Tony La Russa Retires

October 31, 2011 by Leave a Comment

In terms of a lengthy view of the sport, the name Tony La Russa will forever be found atop a list of the very best managers in baseball history.

For that reason, it will make poetic sense that the St. Louis Cardinals skipper announced his retirement on Monday morning following 16 seasons with the team and just days right after reaching the pinnacle of his profession for a third time. It is rare that any athlete, manager or coach can select to retire as a champion, but La Russa is carrying out exactly that. He undoubtedly earned the right to create the choice, having won two,728 games – the third highest total in history behind Connie Mack and John McGraw- over 33 seasons with the Cardinals, Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox. He won six pennants and three Globe Series titles and will soon find himself in the Hall of Fame.

Though La Russa leaving the game may possibly come as a surprise simply because we saw so few signs leading as much as it, it cannot come as a total shock. La Russa constantly preferred to manage on one-year contracts so he could evaluate his position following every single season. It is also worth noting that 3 of the 67-year-old’s closest contemporaries – Bobby Cox, Joe Torre and Lou Piniella – hung it up immediately after last season. Although it often seemed like the only way TLR would leave the dugout was in a pine box, he’s going ahead and generating the call himself.

Is this definitely it for La Russa? Will a retirement filled with Tv gigs and wearing red blazers at Busch Stadium homecomings seriously placate the ever-calculating La Russa?

Or will the sweet call of the swish of a fungo bat lure him back in a year or two? Only La Russa knows for certain and with additional than 3 decades of expertise with playing it close towards the vest, there’s no way he’s going to tip his hand.

But like I said before, La Russa clearly earned the correct to make this choice on his own. No matter if you loved him or loved to hate him, we were all lucky to watch him work.

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Don Wilson of the Houston Astros

June 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment

For fans of the Houston Astros, January 5, 1975 will always be something of a day of mourning. On that day, one of the Astros greatest players left the great ballpark of life, leaving behind him more than enough fond memories to fill a thousand Minute Maid Parks in the team’s home city of Houston. The player’s name was Donald Edward Wilson, but his teammates and fans alike knew him simply as “Don”.

The rise of a pitcher

Don Wilson was born February 12, 1945, and played his college baseball in Compton, California – at the Compton Community College. After college, he was recruited in 1966 by the Astros, who were in need of good pitchers – as most teams usually are. He was known as a bit of a wild card in college, and his wild streak continued in the early years of his professional career. Part of that lack of control was simply the result of the speed with which he threw the ball. He was routinely referred to throughout his 9 years in the Majors as having one of the hardest thrown pitches in all of baseball. As many analysts have noted over the years, the truly hard throwing pitchers often find that the first thing they must sacrifice to obtain such speed and force is their control over the pitch.

His career

Wilson is known for a great many things in Astros lore, including being the first pitcher to ever record a no-hitter under a dome or on artificial grass. That no-hitter also saw an impressive display of strikeouts, as Don’s brutal pitches sealed the fates of 15 total batters on the day, including the legendary Hank Aaron, whose strikeout was the final deciding out in the contest. A year later, Wilson would record 18 total strikeouts in one game, setting a record for the franchise. His hard-throwing style was paying off.

By the time Wilson threw what would prove to be the last game of his career, he had earned the respect of his team, fans, and foes around the league. No-hitters were always a possibility when Don took the mound, and his opponents knew it. His very last game was close – a 5 to nothing, two hit affair over the Atlanta Braves in September of 1974. It was the last time he would ever be seen by a batter, however, as his body was found in his garage in January of the following year, dead in the passenger seat of his own car. The engine was still running, but the official account recorded the death as a tragic accident since there was no evidence of intent to commit suicide.

A few months later, the Astros organization officially retired Don’s number, a fitting tribute to a man who had given his life to the ball club. The next season, the players all wore the number 40 on a uniform patch to commemorate their fallen comrade. To this day, fans across the Houston area still talk about the hard-throwing pitcher who always left everything he had on the field of play.

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Boston Red Sox

June 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The Sox

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In 2004 the Boston Red Sox changed their identity. In 10 days they went from long suffering franchise to one of the regular contenders for the World Series. They made the greatest comeback in the history of baseball by beating the New York Yankees for game to three in the American league Championship Series. They followed that up with a four game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals to win their first World Series in 86 years. The Yankees series was amazing, as the Red Sox were down three games to none and trailed 4-3 in the ninth inning facing the greatest postseason closer of all time. That amazing comeback and subsequent four wins were among the most memorable in sports history, not just baseball.

So how do the Red Sox top that? They were able to deliver another championship to their fans in 2007, this time in slightly less dramatic fashion as they only trailed the Cleveland Indians 3-1 before making a comeback in that series. They then swept the Colorado Rockies, who came in as the hottest team in baseball, to take the World Series once again. It seems like the Red Sox now measure themselves against only the rival Yankees, which is one of the fiercest rivalries in all of sport.

Boston is also built to be a contender for years to come. They have made the playoffs each of the last two seasons, but have not been able to break through with a World Series win. In 2008 they came up short against the upstart Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Championship Series. In 2009 they fell to the Anaheim Angels in the Division Series, thus denying them a fourth playoff chance against the Yankees in 10 years. It is almost disappointing when the Yankees and Red Sox do not get to play each other in the playoffs because they are such memorable games.

Like most good teams, the Red Sox are balanced by good hitting and pitching. David Ortiz struggled last year, but came on in the second half of the season to show that he is one of the game’s most feared hitters. JasonBay came over as a quality addition and will now look to provide even more pop. On the mound, Josh Beckett is one of the best postseason pitchers in the game today. He already has a pair of World Series rings with clutch performances to earn each. His 2003 complete game shutout of the Yankees in Yankee Stadium to win the World Series for the Florida Marlins is one of the best postseason performances ever. With him on the mound, the Red Sox have a chance to win any game. Jonathan Papelbon is also a key element to Boston’s continued success. Papelbon is still younger than 30, but he has developed into one of the game’s premier closers. When he enters the game you know it is over. As long as Boston can get him the lead in the ninth inning they will continue to win a lot of games.

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Tony Gwynn and The Will To Win

June 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

San Diego Padres – Tony Gwynn and the Will to Win

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The San Diego Padres have been playing in the Major Leagues since their inaugural season of 1969, when they joined the league in a four-team expansion. The team’s early struggles – they were last in the National League West for their first season, and repeated that dismal feat for the next five seasons as well – helped to quell much of the early excitement that surrounded the team’s creation. It would not be until the mid 1980s that the Padres would experience the type of glory that the fans had expected. Indeed, the arrival of Anthony Gwynn, the talented right fielder, seemed to provide a spark that turned the team’s fortunes toward success – eventually leading to two National League Pennants. The first was won in 1984, with the second being won fourteen years later.

In hitting, consistency is the key

There have been many great sluggers in the annals of Major League Baseball, during both the dead and live-ball eras. The modern era, however, thrives on the long ball, and home runs seem to be the measure of a player’s power. In that respect, a player like Gwynn would have thrived even more in the dead-ball era where home runs were scarcer. His game was never one based on power, and he never broke the 17 home run mark in a season. Rather, Gwynn was a true contact hitter whose batting average was consistently at or above .309 in each season he played. In fact, over the course of his career – which included more than 9,000 times at the plate, he only struck out a total of 434 times.

The lifetime student of the game

Never content to rest on past accomplishments, Gwynn made no secret of his thirst for more baseball knowledge. He would listen to any advice and seek any counsel in his efforts to both study and improve his batting swing so that he could be an even more effective hitter. While others around him used the larger, heavier bats, Gwynn preferred the smaller Louisville Sluggers because they felt similar to the weight he was used to in his college days. The difference in size and weight may have influenced his ability to hit home runs to some degree, but it certainly never seemed to diminish his ability to make contact with the ball and place it into the field of play.

Hall of Fame numbers

During his long career, Gwynn had more than 3,000 hits. Of his 135 home runs, 3 were with the bases loaded, and 19 more were with two runners on base. Another 39 scored two runs, with 74 of them taking place with the bases empty. Though his home run numbers are something less than impressive by today’s standards, his timing is not. In fact, 99 out of those 135 home runs were hit by Gwynn in situations in which his Padres were trailing in the game or tied. If nothing else, Gwynn’s home runs were always driven out of the park just when the team most needed the boost – a shining example of his ever-present will to win.

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Florida Marlins in 2010

June 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment

No team in Major League baseball does more with less than the Florida Marlins. The Marlins regularly have one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. Their payroll is so low every season that recently Major League Baseball ordered that they spend more because of revenue sharing agreements. Usually, teams are asked to spend less on payroll. The Marlins, however, have been successful in recent season with a young roster of developing prospects. Part of the reason they struggle with payroll is that attendance is low at Dolphin Stadium, but they only have to play their two more seasons before opening their new and baseball-only facility at the former site of the Miami Orange Bowl. More importantly, they are consistently putting a winning team on the field. The Marlins are the only team in the history of baseball that has never lost a postseason series, winning the World Series during both of their postseason appearances. They have also never won a division, doing do with the Wild Card both times.

Florida came close to advancing to the playoffs via the Wild Card in 2009, but came up just short. They still finished a very respectable 87-75, showing they will be competitive again in 2010. That competitive spirit is centered around the one big contract player they do have in Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez enjoy the first year of his big contract by batting .342 with 24 home runs and 106 RBI’s. He is only 26, and the Marlins have already decided to make him the face of the franchise as they prepare to move into their new stadium. His .342 average was enough to win him the National League batting title, while h was 8th in runs scores with 101. He has also won consecutive Silver Slugger awards, so he will be the centerpiece of the offense.

Speaking of sluggers, the Marlins have a pair that does quite well in the notoriously pitcher-friendly confines of their ballpark. Dan Uggla is a two time all star that hit 31 home runs in 2009 while collecting 90 RBI’s. Unfortunately, he is a feast or famine type of player. He only batted .243 on the season and had a team high 150 strikeouts. The Marlins desperately need him to cut down on his strikeout numbers so he can be an even larger part of the offense. Cody Ross is also a promising home run hitter with 24 long balls last year.

On the mo8und, Florida continues its tradition of developing young pitching talent with its farm system. Josh Johnson. Who is only 25, had a breakthrough season going 15-5 with an ERA below four. Ricky Nolasco also had a solid year by going 13-9. Anibal Sanchez, who threw a no-hitter for the Marlins in 2006, may be ready to make more of a contribution to the starting rotation after battling back from an arm injury. At the end of games the Marlins have been happy with Leo Nunez, who took over for Kevin Gregg after Gregg was traded to the Cubs. Nunez saved 26 games and is in line for more this year.

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New York Yankees

June 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The New York Yankees are simply the class of Major League Baseball, and they have been for most of a century. The Yankees won their record 27th World Series this past October, so there is no immediate sign of their decline. It is the fifth title they have captured since 1996 alone, so they are as relevant now as they were in the days of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and the other greats of the game. Indeed, one of the best parts of visiting the old Yankee Stadium was knowing that the greatest players to ever play the game played there. One walk through monument park was like stepping into the game’s history as the retired numbers and plaques were not just Yankee legends, but baseball legends. No team has more titles, more history, and more retired numbers than the Yankees.

Amazingly, the Yankees threw away a part of that history in 2009 when they closed the doors on the old Yankee Stadium and moved into the new $1 billion Yankee Stadium across the street. That meant that the old House that Ruth Built, the first grand cathedral to the game of baseball, was destined for the wrecking ball. As a baseball fan, that made their 2009 season a tad bittersweet. Yes, it was great as they opened a fine new stadium. Winning the World Series was even better, but getting rid of the history and tradition of the old Yankee Stadium somehow felt wrong. The new Stadium also had an odd feeling to it. Though many games were filled to capacity, the premium seats immediately behind home plate were often found empty because it was hard to sell those incredibly expensive tickets in a tough economy.

The Yankees will continue to be competitive and generate revenue, however. Derek Jeter, the well respected captain of the team, is about two seasons away from reaching 3,000 hits for his career. He is one of the few Yankees with five World Series rings, so it is only a matter of time before his number 2 joins the other retired numbers in the new MonumentPark. The same is true with closer Mariano Rivera, who earned his fifth World Series ring and reached 500 career saves this past season. What helped the Yankees the most in 2009, however, was the emergence of Alex Rodriguez as a playoff performer. Regularly known as a player that did well during the regular season but stumbled in the playoffs, Rodriguez finally lived up to his massive expectations and huge contract by slugging his way through October.

The Yankees will once again be one of the World Series favorites in 2010. It is mostly because they spend more than any other team in baseball. They can amass talent like no one else can simply because they can afford it. They also have several key veterans like Rivera, Jeter, and Rodriguez returning to power the lineup. As always, that means it is a very good time to be a Yankee fan. There is no end in sight to the good times either.

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Cincinnati Reds in 1010

May 29, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Cincinnati was the birthplace of professional baseball. The Reds are the oldest team in North American Professional sports, beginning play in 1869. For some Reds fans, it feels like that long since they have been competitive. Great American Ballpark, which opened in 2003, has yet to host a postseason game. The Reds have tried to compete with various free agents, young players, and savvy veterans, but nothing works. The Reds have not won a World Series since a surprising title in 1990, though they did show some improvement in 2009. They have a stable of young pitchers that can help the team compete, and it was reflected in a 78-84 record. They were also in the race for a good portion of the season before fading late.

The Reds have already made a splash in the free agent market by signing Cuban free agent Aroldis Chapman. Chapman recently defected from his native Cuba and signed a six year deal to pitch for the Reds. While he may not play immediately in Cincinnati, he is a key player for the future as he adjusts to the Major League level. Another Cuban, former first round draft pick out of Miami Yonder Alonso, could be another player that makes his Major League debut this season and makes the Reds better. This is a very young team that is being built for the future, but they may be good enough to challenge right now in a weak National League. First they have to get past the Cubs and the Cardinals though.

Young first baseman Joey Votto is a promising player for the Reds that had a breakthrough year in 2009. Votto hit .322 with 25 home runs and 84 RBI to lead the Reds in homers and batting average. Brandon Phillips was another bright spot for a resurgent offense by driving in 98 runs with 20 home runs in his own right. Both players can hit for average and for power, making sure that the smokestacks at Great American Ballpark are constantly shooting fireworks into the air. Phillips is also a capable base stealer with 25, adding an element of speed to the Reds plans this year.

Ultimately, teams cannot do it without pitching though. The Reds bullpen has long been an area of concern, but the starters are beginning to come around and give them consistent innings. Bronson Arroyo is the ace of the staff and will be again in 2010. He won 15 games a year ago, which tied a career high for the 32-year-old right hander. He is a guy that will go out, eat up innings, and give you a chance to win every night. 23-year-old Johnny Cueto is another promising pitcher with 11 wins a year ago, while Homer Bailey is expected to finally deliver as a former #1 prospect in the organization. Francisco Cordero will also be back as one of the best closers in the game. Cordero had 39 saves last year, and can crack 100 mph when he is trying to close a game.

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Anaheim Angels in 2010

May 26, 2011 by Leave a Comment

The Anaheim, or is it Los Angeles, Angels have been the class of the American League West for the better part of a decade. They have won five divisional titles since 2002, but ironically their only World Series title came in a year that they won the wild card playoff berth as opposed to their division. They have won the American League West in each of the last three seasons and in five of the last 6. For Seattle, Texas, and Oakland, they know that the road to playoffs goes through Anaheim, so that makes 2010 already a daunting challenge.

Anaheim is a team that is getting older, however. They suffered a terrible blow early in the 2009 season when promising young pitcher Nick Adenhart was tragically killed in a traffic accident by a drunk driver. The Angels came together after the death of their teammate to win 97 games and cruise to the American League West title. They then knocked of Boston in the first round of the playoffs before falling to the Yankees in the American League Championship Series. That gives them tons of promise coming into the 2010 season, but this is a team that is getting older while teams in their own division like Texas and Seattle are younger. Anaheim still has enough power to win another division title in 2010, but don’t be surprised if they face a tougher test from Seattle and Texas. The fact that this is the only division in baseball with four teams means that it is that much easier to go from worst to first, so look out for Oakland as well.

Young shortstop Erick Aybar is a promising building block for the future. He led the Angels in batting average in 2009 by batting .312 in just his second full season in the Majors. At age 26, he is a player that could be a candidate to break out and have a very good year in 2010. The Angels also recently signed Hideki Matsui from the World champion Yankees, giving them a solid bat to place in the middle of the lineup. With slugger Vladimir Guerrero turning 35 this season the Angels need to replace his power. Guerrero hit only 15 home runs in 2009. The last time he had a season below 25 home runs was 1997. If his power numbers return tot heir career norms the Angels will get even better, but look for Bobby Abreu and other players to carry more of the power burden if Guerrero continues to decline.

Anaheim has a pair of solid pitchers that are young and can be a threat to win any game they start. Jared Weaver and Joe Saunders are both under 30 and both won 16 games in 2009. Those are two solid building blocks at the top of the rotation that will power another run to the West crown. Brian Fuentes and his 48 saves last season has also developed into a solid closer that will finish any game he is asked to finish.

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Toronto Blue Jays – the MLB in Canada

May 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

As part of the 1977 Major League Baseball expansion, the city of Toronto, Ontario in Canada received their very own MLB franchise, and the Toronto Blue Jays were born. Though they were once one of two Major League teams located in Canada, the 2004 relocation of the Montreal Expos to the Washington D.C. area left the Blue Jays as the only MLB team to be located any place other than an American city. As you might guess, the name of the team is derived from the blue jay bird, and they proudly wear the jay logo on their uniforms.

Canadian winners

The Toronto Blue Jays are well known for being the only non-American team to win the World Series. They also hold the record for American League expansion teams winning the Series, as they did it in only sixteen years from their creation. Those Championships came in 1992 and 1993, largely as a result of the team’s ability to make timely trades for key role players and pitchers. For example, the Blue Jays traded for Jack Morris, the Minnesota Twins pitching hero of the 1991 World Series prior to the 1992 season, as well as the explosive hitter Dave Winfield. Other acquisitions followed, and they yielded immediate results in the ’92 campaign as the Blue Jays won 96 games and the American League Easter Division title. That regular season campaign was memorable for one other reason: no team managed to sweep any series against the Toronto team. After defeating the Oakland As to win the American League Pennant, the Blue Jays advanced to the World Series.

The 1992 World Series

That Series, against the powerhouse Atlanta Braves, saw phenomenal pitching from the Jays’ bullpen, with the relief and closing pitchers managing to not give up a single run until the closing innings of the deciding sixth game. That final game was a nail-biter for Toronto fans, went eleven innings, and was won by Winfield’s two-RBI double in the top of the eleventh inning and the defense’s ability to hold the Braves to only one run in the bottom of that inning. After the World Series win, the jays released Winfield and several other players, but picked up other veteran talent like Dave Stewart in the process.

1993 and a repeat

The Toronto 1993 season turned out to be nearly as prolific as the previous campaign. In fact, the team managed to win one game shy of their prior year’s total. This set the stage for them to win their division for the third year in a row, and catapulted them into the American League Championship Series once again – this time against the Chicago White Sox. After defeating the Sox in six games, the stage was set for the Jays’ second straight appearance in the World Series. After an exciting and often high scoring Series (the fourth game of the series ended with a score of 15 to 14, which continues to hold the record for the most points scored in any single World Series game), the Blue Jays prevailed once again in six. Their second Championship in two years would prove to be their last to date.

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What does $39 million get you?

May 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Should you be the Florida Marlins it is going to invest in you a right-handed pitcher in Josh Johnson. This makes Johnson the highest paid Marlin since the Marlins received a brand new owner in 2002. Johnson looks to create this funds spread out over four years. In case you are a Marlins fan then you will sit at home in hopes that this is the factor that the Marlins require as a way to bounce back from a 87-75 season that the Marlins felt they will need to have carried out better than they did.

In all honesty the season that they had was impressive inside the fact that they wet to a far better season than quite a few such as myself predicted they would do. The deal to sign Johnson was performed in an effort to bring a strength to the spot of pitcher that has been lacking for the last couple of years. When it comes to the outfield the Marlins are appropriate where they have to be so that you can hit their makers and make a different powerful run for the post season.

The addition of Johnson helps to cement the fact that they have a team which will be able to shut lots of teams down from the mound. Their strength is going to be that they’ve a solid outfield and now the bullpen is in a league of it is own. There will likely be two problems that will impact as to whether or not or not the Marlins proceed via the post season and which are the Rockies or Phillies. These two teams are the only thing that can get into the way of keeping the Marlins from seeing October.

There has never been a greater time to be a Marlins fan than now, the Marlins are seeking to have the best season that they have had in a lengthy time. They are healthy, motivated as well as focused on the job at hand and which is to get to October and beyond that’s to put a Globe Title in their trophy case.

The Marlins are able to bring a style to the field that makes them look like a team that’s focused for the very first time in various years to create a valid run at the World Series this may enable them to be a force to reckon with within the upcoming season. You will find various teams which will say that this year will likely be their year but only Florida will probably be able to back up their claims and make a real championship run.

The outfield will probably be the only place place that the team will have any real issues to contend with. You will discover several holes in the outfield position which will take a bit function throughout spring training to help to seal their holes up to ensure that that can not be the dent in their championship run.

Final word on the Marlins is that it is going to be yet another year of the team going to the limit and make a run that will be hard of a lot of teams to contend with. This can give the Marlins a actual shot at becoming a Globe Series contender.
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