For those of you who are not aware, yesterday at 11:59 pm est was the last day at teams could offer their free agents arbitration. Once a team offers arbitration to a player, that player has until Dec. 7 to accept.

A team would offer arbitration to a player–especially to a Type A or a Type B free agent because that team then would receive draft compensation as a result of that player signing with a new team.

A great example of this is what we saw this morning.

Since Billy Wagner signed with the Atlanta Braves and he was a Type A free agent who was offered arbitration, the Boston Red Sox will receive the Braves’ first-round pick (20th overall) and a supplemental pick in 2010.

Here is a list of the players who were offered arbitration by their current clubs. This list is courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors.

Type A Free Agents (10 players)

Chone Figgins

Figgins was offered arbitration by the Angels

John Lackey
Jose Valverde
Marco Scutaro
Mike Gonzalez
Rafael Soriano
Matt Holliday
Billy Wagner
Jason Bay
Rafael Betancourt

Type B Free Agents (13 players)

Justin Duchscherer
Rod Barajas
Joel Pineiro
Mark DeRosa
Adrian Beltre
Ivan Rodriguez
Marlon Byrd
Brian Shouse
Gregg Zaun
Jason Marquis
Brandon Lyon
Fernando Rodney
Carl Pavano

Yesterday was a good day for guys like Bengie Molina, Jermaine Dye, LaTroy Hawkins, and Kevin Gregg, who are all Type A free agents. Since these players were not offered arbitration and will not cost a first-round draft pick, they become much more attractive for teams to sign.

My predictions are that Molina ends up with the New York Mets and Dye ends up with the San Francisco Giants.

Yesterday was a bad day for a player like Rafael Betancourt. With him being a Type A free agent and offered arbitration by the Colorado Rockies, he is going to have a hard time finding work.

It’s hard to justify giving up a first-round pick for a middle reliever, who has been up and down for much of his career. My guess is he ends up back with the Rockies in 2010.

After Dec. 7, we will start to see the dominoes start to fall in the free agent market.

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

I am a follower of the site “mlbtraderumors.com” during the offseason and when it becomes closer to the trade deadline of the baseball season. Usually, I am very interested and agree with a lot of what the site says. However, they posted their Top 50 Free Agent Predictions, and I throughly disagree on many. Here is my list:

Matt Holliday (above) watches the game from the dugout.

1.  Matt Holliday – Mets.   The Mets need offense, plain and simple. They have the money, and want to add the big bat.

2.  John Lackey – Red Sox. Boston’s rotation was almost a sure thing prior to last season. Now, Beckett and Lester are the only two definite starters, so signing Lackey is a top priority.

3.  Jason Bay – Red Sox.  Boston is the only place Bay has won, and he fits in very nicely there. I expect him to wait until Holliday signs, but after realizing Boston is his best spot, he will resign.

4.  Chone Figgins – Cardinals. A bit of a surprise here, as most believe Figgins will either sign with the Phillies or return to the Angels. However, the Cardinals struggled with solidifying the top of their lineup all season, and Troy Glaus is no longer a sure thing at the hot corner.

5.  Randy Wolf – Dodgers. L.A. is in the same situation as Boston, and have no idea what their rotation will look like next season. It’s highly unlikely that the Dodgers could acquire Roy Halladay, so Wolf is a must to bring back.

6.  Andy Pettitte – Retirement. Yes, Pettitte is finally going to walk away. After winning a World Series in 2009, who wouldn’t want to go out on top?

7.  Jose Valverde – Yankees. This will be the biggest splash of the offseason in the Bronx, as the will sign Valverde to set up Rivera, and possibly be his replacement.

8.  Marco Scutaro – Red Sox. The Sox let SS Alex Gonzalez walk, and Scutaro fits nicely. He can bat at either the top or bottom of the lineup, and will help SS Jed Lowrie stay fresh throughout the season.

9.  Adrian Beltre – Angels. They will need to fill the void that Figgins leaves, and I don’t think that they are ready to hand over the job to minor leaguers yet. This signing makes much more sense if the Halos are unable to bring back OF Vladamir Guerrero.

10.  Rich Harden – Mets. I believe the Red Sox will get Halladay, and that is why I have Harden going to the Mets. In desperate need of starting pitching and a winning club, look for New York to go on a spending spree to try and fill the stands at Citi Field.

11.  Mike Cameron – Royals. Kansas City already declined Coco Crisp’s option, and they need a center fielder. Frankly, the need elsewhere for Cameron’s services is limited.

12.  Johnny Damon – Giants. The Giants need to add offense, and Damon would fit nicely by the bay. Damon would also be the final piece of an outfield that includes Aaron Rowand and Nate Schierholtz.

13.  Orlando Hudson – Diamondbacks. It was a mistake letting Hudson walk in the first place, and Arizona was a dreadful team last season. They need to make improvements, and second base is one of the many holes on this club.

14.  Miguel Tejada – Orioles. I think Tejada would be good for the Phillies,

Miguel Tejada (above) could dawn that same Orioles' uniform again.

 but I just can’t see that happening. After the relationship soured between Baltimore and Melvin Mora last season, a hole at third base opened up for Tejada to step right back into.

15.  Joel Pineiro - Mets. New York needs rotation help, and its no secret that GM Omar Minaya likes the idea of building a latin oriented team.

16.  Nick Johnson – Orioles. Baltimore let 1B Aubrey Huff go at the trade deadline, and can afford to offer an incentive laden deal to the oft-injured Johnson.

17.  Aroldis Chapman - Reds. This could be the surprise of the offseason. After all the hype, when teams actually see him throw, I believe that his value will fall in the eyes of GMs, and will join the Reds rotation of the future, Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, and Micah Owings.

18.  Marlon Byrd – Rangers. It is the only place where Byrd has had success in his major league career, and there is not much of a market for center fielders, prompting the Rangers to keep Marlon.

19.  Vladimir Guerrero – Twins. This is another surprise pick here, but Minnesota needs to add a bat to help MVP Joe Mauer and 1B Justin Morneau. Guerrero would be the perfect DH to open a new ball park in the Twin Cities.

20.  Felipe Lopez – Dodgers. With Orlando Hudson leaving the Dodgers, Lopez fits right in as a bat in the No.2 hole of the line up, or down at the bottom.

21.  Adam LaRoche – Braves. LaRoche has spent most of his big league career in Atlanta, and the Braves can’t afford to lose too much offense. Look for LaRoche to get a pay raise to ensure that he doesn’t leave Georgia.

22.  Rafael Soriano – Angels. Adding this right-handed late inning reliever will give L.A. the ability to play the numbers, and put in either Soriano or closer Brian Fuentes based on matchups.

 23. Jon Garland - Twins. Minnesota would like another arm to go in their rotation, and Garland would be a nice addition. He is one of the lower pitchers of this year’s crop, so his price will not be outrageously high.

24.  Carl Pavano - Nationals. Pavano was given a shot by the Indians last season, and was then traded to Minnesota. While Carl could still return to Cleveland, the Nationals are in need of a veteran starter, and a stop gap until all their young pitching talent arrives.

25.  Brad Penny - Diamondbacks. Arizona needs everything, and Penny would give the D-Backs a deeper rotation, as well as a veteran starter.

26.  Erik Bedard – Dodgers. Bedard is often injured, and this could lower his price. However, price isn’t much of an issue in L.A. Bedard is also rumored to be a pain in the clubhouse, in which he would fit right in with Dodgers OF Manny Ramirez.

World Series MVP Hideki Matsui (above) won't leave the Bronx.

27.  Hideki Matsui – Yankees. Believe it or not, the Yankees need the Japanese media in New York. Not to mention, Matsui was just World Series MVP, and there is no way that he is let go.

 28.  Bengie Molina – Mets. The Mets need bats, and their offseason spending frenzy will continue with the signing of Molina. Acquiring one of the best hitting catchers in baseball will help New York build a deeper line up.

29.  Mike Gonzalez – Braves. A possible destination is in the Bronx, but if Soriano leaves Atlanta, Gonzalez may like having the closer’s role all to himself.

30.  Jason Marquis – Rockies. Marquis had a stellar first half in Denver, but struggled down the stretch. I believe that he will hold out in hopes of a bigger deal, but the market will not play in his favor and force a return to the Rockies.

31.  Placido Polanco – Rays. Money isn’t a plenty down in Florida, but after trading 2B Akinori Iwamura, the Rays could use a stabalizing force at the top of their line up. CF B.J. Upton was inconsistent last season, which is why signing Polanco could happen.

32.  Tim Wakefield – Red Sox.  Boston’s rotation is very uncertain, and Wakefield has only ever played for one team. If Wakefield doesn’t return to Boston like I believe, look for retirement.

33.  Ben Sheets – Rangers. Sheets has taken a year off to recover from shoulder surgery, and looks to mount a comeback. Not many teams will be willing to offer him a contract, but the Rangers are always in need of starters, and could offer him an incentive laden deal. Not to mention, Sheets is the same kind of pitcher that owner Nolan Ryan used to be, so that must make him attractive.

34.  Doug Davis – Brewers. Davis has already played for the Brewers, and Milwaukee doesn’t have the money to sign a top-notch starter. Davis’s signing looks even more likely since the Brewers claimed him on waivers in August but couldn’t work out a deal.

35.  Jarrod Washburn – Mariners. There were no bitter feelings between the two sides after trading Washburn to Detroit, and the pitcher said that he would like to return to Seattle. The Mariners aren’t deep on pitching, so bringing back Washburn makes perfect sense.

36.  Russell Branyan – Mariners. I don’t believe that any other club will take the chance of signing Branyan, for he very likely could be a one year wonder. Also, Branyan has the desire to stay in Seattle, so why would he leave?

37.  Billy Wagner – Nationals. Wagner has questions about his health and age, which makes him an unreliable option in the late innings. However, he has stated that he wants to close for the Washington Nationals, and they have no one better. There is no reason that this deal shouldn’t get done.

38.  Juan Uribe – Mariners. Uribe had a good season in San Francisco last season, but not good enough to demand a crazy amount of money. The Mariners will need a third basemen if Adrian Beltre opts to leave, making Uribe a fit in Seattle.

39.  John Smoltz – Retirement. Smoltz’s attempt to come back from shoulder surgery failed last season, and there is no reason to believe that he would be able to make it through a full season. I don’t believe any club in contention would take a chance on Smoltz.

40.  Jermaine Dye – Royals. Dye is in the last stretch of his career, and being a former Royal may appeal to him. His market is not that big, therefore Kansas City would be able to afford him.

41.  Mark DeRosa - Phillies.  The Phillies have tried to acquire DeRosa for years. It makes perfect sense for both sides, as Philadelphia will need a third basemen going into next season.

42.  Coco Crisp – Padres. Money is an issue for San Diego, and it helps that Crisp can’t demand a ton of it. The Padres need an outfielder, and Crisp would be a nice addition to the top of the line up.

43.  Carlos Delgado – Blue Jays. Delgado is another aging superstar, and

Carlos Delgado (above) could also be returning to Toronto.

may want to return to his old stomping ground in Toronto. The Jays are totally devoid of power, and could bring back Delgado at a low price.

44.  Orlando Cabrera – Twins. Both sides have interest, as Cabrera was the emotional leader of last season’s squad. I don’t see Cabrera going any place else.

45.  Gregg Zaun – Rays. The Rays need a backup catcher, and Zaun is cheap. Perfect fit.

46.  Jim Thome – White Sox. Thome has had a good run in Chicago, and the only other place I could see him landing would be Cleveland. I think the issue here will be money, and Thome will not get what he want, but Chicago will offer a little more than Cleveland.

47.  Fernando Rodney – Phillies. Rodney is a good fit in Philadelphia because of his versatility. He can close, set up, and pitch in middle relief. If Brad Lidge struggles again next season, Rodney would be the best insurance policy.

48.  Xavier Nady - Diamondbacks.  Nady provides corner outfield depth, and can play first base. He’s not an all-star by any means, but a decent player that could help out in Arizona.

49.  Kiko Calero - Rays. Calero would be cheap, and as I have previously said, that makes him a fit as a reliever in Tampa.

50.  Rafael Betancourt – Rockies. Betancourt was one of the Rockies best relievers last season, and there will be interest in him. However, I think Colorado will offer some decent dollars to Betancourt, and keep him around.

There is one thing that I did agree with on the site, and it is that this is a difficult puzzle. If one player signs with one team, it ultimately could effect another team’s interest in another player, and all sorts of mayhem in which is the MLB offseason. Although, I thoroughly believe that my predictions will prove more accurate.

With the departure of free agent Yorvit Torrealba, the Colorado Rockies have expressed interest in former Met backup catcher and now free agent Brian Schneider according to The Denver Post.  Torrealba recently turned down a 2 year $4.5 million offer from the Rockies.  The Denver Post speculates that Torrealba may be headed to the San Francisco Giants with the departure of free agent Bengie Molina.  Torealba started in the Giant’s system and was with the big league club from 2001-2005.  He’ll be a stop-gap until Buster Posey is ready to take the job full-time.

Schneider hit .218 with three home runs and 24 RBIs in 59 games with the Met’s in 2009.  He’s he’s an average backup at best.  The Rockies other option is Chris Iannetta who started approximately half of the Rockies games last season.

Simply because I can. I’ll go position by position, because I’ve enjoyed that in the past.

Catcher – Most free agent options are exceedingly elderly. You can go with the walkless remains of 35 year old Bengie Molina, who seems to be trying to elongate his career by adding power as an attribute (His fly ball % was a career best last season). But seriously he’s walked 32 times in the past two seasons combined.

Thug lifeee

Destination? How about New York. I won’t specify Mets or Yankees.

Ivan Rodriguez exists, although at this point isn’t it about time he coaches somewhere? He’ll be 38 next year. In ‘09 he couldn’t crack a .700 OPS. He wasn’t even that close. His strikeouts keep going up, and his walk rate is in decline. Ickk.

Destination? Texas for sentimental value. That’s the only value he has left. Bazing.

Miguel Olivo can get you decent defense and 20+ home run power, which is worth something, but certainly isn’t worth it for more than 4M a year. He’ll be relatively young at 31 next year.

Destination? Do I hear Blue Jays? They seem to like troublesome players that may be undervalued on the market. Plus they don’t really have any catching. Now that Greg Zaun is gone. Although who knows with this new guy Anthropopolis.

Chris Coste could perhaps parlay some Disney magic into hitting .280 with some power. But odds are against the 37 year old to be, as he stands at an extreme risk of being overexposed in a starting role for a team without an answer at catcher. Cough. Royals. But don’t you do it, Dayton Moore! There are two men on that team in Zack Greinke and Billy Butler who deserve better. Much better than Yuniesky Betancourt and Mike Jacobs and Kyle Farnsworth.

Destination? Minor League deal somewhere.

Jason Kendall hasn’t been good since the early part of the decade so don’t sign him (Dayton I’m warning you!).

Destination? Royals. It’s gonna happen. I feel it.

Greg Zaun is going to be 39…

Greg Zaun’s gonna throw down just like he throws out opposing base stealers. Oh wait..

Destination? The Rays like him or something. Go there, Greg.

Jason LaRue is 36? I start to feel old when players who were promising prospects when I started following baseball are all of a sudden on the verge of retirement. Then I remember that I’m not even 20 yet, and that if you look at LaRue’s minor league numbers he shouldn’t have even been considered all that promising (745 career OPS at AAA). Anyway, teams should pass on ol’ Jason.

Jason LaRue is ready to rock. Double A.

Destination? Retirement, or minor league deal.

As far as trades go, I will not list Joe Mauer as a matter of principle. However, why don’t more people discuss the Angels’ catching surplus? I mean, Mike Napoli is by far the superior player over Jeff Mathis (And is by far a better ladies man, as indicated below), who hasn’t demonstrated any ability to hit since he’s been in the majors. But Napoli still doesn’t get as much playing time as he should, so why not trade Mathis while he still has some value? I’d really like to see what Napoli does with 550 PA’s.

John Lackey looks like he moonlights as Steve from accounting.

Destination? I’d like to see the Pirates pony up Neil Walker or something for Mathis. May as well.

Anybody want Dioner Navarro? Bill James lists him as the most likely player to sustain or improve from last year. The Rays would be wise not to sell low on Navarro, but perhaps next year he could be a nice trading chip.

Destination? He sticks around for at least another year.

Also high on that list is Russel Martin, who has sucked increasingly lately. The man started thinking he was Derek Jeter, but forgot how to hit like him. I find Martin rather pompous, but he’s still young and has some value.

Tell me this is fake. Or else EA Sports has some issues with curses.

Destination? You know who would do this trade? The Red Sox. But I think they’re set on catching. Let’s see the Mariners, Reds or Astros try Martin on for size.

With Tyler Flowers pretty much ready, is anybody interested in A.J. Pierzynski? Or could the Sox trade the more valuable and cost controlled Flowers for some more thump in their lineup, while banking on Pierzynski having a few more good years in him? I don’t know! No one does! It’s Kenny Williams!

Ah, neither of ‘em are going anywhere. Everyone likes catching depth, particularly at the trade deadline.

Me. I can run pretty fast, and I have a decent throwing arm. Passed balls and miscommunication with the pitcher could be issues, but honestly, look at the other options here. I’ll sign for league minimum I swear; would you rather give 1M or so to Paul Bako or Vance Wilson? Hell I’ll do under the table shit and sign for 500 bucks. Whatd’ya say, Royals?

Destination: KC!

Tampa Bay Rays catcher Dioner Navarro underwent surgery on his elbow in October but is expected to be ready for the start of Spring Training. Navarro is due a raise through arbitration on his $2.1 Million salary and he had a very disappointing 2009 season. Naturally, some have started to wonder if the Rays will tender him a contract at all. Current free agents Bengie Molina and Rod Barajas have been mentioned as candidates to replace him.

Now I’m no fan of Navarro and that stems back to when he was a prospect in the Yankees system*, but the fact of the matter is the available catcher market isn’t strong. It never is. While both Molina and Barajas could be viable options for the Rays, I don’t think either option is a better baseball decision than simply retaining Navarro. Molina has proven that he can handle an American League pitching rotation through the thick of a pennant race from his time with the Angels so he could handle playing in the AL East. Don’t forget current Rays manager Joe Madden has ties to the Angels. So there would be a logical fit there. The problem with Molina is his price tag. We don’t truly know what he’ll be asking for in free agency but it seems reasonable to think that he could get a 2 year deal somewhere worth around $4-6 Million per. As for Barajas, he was in Toronto last year so that covers the division factor, but he doesn’t have the track record that Molina has. Coming off a strong year he could likely ask for the same type of deal I suggested Molina could seek.

* Navarro was part of a three-team trade in January 2005 that sent Randy Johnson to the Yankees from the Diamondbacks. Navarro was again traded six months later by the Dodgers to the Rays.

Chris Snyder of the Diamondbacks and Kelly Shoppach of the Indians would likely be the two best available catchers through trades but each have their flaws. Snyder is coming off of a back injury and has a hefty price tag that likely puts the Rays out of consideration to trade for him. Shoppach regressed last season badly and looked lost both at and behind the plate. Neither option truly looks more appealing than Navarro.

For a team with seemingly limited resources that has the ability to remain consistently competitive, it would seem to me that it would make more sense to retain Navarro. Assuming he can bounce back to some resemblance of his old self the Rays should be happy with the production they’ll get from Navarro. He already knows the pitching staff. And sometimes roster continuity can be a good thing. Plus, even after an arbitration raise I think Navarro will be less costly than either Molina or Barajas. The Rays could use that money in a number of different places.

The San Francisco Giants fired their hitting coach this week, Carney Lansford, despite the fact that the team stayed in the hunt for the playoffs right up until the last few weeks of the season in part due to an offense that seemed to outperform most expectations yet didn’t show the overall improvements that the organization’s front office expected. Yes, the same Carney Lansford that was a staple in the Oakland A’s lineup throughout the 1980’s and was just as recognizable for his never-give-in attitude as he was for the thick mustache he sported throughout his playing days. On his way out the door, Lansford had some tough words for the organization and its players in an interview he did with Henry Schulman of the SF Chronicle:

“I sleep real well knowing I took my best shot with that team. It’s no secret it was a team of free swingers, which is a very frustrating thing. That’s hard to change.”

Six players struck out 80 or more times on the season so the “free swinger” comment was, in fact, an accurate one. Offensively the Giants finished the season 13^th in scoring, 14^th in slugging percentage, and last in walks and on-base percentage. Only Pablo Sandoval and Juan Uribe (who surprised everyone, mind you) had what could be considered as solid seasons offensively.

After two years on the job, Lansford went on to express some doubt about whether he’ll accept another coaching job elsewhere. He has two sons, Josh and Jared, who are both current minor leagues. Josh, a third baseman turned pitcher, is in the Cubs organization and Jared, a pitcher in the A’s organization, are both under 25 and neither has erupted onto the minor league scene as of yet, although Jared did reach Triple-A for the first time late this past season. In theory the elder Carney could take a coaching/instructor position with an organization, like perhaps the A’s, which would allow him to watch his sons play and still remain active in the game.

Current Triple-A hitting coach, Hensley Muelens, has been mentioned as a likely candidate to replace Lansford, the only member of the coaching staff who will not be back next season. Longtime Giant fan-favorite Will Clark has also been mentioned in speculation about a potential replacement for Lansford but has said himself that he has not yet been contacted by anyone about taking the position. I recall watching Clark play throughout the 80’s and he always seemed like one player who was destined to get into some aspect of coaching but he has resisted the urge primarily so that he can be close to home to be with his autistic son. Sure, he’d be a logical choice for the now open position but would all of that time on the road be too much for him to accept it? Clark has a fairly good gig at the moment as a special assistant in the Giants front office.

The Giants made a number of other moves over the past week, resigning both GM Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy for another two seasons. Sabean has been at the helm of the Giants longer than any GM in baseball has been with their respective organizations and is well respected throughout the game. Perhaps one move he’ll forever be taunted by, however, was an ill-advised trade with the Minnesota Twins in which he acquired A.J. Pierzynski for three minor leaguers – Joe Nathan, Boof Bonser, and Francisco Liriano. Think he’d make that move again knowing what each player has developed into? I think (and hope) not.

In other Giants news, the team has a number of decisions to make as their offseason began sooner than they had hoped. Perhaps the biggest decision yet to be made is whether uber-prospect Buster Posey will be handed the reins to the team’s starting catcher position or if they will sign a veteran to platoon with him until he learns how to call a game. Posey was a surprise call-up in September once Bengie Molina began to experience some soreness in his knees and shoulder, only to then sit on the bench for over a week without getting into a single game. After receiving only 17 plate appearances over the course of the month, much has yet to be determined about the readiness of the #1 prospect in the game and the Giants would be better served being overly cautious with him rather than simply throwing him to the wolves at the onset of the new season in the spring. With that said I think they would be wise to bring in a veteran to share time with Posey and help teach him the fundamentals of calling a game. Offensively and defensively he’s got little to learn but a lot to prove. The one knock against him is his game-calling abilities and that is where a veteran would be ideal. While Molina has expressed interest in remaining with the Giants he is rumored to want a two year deal, which simply would not make sense for the Giants at this time. A one year offer to someone such as Rod Barajas, Josh Bard, or even Jason Varitek could be feasible.

The team has moved its Double-A affiliate from Connecticut (where they were known as the Defenders) to Richmond, Virginia where they will now be known as the Flying Squirrels. Really? Flying Squirrels huh?

Uribe signed with the team late last offseason on a minor league contract and he was expected to compete for a utility role with the team. He enjoyed somewhat of a breakout season, contributing a .289 batting average, 16 home runs, and relatively consistent defense at 2B, 3B, and SS. He could be resigned by the team but it remains to be seen if he can put up that kind of production consistently. The one certainty, however, is he’d likely be more valuable than anything Edgar Renteria may offer at this point in their respective careers and Renteria is still penciled in as the team’s starting shortstop next season.

Finally, general speculation seems to be that the Giants will search for a power hitter this offseason to add to their lineup. The two biggest bats on the free agent market – Matt Holliday and Jason Bay – will both likely be mentioned as possibilities but I think it is unlikely this team goes out and spends top dollar on one of the two to fill this hole in the lineup. I’ve even heard some talk that Sabean might consider trading center fielder Aaron Rowand to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for disgruntled (and unwelcome) outfielder Milton Bradley. While Bradley would give the team a little more pop, his antics really aren’t worth taking a chance on, especially when you consider the fact that Rowand has long been respected as one of the more stand-up guys in the game today.

Personally, I think the team needs to look for some guys that know how to get on base consistently to install at the top of the order and maybe someone who can steal a base or two (Chone Figgins anyone?). If you can get Sandoval and Posey coming to the plate with runners on base in front of them, that can only lead to good things for a team with so many offensive struggles. Find some high OBP guys, supplement them into the current lineup, and start preaching a little plate discipline in Spring Training and throughout the minor leagues and there could be a great turnaround to this offense next season.

Mets fans have suffered through a miserable 2009 campaign. (Photo Courtesy: NYTimes.com)

Don’t think I have to go into detail on how bad the 2009 season was for the New York Mets, or how bad it’s been the last 2 years. This off-season, the Mets will have to make some drastic changes. Below I will make a rough outline on who the Mets should target this winter, mostly from the free agent market. I will assume a few things. First, the Mets want to be competitive next season and won’t stand pat with their team or fire sale. Second, The Wilpons, despite their Madoff losses, will spend some money. Third, contracts will be similar to last year’s FA market. Now let’s get started:

GM & Manager- I know Minaya and Manuel aren’t going anywhere, they should be though. I think the Wilpons will keep them around solely so they won’t have to pay the remaining salary on their contracts if they get let go. Minaya needs to go and so does Manuel. The Mets’ should look at if Bobby Valentine would be interested in coming back to NY to manage since he is no longer wanted in Japan. They won’t though, and unfortunately, Minaya & Manuel are here to stay.

Catcher- Big need for the Mets. Brian Schneider will not be re-signed, but there is not a lot on the market here. Bengie Molina should be the #1 target, but only if it’s for a decent price. After that it’s not very good. Ivan Rodriguez & Rod Barajas would be next on the list, though Texas wants to re-sign Pudge. If Molina or Pudge can’t be signed, rookie Josh Thole might be the best option to start and any veteran to back-up. Of course there could be a trade made, but I’m mostly looking at fixing the team through free agency.

First Base- Another major need for the Mets. Carlos Delgado shouldn’t be re-signed, unless options fall through and he can be brought back for a low price. I don’t know if Daniel Murphy is the answer either. Nick Johnson would be a good target that could fit in nicely for the Mets, but his health and eroding defense is a major concern. Adam LaRoche might be a better choice than Johnson, he is putting up some good numbers for Atlanta, hitting .283 with 25 homers. Prince Fielder’s name will probably be all over the winter trade rumor mill for many teams, and he would obviously be the best option for the Mets if they could get him. Another option would be trading for Nationals’ left fielder Adam Dunn and moving him to 1B, though Dunn’s defense is terrible. The Mets need a good power hitter at first, because they need to up their power numbers next season to compete.

Second Base- Luis Castillo is having a great 2009 and has an immovable contract, he’s not going anywhere.

Shortstop- Jose Reyes is a great SS and is an important part of the core of this team, when healthy.

Third Base- Like Reyes, David Wright is part of the core of the team and the face of the Franchise. However, his decreased power numbers and strikeouts are disconcerting.

Outfield- This is where the options are plentiful in the FA market. Center fielder Carlos Beltran stays put under center, as he is still one of the best and just as important to the team as Wright or Reyes.  Ray’s Carl Crawford has a $10 million option, which the Rays would be crazy not to pick up. But, the Rays might pick up the option to trade Crawford. if that is the case, the Mets should do whatever they can to acquire him. Crawford should be target #1. If not Crawford, Matt Holliday and Jason Bay are obvious targets for LF. Jeff Francoeur is nice in RF, but there are many options if the Mets want to put someone with better numbers there. Bobby Abreu, Vlad Guerrero and Xavier Nady will be available. But, Abreu and Guerrero are aging players. There health issues with Nady and Guerrero too. Gary Sheffield wouldn’t be a bad option to be re-signed and being a pinch hitter.

Starting Pitching- The biggest problem area for the Mets in my opinion. I saw this as a glaring weakness for 2009, even if the staff was fully healthy. I don’t care how much Oliver Perez will make, he wouldn’t have a spot in my rotation on any team. Johan Santana is the obvious ace, after that there is much need for improvement. I would keep John Maine and Mike Pelfrey to fill out my number 4 & 5 spots respectively. John Lackey is an obvious target. A 1-2 of Santana and Lackey would give the Mets one of the best in the MLB, which would definitely compete with the Phillies’ 1-2 of Hammels- Lee. However, if Lackey isn’t re-signed by the Angels, something could be wrong there.

Justin Duchscherer is another great option to look at, as is Jason Marquis, who has already expressed interest to playing in New York. Taking a flier on Ben Sheets or Erik Bedard has definite upside, at the right price. I would be weary on pitchers Randy Wolf, Joel Pineiro and Rich Harden. Wolf might be having a career year. With Pineiro, any pitcher that was bad before going to St.Louis scares me when they leave, look at Jeff Weaver and Jeff Suppan. I feel it’s more the Cardinal pitching coach Dave Duncan effect than anything else. Rich Harden could be a great pick-up if he can return to his old self and stay healthy, but I think his best days are behind him.

I know this plan would take quite a bit of money and the Wilpons seem to be holding their checkbook tightly these days, but they will need to spend to compete seriously next year.

 A una semana de que termine esta temporada ya hemos escrito y comentado mucho sobre Albert Pujols.

No hay duda que el Todo-Estrella dominicano ha obtenido una campaña de ensueño y una vez más no hay que poner a prueba que debe ser el hombre para que sea seleccionado este año como Jugador Más Valioso de la Liga Nacional.

Por otro lado, en la Liga Americana un candidato fuerte para ser el Más Valioso, lo sigue siendo Miguel Cabrera de los Tigres de Detroit.

Ademas de “Miggy” como lo conocen en la ciudad automotriz , de su nativa Venezuela hay que estar bien pendientes cuando llegue la época de galardones.

El “Rey” Felix Hernández de los Marineros de Seattle es un buen contendiente al Premio Cy Young y ojo con el jovenzuelo Elvis Andrus de los Rangers de Texas para Novato del Año del circuito americano.

Además de los antes mencionados, otros latinoamericanos se han destacado en esta campaña.

Antes que termine la temporada, tiempito atras me dió por escribir una columna reconociendo los latinoamericanos que se destacaron a lo largo de esta temporada por franquicia.

Ahora deseo aplaudir antes que acabe la actual campaña aquellos que fueron los cinco más destacados  latinos por posición defensiva que lo hicieron bien todo el año y ellos son:

RECEPTOR: Victor Martinez, Boston; Bengie Molina, San Francisco; Yadier Molina, San Luis; Miguel Montero, Arizona; Jorge Posada, Yankees de Nueva York

PRIMERA BASE: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit; Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego; Kendry Morales, Angelinos de Los Angeles; Carlos Peña, Tampa Bay; Albert Pujols, San Luis

SEGUNDA BASE: Alberto Callapso, Kansas City; Robinson Cano, Yankees de Nueva York; Felipe Lopez, Milwaukee; Jose Lopez, Seattle; Placido Polanco, Detroit

TERCERA BASE: Pedro Feliz, Philadelphia; Mike Lowell, Boston; Jhonny Peralta, Cleveland; Alex Rodriguez, Yankees de Nueva York; Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco

CAMPO CORTO: Asdrubal Cabrera, Cleveland; Yunel Escobar, Atlanta; Hanley Ramirez, Florida; Marco Scutaro, Toronto; Miguel Tejada, Houston

GUARDABOSQUES: Bobby Abreu, Angelinos de Los Angeles; Nelson Cruz, Texas; Franklyn Gutierrez, Seattle; Carlos Lee, Houston; Juan Rivera, Angelinos de Los Angeles

BATEADORES DESIGNADO: Vladimir Guerrero, Angelinos de Los Angeles; David Ortiz, Boston

EXTRA! LATINOS CALIENTES
En cuanto a nuestros latinos en general, este es nuestro ranking a solo una semana de finalizar la presente campaña.

Los mejores latinos ofensivos al día en todas las Mayores lo son:
1. Albert Pujols, San Luis
2. Hanley Ramirez, Florida
3. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit
4. Kendry Morales,Angelinos de Los Angeles
5. Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco
6. Victor Martinez, Boston
7. Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego
8. Bobby Abreu, Angelinos de Los Angeles
9. Nelson Cruz, Texas
10. Carlos Lee, Houston

Los mejores lanzadores latinos al día en todas las Mayores lo son:
1. Felix Hernandez, Seattle
2.  Mariano Rivera, Yankees de Nueva York
3. Francisco Cordero, Cincinnati
4. Joel Piñeiro, San Luis
5. Jorge de la Rosa, Colorado
6. Javier Vazquez, Atlanta
7. Wandy Rodriguez, Houston
8. Ubaldo Jimenez, Colorado
9. Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee
10.Alfredo Aceves, Yankees de Nueva York

If "The Freak" can get San Francisco into the Playoffs, he could wreak havoc in October.

In a September in which playoff races are looking pretty dead and all but settled, there is one race between two very different teams that gives us a reason to keep paying attention.

Currently, barring a miraculous comeback, the San Francisco Giants are about to take down the Colorado Rockies and cut their deficit in the Wild Card to 2 1/2 games.  So really the only relevant question that remains in either league is which one of these teams is going to take the last playoff spot and play in October (although since the regular season ends in October this year, I guess that’s not a great question).

The Giants have what every good postseason team needs to have when it counts in its excellent starting pitching with Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and the resurgent Barry Zito.  If the Giants make it into the playoffs this is certainly a team to look out for because of how difficult its going to be to beat them in a short series.  Unfortunately for San Francisco, their great pitching is offset by an offense that at times can be almost completely non-existent.  Pablo Sandoval has been a huge part of the Giants’ offense throughout the year, and if guys like Aaron Rowand and Bengie Molina can provide some support, then they might just have a chance to make a deep playoff run, but it’ll take an offensive output that we have yet to see on a consistent basis from this squad.

The Rockies, on the other hand, are looking to bring back “Rocktober” from the ‘07 season, when they went on a tear up until they were swept in the

One of the most consistent hitters of the past decade, Todd Helton would love one more shot at postseason glory

World Series by the Boston Red Sox.  What they have going for them is the same thing that every Colorado team always has going for it in their offense, which can score in bunches.  Their lineup has a great balance of speed, in players like Dexter Fowler, average in Todd Helton, and power in basically anyone who has ever played in Coors Field.  All that makes them pretty dangerous and got them back into the NL West race with the Dodgers up until this recent slump.  Again though, the Rockies pitching staff isn’t exactly one of the most spectacular in the league, although it is vastly improved from where it has been at times in the past.  Ubaldo Jimenez is their ace, and with Jason Marquis and I guess Jorge De La Rosa as the next two in their rotation.  Jimenez got shelled by the Giants tonight, and that’s not a good sign for Colorado. 

So for now, there really is only one show in town if you are an MLB fan and the NL Wild Card race is it.  Looking at the remainder of the schedule, it could become even more interesting if both teams can get hot and put some pressure on Los Angeles, but for now we’ll assume that the Dodgers will avoid the collapse and win the NL West.  Meanwhile, somewhere in the bowels of his personal offices in Milwaukee or the MLB main offices in New York, Bud Selig is looking for ways to make the last three weeks of the regular season go faster.  Playoff baseball could not come soon enough this year.

Here’s who’s set to take on the Dodgers tonight – and hopefully do some damage:

1. Eugenio Velez – LF
2. Freddy Sanchez – 2B
3. Pablo Sandoval – 1B
4. Bengie Molina – C
5. Juan Uribe – 3B
6. Nate Schierholtz – RF
7. Aaron Rowand – CF
8. Edgar Renteria – SS
9. Matt Cain – P

Do well, gentlemen. Go and spoil the dreams of the Dodgers! Do that and I might just love you forever.

The Giants have been disappointing as of late with their untimely hitting. Perhaps a change should made – to the order of the batters. Here’s what my line up would look like for tonight against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

1. Aaron Rowand – He dominated earlier in the season when he was batting in the lead off spot. He has been a bit cold lately – but then again, who on the Giants hasn’t? Putting him back in the lead off spot will inspire the confidence that earned him that spot in the first place.

2. Juan Uribe – U! Ribe! <– that chant needs to be heard earlier in the game. The fans need to get in the game earlier. By putting Mr. Uribe earlier in the line up, the crowd will be behind the Giants sooner and they play better when the crowd is into the game. They need to score quickly and early – this will help that.

3. Bengie Molina – Bengie isn’t really the clean-up hitter anymore. Can he thrive at number three? Yes and here’s why:

4. Pablo Sandoval – The Panda can help out Bengie in the clean up spot. Perhaps Bengie will be walked more – or he’ll see better pitches when pitchers don’t want to pitch to Pablo. Think about it. It could be phenomenal.

5. Freddy Sanchez – Who can bring in the Panda and Big Money better than this guy? Sanchez has proven himself at very good at getting guys over as well as getting himself on base. He is probably the most consistent hitter and now that he’s back, he needs to be the most effective guy he can. He can do that in the number 5 spot.

6. Nate Schierholtz – Nate bats best (in my opinion) from the number 6 spot. He NEEDS to rebuild some of that confidence that he had when he passed that elusive .300 mark. Then something happened. I have no idea what it was – maybe he broke up with a girlfriend, maybe he got the flu, who knows? – but he was hot at the plate. Get back there, sir – or I’m going back to calling you Nathan all the time.

7. Eugenio Velez – Should Nate get walked, a single, just on base in particular, someone needs to get the speedy guy in. Who better than another speedy guy and his buddy in the outfield? Velez, while he’s earned the #1 spot, needs to be productive elsewhere. Do it.

8. Edgar Renteria – Sacrifice flies are good – especially when you’ve got skinny, speedy guys that could turn sideways and disappear. I think Edgar could do well for the team here – not necessarily to his batting average – but to the team.

9. Matt Cain – Of course, the pitcher last. But Matt Cain can hit – he’s hit homers before – but he still needs to be here. Sorry, Matt.

There – that would be my lineup. But they’ve just finalized the lineup for tonight. I’ll go take a look at it and post it here.

Just when the outcome of the Milwaukee/Giants game looked grim, in stepped Bengie Molina. And then he hit a home run to break the tie. And while I doubt he’ll be around next year as his contract is up at the end of this season, he will be instrumental in getting the Giants to the postseason and beyond this year. Now that the Giants have Eli Whiteside and Buster Posey, is it time to say good-bye to Big Money?

I certainly hope not. And I know there’s a panda in the dugout that agrees.

The Giants went on to win in Milwaukee last night 3-2.

Posted By Justin Gelzayd:

I have decided to make a list of the best MLB players wearing each jersey number.  This list will be released in segments of ten, such as 1-10, 11-20, etc.  Listed will be the winner and a runner up at each position.  The list will be created based on 2009 stats (hits, runs, home runs, RBI, stolen bases, and batting average).    Also, I have taken into account each player’s role on their respective team and leadership.

For now here is the numbers 1-10 list:

#1-Brian Roberts, 2B for the Baltimore Orioles: (2009 stats-122 hits, 81 runs, 9 home runs, 46 RBI, 21 stolen bases, and a .282 average)
Runner Up-Bengie Molina, C for the San Francisco Giants

Speedy Baltimore Oriole 2B, Brian Roberts.

#2-Hanley Ramirez, SS for the Florida Marlins: (2009 stats- 152 hits, 76 runs, 18 home runs, 82 RBI, 22 stolen bases, .356 average)
Runner up- Aaron Hill, 2B for the Toronto Blue Jays

Batting average king, Hanley Ramirez.

#3-Evan Longoria, 3B for the Tampa Bay Rays: (2009 stats-108 hits, 63 runs, 24 home runs, 83 RBI, 3 stolen bases, and a .274 average)
Runner Up-Felipe Lopez,  2B for the Milwaukee Brewers

Tampa Bay Rays slugger, Evan Longoria.

#4-Brandon Phillips, 2B for the Cincinnati Reds: (2009 stats-104 hits, 57 runs, 17 home runs, 71 RBI, 18 stolen bases, and a .269 average)
Runner Up- Jose Lopez, 2B for the Seattle Mariners

One of the best power hitting middle infielders in the game, Brandon Phillips.

#5-Albert Pujols, 1B for the St. Louis Cardinals: (2009 stats-127 hits, 87 runs, 36 home runs, 100 RBI, 10 stolen bases, and a .326 average)
Runner Up-David Wright, 3B for the New York Mets

The non human, Albert Pujols.

#6-Ryan Howard, 1B for the Philadelphia Phillies (2009 stats-110 hits, 67 runs, 26 home runs, 80 RBI, 4 stolen bases, and a .263 average)
Runner Up-Dan Uggla, 2B for the Florida Marlins

Philly One-Bagger, Ryan Howard

#7-Joe Mauer, C for the Minnesota Twins: (2009 stats-120 hits, 64 runs, 20 home runs, 66 RBI, 1 stolen base, and a .365 average)
Runner Up-James Loney, 1B for the Los Angeles Dodgers

One of the purest hitters in the game, Joe Mauer.

#8-Ryan Braun, LF for the Milwaukee Brewers (2009 stats-136 hits, 77 runs, 22 home runs, 79 RBI, 9 stolen bases, and a .319 average)
Runner Up-Gerald Laird, C for the Detroit Tigers

Milwaukee Brewer stud LF, Ryan Braun.

#9-Chone Figgins, 3B for the Los Angeles Angels: (2009 stats-126 hits, 87 runs, 3 home runs, 36 RBI, 33 stolen bases, and a .301 average)
Runner Up-Hank Blalock, 3B for the Texas Rangers

Pesky Angels 3B, Chone Figgins.

#10-Adam Jones, CF for the Baltimore Orioles: (2009 stats-123 hits, 73 runs, 19 home runs, 64 RBI, 9 stolen bases, and a .298 average)
Runner Up- Michael Young, 3B for the Texas Rangers

Future MVP contender, Adam Jones (no not the strip club one).

Honorable Mention: Chipper Jones (# 10), Troy Tulowitzki (# 2), Derek Jeter (# 2), and Yadier Molina (# 4)

List of #11-20 will be coming soon, keep checking for updates!

Meanwhile, what’s your list for #’s 1-10?

Tonight the Los Angeles Dodgers roll into town to face the Giants. One of baseball’s most storied rivalries will be rekindled in the heart of the dog days of summer. It seems as though there has been a void in excitement in this historic matchup. But on this midsummer-day, baseball fans across the bay will feel the rising tension. The Giants have steamrolled their way back into contention in the 2009 season. They now sit only 5 ½ games back of their heated rivals. Also, 6 out of their remaining 9 games against the Blues Brothers are played in the waterfront stadium in San Francisco.

The Dodger bats have fell silent in the last few games and have lost some timely games to help the Giants stay in the race. Tonight Hiroki Kuroda looks to continue his comeback from an injury ridden season. Jonathan Sanchez will aim to continue his resurgence in the starting rotation.

Sky Walker’s Keys to the Game:

1. Stay hot Bengie. Molina has finally broken out of that awful slump and begun to swing a hot bat. Big Money is hitting .321 with 8 RBIs in the month of August.

2. Keeping the Mo. Jonathan Sanchez’s biggest weakness is not being able to carry over good innings from one to the next. It’s crucial for Sanchez to keep his momentum moving forward. Or as Bip Roberts likes to say, “win one inning at a time”.

3. Take a Hike. There is absolutely no reason to pitch to Manny Ramirez. The Dodgers chose to send Barry to 1st for years. Why not return the favor? Manny has the ability to light up Sanchy and send balls into the arcade. No need to risk it.

Game time is in a couple of hours (7:15). Don’t miss the broadcast on KNBR 680.

While it was generally accepted that the Giants would be a team to be reckoned with in 2010, GM Brian Sabean started the party early, acquiring first baseman Ryan Garko from the Indians and second baseman Freddy Sanchez from the Pirates.  My prediction is that these two players will help the deliver the Giants an NLCS championship.  They are huge upgrades over the production that the Giants are currently getting from these positions.  At first base, the Giants received a .747 OPS, ranked 25^th in the league, and at second, a .601 OPS, good for a rank of 28. 

Sanchez brings to the table a .776 OPS, and will probably give the giant an extra fifteen runs above average based on weighted on-base average.  Garko owns a .826 OPS, and based on the same statistics, should give the Giants an extra five runs over their current production.  Over the course of 61 games, twenty runs is nothing to shake a stick at.  An extra .33 runs per game would move them from the 27^th ranked offence in runs scored to 23^rd, a significant increase.  If you add .33 runs per game to their current statistics this season, their Expected Pythagorean Record winning percentage would jump from a pedestrian .532 to .615.  To put that in perspective, the Yankees and Dodgers are leading the league with a .614 winning percentage. 

Already leading the Wild Card Race, the Giants, barring a serious injury to Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain, should slide comfortable into the postseason.  This is when they will be the most dangerous.  Lincecum and Cain form the most dangerous 1-2 punch in the NL, and will be extremely effective in a post-season series.  Let’s take a look at the Giants new and improved roster.

Lineup

C – Bengie Molina (80 OPS+)

1B – Ryan Garko (114 OPS+, 12.1 UZR/150)

2B – Freddy Sanchez ( 109 OPS+, 6.3 UZR/150)

3B – Pablo Sandoval (142 OPS+, -1.07 UZR/150)

SS – Edgar Renteria (65 OPS+, -1.9 UZR/150)

LF – Fred Lewis (93 OPS+, 3.0 UZR/150)

CF – Aaron Rowand (102 OPS+, 8.4 UZR/150)

RF – Randy Winn (86 OPS+, 15.1 UZR/150)

Utility IF – Juan Uribe (94 OPS+, 7.38 UZR/150)

On average, this line-up has an OPS+ of 98.3, barely below league average.  When you combine that with their stellar pitching, they will be a force to be reckoned with.  They are also an above average defensive squad, with a cumulative UZR/150 of 49.31 among these nine players.  This is 49 runs that the Giants will save on defence alone. 

Pitching

SP – Tim Lincecum (2.30 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 1.99 FIP)

SP – Matt Cain (2.27 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 3.81 FIP)

SP – Barry Zito (4.54 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 4.37 FIP)

SP – Jonathan Sanchez (4.92 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 4.33 FIP)

SP – Randy Johnson (4.81 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 4.91 FIP)

Bullpen – (3.37 ERA , 1.32 WHIP, 3.74 ERA)

While starters three through five leave much to be desired, Lincecum and Cain are so dominant and throw so many innings that the Giants still have second best starting pitcher ERA in the league.  The bullpen is ranked third.  Even when you factor out the excellent fielding; the starters and relievers rank third and fourth respectively in FIP.

Even though Sabean gave up a big part of the future in Tim Alderson to acquire Sanchez, it was well worth it.  So there you have it folks, the 2009 NL Champion San Francisco Giants.

I think the general consensus was that the All-Star game last night was fairly entertaining with a close 4-3 victory by the American League.  However, I thought it was terrible because it was not real baseball.  Here are my biggest issues.

Closer Domination

Fans of teams like the Yankees with dominant closers like Mariano Rivera love it when they hear their closers theme song come on and watch them trot out to slam the door on an opponent in the ninth inning.  Let’s just say Jonothan Papelbon loses some of his aura when he enters the game in the seventh inning.  It was also pretty boring to watch a game you know was over after six innings.  Sure it was still a tie game but the AL essentially had 9 automatic outs to play with thanks to Papelbon, Joe Nathan, and Rivera, the three best closers in the game.  It is not very fun to watch a game where each team has multiple pitchers in the bullpen who are essentially guaranteed to throw a scoreless frame.  Part of the beauty of baseball is that anyone can beat anyone on any giving day, and the lead can change each and every inning.    

Hack Away

This was easily the thing I enjoyed least about the game.  Players were not working the count like they would in a real game, but instead swinging at the first pitch they saw.  This happened for two reasons.  First of all, the pitchers are so dominant that if you fell behind in the count, you were pretty much toast.  The second is that especially for the reserves, you may only get one at-bat.  If you are going up there knowing you might only have one shot at glory, are you going to try and draw a walk?  I do not think so.   

This led to some ridiculous pitch counts.  All of the following pitchers threw one inning:

Mark Buehrle – Nine pitches

Zack Greinke – Ten Pitches

Edwin Jackson – FOUR pitches

Felix Hernandez – Eight pitches

Jonothan Papelbon – Ten pitches

Trevor Hoffman – Five pitches

Francisco Cordero – Nine pitches

Ryan Franklin – Nine pitches

Francisco Rodriguez – Six pitches

That is half of the game in seventy pitches.  Absolutely ridiculous.

The Bengie Molina Effect

This may be an obscure reference, but some of you may know that Molina is dead last in the majors with a BB% of 1%.  He would have fit right in; there was only one unintentional base on balls in the entire game!  I could not find any proof, but I doubt there was a single game in the majors this year that featured one walk.  Once again, this is not real baseball.

The Baserunning

When I watch a baseball game I want to see Ty Cobb going into second with his spikes up and Pete Rose trucking Ray Fosse at the plate.  In the All-Star game you’re lucky to see a guy hustle out a ground ball, let alone try to take an extra base.  Carl Crawford had an opportunity to stretch for a double but settled for a single.  Ichiro tried to “break-up” a double play with about the same gusto as my grandma would have.  In the regular season you see Adam Wainwright taking a throw off his pitching hand to break up a double play.  In the All-Star game, not so much.

Roster Size

I do not think I have to go into much detail here.  Thirty-three players and a billion dominant pitchers; not real baseball.

Fan Voting And The Every Team Must Be Represented Rule

Fan voting has been discussed at length before, but guys like Josh Hamilton and Dustin Pedroia did not deserve to be voted in as starters, and how did 33^rd man Shane Victorino get to start?

The representation rule also led to “All-Stars” like Andrew Bailey and Zach Duke.  Barry Petchesky from Deadspin ran a simulation, and the NL All-Stars lost to the New York Yankees.  The All-Stars also had a lower average salary than this collection All-Stars. 

All-Star!

The Player’s Do Not Take It Seriously, At First.

The players could care less about the outcome for the first half of the game.  If you look at the dugout there are hardly any guys up on the railing watching the game intently.  The game only gets serious if it is close in the finals innings.  In a real baseball game you have to be committed from the beginning or it will be chalked up as a loss every time. 

I am sure if I thought for longer I could come up with some more reasons but there are seven for your consideration.