Chipper Jones is entering his 19th season with the Atlanta Braves. I grew up watching the greatest switch-hitter since Mickey Mantle everyday, and while this may be his last season in 2011 ( .275/18/70 and an All-Star nod) still has something left in the tank. Here’s to a productive and healthy 2012 Chip.
The Atlanta Braves are content with their farm system and with good reason. Having placed five players on MLB.com’s Top-100 prospect list they future is bright. A lot of attention is going to be focused on shortstop this season as the Braves are giving the first crack at the job to Tyler Pastornicky who came over from Toronto in the Yunel Escobar trade. First impressions from the video above shows a swing that is a little too long and some hitches that may cause that. Outside of that he has good speed and should slip in nicely at the eight spot to generate some runs at the bottom of the order.
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Congrats to Cincinnati Reds great Barry Larkin for his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. All-Star, Gold Glover, MVP, World Champion and even better example of how the game is supposed to be played.
We’ve all joked about them before. Either because you live in the DC/Metro area or because you remember them as that team who spelled their names wrong on their jerseys. You poked fun at them for finishing dead last and playing the kind of baseball that makes you wonder how on earth this team is still in the league. How bad was it? Baltimore, a team that hasn’t been competitive in their own league for 15 years was considered the big brother of the beltway. That is how bad it was, folks.
The Washington Nationals were the very definition of a joke. I remember the punctuation on that sentiment, for me, was a game I attended back in 2007 at RFK when the Nationals still considered it home. They were playing the Detroit Tigers who had gone to the World Series the year before but were showing signs of scuffling heading into the All-Star break. They lost 15-1 and I’ll never forget the two thoughts I had as I left the stadium.
RFK should never be considered a baseball facility, and the Nationals will never contend for anything besides best between inning entertainment.
Then came 2008.
Nationals Park opened and was a very exciting achievement. They played the Braves on opening day and won it on a walk-off home run by their franchise player Ryan Zimmerman. From there things began looking up for this franchise. A lot can happen when you get a new stadium. A lot can also happen when you string together a few bad seasons. You can supplement that new stadium with a few number one picks such as Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper. Then when revenues come in from the new park you can start adding pieces like Jayson Werth (although he is overpaid). You have to have people who know what they’re doing as well right? Enter Stan Kasten, Mike Rizzo and Davey Johnson. Now you have the makings of something special.
Rumor has it the Nationals are the front-runners to acquire Prince Fielder. If this happens two things will be true. Miami’s move will be nullified by this one signing (and trade of Gio Gonzalez with the impending arrival of Bryce Harper and return of Stephen Strasburg) and Washington will have the best top to bottom lineup in the National League. Can they win their division? I don’t see it just yet with the Phillies, although old, still bringing their rotation to town and the Braves, despite their collapse, putting together an impressive young nucleus of their own. Washington stands at the time to be the beneficiary of an expanded playoff courtesy of the new CBA ratified at the end of last year. if rumors are true of the set up I would not want to see one of their top three starters in a one game playoff to decide if I move on.
That 2008 season a buddy of mine took me to a game and we sat field level next to the dugout of the Braves (Braves won that game). I remember thinking to myself how different the atmosphere was from the game I attended the summer before. The stadium was beautiful and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. It is a testament to how quickly things can change for a franchise. If the rumors are true, and Prince Fielder does sign on to join the Nationals the landscape of the National League East will change just as quickly.
I would like to take a phrase from famous comedian Dennis Miller by telling you that “I don’t want to go on a rant here” but after eight years of did he or didn’t he, media coverage, legal analysis and an overall circus of mistresses and jilted lovers Barry Bonds sentence was 30-days of house arrest and two years of community service.
I’m so glad we did this.
If you couldn’t tell, that last sentence should have spilled some of the sarcasm it was dripping with on you. You see I didn’t care if Barry Bonds did steroids because I wanted him to go to jail. I honestly didn’t even care if he went to jail. What I did care about was if our judicial system, the “Mitchell report” and all of those yahoos running around screaming “save the integrity of the game!” instead of our economy actually did come up with some way to bring some bit of truth back to the game I love. But alas, it ended with a multi-million dollar slugger getting a slap on the wrist, a laundry list of legal fees, and a 30-day “punishment” in the comfort of his Northern California abode.
My beef with the situation was the fact that no one fully understood what was supposed to come of it, and yet we had to hear about it as though you were doing some sort of a service. You bring in a baseball player who said for years he never tested positive for a PED and you don’t find anything on him. Then you take him to court for perjury and you don’t find anything on him for that so to make the witch hunt worth it, you pegged him obstruction of justice. A crime that, in this instance, is so vague it still doesn’t bring us to an answer of whether or not he used steroids.
Why are baseball players on trial? Why am I being subjected to listening to Sammy Sosa speak broken English or Mark McGwire forgetting what he was brought in to talk about? Why is Rafael Palmeiro waving his finger in my face and most importantly how did we come to a point where Jose Canseco looks like a hero? There are myriad reasons why baseball players decided to throw everything but mercury into their system (money, the demands of fans, more money, etc.). Does this mean I have to waste precious tax dollars on them in a courtroom? What are we looking for that couldn’t have been solved two decades ago? Commissioner Selig prances around stating he has the toughest system for testing in the sport but a lot of the players on CourtTV were products of his watch. Kudos I guess.
I have eyes. I’ve seen the images, the neck change, the body change, the decrease in mobility and speed. I saw a perennial Gold Glover play left field like the kid you play in left field after age 12. I’m not naive, and if you ask me MY opinion on the matter of whether Bonds juiced I will say yes. Then I will ask you do you think it is a punishable defense in the court of law? If you say yes, I will no doubt say “I disagree”.
I’m not a Barry Bonds fan. Those who know me know my allegiance to the Atlanta Braves very well. Do I think he is the best player of this generation of baseball players? Without a question I do. Better than A-Rod, better than Griffey and (dare I say it) better than Pujols. Clean or otherwise Bonds was the superior player. The only crime he committed was that if he did use something to enhance his performance, he took away our opportunity to see this generations Willie Mays.
The guilt that comes with knowing that, in the grand scheme of things, should have been his ultimate punishment.
“Don’t focus on making money; focus on protecting what you have.” –Paul Tudor Jones
Mat Latos was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. That was the good news for the Reds.
Now the bad news: Cincy lost this trade in a landslide.
As reported, Mat Latos, the 24-year old Virginia native who went 9-14 with a 3.47 earned run average in 2011 was traded for Edison Volquez, Yasmani Gandal and Yonder Alonso. For those of you keeping score that is two first-rounders and a 2008 All-Star caliber pitcher going to a team with one of the better pitching minded managers in the league. Checkmate Padres.
Cincinnati got a great young pitcher in Latos. He went 14-10 with a 2.92 ERA in 2010. The talent is there and that has never been the question. It has always been about worth and in this instance the Reds overpaid.
Edison Volquez and Yonder Alonzo are obviously the key to this trade on the Padres side. Volquez, an All-Star in 2008 with 17 wins and a 3.21, has the ability to be a front of the rotation starter. His problem of course is being healthy, since 2008 he hasn’t been able to put together a full season of health. At 27, he is almost the “throw-in” player for this deal but if he is able to put it together under the tutelage of Bud Black and that coaching staff in San Diego this would be a huge boost to their rotation.
Alonso and Rizzo (San Diego’s super prospect of the past year) create a problem at first albeit a problem many ball clubs would love to have. Trading Rizzo isn’t an option so Alonso is looking at a move to the outfield. Gandal could potentially close the revolving door the Padres have had at catcher since Benito Santiago if he reaches his full potential.
While the Reds received an ace, they paid a steep price for this trade. Especially when you look at hanging your organization on one solid (nine win) season on Johnny Cueto and a Jekyll and Hyde Homer Bailey. I give the Padres and “A+” for the haul brought in and a “B-” to the Reds with the possibility of becoming a “D” if Latos regresses and there is no one behind him or they supplement this move with another one shortly after.
There are two international men of mystery on the free agent market this winter. The market for both has been a relatively quiet one but don’t let that fool you; these two will make an immediate impact with whatever team decides to take a flyer on them and that stove has begun to heat up within the last couple weeks (bidding on Yu Darvish ended today). I won’t begin to speculate which teams will be after them, all i will say is there will be a host of interest as we get into the end of December and into the New year.
The question I pose is a simple one: Which will be a better investment in the long run. My thought on the matter tends to lean more towards the pitching side because good pitching beats good hitting any day of the week. Period. End of discussion. There is a part of me that feels if Cespedes is placed in the right lineup, with that skill set he can do some serious damage. So lets break it down:
Yu Darvish, Age: 25 Height: 6’5 Weight: 185
What we know: He has, of course, spent his entire career over in Japan and has undoubtedly been the most dominant pitcher in that league. His accomplishments include three strikeout titles, two earned run average (ERA) titles and he is a five-time All-Star of the Japanese League. He’s big, at a sturdy 6’5 and 185 pounds he is no pushover on the mound. He has great command of all of his pitches and his mound presence was proven during the 2009 World Baseball Classic. That was my first glimpse of him on a consistent basis and within a couple games I knew he had the make-up of a front of the rotation guy then at 21. Never mind he has been doing the same things in his teens that he is displaying in his 20’s. his fastball is in the mid-90’s with good movement, and tops out at about 98 miles per hour (MPH).
What we don’t know: As is the case with most pitchers who come over from Japan we aren’t quite sure if they will be able to adjust to the schedule of the American way of playing. Hideo Nomo, Kenshin Kawakami, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Kei Igawa came over with the same amount of fanfare as Darvish is getting. While the results have been mixed, most would agree the return on the investment hasn’t been what most clubs would have hoped. The exception has been in relief. Japanese pitchers who have been used primarily in relief have shown a greater measure of success. My assumption being it is because they are used to pitching more frequently in the first place. However, with the amount expected to be bid on Darvish’s services, it is very likely he won’t be coming over to do mop up duty or be used as a super set-up man.
Yoennis Cespedes, Age: 26 Height: 5’10 Weight: 187
What we know: After watching the “Star Wars-like” scouting video I am convinced of two things. He is incredibly strong and he will hit. Pegged by many scouts to be the best player to come out of Cuba in quite some time, he looks every bit as advertised. His youth and enthusiasm make him fun to watch, and he seems to have all five tools necessary to have general managers around the league ready to convince skeptical owners to loosen the purse strings. His hands are quick to the ball inside and with good power the other way it shows he has great plate coverage. He is fast, looking more than capable of stealing between 20-25 bases depending on the team philosophy. In the outfield he was smooth and being a center fielder seemed capable of making the throws from considerable distances.
What we don’t know: My first question is mental make-up. Will he have what it takes to adjust to life in America? He will no doubt need a club with a good veteran presence and fits more of his culture. While I said I wouldn’t speculate, the Miami Marlins seem to fit both. The most recent example I have is Yunel Escobar. The talented shortstop had an up and down career in Atlanta to start, but because of apparent clashes with the old guard he was shipped to Toronto. Knowing he had the talent to be in Atlanta for a long time hurt many Braves fans, but that is the type of culture clash I speak of when I say there is definite need for an adjustment.
Verdict: I choose Cespedes over Darvish for one simple reason: Track record. Is an investment of $60 million dollars-plus for a pitcher coming over from Japan worth the risk as say $35-$45 million dollars for an outfielder with pop? That figure for Darvish doesn’t even include the bid for teams to negotiate with him. Bottom line if I am putting a contract like that out on the market I would take the risk of an everyday player over that of a pitcher. Darvish, although very, very, talented, has too great of a price tag for me to be inclined to pick him up.
While the Winter Meetings in Dallas have proven to be more about establishing a foundation for deals to be made at a later date, there was some action that took place that could allow for some major chips to begin falling. News of the day (which is a relative term when Albert Pujols is a free agent) revolved around the Marlins continued attempt to imitate the New York Yankees this offseason by signing Mark Buehrle to a four-year deal. This is huge because in Buehrle they gain a perennial All-Star and stalwart left-handed veteran to anchor their rotation. He becomes a major addition behind Josh Johnson and his true value will come in stopping any sustained losing streaks the Marlins may incur. We have to keep in mind that even with the signing of Reyes this is still a very vulnerable offense. Reyes’ legs are still an issue, Logan Morrison will need to make strides and Gaby Sanchez needs to put together two solid halves in order for this thing to work.
While things were getting hammered out with Buehrle, Jose Reyes, who just signed a six-year pact with the fish, was being introduced. One of the most telling reasons for his departure from New York was his statement that he “felt wanted” in Miami. While I know this is a determining factor at any level for an athlete I don’t think Reyes fully understood two things. First, the toll his injuries took on the team as they waited on leg injury after leg injury was a lot more massive than he might realize. Whether he wants to believe it or not, he is a catalyst and he needs to make things happen at the top of the order. When he plays he does just that; but when you can only depend on him for an average of 98 games per season it takes its toll. Financially the Mets just don’t have it right now. They’ve albatross contracts to David Wright, Johan Santana (remember him?) and Jason Bay still on the books and they are all coming off of sub-par, injury riddled seasons. In the case of Santana both. Not to mention the Wilpon’s ongoing legal troubles involving Bernie Madoff and already declining attendance it doesn’t make things easy on a now financially strapped team to give another player almost $18 million per season.
More Notes:
When I was younger, growing up in Savannah, Georgia, I remember being glued to Atlanta Braves baseball from the age of six. That year was 1990, and as has been well documented the next year started an unprecedented run of division success in Atlanta that has made it the brand it is today. Sprinkled in were the opportunities to watch legends at work. I watched Steve Avery define what is now consider the blueprint for developmental pitching success. I witnessed Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz win six of the decades Cy Young awards (Maddux won one his last year with the Cubs) and it was all surrounded by the arrival of an Atlanta sports icon in Chipper Jones, five national league pennants and the 1995 world series championship. Quietly, though, from 1993 to 1997 the Braves ran out another hall of fame caliber player that many seem to overlook outside of the city of Atlanta.
The “Crime Dog” Fred McGriff.
I’ll give you a minute to poke fun before I produce some statistics that will no doubt solidify his case as a no-doubt-about-it hall of famer.
Lets start with the years 1988 to 1994 when McGriff hit 30+ home runs each of those years, including two years during that stretch where he led the American and National League in that category (one of three in major league history to accomplish this feat). In 1994 he was robbed of an historic season when he finished with 34 home runs and a .318 batting average before the strike hit. He did however win the All-Star game MVP that season.
McGriff was more than a masher, finishing his career with a .284 batting average over 19 seasons. He defined the role of the prototypical clean-up hitter because he blended power and average so well hitting .300 or better in five seasons, .290 or better in two seasons and .280 or better in four. In 1995, when the Atlanta Braves won their only world title, McGriff lead the way with 27 home runs.
He was a five-time All-star and finished in the top-10 in voting for the MVP six times. Now I know what you’re saying right now is where is he in an historical context?
I’m glad you asked.
Baseball Reference has him comparable to Eddie Mathews, Billy Williams, Willie Stargell, Willie McCovey and Jeff Bagwell. By my count that is four current and one future hall of famer. His 493 (untainted) home runs place him 26th all-time in baseball history and tied with Lou Gerhig. Most importantly, though, his dominance during his early years and well into (and even past) his prime made him an incredibly influential player because the model by which a clean-up hitter is measured was, and to some extent still is, Fred McGriff. If for nothing else his consistency alone made him invaluable to every club he played on. His 15 consectuve seasons with at least 20 home runs leaves him as one of 14 players in history to accomplish the feat. Add to the fact that McGriff played the game the right way and was known as a “great guy, better teammate” in every circle and you’ve got a baseball writers dream candidate for enshrinement in Cooperstown.
Of course my favorite thing about Fred Mcgriff will always be that swing.
Bryce Harper, first-round #1 (overall) pick of the Washington Nationals in 2010, swinging a 47 ounce bat. Watch how fast his hands are when he switches back to the 34 ounce. Not sure what to expect from him just yet but he does have the tools to be great.