The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 30- New York Yankees

Alas, we have reached our final report card of 2009 (even though it is 2010). Today's final team will be the World Champions, the New York Yankees. Let's take a look at the Bronx Bombers of 2009:

New York Yankees:
Record: 103-59 (AL East Champions, World Series Champions).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Derek Jeter (.334)
Home Runs: Mark Teixeira (39)
RBIs: Mark Teixeira (122)
On-base Percentage: Derek Jeter (.406)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: CC Sabathia (19)
ERA: CC Saabathia (3.37). Bullpen- Mariano Rivera (1.76).
Strikeouts: CC Sabathia (197)
Innings Pitched: CC Sabathia (230)
WHIP: Mariano Rivera (0.90). Starters- CC Sabathia (1.15)
Saves: Mariano Rivera (44)

Highlight of the Season: Winning their 27th World Championship on November 4, over the defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. Duh!

Lowlight of the Season: Tie between getting clobbered by the Indians at home, 22-4 on April 18, and losing two out of three at home to the lowly Nationals on June 16-18.

The Lowdown:
At long last, after years of spending and even more spending, the Yankees were finally World Champions again, giving their long-suffering fans happiness and a reason for excitement once again. Of course, I was only being facetious with that previous statement, but the Yankees seemed to finally find that right mix of talent to carry them to the promised land in October for the 27th time. After years of bulking up their offense, and spending millions of ill-advised dollars on flukish or mediocre-to-terrible pitchers (does Carl Pavano, Kevin Brown or Kei Igawa ring a bell for anyone?), the Yanks finally found their front-of-the-rotation pitching aces that would carry them to October, and they would be in the form of CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. However, it doesn't hurt to beef up your offense when you have the opportunity, and the Yankees did just that, as they were able to land Mark Teixeira as a free agent during the '08-'09 offseason. He would end up joining an already potent lineup that featured Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, Robinson Cano, and Hideki Matsui, among others.

The dawn of the 2009 season also marked the first time since 1922 that the Yankees would not be playing in "The House that Ruth built," as they moved across the street to the shiny, expensive, brand-spanking-new Yankee Stadium, that ended being even more of a haven for power-hitters than its predecessor. Home runs flew out of the new ballpark at an alarming rate last year, which no doubt made the Yankees' lineup all the more intimidating. However, they still had to have effective pitching to quell the offensive explosion at the new ballpark, and their staff, as a whole, was up to the task. When you combine one of the best offenses in baseball with some of the best pitching in baseball, it comes as no surprise that the Yankees finished atop the baseball world in 2009.

Offense:
Thanks to their homer-happy new ballpark, and to Mark Teixeira, the Yankees' offense was as explosive as ever in 2009. Their lineup featured a remarkable seven people who hit at least 20 home runs in 2009, and Teixeira led the way for them, as he drilled 39 in his first season in the Big Apple. It goes without saying that he put up a very MVP-worthy season, as he had a robust 122 RBIs, .292 batting average and .383 on-base percentage to go along with his 39 homers. However, he lost out in the MVP race to Minnesota's Joe Mauer, who put up an equally fantastic season behind the plate.

The other major power threat in New York's lineup was obviously, Alex Rodriguez. Despite missing some time due to injury, A-Rod still put up solid numbers, as he hit .286, with 30 homers and 100 RBIs, to go along with a robust .402 on-base percentage. Nonetheless, the aforementioned stats will not be what Yankees fans will remember about A-Rod in '09, as he was able to finally shake the postseason monkey off his back in October. He would end up leading the Yankees in all four major offensive categories during the play-offs, as he hit .365, with six home runs, 18 RBIs and a .500 on-base percentage. In fact, the only debate that you will find about A-Rod among Yankees fans is which of his home runs during the play-offs was bigger: his game-tying two-run homer off of Twins' closer Joe Nathan in Game Two of the Division Series, or his game-tying home run in the 11th inning of Game Two of the LCS against the Angels? Both home runs came in games in which the Yankees would eventually win. I'll let you be the judge.

Two other major contributors in the Yankees' lineup were the double-play tandem of Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano. Jeter was simply Jeter once again in 2009, as he hit for an outstanding .334 average, to go along with 18 home runs and a fantastic .406 on-base percentage. He also reached a major milestone during the season, as he passed Lou Gehrig for the Yankees' all-time hits record with his 2,722nd hit against the Orioles on September 11. His partner up the middle, Robinson Cano, also put together a fantastic season of his own, as he hit .320, with 25 home runs and 85 RBIs. It goes without saying that these are some excellent numbers for a second baseman, but despite this, his season was largely overshadowed by his other higher-profile teammates.

Overall, the Yankees would finish first in MLB in runs scored (915) home runs (244), on-base percentage (.362), and would tie with the Angels for first in hits (1,604). They would also finish second in batting average (.283), third in doubles (325) and first in total bases (2,703). While other lineups around baseball appeared to be just as potent on paper, the Yankees, by far and away, featured the best lineup in baseball in 2009.
Final Grade: A+

Pitching:
The biggest reason for the Yankees' success in 2009 lies not within their lineup, but within the pitching rotation. For the first time in several years, the Yankees had a solid rotation, and not one that could be considered "shaky, at best." Pitching was the key formula to their three consecutive championships from 1998-2000, and the Yanks found it again this year with a great rotation that featured CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Joba Chamberlain making up the bulk of the starts. Sabathia picked right up where he left off in his stellar '08 campaign, as he finished 19-8 this year, with a 3.37 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. Innings also were not a problem for the big lefty either, as he gobbled up 230 of them on the rubber last year. He certainly silenced the prognosticators at the beginning of the season who said that he was due to regress in '09, and he would have definitely received more consideration for the Cy Young last season if it weren't for Zack Greinke's monster year in Kansas City.

Backing him up in the number two slot was A.J. Burnett, who finally put together back-to-back 200 inning seasons for the first time in his career. While he did not receive as many wins last year as he did in Toronto in '08 (when he went 18-10), he was still solid in the Yankees rotation, going 13-9 last year, with a 4.04 ERA and 195 strikeouts in 207 innings pitched. While many around baseball knew that a dominant Sabathia would be a big key to the Yankees success, many also knew that if they were going to go deeper into the play-offs than in recent years, Burnett had to be healthy and producing, too. The once injury-prone Burnett proved that he was healthy once again in '09, and that he was definitely up to the task.

In the number three spot was a familiar face, and that was Andy Pettitte. In his third season back with the Yankees after a brief sojourn to Houston, Pettitte continued to be the wise and experienced presence on the staff, as he was one of the remaining left-overs from the Yankees' glory years of 1996-2000. He would continue to prove to everybody that he still had something left in the tank, as he went 14-8 last year, with a 4.16 ERA in 194.2 innings. While he is no longer a front-of-the-rotation starter, he is still quite adequate as a number three starter, and he is still a guy the Yankees have no problem handing the ball to in big games.

Rounding out the major four starters for the Yankees is Joba Chamberlain. While he was certainly serviceable as a number four starter (finishing 9-6, with a 4.75 ERA in 31 starts), his season could have certainly been better, considering how much talent he has. However, 2009 marked his first full season as a starter in the bigs, so I'll cut him some slack. Plus, it seems that the Yankees have finally found out what they wanted to do with him, so I wouldn't be too surprised if he improved substantially in 2010. As long as they don't keep threatening to shuffle him off to the bullpen, he will be fine.

Speaking of the bullpen, the Yankees had a very youthful crew coming into ballgames in '09, as Phil Coke, Phil Hughes, David Robertson, Brian Bruney and Alfredo Aceves were all 27 or younger during the season. This young bunch would be backed up by the sage-like presence of the great Mariano Rivera closing out games, who no doubt had to be a big influence on the rest of the 'pen this year. While the youngsters were effective during the season (four out of the five aforementioned pitchers would finish with ERAs under four except for Coke), it was Rivera who was the best of them all in the 'pen once again, finishing with 44 saves in 46 chances, a 1.76 ERA and a ridiculous WHIP of 0.90. Rivera- who was 39 during the season- seems to be like a fine wine; he just continues to get better and better with age.

Overall, the Yankees rotation definitely held their own amongst all of the teams in MLB, as they tied for 11th in ERA (4.26), finished 17th in runs allowed (753), 13th in walks (574), fourth in strikeouts (1,260) and fifth in "batting average against" (.251). While they weren't in the same category of pitching excellence as the Giants and Dodgers, they were still better than most teams in MLB.
Final Grade: A-

Wild Card: Homegrown Talent
Yeah, that's right, I said it. The Yankees have much more homegrown talent than most people realize. These weren't just marginal players either who contributed very little to the team's success. These were major players, guys who made a difference to the team this year, who, without them, the Yankees would not have achieved the level of success they earned this year. Here is a list of the major contributors on the Yankees in 2009 who came out of their farm system at some point:
Derek Jeter
Andy Pettitte
Jorge Posada
Mariano Rivera
Robinson Cano
Phil Coke
Phil Hughes
Joba Chamberlain
Brett Gardner
Melky Cabrera
David Robertson
Alfredo Aceves

By my count, that is twelve people, which is damn near half of their team. I might have still left out some people, but those were the guys who came to mind for me. While the Yankees do spend a lot of money (the last team to have a higher opening day payroll than them was the 1998 Baltimore Orioles), they also have a great eye for finding talent as well. The only difference is that they have the money to lock them up once contract time comes. You can rip the Yankees all you want for spending big bucks for free agents, but don't accuse them of not being able to develop their own talent, because clearly, they have.
Final Grade: A+

Overall:
Don't let the Phillies' acquisition of Roy Halladay fool you, the Yankees are still the team to beat coming into 2010. They are the best team in baseball right now.
Final Grade: A+

Well everybody, that will do it for our "Report Cards" series. I would like to thank each and every one of you that decided to take time out of your day to come on to my little website to read about baseball! We had the opportunity to learn about the some of the best and worst baseball had to offer in 2009, and some of the surprising stars and unsung heroes of many teams as well. With that, I bring the "009 Report Cards"series to a close. Make sure to stay posted for updates on the White Sox and MLB right here on "Miracle on 35th Street!"

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 29- Los Angeles Angels

It's time to head down the road from Dodger Stadium to Angel Stadium, where our next report card will be issued to the Los Angeles Angels!

Los Angeles Angels:
Record: 97-65 (AL West Champions).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Erick Aybar (.312)
Home Runs: Kendry Morales (34)
RBIs: Kendry Morales (108)
On-base Percentage: Chone Figgins (.395)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Jered Weaver and Joe Saunders (16)
ERA: Jered Weaver (3.75). Bullpen- Darren Oliver (2.71).
Strikeouts: Jered Weaver (174)
Innings Pitched: Jered Weaver (211)
WHIP: Jered Weaver (1.24)
Saves: Brian Fuentes (48)

Highlight of the Season: Finally taking out their postseason nemesis, the Boston Red Sox, in dramatic fashion, sweeping them in three straight during the first round of the playoffs. It is also worth mentioning that on August 18, in a game against the Indians, the Angels became the first team since 1930 to feature a starting lineup with all nine batters hitting at least .300, with at least 200 at-bats.

Lowlight of the Season: The death of their future star pitcher, Nick Adenhart, in a car accident just hours after his start against Oakland, on April 8.

The Lowdown:
It was certainly a great time to be a baseball fan in Los Angeles in 2009, as fans of both the Dodgers and Angels were treated to some outstanding baseball during the regular season. Last year would mark only the third time in MLB history that both L.A. teams made the playoffs (joining 2004 and 2008), and it was also the first legitimate chance of there being a "Freeway World Series" as both teams made it to the LCS. The Angels though, unlike their National League counterparts to the west of them, reached the postseason on the strength of their overall hitting, instead of their pitching. While the Angels still featured a solid pitching staff, their lineup was one of the most potent in baseball, as there was not a single easy out in their order.

The Angels were also a team of perseverance, as well. They battled through injuries to some of their key players in 2009, including Vladimir Guerrero and John Lackey, and on April 8, the most devastating blow of them all came when 22-year-old pitcher Nick Adenhart died in a car accident just hours after starting a game against the Oakland A's. The death shook the team to its very core, as Adenhart's personality and demeanor clearly made an impression on everyone that was around him. The team fought on through this though, and as the season wore on, they only seemed to get stronger mentally, as they overcame a 5.5 game deficit at the hands of the Texas Rangers on May 30 to eventually win the division by a commanding 10 games.

Offense:
The Angels were a team that did not feature one weak link in their lineup. Not one. Out of all of the people on their team that played in at least 100 games, eight of them hit over .290, which is nothing short of incredible. Even the people who did not reach .290 were still dangerous, as left fielder Juan Rivera hit .287 with 25 home runs and catcher Mike Napoli hit .272, with 20 home runs. This was a well-balanced lineup as far as power goes too, as six people hit 15 or more homers, with switch-hitting first baseman Kendry Morales leading the way with 34 of them. The emergence of Morales certainly made up for letting first baseman Mark Teixeira walk as a free agent after the '08 season.

Also, the presence of Bobby Abreu on this ball club would prove to be a big influence on this team, as far as their approach to the plate goes. While the Angels were once known as a free-swinging kind of team (no doubt influenced by 2004 MVP Vladimir Guerrero), the Angels followed Abreu's example and took a much more patient approach to the plate this year, waiting for their pitch to come and working deeper into the count instead of hacking away early in the count. This was likely a big influence on the increase in batting averages that you see on the team. While the Angels hitters were certainly a talented bunch long before Abreu's arrival, they certainly became even better with his influence rubbing off on the other players.

There is nothing really negative to say about this lineup; however, the gradual decline of DH Vladimir Guerrero is certainly raising some eyebrows among followers of baseball right now, including yours truly. While he's still hitting for average (he finished at .295 this season), he saw a drop in his power numbers, as he hit only 15 home runs and drove in 50 in 100 games this season. While he was injured for part of the season, his decline in power is still noticeable, as he has not hit 30 homers in a season since 2006. This decline likely made it much easier for the Angels to part ways with him after the season, as they let him walk away as a free agent at the close of the season.

The Halos would finish second in MLB in runs scored (883) and in batting average (.285), and they would also tie for first in hits (1,604) as well. They would also go on to finish third in on-base percentage at .350, and would tie for 11th in home runs with 173. While this lineup can certainly beat you with the long ball, they prefer to go about dismantling their opponents slowly and painfully, by rapping out base hit after base hit.
Final Grade: A+

Pitching:
The Angels rotation featured a decent group of starters, as Joe Saunders, Jered Weaver, John Lackey and late-bloomer Matt Palmer all put up great numbers in '09. Weaver and Saunders tied for the team lead in wins with 16, but it was Weaver that ended up being the better of the two, as he threw more innings than Saunders (211 to 186), had a lower ERA (3.75 to 4.60) and had a much lower WHIP (1.24 to 1.43). Although Saunders still had a great year, he was likely the recipient of great run support from a phenomenal offense.

John Lackey also had another solid season in the rotation, going 11-8, with a 3.83 ERA in 27 starts. This was probably one of the least surprising stats out of everybody in the rotation, because once he came back in May from a forearm strain injury, everybody knew he was going to be stellar. However, the most surprising starter in the Halos' rotation would have to be the mysterious Matt Palmer, who went virtually unnoticed by many in the media during the season. The 30-year-old righty out of Missouri State had only 12.2 innings of experience in the majors before becoming a major part of the Angels' pitching staff last year, and once he settled in, the Angels knew they found someone who they could depend on, in relief and as a starter. He appeared in 40 games last year, and started in 13 of them, as he would finish the season 11-2 overall, with a 3.93 ERA in 121.1 innings pitched. While he's not going to be their next number one starter obviously, he will definitely be someone who they can trust with the ball going into this upcoming season.

The rest of the bullpen proved to be a decent crew in '09, as Brian Fuentes, Jason Bulger and Darren Oliver were their top three pitchers in appearances last season (Fuentes- 65, Bulger- 64, Oliver- 63). Oliver was probably their best man coming out of the 'pen, ERA-wise, as he posted a staff-low 2.71 ERA. Fuentes' and Bulger's ERAs were considerably higher than Oliver's, as they recorded averages of 3.93 and 3.56, respectively. While Fuentes was serviceable in the closer's role, he was not quite as "lights out" in that role as his predecessor, Francisco Rodriguez. While he did record a MLB-best 48 saves last year, he still surrendered 53 hits in 55 innings, along with blowing seven saves. Even though he could definitely get the job done, the end does not always necessarily justify the means, as his high-wire acts during the ninth inning would often have Angels fans looking for their Pepto-Bismol after games.

Overall, the Angels would tie for 20th in ERA (4.45), tie for 13th in runs surrendered (761), and would let opponents hit off of them at a .272 clip, which tied for the seventh-worst in MLB. Despite the performance of some of their starters, this was a pretty mediocre staff overall last year.
Final Grade: C

Wild Card: Perseverance
Losing a teammate during the season is always something that is difficult to overcome, and the Angels managed to still do it, as they won the division title in honor of their fallen friend. They also had to endure the loss of one of their most respected members of their organization too, as long-time consultant and former big league manager Preston Gomez passed away on January 13 of last year at the age of 85. They were both honored with patches on their jerseys during the season, and the fact that they were able to still perform at a high level during this adversity is nothing short of admirable.
Final Grade: A+

Overall:
The Angels were a stacked team this year, one that fell excruciatingly short of their goal of another World Series title. With all of the times they have fallen short since their first title in 2002, could they be becoming this generation's version of the Atlanta Braves? Only time will tell.
Final Grade: A

Check back soon for the final report card, which will be on the World Champion New York Yankees!

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 28- Los Angeles Dodgers

Well, I am well past 30 days on completing this, and it isn't even 2009 anymore, but, whatever. Here is the report card on the Los Angeles Dodgers!

Los Angeles Dodgers:

Record: 95-67 (National League West Champions).

Batting Leaders:

Batting Average: Matt Kemp (.297)

Home Runs: Andre Ethier (31)

RBIs: Andre Either (106)

On-base Percentage: Casey Blake (.363)

Pitching Leaders:

Wins: Chad Billingsley (12)

ERA: Clayton Kershaw (2.79). Bullpen- Ronald Belisario (2.04).

Strikeouts: Clayton Kershaw (185)

Innings Pitched: Randy Wolf (214.1)

WHIP: Jonathan Broxton (0.96). Starters- Randy Wolf (1.10).

Saves: Jonathan Broxton (36)

Highlight of the Season: Slamming the door on a three-game-sweep of the Cardinals in the playoffs by defeating them 5-1 at Busch Stadium on October 10. The sweep was something that even 69-year-old manager Joe Torre enjoyed relishing in, as seen above.

Lowlight of the Season: Getting clobbered by the Phillies for the second year in a row in the NLCS, losing the series 4-1. They were outscored 26-8 in their final three games, which were all played in Philadelphia.

The Lowdown:

As many people expected, the Dodgers were much stronger in 2009, as they rolled to 95 victories and the NL West championship. They also took home the best record in the National League, something they haven't done since since 1983. They also just missed the century-mark in wins, which was something they haven't accomplished since 1974. This was truly a team in which the whole was greater than the sum of its parts, as there was no real standout pitcher in their rotation, and no real standout performer in their lineup, save for Andre Ethier. This was just a strong team from top to bottom, and they were also able to weather the storm of losing Manny Ramirez for 50 games due to a positive steroid test in May. It was no problem for them though, because once they took over first place for good on April 19, they never looked back.

Offense:

The Dodgers' lineup in 2009 featured a little more pop in it, but the man providing the power was the person you would expect. Andre Ethier was the big man in the middle of the order for the Dodgers in '09, as he hit .272, with 31 home runs and 106 RBIs. This has to be a very promising sign for Ethier's progression, as this was the fourth year in a row that he has increased his home run and RBI totals. The lanky right-fielder out of Arizona State is starting to blossom into a bonafide power hitter, and since he's in L.A., that means he will definitely become a star that everyone will take notice of in the years to come.

Behind him were a slew of effective bats, which featured Matt Kemp (.297 average, 26 home runs, 101 RBIs), Manny Ramirez (.290/19/71), Casey Blake (.280/18/63) and James Loney (.281/13/90). It is also worth noting that left fielder Juan Pierre did an admirable job in filling in for the suspended Ramirez, as he came through with timely hits, and provided extra speed at the top of the order. He would finish the season with a .308 average, a .365 on-base percentage and 30 steals, which was second on the team to Kemp's surprising 34. Perhaps the only thing that was disappointing about their lineup was catcher Russell Martin, who watched his batting average fall 30 points from .280 in '08 to .250 last year. However, their well-rounded lineup was more than able to make up for Martin's absence.

The Dodgers would go on to finish 11th in runs scored (780), fifth in overall hits (1,511), fourth in on-base percentage (.346) and tied for fourth in batting average (.270). Even though their 145 home runs was only good for 23rd in MLB, this was a team that did not need to rely on the home run to beat you. They had a whole litany of hitters who knew how to come through with timely hits, time and time again.

Final Grade: A-

Pitching:

The Dodgers' starting rotation was pretty good as a whole in 2009, but who takes the cake as the best starter on the team? Well, my vote would go to Randy Wolf, who had a renaissance year in L.A. Wolf made a career-high 34 starts in 2009, and he proved to be very effective, going 11-7 with a 3.23 ERA, while putting together a WHIP of 1.10, which was the seventh-best in MLB. He wasn't the only top performer in their rotation though, as 21-year-old Clayton Kershaw put together a fantastic season of his own. Even though his 8-8 record seems unimpressive, his 2.79 ERA and his 185 strikeouts in 171.1 innings are something to be impressed by though. Chad Billingsley had a solid season of his own in 2009, as he led the staff with 12 victories, but he was possibly the receiver of good run support though, as his ERA rose to 4.03 from 3.14 in 2008. Hiroki Kuroda's performance is also worth mentioning, as he made 20 starts in '09, and went 8-7 in that time span, with a 3.76 ERA and an impressive WHIP of 1.14.

The Dodgers also had a bullpen that was pretty rock-solid, as they were led by the trio of Jonathan Broxton, Ramon Troncoso and Ronald Belisario. All three featured ERAs under three, and Belisario was especially impressive, as he sported a sparkling 2.04 ERA in 73 appearances. Fireballer Jonathan Broxton was also very effective in the closer's role, as he featured an impressive WHIP of 0.96, to go along with a 2.61 ERA, and a ridiculous 114 strikeouts in just 76 innings. The only downside to his great season was that he blew six saves, which is suspiciously high, but in any event, 36 saves is still pretty good.

Overall, the Dodgers featured the best team ERA in the majors at 3.41, tied for the least amount of runs surrendered with 611, and held opponents to the lowest batting average in MLB at .233. Even though division-rival San Francisco had an outstanding pitching staff in 2009, the Dodgers proved to be a perfect foe, as always. L.A.'s pitching staff is right up there with the Giants for the best in baseball.

Final Grade: A+

Wild Card: Joe Torre

Torre has proven to everybody during the last two seasons that he is not a push-button manager, as he has guided the Dodgers to back-to-back division titles. This year was especially impressive, as he kept a steady ship, despite the tumultuous waves of the Manny Ramirez suspension attempting to blow the ship over. The team did not flounder too much during the season either, despite a furious charge by the Rockies toward the end of the season. Most young teams would not have been able to withstand that kind of pressure, but Torre was able to keep everybody even-keel.

Final Grade: A+

Overall:

The Dodgers are a fantastic team that is capable of winning the NL Pennant, however, their only problem is an inability to "close" when the time counts in the playoffs. They simply need to find out a way to beat Philly in October.

Final Grade: A

Check back soon for the report card on the Los Angeles Angels!

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 27- Boston Red Sox

Hello once again, everyone! I'm a little bit behind on this obviously, so I'm trying to knock as many of these out as possible before school gets into full swing again. Here is the next report card, which will be issued to the Boston Red Sox.

Boston Red Sox:
Record: 95-67 (Second place in AL East, eight games behind New York. AL Wild Card Champions).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Kevin Youkilis (.305)
Home Runs: Jason Bay (36)
RBIs: Jason Bay (119)
On-base Percentage: Kevin Youkilis (.413)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Josh Beckett (17)
ERA: Jon Lester (3.41). Bullpen- Jonathan Papelbon (1.85)
Strikeouts: Jon Lester (225)
Innings Pitched: Josh Beckett (212.1)
WHIP: Josh Beckett (1.19)
Saves: Jonathan Papelbon (38)

Highlight of the Season: Clinching the AL Wild Card on September 29, despite losing to Toronto 8-7. It was their fifth Wild Card victory, and their sixth overall postseason appearance of the decade.

Lowlight of the Season: A devastating 7-6 loss to the Angels in Game Three of the Division Series on October 11, which eliminated them from the postseason. The Angels rallying from a 6-4 deficit to win the game in the top of the ninth, was especially stinging.

The Lowdown:
It was another fantastic season for the Boston Red Sox, as they rolled to their sixth postseason appearance of the decade, behind strong pitching and timely hitting. Finishing second with 95 wins was just another example of how strong the AL East is, as they still finished a whopping eight games behind the Yankees. It was still the usual suspects in their pitching rotation that led them back to the postseason, as Josh Beckett and Jon Lester were their usual selves during the season. Their lineup was also solid, despite the struggles of David Ortiz, as Jason Bay, Kevin Youkilis, and several others had solid seasons at the plate. Put it all together, and you have yourself a pretty good team. The only surprising thing that came out of this season from Boston was how they went down in the playoffs, which was a 3-0 wipeout at the hands of the Angels in the first round. While the Angels were great too, it was still shocking that such a good team would go out with such a whimper in the postseason. Let's take a look at their offense from last year, to see how they stacked up.

Offense:
Boston's offense in 2009 was strong once again, but the person that led the way for them was somebody you would least expect. Jason Bay was the main power source in the Red Sox's lineup this season, as he put together a stellar campaign, hitting 36 home runs while driving in 119, to go along with a strong .384 on-base percentage. He was aided by an eclectic mix of power, contact and speed within the lineup, as Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury each put together solid seasons for the Carmines. Youkilis had another great all-around season at the plate, hitting a team-best .305, with 27 home runs and 94 RBIs, to go along with a robust .413 OBP. Lowell and Pedroia each hit well for average, to go along with modest power numbers, as Lowell hit .290, with 17 homers and Pedroia hit .296, with 15 homers. Ellsbury was the speed threat at the top of the order, as he pilfered a major-league best 70 bases in '09.

Despite all of the bright spots in Boston's order, the one person that received the most attention in their lineup was David Ortiz, and it was not the kind of attention that he would have liked, either. Ortiz struggled mightily during the first half of the season, as he hit only .222, with just 12 home runs and 47 RBIs before the break. Adding insult to injury during his dreadful season was the revelation on July 31 that he tested positive for steroids in 2003. He would eventually apologize for the "distraction" that he caused, and he would go on to have a modest improvement in the second half, hitting .258, with 16 homers and 52 RBIs to finish with a .258 average, 28 home runs and a solid 99 RBIs. Jason Bay's season, along with the overall depth in the lineup, was able to pick up the slack for Ortiz, who had an uncharacteristic down year.

Overall, Boston finished third in runs scored (872), second in doubles (335), fourth in home runs (212), second in OBP (.352) and tied for fourth in batting average (.270). Even Ortiz's poor season could not keep this lineup from being one of the best in baseball.
Final Grade: A+

Pitching:
Boston's rotation was buoyed by the strong performances of their two best pitchers, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester. Beckett had another great season for the Carmines, as he finished 17-6, with a 3.86 ERA and 199 strikeouts in 212.1 innings. His 1.19 WHIP was also among the AL's best, as well. However, his performance was possibly upstaged by Lester, who went 15-8, with a 3.41 ERA to go along with 225 strikeouts in 203.1 innings. While his WHIP was slightly higher than Beckett's at 1.23, his ERA was significantly lower and his strikeout total was higher, despite throwing less innings than his counterpart. It was a fantastic season for the left-hander, and if he continues his brilliance, he will definitely be a Cy Young candidate in 2010.

Behind those two were injuries and mediocrity in the rotation, as many of the other pitchers had a hard time coming close to equaling Beckett and Lester's production. Ancient knuckleballer Tim Wakefield had a decent 11-5 record, but this was likely the result of good run support, as his ERA was 4.58. Brad Penny was a disappointment in 2009, as he started 24 games for Boston before being released on August 27. In that time though, he went a pedestrian 7-8, with a bloated ERA of 5.61. Daisuke Matsuzaka and John Smoltz weren't much better either, as Matsuzaka went 4-6, with a 5.76 ERA in an injury-riddled season, and Smoltz was just terrible, going 2-5, with an 8.33 ERA. It was a great thing that Boston had Beckett and Lester at the top of their rotation, because the team would have definitely sunk without those two.

If you are going to have a lackluster three-through-five in your rotation, you better have a great bullpen who can back them up. Boston did have this in '09, as the quintet of Ramon Ramirez, Hideki Okajima, Jonathan Papelbon, Takashi Saito and Daniel Bard proved to be very effective at maintaining leads and cleaning up the mess from the bottom three of the rotation. Ramirez appeared in the most games in the 'pen this season (70) and he did not disappoint, as he put together a solid 2.84 ERA in 69.2 innings. Okajima had another solid season as the set-up man to Papelbon, recording 24 holds and fashioning a 3.39 ERA in the process. Saito's performance in the bullpen was very underrated, as he appeared in 56 games and put together a great 2.43 ERA. Also, rookie Daniel Bard proved to be the possible closer of the future in Boston, as he struck out an impressive 63 batters in 49.1 innings. For right now though, the man at the end of games was still Jonathan Papelbon, and he was still very effective, going 38-41 in saves this year with a 1.85 ERA.

Collectively, the staff was pretty mediocre in '09, as they finished 16th in ERA (4.35), 20th in runs allowed (736) and 20th in opponent's batting average (.267). As I mentioned earlier, this team would have been in a heap of trouble if they did not have Lester and Beckett. Heck, they would have been in trouble if one of those two would have went down with an injury.
Final Grade: C+

Wild Card: Speed
The Red Sox are historically known for not having any real speedsters on their roster. However, that has been changing in recent years with the addition of Jacoby Ellsbury, who stole a MLB-best 70 bases in '09. Dustin Pedroia has also demonstrated his ability to steal bases, as he pilfered 20 of his own last year as well. Overall, the Red Sox stole 126 bases as a team last year, which was good for fifth in the majors. Adding the extra dimension of speed to their lineup makes them much more dangerous than in recent memory, because now, they do not need to beat you with just the longball.
Final Grade: A-

Overall:
This was another great season for the Red Sox. However, it just wasn't their year to go deep into the playoffs, because once the Angels defeated their two best starters to go up 2-0, you just knew that the fat lady had sung on their season. Their rotation is stronger heading into 2010with the arrival of John Lackey, but will they continue to put up enough runs now that Bay is gone, Holliday's off the market, and Ortiz is declining? We shall see.
Final Grade: A-

Check back soon for the report card on the Los Angeles Dodgers!

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 26- Philadelphia Phillies

I would like to offer you my most sincere apologies for not being here with you during the past couple of days. As many of you may know, it is not the easiest thing in the world updating this blog everyday, but I still love doing this nonetheless because I love baseball!

Anyway, without further adieu, I bring you the report card for the National League Champions, the Philadelphia Phillies.

Philadelphia Phillies:
Record: 93-69 (National League East Champions, and National League Champions).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Shane Victorino (.292)
Home Runs: Ryan Howard (45)
RBIs: Ryan Howard (141)
On-base Percentage: Chase Utley (.397)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ and Jamie Moyer (12)
ERA: J.A. Happ (2.93). Bullpen- Scott Eyre (1.50).
Strikeouts: Cole Hamels (168)
Innings Pitched: Joe Blanton (195.1)
WHIP: Cliff Lee (1.13)
Saves: Brad Lidge (31)

Highlight of the Season: Clobbering the Dodgers at home 10-4 on October 21, to advance to their second-consecutive World Series.

Lowlight of the Season: Losing to the Yankees 7-3 on November 4, to lose the World Series.

The Lowdown:
The Phils were back at it once again in 2009, bringing their high-powered offense and solid pitching with them en route to their second-consecutive National League Pennant. Their offense seemed even stronger this year with the addition of Raul Ibanez as a free agent, replacing left fielder Pat Burrell. Then, near the trading deadline, the Phils acquired left-hander Cliff Lee from the Cleveland Indians, in exchange for prospects. Once the Phils made this trade, they were seemingly invincible to the rest of the National League, as they won their division by a comfortable margin, and took the NL Pennant with ease, dispatching the Rockies in four games and the Dodgers in five during the postseason. Their only nemesis that stood between them and their second-consecutive World Title was the New York Yankees, another offensive juggernaut that won 103 games during the regular season. However, back-to-back championships were not in the works for the Fightin' Phils, as they fell to the Yankees in six games. Let's take a look at the 2009 National League Champions, beginning with their offense.

Offense:
You won't get too much of an argument from baseball fans if you say that the Phillies have the best offense in the National League, and probably all of baseball. Their lineup one through eight has enough muscle in it to make just about any pitcher tremble in their shoes. They have a blend of speed (Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, Utley, and Jayson Werth each had over 20 steals), power (Howard, Werth, Ibanez and Utley each had over 30 homers) and contact hitting (Victorino and Utley each hit over .280) within their lineup to make things incredibly difficult for the opposition. Despite the power totals, this team can still beat you in many different ways, as evidenced in their stolen base leaders.

The most difficult question of them all could possibly be this: Just who exactly was their best (or most important) hitter in 2009? Was it Ryan Howard, who put up another MVP-caliber season by hitting .275, with 45 home runs and 141 RBIs? Could it be Chase Utley, who- as a second baseman, no less- hit .282, with 31 homers and 93 RBIs, to go along with 23 steals and a team high .397 on-base percentage? Maybe it could be Jayson Werth, who put up a relatively quiet 36 home runs and 99 RBIs, along with 20 steals himself? Or could it be Raul Ibanez, who hit 34 home runs and drove in 93? I'll let you decide for yourself.

Possibly the only downfall of their lineup this year was the lack of production from Jimmy Rollins, who hit a dismal .250, to go along with an equally horrific .296 on-base percentage. However, center fielder Shane Victorino picked up the slack for him, as he hit .292 in the lead-off spot. Rollins' lack of production this year was only a minor bump in the road for the Phils though, as they had more than enough offense to make up for it.

Overall, Philadelphia finished fourth in runs scored (820), fifth in doubles (312), tied for second in home runs (224), and finished 14th in on-base percentage (.334). The only thing that they did not do well as a whole was hit for average, as they tied for 22nd in that category (.258). They can be forgiven for that minor transgression though, seeing as they have one of the most dynamic and exciting offenses in baseball.
Final Grade: A+

Pitching:
Before the arrival of Cliff Lee on July 29, it was fairly noticeable to many following baseball that the Phillies' pitching had slipped a bit from 2008. Staff ace Cole Hamels had a sub-par year by his standards, as he finished 10-11, with a 4.32 ERA. This was down considerably from his stellar 2008 campaign, when he went 14-10, with a 3.09 ERA. Along with this, Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer were mediocre-to-below-average in the rotation themselves, as they finished with ERAs of 4.05 and 4.94, respectively. Their decent won-loss records (Blanton 12-8, Moyer 12-10) were only salvaged by the team's explosive offense. In any event, Moyer's season was bad enough for him to get demoted to the bullpen in favor of Pedro Martinez, who they signed after the All-Star Break.

It turned out to be the right move for the Phils, as Pedro proved to be a big shot in the arm for the team down the stretch. He started nine games during the season, and he proved to be pretty sharp in that time span, finishing with a 5-1 record, to go along with a 3.63 ERA. He wasn't the only shot in the arm for the Phils though, as they also received an outstanding performance from left-handed rookie J.A. Happ. The 27-year-old Northwestern alum was pretty sharp himself during the season, finishing 12-4, with a 2.93 ERA, along with a solid WHIP of 1.23. These numbers were obviously good enough to warrant Rookie of the Year consideration, and it came as a relative surprise to many when he did not win it, considering that he played on an outstanding team in a major market.

Lefty Cliff Lee came through big for the Phils in the second half, as he was the biggest difference-maker on this staff last year by far. In 12 starts with the team, he was fantastic, going 7-4, with a 3.39 ERA, along with an impressive WHIP of 1.13. He ended up carrying the staff during the second half, as he helped give the Phils a final surge to win their third straight NL East crown.

The bullpen was mediocre at best in 2009, as Scott Eyre and Ryan Madson were arguably the two best relievers on the team. Eyre would finish with an impressive 1.50 ERA in 42 appearances this season, while Madson was the jack-of-all-trades bullpen-wise, finishing with a 3.26 ERA in 79 appearances, while recording 10 saves and 26 holds. His save total came as a result of briefly replacing Brad Lidge as the closer, since Lidge fell considerably from his 2008 success. Lidge, despite recording 31 saves, also recorded a ghastly 11 blown saves, and a bloated ERA of 7.21. It is a testament to just how strong this team is as a whole that they managed to survive Lidge's woes throughout 2009, as the inability to close out games has crushed some teams in the past.

Overall, Philly finished eighth in ERA (4.16), 24 in runs allowed (709), 28th in walks (489), and tied for 18th in on-base percentage (.265). You would think that mediocre performances from some of the most important people on the staff would drag the team's numbers down, but this is truly a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts this year.
Final Grade: B+

Wild Card: Four 30-homer-men
Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez and Chase Utley became the first quartet of players on the same team to go deep at least 30 times each since the White Sox turned the trick in 2006, when Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, Paul Konerko and Joe Crede pulled it off. They also were the first National League team to accomplish this since 2004, when Moises Alou, Aramis Ramirez, Sammy Sosa and Derrek Lee pulled it off for the Cubs. They are only the 12th team in MLB history to reach this milestone, as Chase Utley was the last to join the 30 homer club, drilling his 30th in D.C. on September 8. An impressive feat from an impressive team.
Final Grade: A

Overall:
Failing to win the World Series last year will only motivate this team heading into this year. With the addition of Roy Halladay, this team is locked in and ready to go, as they will attempt to become the first National League team since the 1942-1944 Cardinals to win three consecutive pennants. The bigger question heading into 2010 won't be who will make the World Series out of the NL, rather, who will be good enough to unseat Philadelphia?
Final Grade: A+

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

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 25- Colorado Rockies

The look at the seasons of the playoff teams continues, as today's report card will be issued to the Colorado Rockies.

Colorado Rockies:
Record: 92-70 (NL Wild Card Champions. Second place in the NL West, three games behind Los Angeles).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Todd Helton (.325)
Home Runs: Troy Tulowitzki (32)
RBIs: Troy Tulowitzki (92)
On-base Percentage: Todd Helton (.416)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Jorge De La Rosa (16)
ERA: Ubaldo Jimenez (3.47)
Strikeouts: Ubaldo Jimenez (198)
Innings Pitched: Ubaldo Jimenez (218)
WHIP: Huston Street (0.91). Starters- Ubaldo Jimenez (1.23).
Saves: Huston Street (35)

Highlight of the Season: After defeating Milwaukee at home 9-2 on October 1, the Rockies clinched their second postseason appearance in three years.

Lowlight of the Season: Falling to the Phillies in the Division Series, three games to one.

The Lowdown:
The Rockies ride to the postseason went down a similar path as their 2007 team, as they both needed to get hot in order to make it. However, the road in 2009 had a slightly different twist to it, as the team caught fire in June and never looked back, as they stormed to their second Wild Card victory in three years, and their third overall as a franchise. The 92 wins the team recorded in '09 was also a franchise record. In fact, they nearly made a bid at unseating Los Angeles atop the NL West, as the two had to face each other in the last series of the regular season. The Rockies put the heat on L.A., as they took the first game of the series, before the Dodgers won the final two to ice the division championship.

Still, the fact that they nearly came back from a 15.5 game deficit on June 3 to win the division is very impressive. Their 72-38 record after that day was the second-best in all of baseball to only the New York Yankees, and that is obviously what led them to win the Wild Card pretty easily over the Giants. While a hot September and October can be just considered a fluke, this year's team wasn't; they were one of the best in baseball.

Offense:
The Rockies offense was strong once again in 2009, despite losing outfielder Matt Holliday in a trade with the Oakland A's before the start of the season. They featured four people who hit at least 20 home runs (Tulowitzki, Ian Stewart, Brad Hawpe and Clint Barmes), with "Tulo" leading the way with a career-high 32. Colorado also received some great years average-wise from their key players, including Todd Helton, Tulowitzki and Seth Smith, who hit .325, .297 and .293, respectively.

Youth was also served in this lineup in 2009, as outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler each made their own impacts on the team this season. Gonzalez only played in 89 games this season, but he made the most out of all of them, as he hit .284, with 13 home runs and 29 RBIs to go along with 16 stolen bases. Fowler received considerably more playing time this year (135 games), but he proved that he might become Colorado's lead-off hitter for good next year, as he got on base at a .363 clip, to go along with 27 steals.

The Rockies had one of the best offenses in MLB, as evidenced with their finish in the major statistical offensive categories. They finished sixth in runs scored (804), seventh in home runs (190), 16th in batting average, and tied for sixth in on-base percentage (.343). They also had a whopping 50 triples, which was second in baseball to only Kansas City. When you put it all together, Colorado had a damn good lineup this year.
Final Grade: A

Pitching:
Colorado's entire starting staff was perhaps one of the best kept secrets in baseball, as they were the biggest reason why the team won the Wild Card this year. They featured a solid five starters that made over 25 starts each, with Aaron Cook being the only one not to have at least 30. Plus, considering that Coors Field is still a big hitter's park even with the humidor in effect, all five starters managed to have an ERA under 4.50, and that is very impressive. Southpaw Jorge De La Rosa and flame-throwing righty Ubaldo Jimenez were clearly the aces of the staff this year, as De La Rosa finished 16-9, with a 4.38 ERA and Jimenez finished 15-12 with a 3.47 ERA. The other three starters (Jason Marquis, Jason Hammel and Aaron Cook) were all great as well, as they all garnered at least 10 wins themselves (Marquis- 15, Hammel- 10, Cook- 11).

The ace of the 'pen was none other than closer Huston Street. He came over as Oakland's centerpiece of the players they were trading to Colorado in exchange for Matt Holliday, and he did not disappoint, as he went 35 for 37 in saves, to go along with a 3.06 ERA and a nasty WHIP of 0.91. He replaced Manny Corpas as closer, and it was obviously the right thing to do, as Corpas registered an ERA of 5.88 in 35 appearances this season.

The Rockies would end up finishing 10th in ERA (4.22), 23rd in runs allowed (715), 22nd in walks (528) and tied for 13th in "batting average against"(.261). Having those numbers in Colorado makes that look even more impressive than what it already is. For that reason alone, I will give them a grade that I feel they truly deserve.
Final Grade: A+

Wild Card: Jim Tracy
Taking over as a manager midway through the season is never an easy thing to do. It's even more impressive if you manage to take a team that was in last place in early June to the playoffs, and that is what Hamilton native Jim Tracy pulled off this year. His work was good enough for him to earn a much-deserved National League Manager of the Year this year. Hats off to Jim, he really earned it!
Final Grade: A+

Overall:
As many people who follow baseball closely are starting to figure out, the Rockies will go only as far as their pitching will take them, as they will usually feature a decent-to-great offense that will keep them from being a pushover more often than not. However, their pitching is the difference-maker between them being a mediocre team or a great team. Since their pitching was clicking on all cylinders this year, the Rockies were a really great team. If their pitching continues to do the same next year, don't be surprised if they're back in the playoffs.
Final Grade: A-

Check back tomorrow for the report card on the Philadelphia Phillies!

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 24- St. Louis Cardinals

From the "City by the Bay," to the "Gateway to the West," we have reached the second playoff team in our series, as today's report card will be issued to the St. Louis Cardinals.

St. Louis Cardinals:
Record: 91-71 (First place in the NL Central).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Albert Pujols (.327)
Home Runs: Albert Pujols (47)
RBIs: Albert Pujols (135)
On-base Percentage: Albert Pujols (.443)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Adam Wainwright (19)
ERA: Chris Carpenter (2.24). Bullpen- Ryan Franklin (1.92).
Strikeouts: Adam Wainwright (212)
Innings Pitched: Adam Wainwright (233)
WHIP: Trevor Miller (0.96). Starters- Chris Carpenter (1.01).
Saves: Ryan Franklin (38)

Highlight of the Season: After nobody really believed in the Cardinals at the beginning of the season, they took their sixth division title of the decade on September 26, following a 6-3 victory over the Rockies.

Lowlight of the Season: A truly heart-breaking loss in Game Two of the Division Series in Los Angeles, when Matt Holliday's error with two outs helped pave the way for a comeback 3-2 victory for the Dodgers. Instead of going back to St. Louis tied at one game apiece, they were heading back home down 0-2 in the series.

The Lowdown:
The Cardinals proved everybody wrong once again this year, as they raced to their sixth division title of the decade, doing it the way they usually do, by featuring a strong offense supported by Albert Pujols, and by featuring a strong pitching staff. At the beginning of the season, many people believed that the division was all for the Cubs' taking once again. However, once the Cubs stumbled out of the gate, the door was left open for St. Louis to come storming through, and they did just that, as their 42-29 record after the All-Star break indicates. Their acquisition of outfielder Matt Holliday just before the trade deadline also helped push St. Louis across the finish line, as he would become a great compliment to Pujols in their lineup. Also, the return of a healthy Chris Carpenter helped the Cards out a great deal, as he returned to the form that helped him win a Cy Young in 2005. With that being said, let's take a look at how the Cardinals shaped up in 2009, beginning with their offense.

Offense:
As noted earlier, the Cardinals offense became much stronger and more potent with the arrival of Matt Holliday. Before he arrived, however, it was a considerably different story, as Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick each regressed from their 2008 production. Ludwick, who hit a whopping 37 home runs and drove in 113 in 2008, would hit just 22 this year, to go along with 97 RBIs. Ankiel also watched his power numbers drop, as he fell from 25 home runs and 71 RBIs in 2008 to 11 home runs and 38 RBIs this year. The Matt Holliday trade was obviously a vital one, since the Cards needed someone to replace the lost production of those two. Holliday proved to be up to the task once he arrived, as he hit .353, with 13 home runs and 55 RBIs in just 63 games with the team.

Certainly a big reason for Holliday's success has to be because he has the best hitter in baseball protecting him in the lineup. Albert Pujols was simply phenomenal once again in 2009, as he hit .327, with 45 home runs and 135 RBIs. Among all major-leaguers, Pujols would finish sixth in batting average, first in home runs, third in RBIs, and second in on-base percentage, as he would get on at a clip of .443. This fantastic season was good enough for him to earn his third-career MVP award, as he was elected unanimously this time around.

Overall, the Cardinals finished 18th in runs scored (730) and would tie for 16th in home runs with 160. They also tied for 11th in batting average (.263) and for 16th in on-base percentage (.332). If Holliday was in the lineup for the entire season, these numbers would definitely be much higher. However, he wasn't, so I have to give the Redbirds a grade for how they were during the whole season, and not just half of it.
Final Grade: B

Pitching:
Their staff was led by the strong performances of Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, who were both Cy Young candidates during the season. Wainwright was absolutely fantastic, as he would feature a 19-8 record, to go along with a 2.63 ERA and a solid 212 strikeouts. His win total tied CC Sabathia and Felix Hernandez for the major-league lead, and he would finish sixth in ERA and eighth in strikeouts. Since this season was following great performances in 2008 and 2007, Wainwright is certainly making a case for himself to enter the pitching elite of MLB. In fact, he may already be there.

Chris Carpenter also put together a great season, as he went 17-4, with an absolutely sick 2.24 ERA, which was the second-best in MLB behind only Zack Greinke. His 1.01 WHIP was also the second-best in MLB among starting pitchers, trailing only Dan Haren of Arizona. The only thing that possibly hurt his chances at winning a second Cy Young Award was the fact that he made only 28 starts, as he did not start on a regular basis until around the end of May, due to injury. Joel Piniero also had a fair year in the rotation, going 15-12 with a 3.49 ERA. However, his WHIP was actually one of the better ones in baseball though, coming in at 1.14.

Their bullpen also did a great job this past season, as Dennys Reyes, Trevor Miller and closer Ryan Franklin are all worth mentioning. Reyes made the most appearances on the staff this year with 75, and he made the most out of it, as he recorded a team-high 18 holds along with a 3.29 ERA. Miller also had a fantastic year out of the 'pen, as he was arguably the best pitcher out of the bullpen for St. Louis. In 70 appearances, he recorded a 2.06 ERA, to go along with a ridiculous 0.96 WHIP. He also received some work in the set-up role, as he recorded 13 holds as well. His performance in relief is only rivaled by closer Ryan Franklin, who recorded 38 saves in 43 chances, to go along with a WHIP of 1.20 and a 1.92 ERA.

The staff, as a whole, would go on to finish fourth in ERA (3.66), 28th in runs allowed (640), last in walks (460) and tied for ninth in opponents' batting average (.258). I think it goes without saying that this staff was pretty good in '09.
Final Grade: A

Wild Card: Tony LaRussa and Dave Duncan
These two have been together since their days as a manager/pitching coach tandem for the White Sox in the early 1980s. While managers have a marginal influence in the outcome of games, there is no doubt that having Tony LaRussa as your manager will give you a better shot at reaching the postseason. I don't know if it is his managerial genius, or the fact that players play harder for him, or both. All I know is that he has managed consistent winners with the Cardinals this entire decade, along with a considerable amount of turnover on his roster. Also, kudos to pitching coach Dave Duncan, as the guy clearly knows how to turn pitchers around. Just look at the results for yourself. Heck, there are two on this year's staff alone in Carpenter (who was nothing more than a mediocre pitcher in Toronto in the early part of this decade) and Joel Piniero (who was pretty mediocre after two decent seasons in Seattle in '02 and '03). Even though it is the players who ultimately win the games, having these two on your coaching staff certainly makes things better.
Final Grade: A+

Overall:
Once they arrived in the playoffs, many people thought that this team was the favorite to win the NL Pennant, simply because they featured a stronger overall pitching staff than Philadelphia. However, Carpenter and Piniero were disappointing in their playoff starts against the Dodgers, and Wainwright had his good start ruined by an unfortunate ninth-inning rally that was largely the bullpen's fault. Put all three of those together, and you have an embarrassing three-game sweep. If the Cardinals decide to re-sign Holliday, and if Carpenter can stay healthy, there is no reason as to why they can't return to the NL Central penthouse in 2010. Maybe then they can make up for this year's disappointing finish.
Final Grade: A

Check back soon for the report card on the Colorado Rockies!

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 23- San Francisco Giants

We're "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" today, as the 23rd report card in our series will be issued to the San Francisco Giants. Let's see how things shook out for them in '09.

San Francisco Giants:
Record: 88-74 (Third place in the NL West, seven games behind Los Angeles).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Pablo Sandoval (.330)
Home Runs: Pablo Sandoval (25)
RBIs: Pablo Sandoval (90)
On-base Percentage: Pablo Sandoval (.387)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Tim Lincecum (15)
ERA: Tim Lincecum (2.48). Bullpen- Jeremy Affeldt (1.73).
Strikeouts: Tim Lincecum (261)
Innings Pitched: Tim Lincecum (225.1)
WHIP: Tim Lincecum (1.05)
Saves: Brian Wilson (38)

Highlight of the Season: Tie between Jonathan Sanchez's no-hitter versus San Diego on July 10, and Randy Johnson's 300th career victory in Washington on June 4.

Lowlight of the Season: Losing four out of their last six games against the Dodgers in September, which cost them a shot at the division title.

The Lowdown:
The Giants, much like yesterday's Texas Rangers, made a big turnaround in 2009 themselves, as they improved from a paltry 72 wins in '08 to 88 this year. This was largely based off of the strength of their pitching staff, which was arguably the best in baseball this season. They received another Cy Young performance out of young starter and staff ace Tim Lincecum, as well as great performances out of Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, Barry Zito, and to a lesser extent, Randy Johnson, who was 45 for most of the year. They definitely needed their pitching to come through, as their lineup was one of the most anemic ones in MLB this season.

Offense:
Perhaps the only bright spot in the Giants' lineup this past season was third baseman Pablo Sandoval. The 23-year-old switch-hitter- who is known affectionately as "Kung Fu Panda"- put together a spectacular breakout season in his second year in the bigs, as he hit .330, with 25 home runs and 90 RBIs. He also got on base at a solid clip of .387, and hit 44 doubles, as well. He was clearly the person who carried this lineup, as no other regular hit over .270 on the season. In fact, only him and catcher Bengie Molina hit at least 20 home runs this season, as Molina checked in at 20 on the spot.

The Giants would finish 26th in runs scored (657), 29th in home runs (122), 25th in batting average (.257) and dead last (30th) in on-base percentage (.309). Even though this team had a great year, their lineup certainly wasn't the biggest reason for their success.
Final Grade: F

Pitching:
Their pitching however, was the complete opposite of their hitting in 2009. The Giants put together arguably the best pitching staff in baseball, one that was led by the eventual back-to-back Cy Young Award winner, Tim Lincecum. Even though his win total was relatively low for a Cy Young Award winner (15), the wins do not tell the complete story with him, as he got virtually no run support from their weak lineup. All 15 wins of his were well-earned. He also recorded a 2.48 ERA on the season, which was the second-lowest in the NL and the third-lowest in MLB, to go along with a National League-leading 261 strikeouts. His minuscule 1.05 WHIP was also the fourth-best in the bigs. Despite having such a young arm, manager Bruce Bochy was not afraid to let him go deep into games, as evidenced with his 225.1 innings pitched, which was 10th in MLB. You can't really blame Bochy for working him hard though; Lincecum is one of the best pitchers in baseball, and he showed everyone why once again this year.

Backing him up was a solid trio of Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Barry Zito. Cain put together the best year of his career to date, as he went 14-8, with a 2.89 ERA in 217.2 innings. Sanchez, despite the somewhat poor 8-12 record, fashioned a solid 177 strikeouts in 163.1 innings, to go along with twirling the Giants' first no-hitter in over 30 years on July 10 against San Diego. He was nearly perfect that evening, as the only thing that got between him and perfection was an error by Juan Uribe at third base in the eighth inning of that game.

Rounding out the great performances of the Giants' staff was former Cy Young Award winner Barry Zito. He was able to rebound from a truly horrendous 2008, as he went 10-13 this year with a 4.03 ERA, a great contrast from a 10-17 season in 2008, with a 5.15 ERA. His improved 2009 season was likely a result of him being dropped in the rotation, which enabled him to face more inferior starters. Still, the improved season from him has to have the Giants feeling more confident about him entering 2010.

Their bullpen also put together some great performances, even if they didn't have to pitch nearly as many innings as some of their rivals. The quartet of Jeremy Affeldt, Bob Howry, Brandon Medders and closer Brian Wilson all put together sparkling ERAs of 1.73, 3.39, 3.01 and 2.74, respectively. All four also appeared in over 60 games, with Affeldt leading the way with 74 appearances. Plus, despite a high total of seven blown saves, Wilson still proved to be pretty dominant closing out games, as evidenced in his 83 strikeouts in 72.1 innings.

Overall, the Giants finished second in ERA (3.55), first in complete games (11), first in shutouts (18), tied for the least amount of runs given up (611), had more strikeouts than anyone (1302), and opponents hit only .236 off of them, the second-lowest in MLB. In my opinion, this was the best pitching staff in baseball last year, especially when you take into account that nobody was getting any run support on this staff.
Final Grade: A+

Wild Card: Youth
While the Giants have been chastised in years past for fielding older teams, they have a great young nucleus in Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Pablo Sandoval. Having these four on your team has to give any Giants fan hope for the future.
Final Grade: A+

Overall:
Considering how bad their lineup was last year, it was quite remarkable that this team managed to stay in contention for all of that time. That just makes their pitching staff look all the more better, since they were the ones that kept the team in the race until the end. If their pitching continues their dominance of National League hitters next year, they should still be right there in the thick of contention.
Final Grade: B

Check back soon for the report card on the St. Louis Cardinals!

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 22- Texas Rangers

It's time to head "Deep in the Heart of Texas" for today's report card, which will be issued to the Texas Rangers! Let's go!

Texas Rangers:
Record: 87-75 (Second place in the AL West, 10 games behind Los Angeles).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Michael Young (.322)
Home Runs: Nelson Cruz (33)
RBIs: Marlon Byrd (89)
On-base Percentage: Michael Young (.374)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Scott Feldman (17)
ERA: Kevin Millwood (3.67). Bullpen- Darren O'Day (1.94).
Strikeouts: Kevin Millwood (123)
Innings Pitched: Kevin Millwood (198.2)
WHIP: Scott Feldman (1.28)
Saves: Frank Francisco (25)

Highlight of the Season: After thrashing the Athletics at home on May 30 by a score of 14-1, the Rangers extended their lead in the division to 5.5 games, in what would prove to be their biggest lead of the season.

Lowlight of the Season: Getting blasted by the Angels 11-0 on September 28, which effectively eliminated them from postseason contention.

The Lowdown:
It was another year of dashed dreams for Texas, as they saw their hopes for their first division title in 10 years thwarted by the Angels yet again. Things looked so bright for this team in the early part of the season, when, at one point, they were in first place for 65 days before finally falling out of the AL West penthouse on July 10. However, the season was not a complete disappointment for Texas, as they improved their win total by eight this season, and saw their best season since 2004. This was thanks in large part to a vastly improved pitching staff, as well as their high-octane offense, which, once again, was one of the better ones in baseball.

Offense:
The Texas Lumber Company was in full swing again in 2009, as their lineup featured a whopping six people with at least 20 or more home runs (Marlon Byrd, Chris Davis, Michael Young, Hank Blalock, Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz). They would be paced by 29-year-old Nelson Cruz in the home run department, as he hit a career-high 33, to go along with 76 RBIs, another career-high. This season proved to be a breakout one for Cruz, as he would play over 100 games for the first time in his career, and judging by his numbers, he obviously made the most of his opportunity.

When looking at the six people in the lineup who hit at least 20 home runs, did you notice someone missing? If you did not, then you probably weren't paying enough attention, as Josh Hamilton was the major player missing from that bunch. After enjoying a breakout season in 2008, Hamilton was hampered by injuries in '09, as he played in only 89 games. In the time that he did play though, he was likely still playing through injuries, as he hit .268, with just 10 home runs and 54 RBIs. It was quite impressive that Texas managed to stay in contention throughout the season despite being largely without the services of their best hitter. That just goes to show you the depth of their lineup.

As a whole, Texas finished 10th in MLB in runs scored (784), second in home runs (224), 24th in on-base percentage (.320) and tied for 17th in batting average (.260). Despite the low on-base percentage, Texas proved once again that they have one of the best offenses in baseball. This is probably one of my easiest grades yet.
Final Grade: A+

Pitching:
The biggest secret to Texas' resurgence in 2009 has to be their rejuvenated pitching staff. They were led surprisingly enough by Scott Feldman, a 26-year-old righty who had an ERA over five in 2008. This year was a much different story for him though, as he went 17-8, with a 4.08 ERA in nearly 200 innings. He was one of the biggest surprises in baseball this past season, and Texas will look for him to repeat his success in 2010, as they continue their quest for the AL West crown.

Of course, in order to have a successful pitching staff, Feldman could not do it all by himself. His brilliant performance was backed up by the solid performances of Kevin Millwood and Tommy Hunter. Millwood fashioned another solid season on the hill for the Rangers, as he went 13-10 with a 3.67 ERA. Hunter also put together a solid year for himself, as the 23-year-old rookie from Indianapolis went 9-6 in 19 starts, with a 4.10 ERA.

Texas' bullpen was also pretty solid in 2009, as their top three relievers were C.J. Wilson, Darren O'Day and closer Frank Francisco. Wilson and O'Day were especially great, as each appeared in over 60 games and featured ERAs of under three (Wilson- 2.81 in 74 games, O'Day- 1.94 in 64 games). They also both split time in the set up role, as O'Day recorded 20 holds and Wilson recorded 19. Frank Francisco also proved to be effective in the closer's role, as he went 25 for 29 in saves this year. Perhaps the most electric arm to come out of Texas' bullpen this year was not any of those three, though. Neftali Feliz only appeared in 20 games for Texas this past season, but the stuff he brought to those 20 appearances was something to behold, as he threw a fastball that reached up to around 100 miles per hour. The fastball proved to be effective, as he put together a 1.74 ERA in 31 innings of relief.

Overall, Texas finished 18th in ERA (4.38), 19th in runs allowed (740), 19th in bases on balls (531) and 12th in opponent's batting average (.260). Their staff also compiled an impressive 11 shutouts, which tied for sixth in MLB. This staff has certainly come a long way.
Final Grade: B+

Wild Card: Team Speed
The Rangers finished second in MLB in stolen bases with 149, and their 81 percent success rate in steals tied with Philadelphia for the best in the bigs. Rookie Elvis Andrus led the team with 33 swipes, and Ian Kinsler also checked in with over 30, as he pilfered 31 bags himself.
Final Grade: A-

Overall:
One has to wonder just where this team would have finished if Josh Hamilton was healthy? If they were able to win 87 games largely without his services, then I truly think that they would have been a playoff team had he been healthy and playing to his full potential in '09. This was a very good team this year, and it will be interesting to see if they can prove that 2009 was not a fluke next year.
Final Grade: B+

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

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 21- Florida Marlins

Let's head down to sunny Miami, where today's report card will be issued to the Florida Marlins.

Florida Marlins:
Record: 87-75 (Second place in the NL East, six games behind Philadelphia).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Hanley Ramirez (.342)
Home Runs: Dan Uggla (31)
RBIs: Hanley Ramirez (106)
On-base Percentage: Hanley Ramirez (.410)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Josh Johnson (15)
ERA: Josh Johnson (3.23). Bullpen- Kiko Calero (1.95).
Strikeouts: Ricky Nolasco (195)
Innings Pitched: Josh Johnson (209.0)
WHIP: Josh Johnson (1.16)
Saves: Leo Nunez (26)

Highlight of the Season: Storming out to a 11-1 record to begin the season, their best start in team history, by far.

Lowlight of the Season: Losing two out of three to the Mets at home from September 25-27, which destroyed their postseason hopes. For the Mets however, it was sweet revenge, as it was the Marlins who destroyed their playoff chances at Shea in 2007 and 2008. Payback can really be a bitch sometimes.

The Lowdown:
After storming out to a ridiculous 11-1 start, the Marlins were unable to keep their stranglehold atop the NL East, as Philadelphia would eventually come back to take their third-consecutive division crown. Despite this, the Fish stayed in the thick of the division and Wild Card races, doing it they way they always do it; with a small payroll and with a ton of young talent. While their presence in the pennant race did not surprise nearly as many people this year, they still put together a very fine season. Ultimately, it was their lack of pitching that led to their downfall.

Offense:
For the second year in a row, the Marlins put together another good year offensively, and once again, they were led by star shortstop Hanley Ramirez. He ended up taking home the batting title in the National League, as he put together a spectacular average of .342. To go along with this, he put together great power numbers as well, hitting 24 homers and driving in 106. Obviously as a result of all of this, he was getting on base at a good rate, as his .410 on-base percentage finished in the top 10 in MLB. Once on base, he was also a stolen base threat, as he pilfered 27 bags in 35 chances. Simply put, this year was just another outstanding one for the all-star shortstop.

Other major contributors to Florida's lineup included Chris Coghlan, Dan Uggla and Cody Ross. Coghlan put together a fine rookie campaign by hitting .321 and getting on base at a clip of .390. His numbers impressed the baseball writers enough to where they voted him as the 2009 National League Rookie of the Year. Even though I did not necessarily agree with the selection (I thought that Pittsburgh's Garrett Jones should have won), I still thought his season was still pretty good for a rookie.

Uggla and Ross were the other two thumpers in the lineup as they hit 31 and 24 homers, respectively. While Uggla's power numbers as a second baseman are great, his free-swinging approach at the plate and his penchant for making errors in the field keep him from really joining the elite fraternity of second basemen in baseball. Ross' numbers also served as a good compliment to Uggla and Ramirez in the lineup, as he hit 24 homers and drove in 90.

Even though they have a tendency to be free swingers (their 1,226 strikeouts were the sixth-highest in baseball), they were still a pretty potent lineup altogether, as they finished 13th in runs scored (772), 19th in home runs (159), ninth in on-base percentage (.340) and tied for seventh in batting average (.268). For a young team with a small payroll, this is not bad at all.
Final Grade: B

Pitching:
While Josh Johnson put together a fine season for the Fish (15-5, 3.23 ERA), the rest of the staff struggled a bit, as the other three major starters (Ricky Nolasco, Chris Volstad and Sean West) all had ERAs over 4.50. Nonetheless, Nolasco's season came with a silver lining, as he recorded a solid 195 strikeouts in 185 innings. His signature pitching performance came on September 30 in Atlanta, when he recorded an impressive 16 strikeouts to just two walks in 7.2 innings. But that wasn't all. At one point in the game, he recorded nine strikeouts in a row, which fell one shy of the all-time record set by Tom Seaver in 1970. This would be the only real shining moment of the season for him though, as his ERA went up by over a run and a half from 3.52 in '08 to 5.06 this year. His season was the kind in which the won-loss record does not tell the complete story, as his 13-9 record was clearly the result of good run support.

There were some decent seasons put together by the pitchers in the bullpen, led chiefly by Kiko Calero. In 67 appearances, he put together a dazzling ERA of 1.95 in 60 innings. Reyel Pinto and Dan Meyer also put together good seasons, as each of them appeared in over 70 games and each of them recorded ERAs in the low-threes (Pinto- 3.23, Meyer- 3.09). The closer's role was mainly delegated between Leo Nunez and Matt Lindstrom, as they recorded 26 and 15 saves respectively. Nunez appeared to be the more adequate solution in the closer's role though, as he received more opportunities and put together a lower ERA (relatively speaking). Nunez featured an ERA of 4.06, while Lindstrom had an ERA hovering near six. Despite the fact that Nunez appeared to be the better option, he still blew seven saves.

Compared to the other teams in MLB, the Fish finished in the middle of the road in most pitching categories. However, the two biggest categories that caught my eye with them were their walks and strikeouts. They finished fifth in Ks with 1,248 and they finished with the fifth-highest total in walks with 601. While the strikeout total is nice, they may want to focus on walking less people next year. That way, the ERA of some of the starters in the rotation can go down as well.
Final Grade: C+

Wild Card: Front Office
The Marlins certainly get a lot of bang for their buck, as their opening day payroll of $36.8 million was by far the lowest in baseball. Comparatively speaking, the team with the next-highest opening day payroll, San Diego, had one that was $43.7 million, and they won only 75 games. While I was once very critical of the way they ran things, I am starting to soften my view on them just a little bit. While they do not spend money to keep their big-name players once they become free agents (sans Hanley Ramirez, who they actually signed to a six-year, $70 million extension in '08), they really put a lot of money into their scouting and player development, which keeps the team ready for a star player's departure. When one guy is gone, they can just fill in the void. It will be interesting to see how they approach their payroll once their new stadium opens in 2012, though.
Final Grade: B

Overall:
This is a team that was very good this past season, and they should be able to continue their success next year, barring a major roster shakeup. However, they really need to address their closer's role, as their starting pitching is still young and looks to improve. Perhaps signing a free-agent closer like Jose Valverde would provide a decent stop-gap for them at the end of ballgames. Otherwise, they had a great year, and don't be surprised to see them in contention next year.
Final Grade: B+

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

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 20- Minnesota Twins

Welcome back, everybody! I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas, and I hope you all received fantastic gifts as well! Today's team to receive a report card will be the AL Central Champions, the Minnesota Twins. Let's get started, shall we?

Minnesota Twins:
Record: 87-76 (American League Central Division Champions).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Joe Mauer (.365)
Home Runs: Michael Cuddyer (32)
RBIs: Jason Kubel (103)
On-base Percentage: Joe Mauer (.444)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Scott Baker (15)
ERA: Nick Blackburn (4.03). Bullpen- Joe Nathan (2.10).
Strikeouts: Scott Baker (162)
Innings Pitched: Nick Blackburn (205.2)
WHIP: Joe Nathan (0.93). Starters- Scott Baker (1.19).
Saves: Joe Nathan (47)

Highlight of the Year: After trailing in the division by seven games as late as September 6, the Twins stormed back to win the division, taking out the Tigers at home in a one-game playoff on October 6, 6-5 in 12 innings.

Lowlight of the Year: Getting blasted by the Yankees in a three-game sweep in the playoffs from October 7-11. The Twins now have nine consecutive losses in the postseason, dating back to 2004.

The Lowdown:
After coming so close in 2008, the Twins were determined to finish the job in 2009, and that job was to win the AL Central. They were bringing back everyone from the 2008 team, with a few key additions added to the mix. They strengthened their left side of their infield by adding shortstop Orlando Cabrera and third baseman Joe Crede, and they also had outfielder Michael Cuddyer healthy and producing for a full season again. Even though their pitching regressed a bit from '08, they were still solid, and they were kept afloat by an outstanding offense that knew how to drive in runners when it mattered the most. Minnesota also played fundamentally sound baseball during the season, which meant that they rarely lost a game in which they beat themselves. Despite this, the AL Central was still a tough three team race between them, Detroit and Chicago. In the end though, it was Minnesota that prevailed once again, as they caught fire in September to take their fifth division crown of the decade.

Offense:
The Twins featured another very efficient offense in 2009, as they finished fifth in the majors in runs scored with 817. Their offensive efficiency was further exemplified by their high team average of .274, which was third in MLB behind only the Yankees and Angels. They also proved that you do not need to hit a lot of home runs to have a successful offense, as their modest total of 172 home runs was good enough for 13th in MLB. They featured a lot of key parts in their lineup, the biggest of which was catcher Joe Mauer.

Despite missing the first month of the season, Mauer did not miss a beat once he returned, as he hit a home run in his first at-bat of the season on May 1 against Kansas City. The beat did not stop for Mauer, as he continued on a torrid pace throughout the summer, finishing with a major-league best .365 average, 28 home runs and 96 RBIs, all of which were also career-highs. This spectacular season was good enough for the St. Paul native to earn his first career AL MVP, likely the first of many to come.

Mauer's right-hand man in the lineup was of course, first baseman Justin Morneau. The big lefty from British Columbia put together another fine season at the plate, hitting 30 home runs and driving in 100 to go along with a .274 average. However, his numbers would have certainly been considerably better if he did not go down with a stress fracture in his lower back on September 15, an injury which obviously ended his season.

It would seem that if the Twins lost Morneau during the time they needed him the most, their season would be doomed to another near-miss. However, Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer stepped up in his void and carried the team (along with Mauer) to the postseason. Kubel had the best year of his career by far, as he hit .300, with 28 home runs and 100 RBIs. He was complimented by Cuddyer, who also put up an outstanding year, hitting a career-high 32 home runs while driving in 94. With the performances of Mauer, Morneau, Kubel and Cuddyer, the Twins barely missed becoming the first AL team to feature four 30-home run hitters since the White Sox turned the trick in 2006.

Altogether, this is a very outstanding and very underrated lineup that should get a lot more credit for what they do. They managed to score a lot of runs, but, despite the performances of their "big four," they did not hit a ton of home runs. They are like a well-run machine; they get the man in from third with a sac-fly, they go the other way with a pitch instead of trying to jack it out of the park, and they also have smart baserunning that keeps them from running themselves out of an inning. Fundamentals never take a day off, and that's what keeps this lineup churning.
Final Grade: A+

Pitching:
As mentioned earlier, their pitching staff collectively regressed a bit from their 2008 performance. Their team ERA rose from 4.16 in '08 (13th in MLB) to 4.50 this year (23rd in MLB). Kevin Slowey going down with a season-ending injury in July was certainly a reason for this, as he was one of their best starters in '08. He was also off to a nice 10-3 start this year as well, before going down. Also, the continuing struggles of Francisco Liriano did not help matters, either. Despite this, the staff did receive some solid performances this year, as they were led by Scott Baker. He put together a decent campaign, going 15-9, with a 4.37 ERA, which was just a tad below the AL average of 4.45. He also did a fair job in not allowing runners to get on, as his WHIP was a respectable 1.19. Nick Blackburn also put together a decent season, going 11-11 with a 4.03 ERA.

Their 'pen was led by closer Joe Nathan, as always. He continues to quietly put up some of the best numbers in baseball in the closer's role, as he went 47 for 52 in saves, with a 2.10 ERA. His WHIP this year was microscopic, as it was an absolutely sick 0.93. Lefty Jose Mijares and righty Matt Guerrier also put together great seasons out of the 'pen, as they each recorded ERAs under three (Mijares- 2.34 ERA in 71 appearances, Guerrier- 2.36 ERA in 79 appearances). Guerrier's WHIP was almost on the level of Nathan's, as he finished at 0.97 on the season.

Overall, the Twins' staff was okay, as they finished 12th in runs allowed with 765. The thing that they are able to do so well is throw strikes, as they allowed the second-least amount of walks in the bigs, issuing just 466 free passes. However, this can come at a cost, as teams are usually able to put the ball into play at a higher rate. Opponents were able to .272 clip, which tied for the sixth-worst in the majors. They were still a pretty decent staff in spite of this, but they really benefited from an outstanding offense and a slightly weaker AL Central this year.
Final Grade: C+

Wild Card: Defense
Want proof of how the Twins are fundamentally sound? They only committed 76 errors on the season, which tied for the second-least in the bigs. If you are going to have a pitching staff that lets the offense put the ball in play more often than not, you better have a good defense behind you.
Final Grade: A

Overall:
This team is a classic example of "being good enough to get there, but not good enough to win it all." The Twins usually put a competitive team out on the field more often than not, but once they get to the playoffs, they usually fold. Now I know that they don't exactly have enough money to go after a big name free agent. However, I think that the time has come for the Twins to make a splash at the trading deadline. They are basically one piece away from being capable of winning it all. Their penny-pinching ownership and front office needs to just say "the hell with it" and make a splash. So what if you're unable to sign the player in the offseason after making the trade? Nobody will fault you for trying too hard. Just look at the Brewers. Nobody is exactly casting stones at them for trading for Sabathia in '08, and failing to sign him in the offseason. The Twins have come to an organizational crossroads with the possibility of Joe Mauer becoming a free agent, and it will certainly be interesting to see what they do. Will they finally break the bank to sign their hometown hero, so they can continue to be competitive, or will they play it cheap and not sign him, thus keeping the status quo of the organization?

Ugh, heaping this much praise on a franchise that I truly abhor really makes me want to vomit, but they really do a lot of things the right way.
Final Grade: A-

Check back tomorrow for the report card on the Florida Marlins!