Kuzul

Half a dozen teams are interested in free-agent ace left-hander Cliff Lee. Three are known—the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals—while the other three are left to speculation.

Lee, 31, is known to be looking for a seven-year contract worth upwards of $20 million annually. The suitors that have proclaimed their interest are ready to break the bank for his services. And, it seems, the bidding war will begin very soon.

According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, “Executives involved in the bidding…believe the negotiations will gather momentum in the week ahead, perhaps to a point where the All-Star left-hander will choose his next employer sometime during the winter meetings that start Dec. 6.”

The Nationals will be aggressive, as they were for the services of Mark Teixeira two years ago, but the assumption around the league is that Lee’s landing spot comes down to New York and Texas, his former team.

The Yankees appear prepared to offer him a contract so lucrative that it would make him the second-highest paid pitcher in baseball, behind their own C.C. Sabathia.

Texas appears ready to match, though taking on a contract of such length and magnitude could assume as much as 30 percent of their annual payroll.

As much as it pains me to say, New York always seems to win-out when a star free-agent they covet hits the market. They beat out the Boston Red Sox for Alex Rodriguez in 2004, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise, wooed Johnny Damon away from Fenway as well, and then thrust even more millions into the faces of both Sabathia and Teixeira to get them in pinstripes.

Money talks.

Baseball, unfortunately, has shown to be more of a business than a game. It’s how much cash is in the bank, not the thrill of the grass that matters.

Where he will land is up in the air, but in the end, as most negotiations do these days, it will come down to who offers the most. He developed a great relationship with Texas, and led the team to the World Series. With him, the Rangers would have a core that could play in the World Series next year and down the road.

He would be on a contender in New York, of course. But though a very solid one-two punch would be formed with Sabathia, another ridiculous contract would be given to a player who isn’t exactly young by baseball’s standards.

Lee isn’t the only aging free-agent the Yankees are looking to lock up. When free-agency began it was deemed a sure thing that Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter would be returning to New York.

It is still widely believed Rivera, their dominant 40-year-old closer, will be re-signed sooner or later. As for Jeter, it is far from certain that he will remain with the only organization he has known.

The relationship between Jeter’s representatives and the Yankees is surprisingly tense. I thought there would be some minimal disagreement as to the length of a contract given to the 36-year-old, but then the wrinkles would be ironed out and Jeter would return.

I thought negotiations would be that harmless. But it is far more difficult than anyone realized. Tyler Kepner of the New York Times recently called the contract talks “a mess.” Why? He details the nastiness that has brewed between the two parties:

“To recap, from various news media forums: [Hal] Steinbrenner emphasized that he was running a business, and warned that talks could get ugly. Close, Jeter’s agent, responded by saying his client’s value to the franchise “cannot be overstated.” The Yankees emphasized that they would value Jeter as a player, not a brand.

Close, normally quite reticent, then called the Yankees’ tactics baffling. The Yankees’ general manager, Brian Cashman, fired back by saying he was concerned about Jeter’s age and declining performance.”

This war of words is hard to fathom. New York needs Jeter. But, evidently he doesn’t need them. If he did, he would already have re-signed with the team. He is clearly a money-grabber. Why else would he turn down a three-year contract worth $45 million?

He wants more, possibly even double the money. What kind of world are we living in where a player, who hit .270 last season and, despite laughably winning the Gold Glove, lacks range in the field is balking at $15 million per season? Has he no scruples?

New York has reason to take a stand.

How much money is enough? Jeter is coming off a $189 million contract. Now he wants another deal worth nine figures. I guess having your family set for the next 100 generations isn’t enough.

Prior to this offseason’s saga, the media and fans were under the impression that Jeter played to win, and, more importantly, played for the love of the game. That’s all out the window now. If it wasn’t, he would be back with a perennial winner—a team he has won five championships with, to play a game. Clearly, to him, it isn’t much of a game at all.

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The best hitting catcher on the free-agent market, Victor Martinez, was a good fit with the Boston Red Sox, a team with which he spent the past year and a half. Theo Epstein, their general manager, said he was one of their main priorities this offseason.

Martinez, 31, is a career .300 hitter and batted .302 with 20 homers and 79 RBI this past season. As a result, he had plenty of suitors. The Chicago White Sox offered him a contract worth $48 million over three years, while the Baltimore Orioles offered him the same amount over four years.

The Detroit Tigers trumped both offers, tempting him with a four-year, $50 million deal. He wisely took it to head back to the American League Central (where he played with the Cleveland Indians for seven-plus seasons). He will be a tremendous upgrade over last season’s duo of Gerald Laird and Alex Avila, who combined to hit .218.

Where were the Red Sox in all this? They offered him a choice: $36 million over three years or $42 million over four years. They tried in offering these contracts, but not hard enough.

Through the years Epstein and the rest of management have believed if a player wants to return to Boston they will do so for the contract they are offered, even if it is less than other proposals. Because of this, the Red Sox work in an elitist way. They feel they don’t need to be as aggressive. It’s Boston; who wouldn’t want to play here?

What’s worse, Boston needs Martinez. Detroit does too, given their ineptitude at the plate by their catchers this season, but losing Martinez leaves the Red Sox with another hole to fill. In passing up the opportunity to re-sign Martinez they are putting all of their eggs in Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s basket. The 25-year-old is now their No. 1 catcher, someone they are high on yet also someone who is a .248 career hitter and on his third team.

Martinez was a sure-thing. Saltalamacchia is a hope. That’s not a good trade-off.

I don’t understand their thinking at all. Martinez gave them so many options. He could play first base, catch, fill in at DH in case of injury or to give David Ortiz a break and was efficient from both sides of the plate.

How many players in baseball can excel at two positions in the field and bat .300 as a switch-hitter, get on base at a solid clip and supply an adequate amount of power? Very few. Even if they see Saltalamacchia as their catcher of the future, what’s the harm in signing Martinez to play first?

In passing up on Martinez, Boston better have something big up their sleeve. They are interested in some of the top-tier free agents, so they certainly aren’t afraid to spend—which makes their minimal offer to Martinez puzzling.

It is believed they want to make a splash during this free-agency period and then the next. Signing Carl Crawford this year, for example, and Adrian Gonzalez next offseason would fill holes. But signing those two would be a $300 million investment. So why not just sign Crawford and give Martinez $60 million or so? This would have saved the Red Sox $120 million.

What is troubling is that Epstein said the 2011 season is a bridge year, so he is clearly looking forward to the 2011 free-agency period, when Gonzalez and Prince Fielder will be available. Chairman Tom Werner begged to differ, telling WEEI in Boston: “I want to assure everyone that there is no bridge year here this year. I think that we are going to sign—I won’t promise—(but) we are going to sign a significant free agent. We are going to make a trade to improve ourselves.”

That significant free agent may now be Crawford. At least that’s the hope. The trade may be for Gonzalez, who would cost them the farm and dent their wallet in extension money.

They could have saved themselves the mistake of throwing prospects at Gonzalez’s current team, the San Diego Padres, by aggressively going after Martinez. I hope they live up to Werner’s quote and not Epstein’s. Now it’s all a matter of bringing in players who fit as well as Martinez did.

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast from WEEI.com)

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Wins aren’t all that matter when it comes to pitching. Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners had 13 this past season, eight less than the New York Yankees’ CC Sabathia. But the voters looked past his 13-12 record and paid close attention to the statistics that showed his true worth.

Hernandez led Major League Baseball with a 2.27 ERA, was first in the American League with 249.2 innings pitched, ranked second in the A.L. with 232 strikeouts and had six complete games to his credit. As a result, the Cy Young Award was deservedly given to the 24-year-old Venezuelan right-hander.

The Mariners were the worst team in the American League and had the worst offense in baseball. Only 513 runs were scored, an average of three per game. They only gave him three on average over the course of his 34 starts, and pushed across only seven in his 12 losses. Seven. With that support, how did Hernandez even win 13 games? He just routinely allowed less, many times none at all.

Hernandez was 7-4 against playoff teams and dominated Sabathia’s Yankees in particular, holding their stacked lineup to one run over 26 innings while striking out 31. The Tampa Bay Rays’ David Price was solid as their ace, and so was Sabathia, but Hernandez was in a league of his own. He was simply remarkable in every start against any opponent.

He wasn’t shy in making his case to win the award, and all he did was speak the truth. He said he was the best pitcher in the American League. He was. He said the numbers speak for themselves. They do.

“I didn’t have the wins,” Hernandez said. “But if you look at all the numbers…wow!”

Wow, indeed.

Yankees Make Much-Anticipated Offer to Jeter

When Derek Jeter became a free agent for the first time, it was clear where he would end up: back in the Bronx. But, his notable decline at the plate raised some questions that made his situation worth paying close attention to. How many years would New York offer the 36 year old? How much money would they offer annually? Would he balk if he found the offer to be insulting?

I don’t think three years for $45 million is disrespectful by any means, but I am not a celebrated athlete used to making over $20 million per. Baseball is a business, as they all say. But if Jeter turns down this proposal, something is terribly wrong with the business. I find it hard to believe that the Yankee captain will balk. Yet, with all the egotistical behavior in sports, who knows is not enough money is talking.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post referred to Jeter and the Yankees as “are a married couple that knows the soft spots with which to hurt each other. Yet they know the marriage must go on.” Sounds about right.

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Growing up, the Atlanta Braves were my team. The Jones’ boys, Chipper and Andruw, were my favorite players. Why the Braves growing up in Grants Pass, Oregon? My grandmother was an admirer of the now-retired Bobby Cox, the Braves games were shown conveniently on TBS and I happened to visit routinely (and intentionally) at game-time. She would be there knitting, listening to Skip Caray and Joe Simpson call the game while I, from the years 1990-2003, plopped in front of the television and watched in awe. This was baseball. This was growing up on the game.

But, living in the northwest, the Seattle Mariners rightfully caught my attention. I watched the Braves intently, and they were always my favorite team during my youth, but the Mariners were up near the top of my list. Ken Griffey Jr., Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, Dan Wilson, Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez and others joined alongside the Jones’ boys. It wasn’t just the play on the field that made the game exciting; it was the way it was called, too. And just as Caray and Simpson added to the experience as the Braves announcers, Dave Niehaus did the same for the Mariners.

Neihaus, who passed away today at the age of 75, brought an uncanny amount of excitement to the booth since the franchise’s inception more than 30 years ago. When the Mariners were awful he made games worth watching. Some broadcasters do that. I would watch the sloppiest Dodgers game just to listen to Vin Scully tell stories. Niehaus was like that for many. An 11-6 loss was a loss, but there was two and a half hours of Niehaus. That was the consolation prize to many who appreciated his enthusiasm.

Some announcers profess excitement when necessary. They scream jubilantly when a big play is made by their team. But, a fan could really tell how much Niehaus cared. Not just the person behind the mic but the person outside the booth. It wasn’t a job for Niehaus, nor was he putting on a mask for viewers. It was a way of life, a passion. And he enjoyed every diving stop by Rodriguez, every game-winning gapper by Martinez, every diving catch and every moonshot by Junior and every strikeout by The Big Unit to the fullest. It didn’t matter if it was April or October.

I didn’t watch Seattle very often, but hearing him exclaim “Fly, fly away!”and “My oh my!” after a player tied into one, I could see why so many in the Seattle area, people who were far bigger fans than I was, appreciated him. And why his passing is such a devastating loss. He will be missed not only by me, current and former Mariners who had a chance to get to know him, and thousands upon thousands of fans, but by the game of baseball itself.

Reaction to His Shocking Passing

Buhner, from an article by the Seattle Times Larry Stone: “In the late ’80s, early ’90s—some of my teams—there wasn’t much of a product on the field but people tuned in to hear Dave. He’d rant and rave off the air, then ‘bam’ be back on the air and be totally at peace calling the game. The booth was his home, and he made you feel every pitch, every play. He could call a sunset. It’s a sad day for all of us.”

Howard Lincoln, the Mariners CEO, and Chuck Armstrong, Mariners president, in a release from the team as documented in Stone’s piece: “Since calling Diego Segui’s first pitch strike on Opening Night in the Kingdome some 34 years ago, Dave’s voice has been the constant with the franchise. He truly was the fans connection to every game.

“He truly was the fans’ connection to every game; to wins and losses; to great plays and heartbreaking defeats; to Hall of Famers and journeymen. He was the voice of spring and summer in the Northwest.”

Rick Rizzs, his longtime partner in the booth, was stunned by the news: “I feel numb. He meant everything to Mariner baseball. Everything. He was not only the voice of the Mariners, he WAS the Mariners. He was the face of the franchise. When you turned on the radio, everything was right with the world when you heard Dave’s voice.”

Griffey: “He’s one of the greatest men I’ve ever met and had the privilege of knowing.… He is Mariners baseball. Everyone talks about all the players; we can’t hold a candle to that man.”

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“Jayson Werth on Boston Red Sox radar” was the ESPN article’s headline. The same reaction was produced when Boston expressed interested in signing J.D. Drew, their current right fielder and oft-injured underachiever.

The Red Sox should have learned two years into the five-year, $70 million contract they gave Drew in 2007 that he was a mistake.

He was a solid player before his arrival, there was no doubting that, but money was thrown at him in so nonchalantly, as if it didn’t enter management’s thought process the dollar figure may have been a bit steep.

But Boston has the money to do that, as the New York Yankees do on a greater scale, and it seems they are willing to open up their wallet once more and create a potentially regrettable size hole in its leather.

Werth is a good player. But, like Drew at the time of his signing, he isn’t great. He’s been thought of by many as the best right-handed hitter in baseball.

That is ludicrous.

The 31-year old had a career year in 2010, socking 46 doubles and 27 homers, while batting .296 with a .388 on-base percentage. Werth, a right-handed hitter, hit .300 against right-handed pitchers. He has a short, compact swing that is built for contact, but he struck out 147 times, so plate-discipline isn’t his strength.

Philadelphia Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro expressed his desire to bring Werth back, barring an astronomical price-tag. Werth evidently would love to return to Philadelphia, citing how tight-knit the clubhouse is as his reasoning.

He fits in the middle of that lineup. He was an integral part of their success. But though Amaro said his 2010 campaign was stellar, he admitted it wasn’t extraordinary nor worthy of labeling him a franchise player.

Despite his excellent overall production Werth batted a measly .186 with runners in scoring position, down from his mark of .279 the year before.

In 2009, Werth drove in 13 more runs and hit nine more homers. Yet, his drastic improvement in every other category is eerily similar to that of Adrian Beltre in his final year with the Dodgers in 2004.

Beltre, now 31 and now a free agent in his own right, hit 48 home-runs, drove in 121 runs, knocked out 200 hits, and batted .334. The following season, after getting a five-year, $64 million contract out of the Seattle Mariners, the third baseman played in the same amount of games but hit just 18 home runs, drove in 34 less runs, had 46 fewer hits, and his batting average plummeted to .255.

He proceeded to stink the next four years as well. Boston then signed him to a one-year deal. What does he do? He hits .321, crushes 28 homers, and drives in 102 runs.

He has hit over .300 twice in his career. He has hit more than 26 homers twice in his career. He has driven in over 100 runs twice in his career. Those two times? His walk years.

Werth would be switching leagues as Beltre did. Granted, he would be entering hitter-friendly Fenway Park, But though Beltre’s first walk-year was far more ridiculous, there is a definitive similarity between the two. 

164 million dollars in annual salary is due to 16 Phillies this upcoming season, and though they still have enough payroll flexibility to retain Werth at a manageable price, Amaro doesn’t seem to warm to the idea of keeping him in the City of Brotherly Love.

He cited the team’s increasing age—the Phillies average age this past season was 31.9. What was the Boston Red Sox? 29.3, and that number would only increase with Werth in the fold.

He’s a versatile outfielder. He would put up some solid numbers in Boston, and there is the Scott Boras connection—the uber-agent who has represented his fair share of Red Sox through the years.

The same agent who negotiated the deal one J.D. Drew received.

Who should Boston be targeting instead of Werth? Look no further than Carl Crawford.

He doesn’t have the power of Werth, but he’s perhaps the fastest player in baseball, steals bases, is a hitting machine and plays an excellent left field. The 29-year old hit .290 last season with the Tampa Bay Rays, hit 19 homers, drove in 90 runs, and stole 47 bases.

He would give the Red Sox speed they have been lacking and form a dynamic one-two punch atop their lineup alongside Jacoby Ellsbury. Have they contacted him yet? No, but I sure hope they do.

Meanwhile, the New York Yankees are prepared to “overpay” in order to re-sign Derek Jeter, their franchise player and declining shortstop.

He struggled at the plate this past season and in the field, but he’s meant to be in pinstripes. Hal Steinbrenner scared the fan base by saying the Yankees would only bring him back on their terms, but he and others in management are now reportedly ready to fork over $45-60 million over three years. Saying the amount is a overpayment can’t sit well with Jeter, but there is no other team Jeter should be with.

As Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote Friday, “Jeter is still Jeter, the Yankees are still the Yankees and no other team will be a factor.”

Top free-agent starting pitcher Cliff Lee, through agent Darek Braunecker, is in no hurry to sign this offseason.

The Yankees called Braunbecker at 12:01 am—the first minute of free agency. There will be plenty of suitors for the 32-year old and it really could come down to years. Some think he can get seven, which is remarkable, and it is widely believed he is looking for the money current Yankee and good friend CC Sabathia received two years ago, meaning upwards of $160 million.

“When the time is right, when we get the right deal, we will act,” Braunecker said.

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Some professional athletes just can’t say goodbye to the game. Quarterback Brett Favre won’t go away. He should have hung up his spikes when his days with Green Bay came to a close. But, even in his late 30s, he couldn’t ride off into the sunset. Since then he has played for both the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings, and, combining both off and on the field issues, he has damaged his reputation.

I can understand why Favre is still playing. No matter what sport is being played every athlete believes they still have something to give. It’s rare to see players still playing at Favre’s age of 41, especially football, and especially as a quarterback.

If I were playing baseball as a 35-year-old, I would be looking for a multi-year deal. It wouldn’t matter if I hit .210 this past year and was a liability in the outfield. It’s the love of the game that makes it so hard to let go.

Edgar Renteria, the 35-year-old who won the World Series MVP for the San Francisco Giants this past season, hit the biggest home-run in franchise history since Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” and is now a free-agent.

He contemplated retirement, but has decided not to, electing to play at least one more season. Obviously he has the right to play for as long as feels he can. He’s coming off a tremendous performance, and there is no doubt he can still swing the bat and play defense at short.

He has his second World Series ring, having won his first with the Florida Marlins in 1997 as a baby-faced kid. When he received his World Series MVP trophy he was teary-eyed, and understandably so.

To be in this position after making three trips to the disabled list during the regular season had to be overwhelming. To make such an impact in bringing a championship to San Francisco must have been surreal. To end a career on that note would have been an excellent way to go out. But the game keeps calling.

On one side of the equation it has to be tough to hang up the spikes after such an extraordinary performance. As a player you think you can contribute similarly over the course of an entire season.

But Renteria, who had his 2011 team option worth $9.5 million declined, is unattached. That is why decision to keep playing is hard to figure, especially after his superb conclusion to 2010.

If he is re-signed by San Francisco for a lesser amount, plays in a reserve role, mentors their youth, and returns for the Thrill of the Grass, I could understand his decision to put off retirement. But to test free-agency, potentially look for a lucrative contract, and risk struggling in his swan song is hard to fathom.

Yet, as a friend said, “He’s got the rest of his life to be retired. If he has talent and his body can hold up, keep after it. Playing is all he knows.”

“True. I’m just afraid he’s going to go to a team like the Rays and hit .230 next year. But I’d have a tough time giving it up, too.”

His decision is a surprising one, considering he’s accomplished what most players can only dream about, but it is neither wrong or right. He wants to keep playing the greatest game there is, to succeed once more in hopes of hoisting another championship trophy.

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The 2010 postseason was one of the better of recent memory. There was dominant pitching, unsung heroes hitting three-run blasts, and teams that either had never played in October—like the Texas Rangers—or hadn’t sniffed the playoffs in a long time, like the World Champion San Francisco Giants.

I followed the Giants throughout the year, but my fandom turned religious after game 162 of the regular season. Now, while I put a Edgar Renteria jersey on my Christmas list along with  “Fear the Beard” and “Let Timmy Smoke” shirts, I wait for the chips to fall in free-agency.

The baseball season is over, which means the off-season has begun.

There is a tremendous amount of talent at the top of this year’s free-agency class. The list is headed by Cliff Lee, who is coming off a disappointing showing in the World Series. Despite his inability to defeat Tim Lincecum, the 31-year old left hander will command a multi-year contract worth $100 million and many teams will be willing to answer his request.

Who will be after him? The Rangers, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Washington Nationals, and others with money to spend will be bidding.

Texas, bankrupt earlier this year, had to borrow over $400 million from Major League Baseball. Then a group headed by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan took over the team from Tom Hicks, and all of the sudden they have the financial flexibility to give Lee whatever they desire. They intend to be aggressive with their asking price, because the know they wouldn’t have been in the World Series without him.

The Cardinals could be a dark horse in the bidding for the superstar. After missing out on the playoffs, they are sure to be aggressive and have the cash to throw at Lee. They have enough to lock him up and slugger Albert Pujols long-term.  

Signing Lee would form a three-headed monster atop their rotation, along with Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright.  Their immediate insertion into playoff contention would give Pujols great incentive to re-sign. It’s just a matter if they want to put all their investment into two players.

Combined with the contract previously given to outfielder Matt Holliday, three players would be under control for an approximate total of $380 million.

I believe they will ultimately back off, considering handing out such lucrative contracts to both Lee and Pujols could hamstring the team financially over the long-haul.

A team that has, and will continue to, shell out nine-figures is the vaunted Yankees.

With the most money in a huge market and being World Series contenders year in and out, signing Lee is a reality for the Bronx Bombers. He could sign there tomorrow if he wanted to, but has to be comfortable with huge demands from the bosses and New York City media.  

His wife had a terrible experience with the fans at Yankees Stadium. She bashed them in the media, accusing them of spitting on her and spewing profanities. Not the way to make New York attractive to Lee.

That said, Lee has such a cool, calm, and collected persona, that he would thrive with the Yankees.

But I don’t believe he will end up there.

Many experts do, and I’m sure some MLB executives and General Managers do too.

But he enjoyed being a Ranger. His presence in the clubhouse and on the field was tremendous. He was repeatedly praised by their organization.

The team could give him what he’s worth.

And, which could be the deciding factor, he would only have to pay $2.25 million in taxes in Texas compared to $11 to $15 million in New York.

Taking all of this into account, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him with Texas long-term.

In fact, I would be shocked and disappointed if he wasn’t.

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The San Francisco Giants are champions of the baseball world.

Celebrating with Cody Ross near the on-deck circle as the ball curved over the wall, Andres Torres said to his fellow San Francisco Giant, “He told me he was going to do it.”

And it should come to no one’s surprise that Edgar Renteria did. The 35-year old Columbian shortstop who won the World Series for the Florida Marlins 13 years ago as a baby-faced 22-year old delivered again in what might have been the final at-bat of his career.

Cliff Lee was one out away from escaping a jam in the seventh inning.

That threat, which formulated due to one-out singles by Cody Ross and Juan Uribe and the first sacrifice bunt of Aubrey Huff’s 10-year career, turned into a crowd-stunning deficit, as Renteria got just enough of a 2-0 fastball to give the Giants a lead that felt much bigger than 3-0.

The 52,000-plus who packed Rangers Ballpark in Arlington were stunned. On the other side, Giants fans in San Francisco, those in the stands, and those throughout the rest of baseball world rooting for this feel-good story cheered as if the game had been won, as if the World Series had been won.

Those fans, the Giants in the dugout, and the Giants in the field would soon join in on a more joyous celebration, as Brian “Fear the Beard” Wilson finished what Tim “The Freak” Lincecum started.

Lincecum yet again won the battle with Lee, throwing eight brilliant innings.

Nelson Cruz hit a homer off him in the bottom of the seventh but other than that Tiny Tim was lights out, striking out 10 while allowing just two other hits for his fourth victory of these ever-so eventful playoffs.

Wilson made quick work of Texas in the ninth, and after striking out Cruz, rookie catcher Buster Posey leaped from his crouch, sprinted towards the mound, and lunged into the closer’s muscular arms.

The infielders huddled together as home-plate umpire Jeff Kellogg signaled strike-three. The outfielders did the same. Lincecum and the rest of the Giants players jumped over the high dugout railing and rushed onto the field while the coaching staff exchanged congratulatory hugs.

A dogpile formed in the middle of the diamond, and soon enough Lincecum was hoisted in the air. It was the biggest moment of the careers of every single Giants player and coach. And it was a World Series celebration that couldn’t have been drawn up any better.

With the San Fransisco capturing their first championship since 1954 and their first by the bay, journeymen and cast-offs are now proudly wearing a gaudy ring they had only hoped they would.

Huff, 33, was signed to a one-year deal last offseason after struggling in 2009 with both Baltimore and Detroit.

Ross was put on waivers by the Florida Marlins in August, was claimed by both the Giants and Padres, picked San Francisco, platooned in the outfield upon arriving, and went on to hit 5 homers in the postseason.

Pat Burrell, who hugged Renteria as he entered the dugout, sat at home for 10 days midway through the summer waiting for a team to call upon being released by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Torres, 32, spent most of 10 seasons in the minor leagues, including the entire 2006, 2007, and 2008 seasons, and was one of their more important players in this his first full season in the bigs.

Renteria, the best Colombian-born player in major league history, made three trips to the disabled list this season, played in only 72 games, and ended up belting the franchise’s biggest home-run since Bobby Thomson won the Pennant in ’51. The list of incredible stories goes on and on.

Now those stories are pouring champagne all over each other and looking forward to the upcoming parade in a certain city in Northern California. This means the baseball series is over.

Edgar Renteria’s career may be over, too. But if it is, he is going out on top with the team on top as well–the San Francisco Giants, made up of a self-proclaimed group of misfits, the second franchise he has helped raise a World Series banner and hoist the World Series trophy.

(Photo: Daylife)

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This truly is the Year of the Pitcher. Some of the best in baseball have tossed no-hitters and perfect games, but so have relative unknowns. Texas Rangers starter Colby Lewis didn’t throw either on this night, but his start—as so many outings have this postseason—exemplified how dominant those gracing the mound have been. He, who pitched in Japan not long ago, shut down the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series and was at it again against the San Francisco Giants in front of a raucous crowd desperate for a victory.

Power pitchers have proved their worth this season, but if anything, this year has shown that one doesn’t have to throw in the high nineties to succeed. Lewis illustrated that once more, as a right-hander far more reliant on location and focused on changing speeds than lighting up the radar gun. Topping out at 92 doesn’t matter in this day and age. Accurate placement can translate into dominance. The Giants can attest to that.

The 30-year-old flirted with danger early on, allowing two to reach in the first then issuing a leadoff walk in the second, but escaped both times. Faced with the former situation, Lewis struck out Pat Burrell, whose night at the plate would only worsen. Lewis confused the power hitter with a fastball, slider and curveball as part of the four-pitch sequence. By mixing in the entirety of his repertoire, Lewis continued to befuddle San Francisco, and his ability to silence their bats was only helped by support from a rookie.

Through the years Texas has tried to replace Mark Teixeira at first base. They gave Chris Davis a shot, but he didn’t pan out. Then they handed the reigns to Justin Smoak only to trade his struggling yet promising bat to the Seattle Mariners for Cliff Lee.

When Lee came aboard, Mitch Moreland was given the bulk of the playing time at first. He started slow, adjusting to major-league pitching. But as summer turned to fall he began to figure it out. There’s a reason why he has held down the position throughout the season. Still, what he did against Jonathan Sanchez in the second inning came out of nowhere.

Two runners were on with two out. The second of the two, Bengie Molina, walked in front of the 25-year-old slugger, extending the inning. Sanchez, who has proved to be wild this postseason, fell behind the Mississippi State graduate 2-0 before finding himself in the midst of a tremendous battle. He threw everything he had to Moreland: sliders, changeups and fastballs.

After a fourth-pitch fastball was called strike two, Moreland fouled off two sliders and two changeups. Then Sanchez tried to blow a fastball by him. This turned out to be a bad choice in pitch selection. The heater was thrown right down the pipe and hit smack dab on the sweet spot. A split-second later it was cascading into the seats in right. The ninth pitch of the battle went for a three-run homer, a blast now forever ingrained into Moreland’s memory.

Given this boost, Lewis did the rest. Twelve of the next 14 hitters he faced walked back to the dugout disappointed. The two who reached didn’t go anywhere. He was composed, just doing his job.

Teammate and slugger Josh Hamilton applauded his outing with some added insurance in the fifth, though he had a good idea Lewis wouldn’t need it. With two out he was served up the definition of a hanging curveball by Sanchez and deposited the mistake into the seats in right-center. Lewis had four runs with which to work now. He would only need the three supplied by Moreland.

After Pat Burrell struck out for his third of four times to begin the seventh, Cody Ross tagged a fastball into the left-field stands. He’s been doing that all postseason, as this was his fifth homer of the playoffs. He was bound to make an impact in this third game, considering he’s made one in seemingly every other. Lewis shrugged that off, retiring the next two in the seventh. After allowing a solo-shot in the eighth to Andres Torres and struggling thereafter, he left to an ovation. The 4-2 lead was now Neftali Feliz’s to save.

Feliz hadn’t pitched in seven days but showed no signs of rust. After the final out of the eighth was recorded by Darren O’Day, Burrell notched a Golden Sombrero to begin the ninth against the Dominican, becoming the sixth position player in World Series history to strikeout in all four plate appearances. Ross flew out, and then Juan Uribe ultimately failed to catch up to Feliz’s heater, as his upper-cut proved disadvantageous in striking out to end Game 3.

Lewis and Feliz had entirely different game-plans, with pitches clocking in at entirely different speeds. But they were similarly successful. That’s what makes this Year of the Pitcher so fantastic to watch. There have proved to be many ways to dominate, and both the journeyman and rookie did in their own way to help bring Texas back into contention in this entertaining World Series.

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Baseball is a game of inches. Defensive alignment can be the difference between a snared liner and a double in the gap. Whether a pitch is inside enough or not can be the difference between a sawed off pop-up and a homer deep into the seats.

And, as a game-changing play in Game 2 of the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers illustrated, lacking just a bit of extension in a swing’s follow-through can turn a sure-fire homer to center into an improbable and unlucky double.

That was the case in the fifth, when Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler led off with a drive to the deepest part of the park. Matt Cain made one of his few mistakes, but it somehow only resulted in a double, as the ball hit off the top of the wall and bounced back into play.

Kinsler looked out to center in disbelief after rounding second. He wouldn’t move; Cain sent down the Rangers after that and walked off the mound having still not allowed an earned run this postseason.

What happened next? Edgar Renteria, one of the Giants many wily veterans, showed Kinsler how it’s done, smacking a fastball from C.J. Wilson high and deep to left that dropped into the tunnel as fans above cheered. Thirteen years after winning the 1997 World Series for the Florida Marlins as a 21-year-old, Renteria came up big on the game’s biggest stage again.

Cain appreciated the blast, and proceeded to mow down Texas in the sixth and seventh before leaving in the eighth to a resounding ovation. Preceding his exit was another crucial hit produced by Juan Uribe, who has been one of the more valuable hitters this postseason.

After driving in the Giants’ second run in the seventh, he also produced in the eighth. So did every other Giant as part of a nightmarish frame three Texas relievers won’t soon forget.

As the eighth transpired, somewhere Rick Ankiel was feeling their pain. The pitcher turned outfielder was memorably wild in the 2000 NLDS against the Atlanta Braves as the Game 1 starter for the St. Louis Cardinals.

In the third inning of that outing he allowed four runs on two hits and four walks while uncorking five wild pitches. He was the first to throw five wild pitches in an inning since Bert Cunningham did so in 1890 as a member of the Players League. Afterward, Ankiel joked about being in his company, but what the Rangers bullpen went through was no laughing matter.

As stated, the game of baseball is one of inches. It is also one of feet, the distance the trio of Derrick Holland, Mark Lowe, and Michael Kirkman repeatedly missed the strike-zone. Holland was the worst of the lot, and his downfall certainly drew some sympathy from this particular baseball fan as well as a presumed many others.

Entering with two out and a runner on first, he threw 11 straight balls. The first eight loaded the bases, and the next three to Aubrey Huff put Holland on the brink of forcing in a run. He guided in a strike, but then missed woefully high.

Buster Posey, whose two-out single made this possible, trotted home, as three other Giants slowly took their base. This was just the beginning for the Rangers, but it was the end of Holland. Thirteen pitches, 12 balls: Ankielesque, just without the wild pitches.

But, clearly, he was plenty wild. And so was his replacement. Uribe, a stocky third baseman who touts a mighty and increasingly successful swing, managed to fall behind in the count to Mark Lowe, who was making his first appearance of the postseason. 

On cue, however, he rested his bat on his broad shoulders and watched three pitches miss badly. For his and the Rangers sake, that was the last of the walks issued in the inning. But this didn’t mean the Giants were done. Oh no, they were far from finished. Pitches were guided into the hitting zone and they took their hacks.

Renteria capped of his first three-hit game of the season with a single to left. This plated the Giants sixth run, and three more came their way as Aaron Rowand and Andres Torres let the Rangers wound continue to bleed.

In disposing of the New York Yankees in the ALCS, Texas poured it on late. So far in this series San Francisco has turned the tables, dominating the concluding innings. They have done so in a way that will be hard for the Rangers to stomach and hard to overcome, just as it was for the Yankees.

With that, backed by Cain’s brilliance, Renteria’s tremendous night at the plate, and the wildness so sadly put on display by the Rangers bullpen, the Giants blanked their heavy-hitting opponent and handily took a 2-0 World Series lead.

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