August 2009 Archives

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

The Closer gets long-winded in the Southpaw's defense of the National League.

The Building Block, Andrew McCutchen, is flying high.
Brad Lidge has angered the Gods.
Two area teams suffer stinging losses. The Pirates, however, had their best win of the season.

Which of these four members of the 3,000 hit club has fewer extra base hits than Hank Aaron has career home runs?
A. Rod Carew
B. Tony Gwynn
C. Lou Brock
D. Wade Boggs

Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Jay Marshall throws from way down low.
Why baseball shouldn't even come close to contracting.
We admit we were wrong.
And a late-summer reading list.

I found this out online this morning and am amazed.
Apparently, the Curse of the Billy Goat hasn't just affected the Chicago Cubs, who haven't won a World Series since 1908.
According to legend, it all begins in 1945, the last time the Fuzzies made it to the Fall Classic.
Freelance journalist Ron Berler discovered that - with three exceptions - every team who has made the World Series with three or more ex-Cubs on its roster has lost.
Sometimes in shocking fashion.
Consider the 1990 Oakland Athletics, which had closer Dennis Eckersley, starting pitcher Scott Sanderson and backup catcher Ron Hassey on its roster.
The team was heavily favored against the Cincinnati Reds.
But it got swept.
The three teams that beat the factor were the 1960 Pirates, the 2001 Diamondbacks - with Mark Grace, Luis Gonzalez and Mike Morgan - and the 2008 Phillies.

John Smolts' new outfit looks awkward; his pitching doesn't.
You have to ask, how would Harry Kallas have called the triple play?
Why Joe Jackson belongs in the Hall of Fame over Pete Rose.

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.

Rizzo the Nat: Mike Rizzo has been given what he rightfully deserves.
The Nationals have named Mike Rizzo their new general manager.
This is a good move. He's done a more than admirable job filling in as the interim. He's fixed a lot of Jim Bowden issues.

Here's the AP Story:
WASHINGTON (AP) -- What a week for Mike Rizzo.
What a week for the Washington Nationals.
After 5½ months of doing the work of Washington's general manager -- including signing No. 1 overall draft pick Stephen Strasburg to a record deal just a few days ago -- Rizzo is getting the big title, too.
Rizzo, the acting general manager since spring training, was still technically an assistant GM. Now he will be the team's GM and senior vice president of baseball operations, a promotion the Nationals were set to announce at a news conference Thursday.

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

Today's most shocking news, Christian Slater is 40.
Which makes Jamie Moyer seem not so old. Speaking of the veteran Southpaw, he dominated Monday.
Cole Hamels had better watch out. His rotation spot might be in jeopardy.

The Houston Astros are on the verge of a deal that would send catcher Ivan Rodriguez to the Texas Rangers, the organization that brought Rodriguez to the Big Leagues.

The Phillies were going to rely on Brett Myers, especially with so many relievers hurt and Brad Lidge ineffective.
However, the right-hander missed his scheduled rehab start in Clearwater after getting injured. He's given several reasons for his black eye: His son throws too hard. He fell out of his Escalade.
The reasons for Myers' swollen eye remain a mystery.

Here are some other possible reasons ended up with a black eye.

10. Myers was picking on Mets fans. "All I said was, 'It's too bad so many of your guys are hurt. We really would love to sprint past them again at the finish line,'" Myers said. "Did I go too far?"
9. He told Chris Wheeler that pitch wasn't a slurve or a cutter. "I wonder how mad he would have gotten had I told him Jamie Moyer doesn't have a funky delivery," Myers asked.
8. He was young and stupid. "It was a loosey-goosey time," Myers said.
7. Myers told Chuck Norris he could get him out on three pitches. "Man, that guy's a jerk," Myers said.
6. Sometimes you just have to show how macho you are. "Sure, I have a World Series ring. Sure, I'll make $12 large this year," Myers said. "But why should I walk away from some guy making $33 grand who plays Sunday softball?"
5.He was attending a congressional member's town hall. Things got rowdy. "But hey, at least I wasn't carrying a gun outside of a presidential Town Hall," Myers said.
4. He didn't quite understand how to play boxing on Wii. "I thought they were serious when they said it was supposed to be like real boxing."
3. He was celebrating the Eagles signing of Michael Vick and didn't know his beer was spiked with alcohol. "Hey, things got out of hand, but at least I didn't shoot somebody. Plus, even after this whole ordeal I'm still not the most violent guy in Philly sports."
2. Jamie Moyer really didn't want to be taken out of the rotation. "I didn't see it coming at all. Jamie always seemed like such a low-key guy," Myers said. "He said he would make sure I didn't make it into the rotation."
1. He rebroadcast and reproduced a Major League Baseball game without the express written consent of Major League Baseball. "Man, those guys are worse than the South Philly Mafia," Myers said. "I figured it was a game I pitched so I was OK. Boy, was I wrong."

Stephen Strasburg has a ton of talent. But he's never faced anything close to major league competition. And no one knows how durable he is. But the Nationals are a desperate franchise. So they gave him a record deal.
Stephen Strasburg signed on the dotted line. The future Ben McDonald/Mark Prior is getting a $15 million deal.
And good for him and his super agent/mercenary of death Scott Boras.
But, again, that's a lot of money for a player who just hasn't done anything.
Look, we never mind when actual big leaguers make oodles and oodles of money. You'll never hear us complain about Alex Rodriguez or Vernon Wells. We won't even complain about Adam Eaton. And we have no problem with teams paying prospects enough money to lure them away from college.
That said, these players who have no track record are a crap shoot. Especially pitchers. Picking which future star is going to make it is little more than an educated guess. And that's after they've pitched 150 minor league innings.

Consider this:

• The Nationals are dishing out more money to Strasburg than the Cardinals are paying Adam Wainwright. He has a World Series ring, is in his fifth year in big league baseball and leads the National League in wins.


• The Nationals are paying him more than the Giants pay Tim Lincecum. And he has a Cy Young.

If Stephen Strasburg doesn't win 60 games for the Nationals during his career, he was an absolute waste. And think about how low a number that is. Sixty wins isn't asking too much for someone who just shattered the draftee signing record.
But he'll probably only be in Washington for five years, six at the most. That's 12 wins a season.
Mark Prior, the man who's contract record Strasburg broke, won more than 12 games once in his career. Ben McDonald, another pitcher Strasburg has been compared to, did it four times. But he was out of baseball by his 30th birthday.
The list of pitchers selected high in the draft and given insane contracts is littered with names such as Darren Dreifort, Brien Taylor and Todd Van Poppel.
None of them ever made a long-lasting impact.

In fact, Strasburg's deal will set the Nats back further than they were yesterday when he wasn't signed. That's especially true when you consider they are trying to bring in free agents and other draft picks and had to put so much cash into one player. WHO HASN'T GOTTEN A PROFESSIONAL HITTER OUT.
But that's the risk they're willing to take.

Let's reflect on the perennially solid Garret Anderson.
What's the reaction to the Stephen Strasburg contract?
And so much more.

The Orioles have traded Aubrey Huff to the Detroit Tigers for a player to be named later.
We'll have more tomorrow in the First PItch.
It's too bad for the Orioles because Huff has been such a productive bat.
However, it's a good move for Huff, who enters a playoff race and will get a chance to play several positions for the Tigers.

Colby Rasmus tosses his helmet as he races home after walking off a win for the St. Louis Cardinals.
We've got a more believable story about Brett Myers' black eye.
Ryan Howard's heating up.
We hope David Wright is healing.

How a bout them pitchers?
Cliff Lee was dominant, Bronson Arroyo pitched the game of his life and Justin Verlander couldn't be stopped.

Dan Quisenberry might be one of the most underrated players in history. He's definitely the most underrated closer.

It's hard to imagine a relief pitcher being more dominant than Mariano Rivera was from 1996 to 2006, a span of eleven years in which he was so infallible, he should have been called the Pope Mariano I. He had a ridiculous 2.02 ERA. He closed out 413 games. He won the Rolaids Relief Award four times. However, no relief pitcher had as dominant a run as Dan Quisenberry did from 1980 to 1985. And we mean no one.

It was a night of stars.
Pedro in Wrigley. Albert in St. Louis. The Kid in Seattle. Josh Beckett heating up Beantown.

Here's a great blog with "Casey at the Bat" printed on baseball cards.

Editor's note: As you probably know, Jeff Frantz is a fantastic baseball fan and friend. He felt he had to defend the Pirates, whom I have eviscerated recently. However, we're open to dialogue here at The Southpaw, so here is Mr. Frantz' response. Up next, the two of us will host a town hall in which Jeff King and Don Slaught will protest and shout us down.

The Southpaw has had a lot of fun this summer hammering away at the Pirates this summer for their fantastic, everything-must-go fire sale. He says their fans are right to be outraged.

He's kindly given me the chance to disagree. Let me say at the top that I'm neither a Pirates fan, nor someone who enjoys the Bucco's perennial losing. I just don't think their actions this summer are totally insane.

The strike, 15 years later.
Kevin Youkilis strikes back.
The Phillies strike late.

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 Cubs were lifeless for most of the season. However, only the Pirates seem out of this race.

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.

Well, Oakland was a big disappointment. But that's OK. The Mariners have been a pleasant surprise. As have the Rangers. So the question is whether Mike Sciosia's club can hold them off.

The guy with the worst nickname in sports, thanks to John Sterling, has been released.
That's right, Jason Giambi is out of a job.
The big man's career started with him as a patient doubles hitters. Then he started belting home runs and hitting like Musial.
Then the predictable occured, just in a strange route.
First he was a witness in a steroid trial.
Then he kind of admitted he did stuff.
Up next, a pseudo-apology.
Giambi capped his career with a comeback and a pathetic followup in Oakland, where he was hitting .193.
By all accounts, Giambi was a stand-up guy in the clubhouse. And since he said he was sorry we've given him a better return than we have with Barry the Truculant and Roger the Dodger.

The Royals are in their rightful position: last place. Miguel Cabrera is doing what he does: hit. And Ozzie Guillen is as inflammatory as ever.
But we have one question to ask.

Andre Ethier is clutch. Three walk-off home runs this season. Five walk-off hits. Word on the street has it he single-handedly saved Cash for Clunkers.
Break up the Yankees.
And while you're at it, the Nats too.

The All Star Game and trade deadline have whipped past us like Josh Bard fastball.
So now, for the next six days, we will have polls asking you who will win each division.
Up first, the AL East, which has crowned nine of the 14 pennant winners since 1995.

It can't be true. But it is. The Nationals have a four game winning streak.
And a New York scribe says the Yanks broadcasters had better watch what they say about David Ortiz.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are continuing to liquidate their assets.
Sure, they've shipped off some big stars. But they're not done yet.
Not by any means.
Just ask General Manager Neal Huntington, who's been wandering the streets of Pittsburgh trying to find buyers.
"Maybe we're mad. Maybe we're crazy," he said Wednesday in downtown Pittsburgh as he grabbed a former Pirates fan by the shoulders. "But you can't say we're not willing to sell. And sell low. That's our motto."
As the beleaguered Bucco Backer tried to scurry away, Huntington clutched at the man's Chico Lind throwback jersey.
"Where are you going, buddy? Have I got a deal for you."
Huntington's approach reminds one of John Travolta's character from "Primary Colors." It's the scene where Travolta, as Governor Jack Stanton, is walking down a busy New Hampshire street on primary night trying to get individual voters to pull the lever for him.
The fan, who would not give his name, screamed at Huntington.
"Don't touch me. We had a chance. We could have contended. But you shipped them all off. We could have been the next '92 Orioles."
That stopped Huntington in his tracks.
"But they didn't win anything," he said, perplexed.
"That's how bad it is right now. We don't even need a championship, just a season with more wins. You've ruined us."
Huntington didn't miss a beat.
"No, that was the guy before me. I'm trying to fix things. But before you go, want Matt Capps?"

A
Tampa Bay Rays players are about to pounce on Evan Longoria, who's about to bounce on home plate. Did the rays just win a game that could kickstart a late season push for the wild card?
Apologies all around about Tuesday's first pitch. It was a very busy day in the newsroom and by 12 p.m. I realize, "Hey, I never got to The First Pitch."
So here's a doubly good effort today.
Hank Aaron wants names. And Pete Rose to be reinstated.

Which holds the record for most extra-inning home runs?
A. Cal Ripken Jr.
B. Willie Mays
C. Babe Ruth
D. Willie Stargell

Defending the Mets. Yes, you read that right, we're going to defend the Mets.
But not Melvin Mora.