Who the hell is Vance Worley?

One of the fun things about the Phillies this season is checking the box score to see which ace was throwing today.

You have an 80% chance of seeing a kick ass potential Cy Young contender. You have two former NLCS MVPs... and neither one of them is named Halladay or Lee.

So I saw the Mets were clobbered by the Phillies, who held New York scoreless until the 9th, I checked to see which ace was on the hill.

It was of course Vance Worley.

Who?
Seriously, hands up if you heard of Vance Worley.
(Put your hand down, Mrs. Worley.)

Here he is.

He is 23 years old and pitched fine as a September call up last year. This year he shut down the Mets in his first start of the season.

What if he continues to pitch well?
I mean he only has 4 aces to take him under his wing.

Good luck with your injury Joe Blanton.

Who picked Dan Haren to win the Cy Young?

In my official picks for 2011, I had Dan Haren taking home the Cy Young.
My predictions are so often so terrible that one starts to look good, I need to gloat.

4 games in, a 3-0 record with a 0.73 ERA.
Tonight he threw a 1 hitter tonight. No doubt some number cruncher will tell me why he actually sucked in this game, but I'll give him credit.

And while he got a tough no decision in his first start of the season, he picked up a vulture win as a reliever 3 days ago... and then took the mound tonight and went 9.

Sounds like an ace to me.

Cliff Lee can't lose? Neither could THESE 5 guys!

It seems like a foregone conclusion by anyone NOT named Lisa Swan that Cliff Lee will win tonight in Yankee Stadium and put the Yankees in a 2-1 hole.

He's awesome! He's unbeaten in the post season!
He can NOT lose!

Where have I heard THAT before?
Oh yeah... many times and believe it or not with people with more impressive post season credentials than Cliff Lee.

I am going to pull out five examples of a dominant pitcher entering a can't miss game with everything in their favor lost...

Beware Cliff Lee, THESE guys had an easier team to face than you do tonight!


CHIEF BENDER
Philadelphia Athletics

Game 1 - 1914 World Series.

The Boston Braves stormed into the World Series with a worst to first August rally, but now had to face the defending World Champion Athletics and their future Hall of Fame ace starting game 1.

It wasn't supposed to be close, and it wasn't. Except it was the Braves, led by Hank Gowdy, Rabbit Maranville and pitcher Dick Rudolph who rolled, 7-1.



WALTER JOHNSON
Washington Senators

Game 7 - 1925 World Series

Arguably the greatest pitcher of all time finally got his shot to pitch in the World Series in 1924. He got his jitters out by losing two games but winning Game 7 out of the Bullpen.

In 1925, the Big Train was rolling for the repeat, winning Games 1 and 4. When the Pirates forced Game 7, it was no problem. Johnson was rested and ready.

Washington gave him a 4 run cushion before he even took the mound and the World Series was a foregone conclusion. But the Pirates kept battling and in the 8th inning, Kiki Kuyler doubled home the go ahead run. The 9-7 win was saved by Red Oldham, a personal obsession of mine.



SANDY KOUFAX
Los Angeles Dodgers

Game 2 - 1966 World Series

Koufax was one of the most dominating forces in baseball history in the mid 1960s and rose to the occasion in the World Series, winning the MVP in the 1963 and 1965 Series. When the Orioles roughed up Don Drysdale in Game 1 of the Series, there was no panic in Los Angeles. Koufax was going to take the hill.

For the first 4 innings, it was vintage Koufax. But the Dodger defense betrayed him, committing 6 errors over all. Koufax lasted only 6 innings in the 6-0 loss, which turned out to be his final game. Future Hall of Famer Jim Palmer got the win.


BOB GIBSON
St. Louis Cardinals

Game 7 - 1968 World Series

Bob Gibson had already won 2 World Series MVPs but the 1968 series was looking like his masterpiece. He struck out 17 in the opening shutout and threw another complete game win in game 4 (his 7th straight complete game World Series win.)

In Game 7, he was throwing a 1 hit shutout into the 7th when Curt Flood slipped and couldn't catch Jim Northrup's 2 out fly ball which turned into an RBI triple. The Cardinals wouldn't recover and the Tigers won the game 4-1 to clinch the series.


DAVE STEWART
Oakland A's

Game 1 - 1990 World Series

The A's and Dave Stewart learned their lesson after losing the 1988 World Series to the Dodgers. They were 12-1 in the 1989 ALCS and World Series and 1990 ALCS combined. And Dave Stewart was the MVP of the '89 World Series and '90 ALCS. He was unquestionably the best big game pitcher in baseball.

He took the mound against the Reds ready to dispatch of them quickly to give Oakland back to back titles. Eric Davis had other ideas, homering off of Stewart in the first inning.

Stewart lasted only 4 innings and the Reds won 7-0. Stewart would regain his stuff for Game 4 but still lost, 2-1 as it was the Reds who pulled off the sweep.



So there you have 5 examples of guys who had bigger reputations than Cliff Lee who couldn't get the job done.

I'd think of more but that should give you a strong foundation. If Koufax and Gibson can lose the big game, why not Lee?

Lincecum picks up the gauntlet

My dad and I were talking about the Giants game this afternoon. My dad said "people are going to be expecting Lincecum to throw a no hitter on the heels of Halladay."

Well, he took care of THAT thought with the first batter.
I knew my dad was AT the game and when I saw he let up a lead off double, I thought "Oh man... please don't get rocked."

He didn't throw a no hitter... but DAMN he did the next best thing.
A DOMINATING complete game shut out?
2 hits, 1 walk and 14 STRIKEOUTS!!!

Now is there a baseball fan ALIVE who doesn't want to see a Lincecum/Halladay match up?

You could argue it was more impressive than Halladay's game.
You'd be wrong, but you could argue it.

The Giants have their ace back

It was only a few weeks ago that I was lamenting the Bengie Molina trade and wondering if Tim Lincecum was ever going to pitch like an ace again.

The Giants needed him to come up big as an ace and all throughout his gruesome August, he came up small.

But his last game was solid... and tonight he was terrific.

Oh he's had better games over all, but he started perfectly, pitched into the 7th, struck out 11 and gave the Giants the chance to keep the pressure on the Padres, Phillies and now the Braves (who are the leader of the Wild Card since Philadelphia leap frogged them into the Division Lead tonight.

There was a bigger significance to this game.

The Giants are pitching again. And they are starting to hit. Things are clicking and if Sanchez and Cain and Bumgarner pitch well and Wilson keeps saving games, the Giants will probably be playing in October.

But as for the ace... I think Paul Newman said it best in The Color of Money.

"Hey... I'm Back!"

The Giants have their ace back

It was only a few weeks ago that I was lamenting the Bengie Molina trade and wondering if Tim Lincecum was ever going to pitch like an ace again.

The Giants needed him to come up big as an ace and all throughout his gruesome August, he came up small.

But his last game was solid... and tonight he was terrific.

Oh he's had better games over all, but he started perfectly, pitched into the 7th, struck out 11 and gave the Giants the chance to keep the pressure on the Padres, Phillies and now the Braves (who are the leader of the Wild Card since Philadelphia leap frogged them into the Division Lead tonight.

There was a bigger significance to this game.

The Giants are pitching again. And they are starting to hit. Things are clicking and if Sanchez and Cain and Bumgarner pitch well and Wilson keeps saving games, the Giants will probably be playing in October.

But as for the ace... I think Paul Newman said it best in The Color of Money.

"Hey... I'm Back!"

Giants... let Lincecum do what he needs to do

Tim Lincecum is about to make arguably the biggest start of his career. After a month or so when the Giants couldn't get any decent starting pitching, suddenly things have turned around.

And a lost season is looking more and more found as the Giants remain 2 back in the loss column for the NL West lead and 1 game in the loss column for the NL Wild Card with 24 to play. (And a possible season making 4 game series in San Diego starting day after tomorrow.)

He had a grotesque August where he went 0-5 with a 7.82 ERA and pitched just over 5 innings a start.

His first start in September was a solid 8 innings 1 run win.
They need another start like that against the D'Backs. They need Cy Young Lincecum.

Which means, Giants... let him do WHATEVER he was doing in 2008 and 2009 when he won his first two Cy Young Awards.

Look away, say "Do what you've got to do" and don't ask questions. Yeah he got in a little bit of trouble in the off season... and no, I am not condoning any illegal activities.

Just wink and say "I don't want to know."

If there was a guy showing up in a Tie Dye shirt listening to Phish on days Lincecum pitched last year... FLY HIM IN!

The Giants have a shot to make the post season and possibly line up a playoff rotation that could send them right to the World Series.

And they need Lincecum to be an ace. And if it was smoke and mirrors (and smoke) that helped him win, then cue up the Marley and make it work.

And don't get all Holier than Thou about strange dudes showing up to the Giants clubhouse with substances.

Lest we forget...

Giants... let Lincecum do what he needs to do

Tim Lincecum is about to make arguably the biggest start of his career. After a month or so when the Giants couldn't get any decent starting pitching, suddenly things have turned around.

And a lost season is looking more and more found as the Giants remain 2 back in the loss column for the NL West lead and 1 game in the loss column for the NL Wild Card with 24 to play. (And a possible season making 4 game series in San Diego starting day after tomorrow.)

He had a grotesque August where he went 0-5 with a 7.82 ERA and pitched just over 5 innings a start.

His first start in September was a solid 8 innings 1 run win.
They need another start like that against the D'Backs. They need Cy Young Lincecum.

Which means, Giants... let him do WHATEVER he was doing in 2008 and 2009 when he won his first two Cy Young Awards.

Look away, say "Do what you've got to do" and don't ask questions. Yeah he got in a little bit of trouble in the off season... and no, I am not condoning any illegal activities.

Just wink and say "I don't want to know."

If there was a guy showing up in a Tie Dye shirt listening to Phish on days Lincecum pitched last year... FLY HIM IN!

The Giants have a shot to make the post season and possibly line up a playoff rotation that could send them right to the World Series.

And they need Lincecum to be an ace. And if it was smoke and mirrors (and smoke) that helped him win, then cue up the Marley and make it work.

And don't get all Holier than Thou about strange dudes showing up to the Giants clubhouse with substances.

Lest we forget...

Did the Giants trade their ace away?

When the Giants dealt Bengie Molina to the Rangers, it looked like a straight forward deal that helped both teams, both directly and indirectly.

The Rangers got a steady defensive catcher in Molina and the least likely cycle in baseball history.

Texas had a 3 1/2 game lead when he arrived. They have an 8 game lead now.

The Giants landed Chris Ray who gives San Francisco much needed bullpen depth. And the trade also opened a spot in the lineup for Buster Posey, who has given the Giants a much needed bat and right now looks like he will win the Rookie of the Year over the more publicized Jason Heyward and Stephen Strasburg.

So it was a perfect trade for the Giants too... right?
Or was it disastrous?

As the Giants are in contention for the Wild Card and hovering around the NL West lead, the main element that makes people think they would be solid in the post season is Franchise, the Freak... call him what you will.

Tim Lincecum is the key for the Giants hopes.

The idea of him pitching twice in a best of 5 series should all but clinch a Division Series.

Seeing him pitch in an NLCS has images of pennants dancing in the Giants head.

And dare anyone dream him starting a deciding game of the World Series?

It would inspire more confidence than Livan Hernandez, I would boldly assert.

But will it?

Did you see Lincecum pitch last night against the Cardinals?

He was ordinary... and this isn't one isolated start.

He has three straight BAD losses (including 2 where he didn't last past 4 innings.) He has rarely been dominant as of late and actually got my dad to say "They should sit him."

SIT LINCECUM? The Franchise?

Well maybe he also enjoyed throwing to Bengie Molina.
With Molina as his regular catcher, he was 49-19 and won a pair of Cy Young Awards.

Since then he is a sub .500 pitcher with an ERA approaching 5.

If the answer to his downturn was his pitching to Molina, then this trade that looked so good on first and second glance might be one of the damaging trades in Giants history (yes worse than Liriano and Nathan for A. J. Pierzinski!)

Now of course there are flaws with this theory. His last game caught by Molina was a blow out by the Red Sox and he has thrown a couple of dominating games without him.

But something is wrong with Lincecum... and Giants fans are starting to freak out about the Freak!

Did the Giants trade their ace away?

When the Giants dealt Bengie Molina to the Rangers, it looked like a straight forward deal that helped both teams, both directly and indirectly.

The Rangers got a steady defensive catcher in Molina and the least likely cycle in baseball history.

Texas had a 3 1/2 game lead when he arrived. They have an 8 game lead now.

The Giants landed Chris Ray who gives San Francisco much needed bullpen depth. And the trade also opened a spot in the lineup for Buster Posey, who has given the Giants a much needed bat and right now looks like he will win the Rookie of the Year over the more publicized Jason Heyward and Stephen Strasburg.

So it was a perfect trade for the Giants too... right?
Or was it disastrous?

As the Giants are in contention for the Wild Card and hovering around the NL West lead, the main element that makes people think they would be solid in the post season is Franchise, the Freak... call him what you will.

Tim Lincecum is the key for the Giants hopes.

The idea of him pitching twice in a best of 5 series should all but clinch a Division Series.

Seeing him pitch in an NLCS has images of pennants dancing in the Giants head.

And dare anyone dream him starting a deciding game of the World Series?

It would inspire more confidence than Livan Hernandez, I would boldly assert.

But will it?

Did you see Lincecum pitch last night against the Cardinals?

He was ordinary... and this isn't one isolated start.

He has three straight BAD losses (including 2 where he didn't last past 4 innings.) He has rarely been dominant as of late and actually got my dad to say "They should sit him."

SIT LINCECUM? The Franchise?

Well maybe he also enjoyed throwing to Bengie Molina.
With Molina as his regular catcher, he was 49-19 and won a pair of Cy Young Awards.

Since then he is a sub .500 pitcher with an ERA approaching 5.

If the answer to his downturn was his pitching to Molina, then this trade that looked so good on first and second glance might be one of the damaging trades in Giants history (yes worse than Liriano and Nathan for A. J. Pierzinski!)

Now of course there are flaws with this theory. His last game caught by Molina was a blow out by the Red Sox and he has thrown a couple of dominating games without him.

But something is wrong with Lincecum... and Giants fans are starting to freak out about the Freak!

Don't be surprised if Halladay winds up winning the Cy Young

I've been flip flopping left and right on the NL Cy Young award ever since it became clear in April that there were going to be a LOT of contenders.

For most of the year it looked like Ubaldo Jimenez's to lose.

Then Josh Johnson looked like the front runner and more recently I've been leaning towards Adam Wainwright.

But when the dust settles, and if the Phillies continue their huge comeback, it could very well be Roy Halladays. And yesterday's performance convinces me he might be the guy.

"BUT WAIT!" Say all the stats people. "He let up 5 runs today! He didn't have his best stuff yesterday! Yesterday was a subpar performance!"

Yes, I know that... and he still pitched well enough to win, take pressure off of the bullpen and keep the Phillies winning ways alive, taking the series from the Mets.

While a lot of stats people think baseball is played in a vacuum and things like "run support" and "winning the game" are irrelevant, I think it shows something from your ace when they don't have their best stuff and can hold on to win anyway.

I know that makes me irrelevant, but I have a feeling the team was grateful and the bullpen was happy.

Yeah, his run total was high, but he gave them 7 innings, struck out 10 and walked 1. (Isn't strike outs to walks a coveted stat?)

His WHIP is 4th in the NL.

For those who value wins (remember, the point of the game?) he has the third highest total behind Jimenez and Wainwright.

For those who like strikeouts, he has the most in the NL.

Nobody has pitched more innings in all of baseball (he should pass 200 innings before Labor Day.)

Nobody has completed more games or thrown more shutouts in all of baseball.

And oh yeah... since they hit rock bottom and were on the verge of being a .500 team in late July... he's gone 4-0, averaging more than 7 2/3 a start and a 2.03 ERA (and that includes the 5 runs today). He's also striking out better than 1 an inning. And he's winning games the Phillies NEED as they will probably make up a 7 game deficit and in all likely hood he'll be the ace of the Division Champion.

Not that those sort of things matter any more.

Don't be surprised if Halladay winds up winning the Cy Young

I've been flip flopping left and right on the NL Cy Young award ever since it became clear in April that there were going to be a LOT of contenders.

For most of the year it looked like Ubaldo Jimenez's to lose.

Then Josh Johnson looked like the front runner and more recently I've been leaning towards Adam Wainwright.

But when the dust settles, and if the Phillies continue their huge comeback, it could very well be Roy Halladays. And yesterday's performance convinces me he might be the guy.

"BUT WAIT!" Say all the stats people. "He let up 5 runs today! He didn't have his best stuff yesterday! Yesterday was a subpar performance!"

Yes, I know that... and he still pitched well enough to win, take pressure off of the bullpen and keep the Phillies winning ways alive, taking the series from the Mets.

While a lot of stats people think baseball is played in a vacuum and things like "run support" and "winning the game" are irrelevant, I think it shows something from your ace when they don't have their best stuff and can hold on to win anyway.

I know that makes me irrelevant, but I have a feeling the team was grateful and the bullpen was happy.

Yeah, his run total was high, but he gave them 7 innings, struck out 10 and walked 1. (Isn't strike outs to walks a coveted stat?)

His WHIP is 4th in the NL.

For those who value wins (remember, the point of the game?) he has the third highest total behind Jimenez and Wainwright.

For those who like strikeouts, he has the most in the NL.

Nobody has pitched more innings in all of baseball (he should pass 200 innings before Labor Day.)

Nobody has completed more games or thrown more shutouts in all of baseball.

And oh yeah... since they hit rock bottom and were on the verge of being a .500 team in late July... he's gone 4-0, averaging more than 7 2/3 a start and a 2.03 ERA (and that includes the 5 runs today). He's also striking out better than 1 an inning. And he's winning games the Phillies NEED as they will probably make up a 7 game deficit and in all likely hood he'll be the ace of the Division Champion.

Not that those sort of things matter any more.

Hey get your red hot aces here!

A week ago, I talked about the three aces who should be dealt and give their old teams a needed shot of youth and their new teams hope on October.

Well if these three are indeed going to be dealt, their teams would be smart to pull the trigger NOW!

Based on their last performances, they are bringing their A game.

Johan Santana pitched last night against Milwaukee and gave the Mets 8 shutout innings, 3 hits and got 2 hits himself.

Of course the Mets might be just diluted enough to think they have a shot this season. You don't... replenish the farm.

Roy Oswalt pitched on Wednesday and he also went 8 shutout innings, getting (for him) a rare win.

Last night Lee overcame a sloppy first inning to go 8 innings, 2 earned runs and 10 Ks.

Seriously Mets, Astros and Mariners... pull the trigger now.
You'd hate to see someone get an injury and suddenly you've got no bait.

The season is 1/3 done... time to look towards 2011.

Three Aces Wild

Making preseason predictions is often an act in futility.
If you don't believe me, look at my predictions for 2007...
And if you are still not convinced, look at my predictions for 2008...
And if that wasn't enough, why not take a gander at my predictions last year...

But one thing that makes picks so worthless is of course the team that plays in April will inevitably be different that the team that plays in October. While midseason trades are usually all hype and not a lot of true impact, dealing for a true ace in midseason could be the difference between playing for a pennant or playing golf in October.

You just have to look at the Indians trading away their two Cy Young winners, Sabathia and Lee, to see how October can be affected by dealing an ace.

And for teams falling out of contention, trading away an ace could bring about much needed building blocks for the future.

Joe Carter, John Smoltz, Brady Anderson, Randy Johnson and Carlos Guillen, among others, were picked up by teams in mid season trades for pitching.

This year there are three legit aces... three difference making pitchers who are pitching for teams that are going nowhere.

One SHOULD be traded. One is ASKING to be traded. And one will INEVITABLY.

Let's look at the one who SHOULD be traded first:

JOHAN SANTANA

Santana was supposed to be for the Mets what Curt Schilling was to the Red Sox in 2004. With the Mets falling a Carlos Beltran called third strike short of the World Series in 2006 and the epic collapse of 2007... Omar Minaya needed to make a bold move.

And he did so bringing in the American League's best pitcher to Queens. And you can't blame Santana for the collapse of 2008! He won his last 7 decisions in '08 including a complete game shutout on the second to last game of the season to keep hope alive in Flushing.

But the Mets aren't an ace away from winning anymore. Their nice April not withstanding, they are a sinking team. Don't believe me? On April 30th, the Mets were in first place, 5 games over .500. They are 6-14 since and their pitching staff and lineup are wearing down... and their farm system is notoriously bare.

Sure, Santana gives them a great arm every 5 days, but this team needs a shot in the arm and Santana's trade value may never be this high. A little honesty in the Mets front office would have them admit they are not catching the Phillies (they are already a full week behind Philadelphia) and don't have the horses to compete.

The team trading for Santana would have him for three more seasons... so the Mets could get as many as three pieces to a long term puzzle. Will they do it? Probably not. It's the smart thing to do, which isn't the Mets way of doing things.


Now for the one who is ASKING to be traded.
ROY OSWALT

I've been screaming for the Astros to trade Oswalt since the beginning of 2009. And with today's news that Oswalt is waiving his no trade clause, it looks like it is going to happen.

This is his 10th season for the Astros and he was the MVP of the 2005 NLCS, the Astros lone trip to the World Series, so no doubt he has a lot of affection for Houston and the team.

But this team sucks. He knows it. We all know it. And while he is in the top 10 in the NL for ERA and WHIP, he is also second in the league in losses!

He has a 2-6 record. Only Charlie Morton (he with the 9.68 ERA) has more losses. Oswalt has pitched 6 innings in all 9 of his starts this year and has given the Astros 7 innings 6 times. He's averaged 7 innings and about 2 1/2 runs a start for his last 5 starts... and has an 0-4 record to show for it.

Like the Mets, the Astros cupboard is bare on the farm and Oswalt should fetch at least 2 players ready to insert on the big league team.

Now the ace who will be INEVITABLY traded.
CLIFF LEE

Have the Mariners woken up (along with Ken Griffey Jr) from their first quarter nap?

10 days ago I said I wasn't sure what the Mariners should do with their season. Cliff Lee won that day... then the Mariners lost 7 of their last 8 before winning 2 in a row.

They have Lee and Hernandez back, Griffey has some clutch hits and Milton Bradley is back from therapy... and they are still the third worst team in the American League.

There is a better chance that the Cubs will call to reacquire Bradley than Cliff Lee being a Mariner in 2011... and short of a massive winning streak, this Mariner team isn't contending.

90 wins will probably win the West. The Mariners are on pace for 59. Forget .500, the Mariners are trying to reach .400 at this point.

They dealt away some good prospects to Philadelphia, Toronto, Oakland and I think Manchester United by the time the deal was done. It was a nice idea... but they need to think about 2011 now.



So think about the landscape of contenders now. You know two of these pitchers will be wearing new uniforms by the time October rolls around and possibly all three. And whatever contender picks them up will suddenly have a new potent weapon. A playoff contender could get over the hump, like the Brewers a few years ago when they picked up Sabathia.

A pennant contender could overcome their weaknesses with a new ace, like the Phillies last year with Cliff Lee.

Contenders like the Rangers, the Rays, the Cardinals, the Twins and the Tigers could use an arm to put them over the top.

Heavy weights like the Yankees, Angels, Red Sox and Dodgers (divorce not withstanding) all have pitching issues. Acquiring an ace would give the team a nice jolt of adrenaline.

It will change the entire complexion of the pennant race if and when these deals are made... and make me feel not as bad for making lousy predictions in April!

One Phillies Ace is Gone... Another Lives On

Today baseball lost another great… Robin Roberts.

He was the ace of the Whiz Kids Phillies and the man who won the 10 inning pennant clinching classic to defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950 giving the Phillies their first pennant since 1915.

Twice he was selected as “Pitcher of the Year” by the Sporting News. He won 20 games six years in a row, including a 28 win season in 1952. He won 286 games (one fewer than Bert Blyleven) and got elected to the baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.

And he was a tremendous basketball player as well. He played for Michigan State and coached a barnstorming team during the off season as a player.

One great Phillies ace is gone.

Another one took the mound and Roy Halladay gave Roberts as fitting a tribute as I can think of:

A dominating start… 7 innings, 1 earned run, 9 strikeouts to only 3 walks, to raise his record to 6-1 and lowering his ERA to 1.45.

And he did it while wearing the blue caps, reminiscent of the Whiz Kids.

Someday Halladay might join Roberts in Cooperstown.
But today, he is carrying on a tradition.

Rest in Peace.

I hope the field named after you in Springfield Illinois does a tribute soon.

Barry Zito can become the Giants answer to J. D. Drew

I know a way to heaven for Barry Zito.

Right now his $126 million contract that he inked before the 2007 season is always brought up as one of the worst in baseball history.

Last year not only did he not pitch like an ace, but as a 17 game loser with an ERA of 5.15, he didn't pitch like a #5 starter.

I saw him pitch at a game in AT&T Park earlier this year with my mother and two kids. He got clubbed so badly that my mother in law felt bad for him when he got booed.

But there is an easy way to make people forget all of that, even with 4 more years left on the deal:

Pitch like he did tonight and win some more big games.

He's let up 1 run in his last 20 1/3 innings.

And if Cain can right his ship, suddenly the Giants would have three aces.

Can you imagine the Giants in a short series against Philadelphia with Lincecum throwing 2 games, Cain throwing a game and Zito pitching like this in game 3?

That would make a lot of people forget 2 1/2 unremarkable seasons.

Post season success can be quite a cure all.

If I, Paul Sullivan, the man who did NOT want J. D. Drew in a Red Sox uniform, could become the founder of the J. D. Drew Fan Club based solely on his post season heroics, then Barry Zito can become a fan favorite in San Francisco.

Get Your Red Hot Roy Oswalts Here!

Roy Oswalt's complete game 2 hitter last night should have been the greatest audition for a pennant contender you can ever have.

Prediction #8 of my 40 Fearless Predictions was that Oswalt would be pitching in the World Series for another ballclub.

To me, there is no reason for that prediction to NOT come true.

"But Sully" you exclaim, "The Astros are only 4 games out."

Come on. Is there anyone on this Earth who thinks this Astros team is going to leap frog the Cubs, Reds, Cardinals and Brewers and make the post season.

And before you say "But the Rockies did it in 2007!" remember that was a huge fluke and that team was filled with young over achievers.

This Astros team is not a young team. Besides Bourn and Pence, the entire lineup consists of veterans 33 years or older. Read today's CNNSI about the perils of being 33 years old.

Oswalt is 31 years old and has given the Astros 8 1/2 wonderful seasons. But he's had an up and down season. The fact that he had last night's masterpiece yet still has a .500 record and an ERA north of 4.00 shows that.

Aces are wonderful but they can also breakdown and become damaged goods before you can say "Brandon Webb."

Oswalt could be the most valuable commodity on the trade market. Almost every team in the pennant race (with the exception of the Red Sox and Giants) are looking for another starting pitcher.

Cliff Lee is out there... and then who? It looks like the Red Sox are holding onto Brad Penny. And if the Mariners continue to contend, Jarrod Washburn won't be available. Jake Peavy is hurt (should have made the deal in the off season, Padres!)

Who else? 

Think the Phillies or Mets wouldn't offer up some valuable prospects for a pitcher of Oswalt's talents?

Add Oswalt to Detroit's rotation and they might be one of the teams to beat in October. 

The Angels could use another arm to put them over the top.

And there are always the Yankees.

The Astros need to put some newer and younger bodies in the line up and on the roster and they are sitting on potentially the most valuable trade chip in baseball.

Or you can sit on him and wait for Oswalt to turn 33 on your watch.

It's your call.

I thought he was throwing a no hitter too!

But no hitter or not... it's awesome to have an ACE again!

Beckett's post April record:
4-0, 1.94 ERA
He has a 2.63 Strikeout to Walk ratio since April
He has pitched nearly 7 innings a start since April meaning the bullpen can have a breather when he starts.

And speaking of breathing, we Red Sox fans can breathe a little easier when he takes the hill.

Beckett is the ace again.

The ace of April takes the hill today.
Go for the sweep, Wakes.

So is Roy Halladay just a freak of nature?

With Randy Johnson on the verge of 300 wins tonight, everyone seems to be lamenting the end of the 300 game winners.

As if the kind of ace pitcher who would win 15-20 year in and year out will go the way of the dodo.

Meanwhile last night in Toronto, a certain pitcher showed us all how it is done.

Halladay struck out 14 batters in a game the Blue Jays needed to win in order to keep pace with the Red Sox and Yankees.

But here's the other amazing part. When he got into trouble (and please sit down when you are reading this) he was allowed to pitch himself out of a jam.

He threw 133 pitches, and yet nobody is airlifting him to the Cleveland Clinic to see if his arm needs amputation.

Is he a freak of nature, this pitcher who throws complete games and consistently leads or is in the league lead of innings pitched?

I wonder how many pitchers who have been babied out of the minor leagues could have flourished the way Halladay did if they were allowed to pitch.

Is Halladay more talented than say Tim Hudson? 

Maybe. Maybe not. But by age 25 Halladay was leading the league in innings pitched.

And now with a 9-1 record, his low ERA and leading the league in innings pitched, he seems well on track for his 5th top five finish for the Cy Young Award (including 4 straight top 5 finishes and winning the award in 2003.)

Why can Halladay do it and others can't? Or maybe they aren't allowed to.

Halladay has 140 career wins. He isn't even halfway to 300. 

I predict he will win at least 10 more games this year and get to the halfway point at age 32.

Then he would have to average 15 wins a year between 2010 and 2019.

How's about this for a prediction?

Come back to Sully Baseball in 2019. We'll be celebrating Roy Halladay on the verge of 300 wins. And people will be saying about Halladay the same thing we are saying about Randy Johnson... will we ever see it again.

Sure we will. 

If you let pitchers PITCH!

(By 2019 blogging will seem as quaint as CB radios now... I'll be 47 and my twin boys will be 14 years old and embarassed that their old man is still blogging!)

Aces low

First of all, so much for that whole "Tampa Bay will not be able to hold their own with the Red Sox and Yankees" theory.

After tonight's asswhuppin', the Rays are 3-1 against the two bullies on the block.

But what is really disturbing for the Yankees and the Red Sox is how lousy both Chien-Ming Wang and Jon Lester have looked.

Yeah yeah yeah it's early.

But Wang's 3 2/3 inning 7 run monstrosity in Baltimore was a solid performance compared to today's shelling in Tampa.

And Lester has taken the Red Sox out of the game early in back to back games. 

What I am saying is... for all of you people who don't want the Red Sox and Yankees in the playoffs... if they can't count on Lester or Wang, you might get your wish.