Due to my increased work schedule in March, I had ceased writing my own blog and began to contribute to "beersandwiches.blogspot.com" with a few of my buddies. In any event, I figured that I would drop in with a few lines about my Mets.
Basically this team feels dead right now. The front office tried to shake things up over the All-Star break by firing the hitting coach and releasing Old Man Franco. So far it has not worked. They seem lackidasical in the field and stiff at the plate. The clutch hitting is non-existant and the pitching had been like a pair of crocs.....full of holes.
With that being said, a 6 game winning streak or an 11 out of 12 game run is always right around the corner. Most of the time when you least expect it. I love the call of up of Lastings Milledge. Last year was a tough year for Milledge. He definitely is a brash young guy and it has rubbed some people the wrong was in and around the Mets/MLB. When I look at this kid play though I see Gary Sheffield. While controversy may follow him, he still as a LIGHTENING fast bat and brings emotion/attitude to the ballpark. The bottom line is that when building a ballclub you need the right blend of both talent and personality. Without Milledge the Mets are a great group of talent, but with mostly "nice guys". While LoDuca has shown a fiery side, his act seems to be running thin with the team and the front office. The Mets need another player who can light a fire under the team not just with his play but with his attitude. I think Lastings is that man.
It is really fun for me to envision Milledge in left, Beltran in center and Carlos Gomez in right. You add to that Wright, Reyes and this supposed 19 year old stud Fernando Martinez in Double A and you got an incredible group of young talent coming up. While I am geared up for a World Series run this season, the fact is that the Mets have the potential with this group of kids to be around for a long time. Pitching....well that may be another story but thats where the money will come into play (Hello Carlos Zambrano...).
Lastly I would like to make a plea to Willie Randolph. First, smile. No really though...can we please stop thie Jose Valentin crap for good and make Ruben Gotay our starting 2B. He has been ansty all season and has proven solid in the field. In addition, Valentin while stellar int he field last season has been much more mistake prone in 2007. Now that Franco is gone, I now pronounce Valentin to have the slowest bat in all the land. A dubvious honor at best.
STKAFI
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
A Privilege, Not a Right
As I was driving home yesterday, the local sports radio station was discussing the incident that happened Sunday night of NBA All Star Weekend in Vegas. While the details of the incident are still in the process of coming out, I will provide the version that has been provided, unofficially, by "witnesses". Basically, Pacman Jones (of the Tennessee Titans) was out at the Minxx Club in Vegas. The story goes that he was trying to impress Nelly (rapper) by throwing about $3500 on stage. The intention was not for the stripper to pick up the cash, but just to throw it there and pick it up later. Apparently, one of the strippers tried to grab some of the cash and Pacman proceeded to bask her head into the stage. When the bouncer came over and kicked Pacman and his crew out witnesses say that he yelled out to the bouncer "You're a dead man" or something to that effect. Sure enough an hour or so later, a man (one of the men Pacman was with earlier) entered the club and proceeded to shoot the aforementioned bouncer and a couple other people. One of the people shot had just entered the club on a shift change and was not even at the club when the earlier skirmish occurred. This man has not suffered a severed spine and his best case prognosis is that he will be paralyzed from the belly button down.
At this point there is an investigation going on by the LVPD. The stories coming out of Vegas right now are that the LVPD is doing a poor job so far. With the media attention that is beginning to grow out of this incident, I am sure that all of the facts will be brought out to the public. If Pacman was involved, or whomever else, we will soon find out and the culprits will have their day in court. That is not what disturbs me. What disturbs me is professional sports and specifically the NFL.
I know that players are people just like any of us and it is not up to the coach or owner to police all of their behavior. There is only a certain amount that a coach, GM, or even an owner can to to keep the players out of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. What bothers me though is that there is not nearly a strong enough penalty for wrongdoers, whether it is in the NFL, or other sports. The common response from a league official is that they will let the proceedings play out in a court of law first. I am sorry, but when a guy like Pacman Jones continues to be able to collect is NFL check every month after being arrested or questioned by the police nine times then I have a major problem. Can the NFL for once make a point here? I am not saying Pacman should be thrown in jail just for being accused, but the NFL needs to come up with a better policy to police players. I would love to see some sort of a summit between the major sports organizations and then bring it to the players unions.
I know that at the moment there is a "three strike" policy being discussed as a result of the Pacman incident in Vegas. What will constitute a strike though? There are so many "grey areas." They need to get this right though, because it is a long time coming. I know that if I was a Titans fan I would not want Pacman still on my team. It is a tough situation, in that Pacman or any other player deserves their day in court, but why does the NFL just stand by and not act? Make players responsible for their off the field actions. Right now, the league is allowing its players to walk all over them and in the process walk all over society and the fans that pay their salaries.
Other Notes...
At this point there is an investigation going on by the LVPD. The stories coming out of Vegas right now are that the LVPD is doing a poor job so far. With the media attention that is beginning to grow out of this incident, I am sure that all of the facts will be brought out to the public. If Pacman was involved, or whomever else, we will soon find out and the culprits will have their day in court. That is not what disturbs me. What disturbs me is professional sports and specifically the NFL.
I know that players are people just like any of us and it is not up to the coach or owner to police all of their behavior. There is only a certain amount that a coach, GM, or even an owner can to to keep the players out of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. What bothers me though is that there is not nearly a strong enough penalty for wrongdoers, whether it is in the NFL, or other sports. The common response from a league official is that they will let the proceedings play out in a court of law first. I am sorry, but when a guy like Pacman Jones continues to be able to collect is NFL check every month after being arrested or questioned by the police nine times then I have a major problem. Can the NFL for once make a point here? I am not saying Pacman should be thrown in jail just for being accused, but the NFL needs to come up with a better policy to police players. I would love to see some sort of a summit between the major sports organizations and then bring it to the players unions.
I know that at the moment there is a "three strike" policy being discussed as a result of the Pacman incident in Vegas. What will constitute a strike though? There are so many "grey areas." They need to get this right though, because it is a long time coming. I know that if I was a Titans fan I would not want Pacman still on my team. It is a tough situation, in that Pacman or any other player deserves their day in court, but why does the NFL just stand by and not act? Make players responsible for their off the field actions. Right now, the league is allowing its players to walk all over them and in the process walk all over society and the fans that pay their salaries.
Other Notes...
- Will the Knicks ever win more than two in a row the rest of the season?
- Rumors flying that Michael Strahan wants more money and may ask for a trade if the Giants don't want to give it to him....
- Lastings Milledge has looked great in camp so far. I still feel that he starts the season in AAA, but won't be there for long.
- The Heat battled hard last night without Wade. I think that they will still make the playoffs, but will be an easy exit once they get there.
STKAFI
Monday, February 26, 2007
Nationals? No wait, The Marlins!
I was going to continue with my AL/NL East team previews today with the Washington Nationals. I then realized how bad they could potentially be, and that it would be a waste of my time. I would be surprised if this team did not lose 100 games. Not only that, but they have barely any young talent on that team or in that minor league system. I will root for Manny Acta (manager), as I really like him from his days as a Mets coach. There is just nothing intriguing about their organization at the moment. In any event though, on to a team that actually has a sliver of a chance to compete...
The Marlins surprised a lot of people last season. They came into the season having just unloaded all of their high priced talent. Their roster was filled with almost exclusively young players. In addition they had a rookie manager in Joe Girardi. They won 78 games, but stayed in the Wild Card race into September. Many people picked them to finish not only dead last in the division, but in all of baseball. They had Rookie of the Year candidates all over the place from Scott Olsen to Hanley Ramirez to Josh Johnson to Anibal Sanchez to winner, Dan Uggla. In addition, their rookie manager won Manager of the Year. It was a successful season for the franchise both in terms of team performance and in the tremendous development of their young players.
This season, many of the same questions are back with the Marlins. The number one reason for this is their managerial situation. While Girardi helped the team perform extremely well on the field, he did not get along with the front office, mainly the owner. Shortly after the season ended, Girardi was fired due to this disharmony. The Marlins brought in Fredy Gonzalez, former bench coach of the Cubs. It will be very interesting to see how the players react to this on the field. They played extremely well under Girardi when they were expected to do nothing. Now that the expectations have risen it will be tougher for Gonzalez to match up to Girardis' performance of last season.
After the managerial situation, the biggest question will be the performance of the pitching staff. Last season, they came into the season with just Dontrelle Willis as a reliable starting pitcher. As the season progressed, one could say that he performed possibly fourth best on the staff after Johnson, Olson and Sanchez. Willis though is still recognized as the staff ace. He is a former 20 game winner, and World Series winner. The other starters are coming off seasons in which they pitched the most innings of their respective careers, and chances are they all will not be able to repeat that level of performance. No matter how Willis pitches though his status on the team will be in question if the Marlins get off to a slow start. He is one of the few high paid players on the team and he would bring back a lot of talent in a trade, such as more pitching and a much needed centerfield prospect. The performance of the starting pitching though is extra important for this team though because the bull pen is so weak.
When looking at the names of the likely bullpen members, there is no clear favorites. Names such as Taylor Tankersley and Kevin Gregg have had some success in the past, but not much. An intriguing bullpen option is Henry Owens, who the Marlins acquired from the Mets in the offseason. He throws consistently in the upper 90s and pitched extremely well in Winter Ball. There are many more options than these three though. None can be counted on for consistency when the season starts though.
The Marins line-up is very intriguing. While players such as Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla exceeded expectations last season, more hyped prospects such as Josh Willingham and Jeremy Hermida performed less than expected. In addition, Miguel Cabrera continued to develop into the one of the most feared hitters in all of baseball. Caberera will start the season as still only 23 years old. While I feel that Manny Ramirez is the best right handed hitter since Joe Dimaggio (he has 10 more years of performance than Albert Pujols at this point), I think that when its all set and done Cabrera will eclipse them both. He has an amazing ability to take pitches, hit for a high average and drive the ball to the opposite field. His partner on the left side of the infield, Hanley Ramirez, is also a tremendous talent. Last season he had 74 extra base hits and 51 steals. If the Marlins can somehow secure some stadium funding and have the ability to lock up these two for the long term, they will be right alongside the Mets left side of the infield as the two best in baseball for the next 10 years.
Most predict the Marlins to finish behind the Mets, Phillies and Braves in the NL East. It is definitely going to be a close fought division, and I am not ready to make a prediction. One thing that is sure about the Marlins though is that they have little room for error. Unlike higher payroll teams like the Mets and Phillies, if a major injury hits the Marlins, they will most likely be unable to go out and trade for a high paid replacement. Beyond that though, the biggest difference between the Marlins and the other teams in the division is the bullpen. While the Mets and Braves may have the best bullpens in the National League, the Marlins have no guarantees in theirs. In the end, I think that will be the difference, but they have such amazing young talent that they will be a fun team to watch from beginning to end.
The Marlins surprised a lot of people last season. They came into the season having just unloaded all of their high priced talent. Their roster was filled with almost exclusively young players. In addition they had a rookie manager in Joe Girardi. They won 78 games, but stayed in the Wild Card race into September. Many people picked them to finish not only dead last in the division, but in all of baseball. They had Rookie of the Year candidates all over the place from Scott Olsen to Hanley Ramirez to Josh Johnson to Anibal Sanchez to winner, Dan Uggla. In addition, their rookie manager won Manager of the Year. It was a successful season for the franchise both in terms of team performance and in the tremendous development of their young players.
This season, many of the same questions are back with the Marlins. The number one reason for this is their managerial situation. While Girardi helped the team perform extremely well on the field, he did not get along with the front office, mainly the owner. Shortly after the season ended, Girardi was fired due to this disharmony. The Marlins brought in Fredy Gonzalez, former bench coach of the Cubs. It will be very interesting to see how the players react to this on the field. They played extremely well under Girardi when they were expected to do nothing. Now that the expectations have risen it will be tougher for Gonzalez to match up to Girardis' performance of last season.
After the managerial situation, the biggest question will be the performance of the pitching staff. Last season, they came into the season with just Dontrelle Willis as a reliable starting pitcher. As the season progressed, one could say that he performed possibly fourth best on the staff after Johnson, Olson and Sanchez. Willis though is still recognized as the staff ace. He is a former 20 game winner, and World Series winner. The other starters are coming off seasons in which they pitched the most innings of their respective careers, and chances are they all will not be able to repeat that level of performance. No matter how Willis pitches though his status on the team will be in question if the Marlins get off to a slow start. He is one of the few high paid players on the team and he would bring back a lot of talent in a trade, such as more pitching and a much needed centerfield prospect. The performance of the starting pitching though is extra important for this team though because the bull pen is so weak.
When looking at the names of the likely bullpen members, there is no clear favorites. Names such as Taylor Tankersley and Kevin Gregg have had some success in the past, but not much. An intriguing bullpen option is Henry Owens, who the Marlins acquired from the Mets in the offseason. He throws consistently in the upper 90s and pitched extremely well in Winter Ball. There are many more options than these three though. None can be counted on for consistency when the season starts though.
The Marins line-up is very intriguing. While players such as Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla exceeded expectations last season, more hyped prospects such as Josh Willingham and Jeremy Hermida performed less than expected. In addition, Miguel Cabrera continued to develop into the one of the most feared hitters in all of baseball. Caberera will start the season as still only 23 years old. While I feel that Manny Ramirez is the best right handed hitter since Joe Dimaggio (he has 10 more years of performance than Albert Pujols at this point), I think that when its all set and done Cabrera will eclipse them both. He has an amazing ability to take pitches, hit for a high average and drive the ball to the opposite field. His partner on the left side of the infield, Hanley Ramirez, is also a tremendous talent. Last season he had 74 extra base hits and 51 steals. If the Marlins can somehow secure some stadium funding and have the ability to lock up these two for the long term, they will be right alongside the Mets left side of the infield as the two best in baseball for the next 10 years.
Most predict the Marlins to finish behind the Mets, Phillies and Braves in the NL East. It is definitely going to be a close fought division, and I am not ready to make a prediction. One thing that is sure about the Marlins though is that they have little room for error. Unlike higher payroll teams like the Mets and Phillies, if a major injury hits the Marlins, they will most likely be unable to go out and trade for a high paid replacement. Beyond that though, the biggest difference between the Marlins and the other teams in the division is the bullpen. While the Mets and Braves may have the best bullpens in the National League, the Marlins have no guarantees in theirs. In the end, I think that will be the difference, but they have such amazing young talent that they will be a fun team to watch from beginning to end.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Nada
I got nuthin for you today. I just wanted to drop one link on all of you and be on my way....
http://sports.aol.com/whitlock/_a/mayhem-main-event-at-nba-all-star/20070220103009990001
Oh...and the Knicks are brutal. I was going through the roster in my mind this morning, and this team is really not good. They have some pieces from which to deal, but I can't put into words how far away they are from a championship, even with the improvement this year. Last thing....people call Eddy Curry the Knicks' franchise player. Can this stop??? He may be the best player on the team, but should never be labeled a franchise player. He can't lead, rebound play defense, or pass out of a double team. Every team has a guy that is the best on their team, but every team does not have a franchise player. The Knicks are one of those teams, so can we please stop with this garbage??
STKAFI
http://sports.aol.com/whitlock/_a/mayhem-main-event-at-nba-all-star/20070220103009990001
Oh...and the Knicks are brutal. I was going through the roster in my mind this morning, and this team is really not good. They have some pieces from which to deal, but I can't put into words how far away they are from a championship, even with the improvement this year. Last thing....people call Eddy Curry the Knicks' franchise player. Can this stop??? He may be the best player on the team, but should never be labeled a franchise player. He can't lead, rebound play defense, or pass out of a double team. Every team has a guy that is the best on their team, but every team does not have a franchise player. The Knicks are one of those teams, so can we please stop with this garbage??
STKAFI
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Trader Joe
The NBA Trade Deadline is tomorrow. There are a lot of rumors out there, but there has been no movement as of yet. I am going to list a few of my deadline thoughts...
1. Corey Maggette needs to get traded. First and foremost he does not get along with the coach. He does not make a ton of money and on the right team can still average close to 20 ppg. The atmosphere within the Clippers will improve right away once they don't have this coach/player rivalry (or whatever you want to call it) hanging over their heads. If they could get Ron Artest I would pull the trigger in a heartbeat. A draft pick and James Poseys' expiring contract seems like a good fit as well. I don't see the Clippers making the playoffs this season, but there is no reason to gut the team either. Maggette does not fit the team though, and he can still bring back some value whether it is in a player, payroll flexibility, or draft picks.
2. The Bulls need to acquire a low post player. There are a few names being thrown out there, from Shareef Abdur-Rahim to Zach Randolph to Pau Gasol. I don't think they are going to be able to get Pau Gasol for anything other than the farm. By that I mean any two of Hinrich, Gordon, Deng, and Noccioni. In addition, PJ Brown's expiring contract and either Tyrus Thomas or the Knicks' first round pick this June. That is a lot to give up, but Gasol is still only 26 and is a legit 20 and 10 guy. Very tough call for the GM. I don't think they will pull it, but I would if I could keep Deng, Hinrich and Thomas. As for Randolph, I want no part of him. His game is great, but he has a bad attitude. Abdur-Rahim will come cheaper and is the most likely to be moved to the Bulls, but he will have a much lesser impact.
3. The Nets will make a major move. I am not sure if this means Jason Kidd will be traded, or Vince Carter, but I am confident that something will be done. Rod Thorn is not gun shy and he realizes that this is a flawed team. Kidd has personal issues and is getting old. This may be the last time the Nets can get serious value for him. Carter can opt out of his contract this summer and leave the Nets with nothing. The Lakers are interested in Kidd, but up until this point will not offer what the Nets need to get the deal done (Andrew Bynum). The Magic are interested in Carter. There could be sleepers out there as well...
4. Scottie Pippen should sign with the Houston Rockets. Houston is one of the few teams in the league that puts a premium on defense. At this point, the only thing that Pippen may be able to offer is a three point shot, and tough defense. The Rockets can sign Pippen to a 10 day contract and best case he can provide them with 10-15 minutes a night for the playoffs. In addition, this could allow them the flexibility to trade Bonzi Wells. Possibly for point guard help.
5. The Knicks will do nothing. I think that they have pieces to make a deal, but they do not seem inclined to. I would love to make a run at Ray Allen (Channing Frye, Nate Robinson, Jamal Crawford, Malik Rose), but it isn't going to happen. Isiah likes this bunch, and his job appears more and more safe with each passing day. I still would love to gut this team, but it is not going to happen in the foreseeable future..
6. The Celtics are still the laughingstock of the NBA.
7. Other big names that I could see being traded....Mike Bibby, Rashard Lewis, Andre Miller, Larry Hughes, Mike Miller...
8. My picks at the beginning of the season......(blog 11/1 I think...)
East
1. Miami Heat
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
3. New Jersey Nets
4. Chicago Bulls
5. Detroit Pistons
6. Indiana Pacers
7. Washington Wizards
8. Toronto Raptors
West
1. Phoenix Suns
2. Dallas Mavericks
3. San Antonio Spurs
4. LA Clippers
5. LA Lakers
6. Denver Nuggets
7. Houston Rockets
8. Utah Jazz
MVP Kobe Bryant
Not great, but not horrible...great pick with the Raptors, and like many people I was way off with the Clippers. Heat definitely will not the the top seed, but still could be the five seed. Definitely underestimated the Pistons. Kobe is not the MVP at this point, but he is in many peoples top five...
STKAFI
1. Corey Maggette needs to get traded. First and foremost he does not get along with the coach. He does not make a ton of money and on the right team can still average close to 20 ppg. The atmosphere within the Clippers will improve right away once they don't have this coach/player rivalry (or whatever you want to call it) hanging over their heads. If they could get Ron Artest I would pull the trigger in a heartbeat. A draft pick and James Poseys' expiring contract seems like a good fit as well. I don't see the Clippers making the playoffs this season, but there is no reason to gut the team either. Maggette does not fit the team though, and he can still bring back some value whether it is in a player, payroll flexibility, or draft picks.
2. The Bulls need to acquire a low post player. There are a few names being thrown out there, from Shareef Abdur-Rahim to Zach Randolph to Pau Gasol. I don't think they are going to be able to get Pau Gasol for anything other than the farm. By that I mean any two of Hinrich, Gordon, Deng, and Noccioni. In addition, PJ Brown's expiring contract and either Tyrus Thomas or the Knicks' first round pick this June. That is a lot to give up, but Gasol is still only 26 and is a legit 20 and 10 guy. Very tough call for the GM. I don't think they will pull it, but I would if I could keep Deng, Hinrich and Thomas. As for Randolph, I want no part of him. His game is great, but he has a bad attitude. Abdur-Rahim will come cheaper and is the most likely to be moved to the Bulls, but he will have a much lesser impact.
3. The Nets will make a major move. I am not sure if this means Jason Kidd will be traded, or Vince Carter, but I am confident that something will be done. Rod Thorn is not gun shy and he realizes that this is a flawed team. Kidd has personal issues and is getting old. This may be the last time the Nets can get serious value for him. Carter can opt out of his contract this summer and leave the Nets with nothing. The Lakers are interested in Kidd, but up until this point will not offer what the Nets need to get the deal done (Andrew Bynum). The Magic are interested in Carter. There could be sleepers out there as well...
4. Scottie Pippen should sign with the Houston Rockets. Houston is one of the few teams in the league that puts a premium on defense. At this point, the only thing that Pippen may be able to offer is a three point shot, and tough defense. The Rockets can sign Pippen to a 10 day contract and best case he can provide them with 10-15 minutes a night for the playoffs. In addition, this could allow them the flexibility to trade Bonzi Wells. Possibly for point guard help.
5. The Knicks will do nothing. I think that they have pieces to make a deal, but they do not seem inclined to. I would love to make a run at Ray Allen (Channing Frye, Nate Robinson, Jamal Crawford, Malik Rose), but it isn't going to happen. Isiah likes this bunch, and his job appears more and more safe with each passing day. I still would love to gut this team, but it is not going to happen in the foreseeable future..
6. The Celtics are still the laughingstock of the NBA.
7. Other big names that I could see being traded....Mike Bibby, Rashard Lewis, Andre Miller, Larry Hughes, Mike Miller...
8. My picks at the beginning of the season......(blog 11/1 I think...)
East
1. Miami Heat
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
3. New Jersey Nets
4. Chicago Bulls
5. Detroit Pistons
6. Indiana Pacers
7. Washington Wizards
8. Toronto Raptors
West
1. Phoenix Suns
2. Dallas Mavericks
3. San Antonio Spurs
4. LA Clippers
5. LA Lakers
6. Denver Nuggets
7. Houston Rockets
8. Utah Jazz
MVP Kobe Bryant
Not great, but not horrible...great pick with the Raptors, and like many people I was way off with the Clippers. Heat definitely will not the the top seed, but still could be the five seed. Definitely underestimated the Pistons. Kobe is not the MVP at this point, but he is in many peoples top five...
STKAFI
Monday, February 19, 2007
Devil Doggs
OK, so baseball season is really creeping up on us. I have been trying to think of what I should to prepare for this on the bliggity blog. What i have come up with for starters is to preview every team in the AL and NL East. While not everyone would find previews of the Cardinals and Rangers interesting, since most of the readers are Sox, Yanks or Mets fans I assume that this will work. I am going to start today with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
The Devil Rays are probably the most interesting of the "have-nots" on baseball. While they have never won and baring a major miracle won't win again this season, they have a bunch of young talent in their system. The problem for them is that much of the major league ready talent is is best suited for the outfield. Besides that though, they have a young and innovative manager, plus a 23 year old potential Cy Young winner. They also have the number one ranked minor league system according to Keith Law of ESPN.com. Here is an evaluation of their fortunes for the season...
The Good:
They have five tremendously talented players that will be 25 or younger on opening day in Rocco Baldelli, Carl Crawford, Delmon Young, Elijah Duke and BJ Upton. The problem is that all five players appear to be best suited as an outfielder. It seems like the Rays would like to find a way to get each of these players 450 at-bats. They would like to start Young, Baldelli, and Crawford in the outfield, with Upton playing all over including DH and Duke being the fourth outfielder and platoon at DH. The Devil Rays are in a prime position to trade one of these players for pitching. A perfect solution in my mind would be to trade Baldelli and start Upton in center. Duke has had numerous disciplinary problems in the minors, so I would give him a chance to play and then trade him as his value peaks if possible. They would then have three outfielders left and their two top hitting prospects in the minors are a third baseman and a shortstop.
Scott Kazmir is the ace of the Devil Ray staff. He had his season shortened by injury last year, but is an electric talent. He is only 23 years old and after Johan Santana, could be the best left-handed pitcher in the American League. The Devil Rays also had their first significant fee agent signing in a few years. They signed Akinori Iwamura from the Japanese League. He will start at third base for them and is only 28 years old. Their top hitting prospect definitely starting the season in the minors is third baseman Evan Longoria so Iwamura may just be keeping the position warm for him. Manager Joe Madden is in his second year with the Rays, but he was a major managerial prospect after his years as bench coach under Mike Scioscia in Anaheim. He has job security for at least this season, which is probably the best thing you can ask for as a Devil Ray manager.
The Bad
Pitching. I am not saying that is the only bad part of the Devil Ray organization, but it definitely is the most glaring. Going up and down the Devil Ray pitching roster, Kazmir is the only guy I would want on my team. They have stocked their minor league system with pitching, but the word is that it won't be ready for at least another season. No matter how many talented hitters the Rays have, it will mean nothing without the pitching, especially in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox. I like the philosophy of their young GM (Andrew Freidman) in stocking the minors with pitching, but the major league roster is still very bare on the front. Besides pitching they have some holes in their line-up, but their main problem is their stadium/fan support. Baseball has not electrified Tampa they way MLB hoped when they award that city a franchise in 1998. They stadium is horrendous as well.
The Confusing
A couple players stick out in this regard, namely Jorge Cantu and Johnny Gomes. Gomes is 26 and Cantu is 25, but they have had inconsistent beginnings to their respective careers. Two years ago they both had breakthrough seasons and last year they both took considerable steps back. They each have always had trouble fielding, and could be standing in the way of their potentially more productive younger players. The beginning of the season for these two players will be key to their future with the Rays. If they don't produce, as I have noted, the Rays have a few young hitters that they would be more than happy to give extra at-bats to.
Probable Line-Up
C: Dioneer Navaro
1B: Ty Wigginton
2B: Jorge Cantu
3B: Akinori Iwamura
SS: Ben Zobrist
LF: Carl Crawford
CF: Rocco Baldelli
RF: Delmon Young
DH: BJ Upton
Starting Pitching
1. Scott Kazmir
2. Jae Seo
3. Casey Fossum
4. Edwin Jackson
5. Seth McClung
Closer: Chad Orvella
As you can tell, their line-up is very young and their pitching is very bad. I struggle to project them anything other than last place once again. They have a ton of young talent though coming through their system. It is up to the GM to project which hitting talent he should keep and which should be shipped out for more pitching. They may never be able to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox financially, but they (at the moment) set up to compete talent wise for the next five to seven years. This year that is far from the case though.
Randoms
The Devil Rays are probably the most interesting of the "have-nots" on baseball. While they have never won and baring a major miracle won't win again this season, they have a bunch of young talent in their system. The problem for them is that much of the major league ready talent is is best suited for the outfield. Besides that though, they have a young and innovative manager, plus a 23 year old potential Cy Young winner. They also have the number one ranked minor league system according to Keith Law of ESPN.com. Here is an evaluation of their fortunes for the season...
The Good:
They have five tremendously talented players that will be 25 or younger on opening day in Rocco Baldelli, Carl Crawford, Delmon Young, Elijah Duke and BJ Upton. The problem is that all five players appear to be best suited as an outfielder. It seems like the Rays would like to find a way to get each of these players 450 at-bats. They would like to start Young, Baldelli, and Crawford in the outfield, with Upton playing all over including DH and Duke being the fourth outfielder and platoon at DH. The Devil Rays are in a prime position to trade one of these players for pitching. A perfect solution in my mind would be to trade Baldelli and start Upton in center. Duke has had numerous disciplinary problems in the minors, so I would give him a chance to play and then trade him as his value peaks if possible. They would then have three outfielders left and their two top hitting prospects in the minors are a third baseman and a shortstop.
Scott Kazmir is the ace of the Devil Ray staff. He had his season shortened by injury last year, but is an electric talent. He is only 23 years old and after Johan Santana, could be the best left-handed pitcher in the American League. The Devil Rays also had their first significant fee agent signing in a few years. They signed Akinori Iwamura from the Japanese League. He will start at third base for them and is only 28 years old. Their top hitting prospect definitely starting the season in the minors is third baseman Evan Longoria so Iwamura may just be keeping the position warm for him. Manager Joe Madden is in his second year with the Rays, but he was a major managerial prospect after his years as bench coach under Mike Scioscia in Anaheim. He has job security for at least this season, which is probably the best thing you can ask for as a Devil Ray manager.
The Bad
Pitching. I am not saying that is the only bad part of the Devil Ray organization, but it definitely is the most glaring. Going up and down the Devil Ray pitching roster, Kazmir is the only guy I would want on my team. They have stocked their minor league system with pitching, but the word is that it won't be ready for at least another season. No matter how many talented hitters the Rays have, it will mean nothing without the pitching, especially in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox. I like the philosophy of their young GM (Andrew Freidman) in stocking the minors with pitching, but the major league roster is still very bare on the front. Besides pitching they have some holes in their line-up, but their main problem is their stadium/fan support. Baseball has not electrified Tampa they way MLB hoped when they award that city a franchise in 1998. They stadium is horrendous as well.
The Confusing
A couple players stick out in this regard, namely Jorge Cantu and Johnny Gomes. Gomes is 26 and Cantu is 25, but they have had inconsistent beginnings to their respective careers. Two years ago they both had breakthrough seasons and last year they both took considerable steps back. They each have always had trouble fielding, and could be standing in the way of their potentially more productive younger players. The beginning of the season for these two players will be key to their future with the Rays. If they don't produce, as I have noted, the Rays have a few young hitters that they would be more than happy to give extra at-bats to.
Probable Line-Up
C: Dioneer Navaro
1B: Ty Wigginton
2B: Jorge Cantu
3B: Akinori Iwamura
SS: Ben Zobrist
LF: Carl Crawford
CF: Rocco Baldelli
RF: Delmon Young
DH: BJ Upton
Starting Pitching
1. Scott Kazmir
2. Jae Seo
3. Casey Fossum
4. Edwin Jackson
5. Seth McClung
Closer: Chad Orvella
As you can tell, their line-up is very young and their pitching is very bad. I struggle to project them anything other than last place once again. They have a ton of young talent though coming through their system. It is up to the GM to project which hitting talent he should keep and which should be shipped out for more pitching. They may never be able to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox financially, but they (at the moment) set up to compete talent wise for the next five to seven years. This year that is far from the case though.
Randoms
- So the Chargers fire Schottenheimer (200 career wins) and Hire Norv Turner (.420 career winning %)? I just don't get it. I know that this point they did not have a great amount of options, but I just do not see how they feel that they can make the next step with Turner as coach.
- I will save my AROD feelings for a full post, but again HOW DID THEY KEEP THIS GUY??? I understand that you will never get the value in talent that this guy deserves, and if he was traded he would most like put up 50 HRs and 140 RBIs where ever else he went. The constant drama with him is too much though. Plus, all season long his opt out clause in his contract is going to be a story. He just is not worth the distraction to me. Grab some more pitching for him and then trade for a Joe Crede, or sign the Japanese thrid baseman that the D'Rays got. He obviously has a rift with Jeter, and is not on great terms with Torre. He puts his foot in his mouth on a daily basis and has a poor relationship with the fans. The media eats him alive, and his playoff faults are well known.
- I am sure Vegas was crazy for the NBA All Star weekend, but the festivities we saw on TV were as weak as I could remember. I was bored by Saturday night and the game itself was less interesting than usual.
- Looks like Jason Kidd and/or Vince Carter will get traded. I think that the Nets are making the right move, and Rod Thorn will make sure that they have young players/draft picks to build around.
STKAFI
Friday, February 16, 2007
It Gives You Wings!!
So I was getting off of the PATH (yes, I work in Jersey...) this morning and all of the sudden I got a rush of excitement. While I definitely think it had something to do with the cup of coffee from Dunkin Donuts I had just finished (I don't remember the last time I drank coffee in the morning), I know that it also had to do with the first week of Spring Training. I love this time of year. The end of last season does not really seem that long ago. Every day though, each newspaper has a couple articles about my team. Unless I root for the Yankees of course, who have like 10 articles since they have about 20 different storylines at the moment that have almost nothing to do with them winning the World Series. In any event, I am pumped. The Yankees are once again reinventing the "Bronx Zoo" and the Mets are quietly going about Spring Training. The Mets have more than enough issues of their own, but their problems are on the field, while the Yankees have stuff going on all over the map. This is not a criticism of them, it is just the facts. I think I will list the Yankee storylines and then talk about the two most important Spring Training developments for the Mets. I would go into more detail on the Yanks, but there is just soo much to say that I would be neglecting something.
The Bombers
1. Joe Torres' lame duck status
2. ARODs' daily emotional stability
3. Carl Pavanos' balls (or lack thereof)
4. Missing Bernie Williams
5. Any soundbite/quote from The Boss
6. The Jeter/AROD relationship
7. The Torre/AROD relationship
8. Mariano Rivera contract situation
9. Kei Igawas' adjustment to the Majors
10. The development of Phil Hughes
11. The return of Andy Pettitte
12. Oh...and the neverending pursuit to end those "Year 2000" chants coming out of the bleachers in Fenway
There is a lot going on in Yankeeland, and this is without Gary Sheffield and Randy Johnson. Bottom line in my mind is that there is going to be a ton of off the field stuff go on this season, but as usual the Yanks will make the playoffs. Whether they get Clemens or not, I do not see them winning it all, but I think that Cashman is slowly but surely getting this franchise on the right track with young, power arms and staying committed to the development of prospects.
The Amazins
There are two main things that I am keeping an eye on at Mets camp. The starting pitching and the corner outfield spots.
1. Starting Pitching: In my perfect world the starting rotation at the beginning of the year will be Tom Glavine, Orlando Hernandez, Oliver Perez, Mike Pelfrey, John Maine/Jason Vargas. I can not say that this rotations resembles anything dominant, but I do think that Glavine can be consistent, El Duke can pitch well in big spots, and Oliver Perez can regain some of his composure and win 15 games. I would love Pelfrey to develop, but I can not count on that. I honestly do believe that Perez will have a good year though. I believe that Pedro will be back by the beginning of August and will pitch well down the stretch. I could also see the Mets making a big trade for a starter. They have a ton of young starting arms (Pelfrey, Maine, Perez, Vargas, Phil Humber, Alay Soler, Aaron Heilman) to go along with a Lasting Milledge or a younger prospect. In addition, since the Mets did not commit to any more long term contracts this offseason the word is that they have some money to spend. I am excited to see how this plays out. I will be keeping an eye on Pelfrey and Humber the most for sure...
2. Corner Outfielders: Going into the season the Mets have Moises Alou and Shawn Green penciled in as their starters. Combined these guys are about 100 years old. Alou definitely still has some juice left in his bat, but will almost definitely experience a month (at least) on the DL. Green can stay on the field, but he moves as quickly as my dead Grandmother in right, and has the batspeed looks like hes swinging through peanut butter. Then you have Milledge, Ben Johnson, David Newhan and Endy Chavez fighting for bench spots. I think that Green will not last the year with the Mets. Milledge (if hes not traded) or Johnson will end up starting in right by June and they will piece together left field when Alou gets injured. The Mets have a couple highly touted outfield prospects in the minors, but they are too young to likely have an impact this season. Again, we will see how this develops, but I would like to see Milledge get another chance to start before looking to deal him.
Postscript from the MVP Talk...
I made a mistake on Dirk. The bottom line is that he is without a doubt the best player on the best team in the league. Based on the premise alone, he has to be a top contender for MVP. That was my screw-up. If I had a vote, I would put him in the top five, possibly top three, but I do not think he would be my top choice. I would honestly give it to McGrady at this point. Its gunna be interesting the second half though. A lot depends on the injuries to Nash and Yao, as well as if the Mavs run away with the #1 seed.
This is just a taste of baseball for the moment. I am sure we will get into a lot more in the next month and a half before the season starts. Also, I'm working on customizing the page better. Hope you enjoy...
STKAFI
So I was getting off of the PATH (yes, I work in Jersey...) this morning and all of the sudden I got a rush of excitement. While I definitely think it had something to do with the cup of coffee from Dunkin Donuts I had just finished (I don't remember the last time I drank coffee in the morning), I know that it also had to do with the first week of Spring Training. I love this time of year. The end of last season does not really seem that long ago. Every day though, each newspaper has a couple articles about my team. Unless I root for the Yankees of course, who have like 10 articles since they have about 20 different storylines at the moment that have almost nothing to do with them winning the World Series. In any event, I am pumped. The Yankees are once again reinventing the "Bronx Zoo" and the Mets are quietly going about Spring Training. The Mets have more than enough issues of their own, but their problems are on the field, while the Yankees have stuff going on all over the map. This is not a criticism of them, it is just the facts. I think I will list the Yankee storylines and then talk about the two most important Spring Training developments for the Mets. I would go into more detail on the Yanks, but there is just soo much to say that I would be neglecting something.
The Bombers
1. Joe Torres' lame duck status
2. ARODs' daily emotional stability
3. Carl Pavanos' balls (or lack thereof)
4. Missing Bernie Williams
5. Any soundbite/quote from The Boss
6. The Jeter/AROD relationship
7. The Torre/AROD relationship
8. Mariano Rivera contract situation
9. Kei Igawas' adjustment to the Majors
10. The development of Phil Hughes
11. The return of Andy Pettitte
12. Oh...and the neverending pursuit to end those "Year 2000" chants coming out of the bleachers in Fenway
There is a lot going on in Yankeeland, and this is without Gary Sheffield and Randy Johnson. Bottom line in my mind is that there is going to be a ton of off the field stuff go on this season, but as usual the Yanks will make the playoffs. Whether they get Clemens or not, I do not see them winning it all, but I think that Cashman is slowly but surely getting this franchise on the right track with young, power arms and staying committed to the development of prospects.
The Amazins
There are two main things that I am keeping an eye on at Mets camp. The starting pitching and the corner outfield spots.
1. Starting Pitching: In my perfect world the starting rotation at the beginning of the year will be Tom Glavine, Orlando Hernandez, Oliver Perez, Mike Pelfrey, John Maine/Jason Vargas. I can not say that this rotations resembles anything dominant, but I do think that Glavine can be consistent, El Duke can pitch well in big spots, and Oliver Perez can regain some of his composure and win 15 games. I would love Pelfrey to develop, but I can not count on that. I honestly do believe that Perez will have a good year though. I believe that Pedro will be back by the beginning of August and will pitch well down the stretch. I could also see the Mets making a big trade for a starter. They have a ton of young starting arms (Pelfrey, Maine, Perez, Vargas, Phil Humber, Alay Soler, Aaron Heilman) to go along with a Lasting Milledge or a younger prospect. In addition, since the Mets did not commit to any more long term contracts this offseason the word is that they have some money to spend. I am excited to see how this plays out. I will be keeping an eye on Pelfrey and Humber the most for sure...
2. Corner Outfielders: Going into the season the Mets have Moises Alou and Shawn Green penciled in as their starters. Combined these guys are about 100 years old. Alou definitely still has some juice left in his bat, but will almost definitely experience a month (at least) on the DL. Green can stay on the field, but he moves as quickly as my dead Grandmother in right, and has the batspeed looks like hes swinging through peanut butter. Then you have Milledge, Ben Johnson, David Newhan and Endy Chavez fighting for bench spots. I think that Green will not last the year with the Mets. Milledge (if hes not traded) or Johnson will end up starting in right by June and they will piece together left field when Alou gets injured. The Mets have a couple highly touted outfield prospects in the minors, but they are too young to likely have an impact this season. Again, we will see how this develops, but I would like to see Milledge get another chance to start before looking to deal him.
Postscript from the MVP Talk...
I made a mistake on Dirk. The bottom line is that he is without a doubt the best player on the best team in the league. Based on the premise alone, he has to be a top contender for MVP. That was my screw-up. If I had a vote, I would put him in the top five, possibly top three, but I do not think he would be my top choice. I would honestly give it to McGrady at this point. Its gunna be interesting the second half though. A lot depends on the injuries to Nash and Yao, as well as if the Mavs run away with the #1 seed.
This is just a taste of baseball for the moment. I am sure we will get into a lot more in the next month and a half before the season starts. Also, I'm working on customizing the page better. Hope you enjoy...
STKAFI
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