2016 Topps Baseball Back to Back Miguel Cabrera Victor Martinez Black Names
(CBS Detroit) — Miguel Cabrera has long been destined for the Hall of Fame. For years, it's been a matter of when, rather than if. The Detroit Tigers slugger just added another line to his impressive resume, hitting his 500th home run. The Tigers may not have a shot at the playoffs, but with just over a month left in the 2021 regular season, most of the division races remain undecided. The New York Mets, however, are doing their best to take themselves out of contention in the National League East.
This week's Baseball Report looks at Miguel Cabrera's 500th home run, the New York Mets' continuing collapse, and the Chicago Cubs' home losing streak.
Miguel Cabrera Hits 500th Career Home Run
The 500 Home Run Club has another member. On Sunday night, Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera took a 1-1 pitch deep to right field for his 500th career home run. The 400-foot blast in the sixth inning brought the Tigers even with the Toronto Blue Jays. Detroit would go on to win the game, 5-3, in 11 innings.
The 19-year veteran is just the 28th player in MLB history to reach the milestone. The select list includes many of the game's all-time greats, topped by Barry Bonds with 762 HRs. Henry Aaron, Babe Ruth, Alex Rodriguez, and Albert Pujols round out the top five.
Cabrera is also on pace to finish his distinguished career as part of a couple other distinguished groups. The longtime Tiger is just 45 hits shy of 3,000 hits, which would make him one of seven players to pick up 500 home runs and 3,000 hits over the course of his career. With a lifetime .311 batting average to date, he's also likely to wrap up his playing days with an average somewhere north of .300. That would make him one of just nine players to hit 500 home runs and also bat over .300.
Few players have been able to maintain such a high average and reach the 500 HR mark.
.@MiguelCabrera is one of them. pic.twitter.com/0lPYMC6OoO
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) August 22, 2021
Even without this achievement, Cabrera would have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer when his time came. He was MVP of the American League twice and has 11 All-Star Games to his credit. He also won the World Series in his 2003 rookie season with the Florida Marlins.
Cabrera reaching the 500-home run milestone seemed uncertain in recent seasons. After hitting 38 home runs to end the 2016 season with 446, his production dropped off precipitously. It took him five seasons seasons to hit the next 54. Injuries and old age deserve some of the blame. COVID also shortened the 2020 campaign. Cabrera has two more guaranteed years with the Tigers, so look for that home run total to grow.
Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Nelson Cruz, who currently has 443 career HRs, is the next closest to the 500 mark. Robinson Cano, Giancarlo Stanton, Justin Upton, and Joey Votto are all at least 100 behind him. Mike Trout, Freddie Freeman, and Bryce Harper could also make it there one day.
Mets' Collapse Continues
The Mets used to sit atop the National League East and have the inside track on the NL East title. At the end of July, they were 55-48 and four games up on the second-place Atlanta Braves. After Sunday's action, they are 61-63 and seven games behind the division-leading Braves. The Philadelphia Phillies have taken over second place. The Mets have won just six of their 21 games in teh month of August. Atlanta comes into their series with the New York Yankees having won nine straight. The Mets open up a three-game series with the San Francisco Giants having won just two of their last 10 games.
In August, the Mets' postseason odds have fallen from 56 percent to 1.6 percent, according to SportsLine. Pitching and defense aren't really to blame. Still, the collapse has been a team effort on offense. Given that the team's season stats lag those of most contenders, maybe a drop-off was always in the cards. The Mets are hitting .234 on the season and averaging 3.78 runs per game. Both are among the worst in the league. Francisco Lindor, who's been out for over a month, hasn't produced at the plate like he did in Cleveland. Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil's production hasn't measured up to that of previous seasons either.
Team owner Steven Cohen showed his understandable frustration last week.
It's hard to understand how professional hitters can be this unproductive.The best teams have a more disciplined approach.The slugging and OPS numbers don't lie.
— Steven Cohen (@StevenACohen2) August 18, 2021
After Sunday's action, the team has a slugging percentage of .379 and an OPS of .691. Both of those numbers remain among the worst in the majors.
To be fair, the Mets are 10 games into a 13-game stretch against either the Giants or Los Angeles Dodgers. The competition will ease some when the Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins come to town. But with a little more than a month left in the regular season, there may not be enough time for a comeback.
Cubs' Home Losing Streak Grows
While the Mets still have a chance to turn things around, the Cubs, at 22. 5 games back in the NL Central, do not. With nothing to play for, especially after the trade deadline selloff, the home losing streak continues. The Cubs have lost a franchise record 13 consecutive games at Wrigley Field. Sunday's loss to the Kansas City Royals broke the 12-game home losing streak the team set at the start of the 1994 season.
The Cubs have managed to intersperse some road wins in between all the home losses. That includes a couple in Cincinnati last week. But the losing has been ugly. In fact, Cubs have allowed three times more runs (99) than they've scored (33) during those 13 losses.
The Cubs will be back at home Monday night to host the Colorado Rockies.
]]>Five players were ejected, along with managers Joe Girardi of the Yankees and Brad Ausmus of Detroit, and New York bench coach Rob Thomson.
New York reliever Tommy Kahnle and Girardi had just been tossed after Kahnle threw a pitch behind Cabrera in the sixth inning. With the game about to resume, Cabrera stepped toward Romine and the two exchanged words. The New York catcher took off his mask, and the two-time AL MVP gave him a two-handed push to the chest.
Cabrera appeared to take a couple of swings at Romine, and the two ended up on the ground as players from both teams spilled onto the field.
Cabrera and Romine were ejected.
An inning later, New York's Dellin Betances hit Detroit catcher James McCann in the helmet with a pitch, causing benches to empty again. Betances and Thompson were tossed then.
"I threw him out and that was to keep control of the game," umpire crew chief Dana DeMuth said. "And the reason why it took a minute or so, was because I wanted to get the players apart. Once I got Detroit going to their dugout and New York going to their dugout, then I informed him that he was ran."
Betances said he didn't hit McCann on purpose, and McCann seemed to agree afterward.
"I don't think it was intentional," McCann said. "At that point in the game, Miggy was thrown at, Sanchez had been hit, and at least in my mind, the retaliation was over. I don't think that he was trying to hit me on purpose."
LISTEN: Girardi Annoyed By Speculation That He Yanked Judge To End Strikeout Streak
Although Cabrera vs. Romine was the peak of the hostilities, McCann's beaning was the most frightening.
"You don't want to see people hit in the head. You don't want to see fighting on the field," Cabrera said. "But people have to understand we're human."
Tigers reliever Alex Wilson and Ausmus were ejected in the eighth after Wilson hit Todd Frazier around the thigh with a pitch. The benches cleared for a third time, although the Cabrera-Romine fight was as nasty as things got.
"With me hitting a guy in the leg, it's what I have to do and that's what I did," Wilson said. "Fortunately for me I know where my pitches are going, and I hit a guy in the leg today to take care of my teammates and protect them."
The ill will likely began when Detroit's Michael Fulmer hit Yankees slugger Gary Sanchez with a pitch in the fifth, an inning after Sanchez had homered for the fourth time in this three-game series. Fulmer looked like he might be hurt after throwing that pitch, and he was checked by the trainer before staying in the game.
"If you can't see that Fulmer clearly hit Sanchez on purpose, there's something wrong," Girardi said.
Fulmer looked like he might be hurt after throwing that pitch, and he was checked by the trainer before staying in the game. He said he had no intention of hitting Sanchez.
"I respect Gary Sanchez, I really do," said Fulmer, who beat out Sanchez for last year's American League Rookie of the Year award. "I would never throw at anybody that hit a homer off of me, just because they hit a home run."
Kahnle was ejected by plate umpire Carlos Torres immediately after his pitch sailed behind Cabrera. Girardi stormed out of the dugout to argue and was tossed as well.
"When they throw at me, it was OK. … I was cool with that," Cabrera said. "When they started arguing with the umpire, I said to Romine, 'Calm down.'"
After Cabrera and Romine were ejected for their fight, Romine was so incensed he threw his mask while entering the dugout.
Sanchez replaced Romine behind the plate.
The game was finally about to resume when Cabrera stepped toward Romine, and the New York catcher took off his mask. Cabrera gave him a two-handed push to the chest.
"He said, 'You have a problem with me?' And I said, 'This isn't about you,'" said Romine, whose brother Andrew plays for the Tigers. "And then he pushed me. It felt like he wanted a confrontation there and I just tried to defend myself the best I could."
Cabrera appeared to take a couple of swings at Romine, and the two ended up on the ground as players from both teams spilled onto the field. Sanchez later appeared to take a swing at someone at the bottom of the pile.
Justin Upton and McCann homered for Detroit, but that all became secondary on a day when the umpires had their hands full trying to maintain order. Major League Baseball figures to be busy now, sorting out likely suspensions that could especially hurt the playoff-contending Yankees.
Tensions carried over to the Detroit dugout, too, where star pitcher Justin Verlander and teammates Victor Martinez and Nicholas Castellanos got into some sort of dispute.
"I was actually on the field, so I haven't seen it and haven't talked to them about it," Ausmus said. "I'm aware of it, but I couldn't tell you what it was about."
Shane Greene got five outs for his fourth save.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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$325 million is not hard to take as a salary, even if it takes 13 years to complete contractual obligations. In numbers, this monetary figure looks like this:
$325,000,000. This averages out to:
• $25,000,000 a season
• More than $ 154,000 a game for 162 games
• More than $37, 000 per plate appearance, assuming 675 PA
Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is the fortunate individual who has inked this historical agreement, which has surpassed all other MLB contracts.
Stanton has been a Marlin for five years, debuting with the club in 2010. After five years, the big right-fielder has posted the following numbers: .271 BA, 154 HR, 399 RBI and .903 OPS. This past season was his finest, when he finished second in the MVP voting and paced the Senior Circuit with 37 HR, a SLG of .555 and 299 TB.
Clearly, the two essential components of this mega-contract are time and money. Stanton's case is just the latest is what has become a somewhat controversial approach taken by some MLB clubs.
About seven years ago, the Yankees offered Alex Rodriguez a 10-year deal, which included a number of bonus clauses and was very roughly calculated to be in the $300 million range. A few years ago, Cardinals superstar Albert Pujols jumped leagues and landed with the Angels, signing a 10-year deal worth about $250 million. And earlier this year, Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera agreed to a 10-year commitment with the Tigers for a figure just short of $300 million.
Of course these numbers are approximate, and factors like taxes, lawyers' fees, agents' fees, various clauses, options and deferments (and even suspensions) must be taken into consideration when trying to determine the actual net worth of each player. Suffice it to say that it doesn't seem likely that any of the aforementioned players will be going to the poorhouse in the foreseeable future.
One basic question arises: Do these mega-contracts make sense?
To begin to answer this question, more questions emerge:
• For example, Stanton is now 25 years old. At the end of his contract he will be 38. On the "average," will he be worth $25 million a year?
• What if he is injured on the field? Will the team fall apart?
• What if he goes into a swift decline? While batting average is certainly not the most revealing statistic, he did hit under .250 just one year ago. Is his makeup such that if he is booed and jeered, will he be able to rise above this negative feedback?
• While the Marlins have some young talent, Stanton is now the focal point. Can he carry the club in more ways than one? That is, can he handle the pressure?
As we all know, baseball is a business. It is also entertainment. And it could not exist if it was not economically sustainable. More questions arise:
• How much of a gamble is being taken by the Marlins? Will their fans support them in the long run?
• The Marlins have already won two World Series. They are obviously making a long-term commitment with Stanton and hoping for future titles. Do they have the money and resolve to reach out to other players?
We shall see.
Regarding both Pujols (who will be 35 next season) and Cabrera (who will turn 32 next year), these sluggers have proven themselves on the field. However, given their lengthy contracts, similar questions have been asked about Pujols regarding his age. And, perhaps, they will soon be asked about Cabrera, given some of his injuries.
As for A-Rod, he has always worked hard, but he will turn 40 next year. He has missed live, MLB pitching for an entire season. At best, A-Rod playing a majority of games at the hot corner is a 50-50 proposition. Will he be a DH? Will he spell Tex at First Base? Here, too, we shall see. But unless the unthinkable occurs, there is no way the Yankees will eat the approximately $60 million left on Rodriguez's contract. A-Rod is here for the next three years.
Just more grist for the Hot Stove League.
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]]>Perhaps one of the greatest side notes from sports is those fantastic moments of time that are captured in photography. Moments where you see athletes flying through the air in positions you could never imagine. Moments celebrating their highest highs and lowest lows. Moments that remind us why we love sports so much. Below are six recent fantastic photos that capture some of these fantastic moments…
#6 The Oklahoma State Cowboys take the field before the game against the Iowa State Cyclones at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
(Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
#5 Asdrubal Cabrera of the Washington Nationals argues a stike call with home plate umpire Vic Carapazza.
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
#4 Joey Logano celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speed way.
(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
#3 Julian Edelman is tackled during the fourth quarter against the Oakland Raiders at Gillette Stadium.
(Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)
#2 Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers looks on from the dugout and spits water during Game Two of the American League Division Series.
(Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
#1 Derek Jeter celebrates after a game winning RBI hit in the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles in his last game ever at Yankee Stadium.
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The Derek Jeter farewell tour is less than two months from coming to an end. Many people considered Jeter the face of Major League Baseball. Every stadium he goes to, he gets a warm welcome and a parting gift. With Jeter's days almost done, it's time to look at the players that Jeter will pass the torch to. Let's take a look at who the five faces of MLB are today.
1. Mike Trout
This is an absolute no brainer. Mike Trout defines a five tool player. There is nothing that he can't do. He's one of the toughest outs in baseball. Jeter passes the torch into the hands of Trout, who took home the All-Star Game MVP in Minnesota in July. The scary thing is that Trout is just 22 years old. We get to see another 15-20 years more of the young superstar robbing opposing home runs and hitting plenty of his own. Not to mention he's great off the field as well and he gets to do it all around the corner from Hollywood.
(Photo Credit: Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
2. Clayton Kershaw
From the Los Angels Angels of Anaheim to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hollywood shines bright when Clayton Kershaw takes the hill. Kershaw has become the best pitcher in baseball and it's an event when he's on the mound. He's already won two Cy Young Awards and has a career ERA of 2.52, including sub-two ERA's this year and last year. Kershaw became the highest paid player in baseball when he signed a seven-year, $215 million contract in the off-season. It's a lot of money, but he's going to end up as one of the best pitchers in the history of the game.
(Photo Credit: Leon Halip/Getty Images)
3. Miguel Cabrera
Miguel Cabrera has been around for a while, yet he's just 31 years old and still crushing the baseball. While his power numbers are down this season, Cabrera has consistently been a 30-plus home run hitter for his entire career. A career batting average of .320 and an OBP of .397 isn't too shabby, either. There has not been a more consistent player in the league in the last decade than Cabrera. He's a shoe-in to be a first ballot Hall of Famer when it's all said and done. He also started his career with a World Series title with the Marlins in 2003.
(Photo Credit: Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
4. Yasiel Puig
Some may say it's too early to call Yasiel Puig one of the faces of baseball, but he's become a must-watch player. Puig is the kind of player that people pay extra money to go see at the ballpark. He's a terrific hitter. He has a cannon of an arm and can get after any ball and throw anyone out. He's very fast. He can hit for power. There's not much that Puig can't do and it's only his second year here. The 23-year-old is very charismatic and has that off the field personality that some in baseball may hate, but that the fans love. Baseball needs guys like Puig in the league to bring some excitement to a sport that has games dragging on longer than ever. And c'mon, how could you not love the bat flips?
(Photo Credit: Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
5. Andrew McCutchen
The 2013 NL MVP Andrew McCutchen has made the Pittsburgh Pirates relevant. That's been a hard thing to do the last two decades. The Pirates had not made the playoffs since 1992. McCutchen changed that last season with his MVP performance. The 27-year-old has only gotten better every season, and is the epitome of a five-tool player. His OBP has been over .400 the last three seasons and he's stolen 20+ bases every season coming into 2014. He's done it in a mediocre lineup with not much help, which makes it that more tremendous of a feat. The Pirates outfielder has brought fans out to PNC Park and the last guy to do that in Pittsburgh was Barry Bonds.
Check out even more Sports Lists.
]]>The team has agreed to pay Cabrera a baseball-record $292 million over the next 10 years, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.
The person, who said the contract is subject to a physical, spoke Thursday night to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced.
Cabrera is due $44 million over the final two years of his $152.3 million, eight-year contract that runs through 2015, and the person says the slugger will make $248 million over eight seasons in the new deal.
Cabrera's new deal also includes two $30 million performance-based vesting options, meaning the slugger could potentially make $352 million over 12 years, according to WFAN and CBSSports.com baseball insider Jon Heyman.
The Twitterverse was flooded with opinions after news of the deal broke:
Miguel Cabrera's contract will earn him $55 a minute. Gross.
— Brandon Kravitz (@BrandonKravitz) March 28, 2014
.@MiguelCabrera's $292-million deal is more than the GDP of 9 countries, including the Cook Islands and Palau.
— Kevin Black (@KevinBlackNews) March 28, 2014
If Miguel Cabrera is getting paid $30 million per year at 30, imagine what Mike Trout will be worth at 26.
— Dan The Man (@danny_shin131) March 28, 2014
Miguel Cabrera will earn $49,423 PER AT BAT over the next decade. Median annual income of a household in Michigan: $48,471.
— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) March 27, 2014
Miguel Cabrera's $300 million contract makes me realize that I should have studied less and spent more time playing baseball.
— SGIII (@SGIII) March 27, 2014
Depending on whether Cabrera's deal is structured as one 10-year contract or an eight-year deal starting in 2016, it will either surpass Alex Rodriguez's $275 million, 10-year agreement with the New York Yankees for the richest contract, or Clayton Kershaw's record for average annual value of $30,714,286 in the $215 million, seven-year deal he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in January.
The Tigers and their owner Mike Ilitch, who desperately wants to win a World Series, will close spring training showing their fans they are willing to pay what it takes to keep great players in today's market.
The franchise offered right-hander Max Scherzer $144 million over six years recently, but the AL Cy Young Award winner turned it down, likely setting himself up to become a free agent after the season. Detroit dealt Prince Fielder and his $214 million contract in November to Texas — less than two years after giving it to him — for second baseman Ian Kinsler, sending $30 million to the Rangers as part of the swap.
Clearly, the Tigers want Cabrera to end his career in the Motor City.
Cabrera, who turns 31 next month, has been voted AL MVP in each of the last two seasons. He is the first player to win the award in consecutive seasons since Frank Thomas did it two decades ago.
The Venezuelan slugger won the Triple Crown in 2012 — becoming the first player to lead either league in batting average, homers and RBIs since 1967, when Boston's Carl Yastrzemski pulled off the rare feat.
Cabrera followed up that startling accomplishment with another strong season at the plate despite struggling to stay healthy. He led the majors with a .348 batting average last year, and his 44 homers and 137 RBIs were both second to Baltimore's Chris Davis.
Cabrera was limited to 148 games last season — after playing 161 in each of the previous two years — because of a sore back and left hip flexor, a strained lower abdomen, shin trouble and a groin tear that led to an offseason surgery.
The eight-time All-Star has appeared to be healthy during spring training.
Injuries seem to be the only thing that can stop Cabrera.
He has a .321 career batting average with 365 homers and 1,260 RBIs, numbers that rank him with the greatest sluggers in the history of the game. He has played six seasons in Detroit after spending his first five with the Marlins.
"He's got an unbelievable stroke," Hall of Famer Al Kaline, who works in the Tigers' front office, once said. "It's so effortless the way he gets through the zone so easily."
The Tigers have won three straight AL Central titles in part because Cabrera has led the league with batting averages of .348, .330 and .344. He has led the league in homers and RBIs twice.
As a 20-year-old rookie in 2003, Cabrera helped the Marlins win the World Series. The cash-strapped franchise traded him to Detroit in an eight-player deal after the 2007 season because it couldn't afford to pay him $20-plus million over the following two seasons, or even more when he was to become a free agent after the 2009 season.
Detroit kept Cabrera off the free-agent market once before, when they gave him that $152.3 million deal in 2008.
The Tigers have moved Cabrera back to first base to replace Fielder after he played third base the previous two seasons. Former manager Jim Leyland has said Cabrera is talented enough to become a complete player.
"Hopefully someday when he goes to Cooperstown, people won't just say he was one hell of a hitter," Leyland once said.
The Tigers appear to be confident that Cabrera's off-the-field problems are behind him.
Cabrera pleaded no contest to drunken driving after being arrested in February 2011 in Florida. Charges of resisting an officer without violence and having an open container in a vehicle were dropped.
Near the end of the 2009 season, when Detroit was trying to win its first division title in more than two decades, Cabrera got into a fight with his wife that became public knowledge. He had a bruised and cut face along with a 0.26 blood-alcohol reading the following morning when Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski picked him up at a police station.
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(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
]]>In our Fantasy Baseball Preview, CBS Local Sports breaks down the top players at each position for your fantasy baseball draft.
1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | SP | C | RP | Sleepers/Busts
Position Overview
In recent years, third base has become arguably the deepest position in fantasy baseball, especially in terms of power. If you're looking for 25- or 30-homer potential, third base is the position for you. We've got All-Stars, we've got future Hall of Famers – heck, we've even got a Triple Crown winner.
The challenge with third base isn't finding a good option; it's finding the right one. Here are my top 12 third basemen for 2014 – in the order in which I would draft them.
The Top 12
1) Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
Cabrera is expected to move back to first base this year but enters the season fantasy-eligible only at third. Regardless of where he fields ground balls, however, he remains the most complete hitter in the game. Cabrera won the Triple Crown in 2012 and almost did so again in 2013 – despite battling a core injury in the second half of the season. He is, at worst, the second overall pick.
Projection: .336 average, 45 home runs, 128 RBIs, 103 runs, 2 steals
2) Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers
Beltre turns 35 in April but shows no signs of slowing down. He's hit 30+ homers in each of the last three seasons and has batted .315+ in three of the last four. He does everything except steal bases – and he's worthy of a second-round pick.
Projection: .308 average, 32 home runs, 101 RBIs, 93 runs, 2 steals
3) David Wright, New York Mets
Wright missed some time due to injury last season but still finished with 18 home runs and 17 steals – not to mention a .307 average. The Mets' lineup should also be much improved with the additions of Chris Young and Curtis Granderson, which means Wright won't have to carry the offense again.
Projection: .305 average, 20 home runs, 90 RBIs, 91 runs, 15 steals
Evan Longoria (Photo Credit: Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
4) Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
So that's what happens when Evan Longoria stays healthy for a full season: He hits 32 home runs. If the guy stays healthy, he's a legit 30-homer, 100-RBI candidate.
Projection: .274 average, 27 home runs, 98 RBIs, 92 runs, 3 steals
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5) Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals
Zimmerman is one of the most consistent players in fantasy (that's right; not just at third base, but in fantasy). He's hit 25+ home runs in four of the last five seasons, during which he's never hit below .275. He's not a threat on the bases – the six steals he had last year were his most since 2006, when he had 11 – but he's a virtual lock for 80+ runs. There's a lot to like here.
Projection: .284 average, 26 home runs, 84 RBIs, 82 runs, 5 steals
6) Matt Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals
Ranked seventh among second basemen, Carpenter was a run-scoring machine last year – he led the majors with 126 – and hit .318 with double-digit homers and 78 RBIs. The runs will undoubtedly regress, but Carpenter remains a solid fantasy option, in part because of his positional eligibility.
Projection: .298 average, 13 home runs, 81 RBIs, 109 runs, 5 steals
Pablo Sandoval (Photo Credit: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
7) Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants
Sandoval entered spring training lighter, faster and stronger – and a year away from free agency. An overall solid player, Sandoval has been a tad inconsistent with his power throughout his career. After swatting a career-high 25 home runs in 2009, Sandoval hit 13, 23, 12 and 14 in his next four seasons, respectively. But a lighter Kung Fu Panda is a motivated Kung Fu Panda, and a motivated Kung Fu Panda means a career year could be in store.
Projection: .297 average, 22 home runs, 94 RBIs, 75 runs, 1 steal
8) Pedro Alvarez, Pittsburgh Pirates
Alvarez is becoming Adam Dunn-like with his power stroke – not to mention his contact rate. Over the last two years, Alvarez has jacked 66 homers – including a career-high 36 a season ago – but he's also hit just .238. As I mentioned in my first base and shortstop rankings, power is at a premium these days. I'm not saying you have to draft Alvarez, Mark Trumbo and J.J. Hardy – in fact, don't – but if you're splitting hairs between two players, go with the power guy. Chicks still dig the long ball.
Projection: .242 average, 34 home runs, 98 RBIs, 72 runs, 3 steals
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9) Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles
If not for the fact that he's coming off knee surgery, Machado would be ranked higher on this list – much higher. Why? Because he's the best 22-and-under position player in baseball not named Mike Trout or Bryce Harper. In his first full season in the bigs, Machado, only 21, hit .283 with 14 homers, 71 RBIs and 88 runs scored. This probably goes without saying, but if you're in a dynasty league or keeper league, Machado should be one of the first third basemen off the board. Looking at this year specifically, expect a slow April (and maybe even May), but don't be surprised if Machado catches fire as the summer heats up.
Projection: .289 average, 18 home runs, 82 RBIs, 85 runs, 8 steals
Kyle Seager (Photo Credit: Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images)
10) Kyle Seager, Seattle Mariners
Seager, 26, has delivered back-to-back 20-homer seasons – despite playing half of his games at Safeco Field – and has stolen 22 bases over the last two years. The only thing holding him back is his average (.259 in 2012, .260 in 2013). Look for marginal improvement in that department.
Projection: .268 average, 21 home runs, 82 RBIs, 76 runs, 12 steals
11) Josh Donaldson, Oakland Athletics
Donaldson, 28, had a remarkable first season in the bigs last year, hitting .301 with 24 homers, 93 RBIs and 89 runs. I'm not saying he can't do it again, but I want to see him do it again before I place him ahead of some of the tried-and-true alternatives out there.
Projection: .278 average, 22 home runs, 90 RBIs, 84 runs, 7 steals
12) Martin Prado, Arizona Diamondbacks
Ranked tenth among second basemen, Prado, who is also eligible in the outfield, makes this list because of his durability, versatility and across-the-board production. He's a low-risk option who helps everywhere and hurts nowhere.
Projection: .288 average, 14 home runs, 78 RBIs, 78 runs, 5 steals
Bottom Line
It's hard to go wrong at third base. If you grab an elite guy early, good for you. If you grab an above-average guy in the middle rounds, good for you. If you want to grab one of each and start one at utility, that's fine too.
The point is, there's no excuse to not own at least one quality third baseman in 2014. Don't be that guy.
Next up: Outfield
Check out "30 Players 30 Days," profiling one young player from each Major League Baseball team.
Tony Meale is the author of The Chosen Ones: The Team That Beat LeBron. He lives in Chicago and won't be mad if you follow him on Twitter @TonyMeale.
]]>"Without my peers, I wouldn't be the same," Rivera told the MLB Network. "I definitely appreciate what they have done for me, choosing me and voting for me."
Detroit slugger Miguel Cabrera won his second straight player of the year award in voting by his fellow major leaguers.
Cabrera followed his Triple Crown season of 2012 with another impressive year. He led the American League with a .348 average and had 44 homers and 137 RBIs, both second to Baltimore's Chris Davis. Cabrera edged Davis and the Angels' Mike Trout for the honor.
For the second consecutive year, Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen won NL outstanding player. Cabrera was selected AL outstanding player.
Other awards Monday night went to Detroit's Max Scherzer (AL outstanding pitcher), the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw (NL outstanding pitcher), Rays outfielder Wil Myers (AL outstanding rookie) and Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez (NL outstanding rookie).
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(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
]]>BOSTON, M.A. (CBSNewYork) — Here's a look at the best-of-seven American League championship series between the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox:
Big Picture:
Tigers: Detroit (93-69) won the AL Central by one game over Cleveland, but that slim margin was deceiving. The Tigers were in control from mid-August on. After clinching the division, Detroit lost its final three regular-season games at lowly Miami, totaling only three runs. Henderson Alvarez threw a no-hitter against the Tigers in the finale. But they bounced back quickly, beating the AL West champion Athletics in the division series for the second consecutive year behind another Game 5 gem from Justin Verlander in Oakland. After losing Game 3 at home, Detroit rallied from three runs down in Game 4 to extend its season — thanks in large part to Max Scherzer. Making his first relief appearance in two years, he escaped a major jam in the eighth inning to earn his second win of the series. Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run homer in the clincher, a 3-0 victory that put the Tigers in their third straight ALCS. They lost to Texas in 2011 and swept the New York Yankees last year before getting swept by San Francisco in the World Series. Detroit hasn't won it all since 1984, and this star-studded team is built for a championship run right now. … Tigers pitchers set a major league record with 1,428 strikeouts this season. … Victor Martinez hit .361 after the All-Star break and Prince Fielder batted .337 in September. … The bullpen was a work in progress early, but Joaquin Benoit has performed well as the closer and Drew Smyly has been terrific for the most part. … Scherzer was baseball's lone 20-game winner, and the Tigers have the same excellent depth in their rotation as they did when they won the pennant last year. … Jim Leyland is making his eighth playoff appearance. He is 42-36 in postseason games.
Red Sox: Boston (97-65) returned to the postseason for the first time since 2009 after one of the most tumultuous periods in franchise history. Following an unprecedented collapse in September 2011, the Red Sox brought in manager Bobby Valentine to restore order to a clubhouse that had grown complacent under two-time World Series champion Terry Francona. Players rebelled against Valentine and the team won just 69 games — its worst finish in almost half a century. The rebuilding began with the August 2012 trade of Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford to the Los Angeles Dodgers. … The Red Sox finished with the best record in the AL, earning home-field advantage throughout the postseason. The AL's victory in the All-Star game gives the American League champion the extra home game in the World Series. … The Red Sox became the second AL team in the three-division era to go from worst to first. Then they defeated the wild-card Rays 3-1 in the division series, winning both home games. … This is Boston's first AL East title since 2007 and just the second since 1995. … David Ortiz is the only player remaining from the 2004 World Series title team. Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester and Jacoby Ellsbury were also on the 2007 champions. … The Red Sox never lost more than three games in a row this season, the first major league team to do that since the 2005 Cardinals. Boston has dropped three straight only twice since May. … The Red Sox led the majors with 853 runs. They were successful on 86.6 percent of stolen base attempts, the best in AL history since baseball started keeping track of caught stealings in the 1920s. Boston was successful on its final 39 tries during the regular season and 6 of 7 in the ALDS. … Former Tigers OF Quintin Berry provides a speedy spark off the bench. … This is the fourth time OF Jonny Gomes has been a part of a big turnaround. The 2008 Rays won 31 more games than the year before; the 2010 Reds won 13 more, the 2012 Athletics won 20 more and this year's Red Sox won 28 more than the previous season.
___
Watch For:
— Mighty Miggy. What's remarkable about Cabrera's stat line is he compiled it without doing much down the stretch. Finally sapped by injuries that affected his legs and midsection, the 2012 Triple Crown winner had only two extra-base hits in September and four singles in the ALDS before his pivotal homer in Game 5. Never a speedster to begin with, Cabrera looks painfully slow on the bases. But he's paid to hit for power, and that's what the Tigers need from him.
— Start Me Up. Boston led the majors with 853 runs and Detroit was second at 796. There is plenty of thunder in the middle of both lineups, so the spark plugs up top could make the difference. Ellsbury, sidelined for most of September with a broken right foot, went 9 for 18 in the ALDS with 4 stolen bases and 7 runs. Behind him, the speedy Victorino had a .556 OBP and 3 RBIs. On the other side, Jackson was 2 for 20 against Oakland with 13 Ks and Hunter batted .158 with 6 strikeouts.
— New To The Ninth. Neither closer came into the season expecting to have that role. Benoit filled a glaring void for Detroit and showed he could handle pressure, saving two ALDS games while striking out 6 in 3 1-3 innings. Uehara inherited the job in Boston when former All-Stars Joel Hanrahan and Andrew Bailey were injured. The 38-year-old right-hander was lights out all summer, compiling 27 straight scoreless outings and retiring 37 batters in a row during one stretch. Previously a playoff flop with Texas, he gave up a game-winning homer at Tampa Bay this week but bounced back for a four-out save in the clincher.
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Matchups:
Charter members of the American League, the Red Sox and Tigers were AL East rivals from 1969-97 until Detroit shifted to the Central. They have never met in the playoffs before. … Both clubs were involved in one of the most significant trades before the July 31 deadline, a three-team deal with the White Sox that sent Peavy from Chicago to Boston, and Iglesias from the Red Sox to the Tigers. Iglesias, a slick-fielding rookie, was obtained to play shortstop in place of Peralta, a two-time All-Star suspended 50 games as part of baseball's Biogenesis drug investigation. Once he returned, Peralta was shifted to left field. But when the Tigers played a decisive Game 5 in their division series against Oakland, manager Jim Leyland started Peralta at SS instead of the slumping Iglesias. Don Kelly was inserted in LF. Peralta batted .417 in the series with a crucial home run and 5 RBIs. Iglesias went 1 for 12 (.083). It will be interesting to see how Leyland plays it against Boston's high-powered bats. … Another offensive force for the Tigers was Martinez, who played 1½ seasons with the Red Sox from 2009-10. The four-time All-Star got a $50 million contract from Detroit and batted .450 (9 for 20) in the ALDS with a tying homer late in Game 4. … The Game 1 starters, Sanchez and Lester, were teammates on Boston's Double-A Portland affiliate in 2005. After the season, Sanchez was traded along with Hanley Ramirez to the Marlins in a deal that brought Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Boston. … The Tigers took three of four at home against Boston in June, then the Red Sox won two of three during the Fenway Park rematch in early September. Fister beat Lackey 3-0 in the opener before Lester edged Scherzer 2-1 in the middle game. Boston busted loose for a 20-4 rout in the finale, with Ortiz hitting two of the team's eight homers. … Sanchez did not face the Red Sox this season. Ortiz, though, is 3 for 3 with two homers against the AL's ERA leader. Big Papi has three homers in 15 at-bats against Scherzer, and two against Verlander. … Hunter (.433), Cabrera (.526) and Martinez (.429) all have had significant success against Lester. The trio combined for nine extra-base hits and 10 RBIs. Peralta has two homers and five RBIs. Even though the Tigers lost twice to Lester this year, they hit .321 against him — the highest average by any team the lefty faced more than once this season. … Other than Peralta (seven RBIs in 17 at-bats), Buchholz has shut down the Tigers' big bats.
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Season Series: Tigers won 4-3.
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Projected Lineups:
Tigers: CF Austin Jackson (.272, 12 HRs, 49 RBIs), RF Torii Hunter (.304, 17, 84), 3B Miguel Cabrera (MLB-leading .348, 44, 137), 1B Prince Fielder (.279, 25, 106), DH Victor Martinez (.301, 14, 83), LF Jhonny Peralta (.303, 11, 55), 2B Omar Infante (.318, 10, 51), C Alex Avila (.227, 11, 47), SS Jose Iglesias (.303, 3, 29 with Boston and Detroit).
Red Sox: CF Jacoby Ellsbury (.298, 9, 53, 92 runs, MLB-best 52/56 SBs), RF Shane Victorino (.294, 15, 61), 2B Dustin Pedroia (.301, 9, 84, 42 doubles, 17 SBs), DH David Ortiz (.309, 30, 103, .959 OPS), 1B Mike Napoli (.259, 23, 92), LF Daniel Nava (.303, 12, 66), C Jarrod Saltalamacchia (.273, 14, 65), SS Stephen Drew (.253, 13, 67, 8 errors), 3B Will Middlebrooks (.227, 17, 49).
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Projected Rotations:
Tigers: RH Anibal Sanchez (14-8, AL-best 2.57 ERA), RH Max Scherzer (21-3, 2.90, 240 Ks), RH Justin Verlander (13-12, 3.46), RH Doug Fister (14-9, 3.67).
Red Sox: LH Jon Lester (15-8, 2.75, 213 1-3 IP), RH Clay Buchholz (12-1, 1.74), RH John Lackey (10-13, 3.52, 2 CG), RH Jake Peavy (12-5, 4.17 with White Sox and Red Sox).
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Relievers:
Tigers: RH Joaquin Benoit (4-1, 2.01, 24/26 saves), LH Drew Smyly (6-0, 2.37), RH Jose Veras (0-5, 3.02, 21/25 saves with Houston and Detroit), LH Jose Alvarez (1-5, 5.82 in 14 games, 6 starts), RH Al Alburquerque (4-3, 4.59, 70 Ks, 34 BBs in 49 innings), RH Rick Porcello (13-8, 4.32, 32 appearances, 29 starts), LH Phil Coke (0-5, 5.40).
Red Sox: RH Koji Uehara (4-1, 1.09 ERA, 21/24 saves, 101 Ks, 9 BBs, 73 games), RH Junichi Tazawa (5-4, 3.16, 71 games), LH Craig Breslow (5-2, 1.81), RH Brandon Workman (6-3, 4.97 in 20 games, 3 starts), RH Ryan Dempster (8-9, 4.57 in 32 games, 29 starts), LH Franklin Morales (2-2, 4.62), LH Felix Doubront (11-6, 4.32 in 29 games, 27 starts).
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Schedule: (All times EDT) Game 1, Saturday, at Boston (8:07 p.m.); Game 2, Sunday, at Boston (8:15 p.m.); Game 3, Tuesday, Oct. 15, at Detroit (4:07 p.m.); Game 4, Wednesday, Oct. 16, at Detroit (8:07 p.m.); x-Game 5, Thursday, Oct. 17, at Detroit (8:07 p.m.); x-Game 6, Saturday, Oct. 19, at Boston (4:37 p.m.); x-Game 7, Sunday, Oct. 20, at Boston (8:07 p.m.). (All games on FOX).
x-if necessary.
___
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(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
]]>Jerry Seinfeld says there's nothing funny about the way some All-Stars were treated during introductions Tuesday night in Flushing.
"This is one of the lowest moments of my lifetime of Mets fandom, when the Citi Field crowd was booing (players) that they see as rivals to their Mets team," Seinfeld told WFAN radio's Steve Somers on Wednesday night. "And I'm standing there, I was in shock. I was embarrassed. I thought it was horrible manners."
Seinfeld has been known to call Somers for a lighthearted schmooze about his beloved Amazin's.
This time "Jerry from Queens" had something to get off his chest.
"These are the best players, in the game you love, that have come here to put on a show for you, and we're booing them like 5-year-olds," Seinfeld said. "As if there's some sort of real animosity."
"The American League is not the Taliban," he added. "What are we booing Miguel Cabrera (for)? … So I was very embarrassed by that."
But all's well that ends well.
"I felt redeemed by the reception that we gave Mariano Rivera," Seinfeld said, "and that brilliantly staged farewell."
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On Thursday afternoon, the Yankees' captain returned to a rousing ovation, hit an infield single and scored a run. Judging by the feeling from the YES Network and media coverage in New York, all was right once again in baseball.
Not only did the Yankees admit to bringing Jeter back before they had originally planned, but the team placed him in his customary No. 2 spot in the order, signalling that his bat and athleticism, even in a diminished state, was vital to the success of the 2013 Yankees over the next three months.
What transpired from there — most notably a Yankees victory and a Jeter quad strain — changed the course of conversation in New York.
First, Jeter's impact, especially on a day where the Yankees put up eight runs, was exacerbated, highlighting his base hit, run scored and run batted in. Imagining what the lineup could do with Jeter breaking up the lefties at the top of the order and Robinson Cano receiving more RBI opportunities was a part of the narrative in the Bronx on Thursday.
In the aftermath of the game, the story changed to the state of Jeter's quad, if the Yankees erred in rushing him back onto the field and when, or if, he would be able to play this weekend against Minnesota.
All those talking points somehow missed the larger problem with the 2013 team: Contending teams shouldn't have to rely on the services of 39-year-old shortstops to win and thrive in the toughest division in the sport.
The reception around Jeter on Thursday in New York, partly due to his status and accolades in a great career, made it feel like Miguel Cabrera or Chris Davis were inserted into the Yankees' lineup. Instead, an aging, yet still potentially effective, Jeter returned, with the hopes of significantly changing the Yankees' lineup attached to his arrival.
In 2013, that simply isn't fair to him or the team. This isn't 1999 anymore, folks. The Jeter that was truly one of the best hitters in the sport isn't about to show up, whether it be on Friday against Minnesota or next week in Boston.
The problem, among many issues, with the 2013 Yankees has been pinned on injuries, but that's sugarcoating the larger point: Relying on the production of stars that were at their peak a decade or more ago is foolhardy.
Jeter's latest setback, coupled with Alex Rodriguez's murky timetable to arrive in the Bronx, isolated the problem too simplistically. For once, it's not truly about the marquee left side of the infield in New York. The true issue with the Yankees is how much they still need aging, injury-prone players to win baseball games.
If Jeter and or Rodriguez were expected to return as complementary parts, hitting say, seventh and eighth in the lineup, their long absences or setbacks wouldn't be as crushing to the short-term future of the team.
Instead, they are needed, possibly, as second and fourth hitters in the lineup.
At some point, the 2013 Yankees may indeed be back to "full strength," or something closely resembling that picture, but the expectations must still be curbed.
That reality shouldn't be shocking, but as long as the team still needs a high-level Jeter to win, it's going to become more stark as the months and years progress.
Joe Giglio was the winner of Fantasy Phenom III in 2012. You can hear him on WFAN on Saturday morning from 1-3 a.m. Twitter? He's on it @JoeGiglioSports.
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On opening day 2006 the Yankees payroll was roughly $195 million. And Joe Girardi won Manager of the Year that season.
But he did so with the Florida Marlins, whose payroll was $15 million, less than A-Rod, Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi, and seemingly half the Yankees made alone.
Not only did the Marlins have a laughable budget, they were also last in National League attendance, barely scraping a million fans. They had a young Miguel Cabrera – who was already a beast – and a young Hanley Ramirez and Josh Johnson, both of whom had yet to become stars.
Dontrelle Willis was the rotation's graybeard, at 24. Oddly, after charming America with his odd delivery and wide, white smile, Willis was on his way inexorably yet inexplicably downward. A middle-aged Joe Borowski closed their games.
Joe Girardi took a cocktail of kids, castaways, and misfits and somehow won 78 games. Then he got fired a few days later for yapping at the owner. Since then he has taken some lumps in the public relations crucible, but his baseball acumen seems keen as ever.
Indeed, Girardi seems the easy choice for Manager of the Year again, at least at the quarter-pole. (With a nod to Terry Francona.)
The feisty catcher who made the most of his marginal talent was always looking over his broad shoulders to see which young buck was about to bogart his starting spot, Girardi parlayed his skill set into a nice run, aided by the serendipity of playing for Joe Torre and the dynastic Yanks.
This year, Girardi is taking his piecemeal personnel – a walking triage ravaged by age, wage, and injury – and turning it into a most unlikely, united machine of timely hitting and clutch pitching. If anyone tells you they saw this team in first-place before the season started, they're lying.
If you were teleported to Yankee Stadium from last year to last month and saw the lineup, it would read like a roster of red shirts on Star Trek, the ones who beam down to some mysterious planet just before being to salt cubes.
But Girardi clearly relates to younger, scrappier, less egocentric souls, whom he can mold into his own ethos, while he runs the last club to keep last names off their jerseys. No doubt he's equally empathetic with the crusty veterans who feel slighted because one too many teams told them to retire.
Aside from Robinson Cano (and just recently Curtis Granderson) that's pretty much what the Yankees are. Cano leads the team in every relevant category except on-base percentage.
Sure, they've gotten some stellar pitching, but not from their ace, CC Sabathia. The source of power pitching and hitting has come from a cornucopia of rookies and retreads. Travis Hafner. Lyle Overbay. Vernon Wells. David Adams. Austin Romine. One of their contributors, Chris Nelson, isn't even on the roster anymore.
Like most of you, I bristled at the moves Brian Cashman made before the season, after the stars started falling like a row of dominoes. Yet here we are, Memorial Day weekend, where everyone takes initial stock, and the Bombers are in first place. At 28-18, the Yankees have a better record than anyone in the American League except Texas.
Maybe we owe Brian Cashman an apology. Or maybe we owe Joe Girardi our gratitude. Maybe he's managing better than the rest.
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]]>By Christian S. Kohl
Two of the elite talents in the American League, Miguel Cabrera and Mariano Rivera, have begun this year no differently than any other they have played. Both have dominated in a fashion that is so consistent we as fans become oddly accustomed to it. So, given that the numbers of both players are absolutely monstrous, who has been most impressive in the early going?
Miguel Cabrera created a situation for himself last year which made his 2013 performance impossible to improve upon. As both the MVP and triple crown winner, the best he could do would be an unfathomable repeat of both those accolades. His .375 average and league leading 41 runs batted in are nothing shy of astonishing, with a more than respectable eight home runs as well. In order to approach his accomplishments from last year, he'll need to connect for more home runs as the summer approaches. Still, he sits right now on pace to drive in 175 runs, and is unquestionably the finest offensive player in the American League right now.
One has to wonder, however, if enough can be said about both the start to the season and the entire career of Mariano Rivera. The last man in baseball to wear the number 42, Rivera has amazingly returned to form a season after tearing his ACL, featuring an age higher than his jersey number. The greatest closer of all time has been perfect so far this season, converting all 16 save opportunities, 6 of which did not even allow a base runner. His ERA sits at a criminal 1.56, and he sports 13 strikeouts, proving once again to any doubters that it is in fact the movement, and not just the overpowering velocity his cutter once featured which confounds hitters and shatters bats the league over.
It is almost inconceivable to say comparing these two could be easy, especially given the tear Cabrera is on. Not to mention a direct comparison of a position player and a closer as a value proposition is ordinarily next to impossible. But Rivera has been perfect. There is no way his numbers could be any better, and at age 43 with one working knee, there is nothing to be done about Rivera except sit back and watch in amazement at one of the truly greatest players in the history of the game.
>>See More Sports Verdict Episodes Here
That doesn't mean for one second a fan should take his eyes off Cabrera, however. He is doing amazing things a cut above even the elite offensive players in the game right now, and his contributions to his team, the season, and the game itself are right now no less special than the artistry of Mariano. The clear edge here is Rivera so far this year; still, with Cabrera at age 30 now and Rivera presumably at the tail end of his career (though once could conceive of him still splintering bats at age 50), in just a few short years their exploits will be memories, and their exploits enshrined in Cooperstown. Enjoy them both while you still can.
Christian S. Kohl is a sports contributor for CBS Local Digital Media.
]]>DETROIT (CBSNewYork/AP) —It was an unspectacular 2013 debut for Phil Hughes, who made his first start for the New York Yankees after starting the season on the disabled list.
Miguel Cabrera drove in one of four runs in the fifth inning on a 4-for-4 day and the Detroit Tigers beat the Yankees 8-4 Saturday.
Max Scherzer (1-0) gave up four runs in five-plus innings to pick up the win in a shaky start, his first of the season.
Hughes (0-1) allowed four runs — three earned — on eight hits in four-plus innings. He was originally scheduled to make a rehabilitation start in the minors.
Darin Downs and Joaquin Benoit combined to pitch three scoreless innings to end the game for the Tigers.
Detroit led 5-1 after five innings. New York pulled within a run in the sixth, then let Detroit go ahead 7-4 in the home half.
The Tigers will play for a series sweep Sunday in a matchup of aces, Detroit's Justin Verlander and New York's CC Sabathia.
Prince Fielder, one of six Tigers to drive in a run, had two RBIs a day after a two-homer, five-RBI performance against the Yankees.
Jayson Nix, filling in for Derek Jeter's injured backup, Eduardo Nunez, failed to field a routine grounder that allowed leadoff batter Austin Jackson to reach first. Jackson advanced to third on Cabrera's single and scored on Fielder's sacrifice fly.
Vernon Wells sent a 2-0 pitch into the left field seats in the second to make it 1-all. Torii Hunter kept it tied by throwing out Brennan Boesch — easily — on Francisco Cervelli's fly to right.
Jackson hit his first of three singles in the four-run fifth in which Hunter, Cabrera, Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta each had an RBI.
Hughes, who was to pitch a Triple-A game Saturday as he recovered from a back injury, had his outing ended when he gave up a double to Hunter in the pivotal inning. Boone Logan entered and gave up two hits and an unearned run, and getting only one out.
Hughes was one of five Yankees All-Stars on the disabled list with Jeter, third baseman Alex Rodriguez, first baseman Mark Teixeira and outfielder Curtis Granderson.
New York got back into the game, briefly, by scoring three in the sixth and chasing Scherzer with two walks and Travis Hafner's RBI single.
Al Alburquerque relieved Scherzer with a three-run lead, two on and no walks. He gave Wells a free pass on four pitches and had the good fortune of having a call overturned. Boesch lined out to Fielder and the first baseman stepped on the bag before Wells got there, but the first-base umpire signaled he was safe before conferring with the home-plate umpire to fix his mistake.
After Alburquerque gave up another walk, Lyle Overbay hit a two-run single to pull the Yankees within a run.
Detroit restored a comfortable cushion with Fielder's RBI groundout and Andy Dirks' single in the sixth along with strong pitching from Downs and Benoit.
New York reliever Joba Chamberlain let Detroit take a four-run lead into the ninth, loading the bases by giving up a single to Cabrera and walking Fielder and Martinez to set up Dirks for a sacrifice fly.
NOTES: Jeter, still recovering from left ankle surgery last October, did limited field work for the second consecutive day in Tampa, Fla. The shortstop fielded 41 grounders hit directly at him near the left-field fence, hit off a tee in a batting cage and played catch. … The Tigers plan to play 2B Ramon Santiago again on Sunday and to put LF Matt Tuiasosopo and C Brayan Pena in the lineup for the series finale. … Granderson could resume throwing next week as part of his rehabilitation program for a broken right forearm. The outfielder said Saturday he will have follow-up X-rays Tuesday and also hopes to be cleared to start swinging a fungo bat.
How worried are you by the Yankees start? Will things change when the Yanks get healthier — or is this team just not that talented? Sound off below…
(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
]]>LAKELAND, Fla. (CBSNewYork/AP) — Miguel Cabrera hit his fourth home run of the spring and the Detroit Tigers beat the New York Yankees 10-6 Saturday on an afternoon when the wind was blowing out.
Jhonny Peralta and Kevin Russo also homered for the Tigers. Torii Hunter and Alex Avila each added three hits.
Recently signed Ben Francisco homered twice for the Yankees and Kevin Youkilis drove in two RBIs.
Anibal Sanchez started for Detroit in his first major league outing since returning from the World Baseball Classic. He allowed four runs in six innings.
Andy Pettitte started for the Yankees and gave up four earned runs in 6 1-3 innings, his longest outing of the spring. He struck out five.
Yankees reliever Cody Eppley allowed five runs, all earned, without retiring a batter and saw his spring ERA balloon to 14.29.
What are your thoughts on Youkilis' spring? Sound off below…
(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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(Credit: Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
By Tony Meale
If you're fantasy baseball draft hasn't happened already, it's going to be happening soon. Here's a look at the top five players at each position.
First base
- Albert Pujols, Angels After a dreadful start to 2012, Pujols still finished with 30 homers, 108 RBIs and a respectable .285 batting average. With Mike Trout leading off and Josh Hamilton batting cleanup, Pujols should have plenty of RBI opportunities and see plenty of good pitches. He has at least one more year as the top first baseman in fantasy.
- Joey Votto, Reds The power outage following his return from two knee surgeries – Votto went homer-less in 127 plate appearances – was indeed worrisome, but the former MVP is back, healthy and hitting in one of the best lineups in the National League. Expect 25 homers, 100 RBIs and a .320 batting average.
- Prince Fielder, Tigers Since 2006, Fielder ranks among the top five in all of baseball in home runs and RBIs. He won't have Votto's batting average, but the power numbers will be a little more plentiful.
- Buster Posey, Giants Yes, I'd much rather have Posey as my catcher than my first baseman, and yes, catcher is surprisingly deep this year, but Posey's two-position eligibility makes him worthy of a second-round pick. His .336 batting average will almost certainly digress, but .300/20/100/80 is certainly realistic.
- Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays After several inconsistent seasons with the Reds, Encarnacion finally had a put-it-all-together year in 2012, swatting 42 homers to go with 110 RBI's and a .280 batting average. While Billy Butler and Adrian Gonzalez are probably safer picks, Encarnacion's tantalizing power gives him the top-five nod.
Second base
- Robinson Cano, Yankees Cano has recorded four straight seasons of a .300 batting average and 25+ home runs. He's as safe as they come, which is why he'll be a top-five pick in a lot of drafts this year.
- Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox Pedroia is the David Wright of second basemen; he's a legit 20/20 threat who will hit around .300 and score 80+ runs. He won't win you any category, but he'll help you in all of them.
- Brandon Phillips, Reds It's too bad that "ridiculously sweet defensive plays" aren't a rotisserie category, because if they were, Phillips would be a first-round pick. As it stands, Phillips is Dustin Pedroia Lite – an all-around talent who will hit at least .280 with 15+ homers, 15+ steals, 75+ RBIs and 90+ runs.
- Ian Kinsler, Rangers While many might prefer Kinsler to Phillips, the Texas two-bagger has hit .256 or worse in three of the last four years. He'll hit five more homers and steal five more bases than Phillips, but you'll have to draft him at least two rounds earlier – and in my eyes, that's just not worth it.
- Ben Zobrist, Blue Jays A notch below the top four, Zobrist remains an all-around contributor who is also eligible at shortstop and outfield. You may have to overpay a bit for that versatility, but it might be worth it.
Shortstop
- Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies The ultimate risk-reward pick on draft day, Tulowitzki has averaged just 120 games played in his six full seasons in the bigs. When healthy, he's the best shortstop in the game. Key words being "when healthy." Proceed with caution.
- Hanley Ramirez, Dodgers Once a consensus first-round pick, Ramirez's power and batting average have taken hits in recent years, but he's still a 20/20 guy – not bad for a late-second or early-third round pick.
- Starlin Castro, Cubs Sorry, Jose Reyes lovers; I'll take the 23-year-old Castro over the almost-30 Reyes, especially since Castro will hit more homers, knock in more runs and steal almost as many bases.
- Jose Reyes, Blue Jays I'll show Reyes some love by including him on this list, but if you want him, you're going to have to draft him by the middle of the third round; for me, that's simply too high for a one- or two-category player who has hit above .300 just once since 2006. I'd rather wait and take Ben Zobrist or the guy listed below.
- Ian Desmond, Nationals Desmond, who hit .292 with 25 homers and 21 steals last year, might be the least valued 20/20 man in the game. His 17.5 home run/fly ball percentage will likely regress, but he's also 27 and played in just 130 games last year.
>>CBS Local Baseball Feature: 30 Players, 30 Days
Third base
- Miguel Cabrera, Tigers Dude won the Triple Crown last year. If he's not a top-three pick in your league, your league is awful.
- Adrian Beltre, Rangers Although he has more mileage than David Wright, Beltre, who turns 34 in April, has recorded back-to back seasons of 30+ homers and 100+ RBIs. He's also hit .321 in two of his last three seasons. In other words, this guy isn't lasting past the second round.
- David Wright, Mets One of the best hitters in the game, Wright's liability – if you want to call it that – is that he plays in an underwhelming lineup. That said, he's still a good bet for .300/20/80/90/15.
- Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals One of the most underrated players in fantasy, Zimmerman has hit 25+ homers and accounted for 85+ RBIs in three of the last four years and has hit .282 or better in each of the last five. Most rankings you'll see have him in the top eight or nine at the position. For me, he's top five (make that top four).
- Evan Longoria, Rays The Troy Tulowitzki of third basemen, the oft-injured Longoria is a stud – when he actually suits up. Given his ADP – probably third round in a 12-team league – I'd rather avoid the injury risk and wait for a Ryan Zimmerman, a Chase Headley or even a Pablo Sandoval.
Catcher
- Buster Posey, Giants No explanation necessary – aside from him being the NL MVP and all.
- Yadier Molina, Cardinals A consensus top-two catcher, Molina is the rare backstop who hits for average (.315 last year) and power (22 homers) and steals bases (12, which led the majors at his position). He's also durable, having averaged close to 140 games over the last four years. Draft with confidence.
- Joe Mauer, Twins While the 28-homer season in 2009 has proved the exception – and not the rule – Mauer is still a a .320/15/80/80 candidate.
- Carlos Santana, Indians Santana enters his age-27 season with .270/25/90/80 potential.
- Matt Wieters, Orioles Like Santana, Wieters enters his age-27 season with good power potential, as he's seen his home run totals increase from nine to 11 to 22 to 23 in his four seasons in the majors.
Outfield
- Mike Trout, Angels I'm all for track record – which is why some experts have Trout going third overall behind Ryan Braun and Miguel Cabrera – but Trout is simply too good to pass on. Despite missing the first month of last season, he still finished with a .326 average, 30 homers, 49 steals and 129 runs scored. Bottom line? This guy should be the top pick in your league. Period.
- Ryan Braun, Brewers One of the few true five-category studs, Braun should be, at worst, the third pick in your draft. He's a virtual lock for .315/30/100/100/25.
- Matt Kemp, Dodgers After coming one homer shy of joining the 40/40 club in 2011, Kemp missed 50+ games last year and still hit 23 homers. He's only 28, and if he stays healthy, he'll put up first-round numbers.
- Andrew McCutchen, Pirates A top-five player – not outfielder, but player – in 2012, McCutchen is a five-tool star in the making. Don't expect a repeat of his .327 batting average, but .300/25/80/100/20 seems within reach.
- Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies His home/road splits are nothing to brag about, but CarGo's is a virtual lock for .300/20/80/90/20.
Starting Pitcher
- Justin Verlander, Tigers He'll finish with a sub-3.00 ERA, he'll strike out around 240 and he'll win 19 or 20 games. This guy is a first-round pick.
- Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers Kershaw is a workhorse, plain and simple. Given the additions to the offense, he should have no issue surpassing the 14 wins he mustered in 2012.
- Stephen Strasburg, Nationals Strasburg had 197 strikeouts in 159.1 innings last year. That's just silly. With the innings limit apparently a thing of the past, Strasburg should surpass 200 Ks with ease and will likely approach 250. Throw in 17 or 18 wins, and you've got an early second round pick.
- Felix Hernandez, Mariners A 20-game winner on virtually any other team, Hernandez has managed only 13-14 wins in each of the last three seasons. Still, he's logged 200+ innings in each of the last five years and 217+ Ks in each of the last four. He's a top-five fantasy starter – in spite of his offense.
- David Price, Rays Price, a 20-game winner in 2012, gets the nod over Matt Cain.
Relief Pitcher
- Craig Kimbrel, Braves No explanation is necessary, but here's one anyway: Craig Kimbrel struck out more than half the batters he faced last year. That's really all you need to know.
- Jonathan Papelbon, Phillies One of the most consistent closers in the game, Papelbon has 40-save potential.
- Aroldis Chapman, Reds Although he's slated to become a starter, Chapman's arm is too electric to not try to own in some capacity. While I think he should remain Cincy's closer, he may wind up back in the bullpen should he struggle out of the gate.
- Rafael Soriano, Nationals After saving 42 games for the Yankees last season, Soriano signed a two-year deal with the Nationals – thereby becoming the closer for arguably the best pitching staff in baseball. Anything fewer than 35 saves would be shocking.
- Fernando Rodney, Rays The guy saved 48 games last year and posted a 0.60 ERA. He won't approach either of those numbers in 2013, but 35+ saves and an ERA in the 2.00s aren't bad, either.
>>CBS Local Baseball Feature: 30 Players, 30 Days
Cincinnati-based sportswriter Tony Meale is the author of The Chosen Ones: The Team That Beat LeBron and contributes to several outlets, including MLB.com and MaxPreps. He has a master's in journalism from Ohio University and is available for guest-speaking engagements. Follow Tony Meale on Twitter @tonymeale.
]]>CBS Local Sports will be profiling one young player from each Major League Baseball team every day for the next 30 days as part of our "30 Players 30 Days" spring training feature.
Mike Trout, Outfielder, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
2012 season: 139 G, 559 AB, .326 BA, 30 HR, 83 RBI, 129 R, 49 SB, .963 OPS
Heading into the 2012 season, many pundits had Mike Trout ranked as the top prospect in baseball – even ahead of Bryce Harper, a player who's been getting hype since he was an adolescent. But even the most bullish analysts never would have predicted the level at which Trout performed last year.
Simply put, Trout was the best player in the game in 2012. He hit for average, he hit for power, he took a good number of walks, he ran the bases exceedingly well and he played strong defense. Everybody knew there was power potential there, but the thought that he would hit 30 homers as a 20-year-old was beyond most. Everybody knew he was incredibly fast, too, but 49 steals in 54 attempts is something that few would have dared to predict.
Coming off such an impressive season at such a young age, it's fair to ask what Trout will do – and what he possibly could do – as an encore. On the one hand, it seems that the sky is the limit. He makes contact at a pretty high rate (81.6% last year) and is so fast that it's easy to project him hitting around .300 again. His speed likely isn't going to diminish at such a young age, so one could expect strong defense and baserunning numbers again. He's young and still putting on muscle, so if anything, one might argue that his home run total will only increase.
That, of course, is a pretty optimistic view. It's not unreasonable, though, which is what makes Trout so special.
Still, it's more than possible that Trout won't be able to put up the numbers that he did last year – not because he's not good, but just because that season was so good. Any time someone puts up numbers of that caliber, there's reason to be skeptical that it will happen again. Trout had never hit more than 17 longballs in a season before, so his power might fall off a bit this year. Teams also have full scouting reports on him now and are very aware of his game, which means he probably won't be quite as successful on the basepaths.
Even if Trout regressed in those areas, though, he'd still be in the conversation as one of the best players in baseball. He brings so much to the table and is a threat in so many ways that it's hard to see him dropping off much of a cliff. He put up MVP numbers last year but didn't win because Miguel Cabrera hit for the first Triple Crown since 1967. That probably won't happen again this year. At season's end, look for Trout to be taking home some serious hardware: an All-Star appearance, a possible MVP award and – with Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton on his team – maybe even a World Series trophy.
Next up on March 12: Texas Rangers
The Japanese are hoping to defend their title in the third edition of baseball's global tournament, having topped Cuba in the inaugural Classic in 2006 and South Korea three years later.
To do it, Japan — with a roster that doesn't include a single player from Major League Baseball — will have to win two rounds at home and then the semifinals and final at San Francisco's AT&T Park.
In their way will be an American team led by Dickey, Ryan Braun and Joe Mauer, trying to make up for a couple of underwhelming WBC showings — and featuring Joe Torre's return to the top step of the dugout.
David Wright of the Mets and Mark Teixeira of the Yankees will also represent the United States.
Team USA has plenty of motivation. The Americans didn't get out of the second round in 2006, then lost in the semifinals to Japan three years later.
"We'll probably be disappointed if we don't make it to San Francisco," said Giants right-hander Ryan Vogelsong, slated to be the No. 2 starter in the U.S. rotation. "First and foremost, we're focused on getting there."
Japan's pro teams are known for their rigorous spring training regimen, which typically begins a couple of weeks before the major league clubs and feature all-day workouts with just a short break to eat.
"It's such a dedicated group of players. I go back to going over to Japan as a member of the Mets back in 74 and just noticing and at that time I didn't think necessarily that the Japanese could play at our level, maybe stature-wise," Torre said. "Even though their game was clean and disciplined, it just didn't look like they were as good as we were. That's certainly has changed."
Rockies slugger Carlos Gonzalez will play alongside San Francisco's Pablo Sandoval and Triple Crown winner Cabrera for Venezuela. The World Series champion Giants have had to plan carefully this spring to get through the Cactus League with much of their roster headed to the WBC — Marco Scutaro on Venezuela, Angel Pagan on Puerto Rico, Vogelsong and reliever Jeremy Affeldt on the U.S. team, closer Sergio Romo pitching for Mexico.
"It's my first time representing and I'm really looking forward to doing it," Pagan said. "The first two Classics I couldn't do it because I was either trying to make a team or I was trying to be the everyday player. It fills my heart to go out there and play in front of my countrymen and in front of my family. I did it when I played in New York and Puerto Rico but it's not the same when you're wearing the P.R. jersey."
And CarGo sure is confident in Venezuela's chances.
"I don't think we need practice — Venezuela doesn't need practice," he said. "Japan, they train together for a long time and get prepared for that. We don't really get prepared for that … put the uniform on, let's play."
In all, 45 big league all-stars, including seven MVPs, were on the final WBC rosters.
Many MLB players are torn between playing for their country or playing for the club that signs their paycheck — especially those who might be on the bubble of making a major league roster or earning a starting job.
Gonzalez said the Venezuelans feel tremendous pressure to take part in the Classic, yet he understands why Seattle ace Felix Hernandez has passed after signing a $175 million, seven-year contract earlier this month that made him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball.
"You have to represent your team," Gonzalez said. "You see all the news about King Felix not playing for Venezuela and the whole country changes, they get upset that you're not going to play for your country. They think it's all about the money but, you know what, we've been working since we were 16 years old and we came from Venezuela to represent. … I think I made the right choice."
The inaugural 2006 Classic featured a pool-play format, while 2009 was double-elimination — and this one will be a combination of both. The first round will be pool play, with the top two teams advancing. The second round is double-elimination, and the top two teams from each group will reach the semifinals.
The Americans will play their round-robin games at the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field in Phoenix. The other first-round groups will play in: Fukuoka, Japan; Taichung, Taiwan; and, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
"The guys who have played this before were excited to get back to it," Torre said. "I think it's still something to get a little used to. Let's admit it, you play the USA team, MLB, even though there are a number of MLB players obviously playing for other countries, it's like putting on your Sunday best, you know. We're excited because we have a chance to beat them at their own game, so to speak."
Semifinals will be played March 17-18, with the championship March 19 in the Giants' waterfront ballpark.
That's where Sandoval cleared the fences three times in a Game 1 World Series win against the Tigers.
The guy known as Kung Fu Panda hopes to find his groove again for his country. If he does, and his nation wins it all, Sandoval will be World Series, Venezuelan and WBC titles to his credit.
"I'm trying to get the Triple Crown," Sandoval said.
WATCH FOR:
— Animated crowds with a different flavor than the regular MLB fans. Expect musical instruments, patriotic chants, face paint and flags. More than 1.5 million fans have attended games in first two WBC tournaments.
— This year's 16-team field was drawn from the top 12 nations in the last WBC, plus four others who qualified in a tournament last year. The WBC winner will be named "world champion" for the first time.
— Americans on a mission: Team USA failed to reach the championship game of the first two Classics.
— Players will be subject to drug testing by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
— San Juan will host games for the third time at Hiram Bithorn Stadium, to be played March 7-10.
— Sparkling new Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the shared spring venue of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies, will be on display for the world to see. The ballpark hosts Pool D games between the U.S., Italy, Mexico and qualifier Canada.
How far do you predict Team USA will go in the WBC? Will you be watching? Sound off with your thoughts and comments below…
(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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This past season Detroit's Miguel Cabrera led the American League in homeruns (HR) with 44, runs batted in (RBI) with 139 and batting average (BA) with a mark of .330. This thrust him into an elite group known as Triple Crown Winners.
Since 1901 this "triple" barrier has been scaled only fourteen times. And some of the greatest players in history were not Triple Crown winners; megastars like Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron.
In this installment of By The Numbers, I thought it might be interesting to review some of the history associated with the Triple Crown.
1. In 1901, the very first year of "Modern Baseball", Nap Lajoie of the Philadelphia A's won baseball's first Triple Crown. His BA, HR and RBI totals were .426, 14 and 125. No future Triple Crown winner would approach Lajoie's 426 BA.
2. Later on that decade, in 1909, Ty Cobb, of the Detroit Tigers, copped the honors with these numbers: .377 BA, 9 HR, 107 RBI.
3. During the Roaring Twenties, Rogers Hornsby won the Triple Crown twice while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1922 he hit .401, had 42 HR, with 152 RBI. Three years later he almost duplicated these numbers with a BA of .403, 39 HR, and 143 RBI
4. Perhaps the most interesting oddity connected with the Triple Crown occurred in 1933. This was the only year in history when there were two winners, one from each league. In fact, these two future Hall of Famers played in the same city: Jimmie Foxx (.356, 48, 163) from the Philadelphia A's and Chuck Klein (.368, 28, 120) of the Phillies.
5. The very next year, Lou Gehrig of the Yankees won the Triple Crown. The Iron Horse had a BA of .363 and belted out 49 HR. His 165 RBI mark ranks at the top of all Triple Crown winners.
6. In 1937 Ducky Medwick (.374, 31, 154) of the Cardinals won the Triple Crown. No other National League player has since attained this honor.
7. In the 1940's Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox became only the second player to win multiple Triple Crowns, sandwiching them around his World War II duties. He captured his first crown in 1942 with a triumvirate of .356, 36 and 137 and his second one in 1947 by hitting .343, belting 32 HR and driving in 114 runs.
8. In 1956, Yankee centerfielder Mickey Mantle hit 52 HR, more than any other Triple Crown winner. He bracketed this total by hitting .353 and compiling 130 RBI.
9. Ten years later, Frank Robinson led the Baltimore Orioles to their first World Series title. Robinson led the American League in HR with 49, while pacing the circuit with a batting average of .316 and 122 RBI.
10. The very next year, 1967, Carl Yastrzemski led his Red Sox to within one victory of their first World Title since 1918 and the glory days of the Bambino. Yaz hit 44 HR (tying him with Harmon Killebrew of the Minnesota Twins) and led the league with 121 RBI while hitting .326. Little did anyone realize that it would take forty-five years to succeed Yastrzemski as a Triple Crown winner.
All in all, when one considers that Major League Baseball has been played for more than a century and when we reflect on all the gifted stars that have graced Big League diamonds throughout this time, winning a Triple Crown certainly ranks among the very rare feats.
What do you think?
Does the Triple Crown still hold the significance it did in the past? Share your thoughts below…
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Frank Robinson won the triple crown with the Baltimore Orioles in 1966, and he was clearly the American League's Most Valuable Player.
Carl Yastrzemski won the triple crown the following year for the Boston Red Sox — although Harmon Killebrew tied for the league lead in home runs with 44 — and Yaz was clearly the MVP because he carried the Red Sox to the American League pennant.
That was the end of baseball's triple crown winners.
Until this year.
No player led either league in batting average, home runs and runs batted in until this year, when Detroit's Miguel Cabrera accomplished that feat.
When they hand out the MVP award on Thursday, Cabrera is no better than a slight favorite to get the award. Unlike Robinson and Yastrzemski, Cabrera has a worth challenger in Angels rookie sensation Mike Trout.
This battle has turned out to be a great one, and it is being fought on several fronts. Traditionalists seem to back the burly Cabrera because of his propensity for bashing the ball all over the lot. His smooth swing and knowledge of the pitchers he faced on an everyday basis has earned him a lot of old-school backing.
Cabrera hit .330 with 44 home runs and 139 runs batted in. His batting average was actually 14 points below what he hit in 2011. Many traditionalists like to ignore modern stats like on-base percentage, but it's too important to overlook. Cabrera had an OBP of .393, significantly below the .448 he had in 2011.
Neither of those stats should diminish his accomplishments in 2012. He was a brilliant hitter, but he may not have been as dominant as his backers want you to believe.
Trout is the best pure rookie to come into the American League since Fred Lynn was a rookie in 1975. Ichiro Suzuki won the Rookie of the Year and the MVP award with the Seattle Mariners in 2001, but he was not truly a rookie. He had dominated Japanese baseball for eight-plus seasons and never should have been eligible for the Rookie of the Year award. Saying he was a rookie is insulting to Japanese baseball.
Trout was remarkable from a statistical point of view. To name just a few of his achievements, Trout became the first player in Major League history to have 30 home runs, 45 stolen bases and 125 runs scored in the same season.
Trout hit .326 for the season, hit 30 home runs and drove in 83 runs. He stole 49 bases, scored 129 runs and he had a .399 OBP.
Trout is much faster running the bases and is a much better defensive player. He has no limitations in center field.
Cabrera is one of the most limited fielding third basemen in recent memory. The fact that he could handle the position's minimum requirements is worthy of some applause, but if the ball was not hit right at him he couldn't make the play.
When you compare everything — old-school stats, new-school stats and the eye test — it really is a close battle.
New-school advocates love to downgrade the RBI stat and criticize it for being "random," but if you don't buy into that argument — and I don't — Cabrera has an advantage.
Cabrera drove in 56 more runs than Trout.
That's not kitty litter.
Trout seems likely to be an MVP-caliber player for many years. He is a remarkable 20-year-old baseball player who is several years away from reaching his peak.
Cabrera is 29 and at the peak of his talent. He has the kind of skills to be a great player until his late thirties, but he does not take care of himself the way many peak athletes do.
When Cabrera is driven and motivated, he will continue to be great. However, you wonder how well this 240-pound player will take care of himself in the future.
Conditioning is not one of his priorities.
Go ahead and give Cabrera the 2012 MVP, but pencil in Trout for a spectacular career that will likely include multiple MVPs himself.
Who do you think is more deserving of the AL MVP? Sound off with your thoughts and comments below…
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I guess perfect storms do exist.
And, as we are in the midst of Hurricane (Tropical Storm?) Sandy, we are also dealing with another reality: Major League Baseball has gone away until next year.
When Miguel Cabrera took strike three from Sergio Romo at Comerica Park late on Sunday night, the World Series was completed. The National Pastime was immediately suspended, as happens every fall until pitchers and catchers return next spring.
So now what?
Well, we can…
- Look back and review the season
- Bemoan the playoffs, if you are a Yankees fan
- Analyze the World Series
- Read and reread classic books on baseball
- Watch old baseball films and videos
- Brush up on sabermetrics
- Call into talk-radio shows
- Play Apba and Strat-O-Matic baseball
- Get lost in an ocean of baseball websites
- Interact with anybody else who is into the Hot Stove League
- Do what Rogers Hornsby claimed he did at the end of every baseball season: sit down…look outside…watch the winter unfold…wait for the spring
In many ways, this is a time of mourning. And I would like to close this little dirge by recalling the words of an intellectual giant, a man of letters rather than numbers — Dr. A. Bartlett Giamatti.
Giamatti was the president of both Yale University and the National League. He died at the untimely age of 51 in 1989, while serving as the commissioner of Major League Baseball.
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart.
The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again,
and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings,
and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and
leaves you to face the fall alone."
– Dr. A. Bartlett Giamatti
]]>After 162 games eliminated 20 teams and the playoffs weeded out eight more, we're left with just two teams standing: the Detroit Tigers and the San Francisco Giants. But the ways in which both teams got to this point are very different.
The Giants cruised into the playoffs, winning their division by eight games – second only to the Reds' nine-game edge over the Cardinals. But once they made it to the postseason, the 2010 World Series champs had plenty of obstacles to clear. The Giants went down 2-0 to the Reds, winning three straight games on the road to stave off elimination and move on. Against the Cardinals, they did it again. After falling into a 3-1 deficit, they limited St. Louis to just one run over the final three contests and knocked out the defending champs.
For the Tigers, the story was almost flipped. Detroit didn't clinch a playoff spot until the penultimate day of the regular season, and while it did go to five games with the Oakland, the team couldn't have had a much easier time in the ALCS. The Tigers swept Yankees out of the playoffs with barely any trouble, scoring 19 runs to the Bombers' six in four games.
With the Tigers having almost a week off before the start of the World Series, they get to throw out Justin Verlander in Game 1, while the Giants are forced to open with No. 4 starter Barry Zito. The Giants just used staff ace Matt Cain in Game 7 of the NLCS, meaning he won't make an appearance until in the World Series until Game 4.
Those factors give the Tigers an advantage in what would otherwise be a very even matchup of pitching staffs. Their combined accolades and achievements speak for themselves: four Cy Young Awards, an MVP Award, two no-hitters and a perfect game. Both teams are carrying two pitchers who struck out over 190 batters this year – Verlander and Max Scherzer for Detroit, Cain and Madison Bumgarner for San Francisco. The Giants finished the year with a 3.68 team ERA; the Tigers weren't far behind with a 3.75 mark. And while the Detroit starters have been better in the playoffs (1.02 ERA compared to 3.88), San Francisco has enjoyed a stronger bullpen (2.57 ERA compared to 3.92) thanks largely to the struggles of Tigers "closer" Jose Valverde.
The distinctions are much easier to make when one turns to the teams' lineups. The Tigers undoubtedly have the two best hitters in the series: Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera and 275-pound slugger Prince Fielder. The two combined for monstrous numbers this year, totaling 74 home runs, 73 doubles and even one triple (hit by Fielder, in case you were wondering). Cabrera led the Majors with a .999 OPS, while Fielder checked in at seventh with a .940 mark.
The Giants have an elite hitter of their own in Buster Posey – .336 average, 24 home runs, .957 OPS – but they lack that No. 2 guy. As hot as Marco Scutaro has been, he's probably going to go back to being Marco Scutaro.
The Giants do, however, have a bit more depth than the Tigers. Aside from Detroit's top two sluggers and leadoff man Austin Jackson, the lineup is full of slap hitters, platoon players and free-swingers (looking at you, Delmon Young). San Francisco has some free-swingers as well – Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence in particular – but those players have nonetheless found considerable success with their approaches. Pence owns a career .814 OPS, while Sandoval is even better at .844. Brandon Belt also gives length to the lineup, providing a lefty bat that can get on base and provide some pop.
So who wins a matchup of such closely matched teams? Well, the Tigers have the best pitcher, the best hitter and the pitching alignment that they want. But the Giants have more depth in their lineup and rotation, as well a bullpen that can actually be relied upon to close out games.
Cain beats Verlander in Game 7. Posey wins the MVP.
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If you don't think baseball is the hardest game to play, and if you don't think that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports, then watch a few New York Yankees playoff games. While many were screaming (correctly) that the Yankees had to play A-Rod, that they shouldn't have put defensively-challenged Eduardo Nunez at short, that Brett Gardner hadn't started a game since April 17, that 0-for-11 (now 0-for-14) Eric Chavez shouldn't play third, the reality is that it didn't matter what Joe Girardi did in terms of lineup changes.
The Yankees simply have virtually nobody who can hit. Down three games to none after a 2-1 defeat to Detroit, the Yankees are down and out.
If you've watched these games (and especially if you are a Yankees fan), you are actually hoping that the Yankee can just put the ball in play and just make contact, as opposed to getting a hit or hitting a home run.
The fall has been quick and precipitous.
WHAT COULD JOE GIRARDI DO?
Well, nothing, really, as it turns out.
Should A-Rod have played? He should have, but right now he's less than a shell of what he used to be. Throw in the lack of confidence that goes with a tremendous slump, the humiliation of having your manager pinch-hit for you three times and bench you against a right-hander, and you can't expect much of anything from A-Rod.
You can't really play a guy who is 0-for-11 (Chavez) over A-Rod. Can you really play Gardner (0-for-4), who hasn't started since April 17? Nunez, who wound up making an excellent play at shortstop and hitting a ninth-inning homer, was the biggest gamble — and the only one who came through.
WHAT ABOUT A-ROD'S NUMBERS AGAINST VERLANDER?
They were really irrelevant in this series. A-Rod went 5-for-8 against JustinVerlander this year with two home runs, but he's nowhere near the A-Rod that he was earlier in the season, never mind the A-Rod of five years ago. Home runs on April 27 and June 3 couldn't be more meaningless for a hitter in October who is 0-for-18 with 12 strikeouts against righties in the playoffs.
April and June are ancient history in October given A-Rod's collapse.
Having said that, it says here that A-Rod still should have played (because the Chavez option was terrible). But it also says here that it wouldn't have made a difference.
JOHN SMOLTZ GOT IT RIGHT
The TBS coverage hasn't been very good. When you hear all of the announcers going nuts when the "Yankee fans are on their feet" either with "only" one out or early in the game, it's clear that you have a bunch of announcers parachuting in for the playoffs. Nobody told Ernie Johnson and the rest that Yankees fans virtually always stand up when a Yankees pitcher has two strikes on a hitter?
That's pretty pathetic.
But give Smoltz a lot of credit. He was the guy who said early in the playoffs that you don't even have to throw most Yankees hitters a strike. Throw them curveballs in the dirt and Yankees hitters will be waiving at them.
And that's the truth. It's looked like virtually every Yankees hitter this postseason has been trying to hit home runs. And, instead, they have virtually all have fallen on their faces.
WHERE HAVE YOU GONE, DEREK JETER?
The Yankees turn their lonely eyes to you. But Jeter, the best Yankees hitter in the postseason (or second to Raul Ibanez), finally became human and is gone with a broken ankle.
Would it have been different with him in the lineup? We'll never know, but this was a huge blow on two levels: taking your captain out and taking the one guy out who was actually hitting consistently
WHERE HAVE YOU GONE, ROBINSON CANO?
Cano's fall is much more puzzling. But, again, the hardest thing to do in sports is hit a baseball. After going 24-for-39 (a staggering .615) in his final nine regular-season games, Cano was quoted as saying, essentially, that his hot streak came along at the right time.
Little did he know. Now 3-for-36 (.083) and at an all-time postseason futility streak of 0-for-29 (stopped by a ninth-inning single in Game 3), Cano's slump, off one of the hottest ends to a regular season you will ever see, is inexplicable.
NOW THE YANKEES AND THEIR FANS WILL RESPECT ICHIRO MORE?
An all-time superstar, Ichiro came over here and was told he will bat where told to bat and will not play right field. All he's done is become the best all-around Yankee. He kept his mouth shut, played all three outfield positions batted eighth (seriously), ninth (seriously), first and second.
One of the dumbest things to do with a superstar like Ichiro is to bat him second against righties and eighth or ninth against lefties. All Ichiro has done is show that he's the best Yankees outfielder. (I think he gets that Miguel Cabrera double last night that Granderson, to be kind, had trouble with.) He's a guy who should bat second all of the time. (Verlander was perfect through eight except for two Ichiro singles).
The Yankees should bring him back next year, bat him second and play him every day.
If he wants to come back.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Well, the Yankees can certainly win tonight with CC Sabathia pitching. But for this team to win four in a row is a million-to-one shot the way they are hitting. Lost in the shuffle is the excellent Yankees pitching. But that's not enough.
The Yankees are batting .182 as a team against the Tigers and .200 as a team in the postseason.
If you've watched all of their games, those averages actually seem too high. Live by the home run, die by the (lack of) home run.
That will probably sum up the Yankees' season.
Over/Under: The Yankees will score two runs tonight. Give us your prediction in the comments section below…
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As the Yankees wrapped up their most gripping pennant race since 1978, they are rewarded with an unknown opponent on the road. Does it matter whom they play? Or do their fates lie within themselves?
It's no secret I said in May that the Yankees could not reach the World Series, much less win it. Shortly thereafter, they bolted out to a 10-game lead in the American League East, only to watch it shrivel like a punctured beach ball, only to salvage the season with guts, guile and Robinson Cano morphing into the Incredible Hulk (batting .615 over his last nine games and 411 over his last 16).
And while we've drained our adrenaline reserves watching Bronx Bombers fend off the wonderfully resilient Baltimore Orioles, the fates of two men will fix or foil the Yankees in October.
The pinstriped recipe for success this season — the long ball and a long bullpen — will take a backseat to the sudden surge of southpaw pitching. The Yankees will remain in the playoffs for as long as CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte pitch to the back of their baseball cards.
Since returning from a broken ankle, Pettitte has allowed just three runs in three starts, and Sabathia has staved off speculation that his arm, weight and workload have finally conquered the hefty lefty for good. Sabathia has surrendered a paltry 12 hits and four runs over his last three starts (spanning 24 innings), while striking out 23.
Pettitte, the laconic, iconic playoff hero, etched his name into Yankees October archives in 1996 when he outdueled John Smoltz in Game 5 of the World Series, 1-0. Paul O'Neill lunged into the right-field wall, snagging a line drive and saving the game.
Since then Pettitte has worn a symbolic crown as this epoch's Whitey Ford.
No one doubts either pitcher's heart. Sabathia's legend was laminated in 2008, when the Brewers asked him to pitch practically every other game in September and he obliged, leading Milwaukee into the playoffs with a stunning display of skill and will. And to risk his bejeweled left arm in a contract year speaks to his selflessness.
Yankees fans don't like to admit defeat in any form, but it doesn't take a jeweler's eye to see that Phil Hughes has never lived up to the titanic expectations heaped upon his broad back five years ago. Despite the hyperbole surrounding him since he was hailed as the next pitching phenom, Hughes has been a bust. And even if you are impressed by his 16 wins this season — or his 13 losses — he's still a No. 4 starter who still hasn't won a road playoff game.
Ivan Nova, channeling his inner Rex Ryan by saying he's the best pitcher on the planet, needs more postseason seasoning. Hiroki Kuroda is a solid veteran, but still a variable.
Two thorns in the Yanks' historical side — the Tigers and Rangers — are in the tournament, but Baltimore could do New York a serious solid by purging the Rangers in the Wild Card game. And then the Yankees can pray that Oakland can clip Detroit, their ace (Justin Verlander) and Triple Crown savant (Miguel Cabrera).
If the Yankees are to live up to the maddening mandate of a World Series crown every fall, they will need two men who have worn it to lead them. Pettitte and Sabathia have heft to carry the load, assuming they stay healthy.
Feel free to email me at Keidel.Jason@gmail.com and follow me on Twitter here.
Are the Yanks doomed if CC and Pettitte don't take their 'A' game into the postseason? Offer your thoughts and comments in the section below…
]]>By Sean Hartnett
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While many Americans were fixated on Wednesday's Obama-Romney debate, another national debate has captured my attention.
Baseball debates, not political debates, are the kind that get my blood pumping. The awarding of the 2012 American League MVP will be one of the most disputable in recent history.
One group of writers will firmly believe that Miguel Cabrera should be the automatic MVP for winning the first Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski 1967. While another set of writers will argue that Mike Trout helped the Angels win in more ways than Cabrera ever could for the Tigers.
You couldn't conceive two MVP candidates that provide such conflicting cases for their candidacy. It's similar to the viewpoints held by Republicans and Democrats, you'll have old guard writers who will cling to the importance of the Triple Crown and new-age writers who will favor sabermetric measures such as WAR and range factor (RF) — and you'll never get either side to agree with one another.
Maybe I can help bridge the gap between the two warring parties of old-fashioned writers and modern day sabermetricians. After all, the most important thing is that we're all baseball fans first and foremost.
The Case For Miguel Cabrera — .330 AVG, 44 HR, 139 RBI, .393 OBP, .999 OPS, 6.9 WAR, 4 Stolen Bases in 161 Games.
Since Miguel Cabrera has won the MLB's first Triple Crown in 45 years, some writers believe this is an open-and-shut case.
Cabrera not only won the Triple Crown, but earned the award in a season where he moved across the diamond to third base. Actually, his fielding statistics weren't terrible. His fielding percentage was higher than Kevin Youkilis and Cabrera tied Kansas City's Mike Moustakas for the MLB lead with 127 putouts.
Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig are the only players in major league who have equaled Cabrera's 2012 numbers in hits, home runs, average, RBIs and doubles in a single season. That's pretty rare company.
Cabrera on-base plus slugging mark of .999 is 36 points higher than Trout.
Unlike Trout, Cabrera led his team to the playoffs. Whereas Trout struggled in September, Cabrera continued to put up huge numbers in the last full month of the 2012 season and final regular season games in October.
Cabrera hit .308 in September with 10 home runs, 27 RBIs. In 10 October games, Cabrera collected 6 hits and batted .600.
Undoubtedly, Cabrera's late-season offensive output is a major reason why the Tigers held on and captured the AL Central by 3 games over the Chicago White Sox.
The Case For Mike Trout — .326 AVG, 30 HR, 83 RBI, .399 OBP, .963 OPS, 10.7 WAR, 49 Stolen Bases in 139 Games.
Some baseball columnists have suggested since Trout did not play a full major league season, it will hurt his MVP chances. I couldn't disagree more with that viewpoint.
Trout's impact on the Angels' season is proven by the impact he made after his April 28 call-up. Los Angeles was 6-14 when Trout was inserted into their lineup. By the end of May, the Angels' record quickly improved to 27-26 thanks greatly to Trout's all-around abilities on the diamond.
Trout breathed life into an underachieving Angels team that was going nowhere. Owner Arte Moreno pumped millions into his team's payroll, but high-priced offseason additions Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson underperformed at various points during the 2012 season.
Instead, homegrown talents such as Trout and Jered Weaver were the ones powering the Angels' turnaround.
Pujols went homerless in April and was batting .197 in mid-May. During the middle months of the season, Pujols began hitting again like the player nicknamed "The Machine." His bat cooled off when the Angels needed him most — Pujols only hit 1 home run in 106 September at-bats. Wilson, meanwhile had a brutal second half — posting a 4-5 record and 5.54 after the All-Star break.
Trout suffered a similar power outage as Pujols in September. After five consecutive months of elite play, Trout had a horrid September as he hit .257 with just 6 RBIs in 101 September at-bats.
That being said, Trout accomplished unique feats in major league history. He is the first major league player to hit 30 home runs, steal 45 bases in a season and score 125 runs. He's also the first major leaguer to hit .320 or above with 30 home runs and 45 stolen bases. The only players to score more runs as rookies are Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams.
How Important Is The Triple Crown?
Stats are displayed on the Jumbotron for Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers on October 3, 2012 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
I was born in 1984 and began regularly watching baseball at 7. Soon, I came to understand baseball history and dreamed of seeing a Triple Crown winner. When you're raised by a baseball-historian mother who grew up watching Mickey Mantle an Frank Robinson — such a rare feat has a certain allure. I'm not sure if younger baseball fans have a similar fascination with the Triple Crown.
During my childhood, I spent a lot of time at the local baseball card store convincing the owner to take the 1960 Topps Carl Yastrzemski rookie card out of the display case. As a kid, I obviously didn't have the funds to purchase such an expensive card just like Milhouse in an episode of "The Simpsons."
Throughout my youth, I hoped to see a Triple Crown winner. Gary Sheffield came very close in 1992, but was fell two homers short of Fred McGriff and nine RBIs shy of Darren Daulton. In 1997, Larry Walker finished six points behind Tony Gwynn for the batting title and 10 RBIs behind teammate Andres "Big Cat" Galarraga.
Now, as an adult who understands the usefulness of sabermetrics — my opinion of the Triple Crown has changed significantly. I recognize batting average and RBIs as useful, but flawed statistics. On-base percentage gives a clearer indication of a player's ability to reach base and RBIs are as much as team statistic as they are an individual measure.
The Triple Crown is in need of an update. Perhaps, a modern day Triple Crown replacement would substitute average with on-base percentage and RBIs with WAR.
My adult sabermetic-appreciating self crushes my childhood self who once adored the Triple Crown. It's similar to the chess game in Seinfeld where Jerry's brain forced his libido into checkmate and decides to break up with an attractive woman whom he shares little common interests.
Therefore, Cabrera winning the Triple Crown will not factor into my determination.
Who's My Pick?
Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Critics of Trout's MVP candidacy will point to the Angels missing the playoffs as a strong reason why Cabrera should win the award, but Los Angeles finished a win better record than the Tigers at 89-73.
Trout's WAR is 3.8 points higher than Cabrera. Actually, Robinson Cano's WAR of 8.2 is second best in the American League. The Angels' record since Trout's call-up on April 28 was the best in all of baseball at 83-59.
While Cabrera's fielding isn't as bad as some have suggested, he's not a Gold Glove caliber third baseman and his defensive WAR was -0.2. Also, Cabrera is never going to steal 10 — let alone 49 bases. Trout's range factor of 2.7 was the 4th-best of all major league center fielders and his defensive WAR was third-best among center fielders at 2.2.
Trout impacted games in more ways than any player in 2012. His 10.7 WAR not only led the majors, but ranks for 20th-best in major league history among batters and is only 0.3 points below Mickey Mantle's WAR in his 1956 Triple Crown season.
Do you think Ken Griffey Jr. was an all-time great? Of course you do. His best single-season WAR was 9.5 in his peak year of 1996. How about the immortal Hank Aaron? "Hammerin' Hank's" best single-season WAR is 9.1 — and that came in the prime of his career at 27.
It might be heresy to some, but Trout's stunning rookie season is even more impressive than Cabrera's Triple Crown year.
Who is more deserving of the 2012 AL MVP? The Triple Crown-winning Cabrera or all-around phenom Mike Trout? Sound off below and send your tweets to @HartnettWFAN .
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Here they are, Evan Roberts' original 2012 MLB power rankings. Let's take a look back…
1. Texas Rangers
"They won't get back to the Classic, but based on the accomplishments of the last two years, and how painfully it ended in 2011, the Rangers at least deserve the No. 1 spot."
Well, I stand by the "won't get to the Classic" line, but obviously the way Texas finished is below most fans' expectations — especially since the team that overtook them WASN'T the Angels! Now their season rests on one game against a major underdog.
2. New York Yankees
"Here is what we definitely know about the Yankees… they will score a ton of runs, CC Sabathia will be in Cy Young consideration and even at age 85, Mariano Rivera will be the best closer in baseball."
I couldn't have been more wrong about that! CC had two trips to the disabled list, and Mariano suffered a season-ending injury early on. Yet both issues were overcome.
"I'm not sure if Ivan Nova can reproduce what he did last year, but I firmly believe Phil Hughes will resemble his 2010 year more so than 2011."
Ding, ding, ding.
3. Philadelphia Phillies
"Can Hunter Pence and Jimmy Rollins carry this lineup 'til the big guys return?"
The answer to that was no. Pence ended up in San Francisco and the pitching that was supposed to be the strength was weakened by Roy Halladay's down year — not to mention his injuries.
4. Angels of Anaheim
"Expect super prospect Mike Trout in the majors by July."
Try April 28! And also try a historic season from the rookie. But also try an awful slump to start Albert Pujols' career with the Angels, a team that ended with a disappointing 89 wins.
5. Detroit Tigers
"Unlike every other team we mentioned, the Tigers appear to be locks to not even be tested in their own division."
They did win the division, but about that "not even be tested" part … yeah, the White Sox clearly disagreed.
6. Tampa Bay Rays
"I think Tampa Bay is closer to the Yankees than Boston is to Tampa Bay."
Well that prediction was right on!
7. Cincinnati Reds
"The closer situation is now murky due to the injury to Ryan Madson, but eventually that will be Aroldis Chapman's job and I think he will do it well."
Call me crazy, but "he will do it well" was quite the understatement!
8. Miami Marlins
"I don't love the Marlins as much as others, and I think they have great potential to be an absolute catastrophe."
Ding, ding, ding!
9. Boston Red Sox
"I think the Sox miss the playoffs for the third straight year."
Sure I thought that, but I figured 85 wins — not quite.
10. Atlanta Braves
"I think the Braves will be a fourth-place team in the NL East."
I expected bad things from Atlanta — and I was dead wrong. Jason Heyward broke through and Kris Medlan turned into an elite starting pitcher. I'm sorry Braves fans, but I'll make it up to you with my playoff predictions.
NATIONAL LEAGUE:
Wild Card Play-In Game:
Atlanta Braves DEF St. Louis Cardinals
The magic is over for St Louis. And the man to end it will be the guy pitching better than anyone on the planet– Kris Medlan.
Divisional Series:
Atlanta Braves DEF Washington Nationals 3-1
This is a Braves core that lost in the first round in '10 and suffered the collapse of '11. They'll use those experiences to knock off the inexperienced and Strasburg-less Nats.
Cincinnati Reds DEF San Francisco Giants 3-2
A solid rotation, a powerful offense and maybe the best bull pen…the Reds won't be stopped.
NLCS:
Cincinnati Reds DEF Atlanta Braves 4-1
I'll keep with my spring training pick of the Reds representing the National League in the World Series.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Wild Card Play-In Game:
Texas Rangers DEF Baltimore Orioles
The Rangers are more talented, and they are at home. It's a crap shoot but I'm putting my money down on the two-time defending AL Champs.
Divisional Series:
New York Yankees DEF Texas Rangers 3-1
Payback for 2011. The Yankees have a better rotation, which will be rested. Joe Nathan will try to save games… good luck.
Oakland Athletics DEF Detroit Tigers 3-2
From a hotness factor, they have a lot of 2007 Rockies in them.
ALCS:
Oakland Athletics DEF New York Yankees 4-2
The A's have a very deep rotation and a nothing-to-lose attitude, plus what seems like a lot of magic.
WORLD SERIES:
Cincinnati Reds DEF Oakland Athletics 4-1
Much like the Rockies in '07, the cinderella A's will run out of gas in the Fall Classic.
AWARDS TIME!
AL MVP
Miguel Cabrera
Mike Trout had a historic season. His defense and speed should not be discounted. BUT Miguel won the Triple Crown after moving positions AND he's on a playoff team.
AL Cy Young
Justin Verlander
Many considered it a "down season"… not really! Second in WHIP, second in ERA, most in innings pitched, No. 1 in Ks.
AL ROY
Mike Trout
No explanation needed.
AL Manager of the Year
B uck Showalter
Bob Melvin and Robin Ventura did a great job… but Buck made the post season with THAT roster. Enough said.
NL MVP
Buster Posey
When Melky got suspended, Buster picked up the offense and led the Giants to the NL West as a catcher.
NL Cy Young
Clayton Kershaw
Trust me, I want to say Dickey! BUT — ERA, WHIP, Opp BA, Opp OPS, Ks-per-nine all tell a different story.
NL ROY
Wade Miley
Always tough to compare pitchers and hitters, but I'll take the lefty with the 3.13 ERA.
NL Manager of the Year
Bruce Bochy
Bochy held the Giants together after the Melky suspension.
There's a lot to digest here, but we know you have something to say. Be heard in the comments below!
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It had to look daunting at the start of the season.
When the Yankees looked at the very tail end of their schedule, they saw three closing games with the Boston Red Sox, while the always-pesky Tampa Bay Rays had three games at home against the Baltimore Orioles.
Manager Joe Girardi had to think to himself that his team needed to have the division clinched before that final series. If they were getting chased by the Rays — a very reasonable conclusion since Tampa Bay has been among baseball's most consistent teams since 2008 — they certainly appeared to have an easier path than the Yankees.
So much for early-season conclusions. The Yankees couldn't have asked for a softer season-ending opponent.
The Red Sox are simply awful, and they have been playing out the string since early August. Last season's fried chicken and beer collapse has never ended. It's just been more of the same down-the-drain waste that began in 2011.
They have gotten rid of several of their moving parts, most notably Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Beckett. These moves may not be mistakes, because both players were so disappointing. Gonzalez was supposed to be an MVP candidate and Boston's version of Mark Teixeira. Gonzalez had a good first half of the 2011 season, but after that he was as soft as a bruised banana.
Beckett? His sins are too many to go over, but he was not the same pitcher after "Fried-Chicken Gate". He actually had a good statistical year in 2011, posting a 13-7 record with a 2.89 ERA and 175 strikeouts. But it all vanished after he led Boston's clubhouse party.
Bobby Valentine is almost certainly days away from being dismissed. He has rubbed his players the wrong way since the start of the season, and almost anyone would be better in the manager's office for them in the future.
You know it's gotten past the point of awful when Yankees players are actually defending the Red Sox and predicting good things for them in the future.
Teixeira said he believes that a Boston turnaround is coming.
"That team has been good for a very long time," Teixeira told the New York Post. "I guess it's three years in a row now where they won't make the playoffs. You don't see that very often and you probably won't see it again. I have a feeling they're gonna come back pretty quickly."
The Yankees should win these last two games and come away with the AL East title. Of course, it's the Orioles they are worrying about and not the Rays. Tampa Bay beat the Birds Monday night, and they should have a good chance at home tonight with James Shields taking the mound against Baltimore's Miguel Gonzalez. If Tampa Bay wins again and the Red Sox fold up, the Yankees will have the title.
But with the Yankees, it's not about winning the division. Once they get to the postseason, the World Series is the only thing that matters.
Things look a lot better for New York than they did a few weeks ago. The biggest thing to feel good about is that Teixeira is back in the lineup and Robinson Cano is red-hot once again.
Cano is 18-for-29 in his last six games. With no apologies to Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout or Josh Hamilton, Cano has the best swing in baseball. When he is on, he can carry the team by himself if he has to.
That's not the case. Curtis Granderson has 41 home runs and Russell Martin is getting clutch hits. Then there's Teixeira and Derek Jeter.
The Yankees are set up for success in October.
Their old rivals are set to clean out the manager's office.
Looking at the schedule at the start of the season, who would have thought that the Yankees would welcome the opportunity to play the Red Sox in the final three games? Offer your thoughts and comments in the section below…
]]>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — This hasn't been the smoothest of seasons for C.C. Sabathia. He's still coming through when it counts for the New York Yankees.
Sabathia struck out 10 batters over eight innings and New York beat the Minnesota Twins 8-2 on Wednesday to remain 1 1/2 games ahead of Baltimore in the AL East.
The Orioles beat Toronto 12-2 on Wednesday night. The Yankees visit the Blue Jays for four games starting Thursday. Baltimore, after an off day, plays Boston at home this weekend. Sabathia will pitch again next week when the Yankees host the Red Sox.
"This is what he can do. He can string a bunch of good ones together. And if there's a time, now's the time," manager Joe Girardi said.
Sabathia (14-6) threw 89 of his 118 pitches for strikes, including three straight to Twins All-Star Joe Mauer for the second of his three strikeouts in the fourth inning. Mauer, who began the day three points in the batting race behind Detroit's Triple Crown chaser Miguel Cabrera with a .326 average, went 0 for 4.
"That's the best I've seen him, and I've been watching him for a long time," Mauer said. "When I was up there he was both sides of the plate: fastball, slider, sinker. He threw me everything, and everything was working."
Sabathia spent two stints on the disabled list this summer, for a strained left groin and an inflamed left elbow. This was his first win in six starts, and he credited impeccable command of his fastball to set up his other pitches.
"We're in a race. We know it's going to be tough. So you want to go out and do well every time out," Sabathia said, adding: "Hopefully, I can go out and pitch well again the next time. I'll take what I can out of this one and be ready to go five days from now."
Robinson Cano hit a two-run double and Curtis Granderson added a two-run triple during a six-run third inning against Brian Duensing (4-11), and Sabathia took care of the rest. The burly lefty gave up six hits, two runs and one walk.
Sabathia improved to 10-0 with a 1.96 ERA in his last 11 appearances against the Twins, including the 2009 and 2010 postseason. He threw eight scoreless innings in his last start against Oakland, striking out 11, but didn't get the victory because the Yankees won in the 10th. Matt Carson and Pedro Florimon had RBI singles, but that was about the only solid contact Sabathia allowed.
Chris Dickerson also hit a two-run homer for the Yankees, who lost to the Twins on Tuesday night and played without third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who has a bruised left foot. Derek Jeter's 19-game hitting streak ended with an 0-for-4 afternoon, but he walked and scored in the third.
The Yankees enjoyed a tension-free afternoon while winning for the 12th time in their last 16 games. Even the bad plays turned out all right.
Granderson was picked off first base in the second inning, but he scored on a wild pitch in the third.
Eric Chavez, thinking there were two outs instead of one in the fifth inning, casually fielded a grounder at third and stepped on the base for the force as he jogged toward the dugout before stopping and realizing his mistake. Sabathia shouted assurance to Chavez, whose embarrassed "oops" expression was frozen on the jumbo video screen above left-center field to the crowd's amusement.
"I'm glad they were entertained," Chavez said, smiling.
But after a passed ball by Chris Stewart put runners at second and third and threatened to exploit Chavez's blunder, Sabathia calmly retired Denard Span on a groundout to first to keep the lead at 6-1. If Chavez had tried to turn the double play, he might've only got one out anyway, Girardi said, which would've led to a run on the passed ball.
"Sometimes things work out right," Girardi said.
After a leadoff double by Raul Ibanez in the sixth, Dickerson circled the bases with his drive off Anthony Swarzak, who was the second long reliever called on by the Twins.
Starter Samuel Deduno struck out two without a hit or a run despite two walks. After the second one, though, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and assistant athletic trainer Dave Pruemer came to the mound for a long talk with the right-hander with two outs in the second inning. The diagnosis was irritation in his left eye, and Deduno was removed for Duensing.
He put seven straight runners on, including two walks, before finishing the inning. Duensing, who started a postseason game against the Yankees in 2009 and 2010, let his ERA rise from 4.68 to 5.15.
"I feel like we're playing our best ball now, and this is the perfect time to be doing that," said Nick Swisher, who had an RBI single.
NOTES: RH Ivan Nova (12-7, 4.94 ERA) pitches for the Yankees on Thursday against RH Brandon Morrow (8-7, 3.28 ERA) of the Blue Jays. The Twins are off on Thursday before hosting Detroit this weekend. They'll send LH Scott Diamond (12-8, 3.64 ERA) to the mound on Friday, opposite RH Max Scherzer (16-7, 3.82 ERA) of the Tigers. … The Yankees have homered in each of their last 12 games against the Twins, totaling 25 in that span. … The Yankees notched their 90th win for the 15th time in the last 17 seasons. … Swisher made a nifty scoop and throw to get Ben Revere out on a slow roller in the first inning. He's been playing 1B with Mark Teixeira rehabilitating his strained right calf. "I'm just trying to keep it warm until my boy Tex gets back," Swisher said. Girardi left open the possibility of Teixeira returning to the team this weekend in Toronto.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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1. Cincinnati Reds
How much do they care about getting the No. 1 seed? We shall see. As Dusty Baker recovers, the Reds are officially National League Central champions (as predicted right there…a little humble brag). Getting the No. 1 seed assures home-field advantage throughout, but also allows the Reds to open up the playoffs on Sunday against the survivor of the Wild Card play-in game.
2. New York Yankees
A huge jump for the Yankees this week, mainly because they are getting healthier and haven't been losing much lately. Since losing the opener of the Red Sox series, the Yankees have rattled off 10 of 12 and now have a 1 1/2 game lead over Baltimore, the largest lead they've had since September 2. The return of Andy Pettitte has been a spark, as he has now hurled 11 scoreless innings.
3. Baltimore Orioles
I keep waiting for the Orioles' magic to run out. Losing the first two games of their eight-game road trip seemed like a warning sign, but they responded with six straight road wins. Last night, thee finale of a doubleheader against Toronto was another warning sign. The Orioles fought back to creep within one run and had the bases loaded with nobody out. They failed to score, and in the following inning J. P. Arencibia hit a grand slam to break the game open. They still have a commanding Wild Card lead.
4. Atlanta Braves
Kris Medlen is all lined up to start the Wild Card play-in game a week from Friday. The Braves not winning that one game will cause many fans to bemoan the system that one game can determine a season. My answer to that is this: WIN THE DIVISION!
5. Texas Rangers
Last night's comeback win over the Athletics made the mathematics very difficult for the Rangers to NOT win the American League West. Josh Hamilton is back from his sinus issue and hit a home run to move ahead of triple-crown hopeful Miguel Cabrera. The Rangers now have a five-game lead, but the A's still have six head-to-head games left with the first-place Rangers.
6. Washington Nationals
Yes, I put the team with the best record in baseball in the six spot. Deal with it. Maybe its "coasting," but the Nationals have not played great baseball as of late. Gio Gonzalez continues his pursuit of the Cy Young and Bryce Harper continues to break random teenage records.
7. San Francisco Giants
How about Bruce Bochy for NL Manager of the Year? The Giants have now won 12 of 16 dating back to their series win over the Dodgers that gave the Giants firm control in the NL West, a division they are now champions of. I'm against the idea of Melky Cabrera being ineligible for the batting title (no matter whose idea it was), but the Giants have now firmly placed the Melky saga in the rearview mirror as they look for their second World Series in three years.
8. Oakland Athletics
Time to hold on for dear life in Oakland. The A's lead over the second Wild Card is down to a measly two games over the surging Angels. The A's lost a brutal game over the weekend in the Bronx when they flushed a four-run extra-inning lead and then lost on a walk-off error. The Rangers hold the keys on which AL West team will join them in the postseason. Every remaining game for Texas is against either Oakland or Anaheim.
9. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
We heard this week that owner Arte Moreno isn't thrilled with the performance of general manager Jerry Dipoto and manager Mike Scioscia, but all things can be forgiven if the Angels continue to win. The sweep over Chicago has placed the Angels only two games back of Oakland for the second Wild Card. The September record of 14-7 is easily the best month the Angels have had this season.
10. St. Louis Cardinals
So far the Cards have won seven of eight in their stretch against the lousy Astros and Cubs. But the real question concerning the Cardinals' pursuit of the second Wild Card is how they fare to close out the season against arguably the two best teams in the NL. The Reds and Nationals are only competing against each other for the No. 1 seed, but both makes visits to St. Louis to close out the year.
Do you agree with Evan's rankings? Who is too high and who is too low? Share your thoughts in the comments section below…
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The Yankees find themselves with the best record in the American League as the second half gets underway, and they have a seven-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles. That's something of a surprise, given the state of the team at the start of the season.
The starting pitching was loaded with question marks at the start of the season. Once you got past CC Sabathia, you really weren't sure of what Joe Girardi was going to come up with on a regular basis.
And then there was the little bit of bad news early in the season, when the greatest closer in the history of baseball — Mariano Rivera — went down with a knee injury that looked like it would keep him from pitching for the rest of the season, and possibly forever.
That may no longer be the case. There is now a chance that Mo may be back before the end of the year, although that is yet to be confirmed.
While nothing is certain, the Yankees should be able to hold off the competition in the American League East. Actually, they almost certainly will turn their current margin into a double-digit lead in the next six weeks and cruise the rest of the way.
Normally, the AL East is the most competitive of divisions. The archrival Red Sox are normally capable of pushing the Yankees hard, and the well-managed Rays usually have the pitching to cause a ton of problems.
The 2011 season ended badly for the Red Sox and 2012 has been no better. The team has been hurt badly by injuries and illness –- Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford and Clay Buchholz have been among the primary victims — but they should all be back in the second half.
That's not enough to make the Red Sox a contender. Here's the bottom line on Boston: They are good enough to beat the bad teams and the average teams, but they can't beat the good teams. They are no longer a factor.
The Rays have some hope of improving if and when Evan Longoria returns to the lineup and finds his hitting stroke. Longoria has been out with a hamstring injury since May 1 and he is not ready to return yet. The Rays have wonderful pitching, but they don't hit a lick without Longoria.
Kudos to Buck Showalter for making the Orioles a much-improved team over the first half of the season. They may improve over the second half, but it won't be enough to match strides with the Yankees. Next year? Perhaps, but the Orioles are still feeling their way and learning.
It should be an easy run in the second half of the season to the division title. But that doesn't mean that there aren't a lot of concerns.
Those concerns come from the AL West and the AL Central. The Detroit Tigers eliminated the Yankees in last year's postseason and are just beginning to find their stride this year. They are trailing the Chicago White Sox, but they have the best hitter in baseball in Miguel Cabrera and the power of Prince Fielder. They should race by the White Sox, and are primed to be a major force in the postseason.
The other two factors are the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels. The Rangers probably have the best one-through-nine batting order in the American League, and the Angels have found their way thanks to young stars Mike Trout and Mike Trumbo. Both have been dynamic in the first half, and they have taken the pressure off of free-agent prize Albert Pujols.
The regular season is not the issue for the Yankees. But once they get to the postseason, there may be dark times around the corner. They will have a tough time matching up with the Angels, Rangers and Tigers, and finding a way to beat one or two of those teams may not be realistic.
Yankees fans, which American League team scares you the most as the second half of the season gets under way? Sound off with your thoughts and comments in the section below…
]]>Don't let anyone fool you: Home-field advantage in baseball does matter.
Baseball players are human. Just like you, they work better in familiar environments. As most fans know, the All-Star Game has determined home-field advantage in the World Series since 2003. In those nine years, the league that won the Midsummer Classic also went on to triumph in two-thirds of the Fall Classics.
So in a season with two extra playoff teams and a great deal of parity, virtually every franchise has hope heading into the season's second half. That's why you should care about Tuesday's Midsummer Classic. The game could affect your team. And we all care about things that affect us, right? So, which league has the edge? Let's take a look.
AL Catchers: Mike Napoli, TEX; Matt Wieters, BAL; Joe Mauer, MIN.
NL Catchers: Buster Posey, SF; Yadier Molina, STL; Carlos Ruiz, PHI.
The Phillies' Ruiz might be the best backstop at the All-Star Game, and he isn't even starting. The AL is not bringing its three top catchers, having selected Mauer over the more productive A.J. Pierzynski. The NL also has the best defensive catcher (Molina) while the AL will be starting a subpar defender in Napoli. The 2012 season has been the year of the pitcher, which makes defense matter that much more: NL 1, AL 0.
AL First Baseman: Prince Fielder, DET; Paul Konerko, CHW.
NL First Baseman: Joey Votto, CIN; Bryan LaHair, CHC.
If the season ended today, Votto could be your NL MVP. LaHair has been a nice story, but he has struggled of late. Tony La Russa, the NL's All-Star skipper, will likely play Votto for much of the game. Konerko is hitting just .245 since June 1 with nine RBIs, so the AL doesn't exactly have the best first-base depth, either. Here's thinking Votto makes a big difference in the game's outcome, his balky knee notwithstanding: NL 2, AL 0.
AL Second Baseman : Robinson Cano, NYY; Ian Kinsler, TEX.
NL Second Baseman : Dan Uggla, ATL; Jose Altuve, HOU.
Don't cha know that Cano has been virtually unstoppable since June 1? The Yanks' keystone man has triple-slashed .349/.417/.690 in that span. Conversely, Uggla is batting a paltry .140/.303/.290 since the start of June, and many have questioned his credentials to start the game: NL 2, AL 1.
AL Third Baseman : Adrian Beltre, TEX; Miguel Cabrera, DET.
NL Third Baseman : Pablo Sandoval, SF; David Wright, NYM.
The Rangers' Beltre (.328) and the Tigers' Cabrera (.324) both have high batting averages and power. On the other hand, the NL's top hot-corner man – David Wright – will be starting the game on the bench. Can San Francisco's Sandoval (a solid .299/.349/.464 since coming off the DL on June 9) play with the big boys of the American League? Doubtful: NL 2, AL 2.
AL Shortstops: Derek Jeter, NYY; Elvis Andrus, TEX; Asdrubal Cabrera, CLE.
NL Shortstops : Rafael Furcal, STL; Starlin Castro, CHC.
The NL lost a big piece when the Nationals' Ian Desmond pulled out of the game with an abdominal strain, and the Senior Circuit's remaining two shortstops have been sputtering. Furcal has been terrible since the start of June, hitting .190/.258/.226. Castro is also in a funk (.207/.258/.310 in July).
The Yankees' Jeter, conversely, heads into his 13th All-Star Game with a great deal of momentum. A 13-time All-Star, Jeter has shaken off a rough June (.232 average) with a .378 clip so far this month. Strong July starts have escaped Andrus (.160) and Cabrera (.222), however. Anything can happen in one game, but the shortstop position appears unlikely to make a major positive impact in this year's Midsummer Classic. Jeter is an All-Star Game MVP, so let's give the nod to the Junior Circuit: AL 3, NL 2.
AL Outfielders: Josh Hamilton, TEX; Curtis Granderson, NYY; Jose Bautista, TOR; Adam Jones, BAL; Mike Trout, LAA, Mark Trumbo, LAA.
NL Outfielders: Melky Cabrera, SF; Carlos Beltran, STL; Jay Bruce, CIN; Ryan Braun, MIL; Carlos Gonzalez, COL; Andrew McCutchen, PIT; Matt Holliday, STL; Michael Bourn, ATL; Bryce Harper, WSH.
The NL's squad has been set back by outfield injuries. The Dodgers' Matt Kemp was elected to start, but spent a big chunk of the first half on the disabled list. Additionally, Miami's Giancarlo Stanton will miss the game — and the next 4-6 weeks — because of midseason knee surgery. The NL's remaining players are no slouches, however. Pittsburgh's McCutchen has had a first half to remember, batting an incredible .359/.411/.605 with 14 stolen bases. Bryce Harper, the youngest position player to ever make an All-Star team, will be one of the exhibition's most-exciting stars – he always plays the game at full speed. But before we give the nod to the NL's outfield group, consider this: Since June 1, Bautista (15) and Trumbo (11) both rank in the top-5 in MLB's homer department. And for whom do they play? The American League. In a game that may very well be decided by one swing of the bat, power potential is key: AL 4, NL 2.
AL Designated Hitters: David Ortiz, BOS; Billy Butler, KC; Adam Dunn, CHW.
NL Designated Hitters: TBD
DH is a tough category to discuss because the National League has its pitchers hit. In all likelihood, the Senior Circuit will fill this slot with a few outfielders. Neither team gets a point due to the uncertainty: AL 4, NL 2.
AL Starters: Yu Darvish, TEX; Matt Harrison, TEX; Felix Hernandez, SEA; David Price, TB; Chris Sale, CWS; Justin Verlander, DET; Jered Weaver, LAA; Jake Peavy, CWS (Injured: CC Sabathia, NYY; C.J. Wilson, LAA).
AL Relievers: Ryan Cook, OAK; Jim Johnson, BAL; Joe Nathan, TEX; Chris Perez, CLE; Fernando Rodney, TB.
NL Starters: Matt Cain, SF; R.A. Dickey, NYM; Gio Gonzalez, WAS; Cole Hamels, PHI; Clayton Kershaw, LAD; Lance Lynn, STL; Wade Miley, ARI; Stephen Strasburg, WAS.
NL Relievers: Aroldis Chapman, CIN; Joel Hanrahan, PIT; Craig Kimbrel, ATL; Jonathan Papelbon, PHI; Huston Street, SD.
There were five no-hitters – including two perfect games – during a first half described by many as the "Year of the Pitcher." Two of the hurlers – Cain (perfect game vs. the Astros) and Weaver (no-hitter vs. the Twins) – will take the mound Tuesday. Cain also tossed a one-hitter, and the Mets' Dickey threw two. The AL's staff also has a one-hitter, from Verlander.
The game's most unhittable pitcher, however, is the Nationals' Strasburg. Washington's flame-throwing phenom is fanning an MLB-best 11.64 hitters per nine innings and may end up starting for the Senior Circuit. Strasburg's teammate Gonzalez (third in MLB, 10.45 K/9), the Mets' Dickey (9.23 K/9, seventh), the Cardinals' Lynn (9.17 K/9, ninth) and the Phillies' Hamels (9.00, 12th) have also been tough for hitters to touch. And face it: Less can go wrong when hitters can't put the bat on the ball. The AL's staff has two starters with tough-to-hit stuff in Darvish (10.26 K/9, fourth) and Hernandez (9.47 K/9, sixth).
In terms of bullpen dominance, Oakland's Cook – a rookie – has held opponents to an MLB-low .105 batting average (not a typo). The Braves' Kimbrel (.116), the Reds' Chapman (.125) and the Braves' Kimbrel (.125) rank second through fourth on that list, however, giving the NL a plethora of dominant late-inning pitchers. All things considered, the NL's staff is a bit better. Due to the importance of pitching, two points will be awarded for this category victory: NL 4, AL 4.
Sorry to disappoint those clamoring for a declared winner. Both leagues are extremely strong and evenly matched. But the final score is fitting, as seven of the past nine Midsummer Classics dating back to 2003 – since the game started to count — have been decided by one or two runs. This year should be no different.
Zachary Finkelstein is a contributing writer to CBS Local Digital Media and a graduate of Northeastern University.
]]>NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) — Yankees manager Joe Girardi was hoping CC Sabathia would give one of those performances that has made him one of the most dependable pitchers in baseball — his bullpen really needed a break.
His ace obliged, by pitching a gem.
Sabathia steadied New York's rocky rotation with eight sharp innings, Alex Rodriguez passed Willie Mays for eighth on the career RBIs list and the Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 6-2 on Sunday despite leaving an astonishing 14 men on base in the first six innings.
"It just feels good to go out there and give those guys a rest," Sabathia said of a 'pen that had thrown 73 1-3 innings entering the game, third most in the AL.
A-Rod drove in two runs for 1,904 RBIs without hitting the ball out of the infield. According to information provided by the Yankees from Elias, he is eighth in major league history.
He singled on a dribbler down the third base line with the bases loaded in the second, the Yankees' only hit in six plate appearances with three men on. Chris Stewart slid under catcher Gerald Laird's tag on Rodriguez's grounder to short in the seventh.
Curtis Granderson homered in the fourth inning — barely. He had to stop between second and third to look back after center fielder Austin Jackson nearly made a spectacular catch above the wall in right-center.
Granderson also walked with the bases loaded to force in the game's first run in the second, one of a career-high seven walks by Detroit starter Max Scherzer (1-3).
The Yankees walked nine times and left 15 on base overall, but won the three-game series. Detroit has lost eight of 10.
"We were really fortunate to have a shot in that game the way the game was going," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "In this ballpark, with a lineup like that, normally that doesn't happen. And it won't happen."
Andruw Jones homered in the eighth. He pinch ran for Nick Swisher in the third after the right fielder left with a tight left hamstring following a walk. Swish is set to undergo an MRI.
Swisher has a low grade strain and will be out several days. Giradi says it's not serious enough for a trip to the disabled list.
With New York's bullpen taxed by Freddy Garcia's horrid 1 and 2/3 innings start on Saturday, Manager Girardi said before the game, "I would love to get a good seven or eight strong innings out of CC."
Sabathia (3-0) came through. He gave up a double in the first then retired 10 in a row before Prince Fielder, his former teammate at Milwaukee, hit his first home run in the Bronx and third this year overall with two outs in the fourth.
The big lefty had little trouble with the Tigers — all except for Fielder and his nemesis Miguel Cabrera, who hit a long RBI double in the sixth inning to close it to 3-2. Cabrera is 10 for 19 against Sabathia.
Sabathia struggled early to a 5.27 ERA on a staff with a 6.37 ERA, 29th in majors, entering Sunday. Garcia was dropped from the rotation before Sunday's game and rookie David Phelps will get a start before the expected return of Andy Pettitte in mid-May.
But Sabathia was sharp this time, yielding four hits and striking out eight. He walked two.
"When you have your ace on the mound and you talk about trying to win all the series and you're tied 1-1 you feel pretty good going into that day," Girardi said..
Fielder homered to close the score to 2-1 before Granderson matched him in the bottom of the fourth.
With one out, Granderson connected but Jackson made a long run and leaped where the outfield wall meets a fence that separates fans from the New York bullpen in right-center. The former Yankees minor leaguer who was sent to Detroit in the trade for Granderson had the ball in his glove but momentum carried the glove into that fence, knocking the ball loose for Granderson's eighth homer.
"I didn't see what happened right away," Granderson said.
Despite all the walks and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings, Scherzer got away with allowing just three runs.
Luke Putkonen made his major league debut with the bases loaded and two outs in fifth. He got Granderson to ground out to second base then received a bunch of fist bumps when he returned to the dugout.
"To be honest with you, that was the last thing I wanted to do, but sometimes it doesn't want to work out the way you want to," Leyland said of bringing in Putkonen. "I was hoping (Scherzer) could get through the inning and I could start the kid in an inning."
Scherzer was pulled after throwing 119 pitches.
Putkonen gave up Rodriguez's fielder's choice RBI in the seventh. Collin Balester relieved and gave up a sacrifice fly to Robinson Cano. Putkonen walked two.
NOTES: The major league record for runners left on base is 20 for a nine-inning game, set by the Yankees in 1956. … Jeter's two infield singles gave him 36 in April, topping the best April of his career, 35 in 2006. … Tigers RHP Doug Fister (left side strain) will make a rehab start Wednesday for Triple-A Toledo. … Cabrera has hits in 31 of 33 games against Yankees. Brennan Boesch had two hits and has hits in 13 of 15 games against New York.
(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
]]>NEW YORK (AP) — Drew Smyly pitched with more nerve and savvy than reasonably expected for a rookie making his fourth big league start. At Yankee Stadium.
The Detroit Tigers left-hander fell behind in the count, then threw curveballs for strikes. He gave up an early home run, then retired 12 of the next 13 batters.
The only real acknowledgement of his inexperience was a quick hook from manager Jim Leyland. Oh, and after the final out, his teammates poured beer over his head in the shower to celebrate his first major league win and the end of their five-game losing streak in a 7-5 win over New York on Saturday.
"He really pitched like a veteran pitcher to be honest with you," Leyland said. "Not a lot of guys can do that. Guys pitch a long time and can't do that."
Miguel Cabrera homered and drove in three runs and Andy Dirks hit a three-run homer in the first off Freddy Garcia. Playing Delmon Young's usual position of left field, Dirks made a pair of nice defensive plays, too, running down balls that looked like extra-base hits off the bat.
Young was placed on the restricted list earlier Saturday to be evaluated under baseball's employee assistance program. He was arrested early Friday on a hate crime harassment charge following an encounter at his hotel during which police say he yelled anti-Semitic epithets and appeared intoxicated.
Smyly (1-0) gave up a leadoff single to Alex Rodriguez in the seventh and Leyland pulled him immediately for lefty Phil Coke rather than have him face the rest of the Yankees lineup a third time. Coke got Mark Teixeira to hit into a 1-6-3 double play. Smyly finished with two hits and two walks in six-plus innings. He struck out seven.
"He was mixing and throwing strikes on all his pitches," said Andruw Jones, who struck out looking in his first at-bat. "The first time I saw him, he fell behind and threw me three straight curveballs for a strike. Never thought in my mind he was going to throw me curveballs straight like that."
Smyly acknowledged that he was nervous before the game, and caught himself staring at Derek Jeter before the game. But once it started, he was all business.
"The team was on a losing streak," Smyly said. "Hopefully this jump starts us."
With two outs in the first inning and Austin Jackson on second, Yankees manager Joe Girardi ordered Prince Fielder intentionally walked. Dirks responded with his first homer of the season, a drive to right field on an 0-2 pitch.
The Tigers added three runs in the second on a double by Brennan Boesch and Cabrera's easy, two-run single to right field for a 6-1 lead. Cabrera answered Curtis Granderson's solo homer in the seventh with one of his own in the eighth.
"Whether we're going to start hitting right now and tomorrow and forever on, I don't know about that," Leyland said. "But we'll hit and today was a real good day for us."
Granderson had a bloop single to score a run off Jose Valverde in the ninth and scored on pinch-hitter Raul Ibanez's double. Pinch-hitter Eric Chavez hit a deep fly to right to end it.
Nick Swisher hit solo homers in the first and ninth innings, one from each side of the plate.
Garcia (0-2) looked shaky right from the start. He started the game by walking Jackson, a player with barely more than 100 bases on balls in more than 1,300 plate appearances for his career. He actually went to a full count on his first three batters, and intentionally walked Fielder before Dirks' home run.
"My velocity is down," Garcia said. "I don't know what's going to happen next. I have to keep working and do my stuff. I have to figure it out soon."
He said Girardi has not talked to him about his status, "but probably it happen tomorrow."
Garcia gave up a leadoff single in the second before two flyball outs, but left before the game was an hour old. He was charged with six runs and gave up five hits in 1 2-3 innings, allowing seven of the 12 batters he faced to reach. He walked off to boos, with an ERA of 12.51 and his place in the Yankees' rotation in jeopardy.
The Yankees' starting pitching began the day 29th in the majors with an ERA of 5.95, and Garcia's fiasco boosted it to 6.37, according to STATS LLC.
NOTES: The Tigers replaced Young on the 25-man roster by recalling infielder Danny Worth from Triple-A Toledo. … Derek Jeter got the 1,000th walk of his career in the third inning. … Leyland won his 1,599th game as a manager, tying Tommy Lasorda for 17th on the career list. … Andy Pettitte will pitch Monday for Class A Tampa as he works toward joining New York's rotation. The Yankees didn't want him to have to pitch in cold weather.
]]>CBS Local Sports will be profiling one young player from each Major League Baseball team every day for the next 30 days as part of our "30 Players 30 Days" spring training feature.
Cameron Maybin, Center Fielder, San Diego Padres
2011 season: 137 G, 516 AB, .264 AVG, 82 R, 9 HR, 40 SB, .716 OPS
Sometimes even the most touted youngsters take a while to figure it out at the Major League level. That was the case with Maybin, a hotshot 20-year-old prospect for the Detroit Tigers back in 2007. Universally rated as one of baseball's brightest up-and- comers, Maybin was one of the main players the Marlins received in the trade that sent Miguel Cabrera to Detroit. Three years later and his potential still unrealized, however, the Marlins essentially gave up on him by dealing him to the Padres for relievers Edward Mujica and Ryan Webb.
Both hurlers performed well in Florida, but neither had the impact that Maybin had for San Diego. He set a career high in nearly every offensive category, sometimes by fantastic margins. He doubled his previous best for doubles (24; 12), nearly tripled his high for triples (8; 3) and more than quadrupled his leading stolen base mark (40; 9). As if that wasn't enough, he also managed career bests with a .264 average and nine home runs.
Aside from the steals and triples, none of Maybin's numbers last year overwhelm, but they are nonetheless significant. Petco Park is the most pitcher-friendly stadium in baseball, so the fact that Maybin enjoyed a banner season in his first year there speaks to how much he developed. Those statistics are also noteworthy because Maybin plays center field, a position that is one of the more offensively challenged in baseball. With the exception of the superstars – Matt Kemp, Curtis Granderson, Jacoby Ellsbury, Andrew McCutchen – center fielders aren't usually qualified to hit in the middle of the order. One who can play defense, hit for extra-bases and accumulate steals like Maybin is more valuable than two-thirds of the starters out there.
Turning 25 on April 4, Maybin still needs to improve some facets of his game. He is very much a free swinger (44 walks, 125 strikeouts last year), an issue that could prevent him from reaching his ceiling if he does not resolve it. And it would be nice to see him hit for a little more power, even in Petco – at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, he certainly has the frame to send 15-20 out of the park. Still, considering his age and athleticism, those are very much improvements that Maybin is capable of making. If he does, he will find himself in the conversation as one of the best center fielders in the game – a future that many predicted all those years ago.
]]>CBS Local Sports will be profiling one young player from each Major League Baseball team every day for the next 30 days as part of our "30 Players 30 Days" spring training feature.
Rick Porcello, Starting Pitcher, Detroit Tigers
2011 season: 14-9, 182 IP, 4.75 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 104 K, 46 BB
You're probably familiar with the name because he's been around for a while, but at 23 years old, Porcello is the same age as many recent college graduates. Despite his youth, he will be heading into his fourth season in 2012, an impressive feat that actually has a precedent in recent Tigers history (remember Jeremy Bonderman?). But even though he's been pitching in the big leagues for a while, the right-hander still has a lot of growing to do.
A relative phenomenon his rookie year, Porcello posted a 3.96 ERA while effectively pitching as Detroit's No. 3 starter. The Tigers took a risk by promoting him at such a young age, but it almost paid off handsomely, as the team fell just one win shy of a playoff appearance. Since then, however, Porcello has only regressed. His ERA was well north of 4.00 in each of the last two seasons, and he's proved hittable, allowing opponent batting averages of .288 and .292, respectively.
It's easy to blame Porcello's trial by fire as the root of the problem – when you're just trying to survive in the Majors, you're not going to alter your game to something you're not comfortable with – but that really isn't the issue. Porcello is a sinkerballer, and while a young starter could almost always use another pitch, he doesn't really need one.
In 2009, Porcello relied heavily on his sinker and still managed to finish third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting. The pitch lost some effectiveness in 2010, though, and then it lost even more in 2011. This year will prove pivotal for Porcello, as he can't really afford for his sinker to fall any further – if it does, his Major League career won't be far behind it. If he finds his pitch, however, he could be a strong middle-of-the-rotation starter for one of the best teams in the AL.
The encouraging news about Porcello is that because he's still so young, there is plenty of reason to hope that he will bounce back. His physique is not declining, and his velocity is still fine. He just needs to make a tweak here or there, and some luck wouldn't hurt either (though with Miguel Cabrera playing third base, that might not be in the cards). One thing Porcello has always done relatively well is eat innings, and that should be the case again this year. He's never going to strike out a ton, and he's never going to be an ace, but he could still be an above-average pitcher. That sinker just has to sink.
Next up on March 10: Kansas City Royals
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Since it's Thanksgiving Eve, and you're clearing your cubicle at noon, I'll spare us the spiritual strain of Penn State. (Feel free to join the tornadic debate under my Monday column, with comments 200-deep upon last look.)
Let's keep it fast and facile, so that even I can fathom it…
On the day of great gratitude, I think back to the first year I followed baseball: 1977. I watched and worshiped Reggie Jackson. Even today the hair spikes all up my neck when I recall his three homers off three pitchers off three pitches in the World Series. Then Jackson capped his classic Fall Classic a month later when he won the Cy Young…
Or was it Jim Rice? Rod Carew? Thurman Munson?
It feels reasonable to ask, given baseball's warped world of awarding pitchers hardware designed for hitters. Or, if not designed, implicitly intended.
Yes, we know it's tougher to buy or burnish an ace than a first baseman, but that's not the point. Verlander (24-5, 2.40 ERA, 250 SO) started 34 games this year, less than a quarter of his club's total contests. How can he be more valuable than his own teammate, Miguel Cabrera, who played 161 games, hit .344, with 30 homers and 105 RBI? (Not to mention his league-leading 48 doubles.)
Yes, we know Cabrera is a mammal of dubious mores, but that's not the point, either. He's a beast with a bat, and Detroit would not have made the playoffs without him. He had nearly 200 hits (197), which impacted far more games than Verlander's 34. Simple. Right?
"The Tigers don't make it to October without Verlander!" you shriek.
And you're right. But it's safe to assume Verlander's replacement would have won about 14 games. I know, I know, you say when Verlander starts he spares the bullpen by pitching more innings (251) than his peers, and thus his value is even greater. But not only did he appear in just 34 games, he had 4 at-bats all season. His impact was limited to one function: throwing a baseball.
"Check out Justin's stats, dude! He's got a whopping, 8.6 WAR!"
At the risk of sounding like the very geriatric grouch I swore I'd never become, clinging to the old days and ways like a lifeline, but are all stats overly salient simply because they're new? There's no doubt Justin is justified in winning the Cy Young, and perhaps any other award. Just not the MVP. Why didn't it stop there? Because baseball geeks had to prove a point, flaunt their newfound baseball calculus?
And I hate to use the most obvious argument against Verlander (number of games played) but just because it's regurgitated it doesn't mean it's wrong.
Since hitters can't win the Cy Young, why can pitchers win the MVP? What's the point of having a Cy Young when pitchers can win the MVP? We can end this argument very easily. Eliminate the Cy Young Award. Make the MVP the baseball version of "Survivor." Only one man remains on the island (or diamond, if you prefer.)
I'm not pining for pinstripes. Sure, former Tiger Curtis Granderson commanded more respect than he got, as did Robinson Cano, but I don't care who wins the MVP, as long as he swings, fields, and throws his way to the award. I dig the premise that the MVP should take his team to the playoffs, thus erasing Jacoby Ellsbury, Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia (can you smell the serial Boston bias?) and Jose Bautista from the ballot, though I'm not married to the notion.
It almost feels like an idea goes viral on occasion, building a bizarre, irresistible momentum until the voters pull that lever out of reflex. "Let's vote Verlander!" seems to be this year's hiccup. "We haven't slotted a starter for the MVP since Clemens in '86 and, surely, we can't let that juicer be the enduring image!"
Clayton Kershaw, who had every bit the brilliant season – and even won a Gold Glove, something Verlander missed – didn't win the NL MVP. That award was bestowed upon Ryan Braun, a great player on a division winner. Isn't that still how we do things? Matt Kemp had a better season, but his team didn't. I know, Braun is hardly Roberto Clemente in the outfield, but the impulse to link the league's best teams with their best players is still sound. And I'm unaware of any riots over a robbery.
Sometimes an argument is simple, no matter how muddled and complex we make it. If Pedro in his prime couldn't win the MVP, then Justin isn't justified.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours…
Feel free to email me: Keidel.Jason@gmail.com
www.twitter.com/JasonKeidel
Was Verlander the right choice for AL MVP? Make your case in the comments below…
]]>By Sean Hartnett
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In 1992, Dennis Eckersley captured the AL MVP Award. After a long 19-year drought, a major league pitcher has finally done enough to win an MVP Award.
That man is of course, Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers who earned 13 of 28 first place votes and 280 points. Jacoby Ellsbury of the Boston Red Sox finished second in the voting with 242 points and Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays came in third place with 231 points. Curtis Granderson of the New York Yankees finished fourth with 215 points and Verlander's teammate Miguel Cabrera was fifth place with 193 points.
Members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America made the correct choice by breaking away from conventional logic that suggests starters who pitch once every five days aren't as valuable as everyday position players. Modern day statistics have proven Verlander's worth to the Tigers as he edged out Jose Bautista in Wins Above Replacement (WAR). Verlander finished 2011 with a WAR of 8.6 compared to Bautista's mark of 8.5.
Verlander hasn't been the only deserving starter since Roger Clemens won the award in 1986. In 1999, Pedro Martinez registered a WAR of 8.4 above AL-leading batters Derek Jeter and Manny Ramirez who tied at 8.0. Neither of the three took home the 1999 AL MVP as Ivan Rodriguez was declared the winner. More recently, 2009 AL Cy Young recipient Zach Greinke posted an outstanding WAR of 9.0 compared to 2009 AL MVP winner Joe Mauer's 7.9.
Of course, BWAA voters all have their own individual criteria for determining their votes. Some favor pure statistics while others take into account team performance, late season impact of each player in their division and wild card races and their own eyes. There really isn't one single way to quantify the worthiness of an MVP candidate but new-age sabermetrical statistics like WAR are tools that can more clearly identify a player's value to their team.
My opinion ahead of the voting was that there wasn't much separating leading American League MVP candidate batters whereas Verlander was far and away the league's most dominant pitcher. It was a truly remarkable season for Verlander who went 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA, while amassing 250 strikeouts over 251.0 innings pitched. His 0.920 WHIP led the American League as did his totals in wins, ERA, games started, innings pitched, strikeouts and ERA+.
Comparing Verlander's WAR to Cy Young candidates shows just how better he was than his contemporaries in 2011. Second place voter-getter Jered Weaver finished with a WAR of 6.6 while third place James Shields and fourth place CC Sabathia registered respective WARs of 6.1 and 6.9. Separating Jose Bautista and Ellsbury was a bit easier as Bautista led Ellsbury in WAR by 1.3.
Verlander was not only the most dominant pitcher in all of baseball but I couldn't have imagined the Tigers keeping pace with the Texas Rangers and Yankees without him. Detroit finished one win shy of tying the Rangers for the best record in the American League and two wins below the Yankees.
Although Verlander had hitters like Cabrera and Victor Martinez backing him, he single-handedly carried the Tigers' rotation in 2011. The rest of the Tigers' rotation arms were 4.40-plus ERA starters and Detroit's offense had to overcompensate to earn many of their 95 victories when Verlander wasn't on the hill.
Any way you slice it, Verlander clearly had a phenomenal 2011 season and played a huge part in the Tigers capturing the AL Central. He is indeed a worthy winner and I, for one, am glad to see a deserving pitcher given the MVP Award.
Was Verlander the obvious winner or was another candidate more deserving? Did Curtis Granderson receive too little votes? Share your thoughts and opinions below. Sean Hartnett will be covering the MLB hot stove all winter long. Send him your tweets @HartyLFC.
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"Sweep! Sweep! Sweep! Sweep! Sweep!" Those were the chants that poured out onto River Ave. following Game 1 of the 2006 ALDS between the Yankees and Tigers. I was (stupidly) part of those chants. But, hey, the Yankees had just dominated Nate Robertson (5.2 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 7 ER) including a five-run third inning and looked like they were going to steamroll the team that limped into the postseason by losing 19 of their last 50 games.
Derek Jeter went 5-for-5 with three runs. Bobby Abreu drove in four runs, Jason Giambi hit a two-run bomb (his last postseason home run with the Yankees) and even A-Rod got a hit in four at-bats (at the time this was a big deal). The Yankees had trotted out the feared "Murderer's Row and Cano" and they had put up an eight spot thanks to 14 hits in the series opener. It barely mattered that the Yankees rotation consisted of Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina, Randy Johnson and Jaret Wright. The Yankees were going to slug themselves past the Tigers and after beating Robertson, a 23-year-old righty named Justin Verlander awaited in Game 2 the following night in the Bronx. The Yankees weren't gong to be stopped.
I had skipped class that Tuesday to drive from college in Boston with my friend Phil to the Stadium for the game. It was the first home playoff game since the Yankees survived the Angels in Game 4 of the ALDS the year before (a game I also made the trek from Boston for). We had driven from Boston listening to Barry Zito and Johan Santana going pitch for pitch in Oakland in Game 1 of the other ALDS, and picked up my friends Jim and Ryan in Milford, Conn. along the way.
I was ecstatic leaving the Stadium, joining in on the "Sweep" chants and envisioning the 27th world championship that wouldn't come for three more Octobers. I had watched the Yankees fall to the Angels the year before from an apartment on Tremont Street overlooking the Boston Common, and the year before that I had watched the worst situation imaginable unfold in front of my eyes at Fenway Park as I sat through Game 5 of the ALCS hoping to see the Yankees celebrate on the Fenway field. 2006 seemed like it was the Yankees' chance at redemption and to put an end to the World Series drought (if you could call six years a drought).
The day of Game 2 it rained in the Bronx. And that's when everything changed.
The 23-year-old kid (I say kid even though I was 20 at the time) was supposed to make his first career postseason start under the lights in the Bronx where very few men not wearing pinstripes have come away successful. Instead it rained and the game was rescheduled for 1:10 p.m. the next day. It changed the entire series.
Johnny Damon hit a three-run home run, but Mike Mussina blew the lead in Mike Mussina fashion and Joel Zumaya came out throwing 100-plus mph in the shadows just before 4 p.m. in the Bronx. The Yankees lost 4-3 and then they lost 6-0 the next day and 8-3 the day after that. The postseason had started on Tuesday and was over on Saturday. Four nights before, I didn't see this coming and now it was a few minutes before 8 p.m. on Saturday and the season was over.
The Yankees were much different back then, but so was Justin Verlander. He put 11 men on base in 5 1/3 innings in his one start against the Yankees. He won his only start in the ALCS despite giving up four earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. And then he lost both of his starts in the World Series against the Cardinals.
But in the last five years Verlander has evolved into the best pitcher on the planet (at least he was from March 31 to Sept. 28 in 2011). I would still go to battle with Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee in the postseason over him, but he is the best pitcher on the AL side and the Yankees will see him on Friday night and then possibly again on the following Thursday.
The Yankees series has become about Justin Verlander and what can the Yankees do against Justin Verlander? No one is talking about what the Tigers can do against CC Sabathia or how Ivan Nova and Doug Fister will handle their postseason debuts in Game 2. The spotlight and the focus is on the Tigers' Game 1 starter and pretty much only him right now. But I like it that way and let's keep it that way all the way up until 8:37 p.m. on Friday night.
Last year on the day of the start of the postseason, I came up with a storyline for each of the eight teams involved, so I figured, "Why not do it again?" But this time I changed it up and turned the storylines into the biggest question surrounding each of the eight postseason.
Yankees: How Will The Rotation Hold Up? (If You Can Call It A Rotation)
The story I opened up with was from the 2004-2008 stretch for the Yankees when they didn't have a real No. 1 or a real ace. Sure, Chien-Ming Wang won 19 games in 2006 and then another 19 in 2007, but he didn't possess the "stuff" that could be counted on in the postseason. If his sinker wasn't sinking, well you get what happened against the Indians in two starts in the 2007 ALDS.
That stretch featured postseason starts for the Yankees from Mike Mussina, Jon Lieber, Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson, Shawn Chacon, Jaret Wright and Roger Clemens. Andy Pettitte was only around to start one of the Yankees' 24 postseason games from 2004-2008 and he pitched 6 1/3 shutout innings.
Up until Wednesday night the Yankees hadn't named their Game 3 starter. Sure, they knew who it would be, but the media and fans were left to guess about who it would be. That's pretty scary if you ask me. It's going to be Freddy Garcia, who will take his bag of magic tricks out to the mound and hope that his audience doesn't know how he does his tricks.
I like Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia, but if the Yankees lose in the first round, it will be because of their starting pitching.
Tigers: Will Justin Verlander And Miguel Cabrera Carry The Tigers?
The entire focus of the Tigers is on Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera. The Tigers are sort of like a high school baseball team with one great pitcher and one great hitter and everyone else is just sort of along for the ride. There isn't one other team in the postseason that you identify through one pitcher or one hitter. It's pretty odd.
The pick: Yankees in 4.
Rangers: Can They Repeat As AL Champs?
As a Yankees fan, I wanted no part of the Texas Rangers in the ALDS. I will take my chances against Justin Verlander and pitching around Miguel Cabrera before I have to face the two lefties the Rangers will run out there in Games 1 and 2 (C.J. Wilson and Derek Holland) and the lineup of Kinsler-Andrus-Hamilton-Young-Beltre-Napoli-Murphy-Cruz. Umm yeah, no thanks.
If the Yankees can get past the Tigers (and I think they can), I can only hope that the Rays can knock off the Rangers. The Yankees had a 7-0 lead over the Rays and their best pitcher in a game that meant absolutely nothing for the Yankees and was a Game 7 for the Rays on Wednesday night before the Yankees pulled their starters. A Yankees-Rays matchup is way more appealing to me than a Yankees-Rangers matchup.
Rays: Can They Keep They Keep Winning With House Money?
The Rays were given their postseason spot by the Red Sox. Sure, they had to climb back from down 7-0 against the JV Yankees in Game 162, but it's not like they played out of their minds for the month of September. It's not like they won 20 of 22 or anything crazy like that. They played just good enough to make it in.
Now the Rays are playing with house money. There is no pressure on them. They made the postseason on their final at-bat (literally their final batter) of the regular season and now they can throw around their chips recklessly. If they want to split 8s … let them! If they want to double down on an 8 against a 2 … let them!
The pick: Rangers in 5.
Phillies: Can They Win It All? (They Sort Of Don't Have A Choice)
There are three teams that began the year with their only goal being "win the World Series." The Yankees, the Red Sox and the Phillies. (Someone might want to tell the Red Sox you first have to make the playoffs to realize this goal.)
The Phillies were heavily favored to win the National League last year, and they lost. This year they are even more heavily favored to win the National League. If they lose, it won't be disappointing like it was last year. It will be embarrassing.
The Phillies have Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt. Like Chubs tells Happy Gilmore, "Don't be a fool! People would kill to hit the long ball like you. You got an advantage over any golfer." The Phillies have the best 1-2 punch in the playoffs and their 3-4 punch could be other teams' 1-2. If you took Hamels and Oswalt off the Phillies, they would probably still be favored to win the World Series. Insane.
The Phillies are the last team I want to see win this thing. Aside from not liking the city of Philadelphia or their fans, they sneaky stole Cliff Lee from me in December and tried to ruin my Christmas. Now I hope someone ruins their October. (My money is on the Brew Crew to do so.)
Cardinals: Can They Turn Their Momentum Into Knocking Out The Favorites?
Like the Rays, the Cardinals reached the postseason on the final day of the regular season in Major League Baseball's version of March Madness. An 18-8 record in September coupled with the Braves falling apart nailed the outrageous two-team parlay that the Cardinals needed to hit to play October baseball.
The Cardinals are built in similar fashion to the Phillies. They both have trouble scoring runs (I know this because of MLBTV), especially in big spots and can be held scoreless for long stretches, and they are both built around their starting pitching (advantage Phillies). The one thing the Cardinals have going for them is that they are riding a crazy wave of momentum and aren't going to be scared of the Phillies after having won it all themselves in 2006. If the Cardinals can beat Roy Halladay in Game 1, all the pressure in the world is going to be on the Phillies in Game 2.
The pick: Phillies in 4.
Brewers: Who Isn't Rooting For The Brewers?
Any baseball fan whose team didn't make the playoffs (Hey Boston, I'm talking to you) is pulling for the Brewers. That's a fact. They have Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder and Bernie the Brewer and that cool playground slide in the outfield. It's Milwaukee! It's beer and baseball! If your team is home like you are, how can you not root for the Brew Crew?
I will pull for the Brewers as long as they don't eventually face the Yankees in the World Series (if both teams can make it). It's likely their last run at it all with Prince Fielder and the last time they were in the postseason in 2008 (after CC Sabathia put the entire team on his back), they were bounced in four games. The Brew Crew is going to become America's Team starting on Saturday if they haven't already.
Diamondbacks: Does Anyone Have The Diamondbacks Advancing?
No one believes in the Diamondbacks and no one is even thinking about them as serious competition to advance to the second round. I know I'm not because I don't like their chances against the Phillies in the NLCS and I'm trying to get the Phillies out of this thing. No one is picking the Diamondbacks to beat the Brewers or get out of the first round, but how could they? If the Diamondbacks don't win a game in the NLDS and are home just a few days after the rest of their division, at least they can call it a successful season in Arizona.
The pick: Brewers in 3.
Follow Neil on Twitter @NeilKeefe
]]>By Sean Hartnett
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The aftermath of 'Wild Card Wednesday' has presented the New York Yankees with the toughest road possible to the World Series. I had my fingers firmly crossed that the Yankees would face the Texas Rangers rather than the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS and that the crumbling Boston Red Sox would keep the surging Tampa Bay Rays out of the playoff picture.
Instead the opposite happened and I'm not entirely sure the Yankees can make it out of the first round. The possibility of facing Justin Verlander two times in the ALDS gives me the shivers as even paired against CC Sabathia, I see him out-dueling the Yankees' ace. It's not just Cy Young-to-be Verlander that worries me but also Doug Fister who went 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA since being acquired from the Seattle Mariners. If Max Scherzer can pitch anywhere near the level he's capable of, the Tigers will march on to the ALCS without breaking much of a sweat.
Still, the Yankees can beat Detroit by out-running and out-slugging them. The Tigers finished the year as MLB-worst in stolen bases while the Yankees were 4th overall in steals and led all of baseball with 222 home runs. Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez, Alex Avila and Jhonny Peralta are all threatening hitters but the Yankees have a deeply powerful lineup from top-to-bottom.
Curtis Granderson has carried the Bombers throughout the regular season with 41 home runs and numerous clutch hits. Mark Teixeira found a power surge late in the year that took his home run total to 39. Robinson Cano is possibly the Yankees' best all-around hitter and trailed only Granderson to finish second in the American League in RBIs with 118 RBIs. Even their number eight hitter, Russell Martin collected 18 homers and 65 RBIs.
The key player I'm yet to mention is 'X-factor' Alex Rodriguez. His health could make or break the Yankees' chances of moving on to the ALCS as he's currently dogged by a troublesome right knee. If healthy, A-Rod is able to carry the Yankees through single-handedly but if he isn't 100%, all eyes will be on Teixeira to produce in big spots. Teixeira has struggled mightily in the playoffs since joining the Yankees and a constant decrease in regular season statistics is cause for concern. The hope is that his two monster home runs in the final game against Tampa Bay are a sign that Tex is back to his best.
Overall, I believe the Yankees' offense can send the Detroit packing in the ALDS and that Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia can do just enough to tame Tiger batters. I'm not confident they can do the same when matched against the Tampa Bay Rays.
By allowing Tampa Bay to come all the way back from a 7-0 deficit, the Yankees have set up a potentially difficult meeting in the ALCS. Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon preaches a brand of mistake-free baseball and believes that his Rays can win games in a number of ways.
Whether by manufacturing runs or via the long ball, the Rays are equipped to make a deep postseason run. While most of the hitters aren't carrying numbers that 'leap off the page,' collectively their lineup is tougher than statistics bear out. If you polled managers around the league and asked them which hitter they'd least want to face in pressure situations, Johnny Damon's name would finish high on their list.
Evan Longoria is also a player who has the flair for the dramatic as seen in his two home run, four RBI performance against the Yankees that helped send the Rays into the playoffs. Longoria suffered through an atypical year where his average fell 50 points from 2010 to a mark of .244. We all know that the playoffs are a clean slate and Longoria is getting hot at the right time. Matt Joyce and Ben Zobrist are underrated powers sources as the two combined for 39 home runs and Casey Kotchman is a discerning batsman.
Tampa Bay finished the regular season with the least amount of errors committed in the major leagues and tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for first in fielding percentage. Study the Rays closely and you'll notice that they don't beat themselves in the field or on the base paths.
The Rays' best asset is actually their starting pitching. James Shields and Jeremy Hellickson are coming off tremendous regular seasons. David Price is a gutsy pitcher who has both awe-inspiring talent and the ability to raise his game in the postseason. Add solid number four starter Jeff Niemann to the mix and you'll see why Tampa Bay has one of the strongest rotations in baseball.
Kyle Farnsworth of 2011 isn't exactly the same as the 2008 Farnsworth who struggled mightily under the pressure of wearing the pinstripes. Farnsworth has turned around his career since joining the Rays and has molded himself into an intimidating closer. If there is one weakness that could haunt the Rays it would be the shaky bridge leading to Farnsworth.
Last night, I wasn't celebrating when the Red Sox fell to their doom and the Rays completed their unforgettable comeback. I know a lot of Yankee fans who were taking plenty of joy in seeing Boston self-destruct but having the Rays out of the playoffs would have been most beneficial to the Yankees' postseason plans. If the Bombers are able to get past the Tigers, a meeting of the Red Sox or Rangers would be an easier route to the World Series than what I believe will be the ALCS champions in Tampa Bay.
I'm not underestimating the Rangers who are a terrific hitting ballclub that also have a strong rotation and a bullpen that is superior to the Rays. I just believe that Tampa Bay have the kind of rotation that the Yankees can't handle as opposed to the Rangers or the shoddy, now eliminated Red Sox. That's why I have the Yankees bowing out in the ALCS. The Rays are just a too finely put together ballclub.
Yankee fans – do the Bombers have what it takes to get past the Tigers? Are the Rays the team to beat in the American League or are the Yankees' the favorite to reach the World Series? Share your opinions below and send your tweets to @HartyLFC.
]]>Cabrera batted cleanup, his first appearance since his arrest on Feb. 16 on suspicion of driving under the influence and resisting an officer without violence. He is to be arraigned on March 16.
Cabrera said he is looking forward to playing the field, but manager Jim Leyland said he will DH again Tuesday against Toronto.
Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello each pitched two scoreless innings for the Tigers.
CC Sabathia allowed two hits and struck out two for the Yankees. The Tigers scored two runs each in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
New York took a 2-0 lead in the fifth, ending Detroit's 22-inning scoreless streak.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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Miguel Cabrera is blessed with the pristine gene, born bathed in athletic splendor. And despite his sublime skill set, he is doing everything he can to ruin it.
Cabrera was arrested early Thursday morning, charged with D.U.I. and two counts of resisting arrest somewhere near the Detroit Tigers' spring training complex in Lakeland, Fla. According to the police report, Cabrera was not violent but had to be coerced into the police car.
The Tigers' general, manager Dave Dombrowski, said Cabrera was "down" during a phone chat following his arrest. This is not the first time Dombrowski has had to cover Cabrera's hide.
In 2009, before a crucial, late-season game against the Minnesota Twins, Cabrera was arrested with a 0.26 blood-alcohol content. His wife called 911 during an altercation, and the evening ended with a sober Dombrowksi bailing a somber Cabrera out of jail. The Tigers lost to the Twins and missed the playoffs.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the police report said Cabrera was "cocky, "combative," "argumentative," and "belligerent." They could have saved the syllables and just said, "drunk."
The aforementioned incidents are just the ones we know about. No doubt dozens of drunken episodes have been swept under the symbolic rug just before the press caught wind.
In the arrest affidavit, deputies said Cabrera repeated, "Do you know who I am? You don't know anything about my problems." Cabrera then grabbed a bottle of Scotch and started guzzling.
We know who you are, Miguel, and we know what you are. It's time for you to know, too, before it's too late.
No doubt this sounds odd coming from an already angry New Yorker quick to kick the first diva at the first whiff of malfeasance. Normally I am sick of seeing pampered millionaires gripe about the dearth of decency in their world while the rest of us have to deal with it daily, often having to decide between dinner and a movie because we can't afford both.
But despite the titanic evidence to the contrary, even Charlie Sheen is a human being We love to see the affluent gorge on humble pie, but we don't want them to die. If he doesn't get treatment, Cabrera's next joy ride with Jack Daniel's might not end in a courtroom but rather with a coroner.
There's a chicken-or-the-egg tone to the perils of celebrity. Does the star become troubled because of stardom or is he/she cursed before the glory? No human is qualified to answer. But the Center for Disease Control estimates that about 10 percent of Americans suffer from alcoholism (over 30 million people), which makes it likely that at least one branch of your family tree is wet with whiskey.
That doesn't mean you should feel sorry for Miguel Cabrera. Indeed, in this decrepit economy it's tough for an already grumpy fan base to feel sympathy for a man making $20 million to a play a game he loves while a cab driver makes 20 grand doing something he loathes.
But it is clear that Miguel Cabrera needs treatment. Many men find it emasculating to ask for help, to admit a bottle has beaten them. Somehow they think that handcuffs at midnight and mug shots and perp walks are more aesthetically pleasing. Having a regular rendezvous with the police blotter is better than saving your life. When you have a broken bone, you go to a doctor. When you have a broken soul, you're weak. In an age where narcissism is all the rage, machismo becomes a malady.
Despite his drinking – because you can be sure he drank even if he wasn't arrested – Cabrera batted .328 with 38 home runs and 126 R.B.I. in 2010. Heck, when he was 22-years-old he dropped a .323/33/116 on us on autopilot. He has that kind of talent.
Ray Lucas recently checked into rehab to treat his addiction to painkillers. New Yorkers rally around Ray because they like him. Perhaps there's a similar circle for Miguel Cabrera, firm but fair, that can cajole him into a long gaze into the mirror.
I don't know Cabrera. He may be a creep. He may be a swell guy. But there's a selfish cell in all of us that loves great performances, no matter the performer. And Miguel Cabrera, when he digs his spikes inside the chalk of the batter's box and swings that slab of maple at a baseball, is beautiful.
Feel free to email me: Jakster1@mac.com
2016 Topps Baseball Back to Back Miguel Cabrera Victor Martinez Black Names
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