Miami Builds Winning Culture

Billy the Marlin eagerly awaits the 2012
Marlins to take the field.

Despite the overblown hype, the Marlins will be in the playoff hunt all season long


The Florida Marlins - er, Miami Marlins, as they're now known - have been a truly remarkable franchise for more than a decade now.  They haven't been 'remarkable' in the same context as most other 'remarkable' teams, however, in that they're not known for success nor failure.  Aside from their magical playoff run in 2003, the Marlins have practically represented the definition of mediocrity.  Since 2000, local fans have seen five winning seasons and seven losing ones, never winning or losing more than 91 games in a single season.  That's about to change.

Owner Jeffrey Loria finally committed to recruiting star power through free agency this winter with the highly-publicized signings of Mark Buehrle, Heath Bell, and Jose Reyes, three veterans who have impressive track records as all-stars and fan favorites.  The trio carry with them 11 combined All-Star appearances, which is just the kind of publicity Loria is looking for.  Loria wants to make his team a perennial threat in a tough NL East division where four of the teams could easily be above .500.  So far, his work should earn him some immediate rewards, like sellout crowds at the new stadium this season.

A superstar?  Check.  Fast?  Check.  In compliance with
team dress code?  Check.  Jose Reyes got his dreadlocks
cut off earlier this week, selling them online for $10,200
which will go to charity.

But there's also the other point of view; have they done enough to not only attract a formerly-dormant fan base, but to retain it?  Reyes, like the rest of the plagued New York Mets, has had plenty of injury trouble over the last three years, placing his last full season in 2008.  Bell, while superb in five seasons with San Diego, has a well-known large body type that could definitely worsen his aging process, which conventional wisdom would have taking effect soon seeing as he's already 34.  Buehrle has 161 career wins and honorary status with the White Sox, but he is 33 and a definite soft-tosser who, given an aging decline that would decrease the effectiveness of his breaking stuff, could simply get rocked.

I don't think any of those things should be of primary concern right now, though.  Perhaps this change of scenery for three guys who have been with the same team for at least the last half-decade will reinvigorate their baseball competitive juices.  Their actual contributions on the field will need to be of great quality for the Marlins to get far this season, but just being there will help the team enormously.  All three of these veterans come from winning teams as some point.  If you count the one-game NL West Tiebreaker in 2007 between the Padres and Rockies that Bell pitched in as the postseason, then all three of them have played in the playoffs.  That is a key factor for this team, seeing as none of the other core players, like Mike Stanton, Josh Johnson, or Hanley Ramirez, have ever gotten used to anything but playing in a cavernous football stadium where fans struggled to cover the lower deck.  The veterans will show the young guns how a team gets to the promised land known as the MLB Postseason.

Already on the best power hitters in the league, this season
should be a major learning experience for right fielder Mike
Stanton.

The three new arrivals join former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen in Miami, who was the first to hop aboard the Marlins' bandwagon when he abandoned ship on the Sox before the end of the regular season.  As fans know, Guillen's outspoken personality can surely fire up a team.  I believe this competitive fire is also a great fit for the team, and a great find by Loria.  For the first time ever, there is pressure on the Marlins to win something this season.  Even when they've had talented players recently (which they've had no shortage in) in Ramirez, Dan Uggla, Josh Willingham, Ricky Nolasco and Scott Olsen, the team overall has not had the overall discipline to get them anywhere.  Sure, the Marlins never had a great rotation, but committing far too many errors definitely didn't help their cause any, finishing in the bottom four in MLB in errors committed each year between 2006 and 2010.

In 2011, the Marlins earned a valuable lesson.  The team surprised the baseball world with an early 30-20 start, but then the baseball gods wreaked havoc.  They started the month of June 1-19, causing new-found manager Edwin Rodriguez to resign mysteriously.  Florida's chances at the postseason were shrunken beyond visibility, and the team wallowed back into their mediocre ways of old.  Had there been some winning blood on the team, that would not have happened so dramatically.

To say that the Marlins' roster before these upgrades was lacking "winning blood" is nothing personal; it's just that none of the core players on the team have ever been to the playoffs or come close to it.  With the additions of Reyes, Buehrle, Bell, and Guillen, the Marlins are in good shape.  Loria should be pleased with the return on his investments.  After all, he's already accomplished one of his goals; to get his team in the headlines.  With the correct moves he's made, his team should be in the winning column more often than not this summer.

The 2011 All-Division Team, Part 2: NL East

Jose Reyes won the 2011 NL batting title.

Part 2 of 6: National League East


C Brian McCann, ATL (2nd)
Most importantly, McCann avoided becoming a hostage in Venezuela like one of his competition at this spot, Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos.  McCann has been the most consistent catcher over the past half-decade, earning his sixth straight All-Star selection.  His annual production of 20 homers and 70+ RBIs is welcome on a disjointed and aging Atlanta offense that has literally no speed outside of Michael Bourn only one other major power threat, the recent addition of Dan Uggla.  Truth is, the Braves would be lost without McCann, but not even he could carry his tired team into the playoffs as the Braves blew their big wild card lead.  Competition: Josh Thole (NYM), Carlos Ruiz (PHI), Wilson Ramos (WAS), John Buck (FLA).

1B Mike Morse, WAS
Where did this guy come from?  Morse was ironically exactly what the Nationals expected out of Jayson Werth, who was hampered by injury and had a down season.  The 29-year-old Morse got his first full season in 2011, but few expected such a breakout.  Morse had never even hit 20 homers in a minor league season, and he comes out with 31 for Washington.  He also became a team leader along the way.  Competition: Ryan Howard (PHI), Gaby Sanchez (FLA), Freddie Freeman (ATL), and Daniel Murphy (NYM).

2B Dan Uggla, ATL (2nd, first with Braves)
In a season highlighted by a 34-game hitting streak, Uggla batted only .233.  That is probably the last time we will see such a low average from a 30-game hit streak player.  But as stated in the McCann argument, the Braves offense would be near incompetent without Uggla.  The Braves don't really have any other dynamic power hitters, as other pieces like Martin Prado, Chipper Jones, Freddie Freeman and Alex Gonzalez really only have power as an extra bonus to their hitting-for-average skills.  It took Uggla a long time to get going in 2011, but the power was there and kept them afloat in the NL East.

3B Chipper Jones, ATL
In another position smashed by injury, David Wright and Ryan Zimmerman both missed significant time.  Jones, in his age 39 season, is a shadow of the player he once was, which is quite depressing to be honest.  Jones has his job for as long as he wants it out of respect from the Braves, but his offensive skills are limited.  Just 18 homers and 70 RBIs came off his bat in 2011, but he's obviously still a team leader and loved by his fans.  Competition: David Wright (NYM), Ryan Zimmerman (WAS), Greg Dobbs (FLA), Placido Polanco (PHI).

SS Jose Reyes, NYM
Unfortunately, Reyes' season ended in controversy when he got a bunt single in the last game of the season and took himself out of the lineup in the last game of the season to ensure the greatest chance at a batting title. Ryan Braun failed to do the impossible, and Reyes won the first batting title in Mets history.  A return to the Mets looks far fetched, so Reyes is sure to cash in big soon.  Most impressive?  In 586 plate appearances, he walked 43 times and struck out 41 times, an 86% contact rate!  Competition: Ian Desmond (WAS), Hanley Ramirez (FLA), Jimmy Rollins (PHI), and Alex Gonzalez (ATL).

LF Logan Morrison, FLA
Lo-Mo finally was disciplined for his Twitter tendencies in 2011, and his relationship with the front office is unclear.  Morrison was sent to the minors temporarily for bad off-field conduct (specifically, Twitterness) and promptly filed a grievance with the players association.  Trade rumors involving the budding star heated up, but he was a runway model for the Marlins' new uniforms presentation at the new ballpark, confirming his status as an integral part of the team core.  The ever-changing Marlins roster doesn't have much of an established core outside of Hanley Ramirez, but I still believe Lo-Mo will definitely be a Miami Marlin next season.  Competition: Jason Bay (NYM), Raul Ibanez (PHI), Martin Prado (ATL), and Laynce Nix (WAS).

CF Angel Pagan, NYM (2nd)
He doesn't bat as well or walk as much as the ideal leadoff man, but Pagan does a fine job in center field for the Mets.  After being superb defensively in 2010, Pagan really struggled in 2011 at times.  However, 32 steals got the job done in his role behind Reyes.  He serves as a fine table setter at a relatively cheap price.  He's never going to be an All-Star but he fits this team fine.  And finally, his speed role will be magnified with the departure of Reyes next season.  Competition: Shane Victorino (PHI), Chris Coghlan (FLA), Nate McLouth (ATL), and Rick Ankiel (WAS).

RF Mike Stanton, FLA (2nd)
Stanton's home runs soar higher than the voices of the Marlins TV announcers (which is hard to do) with great regularity.  The 21-year-old has all the looks of a major power hitter for years to come.  The Marlins are currently being aggressive in the free agent market for the first time in their history, but if they plan to win, they'll need Stanton, who is already an elite outfielder.  And fantasy draftee.  Competition: Jason Heyward (ATL), Hunter Pence (PHI), Carlos Beltran (NYM), and Jayson Werth (WAS).

SP Roy Halladay, PHI
Dealing with a loss of confidence at the plate?  This Doc won't help with that.  Roy Halladay was the best of three Phillies starters with ERAs below 3.00 and decreased his homer total from 24 to 10.  He threw eight complete games and one shutout with the lowest ERA of his career at 2.35.  Even with ridiculous stamina and decent run support, Halladay failed to win 20 games which could even be seen as a surprise.  However, starting pitcher wins are overrated.  Bottom line: Halladay's a beast for the time being.  Competition: Anibal Sanchez (FLA), R.A. Dickey (NYM), Tim Hudson (ATL), and John Lannan (WAS).

CP Craig Kimbrel, ATL
127 strikeouts.  In 77 innings.  In his first full season as closer, Kimbrel was the best at the position in MLB.  As I've said in earlier posts, Kimbrel didn't allow a run for a stretch of about two and a half months in the middle of summer and only allowed three homers all year.  The Braves have the best bullpen in MLB and actually have three options at closer in Eric O'Flaherty, Jonny Venters, and Kimbrel.  The chances are that any of the three of them would have been the best in the league no matter who was chosen as closer.  For 2011, though, Kimbrel was the best in the business in talent.  Somehow, however, he blew eight saves along the way and the biggest one of the season, the one that would've gotten them to a Wild Card tiebreaker.  Three blown saves in September helped the Braves collapse hard.  Competition: Francisco Rodriguez (NYM), Ryan Madson (PHI), Juan Oviedo (FLA), and Drew Storen (WAS).

Wild Card Wednesday!

Evan Longoria rounds the bases after hitting his
walk-off homer that won the AL Wild Card Wednesday.

Late Wedneday night, the Tampa Bay Rays had 278 million-to-one odds to win the AL Wild Card.  And yet, the Rays are the 2011 AL Wild Card Champions.  The Rays made it to the postseason in a most unlikely fashion; it took a month-long colossal collapse from the Red Sox and a bullpen meltdown from the Yankees to sneak in.  This month-long swoon by the Red Sox and surge by the Rays grew in excitement and controversy nearly every day, culminating in an impossibly hopeless comeback attempt on the season's final day.  It, along with the results of the Red Sox-Orioles, Braves-Phillies, and Cardinals-Astros games, resulted in the most exciting day in the 100+ year history of the Major League Baseball regular season.  Four games completely flipped the postseason landscape within just a handful of hours:

Cardinals at Astros

The first game of the four to finish (although the last one to start), this was also the least exciting.  Coming into the evening, the Braves and Cardinals were tied in the NL Wild Card race, this after the Braves led said race by 8.5 games on September 5.  The Cardinals wrecked Brett Myers early and the Astros didn't stand a chance against a dominating Chris Carpenter, who threw a complete-game shutout, allowing only two hits.  This gave the Cardinals a half-game lead in the Wild Card at the moment, meaning the Braves had to win to force a one-game tiebreaker to be played at Busch Stadium the night after.  The Braves were hosting their division rival Phillies in this must-win.



Phillies at Braves

A two-run homer by Dan Uggla gave the Braves an early lead, but their young closer couldn't hold on in the 9th.  Craig Kimbrel, who struck out 14.8 batters per nine innings on the season, holding a 2.00 ERA and leading the National League with 46 saves, allowed the Phillies to rally in the 9th to score the tying run.  An intense, nerve-wracking extra inning battle pursued.  The Braves were forced to bring in Scott Linebrink in the 13th and Linebrink gave up the go-ahead and winning run on a single to Hunter Pence.  The Braves got a man on base in the bottom half, but rookie sensation Freddie Freeman grounded into a season-ending double play.  I think the slam of his helmet upon grounding out was an emotional reaction that spoke for the entire team.

Red Sox at Orioles

On September 6, the Sox were a full 8.0 games ahead of Tampa for the wild card, a lead which has disappeared as both teams entered the night tied as well.  The Red Sox were also in major panic mode Wednesday, but they came out in the game as cool and composed.  They fell behind early, but Josh Beckett calmed down and Dustin Pedroia and the others rallied to tie the game 3-3, then take the lead.  A rain delay slowed the game time considerably, but the game resumed with the Red Sox jumping on the O's for more runs.  A great throw to the plate, however, would ensure the Orioles stayed within one.  In the bottom of the 9th, it was up to a cast of unsung heroes to take down The Nation.  Nolan Reimold doubled in the tying run and Robert Andino knocked in the winning run, giving Jonathan Papelbon just his third blown save of the entire season!  In fact, it was just two years ago that a dominating Papelbon blew the save in Game 3 of the ALDS to allow the Angels to sweep the Red Sox.  Papelbon does well under pressure, but evidently not under playoff pressure.  The win really didn't mean anything for the well-out-of-contention Orioles, but they celebrated like they had just won the wild card.

Yankees at Rays

The stars seemed to be aligned for the Rays to at least force a tiebreaker with Boston as the Rays started their stud David Price to go against a rookie Yankee who wasn't expected to pitch very long.  Not even an unrealistic, overexaggerated Hollywood script could push through the plot that would unfold after that.  Price couldn't have had a worse start, giving up a grand slam to Mark Teixeira in the 2nd inning as part of a 7-0 Yankees lead.  With that early lead for the Red Sox in Baltimore, all seemed to be well for the Sox.  The Rays scrapped together a few runs before Evan Longoria hit a three-run homer to bring the Rays within one and fans all around the nation were shocked.  With two strikes and two outs in the 9th on Dan Johnson, he hit a most improbable game-tying home run that, at the time, appeared to save the Rays from elimination.  The game would drag on to the 12th, when the game in Baltimore went final.  Fans at the Tropicana Dome erupted into cheer when the scoreboard displayed the score.  Then, of course, they cheered for Evan Longoria's walk-off homer to win the AL Wild Card just three minutes later!  And just like that, the underdog Rays had completed the impossible.

What a great night for baseball.  I thought the ending of the NL Wild Card race was exciting enough; I had no idea what was in store in the AL.  Incredibly, the NL results were totally overshadowed by the epic Rays-Red Sox battle that went late into the night thanks to extra innings and rain delays.  The combination of the two races finishing on the same day, with both underdogs completing the impossible, makes this the best day in MLB regular season history.

I actually came up with a cheesy moniker for this string of unbelievable occurrences, Moneyball 2.0.  It fits perfectly with that movie being the talk of the entertainment world this week.  But it actually does make sense, in that the $161 million Boston Red Sox and their fan 'nation' and their disproportionate ESPN coverage were beaten by the $41 million Tampa Bay Rays and their...domed stadium....  This comeback is great for baseball everywhere.  No matter how ESPN frames the Red Sox on a daily basis, the fact is that most of the country was yearning to watch them fall.  This is further evidence (as if I need any more) that America roots for the underdog.  Don't believe me?  See: Miami Heat.   

Road Trip Analysis: Atlanta, Houston

Record: 3-3
Final Record: 54-70

This road trip began like many other for the Cubs, as they were mauled on Friday night in Atlanta.  Dan Uggla extended his hitting streak with two homers, both off Carlos Zambrano.  Chipper Jones, Jose Constanza, and Freddie Freeman also homered off Zambrano, who took out his frustration on Jones by throwing at him twice, hitting him the second time.  The Braves won 10-4.

Zambrano was thrown out and walked out on his team, earning him a 30-day suspension on the rarely-used disqualified list which could mark the end of his Cubs career.  Apparently anger management classes last year didn't hold up, and Zambrano started telling everyone in the clubhouse he was going to retire immediately before he cleaned out his locker and beat it.  Later, calling in on Chicago Tribune Live on CSN, he said he was upset that word of his potential retirement escaped the clubhouse and got to the media.  Either way it was a stupid thing to say so he doesn't have much of a right to be mad.

The Cubs won on Saturday thanks to an array of RBI singles and doubles, but Uggla extended his hitting streak to 33 with a home run.  I was impressed at how the Cubs attacked Derek Lowe, knocking him out of the game after six, allowing ten hits.  Final score was 8-4.

They also won on Sunday 6-5, ending Uggla's hitting streak at 33.  The Braves rocked Matt Garza for four runs in the first four innings, but the Cubs fought back and eventually tied the game on a wild pitch. Although Alex Gonzalez got the Braves the lead back on an error in the next half-inning, Carlos Pena blasted a long two-run homer to take the lead.  With the tying run on second base in the ninth, Carlos Marmol got Martin Prado out to take the series 2-1 from the NL's second-best team.

As shocking as that series win was, I was even more excited for the Cubs to head to Houston to play MLB's worst team and hopefully go for the sweep.  The Cubs should've swept too, but the Astros took two one-run games to sneak out the series win.

Two two-run doubles were enough, barely, to beat the Astros 4-3 on Monday night thanks to a save from Kerry Wood, his first as a Cub since 2008.  The loss for the Astros dropped them to 19-41 at home.  On Tuesday night, the Cubs played a solid game and took a 5-2 lead into the ninth.  Tyler Colvin and Aramis Ramirez both hit homers in the game, but Ramirez's shot will be on highlight reels all season long as it landed on the train tracks above the wall in left field, an estimated distance of over 450 feet.  But what will most be remembered from this game will obviously be Brian Bogusevic's walk-off grand slam off Marmol to win the game 6-5.  I bet the Cubs wish they had used Wood again.  Marmol has this remarkable ability to somehow find a way to lose a game, and showed right here.  Brian Bogusevic?  Really??  And did I mention that this was his second career Major League homer, and his first ever at home?

Casey Coleman gave the Astros the lead in the 4th of Wednesday afternoon's game, and they would never give it back.  The Cubs offense was shut out for four innings by the Astros bullpen, which featured David Carpenter, Sergio Escalona, Fernando Rodriguez, and Mark Melancon, only one of whom has thrown more than 40 innings in the Major Leagues.  I might as well just have named four construction contractors.  Added with Bogusevic, and the Cubs lost a series to a team to a team that will be 50 games under .500 by the end of the year because of five nobodies.  Nice going, guys.

Cub fans should be pleased with their effort in Atlanta because they're not an easy team to face at all.  The important thing was that they scored early to avoid having to battle against the bullpen which is, in my opinion, the most dominant in baseball.  Hardthrowers Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel are two of the most toughest pitchers in the league because everything they throw is hard, hard, and harder.  Kimbrel hasn't allowed a run since June.  The results of the Houston series, however, is pretty much unacceptable.  Marmol found a way to lose then so did the offense the next day.  Although these two events probably didn't directly have anything to do with Jim Hendry's dismissal, it definitely didn't cheer up the franchise's outlook at all.

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.