The Quest for the Ultimate Burger

Baseball season is now over half done and amazingly enough the Texas Rangers are in the hunt to be on of four playoff teams from the American League. Hopefully their great play will continue throughout the months of August and September.

While baseball is the main focus of this blog, we are allowed to veer off into other subjects and today, the quest for the ultimate burger is up for discussion and today's entry is Keller's Drive In just east of Abrams Road on Northwest Highway. Keller's is a typical drive in where you stay in your car and turn on your blinkers when you are ready to place your order from the menu painted on the side of the building. Nothing fancy here just burgers, BLT's, ham and cheese sandwiches, onion rings, tater tots, fries and soft drinks, tea and ice cold beer. Unfortunately today was a work day so no cold beer but I ordered the Double Bacon Cheeseburger plain with mayo, onion rings and an ice tea. About ten minutes later a tray was brought to the car, sat on the rolled down window and revealed this:



Keller's uses a thin hamburger patty so the double double is the way to go in my opinion. The two beef patties have a slice of American cheese on top of each and the thick bacon was placed on top of the mayo on top of the bottom bun. The bun is a tasty poppy seed bun which holds the sandwich together nicely. Of course I am partial to a poppy seed bun. The meat is not overly seasoned but has a nice beef taste and somewhat greasey. To go along with the double-double with bacon was Keller's take on onion rings which are thin rings of onion that are battered and fried to a crispy perfection. Biting into the ring you get the crunch of the coating and the sweetness of the onions. Overall, the burger is what a fast food burger should taste like - beef, bacon and cheese served with very good onion rings.

Ratings (Scale 1-25):

Bun - 21, toasted poppy seeded goodness

Meat - 19, the patties were a little thin but were tasty and fresh, bacon was substantial and crispy

Appearance - 19 - the patties fit nicely inside the bun with bacon on bottom and cheese placed on top of each patty

Taste - 20 - Well done fast food style burger that is a Dallas tradition

Overall - 79

Only 10 Days to Opening Day...

It's the time of year when every team still has a chance to win the World Series and Arlington Stadium hasn't hit triple digits yet.
Who knows what memories will be made this year but I am looking forward to seeing the young talent that the Rangers have stockpiled this year. It definately should make for a fun and exciting year.
Finally in news of the wierd, check out what you might be receiving when you open your Topps baseball cards this year:

Griffey to Seattle

It's been a while since the World Series was over and free agency began but the Rangers really aren't that much different from where they were in October. Sure they signed Andruw Jones to a minor league contract and moved Michael Young to third but it's looking like it will be a year of watching the young guys play ball and hopefully be hungry enough to win more games this year.

First spring training game is next week so it's officially baseball season again!

First Day of Free Agency in Baseball

There are some interesting names floating around the free agent market and we'll see if the Rangers go after any of them. The top three names to file today are Manny Ramirez, Mark Teixeira and Ben Sheets. CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Francisco Rodriguez are expected to file shortly. Hopefully the Rangers can pick up a pitcher but knowing past history, they'll probably end up signing Ken Griffey Jr....

Woe to the Cubs!

Woe to the Cubs

It's not enough just to suck

You do it in style

With your billy goat luck;

Your rotation gets rocked

With an ERA even the Texas Rangers could drop

Your fielding fared no better

With every outfielder claiming an error;

And with runners in the scoring position

You just couldn't hit 'em

5 for 28 was the stat

No runs come from that;

Manny made you his bitch

I guess the Dodgers just had the itch

Maybe they felt they didn't win enough games To earn their playoff spot but you can't say the same;

Congratulations on the regular season

You had the best record just what does that mean?

The regular season is just like Old Style beer

They sell it in Chicago, and nowhere else near

For you are the Cubs

And while we still hope

We keep our Wrigleyville bars closer

Then we do the hanging rope.

Next year. Next year.

Baseball Playoffs

Starting this Wednesday, Major League Baseball will begin its month long playoff race to crown a World Series champion. You've got two really interesting series in the LA Angels vs. the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs vs. the LA Dodgers. Both of those series have history, talent, and just a good overall baseball vibe. Then, you've got the Tampa Bay Rays in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history with a bunch of young guys and we'll know today whether they play the Minnesota Twins or if the Twins and the Chicago White Sox will have a playoff tomorrow to see who plays Tampa Bay. Then finally, you've got an interesting matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers against the Philadelphia Phillies. Milwaukee struggled down the stretch but ultimately recovered and got the wild card with some great pitching in the past week. So who wins what? Here's what I think might happen:

1. LA Angels vs. Boston Red Sox(AL) - Both of these teams are favorites to win the World Series so it is hard to name a winner in this series. At the end of the day, I think Boston will miss Manny's big bat(the Red Sox loss is the Dodgers' gain) and though both teams have good pitching, I like the Angels pitching to win out in five games, particularly with the home field advantage.
2. Tampa Bay Rays vs. Chicago White Sox OR Minnesota Twins(AL) - If the White Sox win today and go on to beat Minnesota tomorrow, consider them spent and I look for Tampa Bay's youth to win in four games. Chicago is just too inconsistent and manager Ozzie Guillen is too volatile to manage the White Sox out of fatigue like this. Pitcher Mark Buehrle had to pitch yesterday on three days' rest. Ozzie doesn't have the patience for a worn out team. If Chicago loses today, chalk up the series to the Twins in four games. If Chicago wins today but loses tomorrow, give the series to the Twins in five games.
3. Chicago Cubs vs. LA Dodgers(NL) - I love the Cubs and I like the Dodgers so this series is of real interest to me. But is there any question about who wins this one? Cubs in four games, possibly even a sweep. Their hitting and pitching is just too strong. If the Cubs don't reach the World Series, then their season is a disappointment.
4. Philadelphia Phillies vs. Milwaukee Brewers(NL) - Interesting series because Milwaukee showed a little something by making their games count this past week. Questions though remain about Ben Sheets? Can he pitch well in the playoffs? His last outing was not good. Then, we know C.C. Sabathia can pitch. But, how tired is his arm for the upcoming short series after yesterday's big win? Though I'd like to see a Brewers-Cubs NL penant matchup, I think Philly wins here in four games.

This and That...

Once again, I stand alone on my writer's island pursuing a higher calling in baseball to share a few tidbits of opinion and information with you...

• Pretty exciting race for the NL Wild Card between the Brewers and the Mets. How do think Bud Selig feels? Does he cheer for his old team he owned (that he never fully separated from) the Brewers who have risked it all to get here by trading for C.C. Sabathia earlier in the season only to lose their once strong grip on the playoffs? Or, does Selig the commissh cheer for the major market Mets, who would certainly do much more for television ratings and interest in the playoffs? A Cubs-Mets playoff series would have to get much bigger ratings vs. Brewers-Cubs right? I'm betting Selig is torn but knows the Mets would be better for the league though his heart wants the Brewers to win the Wild Card.
• Say what you will about Manny Ramirez, but it's hard to argue that he was a big part of the Dodgers' comeback and their NL West title.
• And it kills me that the Pirates and MLB baseball cowered to Scott Boras on the Pedro Alvarez signing. The #2 draft pick Alvarez got his guaranteed Major League contract worth $6.355million apparently because Boras didn't like the first deal he and Alvarez agreed to and Alvarez signed.
• And Rangers' fans, make sure and read Tim Cowlishaw's column in yesterday's Dallas Morning News. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/columnists/tcowlishaw/vitindex.html

Manny Makes a Difference

Even though he is half nuts, it's hard to argue with the impact of Manny Ramirez since he joined the Dodgers midway through the season. Since Manny joined the Dodgers, they've gone from being .500 at 54-54 to a 25-19 record for the final two months of the season and a 5 1/2 game lead in the NL West. In 48 games played for the Dodgers, Manny has hit .399 with a .751 Slugging Percentage and a .493 On Base Percentage. He has 16 home runs and 49 RBIs. That is solid to say the least. On the other hand, read the quotes by former Red Sox teammate Curt Schilling and what he had to say about Manny as a teammate:

In an interview Wednesday on Boston radio station WEEI-AM, injured Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling took Manny Ramirez to task, saying his former teammate's "level of disrespect to teammates and people was unfathomable." "The guy got to dress in a locker away from the team for seven years," Schilling said. "And then [when] he's on this crusade to get out of here, all of a sudden he's in the locker room every day, voicing his displeasure without even having to play the game that night."

Read more http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3595012

A-Rod-Clutch or Choke?

Interesting piece in The Wall Street Journal blog about a week ago on clutch hitting and what the statistics infer about Alex Rodriguez. http://blogs.wsj.com/numbersguy/alex-rodriguez-clutch-hitter-411/

Yankee Greatness This Week!

While the stock market was falling, financial titans were failing, politicians were fighting, and natural disasters continued to wreak havoc, it's nice to see that baseball has remained. And there's no better ambassador for our national pastime than the great Derek Jeter. Jeter quietly became the all-time hits leader in Yankee Stadium history this week which was quite fitting for the final season in Yankee Stadium. Jeter's 1,270 hits moved him past "the Iron Horse" Lou Gehrig, another Yankees all-time great, to take the record.

Minor League Player of the Year

The geniuses at USA Today/Sports Weekly once again have put together an interesting story/report/whatever you want to call it revolving around this year's minor league player of the year.http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/minors/2008-09-09-minor-player-of-year_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip For the record, the winner is pitcher David Price, who was the Tampa Bay Rays No. 1 overall draft pick in 2007. He started the year in A ball and worked his way up to AAA for the Durham Bulls and pitched his first game in the show (Nuke) against the Yankees just a few days ago. He went 12-1 in the minors with a 2.30 ERA, 109 StrikeOuts in 109 Innings Pitched, only 92 Hits allowed and 32 Walks(BB) over 19 games. Most of that production came in AA ball. But here's what I found most interesting: The list of past winners of USA Today's Minor League Player of the Year going back to 1988. The list includes:

• Tino Martinez(1990)-best known as a Yankee
• Carlos Delgado(1992) & Cliff Floyd(1993)-Amazing Mets
• Andruw Jones(1995-1996)-a former Braves great now sucking with the Dodgers
• Ben Grieve(1997)-son of Tom Grieve of Texas Rangers' fame
• Gabe Kapler(1998)-did a stint with the Rangers, Red Sox, now the Brewers
• Rick Ankiel(1999)-former pitching star remade as a great hitter for the Cardinals. A real comeback success story!
• Josh Hamilton(2000)-after his past troubles, he is one of the best players in baseball with the Rangers
• Josh Beckett(2001)-Won a World Series for the Marlins and a big part of the Red Sox championships. One of baseball's top ten starting pitchers.
• Prince Fielder(2003)-Where has he been this year for the Brewers?

Hurricane Carlos

09-14-2008 -Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano throws the first no-hitter in Cubs history in 36 years yesterday against the Houston Astros. It was a weird game all-around. The Astros have been hot making a charge towards the playoffs and the Cubs, though comfortable in first place in the NL Central, have been struggling. Due to the devastation of Hurricane Ike in Houston, the series was moved to Milwaukee, which many refer to as North Wrigley Field. So, it was not exactly a home game for the Astros, which it should have been. And furthermore, Zambrano had not pitched in 11 days and he had been struggling as well. And so the first no-hitter ever pitched on a neutral site happened with a dominating pitching performance by Zambrano, who struck out 10, walked one, hit one batter, and only allowed two balls to leave the infield with 110 pitches thrown. That's got to make Cubs' fans feel alot better headed into the final stretch and the playoffs.

Nothing short of great...

The Los Angeles Angels have closed out first place in the AL West division as of today. That feat, with 17 games left in the season, is nothing short of great! And to boot Francisco Rodriguez "K-Rod" got his 56th save of the season, putting him one away from tying Bobby Thigpen's major league saves record. One would think that with 17 games left K-Rod is going to break the saves record.

Eat Some Crow Jayson...Playoffs ahead!

I believe I did say that there was no way the Tampa Bay Rays would make the playoffs. Thus far, I am looking to be a fool on this one. Tampa Bay, though they are only 1 1/2 games ahead of Boston for the AL East crown, is 8 games ahead in the Wild Card race. So, the likelihood that they don't make the playoffs is well, becoming unlikely. They play at Boston and at New York and then return home to host Boston for a three game series and then follow that with Minnesota. After that they close out on the road against Baltimore and Detroit. If they go 3-3 on the Boston/New York away series, I don't see how they don't make the playoffs.

In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers are holding a 3 1/2 game lead over Philly and a 5 game lead over St. Louis for the Wild Card spot. The Brewers play four games against the Phillies this week in Philadelphia and then they have six more games against the Cubs to finish the season. Watch for the Brewers to be fighting for their playoff lives until the last couple of days of the season. They'd better make the Wild Card spot because they went for broke this year by trading for Sabathia.

More on the latest Scott Boras saga involving Pedro Alvarez...

Bustney Olney's take at ESPN.com. http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3560734&name=olney_buster&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fespn%2fblog%2findex%3fentryID%3d3560734%26name%3dolney_buster The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where writer Dejan Kovacevic is definitely on top of the whole situation. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08241/907633-63.stm It appears that Scott Boras wanted a $9.5million bonus and a major league contract, not quite the $6million figure that Alvarez agreed to and signed on. Once again, Boras is proving he's above no tactic as he tries to manuever this issue on a meritless claim. History shows that in the past Boras' clients have had the MLB deadline extended and there was no problem as it suited Boras' interests. What a jerk! Finally, Paul White at USA Today writes a small story on the matter. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/pirates/2008-09-01-alvarez_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip But for the definitive version, go the Post-Gazette story.

The Biggest Bust...comes back finally

Do Yankees' fans really care too much if Carl Pavano comes back and pitches well? He did actually in his first two starts since April 2007. A week ago today he got a win on 5 innings pitched with 3 runs allowed on 7 hits. And Thursday night he beat the Blue Jays pitching 6 innings giving up only 1 run on 3 hits to make him 2-0 this season. Unless he pitches the Yankees into the playoffs this year and even further, no one will care. He's still a bust. The guy sneezes and goes on the DL and he's pretty much lost the confidence of just about everyone in the Yankees organization since signing a big free-agent deal before the 2005 season. "Glass Carl" he's been referred to as. In the last four seasons, he's only pitched in 21 games and earned 7 wins, and that includes his two wins this past week.

Best Seats in the House!

The great baseball writers at USA Today and Sports Weekly have once again come up with a great read. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2008-08-29-bestseats-fenway_N.htm

How about the best seats in baseball? Certain seats at Fenway Park are tops. Go to the article for all of the details, but here's a quick recap of the top 10 and which ballparks (though not necessarily which seats at those ballparks.)

1. Fenway
2. Rogers Centre (does anyone remember the couple a few years ago who held their own private sex show for the entire stadium?)
3. Dodger Stadium
4. Wrigley
5. Chase Field
6. AT&T Park
7. Yankee Stadium
8. Minute Maid Park
9. Coors Field
10. Petco Park

Consistent

If being a jerk was a qualified baseball statistic, Scott Boras would be in the Hall of Fame. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3556133 Baseball insiders were concerned that a good prospect like Pedro Alvarez would drop in the draft because of his representation by Boras. But things seemingly were well when the Pirates drafted him #2 and they signed him to a reasonable deal. Now Boras tells the Pirates he wants to renegotiate Alvarez's deal which includes a $6million signing bonus. Is this not enough money for a guy coming out of college? And to blame it on a technicality which may or may not even exist is Boras' thin excuse for why this is acceptable? THEY AGREED TO AND SIGNED A CONTRACT! I hope the Pirates don't cave in and they let Alvarez rot or go play with the Fort Worth Cats or something and I hope it costs him.

In the real world, when people show they have no ethics in their business dealings, they eventually run out of people to do business with. This is what should happen to Scott Boras. He consistently shows his lack of ethics and baseball teams should quit dealing with him. The repercussions would last maybe two years tops and then baseball would be the better for it because players would stop hiring him. Kenny Rogers woke up. Gary Sheffield woke up. Alex Rodriguez woke up. All major stars who realized despite the money Boras' commanded on their behalf, his representation might not be worth the journey. Baseball should wake up. Force him to do business the right way or force him out of the game.

Guardado Traded to the Twins

Tonight Jon Daniels made a trade that should have been done before the July 31 trading deadline when Eddie Guardado was traded to the Minnesota Twins for Single A Right Handed Pitcher Mark Hamburger.

Remember Danny Almonte, Matthew Cerda, and the Little League World Series

Does anyone remember the controversial Danny Almonte, Matthew Cerda, and the Little League World Series from 2001? Read this story. Good read. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=cerda

The Other Shoe or The Return of the Billy Goat

I am starting to wonder if the Cubs' regular season is too good to be true. Like a true Cubs fan, I'm starting to question when the other shoe will drop and if it's coming in the playoffs. Here are some reasons I am concerned that this season is simply too good to be true:

• Mark DeRosa has homered in four straight games. He has eight more home runs already in 2008 than he's ever hit in ANY other season.
• It has been rumored that pitcher Carlos Zambrano hit the scoreboard hitting in batting practice this week. He's got 4 home runs this year, a .361 batting average, and an RBI in each of his last 7 starts as a pitcher to go along with his 13-5 pitching record and 3.29 ERA.
• Ryan Dempster has won 15 games already (only 1 other season in his entire career did he win 15 games and he only won 15 that season-2001) and he's got a 2.85 ERA, which is his lowest ever.
• The Cubs have not one, but two great rookie players in Geovany Soto and Fukudome.
• The Cubs had a franchise record seven All-Stars this season.
• JIM EDMONDS is a Cub, and a productive one at that.

Maybe it's the economy...

Maybe it's the economy(or maybe not), but as usual, there are some baseball players and teams that quite haven't lived up to expectations this season. I realize we've still got another month to play, but for the most part the dye is cast and these disappointments are in stone for 2008:

• The Detroit Tigers' pitching staff. Justin Verlander, Kenny Rogers, Jeremy Bonderman, and Nate Robertson are a combined 28-37 with ERAs of 4.60, 4.94, 4.29, and 6.09 respectively. Only one (Verlander) has thrown a complete game this season. And let's not forget off-season acquisition Dontrelle Willis who was part of the blockbuster Miguel Cabrera deal. He's been wilder than the Tasmanian Devil and spent half the season in the minors. Only one Tigers' pitcher right now has over 10 wins and that's Armando Galarraga and thankfully he's been pretty good. But when compared with 2007, when Verlander won 18 games with a 3.66ERA and pitched a no-hitter, and in 2006, when Bonderman, Rogers, Verlander, and Robertson all won at least 13 games and Rogers and Verlander both won 17 and all did it with ERAs averaging in the 3's, the pitching for the Tigers just plain sucks. And that is the main reason why one of baseball's most talented and expensive teams won't make the playoffs.
• Speaking of losing playoff hopes, the New York Yankees' Jorge Posada has been a huge disappointment after a wonderful 2007 season and signing his big contract extension in the offseason. Posada has gone from a .338 Batting Average in 2007 to a .268 Batting Average in 2008. He's gone from 20 Home Runs in 2007 to 3 Home Runs in 2008. He had 90 RBIs in 2007 and 22 for 2008. He's only played 51 games this year and unfortunately injury has kept him out. Injury is not his fault, but it's sad and it's still a disappointment. Here's hoping he comes back next year stronger than ever because the Yankees need a good Posada in order to win.
• The Texas Rangers signing Kevin Millwood. When the Rangers signed Millwood before the 2006 season, they thought they finally had their ace. Millwood had lead the league in ERA the season before. But sadly, he's been a disappointment for the Rangers and he's often hurt. His record thus far through three seasons is 33-33 with ERAs of 4.52, 5.16, and 5.24 each season. He's only thrown 4 complete games and his Strikeout total has decreased by a good number every season. He's gotten worse each season and he has not been an ace worthy of staff ace money. He may be a good guy, but he's not a good investment.

More later...

Finally Something Interesting

Maybe it's because I've been watching the Olympics or I've been sick, but not too much of interest is happening in baseball as of late. We've kind of entered the dead zone in baseball, where it's too early to be excited about the division races and too late to get excited about Summer and baseball. August is hot and we're all distracted by football around the corner and now the Olympics.

That said, I do think it's interesting that the Texas Rangers are moving up and comer Chris Davis over to third base to make room for the returning Hank Blalock coming off the DL. Why I say? Blalock only prevents a younger guy from getting more experience. It's not as if the Rangers would pick up Blalock's $6.2million option next season right? They can buy him out for $250,000 and I'm sure they'll do it. The only possible explanation can be that the Rangers still think they've got a shot at the Wild Card. Blalock is fragile but he still can hit (or so we think) and his veteran leadership can help a team on the brink of the playoffs. But are we still really thinking playoffs here? The Rangers are 10 games out of the Wild Card lead with five teams in front of them. Ian Kinsler has a hernia and has gone on the DL and is probably out for the rest of the season. I applaud the Rangers for not quitting and staying competitive but at what point do you quit investing in the past and put more into the future. 2009 could be a real playoff year for the Rangers and I would think they'd want to do anything and everything to get their young squad prepared for that possibility.

Cubs' News You Won't See on SportsCenter

That's Kerry Wood on the guitar singing Robert Earl Keen songs at his annual "Strike Zone" charity bowling event last week. My buddy went as a guest and snapped this photo of Kerry howling onstage. Not sure who the band is but that doesn't look like REK's band. It looks like a bunch of baseball players playing Guitar Hero. Reportedly, a great time was had by all and a lot of money raised for kids' schools. He did report that Kerry bowled with his non pitching hand to protect the blister that has sidelined him for some games this year. He also reported Mark Cuban was there as a "friend" of Kerry's, but that's not big news. I guess it doesn't hurt that Cuban too reportedly has the highest bid in for the Cubs' franchise.

Best atmosphere of the year

So at last night's Ranger / Yankee game I arrived wearing my Red Sox colors. A few sneers and comments later I was out of the parking lot and headed to the stadium. Yankee fans were naturally everywhere, as they always pack the house. They also brought some electric atmosphere with them.
For those who have never been to a game in a region like New York or Boston every game has the feel of last night's game in Arlington. Everyone is watching the game andpaying attention. So when the drama unfolded in the ninth inning (I thought for sure Captain Clutch Derek Jeter was going to win another game all by himself) it was a lot of fun. It was fun to be proud of the Rangers and to see Ranger fans sticking their chest out just a bit in the concourse after the game amongst the throngs of dissapointed Yankee fane. Everyone did the "Byrd". That is how you win not only games but fans - good for baseball and for business.

Some Good Baseball

In years past, anytime my beloved Yankees came to DFW to face the Texas Rangers(whom I also love...yes, it's a problem), there never was much drama. I mean, it's been almost 10 years since the Rangers made the playoffs and they got swept by the Yankees back then. But tonight is different. August baseball in Texas actually means something. And even though the Rangers are a long shot to make this year's playoffs, they are still contenders for the wild-card and unlike recent seasons, the Rangers won't go away and they play hard and they are making baseball meaningful again in North Texas.

So, here we are in one of the hottest Summers on record in DFW and the Yankees come to town playing with a purpose and with some fresh trades(Nady, Marte, and now Pudge) that many believe(including myself) will put them into the playoffs. The Yankees are only5 games back in the East and only three wins above the Rangers.

So, it's top of the 9th inning with the go ahead run on base and Derek Jeter hits a shallow centerfield fly ball that surely will drop and score the runner. And it's not like Jeter(one of the greatest players of the last 20 years and maybe one of the most clutch players ever in the game) hasn't been here before. Jeter is 4th in hits on the Yankees' all-time list. His postseason batting average is .309 and he's won more MVPs in the playoffs and won more games period than I can mention. So, here's Derek Jeter and he hits the go-ahead right? Wrong! Josh Hamilton makes a diving catch in centerfield to get the Rangers out of the inning. And the game is still tied 5-5. And that drama is only the beginning... Bottom of the 9th inning and just like that, the Rangers load the bases on walks. Tie game, 2 outs, bases loaded, and the Rangers' Marlon Byrd hits a walk off grand slam for Texas! Don't tell me baseball isn't significant in DFW this year. And maybe the Rangers will make the wild card. I would love it!

Click here for the box score from tonight's game:

http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/news/boxscore.jspgid=2008_08_04_nyamlb_texmlb_1&c_id=tex

Statistics Anyone?

Most of us who really love baseball love statistics also. Based on about 100 different ways to measure a player or a team, we pick through data to determine the who, what, and whys of the game. Baseball fans like box scores. It's a little weird I know because you don't see soccer, football, hockey, or basketball fans pouring over their box scores the same way. But hey, it's just one of the many reasons baseball is the great game. For the stats dork hidden inside of you (though probably not as hidden as you'd like to believe) I would suggest checking out this site: www.baseballgraphs.com I won't even try and explain all of the cool graphs and data it has. But trust me, they've got some obscure and thorough data. Apparently even baseball minds like Yankees' GM Brian Cashman use this site too. It's somehow also affiliated with The Hardball Times www.hardballtimes.com and a dude named Dave runs BaseballGraphs.com. That's about all I can say other than it's worth a visit.

Trade Deadline Reactions

On Monday I said there was no way the Red Sox were trading Manny Ramirez. (Granted, this was before he kept on shooting off his mouth and talking about Brett Favre and all of that nonsense.) But I did say they wouldn't trade him. Well, I need to eat some crow because they traded him right before the deadline today to the Dodgers, as Scott mentioned in his posting below. But I am not going to rehash anything Scott has already written with more eloquence and knowledge than myself about Manny Ramirez. Read Scott's posting for Manny. I am writing to say that the Pittsburgh Pirates have made another bad trade. This was even worse than the Xavier Nady trade to the Yankees. Let's break it down:

1. The Pirates take on a bunch of junk from the Dodgers and the Red Sox. Spare parts.
2. Meanwhile the Red Sox get a good outfielder in Jason Bay with a good bat and they get rid of their headache.
3. The Dodgers get a superstar, albeit a nutty one. I'd say the Dodgers will likely make the playoffs now in their weak division with the addition of Manny. Then, they have existing club contract options to keep Manny another season or two before Scott Boras sells him to the highest bidder as a free agent. And better yet, the Red Sox are eating Manny's contract for the rest of this season.

Dodgers win. Red Sox win. Pirates lose.

Other quick notes...The Cubs today finish a four game sweep of their rivals, the Brewers, in a critical division series that seemed like playoff baseball. Jim Edmonds hits 2 home runs today including a grand slam and Rich Harden was strong on the mound, giving up only 1 run and recording 9 strikeouts. Ouch, if you are a Brewers fan. And for more on the best division race in baseball, go buy USA Today's Sports Weekly (July 30th-August 5th edition) and read Seth Livingstone's story on the NL Central race between the Cubs, Brewers, and Cardinals on page 4.

So long, Manny.

Man, I am going to miss that guy on the Sox. In case you haven't heard yet, Manny is a Dodger. Along with Nomar and Derek Lowe, he joins the long list of ex-Red Sox players who were shipped of to other ports. I may become a Dodger fan. It's just that ex-Yankee Joe Torre runs the show there. I've always liked Torre, and would be eager to see a Red Sox v. Dodgers World Series, and if not the Sox, then I would LOVE to see Torre and the Dodgers beat the Yanks in what would be a fantasy of a landmark World Series. Think about that. The former Yankee manager, a Brooklyn native, managing a bunch of ex-Red Sox, along with ex-Yankee coaches (including Donnie Baseball) facing off against the Empire in October.

Wow.

Too bad it won't happen. Of course I still beieve in the Sox to get there. I'm a little leery of the Dodgers getting there. I like that team, but they just inherited a moody, huge defensive liability in one of the largest Left Fields in baseball.

Good luck, Manny. I'm sure you'll just be...well, yourself.

Contenders and Pretenders

By the end of the day, we should certainly know what teams plan on contending for the playoffs and what teams are re-loading in anticipation of next year. The trade deadline has a way of making it pretty obvious who thinks they can play in the postseason. Thus far, these are my contenders:

• Chicago Cubs/Milwaukee Brewers - I'm putting these two teams together because they are 1 and 2 in the NL Central division, and they seemingly are battling on every front. The Brewers mortgaged it all to get C.C. Sabathia in their pitching rotation. Then, the Cubs respond by getting Rich Harden from the A's. The Cubs are dealing a big blow though this week by winning the first three games of a four game series in Milwaukee. The Brewers are now 4 games back but still the Wild Card leader in the standings. I predict both of these teams are playoff bound.
• Los Angeles Angels - By trading for Mark Teixeira, (who is in the last year of his contract, represented by agent Scott Boras, and who turned down an extension offer from the Braves and previously, the 8 year $140million deal from the Texas Rangers) the Angels are saying we are going for it all. They've got the best outfield in baseball. They've got now another great bat in switch-hitter Teixeira to shore up what had been their weak spot and they've arguably got the best pitching in baseball. K-Rod is going to be a free-agent after the season. Vlad Guerrero is on the decline. Of course they are going for it. And they might win it.
• The New York Yankees - Of course they are contenders. They are going for it every year. It's World Series or bust in New York every season. Now they've got Pudge Rodriguez as a veteran leader and still a pretty good catcher to make up for the loss of injured Jorge Posada. And they've got Damaso Marte, Xavier Nady, and Richie Sexson for relatively little given up to make their August-September run. They may be playoff bound, but only if the Red Sox continue to tailspin and they certainly aren't World Series bound this season.
• Detroit Tigers/Chicago White Sox - Everyone is making a big deal of the Reds dealing Ken Griffey, Jr. to the White Sox, but don't discount Kyle Farnsworth in Detroit's bullpen. First of all, Detroit needs bullpen help. And they've got a good catcher in Brandon Inge so losing Pudge is no big deal. Detroit is only 5 1/2 games back in the AL Central and they are still in the Wild Card mix. The Detroit/Chicago/Minnesota grind out should make for some good drama in September.

And the Pretenders? Sorry Texas Rangers' fans. Not this year but next looks pretty good. Do whatever you can today and get another prospect or two if you can find someone to take Gerald Laird, Kevin Millwood, or Vincente Padilla. I'm not saying you don't continue battling it out for the possibility of the Wild Card. But, it's unlikely that they will get it and there is no way anyone is catching the Angels in the AL West for that division. The Tampa Bay Rays are pretenders too.