Detroit Tigers
Sheffield Should Just Shut-Up
Just when you thought Gary Sheffield had just gotten over his tendency to run his mouth, he proves that he can still tick off his manager and organization. Sheffield opened his mouth to complain about having to DH and taking a seat on the bench every so often.
I think Gary is forgetting that he is in the major leagues and that guys who can’t get the ball back into the infield, don’t need to be playing in the outfield. I also suppose he is forgetting that guys who are hitting .222 with only 10 home runs and 33 RBI aren’t exactly guaranteed to have a spot in the lineup each and every night.
According to Leyland, Sheffield was told before coming to Detroit that he would be the DH. Sheffield was promised nothing more than to play DH for a contender and hit in the middle of a stacked lineup offering him protection. Sheffield promised he would hit well enough to earn his $14 million. It appears to me that only one side lived up to its bargain. Of course, you could say that the Tigers are not really contending anymore this season.
Sheffield has a long history of speaking his mind, which is fine, except when you say stupid things to tick off those that sign your paycheck. Most teams have overlooked his occasional outbursts because he was still a beast with the bat. The bat isn’t there anymore and this recent stupid thing has reportedly put him on the waiver wires. A just-in report claims that Sheffield has been put on waivers by the Tigers.
Now this doesn’t necessarily mean that what Sheffield said is the reason for him being on waivers. I mean the guy is not producing, but the complaining surely didn’t help.
Another just-in report; as I am writing this Sheffield has just hit his 2nd home run of the night. Talk about timing.
Regardless of the two dingers Sheffield just hit, his mouth and salary make him too expensive for the production he gives. If he thinks that old timer Jim Leyland is going to deal with him pouting and not knocking in runs, then Sheffy has a rude awakening coming.
Good Bye Detroit Tigers
The scariest team going into the 2008 MLB season was thought by many to be the Detroit Tigers. They had some good young starters and a lineup from top to bottom unmatched by anyone in baseball. The additions of Cabrera and Renteria to an already potent lineup had many people putting them into the World Series. It now looks as if the Tigers are going to be watching the playoffs from their plush couches at home.
I can’t say much myself; I thought the Mariners looked like the most well-rounded team in the A.L., and I also had the Tigers in the playoffs. It appears as if we all failed to realize just how bad the Tigers pitching, especially their bullpen, really was. And we also over-estimated just how big their bats were.
The Tigers are currently 23rd in baseball in ERA and have converted only 23 of 43 save opportunities. We all knew Todd Jones was shaky, but Rodney has been just as bad, Zumaya has missed much of the season and is not quite right yet, and Farnsworth has been knocked around like a pinball machine.
The starting pitching has not been very good either. Verlander, Bonderman, and Rogers have been average at best, while Robertson has been horrible. The saving grace of the pitching staff has been Galaragga, a rookie that was an afterthought going into the season.
The hitting has been good, they are currently 3rd in baseball in runs scored, but this was supposed to be the best offense in baseball. The Tigers needed to be the best offense in baseball in order to overcome their pitching problems.
The offensive problems stem from the fact that Renteria can’t hit in the A.L. for whatever reason, Sheffield is over the hill, and Cabrera has to deal with the transition to a new league. Cabrera is starting to rip the ball, but it looks like it is too little too late.
Also, can someone explain to me why Granderson is not running as much this year? Is it Leyland holding him back, or Granderson holding himself back?
This year’s Tigers team is not as aggressive on the bases, their hitters are not as dangerous, and the pitching staff is much worse than the Tigers of last year.
The Tigers currently sit 7 1/2 games out of the Central Division race and 9 ½ out of the wild card with 48 games left to play. If the Twins and White Sox continue at their current pace, the Tigers will have to finish the season up on a 35-13 tear to win the division. That is a .729 winning percentage, which if done for the entire year would yield 118 wins. I don’t think the Tigers have that in them with their pitching staff in such shambles.
I am sorry to say it Tiger fans, but I think 2008 is not the year for Detroit.
Liriano is Back
The biggest addition to a contending roster over the last week may have been through a minor league call-up rather than a trade for a big name. Francisco Liriano made his long awaited come back to the Major Leagues with a bang. He was mostly un-hittable on Sunday, as he threw 6 shutout innings, KO’ing 5 and allowing only 3 singles. He showed that his dominance in the minors was not just a product of facing non-major leaguers.
Liriano regaining his old form means the A.L. playoff race just got a little more interesting. Once again, the Twins are contenders when no one thought they would be. They lost possibly the best pitcher in all of baseball in the off-season and Liriano has been in the minors for most of the season, but the Twins find themselves smack dab in the middle of a playoff race, and they have as good a shot as anyone.
The Twins are an amazing organization and with Liriano back, this young and talented team could even be considered the favorite to win the A.L. Central. They are doing it with outstanding young starters, a good bullpen, and good enough hitting to get by.
Liriano looked amazing, but he did have a few control issues. He walked 3 batters, and went deep into the count with many of the hitters he faced. He should improve in this regard with each passing start. Liriano may end up being the most dominant A.L. starter down the stretch and that is something the Twins will take advantage of.
As much as Liriano will make a difference, there is still a ridiculous amount of competition in the A.L. The Yankees improved from trades and are making a push, and the Tigers are starting to hit well. There is also the White Sox and the Red Sox to deal with. If Liriano keeps it going though, the Twins could once again make the playoffs when most think they didn’t have a shot.
Is it possible the Red Sox are Finished?
Many thought the Red Sox may be the best team in the baseball going into the season, but they are now in jeopardy of not even making the playoffs. Their star of the past 8 years has moved out to the West coast and out of their hair. Some may say that losing Manny means the end of the Red Sox. The Red Sox may be through, but it has nothing to do with Manny.
The A.L. is incredibly competitive this year, more so than any year in recent history I believe. When the 10th best team in the league (Oakland) is still in the race for a wild card spot, there is some serious competition.
The Red Sox may be finished, but it has nothing to do with Manny. Actually, I think the Red Sox will be better with Bay in the lineup. Bay is younger, has more speed, doesn’t have the Manny mood swings, and is actually have a better statistical year than Manny. Manny is not the Manny of a few years ago. He is not a .320 hitter with 45 home runs and 130 RBI. Manny, if he had decided to actually play, would have finished the season with probably 30 home runs, 100 RBI, and a .300 average. Bay will end with about those same statistics, and with the move to the righty-friendly Fenway, he will probably end up with 35+ home runs. And by the way, Bay can play a defense, which is something Manny did only on special occasions.
The reason the Red Sox may be done is that they don’t have the best team in the A.L. and they may not even have one of the top 4 teams in the A.L. The Rays are not slowing down, the Yankees and White Sox made moves to improve, Detroit is getting hot, and the Twins are still in the mix if they can get Liriano out of the minors.
I am not trying to say that the Red Sox will not make the playoffs. I am simply saying that one month ago I would have said the Red Sox would almost certainly make it to the playoffs, and now I would not make such a statement. Out of the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Twins, White Sox, Tigers, and Angels, 3 of these teams have to go home before the playoffs start. Can anyone really be that confident that the Red Sox will make the cut?
Are the Cubs and Angels Separating?
Of course it is still only the regular season, and there are a little over 50 games left to be played, but a couple of teams are starting to move ahead of the rest of the pack. The Cubs have won three straight against the top 3 Brewers starters and the Angels just swept the Red Sox for the 2nd time in a matter of two weeks.
The Brewers shut-down pitchers looked like number 5 starters and the Angels roughed up Dice-K and Beckett along with their young phenom Buchholz. These last few days have surely made many wonder if this is a sign of things to come in the playoffs.
The Cubs have the best 1-2-3 starting punch in the N.L. and have an offense that can hit the big bombs as well as manufacture runs with speed and timely hitting. Jeff Samarja-I don’t know how to spell his name correctly has nasty stuff and can either close, provide middle relief, or even move into the rotation if needed.
The Angels have a great bullpen, great rotation, and excellent hitting. They are the best team in baseball and have gotten even better with the addition of Teixeira.
Both these teams, barring a major collapse are going to be in the playoffs. And in baseball, we all know that anything can happen in the playoffs. That being said, the Cubs and Angels seem to be better prepared than most. In most cases, if you have 2 stud pitchers that can shut teams down, you win in the playoffs. The Cubs have 3 starters with dominant stuff. The Angels have 4 excellent pitchers, none of them blow you away, but Lackey, Santana, Saunders (Go VT), and Weaver make up the best rotation in the A.L.
I’m not about to predict what is going to happen in the playoffs, but the Cubs and Angels are the class of MLB right now. What is going to make the last 50 games interesting is all of the really good teams that are biting at their heels.
Bring on the Rookies
So far it has been a good year for the rookies. We all know about Govany Soto, Jay Bruce, Joey Votto’s 3 home runs in one game, and a host of other rookies that have made their presence known during the 2008 season. There are a few more that are starting to make some noise. This is the time of year when the young studs get called up from the minors to either help a contending team get over the hump, or help a struggling team build some experience for the future.
This can be good news for fantasy owners if you have a hole in your lineup and are hoping for a stud rookie to go on a tear. Here are a few rookies who have recently been called up and are playing well. These are guys who can really help your fantasy team in the stretch run.
Chris Davis 1B
This guy is a linebacker playing baseball. He is 6-4, 235 and has as much power as anyone in the big leagues. It’s almost not fair that a team that crushes the ball like Texas can just call this guy up from the minor leagues. In 79 at-bats so far, Davis has 8 home runs and 16 RBI with a .279 average. He is now the everyday 1B for the Rangers and only an injury will change that. He is available in about 50 percent of leagues, so if you have any room on your roster, pick this guy up immediately. Davis hit 36 HR in only 129 games last year in the minors and had 23 HR before being called up this year. He could crank out another 15 home runs for you by the end of the season.
Ian Stewart 2B/3B
Back for his second tour of duty in 2008, Stewart seems to have figured a few things out. He was striking out almost every time up before, but since being called back, Stewart is hitting .550 with 11 RBI’s in only 20 at bats. He has 2B eligibility which makes him all the more valuable. Stewart is a crusher who can also hit .300. He doesn’t technically have a starting gig right now, but Colorado is getting his bat in the lineup everyday now and if he keeps hitting, he will keep playing somewhere.
Adam Lind OF
They have been waiting for Lind to come around in Toronto for a few years now. He is not considered a rookie because he had 290 at-bats last year, but he was recently called up and has been hitting the ball well. In 99 at-bats this year, he has 5 HR and 22 RBI, while hitting .293. He is playing everyday and the Jays are going to give him a shot for the rest of the year.
Chris Volstad SP
Volstad is one of, if not the best, pitching prospect in the Marlins system. In his first start last week, he went 8 2/3 innings and gave up only 1 run, 1 walk and 5 hits. He only has 2 starts so far, but both have been really good. He is not particularly a strikeout pitcher, but he gets guys out. He is pitching for one of the best hitting teams in the NL and if he keeps pitching like he has, he can get you some wins down the stretch.
Armando Galarraga SP
This guy will win the A.L. ROY. He has been pitching lights out the whole season and no one is talking about him. He is available in about 30 percent of all fantasy leagues and the guy is 8-4 with a 3.27 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. Not only that, but he pitches for a contender down the stretch that is really starting heat up their massive bats. Last night he had a perfect game through 7 innings. Stop wasting time and grab this guy if you still can.
David Price SP
Price may be a little ways off, but he is probably the number one prospect in all of the minor leagues. This is more of a keep-your-eye-out for this guy pick. He was last years #1 pick in the draft and has been tearing up hitters at several different levels in the minors. He is the real deal! There is a good chance the Rays will call up just after August 1, after that, he could be used a little in the bullpen or if one of the starters get hurt or struggle, you may see him start a few games.
All-Star Break Awards—American League
Just as I did for the N.L., here are the All-Star break awards for the A.L. There is no shortage of guys having good seasons in the A.L., just as there is no shortage of disappointments.
AL Player of the First Half
(1) Ian Kinsler
(2) Josh Hamilton
(3) Grady Sizemore
AL Cy Young
(1) Cliff Lee
(2) Roy Halladay
(3) Justin Duchscherer/Mariano Rivera/Francisco Rodriquez
AL Rookie of the First Half
(1) Evan Longoria
(2) Jacoby Ellsbury
(3) Greg Smith
Most Disappointing Player
(1) Travis Hafner
(2) Melky Cabrera
(3) Miguel Cabrera
Most Disappointing Pitcher
(1) Gil Meche
(2) A.J. Burnett
(3) Francisco Liriano
Most Disappointing Team
(1) Seattle
(2) Detroit
(3) New York
Most Surprising Player
(1) Ian Kinsler
(2) Joe Saunders
(3) Justin Duchscherer
Most Surprising Team
(1) Tampa Bay
(2) Oakland
Most Shocking Moment
(1) Asdrubal Cabrera’s Unassisted Triple Play
(2) Jon Lester’s No-Hitter
There were some tough choices of course, especially for the Cy Young. Rivera has been just sick, K-Rod is getting saves at a record pace, Cliff Lee and Justin “something or other” have been shutting down teams all season, and Roy Halladay means a vacation day for the Blue Jays bullpen.
Kinsler is, in my opinion, the clear winner of the first half POY. Just look at his ridiculous stats and know that he is the spark plug for the team. Hamilton has also been on a tear with 95 RBI’s in 96 games. I sort of feel bad about putting Liriano on the most disappointing list because he is trying to come back from a serious injury, but I drafted him on my fantasy team, and I am disappointed. He is looking better in the minors though and could have a huge second half.
Everyone is talking about the Rays, as they should be, and I hope they hang on to at least a wild card berth. Everyone was in love with the Jon Lester story after he pitched the no-hitter. That is a sentimental favorite, but I picked the Cabrera un-assisted triple play as the most shocking moment because it has only happened 14 times in history.
The rest of the season starts back up tomorrow and all of the above will go out the window. Some of the first half stars will turn into scrubs and maybe a few of the scrubs will turn into stars. Either way, I love baseball season and am ready for the real games to get going again.
Heroes and Bums—Week 8/Hitters
Heroes
5. Adrian Gonzalez: .333, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 5 Runs
Walk-off home run on Sunday night off of Edison Volquez to end an 18 inning marathon against the Reds highlighted the week.
4. Frank Thomas: .454 BA, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 5 Runs
How did the Blue Jays, who have no power in their lineup, think it was a good idea to get rid of the Big Hurt?
3. Jason Bay: .480 BA, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 5 Runs, 1 SB
Having a nice comeback season after a poor 2007, Bay is on pace for 39 home runs and 16 stolen bases.
2. Magglio Ordonez: .478 BA. 3 HR, 9 RBI, 7 Runs
Magglio and Guillen are the only two Tigers who have been getting it done all season. He’s not going to match his career year of 2007, but his pace is not far off.
1. Bengie Molina: .652 BA, 9 RBI, 5 Runs, 6 2B, 1 HR
Molina’s week was sparked by going 6 for 7 during a double header on Sunday. Molina is one of the top 5 fantasy catcher’s including last year and this year. It’s a pity that his talents are wasted in San Francisco.
Others: Adam Dunn, Evan Longoria, Josh Hamilton, Kevin Kouzmanoff
Bums
5. A.J. Pierzynski: 1-20, 5 KO, No RBI, No Runs, 1 SB
After a hot start to the season, A.J. has certainly cooled off. He stills remains a useful fantasy catch, but you have to deal with his streaky hitting.
4. Raul Ibanez: 1-21, 6 KO, 2 RBI, No Runs
Ibanez is another guy who started off hot and has cooled a bit. He is one of the streakiest hitters in baseball, so you have to learn to deal with that. By the end of the season he will put up respectable numbers.
3. Mike Jacobs: 3-19, 9 KO, No RBI, No Runs
He seems ready to break out and then he goes into a deep slump. He is still on pace for 35+ home runs this season, but with a .250 average and a ton of strikeouts.
2. Nick Markakis: 3-20, 10 KO, No RBI, No Runs
Markakis is not living up to last year’s hype just yet. He has been pretty good this year and draws a ton of walks, but he needs to stop whiffing and start banging out some hits.
1. Justin Upton: 0-20, 14 KO, 1 RBI, 3 Runs
Upton did draw 3 walks and score 3 runs, but 14 KO’s out of 20 at-bats is ridiculous. He is having a pretty strong rookie season, but you will have to live with these types of slumps.
Other Bums: Edwin Encarnacion, Kevin Youkilis, Melvin Mora, Victor Martinez, Joe Crede
Look Who’s in First!!
You may have to do a double take when looking at the current MLB standings in the American League. Not only are the Tampa Bay “Not So Devilish” Rays out-pacing the Red Sox and the Yanks in the AL East, but they have the best record in the AL.
Of course, it is very early in the season, and to think they will hold off the Red Sox and the Yanks for the rest of the season is little on the crazy side, but the Rays are a good team. Actually, I am beginning to think they will end up with a better record than the Yankees. Let’s take a look.
The Rays have better pitching than the Yankees. Scott Kazmir and James Shields are legitimate stud pitchers. Matt Garza, Edwin Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine are a better set of back-end starters than Andy Petite, Ian Kennedy and Darrell Rasner. The arms may fall off of Petite and Mussina at some point during the season and even if Phil Hughes comes back, he was horrible to start the season.
The Yankees have a good bullpen, but so do the Rays. The Yankees have an aging lineup that has a hard time staying healthy. The Rays have a young, talented lineup that can match that of the Yankees without all the fanfare and payroll implications.
The real question is not if Tampa is better than the Yankees; the real question is do the Rays have what it takes to make the playoffs in 2008. I think the Red Sox will win the AL East, but it doesn’t take a stretch of the imagination to see the Rays in the playoffs.
Looking around the AL, there is no team out there that you can point to and say is noticeably better than Tampa Bay. Anaheim will come out of the West, but Seattle does not look like the team everyone thought they would be. The same can be said for Detroit in the Central. The Central looks like Cleveland may win the division and Detroit is going to have to get things together if they want to compete for the division or a wild card.
Tampa has the talent this year to make the playoffs, whether or not they actually do. Pay attention, because I don’t see a collapse. I see a nice playoff race between Cleveland, Detroit, the Yankees, Tampa, and possibly Seattle that may go down to the last day.
American League Predictions for 2008
More idiotic predictions are about to be made. I would say that the Royals are going to win the whole damn thing, but I am only so much under the influence and not yet ready to say something so stupid. These predictions are here only to serve the purpose of allowing me to look back on them at the end of the season to see just how little I know about baseball.Â
Here we go!Â
AL East Winner
Boston Red Sox: I suppose this is the easy pick. I think Manny will be back to his old form and they have enough pitching. I do not think they are the best team in the AL. They will edge out the Yankees again, but neither team will have an impressive record.Â
AL Central Winner
Cleveland Indians: I think they have more consistent pitching than the Tigers and will probably finish the season with the best record in the AL. If Martinez and Hafner can stay healthy, they are an excellent hitting team.Â
AL West Winner
Seattle Mariners: This will be a battle with the Angels, but I think Seattle has a veteran team that is solid at the plate and they have improved their pitching. Â
AL Wild Card
LA Angels: This is a tough call. I think it will come down to the Angels, the Yanks, the Tigers, and the White Sox. The Angels are solid in all facets of the game, whereas the other teams have weaknesses. I don’t think there is nearly enough pitching in either Detroit or New York, regardless of the amount of offense those guys have, and I don’t think the White Sox have quite enough talent to beat out the Angels.Â
AL Champion
Seattle Mariners: Without a clear number one team in the AL, I am going to go with the team that I think has the best balance and the best combination of young talent and strong veteran leadership. Seattle can beat you with power, with speed, with their starters, and with their bullpen. Â
AL MVP
Alex Rodriguez: I know it’s not the most creative pick, but why be creative when you can be right. He will jack another 50 home runs, hit about .320 and probably lead the league in RBI’s
Others to consider: Grady Sizemore, Manny Ramirez, Miguel CabreraÂ
AL Cy Young
Felix Hernandez: He didn’t have the greatest year in the world last season, but he is nasty. He already has a good start to the season, and I believe this is the year he puts it all together.
Others to consider: Fausto Carmona, Daisuke Matsuzaka, C.C. Sabathia, Zack Greinke (watch this guy)Â
AL Rookie Of The Year
Evan Longoria: He is in the minors right now, but that will not be for too much longer. Ryan Braun started last year in the minors and look what he did.
Others to consider: Daric Barton, Brandon Wood, Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Bucholtz
So it looks as if I have the Mariners playing the Cubs in the World Series. Neither of these teams has won the World Series since over 99 percent of the current population has been alive. That means I am predicting something historical.
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World Series Champion: SEATTLE MARINERS
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