Mets and Manny - One And Done

I had expected a blowout. After all, Chan Ho Park never had anything, no wins, no stuff, no control, you name it, he didn’t have it, except maybe a plane ticket out. The Mets, on the other hand, had only the best pitcher in both leagues on the mound, the guy with the awful stuff, that fantastic control and overpowering confidence.

And hadn’t the Mets come out of their funk? Hadn’t they just beat the Braves in Atlanta twice in a row. Wasn’t Beltran still knocking the cover off? Wasn’t Delgado now in the lineup? And wasn’t David Wright starting to look less ridiculous out there?

Yeah, I wanted a blowout but what I got was so much better….a pitching duel to match any I could remember, in recent memory anyway. Who was that guy on the mound? What had he done with Chan Ho? And how did he keep befuddling all those Mets batters?

For six full innings, they matched zeroes and Park had allowed just one hit, Santana was doing a better job with strikeouts but Park may have looked even more masterful, as he doesn’t have the wicked fastball or changeup that Santana mixes in to so much effect.

As anyone would have expected, the game changed as soon as Park left the game, ironically enough, for an Eric Bruntlett that Santana just blew away. (Park had at least managed to walk twice).

You knew that the Mets would score, you just wondered how they’d do it. You didn’t have to wait long. Scott Eyre walked Delgado to open the bottom of the 7th but then got Wright on a pop and lucked out when Murphy drove a ball to deep left center for the second out.

The Mets pinch-hit Tatis for Jeremy Reed to get that right-handed bat in the lineup. The Phils matched up by bringing in their righthander Durbin. Tatis gave a mighty swing that sent his broken bat all the way to shortstop but left the ball dribbling down the third base line.

The play had trouble written all over it and trouble was just what the Phillies got. Third baseman Pedro Feliz charged the ball and unleashed a wild throw to first that got past the first baseman and all the way to the wall in short right field.

Delgado meanwhile had advanced to second and chugged on down to third upon seeing the overthrow. For whatever reason, either because Tatis was on his way to second or because he didn’t ever expect chuggin’ Delgado to advance, or maybe he even saw Razor Shines, the third base coach throw up the stop sign, Werth hesitated for a second or two.

It was all Carlos needed. Ignoring the stop sign, here came big Carlos. When he finally did release the ball, Werth threw a strike to the plate but he had waited too long. Delgado hit the dirt and was sliding through the catcher’s feet when he got tagged. The Mets had their one.

Why did Carlos go? Because he knew, Chan Ho knew, the Mets bench knew, the fans in the stadium knew and everybody at home watching knew that one run was all that was going to be needed on this day.

Oh sure, there was some concern on my part when Manuel brought in Ryan Church to bat for Santana shortly thereafter. Especially after Church struck out swinging on a ridiculous outside pitch and who should I see warming up but Pedro Felicicano!

But Pedro would prevail on this day. He must have known Delgado would pummel him if he didn’t. And, after Victorino threw another scare into everybody, Feliciano managed to strike out hulking Ryan Howard.

That’s when I really knew it was over. If Feliciano wouldn’t allow himself to lose it, there was no way that K-Rod would. Today it would be one and done.

And of course it was, despite the two long, long fly balls hit by Ibanez and Stairs in the top of the ninth. Beltran squeezed the last out and it was over. The one run would carry the day.

And speaking of “one and done”, I just learned that Manny Ramirez, probably my second favorite player in MLB (second to Beltran), failed a drug test and will be suspended for fifty games, costing himself 7.7 million dollars. It looks as if Major League Baseball is serious.

One and done.

The Agony and the Fantasy

Well, it’s the next to last day before my Fantasy Draft and I’m chompin’ at the bit. I’ve looked over all the fantasy rankings, participated in a couple of mock drafts, and already made my selections in a Yahoo Public League. Unfortunately, none of those drafts quite match the upcoming one.

Saturday morning, I’ll be sitting with the fourth pick. Ordinarily, for most beings of the human variety, that would be just fine. The fourth pick gets you either David Wright or Jose Reyes according to the chalk.

But for a rabid Mets fan, it presents a dilemma. Do I really want to watch Mets games all year and die a little every time Reyes pops up while trying to put one over the fence? Do I want to rage at Wright every time he lets the count go to 0 and 2?

Well, the answer to both those questions is an unequivocal no. I don’t want my first pick to be a Met. If I manage to get Beltran on my second pick though, I’ll be really happy. While Beltran can be at least as infuriating as either Wright or Reyes, at least I shall not have wasted a first pick on him.

The other Mets that could wind up being Crabs (my fantasy team) are Johan Santana and JJ Putz, and maybe even Francisco Rodriguez, but I hate picking players who are coming off a career year. F-Rod won’t match last year’s numbers and, as consistent as Santana has been, there’s got to be a clunker coming up soon, especially having thrown all those innings for all those years.

Besides, pitchers are bigger risks than everyday players, what with all those injuries….elbow, shoulder, wrist, hand, fingers, it’s always sumthin’ with those damned hurlers. So I’ve made rules for myself in selecting pitchers over the years, and I’m pretty sure Santana will land elsewhere.

Putz though has been a Crab several times. This is a guy who performs very well every year and yet nobody ever selects him early. I’m pretty sure it’s his name. Who wants a Putz on his team? It’s like bad luck or something, or maybe a premonition, or possibly it may be prophetic of what your team will be….Putz!

Getting back to that first round, though, I’m pretty sure both Hanley Ramirez and Albert Pujols will be gone. The guys picking at 1 and 2 are too smart or experienced at this to just let those two fellows go floating by. After all, that first pick must be solid. In fact, the first three or four picks should be solid in order to have any chance of winning.

The third guy, my brother, says he’s taking Wright. So he probably will, barring any last-minute brain farts, but he’s more prone to gaseous selections in football. So there’s Jose just sitting there waiting for me, but I won’t take him for those reasons I’ve laid out.

Besides, Jose isn’t getting any younger and, if I may say so, he doesn’t ever seem to be getting any smarter either. And if Manuel should decide he’s the number 3 hitter, only God knows what that will do to Jose’s head. To my mind, Mr. Reyes has a somewhat fragile head, albeit one that always has a smile on it.

Other guys bat close to .300. Other guys steal bases. Hell, I could just pick Willie Taveras in the 15th round or thereabouts. Other guys hit 20 homers, even in our un-juiced era of baseball. And there are even lower-rated guys who’ll score over 100 times. I don’t need no stinking Reyes.

But who’s left? The chalk says Grady Sizemore, Miguel Cabrera, Ryan Braun, Ryan Howard, Josh Hamilton, Mark Teixeira and Jimmy Rollins, God forbid. The only one of those who appeals to me is Ryan Howard. He hits all those homers consistently and drives in all those runs. But a Philly? Do I really want a Philly, especially in this year of all years for my beloved Mets?

Howard has lost 20 pounds though. He could be more dangerous than ever before. And that’s an absolutely scary proposition. Imagine if that big guy didn’t have one of those long droughts he seems to always have! No, I won’t!! Logic won’t make me. Besides, strikeouts is also a fantasy category and, if Howard knows how to do anything besides hitting homers, it’s strike out.

Oh, one more rule, I won’t take any Yankees, unless his name happens to be Giambi, which of course is impossible this year. Interestingly enough, Teixeira takes his place this year, and for many more years to follow. But he’s out, thank God, a man has to have rules.

Miguel Cabrera….hmm. He certainly meets all the qualifications for a number one. Maddeningly consistent for average and power, and on what could be a very potent Marlins team. But he looks like a softball player, one of those guys who guzzles down a beer and then crushes the can with one hand while burping all the way. Nah! Not for me.

My list is getting really short now. Grady Sizemore, Ryan Braun, Josh Hamilton….Golly, this is hard!

Sizemore is a very nice player, does everything a bit, very consistent and this’ll be his fifth entire year. And he plays for Cleveland, a team I’ve always liked, don’t ask me why. Do I remember rooting for Rocky Colavito? Okay, he’s a definite maybe, but geez, his numbers seem Beltran-like, so why is he a number 1 and Beltran just a 2?

Ryan Braun? Hmm, he seems to be a Sizemore type, a little more power and a little less speed, a Brewer, and in what will be just his third full year. He could explode for a career year, he seems primed.

Hamilton? One full year and he died after the All-Star Game. He’s disqualified.

Hmm, Jose is looking better and better, or maybe I should move down the list…Chase Utley? But they’ll laugh!!

On Fantasy and Arod

It’s a slow news week for just about everything in sports this Tuesday. Except for Pitt knocking off U Conn, there really wasn’t anything happening, that is, unless you’re really into Alex Rodriguez. Or the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. As Conan might have said, “It’s a good day to die”. Of course, he had a much more exciting context at the time.

It’s at times such as these when a young man’s thoughts turn to, well, what would I know about that? But I have been taking a look at this year’s fantasy baseball mock drafts, and I must admit there are some strange things shaping up there.

For example, Hanley Ramirez, the Marlins shortstop and Albert Pujols, the Cards perennially great first baseman, are ranked one and two in most mock drafts. While Pujols isn’t really such a surprise, you have to turn your head a little at Hanley’s ascension.

Not that his numbers are bad. Hanley batted .301 with 33 homers and 67 ribbies. Even better, he scored 125 runs and stole 35 bases. But Pujols batted .357 with 116 ribbies and 100 runs scored. Of course, Albert doesn’t steal bases unless the sky is falling, and in these 5 by 5 leagues (stats categories in hitting and batting), speed is an over-rated thing.

It’s also been reported that Hanley came to camp about 25 pounds heavier than last year, and it’s reported to be all muscle, developed through weight training and swimming. While he doesn’t expect to start the season at 225, he’ll probably play at about 210, a ten-pound jump over last year’s weight. Still, I’m wary as to how that muscle will translate to the game of baseball. After all, it never did much for Arod.

Speaking of Arod, and isn’t everybody, Arod is arguably in the top three fantasy picks again this year. Not that there’s any chance I’ll select him, but I know I’ll hate facing any team that does. Alex hit .302 with 35 homers and 103 ribbies in a down year for him. He also stole 18 bases and will be following newly-acquired Mark Teixeira in the batting order. It should be interesting to see how that will affect his ribbies as Teixeira may have already cleared the bases.

As a Mets fan, I always try to draft some Mets but not at the expense of competitive advantage. I’ll be very curious to see my draft position this year as I might be able to select Beltran, my favorite Met, if things work out just right.

Jose Reyes, by the way, was selected 4th in one mock draft while Wright was 5th. I would never select either that high, however, despite all the steals from Reyes and the five-category contributions from Wright. I’m still quite sure they both contributed big-time to the Mets demise last year. I do hold grudges.

Beltran, though, was selected in the second round with the fifth pick. He’s definitely on my list as is Johan Santana, who made it deep into the second round. I’ll be looking to add closer Francisco Rodriguez too, who lasted until the seventh round, and Delgado, who lasted until the ninth round.

If you’re curious, some other Mets went very late, which hopefully won’t be a bad omen. Crazy Ollie Perez and Mike Pelfrey were both selections in the 19th round and John Maine almost wasn’t picked at all, before someone took a chance on him in the 23rd round.

Ah, the importance of good fortune! Nobody appreciates luck more than this fantasy nut as evidenced by my luck in football this year, when my running back-depleted team beat my brother’s perfectly-situated team in the playoffs, or when my nephew’s fantasy acumen took a hit as he went winless!

I believe it was Julius Caesar who said “In all of life, but especially in war, the greatest power belongs to fortune”. And if it’s good enough for Caesar, it’s good enough for me.

I’ll continue using a rather curious fantasy strategy this year as it’s been working. I simply make a list of players I’d like on my team along with the round they’re likely to be selected. Then, as the actual draft proceeds, I simply plug them in if they’re still on the board later than I thought they’d be.

The great thing about this method is that it yields a team that, if nothing else, you can root for. At the worst, the team may lose but you enjoy the play. If you’re lucky at the same time, you get the best of all possible worlds, the money and the fun.

Just as an example, I’ve selected four outfielders I’d love to have – Curtis Granderson, Alexei Ramirez (with second base eligibility as well), Nate McLouth and Jay Bruce. Granderson was picked in the mock draft in the fourth round, 5th pick, while Alexei Ramirez was also picked in the fourth round with the 9th pick.

If either player is still there in the fifth round, I’m taking him, or, if an even higher-rated player on my board is still there, say, a Brandon Webb or Jonathan Papelbon who were both third round mock selections, I’ll take one of them.

There’s nothing worse than owning a team that has been very methodically selected by someone else’s druthers. For example, I won’t ordinarily have a Yankee on my team. If I’m picking 8th and Arod is still there, I’m not taking him. Yes, I could trade him but then you’re really leaving your fates up in the air.

Today’s New York Times sports headline screamed “Welcome to Camp Alex” in a font large enough to be unforgettable, not just to me but likely also to Jeter, Teixeira, Damon and Sabathia. Why should they perform? It’ll be Arod who gets the headline. I’d guess the Arod legacy or curse, if it pleases you, will continue. He’ll never play on a winner.

My guess is that all the Yankees will have down years.

A Tribute to Manny

Yes, baseball is all about pitching and defense, but you wouldn't know it from the action on deadline day. Hitters carried the day. In three pretty huge surprises, Manny Ramirez went NOT to Florida at all, but wound up with the Dodgers, and gets to be Joe Torre's player, no longer his nemesis. Ken Griffey Jr. leaves the Reds after all those years. And Pudge of course will wear a Yankees uniform.

Only the Pudge trade could even be remotely related to pitching, as the catcher, of course, is one half of every pitching matchup. And Pudge will have to represent the defense as well, for Manny surely won't be a Gold Glover, and Griffey, though he'll play centerfield in his new role with the White Sox, is kind of long in the tooth to be able to make an impact that way anymore.

Yankees fans are thrilled. Not only did they pick up one of the very best catchers in the game, but they won't have to face Manny anymore. Mets fans are happy too, for, although the Mets made absolutely no deals, they won't have to face a Marlins team with Manny on it.

All those pitchers who could have gone elsewhere, Washburn, the guys in Toronto (pick a guy), and just about every pitcher not playing for a contender, was fodder for the rumor mill. But the GM's went for hitting on the last day. And WHAT hitters!

Manny Ramirez is a career .312 hitter and he's hit 510 homers. Ken Griffey Jr. is a career .288 with 608 home runs. Pudge isn't really in the same class but he does hold some records for 4-hit games. And his .302 career batting average over so many years stamps him as an All-Star candidate as well, though he's hit "only" 293 dingers.

Dodgers fans should be especially happy. Over a 2-day period, they picked up Casey Blake from the Indians, another power hitter, and now they get Ramirez. The Dodgers weren't scoring enough runs, something Mr. Torre, after all those Yankees sluggers, can't really deal with. And now he won't have to.

Torre’s outfield juggling may not cease altogether, but he’s certainly holding some more powerful cards. The Dodgers hit only 74 home runs this year, next to last in home runs and fifth from the bottom in RBI’s in both leagues. Casey Blake has 11 homers and 58 rbi’s while Ramirez currently has 20 dingers and 68 ribbies. Dodger fortunes look much brighter as their pitching has been good, currently holding the league’s third best earned run average.

I know some of the Boston faithful think this was a good move, as they did get Jason Bay, a productive and powerful presence himself, in return for Ramirez. And, of course, he won’t be nearly the same pain in the butt.

How much of a true “distraction” he ever was for the Red Sox seems a bit unclear. For a guy who’s been a distraction, he sure gets more than his share of accolades from his team mates, former and present. Former Sox now with the Dodgers, Derek Lowe and Nomar Garciaparra had only good things to say yesterday. Big Papi was pictured hugging Manny the other day, no doubt his realizing their days as the top third and fourth hitters in the league would soon be at an end.

I think Manny’s problems were with management alone. All the players seem to acknowledge his hard work and appreciate that he is a family man, a guy who does his job and then goes home to his family.

Of course, the players didn’t have to worry about the gamesmanship Manny used in his all-out effort to maximize his income over his last playing years. And they weren’t on the hook for his salary. So, in the end, the Red Sox got off the 40 million dollar hook for just the 7 million they sent the Dodgers to pay Manny’s salary for the rest of this year.

Boston’s management may be happy for now, but I have a feeling they’ll be despondent in October. Jason Bay is just not Manny Ramirez, not only with the bat, but I have a feeling they’ll miss the way Manny’d play all those balls off the Fenway wall.

But, most of all, they’ll miss his sense of fun, his enthusiasm for the game and especially his pure hitting ability. Jason Bay can’t be Manny. He’s a one of a kind.

Boston’s management says they’re tired of Manny’s antics but those antics won them a World Series in 2004 and 2007. Jason Bay hits a hundred points less than Manny with runners in scoring position.

How many times have we seen Boston opponents intentionally walk Big Papi only to have to face Manny? And how many times had Manny stuck their strategy right in the eye? Manny has to be the best hitter in the league following an intentional walk. I don’t have any stats on which to base this claim, just an observation. If I had to guess, I’d say it was about .660.

Ortiz and Ramirez, Ortiz and Ramirez, Ortiz followed by Ramirez, how many times have those words struck fear in all but the Boston faithful? No more. For an avowed Yankee-hater (in general), these last days before the deadline have been an ominous sign of things to come, a portent of doom for the un-striped.

So, for an old baseball fan, I guess it’s interesting that Griffey goes to those other Sox in Chicago. And it’s kind of interesting that the Yanks got Pudge too. And, yeah, it’s the first time ever that three future Hall-of-Famers have been traded in the space of 24 hours. Cool.

For all that, the real story yesterday was Manny Ramirez going to the Dodgers. Churchill said it best, “never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

For Boston, the few have lost a key man.

Manny Happy Returns

Well, Thursday's the trading deadline in MLB and it's at this time of year that General Managers earn their money, or not. If a team moves early, as the Yankees did last week in acquiring Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte, it gets the pick of the litter. The longer a team waits to make a move, though, the more sure it can be of what it's competition will look like after the deadline.

The Yankee moves addressed specific weaknesses, really, and make them a believable contending team. Even with their fairly good record and their recent run of wins, they were weak in the outfield and needed middle relief, and specifically a lefty, so that's what they got. I'd give them an edge to take their division now.

For the World Champion Red Sox, at least as this is written, have even bigger problems. Problemo Numero Uno starts with Manny, of course, the curiously injured Manny Ramirez, who is doing his darnedest to manipulate a trade from Boston, so he can clean up in free agency, and happily eschew Boston's first of two 20 million-dollar option years

They say in agent-land that Manny can do better, and word has it that he's looking for another four years at about 25 million per year. And, while he may not wind up getting that much, if he becomes available at all, he probably could get more than 20 million and more than just two more years.

So, from a purely business standpoint, I can't blame Manny for his latest shenanigans, except for a natural curiosity as to why he took the contract in the first place. Manny will be 38 two years from now, and it'll be a lot easier to negotiate his final contract now at a spritely 36.

Of course, the court of public opinion in Red Sox Nation seemed firmly anti-Manny as last night's game with the Yankees began, and Manny seemed to have orchestrated the whole affair, what with his comments on playing in Iraq. But by the end of the evening, after Manny's 3 for 5, two-double and two-rbi night, his hugs with Big Papi, and a huge win over the Yankees, public opinion seemed to have swung a bit in his favor.

It's ironic though that Manny'd be better off with public opinion against him. Unless Boston were willing to renegotiate his contract right now to his satisfaction, a highly unlikely scenario indeed, Manny'd be better off somewhere else. Surely, there'll be a team willing to accede to his demands. He has been and arguably is the best pure hitter in the league.

Unfortunately for Mr. Ramirez, Boston has the option, two successive options, in fact. And, unless they can secure some benefit from a trade, either now or later, they'd be foolish to just let him go.

What they have to weigh for themselves is just how much of a pain in the neck Manny can really be. I mean....he wasn't even trying before. But he can’t just tank the rest of the season, no potential suitor in its right mind could ignore that.

Boston hasn't gotten where it is by being stupid. Under the shrewd tutelage of young Theo Epstein, the Sox have shaped and re-shaped their team from their curse-breaking World Series win in 2004, and repeated that feat just last year.

And, as it’s another contract year for their popular All-Star catcher, Jason Varitek, I think Boston will trade Manny and keep Varitek, regardless of whatever outcry there may be in Beantown, assuming they can get some significant value in return. Of course, they have to make that decision before they exercise their first option.

It’s difficult to say who might want Manny. After all, he’s not a youngster anymore. But he has been very consistently great in that batter’s box. I’d think an American League team would be more interested, for the DH possibilities alone. After all, Manny has never been a Gold-Glove in the outfield, but he sure can play balls off that Fenway wall.

Manny could be a significant draw too. There’s nobody who can command more attention than Manny, at least not for any fun-loving sports fan. Look for an American League team from a major city outside the AL East to make a play before the deadline… Detroit, Chicago, some place like that.

Of course, the Red Sox would need to get an outfielder, or even two, in return, as their young Jacoby Ellsbury hasn’t been knockin’ em dead this year. And the suitor would no doubt have to get some indication from Manny as to whether a long-term contract was in the cards at all. Otherwise, why give up anything valuable?

So the Red Sox could look significantly different by Friday. Will the Yankees take the chance that their chief rivals won’t look quite different by then? I don’t think so. Look for the Yankees to pick up still another pitcher for their pennant run. After all, if it isn’t Boston, it’ll be the Angels who’ll be in their way. And the Mets or Cubs in the National League.

The best player who may be available is the Rockies Matt Holliday. The Rockies won’t be able to afford him next year. But I don’t think the Rockies would drop dead for Manny Ramirez. I think the Rockies will be looking for some nice young pitchers.

The Mets of course need an outfielder. And New York would be a great place for Ramirez. I had even heard on the radio a proposal of offering Beltran for Ramirez and Ellsbury. Although I wouldn’t like to see it myself, who knows? Stranger things have happened. But can you just see Manny playing left field at Shea when he’s 40? I can’t.

Seattle presents an interesting possibility for Boston. They could really use an ace like Jarod Washburn. And, if Seattle had once warmed up to Alex Rodriguez, they could certainly get very used to Manny Ramirez. We’ll soon find out.