Kuzul

Bad calls happen.

They’re a part of every sport, every game, and every day fans of some team out there are complaining about a bad call that altered a game that their team inevitably lost. 

It’s not the team’s fault, it’s the umps, or the refs.

Some fans have even concocted ludicrous conspiracy theories among officials, that work in either the favor of a hated rival or to the detriment of one’s favorite team. 

Bad calls do happen, but they usually even out over the course of most seasons or, even, games.

However, there are some exceptions.

Some calls over the years were so egregiously bad that they linger on—etched in the memories of the fans, whose teams were victimized by the errant call.

Baseball, with its long history and 162-game regular season, allows for more opportunities for missed calls than any other major sport. 

A truly bad call isn’t just bad because it’s an obvious wrong call.

The truly bad ones have a definitive impact on the outcome of the game. When umpires miss a call and in the process, change the outcome of a game or, even worse, a whole season—that’s when they become one of the worst.

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The Boston Red Sox appear to be getting closer to finding their manager. Once that decision is made, then the rest of the major offseason decisions are likely to be made in a rapid succession.

Considering that the winter meetings are in just three weeks, and the free agent period is already in full swing, the Red Sox will soon be faced with some choices. 

Among them will be the one regarding pitcher Tim Wakefield. In an interview with the Boston Globe, Tim Wakefield’s agent, Barry Meister, said that if the Red Sox neglected to bring back the 45-year-old Wakefield, then “he’s going to win 15 games somewhere else.’’ 

Now, agents are of course in the business of selling their clients’ services, and there’s little doubt in my mind that Wakefield would get signed by another team, get some starts, and get some wins if he was denied an offer by the Red Sox. 

Fifteen wins though? Look, if Meister wants to sell his client’s services, then there are a number of things he could honestly point out.

Point out his versatility as a pitcher and his ability to pitch in long or short relief as well as start; point out that he doesn’t require the same regimented pitch counts and days off as most modern major league starters do. 

Fifteen wins? Wakefield hasn’t won 15 games since 2007. He could do it again, but it’s not really a stretch to suggest that Wakefield may finally be slowing down a touch. His numbers aren’t falling into an abyss, but they are in decline (and they weren’t dominant type numbers to begin with).

Wakefield is one of the longest tenured members on the Red Sox roster, and while that is an admirable quality, many fans felt his pursuit of individual achievements such as his 200th win this past summer have been distractions from the team’s overall focus.

The real issue with Wakefield is this: While he’s not by any means a great, or even consistently good starting pitcher, this team currently has only three starters who they can trot out to the mound with any confidence for the 2012 season. It’s easy to say that guys like CJ Wilson or Roy Oswalt are better options, but they would also cost more—a lot more.

Wakefield is a known commodity and he’s not that pricey. Last season the Red Sox spent $142 million on Carl Crawford. Crawford was unlikely to ever earn that much, yet the Red Sox needed an outfielder and overpaid for the best one on the market at that time.

Going after a guy like CJ Wilson or Roy Oswalt may prove to be the very same thing—a headline-grabbing offseason move that grabs headlines for all the wrong reasons once the regular season begins.

The right answer of course is what ends up working. If the Sanox retain Wakefield, only to watch him labor through another injury-prone, inconsistent season, even at a low cost it’s still a valuable roster spot.

If Boston lets him go and spend big on a questionable free agent who falters, while Wakefield has as an impressive season in another uniform, once again, the Sox will look bad.

It’s a tough choice, one of many for new general manager Ben Cherington, and whoever the eventual manager is. Those two should get used to tough choices though—they’re part of the job when you’re running the Boston Red Sox.  

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Entering last night, I had pretty much been on Albert Pujols’ side with regards to the actions he took in the aftermath of Thursday’s World Series Game 2. That is, until he chose to make some fairly insensitive comments about this controversy.

His arrogance when discussing the issue, in which he was actually “in the right,” was disheartening to say the least. Throughout his statement, he made a number of good points regarding the frequency in which he does address the media and the rarity that he skips out on a chance to answer tough questions. All very valid points and all quite true.

Then there was this statement from ESPN.com, “My responsibility is to my God and my family, I don’t have any responsibility to anybody else.”

I’m not a religious person, but I respect the rights of anyone and everyone to practice their faith. That being said, this is a fairly arrogant statement. Michael Young made some very valid points with regards to addressing the media and, while I know nothing of Young’s religious beliefs, it seems quite obvious that he recognizes the importance of treating others in the manner in which you’d like to be treated.

From the same article, “I do think there is a responsibility,” Young said. “You guys have a job to do. These are big games and it’s just a matter of being respectful. You guys have jobs to do, too. You’re not here for your health. If I can help I will.”

Pujols could perhaps think about someone else in the equation besides his god and his family. Other people have those things, too. It’s not all about him.

This was one of those non-issues magnified by the magnitude of the World Series. Had it been a regular season game, it wouldn’t even be noticed by most of the national press. It is the World Series, though. To somehow act shocked or amazed that normally minor stories can become major would be naive to say the least. If Pujols was eating his postgame meal, and was not notified that he was wanted by the media, then that’s fine. It’s okay to make a mistake, it’s okay to have a miscommunication. 

It’s also okay to admit some form of fault. From Lance Berkman, another veteran who did not make himself available to the media, “That won’t happen again. I’ll make sure—if I have to stand in there—that one of us is available for comment, win or lose.”

Stan Musial is probably considered the greatest Cardinal in history. He probably made mistakes in his career, though. He also probably handled them with more grace than Pujols did.  There were members of the media who, in the immediate aftermath of Thursday’s disappearing act, were quick to pounce all over Pujols, painting him in a terrible light for one of his few miscues. That was wrong. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

Sorry Albert, you do have a responsibility to other people besides your god or your family. For a player with a fairly spotless reputation throughout a spectacular eleven-year career Pujols made a minor mistake on Thursday Night, and then compounded it by showing an inability to act like an adult. That doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy, it’s just disappointing.  

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Finally someone not on a laptop or on a microphone made some statements with regards to the Red Sox that weren’t completely negative and even better they were made by someone with credibility—the owner. John Henry was driving through Boston listening to sports radio yesterday when he heard a few things that just didn’t sit right with him. 

When Henry heard these things, he became so upset that he decided to make an impromptu visit to the studios of 98.5 FM ” The Sports Hub” which is one of the two biggest sports’ radio stations in Boston. He got to the studios and demanded to be heard, and the two men who were on the air at the time Tony Massarotti and Michael Felger were only too happy to oblige. 

Henry say down for a 70-minute interview, and at times, it wasn’t clear whether the exchange was more cathartic for Henry, the men in the studio or the fans.

What was clear was that Henry to his credit may in fact be as upset if not more upset about the current state of the Red Sox than even the fans are. This was as unique and candid an exchange between media and owners as any sports’ fan will ever be exposed to. 

Henry expounded on numerous issues ranging from the departures of former manager Terry Francona and now former general manager Theo Epstein to the behaviors and rumored behaviors of members of the Red Sox. Henry skirted very few questions and maintained his composure throughout what was at times a somewhat tempestuous interview.

In the end, it’s up to the individual listener to decide how much of what Henry spoke about was truthful or not. The key thing to remember is that the actual “facts” regarding much of what has happened within the Red Sox organization are very much unclear.

Anonymous accounts by unnamed sources, assumptions based on circumstantial evidence. It’s really hard to tell which way is which these days. It’s nice to finally have the public thoughts from the owner of the Red Sox. What did listeners gleam from the lengthy interview with John Henry?

For those wishing to listen to the entire interview the links are here. 

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/10/14/felger-mazz-john-henry-invades-felger-and-massarotti/

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MLB divisions are being clinched, and wild card births are being decided as the clock ticks down on another baseball season.

The American League MVP race seems likely to stoke the fires of debate about pitchers and their place in the MVP voting, and Rookie Of The Year honors seem up for grabs in both leagues. As this season comes to its conclusion there’s certainly plenty to talk about.

So why aren’t more people talking about this? Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers has a very real chance to win the Triple Crown in the National League. Consider this, the last offensive Triple Crown to be won was by Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox in 1967.

The last National League Triple Crown was won by Joe Medwick of the Saint Louis Cardinals in 1937! 

Check out this list: Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Joe Dimaggio, and Stan Musial. That’s an impressive list isn’t it? Not one of them ever won a triple crown. Rogers Hornsby and Ted Williams won two Triple Crowns. They’re the only two players in all of Major League history to ever win two.

That brings up to Matt Kemp, who as of Saturday Morning September 24th 2011, has a six RBI lead—119-113—over Prince Fielder. Furthermore, Kemp is tied for the league lead in home runs with Albert Pujols (they both have 37 round-trippers) and is three points, .329 to .326, behind Jose Reyes and Ryan Braun for the National League batting title.

These numbers with less than one week to go in the regular season paint a picture of not just one of the most all-around dominating seasons in recent memory, but also of a player on the cusp of an indisputably historical accomplishment.

Let the MVP debate begin also, because frequently, and with good reason, the MVP award is often given to a player who is on a team that makes the playoffs. The Dodgers have been out of the playoff chase since before the All-Star break.

In fact, it’s been a historically bad season for one of Major League Baseball’s proudest franchises.

The Dodgers are a team of proud tradition dating back to its days as the centerpiece of the burgeoning borough of Brooklyn, NY. A borough that was inundated with a diverse group of immigrants in the beginning of the 20th century that rallied around the Dodgers at Ebbets Field.

A franchise which ushered in the breaking of the color barrier in professional sports by bringing Jackie Robinson to the big leagues in 1947, the Dodgers would continue to be at the forefront of baseball expansion by moving to Los Angeles and bringing baseball to the west coast.

This season has been the worst in Dodger History. It started with the brutal beating of a Giant fan in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium on the night of the home opener. The fan, who is just beginning the long recovery process, was severely injured. Questions regarding fan behavior and stadium security rightly ensued.

The season only got worse as the divorce proceedings between the owners of the team Frank and Jamie McCourt revealed major financial problems within the organization and led to the team filing for bankruptcy and a lawsuit by Frank McCourt against Major League Baseball.

Now, as the season mercifully ends, it appears there may be a very real ray of light on this otherwise forgettable season as Kemp has positioned himself to once again place the Los Angeles Dodgers in the favorable view of baseball history.

The Triple Crown really is an accomplishment to be appreciated. While modern stat geeks may claim that the three categories of batting average, home runs, and runs-batted-in (RBI) aren’t quite as relevant as they were once thought to be, the fact remains that these numbers aren’t to be taken too lightly.

No National League Triple Crown since 1937? Think about how long a period of time that is. Seventy-four years.

The Milwaukee Brewers popped champagne last night to celebrate their first divisional title since 1982. I’m not sure what the Dodgers should do to celebrate Kemp if he can claim the crown this Wednesday, but it’s safe to say that Dodger—and baseball aficionados alike—fans should keep in mind just how rare an accomplishment this is.  

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CC Sabathia is heading into a very interesting period in his life. A September pennant race will give way to an October quest for his second World Series ring as a member of the New York Yankees. Win or lose, what comes next will be intriguing as well. 

Sabathia has an option with in the seven-year, $161 million contract he signed following the 2008 season to opt-out following this season. That basically means the existing contract is over and he’s a free agent again.

With Sabathia in the midst of one of his best seasons and no reason to expect him to quit playing baseball at the end of the seven-year deal he’s currently in the midst of, it seems more than likely that he will take full advantage of this opportunity for both a raise and an assurance of guaranteed money beyond his mid 30s.

Sabathia already is the owner of the largest contract for any pitcher in MLB history. Cliff Lee might be a better pitcher, but no one is paid more than Sabathia.

The real question is, would he leave the Yankees and if he would, where would he go? Impending free agents such as Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder are restricted to what teams they can go to by their position. There’s no such thing as having “too many ace left-handed starters” though. Sabathia can probably count on being contacted by almost every team that thinks they could compete financially for his services, and that list is longer than many Yankee fans might think. 

It all starts in Boston, of course. The Red Sox have experienced some real health issues with their starters this season. On top of that, it seems very unlikely that John Lackey will ever come close to fulfilling the lofty expectations set for him when he signed as a free agent in Boston. In spite of a number of big financial commitments, the Red Sox would be a major suitor for Sabathia. 

Who else would bid on Sabathia? Philadelphia. Yes, they already have Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels. Roy Oswalt may be done after this year, though. The Phils have already shown that you really can’t ever have too much pitching. If Philadelphia brass feels like the younger up-and-coming offensive players can shoulder the load of producing runs, then they may not be so gun shy in spending big to acquire yet another guy to keep runs off the board.

The Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants could all get involved as well.

For the Cubs, Sabathia would be the ace that Carlos Zambrano never really became. Sabathia is everything Zambrano isn’t. He’s a likable player with an easy going attitude that seems to please teammates, fans and his bosses. Contrast that with the abrasive and temperamental Zambrano, and he’d be the perfect way for a new Cubs owner to help fans and media forget about Zambrabo’s combative ways.

The Nationals have shown a willingness to over pay for a player they covet. Jason Werth’s deal last winter set that precedent. Would they covet Sabathia? Probably, although with Stephen Strasburg seemingly back and healthy the Nationals don’t really “need” an ace. Yet as a one -two top of the rotation Sabathia and Strasburg would be quite formidable.

The Rangers have a long and decorated history of not retaining top pitching. Should CJ Wilson depart as a free agent this offseason, then the Rangers would be in desperate need of a top starter.

Sabathia would fit the bill, but can the Rangers really expect him to want to pitch in a ballpark that favors hitters even more than Yankee Stadium? Would Sabathia want to subject himself to pitching in 100-degree-plus temperatures for the better parts of his future summers? Unlikely.

The Dodgers and Mets both have the big-market appeal, but currently lack the big money that usually accompanies it. It’s very unlikely that Sabathia would choose to remain in New York City but go to a team with a much greater chance of missing the playoffs. It’s also unlikely that the Dodgers will have the money to pay Sabathia.

The San Francisco Giants have a few things going for them. One is that Sabathia is from the Bay Area originally. Players returning to locations near where they grew up is not all that uncommon. The Giants also play in a division that seems to favor pitching.

The Giants also recently won a World Series and have a number of talented pitchers on their roster. The addition of Sabathia would place the Giants right back at the top of any discussion about serious World Series contenders.

In spite of a long list of potential suitors, it seems highly unlikely Sabathia will leave the Yankees. The Yankees provide Sabathia with just about everything he wants. He’s the arguably the most important player on the team. Regardless of whether or not the Yankees win a championship this season, Sabathia is an irreplaceable player on the roster.

There is no “ace” in the Yankees farm system and there aren’t any aces coming up as free agents anytime soon. Should Sabathia opt out of his current deal, the results are more than likely to be an extension of his existing deal and perhaps a small raise on an annual basis. The Yankees misread the market and missed out on Cliff Lee last offseason. They’ll make no such mistake this upcoming one. 

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A pitcher has the right to an MVP award. It Seems logical enough. After all, pitchers have won them in the past, the most recent being Dennis Eckersley of the Oakland A’s in 1992. Since then no pitcher has won the award and, with the exception of Pedro Martinez in 1999, no pitcher has truly deserved it either. 

That very well may change this season. Detroit Tigers’ ace Justin Verlander, owner of a 21-5 record as of September 3rd, could be on his way to taking home the hardware.

Among the more complex issues in determining an award such as the MVP is the rules surrounding the voting process. These rules, which were drafted in 1931, are neither lengthy nor specific:

(1) actual value of a player to his team, that is, strength of offense and defense; (2) number of games played; (3) general character, disposition, loyalty and effort; (4) former winners are eligible; and (5) members of the committee may vote for more than one member of a team.”- BBWAA (Baseball Writer’s Association of America) rules. 

All in all, the rules are pretty vague. There’s certainly no way one could conclude the award should not be given to a pitcher. However, every season a pitcher becomes involved in the debate, fans are treated to a stream of reasons why pitchers shouldn’t win the award. 

There’s the “they have their own award” argument, which is a decent point. The Cy Young award is handed out to the league’s best pitcher annually. “Best” and “Most Valuable” are two different designations though. That holds true on offense as well where players with simply outstanding offensive numbers have not won the MVP award in large part because the team they played on was not headed toward the postseason. The fact that pitchers can win the Cy Young in no way deems them ineligible for the MVP award.

The fact that they’re not everyday players is another invalid point. While it’s true that pitchers don’t play everyday (a great starter may amass as many 40 starts and a closer might make up to 60 appearances), what about the “value” of those appearances?

All fans love the walk-off, but a great closer may end as many as 50 games in a single season. A good closer negates those walk-offs that fans enjoy so much. From 1981 to 1992, when the closer was know as a “fireman”, the position was even tougher. Rather than coming in for just one inning the pitcher would come in with runners on base and the game in the balance. Perhaps that’s why from 1981-1992 three closers, Rollie Fingers, Willie Hernandez, and Dennis Eckersley, all won the AL MVP award.

Starters appear even less, but no other player in baseball has a greater impact on a game than the starting pitcher. A dominant starting pitcher can make offensive performance almost unnecessary. By contrast, a bad starter may squander a start regardless of how good his offensive support is. How valuable was the 7-1 lead given to Tim Hudson of the Oakland A’s a little more than a week ago? Not very—his inability to be effective after the third inning led to an eventual 22-9 Yankee win. Included in that win was a grand slam home run by current MVP candidate Curtis Granderson. The blast made the score 21-9. Was there any “value” in that home run? Not really.

Those are the two reasons that seem to be uttered the most in defense of not voting for a pitcher for the MVP award. Neither one however addresses a pitcher’s value—or a lack of. 

If the BBWAA has active members who, on the record, claim to not include pitchers in consideration for the MVP award, those members should be urged by current BBWAA president Ken Davidoff to reconsider. Awards are there for a reason. The MVP is supposed to honor the “most valuable player” not the “most valuable everyday position player.”

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You’ll notice I said “largely”. Of course, it’s not totally meaningless but as the season winds down there’s going to be a ton of attention focused on the American League East. Two regular season series match-ups remain between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox and I think everyone reading knows they will receive no shortage of media attention and hype. 

In some ways, that makes sense. After all, they really are one of sports’ greatest rivalries. Two franchises who have now been linked for nearly 100 years by an ill advised trade that sent Babe Ruth who would go on to become arguably the most important baseball player in the history of the sport from Boston to New York for nothing more than a bag of cash. It’s a cautionary tale for anyone looking at a short-term gain over a long term investment. 

This season once again finds the old rivals neck-and-neck as the regular season winds down. New York has a division lead of merely a half-game over Boston as of this weekend. The two teams are one and two for best record in the American League and two and three for best record in baseball, trailing only the Major League leading Philadelphia Phillies for best overall record. 

Two old rivals locked in a race for a division title that only one of them can have. Sounds like a big deal right? Well not so fast. This isn’t 1978 when the team crowned American League East Champ moves onto the post-season while the second place finisher slumps off into the sunset waiting for spring training to start and another chance at a run for World Series glory. No, this is 2011 and the loser of the American League East will in all likelihood simply move onto the playoffs as the American League Wildcard entry to the playoffs. 

The Boston Red Sox are currently 8.5 games ahead of division rivals Tampa for the AL Wildcard slot and that’s following a week when the Rays managed to take two of three from the Sox in Boston. Tampa still has seven games against the Red Sox and six against the Yankees.  That might give Rays fans some hope but the Rays just don’t appear to have the offense needed in spite of their solid pitching to go on a run against either of their division rivals.

Meanwhile the Yankees and Red Sox trade spots in the standings almost weekly. Both Boston and New York are very good but both teams also have some weaknesses. The Yankees have relied on a collection of largely veteran pitchers who could falter at any moment. Guys like Freddy Garcia and 2005 Cy Young award winner Bartolo Colon both of whom are having much better seasons than even the most optimistic Yankee fans could have predicted back in April. Meanwhile AJ Burnett continues to be a mystery and Phil Hughes has been plagued by injuries. 

The Red Sox are battling some injuries to middle of the order bats such as Kevin Youklis and David Ortiz. Even more worrisome for Sox fans is that the starting rotation, thought to be one of the league’s best when the season started, has not come together in the manner that most thought it would. Daisuke Matsuzaka cemented himself as an all-time Boston free agent bust back in the spring when the chronically inconsistent starter was lost for the remainder of the season and likely for the remainder of his career in Boston with a severe arm injury. John Lackey the big free-agent signing of the 2009-2010 offseason is still trying to find his groove in a Boston uniform and currently sports an e.r.a. of 6.02 on the season. Clay Buchholz is on the disabled list with a back injury that may or may not keep him as an observer through the end of the regular season.

These injuries have turned the Boston rotation once thought to be one of their greatest strengths into a bit of a question mark. Yes, the team is getting Cy Young caliber stuff out of Josh Beckett and Jon Lester but the names Andrew Miller and Eric Bedard were not on the tips of many Red Sox fans tongues as possible starters in October back in April. Veteran Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield has done his usual admirable job by filling in when needed but he’s never been dominant and is unlikely to be a viable starting option come the playoffs.

 A race for home field is important but pales in comparison to what is going on in the American League Central where three teams, The Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago White Sox are all fighting for their postseason lives. In the National League West the defending World Series Champion San Francisco Giants are facing the very real possibility of missing the post-season all together as the upstart Arizona Diamondbacks show no signs of letting up and currently sport a 2.5 game lead over the Giants who are 7 games back of the Atlanta Braves in the National League Wildcard race.

Everyone in baseball knows it’s all about October and the postseason is a tougher entry in baseball than in any of the other three major professional team sports. Home field is really nice but gaining entry to the playoff field is the most important thing and that appears likely for both Boston and New York no matter who wins the division.  

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