In Praise of the Macho Man

In Praise of the Macho Man

We’ve all been hearing a lot lately about how Manny Machado needs to be included in the conversation along with Mike Trout and Bryce Harper when talking about the best young players in the game. So that isn’t what I will be doing. I don’t need to convince anyone he belongs; any hardcore baseball fan knows he does. What I want to do, and despite the fact that it pains me to do so, is praise this guy for what he has been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time.

The most important thing to take into consideration when discussing Machado’s success is the fact that he is playing out of position. The guy is a shortstop who was forced to play third because of J.J. Hardy, and play the hell out of third he has. He leads the American League in fielding percentage and has by far been the best third baseman in the entire league with his range and ability to make all the throws. He is well on his way to earning his first Gold Glove Award. He has started every game for the Orioles thus far and has only made three errors. When the time comes for a move to shortstop to be possible, the Orioles would really have to give it some thought and may honestly be crazy to do it.

Machado may very well be a defensive whiz but when speaking of his game from an offensive standpoint he is just as accomplished. This guy is no Brendan Ryan or Casey Kotchman, excelling with the glove but severely lacking with the bat. Machado leads the league in at bats, hits, and doubles. In fact, ESPN Stats & Info tweeted out a gem last night discussing just what kind of prowess Machado has when it comes to hitting doubles. Through 68 games (the number of games the Orioles have played this season), in an under 22 season, only three guys have hit 30 doubles. Those guys are Manny Machado, Joe DiMaggio, and Ted Williams. That’s some pretty legendary company.

Machado is accomplishing all of this while hitting in the two hole for the Orioles, a prime spot in the order, one usually occupied by the best hitter on the team these days. Chris Davis and Adam Jones are having fantastic seasons as well, but Machado is as much a reason for that as anything else. His ability to get on base is giving them prime opportunities to drive in runs and help the Orioles achieve the third best record in the American League. Machado also leads the American League in WAR, (Wins Above Replacement for those unaware) so you know you’re having a great season when you rank ahead of Miguel Cabrera in a statistical category.

As a Yankee fan, playing against Machado and seeing him develop even further into one of the best players in the game scares the hell out of me. When he is able to accomplish all this in such a short amount of time, there’s no telling how high his ceiling is. Fans of all the other AL East teams better start doing whatever they can to help them sleep at night because the monster from Charm City will be haunting all of our dreams for the foreseeable future.

Underestimating St. Louis is a Cardinal Sin

Underestimating St. Louis is a Cardinal Sin

The New England Patriots have always been the benchmark for sports franchises looking to sustain excellence and put a winning product on the field not just now, but in the future as well. They have a smart front office, an owner willing to spend money and take chances, and a coach who knows how to put it all together in order to get the best results.

In baseball there is a team who does all those same things but doesn’t get nearly enough credit as deserved. That team is the St. Louis Cardinals. Unlike the Patriots, who have had one owner, general manager, and coach during their run of excellence, the Cardinals have had two each, which speaks volumes of their ability to maintain consistency.

This season the Cardinals are running through league en route to the best record in all of baseball. Mike Matheny, who is only in his second season managing, is the front runner for Manager of the Year. Allen Craig, who has the enviable task of succeeding Albert Pujols at first base, is among the league leaders in RBI. Yadier Molina and Matt Carpenter are number one and number four respectively in batting average. Carlos Beltran is fifth in the National League in home runs. Offensively there is not an easy out on this team, and despite a deficit, they are never out of a ballgame. The team is batting .339 with runners in scoring position which is absolute unheard of and will surely come back to Earth, but for now, this is a team to be reckoned with. However, despite all these offensive accolades, pitching is what makes the Cardinals the team to beat.

Despite injuries to Jake Westbrook and Jaime Garcia, two guys penciled into the starting rotation at the beginning of the season, the Cardinals have not missed a beat. St. Louis ranks at the top of the league in wins, ERA, shutouts, and have given up the least amount of walks. They have gotten great contribution from rookies Shelby Miller and Michael Wacha, Miller a top candidate for Rookie of the Year, and second year player Trevor Rosenthal has helped stabilize the back end of the bullpen and been one of the top relievers in the game.

All this being said and we still haven’t gotten to Matt Adams or Oscar Taveras. Adams sees limited playing time because of the depth of this team but he is a big masher capable of 30 home runs in a season if given steady at bats. Taveras, who may very well be the best hitting prospect in all of baseball is still in Triple-A because of a lack of room at the major league level.

The scouts for this team do amazing work not only recognizing talent, but also character. See, not just any player can put on the Cardinal uniform. You never hear stories of bad character guys or clubhouse cancers being a part of this organization. The days of Jocketty, Duncan, and LaRussa may be gone but the winning ways continue and show no signs of slowing down. Get ready for another winning summer in St. Louis, it’s the Cardinal way.

The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions

The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions

If you grew up a sports fanatic, which I will go ahead and assume most of you did as you probably wouldn’t be reading this otherwise, you dreamed of being the guy to hit the game winning shot, score the game winning touchdown, or get the walk off hit ensuring victory for your team. That’s just human nature, we’ve all done it. No one is dreaming of being the guy that passes the ball to the open teammate, the guy who sets the block, or the guy who draws the walk, and in turn gives someone else the glory. We dream of being the superstar that everyone talks about and envies, making more money than we could even imagine and thinking about how great our lives would be. We’re sports heroes with deep pockets, fan adulation, and not a worry in the world; what could be better than that? A funny thing happens though on the way to making those dreams a reality. We realize either we aren’t good enough and sports isn’t in our future, or we realize that after having a taste of the good life, we will do anything we can to sustain it. This brings us to the impending investigation and likely suspension of 20 Major Leaguers for their part in a performance enhancing drug scandal.

Guys like Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun, they’ve had these same dreams as you and I but they are part of the lucky few who actually get to realize the dream and see it become reality. They’ve had people telling them for years how good they are, how talented they are, how bright their futures are going to be. The dream is fulfilled they’ve become big leaguers; but a startling realization sets in. Not everyone is achieving this success and fame naturally. They struggle with the thought of being like everyone else and artificially gaining an edge. They know it’s not the right thing to do and it’s a mistake but then the justification sets in. If they don’t do it, someone else will, and that person could take their spot. Everyone else is doing it, why can’t they? If they don’t do it they won’t be successful and all these dreams they’ve had will never come true. At the same time though, if they get caught, people will crucify and vilify their names, knowing they had the natural talent to get to the mountain top, they didn’t need to take the shortcut. Their Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions sure, but the execution is flawed.

Everyone likes to talk of baseball as if it is the Holy Trinity of sports. It’s the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost all rolled into one. It spans generations, bringing families and people of all backgrounds together because it’s America’s pastime. What everyone fails to realize though is that kind of thinking is just as delusional as the thinking of the athletes using performance enhancing drugs. Steroids have been the elephant in the room for years, we all know it’s there; we just never want to talk about it. We continue to watch and cheer for these guys despite what we know or believe to be the reason for the success. In the end, we as fans are just as much to blame as the athletes are. We drag them down for their bad decision making, even if their intentions are good. We crucify guys for doing something they shouldn’t, when five minutes ago we suspected it and cheered anyway. We want to celebrate championships and milestones by any means necessary because it gives us the bragging rights that our team or our guy is better than anyone else’s. Who cares how we get to Heaven as long as the end result is standing in front of the pearly gates. Just don’t be shocked when God tells you despite your good intentions, Hell is that way.

What Exactly Are We Witnessing?

What Exactly Are We Witnessing?

Transcendent- extending or lying beyond the limits of ordinary experience

Otherworldly- of, relating to, or resembling that of a world other than the actual world

Superhero- a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers

 

Miguel Cabrera has always been one of the best hitters in baseball since his arrival on the scene with the Florida Marlins. However, since the start of last season, he has done things that are unexplainable, supernatural, mythical, etc. Unless you’ve been living under a rock you won’t even read that last sentence and think its hyperbole. The man is not human and does things that others are incapable of.

It all started last season. Cabrera began the year slow by his standards (stats most players would dream of through that point in the season), but then something happened. Cabrera’s abilities shifted into another gear and he went on a tear not seen by mere mortals in ages. Cabrera finished the year with a .330 average, 44 home runs, and 139 RBI, good for both the MVP Award and the first Triple Crown since 1967.

Summer is synonymous with a lot of things but two that stick out for the purposes of this writing are baseball and blockbusters. See, summer is when the movie studios release their big money making movies, and baseball is all about the boys of summer.

Last season the script was simple. Our hero (Cabrera) was faced with a challenge from a rookie the likes of which no one had ever seen. Like our hero, he did things others were incapable of. He also had speed and defensive abilities which no one could argue our protagonist was lacking. This aquatic nemesis known as Trout was not only a threat to the Triple Crown but there were some who felt that he deserved the MVP over our hero. The battle was intense but like all good summer movies, our hero can’t lose in the first installment. He needs to narrowly persevere and face challenges in the sequels.

Now we fast forward to this summer. Blockbuster season and baseball season are upon us again, and believe it or not our hero is on a mission to win the Triple Crown for a second consecutive year. Accomplishing this feat would put our already mythical hero into a stratosphere all his own, but what good is a hero without a villain. This year in the sequel our hero has to take down the powerful Oriole that goes by the name Davis.

The movie is just starting and there’s no telling how it will end, but I will have my popcorn ready, my feet up, and will be enjoying the ride. I recommend all of you do the same because this will be an epic fight with history at stake. My only question is, if our hero succeeds, how the hell are they going to top all of this for the third installment?

Aces Wild in 2013

Aces Wild in 2013

Coming into the 2013 season no one would have batted an eye if guys like Justin Verlander, Matt Cain, and CC Sabathia put up great numbers and led their teams on deep postseason runs. They’ve done it consistently for years now, why would this year be any different? Well, thus far in 2013, all three men are having seasons they would like to forget.

C.C. Sabathia has been an innings horse for the Yankees, and as the ace of the staff that’s exactly what he should be. Coming into this year there was a lot of pressure on Sabathia and the pitching staff because of all the injuries on the offensive side of the ball. Sabathia’s rotation mates, especially Hiroki Kuroda, have answered that call and performed well. The same cannot be said for Sabathia. He is 4-4 with a 3.96 ERA and only has 61 strikeouts. Sabathia has also seen a dip in velocity on his normally overpowering fastball, turning it into less of a weapon.

Matt Cain, while not facing a dip in velocity is also not the same pitcher he was in years past. More contact is being made and hits are finding their way through thanks to a defense that has not played well at all. Marco Scutaro and Brandon Crawford are among the league leaders in errors, coupled with the Kung Fu Panda playing third base with the grace and swiftness of an actual panda. It also doesn’t help that San Francisco doesn’t have an offense the caliber of teams like Texas or Detroit, who can never be counted out of a game.

Justin Verlander to this point in the season has a very un-Verlander like 6-4 record along with an ERA of 3.68. Recently he has been shelled by the powerful Rangers lineup and also hit around some by the pedestrian lineup of the Pirates. Having the Tigers lineup behind him and their ability to provide run support will help as the season wears on, even if Verlander continues to struggle but he, like Sabathia and Cain faces an even bigger problem than dips in velocity or bad defense.

All three of these pitchers, as stated above, are the number one guys in their respective rotations, and these are rotations that have had continued success and made deep postseason runs. The innings being pitched, along with being one year older is taking its toll on their arms. Consistently pitching between 200-300 innings a year catches up with even the best arms in the game. The overpowering nature of their career may very well be over, and only time will tell if their intelligence and ability to adapt can make up for it and allow them to have the continued success they’re used to.

The Seattle Mariners: Where Promise and Offense Go to Die

The Seattle Mariners: Where Promise and Offense Go to Die

Since the 2004 season, the Seattle Mariners have continually been one of the most disappointing franchises in baseball. In that time they have only compiled two winning seasons, and have starved a rabid fan base of a product to get behind. When trying to figure out the reasons behind such dismal performances, many come to mind, but the overall conclusion is that this organization needs a complete overhaul.

 

1.      Development

 

The Seattle Mariners have had the unfortunate honor of drafting at or near the top of the board most years. They’ve gotten to pick from the top players available year in and year out so there should be no reason why these top prospects don’t pan out for them. Also, the team has acquired some top notch prospects in trades when dumping off salary or above average players that they can get something in return for. Dustin Ackley and Justin Smoak were supposed to be franchise building blocks, along with Jesus Montero who came over to the club this season. All three guys however have been absolutely abysmal. Ackley is one of the worst hitters among everyday players in baseball, Smoak has never been consistent with the bat, and Montero has been sent down to Triple A because of his inability to handle right handed pitching, along with a poor work ethic and being one of the slowest people to call themselves a professional athlete. Swinging and missing on so much young talent speaks volumes to the team’s ability to develop players. Guys like Mike Zunino, Taijuan Walker, Nick Franklin, and Danny Hultzen wait in the wings for their opportunity, and for the sake of the franchise I hope the results are a lot different from what’s become the custom.

 

 

2.      Manager

 

I don’t know Eric Wedge personally, he’s probably a very nice guy, but based on his managerial track record he’s not the guy I want leading my team. Aside from one good year in 2007 when the Indians won the division and made it to the ALCS, Wedge has not been a very good manager. He does not seem like the guy who will hold players accountable and lights a fire under them to get the best results. Now, at the same token, it’s not to say that most other managers would miraculously turn this team around. There’s too much wrong here for that to happen, but a managerial change, preferably to someone who has never managed in the big leagues and has that fire to succeed and get the most out of his players could bring about some positive change for the present and then in turn the future. There’s an old adage that coaches or managers are doing their best with what was given to them, and that rings true here to an extent, but in this instance the players are doing their best with what was given to them also.

 

3.      Front Office

 

In an effort to add more power to his lineup, GM Jack Zduriencik signed Mike Morse and Kendrys Morales in the offseason. This was a huge mistake on his part as these two guys are not the type of players who can succeed at Safeco Field. Yes, Safeco Field is a cavernous desert of a ballpark, so why go about signing guys who are strictly home run hitters? Morse or Morales are never going consistently hit doubles or extra base hits, they can’t hit gap to gap, and there’s too much of a home run or bust mentality with both guys. Add in the fact that Morales has not been the same player since breaking his ankle, and you have a recipe for disaster. The team has to build its roster around the stadium in which it plays and they have done a bad job doing so. The Mariners since 2004 have compiled a .500 record at Safeco Field. While that’s not exactly something to write home about and get excited over, considering the circumstances and the talk of Safeco Field and its dimensions, they should consider themselves lucky. Also, another questionable move was the signing of Jason Bay. This is a guy whose confidence has been shot more times than 50 Cent, there’s probably no situation where he would thrive and provide results. Having watched him in New York he is nowhere near the player he used to be, and shown no signs of being able to shake off that experience and move on.

 

Despite all these problems all hope is not lost in Seattle. It’s a wonderful city that can attract free agents, they have one of the best fan bases in the game, and there are guys who can be built around in Kyle Seager, Michael Saunders, and the best one-two punch in baseball King Felix and Hisashi Iwakuma. There is talent in the minors also, as described above, but with a GM who cannot construct a team to succeed and a manager who isn’t the right fit, all these positives are moot. Change needs to happen, and quickly, if this franchise wants to return to glory.

The Future is in Good Hands...Or Should I Say Arms

The Future is in Good Hands…Or Should I Say Arms

The sports world is never in short supply of budding superstars. Whether it’s the guys who are much hyped and actually live up to their potential or unknown players seizing an opportunity and running with it, there is always new blood ready to capture the attention and love of the fans. Baseball is no different in this regard. Whether it’s a speedy outfielder, a corner infielder with power, or the guys we will be discussing today, the young left handed pitchers, there’s always someone emerging into the spotlight.

This season in baseball, a record number of players (12) are on pace to strike out at least 200 times. Never in history has there been more than one player to do so in a season. Now the odds of all 12 actually achieving this historic feat are pretty slim but we should have a new record after the season when more than one does. The reason for this is obviously that pitching is getting better, but what jumps out is the number of young, quality, left handed pitchers.

Leading the pack is perennial Cy Young favorite and young superstar ace Clayton Kershaw. Not only is Kershaw the best left handed pitcher in baseball but many would argue he’s the best pitcher period. At 25 years old he already has 2 All-Star Game appearances and a Cy Young Award, but the scary part is he is only now beginning to reach his potential. He currently leads the league in ERA and innings pitched and is tied for 3^rd in strikeouts. He is one of the few pitchers in baseball who goes out every five days and doesn’t need much run support to ensure a victory.

Madison Bumgarner is another young left handed starter, and he is a guy who doesn’t get nearly enough recognition. Bumgarner is a two time World Series Champion and is younger than Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, and Matt Harvey, all young pitchers who get much more hype. He’s been shaky his last few outings, but overall he is a top line starter for sure with command of all his pitches. He has an 11:3 strikeout to walk ratio and despite two bad starts has managed to keep his ERA at just above 3.00.

Matt Moore of the Tampa Bay Rays burst onto the scene in 2011, making his second career start in Game 1 of the ALDS, pitching 7 scoreless innings shutting down a potent Texas Rangers offense. He entered last season with all the hype and promise in the world but managed an 11-11 record with an ERA in the high 3.00’s. This year however, it’s been a completely different story. Moore leads the league in wins with 8 and has an ERA under 2.30. With David Price not pitching well and being placed on the DL, Moore has stepped up and staked his claim to keep the Cy Young Award in Tampa.

Finally, when it comes to left handed starters, a name that cannot be left out is Patrick Corbin of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Corbin is tied for the National League lead in wins with 7 and has shown tremendous poise and command this season. He is 7-0 with an ERA of 1.44. He is not a dominating strikeout pitcher despite his performance last night where he struck out 10 Rockies but is providing proof that the future of the DBacks pitching staff is bright with an ace in the fold.