Kuzul

There are several managers in Major League Baseball who have put together a solid case for Manager of the Year. I have selected my top three front runners for the award.

Many baseball fans view managers like cloths on a stripper, they are useless excuses for keeping you from what you really want to see.

To win the honors for Manager of the Year they need to achieve at least one of the following accomplishments.

1. Exceed preseason expectations

2. Manage the team through great adversity

3. Take the team to the post-season

Dusty Baker / Cincinnati Reds

The Reds are currently in the lead of the NL Central by 3.5 games over the preseason heavy favorite, St. Louis Cardinals.

Before the season started I predicted they would be in the mix for the wildcard, but would fall short to the Atlanta Braves, currently leading the NL East by 3 games.

The Reds have a legitimate shot at making the post-season and large part of that is do to the amazing surprise play of Joey Votto, Scott Rolen, and the entire pitching staff.

However, Baker has to get a lot of credit for managing a team that many thought was a year or two away from being this competitive. The one down fall I would credit Baker with is the over use of closer Francisco Cordero—this is something that will come back to haunt him in September and October.

Bud Black / San Diego Padres

Currently the Padres have the best record in the National League. To say that Black has done a good job this season, would be like saying Jennifer Aniston looks okay naked.

I was way off on my preseason prediction of the Padres, and only recently was willing to admit that I think this team is for real.

Until the recent trade deadline acquisitions of Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick this offense looked less intimidating than most little league teams —with the exception of Adrian Gonzalez.

Black had his players over achieving all season long by stealing and calling timely hit-and-run plays.

They lost arguably one of their best pitchers in the first week of the season in Chris Young and still lead the league in team ERA.

The NL West is the second toughest division in baseball and Black has his team at the top, cruising to the playoffs.

Terry Francona / Boston Red Sox

The Sox play in the best division in baseball. They make up half of one of the greatest rivalries in sports. I’m not a Sox fan, in fact I’m kind of a closet fan of their greatest enemies.

However, I can’t ignore the incomprehensible job Francona has done managing a team that has suffered so many key injuries.

On top of this fact they still have a chance at the post-season, sitting 6.5 games back of the New York Yankees and 5.5 games back of the wildcard leading Tampa Bay Rays.

I personally don’t think they have a chance at making the playoffs this year—I’m not just saying that to rile up Boston fans, I predicted it before the season as well.

Dustin Pedroia has spent significant time on the DL, Jacoby Ellsbury has been out for most of the season and will likely miss the remainder, and my personal favorite Red Sox player Kevin Youkilis is out for the year.

Many other key contributors have spent time on the DL including supposed ace pitcher Josh Beckett. Francona hasn’t even been able to count on Beckett for a big start all season.

To me Beckett is overrated and suffers from injuries every season. I’ll give you the fact that he is dominant in the post-season, but needs to stay healthy and pitch better in the regular season before I believe he is among the best.

Earlier in the season he lit a fire under the overrated, overweight, lovable David Ortiz and got more production from him than many people thought he had left.

Francona is on of the best managers the game has seen in years. Francona always says and does the right things in my opinion, and the way he has kept his team in the race and juggled the lineup on a seemingly night-to-night basis makes him the leader for Manager of the Year.

Check out my weekly “Sluggers and Slugs” column for other honorable mentions

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The 2010 Major League Baseball season has produced a very talented rookie class.

In any sport it is hard to join the elite level and have an immediate impact on your team. Baseball is especially hard because it is a day-to-day grind and fear of a slump can consume your mentality. Many players will never make it to the “The Show” and some that do won’t last longer than an alcoholic trying not to drink in a brewery.

But there are rookies who have a great impact on their team, and I’ve assembled this year’s crop for my list of Rookie of the Year candidates.

Gaby Sanchez, 1B / Florida Marlins

Sanchez has played better than I expected this season and is a nice addition to all of the young talent in South Florida.

Sanchez is hitting .294 with, 52 RBIs, and 49 Rs. The most impressive stat from Sanchez is his .816 OPS – .355 OBP and .461 SGL.

If Sanchez can bring up that HR total a bit next season, he could become a familiar face in the Marlins new stadium, if they ever open that fish tank.

Starlin Castro, SS / Chicago Cubs

Castro is who I hope will be the new face of the Cubs. This kid has some pop in the bat, speed on the bases, and plays pretty well in the field.

Once he learns how to draw a few more walks and steal bases, this Castro will be giving teams another Cuban Missile Crisis.

Castro is hitting .308 with 20 DBLs and 33 RBIs. Now, if the Cubs would just get rid of some of these bums who couldn’t hit a parked car in a Buick…

Mike Leake, SP / Cincinnati Reds

As I predicted, the Reds are competitive this season and Leake is one of the big reasons why. Early on in the season, this kid was pitching lights out every fifth day, but has slowed recently.

Leake may need to rekindle that early season magic if he wants to taste the post season in his first year in the majors.

In 20 games started, Leake has pitched 126 innings, resulting in a 7-3 record with 3.86 ERA. Apparently, baseball rookie hazing means giving your rookies a lack of run support.

Jaime Garcia, SP / St. Louis Cardinals

Oddly enough, Garcia and Leake will be pitching for not only ROY honors, but also to help their clubs win the NL Central. Garcia has given the Cards a legit third man in the rotation.

The Cards already had two dominant right handed pitchers that can mow down batters like a Rambo movie. Garcia gives them a lefty side kick who has only surrendered six long balls all season.

Garcia has started 21 games this season, thrown 121 innings, and posted a 9-5 record with a 2.53 ERA.

Austin Jackson, OF / Detroit Tigers

Jackson’s arrival to Detroit this season was highly anticipated and he has delivered. The outfielder still has some rough edges, but he’s done a lot for his team, which, until a week ago, was in a pennant race.

Jackson has been the team’s lead-off hitter and has done OK so far. To become a premiere lead-off hitter he will have to strike out less and draw some more walks.

However, Jackson is hitting .307 with 26 DBLs and 16 SBs in 101 games. Jackson reminds me of Willy Mays Hayes from Major League. Not such a bad comparison.

Buster Posey, C / San Francisco Giants

In only 61 games, Posey has been very impressive and given the Giants a much needed offensive jolt. Posey could become the NL’s Joe Mauer.

I probably would have picked Posey to be my MVP had he played a little earlier in the season. And when it’s all said and done, I still might if he helps the Giants into the playoffs.

Posey is hitting .342 with 8 HRs and 37 RBIs. I am most impressed with his .907 OPS – .518 SLG and almost .400 OBP.

Jason Heyward, OF / Atlanta Braves

I heard about this kid in the off-season and had no idea what to make of all the hype surrounding someone so young. I watched his first AB, and he went yard. Heyward has followed that up with game-winning hits and spectacular play in the outfield.

I predicted the Braves would win the NL Wild Card before the season started and wasn’t really sure how they would do it with so little offense. Heyward has been a big reason why 100-plus games into the season I think they still have a chance.

Bobby Cox and Chipper Jones are both on their farewell tours and have had nothing but wonderful things to say about this young man.

Heyward’s numbers aren’t overly impressive, with a .261 BA, 11 HRs, 50 RBIs and 8 SBs, but from day one he has been a contributor on one of the best teams in baseball. With about 50 games left to play in the season, Heyward is my Rookie of the Year.

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Here are my Penthouse Power Rankings for the first three months of the Major League Baseball Season.

The numbers to the left of their names indicate NL ranking. The numbers to the right of their name indicate their league ranking.

1. Atlanta Braves (4 )

I thought the Braves would be good this season, but they have exceeded my expectation thus far. They even played well through Chipper Jones’ possible retirement. I believe they will be the wild card team in NL by season’s end.

2. San Diego Padres (5 )

No one saw this team coming. Anyone who says they did is a liar and should be forced into a room with an angry Carlos Zambrano. They have some solid young players and should be in contention over the next couple of months. Ultimately, I believe they will fall short.

3. New York Mets (7 )

We know it’s going to happen, but the question is, when will the wheels fall off? The pitching staff has been top notch with the exception of Santana. If Santana gets rolling, watch out, Mets fans. You guys might actually make the playoffs. David Wright is an early season MVP candidate.

4. St. Louis Cardinals (8 )

They have one of the better pitching staffs in the NL. Albert Pujols leads the team in all major offensive categories except SB. Adam Wainwright looks like a Cy Young candidate so far.

5. Cincinnati Reds (10 )

I predicted the Reds would fight for the wild card this year, but they might actually get the division. Scott Rolen and Jonny Gomes have been better than expected. Youngster pitcher Mike Leake has been a nice surprise. Can’t depend on winning close games all year, though.

6. Los Angeles Dodgers (13 )

The divorce between the McCourts will be the team’s downfall this season. Kemp needs to focus less on his umbrella-ella-ella-ella and more on his production. The juice-less Ramirez has started to come around, but isn’t quite the same.

7. Philadelphia Phillies (15 )

Basically the same team as last year, but the addition of Roy Halladay had everyone screaming for a third straight World Series birth. There offense has been the biggest disappoint thus far to me. No one is really playing like they want to get into the “UMMM Hall of Fame”.

8. San Francisco Giants (16 )

Imagine if they had some hitters in the lineup other than Kung-Fu Panda. Offseason signing of Hillary Duff, sorry Aubrey Huff, big deal. Lincecum has been up and down, but ultimately no hitting means no playoffs.

9. Colorado Rockies (18 )

Jimenez has been outstanding this season. There’s even talk about him winning MVP . Troy Tulowitzki is injured and Todd Helton couldn’t hit a parked car. They will fall short when battling the other teams in the NL West.

10. Florida Marlins (20 )

Manager-less Marlins have some great young players who will probably be on other teams in the near future. The rumors have been about Bobby Valentine taking over. I’m sure Mets fans would love to see the guy who has helped them enjoy their most recent success coaching the Fish.

11. Milwaukee Brewers (21 )

They entered the season with high expectation and have held water like a cup with holes in it. Rickie Weeks has been surprisingly good this season, but he can’t pitch. They will most likely lose Prince Fielder this offseason and really have something to complain about.

12. Chicago Cubs (24 )

Sweet Lou looks like he’s auditioning for “Grumpy Old Men 3” and can’t wait for the season to end. Carlos Zambrano isn’t effective out of the pen or as a starter and acts like his teammates are the reason he’s serving up HRs like government bailouts. I wish Z would have punched Derek Lee, maybe Lee would start hitting. Cubs fans, you’ll get’em next year.

13. Washington Nationals (25 )

The Nationals finally have something to cheer about, but he can only pitch once every five days. They were competitive at the beginning of the season, but that is over. I have a theory about people who think Stephen Strasburg should be in the All-Star game. Only rich people think that you should get things without earning them.

14. Arizona Diamondbacks (26 )

The season was pretty much finished when they couldn’t close out games early on. Edwin Jackson throwing a 149 pitch no-hitter pretty much sums up what they think of their bullpen. The offense hits HRs, but doesn’t hit consistently.

15. Houston Astros (28 )

The Astros should be surrendering a short time after the All-Star break. They need to get what they can for Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman and start planning for next season.

16. Pittsburgh Pirates (29 )

They lead the league in dreadlocks and losing by the biggest margins. The Pirates will unfortunately not be competitive until there is a salary cap or they join a keg league.

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These are my Penthouse Power Rankings for the first three months of the 2010 Major League Baseball season.

The numbers to the left indicate their rank in the American League. The numbers to the right of their name indicate their league ranking.

1. New York Yankees (1 ) – Currently sporting the best record in baseball and also the most guys on one team whom fans will make derogatory homosexual statements about. They have been successful without the bats of Teixeira and Rodriguez—if they get going. look for them to separate themselves from the pack.

2. Boston Red Sox (2 ) – Clearly the best team over the last couple of months. I believe their position in the power rankings will fall over the next couple of weeks with injuries they are currently facing. Lester is a Cy Young candidate.

3. Texas Rangers (3 ) – Hamilton has been treating opposing pitchers like pimps treat their women—beating them up with no regard.  Nolan Ryan’s preseason prediction doesn’t seem so crazy anymore.

4. Tampa Bay Rays (6 ) – To say that the Rays have been slumping would be generous. Recently getting no-hit for the second time this season doesn’t exactly say World Series contender.

5. Minnesota Twins (9 ) – The pitching staff has cooled off quite a bit and Joe Mauer “Power” has been more like Mauer “Sour” this season. I believe he will get it going and the pitching staff even out a little more.

6. Chicago White Sox (11 ) – The past few weeks they have been one of the hottest teams in baseball. It was done during inter-league play (only played one team with a winning record). Unless they switch Leagues expect more .500 baseball.

7. Los Angeles Angels (12 ) – After a poor start they have come around quite nicely. Somehow losing their best hitter by playing hop-scotch on home plate made them better. Closer Brian Fuentes scares me more than the thought of Roseanne jumping rope naked. This will bite them in the end.

8. Detroit Tigers (14 ) – The highlight of their season will be the almost perfect game by Galarraga. Miguel Cabrera can’t carry this team alone, but if they make a move at the deadline things could get better.

9. Toronto Blue Jays (17 ) – Unfortunately, the Jays play in the AL East, which means barring a Mets-like collapse by the Yanks, Sox, and Rays, there will again be no playoff baseball in Canada. Time to focus on the CFL.

10. Oakland Athletics (19 ) – Started the year off nicely but quickly came back to reality. A few nice players on this team and as always, they will end up on other teams in the near future.

11. Seattle Mariners (22 ) – Talk about disappointing. The Mariners spend money and make a trade to set up the Griffey farewell tour and are playing like the Bad News Bears. They’ve played better of late, but to far behind to catch up.

12. Kansas City Royals (23 ) – The Royals actually have some nice players on their team and if they played in Triple-A they might actually make the playoffs.

13. Cleveland Indians (27 ) – This looks like the team put together in the movie Major League .  You can’t win games if you can’t pitch, and the Indians are ranked in the bottom four of ERA, K’s, SV, and WHIP. To make things even worse, they can’t hit either.

14. Baltimore Orioles (30 ) – I keep hearing from O’s fans that Dave Trembley lost the team, but there is actually a bunch of talent there. If there is, I can’t find it—worst team I’ve seen in awhile.

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