Recently, starter Oliver Perez was demoted to the bullpen after an 0-3; 5.94 ERA start. Seems fitting right? This all comes a brief time ago after signing a three year/$36M contract. The Mets didn't send him to the minors due to him not accepting that kind of demotion and more than likely having to shred the contract and eat the money. Writers say Perez doesn't pitch as well in the cold, which is plausible if you think of Pedro Martinez, but hardly an excuse for lack of velocity. Oliver Perez and Red Sox reliever Manny Delcarmen can surely commiserate such a problem as Delcarmen has struggled to get his velocity back after an injury. Interestingly, the two are the same age (28) and neither should be hitting a "dead-arm" age yet. Both have been extensively injured throughout their careers.
The real problem for the Mets is the fact who is the person to replace Perez. Jon Niese has been diagnosed with a mild strain of his right hamstring after exiting Sunday's game. Two pitchers are needed now. Johan Santana has yet to win, John Maine is having command issues, while Mike Pelfrey continues to showcase himself as the number one guy for now. Hisanori Takahasi (3-1; 3.12ERA) will take Niese's start on Friday, but rumor has it that Perez's replacement will be R.A. Dickey, whose been added to the roster while they await word on the extent of Niese's hamstring. Dickey hasn't played in the bigs since last season, but sports a 4-2; 2.23ERA at Triple A Buffalo.
The question is are Hisanori Takahashi and R.A. Dickey be the replacements to keep the Mets afloat? At least, Chris Carter is exciting to watch while Jeff Francouer took his mental health day.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Baseball reflects life sometimes....
I apologize for my brief disappearance, but I've been busy getting ready for graduation, figuring out how I'm gonna pay my bills on my limited income, and relationship issues. Quite simply, it hasn't been all roses here, a lot of questions that need answers.
The season is underway and in full swing. Some teams have found their identities and others, like my Red Sox haven't. It's hard to pin-point the exact problem because every night it's something different. Is it me or since Josh Beckett signed the new contract he's sucked? Wake is angry he's been relegated to the bullpen, but has little to show he deserves to be in the rotation. Buc has been dynamite and in another start mediocre. Lackey had one bad start. I'm still re-visiting my disgust for Dice-K..how many more years do I have to put up with him? Pedey's mini-slump has hurt the offense with it being crippled by injuries to Cameron (possibly beginning a minor league assignment this week), Ellsbury, and now V-Tek is sore, but not expected to miss much time. V-Mart STILL can't throw runners out. The OF positions are in constant shuffle with one really getting accommodated to playing consecutive days aside from J.D.
Meanwhile, the Phils and Mets continue to excite. I've been watching a lot of Phillies games as of late including the fantastic Hamels outing against the Cards, when the other idiot jumped onto the field. The Mets win streak ended a week ago today, but who knew Mike Pelfrey would be this good?!? It's been a refreshing change to watch when I've had the time instead of banging my head against the wall with the Sox. The Phils look like a well-oiled machine mowing through their competition without J-Roll in the line-up. Don't fret about Blanton's outing today, he'll come around. The Mets got into a funk after being dismantled by the Phils last weekend, dropping games to the Reds, but the dugout has never looked that good in years..finally, the Metsies look like they're havin fun. Ike Davis is electrifying on the field.
Still, for all the bad, at least we've gotten some surprises (Darnell McDonald, Ortiz's bat is starting to come alive, and Hermida). The Sox are far from consistent, but should the pitching and hitting become more consistent, we'll see the Sox team we've been hoping to see....just like I'm hoping to get my first REAL job interview in a very inconsistent job market.
Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net
The season is underway and in full swing. Some teams have found their identities and others, like my Red Sox haven't. It's hard to pin-point the exact problem because every night it's something different. Is it me or since Josh Beckett signed the new contract he's sucked? Wake is angry he's been relegated to the bullpen, but has little to show he deserves to be in the rotation. Buc has been dynamite and in another start mediocre. Lackey had one bad start. I'm still re-visiting my disgust for Dice-K..how many more years do I have to put up with him? Pedey's mini-slump has hurt the offense with it being crippled by injuries to Cameron (possibly beginning a minor league assignment this week), Ellsbury, and now V-Tek is sore, but not expected to miss much time. V-Mart STILL can't throw runners out. The OF positions are in constant shuffle with one really getting accommodated to playing consecutive days aside from J.D.
Meanwhile, the Phils and Mets continue to excite. I've been watching a lot of Phillies games as of late including the fantastic Hamels outing against the Cards, when the other idiot jumped onto the field. The Mets win streak ended a week ago today, but who knew Mike Pelfrey would be this good?!? It's been a refreshing change to watch when I've had the time instead of banging my head against the wall with the Sox. The Phils look like a well-oiled machine mowing through their competition without J-Roll in the line-up. Don't fret about Blanton's outing today, he'll come around. The Mets got into a funk after being dismantled by the Phils last weekend, dropping games to the Reds, but the dugout has never looked that good in years..finally, the Metsies look like they're havin fun. Ike Davis is electrifying on the field.
Still, for all the bad, at least we've gotten some surprises (Darnell McDonald, Ortiz's bat is starting to come alive, and Hermida). The Sox are far from consistent, but should the pitching and hitting become more consistent, we'll see the Sox team we've been hoping to see....just like I'm hoping to get my first REAL job interview in a very inconsistent job market.
Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net
Monday, April 26, 2010
Ryan Howard extension
By now you've heard the Phillies have locked up 1B Ryan Howard to a five year contract worth $125M. If you're a Phillies fan, you thought you'd never see the day when the team spent money to keep up competitively, but if you're not a fan, you probably think the Phils made the worst financial deal of all time given Howard's age and contract length. Let's be honest, Howard hasn't reached a decline point yet, but how will he respond to age. He's a smaller David Ortiz (and Ortiz hasn't aged well). Howard is thirty this season which is typically where analysts and fans begin to jump off hte wagon on a guy, and how can you blame with a league like the NL without a DH? Howard will basically become un-trade able should he decline (which I'm generously giving him until 34).That point, the Phils are on the hook for one more year under contract and he's free to walk. I don't see the problem here. Boston fans have watched Big Papi slip for almost a season and a half. The biggest reason the Phils did this deal without flinching is the fact of the team they have currently. Victorino, Halladay, Ruiz and etc. are all under contract to make consecutive runs. Sure, Raul Ibanez could retire and Jayson Werth & J-Roll could be gone, but still looking at them on paper, they still look like a first place team. This is why Ryan's deal make sense. It's more than enough incentive to take a small risk of decline. Maybe the analysts need to lay-off saying it's overall bad (excluding Jon Heyman and Ken Rosenthal partially). If anybody needs to leave, it's Cole Hamels. He's been inconsistent to a "t" and when Joe Blanton comes back should be sent to AAA to work out his issues. In the meantime, don't knock a guy who knows how to bring in runs and swings a good bat getting a big contract. Wait until the years go away (with or without WS championships) and see how Ryan Howard continues to play the game.
As a society, we tend to evaluate decisions quickly without giving things time to work out. Look at Alex Rodriguez's sky-high contract. Great in the regular season, but leaves much to be desired in the playoffs when it counts (don't argue that 2009 validates him, because one season doesn't). Howard is just as consistent come play-offs ( excuse his hiccup last season hitting an abysmal .174). A-Rod's playoff resume is longer than Howard's and his BA only outranks Howards by .23. Yankees fan would agree that A-Rod has been worth despite his struggles would they not?
Ryan Howard may not be the HR leader of all-time, multiple-time world champion, or best 1B of all-time, but he provides a solid bat for a solid team that has multiple bats. Just like A-Rid, just like pre- 2008 David Ortiz, etc.
As a society, we tend to evaluate decisions quickly without giving things time to work out. Look at Alex Rodriguez's sky-high contract. Great in the regular season, but leaves much to be desired in the playoffs when it counts (don't argue that 2009 validates him, because one season doesn't). Howard is just as consistent come play-offs ( excuse his hiccup last season hitting an abysmal .174). A-Rod's playoff resume is longer than Howard's and his BA only outranks Howards by .23. Yankees fan would agree that A-Rod has been worth despite his struggles would they not?
Ryan Howard may not be the HR leader of all-time, multiple-time world champion, or best 1B of all-time, but he provides a solid bat for a solid team that has multiple bats. Just like A-Rid, just like pre- 2008 David Ortiz, etc.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Reactions to Gordon Edes column
If you click my title, it will take to Edes's column. Here's the link if that's a problem: http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/columns/story?columnist=edes_gordon&id=5124562
Upon making my daily stop at ESPNBoston.com, I found a somewhat scathing story about slugger David Ortiz. If you've been under a rock the past few months, you'd think Ortiz was still a god at the plate...he's quite the opposite in fact. I'm sure some are feeling that Wednesday's lifting of Ortiz in favor of Mike Lowell at DH is a signal of an end. Baseball is a business as most of the population knows, but being a fan doesn't exactly equate to the economics of the game. For a fan, it's about when your team is laying it on the line to get the win, the hero stepping to the plate, the player that you adore, and the pride you show even when the team/hero doesn't get it done. While anyone can understand that David Ortiz isn't what he once was despite his valiant efforts in training himself to adapt, the progress has been less than impressive. Ortiz is batting .146 with two RBI's fifteen games into the season. The start is reminiscent of last season when he was under .200 at the All-Star break. He's already been benched for tonight's game. Could Ortiz benefit from more at bats? Maybe. Is it possible Boston isn't working for him anymore? Maybe. Is David Ortiz done? Maybe. We don't know until we find out these things.
Ededs goes on to say, "And few people would disagree with Francona's decision to look to someone other than Ortiz for deliverance. The number of people still professing belief in Big Papi can probably be comfortably seated at a table for one." Economically, yes most people including myself, would agree because he's simply not hitting the ball especially with being offered fastballs which he'd destroy before 2008. The number of people who still believe is doubtful to be just one, Mr. Edes...My girlfriend sits at the table with me. She is nowhere near the maniac I am about the Sox, but she loves David Ortiz. She hates seeing him struggle just as much as I, or any other caring Sox fan does. I think what people forget is the good times. Where would we be without David Ortiz? 2004 would've never happened. Maybe not even 2007. The Red Sox waited 86 years to erase a World Series drought and we complain because the guy struggled five months out of the last nine months of baseball season. People died before seeing a Boston championship and we'd die before Ortiz gets another shot at baseball? That's being a fan, suffering through the tough times, accepting failure (bitterly or not), and continuing to support. Yet, we can't forget about the past--the towering shots Ortiz hit to keep our playoff dreams alive, the plaque given to him by John Henry (Most Clutch Hitter of All Time), and easily the most memorable and productive DH in Red Sox history. Our bitter rivals never forget the past 27 championships they won (never shy to speak about it when around a Sox fan such as myself).
So to close this up, keep up the faith (so to speak). We are fans, not owners or business partners of the team. We will always be loyal to the Sox until death (I hope I can see one more World Series in the next seventy years I hope to live)
Hope the best for David, no matter what happens. Most of all never forget he was the guy who ran away (Man-Ram), the guy who got away (JayBay), controversial (Jim Rice), or the sale of one of the of the greatest to ever play the game (Babe). He just came out to have a good time and play the game, maybe he just needs to find that fun again...but I could be completely wrong. Until we figure it out, there's always seats at the table to hope Ortiz can turn it around.
Upon making my daily stop at ESPNBoston.com, I found a somewhat scathing story about slugger David Ortiz. If you've been under a rock the past few months, you'd think Ortiz was still a god at the plate...he's quite the opposite in fact. I'm sure some are feeling that Wednesday's lifting of Ortiz in favor of Mike Lowell at DH is a signal of an end. Baseball is a business as most of the population knows, but being a fan doesn't exactly equate to the economics of the game. For a fan, it's about when your team is laying it on the line to get the win, the hero stepping to the plate, the player that you adore, and the pride you show even when the team/hero doesn't get it done. While anyone can understand that David Ortiz isn't what he once was despite his valiant efforts in training himself to adapt, the progress has been less than impressive. Ortiz is batting .146 with two RBI's fifteen games into the season. The start is reminiscent of last season when he was under .200 at the All-Star break. He's already been benched for tonight's game. Could Ortiz benefit from more at bats? Maybe. Is it possible Boston isn't working for him anymore? Maybe. Is David Ortiz done? Maybe. We don't know until we find out these things.
Ededs goes on to say, "And few people would disagree with Francona's decision to look to someone other than Ortiz for deliverance. The number of people still professing belief in Big Papi can probably be comfortably seated at a table for one." Economically, yes most people including myself, would agree because he's simply not hitting the ball especially with being offered fastballs which he'd destroy before 2008. The number of people who still believe is doubtful to be just one, Mr. Edes...My girlfriend sits at the table with me. She is nowhere near the maniac I am about the Sox, but she loves David Ortiz. She hates seeing him struggle just as much as I, or any other caring Sox fan does. I think what people forget is the good times. Where would we be without David Ortiz? 2004 would've never happened. Maybe not even 2007. The Red Sox waited 86 years to erase a World Series drought and we complain because the guy struggled five months out of the last nine months of baseball season. People died before seeing a Boston championship and we'd die before Ortiz gets another shot at baseball? That's being a fan, suffering through the tough times, accepting failure (bitterly or not), and continuing to support. Yet, we can't forget about the past--the towering shots Ortiz hit to keep our playoff dreams alive, the plaque given to him by John Henry (Most Clutch Hitter of All Time), and easily the most memorable and productive DH in Red Sox history. Our bitter rivals never forget the past 27 championships they won (never shy to speak about it when around a Sox fan such as myself).
So to close this up, keep up the faith (so to speak). We are fans, not owners or business partners of the team. We will always be loyal to the Sox until death (I hope I can see one more World Series in the next seventy years I hope to live)
Hope the best for David, no matter what happens. Most of all never forget he was the guy who ran away (Man-Ram), the guy who got away (JayBay), controversial (Jim Rice), or the sale of one of the of the greatest to ever play the game (Babe). He just came out to have a good time and play the game, maybe he just needs to find that fun again...but I could be completely wrong. Until we figure it out, there's always seats at the table to hope Ortiz can turn it around.
Mets Notes
- Recently, the Mets have really come along. The pitching is solidifying and the hitters are getting on the ball. And excitement--how about the twenty inning marathon with the Cards? This may indeed be the season to believe.
- Prospect Ike Davis finally got his promotion after the team DFA'd Mike Jacobs. Davis got a hit in his debut. Davis is currently batting .286 with 1 RBI in.
- On the injury front, Carlos Beltran is still not participating in baseball activities despite optimistically stating he;d be running by now. The organization seems less than excited about the news. Reliever Ryota Igarashi is taking an MRI on his hamstring after feeling discomfort fielding a bunt in Tuesday night's affair with the Cubs. It's been announced he is placed on the 15 day DL (hamstring strain) and Manny Acosta has been called up from Buffalo.
- Oliver Perez has looked better and better in his last two outings. Granted last night's three runs over five wasn't near his performance against the Cards, but Perez looks like the servicable arm he was.
Check out: http://www.sporsjabber.net
- Prospect Ike Davis finally got his promotion after the team DFA'd Mike Jacobs. Davis got a hit in his debut. Davis is currently batting .286 with 1 RBI in.
- On the injury front, Carlos Beltran is still not participating in baseball activities despite optimistically stating he;d be running by now. The organization seems less than excited about the news. Reliever Ryota Igarashi is taking an MRI on his hamstring after feeling discomfort fielding a bunt in Tuesday night's affair with the Cubs. It's been announced he is placed on the 15 day DL (hamstring strain) and Manny Acosta has been called up from Buffalo.
- Oliver Perez has looked better and better in his last two outings. Granted last night's three runs over five wasn't near his performance against the Cards, but Perez looks like the servicable arm he was.
Check out: http://www.sporsjabber.net
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Phillies Notes
- Anybody else bummed out for Kyle Kendrick? The kid threw eight scoreless frames last night only to see Ryan Madson blow the game. Don't get down on Kendrick, he's warming up, as is Cole Hamels. Unfortunately, he couldn't get the win on Sunday either, but his confidence should be built back up after struggling at the beginning of the season.
- In other pitching related news, J.A. Happ may be ready to go by the weekend if he makes it through a bullpen session Thursday. Happ has missed his last two starts due a to a mild flexor pronator muscle strain in his left arm. both J.C. Romero and Brad Lidge are stopping in Lehigh Valley this week. Romero gave u a run and three walks Monday in an innings work for the IronPigs. Romero was slated to be in last night's game, but it was suspended in the top of the second due to weather.
- Jimmy Rollins is on the mend still, but it's unlikely he'll be ready to go April 28 when he is eligible to come off the DL. A minor league stint is in order upon his return.
- The Doctor is in today against Tim Hudson and the Braves.
Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net
- In other pitching related news, J.A. Happ may be ready to go by the weekend if he makes it through a bullpen session Thursday. Happ has missed his last two starts due a to a mild flexor pronator muscle strain in his left arm. both J.C. Romero and Brad Lidge are stopping in Lehigh Valley this week. Romero gave u a run and three walks Monday in an innings work for the IronPigs. Romero was slated to be in last night's game, but it was suspended in the top of the second due to weather.
- Jimmy Rollins is on the mend still, but it's unlikely he'll be ready to go April 28 when he is eligible to come off the DL. A minor league stint is in order upon his return.
- The Doctor is in today against Tim Hudson and the Braves.
Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net
Monday, April 19, 2010
State Of The Red Sox
Who are the Red Sox you ask? My answer is....who the hell are these guys? After considerably disappointing series against both the Twins and Rays and a - record, there are more questions than answers left with the team. Sure, we're only 12 games into the season, but in the AL East no team can afford to get behind because the rest will put you away. First impressions of the Sox were a pitching dominant team with some bats. They have not lived up to this expectation if you exclude John Lackey, Josh Beckett, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis. Sure, Buchholz pitched a decent a game Saturday, and other guys have gone long (Martinez, Varitek, etc.), but simply everyone needs to contribute. The bats aren't as anemic as people thought they'd be. They blow chances with advancing runners and scoring opportunities. It hurts not having Ellsbury's (who figures to be back mid-week) speed on the basepaths. I have yet to be excited that Mike Cameron (.233) and Marco Scutaro (.286) are Red Sox. Beltre (.300) started off good, but has tapered off as of late. Drew hasn't hit since his stiff neck incident ( a paltry .132). David Ortiz probably won't be around much longer to watch strike out continuously. Mike Lowell should be a good DH as a replacement. Victor Martinez can hit the ball well, however, defensively he makes me cry. Seriously, he's like 1/24 against base-stealers. The writers at MLBtraderumors.com think the Angels and Sox could work out a deal for C Jeff Mathis. It would involve Lowell going there, which I'd be less than excited about getting a guy whose known only for his defense (I'd rather get Mike Napoli). Youk and V-Mart would be able to switch days at first though as a solution.
The pitching from the starting five leaves some to be desired. Jon Lester is lost and needs to find himself. Wakefield can spin a fantastic game and can have a total melt-down the next. Buchholz needs to be consistent and he would be a good pitcher. The bullpen is abysmal. I curl up in a ball every time Manny Delcarmen comes on in a close game. Bard is great, but can get himself into trouble. Okajima and Paps are fine with me, but I wonder what happened to the Ramon S. Ramirez of last season (Ramon A. Ramirez was released yesterday). Bonser's addition to the pen should be good and Alan Embree has extended the deadline another 15 days for the Sox to get him a spot in the bigs (yet, he's thrown 3.1 sub-par innings of relief in AAA).
We'll have to see what happens in the coming months, but for the one thing Theo Epstein knows it's hard to come from 15 games back in June when they Yankees are getting very hot. Trade chips include Delcarmen (please trade him), Junichi Tazawa, Clay Buchholz, and Mike Lowell. Pretty sure at least two out of four of these guys won't finish the season in Boston.
Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net
The pitching from the starting five leaves some to be desired. Jon Lester is lost and needs to find himself. Wakefield can spin a fantastic game and can have a total melt-down the next. Buchholz needs to be consistent and he would be a good pitcher. The bullpen is abysmal. I curl up in a ball every time Manny Delcarmen comes on in a close game. Bard is great, but can get himself into trouble. Okajima and Paps are fine with me, but I wonder what happened to the Ramon S. Ramirez of last season (Ramon A. Ramirez was released yesterday). Bonser's addition to the pen should be good and Alan Embree has extended the deadline another 15 days for the Sox to get him a spot in the bigs (yet, he's thrown 3.1 sub-par innings of relief in AAA).
We'll have to see what happens in the coming months, but for the one thing Theo Epstein knows it's hard to come from 15 games back in June when they Yankees are getting very hot. Trade chips include Delcarmen (please trade him), Junichi Tazawa, Clay Buchholz, and Mike Lowell. Pretty sure at least two out of four of these guys won't finish the season in Boston.
Check out: http://www.sportsjabber.net
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