Zack Greinke helps complete the Gary Sheffield trade

I started thinking about Gary Sheffield when Zack Greinke arrived in Milwaukee yesterday. Let me explain.

There was a telling moment in Zack Greinke's introduction to the local press. He said "The main reason I wanted to get out" and he stopped himself with a smile and made a correction "I mean preferred to get out of Kansas City..." and he continued.

The first statement was the correct one. He wanted out of Kansas City, the once proud baseball city that was home to one of the true marquee franchises of my youth. Now it is the Pittsburgh of the American League. The team that is there to develop players for other teams while perpetually piling up prospects for a pennant run that never comes.

All the while people complain that their lack of success comes from their small market and revenue, all the while teams with smaller revenues consistently make the post season.

So you can't blame Greinke for wanting to get out of that purgatory and the Royals dealt him when his value was still high and teams that wanted Cliff Lee were craving a consolation prize.

But after reading Tim Brown's article on Yahoo Sports, I lost a little bit of respect for Greinke. He won the Cy Young in 2009 with his slider being his best pitch. And when the Royals stunk as they have every year he pitched in KC, he didn't throw the slider as much making sure his arm was good and strong to whatever contender he landed with.

Sorry but the Royals drafted him, made him a millionaire many times over and didn't give up on him when his anxiety disorder made him leave spring training in 2006.

The Royals stood by him as he had to leave baseball for psychological reasons. A team could have said "This clearly isn't going to work. His head is all messed up."

They didn't. They let him work out his issues and let him back in to be in the position to go from "a head case" to "elite ace."

The Royals deserved a little more than "I'll save my best stuff for the winner." And the other contenders in baseball deserved to face Greinke at his best as the Royals could have played spoiler down the stretch.

He checked out. And I guess it was karma that he was dealt to Milwaukee.

Remember all of those years ago when Gary Sheffield was playing for the Brewers? He was a future superstar playing with future Hall of Famers Robin Yount and Paul Molitor. But he hated playing in Milwaukee and wanted out and supposedly made errors on purpose to hasten a trade out of town.

He was shipped off to San Diego (and then Florida, and then Los Angeles, then Atlanta, then the Yankees, then Detroit, then the Mets...) and put together a career that at least deserves to be part of the Cooperstown discussion. (And somehow he managed to circumvent the whole steroid stigma despite being as involved in the BALCO accusations as Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi.)

So one star dogged it to get OUT of Milwaukee.
And today one dogged it to get traded TO Milwaukee.

In a way I guess Greinke was a player to be named MUCH later in the Sheffield trade.

It shows how far the Brewers have come that they are considered to be a destination for someone wanting to win NOW!

Now if a star will play at half speed to get traded TO the Royals then Kansas City fans could call it even.

The Brewers Statement: We are NOT Kansas City (nor Pittsburgh for that matter)

When the Royals traded Zack Greinke to Milwaukee the other day, there was a beautiful symbolism to the move that wasn't lost on me.

Greinke wasn't dealt to New York. Forget the spin of "He couldn't handle New York." Neither the Mets nor the Yankees have the prospects to have pulled off the trade.

He wasn't dealt to the Red Sox, Phillies, Cubs, Angels or Dodgers.

The Royals, a small market club that ships off all of their stars, sent him to Milwaukee, another small market club that used to ship off all their stars.

Instead of sending Prince Fielder packing and looking to rebuild, the Brewers are going for it and adding a Cy Young contender.

And with that trade, the Brewers are doing something I've been urging the Pirates to do for a while and will pretty soon may encourage the Royals to do the same thing.

Go all in and give your fans a reason to be excited.

There is a reason I am bringing up the Pirates in this post about the Royals and Brewers.

From when the Wild Card era began in 1994 until the end of the 2006 season, the Pirates, Royals and Brewers combined for 34 losing seasons out of 36.

Only the 2003 Royals got their nose over .500 ith an 83-79 season.

And those three teams became the symbol of everything unfair with baseball. Their revenue was so much lower than the big spenders... how could they POSSIBLY compete?

This of course ignored the fact that low revenue teams like the Marlins could win the World Series twice in that stretch. And ignoring the fact that contraction worthy teams like the Twins and the A's could be playoff regulars. And the Expos, despite having no owner nor ANY fanbase managed to contend into September in 2002 and had a winning record in 2003.

Those three teams kept building for a future that would never arrive.

And the mantra of Brewers owner and commissioner Bud Selig (no conflict of interest there) was to change the economics of the game to help teams like his own.

Well, a wonderful thing happened to the Brewers: The Seligs sold the team.

Sometimes that's what you need. A change at the top could lead to changes in the whole culture of the team. Remember how the Red Sox couldn't win the World Series all of those years? From the mid 1930s to 2002 they were owned by the Yawkeys.

2 years after they sold the team, they were the World Champs.

After years of putting a losing club on the field under the Seligs, the Brewers finished at .500 in 2005, their first season under Mark Attanasio's ownership.

By 2007 they had a winning record and contended into September for the first time since 1992.

And in 2008, they did what would have been unthinkable just a few years before and would be sacrilegious in Pittsburgh and Kansas City: They dealt away one of their major league ready prospects for a veteran who was on the verge of free agency.

And even if Matt LaPorta turns into a good player for Cleveland... and even though CC Sabathia bolted town the second the season was over... it was the right move for the Brewers.

Sabathia pitched his heart out in his cameo for the Brewers. And when he pitched a complete game on the last day of the season, propelling the Brewers into the playoffs for the first time since 1982, he did something that no prospect could EVER do:

He gave Brewers fans too young to remember Harvey's Wallbangers or the great start of 1987 an actual awesome baseball memory of their team.

And guess what happens when you give fans a wonderful feeling about rooting for their team?

You build a FAN BASE!
You get excitement for your team instead of apathy!

Young kids in Wisconsin experienced a thrilling season and even a post season win at home in the Division Series. There isn't the hum drum "What's the point of watching them. They NEVER win" attitude.

And those fans who experienced the fun of 2008 have added hope in 2011. A new manager, a powerful lineup (with or without Fielder) and a rotation that now features Yovani Gallardo, Shaun Marcum and Zack Greinke.

Meanwhile the Royals got more prospects and continue to promise their fans that happy days are just around the corner.

The Brewers aren't playing that game, at least not now.
They are going for it and saying to their fans "We want you to have more good memories of your team."

All it took was a change in attitude (and getting the Seligs out!)

Will by NL Central pick be once again a year early?

This September I pointed out that I am not very good at picking who will actually win the NL Central, but I AM good at figuring out that the consensus pick will probably fall short.

In 2009 everyone and their cow was picking the Cubs to win.
I picked the Reds. The Cardinals won (I picked the Cardinals for the Wild Card.)

In 2010 everyone and their moose was picking the Cardinals to win.
I picked the Brewers. The Reds won.

But with Zack Greinke going to the Brewers, I can't help but wonder if the Brewers and their solid rotation and terrific line up, should be considered to be the favorites in a very winnable NL Central.

And would my pick be a year premature?
Am I the baseball predicting equivalent to that show Early Edition?

There's only one way to test it:
I am going to pick the Pittsburgh Pirates to win the 2011 NL Central.
If the Brewers win in 2011 and the Pirates win in 2012, I will be FREAKED OUT!

File this under HOLY CRAP! Cliff Lee goes back to the Phillies

OK, who saw THIS coming?

Seriously... when I heard the Phillies were wandering in the mix for Cliff Lee I thought "They are still trying to make up for sticking Lee in the Roy Halladay trade. They are at least showing their fans that they knew they screwed that up."

It seemed like it was for show.
And I had asked Phillies fans to let their team off the hook for dealing Lee.

But obviously they weren't REALLY in the hunt.
We all read the articles. It was clear. It was either going to the Yankees for the big money or going to Texas to live a peaceful life, pay less taxes and murder deer.

It was like waiting for a new Pope. Black smoke meant Yankees. White smoke meant Rangers.

And napalm means EVERYONE ON THE PLANET EARTH WAS WRONG!

A night after the Dexter season finale disappointed with no big twist, Lee supplied one that has given shockwaves throughout baseball.


THE PHILLIES... they want to be the big bad monster of the National League and be included in the sentence with the Yankees and Red Sox as big ticket destinations.

Well it sure looks like they are that now. With a rotation of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt... is 110 wins out of the question? Plus they can deal Blanton for relief help or a veteran outfielder.

And you don't have to wonder if he can handle it. He WANTS to be there.

It is World Series or bust in Philadelphia.



THE YANKEES... There are two gigantic slaps in the face to the Yankees in this signing.

First of all it destroys the idea that the Yankees can sign anyone they want. The whole "Just get him... he'll take our money" didn't fly with Cliff Lee. And why not? I don't think it had to do with anyone spitting on his wife. He's going to Philadelphia where they VOMIT on each other in the stands.

It is the idea that if you want a sure fire chance at a ring, you are better off going to Philadelphia and NOT New York. Seriously which team is more likely to make it to series now? Clearly Philadelphia. Their #4 starter would be an ace for a contender.

And now the Yankees have to pick up the pieces. Their off season has been NOT subtracting while the Red Sox have been adding. After Sabathia, who do you trust in the rotation? Hughes? Is Petitte even coming back? Ivan Nova? Is Ed Figueroa around?

Dare I say it? Carl Pavano? He's available.



THE RANGERS... Well, Cliff Lee's role in Rangers history will be that of a mercenary. A spectacular cameo but a cameo nonetheless. You can't blame the Rangers. They went all in to get him... finally got the World Series and bent over backwards to retain him.

Ironically it was the Rangers willingness to sign him that allowed Lee to not automatically take the Yankees money and gave the Phillies time to get into the chase.

The Rangers still have a ton of young talent and could win the West. Look for them to target Zack Greinke and offer him the same Cliff Lee money.

(I thought Lee resigning with the Rangers would be the last scene of my Clint Eastwood movie.)


THE RED SOX... The fabulous off season in Boston just got a little bit better. With Lester and Buchholz, the Sox have a solid 1-2 punch in their rotation. They just need either Beckett, Lackey or Dice-K to rebound. And oh yeah, they need Papelbon to pitch for a new contract.

The lineup is set provided Youk is back and they have some depth. And unlike the Yankees they actually IMPROVED in the off season.

With the Rays dismantled and the Yankees pitching uncertain after Sabathia, the Red Sox MUST be the favorites now!


THE GIANTS... the World Champions are still giddy over winning it all and with the Padres dismantling, the Dodgers a mess, the Rockies questionable and the Diamonbacks in transition, they remain the team to beat in the West.

If Jonathan Sanchez gets his act together and Madison Bumgarner pitches the whole season, they could have the SECOND best 1-2-3-4 rotation in baseball. And prepare for a rematch in the NLCS.

Of course you realize this means War! (Not W.A.R.)



THE BRAVES...They should be on full "Let's go for the Wild Card" mode. They have good pitching and some great young talent. And picking up Dan Uggla was a big move and Jason Heyward is the real deal. But any hope that the mighty Phillies were going to take a big step backwards this year just was flushed down the toilet.

Having Lowe, Hanson, Hudson and Jurrjens might not be as sexy as what they have in Philadelphia, but it could lead to a 95 win season and an October ticket.



THE MARLINS... Like the Braves, they have a rotation that can best be described as "Diet Phillies." Josh Johnson is a top pitcher. Anibal Sanchez and Ricky Nolasco are solid. Javier Vasquez should fit in well in Miami.

Plus if Chris Volstad, Alex Sanabia or Jhan Marin develop they'll be five deep. And there's some talent in the line up. But with the Phillies entering "Yankee/Red Sox land" the Marlins shouldn't even be paying attention to them. They are Wild Card hunters in 2011 and hoping for more when they move into their new part in a few years.


THE NATIONALS... they are not a good team. At ALL. They are a 90 loss team that will probably have another losing season next year.

But God Bless them for pretending that they are just a few pieces away from being a winner. They overpaid for Jayson Werth and put themselves in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes. Now look for them to make a big push for Greinke.

Washington fans, you can't complain that your front office isn't TRYING, even though if EVERYTHING goes well in 2011 they will probably finish no higher than third.


THE METS... For Mets fans, tonight was the ultimate "I have good news and bad news" scenario. The good news? Cliff Lee isn't going to the Yankees. Take THAT arrogant Yankee fans.

The bad news? It is only going to get worse for the Mets and the Phillies are only going to get stronger.

If the Mets get off to a bad start in 2011, they have to consider dealing Johan Santana. A bad start could mean falling too far behind the Braves and Marlins in the Wild Card hunt and a meaningless season. The new brass can't be seduced by the "New York" in their name. They need to be realistic, something that was NOT Omar Minaya's strength.



So there you have it. One decision and suddenly all of baseball is turned sideways.
Man, do I have to wait this long to have it be more than "in theory"?

LET'S PLAY BALL ALREADY!

Beware of Birds... Orioles to be specific

What a difference a half season makes.

In June, I was telling Orioles fans to save their ticket stub for a 2010 game as proof of their loyalty to the birds. They were on pace for 117 losses and being one of the worst teams in the history of the 162 game schedule era.

Now a casual glance at the Orioles would see little to get excited about. They finished the season with the fourth worst record in baseball and 30 games out of first place (and 29 games out of a playoff spot.)

But keep in mind they were a .500 team in the second half. They played winning ball under Buck Showalter. And yes Peter Angelos is still the owner of the team and winning with that doofus calling the shots is all but impossible.

But remember it was impossible to win under Steinbrenner from 1982 until the strike of 1994. It was impossible to win with Ted Turner making so many dumb decisions with the Braves in the 1980s.

Then Steinbrenner got suspended and allowed Stick Michael and Buck to put a winner together. And Ted Turner allowed John Schuerholz to actually put a team together with Bobby Cox.

Then you couldn't LOSE in New York and Atlanta!

Could this be happening in Baltimore? Andy McPhail, like Schuerholz, has already put a winner together.

And by the looks of things, they are slapping together a young talented team.

Jeremy Guthrie isn't on anyone's short list of Cy Young candidates, but then again was Zack Greinke going into 2009? Or Cliff Lee going into 2008?

Along with Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Brad Bergsen, Zach Britton, Chris Tillman, Rick Vanden Hurk and Troy Patton, the Orioles are stockpiling arms and look like they are embracing the post steroid era of baseball: Gobble up as much pitching as possible and hope to push 3 or 4 runs across the plate.

It worked for one team wearing orange and black this October. And trust me, as recently as 2007, the Giants looked like rudderless organization.

Plus with Matt Wieters, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis there is the possibility of a nice middle of the line up. (And even Mr "Tons of potential" Felix Pie showed some improvement in the second half of the season.)

They need a veteran bat in their lineup (Paul Konerko anyone?)

Also they could use an innings eater for the rotation. I was going to suggest Jon Garland, but it looks like he is heading to the Dodgers.

So why not aim for the big fish?
Greinke wants out of Kansas City but doesn't want to play for a big market.

Why not the Orioles? Put together a package of young players but don't touch the nucleus... have Greinke anchor the rotation and Konerko give the lineup a boost.

And have Showalter in charge all year.

Something good could happen... kind of like 1989. The year before, the 1988 Orioles began the season 0-21 and were the worst team in baseball. The next year they contended until the last weekend of the season.

Think that is silly?

Sillier than the Rays winning the 2008 pennant?

The Rays are dismantling, the Yankees could be shooting themselves in the foot with this odd off season, the Blue Jays have a nice team but hardly a juggernaut and the Red Sox, while they have good pitching, have a lineup in disarray.

A good Orioles team could sneak in. Maybe not to win a playoff spot, but trips to Baltimore are no longer an easy 2 out of 3 wins.

Then guess what? The potential of the biggest sleeping giant in baseball could be awakened.
The Orioles were once a dominating team with a crazed fanbase.

They were a more consistent contender and destination for star players than Boston ever was.

Could they be again?

We'll see.

But do us ALL a favor:
GO BACK TO THE SMILING BIRD HATS!

Who else is blogging about the Royals now?

The Royals scored 6 runs before the White Sox even came to bat on Sunday's game.
The result? THEY were blown out, losing 12-6.

It's been that kind of a year for the Royals.
They aren't the worst team in baseball. That would be the Pirates.

They aren't the worst team in the American League. That would be the Mariners and the Orioles.

They aren't even the worst team in the AL Central. Right now the Indians are worse.

In fact there are 5 teams in baseball presently worse than KC.

And yet I can think of no team worse off than them.

Seriously, what is the direction of this team?
They were supposedly built around Zack Greinke, Billy Butler, Joakim Soria and Alex Gordon... and that plan isn't working.

Oh, they got a Cy Young out of Greinke... All Star appearances out of Soria and Butler is a decent player.

But Gordon has been a bust (so much for the next George Brett) and the rest of the team is filled with guys who seem like prospects until you realize they've been prospects for years and are now on the wrong side of 25 with the word "potential" still dancing over their heads.

The Yuniesky Betancourts, Mitch Maiers, David DeJesus', Wilson Betemits, Chris Getzs, Josh Fields', Gregor Blancos, Kyle Davies', Bryan Bullingtons, Robinson Tejadas, Brian Bannisters, Luke Hochevars, Phillip Humbers and Jesse Chavez's of the world all seem like young prospects until you realize that they are all past 25 years old and might be in that world of "maybe we overrated them."

The Pirates may be the worst team in baseball, but with McCutchen, Milledge, Alvarez and Tabata, they may have a core to a solid line up.

Baltimore is the worst team in baseball, but with Adam Jones, Brian Matusz and Matt Weiters, they have players in the big leagues to build around and so far they have been playing winning ball under Buck Showalter.

There's nobody on the Royals now to build around... and Greinke is already making noise about wanting out.

It wasn't supposed to be this way. Dayton Moore was supposed to come in and turn the Royals around. He learned under John Schuerholz while at the Braves... who turned a decrepit franchise into a model of consistency.

John Schuerholz of course learned the art of being a GM while being with the Royals in the 1980s. So basically his protege was coming back to Kansas City.

It was going to be the circle of life.
He arrived at the end of the 2006 season.

There was no big spender in the AL Central and he had a clean slate to build a team.

Here we sit in 2010 and the Royals are at drift at sea.

Four full seasons and nothing to show for it.

Is there even hope?

Well sure...
2007 #2 overall pick Mike Moustakas has been hitting the hell out of the ball in AA and AAA.

David Lough looks like a legit outfield prospect.

Left hander Mike Montgomery is having a good year at AA as is first baseman Eric Hosmer.

Left handers Danny Duffy, Chris Dwyer and John Lamb are shooting up the system
Will Myers is an excellent catching prospect.

But none of those guys will be ready for 2011. Maybe 2012.

So Moore has to gulp big and declare 2011 a lost cause. He HAS to.

With Billy Butler in line for a big raise and Greinke already grumbling, he needs to flip those two players into 4 good young players.

The only way the Royals can turn things around is if they draft well and bite the bullet by trading players when they are at peak value.

Tampa realized that they weren't going to get what they were expecting with former first pick overall, Delmon Young, so they flipped him for Jason Bartlett and Matt Garza.

Those players came in just as an influx of young talent matured at the big league level and BANG! The Rays leap frogged the two behemouths of the league and went to the World Series.

Get two good players for each... don't worry so much about quantity as quality and they'll be ready when Moustakas, Montgomery et al are ready.

Save for the fun 2003 season, it's been a while since the Royals have been relevant. If they don't screw those trades up and get ready to insert a veteran into the rotation and the DH slot in 2012, they could make a run for the AL Central crown.

Just be prepared for irrelevance in 2011... irrelevance with a goal in mind.

Now Royals fans, don't ever say I don't write about you.

Did I get what I wanted this weekend?

Maybe I should rephrase the title "Did ANYTHING happen the way I wanted it to this weekend?"

I made a wish list for the weekend... let's see how awfully it turned out.

RED SOX vs. WHITE SOX
I wanted the Sox to sweep. They did. Unfortunately it was the WHITE Sox who did the sweeping. The Red Sox season is basically done... but the White Sox are rampaging.

YANKEES vs. BLUE JAYS
I wanted the Jays to sweep. They lost 2 of 3... but showed that there are cracks in the Yankees armor in terms of their starting pitching.

METS vs. CUBS
I wanted to see the Mets take 2 of 3 and R. A. Dickey to pick up a win. The Cubs took the first two before being thrashed today. Dickey got the loss on Friday.

ORIOLES vs. RAYS
Wanted an Orioles sweep. The Rays took the first game but lost the next two. Not that it helped the Red Sox in the standings any!

PHILLIES vs. BREWERS
I wanted the Brewers to take 2 of 3 but Halladay to take the win on Saturday. Hamels finally got a close win, Halladay won his 17th on Saturday but the Brewers avoided a sweep today.

PIRATES vs. NATIONALS
The fans at this series never have to prove their loyalty to their team in any other way. I wanted the Pirates to take 2 of 3. Naturally the Nats did.

BRAVES vs. MARLINS
I've never been a fan of the Bobby Cox Braves, so I wanted a Florida sweep to knock them out of their perch, to use a fish term. The Marlins took 2 of 3 including a thriller today.

RANGERS vs. TWINS
No offense to Minnesota, but I wanted the Rangers to sweep so Chicago could keep pace. It was the Twins who swept and kept pace with the surging White Sox. And oh yeah, one of the games ended on a crazy ticky tack interference call.

TIGERS vs. ROYALS
I wanted a Zack Greinke win. The bullpen blew a lead for him. I wanted an Armando Gallaraga win. He got a no decision. I also wanted a 28 inning game. I got an 11 inning one. Close enough.

CARDINALS vs. REDS
I wanted the Cardinals to take 2 of 3. They did. But I was hoping Wainwright's 18th victory would come this weekend, which it didn't.

ASTROS vs. DIAMONDBACKS
I didn't care about this series so basically I wanted three winners. Specifically I wanted 30 inning games, but I would settle for thrillers. I got three one run victories, including a wild comeback from Houston on Saturday as they took 2 of 3.

ANGELS vs. A'S
I still don't like the Angels and I hoped for an Oakland sweep. I got 2 of 3 for the A's. Both Cahill and Santana got wins to keep padding their win total.

INDIANS vs. MARINERS
I wanted them to go back in time to 1995 when they were both contenders. I also wanted Felix Hernandez to get a win. They stayed in 2010 but King Felix did indeed get a "W."

ROCKIES vs. PADRES
I spent the weekend in San Diego. It's a lovely city and the Padre fans have been wonderful. But I am rooting for the Giants to win it all if the Red Sox can't. I wanted a Rockies sweep. That's exactly what I got.

GIANTS vs. DODGERS
I hoped the Giants could inch closer to a playoff spot by sweeping L.A. While it wasn't a sweep, Juan Uribe is etching his name into the history book of late season Giants heroics as he powered San Francisco to two wins in three games.

So all in all, I didn't get a lot of what I wanted...
The Red Sox season appears to be over.

However, my dad (and my son Aidan) should be thrilled to see the Giants climbing back into the thick of things.

So as long as my family is happy... I'm happy.

Here's what I want to have happen this Labor Day weeekend

As we enter the last part of the season, there is a full slate of games for this weekend.

Here's what I hope happens in each series.

RED SOX vs. WHITE SOX

I want to see the White Sox win the division... but not at the expense of MY Sox. Look, I realize the Red Sox are probably going to fall short, but I want the Yankees and Rays to EARN their playoff spot. Obviously I want a sweep... but I wouldn't mind seeing Manny hit a garbage time home run either. Buchholz is going for win #16, Lackey for win #13 and Beckett win #...5? Let's pad some stats!

YANKEES vs. BLUE JAYS:
Duh... I want the Blue Jays to sweep them. And I don't want any game to be close. And I want someone in the Yankee dugout to be sobbing and questioning their role in the universe.

CUBS vs. METS:

I have no ill will towards either franchise, but I WOULD like to see the Mets finish above .500 this year. Plus I like R. A. Dickey and would like to see him get to double digits in wins. I hope the Mets take 2 out of 3.

ORIOLES vs. RAYS:

Another duh. I want the Orioles to dig deep into their bag of pride and sweep Tampa. If the Red Sox are going to have a miraculous come back, they will need some help.

BREWERS vs. PHILLIES

I actually like this Phillies team and wouldn't mind seeing Cole Hamels get a win seeing that he was denied a few wins due to poor hitting. And I want to see Roy Halladay get to 20 wins and a win this weekend will be #18. But the Phillies losing would mean the Giants would gain ground in the Wild Card race. And I would like to see the Brewers above .500 (they are 9 under now.) I will be pulling for the Brewers to win 2 of 3, but Halladay getting the win on Saturday.

NATIONALS vs. PIRATES

First of all, there had better be a give away this weekend in Pittsburgh. Like Steelers tickets. Two teams thinking draft pick going head to head... what can I say? I am a sucker for the Pirates. I hope they win the series 2-1.

And oh yeah, I want Nyjer Morgan to take on the whole city of Pittsburgh.

BRAVES vs. MARLINS

I never liked the Bobby Cox Braves and I am not going to start liking them now! I'd much rather see the Phillies win the Division. The match up tonight has Kawakami vs. Miller... two pitchers with a combined 1 victory. I want a Marlins sweep and have the Phillies inch closer.

RANGERS vs TWINS

A.K.A. the ALCS from Ratings Hell. Normally I would be pulling for 3 well played games and let the winner fall where it might. But because I am rooting for the Red Sox to sweep the White Sox, I need the Rangers to sweep the Twins to let Chicago keep pace.

REDS vs. CARDINALS

The Reds can essentially sweep the Cardinals playoff hopes away. A Reds sweep would give them an 11 game lead with 28 to play. And I WANT the Reds to win the Division. But they are going to anyway. So I want Cincy to win tonight and have Arroyo get his 15th win. And then I want the Cardinals to win the next two and get Carpenter HIS 15th win and Wainwright to get his 18th.

TIGERS vs. ROYALS

I hope the Royals win tonight... I'd like to see Zack Greinke get a few more W's. I'd like to see Armando Gallaraga get a perfect game on Sunday. As for Saturday? I want 28 innings.

ASTROS vs. DIAMONDBACKS

I literally couldn't care less about the outcome of this series that will not affect the pennant race in the slightest. So I want each game to go 30 innings, each team to hit a game tying home run down to their last strike and I want an outfielder to leap over the fence, catch a ball and land in the pool.

ANGELS vs. A's

Even when they aren't contenders, I don't like the Angels. Plus I'd like to see the A's get to .500 and Trevor Cahill get to 15 wins. I want an Oakland sweep.

ROCKIES vs. PADRES

No offense, San Diego. You have a lovely city and your team is a great story. But I want the Giants to win the Division and a nice big ole sweep by the Rockies will go a long long way for that.

MARINERS vs. INDIANS

I hope they get a Time Machine and go back to 1995 when this would have been a great match up. I hope Felix Hernandez gets a "W" and each other game is decided by a leaping catch into the stands.

GIANTS vs. DODGERS
Some day a Dodgers/Giants series will bring around a lot of tension in my house as I have one son who claims to be a Dodgers fan and another who calls the Giants his own. For now, they seem more interested in watching Toy Story. So to my son Matty, who likes the Dodgers, I'm sorry pal... I want the Giants to sweep them!

So let's see what I can get in terms of my wish list.
And let the great Red Sox comeback begin NOW!

Lackey better send Victor a thank you note

When the Sox were losing 4-0 in the 5th and had left 39 men in scoring position over the first 4 innings (that number might not be right) I started the draft of my Sully Baseball post in my head.

It had something to do with how sucky John Lackey has been and how we always hated him with the Angels and how we are going to continue to hate him with the Sox.

Then Beltre homered.
Then Martinez got a hit, and another hit... until he got 5 hits in all and the Sox won by 5.

And Lackey got the WIN!
Remember how I talked about how unfair Zack Grienke low win total was?

I wonder how he feels knows such a mediocre Lackey performance landed in the W column!

Either way, it was a come from behind win against a first place team. The Sox have had a bunch of those recently.
And I'll take them!

Let's update the tally.

DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 18

April 4 - 9-7 win against Yankees (On Opening Night, the Red Sox overcome a 5-1 Yankee lead with a game tying HR by Pedroia and a go ahead passed ball.)
April 10 - 8-3 win against Kansas City (Beckett out pitches Zack Greinke and nearly gets decapitated by a line drive.)
April 14 - 6-3 win in Minnesota. (Okajima gets Morneau to pop up with the bases loaded in the 7th and Papelbon wiggled out of a 9th inning jam.)
April 20 - 7-6 win against Texas. (Darnell McDonald introduces himself to Boston with an 8th inning game tying homer and a walk off hit in the 9th.)
April 21 - 8-7 win against Texas. (The Red Sox were down 4-0 early only to win it on Youk's 2 out 11th inning double.)
April 23 - 4-3 win against Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 3-0 lead but win it on Adrian Beltre's bases loaded walk.)

April 24 - 7-6 win against Baltimore. (The Red Sox score 6 in the 7th and hold off a late Baltimore comeback attempt.)
April 26 - 13-12 win at Toronto. (The Sox blow an early 5-0 lead but hang on for dear life in a slugfest.)
April 27 - 2-1 win at Toronto. (Buchholz holds the Jays down for 8 but it takes a bases loaded walk in the 8th to go ahead.)
April 28 - 2-0 win at Toronto. (Daniel Bard wiggles out of trouble in the 8th to help Lester shut down the Blue Jays and finish the sweep.)
May 4 - 5-1 win against the Angels. (Juan Rivera misplays Jeremy Hermedia's 2 out flyball into a 3 run game winning double)
May 5 - 3-1 win against the Angels. (Papi and Beltre homer and the Sox hang on despite squandering many potential rallies.)
May 6 - 11-6 win against the Angels. (Dice-K puts the Red Sox in a 4-0 hole before they even bat. The Sox bats respond.)
May 10 - 7-6 win against the Blue Jays. (Sox blow an early 2-0 lead, take advantage of some errors and hang on.)
May 18 - 7-5 win in New York. (Sox climb back from a 5-1 hole. A day after hitting a walk off homer, Marcus Thames drops a fly ball to start the winning rally for the Sox.)
May 25 - 2-0 win in Tampa. (Big Papi supplies all the offense as Papelbon wiggles out of a 9th inning jam.)
May 29 - 1-0 win against Kansas City. (Zack Greinke holds the Sox to one run, but they make it stick)

June 1 - 9-4 win against Oakland. (Lackey puts the Sox in a 4-0 hole but Victor Martinez goes 5-5 and the Sox score 9 runs late.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 15

April 6 - 6-4 loss against the Yankees. (Scutaro's error leads to the winning run.)
April 7 - 3-1 loss against the Yankees. (Sox leave the winning run on in the 9th only to lose on Granderson's 10th inning homer)
April 9 - 4-3 loss in Kansas City. (Bard coughs up the lead, denying Wakefield a win.)
April 17 - 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Sox can't score with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 11th... lost it in the 12th.)
April 17 - 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox comeback falls a run short, leaving two on in the 8th)
April 25 - 7-6 loss to Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 4-1 lead, leave the winning run on second in the 9th, let up 3 in the 10th and could only score 2 in the bottom of the 10th)
April 30 - 5-4 loss in Baltimore. (Tejada ties the game with a 2 out 8th inning homer and wins it with a bloop in the 10th)
May 1 - 12-9 loss in Baltimore. (Dice-K and Wakes get pounded, wasting 2 homers from Ortiz and an early 4-1 lead.)
May 2 - 3-2 loss in Baltimore. (Varitek is thrown at home trying to score with 2 outs in the 8th. Sox get swept in the 10th.
May 12 - 3-2 loss against the Blue Jays. (The Sox rally in the 9th comes up a run short and Kevin Gregg gets an ugly save.)
May 15 - 7-6 loss in Detroit. (The Sox blow a 6-1 lead and lose it on a 2 out bases loaded walk in the 12th.)
May 17 - 11-9 loss in New York. (The Sox come all the way back from a 5-0 first inning hole to take a 9-7 lead in the 9th... but Papelbon lets up a 2 run game tying shot to A-Rod and a 2 run walk off shot to Marcus Thames.)
May 21 - 5-1 loss in Philadelphia. (Big Papi's bid for a game tying 9th inning grand slam is caught at the warning track.)
May 27 - 4-3 loss to Kansas City. (Dice-K walks the go ahead run in and lets another score on a wild pitch as the Royals no name bullpen shut down the Hot Sox.)
May 28 - 12-5 loss to Kansas City. (Sox blow a 3-0 first inning lead to be blown out in Fenway.)

Back up to +3.

Daisuke Matsuzaka versus Ben Sheets today... what a great pitching match up (provided it was 2008!)

How much does Zack Greinke hate Tyler Clippard?

A casual look at Zack Greinke's stats and you'd think he was having a disastrous follow up to his Cy Young season last year.

He dropped to 1-6 losing again to the Red Sox today.

And another quick look at Tyler Clippard's stats, you'd think HE was a Cy Young contender! He's second in the NL with 7 wins against only 3 losses and has a 1.93 ERA.

But Clippard, a reliever for the Nationals, has piled up those wins by blowing leads and being the pitcher of record for Nats comebacks.

And Greinke has pitched really well this year. He's had 6 games where he has gone 7 innings or more, letting up 2 runs or fewer and lost 3 of those games and got a no decision in the other 3.

Those 6 games are reflected in his win loss total with an 0-3 mark.

And today was one of those 6. He lets up an RBI grounder to Mike Lowell and THAT'S YOUR OFFENSE! Drive home safely.

Don't get me wrong, as a Sox fan, I love it.
I just can't help but feel for the guy.

He's trying to earn a win and Tyler Clippard is picking them off of carcasses!

TALLY TIME

DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 17

April 4 - 9-7 win against Yankees (On Opening Night, the Red Sox overcome a 5-1 Yankee lead with a game tying HR by Pedroia and a go ahead passed ball.)
April 10 - 8-3 win against Kansas City (Beckett out pitches Zack Greinke and nearly gets decapitated by a line drive.)
April 14 - 6-3 win in Minnesota. (Okajima gets Morneau to pop up with the bases loaded in the 7th and Papelbon wiggled out of a 9th inning jam.)
April 20 - 7-6 win against Texas. (Darnell McDonald introduces himself to Boston with an 8th inning game tying homer and a walk off hit in the 9th.)
April 21 - 8-7 win against Texas. (The Red Sox were down 4-0 early only to win it on Youk's 2 out 11th inning double.)
April 23 - 4-3 win against Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 3-0 lead but win it on Adrian Beltre's bases loaded walk.)

April 24 - 7-6 win against Baltimore. (The Red Sox score 6 in the 7th and hold off a late Baltimore comeback attempt.)
April 26 - 13-12 win at Toronto. (The Sox blow an early 5-0 lead but hang on for dear life in a slugfest.)
April 27 - 2-1 win at Toronto. (Buchholz holds the Jays down for 8 but it takes a bases loaded walk in the 8th to go ahead.)
April 28 - 2-0 win at Toronto. (Daniel Bard wiggles out of trouble in the 8th to help Lester shut down the Blue Jays and finish the sweep.)
May 4 - 5-1 win against the Angels. (Juan Rivera misplays Jeremy Hermedia's 2 out flyball into a 3 run game winning double)
May 5 - 3-1 win against the Angels. (Papi and Beltre homer and the Sox hang on despite squandering many potential rallies.)
May 6 - 11-6 win against the Angels. (Dice-K puts the Red Sox in a 4-0 hole before they even bat. The Sox bats respond.)
May 10 - 7-6 win against the Blue Jays. (Sox blow an early 2-0 lead, take advantage of some errors and hang on.)
May 18 - 7-5 win in New York. (Sox climb back from a 5-1 hole. A day after hitting a walk off homer, Marcus Thames drops a fly ball to start the winning rally for the Sox.)
May 25 - 2-0 win in Tampa. (Big Papi supplies all the offense as Papelbon wiggles out of a 9th inning jam.)
May 29 - 1-0 win against Kansas City. (Zack Greinke holds the Sox to one run, but they make it stick)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 15

April 6 - 6-4 loss against the Yankees. (Scutaro's error leads to the winning run.)
April 7 - 3-1 loss against the Yankees. (Sox leave the winning run on in the 9th only to lose on Granderson's 10th inning homer)
April 9 - 4-3 loss in Kansas City. (Bard coughs up the lead, denying Wakefield a win.)
April 17 - 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Sox can't score with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 11th... lost it in the 12th.)
April 17 - 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox comeback falls a run short, leaving two on in the 8th)
April 25 - 7-6 loss to Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 4-1 lead, leave the winning run on second in the 9th, let up 3 in the 10th and could only score 2 in the bottom of the 10th)
April 30 - 5-4 loss in Baltimore. (Tejada ties the game with a 2 out 8th inning homer and wins it with a bloop in the 10th)
May 1 - 12-9 loss in Baltimore. (Dice-K and Wakes get pounded, wasting 2 homers from Ortiz and an early 4-1 lead.)
May 2 - 3-2 loss in Baltimore. (Varitek is thrown at home trying to score with 2 outs in the 8th. Sox get swept in the 10th.
May 12 - 3-2 loss against the Blue Jays. (The Sox rally in the 9th comes up a run short and Kevin Gregg gets an ugly save.)
May 15 - 7-6 loss in Detroit. (The Sox blow a 6-1 lead and lose it on a 2 out bases loaded walk in the 12th.)
May 17 - 11-9 loss in New York. (The Sox come all the way back from a 5-0 first inning hole to take a 9-7 lead in the 9th... but Papelbon lets up a 2 run game tying shot to A-Rod and a 2 run walk off shot to Marcus Thames.)
May 21 - 5-1 loss in Philadelphia. (Big Papi's bid for a game tying 9th inning grand slam is caught at the warning track.)
May 27 - 4-3 loss to Kansas City. (Dice-K walks the go ahead run in and lets another score on a wild pitch as the Royals no name bullpen shut down the Hot Sox.)
May 28 - 12-5 loss to Kansas City. (Sox blow a 3-0 first inning lead to be blown out in Fenway.)

Back up to +2... and Clay Buchholz is pitching like an All Star.

Lester for the split tomorrow

Well I wasn't expecting a win... but MAN I will take it!

When the Red Sox were down 4-0 and warming up Scott Schoeneweis and Tim Wakefield in the first inning with Dice-K pitching like he just came back from a secret World Baseball Classic, I wrote the game completely off.

I ever wrote a quick post that was supposed to be my throwing in of the towel.

Today's Red Sox game was a blow out... one that I didn't have to even check on the score. I could focus on my work.

By the 5th inning the Red Sox were ahead.

By the 7th they were blowing the Angels out.

Dice-K went from being potentially released to actually getting the win! (Take THAT winless Zack Greinke!)

This was a dodged bullet in the purest sense: The Red Sox won a game that I gave up on.
The final score might not reflect it, but this was a bullet that was dodged.

Let's update the tally.

DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 13

April 4 - 9-7 win against Yankees (On Opening Night, the Red Sox overcome a 5-1 Yankee lead with a game tying HR by Pedroia and a go ahead passed ball.)
April 10 - 8-3 win against Kansas City (Beckett out pitches Zack Greinke and nearly gets decapitated by a line drive.)
April 14 - 6-3 win in Minnesota. (Okajima gets Morneau to pop up with the bases loaded in the 7th and Papelbon wiggled out of a 9th inning jam.)
April 20 - 7-6 win against Texas. (Darnell McDonald introduces himself to Boston with an 8th inning game tying homer and a walk off hit in the 9th.)
April 21 - 8-7 win against Texas. (The Red Sox were down 4-0 early only to win it on Youk's 2 out 11th inning double.)
April 23 - 4-3 win against Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 3-0 lead but win it on Adrian Beltre's bases loaded walk.)

April 24 - 7-6 win against Baltimore. (The Red Sox score 6 in the 7th and hold off a late Baltimore comeback attempt.)
April 26 - 13-12 win at Toronto. (The Sox blow an early 5-0 lead but hang on for dear life in a slugfest.)
April 27 - 2-1 win at Toronto. (Buchholz holds the Jays down for 8 but it takes a bases loaded walk in the 8th to go ahead.)
April 28 - 2-0 win at Toronto. (Daniel Bard wiggles out of trouble in the 8th to help Lester shut down the Blue Jays and finish the sweep.)
May 4 - 5-1 win against the Angels. (Juan Rivera misplays Jeremy Hermedia's 2 out flyball into a 3 run game winning double)
May 5 - 3-1 win against the Angels. (Papi and Beltre homer and the Sox hang on despite squandering many potential rallies.)
May 6 - 11-6 win against the Angels. (Dice-K puts the Red Sox in a 4-0 hole before they even bat. The Sox bats respond.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 9

April 6 - 6-4 loss against the Yankees. (Scutaro's error leads to the winning run.)
April 7 - 3-1 loss against the Yankees. (Sox leave the winning run on in the 9th only to lose on Granderson's 10th inning homer)
April 9 - 4-3 loss in Kansas City. (Bard coughs up the lead, denying Wakefield a win.)
April 17 - 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Sox can't score with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 11th... lost it in the 12th.)
April 17 - 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox comeback falls a run short, leaving two on in the 8th)
April 25 - 7-6 loss to Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 4-1 lead, leave the winning run on second in the 9th, let up 3 in the 10th and could only score 2 in the bottom of the 10th)
April 30 - 5-4 loss in Baltimore. (Tejada ties the game with a 2 out 8th inning homer and wins it with a bloop in the 10th)
May 1 - 12-9 loss in Baltimore. (Dice-K and Wakes get pounded, wasting 2 homers from Ortiz and an early 4-1 lead.)
May 2 - 3-2 loss in Baltimore. (Varitek is thrown at home trying to score with 2 outs in the 8th. Sox get swept in the 10th.

+4 and now above .500.

I'll always take a 4 game sweep of the Angels.
Now let's keep the momentum (and the pitching) into the Yankees series.

Beckett truly dodges one

The final score looked like a comfortable win by the Sox... but make no mistake about it:

The dodged one last night, in more ways than one.

After Beckett's rocky opening day loss and on the heels of Friday's debacle and facing Greinke, the possibility of loss #4 in a row was not remote.

Then the Royals took the lead... and I saw they were playing their "Oh Christ, I got to get you SOME playing time" line up... and I thought "Oh boy, I hope we can get ANYTHING out of Hermedia, Varitek and Lowell."

Well how does a combined 3 homers and a dazzling play at third grab you?

And that STILL didn't help in the 7th for a double "Heart in your throat" moment.

Not only did the Royals cut it to one but a line drive by David DeJesus nicked Josh Beckett's head.

I can't be the only Red Sox fan who had images of Bryce Florie dancing in his head!
And Florie didn't JUST sign a $68 million extension!

But the Sox held on... and enough bullets and balls were dodged to add it to the column.

DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 2

April 4 - 9-7 win against Yankees (On Opening Night, the Red Sox overcome a 5-1 Yankee lead with a game tying HR by Pedroia and a go ahead passed ball.)
April 10 - 8-3 win against Kansas City (Beckett out pitches Zack Greinke and nearly gets decapitated by a line drive.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 3

April 6 - 6-4 loss against the Yankees. (Scutaro's error leads to the winning run.)
April 7 - 3-1 loss against the Yankees. (Sox leave the winning run on in the 9th only to lose on Granderson's 10th inning homer)
April 9 - 4-3 loss in Kansas City. (Bard coughs up the lead, denying Wakefield a win.)

Back to -1.

So far I have logged every single game.
It's going to be that kind of season, isn't it?

The Lobster strikes again!!!!

Holy Cow!

Jason Varitek just homered off of Zack Greinke!

The Captain is back!

Tek is back!

Oh forget those nicknames.

THE LOBSTER IS BACK!

I still insist The Lobster is a MUCH better name than Tek.
And as long as he homers in a Sox uni, I will say GO LOB-STAH!!!

It's Turn Back The Clock Day in Kansas City!

Oh my goodness...

Jason Varitek AND Mike Lowell are in the lineup?

Is is a 2007 World Series reunion?
Can Bobby Kielty be far behind?
Did they sign a one day contract like Nomar?

Oh wait, they haven't retired yet.
I keep forgetting.

And oh yeah, it is Old Timers day against Zack Greinke.

Ohhhh boy.

If the Sox are just going to dust off the old timers against the defending Cy Young winner, they might as well see if George "Boomer" Scott is around to take a few swings.

How Zack and Tim can help Bert

Bert Blyleven must be positively giddy about how the Cy Young Awards panned out this year. Let me explain.

The Cy Young used to be kind of simple to figure out… a bunch of old writers would look at which pitchers won the most games and handed him the award.

Never mind that Bob Welch wasn’t even the #1 starter on his own team in 1990 (any sane person on the Planet Earth knew that Dave Stewart was the ace of the A’s). Never mind that Roger Clemens’ stats dwarfed Bob Welch’s without his lineup nor bullpen. Welch won more games… and that is that.

Never mind that in 1987 Nolan Ryan led the league in strikeouts and ERA. He had the best strikeout to walk ratio and gave up the fewest hits per 9 innings and was among the league leaders in WHIP and innings pitched that year. He finished 5th in the Cy Young voting because he had a losing record… all the while pitching for an Astros team that had a horrifically bad offense.

Wins were king.

Now I am not of the belief that wins are meaningless. If you pitch well enough to let your team win the game, then in essence you’ve done your job.

But a win could go to an undeserving pitcher. When Curt Schilling dominated the Braves in the 1993 NLCS he didn’t record a win. Instead Mitch Williams blew the lead in Games 1 and 5… and when the Phillies took the lead afterwards, it was Williams who got the win.

Anyone casually looking over the stats would see Mitch Williams went 2-0 and Curt Schilling went 0-0.

Now who had a better series?

The guy with the 1.69 ERA and 19 strikeouts over 16 innings?

Or the guy who blew two saves and let up 6 hits and 2 walks over 5 1/3 innings pitched?

And losses aren’t always the best barometer of a bad outing. Remember Harvey Haddix threw 12 perfect innings before letting up a pair of hits and a run during his masterpiece in 1959. He got the loss.

But finally writers are looking beyond just the win total to see who had the best year. Wins are important to be sure… but so is determining how a pitcher actually pitched! Did he let up few runs? Did batters have trouble getting on base against him? Did he strikeout more than he walked?

It requires looking at more than one column but it also means that a pitcher’s whole performance will be taken into account… not just the games where the team’s lineup scored him enough runs or the bullpen closed out enough games.

There is absolutely no way Zack Greinke nor Tim Linecum would have won the Cy Young 5 or 10 years ago.

Their win total would have been considered to be too low and probably CC Sabathia or Felix Hernandez would have some hardware in the AL and Adam Wainwright would be the Cy Young winner in the NL.

So what the hell does this have to do with Bert Blyleven?

Well Bert is once again up for the Hall of Fame… and hopefully the support for his candidacy is growing.

And the only thing keeping this no brainer Hall of Famer out of Cooperstown is the fact that he has 287 wins instead of 300.

5th in Strikeouts all time… 9th in shutouts all time… Cy Young Candidate over a 16 year span… clinched a pennant for the Pirates in 1979 with a complete game and saved the World Series with a gutsy 4 inning relief appearance… then helped pitch the Twins to the 1987 World Series title…

But 13 wins short of 300, and sits on the outside of Cooperstown looking in.

As I wrote in my Bert Blyeven post last winter, he had scores of games where he was a hard luck loser for some subpar teams over 22 seasons that maybe those 13 games could be forgiven.

Well Hall of Fame voters can be swayed.

I believe Jim Rice made the Hall of Fame because of the steroid issue. His home run total looked more impressive since his body never changed shape dramatically from 1975 to 1989.

Suddenly the same people who kept harping on about his walks and not reaching 400 homers realized that being an MVP candidate for more than a decade should amount to something.

And for Jim Ed Rice it amounted to a plaque in Cooperstown.

Now the same writers need to look at Blyleven’s career the way that Cy Young voters looked at Greinke and Lincecum.

All that is at stake is a little immortality.