The 2011 All-Division Team, Part 6: NL West

A year after Andre Ethier stole the
spotlight in LA, Matt
Kempis back on top.

Part 6 of 6: National League West


It's finally here!  The finale of the best around baseball in 2011.  The Diamondbacks came out of virtually nowhere to take the division away from the Giants this past season, but did they have the individual star power to make a major impact on the All-Division Team?  Let's find out!


C Miguel Montero, ARI
Well, the D-Backs have at least one on the board.  This 27-year-old breakout catcher put together all his skills in 2011 to earn MVP votes and his first All-Star selection.  Montero is now one of the game's best offensive catchers.  Plus, he's really fun to play with in MLB: The Show (an added bonus in my book).  He was not really a notably good defensive catcher early in his career but has improved there as well.  86 RBIs and a .282 average from behind the plate made him a reliable part of the offense down in the desert.
Competition: Eli Whiteside (SF), Nick Hundley (SD), Chris Iannetta (COL), and Rod Barajas (LAD).


1B Todd Helton, COL
A team leader who hit for a high batting average and a ridiculously high OBP.  Do I sound like a broken record?  I should.  Helton played 124 games this season.  His .385 OBP this season was the lowest of any season in which he played 124 or more games excluding his rookie season of 1998.  This player is undoubtedly the best in franchise history and a first ballot Hall of Famer.  Still, however, his role on this team is apparent.  He may not have much flash or power at age 37 anymore, but his defense is still a plus as it always has been.  Helton provides the Rockies with stability the franchise had never had before the Tulowitzki era.  Helton's job is his as long as he wants it and if the Rockies are smart, they'll do everything they can to keep him in black and purple for at least two or three more years.
Competition: James Loney (LAD), Aubrey Huff (SF), Jesus Guzman (SD), and Juan Miranda (ARI).


2B Jamey Carroll, LAD
How many 37-year-olds in the Majors steal 10 bases?  If you say Ichiro or Rickey Henderson, that's cheating.  However, neither Suzuki nor Henderson accomplished that feat without getting caught.  In a random statistical anomaly from the 2011 season, the veteran Carroll went 10-for-10 in steals, nearing his career high.  Perhaps a late bloomer, he has now stolen more bases in the last two years than any other two-year stretch in his career.  In 2011 overall though, Carroll was very durable for the Dodgers, playing in 146 games at second base and shortstop and batting .290.  That's really all manager Don Mattingly could ask for.
Competition: Orlando Hudson (SD), Mark Ellis (COL), Kelly Johnson (ARI), and Freddy Sanchez (SF).

Pablo Sandoval

3B Pablo Sandoval, SF
While Ryan Roberts was the greatest surprise from the division and the best utility man in baseball in my opinion, Sandoval's resurgence kept the Giants out of offensive limbo.  Let's face it; GM Brian Sabean has not done a good job of building an offense for a team that should be a deep postseason contender every year.  If there's one thing he has done right on offense, though, it was keeping Sandoval when he was a highly-touted prospect and attractive to other teams.  Despite the pressure of being the only 'big' bat, Sandoval batted .315 and was the only Giant to hit over 15 home runs and 60 RBIs.  The only one.  Perhaps it's fitting that the Kung Fu Panda has to run the show solo.
Competition: Ryan Roberts (ARI), Ty Wigginton (COL), Juan Uribe (LAD), and Chase Headley (SD).

SS Troy Tulowitzki, COL
A wild Tulo appears!  Still only 26, Tulowitzki is purely one of the best players in the game.  Naming him to the All-Division Team was a no-brainer.  Even though the Rockies are the most successful expansion franchise of the past two decades in terms of fan support, Tulowitzki gives the Rockies a brand and identity. He arrived right when Helton's star power began to fade, and Rockies fans now have another prime superstar to hail to.  Tulo is a true team player who contributes on offense, defense and special teams with impressive power and a great arm.  It actually looks like he prefers making off-balance throws but they're accurate.
Competition: Dee Gordon (LAD), Brandon Crawford (SF), Stephen Drew (ARI), and Jason Bartlett (SD).

LF Carlos Gonzalez, COL (2nd)
Gonzalez's season was much lower profile than his Triple Crown chase of 2010.  Still, though, there's nothing wrong with a solid 26-20 season in less than a full season.  Apparently he has also taken after his Colorado teammates in Helton and Tulowitzki with his .363 OBP.  Gonzalez will be 26 next season so the Rockies have many years left of CarGo after he earned his big extension last winter.  I don't think they're regretting the Matt Holliday trade much anymore.  The only concern I have is that his full force nature could result in more injury.  Best of luck to this star.  
Competition: Tony Gwynn, Jr. (LAD), Gerardo Parra (ARI), Cody Ross (SF), and Ryan Ludwick (SD).

CF Matt Kemp, LAD
After Kemp really struggled with his hitting coach and manager in 2010, questions arose about his motivation and morale.  Could this be another headcase who would never live up to his full potential?  Kemp replied no with an MVP excellent season that fell just short of 40-40 levels.  The dude is real dynamite.  Even with all the drama surrounding the Dodgers and their ownership situation, Kemp was the most valuable player in the MLB and should have won MVP.  Actually, he's the MVP of PED-free players (yeah, I went there Ryan Braun).  Although winning a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, and getting an All-Star selection in the same season is rare, a career high walk total and OBP help forecast how Kemp will continue his success.  The hardest thing for pitchers to deal with when facing a power hitter is if the hitter forces them to throw a strike to get them out.  Kemp did it in 2011 and should win more his first MVP soon.
Competition: Dexter Fowler (COL), Chris Young (ARI), Andres Torres (SF), and Cameron Maybin (SD).

Justin Upton

RF Justin Upton, ARI
Want to know a main reason Arizona won the West?  In case you couldn't tell, Upton helped a bit.  Besides having his own bleacher section in right field at Chase Field, appropriately tabbed 'Uptown', he finished 4th in MVP voting because of his monster 30-20 season.  Apparently he also got under the skin of opposing pitchers, as he was plunked 15 times more than he ever had been before.  His bat speed ranks among the best in the majors with that old-school two-handed power swing of his.  It's fun to watch as the younger Upton bro has risen above his elder.  For a young franchise like Arizona, a cornerstone player like this is just what they need to keep the fans coming.
Competition: Seth Smith (COL), Andre Ethier (LAD), Wil Venable (SD), and Nate Schierholtz (SF).

SP Clayton Kershaw, LAD
I have held back on the Kershaw show in recent years, but I think he's finally earned it.  At 21 years old and in his first full season in the big leagues, Kershaw was the best starting pitcher on the 95-win Dodger team of 2009.  That speaks to Chad Billingsley's inconsistency more than it does Kershaw's talent, especially considering that Kershaw was raw and hardly a polished product like he is today.  Awarding him with the National League Cy Young, though, was the right choice as his 2.28 ERA and 248 strikeouts mean he has arrived for good.  The Sandy Koufax comparisons just keep rolling in.
Competition: Jhoulys Chacin (COL), Ian Kennedy (ARI), Tim Lincecum (SF), and Mat Latos (SD).

CP J.J. Putz, ARI
The late-blooming Putz rose to becoming the game's best closer in 2007 with Seattle, but just two years later he found himself with a new team thousands of miles away and without the closer's job.  That team was the New York Mets, from which he went to the White Sox, also in a setup role.  The Diamondbacks finally put Putz back in his rightful place in the 9th inning and it paid off as Putz recorded 45 saves, a 2.17 ERA, over 9 K/9 innings and under 2 BB/9 innings.  His .914 WHIP was also among the best in the league.
Competition: Brian Wilson (SF), Javy Guerra (LAD), Huston Street (COL), and Heath Bell (SD).

Big Z's Cubs Future

Carlos Zambrano in Atlanta, right after he was thrown out
for throwing at Braves 3B Chipper Jones.

Whether or not he pitches for the Cubs again isn't the real question


The latest blowup by Carlos Zambrano came a year after he took anger management classes as a result of his blowup before that.  Locating his pitches effectively when he returned, Zambrano went 8-0 to finish the season, which had Cubs fans thinking the man had finally reinvented himself.  Instead, he's been inconsistent and generally mediocre all season long, including a dismal strikeout rate.  He now finds himself on the 30-day disqualified list with no pay (not that he needs any) and his future with the Cubs is in jeopardy.  But the real question is, how will he be remembered by the fan base that made him what he is now?

Zambrano vs. Michael Barrett, 2007.

Zambrano's history of emotional temper tantrums goes way back.  His most notable incidents include numerous outbursts in 2006, his dugout brawl with catcher Michael Barrett at Wrigley in 2007, his 2008 attack on the Gatorade cooler at Dodger Stadium after giving up a three-run homer to Matt Kemp, his 2009 performance at Wrigley against Pittsburgh where, after being thrown out, he threw out an umpire then fired a ball from home plate to deep left field, his dugout yelling match with first baseman Derrek Lee over Lee not diving for a ball in 2010 at The Cell, and finally throwing at Chipper Jones twice in the same at-bat after giving up back-to-back homers and five homers in the game.

Zambrano vs. Derrek Lee, 2010.

Throughout all of this, Big Z has actually been a great pitcher over his 11 year career, all with the Cubs.  A homegrown prospect out of Venezuela, he asserted himself into the rotation as a 22-year-old on the 2003 team with a 3.11 ERA.  Eventually he became the ace for most of the mid-2000s despite his emotional problems.  His career record today stands at 125-81 with a 3.60 ERA.  Excellent for a homegrown prospect, no?  But of course, Cubs fans don't think of him in this way.  Instead, we wonder what could have been if he was able to control his problems at a young age.  Could Zambrano have won 20 games and/or a Cy Young?  Most definitely.

The daily warmup ritual with 5'7" Mike Fontenot.

If Zambrano pitches for the Cubs again, I think the fan base would get over this incident to some degree, just like they have all the incidents past.  However Tom Ricketts said on the ESPN broadcast on Sunday night that he has "a hard time seeing that happening," and with good reason.  If Zambrano never pitches in a Cubs uniform again, he will be remembered in a foggy cloud of potential and frustration.  I hope it's the first option.

Once he clears the 30-day disqualified list, I hope the Cubs let him back into the rotation for probably three or four starts, which is all that will be left in the season.  The ending in Atlanta is too abrupt for a veteran like Z, and I think it would be good for the fans and team to let him have one last (peaceful) goodbye before the team moves on.  This offseason, the new GM will probably come in with a no-tolerance-for-misbehavior attitude, and show it off by dumping Zambrano.  Whether this means releasing him or miraculously finding a taker in the trade market, the end will probably come at the end of this season for the big guy.

While I understand the anger fellow Cubbie fans have felt at Zambrano for all of these years of inconsistencies and questionable decisions, I know I'll be one who misses him for many reasons.  The awkward kill-the-ball swing that got him 23 career homers.  Zambrano pinch-hitting at Wrigley to a standing ovation out of entertainment and laughter.  The pointing to the sky coming off the mound which never seemed to help his anger issues.  Firing fastballs past the game's best hitters pack in the old days.  Breaking bats over his knee.  The bunt singles.  The traditional whack-a-mole warmup routine with Mike Fontenot.  The obscure, Red Bull-influenced injuries.  His insistence on wearing the blue alternate jerseys.  Even watching his BP sessions.  The overall energy and character that made the Big Z truly earn himself a place in Cubs history, for bad or (usually) good reasons.  And of course, the no-hitter against the hurricane-relocated Astros in Milwaukee.  Even if they drove us crazy mad, thanks for the good (and bad) times, Carlos.

A great teammate for the most part, smiles and jokes
were always in abundance during a day at the office for Z. 

  

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!