Despite what your Holy Book of choice tells you, we really don't have any empirical evidence filling us in on what happens when we come unstuck from time (RIP). If it's anything like the decline of a pro-sports team, we ought to consider ourselves lucky that we're kept in the dark.
The Death of a Franchise can come in several forms. Depending on which course is chosen, recovery and resurrection can either come very quickly, or, seemingly, not at all. And there's always suicide (we're looking at you Wayne Huizenga). A sports franchise which doesn't plan ahead for the inevitable, and it is inevitable, sports are cyclical, how quickly you rotate is up to you, is doomed to sport purgatory, endless mediocrity, no championships, cynical fans, all bad for business. The modern day sports franchise has to be ready to pull itself out of the hole once it gets buried.
The Baltimore Sandinistas are coming to the proverbial fork in the road. Many of the clubs star veterans are over 30. The starting pitching staff boasts two starters under 30, but barely, and questions surround the future of Al Maxwell in Baltimore, after one and a half disappointing seasons following his acquisition from Buffalo after looking like a world beater during Buffalo's run to the World Series in season one, when he went 4-0 in the playoffs. Baltimore management had him pegged as the perfect fifth starter and clutch playoff performer, a rise to the occasion type of guy with that extra gear for the frosty months. It didn't work out.
Santiago Concepcion, an Ace if the word has any meaning, went 22-3 this past season, but slowed down in the playoffs. Many are comparing his playoff appearances to Sonny Liston when, in his fights against a young Cassius Clay, he seemed to age before the eyes of the fighting audience. Luckily, help is on the way. Baltimore's farm system, in addition to having super-stud Stephen O'Connor, boasts four other major league projected starting pitchers.
The lineup is in better shape. Several stars are 30+ or approaching 30 fast, and heavy-weight salaries may not be tenable for all. However, of more concern is the fact that help isn't on the way. Aside from young 2B Dustin Burns, a hotshot prospect with an inflated ego and confidence to spare (he demanded mucho dinero upon being drafted, far above what he was slotted for) and workman-like hitting machine 1B Bret Jensen, the farm system might as well be experiencing a famine, plague, and termite infestation all while floating in the middle of the ocean on the last plank of a capsized ship.
Baltimore management find themselves in an odd position. The end is in sight, but it's still a season or two away. There's a clear choice here, make that last push, selling the future for one last roll of the dice or start hedging bets. Don't splurge on player salary, ship a veteran, get a prospect, diminish World Series hopes...but fight another day.
We have to remember that we're talking about Baltimore though. This franchise probably has the sharpest brain trust in the big leagues steering the rig. Knowing them, they probably plan on cheating death a few more times before the curtain drops.
Monday, April 30, 2007
World Series Champions
This comes as shocking news to baseball fans around the world. The Montreal Expos have won the World Series. No one even predicted they'd make the playoffs after a very slow start to the season when the team went 10-13 in their first 23 games. With the loss of veteran starter Mike Simmons for the first 2 months, fans were extremely pessimistic about the teams chances, especially with Syracuse and Philadelphia's explosive start to the year.
The Expos eventually picked it up and went on an amazing run going 30-12 in the following games, looking like last years team (108-54). The most important factor was the offense. Eugene Harris (.290, 52 HR, 176 RbI's), Hector Mareina (.313, 26 HR, 99 RBI's), and Timothy Black(.299, 34 HR, 99 RBI's) were no surprises. Don Takada and Matt Lee, on the other hand, were huge surprises. They both had a career numbers. Takada (.314, 45 HR, 164 RBI's) and Lee (.331, 20 HR and 97 RBI's). They were criticized for not playing at their potential and the media wasn't shy to show it after an early departure from the playoffs last season. Other notable offensive player was Jesse Bagley. He was also an important addition to the first team in the regular season and in the playoffs, replacing injured Hector Mareina.
Last Years CY Young winner, Dario Christensen, had a very disappointing season with numbers nowhere close to the award, where he finished with a 12-10 record and a 5.05 Era. Ask any veteran players and they will tell you that clinching a playoff spot is like the re-birth of a season, and that's exactly how Christensen felt as he posted a 4-0 record with a 3.70 Era. Throughout the history of baseball, not a lot of players have come back from an injury to then put up the best numbers of their careers. Just ask Mike Simmons. He went 11-6 in the season with 3.31 ERA but was clearly the reason why the Montreal Expos won the WS, beating the toughest offensive teams. Two of those wins came vs the heavily favorite Jackson BK in the finals. The 4-1 and 1.88 ERA (averaging 6 2/3 innings a start) that Simmons posted are numbers that legends produce.
Now the Expos will try to build on this WS title as the competition will get tougher and tougher every year. This just shows you that any team that makes the post season, even a 2nd seated wild card team, can win the glorious award.
The Expos eventually picked it up and went on an amazing run going 30-12 in the following games, looking like last years team (108-54). The most important factor was the offense. Eugene Harris (.290, 52 HR, 176 RbI's), Hector Mareina (.313, 26 HR, 99 RBI's), and Timothy Black(.299, 34 HR, 99 RBI's) were no surprises. Don Takada and Matt Lee, on the other hand, were huge surprises. They both had a career numbers. Takada (.314, 45 HR, 164 RBI's) and Lee (.331, 20 HR and 97 RBI's). They were criticized for not playing at their potential and the media wasn't shy to show it after an early departure from the playoffs last season. Other notable offensive player was Jesse Bagley. He was also an important addition to the first team in the regular season and in the playoffs, replacing injured Hector Mareina.
Last Years CY Young winner, Dario Christensen, had a very disappointing season with numbers nowhere close to the award, where he finished with a 12-10 record and a 5.05 Era. Ask any veteran players and they will tell you that clinching a playoff spot is like the re-birth of a season, and that's exactly how Christensen felt as he posted a 4-0 record with a 3.70 Era. Throughout the history of baseball, not a lot of players have come back from an injury to then put up the best numbers of their careers. Just ask Mike Simmons. He went 11-6 in the season with 3.31 ERA but was clearly the reason why the Montreal Expos won the WS, beating the toughest offensive teams. Two of those wins came vs the heavily favorite Jackson BK in the finals. The 4-1 and 1.88 ERA (averaging 6 2/3 innings a start) that Simmons posted are numbers that legends produce.
Now the Expos will try to build on this WS title as the competition will get tougher and tougher every year. This just shows you that any team that makes the post season, even a 2nd seated wild card team, can win the glorious award.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Mets
Have a good one, that's ready for the big time. Carlos Galarraga has earned a right to come up and play with the big boys. In 3 minor league seasons, he's managed 49 hrs, 314 rbi's, 112 stolen bases. Has a 98-100 speed with a great batting eye. Plays the corner outfields and 1st base. He can be a great leadoff hitter than can steal a base. Has been seen on the Vegas scene trying to soak up the local flavor. Like all MLB players, especially in Vegas, management strongly prohibits betting of any kind. Can Carlos stay away from trouble and concentrate on being the great ballplayer he can be? With no other major league team in the city, Las Vegas will be watching closely.
The Coil
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride - that best describes the Burlington Squirming Coil. 100+ wins in each of three HBD seasons in Bo Jax, cruising to division titles in the A.L. East each year. An MVP, a Cy Young winner, multiple all-stars, silver sluggers, golden glovers, and some rookie of the year votes along the way. Playing in one of the least friendly ballparks for hitters - with outfield walls stretching nearly across Lake Champlain, the team's strength has always been pitching, a mix of seasoned vets and young bucks on the way up. This year the Coil lost decidedly to Jackson in the ALCS, and even though they won 108 games and will be bringing back virtually the same team next year, there's a definite feeling that they are not getting any younger and their time as an elite franchise will soon be a thing of the past. The pressure's on for a ring.
The offense is a balanced attack focusing on contact, speed, and the occasional 3 run homer. Led by the dynamic IF duo of 2B Eddie Hawkins and SS Jimmy Christensen, the Coil will steal bases, move runners, and present difficulty almost to the bottom of the order. LF Wally McCrae is ready for a breakout year, and will likely bat leadoff. CF Johnny Witt, after a disappointing year 2 season, bounced back last year and hopes to add to his already impressive catch of 2 gold gloves in the year ahead. The team will be looking for a solid DH in his prime after declining the option on 37 year old Christopher Springer. They've got some money to spend, but with McCrae and young C Luis Alvarez up for arbitration and looking for a long-term contract, the priority in Burlington is to tie up those young players for years to come. Lefty Courtney Buck, acquired in a trade last season, enters year 4 as a possible rookie of the year candidate, especially if he can keep his whip totals down and rely on the Coil's impressive defense.
The offense is a balanced attack focusing on contact, speed, and the occasional 3 run homer. Led by the dynamic IF duo of 2B Eddie Hawkins and SS Jimmy Christensen, the Coil will steal bases, move runners, and present difficulty almost to the bottom of the order. LF Wally McCrae is ready for a breakout year, and will likely bat leadoff. CF Johnny Witt, after a disappointing year 2 season, bounced back last year and hopes to add to his already impressive catch of 2 gold gloves in the year ahead. The team will be looking for a solid DH in his prime after declining the option on 37 year old Christopher Springer. They've got some money to spend, but with McCrae and young C Luis Alvarez up for arbitration and looking for a long-term contract, the priority in Burlington is to tie up those young players for years to come. Lefty Courtney Buck, acquired in a trade last season, enters year 4 as a possible rookie of the year candidate, especially if he can keep his whip totals down and rely on the Coil's impressive defense.
The Beautiful Ones
Today we’d like to discuss phenoms. Phenoms capture the imaginations of those within and without the fields they operate. The excitement they generate brings new followers and, can, rejuvenate a field, an organization, a franchise, so great is the magnetic character of their talent. Tiger Woods has carried the sport of golf on his back, earning the label “The Only Golfer That Matters”, should anyone wish to bestow it on him. LeBron James has brought the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball franchise back from a forsaken NBA purgatory. For many sports fans, phenoms, those with unexplainable and unimaginable talent, are the reason they watch sports. Phenoms represent the pinnacle of athletic talent and achievement.
Baseball phenoms are a bit different. Often, in their younger years, they fly under the radar of all but the most hard-core baseball fans or the hometown fans. The casual fan doesn’t know about the young baseball phenom until he seemingly bursts onto the scene out of thin air, in a reverse version of spontaneous combustion. Boston fans certainly knew about Jonathan Papelbon, but the nation didn’t learn his name until he posted some of the most filthy pitching numbers in the history of closing baseball games…as a rookie.
Stephen O’Connor is still under the radar. His statistics tell the story, he is clearly an emerging phenom. O’Connor, a 22 year old pitcher at AAA, is 37-4, with a 2.38 ERA, .228 OAV, .280 OBP, and 394 strike outs in 405 IP, for his minor league career. Last season, at the AA level, he posted his most impressive numbers, going 17-1.
The upside of the phenom designation is only one half of the equation. For many young athletes standing on the edge of superstardom the pressures can be too much, the accolades can come too soon, and the hurdles of life may be too high. Todd Van Poppel and Dwight Gooden are two examples that spring readily to mind.
Whether O’Connor lives up to the promise he has displayed thus far, or succumbs to the accompanying pressure, will be a question on the minds of everyone who follows the Baltimore Sandinistas. Ultimately, only time will tell.
Baseball phenoms are a bit different. Often, in their younger years, they fly under the radar of all but the most hard-core baseball fans or the hometown fans. The casual fan doesn’t know about the young baseball phenom until he seemingly bursts onto the scene out of thin air, in a reverse version of spontaneous combustion. Boston fans certainly knew about Jonathan Papelbon, but the nation didn’t learn his name until he posted some of the most filthy pitching numbers in the history of closing baseball games…as a rookie.
Stephen O’Connor is still under the radar. His statistics tell the story, he is clearly an emerging phenom. O’Connor, a 22 year old pitcher at AAA, is 37-4, with a 2.38 ERA, .228 OAV, .280 OBP, and 394 strike outs in 405 IP, for his minor league career. Last season, at the AA level, he posted his most impressive numbers, going 17-1.
The upside of the phenom designation is only one half of the equation. For many young athletes standing on the edge of superstardom the pressures can be too much, the accolades can come too soon, and the hurdles of life may be too high. Todd Van Poppel and Dwight Gooden are two examples that spring readily to mind.
Whether O’Connor lives up to the promise he has displayed thus far, or succumbs to the accompanying pressure, will be a question on the minds of everyone who follows the Baltimore Sandinistas. Ultimately, only time will tell.
A Couple Notes
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shows
If that sounds complicated, head shots are even more so.
2) If you'd like to put images in your posts, they are as follows, simply cut and paste the text and insert the proper fields:
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shows
If that sounds complicated, head shots are even more so.
Greg Sherman, SP, New York Carloses
Greg Sherman has been a revelation to the Carloses.
Going into Season 2, Sherman was an afterthought, making the bullpen as the Mop-Up pitcher. His efforts didn't go unnoticed, and he was soon moved into long relief, posting an ERA under 3 in relief. There his dominance continued, and he moved into the rotation about 50 games in to Season 2, never to look back.
It is safe to say that Sherman is on the brink of stardom, and if not for his low stamina, would already be there. The Carloses are envisioning him as their future ace, which says a lot in light of Pete Hayes and Ismael Herrera at the front of the rotation.
Stats:
Season 3: W - 14, L - 6, IP- 205, SO -138, WHIP - 1.27, ERA - 2.98
Career: W - 24, L - 10, IP - 381.1, SO - 279, WHIP - 1.27, ERA - 3.19
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