Results tagged “Braves” from The Southpaw

That's it.
Now that Tim Lincecum has won the Cy Young award despite having just 15 wins, baseball fans are up in arms.
Either they believe it's an injustice that a pitcher could win the award without winning 20 games or it's an injustice because people still consider wins an important stat.
The rhetoric is getting as heated as the health care debate.
And I've had it.
The problem is these people not getting the point. And they're doing themselves and the game an injustice.
Wins are still a very valuable statistic. It's just one that has evolved over the years.
But more on that later.
What's most important is that we discuss the relevence of the big numbers (20 wins in a season, 500 home runs or 3,000 hits).
These are numbers that are benchmarks.
But, somewhere along the line their true meaning has been lost. We began thinking a pitcher needed 20 wins to be successful or that a slugger needed 500 home runs to reach the Hall of Fame.
Don't fear.
The Southpaw is going to straighten you out.
Let's start with 20 wins.

Mike Scioscia can calm down now. He's manager of the year. But you know he'd trade that award for the pennant or the Commissioner's trophy.
Bud Selig is making the right call. And no, that wasn't a misprint.
The voters got the manager of the year awards right.

Every World Series has its memorable moment. Or two. Or three.
One player can make a name for himself as a goat or a hero.
Here is each World Series summed up in one sentence.

Historically, if you grew up a Philadelphia Phillies fan, you developed an inferiority complex along the way.
You looked to the north and saw the Yankees perennially winning pennants and the Mets occasionally pulling off the trick. You looked to the west and saw that the Pirates, until recently, were always in contention. Down south, the Orioles were always the class of the American League off the field and often on it.
You were surrounded by success. Just not a part of it.
The Braves, whether in Boston, Milwaukee or Atlanta, had plenty of reasons to cheer. They had Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn, Eddie Matthews, Dale Murphy, The Four Aces and division crowns in 14 straight seasons. Below them were the Marlins. They came around in 1993 and won it all four years later. It took your Phils 97 years to do that.
Then the Fish rubbed it in your face and won it all again in 2002. They'd done in 10 years what you hadn't been able to pull of in more than a century.
And let's not talk about the Cardinals or the Dodgers. But I guess we have to, at least to give the kiddos a lesson. In 64, the Cardinals did to the Phillies what the Phillies did to the Mets two years ago. The Dodgers beat the Phils in the playoffs twice in the 70s, giving Black Friday a totally different meaning in the City of Liberty.
The Phillies were't lovable losers like the Cubs or tragically cursed like the Red Sox.
Your team just lost in unlovable ways that meant they didn't even need a curse.
That's not the case now.

No. 23 could be returning to helm Chicago's ball club. No, not that No. 23. We're talking about the one with class.
The playoff races are coming to a close.

Eighty-two years ago today, Grover Cleveland Alexander pitched two complete game shutouts in a double-header. If there are two complete games tonight, The Southpaw will wear a Mets shirt over the weekend.
The Braves and Twins playoff hopes just dimmed. No, actually, the lights were turned off.

Tim Hudson had perfect form in his return to The Bigs. It would be good for baseball if the proud owner of 147 wins could return to his old self.

The Phillies have aces wild, which is better than Wild Aces.
Rereading the Scott Kazmir trade.

We have proof that there is a god, that god loves us and that god loves baseball.
Need we tell you anything else?

It was a night of grand slams for Russell Martin, Brian Roberts and Brendan Ryan.
For once, Brett Myers didn't get slammed.
And Derek Jeter is not the MVP.

The Dodgers didn't dodge the Padilla bullet.
The Phillies are in love with Cliff Lee.

Look, if the entire Pittsburgh Pirates roster were to be annexed by the Philadelphia Phillies, there isn't one player who would get significant playing time for the World Champs other than Zach Duke.
And even then, he'd be the Phils eighth starter.
But Vladimir Guerrero sure has put up some numbers in his career.

The last time Ryan Howard manhandled teammates was when the Phillies became World Champs. On Sunday, he and Paul Bako had to get control of Shane Victorino, who went insane Sunday.
The Yankees are dominating the Red Sox again.
Shane goes insane.
And what's up with David Ortiz?

Sure the Nationals are irrelevant and the Phillies have a big lead, plus Cliff Lee.
However, if history repeats itself, big leads don't matter in the NL East.

Don't overreact.
Don't overreact? Are you kidding me? The Philadelphia Phillies are World Champs - a phrase we're still joyiously getting used to - and they just picked up the reigning American League Cy Young winner.
Don't overreact. He's not Roy Halladay.
That's true, he's younger and cheaper. But he did win 20 games last year.
Yeah, and he's 7-9 this season.
Big woop, he could have easily won 10 to 12. He's got a 3.14 ERA this year and leads the American League in innings pitched.
Boy, you're excited.
Of course I'm excited. WE'RE GOING TO WIN THE WORLD SERIES.
Hey now, simmer down. Wait a minute, did you just use the word "we?" Are you going to pitch for the Phillies?
Sorry about that. Got carried away there. As far as me pitching for the Phillies, well, they seem to be high on southpaws. They do have four left-handed starters now.
Speaking of don't you think that's dangerous? So many lefties. How are they going to contain Manny Ramirez or Alfonso Soriano?
Yeah, I'm concerned about having the reigning AL Cy Young winner, the reigning World Series MVP, a rookie with a 7-1 record, and Jamie Moyer, who's got 10 wins or more for five straight seasons. Plus he's 4-1 with a 3.30 ERA in his last five starts. I don't know how they're going to compete. It's going to be so much tougher now. Seriously, though.
Remember the last time you got this confident? When you thought Freddy Garcia or even Kevin Millwood were going to lead you to the promised land? Where did they take you?
None of those guys joined the Phillies after winning 20 games, let alone the Cy Young. Sure, there's a risk here, but at least the Phillies didn't give up a lot.
Oh no. Just last season you talked about how Jason Donald, Carlos Carrasco and Lou Marsen as being the future of the organization.
Are you kidding me? The future is now. What's Jason Donald, the next Mickey Morandini? At worst, Marsen is the next Mike Lieberthal or Carrasco the Next Brett Myers. Most people are scared Jason Knapp is going to be a staple in the Indians' rotation. But he's at least three years away. By that time Kyle Drabek will be anchoring the rotation and Happ should still be around.
So you're not counting on the Phillies still packaging Happ and Drabek to the Blue Jays for The Good Doctor?

So, Joel Hanrahan was the winning pitcher for the Nationals yesterday. Thing is, he pitches for the Pirates. Go figure.

The Southpaw is sick and tired of King Felix. He's barely a duke. Barely.
The Phillies opened up a can Monday.
And yes, we actually defend Derek Jeter.

Brian Roberts scores the go-ahead run in an insane, ridiculous and historic rally against the Boston Red Sox.
All we can say is wow.
Wow for the Orioles.
Wow for the Rays.
Wow for Albert the Great.

We take a look at one of the most underrated pitchers in baseball.
Cubs fans are fed up with Carlos Zambrano.

Troy Tulowitzki likes the high ones. Here he blasts a two-run homer on a pitch that's well above the letters.

CC Sabathia has a big test today.
Is David Ortiz cured?

Say it with me folks: RAAUUUL. IBANEZ.
Games were tight Thursday. Real tight. Tighter than the Orlando Magic.
And happy birthday to the Hall of Fame.
Oh yeah, there's no way you'll believe how the Indians won.