With less than 30 games to go in the baseball season, the races are taking shape and our thoughts can turn to the playoffs. There are some interesting side stories we should watch as the season comes to an end.
Those that proclaim it is much tougher to pitch in American League than the National are getting some solid evidence for their case. They can point to the recent successes of Brad Penny, John Smoltz and Jose Contreras as three pitchers that left the American League with bloated earned run averages and shaky outings only to find victories and success in the National League. And they were coming from Boston and Chicago, teams that are at or near the top of their divisions.
Scott Baker has quietly won 7 consecutive starts by using the tried and true Minnesota Twins style of pitching. He throws strikes, gets ahead of hitters and uses an assortment of pitches to keep hitters off balance. The Twins are notorious for using the minor leagues to hone the command of potential starting pitchers by using them out of the bullpen in the minor leagues for frequent outings in pressure situations.
Jeff Baker has always shown he can hit. His exile from the Rockies to the Cubs might be the best thing that could have happened to him. While he isn't an everyday player with Chicago, at least he gets plenty of at-bats. The result? He's close to a .300 hitter and is in the future mix for the North Siders. A Rockies scout told me last year that Baker should be playing second base every day for their club. I believed him then and I believe him now. But now he?s playing for the Cubbies.
The Diamondbacks and Dodgers are in a bit of a dispute about the service time for Tony Abreu, the player expected to be named sooner than now in the deal for John Garland. It seems Abreu has a 2007 grievance filed against the Dodgers. The grievance was allegedly unknown to the DBacks prior to the trade. In fact, Abreu could be awarded service time that could alter his eligibility for arbitration by a year. Costly to the DBacks if that's the case. I wonder if he's still the Player To Be Named at Some Point in Time? DBack television games this week showed the DBacks brass huddled with the Dodgers brass. No resolution so far.
It is possible that teams not in the pennant races might shut down or spread out younger arms prior to the conclusion of the season. David Huff, Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman come to mind. That's something to watch very closely. It can't be assumed that every young starter will take the ball at his turn in the rotation.
Bill Bavasi, now with the Cincinnati Reds knew Wladimir Balentien from both their days at Seattle. Balentien is still very young and he hasn't yet reached his potential. The Reds could have picked up a power source that was flying under the radar.
Alcides Escobar seems to be holding his own against major league pitching. While he isn't running much, Escobar is putting the bat on the ball with regularity and playing well in the field. J.J. Hardy could very well be the subject of trade talk in the off-season. He's the type of player that could bounce back from his nightmare campaign this year. Escobar is a Brewer for the long haul.
Which is the real Raul Ibanez? The first half or the second half? I have my opinion, but what's yours? Actually, the answer lies somewhere in between.
Great teams have one or two impact, difference making hitters and solid pitching. They don?t all have to be superstars, just good, reliable and consistent players. Well, how about the Cardinals? The composition of that club is as good as it gets regarding balance. They could surprise the Phillies and Dodgers in the playoffs. Two mega sluggers and solid pitching. Rotation and pen.
The Padres spent over 11 million in the draft-a sign they realize it takes player development to win in the big leagues. It doesn't hurt that their new owner, Jeff Moorad, knows how to manage the draft. He was once a top- flight player agent.
Hats off to them for signing 2B David Eckstein to an extension. He is a tremendous veteran presence on the club.
Speaking of veteran presence, I was stunned that the Indians did not move Jamey Carroll by the end of August. He could really have helped a contender. I'm sure they tried, but may have found no takers.
Is it better to have one permanent Designated Hitter like David Ortiz, Jim Thome and Travis Hafner (even in their prime) or spread the role among several players according to match-ups who are capable of playing defense as well? In these economic times, that's a question being asked over and over.
With attendance down and money tight, the free-agent market might be even tighter than last year. Rosters could soon be comprised more prominently with a few high salaries and lots of low salaries, with few players in the middle. That's a trend we have seen develop recently. Many more clubs are trusting younger players with roster spots. The teams that scout, draft and develop their own players will realize more financial stability and potential winning records as we move forward in this economy. It sounds simple, but it isn't. One or two misses in the draft can set back the organization for a few years. That's why the Indians had to go out and bring in 9 new pitchers in July.
Charlie Manuel is amazing. He just goes about his business and takes that "down home" approach with the media and wins! When he was with Cleveland he asked Mark Shapiro for a decision on his extension prior to the conclusion of the season. He got his decision. Now he has a World Series ring and maybe another on the way. And the Indians have Eric Wedge.
Should the Indians be worried about Carlos Carrasco or was that just first game jitters? I don?t really know. Nobody knows for sure until Carrasco is given a good opportunity in Cleveland. That means several starts.
Kendry Morales got a chance to play every day for the Angels. I wish the same thing could happen for Brandon Wood. Then and only then will the question about his ability be answered. But the Angels have a lineup loaded with top quality position players and it's not practical to give Wood a starting role over the guys they have. They could take the chance at first base with Morales, because there really wasn't an incumbant.
B.J. Upton is hurt.