Sunday, January 30, 2011

Interview with Tigers beat writer John Lowe


Detroit Tigers beat writer John Lowe from the Detroit Free Press stops by "Breakfast and Baseball" to discuss the Tigers' offseason.

Air date: 1/27/11.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Interview with Red Sox beat writer Ian Browne


MLB.com Red Sox beat writer Ian Browne stops by "Breakfast and Baseball" during our American League East show to discuss the upcoming season for the Carmines.

Air date: 1/20/11.

Interview with Blue Jays broadcaster Jerry Howarth


Long-time Blue Jays radio announcer Jerry Howarth stops by "Breakfast and Baseball" to discuss the Jays' 2010 season.

Air date: 1/20/11.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

The 30 Team/30 Day Report Cards: Day 25- Cincinnati Reds


Cincinnati Reds
Record: 91-71 (NL Central Champions, six games ahead of St. Louis)

Batting Leaders
Batting Average: Joey Votto (.324)
Home Runs: Joey Votto (37)
RBIs: Joey Votto (113)
On-base Percentage: Joey Votto (.424)

Pitching Leaders
Wins: Bronson Arroyo (17)
Strikeouts: Johnny Cueto (138)
Innings Pitched: Bronson Arroyo (215.2)
ERA: Johnny Cueto (3.64). Bullpen- Arthur Rhodes (2.29)
WHIP: Bronson Arroyo (1.15). Bullpen- Arthur Rhodes (1.02)
Saves: Francisco Cordero (40)

Highlight of the Year: On September 28, Jay Bruce drilled a walk-off homer off of Astros reliever Tim Byrdak to send the Reds to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years.

Lowlight of the Year: Pretty much the entire NLDS against Philadelphia. The Reds became the first team to get no-hit in a postseason game in 54 years in Game 1, committed four errors in Game 2 that led to a 7-4 loss, and were shut out at home in Game 3.

The Lowdown:
The Reds arrived in the postseason a little bit ahead of schedule in 2010, as many prognosticators believed that they were a couple of years away from contention entering the season. Their young talent came to fruition, as Joey Votto put together an MVP season, Drew Stubbs emerged as a capable center fielder, and Jay Bruce settled in after a rocky 2009. Their pitching also solidified itself, as rookies Mike Leake and Travis Wood emerged to strengthen a rotation that already featured veteran Bronson Arroyo, as well as fireballers Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez, the latter of which came back from Tommy John surgery in the second half to provide more depth to their rotation.

The Reds were not quite your typical playoff team, though. Even though they featured one of the best offenses in the National League, the Reds were largely unsuccessful facing teams with winning records. In fact, the Reds did not record a winning record against any team that finished above .500 (including going a dismal 6-12 against division-rival St. Louis). However, the Reds made up for this by absolutely decimating the sub-.500 teams, including finishing 12-4 against Chicago, 11-3 against Milwaukee, 10-5 against Houston, 10-6 against Pittsburgh, and a combined 10-4 against Florida and Arizona. While some criticized the Reds for their inefficiency against the "big boys," they gained ground in the division by laying waste to the teams they needed to beat, which is what good teams are supposed to do. Their season may have ended on a disappointing note in the playoffs, but their core will remain together for the next couple of years at the very least, meaning that they will be right back in contention this year should everyone stay healthy.

Offense:
Cincinnati finished fourth in the majors in runs (790), fourth in batting average (.272), fourth in home runs (188), fourth in slugging (.436) and fifth in on-base percentage (.338). The body and soul of this lineup was without question, Joey Votto, who led the Reds in just about all of their major offensive categories. He not only was the Reds' best hitter, but he was also one of the elite hitters in the National League last year, finishing second in batting average, third in home runs, third in RBIs and first in on-base and slugging. His remarkable all-around performance resulted in him being named the National League MVP in a vote that was nearly unanimous.

Votto wasn't the only run producer in this lineup though, as Scott Rolen, Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips and Drew Stubbs contributed to making this lineup a formidable one. Rolen had a renaissance year at age 35, hitting .285 with 20 home runs and 83 RBIs, easily his best season since he helped guide St. Louis to a World Championship in 2006. Brandon Phillips also continued to show that he is one of the elite second basemen at the plate in the National League, finishing with 18 home runs and 59 RBIs. Even though his power totals dipped a bit, this was likely the result of him not having to be the main power hitter in the lineup anymore after the emergence of Votto and Bruce.

Jay Bruce was able to bounce back from a rough 2009 campaign, as he raised his batting average by 48 points to .281 while hitting a career-high 25 home runs and 70 RBIs. Center fielder Drew Stubbs also gave the lineup some considerable balance by having decent power and good speed, hitting 22 home runs while stealing a team-high 30 bases. Left fielder Jonny Gomes gave the Reds some extra power in the outfield as well, hitting 18 home runs while driving in 86.

This lineup had a lot of great hitters up and down their order, and they were unquestionably one of the best in all of baseball.
Final Grade: A+

Pitching:
What was once a weakness for many years with the Reds finally became a strength in 2010, as they featured a deep rotation with several arms capable of putting the team in good position to win. The staff was led by veteran Bronson Arroyo, who continued to show off his rubber arm by logging the most innings on the staff with 215.2, while recording the most wins with 17.

Johnny Cueto proved to be very reliable last year as well, finishing with a 12-7 record with a team-best 3.64 ERA and 138 strikeouts. The Reds were also able to find reliability from two rookies, as Mike Leake and Travis Wood provided stability in the back of their rotation. Leake got off to a blistering start in the first half before cooling off, as he began the season with a 5-0 record with a 2.22 ERA before finishing 8-4 with a 4.23 ERA. Lefty Travis Wood however, was able to pick up where Leake left off in the second half, finishing 5-4 with a 3.51 ERA and a WHIP of 1.08 in just 102.2 innings.

Also giving the rotation a boost was Edinson Volquez returning from Tommy John surgery in the second half of the season to add more depth to the rotation. Although his numbers were fairly average (4-3 record, 4.31 ERA), his addition to the rotation during the second half eliminated the need for the Reds to go after a starting pitcher at the trade deadline.

In addition to the starting rotation, the bullpen was very effective for the second year in a row, finishing 15th in the majors in ERA at 3.97. The top arm out of the Reds' bullpen last year was without question, Arthur Rhodes, as his 2.29 ERA and 1.02 WHIP led all Reds relievers with at least 30-plus appearances. Nick Masset also proved to be pretty reliable last year as well, leading the team in appearances with 82 while finishing with a 3.40 ERA. Meanwhile, Francisco Cordero had a lot of heartburn-inducing moments in the closer's role last year (his eight blown saves tied for second-most in MLB behind only Washington's Tyler Clippard), but he still finished with 40 saves, third most in the National League.

The bullpen also received a boost late in the season with the September call-up of lefty Aroldis Chapman, who dazzled fans with his electric fastball, one which was clocked as high as 105 MPH on occasion. Although he only appeared in 15 games, he made the most of his appearances, striking out 19 in just 13.1 innings while recording a 2.03 ERA.

Overall, the Reds staff finished 12th in ERA, 11th in "batting average against" (.254), 13th in WHIP (1.33) and 10th in home runs allowed (158). While collectively the rotation seems average, Reds fans have been looking for merely average from their rotation for a long time.
Final Grade: B-

Wild Card: Fielding
The Reds committed only 72 errors last year, which tied San Diego for the least in the National League, and their .988 fielding percentage tied for the best in baseball. Cincinnati's outstanding defense didn't go unnoticed during awards season either, as Brandon Phillips, Scott Rolen and Bronson Arroyo all took home Gold Glove Awards at their respective positions.
Final Grade: A+

Overall:
The only thing keeping me from giving the Reds an A+ is their poor showing in the Division Series against the Phillies. Otherwise, there aren't too many things that you can find wrong with last year's Reds.
Final Grade: A

Check back soon for the report card on the San Francisco Giants!

The 30 Team/30 Day Report Cards: Day 24- Atlanta Braves


Atlanta Braves
Record: 91-71 (Second place in NL East, six games behind Philadelphia. NL Wild Card Champions).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Omar Infante (.321)
Home Runs: Brian McCann (21)
RBIs: Brian McCann (77)
On-base Percentage: Jason Heyward (.393)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Tim Hudson (17)
Strikeouts: Tommy Hanson (173)
Innings Pitched: Tim Hudson (228.2)
ERA: Tim Hudson (2.83). Bullpen- Billy Wagner (1.43)
WHIP: Tim Hudson (1.15). Bullpen- Billy Wagner (0.87)
Saves: Billy Wagner (37)

Highlight of the Season: On October 3, the Braves clinched their first postseason berth since 2005, when they defeated the Phillies 8-7 at home. Also aiding them was a 3-0 Padres loss to the Giants, which prevented Atlanta from having to play a one-game playoff.

Another highlight worthy of consideration was their miraculous 10-9 comeback victory on the Cincinnati Reds on May 20. The Braves trailed the Reds 9-3 entering the bottom of ninth, before scoring seven times to win the game, which was capped by Brooks Conrad's game-winning grand slam.

Lowlight of the Season: A 3-2 loss to the Giants in Game 4 of the Division Series on October 11, which ended their season.

The Lowdown:
The Braves entered the 2010 season with reason for optimism. After all, they had one of the game's brightest young stars in Jason Heyward ready to enter the big time, and they also featured a rock-solid starting rotation that could keep up with just about anyone in the National League. Heyward made his presence known right away with a towering home run in his first major-league at-bat on Opening Day, and the Braves, behind his leadership, took off from there.

Atlanta's season did have some roller-coaster moments, though, as an injury suffered to Chipper Jones late in the season put their chances for a postseason berth in jeopardy. However, a late-season collapse by the San Diego Padres helped the Braves reach the postseason for the 15th time in 19 years. Even though they did not last long once they reached the postseason, the Braves still made Bobby Cox's final season one to remember.

Offense:
Atlanta's offense was the very definition of average last year. They finished 13th in runs scored (738), 14th in batting average (.258), fourth in on-base percentage (.339), 18th in slugging (.401) and 20th in home runs (139). While they didn't feature an overwhelming amount of power (Brian McCann led the team with just 21 homers), they featured a couple of decent contact hitters, as Martin Prado and Omar Infante each hit over .300. Atlanta's lineup was also anchored by the bat of rookie Jason Heyward, who finished his freshman campaign with a .277 average, 18 home runs, 72 RBIs and a phenomenal .393 on-base percentage. Unfortunately for him, the Giants' Buster Posey was able to capture NL Rookie of the Year honors for putting up equal numbers at a more demanding position (catcher).

Aside from the aforementioned three, the Braves featured mostly mediocre performances from the majority of their lineup.
Final Grade: C+

Pitching:
The Braves were able to reach the postseason largely off the strength of their pitching staff, which finished third in the majors in ERA (3.56), fifth in WHIP (1.27), seventh in "batting average against" (.246) and dead-last in home runs allowed (126). Leading the way were a trio of very solid starters in Tim Hudson, Tommy Hanson and Derek Lowe. Hudson provided veteran leadership in the rotation once again, leading the team in victories (17), innings pitched (228.2), ERA (2.83) and quality starts (25). Behind him was 24-year-old Tommy Hanson, who had a fine sophomore season, finishing with a 3.33 ERA and a WHIP of 1.17 in spite of his 10-11 record. Derek Lowe rounded out their pitching triumvirate, providing a stable backbone in the rotation. Lowe finished with a 16-12 record, and just missed tossing 200 innings by just 6.1 innings. Although he's aging, Lowe is still a good veteran presence to have in a rotation.

In the bullpen, Billy Wagner put on a fantastic final performance, garnering 37 saves while recording a WHIP of 0.87 and an ERA of 1.43. While the Braves will certainly miss his presence closing out games next year, they have a capable duo of Peter Moylan and Johnny Venters who are more than capable of assuming the closer's role. Moylan led the team with 85 appearances last year, and he finished with a solid 2.97 ERA with 21 holds. Venters meanwhile, was just a tad better, finishing with a 1.95 ERA, 93 strikeouts and 24 holds in 83 innings. The seemingly ageless Takashi Saito was also terrific out of the 'pen last year, recording a 2.83 ERA, 1.07WHIP and 69 strikeouts in just 54 innings.

After taking a glance at Atlanta's pitching staff, it's pretty easy to see how and why they made the playoffs.
Final Grade: A+

Wild Card: Bobby Cox
The Braves were able to send off legendary manager Bobby Cox in style last year, as they reached the playoffs for the 15th time since he took over the helm in 1990. Cox will definitely go down as arguably the best manager of the last 30 years because of his unbelievable consistency. When you make the playoffs for 14 years in a row, you are making a lot of right moves within your organization, and you are certainly getting the most out of your players in spite of the turnover that's always present within MLB organizations these days. He was also still able to maintain patience when the Braves hit a dry spell between 2006 and 2009, before guiding them back to the playoffs one last time this year. New manager Fredi Gonzalez might be good, but he has some large shoes to fill now that Cox is gone.
Final Grade: A+

Overall:
You can't complain too much about this team not going deeper into the playoffs because Cox was able to get the most out of each and every player on this roster. Even though they really benefitted from San Diego falling apart, they were still able to take advantage of that opening provided by the Padres to reach the playoffs.
Final Grade: A


Check back soon for the report card on the Cincinnati Reds!

Friday, January 21, 2011

He's baaaaaaccck! Well, sort of.


According to Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, Sox manager Ozzie Guillen's contract option for 2012 was picked up by the White Sox today, as GM Kenny Williams announced the move at Sox Fest. This is great news, considering that the team won't have to deal with that question night in and night out during the course of this season, even if things should go sour (let's hope not).

Even though I don't necessarily agree with everything Ozzie says or does (and the same can go for GM Williams), I appreciate the amount of stability the two have brought to the team over the last seven years, and I appreciate even more their outspoken nature. Baseball has way too many stiffs giving the "company line" kind of answers, and I appreciate that whenever they offer their opinion on something, they are honest, and they do not hold back. Plus, these two have brought the Sox back to relevancy again, and I would hate to see a boring-ass manager like Jerry Manuel leading the Sox again.

I don't think anybody else could do a better job with the Sox than Guillen, and I am very happy to know that he'll be leading this team for at the very least all of next season. Hopefully.

The 30 Team/30 Day Report Cards: Day 23- Texas Rangers


It’s nothing but playoff teams from here on out. Here is the report card for the American League Champions, the Texas Rangers!

Texas Rangers
Record:
90-72 (First place in AL West, nine games ahead of Oakland. American League Champions.)

Batting Leaders
Batting Average: Josh Hamilton (.359)
Home Runs: Josh Hamilton (32)
RBIs: Vladimir Guerrero (115)
On-base Percentage: Josh Hamilton (.411)

Pitching Leaders
Wins: C.J. Wilson (15)
Strikeouts: Colby Lewis (196)
Innings Pitched: C.J. Wilson (204)
ERA: C.J. Wilson (3.35). Bullpen- Alexi Ogando (1.30)
WHIP: Colby Lewis (1.19). Bullpen- Neftali Feliz (0.88)
Saves: Neftali Feliz (40)

Highlight of the Season: On October 22, the Rangers defeated the Yankees in Game Six of the ALCS 6-1, to clinch the American League Pennant, the first in team history.

Lowlight of the Season: The euphoria from the AL Pennant would quickly end just 10 days later, as they fell to the Giants in Game Five of the World Series 3-1 to lose the Fall Classic, four games to one.

The Lowdown:
While some considered Texas a dark horse in the American League West, nobody could have imagined the impressive season the Rangers would have this year, as they ran away with the division en route to their first pennant in team history. The team finally was able to back up their impressive offense with good pitching, as C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis and company were able to pitch efficiently enough to get the team out to a big lead in the division early. Then, on July 9, the Rangers acquired ace lefty Cliff Lee in a trade with the Seattle Mariners, and that seemed to be the icing on the cake for this team, as Lee strengthened an already decent rotation. With Oakland’s mediocrity, Seattle’s ineptitude and Los Angeles’ bad luck, the Rangers were able to easily coast to their first division title in 11 years.

Offense:
Texas had arguably the most intimidating lineup in baseball this year, featuring Josh Hamilton, a rejuvenated Vladimir Guerrero and the ever-capable bats of Nelson Cruz and Michael Young. Hamilton was simply impressive last year, hitting an American League-best .359, with 32 home runs and 100 RBIs in just 133 games. Even though he missed a great portion of September, his numbers were still good enough for him to earn the AL MVP, and deservedly so.

Behind him was DH Vladimir Guerrero, who had a phenomenal comeback year, hitting .300, with 29 home runs and 115 RBIs in 152 games. His resurgence no doubt played a big part on this team, making their lineup more formidable, as well as providing Hamilton some protection in the order.

Adding more pop in the lineup was outfielder Nelson Cruz, who hit .318 with 22 home runs and 78 RBIs in just 108 games. Third baseman Michael Young also continued to do what he does best, and that’s hit consistently. He finished with a .284 average, with 22 home runs and 91 driven in, as he missed another 200-hit campaign by only 14 safeties. Ian Kinsler, David Murphy and Elvis Andrus also contributed to making this lineup an imposing one as well.

Overall, Texas finished fifth in runs (787), first in batting average (.276), sixth in on-base percentage (.338), ninth in slugging (.419) and 10th in homers (162). When you take into consideration that Hamilton and Cruz each missed some time due to injuries, it makes this lineup look all the more impressive.
Final Grade: A+


Pitching:
The backbone of this team that led them to new-found glory in the American League was their pitching. Texas’ starting rotation to begin the year was led by a very capable stable of arms including Colby Lewis, C.J. Wilson and Tommy Hunter. The even more impressive part about their pitching was that they were able to perform well in spite of the performance of Scott Feldman, their 17-game winner from 2009. Feldman finished with a 5.48 ERA in 22 starts, along with an unspectacular WHIP of 1.60, a far cry from his 2009 numbers, when he recorded a 17-9 record with a 4.08 ERA in 189.2 innings.

Meanwhile, the other aforementioned three stepped up to account for the lack of performance put together by last year’s staff ace. Lefty C.J. Wilson stepped up big this year, recording a staff-high 33 starts and 15 wins to go with a solid 3.35 ERA. Behind him was Colby Lewis, who came up big during the regular-season and the postseason, going 12-13 in the regular season with a 3.72 ERA before going 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA in four playoff starts.

Rounding out their initial trio of starters is 23-year-old Tommy Hunter, who finished with a fantastic 13-4 record with a decent 3.73 ERA in his second full big-league season. These three starters were good enough to get Texas out to a sizable lead in the fairly weak AL West, but once they acquired lefty Cliff Lee from the Seattle Mariners, the division was effectively put to rest. Lee made 15 starts with Texas, going just 4-6 with a 3.98 ERA, but his WHIP was still a spectacular 1.06 in that time span. These four starters would form the best rotation of any American League team in the postseason last year, and looking back, I’m surprised that they were even considered a “surprise pennant winner.”

Their bullpen was just as effective last year, as they featured four pitchers with ERAs under three with at least 40 appearances. Righty Darren O’Day made the most appearances out of the ‘pen with 72, and he did a remarkable job as a set-up man for Neftali Feliz, recording 22 holds, a 2.03 ERA and a WHIP of 0.89. Slamming the door on games was AL Rookie of the Year Neftali Feliz, who set the record for saves by a rookie with 40, and he was just as good as O’Day statistically, recording a 2.73 ERA along with a WHIP of 0.88. The seemingly ageless Darren Oliver continued to be effective out of the bullpen, finishing with 2.48 ERA in 64 appearances, while Alexi Ogando was lights-out, recording a 1.30 ERA in 44 appearances.

Overall, the Rangers finished 10th in MLB in ERA (3.93), sixth in “batting average against” (.246), 11th in WHIP (1.31) and ninth in home runs allowed (162). You can give Texas a mulligan for surrendering as many home runs as they did, considering that they play in one of the more homer-friendly ballparks in baseball. Even though this staff collectively doesn’t “wow” you, they are more than capable of getting the job done night in and night out, even without Cliff Lee.
Final Grade: B+


Wild Card: Ron Washington
Even though we already know about his admission of testing positive for cocaine during Spring Training last year, Washington was able to successfully battle back from his demons to lead this Rangers squad to the penthouse of the American League. Their playoff appearance last year was their first since 1999, and their AL West title was a breath of fresh air in a division that usually saw either the Angels or A’s win it time and again (Those two teams accounted for nine of the ten division titles won in the AL West between 2000 and 2009). The work he did in battling back from an embarrassing personal situation to lead this team to the playoffs should have earned him AL Manager of the Year, but I guess the voters apparently thought that Minnesota’s Ron Gardenhire did a better job with a team that was already expected to win the division. Oh well.
Final Grade: A+


Overall:
The Rangers were able to take advantage of a weak division last year, and more power to them. What’s even better is that they did not become complacent after winning their division so handily, something that has befallen many runaway division winners in the past once playoff time came around. Hopefully for the Rangers and their fans, 2010 should just be the beginning of more great things to come for this franchise.
Final Grade: A+


Check back soon for the report card on the Atlanta Braves!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Interview with White Sox beat writer Mark Gonzales


Steve Bohné and myself talk to Chicago Tribune White Sox beat writer Mark Gonzales on "Breakfast and Baseball."

Air date: 11/18/10

Don't be alarmed!

Recently, I discovered that there was actually a Sox book called "Miracle on 35th Street." It's a book that's actually about the 1983 White Sox. Go figure (although I may end up reading it sometime). So, to avoid any sort of trouble, I decided to give my blog a new identity. It's the same exact place, except with a different URL and a different name.

No need to fear folks, just do as the Hawk usually says before each telecast: "Sit back, relax and strap it down!"

Interview with Rays beat writer Bill Chastain


Bill Chastain joins myself and Steve Bohné on "Breakfast and Baseball" to discuss his new book "Peachtree Corvette Club," as well as the Tampa Bay Rays.

Air date: 10/28/10

Interview with Reds beat writer John Fay


We finally have our first podcast up from our show "Breakfast and Baseball!" Here's our interview with Cincinnati Enquirer Reds beat writer, John Fay.

Original air date: 10/21/10.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

The 30 Team/30 Day Report Cards: Day 22- San Diego Padres


San Diego Padres

Record: 90-72 (Second place in NL West, two games behind San Francisco)

Batting Leaders

Batting Average: Adrian Gonzalez (.298)

Home Runs: Adrian Gonzalez (31)

RBIs: Adrian Gonzalez (101)

On-base Percentage: Adrian Gonzalez (.393)

Pitching Leaders

Wins: Clayton Richard, Jon Garland and Mat Latos (14)

Strikeouts: Mat Latos (189)

Innings Pitched: Clayton Richard (201.2)

ERA: Mat Latos (2.92). Bullpen- Joe Thatcher (1.29)

WHIP: Mat Latos (1.08). Bullpen- Luke Gregerson (0.83)

Saves: Heath Bell (47)

Highlight of the Year: On August 25, the Padres defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-3 to extend their NL West division lead to 6.5 games over San Francisco, their largest lead of the season.

Lowlight of the Year: The Padres after that date would finish 14-23 to ultimately miss the playoffs by an excruciating two games. In an even more cruel twist of fate, the Padres began a ten-game losing streak on August 26 to set off their free fall into oblivion.

The Lowdown:

The Padres were by far and away the most surprising team in baseball last year, finishing with 90 wins for the first time since 1998 with a largely unknown roster. There was not one single person who believed the Padres would even finish out of last place this year, let alone contend for the division title. The Friars stayed in contention (and in first) throughout the season based on the strength of their outstanding pitching, which statistically was the best in baseball. Their pitching had to be on point, because their offense was incredibly weak outside of Adrian Gonzalez for the majority of the season. The team would make some key moves to bolster the offense later in the season, acquiring Ryan Ludwick and Miguel Tejada through trades to give San Diego a respectable lineup. However, their magic carpet ride would come to a deflating and demoralizing end in September, as the team could not hold off San Francisco, nor could they hold off a devastating 12-16 finish that saw them lose the division to the Giants by just two games. What potentially could have been the most shocking postseason run in recent baseball history was reduced to just a mere footnote, as it remains uncertain if the team can replicate the magic in 2011.

Offense:

Adrian Gonzalez was once again the offensive leader of this team, as he would finish with MVP-caliber numbers in 2010. The San Diego native finished with a .298 average, with 31 home runs and 101 RBIs, to go along with a .393 on-base percentage, which tied for the fourth-best in the NL. The impressive numbers he put up playing mostly in a pitcher-friendly park are simply amazing, and the Padres will really miss his presence in the lineup heading into this season.

Nobody else really had much of a presence in the Friars’ lineup however, as only two other regulars even cracked .270 in batting average (Chris Denorfia and Yorvit Torrealba each hit .271). In fact, only Will Venable even hit more than 12 home runs on this squad, finishing with 13 along with 51 RBIs. Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick also added a marginal boost to this otherwise lackluster offense, combining for 15 home runs and 58 RBIs in the games they played. Nonetheless, the Padres finished 22nd in runs scored (665), 22nd in home runs (132), 28th in batting average (.246), 23rd in on-base percentage (.317) and 28th in slugging (.371). While we all know that hindsight is 20/20, a better offensive effort would have easily placed this team into postseason play.

Final Grade: D-

Pitching:

San Diego’s pitching put together a performance that was the complete opposite of their offense, as they were easily the best staff in baseball this year. While there wasn’t necessarily a true “ace” in their starting rotation, right hander Mat Latos looks like he could assume the role very soon. Latos led the Padres in the majority of their pitching statistics, as he tied for the team lead in wins (14), along with leading the team in strikeouts (189), ERA (2.92) and WHIP (1.08). The 23-year-old nearly quadrupled his innings output from last year as well, finishing with 184.2 innings pitched, an indication that he’s ready to be a leader and stopper in their rotation.

In addition to his strong performance, lefty Clayton Richard and righty Jon Garland put together great seasons on the mound as well. Richard, in his first full season with the Padres, would finish 14-9 with a 3.75 ERA, including leading the team in innings pitched with 3.75. Jon Garland appeared to recapture the magic that he featured for the 2005 White Sox this year, finishing 14-12 with a 3.47 ERA in 200 innings. Lefty Wade LeBlanc and righty Kevin Correia rounded out the rotation, finishing with ERAs of 4.25 and 5.40, respectively.

As good as the Padres’ rotation was this year, their bullpen was even better. They featured the best bullpen ERA in baseball at 2.81, and they also featured three pitchers with ERAs under two with at least 60 appearances (Mike Adams, Heath Bell and Joe Thatcher). There isn’t one person you can pinpoint as the best reliever in this bullpen, as a host of players had phenomenal seasons. Lefty Joe Thatcher finished with the lowest ERA of any of the relievers (1.29), and he also fashioned a WHIP of 0.86. Set-up man Luke Gregerson had the most appearances of anybody on this staff (80), and he finished with a 3.22 ERA, along with a team-best WHIP of 0.83. Mike Adams, who also set-up for Heath Bell, finished with an ERA of 1.76 and a WHIP of 1.07 in 70 appeances, and Bell would finish with the second-most saves in the National League with 47, to go along with a 1.93 ERA.

Collectively, the Padres staff finished second in the majors in ERA (3.39), second in WHIP (1.25), second in “batting average against” (.240), 15th in quality starts (87) and 22nd in home runs allowed (139). You can forgive this team for the low number of quality starts because of the outstanding bullpen they have at their disposal. This staff was simply phenomenal.

Final Grade: A+

Wild Card: Bud Black

His Manager of the Year honor was well-deserved, in spite of the team’s unspectacular finish. Just the fact that this team was in contention for as long as they were was incredible, and the way he handled the young arms of Mat Latos and Clayton Richard down the stretch should be commended. Remarkably enough, the Padres were without one of their best starters for the majority of the season, as Chris Young was battling injuries. Even though a great case could have been made for Cincinnati’s Dusty Baker winning the award, I truly believe that what Bud Black did this year was remarkable.

Final Grade: A+

Overall:

How this team was able to stay in contention with the lack of offense they had was stunning. Their starting pitching was on-point more often than not, and their bullpen was absolutely lights out. With Adrian Gonzalez and Jon Garland gone however, this team will have a decidedly different look to it heading into this season. Can they repeat the magic again? Only time will tell.

Final Grade: B+

Check back soon for the report card on the Texas Rangers!

The 30 Team/30 Day Report Cards: Day 21- Boston Red Sox


Boston Red Sox

Record: 89-73 (Third place in AL East, seven games behind Tampa Bay)

Batting Leaders

Batting Average: Adrian Beltre (.321)

Home Runs: David Ortiz (32)

RBIs: David Ortiz and Adrian Beltre (102)

On-base Percentage: David Ortiz (.370)

Pitching Leaders

Wins: Jon Lester (19)

Strikeouts: Jon Lester (225)

Innings Pitched: John Lackey (215)

ERA: Clay Buchholz (2.33). Bullpen- Daniel Bard (1.93)

WHIP: Jon Lester (1.20). Bullpen- Daniel Bard (1.00)

Saves: Jonathan Papelbon (37)

Highlight of the Year: A 51-37 first half, which left the team only three games behind Tampa Bay for the Wild Card.

Lowlight of the Year: A deflating 7-5 loss at home to the White Sox on September 5 that pushed the team to a season-high 10 games out of first place. What made the loss particularly painful was that the White Sox scored four of their seven runs in the ninth inning, and the loss completed a three-game sweep, effectively putting the team out of contention.

The Lowdown:

The scrappy Red Sox managed to somehow stay in contention for most of the summer, in spite of the plethora of injuries that ravaged this team. The team suffered from injuries to many of their key players, including Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie , Josh Beckett and Dustin Pedroia, which left the team at less than 100% strength the entire season. Somehow, someway though, they managed to contend for most of the summer, as they received great performances on the mound from Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, along with good performances at the plate from Adrian Beltre and David Ortiz, who recovered from a slow start. This was a rare down season for this team, as they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006, and finished in third for only the second time since 1998.

Offense:

The Carmines’ offense remained strong in spite of the injuries, as they finished second in the majors in homers (211), second in runs (818), sixth in batting average (.268), third in on-base percentage (.339) and second in slugging (.451). The two biggest contributors in their lineup in 2010 were Adrian Beltre and David Ortiz, as both essentially led the team in nearly all of their major offensive categories. Beltre had a renaissance year, hitting 56 points higher than he did in ’09 (.321), along with hitting 28 home runs and driving in 102. David Ortiz recovered from a slow start that people may have to get accustomed to, as he finished strong with 32 home runs and 102 RBIs.

Another great performance came from the bat of catcher Victor Martinez, who hit a rock-solid .302 with 20 home runs and 79 RBIs before succumbing to injury. J.D. Drew also provided capable power numbers, hitting 22 home runs and driving in 68.

One shudders to think at the potential of this lineup if they were completely healthy throughout the season. Kevin Youkilis only played in 102 games, but he still managed to hit .307 with 19 home runs and 62 RBIs, along with getting on base at a clip of .411. Second baseman Dustin Pedroia only played in 75 games, but he still hit .288 with 12 home runs and 41 RBIs. Infielder Jed Lowrie received an ample amount of playing time this year, but even he couldn’t stave off the injury bug, playing in only 55 games while hitting .287. Fill-ins Bill Hall and Darnell McDonald provided a fair amount of offense as well, combining for 27 home runs and 80 RBIs in the games they played.

Even though they never were really able to field their best lineup, the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts with this team.

Final Grade: A+

Pitching:

Boston’s pitching staff was something of a feast-or-famine kind of staff, as they received good performances from Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and reliever Daniel Bard, but people like Josh Beckett, John Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jonathan Papelbon underachieved greatly. Lester and Buchholz were nearly in Cy Young-form last year, as Lester finished 19-9 with a 3.25 ERA, while Buchholz finished 17-7 with a 2.33 ERA. Unfortunately, the rest of the staff was not nearly as great. Josh Beckett battled injuries and finished with a 5.78 ERA in 21 starts, while John Lackey finished with an uncharacteristically-high 4.40 ERA, in spite of his 14-11 record. Daisuke Matsuzaka is beginning to prove more and more that he is overpaid, as he finished with a pedestrian 9-6 record with a 4.69 ERA, which is not something you want to see from a pitcher who earned over $8 million last year.

The bullpen wasn’t much better either, as they would finish with an unspectacular 4.24 ERA, 23rd in MLB. Daniel Bard was very effective as a set-up man, recording 32 holds along with a 1.93 ERA and a WHIP of 1. Jonathan Papelbon, despite his 37 saves, was humbled quite a bit this year, as he finished with a league-high eight blown saves along with a 3.90 ERA. Nobody else in the bullpen would finish with an ERA under four.

If you want to find a real concrete reason why Boston missed the playoffs, this is it. They finished 22nd in ERA (4.19), 17th in WHIP (1.36) and 15th in home runs allowed (152). Their staff definitely has the capability of being better, and they simply did not show that in 2010.

Final Grade: C-

Wild Card: Terry Francona

While I have always thought Francona only looked good because of Boston’s deep pockets, I have to give him kudos for the fantastic job he did this year of keeping this team together, and keeping them focused on the pennant chase. The amount of injuries this team suffered would have decimated even the best of teams, but Francona seems to have instilled a “never say die” spirit in this team that has shown itself time and time again since 2004. While I don’t think he should have won manager of the year, I could easily make a better case for him winning it than Minnesota’s Ron Gardenhire.

Final Grade: A+

Overall:

This team will definitely be right back in the thick of things this year, if they stay healthy. However, their pitching staff needs to do a better job to ensure that the team won’t fall victim to the same problem twice.

Final Grade: B+

Check back soon for the report card on the San Diego Padres!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

The 30 Team/30 Day Report Cards: Day 20- Chicago White Sox


Now I present to you perhaps the easiest report card for me to write, the one on my beloved South Siders!

Chicago White Sox

Record: 88-74 (Second place in AL Central, six games behind Minnesota)

Batting Leaders

Batting Average: Paul Konerko (.312)

Home Runs: Paul Konerko (39)

RBIs: Paul Konerko (111)

On-base Percentage: Paul Konerko (.393)

Pitching Leaders

Wins: John Danks (15)

Strikeouts: John Danks (162)

Innings Pitched: John Danks (213)

ERA: John Danks (3.72). Bullpen- Matt Thornton (2.67)

WHIP: John Danks (1.22). Bullpen- Matt Thornton (1.01)

Saves: Bobby Jenks (27)

Highlight of the Year: An 11-game win streak from June 15 through June 26, which vaulted the team back into contention. The streak was the team’s longest since 1961, and by the time it was over, the Sox went from 7.5 games behind the Twins to just a game and a half. They would eventually move into first place by the All-Star break.

Lowlight of the Year: A horrific 3-10 record against the Twins after the All-Star break, which essentially decided the division.

The Lowdown:

The 2010 season was quite the rollercoaster ride for the White Sox and their fans, as it seemed that there was never a dull moment during any point of the season. The year featured plenty of fireworks, drama and surprises; between the team starting 22-28, Ozzie Guillen and Kenny Williams nearly coming to blows, their 11-game win streak and bringing on the controversial Manny Ramirez for the final weeks of the season, 2010 was packed full of enough drama to be a good subject of a reality show.

In fact, the Sox were a subject of a reality show, as MLB Network aired “The Club” during the course of the season that detailed the inner workings of the Sox’s front office between GM Kenny Williams, owner Jerry Reinsdorf and the ever-loquacious Ozzie Guillen. The show was not only entertaining, but also informative, as viewers were treated to how decisions are made in a MLB front office during the season.

Perhaps the decision the team suffered from the most was the one to not bring back the popular Jim Thome as DH for the season, as the Sox shuffled between three DHs throughout the year. Neither Mark Kotsay, Andruw Jones or Manny Ramirez were able to pull their weight enough to efficiently support the lineup, and Thome’s resurgent 2010 campaign certainly did not make the Sox’s decision look any better. However, they did receive some outstanding performances at the plate from Paul Konerko, Alex Rios, Alexei Ramirez and Juan Pierre, as well as some rock-solid pitching from John Danks and the rest of the rotation. The 2010 season may have ended on a disappointing note, but with the way the team started the year, their admirable finish was something to be proud of.

Offense:

Chicago’s offense was essentially led by the aforementioned Paul Konerko, Alex Rios, Alexei Ramirez and Juan Pierre in 2010, as all four of them put together outstanding years at the plate. Konerko nearly made a case for winning the AL MVP, finishing second in the AL in homers (39), eighth in batting average (.312), sixth in RBIs (111) and tied for fifth in on-base percentage (.393). Konerko’s performance was perhaps the best all-around one of his career, and while Josh Hamilton was fantastic for Texas, a strong case could have been made for Konerko winning the MVP had the Sox made the playoffs.

Behind Konerko was center fielder Alex Rios, who put together a fantastic comeback season, hitting .284, with 21 home runs and 88 RBIs in 147 games. Even though Rios cooled off a bit in the second-half, he was white-hot in the first half, hitting .305 with 15 home runs and 49 RBIs. Interestingly enough, he was left off of the American League All-Star team, perhaps the only real snub on either side.

Even though Juan Pierre did not make the All-Star team, he put together a season that made people remember why he’s such a dangerous lead-off hitter. While his average does not seem impressive (he hit only .275 this year), he was a force to be reckoned with once he reached base, stealing a MLB-best 68 bases.

Rounding out this quartet of hitters is Alexei Ramirez, who captured the first AL Silver Slugger award of his career at shortstop, hitting .282 with 18 home runs and 70 RBIs. His consistent bat at short should make him a mainstay in the Sox infield for the next few seasons. The performances of these four were good enough to mask some of the warts in this lineup, including sub-par seasons from the DHs, as well as Carlos Quentin, who hit only .243 despite his 26 home runs and 87 RBIs.

Overall, the White Sox finished 10th in runs (752), seventh in batting average (.268), 12th in on-base percentage (.332), eighth in slugging (.420) and seventh in home runs (177). Their lineup may have started off slowly, but once June arrived, they collectively performed up to their standard, for the most part.

Final Grade: B+

Pitching:

While Buehrle has been considered the staff ace for the better part of eight years, a strong case can be made for lefty John Danks assuming that role very soon. Danks led the team in virtually all of the major pitching categories (seen above in “Pitching Leaders”), and he has begun to display the mentality of a staff ace by going deeper into ballgames this year. Ozzie Guillen and the coaching staff have managed Danks’ innings quite efficiently throughout his brief three year career, and the time may have arrived to where they can let him loose without worry of overwork.

The rest of the staff was decent throughout the season, as many of the starters battled back from slow starts to finish with solid numbers. Gavin Floyd started the season horrifically before finding his rhythm just before the All-Star break, finishing with a 10-13 record with a 4.08 ERA. Mark Buehrle was an innings eater once again, tossing in 213 of them, but his 13-13 record with a 4.28 ERA leaves something to be desired. Freddy Garcia was up-and-down for the most part, finishing 12-6 with a 4.64 ERA, while Peavy wasn’t much better, going 7-6 with a 4.63 ERA before succumbing to a shoulder injury on July 6. The injury was unfortunate, as Peavy appeared to be bouncing back from an awful start, recording a 1.75 ERA over five starts in June.

In order to make up for Peavy’s absence, the Sox traded a promising hurler by the name of Daniel Hudson to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for starting pitcher Edwin Jackson. Even though the trade seemed puzzling at first (Jackson had a 5.16 ERA in 21 starts with Arizona), Jackson seemed to benefit from returning to the American League, recording a 3.24 ERA in 11 starts with Chicago.

While their starting pitching seemed to hold steady after recovering from a terrible start, their bullpen did not experience too many issues, finishing 10th in MLB with a 3.73 ERA. Set-up man (and occasional closer) Matt Thornton was the best reliever in the Sox’s bullpen this year, finishing with a WHIP of 1.01 and an ERA of 2.67 in a team-high 61 appearances. Righty J.J. Putz nearly matched his numbers, recording a WHIP of 1.04 with an ERA of 2.83 in 60 appearances. Righty and converted shortstop Sergio Santos was also very effective out of the ‘pen, recording a 2.96 ERA in 56 appearances.

The most disappointing performer out of the bullpen however was Bobby Jenks. Even though he still recorded 27 saves, his ERA was an unsightly 4.44. While there were a myriad of reasons why the Sox failed to win the division, Jenks was certainly one of them, as he blew three crucial saves in the second-half, including losing a critical must-win game against the Twins on July 18. While Guillen’s decision to continue to stick with Jenks was admirable, the manager must have felt conflicted as to how to resolve the issue of the closer’s role.

Collectively the staff finished 18th in ERA (4.09), sixth in quality starts (94), 16th in WHIP (1.36), 22nd in “batting average against” (.264) and 24th in home runs allowed (136). It was a mediocre performance overall, one that could have been remedied with a better April and May.

Final Grade: C+

Wild Card: Team Speed and Omar Vizquel

The Sox finished second in the American League and in MLB in steals with 160, trailing only Tampa Bay’s 172. Four players reached double-digit figures in steals, including Juan Pierre (68), Alex Rios (34), Alexei Ramirez (13) and the 43-year-old Omar Vizquel (11).

Vizquel’s importance to this team should not go without mention, either. He filled in capably at third once Mark Teahen went down to an injury, hitting .290 against righties while playing outstanding defense, as usual. Having second baseman Gordon Beckham and shortstop Ramirez under his tutelage should bode well for their defense, as well.

Final Grade: A

Overall:

The Sox finished with an okay record, but if you were to pinpoint two reasons why they missed the playoffs, it would be their dismal start, along with a dreadful 5-13 overall record against the Twins. The Sox have the pieces in place to go to the playoffs, but they simply need to execute better and play more consistently.

Final Grade: B

Check back soon for the report card on the Boston Red Sox!