Ubaldo Jimenez is on fire. He simply can't lose. If you translate his name, does it by chance mean lights out? Or maybe zeroes? Ah, I got it. Goose eggs.
Beginning with his no-hitter, the first in Rockies history, and continuing into Tuesday night's 12-1 rout of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Jimenez has now tossed 22 1/3 consecutive shutout innings, while running his record to an overly impressive 5-0 and lowering his ERA to a measly 0.79. He's the real deal, and certainly an early Cy Young candidate in a division where the likes of Tim Lincecum or Dan Haren might usually receive that honor.
The rest of the Rockies' roster, however, is riddled with injuries, especially on the pitching end. Jorge de la Rosa and Jason Hammel are now on the DL, and Jeff Francis along with Huston Street have been there for a while. It seems Jimenez is single-handedly keeping the Rockies in the division race.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers are officially in last place after dropping both games of a doubleheader to the Mets today. Johan Santana dominated in the first game; he definitely seems to be returning to form. Hiroki Kuroda pitched well, but was just outdueled. I still maintain that he's the ace of the staff, given the start that he's off to. On the other end of the spectrum, Charlie Haeger just isn't working out. In Milwaukee, Randy Wolf went eight strong innings for the Brewers today before their bullpen blew the game in the 9th...I'm just saying.
But back to Jimenez...as of right now, he might as well be considered baseball's best pitcher. He's got the most wins in the league, the second-lowest ERA in the league, and of course, he's got his streak. This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, because Jimenez was great at the end of last year as well. You think he's carried that momentum over to this season? Just go feel his goose eggs. I know Atlanta felt them - nine of them. Washington felt them for sure. Arizona was all over them tonight. Next in line: San Diego, in Petco, a pitcher's park. A near guarantee the streak will continue. Have fun, Adrian Gonzalez, trying to add to your already impressive home run total. I'd fake an injury just so I didn't have to face this guy.
April 28, 2010
April 26, 2010
Oh, the Mediocrity!
Three weeks into the 2010 baseball season, it seems we are in for a great deal of mediocrity around the league.
With the exception of the Rays, who were the subject of my last post, the Yankees, and perhaps the Twins (interestingly, all American League teams), I'm not impressed with the output from any team in baseball to this point. The National League is a borderline embarrassment, with the powerhouse Phillies just one-and-a-half games ahead of the Mets (the definition of mediocrity), the bargain Marlins, and the lowly Nationals, while the Padres rode an eight-game winning streak to the top of the NL West. The NL Central is a joke, and is completely St. Louis' division to lose. There just aren't any dominant teams in the NL, and I'm not sure any will emerge as the season wears on.
Surely, the likes of the Padres and Nationals will fade. Remember the start that the Padres got off to last year? And look where they ended up. There's no way they will be able to maintain their early success a year later either. Undoubtedly, the contenders will separate themselves from the pretenders, in time. My point is that the contenders don't look all that special. The Phillies were supposed to be this machine that steamrolled through everyone, but Roy Halladay's the only one that can pitch over there. The Cardinals are winning just because everyone else in their division can't. The Padres aren't for real. And there are your "contenders" through three weeks. Seriously?
Over in the American League, I won't even get into the AL West, because that division's a joke too. The Rays coming out of the East are a championship caliber team, as I've said before. David Price was masterful yesterday, and unlike the Phillies, he's not the only one producing starts like that. The Yankees finally lost a series this weekend to the Angels, but that doesn't say much because the Yankees historically have problems with the Angels and the Angels, at 10-10, are mediocre. I'm not worried about the Yankees at all. At this point, I'd say the ALCS championship game between the Rays and Yankees will decide who wins the World Series. But watch out for the Twins - they have some pitching of their own that has come through so far, and of course they have Joe Mauer. The Twins could be dangerous after they win a division they're already starting to run away with.
By the way, speaking of Joe Mauer, Ryan Howard got a contract extension today that will pay him $25 million a year for the next five years in Philadelphia. That extension surpassed the annual value of Joe Mauer's extension this April. When will the madness end?
I'm simply saying that 27 out of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball are not awe-inspiring. We don't have any 2009 Dodgers or 2006 Mets in the league this year. The Rays are the closest thing to it, but they have the Yankees right on their heels. The real question is, does this make baseball more exciting? To watch the season produce 27 bad-to-mediocre teams that all, somehow, have a greater chance of making the postseason than anyone would expect? It does if you're a Padres fan or a Nationals fan. Maybe baseball's turning into a communist faction, at least for this season. I don't know about you, but I'm not excited about mediocrity. I want to see true powerhouses clash all season long for division superiority, not a bunch of middle-of-the-road squads wage a war of attrition and then limp into the playoffs. So I'll go watch the Rays and Yankees this year and get my fix. I'll watch my Dodgers revert to near-.500 form. I'll watch the NL get crushed in the All-Star Game. I'll wait and hope for deals at the trade deadline that alter the dynamics of division races. And then I'll wrap up a rather pedestrian MLB season watching either the Rays or Yankees dominate their World Series opponent.
Mediocre indeed.
With the exception of the Rays, who were the subject of my last post, the Yankees, and perhaps the Twins (interestingly, all American League teams), I'm not impressed with the output from any team in baseball to this point. The National League is a borderline embarrassment, with the powerhouse Phillies just one-and-a-half games ahead of the Mets (the definition of mediocrity), the bargain Marlins, and the lowly Nationals, while the Padres rode an eight-game winning streak to the top of the NL West. The NL Central is a joke, and is completely St. Louis' division to lose. There just aren't any dominant teams in the NL, and I'm not sure any will emerge as the season wears on.
Surely, the likes of the Padres and Nationals will fade. Remember the start that the Padres got off to last year? And look where they ended up. There's no way they will be able to maintain their early success a year later either. Undoubtedly, the contenders will separate themselves from the pretenders, in time. My point is that the contenders don't look all that special. The Phillies were supposed to be this machine that steamrolled through everyone, but Roy Halladay's the only one that can pitch over there. The Cardinals are winning just because everyone else in their division can't. The Padres aren't for real. And there are your "contenders" through three weeks. Seriously?
Over in the American League, I won't even get into the AL West, because that division's a joke too. The Rays coming out of the East are a championship caliber team, as I've said before. David Price was masterful yesterday, and unlike the Phillies, he's not the only one producing starts like that. The Yankees finally lost a series this weekend to the Angels, but that doesn't say much because the Yankees historically have problems with the Angels and the Angels, at 10-10, are mediocre. I'm not worried about the Yankees at all. At this point, I'd say the ALCS championship game between the Rays and Yankees will decide who wins the World Series. But watch out for the Twins - they have some pitching of their own that has come through so far, and of course they have Joe Mauer. The Twins could be dangerous after they win a division they're already starting to run away with.
By the way, speaking of Joe Mauer, Ryan Howard got a contract extension today that will pay him $25 million a year for the next five years in Philadelphia. That extension surpassed the annual value of Joe Mauer's extension this April. When will the madness end?
I'm simply saying that 27 out of the 30 teams in Major League Baseball are not awe-inspiring. We don't have any 2009 Dodgers or 2006 Mets in the league this year. The Rays are the closest thing to it, but they have the Yankees right on their heels. The real question is, does this make baseball more exciting? To watch the season produce 27 bad-to-mediocre teams that all, somehow, have a greater chance of making the postseason than anyone would expect? It does if you're a Padres fan or a Nationals fan. Maybe baseball's turning into a communist faction, at least for this season. I don't know about you, but I'm not excited about mediocrity. I want to see true powerhouses clash all season long for division superiority, not a bunch of middle-of-the-road squads wage a war of attrition and then limp into the playoffs. So I'll go watch the Rays and Yankees this year and get my fix. I'll watch my Dodgers revert to near-.500 form. I'll watch the NL get crushed in the All-Star Game. I'll wait and hope for deals at the trade deadline that alter the dynamics of division races. And then I'll wrap up a rather pedestrian MLB season watching either the Rays or Yankees dominate their World Series opponent.
Mediocre indeed.
April 19, 2010
These Rays Pack Some Sting
It may or may not come as a surprise to you, but the Tampa Bay Rays, as of tonight, are the best team in baseball.
At least, they're the hottest team right now.
After completing an impressive four-game sweep of the Red Sox in Boston over the weekend, the Rays hold baseball's best record at 10-3. Two of their losses have come at the hands of the Yankees, who happen to hold baseball's second best record at 9-3. Newcomer Rafael Soriano has been a big part of the Rays' success early on, already posting a win and four saves. Starter Matt Garza has been spectacular in three starts, going 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA in wins over the Orioles and Red Sox. And with young stars Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford, and B.J. Upton pacing the Rays' lineup, their balance makes them one of the most complete teams in the league.
The Rays' hot start can hardly be perceived as illegitimate. Competing in what many note to be the toughest division in baseball, the Rays have taken five out of six from Baltimore, and, of course, just finished sweeping the Red Sox in Fenway. Despite losing two out of three to the Yankees during the first weekend of the season, the Rays have left no doubt that they are for real. They rank 6th in baseball with a 3.62 team ERA through thirteen games, and I would not expect that number to fluctuate much over the course of the season.
With all the talent and balance this team has, it baffles me that more people don't talk about them. The Rays are merely an afterthought to most because they reside in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox. And even though the Yankees are off to a good start as well, the Red Sox are now 4-9 after the sweep and have lost five in a row. All of the Rays wins have come within this well-heralded division...so where's all their publicity? I get it, they are a small-market team. But they might be the most exciting small-market team this era of baseball has seen. Props to the Rays for their accomplishments thus far.
Two other surprises, briefly: the openness of the AL West is staggering. Anyone can win that division this year. I don't see the champion of it being decided until the last week of the season. The Angels' dominance is no more.
And who would have thought both the Nationals and Padres would be over .500 going into Week 3? The Padres find themselves in second place in the NL West, one game back of the Giants, while the Nationals are locked in a tight and competitive NL East race. The standings indicate that the NL East is the best division in baseball at the moment, with four teams (including the Nationals) within a game-and-a-half of each other. We'll see if this holds up until the end of the month, but for now it makes for some interesting and exciting baseball. With no overly dominant teams emerging just yet in either league, there's no need for fans to abandon their teams this early on (is there ever a need for that?). Unless you're a fan of the 2-12 Baltimore Orioles. Then you might be justified. It'll be a quiet summer at Camden Yards.
But not in Tampa Bay.
At least, they're the hottest team right now.
After completing an impressive four-game sweep of the Red Sox in Boston over the weekend, the Rays hold baseball's best record at 10-3. Two of their losses have come at the hands of the Yankees, who happen to hold baseball's second best record at 9-3. Newcomer Rafael Soriano has been a big part of the Rays' success early on, already posting a win and four saves. Starter Matt Garza has been spectacular in three starts, going 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA in wins over the Orioles and Red Sox. And with young stars Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford, and B.J. Upton pacing the Rays' lineup, their balance makes them one of the most complete teams in the league.
The Rays' hot start can hardly be perceived as illegitimate. Competing in what many note to be the toughest division in baseball, the Rays have taken five out of six from Baltimore, and, of course, just finished sweeping the Red Sox in Fenway. Despite losing two out of three to the Yankees during the first weekend of the season, the Rays have left no doubt that they are for real. They rank 6th in baseball with a 3.62 team ERA through thirteen games, and I would not expect that number to fluctuate much over the course of the season.
With all the talent and balance this team has, it baffles me that more people don't talk about them. The Rays are merely an afterthought to most because they reside in the same division as the Yankees and Red Sox. And even though the Yankees are off to a good start as well, the Red Sox are now 4-9 after the sweep and have lost five in a row. All of the Rays wins have come within this well-heralded division...so where's all their publicity? I get it, they are a small-market team. But they might be the most exciting small-market team this era of baseball has seen. Props to the Rays for their accomplishments thus far.
Two other surprises, briefly: the openness of the AL West is staggering. Anyone can win that division this year. I don't see the champion of it being decided until the last week of the season. The Angels' dominance is no more.
And who would have thought both the Nationals and Padres would be over .500 going into Week 3? The Padres find themselves in second place in the NL West, one game back of the Giants, while the Nationals are locked in a tight and competitive NL East race. The standings indicate that the NL East is the best division in baseball at the moment, with four teams (including the Nationals) within a game-and-a-half of each other. We'll see if this holds up until the end of the month, but for now it makes for some interesting and exciting baseball. With no overly dominant teams emerging just yet in either league, there's no need for fans to abandon their teams this early on (is there ever a need for that?). Unless you're a fan of the 2-12 Baltimore Orioles. Then you might be justified. It'll be a quiet summer at Camden Yards.
But not in Tampa Bay.
April 17, 2010
It's Time for Dodger...Offense?
7:10 pm, the start time of the Dodgers' tenth game of the 2010 season, of which I happen to be in attendance. Vicente Padilla takes the mound, two ugly starts behind him, and he's dealing. He deals four innings of no-hit baseball until Mark DeRosa leads off the fifth with a single. The crack of Matt Kemp's bat echoes through Dodger Stadium once again in the first inning as he homers for the fourth straight game. Andre Ethier immediately impersonates him, then delivers a slam of an encore in the second that even Denny's would appreciate. James Loney picks up three more hits as he watches his batting average continue to rise. The Dodgers lead 10-3 going into the bottom of the ninth, on their way to an easy win over the hated rival San Francisco Giants.
But the bullpen didn't get the memo.
Russ Ortiz has no command of his pitches. He can't get anyone out in the ninth. Joe Torre looks extremely annoyed as he walks out to the mound to remove Ortiz, needing only one out to finish the game. He looks even more annoyed as Ramon Troncoso thanks him by surrendering a three-run blast to paper-thin Eugenio Velez. Now its 10-8. Troncoso snaps into focus, as if woken from a dream, and he gets the next batter to hit a comebacker to end the game.
Apparently, Troncoso and his fellow bullpen comrades are all stuck in the same dream. You know, the kind of dream where you can't get anyone out or hold a late-inning lead? Dodger fans are not familiar with this dream. We've had the strongest bullpen in the National League each of the last two years. Now Jonathan Broxton seems to be the only one sleeping peacefully.
Today, Charlie Haeger got in on the act. He might as well be in the bullpen. As of today, the Dodger ERA rests at an abysmal 5.56. That is not Dodger baseball. Meanwhile, their team batting average is tops in the league at .320. That is not Dodger baseball either. If the Phillies didn't exist, the Dodgers would be the top offensive team in baseball. We're not used to having potent offenses in Chavez Ravine. We're used to having anemic ones that scrape by while the pitching dominates.
My friends, this will not be the case over the course of the 2010 season. You can see it in Clayton Kershaw's wildness, or Chad Billingsley's inability to hit his spots, or George Sherill's failure to be reliable. You can see it in Kemp and Ethier's smooth strokes, each of which will produce 30 HR, 100 RBI seasons by October. You can see it in Rafael Furcal's rejuvenation, in Ronnie Belliard's slugging percentage, and in Russell Martin's on-base percentage. This is an offensive team, whether we like it or not.
And I don't like it.
Offensive teams don't win World Series. And why should Dodger fans want anything less after the last two seasons? Don't argue for the Yankees last year being an offensive team. CC and A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettite in the playoffs don't equal an offensive team. Offensive teams don't win World Series. Period. The Dodgers are no different. They might have enough firepower to win the NL West, but that's the peak for this season as far as I'm concerned. If that peak is even reached. At 5-6, prospects of winning the division for a third straight season hardly look promising.
Keep in mind, this pitching staff is essentially the same one that posted the National League's best ERA last year. Differences? Ramon Ortiz: awful. Russ Ortiz: even more awful. Carlos Monasterios: unimpressive. Charlie Haeger can hardly be considered a difference because he made three starts last year. Everything else is the same. There is no excuse for the pitching to be this bad. None. 5.56 is atrocious. It's embarrassing.
Eric Karros said today he thinks the Dodgers will right the ship and get better. I don't share his optimism. Pitching isn't something that can just be fixed on the spot. Guys don't just reverse their fortunes overnight. It takes time. Half a season. Ten games in the division standings. That's unrecoverable in August and September.
I don't blame Ned Colletti for trying to win with the same guys that were so effective a year ago. A frontline starter would have put us in the World Series. That hasn't happened yet, but it may not matter at this point. Those same guys aren't getting it done. We're three games back of the Giants already. Their offense looks much improved, and their pitching has remained consistent. They are the real deal, but I already knew that going in. I just didn't expect offense to be reigning Dodgertown in 2010. I had no reason to. It's not Dodger baseball.
But the bullpen didn't get the memo.
Russ Ortiz has no command of his pitches. He can't get anyone out in the ninth. Joe Torre looks extremely annoyed as he walks out to the mound to remove Ortiz, needing only one out to finish the game. He looks even more annoyed as Ramon Troncoso thanks him by surrendering a three-run blast to paper-thin Eugenio Velez. Now its 10-8. Troncoso snaps into focus, as if woken from a dream, and he gets the next batter to hit a comebacker to end the game.
Apparently, Troncoso and his fellow bullpen comrades are all stuck in the same dream. You know, the kind of dream where you can't get anyone out or hold a late-inning lead? Dodger fans are not familiar with this dream. We've had the strongest bullpen in the National League each of the last two years. Now Jonathan Broxton seems to be the only one sleeping peacefully.
Today, Charlie Haeger got in on the act. He might as well be in the bullpen. As of today, the Dodger ERA rests at an abysmal 5.56. That is not Dodger baseball. Meanwhile, their team batting average is tops in the league at .320. That is not Dodger baseball either. If the Phillies didn't exist, the Dodgers would be the top offensive team in baseball. We're not used to having potent offenses in Chavez Ravine. We're used to having anemic ones that scrape by while the pitching dominates.
My friends, this will not be the case over the course of the 2010 season. You can see it in Clayton Kershaw's wildness, or Chad Billingsley's inability to hit his spots, or George Sherill's failure to be reliable. You can see it in Kemp and Ethier's smooth strokes, each of which will produce 30 HR, 100 RBI seasons by October. You can see it in Rafael Furcal's rejuvenation, in Ronnie Belliard's slugging percentage, and in Russell Martin's on-base percentage. This is an offensive team, whether we like it or not.
And I don't like it.
Offensive teams don't win World Series. And why should Dodger fans want anything less after the last two seasons? Don't argue for the Yankees last year being an offensive team. CC and A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettite in the playoffs don't equal an offensive team. Offensive teams don't win World Series. Period. The Dodgers are no different. They might have enough firepower to win the NL West, but that's the peak for this season as far as I'm concerned. If that peak is even reached. At 5-6, prospects of winning the division for a third straight season hardly look promising.
Keep in mind, this pitching staff is essentially the same one that posted the National League's best ERA last year. Differences? Ramon Ortiz: awful. Russ Ortiz: even more awful. Carlos Monasterios: unimpressive. Charlie Haeger can hardly be considered a difference because he made three starts last year. Everything else is the same. There is no excuse for the pitching to be this bad. None. 5.56 is atrocious. It's embarrassing.
Eric Karros said today he thinks the Dodgers will right the ship and get better. I don't share his optimism. Pitching isn't something that can just be fixed on the spot. Guys don't just reverse their fortunes overnight. It takes time. Half a season. Ten games in the division standings. That's unrecoverable in August and September.
I don't blame Ned Colletti for trying to win with the same guys that were so effective a year ago. A frontline starter would have put us in the World Series. That hasn't happened yet, but it may not matter at this point. Those same guys aren't getting it done. We're three games back of the Giants already. Their offense looks much improved, and their pitching has remained consistent. They are the real deal, but I already knew that going in. I just didn't expect offense to be reigning Dodgertown in 2010. I had no reason to. It's not Dodger baseball.
April 12, 2010
Week 1: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
If the first week of Dodger baseball in 2010 is any indication of the way this year's team will perform, then we as fans are in for a big surprise, and perhaps even a big let-down. After wrapping up their first road trip 2-4 (as I predicted they might), the Dodgers open their home season tomorrow afternoon with a roster full of unlikely heroes and major disappointments. With this post, I will highlight the good, the bad, and the ugly through the Dodgers' first six games:
The Good
Hiroki Kuroda: People laughed at me when I said this guy could win 15 games or more this year. After Friday night's performance, that looks more like a definite possibility. No one expects Kuroda to anchor the Dodgers' rotation, but he has looked great the last two times I've seen him and I'm taking a flyer.
Charlie Haeger: It's been a while since any Dodger pitcher struck out 12 batters in a game. Haeger did enough to give the team a chance to win, and that's all you can ask of a fifth starter. He got burned by one tough pitch yesterday. The back end of the Dodgers' rotation is exceeding expectations to this point.
The Bench: As deep and as good as the Dodger bench was last season, it may be even better this season. Ronnie Belliard knocked the cover off the ball this week, while Reed Johnson and Garret Anderson looked solid filling in for the injured Andre Ethier. As a whole, the bench slugged .566 for the week. Look for this trend to continue as guys take full advantage of their spot starts.
Russell Martin: It's good to see Russ hitting again. And he's getting on base. Having already drawn six walks, his OBP rests at an astounding .611, tops on the team thus far. Any consistency with his bat would be a huge plus for the Dodger lineup as the season progresses.
The Bad
The Bullpen: All the pitching concerns for the Dodgers were centered on the starting rotation prior to the start of the season. I find myself more concerned with the performance of the bullpen after this week. Dodger relievers took three of the four losses, including two consecutive in which they blew leads late in the game. That's not Dodger baseball. The longing for the return of Hong-Chih Kuo and Ronald Belisario intensifies.
The Ugly
Vicente Padilla: The Dodgers' opening day starter closes the week with an 11.42 ERA through two starts. And he was supposed to replace Randy Wolf? Wolf is 1-0 with a 4.04 ERA in Milwaukee through two starts. You tell me which pitcher you'd rather have.
George Sherrill: What on Earth has happened to Sherrill? All of a sudden he can't get anyone out. He single-handedly lost the game for the Dodgers on Saturday. The Dodgers have no shot at the postseason if Sherrill can't set up Jonathan Broxton. No shot. Right now he's the only left-handed arm in the bullpen. Too much responsibility rests on that arm for him to perform this poorly and get away with it.
Certainly, this is not the start, both individually and as a team, that most people pictured for the 2010 Dodger squad. Still, we're only a week into the season. There's a lot more baseball to be played, and I've seen enough positive output during this first week of games to keep me confident in the Dodgers' chances of making another World Series run this year. Now let's take a look at some other notables from around the league this week:
Division leaders in the American League are all surprises after Week 1. Toronto, Detroit, and Oakland round out the list. Then again, Toronto played Texas and Baltimore this week. Detroit played Kansas City and Cleveland. Oakland, however, took three out of four from Seattle at home and then two out of three from the Angels in Anaheim. Impressive start for the A's. How do they always manage to be competitive despite consistently dumping their top players year in and year out?
On the other side of the coin, there are no surprises in the National League standings on this Monday (unless you anticipated the Dodgers being atop the NL West). The Giants look like the real deal, the Cardinals are solid as usual, and the Phillies continue to dominate teams. I still stand by my preseason prediction of the Brewers being a darkhorse in the NL Central.
Does 2010 mark the resurgence of Arizona D'Backs outfielder Chris Young? What a week for Young, driving in eleven runs and smashing three roundtrippers. Watch out for the D'Backs if Young stays hot. And in Texas, Nelson Cruz leads the AL in home runs and RBI after one week of play. If the Rangers get their bullpen situation straightened out, they'll be a dangerous team this summer as well.
The Good
Hiroki Kuroda: People laughed at me when I said this guy could win 15 games or more this year. After Friday night's performance, that looks more like a definite possibility. No one expects Kuroda to anchor the Dodgers' rotation, but he has looked great the last two times I've seen him and I'm taking a flyer.
Charlie Haeger: It's been a while since any Dodger pitcher struck out 12 batters in a game. Haeger did enough to give the team a chance to win, and that's all you can ask of a fifth starter. He got burned by one tough pitch yesterday. The back end of the Dodgers' rotation is exceeding expectations to this point.
The Bench: As deep and as good as the Dodger bench was last season, it may be even better this season. Ronnie Belliard knocked the cover off the ball this week, while Reed Johnson and Garret Anderson looked solid filling in for the injured Andre Ethier. As a whole, the bench slugged .566 for the week. Look for this trend to continue as guys take full advantage of their spot starts.
Russell Martin: It's good to see Russ hitting again. And he's getting on base. Having already drawn six walks, his OBP rests at an astounding .611, tops on the team thus far. Any consistency with his bat would be a huge plus for the Dodger lineup as the season progresses.
The Bad
The Bullpen: All the pitching concerns for the Dodgers were centered on the starting rotation prior to the start of the season. I find myself more concerned with the performance of the bullpen after this week. Dodger relievers took three of the four losses, including two consecutive in which they blew leads late in the game. That's not Dodger baseball. The longing for the return of Hong-Chih Kuo and Ronald Belisario intensifies.
The Ugly
Vicente Padilla: The Dodgers' opening day starter closes the week with an 11.42 ERA through two starts. And he was supposed to replace Randy Wolf? Wolf is 1-0 with a 4.04 ERA in Milwaukee through two starts. You tell me which pitcher you'd rather have.
George Sherrill: What on Earth has happened to Sherrill? All of a sudden he can't get anyone out. He single-handedly lost the game for the Dodgers on Saturday. The Dodgers have no shot at the postseason if Sherrill can't set up Jonathan Broxton. No shot. Right now he's the only left-handed arm in the bullpen. Too much responsibility rests on that arm for him to perform this poorly and get away with it.
Certainly, this is not the start, both individually and as a team, that most people pictured for the 2010 Dodger squad. Still, we're only a week into the season. There's a lot more baseball to be played, and I've seen enough positive output during this first week of games to keep me confident in the Dodgers' chances of making another World Series run this year. Now let's take a look at some other notables from around the league this week:
Division leaders in the American League are all surprises after Week 1. Toronto, Detroit, and Oakland round out the list. Then again, Toronto played Texas and Baltimore this week. Detroit played Kansas City and Cleveland. Oakland, however, took three out of four from Seattle at home and then two out of three from the Angels in Anaheim. Impressive start for the A's. How do they always manage to be competitive despite consistently dumping their top players year in and year out?
On the other side of the coin, there are no surprises in the National League standings on this Monday (unless you anticipated the Dodgers being atop the NL West). The Giants look like the real deal, the Cardinals are solid as usual, and the Phillies continue to dominate teams. I still stand by my preseason prediction of the Brewers being a darkhorse in the NL Central.
Does 2010 mark the resurgence of Arizona D'Backs outfielder Chris Young? What a week for Young, driving in eleven runs and smashing three roundtrippers. Watch out for the D'Backs if Young stays hot. And in Texas, Nelson Cruz leads the AL in home runs and RBI after one week of play. If the Rangers get their bullpen situation straightened out, they'll be a dangerous team this summer as well.
April 5, 2010
Pitching Pessimists Prospering
Is it too late to take back what I said about Chad Billingsley?
As I watch the conclusion of the Dodgers' embarassing opener in Pittsburgh, and as I took in the team's final spring training game at Dodger Stadium on Saturday against the Angels, I sense(d) some disturbing trends in the Dodger pitching staff. Billingsley was awful on Saturday, allowing six runs over 2 2/3 innings, including a grand slam to Kendry Morales. No wonder he didn't get the starting nod on Opening Day. That honor went to Vicente Padilla, and what did he do? How about surrendering seven runs over 4 1/3 innings? Is this a sign of things to come for Dodger starting pitching?
It could be for relief pitching too. The bullpen gave up four runs of its own today, including a three-run homer by Ryan Doumit in the 8th off George Sherrill. Sherrill has had a terrible spring, and that seems to be carrying over into the regular season, at least to this point. Hong-Chih Kuo is now on the DL. Ramon Troncoso is now a father. Ronald Belisario is now...wherever he is. And an eleven-run outburst by the Pirates leaves the Dodgers on the wrong side of the scoreboard to start the season.
The biggest complaint I hear from fellow Dodger fans about this season is that the pitching isn't there. All winter I have been resisting this notion, holding on to the belief that the rotation will be effective and the bullpen will continue to dominate as it did last year. Perhaps it is time to dismiss this belief. I've watched three Dodger spring games in person and now the first regular season game on TV, and none of those games have provided evidence for the argument that Dodger pitching is solid. In fact, the pitching has been a tremendous disappointment to someone like me who feels it is capable of far more than it has produced.
Clayton Kershaw will look to reverse this trend on Wednesday. Yet the way things are looking right now, the Dodgers will lose this series to the Pirates with Billingsley on the mound on Thursday and could very well drop the weekend series in Florida if Padilla has another horrible outing. Coming home 2-4 will hardly thrill anyone who will be in the crowd on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium, let alone the rest of the fans at home who undoubtedly expect another division title and playoff appearance this season.
As I watch the conclusion of the Dodgers' embarassing opener in Pittsburgh, and as I took in the team's final spring training game at Dodger Stadium on Saturday against the Angels, I sense(d) some disturbing trends in the Dodger pitching staff. Billingsley was awful on Saturday, allowing six runs over 2 2/3 innings, including a grand slam to Kendry Morales. No wonder he didn't get the starting nod on Opening Day. That honor went to Vicente Padilla, and what did he do? How about surrendering seven runs over 4 1/3 innings? Is this a sign of things to come for Dodger starting pitching?
It could be for relief pitching too. The bullpen gave up four runs of its own today, including a three-run homer by Ryan Doumit in the 8th off George Sherrill. Sherrill has had a terrible spring, and that seems to be carrying over into the regular season, at least to this point. Hong-Chih Kuo is now on the DL. Ramon Troncoso is now a father. Ronald Belisario is now...wherever he is. And an eleven-run outburst by the Pirates leaves the Dodgers on the wrong side of the scoreboard to start the season.
The biggest complaint I hear from fellow Dodger fans about this season is that the pitching isn't there. All winter I have been resisting this notion, holding on to the belief that the rotation will be effective and the bullpen will continue to dominate as it did last year. Perhaps it is time to dismiss this belief. I've watched three Dodger spring games in person and now the first regular season game on TV, and none of those games have provided evidence for the argument that Dodger pitching is solid. In fact, the pitching has been a tremendous disappointment to someone like me who feels it is capable of far more than it has produced.
Clayton Kershaw will look to reverse this trend on Wednesday. Yet the way things are looking right now, the Dodgers will lose this series to the Pirates with Billingsley on the mound on Thursday and could very well drop the weekend series in Florida if Padilla has another horrible outing. Coming home 2-4 will hardly thrill anyone who will be in the crowd on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium, let alone the rest of the fans at home who undoubtedly expect another division title and playoff appearance this season.
April 2, 2010
DeWitt: Torre Wit?
Joe Torre announced yesterday that Blake DeWitt will be the starting second baseman for the Dodgers this season.
Not Jamey Carroll, who was brought in during the offseason to stabilize the position, and who hit .345 this spring.
Not Ronnie Belliard, last season's biggest surprise and playoff hero, not to mention the frontrunner for the job going into camp.
Blake Dewitt.
Yes, the kid needs to play. Yes, the kid has major league experience. Yes, the kid hit .339 in 22 spring games and boasted a .542 slugging percentage. But now the guys Ned Colletti paid to come to Los Angeles (or to stay here) will get spot starts in lieu of the kid who spent most of last season in the minors refining his game. Is this Joe Torre's attempt to be witty?
He certainly made an attempt to be humorous, telling DeWitt he was going back to Albequerque when the kid first sat down to a meeting with him and Colletti last night. One "April Fool's" and sigh of relief later, DeWitt was formally given his spot on the team. A starting spot. Hard to imagine for a kid who was reduced to pinch hitting last season as a September call-up.
Which all begs the question...what happened to Orlando Hudson? Aside from releasing Randy Wolf, saying goodbye to Hudson might have been the most foolish thing the Dodgers did this offseason. The guy was an All-Star. He batted over .300 for most of the season. He hit for the cycle on Opening Day. Why dump a guy like Hudson, when he was a sure bet to surpass other bidders for the second-base job in 2010? Instead, the Dodgers passed on the sure thing, and now have another hopeful prospect to show for it. Can I have the $4.7 million back that was granted to Belliard and Carroll this winter and give it to Hudson?
Meanwhile, Torre named knuckleballer Charlie Haeger the team's fifth starter. This is a move that is much more agreeable than the DeWitt decision, after Haeger posted a 2.20 ERA over the spring to accompany two wins and 15 strikeouts in 16 innings. I saw Haeger pitch towards the end of last summer, and he had two good starts before getting whacked in his third and being sent back to the minors. In his first start he almost out-dueled Cy Young candidate Adam Wainwright over seven grueling innings. Haeger should serve as a reasonably effective fifth starter and complete the Dodgers' rotation for now.
Which brings me to my final point of this post. Vicente Padilla starting Opening Day in Pittsburgh? Not thrilling in the least. The only reason this is occurring is so Clayton Kershaw can start the Dodgers' home opener on April 13. But Kershaw is going to start Wednesday regardless of who pitches Opening Day, so why not throw Chad Billingsley out there? Being tasked with starting the first game of the season would do wonders for Billingsley's confidence. The team would be sending him the message that he is their guy and will be trusted to pitch in big games. That's what Billingsley needs. Not a No. 3 spot in the rotation. That's like a slap in the face. The Dodgers have to do or die with Billingsley this year, whether they like it or not, and it needs to begin immediately. He might be the key to their entire season.
Or it might be that kid at second base.
Not Jamey Carroll, who was brought in during the offseason to stabilize the position, and who hit .345 this spring.
Not Ronnie Belliard, last season's biggest surprise and playoff hero, not to mention the frontrunner for the job going into camp.
Blake Dewitt.
Yes, the kid needs to play. Yes, the kid has major league experience. Yes, the kid hit .339 in 22 spring games and boasted a .542 slugging percentage. But now the guys Ned Colletti paid to come to Los Angeles (or to stay here) will get spot starts in lieu of the kid who spent most of last season in the minors refining his game. Is this Joe Torre's attempt to be witty?
He certainly made an attempt to be humorous, telling DeWitt he was going back to Albequerque when the kid first sat down to a meeting with him and Colletti last night. One "April Fool's" and sigh of relief later, DeWitt was formally given his spot on the team. A starting spot. Hard to imagine for a kid who was reduced to pinch hitting last season as a September call-up.
Which all begs the question...what happened to Orlando Hudson? Aside from releasing Randy Wolf, saying goodbye to Hudson might have been the most foolish thing the Dodgers did this offseason. The guy was an All-Star. He batted over .300 for most of the season. He hit for the cycle on Opening Day. Why dump a guy like Hudson, when he was a sure bet to surpass other bidders for the second-base job in 2010? Instead, the Dodgers passed on the sure thing, and now have another hopeful prospect to show for it. Can I have the $4.7 million back that was granted to Belliard and Carroll this winter and give it to Hudson?
Meanwhile, Torre named knuckleballer Charlie Haeger the team's fifth starter. This is a move that is much more agreeable than the DeWitt decision, after Haeger posted a 2.20 ERA over the spring to accompany two wins and 15 strikeouts in 16 innings. I saw Haeger pitch towards the end of last summer, and he had two good starts before getting whacked in his third and being sent back to the minors. In his first start he almost out-dueled Cy Young candidate Adam Wainwright over seven grueling innings. Haeger should serve as a reasonably effective fifth starter and complete the Dodgers' rotation for now.
Which brings me to my final point of this post. Vicente Padilla starting Opening Day in Pittsburgh? Not thrilling in the least. The only reason this is occurring is so Clayton Kershaw can start the Dodgers' home opener on April 13. But Kershaw is going to start Wednesday regardless of who pitches Opening Day, so why not throw Chad Billingsley out there? Being tasked with starting the first game of the season would do wonders for Billingsley's confidence. The team would be sending him the message that he is their guy and will be trusted to pitch in big games. That's what Billingsley needs. Not a No. 3 spot in the rotation. That's like a slap in the face. The Dodgers have to do or die with Billingsley this year, whether they like it or not, and it needs to begin immediately. He might be the key to their entire season.
Or it might be that kid at second base.
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