Every so often, there is a transaction or situation where both parties can claim victory. More often than not, one side will win, and the other side will lose. And still, there are those transactions and situations where both sides lose out. The latter situation is what the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox presently have.
First, the Cubs angle. They can point to the fact that Theo Epstein won two World Series rings with the Red Sox during his tenure. Yes, he did get those rings, but the fact of the matter is that he did not truly put those teams together. The core of the 2004 Red Sox team was put together by Dan Duquette, a man most commonly remembered for saying that Roger Clemens was done after allowing him to leave as a free agent following the 1996 season. Yes, Theo made the trade to get rid of Nomar, bringing in Doug Mientkiewicz and Orlando Cabrera, but who is to say that Duquette would not have made a similar move? Yes, trading Nomar when they did took balls, but Duquette was not afraid to make a huge splash either.
Then there is the 2007 championship. There were still a number of holdovers from that 2004 team, with the biggest additions being Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell. Both of those happened to come over during ap oint in time when Theo was not with the Sox, having infamously left in a power struggle with Larry Lucchino (more on him later).
So what has Theo actually done? He gets a lot of credit for rebuilding the Red Sox farm system, but a lot of the players that came up during his tenure and stayed with the Sox were, once again, Duquette draft picks. He did manage to sign such notable free agents as Julio Lugo, John Lackey, J.D. Drew, Matt Clement, Edgar Rentaria, Mike Cameron, Bobby Jenks, Carl Crawford, and Daisuke Matsuzaka however. Oh, wait. Those guys sucked. Where did he get that genius label from again?
Now he’s off to the Cubs, calling them the ‘ultimate challenge’. He’s brought over his guy, Jed Hoyer, to be the GM. The Cubs will now be run according to his ‘organizational philosophy’, which involves valuing draft picks over free agents. Over the past nine years, the Sox have had 32 first round and sandwich draft picks (mmmm…..sandwich….). The Cubs, meanwhile, have been dead last with 16. This will change, for better or for worse. At least he can’t be as bad as that previous waste of space they had a GM, Jim Hendry.
Now to the Red Sox.
Part of why Theo left the Sox was that he no longer would have to deal with Larry Lucchino, a man that is roughly as pleasant to deal with as a CarrotTop stand-up routine. Lucchino and Epstein had been in a power struggle pretty much since the beginning, leading the Sox to essentially have two voices trying to shout each other down. Larry would manipulate the public relations side of the team to whatever he felt his agenda was, while Theo would just ignore his verdicts sent down from on high. Yeah, that’s a great situation to be around.
Now that Theo is gone, Larry wins his personal war. But are the Red Sox better for it? For all his faults, Epstein did have a long term organizational view at heart. He truly did what he felt was right to put together a winning franchise on the field. Lucchino, being one of the owners of the team, even if he is a minority owner, is more concerned with filling Fenway with customers and getting ratings on NESN than he is with the won-loss record. If people tune in, why would he care if the Sox win or not?
Lucchino is also, by all accounts, a filthy rat. He is not a man to be trusted whatsoever, unless you want to find a knife protruding from your back. Given the history of the Red Sox in recent years of ripping people as they leave the organization, you can see why most people would trust Lucchino as far as they can throw him.
Now that slimy weasel has control of the Red Sox. Yes, Ben Cherington has been named as the Red Sox new GM, but it’s really going to be Lucchino pulling the strings from behind the scenes. This promises to be a train wreck. Since the Red Sox clubhouse is already in shambles, the team chemistry is atrocious, and the fan base is almost in meltdown mode, how can things get worse?
Well, for starters, they can do what they did and give Lucchino the keys. A person with zero experience making actual roster decisions now having what is essentially the final say over everything in a major market with seemingly unlimited money to spend? Sounds a lot like what the Yankees were over the mid 1980′s to mid 1990′s. Welcome to bloated payrolls, short sighted signings, and a losing record for years to come. The GM and manager’s positions promise to be a revolving door, but who cares as long as people pack the ballpark and sing to Sweet Caroline?
Both teams lose in this situation. And both teams will continue to lose on the field for a long time.
Showing posts with label Chicago Cubs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chicago Cubs. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
The Problem With The Cubs
The previous week, the Cubs finally got around to firing Jim Hendry. This was a move that needed to be done a long time ago, yet the Cubs showed a lot of patience and leeway with someone who displayed an amazing amount of gross incompetence at his position.
During his tenure, Hendry had a habit of overpaying players based on their prime years, or players coming off of career years. Unfortunately, those prime years were often on other teams. Here are a few of the contracts that he signed players to:
So, why do the Cubs embrace their status as losers? Hell, sportscasters refer to them as the ‘Lovable Losers’ on a continual basis. Despite this, their fans do not care. Wrigley is packed almost every night, as the Cubs fans seem to treat it as a bar with the world’s most expensive cover charge. The baseball game is secondary – it’s about sitting on the bleachers and drinking beer with a few friends. They would be better served just doing that at a bar with the game on the television. Why should management change anything, when the ballpark is filled all the time?
If the Cubs are serious about building a contender, they need to change this mentality immediately. They need respected baseball people in decision making positions that understand what it takes to win. They need a general manager that is intelligent, capable of evaluating players and personnel, and is willing to build up their farm system. They need a manager that will change the culture of the clubhouse and make the players into winners. In short, they need to stop being the Cubs.
However, this will not happen. The Cubs will replace Jim Hendry with someone else equally incompetent. Someone like Omar Minaya. Enjoy another 100 years without a title, Cubs fans. Ownership doesn’t care enough to bring you one.
During his tenure, Hendry had a habit of overpaying players based on their prime years, or players coming off of career years. Unfortunately, those prime years were often on other teams. Here are a few of the contracts that he signed players to:
- Alfonso Soriano – 8 years, $136Million, no-trade clause
- Kosuke Fukudome – 4 years, $48Million, no-trade clause that he was able to get Fukudome to waive
- Milton Bradley – 3 years, $30Million
- Jacque Jones – 3 years, $15Million
- Jason Marquis – 3 years, $21Million
- Carlos Zambrano – 5 years, $91.5Million, no-trade clause
- Carlos Pena – 1 year, $10Million
So, why do the Cubs embrace their status as losers? Hell, sportscasters refer to them as the ‘Lovable Losers’ on a continual basis. Despite this, their fans do not care. Wrigley is packed almost every night, as the Cubs fans seem to treat it as a bar with the world’s most expensive cover charge. The baseball game is secondary – it’s about sitting on the bleachers and drinking beer with a few friends. They would be better served just doing that at a bar with the game on the television. Why should management change anything, when the ballpark is filled all the time?
If the Cubs are serious about building a contender, they need to change this mentality immediately. They need respected baseball people in decision making positions that understand what it takes to win. They need a general manager that is intelligent, capable of evaluating players and personnel, and is willing to build up their farm system. They need a manager that will change the culture of the clubhouse and make the players into winners. In short, they need to stop being the Cubs.
However, this will not happen. The Cubs will replace Jim Hendry with someone else equally incompetent. Someone like Omar Minaya. Enjoy another 100 years without a title, Cubs fans. Ownership doesn’t care enough to bring you one.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Don't Go Away Mad, Just Go Away
It was time for the annual Carlos Zambrano meltdown, and he certainly didn’t disappoint.
In typical napalm fashion, Zambrano got lit up by the Atlanta Braves, surrendering five home runs in 4 1/3 innings pitched. Following back to back home runs by the white hot Dan Uggla and Freddie Freeman, Zambrano threw consecutive pitches at Chipper Jones. However, since Jones was not standing directly at the center of the plate, he missed on both accounts, with his final pitch going to the backstop. Naturally, Zambrano was tossed from the game.
That’s where the fun began. Typically Mad Carlos takes out his frustrations on the Gatorade cooler, teammates, or his dog. This time, it seems that the anger management classes have been working, since he didn’t feel a need to take a bat to his surroundings. No, he simply went into the locker room, cleaned out his locker, told locker room attendants and the training staff that he was retiring, and left before the end of the game.
This is just the latest in the litany of Mad Carlos actions. In the past, he has had such notable transgressions as referring to his team as a cast of AAA players (June 4 of this year) and getting into a fight with Derrek Lee on June 25, 2010. All of this can be yours for the low price of $91.5Million over five years, with $18Million due next year, the last of the contract he signed in 2007. And people wonder why the Cubs won’t win with Jim Hendry in charge?
For this latest issue, Zambrano has been suspended thirty days without pay and placed on the restricted list. Naturally, the Player’s Union is going to file a grievance for the ‘severity’ of the punishment, since forcing Zambrano to take responcibility for his actions just doesn’t make any sense. In all actuality, the punishment is probably too lenient. The Cubs should suspend him for the rest of the season without pay, then release him in the offseason. Call it addition by subtraction, since there cannot be anyone in the clubhouse willing to tolerate his childish behavior any longer.
In order for the Cubs to finally get around to breaking the ‘Curse of the Billy Goat’, they need to clean house. First to go should be Carlos Zambrano, followed shortly thereafter by the buffoon that gave him that contract. Get people in there that know how to run an organization, develop players, and actually know not to sign confirmed nutjobs to long term contracts. It would be one thing if this was his first time doing so, but who can forget the three year deal for Milton Bradley? What, Carl Everett and Marty Bergen weren’t answering their phones that day?
Now is the time to rid themselves of one mistake. It’s time to tell Carlos Zambrano not to go away mad, but to just go away.
In typical napalm fashion, Zambrano got lit up by the Atlanta Braves, surrendering five home runs in 4 1/3 innings pitched. Following back to back home runs by the white hot Dan Uggla and Freddie Freeman, Zambrano threw consecutive pitches at Chipper Jones. However, since Jones was not standing directly at the center of the plate, he missed on both accounts, with his final pitch going to the backstop. Naturally, Zambrano was tossed from the game.
That’s where the fun began. Typically Mad Carlos takes out his frustrations on the Gatorade cooler, teammates, or his dog. This time, it seems that the anger management classes have been working, since he didn’t feel a need to take a bat to his surroundings. No, he simply went into the locker room, cleaned out his locker, told locker room attendants and the training staff that he was retiring, and left before the end of the game.
This is just the latest in the litany of Mad Carlos actions. In the past, he has had such notable transgressions as referring to his team as a cast of AAA players (June 4 of this year) and getting into a fight with Derrek Lee on June 25, 2010. All of this can be yours for the low price of $91.5Million over five years, with $18Million due next year, the last of the contract he signed in 2007. And people wonder why the Cubs won’t win with Jim Hendry in charge?
For this latest issue, Zambrano has been suspended thirty days without pay and placed on the restricted list. Naturally, the Player’s Union is going to file a grievance for the ‘severity’ of the punishment, since forcing Zambrano to take responcibility for his actions just doesn’t make any sense. In all actuality, the punishment is probably too lenient. The Cubs should suspend him for the rest of the season without pay, then release him in the offseason. Call it addition by subtraction, since there cannot be anyone in the clubhouse willing to tolerate his childish behavior any longer.
In order for the Cubs to finally get around to breaking the ‘Curse of the Billy Goat’, they need to clean house. First to go should be Carlos Zambrano, followed shortly thereafter by the buffoon that gave him that contract. Get people in there that know how to run an organization, develop players, and actually know not to sign confirmed nutjobs to long term contracts. It would be one thing if this was his first time doing so, but who can forget the three year deal for Milton Bradley? What, Carl Everett and Marty Bergen weren’t answering their phones that day?
Now is the time to rid themselves of one mistake. It’s time to tell Carlos Zambrano not to go away mad, but to just go away.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Trade Deadline Winners and Losers
In this case, the term trade deadline refers to the non-waiver trading deadline. Trades can still be made until August 31, however the players must make it through waivers first. Essentially, the biggest difference is that another team can make a claim to block a team above them from getting the player. Trades will still go down in August, and sometimes those moves make a huge difference for the teams involved (for instance, the Giants getting Cody Ross last year). That being said, the biggest moves come in July. As such, there are winners and losers at the deadline. Now, a look at the top three winners and losers.
Winners
1. Toronto Blue Jays: The Blue Jays made a major move in acquiring Colby Rasmus for Edwin Jackson (acquired in a move earlier that day) and a couple of relief pitchers. Rasmus is a major talent who clashed with Tony LaRussa’s totalitarian approach to the game. Getting out of St. Louis will give him a fresh start, and gives Toronto a middle of the order bat to protect Jose Bautista. With the addition of a second wild card team in 2012, the Blue Jays are setting themselves up to make a run at the postseason next year.
2. Texas Rangers: The Rangers desperately needed bullpen help, as everything before Neftali Feliz could go napalm at any given moment. Recognizing that, they made two moves to solidify their options. First, they acquired Mike Adams, a pitcher who throws hard and has been a dominant setup man for the Padres. Second, they essentially traded a bag of used sweatsocks to Baltimore for the vastly underrated Koji Uehera. Uehera throws strikes, doesn’t walk people (8-1 K/BB ratio this year) and has been dominant this season while pitching the the AL East. These moves may be enough to put the Rangers back into the World Series this year.
3. Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers biggest move was actually made during the All-Star break when they acquired Fransisco Rodriguez from the Mets. This cleared up their eighth innning problem, and made the bridge to get to closer John Axford less terrifying if you happen to be a fan of the team. They also acquired Jerry Hairston Jr. from Washington as a solid pinch hitter/utility player. Now if only they could find a way to get rid of Yuniencky Betancourt…..
Losers
1. New York Yankees: Ok, you are Brian Cashman. You have a payroll of over $200Million. You have a team that basically prints money. Your pitching staff includes C.C. Sabathia, a roll of duct tape, a worn out pitching machine, and the corpse of Phil Hughes. Pitchers of the caliber of Ubaldo Jimenez are available. So, what would the logical move be? Definately not what the Yankees did, which is to stand pat. Apparently a solid pitcher with a reasonable contract that is locked up through 2013 was not considered an upgrade over Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon. Have fun in October with four starters that may as well be throwing batting practice.
2. Chicago Cubs: Here’s another team that did almost nothing, but is in the opposite boat of the Yankees. The Cubs are going nowhere, and pretty much haven’t for most of the past 100+ years. While they did make one minor move in trading Kosuke Fukudome to Cleveland, they still have a lot of aging veterans that would have provided at least some return. Instead, Jim Hendry (who may be one of the worst baseball GMs who does not get constantly lambasted due to being with the Cubs) sat still and moved none of them. What, exactly, was he waiting for? Was he completely unaware that the trading deadline was approaching? What value does he have on these players? To quote Vizzini from the Princess Bride – his not making more moves was ‘Inconceivable!’
3. Los Angeles Dodgers: Know how in every fantasy league there is that one person that you can constantly rip off on trades? Well, Ned Colletti is essentially that guy in Major League Baseball. He managed to give up one of his top power hitting prospects to fascilitate a trade between the Mariners and the Red Sox, and basically got back a possibly fourth outfielder and organizational depth. I wonder how many times Theo Epstein and Jack Zduriencik had to hit the mute button to keep from laughing during their phone call. Yes, the Dodgers are in limbo given the disaster that is/was the McCourt ownership, but that still does not excuse blatant stupidity.
Winners
1. Toronto Blue Jays: The Blue Jays made a major move in acquiring Colby Rasmus for Edwin Jackson (acquired in a move earlier that day) and a couple of relief pitchers. Rasmus is a major talent who clashed with Tony LaRussa’s totalitarian approach to the game. Getting out of St. Louis will give him a fresh start, and gives Toronto a middle of the order bat to protect Jose Bautista. With the addition of a second wild card team in 2012, the Blue Jays are setting themselves up to make a run at the postseason next year.
2. Texas Rangers: The Rangers desperately needed bullpen help, as everything before Neftali Feliz could go napalm at any given moment. Recognizing that, they made two moves to solidify their options. First, they acquired Mike Adams, a pitcher who throws hard and has been a dominant setup man for the Padres. Second, they essentially traded a bag of used sweatsocks to Baltimore for the vastly underrated Koji Uehera. Uehera throws strikes, doesn’t walk people (8-1 K/BB ratio this year) and has been dominant this season while pitching the the AL East. These moves may be enough to put the Rangers back into the World Series this year.
3. Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers biggest move was actually made during the All-Star break when they acquired Fransisco Rodriguez from the Mets. This cleared up their eighth innning problem, and made the bridge to get to closer John Axford less terrifying if you happen to be a fan of the team. They also acquired Jerry Hairston Jr. from Washington as a solid pinch hitter/utility player. Now if only they could find a way to get rid of Yuniencky Betancourt…..
Losers
1. New York Yankees: Ok, you are Brian Cashman. You have a payroll of over $200Million. You have a team that basically prints money. Your pitching staff includes C.C. Sabathia, a roll of duct tape, a worn out pitching machine, and the corpse of Phil Hughes. Pitchers of the caliber of Ubaldo Jimenez are available. So, what would the logical move be? Definately not what the Yankees did, which is to stand pat. Apparently a solid pitcher with a reasonable contract that is locked up through 2013 was not considered an upgrade over Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon. Have fun in October with four starters that may as well be throwing batting practice.
2. Chicago Cubs: Here’s another team that did almost nothing, but is in the opposite boat of the Yankees. The Cubs are going nowhere, and pretty much haven’t for most of the past 100+ years. While they did make one minor move in trading Kosuke Fukudome to Cleveland, they still have a lot of aging veterans that would have provided at least some return. Instead, Jim Hendry (who may be one of the worst baseball GMs who does not get constantly lambasted due to being with the Cubs) sat still and moved none of them. What, exactly, was he waiting for? Was he completely unaware that the trading deadline was approaching? What value does he have on these players? To quote Vizzini from the Princess Bride – his not making more moves was ‘Inconceivable!’
3. Los Angeles Dodgers: Know how in every fantasy league there is that one person that you can constantly rip off on trades? Well, Ned Colletti is essentially that guy in Major League Baseball. He managed to give up one of his top power hitting prospects to fascilitate a trade between the Mariners and the Red Sox, and basically got back a possibly fourth outfielder and organizational depth. I wonder how many times Theo Epstein and Jack Zduriencik had to hit the mute button to keep from laughing during their phone call. Yes, the Dodgers are in limbo given the disaster that is/was the McCourt ownership, but that still does not excuse blatant stupidity.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
1918 World Series Fixed?
Everyone that knows baseball knows of the infamous Chicago Black Sox scandal of 1919. Eight players, most notably Shoeless Joe Jackson and Eddie Cicotte, were banned from baseball for life as a result of their throwing the World Series. However, a court disposition from 1920 shows that Cicotte and the others may have gotten the idea from an outside source - the cross town Chicago Cubs.
While he did not name any specific players and was intentionally vague, Cicotte mentions how during train rides to the east coast, players would discuss how a member or members of the Cubs got $10,000 for throwing the series. Incidentally, $10,000 is the same amount of money that was left in Cicotte's hotel room for him to throw the 1919 World Series.
Going through the statistics for the 1918 World Series, there are no significant dropoffs in production for any of the players. Despite this, research on plays during the 1918 World Series shows that there were several suspicious incidents involving outfielder Max Flack. During game 4 of the series, Flack was picked off twice. In game 6, he turned a catchable fly ball into an error, leading to two runs scoring in a 2-1 defeat, causing the Cubs to lose the World Series. There was another instance where Flack was playing Babe Ruth shallow in the outfield, and the pitcher, Lefty Tyler, waved for him to move back. Flack stayed where he was, and Ruth hit a two run triple over his head.
Major League Baseball did not investigate the 1918 World Series, as they claimed that gambling was removed from the game following the banishment of the eight players from the White Sox. However, one former member of that team, Phil Douglas, was banned from baseball for 'treachery,' as he was reported as saying that another team in the pennant race pay him to leave and 'go fishing'. Douglas faced one batter in the 1918 World Series, and committed an error on a comebacker, throwing the ball far over the first baseman's head.
Perhaps the 'curse' on the Cubs is not the result of a goat. Perhaps it is karma striking back for the forgotten misdeeds of the Cubs players over nine decades ago.
While he did not name any specific players and was intentionally vague, Cicotte mentions how during train rides to the east coast, players would discuss how a member or members of the Cubs got $10,000 for throwing the series. Incidentally, $10,000 is the same amount of money that was left in Cicotte's hotel room for him to throw the 1919 World Series.
Going through the statistics for the 1918 World Series, there are no significant dropoffs in production for any of the players. Despite this, research on plays during the 1918 World Series shows that there were several suspicious incidents involving outfielder Max Flack. During game 4 of the series, Flack was picked off twice. In game 6, he turned a catchable fly ball into an error, leading to two runs scoring in a 2-1 defeat, causing the Cubs to lose the World Series. There was another instance where Flack was playing Babe Ruth shallow in the outfield, and the pitcher, Lefty Tyler, waved for him to move back. Flack stayed where he was, and Ruth hit a two run triple over his head.
Major League Baseball did not investigate the 1918 World Series, as they claimed that gambling was removed from the game following the banishment of the eight players from the White Sox. However, one former member of that team, Phil Douglas, was banned from baseball for 'treachery,' as he was reported as saying that another team in the pennant race pay him to leave and 'go fishing'. Douglas faced one batter in the 1918 World Series, and committed an error on a comebacker, throwing the ball far over the first baseman's head.
Perhaps the 'curse' on the Cubs is not the result of a goat. Perhaps it is karma striking back for the forgotten misdeeds of the Cubs players over nine decades ago.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
NASCAR's Cubs
With his fourth place finish in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega on Sunday, Dale Earnhardt Jr has now gone 101 races since his last victory. Jr did factor in determining who won the race however, as his drafting partner, Jimmie Johnson, finished in first. As a symbolic gesture to than Jr for his assistance, Johnson gave him the checkered flag from the race.
Since Jr last won a NASCAR race, Johnson has won the points championship three times. Barack Obama became president. NASCAR created a Hall of Fame. Kyle Busch has won 60 total races (12 Cup, 31 Nationwide, and 17 Truck). Monday Night Football moved to ESPN. And Jr has won the 'Most Popular Driver' award three times.
Traditionally, losers, or losing franchises, are not treated with the level of respect that teams like the Yankees and Celtics receive. Typically, they are laughed at, or completely ignored. However, Jr has managed to remain popular in the eyes of NASCAR, despite his lackluster finishes over the past few years. Of course, he did receive a built in fan base with his late father's fans heading his way with the passing of Dale Sr, yet he has managed to retain them. In a way, he is the NASCAR version of the Chicago Cubs.
Both Jr and the Cubs have come close to finally breaking through - Jr with his second place finishes at Daytona in 2009 and the Cubs in 2003. Both have managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, Jr with his multiple wrecks when having a strong car, the Cubs with the Bartman game (amongst others). Both receive an unparalleled amount of support, despite there being more successful teams in the same garage/city (Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, and Jeff Gordon are Jr's teammates, and the White Sox also call Chicago home). Yet, the popularity of both continues to endure.
Dale Jr has seemingly come to the brink of breaking through with a victory. This year, he has two top fives and five top tens in eight races. He is presently third in points, his best showing through eight races in his career. He has been competitive, flashing some of the promise he had back when he was younger and a factor almost every week.
Unlike the Cubs, Jr looks ready to win. But until then, he is NASCAR's version of the Lovable Losers.
Since Jr last won a NASCAR race, Johnson has won the points championship three times. Barack Obama became president. NASCAR created a Hall of Fame. Kyle Busch has won 60 total races (12 Cup, 31 Nationwide, and 17 Truck). Monday Night Football moved to ESPN. And Jr has won the 'Most Popular Driver' award three times.
Traditionally, losers, or losing franchises, are not treated with the level of respect that teams like the Yankees and Celtics receive. Typically, they are laughed at, or completely ignored. However, Jr has managed to remain popular in the eyes of NASCAR, despite his lackluster finishes over the past few years. Of course, he did receive a built in fan base with his late father's fans heading his way with the passing of Dale Sr, yet he has managed to retain them. In a way, he is the NASCAR version of the Chicago Cubs.
Both Jr and the Cubs have come close to finally breaking through - Jr with his second place finishes at Daytona in 2009 and the Cubs in 2003. Both have managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, Jr with his multiple wrecks when having a strong car, the Cubs with the Bartman game (amongst others). Both receive an unparalleled amount of support, despite there being more successful teams in the same garage/city (Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, and Jeff Gordon are Jr's teammates, and the White Sox also call Chicago home). Yet, the popularity of both continues to endure.
Dale Jr has seemingly come to the brink of breaking through with a victory. This year, he has two top fives and five top tens in eight races. He is presently third in points, his best showing through eight races in his career. He has been competitive, flashing some of the promise he had back when he was younger and a factor almost every week.
Unlike the Cubs, Jr looks ready to win. But until then, he is NASCAR's version of the Lovable Losers.
Friday, March 18, 2011
2011 Preview - National League Central
This is the fifth installment of the six part 2011 baseball preview. Today features the National League Central. Teams are listed in the order of their expected finish.
1. Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers are all in on the 2011 season. Given that this is Prince Fielder's last year under Milwaukee control before free agency, the Brewers went out and strip mined the farm system in an attempt to compete this year. Trades for Zack Greinke and Sahun Marcum dramatically improved the rotation. Yovani Gallardo now becomes the number three pitcher. Randy Wolf is a better fit as the fourth starter, as opposed to the number two. Rounding out the rotation is Chris Narveson, who pitched well last year. The offense is solid, anchored by Fielder, Ryan Braun, and the solid Casey McGehee.
Injuries are a concern with the Brewers. Already, Greinke is going to miss some time due to a rib injury, and Marcum is dealing with shoulder tightness. If these injuries cause either pitcher to miss significant time, the Brewers are in trouble. The defense is also a concern. Alcides Escobar, a solid fielding shortstop, was moved in the Greinke trade, and replaced with Yuniesky Betancourt, who is a defensive black hole.
As long as the Brewers enjoy a reasonably healthy season, they should be the favorite to win a fairly strong NL Central.
2. Chicago Cubs: The Cubs offseason may have attracted more attention in the Central had the Brewers not made as many moves. By trading for Matt Garza, they improved their rotation. The signings of Carlos Pena and Kerry Wood improve their defense and bullpen respectively. Pena is a Gold Glove caliber first baseman, and is adept at gathering potentially errant throws. This will help the entire infield, and Starlin Castro in prticular. Wood returned tot he Cubs to set up Carlos Marmol, and as insurance in case Marmol struggles.
The key for the Cubs may be Carlos Zambrano. Last season, prior to the All-Star break, he was 3-6 with a 5.66 ERA and a 1.69 WHiP. After the break, he went 8-0 with a 1.58 ERA and a 1.27 WHiP. Which Zambrano will the Cubs get in 2011? Starlin Castro also has to take the next step in his development. Last year, he hit .300 with 10 stolen bases as a rookie. He was also caught 8 times. Improvement as a base stealer and proving that he can continue to provide a .300 average will be key.
The Cubs are a much better team that most people realize. Should Milwaukee falter, look for them to capitalize and take the NL Central.
3. Cincinnati Reds: The Reds are due to regress this season. Last year, Joey Votto and Scott Rolen had excellent seasons to help power the Reds to the playoffs. Votto won the MVP, and should continue to hit at the same level, however Rolen is a concern. At age 35, he hit 20 home runs for the first time since 2006. He also struck out in 15.3% of his at bats, his highest total since 2004. Should the power numbers return to where they have been, and the strikeout rate continues to rise, the Reds suddenly find themselves with a hole in their lineup.
While the Brewers and the Cubs improved, the Reds didn't. They return virtually the same roster from 2010 as they attempt to repeat. However, the Reds do boast a good rotation, headed by Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez. The bullpen is solid, with veteran Francisco Cordero closing, and flame throwing Aroldis Chapman as their 8th inning pitcher.
The Reds have a good young team, and will be competitive for a few years. They just don't have enough to win the division in 2011 with the improvements made by the other teams.
4. St. Louis Cardinals: The Cardinals are in trouble. Already, Adam Wainwright has been lost for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Chris Carpenter has been dealing with several minor injuries during Spring Training, and given his history, cannot be counted on to pitch the entire season. The spectre of Albert Pujols' impending free agency hangs over this team as well. Colby Rasmus, a very good young player, has somehow incurred the wrath of Tony LaRussa, and was rumored to be on the trading block all offseason.
Despite this, the strength of the Cardinals is their lineup. Pujols is the best player in baseball, and is surrounded by good players in Rasmus, Matt Holliday, and the recently acquired Lance Berkman. Ryan Theriot and Nick Punto improve their middle infield, providing better defense and offense than Skip Schumaker and Brendan Ryan.
This is going to be an interesting year for the Cardinals, and may implode rapidly. The offense may be enough to keep them in contention for most of the year, but they simply do not have the pitching to keep up.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates are an improving team with several exciting young players ready to make an impact at the major league level. Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker, Jose Tabata, and Andrew McCutchen provide a great core of talent that should be together for years. James McDonald looks like a potential number one starter in the making. The bullpen of All-Star Evan Meek and Joel Hanrahan is solid. The Pirates are a much better team than they were in 2010.
However, the Pirates are still a couple of years away. The major league roster does not yet have enough talent to compete with the upper echelon of teams in the Central. There is plenty of talent coming up through the minors with pitching prospects Jameson Taillon, Stetson Allie, Rudy Owens, and Luis Heredia ready to produce in the majors within the next two years.
The Pirates are improving. While 2011 may not be the year they end their 18 year run of losing seasons, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
6. Houston Astros: The Astros needed to rebuild long ago, but they had managed to remain close to contention, causing them to keep expending prospects for rental players. Last season, the bottom fell out, and they finally began the rebuilding process. Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman were traded, finally bringing over prospects to help them rebuild. However, this team has very little talent on offense at the major league level. Carlos Lee had his worst season in his career. Michael Bourn, while a Gold Glove center fielder, is not much of a hitter. Speed is his greatest asset, although he strikes out far more than a leadoff hitter should. His OPS+ of 90 proves that he is below league average as a batter.
The one bright spot for the Astros is their rotation. Wandy Rodriguez, J.A. Happ, Brett Myers, and Bud Norris comprise a staff that is surprisingly solid and vastly underrated. Rodriguez and Myers are an excellent top two in any rotation. Happ and Norris have a lot of promise, and have demonstrated the ability to get major league hitters out. Ryan Rowland-Smith is the probable fifth starter, and is a solid fit in any pitching staff.
The Astros are going to be terrible this season, and will be in contention for the top pick in 2012. They delayed rebuilding for too long, and will suffer the consequences for the next few years.
1. Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers are all in on the 2011 season. Given that this is Prince Fielder's last year under Milwaukee control before free agency, the Brewers went out and strip mined the farm system in an attempt to compete this year. Trades for Zack Greinke and Sahun Marcum dramatically improved the rotation. Yovani Gallardo now becomes the number three pitcher. Randy Wolf is a better fit as the fourth starter, as opposed to the number two. Rounding out the rotation is Chris Narveson, who pitched well last year. The offense is solid, anchored by Fielder, Ryan Braun, and the solid Casey McGehee.
Injuries are a concern with the Brewers. Already, Greinke is going to miss some time due to a rib injury, and Marcum is dealing with shoulder tightness. If these injuries cause either pitcher to miss significant time, the Brewers are in trouble. The defense is also a concern. Alcides Escobar, a solid fielding shortstop, was moved in the Greinke trade, and replaced with Yuniesky Betancourt, who is a defensive black hole.
As long as the Brewers enjoy a reasonably healthy season, they should be the favorite to win a fairly strong NL Central.
2. Chicago Cubs: The Cubs offseason may have attracted more attention in the Central had the Brewers not made as many moves. By trading for Matt Garza, they improved their rotation. The signings of Carlos Pena and Kerry Wood improve their defense and bullpen respectively. Pena is a Gold Glove caliber first baseman, and is adept at gathering potentially errant throws. This will help the entire infield, and Starlin Castro in prticular. Wood returned tot he Cubs to set up Carlos Marmol, and as insurance in case Marmol struggles.
The key for the Cubs may be Carlos Zambrano. Last season, prior to the All-Star break, he was 3-6 with a 5.66 ERA and a 1.69 WHiP. After the break, he went 8-0 with a 1.58 ERA and a 1.27 WHiP. Which Zambrano will the Cubs get in 2011? Starlin Castro also has to take the next step in his development. Last year, he hit .300 with 10 stolen bases as a rookie. He was also caught 8 times. Improvement as a base stealer and proving that he can continue to provide a .300 average will be key.
The Cubs are a much better team that most people realize. Should Milwaukee falter, look for them to capitalize and take the NL Central.
3. Cincinnati Reds: The Reds are due to regress this season. Last year, Joey Votto and Scott Rolen had excellent seasons to help power the Reds to the playoffs. Votto won the MVP, and should continue to hit at the same level, however Rolen is a concern. At age 35, he hit 20 home runs for the first time since 2006. He also struck out in 15.3% of his at bats, his highest total since 2004. Should the power numbers return to where they have been, and the strikeout rate continues to rise, the Reds suddenly find themselves with a hole in their lineup.
While the Brewers and the Cubs improved, the Reds didn't. They return virtually the same roster from 2010 as they attempt to repeat. However, the Reds do boast a good rotation, headed by Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez. The bullpen is solid, with veteran Francisco Cordero closing, and flame throwing Aroldis Chapman as their 8th inning pitcher.
The Reds have a good young team, and will be competitive for a few years. They just don't have enough to win the division in 2011 with the improvements made by the other teams.
4. St. Louis Cardinals: The Cardinals are in trouble. Already, Adam Wainwright has been lost for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Chris Carpenter has been dealing with several minor injuries during Spring Training, and given his history, cannot be counted on to pitch the entire season. The spectre of Albert Pujols' impending free agency hangs over this team as well. Colby Rasmus, a very good young player, has somehow incurred the wrath of Tony LaRussa, and was rumored to be on the trading block all offseason.
Despite this, the strength of the Cardinals is their lineup. Pujols is the best player in baseball, and is surrounded by good players in Rasmus, Matt Holliday, and the recently acquired Lance Berkman. Ryan Theriot and Nick Punto improve their middle infield, providing better defense and offense than Skip Schumaker and Brendan Ryan.
This is going to be an interesting year for the Cardinals, and may implode rapidly. The offense may be enough to keep them in contention for most of the year, but they simply do not have the pitching to keep up.
5. Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates are an improving team with several exciting young players ready to make an impact at the major league level. Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker, Jose Tabata, and Andrew McCutchen provide a great core of talent that should be together for years. James McDonald looks like a potential number one starter in the making. The bullpen of All-Star Evan Meek and Joel Hanrahan is solid. The Pirates are a much better team than they were in 2010.
However, the Pirates are still a couple of years away. The major league roster does not yet have enough talent to compete with the upper echelon of teams in the Central. There is plenty of talent coming up through the minors with pitching prospects Jameson Taillon, Stetson Allie, Rudy Owens, and Luis Heredia ready to produce in the majors within the next two years.
The Pirates are improving. While 2011 may not be the year they end their 18 year run of losing seasons, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
6. Houston Astros: The Astros needed to rebuild long ago, but they had managed to remain close to contention, causing them to keep expending prospects for rental players. Last season, the bottom fell out, and they finally began the rebuilding process. Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman were traded, finally bringing over prospects to help them rebuild. However, this team has very little talent on offense at the major league level. Carlos Lee had his worst season in his career. Michael Bourn, while a Gold Glove center fielder, is not much of a hitter. Speed is his greatest asset, although he strikes out far more than a leadoff hitter should. His OPS+ of 90 proves that he is below league average as a batter.
The one bright spot for the Astros is their rotation. Wandy Rodriguez, J.A. Happ, Brett Myers, and Bud Norris comprise a staff that is surprisingly solid and vastly underrated. Rodriguez and Myers are an excellent top two in any rotation. Happ and Norris have a lot of promise, and have demonstrated the ability to get major league hitters out. Ryan Rowland-Smith is the probable fifth starter, and is a solid fit in any pitching staff.
The Astros are going to be terrible this season, and will be in contention for the top pick in 2012. They delayed rebuilding for too long, and will suffer the consequences for the next few years.
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