Zach Duke was the Pirates opening day starter in 2010. Yesterday, Duke was DFA'd after going 8-15 with a 5.72 ERA and a .321 batting average against. Those are probably some of the worst numbers that any opening day starter has put up in a long time. Judging by the statistics, it makes all the sense in the world to get rid of somebody like that. However, the Pirates aren't exactly deep with major league ready pitching, so there is a lot to be talked about with this move and the immediate future of the starting rotation. Let's start at the top.
James McDonald. My second favorite "Mc" on the team was really good with the Pirates in 2011 after he was brought over here in July with Andrew Lambo for Octavio Dotel. McDonald was 4-5 with a 3.52 ERA and an 8.6 K/9 ratio. Those numbers were all better than his career averages before that, so you can't read too much into them. However, the strikeouts are definitely something to get you excited. McDonald's season batting average against was .260, which is very impressive. Another interesting point is that McDonald's 2010 BABIP was .330, which is pretty high for a guy that was putting up the solid numbers he was. He does have some control problems at times and can walk a lot of batters, but the strikeouts alone make him a legitimate big league pitcher. He seemed to be rejuvenated when he came to Pittsburgh and he should continue to improve as he will be looked at as one of the top pitchers in the Pirates organization next year. I don't care where you come from, when you leave a job as a middle relief bullpen option (as he was in Los Angeles) to a top of the rotation starter, it definitely gives you extra motivation to succeed.
Ross Ohlendorf. The boss had some injury problems in 2010 and only started 17 games because of them. In those 17 starts, Ohlendorf was a pitiful 1-11. However, his ERA was 4.07, which definitely is not deserving of a 1-11 record. His FIP was 4.44, which shows that he was at least a little bit lucky with his ERA, but not too much that we should be worried. His strikeouts were low, at 6.4 per 9, but his walks were respectable at just under 3 per 9. He had a .317 BABIP, which is near average for a guy that pitches to contact like Ross did in 2010. We were expecting big things in 2010 from Ross because of his performance in the second half of the 2009 season (2.73 ERA, .204 BAA in the seasons final 2 months), and Ross didn't deliver. There's reason to believe that Ohlendorf can get it together and be a decent 3-4 option for the Pirates.
Paul Maholm. The best Pirates pitcher statistically, outside of the short sample we saw of James McDonald, was Paul Maholm. He went 9-15 with a 5.10 ERA. Pretty sad when you say a pitcher with a 5.10 ERA was your best pitcher. However, Maholm was not as bad as you'd think from those numbers, his FIP was 4.18 and his BABIP was .336. However, Maholm really was not a good pitcher. He had only 5.6 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9. He also had 6 starts where he gave up 5 or more earned runs. He was especially bad down the stretch with a 6.30 ERA in the final 2 months. Maholm wouldn't be in the rotation for many big leagues teams in 2011 with those numbers, but the Pirates are forced to rely on him. Right now, Maholm looks like the 3rd best starter on this Pirates team for opening day of 2011. However, that should change with some free agent signings and some mid season call-ups. If the sabermetrics are correct, Maholm wasn't as bad as he seemed last year, although he is another pitch to contact pitcher with a bad infield behind him, so things aren't looking good.
Those are the only 3 set in stone Pirate starters next year as of right now. The Pirates are going to be aggressive in signing a starter this offseason, and hopefully they'll find a way to get someone that can be a top 3 guy for the Pirates next year without having to give up too much money. We've all heard the rumors around Jorge De La Rosa, Justin Duscherer, and Jeff Francis, and any of those 3 guys would be a better option than, at least, Maholm, if not Ohlendorf, however there are other teams trying to acquire those guys as well and Pittsburgh isn't the most attractive destination right now, so we could easily lose out on them. Assuming the Pirates get somebody in free agency, the 5th spot will be open for competition in spring training. Some of the guys that will be competing for that spot are...
Brad Lincoln. Lincoln made him much anticipated MLB debut last season, but wasn't good at all as he went 1-4 with a 6.66 ERA in 9 starts. He had one really impressive start against Chicago where he went 7 scoreless innings and picked up his only big league win. However, the rest of the starts were bad and he finished his big league season surrendering 11.3 hits per 9, 2.6 walks per 9, and getting only 4.3 strikeouts per 9. There's no reason to give up on Lincoln yet, he still has the ability to be a major league starter. His ridiculously low strikeout ratio in the major leagues was not expected at all. It's unrealistic to think that this guy can strike out 8-9 batters per 9 innings, but 6-7 is certainly feasible in my opinion. Also, his fastball velocity really didn't show up in a Pirates uniform, so that should improve by a mph or two next year. Lincoln isn't ever going to be the top of the rotation option that we thought he could be when we took him in the first round, but there's no reason to write him off as a career minor league pitcher yet. He could turn into a 3-4 starter as soon as next season.
Charlie Morton. This is a guy that was expected to be one of the Pirates' best pitchers in 2010. He turned out to be one of the worst in the history of the organization. I'm not even going to post the numbers, just because of how ugly they were. However, he did get a call up late in the season and put up some decent starts. He improved his K/BB ratio and was able to get through some decent innings. Morton really can't be any worse than last year, and if he can figure out whatever made him so bad, he could be a factor in this years rotation. If he reaches that potential, he could be a #2 guy, but don't expect anything like that this year. He and Lincoln will be the two main competitors for the final rotation spot, with Morton having a slight advantage because of experience and age.
Jeff Karstens. Despite being the ugliest man in the league, Karstens was pretty reliable for the Pirates in 2010. He had a 4.92 ERA on the year, but he came up big for the Pirates a handful of times. Karstens had 11 starts where he gave up 2 or fewer earned runs. That's a lot. He is not a strikeout pitcher however, with a career 4.46 K/9 ratio. Karstens is not the guy you want to have to count on in your major league rotation, just because he really does not have starter-like stuff. It would be pretty disappointing to see Karstens in the opening day rotation, but at least he's shown the ability to be successful in the big leagues. I would definitely not mind him being a middle reliever for the Pirates next season.
Those three guys are the leading candidates for an opening day starting spot next year, but there are a couple other guys that will start the season in AAA that will be looking to take their jobs away from them a couple months into the season. Those guys are Rudy Owens, Bryan Morris, and Justin Wilson. Tune back next time to read about these guys.
Addition By Subtraction
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Zach Duke, Delwyn Young, and Andy LaRoche DFA'd today. Happy about Duke, and not sure what to think about Young and LaRoche til we see who replaces them.
More actual Pirates/Steelers posting tomorrow.
What We Need, The Hanrahan Question
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Yesterday some rumors broke about the possibility of the Pirates trading Joel Hanrahan, which was not something that many people were expecting to hear. Hanrahan was not only the Pirates best reliever last year, but one of the best in the entire league. His strikeout ratio was 3rd best in the league for all qualified relievers. So why would the Pirates trade him? Here's a couple reasons...
The Pirates are in the middle of a re-building process, and are desperately trying to claw their way back into relevancy in the major leagues. You don't do that with a strong bullpen. It's important, but not as important as having good starting pitching and depth in the majors and minors. The Pirates definitely lack those two things right now, and should focus their efforts on working those out. The most urgent need the Pirates have is starting pitching. There are numerous high-potential arms in the minor leagues, but not enough to feel comfortable with.
If the Pirates are going to make trades this offseason, I want to see their focus be on young starting pitching. Even if they bring in some guys that are a a year or two away from the big leagues, I'll be happy. The Pirates have options for future major league starters at every level of their system, but when you are talking about guys with potential, the more you have the better. You never know if a prospect is going to develop into what he can be, so the more you have the better chance you have of finding real big league talent.
I'm not really concerned with signing pitchers that can help immediately in 2011, since the team probably won't compete regardless. They should take big steps forward from 2010, especially with a full year of the offense consisting of Walker, Alvarez, and Tabata, but the pitching really can't be good enough to compete this year. Therefore, I'm looking for the Pirates to continue to pursue young high-upside pitching that can potentially reach the big leagues in late 2011 or 2012 at any point.
- The return. The Pirates would certainly demand a pretty hefty return for Hanrahan and would have a legitimate chance of getting it. Last year, the Pirates got James McDonald and Andrew Lambo for Octavio Dotel, an amazing return for a rental like Dotel. In a similar situation, the Nationals brought in catching prospect Wilson Ramos for Matt Capps. For some reason, teams have been giving up big name prospects for late-inning relief help. If the Pirates could get a return like one of those two, I would certainly not be opposed to making the deal.
- He's easy to replace (sort of). Don't get me wrong here, the Pirates aren't going to find a pitcher of Hanrahan's calibur on free agency or through easy trade, but we have a couple options in the AA and AAA that could definitely make an impact in the big league level soon. Daniel Moskos pitched well in 2010 and could definitely give us quality innings in the big leagues this year. Another high-upside arm in the system is Diego Moreno, who played A ball last year but could progress quickly and be up by mid-season in 2011 (if all goes right and we really need him). The Pirates have Chris Resop and Evan Meek who are more than capable of being effective in the 8th and 9th innings, so it's not like the Pirates need another elite arm badly if they lose Hanrahan. The bullpen openings are easy to fill through free agency and the Pirates have sufficient options in the minor leagues to make a trade justifiable.
The Pirates are in the middle of a re-building process, and are desperately trying to claw their way back into relevancy in the major leagues. You don't do that with a strong bullpen. It's important, but not as important as having good starting pitching and depth in the majors and minors. The Pirates definitely lack those two things right now, and should focus their efforts on working those out. The most urgent need the Pirates have is starting pitching. There are numerous high-potential arms in the minor leagues, but not enough to feel comfortable with.
If the Pirates are going to make trades this offseason, I want to see their focus be on young starting pitching. Even if they bring in some guys that are a a year or two away from the big leagues, I'll be happy. The Pirates have options for future major league starters at every level of their system, but when you are talking about guys with potential, the more you have the better. You never know if a prospect is going to develop into what he can be, so the more you have the better chance you have of finding real big league talent.
I'm not really concerned with signing pitchers that can help immediately in 2011, since the team probably won't compete regardless. They should take big steps forward from 2010, especially with a full year of the offense consisting of Walker, Alvarez, and Tabata, but the pitching really can't be good enough to compete this year. Therefore, I'm looking for the Pirates to continue to pursue young high-upside pitching that can potentially reach the big leagues in late 2011 or 2012 at any point.
De La Pitching
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The Pirates need pitching. Badly. There have been all kinds of rumors floating around this offseason about the Pirates going after a pitcher and signing him to a multi-year deal. The top pitcher on the market, outside of Cliff Lee, is probably Jorge De La Rosa. The Pirates have made him their number one target, but they are not the only team interested. The Brewers, Rangers, Nationals, Yankees, and Rockies have all shown interest in signing him (or re-signing him in Colorado's case). The Pirates have some money to spend and I think De La Rosa is a good guy to spend it in.
Jorge De La Rosa is 29 years old and first made a big league appearance in 2004, with the Milwaukee Brewers. He has a career record of 49-47 with a 5.02 ERA. His best season was in 2009 when he went 16-9 with a 4.38 ERA. He has actually pitched better at home than on the road, which used to be unheard of for a pitcher that called Coors Field his home. However, it appears that that has changed for some unknown reason so we can't really take much from Coors Field numbers anymore.
De La Rosa is a strikeout pitcher, which the Pirates could desperately use. His career K/9 is at a solid 8, and his best ratio was in that 2009 season when he struck out 9.4 batters per nine innings. He has a career BB/9 of 4.5, which isn't particularly good and has certainly has not helped his case.
In a year where there were a lot of really good arms on the free agent market, De La Rosa probably would not be near the top. However, this year is kind of slim on pitching so he is near the top of the list and will be paid more because of it. The Pirates are going to have to pay more for him than they would normally like to for a guy of his calibur, but the need is so great that I think the Pirates have no choice but to go after him with seriousness.
However signing De La Rosa certainly wouldn't bring all positives to the table. The Pirates would lose their 2nd round draft pick since he is a type-A free agent. Also, since the market is slim on pitching, they are going to have tie up a good amount of money in him, which would really hurt us down the line if he doesn't perform well for a few years. He could come to Pittsburgh and have a Cy Young season (which he isn't even capable of) in 2011 and the Pirates still won't sniff the playoffs. The only way it would be a good thing to give him a lot of money is if he pitches well for 3-4 years and stays healthy. The Pirates aren't going to contend in 2011 so they need to have 2012 and 2013 and years beyond in mind when signing guys this offseason. Even though the Pirates have money to spend this offseason, they have to be wise about how they spend it.
Another option for the Pirates is former top prospect Jeff Francis. Francis was the Rockies first round pick in the 2002 draft and has played in 6 different seasons in the majors. He debuted in 2004 and missed the entire 2009 season because of injury. His career ERA is 4.77 with a 6.1 K/9 ratio and a 2.9 BB/9. He clearly has not lived up to anywhere near the hype he was given, and his ceiling is shrinking as he has reached the age of 29. He will be 30 by the seasons start and his numbers are not as impressive as De La Rosa's, so I would be upset if the Pirates go after Francis instead of De La Rosa.
Pittsburgh is not an attractive destination for established big leaguers, but the addition of Clint Hurdle could definitely help our cause when going after former Rockies like De La Rosa and Francis (although you can never be sure if they even liked Hurdle as manager or not). Everybody knows that Pittsburgh is an up and coming team with a definite chance to do some damage in the next couple seasons, but tha alone won't be enough to persuade anybody to come here, so they are going to simply have to be the highest bidder. Here's hoping something goes right this winter.
Jorge De La Rosa is 29 years old and first made a big league appearance in 2004, with the Milwaukee Brewers. He has a career record of 49-47 with a 5.02 ERA. His best season was in 2009 when he went 16-9 with a 4.38 ERA. He has actually pitched better at home than on the road, which used to be unheard of for a pitcher that called Coors Field his home. However, it appears that that has changed for some unknown reason so we can't really take much from Coors Field numbers anymore.
De La Rosa is a strikeout pitcher, which the Pirates could desperately use. His career K/9 is at a solid 8, and his best ratio was in that 2009 season when he struck out 9.4 batters per nine innings. He has a career BB/9 of 4.5, which isn't particularly good and has certainly has not helped his case.
In a year where there were a lot of really good arms on the free agent market, De La Rosa probably would not be near the top. However, this year is kind of slim on pitching so he is near the top of the list and will be paid more because of it. The Pirates are going to have to pay more for him than they would normally like to for a guy of his calibur, but the need is so great that I think the Pirates have no choice but to go after him with seriousness.
However signing De La Rosa certainly wouldn't bring all positives to the table. The Pirates would lose their 2nd round draft pick since he is a type-A free agent. Also, since the market is slim on pitching, they are going to have tie up a good amount of money in him, which would really hurt us down the line if he doesn't perform well for a few years. He could come to Pittsburgh and have a Cy Young season (which he isn't even capable of) in 2011 and the Pirates still won't sniff the playoffs. The only way it would be a good thing to give him a lot of money is if he pitches well for 3-4 years and stays healthy. The Pirates aren't going to contend in 2011 so they need to have 2012 and 2013 and years beyond in mind when signing guys this offseason. Even though the Pirates have money to spend this offseason, they have to be wise about how they spend it.
Another option for the Pirates is former top prospect Jeff Francis. Francis was the Rockies first round pick in the 2002 draft and has played in 6 different seasons in the majors. He debuted in 2004 and missed the entire 2009 season because of injury. His career ERA is 4.77 with a 6.1 K/9 ratio and a 2.9 BB/9. He clearly has not lived up to anywhere near the hype he was given, and his ceiling is shrinking as he has reached the age of 29. He will be 30 by the seasons start and his numbers are not as impressive as De La Rosa's, so I would be upset if the Pirates go after Francis instead of De La Rosa.
Pittsburgh is not an attractive destination for established big leaguers, but the addition of Clint Hurdle could definitely help our cause when going after former Rockies like De La Rosa and Francis (although you can never be sure if they even liked Hurdle as manager or not). Everybody knows that Pittsburgh is an up and coming team with a definite chance to do some damage in the next couple seasons, but tha alone won't be enough to persuade anybody to come here, so they are going to simply have to be the highest bidder. Here's hoping something goes right this winter.
Jumping Hurdles
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The Pirates have hired Clint Hurdle as their manager.
Last year Hurdle was the hitting coach for the AL Champion Texas Rangers. He last managed in the big leagues for the Colorado Rockies in 2009. In Hurdle's 6+ years with the Rockies, he went 534-625. He was fired not even halfway into the 2009 season. He had some bad teams in Colorado, so you can't take too much from his record to determine what kind of coach he was.
He is definitely more animate than John Russell, of course, a tree stump is more animate than that guy. He has a focus on hitting which could definitely help some of the Pirates young bats, but it leaves the Pirates with an even greater need to hire a competent pitching coach or other coaches that can mature our young guys so we can compete.
All-in-all there weren't too many real options for the Pirates, but I think they got the right guy. I have never been the type to think that a manager has any real impact on the team anyway, so I really wasn't too concerned about this manager search. It'll be hard for Hurdle to not be an upgrade from Russell, so things are looking up, I guess.
Last year Hurdle was the hitting coach for the AL Champion Texas Rangers. He last managed in the big leagues for the Colorado Rockies in 2009. In Hurdle's 6+ years with the Rockies, he went 534-625. He was fired not even halfway into the 2009 season. He had some bad teams in Colorado, so you can't take too much from his record to determine what kind of coach he was.
He is definitely more animate than John Russell, of course, a tree stump is more animate than that guy. He has a focus on hitting which could definitely help some of the Pirates young bats, but it leaves the Pirates with an even greater need to hire a competent pitching coach or other coaches that can mature our young guys so we can compete.
All-in-all there weren't too many real options for the Pirates, but I think they got the right guy. I have never been the type to think that a manager has any real impact on the team anyway, so I really wasn't too concerned about this manager search. It'll be hard for Hurdle to not be an upgrade from Russell, so things are looking up, I guess.
30/30 Love
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When a baseball fan hears the words "thirty thirty", they automatically think about players like Carlos Beltran, Alfonso Soriano, Jimmy Rollins, and Grady Sizemore, for their ability to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a single season. However, something happened in sports last night that has not happened since 1982.
Kevin Love scored 31 points and collected 31 rebounds, all in one game.
I know Pittsburgh is not a basketball city, especially not when talking about the NBA. However, I am a fan of the league and I feel that this deserves some publicity. The dude got 31 rebounds in one friggin game. When you hear about someone grabbing 20 rebounds you are extremely impressed, but 31? Wow. That's not gonna happen again any time soon.
He earned it, give Kevin some love.
Kevin Love scored 31 points and collected 31 rebounds, all in one game.
I know Pittsburgh is not a basketball city, especially not when talking about the NBA. However, I am a fan of the league and I feel that this deserves some publicity. The dude got 31 rebounds in one friggin game. When you hear about someone grabbing 20 rebounds you are extremely impressed, but 31? Wow. That's not gonna happen again any time soon.
He earned it, give Kevin some love.
My NFL Week 10 Power Rankings
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10. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are higher than 10 on most people's power rankings; I'm just not completely buying into the Michael Vick thing. He's been good this year, but has put up his numbers against weaker defenses. His best games were against the Lions, Jaguars, and Colts, none of whom are considered top defenses in this league, in fact they are all near the bottom. Eventually the Eagles are going to run into a defense that can shut down Mike Vick's legs and make him pass, and when that happens, the Eagles aren't that great of a football team.
9. New Orleans Saints
The Saints are a team that really aren't living up to their expectations. After winning the Super Bowl last year everyone expected them to come back and be in the top 2 or 3 teams in the NFC, and they really haven't done that this year. There defense has been good (top 5 in the league in points allowed per game), and their offense has been middle of the road (14th in points per game). They've struggled in big situations, including 3rd and 4th downs, and really aren't playing as well as last year. Once Bush and Thomas get back, things could change fast and they could be right back near the top of this list.
8. New England Patriots
Another team that I can't figure out is the Patriots. They have a good record at 5-2, but suffered a brutal loss to the Browns last week. Their running game is now relying on Benjarvus Green-Ellis, who has been better than most expected, but isn't the guy that's going to take your offense very far by himself. Fortunately for the Patriots, they don't need a top running back to win thanks to their quarterback. However, Randy Moss isn't there anymore and I don't think Brandon Tate is ready to be the home run threat that he can be, at least not yet. Their defense is gonna have to play better and one of these young receivers really has to step up for them to move up on the list.
7. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have lost 3 games and are ahead of the 2-loss Patriots on my list. The reason for that certainly isn't their defense, it has been pretty bad this year. However, the presence of Peyton Manning is good enough to get them over the Patriots, Saints, and Eagles in my eyes. They have a very good receiving core and some pretty versatile running backs (once they get healthy). I see this team getting better and better as the season winds down, and the Colts will make a run in the playoffs.
6. Green Bay Packers
This team has been absolutely killed with injuries this year. The fact they are still #6 after what they have gone through this season really tells you a lot about the team. They have an elite quarterback in Aaron Rodgers and a very strong defense, and that alone is enough to take a team pretty far. They are going to have to get the run game going a little bit better if they want to have a shot at the end of the year.
5. New York Jets
This is a team that I'm not a big fan of, but couldn't help but put them near the top of the rankings. They have a good offense, and a very good defense. Mark Sanchez has been criticized a lot but gets his job done when it matters. Their run game is very strong, and that's without Shonne Greene playing to the level that he is capable of. Once the defense gets completely healthy, they're good enough to take the Jets the whole way by themselves.
4. Atlanta Falcons
Gotta love the Falcons. Great running game, a quarterback on the rise, and a strong defense. There's really nothing that this team doesn't do well, although they have some trouble with consistency, but I'm not worried, they'll be in the NFC Championship game.
3. Baltimore Ravens
The top 3 is when it starts to get real tough. I had to put the Ravens here at 3 just because of the 2 teams ahead of them. The Ravens have everything you want when you're building a Super Bowl contender, they have a very good quarterback, a couple strong running backs, and one of the best defenses in the game. However, a couple of their key guys are really getting up there in age (Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Derrick Mason), and although they are still performing well this year, there is always the fear of them getting hurt or slowing down. I wouldn't worry much if I were a Ravens fan, they have as good a chance as anybody to take the whole thing this year.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
Probably a surprise here, most Pittsburgh sports fan would put the Steelers up top without asking a question. However, a couple close wins over the Dolphins and Bengals a long with the loss to the Saints made me keep them off the top of the list. They've done a fantastic job on defense this year, ranking in the top 3 in almost all defensive statistics so far, and their offense looks to be near the top of the league as well when it's all going right. Ben Roethlisberger is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, Rashard Mendenhall is really showing the league what he has, and Mike Wallace is emerging. No reason why the Steelers can't win their 7th Super Bowl this year.
1. New York Giants
I had to do it. I've watched this team a couple times this year and I've been incredibly impressed every single time. It all starts with the defense. They've been brutal on quarterbacks this year, and they are getting off the field fast. They have some athletic linemen, as always, and they have a very capable secondary. Despite that, the thing that I think is going to carry this team is Eli Manning. He seems to be maturing and getting better every week, even after most people thought he had reached near his peak already. The guy has been in the league since 2004, but just keeps getting better. It also helps that he's has an absolute stud receiver break out this year in Hakeem Nicks. This guy is one of the best in the game, and nobody was saying that before this season started. Steve Smith is one of the best possession receivers in the game and a guy that Eli has complete confidence in in big situations. The running game has played over their expectations as well. Ahmad Bradshaw has broken out and Brandon Jacobs has been running with authority again this year. While a lot of rankings have the Ravens and Steelers ahead of the them, the Giants have just been too dominant lately for me to put them anywhere but #1.
The Eagles are higher than 10 on most people's power rankings; I'm just not completely buying into the Michael Vick thing. He's been good this year, but has put up his numbers against weaker defenses. His best games were against the Lions, Jaguars, and Colts, none of whom are considered top defenses in this league, in fact they are all near the bottom. Eventually the Eagles are going to run into a defense that can shut down Mike Vick's legs and make him pass, and when that happens, the Eagles aren't that great of a football team.
9. New Orleans Saints
The Saints are a team that really aren't living up to their expectations. After winning the Super Bowl last year everyone expected them to come back and be in the top 2 or 3 teams in the NFC, and they really haven't done that this year. There defense has been good (top 5 in the league in points allowed per game), and their offense has been middle of the road (14th in points per game). They've struggled in big situations, including 3rd and 4th downs, and really aren't playing as well as last year. Once Bush and Thomas get back, things could change fast and they could be right back near the top of this list.
8. New England Patriots
Another team that I can't figure out is the Patriots. They have a good record at 5-2, but suffered a brutal loss to the Browns last week. Their running game is now relying on Benjarvus Green-Ellis, who has been better than most expected, but isn't the guy that's going to take your offense very far by himself. Fortunately for the Patriots, they don't need a top running back to win thanks to their quarterback. However, Randy Moss isn't there anymore and I don't think Brandon Tate is ready to be the home run threat that he can be, at least not yet. Their defense is gonna have to play better and one of these young receivers really has to step up for them to move up on the list.
7. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have lost 3 games and are ahead of the 2-loss Patriots on my list. The reason for that certainly isn't their defense, it has been pretty bad this year. However, the presence of Peyton Manning is good enough to get them over the Patriots, Saints, and Eagles in my eyes. They have a very good receiving core and some pretty versatile running backs (once they get healthy). I see this team getting better and better as the season winds down, and the Colts will make a run in the playoffs.
6. Green Bay Packers
This team has been absolutely killed with injuries this year. The fact they are still #6 after what they have gone through this season really tells you a lot about the team. They have an elite quarterback in Aaron Rodgers and a very strong defense, and that alone is enough to take a team pretty far. They are going to have to get the run game going a little bit better if they want to have a shot at the end of the year.
5. New York Jets
This is a team that I'm not a big fan of, but couldn't help but put them near the top of the rankings. They have a good offense, and a very good defense. Mark Sanchez has been criticized a lot but gets his job done when it matters. Their run game is very strong, and that's without Shonne Greene playing to the level that he is capable of. Once the defense gets completely healthy, they're good enough to take the Jets the whole way by themselves.
4. Atlanta Falcons
Gotta love the Falcons. Great running game, a quarterback on the rise, and a strong defense. There's really nothing that this team doesn't do well, although they have some trouble with consistency, but I'm not worried, they'll be in the NFC Championship game.
3. Baltimore Ravens
The top 3 is when it starts to get real tough. I had to put the Ravens here at 3 just because of the 2 teams ahead of them. The Ravens have everything you want when you're building a Super Bowl contender, they have a very good quarterback, a couple strong running backs, and one of the best defenses in the game. However, a couple of their key guys are really getting up there in age (Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Derrick Mason), and although they are still performing well this year, there is always the fear of them getting hurt or slowing down. I wouldn't worry much if I were a Ravens fan, they have as good a chance as anybody to take the whole thing this year.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
Probably a surprise here, most Pittsburgh sports fan would put the Steelers up top without asking a question. However, a couple close wins over the Dolphins and Bengals a long with the loss to the Saints made me keep them off the top of the list. They've done a fantastic job on defense this year, ranking in the top 3 in almost all defensive statistics so far, and their offense looks to be near the top of the league as well when it's all going right. Ben Roethlisberger is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, Rashard Mendenhall is really showing the league what he has, and Mike Wallace is emerging. No reason why the Steelers can't win their 7th Super Bowl this year.
1. New York Giants
I had to do it. I've watched this team a couple times this year and I've been incredibly impressed every single time. It all starts with the defense. They've been brutal on quarterbacks this year, and they are getting off the field fast. They have some athletic linemen, as always, and they have a very capable secondary. Despite that, the thing that I think is going to carry this team is Eli Manning. He seems to be maturing and getting better every week, even after most people thought he had reached near his peak already. The guy has been in the league since 2004, but just keeps getting better. It also helps that he's has an absolute stud receiver break out this year in Hakeem Nicks. This guy is one of the best in the game, and nobody was saying that before this season started. Steve Smith is one of the best possession receivers in the game and a guy that Eli has complete confidence in in big situations. The running game has played over their expectations as well. Ahmad Bradshaw has broken out and Brandon Jacobs has been running with authority again this year. While a lot of rankings have the Ravens and Steelers ahead of the them, the Giants have just been too dominant lately for me to put them anywhere but #1.
Duscherer Again?
Comments
The Pirates will be looking for some pitching this offseason. Now you could have said that same thing last year, but this year it appears more likely that the Pirates will actually sign a starter. If you thought we had a lot of question marks for the rotation a year ago, those questions seemed to have doubled after the 2010 season. Charlie Morton was supposed to develop into this team's ace, and now there are questions if he can ever be a major league #5 starter. Ross Ohlendorf struggled with injury problems all year and Zach Duke flat out stunk. The Pirates need to sign some pitchers this off season just to avoid setting more records for awfulness in the rotation.
Last year, I posted about my interest in the Pirates signing Oakland A's Pitcher Justin Duscherer. I've always liked the guy and wanted to see his high-upside come to the burgh. However the A's resigned him and gave him another shot. In return, Duscherer gave the A's 5 starts in April before being put on the 60 day DL... again. Most of the issues have been hip issues, which is a definite concern for a major league pitcher. However, there are some reasons that the Pirates could be able to sign him, and probably should at least try, here's just a few:
Duscherer wants to start this year, and he might not have that option on other teams. He would immediately be the Pirates #1 pitcher on opening day if healthy, and because of his injury questions and his subsequent low value, his head cannot be big enough to not be excited by that possibility. The Pirates aren't going to fool anybody, they aren't looking for a long term deal, and neither is Duscherer. I think it's a perfect fit, go get him Neal.
Last year, I posted about my interest in the Pirates signing Oakland A's Pitcher Justin Duscherer. I've always liked the guy and wanted to see his high-upside come to the burgh. However the A's resigned him and gave him another shot. In return, Duscherer gave the A's 5 starts in April before being put on the 60 day DL... again. Most of the issues have been hip issues, which is a definite concern for a major league pitcher. However, there are some reasons that the Pirates could be able to sign him, and probably should at least try, here's just a few:
- The Pirates don't need to sign a guy that's going to be in our rotation for 5 years. They really only need someone to get them through this year, with a possible option to help next year as well. The Pirates pitching is loaded in the lower levels of the minor leagues, and some of those guys should rise quickly and be in the big leagues next year. Duscherer is about to turn 33 years old, so he is nearing the end of his big league service time, so he's not looking for a long-term contract, which bodes well for the Pirates.
- Another reason that the Pirates could get this guy is that he doesn't as much value to the teams that are looking to contend this year. Why would a contender spend their money on a guy that hasn't played anything close to a full season since 2006? The attention in free agency this year, in terms of pitching, is firstly on Cliff Lee, and secondly on guys like Jorge De La Rosa, Hiroki Kuroda, and Carl Pavano. The big teams aren't going to go after Duscherer, which gives the Pirates a chance if they get in quick enough.
- A third point to make is that Duscherer could be attracted to Pittsburgh as a low-pressure situation where he can focus on getting out there and showing the rest of the league what he can do, and then hope for a trade at the deadline to a contending team looking for a solid starting pitcher. The competition in Pittsburgh is minimal for a guy of his calibur; he would be sure of his starting job the entire year and really be able to focus on reaching some of his potential. If he can do that, he could be a major piece in a trade that could bring in some players that can answer more serious, long term issues for the Pirates.
Duscherer wants to start this year, and he might not have that option on other teams. He would immediately be the Pirates #1 pitcher on opening day if healthy, and because of his injury questions and his subsequent low value, his head cannot be big enough to not be excited by that possibility. The Pirates aren't going to fool anybody, they aren't looking for a long term deal, and neither is Duscherer. I think it's a perfect fit, go get him Neal.
World Series Prediction
Comments
Sup.
The next 2 days in sports are huge. Tomorrow night, the NBA season tips off with the main event being LeBron James' debut with the Miami Heat against the Boston Celtics. That game is on TNT and starts at 7:30. I know a lot of people in Pittsburgh don't pay attention to the NBA, because of the lack of the team here, but I see no better time to start watching than right now. Everybody knows about LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, and seeing them playing together is something that should interest you regardless. I have always been a mild fan of the NBA, I've played the fantasy game and can hold my own in a conversation (at least in Pittsburgh), but I've never truly gotten into it. That could easily change this season. I'm really excited to see some of these new rosters and new teams play, as well as see all the teams in the NBA shoot to beat the Heat.
After that, the MLB World Series gets rolling with the Giants hosting the Rangers. You can't ask for a much better pitching matchup to start it off, with Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee sharing the rubber. Lee has been phenomenal on the road all year long, and Lincecum has been electric in the playoffs, and always pitches well at home. The advantage goes to Lee, just cause he has been more consistently dominant. It's definitely hard to pick against the Rangers with Lee on the hill, and I won't be doing it tomorrow. The Rangers have a definite advantage with the bats, and with Lee on the hill they are nearly impossible to beat. The Rangers will take game 1, but will eventually lose the series.
The Giants rotation as a whole is better than what the Rangers have. When you look at the 2-4 guys, it's Sanchez/Cain/Bumgarner vs. Wilson/Lewis/Hunter. While every single one of those guys is capable of dominating any offense in this league, the strength of the Giants is better than the Rangers. The postseason ERAs for 2-4 Giants pitchers are 2.93/0.00/3.55 respectively, and the Rangers are 2.03/1.45/6.14. And yes, that did say 0.00 for Matt Cain (in 13.2 innings). There isn't going to be a bad pitching matchup all series, just how playoff baseball should be. It's gonna come down to hitting. Not in volume, but in the timing of it. Whoever can get the big hits will win this series. The Giants played close baseball all year long, and they have as many timely hits as anybody in the league, as we saw with Juan Uribe's go-ahead home run on Saturday.
If your asking me who I am pulling for in this series, I would quickly answer the Giants. However, if the Rangers do end up winning, I will not be upset. The biggest reason I would be happy if the Rangers win would be about Cliff Lee. Not that I love the guy or anything, as a matter of fact I don't particularly care for him. However, there have been rumors that he is heading to the Yankees next year, which are completely believable considering he's the best pitcher on the market and the Yankees will be looking to spend again this year. If Lee wins a World Series with the Rangers, he has already said that he would be more likely to re-sign with them next year. That certainly makes sense, why would you want to walk away from a team that you just won a World Championship with?
I guess it's a win-win for me. Here's my game-by-game prediction:
Game 1: Rangers
Game 2: Giants
Game 3: Giants
Game 4: Rangers
Game 5: Rangers
Game 6: Giants
Game 7: Giants
The next 2 days in sports are huge. Tomorrow night, the NBA season tips off with the main event being LeBron James' debut with the Miami Heat against the Boston Celtics. That game is on TNT and starts at 7:30. I know a lot of people in Pittsburgh don't pay attention to the NBA, because of the lack of the team here, but I see no better time to start watching than right now. Everybody knows about LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, and seeing them playing together is something that should interest you regardless. I have always been a mild fan of the NBA, I've played the fantasy game and can hold my own in a conversation (at least in Pittsburgh), but I've never truly gotten into it. That could easily change this season. I'm really excited to see some of these new rosters and new teams play, as well as see all the teams in the NBA shoot to beat the Heat.
After that, the MLB World Series gets rolling with the Giants hosting the Rangers. You can't ask for a much better pitching matchup to start it off, with Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee sharing the rubber. Lee has been phenomenal on the road all year long, and Lincecum has been electric in the playoffs, and always pitches well at home. The advantage goes to Lee, just cause he has been more consistently dominant. It's definitely hard to pick against the Rangers with Lee on the hill, and I won't be doing it tomorrow. The Rangers have a definite advantage with the bats, and with Lee on the hill they are nearly impossible to beat. The Rangers will take game 1, but will eventually lose the series.
The Giants rotation as a whole is better than what the Rangers have. When you look at the 2-4 guys, it's Sanchez/Cain/Bumgarner vs. Wilson/Lewis/Hunter. While every single one of those guys is capable of dominating any offense in this league, the strength of the Giants is better than the Rangers. The postseason ERAs for 2-4 Giants pitchers are 2.93/0.00/3.55 respectively, and the Rangers are 2.03/1.45/6.14. And yes, that did say 0.00 for Matt Cain (in 13.2 innings). There isn't going to be a bad pitching matchup all series, just how playoff baseball should be. It's gonna come down to hitting. Not in volume, but in the timing of it. Whoever can get the big hits will win this series. The Giants played close baseball all year long, and they have as many timely hits as anybody in the league, as we saw with Juan Uribe's go-ahead home run on Saturday.
If your asking me who I am pulling for in this series, I would quickly answer the Giants. However, if the Rangers do end up winning, I will not be upset. The biggest reason I would be happy if the Rangers win would be about Cliff Lee. Not that I love the guy or anything, as a matter of fact I don't particularly care for him. However, there have been rumors that he is heading to the Yankees next year, which are completely believable considering he's the best pitcher on the market and the Yankees will be looking to spend again this year. If Lee wins a World Series with the Rangers, he has already said that he would be more likely to re-sign with them next year. That certainly makes sense, why would you want to walk away from a team that you just won a World Championship with?
I guess it's a win-win for me. Here's my game-by-game prediction:
Game 1: Rangers
Game 2: Giants
Game 3: Giants
Game 4: Rangers
Game 5: Rangers
Game 6: Giants
Game 7: Giants
Bench McFleury?
Comments
Let me begin this post by (re)stating one thing - I am not now, nor I will I ever be, a big Pittsburgh Penguins fan. In fact, in recent years I have come to dislike them to a pretty good extend. When I really think about it, it's not the team I dislike, they really have not done anything to warrant that, but it's the fans and the sudden rise to popularity that the team has experienced that has grown this dislike in me.
Now regardless of that, I am not incompetent when it comes to hockey. I watch sportscenter, pay attention to what is going on, and even play fantasy hockey. What I want to talk about today is what is going on with the goalie situation for the hometown Penguins.
Before this year, Marc-Andre Fleury was the no-brainer starting goalie. However, 6 games into the season, it is no longer that clear who the starter is.
Fleury has started 3 games this year, and has not done well at all. He has allowed 10 goals on 68 shots in those games. Those are not good numbers. Fleury's backup, and now competition, Brent Johnson has also started 3 games, and has allowed 4 goals on 85 shots. He is 3-0 while Fleury is 0-3. Those numbers right there are the reason that Johnson got the call for tonight's game against the Senators.
It is unclear whether coach Dan Bylsma is simply riding the hot hand or seriously considering making Johnson is starter. My guess would be that he still has Fleury on his mind as the starter, but just does not want to sit a player that has helped the team win all 3 of their games this season.
Here's the deal folks, Brent Johnson is 34 years old. He has been around since 1998 and has a career 124-100 record with a save percentage of .904. Fleury is 25 years old with a career 148-109 record and a .906 save percentage. The age surely favors Fleury, and the numbers do as well (not by much, but they do).
The Penguins have a lot more invested in Fleury than they do in Johnson, and Fleury has proven that he can come up big when it counts the most. He was huge in their playoff run to the Stanley Cup 2 seasons ago, and it's going to take a whole lot more than 3 games to have the team take away his job.
I am totally on board with everything I just said, and I think that the Penguins should start putting Fleury between the pipes every night.
That is mainly because he is on my fantasy team, but I do seriously think it would be best for the team as well in the long run.
Let's Go Bucs.
Meet The McSteelers
Comments
Here at "The 'Mc' Effect", we love a lot of things - but one thing more than the rest - and that is athletes with an "M - c" at the beginning of their last names. Since the Pirates' Mc's are done until next March, we'll have to switch gears and meet the rest of the Pittsburgh Mc's.
Sean McHugh, FB/TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
Sean McHugh isn't the best football player in the league. In fact, he's not even in the top 3 at his position on his own team. He is, however, one of my favorite Steelers, if not only because of his last name.
McHugh attended Penn State University, and played a lot in the backfield, letting 4 times. In his career there, he ran 82 times for 332 yards and 6 touchdowns. Those 6 touchdowns were just 14 shy of what Larry Johnson had in his senior season, so you could say that McHugh's skill level is just inches below Johnson's.
McHugh's skills were recognized and he began his NFL career in 2004 with the Green Bay Packers. He played one game for the Packers, and didn't get a carry or a catch, but he provided some highlight reel worthy blocking.
The next stop on the journey of McHugh was Detroit, where he played for 3 seasons. In that time he caught 20 balls for 277 yards. He failed to reach the endzone, probably just because of his incredible humility. He was probably the Lions best player in those years, with Kevin Jones and Sean Rogers coming in at a close 2nd and 3rd.
After the 3 years in Detroit, the Lions had run out of the material needed to make McHugh jerseys at the rate of demand, so they let him go. He was picked up by the Steelers in 2008 and caught 3 balls in his 3 starts for 24 yards. One of those catches went for an astounding 15 yards, a real season changer for the Steelers who went on to win the Super Bowl that year, undoubtably because of McHugh's efforts.
His career has slowed down a little bit since his Super Bowl royalty days, he has been on and off of free agency, and he really isn't a factor for the Steelers as they stand right now, but he is listed on the Steelers.com roster, which makes him worth a couple billion dollars.
Steve McLendon, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers
On January 3rd, 1986, Steve McLendon was born in Ozark, Alabama. He grew rapidly and by the age of 3 Steve was 6'4'', weighing in at 284 pounds. He didn't fit in too well in kindergarten, but all the pain of a tough childhood was made right when he was picked up as an undrafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009. After a successful career at Troy, McLendon was ready to bring his game to the next level. He worked extremely hard to make the team, but was tragically cut on the last day of camp by the Steelers. Immediately after he was informed of this, the Steelers realized their mistake and offered him a practice squad contract the next day.
Earlier this year, the Steelers, without their star quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, called up McLendon to fill in until Ben's suspension ended. McLendon was ready to start at QB against the Titans, but he came down with a terrible case of scarlet fever right before the game, and was forced to play defensive tackle. In the game he recorded a near record breaking 1 tackle, while almost getting an interception return for a touchdown. He would have had it, but he missed the ball because he was temporarily blinded.
The Steelers came to the realization that a man like McLendon is probably way to violent and skilled to play in the NFL anyway, so he will continue to help other players like Casey Hampton get better at their trade during the week, when it really counts.
The Penguins don't have anybody with a "Mc" at the beginning of their name, because almost all of their players are Russian or Canadian, maybe if the Penguins start recruiting some actual athletes, I'll pay more attention to them.
Your welcome for the enlightenment. Have a great mcMonday.
Sean McHugh, FB/TE, Pittsburgh Steelers
Sean McHugh isn't the best football player in the league. In fact, he's not even in the top 3 at his position on his own team. He is, however, one of my favorite Steelers, if not only because of his last name.
McHugh attended Penn State University, and played a lot in the backfield, letting 4 times. In his career there, he ran 82 times for 332 yards and 6 touchdowns. Those 6 touchdowns were just 14 shy of what Larry Johnson had in his senior season, so you could say that McHugh's skill level is just inches below Johnson's.
McHugh's skills were recognized and he began his NFL career in 2004 with the Green Bay Packers. He played one game for the Packers, and didn't get a carry or a catch, but he provided some highlight reel worthy blocking.
The next stop on the journey of McHugh was Detroit, where he played for 3 seasons. In that time he caught 20 balls for 277 yards. He failed to reach the endzone, probably just because of his incredible humility. He was probably the Lions best player in those years, with Kevin Jones and Sean Rogers coming in at a close 2nd and 3rd.
After the 3 years in Detroit, the Lions had run out of the material needed to make McHugh jerseys at the rate of demand, so they let him go. He was picked up by the Steelers in 2008 and caught 3 balls in his 3 starts for 24 yards. One of those catches went for an astounding 15 yards, a real season changer for the Steelers who went on to win the Super Bowl that year, undoubtably because of McHugh's efforts.
His career has slowed down a little bit since his Super Bowl royalty days, he has been on and off of free agency, and he really isn't a factor for the Steelers as they stand right now, but he is listed on the Steelers.com roster, which makes him worth a couple billion dollars.
Steve McLendon, DT, Pittsburgh Steelers
On January 3rd, 1986, Steve McLendon was born in Ozark, Alabama. He grew rapidly and by the age of 3 Steve was 6'4'', weighing in at 284 pounds. He didn't fit in too well in kindergarten, but all the pain of a tough childhood was made right when he was picked up as an undrafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009. After a successful career at Troy, McLendon was ready to bring his game to the next level. He worked extremely hard to make the team, but was tragically cut on the last day of camp by the Steelers. Immediately after he was informed of this, the Steelers realized their mistake and offered him a practice squad contract the next day.
Earlier this year, the Steelers, without their star quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, called up McLendon to fill in until Ben's suspension ended. McLendon was ready to start at QB against the Titans, but he came down with a terrible case of scarlet fever right before the game, and was forced to play defensive tackle. In the game he recorded a near record breaking 1 tackle, while almost getting an interception return for a touchdown. He would have had it, but he missed the ball because he was temporarily blinded.
The Steelers came to the realization that a man like McLendon is probably way to violent and skilled to play in the NFL anyway, so he will continue to help other players like Casey Hampton get better at their trade during the week, when it really counts.
The Penguins don't have anybody with a "Mc" at the beginning of their name, because almost all of their players are Russian or Canadian, maybe if the Penguins start recruiting some actual athletes, I'll pay more attention to them.
Your welcome for the enlightenment. Have a great mcMonday.
Off-Season Changeup
Comments
The Pirates season is over. It's October and, being that they are the Pirates, they have not been relevant since April. The Phillies, Giants, Yankees, and Rangers are still battling for the right to go to the World Series, and Pittsburgh sports fans are all focused on pigskins and pucks. Now my knowledge of the other 2 major Pittsburgh sports does not come anywhere close to my knowledge of the Pirates and the game of baseball, but I might as well give it a shot. I have this blog and I have a decent amount of readers when I update consistently, so I'm gonna change it up and make this a completely open sports blog. I'll focus a lot of playoff baseball until that is over, and then I'll concentrate mainly on the Steelers and the NFL, with possibly a Penguins post every now and then (I'm not really big on hockey, so don't expect much of me).
All I ask is to keep clicking the Mc Effect, give me reason to invest more of my time and effort into this blog, and by the time baseball season rolls around again it'll be a very successful blog.
Posts are coming, possibly one in the next hour or so, so keep on clicking.
McSee ya soon.
All I ask is to keep clicking the Mc Effect, give me reason to invest more of my time and effort into this blog, and by the time baseball season rolls around again it'll be a very successful blog.
Posts are coming, possibly one in the next hour or so, so keep on clicking.
McSee ya soon.
My 2010 Playoff Predictions
CommentsThe MLB playoffs start Wednesday, and, like every year, I am providing expert knowledge on the game of baseball. I have done this every year since 1994 and have never missed a pick. So here's how it's gonna happen folks:
National League
Cincinnati Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies
The Reds are the team I'll be pulling for from the National League this year, but unfortunately it's incredibly hard to pick them to beat the Phillies here. The Phillies feature one of the best 1-2-3 starting pitching punches in the history of the major leagues. Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels are all near the top of their games right now.
Roy Halladay is a top 3 pitcher in the game and has been for years. His numbers don't even need to be said. He's nearly unbeatable, but it will be interesting to see how he fairs in the playoffs, as he has never been there before.
Oswalt seemed kind of hittable with the Astros the last few years, but he has found a home in Philadelphia and has been outstanding. In 12 starts with the Phils, he has a 1.74 ERA with a .186 batting average against. And if you take out his first start with the Phillies when he got tagged for 4 runs in 6 innings, his ERA stands at 1.41 with a .176 BAA. He has also struck out close to 8 batters per 9 innings since the trade. He's been in the playoffs two times, in 04 and 05, and has a 3.66 ERA with 4 wins and 0 losses. Pretty good numbers there.
Cole Hamels is another guy that looked pretty average earlier in the year, but has turned it on lately. In his last 7 starts he has an ERA of 1.48 with a .205 batting average against. If you know anything about baseball you know he's been incredible in the playoffs. In 3 trips to the postseason he has a 3.86 ERA with a record of 5-3. He wasn't too great last year, as the Yankees beat him up pretty good in the World Series, but in 2008 he was untouchable and won the World Series MVP award.
As for the Reds, it's all about offense. They're pitching rotation isn't too impressive, but they have statistically the best offense in the National League. They'll send out Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, and a third pitcher selected from Mike Leake, Homer Bailey, or Travis Wood. My bet's on Travis Wood, who has been fantastic in his rookie season. He has a 3.51 ERA and nearly pitched a no-hitter earlier in the year. None of these pitchers have dominating stuff or incredibly impressive statistics, so the offense is going to have be even better than it has been, especially matching up against the Phillies pitching staff.
Unless Joey Votto, Jonny Gomes, Jay Bruce and company go on a ridiculous tear against Halladay, Oswalt, and Hamels, they don't have much of a chance.
My pick: Phillies in 4
Atlanta Braves vs. San Francisco Giants
Another pretty one-sided matchup in my opinion. Both of these teams clinched their playoff births on the last day of the season with wins, but one team is much stronger than the other when it comes to playoff baseball. In case you're wondering, that team is the Giants.
The Braves got ridiculously hot in the 2nd and 3rd months of the season and built a pretty comfortable lead in their division, but played average baseball down the stretch, lost the division to the Phillies, and almost missed the playoffs entirely. Playoff baseball is all about the pitching, and they just don't really have what it takes. Tim Hudson (17-9, 2.83), Tommy Hanson (10-11, 3.33), and Derek Lowe (16-12, 4.00) will tow the rubber for the Braves, which just isn't enough to matchup with Tim Lincecum (16-10, 3.43), Matt Cain (13-11, 3.14), and whoever the Giants pick for their 3rd option (between Barry Zito (9-14, 4.15), Madison Bumgarner (7-6, 3.00), and Jonathan Sanchez (13-9, 3.07). My vote would be for Sanchez, who I'm sure will get the nod after his performance yesterday. They pulled him after 5 innings of shut out ball against the Padres, which is a pretty clear sign that they're gonna go with him in game 3.
Neither offense is elite. They both have some solid young bats (Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval, Jason Heyward, Brian McCann) and some suprise veterans (Aubrey Huff, Pat Burrell, Juan Uribe, Martin Prado). It's pretty even offensively, with a slight advantage going to the Braves in my eyes, but the pitching is just too much for me to pick against the Giants. The Braves best pitcher has been Tim Hudson this year, and he has looked pretty terrible at times the last couple months. He's very hittable when he doesn't have his control, and that's not what you want from your ace.
Giants in 3
San Francisco Giants vs. Philadelphia Phillies
So it's Giants vs. Phillies in the NLCS, a great series for pitching. The Phillies still have a clear advantage on the mound, and an even more clear advantage offensively. Their bats have been hot lately; everything is clicking at the perfect time for the Phils. No way I can pick against them now or anytime. Phillies in 5
American League
Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays
My number 2 team in the league is the Tampa Bay Rays. No doubt they're the team I want to take it all. However, it's gonna be a tough road for the Rays, whose pitching isn't the strongest. They'll send out David Price (19-6, 2.72), Matt Garza (15-10, 3.91), and either James Shields (13-15, 5.18) or Jeff Niemann (12-8, 4.39) for the first 3 games. Niemann's numbers are better but I think they'd be better served with James Shields, who has a 2.88 ERA in 4 starts in the postseason.
The Rangers pitchers are gonna be Cliff Lee (4-6, 3.98 with TEX), CJ Wilson (15-8, 3.35), and Colby Lewis (12-13, 3.72), a pretty solid 3-man rotation. Cliff Lee is one of the best in the game but has had some bad luck with the Rangers this year. The Rangers definitely have an edge in pitching.
The offenses in this series are 2 of the best in the league. The Rangers ranked first in offense for the American League this year, but have looked beatable of late. Josh Hamilton was probably the best hitter in the league this year, winning the batting title with an average of .359 this year, but he has missed a lot of time with a pretty serious injury lately which he has recovered from, but it will probably have some nagging effects which could throw his timing off and result in a bad postseason showing. Without him at 100%, they will have to depend on guys like Ian Kinsler, Elvis Andrus, Michael Young, and Nelson Cruz to get it done. They're lineup is very impressive up and down, but there are some definite question marks there. Andrus, Borbon, and Cruz are all young and unexperienced in the playoffs, and Hamilton could be affected by that injury.
Because of the experience factor and the fanhood factor, I'm going with Tampa. Rays in 5
Minnesota Twins vs. New York Yankees
The hated Yankees are once again in the playoffs. They did not win the division this year as the Rays squeaked it out by a game this year. However the Yankees have another very solid team, more offensively centered like always, and should be a force in this years' postseason. They draw the Minnesota Twins, who have been extremely impressive all year long but aren't really built for a playoff run in my opinion.
The pitching for the Twins is iffy, featuring Francisco Liriano (14-10, 3.620, Carl Pavano (17-11, 3.75), and Scott Baker (12-9, 4.49). The offense doesn't impress me too much either, Justin Morneau will not be playing for the twins, which leaves out a huge power threat for the Twinkies. Joe Mauer will have to carry the load after having another solid season with a .327 batting average, but didn't show much power, hitting only 9 home runs. The Twins are gonna have to hope the Yankees choke and hand this one to them, which probably isn't going to happen.
The Yankees have two solid postseason starters in CC Sabathia (21-7, 3.18) and Andy Pettitte (11-3, 3.28), but don't have too much after that. Phil Hughes (18-8, 4.19) got off to a ridiculous start to the season but has been hittable since, and Javier Vazquez and AJ Burnett have been pretty terrible all year long. My guess would be that the Yankees give Vazquez a chance to start. Wouldn't surprise me if they pitched Sabathia on extremely short rest at some point this postseason too, he's a horse and they aren't gonna be scared to use him if they need a win. They shouldn't really need a win in this first series though, they're gonna cruise to victory.
The Yankees offense is too good to lose to the Twins, Robinson Cano is a serious MVP candidate, and then they have guys like Jeter, Rodriguez, and Teixeira, which just makes it unfair. Yankees in 3.
New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays
That makes it another AL East ALCS. While I would love to pick the Rays here, I just don't think I can do it. Their pitching isn't the best, and David Price has pitched a lot of innings this year and could begin to wear down. It'll be close, but I think Sabathia gets 3 wins in the ALCS and leads the hated Yankees to another WS berth. Yankees in 7.
New York Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies
That makes a 2nd consecutive Phillies vs. Yankees world series, which I probably wouldn't even watch most of. Hate both the teams. Really hoping I'm wrong about this prediction.
However my prediction does end on a positive note, with the Yankees losing the world series. The Phillies will cruise through the entire playoffs and finish it with a 5 game win over the Yanks.
Philadelphia Phillies, World Series Champions, in 5 games over the New York Yankees.
A Look Ahead - Offense
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When you're a Pirate fan, it's never too early to start looking towards next year.
The Pirates are sitting at 51-98 with 13 games to play. They have won an astounding 3 games in a row after sweeping the Diamondbacks. This season has been lost for a long time now and I've decided to come back to the blog and try and stir some excitement for next season. It's nearly impossible to get people excited about the Pirates this year, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.
While it would appear that this year has been all negative this year, it hasn't. The young players are getting experience and actually looking pretty decent. We'll take a look at the offensive guys first, and then get to the pitching later.
The biggest plus for the Pirates since the all-star break has been Jose Tabata. Tabata is hitting .301/.348/.406 with 4 HR, 31 RBI, and 17 SB. All of that is in 355 at bats. He's been extremely consistent all year long and had his average up at .318 on August 28. Since then he's hit only .264, but that's in a small sample of only 21 games. He continues to be an above average defender and should only continue to get better and better. He's shown the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark, and his home runs have not been cheap. Tabata should be one of the Pirates best players next year, he has the ability to hit well over .300, steal 30-40 bases, and hit 10-15 HRs.
Another big positive this year was a guy that nobody expected to be relevant this year, and that is Neil Walker. Walker has had the most recent success, with a hitting streak of 18, which was one of the highest in the entire league this year. Walker is hitting .298/.344/.478 with the biggest positive being his power, he has 12 home runs in 379 at bats, which a is 20+ HR/season number. At the beginning of this year, I don't think anybody would have said that Neil Walker would be hitting 3rd and starting at second base on opening day of the 2011 season, but that's exactly how it's shaping up to be. That's a huge plus for the Pirates.
Probably the most exciting name on this team is that of Pedro Alvarez, and unfortunately he has been kind of disappointing this year. He's had some big moments and some hot streaks, but all-in-all in numbers are not impressive. He's hitting .228/.310/.399, which is ugly across the board. He has 11 home runs but has hit only 1 since August 7th. He has also struck out 107 times in 298 at bats, which is pretty atrocious. He is hitting .237 against righties and .212 against lefties. 9 of his 11 home runs have come off of right handed pitchers. While Alvarez has looked the worst of all the young players on this team, he is probably the one you should be least concerned about. His talent and his power is real. No one expected him to come into the majors and be extremely successful right away, it's going to take a guy like him some extra time to get acclimated and start doing things consistently. Next year I fully expect 25+ homers and an average of at least .250 out of him. 2010 I would probably expect 35 HRs and hopefully near 100 RBI.
One guy that no one has worried about is Andrew McCutchen. Despite that, he has shown reasons that one should worry. He is hitting an ugly .279 this year, not what you want from your lead off hitter. He has stolen 31 bases, which is awfully low in my opinion. He's getting on base at a decent clip (.356) and he has shown more power than I expected (16 HR, .447 SLG), but all-in-all I am kind of disappointed with Cutch this year. There have been a number of plays in centerfield that could have been highlight reel material if he could just hold onto the ball as he hits the ground. I really think if he would have caught a couple more of those balls he would be viewed as a top 5 centerfielder in the major leagues, which could very well be true anyway, but not many people are taking notice since he plays in Pittsburgh. I'm hoping McCutchen bounces back next year and gets hit batting average a lot closer to .300, where it should be.
The Pirates offense is definitely on the rise, and this unit has a good shot at being good enough to compete with next year, it's the pitching that has been really holding everything down. We'll take a closer look at the pitchers this year and their implications for next year tomorrow, trust me, that post will use James McDonald's name a lot.
The Pirates are sitting at 51-98 with 13 games to play. They have won an astounding 3 games in a row after sweeping the Diamondbacks. This season has been lost for a long time now and I've decided to come back to the blog and try and stir some excitement for next season. It's nearly impossible to get people excited about the Pirates this year, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.
While it would appear that this year has been all negative this year, it hasn't. The young players are getting experience and actually looking pretty decent. We'll take a look at the offensive guys first, and then get to the pitching later.
The biggest plus for the Pirates since the all-star break has been Jose Tabata. Tabata is hitting .301/.348/.406 with 4 HR, 31 RBI, and 17 SB. All of that is in 355 at bats. He's been extremely consistent all year long and had his average up at .318 on August 28. Since then he's hit only .264, but that's in a small sample of only 21 games. He continues to be an above average defender and should only continue to get better and better. He's shown the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark, and his home runs have not been cheap. Tabata should be one of the Pirates best players next year, he has the ability to hit well over .300, steal 30-40 bases, and hit 10-15 HRs.
Another big positive this year was a guy that nobody expected to be relevant this year, and that is Neil Walker. Walker has had the most recent success, with a hitting streak of 18, which was one of the highest in the entire league this year. Walker is hitting .298/.344/.478 with the biggest positive being his power, he has 12 home runs in 379 at bats, which a is 20+ HR/season number. At the beginning of this year, I don't think anybody would have said that Neil Walker would be hitting 3rd and starting at second base on opening day of the 2011 season, but that's exactly how it's shaping up to be. That's a huge plus for the Pirates.
Probably the most exciting name on this team is that of Pedro Alvarez, and unfortunately he has been kind of disappointing this year. He's had some big moments and some hot streaks, but all-in-all in numbers are not impressive. He's hitting .228/.310/.399, which is ugly across the board. He has 11 home runs but has hit only 1 since August 7th. He has also struck out 107 times in 298 at bats, which is pretty atrocious. He is hitting .237 against righties and .212 against lefties. 9 of his 11 home runs have come off of right handed pitchers. While Alvarez has looked the worst of all the young players on this team, he is probably the one you should be least concerned about. His talent and his power is real. No one expected him to come into the majors and be extremely successful right away, it's going to take a guy like him some extra time to get acclimated and start doing things consistently. Next year I fully expect 25+ homers and an average of at least .250 out of him. 2010 I would probably expect 35 HRs and hopefully near 100 RBI.
One guy that no one has worried about is Andrew McCutchen. Despite that, he has shown reasons that one should worry. He is hitting an ugly .279 this year, not what you want from your lead off hitter. He has stolen 31 bases, which is awfully low in my opinion. He's getting on base at a decent clip (.356) and he has shown more power than I expected (16 HR, .447 SLG), but all-in-all I am kind of disappointed with Cutch this year. There have been a number of plays in centerfield that could have been highlight reel material if he could just hold onto the ball as he hits the ground. I really think if he would have caught a couple more of those balls he would be viewed as a top 5 centerfielder in the major leagues, which could very well be true anyway, but not many people are taking notice since he plays in Pittsburgh. I'm hoping McCutchen bounces back next year and gets hit batting average a lot closer to .300, where it should be.
The Pirates offense is definitely on the rise, and this unit has a good shot at being good enough to compete with next year, it's the pitching that has been really holding everything down. We'll take a closer look at the pitchers this year and their implications for next year tomorrow, trust me, that post will use James McDonald's name a lot.
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