Bryce Harper during bp

Thursday was a big day for the Washington Nationals. They introduced the 2010 number one pick in the draft, Bryce Harper, to their fans. The press conference was broadcast on the video scoreboard at the ballpark. Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman presented Harper with his jersey and Harper is expected to begin his playing days with the Nationals during instructional league (and maybe the Arizona Fall League). Harper will wear #34 in honor of his idol Mickey Mantle (#7 was unavailable when he was in high school and just stuck with #34).

Prior to the news conference, Harper took batting practice on the field and he hit around 12 homeruns, once of which landed in the third deck (which is Adam Dunn territory). The Nationals signed Harper to a record deal for a position player, breaking the record set by Mark Teixeira in 2001 (Harper signed for $9.9 million with a $6.25 million signing bonus). Harper was termed the “Chosen One” by Sports Illustrated and baseball’s version of Lebron James. He is just 17 years old as he earned his GED prior to his junior year of high school and attended the College of Southern Nevada this past year. Harper will move from behind the plate to right field with the Nationals, where they feel he will move quicker through the system.

Many expect him to reach the major in two years but Harper wasn’t thinking about it. “I don’t know right now. I just know that Mike Rizzo and [manager] Jim Riggleman and all of them will take care all of that. I’ll just go out and play and let them make those decisions.”

Albert Pujols hits 400th hr

The night continued with Jordan Zimmerman returning to the majors to start for the first time since Tommy John surgery. Zimmerman went just four innings while allowing five runs on seven hits. In that 4th inning, he allowed homerun number 400 to St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols. Pujols became the third youngest player to reach 400 homeruns.

The game was a wild back-and-forth affair, as the Cardinals came back against Nationals relievers Tyler Clippard and Drew Storen for five runs (four coming in the 9th inning to take a 10-8 lead). The Cardinals lead was short-lived as Roger Bernadina hit a two-run homerun off Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin to tie the game at 10-10. The game would stay tied until the 13th inning when the Nationals’ Ian Desmond ripped an RBI infield single to score Nyjer Morgan for the 11-10 victory. Desmond went 4-for-7 with three RBIs in the game. The loss for the Cardinals continued their tailspin against subpar teams.

The excitement in Washington quickly turned to horror this morning as news of rookie right-hander Stephen Strasburg’s MRI results were announced. Doctors were concerned with the results of the first MRI this weekend on Strasburg’s right forearm after being removed from Saturday’s start in Philadelphia with pain in that forearm, so he was sent for an arthrogram after swelling went down on Thursday night.

The results were announced this morning and it is not good news for the 2009 number one pick with the golden arm. Strasburg has a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament and will likely require Tommy John surgery. He will receive a second opinion before the Nationals make the final decision on surgery. If he requires surgery, he most likely will not pitch again until 2012.

Tags:

Albert Pujols, Bryce Harper, Jim Riggleman, LeBron James, Mark Teixeira, Mike Rizzo, Ryan Zimmerman, Stephen Strasburg

There were just four games on the schedule for Monday night, with three of the Interleague Games occurring on the West Coast. The one early game was in St. Louis as the Seattle Mariners visited the Cardinals. It was advertised as the two best hitters in each league facing off. The American League’s best hitter, Ichiro Suzuki, led off the game with a homerun off Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright (his 31st first inning homerun of his career). Wainwright would allow two runs on three hits in that first inning but only allowed one more hit until the eighth inning.

Ryan Ludwick congratulated by Pujols and Holliday

In the bottom of the first, Matt Holliday walked (he was batting second in the order for the first time in his career) and Albert Pujols (the National League’s best hitter) collected a single on a 3-0 pitch. Ryan Ludwick (batting in Holliday’s usual cleanup spot) blasted a Luke French pitch into the left field seats for a 3-2 Cardinals lead. Wainwright cruised from there as momentum swung back to the Cardinals. Wainwright allowed three runs on six hits in seven plus innings while striking out six. With the lineup shakeup, Holliday, Pujols, and Ludwick scored six runs total, drove in five runs, and collected seven hits.

Jonathon Sanchez

In San Francisco, the Baltimore Orioles continue to play lifeless baseball. The Orioles tied up the game at 1-1 in the top of the second inning on a Matt Wieters homerun off Giants starter Jonathon Sanchez, but saw their own starter, Chris Tillman, allow five runs in the bottom of the inning, capped by a Pat Burrell homerun. Tillman lasted just two innings and allowed six runs on six hits. The Orioles received solid relief work from Matt Albers and Jason Berken before the Giants put up a 4-spot in the eighth inning. The Orioles have just 17 wins as they lost 10-2. Sanchez for the Giants allowed two runs on eight hits in 7.2 innings. Offensively for the Giants, Andres Torres, Freddy Sanchez, and Burrell each collected two hits. In LA, the Angels got to Milwaukee Brewers starter Randy Wolf in the second inning for two runs on a Kevin Frandsen two out, two-run double. However the Brewers busted out for five runs in the top of the third inning against Angels starter Joe Saunders, capped by a Ryan Braun grand slam. Those were the only runs Wolf would allow in the game as he went seven innings allowing just three hits (all three hits came in that second inning). Saunders, on the other hand, struggled as he allowed six runs in 5.2 innings. The Brewers collected 12 runs on 12 hits, as Corey Hart collected three hits and Braun, Alcides Escobar, and George Kottaras each had two hits.

In San Diego, the visiting Toronto Blue Jays busted out for four runs in the second inning off Padres starter Jon Garland, capped by a John Buck two-run homerun. That was more than enough run support for Blue Jays starter Shaun Marcum. Marcum allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits in seven innings. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Padres third baseman Chase Headley stepped out of the batter’s box as he felt the earth shake. A 5.7 magnitude earthquake sent a ripple through Petco Park that many players did not feel, though the right field foul pole began to sway. Play resumed as the Blue Jays won 6-3. Offensively for the Blue Jays, Dewayne Wise, Lyle Overbay, and John Buck collected two hits each (Buck hit two homeruns), while Aaron Hill went 3-for-5.

Tags:

Adam Wainwright, Albert Pujols, Andres Torres, Chris Tillman, Freddy Sanchez, Jonathon Sanchez, Matt Albers, Ryan Ludwick

Felipe Paulino of the Houston Astros has yet to win a game this season. He was facing the Cincinnati Reds and rookie Mike Leake, who has yet to lose a game. Unexpectedly, this was a pitcher’s duel as the game went into the tenth inning with the score 0-0. Paulino went eight scoreless innings and allowed just four hits and struck out five (though he walked four).

Lance Berkman's two-run double

He also went 2-for-3 at the plate to raise his average to .389. Leake went six scoreless innings and allowed seven hits. He also went 1-for-2 to keep his average at .381. It was probably the game of two of the best hitting pitchers. The Astros Lance Berkman hit a two-run double in the tenth for the 2-0 victory to snap their three-game losing streak.

The Philadelphia Phillies continue to struggle offensively. Following Roy Halladay’s perfect game, veteran left-hander Jamie Moyer provided great pitching yet the lineup could not muster any runs. Moyer allowed just one run on four hits in six innings. Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez got a base hit, stole second, and scored on Ronny Paulino’s two-out single in the sixth inning.

Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez pitched into the seventh inning and allowed just three hits. Marlins closer Leo Nunez pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 10th save with two strikeouts. The Phillies have lost six of their last eight games and have been shut out in five of their last eight games, with three earned runs scored in that stretch.

The Atlanta Braves have crept to just a ½ game behind the first place Phillies in the National League East. On Sunday, the Braves came back against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. With the game tied at 2-2 in the eighth inning, Chipper Jones came off the bench to deliver an RBI single and rookie Jason Heyward delivered a two-run triple to give the Braves a 5-2 lead. Braves closer Billy Wagner shut down the Pirates in the ninth with just ten pitches to record his 7th save.

one of Pujols' 3 homeruns

The Chicago Cubs could not figure out St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols at all on Sunday. Pujols homered in the first inning with two outs off Cubs starter Ryan Dempster. In the fifth inning off Dempster, Pujols hit a two-run homerun. In the ninth inning off reliever John Grabow, he hit a solo homerun (and two batters later David Freese followed with a two-run homerun).

Pujols’ offense alone was enough for Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright, who allowed just one run on seven hits in seven innings while striking out eight. The lone run came on a Geovany Soto solo homerun in the seventh inning. Pujols and Freese collected three hits (with Pujols also walking twice), Matt Holliday collected four hits, and Ryan Ludwick contributed two hits.

The visiting Baltimore Orioles jumped on Toronto Blue Jays ace Ricky Romero for a run in the first inning. However that was the only run the Orioles could muster on the day. The Blue Jays also scored in the first inning, with a three-spot off Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie.

That was enough for Romero, who pitched a complete game and allowed one run on six hits while striking out seven. Offensively the Blue Jays hit three more homeruns, from Lyle Overbay, Jose Bautista (his MLB-leading 16th), and Alex Gonzalez (who also collected three hits).

The Boston Red Sox Jon Lester continued his dominance through the month of May. Lester dominated the visiting KC Royals by allowing just one run on four hits while striking out five (though he walked four). Royals spot-starter Bruce Chen allowed just one run on two hits in four innings, but his bullpen fell apart.

Reliever Brad Thompson allowed six runs in just a little over one inning, capped by a David Ortiz two-run homerun. The bottom three in the Red Sox order (Jason Varitek, Bill Hall, and Mike Cameron) combined to go 6-for-11 with seven runs scored.

Howie Kendrick's walk-off

The LA Angels had their second walk-off in as many days. This time they did not lose a slugger in the celebration. Down 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth, Howie Kendrick hit his second homerun of the game, a three-run shot off Seattle Mariners closer David Aardsma for the Angels 9-7 victory. The walk-off shot was the culmination of the Angels comeback as they were down 7-3 after five innings.

Tags:

Albert Pujols, Anibal Sanchez, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Felipe Paulino, Florida Marlins, Jamie Moyer, Lance Berkman, Mike Leake, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals

Ubaldo Jimenez fires no-hitter

In Atlanta, the Braves were treated to history as Colorado Rockies hurler Ubaldo Jimenez pitched a no-hitter, the first in Rockies history. Despite walking six, Jimenez struck out seven and was electric the entire outing. His last pitch of the game was to Brian McCann at 97 mph. Jimenez threw 128 pitches in the 4-0 win and got some great defense, especially from centerfielder Dexter Fowler in the seventh inning.

In St. Louis, the Cardinals and NY Mets battled all afternoon and into the night. For the second straight game, they were locked in a pitcher’s duel. Mets ace Johan Santana matched up with Cardinals rookie Jaime Garcia (who was making his third career start), who did not give up a hit until the sixth inning. The Mets did not collect their second hit until the 12^th inning with the game tied at 0-0. New Met first baseman Alex Cora (who just came into the game and had only played 3 games there in his career) kept the score tied at 0-0 in the 10^th when he jumped into the first row of seats with two outs and the bases loaded to keep Cardinals slugger Matt Holliday from getting a new life. The Cardinals threatened with the bases loaded three times (with the pitcher batting) and had men on base in just about every inning but could not score.

Felipe Lopez pitches in 18th

The Cardinals ran out of pitchers so third baseman Felipe Lopez (who started at shortstop) moved to the mound in the 18^th and sent the Mets down in order (after Mets pitcher Raul Valdes was thrown out at second base after an infield single). Joe Mather, who moved from the outfield to third base, came in to pitch the 19^th. The Mets scored on a sacrifice fly in the 19^th (with the deep fly ball by Jeff Francoeur going to new left fielder Kyle Lohse, who is a starting pitcher for the Cardinals). The Mets saved closer Francisco Rodriguez for a save situation and the Cardinals got to him. Albert Pujols ripped a one out double and went to third base on a ground out by Lohse. K-Rod chose to pitch to Yadier Molina instead of rookie Allen Craig and Molina ripped a game-tying RBI single to tie the game at 1-1. Into the 20^th they went, with Mather again taking the mound. Mather struggled with throwing strikes and the Mets again scored on a sacrifice fly. Though the Cardinals had their chances in the bottom of the 20^th, starter Mike Pelfrey collected the save. The Mets 2-1 win took 6 hours and 53 minutes to complete. If the Mets had lost to the Cardinals (who were using position players to pitch), manager Jerry Manuel may have gotten fired. He will hold onto his job for now.

Tim Lincecum hits

Reigning National League CY Young award winner Tim Lincecum of the SF Giants has so far showed that he is still the best pitcher in the NL. Against the LA Dodgers, Lincecum went six scoreless innings to improve to 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA. He struck out seven and gave up four hits. Lincecum also starred at the plate in the 9-0 victory as he went 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs.

Bullpen problems continue for the Baltimore Orioles as newly named closer Jim Johnson came in with a 3-2 lead in Oakland. The A’s loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth and Ryan Sweeney delivered a walk-off two-run single to improve the A’s record to 9-4. The O’s dropped to 1-11 (the worst team in baseball).

In Cleveland, the Indians Jake Westbrook battled the Chicago White Sox Jake Peavy. With the White Sox ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth, Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera blasted a solo homerun off of Peavy to tie the game and end his night. In came hard-throwing Matt Thornton and Indians right fielder Shin-Soo Choo delivered an RBI double to win it as closer Chris Perez used 15 pitches to get the White Sox 1-2-3 for his third save.

Tags:

Albert Pujols, Alex Cora, Asdrubal Cabrera, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Felipe Lopez, Francisco Rodriguez, Jaime Garcia, Jake Peavy, Jake Westbrook, Jeff Francoeur, Jim Johnson, Joe Mather, Johan Santana, Kyle Lohse, LA Dodgers, Matt Thornton, NY Mets, Oakland A's, Raul Valdes, Ryan Sweeney, SF Giants, Shin-Soo Choo, St. Louis Cardinals, Tim Lincecum, Ubaldo Jimenez, Yadier Molina

Unveiling of the Kirby Puckett statue

Monday was another day full of home openers. In Minnesota, Kirby Puckett Jr. was the first fan admitted inside Target Field for the official opening of the ballpark Monday afternoon. He and his mother unveiled the Kirby Puckett statue on Target Plaza just outside one of the gates prior to entering the ballpark. He also represented the family for on-field festivities with Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, and Kent Hrbek. Marco Scutaro of the Boston Red Sox had the first official hit at Target Field off of Twins starter Carl Pavano. However, Twins leadoff hitter Denard Span scored the first run. Jason Kubel hit the first homerun and Joe Mauer collected three hits for the Twins. The Twins beat the Red Sox 5-2 as Jon Rauch collected his fifth save.

In Chicago, the Cubs opened Wrigley Field (which had $10 million done in renovations). Many of the renovations were the new player’s lounge and maybe that helped. The Cubs blasted three homeruns (a three-run blast from Xavier Nady and two-run blasts from Jeff Baker and Aramis Ramirez) to win the opener 9-5 over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers.

Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel once again raised the championship flag in the center field stands. The Phillies players also filed in from the stands onto the field just like last year and were led by Jamie Moyer and Roy Halladay. Phillies starter Cole Hamels struggled into the sixth (he allowed a two-run double to opposing pitcher Jason Marquis) but was helped out by the Phillies offense. The Phillies had a five-run 5^th inning that chased the Nationals’ Marquis, which was capped by a Chase Utley two-run homerun. The Phillies bullpen came up strong going 3.1 scoreless innings.

The Clydesdales at Busch Stadium

The St. Louis Cardinals opened up Busch Stadium with the usual Clydesdales taking part in the pre-game festivities. Albert Pujols quickly brought the fireworks against the winless Houston Astros. Pujols had an RBI single in the first and blasted a curveball into the left field seats for a three-run homerun in the third. Pujols’ performance backed the dominance of starter Adam Wainwright, who went eight shutout innings while allowing six hits and he struck out seven.

In Seattle, the Mariners had the Big Unit (Randy Johnson) throw out the first pitch before their home opener against the Oakland A’s. However the Mariners were dominated by A’s starter Justin Duchscherer, who won his first game since 2008. The Mariners mustered just two hits in the game to lose 4-0.

In San Diego, the worst offensive team in baseball (the Padres) took out its week’s worth of struggles on Jair Jurrjens and Jo-Jo Reyes of the Atlanta Braves. The Padres scored 17 runs (10 in the fourth) on 19 hits to back San Diego native Kevin Correia.

In Toronto, Blue Jays starter Brian Tallet expected the home crowd to be electric due to the Blue Jays record coming into their home opener (5-1). However the hometown fans saw the visiting Chicago White Sox tie the game in the ninth inning on a Mark Teahen homerun off of Jason Frasor (who blew his second save) and win it in the top of the 11^th on Teahen’s RBI triple.

In Florida (where the fans did not come out for their home opener with just a little over 10,000), the Cincinnati Reds won the game in the top of the 10^th on an RBI single from third baseman Scott Rolen, who also belted two homeruns in the game. The Marlins had their chance in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded off of Reds reliever Nick Masset but Cody Ross grounded out and sent the game into extra innings.

Tags:

Adam Wainwright, Albert Pujols, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Brian Tallet, Charlie Manuel, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cole Hamels, Denard Span, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Jason Frasor, Jason Kubel, Jason Marquis, Jon Rauch, Justin Duchscherer, Kevin Correia, Kirby Puckett, Marco Scutaro, Mark Teahen, Minnesota Twins, Oakland A's, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, Scott Rolen, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Target Field, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals, Wrigley Field

Opening Day for Major League Baseball had beautiful weather across the entire country. This was something completely different than in years past when players, umpires, and fans were constantly watching the Weather Channel to see if rain or snow will impact the game and how cold it will be at game time. Outside of the night game in Oakland, it was warm all over. With the warm weather brought high scoring games and lots of balls leaving the ballpark for homeruns.

Albert Pujols

The reigning National League MVP Albert Pujols started where he left off from last year. In the St. Louis Cardinals 11-6 win over host Cincinnati, Pujols collected four hits (two singles and two homeruns).

The reigning NL Champs continued their dominance over the Washington Nationals and continue to score runs in bunches. The Philadelphia Phillies scored five runs in the fourth, two runs in the sixth, and four runs in the seventh. The opener for the Nationals drew more Phillies fans than Nats fans. The Nationals were dominated by newly acquired ace Roy Halladay. Though he struggled in the first inning (allowing a run on two hits), he settled in to pitch six more shutout innings while allowing just four more hits. Halladay also struck out nine. The Phillies dominated, winning 11-1.

The LA Dodgers traveled to PNC Park in Pittsburgh, where the Pirates probably had their biggest crowd of the entire season. The Pirates hitters rudely greeted Dodgers pitching. Garrett Jones, coming into his sophomore season, clubbed two homeruns (one of which touched down in the river beyond the ballpark) off of Dodgers ace Vicente Padilla. The Pirates won 11-5.

There were two grand slams hit on Opening Day. One was hit by the Phillies Placido Polanco and the other was hit by Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.

The NY Mets, who were not expected to have a strong offense without Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, and Daniel Murphy, poured on runs against Florida Marlins ace Josh Johnson and the rest of the Marlins bullpen. The Mets won the game 7-1, led by a two-run homerun from David Wright and great pitching from ace Johan Santana.

Jason Heyward

There was a welcome to the big leagues moment for the top rookie heading into the 2010 season. The Atlanta Braves Jason Heyward hit a mammoth three-run homerun in his first Major League at-bat. He hit a low breaking ball into the right field seats. When a rookie hits his first homerun, the players usually greet him with the silent treatment and completely ignore that player when he returns to the dugout. Not with Heyward. The Braves were going as nuts as the packed house of fans. Who was the first Brave to greet him with open arms outside the dugout? Chipper Jones. The fans even greeted Heyward with a curtain call. Not bad for your first game. He also contributed an RBI single to give him four RBIs in the Braves 16-5 thrashing of the Chicago Cubs. Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano lasted just 1.1 innings while allowing 8 runs.

The other welcome to the big leagues moment came for Detroit Tigers centerfielder Austin Jackson. He saw 19 of the Royals Zack Greinke’s 96 pitches. He came alive once Greinke left to drive in a run off reliever Robinson Tejeda and scored the go-ahead run in the Tigers 8-4 win. Jackson also threw a runner out at the plate. So in his first Major League game, he totaled his first hit, RBI, run scored, and assist.

Despite some high scoring games, there was some really good pitching. Shaun Marcum of the Toronto Blue Jays made the Opening Day start, his first start since 2008. Marcum went into the seventh inning without giving up a hit or walk to the powerful Texas Rangers lineup. With one out in the seventh, he walked Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero collected the first hit (a single to right field). Nelson Cruz then followed with a three-run homerun to tie the score. The Blue Jays did come back to take the lead, but newly named closer Jason Frasor gave up a game-tying RBI double to Cruz and a walk-off RBI single to Jarrod Saltalamacchia, giving the Rangers a 5-4 win.

Chicago White Sox ace Mark Buehrle pitched another outstanding game for the White Sox, as he blanked the Cleveland Indians 6-0.  Buehrle went seven innings while allowing just three hits. Plus he made the best defensive play of the day, and possibly one of the best of the season: a between the legs scoop throw to first to get Indians catcher Lou Marson out (after he kicked saved it from going up the middle for a hit).

Dan Haren

Dan Haren of the Arizona Diamondbacks dominated against the San Diego Padres, going seven innings while allowing just one run on three hits and he struck out four (he threw just 92 pitches and 63 were for strikes). On offense, third baseman Mark Reynolds clubbed a two-run homerun and shortstop Stephen Drew hit a two-run inside-the-park homerun.

The reigning American League CY Young award winner also pitched well but ended the game with the same results as in 2009. An error behind the KC Royals Zack Greinke led to the Detroit Tigers first run, though Greinke left the game after six innings with a 4-2 lead. Greinke outpitched fellow ace Justin Verlander. However after the seventh inning (and three Royals relievers later) the Tigers led 8-4 as they batted around in the seventh.

The reigning NL CY Young award winner was back at it on Opening Day. Tim Lincecum of the SF Giants dominated the Houston Astros. In his seven innings of work, he was only in trouble in the sixth inning when the Astros put two men on (though they did not score). Lincecum threw 98 pitches in his shutout innings while striking out seven and he did not walk a batter.

Tags:

Albert Pujols, Atlanta Braves, Austin Jackson, Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs, Dan Haren, David Wright, Detroit Tigers, Garrett Jones, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Jason Heyward, Johan Santana, KC Royals, LA Dodgers, Mark Buehrle, Mark Reynolds, NY Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Placido Polanco, Roy Halladay, SF Giants, Shaun Marcum, St. Louis Cardinals, Stephen Drew, Texas Rangers, Tim Lincecum, Vicente Padilla, Vladimir Guerrero, Washington Nationals, Yadier Molina, Zack Greinke

St. Louis Cardinals fans finally got their Christmas/New Year’s wish: leftfielder Matt Holliday. With the Cardinals in the second half of 2009, Holliday provided protection for slugger Albert Pujols by hitting .353 with a .419 on-base percentage in 63 games. He hit 13 homeruns and drove in 55. He was only 2-for-12 (a homerun was on of the two hits) in the Division Series against the LA Dodgers (no one else produced offensively in the Dodgers three-game sweep either) but many will remember him for the 9^th inning dropped fly ball in a game the Cardinals would lose later that inning.

Holliday’s contract is for seven years (with an option for 2017) for $120 million (pending a physical). He also has a full no-trade clause, which is a provision that is an emphasis of agent Scott Boras. Holliday got the long and lucrative contract that he wanted and the Cardinals got the player they wanted (and gave up a lot to acquire at the trading deadline in 2009). His contract is the largest in the Cardinals’ club history, surpassing Pujols’ 7 year, $100 million contract. Holliday’s contract is also the largest this offseason, surpassing John Lackey’s 5 year, $82.5 million contract with the Boston Red Sox.

“The way Cardinals fans treated me the entire time I was there, from the first at-bat until the last at-bat, I definitely think that’s something you consider, and something I did consider,” Holliday told Doug Gottlieb on ESPN Radio. Cardinals fans have been known to be some of the best in all of sports, so who wouldn’t want to play in St. Louis?

Matt Holliday

I like that the Cardinals signed Holliday because he has been a force in the National League since his rookie year in 2004 with the Colorado Rockies. However, were those numbers inflated because he played half of his games at Coors Field? Holliday can hit and that never really has been questioned (though he struggled in Oakland). He will provide the protection of Pujols that the Cardinals so desperately need. The combination of Holliday, Colby Rasmus, and Ryan Ludwick in the outfield is pretty potent. The biggest concern is his defense. He is not the greatest of defensive outfielders as his blunder in the playoffs showed. Holliday made 5 errors combined between Oakland and St. Louis and had 7 assists (though he only had 1 error and 1 assist with the Cardinals). My biggest concern with the entire deal is that the game’s best player is Pujols and his contract will be expiring soon. Will the Cardinals have the money to re-sign Pujols for the rest of his career? We all know he is a better player than Holliday, so he will ask for more than $17 million a season. Hopefully the Cardinals will not be a cast of characters around Pujols and Holliday because they won’t be able to afford any other top-notch players (like re-signing Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, or Rasmus). I just think the Cardinals may have overpaid for Holliday, despite the fact that his offensive numbers are great and he is only going to be 30. Can Holliday continue his offensive barrage into his mid-to-late 30s? Only time will tell.

Tags:

Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals

Albert Pujols

The St. Louis Cardinals will always be in contention with perennial MVP Albert Pujols in its lineup. However to win it all, they need hitters around Pujols, a solid pitching staff, and a reliable bullpen. In 2009, the Cardinals boasted the best 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation. Chris Carpenter (17-4 with a 2.24 ERA in 28 starts with 144 strikeouts) and Adam Wainwright (19-8 with a 2.63 ERA in 233 innings pitched and 212 strikeouts) finished second and third in the CY Young voting, and were joined by Joel Pineiro to give opposing clubs jitters when facing the Cardinals for a 3-game set. But it wasn’t until July that the Cardinals took over the National League Central. Sure “Super” Joe Thurston, Skip Schumaker, Brendan Ryan, Colby Rasmus, Ryan Ludwick, and Yadier Molina were solid batting around Pujols. New GM John Mozeliak added thunder around King Albert in July with Julio Lugo, Mark DeRosa, and Matt Holliday, which led to the take off of the Cardinals. Holliday awoke from his Oakland slumber and Redbird’s fans quickly fell in love.

Ryan Franklin earned the closer’s role after the season started but late in the year began to falter (4-3 with a 1.92 ERA in 62 games and converted 38 of 43 save opportunities). Outside of Franklin and their two left-handed relievers (Trever Miller and Dennys Reyes), the Cardinals bullpen was hardly lights out.

Winning the NL Central in 2009 did nothing to help them in the playoffs as the offense went to sleep and the pitching staff pitched poorly (except for Wainwright and John Smoltz in relief), leading to a three-game sweep at the hands of the LA Dodgers. It has been a very quiet offseason for the Cardinals, despite having quite a few holes to fill and many free agents (Rick Ankiel, DeRosa, Holliday, Pineiro, Thurston, etc). Mozeliak will need to make some moves to make the Cardinals better or King Albert may just file for free agency and leave St. Louis. Here’s their wish list:

1. 

   Matt Holliday

   Re-sign Matt Holliday: Maybe this is why the Cardinals have been so quiet this offseason. They are playing the waiting game with Holliday. St. Louis desperately wants him back but his price range and length of contract may be too high and may put them out of the running for Pujols when he becomes a free agent. Many want the deal done soon, which may lead to the Cardinals to look for another leftfielder. Skip Schumaker could move back out there after a year at second base with Brendan Ryan moving to second.

2. Starting pitching: The Cardinals have two aces in Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright, both of whom who are workhorses when healthy. However pitching coach Dave Duncan’s reclamation project, Joel Pineiro, is a free agent and will probably get big money elsewhere. Kyle Lohse, who pitched well in 2008, struggled for much of 2009 (6-10 with a 4.74 ERA in 22 starts) and the Cardinals will need him to step up in 2010. The number five spot in the rotation was a rotating cast of characters who were inconsistent (Todd Wellemeyer, Brad Thompson, Mitchell Boggs, PJ Walters, and John Smoltz). The one signing this offseason was of starter Brad Penny, who pitched brilliantly for the SF Giants in the second half (4-1 with a 2.59 ERA in 6 starts with 20 Ks). The key is to have that Penny pitch in 2010. The Cardinals could use two more starters to push both Penny and Lohse and to battle for the 5^th spot in the rotation.
3. A third baseman: The Cardinals traded Gold Glove winner Scott Rolen for Troy Glaus and Glaus spent his tenure on the DL. They traded top prospect Brett Wallace to Oakland for Holliday. In the second half of 2009, third base was filled by now free agent Mark DeRosa. “Super” Joe Thurston played everywhere and got a lot of time at third, but he just signed with Atlanta.
4. A bench: The Cardinals did re-sign backup catcher Jason LaRue, giving them a reliable catcher to give Yadier Molina an occasional rest. After that, the bench is pretty bare. They could use a middle infielder, an outfielder, and someone with power. Tyler Greene will probably fill the middle infield spot and the Cardinals have a few outfielders (Joe Mather and Nick Stavinoha). However none have much power.
5. Upgrades to the bullpen: The Cardinals need experience at the back end of the bullpen, preferably someone with closing capabilities. They desperately need a setup man if they’re going to stick with Ryan Franklin as the closer.

Tags:

Adam Wainwright, Albert Pujols, Brad Penny, Chris Carpenter, Joe Thurston, Joel Pineiro, Kyle Lohse, Mark DeRosa, Matt Holliday, Ryan Franklin, Skip Schumaker, St. Louis Cardinals

Zack Greinke

The CY Young awards were a hot debate. Despite dominating virtually every opponent all season long in the American League, many thought that the Kansas City Royals ace’s win total was not enough. However after the votes were tallied, Zack Greinke was indeed the winner. He accumulated 25 of the 28 first place votes and a total of 134 points, well ahead of second-place finisher Felix Hernandez (80 points) of the Seattle Mariners. Even Greinke felt that the vote would be closer because he thought “Felix had an amazing year and that he would get a little more credit than he did…” King Felix finished the season 19-5 (tied for the most wins with the other CY Young hopefuls Justin Verlander and CC Sabathia) to go with a 2.49 ERA, though he is virtually unknown to people outside of the inner baseball circle.

Now back to Greinke. Playing for the bottom feeder Royals seemed to hurt him all year long when the “talking heads” discussed who should win the award. Despite a Major League Baseball best 2.16 ERA, he had just 16 wins (16-8 overall) due to a lack of offensive support and bullpen implosions. Greinke started the year hot going 6-0 with a 0.40 ERA and ended the year hot going 6-1 with a 1.75 ERA in 11 starts. Greinke also racked up 242 strikeouts.

Tim Lincecum

The voting in the National League illustrated the debate as it was one of the closest CY Young races. Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals garnered the most first place votes, yet he came in third place. His teammate Chris Carpenter garnered the most second place votes, which put him in second place. It seemed that the Cardinals teammates took votes away from each other. However the top three spots were only separated by ten votes. Not that the San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum did not deserve the award. He was in the same boat as the Royals Greinke. He led the majors in making 7 starts, working 8 innings without allowing an earned run. Lincecum finished the season 15-7, due to a lack of offensive support, with a 2.48 ERA and led the NL in strikeouts (261). Lincecum is a repeat winner, as he won the award in 2008, which he admitted that the first one still hasn’t really sunk in yet. Towards the end of the season, I picked Wainwright as the winner because he had similar numbers to Lincecum (19-8, 2.63 ERA, and 212 K) but he had more innings pitched than everyone else and was carrying the Cardinals into the playoffs. However even Wainwright felt he shouldn’t win the award because he wasn’t the best pitcher on his team.

Joe Mauer

The MVP races ended up being virtually unanimous selections. In the American League, the Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer accumulated 27 of the 28 first place votes. NY Yankees teammates Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter placed second and third respectively, seemed to fit the same bill as Cardinals teammates Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter: they took votes from each other. Mauer, on the season, led the American League in hitting with a .365 average, adding 28 homeruns and 96 RBIs, which were all career highs. He also added 30 doubles and walked more than he struck out (76 BB/ 63 K). Mauer also plays the most demanding position: he’s a catcher and catching a young pitching staff. My only complaint about him winning the award was that he missed the first month of the season and he tailed off at the end when Justin Morneau went down with an injury.

Albert Pujols

In the National League, Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez would have won the award if there wasn’t a certain first baseman from the St. Louis Cardinals playing. Albert Pujols was a unanimous selection, garnering all of the 32 first place votes. This is Pujols’ second straight MVP award and third overall. Who can argue with his selection? Pujols hit .327 (which was third in the NL), with 47 homeruns (which led the majors) and 135 RBIs (which was third in the NL). He also had 45 doubles (which was second in the NL) and scored 124 runs (which led the NL). While playing in 160 games and carrying the Cardinals into the postseason, Pujols also walked way more times than he struck out (115 BB/ 65 K) and even stole 16 bases.

Tags:

Adam Wainwright, Albert Pujols, American League, Cy Young, Felix Hernandez, Joe Mauer, MVP, National League, Tim Lincecum, Zack Greinke

Phillies @ Rockies PPD: Game 3 between the   and Phillies at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado was postponed until Sunday, with Game 4 on Monday and Game 5 (if necessary) in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

The two teams were faced with temperatures in the 20’s and snow, so MLB decided it was best for players and fans alike to wait until Sunday to play. With the extra day off, Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has decided to go with lefty JA Happ in Game 3, instead of the veteran Pedro Martinez. In two outings against the Rockies, Happ has been brilliant going 11.1 innings and giving up just 5 hits and no runs with a .139 batting average against him.

On August 5th in Philadelphia, Happ threw a complete-game shutout against the Rockies. Also, the Phillies could start Game 1 starter Cliff Lee in Game 4 on regular rest, along with Cole Hamels (the Game 2 starter) in Game 5. For the Rockies, they are staying with Jason Hammel in Game 3, with a possibility of coming back with Ubaldo Jimenez in Game 4 and Aaron Cook in Game 5. Hammel has just 2 losses since the start of August.

Dodgers 5, Cardinals 1: With the games on the line, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Joe Torre was not afraid to go to his closer Jonathon Broxton and his 100mph fastball. In all three games of the divisional series, Torre did just that. Broxton mainly threw just fastballs and was in to close out Game 3, finishing it out by striking out pinch-hitter Rick Ankiel.

Dodgers starter Vicente Padilla overmatched the Cardinals lineup, throwing seven shutout innings and giving up just four hits. On the other hand, Cardinals starter Joel Pineiro lasted just four innings, giving up four runs on seven hits. The 3-4 hitters for the Dodgers (Andre Ethier and Manny Ramirez) combined to go 6-for-10 with 4 RBIs. In the 3 game sweep, Dodgers pitchers held the Cardinals offense to just six runs. The Cardinals offense was just 4-for-30 with runners in scoring position.

This sweep of the Cardinals was similar to last season’s divisional series sweep of the Chicago Cubs. The Dodgers were not picked to beat the Cubs, yet they did in dominating fashion. This year, the Dodgers were not picked to be able to compete against the Big Two of the Cardinals, yet they won all three. For the Cardinals, despite the loss, they had a successful season.

They won the NL Central in dominating fashion, with an 11 game lead. This in a division that they were not picked in spring training to finish in the top two. Albert Pujols had another MVP season, they have two CY Young candidates, Ryan Franklin turned into a fairly reliable closer, and they successfully moved Skip Schumaker from the outfield to second base. The Dodgers will now sit and wait to see who their NLCS opponent will be: the Rockies or the Phillies. The NLCS begins on Thursday.

Tags:

Albert Pujols, Charlie Manuel, Cole Hamels, Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez, Philadelphia, Rick Ankiel, Rockies, Ubaldo Jimenez, Vicente Padilla

The Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals , will meet Wednesday in the NLDS with 16 World Series titles between them. Both have playoff-tested managers in Joe Torre and Tony LaRussa. Both have dangerous, middle-of-the-order sluggers in Manny Ramirez and Albert Pujols. During the regular season, the Cardinals won 5 out of 7, with Dodgers scoring just 6 runs in 38 innings against the Carpenter, Wainwright, and Pineiro.
Game 1: Chris Carpenter @ Randy Wolf
Game 2: Adam Wainwright @ Clayton Kershaw
Game 3: Joel Piniero vs. Chad Billingsley
Game 4: Kyle Lohse/John Smoltz vs. Vicente Padilla/Jon Garland

LA Dodgers Strengths:*The bullpen: Not many teams can say they have 2 closers, but the Dodgers do, one from the left side (George Sherrill) and one from the right side (Jonathon Broxton). With the starting rotation up in the air, the bullpen will be key to them winning or losing the divisional series.

*Andre Ethier’s clutch hitting: Ethier leads the Majors with 6 walk-off hits (4 homers). The Dodgers have relied on him since Manny’s 50-game suspension and his slumping return.Ethier hit .455 against the Cardinals at home, but only .125 at Busch in 4 games. Ethier could carry the Dodgers to the championship series if he proves to be more clutch.

LA Dodgers Weaknesses:
*The rotation: This has been a weakness throughout the season and has only gotten worse since the injury to Hiroki Kuroda, who was their best pitcher in last year’s postseason. The Dodgers will have to rely on Randy Wolf, Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, and some combination of Vicente Padilla and Jon Garland, all of which have been inconsistent except for Wolf.

*The inability to score runs: The offense has been known for its slumps and hot streaks, but which one will show up against the Cardinals? The Dodgers rely so heavily on Matt Kemp and Ethier that they are 21-40 when they don’t drive in a run. This is where Manny needs to come alive.

Dodgers Key Players:
*George Sherrill: In his last ten outings, he only gave up 1 run
(8.2 IP, 4 H, 9 K). Sherrill is the key to getting the game to closer Jonathon Broxton. In one game against the Cardinals, Sherrill pitched 1.1 innings, giving up just one hit. He could be called on to pitch the seventh and eighth innings, or just to face a few lefties in the lineup late in the game, like Skip Schumaker, Colby Rasmus, and Rick Ankiel.

*Juan Pierre and Jim Thome: With these two coming off the bench and pinch-hitting, you get a slap hitter with speed and a power-hitter. Both can cause chaos for any pitcher and manager and could be key to any late-inning comeback for the Dodgers.

St. Louis Cardinals Strengths:
*The rotation (1-3): Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright are CY Young candidates and are expected to dominate. In 15 innings against the Dodgers, Carpenter gave up 3 runs on 14 hits with 10 strikeouts. In 15 innings against the Dodgers, Wainwright gave up just 2 runs on 12 hits. Joel Pineiro has been just as dominant without all the press coverage (8 IP, 6 H, 1R, 7 K against the Dodgers).

*Albert Pujols: Who wouldn’t want Pujols in their lineup? The offense begins and ends with him. He makes everyone around him better because they will see better pitches all because he is looming or on base. Against the Dodgers this season though, Pujols hasn’t had much luck (6 hits in 27 at-bats, with just one homerun and 2 RBIs). His luck against the Dodgers will have to change for the Cardinals to move on to the championship series.

St. Louis Cardinals Weaknesses:*The bullpen: If the rotation doesn’t go 8 innings to get to Ryan Franklin, the bullpen will have to pitch and pitch well. This has been their biggest flaw all season. Franklin had been dominant most of the season, but struggled late in the year, maybe due to too much work. The lefthanders out of the bullpen have been great all year (Trevor Miller [3-1, 0.31 ERA in 29 innings with 38 Ks] and Dennys Reyes [26.1 IP, 1.71 ERA, 19 H, 17 K]). The right-handers (Blake Hawksworth, Kyle McClellan, Jason Motte, and Brad Thompson) will have to come up big. The Cardinals will have Smoltz and Lohse available out of the bullpen early in the series.

*The offense around Pujols: Yes the addition of Matt Holliday has helped, but what about everyone else? Whoever bats in front of Pujols (either Brendan Ryan, Julio Lugo, or Rick Ankiel) and Ryan Ludwick (who bats behind Holliday) will have to step up and drive in runs. The Cardinals have be more than just Pujols. The Cardinals are 15-24 when Pujols goes hitless.

Cardinals Key Players:*Joel Pineiro: He doesn’t get the limelight or press that Carpenter and Wainwright, but he has 21 quality starts and no walks in 13 of his starts. He could be starting in a clinching game.
*Skip Schumaker: He is the sparkplug as the leadoff hitter, scoring 85 runs. If he gets on base, it will put the pressure on the Dodgers pitching staff because Pujols will be looming with someone on base.

Tags:

Albert Pujols, Carpenter, Joe Torre, Los Angeles Dodgers, Manny Ramirez, NLDS, Pineiro, St. Louis Cardinals, Tony LaRussa

The St. Louis Cardinals retained their National League Central 1.5 game lead over the persistent Milwaukee Brewers with a weekend sweep of the Kansas City Royals. Sunday’s rout marked Manager Tony LaRussa’s landmark 2500th win and marked another spectacular hitting display by the game’s best batsman, Albert Pujols.

The 12-5 win at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City put LaRussa in some pretty exclusive company. The savvy manager joins legends Connie Mack and John McGraw as the only managers to win 2500 games or more. His 2500-2177 won-lost record trails Mack (3731-3948) but leaves him just 263 games behind McGraw (2763-1948). The way the Cardinals are playing, LaRussa could pass McGraw in two more years.

And, the way the Cardinals are winning is very connected to the way their superstar Pujols is hitting. The way Pujols is hitting puts him on track to have another remarkable season. Hitting .329 with 68 RBI’s and 26 homeruns, the perennial all-star first baseman is building a signature year for an already impressive resume. In baseball today, there is no better batsman.

The Cardinals do not typify 21st century baseball. Their pitching staff is mediocre, the relief pitching adequate and if Pujols were not in the lineup, they would not feature one .300 hitter. Yes, LaRussa is an outstanding manager and every game he is challenged to out-strategize managers with superior pitching and superior overall hitting. However, Pujols makes up for a lot of deficiencies.

On Sunday, Pujols went 4-5, hit two homeruns and with the help of his 3rd grand slam this year, drove in six runs. Amazing, truly amazing!

Pujols has family and friends in the Kansas City area. The Royals may want to consider relocating them. In his career, Pujols has hit 12 homeruns in 27 Kaufman Stadium games. This weekend he swatted three homeruns and drove in 10 runs.

Pujols has now hit 9 career grand slams, tying him with the legendary Stan Musial for the franchise record. As LaRussa said, “He does it over and over again. And, it’s just impossible to describe how great he is. But, when he does something like this, this is really great. It was the difference. His production is the difference in the game.”

The Cardinals were actually trailing the improved Royals 3-4 entering the decisive 4th inning. The Cardinals sent 13 men to the plate. With the bases loaded, Pujols uncorked an astonishing blast that struck the windows in the Royals Hall of Fame Building in left field 423 feet away. Game over!

For good measure, Pujols belted a solo blast in the fifth. C’mon. Are you kidding?

Tags:

Albert Pujols, Connie Mack, Fame Building, John McGraw, Kaufman Stadium, National League Central, Royals Hall, St. Louis Cardinals, Tony LaRussa