If you were to ask me who I would pick as the 2010 NL CY Young award winner I would have to say "The Doc" Roy Halladay! But in baseball noting comes easy and there's always a price to pay. Halladay could easily have 20 or more wins on the 2010 season but in this game sometimes things don't always go your way. The goal right now for the most part is to stay in first place in the NL East and win the Phillies 4th straight division title and head into the postseason. Halladay was brought over here last winter to help this ball club get back the World Series for 3rd straight time and be first team in the NL to back to World Series 3 times in a row since the 1940 St. Louis Cardinals did so. Right now Halladay has 17 wins under his belt and with 3 or 4 more starts he could reach 20 wins on the season. In Halladay's career he has only reached 20 or more wins twice in 2003 when he won his first ever CY Young award with the Blue Jays winning 22 games, had an ERA of 3.25, threw 204 strikeouts, and had 266.0 IP (innings pitched). The other time was back in 2008 also with the Blue Jays when he won 20 games, had an ERA of 2.78, threw 206 strikeouts, and had 246.0 IP, CY Young type numbers? Well he came up short to a former Phillie in Cliff Lee who won 22 games, had an ERA of 2.54, threw 170 strikeouts, and had 223.1 IP in 2008 for the Cleveland Indians. Needless to say Halladay has been everything the Phillies could ask for in 2010 and filling in the ace role. Halladay is also 1 of 5 pitchers to throw a no-hitter and a perfect game this year along with Ubaldo Jimenez, Dallas Braden who threw the first perfect game, Edwin Jackson, and Matt Garza. With the month of September almost coming to a close and the postseason right around the corner it will be Halladay's first ever trip to the postseason with guys like Cole Hamels and new comer Roy Oawalt added to this already great pitching rotation who have had successes before in the playoffs, Halladay should have no problem. He's a big time pitcher in a big time satiation.
As for the triple crown in pitching well it’s probably one the hardest things to do. You have to be 1st in everything, ERA, Wins, and Strikeouts. Halladay is ranked 3rd in ERA, 3rd in wins, and 3rd in strikeouts. Tim Lincecum right now is the leader in strikeouts with 199 K's, Mat Latos is the leader in ERA with a 2.21, and Adam Wainwright and Ubaldo Jimenez are both tied for wins with 18. So if Halladay wants to try to win the Triple Crown in pitching he will have to overcome all 4 of those pitchers. The last Phillies pitcher to win the Triple Crown was "Lefty" Steve Carlton back in 1972. Lefty won 27 games, had an ERA of 1.97, and had 310 strikeouts. The last National League pitcher to win the Triple Crown was Jake Peavy for the San Diego Padres back in 2007. He won 19 games, had an ERA of 2.54, and had 240 strikeouts. If I'm Halladay I think my main focus is getting into the postseason and try to get to the World Series. I mean really that should be ever pitchers focus at this point. Yeah rewards are nice, but championships priceless.
Top 5 NL CY Young cannonades
1. St. Louis Cardinals
Adam Wainwright - ERA 2.38 (4th in the NL), 18 wins (Tied for 1st in the NL), 191 strikeouts (4th in the NL), and 208.1 IP (2nd in the NL).
2. Colorado Rockies
Ubaldo Jimenez - ERA 2.79 (7th in the NL), 18 wins (Tied for 1st in the NL), 178 strikeouts (7th in the NL), and 190.1 IP (9th in the NL).
3. Philadelphia Phillies
Roy Halladay - ERA 2.36 (3rd in the NL), 17 wins (3rd in the NL), 196 strikeouts (3rd in the NL), and 221.0 IP (1st in the NL).
4. San Diego Padres
Mat Latos - ERA 2.21 (1st in the NL), 14 wins (6th in the NL), 170 strikeouts (11th in the NL), and 162.2 IP.
5. Atlanta Braves
Tim Hudson - ERA 2.41 (5th in the NL), 15 wins (4th in the NL), 117 strikeouts, and 198.0 IP (5th in the NL).
You be the judge on who should win the 2010 NL CY Young Award.
BEYOND BASEBALL - Where you live, read, and die baseball.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Phirst Place Phils!!!
After the Phillies had put 16-17 players on the disable list they finally say goodbye wild card and hello to first place in the NL East! What a night it was in Philadelphia as the Phils are finally back to where they belong. The Phillies played the Marlins in a game, well that wasn't all that great but the Phillies got the job done. After trailing 3-1 in the 4th inning Raul Ibanez hit a solo home run (13) to make it a 3-2 Marlins lead. Later in the 5th Victorino hit his (17) home run to tie the ball game at 3. Two batters later the big man Ryan Howard hit a solo shot (27) to but the Phillies up 4-3, then Ibanez would drive in an RBI single to put the Phils up 5-3. We go to the top of 8th inning and this is where this game really gets out of hand. The Phillies are up 7-4 at this point and up comes Mike Stanton who has been on fire in this series hits a solo shot to now make it a 7-5 Phils lead. Then Emilio Bonifacio gets a singles and a runner would score on a throwing error by right fielder Jayson Werth, Bonifacio would move up to second and the score is now 7-6. Then the Phils make a picking change and bring in J.C. Romero, he would then balk and move the runner from second to third. After one batter Romero's night would be done and then they would bring in Ryan Madson. Madson would then throw a wild pitch and Bonifacio would come in to score and tie the ball game at 7-7. So what started with a 3 run lead is now a tied game. In the bottom half of the 8th Victorino would get a bloop single and then steal second to set up a RBI single for Placido Planco to take a 8-7 lead. Heading into the 9th inning the score board watching was a big deal because the Brave had just lost to the Pirates 5-0 which meant just 3 more outs and the Phillies would be back in first in the National League East for the first time since May 20th. Madson would come back in to pitch the 9th inning and he would closed the door and yes for the first time the Phillies were back on top of the NL East and won the ball game 8-7!
So on Tuesday night the Phillies finally got back what was there's since 2007, the National League East Division. Now a lot of sports writers and broadcaster have counted this team out and one of our faithful former Phillies players John Kruk even said about 3 weeks ago on baseball tonight "that the Phillies are done and the Braves will win the division". I'm not sure what he's talking about. For the past 3 year the Phillies have been the kings of east and why would you ever doubt this team is beyond me? Yes the Phillies at one point did look dead in the water and had to overcome a lot of injures, but hey they did and this team knows how to play September baseball. The Phillies still have 22 games left and out of those 22 games they will have to see the Braves twice for 6 games. The last 3 games are at Atlanta and that could be an important series, but if the Phillies could maybe beat up the Braves a little bit when they come to Philadelphia for a 3 game series maybe it will help the Phils have some breathing room. The Phillies only have a half game lead over the Braves and they are the first NL team to reach 80 wins on the season. Who would have thought that this team would have reach 80 wins before the Padres, Red, and Braves? With all these injures this team has had it is almost hard to believe they have 80 wins and are now the best team in the National League. It feels good to be back in Phirst at last!
The end of this four game series will continue tonight as the Phillies send out their left hander Cole Hamels to try to pick up his 10th win of the year with an ERA of 3.18 and 183 strikeouts. On the other side the Marlins will send out their lefty Andrew Miller 1-0, ERA of 3.60. Phillies - Marlins tonight at 7:05 p.m.
So on Tuesday night the Phillies finally got back what was there's since 2007, the National League East Division. Now a lot of sports writers and broadcaster have counted this team out and one of our faithful former Phillies players John Kruk even said about 3 weeks ago on baseball tonight "that the Phillies are done and the Braves will win the division". I'm not sure what he's talking about. For the past 3 year the Phillies have been the kings of east and why would you ever doubt this team is beyond me? Yes the Phillies at one point did look dead in the water and had to overcome a lot of injures, but hey they did and this team knows how to play September baseball. The Phillies still have 22 games left and out of those 22 games they will have to see the Braves twice for 6 games. The last 3 games are at Atlanta and that could be an important series, but if the Phillies could maybe beat up the Braves a little bit when they come to Philadelphia for a 3 game series maybe it will help the Phils have some breathing room. The Phillies only have a half game lead over the Braves and they are the first NL team to reach 80 wins on the season. Who would have thought that this team would have reach 80 wins before the Padres, Red, and Braves? With all these injures this team has had it is almost hard to believe they have 80 wins and are now the best team in the National League. It feels good to be back in Phirst at last!
The end of this four game series will continue tonight as the Phillies send out their left hander Cole Hamels to try to pick up his 10th win of the year with an ERA of 3.18 and 183 strikeouts. On the other side the Marlins will send out their lefty Andrew Miller 1-0, ERA of 3.60. Phillies - Marlins tonight at 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Best Teams In the AL and NL. Postseason Theorys.
As the month of September has kicked in it is time to break down what teams in the American and National League will be contenders and what teams from both divisions will go far in the playoffs. We start off with the American League.
The New York Yankees: The deafening 2009 World Series winners are yet again in first place in their division and have the best record in the American League and in all of baseball. Their record stands at 86-50 and a PCT of .632, their 6th overall in batting average - .270, 3rd overall in home runs with 171, 1st overall in runs batted in with 702, 7th overall in hits with 1,246, and pitching ERA 9th overall with 3.85. The Yankees best hitter on this team is second baseman Robinson Cano. Cano is batting .318, 26 homeruns and 91 RBI's. He is also ranked 6th in (BA), 10th in the AL in (RBI's), 7th in the AL in (HR), and is ranked 8th in the AL in (SLG) (.549). MVP for the New York Yankees? I think so. The Yankees best pitcher we all know is the big man C.C. Sabathia with a 3.02 ERA, 19 wins, 5 losses, and has 165 strikeouts. Sabathia is ranked 1st in the AL in (W), 6th in the AL in (ERA), and 1st in the AL in (W%) (.792). For the most part he is the best pitcher on this Yankees team and is the best pitcher in the American League and in baseball at this point. He will most likely win the 2010 AL CY Young award and if he has 5 more starts in the month of September and he could easily win 23-24 games this year.
Minnesota Twins: The defending 2009 AL Central Division Champs have been pretty good considering they started off the year with a few injuring problems. The Twins record in the AL Central stands at 79-57 and a PCT of .581. The Twins are 1st overall in batting average - .278, 5th overall in runs batted in with 620, 1st overall in hits with 1,293, and 10th overall ERA with a 3.85. The main reason why the Twins have such good hitting is because the 2009 MVP winner Joe Mauer has been their best hitter yet again. Batting .325, 8 homeruns, and driving in 70 RBI's and that's pretty good considering he's been off and on the DL list this year. Mauer is ranked 3rd in the AL in (BA). The best pitcher for the Twins this year has been Carl Pavano who has an ERA of the 3.52, 15 wins, 10 losses, and 107 strikeouts. Pavano is ranked 4th in the AL in (W), 3rd in the AL in (IP) (189.0), and 2nd in the AL in (CG) (6). He's not the best pitcher but he does get the job done and helps his team win ball games.
Texas Rangers: The surprise team of the American League and the only team with the biggest lead in the American League with an 8 game lead over the Oakland A's. The Rangers record stands at 75-60 with a PCT of .556. The team is 2nd overall in batting average - .275, 9th overall in home runs with 136, 8th overall in runs batted in with 612, 2nd overall in hits with 1,273, 12th overall in ERA with a 3.89, 11th overall in strikeouts with 975, and 4th overall in saves with 40. The Rangers best player on the team is their left fielder Josh Hamilton who is having a great year batting .362, 31 homeruns, and 97 RBI's. Hamilton ranks 1st in the AL in (BA), 6th in the AL in (RBI's), 4th in the AL in (HR), and 1st in the AL in (SLG) (.638). Right now he is the best hitter in baseball and has a very good chance of winning the 2010 MVP award and maybe a shot of winning the Triple Crown award that no one has won since 1969. But Hamilton will need to step up in home runs if he wants to win that award. The Rangers best pitcher on this team has been C.J. Wilson all year long having an ERA of 2.88, 14 wins, 5 losses, and 140 strikeouts. Wilson has been a surprise pitcher for the Rangers this year ranked 7th in the AL in (W), 4th in the AL in (ERA), and ranked 3rd in the AL in (W%) (.737). Wilson is the best pitcher the Rangers has next the Cliff Lee.
The American League Wild Card Team the Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays only find themselves 2 games out off first in the American League East division behind the Yankees. They also have the second best record in baseball standing at 83-51 and PCT at .619. The Rays are 4th overall in runs batting in with 637, 5th over in ERA with a 3.66, 9th overall in strikeouts with 989, 1st overall in saves with 47, and 2nd over in WHIP with a 1.23. The Rays best hitter on this team is their All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria who is hitting .296, 9 homeruns, and has 90 RBI's. Longoria is ranked 11th in the AL in (RBI's) and is probably the best hitting third baseman in the American League along with Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. The Rays best pitcher on this team in the man himself David Price. Price a pitcher at one time didn't know how good he would be as a starting pitcher but he has fit well in the role having an ERA of 2.92, 16 wins, 6 losses and 161 strikeouts. Price ranks 2nd in the Al in (W), 4th in the AL in (W%) (.727), and is ranked 5th in the AL in (ERA). He is also second on the list for CY Young award winner.
Now here’s what I think will happen in the American League come postseason, I think it will be a battled in the East for the American League pennant between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays. I don't see the Minnesota Twins beating the Rays. I think Rays will take 4 out 5 in the ALDS from the Twins and I don't see the Rangers beating the Yankees even though the Rangers have a great hitting team and a good pitching staff I just think the Yankees are a stronger team. I think the series will go to 5 games in the ALDS and the Yankees will come out on top. Now in the ALCS between the Yankees and Rays well I don't know who will win this series. If the Yankees win they will win in 6 and if the Rays win they will in 7 and one of those teams will go to the 2010 World Series, if it the Yankees they will go back to back years to the World Series to defend their title and if the Rays win they will have made a trip to the World Series 2 out 3 times to try to win their first ever World Series title. It’s going to be "The Battle of the East" this year in the ALCS.
National League we will start off in the East.
Atlanta Braves: Now it’s not a shock that the Braves are good, but it’s a shock that there in first place in the NL East over the 3 time division champ Philadelphia Phillies. Everyone knew that the Braves were going to be good but not this good. The Braves record stands at 79-57 and has a PCT of .581 and is 8th overall in runs batted in with 606, 3rd over in ERA with a 3.54, and 7th overall in strikeouts with 998. The Braves best hitter is a surprise hitter in second baseman Martin Prado who is batting .317, 16 homeruns, and has 61 RBI's. Prado is ranked 4th in the NL in (BA). He came out for nowhere and has been the Braves best hitter on the team. He’s a big reason why the Braves are doing really well. Now the Braves best pitcher on the team has been Tim Hudson who has an ERA of 2.30, 15 wins, 6 losses, and 113 strikeouts. Hudson is ranked 4th in the NL in (W), 4th in the NL in (ERA), 5th in the NL in (W%) (.714), and is ranked 5th in the NL in (IP) (191.2). He’s a big reason why the Braves pitching have been so good this year. Hudson is also in the running to win the 2010 NL CY Young award.
Cincinnati Reds: Well the Reds are a surprise team because no one really picked them to be this good and have the biggest lead in the National Lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Reds have a 8 games lead in the NL Central and are the best team in the National League with a record of 79-56 and a PCT of .585 and they are 4th overall in batting average - .272, 4th overall in home runs with 156, 3rd overall in runs batted in with 647, 5th overall in hits with 1,256, and 5th overall in saves with 38. Now the best hitter on this team and in the National League right now is indeed first baseman Joey Votto. Votto is batting .323, 32 homeruns, and has 97 RBI's. He ranked 1st in the NL in (RBI's), 3rd in the NL in (BB) with (77), 2nd in the NL in (SGL) (.599), 3rd in the NL in (HR), 3rd in (R's) with (91), 1st in the NL in (OBP) (.423), and is ranked 1st in the NL in (OPS) (1.021). This guy is just a beast and is the main reason why the Reds are a good team this year. He brings a lot of power and leadership to this team. I think he will most likely win the 2010 NL MVP Award. Now the Reds don't have the best pitching but their best pitcher is Bronson Arryo who has an ERA of 3.84, 14 wins, 9 losses, and 97 strikeouts. He is ranked 5th in the NL in (W) and ranked 6th in the NL in (CG) (2). I don't know how well the Reds will do in the postseason with not having great pitching.
San Diego Padres: Now the Padres are the surprise team this year in the National League. No one saw this team being that good but somehow they are still in first place in their division with a record of 76-58 and a PCT of .567. The Padres are 1st over in ERA with a 3.36, 2nd overall in strikeouts with 1,074, 5th overall in save with 38 and 1st overall in WHIP with a 1.23. The best hitter on the team is no surprise in first baseman Adrian Gonzalez who batting .303, 27 home runs, and 87 RBI's. He ranked 8th in the NL in (BA), 7th in the NL in (RBI's), and is ranked 4th in the NL in (OBP) (.393). He is the biggest weapon this team has. Now as for their pitching the reason they are ranked number one in ERA is because of Mat Latos. This kid is really good with an ERA of 2.25, 13 wins, 5 losses, and 160 strikeouts. Latos is ranked 1st in the NL in (WHIP) (0.98), 1st in the NL in (ERA), and is ranked 4th in the NL in (W%) (.722). Latos is in the running to win the CY Young Award. But as of the late the Padres have lost 9 straight games and still have a 2 1/2 game lead over the Giants in the NL West.
National League Wild Card team the Philadelphia Phillies: Well the 3 time NL East division champs find themselves leading the wild card but also find themselves 1 game back of winning their 4th straight division title over the Braves. The Phils are the 3rd best team in the National League with a record of 78-58 and a PCT of .574. The Phillies are 11th overall in home runs with 133, 8th overall in ERA with a 3.75, and 3rd overall in WHIP with 1.25. Now the Phillies have a lot of great hitters but in the month of September nobody shines better than first baseman Ryan Howard. Howard who spent some time on the DL is batting .279, 26 homeruns, and has 88 RBI's. Howard is ranked 9th in the NL in (HR) and ranked 7th in the NL in (RBI's). The Phillies know if they want to win their 4th straight division title their going need some help from Ryan Howard who has been on fire as of lately. Now coming into the 2010 season the Phillies knew that their best pitcher would be the guy they traded for Roy Halladay. Halladay has been everything you could have asked for and is by far the best pitcher in the National League with ERA of 2.36, 17 wins, 10 losses, and 196 strikeouts. Halladay is ranked 1st in the NL in (W), 1st in the NL in (IP) (221.0), 1st in the NL in (SO), 1st in the NL in (CG) (8), and ranks 6th in (ERA). Halladay has a chance to maybe win the 2010 CY Young Award and maybe win the Triple Crown in pitching with leading in Wins, ERA, and Strikeouts. Halladay will have maybe 4 or more starts and a chance to win 20 or 21 games this year with the Phillies to try to win his first division title and the Phillies 4th straight.
Now what I think in the National League postseason will be just like the American League, "The Battle of the East". I think there will be no way the Reds will beat the Braves or the Phillies in the NLDS. Either way who ever they play it will go to a 5 game series. The Braves or Phillies will take it 5. The Reds pitching isn't really that good and going against Halladay, Hamels, Oswalt, or Hudson, Lowe, or Hanson is going to pretty tough to beat. Now for the Padres I think if they play either the Phillies or Braves they will loss in 3 straight. Yes their pitching is good but their hitting isn't and they way they look I don't see them beating the Braves or Phillies in the NLDS. Now for the NLCS the battle between the Braves and Phillies I think it will go to a 7 game series and the Phillies will be the division leaders in the end, I see the Phillies beating the Braves in 7 games and if the Braves win they will beat the Phillies in 7 games and the Phillies or Braves will see the Yankees or Rays in the 2010 World Series. Either way it will be a great NLCS series.
Now for the World Series if the Phillies pay to the Rays I think it will go to a 6 games series and the Phillies will win in 6. Now if they play the Yankees I have a feeling it will go to a 7 game series and this time the Phillies will beat the Yankees in 7 games. Now if the Braves were to make it to the World Series well I think the Rays would beat the Braves in a tough 7 game series. Now if they were play the Yankees I think the Yankees would win in 5 games against the Braves and repeat as World Series Champions.
The New York Yankees: The deafening 2009 World Series winners are yet again in first place in their division and have the best record in the American League and in all of baseball. Their record stands at 86-50 and a PCT of .632, their 6th overall in batting average - .270, 3rd overall in home runs with 171, 1st overall in runs batted in with 702, 7th overall in hits with 1,246, and pitching ERA 9th overall with 3.85. The Yankees best hitter on this team is second baseman Robinson Cano. Cano is batting .318, 26 homeruns and 91 RBI's. He is also ranked 6th in (BA), 10th in the AL in (RBI's), 7th in the AL in (HR), and is ranked 8th in the AL in (SLG) (.549). MVP for the New York Yankees? I think so. The Yankees best pitcher we all know is the big man C.C. Sabathia with a 3.02 ERA, 19 wins, 5 losses, and has 165 strikeouts. Sabathia is ranked 1st in the AL in (W), 6th in the AL in (ERA), and 1st in the AL in (W%) (.792). For the most part he is the best pitcher on this Yankees team and is the best pitcher in the American League and in baseball at this point. He will most likely win the 2010 AL CY Young award and if he has 5 more starts in the month of September and he could easily win 23-24 games this year.
Minnesota Twins: The defending 2009 AL Central Division Champs have been pretty good considering they started off the year with a few injuring problems. The Twins record in the AL Central stands at 79-57 and a PCT of .581. The Twins are 1st overall in batting average - .278, 5th overall in runs batted in with 620, 1st overall in hits with 1,293, and 10th overall ERA with a 3.85. The main reason why the Twins have such good hitting is because the 2009 MVP winner Joe Mauer has been their best hitter yet again. Batting .325, 8 homeruns, and driving in 70 RBI's and that's pretty good considering he's been off and on the DL list this year. Mauer is ranked 3rd in the AL in (BA). The best pitcher for the Twins this year has been Carl Pavano who has an ERA of the 3.52, 15 wins, 10 losses, and 107 strikeouts. Pavano is ranked 4th in the AL in (W), 3rd in the AL in (IP) (189.0), and 2nd in the AL in (CG) (6). He's not the best pitcher but he does get the job done and helps his team win ball games.
Texas Rangers: The surprise team of the American League and the only team with the biggest lead in the American League with an 8 game lead over the Oakland A's. The Rangers record stands at 75-60 with a PCT of .556. The team is 2nd overall in batting average - .275, 9th overall in home runs with 136, 8th overall in runs batted in with 612, 2nd overall in hits with 1,273, 12th overall in ERA with a 3.89, 11th overall in strikeouts with 975, and 4th overall in saves with 40. The Rangers best player on the team is their left fielder Josh Hamilton who is having a great year batting .362, 31 homeruns, and 97 RBI's. Hamilton ranks 1st in the AL in (BA), 6th in the AL in (RBI's), 4th in the AL in (HR), and 1st in the AL in (SLG) (.638). Right now he is the best hitter in baseball and has a very good chance of winning the 2010 MVP award and maybe a shot of winning the Triple Crown award that no one has won since 1969. But Hamilton will need to step up in home runs if he wants to win that award. The Rangers best pitcher on this team has been C.J. Wilson all year long having an ERA of 2.88, 14 wins, 5 losses, and 140 strikeouts. Wilson has been a surprise pitcher for the Rangers this year ranked 7th in the AL in (W), 4th in the AL in (ERA), and ranked 3rd in the AL in (W%) (.737). Wilson is the best pitcher the Rangers has next the Cliff Lee.
The American League Wild Card Team the Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays only find themselves 2 games out off first in the American League East division behind the Yankees. They also have the second best record in baseball standing at 83-51 and PCT at .619. The Rays are 4th overall in runs batting in with 637, 5th over in ERA with a 3.66, 9th overall in strikeouts with 989, 1st overall in saves with 47, and 2nd over in WHIP with a 1.23. The Rays best hitter on this team is their All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria who is hitting .296, 9 homeruns, and has 90 RBI's. Longoria is ranked 11th in the AL in (RBI's) and is probably the best hitting third baseman in the American League along with Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. The Rays best pitcher on this team in the man himself David Price. Price a pitcher at one time didn't know how good he would be as a starting pitcher but he has fit well in the role having an ERA of 2.92, 16 wins, 6 losses and 161 strikeouts. Price ranks 2nd in the Al in (W), 4th in the AL in (W%) (.727), and is ranked 5th in the AL in (ERA). He is also second on the list for CY Young award winner.
Now here’s what I think will happen in the American League come postseason, I think it will be a battled in the East for the American League pennant between the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays. I don't see the Minnesota Twins beating the Rays. I think Rays will take 4 out 5 in the ALDS from the Twins and I don't see the Rangers beating the Yankees even though the Rangers have a great hitting team and a good pitching staff I just think the Yankees are a stronger team. I think the series will go to 5 games in the ALDS and the Yankees will come out on top. Now in the ALCS between the Yankees and Rays well I don't know who will win this series. If the Yankees win they will win in 6 and if the Rays win they will in 7 and one of those teams will go to the 2010 World Series, if it the Yankees they will go back to back years to the World Series to defend their title and if the Rays win they will have made a trip to the World Series 2 out 3 times to try to win their first ever World Series title. It’s going to be "The Battle of the East" this year in the ALCS.
National League we will start off in the East.
Atlanta Braves: Now it’s not a shock that the Braves are good, but it’s a shock that there in first place in the NL East over the 3 time division champ Philadelphia Phillies. Everyone knew that the Braves were going to be good but not this good. The Braves record stands at 79-57 and has a PCT of .581 and is 8th overall in runs batted in with 606, 3rd over in ERA with a 3.54, and 7th overall in strikeouts with 998. The Braves best hitter is a surprise hitter in second baseman Martin Prado who is batting .317, 16 homeruns, and has 61 RBI's. Prado is ranked 4th in the NL in (BA). He came out for nowhere and has been the Braves best hitter on the team. He’s a big reason why the Braves are doing really well. Now the Braves best pitcher on the team has been Tim Hudson who has an ERA of 2.30, 15 wins, 6 losses, and 113 strikeouts. Hudson is ranked 4th in the NL in (W), 4th in the NL in (ERA), 5th in the NL in (W%) (.714), and is ranked 5th in the NL in (IP) (191.2). He’s a big reason why the Braves pitching have been so good this year. Hudson is also in the running to win the 2010 NL CY Young award.
Cincinnati Reds: Well the Reds are a surprise team because no one really picked them to be this good and have the biggest lead in the National Lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Reds have a 8 games lead in the NL Central and are the best team in the National League with a record of 79-56 and a PCT of .585 and they are 4th overall in batting average - .272, 4th overall in home runs with 156, 3rd overall in runs batted in with 647, 5th overall in hits with 1,256, and 5th overall in saves with 38. Now the best hitter on this team and in the National League right now is indeed first baseman Joey Votto. Votto is batting .323, 32 homeruns, and has 97 RBI's. He ranked 1st in the NL in (RBI's), 3rd in the NL in (BB) with (77), 2nd in the NL in (SGL) (.599), 3rd in the NL in (HR), 3rd in (R's) with (91), 1st in the NL in (OBP) (.423), and is ranked 1st in the NL in (OPS) (1.021). This guy is just a beast and is the main reason why the Reds are a good team this year. He brings a lot of power and leadership to this team. I think he will most likely win the 2010 NL MVP Award. Now the Reds don't have the best pitching but their best pitcher is Bronson Arryo who has an ERA of 3.84, 14 wins, 9 losses, and 97 strikeouts. He is ranked 5th in the NL in (W) and ranked 6th in the NL in (CG) (2). I don't know how well the Reds will do in the postseason with not having great pitching.
San Diego Padres: Now the Padres are the surprise team this year in the National League. No one saw this team being that good but somehow they are still in first place in their division with a record of 76-58 and a PCT of .567. The Padres are 1st over in ERA with a 3.36, 2nd overall in strikeouts with 1,074, 5th overall in save with 38 and 1st overall in WHIP with a 1.23. The best hitter on the team is no surprise in first baseman Adrian Gonzalez who batting .303, 27 home runs, and 87 RBI's. He ranked 8th in the NL in (BA), 7th in the NL in (RBI's), and is ranked 4th in the NL in (OBP) (.393). He is the biggest weapon this team has. Now as for their pitching the reason they are ranked number one in ERA is because of Mat Latos. This kid is really good with an ERA of 2.25, 13 wins, 5 losses, and 160 strikeouts. Latos is ranked 1st in the NL in (WHIP) (0.98), 1st in the NL in (ERA), and is ranked 4th in the NL in (W%) (.722). Latos is in the running to win the CY Young Award. But as of the late the Padres have lost 9 straight games and still have a 2 1/2 game lead over the Giants in the NL West.
National League Wild Card team the Philadelphia Phillies: Well the 3 time NL East division champs find themselves leading the wild card but also find themselves 1 game back of winning their 4th straight division title over the Braves. The Phils are the 3rd best team in the National League with a record of 78-58 and a PCT of .574. The Phillies are 11th overall in home runs with 133, 8th overall in ERA with a 3.75, and 3rd overall in WHIP with 1.25. Now the Phillies have a lot of great hitters but in the month of September nobody shines better than first baseman Ryan Howard. Howard who spent some time on the DL is batting .279, 26 homeruns, and has 88 RBI's. Howard is ranked 9th in the NL in (HR) and ranked 7th in the NL in (RBI's). The Phillies know if they want to win their 4th straight division title their going need some help from Ryan Howard who has been on fire as of lately. Now coming into the 2010 season the Phillies knew that their best pitcher would be the guy they traded for Roy Halladay. Halladay has been everything you could have asked for and is by far the best pitcher in the National League with ERA of 2.36, 17 wins, 10 losses, and 196 strikeouts. Halladay is ranked 1st in the NL in (W), 1st in the NL in (IP) (221.0), 1st in the NL in (SO), 1st in the NL in (CG) (8), and ranks 6th in (ERA). Halladay has a chance to maybe win the 2010 CY Young Award and maybe win the Triple Crown in pitching with leading in Wins, ERA, and Strikeouts. Halladay will have maybe 4 or more starts and a chance to win 20 or 21 games this year with the Phillies to try to win his first division title and the Phillies 4th straight.
Now what I think in the National League postseason will be just like the American League, "The Battle of the East". I think there will be no way the Reds will beat the Braves or the Phillies in the NLDS. Either way who ever they play it will go to a 5 game series. The Braves or Phillies will take it 5. The Reds pitching isn't really that good and going against Halladay, Hamels, Oswalt, or Hudson, Lowe, or Hanson is going to pretty tough to beat. Now for the Padres I think if they play either the Phillies or Braves they will loss in 3 straight. Yes their pitching is good but their hitting isn't and they way they look I don't see them beating the Braves or Phillies in the NLDS. Now for the NLCS the battle between the Braves and Phillies I think it will go to a 7 game series and the Phillies will be the division leaders in the end, I see the Phillies beating the Braves in 7 games and if the Braves win they will beat the Phillies in 7 games and the Phillies or Braves will see the Yankees or Rays in the 2010 World Series. Either way it will be a great NLCS series.
Now for the World Series if the Phillies pay to the Rays I think it will go to a 6 games series and the Phillies will win in 6. Now if they play the Yankees I have a feeling it will go to a 7 game series and this time the Phillies will beat the Yankees in 7 games. Now if the Braves were to make it to the World Series well I think the Rays would beat the Braves in a tough 7 game series. Now if they were play the Yankees I think the Yankees would win in 5 games against the Braves and repeat as World Series Champions.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
New Team Takes Over The NL Wild Card.
If I was to tell you or ask you at this point of the 2010 baseball season what team would you have picked to lead the NL wild card you would probably say the Braves, the Giants, or the Cardinals. Well how about the Phillies? The who.... the back to back National League Champs? Yes the Philadelphia Phillies lead the National League wild card by 2 games game over the Giants and Cardinals Even though the Phils lead the wild card they are still only 2 1/2 game back from the division leaders the Atlanta Braves the team that just seems like they won't loss.
The Phillies this year have been hit with the injury bug after losing Jimmy Rollins for most of the year, then losing Ryan Madson, then Chase Utley, Carlos Ruiz missed a few games, Jamie Moyer is done for the season, Shane Victorino was out for 15 games or so, and losing Ryan Howard it almost seemed as if the Phillies would be out of the race heading into the all-star break. Something happened though to this team heading into the second half of the season. It seemed as if this team was recharged and starting winning ball games and sweeping teams and winning series’. As the "Dog days of August" rolled through, the Phillies right now are one of the hottest teams in baseball. 20-5 since July 22nd this team only finds themselves 2 1/2 games out of first and they can smell the division as the Phillies have been in this spot before in 2007 and 2008 after being the chaser they became the winners of the National League East. This week the Phillies got star second baseman Chase Utley back in the line-up, but besides that the Phillies two hottest hitters have been Raul Ibanez and Carlos Ruiz. Ruiz is batting .400 with runners in scoring position and for your catcher to be doing that in the 8 hole is just amazing. Not only that but they have been winning ball games without Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the lineup. Also Jimmy Rollins has been swinging the bat better and has been getting on base and stealing bags. It’s always nice to see your leadoff man and the leader of this team doing that and get the wheels rolling.
The Phillies this year have had 31 come from behind wins and I'm almost sure that's the most in the league. But another reason why this team is winning well their pitching has been lights out. 25 games starters have gone 6 innings or more in 20 or more games. Also the Phillies added right hander Roy Oswalt to this great pitching staff along with Halladay and Hamels. So that has been a big key for the Phillies and if they want to win the NL East for the fourth straight year their going to have do everything right. Roy Halladay this year has been everything you have asked him to be and is 3rd on list to win the NL CY Young Award; he’s also 1st in strikeouts with (175), 3rd in wins with (15), and 3rd in ERA (2.24). Now Cole Hamels this year has had some bad luck with getting run support. In his last 2 outings he has lost both games but losing both games 1-0 and going 7 or more innings and at least having 8 or more strikeouts. Just seems like the Phillies can never support him with runs. Other than that he has pitched great. Now with adding Roy Oswalt the Phillies also seemed like they couldn't get him runs. In his first game as a Phillie he didn't pitch all that well. But in his last 2 outings he has won back to back starts and has helped the Phillies win ball games, taking them deep into ball games and everything you can ask from him. Now with Kyle Kendrick and Joe Blanton both of these guys have done pretty well and have giving this team innings. But with Kendrick you don't know whether you’re going to see the good Kendrick or the bad Kendrick. With Blanton he seems to have problems giving up runs in the 1st inning and after that he's fine until the 6th or 7th inning he starts to wear down. So if the Phillies can try to work something out with those two they should be fine.
The Phillies expect to have their big power man Ryan Howard back by Monday which means rookie outfielder Domonic Brown who has been doing pretty well for the Phillies batting .244, 2 home runs, and 12 RBI's will be sent back down. The only reason they would send him down is to get him more at bats, and keep him active. It’s the time where if Howard comes back we need to start playing playoff type baseball and I'm sure Brown will be called back up come September when rosters expand. It's good to see the Phillies winning ball games with their 2 stars coming back from the DL and most of the guys are thinking division not wild card, but it is definitely nice to have that wild card spot in your back pocket. In the end I still think when it comes down to crunch time and everything is said and done the Phillies will yet again come from behind and win their fourth straight division title.
For Beyond Baseball,
I'm Seth Lempert
The Phillies this year have been hit with the injury bug after losing Jimmy Rollins for most of the year, then losing Ryan Madson, then Chase Utley, Carlos Ruiz missed a few games, Jamie Moyer is done for the season, Shane Victorino was out for 15 games or so, and losing Ryan Howard it almost seemed as if the Phillies would be out of the race heading into the all-star break. Something happened though to this team heading into the second half of the season. It seemed as if this team was recharged and starting winning ball games and sweeping teams and winning series’. As the "Dog days of August" rolled through, the Phillies right now are one of the hottest teams in baseball. 20-5 since July 22nd this team only finds themselves 2 1/2 games out of first and they can smell the division as the Phillies have been in this spot before in 2007 and 2008 after being the chaser they became the winners of the National League East. This week the Phillies got star second baseman Chase Utley back in the line-up, but besides that the Phillies two hottest hitters have been Raul Ibanez and Carlos Ruiz. Ruiz is batting .400 with runners in scoring position and for your catcher to be doing that in the 8 hole is just amazing. Not only that but they have been winning ball games without Chase Utley and Ryan Howard in the lineup. Also Jimmy Rollins has been swinging the bat better and has been getting on base and stealing bags. It’s always nice to see your leadoff man and the leader of this team doing that and get the wheels rolling.
The Phillies this year have had 31 come from behind wins and I'm almost sure that's the most in the league. But another reason why this team is winning well their pitching has been lights out. 25 games starters have gone 6 innings or more in 20 or more games. Also the Phillies added right hander Roy Oswalt to this great pitching staff along with Halladay and Hamels. So that has been a big key for the Phillies and if they want to win the NL East for the fourth straight year their going to have do everything right. Roy Halladay this year has been everything you have asked him to be and is 3rd on list to win the NL CY Young Award; he’s also 1st in strikeouts with (175), 3rd in wins with (15), and 3rd in ERA (2.24). Now Cole Hamels this year has had some bad luck with getting run support. In his last 2 outings he has lost both games but losing both games 1-0 and going 7 or more innings and at least having 8 or more strikeouts. Just seems like the Phillies can never support him with runs. Other than that he has pitched great. Now with adding Roy Oswalt the Phillies also seemed like they couldn't get him runs. In his first game as a Phillie he didn't pitch all that well. But in his last 2 outings he has won back to back starts and has helped the Phillies win ball games, taking them deep into ball games and everything you can ask from him. Now with Kyle Kendrick and Joe Blanton both of these guys have done pretty well and have giving this team innings. But with Kendrick you don't know whether you’re going to see the good Kendrick or the bad Kendrick. With Blanton he seems to have problems giving up runs in the 1st inning and after that he's fine until the 6th or 7th inning he starts to wear down. So if the Phillies can try to work something out with those two they should be fine.
The Phillies expect to have their big power man Ryan Howard back by Monday which means rookie outfielder Domonic Brown who has been doing pretty well for the Phillies batting .244, 2 home runs, and 12 RBI's will be sent back down. The only reason they would send him down is to get him more at bats, and keep him active. It’s the time where if Howard comes back we need to start playing playoff type baseball and I'm sure Brown will be called back up come September when rosters expand. It's good to see the Phillies winning ball games with their 2 stars coming back from the DL and most of the guys are thinking division not wild card, but it is definitely nice to have that wild card spot in your back pocket. In the end I still think when it comes down to crunch time and everything is said and done the Phillies will yet again come from behind and win their fourth straight division title.
For Beyond Baseball,
I'm Seth Lempert
Thursday, July 29, 2010
H - H - 2 - O.
It was one year ago that the Phillies brought over left hander Cliff Lee to help them win the NL East, the NL Pennant, and get them back to their second World Series run and as we all know the Phillies got rid of Lee who is now with the first place Texas Rangers. Well now the Phillies have a new face in town that general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr liked best and that is Houston Astros right handed pitcher Roy Oswalt. Oswalt agreed to waive his no-trade clause and the Phillies gave up left hander J.A. Happ and two of their young prospects, outfielder Anthony Gose and shortstop Jonathan Villar. However the Phillies did get $11 million dollars along with Oswalt, that will help pay for his $16 million dollar option in 2011.
So Oswalt comes over to a team that is indeed one of the best teams in the National League but the Phillies weren't the option he wanted. Oswalt asked to be traded to the St. Louis Cardinals but the Cards weren't going to give up some of their young prospects to get Oswalt, so there for the Phillies got him. Oswalt’s options weren't really that good after the Cardinals turned him down, it was either stay in Houston with a team that was going nowhere or come to Philadelphia and try to help this team win their 4th straight Division Title, their 3rd straight National League Pennant, and get them to their 3rd straight World Series. Now the good and bad thing about Oswalt is that he has pitched in the postseason in 2004 and 2005 and went to the World Series in 2005 and knows what that feeling is like. The bad part is that over the past few years Oswalt is known to have some back issues but as of this season he has been healthy and we hope he is the man for the job. Now Oswalt’s record is 6-12 with an ERA of 3.42 but remember he played with a team that did not support him with a lot of runs and the way the Phils bats are coming alive this could be the team that fits him best. Oswalt will be in a pretty good pitching rotation with Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick and Joe Blanton. Now if Kendrick and Blanton can really step up their game the Phillies might have the best pitching rotation in the NL considering St. Louis has a great one, two, three punch with Carpenter, Wainwright, and Garcia, then there's the Giants who have a great one, two, three punch with Lincecum, Cain, Zito, and you can even throw Jonathan Sanchez in there as a good 4th starter for the Giants. Now how good will Oswalt be for the Phillies, well I don't know yet but if I had to guess I would have to say it looks pretty good and the Phillies are only 3 games back of the Brave and maybe bringing in another good pitcher might help them get back in first place and get to the postseason as once again division winners.
So the Phillies new pitching rotation now looks like this, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt, Kyle Kendrick, and Joe Blanton. Roy Oswalt will make his Phillies day view tomorrow against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Oswalt will be pitching against Craig Stammen who has an ERA of 5.50, with 2 wins, 4 losses, and 49 strikeouts. The big match comes your way at 7:05 p.m. So the Phillies get their man and make themselves a little bit better with Halladay over to Hamels over to Oswalt to still be "The Team to Beat in the NL East".
For Beyond Baseball,
I'm Seth Lempert Goodnight Everyone.
So Oswalt comes over to a team that is indeed one of the best teams in the National League but the Phillies weren't the option he wanted. Oswalt asked to be traded to the St. Louis Cardinals but the Cards weren't going to give up some of their young prospects to get Oswalt, so there for the Phillies got him. Oswalt’s options weren't really that good after the Cardinals turned him down, it was either stay in Houston with a team that was going nowhere or come to Philadelphia and try to help this team win their 4th straight Division Title, their 3rd straight National League Pennant, and get them to their 3rd straight World Series. Now the good and bad thing about Oswalt is that he has pitched in the postseason in 2004 and 2005 and went to the World Series in 2005 and knows what that feeling is like. The bad part is that over the past few years Oswalt is known to have some back issues but as of this season he has been healthy and we hope he is the man for the job. Now Oswalt’s record is 6-12 with an ERA of 3.42 but remember he played with a team that did not support him with a lot of runs and the way the Phils bats are coming alive this could be the team that fits him best. Oswalt will be in a pretty good pitching rotation with Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Kyle Kendrick and Joe Blanton. Now if Kendrick and Blanton can really step up their game the Phillies might have the best pitching rotation in the NL considering St. Louis has a great one, two, three punch with Carpenter, Wainwright, and Garcia, then there's the Giants who have a great one, two, three punch with Lincecum, Cain, Zito, and you can even throw Jonathan Sanchez in there as a good 4th starter for the Giants. Now how good will Oswalt be for the Phillies, well I don't know yet but if I had to guess I would have to say it looks pretty good and the Phillies are only 3 games back of the Brave and maybe bringing in another good pitcher might help them get back in first place and get to the postseason as once again division winners.
So the Phillies new pitching rotation now looks like this, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt, Kyle Kendrick, and Joe Blanton. Roy Oswalt will make his Phillies day view tomorrow against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Oswalt will be pitching against Craig Stammen who has an ERA of 5.50, with 2 wins, 4 losses, and 49 strikeouts. The big match comes your way at 7:05 p.m. So the Phillies get their man and make themselves a little bit better with Halladay over to Hamels over to Oswalt to still be "The Team to Beat in the NL East".
For Beyond Baseball,
I'm Seth Lempert Goodnight Everyone.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Trade Deadline.
With the trade deadline coming to a close this Saturday there are players still on the market but two very big names are on that list, Roy Oswalt from the Houston Astros and Adam Dunn from the Washington Nationals. After seeing Mariners ace Cliff Lee go to the Rangers and Diamondbacks ace Dan Haren sent to the Angels it clear to say what teams will wrap up these two superstars?
We start Roy Oswalt who this year hasn't had one of his best years with an ERA of 3.42, 6 wins, 12 losses, and 120 strikeouts but is still one the best in the game and with a better ball club he could help a few teams to get to the postseason. The two teams that are looking at Oswalt are the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies. Now reports came in saying that the Cardinals look to be the front runners to get Oswalt and other say the Phillies are the main team to score Oswalt, also another rumor said that Oswalt doesn't want to come to Philly and others say a deal with get done by the end of the week. If either is going to get Oswalt they will have to be willing to give up top prospects or a good player in the organization. In the Phillies case rumors said that Jayson Werth could be one of those players sent packing and another rumor has it that they could keep Werth but would have to give up J.A. Happ. The Phillies could definitely use another good pitcher in their rotation after losing Jamie Moyer. But are the Phillies willing to give one of their good key players for a guy they might not be able to hold on too? As for the Cardinals they have a few players they could give up to get Oswalt but there just like the Phillies are they willing to give up players to get Oswalt? That's the biggest question of all. Then again no team could score Oswalt and he could just finish out the year as an Astros as Roy Halladay did a year ago, but you have to say to yourself if we add him he could be a big help for the Cardinals as their neck and neck with the Reds and Phillies, well their only 3 and half game back of to Braves.
Now about Adam Dunn who has been a big help for the Nats line-up this year hitting .278, 23 home runs, and driving in 63 RBI's but is on the list of the trade market. The teams looking to score him are the Texas Rangers, the Detroit Tigers, and the New York Mets. Now the Rangers could use him and really don’t need him at the same time with already having one the most powerful line-up in baseball but getting Dunn could also help them in the postseason and could be a very good DH or first baseman and would be heading to winning team. But after the Rangers just scoring Cliff Lee I’m not sure they want to give up any more young prospects to the Nationals. Then there's the Tigers who have three big injures in losing Carlos Guillen, Brandon Inge, and Magglio Ordonez. With the Tigers in the hunt to try to win the American Central division by bringing in another good power hitter could help them. Only problem is they already have a great first baseman in Miguel Cabrera but they could use Dunn in the DH role and move Johnny Damon who is doing okay for the Tigers. But the question comes in who will they have to give up for Dunn. The Tigers might be the best team to score Dunn. Now the Mets on the other hand they have had their share problems with injures being 6 and half game behind the Braves. Also we don't know if the Mets have the money to hold on to Dunn and give up prospects for him but they might be willing to give up Ike Davis or Jeff Francoeur for Dunn but then again do the Mets really want to give up a young upcoming first baseman for a power hitter they might not be able to hold on too? Then trading a power hitter for a power hitter in Francoeur wouldn't make much sense either. My guess is as good as yours.
So if any of these teams want to make a deal with either one of these players they better make it fast because July 31st is just around the corner.
I'm Seth Lempert for Beyond Baseball.
We start Roy Oswalt who this year hasn't had one of his best years with an ERA of 3.42, 6 wins, 12 losses, and 120 strikeouts but is still one the best in the game and with a better ball club he could help a few teams to get to the postseason. The two teams that are looking at Oswalt are the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies. Now reports came in saying that the Cardinals look to be the front runners to get Oswalt and other say the Phillies are the main team to score Oswalt, also another rumor said that Oswalt doesn't want to come to Philly and others say a deal with get done by the end of the week. If either is going to get Oswalt they will have to be willing to give up top prospects or a good player in the organization. In the Phillies case rumors said that Jayson Werth could be one of those players sent packing and another rumor has it that they could keep Werth but would have to give up J.A. Happ. The Phillies could definitely use another good pitcher in their rotation after losing Jamie Moyer. But are the Phillies willing to give one of their good key players for a guy they might not be able to hold on too? As for the Cardinals they have a few players they could give up to get Oswalt but there just like the Phillies are they willing to give up players to get Oswalt? That's the biggest question of all. Then again no team could score Oswalt and he could just finish out the year as an Astros as Roy Halladay did a year ago, but you have to say to yourself if we add him he could be a big help for the Cardinals as their neck and neck with the Reds and Phillies, well their only 3 and half game back of to Braves.
Now about Adam Dunn who has been a big help for the Nats line-up this year hitting .278, 23 home runs, and driving in 63 RBI's but is on the list of the trade market. The teams looking to score him are the Texas Rangers, the Detroit Tigers, and the New York Mets. Now the Rangers could use him and really don’t need him at the same time with already having one the most powerful line-up in baseball but getting Dunn could also help them in the postseason and could be a very good DH or first baseman and would be heading to winning team. But after the Rangers just scoring Cliff Lee I’m not sure they want to give up any more young prospects to the Nationals. Then there's the Tigers who have three big injures in losing Carlos Guillen, Brandon Inge, and Magglio Ordonez. With the Tigers in the hunt to try to win the American Central division by bringing in another good power hitter could help them. Only problem is they already have a great first baseman in Miguel Cabrera but they could use Dunn in the DH role and move Johnny Damon who is doing okay for the Tigers. But the question comes in who will they have to give up for Dunn. The Tigers might be the best team to score Dunn. Now the Mets on the other hand they have had their share problems with injures being 6 and half game behind the Braves. Also we don't know if the Mets have the money to hold on to Dunn and give up prospects for him but they might be willing to give up Ike Davis or Jeff Francoeur for Dunn but then again do the Mets really want to give up a young upcoming first baseman for a power hitter they might not be able to hold on too? Then trading a power hitter for a power hitter in Francoeur wouldn't make much sense either. My guess is as good as yours.
So if any of these teams want to make a deal with either one of these players they better make it fast because July 31st is just around the corner.
I'm Seth Lempert for Beyond Baseball.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Year Of The Pitcher.
So is there something to be said that is this the year of the pitcher? Where 5 pitchers have thrown no-hitters or perfect games, well this year a lot of history has been made and the baseball season isn't even over yet. It’s something that a lot of baseball fans haven't seen in two decades where 5 pitchers have thrown No-Hitters or Perfect Games.
First No-Hitter came back on April 17th where Ubaldo Jimenez gave up 6 walks in the game against the Braves but still threw the first no-hitter of the season, his career, and in Rookies history. At that time we said to our self's "Okay it's too early to say it’s The Year of the Pitcher and who knows when another no-hitter or perfect game would happen again". The last perfect game thrown was by White Soxs pitcher Mark Buehrle's back last year against the Tampa Bay Rays. Before that Randy Johnson was the last pitcher to throw a perfect game back in 2004, so a lot people said who knows when will see another perfect game again its one of the hardest things to do in baseball.
Second No-Hitter came back on May 9th on Mother's Day and beyond a no-hitter it was something more than just that. Dallas Braden was a pitcher who people didn't even know who he was besides the part where people knew him as the guy who told A-Rod "Get off My Mound" he is a pitcher that will go in the record books by being the 20th man in baseball history to throw a perfect game. Yes on May 9th he did the unexpected as a pitcher and threw a perfect game and against a team that has been thrown against perfection before the Tampa Bay Rays. It's something that is pretty crazy from a baseball stand point that the previous prefect game was thrown against the Tampa Bay Rays and now the first perfect game of the 2010 season came against the Rays again. Now everyone is wondering when will perfection strike again?
Third No-Hitter came almost 3 weeks later on May 29th, Phillies new ace Roy Halladay who many would have thought this guy has to have a no-hitter or perfect game in his career already. Well on May 29th it will be a day that Phillies fans will never forget as Halladay became 21st pitcher in history to throw a perfect game!! Now to think that 2 perfect games happened in the same month almost 3 weeks apart is something that has never been heard of before. Braden and Halladay would be the first 2 players to ever do that in baseball history. The team he did it against was the Marlins and in a 1-0 ball game. Now everyone must be saying to themselves this is nuts and it’s like the year of the pitcher but it only gets better.
Fourth No-Hitter came almost a month later on June 25th and pitcher Edwin Jackson started this game off as he looked to be the losing pitcher. At one point in this game he had the bases loaded with no outs and somehow got out of the inning with no hits or a run scored. Jackson in 9th inning had 140 pitches thrown with 8 walks, and still no hits. In the end Jackson became the 267 pitcher to throw a no-hitter on 8 walks and 149 pitches thrown, WOW! It's funny to say that he would have thrown a no hitter the way the game started, also another fun fact is the team he did it against was already thrown to perfection twice and it was yet again the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays have seen it all they have been on the other side of seeing 2 perfect games against them and no-hitter thrown against on their own home field. Jackson would also become the second pitcher in Diamondbacks history to throw a no-hitter. The D-Backs last pitcher to do so was Randy Johnson. Now it is clear this has to be "The Year of the Pitcher".
Fifth No-Hitter came a month and a day later on July 26th after Jackson threw his no-hitter and it all happened again on the same field. Would it be the Rays to throw a no-hitter or would they get no-hit again? Well it was a pitching matchup where both pitchers Matt Garza from the Tampa Bay Rays and Max Scherzer from the Detroit Tigers were both throwing no-hitters. In the 6th inning Scherzer would give a grand slam and his no-no would be over. But on the other hand Matt Garza had it working only giving up 1 walk back in the second. He would come in the 9th inning just needing 3 outs from throwing the 5th no-hitter this season, he became the 268 pitcher to do so and became the first pitcher in Rays history to throw a no-hitter. So the like I said before the Rays have been through it all. They have been on the side of having 2 perfect games thrown against them; having a no-hitter thrown against them, and having their pitcher throw a no-hitter. The crazy thing is it happened on the same field a month and a day later after Jackson threw his no-hitter on the same field against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Perfect Game almost thrown.
We start with Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga where is was on the verge of becoming the 22nd pitcher in history to threw a perfect and just after seeing Roy Halladay throw a perfect game Galarraga wanted a piece of the action but would be overruled by umpire Jim Joyce who got voted as one on the best umpires in the game blew the call by a long shot. Jason Donald hit a weak ground ball to first with Galarraga covering first with 2 outs Donald was called safe! When we saw the replay it was clear that he was out by a foot step. Galarraga went 8 2/3 innings with a perfect game and a no-hitter back on June 2nd.
Now we talk about Reds pitcher Travis Wood on July 10th almost threw a perfect game against the Phillies and the pitcher he was pitching against was the man who already threw a perfect game this season and that was Roy Halladay. Wood went into the bottom of the 9th inning with the score still 0-0 and not giving up a hit, a walk or a run would fade as he would give up his first hit in the game to Carlos Ruiz. Wood almost threw the 3rd perfect game this season and could have the 22nd pitcher to do so, but even if he didn't give up a hit in that inning he would still have to pitch in the 10th inning hoping his team would get him a run to get a perfect game or no-hitter.
So the year of the pitcher has some crazy facts, in the first 4 months of baseball there has been a No-Hitter or Perfect Game thrown in each month and 2 of those no-hitters have been perfect games in the same month. Also the last 3 no-hitters thrown have came days apart from each other in each month’s time. Halladay - May 29th, Jackson - June 25th, and now Garza - July 26th. It's also the first time 5 or more pitchers haven thrown no-hitters or perfect game since 1991 where 7 pitchers threw perfect games or no-hitters. But that fact is the game today is so much more different then it was in 1991 where in today's game it so hard to do that because pitch counts come in effect and teams are so much better than they were back in 1991. Today's teams have at least 3 or more superstars on their team and to have 5 pitchers throw no-hitters against today’s team is just something words cannot explain. I mean we could easily have 7 no-hitters on the year and 4 of them being perfect games. Imagine that 4 perfect in 1 year, boy it would be more than the year of the pitcher. The only question is now who will be the next pitcher to throw a no-hitter or a perfect game, only time will tell when perfection or no-hit baseball will happen again.
This is Beyond the 5 Pitchers, This is Beyond Baseball.
First No-Hitter came back on April 17th where Ubaldo Jimenez gave up 6 walks in the game against the Braves but still threw the first no-hitter of the season, his career, and in Rookies history. At that time we said to our self's "Okay it's too early to say it’s The Year of the Pitcher and who knows when another no-hitter or perfect game would happen again". The last perfect game thrown was by White Soxs pitcher Mark Buehrle's back last year against the Tampa Bay Rays. Before that Randy Johnson was the last pitcher to throw a perfect game back in 2004, so a lot people said who knows when will see another perfect game again its one of the hardest things to do in baseball.
Second No-Hitter came back on May 9th on Mother's Day and beyond a no-hitter it was something more than just that. Dallas Braden was a pitcher who people didn't even know who he was besides the part where people knew him as the guy who told A-Rod "Get off My Mound" he is a pitcher that will go in the record books by being the 20th man in baseball history to throw a perfect game. Yes on May 9th he did the unexpected as a pitcher and threw a perfect game and against a team that has been thrown against perfection before the Tampa Bay Rays. It's something that is pretty crazy from a baseball stand point that the previous prefect game was thrown against the Tampa Bay Rays and now the first perfect game of the 2010 season came against the Rays again. Now everyone is wondering when will perfection strike again?
Third No-Hitter came almost 3 weeks later on May 29th, Phillies new ace Roy Halladay who many would have thought this guy has to have a no-hitter or perfect game in his career already. Well on May 29th it will be a day that Phillies fans will never forget as Halladay became 21st pitcher in history to throw a perfect game!! Now to think that 2 perfect games happened in the same month almost 3 weeks apart is something that has never been heard of before. Braden and Halladay would be the first 2 players to ever do that in baseball history. The team he did it against was the Marlins and in a 1-0 ball game. Now everyone must be saying to themselves this is nuts and it’s like the year of the pitcher but it only gets better.
Fourth No-Hitter came almost a month later on June 25th and pitcher Edwin Jackson started this game off as he looked to be the losing pitcher. At one point in this game he had the bases loaded with no outs and somehow got out of the inning with no hits or a run scored. Jackson in 9th inning had 140 pitches thrown with 8 walks, and still no hits. In the end Jackson became the 267 pitcher to throw a no-hitter on 8 walks and 149 pitches thrown, WOW! It's funny to say that he would have thrown a no hitter the way the game started, also another fun fact is the team he did it against was already thrown to perfection twice and it was yet again the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays have seen it all they have been on the other side of seeing 2 perfect games against them and no-hitter thrown against on their own home field. Jackson would also become the second pitcher in Diamondbacks history to throw a no-hitter. The D-Backs last pitcher to do so was Randy Johnson. Now it is clear this has to be "The Year of the Pitcher".
Fifth No-Hitter came a month and a day later on July 26th after Jackson threw his no-hitter and it all happened again on the same field. Would it be the Rays to throw a no-hitter or would they get no-hit again? Well it was a pitching matchup where both pitchers Matt Garza from the Tampa Bay Rays and Max Scherzer from the Detroit Tigers were both throwing no-hitters. In the 6th inning Scherzer would give a grand slam and his no-no would be over. But on the other hand Matt Garza had it working only giving up 1 walk back in the second. He would come in the 9th inning just needing 3 outs from throwing the 5th no-hitter this season, he became the 268 pitcher to do so and became the first pitcher in Rays history to throw a no-hitter. So the like I said before the Rays have been through it all. They have been on the side of having 2 perfect games thrown against them; having a no-hitter thrown against them, and having their pitcher throw a no-hitter. The crazy thing is it happened on the same field a month and a day later after Jackson threw his no-hitter on the same field against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Perfect Game almost thrown.
We start with Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga where is was on the verge of becoming the 22nd pitcher in history to threw a perfect and just after seeing Roy Halladay throw a perfect game Galarraga wanted a piece of the action but would be overruled by umpire Jim Joyce who got voted as one on the best umpires in the game blew the call by a long shot. Jason Donald hit a weak ground ball to first with Galarraga covering first with 2 outs Donald was called safe! When we saw the replay it was clear that he was out by a foot step. Galarraga went 8 2/3 innings with a perfect game and a no-hitter back on June 2nd.
Now we talk about Reds pitcher Travis Wood on July 10th almost threw a perfect game against the Phillies and the pitcher he was pitching against was the man who already threw a perfect game this season and that was Roy Halladay. Wood went into the bottom of the 9th inning with the score still 0-0 and not giving up a hit, a walk or a run would fade as he would give up his first hit in the game to Carlos Ruiz. Wood almost threw the 3rd perfect game this season and could have the 22nd pitcher to do so, but even if he didn't give up a hit in that inning he would still have to pitch in the 10th inning hoping his team would get him a run to get a perfect game or no-hitter.
So the year of the pitcher has some crazy facts, in the first 4 months of baseball there has been a No-Hitter or Perfect Game thrown in each month and 2 of those no-hitters have been perfect games in the same month. Also the last 3 no-hitters thrown have came days apart from each other in each month’s time. Halladay - May 29th, Jackson - June 25th, and now Garza - July 26th. It's also the first time 5 or more pitchers haven thrown no-hitters or perfect game since 1991 where 7 pitchers threw perfect games or no-hitters. But that fact is the game today is so much more different then it was in 1991 where in today's game it so hard to do that because pitch counts come in effect and teams are so much better than they were back in 1991. Today's teams have at least 3 or more superstars on their team and to have 5 pitchers throw no-hitters against today’s team is just something words cannot explain. I mean we could easily have 7 no-hitters on the year and 4 of them being perfect games. Imagine that 4 perfect in 1 year, boy it would be more than the year of the pitcher. The only question is now who will be the next pitcher to throw a no-hitter or a perfect game, only time will tell when perfection or no-hit baseball will happen again.
This is Beyond the 5 Pitchers, This is Beyond Baseball.
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