Homestand Analysis: Cincinnati, Washington

Record: 4-2
Final Record: 51-67

Fresh off that major sweepage in the Steel City, the Cubs returned home to face a reeling Cincinnati team that had pretty much knocked themselves out of postseason contention.  The underperforming Reds, expected by many to battle the Cardinals and Brewers for the division all season long, came into Friday's game at 57-61 and 10 games behind division-leading Milwaukee.  The Cubs wouldn't make it any easier for them either, as the Cubs, or Tony Campana rather, motored past the Reds in a 4-3 win to open the series.

Campana's first-inning inside-the-park-homer, which also scored Starlin Castro, was the first home run of his career.  In fact I remember Len and Bob once remarking on a broadcast that it was as likely that Campana's first homer came in the park as it was over the wall.  It was just an amazing sight to behold and one of the most exciting plays in baseball, although near the end there was little doubt the little guy would make it.  The left fielder was a first baseman named Yonder Alonso who apparently hadn't adapted well to his temporary position, as he ran into the wall and let the ball skip right past him.

Tyler Colvin homered an inning later to make it 3-0.  Ryan Dempster ran into a bit of trouble in the 4th, allowing two runs, but the Reds never got the lead back despite a late homer by Ramon Hernandez which cut the lead to one.  Carlos Marmol saved the win, but Campana's clutch catch in the center field ivy (Sam Fuld-style) robbing Brandon Phillips of extra bases gets the real save.  A solid, solid victory.

On Saturday, the Cubs beat the Reds in blowout fashion.  Carlos Zambrano earned his ninth win of the season which could be his last win as a Cub.  Zambrano homered, Castro picked up four RBIs, and Carlos Pena picked up three in the 11-4 win.  On Sunday, Sean Marshall's midseason slump appeared to pack in one last stand as Marshall blew a one-run lead in the 8th, allowing the Reds to win 8-7.  The win snapped the Cubs' season-high seven-game winning streak.

Following the Monday rainout, the Cubs played the first of three against Chien-Ming Wang and the Nationals on Tuesday.  Wang stymied the Cubs offense, allowing hardly any baserunners and no runs while Matt Garza on the other side continued to receive the world's worst run support.  This one of Wang's first few starts in over two years, so the effort by the Cubs offense is pretty disappointing.  Golden boy Castro homered in the 8th, but the rest of the lineup stayed quiet in the 3-1 loss.

Batboy?  Nope, the dude in the middle is
the scrawny little Campana.

Homers by Reed Johnson, Geovany Soto, and Alfonso Soriano were enough to put away the Nats on Wednesday, thanks to a solid start by Rodrigo Lopez.  Although Lopez is just a short-term fix for this season's lack of rotation depth, it's good to see the Cubs be able to win with him on the mound.

Dempster again had great stuff in his Thursday start against the Reds, a 1-1 tie until homers by Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Pena made it 4-1.  A late rally nearly tied the game for the Reds, but a huge clutch performance by Carlos Marmol got the Cubs their third series win in a row and left them 9-2 in their last 11 home games.  Rick Ankiel hit an all-or-nothing blast to deep center that was caught near the warning track with the bases loaded and everything on the line with two outs in the 9th, giving the Cubs the win.

The phrase 'home cookin'' hasn't really applied to the Cubs this year or the last, but their 'road cookin'' in Pittsburgh carried over and kept on rolling back to Wrigley anyway.  This homestand just had a fun, positive feel to it which made it so fun to watch.  MVP honors goes to Dempster, who gave the Cubs everything in two very solid starts.  After the tough summer this has been for the Cubs and their fans, it's about time for some winning.  And according to Mike Quade, this could still be the year!

The Seattle 17

Mariners' losing streak among all-time worst


Not much was expected of the Seattle Mariners this season.  Before the season, the consensus among scouting reports was that although Seattle had talent on the pitching side of the ball, whether it be established talent like 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner Felix Hernandez or young and up and coming like Rookie of the Year candidate Michael Pineda, the offense would yet again be so horrifically bad that the Mariners would never catch up to the high powered offense of Texas.  Believe it or not, this year's Mariners have been almost as awful offensively as last year's team which barely managed to score 500 runs on the season.  Even 600 runs in a season would be considered a bad offensive season for a team.

The 2010 Mariners were led in home runs by Russell Branyan with 15.  And Branyan did that in only 205 at-bats.  Franklin Gutierrez led the team with 64 RBIs.  Chone Figgins, a big free agent signing for the Mariners before 2010, was a huge bust in his first season with the team.  But he still managed to lead the team in batting average at .259.

The 2011 version is currently being led in homers and RBIs by Miguel Olivo, with 14 and 46, respectively, and in batting average by Ichiro Suzuki at .272.  About two-thirds of the way through the season, the Mariners have scored an underwhelming 345 runs, easily the worst total in MLB.  They have also been held to three or less runs 56 times, or in 54% of their 104 games so far this season.   This incompetent offense is to blame for Seattle's now-infamous 17-game losing streak that began before the All-Star Break.

The streak began on July 6 with a 2-0 loss in a series finale in Oakland.  The Mariners then went to Anaheim, and promptly got swept in a four-game series.  Hernandez, Pineda, and Brandon League then went to Arizona for the All-Star Game.  The three probably wish they could've stayed in Arizona for a while longer, as their team would go on to lose 12 more in a row.  First, the Mariners hosted the Rangers in a four-game series and got swept, scoring two runs in the entire series.  Yes, two runs scored in four games.  Then the M's went to visit the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Yankees, playing a three-game series against each and losing all of them except the last game against the Yankees, which ended the streak on Wednesday.

During the streak, the Mariners only scored 44 runs, or 2.6 runs per game.  The futility of this streak will live in infamy for quite some time not only because of its sheer length, but because it blew the Mariners' chance at the wild card.  Right before the streak began, the Mariners were at .500 (43-43) thanks to the pitching staff.  But a closer examination reveals that this isn't the first time the Mariners have been plagued by such infamy down the stretch.  

On August 24, 2007, the 73-53 Mariners, fresh off a 4-2 win in Texas by none other than the same Hernandez (one of just two players on that team that remain on the Mariners today, along with Ichiro), began a similar losing streak that would knock them out of contention.  Although the M's had a relatively comfortable lead in the Wild Card after the win, they lost the lead to the Yankees during their nine-game losing streak.  The Mariners came out of it two games behind the Yanks and would never get the lead back.  This makes it twice in five years that the Mariners were knocked out of contention by a uncommonly long losing streak.  

Despite the team's overall struggles in 2011, the Mariners' pitching has held up pretty well.  Even including the streak, the Mariners staff ranks 9th in MLB in ERA, 6th in quality starts, and 3rd in walks allowed.  If pitching actually does win championships like they say, where are the championship rings for the Mariners?  At 44-60, to say it'll be a while until they get some is a major understatement.  Maybe in the mean time they'll score a run, or maybe even two.  Be warned.      

MLB's Best Uniforms, Part 1: Home Uniforms

Robinson Cano and the Yankees
check in at #2.

Because two Mondays ago was Memorial Day, you (might) have known what that meant.  It was time for MLB to roll out this year's version of the Stars and Stripes caps that are worn every year on Memorial Day, July 4th, and September 11th.  In 2008 and 2009, all teams wore the same caps, just with their logo on them and weren't given any choice in the matter.  But in 2010, teams were given the choice to do a red or blue bill and logo outline.  The Cubs took red.

The design of these caps was leaked before the design was released by manufacturer New Era just a few days before Memorial Day.  Leaked, as in the Mets decided to wear the caps earlier than scheduled thanks to the Bin Laden events.  And so, feeling patriotic, the Mets wore these for a home game against the Giants just a while ago.  They appear to be pretty much the same thing as last year's version, except that the back is now the same color as the bill.  They appear to be running out of ideas, to be honest.  It's important to remember that although wearing 'patriotic' caps may seem cool, they only exist for more revenue, which is exactly why they insist on making a new design every year.

Anyways, this gets us to the main subject of this post.  This is the first of a three-post series in which I will count down MLB's top ten of each type of uniform (home, away, and alternate).  This is supposed to start arguments, not end them.  Of course, this is being written in my opinion and I want to point out that, maybe because of my age, I'm much more of a modern style of uniform liker and less traditionalist than most.  This countdown only ranks the top ten out of the 30 current home uniforms.  No throwbacks or retro uniforms.  The top ten:

10. Cincinnati Reds

In the late 90s and early 2000s, the Reds were just another of those teams to go BFBS (black for black's sake), meaning they just added black to their color scheme spontaneously because it was a fad at the time.  In fact, the BFBS revolution probably influenced more teams uniforms than any other color fad, ever.  It began fading in the early to mid 2000s, but the Reds didn't unroll these (photo, left) clean, straight up home unis until 2007.  I think this version rivals all other that the Reds have ever had, and considering that the Reds have been a franchise for nearly 150 years, that's an awfully long time.  The black remains, but in a minor role as the highlight color.


9. Kansas City Royals

The Royals are yet another team that went crazy with black after being a royal blue and gold team for the rest of franchise history.  But in 2006, they dropped all black whatsoever.  All that remained was the core uniform that they've always had.  The Royals as a franchise have made tremendous progress since unveiling the new uniforms, from renovating Kauffman Stadium to developing the best farm system of all time to hosting the All-Star Game next season.




8. Seattle Mariners

This is probably not one you would expect to see on a list like this.  And to be sure, this uniform has its share of flaws.  For one, the script is boring.  For two, this looked a whole lot better when they wore this with a teal cap, which they did from 1993 to 2003.  But the Mariners home uniform makes the top ten because it's just so unique.  The blue they use, which I don't even know what to call, looks great complemented by the teal that has sort of disappeared over the last decade but returned with the new teal alternates they have this season.  The humble style of the uniforms are very much characteristic of the organization.

7. Chicago Cubs

Bias aside, the Cubs pinstripes is one of the greatest uniforms around, and that's not going to change soon.  It's also been improved with minor changes over the years.  It's such a classic look that under the Ricketts' 'administration', the Cubs have worn it exclusively at home.  The blue alternate only appears on the road because of the popularity of this uniform.  Also, it's even better this year with the Ron Santo '10' patch on the right sleeve (can't be seen on this photo).


6. Cleveland Indians

Not one you would expect to see on this list, but the Indians just have great stuff all around.  Great stadium, great uniforms, great logo, great fan base, and this year, a great team.  What really makes these worthy of the top 10 is the cursive script on the chest.  Although the design overall isn't the most classic, it's a good mix of old school (the writing script) and modern (the blue piping down the middle).












5. Baltimore Orioles

Does something look different about this uniform when compared to those of the rest of the league?  Maybe it's that there's no red or blue, making the Orioles one of only a handful of teams that don't choose one.  The Giants are the only other team to venture into black-and-orange territory, but the Orioles do it way better.  For once, the black actually seems to fit the orange very well, as opposed to a lot of other teams where it seems forced.


4. Atlanta Braves

Respect the class!  This uniform has all the ingredients to pull off the retro, classic look that they're going for.  Personally, I love the red bill on the cap.  The contrast there is what makes the entire thing work.  In fact, I wouldn't even be opposed to the Cubs wearing their red-billed cap at home.  But I digress.  The blue sleeves make this uniform an equal mix of blue and red.  And although they aren't the most original as the Braves have changed uniforms quite a bit in their history, it sure looks original.








3. San Diego Padres

It seems as if most Padres fans prefer the old lame brown and mustard uniforms, but I beg to ask why a change is even necessary.  The current home uniforms are perfect for all that San Diego is.  Not including sealife like Marlins and (Devil) Rays, the Padres are the only team in the league with a specific ocean reference.  The theme in their logo is the script as a wave and it's terrific.  In fact, the Padres script on the home uniform is hands down the best script in baseball.  Besides that, the uniforms are simple and great.  It's basically navy-on-white with a hint of sand.




2. New York Yankees

This one is a total no-brainer.  Like the Yankees, hate the Yankees, but either way the Yankee pinstripes is one of the most legendary uniforms in the history of sports.  When considering this uniform, consider all that it's meant for baseball as a whole in pop culture and everyday life.  This is one of those aspects about the league that makes it what it is today.  As far as I know, the Yankees have never had an alternate uniform and they've never had to because this is all the franchise will ever need.  It is perhaps the most famous pinstriped uniform, as well as the thickest; technically, the Yankee uniform's pinstripes are wider than those of any other teams'.  Could this be symbolic of the importance of the pinstripes?






1. Los Angeles Dodgers       

Much like the Yankees, the Dodgers have kept things the same uniform wise for quite a while in Chavez Ravine.  Except for this weird one-year experiment back in the late-90s, the Dodgers haven't used hardly any home alternates.  Technically, the white fabric that the Dodgers use is actually the brightest white fabric used on any uniform in MLB.  The Dodgers have done experimenting with taking names off the jerseys, but even now that they do the script is small and a lot less noticeable that most uniforms.  So the Dodgers, much like the Cubs, have done minor tweaks to the uniform but ultimately have kept the same uniform alive for many years.  The result?  A modern, classic and clean looking uniform that goes great with some late-arriving Dodger Dog-eating Dodger fans at good ol' Dodger Stadium.





Thank you for reading my countdown!  Do you agree or disagree with any of the rankings?  Definitely shoot me an email right here.  Happy summer; it could be a long one with these Cubs, so get outside or celebrate the fall of the Miami Heat!        

The Projected Power Rankings 2011-2020: Top 50 Players

Matt Trueblood of Bleacher Report published a slideshow on Saturday of his projected top 50 players over the next decade.  I think this brings up not just a few, but many debates.  Such a topic is very hard to predict considering that we probably have never even heard of most of the next decades' stars.  For example, there's no way anyone knew the potential of Hanley Ramirez in 2000.  The following rankings are his, followed by my spin on the ranking.

Honorable Mention: Players 60-51

60. Brett Jackson, OF, Chicago Cubs: I'm glad Jackson made this list, but I think the Cubs' top pick in the 2009 MLB Draft deserves a higher spot.  Even Trueblood acknowledges that he has "plate discipline, speed, defense in either center or right field and the potential to hit 25-30 homers."  Seeing as Jackson will be only 22 in 2011, I think Jackson will have a great decade.

59. Justin Verlander, SP, Detroit Tigers: Verlander is an ace as of now, which means he won't be an ace in 2020.  However, he should put in a bunch of great seasons.

58. Mike Montgomery, SP, Kansas City Royals: Hasn't debuted in the Majors yet, which explains your head scratching.  Has looked great in the minors though, with a 2.27 ERA in 245.2 innings.

57. Ryan Kalish, OF, Boston Red Sox: Did debut in 2010, playing in 53 games.  He's developed power in the minors the last couple years, so he could be a 20-20 threat with the speed that he has.

56. Daniel Bard, RP, Boston Red Sox: He didn't leave much to complain about in his 2010 stat line, a 1.93 ERA in over 70 innings of relief.  One of the hardest throwers in baseball, it won't be long before he overtakes the overemotionally inconsistent Jonathan Papelbon.

55. Brian McCann, C, Atlanta Braves: Probably a 'half-decade' star for the late 2000s and early 2010s, much like Mike Piazza ten years before.  It's easy to forget he's still only 26, but let's see if his high workload takes a toll on him in his early 30s.

54. Zack Greinke, SP, Milwaukee Brewers: Many fans would put him higher, but he doesn't seem to be stable enough.  I agree with this ranking because he is already 27, was really bad to start his career, had depression issues early on, and still doesn't have a great attitude.

53. Ryan Braun, OF, Milwaukee Brewers: An appropriate ranking here, too.  Braun has flashed major power (37 homers in 2008) and not major power (25 in 2010).  He'll be a lock for 25 homers for a while, but I don't know that he'll be that great.

52. Michael Pineda, SP, Seattle Mariners: A big time prospect, Pineda should be in the Majors soon.

51. Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Colorado Rockies: Sort of a surprise to me.  Gonzalez just had a monster season and Trueblood writes this one off due to the Colorado effect among other things.  But Gonzalez's power goes to all fields, including center where Coors Field measures 425 feet.  And don't forget the infamous humidor for the baseballs.  I don't think the Colorado effect really makes a difference anymore.


The Main List (Top 50):

50. Elvis Andrus, SS, Texas Rangers: Speed, defense, hitting for average, a fan base that loves you, why not?

49. Joakim Soria, CP, Kansas City Royals: Often overlooked, Soria should be a great closer for a long time.  He is just 27 but has 132 saves in four seasons.

48. Brian Matusz, SP, Baltimore Orioles: If you're a believer in hype, then believe it.  I'm not sold on Matusz because he didn't have a standout year and hasn't proved he can be anything special in the Majors.  He won't deserve this rank if he repeats 10-12, 4.30 ERA seasons.

47. Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Colorado Rockies: Like I've always preached about Jimenez, he's a tick below the league's top pitchers and will be until he cuts down on the walks.  But his 15-win first half of 2010 was unbelievable, and his fastball velocity should zip him higher on this list.

46. Brett Lawrie, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays: A speedy infielder, he should cut down on the strikeouts and work on contact before he can earn this rank.  A .285 average at AA isn't ideal for a speedy infielder.

45. Eric Hosmer, 1B, Kansas City Royals: Smashing 20 homers in A and AA ball in 2010, the Royals' first round pick from 2008 should be in KC sometime this summer. 

44. Brett Gardner, OF, New York Yankees: Already 27 having only recorded one full season in the Majors, Gardner is in his prime right away.  You'll be seeing his scrawny 5'10" frame on ESPN for the next half-decade, until he loses his speed and therefore any value to anybody. 

43. Yovani Gallardo, SP, Milwaukee Brewers: Already a star, I think Gallardo should be in the 30s at least.  Now without the pressure of being a forced ace at age 23 (in 2009) when he probably wasn't ready for it, I think he'll thrive in his #2 role.  His on-the-job ace training has been successful even though he still has areas to improve on, like walks.

42. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta Braves: It sounds like a name computer-generated for a video game, but the name Freddie Freeman is one you'll hear about plenty.  This dude is a big power hitter who had his best season in 2010 and is simply an RBI machine.

41. Gio Gonzalez, SP, Oakland Athletics: Some baseball experts are picking the Oakland A's as a surprise pick in the AL West to upset the incumbent Texas Rangers, but here's the way I look at it: no Gio, no go.  Gonzalez had his first decent season in the Majors in 2010, posting 15 wins after two partial seasons where he showed potential but struggled.

40. Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Boston Red Sox: It seems like this guy was forgotten down the stretch of 2010 due to his injury and the fading Red Sox.  But people shouldn't yet forget about the 2008 AL MVP because, if nothing else, he's just a good hitter.  Pedroia will probably pick up where he left off.

39. Kyle Drabek, SP, Toronto Blue Jays: And the displeasure of having to deal with Pedroia will be something Drabek will face, a stud starter and the crown jewel in the Roy Halladay trade.  No problems with this rank.

38. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Boston Red Sox: 'Gonzo' will be a half-decade star for sure because of the short right field line distance and Green Monster at Fenway, as Gonzo is a terrific opposite field power hitter. 

37. Dustin Ackley, 2B, Seattle Mariners: I'm not sold on Ackley, a highly touted prospect in the MLB Draft last year who didn't hit well in the minors.  He should develop though, as he was rushed forwards by the Mariners in the minors and he deserves a higher spot on this list.

36. Prince Fielder, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers: Fielder is one of the most underrated players in the game because besides his 50-homer season in 2007, the Brewers haven't contended at the same time as him having an elite season.  A change of scenery could put him on the map once again, seeing as he's a free agent after 2011.

35. Starlin Castro, SS, Chicago Cubs: For more on this dude, read the post right below this one.  But without bias, he deserves a higher spot on the list.  Scouts have noticed Castro has the correct work ethic and although he hasn't put it all together yet, he has the raw talent to be like a slightly less speedier Jose Reyes-type player.  But because he was rushed to the Majors, he still needs to put it together himself soon.

34. Jesus Montero, C, New York Yankees: In this day and age, the traditional, three-outcome (homer, strikeout, or walk) kind of DH has fallen out of favor with baseball executives; players like Jim Thome and Frank Thomas are becoming more uncommon in favor of tandems of fielding players to get them 'a day off'.  All this means Jesus Montero is swimming against the current.  Trueblood notes Montero could hit 35 homers a season in the Majors, although his defense as a catcher isn't good enough to justify him fielding.  One of the few traditional DHs we will see in the 2010s.

33. Martin Perez, SP, Texas Rangers: Definitely not.  Although he looked to be a great up and coming pitcher in 2009 with a sub-3.00 ERA, he didn't look at all in 2010 as that number climbed over 5.00, including a 10.9 H/9 ratio.  Although he will be a good player in the next decade, let's not jump the gun here.  Also, he does play in the bandbox that is Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

32. Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Tampa Bay Rays: Hellickson has a stat line to drool over in the minors, with a 2.71 ERA in six seasons of Minor League ball covering 580.1 innings.  In those innings, he has 634 strikeouts to just 137 walks.  His career 4.63 K/BB ratio is the new meaning of 'control freak'.  He got his first taste of the Majors with four starts last year.

31. Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates: A multi-tooled star, this is probably the right spot for him because he has less power than some of the standout 20/20 talent-caliber five tool players of today.

30. Mat Latos, SP, San Diego Padres: Latos had a breakout season in 2010 at the age of 22, and there is no reason to think he shouldn't continue.  Playing in Petco Park is an advantage for him, but it also hurts his offense and this may result in him having lower win totals than some other top line starters.  Not to worry, Latos has the tools to make the 2010s great for the Padres.

29. Dominic Brown, OF, Philadelphia Phillies: A 20/20 talent in the Minors, 23 year old Brown didn't hit well in his playing time with Philadelphia in 2010.  Brown is overrated and will make some noise with Philly, but he's going to need to hit Major League pitching first.

28. Carlos Santana, C, Cleveland Indians: In the summer of 2008, the Dodgers traded Santana and prospects to the Indians for Casey Blake and other prospects.  While Blake has had just a disappointing 10.2 WAR in two and a half seasons in Los Angeles, Santana produced a 2.2 WAR in just 150 at-bats at the Major League level in 2010.  Santana is the next Victor Martinez-style power-hitting catcher who should become a star in Cleveland, proving the winner of that trade.

27. Mike Moustakas, 3B, Kansas City Royals: Yes, another Kansas City Royal.  The stats speak for themselves, but they're so incredible I'll speak for them anyway.  36 home runs?  Who does that in the Minors?

26. C.C. Sabathia, SP, New York Yankees: Trueblood notes here that although Sabathia has already played a lot of baseball and is 30 years young, if anyone is capable of being the best in the next decade it's him.  This guy is a workhorse who has won at least 12 games in 10 straight seasons, never throwing less than 188 innings.  Sabathia has a better chance than anyone at winning 300 games, especially with his run production from the Yankees.

25. Joe Mauer, C, Minnesota Twins: With his salary, Mauer better be this good.  His surprising power vanished in 2010, but that wasn't what made him famous in the first place and he should have at least five more elite seasons.

24. Tim Lincecum, SP, San Francisco Giants: Lincecum is no freak, but the hitters freak when they have to face him.  This should stay the same for most of the 2010s because any time you make the hitter uncomfortable in the box, you have an advantage right off the bat (no pun intended).

23. Clayton Kershaw, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers: Many baseball experts and fans were buying big on Kershaw after his impressive first full season of 2009.  I was not one of them.  Once again, I am not a buyer on Kershaw because of his alarmingly high walk rate of 4.2 BB/9 IP in his career.  

22. Julio Teheran, SP, Atlanta Braves:  Teheran's highest level in 2010 was AA but he's sure to be moving up soon with his strikeout stuff.  Remember this name, definitely.

21. Jon Lester, SP, Boston Red Sox:  Already a star, Lester is one of the most effective starters in the game right now.  Trueblood is spot on with this ranking; just wait till he really gets paid.

20. Mike Stanton, OF, Florida Marlins: If you follow baseball, you know about Stanton.  The new stadium of the Marlins which opens in just over a year is slightly larger than Sun Life Stadium, but this will prove no issue for one of the best power hitters in the game for the next decade.

19. Madison Bumgarner, SP, San Francisco Giants: A World Series-clinching victory may have jumpstarted his career, and he's definitely proved he can deal with pressure.  The next step is to adjust to hitters adjusting on him, and he'll have no trouble avoiding a sophomore slump.

18. Josh Johnson, SP, Florida Marlins: Johnson looked like a Cy Young candidate for much of the 2010 season before fading at the end.  But he should be in contention again soon, especially with that new ballpark in Miami just mentioned with Stanton.  A certain star of the 2010s.

17. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B, Washington Nationals: A scout told Trueblood "he's so much better than David Wright at this level" which is not an opinion you hear everyday about New York's golden boy.  Remember Zimmerman's 30 game hit streak in 2009?  A prime example of what a fixture he is in the Washington lineup.  With an improved team this year, Zimmerman could be primed for his best year ever.

16. Justin Upton, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks: Upton had a quiet year in 2010, but this isn't the same kid called up to the Majors at 19 years young in 2007.  He's been around the block a few times and should be ready for an even better season this year.  This will be his 5th year in the Majors, at 23 years old.  So don't worry, because he has plenty of time to turn on the tools.

15. Tommy Hanson, SP, Atlanta Braves: With the Braves' history of pitching, Hanson is a welcome addition to a team looking to improve on a playoff team from 2010.  Him and Tim Hudson will make a great duo.  Definite future star.

14. Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels: With a .428 OBP, he got on base a lot in 2010 in the Minors. But you won't often find him at first base.  Yeah, he just stole second, that fast.  His super speed (56 steals in A ball in 2010) will zoom into the Majors in about two years, and then watch out.

13. Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds: Votto got his first MVP award in 2010, but it probably won't be his last.  Watch for Votto and Albert Pujols to go at each other for the entire next decade, and Votto will succeed Pujols as the best hitter in the division at some point.

12. Aroldis Chapman, SP, Cincinnati Reds: His speedy debut came quickly for a Reds organization that pulled a surprise in signing him.  Believe the annoying hype; he's here to stay and for real.  The definite future ace of the Reds once those old guys step out in Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo.

11. Bryce Harper, C, Washington Nationals: The first pick in the 2010 MLB Draft by the Nationals, Harper should be a Buster Posey-type player.  The jury is out, because we haven't seen much of him.

10. Felix Hernandez, SP, Seattle Mariners: Imagine what Hernandez could do if not for that historically horrible Mariners offense.  Hernandez should have won around 20 games based on his pitching, and would have won 24 with a team like the Yankees.  However, baseball finally got something right and gave him the AL Cy Young.  If he could get off the Mariners, he would be widely regarded as the best pitcher in baseball at 25 in 2011.

9. Hanley Ramirez, SS, Florida Marlins: 2010 was supposed to be the season where Ramirez put it all together, but he put up yet another season that left people wondering how he hasn't yet unleashed his full potential except for a dynamite 2007 season.  As Trueblood points out, anytime you hit .300 and hit 21 homers, stealing 32 bases and still being told you're having a down year, you know you're good.

8. Evan Longoria, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays: Longoria's production will go down with the absence of Carl Crawford and run producing former teammate Carlos Pena, but Longoria will still hit for average and play good defense.  He may be a bit overrated here, though.

7. Jason Heyward, OF, Atlanta Braves: 'J-Hey' is getting star treatment in Atlanta, but didn't finish the 2010 season very well.  Watch for Heyward to get better, but he'll need to put in the work first.

6. Buster Posey, C, San Francisco Giants: Most rookies on championship teams contribute behind the core of established players.  At 23, Posey was arguably the most important piece to the World Champion Giants.  Expect big things out of the biggest Giant of them all.

5. Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Colorado Rockies: The Rockies gave 'Tulo' a big extension just because this is exactly what they think he'll become.  During a stretch with "video game" stats (14 homers, 31 RBI in 15 games) in early September, it became clear that Tulowitzki is capable of carrying the Rockies.  However, he had only 6 RBI after that and the Rockies missed the playoffs.  If he can carry his team into the playoffs, he will earn this rank.

4. Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Detroit Tigers: His entire career, it seems Cabrera has been flying under the radar .  His monster seasons have come when his team wasn't contending, and therefore he hasn't received the publicity he deserves.  Cabrera already had 126 RBI in only 150 games in 2010, meaning he's at the top of his game right now to enter the new decade.

3. David Price, SP, Tampa Bay Rays: Price gained a lot of popularity in the 2008 playoffs, and with good reason.  Price was one of the top candidates for AL Cy Young and will be the ace of Tampa Bay for a long time barring a trade.  Look for Price to finish the next decade in the top 10 in wins.

2. Stephen Strasburg, SP, Washington Nationals: Red flag.  I will never, ever again trust a young hardthrower with major surgery complications in just the first year of his Major League career.  So maybe he will come back and blow away the league, but be very, very careful about expecting this out of him.  Plus, the fact he showed signs of vulnerability in his rookie season.  There's a lot of pressure on him, so we'll have to see what he can do in the future.

1. Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals: At 31, Pujols is one of the oldest guys on this list.  But he is absolutely the favorite to be the best player of the 2010s after being the best of the 2000s.  His consistency is incredible, and ten more equal seasons will give him the all time home run crown.  He has never been stopped consistently, so just watch him go.

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.  

Road Trip Wrapup: Seattle, Chi Sox

Record: 2-4
Final Record: 33-42
Games Behind First: 8.5 GB

The Cubs should've known heading into Seattle that if they were going to score a lot of runs in this series, it was going to have to be in the first game against Jason Vargas.  Vargas is a solid pitcher, but doesn't compare to the likes of Cliff Lee and Felix Hernandez, the starters for the next two days.

Franklin Gutierrez provided the only scoring on Tuesday night, cranking a two-run homer off Ryan Dempster who otherwise had a great start.  Jason Vargas didn't allow a run and the Cubs were finished just like that.  Any chances the Cubs had offensively were wasted.

Cliff Lee didn't make it any easier the following night, only allowing a solo homer to Tyler Colvin.  A whole bunch of RBI hits and a home run by Michael Saunders made it a big mess that finished 8-1.  Cliff Lee had a huge lead to work with and the Cubs were done Wednesday.

The Cubs grinded out a win Thursday afternoon in extra innings.  Ted Lilly got a real nice start and Marlon Byrd singled in the winning run in the 13th allowing Tom Gorzelanny to pick up his first career save.  Good baseball was to be seen today fundamentally (no errors) and smart decisions put the overwhelming fact was that the Cubs just need to score more.  They managed just four runs in the entire series!  Four runs!  Combined with the Sox series, and there were only 14 runs on the entire road trip, over six games!  Over the first five games of the trip, the Cubs scored six runs!  Sometimes how bad the Cubs offense is can just be amazing.

For info on the second Sox series, read the Crosstown Classic: Round Two post right below this one.

Pledge Your Allegiance

On September 29, 2004, the Montreal Expos welcomed a season-high crowd of 31,395 fans into Olympic Stadium for the final time.  Livan Hernandez, Jamey Carroll, and Claude Raymond each did the honor of thanking the fans for their 'support' over the years and that was it.  In 2005, the Washington Nationals popped up at RFK Stadium and sped off to a 50-31 start.  After a mediocre second half, the Nationals didn't really see any winning until 2010.  Five years and a stadium later, the Nationals, led by sluggers Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn, and Josh Willingham, are tied for second in the NL East at 20-19 with a lot of young talent.  The Nats have been on my baseball radar since they opened Nationals Park in 2008, but had two really awful seasons in which they were an interesting team but just had no pitching whatsoever.  This team is in a small-market, has nothing to lose, and are having fun.  That's what I like to see in teams.  Dunn has all the power in the world, 26-year-old Zimmerman has a great glove and a steady bat with pop, and Willingham has a smooth swing with good patience.  Livan Hernandez, back to the franchise, has been the luckiest pitcher in baseball and dealing with a 1.46 ERA.  John Lannan, Tyler Clippard, and Scott Olsen apparently are adequate enough to win games with a no name bullpen.  Matt Capps has been dominant in Washington, and he's still without a blown save in 14 opportunities.  The ballpark and logo are awesome.  The swirly 'W' is classy and cool, incorporated nicely on the uniforms and caps.  The color combination is perfect for the setting, Washington DC, and so the fans have plenty to cheer about.

Still only 46.5% of seats have been sold this year at Nationals Park, but the fans will come around.  With the Orioles not exactly contenders, the entire Baltimore/DC market will probably make the shift from not caring about baseball to waking up all the fans to watch the contenders they have in Washington.  If they could just acquire an arm or two sometime this summer, go watch them stay in the wild card race until at least July.  Look at how far this franchise has come.  They went from a dysfunctional team who never won anything (one playoff appearance in franchise history, since 1969) even though they sometimes fielded some all-star talent (Vladimir Guerrero, Livan Hernandez, Orlando Cabrera, Michael Barrett, Moises Alou, Pedro Martinez) and had a list of over half a dozen possible future destinations (Las Vegas, Portland, OR, Washington, DC, Richmond, New Jersey, Norfolk, and more) to a team with a new stadium, young talent, leading veterans, fun, and a growing fan base.

Welcome to the Doghouse

John Grabow and Esmailin Caridad are the first to enter my doghouse on the Cubs.  The Cubs returned from their six game road trip to begin the season with a 2-4 record, although that mark should be 5-1.  On Wednesday in Atlanta, Grabow prevented the Cubs from getting their first win by allowing a two-run, go-ahead homer to Chipper Jones.  Just two nights later Drew Stubbs destroyed Caridad's offering into center field to blow the 3-1 lead.  Another two nights and another blown effort by the Cubs.  This time it was Grabow again, with the help of Alfonso Soriano.  In the 7th with Tom Gorzelanny still pitching, Soriano messed up a routine catch like no one else could and this resulted in the bases loaded with one out.  Miguel Cairo then singled off Sean Marshall to drive in a run, but the tied score didn't last long.  An inning later in the 8th, John Grabow loaded the bases, and Esmailin Caridad walked Ramon Hernandez to walk in a run.  After a Jonny Gomes sac fly, the Cubs were left staring at the scoreboard in disbelief for the third time in five games.

I don't see what has happened with Grabow and Caridad.  I really hope this is something they get over, but the Cubs offense wasn't playing too well on the road trip and the starters were just doing a fantastic job (exception: Carlos Zambrano).  For any of that to matter, the bullpen needs to do their job even if they don't get the big thanks for it.  As we saw, the Cubs were unable to do that.  I haven't seen a stretch like that for the Cubs ever, where the bullpen blows it three out of five nights in the 7th or later.  Hopefully I won't see that again.

I had confidence in this bullpen heading into the season.  Actually, I still do.  This was just a wake up call, and it should stay that way to all Cub fans.  The bullpen is young, and young instability is not really a problem the Cubs have had to deal with in the last few years.  Thankfully, we are young now but we need to be able to hand the ball to someone who can get outs.  This is not easy with young guys.  One night, Caridad might be firing fastballs past everyone, and the next night he's serving up meat balls obliterated all around the park.  Marmol could strike out the side, or he could walk the bases loaded and force in runs.  The main idea with all of this is that not too much should be expected from the bullpen, although there is plenty of upside.

Opening Day Aces

13 games, 26 teams, 26 aces.  Those are some stats, but I have some much better: 1,922.  That is the total number of wins from today's Opening Day starters combined.  2,430 is the number of games in a season.  If 1,922 is about 4/5 of 2,430, imagine every game of last season excluding September.  All of those games have been won by one of these starters.  The leader of the group is Roy Halladay, whose 148 wins beats Derek Lowe's 141.  John Lannan of the Nationals has only 20 career wins, lowest on the list narrowly beating Yovani Gallardo's 22, Shawn Marcum's 24 and Scott Feldman's 24.

A few notable starters:
-Jon Garland, now the ace in San Diego, makes the Opening Day start.
-The A's hand the ball to Ben Sheets who hasn't pitched since 2008.
-The Indians give the start to Jake Westbrook who hasn't pitched since May 2008.
-Vicente Padilla starts for the ace-less Dodgers.

The matchups for today (bold games are the matchups I suggest watching):
All times CT, TV listings for Chicago area (if applicable)

Indians (Jake Westbrook)
at White Sox (Mark Buehrle)
1:05 PM  ESPN2, CSN

Phillies (Roy Halladay)
at Nationals (John Lannan)
12:05 PM

Marlins (Josh Johnson)
at Mets (Johan Santana)
12:10 PM

Cardinals (Chris Carpenter)
at Reds (Aaron Harang)
12:10 PM  ESPN

Dodgers (Vicente Padilla)
at Pirates (Zach Duke)
12:35 PM

Blue Jays (Shawn Marcum)
at Rangers (Scott Feldman)
1:05 PM

Tigers (Justin Verlander)
at Royals (Zack Greinke)
3:10 PM

Rockies (Ubaldo Jimenez)
at Brewers (Yovani Gallardo)
1:10 PM

Cubs (Carlos Zambrano)
at Braves (Derek Lowe)
3:10 PM  ESPN, WCIU

Padres (Jon Garland)
at D-Backs (Dan Haren)
4:10 PM

Giants (Tim Lincecum)
at Astros (Roy Oswalt)
6:05 PM  ESPN2

Twins (Scott Baker)
at Angels (Jered Weaver)
9:05 PM  ESPN2

Mariners (Felix Hernandez)
at A's (Ben Sheets)
9:05 PM