Has Fredi Gonzalez Changed the Course of the Pennant Race with One Move?

Has Fredi Gonzalez Changed the Course of the Pennant Race with One Move?

The Atlanta Braves started off the 2013 season on a torrid pace and despite playing only .500 ball until recently have never been in danger. The rest of the NL East is so bad that a mediocre Atlanta team has run roughshod over the division. One of the main reasons for their tremendous start was the start of Justin Upton. He tore through the league for the first 20 games or so and Atlanta was looking like the best team in the game bar none. Upton began to cool down and Atlanta’s reliance on the long ball came to the forefront. If they weren’t hitting home runs, they weren’t winning, but again, none of that mattered because the division was so bad.

Over in the NL Central, the Cardinals, Pirates, and Reds emerged as the cream of the crop and were in a three way dog fight for supremacy. A funny thing happened though on the way to a Pittsburgh or St. Louis pennant celebration. The Atlanta Braves got hot once more. Justin Upton has been blue flame Bunsen Burner hot, and as he goes so do the Braves, but something else has helped turn them around, and the embattled Fredi Gonzalez deserves all the credit.

The Atlanta Braves do two things extremely well; they pitch and they play defense (despite having Dan Uggla with a glove out in the field). Starter, bullpen, or closer, it doesn’t matter, the Braves have guys who can continuously get the job done. Julio Teheran has been a revelation for this team, an under the radar arm just as good as the Harvey’s, Fernandez’s, and Locke’s. In a big game he should be the man to get the ball and have the chance to lead the Braves to victory. Craig Kimbrel has already put to bed the debate of best closer once Mariano retires and is as sure of a thing in baseball than anyone else.

There are some things the Braves weren’t doing too well also. First and foremost was their reliance on the long ball as mentioned above. Like the Yankees before them, they were a great team who lived and died by the home run. Lately however, that has changed. They have been getting clutch hits and hitting balls into the gap with regularity. Another Achilles heel of the team was the lack of production from the leadoff spot. For as great of a team as they were and could be, they had no one who could leadoff. This is where Gonzalez and the smartest decision he’s ever made come into play.

Fourteen games ago, Fredi decided to bat Jason Heyward leadoff. Heyward isn’t prototypically a guy you would think of as a leadoff hitter but he can handle the bat and get on base. He won’t set the base paths on fire with his speed but he’s more than capable of stealing a base here and there. Since making Heyward the leadoff hitter, all the Braves have done is win 14 games in a row and show no signs of slowing down with two more games against the Marlins to finish off the weekend set. Having Heyward, Upton, and Freeman (who has undoubtedly taken over for Chipper Jones as the face, heart, and soul of the Braves) as your top three hitters is just unfair. Add in the fact that hitting behind them is Chris Johnson, who could very well go on to win the batting title, and things are looking rosy in the peach state. Other managers and pitchers have to be so selective and overthink strategy that they are bound to make mistakes and these guys will make them pay.

Fredi Gonzalez gets criticized for many things, and deservedly so, but this decision very well could’ve locked up a World Series victory for the Braves. Barring any kind of injury and the dependence on the long ball fading, Atlanta is without a doubt the most complete team in the league. Come October the streets of Badstreet, USA will be filled with tomahawk chopping and baseball clobbering, and Hotlanta will make everyone forget about cold weather.

The NL MVP Vote Will Be the Most Exciting Race Down the Stretch

The NL MVP Vote Will Be the Most Exciting Race Down the Stretch

As we wind down the 2013 Major League Baseball season in the National League, there’s one word that comes to mind, and that word is boredom. All playoff spots have pretty much been decided, barring a total collapse or a run from a team that hasn’t shown any capability to do so. There are about 45-50 games left give or take, so what exactly is there to get excited about? The answer is the NL MVP. There isn’t a single player who has played to a level where they’ve locked up the award, but there are two frontrunners and two dark horses who could come away with the hardware.

The two frontrunners for the award are Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals and Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Molina, who is second in the league in batting average, was having a career year for the Cardinals before a trip to the disabled list. He isn’t a home run threat or huge run producer, especially in that lineup, but the intangibles are where Molina exceeds over all others. He is without a doubt the best defensive catcher in the league and calls a game like no other behind the plate. He is the heart and soul of a Cardinals team that was tearing through the league until a recent slump has brought them back to Earth. The trip to the disabled list will hurt Molina’s chances some, especially because his numbers are not out of this world and it comes at an inopportune time in the season, but his contributions cannot be discounted.

The one guy who benefits from Molina’s ailments and has catapulted himself into the discussion is Clayton Kershaw. Some may say, how can a guy with 10 wins be the MVP but his numbers are so much more than that. The 10 wins are through no fault of his own, his team cannot score runs for him, but the rest of his numbers are better than last year when he won the pitching Triple Crown and he has solidified himself as the best pitcher on the planet. There is no one even close to him, so all the Matt Harvey and King Felix fans need to take a seat. Kershaw ranks second in innings pitched and strikeouts. He is first in WAR (Wins Above Replacement) with a staggering 6.0 and has an unheard of ERA of 1.91. Only having 10 wins with an ERA under 2 is a clear sign of his offense’s inefficiency. Winning the Cy Young will hurt his chances some in winning MVP but just like Verlander before him, dominating pitching stats when no hitter is dominant can lead to the double prize.

The two dark horses in the race are Russell Martin of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Paul Goldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Both will most likely not get serious consideration, for different reasons, but at the same time need to be praised for what they are doing. Martin can be considered a candidate for all the same reasons as Molina, but given that Molina is having a better season it pretty much cancels him out. What Martin has going for him is the fact that Pittsburgh is on its way to their first winning season and playoff appearance in 20 years. Martin’s impact on the pitching staff of young guns and thought to be washed up talent cannot be discounted. Neither can his veteran leadership in a clubhouse of guys who don’t know what it’s like to win. Also, Martin has four walk off hits this season, including one this afternoon against the Marlins. Seeing what he’s doing makes this Yankee fan miss him terribly, especially given our catching deficiency. Goldschmidt is having the MVP type season you expect from the winner, with 26 home runs and 90 RBI, ranking him second and first respectively in the league. He is one of the best up and coming power hitters in baseball and will certainly be in the running for the award a few more times in his career but he will be hurt by Arizona not making the playoffs. The voters tend to shy away from guys whose teams do not make the dance, unless their numbers are so earth shattering they have no choice, which Goldschmidt’s numbers aren’t, at least until this point.

My personal take on the whole thing is that Kershaw will walk away with the double hardware, unless Arizona makes a run to overtake the Dodgers. If that were to happen then Goldschmidt absolutely deserves the award. A lot can happen in 50 games, but other than the run by the Dodgers, have we really seen any indication things will be different at the end of the year than they are now? Either way, let’s sit back and enjoy the final leg of the season and how everything unfolds.

The Next Big Thing

The Next Big Thing

This piece will not be about Brock Lesnar, so my apologies to him. No, “The Next Big Thing” goes by the name of Jose Fernandez. At 21 years old, Fernandez is having a fantastic season for the Marlins, topping it off with an appearance at this year’s All-Star Game. With a fastball that tops out at nearly 100mph and a slider/sweeping curve that drops the hammer on hitters, Fernandez is a bright spot on a roster filled with young up and coming talent. Fernandez has come a long way and been through more in his first 21 years than most of us would go through in a lifetime. His story begins in Cuba, in search of the American Dream (no not Dusty Rhodes).

Born in Cuba on July 31^st, 1992, (you know you’re getting old when you’re writing about baseball players born in the 90’s) Fernandez always loved the game of baseball and one day hoped to play in the Major Leagues. In order for that dream to become a reality he first had to defect from Cuba, which is certainly no easy task. Fernandez attempted his escape three times, getting caught each time, and being thrown in prison. While in prison he was housed in cells with murderers and hardcore criminals, something he attributes his lack of nervousness and tension to on the baseball field. When you’re living that hell at such a young age there really shouldn’t be much that fazes you or affects you. Fernandez made a fourth attempt at defection with both his mother and sister in 2008, in which they were successful, but not without any hardships, as had come to be expected. The boat that the family was in hit turbulent waters and Fernandez’s mother fell overboard. Jose had to jump into the water and rescue his mother, one more instance of life making baseball seem so meaningless and effortless.

Fernandez quickly ascended to the majors, having pitched no higher than Single A, and his dream was a reality. Before reaching the majors though, Fernandez pitched for the Greensboro Grasshoppers, where he made a connection with a special fan and a friendship was born.  

Zeb Vance is a 25 year old with special needs and a Greensboro resident. Every Marlins player that passes through Greensboro knows Zeb and his family because they regularly attend games. Players would always stop and say hello and high five Zeb, but for Fernandez it was different. He invited Vance to walk to the mound with him before a start in Greensboro and remained in contact with him and his family since. Last night, before facing the red hot Cleveland Indians, Zeb once again walked out to the mound with Jose, telling him to play good, to which Fernandez said he would win for him. Fernandez only went on to throw 8 scoreless innings and strike out 14 batters, becoming only the second Marlins rookie to have back to back double digit strikeout games, striking out 13 Pirates in his previous start.

Fernandez is having a rookie season for the ages, giving Marlins fans something to cheer about and making every 5^th day appointment television. His 8-5 record is not overly impressive but that is more indicative of the Marlins offensive woes, but his 2.54 ERA is very impressive. Since the All-Star break, Fernandez has 35 strikeouts in 23 innings of work while only surrendering 3 walks. If his rookie season is any indication of how his career will go then we as fans are in for a treat.

His personality is loud and infectious, making sure he is high fiving all teammates and going crazy when good things happen, as seen here (Jose Fernandez is very excited). He loves the game of baseball and being part of a team, especially considering he never knew whether he would actually get the chance. At 21 years old the love he shows for the game and his antics are to be understood and appreciated as a kid living in the moment, but at the same time, the emotional maturity he shows when it comes to prison sentences, rescues, and connecting with people who have special needs make this kid someone to cheer for. No matter what team you cheer for and follow, I recommend buying a ticket for the Jose Fernandez bandwagon and enjoying the ride because it will be one to remember.

The Second Wild Card Team Kills the Trade Deadline

The Second Wild Card Team Kills the Trade Deadline

July 31^st is always an exciting day in baseball. The mystery and intrigue surrounding the trade deadline always looms large on the game. What will the contenders do to add those missing pieces? What teams at the bottom of the standings will unload talent and look to rebuild? When 4 o’clock rolls around, the playoff picture should begin to take shape when assessing the moves and roster configurations. However, that has all changed.

Last year Major League Baseball added a second wild card team to the playoffs. The two wild card teams will face each other in a sudden death winner take all game and follow the three division winners into the big dance. This added game brings excitement and ratings, both great things for Major League Baseball. In the inaugural wild card game for the National League last season, the St. Louis Cardinals faced the Atlanta Braves. With Braves legend Chipper Jones retiring at year’s end, there was even the added intrigue of whether this would be Chipper’s last game. What ensued was a classic game highlighted by a horrendous infield fly ruling by umpire Sam Holbrook which could have very well cost Atlanta the game and caused the Braves fans to litter the field with trash.

Major League Baseball couldn’t have asked for a better kickoff to the process given the controversy and the Chipper Jones narrative. What they failed to realize though was how the addition of that second team would kill the trade deadline from then on. Teams who should know better than to think they still had a chance now had the hope of a second chance, and as long as they could get to that game, who knows what could happen. Without the second wild card spot far more teams would be willing to part with players and prospects. Trades will still happen of course, but the days of multiple trades that would change the course of teams seasons are gone.

The trade deadline should be moved back to mid-August, therefore eliminating the waiver deadline and giving those teams with no chance the ability to really wake up and come to their senses in realizing there’s no hope. They can then unload the one or two pieces they have to a contender, and get in return guys that can possibly help them down the line. Pushing the deadline back creates more of a sense of urgency in the contenders to give up more than they probably should to land that missing piece. Obtaining that missing piece helps them on their push to the playoffs and possibly a World Series, and the non-contender reaps the rewards with the addition of prospects that could very well speed up the rebuilding process. None of this will probably ever happen and it will just end up being a pipe dream, but a fan can always hope.

Too Much Braun and Not Enough Brains

Too Much Braun and Not Enough Brains

September 28, 2011 may well go down in Brewers history as the day that the organization made the biggest mistake it ever had in its history. That was the day the organization decided to let Prince Fielder walk out the door and build around Ryan Braun. Right now on July 23, 2013 if given the choice again the team wouldn’t be able to get away from Braun fast enough.

Braun was suspended yesterday without pay for the rest of the season, and like most others before him, looked like a pathetic liar, admitting guilt in a statement once caught, but continuously denying any wrongdoing before that point. Braun stated "As I have acknowledged in the past, I am not perfect, I realize now that I have made some mistakes. I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions. This situation has taken a toll on me and my entire family, and it has been a distraction to my teammates and the Brewers organization. I am very grateful for the support I have received from players, ownership and the fans in Milwaukee and around the country. Finally, I wish to apologize to anyone I may have disappointed -- all of the baseball fans especially those in Milwaukee, the great Brewers organization, and my teammates. I am glad to have this matter behind me once and for all, and I cannot wait to get back to the game I love."

Sorry Ryan, not even close to being good enough. If you were so sorry you wouldn’t have even thought to do it in the first place, and secondly, when confronted last season with elevated testosterone levels, you would have admitted guilt then instead of outright denials and accusations of sample tampering. What these players fail to understand is that the public is far more forgiving when faced with honesty and sincerity. Jason Giambi and Andy Pettitte admitted what they did, and although yes they will have to live with the stigma of being cheaters, face nowhere near the vitriol that players like Clemens, Bonds, and A-Rod do.

Considering the investment the organization made in Braun, from his contract to marketing campaigns making him the face of the franchise, he should be disgusted with himself. Cheating is bad enough but when you lie on top of it, there’s no forgiveness. I hope he feels all his accomplishments obtained while juicing were well worth bearing the scarlet letter for the rest of his career.

F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “Show me a hero and I’ll write you a tragedy.” Well Mr. Fitzgerald, I present to you Ryan Braun, but unfortunately this tragedy will write itself and leave you with nothing to do.

Locke is Key: The Forgotten Cy Young Contender and the Pittsburgh Pirates

Locke is Key: The Forgotten Cy Young Contender and the Pittsburgh Pirates

The story with the Pittsburgh Pirates this year always revolves around their quest to end the drought of 20 years with a losing record or how outstanding their bullpen is. However, the much bigger story at hand, which gets no publicity or fanfare, is the season of Jeff Locke. Locke was always considered a top 10 organizational prospect, but no one could predict the season he is currently having.

Although A.J. Burnett is the seasoned veteran and leader of the staff, Locke will be the most important piece for the remainder of the season and the chase for a winning record and playoff spot. The way things are looking now, it seems like a foregone conclusion that the streak comes to an end and Pittsburgh finds itself in the postseason, but anything can happen. Burnett has always been inconsistent, Liriano, though having a great year, could come back to Earth at any time, and Charlie Morton is not the pitcher he once was. That leaves the young combo of Locke and Cole to carry this team.

Jeff Locke doesn’t get the publicity he deserves because he isn’t a “sexy” choice. Nothing about him really jumps out. Matt Harvey has the strikeouts, Clayton Kershaw has the hardware, Adam Wainwright doesn’t walk anybody, but Jeff Locke, he just gets guys out. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff that he can blow by hitters; he gives up his fair share of walks, but in the end he gets outs. He is currently on a streak of giving up 3 ERs or less in 16 straight starts. He has a 9-2 record with a 2.11 ERA yet most fans wouldn’t be able to pick this guy out of a photo array.

Something tells me that all of this is probably fine with Locke, as the team winning and having success is more important than his own personal accolades, but come October, on the biggest stage of his life, Locke will make his name known in the playoffs.

Catch and Release: Why it Makes No Sense for the Marlins to Trade Giancarlo Stanton Right Now

Catch and Release: Why it Makes No Sense for the Marlins to Trade Giancarlo Stanton Right Now

As is always the case around July 31^st, the MLB trade rumors are heating up. The biggest discussion seems to be whether the Miami Marlins will part ways with star outfielder Giancarlo Stanton. Well, I’m here to tell you that it would be a mistake. There are some who also feel this way, but trade rumors, like vampires, never die unless a wooden stake is driven right into the heart. There are way too many reasons for the Marlins to hold onto Stanton, and even someone like Jeffrey Loria has to be able to see that.

The most important reason is team control. Stanton is earning $537,000 this season, and will become a free agent until after the 2016 season. He does become arbitration eligible after next season and will see his salary increase for sure but the Marlins will still be retaining him at a less than market wage. For a penny pinching owner like Loria, why give up right now on a star player with that type of deal? The team needs someone to build around and be the face of the franchise and who better than Stanton.

The second reason to not trade him is the roster around him. Make no mistake the Marlins are no threat to be winning World Series but they have some good young pieces that have developed quicker than the team expected. Keep the core intact and see what they can do.

Once again, despite the penchant of Loria to hold these fire sales and unload anyone and everyone, there is precedent for him keeping young, team controlled talent. In 2003 after the Marlins won the World Series they got rid of every piece they could except for some guy named Miguel Cabrera, not sure if you’ve ever heard of him. When Loria knew he no longer had leverage and Cabrera would not be sticking around and signing a long term deal; that is when he pulled the trigger on a trade. I see the same situation occurring with Stanton. He will be traded but it won’t be until 2015-2016. By that time the Marlins will have developed the talent around him and will be in the hunt for the playoffs. Plus the haul they take in for Stanton at that point will most likely be greater than what they get now.

Another factor to consider when it comes to Stanton is that he is only 23 years old. He, like the rest of his teammates isn’t a fully developed player. He still has some learning to do and has a much higher ceiling to ascend to. The power is there for sure, as is the rocket for an arm in right field but his swing selection and understanding of the strike zone still need some improvement.

It is perfectly understandable for teams to feel like they can catch the big fish because a team like the Marlins is always willing to listen. However, let’s hope even Jeffrey Loria isn’t dumb enough to screw this up and doesn’t pull the trigger prematurely. My advice would be this: the lines will always be cast in the ocean, and it’s ok to nibble on all the worms, but wait for that one hook with the irresistible bait and let it reel you in.