Archive for October, 2008

2008 MLB Takeways

Friday, October 31st, 2008

A few Random Thoughts from this season:

1. Joe Torre is a Great Manager.

  • All I heard last year from the New York Yankees is it time for Joe Torre to go. For 13 straight seasons Torre was a key piece of the Yankees making the playoffs every year. A year after Torre left New York for the LA Dodgers, he continued his streak and made the playoffs for the 14th year in a row while the Yankees missed the playoffs in their first season post Joe Torre. Granted Torre greatly benefit from the economical resources the Yankees have but at the same time there could be something said for a manager who continues to make the playoffs year after year.

2. AROD is the real curse.

  • I’m beginning to think that Alex Rodriguez is a baseball curse. He may well go down as arguably the most talented baseball player ever, but one thing is certain up to this point in his career. Any team he plays for doesn’t win. For example, let’s look at his Yankee career. AROD has been a New York Yankee since 2004 and to be frank, the team has got worse every single year. ARODs first year as a Yankee saw the Boston RedSox come back from a 3-0 lead in the playoffs and completely reverse the curse and they have not looked back since while on the other hand the Yankees have not got past the first round of the playoffs.

3. The Tampa Bay Rays are here to stay.

  • While their luck ran out in the World Series, I think it’s safe to say that the Tampa Bay Rays are not going away anytime soon. The Rays are one of the youngest teams in baseball and have one of the best pitching staffs in the game. Everyone in baseball kept expecting them to fade away at some point throughout the season and they never did. The Rays have served notice to the New York Yankees and the Boston Redsox that the NL East is not a two team race anymore.

4. Heart and Hustle > Talent

  • As a New York Mets fan, this comment hurts but its the truth. Heart and Hustle Trump Talent any day of the week. I think if you stack the Philadephia Phillies vs the New York Mets roster, pound for pound the Mets have a much more talented roster but there are two reasons why the Phillies are baseball champions and the Mets choked for the second straight year: 1) Heart and 2) Hustle. Two qualities the Phillies are full of and the Mets have absolutely none. In 2009 the Mets need to focus more on being a team with a killer instinct and less about creating new handshakes and dances.

5. Fan Cost Index

  • Dispite the country in an economic recession, the cost to go to a baseball game will continue to climb. According to Team Marketing Research, if some average guy out there wants to take his family of four to a game it would have cost him about $112 in 2008. And that is just for four tickets (upper deck) and parking. That’s not factoring in food, drinks and beer. Your looking at $200 easily to enjoy a saturday afternoon at the ball park with your family. While I go to my fair share of games every year I have to wonder if the prices will level off sooner or later. I mean things are going to get to a point where people are going to have to start decide, do I go to a few games this year or take my family on vacation, no?

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Baseball Bloopers

Tuesday, October 28th, 2008

Since the game got rained out tonight, here are some bloopers for your entertainment:
 

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Five Reasons the Rays Win the World Series

Tuesday, October 21st, 2008

 VS

So here we are for the 2008 Baseball World Series, Phillies vs Rays. My post season predictions were totally wrong. I stink :) but I got a good feeling about this one. I am picking the Rays to win in 6 and here are five reasons why:

  1. Home Field Advantage: Thanks to the All-Star Game, Tampa Bay has home field advantage and the Rays were an MLB best 57-24 at home during the regular season and 4-2 in the playoffs.
  2. Rust Factor: The Phillies have been sitting at home for a week now with nothing to do. We saw what happened to the Colorado Rockies last year when they had a lot of time off. I think the Rays will jump out to an early 1 or 2 game lead and by the time the Phillies shake off the rust it will be too late.
  3. Fearless: I think we have seen all season long that this young Tampa Bay team is not afraid of anything and time and time again they continue to fight back. They won the tough AL East, beat the battle tested Whitesox’s and Redsox’s in the playoffs. I don’t see why they can’t finish it off and beat the Phillies too.
  4. Game Management: I think at some point in this series Charlie Manuel will either make a critical mistake or just flat out get out managed by Joe Maddon. This is always a concern of Phillies fans and at some point Manuel will cost them.
  5. X-Factor: As he did in the ALCS, I think David Price will play an important role for the Rays. If there was one question mark going into the play-offs about this team it was late inning pitching. Price has shown he can come into a game and be that stopper the Rays so desperately need.
Prediction: Rays in 6.

World Series MVP: B.J. Upton

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World Series Moments to Remember

Monday, October 20th, 2008

There are plenty of great World Series moments. In no particular order, here are five that come to top of mind when I think about the World Series. Note: These are moments that I have actually seen (watched on TV) in my 32 years of existence.

Joe Carter:

“Touch em all Joe. You’ll Never hit a bigger homerun in your life!” — Tom Cheek 

Joe Carters game winning, series winning homerun in game 6 of the 1993 World Series. A moment that every kid dreams of growing up as a baseball fan. Joe Carter made his dream a reality in 1993.

 

 

Kirk Gibson:

“I don’t believe what I just saw” — Jack Buck
Kirk Gibson’s game winning homerun in game one of the 1988 World Series helped the LA Dodgers to one of the biggest upsets in World Series History. They went on the beat the mighty Oakland A’s four games to one.

 

 

 

Jesse Orosco: 

As a New York Mets fan, there aren’t too many more memorable moments that you can put ahead of the Mets winning the series in 1986 over the Boston Redsox’s. And for all Mets fans, the lasting memory is that final out when Jesse Orosco throws his glove high in the air!

 

 

 

Josh Beckett:

One of the best single game World Series pitching performances ever. 2003, game six and Josh Beckett goes out there and throws a complete game, five hit shutout in Yankee Stadium, helping the Florida Marlins win the championship.

 

 

 

 

Kirby Puckett:

“And we’ll see you tomorrow night!” — Jack Buck. 

Puckett’s 11th inning homerun helped the Minnesota Twins win the 1991 World Series over the Atlanta Braves in seven games.

 

 

 

What are some of your memorable moments?

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Manny Ramirez – Mr. Clutch

Wednesday, October 15th, 2008

I was having a conversation with my boy Ryan the other day and like we always do, the topic of baseball came up. The question that was thrown out there: If you had one at-bat to win a game, what current player would you want at the plate?

My Response: This is a no brainer, Manny Ramirez every day of the week and two times on Sunday. Say what you want about Manny being Manny, the stories are well documented. The bottom line is Manny Ramirez is the best right handed hitter in the game today and there are four reasons why:

  1. Career Numbers: .314 AVG, 527 HRs, 2300 Hits and 1700 RBIs. Bottom line, he’s a first ballot Hall of Fame Player.
  2. He’s Mr. Clutch: Numbers with RISP w/2 outs: .315 AVG, 71 HRs, 300 Hits and 484 RBIs. If that is not coming through in the clutch then what about my next point…
  3. Career Post Season Numbers: .282 AVG., 27 HRs, 106 Hits and 73 RBIs in 102 post season games.
  4. Intangibles: Manny makes players around him better. Perfect example David Ortiz. Did anyone know who Ortiz was before he came to Boston and hit in front of Manny? Is it a coincidence that now that Manny is gone Ortiz can’t get a hit this post season?
Can you think of anyone else in the game today who you would rather have at the plate if the game was on the line?

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My Trip To Cooperstown: Baseball Hall of Fame

Monday, October 13th, 2008

A year ago Marisa gave me, what I would call the best birthday gift I ever received. An all expenses paid trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame. I made this trip in June 2007, it’s taken me some time to getting around to posting this I know but better late then never eh? I had a blast taking in all the history and tradition of the game. I would definately recommend that any true and real baseball fan out there make the trip as it’s an amazing experience.

 

A couple quick thoughts:

What I didn’t know about Cooperstown:

Favorite Part of the Trip?

  • Spending the weekend with Marisa and being able to show her why I love baseball so much. I think she gets it now :)

Most Memorable Moment?

Check Out Some Pics Below:

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Pedro Martinez – Four Years Later

Monday, October 6th, 2008

Was the signing of Pedro Martinez by the New York Mets a good one? That is the question that I have debated with friends every since Pedro signed a 4 year, $53 million deal back in 2005. My response to the question is YES, Pedro was a good signing and here is why:

During Pedro’s four year career with the Mets, he went 32-23 with 3.80 ERA. In all actuality Pedro only really had one effective year, that was in 2005 when he was 15-8 with a 2.82 ERA. The Mets made the playoffs once during the Pedro era and they did not won a World Series.

So you ask, how can his signing be a good one? Well I think with Pedro you have to look at more then just the numbers. I think you have to look at the entire Mets organization, where they were in 2004 compared to where they are now. They Mets finished twenty games under .500 in 2004, they were fresh off of trading Scott Kazmir to Tampa Bay and they were a down right embarassment to Major League Baseball.

I said it then, and I’ll say it now. They Mets did overpay for Pedro BUT they needed to do it. The Mets needed to sign Pedro Martinez to energize their fans and bring some credibility back to their organization. In 2004, one year before Pedro, the Mets sold 2.3 million tickets. During the first year of Pedro in New York, the Mets sold an additional 400,00 tickets (2.7 million). So in the first year of Pedro the fans saw that the Mets were starting to turn it around and more came out to the park to show their support.

I also feel that Pedro’s signing lead to other free agents coming to the Mets. A year after Pedro signed, the Mets signed Carlos Beltran, they also ended up signing others like Billy Wagner and convincing Carlos Delgado to waive his no trade clause and come to the Mets. Even though they have not made the playoffs the last two years, they sold over 4 million tickets this year for the first time in team history. I think it’s safe to say they Mets are relevant again and you can look back to the signing of Pedro Martinez as a key milestone in helping the organization turn it around.

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MLB Regular Season Awards

Thursday, October 2nd, 2008

AMERICAN LEAGUE:
Rookie of The Year: Alexei Ramirez 2B

  • When I saw Ramirez play for the Cuban Team in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, I said to myself “The Mets have got to get this guy”. Oh do I wish someone was listening to me then. In his first year in the big leagues, Ramirez batted: .290, 22 2b, 21 HR and 77 RBI’s while helping the Chicago Whitesox win the AL Central.

Cy Young: Cliff Lee P

  • No Question here. 22-3, 2.54 ERA, 170 Ks. Enough Said.

MVP: Kevin Youkilis 1B

  • I’ll go with Youkilis here. The Boston Redsox are one of the toughest teams in baseball and through all the injuries this year, and dealing with the mess that is Manny Ramirez, there has been one constant keeping the ship steady and that is Kevin Youkilis. .321 Avg, 29 HRs,  115 RBI’s, 43 2B.

NATIONAL LEAGUE:
Rookie of The Year: Geovany Soto C

  • One the new young exciting catchers in baseball. Soto helped the Chicago Cubs get off to a fast start in the division and they never looked back. 285 Avg, 23 HRs, 86 RBIs while catching in 141 games. Not bad.

Cy Young: Johan Santana P

  • I am sure I will be called a homer for this pick but let’s look at the numbers. 16-7, 2.53 ERA, 206 Ks. Plus Santana had 13 quality starts this year where he either got the loss or no decision. With all due respect to Tim Lincecum and others if Santana had a bullpen he could have easily won 22/23 games. Let’s also not forget while all of Santana’s teammates were choking down the stretch, there was Santana in the month of September going 4-0 with a 1.83 ERA. 

MVP: Ryan Howard 1B

  • I’ll be totally honest. I searched long and hard to find someone else to pick. As a Mets fan, the last thing I want to see is any Phillies win any award. With that said, forget the .251 AVG. When it counted coming down the stretch, Howard put his team on his back and carried them to the finish line. 48 HRs, 146 RBIs while leading his team to their second straight NL East title.

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MLB Playoff Predictions

Wednesday, October 1st, 2008

AMERICAN LEAGUE ALDS:

Chicago Whitesox vs. Tampa Bay Rays

  • Rays in 4. The Rays starting pitching will be key here.

Boston Redsox vs. LA Angels

  • I like the Angels in 5. I think the Redsox’s will hang tougher then most people expect but I think this is the Angels year and I just love how they play the game.

AMERICAN LEAGUE ALCS:

Tampa Bay Rays vs. LA Angels

  • The Rays have had a great year but in the ALCS they will get a stern smacking from the Angels. Look for the Angels to win in 5.
NATIONAL LEAGUE NLDS:

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Philadephia Phillies

  • Phillies in 4. Last year the Phillies ran into a hot Rockies team and were swept in the first round. This year I think their starting pitching and bullpen will be too much for the young Brewers. Sabathia will probably only get one start in this series and that will be the only game the Brewers win.

LA Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs

  • Dodgers in 5. Cubs fans will have to continue to suffer. I think the Cubs have too many question marks in their starting pitching. We don’t know what they will get from Zambrano or Harden. I think Manny will have an excellent playoff run and carry the Dodgers.

NATIONAL LEAGUE NLCS:

Philadephia Phillies vs. LA Dodgers

  • I like the Dodgers in 6. Manny puts the team on his back and Joe Torre will out coach Charlie Manuel.

WORLD SERIES:

LA Dodgers vs. LA Angels

  • It’s a California affair and the Angels will win in 6. The Angels have been the best team in baseball all year long. They do it with starting pitching, bullpen, speed and power. I pick the Angels at the beginning of the season and I’m sticking with them until the end.

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