MLB FanHouse

What the FIP? Cy Voters Still Missed

Jeff Fletcher — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Cardinals, Giants, MLB Awards

Since Zack Greinke and Tim Lincecum won Cy Young awards this week with modest victory totals, there has been much discussion about how baseball writers are finally moving into the 21st century and looking beyond the win column.

Although I'm all for patting baseball writers on the back -- since I am one, and I did vote for Greinke -- I think in the case of the NL Cy Young, my colleagues may have looked past victories, and still picked the wrong guy to make their point.

Let's start with the ol' FIP, or Fielding Independent Pitching. FIP is a stat intended to quantify how well a pitcher performed based solely on the things in his control (strikeouts, walks and homers) without regard to the vagaries of the defense behind him.

More Coverage: Lincecum Ekes Out NL Cy Young

FIP is a great stat when trying to project the future. If I were a scout or a GM, I'd be all over pitchers who had a good FIP.

However, when we're talking about the Cy Young, it's not about projecting the future. It's about evaluating what the pitcher actually did. And as far as evaluating what he did, an out is out is an out.

What really matters in pitching? Getting outs. Preventing runs.

Fortunately, we already have two excellent, garden-variety stats that tell us what we need to know about these things. As far as getting outs, opponents' on-base percentage is the ultimate measure. It's easier-to-calculate cousin is WHIP. As far as preventing runs, we've got ERA.

So let's look at our two NL Cy Young contenders: Tim Lincecum and Chris Carpenter. (Two? Yes. More on that later.)

Lincecum had a 2.48 ERA and a WHIP of 1.05, while Carpenter's numbers were 2.24 and 1.01. Looks to me like Carpenter did a better job than Lincecum at those two jobs: getting outs and preventing runs.

Now, the pro-Lincecum people are going to bring out his FIP. Lincecum's FIP of 2.34 was much better than Carpenter's 2.78. The reason for that is essentially that Lincecum had 10.42 strikeouts per nine innings, and Carpenter had just 6.73.

Lincecum is a power pitcher. He struck guys out. Carpenter is not. He let guys put the ball in play and his defense got the outs.

If I'm trying to project the future of both pitchers, or if I'm trying to decide which guy I'd like on my team for 2010 or beyond (ignoring their age, in this case), I'll take the guy with the strikeouts. Strikeouts are nice and clean and don't require any help from the defense.

But if I'm filling out a 2009 Cy Young ballot, I don't care about 2010 or projections. I care about what actually happened. What actually happened was that Carpenter got outs at a better rate than Lincecum. Just that more of them were boring grounders to the shortstop instead of big exciting punchouts. You can say that strikeouts are better than groundouts because you can't move a runner or score a run on a strikeout, but Carpenter still did a better job preventing runs, so it didn't matter.

Is it really fair to penalize a pitcher who did his job (got outs, prevented runs) because he didn't do it a certain way (with strikeouts)?

Not to me.

Let's look at another of the numbers that went against Carpenter: Innings pitched. Carpenter was hurt for a little over a month. He made four fewer starts and pitched 32 fewer innings than Lincecum.

If I'm judging the pitchers on their value to the team, that's a consideration. Those 32 innings Carpenter didn't pitch were pitched by guys much worse than him, and it hurt the Cardinals when he wasn't out there. That counts against his value, for sure. In an MVP race, Carpenter would definitely lose points for not being out there.

But the Cy Young isn't about "value." It's about performance. It's about how well a guy pitched. A pitcher should be evaluated for what he did when he was on the mound, not for what happened to his team when he wasn't. Penalizing Carpenter for a game Mitchell Boggs pitched is no better than penalizing Greinke because (pick your own Royals player) is lousy.

The only reason to consider innings is if one pitcher was so far short in innings that you could question whether his rate stats would have been sustainable if he'd pitched a full season. If a pitcher made five starts in April with a 1.20 ERA and then blew out his arm and missed the rest of the year, you couldn't assume that he'd have maintained that level over five more months. In Carpenter's case, though, he made 28 starts. I feel pretty confident that anything he could do over 28 starts he could also do over 32.

If you want to put a premium on "stuff" (read: strikeouts) or "value" (read: innings pitched), that's OK. That's just not my interpretation of what the Cy Young is. I don't think picking Lincecum is an egregious mistake. I just wouldn't have picked him.

Hey, you ask, what about Adam Wainwright? He's not even in this conversation because he was well behind Lincecum and Carpenter in my Big Two stats, ERA and WHIP. When it came to the fundamentals of the pitcher's job, getting outs and preventing runs, he simply wasn't as good as the other two.

What he was good at was sitting in the dugout while his team scored runs, or sitting in the dugout while his bullpen recorded saves. The fact that Wainwright still got the most first-place votes for the Cy Young shows that too many of my colleagues are still over-valuing victories.

We are moving in the right direction, but we're not there yet.

What the FIP? Cy Voters Still Missed originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NL Cy Young Award: Tim Lincecum

Jeff Fletcher — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: Cardinals, Giants, MLB Awards

Tim Lincecum won his second consecutive Cy Young Award on Thursday, pulling out a narrow victory that is likely to be the story of this awards season.

The Giants' 25-year-old flame-thrower edged out Cardinals' teammates Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright in an election that was just as tight and unpredictable as expected, with a twist at the end.

Lincecum (15-7, 2.48) had the fewest victories of any starter to win the Cy Young in a nonstrike season, and he also became only the second pitcher to win the Cy Young without getting the most first-place votes.

Lincecum received 11 first-place votes among the 32 ballots cast, from two writers in each National League city. Wainwright got 12 first-place votes, but he finished third because he had only five second-place votes. Carpenter, the only one of the three who was not named on all 32 ballots, got nine first-place votes and finished second.

In 1998, Tom Glavine edged Trevor Hoffman, despite getting two fewer first-place votes than Hoffman.

With voting based on a 5-3-1 points system, Lincecum totaled 100 points, followed by Carpenter with 94 and Wainwright with 90.

The six-point margin between the top two was tied for the third smallest since Cy Young voting expanded to three spots per ballot in 1970. The smallest margin was Steve Bedrosian's two-point victory over Rick Sutcliffe in 1987, followed by Fernando Valenzuela's three-point win over Tom Seaver in 1981. The 1979 election was also a six-point victory, for Bruce Sutter over Joe Niekro.

This race was expected to be a tight one because the pitchers had such similar performances.

How They Voted
Voting for 2009 NL Cy Young (5 points for a first-place vote, 3 for second, 1 for third):
Player, Team	1st	2nd	3rd	Pts
Lincecum, Giants	11	12	9	100
Carpenter, Cardinals	9	14	7	94
Wainwright, Cards	12	5	15	90
Vazquez, Braves		1		3
Haren, D-backs			1	1

Lincecum led the league with 261 strikeouts, but he finished just behind Carpenter (17-4, 2.24) in ERA. Wainwright (19-8, 2.63) led the way in victories. Wainwright and Lincecum both pitched at least 30 more innings than Carpenter, who missed a month early in the season with an injury. Wainwright and Carpenter pitched the Cardinals into the playoffs, while Lincecum's Giants finished in third place in the NL West.

The voting was completed before the start of the playoffs (and before Lincecum had been arrested for possession of marijuana, by the way).

With the repeat victory, Lincecum became the first pitcher since Randy Johnson to win consecutive Cy Youngs. Johnson won four in a row from 1999-2002.

Lincecum, at 25 years, five months, is the youngest pitcher to win back-to-back Cy Youngs since Roger Clemens won his second in 1987 at 25 years and three months.

There have been eight pitchers who have won back-to-back Cy Young awards. Johnson and Greg Maddux hold the record at four in a row, followed by Clemens, Sandy Koufax, Lincecum, Pedro Martinez, Denny McClain and Jim Palmer, who each won two in a row. Clemens won two in a row twice.

At the end of Lincecum's conference call with the media, he read a statement regarding the marijuana charges.

"I made a mistake and I regret my actions earlier this month in Washington. I want to apologize to the Giants organization and to the fans. I know as a professional athlete I have a responsibility to conduct myself appropriately both on and off the field. I certainly have learned a valuable lesson through all this and promise to do better in the future. I hope and expect the matter will be resolved soon. In the meantime, I am focused on preparing for the 2010 season. Since all this is still pending before the courts, this is all I can say on the topic right now."

NL Cy Young Award: Tim Lincecum originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Jason Schmidt Likely to Retire

Pat Lackey — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:24:00 EST

Filed under: Dodgers, Giants, NL West

Though he hasn't made anything official and he's gone ahead and filed for free agency, Jason Schmidt is sounding more and more like a man who's thrown his last major league pitch. When approached by Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, Schmidt says that he field for free agency simply to "keep his options open," but in his mind, he retired when his season ended in August.

If that is the case, that means that Schmidt's All-Star career will end with a whimper. After signing a three-year, $47 million contract with the Dodgers prior to the 2007 season, two shoulder surgeries limited Schmidt to only 10 starts in Dodger blue. Because of the injuries, he missed all of the 2008 season and huge chunks of 2007 and 2009.

The nature of his contract and the amount of time missed to injury (Schmidt ended up being paid almost $5 million per start in LA) are what a lot of people associate Schmidt with now, but there was certainly more to his career.

In the five full seasons he pitched with the Giants before moving to L.A., Schmidt never made less than 29 starts or threw less than 172 innings. He struck out a batter an inning with a 2.70 K/BB ratio and had a 3.36 ERA and 1.18 WHIP during his time in San Francisco. If not for Eric Gagne's amazing 2003 season, he might even have a Cy Young Award to his name.

That's the Schmidt worth remembering, even if his tenure in L.A. was disastrous.

Jason Schmidt Likely to Retire originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

BaseCast: Heavy on the Cys

Andrew Johnson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cardinals, Giants, Royals, MLB Awards, BaseCast

It's a baseball podcast. The math is easy, right? BaseCast. Let's rock.

The American League Cy Young Award winner, Zack Greinke, was announced Tuesday and the National League Cy Young winner will be announced Thursday, so what better time for the MLB FanHouse crew to discuss both pieces of hardware.

In this edition of BaseCast, Jeff Fletcher, Ed Price and I discuss the implications of Greinke capturing the award, both for the voting body and for the team he plays for, before trying to wrap our head around the intriguing NL race, which features three excellent pitchers (Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Tim Lincecum), but no clear favorite.

Listen in after the jump.

Listen to the podcast above, or click here to download the file.

BaseCast: Heavy on the Cys originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Pablo Sandoval and 'Operation Panda'

Matt Snyder — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NL West

If Pablo Sandoval took a month or two off after the season to enjoy himself before working back into game shape, no one would have blamed him. After all, the rotund 22-year-old slugger blossomed into a star in just his first full season at the major league level. He hit .330 with 25 home runs and 90 RBI. His OPS of .943 was incredible for a player so young and without much lineup protection.

Apparently, Sandoval wasn't satisfied, though. He hasn't been resting, nor does he plan to. In fact, he's going through an intense training regimen in which he intends to lose a significant amount of weight and build muscle instead of fat. Naturally, it's been dubbed "Operation Panda."

"I love this team and the way they treat me,'' Sandoval says later in the afternoon, after he finishes about 10 minutes of alternating between warm and cold tubs to minimize muscle soreness.

"The fans, I love them and want them to know I'll always be the guy who's working hard. I know I have to lose weight so I can play this game for a long time.''

Believe this: Sandoval has never lifted weights before in his life until this offseason. He's teaming with a nutrition professor at Arizona State University and eating a special diet. He's riding more stationary bikes and running more than he ever has.

It's not that Sandoval was morbidly obese or anything. Far from it. At an estimated 5-foot-11, 245 pounds, Sandoval was simply a bit thicker than most major league players. It didn't hold him back at the plate in 2009, either, as many National League pitchers would attest.

Thus far, Operation Panda has already helped Sandoval drop 10 pounds. It's only Nov. 12, so there's a long way to go this offseason. He reportedly plans to continue hitting everything this hard throughout the entire offseason. That means we shouldn't be surprised to see Sandoval show up at spring training with a lot more muscle and a lot less fat than last season.

When that happens, it only means good news for the Giants and bad news for the rest of baseball. We've already seen Sandoval's physical tools and know they can translate to superstardom. Now, we're seeing that he has the mentality to match.

It would appear the Giants have their offensive centerpiece for a long time -- even if he's a bit slimmer than they imagined.

Pablo Sandoval and 'Operation Panda' originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Money Worries Could Force Reds to Move All-Star Phillips, Others

Ed Price — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:48:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Blue Jays, Giants, Nationals, Red Sox, Reds, Tigers, Yankees, MLB Inside Scoop

Editor's Note: FanHouse's Jeff Fletcher contributed to this report

CHICAGO -- The Reds' need to slash payroll, according to a major league source, could lead them to explore trading second baseman Brandon Phillips as well as right-handers Bronson Arroyo and Aaron Harang.

Cincinnati's 2009 payroll was about $71 million. General manager Walt Jocketty said during a break Tuesday at the GM Meetings that he "might" have to move some high-salaried players to meet the 2010 goal.

"We're going to probably have less to spend this year than we have in the past," Jocketty told FanHouse. "It just depends on how [ticket] sales go this offseason."

Boras: Holliday Can Play in Either League

Cincinnati's total attendance fell from 2.06 million in 2008 to 1.75 million this year, a drop of more than 15 percent.

The source above said the Reds plan to cut back to $65-70 million, which is a challenge in part because of raises due Harang ($11 million to $12.5 million), Arroyo (from $9.5 million to $11 million) and Phillips (from $4.75 million to $5 million).

With their salaries and so-so 2009 seasons, the pitchers would be hard to trade without the Reds taking on some of their pay. So Cincinnati's best bet could be finding a taker for Phillips, who last season hit .276 with 30 doubles, 20 homers, 98 RBI and 25 stolen bases.

The source said the Reds would prefer to keep closer Francisco Cordero, who has two years and $25 million left on his deal. They also need a shortstop and a catcher and have a decision to make at first base, where Joey Votto hit .322 but prospect Yonder Alonso (.838 OPS in the minors last season) seems close to being ready.

o. In a 180-degree turn from predecessor J.P. Ricciardi, new Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos declined any comment on whether he will trade ace Roy Halladay. But baseball sources expect that to happen this winter, with one GM predicting the Dodgers as a landing spot.

o. Detroit is probably content to let second baseman Placido Polanco sign elsewhere as a free agent and replace him with prospect Scott Sizemore, who by spring training is expected to be recovered by from a broken ankle suffered in the Arizona Fall League. It would seem to make sense for the Tigers to re-sign shortstop Adam Everett, a defensive specialist who could help a rookie double-play partner.

o. Washington should name its manager by the end of the week. A source confirmed the FOXSports.com report that Jim Riggleman, who finished out the 2009 season as interim manager, and Bobby Valentine are the finalists. One major league source said the decision will be based on who can help the team develop -- rather than public personality -- which seems to point to Riggleman.

Once that is settled, the Nats may target a veteran starting pitcher to top off and mentor their young rotation. Jon Garland and Randy Wolf are free agents who fit the profile.

Washington seems committed to Adam Dunn at first base with an outfield of Josh Willingham, Nyjer Morgan and Elijah Dukes. And Ian Desmond (.280 as a September call-up) will get a chance to be the everyday shortstop.

o. One official from another team expects the Red Sox to trade for a left fielder to replace Jason Bay, in part because they see Bay's rough two-month stretch from late June to late August -- .214 average with 59 strikeouts in 168 at-bats -- as a red flag. But another major league source said Boston is still engaged with Bay, a free agent. The Giants, in dire need of offense, could also get involved with the slugger.

"Chronological age does not have anything to do with a player of his genetics."
-- Scott Boras on client and free agent Johnny Damon San Francisco general manager Brian Sabean said his team won't be used as a pawn in a bidding war.

"You've got to be realistic," Sabean said. "Do they really want to come to San Francisco versus the people they are going to be talking to, including their own teams? We'll gauge in that way. People who are interested in San Francisco sincerely, we'll be interested in. Are we going to chase people we have no chance of signing?"

The Giants may have a tough time convincing a slugger to play in San Francisco because AT&T Park is so pitcher-friendly.

"If you can hit, you can hit," Sabean said. "The ballpark shouldn't bother you."

o. Johnny Damon just turned 36, but, as you'd expect, that's not going to deter Scott Boras from seeking as long a contract as he can get.

"The thing I'll say about Johnny is his durability is off the charts," Boras said. "It's like when I had Maddux on the market at age 37 and he got a four-year deal. Johnny Damon is at the point he's played 12 years and played 140-plus games and put up this remarkable career. Then you are talking about Pete Rose and all those players who went on to play till they were 40 at very high levels. Chronological age does not have anything to do with a player of his genetics."

Boras also said that Damon would not necessarily want to wait until he goes on the open market to re-sign with the Yankees, even though he conceded that it is customary for Boras clients to test the waters.

"If there is a deal that comes across the table that Johnny is happy with, I'm sure he'd sign quickly," Boras said.

o. The Angels have started a dialogue with all of their free agents, including the two big ones, John Lackey and Chone Figgins. General manager Tony Reagins said it's too early to tell how those negotations will go.

He said neither player has closed the door on re-signing with the Angels before the end of the 15-day exclusive negotiating window.

o. After the main portion of the GM Meetings on Tuesday morning, there was a second meeting just for the assistant GMs. Essentially, that's the meeting where they discuss topics so mundane that MLB officials know that the GMs would leave if they were invited.

"We spent 20 minutes talking about urine samples," one assistant GM said.

Money Worries Could Force Reds to Move All-Star Phillips, Others originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:48:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Giants Ace Tim Lincecum Busted for Possession of Marijuana

Pat Lackey — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:03:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NL West, MLB Police Blotter

Tim Lincecum was cited by the state police in Washington for possession of marijuana this week. The pot was found in his car after he was pulled over for speeding near the Oregon border on Oct. 30. It was a small amount, and the police determined that Lincecum was not intoxicated while driving, so he's been cited for misdemeanor possession. After his hearing on Nov. 23, that will likely be the last we hear of this particular incident.

Andrew Baggarly, the San Jose Mercury writer who wrote the blog entry linked above, guesses that this incident won't be much more than an embarrassment for Lincecum and that it's unlikely to affect his potential arbitration hearing early next year. He's probably right that it'd be wrong for the Giants to accuse their superstar pitcher of being a dirty hippie for having a few grams of pot in his car, but that's a funny mental image I'm stuck with and now I hope you are, too.

Lincecum was probably pretty high on most people's list of MLB players that could potentially get caught with a little bit of pot, but there will probably be some Giants fans disappointed by this news (then again, maybe not, they are mostly from San Francisco) nonetheless. Still, Lincecum wasn't high while he was driving, he wasn't excessively speeding, and if he'd just get a haircut this entire incident probably could have been avoided entirely.

Of course, marijuana is illegal and so that disappointment isn't necessarily unjustified, but he owned up to it and there are really much, much worse ways he could be spending his offseason.

Giants Ace Tim Lincecum Busted for Possession of Marijuana originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Giants Sign Freddy Sanchez to Extension

Pat Lackey — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:35:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NL West

The San Francisco Giants announced today that they've come to terms with second baseman Freddy Sanchez on a two-year deal. Terms weren't announced, but with the Giants holding an $8 million option on Sanchez, it's probably safe to assume that the cost for them per year will be less than that. T

That option would've vested for Sanchez on its own if he'd reached 600 plate appearances, but a shoulder and knee injuries limited him to just 25 games in a Giants uniform after he was traded to San Francisco from Pittsburgh. The shoulder's been a nagging problem for Sanchez for some time, but when healthy Sanchez has been one of the best hitting second basemen in the NL over the past few seasons, being named to three of the last four All-Star teams and winning a batting title in 2006.

"We are pleased to have Freddy in a Giants uniform for at least the next two years as we continue to improve our club", said general manager Brian Sabean in a team press release. "We saw a glimpse of him this past season and will look forward to his All-Star caliber play at the top of our lineup and in the middle of our infield. He provides a steady veteran presence and professional approach."

Because of the shoulder problem, that glimpse the Giants got this year was none too impressive. Sanchez hit just .284/.295/.324 in those 25 games in orange and black. In the past two seasons, Sanchez has only put up OPSes of .669 and .742, a substantial drop from .851 in 2006 and .787 in 2007. He's struggled a bit with injuries in each of the last two years, though, so the Giants are taking a bit of a gamble here that he'll be healthy going forwards. If he is, he could be an important addition to a lineup that needs as much help as it can get.

Giants Sign Freddy Sanchez to Extension originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Giants Officially Extend Sabean, Bochy

Jeff Fletcher — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Giants

There wasn't much drama involved with the Giants decision to re-sign general manager Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy, each of whom got two-year deals with options for 2012 on Tuesday. It was widely assumed that they would be back once the team established itself as a contender at midseason, and it was reported a couple weeks ago that it was a fait accompli.

In fact, managing general partner Bill Neukom said the decision "was fairly easy. The team played so well and the results were positive. It was clear the direct affect of the work and leadership of each of these people toward that record "

Should it have been easy?

By all accounts, Bochy is a solid manager, one who is well-respected by his peers and his players. He seems to get good years out of good teams, and rarely do you hear much griping about his teams underachieving. In fact, there is not question that this year's Giants team at least met its potential. This was a bad offensive team that won 88 games on pitching alone.

Which brings us to the man who put this team together. Did Sabean, the GM with the longest tenure with his current team, deserve to get a new contract?

A few years ago, when the Giants were contending every year, Sabean was thought to have one of baseball's sharpest minds. Then Barry Bonds got old and retired, and the Giants suddenly weren't so good any more. They had an organization that was built for the short-term, because of Bonds, and once he was gone Sabean couldn't exactly change the direction on a dime and suddenly roll out a Tampa Bay Rays-like stable of young talent.

At least Sabean has shown more of a willingness lately to let the Giants young players have a shot. He opted against acquiring a hitter like Adam Dunn or Bobby Abreu or Orlando Hudson last winter because he wanted to save room for young players like Fred Lewis, Emmanuel Burriss and Travis Ishikawa. As it turned out, none of those guys panned out. You can criticize Sabean for making poor evaluations on those players, but at least his heart was in the right place. Any of those free agents might have turned out to be the next Michael Tucker, who is the poster boy for Sabean's habit of signing second-rate free-agents past their prime as short-term fixes.

The Giants still need to get some offense somewhere over the winter, and it's not going to be easy. The free-agent market is thin (Matt Holliday and Jason Bay) and the Giants don't really have the organizational depth to make a big trade. Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey are the only blue-chip prospects left now that Angel Villalona's future is in question.

The Giants best hope is that Sabean can accurately judge the market and sift out the difference between the Russell Branyans and the Edgar Renterias, getting good value for his dollars.

His boss thinks he can.

Giants Officially Extend Sabean, Bochy originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Giants to Bring Back Sabean, Bochy

Jeff Fletcher — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:04:00 EST

Filed under: Giants

There was not much doubt that Giants general manager Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy would be back next year, considering the team jumped into contention following three losing seasons, but the San Francisco Chronicle has reported that it is a done deal. An announcement could come sometime next week.

Managing general partner Bill Neukom, who is completing his first year on the job, has been complimentary of the jobs done by both men all season, but he insisted throughout that the Giants would not make any final decisions until after the season.

Sabean, who just completed his 13th season running the Giants, is the second longest-tenured GM in the majors, trailing onlu San Diego's Kevin Towers. He has been criticized for relying too much on old players and overpaying free agents whose careers were declining.

Certainly, some of that was apparent this year, but in the big picture, the Giants showed dramatic improvement from last year. They were on their way to their 86th victory on Thursday afternoon. They won 72 games last year, and 71 the year before. This is their first winning season without Barry Bonds.

Sabean had left little doubt that Bochy was his man, so if Sabean was going to be back, it was likely he'd bring back Bochy.

Now, though, the job gets difficult for both of them. Simply contending won't be enough in 2010. In order to take the next step, the Giants are going to have to maintain their pitching while doing something about an offense that was one of the worst in the majors. The Giants have some money, but the free-agent market isn't that appealing this winter. After Matt Holliday and Jason Bay, it's an uninspiring group.

Giants to Bring Back Sabean, Bochy originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Tim Lincecum Open to Long-Term Deal

Josh Alper — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:05:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NL West

The Giants will have a pretty big decision to make this offseason regarding Tim Lincecum. Do they sign the insanely talented righthander to a long-term contract extension to buy out his arbitration years or do they let him go to arbitration and continue going the one-year contract route to avoid being on the hook for big money if something untoward happens to Lincecum's arm?

You'd imagine they'd opt for the long-term deal, so his answer to a question about a willingness to sign an extension was likely met with some smiles.

Yes," Lincecum said Thursday. "I definitely like San Francisco. I've seen nothing but positive things as far as my personal experiences. It's where I see myself being for awhile."

So the deal's getting done, right? Sadly, it won't be quite that easy for the Giants.

If Lincecum wins a second straight Cy Young come November, the picture will change dramatically. There's never been a pitcher entering arbitration with two awards of that magnitude under his belt which creates the possibility of a massive award that goes far beyond the current record for a pitcher of $6.25 million to Jonathan Papelbon. It also raises the likelihood that that number will continue to go up throughout his arbitration years which, in turn, will send his asking price higher and higher.

Since Zack Greinke has been the best pitcher in the American League this season, his contract is probably a decent jumping off point in discussions of a Lincecum extension. He signed a four-year, $38 million extension before the start of this season, and it's hard to figure that Lincecum would do a deal for a penny less. For one thing, Greinke didn't have a Cy Young (or two) and, for another, Lincecum doesn't have any red flag in his past that approaches Greinke's battle with anxiety disorder.

Most of the above is true even if Lincecum doesn't pick up a second trophy this year, and the results of that voting won't change his status as the cornerstone of the franchise. That has tremendous value and it's no sure thing that the Giants and Lincecum will put the same number on that value.

All of that is going to add up to a hefty salary in 2010, the only question is whether or not Lincecum will be locked up beyond then.

Tim Lincecum Open to Long-Term Deal originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Giants Prospect Angel Villalona Suspect In Dominican Slaying

Matt Snyder — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:05:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, Prospects

Angel Villalona, a highly-touted prospect in the San Francisco Giants' system, is the prime suspect in a killing.

The Associated Press is reporting the 19-year-old has turned himself into authorities in the Dominican Republic. He is a suspect in the shooting death of a 25-year-old man, Mario Felix de Jesus Velete, in a La Romana bar.

Villalona could face up to 20 years in prison, if he's found guilty of the crime. He will have a court appearance Monday.

Villalona first signed with the Giants when he was 16. This past season, in advanced Single-A, Villalona hit .267 with nine home runs, 42 RBI and a .704 OPS in 74 games.

He still has some work to do on plate discipline, as he struck out 73 times and walked just nine. He has been projected as a potentially solid major league power hitter down the line (in a few years) by some scouts.

Depending upon how things shake out regarding this incident, he may never have that chance.

The Giants have offered the following response:

"The Giants were disappointed to learn that there was an incident in the Dominican Republic last night in which an individual was killed and one of our minor league prospects, Angel Villalona, may have been involved. We will monitor the situation closely and trust that the judicial process in the Dominican Republic will resolve the matter promptly and fairly."

Giants Prospect Angel Villalona Suspect In Dominican Slaying originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Starting Five: Peavy Wins in Sox Debut

Jeff Fletcher — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Brewers, Dodgers, Giants, Phillies, Rangers, White 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 the White Sox may be out of the playoff race, but Jake Peavy still gave them something to get excited about. Peavy made his much-anticipated White Sox debut, pitching five effective innings to beat the Royals.

Peavy gave up three runs and his command was shaky, but he consistently threw his fastball in the low 90s. He threw 73 pitches, only 20 in his last two innings.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

"Once you get out there, it's like riding a bike. It comes back to you," said Peavy. "You certainly are comfortable in that surrounding. I did some things well and some things not so well. I got a long way to go to be where I want to be."

Peavy had not been in a game since he hurt his ankle with the Padres on June 8. The White Sox got him in a shocking deal just before the July 31 deadline. Although he came back too late to help them get to the playoffs in 2009, he is signed through 2012.

From The Trainers' Room...
For the second game in a row, the Phillies' starter had to come out of the game with an injury. Fortunately for the Phillies, both pitchers say they will be OK. A day after J.A. Happ was pulled as a precaution because of a lingering side injury, Pedro Martinez came out with a neck injury. Although there may have been some concern that Martinez, who threw 130 pitches in his last outing, had been overworked, Martinez said that he actually tweaked his neck swinging the bat. He said his arm is fine.

By The Numbers...
Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder set the franchise record for RBI in a season with his 127th. Coincidentally, the man whose record he broke was in the ballpark. In the other dugout, actually. Astros manager Cecil Cooper had 126 RBI for the Brewers in 1983.

In Their Own Words...
"Wow," -- Rangers closer Frank Francisco, who could hardly believe the way his ninth inning unfolded in a victory Texas desperately needed. The Rangers led the Angels, 3-2, in the ninth, but the Angels loaded the bases with one out. Francisco went to 3-0 on Howie Kendrick, but he eventually got him to hit into a game-ending double play. The Rangers snapped a five-game losing streak and pulled within 6 1/2 games of the Angels. The Rangers have only 15 games left, but five of them are against the Angels, so they have a heartbeat. Barely.

Advance Scouting...
The Dodgers and Giants will meet for the final time this season (4:10 PM ET). The Giants, who can't afford to lose more than a couple games the rest of the way to have a realistic shot at the postseason, send Tim Lincecum to the hill against the Dodgers' Randy Wolf. The Dodgers' magic number for clinching a playoff spot is six. Depending on what the Marlins do on Sunday, the Dodgers could cut it to four.

Starting Five: Peavy Wins in Sox Debut originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Rockies Hold On, Deal Final Blow in Heavyweight Bout With Giants

Jeff Fletcher — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:36:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, Rockies

SAN FRANCISCO -- Hours before the Giants and Rockies met on a baseball field for the final time this regular season, Rockies manager Jim Tracy was comparing the matchup to a bout with a couple fighters slugging away at each other.

Lots of blood, but no knockout.

The game on Wednesday night fit right in with the pattern, although the Giants are now perilously close to being down for the count. The Rockies' 4-3 victory, a game that ended only after the Giants had scored three times in the ninth and put the tying run on third, gave the Rockies a 3 1/2-game lead in the National League wild-card race.

"Three and a half definitely sounds a lot better than one and a half in your head," Todd Helton said. "This was definitely a big win."

While there were no concession or victory speeches in either clubouse, the math is getting more clear. If the Rockies simply go 8-7 (and they haven't done worse than that over any 15-game stretch since Tracy took over in late May), the Giants would need to win 12 of their last 16 to force a one-game playoff. The Giants haven't had a 12-4 stretch all year.

Combine that with the fact that the Rockies play nine of their final 15 at home, where they are 45-27, while the Giants have nine of their last 16 on the road, where they are 31-41, and, you get the idea.

It's looking more and more like the Rockies will be booking their second trip to the postseason in three years, while the Giants are going to be left out for the sixth year in a row.

Of course, anyone who lives by math and probabilities hasn't been watching the Rockies and Giants.

By all rights, the Giants should have been dead after they blew a 14th-inning lead to the Rockies last month, falling four games back. They won five of the next six.

The Giants should have had the momentum after they swept the Rockies last month in San Francisco, winning the last game on an Edgar Renteria grand slam to pull into a tie. Colorado won 10 of its next 11.

"We've taken turns throwing punches back and forth," Tracy said. "Every time you feel like you've got the other guy knocked down and he's not going to get back up before the 10 count, at about six or seven, he gets back up and here you go again.

"You'd have thought we'd have knocked them out with a 14th-inning grand slam. They stood back up. We came over here and thought we were in position to keep 'em quiet and the guy steps up and punches us in the nose with a grand slam. That's just the way it's been going."

And after the Giants "waffle-stomped" the Rockies -- it's an Aaron Rowand phrase -- by a combined score of 16-4 in the first two games of this series to pull within 2 1/2, you had to wonder which of these teams was ahead and which was behind.

The final round of this bout was one of the best, though. Jorge De La Rosa had dominated the Giants for eight innings, helping his team to a 4-0 lead.

"In the biggest start of his career, he pitched the best game of his career," Tracy said.

Trailing by four in the ninth, the Giants scored one on three consecutive hits and scored another when the Rockies blew a double play. The Rockies, one of the best defensive teams in baseball, had blown a second, critical double play ball in two games. The crowd of 38,696 was going bonkers, rattling the beams of AT&T Park.

Just when you thought the Giants might actually do it, might actually find a way to win this game and extend the only pennant race left, reliever Rafael Betancourt threw a perfect fastball by Nate Schierholtz, who struck out to strand the tying run at third.

And like that, it was all over for the Giants.

The game and, likely, the season.

Rockies Hold On, Deal Final Blow in Heavyweight Bout With Giants originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Starting Five: AL East Wasn't Much of a Fight, So Yankees Find One

Ed Price — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blue Jays, Giants, Padres, Rangers, Rockies, Royals, Tigers, Yankees, 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 the Yankees are still fired up despite their large lead in the AL East.

After two Yankees pitchers hit Blue Jays batters in Tuesday's game, Toronto's Jesse Carlson threw behind Jorge Posada in the bottom of the eighth.

Posada glared, benches briefly emptied, but there were no punches. Yet.

Instead of letting it end there, or charging the mound, Posada waited until he walked and then scored a run to give Carlson a shove after he crossed home plate.

And then it was on.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Posada ended up on the bottom of the pile in the ensuing melee -- and the Yankees can't afford to have him hurt. (Posada missed most of last year, and the Yankees missed the playoffs.)

"He was just right there on the line to the dugout. We got carried away and hopefully that's the end of it," the 38-year-old Posada said. "I don't want my kids to see that. ... Fight in the middle of the field, benches clearing -- that's a bad example."

A suspension seems likely.

"As he ran past Carlson, he gave him a little shove with his elbow. It was very unsportsmanlike," [home plate umpire Jim] Joyce told a pool reporter. "It was a cheap shot."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi met with his team after the game to ask them to chill.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Jarrod Washburn, Detroit's big trade deadline pickup, had to come out after an inning against Kansas City because of a bad left knee.

"Shortly after the strikeout [to start the game], we could tell he was in pain," [manager Jim] Leyland said. "We'll see what happens, but it seems pretty obvious to me that, at this point, he's unpitchable."

The Tigers went on to lose for the sixth time in eight games, four of those losses have come to the last-place Royals.

Numbers Game ...
Heath Bell's ERA has gone up almost a full run in less than a week. On Tuesday he gave up the winning runs after blowing two straight saves. In those three games, he has given up seven hits and seven runs in three innings, so his ERA has gone from 1.98 to 2.90. If Bell blows his next save chance, he will be the first Padres closer to fail in three straight save opportunities since Craig Lefferts in 1990; Trevor Hoffman has never blown three straight.

In Their Own Words ...
"I felt great in batting practice, ran around great, and then the second pitch he threw me, I got off balance, landed on my front side a little too hard and it just grabbed,. I didn't want to make it worse. I've been making too much progress." -- Texas' Michael Young, who tried to return from a strained left hamstring but came out of the game against Oakland after one plate appearance

Advance Scouting ...
With a 2 1/2-game lead in the wild-card race, Colorado will try to avoid its sixth straight loss to San Francisco in the teams' final regular-season meeting (10:15 PM ET). Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa is 2-0 against the Giants this year, but in those two starts he has a 5.40 ERA. He faces Matt Cain, who in 17 career starts against Colorado has allowed opposing hitters to bat just .212.

Starting Five: AL East Wasn't Much of a Fight, So Yankees Find One originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Giants Activate Randy Johnson to Pitch Out of Bullpen

Jeff Fletcher — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:14:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, MLB Transactions

SAN FRANCISCO -- Randy Johnson, who has been out for the past two months with a torn rotator cuff, was activated by the Giants after Tuesday night's game. Johnson will join the Giants bullpen.

"It's a golden bullet for us," starter Barry Zito said. "We're excited."

The Giants had not planned to active Johnson until this weekend, at the earliest, but they changed course on Tuesday because right-hander Justin Miller was still bothered by a sore elbow. Miller was placed on the 60-day disabled list, ending his season.

Johnson, 46, has made 10 regular season relief appearances in his career. He said he'd be able to adjust to the new role, including getting loose quickly.

It is unclear just how the Giants would use Johnson initially. Left-hander Jeremy Affeldt has pitched well this year, so at best Johnson would become the No. 2 lefty in the bullpen.

Giants Activate Randy Johnson to Pitch Out of Bullpen originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Tim Lincecum Comes Back With Authority

Jeff Fletcher — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:13:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, Rockies

SAN FRANCISCO -- A wise man -- either Confucius or Yogi Berra -- once said: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

The Giants took that step on Monday night.

Their mission, overcoming the Rockies in the final three weeks of the season to sneak into the wild-card spot, was a difficult one before the teams began a three-game showdown series. San Francisco's 9-1 victory in the opener makes it only slightly easier. The Giants are still 3 1/2 games out, three in the loss column, with 18 to play.

Still, you can only win one at a time. And the Giants did, thanks to a surprising offensive outburst and the fact that Tim Lincecum pitched like a guy who may be between Cy Young awards, not a guy with a bad back.

The Giants and their fans were certainly anxious to see what Lincecum would bring to the mound after he was scratched from his past start with back spasms. Lincecum had insisted all along it was not a big deal, but you had to wonder.

"I was a little nervous, I'm not going to lie," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said, adding that the trainers were checking on Lincecum more frequently than usual.

It was apparent early that Lincecum had his normal stuff.

"I think the layoff helped him a little bit," Bochy said. "It was an impressive outing. He didn't show any ill-affects of [the back injury]."

Lincecum could have told you that. He insisted throughout the time he was out that he had minor back problems as far back as high school, and this wasn't that bad. Were it left to him, he might not have missed a start at all.

"I had so much energy, I wanted to get out on that mound," he said. "It was hard to hear them say I had to wait another day, another couple days."

Lincecum didn't go along with Bochy's claim that he might have benefitted from the time off, but it certainly didn't hurt. He buzzed through the Rockies lineup, firing 95 mph fastballs, sharp breaking curves and diving changeups. By the time he'd completed seven innings on 116 pitches, he had whiffed 11 Rockies.

"This was important for everybody," catcher Bengie Molina said. "He went out and set the tone for the series."

Lincecum and the Giants had only a 4-1 lead before the Giants erupted for five runs in the eighth, turning the game into a rout.

As glorious as this one was for the Giants, they've got a lot of work left. Realistically, they need to sweep the series, and the next pitching matchup is not nearly as promising as Lincecum vs. Jason Hammel.

On Tuesday the Giants send Barry Zito to the mound against Ubaldo Jimenez.

Zito's second-half resurgence has hit a bit of a speed bump over his previous two starts, a couple sloppy outings in which he lasted a combined nine innings. Jimenez has been the Rockies' best starter in the second half, going 7-1 with a 2.60 ERA.

The Giants, though, handed Jimenez that loss a couple weeks in San Francisco, so they've got some hope. Things are certainly looking a lot brighter after back-to-back victories over the Dodgers and Rockies than they were during the preceding four-game losing streak.

"When we were in that little skid it didn't look like we'd come out of it," Lincecum said, "but we had a big win yesterday and today. It's never too late."

Tim Lincecum Comes Back With Authority originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Big Unit Moves Closer to Return

Jeff Fletcher — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:35:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, MLB Injuries

SAN FRANCISCO -- Randy Johnson faced hitters in two simulated innings on Monday afternoon and then said he could be ready to be activated within a couple days.

"If I get up tomorrow and feel fine, hopefully I'll come off the DL," Johnson said. "What my role is, I don't know."

Johnson, 46, has been out for more than two months with a torn rotator cuff. He said it's still torn, but through rehab and strengthening exercises, he's built it back to the point that he could pitch out of the bullpen. Giants manager Bruce Bochy didn't say whether Johnson would be activated or how he'd be used.

Johnson has made only 10 regular season relief appearances in his career and three in the postseason, including getting the final outs of the 2001 World Series. Despite limited experience in that role, he said he'd be able to figure it out.

"I've been making adjustments for 22 years," he said. "I've still got to get hitters out."

Johnson insisted a few weeks ago that he would not make any decisions about his future until after the season. It is widely assumed that he'll retire after 2009. A future first-ballot Hall of Famer, Johnson is 303-166 in his career.

Big Unit Moves Closer to Return originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Giants-Rockies: Last Big Series in NL?

Jeff Fletcher — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:40:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, Rockies

SAN FRANCISCO -- On a day that the Giants could have quietly stepped out of the way to allow the fans of San Francisco to turn their attention to the 49ers, they announced that their season is not over.

Not yet anyway.

Behind Brad Penny and a surprisingly robust performance by the offense, the Giants whipped the Dodgers, 7-2, remaining just close enough in the playoff hunt to make the Rockies series starting on Monday a big one.

Colorado last visited AT&T Park just two weeks ago, when the Giants swept them to pull into a tie for the National League wild-card lead. Since then, the Rockies have gone 8-3 and the Giants 5-7.

Now 4 1/2 games back with 19 to play, the Giants are fully aware that they have to beat the Rockies. Have to sweep them, to be honest.

Of course, they insist they aren't thinking any further than Monday's game.

"We can't go in thinking we've got to win 20 in a row," Giants closer Brian Wilson said. "Just think realistically. Show up and play today and talk about tomorrow, tomorrow."

With the Dodgers, Cardinals and Phillies all comfortably seated for October, this series could essentially complete the foursome, with only the matchups to be determined.

As they try to keep the race going, the Giants at least have the right pitchers going to the mound.

Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito and Matt Cain are lined up to face the Rockies, the same three pitchers who worked the sweep two weeks ago. Lincecum is going to take the mound for the first time since he was scratched from his previous start with back spasms.

"I'm just excited to get out there and pitch," Lincecum said.

Lincecum said over the past two days he's been "treating it, trying to keep it loose, making sure I'm in position to be able to throw and not get myself hurt again."

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Lincecum will not have a specific pitch-count, but "we'll keep an eye on him."

The Rockies send Jason Hammel to the mound on Monday, followed by emerging ace Ubaldo Jimenez and Jorge De La Rosa on Wednesday.

Giants-Rockies: Last Big Series in NL? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

From the Windup: Individuals of Interest This Coming October

Matt Snyder — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:35:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Braves, Dodgers, Giants, Marlins, Phillies, Rangers, Red Sox, Tigers, Yankees, AL Central, AL East, AL West, NL Central, NL East, NL West, MLB Playoffs

From the Windup is Matt Snyder's weekly, extended look at some aspect of America's pastime.

As I look ahead to the MLB playoffs, I'm faced with the fact that my beloved Cubbies aren't going to be competing. Being a devout baseball fan, though, there's no way I'm not watching the postseason. Without a horse in the race, I'm forced to focus instead on individuals, and there are always plenty of reasons to watch certain players. Thus, I'm going to list 10 players I'm looking forward to watching and five players I wish I could come October.

Five Players I Can't Wait to Watch

Alex Rodriguez: The three-time regular season MVP was possibly the most polarizing figure in baseball before he was revealed to have used PEDs. Now most people just hate him. The stigma A-Rod carries is that he's a lion when there is no pressure, but a lamb when there is. He's actually been a pretty clutch regular season player the past few seasons, but he's been brutal in the playoffs since the Yankees ran up a 3-0 lead in the 2004 ALCS against the Red Sox. Will the presence of Mark Teixeira in the middle of the lineup help A-Rod come shed his "unclutch" image in October?

CC Sabathia: The big man is going to be leaned upon heavily in the playoffs, as the Yankees are thinking about using just a three-man rotation in the first round. I'd be pretty confident in Sabathia holding up his end of the bargain if I couldn't see that career 7.92 postseason ERA in five starts. The worst part? His command seems to disappear -- which is something that could be attributed to either nerves or fatigue. His BB/9 over the course of his career in the regular season has been 2.8. In the playoffs, it's 7.9. That's such a drastic leap it doesn't even sound realistic.

Kendry Morales: The 26-year-old first baseman has emerged as a star in taking over for the departed Teixeira, serving as one of the anchors to the Angels' mighty offense. He's 3-for-13 in the postseason, but he's never been a regular starter before and he's a different player. We'll see if he can step-up under the spotlight of the playoffs.

Josh Beckett: Beckett has always been known as a money pitcher when the pressure is on. His career 7-2 record and 2.90 ERA in the postseason illustrates as much. The thing is, he was pretty bad last season. His career playoff ERA was actually 1.91 before his three October 2008 starts -- when he allowed 22 hits and 14 earned runs in 14 1/3 innings. If the Red Sox hold onto their tenuous wild-card lead, Beckett's going to have to show last year was a fluke and he's still got the magic.

Mark DeRosa: It's no secret I'm a die-hard Cubs fan. Thus, I'm required to hate the Cardinals (and I do). Still, DeRosa was easily my favorite player from the past two Cubs' playoff teams and I'll enjoy watching him get to play in October once again. No real storyline here, just some love for Mr. DeRosa -- a true guy's guy who doesn't seem to take for granted how lucky he is to play baseball for a living.

Five Exciting "Debuts"

As you'll see, these aren't all necessarily debuts in the traditional sense, but, hey, it's my list.

Cliff Lee: Last year's AL Cy Young award winner came over to the Phillies in a trade deadline deal and took the National League by force initially. His ERA in his past three outings is 9.60, though, and he's never appeared in the playoffs. Can he get things turned around and handle the heat in October?

Ryan Franklin: The 36-year-old closer has appeared in 445 games over the course of his 10-season career. He has appeared in exactly zero playoff games to this point. Franklin's taken the closer job by force this season with ice-water in his veins, saving 37 games and sporting a 1.96 ERA. The postseason is totally different than the regular season, though, so can he keep it going?

Clayton Kershaw: Kershaw saw brief relief action in two playoff games last year. This time around, though, he'll be a starter and taking the ball in the first inning of a playoff game is a different animal than coming in as a reliever. Teaming his 8-8 record with his 2.89 ERA shows he can be quite inconsistent. When the 21-year-old lefty is on, there's almost no one better. Which Clayton shows up in the playoffs?

Edwin Jackson: Yes, Jackson has also pitched in the postseason before -- three short relief appearances. After a change of scenery, though, he's been a different pitcher and, again, it's much different to start a game in October. In Jackson's two seasons as a member of the Rays' rotation, he had a 5.04 ERA and a losing record. He was left out of the postseason rotation. This year, he's having his breakout campaign with the Tigers, going 12-6 with a 3.22 ERA. Will it continue on the big stage?

The Young Rockies: Again, I'm cheating here ... this time by including more than one player. Between Carlos Gonzalez, Dexter Fowler, Chris Iannetta and Ian Stewart, there's plenty of new blood. Plus, Franklin Morales and Ubaldo Jimenez are different players than the bright-eyed youngsters they were in 2007.

Five Players I Wish I Could Watch

The Rangers trail the Red Sox by just two games, so it's possible they make a run and take the AL wild card. In the National League, the Giants are 4 1/2 games behind the Rockies. It's an uphill battle, especially considering how well the Rockies are rolling, but still possible. The Marlins and Braves appear left for dead. If things stay the way they are, the following five players are guys I'll be saddened to not see in the playoffs.

Tim Lincecum: It's a shame it appears the Giants will come up short, because Lincecum in the playoffs would be an absolute pleasure to baseball fans who love a good pitcher's duel. Imagine this: If the Giants do snatch the wild card away from the Rockies, their first-round opponent would likely be the Cardinals. How does a Chris Carpenter vs. Lincecum matchup sound? Hell, throw in Adam Wainwright vs. Matt Cain in Game 2. The games will last less time than a typical movie. (Of course, I also want to see the Rockies in the playoffs. Any chance both can pass the Dodgers?)

Pablo Sandoval: Hmm ... let's see: His nickname is "Kung Fu Panda." He's 5-foot-11 and weighs 245 pounds, but he's still stolen four bases. He's only 22, but he's got an OPS of .918. He's a switch-hitter with great gap power (an NL-leading 40 doubles). What's not to love?

Michael Young: 10 seasons, 1,345 games, six All-Star games, a career .302 batting average, and zero career playoff games. You think anyone on the Rangers wants to make up those four games more than Young?

Tommy Hanson: Young fireballers can steal the stage in October (remember Jaret Wright for the Indians?). The 22-year-old Hanson has a 9-3 record with a 2.83 ERA as a rookie. He's struck out 85 hitters in 101 2/3 innings this year, but he's picking up the pace lately, having punched out 39 hitters in his last 34 2/3 innings.

Hanley Ramirez: He's been one of the best and most exciting players in the majors for the past three seasons. He does everything well -- .358 average, .998 OPS, 23 bombs, 24 steals, good fielding range -- but we've never gotten to see him in the playoffs. That's a shame, but he's only 25, so there's plenty of time.

From the Windup: Individuals of Interest This Coming October originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments