MLB FanHouse

Footprints in the Snow: Rays

Ed Price — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

The Rays could not build upon their surprising 2008 AL East title and run to the World Series last year, falling from 97 wins to 84. The lineup was at least as good as the year before, but both the rotation and bullpen suffered a steep dropoff.

The offensive core is still young and in its prime and should continue to produce. And 2009 might have been the usual fall-back season that teams experience after a large jump forward.

Still, making the playoffs in the AL East means beating out the Yankees or Red Sox (or both). With Tampa Bay's payroll, that leaves little margin for error.

More Footprints in the Snow

Who Might Leave

Pat Burrell, DH; Chad Bradford, RP; Brian Shouse, RP; Russ Springer, RP, Gregg Zaun, C.

Shopping List

The priority will be relief help. The past two seasons -- aside from the times Troy Percival was healthy -- manager Joe Maddon had to work a bullpen by committee. The Rays would rather not spend their limited resources on what it takes to sign an elite, established closer, so the front office will try to give Maddon as many reliable pieces as possible and leave it to him to make it work.

That said, an overhaul could be coming, as Bradford, Shouse and Springer are free agents. Tampa already added an arm with Jesse Chavez, acquired form Pittsburgh for second baseman Akinori Iwamura. Expect more low-profile moves like that.

The Rays can slot Ben Zobrist in for Iwamura, so the only offensive needs are right field and upgrades at DH (over Pat Burrell) and catcher (Dioner Navarro).

Money Matters

Tampa Bay has picked up left fielder Carl Crawford's $10 million option, while shortstop Jason Bartlett, right-hander Matt Garza and center fielder B.J. Upton will get raises as arbitration-eligible players. And one has to believe the payroll can't go up much, if at all, from $63 million, since attendance was 1.87 million, 11th in the American League.

That's where trading Burrell ($9 million in 2010) would help, but he could probably only be dealt for someone else's bad contract -- i.e., the Milton Bradley rumors.

Offseason Goals

Even with the August trade of lefty Scott Kazmir, Tampa Bay seems pretty set in its starting staff. But the relief corps needs to be shored up. Of course, as usual for a team that has hever drawn well, money is tight. So the Rays can sit out the high-bidding portion of free-agent season and look for bargains. They spent big on one spot last winter, and Burrell was a disaster.

Footprints in the Snow: Rays originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rays Pick Up Crawford's Pricey Option

Andrew Johnson — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:33:00 EST

Filed under: Rays, MLB Transactions

Carl Crawford will be in a Rays uniform next season, his last before he is eligible to be a free agent.

Tampa Bay made it official Monday by picking up its $10 million option on the speedy left fielder, who is the longest tenured player in franchise history and holds a number of all-time clubs records, including for hits, stolen bases, RBI and games played.

Crawford bounced back from an injury-marred 2008 to hit .305 with 15 home runs and 60 stolen bases this season. He also won MVP of the All-Star Game this year.

There's little doubt that the 28-year-old Crawford is deserving of a rich payday. Still, $10 million is a sizable chunk of salary for the Rays. The club hasn't had a total payroll in excess of $65 million this decade, and with Crawford taking up such a significant portion of that, they can't afford a down season from him.

Either way, they've clearly made him a priority.

It has been widely speculated that one of the reasons Tampa Bay dealt Scott Kazmir to the Angels this August was to save money for Crawford in 2010 and beyond.

The Rays also declined 2010 options on left-handed reliever Brian Shouse and backup catcher Gregg Zaun.

Rays Pick Up Crawford's Pricey Option originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rays Trade Akinori Iwamura to Pittsburgh for Reliever Jesse Chavez

Pat Lackey — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:56:00 EST

Filed under: Pirates, Rays, AL East, NL Central

In a surprising piece of mid-World Series news, the Tampa Bay Rays and Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to a trade this afternoon. Tampa will send second baseman Akinori Iwamura to the Pirates in return for relief pitcher Jesse Chavez. According to the same report by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (who broke news of the Pirates' involvement in the trade after the St. Petersburg Times first reported an Iwamura trade this afternoon), no cash or other players are involved.

Iwamura, 30, is due $4.25 million in 2010 and the emergence of Ben Zobrist makes that a price the Rays clearly weren't eager to pay for a player who'd likely be a utility man for them in '10. The Pirates, however, are looking to add payroll after cleaning house last year and have a gaping hole at second base, so Iwamura is a logical addition for them.

Chavez was one of the Pirates' most reliable relievers last year. That may sound like damning with faint praise, but he improved his control (he only walked 2.9 batters per nine innings, down from his 3.3 BB/9 average in the minors and his 5.4 BB/9 rate with the Pirates in 2008) and was very good early in the year before hitting a rough patch in July and August.

Tampa, though, can use relievers and Chavez is only 26 and under team control for five more seasons, so he's a solid option for them. So the Pirates get a second baseman that they need, the Rays clear out some payroll and get an extra arm. It seems like the trade works for both sides, except that it weakens an already bad bullpen in Pittsburgh. Given their 99 losses in 2009, though, the Pirates probably have other needs to address before worrying about the bullpen

Rays Trade Akinori Iwamura to Pittsburgh for Reliever Jesse Chavez originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Could Rays, Pat Burrell Be Avenue for Cubs to Trade Milton Bradley?

Matt Snyder — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:50:00 EST

Filed under: Cubs, Rays, AL East, NL Central, MLB Rumors

While we're far from trading season -- the Red Sox and Angels haven't even started their ALDS -- winds are swirling in the Windy City because of the presence of resident albatross Milton Bradley. Bradley signed a three-year contract worth $30 million this past offseason with the Cubs and did everything he could during the regular season to make general manager Jim Hendry realize the signing was the biggest mistake of his tenure. Thus, the Cubs aren't exactly being secretive about their desire to trade him as soon as is humanly possible.

Might they look to another outfielder who has quickly fallen out of favor with his team after signing a lucrative deal? The Tampa Bay Rays have shown interest in Bradley in the past, and they could look to deal Pat Burrell after his disastrous 2009 season.

Of course, this situation is far too ideal for the Cubs for it to be a straight up deal. Burrell only has one more year on his contract and he makes less money, on average, per year than Bradley. The Rays aren't exactly the Yankees, so they'd have to be pretty convinced the trade would work to take on the excess salary. Plus, Burrell -- while so laid-back it comes off as apathy at times -- isn't exactly the clubhouse cancer Bradley is. Annoying teammates with a seeming lack of effort or desire is a lot different than outwardly antagonizing teammates, managers, executives, local media and fans.

So, don't expect the deal to be a straight up player-for-player swap.

Bradley had one of the worst seasons of his mercurial career, hitting .257 with 12 home runs and 40 RBI in 124 games. The .775 OPS was his worst since 2002. His defense was suspect as well, but the majority of the problems had to do with his attitude. He was suspended for the remainder of the season with 15 games left due to his constant sideshows.

Burrell also had one of his worst seasons. He set or tied career lows with 16 doubles, 14 home runs, 64 RBI, a .367 SLG and a .682 OPS. His batting average and on-base percentage were also well below his career marks. Late in the season he was involved in a locker room scuffle with team captain Carl Crawford. No details surfaced, but it should be pretty easy to connect the dots. Crawford is the most respected and longest tenured Ray, a stand-up guy who plays the game hard every single day and has no attitude issues. And now the Rays want Burrell gone.

There are multiple outlets reporting the Rays have a strong interest in Bradley and the Cubs are desperate to get Bradley out the door as soon as possible. Thus, the two sides will probably try to compromise in order to get the deal complete. Look for the Cubs to grease the wheels by eating a portion of Bradley's salary and possibly sending a prospect or two the Rays way. They might even take back a contract which the Rays wish to rid themselves as well.

The bottom line is that the Rays don't want Burrell (but like Bradley) and the Cubs don't want Bradley (and don't care how they get rid of him). It's pretty likely they find a way to make it work for both sides.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

Could Rays, Pat Burrell Be Avenue for Cubs to Trade Milton Bradley? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Wild West Weekend on Tap

Andrew Johnson — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cardinals, Dodgers, Marlins, Rays, Rockies, Tigers, Twins, NL West, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the NL West race will come down to the final weekend of the regular season.

The Rockies held on for a 4-3 win over the Dodgers Friday night, cutting Los Angeles' lead in the division to one game behind shortstop Troy Tulowitzki's 32nd home run of the year and 10 strikeouts from Ubaldo Jimenez.

The Dodgers, who lost their fifth straight, have already won the season series, meaning that Colorado will have to win the final two games of the regular season in L.A. to win the division since both teams have already clinched playoff spots.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Jorge De La Rosa and Jason Marquis, winners of a combined 31 games this year, will start the Rockies' final two games, but 21-year-old Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who will face De La Rosa on Saturday, will pose a significant obstacle to Colorado's hopes of stealing away the NL West.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Don't expect to see Cody Ross again this season. The Marlins outfielder, sidelined since last weekend after getting hit on the wrist by a pitch, hasn't played since Saturday because of lingering soreness in the area. It's unlikely Ross will play again this season, but that won't stop him from trying.

"I want to get back out there," Ross said. "I want to finish the season. I don't want to finish on the bench."

Numbers Game ...
CC Sabathia and Adam Wainwright fell short in their respective bids to win 20 games Friday, marking the second time in the last four years that Major League Baseball will not have a 20-game winner. Wainwright was well on his way to a 20th win, carrying a 6-1 lead into the seventh inning, but the Brewers scored six times in that frame (two of the runs were charged to Wainwright) erasing him from the decision.

"This is right there with the most disappointing, toughest regular-season losses that I can remember," manager Tony La Russa said. "It was an important win for us if we can get it with what was at stake. Adam has been so great all year long. I'm really, really disappointed."

The Cardinals rallied to win the game 12-6.

In Their Own Words ...
"Every one of those balls was just scorched. I mean, I don't think I've ever hit five balls hard like that in a row. He hit them all really hard, too." -- Rays utilityman Ben Zobrist on B.J. Upton's cycle -- the first in Tampa Bay franchise history and a feat Upton accomplished in just five innings. The Rays center fielder finished with five hits and six RBI.

Advance Scouting ...
The Twins are within a game of the Tigers in the AL Central, but their biggest hurdle to tying Detroit awaits Saturday against the Royals. Minnesota must face top Cy Young contender Zack Greinke (4:10 PM ET), who is 16-8 with a 2.06 ERA this year, needing to win out and the Tigers to lose on of their remaining games just to force a playoff. Nick Blackburn, starting on three days of rest, will go for the Twins.

Starting Five: Wild West Weekend on Tap originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wait 'Til Next Year: Rays Will Find Themselves in Contention Again

Jacob Wheatley-Schaller — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Rays

After last year's shocking World Series appearance, the Tampa Bay Rays came into 2009 with significantly increased expectations. Most were still picking the Yankees and Red Sox to finish in the top two spots on the AL East, but in just one season the Rays had gone from laughingstock to a consensus 90-92 win team.

That hasn't worked out too well for them, as they're currently on pace to win 83 games, which would be 14 fewer than last year. That's disappointing, certainly, but their underlying performance really hasn't been that much worse.

In 2008, Tampa Bay outscored their opponents by 103 runs; so far this season, that figure is 58. So they've clearly been worse in 2009, but their run differential only suggests a four to five win discrepancy between the two years, a stark contrast from their potential drop in the win column.

They also look like they have a chance to contend once again next year. They'll be led by a very strong rotation; former ace Scott Kazmir is gone, but he was a huge disappointment this year anyway, posting a 5.92 ERA before getting traded to the Angels. They have so much pitching talent in the organization that they won't have any problem replacing him.

In 2010, James Shields and Matt Garza will take control of the top of the rotation, with Jeff Niemann and David Price also returning for their second full seasons in the majors. Price has only put up a 4.41 ERA and 1.9 K:BB ratio this season, but the former top prospect has a chance to make big strides forward next season if he is able to get his walk rate down.

Twenty-three year old September callup Wade Davis will likely take over the No. 5 slot, and he will almost certainly be a big upgrade over Andy Sonnanstine's extremely disappointing 2009 campaign. In four starts with the Rays this month, Davis has struck out 28 batters in just 24 1/3 innings, while only walking eight. That's encouraging, especially after he had somewhat disappointing numbers in Triple-A over the first five months of the season.

Tampa Bay's starting rotation, expected to help them contend in the AL East this season, ended up underperforming all year, with a staff ERA right around the league average. With Kazmir gone and Sonnanstine probably no longer starting, its 2010 prospects look significantly better.

The offense has actually lived up to expectations, scoring 4.94 runs per game, fourth in the AL. If they choose to, the Rays have the ability to bring their entire lineup back next season, although they may decide to go in a different direction.

Tampa Bay doesn't have any free agents among their regulars, but it does have club options on both Carl Crawford and Akinori Iwamura. It'd be surprising if it didn't pick up both of those, but a trade is possible, particularly with Crawford. The Rays likely aren't too thrilled with the prospect of paying him $10 million in 2010 when they have an in-house replacement, Desmond Jennings, available for about 5 percent of that cost. The 22-year old Jennings had a .401 OBP between Double-A and Triple-A this year, and could easily step in for the Rays in either left or center.

Ben Zobrist should be expected to regress a bit after a career year, but the offense could improve if guys like Dioner Navarro, B.J. Upton and Pat Burrell bounce back. Navarro has seen his OBP drop nearly 100 points this season, all the way down to an entirely unacceptable .258. Most expected Upton to finally play up to his impressive potential after his breakout October, but that certainly hasn't happened; he's regressed for the second consecutive season. This is a lineup that could score 850 runs in 2010, if those three come back to their career levels and at least most of Zobrist's improvement is real.

The defense should be good again, too, which rounds out a pretty impressive returning core. How strong a team's bullpen is going to be is difficult to project on Opening Day, let alone six months prior, but despite Grant Balfour's decline, Tampa Bay has actually been above average in that category as well, with their relievers putting up a 3.95 ERA.

The division will be a challenge, as always, but the Rays' 2009 record shouldn't be seen as an indication that they won't be a significant factor in the race next year.

Wait 'Til Next Year: Rays Will Find Themselves in Contention Again originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Rolling With Dice-K

Andrew Johnson — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Phillies, Rays, Red Sox, Tigers, Yankees, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Daisuke Matsuzaka has momentum.

The enigmatic Red Sox right-hander who spent three months on the disabled list is 2-0 since returning. He followed up six shutout innings against the Angels earlier this week by allowing three runs over 5 1/3 innings against Baltimore Sunday.

Matsuzaka has a 2.38 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings in his return, further strengthening his case to be the fourth starter in Boston's playoff rotation when the postseason begins next month and showing how formidable the Red Sox can be when their pitching is rolling.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

"When we throw quality starts we've been in pretty much every game," Boston catcher Jason Vartitek said. "It's a big part of how we win."

The Red Sox went 16-2 against the Orioles this season.

From the Trainer's Room ...
The Phillies' increasingly shallow bullpen could be down another pitcher. Brett Myers has soreness in the back of his right shoulder and will not accompany his club to Florida this week so he can have the injury examined in Philadelphia. Myers indicated to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com that the injury is not serious:

Myers, reached by telephone, said, "I don't think it's real serious. I have some stiffness and tightness and they want me to go get it checked out."

Either way, the Phillies can ill afford to lose another piece of their relief corps.

Numbers Game ...
The Rays beat Roy Halladay for the fourth time this year Sunday, becoming the first team ever to hand that many losses to the Blue Jays ace in one season.

"Beating him four times in your life is tough," said Tampa Bay's Gregg Zaun, who spent five years in Toronto as Halladay's catcher. "Four times in one year is pretty amazing. He's unbelievable. He's by far the best in the game."

In Their Own Words ...
"We needed this one. You play here and the Twins get the first two, they sniff sweep. I've seen it a few times." -- Nate Robertson, who earned his second win of the year to help the Tigers avoid a sweep at the Metrodome. Detroit will now take a three-game -- instead of one-game -- lead over Minnesota into the final two weeks of the season. The Tigers host a four-game set with the Twins from Sept. 28-Oct. 1 that will likely decide the division.

Advance Scouting ...
It could be clinch day in Anaheim Monday, and it's not the Angels who can secure an October berth. The Yankees' magic number to clinch a playoff spot is one, and they'll take their first crack at officially qualifying for the postseason in Orange County. New York and Los Angeles will match left-handers (10:05 PM ET), with Andy Pettitte going for the Bronx Bombers against Joe Saunders for the Halos. Even if they lose, the Yankees could still clinch with a Rangers loss in Oakland. (10:05 PM ET).

Starting Five: Rolling With Dice-K originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baseball Brunch: Angels Become Patients For Dr. Abreu's Lessons

Ed Price — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Mariners, Rays, Red Sox, Reds, Twins, Yankees, Baseball Brunch

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

Bobby Abreu's influence has its limitations.

Vladimir Guerrero is still going to swing at everything.

But besides his fine season -- 89 runs scored, 96 RBI, .823 OPS -- Abreu seems to have passed on his patience at the plate to the rest of his Angels teammates.

"He's got the younger players understanding patience isn't a bad thing," Chone Figgins told FanHouse. "It's not about not being aggressive, but being patient, getting a pitch to hit. There's nothing wrong with being 1-1 and hitting, or 1-2, or 2-2.

"It's not something simple to do, but I think we did a good job of it in spring training and have tried to bring it into the season and have so far done a good job."

Figgins has crushed his career high in walks, previously 65, and leads the AL with 95. He is fourth in the league in pitches seen per plate appearance, at 4.23.

And he's not alone.

The Angels last year were last in the league in running up the count, with 3.65 pitches per plate appearance. In fact, they ranked in the AL's bottom three very year from 2002 through 2008.

Now they're fourth in the league, at 3.88.

And, by the way, are second in the AL in runs.

As the Yankees and Red Sox have shown in recent years, working the count forces starting pitchers out of the game and allows the lineup to attack the soft underbelly of middle relief. And patience also leads to walks, which leads to men on base, which lead to runs.

The ability to work the count seems more a skill than a learned behavior -- either you have it or you don't, like a strong arm or speed.

But maybe the Angels are proving otherwise.

"You have to just look for a pitch," Abreu said. "They're going to throw a pitch to you [some] time. Just be patient. You don't have to rush yourself. And have a plan whenever you go to the plate. You have to have a plan. If you have a plan, you just go up there and execute, that's all."

In spring training, hitting coach Mickey Hatcher asked Abreu to specifically tutor Kendry Morales and Erick Aybar in that philosophy.

Well, Morales' pitches per plate appearance is up 14 percent from last year and Aybar is up 7 percent. Howie Kendrick has gone up 10 percent and Juan Rivera 8 percent.

And even veteran Torii Hunter is at a career-high 3.77, 7 percent higher than his career mark coming into the season (3.52).

"Bobby Abreu has brought something different," Hunter said. "A lot more patience. Get a pitch around the plate, that's something he's been preaching to me from day one."

It's all part of a subtle strategy.

"The most important thing that Bobby does," Hatcher said, "is the fact that when the game starts, he might be willing to give an out but he wants to see every pitch that pitcher throws. He's not just taking. If that pitcher's got three pitches, he wants to see them all.

"That's what we talked about with our guys: You don't know what his pitches are, you're just swinging. So you're really not seeing what he has. And I think it's paid off for a lot of these guys. You might get a walk out of it, but the more pitches you see from a guy, you come to understand what he's trying to do to you. I think that's what Bobby does."

The key, Abreu said, is having no fear of hitting while behind in the count.

"They've been doing great," he said of his teammates. "They're not afraid, which is good. ... They've started to feel comfortable. They don't worry about it."

No player is less afraid of a two-strike count than Abreu. He'll "spit on" borderline strikes, as players say, until he gets one he's looking for or until he has to swing.

Abreu leads the majors with 484 two-strike hits since 2004, including a remarkable 90 in 2007. He has also had 137 more at-bats with two strikes than any other player in that time.

"Bobby has fit right in to give some of the balance [to] a team that was maybe lacking the ability to work counts as well as Bobby does," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's been an important piece to that puzzle.

"But I think Bobby's biggest impact is just the production that he's brought. He's set the table for the middle of our lineup as well as anybody could possibly imagine."

It shouldn't be a surprise, really, but Abreu's remarkable consistency is rivaled only by his ability to go unnoticed.

With four more RBI, Abreu can join Albert Pujols as the only players to drive in 100 runs every season since 2003. He has 11 straight years with 20 or more steals (29 this year, his most since 2005). And he has a chance to play in 150 games for the 12th consecutive season, something done only by Pete Rose, Cal Ripken Jr., Billy Williams and Willie Mays.

(This is a guy who was left unprotected by Houston in the 1997 expansion draft. He wound up in Philadelphia because Tampa Bay wanted shortstop Kevin Stocker and gave the Phillies a choice: the Devil Rays would take either Abreu or Quinton McCracken in the draft and trade him for Stocker. Philadelphia wisely chose Abreu.)

The Angels took advantage of last winter's slow free-agent market to swoop in and sign Abreu, 35, for just $5 million (plus a potential $1 million in playing-time bonuses).

"I couldn't believe we got him," Hunter said. "What a discount, man. That's what we call in the hood, 'The hookup.'"

Yes, it has turned out to be a great bargain, and there are indications both sides may have even had preliminary discussions on an extension.

Like some actors, Abreu functions best as part of an ensemble. He didn't thrive as the highest-paid player on the Phillies, when he expected to be the centerpiece of the team. But as a piece with the Yankees and Angels, he is comfortable.

"Pretty much the same, third hitter, set up the table for the guys behind me," Abreu said.

And teach some of them the art of patience.

Overheard and Understood

o. There has been speculation on whether the Diamondbacks will pick up the 2010 option on ace Brandon Webb, who underwent shoulder surgery last month. Our guess is Arizona makes a low-base, incentive-laden offer to keep Webb; But since he didn't need major repairs in the shoulder and could be ready for the start of the season, he might be able to find a two-year deal in the Ryan Dempster ($9 million per) range.

Chart of the Week
Three players have hit 20 or more home runs every year since 2000, making the 2000s the decade with the most players to have 20 homers every year. And three more players could join the group: Manny Ramirez (has 19 this year), Chipper Jones (16) and Vladimir Guerrero (15).
Decade	20-HR Player(s)
1920s	Babe Ruth
1930s	Mel Ott, Jimmie Foxx
1940s	None
1950s	Gil Hodges
1960s	Hank Aaron
1970s	Reggie Jackson
1980s	None
1990s	Barry Bonds, Matt Williams
2000s	Carlos Lee, Alex Rodriguez, Lance Berkman
Source: Astros

o. One rumor around front offices is that Pat Gillick is going to come out of retirement to return as general manager of the Blue Jays, whom he ran from 1978 to 1994 as they won two World Series. The rumor also has Gillick bringing back Tim Wilken, who was Toronto scouting director (1996-2000) and is now the Cubs' scouting director.

o. How important will home-field advantage be in the playoffs? It looks like six of the eight teams in the field will have a home winning percentage better than .600. And home teams overall this year have a .551 winning percentage, the sixth-highest mark ever, according to STATS LLC. Last year's home winning percentage was .556 -- but the team with home-field advantage won just four of the seven series.

o. When the Rays traded Scott Kazmir to the Angels, they were 69-58 and 4 1/2 games out in the wild-card race. While the idea behind the Kazmir trade made some sense -- with some pitching depth, save the money remaining on his contract to help keep the rest of the club together -- the timing seems to have sent the wrong message in the clubhouse. One friend of some Rays said the players wondered if the front office had given up on a playoff push this year. And since the trade, Tampa Bay has gone 7-15 and fallen out of contention while looking lethargic for long stretches.

o. When Adam Moore caught all 14 innings of the Mariners' Thursday win over the White Sox, it marked the most innings caught in a big-league debut in at least 55 years.

o. Cincinnati's recent success is meaningless, and doesn't necessarily presage a playoff run in 2010, but it does seem to affirm that for all the criticism leveled at Dusty Baker, he has a knack for getting his team to play hard. And that's no small thing.

o. What does good play in September mean the next year? The best record in last year's final month belonged to Kansas City. The best teams in September 2007 were the Yankees, Indians and Rockies; both missed the playoffs in 2008.

o. Only once since 1900 has a shortstop batted .325 with 15 homers and 25 stolen bases -- Hanley Ramirez two seasons ago. But Ramirez, Jason Bartlett and Derek Jeter could all do it this year.

o. Quotes from Twins manager Ron Gardenhire on Carl Pavano that Yankees fans will find hard to believe: "I like the way he goes about his business. ... Plus, he's very competitive. ... Since he's come here, he's been really good for our ballclub. A real bonus."

o. Red Sox manager Terry Francona was asked about how teams position their left fielder at Fenway Park. "When Manny [Ramirez] was here," Francona cracked, "we didn't know what our philosophy was. We tried to have one, but we didn't always know what it was."

Baseball Brunch: Angels Become Patients For Dr. Abreu's Lessons originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carl Crawford Confronts Pat Burrell

Matt Snyder — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: Rays, AL East

The Tampa Bay Rays are enduring a pretty disappointing season, and that's an understatement. After going to the World Series last year, they are hovering around .500 and have fallen too far back in any playoff race to have a realistic shot these last few weeks. So, obviously there has to be some frustration among players, and it appears to have boiled over in the clubhouse.

Carl Crawford, one of the team's most respected leaders reportedly "loudly confronted" free-agent bust Pat Burrell before batting practice Wednesday. There are no further details, because no one said anything other than manager Joe Maddon, who kept saying everything is fine.

Hey, I'm fine with a leader of the team calling out someone for anything, and I'm equally fine with the Rays keeping everything internal. That's how it's supposed to be. Judging from the report, nothing about the confrontation was physical, so it is probably just the case of a leader doing his job and trying to whip a teammate into shape.

Crawford is the longest-tenured and arguably most-respected Rays player, having been with the team since 2002. He's hitting .300 with 13 home runs, 62 RBI, 84 runs, and 57 stolen bases. He made his third All-Star team this season and has a shot to take home his first Gold Glove.

Burrell signed a two-year, $16 million contract this past offseason to play for the defending AL champs and was expected to be a power source (he averaged 31 homers a season from 2005-2008). He's hitting .230 with 14 home runs and 62 RBI, which puts him on pace for a career low in home runs and his second lowest RBI total.

The Rays, who won the vaunted AL East last season, entered Wednesday trailing the Yankees by 19 1/2 games and were 13 1/2 behind the Red Sox for the wild card.

Carl Crawford Confronts Pat Burrell originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Time to Count Marlins Out?

Andrew Johnson — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Astros, Angels, Athletics, Marlins, Rangers, Rays, Red Sox, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That you can add the Marlins to the list of fringe contenders fading away with three weeks to go in the season.

Florida wasted an opportunity to gain on wild-card leading Colorado, which lost in San Francisco, in an 11-6 loss to the Cardinals. The Marlins fell behind 4-0 in the first, but managed to take a 6-4 lead by the fourth inning, only to squander that lead in large part due to Ricky Nolasco's five-inning, seven-run outing.

Poor starting pitching has been a big reason why Florida hasn't been able to make a run.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

From the Palm Beach Post's Joe Capozzi:

The Marlins haven't had a starter pitch at least seven innings since Aug. 18, when Nolasco threw a complete game.

"For us to get back into this thing and go forward and get into the playoffs, we need to improve it right now, as soon as possible," [Marlins manager Fredi] Gonzalez said.

Florida is 5 1/2 games behind the Rockies with 18 left to play.

From the Trainer's Room ...
A severe fever forced the Astros to quarantine closer Jose Valverde in the team's clubhouse Sunday and also kept him from joining the club on the first day of its road trip in Cincinnati. Valverde had a temperature of 101 degrees over the weekend.

"They're treating him, and he has some type of virus," [Houston GM Ed] Wade said. "Hopefully it will run its course and he will be able to get here [Tuesday]."

Numbers Game ...
Believe it or not, Oakland's Brett Tomko is a 100-game winner. The journeyman, who has played for nine different teams, reached the milestone by throwing a five-hit shutout against the Rangers, dealing another blow to Texas' rapidly shrinking playoff hopes.

"We want to put ourselves in as good a position as possible and we haven't done that the last two days," [Rangers losing pitcher Scott] Feldman said. "Regardless, we're still in this thing. We just need to show the character we've shown all year and move on."

Texas is now 4 1/2 games back of Boston in the AL wild-card race. The shutout was just the second of Tomko's career and his first since 2004.

In Their Own Words ...
"Sleep is more tranquil, food tastes better and I like my dog a whole lot more." -- Rays manager Joe Maddon after his team avoided becoming the first team to lose 12 straight games the year after appearing in the World Series by beating the Orioles 8-4.

Advance Scouting ...
In a potential ALDS preview, the Angels head to Fenway Park for a meeting with the Red Sox (7:10 PM ET). Los Angeles' starter, John Lackey, has thrown back-to-back complete games and appears to be rounding into form, but his struggles in Boston -- he has a 6.34 career ERA there -- are well known. Lackey will take a backseat in the intrigue department to Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka, though. The enigmatic Matsuzaka has an 8.23 ERA this season and hasn't appeared in a Boston uniform since June, but with a strong finish to the year, it could still be possible for him to work his way into the Red Sox playoff rotation.

Starting Five: Time to Count Marlins Out? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baseball Brunch: Meet the Rarest Breed

Ed Price — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Athletics, Cardinals, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Marlins, Mets, Nationals, Orioles, Rays, Royals, Tigers, Twins, Yankees, MLB Awards, MLB Biz, MLB Inside Scoop, Baseball Brunch

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

Cody Ross blames his mom.

"My dad was a really good athlete (Kenny Ross, who played safety at New Mexico in the late 1960s)," said Ross, the Marlins' right fielder. "My dad was all right[-handed]. My mom's a lefty, so maybe I got that gene from her."

Ross and St. Louis' Ryan Ludwick are the only two active position players who throw left and bat right. Just 14 such players in baseball history have gotten as many as 1,000 at-bats -- and that list now includes a Hall of Famer, Rickey Henderson.

"He kind of put us on the map," Ross said.

Some of the other names are recognizable -- early 20th-century Yankees star Hal Chase, Mets outfielder Cleon Jones, and more recent players Mark Carreon, Brian Hunter and David McCarty.

Some aren't -- Rube Bressler, Johnny Cooney, Al Nixon and Delos Drake.

"I think it's something that's kind of cool, something to be proud of," Ludwick said. "It's kind of an honor to be able to be in such little company."

Why so rare? There have certainly been plenty of players who throw right and bat left (582 with 1,000 or more at-bats), so it can't be that it's hard to be opposite-handed for hitting and throwing.

The simplest explanation is that a left-handed thrower can really play only four of the eight positions -- outfield and first base -- and is even less valuable if he bats right-handed, since lefties are less common and have the advantage against right-handed pitching.

"I think being a left-handed hitter is viewed as having an advantage," Ludwick said, "so you see a lot more people who throw right and are taught to hit left because it's an advantage."

Nether Ross nor Ludwick could explain how they ended up batting right and throwing left.

"It just happened," said Ludwick, who last year joined Henderson and Jones as the only bat-right/throw-left players to make an All-Star Game. "Natural."

Said Ross: "I have no reason why I do it. Nobody ever taught me to do it."

Both tried switch-hitting as kids -- "for a minute," Ludwick said, "but I was so much better right-handed."

Said Ross, "My dad tried to get me to switch-hit when I was younger. I did for a little while. But I realized really quickly that I had a lot more power from the right side and I didn't want to waste an at-bat [left-handed]."

It's not like Ross and Ludwick can't play. Ross, 28, is third on the Marlins with 22 homers and 83 RBI. Ludwick, 31, has 20 home runs and has driven in 87 runs, both second on the Cardinals.

"I feel like you see a lot of left-handed hitters that are right-handed throwers that have a lot of pop because they're right-hand-dominant, so they can really pull that bat through the zone," Ludwick said. "So I feel like being left-hand-dominant, I can [do the same]."

The bottom hand provides the power in a swing, and some recent boppers who throw right and bat left include Jim Thome, Prince Fielder, Larry Walker, Tino Martinez, Carlos Delgado, Adam Dunn, Jason Giambi and Mo Vaughn.

But those guys who throw left and bat right -- they don't get the love.

Ludwick was a second-round draft pick out of UNLV in 1999, so he never felt a bias because of his bat/throw combination. But Ross, a fourth-rounder in the same draft out of high school in New Mexico, said it worked against him. (Louie Medina, who played 51 games in the majors while throwing left and batting right, scouted both players for that '99 draft. Medina, now a special assistant to the GM in Kansas City, was then a scout for Arizona.)

"You have scouts come to watch you," Ross said, "and I was already challenged because of my height and I wasn't your prototypical baseball player, pushing 5-10. And also throwing left and hitting right, that's a lot against you going into pro ball. Or even college. So I think it affected me a little bit when it came to drafting and stuff like that.

"It's one of those things I knew I had to overcome, and I just did. A little bump in the road."

Both Ludwick and Ross didn't get a chance to become regulars in the majors until they had gone through multiple organizations. Ludwick was traded from Oakland to Texas to Cleveland and then had to sign on with Detroit and St. Louis as a minor-league free agent.

Ross was traded from the Tigers to the Dodgers to the Reds to the Marlins, including being traded twice in 33 days in 2006.

But he didn't blame that bouncing around on throwing left-handed and batting right-handed.

"I think once I got into pro ball, I think all of that kind of goes out the window," he said. "If you can play, you can play, and they'll find a spot for you."

Overheard and Understood

-- If you think Derek Jeter's pursuit of the Yankees' franchise hits record was overblown, wait until next spring training. Because the Yankees seem intent on letting Jeter go into 2010 without a contract beyond this year, and it will be a season-long storyline next year: Is this the Captain's last year in pinstripes?

Chart of the Week
Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria became the ninth player to have 40 doubles, 30 homers and 100 RBI in a season before the age of 24:
Player	Year
Hal Trosky	1934/36
Ted Williams	1939
Alex Rodriguez	1996
Scott Rolen	1998
Eric Chavez	2001
Aramis Ramirez	2001
Albert Pujols	2001-03
Miguel Cabrera	2005
Evan Longoria	2009
Source: Rays

While it might seem good public relations and, emotionally, a no-brainer to try to lock up Jeter long-term this winter, that wouldn't be good business for the Yankees. Not that they don't want him, but Jeter will be coming off his best season in at least three years, maybe 10. So in any contract negotiations this winter, Jeter would have the upper hand. The Yankees couldn't tell Jeter they have an alternative in mind, since both sides know he'll be the team's shortstop in 2010.

And it's not like the Yankees have ever gotten any kind of hometown discount from Jeter; the sides went to arbitration in 1999, avoided arbitration in 2000 with a $10 million salary and then worked out his current 10-year, $189 million deal in February 2001. Considering what he means to the franchise -- and its fans -- Jeter now could have every right to ask for more than Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia.

The only way an extension would get done before Jeter's contract is up (or close to up) is if ownership -- the Steinbrenner brothers -- steps in. They did in the fall of 2007, after the Joe Torre fiasco, to bring back Rodriguez (after his ugly opt-out), and with Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera on above-market deals. But the Steinbrenners may realize now they overpaid then and hold firm on Jeter.

Which will make for a fascinating winter of 2010-11, because the next negotiations will determine how much Jeter makes compared to A-Rod, whether he will be signed for the same length of time (through 2017!) and -- as part of the whole equation -- whether he ever moves from shortstop, and when, and where.

-- With a new ballpark opening next year, the Twins plan to spend more this winter than in any recent offseason. They "won't be picking up the scraps" of free agency, as one person put it.

-- Washington (including its Montreal years) is the only franchise never to have had two teammates with 100 RBI in the same season, but that could be corrected this year as Adam Dunn has 99 RBI and Ryan Zimmerman has 94. Tampa Bay got its first 100-RBI duo this year, with Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena.

-- The Angels could be the first team since the 2005 Cardinals to make it through the season without a four-game losing streak.

-- Figure this: Seven of the Dodgers' final 18 games are against the Pirates. Three others are against the Nationals.

-- Arizona's Chris Young last Sunday became the first player to go into a game batting less than .200 and then hit three homers.

-- The Cubs did not gain ground on the Cardinals in any day from Aug. 3 through Thursday.

-- If the A's, who have 85 errors, can finish with fewer than 100, they will set an all-time record by doing that for the sixth straight year. The Phillies had double-digit errors from 2001 to 2005.

-- Attendance at the Mets' new Citi Field on Thursday, for a game against the Marlins, was 37,620. But the Mets estimated 20,000 no-shows and about 17,000 in the stands.

-- The Rays are promoting right-hander Jeff Niemann (12-5, 3.57 ERA) for AL Rookie of the Year. They cite that he is in the top 10 all-time for winning percentage by an AL rookie starter; the first rookie to beat Roy Halladay twice; the first rookie in 55 years to lead the defending AL champs in wins and ERA; and that he could have three more wins but for two blown two-run leads and a blown three-run lead by his bullpen.

-- Since the start of last year, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, just two AL teams have swept four series from the same opponent (three or more games). It figures that the Yankees swept the Orioles five times, but not that the Royals have swept the Tigers four times.

-- Detroit's Brent Dlugach, called up Sept. 1, is the first big-leaguer ever whose name begins with "DL." Unless you count Mike Hampton.

Baseball Brunch: Meet the Rarest Breed originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Results Don't Match Rays-ed '09 Hopes

Ed Price — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Rays

NEW YORK -- The quote of the day on the Rays' lineup card Tuesday, as picked by manager Joe Maddon, was from 19th century biologist Thomas Huxley:

"The only medicine for suffering, crime and all the other woes of mankind, is wisdom."

Huxley was an early proponent of Darwin's theory of evolution, and 150 years later, Tampa Bay can also vouch for survival of the fittest in the AL East.

Since the Rays' playoff chances are virtually extinct.

Less than 51 weeks ago, Tampa Bay clinched its first-ever postseason trip, on the way to a pennant and a trip to the World Series.

Now the Rays are doing little more than playing out the string.

Tuesday's loss at Yankee Stadium, on a Nick Swisher walk-off homer against Dan Wheeler, was Tampa Bay's seventh straight, reducing its "tragic number" for postseason elimination to 16. Over the past month, as their bullpen has fallen apart, the Rays have gone 11-7, falling from 1 1/2 games out in the wild-card race to 8 1/2 back and tied for third with the Mariners.

The team offered almost as many explanations as it has blown saves in the past 33 days (eight).

o. Center fielder B.J. Upton: "I just think we're more of the hunted instead of us going after other teams. ... It used to kind of be, 'The Rays are coming to town, oh well.' It wasn't that feeling any more."

"Eighty-nine [wins] in our division translates into 93 in the [AL] Central and 147 in the National League."
-- Rays owner Stuart Sternberg o. Reliever Grant Balfour: "A lot of the close games that we did win last year we probably haven't won this year. Lately the bullpen hasn't been good -- we've definitely got to take the blame there for some of the games we haven't won."

o. Third baseman Evan Longoria: "I don't like to use this as a reason or as an excuse, but we've had a lot of injuries. It's made it tough on us to really get anything going."

o. Longoria: "We haven't done as good of a job as we did last year of dealing with highs and lows. Last year we had the ability to kind of keep it so even-keeled. When we were winning, it didn't seem [like] we were getting on our high horse too much. ... This year it seems like when we did win, we were really excited and when we lost, it seemed like we kind of got a little too down on ourselves."

o. Principal owner Stuart Sternberg: "I think in a large part it's been a hangover of some kind -- I don't know if that's the word -- from last year. It's not just a month [extra in the playoffs], it's almost three because generally August, September ... you're not pushing yourself. ... And I think we've seen that with a couple of the guys in our bullpen and I think we've seen that with a couple of the guys in our rotation."

o. Maddon: "I think one of the main reasons was a bad April [9-14]. We were just never really able to even that up somehow. We just didn't get hot enough to put April totally in our rear-view mirror."

o. Executive VP of baseball operations Andrew Friedman: "I think on paper we're at least as talented as we were last year. ... If you were able to play this season 10 times, in my opinion, this is the worst we'd finish in those 10 times."

They all have a point.

As to Balfour's remark on close games, the Rays were 29-18 last year in one-run contests; this year they are 17-23.

Some of that has to do with the bullpen, as Sternberg mentioned. The relievers have combined for a 3.91 ERA, up from 3.55 last year. And of the Rays' past 11 losses, six have come in the opponents' final at-bat.

Maddon has been criticized for over-managing his bullpen, but without a true closer, he feels he has to play the matchups. With a flurry of one-batter appearances as Tampa Bay has slid further and further out of contention, Maddon has made an AL-high 434 pitching changes, just 14 fewer than he made all last season.

Pitching, period, has been the biggest dropoff. The Rays are on pace to allow 78 more runs than last year, falling from second in the league in team ERA to seventh.

Perhaps the pitchers are suffering from the "hangover," as Sternberg put it, of pitching all of last October. Having seen how it affected the 2006 White Sox, for example, Tampa Bay had its pitchers delay their spring training schedules to try to compensate.

"We spent a tremendous amount of time thinking about it," Friedman said, while admitting there's no way to know whether their plan helped, hurt or had no effect at all.

And maybe the intensity of last October had something to do with the poor April brought up by Maddon.

Longoria cited injuries. Carlos Pena's season-ending broken fingers, suffered Monday, follow significant injuries to closer Troy Percival, shortstop Jason Bartlett, second baseman Akinori Iwamura and lefty Scott Kazmir.

But Maddon said, "I really believe injuries have nothing to do with where we are right now."

The most significant health issue is probably Upton's shoulder. He underwent labrum surgery on his left shoulder in November, and while he was on the DL for only the first six games of the season, he said he is "still not" 100 percent.

Upton's OPS has dropped from .784 last year to .675 this season, with a .310 on-base percentage. That could be the injury or, as one scout observed, an unwillingness or inability to make adjustments.

"I feel like if I could have put a little bit more together on the offensive end, " Upton said, "we'd be in a better position."

But consider this: the Rays are just four games behind the Tigers, who have a healthy lead in the AL Central.

In other words, Tampa Bay hasn't had a bad season, just not as good as last year. But because of the division they play in, the Rays will be watching in October this time.

"If you don't make the playoffs, it's not a good season," Longoria said. "We came to spring training wanting to make the playoffs. ... But it's not a complete disaster."

Maddon and Friedman said they welcome the challenge of playing in the AL East because overcoming the Yankees and Red Sox is more rewarding.

"We know going in that we need to win 90-something games," Sternberg said. "Is it 92 or is it 98? Eighty-nine, 88 don't get it done in our division. It gets in done in a lot of other places. ... Eighty-nine in our division translates into 93 in the Central and 147 in the National League.

"The division doesn't allow for any fault."

And the Rays' faults have been exposed this year: Upton, the bullpen, a lack of offense in right field.

"We haven't had an extended stretch where every facet of the game was working at the same time," Friedman said.

Tampa Bay's best run was 15-4 in the latter part of June. Other than that, the Rays are 57-63.

Said Upton: "It's kind of like we've been waiting for it to happen, waiting for it to happen -- and it hasn't."

Maddon said he expects the Rays to "be in this race for many years to come," and Friedman said he doesn't intend to make many offseason changes, perhaps just some bullpen tinkering.

The task for Tampa Bay is making sure it bounces back and doesn't do what Cleveland did -- going to the ALCS in 2007, falling to .500 in '08 and plummeting into rebuilding mode this year.

"In a lot of ways it's been good," Balfour said of this year's disappointment, "because you can look at what we did -- it's not easy to do what we did. You can sit there and look at that ring and think to yourself and not take it for granted."

Results Don't Match Rays-ed '09 Hopes originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carlos Pena Will Miss Rest of Season

Tom Fornelli — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:49:00 EST

Filed under: Rays, AL East, MLB Injuries

As Andrew Johnson discussed in Starting Five earlier Monday, the Tampa Bay Rays' season has slipped through their fingers after being swept by the Tigers at home this weekend. There won't be an encore to their magical 2008. Though they're not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs just yet, overcoming a seven-game deficit for the AL wild card would be pretty tough, and now, it just got a bit harder.

That's because the Rays learned today that they won't have the services of slugging first baseman Carlos Pena for the rest of the season.

Pena was hit by a pitch on his left hand during the first game of Tampa Bay's doubleheader with the Yankees on Monday afternoon, and it broke both the middle and index fingers on the hand. To add insult to the injury, the ball that hit Pena was ruled a strike as he tried to check his swing before the ball hit his hand and the bat before going foul.

Pena was hitting only .228 this season, but he had an OPS of .895 with 39 homers -- 12 of which came in August -- and 100 runs driven in. He was 7 home runs short of his career high. It's the third straight season with at least 30 homers and 100 RBI since Pena joined the Rays in 2007.

Carlos Pena Will Miss Rest of Season originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Rays' Season Slips Away

Andrew Johnson — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Brewers, Marlins, Rangers, Rays, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Rays left their magic in 2008.

Fading Tampa Bay wasted a dazzling major league debut by Wade Davis, who allowed one run and struck out nine over seven innings, in a crushing 5-3 loss to the Tigers.

Davis' pitching helped the Rays carry a 3-1 lead into the ninth inning, but then the bullpen came unraveled. Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon used five relievers in the ninth, three of whom -- Grant Balfour, J.P. Howell and Russ Springer -- failed to record an out in succession.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Springer surrendered a grand slam to Detroit's Brandon Inge that turned a two-run lead into a two-run deficit.

"It's difficult, because if you lose games late like that, that's more difficult to take," Maddon said.

The Rays now sit a full seven games behind wild-card-leading Boston in the standings with 26 games to play, making them an extreme longshot to return to the postseason.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Bad news for two teams desperately trying to hang on in the playoff race. Chipper Jones missed Atlanta's 4-2 loss to the Reds Sunday with a sore abdomen. He's hoping to return to the lineup on Tuesday, but with Jones' injury history, you can never be sure.

Meanwhile, the Rangers will be without Josh Hamilton indefinitely. The Texas slugger missed the entirety of this weekend's series in Baltimore with a pinched nerve in his back and is expected to have a cortisone injection in the area in the coming days.

Numbers Game ...
Hanley Ramirez hit his 100th career home run Sunday, becoming the fourth-fastest shortstop to reach that threshold in major league history by hitting it in his 595th game. Only Alex Rodriguez, Nomar Garciaparra and Ernie Banks reached the century mark faster.

"I didn't even know it was my 100th home run,'' Ramirez said, not in the mood to dwell on his accomplishment after Florida's 5-4 loss. "After the game, they gave me the ball and told me it was my 100th home run.''

In Their Own Words ...
"That was fun. Especially the way our season is going now, it's always good to have some fun." -- Prince Fielder, whose 37th home run of the season gave the Brewers a walk-off 2-1 win over the Giants in 12 innings. Milwaukee also turned a 5-4-3 triple play in the game.

Advance Scouting ...
Two of the hottest team in baseball hook up for a Labor Day matinee, and one of them has plenty on the line. The Rockies -- winners of five of their last six and leaders in the NL wild-card race -- host the Reds (3:10 PM ET), who have won 12 of 14. Per FanHouse's Jeff Fletcher, this is Cincinnati's best 14-game stretch since 1998, when it won 13 of 14.

Starting Five: Rays' Season Slips Away originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 07 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: New Dodger Garland Garners Win Over Former Team

Ed Price — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Mets, Pirates, Rays, Rockies, Royals, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
Jon Garland couldn't beat them. So he joined them. And then he beat the old them.

Traded from the fourth-place Diamondbacks to the first-place Dodgers earlier in the week, Garland on Friday faced Arizona in his first start for Los Angeles.

"It was fun. I grew up coming to games here, and getting a chance to pitch for this team is definitely a dream come true," Garland said. "It's kind of awkward the way it happened -- but nevertheless, it did -- and I was able to throw a good one up. I didn't leave too many tickets. I cut the phone off and told people if they want to come, they can pay for it and support the team."

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Garland allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings, retiring the final 14 batters he faced, as the Dodgers won 4-2.

"I think it was more uncomfortable because I was in that other dugout the first game and then came over," Garland said. "I mean, if it would have been like a week or two weeks down the road, it would have been a little bit different. But the fact that it was in the same series, there was a little extra the first few innings."

... "Being able to go out there and give this team a good quality start, coming out of the game with the lead and ending up winning it, I couldn't have asked for much more," Garland said. "Once I finally calmed down and got my feet underneath me, the ball started moving a little bit more and I was getting more ground balls and we got off a nice little run."

The Dodgers expanded their lead in the NL West to 5 1/2 games; their magic numbers are 22 to eliminate the Giants and 23 to eliminate the Rockies.

Garland became the 12th different starter used this year by the Dodgers, one shy of the L.A. team record set in 1964. And the Dodgers have gotten a win from 21 different pitchers, most in the majors since the 2007 Rockies and Yankees had 22.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Not only did the Rays fall six games out in the wild-card race with 29 to play by losing 6-3 to the Red Sox, but center fielder B.J, Upton left the game with a sprained left ankle. Upton collided with left fielder Carl Crawford in the fifth inning and will miss at least two more games.

Numbers Game ...
Mets lefty Pat Misch, in the rotation because of injuries to Oliver Perez and Johan Santana, got his first big-league win in his 55th career appearance (13th start). Misch, who held the Rockies to two runs in seven innings, was the first southpaw to go winless in his first 12 starts since Mike Mohler of the 1993-97 A's.

In Their Own Words ...
"In our immediate-gratification society, everybody wants to point fingers. But from what I've seen from everything that goes on in this organization, Trey Hillman's leadership is one of the strengths of our organization. People can debate that, and I know they will, but it's one of the strengths of our organization because the guy is a winner and he works and he cares." -- Royals GM Dayton Moore, four-year extension in hand, saying that manager Trey Hillman will be back in 2010 as well.

Advance Scouting ...
Adam Wainwright can add to his case for the Cy Young Award -- he's right there, along with teammate Chris Carpenter and San Francisco's Tim Lincecum -- as St. Louis visits Pittsburgh (7:05 PM ET). Wainwright (16-7, 2.47 ERA) is tied for the major league lead in wins and is third in the NL in ERA. His streak of 12 starts going at least six innings while allowing no more than two runs is the longest since Greg Maddux had 13 such games in a row in 1995.

Starting Five: New Dodger Garland Garners Win Over Former Team originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Rays Would Prefer You Not Leave Fake Bombs at the Stadium

Josh Alper — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Rays, AL East

Gosh, some people are really taking this Scott Kazmir trade the wrong way.

A mechanic who works for the Rays was arrested on Wednesday afternoon after police found a fake bomb in a cabinet at Tropicana Field. Someone found a beeping box taped to a shelf with wires sticking out of it and understandably thought that it might be something untoward. Police came to investigate and William L. Jordan stepped forward to admit his role building and hiding the device as a practical joke.

"Within a few minutes of getting the call, this guy came forward and said 'I'm sorry,' " said police spokesman Bill Proffitt. "I can only speculate that he saw that everyone was taking this serious."

Jordan's a couple of years too late. Back in 2005 and 2006, you could have built a real bomb, attached it to a sign that read "This is a real bomb," and left it on second base and no one would have even noticed. Now that people actually pay attention to Rays games, especially with the Red Sox in town, it's harder to get away with the old fake bomb trick.

That's an often unnoticed byproduct of on-field success. If you're on the maintenance staff for a losing team without many fans, the world is really your oyster. You can leave the sprinklers on all night and turn the field into a swimming pool, replace the ballpark lights with those from a tanning bed and get some color and, yes, play staff-wide games of fake bomb hide-and-seek without anybody raising so much as an eyebrow.

The Rays had to ruin everything by getting good last season, though, and now a man's in jail because he tried to make a few people laugh by thinking they were going to get blown up. Thankfully for Jordan, the Royals are still hiring.

The Rays Would Prefer You Not Leave Fake Bombs at the Stadium originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Teams on Bubble Keep Hopes Alive

Ed Price — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Marlins, Rays, White Sox, MLB Injuries, MLB Milestones, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
The White Sox, Rays and Marlins aren't irrelevant yet.

All three teams faced near must-win games Wednesday, and all came through -- late.

Chicago, which would have fallen eight games out in the AL Central and 4 1/2 behind second-place Minnesota, rallied against Twins closer Joe Nathan with four runs in the ninth for a 4-2 victory.

"Hopefully we start playing better and have a little more fun, at least have a little more fun," [Sox manager Ozzie] Guillen said. "You think we're out [of post-season contention]. People think we're out, just go out there and enjoy it. Hopefully things turn around."

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Tampa Bay entered the night six games behind Boston in the AL wild-card chase. A loss would have dropped the Rays seven out with 30 to play, and they let a four-run lead turn into a tie game in the eighth inning.

Then Carlos Pena doubled, Pat Burrell singled and Evan Longoria homered, keeping alive Tampa Bay's faint hopes of repeating as AL champs.

"Everything's big now, every pitch is huge," Burrell said. "We put ourselves in that situation, and you can't be surprised by anything at this point. We have to go for it every time we step on the field. We've got a lot of ground to make up - some of which I think we're capable of doing, and we might need a little help."

Meanwhile, further south in Florida, the Marlins were letting a ninth-inning lead get away, as the Braves' Yunel Escobar homered to tie the game. But Wes Helms, who had entered in a double switch in the top of the ninth, homered with one out in the bottom of the inning.

That prevented Florida from dropping to six games out in the NL wild-card standings -- tied for fourth with the Cubs -- and three back of Atlanta.

"It felt like we won that game but we didn't," Braves manager Bobby Cox said.

From the Trainer's Room ...
The same day the Rangers found out star third baseman Michael Young will be out at least two weeks with a strained hamstring, slugger Josh Hamilton had to come out of their game with a sore lower back.

Hamilton hopes to be in the lineup Friday in Cleveland. He's been receiving treatment on his back all week.

"I'm doing everything I can to make it feel better," said Hamilton, who doubled and scored before leaving. "It seems like the more I run, the worse it feels. It's good we've got a day off tomorrow."

Hamilton had been heating up, it seemed, batting .342 in August and homering Tuesday to snap an drought of 99 homerless at-bats.

Numbers Game ...
Alex Rodriguez got his 2,500th career hit Wednesday, a fifth-inning single at Baltimore. And that means A-Rod is now tied with former teammate Gary Sheffield for the fewest triples by a player with 2,500 or more hits: 27.

In Their Own Words ...
"It's been a horrible season. It's been a horrible season for me and a horrible season pretty much for everybody." -- Royals outfielder Jose Guillen, who left a 10-4 loss to the Athletics with a sore hamstring four innings after starter Brian Bannister had to depart with "shoulder fatigue."

Advance Scouting ...
In his first two starts for the Cardinals, John Smoltz drew San Diego and Washington -- the worst offense and the worst team in the National League, respectively. Thursday night he gets more of a test when St. Louis hosts Milwaukee, third in the league in runs scored (2:15 p.m. ET). Then again, Smoltz has never lost to the Brewers, going 3-0 with six saves and a 2.84 ERA in 15 appearances (five starts) against them.

Starting Five: Teams on Bubble Keep Hopes Alive originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Phillies' Howard Making MVP Case

Ed Price — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Brewers, Cardinals, Phillies, Pirates, Rays, Tigers, Twins, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Ryan Howard is trying to challenge Albert Pujols for National League MVP.

Howard homered twice, doubled and drove in three runs Friday in the Phillies' 4-2 defeat of the Braves. Philadelphia now has an eight-game lead in the NL East.

"It makes you feel good when he starts hitting," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "He's amazing. He'll take two swings and not look too good, then all of a sudden he stays on a pitch and smokes it out of the yard. He's a tremendous hitter."

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Pujols, who hit a walk-off homer Friday, has 41 home runs, 108 RBI, a .440 on-base percentage and a .666 slugging percentage.

Howard has 37 homers, 111 RBI, a .352 on-base percentage and a .572 slugging percentage.

But Howard is heating up as the September nears. Over his past 15 games, Howard is 20-for-59 (.339) with 11 homers and 29 RBI.

He has also excelled in divisional play, with 19 homers and 46 RBI in 51 games against NL East teams.

Howard leads the NL in go-ahead RBI (36) and game-winning RBI (17), and the Phillies are 25-7 when he homers.

From the Trainer's Room ...
After a defeat of the Rangers, the Twins put third baseman Joe Crede on the disabled list because of his chronically bad back. Crede is hitting just .229 but he has 15 homers and 48 RBI in 328 at-bats while other Minnesota third basemen have combined for one homer and 16 RBI in 172 at-bats.

Numbers Game ...
Pittsburgh lost for the 19th straight time in Milwaukee, tying a major-league record. Toronto lost 19 straight at Baltimore in 1978-81. One player, Ryan Doumit, remains from the Bucs starting lineup on May 3, 2007 -- the last time the Pirates won at Miller Park. Chris Duffy, Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez, Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, Jose Bautista, Ronny Paulino and Tom Gorzelanny have all since departed.

In Their Own Words ...
"Timmy showed what he's about. He's a guy you want on the mound in a game like this. He knew how big this game was." -- Giants manager Bruce Bochy on ace Tim Lincecum, who threw a season-high 127 pitches while holding the Rockies to four hits in eight scoreless innings, enabling San Francisco to get within two games of the wild-card lead

Advance Scouting ...
There's only a game difference in their record, but the Rays and Tigers, who meet today in Detroit (4:05 PM ET), are in much different situations. Tampa Bay is 4 1/2 games out in the AL wild-card race and sends the the mound lefty David Price, who is 0-4 with an 8.07 ERA on the road. Meanwhile, Detroit enjoys a 4 1/2-game lead in the AL Central and turns to lefty Nate Robertson, who makes his first big-league appearance since June 26. Robertson missed two months after surgery for a mass in his elbow.

Starting Five: Phillies' Howard Making MVP Case originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 29 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Angels Hope Scott Kazmir Will Help This Season and Beyond

Jeff Fletcher — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:50:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Rays, MLB Transactions

As often happens in baseball, one team's trash is another team's treasure.

To the Rays, Scott Kazmir was a guy with a 5.92 ERA who was due to make at least $22.5 million between now and 2012. To the Angels, he's a two-time All-Star who is signed for two more years with a track record of success against the Yankees.

However you slice it, the deal gives the impression that the Rays aren't holding much hope of returning to the postseason this year. They dealt Kazmir just as he was pitching better, in exchange for a couple 21-year-old minor leaguers (pitcher Alex Torres and third baseman Matthew Sweeney) and a player to be named. With a four-game deficit in the wild-card race -- and two teams to leapfrog -- it's probably wise for the Rays to start looking to the future.

That future does not include paying Kazmir $8 million in 2010 and $11 million in 2011, along with a $2.5 million buyout or $13.5 million in 2012. It's hard to blame them, considering that Kazmir has had injury problems throughout his career, and this year he had fifth-worst ERA of any pitcher who had thrown at least 100 innings.

The glass-half-full Angels, though, were obviously ready to write off this season as an aberration. Kazmir, after all, had an ERA below 4.00 every other season he'd been in the majors, including double-digit victory totals, and a winning record, in every other full season he'd pitched. Last year he was the Rays' ace as they shocked the baseball world, winning the pennant.

The Angels have been scrounging around for pitchers to fill out their rotation all season. The top three pitchers are set for the postseason, with John Lackey, Jered Weaver and Ervin Santana. Joe Saunders would be a logical No. 4 starter, but he's struggled and was recently on the disabled list. Unfortunately for the Angels, they had no one to push Saunders for that spot. They were giving the ball to such guys as Matt Palmer, Sean O'Sullivan, Shane Loux and Dustin Moseley, to name a few.

Now, they have Kazmir and Saunders to compete for that final spot in the playoff rotation.

Kazmir also has a track record of success against the Yankees, a potential playoff opponent of the Angels. Kazmir is 6-4 with a 2.53 ERA in 14 career games against the Yankees. This season Kazmir is 4-0 with a 2.92 ERA against the Yankees and Red Sox.

Looking even further down the road, Kazmir gives the Angels some depth if they fail to re-sign Lackey, who is a free agent. Negotiations with Lackey haven't gone far this year, and the pitcher seems destined to at least test the market.

For the Angels, who can afford the financial risk more than the Rays, it was a no-brainer to part with two second-rate prospects in exchange for Kazmir's possible upside, this year and beyond.

Angels Hope Scott Kazmir Will Help This Season and Beyond originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Cardinals' Pineiro Stays Hot

Jeff Fletcher — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cardinals, Giants, Marlins, Rays, Rockies, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Cardinals' Big Two has quietly become a Big Three. By now most around baseball have noticed that Adam Wainwright is having an outstanding season behind ace Chris Carpenter, but lately Joel Pineiro has been on a roll, too.

After beating the Astros, 3-2, on Wednesday, Pineiro is 7-0 with a 2.65 ERA in his last 10 starts. The Cardinals have won all 10 games. Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that the Cardinals are 28-3 in games started by Carpenter, Wainwright and Pineiro since July 1.

With the win, the Cardinals improved to 20 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2005 season.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

From The Trainers' Room...
Rays outfielder Carl Crawford, who has been out since Monday because of a sore lower back, is improving. Manager Joe Maddon said he expects Crawford to return to the lineup when the Rays play the Tigers on Friday.

By The Numbers...
Marlins right Josh Johnson improved to 19-2 against NL East teams. Johnson, who beat the Mets on Wednesday, improved to 7-0 against New York. Johnson also improved to 32-14 in his career. His .696 winning percentage ranks third among active pitchers with at least 40 decisions (Behind Tim Lincecum's .725 and Jon Lester's .712).

In Their Own Words...
"I don't believe in stats at a time like that. It's just you against him." -- Giants catcher Bengie Molina, who said he was unaware of the fact that he was 3-for-5 in his career against Diamondbacks closer Chad Qualls before hitting a pinch-hit three-run homer against him in the eighth inning. Molina, who came off the bench because he's out with a sore quad, helped the Giants to a 4-3 victory, their second comeback win in a row after Monday's gut-wrenching loss to the Rockies.

Advance Scouting...
The Dodgers and Rockies will play the rubber game of their series in Denver (3:10 PM ET), with Vicente Padilla getting his first start for Los Angeles. Padilla, who was released by the Rangers earlier this season, is 8-6 with a 4.92 ERA. Padilla hasn't pitched in Colorado since 2006. The only member of the Rockies with any significant numbers against him is Todd Helton, who is 4-for-9 with 3 doubles. Helton will probably get one in the ribs.

Starting Five: Cardinals' Pineiro Stays Hot originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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