Up and Down White Sox All Season posted by Richard Kagan

The White Sox seem on the verge of beating Minnesota for the third straight time.  There was a time when the Sox couldn't beat the Twins.  They did beat them in a one game playoff a few years back to get into the playoffs.  Since then,  Minnesota has been dominant.  It looks like Chicago is getting a measure of payback.  It's about time.  I don't know if its all too late for this season.  Detroit leads the Sox by eight games and there aren't many left.  Chicago can't hope to go .500 and gain ground. And, that's what they've been doing all season.  Win four games here, lose 5 straight, pick up a few wins, drop a few...back and forth.  When a team does that, it's hard to gain ground.  It's like climbing a mountain and not going anywhere or walking in quicksand.  You get the picture. 

Losing 3 straight games on the road to the Tigers hurt this team.  That all but ended their playoff hopes.  The Tigers played like a better team and it has Jason Verlander, arguably the best pitcher in the American League.  The Tigers don't lose 4 in a row.  They have Verlander, who stops losing streaks cold.

It would be nice to see the White Sox play over their heads and make it interesting.  But, I don't think that can happen.  Chicago hasn't been firing all year.  Don't expect them to start with three weeks left in the season.

Chicago takes Game 1, Now Do it Again posted by Richard Kagan

Chicago Whte Sox won their matchup with Detroit on Monday night 4-2, courtesy of pitcher Mark Buerhle and some key hits by the Sox. Buerhle went six innings and kept the Tigers at bay.  They had runners on most of the game. Carlos Quinton doubled in two runs to break a tie, and Paul Konerko added a 7th inning blast.  The Sox did enough to win the game.  Now, can they repeat it?Continue reading "Chicago takes Game 1, Now Do it Again"

Buyer or Seller? posted by David

With the Dog Days of August about to begin, now is the time for teams to decide whether they are buyers or sellers – that is, whether they should mortgage their future and go for it this year or trade away their veterans for up-and-coming prospects.  “Going for it” says to a team’s fans that the organization thinks it has a legitimate chance to win it all, but a more conservative approach can send just as strong a message.  While a middle-of-the-pack team may have to acknowledge that this isn’t the year, going out and building for the future – as long as it is not the distant future – can usually be taken to mean that the front office is willing to sacrifice an outside shot at the playoffs in order to increase its chances of winning in the long term.  Buyer or seller, every GM will be busy until tomorrow’s trade deadline.

How ‘bout that?

How about Buster Posey?  The 22-year-old rookie has been on fire since taking over as the Giants’ starting catcher when Bengie Molina was traded to the Rangers.  Though his 21-game hitting streak came to an end on Thursday, Posey has helped San Francisco go 17-8 in the month of July, in the process taking the lead in the Wild Card race.  It won’t be easy to edge Jason Heyward and Stephen Strasburg, but Posey has a legitimate chance to claim the National League Rookie of the Year award.

How about José Bautista?  Bautista leads the power-happy Blue Jays with 75 RBI and a .585 slugging percentage (teammate Vernon Wells, who is second, has driven in 55 and slugged .515), but more impressively, leads the majors in homers.  The journeyman played for Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh before finding a home in Toronto, and while he has always shown some pop, the Dominican native’s previous career highs were 16 homers (2006), 63 RBI (2007), and a .420 slugging percentage (2006).

All-Star Game thoughts posted by David

Thank goodness Joey Votto (.314/.422/.589 with 22 home runs) was elected to the National League All-Star team via the Final Vote.  Billy Wagner, Carlos Gonzalez, and Ryan Zimmerman are great players and were all worthy of roster spots, but Votto should have been the NL’s starting first baseman over Albert Pujols, and it would have been a travesty had he not made it in the end.  Votto leads the NL in both On-Base Percentage and Slugging Percentage and is tied for the lead in home runs; if the season ended today, he’d likely be voted the league’s Most Valuable Player.  It’s too bad, then, that Votto went 0-2 and did not make an impact in the game.  (Each of the other first basemen on the National League side – Pujols, Ryan Howard, and Adrian Gonzalez – went 0-2 as well.)

In case you missed it, the pitchers who looked the most dominant among all the flame-throwing hurlers who took the mound on Tuesday night were not the starters, Ubaldo Jimenez and David Price.  The best of the best were Florida’s Josh Johnson, who looked strong in retiring all six hitters he faced – all of them starters for the American League – and Detroit closer Jose Valverde, who struck out the side in order in the top of the ninth to at least give the AL a chance to make a dramatic comeback.  Roy Halladay, Justin Verlander, and Phil Hughes, like Jimenez, each gave up a couple of hits and Jonathan Broxton, who earned the save all showed they are not untouchable. 

How ‘bout that?

Rest Up ChiSox, It Won't Be Easy To Win Title posted by Richard Kagan

The All-Star Break is a chance for players to get away from the game and live normally for 3 days...and then go back to work.  Sometimes the break gives new life to a player, often that is not the case.  However, this season the ChiSox have emerged from the depths of a season-long fog to reach the sunlight and show that they have as much talent as the other AL Central contenders, the Twins and Tigers. 

Actually, the Sox can play better.  If Carlos Quintin keeps up his pace, or backs off just a bit, and Gordon Beckham, continues to make contact, the Sox are going to be competitive.  The pitching for the Sox has been sterling.  Each starter is capable of going out and getting into the 8th inning.  And, the Sox can close the door in the 9th. 

Paul Konerko was added to the All-Star team as a replacement for Morneau, the Twin's talented first-baseman,  His addition is deserved.  He leads the team in Hr's and Rbi's, although Quintin is just behind him in both categories.

Alex Rios has 15 homeruns, 49 rbi's and is hitting for average, around .305 for the season.  He is having a very good year.  If Beckham can find his hitting stroke in the second-half, it should be interesting.  Mark Kotsay has been doing a decent job as DH.  He can hit for power and move runners along.  Alexei Ramirez has surprising power and can do damage on a pitcher's mistake.  You have to pitch to him carefully.  The Sox are showing that they have talent...they just have to use what talents they have and come to the park ready to play.  If they do, The ChiSox could be in the playoffs in October.

Who's on first at the Midsummer Classic? posted by David

With All-Star rosters set to be announced this weekend, I’m hoping that fans made good decisions in for whom to cast their final ballots.  While voting began not long after spring training ended, the true All-Stars have revealed themselves over the entire first half of the season.

The race that I care most about is the one for American League first basemen, where the Royals’ Billy Butler deserves serious consideration but has tough competition.  There are three first basemen who have clearly earned a spot on the AL squad: Justin Morneau, Miguel Cabrera, and Kevin Youkilis.  Mark Teixeira (.232/.345/.408), however, belongs at home.  Butler (.322 batting average, .377 On-Base Percentage, 42 Runs Batted In) should be left off the roster only if Joe Girardi chooses to carry only three first basemen AND Kansas City is represented by outfielder David Dejesus (.331 average, .398 OBP, 35 RBIs).

How ‘bout that?

How about Josh Hamilton?  After hitting just .265 in April and .294 in May and combining for nine home runs and 27 RBIs in the first two months of the season, Hamilton caught fire in June.  His numbers for the month included a .454 average, nine homers, 31 Runs Batted In, and an absurd slugging percentage of .815 – not to mention the 23-game hitting streak he carried into July.  If he continues to hit this well, Hamilton has a real chance at winning the first Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.

How about Adrian Beltre?  Coming off five disappointing years in Seattle, Beltre’s .349 batting average entering Friday was second in the majors only to Robinson Cano’s .353, and his 53 RBIs had him tied for seventh in the American League.  In 2009, Beltre drove in 44 runs ALL YEAR.  (He spent some time on the Disabled List but played in 111 of his team’s games.)  In roughly half a season (76 games) in 2010, he has 12 home run runs; last year he hit just eight.  Beltre’s signing is looking like the best of the offseason.

Junior hangs 'em up posted by David

Though it was overshadowed by Armando Galarraga’s nearly perfect game, Ken Griffey Jr. announced his retirement on Wednesday, marking the end of a historic career.  Griffey’s various injuries over the last 10 years prevented him from breaking the all-time home run record, but The Kid will still go down as one of the very best of his era.  He was a 13-time All-Star (including 11 in a row) and totaled 2,781 career hits, 630 homers (good for 5th all-time) and 1836 Runs Batted In.  He won 7 Silver Sluggers and an MVP Award, and his 10 Gold Gloves tie him for third-most among outfielders; he won them in consecutive years.  Known for his sweet swing, tremendous defense in center field, and contagious smile, Griffey will take his place in Cooperstown before we know it.

How ‘bout that?

How about Justin Morneau?  The Twins’ first baseman is hitting .369 – over 100 points higher than he hit in 2009.  In addition to his improved batting average, Morneau’s slugging percentage of .674 is second in the majors to Miguel Cabrera’s .684.  Though his power numbers are better away from home (10 out of 12 home runs on the road), Morneau has fared well at Target Field, compiling a line of .378/.517/.567 in Minnesota’s brand-new open-air stadium.  Along with teammate Joe Mauer, Morneau is a major reason the Twins lead the AL Central by two and a half games over the Tigers.

How about Robinson Cano?  The Yankees’ second baseman is leading the big leagues with a .373 batting average, has 43 RBIs (third in the majors) and 30 extra-base hits (tied for fifth in the bigs), and is slugging an outstanding .632 (also third in MLB).  With Mark Teixeira struggling at the plate with a .220 batting average and A-Rod off to a slower start than usual, Cano has been the heart of the Yankee lineup, helping the Bronx Bombers lead the majors with a .288 average.  (The next-closest is Kansas City at .276.)

Farewell to a pair of the game's greats posted by David

The game of baseball lost two old-timers this week, as beloved Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell passed away at the age of 92 and Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts died at 83.

Harwell is best known for his 42 years broadcasting Tiger games, but before his career in Detroit, Harwell made history.  For this, I turn to wikipedia: In 1948, Harwell became the only announcer in baseball history to be traded for a player when the Brooklyn Dodgers' general manager, Branch Rickey, traded catcher Cliff Dapper to the Crackers in exchange for breaking Harwell's broadcasting contract.

In 1981, Harwell became the fifth broadcaster to receive the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Harwell was inducted into The National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame in 1989, and in 1998, he was elected to the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame as well as the Radio Hall of Fame.  “The Voice of the Tigers” retired after the 2002 season.

Roberts spent the bulk of his career with the Phillies.  His best full season came in 1952, when he led the majors with 28 wins, 30 complete games, and 330 innings pitched, all of which would be considered absurd numbers in today’s game.  He won 20 games six years in a row, throwing 300 innings in each of those seasons as well.  Though he was a seven-time All-Star, Roberts never won a Cy Young Award, as the award was introduced in 1956, just after the peak of Roberts’s career.  He finished with 286 wins, 305 complete games, 2,357 strikeouts, and a 3.41 ERA.  Roberts also holds the record for surrendering the most home runs in major league history, with 505.  Jamie Moyer – still pitching (for the Phillies, no less) at age 47 – has allowed 498 and could pass Roberts some time this season.

Oh, what a night! posted by David

As if Ubaldo Jimenez’s no-hitter was not enough excitement for one day, the Mets and Cardinals took part in a marathon contest, playing a 20-inning game Saturday in St. Louis.  If that does not…, the most remarkable part of the monumental occasion was that the two teams went scoreless through the first 18 frames!  That’s like back-to-back shutouts being thrown by both teams!  In a game that took nearly seven hours and featured an astounding 18 pitchers (two of whom were actually position players that Cardinals manager Tony La Russa sent to the hill), three Met hitters – Jose Reyes, Jason Bay, and Jeff Francoeur – went a combined 0 for 21.  That is an ugly line in the box score for three of the team’s four best offensive players.

How ‘bout that?

How about Roy Halladay?  In his first four starts, Halladay is 4-0 with a 0.82 ERA and a 0.879 WHIP.  He has thrown two complete games – including one shutout – and in 33 innings pitched, has struck out 28 while walking three.  The ace of the Philadelphia pitching staff has more wins than walks, and has collected as many hits (three) in the batter’s box as he has allowed earned runs.  With a strong team playing behind him, Halladay has a real chance to become baseball’s first 25-game winner since Bob Welch, who in 1990 won 27 of his 35 starts.

How about Jorge Cantu?  The Marlins infielder had a hit and an RBI in the first 10 games of 2010 to set a new record to begin a season.  It is worth noting that Cantu also collected a hit and RBI in the last four games he played in 2009 and dating back to last year, he has a 20-game hitting streak.  Cantu’s consistency has helped Florida to a 9-7 record thus far – just a game and a half behind the division-leading Phillies.  To put into perspective how impressive Cantu’s hit-and-RBI streak is, consider this: during Joe Dimaggio’s 56-game hitting streak in 1941, the longest RBI streak he put together was seven consecutive games; in fact, The Yankee Clipper even went seven games straight

Dontrelle Willis Is Ready To Again Thrive In The Major Leagues posted by Colin Linneweber

Dontrelle Willis and the Detroit Tigers defeated the Royals 7-3 Thursday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. 

Willis, who made his first start since last June when he was placed on the disabled list due to social anxiety, pitched six innings and surrendered only two earned runs. 

Willis’ solid outing is tremendously encouraging for the Tigers who have seen the “D-Train” struggle mightily ever since they acquired him in December 2007 from the Florida Marlins. 

The two-time All-Star selection and 2003 National League Rookie of the Year Award winner is viewed by many onlookers as a spent oddball who will never recapture the brilliance he once displayed on the hill. 

Fortunately, Willis has apparently not listened to his  critics and he seems destined to be a vital cog in the Tigers rotation this season. 

Prior to his appearance in the “Paris of the Plains,” the Oakland native insisted that he is physically and mentally prepared to again thrive in the major leagues. 

“I’m just excited to play. I’m not a complex dude,” said Willis, 28, a southpaw who led the National League with 22 wins in 2005. “I feel great. I had a great start and I’m anxious to go out and start.” 

Willis has amassed a career record of 69-60 with a 4.02 ERA. 

At his pinnacle, Willis was an electric pitcher who dazzled fans with his skills, unorthodox delivery and infectious personality. 

At his nadir, Willis was an erratic lefty who battled command and mental issues. 

How the Prince Fielder Deal Affects the Red Sox: A Fan’s Take (Yahoo! Contributor Netw

Prince Fielder's massive free agent contract sent shock waves across Major League Baseball, and the tremors will rumble through the front offices of plenty of teams, including the Boston Red Sox. The Detroit Tigers were the club that gave fielder the surprise 9-year, $214... [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

How the Prince Fielder Deal Affects the Red Sox: A Fan’s Take (Yahoo! Contributor Netw

Prince Fielder's massive free agent contract sent shock waves across Major League Baseball, and the tremors will rumble through the front offices of plenty of teams, including the Boston Red Sox. The Detroit Tigers were the club that gave fielder the surprise 9-year, $214... [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

How the Prince Fielder Deal Affects the Red Sox: A Fan’s Take (Yahoo! Contributor Netw

Prince Fielder's massive free agent contract sent shock waves across Major League Baseball, and the tremors will rumble through the front offices of plenty of teams, including the Boston Red Sox. The Detroit Tigers were the club that gave fielder the surprise 9-year, $214... [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

How the Prince Fielder Deal Affects the Red Sox: A Fan’s Take (Yahoo! Contributor Netw

Prince Fielder's massive free agent contract sent shock waves across Major League Baseball, and the tremors will rumble through the front offices of plenty of teams, including the Boston Red Sox. The Detroit Tigers were the club that gave fielder the surprise 9-year, $214... [read full article]

From Yahoo! Sports

Prince Fielder introduced by Tigers

Saying ''dreams come true,'' Prince Fielder was introducedThursday by the Detroit Tigers. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for MLB