The Sports Journal

As with the NFL, I’m just going to give some quick final thoughts on a few notable MLB teams.

• The New York Yankees: The Yankees have had an eventful off-season, with Joe Torre leaving and seemingly Alex Rodriguez as well. But everything seems to be working out fairly well for the Yanks, as they made a good replacement hire in Joe Girardi, and A-Rod is now set to resign with New York. Still, pitching depth could be an issue: if Andy Pettitte retires, that starting rotation becomes quite young and inexperienced. The bullpen needs some work in setting up Mariano Rivera, too. The Yankee line-up will again be fierce next year, but you have to wonder if they’ll have enough pitching to get past a team like Boston in the playoffs. My prediction? The Yankees make the Wild Card again next year, and lose to the Red Sox in the ALCS.
• The Colorado Rockies: Even though they lost to Boston in the postseason, the Rockies’ playoff run was the stuff of magic. Following it up will be a tough task. In many ways, the Rocks may have overachieved, and they’ll need to add some pieces just to make the playoffs again, given their tough division that keeps getting better. They’re wisely trying to sign superstar Matt Holiday to an extension, and they now look close to a deal to resign catcher Yorvit Torrealba, which is good. But second baseman Kaz Matsui will almost surely leave, so Colorado will have to replace him and starter Josh Fogg. Another bullpen arm couldn’t hurt either. So far, the Rockies’ off-season has been uneventful, and unless they make some nice moves, my prediction might be that they can’t quite live up to this year’s success and barely miss the playoffs in 2008.
• The Atlanta Braves: Once again, we’re putting my favorite team in here. The Braves haven’t made the playoffs two years in a row after winning 14 straight division titles, but there’s still a lot of good pieces here. Mark Teixeira will be with the team at least one more year, and Tom Glavine will return to Atlanta to help the rotation. The big question mark it what the Braves will do in center field, since they don’t Andruw Jones they won’t be resigning him. If they find a good replacement (I was hoping for Aaron Rowand, but I doubt that happens), then I like the look of this team: a potent lineup, good rotation (albeit a risky one, with age and injury history), and a solid bullpen. Still, the Mets and Phillies are two teams that will be tough to get past for the Braves to get back in the playoffs. My prediction? Atlanta misses the postseason next year, but is back in 2009.

Two huge stories out of the baseball world today, involving perhaps the two greatest active career players in the game: Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez. Both are free agents, but after today’s news, it’s clear their careers are going in opposite directions.

Barry Bonds, the aging home run king, was officially indicted today by a federal grand jury on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Essentially, the feds think Bonds lied when he claimed under oath that he never knowingly took steroids. It’s just an indictment, but this is still big. The government has been investigating Bonds for the last four years, and many people, myself included, didn’t believe this day would actually come. It will be interesting to see if this development, plus the coming release of the Mitchell investigation, leads commissioner Bud Selig to take action against Bonds, be it a suspension, a ban from the sport or the dreaded asterisk. I imagine this will be a very slowly developing story (after all, it took us four years to get to this point), but the situation obviously bears close watching.

Alex Rodriguez, meanwhile, is on the verge of signing a big contract with the New York Yankees, the same team he opted out from just a couple of weeks ago. Initial reports have this new deal coming in at 10 years, $275 million, but perhaps the most interesting part of the story is how this all went down. A-Rod’s agent, the infamous Scott Boras, has guided some of the biggest deals in the history of the sports, but he seemed to finally miscalculate with this situation, apparently overestimating A-Rod’s demand on the open market. With a sudden lack of suitors, Rodriguez was forced to humbly go back to the Yankees without Boras and take a deal worth about $21 million less than he could’ve made if he’d just done an extension with the Yanks without opting out. Still, a deal is in place, and it looks like the best player in baseball will remain a Yankee.

So, one star’s future is reassured, while another’s past is called into doubt. Quite the day.

It promises to be a big off-season in Major League Baseball, with Alex Rodriguez negotiating another record-breaking deal, the possibility of young superstars like Miguel Cabrera being traded and the upcoming release of the findings from the Mitchell investigation, which will implicate many players for using performance-enhancing substances.

So far, as is often the case, New York and Los Angeles have dominated the off-season talk, with Joe Torre leaving the Bronx and eventually signing with the Dodgers, and the Yankees hiring Joe Girardi as his replacement.

However, there have been a couple of trades already that have gone a little under the radar, and both could be very significant next season.

The Detroit Tigers trade two prospects to the Atlanta Braves for shortstop Edgar Renteria.

For Detroit: This looks like a great deal for the Tigers. They gave up a couple prospects, but no one they can’t live without. In landing Renteria, they get a proven shortstop that allows them to move Carlos Guillen to first base. Renteria’s first foray into the American League with the Red Sox was a disaster, but he comes into Detroit with a lot less pressure, and that alone could be a difference maker. If they can resign Gary Sheffield to keep a big power threat in the lineup and improve their bullpen depth, the Tigers looked poised to make a run next year.
For Atlanta: This isn’t a bad deal for Atlanta either, since trading Renteria frees up room for the talented Yunel Escobar, much younger and much cheaper than Renteria, to start next year. I do think they might have been able to get a little more in return for Renteria, but they unload some salary, perhaps freeing up enough money to sign Tom Glavine and other targets, and get some nice prospects in the process.

The Philadelphia Phillies trade Michael Bourn, Geoff Geary and Mike Costanzo to the Houston Astros for Brad Lidge and Eric Bruntlett.

For Philadelphia: Lidge is the key player in this deal. Just two years ago, he was probably the best reliever in baseball, proving himself as a dominant closer for the Astros. Then, he gave up a game-winning monster home run to Albert Pujols in Game 6 of the 2005 NLCS, and he hasn’t been the same since. Still, it’s not like the talent isn’t still there. He still throws hard and has the stuff to be dominant again, and while Philly is certainly a hitters’ park, the change of scenery could do him well. Considering the upside, Philly didn’t have to give up too terribly much to get him. Just as importantly, gaining Lidge means the Phillies can move incumbent closer and former starter Brett Myers back to the rotation, which is a better addition than anyone they’d get on a weak free agent market. And though he was little more than a throw-in, the backup Bruntlett gives them good infield depth, as he can play shortstop, third base and probably even second base. Really good deal for Philadelphia.
For Houston: You can make the case that the Astros have given up too soon on former All-Star Lidge, and that the value they got in return isn’t equal to that of the pitcher they gave up. Geary is a weak middle reliever, and Constanzo is a good but not spectacular third-base prospect. Bourn is the significant addition. He has great speed and can play all three outfield spots. He could develop into a nice lead-off hitter, but it’s too soon to tell. As one analyst said, we don’t know yet which speedster path he’ll follow, whether he’ll be the next Willy Taveras (an emerging star for the Rockies), or the next Joey Gathright (a bust for the Devil Rays and Royals). I like his potential, but I think Houston could have waited a little longer and gotten more from Lidge. There’s also the matter of who will close now for the Astros with Lidge gone. Former set-up man/closer Dan Wheeler was also traded away, going to Tampa Bay last July. Chad Qualls is probably the best bet in Houston now, but while he was a good middle reliever, I’m not sure he has great closer stuff.

The Boston Red Sox wrapped up a four-game sweep on Sunday, beating the Colorado Rockies to win their second championship in four years.

There were some great stories in this Fall Classic, some of which were sadly overshadowed by all the Yankee drama.  Jon Lester, who won the series-clinching game, was just a year removed from chemotherapy.  Mike Lowell, the series MVP, is also a cancer survivor.  Curt Schilling may have pitched his final game for the Red Sox, but he went out on top.  Josh Beckett continued to cement his resume as one of the greatest postseason pitchers of this generation.

I was rooting for the Rockies, but I think the layoff between the NLCS and the WS hurt them.  Even if they hadn’t had to wait so long, though, I don’t think they could have beaten the Red Sox.

Boston’s pitching is too good, its hitting too consistent, and its team chemistry too perfect.  General manager Theo Epstein has built an amazing organization, developing good young talent–Dustin Pedroia, Jacob Ellsbury, Jonathon Papelbon, etc.–but also being willing to make aggressive trades for players like Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell and give big deals to guys like David Ortiz and Jason Varitek to lock them up long-term.

There are a lot of really good teams in the American League, so I don’t know how much of a chance Boston will have to build a true dynasty, but the Sox should at least be in the thick of the race every season for several years to come.

Colorado may have, in some ways, overachieved this year, but the Rockies’ accomplishments were impressive. If they can add just a little more pitching, I like their chances of making another run next year.

The only disappointing thing is that yet again this season, despite some really good early rounds of play, the World Series itself was not overly competitive.  I don’t know what it is, but the past few years, the WS itself has been over fairly quickly, the last great series coming in the Marlins’ 2003 defeat of the Yankees in seven games.  Hopefully next year we’ll see a more dramatic World Series that comes down to the wire.

Well, I correctly predicted the winners of both League Championship Series. In the ALCS, I even got the number of games right, though the Rockies won even faster than I expected in the NLCS. Now it’s time for the greatest event in sports: baseball’s fall classic, where heroes are born and legends made. Should be a great one. Here’s my humble breakdown:

WORLD SERIES

Colorado Rockies vs. Boston Red Sox

• How they got here: The Rockies continued their torrid pace yet again, sweeping a talented young Diamondbacks team in four games to win the National League Pennant. They’ve won a ridiculous 21 of their last 22 games, but they’ve had to wait more than a week since their last game for the WS to start. The Red Sox made another amazing comeback, conjuring memories of their miraculous 2004 run, by overcoming a 3-1 game deficit to beat the Indians in 7, led by two of the all-time great postseason starting pitchers, Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling.
• What Happens Next: A week ago, the Rockies would’ve looked pretty strong in this match-up, but it remains to be seen if the long wait will cool them off. They’re certainly well-rested though, and they get back pitcher Aaron Cook, previously left off the postseason roster due to injury. The Red Sox, on the other hand, have more recent momentum after beating Cleveland just days ago, and by getting a strong start from Dice-K in Game 7 of the ALCS, they were able to save Beckett for the series opener. At the same time, though, while Colorado is gaining a pitcher, Boston is losing one, as Tim Wakefield went down with injury. Both teams are offensive juggernauts, and both should have a significant advantage at home, but Boston’s pitching should be better. This is a difficult series to predict, since we don’t know yet how the layoff will affect the Rockies, but the Red Sox seem to have more experience and more immediate momentum and thus are the favorites in the season (not that being underdogs has stopped the Rockies yet).
• Final Outcome: Boston wins, 4 games to 2.

OK, so I got three out of four correct when predicting the winners of the division series. The only one I missed was Arizona vs. Chicago, and I missed it big. The D-Backs smoked the Cubs on their way to the NLCS. I still think that Chicago was the more talented team, but nevertheless, the Cubs’ drought without a championship continues–99 years and counting. Now it’s time to pick the teams that will be going to the World Series.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

• How They Got Here: Both teams looked dominant in their respective division series. The Rockies swept the Phillies to continue their torrid pace, and they have now won 17 of their last 18 games. Their only loss during that span came to, you guessed it, the Diamondbacks and Game 1 starter Brandon Webb. Arizona swept the Cubs to advance, and will have home field advantage after having the best regular season record in the NL.
• What Happens Next: Both of these teams have defied all experts’ picks by making it this far. They both have small payrolls, are relatively inexperienced in the playoffs and are loaded with talented youngsters. Webb will face off against lefty Jeff Francis of the Rockies. Francis is good, but Webb is the best pitcher in this series, and I expect the D-Backs to take a 1-0 lead tonight. Ultimately, however, I like the Rockies’ offense, which will be bolstered further by the return of center fielder Willy Taveras. It should be a great series, but Colorado is hot and showing no signs of slowing down. I think they’ll eventually overwhelm Arizona
• Final Outcome: Colorado wins, 4 games to 2.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox

• How They Got Here: The Red Sox blew past the Angels in Round 1, sweeping the series with impressive pitching and hitting. The Indians defeated New York in four games, possibly ending Joe Torre’s reign as manager in the process. They killed the Yankee dynasty with good starting pitching, impressive bullpen outings and amazing clutch hitting, repeatedly scoring runs with two outs.
• What Happens Next: This will be the series that gets the most attention, and it’s not hard to understand why. Both these teams are amazing, with great starting pitching (Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling lead the Red Sox, while C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona head up the Tribe’s rotation) and great offenses that can hit for power or manufacture runs. This could easily go either way, but in the end, I like the Red Sox’s experience to just barely get them over the edge.
• Final Outcome: Boston wins, 4 games to 3.

I’m a little late writing this, as the Division Series are now well under way, but with the exception of Colorado vs. Philadelphia, they’re all still enough in doubt that I think I can make my picks.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies

• The Series Thus Far: Colorado leads 2-0, going into Philly and taking the first two games to continue their torrid pace from the end of the regular season. Jeff Francis out-dueled Cole Hamels on Wednesday for a 4-2 Rockies victory, and Colorado came back and won again earlier today, 10-5.
• What Happens Next: I actually would have picked the Phillies to win if I’d written this two days ago. I thought Colorado might have exhausted so much energy with their late run to get into the postseason, capped by an amazing extra innings victory in the play-in game against San Diego on Monday, that they’d be out of gas by the time they came into Philadelphia. That hasn’t been the case, as the Rockies have looked dominant so far. Now, the series goes to Coors Field, where the Rockies always play well. The Phillies are down now, and Colorado looks poised to complete the sweep.
• Final Outcome: Colorado wins, 3 games to 0.

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Chicago Cubs

• The Series Thus Far: The Diamondbacks took the opening game of the series last night on the pitching arm of Brandon Webb, outlasting the Chicago bullpen to win 3-1 and take a 1-0 advantage.
• What Happens Next: The teams meet again in Arizona tonight, with Ted Lilly starting for the Cubs and Doug Davis for the Diamondbacks. I think Lilly pitches well tonight, and the Cubs even the series before going back to Chicago. I like the Cubs’ starting pitching better, with Carlos Zambrano, Lilly and Rich Hill being the best rotation of the NL playoff teams. Webb is about as good as it gets, but after him, you never know quite what you’ll get from Davis and Livan Hernandez, and their fourth starter, Micah Ownings, is just a rookie. I think the Cubs will have more success getting some hits and manufacturing runs.
• Final Outcome: Chicago wins, 3 games to 2.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

• The Series Thus Far: The Red Sox won 4-0 in Game 1, with Josh Beckett looking just as great as he did in the 2003 postseason, pitching a complete game shutout.
• What Happens Next: The teams have today off before playing again in Boston on Friday. While both teams have good starting pitching, the Red Sox pitching looks a little better, and offensively they look like they simply have too many weapons for the Angels to keep up.
• Final Outcome: Boston wins, 3 games to 1.

Cleveland Indians vs. New York Yankees

• The Series Thus Far: The Indians and the Yankees are the final team to get underway, with Game 1 tonight. Chien-Ming Wang will start for the Yankees, and C.C. Sabathia will pitch for the Indians.
• What Happens Next: This could be the best series of the round. The Yankees have a more potent lineup, although the Indians are no slouches offensively, and Cleveland has better pitching, led by Cy Young contenders Sabathia and Fausto Carmona. Ultimately, I think Cleveland’s hitters will have a little more success, and the Indians will squeak by to the second round.
• Final Outcome: Cleveland wins, 3 games to 2.

The Colorado Rockies won their eighth straight game Sunday, pulling within one game of the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies in the wild card and setting a franchise record with 84 wins.

The Rockies have been held out of the playoffs for 11 consecutive seasons, last making the postseason as a wild card in 1995. This will be just the fifth time in Colorado’s 15-year existence that the team finishes above .500.

Obviously, with so much losing in their history, it would be monumental for the Rockies if they could close sneak into the playoffs this year. The face of the franchise, first baseman Todd Helton, has been with the team his entire 10-year career. During his time in the majors, Helton has won a batting title, three Gold Gloves and been selected to five All-Star games, yet he has never been in the playoffs.

Now, the Rockies have finally built a good team around Helton, despite having the fourth lowest payroll in all of baseball.

Outfielder Matt Holliday leads the team with a .337 batting average, 36 HRs and 131 RBIs, and is regarded as one of the leading candidates for the National League Most Valuable Player. Outfielder Brad Hawpe and third baseman Garrett Atkins each have more than 100 RBIs, and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, in addition to playing outstanding defense, is second in the majors in home runs and RBIs among rookies.

Furthermore, the Rockies, known for years for their poor pitching, have built up a fairly good rotation and bullpen. The starting rotation has no true ace by most teams’ standards, but Jeff Francis’s 17 wins have tied the franchise record, and Aaron Cook and Rodrigo Lopez add solid depth. The bullpen has been a source of strength, led by young closer Manny Corpas and veteran left-hander Brian Fuentes.

After an off-day Monday, Colorado returns to action tonight, traveling to Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers. The Dodgers are out of the playoff race but still dangerous, starting Cy Young-candidate Brad Penny tonight in an effort to break the Rockies’ winning streak. Colorado will counter with Ubaldo Jimenez, a rookie who has pitched well in 13 starts this year for the Rockies, posting a 4.14 ERA.

Colorado has six games remaining, including tonight’s. After three games against the Dodgers, the Rockies finish the season at home against division-leader Arizona. Colorado currently trails by 4 games, but by closing the season with three games against the Diamondbacks, the team still stands a chance at winning the National League West for the first time.

The two teams Colorado trails in the wild card have difficult finishes ahead. The Padres have six games left against last-place San Francisco and the sputtering Milwaukee Brewers, but will have to manage without two of their best hitters, Milton Bradley and Mike Cameron, who will both miss the remainder of the season. The Phillies start a tough series tonight against the hot Atlanta Braves before wrapping up against Washington.

The Rockies looked out of the race just a week ago, but by getting hot at just the right time have put themselves in position to be competing for a spot in the postseason at the end of September, a rare sight for their fans. If the team can just put together one more good week, then playoff baseball may be coming to Colorado for just the second time ever.