Shipping Up To Boston

Shipping Up To Boston

 

 

 

As a New Yorker and a Yankee fan I will be the first to admit I’ve had my fair share of moments where the hatred for the sports teams of the city of Boston has overtaken me and I’ve said things that are unfit to print. However, events like those that occurred yesterday help remind all of us that despite sports allegiances, city allegiances, and state pride, what matters most is the allegiance to each other as people. Boston, like New York is a wonderful city in this country. There are so many similarities between our attitudes, our upbringings, and most importantly our fighting spirits that never allow us to cower or get down when adversity strikes. Maybe in the grand scheme of things that’s why we feel the way we do about each other, we’re exactly the same and we don’t like it.

For as long as I could remember Patriots Day and the Boston Marathon have always been one of my favorite days as both a sports fan and as an American. Watching the 11:05 Red Sox game and keeping tabs on the Boston Marathon happenings were a beloved pastime. They still will be in the future but I will no longer be able to think about it without first recalling the bombings of yesterday. Patriots Day and the Boston Marathon are supposed to be happy times when we realize spring is here and summer is right around the corner. Damn those responsible for tarnishing what we had.

Yesterday’s events were plain and simple acts of terrorism. There are no two ways about it. Whether those acts were foreign or domestic we’re unsure of at the moment but it goes without saying that regardless the outcome, we as Americans will not let it break us.

Unfortunately with the world we currently live in there is always going to be that threat and in the back of our minds whatever huge gatherings we attend as sports fans, music lovers, or anything else we as society flock towards in masses, we will be wondering if something will happen. Terrorism is always going to exist but terrorists are nothing compared to the massive numbers of good hearted people who will do whatever it takes to help others and stand united against the threats against us.

Too many innocent lives have been lost because of acts of terrorism and too many more will be lost in the future but always remember we are fighters, our spirits cannot be broken, and good will always far outnumber evil. With that said, I’m now going to pull up a stool at Warren Tavern, order myself a Sam Adams, and drink to the lives lost and those severely injured yesterday. I’m not even going to end this by saying “Stay Strong Beantown” because we all know you will.

The NL East Arms Race

The NL East Arms Race

 

 

 

The most exciting part of being a baseball fan, besides possibly getting to watch your team make a World Series run, is watching young prospects come up and perform to their potential or possibly beyond. Year in and year out new stars make their way to the grandest stage with all the hype and hyperbole one can muster up and are thrown into the ocean, being told to either “sink or swim.” Taking a look at the NL East this season and you get the feeling that there are some great swimmers who won’t be needing a life raft. Some are far more established than others but all 5 teams have a young pitcher who can carry a rotation and carry a team for years to come.

The Philadelphia Phillies are the first team to come to mind and their ace Cole Hamels is a grizzled veteran and ready for the retirement home when compared to the other pitchers who will be profiled. Hamels is 29 years old and is beginning his seventh year in the majors. Besides all that, he is already a World Series champion, winning with the Phillies in 2008. In addition to the ring Hamels also won both the NLCS and World Series MVP posting a 4-0 record in the postseason. His lifetime record in the postseason is 7-4 so he has proven not only that he is an ace but also has the moxie to handle the playoffs. The Phillies have an older roster surrounding Hamels and their postseason successes may be few and far between over the next few years but Philadelphia fans and all of baseball know that Hamels will do all he can to make sure that failure isn’t an option.

Next up are the Atlanta Braves. The Braves have a plethora of young arms but the one that stands out above the rest is Kris Medlen. Medlen started his career as a reliever and spot starter for Atlanta but last year was converted to a full time starter and since then both he and the Braves haven’t looked back. In twelve starts last year Medlen posted a 10-1 record to go along with a 1.57 ERA. He had 120 strikeouts and of the 12 starts, two were complete games, one being a shutout. So far this year Medlen has a 1-1 record with a very respectable 1.50 ERA. Tim Hudson may be the veteran leader and the guy all the other pitchers will turn to for advice and guidance, but they all know that Kris Medlen is the key.

The next stop on the tour around the NL East brings us to our nation’s capital. The Washington Nationals, like the Braves, have a number of young pitchers but the ace of the staff and the engine that makes the car run is without question Stephen Strasburg. Already in his career Strasburg has had to undergo Tommy John surgery and rebounded quite well from it, even if the controversy of shutting him down last year was a hot topic around baseball. My personal opinion, they were justified in doing so. Gio Gonzalez was having a Cy Young year, the rest of the pitching staff was quite formidable, and with the money they have invested in Strasburg they wanted to protect both his future and the future of the franchise. Strasburg before he is done will have a Cy Young or two on his mantle along with a World Series championship or two. The young core of players that Washington boasts will carry them to success for many years to come.

As readers of this blog know I am from New York City, the craziest, wildest media circus known to man. Here in New York, Mets fans like to think that there is a rivalry between themselves and the Yankees, when in reality, we all know to be considered a rivalry there needs to be sustained success on both sides. However, with all that being said, the future sure looks bright for a rivalry to be brewing. Despite their financial struggles, which according to the team are over, the Mets have built a good young nucleus of players to carry them forward for years to come. Besides “Captain America” David Wright the one name that comes to mind with the Mets future is Matt Harvey. Harvey made his Major League debut last season as July call up for the team and pitched well despite a 3-5 record. The problem last year was the Mets were a horrible run scoring team, whereas this year they lead the league in that category. All Harvey has done this season is remind fans of Doc Gooden, posting a 3-0 record while allowing only six hits in 22 innings pitched. Those numbers are ridiculous and are almost incomparable. Some records Harvey has already set are being the first pitcher since 1900 to win first three starts by having 25+ K’s and 6 or fewer hits yielded. Also, since World War 2 only three pitchers have started a season with 7+IP, and 3 hits or fewer allowed, those being Jim Rooker, Nolan Ryan, and Matt Harvey. In 13 career starts Harvey has 95 strikeouts which rank him 3^rd in franchise history through that many games trailing only Nolan Ryan and Doc Gooden. Whether Yankee fans like it or not the Mets will be for real soon enough and will boast the best pitcher in the area by far.

Finally we look at our youngest contestant in the contest for best young pitcher in the division. Down in South Beach the Marlins do things that make fans scratch their heads and turn on the franchise on a consistent basis. I shudder to write anything positive about this guy for fear he will be traded because of his stats thus far and the unwillingness to have to pay him in the future. The man I am talking about is Jose Fernandez. Fernandez is all of 20 years old and has never pitched above A-Ball but since making his debut last week due to injuries in the rotation, all he has done is shut down the Mets and Phillies. Fernandez is of Cuban descent and has one hell of a story to tell about getting this far, including three thwarted defection attempts that led to prison terms, and on his fourth attempt, which was successful, his mother fell overboard and Fernandez had to jump in and save her. Dealing with circumstances like that isn’t going to affect a guy standing on the mound staring down any hitter in the box. His fastball hits 97 and his breaking pitch has the velocity of a slider but the movement of a curve. He is also working on a changeup that will be devastating as well from the looks of it once he has mastered it. Last night against the Phillies he also showed an ability to hit as he drove in a run on a base hit to left field. His swing is forceful and one of a guy who knows what he is doing in the box. Hopefully he is a pitcher that Marlins fans can enjoy and cheer on for years to come, but so often that isn’t the case and he will end up somewhere where he can be truly appreciated by fans and ownership alike.

The next few years in the NL East will provide a lot of good games and matchups people will go out of their way to see. The fights for division titles and playoff spots will define excitement, and as a baseball fan I’m glad I have a front row seat.

From The Bash Brothers to The Bernie: How Oakland is Taking the Game by Storm

From The Bash Brothers to The Bernie: How Oakland is Taking the Game by Storm

 

From the beginning of last season the Oakland Athletics have amassed one of the best records in baseball and without a doubt have had the most fun while doing it. Watching this team regularly you can’t help but notice how close everyone is and the camaraderie being off the charts. Their offensive approach was changed by hitting coach Chili Davis and they have reaped the benefits. It’s a lot easier to have fun when you keep going through every team that stands in your way. Also, knowing that you’re never out of a game because you had 15 walk off wins last season between the regular and postseason helps to boost confidence and solidarity.

It all started last year when Coco Crisp changed his walk up music to the song “Bernie Lean” by ATM and IMD. The song is a tribute to the cult classic film “Weekend at Bernie’s.” From that point on whenever something good happened players would do the Bernie Lean and not soon after all the fans followed suit. Catching on like wildfire the dance soon took over Oakland. For those completely unaware there is a video involving A’s players which can be seen here The Bernie Lean.

This season the Bernie Lean lives on in Oakland to the point that the A’s have scheduled a Coco Crisp Bobblehead Night in which Crisp’s likeness does the Bernie Lean Coco Crisp Bernie Lean Bobblehead. Also, the team chemistry is as strong as ever. Whenever a player hits a home run and returns to the dugout he must run through the home run tunnel as seen here Home Run Tunnel. In addition to the home run tunnel and the Bernie Lean there was also the game last season in which Josh Reddick celebrated a Coco Crisp walk off sacrifice fly by running out onto the field in a Spiderman outfit to give him the shaving cream pie SpiderReddick. The team is a joy to watch and looks again to be a contender, currently riding an 8 game win streak in which they have scored at least 6 runs in every game. They may not be filled with household names but these guys love the game and love playing with each other. There’s not much else that can be said about this team and how great they are so I will leave you with this: When all else fails, just

The Curious Case of Josh Hamilton

The Curious Case of Josh Hamilton

Let’s start off by stating the obvious. Josh Hamilton is a good baseball player. Problem is, he could be a really great baseball player but unfortunately he has never met a pitch he hasn’t liked. Hamilton puts up stats there’s no question about it, but when you swing at everything that’s bound to happen. Last season he hit 31 doubles and 43 home runs, but also had 162 strikeouts and 60 walks. To put that into perspective, the strikeout number puts him just outside the top 10 in the league and the 60 walks puts him behind guys like Kelly Johnson and Mark Reynolds (MARK REYNOLDS!!!!). On no planet should Mark Reynolds have more walks than Josh Hamilton.

It was well documented last year that Hamilton was having trouble hitting and seeing the ball in day games. His blue eyes, and any light colored eyes, due to lack of pigment, will attract more unwanted light and cause glare problems. His hitting at night was better, but he still leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to pitch selection. Watching Hamilton play regularly you can’t help but shake your head at some of his swings and say to yourself, “What is he swinging at?”

Pitchers fear him and rightfully so. He has been called “The Natural” because of his effortless ability to drive pitches and his all-around talent being next to none. He is pitched to very carefully but so many times he will bail them out by swinging at pitches a foot out of the strike zone. You would think by now he would make the adjustment to be less aggressive and put his numbers into another stratosphere but maybe he is content with what he’s doing. That has to be the only explanation for a guy with 266 walks and 633 strikeouts in his career.

Growing Grass in the Concrete Jungle

Growing Grass in the Concrete Jungle

                                       

 

Opening Week of the season has provided New York with hope for an eventful summer. The Yankees are keeping their heads above water battling through injuries and the Mets are proving to be a tough out while at the same time showing that the future is full of promise. Today we’re going to look at both teams, how they’ve fared and why this will be one of the most fun baseball summers in recent memory.

Let’s start with the Yankees since they’re my favorite team and also because let’s face it, I make the rules around here. Coming into the season all signs pointed to the offense struggling with run producers like Teixeira and Granderson out and the Captain nursing his injury. The pitching will keep them in games but they will struggle to score. That’s what we all thought but it turns out that isn’t the case. In actuality the offense has played well and the pitching has been the Achilles heel. I fully expect this veteran pitching staff to come around and start doing what they’re capable of and when the offense is at full strength look out because this will be a dangerous team.

Another factor to remember is that this is the Yankees and trades and waiver pickups are never out of the question. The World Series victories may not be there but the team is a consistent postseason presence, save 2008, and that is thanks to the maneuvers of GM Brian Cashman. He has been fortunate to make some smart moves and also get lucky and catch lightning in a bottle when it comes to mid-season moves and I don’t see this year being any different.

Now let’s get off the 4 train at Grand Central and hop on the 7 over to Citi Field.

The Mets have played phenomenally thus far and though I don’t see it lasting all season and into the postseason they can be competitive and give the Nats and Braves a scare every now and again. John Buck will not last as the National League RBI leader but he’s a good veteran player who can handle a young staff and be a nice stopgap until Travis D’Arnaud is ready. As a matter of fact, the Mets have to be ecstatic because the longer Buck plays well the longer D’Arnaud’s service clock doesn’t have to be plugged in and using up juice.

On the pitching front Jonathan Niese and Matt Harvey have arguably been the best righty-lefty tandem in the game thus far. Niese is starting to put it all together and show that he can be a decent number 2 but more likely a phenomenal number 3 in a rotation and Matt Harvey is giving Met fans flashbacks to Dwight Gooden. Harvey became only the second pitcher in Mets history with consecutive starts of 7+ innings pitched and 3 hits or fewer hits to start a season. The other? Just some guy named Nolan Ryan. With Zack Wheeler waiting in the minors, the Mets will have a fantastic trio of young arms to build around in due time.

Offensively, this team is no longer David “Captain America” Wright and a bunch of fill-ins and castoffs. Daniel Murphy may never put up monster stats but the guy can handle a bat and work the hit and run game to perfection. Ike Davis and Lucas Duda may not fight for batting titles but they have huge power that teams need to be weary of and must be pitched to carefully. They could use another middle of the order righty, and D’Arnaud will be that guy soon enough but for now, as stated above, John Buck is doing just fine.

Ownership claims the money issues are behind them so look for the Mets to spend a little more money to help build up the roster and bring them back to prominence for years to come. The Yankees may have more promise in the present but the future belongs to the kids from Queens.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter @changingspeeds for more coverage of the baseball season.

Opening Week

Thoughts on Opening Week

 

 

 

 

            Opening Week is in the books and what a week it was. Surprises, disappointments, drama, and walk offs, this week had it all. The Reds, a team I predicted to not make the playoffs came out of the gate swinging. Facing the Angels and Nationals, the Reds took two of three from each and played great ball. There are teams with a better record than the Reds 4-2 mark but they didn’t play the same caliber of competition. Shin Soo Choo has been great for the Reds in the leadoff spot, something I predicted would not happen, and yes it is an early sample size but if he can keep up this type of play the Reds will run away with the Central Division. Todd Frazier has also been a huge help in the team’s winning ways, amassing three home runs and nine runs batted in over the week. The bullpen is a strength and if they can get consistency from their starters like they did last year this team will be at the top of the standings all season long.

            Bryce Harper carried his hot spring over into the season, batting .360 with three home runs and five runs batted in. He leads the team in all three categories and will be a permanent fixture in the three hole for Davey Johnson and the Nationals. The Nationals will have some stiff competition for the division in the Atlanta Braves who beat up on some inferior opponents this week. Thanks to Justin Upton and his resurgence in Atlanta, the Braves ended the week with a 5-1 record. Upton has five home runs and is batting at a .375 clip to start the year and also made some history with his brother B.J. They became the first pair of brothers to homer in the ninth inning to tie a game and also homer to win the game that same inning with B.J. hitting the tying homer and Justin providing the walk off.

            Another team I would like to mention in the National League is the Colorado Rockies. This is a team that come the end of the year will probably not be near the top of the standings but playing against lesser opponents to open the year allowed them to finish the week tied with best record in baseball at 5-1. They are a fun team to watch and have a slew of home grown talent developing at the major league level. The present looks good for now but the future looks very bright.

            While typing that paragraph I believe the Houston Astros struck out another ten times. With 74 strikeouts thus far on the year they are well on their way to breaking a record.

            Over in the American League there is far more parody than the National League, and if things stay this way it will be a great summer in the league of the DH. No team really jumped out to a scorching or overpowering start but two players in particular had torrid weeks. Mike Morse of the Mariners enjoyed his first week on the road with the new team belting five home runs and driving in eight. Now that he will be home and in Safeco Field let’s see how he sustains the power. The fences being moved in may help some but I still see that ballpark being the Sahara Desert of the Major Leagues. Another player absolutely destroying the ball is Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles. He has hit four home runs this week while driving in a staggering seventeen runs. His four homers came in the first four games of the season and he failed to become the first player ever to homer in his team’s first five games.

            Looking ahead to week two there are some intriguing matchups on deck. The most intriguing of which is Atlanta at Washington this weekend. Both teams are playing well and the Nats are a tough team at home but if Atlanta can take the series it will go a long way in showing the Nats there’s a real serious threat for the division crown. That’s all for today folks. Enjoy your week of the greatest game on Earth and follow me on Twitter @changingspeeds for more coverage of the baseball season.

Running Diary of Diamondbacks and Brewers

Game 3: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers

 

 

 

After a brief hiatus we’re back once again for our final running diary of Opening Week. Tonight’s matchup pits the DBacks against the Brewers. The Brewers could be in some trouble as the heart of their order is all out with injuries. Braun, Ramirez, and Hart are all out and that is a trio who are major run producers for this club. The Brewers have lost three straight and turn to Michael Fiers to get them back on track. He will be opposed by Arizona starter and New York native Patrick Corbin.

 

- Carlos Gomez chases down a fly ball in center and bangs up against the wall. The speed that this guy has and the amount of ground he can cover may very well be unparalleled

- The DBacks strike first as Aaron Hill, who owns Brewers pitching, rips a double down the third base line that takes a bad carom off the wall allowing the run to score

- Fiers is struggling with his command early on but gets out of the inning giving up just one

- The Brewers lineup, as discussed in the opening, is in shambles. This lineup is not one that will instill confidence in the Milwaukee fans. Braun will most likely be out for one more game, but with Ramirez and Hart on the DL, it’s not going to be easy for this team

- Jean Segura gets a hit and he has been playing well to open the season. He hit his first career home run last night

- Jason Kubel makes a great catch in right center showing great extension

- Next half inning Khris Davis one ups Kubel making a phenomenal sliding catch against the tarp

- The one thing these young Brewers have going for them is speed. Between Davis, Aoki, Gomez, and Segura they should be able to manufacture runs when the opportunities of being on base occur

- Jean Segura continues the hot streak as he rips a double into the gap and putting a really good swing on the ball

- Next half inning the Segura show continues as he put his rocket arm on display in the field. To say this kid has a cannon at short is an understatement. He is a great young player with tremendous potential

- Paul Goldschmidt just misses a home run high off the wall but gets into second easily for a double

- The very next pitch to Jason Kubel couldn’t have been served up any better as he crushed it into the seats in right field to take a 3-2 lead

- Arizona has reeled off 4 straight hits and the bullpen better start moving around because Fiers has lost it

- Goldschmidt’s next at bat results in the home run he missed previously as he gives the DBacks a 6-2 lead

- Next Milwaukee at bat Jean Segura gets his 3^rd hit of the game. I’m thoroughly impressed with this kid he has a bright future for sure

- Eric Hinske comes up to bat as a pinch hitter the next half inning and drives in a run with a single. It was only Hinske’s 3^rd at bat of the season

- Aaron Hill collects his 2^nd hit of the game and it’s a two run home run. He continues to destroy Brewer pitching. The two run shot gives the DBacks a 9-2 lead and they aren’t looking back

-Milwaukee has lost its fourth straight game and looks to Yovani Gallardo to stop the bleeding on Sunday as he goes up against Ian Kennedy