How Biogenesis Will Affect the Playoff Races

With Monday’s punishments announced for the players involved in Anthony Bosch’s biogenesis clinic, 2013’s playoff races may be slightly altered. Although most of the players connected to biogenesis are less than role players, some teams will be tasked to endure the season’s final two months without impact players and All-Stars who were an integral part of their first half lineups.

Two teams whose quest for October will lack 2013 All-Stars are the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers. The Tigers lost their shortstop, Jhonny Peralta, while Texas will move forward without their main catalyst, right fielder Nelson Cruz.

In the Rangers’ first season without Josh Hamilton and Michael Young, one of their offense’s few reliable assets was Cruz. Understandably, Cruz was having his best statistical season prior to his suspension. Through 108 games, Cruz was on pace for career highs in homeruns and qualifying batting average.

Cruz led the Rangers in homeruns with 27, RBI with 76, and walks with 35. Aging third baseman Adrian Beltre will be the Rangers’ main offensive force for the remainder of the season. Beltre leads every major offensive category that Cruz didn’t.

Two players who the Rangers will need to perform for hopes at keeping up with the surging Athletics are catcher A.J. Pierzynski and second baseman Ian Kinsler. Both players have missed over 20 games already and will need to stay in the lineup and perform like their old selves for Texas to have a chance at getting back to fall baseball.

Unlike the Rangers, Detroit probably will not even feel or notice Peralta’s absence despite his All-Star season with a .305 average. Detroit still has the reigning Triple Crown winner, Miguel Cabrera, along with his counterpart, Prince Fielder.

Thus far in 2013, Cabrera is posting a legitimate bid for a repeat at the Triple Crown with a league leading .359 average and 105 RBI along with a second best 33 homeruns. Fielder has provided an additional 80 RBI and 17 homeruns.

Like Cruz, Peralta was also having one of his best seasons. Peralta’s .305 average was a career high and was on pace for his most homeruns since 2008. Despite this revival to his eleven year career, Peralta is a minor subtraction from an already very deep and experienced lineup loaded with Cabrera and Fielder as well as seasoned veterans Torii Hunter and Victor Martinez.

The Tigers had prepared for Peralta’s suspension when they addressed his potential vacancy at the Trade Deadlne. Detroit acquired Jose Iglesias from the Red Sox in a three team trade with the White Sox that saw the departures of Avisail Garcia and Brayan Villareal.

Iglesias is a defensive minded shortstop, but showed signs of strong offensive production earlier this season.

Even if Peralta’s absence downgraded the offense, the Tigers’ starting rotations is still one of the league’s most talented staffs with the 17-1 Max Scherzer, 10-5 Doug Fister, and perennial Cy Young candidate 12-8 Justin Verlander.

The Tigers have the pitching and enough offense to make the playoffs and hold off the threatening Indians without Peralta. In Arlington, the outcome does look as promising. Texas will fatally miss Cruz’s power in their efforts to stop the Athletics if other players fail to stay productive and on the field.

By suspending the players involved with biogenesis, baseball hoped to retain the integrity of the game and keep an untainted playoff race. These suspensions have altered the playoff race and punished more than just the players, but also their teams. Seeing the way their teams needed them, after failing to make the playoffs, could be the best punishment of all for the players and perhaps an added incentive in the future to stay clean.

A Crucial Time for Cardinals

Just inside the final two months of the season, the St. Louis Cardinals are finding themselves in a position not to familiar to the eleven time champions: doubt.

The division rival and competing Pittsburgh Pirates have hosted the Cardinals for a five game set that may serve as a deciding factor for the NL Central title. Pittsburgh has won the first four games, including a double-header sweep on Tuesday. The Pirates have outscored the Cardinals 22-7 so far this series.

Losing both ends of Tuesday’s double dip was not even the worst part of the day for the Cardinals. In the second game, National League MVP candidate Yadier Molina left in the third inning with a knee injury. Molina’s MRI would later reveal knee inflammation which landed him on the 15 day DL.

Before his injury, Molina had put together arguably the best season of his eleven year career. The National League’s starting catcher for the All-Star Game, Molina was batting .330 with an unusually high 54 RBI.

2.5 games out of first place and without their biggest asset for at least the next two weeks, the aging Cardinals are riding a five game losing streak and are tasked with keeping pace with the much younger and scrappy Pirates.

If Molina can return on time, he should be available for the final game of the Pirates/Cardinals series occurring from August 13-15 in St. Louis. Until their next meeting with the Pirates, the Cardinals will venture through a difficult segment of their schedule without their best player.

After tonight’s concluding game of this rare five game series, the Cardinals will travel to Cincinnati for a three game series with the 60-49 yet third place Reds. While in Cincinnati, the Cardinals pitching staff will be tasked with containing the Reds’ power threats in Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, Shin-Soo Choo, and Brandon Philips who combine for 65 homeruns.

Following the Reds series, the Cardinals will return home to face the National League’s hottest team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Though at home, this series will still be a test for the Cardinals as they encounter the explosive Dodger lineup who have the MLB’s best team average in July.

Without Molina, St. Louis can potentially face the impressive tandem of the 10-6 and ERA leading Clayton Kershaw and 8-3 Zach Greinke in the Dodger series and the 10-4 Mike Leake versus the Reds.

After meeting the Dodgers, the Cardinals will have somewhat of an easier matchup as they face off with the longtime foe Chicago Cubs.

Even without their All-Star closer, Jason Grilli, Pittsburgh has a much easier schedule before their next meeting with the Cardinals. The next three series for the Pirates will be against sub-.500 teams. The Pirates are slated to play the miserable last place Marlins in between two sets with the 51-58 Colorado Rockies.

Pittsburgh has it so good these next two weeks that when they play the Marlins, they will not even have to visit the hideous Marlins Park.

When the Pirates arrive in St. Louis for another crucial meeting, the standings could be determined by much more than 2.5 games. Although the Cardinals have the fifth best record in the major leagues, these next two weeks without Yadier Molina could be detrimental to their season.

The Cardinals will still have a strong team without Molina but they will be losing one of the lineup’s main catalysts. There will be added pressure on the aging bodies of Matt Holliday and Carlos Beltran for Molina’s leadership and production while more emphasis will be placed on Matt Carpenter for Molina’s reliability.

In recent years, it was the Pirates who fell apart at this time of the year due to injuries and slumping bats, however the tables may turn.

Depending on how this next stretch goes for the Cardinals could help Molina’s campaign for MVP. Unlike the Heisman Award in college football the MLB does not grant the award to the best player, but rather to the player who was the most valuable to his team, thus the name Most Valuable Player. If the Cardinals struggle without their elite backstop, it will prove his worth as the most valuable player on the team.

A Nostalgic Weekend for the Yankees

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This weekend’s story could not get any better for Yankee fans. Serving at least as a temporary distraction, the Bronx Bombers were able to relive their glory years of the late 1990s and early 2000s for a little while.

That era of Yankee baseball may have been one of the single greatest dynasties in sports history, along with another great chapter in the team’s legacy, the 1920s and 1930s where the Babe Ruth led Murderer’s Row went to six World Series in twelve years, winning three.

For the first time since the mid 1960s to early 1970s championship drought, the Yankees are facing a true crisis. Teams in the AL East are younger and more talented, as the Yankees are running out of their normal luck in finding high risk/high reward free agents, as well as time with ageless wonders and franchise cornerstones, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera approaching retirement.

While the team is unraveling, the status of the 275 million dollar third baseman, (No, that is not a hyperbole.) Alex Rodriguez, is indefinite. Rodriguez, who admitted his steroid use in 2009, is among the players accused of involvement in Anthony Bosch’s biogenesis clinic, facing a potential suspension or lifetime ban from baseball.

After a week tainted by the Yankee front office taking disassociating themselves from the same player they signed for ten years in 2007 to a new extreme by falsely placing him on the disabled list, Yankee fans had a taste of their rich past to forget about the scandals and decline of their team.

This weekend began with the midseason trade for former Yankee Alfonso Soriano from the Cubs. Soriano was acquired to help spark an outdated, fragile, and sluggish Yankee lineup. Before the trade, Soriano had hit eight homeruns in the month of July, one more than the Yankees, as a team.

While a Yankee, Soriano was part of four World Series teams, including two championships. Before the 2004 season, Soriano had been traded from the Yankees to the Texas Rangers for Alex Rodriguez.

Soriano’s best season in the pinstripes, 2002, may have been the best of his fourteen year career. In 2002, Soriano hit 39 homeruns and drove in 104 runs while hitting .300 for the only time in his career. Though he may be well passed 2002, Soriano can still provide the offense with that same explosive production while providing fans with his attendance for a blast from the past.

Less than 48 hours after Soriano’s arrival in the Bronx for the weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays, two other iconic Yankees made their return to The Stadium.

Longtime Yankee captain and shortstop Derek Jeter returned to the Yankees lineup from another stint on the disabled list on the day his former teammate, Hideki Matsui, retired and was honored with his own bobblehead day.

This was Jeter’s second return of the month after reinjuring himself in his first game off the DL on July 11. A perennial and classic Yankee with five rings, Jeter experienced his best seasons during that dynastic era in the Bronx.

In the 1999 World Series winning season, Jeter hit .349 with a 24 homeruns uncharacteristic to a shortstop. Jeter would also excel in 2000 where he was awarded the unprecedented combination of both All-Star Game MVP and World Series MVP.

Matsui joined the Yankees in 2003 after an already illustrious career in Japan. A two time All-Star, “Godzilla” was part of one World Series team in 2008 where he batted .615 with three homeruns and eight RBI, earning him Series MVP.

What could be more Hollywood for the class act Jeter to return with Matsui in attendance and being honored?

Homering on the first pitch of his first at bat.

Jeter’s homerun was the first for the Yankees in nine games, making his presence known immediately. After a 2-4 performance by Jeter, Tinseltown would return for this throwback as Soriano slated his fourth hit of the day, a walkoff to give the Yankees a much-needed victory.

Now as the scriptwriters and film crews have left Yankee Stadium, there still are those same issues lurking with the Steinbrenners, Brian Cashman, and Joe Girardi.

The feel good movie is now more of a melodrama.

What will happen with A-Rod? How can we keep up with the Red Sox, Orioles, and Rays? What are we going to do when Mo and Derek leave? Can Soriano meet our expectations and perform like before?

For the Yankees, this weekend full of feel good memories of yesteryear served as a suitable distraction, however moving forward the Pinstripes may never be the same.

All was not well for the Yankees of the early 2000s yesterday, former Yankee star Tino Martinez resigned as Marlins hitting coach after numerous complaints and accusations on his “tough” approach.

Braun and Others Deserve the Baseball Death Penalty

A day after Ryan Braun’s suspension for the remainder of the season was announced, I am still unsatisfied.

In agreement with my longtime hero in sports media, Dick Vitale, the twenty or so players involved with Anthony Bosch’s biogenesis clinic as well as anyone who has ever been selfishly involved with steroids deserve the ultimate punishment in baseball- the death penalty.

The latest chapter in baseball’s ongoing fight against performance enhancing drugs has called for desperate measures from commissioner Bud Selig. Like Pete Rose and the 1919 Chicago Black Sox, these players linked to steroids do not deserve to ever play in the MLB ever again, regardless of how good they are, what they have done, or how much fans love to watch them play.

They are cheaters.

They cheated themselves, the game, their organization, and their fans.

When the 1919 scandal of Chicago White Sox players being bribed to lose the World Series, commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis administered the baseball death penalty to discourage other players from compromising the game’s integrity. Landis, who attended White Sox games regularly, audaciously banned fan favorites as well as future Hall of Famers like Eddie Cicotte and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson from the sport despite their talent.

The ruling did its job. Through the next 70 years, there was really only one other significant known scandal.

Like Jackson, another Cooperstown bound player, career hits leader, Pete Rose, was banned for life from baseball and later ruled ineligible for the Hall of Fame. Rose was accused by then commissioner Bart Giamatti of betting on games and against his team as a manager and a player.

Much like the punishment system used widely throughout history of executing criminals extremely or publically to prevent future offenses, Giamatti and Landis succeeded for the most part in limiting players involved in gambling. Both commissioners demonstrated radical measures to warn or scare other players from rigging games.

Selig, a native of Milwaukee where Braun’s Brewers play, needs to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors and preserve the overall spirit of the game by ending this tainted chapter of baseball lore.

Steroids are much more serious than simply breaking baseball’s good spirit like Rose and the Black Sox did.

The health issues caused by steroids alone should be enough of a punishment to discourage players from cheating. Steroids have been known to cause various cancers as well as cardiovascular and kidney problems.

Unlike the gambling scandals, steroids affect more than just the players and their teams. Steroids can give players a substantial advantage over opponents and may have warped performances and stats at the cost of the opposition. By making users unnaturally bigger and stronger, steroids could also be the culprits behind numerous injuries.

If gambling was enough of an offense to ban some of the best players to ever play baseball for life, steroids almost certainly are too. The suspensions have proved to not be enough. Steroids are a much more serious matter than betting on games ever was or will be.

For baseball to be restored, and for young fans like me, who have grown up only knowing a tainted game, to experience the beauty of clean baseball, Selig needs to leave his mark on the sport as commissioner by eliminating all steroids and all cheaters.

Breaking: Harvey to Start the All-Star Game

Giants and National League manager Bruce Bochy announced earlier today that Matt Harvey would get the start for tomorrow’s All-Star Game. Harvey will be pitching in his home ballpark, Citi Field, along with his teammate, David Wright, at third.

After a half season of great young pitching in the National League, Harvey received the starting nod over fellow National League All-Stars, Clayton Kershaw, Patrick Corbin, Jordan Zimmerman, and Jeff Locke.

The Mets skipped Harvey’s start on Saturday to “limit his innings” but most likely to make him more eligible to pitch in front of his home crowd in the All-Star Game.

Harvey joins Dwight Gooden and Tom Seaver as the only Mets pitchers to ever start the All-Star Game. The 24 year old Harvey is also the first rookie since Fernando Valenzuela in 1981 to start the Mid-Summer Classic. The only other rookies to start are Mark Fidyrich in 1976 and Dave Stenhouse in 1962.

Through the first half of the season, Harvey is 7-2 with the third lowest ERA in the majors at 2.35 through 130 innings. Harvey’s .92 WHIP is second only to Clayton Kershaw’s .91.

Dunn Snubbed Once Again

When Robinson Cano announced Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes would be the final member of his American League Homerun Derby, White Sox first baseman Adam Dunn once again missed the cutoff. Through his career, this generation’s version of Dave Kingman has made only two All-Star Game appearances, without a Derby appearance.

Although the Homerun Derby usually requires participants to be All-Stars, Dunn has been a legitimate candidate for it with multiple 40 homerun seasons, including five straight from 2004-2008. The biggest issue with the Homerun Derby is the obligatory All-Star status.

The Homerun Derby is called that for a reason. It is not the all around player derby.

Since he was a rookie in 2001, Dunn has already belted 430 homeruns. Dunn has the 45^th most all-time homeruns and is one of only 50 players to eclipse the magical 400 mark. Heading into the All-Star Break, Dunn is tied with Pedro Alvarez and Raul Ibanez for the fifth most in the majors with 24.

But why is he never celebrated with Cano and Prince Fielder in the Homerun Derby?

Adam Dunn has become one of the premier power hitters in baseball, however due to his one-dimensional play he usually finds himself snubbed from the All-Star week festivities. A career .238 hitter with over 2,000 strikeouts, Dunn is most definitely not Ted Williams. With 115 career errors, Dunn has also yet to perform in the field, while failing to find a permanent position, bouncing between first base, corner outfield positions, and designated hitter.

Like everywhere, politics can exist in the Homerun Derby. The worst part of the Derby is captains can elect to pick their friends to join them to represent their leagues. Only two Derby participants, Carlos Gonzalez with 25 and Chris Davis with a major league high 36, have more homeruns this season than Dunn.

In a perfect world, the Derby participants would be decided by the top four homerun leaders in the National and American Leagues. In that utopia, Dunn would have made the Derby in 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, and 2004.

It is incomprehensible how someone in an all-time class with Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, and Barry Bonds and top ten for the season homerun totals, is not included in the Derby. Just because Dunn has never had a season where he hit above .270 and does not boast Gold Glove caliber defense does not make him unqualified for the Homerun Derby.

In fact, Adam Dunn may be the most qualified for the Derby.

The Homerun Derby is not even a contest even more; it is purely entertainment for both the players and fans. In my opinion, Adam Dunn could put on a show for his peers and fans by cranking 450 foot shots and getting on mesmerizing runs much like Josh Hamilton did in 2008.

How Available is Cliff Lee?

The Phillies may be just 7.5 games behind the first place Atlanta Braves and 5.5 games back from the wild card leading Pirates and Reds, but they are simply too old to contend with these elite young clubs through September. With July 31 approaching, Philadelphia should look to be sellers in this year’s trade deadline and attempt to rebuild quickly much like the Boston Red Sox have done in the past year.

Reuben Amaro Jr. is one of baseball’s best general managers, but once he retires, Amaro will not be remembered for creating some of the best Phillies teams, but as the man who traded Cliff Lee, not once but twice. And did the right thing.

Cliff Lee is by far Philadelphia’s best pitcher. Through July 12, Lee had a team best 10-3 record, 2.86 ERA, 125 strikeouts, and 138.2 innings.

Lee is not only the best Philadelphia pitcher this season, but has also been one of the game’s best pitchers through the past decade. With a career record of 135-81 since his 2001 debut with the Cleveland Indians, it is a surprise Lee has yet to find a consistent home. Despite his success, Lee has played on four teams in five years, including two stints in Philly. Lee has become a usual commodity on the midseason trading block; subsequently he has only played a full season with a single team twice since 2009.

Amaro acquired Lee, the reigning Cy Young Award winner, in 2009 in a blockbuster trade deadline deal with the Indians for a collection of prospects. Lee helped lead the Phillies to a second straight National League title before falling to the Yankees in the World Series. That offseason, Amaro traded Lee for the first time, to the Seattle Mariners.

In Seattle, Lee had an 8-3 record with three straight complete games before being relocated within the division to the Texas Rangers. Once again, Lee helped his team reach the World Series but failed to capture a ring when the Giants captured their first of two World Series in three years.

After the 2010 campaign, Lee returned to the Phillies as a free agent. In the past two and a half seasons, Lee has a 33-21 record and 575 strikeouts.

As an aging team, the Phillies could consider unloading contracts and Lee has to be at the root of that discussion. Almost any team in contention would value Lee’s experience and proven success to help them reach the playoffs.

A likely destination for Lee, if Amaro lets the one of the National League’s best pitchers of the century go again, could be the National League Central. Both the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates could gain an advantage on one another by acquiring yet another stellar arm to fill out their rotation. The Reds might also express interest in Lee to keep up with the almost unfair pitching of Pittsburgh and St. Louis.

Other potential destinations for Lee could be Arizona and Baltimore. Other than Patrick Corbin, the Diamondbacks are struggling with starting pitching and Lee could help protect first place from the Yasiel Puig-led Dodgers. The Orioles also have issues with their starters and Lee would automatically be the young, inexperienced staff’s ace.

Assuming Lee is traded, Amaro will make the right move by getting rid of the four-time All-Star, again. All five teams listed above have strong farm systems that can produce prospects valuable to Philadelphia rebuilding. Lee may be the best available pitcher on the market this July, which will help bring minor league talent and future All-Stars to The City of Brotherly Love, as well as a potential World Series in the coming years.

Wrigley is Amazing Just the Way It Is

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I never thought I would quote Bruno Mars in a sports article, but when I heard the upsetting news that the century old Wrigley Field is subject to modernization and a potential retirement, all I could think of was one of Mars’s hit songs, Just the Way You Are. In the song from his 2010 album, Doo Wops and Hooligans, Mars sings about a girl he finds seemingly perfect and does not need to change when he says, “You’re amazing, just the way you are.”

Much like the girl Mars sings about, here in 2013, 99 years after it opened, Wrigley Field is still amazing, just the way it is.

Everything about Wrigley is beautiful. The ivy walls. The hand operated scoreboard. The seats across the street. The iconic red sign outside the stadium reading Wrigley Field/ Home of Chicago Cubs. The classic renditions of Take Me Out to the Ballgame sung every seventh inning stretch.

To think that the Cubs front office is considering redoing the ballpark is absolutely disheartening. I have never been to The Friendly Confines, nor am I Cubs fan, but I am a baseball fan that appreciates the game’s rich history, which Wrigley has been at the heart of since Woodrow Wilson held office.

There is an adage that says, “Do not fix what is not broken,” and Wrigley is far from broken. There is a reason why Wrigley has lasted since 1914.

It is a classic ballpark.

It is not like fans do not go to Wrigley because it is unpleasant. Despite some of the atrocious Cubs teams over the last 99 years, fans always manage to find their way to Wrigley. Had Wrigley been an unlikable stadium, due to the lack of success in Chicago, it would have closed its doors years ago.

Part of the Wrigley experience, which I have yet to be blest with, is the feeling of watching games without the distracting cartoons and world class dining and shopping options just like our baseball ancestors.

Before 1988, Wrigley Field had been the MLB’s lone stadium without lights or night games. Right now, Wrigley is the only regular season stadium in professional baseball lacking a jumbotron, although the Ricketts announced today a plan to add two.

Other than Fenway Park in Boston, Wrigley is our only connection to baseball’s grassroots, giving us a glimpse of the days of the Bambino, Honus, and Cobb.  I am not saying Wrigley Field should not be updated to modern standards or that fans do not deserve to watch a game in convenience and comfort, but there has to be a better way to renovate Wrigley.

One of the new electric scoreboards is supposed to block views of the iconic seats across the street on top of apartment buildings. This already kills one of Wrigley’s best features. By losing these seats, it will only be a matter of time before the ivy is cut down and overpriced dining clubs decorate and dominate the stadium’s interior.

This millennium has already seen the demolitions of Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium and The Old Yankee Stadium, and I do not want to see Wrigley join them on that list.

Mars ends the song by saying there is not a thing he would change about the girl, and likewise there is not a thing I would change about Wrigley. I know eventually we will have to say goodbye to Wrigley, but until then, rather than focus on its defects, we should celebrate its beauty and history, as there will never be anything like it, ever.

Wrigley Field has yet to see the Cubs win a World Series and in a perfect world scripted by Walt Disney, the final season played there would be the year the Curse of the Billy Goat is broken.

Potential Trade: Young for Joba

July 10 marks when NBA teams can officially announce trades and free agent signings; however it is a potential baseball transaction that has caught my attention the most. There have been recent trade rumors circulating that the Philadelphia Phillies are exploring the option of trading versatile veteran infielder Michael Young to the Yankees in return for the erratic Joba Chamberlain.

If this deal can be pulled off before the July 31 deadline, it will only add to various other trading “phlops” in Philadelphia sports history while Brian Cashman would have succeeded yet again in finding production in a thought to be washed up player.

Joba Chamberlain has become one of the generation’s most inconsistent and unreliable pitchers. Chamberlain has struggled staying on the field and at the major league level while battling numerous injuries and mechanics issues.

As a rookie, Joba looked like a potentially great major league pitcher when he went 2-0 with a sub one ERA out of the bullpen. In his 2008 sophomore and first full season, Chamberlain continued his early success by posting a 4-3 record with a 2.60 ERA while averaging more than one strikeout per inning.

Since his first two seasons, Chamberlain has moved between the bullpen, starting rotation, and operating room. Joba has yet to perform for a full season as he has made over 45 appearances out of the bullpen only once, in 2010 where had a 4.40 ERA and allowed almost one hit every inning. Currently, Chamberlain is having his worst season yet, with an ERA over five through 22 appearances.

Michael Young is one of baseball’s most underrated players. Young is a career .301 hitter while being extremely versatile. The seven time All-Star has experience at all four infield positions and has a fielding percentage over .955 at all four spots.

Through the 2013 campaign, Young has played mostly third base, while batting .289 and committing only six errors.

If this trade goes through, the Yankees may pull off one of the biggest steals in baseball history. Young is almost a perfect fit for the Bombers while the Phils could acquire a couple boxes of baseballs for the same value of Joba Chamberlain.

As a veteran with playoff experience, Young also provides great character. As a Ranger, it seemed like every year Young was forced to change positions because of a new addition to the team. The Yankees could use a player like Young who provides a team first attitude to the clubhouse.

Young could also jumpstart a sluggish Yankee lineup with his energizing, reliable, and consistent production, as he not batted under .250 in over ten years. With the future of Alex Rodriguez in the Bronx questionable and a lack of production from the hot corner this season, Young could fill a big vacancy in Joe Girardi’s lineup.

Joba does not however blend with a Phillies organization looking to make one final push for the playoffs before the majority of their roster begins retiring. If the Phillies are looking for one more October, they do not need another lackluster arm in a bullpen with an ERA of 4.61, nor can they afford to lose their second leading and best all around hitter.

The Pinstripes revitalize careers, and despite the almost natural fit between Young and the Yankees, I do not see this trade going through. The Phillies would be out of their mind to let a potential key to the playoffs go in return for a pitcher who may actually make the league’s second worst bullpen even worse.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Is This the Hat Trick or Will the Third Time be the Charm?

For the third year in a row, the Pittsburgh Pirates find themselves in the part of a midseason playoff race. In the past two seasons, the Pirates failed to get out of August alive, extending their almost eternal postseason drought. With a 51-30 record good enough for first place in the highly competitive National League Central, will 2013 be the hat trick for Pittsburgh or is the third time the charm?

It is a mystery how Pittsburgh has climbed to the best record in baseball considering they do not have a hitter batting over .300 and only two qualifying players are batting over .260. As a team, the Pirates have the 6^th worst batting average at .241. Unsurprisingly, Andrew McCutchen is the team’s leading hitter at .292 while young left fielder Starling Marte is batting .288.

Other than McCutchen and Marte, the Pittsburgh lineup has produced mediocrely at best, aside from third baseman Pedro Alvarez’s power. Alvarez has already clubbed 20 homeruns this season, however the rest of the team has combined for just 62.

Alvarez is also leading the team in RBIs with 53, but only three other players have more than 30, McCutchen with 42, first baseman Garrett Jones with 32, and catcher Russell Martin with 30. The Pirates have also struck out a fifth worst 685 times.

In the field, the Pirates have committed 56 errors as a team, tied with the miserable Chicago White Sox for seventh most in the MLB.

With a subpar lineup and a dismal defense, how does this team have the best record in baseball?

Pitching.

The Pirates pitching staff has the best ERA in the league at 3.11 and the second best WHIP with 1.20. Pittsburgh is also top ten in the league for strikeouts (636), walks (270), opponent’s batting average (.225), and homeruns allowed (64).

The Pirates have succeeded in bringing in thought to be washed out pitchers that have turned their careers around in the Steel City such as A.J. Burnett, Francisco Liriano, Jason Grilli, and Wandy Rodriguez. Pittsburgh has also been able to find young talented arms like Mark Melancon, Jeff Locke, and Bryan Morris.

Locke and Liriano have led the Pirates rotation, each with sevens wins. Both pitchers have ERAs under 2.30 and WHIPs below 1.30. Opposing batters have a microscopic average of .199 against Locke this season. Rodriguez also appears to have revitalized himself this season with a 6-4 record and 3.59 ERA.

In the bullpen, the Pirates have been phenomenal, most notably Jason Grilli’s National League leading 27 saves in 28 chances. Morris, the young right-hander, has held opposing hitters to a .162 batting average in 23 appearances, while Melancon has a major league best 23 holds and a 0.89 ERA in 41 appearances this season.

The Pirates may have one of the best pitching staffs in the game right now, along with one of the best bullpens ever, but the lack of offensive and defensive support will hurt the Bucos’ playoff hopes. Pittsburgh’s luck will soon run out and they will not be able to win purely from pitching.

The Pirates are in desperate need of a big trade deadline acquisition to complete themselves, both offensively and defensively. If this problem is not addressed the Pirates will lose numerous 1-0 and 2-1 games. Even if the pitching and luck holds up, Pittsburgh is not in an opportunity to vie for a World Series, as they will not be able to beat more complete teams like the Braves, Cardinals, and Reds in a seven game series.

Pittsburgh has the pitching to win but their offense and defense is holding them down, at the exact halfway mark of the season it looks like the annual collapse is quite possible and close.

Best Available on This Year’s Trading Block

As the July 31 trade deadline approaches, teams in contention will look to increase their chances in reaching the playoffs with blockbuster trades sending players across the country. Over the years, trade deadline acquisitions have made a noticeable difference such as the Texas Rangers acquiring Cliff Lee before their trip to the World Series in 2010. Some, like the Dodgers’ audacious trades in 2012 to add Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez, Shane Victorino, and Hanley Ramirez, were a waste of money, time, and media.

As of June 14, fifteen teams are above .500 and can be considered “in the hunt.” There are five playoff spots in each league. What happens between now and July 31 might have some impact on what happens between now and the last game of the season on September 29.

I have gathered the best available players at each position, along with which teams could use them.

Pitchers

Teams: Orioles, Athletics, Braves, Yankees, Dbacks, Reds, Rays, Boston, Rangers, Cardinals, Rockies, Giants

Any team could upgrade their pitching staff. If a manager other than Jim Leyland says he does not, he is lying. The best pitching options available are White Sox southpaw Chris Sale (5-4, 2.68 ERA, .192 AVG, .92 WHIP), and right-handers, Angels’ Jerome Williams (5-2, 3.15 ERA, .235 AVG, 1.17 WHIP), Astros’ Bud Norris (5-6, 3.47 ERA, .280 AVG, 1.42 WHIP), Cubs’ Jefff Samardzjia (3-7, 3.46 ERA, .225 AVG, 1.21 WHIP) and Phillies’ Kyle Kendrick (6-4, 3.22 ERA, .247 ERA, 1.21 ERA).

Pretty much every team could use another arm in their rotation. Kendrick will likely stay in the National League if he is traded, as he is not an AL pitcher and has experience with the likely NL East champion Atlanta Braves. Teams like the Yankees, playing in bandbox stadiums, will likely pass on Norris because of his higher ERA and opponent’s batting average. If Oakland was not in the Astros’ division, the cavernous Oakland Coliseum might have been a possible destination for Norris. Oakland will need another starter with the remainder of Bartolo Colon’s season in jeopardy due to his alleged involvement in Anthony Boesch’s biogenesis clinic.

Sale and Williams probably will be the prized possessions of this year’s trade deadline, with their success on poor teams. The Yankees and Red Sox will likely come away as winners, but do not be surprised if Texas comes into the question for these two.

Catchers

Teams: Pirates, Dbacks

There are not really any catchers on the market, and it would be hard to bring in a first string catcher from outside the season during a playoff race. Teams like Pittsburgh and Arizona could use depth behind the dish. Mets pitch caller John Buck might be the best option, but he is likely not for sale.

First basemen

Teams: Giants, Rockies

The Dodgers and Blue Jays could both use some youth in their systems after unloading most of their minor leagues in unsuccessful trades this past year. Both teams could acquire farm players by trading their veteran first baseman, Adrian Gonzalez (.312 AVG, 8 HR, 44 RBI) and Edwin Encarnacion (.267 AVG, 18 HR, 55 RBI). Justin Morneau (.294, 2 HR, 38 RBI) could also be potentially on the trading block. All three could provide a veteran personality to the clubhouse, along with a strong bat to the lineup, to teams in need at first like the Giants and Rockies.

Second basemen

Teams: Orioles, Dbacks, Rockies

The top second baseman on the trading block could include Astros’ Jose Altuve (.294, 3 HR, 26 RBI), Angels’ Howie Kendrick (.324 AVG, 8 HR, 33 RBI), and Mets’ Daniel Murphy (.283 AVG, 5 HR, 29 RBI). The Orioles could utilize Kendrick’s offense the most to keep up with the high scoring and high spending Red Sox and Yankees. Murphy is not the best defensive second baseman, but could still provide a valuable bat and complete a Rockies lineup with Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, and Wilin Rosario. Arizona could use any of these three second baseman but might find their guy in Altuve who has a play style fitting to the Dbacks.

Third basemen

Teams: Red Sox, St. Louis

Philadelphia’s Michael Young (.278 AVG, 2 HR, 13 RBI) may be the most valuable at the hot corner, from his playoff experience and versatility in the field. Young has only appeared in 60 games but could be useful to a team like Boston. Another temporary asset at third base could be Cleveland’s Mark Reynolds (.235 AVG, 13 HR, 42 RBI).

Shortstops

Teams: Cardinals, Pirates, Red Sox, Dbacks

Young also plays shortstop, however another Phillies infielder, Jimmy Rollins (.262 AVG, 4 HR, 22 RBI), may be part of a possible trade. Rollins also has experience in the playoffs, this experience could complete a young Pirates team that has fallen apart down the stretch in the past two seasons. The White Sox’s Alexei Ramirez (.265 AVG, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 13 SB) can draw interest and could use a way out of the Windy City. Possible destinations for Ramirez could include Boston, Arizona, and St. Louis.

Outfield

Teams: Braves, Yankees, Pirates, Dbacks, Red Sox, Tigers, Giants, Reds, Rangers, Rockies, Athletics

Just like any team could upgrade their pitching, any team could add to their outfield. Alex Gordon (.302 AVG. 6 HR, 33 RBI) of the Kansas City Royals is the best left fielder on my prospective trading block. The lefty batting Gordon is a strong and consistent player that could benefit from the short right field fences of Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park. Toronto’s Colby Rasmus (.249 AVG, 10 HR, 30 RBI) is the top centerfielder, as the Jays are looking to replenish their farm system. The White Sox’s Alex Rios (.293 AVG, 11 HR, 33 RBI) is atop the list of right fielders.

Top 5 on the Trading Block

1.     Edwin Encarnacion 1B/TOR

2.     Howie Kendrick 2B/LAA

3.     Chris Sale P/ CWS

4.      Jerome Williams P/LAA

5.     Adrian Gonzalez 1B/LAD

The Battle of the Boroughs- Mets vs. Yankees in the Subway Series

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It is not a surprise that in a city like New York, there exists the greatest interleague rivalry in baseball.  The Dodgers and Angels are a highly congested freeway apart, and have a generally relaxed Southern California fan bases.  These two have experienced similar success, each capturing one World Series on the West Coast. The Cubs and White Sox have also faced comparable achievements, both going through extensive championship droughts.  The two Chicago teams have coexisted for over 100 years and are located about the same distance from each other as the Mets and Yankees.

The key word there is coexisted.  The Mets and Yankees have not coexisted.  There is a friendly hatred between the two franchises.  This only exists because 27 beats 2.

In New York, everyone is a Yankees fan.  Who would not want to “like” a team that has succeed more than any other sports team?  A Mets fan.  Mets fans are some of the most dedicated and cynical people, hardened by heartbreak, endless failure, and the never-ending catchphrase of bandwagon fans, “27 rings.”

The first Subway Series happened over forty years before Casey Stengel’s Loveable Losers took the field.  From 1921 until 1923, the Yankees and then New York Giants faced off in the World Series.  The Giants won both in 1921 and 1922 with all the games were played in the Polo Grounds, as both teams called this odd configuration home.

In 1923, and at their own stadium, the hallowed Yankee Stadium, the Bronx Bombers would win their first of many World Series.  The Yankees would also beat the Giants in 1936 and 1937.  In 1941, the Dodgers and Yankees squared off in the Fall Classic in the first of seven postseason meetings 15 years.  The Yankees would win six of them, inspiring the start of the Brooklyn slogan, “Wait until next year!”

In 1955, it was next year. Dem Bums would win their only World Series in Brooklyn, behind a masterful Game Seven outing from Johnny Podres.  The Giants would fall to the Yankees one last time in 1951.

Come 1962, the Mets would fill the vacancy left by the Dodgers and Giants as New York’s National League team.  Though the Mets would win a World Series quicker than the Yankees, they would only win once more, a nail biting 1986 victory over the Boston Red Sox.  The Mets would reach the Fall Classic in 2000 for the fourth time in franchise history, meeting the Yankees to set the stage for the first postseason Subway Series since 1956.  The Yankees would win in 5 games.

Prior to the World Series, the Yankees and Mets had begun annually playing each other starting with the 1997 idea of interleague play.  The two teams had faced off in exhibition matchups in the ‘70s, competing for the Mayor’s Trophy.  However, this was different.  These matchups would mean something.

The first regular season Subway Series game would be a 6-0 Mets victory, behind Dave Mlicki.  The Yankees would win the final two games in the series, setting the tone for the future, as the Bombers have won 54 of the 90 regular season meetings.

Depending on which fans and fans of which team you ask, there were many other great games and memories from this rivalry.  In 2006, David Wright did the unknown by walking off against the immortal Mariano Rivera.  Wright would tank a ball to the centerfield wall at the late Shea Stadium, to break a 6-6 tie.

The next day another thriller would ensue, as it would be Billy Wagner who would blow the save en route to a Yankee victory in eleven innings, Rivera captured the win.  Three years later, Rivera would have another game to remember in Queens, when he drove in his first career RBI with a ninth inning bases loaded walk to set up his 500^th save.

For me, there are two events that stand out the most.  During the last season of both Yankee Stadium and Shea, 2008, the Mets and Yankees met in a two stadium, two borough, two uniform double header.  In the first game, played at Yankee Stadium, Met first baseman Carlos Delgado would collect nine RBI, an all time record for any player against the Yankees, as the Mets would prevail 15-6.  In the nightcap and at Shea, the Yankees would prevail 9-0.

My all time favorite part of this rivalry however was the Roger Clemens and Mike Piazza saga.  This conflict began in Game 2 of the 2000 World Series, when the Mets catcher’s broken bat would fly at the overpowering Yankee pitcher.  Clemens would swat down the piece of lumber and throw it in the direction of Piazza, sparking friction between the two.  For the first time, Mets fans had a reason to hate the crosstown rivals other than their store bought titles.

Fast forward to 2002. Both Clemens and Piazza are still in New York, but for the first time since the exchange, Clemens would be batting with the Mets being home. Mets pitcher Shawn Estes would throw at Clemens, but being a Met, missed and the ball went behind the Rocket.  Estes would later homer off of Clemens in an 8-0 Met victory.

This would not be the only controversy between the two teams.  In fact, this does not even begin to describe the strife between teams whose logo is a nothing more than a different style of writing two letters.  It is safe to say Clemens and Piazza opened up room for these controversies. In the next ten years, the once friendly rivalry would become much, much more.

In 2009, he overly intense Mets closer, Francisco Rodriguez, would take offense to Yankee reliever Brian Bruney calling him out on his outpouring emotions.  Before a June 14 game, K-Rod would meet Bruney on the field.  The tender emotions would carry over to 2011, when Mets outfielder, Carlos Beltran, would criticize Yankee captain, Derek Jeter, for electing to sit out the All Star Game.

The harsh feelings would not end there.  The next year, another erratic Mets closer, Frank Francsico, would create controversy, when he called the Yankees “chicken,” for arguing calls.  The Mets hung a picture of a chicken with Jeter’s face on it, and made a Chicken Dance to greet the closer.  Francisco would earn the save, backing up his big talk.

Despite all the hullabaloo surrounding these teams, they are actually quite similar and have exhibited solidarity, with their stadiums 9.9 miles apart.

In 2001, both teams helped restore New York after the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks.  In the first New York sporting event since the attack, the Mets would play an emotional game against the Atlanta Braves, highlighted by Mike Piazza’s game winning homerun.

That year, the Yankees would go all the way to the World Series, where they would lose to the Diamondbacks in one of the greatest World Series of all time.

Regardless of the controversies between the two teams, they are actually quite similar.  At the 2006 All Star Game, history was made.  For the first time, a single city would send the starters for both the American and National League at two positions with Wright and Alex Rodriguez at third, and Jose Reyes and Jeter at shortstop.

Shea and Old Yankee Stadium would both close the same year, 2008.  In 1976, the Mets and Yankees shared Shea, while the Old Yankee Stadium was under renovation.  In their last World Series victory, both teams beat the other’s nemesis, Mets over Red Sox in 1986 and Yankees over Phillies in 2009.

This year was the first time both teams were home on Opening Day, after 50 years together in New York.

Tonight marks a new Subway Series, two-two game series.  Today and tomorrow will be played at Citi Field, and Wednesday and Thursday in the Bronx.  The makeshift Yankees sit atop the AL East, as the Mets try to build some momentum off of last night’s late inning victory over the Braves to break their recent skid.

The Mets will never come close to equaling the success of the Yankees, no one will. However, every year, the Mets get a chance to possibly quiet the Pinstripe Partisans, for a short time at least.