at least 7,000 fans a night were there to witness it.
Bright Spots of 2008 - Well, everyone. Especially David Price, Rocco, and most of all the introduction of the Ray-Hawk
How to fix the Rays in 09' - A great mechanic once told me, "never question success". This should be the Rays mantra. They have a well rounded team. They have a future ace in David Price. The Rays need to tweak a few things, but no major changes. Just keep on keeping on. They picked up some power in the outfield by trading for Matt Joyce. It wouldn't hurt to sure up the bullpen - Troy Percival could be next year's Todd Jones. It may have been a fluke last year, but until we know for sure - don't break up the best team in the AL east.

Boston Red Sox
2008 Recap - It was a strange season for Boston. They had the emergence of an Ace in John Lest. Matsusaka never seemed to lose. Their gritty second baseman won the MVP. Youklis had a breakout season. Jason Bay proved he could handle the big stage. But not all was well in Mudville. Manny basically held Boston hostage until he was sent packing, David Ortiz looked very old very quickly. Josh Becket had a fairly pedestrian regular season - and shockingly a rather pedestrian post-season as well. Mike Lowell was hurt. It almost seemed like the Red Sox were underachieving all season - and yet they were one game away from the world series.
Bright Spots of 2008 - I'll keep this rather short. Pedroia and Lester give Boston fans hope for life after Manny and Ortiz
How to fix the Red Sox in 2009 - Don' get complacent. The Yankees are re-loading with one thing in mind - beat Boston. If Ortiz can't find his stroke, Lowell remains hurt, and Beckett is a 0.500 pitcher - you can almost convince yourself this is a 3rd place team. They really need to sign Teixeira. One more solid, steady bat to go with Pedroia and Youk. The rotation could use some depth after Lester, Matsusaka, and Beckett -but that's not as important as the offense.

New York Yankees
2008 Recap - I have never seen more stories written about failures and disappointments from a team that won 89 games. Last year, for the first time I can remember, the Yankees decided not to mortgage the future to go for the world series this year. The refused to trade Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes for Johann Santana. They were going to keep and develop Melky Cabrera. This was the first season of the new Yankees mantra.
Bright Spots of 2008 - There were many nice stories this year, but Mussina winning 20 for the first time in his career, one year after everyone pronounced his arm dead, take the cake.
How to fix the Yankees in 2009 - Well, as your probably know the Yankees have invested 240 million in AJ Burnett and CC Sabathia. This may prove to be just what the Yankees need to reach October baseball in 2009 - However, in 2011, 12, 13, etc. I imagine CC and AJ are going to be the highest paid duo who live on the DL. The Yanks really still need a bat - Giambi is gone and Teixeria makes sense, but someone other than A-rod and Jeter have to hit on this team.

(I am running a bit short on time - so the Jay and O's will be done in Haiku)

Toronto Blue Jays
2008 Recap
Two aces threw well
However other three stunk
Spahn and Sain of 08'
Bright Spots of 2008
86 wins great
Alex Rios rising star
Doc is fantastic
How to fix the Blue Jay in 2009
Someone needs to score
Cito brings back 90s ball
Young arms come through soon

Baltimore Orioles
2008 Recap
Miles away from 4th
Staff is all fifth starters but
At least Huff can hit
2008 Bright Spots
Few and far between
5 guys with 20 plus bombs
Meet next great closer
How to fix the Orioles for 2009
Offense needs anchor
Pitching staff needs everything
At least park is great

Thoughts on the Hot Stove

Here are a few thoughts on what's happened so far.

1. CC - to the Yankees for 160 million dollars. Ok Sabathia was phenomenal down the stretch. Each of his starts, and at-bats for that matter, were must watch TV this summer. That being said, I think this deal is going to be the beginning of the end of Brian Cashman's reign as GM In NY. I love CC - I just can't imagine signing a 300 lb guy to a 7 year contract. He threw 10 complete games last year. He threw well into October. I know he has 8 straight seasons of around 30 starts, but I would be absolutely shocked if he had 7 more. I know the Yankees had to do something, they are opening the new Stadium and they missed October baseball last year. If all they do is sign CC then the risk is worth the reward. If they also sign Burnett -then they are just asking for Carl Pavano all over again. As for CC, can anyone really blame a guy for signing a 7 year 160 million dollar deal?

2. K-rod - to the Mets for 3 years. I like this deal for the Mets. They are coming off 2 historic September collapses. Their bullpen was terrible. Solution? Sign the guy who just obliterated the single season save record. K-rod should add some great stability to their bullpen and if he should falter - see #3.

3. JJ Putz - traded to the Mets. Ok this one was extra sour for me - I had sold myself on the Tigers trading for Putz. Again - Mets needed to sure up the bullpen and when healthy this guy has been dominant. I think he will flourish in the 8th inning role with less spotlight.

4. Ryan Freel to the O's. Call me crazy. But this is actually an off season move of the Orioles that I like. Freel is an all around player, he can run when he gets on base, and he seems to be a class guy. These are all good qualities to look for when trading for a player. Baltimore could be a bit feisty this year, especially if they get the mercenary Mark Texeria.

5. Kerry Wood to Cleveland. First of all, this ends the Wood/Prior era in Chicago. I am sure in 2003 many Cubs fans envisioned these two anchoring the rotation for the next decade plus. For the Tribe - they roll the dice a bit on a guy who has had chronic health problems, but really re-invented himself as a closer this year. If he can stay healthy I think he will be a great addition to the Jake...sorry the Prog, or whatever its now called.

6. Edwin Jackson to Detroit. Well Detroit missed out on Putz (rumored to be because they wouldn't trade Matt Joyce) and the same day trade Joyce to Tampa Bay for Jackson. Jackson has great stuff, but has never really had great control. If he's on his game his is unhittable, if not - well he's Rick Vaughn pre-glasses. I really see him as Jeremy Bonderman lite, which isn't a bad thing. I think if Detroit asks Bonderman, Jackson, and Gallaraga to be solid 2-4 starters and Verlander can regain his form as an ace - the Detroit rotation will be very deep.

Those are the big trades/signings so far. We are still waiting on Fuentes (come on Detroit!), Texeria, Burnett, Randy, Sheets, etc to all find homes.

Rickey being Rickey

There have been a lot of great articles about Rickey Henderson recently. He is headlining the 2009 HOF eligible list. There are many great Rickey stories out there and this article ranks the top 25. I was heart-broken to learn number 17 was untrue.

One story that did not make the list I remember from Baseball Tonight several years ago. I think this was around the time Henderson was retiring and HR told his favorite story. I am going to mess this up a bit but here was the basic gist.

Reynolds led the league one year with 60-some stolen bases.

He said he received a phone call from Henderson after the season.

Rickey: "Reynolds, its Rickey"

HR: "Hey Rick, what's up!"

Rickey: "60? You should be ashamed of yourself. Rickey had 60 at the break."

How to fix the Washington Nationals for 2009

2008 recap
The 2008 Washington Nationals season: 59 wins and 102 losses. Not exactly the way you want to open a new stadium. Amazingly, this was a bit of a step back from the 73 win team in 07' and the 71 win team from 06'. This year's Nationals team lost their feistiness. Previously, the Nats were a below average team that you really did not want to play in late September with playoffs on the line. This year they just phoned it in. There were injuries Ryan Zimmerman, Nick Johnson, and Austin Kearns, all missed significant time due to injuries. When you are a young team - you can't afford to have the veteran presence of your team going down. They are the glue that supposed to hold the ship together. When they go down - you lose 102 games. The pitching staff was only 2 deep, which also meant that 60% of the time the Nationals were faced with having to try and create a weird 8-7 win in the late innings. The good news on the mound was Jon Rauch emerged as a legitimate late inning guy converting 17 saves. The bad news is - he now plays for the D'Backs.

Bright spots of 2008
1. Rauch was a decent closer and brought a decent prospect from the Diamondbacks in return. They traded him to the Marlins. From the Fish they brought in Josh WIllingham and Scott Olsen. This turned out to be a great set of deals for the Nationals. They know have a solid lefty starter and a power outfielder.
2. The Nationals minor league system gets better the further down you go. Their single A teams had very good records. Their double A team had an average record, and the triple A team was bad. That means there is talent. It just may take a little bit.
3. They opened their new stadium in style. They had the opening night in baseball. Packed house, GW on hand, and they put together a walk-off win against the Braves
4. A few names emerged as decent starting pitching Tim Redding and John Lannan
5. Christian Guzman is a really solid major league shortstop. He can hit, he has a bit of a glove, and he plays hard.

How to fix the Nationals in 2009

Don't try to fix the Nats in 09'. This sounds strange, but the best thing for the Nationals will be to build with youth. Don't try for the quick fix. We have seen the quick fix fail for bad teams over and over again. The Pirates, Royals, Nationals, etc. always over pay for older veterans and it results in 70 wins instead of 65. Nationals fans, 08' is going to be tough. You need to let the young guys develop. Look at the Twins, Rays, and A's as model teams. Have a starting rotation of Lannan, Redding, and Olsen. Find out if the middle of the order with ZImmerman, Willingham, Guzman, and Nick Johnson can score some runs.

2009 Outlook
Things are bleak, but hopefully they have bottomed out. An improvement to 70 wins with the young guys will be a great start.

How to fix the Detroit Tigers for 2009

Ok, I am a bit delayed in my off season preview of teams, but I am determined to get all teams in the near future. I thought I would start with the team nearest and dearest to my heart - The Detroit Tigers

2008 Recap:
Complete and total disaster. This is a team that finished behind the Royals in last place. The took a team that had won 95 and 88 games in 2006 and 2007. They added Miguel Carbrera, Edgar Renteria, and Dontrelle Willis - and then went out and won 74 games. Ouch. In retrospect the deals were greedy. This team had a good offense and Dave Drombrowski thought Miguel Cabrera was the missing piece. I can't kill him for this. The moves were all made with the intention of making the team stronger. Everything just happened to implode starting with the 0-7 start.

Ok, I have vented. When you take a step back there was a perfect storm of problems Detroit dealt with. The starting pitching looked like the walking wounded - with Dontrelle, Bonderman, Robertson, and Rogers were all non-factors in the 08' rotation. Todd Jones finally hit the wall as a closer and no one seemed eager to step into that role. There were 13 Tigers that had a save opportunity in 2008 - only 5 different Tigers converted a save.

The offense - I have written about this before - all star teams don't work. While on paper Pudge, Guillen, Polanco, Renteria, Cabrera, Grandersen, Ordonez, Sheffield, and Thames sounds fantastic. In practice its a disaster. Everyone wants to be that guy who hits the 7-run home run to fix the season. No one lays down a bunt. No one moves the runners over.

Bright Spots of 2008
Few and far between.
1. Carbrera - I know he's over weight. But he has a Manny like ability to absolutely hit anyone at any time. He has DH written all over him. But I think you can also jot down 0.300 30 and 125.
2. Armando Gallaraga - so Detroit trades Jair Jurrgens and Andrew Miller in the off-season, depleting our minor league pitching. Dontrelle Willis pulls a Wild-Thing and suddenly Gallaraga is thrown into the mix. Final stats 13-7 3.43 126 K's. A true diamond in the rough. I have him penciled in for quite some time.
3. Zach Miner - another guy who got the opportunity to throw because of pitching woes and did great. Miner went 8-5 with a 4.27 ERA. Those number may not sound impressive, but he was incredibly versatile - 13 starts 32 relief appearances. And when that sinker is worker you can almost convince yourself of Derek-Lowe-Lite.

How to fix the Tigers for 2009.

1. Get the starting rotation in order. You can write in Verlander, Gallaraga, and Bonderman. That leave's Dontrelle, Nate, Zach Miner, and Feddy Garcia in the mix to fill out the rotation. I am not convinced that the Tigers need to chase AJ Burnett, Derek Lowe, or any of the other big names. If healthy I think the above 7 pitchers can create a formidable 5-man rotation.
2. Closer. Get a closer! Rodney and Zumaya have had their chances and neither has impressed. When healthy they can be the best 7th and 8th inning guys in the game. But they just don't seem to have the I-don't-give-a-crap mentality that Todd Jones had. There are a lot of closers on the market this off season. I would avoid K-rod like the plague, but someone like Jose Valverde who has closed before would be perfect.
3. Someone to field and throw at short stop. Renteria was a miss. I don't think the Tigers need to pay a big name. They need a gritty guy who knows how to handle the bat and can field the position. Jack Wilson, Adam Everett, Orlando Cabrera are all names to fill in. They need someone.
4. Get rid of Sheffield. He is a cancer. Besides being in the news everyother day for the wrong reasons, he really puts a hamper on the lineup. Bottom line - he is no where near good enough to be an everyday DH anymore. With Sheffield demanding playing time that means Leyland can't give Maggs or Cabrera or Guillen or Thames a day at DH to rest. I don't care if they cut him - the team will be much better w/o Gary Sheffield. Bottom line - guys with his stats don't play for 7 teams because they are great teammates.

2009 Outlook:
I think 2009 is going to let us know whether this Tigers team is really the 95 win team from 06' or the 75 win team from 08'. If the starting rotation comes together and they get someone to close out games - I am a believer in October baseball for Detroit in 2009.