Results tagged ‘ Florida Marlins ’
Quitters
In this economy, why would anyone want to quit their job in the first place?
Sure, we may not like our bosses, our co-workers, may feel harassed (even if the law is on our side) or just can’t deal with the crap work throws at you. But, you have to wonder when two managers all of the sudden resigned in a short manner that something is amiss on these ball clubs.
First, it was Edwin Rodriguez resigning as the manager of the Florida Marlins. Yes, they’re in last place in the National League East, but they’re not in bad shape. After all, the Fish had been 46-46 under Rodriquez, yet no one offered any concrete explanation behind his departure. The division’s tightening up, but that’s no excuse for the manager to simply quit.
Just minutes after his team beat the Seattle Mariners at home today, Jim Riggleman tendered his resignation to Mike Rizzo and the Washington Nationals. This one I don’t get. Riggs has the Nats over .500 and in third place in NL East. They’re nine games out of first, but they’re over .500.
There was some information regarding Riggs’ departure: His contract. It appeared that he wanted to meet with Rizzo regarding issues around the manager’s contract. Apparently Rizzo turned him down. Riggs claimed that he was “too old to be disrespected.”
Well! How juicy is that! Rizzo certainly lived up to his reputation as being a tough negotiator who will get what he wants. That’s not going to make friends in this game. To upset Riggleman to point of tendering a resignation – that’s gall.
I don’t get why managers would have to resign to exit out of their current situation. What motivates one to simply walk away from a huge salary and massive responsibility?
If someone has the answer…fire away.
Seriously, no one likes a quitter.
Sabean’s Throw Down
OK, no time to waste…let’s do this…
APOLOGY NOT ACCEPTED? In the aftermath of Buster Posey’s season-ending injury, the aggressor in this situation, the Florida Marlins’ Scott Cousins, called the Giants’ catcher to apologize. That call was not returned. In Posey’s defense, Giants’ General Manager Brian Sabean defended Posey’s non-reaction on a sports radio talk show in San Francisco on Thursday. Sabean even went as far to say that if he “never hear from Cousins again or never plays another day in the big leagues, I think we’ll all be happy.”
Classy.
They’re defending World Champs. They just did a video reaching out to GLBT youth for the It Gets Better Project. They supported one of their fans as he continues in a coma after the attack on him on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium. Now this?
Sabean went on to defend his comments to the point of saying that “there’s no love lost” over the “overly aggressive” play by Cousins. Is this the kind of defense a GM can justify when he lost a key championship asset and that asset is the key to his club’s future? Also, Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy did request that Joe Torre, the MLB’s disciplinarian, some changes in the rules to protect catchers. Torre is apparently looking into the request.
How much more leeway should we give the defending champs this season? I’d rather you debate this…
THE BRYCE UPDATE: Last year’s first Draft Pick, Bryce Harper, has been enjoying a spectacular season on the Single-A Hagerstown Suns with acknowledgement from Washington Nationals’ General Manager Mike Rizzo. Rizzo’s loving Harper’s progress in the South Atlantic League that there are rumors swirling of a promotion later this season. The talk is that Harper could end up with the Double-A Harrisburg Senators, skipping over Single-A Advanced Potomac.
Harper’s numbers are indeed noteworthy: He’s batting .346 with 13 home runs, 41 RBIs and a .432 OBP. Currently, Harper is tied for the lead in home runs and RBIs in the SAL. He had some heroic moments while with the Suns, including a walk-off, two-run homer on Thursday at home against Greenville.
Perhaps it is time to promote Harper, as some of his competitors in the SAL have done already. For example, Bryce Brentz already jumped to Single-A Advanced Salem in the Boston Red Sox system from Greenville. Matt Curry began the year with the West Virginia Power has been elevated to Double-A Altoona in the Pirates organization. What’s Rizzo waiting for?
Speaking of which, the Entry Draft is next week.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON? We’ve had over the years some father-son combinations that worked out just fine. Cecil and Prince Fielder. Ken Griffey and Ken, Jr. That’s only a couple to speak of.
How about Wayne and Trevor Gretzky?
The son of perhaps one of the greatest player in professional hockey history is getting a tryout in Arizona for the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Trevor played baseball for a private high school in Westlake Village, California with success. In October, he signed a letter of intent to play baseball for Tony Gwynn at San Diego State University. Whether Trevor gets in on the draft next week will depend on how he did in the two combines in Arizona.
If you’re scratching your head as to why the son of the greatest hockey player ever is playing a sport unlike his dad – ask Ken Griffey, Jr. about his son Trey. It appears the third generation Griff is being recruited by several colleges to play football.
LAST, BUT NOT LEAST: To follow up on my last post on the San Francisco Giants “It Gets Better” video, we now know who’s next in the MLB to do such a PSA: The Cuubbies! Oh, I have to see this one…
Photo of Scott Cousins (above) courtesy of Major League Baseball
Random Heirloom Thoughts Under Insomnia
I have two hard and fast rules on writing: Never write under the influence of drugs, alcohol or any substance that would induce abnormal behaviors. And, never write unless you had enough rest!
So, I woke up way early because my brain was fried from parsing out the draft of the Capstone (If I were to explain what it’s all about and the exact arguments I made so far – you would go into convulsions. Moving right along…). It’s also being sent into the spin cycle with another class I picked up this semester that has been fighting for attention lately.
But, there’s plenty out there to parse out. Shall I begin with the biggest head-scratching moment of the off-season?
THE RAYS FIRE SALE AND TRADE-IN: Barrett-Jackson has nothing on what the Tampa Bay Rays did this off-season. Carlos Pena – gone. Matt Garza – gone. Carl Crawford – gone. Sure, break up a team that won two division titles and appeared in a World Series over the past few years, but replace them with Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez? I’m sure there’s a Dave Chappelle joke somewhere…
Fire sales are nothing new in modern baseball. The San Diego Padres and Florida Marlins are masters in liquidations of winning ballclubs. What bugs me about the Rays’ personnel turnover is that they had to go to retreads (unless Damon and Ramirez prove their fitness at their advanced stages of their careers) to replace key producers on their ballclub.
I’m not even convinced that Kyle Farnsworth would step into the Garza role when you have a solid rotation with Price, Niemann, Shields and Sonnenstine. Don’t worry, the latter will be back in full strength – I can see it!
DATING AT THE BALLPARK: I was reflecting back at some experiences I had at ballparks around the continent and a question came up due to whether I took a date to a ballgame. Why, yes I did. Should I explain? Only to say that I had a mixed bag of experiences with this. I could go on, but in one instance I’d rather not.
However, I can safely say that dating at the ballpark is a common thing to do. Some couples I know love being together for a game. It is a shared experience that keeps them happy and joyful. That is until their ballclub is down by a half-dozen runs, the team is at the bottom of the standings and someone called them a derogatory epithet from a few rows back.
And, don’t think you’ll get on the video screen when the Kiss-Cam is roaming the ballpark looking for you two to smooch for tens of thousands of fans! If I recall, there was a minor uproar when Safeco Field’s Kiss-Cam got a lesbian couple to kiss for a Mariners’ game. Besides, the game is designed for the dominant paradigm – until Jackie Robinson blew that notion out of the water!
You know, I should write a full post on a similiar subject…or, have I? Moving along…
TWINSFEST – SOLD OUT! If you’re like me and think that you would saunter up to Blaine to catch TwinsFest this weekend – bzzzzzz! The annual fundraiser/off-season festival of all things Twins was sold out due to to advance ticket sales to the event. When they had to scale back the event – no one figured they would have to scale back the number of people allowed onto the National Sports Center for it!
Well played, Twins!
So, if your favorite team is hosting a fan fest this weekend (Milwaukee and Seattle already come to mind), check for tickets for before you go. Don’t get caught in the sell-out! And, check for public transit before you go! I know you can’t with this year’s TwinsFest – and, it’s a low-down shame!
The Case for Baseball Wanderlust
From my last road trip. Photo by Randy Stern
Lately, the MLBlogs front page has been touting some of the latest fans bloggers who are chronicling their tours of ballparks across North America. These are indeed some of the finest examples of wanderlust known to our baseball world. They’re living out the dream of many baseball fans who wished for younger days of sleeping in cars/RVs/cheap rooms, going from ballpark to ballpark and taking in what this country has to offer. Good on them! They make our existence on this planet fuller by the minute.
I began to think “what if I would do such a trip – how would that manifest itself?” In the past, I’d just fly or drive somewhere for the weekend, knock around town, go to a game and go home. On most occasions, this is a good weekend trip. For the baseball fan, unless there was some other historical place of interest related to the game or the focus of the trip was not centered on baseball, it would be a hollow weekend. This is why I sat down and thought about trips that would include multiple ballgames in certain locales or a string of ballparks on a nice journey.
My criteria are simple: Go to a ballpark I’ve never been before, preferably in a place I’ve never visited. Certainly there are ballparks in places I’ve frequented in the past, but never got around to watching a game in – those are included, too! In one exception – I included a ballpark I haven’t seen a game in, oh, almost 30 years. You see that pop up somewhere below…
Granted, these are not grand tours or anything – just simple “hit the ground running and enjoy any sight possible” type of trips. Oh, and don’t follow me for actual travel advice. Believe me, we have our ways of making trips the way we want them.
A DEEPER TOUR OF THE MIDWEST: I’ll admit that I’m not one for long driving trips as much as I used to. However, to balance out the time/distance factor and high regional air fares, I may have to hit the road to stretch out my sea legs in this region. But, where would I go? My first thought was to string a trip through Kansas City with the Royals and Kaufmann Stadium as my mid-point. The most ideal way to do so is to hit two independent American Association towns, Sioux Falls and Sioux City, before hitting Omaha to see the Triple-A Royals. By the time I consider such a trip, Rosenblatt Stadium would be vacant and the team would have moved to their new suburban home. After swinging through Kansas City, I can only head to St. Louis and the Cardinals at Busch Stadium (Number 3). Then, I would jump into Illinois and back into Iowa for a trio of Midwest League stops, Peoria, the Quad Cities and Cedar Rapids, before heading home. Obviously, the only mode of transportation is a car with a string of inexpensive accommodations along the way – the best way to see the Midwest, in my humble opinion.
JUST GET INTO WRIGLEY FOR RYNO’S SAKE! Over the past ten years, I’ve visited Chicago too many times to recall. Last year, I finally got in a ballgame – at US Cellular Field. Why not Wrigley? I’ve passed by it almost as many times as I’ve visited the city and never stepped foot inside. Maybe it’s time to rectify that empty hole of baseballdom just an hour-and-a-half flight from MSP (or seven-plus hour train adventure from St. Paul). Just watch a game at Wrigley. I don’t have to root for the Cubs, right? If I boo them I have to crawl to Halsted instead of walk. But, there’s more than Wrigley to check out – there’s plenty of minor league and indie baseball in the Chicagoland area. There’s Midwest League play in Geneva, Ill. (Kane County Cougars) and South Bend, Ind. (Silver Hawks), Northern League teams in Schaumburg (Flyers), Joliet (Jackhammers), Gary (Southshore Rail Cats) and Zion (Lake County Fielders) along with some Frontier League ballclub in Crestview (Windy City Thunderbolts). Obviously, the best way to get around Chicago is using the CTA, but there are suburban games that are not accessible to METRA, PACE and the South Shore Line readily for certain games – so some creativity would have to be in place before considering renting a car. This would also mean staking out a good place in Chicago to stay that is convenient to everything – and I do mean everything!
FLORIDA – BEFORE THE ATLANTIC GOES CRAZY: Here’s the problem with Florida: Spring Training. If you plan well ahead of everything, you can get good rates on flights, rental cars and hotels for March. The best way to enjoy Florida without getting overheated is to get there in April. Luckily, the Tampa Bay Rays along with the Florida State League will have plenty of activity in and around the Suncoast area. One night, I could be inside Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, the next up in Clearwater, the next at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the next…you get the idea. What about Miami? What about the Marlins? Yeah, I’m going to South Beach – NOT! Wilton Manors, maybe – but forget seeing me on South Beach! Oh, and Walt Disney World – scratch that, too! Obviously, a rental car would be the way to go for my ventures around the Tampa area and a bit beyond – and a moderate plate to stay with access to the ballparks and nightlife afterwards.
ALL ABOARD THE PENNSYLVANIAN: Amtrak once had a tag line that goes: “There’s something a train that’s magic.” I agree wholeheartedly – but it’s been six years since my last train ride. But, would it be nice to integrate a train for a baseball journey? I found a nice run that would work that starts in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia or New York and travels through some of the nicest landscapes in this country. Even better, there will not be one car involved in the entire trip. The reasons are simple: either the ballpark and nearby accommodations are within walking distance of the train station or linked by some form of public transportation. The key three stops are Philadelphia with the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, Harrisburg with the Senators at Metro Bank Park on City Island and Pittsburgh with the Pirates at PNC Park. A fourth stop could be made in New York City, if I wanted to stretch it out to include the Mets Citi Field or, if I get there around the New York-Penn League season, both the Brooklyn Cyclones and Staten Island Yankees. Since I have never attended a ballgame in the State of Pennsylvania – I’ll concentrate on Philly, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh for this very green and sustainable run through the Alleghenies.
A SORT OF HOMECOMING: Growing up in Los Angeles, there were two baseball teams that mattered: the Dodgers and the Angels. Actually, the guys in blue mattered more than those American Leaguers in Anaheim – until 1979. Since leaving my home town for good in 1996, I’ve only been back twice – and missed out on opportunities to return to Dodger Stadium on both occasions. Hopefully, if my next trip falls during baseball season – I will make it back to the place where The Heirloom was born for the first time since 1982. However, there is more baseball to explore in and around my hometown. I’ve yet to visit the Epicenter in Rancho Cucamonga and the new San Bernardino ballpark for my California league fill (I’ve already been to The Diamond in Lake Elsinore 14 years ago – still one fine ballpark!) and an overnight run down to San Diego to check out the Padres at PETCO Park in the Gaslamp Quarter. In-between are old and new friends and family covering everywhere from Camarillo down to San Diego. This would require a rental car and accommodations in both the Los Angeles/Orange County area and a night down in San Diego – or, not.
Swinging Bar Doors – The Pre-All-Star Game Edition
Four manager changes so far this season – and we’ve got several days before the All-Star Break.
It’s no longer unusual for teams to pull the switch on their managers if they start poorly in the season. So far, Trey Hillman, Dave Trembley, Fredi Gonzalez and A.J. Hinch were dismissed from their positions. As for their replacements…well?
KANSAS CITY – NED YOST: This one came as a surprise as everything thought Hillman was going to stick around. The guy was a popular manager in the area and had his players’ respect. Yet, the Royals knew they had to make a change and went for a winner. Yost led the Milwaukee Brewers to their first Postseason in decades until he was told he couldn’t manage them into it. You can question that move up and down, but it did land Yost a key role in the Royals’ organization. Yost’s solo leadership could be questioned at time, but Yost likes to surround himself with the brightest coaches around for a combined effort in leadership on the field. The Royals are in fourth place, however the team has the best batting average in the Majors. At least Yost has a highly talented ballclub to work with. PROJECTION: Yost can turn this club around – next year.
BALTIMORE – JUAN SAMUEL: This year’s “worst team in baseball” could not sit well with Peter Angelos. The popular Trembley had to be swapped – but for Juan Samuel? With only Double-A experience, the former all-star was thrown to the wolves. The O’s do not lack anything talent-wise – they’re just outgunned by everyone else in the AL East (save for the Toronto Blue Jays on occasion). It would take a monumental task for Samuel to do the unthinkable and right this ship into the axis of the Yankees-Red Sox-Rays. But, can Samuel do it? PROJECTION: Angelos has no patience, respect or – anything – for this club – never has. Samuel will be done in October
FLORIDA – EDWIN RODRIGUEZ: The Hanley Ramirez controversy should’ve ended this conversation. Jeffrey Loria and his management waited too long to act on the real problem: Gonzalez. Or, maybe they took the right amount of time and due diligence to make the move bringing Rodriguez from New Orleans to take over at SunLife Stadium. But, is it the right move? He has a highly talented ballclub capable of making a pennant race out of the NL East again. But, who is this guy, really? Another A.J. Hinch? South Florida baseball fans hope not… PROJECTION: Trusting Loria, Larry Beinfest and Michael Hill on this move, the Fish will see him next year.
ARIZONA – KIRK GIBSON: Firing A.J. Hinch was something I hoped the Diamondbacks would do. I never bought into the Bob Melvin firing that brought the former scout into his spot, but having Gibson looming in the dugout would put the fear in anyone assuming a position without much experience. The D-Backs made the right move by promoting Gibson – and the team responded with a win. It’s a good start for someone who can break of mold of great players/bad managers as Gibson exemplifies leadership. Gibson has his team’s respect and their want to learn the game from him – a huge advantage for a team in the NL West cellar. If Gibson can turn this club around, Bob Brenly’s tenure in Phoenix would only serve as a benchmark for what the future Hall of Famer can do. He has the players to do it – Gibson just needs to get them to buy into a turnaround. PROJECTION: Like Brenly, Melvin and Buck Showalter before him, Gibson will get a division pennant – as early as 2011.
Again, the question must be asked: Who’s next? Or, rather, how long before Jim Hendry will pull the switch on Lou Piniella for Ryne Sandberg?
The World Cup vs. Jason Heyward
An interesting weekend, I must say. You have one eye on a ballgame, the other on the USA-England match in Rustenburg, South Africa. Even tonight, we’re paying some attention to the NBA Finals. What’s a baseball fan to do?
It appears that my fellow MLBloggers had something to say about the FIFA World Cup underway in South Africa. Well, I better join the crowd…but, I have to admit that I am not into it as I was four years ago when the country of a quarter of my heritage lost to Italy. No thanks to Zindane and his headbutt of Materazzi after the Italian talked about the Algerian-French superstar’s mother behind his back.
Sure, the USA side was fit to be tied with the English. The French also tied in their opener. The Aussies got their behinds handed to them by a younger German squad. Well, they were quite cocky to begin with. That probably had to do with Cahill’s red card and their former captain expressing bitter disappointment on the ABC, Seven, Nine, Ten, SBS, SkySport and FOXTEL.
The Aussies already have enough to worry about – including racist comments by an assistant coach of the NSW State of Origin rugby team against an Aboriginal player on the Queensland squad. This led to one of NSW’s own to quit the club – an Aboriginal, by the way!
Oh, we don’t have these problems in Major League Baseball! Do we?
No, not when the Minneapolis Star-Tribune did a write-up on the Atlanta Braves’ Jason Heyward. The piece in Sunday’s paper drew comparisons to Joe Mauer, as Heyward grew up near Atlanta. It also pointed out that the Braves’ rookie sensation could spell a renaissance for a new generation of African American players. I certainly hope so!
Incidentally, the Braves took two from the Minnesota Twins in their first trip to Target Field. Part of Bobby Cox’s farewell tour…
Then, there was Stephen Strasburg’s second start in Cleveland. He did get the win for the Washington Nationals, but not without some issues. Strasburg walked five batters while dealing with a poor landing area on the pitching rubber. Though he struck out eight Cleveland Indians, it appeared that Strasburg struggled to control his pitches during a daytime game at Progressive Field.
Luckily, Strasburg’s next start will be back at Nationals Park.
If you think Strasburg’s second start was, for lack of a better term, interesting – try these two storylines: The Florida Marlins take two from the Tampa Bay Rays inside The Trop and the Angels sweep the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. Has Mars reversed orbit all of the sudden?
And, to make matters more interesting – I’ve been itching to see a ballgame real soon! With Twins tickets becoming as rare as seeing a Pagani Zonda driven in this country, I need to take a road trip somewhere. It won’t be a long distance run since I don’t have the time. I’m sure you’ll read something in a week’s time from somewhere in Minnesota, South Dakota or Iowa watching some form of baseball. There’s also a rugby tournament being played in the area that I’m interested in checking out.
The World Cup? I’ll leave that to a few friends I know that have gone bonkers over it. In the meantime, I’m watching the Denmark-Netherlands match before work…God, I’m such a hypocrite!
Hey Flyers Fans, You Missed a Perfect Game!
If you happen to be in the Philadelphia area and had to choose between watching Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals on Versus and the Phillies-Florida Marlins game on Comcast Sports Net – which one did you really watch?
Most likely, you watched the Flyers in a good one against the host Chicago Blackhawks. Too bad they lost. It also meant you had no idea what transpired down at Sun Life Stadium in the northern part of Miami.
You’re not alone. I didn’t, either. I was driving a couple of friends down to a cabin in East Central Minnesota where the antenna only picked up the NBC affiliate out of the Twin Cities and the station the Twins play on Sundays. At least they got the Minnesota Public Radio Classical station out of Brainerd.
These same friends also commandeered the Sirius satellite radio in my car – where I did not have the Best of XM package with all of the Major League stuff on it. No, they wanted some dance music station instead.
So, what did we miss? The 20th Perfect Game ever pitched in Major League history. One pitched by the most prized Free Agent of this past Hot Stove season: Roy Halladay.
The Phillies had everything going for them that evening. The Marlins – not so much. Was it as good as Dallas Braden’s perfecto on Mother’s Day? From what I’ve seen in the highlights – no. Sorry Phillies fans, but the story lines couldn’t match here.
Braden had the emotional crossroads of losing his mother in high school, his hometown watching him closely, his run-in with Alex Rodriguez during his last start and the fact that he was still a young developing pitcher with one heck of a career ahead of him. Halladay? We knew he was good – think Mark Buehrle and his perfecto last year – so, it was just a matter of time before it all became true.
The numbers look true for a perfecto: 115 pitches, 72 strikes, and 11 strikeouts. This was beyond classic Halladay – dominance from start to finish. Then again, Halladay had at least a no-hitter in him. It was a matter of when in this case.
Congrats Doc! You deserved this one! For those you in Philly who missed this game – shame on you all! Call me when the ‘Hawks win the Cup!
Craziness Over Memorial Day Weekend
Photo by Michael Larson using Randy’s phone…
I have plenty to catch up here. Hey, what can a baseball fan before losing phone and internet connectivity in the sticks?
Controversies! And, there’s plenty of muck to sift through – and not the stuff looming off the Gulf of Mexico, either!
1. I expected Mr. Inappropriate (i.e. Ozzie Guillen) to blow up at an umpire, but Mark Buehrle? So, the umpiring didn’t go your way? It’s Joe West for Pete’s sake! You’d expect him not to be controversial? Let alone – react to him? That’s what West wants – a reaction. Now, you three pay your fines and concentrate on the job at hand – yours!
BTW, someone should fire West. We’re done with his declining of care for the game as an umpire. If West wants to put this game into ill repute, someone should note this to Jimmie Lee Solomon and soon!
2. What’s Hanley Ramirez’s deal? You’d think that misbehaving as he did a week or so ago is conduct unbecoming of an all-star. So, Hanley was hurting – it didn’t excuse him or bobbling and booting the ball to instigate the vitriol that came afterwards. Ramirez was rightfully benched by Fredi Gonzalez, but that didn’t give the Florida Marlins’ biggest star the right the go after his manager for this action alone! And, further to assail his manager in a press conference? Good one, Hanley!
At least Ramirez apologized. All is well in South Florida – for now.
3. Is Milton Bradley really happy now? I know several players were confused when the troubled Seattle Mariners’ outfielder left midway into May 4th game to emerge on the Restricted List, but sometimes, things like this is necessary. When he returned this week, everyone expected a kindler, gentler Milton Bradley. Thankfully, he did. He even said that he is at peace with himself for the first time in five seasons – amen to that!
Want to put bets on how long that will last?
4. Lastly, I hoped former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani enjoyed his “economy of scale” trip to Minneapolis on Wednesday. People paid $4.95 to get motivation from him (and a cast of dozens) during the day – only to see him scamper across the street to catch the Yankees’ “sweep” of the Twins. At least he didn’t pay his usual $1,800 for his seat, as he would back home…
See what happens when you scale back the number of games to go to in a season? The anxiety of it all!
Oh, and let me plug a new podcast: Red State, Blue State‘s! If you love reading Jeff and Allen’s treatment of the game and American society, you can listen to it on your iPod (Except its Jeff and some local Chicago musician buddy – enjoy!)!
Baseball’s Bell Has Sounded
Remind me to never go “rah-rah” on this blog again…
Seriously, the bell lap has rung and two weeks remain in the regular season. Those who gave it a good go have next year to look forward to. Those who still have a shot to become of the Eight that will become One by the end of October.
Coming out of this past critical weekend, we can now see which teams can clinch this coming week and anyone making a final run at the postseason.
The Minnesota Twins made a net gain of a game on the Detroit Tigers. Sunday’s conclusion (with no help from being quoted on MLB.com’s main page) ensured the Tigers hold on the division. These two teams will face each other again in a week’s time for four at Comerica Park. Since both teams have done exceptionally well at home, if you’re looking for an advantage – the Tigers have it. With the Twins scheduled for three more home games this season, the Tigers have seven.
A few other series yielded some net gains by the division leaders. The Los Angeles Angels took two on the road from the Texas Rangers, increasing their gap to eight games, a net gain of one. The Halos return home to Orange County to face the best team in baseball – The New York Yankees. Consider this next series more of a postseason tune-up than anything, but what transpires in Anaheim could possibly affect the Texas Rangers as they hit the road at Oakland on Monday.
The Philadelphia Phillies also had a net gain of one from their weekend series on the road with the Atlanta Braves. Since there was another team in play for the National League East race, the Braves did not pick up second place in the process. The second place Florida Marlins remains with five games behind the division leading Phillies. The Phils stay on the road to face the Fish on Tuesday in South Florida with a Magic Number of 6 to clinch.
The same scenario happened in Los Angeles this weekend with the NL West. The Dodgers hosted the San Francisco Giants for their final meeting of the season. Though the Dodgers came out of the weekend with a net gain of one game over the third place Giants, the second place Colorado Rockies are still keeping pace with the division leaders. It will not be until the final weekend of the season when the Rockies get a chance to play the Dodgers – on the road at Chavez Ravine.
Though the St. Louis Cardinals left the weekend with a net loss of a game on the Chicago Cubs – after an 11-inning let down Sunday evening – they now have a Magic Number of 4. In fact, they could become the first to clinch their division if they take their road series in Houston combined with Cubs’ losses up in Milwaukee.
Lastly, Tuesday night will finish up a Minor League season unlike any other. At the AT&T Bricktown Stadium in Oklahoma City, the Triple-A National Champions will be held between the Durham Bulls (AAA-Tampa Bay) and the Memphis Redbirds (AAA-St. Louis). The biggest story here is how the Pacific Coast League champions arrived back in the playoffs after nine years and powered through their opponents, including the defending PCL champs Sacramento (AAA-Oakland). Will the storybook tale from Memphis continue for one more night? Stay tuned…
Far From Over
If you’re looking for the bell lap in this year’s pennant races, you’ll have to wait until Monday. There’s a huge weekend of crucial series to get through before everyone can mash their accelerators to the floor for October.
In the meantime, here’s what’s cooking this weekend:
• At the Metrodome, the Minnesota Twins could sweep the Detroit Tigers to pull within a game of the current AL Central leaders? This could be a monumental task with Rick Porcello and Justin Verlander set to start the first two games of the series. However, the Twins come into the series with a four-game win streak. All it takes is one Tigers win this weekend to derail the Twins’ momentum towards a spot in the postseason.
• The St. Louis Cardinals host the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium with two possible outcomes: They could leave the Cubs and the NL Central in the dust with the clincher a game or two away from Sunday or the Cubs could delay the inevitable well into next weekend. The latter scenario forces the Cards to clinch at Coors Field with the NL West/Wild Card contending Colorado Rockies set to play the bad host.
• Last weekend’s Dodgers-Giants series yielded some balance in the NL West, but not enough to close the gap between the division leading Bums and the third-place San Franciscans (NOTE: I caught some of the series on XM last weekend – talk about “edge of your seat” action! It made the drive to/from southwestern Minnesota feel similar to one from Visalia or somewhere else in the San Joaquin Valley.). The rivalry switches to Dodger Stadium this weekend with the Rockies leaning towards the Dodgers in the standings. If you believe in scoreboard watching, all the Dodgers have to do is take the series from the Giants and rely on the Arizona Diamondbacks to play spoiler on the visiting Rox. Otherwise, any other combination may prevent the Dodgers from wrapping up the NL West race the following week.
• Over in the AL West, the Los Angeles Angels are set to travel from Boston to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex for a critical series with the second-place Texas Rangers. The division leaders have a six-game lead over their weekend hosts, yet the Rangers are on a four-game losing streak coming into Friday’s series opener. The temper of this upcoming series will depend on the outcome of tonight’s series finale at Fenway between the Red Sox and Halos.
• If you’re the Philadelphia Phillies, you’d be a bit nervous going into Atlanta this weekend. Or, you could be confident to keep the once-great Braves from spoiling the NL East. Though there are seven-and-a-half games between the two, there’s also the Florida Marlins to factor into this series. This is where you have to hope for an assist by the Cincinnati Reds as the Fish come into Great American Ball Park for a four-game weekender. There are too many outcomes to parse out, but the worst scenario would be a horrible sweep by the host Braves to put the Phils at four-and-a-half games between first and third, It could also put the Bravos at least second place even if the Marlins split the series with the Reds.
• The New York Yankees are enjoying quite the season aside from leading the AL East. Two of their farm clubs wrapped up their respective league championships: Tampa for the Florida State League (A/Adv) and Staten Island in the New York-Penn League (A/SS). Another Yankee affiliate is trying to make it three: The Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees. Coming into tonight’s third game of the International League’s Governor’s Cup Finals, the SWB Yanks are two down on the Durham Bulls (AAA-Tampa Bay). If things go well for the next three games at PNC Field in Moosic, the AAA Yanks will get their cup and meet whoever survives the Pacific Coast League Finals for the Triple-A National Championship in Oklahoma City.
• After two games in the PCL Finals, the Memphis Redbirds (AAA-St. Louis) left the Sacramento River Cats (AAA-Oakland) in the dust at AutoZone Park. The series have switched to Raley Field in West Sacramento. It is not unusual for the River Cats to come from a 0-2 deficit in the finals – it has happened before. Yet, these Redbirds are tenacious and highly talented. Anything can happen on the banks of the Sacramento River tomorrow night and the rest of the weekend. This should be a series to watch for any baseball fan.
• Certainly, I was disappointed for the Cedar Rapids Kernels (A-LA Angels) not going through to the Midwest League finals. The Burlington Bees (A-Kansas City) are hosting game three of the series with the Fort Wayne Tin Caps (A-San Diego) on the brink of sweeping the team from Southeastern Iowa. Sure, I’d like a little justice, but why? It’s only a game, after all.
Randy Stern
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