Baseball

One Play That Changed The Game

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All I ask for is honesty.  If this proposed rule change that will prevent catchers from blocking the plate and bar runners from running into the catcher all in the name of safety, then I will go along with it.  However, circumstances that started with the injury to San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey (pictured above) in 2011 have me thinking this isn’t about safety.
Why am I so skeptical?  The NFL earlier this year settled with former players in the amount of $700 million dollars for concussion related injuries that the players say the league was negligent in telling them about.  The same is happening with former NHL players suing their league for concussion related health problems.
My simple question to these former players would be this.  When this was your goal to play in either the NFL or the NHL.  Did you need a doctor to tell you that playing this sport, with the amount of hits to the head that were expected to happen, would cause you to have medical problems after you retired?
The answer I would expect from these players would be no.  Now I understand that money plays a big part with some people, but doesn’t common sense tell you that getting hit in the head for over a decade might affect you long after you’re done playing?  Players should be taken care of if they have long term health issues resulting from them playing in those types of sports, but would you consider baseball to be in the same class as football or hockey?
To me this is a preventative and reactionary move by baseball. Teams’ managers and front office personnel don’t want to see their investments (players) get hurt and if they can stop it somehow they would.  This is one way with the collisions at the plate.  Another is the realization that baseball could be sued by former players in the very near future for health issues relating to concussions.
That’s not what baseball wants you to think though.  This is all about player safety.  It has nothing to do with the bottom line or payroll.  If they would just be honest and tell it like it is then I could take this rule change at face value.
I don’t see a collision at the plate as much as some would like you to think, but it started to dwindle after Buster Posey’s injury. Managers started to tell their catchers to stop blocking the plate all together.  Why create a rule?  The culture has already changed to weed out the play altogether.  
If this rule isn’t implemented for the 2014 season, MLB said that it will by 2015.  We’ll see if the players union approves of it first.  We know how the owners and general managers feel about it, but if the players think that it needs to be taken out then so be it.  Their opinion matters most here.  Not someone looking at the gross income.

2013 World Series Champions

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World Series MVP: DH David Ortiz – Boston Red Sox
.688 AVG, 2 HR, 6 RBI
It’s amazing to see it happen in any sport.  A team that has one of the worst seasons in their franchise’s history one year and the very next year they end up winning the title.  It happened to the Boston Red Sox in 2013 where their 2012 season was one they would like to forget.  
They had basically the same team that had one of the worst September collapses in baseball history in 2011 going into the 2012 season.  Boston had changed their general manager and manager at the time and the results were pretty disastrous.  Bobby Valentine is a name that is now despised more than the New York Yankees in Boston.  He butted heads with Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz almost immediately.  The media never embraced him and the fans quickly turned on him.  Soon after the Red Sox completed one of the biggest trades in baseball history with the Los Angeles Dodgers in August.  
It was a lost season and not many expected the quick turn around even though the Red Sox hired John Farrell who is familiar with the atmosphere as the pitching coach under Terry Francona before he was hired by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011.  Most of the players knew his style and immediately respected him as the manager. The question was whether the players the Red Sox signed would make immediate impacts or was this to keep the seat warm for the next guy?
Reliever Koji Uehara was not supposed to be the closer.  He was a reliable setup man from his previous stints in Baltimore and Texas, but wasn’t thought of as a closer until he was called upon to replace the injured high price closers in Joel Hanrahan and Andrew Bailey. It turned out to be the best signing of the Red Sox 2012 offseason. He saved 7 games in 7 chances and was unhittable with his 16 strikeouts and .152 batting average against for the 2013 postseason.
Jonny Gomes has been bouncing around many baseball teams throughout his career, five to be exact counting Boston.  He certainly became a known character when he blasted a 3-run HR to put the Red Sox ahead in Game 4 in St. Louis.  Stephen Drew was having a dreadful postseason at the plate, but his solo HR in Game 6 really put behind any and all of his struggles before then.  Shane Victorino hit a grand slam in Game 6 of the ALCS against the Tigers to put Boston ahead for good.  His bases clearing double in Game 6 of the World Series started the celebration early even though that was his first hit of the World Series it came at a crucial moment.
That was really the theme of this World Series for the Red Sox.  Big hits at crucial moments.  Their pitching staff led by Jon Lester who matched and was even better than the Cardinals ace of Adam Wainwright in both of their head-to-head starts was great as well. The eventual MVP David Ortiz had 2 HR and 5 RBI through the first two games of the series, but he was always getting on base with key hits to setup some of the moments I mentioned earlier.  
With the Boston Marathon bombings happening during Patriots Day, which is a long adored tradition in Boston, this team already had a lot on its plate, but put much of that aside and rallied around the city during and long after the terrorist attack.  
It’s not far fetched to think that something truly special was happening during this season.  A team that played hard every day. A fan base that saw their teams determination and fed off it.  Not many teams were able to defeat the Red Sox this year and it was a sight to see them win their 3rd World Series title in 10 seasons.
Congratulations to the Boston Red Sox.  The 2013 World Series Champions.

2013 World Series Preview

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St. Louis Cardinals vs. Boston Red Sox
The Cardinals have been on an amazing run of success in the last 10 seasons.  Since 2004 St. Louis has appeared in three World Series and won two of them.  They’ve won four National League Pennants counting this year and have appeared in six National League Championship series.  The one constant throughout this run of success has been the Cardinals pitching staff and it was no different against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.  The MVP of that series was Cardinals starter Michael Wacha.  In his two starts against the Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, Wacha was phenomenal striking out 13 in his 13 and 2/3 innings pitched while allowing only 7 hits and no runs.  His game 2 start set the tone and put the Cardinals up 2-0 in the series.  It also helped that the Cardinals bullpen was just as good with Carlos Martinez and Trevor Rosenthal giving up only three combined hits in their 9 and 2/3 innings pitched while striking out 11 combined hitters.  With those three and the fact that they still have an ace in Adam Wainwright the Cardinals staff is poised to win a third World Series in a ten year span.  They’ll of course need a big performance from their hitters such as OF Carlos Beltran who is making his first World Series appearance of his career.  His 6 RBIs in the NLCS led the team who had a difficult task to score runs against the Dodgers starting staff.  2B Matt Carpenter bounced back in the NLCS with a .261 average and 4 runs scored.  Their big boppers, 1B Matt Adams, OF Matt Holliday and C Yadier Molina will need to do better.   Good news for the Cardinals is that 1B Allen Craig will be available for the World Series recovering from an ankle injury. Should the Cardinals continue this run of success it will be because of a talented pitching staff and timely hitting.
Boston’s last 10 seasons have gone a little differently from St. Louis’.  This will be their third trip to the World Series in that span, but after last year’s 69 win debacle no one, not even their most loyal fan base expected them to get back to this position.  The Red Sox were consistently the best team in the American League this year and their record showed it.  Their run in the American League Championship Series could have gone in a different direction had it not been for a grand slam by DH David Ortiz to tie the game and to eventually win it in the 9th during game 2.  More heroics happened in game 6 when OF Shane Victorino hit a grand slam to put the Red Sox ahead for good in the ALCS and eventually clinch the AL Pennant.  Other than those two moments the Red Sox bats were kept relatively quiet by the Tigers pitching staff.  Their hitters struck out a combined 73 times in those six games, but they scored runs when they had to at the right time.  They could have the same problem again with a talented Cardinals staff that can pile up huge strikeout numbers.  Boston will need their table setters in OF Jacoby Ellsbury and 2B Dustin Pedroia to play up to their standard to put pressure on the Cardinals pitchers.  If those two can repeat the success they had in the ALCS the Red Sox will be fine on offense.  Their bullpen was the star of the ALCS and the MVP, closer Koji Uehara with his 3 saves and 1 win were a testament to the Red Sox success against the Tigers.  If Jon Lester and John Lackey can set the tone in their starts for the bullpen to finish the job then Boston won’t have any trouble with home field advantage on their side.
Red Sox in 6 games

2013 MLB Championship Series Preview

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Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Yes, the Dodgers had a relatively easy team stifling the Atlanta Braves in the Division Series.  They had no answer for Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw who struck out 18 Braves hitters over 13 innings pitched in his two starts.  Most likely he will start two if not three games in the NLCS against the Cardinals if it goes to seven games.  To help avoid that scenario though the Dodgers will need their other ace Zack Greinke to be better and to lesson the pressure on a semi-weak bullpen.  Los Angeles’ lineup was fantastic.  Seven of their starters batted .333 or higher in the 4-game series with the Braves.  SS Hanley Ramirez batted .500 with 6 RBI and OF Carl Crawford crushed 3 HR in the four games.  If the Dodgers continue to get that kind of production it will give the pitching staff plenty of breathing room for the entire series.
It wasn’t easy as the St. Louis Cardinals beat their division rivals the Pittsburgh Pirates in five games.  If the Cardinals don’t want to have to claw their way back into this series with the Dodgers, they will need a lot more from 3B David Freese and 2B Matt Carpenter. Freese did have a big game against the Pirates in the series clincher, but he will need to re-create that postseason magic he had in 2011.  Carpenter has been a clutch hitter all season long, but his .053 batting average and 6 strikeouts against the Pirates was a bit of a surprise.  His .318 regular season batting average say that he is much better than that.  The Cardinals pitching staff presents a good counter to the Dodgers best starters.  Adam Wainwright was a proven staff ace with his 1.13 ERA and 15 strikeout to 1 walk ratio in his two starts against the Pirates. Rookie Michael Wacha and Joe Kelly were solid as well in their starts and will need to repeat that against a tough Dodgers lineup. St. Louis has a much better bullpen than the Dodgers, but it will start with the starting staff.
Dodgers in 6 games
Detroit Tigers vs. Boston Red Sox

The Tigers are here in the ALCS for the third straight year and have only one World Series appearance to show for it.  Detroit believes that this year is different, but they will have a much tougher test this year than they did last year with a banged up New York Yankees team.  Max Scherzer was solid against the Oakland Athletics in the Division Series, but Justin Verlander stymied them again with a flawless start in Game 5.  Boston has a better lineup than Oakland, but the Tigers pitching staff can compete with the best lineups in baseball.  Some players had a tough going in the Division Series for Detroit.  OF Austin Jackson struck out 13 times and had a .100 batting average.  OF Torii Hunter batted only .158 and 3B Miguel Cabrera only had a .250 average, but his two-run HR in Game 5 was a big lift early in that game.  DH Victor Martinez and SS Jhonny Peralta, who returned from a 50-game suspension for PED use, were both instrumental in getting the Tigers out of the Division Series.  They’ll have to do so again with Boston.

It wasn’t a fair fight from the start.  Tampa Bay couldn’t keep score with the Red Sox and the Rays pitching staff couldn’t stop Boston from scoring runs at key moments.  It is an amazing transformation for the Red Sox franchise.  They’ll have to continue to score a lot of runs with AL MVP candidate Miguel Cabrera coming to town.  Jake Peavy and Jon Lester are the savvy veterans at the top of the rotation, but Clay Buchholz and John Lackey have some postseason experience too and they are a good match against the Tigers 3 and 4 starters.  Boston’s bullpen is their strength once again and will be counted on to keep Detroit’s lineup quiet late in the game.  OF Jacoby Ellsbury is on fire batting .500 in the Division Series and he sets the tone for the scoring outbursts that Boston puts on their opponents.  With DH David Ortiz in the middle driving in baserunners the Tigers will need to have someone else beat them instead of giving Ortiz a chance to cause trouble.

Red Sox in 5 games

2013 MLB Division Series Preview

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National League Division Series
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals
It’s quite simple to explain the matchup between the Pirates and the Cardinals.  Pittsburgh is the story of the 2013 baseball season. St. Louis has been one of the best teams in all of baseball.  The Pirates have been on the heels of the Cardinals for much of the season, but St. Louis was able to pull away at the end.  Pittsburgh boasts a good lineup and a solid rotation that will help them set the tone early.  The Pirates bullpen is among the best in baseball and has been a big reason why they are playing postseason baseball. Can NL MVP candidate OF Andrew McCutchen lead the Pirates to a NLCS berth?  Or will it be someone else that steps forward to lead them?  All eyes will be on Pittsburgh this postseason.  It will be interesting to see how they deal with their first test in the Division Series.
It doesn’t surprise anyone that the Cardinals had the best record in the National League.  What is surprising is they accomplished that feat with some of their best players missing some time with injuries, namely their NL MVP candidate C Yadier Molina. Although he hasn’t shown any signs of fatigue, Molina is a workhorse and doesn’t shy away from the spotlight or big moment in a game.  Like Pittsburgh, St. Louis has a solid rotation and a great bullpen.  One of the many factors in the Cardinals most recent success.  They’ll have to be near perfect to stump the best story in baseball. Everyone will be rooting for the Pirates, but if the Cardinals do emerge victorious it should come as no surprise to anyone.
Cardinals in 4 games
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves
The Los Angeles Dodgers were able to run away with the NL West Division, but they won’t be able to run over the Atlanta Braves the same way.  The one thing the Dodgers have going for them is their rotation which is among the best in baseball with Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke at the top.  The Dodgers bullpen isn’t the strongest, but they have been a consistent group during their hot streak to take the NL West.  Los Angeles’ lineup is stacked.  They are able to beat you in many different ways.  Either on the basepaths, the long ball or by playing small ball.  They have many players that can play to many different strengths.  This is why the Dodgers were considered a World Series contender at the beginning of the season only to realize their potential starting in June.
Atlanta has been an afterthought for most of the summer and into September.  They have had a commanding lead of their division all year and with lackluster competition coming from the NL East this year, the Braves have been forgotten.  They shouldn’t be as they have been able to beat teams with stellar pitching from their rotation and bullpen.  Also they have had many come from behind victories to put them in a position to host the Dodgers instead of the oppostie way around.  Atlanta is just starting to get healthier in their lineup with the return of OF Jason Heyward from a broken jaw. With him and 1B Freddie Freeman planted in the middle of the lineup they could give the Dodgers pitchers fits.  The Braves rotation doesn’t look as good as the Dodgers without Tim Hudson, but Atlanta has a beavy of talented arms in their bullpen to help offset any rotation issues.
Dodgers in 4 games
American League Division Series
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Boston Red Sox
These two division rivals have had some history since the Rays have become a competitive organization.  Boston has had an amazing transformation since last season’s debacle with Bobby Valentine.  Tampa Bay has had an amazing road as well having to play the Texas Rangers in a 163rd regular season game and then beat a hot Cleveland Indians team for the AL Wild Card spot.  If not for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Tampa Bay Rays would be the talk of baseball.  It seems that every year no one wants them to succeed, but yet they find a way.  They have a good rotation and a bullpen of mostly outcasts from other teams that have blossomed into a solid pitching squad.  Tampa Bay’s lineup isn’t stacked by any means, but they are adequate and they seem to love playing against the Boston Red Sox.
Boston needed some key players to bounce back after subpar seasons last year.  DH David Ortiz and P John Lackey were two of the biggest ones.  They have both stabilized their lineup and rotation respectively and in turn have transformed the Red Sox into contenders once again.  Boston’s two key players are OF Jacoby Ellsbury and closer Koji Uehara.  If Ellsbury can set the tone with his base stealing ability and if Uehara can continue his success during the season in closing games the Red Sox should be fine in this series.  If one or both falter, Boston will be doomed to an early exit.  That’s something the Fenway faithful don’t want to see, but at least the Red Sox will have the ability to say they have righted the ship in 2013.
Ray in 4 games
Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland Athletics

It seems like the Detroit Tigers have played the Oakland Athletics in almost every postseason series the last few years.  In actuality they have only played each other twice in the postseason.  The 2006 American League Championship Series and the 2012 American League Division Series.  Both resulted in a series victory for the Tigers.  Detroit did struggle down the stretch in September, but did have a big enough lead to avoid any kind of a collapse. One of the big reasons for their struggles has been the health of AL MVP candidate 3B Miguel Cabrera.  He’s had an abdominal injury that has been nagging him through the summer and into the fall.  If he’s not right for this series the Tigers could be looking at an early exit.  Detroit’s rotation will have to step up in a big way this postseason.  Their rotation is highly regarded, but their bullpen is a little suspect.  They’ll have to find ways to win without having the game be to close late in the game.
The Oakland Athletics have gotten no respect and that’s a mistake.  Yes, they are a young rag-tag group that no knows about or cares to know about, but they all play as a team.  They are very similar to the Tampa Bay Rays, but Oakland still doesn’t get that same kind of respect.  Their rotation is solid and has excellent depth.  Oakland’s bullpen is by far their biggest advantage over the Tigers.  Detroit has been able to get over that fact in their last few postseason meetings, but something has to give.  The Athletics lineup is streaky at times, but they have solid RBI producers in 3B Josh Donaldson and OF Yoenis Cespedes.  If those two are able to click early and often this will be a relatively quick series unless Oakland’s pitchers can’t keep the Tigers batters at bay.

Athletics in 5 games