Very Quick 2011 MLB Preview

This has been the longest, most painful off-season of my life as a baseball fan. I’ve had to sit back and wait and constantly acknowledge that yes, the Giants won the World Series. It took a lot of patience. Now Opening Day is finally around the corner and contrary to my past beliefs, as soon as that first pitch is thrown on Thursday, there is no World Series champion until October ends. In years past, I would have admitted whichever team won the previous year’s World Series was the champion until unseated. Screw. That.

Either way, it’s been an exciting off-season with blockbuster trades, big free agent signings, fantasy-killing injuries and no lockout! (Yeah, NFL – you suck!) And I couldn’t be more excited that the season is finally starting fresh. It’s the year of redemption for teams like Boston and St. Louis and both Los Angeles teams. And for perennial bottom-feeders like the Pirates, Nationals, Royals and Orioles, hope springs eternal.

Here are my predictions for the 2011 MLB season, with the wild card winner in each league denoted by an asterisk:

NL East:
1. Philadelphia Phillies
2. Atlanta Braves*
3. Florida Marlins
4. New York Mets
5. Washington Nationals

The Phillies pulled the surprise free agent coup of the winter, bringing back Cliff Lee to complete the most epic starting rotation in recent memory. Lee, with Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt legitimately give them a chance to win four out of every five games they play. And Joe Blanton is a pretty good fifth starter. The offense isn’t as good, especially with questions surrounding the health of Chase Utley, and Brad Lidge’s possible DL time could be a problem for the bullpen, but I expect both of them to return at some point. And the rotation is just too damn good to lose this division. The Mets, Marlins and Nats should all make some improvements, but I think the only team that gives Philly a run for its money is the Braves. With the signing of Dan Uggla, a potential bounce back season from Chipper Jones and a more seasoned Jason Heyward, I think Atlanta takes a tight N.L. Wild Card race.

NL Central:
1. Milwaukee Brewers
2. Cincinnati Reds
3. St. Louis Cardinals
4. Houston Astros
5. Chicago Cubs
6. Pittsburgh Pirates

This is probably the boldest of my picks for this season. The Brew Crew always has a pretty solid offense, but I like what they did by adding Shawn Marcum to the pitching staff. And I don’t generally believe in the consistency of big contract years, but for some reason I do anticipate Prince Fielder to have a monster season on offense. That, coupled with a Cincy rotation that’s not all it’s cracked up to be and Adam Wainwright’s injury in St. Louis, has me believing Milwaukee will come out of the jumble and barely win the Central. Houston will absolutely be improved, but are still a year or two away from contending. Joey Votto and Albert Pujols in Cincinnati and St. Louis, respectively, will keep their teams in the race. The Cubs are still in shambles despite some savvy free agent signings. And the Pirates will still finish last, even with significant improvement from youngsters like Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, Jose Tabata and James MacDonald.

NL West:
1. Colorado Rockies
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
3. San Francisco Giants
4. San Diego Padres
5. Arizona Diamondbacks

People think I’m crazy for putting the defending champions in third place. The top three teams in this division will be very competitive, but I think the Rockies far out-class the Dodgers and Giants on the offensive end. If they have a full season out of Troy Tulowitzki, it’s not even close. The Giants have the second best rotation in the league, and the Dodgers signed Ted Lilly and John Garland to shore up a good rotation with some consistent veterans. I don’t think anyone can expect another year of such terrible all-around play by Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier doesn’t have any pinky injuries to worry about. On the flip side, there is no way anyone can expect the Giants’ offense to pull off the same thing as last year. Especially with one of their better hitters in Juan Uribe no longer on the roster. The Padres lost Adrian Gonzalez and ace Mat Latos starts the season on the DL, so I don’t see any way for them to contend this year. The Diamondbacks will make some strides, but not enough to contend for another year or two.

AL East:
1. Boston Red Sox
2. New York Yankees*
3. Tampa Bay Rays
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Toronto Blue Jays

The Red Sox look like the complete package to me. After adding their two big off-season prizes, their offense boasts names like Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis. Are you kidding me? Four legitimate MVP candidates on the same team. Their rotation is led by Jon Lester and Clay Buccholz and you can expect some better numbers out of John Lackey and Josh Beckett. The Yankees look good again, despite the lack of starting pitching depth. They are still led by perennial Cy Young contender C.C. Sabathia, and of course have the ridiculous offense to go with it. Mark Teixeira had a down year last year and should post some bigger numbers. The Rays lost Matt Garza, Carlos Pena and Jason Bartlett. It’s going to be hard to contend with Boston and New York without those three. The Orioles and Jays both look like they are improving. I like what the O’s did by adding Derrek Lee; I think that will end up being an underrated move when all is said and done. And the Blue Jays pitching staff looks to be it’s strong point, but they need a few more pieces to complement low-average, high-power third baseman Jose Bautista.

AL Central:
1. Detroit Tigers
2. Minnesota Twins
3. Chicago White Sox
4. Kansas City Royals
5. Cleveland Indians

I have so much faith in the offensive monster that is Miguel Cabrera that I picked them to win the Central this year. The White Sox rotation is in trouble with an aging Mark Buehrle and oft-injured Jake Peavy, but I do like the offensive potential, especially with the Adam Dunn addition. I like Justin Verlander leading the Detroit rotation, and I’m worried about the health of the Twins’ star players like Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Joe Nathan. Plus, I don’t think Carl Pavano and Francisco Liriano will duplicate their success from last year. I really like the Royals’ potential on offense this year, but their pitching is too suspect for me. And the Indians begin another rebuilding year, although I’m interested to see if Grady Sizemore can bounce back, and to see if Fausto Carmona and Shin-Soo Choo can repeat success from 2010.

AL West:
1. Oakland Athletics
2. Texas Rangers
3. Los Angeles Angels
4. Seattle Mariners

Ah yes, the boys in the green and gold are finally back on top. Don’t let the additions of David DeJesus, Josh Willingham and Hideki Matsui go unnoticed; those were smart, cheap adds by Billy Beane that should vastly improve the A’s offense. The rotation is led by three young starters in Gio Gonzalez, Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill, who will all contend for the Cy Young eventually. Gonzalez may be a dark horse candidate this year! The Rangers lost Vlad Guerrero and Cliff Lee, pissed off Michael Young, and signed the undependable Adrian Beltre. I am pretty disappointed by the caliber of their off-season. They might even let the Angels sneak past them for second place this season. Speaking of the Halos, they took on the contract of Vernon Wells and will get Kendrys Morales back from his injury. Their offense should be pretty damn good, and they still have solid pitching in the rotation, but I don’t think they will contend with the A’s or Rangers this year. The Mariners have Felix Hernandez and up-and-coming star Michael Pineda, but there is absolutely no offense to speak of.

NLDS:
Phillies def. Brewers
Braves def. Rockies

ALDS:
Red Sox def. Tigers
Yankees def. A’s

NLCS:
Phillies def. Braves

ALCS:
Red Sox def. Yankees

World Series:
Phillies def. Red Sox

Things I Think I Thought A Lot About: Vol. 1

I am trying to make this blogging thing more regular. So hopefully I can put a new "thought" up every day. Just a short blurb, maybe 250 words, about a topic that's on my mind. Check in for new ones, you never know what you might find!

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

When I have children of my own, and they ask, "Daddy, why is Pete Rose on the top of the list, but not in the Hall of Fame?" what the hell do I tell them?

"Well, um...he...was too good! Ah yes." Nope. That won't work.
"He really screwed the pooch and bet on baseball." Won't cut it.
"Because every Commissioner since Rose retired has been a f*&$%!@ idiot!" Whoa. No. Calm down.

So, I guess I try to explain. Honestly, this might be harder than the sex talks, or the puberty talks, or the first-time-caught-drinking talks. Which I might add, hopefully happen at three separate times.

I think I would sit down and say:

"Son. Daughter. Pete Rose is one of the greatest baseball players of all-time, and he was punished for it. He got a lifelong time-out from the baseball gods, and he doesn't get to play with the other kids now."

"But why?" they would ask.

"Well, he paid money to people to do certain things behind everyone else's back. And that was against the rules," I would answer.

"Like what you said Uncle Joe did to Aunt Vic---"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa kids. Time for bed."

Man, this is gonna suck.

Why Charlie Got Hustled: The Long Overdue Call From The Hall

Wrote this on Sportscolumn.com a long time ago...one of the articles I'm most fond of...pics and quotes taken from wikipedia and the Baseball Almanac, respectively.

“Playing baseball for a living is like having a license to steal.” – Pete Rose

Major League Baseball has committed a sin; an absolute crime. They have robbed a man of his lifelong dream; of the ultimate accomplishment in the game that he loves more than anything in the world. He was robbed of this achievement, which he rightfully earned, and perhaps deserved more than any other player in the history of the game. Pete Rose was cruelly robbed of his place as a baseball immortal.

“The banishment for life of Pete Rose from baseball is a sad end of a sorry episode. One of the game’s greatest players has engaged in a variety of acts which have stained the game, and he must now live with the consequences of those acts. There is absolutely no deal for reinstatement.” – Bart Giamatti

At least Commissioner Giamatti acknowledged that Rose was one of the best players to ever grace a diamond. But with this announcement on August 24, 1989, Giamatti banished one of the greatest heroes of the sport and cast a dark shadow over the game.

Since Charlie Hustle’s banishment that fateful day, we have never seen another player with so much heart, hustle and determination as him. Rose collected hits like they were being handed out for free: He is the all-time record holder for most hits in a career with 4,256 and currently holds the second longest hitting streak in the history of baseball, one that lasted 44 games. Rose finished his 24-year career with a .303 batting average and a .375 on-base percentage and holds the all-time record for most games played and most at-bats. If he could, he would’ve played every inning of every game for his entire life. That’s how much Rose was in love with baseball.

Rose won the National League MVP award in 1973 and Rookie of the Year in 1963. He made 17 all-star appearances at five different positions, and won three World Series titles with the Cincinnati Reds. He was MVP of the 1975 World Series and a leader of the `Big Red Machine’. He won three batting titles, two gold gloves, and has more seasons of 200+ hits than anyone else, with 10. Rose was extremely versatile too, playing over 500 games at five different positions over his career.

So what is a player with such amazing credentials doing sitting on the bench, riding the pine, NOT in the Hall of Fame? The reason is that Commissioner Giamatti banished Rose from baseball for betting on the Reds as their manager, a charge Rose denied, but still agreed to be placed on baseball’s ineligible list for. Rose denied the ruling for years after his expulsion, until 2004, when he published a book called My Prison Without Bars, an autobiography in which he admitted to betting on baseball.

Seventeen years after Rose’s ban, he has yet to be re-instated and still watches the Hall of Fame inductions every year instead of being included in them. So was Rose’s betting on the Reds really “detrimental to baseball” as Giamatti claimed? Is it really any worse than taking steroids to enhance one’s play? Because if it is, it’s unfair that sluggers like Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire will most likely be Hall of Famers and Rose won’t. Today, people are arguing that Bonds should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer based on accomplishments alone, not on merit. Well, Bonds pumped up his muscles, lied to the Supreme Court, and unnaturally changed his performance. That is a lot more detrimental to the game then betting on a team you manage. Besides, it’s not like Rose was paying the pitchers to throw the ball down the middle.

Steroids and gambling: both can be unhealthy, both are illegal in baseball, but only one physically affects how an individual plays the game. I’m not saying steroids helped Barry Bonds have a beautiful swing, have the power to hit a home run, have a better eye at the plate, or have loads of talent. In fact, I agree that Bonds should be in the Hall of Fame based on his career before 2001. But, if Bonds is a Hall of Famer, Rose is undoubtedly one as well. Both players made a choice and both have been criticized for what they’ve done. The only difference is Rose got the ultimate heave-ho. Rose committed a crime against baseball that is much less harmful to the game, yet he was punished in the harshest way possible. Bonds and other substance-abusers are getting to walk free, and with every step they taint the game a little bit more.

The bottom line is that Rose betting on baseball was a minor crime compared to what’s going on today, for two reasons. First, Rose’s play and managerial tactics were not affected in any way, shape or form. Secondly, what Rose did does not resonate with younger players who look up to the pros and try to mimic everything they do. Steroids have crept all the way into high school locker rooms, and there is no doubt in my mind that part of the blame has to go to the professional players who make it seem okay to be juiced. Rose is a god and a role model compared to some of the superstars of today.

“I think just about everybody ought to get a second chance and I’d like to see it worked out, because he brought a lot of joy to the game, and he gave a lot of joy to people, and he’s paid a price – God knows, he’s paid a price.” – Bill Clinton

Of course you think everybody deserves a second chance, Bill. Of course you do. Jokes aside, our former President makes a couple good points. Rose really did bring a lot of joy to the game and he really did pay a price. Being thrown out of the baseball world and stomped on for seventeen years is a pretty good price to pay. We baseball fans have never seen a player who hustled all-around as much as Rose did since he was banished and I don’t know if we’ll ever see someone with as much heart and who loved the game more than he did.

“Somebody’s gotta win and somebody’s gotta lose and I believe in letting the other guy lose.” – Pete Rose

The picture I ripped out of Sports Illustrated that is on my wall says it all. It’s a shot of Rose in 1976 sliding headfirst into third base, his body completely off the ground, eyes full of steely determination, focused on nothing but reaching the bag safely. That is how he played for 24 years straight. Now, I challenge you to find a player today who has never jogged to first on a groundout or who has played his heart out on every pitch of every inning of every game of every season. Let me save you some trouble: You won’t find one.

There are no Pete Roses left in baseball. Charlie Hustle played harder than anyone else and never let up. He played every game like it was his last and did whatever he could to win. Without a doubt, at the very least, this man deserves re-instatement to baseball. I’m too young to have ever seen him play, but I still envy and worship him as a player, for moments I’ve seen clips of and heard about; plays that I will never forget.

Scene: 1970 All-Star Game in Cincinnati, bottom of the 12th inning. Rose is on second after his leadoff single, Bill Grabarkewitz of the Dodgers is on first, and the Cubs’ Jim Hickman is at the plate. (The All-Stars back then would play the game to win, but it was still an exhibition in a way, just to assure players’ safety. And unlike today, there was just pride on the line, no home-field advantage for the World Series.) Unfortunately for Indians’ catcher Ray Fosse though, Pete Rose was of a different breed. He didn’t care about getting hurt, just as long as his team won the game. So, when Hickman singled to center and Rose came barrelling around third, looking to score the winning run, he ran over Fosse, who was blocking the plate, and won the game for the National League. That’s how Rose played: to win at any expense.

“Does Pete hustle? Before the All-Star game he came into the clubhouse and took off his shoes and they ran another mile without him.” – Hank Aaron

Everyone who played with him or against him knew it. They knew he was one of a kind. The kind that had so much desire to win and so much love for the game that nothing would slow him down. They all knew that he was a star and that he would eventually have a spot in the Hall of Fame. If Rose was re-instated today, he would be unanimously voted in on the first ballot and rightfully so.

With the way rules are already bent so much on a daily basis in every level of baseball, it’s hard to believe that Commissioner Bud Selig can’t re-instate the best pure hitter to ever play the game. It seems like the only reason he won’t, is he’s either afraid of the backlash from people who support the decision to ban Rose, or he just doesn’t want to be the one to do it. When cheaters like Bonds and Sammy Sosa are given pardons and second chances, it’s a travesty of monumental proportions that Rose doesn’t even get the place in Cooperstown that he deserves.

We all know that the Cincinnati Reds organization subliminally supports Rose in his quest for re-instatement and wants him to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. How do we know this? It’s not just a coincidence that Rose’s number 14 jersey has not been worn full-time by any other Reds player since Rose played (His son had a short stint with the team in which he was issued his father’s number). It’s sort of an informal retirement of the number out of respect by the Reds, because as part of the lifetime ban, the Reds were not allowed to officially retire his jersey.

“When you play this game twenty years, go to bat ten-thousand times, and get three-thousand hits, do you know what that means? You’ve gone zero for seven-thousand.” – Pete Rose

This article may simply sound like a plea to get Pete Rose into the Hall of Fame. And in a way, it is. But, mostly, I am just giving one of the greatest of all time his due. He deserves to be given a second chance and deserves to be in the Hall of Fame amongst the rest of the best players in baseball history. Rose gave his life to baseball, the least baseball can do is give it back.

“I’d walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball.” – Pete Rose

And I’m sure he’d do the same to have a plaque in the Hall of Fame of the game he loved.