Competitive Balance in Economics

There are 30 MLB teams.  By the rules and nature of baseball, all teams have an equal shot to win.  By the rules and nature of business, some teams are favored more than others.  In today's world, the industry that is professional sports is a business.  As unfortunate as it is, this means every team in MLB has different odds to win.  Since their is no salary cap in baseball, it's all about the revenue.  And a team's success or failure in generating revenue can and most likely will dictate their ability to win.  If you're a serious baseball fan, chances are you've heard of Billy Beane, GM of the Oakland Athletics.  The reason Beane is famous is because of his groundbreaking theories about baseball economics, revolutionary thoughts that have become relevant with the big contracts and free agency dogfights of modern baseball.  If Beane were the GM of the New York Yankees, he would not be characterized as the godfather of modern baseball economics.  Oakland is a tiny city compared to the other jumbo markets of baseball, making Beane's job much harder than a GM in a bigger city.

Small market teams have it tough.  Most small market teams put a strong emphasis on building from within their own system, putting a lot of work in the scouting and development department.  When these teams come up with big prospects they are unable to sign them to extensions and they are lost to the big market teams.  Even if they are able to sign the player to an extension, what happens if the team is losing?  The team has no choice but to rebuild, which means sending the prospect-turned-star to the big market teams.  There are a few ways for it to happen, but in the end, the star ends up with the big market teams more often than they should.

Prime examples of this can be found on the current big market teams.  Remember that super rotation the Phillies will put out on the mound in 2011?  Let's see where those guys came from.  Roy Oswalt was a huge star in Houston, nearly setting the franchise wins record before being traded.  Roy Halladay was a big star in Toronto, a well-publicized one at that.  Halladay took home the 2003 AL Cy Young Award, while Cliff Lee took home the same award in 2008 with Cleveland.  While Lee struggled with injuries during times in Cleveland, it was clear even before 2008 that he had the capability to be an elite pitcher.  Cole Hamels, the fourth man in this super rotation, is the only product of the Phillies system.

Red Sox GM Theo Epstein, clearly in control of a big market team, snagged two of baseball's best players from small markets this offseason.  Acquiring Adrian Gonzalez out of San Diego and Carl Crawford from Tampa Bay, he has now dealt a huge blow to both franchises.  Without Gonzalez, the Padres are no longer a playoff contender and without Crawford, the Rays aren't either.  The word 'disappointment' can't even begin to describe how fans must feel this winter in San Diego and St. Petersburg, respectively.

Let's read down the current Yankee lineup.  At catcher we have Russell Martin, just acquired from the Dodgers.  At first base we have Mark Teixeira, big time power first baseman for the Rangers before being dealt to two pit stops in between.  Teixeira isn't the only name here with an enormous contract.  At second base and shortstop, we have Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter, respectively.  There are two genuine Yankees; good for them.  At third is, and I know its been a while, the most hyped prospect in the history of baseball- with the 1995 Seattle Mariners.  In right field we have Nick Swisher, who got his fame launching bombs out of the Oakland Coliseum.  In center, the five tooled Curtis Granderson came from Detroit.  In left is Brett Gardner, one final genuine Yankee.

The Yankees World Championship team of 2009 featured only two full season homegrown starters, while the top two (C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett) came from Cleveland and Toronto, respectively.  The Yankees, not surprisingly, have been to the World Series more than any other team and have won more than any other team.  From 2001-2010, a ten year stretch, 15 different teams made the World Series, with only the Yankees, Giants, Phillies, Red Sox, and Cardinals having been more than once.  Many baseball experts interpret this to mean that competitive balance in baseball is higher than it ever has been, but I don't think this is exactly the case.  Don't get me wrong- competitive balance is certainly high and we've seen a lot of small market success stories recently, but the problem is sustaining the team that got them there.

The surprising but lovable 2003 Marlins team that upset the Yankees to win the World Series was an example of how these teams can win, but can't be sustained in a market like Southeast Florida.  The 2003 heroes of ace Josh Beckett, center fielder Juan Pierre, second baseman Luis Castillo, starter Brad Penny, starter Carl Pavano, first baseman Derrek Lee, and third baseman Mike Lowell were all off the Marlins by 2006, signing with or being traded to the Red Sox, Cubs, Twins, Dodgers, Yankees, Cubs, and Red Sox respectively.  Franchise faces from 2003 third baseman Miguel Cabrera and ace Dontrelle Willis would both be gone just a season later in a trade to Detroit.  In fact, Cabrera and Willis were the only players on the 2006 Opening Day roster remaining from the 2003 team.

The Marlins have become known for frequently executing a relatively modern tactic known as the firesale.  The firesale is an instant rebuilding strategy, seen in small markets who have an excellent young core of winning players with low salaries who have yet to cash in a big contract.  The small market team must commit to a firesale because, with lower revenue the market generates than big market teams like the Yankees, the team is not in a financial position to keep the players long term once they become free agents and demand large contracts.  If the players are traded before they hit free agency, then the team can rebuild using the prospect returns from those trades instead of getting nothing back.  The disassembling of the 2003 squad was the second most famous such firesale, the most famous being after the 1997 World Champion Marlins were disassembled to become an 108-loss team just the very next season, setting a record for the most losses in a season following a championship.

No team can execute a firesale better than the Florida Marlins, but this raises a question.  How many other teams would need to execute a firesale?  The answer is not many.  The 1997 Marlins won the World Series with the 5th highest payroll in the league, a very rare figure for them, and fell to 27th the very next year.  The Marlins started new players at all eight position player spots!  Meanwhile, the 1996 Yankees won the World Series with some of the key players being shortstop Derek Jeter, closer Mariano Rivera, and ace Andy Pettitte.  The Yankees next won the World Series in 1998, and by then power hitting catcher Jorge Posada had joined the key players.  In 2009, eleven years and around $488 million later, Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte, and Posada all remained despite Pettitte's three year trip to Houston.  That's alarmingly close to the $581 million the Marlins have spent on players in the entire 18-year history of the franchise!  The Marlins clearly can't compete with that.

An overarching point here is that while many teams have made the World Series in recent years, the small to medium market teams aren't able to sustain the success.  Dynasties are not a thing that can be built by teams like the Marlins.  So it should be not surprise that the team that won six out of eight American League pennants from 1996-2003 was the New York Yankees.  Imagine if the Marlins had signed Moises Alou to a big contract extension after he helped them win the 1997 World Series, and the Marlins were able to take advantage of Alou's 225 career homers after 1997.  Who knows what the Marlins could have done with him as the center foundation for all of their young talent?  Unfortunately, we will never know.

The Florida (soon-to-be Miami) Marlins have hope.  In 2012, the gleaming new retractable roof stadium in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood will open, reinventing the entire franchise.  The new stadium will the kind of revenue the Marlins have never seen, and they will finally be able to sign at least one franchise player for a long time.  For other teams, like the other Florida team in the Tampa Bay Rays, such hope is not so easy to come by.  So for the other financially struggling small to medium market teams out there (the Pirates, Reds, Padres, Royals, Brewers, Diamondbacks, Mariners, Blue Jays, Athletics), I have some advice.  Don't trust the system; you can't just lay back, play a bunch of rookies and expect a turnaround.  Especially for the Royals and Pirates, a big change is needed if the young players are all duds.  A reinvented scouting and development department is in order, and the team should not be satisfied with the prospects until they are making a difference at the major league level.  For some teams, like the A's, a lack of revenue is hurting the franchise's potential.  In this case, every effort must be done to make the team relevant in the community.  This means having unique promotions to get the fans in the current ballpark and get the fans excited about the team's future.  Also, an increased focus on community outreach from the players should be involved; the community needs to know this isn't an organization utilizing the city, it's an organization representing the city.  Eventually, enough attention should be focused so that the government will help fund a new stadium.

To all small market teams out there, good luck.  Because although winning out of a small market may not be a huge challenge, sustaining it sure as hell is.  And although the Marlins have made the playoffs only twice and have never won their division but won the World Series twice since 1993, I hold more respect towards those accomplishments than I do for the Yankees' 17 playoff appearances and five championships during the same time frame.  After reading all this, I hope you do too.          

Sporcle Quizzes

I've made some quizzes on a website called Sporcle.  The quizzes are on the home run leader each year for every team in the 2000s, broken down by division.  To enter an answer, just type the player's last name and the answer will appear on the board.  The links to the quizzes are below.

AL East

AL Central

AL West

NL East

NL Central

NL West

Hope you like them.

Hot Stove Buzz #3

Mark Prior!  Now that that forgotten anguish and disappointment has risen back into your system again, allow me to tell you the latest with the former #2 top prospect ranked by Baseball America before 2002.  Prior signed with the Yankees for $750,000, a minor league deal.  Prior last pitched in the majors in 2006, for the Cubs.  While Prior is a big name because of his history, there was much more significant news than him out there.  Here we go.

-The biggest news could be the Phillies signing Cliff Lee.  Just a few weeks ago, many reports had the Phillies turning their attention elsewhere.  The Phillies' top four starters now read like this: Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cliff Lee, and Cole Hamels, all four of whom would make a great #1 starter on the average team.  I was intrigued by how strong this rotation looks so I came up with a stat: the four combined have a career 481-275 record, three Cy Young Awards, and 13 All-Star selections.  Whoa.  If I'm a position player and I'm playing the Phillies, I would get like Pedro Cerrano and go voodoo to 'wake up bats'.  Oh, and also a shoutout to Joe Blanton, the #5 starter, saying good luck following up their acts.

-If the biggest news wasn't Lee, then it has to be Carl Crawford.  Crawford, signing with the Red Sox, will be the centerpiece example of an editorial post I'm in the process of writing.  Despite many baseball experts expecting Crawford to go to the Angels, Crawford decided to head to Fenway Park for seven years and $142 million.  I'm highly disappointed.  Another day, another huge move by the Red Sox.  It's such a buzzkill knowing every great small market team having success due to a great, in-their-prime star (Adrian Gonzalez) will end up trading him to the Yankees or Red Sox.  While Crawford didn't really turn Tampa Bay into a baseball town, he is living proof that no one can.  There is no single more electrifying player in the game than Crawford, and while this was inevitable, it's a shame.

-While we're on the Carl Crawford topic, let's finish it off.  Remember how the Angels were mostly considered the favorite?  After getting caught looking as Jayson Werth and Carl Crawford both signed with Washington and Boston, respectively, the Angels are down to their last strike with Adrian Beltre.  If the Angels miss out on Beltre, this could be a worst case scenario for them.  GM Tony Reagins was expected to sign either Crawford or Werth and possibly Beltre as well, but few thought he would miss both.  There has been no indication that Beltre and Anaheim (I refuse to say Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) are close to a deal.  You snooze, you loose.  The Angels tried to play their game with the players, with this whole procedural 'this is how the Angels do business' method that didn't show their immediate urgency in signing Crawford or Werth.  They tried to do it their way, and it cost them dearly.

-This is very old news, but Adrian Gonzalez finally went to the Red Sox after over two years of such rumors.  What a terrible shame, as now the Padres, pending a potential but unlikely signing of a slugger, will no longer contend.  Besides A-Gon, the 2010 Padres' leader in homers was Wil Venable with 13 and Chase Headley led with 58 RBI.  That ain't gonna cut it, fantastic bullpen or not.  The Red Sox starting position players now read as such: Jerrod Saltamacchia, Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia, Marco Scutaro, Kevin Youkilis, J.D. Drew, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Carl Crawford.  There's a new team to beat in the American League.

-The Giants and Cubs talked about sending Aaron Rowand to the Cubs for Kosuke Fukudome.  Both players have what are considered to be bad contracts, as Rowand is due $24 million over the next two years but only hit .230 in 105 games last year.  Fukudome plays great defense but is owed nearly $14 million in 2011 and is not hitting anywhere near a player with his salary needs to be.  This would be a great deal for the Cubs.  Fukudome wore out his welcome as quickly as he broke it in and has been a bust, as I have elaborated on many times before.  Rowand is a great teammate and was voted the toughest player in baseball in a player poll in 2009.  While his hitting leaves something to be desired for his money, he's a career .276 hitter and although he doesn't hit many more homers than Fukudome, he is a better offense player overall.  In 2007 with Philly he hit 27 homers earning him a trip to San Fran for the All-Star Game and he also won a Gold Glove.  Rowand was an original Sox product, a fan favorite on the 2005 championship team.  Yes sir, I say, pull the trigger!

-Kevin Gregg is a free agent again after a good year with Toronto.  Needless to say, the Cubs have no interest whatsoever.  The Orioles could be interested.

-Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes this like, heartwarming article about how touching it is that Kerry Wood took a major pay cut to come back to Chicago.  He brings up a really good point, and that's that this may be the only positive out of the death of Ron Santo.  Santo and Wood were very close and Wood was most likely disturbed by the tragedy like every other Cub fan.  Rosenthal suggests that Wood, after he retires, could take a job with the Cubs in the future just like Santo did.  He might be a Special Assistant to the GM, like Greg Maddux, radio commentator, like Santo, or some other job.  I hadn't thought about that, but it actually seems likely.

-The Pirates signed Lyle Overbay.  On average, there are 178 sesame seeds on a McDonalds Big Mac.  What?  Oh, I thought we were stating irrelevant facts.  My bad.

-Because the Cubs only spent a little over a million on Kerry Wood, they remain free to pursue a starting pitcher.  Brandon Webb remains on the Cubs radar although the level of aggressiveness is not something anyone is sure about now.  Webb said he will decide a team soon and the Yankees, Reds, and Brewers have basically taken themselves out of contention.  Three main teams in the negotiations are the Cubs, Nationals, and Rangers.  If the Cubs got Webb, they would have Dempster, Zambrano and Webb at the top of the rotation which probably gives them one of the best top threes in the National League.  But hey, we should withhold the wishful thinking.

Cubs Sign Kerry Wood

As unlikely as this headline seemed at the beginning of this offseason, the Cubs have actually gotten Kerry Wood to come back and play with the team he spent 11 years of his career with.  After one and a half less than mediocre seasons in Cleveland and a dominant stretch run with the Yankees, Wood signed a one year, $1.5 million contract to play for the Cubs whom he last played for in 2008.  It may seem like Wood has been in the league for a very long time and this deal is to finish his career where it all started, going 'full circle', but he's only going to be 34 next year and he could stick around for a while.  His famous 20 strikeout game was 12 years ago, the same year he won Rookie of the Year, but he was only 21 that year.  This signing gives the Cubs a piece they needed badly this offseason in a veteran righty reliever.  There probably wasn't any better in that department than Wood, but his price tag was expected to shoo off the Cubs.  Having made $10 million last season (thanks, Indians), it seemed unlikely that he would accept the deep pay cut the Cubs but he did anyway and I personally could not be happier.  In 2008, Wood was huge in the success of that team recording 34 saves and an ERA of just 3.40.  His value even then was underrated because for a guy whose career average SO/BB ratio is 2.40 but in 2008 he held a ridiculous 4.67 SO/BB.  Kerry Wood should not have been let go after 2008, which would have prevented the acquisition of Kevin Gregg, who had plenty of forgettable moments with the Cubs.  From Kid K, Cub fans should expect a lot of strikeouts and plenty of walks, but an effective pitcher.  Wood is very stable as a pitcher and should fit in a perfect role with young and very inexperienced.  Wood is a great guy to have around, a role model for all the young kids on the Cubs these days and in the near future.  So far, the Cubs have picked up two solid gains: Carlos Pena and Kerry Wood.  The Cubs are going straight to their needs this season and aren't trying to do that thing where they pick up little pieces (cough, Joey Gathright and Luiz Vizcaino) in a futile attempt to balance the roster with the different five tool talents.

Cubs Sign Carlos Pena

Early morning Wednesday, the Cubs and Carlos Pena signed a one year, $10 million deal.  Pena brings a lot of good to the 2011 Cubs, but there is no option on either his or the Cubs' side, meaning that he can't be offered arbitration next offseason and will  need to sign a new deal to stay for 2012 and beyond.  But right now, I think extending the deal is something the Cubs should have pushed.  Pena is coming to the Cubs for just one year so that he can have a great year, revitalizing his stock after a season where hit 28 homers but only .196, and sign a big multi-year contract with somebody.  If we could have kept Pena for sure for at least two years, he would become a nice foundation to build this new young core on the Cubs with.  With just a one year contract, Pena doesn't really seem like a guy that's going to be around for very long and this might not get him as much respect.  Pena's agent, however, is the infamous Scott Boras, and the Cubs probably had to choose to give him just one year or watch him put on another uniform.  Some, especially White Sox fans still licking their chops over the Adam Dunn signing, have criticized the Cubs for giving him $10 million, considering his very low average in 2010 and perennially high strikeouts, but this is a great deal.  The Cubs could use a veteran team leader, because they were really without one.  No, I don't think Aramis Ramirez counts because of his negative body language and quieter nature.  Not sure if Derrek Lee could speak Spanish, but Pena definitely can.  This has to be a plus because he plays in an infield with three Spanish speaking players, and a starting lineup with five (out of the eight fielding positions).  Pena plays great defense (2008 AL Gold Glove Winner), which is probably the reason the Cubs went his way and didn't aggressively go after Dunn.  Pena has 230 career homers with Texas, Oakland, Boston, Detroit, and Tampa Bay.  From 2007 to 2009 with Tampa Bay, he averaged 39 HR, 108 RBI, 95 BB, 157 K, all while hitting .252 but getting on base at a great .382 mark.  In 2010, Pena only hit .196 but incredibly still managed to hit 28 HR and 84 RBI.  This Cubs team could use some patience and Pena will teach it to them.  I see Pena catching on great in Chicago, and the Cubs will try to keep him around.  Whether they do or not, not so sure. Unfortunately, they probably won't want to spend the money because he certainly is going to command more money for longer after 2010.  But for 2010, Pena is taking his talents to the Friendly Confines.  Enjoy it while you can.

Hot Stove Buzz #2

It's been a very busy week of transactions, and here on Day 3 of the Winter Meetings we find ourselves with a whole bunch of players in new uniforms.

-The Padres have acquired Jason Bartlett in a trade with Tampa Bay for two relievers.  After losing Miguel Tejada to San Francisco, the Padres have their starting shortstop.  Bartlett had a very down year in 2010, surprisingly only hitting .254.
-The Cubs want Matt Garza, and are one of four teams going after him.  The Rays, on their end of the trade, want prospects according to Tim Dierkes of mlbtraderumors.com.  I think that these prospects are definitely going to be pitchers, preferably relievers.  Unfortunately, the Rays are unloading a lot of their guys and it kind of looks like rebuilding all over again.  They had a nice three year run in winning with a star-studded team, but their small market limitations have caught up to them.
-The Orioles acquired Mark Reynolds in a trade with the Diamondbacks.  Interestingly, the Orioles have been very active on the hot stove this offseason, something we don't usually see from them.  They are now also looking into acquiring Kevin Gregg and J.J. Hardy or Brendan Ryan.  Sounds like Buck Showalter brought that winning stuff to the air in Baltimore and the front office is finally picking up the slack and getting some deals moving.  This should be a memo to other perennially bad teams that don't have front offices willing to go after who they need.
-Who knows what is going to happen with Cliff Lee?  Lee's agent just left the hotel in Florida where the baseball Winter Meetings are, and this is annoying to general managers.  Specifically, the Yankees and Rangers' respective GMs would like to know if they are going to be dishing out $100+ million or not.  No biggie, though.
-The Nationals signed Jayson Werth to a 7 year deal worth $126 million.  Many in the baseball community consider the 8 year, $136 million deal from the Cubs with Alfonso Soriano to be one of the worst contracts of the 2000s considering Soriano, coming off a 40 homer-40 steal season, has never hit more than 33 homers or stolen more than 19 bases with the Cubs.  But let me make an argument to call this one a bad contract, right off the bat (no pun intended.  With Jayson Werth, we are looking at a guy that is 32, has 120 career homers, has 87 homers and 251 RBI in the last three years, but only had 33 homers and 155 RBI in his career before that.  Werth averaged 29 homers and nearly 18 steals from 2008-2010, so far the highlight years of his career.  Alfonso Soriano, on the other hand, had averaged more than 37 homers a season from 2002-2006, the five years before the signing, and had averaged more than 34 steals a season from 2001-2006, the six seasons before the signing.  Soriano was 30 when he was signed, two years younger than Werth.  In his four seasons on the Cubs, Soriano has averaged only 26 homers and 13 steals per season.  He's hitting for a low average now, has virtually no speed, is a minus defensively, and has a bat that can only be counted on for 20 homers a season.  With four years still remaining on Soriano's contract, he has gone from being a 40-40 player to a 20-5 player.  If Werth is 32, has only proven himself for three seasons, and had less talent to begin with, how long will it be before the Nationals realize they made a big mistake?  Werth was a late bloomer, so he probably has three more elite seasons.  But after that, who knows.  These elite contracts with huge salaries towards the end snuff out trade talks extremely fast, as the Cubs could tell you.
-Adam Dunn decided to come to Chicago, but to the wrong side.  The Sox signed Dunn for four years, $56 million.  This is a great signing because it fits the White Sox.  With a great hitters park in US Cellular Field, Dunn could hit upwards of 45 homers in 2011 and beyond.  The Tigers were the main competitor to get Dunn, but they were less aggressive after their signing of Victor Martinez because Martinez can play first base.  The Nationals weren't too happy about the signing, so they are forced to look for other options.  Sox GM Ken Williams tried to get Dunn at the trade deadline but a potential deal never materialized, so he was stuck with Manny Ramirez.  The Sox may deal some of their main guys like Carlos Quentin so it's good that whatever happens the Sox have a definite guy to bat cleanup everyday.
-Paul Konerko, also of the White Sox, signed a new deal with the Sox for three years and $37.5 million.  On MLB Network today, A.J. Pierzynski said that he knows for a fact that Konerko took a discount for coming back to his 'hometown'.  Now with Adam Dunn, these two make a great combo in the middle of the lineup that can be counted on for 75 homers.  Now that there is some big pop.

-Finally, Derek Jeter signed with the Yankees.  Of course, the Yankees overpaid with $51 million for three years, but Jeter still wasn't happy about it.  “To hear the organization tell me to go shop it when I just told you I wasn’t going to — if I’m going to be honest with you, I was angry about it,” said Jeter.  He can't complain about the money, though.  For a guy that in 2010 batted .270, his worst since his rookie season in 1995, hit only 10 homers, and stole only 18 bases, more than $15 million a year is out of the question.  The majority of that money is from respect for the Yankees all-time hits leader.  Personally, I think he should shut up and take the money.  I have no sympathy for a guy fighting over millions that don't even matter and are just a sign of respect.  If he's so generous and as great a guy as the media makes him sound, he wouldn't care about the money at this point.  But if anyone is dumb enough to give him that money, he should take it.
-Mariano Rivera signed for two years and $30 million with the Yankees.  And the reason you didn't hear nearly as much about it is because Rivera had the dignity to agree to a reasonable contract.  He didn't disrespect himself and the Yankees by making things difficult when there really were no other competitors in landing him.
-Aubrey Huff resigned with the Giants, being one of the key role players in the World Series run.  He only got a modest $22 million over two years, and although he is 33, he may have been able to get more money elsewhere.  Luckily for San Francisco, he signed before he could take any real time to examine other offers. 
-I'm going to go ahead and call a contract a bust.  Jorge de la Rosa, owner of a career 5.02 ERA, earned a two year, $21.5 million contract to stay with the Rockies.  De la Rosa only has a career K/BB ratio of 1.75, and I see another Oliver Perez contract in the making.  I'm sure De la Rosa is a great guy and all, but he's got to work on his control before I'm sold on a big contract for him, or even sold on him being anything more than a perennial #5 starter.
-This is very old news, but it needs to be stated.  Victor Martinez signed with the Tigers for $50 million and four years, a good signing because now you could see him at first base, catcher, or even DH.

-A.J. Pierzynski resigned with the White Sox for two years and $8 million.  He very nearly went to the Dodgers, but the deal fell through and he ends up with the Sox.

-Lance Berkman signed with the Cardinals for just one year and $8 million.  But with Albert Pujols at first base, where will he play, you wonder.  That's right, the Cardinals signed Lance Berkman at age 34 to do something he hasn't since 2007: play the outfield.  Try not to laugh.  There are going to be some 'Puma Moments in that outfield.

-Javier Vazquez got a year for $7 million from the Marlins.  The reason he only took only year is because he needs to rebuild his stock, something he can do in 2011 with his return to the NL.  His stock dropped significantly after a bad 2010 with the Yankees, and he wants to have a year this year similar to his 2009 with the Braves and then get a big multi-year contract to probably finish out his career.

         

"Oh, Boy"

"Ronnie will forever be the heart and soul of Cubs fans," said Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts Friday.  The passing of Ron Santo late last week means so much more than the death of a radio broadcaster.  It means so much more than a former Cubs player.  It means more than even his fantastic career and retired jersey flag flying among the retired numbers on the foul pole.  It means the loss of the spirit and character that embodies the franchise unlike any other in sports, the Chicago Cubs.  Ron Santo was, undisputedly, the world's biggest Cub fan.  The legendary Ernie Banks, Mr. Cub, doesn't even have that title.  This embodying spirit could be heard on WGN Radio between 1990 and 2010, and while he wasn't going to win any broadcasting excellence awards, this is exactly what made him so popular with Cub fans.  After a big home run or big play late in a game, Ron would often simply call out, "YES!  YES!  Alright!"  These words flowed into the heart of the listening Cub fans, and soon enough Ronnie became their voice as a fan.  After a bad play or important homer for the opposing team, Ronnie might go, "Oh, boy.  Oh, man."  And that would be it, leaving an undeniable signature silence on the air until play-by-play man Pat Hughes broke the silence.  Sometimes, Santo would provide the background fan commentary while Hughes was calling a play.  For example, Hughes would say something like this, "The 2-2.  And there's a high fly ball, at the track is Soriano and this ball is gone, a home run for Albert Pujols and the Cardinals have the lead," and Ronnie would repeat his line at the same time, like a heartbroken kid, "Oh no, Pat.  Oh, boy.  Not good. Not good."  One of Santo's most famous calls, in a crucial game down the 1998 stretch for the playoffs at Milwaukee, Cubs left fielder Brant Brown dropped a routine fly ball that cost the Cubs the game, a game they needed to have which prompted Ronnie to scream, "NO!!! NO!!!" Santo took losses harder than the players.

As time passed, especially in the 2000s, Santo's declining health became a factor in his job, or at least it should have.  Eventually he lost both his legs but didn't want to stop following the Cubs.  Santo never complained to anybody about his injuries, not until a certain announcement from his doctor.  Ron was told, sometime in the late 2000s, that he should not be traveling with the Cubs on each road trip, and that for some he should stay home.  Trying to separate the Cubs and Santo was like trying to separate a positive and negative end of a magnet, possible but very resisting.  Cubs TV play-by-play announcer Len Kasper told the media he was often wondering, with all the traumatic and disabling diseases he suffered over the years, "How does he do it?  How does he do it?"  In 2010, Santo was asked if he planned on returning for radio broadcasting in 2011.  He replied, "What else am I going to do?  Doing the Cubs games is like therapy for me."

Ron Santo wasn't elected to the Hall of Fame.  He is not a member of it, and never will be by the rules of induction to the Hall.  However, he's not taking it too hard.  In his speech in 2003 when his jersey was retired by the Cubs, he made something clear to Cub fans.  I thought you had to be in the Hall of Fame to get that done, Santo explained pointing at his flag on the foul pole.  He went on to explain that he didn't care about the Hall of Fame as much as having his jersey retired by the Cubs and that meant that much more to him.

Unfortunately, Santo wasn't able to see the day when the Cubs will break their well-publicized streak of championship-less seasons come to an end, but who knows when that will be.  It's entirely possible that no one reading this right now will see the Cubs do it.  It's even possible that your grandchildren won't see that day.  But for Santo and Cub fans, that's not what is most important.  The Chicago Cubs, a team like no other, would not be everything that it is today without Ronnie.  Ron Santo, without debate in my mind, is the most important person in the history of the Cubs, the eternal face of the franchise.  Without Santo, there would've been less identity to putting on the Cubbie pinstripes.  Without Santo, the Cubs would be missing a huge, heart-warming peace of their history.  Most importantly, they'd be missing an excellent guy who always put others first, but above all wanted to see nothing more than his beloved team win.  Thanks, Ron.        

The Ricketts Report

It's been more than a full year since Tom Ricketts and family took over as owners of the Chicago Cubs.  In the first year, the Ricketts have made noticeable changes.  They have made numerous changes to make the Cubs and Wrigley Field better, all while maximizing revenue.  They have received credit for the improvements, coming from a fan base tired of general statements from Chicago Tribune spokespeople and press secretaries.  There have also been criticisms of the Ricketts, especially due to the unusual and unique situation of owning the Cubs, certainly a franchise different than any other.

In the opening press conference on the day the sale of the Cubs was completed, in fall 2009 shortly after the end of the regular season, Tom Ricketts stated that if anyone in the Cubs organization believed that the franchise was cursed, he would move them to a 'lesser-cursed' team.  Among many philosophies, the Ricketts instilled from Day 1 that there is no curse surrounding the team.  This highlighted a politically correct press conference, playing conservative and saying nothing unexpected, and would set the tone for the offseason.  A new marketing campaign was launched upon, dubbing the new slogan, 'Year One'.

The 2009-10 offseason was not an aggressive one for the Cubs, who were just glad to be rid of the cancer known as Milton Bradley.  Marlon Byrd was the only positional starter signed, while the other veteran bats in Xavier Nady, Chad Tracy and Kevin Millar were intended for the bench.  A solid pickup in Byrd, but not one that could turn the Cubs into a playoff team.  The Ricketts announced change would be coming to Wrigley Field in 2010, and this could be found in the ballpark.  While not immediately noticeable, the changes include a better variety of food options including popular new nachos served in a replica helmet for $15.  Some bathrooms were remodeled (womens only; no wonder neither you nor I noticed).  Ticket prices were raised to add more revenue, improvements were made to the Captain Morgan Club outside the stadium, a new exclusive club called the PNC Club, created in the space of six former skyboxes, opened in midseason with a full bar, lounge area, seats outside, and a hefty admission tag.  Most importantly, the Cubs hired 'fan relations' staff whose job it was to learn what fans thought of the changes, and what could be done to improve further.  I was quite surprised when a fan relations staff member approached and asked me many thorough questions about the changes at the ballpark.  Of course, all of the efforts made by the Ricketts in this paragraph were all to help accomplish one goal; increase revenue.

While the Ricketts have attempted to get in touch with the fan base, many aren't sure they're listening.  It has been just one calendar year since the completed sale of the team, so withheld judgment may be necessary, but some attempts to increase revenue have not sat well with the fan base.  For example, raising ticket prices before the 2010 season was not a great idea, considering how prices have raised faster than dollar inflation in recent years.  The Cubs overtook the Red Sox in 2010 with the highest average ticket price of any MLB team at $52.56.  That figure was 10.1% increase over 2009 and a drastic comparison to the Arizona Diamondbacks' league lowest rate of $14.31.  In this current offseason of 2010-11, the Ricketts announced a proposal to the government of Illinois, a publicly-funded renovation plan of Wrigley Field.  Under the plan, fans would pay a majority of funds for the renovation through extra taxes at the ballpark and on tickets, merchandise, and the like.  Somehow, the White Sox were able to command government money to build a new stadium in the early 90s after they nearly moved to Tampa.  But now, when the Cubs decide to renovate Wrigley Field, which should be the equivalent of building a new stadium but with the same structure, we, the public, have to pay for it.  Despite the economy, the government needs to understand the vitality of this project due to the projected economic growth to the area (read on).  The renovations include the construction of the infamous Triangle Building to the immediate west of Wrigley.  The building will connect to Wrigley and have shops, restaurants, fan entertainment, a Cubs Hall of Fame, underground batting cages for the players, administrative offices, and more.  While the renovations look to create jobs and economic growth for the area (a projected $3 billion over the next 35 years), it will cost the fans plenty of money in the new taxes.  Execution of the plan is still in jeopardy, because if the Cubs continue to lose and attendance continues to drop, the revenue stream for the plan could fail.

This brings up another topic of conflict with the Ricketts ownership: winning.  The Cubs didn't do it much in 2010 and Cub fans were disappointed in the Ricketts' attempts to fix the team.  While they may be concerned about revenue first now, the team needs to win to keep fans happy.  At the moment the Cubs are being held down by bad contracts (Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome) and are short on financial flexibility.  The problem, though, is that the Ricketts are afraid to take an aggressive move this early in the ownership to win.  For example, the hiring of Mike Quade over Ryne Sandberg was the politically correct move.  Actually, both would have been politically correct, but the hiring of Quade and letting go of Sandberg is more justifiable than the vice versa option.  Quade went 24-13 at the end of the season, was supported by virtually every player on the roster, and was backed strongly by Lou Piniella.  Sandberg had paid his dues in the minors and had done everything he could to win the job, but didn't win out because his hiring would have meant a smack in the face to the entire organization that had come to like Quade.  I'd expect more aggressive moves this season, but it may not be enough.  The players and staff need to understand that the Cubs will not put up with a lack of effort or failure.

In conclusion, the Ricketts shouldn't have started their ownership of the franchise with passive action.  Renovations and improvements to the fan experience hold promise to make the Wrigley Field environment a more enjoyable one, but the methods of achieving this goals continue to raise eyebrows and uncertainty.  This team has missed the playoffs in two straight seasons, by a relatively wide margin, while failing expectations both seasons.  Neither have been good for the franchise, and winning is the crucial fix to many problems.  Winning can set up a chain reaction through a revitalization of the team meaning more revenue, that same original goal.  The Ricketts showed a disinterest in winning compared to revenue growth in 2010, a pattern that needs to change going forward.          

Hot Stove Buzz #1

What's been happening in free agency lately?  Here's a few things:

-Derek Jeter and agent Casey Close continue to negotiate with the Yankees on a new deal and have yet to come close.  Close and Jeter want $125 million over six years, while the Yankees are offering three years for $45 million.  Both deals are horribly overpriced based on Jeter's overrated and declining defense and a bat declining even faster.  Not sure why Jeter is playing hardball with the Yankees, he is set for life with the money he has made and is just being greedy.  I can understand wanting the security of six years in a contract but he is 36 and doesn't deserve $21 million a year.  He is no longer an elite player.

-Manny Ramirez is probably going to DH somewhere, but few teams are willing to take a risk on him.  He has now worn himself out of three big markets in Boston, Los Angeles, and Chicago.  Some scouts even see him heading to Japan.

-Jayson Werth, seeking an elite deal of $100 million+, is not receiving serious offers from the Phillies.  The Red Sox are the front runners, but I am surprised the Phils aren't interested in bringing him back.

-David Aardsma could be mentioned in a completed trade sometime soon, as the 29 year old former Cub won't be winning anytime soon in Seattle.  He has a 2.90 ERA and is 69 for 78 in save opportunities with the Mariners in two seasons.  Another great player the Cubs let go.  We seem to hang on to the busts (Corey Patterson, Felix Pie), and let go the future stars (Aardsma, Angel Pagan).

-A well publicized story about Ozzie Guillen being traded to the Marlins seems preposterous.  A straight up trade, Guillen for outfielder Logan Morrison, was offered midseason 2010.  Earlier Dan Uggla's name had been mentioned in this discussion, but the Marlins weren't going to do that.  Excuse me for not spending enough time with my nose in the rulebook, but I didn't even know trading managers is legal.  Apparently, Lou Piniella was traded from the Mariners to the Devil Rays in 2002 for Randy Winn.  Some tough managers must take a hit in self morale when they get traded away just like any other player.

-Mariano Rivera wants a two year, $18 million contract with the Yankees.  The Yankees only want to give him one year, surprisingly, but there's no drama here.  One way or another a deal between the two will get done.

-Javier Vazquez, Kevin Millwood, Aaron Harang, Jeremy Bonderman, and Jon Garland have all at one point been contacted by the Cubs.  Garland signed with the Dodgers, but the other four remain.  The Cubs have reportedly been very active in their hunt to find a veteran starter (thank goodness).

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The Mariners' Hunt to Regain Seattle

In 1997, led by manager Lou Piniella, center fielder Ken Griffey Jr., shortstop Alex Rodriguez, and designated hitter Edgar Martinez and ace Randy Johnson, the Seattle Mariners won the American League West for only the second time in franchise history but the second time in three seasons.  They would lose to the Baltimore Orioles in the ALDS, but the winning group could do something the 2010 Mariners could not: score runs.  This 1997 team scored an incredible 925 runs, a total very few teams can accomplish.  This Mariners team was popular: they had the most hyped prospect in the history of baseball in Rodriguez, a fan favorite in Martinez, a power bat in Jay Buhner, and the face of baseball in Griffey Jr.  Playing in the enormous Kingdome in Seattle, the fan base started showing up and making the place a notorious bandbox, especially during Game 5 of the 1995 ALDS against the Yankees where the Mariners won and advanced to the ALCS off a historic walk-off double by Martinez.  The Kingdome had plenty of issues, however, and in midseason of a mediocre 1999 season the Mariners moved into shiny new Safeco Field.  Seattle won the wild card in 2000 with 91 wins, setting up an incredible 116 win season in Ichiro Suzuki's rookie season of 2001.  The heavy favorite to win the pennant in the playoffs, they were eliminated by the Yankees in the ALCS.

That would be Seattle's last playoff appearance to this day, and although the Mariners won 93 games both of the next two seasons, they missed the playoffs and the feeling changed.  Gone were Buhner, Griffey Jr., and Rodriguez, and the team character that stuffed the rowdy Kingdome had gone missing.  Ichiro Suzuki was a perennial All-Star through all of this, but as time went on he became the only star remaining.  After scoring 927 runs in 2001, the Mariners haven't scored even 800 runs since 2002.  Adrian Beltre never lived up to expectations he set during a huge 48 homer season with the Dodgers in 2004, and a post-40-year-old Jamie Moyer served as ace until they had a better option in Felix Hernandez.

In 2007 the Mariners won 88 games, leading in the wild card race until a 10 game losing steak down the stretch doomed them.  The team wasn't exciting enough to wake up the Seattle fans, however, ranking just 16th in attendance.  A terrible season in 2008, with 101 losses, was followed by a surprising 85 win team in 2009.  Signs of life came from this Mariner team; Ken Griffey Jr. returned to finish his career where it all started and hit 19 homers as a pleasant surprise.  Felix Hernandez won 19 games and was an AL Cy Young Award finalist, all under new manager Don Wakamatsu.  A new sabermetric obsession over fielding and range statistics enthralled the baseball stat world, and the Mariners were widely viewed as the best fielding team in the country.  Stat gurus and baseball experts alike were starting to warm up on the Mariners to be the team to leapfrog the Angels in the AL West to win the division.

Picked by many as the surprise team in baseball, the Mariners didn't disappoint.  They were surprising, for the absolute opposite reason.  Mediocre for the first two months (18-31), an absolutely terrible June doomed their season.  The Mariners went 6-22 in June, scoring on 75 runs or about 2.68 runs per game.  Over the entire season they were shut out 15 times.  Besides Ichiro's .315 batting average, they were led by Chone Figgins' .259.  Russell Branyan led the team in homers with just 15, but he only played 57 games for the Mariners after being traded from the Indians.  Milton Bradley had a minimal effect on the team, which was probably a good thing, but he essentially wasted his high salary and the at-bats he did get in 73 games.  The team RBI leader was Franklin Gutierrez with a ridiculous 64.  The Mariners finished last in Major League Baseball in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, total bases, runs, hits, doubles, triples, homers, and runs batted in.  This was a team that didn't have a chance to win unless Felix Hernandez was on top of his game and not giving up any runs, and the Mariners would be lucky to score two.  Unfortunately for Seattle, the fans had nothing to be excited about except Seahawks training camp.  The city forgot about the team last season, and the fans can't be blamed.  Seattle forgot about the Mariners, and the Mariners did nothing to fix it.

Earlier today, Hernandez won the AL Cy Young Award.  Holding a record of 13-12, average for sure, Hernandez had by far the least wins by any pitcher winning the award.  How did he get so few wins?  The offense.  Hernandez had little to zero margin for error because if he wasn't going to shut down the opponent, the Mariners couldn't win.  His 2.27 ERA would have suggested an 18-7 record or something similar.  Looking forward, the Mariners need to address this problem.  Safeco Field is a pitchers park and the franchise has committed to pitching and defense, but that doesn't work if all the players are defense-first and no one takes responsibility offensively.  They also need offense for another reason: the fan base.  Baseball traditionalists enjoy pitchers duels, but today's generation of baseball fans want to see some offense most of the time.  With the bombers of the Kingdome in the late 90s like Griffey Jr., Martinez, Buhner, and Bret Boone the fan base got behind the team.  This is a goal the Mariners need to focus on regaining the city that fell in love with them, or will remain in infamy.  

2010-2011 Free Agency Predictions

The following players are the best of the best out there this offseason, the top free agents of the 2010-2011 Hot Stove.  Here are my predictions on where they go with a short explanation.  These predictions are very tough because when it comes right down to it any team with budget room has a shot to sign a guy, as I have learned from past experience (see: Matt Holliday, Athletics 2009 and Adam Dunn, Nationals 2009).  Well, these are my 'educated guesses'.  Free agents are ranked based off the list from mlbtraderumors.com's top 50 free agents, but the predictions and explanations are original Cubs Insider material.

1. Cliff Lee - Yankees.  It will be a serious upset if anyone but the Yankees gets one of the best starters in baseball in Lee.  Lee beat the Yankees twice in the ALCS in eliminating the Yankees on his way to the World Series, and if the Yankees get beat by a top player they are double as likely to get him the next offseason.

2. Carl Crawford - Tigers.  With a bunch of huge contracts (Magglio Ordonez, Nate Robertson, Jeremy Bonderman, etc.) coming off the books, the Tigers are revved up to spend big time dough.  Crawford is a great fit for the spacious gaps of Comerica Park making a great duo between him and Austin Jackson.  A Detroit team that appeared lifeless at times last year could use this spark plug.

3. Adrian Beltre - Angels.  The Angels are also looking to spend and will be in the Crawford sweepstakes, but this should be their top guy.  Beltre is coming off a tremendous season with the Red Sox and the Angels want a definite power bat in the middle of the order more than a bunch of aging but somewhat effective veterans (Bobby Abreu, Hideki Matsui, Torii Hunter).

4. Jayson Werth - Red Sox.  The Red Sox have to make their annual splash, and the fan base craves a sturdy left fielder after a season with a revolving door in front of the Green Monster.  Nine players played in left field for Boston in 2010, and the Red Sox also love his power bat.

5. Adam Dunn - Cubs.  An admitted lover of hitting at Wrigley Field, the Cubs will need a power hitting lefty first baseman to contend in 2011.  The Tigers and White Sox will also be in competition for the veteran, but Dunn will end up with the Cubs for the first reason and also because of his past relationship with GM Jim Hendry, whom Dunn knows from their days in Cincinnati.

6. Victor Martinez - Tigers.  Detroit won't get Dunn, but still have a first baseman in Martinez.  This signing gives them lots of flexibility as they can use Martinez at either position or even rotate him, allowing the Tigers to start bench players and rookies and play the hot bat.  With Crawford, the Tigers will have impressively signed a power bat and leadoff guy, memo to the rest of the AL Central.

7. Rafael Soriano - White Sox.  The Angels are the favorite in this race, but the White Sox have lost almost all trust in Bobby Jenks are unlikely to want to have him as closer again.  GM Ken Williams always pulls off a few eye openers in the offseason, this being probably his biggest.  Williams, more often than not, gets his man.

8. Mariano Rivera - Yankees.  Tight race between the Yankees and Diamonbacks.  Yeah right.

9. Paul Konerko - White Sox.  The odds of him leaving are palpable and feasible, but he probably extended his Chicago career with his terrific comeback 2010 season.  Ripping 38 homers is enough to keep the great (owner) Jerry Reinsdorf-Konerko friendship alive.  If not the Sox, possibly the Angels or Diamondbacks.  Not joking this time.

10. Derek Jeter - Yankees.  See: Rivera, Mariano.  The Yankees are going to severely overpay for Jeter who is no longer an above average defender and earned another Gold Glove he doesn't deserve.  As the face of the Yankees franchise, there's pretty much no chance he will be playing anywhere but The House That Jeter Built (New Yankee Stadium) in 2011.

11. Hiroki Kuroda - Dodgers.  Kuroda could be an under the radar signing somewhere else, but the Dodgers like his durability and reliability.  For a team lacking in a true ace, Kuroda should be a solid middle rotation starter.

12. Jorge De La Rosa - Rockies.  A lefty middle rotation guy, he has some caution flags stuck on his shoulder, that being his control problems that have plagued him when has been ineffective.  Even when playing to his potential, he walks too many batters.  The kind of player rebuilding teams target, the Nationals, Royals, and Pirates have been linked to him as well.

13. Carl Pavano - Twins.  While the Twins still lack an ace since the departure of Johan Santana, Pavano, after pitching only 145.2 innings over 2005-2008 with the Yankees, has now pitched 420.1 innings over the past two seasons and is a workhorse.  The Twins need him as a key cog in that staff of mediocre to above average starters.

14. Jake Westbrook - Cardinals.  A low drama deal, the Cardinals will pay the man his money because they still need depth behind Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter.  Westbrook probably isn't the best they can do, but he's willing to come back and will take some innings.

15. Aubrey Huff - Giants.  2010's best bargain deal was Huff who hit 26 homers and led the Giants to the championship for only $3 million.  The Giants certainly won't want him to guy, they will get him back.

16. Juan Uribe - Mariners.  The historically terrible offense of the 2010 Seattle Mariners was an embarrassment to the franchise and GM Jack Zduriencik will make some moves.  Uribe seems like a logical pickup as current shortstop Josh Wilson doesn't hit well enough to start.  Uribe's 20 projected homers would be very welcome to Mariners fans.

17. Carlos Pena - Nationals.  A player to watch right here.  Pena couldn't even bat .200 in 2010 but still hit 28 homers.  With his stock taking a big hit with the low average, Pena could easily regain his status as one of the American League's best first basemen as he plays the field well and led the AL in homers with 39 in 2009.

18. Jim Thome - Twins.  For all Thome did for the Twins, he should be given one more year as the DH.  Worst case scenario, Thome ends up being traded at the deadline.

19. Vladimir Guerrero - Rangers.  Although the Rangers declined their $9 million option on Guerrero, they want him back.  Guerrero will likely have to take a pay cut if he stays with the Rangers, but he is inclined to stay while Texas is a winner.

20. Manny Ramirez - Athletics.  This may seem surprising, but it shouldn't be considering the man at the controls of the A's.  GM Billy Beane, known for his uncommon baseball wits and surprising signings, will bring in the bat.  Manny has more left in that bat than he showed with the White Sox, and a fresh start in his first small market since Cleveland should do him well.

21. Magglio Ordonez - Blue Jays.  As evidenced by their signing of Frank Thomas in 2007, the Jays are willing to roll the dice on veterans past their prime.  Playing half the season of 2010, he surprised many with the return of his power that escaped him in 2009.  His 37 year old bat seems to have plenty in it as he still hit .300 in 2010 for the 10th time in the last 12 seasons.  Expect a one or two year deal.

22. Orlando Hudson - Padres.  A free agent again, the O-Dog will end up in San Diego because of his positive attitude and veteran status among a very young team.  Hudson is very consistent and the Padres need to improve on their team batting average, something he can help the team with.

23. Derrek Lee - Brewers.  With Prince Fielder very likely to be traded, this trade would give Milwaukee an able bat to replace some of Fielder's production.  Lee can be picked up with a discount as his stock fell after a disappointing 2010.  The Orioles and Diamondbacks have also been mentioned.

24. Lance Berkman - Mariners.  It's no secret the Big Puma's bat has faded significantly.  He could provide a little value, though, as whatever he'll hit is most definitely better than whoever else the Mariners could start.  With Berkman, though, there are lots of teams that have a little interest; no front runners.

25. Andy Pettitte - Yankees.  Right now, he's playing the whole 'I need to be with my family' card but the truth is this guy is a true ballplayer and loves the game.  The Yankees would love to have him because amazingly he keeps returning and pitching well.  If he's not out there on a roster by Opening Day, I will be shocked.

26. Jon Garland - Orioles.  The front office might finally get something right and improve the effort to find talent outside of the organization while they have the opportunity.  Baltimore is a team that holds momentum this offseason with their strong finish under Buck Showalter, and this signing would go a long way towards taming the kids on the staff and transforming them into pitchers.  

27. A.J. Pierzynski - Red Sox.  Pierzynski was the favorite to join the Florida Marlins, but they picked the Red Sox's top option in John Buck.  The Red Sox will take Pierzynski instead, providing great insurance for Jason Varitek.  Pierzynski was quoted as saying the Red Sox, among a few other teams, "would all be good fits."

28. Miguel Olivo - Dodgers.  Whatever happened to Russell Martin, it sounds like the Dodgers have had with him.  Olivo is one of the best offensive catchers in baseball and plays in small, usually losing markets which is why he flies under the radar so much.  What a treat, now he gets to play for a contender.

29. John Buck - Marlins.  Speaking of early birds, the Marlins and Buck beat me to this post and agreed to a three year deal already earlier this week.  Buck was the huge favorite to land the Red Sox job, but instead takes Florida where he's the best catcher they have seen since Ivan Rodriguez.

30. Javier Vazquez - Nationals.  Vazquez would enjoy going back to the National League after another unsuccessful year with the Yankees.  He also expressed interest in the Nationals, so they have to be considered the favorite.  If they could get him, he would become the best pitcher in the history of the Nationals portion of the franchise.

31. Scott Downs - Yankees.  Playing for the Blue Jays, the Yankees have seen Downs a lot.  Thus increasing his chances of becoming one.  The race for Downs will go between the Red Sox and Yankees, but remember which team has seemingly unlimited resources.  Hint, not the Red Sox.

32. J.J. Putz - Dodgers.  After having a mid career crisis with the Mets that included injuries, Putz has gotten his stuff back.  The Dodgers use their bullpen more than almost every team in the league and those cannot go to George Sherrill again, whose 6.69 ERA was surprising and just terrible.  Putz should replace him behind Jonathan Broxton, or replace him in the event of another period of struggle for Broxton.

33. Brian Fuentes - Braves.  Atlanta already has a great bullpen, but they could use a veteran to close games and need a closer after the retirement of Billy Wagner.  Fuentes blows more than a few saves, but thankfully they have the depth to cover the void.

34. Adam LaRoche - Orioles.  Much like Olivo, LaRoche usually is playing on losing and/or small market teams and isn't talked about much.  His value is real, however, and he is drawing interest from Orioles, Brewers, Cubs, Giants, and Diamondbacks just to name a few.

35. Hisanori Takahashi - Phillies.  Another under the radar pitcher, Takahashi could start for the Phillies if they want him to.  The Phillies like his flexibility, but so do the Nationals, Orioles, and Mariners.

36. Pat Burrell - Braves.  The Giants, unlike the Rays, saw that Burrell can still hit.  They also saw he still can't run or field.  The Braves outfield was a weakness last season but the addition of Burrell, along with the move of Martin Prado, could make it better.  The Padres need a slugger though, and so do the Mariners.

37. Joaquin Benoit - Rays.  The Rays are in serious trouble as their top six relievers are free agents.  If the Rays could bring back one of them, however, it probably would be Benoit who was unhittable in 2010.  Interest is not lacking by any means, the Tigers, Red Sox, and Yankees all want him and the Rays will need a great offer to compete with the bigger market teams.

38. Kevin Millwood - Brewers.  The Brewers are constantly on the hunt for pitching and the signing of Randy Wolf last offseason didn't go as well as planned.  Millwood is just the kind of pitcher the Brewers would sign, a veteran whose price tag is cut because of his struggles in Baltimore and a bad contract in Texas.  The Royals, Mariners, Pirates, and Padres are four teams that also want him, but only one is a contender and with all these offers Millwood can probably choose where he wants to go.

39. Kevin Correia - Pirates.  Pittsburgh has no pitching pretty much, and although Correia's 4.57 career ERA hardly makes him a dependable veteran, he's better than nothing.  Correia could be a good #5 starter on a good team, although the odds of a good team spending money in free agency on a #5 starter is unlikely.  The Pirates need anyone to help Paul Maholm in the rotation.

40. Arthur Rhodes - Reds.  As long as he is pitching well, there's no reason for the Reds to deny the 41 year old reliever.  The Reds need the bullpen stacked with guys who can pitch around Aroldis Chapman, their top reliever who threw the fastest pitch in history in 2010.  Many teams could use the lefty, the Phillies being one, but the Reds are the most likely to keep him.


        

Opening Day TV Schedule?

There are sort of two Opening Days in 2011, with 10 teams opening on Thursday, March 31 and 20 teams opening on Friday, April 1.  In the past ESPN has carried the Sunday night season opening game, last year it being the Yankees-Red Sox as the only game that day.  On Monday ESPN and ESPN2 combined to show five Opening Day games, as is tradition.  For the new schedule layout that begins on a Thursday, however, the new TV alignment has yet to be arranged.  So I guess I have nothing to go off of besides last year's format, but I'm changing the alignment tentatively with two games on the first day, three on the second.  This post is to show the best games of the two Opening Days, and say which should be on ESPN.  The 2011 schedule is here and I choose two games from the Thursday games and three from the Friday games.



Thursday games:


Milwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds
ESPN likes to show the home opener in Cincinnati, an event that has occurred in Cincinnati every year since 1901 except 1966.  The tradition behind it is huge for Reds fans, and Great American Ball Park hosted its first playoff game last season.  The Brewers, on the other hand, are a team that probably won't contend in 2011 for the same reason as 2010, the fact that they really don't have any pitching.  The small dimensions at Great American with the power hitters from both teams should make for an interesting game.

Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees
This game just barely beat out San Diego at St. Louis, but that game would have resulted in lower ratings.  The Tigers are going to spend this offseason and could end up with someone like Victor Martinez or Carl Crawford.  As the Tigers should be a better team in 2011, the Yankees will be good like always and looking to redeem themselves after the failure that was 2010 where they lost in the ALCS (of course, only to they Yankees was that failure).


Friday games:


Minnesota Twins at Toronto Blue Jays
The Jays may be the most exciting offensive team in the country, leading baseball in homers in 2010 and fielding a lineup stacked with stars.  The pitching is mediocre and without an ace, but the Jays always hang around and win 85 or so games.  This will be an interesting game against Minnesota, the team that plays the game so well with a tremendous organization but has failed awfully in the playoffs this decade (no wonder they haven't received the criticism they deserve).  Interesting matchup.

San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers
The opener for the World Champion Giants would be interesting enough, but adding it to Dodger Stadium against the hated rival Los Angeles, now this is a great game.  The Dodgers can still contend in 2011 after NLCS appearances in 2008 and 2009.  The Giants will likely lose a few players to free agency, so this will be a good first test.

Boston Red Sox at Texas Rangers
This matchup makes fans mouths water.  After an amazing series last season in Texas, including a walk-off homer from Nelson Cruz in the 13th in a 9-9 game, these two teams showed that the power on power down south is something to behold.  Red Sox GM Theo Epstein will reshape his team to get back to the playoffs, so they will be improved.  The franchise popularity of the Rangers was at an all time high when they got to the World Series, and even though they lost, the Rangers will be a great team next year and for a while.

Uniform Reform in Washington

I did a post earlier this season about the young Nationals of 2010 and how they could actually compete for a while, which they did to some extent.  And yes, I'm devoting another post to the Washington Nationals.  They will always be a special small market team because of their location and the historical significance of having a baseball team in Washington, D.C.  The well publicized tradition of the President throwing out the first pitch on Opening Day is a good one that should stay, but hopefully the President will stick to Nationals gear only, unlike last year.  The Nationals, since their move to Washington, have had mostly mediocre uniforms (a full logo and uniform history can be found here, including the mediocre home uniform and bad road uniform).  However, hope appeared in 2009 in the new road jersey, with a script that went back to the days of the Washington Senators but with a modern twist, white outlining.  The home uniform remained the same, but the franchise ached for a new one for two reasons.  One, the Nationals moved to Nationals Park in 2008, giving them a new identity and a bigger place on the Beltway sports front.  Two, the starting pitcher chooses the uniform and at home, the pitchers were choosing the home alternate more than the primary, giving fans an idea of which they preferred.  The fans, according to fan surveys the Nationals took of their fans, love the W logo and this the Nationals incorporated into their new set of uniforms.  The only completely new jersey in the new set is the home one, and this jersey is something I thought they should have done two years ago when they introduced the red one.  Take that last red one I linked and compare it to this, the new one with the only minimal differences.  The Nationals added a red bill to the road cap and that was it for the road uniform.  The one thing Washington did do, to all their uniforms, is get rid of the 3D effect on the numbers in gold which had been highly criticized by fans.  Overall, fresh uniforms.  I had to spend a post explaining all of this because I feel that the colors of the Nationals are important to represent the country and all of the history of the city which obviously can't be ignored.  Losing Adam Dunn is going to hurt the team, but if they could ever get some pitching around Stephen Strasburg, they could be a good team someday.               

Cubs Hot Stove Buzz

The Cubs have plenty of needs on their wishlist for this offseason.  One of the biggest is the left handed first baseman, preferably with power.  Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano said earlier in the season that the Cubs should focus on pitching needs this offseason and that they can handle the offense, but they haven't proved that at all over the last two seasons.  In 2009, Derrek Lee led the offense by far.  In 2010, the offense sucked for the most part.  In the first baseman market for the Cubs so far is, above all, Adam Dunn, then Victor Martinez or Aubrey Huff, then Lance Berkman.  I really do see Dunn coming to Chicago the only question is if the Cubs are willing to pay that much for a guy probably looking for $10 million.

Before the Cubs can get too excited about spending money, they need to trade Kosuke Fukudome.  Fukudome is owed $13.5 million in 2011, so it will be tough considering Fukudome's awful value relative to salary.  Jim Hendry has a lot of critics, but everyone can agree that the one thing he has done best is dump bad contracts (see: Milton Bradley).  He only has one year left on his contract and has been a huge bust offensively but great defensively.  He will never sniff that kind of money for the rest of his baseball career.  On the pitching side, the Cubs are interested in Jon Garland who expressed interest in the Cubs last offseason.  Other mid-level starters are what the Cubs are looking for, and could find that in a guy like Carl Pavano or Javier Vazquez.  Cliff Lee is out of the Cubs price range.  Kerry Wood, who would like to return to Chicago, will have to take a pay cut if he is to do so because there is no way the Cubs will pay him $10 million that he was making last year.  I don't see the Cubs wanting to pay him more than $2 million.  The hunt for a veteran middle reliever continues.

Pitching and Defense Reign

First, congratulations to the 2010 San Francisco Giants on winning their first World Series since moving from New York in the 1950s.  Second, how?  I'm not a believer in the phrase 'pitching and defense win championships.'  I guess it worked for the Giants, though, who shut down the Rangers offense in this Series probably making that more important than anything either team did offensively.  Once in Texas, the Giants allowed only five runs in the three games, and the Giants won two of three of those.  The Giants also won the last two games, allowing only one run and scoring seven.  After being shut out only once in the regular season at home (to Dallas Braden of the Oakland A's) in 81 games, Madison Bumgarner shut out the Giants for eight innings before giving way to the bullpen.  The very next night was between Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee and a pitching duel that ensued was supposed to happen in Game 1, but didn't.  Lincecum beat Lee for the second time thanks the Series MVP Edgar Renteria's three-run homer in the 7th inning which put the Rangers away.  The Rangers got one run back, but the bullpen contained the Texas offense that was so key against the Yankees.  Brian Wilson, the closer, came on and struck out Nelson Cruz on a high fastball to end it, doing his trademark cross hand finger pointing before celebrating on the mound with his mobbing teammates.

Main thought about this series and the Giants run: it came out of nowhere.  I didn't feel like the Giants were a serious contender to win it all in the beginning of the postseason, but they did win it with pitching.  This feeling can be compared to the 2006 Cardinals, a team that was awful late in the season and still squeezed into the playoffs.  Somehow, they beat San Diego, New York, and Detroit that fast and won the World Series, although they probably deserved it less than anyone else in the playoffs.  I didn't expect them to win but once they did they were off and running and the sports media swirled and swirled around them, much like the Giants.  They just kept winning and testing everyone's judgment to see how long this thing would keep going.  The Giants beat the Braves in what wasn't an upset, but a series with a lot of historical significance due to Bobby Cox retiring and such.  The Giants certainly upset the Phillies in six games and that was just incredible.  Sports analysts didn't give anyone else in the National League a chance because of the 'Big Three' of Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt.  However, this Giants team proved that a team doesn't need big names to pitch well; what they did using Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, and Madison Bumgarner was just incredible.  And to that I salute them.  Something else the Giants did really well is come through late in the game in clutch at-bats.  San Francisco scored 12 in the 8th inning combined through the Series, tying the Rangers total output through all innings.  The Giants put up runs in the 7th and/or 8th in every game.  And while the Giants certainly have no stars on offense like the Rangers do in Josh Hamilton and more, it's just a great bunch of guys put together who have talent and give the team great at-bats and do their best to put something together.  It is an all-team production, also known as teamwork.  Plenty of teams in baseball should be taking notes on this, as the wisdom is clearly abundant.

The 2010 National League All-Division Team

This is the Part Two of the two post series MLB's All-Division Team.  The first part was published on September 17th, and the reason for the delay of this post is the huge time commitment it takes and the postseason has been a busy one.  For this post I profiled 160 National League players, including even situational stats as you will read.  The National League was tougher to decide than the American League because there are more teams in the NL and there were also more competitive teams.  The team below won't disappoint, though, with a few surprises in there, too.  The same rules stand as the AL edition, where 'best' is defined as most important to his team.  There is also an extra incentive to being consistent for an entire season, and although not every player here was exactly a model of consistency in 2010, this is the reason Troy Tulowitzki, for example, didn't make the team.  Tulowitzki had "video game stats" for September going on an unbelievable tear but the fact is his power was missing for five out of six months of the baseball season, and Jose Reyes was more important to the Mets.  Again, this is not at all a popularity contest like the All-Star team is.  My goal in this series to get past that, and actually establish a foundation for the best players in baseball.



National League East

C Brian McCann, ATL
Too bad the Braves weren't able to take advantage of his biggest hit of the season, a go-ahead three-run double in the All-Star Game that gave the National League a win securing home field advantage in the World Series.  McCann, though, picked up plenty of other big hits for the NL Wild Card Champion Atlanta Braves.  One of the National League's best hitting catchers, he has hit 18 or more homers and 77 or more RBI each of the past five seasons.  He is a durable and able catcher, catching in 136 games and setting a career high at 30% baserunners caught stealing against him.  Opponents: Josh Thole (NYM), Carlos Ruiz (PHI), Ivan Rodriguez (WAS), and Ronny Paulino (FLA).


1B Adam Dunn, WAS
During a down year from Ryan Howard, Dunn walks away with the hardware this time.  Hitting a team-high 38 HR and 103 RBI, Dunn remained to be a glue piece to the Nationals' rebuilding efforts.  Washington slipped to 69-93 but were a winner early on and much of that had to do with Dunn.  All positive reviews from his two year stay on the Beltway, Dunn completed his initially surprising contract with a lasting effect on the young players who look up to him.  Opponents: Ike Davis (NYM), Ryan Howard (PHI), Gaby Sanchez (FLA), and Troy Glaus (ATL).

2B Dan Uggla, FLA
Okay, let's get the screaming negative out of the way.  He can't field for crap.  Glad to get that over with.  Okay, so now lets stare at his 33 homers, 105 RBI and 100 runs, which helps him get the win in a very tight race with Atlanta's Martin Prado.  Uggla is just another one of those guys to come out of the Marlins' system who owns.  He is their main power threat especially after Jorge Cantu got traded to Texas.  The offensive leader of this young team (sorry, Hanley Ramirez) deserves this spot.  Opponents: Adam Kennedy (WAS), Luis Castillo (NYM), Martin Prado (ATL), and Chase Utley (PHI)

3B David Wright, NYM
Wright quietly had a great year in the power department (29 homers) not having lost his speed quite yet (19 steals).  His strikeout rate badly increased for a season total of 161 and his batting average was a career worst .283 (which isn't saying much), but the fact is he is a franchise player and he needed a good year this season to prove his continued longevity as a Met, not just a product who had a few great years. The Mets faded at the end there, but their run in first for a while later than most expected wouldn't have been possible without Wright.  Opponents: Chipper Jones (ATL), Ryan Zimmerman (WAS), Placido Polanco (PHI), and Wes Helms (FLA).

SS Jose Reyes, NYM
Much said about Wright can also be said about Reyes, who needed to prove he could steal use the speed that gave him 258 steals between 2005 and 2008.  He needs some more work on regaining plate discipline, but Reyes took 30 bases in 40 tries in nearly a full season.  Also now the Mets won't have to play him conservatively and will let him run free.  Reyes gave the Mets that spark, the energy, that completely escaped them in the nightmare that was 2009 Mets baseball.  Opponents: Jimmy Rollins (PHI), Hanley Ramirez (FLA), Ian Desmond (WAS), and Alex Gonzalez (ATL).


LF Raul Ibanez, PHI
In a weak running in this division, Ibanez still wins despite being a shadow of his 2009 self.  It took him a long time to come around to hitting like he does and his Phillies were incapable of getting on a roll until he started contributing.  Sure enough, the Phillies started winning consistently and Ibanez was doing what he does best: driving in runs.  Opponents: Josh Willingham (WAS), Melky Cabrera (ATL), Jason Bay (NYM), and Chris Coghlan (FLA).


CF Angel Pagan, NYM
Hmm.  Imagine if he were still on the Cubs.  Lead off issues solved.  Pagan had his finest season yet thanks to the injury to Carlos Beltran.  Pagan stole 37 bases and batted .290, playing his first full season in the majors.  He also saw time at each outfield position, and durability is key in today's game.  Opponents: Nyjer Morgan (WAS), Cameron Maybin (FLA), Nate McLouth (ATL), and Shane Victorino (PHI)

RF Mike Stanton, FLA
Wake up.  You're drooling on your keyboard.  Stanton's huge power cranked 22 homers in a bit less than a full season after getting the call-up in early June.  He led National League rookies in homers and other offensive categories.  He only batted .259 but has time to improve.  Fans came out to see this guy because of his track record.  He is a gamer, future face of the franchise.  He had a terrific rookie campaign of 2010, but for now he is stuck staring at Hanley Ramirez and Dan Uggla before the team truly becomes his.  Opponents: Mike Morse (WAS), Jeff Francoeur (NYM), Jason Heyward (ATL), and Jayson Werth (PHI).


SP Josh Johnson, FLA
'JJ', as he's known to Marlins fans, cooled off slighly towards the end of the 2010 season.  He didn't start after September 4th after the Marlins shut him down which caused him to fall short of 200 innings at 183.2.  However, he averaged more than 6.1 IP per start and carried a ridiculous 1.72 ERA heading into August before having a rough month and finishing at 2.30.  He was in control all season, being yanked in the middle of an inning only three times out of 28 starts.  Oh, and he also struck out 186 and walked only 48.  Opponents: Johan Santana (NYM), Livan Hernandez (WAS), Tim Hudson (ATL), and Roy Halladay (PHI).


RP Billy Wagner, ATL
Wagner's career is now over after retiring at age 38, but it's a darn shame because he hasn't lost anything at all on his stuff and is still one of the most exciting closers to watch.  He finished with a 1.43 ERA and 37 saves in 71 games and 69.1 IP.  He struck out a ridiculous 104 batters while walking only 22!  His fastball consistently hit 98 like it has his entire career and his 2010 performance highlighted one of the best bullpens in baseball on the Atlanta Braves.  He retires 5th on the all-time saves list with 422, the Astros all-time saves leader, 4th on the Mets all-time saves list, tied for 9th on the Phillies all-time saves list, 6th on the Braves single season saves list, and struck out 1196 in 903 career innings.  Wow.  Opponents: Francisco Rodriguez (NYM), Brad Lidge (PHI), Leo Nunez (FLA), and Matt Capps (WAS).


National League Central

C Geovany Soto, CHC
'Geo' went under the radar in 2010 and had a great year although injuries still got to him.  Playing only 105 games still got him the hardware.  He really worked hard on losing weight and increasing mobility behind the plate, and it showed although he only threw out 22% of baserunners.  Soto was on pace to hit more than 23 homers, his output in his rookie year but finished with 17 and also 53 RBI, batting .280.  Soto showed a newfound patience especially early in the season when his walks outnumbered his strikeouts, a stat no one saw coming.  Opponents: Yadier Molina (STL), Ramon Hernandez (CIN), Ryan Doumit (PIT), Humberto Quintero (HOU), and Jonathan Lucroy (MIL).


1B Joey Votto, CIN
As Reds TV play-by-play announcer would tell you in a second, Votto was one of the best hitters in the National League and will get many MVP votes.  He tore up the league smashing 37 homers and 113 RBI, batting .324 with an OBP of .424 due to his 91 walks.  He could not be kept off the basepaths in 2010, and although Albert Pujols had a fine season of his own, Votto was a better all around player this season.  Votto threw in 16 steals too.  Opponents: Albert Pujols (STL), Derrek Lee (CHC), Garrett Jones (PIT), Lance Berkman (HOU), and Prince Fielder (MIL).


2B Jeff Keppinger, HOU
Before you tell yourself that the writer of this blog is crazy, consider this stat: 36 strikeouts in 575 at-bats.  Keppinger was statiscally the hardest batter to strike out in the National League.  He led all full season Astros players with a .288 batting average, and was a great veteran presence for a rebuilding team.  He was the guy that kept the offense moving in Houston and was reliable all season for a team that saw lots of young players come and go.  Opponents: Skip Schumaker (STL), Ryan Theriot (CHC), Neil Walker (PIT), Rickie Weeks (MIL), and Brandon Phillips (CIN).

3B Scott Rolen, CIN
One of the best comeback stories in baseball, Rolen suffered through two injury-filled seasons with the Blue Jays before being dealt to Cincinnati midseason 2009.  Rolen cooled off at the end but still hit 20 homers and 83 RBI in 133 games, batting a surprising .285.  As always, Rolen played just superb defense.  He was an influential veteran on this young Reds team.  Opponents: Aramis Ramirez (CHC), David Freese (STL), Casey McGehee (MIL), Pedro Alvarez (PIT), and Chris Johnson (HOU).


SS Starlin Castro, CHC
While his offensive WAR (Wins Above Replacement, a sabermetric stat) was only 1.6, he did so much for the Cubs offensively.  He loosened the pressure on the veterans, being the 20 year old high energy kid that he is.  Castro should improve in the future because of his ability to hit everything.  He goes to all fields and doesn't have a weakness in the strike zone, although he is least effective when jammed inside.  He had serious trouble defensively and contributed to the Cubs ranking first in baseball in errors, but he has plenty of time to fix it.  Without Castro, I don't see the Cubs winning more than 72 games in 2010.  Opponents: Tommy Manzella (HOU), Ronny Cedeno (PIT), Alcides Escobar (MIL), Orlando Cabrera (CIN), and Brendan Ryan (STL).


LF Matt Holliday, STL
This guy was the only hope for a Cardinals team that forever struggles with lineup protection for Pujols.  Holliday didn't disappoint, playing in 158 games hitting 28 homers, 103 RBI, and a great .312 batting average.  He got on base at a .390 clip, exactly what the Cardinals want from the guy behind #5.  Opponents: Alfonso Soriano (CHC), Jonny Gomes (CIN), Carlos Lee (HOU), Jose Tabata (PIT), and Ryan Braun (MIL).


CF Andrew McCutchen, PIT
'McClutchen' hit .286 but .315 with men on base, although only one of his 16 homers drove in more than himself.  This guy right here is marketing the Pirates to Pittsburgh, putting fans in the seats with his exciting play.  The fact that Pittsburgh still finished 15th in the NL in attendance tells you how bored the city is with this losing pandemic on the Pirates.  McCutchen stole 33 bases and was fifth in defensive range factor in center field.  Opponents: Marlon Byrd (CHC), Colby Rasmus (STL), Carlos Gomez (MIL), Drew Stubbs (CIN), and Michael Bourn (HOU).


RF Hunter Pence, HOU
The duck-footed kid had another fine year, consistent again for 25 homers, 91 RBI, and a .282 batting average.  He nearly hit the 20-20 club with 18 steals and is pretty much the face of the franchise with Carlos Lee having seen better days.  Pence was the heart of the offense and one of the formidable outfield trio in Houston with Lee, Bourn, and Pence.  Opponents: Tyler Colvin (CHC), Jay Bruce (CIN), Ryan Ludwick (STL), Lastings Milledge (PIT), and Corey Hart (MIL).


SP Brett Myers, HOU
Surprise, I know.  Shout out to Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter, both did a great job but still don't get my award.  Myers wasn't expected of much by the baseball public when he signed with Houston, but has made such an incredible change on the pitching philosophy.  He was yanked from a start in the middle of an inning only four times in 33 starts, and had a streak of pitching at least six innings all the way until the last start of the season.  The results: 223.2 IP, 3.14 ERA, 180 K to 66 BB, 14-8 record.  And now he has the #3 starter, young J.A. Happ, to tutor.  Opponents: Ryan Dempster (CHC), Adam Wainwright (STL), Bronson Arroyo (CIN), Yovani Gallardo (MIL), and Paul Maholm (PIT).


RP Carlos Marmol, CHC
Breaking Eric Gagne's record of K/9 IP, Marmol's 138 K in 77.2 IP topped all NL relievers by a long shot.  He also came six short of Randy Wells' K total of 144, although Wells needed 116.2 IP more to do it.  Marmol saved 38 games with an ERA of 2.55 and although he did walk 52, he only allowed 40 hits.  Incredibly, he allowed one homer and even more incredibly, it was to Jeff Clement of the Pirates in May, an opposite field shot at Wrigley.  Marmol is, without Cubs bias, the most dominant and intimidating reliever in the National League.  Opponents: Francisco Cordero (CIN), Ryan Franklin (STL), John Axford (MIL), Brandon Lyon (HOU), and Octavio Dotel (PIT).



National League West

C Buster Posey, SF
In a very weak division for catchers, there may now be at least one star for a long time in the future.  Bengie Molina, the incumbent catcher playing in his fourth season for San Francisco, was traded to make room for Posey.  I didn't believe all the hype in Spring Training about this guy, but I'm a believer now.  Posey whacked 18 homers and 67 RBI in 105 games, and what's really remarkable is that he's generating the power from a small 6-1 frame.  Posey will be a fan favorite for the next decade.  Opponents: Yorvit Torrealba (SD), Miguel Olivo (COL), Russell Martin (LAD), and Miguel Montero (ARI).


1B Adrian Gonzalez, SD
'A-Gon' has been the face of this franchise for at least four years, as if there was any competition.  Gonzo's 31 homers led the Padres, ahead of the second place Will Venable by 18.  The hispanic star has been thrown around in trade rumors and needed a winning team this season to avoid getting dealt, probably to Boston.  It is good for the game of baseball, though, that his .298 batting average, 93 walks and 160 games played in 2010 stayed in San Diego.  If the Padres could ever get him some support, he could be an even better player with more baserunners to drive in.  Opponents: Aubrey Huff (SF), James Loney (LAD), Todd Helton (COL), Adam LaRoche (ARI).`


2B Kelly Johnson, ARI
Probably the biggest surprise on the offensively-exciting D-Backs, Johnson led the NL with 12 homers at one point.  He fell way behind in that race, but still he had a great year of 26 homers and 71 RBI, batting .284.  While Johnson set a career high with 13 steals, he needed this year to reinvigorate his career after really looking bad and getting kicked out of Atlanta.  Opponents: Freddy Sanchez (SF), Blake DeWitt (LAD), David Eckstein (SD), and Clint Barmes (COL).


3B Ian Stewart, COL
This is not the division to look in for a good third baseman.  That said, Stewart is at least consistent while Mark Reynolds, who hit 32 homers, batted .198.  He provided his regular low average yet abundant power in 2010 with 18 homers in only 386 at-bats.  He played only 121 games and the Rockies counted on him over the summer as Troy Tulowitzki wasn't getting the job done powerwise.  His 18 homers was third on the Rockies.  Opponents: Pablo Sandoval (SF), Chase Headley (SD), Mark Reynolds (ARI), Casey Blake (LAD).


SS Juan Uribe, SF
Who saw this coming?  Uribe, after wearing out his welcome with the White Sox, was picked up by the Giants before 2009 and has been great since.  Uribe set a new career high in homers with 24 and a new career high in RBI with 85, while being a huge part of a Giants team that relied on his pop.  For only $3.25 million, he has been a huge steal for San Francisco.  Opponents: Rafael Furcal (LAD), Troy Tulowitzki (COL), Everth Cabrera (SD), and Stephen Drew (ARI).


LF Carlos Gonzalez, COL
The Cubs certainly remember how good this guy is.  Gonzalez hit for the cycle against the Cubs in August, the biggest highlight of his monster season.  Gonzalez did it all batting .336 with 34 homers, 117 RBI, and 26 steals.  There is no doubt Gonzalez was the best player on the 2010 Rockies and one of the best in the National League.  He will get plenty of MVP votes.  Opponents: Manny Ramirez (LAD), Pat Burrell (SF), Gerardo Parra (ARI), and Scott Hairston (SD).


CF Chris Young, ARI
Young nearly made the 30-30 club for the second time in his career, but arguably had the best season of his career.  After disappointing many with such a low average in 2008 and 2009, it's good to see a guy with such great talent work his way back to where he needs to be.  Young hit 27 homers and stole 28 bases, batting .257, not great but acceptable.  The 26 year old also set a career high in walks for an Arizona team that struck out the most in baseball.  Opponents: Dexter Fowler (COL), Matt Kemp (LAD), Tony Gwynn Jr. (SD), and Aaron Rowand (SF).


RF Andre Ethier, LAD
It was a down year for the Dodgers and a less exciting one for Ethier, but he still got the job done.  Hitting .292 with 23 homers and 82 RBI, Ethier continued to become even more of a fan favorite.  With Matt Kemp playing alongside Ethier in center, the two make make one of the best outfielder duos in baseball, and Los Angeles has fallen in love with the play of the two stars.  Opponents: Justin Upton (ARI), Ryan Spilborghs (COL), Nate Schierholtz (SF), Will Venable (SD).


SP Mat Latos, SD
This 22 year old is a stud and a capable ace of the Padres.  Going 14-10 with a 2.92 ERA in his first full season, Latos struck out 189 in 184.2 IP.  He also walked only 2.4/9 IP, keeping his pitches under control especially his fastball which lights up the radar gun.  Latos was vital to the Padres team that came a game from getting to the playoffs as the biggest surprise in baseball.  Opponents: Tim Lincecum (SF), Ubaldo Jimenez (COL), Clayton Kershaw (LAD), and Ian Kennedy (ARI).


RP Heath Bell, SD
Bell's 47 saves were critical for a Padres team that needs to hold a lead when they get one, because it's unlikely the offense will get it back.  Bell was second in baseball in saves only behind Brian Wilson.  He was the old man of the bullpen at 32 and his 1.92 ERA was topped by a few guys in the best bullpen in baseball.  Bell may be a big man with limited mobility, but he is a great pitcher with a lively fastball and he struck out 11.1 batters per 9 innings, more than good enough for a closer.  Opponents: Brian Wilson (SF), Jonathan Broxton (LAD), Huston Street (COL), and Juan Gutierrez (ARI).



The amount of representatives is somewhat conducive to success of the team:

3 players: FLA, NYM, CHC, HOU, SD
2 players: ATL, CIN, SF, ARI, COL
1 player: WAS, PHI, STL, PIT, LAD
0 players: MIL

Interestingly, no National League team finished with more than three representatives; as opposed to the American League, where the Rangers topped it with six.  This team is obviously in my opinion so it is a cumulative mix of stats and sabermetrics with opinion.  I thank you for reading this post, I hope you enjoyed it.

NOTE: I'm currently working on a project to improve the blog.  Coming soon is the ability to search a player by last name and get all the posts with that player in it, as I am tagging the posts.  I will write when the project is completed.