Author Archive

Mark Teixeira Deserves Some Credit

Remember this season, when Mark Teixeira looked like he “couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat?” (stealing a quote from “Dodgeball”).  Everyone was ready to jump down Teixeira’s throat, I one of those people.

The general consensus around the Yankees community was that Teixeira was going to have a horrific year.

Who could blame the consensus?  The numbers backed it up.  Known as a slow starter, he was hitting a dismal .136 in April with only 11 hits in 81 at bats during the month.  And it didn’t get any better for Teixeira as the year progressed.

As April transitioned into May, and May into early June, it was no longer that he was a career slow starter.  He was simply not hitting.

Teixeira was pressing.  He seemed to be trying to make up for lost stats.  It was clearly getting to him.  

Although his struggles, Joe Girardi believed in his slugger.  Kevin Long kept the faith.  

And, just as we knew and hoped that he would, Teixeira has seemed to rediscover his stroke.  In the last 29 days, Teixeira is hitting .321 with seven home runs and 24 RBI’s.  And, he has reached base in 50 of the last 52 games.

It is safe for one to say that Teixeira is back at it.  During yesterday’s tough loss to the Red Sox, where the Yankees played a very sloppy game, Teixeira continued his good play.  He became the first player in the league to score 80 runs and knock in 80 runs.

Keep in mind that this is the same Teixeira who could not buy an RBI earlier this season.

Oh yeah, he leads the team in home runs with 24.  He has more than Robinson Cano (21) who is putting together quite the season this year.

And on top of all that, Teixeira has continued to play gold glove first base all season.  He has made only two errors in 101 games played at first base this season.

Mark is on his way, putting together a decent season after his absolutely terrible start.  We were all quick to point out the fact that Teixeira was struggling and not getting it done.  But, it seems we haven’t been as mindful about the complete 360 degree turn Mark has made this season.

Will it be a typical Teixeira season, where he averages a .287 average, 39 home runs and 122 RBI’s?  At this point, no.  Will it end up that way, probably not, but, as John Sterling likes to remind us: “You just can’t predict baseball.”

Mark Teixeira deserves some credit for his hard work this season, getting to where he is now offensively from where he was.  He has been a big part of the consistent Yankee success the Yankees have had this season.  Teixeira will continue to have success all throughout August, and into the Yankees best month: September.

“The cream rises to the top.”  Teixeira has started to swing the bat at exactly the right time for the Yankees.

 

Want more?  Follow me on Twitter at steve_henn

Also check out my baseball blog: The Steve Henn Experience

 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


What’s Next For Jose Guillen?

 

There is no doubt about the talent that Jose Guillen possesses.  

He has a decent bat, decent speed and a pretty good arm.  My former teacher and hockey coach played against Guillen in single A, and he said that Guillen had one of the best arms he has ever seen.

Talent wise, Guillen is a player that any team wants.  But, there is a much deeper story to Guillen than his baseball ability.

He has been a problem in the clubhouse everywhere he has gone.

He has been released three times in his career, including after only three days while he was with the Colorado Rockies, without even appearing in a game.  He has been traded twice, and more recently he has been designated for assignment by the Kansas City Royals.

It is fair to say that if the Royals designate a player for assignment, especially a player that was hitting .255 with 16 home runs and 62 RBIs, it is safe to say that something is not right.

If Mike Scioscia has to tell a player key player to leave the team a week before the playoffs, one can say that something is not right.

If a player has been with ten different teams in a fourteen year MLB career, it is also safe to say that something is not right.

Not to mention that he has been linked to steroids and performance enhancing drugs during his days with the Oakland Athletics.

So, the question is, what is the next step for Jose Guillen?  

What team is going to be the next to take the high stakes gamble?

The answer?  

Nobody.

What team would want a guy like that?  It is truly a disappointing situation.  

A guy with a ton of talent cannot keep his head, thus severely impacting his major league career.  If Guillen wasn’t such a problem off the field, his career could have been much better.

Until Guillen can prove that he will not negatively impact, or in other words destroy a clubhouse, he may not join his eleventh team.

When is enough, actually enough with Guillen?

It may be too late for Guillen.  

But, in the end, some team will probably take a chance on Guillen, seeing his tremendous talent.  But, based on his track record, he may not be there for too long.

The San Fransisco Giants have been rumored to be in the mix for Guillen, but they are just rumors.  San Fransisco could be a good fit for Guillen to help repair his image—help a team in a pennant race win without any side shows. 

It would truly be a great story to see Guillen prove that he can be a positive member in a clubhouse, and have some issue free seasons in his career.

Personally, I am rooting for the man.  

I hope that he can harness his rage and help a team out the way he should.  There is no reason why he can’t do it.  

He just has to be a man and do it.

 

Want more?  Follow me on Twitter at steve_henn

Also check out my baseball blog, the Steve Henn Experience

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Why the New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox Rivalry Is Special

Rivalries are a beautiful aspect of sports.  They bring out the best and the worst of teams and athletes.

Whether it’s Ali and Frazier, Bruins and Canadiens, or even the Dodgers and Giants, rivalry games, matches, and series all come with something special.

Coming from an athlete’s perspective, notably hockey, whenever a rivalry game is approaching, athletes keep it in the back of their minds.  Sure, we focus on the here and now, but one cannot help but look towards those games against the hated rival. We want nothing more than to beat our rivals.

When a rivalry game or series approaches, teams are known for downplaying them.  How many times have we heard that “it’s just another game?”  Well, I’ve got news for you.  It isn’t just another game.  Especially when it is the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.

This rivalry is different.

Every pitch matters.  Every single one.  The painfully slow pace of the games, which we as fans enjoy, are a result of this.  But, it is just one of many factors that make this rivalry one of a kind.

Words cannot describe the intensity of this rivalry.  To put it plainly: it is a dangerous level of intensity.  But even that is an understatement.

The fans can be thanked for that.  They tune it up to an entirely new level, especially in Yankee Stadium, opposing players’ and opposing fans’ worst nightmare.  Some Red Sox fan friends who go to Yankee Stadium tell me that they refuse to wear any Boston Red Sox gear because of the ridicule that they will ultimately face.

Red Sox fans are on their best behavior at Yankee Stadium.

Even the media play a Yankees media vs Red Sox media softball game, each team trying to get an upper hand over the others’ media personnel.

How’s that for intense?

Bloody is another word which can describe the Yankees and Red Sox rivalry.

Thurmon Munson and Carlton Fisk came to blows at Fenway Park on August 1, 1973.  These two players had a bitter hatred towards each other, according to Harvey Frommer.

Who could forget game three of the 2003 ALCS at Fenway Park?  It all started with Pedro Martinez throwing at Karim Garcia.  One could see the hatred pumping through Jorge Posada and Don Zimmer during that game, during each man’s exchange with the Boston right hander.  They hated Pedro Martinez and the Red Sox.  Karim Garcia and Jeff Nelson even got into an altercation with a member of the Red Sox grounds crew.

And more recently, May 7, 2010 at Fenway Park.  Josh Beckett hit a number of Yankee players, and threw dangerously close to others.  Beckett blamed it on “poor control,” but one does not need to be a psychic to see past that.  He even hit Derek Jeter with the bases loaded.

And, Joba vs Youkilis.  Joba Chamberlian has thrown at Kevin Youkilis a number of times, including twice in Yankee Stadium and once in Fenway park.  This is  a matchup many have been waiting for, for a very long time.  But, it won’t surface this upcoming series because Youkilis is on the DL.

There would be no rivalry without the games themselves.  There have been some epic games.  The “Bucky Bleeping Dent” game in 1978, when Bucky hit his historic home run against the Red Sox to send the Yankees to the World Series. 

And game seven of the 2003 ALCS, when Aaron Boone hit his famous home run off of Tim Wakefield.  And one must mention that dreadful night, ALCS game seven in 2004.  No need to elaborate any further on that.

And one cannot forget the 15-inning marathon last season on August 7, 2009, when Alex Rodriguez ended the long night into day with one swing of the bat, depositing a ball that landed in the visitors’ bullpen in left center field wall.

The Yankees are 1,122-936-14 against the Red Sox.  Hopefully they can continue their winning ways this weekend at Yankee Stadium.

Passionate fan bases rarely find common ground to agree on, but one thing is for sure.  The Yankees and Red Sox rivalry is truly a special one.

And, as history has proved, anything can happen in a game between these two teams.

So as usual, let’s look forward to a great series between two great rivals.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


State of the New York Yankees: August 5, 2010

Speaking in present terms, yesterday afternoon’s game in the Bronx may have been one of the biggest games for the Yankees this season.

If you haven’t heard yet, Alex Rodriguez finally hit his 600th career home run, snapping his 0-17 hitless streak after 12 straight games without a home run.  He also became the youngest player ever to join the 600 club (35 years and eight days old).  It is fair for one to call it quite an accomplishment.

Other Yankees also ended some hitless streaks, but these have flown under the radar due to the immense attention paid to Alex’s hitless streak and chase of 600.

Brett Gardner snapped his 0-11 slump, Curtis Granderson broke his 0-10 skid, and, of all people, Robinson Cano broke his 0-13 slide.  The question is, did the Alex Rodriguez chase have an impact on his teammates?  These three Yankees were hitless during his chase, and they all got hits yesterday after Alex got his home run.  

Based on that information, it is fair for one to say that the 600 saga had a negative impact on his teammates.  The monkey was not only lifted off of Alex’s back, but off of his teammates’ backs as well.

But, more importantly, the Yankees themselves ended their three-game losing streak, and reclaimed first place in the American League East.  They are tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for the division lead after Tampa Bay suffered a 2-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins, a game that took 13 innings to play.

The Yankees also picked up a game on the Boston Red Sox, after the Red Sox fell to Cleveland, 9-1.  

With an off day today, the Yankees will get their rest and welcome the rival Red Sox to the Bronx on Friday for a four-game set.

This is a crucial series for both teams, but the Yankees are in an incredible position to do severe damage to their arch rivals.  The Red Sox are clinging for their lives, and this is a pivotal series, perhaps the most important series of the year thus far for Boston.

Regardless of the outcome of the series, the Yankees have ensured themselves that they will remain on top of the Red Sox in the standings with the big win yesterday.

And the Yankees are primed to do such damage to Boston.  With Mark Teixeira swinging a hot bat, and with the pressure of 600 off of Alex Rodriguez, look for the big guys to have a big say this series.

It has been awhile since these two teams have matched up, but this series will have a little something extra.  The Yankees have a golden opportunity to shove the Red Sox closer to their fall off the cliff that is the 2010 season.

 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Alex Rodriguez Finally Hits His Historic Home Run

First and foremost, a congratulations is in order to Mr. Alexander Emanuel Rodriguez for becoming the youngest player in MLB history to hit 600 home runs. What an accomplishment.

In the first inning of today’s game on August 4, 2010 Alex launched a home run to center field, and launching the monkey and pressure off of his back with it.

He finally did it.

He even snapped his 0-17 slide with number 600. What a way to end a hitless streak.

After rounding the bases, Derek Jeter was the first to greet him and offer his congratulations with a hug. You could visually see the sigh of relief on Alex’s face as he was greeted by the rest of his teammates on the field and in the dugout, followed by a curtain call to the standing Yankee Stadium crowd.

It was beautiful to see.

Now, Alex and the Yankees can move on. One may wonder or suggest how having this issue over the Yankees has impacted their play. Bottom line, it’s over, and the Yankees can move on as one.

The YES Network broadcasters, Michael Kay and Al Leiter offered an interesting piece of information. Three years ago today, Alex hit number 500 against Kansas City. And the ball landed on the netting which covers Monument Park.

Ironic sometimes how things like these with the Yankees work out.

 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


The Curious Case of Joba Chamberlain

Remember in 2007 when the Yankee community heard about this kid in the minor leagues who some dubbed better than Hughes?  
A kid who had a fierce mentality on the mound, whose fastball could hit triple digits, and with a slider that not even Joe Dimaggio could hit?  
His name is Joba Chamberlain, or as most people thought back in 2007, Joe-ba Chamberlain.  
Not very much was known about this young man. We were quickly notified that his name was indeed pronounced Jah-ba, and one can guarantee that the baseball world will never forget this young man’s name.
He was called up because the Yankees bullpen was in shambles. They were fatigued, under-performing, and they desperately needed someone to get the ball to Mariano Rivera. Kyle Farnsworth proved that he could not do the job, and the Yankees needed someone who could come in and dominate.
In comes Joba.
That first game he threw against Toronto was amazing. He burst onto the scene, firing on all cylinders, pumping high octane fastballs past hitters, and sometimes it seemed he was trying to throw the ball through the catcher’s glove. He made quick friends with Kevin Youkilis, and he was a feared pitcher as soon as he came up. 
Whenever the young phenom came into pitch at Yankee Stadium, it was an event. The crowd went wild and viewers at home would stop, just to see Joba pitch.
He made hitters uncomfortable, using his fastball to back hitters off the plate, while still maintaining control on the mound.  
And how can we talk about Joba Chamberlain without mentioning his famous yet controversial fist pump? It not only pumped up the Yankee Stadium crowd to an intense level, it also pumped Joba up to a whole new level of dominance.  Everyone in the country knew who Joba was, and how good he was. 
Joba even had his own set of rules, known as the “Joba Rules,” to protect the Yankees young treasure. For each inning he threw, he had to have that many days off, following the day he pitched. He also was not allowed to pitch back to back days.
Joba was so dominant, that his expectations for success were growing similar to those of his teammate, Mariano Rivera. He finished the 2007 regular season with a 0.38 ERA in 24 innings pitched.
But then the bugs came.
It was during that famous night in Cleveland during the 2007 ALDS that possibly cost Joe Torre his job. On an uncharacteristically warm October night, the Lake Erie Midges rose from Lake Erie and attacked the Yankee infield, causing Joba to lose his focus.
Visibly flustered, Joba attempted to pitch through the swarm, as bugs were seen everywhere, flying into his mouth, ears, and eyes.  These little bugs, no larger than crumbs, got the best of a young Chamberlain, and the Cleveland Indians came back to win the pivotal second game.  
It was almost like a plague destined to destroy the Yankees, or maybe Joba.
Even though Joba experienced tremendous success out of the bullpen, his ultimate home was always the starting rotation. Many questioned the Yankees decision to insert him into the rotation because of his success out of the pen, but the Yankees were sold on developing a front line starter. They felt Joba was their guy.
Many questions arose. Would Joba be the same? Would he still have his nuclear fastball and painfully biting slider?
In 2008, he started the year in the bullpen, but he was known as a starting pitcher. The “Joba Rules” were redrawn to limit his pitch count in games which he started, to preserve the bullets in his young arm.  
He made 12 starts for the Yankees, going 4-3 with a 2.60 ERA in 100.1 innings pitched. He even out-dueled Josh Beckett at Fenway Park on July 25, going seven innings, allowing three hits, striking out nine and still managing to irritate Youkilis.
Not a bad first year, but he still had his struggles. His stuff was not drastically different, but many still felt that Joba was made for the bullpen, no matter how much success he may have as a starter.  
Then 2009 came along, and Joba’s struggles only grew. It seemed as if the limitations and restrictions had finally got the best of him. His stuff was notably different this year. He just did not look like Joba Chamberlain, with the fire and intensity that made him unique seemingly gone.
He went 9-6 with a 4.75 era in 157.1 innings pitched in 2009. At first glance, it doesn’t look so bad, but this is Joba Chamberlain, and he will always be compared to how he first came onto the scene in 2007.
Enter 2010, and Joba Chamberlain is back in the bullpen. Many words came to mind such as “thank you,” and “finally.”
But, was the decision made three years too late? Even this new Joba out of the pen looks lifeless. He just looks like he is throwing the ball and hoping that it doesn’t get hit. His fastball no longer looks deadly, and his slider is not feared like it once was.
One can make the argument that moving Joba into the starting rotation was not a bad idea. The bad idea was limiting his pitches and telling him that he only had a certain number of pitches with which to work.  
Why not just limit his innings instead? Perhaps if the Yankees chose to limit just his innings, maybe he would have panned out as a starter?
What do the Yankees do now with their enigma?
The solution? The Yankees do nothing. Joba just needs to get angry.
He needs his “Jobaness” back, his edge, his snarl, his growl, his glare, or whatever one may call it. That thing that he had in 2007 is not consistently there. We have seen flashes of it. He just doesn’t look like Joba. He looks like a lifeless zombie on the mound.  
He needs his fire back. I feel that if he can get his fire back, then his stuff will once again do the talking. His velocity is there, his slider is somewhat there, but I want to literally see the blood pumping through him again. He needs something to spark his anger, and let his anger fuel his pitching.  

 

No. 62 has it in him, and someone or something just needs to re-release it.  

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


State of the New York Yankees: August 4, 2010

Even after an early Mark Teixeira home run (23), Ricky Romero and the Toronto Blue Jays were too much for the New York Yankees.

As of today, the Yankees have lost three consecutive games, four of their last five.  But yesterday, they lost something more.

The division lead.

With an 8-2 Yankee loss to the Blue Jays, and a Tampa bay 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins, the Rays have taken the division lead from the Yankees, a spot the Yankees have held since June 12.

And, seeing this team lose three games in a row has been a rarity this season with the level of consistency this team has played with all year long.

The Yankees still hold a 5.5 game lead over the third place Boston Red Sox, so if the season were to end today, the Yankees would be in the playoffs.

But, there is still a lot of season left.  That is why teams have to play all 162 games.

“No one ever said this was going to be easy—we’re in a tough division,” manager Joe Girardi said. “There are going to be bumps in the road for every team in the division. You try to keep it as short as possible.” (Tim Britton MLB.com seen on Yankees.com).

Our trusted manager could not have put it any better.  This little cold stretch the Yankees have entered happens throughout the course of the long season.  Let’s hope that the Yankees can stop the bleeding from this small cut before the cut turns into a gash.

It’s Phil Hughes (12-4, 4.07 ERA) vs Shaun Marcum (10-4, 3.24) this afternoon at 1:05pm in Yankee Stadium.


Players To Watch

Jorge Posada is batting .476 with four home runs and seven RBI in 17 plate appearances in his career against Shaun Marcum.  Hopefully today Jorge can continue his success against the Blue Jays right hander.

Derek Jeter, in his career against Marcum, is batting .353 with zero home runs and one RBI.  He does have three walks and an OBP of .476, so hopefully Jeter can continue to get on base against Marcum.

In only four plate appearances against Marcum, Curtis Granderson is batting .400 with one home run and four RBI.  A small sample, but who isn’t rooting for Granderson?  Let’s see if Curtis can continue to have some success against Marcum.

 

A-Rod Watch

Alex Rodriguez is continuing his struggles at the plate, continuing his hit less streak to 17 at bats.  Since hitting No. 599, it has been 12 games and 51 plate appearances.

From what we see and observe as fans, the pressures of 600 may be getting to him.  It’s easy for us to say.  With the eyes of the nation watching his every at bat, it is only human for him to feel a tremendous amount of pressure.  Who wouldn’t?

Alex is a great hitter, one of the best ever.  He will snap out of his funk, and he will get 600.  Many cannot wait until he does.  The monkey of 600 will be off of his back.  One may predict a “laser show” after he does it, to steal a term from rival second baseman Dustin Pedroia.

In the meantime, let’s enjoy another game of Yankees baseball.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


State of the Yankees: Aug. 3, 2010

As of today, the New York Yankees are in first place in the ultra competitive American League East with a record of 66-39—not to mention they have the best record in baseball.

At first glance, it looks pretty good, right?

The Yankees have dropped three out of four games to division rivals: two against Tampa Bay and one against Toronto.

Yesterday’s loss to Toronto put the Yankees in a tie with Tampa for the division lead.

And remember the Boston Red Sox? The team that is 6.5 games behind the Yankees and Rays? They are getting healthier and beginning to play better, so do not discount the Sox, especially with the Yankees’ September schedule.

To look ahead, the Yankees face off against the Red Sox in the Bronx for a four-game set starting on Friday. In September, the Yankees play the Red Sox six times, including the final series of the regular season at Fenway Park.

Also, the Yankees play the Rays seven times in September (13-15, 20-23). So this division is still up for grabs.

Is it time to panic? Absolutely not. It is time to enjoy what could be a very interesting race going down the stretch. Don’t forget, the Yankees have a 6.5-game lead over Boston, so even if the Yankees do struggle, they have some cushion.

The Yankees don’t have to worry just yet. They just need to be mindful.

 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Nick Swisher against Ricky Romero is batting .444, but with zero HRs and RBI in 14 plate appearances and only one strikeout. Perhaps today is when Nick can get some numbers in the HR and RBI categories against Romero.

Alex Rodriguez is hitting .308 against Romero with zero HRs and only one RBI. Today looks like a good day for Alex to get his 600th career home run, and his first against Romero.

Robinson Cano does not have great numbers against Romero, hitting .154 with one HR and two RBI. But lately Cano has been hitting everyone, so numbers in this case do not mean anything.


A-ROD WATCH

Alex Rodriguez is still stuck on 599 career home runs. It has been 11 games since 599, and lately Alex has been struggling at the plate period. He has been held hitless in his last 14 at-bats.

Joe Girardi said, “It’s not the longest drought he’s had during the course of the year, not hitting a home run. It’s going to happen. You just want him to continue to try to have good at-bats and try not to think about it too much.” (Yankees.com Tim Britton and Didier Morais)

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Javier Vazquez: Yankees Unlikely Hero

The 2010 Yankees are a team full of talented and special baseball players.

They are locked, loaded and ready to take the AL East by storm.

Lance Berkman, Kerry Wood, and Austin Kearns, all newcomers, have filled holes that the Yankees had, notably the bridge to Mariano with Wood. All three were great moves, and Brian Cashman deserves credit for getting these guys without giving up a major piece of the farm.

On the offensive side, Robinson Cano is having the year of his life, batting .331 with 21 home runs and 71 RBIs. He is also playing gold glove defense. Alex Rodriguez has even said that Cano is the MVP of the league.

Nick Swisher is also having a tremendous year, batting .300 with 20 home runs and 63 RBIs.

Many may call this a down year for Alex Rodriguez, but he has 85 RBIs, only six behind league leader Miguel Cabrera. Sure, his power is down, but A-Rod has had some big hits for the Yankees this season.

The starting pitching for this team has clearly been its strength all year long, even with AJ Burnett’s struggles and inconsistencies this season.

CC Sabathia is having a typical Sabathia season, going 13-5 with a 3.19 ERA. He is leading the team in innings pitched with 158, showing that he is the horse at the top of the rotation the Yankees can count on.

Before he got hurt, Andy Pettitte was having a tremendous season, going 11-2 with a 2.88 ERA. Andy has been “dandy” this year, and he is even ahead of schedule in recovering from his injury.

Phil Hughes has emerged as the pitcher the Yankees have always thought they were getting, going 12-4 this year in 117.1 innings pitched. He hasn’t been as dominant of late, but he has still been a formidable pitcher.

And Mariano Rivera is Mariano. Nothing more needs to be said about the greatest closer in the game. “The one pitch wonder.”

Back to the title of the article, “Unlikely Hero.” This next player has not had a walk off home run, and he even hasn’t thrown a complete game.

He struggled mightily at the beginning of the season and lately he has turned it up to a level that the Yankees knew that he had.

Javier Vasquez is a well liked member in the Yankee clubhouse. Suzyn Waldman has said that the players “love Javy.” Javy had a dismal, awful, horrendous start to the season. His ERA in April was 9.00 in April, and in his first start, he gave up eight runs in only 5.2 innings pitched.

The instant thought was that he wasn’t made for New York, with flashes of that horrific game 7 in the 2004 ALCS when Javy served up Johnny Damon’s grand slam. He hasn’t recovered from that. He can’t handle playing in New York, some Yankee fans said.

May could not have gotten worse for Javy. He was moved to the bullpen because he could not be trusted to pitch against Boston.

But, with his manager and teammates behind him, Javy turned the corner. Turning up his game in June and July, he has since been a reliable pitcher for the Yankees. The Yankees have been 8-3 in his starts since June 10th, and he has always given the Yankees a chance to win, giving up only four runs in his three losses since June 10th.

Javier Vazquez has not gotten the credit that he deserves. He has been what the Yankees wanted from him. Yes, one cannot forget his dreadful start to the year. But guess what? That was a long time ago. The Yankees are entering the month of August now in first place, and Javy must continue to throw well, especially with Andy Pettitte missing time.

Will Javy continue to get it done? Only time will tell, but it is a safe bet that he will keep the Yankees in the game when he starts. He’s done it all year long.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Can Buck Showalter Bring Orioles Magic Back to Baltimore?

What happened to Orioles Magic? A once respectable franchise has turned into a complete joke, to put it frankly.

The Orioles are on their way to their 13th consecutive losing season. They haven’t had a winning season since 1997, when they went 98-64, and they have changed managers eight times in that 13-year span, with names like Lee Mazzilli, Dave Trembley, and Sam Perlozzo.

The days of Earl Weaver losing composure with umpires and the “Oriole Way” seem like distant memories. The “Oriole Way” was a term coined by Cal Ripken Sr. to describe the organizational style/ethic that bred success from 1966-1983, a time period where the Orioles won two world titles (1966, 1970) and six AL pennants (1966, ’69, ’70, ’71, ’79, ’83).

In other words, it was a time when the Orioles prospered with players such as Brooks Robinson, Jim Palmer, Ken Singleton, Cal Ripken Jr., and Weaver at the helm leading the club.

The Orioles even opened a brand new, state of the art stadium, Camden Yards, in 1993, a ballpark that many teams have used as the basis for many of the new ballparks today. Camden Yards is a beautiful facility that offers easy access, beautiful scenery, and a friendly atmosphere. In my opinion, Camden Yards is the best MLB ballpark in the country.

With all of that in mind, what went wrong?

To point a finger at one aspect of the team and say this is the reason why the Orioles are an embarrassing franchise is simply unfair. It has been a combination of things, ranging from poor front office decisions to lack of talent on the field and the lack of an organizational system.

Current teams that thrive have organizational systems that begin in rookie ball, notably the Twins, Angels, and Yankees. The Angels are the most fundamentally sound team in the league, and that can be credited to Arte Moreno and Mike Scioscia. Angels players learn to play baseball the Angel way, and they have had success playing aggressive Angel baseball.

The Twins also have a similar system in place to the Angels. The Yankee system is a system that also breeds hard-working, smart, and passionate baseball players.

With everything negative that is known about the Orioles, they do have something positive to look forward to: the Buck Showalter era. Buck is known to be the most prepared baseball man in the history of the game, as well as a notable disciplinarian. He has transformed losing teams into respectable winners, such as the Yankees, Rangers, and Diamondbacks.

It is also rumored that Buck has outlined an organizational plan similar to that of the Angels, Twins, and Yankees. Buck is the perfect guy for this job, and this may be one of the best front office moves the Orioles have made in a long time.

The front office needs to let Buck do his work. They need to help him out by spending money, and if they do that, the Orioles will turn their dismal franchise back into a respectable one. They need to listen to what Buck has to say and allow him to have his input on the team, something that Peter Angelos has not allowed from his managers in recent years.

The city of Baltimore and the fans of the Orioles need a team. The organization owes it to their fans. They have deprived that city of a quality baseball team for 13 years.

Having been to Baltimore and Camden Yards many times, the people of Baltimore do love their Orioles, but it does not show with Camden’s recent attendance. But can one blame them? Would you go and spend a substantial amount of money to watch a team 40 games under .500?

Mark my words: If the Orioles put a decent team on the field and let Buck run that team, they will turn it around, and Camden Yards will be full of jumping and passionate Orioles fans once again.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com


Copyright © 1996-2010 Kuzul. All rights reserved.
iDream theme by Templates Next | Powered by WordPress