V-Mart's Red Sox days are history as he agreed to a deal with the Tigers yesterday that the Sox would not match. Apparently it came down to dollars rather than years. The Sox appear content to have injury-plagued Jarrod Saltalamacchia be the starting catcher for next year. Don't get me wrong, I think Salty would make a fine starting catcher--in Pawtucket. He hasn't shown any indication that he's ready to start behind the plate for a major league team, let alone one in the AL East.
V-Mart was familiar with the pitching staff and could even catch a knuckleball. If Wake comes back next year, who catches him? Can Salty handle the knuckler? What about Buchholz, who blossomed with V-Mart behind the plate? How will V-Mart's departure affect him? Pitchers rely heavily on routine and not having V-Mart catching him will disrupt that routine.
How about replacing his offensive production in the lineup? The Sox will most likely lose Beltre as well, so that's two big bats that need replacing. Sometimes I feel the front office looks too far into the future at the expense of the present. Next year is just as important as 2013 or 2014. The onus is on them to fill as many holes as possible this offseason and they just created another huge one by letting V-Mart go.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Congratulations 2010 World Champion S.F. Giants!
Boy was I ever wrong in my World Series prediction. Rangers in 7 it wasn't. Try Giants in 5. The Giants as a franchise last won in 1954, when they were still in New York. This is the first time the San Francisco Giants won it all and they played a hell of a Series. Their starting rotation gave credence to the adage "Good pitching beats good hitting," holding the loaded-with-lumber Rangers to a .190 batting average. Dominant pitching plus timely hitting brought the World Series trophy to San Francisco. Edgar Renteria--yes, he of the 30-error season for the Red Sox in '05--knocked two clutch homers to earn World Series MVP honors. Bruce Bochy put on a managing clinic the entire postseason and some impressive rookies, Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner, shined in the playoff spotlight. All in all, a very satisfying win for a baseball fan.
Congrats are due to the Rangers, who made their first World Series appearance ever. They have a great team, though they got outplayed in the Fall Classic. Look for them to contend in the AL West again next year.
Congrats are due to the Rangers, who made their first World Series appearance ever. They have a great team, though they got outplayed in the Fall Classic. Look for them to contend in the AL West again next year.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
World Series Game 3: At Home On The Range
The Texas Rangers did what they had to do to stay alive in this World Series: They won Game 3 on the back of starter Colby Lewis by a score of 4-2. Lewis, who was an unofficial MVP of the ALCS with his two wins over the Yankees, including the decisive Game 6, came up big again last night, playing the role of stopper. He shut out the suddenly-potent Giants offense for 6 innings before giving up solo shots in the 7th and 8th. On the Rangers' part, they have rookie first baseman Mitch Moreland for a 3-run blast in the 2nd and Josh Hamilton for a solo dinger in the 5th. By winning Game 3, the Rangers have ensured the World Series will go at least 5 games.
For Game 4, the Rangers have a huge decision to make: Start Tommy Hunter, who struggled in the ALCS , and risk going down 3 games to 1 or start Cliff Lee on short rest and hope he pitches better than he did in Game 1. On the Giants' part, Madison Bumgarner has proven he can pitch in the post-season, but their big decision is what to do with the scuffling Pat Burrell, who earned the dubious honor of a Golden Sombrero in last night's game after whiffing 4 times.
I'll be out of town for the rest of the series, so I'll have to catch (and blog) whatever I can of it. May the best team win!
For Game 4, the Rangers have a huge decision to make: Start Tommy Hunter, who struggled in the ALCS , and risk going down 3 games to 1 or start Cliff Lee on short rest and hope he pitches better than he did in Game 1. On the Giants' part, Madison Bumgarner has proven he can pitch in the post-season, but their big decision is what to do with the scuffling Pat Burrell, who earned the dubious honor of a Golden Sombrero in last night's game after whiffing 4 times.
I'll be out of town for the rest of the series, so I'll have to catch (and blog) whatever I can of it. May the best team win!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Wake does Roberto Clemente proud
Yesterday, before World Series Game 2 began, Tim Wakefield was honored as the 2010 recipient of the Roberto Clemente award in recognition of his service to the Boston community and the community in Florida that he calls home. Roberto Clemente, born in Puerto Rico, was a star outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955 to 1972. His life and career were cut short in a plane crash on December 31, 1972--he was on the plane to ensure that aid packages were delivered to the victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua. Previous packages had fallen into the wrong hands and Clemente wanted to make sure that did not happen again. Tragically, the overloaded plane went down in the ocean off the coast of Puerto Rico and Clemente's body was never found.
Wakefield began his career with the same organization that Clemente played for in his illustrious 18-year career. He made a promise to a failing early-intervention school in Florida that if he made it to the big leagues, he would help them remain open. He made good on that promise and has been involved with the school ever since. He has also supported the Franciscan Children's Hospital in Boston and hosts an annual charity golf tournament. He's been nominated for the Clemente award eight times before winning this year. It's a well-deserved honor and he does Clemente's legacy proud.
Wakefield began his career with the same organization that Clemente played for in his illustrious 18-year career. He made a promise to a failing early-intervention school in Florida that if he made it to the big leagues, he would help them remain open. He made good on that promise and has been involved with the school ever since. He has also supported the Franciscan Children's Hospital in Boston and hosts an annual charity golf tournament. He's been nominated for the Clemente award eight times before winning this year. It's a well-deserved honor and he does Clemente's legacy proud.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
World Series Game 2: A Giant Merry-Go-Round
It seems I grossly underestimated the Giants' offense coming into this World Series. Or is it that the Rangers are out there in Santa Claus suits, lugging sacks full of gift-wrapped runs? Not all the runs the Giants have scored so far have been of the gift variety, however. Home runs by Uribe and Renteria, as well as some timely hits have done their share in putting the Giants two games closer to their first World Championship in San Francisco and first overall in 56 years. Matt Cain did his part as well, pitching a gem and combining with Javier Lopez and Guillermo Mota to shut out the Rangers in Game 2.
The game was a close one until the bottom of the 8th, when the Rangers bullpen couldn't find the plate if they had a GPS giving them directions. The Giants circled the bases, first one by one, then in bunches as it took four Rangers pitchers to get that elusive third out. At one point in the inning, 11 straight balls were thrown! When the inning was over, 7 Giants runs had scored, ripping open the game and sending Brian Wilson back to the dugout, as he was no longer needed in a 9-0 blowout. What was with those Rangers relievers in the 8th? Did the World Series get into their heads or were they wearing invisible blindfolds?
The series moves to Arlington, Texas on Saturday evening and the Rangers had better hope the home cooking is good if they are to keep their hopes of a championship alive. They will depend on Colby Lewis, who beat the Yankees twice in the ALCS to keep them out of a 3-game hole. The Giants, on the other hand, must rely on Jonathan Sanchez, whose command has eluded him for most of this post-season, to put a stranglehold on the Rangers. The Rangers have the potential to turn this World Series around. The question is, will they? The Giants have the momentum and have proven to be very capable of running with it. Will they run all the way to the title? We shall see...
The game was a close one until the bottom of the 8th, when the Rangers bullpen couldn't find the plate if they had a GPS giving them directions. The Giants circled the bases, first one by one, then in bunches as it took four Rangers pitchers to get that elusive third out. At one point in the inning, 11 straight balls were thrown! When the inning was over, 7 Giants runs had scored, ripping open the game and sending Brian Wilson back to the dugout, as he was no longer needed in a 9-0 blowout. What was with those Rangers relievers in the 8th? Did the World Series get into their heads or were they wearing invisible blindfolds?
The series moves to Arlington, Texas on Saturday evening and the Rangers had better hope the home cooking is good if they are to keep their hopes of a championship alive. They will depend on Colby Lewis, who beat the Yankees twice in the ALCS to keep them out of a 3-game hole. The Giants, on the other hand, must rely on Jonathan Sanchez, whose command has eluded him for most of this post-season, to put a stranglehold on the Rangers. The Rangers have the potential to turn this World Series around. The question is, will they? The Giants have the momentum and have proven to be very capable of running with it. Will they run all the way to the title? We shall see...
World Series Game 1: Run Prevention Gone Awry
Not quite the pitcher's duel we had expected, Game 1 of the World Series between the Rangers and Giants ended up very much the opposite. Neither Cliff Lee nor Tim Lincecum brought their A game to the mound and some sloppy glovework on both sides led to a rather messy slugfest between the two teams. The Giants got the better of the Rangers by 4 runs and ended up scoring 11 in all. It was almost comical, in that the Giants aren't a team that scores a lot of runs. They scored 19 over six games in the NLCS and their fans often refer to their games as "torture" because they're usually tight, one or two run affairs. So what do they do? They go out and put up 11 in Game 1 of the World Series! That's baseball for you.
Juan Uribe and Freddy Sanchez ended up being the biggest Giants bats of Game 1, with Uribe taking Darren O'Day yard for 3 runs in the 5th and Freddy Sanchez knocking 4 hits, 3 of them doubles. The Giants got to a surprisingly ineffective Cliff Lee for 7 runs in all and tacked on 4 more off the Rangers' pen--one off of O'Day and three off of Mark Lowe, who was not on the roster for the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Rangers' defense helped the Giants' cause, notching 4 errors, for which they paid dearly. Vlad Guerrero booted two balls in the outfield, calling into question his presence out there. Just how important is his bat to the lineup? Is it worth the liability in right field? Ron Washington seems to think so, as Guerrero is slated to play right again in tonight's Game 2.
The Giants' bullpen made the game closer than it looked like it was going to be going into the ninth. Red Sox fans watching last night no doubt recognized the Ramon Ramirez who started off the inning with two baserunners. Affeldt didn't fare much better and it took quirky closer Brian Wilson to finally put Game 1 to bed, but not before the 3 Giants relievers allowed the Rangers to score 3 runs in the ninth.
Tonight in Game 2, C.J. Wilson takes the hill for the Rangers and Matt Cain for the Giants. Wilson struggled in Game 5 of the ALCS, but Cain came up big in Game 3 of the NLCS. It will be interesting to see how the Rangers respond to their Game 1 beatdown and how the Giants try to build on their victory.
Juan Uribe and Freddy Sanchez ended up being the biggest Giants bats of Game 1, with Uribe taking Darren O'Day yard for 3 runs in the 5th and Freddy Sanchez knocking 4 hits, 3 of them doubles. The Giants got to a surprisingly ineffective Cliff Lee for 7 runs in all and tacked on 4 more off the Rangers' pen--one off of O'Day and three off of Mark Lowe, who was not on the roster for the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Rangers' defense helped the Giants' cause, notching 4 errors, for which they paid dearly. Vlad Guerrero booted two balls in the outfield, calling into question his presence out there. Just how important is his bat to the lineup? Is it worth the liability in right field? Ron Washington seems to think so, as Guerrero is slated to play right again in tonight's Game 2.
The Giants' bullpen made the game closer than it looked like it was going to be going into the ninth. Red Sox fans watching last night no doubt recognized the Ramon Ramirez who started off the inning with two baserunners. Affeldt didn't fare much better and it took quirky closer Brian Wilson to finally put Game 1 to bed, but not before the 3 Giants relievers allowed the Rangers to score 3 runs in the ninth.
Tonight in Game 2, C.J. Wilson takes the hill for the Rangers and Matt Cain for the Giants. Wilson struggled in Game 5 of the ALCS, but Cain came up big in Game 3 of the NLCS. It will be interesting to see how the Rangers respond to their Game 1 beatdown and how the Giants try to build on their victory.
Monday, October 25, 2010
2010 World Series: Triumph of the Underdogs
In less than 48 hours at AT&T Park (a.k.a The Park that Broke The 2010 Red Sox) in San Francisco, the 2010 Fall Classic begins. Let's look at how the teams match up, position by position, and, for the starting pitchers, game by game:
Position Players
Catcher: Giants - Buster Posey
Rangers - Bengie Molina
Advantage: Giants, with youth and raw talent giving Posey the slight edge.
First Base: Giants - Aubrey Huff
Rangers - Mitch Moreland
Advantage: Rangers but this is also very close. Moreland, the rookie, beats out Huff based on his performance in the post-season so far.
Second Base: Giants - Freddy Sanchez
Rangers - Ian Kinsler
Advantage: Rangers
Third Base: Giants - Pablo Sandoval
Rangers - Michael Young
Advantage: Rangers, no offense to "The Panda"
Shortstop: Giants - Juan Uribe
Rangers - Elvis Andrus
Advantage: Rangers. Uribe has more pop, but Andrus has been an on-base machine with the wheels to make a lot of trouble for the Giants on the basepaths.
Left Field: Giants - Pat Burrell
Rangers - Jeff Francoeur/David Murphy
Advantage: Giants, but only a slight edge. Murphy makes it a closer call than Francoeur.
Center Field: Giants - Andres Torres
Rangers- Josh Hamilton
Advantage: Rangers have the huge advantage here, but Torres has heated up of late.
Right Field: Giants - Cody Ross
Rangers - Nelson Cruz
Advantage: Rangers. Ross may have been the NLCS MVP, but Cruz has been the steadier producer throughout the season.
Bench: Giants - Travis Ishikawa, Mike Fontenot, Edgar Renteria, Aaron Rowand, Eli Whiteside, Nate Scheirholtz
Rangers - Jorge Cantu, Andres Blanco, Matt Treanor, Julio Borbon, either Jeff Francoeur or David Murphy
Advantage: Giants. National League teams' benches get more at-bats and with guys like Renteria and Rowand on the Giants' bench, it makes it ever-so-slightly stronger.
Bullpen (minus closer): Giants - Santiago Casilla, Ramon Ramirez, Javier Lopez, Jeremy Affeldt, Sergio Romo, Guillermo Mota
Rangers - Darren Oliver, Darren O'Day, Alexi Ogando, Derek Holland, Clay Rapada, Michael Kirkman
Advantage: Giants. The change-of-scenery honeymoon may be over for Ramon Ramirez, but another former Red Sox reliever, Javier Lopez, got himself back on the right track and has been dominant for the Giants in the playoffs so far. Other standouts: Jeremy Affeldt and Sergio Romo. The Rangers 'pen was great in the regular season, but the strike zone has eluded them a bit in October, particularly "the two Darrens"
Closer: Giants - Brian Wilson
Rangers - Neftali Feliz
Advantage: Giants. Fear the Beard.
Game 1 Starter: Giants - Tim Lincecum
Rangers- Cliff Lee
Advantage: Rangers. Post-season Cliff Lee gets the edge over anyone, even Tim Lincecum.
Games 2, 3, and 4 Starters: Giants - Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, Madison Bumgarner
Rangers- C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Tommy Hunter or Derek Holland
Advantage: Giants, if the Rangers use four starters and Rangers if Cliff Lee starts on short rest.
World Series prediction: Rangers in 7. The pitching staffs are close so the advantage goes to the team with the biggest sticks and wheels.
This, of course, is just a fan's point of view. The people who write about baseball for a living have their take on each position posted on mlb.com and I'm going over there right now to see how my predictions stacked up to theirs.
Edited to add: I didn't include DH because I'm not sure who the Giants will use for their DH in Texas. Whoever it is, the Rangers have the clear advantage with Vladimir Guerrero
Position Players
Catcher: Giants - Buster Posey
Rangers - Bengie Molina
Advantage: Giants, with youth and raw talent giving Posey the slight edge.
First Base: Giants - Aubrey Huff
Rangers - Mitch Moreland
Advantage: Rangers but this is also very close. Moreland, the rookie, beats out Huff based on his performance in the post-season so far.
Second Base: Giants - Freddy Sanchez
Rangers - Ian Kinsler
Advantage: Rangers
Third Base: Giants - Pablo Sandoval
Rangers - Michael Young
Advantage: Rangers, no offense to "The Panda"
Shortstop: Giants - Juan Uribe
Rangers - Elvis Andrus
Advantage: Rangers. Uribe has more pop, but Andrus has been an on-base machine with the wheels to make a lot of trouble for the Giants on the basepaths.
Left Field: Giants - Pat Burrell
Rangers - Jeff Francoeur/David Murphy
Advantage: Giants, but only a slight edge. Murphy makes it a closer call than Francoeur.
Center Field: Giants - Andres Torres
Rangers- Josh Hamilton
Advantage: Rangers have the huge advantage here, but Torres has heated up of late.
Right Field: Giants - Cody Ross
Rangers - Nelson Cruz
Advantage: Rangers. Ross may have been the NLCS MVP, but Cruz has been the steadier producer throughout the season.
Bench: Giants - Travis Ishikawa, Mike Fontenot, Edgar Renteria, Aaron Rowand, Eli Whiteside, Nate Scheirholtz
Rangers - Jorge Cantu, Andres Blanco, Matt Treanor, Julio Borbon, either Jeff Francoeur or David Murphy
Advantage: Giants. National League teams' benches get more at-bats and with guys like Renteria and Rowand on the Giants' bench, it makes it ever-so-slightly stronger.
Bullpen (minus closer): Giants - Santiago Casilla, Ramon Ramirez, Javier Lopez, Jeremy Affeldt, Sergio Romo, Guillermo Mota
Rangers - Darren Oliver, Darren O'Day, Alexi Ogando, Derek Holland, Clay Rapada, Michael Kirkman
Advantage: Giants. The change-of-scenery honeymoon may be over for Ramon Ramirez, but another former Red Sox reliever, Javier Lopez, got himself back on the right track and has been dominant for the Giants in the playoffs so far. Other standouts: Jeremy Affeldt and Sergio Romo. The Rangers 'pen was great in the regular season, but the strike zone has eluded them a bit in October, particularly "the two Darrens"
Closer: Giants - Brian Wilson
Rangers - Neftali Feliz
Advantage: Giants. Fear the Beard.
Game 1 Starter: Giants - Tim Lincecum
Rangers- Cliff Lee
Advantage: Rangers. Post-season Cliff Lee gets the edge over anyone, even Tim Lincecum.
Games 2, 3, and 4 Starters: Giants - Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, Madison Bumgarner
Rangers- C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Tommy Hunter or Derek Holland
Advantage: Giants, if the Rangers use four starters and Rangers if Cliff Lee starts on short rest.
World Series prediction: Rangers in 7. The pitching staffs are close so the advantage goes to the team with the biggest sticks and wheels.
This, of course, is just a fan's point of view. The people who write about baseball for a living have their take on each position posted on mlb.com and I'm going over there right now to see how my predictions stacked up to theirs.
Edited to add: I didn't include DH because I'm not sure who the Giants will use for their DH in Texas. Whoever it is, the Rangers have the clear advantage with Vladimir Guerrero
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