Archive for June, 2008
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Harangatang on the move?June 30th, 2008
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After watching Bronson Arroyo surrender a touchdown, two-point conversion and a field goal to the dismal Toronto Blue Jays offense Tuesday night I began to wonder if Arroyo, and his rather robust ERA, were suddenly expendable in the Queen City.
After all, with the emergence of guys like Edinson Volquez, Johny Cueto and Darryl Thompson, not to mention promising young prospects like Matt Maloney and Homer Bailey in AAA, the Reds starting rotation possesses more depth now than it ever has.
Ever.
I thought maybe, just maybe, the Reds would work out a deal shipping Arroyo to a contender looking to bolster its pitching staff for a second-half run.
Then I realized something.
No contender would want Arroyo and his astronomical ERA.
However, I was right about one thing. The aforementioned emergence of young Reds pitching prospects in recent months has made a Reds starting pitcher expendable.
Who is it, you ask?
Aaron Harang.
The Redlegs big right-hander has struggled this season, stumbling his way to a 3-10 record. That said, his ERA is still around four and a half, which is more than reasonable. The one-time ace is battle tested and is practically unhittable when on his game.
Furthermore, the dumping of his salary, coupled with the impending trade/free agent release of Ken Griffey Jr. and/or Adam Dunn, would free up badly needed funds to ensure guys like Jeff Keppinger, Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, Volquez, Cueto, and Thompson will be in Cincinnati for a very, very long time.
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Halfway Point: BoSox Sit Atop The East … BarelyJune 30th, 2008
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Eighty-one games down, eighty-one more to go. Only the Red Sox can say they have played half their regular season schedule as of June 26—just one of the several perks of starting a season a week earlier than the rest of major league baseball.
So faux halfway points be damned. There’s no need to wait until July 15 when the Midsummer Classic bids adieu to the hallowed grounds of Yankee Stadium. The Sox have reached the epicenter of the Marathon, and the battle for American League East supremacy hangs in the balance, with a familiar rival Empire stealthily drawing nearer from the flank, while a new and unforeseen usurper continues to flex their muscle as they seek to dethrone last year’s victor.
Overdramatic much? Hell, yeah! But it’s our natural right, as both writers and baseball enthusiasts, to allegorize and sensationalize this glorified little game of stickball.
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Jackie Robinson Stands AloneJune 30th, 2008
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With tremendous hacks, Babe Ruth blasted the 1919 Black Sox Scandal from the collective conscious of the nation and preserved baseball as this country’s national pastime.
And if the Babe’s grandaughter, Linda Ruth Tosetti, has her way, the number three that he wore on his back as a New York Yankee will be retired throughout Major League Baseball alongside Jackie Robinson’s 42.
By creating a website that asks fans to sign a petition, Tosetti hopes that Comissioner Bud Selig will heed their unified voices and mothball the number three.
Tosetti claims that through promotions, such as the one in this year’s Home Run Derby where David Ortiz will attempt to hit a home run to a location of a fan’s choosing, Major League Baseball is “using Babe and not honoring Babe.”
Beyond the youth baseball leagues that bear his moniker and preserve his legendary status, the slugger’s last name has been transformed into an adjective, Ruthian, that describes any feat that once might have been deemed Herculean. Lest we forget his greatness, sports aficionados tribute the slugger by pronouncing the most successful athletes of an era as the Babe Ruth of their sport.
While the Babe may well be the most dominant competitor to ever grace this earth, his gregariousness as he played with children coupled with his respectful treatment of African-Americans has been well documented as something ahead of his time.
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Away GamesJune 25th, 2008
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Apparently, if you translate it into English, Joaquin Benoit means “You can turn the TV off now, we’re losing this one. Read a book.” (I highly recommend Tim Kurkjian’s “Is This A Great Game, or What?”) In the continuance of a theme, Benoit came into Tuesday night’s game vs. Houston, closed his eyes, and started chunking the ball toward what he believed to be homeplate. In 4 1/2 June innings, he’s allowed 8 walks and 3 HRs. Those my friends, are “Now pitching, Ken Jones” kind of numbers. Read more
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Pedroia The Destroia Vs. The Sophomore SlumpJune 25th, 2008
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He stands about five-foot-nothing, armed with the biceps of a 12-year-old, looking more like one of the bat boys than a major leaguer. But that’s OK. Dustin Pedroia isn’t modeling in the latest billboard ad for Calvin Klein Underwear.
For what the diminutive second baseman lacks in the physique department, he makes up in his exceptional hand-eye coordination. And while short in stature, the pocket-sized Pedroia remains long on confidence, bordering on cocky—just ask his teammates.
“He’ll make an out against a guy throwing 98 (mph), and when he comes to the dugout, we’ll ask, ‘What’s he got?’” said outfielder Brandon Moss back in 2005 while playing with Pedroia at Double-A Portland. “Dustin will tell us, ‘He ain’t got &*@*!’”
Inculcated with a big ol’ case of the Short Man Syndrome after years of hearing the doubters and skeptics say that he couldn’t, Boston’s very own Napoleon has done nothing but hit since his collegiate days at Arizona State University to throughout his rising pro-career with the Sox following his second round selection in the 2004 amateur draft. Read more
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Blind Faith?June 25th, 2008
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I promised myself. Even in the face of everything I know about Phillies’ baseball, I promised myself. Upon starting this column, I promised myself. Even against my own intuition, I promised myself that this would be the one year I would believe, without reservations or criticism, in my beleaguered ball club. Don’t let me fool you though. It’s the same promise I and millions of Philadelphians make every year. Even now, as I watch Pedro Feliz feebly ground out to short to end the game- I want to believe, but this team sure finds ways to make it tough.
The last two weeks have been, in a word, brutal. With tonight’s 5-2 loss in Oakland, the Phillies have now lost six straight games. They’ve lost four straight series’. Since sweeping the Braves in Atlanta two weeks ago, the Phillies have won only two of their last 13 games. Despite their abysmal performance, they’ve managed to hold onto first-place in the NL East. However, their recent slide has allowed the Marlins to climb back within one game and opened windows of opportunity for both the Mets and Braves to rejoin the race. Read more
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Birthrights and Bullpens: A look at the Phillies’ PitchingJune 22nd, 2008
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Philadelphians are bred with certain inalienable rights. You can think of them as parting gifts for hosting that whole Constitutional Convention thing. We can despise tourists or any visitor for that matter, we reserve the right to know that the best cheese steak spots are never what you see featured in any Food Network, Travel Channel, sports broadcast, or other terribly cliché media story, we can add mystery syllables to words that don’t need them or pronounce vowels in their opposite form without skipping a beat, and perhaps most importantly, we reserve the eternal right to know exactly what the Phillies need to do, when, how, and why.
Since I am a native Philadelphia, it would be remiss of me if I ignored my birthrights and the lineage of all those fans that have come before me. We share a communal heartbreak, a brotherhood of failure that is concentrated in a century-old dilemma that this franchise has yet to solve. The Phils need arms, good arms, and while pitching is a commodity for any team, the Phillies could be poised to make a serious run with a couple adjustments and acquisitions.
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What a Deal!June 21st, 2008
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There are a lot of good deals going around baseball right now; in fact, MLB.com has been writing articles about them all week.
But I have to, of course, highlight my team’s stadium. The deals for players – i.e. Jon Garland which I still don’t completely trust, and the deal over Torii Hunter which I now fully support – are not the only good deals going on at Angels Stadium.
Ha! I bet you totally thought I was going to talk about players’ deals.
I was sitting in class (teaching) about a week ago, and the kids were all watching a movie (I hate block schedule). Being the resourceful woman that I am, I brought my laptop with me. Perusing about the sports websites bookmarked on my internet browser, I came across an article on the Angels’ team site talking about “bargains.” On the article was a link to their special ticketing information, and the first one on there was something about the series against the Mets. By typing in the password “mets,” you could get selected seating for $3 for upper view, $5 for lower view, and $20 for some of the good ground level seats. So I said “why the hell not?” whipped out my credit card and bought a pair on the spot. Oh the benefits of wi-fi!
Wednesday night’s game was the game of choice, and I’d bought two tickets in section 425, row F. FIVE BUCKS! That’s it! On our way to the park we hit up the ever-so-close Del Taco and got ourselves a couple Del’s Deals, paid our $8 for parking, walked ourselves up to our seats, and parked ourselves for the rest of the game.
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Justin Duchscherer, A’s star pitcher…but is he an All Star?June 19th, 2008
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The Oakland A’s are known for the pitchers they develop. In the past, the A’s have drafted (or traded for) and developed some of the top young pitchers in baseball. Among those are Tim Hudson (All Star and 20 game winner), Mark Mulder (All Star and 20 game winner), Barry Zito (All Star, 20 game winner, CY Young winner), Danny Haren (All Star), Rich Harden, and Joe Blanton.
Of those starters, the only one not drafted by the A’s was Danny Haren. Haren was acquired in a trade with the St Louis Cardinals in exchange for Mulder. That deal turned into another one of Billy Beane’s mastererful fleecings. Read more
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A Winter’s PropositionJune 19th, 2008
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Toronto Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi placed his offer before Giants’ general manager Brian Sabean during major league baseball’s annual winter meetings. The deal arrived without an expiration date, but existed as an open-ended trade that Sabean could act upon when ready.
Toronto desired San Francisco right-hander Tim Lincecum with right fielder Alex Rios the attractive bait dangled in the hopes a bite would be had.
If Sabean accepted Ricciardi’s proposition, San Francisco would receive the appealing Rios, a right fielder with power and youth and unlike anyone on the Giants’ roster. An All-Star selection in 2007, Rios hit .297 with 24 homers and 85 RBIs last season. Read more
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