As I open my blog up to a baseball-related feature for the first time, I choose to do so with a subject that most people realize is already a burgeoning superstar in the game. Regardless, I begin with Dodgers’ center-fielder Matt Kemp. Oozing with potential, the five-tool outfielder was recognized as a very solid talent coming up through the farm system. It seems evident, however, that he may have been shortchanged.

After weighing in at #96 on Baseball America’s 2006 Top 100, Kemp has gone nowhere but up in value since arriving in the majors. After a 2008 season where he hit .290/18/76 with 35 steals, finishing eerily similar to what Alex Rios did that year (.291/15/79 with 32 SB), Kemp stepped up to another level in 2009. Given the same 657 plate appearances he was the year before, the Dodgers’ young stud upped his numbers to .297/26/101, while losing none of the aggressiveness on the basepaths, swiping another 34 bags. All this while playing outstanding defense in center, and shouldering a good deal of the burden that Manny Ramirez’s suspension brought upon the Dodgers in general.

The solid tandem that Kemp and fellow outfielder Andre Ethier have formed make a great base for the team’s future alongside the solid James Loney. Manny returns for one more year, thus providing an important protection bat to ensure hittable pitches. It should be interesting to see what sort of contract Kemp gets for the 2010 season, as he stands to get a raise from the $467,000 he made last year. The exceptional across-the-board stats that Kemp provides make him a fantasy goldmine, and from where I’m sitting, a top three fantasy outfielder in rotisserie formats with his strong power, average and speed. With the stat-sheet stuffing Kemp does, he also makes an excellent pick in points leagues that don’t penalize for strikeouts (which are his one weakness, though not on par with Mark Reynolds or Ryan Howard). With Joe Torre likely realizing what he has in this young man at last, we should see a great deal less of the shuffling in the order owners have grown accustomed to in the past. Overall, my expectation for 2010 is .288, 100 R, 34 HR, 115 RBI, 28 SB. Thoughts and comments are more than welcome.

The acquisition of Lee gives Mariners' fans plenty of reasons for optimism in 2010.

While the dust has yet to settle on the biggest deal of the offseason, it’s evident that Seattle’s acquisition of Cliff Lee will have some dramatic effects on the Mariner’s franchise for next year and beyond. Long an afterthought in the baseball landscape due to an incompetent front office’s baffling signings and trades, Seattle has put themselves back on the map by becoming a major player in the free-agent market for the first time since getting burned on the acquisitions of Richie Sexson and Carlos Silva (the team overpaid for Adrian Beltre too, but he wasn’t nearly as bad as Sexson and Silva). Under the guidance of new general manager Jack Zduriencik the Mariners are suddenly a chic pick to win the AL West in 2010 and possibly to make some noise in the playoffs if the team can acquire a few more bats for their lineup. Though there is much work left to be done, Seattle is certainly making their presence felt this offseason, and the Lee deal is a major step towards redemption for the Mariners’ franchise. 

By trading for Cliff Lee the Mariners create the most dynamic starting duo in all of baseball, pairing the left-hander with righty Felix Hernandez (fresh off a second place finish in the 2009 Cy Young balloting). Lee, a pitch-to-contact type hurler, should thrive in the spacious confines of Safeco Field and will also benefit from having one of the best outfield defenses in the league (depending on who fills out leftfield). The left-hander has primarily been a fly-ball pitcher throughout his career, but in recent seasons has induced more groundballs and will rely heavily on a strong left-side of the Mariners infield anchored by Jack Wilson and Chone Figgins. Though not overpowering, Lee has a solid fastball and an above-average curveball, which should allow him to average six to seven strikeouts per start. The fact that Lee is lefthanded will also pay dividends for the Mariners if they reach the playoffs, allowing them to neutralize some of baseball’s best hitters, many of whom struggle against southpaws (Ryan Howard, Curtis Granderson, Chase Utley, Andre Ethier, Raul Ibanez, etc). Additionally, Lee does a stellar job of neutralizing opposing team’s running games, having never allowed more than nine stolen bases in any one season, which will take pressure off Seattle’s young catchers. Cliff Lee is a certified staff ace in every since of the word, and his addition alone significantly closes the gap between the Angels and the Mariners in the AL West. 

Cliff Lee and King Felix give the Mariners the best 1-2 combo in baseball.

The one caveat to this trade is the fact that Cliff Lee is only signed through 2010 and there are rumors that he is looking for C.C. Sabathia type money (7 years/$161 million). While it’s clear that the Mariners won’t have the necessary funds to sign both Lee and Hernandez to long-term deals, Seattle’s commitment to winning will give the franchise leverage when (if) they decide to resign one of these two pitchers. If somehow the Mariners find themselves out of contention at the trade deadline Lee will be the best pitcher available once again, and would allow Seattle to recoup prospects for their farm system. The other scenario, Lee leaving at the end of the season and testing the market, would also net the Mariners two draft picks (a first round pick from the team that signed him plus a sandwich pick) because Lee would be a Type-A free-agent. Zduriencik really covered all the bases with this trade; however you slice it, the Mariners are going to come out winners. 

It wasn’t all that long ago that the Seattle Mariners traded away a package of prospects for another left-handed pitcher, and it’s painfully obvious now that the Erik Bedard deal was doomed from the start (except for the Baltimore Orioles). This time around though, the Mariners are acquiring a pitcher with a much stronger track record for success and durability, and they aren’t selling the farm in order to bring him aboard. It appears that Seattle will be sending three prospects to Philadelphia; pitchers Phillipe Aumont and Juan Ramirez, as well as outfielder Tyson Gillies. While all three players have some upside none of them are labeled as “can’t-miss” prospects, and they presumably won’t haunt the Mariners like Adam Jones and Chris Tillman. 

Can Griffey and the Mariners get to their first ever World Series in 2010?

Aumont was Seattle’s first round choice in the 2007 draft, a long, lean right-hander who was originally a starter but since has been converted to the bullpen. The 20-year-old was good but not great between Single and Double-A in 2009, struggling with control at times while walking 11 batters in only 17 innings for the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx. Ramirez projects as a number two starter, a right-hander with a hard fastball and developing off-speed pitches. If he is unable to handle the strain of starting, Ramirez has the stuff to be a quality arm at the end of the bullpen, possibly even as a closer. Gillies is one of the fastest players in the minor leagues (he has 96 speed on a scale of 100) who stole 44 bases for the Mariners’ High Class-A affiliate. He had an outstanding season at the plate in 2009, hitting .341 with 9 HR’s and 42 RBI’s, though it should be noted that the High Desert Mavericks play in the hitters’ friendly California League. Out of all the prospects involved in the deal, Gillies has the best chance to become an impact player at the next level, but Seattle already has a long-term answer in centerfield with Franklin Gutierrez.

Thanks to an aggressive general manager and some key offseason moves the Seattle Mariners are once again relevant to the baseball world. It’s hard to believe that just two years ago this team lost 101 games, but the franchise has clearly turned over a new page in their history, and GM Jack Zduriencik has the team poised for a return to the postseason for the first time since 2001. With King Felix and Lee anchoring the rotation, and Ichiro and Figgins setting the table, Seattle is a very dangerous team on mission to win and win now. Next stop, the 2010 World Series?

After a weekend of work and play, it’s time to see what all happened while we went Christmas and Hanukkah shopping…

Who Signed?

Rafael Soriano was signed to a $7 million contract – and then traded by the Braves to Tampa for reliever Jesse Chavez.  Soriano immediately upgrades the closer role in Tampa, a problem all of 2009.  [FanHouse/SI]

Houston inked reliever Brandon Lyon to a three year, $15 million deal.  Lyon isn’t bad – he’s dependable, but is he really better than Grant Balfour?  $3 million better for the next three years?  (See his deal below.)  [SI]

The new third baseman in Houston is former Phillie Pedro Feliz – one year, $4.5 million.  [SI]

Scott Olsen got an incentive-filled deal with the Nationals – coming off a disappointing season and shoulder surgery.  [ESPN]

Jason Kendall – who looked like he aged four years at the plate last year – signed a two year deal with the Royals.  (See John Buck, below.)  By the way – Miguel Olivo might not return.  The Royals confuse me.  [SI]

Meanwhile, the Royals signed Brian Bannister and Kyle Davies to one-year deals.  [SI]

The Royals non-tendered catcher John Buck, but he signed with Toronto for $2 million pending a physical.  [ESPN]

Two years ago, he was a closer – now, J.J. Putz is an eighth inning guy in Chicago for one year at $3 million.  There are a lot of incentives, too.  [SI]

Kevin Correia will stay in San Diego, signing a one-year, $3.6 million deal.  [ESPN]

Arizona signed Augie Ojeda and Blaine Boyer to one-year deals.  [SI]

The Braves signed outfielder Matt Diaz for one year at $2.55 million. [ESPN]

Grant Balfour signed with Tampa – one year, $2.05 million.  [SI]

Milwaukee gets one more year with Craig Counsell – who remains a valuable utility player at 39.  [MLB]

Esteban German remains in Texas for 2010.  [MLB]

The Cubs tendered offers to eight players, (Jeff Baker, Mike Fontenot, Koyie Hill, Ryan Theriot, Tom Gorzelanny, Angel Guzman, Carlos Marmol and Sean Marshall) with Neil Cotts likely heading to arbitration.  [MLB]

The Dodgers tendered offers to nine players (go read the article), including Chad Billingsley, Andre Ethier, Jonathan Broxton and Russell Martin.  Everybody gets a raise in LA!!!  [MLB]

Who Got Let Go…

The Braves non-tendered outfielder Ryan Church and second baseman Kelly Johnson.  [MLB]

Boston non-tendered outfielder Brian Anderson.

The Mets non-tendered four players, including pitchers Tim Redding and Lance Broadway, as well as outfielders Cory Sullivan and Jeremy Reed.  [ESPN]

Despite hitting 20 homers in little more than a half season, Johnny Gomes was non-tendered by the Reds.  He might still sign somewhere, but let’s face it – he’s a DH.  [ESPN]

Chien-Ming Wang is a free agent, and apparently disappointed that the Yankees didn’t stay with him…  Since injuring his ankle running the bases, Wang has REALLY struggled. [ESPN]

Matt Capps, closer for Pittsburgh, was caught off guard – he was non-tendered by the Pirates.  [MLB]

Jose Arredondo, about to have surgery, will not have an Angels contract for 2010.  [MLB]

Jack Cust (Oakland), Ryan Garko (San Francisco), Mike MacDougal (Washington), D.J. Carrasco (Chi Sox), Clay Condrey (Philadelphia), Alfredo Amezaga (Florida) join a LONG list of free agents.

Here’s a good summary of who is now available…  [SI]

For a complete list of transactions, you can always go here…  [MLB]

What’s the Hold Up?

Jason Bay may not return to Boston – the hold up appears to be the duration of the contract.  Bay wants five years; Boston is offering four.  [ESPN]

Mike Lowell’s injured thumb is stalling an agreement between Texas and Boston.  Boston would (a) get catcher Max Ramirez – a good prospect and (b) pretty much pay for Lowell to play in Texas where he would play first, DH, and backup Michael Young at third base.  [ESPN]

The Cards made a pitch to Matt Holliday and hope to have an answer this week.  [FoxSports]

Happy Birthday!

One of the more famous names in baseball history, Bill Buckner, turns 60.  Billy Buck was a hustler – played through injuries, used to complain about every called strike or close play at first base.  He was unfortunately humbled by that error in the 1986 World Series and his career degenerated quickly after that – though he was showing signs of age at the time.  He had a lot of hits – 2715 of them – and used to be fast.  Something tells me that he’s probably mellowed a lot over the last 20 years…  I’d love to buy him lunch.  Happy Birthday, Billy.

Others celebrating with cake, cards, or remembrances include: Honest John Anderson (1872), Maurice “The Comet” Archdeacon (1897), Toothpick Sam Jones (1925), Ken Hunt (1938), Ken Hill and future Hall of Famer Craig Biggio (1965) – I loved Biggio who was an amazingly versatile athlete, Dave Nilsson and Scott Hatteberg (1969), Angel Guzman (1981), and Josh Fields (1982).

Afterthoughts…

Peter Gammons thanks everyone for the memories at ESPN.

I know, I know. It’s basically blasphemy to even bring it up, what with his huge step forward last season to be the first Dodger 30-homer hitter since 2004, string of amazing walkoffs, and obvious appeal to the female and non-traditional male fanbase.

I’m not suggesting this is what I would do or that this is what they will do, necessarily. It’s just that with the events of yesterday’s shocking lack of arbitration offers shedding more light on just how dire the Dodger financial situation may be, it’s not a stretch to see this series of events happen. Hear me out on this…

1) The Dodgers are not going to be able to sign or trade for a stud veteran pitcher. Roy Halladay and his $15.75m in 2010 plus the extension you’d need to sign him to? Out, even if you could strike a deal with Toronto. John Lackey and the $80-$100m deal he figures to sign? No chance. This is a team that was too afraid of the 1% chance that Randy Wolf would return for $8m or so to collect the two draft picks; you really think they’re going to be able to go out and afford any quality pitcher? Hell no. So you’re looking at what, guys like Jose Contreras, Kip Wells, and Pedro Martinez? Bring one of them in to see if they can be this year’s miracle retread 5th starter if you must, but you can’t count on them for anything beyond that. So there’s no way a top pitcher is coming to LA who costs more than a few million.  But the problem with not getting a top pitcher is…

2) The Dodgers just can’t start 2010 with Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw, Hiroki Kuroda, and dreams. Kershaw’s a lock, of course, and well on the path to acedom. But after him? I’ve been the biggest Billingsley supporter of just about anyone, but even I can’t pretend I’m not at least a little worried about how his 2009 ended. Kuroda’s solid when healthy, though since he missed time in 2009 with three different maladies, you can’t count on that. Beyond that… can you really see them allowing James McDonald, Scott Elbert, and/or Charlie Haeger to fill out the rotation?  There’s more than a few Dodger fans who would love to see that, of course, but the casual fan and local media would never allow it. The Dodgers have to go out and get a quality starting pitcher somehow, which means…

3) The Dodgers will have to trade for a young, cheap, quality starter. Not a Kershaw-type, of course, but a pre-free agent and preferably pre-arbitration guy who’s shown at least some success in the big leagues. Guys like that don’t come cheap, obviously, so the obvious trade bait – Juan Pierre – isn’t getting it done. As I mentioned the other day when the rumor was floated that the plan would be to trade Pierre for an equally-paid mediocre starting pitcher, it’s impossible to find a fit for him. Regardless of how you feel about his performance on the field, it’s inarguable that his salary is out of line in the current marketplace. Teams can find production equal to his for basically the minimum, so the Dodgers would have to eat nearly all of his salary to move him. They won’t do that without getting a useful piece in return, and even if that happened the guy they get back will hardly be an All-Star. No, if they’re going to get back someone useful, the Dodgers are going to have to give up a valuable piece from a position of strength, and that of course means…

4) The Dodgers still have four outfielders for three spots. The bullpen is strong, but a reliever isn’t getting you a starter. Without any prospects at the top levels to move, the obvious answer is to trade from your overcrowded outfield. Manny’s immovable regardless of whether you want to or not, and Matt Kemp’s clearly taking the steps to superstardom. So it comes down to Ethier or Pierre, and if you’re a team that’s as desperate as the Dodgers appear to be, can you really afford another year of a $10m backup outfielder in Pierre? If you can’t move Pierre for another part, and you can’t pay him to sit on the bench, then you need to make the most of his presence and turn what’s blocking him into the pitching piece you need – so that points to Ethier being the guy to go. I know how that sounds, but keep this in mind…

5) Ethier’s value is probably at the highest it will ever be. I loved watching Ethier this year. Loved him. The clutch hits, the big power, his joy in the game – I mean, just look at the picture on this card – the yoga classes, the Carne Asada outings, the “Dining With ‘Dre” blog – all of it. He’s one of my favorites, he’s one of the vaunted young core, and I don’t want to see him go. But there’s reason to believe that if you’re going to move him, now is the time. For all of his heroics this year, there’s some flaws to his game, as we pointed out in our season review. He’s kind of a lousy outfielder, his OPS actually dropped from 2008 to 2009, and he’s almost unplayable against left-handed pitching. At 28 in 2010 (two and a half years older than Kemp), and coming off of a 31-homer season, he’s likely to make $6-$7m in arbitration this year. That may not be a huge deal for some other teams, but it sure looks like it will be for the Dodgers, especially with so many arbitration cases. Besides, we’ve been hearing for a while that the Dodgers have to trade one of the arbitration guys before they go to the hearing. We’ve all assumed George Sherrill would be the most likely, but what if it’s Ethier instead? So what’s the impact if he’s traded?

6) Trading Ethier won’t create a new roster hole that you’ll need to fill (insert joke about Pierre being a black hole in the lineup here) and it would improve the rotation by acquiring… Well, here’s where it gets interesting. Who has young pitching to spare, a need for a power bat, and the willingness to take on Ethier’s arbitration case? The Giants fit that profile, but they’re certainly not trading with the Dodgers. Besides, if Ethier ended up in a Giants uniform I’d probably throw up my entire endocrine system. Here’s five options that might fit, bearing in mind that A) this is just spitballing, not a hardcore trade analysis, and B) it’d likely need to be more than a 1-for-1 trade to make it work on either side.

Boston Red Sox - Manny’s gone, Jason Bay might follow, and Ortiz/Lowell/Varitek are all declining, leaving the Sox with a need for power along with a big hole in left field. We know Sox GM Theo Epstein has had interest in Ethier before, asking for him originally in the Manny trade. Might they have interest in Ethier for 25-year-old Clay Buccholz, who’s had flashes of success in parts of three seasons (including a no-hitter) but has yet to put it all together? The Sox say they don’t want to deal him, but they do have other young arms coming up behind him, and figure to be the team that gets to take a shot on either Rich Harden or Ben Sheets. Bonus: this is Buccholz’ wife.

New York Yankees – We know the arbitration case would be of no concern to them, and while they don’t neccessarily need power, they do have a very unsettled outfield situation, unless you really consider Brett Gardner or Melky Cabrera solid options. Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui are both free agents, so it’s no surprise they’re mentioned prominently in the Bay/Matt Holliday sweepstakes. Besides, in the Little League field the Yankees just built, Ethier might put out 40 homers there.  I’m not sure how realistic this is, but I’m putting this name out there anyway: Phil Hughes. He’s mostly flunked as a starter (5.22 ERA in 28 starts), but he’s been sparkling as a reliever (1.40 in 44 games). He’s still just 23, and the Yankees say they’re going to make him a starter again. His success in 2009 probably makes him untradeable from the New York side, but he’s worth including here.

Chicago White Sox – Talk about an unsettled outfield situation. The White Sox gave 210 PA to Brian Anderson (67 OPS+), 587 to Scott Podsednik (98 OPS+), 153 to DeWayne Wise (61 OPS+), and 154 to Alex Rios (36 OPS+). In addition, they’ve already said goodbye to Jermaine Dye and his 574 PA. They’re so hard up for outfielders that they just signed that fat slob Andruw Jones, and Ned Colletti and Ken Williams just worked together on the Jim Thome trade this summer. From them, I’m interested in John Danks, a lefty who will turn 25 next spring. Danks threw 200 innings of 3.77 ball last year, after throwing 195 IP in 2008, so clearly he’s a horse the Dodgers could use. The White Sox are deep in starting pitching with Jake Peavy, Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd, and last year’s hotshot Daniel Hudson.

Seattle Mariners – Seattle’s just dying for a power bat. Russell Branyan and his 31 homers may not return, and Adrian Beltre’s likely not coming back, which makes their top slugger 2B Jose Lopez, who might hurt the team with his poor OBP (.303) and lousy defense as much as he contributes in power. With Franklin Gutierrez in CF and Ichiro in RF, the Mariners have a big hole in LF and the ability to handle Ethier’s mediocre defense. Now, before you even say it: no, this is not about Felix Hernandez. But what about Brandon Morrow? Chosen two picks before Kershaw in the 2006 draft, Morrow’s had his development stunted a bit by the Mariners constantly jerking him between starting and relieving. Still, in parts of three seasons he has a 109 ERA+ and 9.3 K/9. Morrow’s probably not enough for Ethier, but I’ve always been a huge fan.

Atlanta Braves – Atlanta’s nearly as cash-poor as the Dodgers, so I don’t consider them likely, but I can’t ignore a team dying for a power outfield bat with starting pitching to spare. The more I look, though, the less a fit I see. They’d love to move Derek Lowe, but the Dodgers aren’t paying him $45m over the next three years, especially with how mediocre he was last year. Javier Vazquez is on the block and was outstanding last year, but he’s made his distaste for the West Coast clear. I won’t suggest Tommy Hanson, who’s basically Kershaw-level for them, but if there’s any chance at Jair Jurrjens, I’d jump at it. He’ll be just 24 this winter, and threw 215 innings of 2.60 ball last year. I’d be surprised if the Braves would be willing to move him. That said, they could stick with a rotation of Vazquez/Hanson/Lowe/Hudson/Kawakami and have an outfield of Ethier/McLouth/Heyward and be very formidable.

**********

So there you have it. A road map for trading one of our most popular and productive players. Like I said, it’s probably not something I would do, because the downgrade from Ethier to Pierre would be a horrendous disaster on offense, but the combination of Ethier going to arbitration and lack of options to improve the rotation make it seemingly possible. Crazy? Blasphemous? All too real? Let me hear it, or point out trade options I might have missed.

Dodgers Outfielder Andre Ethier was a surprising – yet deserving – 6th in NL MVP voting.
Teammate Matt Kemp finished 10th.
This is on the heels of their Silver Slugger awards, and Kemp’s Gold Glove.

Here is the complete 2009 National League MVP Vote:

2009 National League MVP voting

Hey, I like Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier just as much as everyone else does…

…but to say they’re “leading candidates for the NL MVP award” goes beyond “looking through Dodger blue glasses”. You’d have to have had Dodger logos surgically implanted into your eyes. Or at least get an “LA” type contact lens, like the ones that make you look like you have cat eyes.

Look, if this isn’t Albert Pujols unanimously, then I give up on humanity. Sure, Kemp & Ethier had great years. But are they getting MVP votes ahead of Pujols, or Chase Utley, or Hanley Ramirez? I… think not.

Speaking of awards that should have been won unanimously, how about a Seattle writer spoiling Joe Mauer’s party by voting for Miguel Cabrera, of all people? Cabrera leads Mauer in exactly one stat, and that’s blood-alcohol level.

At least it wasn’t Derek Jeter, anyway.

Torii Hunter Signed Angels Jersey Number

I went the morning of November 12th to the Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass here in Arizona to chase some autographs. Wanted to post my results… I will be posting results of autograph trips – good and bad – in this blog so check back often!

I got to the course around 8:30 AM. Tee time was scheduled for 10 AM. As usual in celebrity golf tournaments, many of the top names of “invited guests” were no shows. Dustin Pedroia, Justin Upton (supposed to be co-host of the event), and David Ortiz were among the notable no-shows.

The day started off slow. Howie Kendrick was among the first to arrive at the course (with PLENTY of time to spare), he refused to sign autographs multiple times for the few of us that asked. He was really the only one that we asked that refused to sign.

 Among the signers were: Torii Hunter (super friendly as usual – signed multiples without a problem), Scott Kazmir, Kenny Lofton, Leean Tweeden, Andre Ethier, Mark Grace, Troy Percival, Mark Reynolds, and Bert Campenaris.

Please be sure to check out our Autographs / Sports Card Consignment Auction site – www.PristineAuction.com

Photos of items from this event:

Torii Hunter Signing AutographsTorii Hunter Signed 8x10 PhotoScott Kazmir signed angels jersey number

Mark Reynolds Signed Diamondbacks Jersey Number

Andre Ethier Signed Dodgers Jersey Number

Andre Ethier Signed Dodgers Jersey

Mark Grace Signed Diamondbacks Jersey

The Silver Slugger Award is a great achievement in the sport of baseball. This award is given annually to the best offensive player at each position, in each league. Last night on MLB Network, the winners were announced, and here they are:

American League

First Base – Mark Teixeira, NYY, .292, 39 HR, 122 RBI,

Second Base – Aaron Hill, TOR, .286, 36 HR, 108 RBI

Third Base - Evan Longoria, TB, .281, 33 HR, 113 RBI

Short Stop - Derek Jeter, NYY, .334, 18 HR, 66 RBI

Outfield – Jason Bay, BOS, .267, 36 HR, 119 RBI

Outfield - Torii Hunter, LAA, .299, 22 HR, 90 RBI

Outfield – Ichiro Suzuki, SEA, .352, 11 HR, 46 RBI

Catcher - Joe Mauer, MIN, .365, 28 HR, 96 RBI

Designated Hitter - Adam Lind, TOR, .305, 35 HR, 114 RBI

National League

First Base - Albert Pujols, STL, .327, 47 HR, 135 RBI

Second Base – Chase Utley, PHI, .282, 31 HR, 93 RBI

Third Base – Ryan Zimmerman, WAS, .292, 33 HR, 106 RBI

Short Stop – Hanley Ramirez, FLA, .342, 24 HR, 106 RBI

Outfield – Ryan Braun, MIL, .320, 32 HR, 114 RBI

Outfield – Andre Ethier, LAD, .272, 31 HR, 106 RBI

Outfield – Matt Kemp, LAD, .297, 26 HR, 101 RBI

Catcher – Brian McCann, ATL, .281, 21 HR, 94 RBI

Pitcher – Carlos Zambrano, CHI, .217, 4 HR, 11 RBI

First-time award winners were Longoria, Lind, Hill, Hunter, Bay, Zimmerman, Kemp, and Ethier. This was both Teixeira’s and Ichiro’s third Silver Slugger Award, and Utley’s fourth consecutive.

Find out when the rest of the awards will be announced here!

Peace,

Love,

& Baseball,

♥ S.

Of the 18 players selected to for the Silver Slugger award, for being the best hitting player at their position, only three of them had award bonuses their contracts:

2009 National League Silver Sluggers

2009 American League Silver Sluggers

It’s a great award to put on the mantle, but it’s a bonus that very few put in their contract.  I was hoping that Zambrano would have an award clause in his contract for his bat.  Hopefully he can negotiate it for 2013.  The Silver Slugger is not respected in the contractual sense compared to its defensive counterpart – The Gold Glove.  Even Ichiro’s crazy contract of round trips, personal assistants and housing allowance or Braun’s contract of having a suite for all home games did not include an award for something they are paid to do – hit.

In the future, I would like to see a Silver Slugger award for an American League pitcher and the best NL and AL pinch hitter.  Pinch hitters like Matt Stairs should get an award for doing what may be the hardest job in baseball – come off the bench and hit.

The awards keep on coming – Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier each get Silver Slugger awards, the first for a Dodger outfielder since Kirk Gibson in 1988. No complaining about these; both Dodgers finished in the top 6 among NL outfielders in batting runs above average.

Remember back in March when I pointed out how this was probably going to be the best Dodger outfield in decades, if not ever? Yep. No complaints there.

Kemp, by winning both a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove, probably just saw his arbitration award shoot up enormously. Can we please sign him long term now?

Thank you to my friend David E., one of the truest Dodger fans around, for the quick scoop:

KEMP, ETHIER RECEIVE SILVER SLUGGER HONORS

Dodgers outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier received Silver Slugger honors on Thursday, signifying that they are considered the best hitters at their positions. It was the first such honor for both players.

Kemp’s offensive credentials included career-highs with 26 homers, 101 RBIs, 97 runs scored and 52 walks. Ethier established career-highs with 31 homers, 42 doubles, 106 RBIs, 72 walks and 92 runs. Ethier also had a flair for the dramatic as he led the Major Leagues with six walk-off hits, including an MLB-leading four walk-off homers.

Andre Ethier (A for Amazing!)
(.272/.361/.508 31hr 106rbi)

You know, we always try to keep our views here pinned in the realm of reality. Just because Mark Loretta won our hearts with the clutch single in NLDS Game 2, we couldn’t overlook the previous 6 months of awfulness. It works both ways, too; just because Chad Billingsley fell off a cliff late in the year and lost everyone’s trust in him, we couldn’t forget how great he’d been in the first half and in previous years.

But when it comes to Andre Ethier, it’s pretty difficult to think just with your brain and not with your heart. It’s not that his numbers weren’t great, of course - he was was the first Dodger to hit 30 homers since Adrian Beltre in 2004, and finishing as the 5th highest RF in terms of VORP in baseball is nice too. That in itself is deserving of an A, which I’m happy to award him. That’s without even mentioning the enduring knowledge that all it took to acquire Ethier was the flaming remnants of Milton Bradley’s career. (Okay, and Antonio Perez too. You tell him thanks when you see him pumping your gas sometime.)

It’s just that, while we were all captivated by the flashy HR total and the amazing string of walkoff hits, there’s a few reasons why Ethier’s breakout 2009 might not be exactly what it seems. This is not to pick nits in what was a fantastic season, but these are points worth mentioning.

For example, believe it or not, his BA, OBP, and SLG all dropped ever so slightly, meaning that his OPS was actually 16 points lower than in 2008, with his percentage of line drives dropping from 26.6% to 20.5%, which is worrisome. Really, the main difference between his 2008 and 2009 was his percentage of fly balls, because even though he only slightly raised his homers per flyball rate in 2009 (14.1% to 15.4%), the fact that his percentage of fly balls hit overall jumped from 32.0% to 41.5% made for a lot more balls leaving the yard. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since it clearly resulted in more homers, but when all of his other rates have dropped since 2008, it does put the idea of a “breakout” season into perspective.

There’s some other issues, as well – for example, he’s rapidly turning into a player who really ought to be platooned to keep him away from lefties. This year, Ethier destroyed right-handed pitching to the tune of a .960 OPS and 25 of his homers. Against lefties, he had just a .194 BA and a .629 OPS and only 6 homers. It’s actually been a pretty clear downward trend for him as far as a lefty/righty split goes:

2006: .842 vs RH, .846 vs LH
2007: .830 vs RH, .816 vs LH
2008: .953 vs RH, .692 vs LH
2009: .960 vs RH, .629 vs LH

As he continues to improve against righties, he’s quickly becoming unplayable against lefties, and the four years of stats clearly show there’s not any improvement happening here.

In addition, his defense has been declining as well, as FanGraphs dedicated an entire article to last week:

Ethier’s first two seasons suggested some defensive talent. Over his first 271 games (212 starts), Ethier compiled a +6.5 UZR in the outfield. Of course, this is not the only example of a UZR sample of this size showing a significant deviation from the following two seasons. However, we can ask: what changed?

First of all, let’s look at the biggest component of the statistic: range. Ethier showed fantastic range in 2007 after showing average range in 2006. His range fell off a cliff then in 2008 and 2009, at -6.6 and -6.9 runs, respectively.

Similarly, Ethier’s arm looked fantastic in 2006, at 6.8 runs in merely 92 DG (defensive games adjusted for attempts). He has not shown that skill since, and his arm dipped below -5 runs above average this season. It is possible that his arm was better suited to left field – his ARM in 154 DG is +4.1 in LF vs. -6.9 in 371 DG in RF.

It appears that we have two major outliers skewing his results from 2006 and 2007. Ethier’s +6.8 ARM rating may have been a product of both his time in left field as well as random variation in the statistic. Since his move to playing primarily right field in 2007, his arm has rated as nearly 10 runs below average, the ninth worst overall mark over the past three years.

I realize that this review has sounded overwhelmingly negative towards a player who provided the Dodgers with several of the most enduring 2009 memories, and I really didn’t mean it to come off that way. So he still gets his A, because this is just one of those situations where the heart (“OMG! 31 homers! Crazy walk-off hits! Give him an A! Give him 40 A’s!”) overrides the brain (“Horrible against lefties! Kind of a lousy outfielder! Somewhat declining stats from 2008!”)

Besides, despite the negatives, there’s no doubt that Ethier was an incredibly valuable player in 2009, and he could be even moreso in future years if used properly. For example, whenever Manny’s no longer a Dodger, Ethier should be moved to left field, rather than keep him in right and acquire another left fielder. In addition, he really should be kept away from as many left-handed pitchers as possible. Not to turn everything back to Juan Pierre, but this is yet another reason why you really need a different backup outfielder, because sitting Ethier against a lefty just to have Pierre there instead (with Matt Kemp in RF that night, of course), doesn’t really help you.

Still, the overriding image of Andre Ethier’s 2009 should be a positive one, most encapsulated by what is without a doubt my favorite picture used on any of these 1985 Topps cards. Well, until we get to Jason Schmidt, that is…

Jamie Hoffmann (inc.)
(.182/.167/.409 1hr 7rbi)

Considering that Jamie Hoffmann started the year in AA and was somewhere around 8th on the Dodger outfield depth chart, just getting to the bigs should be seen as a pretty nice year for him, with his first big league homer a cherry on top.

Sure, it took a series of events unexpected (Manny’s suspension), unfortunate (Xavier Paul’s staph infection), and unavoidable (another Jason Repko injury) to get the former hockey player up with the big club, but hey, you take what you can get, right?

Besides, when your year includes your father breaking the news that you’ve been called up to a small-town Minnesota newspaper, and that father just so happens to be the lead sheriff in a high-profile case that made national news, and finally you end up getting DFA’d but then re-signed to an odd contract that prevents you from being on the 40-man until next May, well, you can at least say you’ve had an interesting season.

As far as actual baseball goes for Mr. Hoffmann, he didn’t do all that much with the Dodgers, collecting just 4 hits. However, he did hit well at AA (.952 OPS) and AAA (.815 OPS), in addition to his reputation as a superlative defensive outfielder, so we can expect to see him back sometime next year for a week or two when an extra body is needed. 

Mitch Jones (inc.)
(.308/.400/.385 0hr 0rbi)

If you didn’t cheer for Mitch Jones this year, you have a black, black soul and a heart of stone. Don’t remember his heart-tugging story? Let me refresh you:

If the thought alone of having an all or nothing strikeout/homer machine doesn’t grab you, then tell me that his story isn’t worth rooting for him. He’s 31 years old, has been poking around the minors since as far back as 2000, and is still looking for his first major league appearance. While the jaded among you may say “uh, that’s because he sucks”, it goes further than that. This is from an ESPN story last season on career minor leaguers who may have missed their chance due to choosing not to take steroids:

What happened to Jones on May 19, 2006, alone ought to be worth a few mil in punitive damages. He was in Richmond when the Yankees called him up, emergency style. He raced to the airport, flew to LaGuardia, got in a cab, had to talk his way into Yankee Stadium, picked up his uniform, called his dad to tell him (“I’d always dreamed of the day I’d make that call,” Jones says), sat next to Sheffield in the dugout (oh, irony!) and … never got into the game.

Afterward, Joe Torre called him into his office and said, “Man, I hate to do this to you, but we’re sending you back down.” Jones was, naturally, crushed. But the worst part was still to come:

“I had to call my dad back.”

He hasn’t been up since.

Now Jones is in the Dodger organization, and guess who’s the Dodger manager? Torre.

Guess who’s still the Dodger manager? Joe Torre. I’m not usually one to put emotion ahead of winning games – how could I, with a soul as black as a steer’s tukus on a moonless night – but if Jones somehow has to be on yet another team with Torre and Joe doesn’t find a way to get him an at-bat here or there? I’ll have no problem with looking the other way while Mitch does what needs to be done.

Well, Jones finally did get that chance to hit – 15, even – and managed a .785 OPS in that short time, though without a homer.  That shouldn’t obscure the damage he did in the minors, either, as finished third in the PCL in OPS a won the Bauman award for most homers in MiLB – despite missing a month of time while in the bigs and passing through waivers.

Clearly, at 32, his time has just about passed. But if you look at the numbers he’s put up in the minors, how has some team not taken a shot on him as a part-time DH or power bat off the bench? I’d have taken him over Mark Loretta, that’s for sure. At least he got his at-bat.

Next! Randy Wolf’s career year! Clayton Kershaw’s raw talent! Hiroki Kuroda lined up for the swine flu, probably! A tale of two Chad Billingsleys! And how did Eric Stults make the cut?! It’s starting pitchers, part 1!

By Steven Booth

Ugly, ugly, ugly, and I’m not talking about the Dodgers disappointingly quick exit from the NLCS. Yes it was heartbreaking to see what was markedly better team than last year suffer basically suffer the same fate as the 2008 team, but that’s baseball. The smoke and mirrors starting pitching ultimately did them in, with the help of some bullpen meltdowns, a lack of clutch hitting, and the Phillies re-discovering their mojo.

Ugly is Frank and Jamie McCourt announcing their separation on what could’ve been and might well be the eve of the Dodgers return to being a true presence in baseball. What silly and tacky timing. I’m sure the guys on the field didn’t care, but now they have to know that this will somehow affect them. Los Angeles never had to deal with this crap from the O’Malleys or even Fox. It wasn’t so much that the Mc Courts had problems in their marriage, it was the timing of it. They could’ve hired a monkey to do their PR and he could’ve thought of something better. They seem to not care that they are taking a classy franchise down the toilet. They could’ve waited until after the playoffs, but somebody somewhere got a hard-on and it all had to come out. This is beginning to smell like Frank’s doing.

Ugly is Frank firing Jamie as CEO. Instead of maintaining some semblance of normalcy, he has to fire his soon-to-be ex-wife. Maybe that couldn’t have been avoided, only the McCourts and their lawyers know for sure. Jamie did let it be known that she wanted the franchise for her own, and was lining up investors, so maybe Frank felt like he had to move. Appropriately, TMZ of all sources is all over the story, and got ahold of the termination letter

The letter begins, “Dear Jamie — This is to inform you that your employment with and positions as Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairperson of Los Angeles Dodgers LLC, as well as any and all of the positions that you hold … are hereby terminated effective immediately.”Though hard to believe, it gets even colder:

“Because your employment is held at-will, the Organization is not required to have cause to terminate your employment and may do so for any reason or no reason at all. .“

However, your actions, including, but not limited to, your insubordination, non-responsiveness, failure to follow procedures, and inappropriate behavior with regard to a direct subordinate, have made this decision necessary

Read it for yourself:

http://www.aolcdn.com/tmz_documents/1023_jamie_doc_wm_2.pdf

It’s basically the same letter you give to a dishwasher when you need to let him go. This is only the latest salvo in a war that is going to get ugly, and my gut feeling as a lifelong fan that these two clowns don’t give a rat’s ass if they tear the whole organization down as long as they get over on each other. Frank did a good job re-signing Ned Colletti, who seems like he may be the perfect guy to work in a situation like this. He made some good moves even when the Mc Courts didn’t give him a whole lot to work with.

Sort of like the good organization guy who gets a raise while the place is burning down, Colletti is optimistic.

“I have no inclination that anything will change from how the Los Angeles Dodgers do business,” he said two days after the team was ejected from the NLCS.

For better or for worse, most of the tools that brought the Dodgers to a 95 game win season will be back, but they are the same tools which came up short in the playoffs.

The only infield position with uncertainy is second base, with both Orlando Hudson and Ronnie Belliard up for being free agents. It would be nice to see James Loney and Rafael Furcal have better years with the bat, and Casey Blake is solid, but not spectacular, but he shouldn’t have to be if the other power hitters do their jobs.

The outfield should all be back.  Hopefully Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp will come back as dominant as they were last year. Hopefully Manny Rameriz will either re-discover his mechanics or find another doctor to regain his bat speed, but although he has an option to leave, neither Manny or Scott Boras would be stupid enough to turn away a guaranteed 20 milliuon bucks. let’s just hope given the ownership situation, the checks don’t bounce.

Hopefully Russell Martin isn’t aging prematurely. His average and power numbers took a dip last year. The Dodgers should talk Brad Ausmus into coming back for another year. The bullpen should stay intact, and despite a meltdown or two in the playoffs, they were very solid.

The big problem is the starting pitching. Clayton Kershaw had a fine year, and although he will be the ace one day, he may not be ready to step into that role. Chad Billingsley had a solid first half, but was shaky in the second half. Randy Wolf was solid, but he is a free agent, as is Jon Garland and Vicente Padilla. All those guys together with Hiroki Kuroda make up a solid rotation, but none were dominant in the way a Cliff Lee, a Roy Halladay, or an Adam Wainwright are. Not a big deal in the regular season, but it is a factor in the playoffs.

Colletti said it well:

“You’d like to find an ace, but you got one hanging around?” he said. “It’s not like you have a choice of five or six (free agents) that you can pick from.”

They’d like it to be Kershaw, and this may be his year to emerge, but it is something that needs to be mulled over in the offseason. Drama aside, anything less than a World Series appearance would be a disappointment next year.  The McCourts should turn away from the baser instincts andf not let their tearing each other apart tear apart the team also.  The recent circus suggests otherwise.

Ugly, ugly, ugly

Jayson Werth sloeg woensdagavond twee homerun (Bron: KV5-Wikimedia)

De Philadelphia Phillies hebben woensdagavond met 10-4 gewonnen van de Los Angeles Dodgers. Hiermee komt de stand in de best-of-seven serie op 4-1 voor de Phillies en hebben zij zich geplaatst voor de World Series. Daarin gaan zij proberen hun wereldtitel te prolongeren.

Eerste honkman voor de Phils, Ryan Howard, werd aan het einde van de wedstrijd benoemd tot NLCS MVP en krijg zijn prijs op het veld. Howard had in de vijf wedstrijden vijf honkslag in vijftien beurten en twee van die vijf honkslagen verlieten het stadion voor een homerun.

Slagmannen

In een vol Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia kwamen de Dodgers aanvankelijk op voorsprong in de eerste inning door een solo-homerun van André Ethier.

Lang konden de Dodgers de voorsprong echter niet behouden. Jayson Werth sloeg een homerun met twee man op de honken tegen werper Vicente Padilla voor een 3-1 voorsprong.

Op een dag waar de ballen het stadion uitvlogen maakte James Loney het gat in de tweede inning één punt door een solo-shot. Pedro Feliz herstelde de voorsprong vervolgens weer door zijn eerste homerun van de play-offs.

Werpers

Werper voor de Phillies, Cole Hamels, hield het woensdag niet lang vol door het homerun geweld. Nadat pinch-hitter Orlando Hudson ook een bal in de stoelen dumpte had manager Charlie Manuel genoeg van hem gezien. Hamels gaf in 4.1 innings drie solo-homeruns op.

Padilla was op dat moment al meer dan een inning vertrokken. Hij gaf in 3 innings zes punten op.

Meer homeruns

In de zesde inning sloeg Shane Victorino met Jimmy Rollins op de honken een homerun tegen werper JA Happ waardoor de voorsprong van de Fighting Phils op 8-3 kwam. Werth sloot de homerun derby met een solo-shot in de zevende inning. Het was de zevende homerun van de wedstrijd.

Beide teams scoorden nog een punt in de achtste inning en closer Brad Lidge maakte de wedstrijd af, zodat de champagne ontkurkt kon worden.

De laatste wedstrijd was een prima illustratie van de hele serie. Er was gedurende de vijf wedstrijden veel aanvallende kracht, waarbij de Phils telkens aan het langste eind trokken.

World Series

Voor de Phillies is het nu wachten op de uitslag in de ALCS tussen de New York Yankees en de Los Angeles Angels voor de volgende tegenstander. Aannemelijk is het dat de Yankees doorgaan, aangezien zij nog één overwinning nodig hebben. De Phils en de Yanks speelden dit jaar drie wedstrijden tegen elkaar, waarvan de Phillies er twee wonnen.

Door de vroege uitschakeling van de Dodgers kunnen de Phils tijdens de World Series met hun sterkste werper beginnen, Cliff Lee. De starter van woensdag, Cole Hamels, zou dan in de tussentijd genoeg rust hebben om de tweede wedstrijd te starten.

Ok, so the Dodgers are currently down 3-1 to the Phillies in the NLCS, and I’m afraid I won’t get to see Andre Ethier again until March.  So this post is basically happening to keep Andre’s hotness fresh in our memories.  Ahh, what a season we’ve had Andre.  Hopefully the boys in blue can pull out the win tonight so we can ogle Andre a wee bit longer. *le sigh*

So if you, like me, will miss seeing the pretty that is Mr. Ethier, take a trip with me after the jump.

Oh yummy!

So adorable...I just love this man!

A man and his grill...great combo and double the hotness

Sometimes players look good in headshots...this would be one of those times

Chipotle is my favorite fast food joint and Andre is my favorite Dodger...ahh perfect combo!

There is just something about a hot guy holding a baby (that does not belong to him, preferrably) that I find so hot!

And this, my friends, is just too hot for words.

31 pitches

Five pitchers

Three hits

Two walks

Two runs

One blown save

That was the bottom of the eighth inning for the Philadelphia Phillies. Down 1-0 in the bottom of the eighth, the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for two runs and eventually held on for a 2-1 victory to even their best-of-seven series with the Phillies at one game apiece.

As my friend Mike always says “How do you beat Ric Flair? A small package in the center of the ring.” I say “How do you beat the Phillies? Get to their bullpen.”

The Phillies’ bullpen stinks. I know it’s harsh, but there is no other way around it. Yesterday, they ruined what was a brilliant pitching performance by Pedro Martinez.

Pedro was classic Pedro yesterday

Martinez was vintage Pedro. He had the Dodger batters off-balance all game. His performance yesterday was very similar to his performance in Game Five of the 1999 ALDS against the Cleveland Indians.

He didn’t have a 95 mph fastball that night either. But what he had that night and what he had yesterday, was his brain. And Martinez is one of the smartest pitchers in the game–if not the smartest.

Nobody is better when they don’t have their best stuff than Martinez is. He had everything working yesterday. The Dodgers had no chance against him in the hot California sun.

Of course, the classic second guess is why did Charlie Manuel take Martinez out after seven innings? Martinez allowed just two hits, struckout three, and didn’t walk a batter in those seven innings of work.

Most importantly, Martinez had only thrown 87 pitches. If Manuel would allow Martinez to throw 130 pitches against the New York Mets in a meaningless game in September, why wouldn’t he allow him to go further into the game?

“To me, Pedro was done,” Manuel said. “He did a tremendous job and took it actually farther than I anticipated. . . . He was gone. I think he was spent.”

If the manager of the Phillies says that Martinez was done, then I have to believe him. One would think he would know his players better than anyone.

Manuel took Martinez out after the seventh and that’s when the fun started.

Manuel brought Chan Ho Park into the game to face Casey Blake, Ronnie Belliard, and Russell Martin. Park, who was so good Thursday night, was the complete opposite yesterday.

Park allowed a leadoff single to Blake and then misplayed a bunt by Belliard. Park really should have fielded that bunt. It wasn’t a good bunt at all by Belliard.

Now with runners on first and second with nobody out, Martin was attempting to sacrifice bunt. However, Park wouldn’t let him because he couldn’t throw the ball over the plate.

If a guy is giving himself up and giving you an automatic out–let him. Just throw the ball over the plate. It shouldn’t be that hard to throw the ball over the middle if you are a major league pitcher.

On a 3-0 count, Park got a gift call from the home plate umpire. The pitch was about three inches inside, but was called a strike. Completely changed the AB and the inning.

With the count now 3-2 and the bunt off, Martin hit a routine groundball to third. Pedro Feliz threw the ball to Chase Utley covering second for one out and then Utley decided to throw the ball off the fence on the Dodgers’ dugout.

I know some people will say Utley’s bad throw was caused by the hard slide by Belliard who was on first. That wasn’t the case. Utley just made an awful throw.

Juan Pierre, who was running for Blake scored on the play to tie the game at one. Instead of having two outs and a runner on third, the Dodgers had one out with a runner on first.

Then came the parade of Phillies’ relievers out of the bullpen. I am surprised I didn’t see Don Carmen or Mitch Williams come into the game.

Scott Eyre gave up a single to Jim Thome. Ryan Madson walked Rafael Furcal. And with the bases loaded, JA Happ walked Andre Ethier to force in a run.

Just like that it was 2-1 Dodgers and when Jonathan Broxton set the Phillies down 1-2-3 in the ninth, the series was tied at one.

And not to be overshadowed in this win for the Dodgers was the effort by Vicente Padilla. He was matching Martinez pitch for pitch and only made one mistake (a HR to Ryan Howard in the fourth) in seven-and-a-third innings of work.

He has pitched brilliantly for the Dodgers in two starts in the postseason.

Game Three is Sunday at 8:07 ET

Hero for Game Two – Vicente Padilla

Goat for Game Two – Chase Utley

Series MVP – Ryan Howard

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

The bullpen has been the Phillies Achilles heal for most of August and September. On Friday, the heel completely ruptured and cost the Phillies a potential 2-0 lead in the NLCS.

The usually reliable Chan Ho Park, JA Happ and Chase Utley all combined to waste an impressive performance by starter Pedro Martinez, as the Dodgers staged an eighth inning comeback to win the game, 2-1.

Martinez, who had thrown just 84 pitches in one start since Sept. 19, tossed seven strong innings in Friday’s heartbreaking loss. He allowed just two hits and struck out three before leaving with a 1-0 lead.

The 37-year-old matched Dodgers starter Vicente Padilla pitch-for-pitch. Padilla went 7.1 innings, surrendering four hits and striking out six batters. Padilla’s only mistake was sent over the outfield wall by Ryan Howard.

Then, Chan Ho park entered the game for Pedro in the eighth. Fresh off of a hamstring injury, Park did not look nearly as effective as he did in Thursday’s game, although the loss was far from his fault alone.

Chase Utley threw the ball away for the second time in as many days as the Phillies fell to the Dodgers, 2-1, on Friday.

Pedro Feliz, who is usually a vacuum at third base, botched a ground ball to start the inning. Ronnie Belliard then bunted, but neither Park nor Howard could field it, leaving runners on first and second with no outs.

Russell Martin then grounded to Feliz, who threw to Utely for a force at second. Utley then airmailed a ball past Ryan Howard, allowing Juan Pierre to tie game at 1. Jim Thome then singled off of Scott Eyre, moving Martin to third. Ryan Madson later struck out Matt Kemp with bases loaded.

Then, JA Happ entered the game and walked Andre Ethier with the bases loaded to force in Martin with the winning run.

Happ and Park have been two of the most consistent pitchers all year. Utley had just four throwing errors all season. They all came up small on Friday.

For Utley, the error marked his second in as many days, and that play likely cost the Phils the game. Park was responsible for both runners and ended up taking the loss.

In all, Uncle Charlie had to use five pitchers in the eighth inning with neither Scott Eyre nor Happ recording an out, as each faced just one batter.

Instead of coming back to Philly with a 2-0 series lead, the teams are now knotted at one game each.

Cliff Lee will look to continue his impressive postseason when the teams play again in Game 3 on Sunday night at Citizens Bank Park.

OCTOBER 16, 2009 – Well, things seemed to go pretty smoothly for the L.A. Dodgers and the New York Yankees, who took stunning victories over the Philadelphia Phillies and the L.A. Angels of Anaheim, respectively. Game 2 of the NLCS between Philadelphia and L.A. saw Ryan Howard give a leadoff boost for Philly when he hit a solo home run in the 5th inning. Pedro Martínez held the Dodgers to two hits before he and Vicente Padilla were replaced – and had no decisions. Chase Utley’s horrid defense cost Philly the game. J.A. Happ took the loss after allowing André Ethier the game-winning bases loaded walk in the 8th. With this win, L.A. split this NLCS with Philadelphia 1-1.

Full story

Game 3 of the NLCS will be held in Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, October 18, on TBS.

Game 1 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) went extremely well for the red-hot Yankees. Tino Martínez and the FOX Field analysts agreed with the die-hard Yankees fans (including me): the Yanks were heavily favored this time around to give the Angels a run for their money. Sabathia did the trick: he struck out 7 batters and gave up only one run (from Kendry Morales) whereas John Lackey surrendered 4 runs and the Angels themselves committed three errors. Erick Aybar appeared to be distracted when Hideki Matsui’s popup turned into an RBI 1B in the 1st inning.

Actually, Matsui scored two RBI in this game; Jeter scored an RBI 2B in the 6th inning, and Mariano Rivera got the save. So far, so good for the Yankees, but they need three more wins if they expect to go to the World Series for the first time since 2003. Go Jeter!

Turn the page…

Rain is scheduled in the NYC area for Saturday and Sunday, which may impact Game 2 of the ALCS.

J.A. Happ walks off the mound after being taken out by manager Charlie Manuel. AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

In the fifth inning of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers, Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins gobbled up Andre Ethier’s groundball. Rollins, an above-average shortstop, hesitated before shoveling the ball to second baseman Chase Utley, who was standing on the bag waiting for the throw. Because of his hesitation, Utley’s timing was thrown off. He received Rollins’ throw, touched the bag, but didn’t set his feet for the throw to first base. His attempt to complete the potential inning-ending double play missed Ryan Howard, a big target at first base, by a good ten feet and sailed into the dugout. Starting pitcher Cole Hamels looked back at Utley in dismay. This error not only allowed a run to score and extend the inning, but it was followed by a two-run shot by Manny Ramirez that cut the deficit to one.

The second error committed by Utley in the series was identical, but far more costly. Runners were on first and second in the bottom of the ninth inning with nobody out when Russel Martin hit a groundball to third baseman Pedro Feliz.

Prior to the eventful bottom of the eighth, the game was brilliant pitchers duel between two veterans. One is a  future Hall of Famer, the Phillies’ Pedro Martinez, and the other, Dodgers’ Vicente Padilla, is trying to resurrect his career. The 37-year old and 32-year old matched each other inning by inning, mowing down the opposition almost effortlessly.

Martinez, one of the top-ten pitchers of all-time in my book, has lost some velocity as his career has progressed, but though his ability to overpower an opponent with strikeouts galore has left him, his effectiveness remains. He isn’t intimidating heighth-wise, but his postseason pedigree, reputation, and whipping delivery does strike fear into the opposition, and did on a glorious day in Los Angeles.

The Dominican and former Boston Red Sox ace, with curly black hair protruding from his cap, was vintage Pedro. His fastball touches 90 on the gun nowadays instead of 98, but his three-quarter arm angle and powerful arm action through the delivery makes it look 95 to the hitter. He offsets this fastball with one of the nastiest changeups the game has ever seen, an 86-mile per hour pitch that, for the first 55 feet, looks like a fastball, then breaks down sharply. This combination baffled the Dodgers as it has so many others.

Padilla, sturdy at 6′2″, hasn’t had nearly the career of Martinez. He had his best years as a member of the Phillies, winning fourteen games in 2002 and 2003, but as had an average career overall, and is as known more for his tendency to hit batters than his accomplishments. His ERA was in the high 4’s over the course of his tenure with the Texas Rangers, and he became so ineffective that the club designated him for assignment. He was open to sign with any team, and the Dodgers pounced. Their pitching was in disarray and they needed a back-end of rotation starter–perfect fit.

Padilla relished in the new start and pitched extremely well in his month-plus with Los Angeles, allowing 14 runs in six starts. His performance earned him a start in the division series against the St. Louis Cardinals and all he did was throw seven shutout innings in victory. This outing against the Phillies was equally as dominant.

The only blemish was a solo-homer allowed to slugger Ryan Howard in the fourth. That was the only run either team pushed across until the eighth. Padilla pitched into that eighth, and left with this line: 7 1/3 innings, four hits, one run, one walk, six strikeouts. Martinez was done after seven and relinquished only two hits while walking none. They were brilliant.

The first two hitters in the Dodgers half of the eighth reached against Chan Ho Park, who made his first appearance since September 16th in the first game of the series and is still hampered by the hamstring injury that sidelined him. The second hitter, Ronnie Belliard, layed down a bunt, attempting to move the speedy Juan Pierre over to second. He bunted it hard in between the mound and first base. Park jumped off the mound and made a sliding attempt, but his hamstring wouldn’t let him do so effectively, and the ball evaded him and trickled past Howard as well.

Then came the play that changed the game. Martin lined a grounder to Feliz. The slick-fielding third-baseman picked the hot-shot and rifled it over to Utley, who was covering second. The ball arrived far before Belliard, so his slide wasn’t an issue. Utley got on the wrong foot again, and fired woefully off target. His terrible throw was similar to his one in Game 1. The only difference was that it bounced off the mesh protecting the dugout instead of ricocheting amongst his teammates in the dugout.

Pierre alertly kept on running, and put on the afterburners when he realized the ball stayed in play. He scampered home for the tying run. Martinez would not get the win he deserved. When all said and done, the Phillies wouldn’t either.

Philadelphia’s manager Charlie Manuel took out Park and used four other pitchers in the inning. The third of the ensuing four, J.A. Happ, came into a bases-loaded, two-out situation. He made life difficult for himself against Ethier after jumping ahead 1-2 in the count, missing outside for ball-two and low for ball-three. In danger of walking in a run, he went to his fastball. It went over the plate, but it missed low. Carlos Ruiz tried to frame it and move his glove up a notch, but the umpire wasn’t buying his sell. Martin walked home for the go-ahead run as Happ just stared at the plate.

The Phillies lost by that score, 2-1. Martinez did nothing to lose. Happ was called upon in the toughest of situations. It was Utley, once again, who cost Philadelphia. In Game 1, he allowed the Dodgers to climb closer. In Game 2, he gift-wrapped the Dodgers a win they desperately needed.

Pedro Martinez wierp zeven sterke innings, maar het mocht niet baten (Bron: dbking-Flickr)

De Los Angeles Dodgers hebben vrijdagavond met 2-1 gewonnen van de Philadelphia Phillies. Hierdoor is de stand in de best-of-seven serie nu gelijk.

Lang leek het erop dat de Phils aan het langste eind zouden trekken. Helaas voor de Phillies kon de bullpen een 1-0 voorsprong in de achtste inning niet volhouden.

Veteranen Pedro Martinez en Vicente Padilla wierpen een sterke wedstrijd. Martinez liet in zeven innings niemand over de thuisplaat komen voor de Phillies en Padilla gaf alleen een homerun van Ryan Howard in de vierde inning op.

Bullpen

Nadat Martinez de eerste zeven innings alleen had geworpen kwamen in de achtste inning vijf werpers in actie voor de Phillies. Chan Ho Park was verantwoordelijk voor de twee punten die in die inning over de thuisplaat kwamen, maar het waren vooral de fout van tweede honkman Chase Utley en de vier wijd die werper J.A. Happ opgaf aan André Ethier met drie man op de honken, die de Phillies de das om deden.

Closer voor de Dodgers, Jonathan Broxton, kon de wedstrijd vervolgens in de negende inning verzegelen, waardoor de twee teams met een 1-1 tussenstand naar Philly gaan. Daar wordt zondag de derde wedstrijd gespeeld.

I’ve had goose bumps for the last 10 minutes, since Andre Ethier caught the last out of the Dodgers’ 2-1 victory over Philly in Game 2 of the NLCS.

• Vicente Padilla pitched absolutely brilliant baseball for 7 1/3 innings.
• Ethier drove in the go-ahead run with a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning.
• Chase Utley made a key throwing error, giving the Dodgers their first run in the eighth.

Pedro Martinez was also brilliant, throwing 87 pitches in seven scoreless innings. But the Dodgers took advantage of the Philly bullpen after Pedro left the game.

Series is tied 1-1 — just like the 1988 NLCS. Game 3 is Sunday at Philly.

We’re set up with two entertaining matchups in baseball’s league championship series, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies facing off in the National League and the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels in the American League.

But even before the two series begin, with the Dodgers and Phillies set to begin play tonight and the Yankees and Angels tomorrow, there is only one outcome anyone’s really hoping for. No offense to fans of the Phillies and Angels, but how could any neutral observer not be pulling for what would be one of the greatest storylines in the history of the World Series: Joe Torre making his first appearance in the new Yankee Stadium, the place he helped to create with his incredible 12-year tenure as manager, on the sport’s grandest stage?

Things ended about as badly as they could for Torre in New York – or, at least, as badly as they can for someone who wins four championships, reaches six World Series and goes to the playoffs in each of his 12 seasons as a team’s manager. But after a third straight exit in the American League Division Series in 2007, this time to Cleveland, the Yankees brain trust met with Torre at the team’s compound in Tampa and basically gave him an offer that he only could refuse.

The Yankees then went with the younger, more intense Joe Girardi, while Torre took his laid-back demeanor across the country to the most laid-back atmosphere in the country, Los Angeles. And while Girardi led the sputtering Yankees through a disappointing final season in Yankee Stadium, a season in which they missed the playoffs for the first time since the early 1990s, the Dodgers under Torre reached the NLCS before losing to the eventual champion Phillies.

This season, the Yankees and Dodgers have been the two best teams in their respective leagues for practically the entire year. Torre skillfully handled Manny Ramirez’s steroid issues – something he learned first-hand in dealing with Jason Giambi’s similar troubles earlier this decade in New York – and has coaxed dramatic improvements out of young players like Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw, much like he did back at the end of the last decade when the Yankees were led to championships, in large part, by young players like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte.

While the Yankees have gotten back into the playoffs this year, they had to go out and spend just under half a billion dollars on CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixiera to do it. On top of that, the intense Girardi seemed to gain some of Torre’s qualities this season, mellowing out and giving his veteran players more of the leash that they used to have under Torre, including when Girardi himself was there.

Now the two historic rivals are seven games away from yet another clash in the Fall Classic, but this one could potentially top them all – even the Dodgers finally breaking through against the Yankees back in 1955. Joe Torre coming back to the Bronx would be the biggest story of the year, of would be in many years, really.

After two years spent as far away from his old home as he could be, Joe Torre could soon be back in Yankee Stadium on the sport’s biggest stage. Unless you’re in Philadelphia or Anaheim, you’ll have trouble finding someone who won’t be interested in watching that.

The only question left is if we will. Over the next week-and-a-half, we’ll soon find out.

Cliff Lee has been one of the best pitchers in the NL since he was traded from Cleveland. Can he do it in the NLCS?

The National League Championship Series is set to kick off tonight in Los Angeles as the Dodgers and Phillies meet in a rematch of last year’s playoff series.  Last year, the Phillies took care of business en route to their first World Series title in 28 years.  Will it be any different this year?

Catcher
At the outset of these playoffs, it was not a case of which of these two, Russell Martin or Carlos Ruiz, was better.  It was more a question of how much better Martin was than Ruiz.  However, in the NLDS, it was Ruiz who showed up for his team in a way that he usually doesn’t, coming up with key hits in the Phils’ 3-1 victory.  So, the gap has certainly narrowed. Still, Martin has shown a more consistent pattern of success, and there was never enough concern about him to make the Dodgers go out and get Paul Bako.

Advantage: Dodgers

First Baseman
Much like in the American League, this is a very big mismatch.  The Dodgers have a serviceable 1B in James Loney, who disappointed by not really having the breakout season that many were predicting, but still had a very respectable year.  The Phillies counter with the Big Man, Ryan Howard, who continues to rack up stunning power numbers, benefitting greatly from having a powerful lineup around him.  He also got his batting average up to a respectable level this year, making him even more dangerous to pitch to.

Advantage: Phillies

Second Baseman
Chase Utley is hands-down the best second baseman in the Majors today.  Not one other 2B gets it done batting and fielding quite like he does.  On top of that, he is the Phillies’ quiet team leader and a hero in the City of Brotherly Love.  The Dodgers have yet another solid presence at 2B in Ronnie Belliard, who I personally think is one of the more underrated second basemen in the Majors, but he’s not nearly in the same category as Utley.

Advantage: Phillies

Third Baseman
Moving to the left side of the infield makes it a lot tougher to determine who’s superior between these two teams.  The Phillies have Pedro Feliz at the hot corner, who is always solid, but far from spectacular, and isn’t the player you expect to get hurt by if you’re a Dodger fan.  Casey Blake has had a bit of a resurgence since leaving Cleveland for LA, but still is far from a superstar.  That being said, it’s hard to imagine either of these two having a major impact in this series.

Advantage: Push

Shortstop
Another slot in the infield that it’s truly unclear as to who has the advantage, but the difference is that both Jimmy Rollins and Rafael Furcal could have a major impact on this series.  Rollins has the ability to give the Phils a quick start, with his unusual power hitting from the leadoff spot, as well as good speed on the basepaths, and very good defensive skills.  Furcal has been one of the more clutch players for LA down the stretch, along with Andre Ethier, and isn’t a slouch out in the field, either.

Advantage: Push

Outfield
The Dodgers’ outfielders have certainly drawn the most attention this postseason, and that’s not a surprise when you have Manny Ramirez in left field.  The real surprises have been his supporting cast of Ethier and Matt Kemp, who have come up with numerous timely hits and home runs for LA down the stretch, and who both played very well in the sweep of the Cardinals.  The Phillies have a pretty good outfield, though, too, with Shane Victorino, Jayson Werth, and Raul Ibanez, all of whom could have been All-Stars this year in the NL.  The play of these groups in the field, as opposed to at the plate, might be a key to this series.

Advantage: Push

Starting Pitching
This is the separating point between these two teams. I feel it would be a dis-service to take the time and explain this, so I’ll just list the starting rotations for both teams.  For the Dodgers, it’ll be Clayton Kershaw, followed by Phillie outcasts Vincente Padilla and Randy Wolf, and finally either Hiroki Kuroda or Chad Billingsley.  These five have a combined season record of 51-39, and an ERA close to 4.00.  The Phils counter with Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, J.A. Happ, Pedro Martinez, and maybe Joe Blanton.  Lee should automatically give them two wins, Pedro has been a huge surprise and has always pitched well in the playoffs, and Hamels and Blanton have been here before and excelled.

Advantage: Phillies

Relief Pitching
Almost the complete opposite of starting pitching, with the Phillies having some major bullpen issues as they sit on the ledge whenever they need to call on Brad Lidge to close out a game.  The Dodgers, meanwhile, might have the best overall group of relievers in the playoffs, which is a huge advantage for the Dodgers if they get into a high-scoring game or an extra innings game with the Phils.  Not to mention, Johnathan Broxton has been lights out all year for Los Angeles.

Advantage: Dodgers

Taking all of these things into account, as well as a few other factors, including the Phillies success on the road and its similar success against left-handed pitchers.  This is why I am taking the Phillies in six.