For You Dodger Fans Tired of Colletti

Originally posted on my MySpace blog, May 23, 2007:

This was posted this morning on ESPN.com's Rob Neyer's blog...

Entering last night's game against Milwaukee, Dodgers third basemen had combined to bat .188 with one home run, which helps explain why they've called up rookie Tony Abreu.

When asked specifically about Abreu, Dodgers manager Grady Little explained the motive for the move:

"To get another hot hitter in the lineup. We're looking for somebody who's going to get hot. He's earned the right to get an opportunity right now.

"The kid brings life, he brings energy, he brings productivity."

Well, at least we can quantify one of those things. Abreu certainly has been productive this spring. In spring training, he batted .340 with three homers in 23 games. Abreu opened the season with Las Vegas, and he's batted .347 with two homers in 39 games. That's impressive. But it's only a couple of months. And Abreu, though his youth and his performance make him a legitimate prospect, wasn't all that good last year in Double-A.

Meanwhile, rookie Andy LaRoche entered this season as the Dodgers' No. 1 prospect. Promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas earlier this month, he's batting just .241 with no homers. But, on the other hand, he's walked 13 times in 11 games, and scored eight runs. Granted, LaRoche has sometimes batted No. 8 in the lineup, and No. 8 hitters get a walks "bonus" because the pitcher is often due up next. But as Jon Weisman notes, it's not all about lineup position. LaRoche's walks are "something legitimate to tout."

The Dodgers don't seem all that impressed, though; Abreu started at third base last night. He and LaRoche both bat right-handed, so there's not a platoon there. And now it seems likely that neither will play often enough to get into a groove, which seems all the worse when you consider that both are just beginning to establish themselves as major leaguers.

The Dodgers do have a big lineup problem. They've got three everyday players -- Andre Ethier, Nomar Garciaparra and Juan Pierre -- who are not hitting, and it's certainly possible that they'll continue not hitting. I just don't know how replacing a Grade A prospect (LaRoche) with a Grade B prospect (Abreu) is going to solve that problem.

2007 Predictions, Part Tres

Originally posted on my MySpace blog, Febraury 16, 2007:

This is the third and final installment of my 2007 baseball predictions. In this blog, I make my fearless All-Star picks, individual award winners, as well as some league leaders in pertinent stat categories.

NATIONAL LEAGUE:

All-Stars:

C: Russell Martin, Los Angeles / 1B: Albert Pujols, St. Louis / 2B: Chase Utley, Philadelphia / 3B: David Wright, New York / SS: Jose Reyes, New York / OF: Alfonso Soriano, Chicago; Carlos Beltran, New York; Andruw Jones, Atlanta / SP: Brad Penny, Los Angeles

Awards:

MVP: Albert Pujols, St. Louis / Cy Young: Jake Peavy, San Diego / Rookie: Chris B. Young, Arizona / Manager: Bob Melvin, Arizona

League Leaders:

Avg: Albert Pujols, St. Louis / HR: Pujols / RBI: Pujols / Runs: Jose Reyes, New York / SB: Juan Pierre, Los Angeles / ERA: Jake Peavy, San Diego / Wins: Peavy / K: Peavy / Saves: Takashi Saito, Los Angeles

AMERICAN LEAGUE:

All-Stars:

C: Joe Mauer, Minnesota / 1B: Travis Hafner, Cleveland / 2B: Robinson Cano, New York / 3B: Alex Rodriguez, New York / SS: Derek Jeter, New York / OF: Manny Ramirez, Boston; Vernon Wells, Toronto; Vlad Guerrero, Los Angeles / SP: Johan Santana, Minnesota

Awards:

MVP: Travis Hafner, Cleveland / Cy Young: Johan Santana, Minnesota / Rookie: Alex Gordon, Kansas City / Manager: Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota

League Leaders:

Avg: Derek Jeter, New York / HR: David Ortiz, Boston / RBI: Ortiz / Runs: Jeter / SB: Chone Figgins, Los Angeles / ERA: Johan Santana, Minnesota / Wins: Santana / K: Santana / Saves: Francisco Rodriguez, Los Angeles

2007 Predictions, Part Duex

Originally posted on my MySpace blog, February 10, 2007:

Continuing with my baseball predictions for 2007, it's time to focus on the American League.

AL WEST:

1. Angels - It's hard to not pick the Angels to win this division with its rotation. One of the game's best rotations returns in its entirety. The lineup has a couple of new additions, including the head-scratching deal given to Gary Matthews, Jr. The Angels also added Shea Hillenbrand. The bullpen is loaded again with Francisco Rodriguez, Scott Shields and newcomber Justin Speier. In the end, if the Angels can score a few more runs, they should edge out Oakland for the division.

2. Atheltics - Oakland comes into 2007 minus a mainstay in its rotation over the last six years in Barry Zito. The health of Rich Harden remains a concern but the A's continue to boast insurmountable pitching depth, both in the rotation and in the pen. Frank Thomas left for greener pastures north of the border so Mike Piazza was brought in to fill those shoes. Piazza won't match Thomas' numbers from '06, but he should best his own '06 stats. If Oakland can stay healthy, they'll battle with the Angels yet again for the division title.

3. Rangers - Pitching, pitching, pitching. This has always been Texas' problem. They have a solid 1-2 punch in the rotation in Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla, but the rest of the rotation is a question mark. Eric Gagne was brought in to help solidify the bullpen, but his health is still a huge question. If Gagne falters early, Akinori Otsuka will take over. Scoring runs has never been a problem for Texas, and this season should be no different, thanks to one of the league's best hitter's park. Unless they get better pitching, third place is a lock. (EXTRA! Sammy Sosa has a minor league contract with Texas and could make the team out of spring training.)

4. Mariners - This is by far one of the worst runs teams in baseball when it comes to player personnel. GM Bill Bavasi traded a stud reliever in Rafael Soriano for a questionable fifth starter in Horatio Ramirez, and he traded for injury-prone Jose Vidro to play second base. Bavasi also signed troubled outfielder Jose Guillen. He might have saved face by signing Jeff Weaver to a one-year contract, but add him to a rotation who's number one starter is Jarrod Washburn, and features Ramirez and newcomer Miguel Batista, and this team is doomed before the season even starts.

AL CENTRAL:

1. Tigers - The defending AL champs come into 2007 with high expectations. Picked by many to finish no higher than fourth last season, the Tigers stunned the baseball world by making the playoffs just three years removed from losing 119 games. And they did it with a solid mix of pitching, offense and defense, and veterans and young rising stars. They return their entire rotation (Kenny Rogers, Nate Robertson, Mike Maroth and Jeremy Bonderman) and a solid bullpen anchored by Todd Jones as the closer. Their lineup remains intact with the addition of veteran Gary Sheffield. Barring any surprises, key injuries or inconsistencies from key players, the Tigers are primed to avenge its World Series loss.

2. White Sox - Picking from a trio that also includes the Twins and Indians to finish second is like picking which of your triplets is your favorite. There is no winner any way you slice it. But because of its veteran presence, especially in the rotation, the White Sox earn my pick for this spot. Chicago also returns a solid lineup that includes the resurgence of Jim Thome, and MVP candidate Jermaine Dye.

3. Twins - Under normal circumstances, the Twins would be my pick to finish second. But because of the injury to Francisco Liriano that will sideline him the entire season, the Twins slip to third. Johan Santana should continue to put up ungodly numbers, but the rest of the rotation is shaky after him. The Twins do have two of the games best young hitters in Justin Morneau and AL batting champ Joe Mauer. Joe Nathan also returns as one of the game's best closers. If the rotation can get enough innings and quality starts from anyone not named Johan Santana, the Twins could sneak up.

4. Indians - Its not easy putting this team this far down in the division. In fact, it is good enough to keep up with the White Sox and Twins. Their rotation from top to bottom might be better than the Twins, and the lineup is just as formidable as the White Sox. The additions of Josh Barfield, Trot Nixon and David Dellucci should compliment the rest of the offense nicely, and the pen has some much needed depth with the additions of Joe Borowski and Keith Foulke. The Tribe are good enough to finish at least second, and they will battle for the wild card.

5. Royals - Kansas City made one of the strangest and most surprising signings of the offseason when they gave Gil Meche five years and $55 million. The Royals are once again banking on their youth, and Alex Gordon provides a bright spot for 2007 and the future. However, in this division, the Royals will be lucky to not lose another 100 games.

AL EAST:

1. Yankees - The Bronx Bombers are doing something we havent seen them do in years: trade some of their over-priced, over-the-hill veterans in an attempt to restock its once depleted farm system, and they found takers for Randy Johnson, Gary Sheffield and Jaret Wright. But the Yanks didn't take a big hit in trading those veterans and still look like the team to beat in the division. They brought Andy Pettitte back to the Bronx, and re-signed Mike Mussina to a rotation that includes Cy Young runner-up Chien-Ming Wang and injury-prone Carl Pavano. While the rotation still has some questions, all in all, with much of the lineup remaining intact from the playoffs, and with a reliable bullpen, the Yanks should win the division.

2. Red Sox - Boston has had an interesting offseason. They shelled out $51 million just to talk to Daisuke Matsuzaka, then signed him for another $50 million plus. They gave Julio Lugo $36 million, injury-prone but OBP-beast J.D. Drew $70 million, and signed/traded for a plethora of average middle relievers. In the end, they might have the division's best rotation with Matsuzaka, Curt Schilling, Matt Clement and Josh Beckett, and their lineup looks as scary as ever, but their bullpen is awful, with no real closer as Jonathon Papelbon is likely headed to the rotation. Unless the Sox can find a legit closer, they're stuck fighiting off five other teams for the wild card.

3. Blue Jays - Canada's only team has prepared itself to not only win now, but for years to come. The Jays added a big bat to their lineup in Frank Thomas, and inked superstar stud Vernon Wells to a long term extension. Add Lyle Overbay, Alex Rios and Troy Glaus to the offense, and the Jays will score a lot of runs. The rotation has one of the game's best in Roy Halladay, along with AJ Burnett, Gustavo Chacin, Josh Towers and newcomber John Thomson. The bullpen is anchored by closer BJ Ryan. You can make a legit argument for the Blue Jays in the wild card, and perhaps for the division title if things don't pan out for the Yankees or Red Sox.

4. Orioles - The O's are one of those strange teams you just can't seem to figure out. They have a good offensive core with Miguel Tejada, Melvin Mora and Ramon Hernandez. They added Aubrey Huff and Jay Payton to compliment the offense. The rotation has an interesting mix of veterans (Kris Benson) and youth (Erik Bedard and Daniel Cabrera), but the problem last year was the bullpen. Baltimore did something about the lack of depth in the pen by adding three quality relievers in Danys Baez, Scott Williamson and Chad Bradford. The entire pitching staff should benefit from another year with pitching coach wizard Leo Mazzone, but in this division, it will take a mircale for the O's to finish any higher.

5. Devil Rays - Tampa is definitely headed in the right direction. The Rays have a nice core of young stars in the lineup (Carl Crawford, Delmon Young, Jorge Cantu, BJ Upton and Dioner Navarro) and in the rotation (Scott Kazmir, Jae Seo and Edwin Jackson). Unfortunately, the Devil Rays are stuck in a division with the two-headed monster that is the Yankees and Red Sox, and don't figure to put a dent in either of them.

Coming soon, individual award winner predictions!

2007 Predictions, Part One

Originally posted on my MySpace blog, February 9, 2007:

Well it's that time of year again. With baseball just around the corner (pitchers and catchers begin reporting to spring training next week), it's time for my annual fearless pedictions of division winners, playoff series winners and individual award winners. So without further ado, I begin tonight with the National League...

NL WEST:

1. Dodgers - This isn't a homer pick, this is a reality pick. The Dodgers won 88 games and scored 820 runs last year (4th best in the NL) while hitting the 4th fewest home runs in all of baseball. They lost J.D. Drew and replaced him with Luis Gonzalez, who had 52 doubles last season. If Jeff Kent and Nomar Garciaparra can stay healthy and get on-base in front of Gonzalez, the offense shouldn't lose a step. The additions of Jason Schmidt and Randy Wolf to a rotation that already includes Brad Penny, Derek Lowe and Chad Billingsley gives the Dodgers more depth, and perhaps one of the best rotations in the NL. Takashi Saito returns as the everyday closer with up-and-coming Jonathan Broxton as the primary set-up man. Put it all together, and the Dodgers should return to the post-season.

2. Padres - San Diego won the division last year with 88 wins by virtue of their head-to-head record against the Dodgers, and they added some veteran leadership to their rotation in Greg Maddux. Their rotation should be good enough to win the division, however, the Padres boast perhaps one of the league's worst offenses, and they did very little to address this in the offseason. They did replace Josh Barfield at second with Marcus Giles, but unless they can outscore their opponents 3-2 every night, the Padres will be hard-pressed to repeat.

3. Diamondbacks - Arizona's line-up is loaded with young studs such as Conor Jackson, Carlos Quentin, Stephen Drew, Chris Young and Chad Tracy. Couple that with CY Young award winner Brandon Webb, who anchors a rotation that features the return of Randy Johnson, Livan Hernandez and Doug Davis, the D-Backs should be able to hang around and compete with the Dodgers and Padres for the division. The telling tale for Arizona will be the effectiveness of its bullpen, which is anchored by Jose Valverde at the back end as the closer. The D-Backs could be a sleeper pick in the West if the Dodgers or Padres fall.

4. Giants - On paper, this team, offensively, looks old and horrid. They resigned (almost) Barry Bonds, Ray Durham and Pedro Feliz, brought back Rich Aurilia, and added Dave Roberts, Ryan Klesko and Benjie Molina to the mix, which already includes Omar Vizquel and Randy Winn. While these are all solid veterans, it's hard to imagine what this bunch can do as a group. Defensively, this team looks awful, mainly at the corners. The strength of the Giants appears to be, like the aforementioned teams, their rotation. While they may have jumped the gun and grossly overpaid for the services of Barry Zito, its hard not to imagine his potential in anchoring this rotation, which includes young studs Matt Cain and Noah Lowry, and veteran Matt Morris. The demise of this team is bullpen, or lack of one. The Giants will be lucky to stay afloat in this division.

5. Rockies - Colorado boasts perhaps the division's best lineup with Todd Helton, Matt Holliday, Garret Atkins, Brad Hawpe, among others. They have a solid core of young starters in Aaron Cook and Jeff Francis, and a very reliable closer in Brian Fuentes. If the Giants should falter towards the end because of age and injuries, look for the Rockies to sneak out of the cellar.

NL CENTRAL:

1. Cubs - Chicago went on a mass spending spree, signing just about anyone who was in need of a contract. They began by bringing back one of their own, Aramis Ramirez, added the biggest bat on the market in Alfonso Soriano, added Ted Lilly to a shaky rotation that needed depth, and complimented all that with Cliff Floyd and Jason Marquis. Put it all together and you have the best lineup in the division, and a solid rotation (when healthy and effective). If all the pieces fall in place as they hope, the Cubs will still be playing baseball come October.

2. Cardinals - The defending World Series champs earn this spot by virtue of respect, but it will take a lot of luck, and getting hot at the right time for the Cards to repeat. They lost two key components of their championship rotation (Jeff Weaver and Jeff Suppan) to free agency, but they do return just about their entire lineup with one minor change at second base: Adam Kennedy replaces Ronnie Belliard. Last year's emergency closer, Adam Wainwright, will join the rotation as Jason Isringhausen is expected back as the closer. In the end, St. Louis is probably a second or third place team at best.

3. Brewers - Milwaukee suffered through a rough season in 2006 as expectations were high. The team was probably good enough to win the division, but it was too inconsistent. Now they're back, ready to prove everyone, themselves included, wrong in 2007. They added Jeff Suppan after trading Doug Davis to Arizona for Claudio Vargas, who join Ben Sheets, Chris Capuano and Homer Bush in the rotation. The line-up remains the same as it did at the end of last season, and Francisco Cordero returns for his first full season as the Brew Crew's closer. If the Cubs pitching crumbles, the Brewers could be sleepers in the Central. They will battle for the wild card.

4. Astros - Houston has had interesting off-season. They traded for starter Jason Jennings after Andy Pettitte bolted and went back to New York, and added Carlos Lee to the line-up. All the while, they are still waiting on Roger Clemens' decision on whether or not he will not only pitch in 2007, but where. Lee brings some added pop to the lineup, but the Astros take a big hit defesively with Lee. Brad Lidge is expected to resume his duties as the closer, but he will be on a short leash again. In the long run, the Astros just don't have enough.

5. (tie) Pirates/Reds - It's tough to decide which of these two teams is worse in this division, but on paper, they are about the same, primarily offensively. The Pirates added Adam LaRoche to their lineup, which already includes superstars Jason Bay and reigning NL batting champ Freddy Sanchez. The Reds are led by power-hitting stud Adam Dunn and veteran Ken Griffey Jr. The rotations are about the same, with mixtures of veterans and youngsters. The Reds probably boast the best of the bunch in Bronson Arroyo but the Pirates have the stud kid, Zack Duke. The Pirates do have a decent bullpen, something Cincinnati doesn't. These two "river city" teams will be battling it out to stay out of the cellar again.

NL EAST:

1. Mets - The Mets come into the season with bigger and better expectations. They cruised to the division title and swarmed into the NLCS in 2006, but they got bounced in teh NLCS by eventual champion St. Louis. They bring back the league's best line-up and deepest bullpen, but they do have some question marks. The rotation is depleted and a mess. They scrambled to re-sign 42 year-old Tom Glavine to a rotation that includes aging veteran Orlando Hernandez, and rookies Philip Humber, Mike Pelfrey and John Maine. Plus Pedro Martinez is not expected back until mid-season. However, it should all still be enough to repeat in the East.

2. Phillies - The Phillies added some much needed depth to their rotation, signing Adam Eaton and trading for Freddy Garcia. These additions all but make Jon Lieber expendable, while Brett Myers and Jamie Moyer round out the rotation. The lineup consists the league's hottest young power hitter in Ryan Howard, and superstar Chase Utley. The bullpen is a question mark, with Tom Gordon closing, and in the end, might be the achilles heel to the team's playoff hopes. However, the Phillies should sneak in as the wild card.

3. Braves - Atlanta's miraculous run of 14 consecutive division titles came to a screeching halt last season. They suffered through injuries and inconsistencies, and a depleted bullpen. The bullpen issues have been addressed with the additions of Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez to help closer Bob Wickman. The Braves were willing to part with first baseman Adam LaRoche to get Gonzalez, but they are confident a platoon of veteran Craig Wilson and rookie Scott Thorman can fill the void at first, and rookie Kelly Johnson at second. The rotation is a question mark, but if John Smoltz, Mike Hampton and Tim Hudson can stay healthy and consistent, the Braves should be able to stay afloat for a good part of the season.

4. Marlins - The firing of rookie manager of the year Joe Girardi was somewhat of a surprise, and an even bigger surprise is the possible stadium deal the Marlins have been coveting for so long. But even more surprising was the play of a young group of kids (Dontrelle Willis, Miguel Cabrera, Josh Johnson, Anibal Sanchez, Dan Uggla, Hanley Ramirez and Mike Jacobs), guided by Girardi, that many said would lose over 100 games in 2006. Instead, they battled for the wild card until the end. This year should be no different, with or without Girardi. However, Florida might still be a year or two away from being serious contenders.

5. Nationals - Washington is coming off a forgettable season, and they didn't much in the offseason to improve in any area. They lost their one and only marketable commodity to free agency in Alfonso Soriano. The only bright spot is third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who finished very well in the rookie of the year voting, and outfielder Ryan Church, who might be on his way out of DC anyway. That said, there isn't anything to be excited about in the nation's capital.

Coming soon, American League predictions!

My Day at the WBC

Originally posted on my MySpace blog, March 13, 2006:

When Major League Baseball announced last year that there would be a "world championship" tournament for baseball, much in the same manner as soccer's World Cup, I was a little hesitant to favor it because of the timing the tournament would take place: during spring training. But after attending the first two games of the second round yesterday, I got suckered into it.

The tournament started by featuring 16 teams from 16 countries from around the world. Some of the teams featured major leaguers, some had none. And it became pretty obvious after the first round which were the elite teams and which countries weren't because of the lopsided scores in some of the games (i.e. Japan beat China 18-2 in one game, and the United States beat South Africa 17-0 in another).

My family and I had gone out to dinner on Saturday night for my birthday. We went to our usual favorite spot in Encino. It also didn't hurt that we know the owner of the restaurant, and one of his employees is also a good friend of ours. That friend, Francisco, and done of his friend's, had bought six tickets for each of the first two second round games at Angel Stadium yesterday. Our friend, who's Mexican, told me in the restaurant that he and his friend had an extra ticket for the game, and asked if I wanted to go. So I did.

The two games that I witnessed, USA vs. Japan, and Mexico vs. Korea, were very entertaining, well played games. The atmosphere in the stadium was something I have never before experienced. It's one thing to be in a stadium packed with 56,000 fans of your favorite major league team. It's something completely different when you have a stadium almost as big filled with fans from two countries.

The first game, USA vs. Japan, started off rather shaky for Team USA. Jake Peavy of the Padres started and was taken deep on the second pitch of the game by Seattle's Ichiro for Japan. Japan got two more runs in the second and had a 3-0 lead after 2 innings. Peavy eventually settled down and kept his team in the game until Atlanta's Chipper Jones went deep. later, the Cubs' Derrick Lee hit a bomb to dead center for a 2-run shot, and the game was tied. Then it got interesting. IN the 8th inning, Japan worked the bases loaded against Minnesota's Joe Nathan and with one out, was looking to regain the lead. A Japanese hitter hit a fly ball to left for the second out. The runner at third tagged up and scored what was supposed to be the go-ahead run for Japan. As always, the defensive team threw the ball to third to protest the runner leaving early but one of the umpires called him safe, meaning the run was good. But USA manager Buck Martinez protested it, and the umpires got together and the home plate umpire overturned the other umpire's call, and called the runner out, thus nullifying Japan's go-ahead run. Japan was livid, in fact, more shocked by what just happened. Team USA came off the field to hit, but the runners on base for Japanese remained out on the bases still confused. A long discussion between the umpires and the Japanese manager, Japanese great Sadahuro Oh, ensued, but the umpires had made their call. Then in the 9th inning with the game still tied 3-3, Alex Rodriguez got a game-winning, walk-off, bases-loaded single to win the game for Team USA.

The second game, a mere 3.5 hours after the first game ended, featured Mexico and Korea. This game was less controversial as the first game, but it was still a very good, close game. Korea took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a 2-run home run by Seong Yeop Lee. The Dodgers' Jae Seo, pitching for Korea, pitched brilliantly for 5 innings, allowing just 1 run (a homerun by Luis A. Garcia) and two hits (Vinny Castilla of the Padres had the other). Mexico had a chance to tie the game several times, including in the 9th inning when they left the tying run at 3rd base against Korean closer Chan Ho Park of the Padres. Korea, 4-0 in the tournament, won the game 2-1.

The atmosphere at both games was quite amazing. I must admit though, the Mexicans really impressed me with their enthusiasm and energy. Aside from the small patches of Koreans throughout the stadium, the Mexicans packed Angel Stadium and were out in full force donning their country's red, white and green. Even the small patches of Koreans were very load and enthused. It was more like a World Series game. The atmosphere of that game reminded me a lot of Game 3 of the 2004 NLDS between the Dodgers and Cards at Dodger Stadium when Jose Lima pitched the game of his life. And while the stadium had about 10,000 empty seats for the first game, the Americans and Japanese were very much into the game, but in a different way than the Mexicans and Koreans. The American and Japanese fans seemed to take in the game with a little more seriousness, knowing they're both very good teams and should win their games. The Meixcans and Koreans were more overjoyed and just happy to be a part of the whole thing. Two very different atmospheres but still one that I was glad to be a part of.

Mattingly Over Koufax in the HOF?

Originally posted on my MySpace blog, January 16, 2006:

MLB.com did a "Best of" segment on the Monday morning mailbags for all 30 teams this morning, and they picked up on this one posted by a Yankee fan in the Yankee mailbag:

Yankees:
Why do the people who determine who gets into the Hall of Fame claim that Don Mattingly's career was not long enough but vote in someone like Sandy Koufax? For the first five years of his career, Koufax was mediocre, and his career was shorter than Mattingly's (11 years to Don's 14). What gives? And how can someone like Bill Mazeroski be in the Hall, a one-dimensional (defense) player who had one moment in the sun, the 1960 World Series?

-- Ray K., Las Vegas

First, I must agree with you on Mazeroski. Yes, he was a tremendous defensive player, but I don't think that, along with his historic home run in the '60 Fall Classic, should be enough to get him into the Hall.

As for the Koufax argument, I'm not buying it. Koufax's six-year run from 1961-66 was as good as any stretch by any pitcher in baseball history, something that can't be said for Mattingly's amazing run from 1984-89.

During Koufax's six years, he led the league in wins three times, captured three Cy Youngs, a National League MVP Award, three pitching Triple Crowns, two World Series MVP Awards, five consecutive ERA titles, four strikeout titles and six straight All-Star selections.

Though Mattingly did make it to six consecutive All-Star Games and took home an American League MVP Award, he didn't match Koufax's accomplishments. He won one batting title, led the league in hits twice and RBIs once, but he never got the Yankees to the playoffs, let alone lead them to two titles. Once again, Mattingly falls short of another Hall comparison. -- Mark Feinsand

I've got to admit I got a good laugh over this. It really shows the arrogance and lack of baseball knowledge displayed by a LOT of Yankee fans who really don't know the history of the game. Most Yankee fans that I've encountered think baseball revolves around their team, that no other team exists and without the Yankees, baseball would die as we know it. A lot of their arguments surround the 26 World Championships the franchise has won over the past 103 years, even though a lot of them weren't even around for the first 20 or 22. This is mostly from the younger fans, and it would not surprise me if Ray in Vegas was less than 21 years of age.

But I do have news for those particular Yankee fans: there are 29 other teams in the league. Get over it. Move on. It's ok to be angry and frustrated because your team hasn't won a World Series going on six years now. Mine hasn't won going on 18 years. But you know what? I don't take for granted that I've been lucky enough to see my team play in four World Series in my lifetime (I was only three years old for the fifth one) and win two of them. That's why a lot of younger Yankee fans are so spoiled. But don't take that out on the other 29 teams. It's your team's own fault they are where they are, and haven't won that elusive World Series title in six years. Spend the money wisely and build up a farm system again and they just might go on another run in 10 or 15 years like they did from 1996-2000. (Perhaps if Steinbrenner opened his eyes instead of his checkbook, he might remember that's why they were so successful during that run.)

And open up a damn baseball history book for once, too. You'll be surprised to see that a large portion of baseball history has nothing to do with the Yankees.

Baseball's Busiest Offseason Week

Originally posted on my MySpace blog, December 6, 2005:

As a baseball fan, the offseason is just as fun and exciting as the regular season, when fans get anxious to see which players their favorite team will sign and trade for for the following season. This week marks the beginning of the biggest free agent and trade fiesta, the Winter Meetings. It is usually here where all the high flying rumors come to fruition and the dust begins to slowly settle on where the high profiled free agents will land, and trades take place. With the meetings now a day old, here are some of the rumors regarding local teams, as well news on the bigger prizes of the free agent market.

Dodgers:

Red Sox free agent third baseman Bill Mueller has reportedly narrowed his choices down to the Dodgers and Pirates. The Pirates have offered Mueller a two-year deal, something the Dodgers might not do considering highly touted third baseman Andy LaRoche is knocking on the doorstep down on the farm.

Rumors were flying high surrounding a possible trade with Oakland involving Milton Bradley. Most rumors (confirmed by national media) has Bradley headed to Oakland, along with at least one prospect, for former Cy Young winner Barry Zito. Another rumor suggested the talk had turned into Kirk Saarloos for Bradley, but there was no confirmation of this. Bradley's name has also surfaced with Pittsburgh, where his former manager in L.A., Jim Tracy, is now the manager, the Chicago Cubs, and the New York Yankees.

There was some talk of a potential trade with the Red Sox that would send 40-something-year-old left-hander David Wells to the Dodgers. Bob Nightingale of USA Today reports that a deal could be done today. Wells' name was also tied to the Padres and Angels.

The Dodgers are said to have spoken with the agents for Matt Morris, Reggie Sanders, Jacque Jones, Jeromy Burnitz and Nomar Garciaparra, among others, as well as the teams for Bobby Abreu, Juan Pierre and Joey Gathright, among others.

Angels:

The biggest name surrounding the Angels is Manny Ramirez. Will they or wont they? There have been talks, mostly of a possible three-team deal that would bring Manny to the Angels, send Troy Glaus from Arizona to Boston, and Darin Erstad, among others to Boston, as well as prospects to both Boston and Arizona. The glaring question is, do the Angels want to give up on some of their top prospects to take on Manny's large salary? He is due close to $58 million over the enxt three years. The Angels have balked at just about any talks that include Brandon Wood and Ervin Santana, so its highly unlikely at this point anything gets done soon. Stay tuned.

Dodger free agent pitcher Jeff Weaver has drawn some interest from the Angels and the two sides have talked about a possible deal. Weaver, should he sign with the Angels, could possibly join his brother Jered in the Angels rotation next season. Jered was the Angels #1 pick in the draft in 2004.

Padres:

The Padres have also talked to the Red Sox about a deal for David Wells. Wells has made it clear he does not intend to return to Boston for the final year of his contract, asking them to trade him to a west coast team. The Padres could send second baseman Mark Loretta to Boston for Wells,or catcher Doug Mirabelli as suggested bu Nightingale, contingent on signing Nomar to a deal to play second base.

A.J. Burnett:

One of the last remaining top free agents, A.J. Burnett has just signed a five year, $55 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. Burnett, highly regarded as the top starting pitcher in this year's free agency class, was highly sought after by several teams, including St. Louis and Washington. Burnett's deal will become official today once he takes a physical.

Johnny Damon:

Johnny Damon remains as the lone top free agent hitter unsigned, mainly because of his agent Scott Boras' demands for a seven-year contract. Damon probably wont get half those years in a contract, largely because of his age, but he should continue to get feelers from several teams in need of a leadoff hitting centerfielder. Damon is not considered a good defensive centerfielder, his arm is below average but he does still have some speed, but he is considered a solid leadoff hitter with a knack for getting on base, stealing bases, scoring runs and an unusual ability to drive in a lot of runs from the top of the order. Damon also has some legitimate power that most teams would love to have in the middle of their lineup. Teams that have shown interest in him are his former team, the Red Sox, and their hated rivals, the Yankees. Damon probably will remain unsigned through the meetings this week but we should have a better idea where he ends up in about a week to 10 days.

Fearless Predictions

Originally posted on my MySpace blog, November 30, 2005:

ESPN's Steve Phillips recently listed his Top 50 baseball Free Agents and predicted where they'd go in the off-season. I went ahead and listem below along with my own picks. So far, of the six free agents from this list who have signed, we've each only got one right: Japanese import catcher, Kenji Jojima.

Rank	Player	Pos	05 Team	ESPN	My Pick
1	Paul Konerko	1B	White Sox	Red Sox	Angels
2	Johnny Damon	OF	Red Sox	Red Sox	Red Sox
3	Roger Clemens	SP	Astros	Retire	Astros
4	Rafael Furcal	SS	Braves	Cubs	Cubs
5	Billy Wagner	RP	Phillies	Phillies	Phillies
6	BJ Ryan	RP	Orioles	Mets	Mets
7	AJ Burnett	SP	Marlins	Blue Jays	Blue Jays
8	Brian Giles	OF	Padres	Cubs	Dodgers
9	Trevor Hoffman	RP	Padres	Padres	Orioles
10	Kyle Farnsworth	RP	Braves	Braves	Yankees
11	Kevin Millwood	SP	Indians	Indians	Indians
12	Ramon Hernandez	C	Padres	Mets	Mets
13	Bengie Molina	C	Angels	Padres	Padres
14	Matt Morris	SP	Cardinals	Orioles	Dodgers
15	Jarrod Washburn	SP	Angels	Rangers	Rangers
16	Bob Wickman	RP	Indians	Indians	Indians
17	Todd Jones	RP	Marlins	Marlins	Marlins
18	Tom Gordon	RP	Yankees	Diamondbacks	Mets
19	Jeff Weaver	SP	Dodgers	Angels	Angels
20	Mark Grudzielanek	2B	Cardinals	Cardinals	Cardinals
21	Alex Gonzalez	SS	Marlins	Braves	Braves
22	Nomar Garciaparra	SS	Cubs	Dodgers	Dodgers
23	Preston Wilson	OF	Nationals	Orioles	Orioles
24	Mike Piazza	C	Mets	Angels	Angels
25	Kenji Jojima	C	Japan	Mariners	Mariners
26	Frank Thomas	DH	White Sox	Indians	Rangers
27	Jacque Jones	OF	Twins	Tigers	Cardinals
28	Reggie Sanders	OF	Cardinals	Cardinals	Cardinals
29	Kenny Rogers	SP	Rangers	Dodgers	Padres
30	Jeromy Burnitz	OF	Cubs	Padres	Cubs
31	Ricardo Rincon	RP	Athletics	Yankees	Yankees
32	Julian Taveres	RP	Cardinals	Mets	Cardinals
33	Bobby Howry	RP	Indians	Yankees	Indians
34	Carl Everett	OF	White Sox	Nationals	Nationals
35	Bill Mueller	3B	Red Sox	Dodgers	Dodgers
36	Kenny Lofton	OF	Phillies	Padres	Pirates
37	Brad Ausmus	C	Astros	Astros	Astros
38	John Olerud	1B	Red Sox	Mets	Red Sox
39	Ray Durham	2B	Giants	Mariners	Mariners
40	Joe Randa	3B	Padres	Dodgers	Reds
41	Scott Elarton	SP	Indians	Nationals	Nationals
42	Esteban Loaiza	SP	Nationals	Nationals	Dodgers
43	Jamie Moyer	SP	Mariners	Mariners	Mariners
44	Octavio Dotel	RP	Athletics	Mets	Mets
45	Juan Encarnacion	OF	Marlins	Nationals	Nationals
46	Bernie Williams	OF	Yankees	Orioles	Orioles
47	Sammy Sosa	OF	Orioles	Devil Rays	Tigers
48	Kevin Millar	1B	Red Sox	Twins	Twins
49	Paul Byrd	SP	Angels	Reds	Rangers
50	Scott Eyre	RP	Giants	Red Sox	Giants

Dodgers Hire New GM

Originally posted on my MySpace blog, November 18, 2007,

It took a while, but the Dodgers finally have a new GM. On Wednesday, they announced the hiring of longtime Giants assistant GM, Ned Colletti. I wasn't too thrilled with the decision at first, but after hearing his comments at the news conference, and listening to him in several interviews on local radio talk shows throughout the day, and reading what others in the industry said about the hiring, I've come to the conclusion that Colletti might just be the right guy for the job.

Colletti has a reputation for being a hard nosed guy when it comes to negotiations for contracts and trades. He engineered the Giants signing of Barry Bonds. He was a key player in the Giants' acquisition of Jeff Kent from Cleveland. He's also the second person the Dodgers have hired as a GM who was once a member of the media. (In 1988, the Dodgers hired Fred Claire. Claire was already in the Dodger organization, but he was once a media reporter.)

Colletti values more than just stats when it comes to building a team. I for one still believe that stats speak for themselves. Stats are cold, hard facts. Many still buy into the notion that previous GM, Paul DePodesta, was too much of a stat freak, who didn't put too much value into other areas, such as a player's personality, the scouting reports, etc. They're right, he didn't put too much value into it, but more importantly, he didnt overvalue it either. He didn't rely strictly on stats as many were led to believe. But one thing he wasn't very good at, which ultimately led to his firing, was communicating with the players, his collegues, and more importantly, his superiors.

Owner Frank McCourt says he and Colletti hit it off right away. But then again, I believe he said the same thing about DePodesta when he was hired two years ago as well. As soon as Colletti knew he had the job, he and McCourt spent close to 24 hours together over a span of three days, asking questions, answering questions, determining what direction the team was headed. Colletti basically has a very good idea what he wants to do, and it seems as if McCourt is on bourd with his ideas.

Colletti's first order of business will be to find a new manager for the recently "fired" Jim Tracy. We know right now that one of DePodesta's finalists for the managerial post, in fact he was the leading candidate at the time of DePodesta's firing, Terry Collins, will be interviewed again for the job. Also in line are Jim Fregosi and Lou Piniella, although Piniella is a very longshot. There are other unknowns on Colletti's list of candidates so one can only wonder.

Once a manager is in place, Colletti will get to work on free agents and potential trades. He's indicated that he will sit down with Kim Ng and Roy Smith, who running the player personnel ship in between GMs, and find out who they've contacted as far as free agents and other teams for trade matches, and then he'd move forward with some of those and some of his own ideas. The most glaring areas of need are at third base, the outfield, and starting pitching, but Colletti has suggested first base needs an upgrade, as well. That said, its pretty obvious Hee Seop Choi and Milton Bradley's days are numbered in Dodger blue.

There's speculation Colletti is talking with Milwaukee about Lyle Overbay. Not much of an upgrade over the Choi/Olmedo Saenz combo, but if he gets the right guy at third base (rumors persist they are talking to Nomar Garciaparra), then Overbay at first doesn't look so bad.

It's still rather early in the game but the Dodgers just might have saved themselves from a PR nightmare with the hiring of Colletti. Check back in two months to see what the new roster looks like and we'll have a better idea of whether Colletti was the right hire for the job.