The math doesn't quite add up.

Interesting stat of the day

Run differential for teams +0.500 so far this year: (as of 9-17-9)
Yankees +149
Red Sox +126
Rays +45
Blue Jays +13
Twins +17
Angels +102
Rangers +53

Phillies +107
Braves +79
Marlins +12
Cardinals +86
Cubs +29
Dodgers +156
Rockies +78
Giants +44

Only teams without more runs scored than opponent and a winning record
Mariners -54
Tigers +/- 0

This is a strange team I root for. We win 2-1 and lose 10-3.

Biggest Surprises of the 09' season

I have seen a ton of articles about baseball's biggest 2009 surprises. These articles are basically writers saying - man was I wrong about my predictions and the only plausible explanation is that whatever actually happened was a huge surprise.

Isn't it possible that the Mets, Cubs, and Indians weren't disappointing - its just that they are bad teams that everyone fell in love with in the preseason. Isn't it possible that the AL Central is a weak division and Detroit built a team based on starting pitching and defense and the core of their offense is still around from their 06 run? Detroit isn't a surprise anymore than the Indians are a surprise.

For the record I stand by my pre-season picks. I am not going to tell you Cleveland and Atlanta and Oakland were surprise teams. I will be man and just tell you - I had no idea. I guessed poorly. I am not a fortune teller. That is why baseball is so great, no one knows.

The kids are growing up right before our very eyes...

I am a perpetual optimist. When I was growing up I could always convince myself that this was the Tigers year.

I am choosing to look at the good again this summer. The Tigers have just lost 3/4 to the Red Sox, in Boston, and I couldn't be prouder of how the team played throughout the entire series.

Game 1: Edwin Jackson, who has always had issues in Fenway looked like he is on his way to a 2 inning 12 ER performance. And if he had that type of night you couldn't blame him. The guy has been spectacular the entire year. Instead he guts throug 4 innings giving up 4 earned and kept the Tigers in the game. Slowly but surly the Tigers climbed back into the game tying things at 5-5 in the top of the 7th. The Sox responded with a run in the bottom of the inning, and again the Tigers climbed back putting runners on 2nd and 3rd in the 8th with only 1 out. The didn't score the run, but it was a gritty game from a team that has been terrible on the road this year.

Game 2: Rick Porcello stands up for the Red Sox plunking Miggy two straight games. He drills Kevin Youkilis with retaliation. Now he could have chosen the 145 lb Dustin Pedroia or the 105 lb Nick Green or the chubby and old Jason Varitek, but no. He went after the Red Sox best hitter, who also received every vote for "Which Major League Player would you least like to run into in a dark alley". Youkilis, not enjoying being plunked charged the mound and threw his helmet at Porcello. Porcello stood his ground and calmly threw Youk to the ground. It wasn't a Nolan Ryan/Robin Ventura situation, but for a rookie he showed tremendous poise. Chris Lambert, who replaced Porcello did not have a great night and the Tigers fell 7-5. However, I will take a team bonding bench clearing brawl over a win on this particular night.

Game 3: Tigers have to face Josh Beckett and hours before the game Tiger's starter Armando Galaraga, who has been battling the flu, determines he cannot go. Zach Miner is called up and again keeps the Tigers in the game, until Boston blows it open late. I would have loved for Detroit to make a statement and come out and beat Beckett, the day after the brawl, but I am an optimist, not a miracle worker.

Game 4: Ok the Tigers have lost 3/4 and really just need to get out of Boston with a win. They give the ball to their ace, their opening day starer, Justin Verlander and he does not disappoint one bit. With a depleted bullpen Verlander went 8 innings of shut out dominance before handing the game over to Rodney to close out the win and head back to Detroit.

Was this the series I had hoped for? No way, but the Tigers showed a ton of heart and only lost 1/2 game in the standings over 4 days to the White Sox.

Your long lost blogger returns!

Greetings. I hope everyone has enjoyed their all-star break. I apologize for my extended absence, but trying to wrap up my graduate work by the end of the 2009 year has really eaten into my free time. I resolve to do my best to post as we head into the playoff push for the 09' season. I knew I had to get a post in today because the Tigers lead is down to one measly game in the AL central. This has been an interesting season for the Tigers, best exemplified by their recent stretch of losing 4 of 5 games. Three of those losses were by the score 2-1 and two of those three were games blown by the bullpen, not the starting pitching. The Tigers could really use a stick in the next few weeks. They don't need an Adam Dunn or someone to hit the ball to Windsor, they really need someone with a great OBP who will always be on base and score tons of runs. I am optimistic that Carlos Guillen will be that guy when he gets back from the DL sometime this month.

Here's to hoping the White Sox fade, the Twins don't turn it around and the little team from Detroit is someone no one would want to see in the playoffs when they trot out Verlander and Jackson 1-2.

How do you put a red tag in Tom Glavine's locker?

Dear Frank Wren,


I know you are new at this job. This team is mostly the work of your predecessor and you cannot be entirely to blame for the Braves being 26-26 (I guess you really can't be given the credit either). Also, you were not the GM during the run of 14 straight division titles. You may not be entirely familiar with the team from that era. I can sum up the team for you in 6 names: Bobby Cox, Chipper Jones, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, and Leo Mazzone. You may know Bobby and Chipper as they are still your manager and third baseman, respectively. There were others than were part of that run, integral members even, however to Braves fans everywhere - those 6 names are the Mount Rushmore of Atlanta baseball (perhaps with Hank Aaron thrown in as well). This spring you lost out on bidding for John Smoltz to the Boston Red Sox. Fans were a bit upset, but understanding that these are tough economic times, Smoltz certainly doesn't need the money, and after all you tried. You offered him a contract. Then you redeemed yourself and re-signed Tom Glavine for one more year. It was a smart deal, requiring Tom to make it to the majors before the incentives kicked in. Tom was looking at off season surgery and is 43 years old. If he wasn't going to make a full recovery from surgery you weren't on the hook for millions of dollars.
Let's fast forward to this spring when you were faced with Tim Hudson not coming back until mid-season and Glavine being delayed at least a month as he recovered from surgery. At this point Tommy Hanson, the greatest pitching prospect since Phil Hughes (ok bad example there) was throwing the cover off the ball in spring training. However, you decided to start him in AAA. You can claim you wanted Tommy to gain more experience all you want - but everyone who knows baseball knows that the Matt Wieters', David Price's, and Tommy Hanson's of the world are not brought up at the beginning of seasons to allow another year before they are arbitration eligible. Its a weird rule that I am sure saves the club money, but has absolutely nothing to do with baseball. This is the guy you wouldn't trade for Jake Peavy, he was in the minors with a sub 2.00 ERA and he was being left to dominate AAA hitters so the Braves could get another year of his services at a discount.

Ok Mr Wren - so far I am with you. These have all been shrewd moves to help a team with a smaller pay-role compete. Then you went and cut Tom Glavine and ruined everything. Yesterday, after throwing eleven scoreless innings in the minors Tom Glavine was cut by the Atlanta Braves. That's right Mr. Wren, you decided to chop off a face from Mount Rushmore. It would have cost the Braves 1 million dollars when he was called up and another 1.5 million if he stayed up in the majors for 30 days. Tom had done everything you had asked of him. He had signed the incentive laden contract. He was 43 and had surgery to repair his arm. He went to the minors and rehabbed exceedingly well. And then this guy, who has won 305 games, who is responsible his fair share of the 14 straight division titles, who has been a model citizen in Atlanta for nearly 20 years, was shown the door.

And naturally, that's when you decide to call up Tommy Hanson, the same day you cut Tommy Glavine. I know your staff is doing well, but you can't tell me there isn't room on that 25 man roster for a guy who has thrown 11 scoreless innings in the minors and is on Mount Rushmore of your team.

You simply don't cut this guy. Never. He leaves and retires when he is ready. Look at Boston - Big Papi isn't hitting his weight, hell he isn't hitting Dustin Pedroia's weight, but each day Terry Franconia puts him in the lineup. He has earned the right to decide when its time.

Congratulations Frank, you took what should be the most exciting start of the season for the Braves, Tommy Hanson's debut, and thrown it under the rubble by cutting a HOFer on the same day.

If you want I am sure many teams will take Chipper Jones off your hands for a player to be named later.

Best of luck down the stretch,
No Run Support

Thinking unconventionally late in games

I was at the Braves/Diamondbacks game last Friday. The Braves won 4-3 and scored the walk off run in the bottom of the 9th on a Yunel Escobar sac fly. Right before the winning run was scored, AJ Hinch had a chance to make an unconventional managerial move that I think should be standard practice.

The situation:

Tie game (3-3) bottom of the 9th inning.
Braves have the bases loaded and there are no outs.
On third is Jordan Schafer. If you know the Braves you know Schafer is the fastest guy on the team (also you are impressed he was actually on base).

At this point AJ Hinch visited the mound to talk to his pitcher. This was the perfect opportunity to bring in a 5th infielder to cut down the run at the plate. Hinch did nothing, and Yunel Escobar hit a routine fly to center that Schaffer tagged on and won the game.

The ending of the game proves my point for me, there is really very little chance of the batter hitting a fly ball shallow enough that the outfielder can throw him out, but deep enough that the infielder can't make the play. This is really the only reason you have outfielders at this point - for the very rare case of the in-between blooper. By bringing in another infielder you cut down on the number of ground balls that get through in the infield. You already have the infield drawn in, increases the chances a ball get through, to cut down the run at the plate, why not give yourself another glove? Would it have changed this game? No, not at all. But I would argue that it would save many more games than it would cost. You rarely see this from a seasoned manager, let alone a 37 year old under qualified guy who has only been on the job a few weeks, so I understand why Hinch went with convention. But the non-convention may have saved him the game.

If enough managers do this and it starts saving games it will become conventional wisdom. There is a similar evolution occurring in the NBA when teams are up by 3 with little time left on the clock, they foul the other team before they can get a shot off. Its a bit counter intuitive, but its the right move to make, and someday so will bringing in the 5th infielder.

Naming names...

Why do we accept some forms of cheating and not others in baseball?

Stealing signs, doctoring the baseball, selling a catch on a trapped ball in the outfield are all common tactics seen in baseball over the years.

The Giants won the 1951 pennant on the "Shot heard round the world" by Bobby Thompson. In reading several books and articles recently it seems that the Giants almost certainly cheated and stole signs during the season. This wasn't the typical staring at the third base coach and figuring out the indicator (which by the way was common practice on both my high school and college team). They had a telescope in center-field picking up the catcher's signs. The Giants actually had an employee relay the signs and tip off the hitters. Despite this known cheating, I challenge anyone to not get goose bumps when they hear the scratchy radio call of, "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!"


Gaylord Perry, a 1991 Hall of Fame Inductee, wrote a book entitled "Me and the Spitter: an autobiographical confession." Throwing a spitball is illegal. It gives the pitcher an unfair advantage. Perry admitted to cheating and no one seems to have any issue. Could you imagine if Mark McGwire wrote a book entitled: "Me and the Roid's: How I juiced my way to 62 and beyond" (by the way, how great of a title is that?). Do you think it may hinder his HOF chances? Considering he only garnered 21.9% of the vote in 2009. This was a man who saved baseball in 1998. And has NEVER been convicted of anything. And has NEVER admitted anything. Do I think Big Mac took some illegal substances? Sure, I am not naive and I wasn't born yesterday. I am willing to be tthat Big Mac, Clemens, Bonds, Sosa, Tejada, Pudge, and the like all took some sort of PED. And I know Pettite, Giambi, Manny, and A-rod did.

You may be asking, Jacob what's your point?

Throwing a spitter is exactly like steroids, it gives on player an unfair advantage over another player. I would argue that throwing the spitter is actually a worse offense because you are physically altering a ball that is in the game. The problem is with the public perception. We understand the spitter, or at least the basic advantages a spitter gives you. It makes the ball move more than a normal ball, it breaks sharper and gives the pitcher an advantage. We have absolutely no idea what steroids do. Bonds, McGwire, Clemens - all of these guys were at the top of their game before steroids. And there are plenty of convicted steroid users that never even made the majors. Our problem is we have no way to quantify the contribution of steroids to a player's career. And baseball is a game obsessed with counting everything. There is also the problem of damage to one's body and providing a good role model for children etc, etc. But for the on field changes, we have no idea what steroids do to a person's baseball ability. And so we have decided to get upset, and black-list everyone who has ever been whispered to be associated with the roids. No HOF for them. This is beyond terrible. This is what McCarthy did to suspected Commies back in the day and we are doing it with ball players today. People are guilty until it can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt and that is no way for America's past time to do business.

Look I have no problem with people getting upset and shunning all cheaters in baseball. But, you have to ban all cheaters. Everyone who throws the spitter, steals a sign, lies about their age, tips pitches to the other team, uses and PED, uses any other illegal drugs, etc., etc. We cannot pick and choose which cheaters to ban and which to embrace. You have to get as upset about Kenny Rogers using some sort of illegal substance in the WS in 2006 as you do about Barry Bonds hitting 73 home runs under questionable circumstances.

There's really nothing like seeing a guy realize he's not done yet

The title of this post is a quote from Sports Nite - and today it applies perfectly to Dontrelle Willis. The Tigers traded for Willis last year and to say he's a disappointment would be a bit of an understatement. He has been a colossal failure on the mound. He walked everyone, he couldn't find his fast ball. All the critics of the trade snickered as his ERA was 9.38 in 8 games for the Tigers last year. He spent most of last season in the minors working on his delivery, his control, and his head. There are not many, if any, former Cy Young award winners who would take a minor league assignment. And even fewer who would take it seriously. This spring was supposed to be the re-birth of the D-train. He was going back to the care-free, fun loving, crazy windup throwing lefty we have all come to love. And then the pressure seemed to get to him. He was placed on the DL for anxiety (which tops Joel Zumaya's guitar hero injury as the strangest DL trips for a Tigers pitcher I can remember). Once again Willis met the challenge with determination and a smile. He has thrown well at several stops in the minors and tonight is taking the ball for the Tigers against the Twins. If he falls apart again, this may be the end of his career. There are only so many opportunities a guy can have. However, if he can regain his form, his control, and his confidence - there's really nothing like seeing a guy realize he's not done yet. Usually it goes the other way. Here's hoping the D-train gets it back on the tracks.

Mr Gallardo, you are all that is man.

Score from Wednesday April 29th.

Final Brewers 1, Pirates 0
WP: Y. Gallardo (3-1) S: C. Villanueva (2)
LP: I. Snell (1-3)
HR: MIL - Y. Gallardo (2)

Yovani Gallardo did all he could to put the "I" in team. His final stats for the night 8.0 IP 2 H 11 Ks. Oh, and he hit a solo homerun when his team won 1-0. Basically the Brewers other 8 players combined to make 16 defensive outs and not much else. I heard this was only the 4th time in the past 100 years when a pitcher struck out over 10, hit a homer, and won 1-0. In the midst of NBA and NHL playoffs this game has gotten a bit lost. Sadly, Yovani is always going to have an * next to his name in the record book - since his opponent was the Pirates.

Enjoy the weekend games!

Long live the bird and other thoughts...

I apologize for the delays in postings. Life got busy and sadly the blog is the first thing I drop when things get busy. I have had many thoughts from the first few weeks of the season and I will try to summarize here as best I can.

1. Mark Fidrych passed away earlier this month. Fidrych had two great seasons for the Tigers in the late 70s. Often I have been asked which player in history would I have most liked to have seen from the past. There are many great answers the Babe, Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, would all be acceptable answers. However, my answer has always been Mark Fidrych in 1976. He went 19-9 for a terrible Tigers team. His starts became rock concerts. He would sell out the stadium and deliver a fantastic performance.

2. Speaking of the Tigers - so far so good. No one is going to run away with the AL Central, and for the first month the Tigers have risen to the top of the mediocrity. Brandon Inge is hitting, and finally getting noticed for playing unreal defense at third. Seriously, every-time watch baseball tonight he has a Web Gem. The guy has a cannon and great great hands - which makes for a great third baseman.

3. Of all the teams that are playing above their heads KC, Toronto, Pittsburgh, and Sand Diego, I believe that Toronto has the best chance to sustain this level of play. The rest of the division is worse than everyone thought and we are just now learning how great of a manager Cito Gaston really is.

4. Enjoy the games this week. Game of the week: Saturday 3:55 pm Tigers vs Indians on Fox. Cumberland's finest, Aaron Laffey, faces the Tigers in Mo-town.

Look for more posts coming soon.

0-2... eight straight times.

The first Saturday baseball game on Fox was fantastic. Red Sox just beat the Angels 5-4. The last out of the game was a classic. With bases loaded and two outs Papelbon and Howie Kendrick embarked on a classic battle. Any base hit would win the game for the Angels, any out and the game would go to the Sox. Papelbon started Kendrick with two consecutive sliders which put Kendrick in a quick 0-2 hole. Kendrick then proceeded to foul off the next seven 0-2 offerings. That's right seven. This was great drama for a game in April.

I have put some thought into this from Papelbon's side, and I think I like it. (Kendrick did all he could fouling of seven tough pitches before stroking a ball right to end the game).

I know you never want to give the hitter anything to hit when you have them 0-2. Especially with the bases load. Especially with 2-outs in the ninth with a one run lead. However, I like the mentality from a closer - here is comes - bet you can't hit it. Ok, you fouled it off, here it comes again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. Game over.

Other thoughts as we wrap up the first week of the season:

- The Blue Jays may be a bit better than people have given them credit for. Also, the Indians may be a bit worse.

- I was talking to my friend, who is a Braves fan. We were discussing the Braves giving up 8 seventh inning runs turning a 10-3 lead into an 11-10 deficit and eventual 12-11 loss. I think he had the right mentality: Every bullpen is going to blow some games. You might as well get all of the kinks out in one night. Think of the Seinfeld episode when George wants to get fired from the Yankees. He not only wants to get fired, He wants to go out with a bang, with people proclaiming, "Wow, now that guy got canned." Same mentality from Philly earlier this week, "Wow that bullpen blew a lead!" Anything worth doing is worth doing right.

- Currently, I watching Kawakami's first major league start for Atlanta. He is down 1-0 going into the bottom of the second. The game should be 0-0. Jeff Francoeur had Ryan Zimmerman thrown out at the plate, but Brian McCann moved too far in front of the plate to receive the throw. There should be a stat for this. The other stat I want: Hitters batting 8th in the order in the NL. The situation - they come to bat with two-out and nobody on base. If they reach base they allow the pitcher to bat and turn the order over for the next inning. This is quietly a big deal through the season. Willie Harris just did this for the Nationals, who will now have the top of their order up in the third, instead of Lannan leading off. Its always the little things.

Time to make a wish...

As my wife will attest, I am not the best at remembering dates, times, things to do, to eat, etc. Sometimes these things slip my mind. However, if you ever need to know that Willie Hernandez was the 1984 AL Cy Young and MVP - I have that information at the tip of my finger, never mind that I was only 2 when that happened.

So where am I going with this?

norunsupport turned one year old on the 5th of April. Although a few days late I thought I would mark the occasion. If anyone out there has been reading this, I thank you. As always any comments/suggestions are welcome. Its been a lot of fun trying to put my random thoughts about baseball into words. I have learned many things, but most of all - this is much much harder than it looks. I have much more respect for the people who write columns and blogs that I frequent (which are all list to the right)

Short post today, because you really don't want me to talk about last night... about the three run lead in the 8th inning. About the game tying home run by Inge in the 9th, and then Lyon blew the game again in the bottom of the inning.

Mr Groundball, Zach Miner, looks to right the 09' Tigers ship tonight.

This feels vaguely familiar

I had been anxiously awaiting Opening Day since the end of last season. The season that saw the Tigers get picked by SI to win the American League and then promptly finish in last place, behind the Royals. Well, that's not entirely true, it wasn't prompt at all. It was an agonizing year as a Tigers fan. Not to worry though, a new season was here. All the experts have picked the Indians, Twins, White Sox, and even Royals (thank you Bill Simmons) to win the AL Central. Everyone has forgotten about the Tigers. This is exactly what 2006 felt like, right before the Tigers put together a World Series run. Perhaps 09 was the 06. At least that had been what I was telling myself all winter long.

Fast forward to opening day.

Thanks to a 7:15 first pitch and a free preview from extra innings on cable, I got to watch the season opener yesterday. I set myself down on the couch with beer and meat (ok so it was hummus and a diet pepsi) to watch the 09 season get underway. And then before I had finished my first swig of Diet Pepsi, before I had the chance to imagine what it would be like for this team to win it all, before I had even seen Miguel Cabrera has his first 09' at-bat... 4-0 Blue Jays.

You may recall last year I was unwavering in my confidence of Detroit in the early going, despite the 0-7 start. My confidence is not as high this year. Bonderman is hurt, Zumaya is hurt, Willis and Robertson pitched so poorly we gave a starting rotation spot to a 20 year old kid. I really was hoping to see a bit more out of our ace yesterday. I am still optimistic, just cautiously so.

161 games to go. Thankfully, the lineup is not facing Roy Halladay today.

Your giving me the "its not you, its me routine." I invented its not you its me. If its anybody its me

Mr Sheffield:
You are the weakest link, goodbye
The tribe has spoken
You're fired
There is a red tag in your locker
You've been chopped
You are no longer in the running to become America's next top model
You are out
Its not you, its me
I think we should see other people

However you want to say it, the Tigers no longer employ Gary Sheffield. And I, for one, could not be happier. I know he is sitting on 499 home runs. I know he is probably the most patient hitter in the lineup. I know he has hit everywhere he has been. Call it a gut feeling, this guy is bad news. I hated the move when they traded for him. I talked myself into the mindset of, "I am glad they did something after losing the WS and not just standing pat. I am sure he will take walks and help the lineup." However I never got over the following, he can hit, but he's trouble. Sheffield clogs up the DH spot because he is such a liability in the outfield. He hit .220 last year and complained about having to DH.

I love, love, love this move. Bad clubhouse guy, gone. Clog at DH gone. Now Leyland can give Maggs, Guillen, Cabrera, and Thames days to rest at DH. Newly acquire Josh Anderson can be speed off the bench.



To me this is the textbook addition by subtraction.

09' NL preview

Here is your eagerly awaited 2009 Norunsupport NL preview.

NL East - Atlanta Braves
I tried not to pick the Braves. I tried to realistic about Chipper's health and Fanceour's declining stats. I tried to tell myself they don't have a true leadoff hitter. At the end of the day, it comes down to the arms. The Mets ace is hurting. The Phillies ace is hurting. Derek Lowe is throwing out of his mind. The Braves also have a wonderful mid-season pickup built in with a mid-summer return for Tim Hudson. Case closed.

NL Central - St Louis Cardinals
I don't love anybody in this division and yet I don't hate anyone either. The Cardinals somehow were in contention last year with Carpetner still out and Pujols missing some time. I think with a full season from Pujols and the development of the young arms and bats, the Red Birds could be flying in October. I think the Brewers are due for a step back and the Reds and Astros aren't quite there yet. And finally, the Pirates and Cubs are... well the Pirates and Cubs.

NL West - Arizona Diamondbacks
I can't be the only one envisioning Manny having a "hamstring injury" sidelining him for months at a time? I am also entrigued by the Giants pitching, but at the end of the day I have to go with the Snakes. They fell apart last year but I think the young bats are seasoned and ready to strike.

NL Wild Card - San Fansisco Giants
As long as they can close out 2-1 victories all season that pitching staff will carry them. They have great arms 1-5 and should hit just enough to fill Pac Bell in October.

Daily Hilarity

NL preview is coming soon. Until then enjoy this online chat:

Via: bless you boys

I can't express how much I love the screen name OhComeLetUsOrdonez - it may become my new fantasy team name.

Predictions for the 2009 MLB season (part 1)

I really enjoy reading others predictions before upcoming seasons, but not nearly as much as I enjoy reading predictions after the season to see how completely wrong they were. I am no exception; in 2008 I stated that the Rays were an overblown pick. Amazingly enough I also called out the Arizona Cardinals for being an overblown trendy pick. Wow. I apologize. All I can say is that was my second post ever and I hope that this year’s predictions go bit better.

Division Winners:
AL East – Yankees – I doubt Mike Lowell and David Ortiz’s health a lot more than A-rod’s and the Rays seem primed for a WS hangover.

AL Central – Indians – Bounce back years for Pronk, and Victor fill out an impressive lineup. Cliff Lee is bound to come back to earth, but Carmona is bound to be better. I am not sold on Detroit or Chicago and if Mauer is really hurt the Twins can just pack it in.

AL West – A’s – This is a bit of a default pick. I am not sold on any of these teams. But I do like the additions of Giambi and Holliday – a 2009 Bash-Brothers.

Wild Card –Tigers – Complete ‘homer’ pick. I am counting on Leyland leading the Motor City Kitties into October

ALDS:
Indians over Yankees
Tigers over A’s

ALCS:
Tigers over Indians

AL MVP: Grady Sizemore
AL Cy Young: Felix Hernandez
AL ROY: Rick Porcello

NL to come later this week.

I can't be the only one to see this...

On my commute to work this morning I started to see the parallels between Joba Chamberlain and Devin Hester. I am certain I am not the first person to make this comparison. If anyone knows of an earlier comparison leave it in the comments so I can give proper credit.

Here's are the parallels

1. Devin Hester - Chicago Bears. Three years ago he was one of the most exciting kick returners in the history of the NFL. He broke off long returns. He had multiple kick returns for touchdowns. He was in the pro-bowl. He opened the Super bowl with a kick returned for a TD. Teams had to change their game plan when playing the Bears. No one wanted to kick to this guy. He was a special teams game changer. Then the Bears got greedy. They took the best kick returner in the game, some say ever, and forced him into a roll as a wide receiver. In 2007 he was a part-time receive and part-time kick returner. The results were mixed. Then last year he served as a more featured receiver. He went from 20 receptions to 50. However, his return yards went from over 600 to just under 200. Congratulations Bears you took the best kick returner in the game and now you have a very average receiver.

2. Joba Chamberlain - New York Yankees. Two years ago the Yanks brought up a young flame thrower named Joba. He slid into the 8th inning role bridging the gap between Mariano Rivera and the starting pitchers. He was unreal. I hate the Yanks, but this guys was lights out. People will remember him for locust night in the playoffs at Jacob's field, but he was a great great reliever for a rookie. He became the heir apparent to Rivera. Then in 2007 Hank Steinbrenner decides Joba should be the starter. Since Hank had run Joe Torre out of town, he had some pull over his manager Joe Girardi. Girardi caved and the Yankees converted Joba into a starting pitcher. As a starter Joba showed some promise. An ERA under 3, but he averaged under 6 innings. To make matters worse he became injured due to the increased work load. This year Joba is projected at the 5th starter for the Yankees. The Yanks bought Burnett and CC. The have Wang and Pettite following. And they have Phil Hughes, who they refused to trade for Johan Santana, ready in the minors. To me, this is just like the Hester situation. They have taken a guy, who was a dominant reliever, and made him the 5th starter on their team. They have gotten greedy and I think its going to blow up in their face.

Which scenario do you think is more likely in 2009? 1. Joba is lights out, wins 20 games and a Cy Young award.
2. Joba is solid if not flashy. Can pitch 5-7 innings a game. Has a record of 15-10 or so. And Rivera, who is 39, gets hurt and now this billion dollar rotation has Demasco Marte closing games.

Hope springs eternal.

The first spring training games of the year take place today and that means that 30 teams are still telling themselves that this is their year. Their fans are all calculating how if things fall "just right" we could really make a run at this thing.

In Orlando it sounds like this:
"You know a rotation of Lowe, Vasquez, Glavine, Jurrgens, and Kawakami is solid. Hudson comes back in July/August. Gonzo is healthy in the bullpen. If Franceour can hit like 2007, why can't we win the NL east?"

Or in Lakeland:
"Zumaya and Willis are throwing the cover off the ball. Sheffield is re-dedicated. No way Cabrera starts off slow again, Inge is back at third. Lyon will be the solid closer we were missing last year. Etc, etc."

I can't help but having high hopes for the 09' Tigers and Braves (my national league adopted team). And every time I try to curb my enthusiasm (seriously one show I need to get into) I see an article like this. How can I not make my October reservations now?

Really Bud Selig?!!? Really?!?!

If you haven't seen Really?!? with Seth and Amy on SNL I suggest you click here or here before reading the rest of this post.

Last week A-rod was outed from his "anonymous" steroid test in 2003. Since then he has admitted to using PED from 2001-2003 while with the Rangers. No doubt A-rod is an idiot who cheated the game. His interviews and press conferences have been awkward and uncomfortable. His story is always changing. Basically, A-rod is doing his best Barry Bonds/Roger Clemens impersonation. And, I might add, he is doing a fantastic job. I think the public is handling A-rod well. He is being ridiculed. He is being made fun of. He probably has cost himself a chance to be enshrined into Cooperstown. So, for today, I will leave A-rod alone. However, there is one villain in this story who has been getting off without the penalty he deserves, and that is commissioner Bud Selig. Outside of being compared to Vince McMahon, Selig really hasn't come close to receiving the punishment he deserves.

Which brings me to a completely copied segment that I will call: Really?1? with No Run Support (cue cheesy theme music)

Really Bud Selig?!? Really?!? You said you wouldn't change anything you did about steroid if you had to do it all over again? You felt that you did everything you could Really?!? Let's take a look at your best hitter from this era: Barry Bonds. And the best pitcher: Roger Clemens. The best story: The 1998 Homerun chase with McGwire and Sosa. It seems like the best things that happened in the past decade have all been up to their ears in steroid controversy. Really.

Really Bud Selig?!? Really?!? A-rod has shamed the game? Reallly?!? From 2001-2003 steroids were not illegal in Major League Baseball. Really. You were the commissioner during this time and couldn't get steroids, a substance that is illegal in the United States of America, made illegal in your sport. That is like MLB not having a rule against murder or tax evasion! What the hell? How can you not have a rule against steroids? And really?!? Bud Selig, A-rod shamed the game?!? Really?!? There were 104 people on that anonymous list of positive steroid users in 2003. Really. 104 people. Really. There are 750 roster spots in Major League Baseball. At least 14% of all players in your league tested positive. Perhaps the problems runs a bit deeper than A-rod, Bonds, Giambi, Clemens, Petite, and Tejada. Perhaps, the head of the league should take some responsibility for 14% of his workforce using an illegal and performance enhancing substance. Imagine what would happen is 14% of Windows employees tested positive for Meth? Do you think Bill Gates would be patting himself on the back? Belly-aching about people blaming him for things out of his control? Really.

And finally, Bud Selig this was your response to people questioning your leadership during the steroid era, "I don't want to hear the commissioner turned a blind eye to this or he didn't care about it." Really?!? Really Bud Selig?!? You know, I didn't want to hear that there is going to be a players strike in 1994, or that the All-Star game was going to end in a tie, or that the commissioner refuses to attend games when the all-time home run record is about to be broken only because he is good friends with the previous holder of the record and there is assumed steroid guilt of the guy breaking the record. But I had to deal with all of that Bud, while you skirted your responsibilities. Really.

The secret to signing Manny

Here we are nine days from the start of spring training and the list of available free agents is absurd. Its gotten to the point where everyone has written the "all-free agent team" article such as this one. With so much top notch talent for hire and most wallets thinner than last year, GMs need to start getting creative. To illustrate my point I will explain how any GM should court the services of Manny Ramirez. Seriously, there isn't one team that Manny wouldn't hit 3rd or 4th for this year, not one.

First, you must realize that Manny does not need money. He has made enough money to retire 10 times, each time like a king. He no longer has any concept of money. When he left Boston they found un-cashed checks in his locker.He is basically in the same situation Forrest Gump was in after investing in Apple, he no longer needs to worry about money. "That's one less thing." Its not about the money for Manny, its all about the status and the respect. Status and respect in baseball are dictated entirely by length and magnitude of contract... until now.

Manny needs to know that he is loved and respected. The economy is down so paying him 30 million per year is out of the question. I propose the following stipulations in Manny's contract:

1. For the entire time Manny is with your team and for 5 years following his departure - he gets to name the stadium anything he wants. "The House that Manny built" "Man-Ram's" " I-HOP"... whatever. Its his call.

2. Manny gets to setup all in stadium promotions during the season. It would be like having a minor league team run by a crazy uncle. Its liver and onions day today at Man-Ram stadium.

3. Manny gets to control 3 spots on the 25-man roster. If Manny wants to bring in Pedro, Shaq, and Charles Nagy you go out and sign Pedro, plug in Shaq at third, and find Charles Nagy. Its Manny's call. Trust me, a 22-man roster with Manny is better than a 25-man roster without Manny.

4. A tricked out golf cart will be responsible for driving Manny to and from left between innings. Picture the bullpen cars from the 80s. It would be like a Zamboni. Manny could fire the t-shirt gun on his way out.

All of these little additions are public ways to decree the respect you have for Manny. He doesn't need the money, he just wants the respect, and nothing says respect like t-shirt guns between innings.

Remembering May 9, 2003. They day I won a game for the Cincinnati Reds

I know what you are asking yourself. Jacob, I have been reading this blog for months now and you never told me you pitched in the majors?
Let me answer that by saying first, many thanks for reading this blog for months. And second, sadly I might add, I have never thrown a pitch in the majors. My 3 career home runs in division III baseball are as close as I came to being into the show.

So now I am sure you racking your brain. How could you have won a game for the Reds? Did I give Adam Dunn the same speech Mr. Burns gave to Daryl Strawberry?
No, no speech was given.

As all good stories go, "So there I was.."

Myself and several friends decided to take in a game at the Great American Ballpark on May 9, 2003. Exams were done for the semester and Cincinnati was only a 2-hour drive from Delaware, Ohio. Most of us had never been to the GAB and two of my friends are big Reds fans. The game wasn't sold out and we got great seats in the right field bleacher directly next to the Brewers bullpen. To be exact, I was sitting on the end of the aisle and immediately to my left was the bullpen about 20 feet straight down (this will come into play a bit later).

This story truly begins in the bottom of the first inning. Austin Kearns hits a towering home run into the Brewers bullpen, giving the Reds an early 3-0 lead. Curt Leskanic actually caught the ball in the bullpen. I immediately called out, "Hey Curt throw it up here." Typically in these situations smaller children or attractive woman are the two likeliest candidates to receive a home run or foul ball from a player. I am neither small, a child, or an attractive woman. However, Curt Leskanic looks right at me and goes to throw me the ball. Perhaps he was flattered I actually new his name? I may never know Leskanic's true motivations. Whatever the reasoning Curt throws the ball right at me, with one minor problem. He shorted me by about 10 feet. It was only a twenty foot throw! Ok, I told myself, not to worry, I am sure he is a bit embarrassed, but I know he will reach me on the next throw. He probably just misjudged the distance. To reassure Curt I hold out my hands, and really give him a good target. And that is when Curt Leskanic made an enemy for life...

Leskanic catches the ball following his ten-foot throw. Turns around and then perfectly tosses the ball to a small child sitting a few rows up from where we were sitting. What just happened? Did I really just get punked by Curt Leskanic? Did he think this was funny? Did he have any idea whom he was dealing with?
Answers to the previous questions are:
1. Curt Leskanic was having some fun on your behalf
2. Yes
3. Yes
4. No, not a clue.

At this moment my friends and I decided to make it a very miserable and sad day in the Milwaukee bullpen. For the next several innings we berated Curt with all kinds of taunts and jabs. "Hey Leskanic I hope you can make the 60 ft throw from the mound to the plate." "Hey Leskanic...you stink!" You know, really let him have it.

Normally I do not condone this type of behavior, these guys are just trying to do their job. But, as any three year old would say, "He started it!"

Then Christmas came early to Cincinnati. Leskanic was warming up to pitch the 8th inning. That's when we really started pouring it on. Critiquing every pitch he threw. Giving him grief every time he bounced a curve or missed the catchers target. It was probably the most attention anyone has ever paid to Curt Leskanic during a major league game. Naturally, Leskanic entered the game and had a 1,2,3 inning, including 2 strikeouts. The wind was immediately deflated from our proverbial sails. The picture above depicts his celebration following the second strikeout. I had to tip my hat to Leskanic. He was the better man that day. He both talked and walked. However, we re-grouped and decided that he may have won the battle, but the war was far from over. We decided that any reliever toeing the rubber for the Brewers would have to deal with our wrath on Leskanic's behalf. Why should the rest of the pen get off so easy. After all, they were all there when Curt shorted me with that throw. It was a whole new ball-game.

And in the ninth inning we made our major league debut. After rattling the cages of Mike DeJean, he promptly went out and gave up a two-run lead to send the game into extra innings. Success! After the Brewers scored a run in the top of the 10th, we knew we had our work cut out for ourselves against Luis Vizcaino. Fortunately, Mr Vizcaino was no the same consummate professional that Curt Lesaknic was. Now, I can't write everything we said to Mr Vizcaino, this is a family blog. However, the last thing we told him before he took the mound in the bottom of the 10th was, "You can blame all of this on Curt Leskanic and his pathetic arm." Buzz-ing.

When you look up the box score from May 9, 2003 you will read that Jose Guillen won the game for the Reds with a two-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning. What you won't read, is how four men were wronged by Curt Leskanic in the first inning and sought their vengence againt him and the Brewers organization. If we had talked trash to the Brewers bullpen 10 times, they might win 9. But not this time. For May 9, 2003 belonged to us.

The Mayor's term has come to an end

Earlier this week Sean Casey announced his retirement. Casey played for the Tribe, Reds, Tigers, Pirates, and Red Sox. He was in the Show, as Crash Davis would put it, from 1997-2008. He had several great seasons, he was a three-time all star, and was the only Tiger who bothered to hit in the 2006 world series. Sadly, he was also the only Tiger to be thrown out at first from left field that year as well. However, Casey won't be remembered for his stats, or his speed. He will be remembered for living up to his nickname of "The Mayor". In the past 10 years every time major leaguers were polled on who was the nicest player in the league, the votes were never close. Casey always won by a landslide. He played with a perpetual smile on his face. Every time a runner reached first base during Casey's tenure some conversation would always begin, shenanigans ensued.


5 years from now I doubt Casey will garner much support for Cooperstown, however today he will be enshrined into the NRS wall of fame.

What if....

One of my favorite debates to have is the what if... debate. What if the Hawks had taken Chris Paul instead of Marvin Williams or Brandon Roy instead of Sheldon Williams. Or, what if the Braves had actually signed Bonds. Or the Tigers had never traded Smoltz.

This morning I came across this article. It goes through the entire 1999 baseball draft with the Kansas City Royals. The article talks about who the Royals took with each pick, and then who was the best player available (knowing what we know now). If you make it to the end of the article you can't help but feel bad for anyone who is a KC fan.

My 2009 Baseball Bucket List

Every year I make a mental note of the players I want to see play in person. Sometimes I try to catch a veteran towards the end of their career. This was the case with Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, and Roger Clemens a few years ago. Sometimes I try to catch a pitcher or batter having an unreal season (last year it was Brandon Webb). With Spring Training just a few short weeks away, I thought I would make my 2009 Baseball Bucket List: Players to see during the 2009 season.

If there is anyone I have forgotten leave them in the comments.

1. Tim Lincecum - This guy is the reigning Cy Young, he's young, he has a funky delivery, and he strikes out a whole bunch of people. What's not to love.

2. David Price - Watching Price throw in the playoffs last year reminded me a lot of K-rod or Joel Zumaya. A little known rookie making a big name for himself on the national stage. It will be interesting to see if Price (and for that matter the Rays in general) are for real.

3. Hanley Ramirez - No one goes to games in Florida. The Marlins are rarely on national TV. This is tragic, because they have one of the most exciting lead off men in the game. Ramirez is better than Jose Reyes, he just doesn't play in NY. Ramirez has power and he can run, what's not to love.

4. Ichiro - Since arriving in America 8 years ago Ichiro has an MVP, a ROY, the most hits in a single season, 1805 hits, 315 SBs, and a cannon in the outfield. I have never seen him play, and I figure I have 3-4 more years when I can see him in his prime.

5. The Big Unit - Randy is chasing 300 wins late in his career. Naturally, he signed with the baseball equivalent of a retirement community - San Francisco. However, if he has anything left in the tank it will be a treat to watch potentially the last 300 game winner reach his milestone.

Finally, a Lion (Lyon) the people of Detroit can get behind

Detroit has finally nabbed their ninth inning man. After waiting out the market the Tigers have signed Brandon Lyon to a one year deal reportedly worth 5 million + incentives. The full story appears here. I love this deal for Detroit. Zumaya and Rodney are much more effective in the 7th and 8th innings. I love the one year contract for a closer - the drive will still be there. And personally, I believe all contracts should be incentive based. This guy was a proven closer for a playoff team. If he can sew up the ninth inning in Detroit it should be a bounce back year for the Tigers.

Baseball quote to get you through a cold Monday

David Wells upon being asked why he doesn't put more effort into getting into shape,
"I've never heard of anyone going on the DL for pulling their fat."

Spectacular.

The Braves 2008 off season: brought to you by Susan Lucci

The Atlanta Braves have had one of the worst off seasons that I can remember, until last weekend. The Braves, like most teams, entered the hot stove season with a number of needs. And each one was addressed with the energy and enthusiasm to get everyone in town excited and then let us all down.

- Starting rotation help -The off season started knowing Hudson was out until at least mid season. Hampton signed elsewhere. Glavine and Smoltz were big big question marks. Jair Jurrgens was the only starter who's name Bobby Cox can write in pen when the season ended.
What they did in the hot stove

The good - They traded for Javier Vasquez. It was a nice pick up to bolster the back of the rotation, but hardly anything to get excited about.

The bad - Smoltz left for Boston. I think this one hurt the pride of Atlantans more than anything else. The guy is 42 and coming off surgery, if he wasn't John Smoltz no one would really be that sad to see him go.

The ugly - the Braves outright refusal to pony up the prospects for Jake Peavy. Allow me to step on my soap box and shout at the rain for a moment. I will never understand what makes GM hang onto pitching prospects when they have the opportunity to trade for elite pitching (see Yankees vs Johann Santana). It basically boils down to this, if your pitching prospects hit their ceiling - they will be Jake Peavy. Doesn't it make more sense to trade for Peavy? This clip explains it all. If you play out all scenarios I believe the Braves trading for Peavy would have been a no lose situation. If Peavy was great and the Braves were in contention, then all is well in the world. If the Braves were out of the race in July they would be able to unload Chipper to a contender and re-stock the farm system.

The redemption - Braves sign Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami this past weekend. Suddenly their rotation lines up with Lowe, Jurrgens, Vasquez, Kawakami, and someone to fill a gap until Hudson gets back. This is a deep rotation, if not overly impressive.

- Lead off hitter - the Braves have a lot of guys who can fill in the lead off roll, but no traditional lead off hitter. Escobar and Johnson filled in last year, but neither one gets on base or is enough of a threat to run to really make an impact.

What they did in the Hot stove
Well Rafael Furcal signed a four year deal to return to Atlanta. He was going to reclaim his position in short stop and return to his spot atop the Turner Field line up. There were articles on line and in the paper. The Braves had planned a press conference. And then things became very real. Furcal just used the Braves to get the contract he wanted from the Dodgers. Wow. This is a painful experience for any team, but add in the fact that it happened from your starting short stop from 2000-2005 and that's enough to make anyone go straight for the bottle. But hold on Braves fans, its about to get a whole lot worse.

- Right handed middle of the order hitter, preferably a left fielder - The core of the Braves order is solid Chipper, McCann, Kotchman, Escobar, etc. But they are missing that one feared hitter to anchor things. Since Chipper is a switch hitter, and B-Mac is a lefty, if the new guy could be a righty all the better.

What they did in the Hot Stove

Every time a free agent right-handed power hitter was mentioned this off season the Braves were mentioned as a contending team. Somehow, they came home with nobody.

Pat Burrell - Tampa
Raul Ibanez - Philly
Milton Bradley - Cubbies

Now don't worry Braves fans there is still time to act. If you can sell yourself on a Lefty-heavy lineup Bobby Abreu or Adam Dunn could be yours. There is a chance a former Brave and current Dodger will be heading back to Atlanta - sadly, it may be Andruw Jones and not Furcal. And we all know Manny is still a free agent.

Well Braves fans the good news is Susan Lucci eventually got her Emmy. Who knows maybe your off season award is still to come.

Once again on my soapbox for Alan Trammell

Once again, we are approaching the time of year when Major League Baseball will announce that Alan Trammell has received 10-17% of the votes for election to baseball's Hall of Fame (75% is needed for election). This is also the time of year I have to ask: What does a guy have to do to get elected around here? Before I begin making my case for Trammell's HOF credentials, let me state that when I was growing up, Alan Trammell was my favorite player. I wrote my college admissions essay based on Alan Trammell, I always play number 3 in roulette for Trammell, and I believe he is one of the most underrated players of his generation. That being said - Alan Trammell should still have his bust in Cooperstown alongside other Tiger greats.

Alan Trammell played from 1977-1996 with the Detroit Tigers
During his 20 year career Trammell amassed 2365 hits, 185 HRs, 1003 RBIs, 1231 Runs, and 236 SBs.
He was the 1984 WS MVP (incidentally, no one from the 1984 championship team is in the HOF).
He should have been the 1987 AL MVP, but lost a close contest to George Bell, solely because Bell had more home runs.
He was a 6 time all-star.
He was a 4 time Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award winner.
When he retired, he was one of 7 shortstops to hit 0.300 six times or more. The other 6 were already in the HOF.
And possibly the strongest argument: Trammell was on Magnum PI with Tom Selleck. I don't know how any HOF voter can watch this video and not be swayed.

He had longevity and consistency. He and Lou Whitaker were the core of a great Tigers team in the 80s.

In all seriousness, the strongest argument for Trammell's induction to the hall goes as follows (this is not my argument, I just really like it): Ozzie Smith (who was a first ballot HOFer with 92% of the vote in 2002) played in the same era as Trammell. During both of their careers, there would not have been one year the Tigers would have ever traded Trammell for Smith straight up. Smith was flashier, but Trammell was the better player throughout their careers.

Trammell's HOF resume is probably hurt by the following:

1. He never got that MVP. Even though I would argue until the cows come home that Trammell was a More Valuable Player than George Bell in 1987, Trammell came up a bit short.
2. He was never flashy. He didn't do back flips or have funny quirks at the plate. He was just very good for a very long time.
3. He played in Detroit. It's a small market team in the midwest. If Trammell had the identical resume in Pinstripes, there is no doubt he would have been a first ballot HOFer
4. Trammell and Whitaker were referred to in the same breathe throughout their career. I think voters had trouble separating the two when it came to Cooperstown.

I would also argue that Trammell was hurt by the explosion of offensive short stops after he retired. As he came up on the ballot voters looked at A-rod, Nomar, Tejada, Jeter, Furcal ,etc - all putting up obscene offensive numbers from a traditionally defensive postion. Now it looks like all of these numbers were put up during an era that was an offensive explosion.

So will 2009 be any different for Trammell's HOF case? Probably not. His best chance will lie with the Veterans committee in the future. Until then I will be the voice of the minority (the 10-15% of voters who understand what Trammell meant to Detroit and baseball).

Will work for food.....

The free agent fenzy for 2008 is gone. Most of the big names made their homes in NYC (CC, AJ, Tex, K-rod). Now we are left with teams scrambling to fill holes with the table scraps in 2009. That is with one major exception - Man-Ram. How crazy must this guy be? Last year posted 0.322 37 121 scored over 100 runs and he is still unemployed 6 weeks before spring training! He put the Dodgers in the playoffs last year, before that he was a big part of breaking the curse of the Bambino, and before that he had Cleveland in the playoffs and 3 outs from a world championship. He has won everywhere he has been. He can hit anyone, anywhere, at any time. And for 25 million per year he can be all yours. Oh there is one thing..... Its a small thing, I don't think you are going to care but...... HE IS COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY INSANE. But don't worry GMs, I have the perfect way to calmly integrate Manny into your organization. Sign Manny, hold a press conference, and then at the conference announce that you have also signed Barry Bonds. Suddenly you have the Left/Right combo in your lineup. Most importantly, the Manny Ramirez circus will be tamed, because now you have the largest craziest circus in all of baseball - Barry Bonds. For probably 40-50 million per year you can have Ramirez and Bonds in your lineup and a national following of your team -doesn't this sound like the perfect idea for the Pirates, Nationals, or Royals? You can thank me later.