Cliff Lee with the Rangers

Last year, the NY Yankees rode a three-man rotation in the playoffs to a World Series title. With the playoffs less than two months away, which teams in the American League have the best three starting pitchers to make it out of the short playoff series? Let’s take a look at the AL teams fighting for playoff spots:

Texas Rangers: Cliff Lee (lhp), CJ Wilson (lhp), and Tommy Hunter (rhp). When the Rangers beat out the Yankees in the bidding for Lee, the Rangers became that much better by adding a legitimate ace. Lee could end the season with more wins than walks (right now he has 10 wins and just 9 walks). Lee proved his dominance over the Yankees (and everyone else) last year in the World Series (and playoffs) for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Wilson had quietly emerged as the Rangers ace before the acquisition of Lee after spending last season as the team’s closer. Wilson always seemed to be slotted against the opposition’s aces and was coming up a winner in the first half (despite not making the All-Star team). Opponents are hitting just .216 against him. Wilson has struggled a bit as of late with the walks, but that may be attributed to the innings he is racking up. Hunter has dominated since coming off the DL in June to a tune of a 9-1 record and a 3.01 ERA. Hunter could prove to be the dominant right-hander slotted between lefties Lee and Wilson, especially since he is more rested after missing the first two months.

CC Sabathia with NY

NY Yankees: CC Sabathia (lhp), AJ Burnett (rhp), and Andy Pettitte (lhp) or Phil Hughes (rhp). This three-man rotation (with Pettitte) dominated in the playoffs in 2009 but this year’s group has not been as dominating. Pettitte is on the DL and Burnett has been inconsistent. Burnett has struggled against playoff contenders and with his control. Hughes could step in if Pettitte (or Burnett) are not ready, though the Yankees are trying to limit his innings. Pettitte is almost unbeatable in the postseason (a matchup with Cliff Lee would be entertaining). Sabathia has not lost at home and has been good against playoff contenders.

John Danks

Chicago White Sox: Mark Buehrle (lhp), John Danks (lhp), and Gavin Floyd (rhp). Floyd won Pitcher of the Month for July as he has been the AL’s best pitcher so far in the second half (after an abysmal first two months). He has given up just two homeruns once the calendar turned to June and has walked just nine batters after the All-Star break. Danks has also been dominant since the All-Star break, going 4-1 with a 2.91 ERA. Will the amount of innings that Danks and Floyd have thrown hurt them in the postseason? Buehrle has been inconsistent but is the ace. He has also struggled against the Rangers, Yankees, and Rays.

Minnesota Twins: Carl Pavano (rhp), Francisco Liriano (lhp), and Scott Baker (rhp). I think the Twins rotation will be what keeps them out of the playoffs come October. When you name Carl Pavano as your most consistent and reliable starter, that’s trouble (no matter how many times he beats the Yankees). Pavano has earned 14 victories with an ERA under 3.30 and has been more dominant so far in the second half. Liriano has been dominant at times, though some of the struggles have come against the division and on the road. He does keep the ball in the ballpark (he has allowed just two homeruns in 2010). Baker has also struggled on the road and has not been the dominant pitcher he was in 2009. Nick Blackburn has been banished to the minors and maybe he can regain his form there. Brian Duensing has been a pleasant surprise since moving from the bullpen to the rotation.

Tampa Bay Rays: David Price (lhp), Matt Garza (rhp), and James Shields or Jeff Niemann (rhp). Price could be headed towards a CY Young award in his second season in the majors and has quickly become the dominant force in the Rays young rotation. Garza has been inconsistent though he has recently pitched a no-hitter and thrown better in the second half. Shields’ season has been disastrous though he has pitched well against the Yankees. Niemann could get the nod in a short series, especially if his shoulder heals after his stint on the DL.

Boston Red Sox: Josh Beckett (rhp), Jon Lester (lhp), and Clay Buchholz (rhp). The Red Sox have been hit by the injury bug time-and-time again. Lester and Buchholz have anchored the rotation. Beckett has been solid since coming off the DL and should be fresh for the postseason (plus he pitches his best then). Lester and Buchholz may be Price and Lee’s biggest competition for the CY Young award. Lester started off terrible in April but has recovered to a 12-7 record and a 2.94 ERA. He also has pitched well against playoff-contending teams. Buchholz currently leads the AL in ERA (2.49) and has been dominant so far in August (2-0 with a 1.54 ERA in three starts).

Tags:

Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins, NY Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers

The grounds crew in NY

Rain played a major part in games played Friday night. In New York, the Yankees and Texas Rangers completed just six innings when the game was finally called. The Yankees won 5-1 as CC Sabathia dominated in the complete game win. CJ Wilson of the Rangers was hurt by poor defense and infield hits (four of the Yankees seven hits did not leave the infield) in his complete game loss.

The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays played to a 1-1 tie at Fenway Park, as rained halted the game in the bottom of the ninth inning. Play will resume prior to their start tonight. The Red Sox Josh Beckett and the Rays rookie Wade Davis were involved in a great pitcher’s duel, despite the rain, though the Rays stole four bases off of catcher Jason Varitek (who hit a solo homerun).

In Pittsburgh, rookie Mike Leake of the Cincinnati Reds matched up against the Pirates Zack Duke. Though Leake was not stellar (he walked five and gave up seven hits in seven innings), he limited the damage by allowing just three runs. Duke on the other hand was outstanding. He gave up six hits and one run in seven innings. However the Pirates bullpen gave away the lead by allowing three runs (one of which was Duke’s as he started the eighth inning) in two innings. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, centerfielder Andrew McCutchen collected a single. He immediately stole second base and scored on left fielder Lastings Milledge’s RBI single to center to send the Pirates home happy.

Felipe Lopez greeted by teammates after grand slam

In St. Louis, the Cardinals were dominated all night by NY Mets starter Oliver Perez (even though Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter was just as dominant by striking out 10 in 6.1 innings). In the seventh, Mets manager Jerry Manuel pulled Perez after he allowed an infield single and a sacrifice bunt. Reliever Fernando Nieve came in and hit pinch-hitter Skip Schumaker and walked pinch-hitter Matt Holliday to load the bases. In came Raul Valdes to face Cardinals infielder Felipe Lopez, who deposited a 2-1 hanging curveball over the left field wall for a grand slam (which gave the Cardinals a 4-1 lead). Though the Cardinals bullpen almost blew the lead, they held on for a 4-3 win.

In Philadelphia, the Florida Marlins Jorge Cantu extended his hitting streak to 11 games but could not collect an RBI. He came up in the ninth inning after the Marlins had already scored four runs off of the Phillies bullpen with two men on base, but closer Ryan Madson induced a ground ball to end the rainy and cold game (8-6). The Marlins were dominated all night by Phillies new ace Roy Halladay, as he allowed two runs on eight hits in eight innings.

In Minnesota, the Twins seemed to have the bases loaded every inning against the KC Royals ace Zach Greinke and the Royals bullpen as they won 10-3. Greinke, last year’s CY Young award winner, did not have his usual command as he walked five in his five innings of work while allowing four runs (though only two were earned). The Twins on the other hand, received solid pitching from Scott Baker, who went seven innings while striking out six.

Andre Ethier greeted by teammates after grand slam

In LA, the Dodgers jumped all over SF Giants starter Todd Wellemeyer in the first two innings as he allowed seven runs, capped by Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier’s back-to-back homeruns in the first inning and  Ethier’s grand slam in the second. There was a scary moment for the Giants in the fifth as Dodgers starter Vicente Padilla hit Aaron Rowand in the face, causing a cheek injury and a concussion. The Giants stormed back against the Dodgers bullpen as they scored five runs in the ninth, but could not overcome the lead (they lost 10-8).

In Toronto, the LA Angels almost wasted a gem thrown by starter Jered Weaver, as the Blue Jays scored four times in the eighth inning to cut the Angels lead to 7-5. However new Angels closer Fernando Rodney came in and quickly shut the door on the Blue Jays, as he threw just 9 pitches to pick up his second save of the season. Weaver went into the eighth inning (he was pulled after allowing a Randy Ruiz solo homerun) and gave up just two runs on five hits while striking out eight (he did not walk a batter).

Tags:

Aaron Rowand, Andre Ethier, Boston Red Sox, CC Sabathia, Chris Carpenter, Cincinnati Reds, CJ Wilson, Felipe Lopez, Fernando Rodney, Florida Marlins, Jason Varitek, Jered Weaver, Jorge Cantu, Josh Beckett, KC Royals, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, Lasting Milledge, Matt Kemp, Mike Leake, Minnesota Twins, NY Mets, NY Yankees, Oliver Perez, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Roy Halladay, Ryan Madson, Scott Baker, SF Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Vicente Padilla, Wade Davis, Zach Greinke, Zack Duke

Throughout baseball, Jackie Robinson was celebrated on Thursday. Fans, players, coaches, and umpires, young and old, regardless of race joined in the annual celebration. Robinson was a pioneer for African-American players and for all athletes who have fought for a dream. All players and coaches wore his retired number 42 and the umpires wore number 42 on their sleeves.

NY Yankees honor Jackie Robinson

The biggest celebration came in NY at Yankee Stadium as Robinson’s wife and daughter were in attendance for the pre-game festivities and his grandson threw out the first pitch. Phil Hughes made his first start of the season for the Yankees and was backed by three homeruns off of LA Angels Scott Kazmir, who was also making his first start.

The LA Dodgers always request to play home on Jackie Robinson day so that they can honor their former player. On Thursday, Tommy Lasorda, Frank Robinson, and Don Newcombe (among others) were on hand for the pre-game festivities. The Dodgers came back for the second straight day against Arizona Diamondbacks closer Chad Qualls, but this time won the game in the bottom of the tenth on Andre Ethier’s walk-off hit (his 10^th walk-off hit of his career).

The Cleveland Indians (in the bottom of the American League Central) received great starting pitching from David Huff, who threw a complete game four-hitter in the Indians 3-2 win over the Texas Rangers. He threw just 104 pitches and his only blemish was the two-run homerun he allowed to Michael Young in the fourth inning. Shin-Soo Choo took Huff off of the hard luck loss by blasting a three-run homerun in the bottom of the eighth inning (the homerun was preceded by two men reaching base on errors).

Phillies NL champions ring

In Philadelphia on Thursday was also the ring ceremony for the 2009 National League Champions. Even though Phillies pitcher JA Happ struggled into the sixth inning (he walked six), they held a 4-1 lead. However the Phillies bullpen, which has been stellar so far this season, gave up six runs in relief of Happ (three runs by Danys Baez and two more by closer Ryan Madson). Washington Nationals Ryan Zimmerman delivered a pinch-hit go-ahead two-run homerun in the eighth inning off of Baez to seal the win for the Nationals. Zimmerman had not played since Saturday due to an injured hamstring.

The Houston Astros finally won a game in the 2010 season. They beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 with a three-run eighth inning. The top of the order for the Astros (Michael Bourn and Jeff Keppinger) combined to go 4-for-8 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Astros starter Bud Norris went five innings allowing one unearned run on four hits while striking out nine.

Minnesota Twins honor Jackie Robinson

In Minnesota, Twins starter Francisco Liriano dominated the visiting Boston Red Sox with seven shutout innings. He allowed just four hits and struck out 8. The Twins offense battered Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield through five innings (he allowed 10 hits and five earned runs).

Ben Sheets, an expensive signee this offseason for the Oakland A’s, won his first game since 2008 as he dominated the now 1-9 visiting Baltimore Orioles. Sheets went six shutout innings and allowed five hits. He walked three and struck out four. The A’s improved to 7-4 on the season.

Tags:

Andre Ethier, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Ben Sheets, Boston Red Sox, Bud Norris, Chad Qualls, Cleveland Indians, Danys Baez, David Huff, Francisco Liriano, Houston Astros, JA Happ, Jackie Robinson, Jeff Keppinger, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, Michael Bourn, Michael Young, Minnesota Twins, NY Yankees, Oakland A's, Phil Hughes, Philadelphia Phillies, Ryan Zimmerman, Scott Kazmir, Shin-Soo Choo, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Tim Wakefield, Washington Nationals

Joey Votto's RBI single

The Cincinnati Reds and Florida Marlins went into extra innings for the second straight night and the Reds won it again. The game went back and forth all night with the Reds scoring two in the top of the eighth and the Marlins countering with three in the bottom half to tie the score. The game went to the 11^th where Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips hit back-to-back RBI singles with two outs. Francisco Cordero worked a perfect 11^th to earn the save and win it for reliever Micah Owings who worked two scoreless innings. The Reds have won five of their last six and all five wins have come in their final at-bat. Jorge Cantu of the Marlins became the first player since 1921 to have a hit and RBI in his first 8 games.

Tampa Bay and Baltimore also went into extra innings. After the Rays were dominated for seven innings by rookie left-hander Brian Matusz, they finally got to him and the O’s bullpen in the eighth, scoring five runs. The resilient Orioles scored two runs in the bottom of the inning to tie the game up. It stayed tied until the tenth when Rays slugger Carlos Pena blasted a three-run homerun off of Matt Albers to take an 8-5 lead. The O’s did score a run off of Rays closer Rafael Soriano (a solo homerun by Ty Wiggington) but could do no more damage. The hopeful Orioles dropped to 1-7 on the season and attendance is dropping quickly (they had just a little over 13,000 for Tuesday night and just 9,000 on Monday).

Resilient is the best way to describe the 2010 Detroit Tigers (at least early on). On Sunday, ace Justin Verlander was battered by the Cleveland Indians, but the Tigers stormed back to win the game in their final at-bat. On Tuesday, it was more of the same but this time the KC Royals did the battering to Dontrelle Willis. The Royals held a 5-0 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh, but the Tigers scored six runs in the inning, finally chased starter Brian Bannister (who gave up just three singles through six innings), and again ripped the Royals bullpen (just as they did during the first series of the season as it took three relievers to get out of the inning). It was the Tigers fifth comeback of the season.

Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox had the best defensive play on Opening Day (most likely one of the best of the season). On Tuesday night in San Francisco, Pittsburgh Pirates starter Paul Maholm made a play to rival Buehrle’s. On a ball hit by the Giants’ Aubrey Huff, Maholm dove to stop the ball as it was rolling by him, rolled over, and flipped the ball over his head (from inside his glove) to first base for the out. Check out this site to see the play in real time (http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=7432519). The Pirates also held on in a nail-biter, 6-5.

Ricky Romero

In Toronto, the Blue Jays had another no-hitter watch, this time from second year left-hander Ricky Romero (they also had one from Double-A New Hampshire prospect Luis Perez at the same time and last week Shaun Marcum had one). Romero went into the 8^th inning while no-hitting the White Sox, but he hit AJ Pierzynski and former Blue Jay Alex Rios sent a 2-1 changeup into the left field seats for a two-run homerun. Romero finished the inning with three straight ground outs and he struck out 12 on the night as the Blue Jays won 4-2. “We were just in awe,” Blue Jays center fielder Vernon Wells told reporters after the game. “It was one of the most dominant performances I’ve seen as a Blue Jay. It was fun to be a part of.”

NY Yankees ring

The NY Yankees began the second season at new Yankee Stadium with the ultimate pre-game festivities: the unveiling of the World Series champion’s banner and the ring ceremony. Yankee greats Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford were on hand to present the Yankees with their World Series champion rings. Former Yankee Bernie Williams threw out the first pitch. The Yankees received stellar starting pitching from veteran Andy Pettitte (6 innings of shutout baseball), though the LA Angels came back against reliever Dave Robertson to make the game close (the Yankees won 7-5).

Tags:

Alex Rios, Andy Pettitte, Baltimore Orioles, Brian Bannister, Brian Matusz, Carlos Pena, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Joey Votto, Jorge Cantu, KC Royals, Matt Albers, NY Yankees, Paul Maholm, Pittsburgh Pirates, Ricky Romero, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, Vernon Wells

Sabathia exists the game after giving up his first hit

On Saturday afternoon, NY Yankees ace CC Sabathia made quick work of the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. He got within four outs of a no-hitter. In the seventh with two outs catcher Kelly Shoppach (and a former teammate of Sabathia’s with Cleveland) ripped a single to left field on the very first pitch to break up the no-hitter. Sabathia threw 111 pitches and was helped out by great defense in the infield by Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, and Robinson Cano. The Yankees spanked the Rays 10-0.

Gaby Sanchez of the Florida Marlins hit his first big league homerun, a three-run shot, off of LA Dodger Vicente Padilla. In the bottom of the ninth and the Marlins down 6-4 (after the Dodgers came back against the Marlins bullpen to take the lead), pinch-hitter Ronny Paulino delivered a two-run double off of Dodgers reliever George Sherrill to tie the game. Hanley Ramirez was intentionally walked to load the bases to face Jorge Cantu. Cantu launched a fly ball to centerfield for a sacrifice fly to score Chris Coghlin for the game winner (the Marlins won 7-6).

Zach Duke of the Pittsburgh Pirates seems to have rediscovered his dominance of a few years back. Against the Arizona Diamondbacks he got 14 ground ball outs to go with his two strikeouts in his seven solid innings of work. Duke allowed just four hits and two runs, which scored on Mark Reynolds’ two-run homerun in the seventh inning. The Pirates bullpen held on for the 6-3 win.

Matsui tips hat to the fans after gw hit

New LA Angels ace Jered Weaver dominated in his second start against the hot-hitting Oakland A’s. Weaver went six innings allowing one run on four hits while striking out seven (to just one walk). However the A’s were happy to see Weaver exit the game as they scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to tie the game at 3-3. In the bottom of the ninth, the A’s elected to intentionally walk Torii Hunter after Bobby Abreu doubled. That brought up Hideki Matsui, who ripped a 2-0 fastball down the right field line to win the game 4-3, which broke the Angels four game losing streak.

The Colorado Rockies and the San Diego Padres battled into the 14^th inning with Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez coming through with an RBI double for the game winner. The Rockies could not muster any offense against the Padres bullpen and had just two hits after the sixth inning. Tim Stauffer of the Padres went three shutout innings out of the pen while allowing just one hit while striking out three.

The Philadelphia Phillies continue to put runs on the board and rack up hits. They have 10 or more hits in each of their first five games (they are 4-1). Last night, veteran left-hander Jamie Moyer was cruising along until a five run third inning gave the Houston Astros the lead (their first lead of the year). The Astros, who were the only team in baseball without a homerun, hit two on Saturday night in that third inning (both Jason Michaels and Hunter Pence homered). Unfortunately for the Astros, their bullpen could not hold the lead. Brandon Lyon, who was signed to bolster the pen, gave up four hits and three runs in the seventh inning to take the loss (two of the runs came on a Ryan Howard homerun). In the ninth, Astros closer Matt Lindstrom gave up a two-run homerun to Shane Victorino. Despite the Astros hitting homeruns and scoring a run in the ninth against Phillies closer Ryan Madson, they lost 9-6 and have lost all five games to open the season at home at Minute Maid Park.

In San Francisco, the Atlanta Braves halted the Giants four game winning streak with a 7-2 win. Braves starter Derek Lowe did not have his best stuff but gutted it out. He walked seven but gave up just one run and four hits. Offensively the Braves were led by rookie Jason Heyward, who snapped an 0-for-11 skid to go 3-for-3 with two walks, two RBIs, and two runs scored, and the league’s leading hitter in second baseman Martin Prado (he is batting .600) as he went 2-for-4.

Tags:

Adrian Gonzalez, Arizona Diamonbacks, Atlanta Braves, Bobby Abreu, Brandon Lyon, CC Sabathia, Chris Coghlin, Colorado Rockies, Derek Lowe, Florida Marlins, Gaby Sanchez, Hideki Matsui, Houston Astros, Jamie Moyer, Jason Heyward, Jered Weaver, Jorge Cantu, Kelly Shoppach, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, Martin Prado, Matt Lindstrom, NY Yankees, Oakland A's, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Ronny Paulino, Ryan Howard, San Diego Padres, SF Giants, Shane Victorino, Tampa Bay Rays, Tim Stauffer, Torii Hunter, Zach Duke

Rays walk-off win

Baltimore Orioles fans have been looking forward to the 2010 season because of the hopes that management put into them. They have good young talent in the pitching staff, the outfield, and behind home plate. The Orioles added veterans at the corner infield spots, to anchor the starting rotation, and a closer. Opening Night for the Orioles came a day later than everyone else in Tampa. Kevin Millwood, the veteran signed to anchor the rotation and who struggled throughout spring training, allowed just two runs in his five innings of work. He left with a 3-2 lead courtesy of three Orioles homeruns (Adam Jones, Luke Scott, and Matt Wieters). However the veteran brought in to close out games, Mike Gonzalez, gave up a walk-off two-run single to the Rays Carl Crawford to lose the game 4-3. Prior to Crawford’s game-winning hit, Gonzalez gave up a hit to Sean Rodriguez and a double to pinch-hitter Kelly Shoppach before intentionally walking Jason Bartlett to lead to the heroics. Gonzalez said he was “disgusted” by his outing, but complimented the Rays by saying, “They grinded.”

The NY Yankees, despite a subpar performance from AJ Burnett, held on to beat the Boston Red Sox 6-4 in Game Two of their opening series. Reliever Alfredo Aceves picked up where he left off in 2009 (he won 10 games out of the bullpen) and picked up his first win of the 2010 season.

Angels fans wearing snuggies

In LA, the Angels set the Guinness Book of World Records of most people wearing a fleece (or snuggie as they are now called) for five minutes. The Angels gave out Hideki Matsui snuggies to all fans and even TV and radio guys like the Angels’ Victor Rojas and the Minnesota Twins’ Bert Blyleven were wearing them. However the Angels could not convert the fans’ energy into a win. Starter Joe Saunders gave up homeruns to Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and JJ Hardy. Newly named Twins closer Jon Rauch worked a 1-2-3 ninth to record his first save. He struck out two while throwing 11 of his 16 pitches for strikes.

In Oakland, A’s second baseman Mark Ellis delivered a walk-off two out RBI single in the bottom of the tenth inning off of Seattle Mariners rookie reliever Kanekoa Texeira, who was making his Major League debut. The A’s won the game 2-1 as Dallas Braden provided a solid starting pitching performance. He went seven innings of four hit baseball. He also struck out ten, using a great changeup. The A’s bullpen also pitched solid with new reliever Edwar Ramirez earning the win with a perfect tenth inning. For the Mariners, Ian Snell gave up just one run (a homerun by catcher Kurt Suzuki) on three hits through six innings.

In Houston, the SF Giants pitching continued its dominance over the Astros hitters. In the first game, it was Tim Lincecum. Last night it was Barry Zito (and the bullpen). Zito pitched six shutout innings while allowing just three hits and he struck out five. The Giants offense put up three runs in the sixth inning off of Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez to win 3-0. Closer Brian Wilson picked up his second save in as many chances, while throwing just 13 pitches.

Tags:

Alfredo Aceves, Baltimore Orioles, Barry Zito, Boston Red Sox, Brian Wilson, Carl Crawford, Dallas Braden, Houston Astros, Joe Saunders, Jon Rauch, Kanekoa Texeira, Kevin Millwood, LA Angels, Mark Ellis, Mike Gonzalez, NY Yankees, Oakland A's, Seattle Mariners, SF Giants, Tampa Bay Rays

President Obama throws out 1st pitch in Washington

Hope springs eternal. At the start of each new season, every MLB team begins in first place and equal to every other team. Every team leaves spring training with the hopes of playing October postseason games. That belief continues late into the summer.

Opening Day for teams is a brand new season. For fans it means the end of winter and something to look forward to. The home teams have pre-game ceremonies that feature player introductions, fly-overs, packed seats, and famous people throwing out the first pitch. In Washington, the Nationals have President Barack Obama throwing out the first pitch to the face of the franchise, Ryan Zimmerman. President Obama walked out onto the mound wearing a Nationals jacket but was quick to pull out his Chicago White Sox hat and put it on before throwing the pitch. His pitch was a bit high and outside. It marked the 100^th anniversary of the President throwing out the 1^st pitch on Opening Day.

Opening Day also begins with divisional matchups like the Nationals versus the Philadelphia Phillies, the Cleveland Indians versus the Chicago White Sox, the KC Royals versus the Detroit Tigers, the Florida Marlins versus the NY Mets, and the St. Louis Cardinals versus the Cincinnati Reds. For Minnesota, their Opening Day will come next week with the opening of Target Field, an open-air stadium in Minneapolis. The NY Yankees will open next week with the players receiving their World Series rings. The Phillies will open next week and the players will receive their National League Championship rings.

Opening Day is when the preceding year’s champion (the Yankees and Phillies) have targets on their backs. It is when the expected lowly teams of the divisions: the Nationals, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the San Diego Padres, the Royals, the Baltimore Orioles, and the Toronto Blue Jays, hope to surprise everyone in baseball. They want to beat the expected division winners and lead the division themselves (just like the Tampa Bay Rays did in 2008).

Zack Greinke

Opening Day is when the world gets to see each team’s aces face off like Tim Lincecum versus Roy Oswalt, Josh Johnson versus Johan Santana, Carlos Zambrano versus Derek Lowe, and Zack Greinke versus Justin Verlander. It is a time to see how last year’s award winners will perform under the microscope (Andrew Bailey, Chris Coghlan, Greinke, Lincecum, Joe Mauer, and Albert Pujols). It is a time when players and teams who struggled the year before turn the page on that year and look to rebound (like the Chicago Cubs, the NY Mets, Carlos Pena, Pat Burrell, Aaron Harang, Vernon Wells, and Josh Hamilton). It is a time when newly acquired players begin to prove their worth (like Roy Halladay, Jason Bay, and Chone Figgins). Opening Day is when the world gets to see the game’s stars of tomorrow begin their Major League careers (like Jason Heyward, Tyler Colvin, and Mike Leake).

It is a day that fans, players, coaches, writers, and organizational members look forward to while digging out of two feet of snow. So welcome to the beginning of the 2010 baseball season, a season when anything can happen.

Tags:

Minnesota Twins, NY Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, President Barack Obama, Ryan Zimmerman, Tim Lincecum, Washington Nationals, Zack Greinke

Fenway Park

The NY Yankees versus the Boston Red Sox is considered to be one of the best rivalries in all of sports. The Yankees are the 2009 World Series champions and are looking to begin the quest to repeat tonight. The Yankees will have to travel to Fenway Park in Boston to face their rivals to begin defense of their title. The Red Sox will be trying to knock the Yankees down off their pedestal. So the greatest rivalry in sports opens the 2010 baseball season.

Opening Night (8pm EST on ESPN) pits staff aces CC Sabathia of the Yankees against Josh Beckett of the Red Sox. Beckett has had some health issues lately and Sabathia struggled all spring. Both pitchers will thrive off the adrenaline of pitching the very first game of the season. Heading into tonight, the Yankees had a few injuries (both catchers, Damaso Marte, Nick Johnson, and Alfredo Aceves), but all were cleared to play and made the Opening Day roster.

Curtis Granderson

The Yankees were not just content with winning the World Series; they want to win it again in 2010. Manager Joe Girardi changed his jersey number from 27 to 28 (the hopeful number of Yankee World titles). Gone are Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, two major reasons why the Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. Gone are key relievers Brian Bruney and left-hander Phil Coke. Arriving are outfielder Curtis Granderson and a return of pitcher Javier Vazquez. Also joining the Yankees are DH Nick Johnson, and outfielders Randy Winn and Marcus Thames. However the core group is still intact and the team feels that the 2010 team will be better.

John Lackey

The Red Sox also made changes this offseason after a disappointing divisional series loss to the LA Angels. They added John Lackey (a former Angel) and his bulldog mentality to the rotation. They added defense-minded veterans Mike Cameron, Marco Scutaro, Adrian Beltre, and Bill Hall, though all four have the ability to hit. Many are concerned that the Red Sox may not have enough offense. The new players will quickly get a taste of the rivalry in Game number 1 of the season.

Do not expect to see much young talent on Opening Night or throughout the series. Both teams rely on veterans and a high payroll. The Yankees have backup catcher Francisco Cervelli, utility infielder Ramiro Pena, and starting left fielder Brett Gardner entering their second seasons. The Red Sox have starting left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury and reliever Daniel Bard.

Opening Night at Fenway Park is always packed with Red Sox Nation fans but this year with the hated Yankees in town, it is expected to feel like a late season playoff push type of game. The crowd will be into everything. “It’s special. Always, going in there is special,” Yankees starter Andy Pettitte said. “It’s fun. The fans make it fun. The atmosphere is always great, but what makes it great is the excitement. When you walk out of that dugout and go to the bullpen, there’s that buzz, man. That doesn’t get old.”

After Opening Night, expect to see the Yankees AJ Burnett and Javier Vazquez match up against the Red Sox John Lackey and Jon Lester to finish out the series.

Most agree that the Yankees and Red Sox will once again be fighting for the American League East title and it all begins on Opening Night.

Tags:

American League. Boston Red Sox, Andy Pettitte, CC Sabathia, Joe Girardi, John Lackey, Josh Beckett, NY Yankees

Many believe that the NY Yankees fifth starter’s spot competition is between Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain. However manager Joe Girardi insists that Chad Gaudin, Sergio Mitre, and Alfredo Aceves are also in the competition. Hughes and Chamberlain have excelled out of the bullpen but it would not have made sense to have the “Joba Rules” the last two seasons if he is not going to be a starting pitcher. However the one pitcher who is taking control of the opportunity being given to him is Aceves. He has pitched the most innings this spring which means he is making the most out of the pitch counts he is on.

Alfredo Aceves

“It’s impressive, because of the different things he’s been able to do with the baseball,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “He changes speeds, [has] late movement, pitches up and down. He changes eye level, in and out. He can do all of those things. What I’m most happy about is he’s ahead in the count most of the time. He’s putting hitters in a lot of 1-2 counts, 0-1 counts. That’s what you love to see. Guys love to play behind those types of guys, too.”

“He has four pitches, and he has the ability to get you out a bunch of different ways — whether it’s cutters, sinkers, curveball, changeup,” Girardi said. “In, out, he knows how to pitch, and he knows how to read swings.”

Aceves spent most of last season in the bullpen, leading the Majors with 10 wins out of the pen, with one save and a 3.54 ERA in 43 appearances. Ideally the Yankees would like to use Aceves as long relief. “Wherever I go, I’ll go with my face up,” Aceves said. “I won’t be sad. No matter what happens, I’m going to go like that. I did the best that I could.” This spring he is 1-0 with a 0.90 ERA in 10 innings. He has allowed just three hits and one run (a homerun). He has struck out five while not walking a batter.

Phil Hughes

Hughes and Mitre have not been bad. Hughes has pitched 4.2 innings, while allowing two runs on four hits. He has walked just one while striking out six. Mitre has pitched in 9 innings, while allowing three runs on seven hits. He has walked two while striking out seven. Chamberlain has struggled the most this spring, mainly with his control. In his first start, all of his pitches were up in the strike zone. In just 3.2 innings, he has allowed 11 runs (a 27.00 ERA) on 8 hits and 6 walks.

It will be interesting to see who takes hold of this spot. It may come down to who has options left to go to the minor leagues and start or who may be the best fit for the long relief role or the back end of the bullpen. That may be why you see Aceves in the bullpen instead of the rotation. Many believe that Chamberlain or Hughes will win the spot and the other, with Aceves, will move to the bullpen. If that is true, Hughes is the front-runner.

Tags:

Alfredo Aceves, Chad Gaudin, Joba Chamberlain, Joe Girardi, NY Yankees, Phil Hughes, Sergio Mitre

More and more in today’s baseball society, teams are relying on young talent to help them win. That is why there were so many legitimate choices for Rookie of the Year last year. Even the big market, high-spending teams rely on young talent. The Boston Red Sox rely on Jon Lester, Daniel Bard, Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, and Jed Lowrie. The NY Yankees relied on Melky Cabrera, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, Dave Robertson, and Alfredo Aceves to win the 2009 World Series. In 2008, the Tampa Bay Rays relied on an entire roster of young talent (with ROY Evan Longoria leading the way) to surprise all of baseball and make it to the World Series. So what young players are looking for a breakout year in 2010? What young players need breakout seasons for their team to contend for a playoff spot? In the next few days, I will look at each division and each team to discuss what players to keep an eye on in 2010.

The American League East is always being talked about as the best division in baseball because of the Red Sox and Yankees. Now people include the Rays. The Baltimore Orioles made improvements to their young roster and the Toronto Blue Jays are considering 28 year old Aaron Hill to be a veteran. Let’s take a look at the young players who need to have a breakout season or will have a breakout year in 2010:

Brett Gardner

Brett Gardner, NYY (OF): Gardner was given the starting centerfielder’s job on Opening Day in 2009. However Gardner struggled offensively early on (.214) and an injury (fractured thumb) led to a DL stint with Melky Cabrera taking over for good. He did hit .270 with 26 stolen bases in 2009. The Yankees traded for All-Star centerfielder Curtis Granderson (who may move to left field) but then traded away Cabrera. The starting outfield looks to be Gardner, Granderson, and Nick Swisher in right field. The Yankees did sign veterans Randy Winn and Marcus Thames which will push Gardner in spring training and will be looking to pounce if Gardner struggles. Manager Joe Girardi loves Gardner’s style of play as he is always hustling and rarely has a clean uniform.  During his workouts this winter, the speedy outfielder worked on bunting and has taken fly balls in right field. “…I’ve been bunting a lot, working on that more and trying to bring that back into my game,” Gardner said. “I’ll just go into Spring Training, stay healthy and do the best I can…” Could Gardner be the next Nyjer Morgan? Gardner has more defensive upside, walks more, and makes better contact. Speed is the name of his game and Gardner could wreak havoc for Yankee opponents.

Clay Buchholz

Clay Buchholz, Red Sox (RHP): Buchholz has been an enigma since splashing onto the scene in 2007 with his no-hitter. 2008 was a disaster as he was sent back to the minors (I saw him in Double-A where he pitched great in the playoffs) to try and figure things out. After starting the 2009 season in Triple-A Pawtucket, Buchholz returned to Boston when Tim Wakefield’s back troubles flared up again after the All-Star break. Buchholz went 7-4 with a 4.21 ERA in 16 starts. Down the stretch for the Red Sox, Buchholz pitched the way many expected he would. In September and October, he went 4-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 6 starts while striking out 26 and walking just 9. He made on start against the LA Angels in the divisional series and gave up just two runs in five innings. Buchholz is expected to be one of the five starters to head up north for Opening Day. With the defense around him more improved, Buchholz’ ground ball rate may be higher. However if he struggles, the Red Sox can always just bring up another young arm (like Michael Bowden or Junichi Tazawa) or trade for someone in July. Buchholz’ star is shining brightly again. It will be up to him to keep it lit.

Daniel Bard

Daniel Bard, Red Sox (RP): Bard received a significant amount of playing time in 2009 and early on manager Terry Francona limited the amount of tight pitching situations he was in. However by the end of the season, he was still lighting up the radar guns, but this time was doing it with the game on the line in the seventh or eighth innings. Bard became the reliable option to set up closer Jonathon Papelbon with speculation that he would at some point take over as closer (a job that he would love to have).  Overall Bard had a 3.65 ERA in 49.1 innings with 63 strikeouts. Coming into the 2010 season, Bard is more comfortable with his team and the situations he will pitch in. “I think you learn about getting thrown into some high-pressure situations and see how you react to them. And you say, “OK, I can do this.” It just gives you that confidence. If you fail, you say, “OK, I’ve done this before. You know what to do the next time this happens,” Bard wrote in a diary entry for ESPNBoston.com. Having confidence and being able to brush off poor performances is a trait that is hard to teach and one that will help him grow as a pitcher. He wrote that the biggest thing he learned in his rookie year was to not pitch up in the zone (especially to the Yankees). This spring training he feels more relaxed and is confident in getting the ball to Papelbon with a lead in 2010.

Tags:

Boston Red Sox, Brett Gardner, Clay Buchholz, Daniel Bard, NY Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays

With the sagging economy and overflow of young talent, many veterans on the free agent market have had a tough time finding jobs. Quite a few have signed minor league contracts with invitations to spring training.

Jim Edmonds with the Cardinals

Outfielder Jim Edmonds, who is considered one of the best defensive centerfielders of his time, did not play in 2009. Many thought he had decided to retire but he made it known this offseason that he wanted to play in 2010. The Milwaukee Brewers took a chance on the 39 year old. “…I’ll get to go in there with a chance to show them I can still play,” said Edmonds. Edmonds should provide veteran leadership to an otherwise young roster. Plus he is a left-handed bat that can add to a right-handed heavy lineup. He may not make the club out of spring training due to not hitting big league pitching for over a year, but he may be brought up from the minors after a little refresher course (if he chooses to take the minor league assignment). Edmonds will reportedly earn an $825,000 base salary if he makes the Brewers’ roster, with an opportunity to earn as much as $2.5 million with incentives. If Edmonds isn’t added to the 40-man roster by March 25 (which is twelve days before the season opener), he can opt for free agency. In 15 Major League seasons, plus a September callup with the Angels in 1993, Edmonds is a .284 hitter with a .377 on-base percentage, 382 home runs and 1,176 RBIs. Edmonds’ best years came while with the Angels and the early years with the St. Louis Cardinals as he helped them make the 2004 World Series.

Marcus Thames with the Tigers

The NY Yankees signed outfielder and DH Marcus Thames, who spent the last six seasons with the Detroit Tigers. Thames is expected to compete for a backup outfield spot but could earn a starting job if one of the corner outfielders struggle. Thames should compete with veteran Randy Winn though Winn can play centerfield. Thames is a career .242 hitter but hits 22 points higher against left-handed pitching. Last season, the 33 year old right-handed hitter hit .252 with 13 homeruns. He has made a name for himself as a low-average, high-power hitter. Going into spring training, the Yankees really only have three outfielders on their roster, so there is plenty of opportunity for Thames to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Veteran Mike Sweeney played last year with the Seattle Mariners and called it the most fun he has had in his career. When healthy, Sweeney will hit, as his career .298 average has shown. Sweeney is also considered one of the best guys in the clubhouse, similar to former first baseman Sean Casey. Sweeney re-signed with the Mariners knowing it will be a long shot to make the team. However he is excited to be a part of the Mariners for at least six weeks and help the likes of Ryan Garko, Casey Kotchman and Milton Bradley. Last year, Sweeney hit .281 with 8 homeruns and 34 RBIs in 74 games. He was a non-roster invitee last season too, but this year with the additions of Garko and Kotchman at first base, Eric Byrnes and Bradley in the outfield, and the re-signing of Ken Griffey Jr as the DH, it will be a lot tougher to make the Opening Day roster.

Tags:

Jim Edmonds, Marcus Thames, Mike Sweeney, Milwaukee Brewers, NY Yankees, Seattle Mariners

There are two innings-eating starters left on the market. Both should find employment in 2010 due to their veteran leadership and ability to go out and take the ball every fifth day. Braden Looper settled back into the starter’s role while with the Milwaukee Brewers after starting and relieving while with the St. Louis Cardinals. Despite a winning record (14-7), 2009 was Looper’s worst year. He posted a 5.22 ERA in 34 starts (194.2 innings) and allowed 39 homeruns. He also walked 64 while striking out 100. Looper could return to the bullpen as a long man or a middle reliever, which should lead to more suitors.

Livan Hernandez with the Nats

Livan Hernandez has been an innings-eater since coming into his own in 1997 as he helped the Florida Marlins win the World Series. For his size, Hernandez is a very good athlete as he routinely takes ground balls in the infield during batting practice. He fields his position well and is a decent hitting pitcher. He is considered to have a rubber arm so he will pitch every fifth day. In 2009, he struggled with both the NY Mets and the Washington Nationals. He combined to go 9-12 with a 5.44 ERA in 31 starts (183.2 innings) with two complete games. He walked 67 while striking out 102 and he gave up more than 200 hits. Hernandez and his agent sent the Nationals a proposal back in December about his desire to return to Washington. He is one player who never wanted to leave the Montreal Expos/Nationals organization. It will be interesting to see if he pigeon-holed himself by stating his desire to play for one team.

Chan Ho Park with the Phillies

Chan Ho Park joined the Philadelphia Phillies in 2009 with the hopes of being one of their five starting pitchers. He won the job over rookie JA Happ but pitched poorly in seven starts. Park moved into the bullpen (with Happ moving into the rotation) and thrived in a bullpen that struggled through injuries and inconsistencies all season. Though he was bitten by the injury bug, Park made 38 appearances, going 2-2 with a 2.52 ERA. He did not allow a homerun and walked just 16 while striking out 52. He was a major reason why the Phillies advanced to their second straight World Series. Starting has always been his preference but he excelled in the bullpen so the options should be out there. He wanted to return to the Phillies, but GM Ruben Amaro would rather spend the money on new third baseman Placido Polanco, new starter Roy Halladay, and starting pitcher Joe Blanton. Park has been replaced in the pen by Danys Baez (who has not had a good year since 2005 with Tampa Bay).

Chien-Ming Wang won 19 games in both 2006 and 2007 while with the NY Yankees. However the injuries mounted in the last two seasons, resulting in just 27 total appearances (24 starts). He would be a high-risk, high-reward player as in you could offer him a contract with incentives and he could regain his CY Young-caliber form if healthy. So the Nationals listened to new reliever Brian Bruney and signed Wang today with a news conference coming on Friday to disclose the terms and make the official announcement.

Tags:

Braden Looper, Chan Ho Park, Chien-Ming Wang, Livan Hernandez, Milwaukee Brewers, NY Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals