Bud Selig is at It Again

Yesterday, Bud Selig put himself on TV in Houston for the sole purpose of endorsing Cecil Cooper as the next manager of the Houston Astros. Whaaaaat? This man has more personal agendas than the President of the United States (amongst countless other examples, he moved the Brewers to the NL in order to create a Cubs/Brewers rivalry). Not surprisingly, Cooper played 10 years (1977-1987) for the Milwaukee Brewers when Selig owned the team.

During the years which Selig owned the Brewers, I can only imagine how he would have reacted if Bowie Kuhn and/or Peter Ueberroth would have mandated who managed his team. YOU CAN'T DO SUCH A THING. Bud, baseball is not a dictatorship! If the Astros believe Cooper gives them the best chance of winning, then he will be hired. Otherwise, both you and Cooper will be shown the door. What more can one ask for than a 40+ game audition???

Shut the F up, and actually do your due diligence. After all, you skipped out on the Home Run record, something even your lover (Hank Aaron) made a point to be a part of.

Whether Terry Francona wears his game jersey under his pullover is more important than EVERYTHING else that Selig has slid under the rug in the past decade??? At any point in the game, is Francona going to insert himself as a pinch-runner? MLB's front office is embarrassing.

You're a soft, indecisive, and weak-minded individual that I, for one, can't wait for the day in which you step down (end of 2009 season). Bob Costas and/or John Schuerholz, step right up! There have never been smaller shoes to fill...

Baseball & Beers

Over the weekend, I received an email indicating that a bar named "Norm's Eatery and Ale House" promotes "Cheap Sex Monday's". Who cares, right? Why the hell am I blogging about this?

Well, the aforementioned bar is stationed in Seattle -- and the "Sex" part is a prefix for (Richie) Sexson. Apparently...on Monday's, this bar sells bottles of beer for Richie Sexson's batting average.

My first thought?

Seattle fans are raking in the DUI's these days. I mean, Sexson can't hit. His .211 batting average makes him a Wily Mo Pena clone.

$2.11 beers + baseball games + playoff race = A lot of drunk patrons on Monday nights

Until tonight, I forgot about said email. But then...I watched the putrid pitcher that has become Mike Mussina. As I've said before, I hate Mike Mussina. He's a bad pitcher (can't hit spots) that b*tches and moans about EVERYTHING. Recently, especially in Boston, there has been a lot of clamoring about the "rapid downward spiral" of Mussina. I'm confused???

Mike Mussina hasn't been a good pitcher since 2003!! 4.59 ERA in 2004, 4.41 ERA in 2005, terrible from June - August last year, and a 5.53 ERA thus far this year. Wake up!! This isn't a trend, this is a history.

Bring up phenom Ian Kennedy!!!!!!!!!!! No matter what, one thing is painfully obvious -- Mike Mussina cannot make another start for the NY Yankees this year. There are only 31 games remaining...in order to make the playoffs (Wild Card), the Yankees need to win at least 21 of them. Mussina is a guaranteed loss everytime he toes the rubber (3 K's in his last 3 games pitched...combined). He no longer has a fastball. He destroys the bullpen. DO THE MATH!!!

Anyway, back to my original premise. New York bars should be taking note of what bars in Seattle have started to capitalize on. If one of your own continues to fail (one that has signed a contract that cannot be moved -- a la Sexson/Mussina/JD Drew), then the city should at least be able to have fun with it. For this reason, I suggest NYC bars start serving mixed drinks which zone in on Mussina's "Lester-like" performance. $5.53 for a mixed drink in NYC?? The Win Column guarantees a packed house.

To top it off, let's recall Mussina's recent comments:

Asked if he carried any deeper concerns, Mussina said..."That they're going to take me out of the rotation? Who were they going to replace me with?"

Die!

Congrats to Dave Trembley!!!!!

On the day the Baltimore Orioles committed to 2008 with former interim manager Dave Trembley, his pitching staff gave up the modern day (after 1900) record 30 runs to the Texas Rangers in the first game of a doubleheader. The previous record was 29 by the 1950 Red Sox and the 1955 Chicago White Sox. Texas scored 5 in the 4th, 9 in the 6th, 10 in the 8th, and a 6 spot in the top of the 9th. To go along with the 30 runs, the Rangers banged out 29 hits.

Jarrod Saltalamachia lead the charge going 4-6 with 2 homers, 5 runs and 7 RBI. Former Red Sox farmhand David Murphy was 5-7, 5 runs and 2 RBI. Ramon Vazquez was 4-6, 4 runs and 7 RBI. If you are scoring at home, that is 13-19, 16 RBIs, and 14 runs from your 7, 8, and 9 hitters.

Kason Gabbard went 6 innings, as he scattered 7 hits to pick up his 6th victory of the season.

* Photo courtesy of Yahoo! Sports

A Little Change Will Do You Good

I'm still scratching my head as to why the Red Sox didn't try and sell the farm to get Mark Teixeira. You trade a potential future stud and a couple decent current and future players to land one of the game's best first baseman....end of story.

Texas is obviously becoming a black hole for baseball players. It can't be fun to play there anymore. They suck, and you play in weather that burns your pubes as you run the base paths. I'd be all set, too. I bet if Michael Young were to switch jerseys....he'd start playing with that extra hop in his step he had 2 years ago. But enough about that, back to Teixeira.....what a beast. Over the past 2 games, he's belted 4 HR and 10 RBI. Guess what....that is 4 times the amount of home runs and 2 more RBI's than Kevin Youkilis has in the entire month of August. In fact, Teixeira's production over the past two games equals 1/3 of the amount of home runs and 1/6 the RBIs Youk has in 115 games. Yes, that's right. I'm talking about 2 games versus 115 fu*king games. That's ridiculous.

Say what you will about intangibles.....but, I am sick of Kevin Youkilis. He doesn't get hits when they matter, and he's nothing short of a mediocre baseball player. He's not the long term answer at 1st base....and with Mike Lowell playing his last season in a Red Sox uniform (some team is stupid enough to pay him next year), there is absolutely no excuse for letting a franchise player like Teixeira slip away. Texas would have accepted a fair deal, but Theo and company again dropped the ball. So tune into a Braves game on TBS on any given night and watch in disbelief, as to what could have been a World Series no-doubter lethal lineup.

Oh, by the way....it would be nice to have a guy that SWITCH HITS and can belt 40 HR's....no?


***Photo courtesy of YAHOO SPORTS

Fun With Numbers

Want to know who has had the greatest value on his respective team's success to-date? Want to know who the real MVP candidates should be? Where does your favorite player rank?

If you consider yourself a baseball fan, then you've certainly heard the term "Win Shares". After all, all baseball fans must have already read Alan Schwartz's "The Numbers Game" -- quite simply, the best baseball read on the market. As The Hardball Times indicates, Win Shares estimate the contribution each player has made to his team's wins. This is an entirely different way of thinking about players, stats, and value -- because it measures every baseball event within the context of the ultimate goal: winning games.

"Win Shares" is often referred to by many similar names -- for example, Player Win Averages, Player Game Percentage, Win Probability Added, Win Expectancy, Game State Wins, Player's Win Value, and WRAP.

When it comes to the Cy Young award...it should be noted that I don't necessarily agree with "Win Shares" as being the determining factor. Why? Because the purpose of the Cy Young award is to honor the best overall pitcher during that season, not the pitcher which provided his team with the highest "Win Share" total. At the end of the day, the MVP award includes the terms "most valuable"...not the Cy Young award. Furthermore, Win Probability doesn't solve the sticky issue of splitting credit between pitching and fielding (some day, I will be the one that nails down this formula).

For purposes of this post, the site that I'm going to link to refers to the stat in question as "WPA" (or Win Probability Added). Take a few minutes, and dissect what this site has to offer. There's many of you out there that could stand to learn a lot. You're welcome.

http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=n&type=0&season=2007

Question Regarding Etiquette At A Baseball Game

While at the Sox game this Saturday, I was faced with a dilemma that I always thought was fairly easy decision to make. Upon further review of this situation, evidently there is quite a bit of disagreement. That said, I wanted to pose the question to the readership because its widely known The Win Column has the most intelligent audience in Boston, and they would be the best resource to settle this once and for all. So, without further ado here is the situation.

Our seats were located in the right field grandstand, only about 4 seats from the end of the row. Great location for frequent trips to the pisser and the beer stand, no? The only thing is that there was a beam at the end of the row basically rendering that option null and void. Because of that, any time we wanted to make 'the trip' we had to make that treacherous walk over twenty people just to get out. Normally not a huge deal, but I was at the game with a bunch of booze bags (myself included) and we showed up to the game pretty sh*tcocked, thus, many trips to the bathroom were inevitable.

So, here is the dilemma. There was an open seat in the row directly in front of us, essentially enabling us to step over a seat and only bother four people to get into the aisle as opposed to pissing off twenty people every time we had to drain the lizard. I thought this was a no-brainer. Although the people I was with thought this was unheard of, and claimed that you had to stay in your own row because you were all on the same 'team' (whatever that means). Because of this way of thinking, my buddies actually chose to watch the game in 'standing room' for close proximity to the beer and the pisser. I thought that was an overreaction, but their decision nonetheless. So my question to you is: Is it alright to disturb people in a different row even though in the grand scheme of things, you are actually disturbing a lot fewer people, or do you have to stay in your row?

Orlando

Brandon Webb Deserves Your Attention

Last night, Brandon Webb extended his scoreless streak to 42 innings by throwing a complete game shutout against the Braves (his third straight complete game). In the process, Webb gave up just three baserunners while striking out six. This is the 12th longest such streak in MLB history, and the 5th longest since 1940, surpassed only by Orel Hershiser (59), Don Drysdale (58), Bob Gibson (47), and Sal Maglie (45). He'll attempt to extend the streak when the Diamondbacks face the Brewers next week.

So...is Webb going to ride his devastating sinker to his second consecutive NL Cy Young Award? To date, Jake Peavy has the leg-up on this honor, but Webb is certainly making a strong push as the season winds down.

• Webb: 13-8, 2.63 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 161 K's, 2.82 K/BB
• Peavy: 13-5, 2.19 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 175 K's, 3.80 K/BB

...And, to think that Brandon Webb is being paid Joel Pineiro-type money?? After all, Webb inked a four-year contract extension worth $19.5M after his successful 2005 campaign (14-12, 3.55 ERA, 172 K's).

I know, I know...you're all wondering where Brandon Webb now ranks in my pitching rankings? The exact same place I had ranked him on June 5th (see below link for previous rankings). He's the 4th best pitcher in MLB, only trailing Santana, Bedard, and Peavy. Who's 5th? None other than Red Sox Nation's own Josh Beckett. And, yes, I'm well aware that Dan Haren isn't in my top 5. Quite honestly, Haren's name doesn't belong amongst the aforementioned aces.

http://thewincolumn.blogspot.com/search?q=brandon+webb

Who's Wrong?

So, Barry is suing Curt for speaking his mind. Does this make sense to anybody? I call Orlando and Chieftain d-bags all the time, have either of them sued me? The answer is no, although they could. Do you know why they haven't sued me? It's because they aren't homos.

I've defended Barry from the get-go, only because I believe that he didn't deserve all of the sh*t he was getting. I always said, (and I stand by this) he broke a record that "is the greatest record in any sport", and if anybody can prove that he doesn't deserve it, please let me know. Now, he has proved himself to be a complete d-bag (not because he rallied against a Red Sox player, but because he singled out one player out of 1,000,000,000,000... that spoke his mind).

Anyhow, I know that Bonds is planning on playing one more year...in the AL. At this point, who would take his, 75-year-old, finger pointing, sh*t bum act at this point? Any guesses?

The NL Central is a Joke

Milwaukee Brewers...Chicago Cubs...St. Louis Cardinals. They are all terrible!

Currently, the Milwaukee Brewers reside at the top of the NL Central...to the tune of a 62-58 record. As 42 games remain, a team atop of a division that is a measley 4 games over .500 is embarrassing. The NL Central is this year's NL West. No? Every night, I study the box scores -- and, every night, it seems as if both the Brewers and Cubs lose. Both the Brewers and Cubs are so bad that the the Cardinals (who currently sit 4 games UNDER .500) now have a legitimate shot at the playoffs, as they are merely 3.5 games behind the Brewers.

To put the NL Central's incompetence in perspective, let me throw a few stats at you...

• On the year, Milwaukee has allowed 10 more runs than they have scored. Again, this is a 1st place team that we are talking about. In turn, the Red Sox have outscored their opponents by 132 runs...and the Yankees have outscored their opponents by 149 runs.
• On the year, St. Louis has allowed 71 more runs than they have scored. Again, this team might now be considered the favorite in this division. This is pathetic!
• Since July 20th, the Brewers have lost 17 of their last 25 games.
• For the year, the Brewers are batting .262 (9th best in the NL), while the Cubs have managed to hit only 97 HR's (23rd best in MLB).
• And, the pitching isn't any better. Milwaukee's staff has compiled a 4.48 ERA, while St. Louis hurlers have compiled a 4.70 ERA. Keep in mind that these ERA's have come by way of other NL offenses (meaning, NL pitchers are, essentially, granted an automatic out every 9 batters). To put it in perspective, the Yankees putrid staff has compiled a 4.39 ERA in the offensive-laden AL East.

Allow me to go on record by saying this...if the St. Louis Cardinals (with a starting rotation of Braden Looper, Adam Wainwright, Kip Wells, Anthony Reyes, and Joel Pineiro) make the playoffs, then I will have officially given up on the entire National League. Forget an "Ace", the Cardinals are starting five number 5's (at best)!!

I HATE the fact that the Cardinals won 83 games last year...and went on to win the World Series (you don't see 8-8 NFL teams holding the Lombardi Trophy). Based upon their regular season, St. Louis was clearly not the best team in baseball, as evidenced by the notion that there were several better American League teams that failed to qualify for the playoffs. Now, don't get me wrong...I fully understand that the World Series champ is a byproduct of which team gets hot at the right time. However, it should be noted that St. Louis limped into the playoffs last year, as they nearly coughed up an 8 game division lead in the last week-and-a-half of last year's regular season. Is that how one defines "hot"? And, please...don't give me the run-of-the-mill "it is what it is" argument.

In closing, if another 83-85 win NL Central team makes the playoffs again this year, then something needs to be done to alleviate this issue. "Playoff teams" need to be held to a certain standard.

Paging Bud Selig (I know, laughable)...

1:05 PM -- Erik Bedard vs. Phil Hughes

Well, well...it's good to know that Mr. Torre & Co. at least view this blog. After all, Edwar Ramirez was recalled from Scranton just a few hours ago!! In addition to Ramirez, Sean Henn was also called back up...as both Jim Brower (sucks) and Jeff Karstens were optioned back down.

Which leaves me with this...what kind of dirt does Chris Britton have on the Yankees? Has he killed Torre's dog? I need an explanation. Plain and simple, Chris Britton belongs on the 25-man roster (he's a 24-year-old arm that has the potential to be a stud out of the bullpen...he's been great all year in Scranton, and was nearly unhittable in his 5 innings of work with the big league club earlier this year). Andy Phillips does not. Cut bait!

Anyway, what a matchup we have in store in less than 2 hours!!

ERIK BEDARD vs. PHIL HUGHES...at The Stadium

Potential 2007 AL Cy Young vs. Future AL Cy Young

...No matter how you slice it, Bedard is one of the 4 best pitchers in the AL this year. Besides Haren, Beckett, and Santana, there isn't a single AL pitcher that one could make an argument for (well, maybe Kelvim Escobar - but, he's still a distant fifth in my eyes).

After all, Bedard is 12-4 (for a poor Orioles team) with a 3.11 ERA (5th in the AL, trailing only Haren/Escobar/Lackey/Santana...and has 199 K's (way more than any other pitcher in baseball).

Not to mention...since the All-Star break, Bedard is 5-0 with an incredible 2.23 ERA and 0.97 WHIP -- all while opponents hit an invisible .177 against him.

Similar to last week's Bedard - Matsuzaka matchup, I'm all sorts of revved up for this Wednesday afternoon special.

...As a side note, did you know that Bedard did not play baseball at a competitive level until he walked onto the Norwalk Community College team in Norwalk, Connecticut? As a senior in high school, Bedard was only 5'4" and 120 pounds. Before starting college, he grew 7 inches and gained 30 pounds. While in college, he added 10 MPH on his fastball and became a junior college All-American.

Nomar Lands On DL Again With a Strained C*nt

Yeah I said it. Nomar is a friggin' bum. He's nothing without the sauce. Ever since he got off the juice, he falls apart like a pastrami sandwich hitting my fat gums. Per rotoworld today:

Dodgers placed third baseman Nomar Garciaparra on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left calf. Nomar had hit .289/.338/.430 since moving over to third base, which is better than Shea Hillenbrand figures to do, and Hillenbrand is likely to be even worse defensively than Nomar was. The Dodgers have to hope Andy LaRoche gets healthy soon so that he can take over at third base.

That being said, I hope Mia Hamm kicks him in the balls for being such a pu$$y.

What's the Greater Feat?

Bobby Jenks vs. Placido Polanco

Last night, Placido Polanco (who I have previously anointed one of MLB's most underrated players) set a major league record, for second basemen, by playing his 144th straight game without committing a single error.

"I have to really thank the organization for giving me the opportunity to be the second baseman and play every day," said Polanco, whose last error came on July 1, 2006, at Pittsburgh.

And, in his typical witty chain-smoking fashion...Polanco's manager, Jim Leyland, added his two cents on the matter: "He's like an old shoe -- not the prettiest, but real comfortable." Whatever that means??

The Journal Wire reports that Luis Castillo held the previous mark for second basemen with 143 errorless games, while playing for the Minnesota Twins. The major league record for consecutive errorless games for any infielder is 193, set by Steve Garvey.

* Some other random notes about Polanco...

• As of August 1st, Polanco had the lowest strikeout percentage in baseball (4.9%), all while batting .344 on the year (good for third best in the AL, only behind Magglio and Ichiro).
• Albert Pujols is the godfather to Polanco 3-year-old son, Ismael.

Moving right along to Bobby Jenks...

This past Sunday vs. Seattle, Jenks retired his 41st consecutive batter (a span that includes 14 relief appearances, dating back to July 17th), tying the MLB record held by Jim Barr, which was set with the San Francisco Giants over two games during the 1972 season.

During Jenks' remarkable span, he has compiled 8 saves, 1 win, and 11 K's. In a year which hasn't produced many bright spots for the ChiSox (they currently sit 9 games under .500), the flame-thrower has registered 33 saves...to the tune of a 2.92 ERA. Opponents are hitting a paltry .192 vs. Jenks.

As a side note, Jenks is often referred to as "Big Bobby" or "Big Bad Bobby Jenks" due to his 6'3", 275 pound frame (his "listed" weight). In all of baseball, only C.C. Sabathia and Jonathan Broxton are listed at heavier weights.

Is Gary Sheffield a Hall of Famer?

I've been sitting on this post for some time now. Anyways, by my calculation, there are 11 active position players that are locked in for Cooperstown. One that's currently borderline? None other than the intimidating presence which is Gary Sheffield.

Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Frank Thomas, Ivan Rodriguez, Ichiro Suzuki, Mike Piazza, Albert Pujols, Craig Biggio, Ken Griffey, Barry Bonds. All of the aforementioned superstars are guaranteed plaques in Cooperstown. They could all blow their knee out tonight (knock on wood), and they should all be enshrined five years from now.

Along with Sheffield...Vlad Guerrero, Jim Thome, Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, Sammy Sosa, and Jeff Kent are all active players that reside in that next tier, as they are all currently Hall of Fame "cuff" players. For all of the "cuff" players, a persuasive argument could be made one way or the other.

Continuing with Sheffield...in November, he will turn 39. This being his 19th full season in the big's, Sheffield has compiled the following career stats:

.297 AVG

478 HR's

1568 RBI's

238 SB's

2502 hits

1522 runs

.398 OBP

.923 OPS

...9 All-Star appearances (all while playing all over the field...SS/3B/RF/LF/DH), six Top 10 MVP finishes (no MVP awards to date), and 5 Silver Slugger awards.

For Sheff's career, his 162 game average reads as follows:

.297 AVG, 33 HR's, 109 RBI's, 17 SB's, 106 runs

Per Baseball-Reference, the 10 batters which Sheffield's stats best compare to thus far are (in order): Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey, Willie Stargell (HoF), Fred McGriff, Billy Williams (HoF), Duke Snider (HoF), Mickey Mantle (HoF), Eddie Mathews (HoF), Frank Thomas, and Jim Rice.

...So, tell me -- is the former 6th overall pick, who has earned $143M on the field, a future Hall of Famer?

My personal feeling? Based upon stats alone, Sheffield is a no-brainer for the Hall. Think about it...of the 10 hitters which Sheffield's numbers most resemble, 5 of them have already been inducted into the Hall -- and another 3 of them are sure-fire Hall of Famers (Bagwell, Griffey, and Thomas). However, when discussing Sheffield, many other factors come into play.

The "Steroid Era"? Did he take steroids? If so, did he do so knowingly? His hot temper? His perception through the media? The list goes on. After all, Hall of Fame credentials are not scientifically calculated. Instead, the system is based upon a human vote. And, as we all know, humans have agendas and strong opinions.

Taking everything into consideration, would I vote Gary Sheffield "in"? Yes! Although 500 HR's are no longer considered a lock for Cooperstown, Sheffield's 5-tool talents are too superior to dismiss.

Now, will he get "in"? Assuming he finishes out his current contract with the Tigers (which goes thru the 2009 season), he will eventually be inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame...it just won't be on the first ballot.

Oh, You Mean That's The Same Guy ?

Rick Ankiel had a complete mental breakdown on the mound in what was the most important year in his baseball career (2000). After posting an 11-7 record, 3.50 ERA, 9.98 strikeouts per nine innings....all at the age of 20....Ankiel and the Cardinals cruised into the playoffs.

Enter the nervous breakdown......

He couldn't find the 94-97 MPH fastball, or the hard 12-to-6 curve ball that he made his money with. Everything was gone.....mentally. He completely collapsed in the 3rd inning in Game 1 of the NLDS game against the Braves....yet, the Cardinals still managed to win the series and move on to the NLCS against the New York Mets.

Enter the real case of the shanks.....

Ankiel didn't even make it out of the 1st inning of Game 2. He threw 20 total pitches that day....and 5 of them soared past the catcher to the back stop. Nobody could explain what had happened to this young stud pitcher that was supposed to be the face of the franchise. It was something out of a movie....much like Tin Cup.....Ankiel just got the shanks....and simply put, could not manage to throw that ball like he had his whole life.

So let's fast forward to 2007....where Rick Ankiel clubbed 32 homers for the AAA Memphis Redbirds. That's right....32 friggin' tall jacks for the 28 year-old OUTFIELDER that hits lefty, throws lefty, and looks as natural out there as they come. Last night, in his first Major League appearance since 2004....Ankiel BLAAAAAAASTED a 3-run home run on a 2-1 curve ball from Doug Brocail into the right field seats. St. Louis completely erupted. They gave him a 2 minute standing ovation, and an unbelievable curtain call. Tony Larussa fought back tears in the post game press conference...

"Short of winning the World Series, it's the happiest I've seen our club," La Russa said. "I'm fighting my butt off to keep it together."

It's nothing short of spectacular that Ankiel is back on the Major League diamond. I think it's an unbelievable story, and I'm going to watch Cardinals games just to root for this kid on a nightly basis. Most pitchers would have given up.....next to none would have worked their a$$es off to get back to the BIGS as a power hitting outfielder.

I'm speechless.

...To see Chieftain's May 29th analysis of Ankiel, see the below link...

http://thewincolumn.blogspot.com/2007/05/revisiting-rick-ankiel_9442.html


***Photos courtesy of YAHOO SPORTS

Jason Hirsh is a Baaaaaad Man

MLB.com reports the following..."a line drive that hit the right leg of Rockies pitcher Jason Hirsh during the 1st inning of Tuesday night's 11-4 victory over the Brewers did more damage than originally believed. X-rays taken on Wednesday revealed a fractured fibula. JJ Hardy's liner hit Hirsh's right calf. Hirsh picked the ball up and threw Hardy out at first base, then completed 6 innings during which he held the Brewers to 3 runs and improved his record to 5-7, with a 4.81 ERA."

Although Hirsh hasn't yet lived up to the hype with once made him a 2nd round draft choice (59th overall in 2003), Hirsh's stuff cannot be questioned. At 25, the 6'8" Hirsh should eventually become a solid major league starter. His primary problem at this stage of his career? Walks!! Although control does in most young pitchers, this wasn't expected to be a problem for Hirsh. After all...heading into the 2006 season, Baseball America tabbed Hirsh as having the "Best Control" in the entire Houston Astros organization (he was traded to Colorado in a 5-player deal this past offseason). Not only was he then the Astros top prospect, but he was rated as having the best breaking pitch in the PCL (for all non-baseball junkies, that's short for 'Pacific Coast League'). Have I mentioned yet that Hirsh can also 'bring it'...to the tune of 97 MPH cheese?

Anyways, enough with the scouting report...Tuesday's incident tells me that Hirsh has HUGE stones. The average person doesn't just continue to pitch on a broken leg, nevermind another 5 full innings on a broken leg!! That's crazy talk. PITCHING IS ALL LEGS. I wish I had seen this game -- it would have been interesting to see how much velocity he had lost as the game progressed.

Having been raised as a pitcher, the more I think about this, the more I become baffled by it. Again, Jason Hirsh is a righty. His right fibula was broken. Thus, the leg which he drives off the rubber, for all intents and purposes, was useless!! Yet, he managed to hold one of the better hitting teams in the NL to 3 hits (and 3 runs) in 6 innings!

If I'm a GM, I want Jason Hirsh's potential and intestinal fortitude on my roster. Will he ever be an ace? No. But, he'll always have a spot as a #3 in the National League. Bet on that.

A Hunch Let Me Watch Baseball History

I was about to go to bed when I saw on ESPN.com that Barry Bonds was on deck. What the hell, I said to myself, so I turned my TV to the Giants/Nats game on the baseball package and viewed Bonds' entire at bat. I have to admit, I never thought I'd see something like that. I pleaded with the pitcher to not throw him an inside fastball, and what does he do.......serves #756 on a platter. Initially, I was a little confused as to how I felt. Happy? Pissed? Disappointed? But as Barry Bonds touched home plate and I saw how the fans in San Francisco were going absolutely nuts....I felt good for Barry. I never really thought I'd say that, and mean it. Watching Hank Aaron on the big screen congratulate Bonds and his family on his accomplishment.....watching Willie Mays celebrate the big day right on the field with Barry....and most importantly, the speech. As Bonds thanked his fans (the only ones that support him in the entire country), his family, his teammates, and even the Nationals....I felt happy for him. But the raw emotion he showed when thanking his father and pointing to the sky was legit. Whether or not he cheated the game, this guy has been through a ton of $hit, and has taken tons of $hit from millions and millions across America. Tonight, none of that mattered....because Barry did it. #756 is one for the record books.


***On a side note....I loved that pig pile out in left centerfield where the ball landed. I saw at least two people whiff on their chance to be millionaires.....and then when the ball finally settled....it was the biggest pig pile of all time. No doubt there were punches thrown, biting, kicking, and all that good stuff. That must have been some kind of action.

How Much Could this Ball Net at an Auction?

As Barry Bloom of MLB.com writes, David Wells has an old, grainy, yellowing baseball that he purchased for $7,000 with a Babe Ruth signature scrawled across the sweet spot. Since the purchase, he had Hank Aaron sign the ball during a Padres trip to Atlanta, and on Sunday, he added the name of Barry Bonds in the left fielder's unmistakable script.

It's largely assumed that Wells now possesses the only ball that has the signatures of the top three all-time Major League home run hitters on it.

Another hypothetical question on this slow day...

Put yourself in David Wells' shoes - and let's assume that your objective is to land the largest possible pay-day from this ball...would you sell the ball now? Or, would you take a wait-and-see approach? By "wait-and-see" approach, I'm implying that A-Rod may eventually be a desirable fourth name (if he does, indeed, stay healthy and hit 800 HR's) to be scratched alongside the other three.

Also, would Willie Mays' name drop the value of the ball as it currently stands? Personally, I think Mays' signature would hurt the ball's value. Why? Because Ruth, Aaron, and Bonds (in a few days) have all held the honor of "Home Run Champ" at one point or another. While Mays is one of the 3 greatest players of all-time, his 660 career home runs never upheld the aforementioned distinction. Again, I'm simply viewing this question from an investment perspective.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070805&content_id=2132576&vkey=news_sd&fext=.jsp&c_id=sd&partnered=rss_sd

Another Sick Massachusetts Athlete Besides Myself

Tom Glavine did it yesterday, winning his 300th game. Tom is a proud Massachusetts native that grew up in Billerica. His professional career includes 2 Cy Young Awards, 300+ wins, five 20 win seasons, a World Series win & MVP, batting .289 one season, and a hot wife!

Tom, much like a great deal of kids from Massachusetts, grew up playing hockey. He was drafted by the L.A. Kings of the NHL in the 4th round of the 1984 NHL draft but decided to play ball.

Tom has been a legit human being throughout his career. He has a great golf game as well. Let me share a story with you .... I was visiting a friend of mine in the Atlanta suburbs a few years back. I bumped into Tom in the clubhouse, The Country Club of The South. I am NOT an annoying fan like most. My buddy (who is originally from Rosindale) and I introduced ourselves. Next thing you know, Tom gets a phone call and two of the guys couldn't show up. I ended up golfing with him & John Smoltz. Tom & Smoltz got SWASHBUCKLED on the course with my buddy & I. The beer cart seemed to just gravitate towards their cart all the time.

Massachusetts peeps are HILARIOUS humans and some of the world's finest. Being a sick high school athlete like I was...Tom and I had an unreal bond. I feel a part of his 300th win!

Congrats to Tom for continuing a Hall of Fame career and being a fantastic cat from Massachusetts!

Local MLB Musings

By now, you've all at least heard about Baseball America's recent "Best Tools" compilation. The results were based strictly upon a survey amongst all MLB managers.

• 2nd "Best hitter" in AL: Derek Jeter
• "Best power" in AL: Alex Rodriguez
• 2nd "Best strike-zone judgment" in AL: Bobby Abreu
• 2nd "Best hit-and-run artist" in AL: Derek Jeter
• 3rd "Best baserunner" in AL: Derek Jeter
• 3rd "Best pitcher" in AL: Josh Beckett
• "Best curveball" in AL: Josh Beckett
• 3rd "Best changeup" in AL: Daisuke Matsuzaka
• "Best pickoff move" in AL: Andy Pettitte
• "Best reliever" in AL: Jonathan Papelbon
• 3rd "Best reliever" in AL: Mariano Rivera
• 3rd "Best defensive catcher" in AL: Jason Varitek
• 3rd "Best defensive third baseman" in AL: Mike Lowell
• "Best defensive shortstop" in AL: Derek Jeter

Other than the clear notion that Derek Jeter is a demi-god in every aspect of life, what else to I take away from this?

...That there is a reason why Baseball America is my favorite website on the net. For any "true" baseball fan, Baseball America should be daily reading, as it covers baseball at every level (high school, college, Japan, the minors, and the majors). Money well spent.

To see where other respective AL and NL players ranked accordingly, see the below links...

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/features/264575.html

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/features/264582.html

Gary Sheffield Lashes Out...Again

As my internet connection was down all last night, I couldn't post about the rumblings that I constantly ponder.

Lytedogg's post last week about future Hall of Fame pitchers opened up a whole new can of worms for me...as in which current hitters are Hall of Fame worthy? In particular, Gary Sheffield. As such, I manually wrote down my distinct thoughts on Sheffield's career and credentials (for blog purposes, I'll now wait until tomorrow to post my opinions).

That is...until it was reported that Sheffield opened his mouth again. Yes, Sheffield is a crazy man. But, at the same time, Sheffield generally speaks the truth. He's just not eloquent in his delivery. In fact, he is the complete opposite of "eloquent".

Steroid Nation reports Sheffield's latest rant:

"Bud Selig is making himself the face of the steroid era,'' Sheffield told USA Today.

"Why doesn't Bud Selig tell the truth? Why does he keep lying and saying he doesn't know nothing about nothing? It's a bunch of hogwash. It's a cop-out. He knew everything (about steroids) we knew."

"Bud Selig wants to talk about the integrity of the game? To him, the integrity of the game is how much money they make.''

Selig and Sheffield have a long history together. Selig owned the Milwaukee Brewers when the Brewers drafted Sheffield in 1986, and when they brought a 19-year-old Sheffield to the big leagues two years later. This year, Selig fined Sheffield after the Tiger designated hitter was quoted as saying that umpires lie and that the umpiring system is "corrupt.''

...In short, Gary Sheffield's above quotes hit on everything I have been saying for years now. Along with baseball's owners, Bud Selig has long known about AND welcomed steroids in the game of baseball. Instead, he just didn't want the general public knowing about steroids. In the late 90's, steroids are what brought the game back to epic levels. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa resurrected the game. Steroids resurrected the game. Not just chicks "dig the long ball"...nearly all fans do -- as indicated by all attendance and television ratings.

Bud Selig is the biggest hypocrite in sports. For that reason, he has been bullied by the players and the Players Union for 14 years now (since being named "acting commissioner" in 1994). He sucks. He deserves praise for adding the Wild Card, but NOTHING else.

Allan Huber "Bud" Selig created the steroid issue. Bud Selig created the fiasco which has become Barry Bonds. For this reason, the LEAST Selig can do is acknowledge the "corrupt" home run record which he, himself, is most guilty of.

You'd figure a 73-year-old man would know a little something about "accountability" by now, wouldn't you? Instead, Selig will sit down and review these above comments by Sheffield -- and likely suspend him...for telling the general public exactly what most educated fans already know.

* In other news, Ken Rosenthal is reporting that Mark Teixeira and lefty reliever were just traded to the Braves -- in return, the Rangers will receive Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, and two pitching prospects.

This simply reaffirms that Braves GM John Schuerholz is the very best GM in the game. I pray that he becomes MLB's Commissioner in 2009, when Selig steps down.

http://grg51.typepad.com/steroid_nation/2007/07/gary-sheffield-.html