I've been saying since last year that Aroldis Chapman should be the closer for the Reds. Having a guy chucking 100MPH out of the pen to close the game out is an unlikely weapon. And yeah, he's been up and down this year, but who else has a bullet like this in their gun?
I was listening to the Pirates broadcast of the Reds/Pirates game (forgive me, I don't know their names) and one of them said about Francisco Cordero "This does NOT look like a premier closer."
He's right.
All closers blow games from time to time. Hell, the great Mariano Rivera spit the bit last night.
But Cordero imploded against the Pirates today and allowed Andrew McCutchen to clear the bases with 2 outs in the 9th and give the Pirates a 3-1 win.
I know going into this game Cordero had a 5.40 ERA in September. This couldn't have helped.
And this after Nick Masset got bombarded the other night.
Your team is going to the playoffs... and you have a few weeks to line up the rotation. And you also have a few weeks to fix the closer spot.
Don't talk to me about loyalty. Loyalty comes up with managers say "I HAD to stick with my guy" after Mitch Williams or Armando Benitez or Byeun Yung Kim coughed it up.
Trust me, you stay with Cordero, you will be mumbling in a post game press conference this October "He's the one who got us here."
There have been times when injuries or ineffectiveness put a new closer into the playoff spot. Remember Todd Worrell for the 1985 Cardinals? Bobby Jenks with the 2005 White Sox? Adam Wainwright with the 2006 Cardinals?
All had the chance to clinch the World Series and 2 did (Worrell had the Denkinger call against him.)
So take a veteran like Arthur Rhodes, a starter who won't make a playoff start like Travis Wood or Homer Bailey or just mix and match for match ups.
Or take the mystery kid Aroldis Chapman and hope he pulls a K-Rod in the 2002 playoffs and nobody can hit him.
You just can't go to Cordero anymore... or you'll look like THIS more often.
I was listening to the Pirates broadcast of the Reds/Pirates game (forgive me, I don't know their names) and one of them said about Francisco Cordero "This does NOT look like a premier closer."
He's right.
All closers blow games from time to time. Hell, the great Mariano Rivera spit the bit last night.
But Cordero imploded against the Pirates today and allowed Andrew McCutchen to clear the bases with 2 outs in the 9th and give the Pirates a 3-1 win.
I know going into this game Cordero had a 5.40 ERA in September. This couldn't have helped.
And this after Nick Masset got bombarded the other night.
Your team is going to the playoffs... and you have a few weeks to line up the rotation. And you also have a few weeks to fix the closer spot.
Don't talk to me about loyalty. Loyalty comes up with managers say "I HAD to stick with my guy" after Mitch Williams or Armando Benitez or Byeun Yung Kim coughed it up.
Trust me, you stay with Cordero, you will be mumbling in a post game press conference this October "He's the one who got us here."
There have been times when injuries or ineffectiveness put a new closer into the playoff spot. Remember Todd Worrell for the 1985 Cardinals? Bobby Jenks with the 2005 White Sox? Adam Wainwright with the 2006 Cardinals?
All had the chance to clinch the World Series and 2 did (Worrell had the Denkinger call against him.)
So take a veteran like Arthur Rhodes, a starter who won't make a playoff start like Travis Wood or Homer Bailey or just mix and match for match ups.
Or take the mystery kid Aroldis Chapman and hope he pulls a K-Rod in the 2002 playoffs and nobody can hit him.
You just can't go to Cordero anymore... or you'll look like THIS more often.
Back on May 31st, I took a look at the approximate 1/3 point of the season... took a look at who the playoff teams were and the front runners for the post season awards and a few other observations.
It seems like the 1/3 point of the season is absurdly early to evaluate how teams will pan out... but looking over what I wrote, a lot of the same names are the same.
It is interesting that Edwin Jackson was in the running for Biggest Bust in the NL... and when the year is over he very well might be a bust. But he added a no hitter to his resume.
So let's look at where we stand as we are about to embark in the second half of the 2010 season and compare them to the results at the 1/3 mark.
If the playoffs started today...
AL East Champion New York Yankees Would have home field advantage over AL Central Champion White Sox
AL West Champion Texas Rangers Would have home field advantage over AL Wild Card Tampa Bay Rays
(The Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers would be within 3 games of a playoff spot.)
NL East Champion Atlanta Braves Would have home field advantage over the Winner of a Wild Card Tie Breaker Between Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers
NL West Champion San Diego Padres Would have home field advantage over NL Central Champion Cincinnati Reds
(At the 1/3 Mark, The Rays had home field over Oakland, the Twins had home field over the Yankees. The Cardinals had home field over the Braves while the Padres still had home field over the Reds)
AL MVP: JOSH HAMILTON, Rangers The batting and hits leader is also in the top 4 of OPS, slugging, RBI and home runs. He is a potential triple crown threat.
In the running: MIGUEL CABRERA, Tigers. JUSTIN MORNEAU, Twins. ROBINSON CANO, Yankees. KEVIN YOUKILIS, Red Sox.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Miguel Cabrera as the MVP.)
NL MVP: JOEY VOTTO, Reds The top OPS and home run man in the league, he is also among the league leaders in RBI and is batting .314. Also has led the Reds to a surprising first place position. People know him now after his initial All Star snub.
In the running: ALBERT PUJOLS, Cardinals. DAVID WRIGHT, Mets. ANDRE ETHIER, Dodgers. ADRIAN GONZALEZ, Padres. RAFAEL FURCAL, Dodgers.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Albert Pujols as the MVP.)
AL CY YOUNG: DAVID PRICE, Rays Leads the league in ERA and wins and has the Rays back on track for a trip to October.
In the running: JON LESTER, Red Sox. CC SABATHIA, Yankees. CLIFF LEE, Mariners/Rangers. FELIX HERNANDEZ, Mariners.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Jon Lester as the Cy Young.)
Sure his numbers are not as superhuman as they were a few months ago. But his 15-1 record, 2.20 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and .198 BAA (second in the league) are all eye popping, especially when you consider where his home park is.
In the running:
JOSH JOHNSON, Marlins. ADAM WAINWRIGHT, Cardinals. ROY HALLADAY, Phillies. TIM LINCECUM, Giants.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Ubaldo Jimenez as the Cy Young.)
AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: BRENNAN BOESCH, Tigers Has helped the Tigers to be in or around first place with a .342 average, 12 homers and an OPS of .990.
In the running:
NEFTALI FELIZ, Rangers. AUSTIN JACKSON, Tigers. MITCH TALBOT, Indians. JOHN JASO, Blue Jays.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Mitch Talbot as the AL Rookie of the Year.)
NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: JAMIE GARCIA, Cardinals He has put up solid stats including an 8-4 record, a 2.10 ERA and will give the Cardinals about 200 innings when all is said and done.
In the running: STEPHEN STRASBURG, Nationals. BUSTER POSEY, Giants. GABY SANCHEZ, Marlins. IKE DAVIS, Mets. JASON HEYWARD, Braves.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Jason Heyward as the Rookie of the Year.)
AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR: OZZIE GUILLEN, White Sox The White Sox were 8 games under .500 and heading towards a lost season. Guillen stayed focused and next thing you know, the White Sox are in first at the All Star Break and has a pitching staff that can absorb the loss of Jake Peavy.
In the running: RON WASHINGTON, Rangers. TERRY FRANCONA, Red Sox. JOE MADDON, Rays. JIM LEYLAND, Tigers. MIKE SCIOSCIA, Angels.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Joe Maddon as the Manager of the Year.)
NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR: DUSTY BAKER, Reds The Reds were supposed to be also rans who were going to fade in June. Instead they are in first place at the All Star Break and just need to outpace St. Louis in a two team race.
In the running: BOBBY COX, Braves. JIM TRACY, Rockies. BUD BLACK, Padres.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Dusty Baker as the Manager of the Year.)
AL COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
VLADIMIR GUERRERO, Rangers Think the Angels could use his bat right around now? He's batting .319 with 20 homers and 75 RBI for you old school baseball followers. He's posting a .919 OPS for you new school kids. And is forming a dynamic 1-2 punch with Josh Hamilton in Arlington.
In the running: VERNON WELLS, Blue Jays. ALEX RIOS, White Sox. TY WIGGINTON, Orioles.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Vernon Wells as the Comeback Player of the Year.)
NL COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR TIM HUDSON, Braves He spent most of 2009 recovering from Tommy John surgery and having people wonder if the one time ace of the A's was done. Instead he became an All Star with a 9-4 record at the break, a 2.30 ERA and a 61/43 strikeout to walk ratio.
In the running: SCOTT ROLEN, Reds. LIVAN HERNANDEZ, Nationals. CARLOS SILVA, Cubs. BARRY ZITO, Giants.
BIGGEST BUST IN THE AL: MILTON BRADLEY, Mariners When the Mariners brought in Cliff Lee to be a 1-2 punch for the pennant with King Felix, someone thought that Bradley would somehow be the center piece to the offense. He's been nothing short of a PR disaster, had to leave the team and his OPS is 1/3 lower than it was in 2008, his lone full season of note.
In the running: JOSH BECKETT, Red Sox. JOBA CHAMBERLAIN, Yankees. CHONE FIGGINS, Mariners.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Josh Beckett as the biggest bust in the AL)
BIGGEST BUST IN THE NL CARLOS ZAMBRANO, Cubs The nominal ace of the Cubs had to get his head straight as a middle reliever. Then his dugout tirade made him suspended from the club. The Cubs would deal him for a flat can of Diet 7 Up.
In the running: AKI IWAMURA, Pirates. ARAMIS RAMIREZ, Cubs. MARK DeROSA, Giants.
So let's start the second half up... And I'll check in around Labor Day. Hopefully there will be more Red Sox in these categories (except Biggest Bust.)
Back on May 31st, I took a look at the approximate 1/3 point of the season... took a look at who the playoff teams were and the front runners for the post season awards and a few other observations.
It seems like the 1/3 point of the season is absurdly early to evaluate how teams will pan out... but looking over what I wrote, a lot of the same names are the same.
It is interesting that Edwin Jackson was in the running for Biggest Bust in the NL... and when the year is over he very well might be a bust. But he added a no hitter to his resume.
So let's look at where we stand as we are about to embark in the second half of the 2010 season and compare them to the results at the 1/3 mark.
If the playoffs started today...
AL East Champion New York Yankees Would have home field advantage over AL Central Champion White Sox
AL West Champion Texas Rangers Would have home field advantage over AL Wild Card Tampa Bay Rays
(The Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers would be within 3 games of a playoff spot.)
NL East Champion Atlanta Braves Would have home field advantage over the Winner of a Wild Card Tie Breaker Between Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers
NL West Champion San Diego Padres Would have home field advantage over NL Central Champion Cincinnati Reds
(At the 1/3 Mark, The Rays had home field over Oakland, the Twins had home field over the Yankees. The Cardinals had home field over the Braves while the Padres still had home field over the Reds)
AL MVP: JOSH HAMILTON, Rangers The batting and hits leader is also in the top 4 of OPS, slugging, RBI and home runs. He is a potential triple crown threat.
In the running: MIGUEL CABRERA, Tigers. JUSTIN MORNEAU, Twins. ROBINSON CANO, Yankees. KEVIN YOUKILIS, Red Sox.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Miguel Cabrera as the MVP.)
NL MVP: JOEY VOTTO, Reds The top OPS and home run man in the league, he is also among the league leaders in RBI and is batting .314. Also has led the Reds to a surprising first place position. People know him now after his initial All Star snub.
In the running: ALBERT PUJOLS, Cardinals. DAVID WRIGHT, Mets. ANDRE ETHIER, Dodgers. ADRIAN GONZALEZ, Padres. RAFAEL FURCAL, Dodgers.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Albert Pujols as the MVP.)
AL CY YOUNG: DAVID PRICE, Rays Leads the league in ERA and wins and has the Rays back on track for a trip to October.
In the running: JON LESTER, Red Sox. CC SABATHIA, Yankees. CLIFF LEE, Mariners/Rangers. FELIX HERNANDEZ, Mariners.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Jon Lester as the Cy Young.)
Sure his numbers are not as superhuman as they were a few months ago. But his 15-1 record, 2.20 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and .198 BAA (second in the league) are all eye popping, especially when you consider where his home park is.
In the running:
JOSH JOHNSON, Marlins. ADAM WAINWRIGHT, Cardinals. ROY HALLADAY, Phillies. TIM LINCECUM, Giants.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Ubaldo Jimenez as the Cy Young.)
AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: BRENNAN BOESCH, Tigers Has helped the Tigers to be in or around first place with a .342 average, 12 homers and an OPS of .990.
In the running:
NEFTALI FELIZ, Rangers. AUSTIN JACKSON, Tigers. MITCH TALBOT, Indians. JOHN JASO, Blue Jays.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Mitch Talbot as the AL Rookie of the Year.)
NL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: JAMIE GARCIA, Cardinals He has put up solid stats including an 8-4 record, a 2.10 ERA and will give the Cardinals about 200 innings when all is said and done.
In the running: STEPHEN STRASBURG, Nationals. BUSTER POSEY, Giants. GABY SANCHEZ, Marlins. IKE DAVIS, Mets. JASON HEYWARD, Braves.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Jason Heyward as the Rookie of the Year.)
AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR: OZZIE GUILLEN, White Sox The White Sox were 8 games under .500 and heading towards a lost season. Guillen stayed focused and next thing you know, the White Sox are in first at the All Star Break and has a pitching staff that can absorb the loss of Jake Peavy.
In the running: RON WASHINGTON, Rangers. TERRY FRANCONA, Red Sox. JOE MADDON, Rays. JIM LEYLAND, Tigers. MIKE SCIOSCIA, Angels.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Joe Maddon as the Manager of the Year.)
NL MANAGER OF THE YEAR: DUSTY BAKER, Reds The Reds were supposed to be also rans who were going to fade in June. Instead they are in first place at the All Star Break and just need to outpace St. Louis in a two team race.
In the running: BOBBY COX, Braves. JIM TRACY, Rockies. BUD BLACK, Padres.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Dusty Baker as the Manager of the Year.)
AL COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
VLADIMIR GUERRERO, Rangers Think the Angels could use his bat right around now? He's batting .319 with 20 homers and 75 RBI for you old school baseball followers. He's posting a .919 OPS for you new school kids. And is forming a dynamic 1-2 punch with Josh Hamilton in Arlington.
In the running: VERNON WELLS, Blue Jays. ALEX RIOS, White Sox. TY WIGGINTON, Orioles.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Vernon Wells as the Comeback Player of the Year.)
NL COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR TIM HUDSON, Braves He spent most of 2009 recovering from Tommy John surgery and having people wonder if the one time ace of the A's was done. Instead he became an All Star with a 9-4 record at the break, a 2.30 ERA and a 61/43 strikeout to walk ratio.
In the running: SCOTT ROLEN, Reds. LIVAN HERNANDEZ, Nationals. CARLOS SILVA, Cubs. BARRY ZITO, Giants.
BIGGEST BUST IN THE AL: MILTON BRADLEY, Mariners When the Mariners brought in Cliff Lee to be a 1-2 punch for the pennant with King Felix, someone thought that Bradley would somehow be the center piece to the offense. He's been nothing short of a PR disaster, had to leave the team and his OPS is 1/3 lower than it was in 2008, his lone full season of note.
In the running: JOSH BECKETT, Red Sox. JOBA CHAMBERLAIN, Yankees. CHONE FIGGINS, Mariners.
(At the 1/3 mark I had Josh Beckett as the biggest bust in the AL)
BIGGEST BUST IN THE NL CARLOS ZAMBRANO, Cubs The nominal ace of the Cubs had to get his head straight as a middle reliever. Then his dugout tirade made him suspended from the club. The Cubs would deal him for a flat can of Diet 7 Up.
In the running: AKI IWAMURA, Pirates. ARAMIS RAMIREZ, Cubs. MARK DeROSA, Giants.
So let's start the second half up... And I'll check in around Labor Day. Hopefully there will be more Red Sox in these categories (except Biggest Bust.)
Well now the Giants are saying "Thanks for saving the team... bye." And Bonds has said in his official journal (as opposed to his private journal with Hello Kitty on the cover) "I just wish I had known sooner so we had more time to say our goodbyes and celebrate the best 15 years of my life."
Hey Barry... the team gave you a 162 game victory lap! They loaded the team with quiet, steer the course, punchless veterans so you wouldn't get upset.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Giants have done everything to make this year all about Barry. But they also don't want him to be Belushi's The Thing That Wouldn't Leave.
So the Barry Bonds era ends in San Francisco... now what?
What should the Giants do?
First of all they have some dough to spend. And their lineup with Bonds was one of the worst I have ever seen.
They need at least 3 hitters... a right fielder, a first baseman and for the first time since 1992, a left fielder.
The temptation among Giants fans is to try and get a marquee slugger. When I was at AT&T Park last month, I saw someone with an A-Rod Giants jersey.
While A-Rod would be amazing and welcomed with open arms in San Francisco... we all saw what happened in Texas when he is inserted into a team that isn't ready.
The Giants have 3 young starting pitchers who could be the cornerstone of a great team for years to come. Lincecum is 23, Cain is 22, Lowry is 26. Even Zito, who had a dreadful first season across the Bay, is only 29. They need need NEED an anchor in their bullpen. If they were to swipe someone from the Yankees, I think it would behoove them to at least offer Mariano Rivera a big contract.
There is a word for people who think closers are overrated: Idiots.
Having someone secure the 9th inning could go a long long way to building up the confidence of a potential Maddux/Glavine/Smoltz/Avery in a pitchers ballpark.
I'd see what they have in the minor leagues for the outfield... but they should keep bringing in speedy outfielders. Getting Rajai Davis in the bizarre Matt Morris trade should be the direction they go in.
Make the Giants like the Whitey Herzog Cardinals. Good pitching, fast outfielders and one slugger.
Spend 2008 getting an anchor for the bullpen and figuring out who the three sprinting outfielders are. And then in 2009 spend the money for the one slugger to be the last piece. But don't feel the pressure to replace Barry.
You can't get another one... even in a laboratory.
Where will Barry go?
Man... at this point, he's a part time outfielder with more baggage than Winslet in the opening of Titanic.
For anyone outside of KNBR's antena range he is public enemy #1. And he is in such a protected coccon he makes Jim Carrey in The Truman Show look well informed.
So yeah, it might be a shock for him to go a new city and not have a standing ovation everytime he orders a ham sandwich.
But those who boo him would give him a standing ovation if he got big hits for their team. (Just look at the ovations Giambi gets every night in New York.)
The A's could use him, but not if Bonds asks for more than minimum wage.
The Angels could use another bat and having Bonds behind Vlad Guerrero would mean Vlad would see more strikes (like it matters as he swings at everything within 14 feet of the plate.)
The Tigers could use him, and Jim Leyland seems to be the only guy who would chew him out!
But how about this for a scenario? Let's say the Mets fall out and Willie Randolph is let go.
In comes Dusty Baker to Flushing... And he brings along his meal ticket, Mr Bonds, who comes to New York. Both try to win that ring and have one last series in Shea!
What other Hall of Famer left the Giants to finish up in a World Series for the Mets? His Godfather, Willie Mays!
I've been saying since last year that Aroldis Chapman should be the closer for the Reds. Having a guy chucking 100MPH out of the pen to close the game out is an unlikely weapon. And yeah, he's been up and down this year, but who else has a bullet like this in their gun?
