JC’s Weekly Pitch – JC’s Midseason Top Plays

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Jim Clancy

Following up on my midseason awards, I have decided to add my favorite plays of the season’s first half. I’ll be looking at four categories: offensive, defensive, pitching and feel good story of the year. There have been many superb plays made throughout the league this season. These four plays stand out the most to me and deserve some recognition to go along with my midseason awards.

Offensive Play of the First Half: Denard Span (Twins), Three Triples in One Game, June 30

Denard Span of the Minnesota Twins hit three triples in one game. This feat tied a Major League record that hadn’t been accomplished since 2002 by Rafael Furcal, then of the Atlanta Braves. A triple is the hardest hit in baseball. Besides needing to have speed and great base running skills, a player needs to hit the ball in the right spot, and/or have it take a bad hop or two. Even though there have been many 3 home run games this year, to accomplish three triples in a single game is just incredible.

Defensive Play of the First Half: Mark Buehrle (White Sox), Between the Legs Flip, April 5

Mark Buehrle, the 2009 American League Gold Glove pitcher, made what could possibly go down as the play of the year on opening day. To try to explain the play in words would not do it justice. A ground ball was deflected off of Buehrle’s foot and went into foul territory on the first base side. Buehrle, sticking with the ball the whole time, ran over to it and in one motion flipped the ball between his legs to first baseman Paul Konerko, who caught the ball barehanded to get Indians catcher Lou Marson. If you have not seen this play yet, look it up. You will not be disappointed.

Pitching Performance of the First Half: Armando Galarraga (Tigers), Near Perfect Game, June 2

There have been four no hitters this season; two of which were perfect games. Tigers starting pitcher Armando Galarraga was robbed of Major League Baseball’s third perfect game of the season by umpire Jim Joyce. Joyce, a respected umpire for many years by the MLB Players Association, blew a call at first base with two outs in the ninth inning. Galarraga would retire the next batter, completing the shutout. A sign held by fans at the Tiger’s next game described the game by simply stating “28 UP, 28 DOWN.” Even though it wasn’t a true perfect game, in reality, it can be viewed as one out better. Joyce would later admit to blowing the call and the events that would follow with Joyce and Galarraga were truly touching, proving that we are all human, and how we handle our mistakes can be more important than the mistakes themselves.

Emotional Story of the Year: John McDonald (Blue Jays), Home Run in First AB After Father’s Passing, June 20 (Father’s Day)

I’m sure most people expect to see a follow up to the Jim Joyce and Armando Galarraga story here, but I give the nod to John McDonald. McDonald, a utility player for the Toronto Blue Jays, came to bat in the ninth inning on Father’s Day with a heavy heart. In his first at bat back from bereavement leave after his father passed away due to liver cancer, McDonald smacked a pinch hit two run home run over the left field wall. The home run did not win the game for the Blue Jays, but the feeling that you get watching this event is truly special. Anyone that has ever played catch or watched a ball game with their father had to feel goose bumps as they watched McDonald round the bases and point to the sky as he crossed home plate. I still get chills watching the replay of the home run as I think back to playing catch with my Dad when I was younger or calling each other during games as recently as Roy Halladay’s perfect game this season.

So that wraps up my four top moments from the first half of the 2010 season. Will these remain my top picks at the end of the season? Only time will tell. When Mark Buehrle made that sensational play on opening day, I said that was going to be the top play of the year. In my opinion, that still stands true. But with more than two months still to play, anything can happen, and it probably will.

JC’s Weekly Pitch – JC’s Midseason Awards

Posted on July 14, 2010 by Jim Clancy

As we get ready to start the second half of the 2010 season, let’s take a look back at the first half of the Major League Baseball season. There have been many surprises this season already. There have been four no-hitters pitched (Ubaldo Jimenez, Dallas Braden, Roy Halladay and Edwin Jackson), two of which were perfect games (Braden and Halladay.) There was a blown call with two outs in the ninth inning of a potential third perfect game (Armando Galarraga). The division races are looking much different than anyone could have predicted at the beginning of the season. Trades have started with more sure to come. And future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. retired midseason, stepping out before tarnishing his career and his team’s progression.

Let’s start this midseason review by looking at the division standings:

American League East

New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays (Wild Card)
Boston Red Sox
Toronto Blue Jays
Baltimore Orioles

The top three teams are just as I predicted with the Rays leading the Wild Card right now. The Blue Jays are doing better than expected and the Orioles continue to falter in arguably the toughest division in the Majors.

American League Central

Chicago White Sox
Detroit Tigers
Minnesota Twins
Kansas City Royals
Cleveland Indians

The Central Division looks exactly as I had predicted it at the beginning of the season. The White Sox have been on a tear as of late, winning 25 of their last 30 games played. This could be the division race to watch at the end of the season as it has been in recent years.

American League West

Texas Rangers
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Oakland Athletics
Seattle Mariners

I predicted at the beginning of the year that this would be the year the Angels get bumped out of first. What I didn’t predict, however, was the Rangers being the team on top. The Mariners are the biggest surprise at the bottom of the division. Ken Griffey Jr. did not produce up to his ability off the bench, leading to his retirement. Cliff Lee started the season on the disabled list and was traded to Texas for rookie standout Justin Smoak and other prospects, as the Mariners all but gave up on this season and look to the future.

National League East

Atlanta Braves
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Florida Marlins
Washington Nationals

The Braves are on top in the East during Bobby Cox’s last year managing the team. The Mets have been healthy and playing like it, whereas the Phillies have been hurt and playing like it. This race should heat up as the Phillies get healthy and start putting more wins on the board like they did by sweeping the Central leading Reds in a four game series to end their first half. The Nationals brought Stephen Strasburg up and he has pitched pretty well. Unfortunately, he is playing for the last place Nationals who are not giving him much run support.

National League Central

Cincinnati Reds
St. Louis Cardinals
Milwaukee Brewers
Chicago Cubs
Houston Astros
Pittsburgh Pirates

The Reds came out of nowhere this year and hold the top spot in the Central. Can Dusty Baker’s club hang on to the top spot as the Cardinals breathe down their neck? The rest of the division does not seem to be too big of a threat for the two teams on the top. The Cubs have internal problems with their players. Pitcher Carlos Zambrano went from being a starter to a reliever and back to a starter before blowing up on his teammates during one of his starts, leading to his indefinite suspension from the team. The Astros and Pirates still sit at the bottom of the division. Houston pitcher Roy Oswalt will be a big trade target as the deadline approaches.

National League West

San Diego Padres
Colorado Rockies (Wild Card*)
Los Angeles Dodgers (Wild Card*)
San Francisco Giants
Arizona Diamondbacks

The NL West may have the biggest surprise of the season with the San Diego Padres leading the division. The biggest question will be whether or not the Padres can hold on to their lead. The Rockies and Dodgers are tied for the Wild Card lead and the Giants are still very much in the race. The Diamondbacks aren’t doing much at the bottom of the division. Look for pitcher Dan Haren to be on the move by the trade deadline.

Now for the midseason awards:

AL MVP:

JC’s preseason pick: Evan Longoria (Rays)

JC’s midseason pick: Miguel Cabrera (Tigers) – Cabrera has been on a tear belting 22 home runs and 77 RBI’s while batting .346. If he keeps this pace up, he will take home the honor at the end of the season.

AL Cy Young:

JC’s preseason pick: Justin Verlander (Tigers)

JC’s midseason pick: David Price (Rays) – Price has a record of 12-4 with a 2.42 ERA and 100 strikeouts at the half. The hard throwing lefty is sure to pick up plenty of more wins in the second half with the Rays playing as well as they have been this year.

AL Rookie of the Year:

JC’s preseason pick: Brian Matusz (Orioles)

JC’s midseason pick: Brennan Boesch (Tigers) – Boesch was the American League Rookie of the Month in May and June. He is hitting .342 with 12 home runs and 49 runs batted in.

AL Manager of Year:

JC’s preseason pick: Don Wakamatsu (Mariners)

JC’s midseason pick: Ron Washington (Rangers) – Washington has his Texas Rangers on top of the American League West by 4.5 games at the break. Add newly acquired Cliff Lee to the team, and a trip to the postseason for the first time since 1999 is very possible.

AL Come Back Player of the Year:

JC’s preseason pick: Dontrelle Willis (Tigers)

JC’s midseason pick: Vladimir Guerrero (Rangers) – Vlad only played in 100 games last year with the Angels due to knee and hamstring injuries. He hit .295 but only belted out 15 home runs and 50 RBI’s. This year, he signed with the Rangers and has come back with a vengeance; hitting .319 with 20 homers and 75 RBI’s at the half.

NL MVP:

JC’s preseason pick: Ryan Braun (Brewers)

JC’s midseason pick: Ubaldo Jimenez (Rockies) – First off, I hate to give the MVP Award to a pitcher as they have the Cy Young Award. But Ubaldo Jimenez has been more valuable to his team than any other player so far this year with 15 wins before the All-Star break. If the Rockies make the post season and Jimenez stays on this pace, than he will deserve to be the first NL pitcher to win the MVP since Bob Gibson in 1968.

NL Cy Young:

JC’s preseason pick: Roy Halladay (Phillies)

JC’s midseason pick: Ubaldo Jimenez (Rockies) – In what is going to be the toughest award to hand out this year, Jimenez has arguably been the most dominant so far. With a record of 15-1 and an ERA that just recently went over 2 (2.20) and 113 strikeouts, Jimenez has the Rockies within striking distance of the NL West and tied atop the Wild Card standings. Josh Johnson, Adam Wainwright, and Roy Halladay are all going to get consideration for this award at the end of the year, but it will come down to which pitcher’s team helps him finish the season out on top.

NL Rookie of the Year:

JC’s preseason pick: Jayson Heyward (Braves)

JC’s midseason pick: Jayson Heyward (Braves) – Heyward has spent some time on the disabled list because he injured his thumb, but looks to be back soon. He has 11 home runs and 45 RBI’s and looks to contribute more to the first place Braves.

NL Manager of the Year:

JC’s preseason pick: Bobby Cox (Braves)

JC’s midseason pick: Bud Black (Padres) – Bud Black gets my vote here because the Padres were picked by nearly everyone to be in last place and start trading away all of their remaining talent to rebuild for the future. Instead, the Padres sit on top of the NL West with one of the best bullpens in the league.

NL Come Back Player of the Year:

JC’s preseason pick: David Wright (Mets)

JC’s midseason pick: David Wright (Mets) – Wright spent time on the disabled list last year after getting nailed in the head by a pitch and never really came back the same. This year, David has come back to hit 14 homers, 65 runs batted in and a .314 average at the break.

So there you have JC’s 2010 Midseason Awards. The first half of the year was great and the second half promises to be even better. Be on the lookout for some great trades near the deadline and watch as the pennant races heat up. Which teams will end up on top? Will any of the players mentioned above still be in the running for these awards at the end of the season? Sit back, relax and enjoy Major League Baseball’s second half. It can only get better from here.

JC’s Weekly Pitch – 2010 MLB Predictions

Posted on April 5, 2010 by Jim Clancy

Welcome back to “JC’s Weekly Pitch.” Major League Baseball starts the 2010 season this week with some highly anticipated games across the nation. We have the always intriguing Red Sox vs. Yankees series kicking the season off at Fenway Park. The 2009 National League Champions head to Washington to take on a Nationals team that may surprise some people this year. President Barack Obama will throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the National League season. The Chicago Cubs will travel to Atlanta to play the Braves in manager Bobby Cox’s last season.

As I do every year, I have made some predictions for this season. I will share them with you and add some reasoning behind my madness. At the end of the season, I will revisit this to see just how right or wrong, usually wrong, I was. Enjoy and feel free to add some feedback.

American League East

New York Yankees
Tampa Bay Rays (Wild Card)
Boston Red Sox
Baltimore Orioles
Toronto Blue Jays

The East Division has been a tough division in the American League for years now. With the power house teams like the Yankees and Red Sox at the top every year, and a surprise Rays team that went all the way to the World Series in 2008. The Yankees are coming off a World Championship last year and the Red Sox solidified their defense this offseason. I’m looking for the young, talented Rays to sneak into second place ahead of Boston this year and take the Wild Card. As for the bottom of the division, I see the Orioles start slowly improving and finally getting out of the last place spot that has haunted them for years. Unfortunately, that leaves the rebuilding Blue Jays to fill that spot.

American League Central

Chicago White Sox
Detroit Tigers
Minnesota Twins
Kansas City Royals
Cleveland Indians

The Central Division continues to improve, with the exception of Cleveland at the moment, and could come down to the last weeks of the season. The White Sox have the best rotation of the division in my opinion and a solid outfield. The Tigers have some pop in their offense and Justin Verlander is a great ace for their pitching rotation, but I don’t think they have enough to take the division. I have the Twins finishing third only because I don’t think their pitching can take them to the top this year. The Royals continue to improve every year and they could surprise everyone with a possible third place finish, but I’ll play it safe with them in fourth. The Indians, like the Blue Jays, are rebuilding and will finish in last. Where’s Rick Vaughn when you need him?

American League West

Seattle Mariners
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Texas Rangers
Oakland Athletics

It looks as if this could be the year that the Angels could be dethroned. Seattle has possibly the best 1-2 punch with Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez leading their pitching rotation. The Angels lost too many key players like Vladimir Guerrero, John Lackey and Chone Figgins. They still have a decent team, however, and could make the West race a good one. I have the Rangers finishing third since the A’s are yet another team in the rebuilding stage.

National League East

Philadelphia Phillies
Atlanta Braves (Wild Card)
Florida Marlins
Washington Nationals
New York Mets

Like the AL East, the NL East is arguably the toughest division in the National League. The Phillies have proven to be the team to beat with their dominant pitching and powerful lineup. The addition of Roy Halladay makes up for the loss of Cliff Lee and should take the Phillies to a third consecutive National League title. A lot will depend on how well Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge bounce back from their 2009 seasons. The Braves are playing for Bobby Cox as this is his last season managing. I see a Wild Card berth and a strong fight in the division. The rest of the division will fall in place with the Marlins taking the third spot and the Nationals moving up this year as they have made some decent moves to rebuild their team. The Mets will fall to the bottom of the division as they have been plagued by injuries and haven’t been able to put much together to build any momentum in the past few seasons.

National League Central

St. Louis Cardinals
Chicago Cubs
Milwaukee Brewers
Cincinnati Reds
Houston Astros
Pittsburgh Pirates

The Cardinals seem to be the favorite in the Central Division again this year with Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday leading the way on offense and Chris Carpenter leading the starting rotation. I have the Cubs finishing second if their pitching lives up to their potential. Milwaukee takes third in my opinion due to their lack of pitching. Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder can only take the team so far. I have Cincinnati at fourth and Houston finishing last.

National League West

Colorado Rockies
San Francisco Giants
Los Angeles Dodgers
Arizona Diamondbacks
San Diego Padres

The NL West has gotten a little more competitive over the past few years. The Rockies have been impressive in the past few years and I see them atop this division when all is said and done. I like the Giants’ 1-2 punch of Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain but their offense needs a little pop added to it to take them to the top. The Dodgers will put up a fight, but I see them finishing in third after a decent three team race. The Diamondbacks and Padres will bring up the bottom of the division.

All-Star Game:

National League defeats American League – The National League is due for a win and this year’s game in Anaheim may finally bring that win. It’s time to bring home field advantage to the National League for the first time since the All-Star Game decided it.

ALDS:

New York Yankees defeat Seattle Mariners in 4 games.

Tampa Bay Rays defeat Chicago White Sox in 5 games.

NLDS:

Philadelphia Phillies defeat Colorado Rockies in 4 games.

St. Louis Cardinals defeat Atlanta Braves in 3 games.

ALCS:

New York Yankees defeat Tampa Bay Rays in 6 games.

NLCS:

Philadelphia Phillies defeat St. Louis Cardinals in 7 games.

World Series:

Philadelphia Phillies defeat New York Yankees in 6 games.

These series will all be determined by the final records of the teams. I’m going with a World Series rematch from last year with a home win for the Phillies.

AL MVP:

Evan Longoria (Rays) – Longoria gets my vote if he continues to play as he has in his short career. Leading the Rays to a respectable finish and possible playoff berth will seal the deal.

AL Cy Young:

Justin Verlander (Tigers) – I’m going with Verlander over Cliff Lee or Felix Hernandez because he has a better lineup getting him more wins. CC Sabathia also has a shot, but I’m sticking with Verlander.

AL Rookie of the Year:

Brian Matusz (Orioles) – With a lot of teams rebuilding, there could be a lot of rookies being brought up throughout the year. I’m going with Matusz as it looks like he will be starting with the Orioles from the beginning of the year.

AL Manager of Year:

Don Wakamatsu (Mariners) – Look for a playoff berth to help Wakamatsu win this as the Mariners become a contender.

AL Come Back Player of the Year:

Dontrelle Willis (Tigers) – After a strong Spring Training, Willis made the Tigers team and if he can return to his dominance from his Marlins days, that rotation will only get better, leading to Willis’s award.

NL MVP:

Ryan Braun (Brewers) – Braun can put up the numbers to be considered in the MVP race. His only downfall is that he plays on a team that probably won’t make the playoffs.

NL Cy Young:

Roy Halladay (Phillies) – Probably everyone’s favorite this year, Halladay is one of the most dominant pitchers today, and now he is on a team that will get him more wins with their offense.

NL Rookie of the Year:

Jayson Heyward (Braves) – Heyward will be starting in the outfield for the Braves and looks to be a promising star.

NL Manager of the Year:

Bobby Cox (Braves) – If the Braves can make it into the playoffs, look for Cox to get this award in his final year as a manager. This may be more out of respect for his career, but Cox will deserve it. Charlie Manuel is another possibility if the Phillies can return to the World Series for a third straight year.

NL Come Back Player of the Year:

David Wright (Mets) – After an injury shortened Wright’s season last year, look for David to return to his dominant form and be the only glimmer of hope for a weak Mets team.

So there you have it, JC’s 2010 predictions. Have fun looking these over and feel free to chime in. The best part of the season is the fact that anything can happen and probably will. We’ll revisit this at the end of the year to see how well I did. Enjoy and remember – baseball is back!

Playing Baseball Smarter

Posted on January 13, 2010 by Jim Vassallo

Playing baseball smarter is a trait of the game that can be learned over a period of time by players of all ages. Using the mental aspect of the game can be an advantage to every player who takes the field. The following link is to an article just posted on Suite 101 about learning how to play the game of baseball smarter.

Please feel free to leave a comment or two about the article or about how you were able to coach a team at any level into playing baseball smarter. It would be greatly appreciated.

Bailey (AL) and Coghlan (NL) Win Rookie of Year

Posted on November 16, 2009 by Jim Vassallo

Oakland Athletics reliever Andrew Bailey and Florida Marlins outfielder Chris Coghlan have been named the American League and National League Rookies of the Year for the 2009 season. Bailey is a native of Haddon Heights, New Jersey and was a struggling minor league pitcher as recently as the 2008 season. Coghlan is a native of Tarpon Springs, Florida.

Bailey made his Major League debut on April 6, 2009 for the Athletics after struggling during the 2008 season with Double-A Midland of the Double-A Texas League. He went 5-9 with a 4.32 ERA in 37 games. But Bailey made the A’s roster out of Spring Training in 2009 and caught on quickly with the big club. He posted a 6-3 record with a measly 1.84 ERA in the Majors in 2009 in 68 games with 26 saves.

Coghlan debuted with the Florida Marlins on May 8, 2009 and never looked back, tearing through National League pitching staffs. Coghlan recorded a .321 batting average with nine homeruns and 47 RBIs in 128 games for the NL East club. Coghlan primarily was the club’s left fielder for the 2009 season but did play one game (seven innings worth) at second base for the Marlins.

On Tuesday, the American League Cy Young winner will be announced. Wednesday, the American and National League managers of the year will be announced. Thursday, the National League Cy Young winner will be announced. Monday, November 23, the American League MVP will be announced and Tuesday, November 24, the National League MVP will be announced.

Three Moves the Phillies Must Make

Posted on November 12, 2009 by Jim Vassallo

The Philadelphia Phillies captured their third straight National League East division crown in 2009, only the second time in franchise history that this has happened, and advanced to their second consecutive World Series after eliminating the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League playoffs. The Phillies captured only their second World Series title in 2008 when they defeated the Tampa Bay Rays four games to one and were faced with the challenge of beating the Yankees this time around. After falling behind three games to one against the Bronx Bombers, the Phillies won game five 8-6 but were eliminated in game six at Yankee Stadium as the Yankees captured their 27th title in team history.

If the Phillies think they will be fighting for another World Series title in 2010, the front office will need to improve three areas of the club. The three most glaring areas are at third base, the back end of the bullpen, and the bench. It did not take GM Ruben Amaro Jr. long to get working on the 2010 season. In fact, he informed starter turned reliever Brett Myers (Phillies 1999 1st round pick-12th overall) that he would not be offered a contract to remain with the club for 2010 only days after his team was eliminated by the Yankees.

1. Who’s on Third?

One of the most glaring problems that surfaced for the Phillies during their previous two playoff runs was the lack of offensive production from the third base side of the diamond. Pedro Feliz signed a two year contract with the Phillies prior to the 2008 season with a club option for a third season (2010), which was declined by Amaro on November 8, 2009. Feliz is one of the strongest third baseman in the National League defensively but his offensive numbers have declined since joining the Phillies in the 2008 season. Feliz previously played eight seasons for the Giants in pitcher-friendly AT&T Park. From 2003-2007 Feliz hit 16, 22, 20, 22 and 20 homeruns for the Giants. Since joining the Phillies Feliz has hit 26 homeruns combined over two seasons in hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park. The problem with Feliz has been his offensive drop-off once the playoffs begin. In two playoff appearances with the Phillies Feliz has hit .250 in 2008 and .167 in 2009. He became an automatic out at the bottom of the batting order during the 2009 postseason, hitting ahead of the scorching hot Carlos Ruiz. In total, Feliz hit .204 over two postseasons with the Phillies with two homeruns and eight RBIs.

The Phillies have already said that they are still interested in resigning Feliz at a lower price. His option was for $5 million. On the team’s wish list for 2010 are Mariners third baseman Adrian Beltre, Angels third baseman Chone Figgins, Cardinals third basemen Troy Glaus and Mark DeRosa, Tigers second baseman Placido Polanco (played in Philly from 2002-2005) and possibly Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada (who could move to third). Other options include trading for a third baseman. Amaro spoke with reporters at the GM meetings in Chicago and did not mention any players by name but Pirates third baseman Andy LaRoche and Padres third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff could also be available via trade. If the Phillies cannot land a third base free agent or trade for one they could reopen negotiations with Feliz.

2. Every Team Needs Relief

The old saying is that pitching and defense wins championships because good pitching beats good hitting any day of the week. That proved true during the 2009 World Series when the Yankee lefthanders (starters and relievers) stifled the left handed bats in the Phillies lineup. The Phillies bullpen struggled in 2009 after being nearly perfect when leading after seven innings in 2008. Brad Lidge, the closer, was 48 for 48 in save opportunities in 2008 but blew a league leading 11 saves in 2009. Ryan Madson struggled as a fill-in closer when Lidge was ‘removed’ from the role during the regular season and when Lidge was on the Disabled List in June.

One of the items on Amaro’s wish list for this off-season is the addition of one or two arms via free agency to the Phillies bullpen. One free agent said to be garnering interest from the Phillies is Tigers closer Fernando Rodney. Rodney converted 37 of his 38 save opportunities in 2009 for the Tigers and will likely not be resigned by the Tigers. Rodney could prove to be a shut down setup man for the Phillies and step in to the closer’s role if Lidge struggles or is placed on the DL with an injury. Lidge had successful elbow surgery on November 11, 2009 and is said to be ready for Spring Training. Another free agent reliever the Phillies could possibly target is Braves closer Rafael Soriano. Soriano converted 27 of his 31 save opportunities in 2009 for the Braves. The Phillies could also consider making a trade for an established reliever since they do not seem to be in the running for Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay this off-season, despite his asking value possibly being reduced.

3. A Strong Bench Wins Games

Aside from pitching and defense, a strong bench is also a staple to a championship winning club. Just as the Los Angeles Dodgers. They were single handedly defeated by the Phillies in game four of the 2008 NLCS by a strong bench. The Phillies had acquired Matt Stairs on August 30, 2008, one day prior to the playoff roster deadline. Stairs hit a two-run pinch hit go ahead homerun off of Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton in the eighth inning of game four in 2008. The Phillies would win game five and then go on to win the World Series in five games against the Rays. Stairs struggled mightily as a bench player in 2009, hitting .194 with five homeruns and 17 RBIs in 103 at-bats. His performance in the post-season was even worse, hitting .100 with one RBI in 10 at-bats.

Other weaknesses for the Phillies on the bench this year was a viable right handed hitter off the bench to face a lefty late in the game. The Phillies began the year with Miguel Cairo, Eric Bruntlett, and Chris Coste as right handed hitting options off the bench. They also used Lou Marson, John Mayberry Jr., and Ben Francisco. Their left handed hitters off the bench aside from Stairs were Greg Dobbs, Paul Bako, and Andy Tracy (when rosters expanded on September 1st).

The sad truth of 2009 for the Phillies was that their bench did not perform as well as it did in 2008, during the regular season or the playoffs. More than likely Stairs will not be back with the Phillies in 2010 unless he signs a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Dobbs will be back as possibly the lone left handed bat off the bench but he hit only .247 with five homeruns and 20 RBIs during the regular season and went a combined zero for four in the playoffs. Eric Bruntlett, in his two seasons with the Phillies, has only been useful as a defensive replacement for manager Charlie Manuel. Bruntlett was primarily used as a late inning defensive replacement for former left fielder Pat Burrell in 2008 and all throughout the team’s World Series run. Bruntlett hit .171 in 2009 with seven RBIs and zero homeruns. He has hit .202 during his two year stay in Philadelphia.

The other problem with the bench from 2009 that must be fixed in 2010 is the need for a backup catcher. The Phillies traded prospect Jason Jaramillo to the Pirates in the off-season for Ronny Paulino. Paulino was then shipped to the San Francisco Giants for lefty reliever Jack Taschner at the end of Spring Training. Paulino would be traded right away to the Marlins, were he spent the 2009 season. In season the Phillies traded catching prospect Lou Marson with three other prospects to Cleveland for Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco. When Brad Lidge was on the DL in June Paul Bako was called up and the Phillies went with three catchers, signaling the end of Chris Coste’s time in the City of Brotherly Love. Coste was claimed on waivers by the Astros on July 10, 2009. The Phillies were happy with Bako’s ability to handle the pitching staff and at the plate (.224, 3 homeruns, 9 RBIs) but he is a free agent and the team would like to improve in that area as well.

The Class of the NL for a Third Straight Season?

Not many people will be surprised if the Phillies return to the World Series for a third straight season in 2010. If they do so by winning the NL East then it would be the first time in franchise history that the team has won four consecutive division crowns, which would cement Charlie Manuel as the best manager in team history as he climbs towards the top of the team’s all-time wins list. If GM Ruben Amaro Jr. and his staff can improve the bench, the bullpen, and the situation at third base, or even two of three, then this club will be in line for another title run in 2010 and maybe even 2011.

Who Would you Take? A Look at the Amateur Baseball Draft and the Trend of Players Taken

Posted on November 11, 2009 by Jim Vassallo

Baseball’s 2006 first-year amateur draft didn’t present many surprises to baseball critics or hardcore fans but that’s not to say that every draft comes without surprises. As described in the New York Times bestseller, Moneyball, collegiate players have a more promising career than players coming out of high school.

“College players are a better investment than high school players by a huge, huge, laughably huge margin. The conventional wisdom of baseball insiders-that high school players were more likely to become superstars-was also demonstrably false.”

The book was written by Michael Lewis discussing Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane. No matter how long someone has served as general manager of a club, it is their responsibility to make the final decision on who to draft and where. The GM uses a staff loaded with scouts who scour the nation looking for the perfect collegiate or high school player who could be with the big club in record time. Since the inception of the draft in 1965, there is one glaring trend that has changed as the years have rolled on by; collegiate players have slowly become the more popular player to be drafted into the professional level.

Over the last 45 years the first-year amateur draft has netted teams plenty of players to build a franchise around like Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins in Philadelphia and Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada New York (Mariano River and Andy Pettite were signed as amateur free agents). The draft has also produced players who have been drafted several times before deciding which team to sign with. For example, J.D. Drew was drafted three separate times by the Giants, Phillies, and finally the Cardinals. There have only been two members of baseball’s Hall of Fame taken in the first round of the amateur draft. In 1973, Robin Yount and Dave Winfield were chosen third and fourth overall by the Milwaukee Brewers and the San Diego Padres. Yes, in one of the most productive drafts in professional sports, there have only been two Hall of Famers taken in the first round of baseball’s amateur draft.

So how has the amateur baseball draft changed over the years in terms of who gets drafted and why? Well it starts out with the development of players at both the collegiate and high school levels throughout the country. The numbers have been in favor of collegiate players so much that in the 2005 draft, 35.2% of all the draftees were from high school. This is the highest percentage of players coming from high school in the past ten years according to an article published on the Baseball Hall of Fame’s website.

Since the inception of the draft in 1965, general managers have become increasingly more reluctant to draft players out of high school because of various reasons as explained by former Philadelphia Phillies General Manager Ed Wade.

“There is always a debate over the sensibility of taking a high school player in the draft, particularly in the upper rounds. Some organizations favor the college player because he is probably more polished than the high school prospect.”

On the other hand though, Wade says that there are some reasons a high school player could be drafted in the early rounds.

“At the same time, the high school player may present a higher ceiling, meaning that once his skills mature, they will surpass those of the polished college player.”

Many players coming out of high school are too immature in two ways; talent and attitude. The players that most GM’s are weary of coming out of high school are pitchers because their arms may be too weak to handle the grit of a full minor league season. When high school pitchers are taken in the draft, many of them begin their careers in Class A ball, or sometimes even the rookie league so that they can strengthen their arm throughout extended spring training and then their team’s shortened season.

The article on the Baseball Hall of Fame’s website stated some comparisons between players at the collegiate level and in minor league baseball. Author Paul D. Staudohar, remarks that players who perform in college at the College World Series (CWS) are playing at a level that is similar to AA baseball while collegiate players who simply play ball in college for two to three years play at a level similar to class A baseball. Staudohar stats that it is much easier to determine how high a player’s ceiling of talent will be if they are drafted following a stint at the collegiate level.

There are other factors contributing to the reasons why collegiate players get drafted at a higher rate than high school players. In the past few years, colleges have become easier for students to attend in terms of financial aid and scholarships. Another reason is that more and more players coming out of high school are grabbing at the opportunity to play at the collegiate level and less are accepting offers from Major League franchises to sign with after being drafted. Athletic scholarships have become more and more lucrative and beneficial to players because they can attend schools that may have programs that can compete for a national championship like Rice and Vanderbilt. Not only does playing for a college or university help a player develop academically but it also provides the player with valuable experience on and off the field playing with teammates from all walks of life. Wade gives examples of what types of questions a scouting staff has to answer about a potential draft pick.

“Teams have to look at the economic side. Is the player signable? Who is his agent? Is school a viable lever for the player? Is he a multi-sport athlete who may walk away from baseball for football or basketball? Then, you get into the intangibles. Is he healthy? Is he durable? What is the player’s intellect? Will he be able to handle being away from home, toiling in the lower minor leagues? What’s his makeup? Are there off-field issues to be considered?”

Players that attend college today for baseball strengthen their arms, bat speed, and fielding while still learning the intricacies of the game. Like any other venture into the professional world, someone is always affected by the decisions of management. The obvious people affected from this trend are the high school baseball players; ones that don’t have a national ranking from Baseball America or haven’t been scouted. They have to play their way onto a college team or earn an athletic scholarship to a high-profile program.

The Amateur Baseball Draft is the youngest of all the major sports drafts yet it has been the most productive and will remain to be one of the hardest ones to predict in terms of who will go where and what level of education they will be coming from.

“Trends are also cyclical. Philosophies change with changes in GMs and scouting directors. It’s like trying to reinvent the wheel. No matter how many people have convinced themselves that it’s doable, you always come back to ‘round,’” Wade explains.

MLB Playoffs: 1995-Present

Posted on November 11, 2009 by Jim Vassallo

Baseball has seen its fair share of renovations and realignments over the past three decades, but one of the most significant changes in the history of the game came in 1995 when commissioner Bud Selig put a whole new spin on the way the league would operate. 1995 saw the creation of a new division in each league and a Wild Card in each league. The Wild Card in each league also led to a second round being added to the playoffs.

The League Championship series was added to baseball’s post-season play in 1969. That meant that the top two teams in each league had to play a best of five series before advancing to the World Series. Since the addition of the Wild Card team in each league the Championship Series has been changed to a best of seven format and the Division Series was added to the playoff roster. This new round (in 1995) is a best of five series.

What does all of this mean for the sport of professional baseball? Well, for one, it gives more teams the opportunity to continue playing baseball once October rolls around and it creates more revenue for the sport in general. Since the addition of the Wild Card team and the Division Series to post-season play there have been more than enough sweeps in the first round of play. Has the Wild Card Era lessened baseball with all of these first round sweeps? Or, has the Wild Card Era provided enough thrill and excitement towards the end of the regular season to keep baseball fans happy?

Since the advent of the Wild Card team in postseason play and the onset of the Division Series in each league, first round sweeps have become all too common and many baseball experts and former players claim that the first round should also be a best of seven format, not a best of five format. I tend to agree. As much as I like to see certain teams swept out of the postseason in the first round, if you play a 162 game season you should have more of an opportunity in the first round with a best of seven series. A best of five series is not the greatest measure of a ballclub. A best of seven series is the best measure of a ballclub.

Since 1995 there have been 60 Division Series to take place, two in each league. A handful of those series ended in a sweep, more often then not, for the same team. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have been swept from the first round of the MLB playoffs twice, both times by the Boston Red Sox.

Other sweeps, but not all of them, in the first round have come at the expense of the Red Sox, the Padres, the Dodgers (1995 and 1996), the Giants and the Astros. The Chicago Cubs, including 2008, have been swept in the first round of the postseason a total of three times. This season they were knocked out by the Dodgers, last season by the Diamondbacks, and in 1998 by the Braves. The first round of the playoffs needs to be expanded for the sole purpose that there have been too many sweeps in the best of five format.

The Major League Baseball playoffs have lacked excitement for at least the last few seasons because of the sweep. Seeing a team sweep another team during the regular season is nice, especially when the sweeping team needs every win they can get during a pennant race. But all of these sweeps during the postseason are becoming a little old.

Take for instance the 2007 playoffs. The first round saw three sweeps and only one series went four games when the Yankees lost to the Indians 3 games to 1. Then, in the League Championship round, one of the two series ended in a sweep. To make matters worse, the World Series ended in a sweep for the third time in four years. A total of five sweeps occurred during the 2007 playoffs out of the seven series played.

The 2009 playoffs were not much better, especially in the first round, with three of the four series ending in sweeps once again. The only series that did not end in a sweep was the Phillies and Rockies, which went four games, with the Phillies winning the series 3 games to 1. The other three series saw the Dodgers sweep the Cardinals, the Yankees sweep the Twins, and the Angels sweep the Red Sox. The League Championship Series were a little bit better this time around, most notably in the American League, as the Yankees knocked off the Angels 4 games to 2. The NLCS was exactly the same for the second consecutive year as the Phillies eliminated the Dodgers 4 games to 1, this time in Philadelphia instead of Los Angeles.

With the debacle of the 2008 World Series looming large over the heads of Major League Baseball, changes need to be made to the playoff format. World Series game five was suspended because of inclement weather and resumed two days later. The Phillies eventually won the game, 4-3, and took the World Series 4 games to 1 over the Rays. But other than the late-inning dramatics of a continued game five, there wasn’t much excitement outside of Tampa Bay and Philadelphia during the playoffs. Bud Selig and the rest of baseball’s administration need to figure out how to bring the excitement back into the game. Now, with the World Baseball Classic causing the 2009 season to begin a couple of weeks later than normal, the World Series was played into the month of November for the first time since 2001 (9/11 attacks suspended the sport).

We haven’t seen a thrilling (all seven games played) World Series since 2002, when the Angels beat Barry Bonds’ Giants 4 games to 3. The 2009 World Series, between the Yankees and Phillies, went six games, with the Yankees winning their 27th title 4 games to 2. This was the first World Series to go past five games since the 2003 World Series, which saw the Florida Marlins knock off the Yankees 4 games to 2 for their second title in team history.

Baseball is in need of another change, this time to make the playoffs a little bit more exciting, by expanding the first round series to best of seven. If we have to suffer through another first round of sweeps in 2010 the game might lose more fans. Possibly the most exciting game of the season was game number 163 for the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins. It was a one game playoff to determine the winner of the American League Central, which went to the Twins by a score of 6-5 in 12 heart racing innings.

Astros Hire Brad Mills as Manager

Posted on October 27, 2009 by Jim Vassallo

The Houston Astros announced on Tuesday that the team had hired former Boston Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills as their new manager. General Manager Ed Wade made the announcement at an afternoon press conference. Mills was not the first choice of Wade or the Astros, as the job was originally offered to former Nationals manager Manny Acta, who took the managerial opening with the Cleveland Indians.

Mills has been working with the Red Sox as bench coach for manager Terry Francona for the previous six seasons, winning two World Series titles in 2004 and 2007. Mills previously worked with Francona as a member of his coaching staff (first base coach) from 1997-2000. After being fired by then Phillies GM Ed Wade with Francona and three other coaches in 2000, Mills joined the Cubs as an advanced scout in 2001 and then worked as the bench coach for the Montreal Expos in 2003 prior to joining the Red Sox in 2004.

This is Mills’ first Major League managerial position after serving as a Minor League manager for parts of 11 seasons. He managed for affiliates in the Chicago Cubs (1987-92), Colorado Rockies (1993-96), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2002) organizations. Mills replaces interim manager Dave Clark, who replaced the fired Cecil Cooper on September 21 of the 2009 season. Clark was the Astros’ third base coach prior to being named interim manager. Clark was a finalist for the job and was promised a spot on the team’s Major League field staff for the 2010 season if not hired as manager.

The Astros have not reached the playoffs since playing in and losing the World Series to the Chicago White Sox in 2005. Two of the previous four seasons have been losing seasons for the Astros, finishing fifth in the Central with a 74-88 record in 2009. Mills is the fourth manager hired by the Astros since the middle of the 2004 season. Houston was only one game out of first place on July 22 but went on to lose 42 of their final 67 games of the 2009 season. Roy Oswalt spent the remainder of the season on the DL with teammate Mike Hampton while Russ Ortiz was released in July.

Around the Horn: Forget Instant Replay

Posted on October 21, 2009 by Jim Vassallo

Yet again, the umpires across Major League Baseball have added fuel to the instant replay fire across the country during these 2009 playoffs. The crews who worked all four League Division Series and the two League Championship Series have missed call after call at first, second, third and at home when it comes to balls and strikes. Just because the umpires have struggled mightily this fall does not mean that instant replay should be expanded to include more of the game than it already does.

Adding instant replay to the game of baseball, America’s Past-time, was difficult to perform in the first place. Historians of the game and baseball lifers argued against instant replay because of the harm it would bring to the purity of the game. Others argued that it would lengthen an already long game (averaging 3 hours per game). Those who were in favor of instant replay said that it should only be used for determining whether or not a batted ball is a homerun, a double, fan interference or a foul ball and nothing else. The final argument won out and instant replay has since been used in the sport at the discretion of the umpires.

With all of the wrong calls being made in the 2009 playoffs, members of the media and fans of the game have begun the discussion of possibly expanding the use of instant replay, maybe just for the playoffs, or for the entire season (from Spring Training until the final out of the Fall Classic). If you ask this fan of the game, I say no expansion of instant replay. There are other ways to make sure that the umpires make the correct calls. We will outline those methods in this post.

Increase Umpire Training

One way to improve umpiring across the game is to increase umpire training and require umpires to attend certain seminars and other meetings throughout the off-season about umpiring. In these meetings and seminars former umpires and umpires from training schools can teach the current umpires how to properly call the game. Many umpires will not go for this but it should be added to the umpires contracts once the collective bargaining agreement is decided on in the coming years.

Increase Rookie Pay

Another way to improve the calls made by umpires across the sport is to increase the pay of rookie and junior umpires. These umpires do not make much money for the season ($9,500) which forces them to hold off-season jobs to make ends meet. An umpire working at Triple-A for a 10 year period might earn $20,000 for their time and that’s it. These umpires need to be paid higher if the league wants them to take their job more seriously. In all honesty, who is going to give it their best if they are being paid peanuts? Not many people.

Hold Umpires Accountable

Just the other night (Tuesday), we saw crew chief Tim McClelland of the Yankees-Angels series, hold a post game press conference regarding some of the calls he made while umpiring third base during Game Four of the ALCS in which the Yankees won 10-1 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. McClelland called Nick Swisher out at third on an appeal by the Angels saying he left the base too early on a tag play from center field when replays showed that Swisher in fact did not leave early. Another play, where two Yankees were at third base (Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano) but neither on the bag, were both tagged out but McClelland only called one runner out when both should have been out. A third play, at second base, had a daylight pickoff play against Swisher. Swisher was ruled safe at second when replays showed that he was tagged out prior to returning to the base.

This press conference is a rarity for umpires these days but when they are held they are only held by the crew chief. So, if it is not the crew chief who makes a mistake during the game we do not get to hear from the umpire who made the bad call. Instead, we only hear from the crew chief, after he talked to the umpire in question. We, as paying fans, should get to hear from the umpire who made the incorrect call instead of someone speaking on his behalf. We get to hear from the players, coaches, managers and front office personnel who make the team decisions and perform the plays on the field so why can’t we hear from the umpires who run the game? It is only fair that the umpires should be held accountable.

Jim Vassallo is the creator of JAV Baseball. He also owns his own Internet Content company, JAV Freelancing. Vassallo coached baseball for three years at the high school level in New Jersey and has since joined the prominent D-III program at Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. He can be reached at jim@javbaseball.com for questions and comments.