Ubaldo Jimenez is halfway to 30 wins. Miguel Cabrera is poised to make a serious run at the Triple Crown. No-hitters are being pitched at a near-record pace.
But the No. 1 reason to look forward to baseball’s second half, which begins with seven games Thursday, has nothing to do with individual glory. It is all about the pennant races, which are as plentiful as they are tight. For the first time since the dawn of the six-division alignment, no division leader will take more than a 4 1/2-game lead into the second half.
Even more surprising are the teams on top, where only one club pegged for first place — who else, the Yankees — resides there. In the N.L., the Braves have zoomed past the Phillies in the East, the Reds have overtaken the Cardinals in the Central and the Padres continue to surprise in the West. In the American League, the White Sox have come from 9 1/2 games back to lead the Central in just more than a month, and the Rangers sit 4 1/2 games ahead of the perennial-favorite Angels.
Three factors that will impact the races long before the September stretch.
SCHEDULE MATTERS
Because 17 clubs have a legitimate chance of reaching the postseason, contenders will face off regularly from now until October. Just look at this weekend, for example:
David Price says the Rays just need to get either their offense or pitching on track and the other will follow.
Rays at Yankees. The Rays led the Yankees until their June swoon. A 9-2 July has pushed them in front of the Red Sox and within two games of the Yankees. "We struggled offensively and pitching two or three weeks ago but came out of it," A.L. All-Star starter David Price said. "That’s what good teams do. If we get our one or the other — our offense or our pitching — back on track, we’ll be fine."
The Yankees will finish the season without two fallen franchise icons, though they will be remembered on the teams’ uniforms. New York will have a prominent black patch on the front of its uniforms in honor of owner George Steinbrenner and another — featuring a microphone — on its left sleeves in memory of long-time public address announcer Bob Sheppard.
White Sox at Twins. MVP candidate Justin Morneau skipped the All-Star Game in hopes that he will be ready to return Thursday from a concussion suffered last week. Minnesota needs all the help it can get to slow the White Sox, who closed the first half with an eight-game winning streak and a 25-5 run.
Rangers at Red Sox. No club faces a tougher second-half schedule than the Red Sox, who still have 10 games remaining against the Yankees and six against the Rays. Oh yeah, they also have two series against the first-place White Sox, another with the Rangers and an upcoming 10-game trip to the West Coast. Boston will face Rangers newcomer Cliff Lee on Saturday.
Rockies at Reds. Cincinnati catches a break because the Rockies have pushed back Jimenez’s next start to next week.
Dodgers at Cardinals. Asked to make a second-half prediction, Cardinals righthander Adam Wainwright said: "You’ll see a better brand of baseball from the Cardinals." The club has underachieved but is just one game back. "Treading water, that’s exactly what we’ve been doing," Wainwright said.
DEADLINE DEALS
With last week’s acquisition of Lee, Texas likely wrapped up the title of "biggest winner" before the nonwaiver trading deadline. But that doesn’t mean there will be a lack of moves by contenders before July 31.
The Padres need a slugger, and the Brewers’ Corey Hart remains a possibility. The Twins and Mets might have to settle for a back-of-the-rotation type such as Kevin Millwood or Jake Westbrook to bolster their rotations if, as is likely, the Diamondbacks keep Dan Haren and the Astros don’t move Roy Oswalt. Orioles All-Star Ty Wigginton could be a valuable utility player for a banged-up club such as the Phillies, but he refused to consider the possibility of being traded when he was in Anaheim.
HEALTHY RETURNS
The Mets and Reds won’t have to make a deal to add potential impact players to their rosters. Center fielder Carlos Beltran, out all season after right knee surgery, already has been penciled into the Mets’ cleanup spot for this weekend’s series at San Francisco. How manager Jerry Manuel juggles his four-man outfield remains to be seen.
Reds righthander Edinson Volquez has been sharp in his rehab starts and could make his debut as soon as this weekend, in part because he was able to serve his 50-game suspension for performance enhancers while on the disabled list recovering from Tommy John surgery.
The Red Sox can only hope for good news about their long injury list. Starters Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz are in the rehab-start stages and, barring setbacks, should be back by the end of the month. The returns of second baseman Dustin Pedroia (broken left foot), catchers Victor Martinez (left thumb) and Jason Varitek (broken left foot) and outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury (ribs) are less certain.
The Red Sox could use those players sooner than later because, as Mets third baseman David Wright said at the All-Star Game, "September is just around the corner."
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Ubaldo Jimenez is halfway to 30 wins. Miguel Cabrera is poised to make a serious run at the Triple Crown. No-hitters are being pitched at a near-record pace.
But the No. 1 reason to look forward to baseball’s second half, which begins with seven games Thursday, has nothing to do with individual glory. It is all about the pennant races, which are as plentiful as they are tight. For the first time since the dawn of the six-division alignment, no division leader will take more than a 4 1/2-game lead into the second half.
Even more surprising are the teams on top, where only one club pegged for first place — who else, the Yankees — resides there. In the N.L., the Braves have zoomed past the Phillies in the East, the Reds have overtaken the Cardinals in the Central and the Padres continue to surprise in the West. In the American League, the White Sox have come from 9 1/2 games back to lead the Central in just more than a month, and the Rangers sit 4 1/2 games ahead of the perennial-favorite Angels.
Three factors that will impact the races long before the September stretch.
SCHEDULE MATTERS
Because 17 clubs have a legitimate chance of reaching the postseason, contenders will face off regularly from now until October. Just look at this weekend, for example:
David Price says the Rays just need to get either their offense or pitching on track and the other will follow.
Rays at Yankees. The Rays led the Yankees until their June swoon. A 9-2 July has pushed them in front of the Red Sox and within two games of the Yankees. "We struggled offensively and pitching two or three weeks ago but came out of it," A.L. All-Star starter David Price said. "That’s what good teams do. If we get our one or the other — our offense or our pitching — back on track, we’ll be fine."
The Yankees will finish the season without two fallen franchise icons, though they will be remembered on the teams’ uniforms. New York will have a prominent black patch on the front of its uniforms in honor of owner George Steinbrenner and another — featuring a microphone — on its left sleeves in memory of long-time public address announcer Bob Sheppard.
White Sox at Twins. MVP candidate Justin Morneau skipped the All-Star Game in hopes that he will be ready to return Thursday from a concussion suffered last week. Minnesota needs all the help it can get to slow the White Sox, who closed the first half with an eight-game winning streak and a 25-5 run.
Rangers at Red Sox. No club faces a tougher second-half schedule than the Red Sox, who still have 10 games remaining against the Yankees and six against the Rays. Oh yeah, they also have two series against the first-place White Sox, another with the Rangers and an upcoming 10-game trip to the West Coast. Boston will face Rangers newcomer Cliff Lee on Saturday.
Rockies at Reds. Cincinnati catches a break because the Rockies have pushed back Jimenez’s next start to next week.
Dodgers at Cardinals. Asked to make a second-half prediction, Cardinals righthander Adam Wainwright said: "You’ll see a better brand of baseball from the Cardinals." The club has underachieved but is just one game back. "Treading water, that’s exactly what we’ve been doing," Wainwright said.
DEADLINE DEALS
With last week’s acquisition of Lee, Texas likely wrapped up the title of "biggest winner" before the nonwaiver trading deadline. But that doesn’t mean there will be a lack of moves by contenders before July 31.
The Padres need a slugger, and the Brewers’ Corey Hart remains a possibility. The Twins and Mets might have to settle for a back-of-the-rotation type such as Kevin Millwood or Jake Westbrook to bolster their rotations if, as is likely, the Diamondbacks keep Dan Haren and the Astros don’t move Roy Oswalt. Orioles All-Star Ty Wigginton could be a valuable utility player for a banged-up club such as the Phillies, but he refused to consider the possibility of being traded when he was in Anaheim.
HEALTHY RETURNS
The Mets and Reds won’t have to make a deal to add potential impact players to their rosters. Center fielder Carlos Beltran, out all season after right knee surgery, already has been penciled into the Mets’ cleanup spot for this weekend’s series at San Francisco. How manager Jerry Manuel juggles his four-man outfield remains to be seen.
Reds righthander Edinson Volquez has been sharp in his rehab starts and could make his debut as soon as this weekend, in part because he was able to serve his 50-game suspension for performance enhancers while on the disabled list recovering from Tommy John surgery.
The Red Sox can only hope for good news about their long injury list. Starters Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz are in the rehab-start stages and, barring setbacks, should be back by the end of the month. The returns of second baseman Dustin Pedroia (broken left foot), catchers Victor Martinez (left thumb) and Jason Varitek (broken left foot) and outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury (ribs) are less certain.
The Red Sox could use those players sooner than later because, as Mets third baseman David Wright said at the All-Star Game, "September is just around the corner."
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — For all he did as a baseball owner, George Steinbrenner’s greatest legacy was leaving the Yankees in far better shape than when he bought them.
He wouldn’t want it any other way.
George Steinbrenner’s $8.7 million investment in the 1970s paid off well.
Steinbrenner died early Tuesday at the age of 80 as the most famous owner in American sports history. He was famous for his firings. His willingness to pay top dollar has made mega-millionaires of countless players. He also was known for his charity donations.
But most of all, he did his job better than the rest. He bought the Yankees for $8.7 million in 1973, according to a Yankees release. When Forbes again ranked the Yankees the No. 1 baseball franchise earlier this year, their value was estimated at $1.6 billion (the Dallas Cowboys are No. 1 at $1.65 billion). Under Steinbrenner, the Yankees won seven World Series and 11 pennants, moved into a new palace of a ballpark and launched their own television network.
Steinbrenner created his share of adversaries along the way because of his my-way-or-the-highway methods. Those who remembered him Tuesday — and reactions came from across the land — did so with respect and considerable admiration.
Said White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf in his statement: "George Steinbrenner was too complex a person to adequately describe in a short statement, but he was a great friend of mine and he will be missed. His impact on the game cannot be denied."
The key to Steinbrenner’s success was simple: Get the best players.
"He was the first owner who paid huge sums of money to players and he was very successful at it," says Tommy John, who signed a four-year, $1.4 million deal before the 1979 season. "He paid very, very well and expected you to play very, very well. He was very, very tough to work for but he was very fair. He expected a hard day’s work for a good dollar."
The Yankees made headlines in 1975 when they signed Catfish Hunter for $3.35 million over five years, and they won the World Series in 1977 and 1978. Before the 2008 season, they signed CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett for more than $420 million, and they won the World Series in 2009.
"All the guys in baseball making any money should go to the funeral because George is directly responsible for their salaries," John said.
Steinbrenner’s death on the morning of the All-Star Game allowed the baseball world an All-Star send-off of sorts for the Yankees owner. Two press conferences were held before the game — one for Joe Girardi, Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguez, and another for one of the greatest Yankees, Derek Jeter. All have been made rich by Steinbrenner, and all have helped deliver the Yankees at least one World Series ring.
"He’s more than just an owner to me. He’s a friend of mine," said Jeter, who like Steinbrenner, has a home in Tampa, Fla., and talked about visiting his boss during the offseason.
Rodriguez talked about his first meeting with The Boss and how, "Within the first two minutes he said the words, ‘We have to win a world championship’ about three or four times, so really quickly I got a good idea of what his front and center thoughts were."
Pettitte remembered being a young minor leaguer who would be in awe — and a little scared — whenever Steinbrenner showed up at Yankees’ rookie-league games. "He was always down there and I was a 19-year-old kid at the time, and it was looking at him like, That’s The Boss walking by."
In a radio interview, Dwight Gooden talked about his first meeting with Steinbrenner in 1996. The Yankees were interested in giving Gooden a comeback opportunity so Steinbrenner met Gooden for lunch and for two hours, Gooden said, never talked about baseball. After Gooden signed and started 0-3, however, he and his wife at the time were passing Steinbrenner after a game. Gooden introduced his wife to the owner, who replied, "When are you going to win a (bleeping) game?"
That was the Steinbrenner that made headlines for changing managers 21 times and general managers more than a dozen times. Girardi went out of his way to talk about another side of Steinbrenner — the one that John said regularly and without fanfare paid for children’s surgeries in New York.
"One of the things that is not talked enough about Mr. Steinbrenner is how giving of a man he is," Girardi said. "A man that really cared about people and tried to change people’s lives; whether it was a first chance, a second chance or a third chance. That’s who he really was."
Yankees critics, of course, tend to remember Steinbrenner as the man who bought championships and, as a result, is partly responsible for sports becoming a mega-business. His critics still howl over the unfairness of it all. Often you loved him or you hated him, depending on how you thought about the Yankees.
But even those who didn’t like his ways have to admit Steinbrenner cared about his job. Which is why, as he leaves, the Yankees are the biggest winners in our sports world.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — For all he did as a baseball owner, George Steinbrenner’s greatest legacy was leaving the Yankees in far better shape than when he bought them.
He wouldn’t want it any other way.
George Steinbrenner’s $8.7 million investment in the 1970s paid off well.
Steinbrenner died early Tuesday at the age of 80 as the most famous owner in American sports history. He was famous for his firings. His willingness to pay top dollar has made mega-millionaires of countless players. He also was known for his charity donations.
But most of all, he did his job better than the rest. He bought the Yankees for $8.7 million in 1973, according to a Yankees release. When Forbes again ranked the Yankees the No. 1 baseball franchise earlier this year, their value was estimated at $1.6 billion (the Dallas Cowboys are No. 1 at $1.65 billion). Under Steinbrenner, the Yankees won seven World Series and 11 pennants, moved into a new palace of a ballpark and launched their own television network.
Steinbrenner created his share of adversaries along the way because of his my-way-or-the-highway methods. Those who remembered him Tuesday — and reactions came from across the land — did so with respect and considerable admiration.
Said White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf in his statement: "George Steinbrenner was too complex a person to adequately describe in a short statement, but he was a great friend of mine and he will be missed. His impact on the game cannot be denied."
The key to Steinbrenner’s success was simple: Get the best players.
"He was the first owner who paid huge sums of money to players and he was very successful at it," says Tommy John, who signed a four-year, $1.4 million deal before the 1979 season. "He paid very, very well and expected you to play very, very well. He was very, very tough to work for but he was very fair. He expected a hard day’s work for a good dollar."
The Yankees made headlines in 1975 when they signed Catfish Hunter for $3.35 million over five years, and they won the World Series in 1977 and 1978. Before the 2008 season, they signed CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett for more than $420 million, and they won the World Series in 2009.
"All the guys in baseball making any money should go to the funeral because George is directly responsible for their salaries," John said.
Steinbrenner’s death on the morning of the All-Star Game allowed the baseball world an All-Star send-off of sorts for the Yankees owner. Two press conferences were held before the game — one for Joe Girardi, Andy Pettitte and Alex Rodriguez, and another for one of the greatest Yankees, Derek Jeter. All have been made rich by Steinbrenner, and all have helped deliver the Yankees at least one World Series ring.
"He’s more than just an owner to me. He’s a friend of mine," said Jeter, who like Steinbrenner, has a home in Tampa, Fla., and talked about visiting his boss during the offseason.
Rodriguez talked about his first meeting with The Boss and how, "Within the first two minutes he said the words, ‘We have to win a world championship’ about three or four times, so really quickly I got a good idea of what his front and center thoughts were."
Pettitte remembered being a young minor leaguer who would be in awe — and a little scared — whenever Steinbrenner showed up at Yankees’ rookie-league games. "He was always down there and I was a 19-year-old kid at the time, and it was looking at him like, That’s The Boss walking by."
In a radio interview, Dwight Gooden talked about his first meeting with Steinbrenner in 1996. The Yankees were interested in giving Gooden a comeback opportunity so Steinbrenner met Gooden for lunch and for two hours, Gooden said, never talked about baseball. After Gooden signed and started 0-3, however, he and his wife at the time were passing Steinbrenner after a game. Gooden introduced his wife to the owner, who replied, "When are you going to win a (bleeping) game?"
That was the Steinbrenner that made headlines for changing managers 21 times and general managers more than a dozen times. Girardi went out of his way to talk about another side of Steinbrenner — the one that John said regularly and without fanfare paid for children’s surgeries in New York.
"One of the things that is not talked enough about Mr. Steinbrenner is how giving of a man he is," Girardi said. "A man that really cared about people and tried to change people’s lives; whether it was a first chance, a second chance or a third chance. That’s who he really was."
Yankees critics, of course, tend to remember Steinbrenner as the man who bought championships and, as a result, is partly responsible for sports becoming a mega-business. His critics still howl over the unfairness of it all. Often you loved him or you hated him, depending on how you thought about the Yankees.
But even those who didn’t like his ways have to admit Steinbrenner cared about his job. Which is why, as he leaves, the Yankees are the biggest winners in our sports world.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Coming up with five memorable moments from a two-hour, 30-some minute event featuring some of baseball’s best hitters shouldn’t be this difficult. But perhaps that says something about the event, or the length of it anyway. As far as home run derbies go, this one had way more homers (95 total) than memorable moments. Here goes:
David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez were rooting for each other in the Home Run Derby final.
1. The winner. David Ortiz is smiling again. And if he starts slowly next year, maybe he will be cut some slack and the smile won’t disappear. The way he bombed those majestic big flies into the right-field seats, the life in Ortiz’s bat is not likely to run out anytime soon. He hit eight, 13 and 11 homers to finish with six more than runner-up Hanley Ramirez. Not bad for a man who, at 34, is old enough for Ramirez to say he’s "like my dad." In a respectful way, of course. Ortiz looked out for his younger countryman when Ramirez was coming up in the Red Sox’s system. Ramirez went so far to admit that Ortiz was rooting for Ramirez to win the derby. "Like I was rooting for him," Ramirez said.
2. The runner-up. For a guy who admitted he was concerned about what entering the derby could do to his swing, Ramirez put on an impressive showing. While Ortiz launched his homers, Ramirez’s were more like line drives drilled over the fence. So why did he decide to enter? "My teammates kept saying why aren’t you doing it, why aren’t you doing it." And will it affect his swing? "I will hit more (homers) now," he said, smiling before adding, "I don’t think so. I know what kind of hitter I am. "
3. On the field. Matt Holliday didn’t make it out of the first round but he did hit the longest homer of the night, 497 feet. He also showed about as much emotion as he does during regular-season games when he slapped his bat after making his final out. With one out left, Holliday had only one homer but then he cranked four straight to make things interesting. He ended up two homers short of moving on.
4. On the sideline. First-time All Star and derby entrant Chris Young didn’t exactly join the ranks of notable sluggers by hitting only one homer, made doubly embarrassing because he had to go first. But give the young Diamondbacks center fielder credit for respecting those who came before him. Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson and Frank Robinson were about to walk off the field after finishing an on-field interview when Young stopped them and asked them to pose for a photograph with him. "I had the opportunity and I went for it," Young said. "I’m framing that one, for sure."
5. In the press box. What better way to promote a movie than bring one of the stars into a press box full of folks looking for a break from watching the derby? Especially when that star is funnyman Will Ferrell? And there he was, appearing on behalf of his upcoming film "The Other Guys" (August 6), wiping sweat from his brow and trying to be quick-witted while squeezed in a room full of media hoping for a mini-monologue. His sports jacket was kind of funny, with an authentic Bobby Grich patch on the front (Ferrell grew up an Angels fan). He had at least one good line. Asked what his home run call would be if he were an announcer, Ferrell replied something like: "It’s back … to the wall. Check your watches (voice rising), it’s home run o’clock." OK, not his funniest one-liner ever but impressive without any notice.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Coming up with five memorable moments from a two-hour, 30-some minute event featuring some of baseball’s best hitters shouldn’t be this difficult. But perhaps that says something about the event, or the length of it anyway. As far as home run derbies go, this one had way more homers (95 total) than memorable moments. Here goes:
David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez were rooting for each other in the Home Run Derby final.
1. The winner. David Ortiz is smiling again. And if he starts slowly next year, maybe he will be cut some slack and the smile won’t disappear. The way he bombed those majestic big flies into the right-field seats, the life in Ortiz’s bat is not likely to run out anytime soon. He hit eight, 13 and 11 homers to finish with six more than runner-up Hanley Ramirez. Not bad for a man who, at 34, is old enough for Ramirez to say he’s "like my dad." In a respectful way, of course. Ortiz looked out for his younger countryman when Ramirez was coming up in the Red Sox’s system. Ramirez went so far to admit that Ortiz was rooting for Ramirez to win the derby. "Like I was rooting for him," Ramirez said.
2. The runner-up. For a guy who admitted he was concerned about what entering the derby could do to his swing, Ramirez put on an impressive showing. While Ortiz launched his homers, Ramirez’s were more like line drives drilled over the fence. So why did he decide to enter? "My teammates kept saying why aren’t you doing it, why aren’t you doing it." And will it affect his swing? "I will hit more (homers) now," he said, smiling before adding, "I don’t think so. I know what kind of hitter I am. "
3. On the field. Matt Holliday didn’t make it out of the first round but he did hit the longest homer of the night, 497 feet. He also showed about as much emotion as he does during regular-season games when he slapped his bat after making his final out. With one out left, Holliday had only one homer but then he cranked four straight to make things interesting. He ended up two homers short of moving on.
4. On the sideline. First-time All Star and derby entrant Chris Young didn’t exactly join the ranks of notable sluggers by hitting only one homer, made doubly embarrassing because he had to go first. But give the young Diamondbacks center fielder credit for respecting those who came before him. Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson and Frank Robinson were about to walk off the field after finishing an on-field interview when Young stopped them and asked them to pose for a photograph with him. "I had the opportunity and I went for it," Young said. "I’m framing that one, for sure."
5. In the press box. What better way to promote a movie than bring one of the stars into a press box full of folks looking for a break from watching the derby? Especially when that star is funnyman Will Ferrell? And there he was, appearing on behalf of his upcoming film "The Other Guys" (August 6), wiping sweat from his brow and trying to be quick-witted while squeezed in a room full of media hoping for a mini-monologue. His sports jacket was kind of funny, with an authentic Bobby Grich patch on the front (Ferrell grew up an Angels fan). He had at least one good line. Asked what his home run call would be if he were an announcer, Ferrell replied something like: "It’s back … to the wall. Check your watches (voice rising), it’s home run o’clock." OK, not his funniest one-liner ever but impressive without any notice.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Plenty will be new at the All-Star Game Tuesday night and a little will be old. But the big question: Will the outcome be any different?
A look at what’s new, what’s old and the NL’s perspective on ending its 13-game winless streak.
Starting with youth
AL starting pitcher David Price is part of an influx of young pitching talent.
With a record 33 first-timers on hand, the selection of two of them to start on the mound was only fitting. Rockies right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, 26, and Rays lefty David Price, 24, become the youngest starting tandem years since Roger Clemens, then 24, and Dwight Gooden, 21, took the mound in 1986. Gooden, however, by then was a three-time All-Star.
Plenty of inexperience will follow, too. Of 26 active pitchers on the clubs, only Roy Halladay has appeared in more than one All-Star Game. Sixteen never have worked in an All-Star Game.
"Young pitching is where baseball is at today," NL manager Charlie Manuel said.
Added AL manager Joe Girardi: "It seemed like 15 years ago, it was a time of young shortstops, and other times, it seems there’s an influx of great, young talent in outfielders. But right now the influx of young pitching in baseball is incredible, and not just guys with stuff; guys that know how to pitch."
Familiar faces
You should not, however, need a program to recognize the starting position players. Ichiro Suzuki will lead off for the AL, Derek Jeter will follow, Josh Hamilton will hit cleanup and Joe Mauer will catch. In the five-hole will be Vlad Guerrero, who should receive one of the night’s loudest receptions as he returns to his old home.
For the NL, Albert Pujols will hit third, just ahead of David Wright and Ryan Braun. All will be starting for at least the third time.
The newer All-Stars really can be just in awe of the big-names as can fans. As NL players were leaving a media session Monday, Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton was asked, "Would you like to meet Albert?" Broxton, a two-time All-Star, clearly was pleased for the opportunity, following Pujols and his entourage out of the room and into a meeting hall.
NL looking for a win
The National Leaguers say the right things about trying to win for the first time since 1996. As Manuel insisted, "Our priority is to win." He even added a second lefty to his bullpen for matchup purposes and named a utility player, Omar Infante, to his roster to ensure enough versatility in his lineup.
Besides the embarrassment of an 0-12-1 skid, the game does count for something because the winning league earns home-field advantage for the World Series.
"In our home games during the playoffs last year, we were 7-1, so we understand that that home-field advantage is very important to one American League club this year," Joe Girardi said.
But really, a little perspective. While important, winning is not the top priority to the players.
"We all going to try hard to have fun, one, and win the ball game," said NL right-hander Chris Carpenter, making it clear that was the right order "If you’re going to come here and try to compete and act like you do in a real game, it’s not going to be any fun."
And if the losing ever becomes such an albatross that the competition takes precedent?
"If it does, it’s going in the wrong direction," Carpenter said. "This is supposed to be fun. All the other All-Star Games are a lot of fun, too. That’s what it’s all about."
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Plenty will be new at the All-Star Game Tuesday night and a little will be old. But the big question: Will the outcome be any different?
A look at what’s new, what’s old and the NL’s perspective on ending its 13-game winless streak.
Starting with youth
AL starting pitcher David Price is part of an influx of young pitching talent.
With a record 33 first-timers on hand, the selection of two of them to start on the mound was only fitting. Rockies right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, 26, and Rays lefty David Price, 24, become the youngest starting tandem years since Roger Clemens, then 24, and Dwight Gooden, 21, took the mound in 1986. Gooden, however, by then was a three-time All-Star.
Plenty of inexperience will follow, too. Of 26 active pitchers on the clubs, only Roy Halladay has appeared in more than one All-Star Game. Sixteen never have worked in an All-Star Game.
"Young pitching is where baseball is at today," NL manager Charlie Manuel said.
Added AL manager Joe Girardi: "It seemed like 15 years ago, it was a time of young shortstops, and other times, it seems there’s an influx of great, young talent in outfielders. But right now the influx of young pitching in baseball is incredible, and not just guys with stuff; guys that know how to pitch."
Familiar faces
You should not, however, need a program to recognize the starting position players. Ichiro Suzuki will lead off for the AL, Derek Jeter will follow, Josh Hamilton will hit cleanup and Joe Mauer will catch. In the five-hole will be Vlad Guerrero, who should receive one of the night’s loudest receptions as he returns to his old home.
For the NL, Albert Pujols will hit third, just ahead of David Wright and Ryan Braun. All will be starting for at least the third time.
The newer All-Stars really can be just in awe of the big-names as can fans. As NL players were leaving a media session Monday, Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton was asked, "Would you like to meet Albert?" Broxton, a two-time All-Star, clearly was pleased for the opportunity, following Pujols and his entourage out of the room and into a meeting hall.
NL looking for a win
The National Leaguers say the right things about trying to win for the first time since 1996. As Manuel insisted, "Our priority is to win." He even added a second lefty to his bullpen for matchup purposes and named a utility player, Omar Infante, to his roster to ensure enough versatility in his lineup.
Besides the embarrassment of an 0-12-1 skid, the game does count for something because the winning league earns home-field advantage for the World Series.
"In our home games during the playoffs last year, we were 7-1, so we understand that that home-field advantage is very important to one American League club this year," Joe Girardi said.
But really, a little perspective. While important, winning is not the top priority to the players.
"We all going to try hard to have fun, one, and win the ball game," said NL right-hander Chris Carpenter, making it clear that was the right order "If you’re going to come here and try to compete and act like you do in a real game, it’s not going to be any fun."
And if the losing ever becomes such an albatross that the competition takes precedent?
"If it does, it’s going in the wrong direction," Carpenter said. "This is supposed to be fun. All the other All-Star Games are a lot of fun, too. That’s what it’s all about."
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
With the All-Star break approaching, baseball’s races for individual glory are as tight as the pennant races. About all that is certain is that 2009’s big winners — Albert Pujols, Joe Mauer, Tim Lincecum and Zack Greinke — will need stronger showings in the second half to have a chance of repeating.
First-half award winners:
Adrian Gonzalez can do more than hit; he can also flash the leather at first.
NL MVP
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Padres. Though his numbers aren’t the most impressive, Gonzalez rates an edge over a contingent that includes Pujols, David Wright and Joey Votto because of:
1. The success of his team. The NL West-leading Padres have been the majors’ most surprising team because of their pitching, but their offense has done enough. Gonzalez has done plenty: He is hitting .301/.396/.538 with 18 homers and 56 RBIs and has an MLB-best .528 OBP with runners in scoring position.
2. He shoulders a much larger offensive burden than anyone in the league. No other Padre has hit more than eight homers.
3. His defense. Gonzalez is in line to win his third consecutive Gold Glove, a valuable trait on a team that relies so much on holding down the opposition.
NL Cy Young
Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Rockies. He is 15-1 with a 2.20 ERA and .198 batting average allowed, and he has wowed the league since no-hitting the Braves in April. "He pitches 96-98 (mph) and can throw it 100 when he wants to," Diamondbacks third basemen Mark Reynolds says. "He has that the whole time he’s in there."
Jimenez, however, doesn’t have the stranglehold on this award that he did three weeks ago, thanks to the Marlins’ Josh Johnson and the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright. Johnson is working on an 11-start run during which he has allowed a total of seven runs and dropped his ERA to a major league-best 1.70. Wainwright, a 13-game winner, has a 2.11 ERA.
AL MVP
Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Tigers. The way he finished 2009, Cabrera also could be in line for comeback honors. He had to be hauled out of a police station by his general manager on the morning of one of the Tigers’ biggest games of the 2009 season. This season, the 27-year-old is contending for a Triple Crown. His 74 RBIs are one behind Vladimir Guerrero for the AL lead, his .346 average puts him three points behind Josh Hamilton, and his 20 homers trail Jose Bautista’s AL-leading total by two.
Cabrera might need to end baseball’s 43-year Triple Crown drought to hold off Hamilton for the MVP. Cabrera has an edge in consistency, as he has hit at least .323 with 20 RBIs in each of the season’s first three months. Hamilton, meanwhile, has heated up like the Texas summer after a slow start. For the season, he has one more homer than Cabrera but 10 fewer RBIs.
Last year’s winner, Mauer, hasn’t even been the MVP on his own team. Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, who beat out Cabrera in fan voting for the All-Star start, is mounting his own Triple Crown threat (.345, 18 homers but only 56 RBIs).
AL Cy Young
Cliff Lee, SP, Rangers. There’s a reason Lee was coveted by so many teams before the Mariners moved him: He is the best pitcher in the league. The only reason a case can be made for Rays lefthander David Price (12-4, 2.42 ERA) is because Lee didn’t make his first start until April 30. Once he went to work, though, he dominated.
"What a tremendous competitor," Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said at the news conference announcing Lee’s trade. "How he carried himself in a professional manner, the tone that he set and how he went about his business is phenomenal."
Lee went 8-3 for the last-place Mariners and leads the league with a 2.34 ERA and five complete games. The stat that most impresses: six walks. Total. Lee’s 89 strikeouts to six walks is good for a 14.83 strikeout-to-walk ratio that is far and away the majors’ best.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
With the All-Star break approaching, baseball’s races for individual glory are as tight as the pennant races. About all that is certain is that 2009’s big winners — Albert Pujols, Joe Mauer, Tim Lincecum and Zack Greinke — will need stronger showings in the second half to have a chance of repeating.
First-half award winners:
Adrian Gonzalez can do more than hit; he can also flash the leather at first.
NL MVP
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Padres. Though his numbers aren’t the most impressive, Gonzalez rates an edge over a contingent that includes Pujols, David Wright and Joey Votto because of:
1. The success of his team. The NL West-leading Padres have been the majors’ most surprising team because of their pitching, but their offense has done enough. Gonzalez has done plenty: He is hitting .301/.396/.538 with 18 homers and 56 RBIs and has an MLB-best .528 OBP with runners in scoring position.
2. He shoulders a much larger offensive burden than anyone in the league. No other Padre has hit more than eight homers.
3. His defense. Gonzalez is in line to win his third consecutive Gold Glove, a valuable trait on a team that relies so much on holding down the opposition.
NL Cy Young
Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Rockies. He is 15-1 with a 2.20 ERA and .198 batting average allowed, and he has wowed the league since no-hitting the Braves in April. "He pitches 96-98 (mph) and can throw it 100 when he wants to," Diamondbacks third basemen Mark Reynolds says. "He has that the whole time he’s in there."
Jimenez, however, doesn’t have the stranglehold on this award that he did three weeks ago, thanks to the Marlins’ Josh Johnson and the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright. Johnson is working on an 11-start run during which he has allowed a total of seven runs and dropped his ERA to a major league-best 1.70. Wainwright, a 13-game winner, has a 2.11 ERA.
AL MVP
Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Tigers. The way he finished 2009, Cabrera also could be in line for comeback honors. He had to be hauled out of a police station by his general manager on the morning of one of the Tigers’ biggest games of the 2009 season. This season, the 27-year-old is contending for a Triple Crown. His 74 RBIs are one behind Vladimir Guerrero for the AL lead, his .346 average puts him three points behind Josh Hamilton, and his 20 homers trail Jose Bautista’s AL-leading total by two.
Cabrera might need to end baseball’s 43-year Triple Crown drought to hold off Hamilton for the MVP. Cabrera has an edge in consistency, as he has hit at least .323 with 20 RBIs in each of the season’s first three months. Hamilton, meanwhile, has heated up like the Texas summer after a slow start. For the season, he has one more homer than Cabrera but 10 fewer RBIs.
Last year’s winner, Mauer, hasn’t even been the MVP on his own team. Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, who beat out Cabrera in fan voting for the All-Star start, is mounting his own Triple Crown threat (.345, 18 homers but only 56 RBIs).
AL Cy Young
Cliff Lee, SP, Rangers. There’s a reason Lee was coveted by so many teams before the Mariners moved him: He is the best pitcher in the league. The only reason a case can be made for Rays lefthander David Price (12-4, 2.42 ERA) is because Lee didn’t make his first start until April 30. Once he went to work, though, he dominated.
"What a tremendous competitor," Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said at the news conference announcing Lee’s trade. "How he carried himself in a professional manner, the tone that he set and how he went about his business is phenomenal."
Lee went 8-3 for the last-place Mariners and leads the league with a 2.34 ERA and five complete games. The stat that most impresses: six walks. Total. Lee’s 89 strikeouts to six walks is good for a 14.83 strikeout-to-walk ratio that is far and away the majors’ best.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
The All-Star rosters are out. Let the griping begin. There is plenty to gripe about, too:
An ERA of 2.62 and a WHIP of 0.96 aren’t enough to make the Padres’ Mat Latos an All-Star.
1. Not a single pitcher from the Padres makes the team. This could not have been what shortstop Jerry Hairston meant when he told me recently that, "We hope everyone continues to overlook us." The Padres’ rotation leads the majors in ERA. Their bullpen leads the majors in ERA. Yet they are limited to one player on the team — first baseman Adrian Gonzalez — and the best their pitchers can do is get closer Heath Bell on the final-vote ballot.
This is so wrong that you can be almost certain at least one more San Diego pitcher will be added by the time the players convene in Anaheim next Monday. Two besides Bell who are worthy: starter Mat Latos, 9-4 with a 2.62 ERA and reliever Luke Gregerson, 51 strikeouts to 6 walks in 38 outings with a 2.23 ERA.
2. No Joey Votto. This is about two things:
• Charlie Manuel keeping one of his own happy rather than going with the more deserving player. Going into Sunday, Votto held a statistical edge over Ryan Howard, and his Reds owned the better record and were in first place.
The numbers: Votto: .313/.414/.574, 19 HRs, 57 RBIs. Howard: .296/.353/506, 15 HRs, 58 RBIs.
Heck, a case could be made for the Braves’ Troy Glaus over Howard considering the impact Glaus has made on the NL East standings.
• Manuel earning the right to such a call. If the Reds reach the World Series, perhaps Dusty Baker can return the favor.
3. No Andy Pettitte. At 10-2 with a 2.93 ERA, he should be in line to start the game. He’s nearing the end of a career that’s almost Hall of Fame worthy and there’s been no Ubaldo Jimenez in the AL this season. Instead of possibly starting, Pettitte was completely left off the team by his own manager in favor of CC Sabathia.
Perhaps Girardi wants to keep the 38-year-old Pettitte rested for the second half. Or, more likely, Girardi has figured out a way to name both. Because Sabathia is scheduled to pitch Sunday, he would be ineligible to work in the All-Star game and would have to be replaced. Hmm? Pettitte should not make too many plans for the break.
4. Omar Infante is in. Who? You know, the Braves’ super sub. But that’s the thing. He’s not even a full-time starter on his own team. And now he’s an All-Star.
Manuel must not want to worry about running out of players. Because Infante can play all over, Manuel can hang on to him until the late innings and not have to think so much about how he uses the NL bench. The NL really must want to end their 13-year winless streak.
5. No Matt Cain. This one is on NL players, who went with Tim Lincecum over Cain as one of its five starting pitchers. Guess players haven’t caught on as much as everyone else that wins are overrated.
6. No Miguel Olivo. Another bad call by NL players, who opted for Brian McCann and his reputation over the Rockies’ Olivo and his fine season. Olivo is hitting .308 with 11 homers and 39 RBIs. McCann: .261, 9 and 33 — and offense is supposed to be his strength.
Well, enough griping (for now). Two impressive points about the selections:
• NL players voted for Martin Prado over Chase Utley, 472-276. That’s a big margin. Guess they were paying close enough attention to see that Utley is injured. It also must mean that players look closely at batting average leaders. Prado leads the NL with a .336 average.
• AL players got it right at every position except shortstop, where Derek Jeter had 573 votes to just 266 for Elvis Andrus. Even if the Rangers’ 21-year-old doesn’t deserve the start — he does, in my book — he should not be more than doubled up in the voting.
At least Andrus still made the team, which is more than any Padres pitcher can say.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
The All-Star rosters are out. Let the griping begin. There is plenty to gripe about, too:
An ERA of 2.62 and a WHIP of 0.96 aren’t enough to make the Padres’ Mat Latos an All-Star.
1. Not a single pitcher from the Padres makes the team. This could not have been what shortstop Jerry Hairston meant when he told me recently that, "We hope everyone continues to overlook us." The Padres’ rotation leads the majors in ERA. Their bullpen leads the majors in ERA. Yet they are limited to one player on the team — first baseman Adrian Gonzalez — and the best their pitchers can do is get closer Heath Bell on the final-vote ballot.
This is so wrong that you can be almost certain at least one more San Diego pitcher will be added by the time the players convene in Anaheim next Monday. Two besides Bell who are worthy: starter Mat Latos, 9-4 with a 2.62 ERA and reliever Luke Gregerson, 51 strikeouts to 6 walks in 38 outings with a 2.23 ERA.
2. No Joey Votto. This is about two things:
• Charlie Manuel keeping one of his own happy rather than going with the more deserving player. Going into Sunday, Votto held a statistical edge over Ryan Howard, and his Reds owned the better record and were in first place.
The numbers: Votto: .313/.414/.574, 19 HRs, 57 RBIs. Howard: .296/.353/506, 15 HRs, 58 RBIs.
Heck, a case could be made for the Braves’ Troy Glaus over Howard considering the impact Glaus has made on the NL East standings.
• Manuel earning the right to such a call. If the Reds reach the World Series, perhaps Dusty Baker can return the favor.
3. No Andy Pettitte. At 10-2 with a 2.93 ERA, he should be in line to start the game. He’s nearing the end of a career that’s almost Hall of Fame worthy and there’s been no Ubaldo Jimenez in the AL this season. Instead of possibly starting, Pettitte was completely left off the team by his own manager in favor of CC Sabathia.
Perhaps Girardi wants to keep the 38-year-old Pettitte rested for the second half. Or, more likely, Girardi has figured out a way to name both. Because Sabathia is scheduled to pitch Sunday, he would be ineligible to work in the All-Star game and would have to be replaced. Hmm? Pettitte should not make too many plans for the break.
4. Omar Infante is in. Who? You know, the Braves’ super sub. But that’s the thing. He’s not even a full-time starter on his own team. And now he’s an All-Star.
Manuel must not want to worry about running out of players. Because Infante can play all over, Manuel can hang on to him until the late innings and not have to think so much about how he uses the NL bench. The NL really must want to end their 13-year winless streak.
5. No Matt Cain. This one is on NL players, who went with Tim Lincecum over Cain as one of its five starting pitchers. Guess players haven’t caught on as much as everyone else that wins are overrated.
6. No Miguel Olivo. Another bad call by NL players, who opted for Brian McCann and his reputation over the Rockies’ Olivo and his fine season. Olivo is hitting .308 with 11 homers and 39 RBIs. McCann: .261, 9 and 33 — and offense is supposed to be his strength.
Well, enough griping (for now). Two impressive points about the selections:
• NL players voted for Martin Prado over Chase Utley, 472-276. That’s a big margin. Guess they were paying close enough attention to see that Utley is injured. It also must mean that players look closely at batting average leaders. Prado leads the NL with a .336 average.
• AL players got it right at every position except shortstop, where Derek Jeter had 573 votes to just 266 for Elvis Andrus. Even if the Rangers’ 21-year-old doesn’t deserve the start — he does, in my book — he should not be more than doubled up in the voting.
At least Andrus still made the team, which is more than any Padres pitcher can say.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
More: Stan McNeal’s National League All-Star picks
There are three days until the 2010 All-Star rosters will be announced. You know what that means? Time to pick your team.
Guideline No. 1: It isn’t always about the most deserving players. Because every team must be represented, some deserving players will miss the chance to play in Anaheim on July 13.
Elvis Andrus’ glove should make him an All-Star at shortstop.
Other guidelines:
• Fan voting, which closes tonight on mlb.com, determines the AL’s starting nine and the NL’s starting eight (no DH on the NL ballot).
• Players vote for backups at each position, five starting pitchers and three relievers.
• Managers Joe Girardi and Charlie Manuel fill out the rosters, which are comprised of 21 position players and 13 pitchers (including at least three relievers).
• A new wrinkle: Any starting pitcher who works on the Sunday before the game will not be eligible to pitch in the game. He still will be on the team and a replacement will be added to the roster. Add these last-minute pitchers and injury replacements (there will be a bunch this year) and the 34-man rosters could swell closer to 40.
Even with two fewer teams, picking the AL squad is tougher than the NL. Maybe that is what happens when there are more worthy position players and not as many pitchers.
My 34-man AL roster:
First base (4): Justin Morneau went into the last week of fans’ voting needing to hold off Mark Teixeira for the start. Teixeira shouldn’t even make the team considering his numbers and the depth at this position. And nobody should start ahead of Miguel Cabrera, who is hitting .337 with 20 homers and 68 RBIs. Paul Konerko, Kevin Youkilis and Billy Butler all have put up worthy numbers, but Butler loses out because only one Royal makes my team.
Second base (2): Robinson Cano leads the majors in hitting and is a no-brainer to start. Being a Yankee hasn’t hurt him running away with the fans’ vote, either. With Dustin Pedroia (foot) out, there is an open spot. I’ll go with Ty Wigginton to fulfill the Oriole requirement even though he is no more deserving than Nick Markakis or Adam Jones.
Shortstop (2): Elvis Andrus’ offense might never catch up to his defense, but that is because his defense is that good. He has been better than the fans’ favorite, Derek Jeter, so Andrus warrants the start. But considering he is only 21, he should not mind stepping aside for his elder this time.
Third base (3): Evan Longoria has a huge lead in the fans’ voting and was my starter, too, until his June swoon. Adrian Beltre hasn’t slowed down and he steps into the starting spot on my team, with Michael Young right behind. Sorry, Alex Rodriguez. Your slow start cost you.
Catcher (2): Even in a subpar (for him) season, Joe Mauer makes this the easiest position to pick — just like he did last year and just like he will next year and the following year and … you get the point. Picking his backup is a bit more difficult with Victor Martinez (thumb) on the disabled list. Kurt Suzuki gets the nod over John Buck because Suzuki is as close as deserving as anyone on the A’s.
Outfield (7): Josh Hamilton figured to win a spot in the fans’ voting even if he hadn’t hit a major league-best .454 with nine homers and 31 RBIs in 26 June games. Now the only question is whether he hit third or fourth. Carl Crawford leads AL outfielders in runs and is hitting over .300, so he warrants the fans’ support he is receiving. It would be a very unusual season if Ichiro Suzuki wasn’t on pace for 200 hits — and starting in the All-Star Game.
There is a surplus of deserving backups, including two leading candidates for comeback player of the year: Vernon Wells and his former teammate Alex Rios. Torii Hunter gets a spot because he is the face of the host team. He also is hitting .290 and is on pace for 25 homers, 100-plus RBIs and another Gold Glove. David DeJesus edges Butler as my pick from the Royals because his numbers are a bit better. Apologies to rookie Brennan Boesch, Jose Bautista, Shin-Soo Chin and Brett Gardner.
DH (1): Vladimir Guerrero showed the Angels what they are missing when he beat them with a grand slam Wednesday night. He will get another chance to showcase his talent when he is announced as an All-Star starter in his old home stadium. I’d feel worse about leaving off David Ortiz if he hadn’t slumped in June.
Starting pitchers (10): No pitcher has been better than Cliff Lee over the past few weeks, and he deserves to start. If he doesn’t, let Andy Pettitte do so before he retires. He has shown he can pitch in big games. Only a few others are obvious: AL wins and ERA leader David Price, strikeouts leaders Jered Weaver and Jon Lester, who wouldn’t be such an easy selection if Clay Buchholz (hamstring) were healthy.
My second five: CC Sabathia, who seems to be getting stronger while Phil Hughes has faltered; Fausto Carmona, the lone Indian; AL innings leader Felix Hernandez; Ricky Romero, third in innings and seventh in ERA; and Jeff Niemann, because of his season-long consistency and 2.72 ERA.
Relief pitchers (3): Reserve a spot for Mariano Rivera every year until he retires (which should be, what, in another five years?). Jose Valverde is just as automatic this season with one more save and an even better ERA than Rivera (0.53 to 0.92). Rafael Soriano has been the third most effective AL closer and makes this team.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
More: Stan McNeal’s National League All-Star picks
There are three days until the 2010 All-Star rosters will be announced. You know what that means? Time to pick your team.
Guideline No. 1: It isn’t always about the most deserving players. Because every team must be represented, some deserving players will miss the chance to play in Anaheim on July 13.
Elvis Andrus’ glove should make him an All-Star at shortstop.
Other guidelines:
• Fan voting, which closes tonight on mlb.com, determines the AL’s starting nine and the NL’s starting eight (no DH on the NL ballot).
• Players vote for backups at each position, five starting pitchers and three relievers.
• Managers Joe Girardi and Charlie Manuel fill out the rosters, which are comprised of 21 position players and 13 pitchers (including at least three relievers).
• A new wrinkle: Any starting pitcher who works on the Sunday before the game will not be eligible to pitch in the game. He still will be on the team and a replacement will be added to the roster. Add these last-minute pitchers and injury replacements (there will be a bunch this year) and the 34-man rosters could swell closer to 40.
Even with two fewer teams, picking the AL squad is tougher than the NL. Maybe that is what happens when there are more worthy position players and not as many pitchers.
My 34-man AL roster:
First base (4): Justin Morneau went into the last week of fans’ voting needing to hold off Mark Teixeira for the start. Teixeira shouldn’t even make the team considering his numbers and the depth at this position. And nobody should start ahead of Miguel Cabrera, who is hitting .337 with 20 homers and 68 RBIs. Paul Konerko, Kevin Youkilis and Billy Butler all have put up worthy numbers, but Butler loses out because only one Royal makes my team.
Second base (2): Robinson Cano leads the majors in hitting and is a no-brainer to start. Being a Yankee hasn’t hurt him running away with the fans’ vote, either. With Dustin Pedroia (foot) out, there is an open spot. I’ll go with Ty Wigginton to fulfill the Oriole requirement even though he is no more deserving than Nick Markakis or Adam Jones.
Shortstop (2): Elvis Andrus’ offense might never catch up to his defense, but that is because his defense is that good. He has been better than the fans’ favorite, Derek Jeter, so Andrus warrants the start. But considering he is only 21, he should not mind stepping aside for his elder this time.
Third base (3): Evan Longoria has a huge lead in the fans’ voting and was my starter, too, until his June swoon. Adrian Beltre hasn’t slowed down and he steps into the starting spot on my team, with Michael Young right behind. Sorry, Alex Rodriguez. Your slow start cost you.
Catcher (2): Even in a subpar (for him) season, Joe Mauer makes this the easiest position to pick — just like he did last year and just like he will next year and the following year and … you get the point. Picking his backup is a bit more difficult with Victor Martinez (thumb) on the disabled list. Kurt Suzuki gets the nod over John Buck because Suzuki is as close as deserving as anyone on the A’s.
Outfield (7): Josh Hamilton figured to win a spot in the fans’ voting even if he hadn’t hit a major league-best .454 with nine homers and 31 RBIs in 26 June games. Now the only question is whether he hit third or fourth. Carl Crawford leads AL outfielders in runs and is hitting over .300, so he warrants the fans’ support he is receiving. It would be a very unusual season if Ichiro Suzuki wasn’t on pace for 200 hits — and starting in the All-Star Game.
There is a surplus of deserving backups, including two leading candidates for comeback player of the year: Vernon Wells and his former teammate Alex Rios. Torii Hunter gets a spot because he is the face of the host team. He also is hitting .290 and is on pace for 25 homers, 100-plus RBIs and another Gold Glove. David DeJesus edges Butler as my pick from the Royals because his numbers are a bit better. Apologies to rookie Brennan Boesch, Jose Bautista, Shin-Soo Chin and Brett Gardner.
DH (1): Vladimir Guerrero showed the Angels what they are missing when he beat them with a grand slam Wednesday night. He will get another chance to showcase his talent when he is announced as an All-Star starter in his old home stadium. I’d feel worse about leaving off David Ortiz if he hadn’t slumped in June.
Starting pitchers (10): No pitcher has been better than Cliff Lee over the past few weeks, and he deserves to start. If he doesn’t, let Andy Pettitte do so before he retires. He has shown he can pitch in big games. Only a few others are obvious: AL wins and ERA leader David Price, strikeouts leaders Jered Weaver and Jon Lester, who wouldn’t be such an easy selection if Clay Buchholz (hamstring) were healthy.
My second five: CC Sabathia, who seems to be getting stronger while Phil Hughes has faltered; Fausto Carmona, the lone Indian; AL innings leader Felix Hernandez; Ricky Romero, third in innings and seventh in ERA; and Jeff Niemann, because of his season-long consistency and 2.72 ERA.
Relief pitchers (3): Reserve a spot for Mariano Rivera every year until he retires (which should be, what, in another five years?). Jose Valverde is just as automatic this season with one more save and an even better ERA than Rivera (0.53 to 0.92). Rafael Soriano has been the third most effective AL closer and makes this team.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
More: Stan McNeal’s American League All-Star picks
There are three days until the 2010 All-Star rosters will be announced. You know what that means? Time to pick your team.
Guideline No. 1: It isn’t always about the most deserving players. Because every team must be represented, some deserving players will miss the chance to play in Anaheim on July 13.
Despite tough competition at first base, Joey Votto has earned a place on the All-Star team.
Other guidelines:
• Fan voting, which closes tonight on mlb.com, determines the AL’s starting nine and the NL’s starting eight (no DH on the NL ballot).
• Players vote for backups at each position, five starting pitchers and three relievers.
• Managers Joe Girardi and Charlie Manuel fill out the rosters, which are comprised of 21 position players and 13 pitchers (including at least three relievers).
• A new wrinkle: Any starting pitcher who works on the Sunday before the game will not be eligible to pitch in the game. He still will be on the team and a replacement will be added to the roster. Add these last-minute pitchers and injury replacements (there will be a bunch this year) and the 34-man rosters could swell closer to 40.
My 34-man NL roster:
First base (5): So many are having strong seasons at this position that Albert Pujols, the game’s best player, doesn’t deserve to start. He should be behind Adrian Gonzalez and Joey Votto. But with Pujols as the fans’ runaway choice, look for Votto to be the starting DH with the slick-fielding Gonzalez backing up Pujols. Having the DH also allows Braves MVP Troy Glaus and Phillies slugger Ryan Howard to make the team. Sorry, Adam Dunn, James Loney and Prince Fielder. There just isn’t room for eight first baseman/DH types.
Second base (2): With fans’ choice Chase Utley (thumb) injured, Manuel will be able to start the Braves’ Martin Prado, who leads the NL with a .333 average. Brandon Phillips makes the club, too, and Kelly Johnson could if Manuel chooses him as the Diamondbacks’ representative.
Third base (3): David Wright is having a season that will put him in the top five in MVP voting and deserves to be the fans’ choice, though he will need a last-gasp push to pass the injured Placido Polanco (elbow). Scott Rolen and Ryan Zimmerman are worthy backups.
Shortstop (2): Hanley Ramirez has the numbers (if not the hustle) to warrant being the fans’ choice. But Jose Reyes will have more to say about that next year. This year, Reyes at least deserves to be a backup. He ranks in the top 10 in the NL in runs, stolen bases and — this is great to see after last year — smiles. A broken wrist makes Troy Tulowitzki an unfortunate omission.
Outfield (7): This isn’t exactly a position of strength for the NL. Ryan Braun has cooled off since April, and Andre Ethier hasn’t regained his power since returning from a broken pinkie. But if the fans want them, I’ll take them, too. Jason Heyward, second in the fans’ voting, should start a bunch of All-Star Games, but he has had his share of rookie moments (five strikeouts in a game) and his numbers have tailed. Besides, he has said he will go to Anaheim but won’t play because of his thumb injury. Good for him for putting his team first.
Corey Hart, top two in the NL in homers and RBIs, should replace Heyward in the starting lineup. Andrew McCutchen is having a breakout season and is the obvious — and deserving — choice from the Pirates. Marlon Byrd has been a rare bright spot for the Cubs and gets the nod over Carlos Silva and Carlos Marmol as his team’s lone rep. Michael Bourn is the most deserving Astro, which isn’t saying that much (no matter how overrated wins are, it still is difficult to consider a pitcher with a 5-10 record as having an All-Star season. So, sorry, Roy Oswalt).
Choosing a worthy Diamondback is another tough task, but I’ll take Chris Young over Justin Upton in a coin flip. Cases also can be made for Jayson Werth, Matt Kemp and Carlos Gonzalez, but they lose out because of the "every team is represented" rule.
Catcher (2): Yadier Molina had a comfortable lead in the latest fans’ voting and while he isn’t hitting as well as a year ago, his defense has been even better. He is the starter on my team, too. Because of the catcher’s re-entry rule, only one backup makes my squad: Miguel Olivo over Rod Barajas, barely.
Starting pitchers (9): Ubaldo Jimenez, Josh Johnson, Roy Halladay, Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Mike Pelfrey and Tim Hudson are easy. Matt Cain has a better ERA than teammate Tim Lincecum, but Cain’s hard luck continues and he loses out to Lincecum because of the name factor. You probably haven’t heard much about the Padres’ 22-year-old Mat Latos, but he has been the best starter on the NL’s best pitching staff.
No Stephen Strasburg for me. If he had dominated in his last start, maybe. But if there isn’t room for N.L. strikeout leader Yovani Gallardo, there isn’t a spot for Strasburg. If he dominates in his next two starts, however, and is named as a replacement starter, there will be no griping from me. Having him in the game definitely would boost the buzz factor.
Relief pitchers (4): The Padres deserve more than one reliever, but they are so balanced that there is no obvious second choice. I’ll take Luke Gregerson over closer Heath Bell because of Gregerson’s 51-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 1.60 ERA. Arthur Rhodes went more than two months without allowing a run and has been key in the Reds’ climb to first place. Because this is Billy Wagner’s last season, he is an easy pick for sentimental reasons. Being 16-for-18 in save chances with a .167 batting average allowed and 1.15 ERA makes the choice even easier.
Despite his Sunday night implosion against the Yankees, Jonathan Broxton has established himself as an elite closer and makes my team ahead of his teammate, Hong-Chih Kuo, and fellow closers Brian Wilson, Francisco Cordero and Ryan Franklin.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
More: Stan McNeal’s American League All-Star picks
There are three days until the 2010 All-Star rosters will be announced. You know what that means? Time to pick your team.
Guideline No. 1: It isn’t always about the most deserving players. Because every team must be represented, some deserving players will miss the chance to play in Anaheim on July 13.
Despite tough competition at first base, Joey Votto has earned a place on the All-Star team.
Other guidelines:
• Fan voting, which closes tonight on mlb.com, determines the AL’s starting nine and the NL’s starting eight (no DH on the NL ballot).
• Players vote for backups at each position, five starting pitchers and three relievers.
• Managers Joe Girardi and Charlie Manuel fill out the rosters, which are comprised of 21 position players and 13 pitchers (including at least three relievers).
• A new wrinkle: Any starting pitcher who works on the Sunday before the game will not be eligible to pitch in the game. He still will be on the team and a replacement will be added to the roster. Add these last-minute pitchers and injury replacements (there will be a bunch this year) and the 34-man rosters could swell closer to 40.
My 34-man NL roster:
First base (5): So many are having strong seasons at this position that Albert Pujols, the game’s best player, doesn’t deserve to start. He should be behind Adrian Gonzalez and Joey Votto. But with Pujols as the fans’ runaway choice, look for Votto to be the starting DH with the slick-fielding Gonzalez backing up Pujols. Having the DH also allows Braves MVP Troy Glaus and Phillies slugger Ryan Howard to make the team. Sorry, Adam Dunn, James Loney and Prince Fielder. There just isn’t room for eight first baseman/DH types.
Second base (2): With fans’ choice Chase Utley (thumb) injured, Manuel will be able to start the Braves’ Martin Prado, who leads the NL with a .333 average. Brandon Phillips makes the club, too, and Kelly Johnson could if Manuel chooses him as the Diamondbacks’ representative.
Third base (3): David Wright is having a season that will put him in the top five in MVP voting and deserves to be the fans’ choice, though he will need a last-gasp push to pass the injured Placido Polanco (elbow). Scott Rolen and Ryan Zimmerman are worthy backups.
Shortstop (2): Hanley Ramirez has the numbers (if not the hustle) to warrant being the fans’ choice. But Jose Reyes will have more to say about that next year. This year, Reyes at least deserves to be a backup. He ranks in the top 10 in the NL in runs, stolen bases and — this is great to see after last year — smiles. A broken wrist makes Troy Tulowitzki an unfortunate omission.
Outfield (7): This isn’t exactly a position of strength for the NL. Ryan Braun has cooled off since April, and Andre Ethier hasn’t regained his power since returning from a broken pinkie. But if the fans want them, I’ll take them, too. Jason Heyward, second in the fans’ voting, should start a bunch of All-Star Games, but he has had his share of rookie moments (five strikeouts in a game) and his numbers have tailed. Besides, he has said he will go to Anaheim but won’t play because of his thumb injury. Good for him for putting his team first.
Corey Hart, top two in the NL in homers and RBIs, should replace Heyward in the starting lineup. Andrew McCutchen is having a breakout season and is the obvious — and deserving — choice from the Pirates. Marlon Byrd has been a rare bright spot for the Cubs and gets the nod over Carlos Silva and Carlos Marmol as his team’s lone rep. Michael Bourn is the most deserving Astro, which isn’t saying that much (no matter how overrated wins are, it still is difficult to consider a pitcher with a 5-10 record as having an All-Star season. So, sorry, Roy Oswalt).
Choosing a worthy Diamondback is another tough task, but I’ll take Chris Young over Justin Upton in a coin flip. Cases also can be made for Jayson Werth, Matt Kemp and Carlos Gonzalez, but they lose out because of the "every team is represented" rule.
Catcher (2): Yadier Molina had a comfortable lead in the latest fans’ voting and while he isn’t hitting as well as a year ago, his defense has been even better. He is the starter on my team, too. Because of the catcher’s re-entry rule, only one backup makes my squad: Miguel Olivo over Rod Barajas, barely.
Starting pitchers (9): Ubaldo Jimenez, Josh Johnson, Roy Halladay, Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Mike Pelfrey and Tim Hudson are easy. Matt Cain has a better ERA than teammate Tim Lincecum, but Cain’s hard luck continues and he loses out to Lincecum because of the name factor. You probably haven’t heard much about the Padres’ 22-year-old Mat Latos, but he has been the best starter on the NL’s best pitching staff.
No Stephen Strasburg for me. If he had dominated in his last start, maybe. But if there isn’t room for N.L. strikeout leader Yovani Gallardo, there isn’t a spot for Strasburg. If he dominates in his next two starts, however, and is named as a replacement starter, there will be no griping from me. Having him in the game definitely would boost the buzz factor.
Relief pitchers (4): The Padres deserve more than one reliever, but they are so balanced that there is no obvious second choice. I’ll take Luke Gregerson over closer Heath Bell because of Gregerson’s 51-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 1.60 ERA. Arthur Rhodes went more than two months without allowing a run and has been key in the Reds’ climb to first place. Because this is Billy Wagner’s last season, he is an easy pick for sentimental reasons. Being 16-for-18 in save chances with a .167 batting average allowed and 1.15 ERA makes the choice even easier.
Despite his Sunday night implosion against the Yankees, Jonathan Broxton has established himself as an elite closer and makes my team ahead of his teammate, Hong-Chih Kuo, and fellow closers Brian Wilson, Francisco Cordero and Ryan Franklin.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Among first-half surprises, the Padres’ rise, the Cubs’ collapse, Jose Bautista’s slugging and now-retired Ken Griffey Jr.’s non-slugging top the list. But don’t forget the Mets.
After a troubled offseason that seemed to put their general manager and manager on the firing line before the season opener, many figured the club would be buried in bad news by now.
But the Mets are hanging tough in the NL East. They have lost their past two games but trail the Braves, another surprise (a mild one, anyway), by just 1.5 games.
Surprise! R.A. Dickey has helped pitch the Mets into contention.
Just as surprising as the Mets’ climb into contention has been one of the key reasons behind their good fortune. If you pegged R.A. Dickey to be 6-1 with a 2.98 ERA at this point, you should be living in Las Vegas.
When the Mets agreed to a minor league deal with Dickey this past December on the same day the cross-town Yankees acquired Javier Vazquez, Dickey barely made it on the transactions page. He was an aging righthander who hadn’t cut it as a conventional pitcher but didn’t want to give up, so he converted to full-time knuckling in 2005. That didn’t work so well, either, and Dickey spent about as much time in the minors as the majors over the next four years.
Well, score one for persistence. Dickey put his name in the Mets’ record book by winning his first six decisions after he was promoted in May. He might have saved not only his career but the Mets’ season, too. Dickey has had plenty of help, of course, but the club is 24-13 since his debut.
For now anyway, Dickey’s career is spinning in the right direction after he conquered the difficult (and disappearing) skill of throwing a baseball without spin.
"It’s not so much that it’s working better, it’s just working more," Dickey says. "The movement I’m getting is late in the strike zone. That was happening before but just not as often."
As for any pitcher, the key has been throwing strikes. Dickey is walking only 2.6 batters per nine innings this season after averaging 4.1 per nine over his previous two seasons in the majors. "I’m in year five of throwing the pitch and feel like I’ve put in enough work to where my muscle memory is starting to take it over. Like anything, there comes a point when you don’t want to have to think about what you’re doing on the mound. You just want it to occur very organically, very naturally. That’s happening more than ever."
Because pitchers like to put doubt in hitters’ minds whenever they can, knuckleballers often say they don’t know where their pitch is going. "We all play into that big time," former knuckleballer Tom Candiotti admits. Don’t buy it, at least not completely.
Candiotti, who walked 2.9 per nine innings in a 16-year career, says throwing strikes isn’t that difficult once you have down the mechanics. "You try to drill the catcher in the mask," he says.
Do that and the knuckleball likely will drop into the strike zone. "Once in a while you throw the one that goes crazy but most of the time, the ball is going to break one of three ways — down to the left, down to the right or straight down," Candiotti says.
Knuckleballs confound hitters, embarrass catchers and bore scouts but they’re a special, if often overlooked, part of the game. Look at it this way: If you’ve ever played catch, you’re probably tried to throw one. It’s no wonder knuckleballers stick together.
"At one point, I was the only guy in the big leagues who threw a knuckleball," says Candiotti, who pitched from 1983-99. "Around 1987, (then Rangers pitching coach) Tom House, who had a huge interest in knuckleball pitchers, told me, ‘Congratulations’ one day. I said, ‘Thanks, what did I do?’ ‘You’ve become the 20th pitcher in the history of baseball to become a full-time knuckleball pitcher.’ I know it was important to Phil Niekro and Charlie Hough and those guys for me to carry the torch.
You don’t have to be knuckleballer — or a Mets fan — to root for Dickey. Anyone who values perseverance can appreciate the years it has taken to have even six weeks of success. "It was a real grueling transition," Dickey says. "But I always had the hope that it would end up on the other side."
Now that he has made a successful transition, he could stick around for a while. The stress of throwing knuckleballs is not much greater than playing catch. "I was in the eighth inning (of a recent start) and felt like I had only thrown a couple of innings," Dickey says.
Considering that good knuckleballers typically last well into their 40s, Dickey, 35, hopes he is just starting. He points out that Tim Wakefield, Niekro and Hough all had plenty of success after turning 35.
"I’m still a prospect," Dickey says. "Like I’m 28 in knuckleball years."
That remains to be seen, but at least he has been able to spin the Mets’ season in the right direction — without any spin on his pitches, of course.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Among first-half surprises, the Padres’ rise, the Cubs’ collapse, Jose Bautista’s slugging and now-retired Ken Griffey Jr.’s non-slugging top the list. But don’t forget the Mets.
After a troubled offseason that seemed to put their general manager and manager on the firing line before the season opener, many figured the club would be buried in bad news by now.
But the Mets are hanging tough in the NL East. They have lost their past two games but trail the Braves, another surprise (a mild one, anyway), by just 1.5 games.
Surprise! R.A. Dickey has helped pitch the Mets into contention.
Just as surprising as the Mets’ climb into contention has been one of the key reasons behind their good fortune. If you pegged R.A. Dickey to be 6-1 with a 2.98 ERA at this point, you should be living in Las Vegas.
When the Mets agreed to a minor league deal with Dickey this past December on the same day the cross-town Yankees acquired Javier Vazquez, Dickey barely made it on the transactions page. He was an aging righthander who hadn’t cut it as a conventional pitcher but didn’t want to give up, so he converted to full-time knuckling in 2005. That didn’t work so well, either, and Dickey spent about as much time in the minors as the majors over the next four years.
Well, score one for persistence. Dickey put his name in the Mets’ record book by winning his first six decisions after he was promoted in May. He might have saved not only his career but the Mets’ season, too. Dickey has had plenty of help, of course, but the club is 24-13 since his debut.
For now anyway, Dickey’s career is spinning in the right direction after he conquered the difficult (and disappearing) skill of throwing a baseball without spin.
"It’s not so much that it’s working better, it’s just working more," Dickey says. "The movement I’m getting is late in the strike zone. That was happening before but just not as often."
As for any pitcher, the key has been throwing strikes. Dickey is walking only 2.6 batters per nine innings this season after averaging 4.1 per nine over his previous two seasons in the majors. "I’m in year five of throwing the pitch and feel like I’ve put in enough work to where my muscle memory is starting to take it over. Like anything, there comes a point when you don’t want to have to think about what you’re doing on the mound. You just want it to occur very organically, very naturally. That’s happening more than ever."
Because pitchers like to put doubt in hitters’ minds whenever they can, knuckleballers often say they don’t know where their pitch is going. "We all play into that big time," former knuckleballer Tom Candiotti admits. Don’t buy it, at least not completely.
Candiotti, who walked 2.9 per nine innings in a 16-year career, says throwing strikes isn’t that difficult once you have down the mechanics. "You try to drill the catcher in the mask," he says.
Do that and the knuckleball likely will drop into the strike zone. "Once in a while you throw the one that goes crazy but most of the time, the ball is going to break one of three ways — down to the left, down to the right or straight down," Candiotti says.
Knuckleballs confound hitters, embarrass catchers and bore scouts but they’re a special, if often overlooked, part of the game. Look at it this way: If you’ve ever played catch, you’re probably tried to throw one. It’s no wonder knuckleballers stick together.
"At one point, I was the only guy in the big leagues who threw a knuckleball," says Candiotti, who pitched from 1983-99. "Around 1987, (then Rangers pitching coach) Tom House, who had a huge interest in knuckleball pitchers, told me, ‘Congratulations’ one day. I said, ‘Thanks, what did I do?’ ‘You’ve become the 20th pitcher in the history of baseball to become a full-time knuckleball pitcher.’ I know it was important to Phil Niekro and Charlie Hough and those guys for me to carry the torch.
You don’t have to be knuckleballer — or a Mets fan — to root for Dickey. Anyone who values perseverance can appreciate the years it has taken to have even six weeks of success. "It was a real grueling transition," Dickey says. "But I always had the hope that it would end up on the other side."
Now that he has made a successful transition, he could stick around for a while. The stress of throwing knuckleballs is not much greater than playing catch. "I was in the eighth inning (of a recent start) and felt like I had only thrown a couple of innings," Dickey says.
Considering that good knuckleballers typically last well into their 40s, Dickey, 35, hopes he is just starting. He points out that Tim Wakefield, Niekro and Hough all had plenty of success after turning 35.
"I’m still a prospect," Dickey says. "Like I’m 28 in knuckleball years."
That remains to be seen, but at least he has been able to spin the Mets’ season in the right direction — without any spin on his pitches, of course.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Stan McNeal analyzes three hot topics in Major League Baseball:
STRIKE 1: Pushing all the right buttons
It was the kind of move that leads to manager of the year awards.
All season, the backbone of the Padres’ surprising rise to first place has been the back of their bullpen: Luke Gregerson in the seventh, Mike Adams in the eighth and Heath Bell in the ninth. "If we get through six with the lead, we feel like the game is over," starter Kevin Correia says.
The Padres’ relievers all give much of the credit for their success to manager Bud Black.
The three key members of the Padres’ "PENitentiary" (well, their pitching is better than their nicknaming) all are quick to credit manager Bud Black for the bullpen’s success, in part because he so clearly has defined their roles — and stuck to them. "We all feel like we’re closers but we’re not competing against each other. We’re happy in our roles," Bell says.
After Mat Latos shut out the Rays for seven innings Tuesday night, Black resisted the temptation to turn to Gregerson even though he has been the bullpen’s most consistent performer. Black stuck with routine and turned over a 2-0 eighth-inning lead to Adams.
Adams allowed a run but seemed in control after getting two outs and having just a runner on first. Because Bell had not been called on for more than a three-out save all season, it figured Adams would stay in the game. Not on this night.
Black went with a feeling this time and called on Bell to face the Rays’ best hitter, Evan Longoria. Bell made his manager look smart when he used an 82-mph changeup — a nice weapon when you have an upper-90-mph fastball — to strike out Longoria. An inning later, the 2-1 victory was secured.
Black later said he pulled Adams because he was "a little off, especially with his slider."
"Some of the swings they were taking led me to think that it wasn’t going to turn around," Black said. "I’m a big Mike Adams fan, but I felt for the Padres on this night, we had to do that."
"I didn’t see what Bud saw," Bell said later, "But he saw something and he acted upon it. For the most part all season, he’s been right on."
Indeed. The Padres, widely picked to finish last in the NL West because of their weak offense, own the NL’s best record and a 2 1/2-game lead in the N.L. West. That, of course, also might have something to do with Black emerging as a leading candidate for manager of the year.
STRIKE 2: Thinking All-Star starters
Unlike in the National League, where Ubaldo Jimenez is the obvious candidate to start the July 13 All-Star Game in Anaheim, no clear choice has emerged in the A.L.
Cliff Lee leads the league in ERA but spent time on the disabled list and pitches for a last-place team. Up-and-comers David Price, Clay Buchholz and Phil Hughes all have 10 wins and rank among the ERA leaders. Then there is Andy Pettitte, who certainly is deserving (9-2, 2.48 ERA) and has the advantage of playing for the manager (Joe Girardi) who will make the call.
Pettitte has 238 career wins and an impressive postseason resume but has only made two All-Star teams, the last one in 2001. An All-Star start would be a fitting tribute to a potential Hall of Famer who could be in his final season.
Last season, the Rays’ Joe Maddon chose Roy Halladay over Zack Greinke in large part as a lifetime achievement recognition. This season, Price could be passed over for the same reason. If so, Maddon would have no objections.
"David is worthy and deserving but however it shakes out, we’ll deal with it at that moment," Maddon says. "Whatever happens is fine."
STRIKE 3: Scorching in Texas and Chicago’s South Side What do the Rangers’ 11-game winning streak and the White Sox’s nine-gamer have in common?
First, they demonstrate just how little off-the-field turmoil can impact what happens on the field. The fact the Rangers’ sale hit another roadblock probably isn’t foremost on Vladimir Guerrero’s mind or, really, any of the players’. In Chicago, guys will continue going about their routines no matter what happened or happens in the Kenny Williams-Ozzie Guillen soap opera. The White Sox, in fact, have lost only once since the Williams and Guillen blowup.
A more likely explanation for the winning ways of both clubs: schedules. Both have feasted on some of the NL’s weakest: The Rangers have smacked around the Brewers, Marlins, Astros and Pirates while the White Sox have swept the Pirates, Nationals and Braves. Of those seven clubs, only the Braves have a winning record.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Stan McNeal analyzes three hot topics in Major League Baseball:
STRIKE 1: Pushing all the right buttons
It was the kind of move that leads to manager of the year awards.
All season, the backbone of the Padres’ surprising rise to first place has been the back of their bullpen: Luke Gregerson in the seventh, Mike Adams in the eighth and Heath Bell in the ninth. "If we get through six with the lead, we feel like the game is over," starter Kevin Correia says.
The Padres’ relievers all give much of the credit for their success to manager Bud Black.
The three key members of the Padres’ "PENitentiary" (well, their pitching is better than their nicknaming) all are quick to credit manager Bud Black for the bullpen’s success, in part because he so clearly has defined their roles — and stuck to them. "We all feel like we’re closers but we’re not competing against each other. We’re happy in our roles," Bell says.
After Mat Latos shut out the Rays for seven innings Tuesday night, Black resisted the temptation to turn to Gregerson even though he has been the bullpen’s most consistent performer. Black stuck with routine and turned over a 2-0 eighth-inning lead to Adams.
Adams allowed a run but seemed in control after getting two outs and having just a runner on first. Because Bell had not been called on for more than a three-out save all season, it figured Adams would stay in the game. Not on this night.
Black went with a feeling this time and called on Bell to face the Rays’ best hitter, Evan Longoria. Bell made his manager look smart when he used an 82-mph changeup — a nice weapon when you have an upper-90-mph fastball — to strike out Longoria. An inning later, the 2-1 victory was secured.
Black later said he pulled Adams because he was "a little off, especially with his slider."
"Some of the swings they were taking led me to think that it wasn’t going to turn around," Black said. "I’m a big Mike Adams fan, but I felt for the Padres on this night, we had to do that."
"I didn’t see what Bud saw," Bell said later, "But he saw something and he acted upon it. For the most part all season, he’s been right on."
Indeed. The Padres, widely picked to finish last in the NL West because of their weak offense, own the NL’s best record and a 2 1/2-game lead in the N.L. West. That, of course, also might have something to do with Black emerging as a leading candidate for manager of the year.
STRIKE 2: Thinking All-Star starters
Unlike in the National League, where Ubaldo Jimenez is the obvious candidate to start the July 13 All-Star Game in Anaheim, no clear choice has emerged in the A.L.
Cliff Lee leads the league in ERA but spent time on the disabled list and pitches for a last-place team. Up-and-comers David Price, Clay Buchholz and Phil Hughes all have 10 wins and rank among the ERA leaders. Then there is Andy Pettitte, who certainly is deserving (9-2, 2.48 ERA) and has the advantage of playing for the manager (Joe Girardi) who will make the call.
Pettitte has 238 career wins and an impressive postseason resume but has only made two All-Star teams, the last one in 2001. An All-Star start would be a fitting tribute to a potential Hall of Famer who could be in his final season.
Last season, the Rays’ Joe Maddon chose Roy Halladay over Zack Greinke in large part as a lifetime achievement recognition. This season, Price could be passed over for the same reason. If so, Maddon would have no objections.
"David is worthy and deserving but however it shakes out, we’ll deal with it at that moment," Maddon says. "Whatever happens is fine."
STRIKE 3: Scorching in Texas and Chicago’s South Side What do the Rangers’ 11-game winning streak and the White Sox’s nine-gamer have in common?
First, they demonstrate just how little off-the-field turmoil can impact what happens on the field. The fact the Rangers’ sale hit another roadblock probably isn’t foremost on Vladimir Guerrero’s mind or, really, any of the players’. In Chicago, guys will continue going about their routines no matter what happened or happens in the Kenny Williams-Ozzie Guillen soap opera. The White Sox, in fact, have lost only once since the Williams and Guillen blowup.
A more likely explanation for the winning ways of both clubs: schedules. Both have feasted on some of the NL’s weakest: The Rangers have smacked around the Brewers, Marlins, Astros and Pirates while the White Sox have swept the Pirates, Nationals and Braves. Of those seven clubs, only the Braves have a winning record.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
