What The Reds Need To Contend

The Reds are beginning to show signs of life with three emerging young pitchers behind ace Aaron Harang. Johnny Cueto, Edinson Volquez, and Homer Bailey are all pitching well at their respective levels and will make a significant impact on the team in the years to come. Johnny Cueto turned heads in his first start, earning the nickname “Little Pedro” among Reds fans. Cueto’s fastball tops out at 97 mph with a devastating slurve and a deceptive changeup. He has the makings to pass up Harang as the ace of the rotation, and that is a lot to say considering he hasn’t even made ten major league starts.

While Cueto has everyone excited, the player that came over in the Josh Hamilton trade is actually pitching better. Edinson Volquez mixes a hard fastball with a slider and a fading changeup. He is beginning to show signs of maturity – something that gives scouts a reason to project fifteen wins for the 24-year old pitcher.

Former top prospect Homer Bailey did not have the best 2007 with the Reds, but it was a good learning experience, and that’s showing in Triple-A. He is 4-3 with a 2.72 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 39/12. Pitchers coming out of high school need more time than pitchers from college to develop, usually, so I’m sure they will give him another month or so until he gets another call up. He has drawn comparisons to Josh Beckett with his ability to strike out batters with his hard fastball.

Here is what their rotation will look like in 2009:

Aaron Harang
Johnny Cueto
Edinson Volquez
Bronson Arroyo
Homer Bailey

When facing that rotation, you’ll have to face one potential number one starter each series. If only the offense could pick it up they’d be taken seriously in the division. They are currently tenth in the National League in average (.255), twelfth in runs batted in (144), and eleventh in hits (308). The outfield will likely look completely different next season, with prospect Jay Bruce highlighting the change. Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey will likely be traded, opening the spots up for free agents or other in-house options. Here is a look at the possible lineup:

C David Ross
1B Joey Votto
2B Brandon Phillips
3B Edwin Encarnacion
SS Alex Gonzalez
LF Free Agent/Ryan Freel
CF Jay Bruce
RF Free Agent/Norris Hopper

Although Joey Votto and Edwin Encarnacion will likely anchor the offense, the Reds need an on-base guy at the top to get on base and generate some runs. Their regular lead off guy, Corey Patterson, is hitting just .200 with 4 HR. That isn’t going to cut it. Alex Gonzalez, who is currently on the DL, makes for a solid number two guy, but he hasn’t made a significant impact on the Reds since coming over from the Red Sox. The top shortstop available next offseason is Rafael Furcal, who is hitting .366 with 5 HR and 8 SB. He will likely be looking for more than the $13M he is getting paid now if he keeps it up, and that might not be out of the Reds’ price range, especially if they trade Griffey and Dunn.

The Reds are going to have to fight to compete with the Cubs, Brewers and Cardinals, but there is no doubt that their young pitching could put them in strong contention for the division for the next several years to come.

QUICK HITS

With Jason Isringhausen out as closer, the Cardinals are reportedly taking a look at both Huston Street and George Sherrill. One possible, less expensive option is Rockies pitcher Manny Corpas.

Shortstop Tim Beckham was rated the top draft prospect by Keith Law. Will the Rays bite? He looks like a better option for the Pirates.

FANTASY

Here is someone you should pick up if you haven’t already:

Randy Flores, Cardinals: Flores is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in 14 games and is moving into the closer spot. With the Cardinals still in first place, he should see plenty of save opportunities.

Eli Greenspan owns the website MLB Rumors. He is a junior at a Chicago high school and has taken a liking to journalism, communications and business as future career possibilities.

The All-Star Game Counts

Ted Williams described his game winning home run against Claude Passeau in the 1941 All-Star Game as his biggest thrill in baseball. That’s a remarkable statement coming from a player of Williams’ stature. Nine years later Williams struck the outfield fence in Comiskey Park during the 1950 All-Star Game. He injured his left elbow and was never quite the same again; Williams claimed the arm was only 75% as strong for the remainder of his career. Apparently, Williams took the All-Star Game seriously.

In 2003 Major League Baseball determined that the winning league would have home field advantage in the World Series. Baseball sold this abomination to the fans by assuring us, “This time it (the All-Star Game) counts!” Overlooked is the truth that the All-Star Game always “counted.” It mattered to Ted Williams. It was important to Pete Rose when he barreled into Ray Fosse in 1970. The All-Star Game was worthy of Carl Hubbell’s best effort while striking out five straight future Hall of Famers. Players felt honored to play in the “Mid-Summer Classic.” More, the All-Star Game mattered to millions of fans who voted for the All-Star Game starters.

Today the All-Star Game still matters, but it seems to matter less. Originally, the All-Star Game possessed a dual appeal. It was an opportunity to see all of the game’s best players in one place and it was a chance to decide which was the superior league. Over the last several decades changes have occurred which have reduced the All-Star Game’s appeal.

1. First, there’s television. Not long ago baseball was limited to local broadcasts and the Saturday afternoon Game of the Week. That didn’t add up to a lot of games. Also, poor teams normally weren’t included in Game of the Week coverage. The All-Star Game was probably the only time I saw Dave Winfield all season.

Today television is saturated with games on cable and satellite. We can watch almost any team we want to, we can see any player. This is a wonderful change; I don’t want to return to the days of locally broadcast games interrupted only by the Saturday afternoon offering – but it’s cost the All-Star Game a portion of its attraction.

2. Free agency has also impacted the All-Star Game. Baseball rosters have never been stable, but it seems to me players switch leagues more frequently. Reggie Jackson, Rod Carew, Pete Rose, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski, and many more … these were not only excellent players, but they also carried a league identity.

There’s still some league identity today, of course, and a list can be made of career American and National Leaguers. Regardless, there are fewer players playing for only one team or only one league. Is Gary Sheffield an American or National Leaguer? Johan Santana was an American Leaguer, but not any more. Ken Griffey? Vlad Guerrero? Players move freely between leagues, blurring their distinction. This isn’t necessarily a problem, but again, the All-Star Game suffers.

3. Finally, the All-Star Game’s chief nemesis – interleague play. Judging the superiority of a league by the All-Star Game is poor methodology, to say the least, but that’s all fans had – the All-Star Game and the World Series were the only times the two leagues played against one another. The All-Star Game came with bragging rights. It used to be said that a league didn’t want to lose both the All-Star Game and World Series – if you lost one you had better win the other.

Interleague play is the best means to determine the supremacy of one league over another. These games really do count – in the standings. Moreover, the All-Star Game and World Series only offer insight into each league’s best players and best teams. A World Series winner might be the only truly good team in the league. Interleague play offers a much better evaluation of overall league talent.

Would anyone argue that the All-Star Game reveals which league is superior anymore?

Major League Baseball has permitted changes to occur which have eroded the fundamental appeal of the All-Star Game. Massive increases in television coverage, free agency, interleague play. It’s not reasonable to sanction these changes (even the good changes) and then suppose that there’s something wrong with the All-Star Game.

The All-Star Game is fine, but it can be improved. There are probably a lot of good ideas out there, but please, can we avoid gimmicks like home run derbies or using the game to determine World Series home field advantage? Changes ought to embellish the game itself, underscoring its importance.

A few proposals:

1. If you’re selected, you play. How often do players ask to be removed from the All-Star roster so they can take a few days off to “heal?” I wouldn’t advocate that truly injured players be forced to risk their health, but if they’re hurt, why aren’t they on the disabled list? Fans want to see the best players on the field; for a player to be removed from the All-Star Game roster he must be on the DL, otherwise, he plays. If players would rather take a few days vacation than accept the honor of playing in the All-Star Game how can MLB expect fans to be less apathetic?

2. Not every team gets a representative. As mentioned, fans want to see the best players play. Every year undeserving players appear in the All-Star Game simply because they’re representing their teams. Naturally, this means a better qualified player goes unselected. The All-Star Game is for the best of the best; let’s honor this assumption by letting the best play.

3. Not every player plays. Regrettably, managers are pressured to get every player on their rosters into the game. This is a fine way to operate the kids’ Little League team but, it’s not the optimal method of running the All-Star Game. The All-Star Game will be more exciting when we let managers try to win the game. If winning the game means my favorite player has to sit on the bench, I need to be okay with this.

4. Eliminate interleague play. Okay, this isn’t going to happen. How about if the interleague games are scheduled prior to the All-Star Game so that the All-Star Game is the finale of a two or three week interleague contest? If the All-Star Game can’t be the only interleague game, at least it can be the last one before the World Series.

There’s one more thing that would help the All-Star Game’s popularity – if the same league didn’t win every time. Maybe this is the year, National League fans!

Although the major league season is in full swing, and the college season is preparing for regional tournaments, independent and summer league baseball is just about to begin. While major league baseball becomes more and more expensive and tickets (at least in New England) almost impossible to get, summer baseball is a great place to feed your baseball needs while not breaking the bank.

By the time many of the independent and collegiate summer league seasons begin the price of a gallon of gas may be more than a ticket to these games. It’s a great opportunity for young fans to develop personal relationships with players. Many of these teams also offer summer youth camps to help improve your child’s baseball skills. Most of the parks are located in smaller towns with adequate, free parking and affordable concession stands. Also many parks offer all the amenities of big league teams, minus the superstars. Players are accessible, often willing to sign for kids before and after games. The music and mid-inning entertainment is often even better than the big league teams, and it’s easier to get your children more actively interested in the game since the parks are smaller and the action is closer. The players play for a love of the game and for the fans – not money. Often the hustle and excitement of these games are as good as or even better than some big league games – all for a fraction of the price.

As the summer approaches and the economy makes you reevaluate your normal summer spending, don’t let your baseball needs suffer. Attend one of the Can-Am League games (www.canamleague.com) or go to one of the NECBL (New England Collegiate Baseball League) games throughout New England (www.necbl.com). These leagues are all comparable or even better than the prestigious Cape Cod league which is another great place to catch great baseball (www.capecodbaseball.org).

The summer leagues also have a need for host families. It’s a great way to get to know some future major leaguers. As these players make it, they will remember the families that gave them the opportunity to keep playing ball while they were away from home. This will be our fourth season of hosting players in Maine. We host three players each year and greatly enjoy getting to know the kids and their teammates.

This year I will be submitting regular articles to Dugout Central about the Sanford Mainers here in Sanford, Maine. Please feel free to come see a game as our season opens on June 6, 2008 at Goodall Park in Sanford Maine, which for you trivia buffs is where Babe Ruth hit his last homer in a Red Sox uniform. Doesn’t that tidbit alone make it a place worth visiting? We’ll see you at the park this summer.

Former Yankee David Wells has been training for the past couple months in preparation for a team possibly signing him midway through the season. However, Wells will be 45 in about two weeks and is well past his prime. Although he was 9-9 last season, he had a high ERA on two different teams that put up runs for him. Out of the twenty-nine games he pitched in last season, he had just one game where he gave up no runs, while he had just four games in which he gave up just one run. Not pitching to live batters and going back to the AL could cause his performance to decline further – a risk the Yankees shouldn’t take.

Although Kei Igawa was rocked for eleven hits and six earned runs last night, David Wells might not do much better. His strikeouts have dropped significantly, his walks have gone up, and his homeruns have jumped as well. Although the Yankees are a run scoring team, Wells would not do the job that could be done by one of their younger pitchers. Take a look at Wells’ regression:

Note: 2006 not included because Wells was injured most of the year

Wells’ veteran know-how is a factor that the Yankees are weighing, but if the Yankees were smart they would stay away from him. His power is gone and is curveball was inconsistent last year.

Joe Blanton would make for a better addition at the trade deadline. Although it would cost them several low level prospects, the Yankees would be smart to make the move. Blanton is known for turning it on in the final months, having compiled a 17-9 record with a 3.71 ERA in August and September. If the Yankees need someone to come in within the next couple of weeks, Vicente Padilla could be a good choice.

The Rangers would probably be willing to sell high on Padilla while he is hot and take on most of his salary for a pair of decent prospects. This is just speculation on my part, but it’s known that the Rangers are unhappy with the contracts they own for Padilla and Kevin Millwood. Trading one of them is a priority for the Rangers this season.

QUICK HITS

The Rockies are very serious about landing a big name pitcher at the trade deadline, according to sources. My money is on them going after Joe Blanton.

With Ryan Ludwick showing he can play successfully everyday, it opens up speculation that the Cardinals will trade Chris Duncan. The Indians are a possibility.

FANTASY

Here are two guys you should pick up if you haven’t already.

Justin Duchscherer, Athletics: He is 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 4 games. He is keeping his walks down and hitting his spots – something that he wasn’t always doing last season.

Chris Iannetta, Rockies: After taking over at catcher from Yorvit Torrealba, Iannetta is hitting .345 with 3 HR and 14 RBI. Iannetta was once regarded as a top prospect, but struggled in his first couple years. It looks like he is finally coming around.

Through just over a month of the 2008 season, the New York Mets have yet to see the lightning strike.  GM Omar Minaya and field manager Willie Randolph are still waiting for things to click and for the Amazin’s to reel off a stretch that will separate them from the pack.  If the September version of the ‘07 Mets returns during this season’s stretch drive, they’ll need to have a double-digit lead in the standings when summer starts winding down.

At this same juncture in 2006, the Mets were atop the NL East with a 21-11 record, and in 2007 there were also in first place at 20-12.  And now, on May 10, 2008, they’re in fourth place with a 17-15 record.

Let’s take a look at what’s gone right and wrong so far this year – along with what needs to happen to right the ship.

What’s gone right:

• New Ace Johan Santana and returning starter John Maine have been solid.  Santana has contributed with five quality starts in seven assignments and Maine, following a shaky debut, has reeled off six successive outings in which he has held opponents to two or fewer runs.
• Jose Reyes hasn’t started hitting the ball well yet, but is already on a pace to score 91 runs and steal 51 bases.
• David Wright hasn’t started hitting the way he is capable of doing consistently either, yet he’s driven in 28 runs in 32 games.
• Closer Billy Wagner has been his most effective self since relocating to Flushing.   Through his first nine appearances of the season, Wagner didn’t allow a singled hit, walking two and striking out nine.  Overall he has seven saves in eight tries and has allowed 1 run (unearned) on three hits through 12 games.
• Off-Season acquisition Ryan Church has been stellar.  With a .328 and six homers and 24 RBI Church is on a pace to set career highs in all three categories.  Entering this spring, one of the bigger concerns for Willie Randolph was whether or not Church would be able to stay in the line-up against left-handed pitching – a justified concern considering he had hit just .254 with three home runs in 209 career at bats against southpaws.  Church has put Randolph’s concerns to rest so far, hitting .324 with two homers in his first 37 at bats against lefties.

What hasn’t gone right:

• Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez and Pedro Martinez are both on the disabled list. Martinez is not slated to return to the rotation until late May at the earliest.
• The Carlos’ (Beltran & Delgado) have started the season, hitting a combined .217 with six homers and 29 RBI.  The Mets were hoping for 60 homers and 200 RBI to come from the duo this year, not the 30 homers and 147 RBI they’re on pace for.
• Oliver Perez is back to his inconsistent ways.  Through seven starts, he’s pitched well in three and pitched pretty poorly in his other four.   The disparity between the two versions of Perez has been significant thus far.  In his three good starts, he is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA, allowing just 12 hits while striking out 17 in 17.1 innings.  In his four poor outings, he is 0-2 with an ERA over 9 and has walked 14 and allowed 22 hits in just 17.2 innings.
• Following two solid starts and successive wins to begin the season, Mike Pelfrey has regressed in his last three starts, giving up 14 runs and 28 hits in just 15.1 innings. He’s looking more like the Pelfrey that started 2007 with an 0-7 record.
• Aaron Heilman has not been his usually self as a stopper out of the pen.  He has allowed two or more runs in five appearances this year.  Previously known for his control, Heilman has walked 10 batters and hit four others in 19 1/3 innings, compared to 20 walks and only five hit batsmen in 86 innings in 2007.

What needs to happen?

• More of the same from early contributors. Maine and Santana in the rotation and Reyes and Wright in the everyday line-up have to continue contributing at their current level – or ideally even better.
• Improved Bench Contributions. With the exception of Raul Casanova, who has filled in well with backstop Brian Schneider recovering from a staph infection, other bats off the bench have not contributed much thus far (Endy Chavez, .179 batting average, Marlon Anderson, .214 batting average, Damion Easley, 0 HR, four RBI in 42 at bats). Players coming off the bench have hit just .145 with only two runs batted in through the teams first 32 contests. With several aging veterans including Delgado, Luis Castillo and Moises Alou likely to need regular days off, the bench is going to need to perform better.
• Bullpen Consistency. Aside from Heilman’s troubles and Wagner’s success, the rest of the bullpen has been hit and miss most days.  While Joe Smith had a good start, he has allowed runs in four of his most recent eight appearances. And lefties were teeing off with a .455 average against him. The two lefties out of the Mets’ pen have had the opposite problem to Smith’s. Scott Schoeneweis and Pedro Feliciano have been very effective against lefties (.162 opposing batting average combined), but have been very ineffective against righthanders (.359 batting average, .513 slugging pct). Duaner Sanchez had pitched well through the end of April, but only had pitched in back to back games once.  When he did it for a second time, on May 2nd and May 3rd, he allowed five runs on four hits in just 1/3rd of an inning against the Diamondbacks. Sanchez needs to be able to consistently perform and be effective in back to back outings to prove he is fully recovered from his bout with shoulder woes that began with a Taxi cab accident late in the 2006 season.
• A Healthy Heart. The heart of the Mets batting order has been weak thus far.  David Wright and Ryan Church have been the glue, but with Moises Alou having missed the first month of the season and both Carlos Delgado and Carlos Beltran struggling, the heart of the Mets order (batters three through six) have collectively hit just .247 with 14 Homers and 76 RBI.  Compared to the heart of the first place Phillies order (.264, 33 HR, 94 RBI) and the Braves (.311, 23 HR, 90 RBI), the meat of the Mets order needs to step it up.

In 2007, the Mets had the division title sitting “firmly” in their hands with a seven game lead and only 17 games to.  What transpired over the following three weeks is what many claim to be the single biggest choke ever to occur in a divisional race.  The New York Mets worked hard this off-season to get their fans to forgive them for that abysmal showing, importing the #1 available starting pitcher in Johan Santana and then paying through their nose to ensure he sticks around for a while. 

While the Flushing faithful are eager to see the final touches being placed on the Mets’ new ballpark, CitiField, in preparation for its inaugural season in 2009, there’ll be no better final touch than the raising of a pennant to ring in the new ballpark and to forget about how 2007 ended. And to give Mets’ fans a reason to delete the Green Day song “Wake Me Up When September Ends” from their iPod Playlists.

Mike Celizic of NBCSports recently said this:

“How you establish a dynasty – you start with a winner and keep making it better.”

That is exactly what the Red Sox have done – until now. To keep following that philosophy they need to move Dustin Pedroia to shortstop and Julio Lugo to second.

Everyone knows that Boston fans can cause a player to go from bad to worse. Look at what they did with shortstop Edgar “Rent-a-wreck” Renteria in 2005. I can remember the days of shortstop Don Buddin, who averaged 32 errors per season from 1958-1960. Everyone booed him, and that probably caused half of his errors.

As is, Lugo is going to be getting boos at home based on his recent defensive performance – or lack thereof. A lot of boos. On every ground ball. There will be a lot of negative vibes in Fenway. So what to do? Have Lugo switch places with Pedroia. I know if you asked him, Pedroia would say he wants to be the shortstop. Just give it a try. Especially if Jed Lowrie is given a starting position over Lugo. It would be just dumb to play Lowrie at short and Pedroia at second based on their defensive abilities.

In Wednesday’s loss to the Tigers, Lowrie started at second and Lugo at short. Lowrie didn’t react well to a ball in the first. Lugo was slow to the check swing in the ninth. For the last hit Lugo had four seconds to get to the ball, but he couldn’t. Pedroia would have made all three plays. He has better reaction time and range and needs to be at the more critical defensive position of shortstop.

Put Pedroia at short, and the team will take on a new personality. I guarantee 100 wins if Boston makes this move.

Billy-Ball works hard to give you stuff to talk about around the water cooler during the work week, but sometimes I get concerned that you have nothing to share around the bar on the weekends.

Here are 25 factoids that might get you a free drink:

1. Not only are the Mariners stinking it up on the field, but their attendance on Wednesday of 15,818 was a record low for Safeco Field. Seven of the 10 smallest Safeco Field crowds have come this season.
2. Jody Gerut has raised his average to over .300 at Triple-A Portland and playing centerfield, while on the parent club, Jim Edmonds is playing like he’s 300 hitting under .200 and dragging in the field. At 38, he may be done.
3. Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson will remain out of the lineup for at least two more weeks with a strained left calf that has sidelined him for all but three games.
4. Without Wilson, the Pirates have had one of the NL’s worst defenses, with 24 of the team’s 32 errors committed by infielders.
5. The Yankees announced they have gone over the four million mark for tickets sold this season for a major league record fourth year in a row.
6. When the Padres lost Wednesday night to Atlanta, 5-2, it marked the 16th time this season (47 % of their games) that the Padres had scored two runs or fewer.
7. Sign him up - Since Pope Benedict did Mass at their park, the Nationals have been 8-3 at home.
8. David Ortiz had two more hits last night and now has multiple hits in six of his last eight starts to raise his average to .239.
9. Big day for Ryan Howard yesterday, he only struck out once.
10. The Rays will auction several “experiences” during Monday’s broadcast, including pitching sessions with Scott Kazmir and batting lessons by Cliff Floyd.
11. Jerry Remy’s restaurant at Logan Airport (Terminal C where Jet Blue is located) will be opening later this summer. As part of the decor they will highlight photos of the greatest Red Sox players of all time and the media’s top self-promoters.
12. Albert Pujols has reached base successfully in all 36 games the Cards have played this season.
13. The Braves beat the Padres 5-4 last night. Atlanta had been the first team since the 2000 Houston Astros to lose its first nine one-run games and were the only team in the major leagues without a one-run victory.
14. Mike Mussina has only issued five walks in 52 innings this season.
15. The Braves completed a 6-0 homestand to improve to 14-4 at Turner Field, the best home winning percentage (.778) in baseball.
16. The Blue Jays placed shortstops David Eckstein and John McDonald on the 15-day disabled list, two days after both were injured in a loss to the Rays. Utilityman Joe Inglett was promoted from Triple-A Syracuse and scored the tying run as a pinch-runner in the 9th last night in a game eventually won by the Rays, 8-3 in 13.
17. Lance Berkman had two more hits last night and now has 23 hits in his last 48 AB – good for a .479 average and .368 overall.
18. The Mariners have lost eight of nine, own the American League’s worst record at 14-22, trail their division leaders by eight games and have scored just once in the last 32 innings.
19. In 2004, Reds outfielder Corey Patterson struck out 168 times for the Cubs. This season, he has whiffed just nine times in 95 at-bats. On the other hand, he’s only hitting .200 with an On Base Percentage of only .260.
20. Jamie Moyer became the fourth pitcher 45 or older to get two hits in a game.
21. But the AARP Award goes to: When Tim Wakefield and Mike Timlin shut out the Tigers Tuesday night, they became the first over-40 duo to combine on a shutout.
22. Manny Acosta had his third save taken away when an official scorer realized he mistakenly awarded one in the previous night following the Braves’ 5-2 win over the Padres. Acosta entered the game with a 5-2 lead after Will Ohman got the first out of the ninth inning. Acosta retired Callix Crabbe and Khalil Greene to end the game. Braves official scorer Jack Wilkinson awarded Acosta his third save, and the save was included on the box score and postgame report.
23. Jason Giambi has 14 hits this season: six homers, four doubles and four singles.
24. The AL Central is a major league worst 12 games under .500. The NL West is a combined 10 games under.
25. On Wednesday, at Dodger Stadium, in the bottom of the 5th inning Glen Walker, sitting in Section 11, Row N, Seat 1, caught a pop foul hit by Dodger first baseman James Loney. Joe Castro in Seat 2 was high-fiving Walker as the next pitch was delivered by the New York Mets’ John Maine, Loney hit another foul that hit the scoreboard on the second-level facade, then bounced right into Castro’s hands.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Bill Chuck is the creator of Billy-Ball.com and, with Jim Kaplan, is the author of the book, “Walk-Offs, Last Licks, and Final Outs – Baseball’s Grand (and not so Grand) Finales,” with a Foreword by Jon Miller, published by ACTA Sports, and available worldwide. Autographed first editions are available by contacting, Bill@billy-ball.com or order directly from Acta Sports, http://www.actasports.com/detail.html?&id=3427 or from your favorite bookstore.

Every time he came to the plate to hit, Carlos Delgado heard the fans booing. As was mostly the case in that time up, Delgado would make an out and the chorus of boos would grow louder. He was even booed on a swing and a miss! The New York fans can be ruthless at times.

So it was not a surprise that Delgado did not acknowledge the cheering fans after he hit the second of his two homers last Sunday. Those fickle Met fans seemed to forget all about Delgado’s prior foibles and threw out the olive branch with a standing ovation and wanted their curtain call.

It was not available.

Delgado said he didn’t give a curtain call because that’s not his style, and that he respects the game too much to upstage the pitcher a second time. He also stated that he only has given two curtain calls – one for his 400th home run and for the game where he belted four homers.

The talk in the New York media area then turned to whether Delgado was telling the truth or if he was just sticking it to the boo-birds. I believe Delgado.

What New York fans don’t realize is that Delgado – and most players for that matter – do not play the game for the fans. They play for themselves and their teammates. The 25 guys on the roster are together for eight continuous months from February through October. They go on the road together, play together, eat together and room together. These guys spend more time with each other each day than they do their wives and girlfriends. And in the case of Roger Clemens – more time than his wife and girlfriends!

Players don’t play for the drunk guy in section 623 of the upper deck, nor the hedge fund trader who paid $1,000 for his ticket in the front row behind home plate. If you asked any player off the record who he plays for – very few will say the fans.

Most of the guys who still play baseball, whether it is in the majors or an over-40 Sunday morning wood bat league, are so competitive they play to win, and to win for themselves and their teammates. If the Mets and Braves played in an empty Shea Stadium, all the players would compete hard to beat the other team because they want to win.

So if the New York Met fans believe they deserve a curtain call after an innocuous 7th inning solo home run – they are mistaken. If fans think they have the right to boo anybody they want at any time because they pay good money to see the game (and to buy that plastic bottle of beer), they are correct. But, the fans deserve nothing but hard work and hustle and they should only boo when a player is not hustling and does not give 100%. It is counterproductive to boo Delgado when he is not playing up to his past success or because he makes $16 million this season.

And it is not just the Met fans, but Yankee fans have been just as bad in the past. Remember when Derek Jeter was on that 0 for 32 streak? He was booed pretty badly. How can New York fans boo Derek Jeter after all he has done for the team? People said it was okay because Yankee fans booed Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle. So what? Does booing those Yankee legends make it right?

And the booing is not about the money. If it is, then why is Phil Hughes booed? Why was Ian Kennedy booed? They make the league minimum. Still good money, but not multi millions. Aaron Heilman is booed because he gives up a big hit and Johan Santana is booed during his first start at Shea Stadium when a home run is hit.

Why? Because New York fans are the worst in sports. They will change their thoughts on a player in a single at bat.

Attention New York fans: Not every hitter can come through in every situation and not every pitcher will win every one of his starts, whether it’s a veteran like Johan Santana or a rookie like Phil Hughes.

Booing by the hometown New York fans only aggravates the situation and does nothing but cast a black cloud over the home team, causing increased pressure between players to perform. There is already enough pressure to win without fearing the booing after every out.

In St. Louis new third baseman Troy Glaus hit his first home run in his 26th game with the Cardinals. But, the hometown fans didn’t boo Glaus or ridicule him on sports radio. The Cardinals fans – the best in baseball – rooted for their team and their players and cheered when Glaus finally connected. That is one reason why players love playing in St. Louis.

And that’s another negative from all the booing going on at Shea: free agents are no longer going to come to New York.

The Mets have very few prospects who are near ready to help the major league club, and Omar (if he still has his job at the end of this season) will have to hit the free agent market once again to fill positions for next year.

But, with the way the Mets fans react to players who don’t perform to expectations, do you really think Mark Teixeira or C.C. Sabathia will want to come play for the Mets? Even in the shiny, new Citi Field?

More players are taking less money to resign and stay with their own teams (Jake Peavy, Roy Oswalt) or go elsewhere and to play in better environments. Roy Oswalt even has a no-trade clause for both New York teams!

New York fans can continue to boo, but it is short sighted and counterproductive. The added pressure fans are putting on the players to come through on every at bat during every pitch doesn’t help a team during that game or the current season. And it will hurt the teams when trying to improve the team for the future.

Good luck trying to get Teixeira in Mets pinstripes next year.

SEATTLE – The Seattle Mariners (14-22) have now dropped eight of their last nine via another shutout, 5-0, at the hands of Texas Rangers (16-20). The two AL West cellar dwellers seem headed in opposite directions as the Rangers are 7-3 in their last ten, finding surprise pitching from Vicente Padilla and Sir Sidney Ponson.

If there is a stage past life support, the Mariners’ offense is on it. They’ve been held scoreless in their last 22 innings and have just one run in their last 31.

Thursday night’s Texas starter, Kason Gabbard, the lone bright spot in the Rangers’ rotation before the recent Padilla/Sir Sidney surge, was activated from the DL prior to the game. He had suffered a back injury last month. And in the first two frames, Gabbard looked sharp, keeping his sinking fastball low in the zone and inducing double plays.

Mariner ace, Felix Hernandez, came into the contest in a second place tie for the AL lead in strikeouts with 44. After two straight poor starts his ERA had jumped from a mere 1.67 to 3.04.

Hernandez didn’t look at all comfortable during his first two innings of work. After an Ian Kinsler ground out to third to leadoff the ballgame, he gave up a single to Ramon Vazquez, and back-to-back walks to Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley. Rookies’ David Murphy and Brandon Boggs both drove in a run apiece – Murphy on a sac fly and Boggs on a single to right.

King Felix, as he is known in Seattle, was looking more like a court jester. He plunked Texas catcher, Gerald Laird, on the elbow with a 95 MPH fastball to leadoff the second. After retiring German Duran, he gave up a home run to Kinsler on a 0-1 pitch. It took him 32 pitches to get out of the first, and 37 to end the second.

With the Seattle offense hitting at a .128 clip in their last eight games, the 4-0 Texas lead should have been enough to call for the mercy rule – if there were such a thing in the majors.

Gabbard showed some rust in the third. He walked two of the first three he faced and, with only one down, Seattle actually had two men on base. But Gabbard got out of the inning by striking out Ichiro and getting Jose Lopez to hit a weak line drive to Kinsler.

In the Texas half of the fourth, Hernandez struck out Laird and got Duran on a grounder to third. The third batter of the inning, Kinsler, got hit in the bicep by a Hernandez fastball. After a pause, and a stare down between Kinsler and the Seattle pitcher, Kinsler took his base without incident.

Bottom of the fourth, after two quick outs of Raul Ibanez and Adrian Beltre, Richie Sexson stepped to the dish.

Sexson was a late scratch on Wednesday’s night loss to attend to a family problem. Judging by what was to follow, Sexson’s family problem presumably was to go home and beat his grandpa for advising him to stop swinging at balls over his head.

Catcher Laird called for a pitch inside. Gabbard threw it high, eyeball level, but if the pitch had been three feet lower it would have been a strike. It was at least a foot away from Sexson’s head.

The 6’8″ Sexson threw his bat down, took off his helmet, and charged the mound. In a total wuss-like move he threw his helmet at Gabbard. Of course the pitcher ducked to avoid the flying helmet. In doing so, he put himself in perfect position for the raging giant. Sexson immediately wrestled him to the ground and gave him a choke hold around the neck.

Come on! Gabbard had just come off the DL. He tried to stay in the game, but had to leave two batters later with bruised thighs as result of the big lummox’s WWE move.

In a kind gesture, Texas pitcher Eddie Guardado prevented hot-headed Seattle starter Hernandez from entering the fracas. Good thing, too, because Laird, who’d been hit earlier by Hernandez, was looking for him. Nice Guy Eddie may have saved a Brien Taylor-like career ending injury, with the difference being that this would have taken place on the field instead of in a trailer park.

The Rangers made it a 5-0 game in the sixth. Laird led off with a double and Vazquez drove him home on a single to left. Ibanez gunned down Vazquez trying to stretch it for his fourth outfield assist of the season. Vazquez went 4-for-5 on the night.

Five Texas pitchers combined for their second straight shutout of the struggling Mariners. Gabbard was denied a win thanks to Sexson. Hopefully Gabbard’s injury is not serious enough for him to miss his next start.

Regardless, Sexson should be watching his head every time he comes to the plate in the team’s next 12 meetings, the first of which starts next Monday. If Gabbard doesn’t have to miss any time, he’ll pitch the last game of that set on Wednesday afternoon.

Watch your noggin Richie!

Notes:

• Slumping Josh Hamilton is now 2 for his last 22.
• After hitting five home runs in the first two weeks of the season, Seattle’s Raul Ibanez, hasn’t gone yard since April 12th.
• Seattle had four hits in the game – three were infield singles.
• Chris Shelton came on to pinch hit for Frank Catalanotto in the 8th inning. His single was the Rangers 6th pinch hit of the season – most in the AL.

When Pat Burrell had his break out season in 2002, Phillies fans had visions of the next Mike Schmidt in their dreams, and with good reason. Burrell had displayed his famed power the season before (his first full season in the majors), but the following year, he seemed to have figured out how to hit for average as well. Having just traded away his franchise player Scott Rolen for spare parts, Phillies general manager Ed Wade was desperate to show the fans that the organization was willing to make a commitment to winning by locking up its young core of potent hitters. Burrell was rewarded with an extremely back-loaded six year, $50M extension as he approached his first year of arbitration, essentially locking up his first three years of free agency. At the time, the deal was well received and Burrell looked to be well on his way to blossoming in Phillies red into his early thirties.

All that changed in 2003, when Burrell got off to a slow start batting only .223 through the end of April, and then, coupled with the pressures of a new contract and the boo birds in Philadelphia, watched his average dip even further. His average dropped below the Mendoza line, and as far into the season as the end of July, Burrell was still batting only .198. Only a “torrid” August and September in which he batted .225 and .240 respectively saved him from batting under .200 for a full season.

The always knee-jerk Philadelphia media and fans ripped both Wade for signing him to such a huge deal and Burrell for failing to make any sort of adjustments to the way the league seemed to have figured him out. Burrell’s even-keeled demeanor and lack of emotion made the always emotional Philadelphia fans think that he didn’t care about his failures (similar to what Eli Manning experienced in New York prior to winning a Super Bowl). An entire season of diving out of the way of fastballs on the inside corner and flailing helplessly at sliders away wore on both player and fans alike. Fans were already dreading the massive salaries loaded into the end of his contract.

Burrell bounced part of the way back in 2004, but after a hot start in April and May, he returned to his 2003 form for the remainder of the season and was repeatedly benched in September as the Phillies tried to stay in the Wild Card race. A final line of .257/24/84 was not what the Philadelphia faithful had in mind. Right or wrong, Burrell was also developing a reputation as not coming through in the clutch. Despite all his struggles, Burrell still managed to post an OPS plus of 107, largely in part to his superb eye at the plate.

With expectations for Burrell at an all-time low, he responded with an excellent 2005, far and away his best season since signing his extension. The average rose back up to .281 on the campaign (the second highest of his career) and the power returned as he posted 32 home runs and slugged over .500 for the second time in his career. His seventh place finish in MVP voting went largely unnoticed.

The 2005 season seemed to be a mirage however, as 2006 and 2007 saw Burrell regress back to his 2004 form. He displayed 30 HR power and high walk totals, but pedestrian batting averages and high strikeout totals. Those who watched Burrell on a consistent basis began to conclude that this was the ceiling for Burrell. He was a player with significant talent, but he had some serious flaws that would hold him back, the most significant of which was his inability to hit the ball to the opposite field and make adjustments. He continued to dive out of the way of fastballs on the inside corner and flail helplessly at sliders on the outer half.

Philadelphia fans and management alike counted down the days until the 2008 season was over and they would be out from underneath the weight of his now $14 million salary.

There are a couple of aspects, however, of Burrell’s career and his contract situation/impending free agency that are worth revisiting.

Burrell’s career thus far can be looked at through in two lights. The one side sees Burrell’s regression since his breakout season of 2002. Other than in 2005, he has only briefly resembled the player who signed such a large contract. The other side of the argument sees that despite his struggles, Burrell has still been largely productive during his Phillies career. Other than his disastrous 2003 season, Burrell has posted an OPS plus above league average every season, and has been over 120 since 2005.

Protractors say that he has tremendous on-base ability but detractors point out that he is a base-clogger once he is aboard. He possesses a strong and accurate arm in left field and is one of the best in the game at making strong throws to second base to hold hitters to a single, yet he covers almost no ground in the outfield and requires a defensive replacement (and usually pinch runner) in any late inning situation. He has excellent power, but has been labeled a mistake hitter who fails to make adjustments at the plate.

With his lack of speed and high on-base percentage, Burrell seemed to be destined to be the next designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics.

But all that could be changing with the start Burrell has had to the 2008 season. Burrell’s early numbers rival anybody’s in the league, but it is the way he has achieved them that has Philadelphia fans beginning to hope that perhaps he might have a few more years of reporting to work on Pattison Ave.

It is not often that you see a 31-year old make adjustments in his game, but whether because he’s in a contract year or just that the light finally went on, Burrell seems to have a whole new approach at the plate. Gone are the called third strikes where Burrell throws his hands up and his butt back as though the ball was about to hit him in the hip, only to have it catch the corner. Gone too are the wild swings and misses at sliders off the plate. Watching Burrell play, you can see him doing things differently, but the numbers also support what is happening.

So far in 2008, two numbers stand out as evidence of his adjustments. The first is his BB/K rate. Despite the outstanding patience he has shown throughout his career, his walk numbers have always been dwarfed by his high strikeout rates. His career BB/K ratio is 703/1,156 in 1,126 career starts. In 26 games this season he has 20 walks to19 K’s. The walk rate is up to 18.69 percent of plate appearances (up from 14.49%) and the K rate is down from 23.83 % of plate appearances to 17.75 percent of the time. This means he is laying off the sliders outside which break out of the zone – sliders he can’t hit anyway – and is swinging at the inside pitches which were in fact strikes.

The other number that stands out is the frequency with which he is pulling the ball. Burrell has always pulled the ball more frequently than league average, but he also hit the ball up the middle on a relatively frequent basis as compared to the rest of the league.

In 2008 however, that trend has also been reversed, as Burrell is actually pulling the ball even more so than he has gone up the middle, something abnormal for even the most heavily skewed dead pull hitters. A dead pull hitter trying to pull the ball even more is not usually a good equation, but with Burrell’s long swing and the book on him saying that he can be jammed inside, he does see a lot of pitches on the inner half. He is now swinging at those inside pitches which have stymied him throughout his career. Pulling these pitches (which is where Burrell has the most power) has helped his home run rate spike upwards as well.

So what does all of this mean for the future of Pat Burrell and the Philadelphia Phillies? While on the outside it seems like this is the standard contract year spike in production, those who watch Burrell see a player who has changed his complete approach. Even if he has “figured it out,” he will end 2008 as a slow 32-year old with chronic foot problems. Will a team give him another long term deal?

Burrell has always said that he loves playing in Philadelphia. Will he sign a shorter contract with the home team? Do they even want him? Do the fans?

These are the questions that will be answered as this season progresses. Burrell could just as easily be having a hot April bound to lull us into false hope only to watch him regress into the Burrell of old as soon as the calendar turns its page, but perhaps he has turned the page himself and has become a wiser hitter.

Every hero has his tragic flaw. For Burrell, once the hero in the hearts of Philadelphia fans, his chance to overcome his flaws seems to be upon him.