Rosenthal’s Picks to Improve Yankees Bullpen before the trade deadline posted by Cesar Valverde

Hazel Mae interviewed Ken Rosenthal from Fox Sports the other night on MLB Network’s show Quick Pitch. Mae brought out the point that the Yankees needed to improve their bullpen. Ken mentioned that the Yankees are all set with Brian Bruney and that they expect improvement in their bullpen upon his return. He also brought out some possibilities considering that Brian has been on the DL twice this season. Here are his picks along with my personal reaction to each pick:

Jose Valverde (Houston Astros) – Valverde is the closer for the ‘Stros. Last year he had over 40 saves for them for the 2nd year in a row. Last I read, he’s only got 3 saves this year so far. He’s been hampered by an injured calf and an injured foot from a comebacker hitting off his leg against the Dodgers earlier this year. He tried his best to work through it but ended up on the disabled list and ex-Yankee LaTroy Hawkins filled in for him. Do you think Houston will give him up if they fall out of contention? At first I thought, “He is their man. He is their closer. He’s their version of Mariano Rivera. He’s had 40+ saves the previous 2 seasons. They’re keeping him.” Then I looked at their place in the standings and found that they were in the cellar 6 games behind the 1st place Cardinals in the NL Central. If they fall out of contention by the trade deadline, I believe they might trade him to a team looking for a reliever.

Huston Street (Colorado Rockies) – The 2005 AL Rookie of the Year with the Oakland A’s, Street is now the closer for the Rox. He recently got his 100th career save. In the series against the Tampa Bay Rays that MLB.com called the battle of the 2 hottest teams in baseball, Street was lights out against the Rays. He was called in to close those last 2 games and did not disappoint: 2 games, 2 saves. I believe that if the Rockies continue to win and move up the standings, Street will be the key to close out their ball games. They may not be able to catch up to the Dodgers in the NL West. L.A.’s running away with that division this year. But they may be able to catch up to the Brewers in the Wild Card and Street will be key in those close games.

Put me in, Coach! I’m ready to…pitch? posted by David

What is going on with all these position players pitching in big-league games this year?  Usually a phenomenon that, as I recall, occurs once or twice a season, in 2009 there have already been five such instances.  Nick Swisher (Yankees), Cody Ross (Marlins), Jonathan Van Every (Red Sox), Josh Wilson (Diamondbacks), and Paul Janish (Reds) have taken the hill with their teams down late in the game.

Just three position players were called on to pitch in 2008, but the 2009 season is well on its way to witnessing double-digits.

It’s worth noting that infielder Josh Wilson has now pitched for two teams (Tampa Bay in ’07 and Arizona in ’09), but Wilson, who was recently picked up by the Padres, has a chance to separate himself even further from the rest of the pack.  Wouldn’t it be cool to see a position player pitch for two different teams in one season?

How ‘bout that?

How about Joe Mauer?  Not only is he hitting .417 with an .819 slugging percentage since his return from the Disabled List on May 1st, but he is looking good behind the plate as well.  In case you missed Mauer’s indescribable play against the Yankees on Sunday, here it is.  Pretty impressive, huh?

How about Victor Martinez?  After playing in just 73 games in 2008 following mid-season surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow, Martinez has come out swinging thus far in ’09, leading the majors with a .400 batting average.  The 30-year-old Venezuelan has already reached his totals from last year in walks, runs scored, home runs, and total bases.

Time to Panic? posted by Tommy Comer

The Arizona Diamondbacks are 6-11, with 14 of those contests coming in their home ballpark. The team is near the bottom in every major offensive category (last in on-base-percentage) and also ranks near the bottom in many bullpen statistics.  Brandon Webb has been shut down for another 3 weeks and now Stephen Drew - one of their more consistent players - is on the 15-day DL.  Haren is 1-3 and most of their position players are batting in the low .200s or worse.  Although it is easy to dismiss the start of the season to it being only 17 games (still 144 to go), most fans still look back to May 1, 2009 when the Diamondbacks were 20-8.  Since then, the team has played 151 games - going 68-83.  Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Dodgers are playing good defense, pitching well, and hitting the ball - leading the NL West by 6.5 games over Arizona already.

It's early...but it's close to panic time for Arizona.

Giants down Brewers, freak accident near end of game! posted by Tom Ontis

The Giants, who were not supposed to-have any offense, is proving some experts wrong, at least for the first three games: They have scored 19 runs.  Any team who averages 6 runs per game will win a lot of games, as long as they don't give up seven.  Such was the case as the Giants downed the visiting Brewers with a 7-1 final score...With the game in hand, Joe Martinez entered in the top of the ninth for his second big league appearance.  Mike Cameron lined a drive back up the middle, which hit Martinez in the right part of his forehead.  Martinez knuckled to his knees, tried to-get up then sat back down until the training staff reached him from the dugout.  He was bleeding from the forehead and was clearly wobbly as he left the field.  Replays showed that Cameron was distraught at the turn of events.  He ended up on 2nd base, and was comforted by the assembled Giants.  At press time, Martinez was being taken to the hospital for x-rays and a CatScan...On a bright note; Matt Cain, who has a history of little run support, went seven strong innings, had five strikeouts, with just two walks.  In his 66 major league starts, the team had scored less than three runs in 30 of them.  Good job Matt...Barry Zito gets his first start of the season in San Diego Friday evening.  HE MUST GET OFF TO A GOOD START!  He began last season 0-8 and the boo birds were out.  He rebounded to finish with 11 wins.  He says he came into the spring in the best shape of his life, after working out with Brian Wilson Continue reading "Giants down Brewers, freak accident ..."

The Sports Don's 2009 NL West Preview posted by Christian Mielcarek

The National League West is not a division too many people are getting overly excited about entering the 2009 season. The return of Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles has made the Dodgers the division’s lone true contender for the World Series. Arizona will go as far as its pitching takes it, which could be far, but other than that, there’s not a whole lot to pontificate upon. Yet, somehow, I still managed to write 1,383 words.

To read The Sports Don’s AL East preview, click here, for his AL Central preview, click here, and for his AL West preview, click here.

1.  LOS ANGELES DODGERS (84-78, first place and lost in NLCS in 2008)

The star of the self-titled epic “Mannywood” has returned making the Dodgers one of the most feared lineups in the NL even if Ramirez doesn’t put up the redonkulous numbers he did while in Los Angeles. Should Manny produce at the pace he did after being acquired at the deadline, his year-end totals for ’09 will look something like this: 52 homeruns, 162 RBI, 42 doubles, 107 walks, a .396 batting average and a .489 on-base percentage. That, ladies and gentlemen, would be the greatest season for any hitter all-time.

The Dodger lineup is frightfully deep starting with Rafael Furcal (.357 AVG with five HR, 16 RBI and eight stolen bases in only 36 games last season) at the top of the order all the way down to either Andre Ethier (20, 77, .305) or Casey Blake (21 and 81 between Cleveland and LA). If Matt Kemp and James Loney continue to develop, there isn’t an easy out to be found until the pitcher's spot. The Dodger staff doesn’t offer a true ace, but every scout is in love with Chad Billingsley. Hiroki Kuroda pitched well in his first year in the majors, particularly in the second half when he had a 3.48 ERA, and will pitch in the second spot in the rotation ahead of Clayton Kershaw, who is probably another year or two away from reaching his full potential. The bullpen could present problems, especially if Jonathan Broxton is inconsistent stepping in for the departed Takashi Saito. He signed with Boston, he’s not dead. Reliever Cory Wade was superb from September on allowing four runs on 11 hits and two walks in 21 1/3 innings.

MLB's Top Five Starting Rotations posted by John Frascella

What's different here? Well, Tampa opted to start David Price in AAA. But he'll be back, don't worry...

5-(Tie) Anaheim Angels: John Lackey, Ervin Santana, Joe Saunders, Jered Weaver, and Dustin Moseley. Wild card: Kelvim Escobar

and Tampa Bay Rays: James Shields, Scott Kazmir, Matt Garza, Andy Sonnanstine, and David Price. 

Again, as I explained in the bullpens post, there were no ties in the original mathematical system. But some things have changed since that initial post, and one of those changes is that Ervin Santana is going to begin the season on the disabled list for the Angels. Undoubtedly, that's a concern for them going forward.

Originally the Angels were ranked fourth in rotation, but the Santana injury could linger throughout the year, and that would certainly weaken Anaheim's unit as a whole. The Rays were ranked sixth, and I think with the Santana injury, Tampa's rotation is just as good -- if not better -- than Anaheim's right now.

They have nice balance with two plus lefties in Kazmir and Price, two polished control guys in ace Shields and crafty Sonnanstine, and an intimidating power arm in Garza.

As for the Angels, Lackey is a workhorse and a rock, and I expect somewhat of a breakout year from Jered Weaver. He really started to figure things out toward the end of the '08 season, including his brief appearance in the playoffs.

(Note: Dustin Moseley doesn't appear to have the upper hand for the Angels' No. 5 spot.)

4-Arizona Diamondbacks: Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, Jon Garland, Doug Davis, and Max Scherzer. 

Curt Schilling is a Hall of Famer, A-Rod Spoke Like a Man & Frank Mir is "a Lamb to the Slaughter" posted by Colin Linneweber

Curt Schilling Should be a Hall of Famer 

Dominant pitching ace and living hemorrhoid Curt Schilling retired Monday after 20 decorated seasons playing Major League Baseball.

Schilling, 42, who was awarded the 2001 World Series co-MVP with former Arizona Diamondbacks teammate Randy Johnson and is only the second person in history to have twice won or shared Sports Illustrated magazine’s “Sportsmen of the Year” honor, said he departed the game with “zero regrets.”

“The things I was able to experience, the people I was able to call friends, teammates, mentors, coaches and opponents, the travel, all of it, are far more than anything I ever thought possible in my lifetime,” said Schilling, who went 216-146 with a 3.46 ERA while playing for 5 professional organizations.

The six-time All-Star and the owner of the highest strikeout to walk ratio of all-time, will live in lore as one of the greatest October performers in the annals of baseball. In 19 career postseason starts, the overbearing Republican went 11-2 and flaunted an impressive 2.33 ERA.

The passionate Pittsburgh Steelers fan and resident of Medfield, Mass, will be particularly recalled for his heroic pitching performance for the Boston Red Sox versus the New York Yankees in Game 6 of the 2004 American League Championship Series.

Throwing with a dislocated ankle tendon and wearing a sock that was soaked with blood from the sutures used in this medical procedure, Schilling valiantly pitched seven strong innings, surrendering only one run, while helping the Red Sox even the ALCS with the Bombers.

No Dice on Haren in Tribe Uniform posted by Steve DiMatteo

The Oakland A's and Arizona Diamondbacks finalized a deal on Friday that sent Dan Haren to the Diamondbacks for six prospects, all ranging in talent and success in the minor leagues.  This comes as particularly disheartening news because it was revealed this week that the Cleveland Indians were one of the teams looking to deal for the A's ace.  Additionally, it seemed that the Tribe was beginning to gain the inside track, as they were able to offer top-line prospects and players with major league experience.

The idea of a rotation that included the likes of C.C. Sabathia, Fausto Carmona, and Dan Haren made Cleveland fans everywhere feel an extra surge of anticipation for the upcoming summer.  However, as it was not the case, the primary focus once again turns to the signing of C.C. to a long-term extension.  Dan Haren was supposed to be that insurance policy if Sabathia went somewhere else - who can the Tribe turn to now?  Cliff Lee?  Just "hoping" that he returns to form (which was never the form of a lights-out, dominant pitcher anyway) won't be enough against the trendy new favorites of the AL Central in the Detroit Tigers.

With an offense as powerful as Detroit's, it would have been oustanding for Mark Shapiro to pull off a deal for Haren.  But Oakland GM Billy Beane was probably asking for too much, including the likes of Asdrubal Cabrera, the Indians' second-half savior of 2007.  One has to certainly give Shapiro credit for not wanting to give up too much in the deal, but his limp trigger finger has its frustrating moments.  If getting Dan Haren, the starter for the American League in last season's All-Star Game, meant parting ways with Cabrera, you would still have to think it be a good deal for the Tribe.