Kuzul

Baseball is a magnificent sport.

In a relatively short period of time a man can win over the masses and just as quickly lose their affection, becoming old news.  Some say baseball is a young man’s game.  That is probably true.  Though, there have been players who have defied that conventional wisdom, playing into their late 30s and early 40s.

Tim Wakefield has been one of those transcendental players.

His major league playing days started as a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates way back in 1992.  Suffice to say, some reading this were likely born in 1992 or thereafter.

I won’t bother to go into his early days playing baseball.  However, I do recommend picking up his book, “Knuckler:  My Life With Baseballs Most Confounding Pitch” written with Tony Massarotti.  It is an excellent read.

Lately there have been many fans and writers alike calling for Wakefield to just call it quits.  I don’t want to talk about that right now.

Rather, what I would like to do is examine 10 of Wake’s most memorable moments in a Red Sox uniform to serve as a reminder to Red Sox fans exactly what the man has meant to this team and this city.

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Pitching is the key to playing into October.

There is no secret there.  If a team lacks pitching depth and stability, they’re not going to sniff the big dance.  This winter, the Washington Nationals are taking big steps to prove their worth in the NL East by bolstering their starting rotation.

The recent acquisition of Edwin Jackson just may have been the piece to help make them a pitching powerhouse. In a division with no shortage of arms or superstars, the Nationals hope to build on their 80-81 2011 season.

Let’s have a look at the bullets they have loaded in the chamber heading into the 2012 campaign.

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I made a mistake.  The other day I wrote an article ranking the top five American League powerhouse teams by position.  It was meant to be a fun article and to be taken lightly.

I’m not sure what I was thinking.

Though I stated that I didn’t do a full-on analysis of each player and team, I was repeatedly called on the carpet for my selection.  Rightfully so.

Instead, I’ve decided to expand and look at the “Super Six” teams of the American League:  Anaheim Angels, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, New  York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers.

Baseball is a game of passion and I owe it to my readers to be more diligent in my analysis of teams when ranking.  Having said that, this is my mea culpa piece.  I’ve put these figures together using specific stats.

While making these rankings I factored in 12 offensive categories and four defensive metrics. Awards were also considered.  All information was based on how well the players performed in 2011.  

In my rankings for 2012, I took experience or lack thereof into consideration.

I also looked at the entire season statistically.  I don’t care if a player finished off hot or started the season cold.  I went with the entire body of work.

Having said all of that, here is a look at my new rankings.

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I’ve called him goofy.  

I’ve bashed his antics and had a preemptive replacement in mind for him already in Boston.  I’ve also recently come to terms with him being the manager in Boston and believe that the Red Sox will in fact win a World Series under his watch.

That being said, I’ve still had some nervous trepidation as to how Bobby V. would fit in this city and in this clubhouse.  Every fear I’ve had, he has some how been addressing in a bold, brash way that I am finding quite enjoyable.

It all started for me on December 8th, when Valentine publicly declared his hatred for the Yankees: 

“I hate the Yankees,” Valentine said while surrounded by a herd of media members at the Winter Meetings. “I don’t want to waste this valuable time talking about the Yankees. This is too valuable.”

Initially, I took this as a given.  I mean, you can’t exactly waltz into Fenway Park and tell the fans that A-Rod is awesome and Mickey Mantle was the greatest to ever play the game.  You’ll find civil unrest among Bostonians.  Riots would ensue throughout Kenmore Square.  Things would be ugly.

However, Valentine has done more than just denounce the Yankees. He has been making contact with every member of the team to see where their head is at and preparing himself for the 2012 season.

While I admit, I used to hate some of the quirky things he’d say on ESPN, he’s been making some waves that have me smiling at a Sox fan.  Just this past week, he’s hooked me in twice.

On January 14th, Valentine went on record stating that he can’t imagine Jason Varitek or Tim Wakefield competing for jobs this spring.

Now, I’ve fully appreciated what Tek and Wake have done for this ball club over the years, but I am also on the front lines waging the war to shut the door on their time in Boston.

Surely ,Varitek has something left in his tank as a part-time catcher, but this team already has its every-day catcher in Jarrod Saltalamacchia with two solid backups in Ryan Lavarnway and Kelly Shoppach.  Literally, there is no room for Varitek on this squad.

Wakefield is a different cat.  While the Sox need pitching depth, I’m not inclined to find it in an aging knuckleballer that has been on the decline over the past couple of seasons.  I’m sorry, Wake—I love you and what you’ve meant to this team, but as the great Kenny Powers would say, “You’re (expletive) out.”

The other noteworthy bit came out earlier today on WEEI care of Alex Speier where he quotes Valentine responding to a question of beer and chicken in the clubhouse: 

In response to a question about the clubhouse consumption of beer and chicken during games, Valentine initially joked, “We’ve got to go to draft beer and grilled chicken, I think,” before approaching the matter with less levity.

“If that happened it’s inexcusable,” said Valentine. “I apologize for that. The apologies are out there and it will never happen on my watch.”

I like his candor as well as the hard-nosed reply he gave after being slightly witty.  He can have fun with the follies of 2011, but knows that it was unacceptable and shall be corrected moving forward.

I won’t lie, I also like that members of the team were unhappy with him being named the manager.  The fact of the matter is, they may not like him, but they’re going to have to respect him.

I know I do.  A whole lot more than I did at the beginning of December.  

Twenty-nine more days until pitchers and catchers…

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With the pain of losing the World Series finally subsiding for Texas Ranger fans, it’s time for a retrospective appreciation.  

While C.J. Wilson was busy getting lured away by the Los Angeles Angels, the Rangers have been more or less quiet this offseason.  I wanted to take a moment and highlight a player that I feel will have a huge impact on the Rangers in 2012: Mike Napoli.

Every year, the fall classic brings out the best in some previously unknown player. In 2010, Cody Ross stole the show for the San Francisco Giants.  This year, Mike Napoli proved himself to be a legitimate big-game player.  Going into this World Series, I swore that Adrian Beltre would be the MVP of the series.  (Granted, I also thought the Rangers were going to win it all.)

Having said that, if the Rangers had won the World Series, Mike Napoli would have undoubtedly been the MVP.

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The Boston Red Sox do not have a major league “ace” on their pitching staff.  At least that is how it would appear after a dreadful collapse during the 2011 season.  Josh Beckett gave up.  Jon Lester was just good, and Clay Buccholz was injured.

There are very few teams in baseball that actually do have an ace at the front end of their rotation.  The Yankees do in C.C. Sabathia.  The Giants do in Tim Lincecum.  The Seattle Mariners do in Felix Hernandez.

The Red Sox do not.

According to an interview he had on WEEI, Larry Lucchino is not ruling out any major trades this year, and I feel that the time may be right to do such a thing.

Having said that, here are five reasons why the Red Sox should make a deal for Felix Hernandez.

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When the New York Yankees take the field on Opening Day 2012, the team should look a little different.

The time has come for Alex Rodriguez to take over as the primary designated hitter for the Yankees. My argument is one that walks a bit of a fine line, but allow me to make my case.

In 2011 Alex Rodriguez played in the fewest number of games as a full-time major league player in his 18-year career.

Think about that for a second—A-Rod has been in the league for 18 years. He is 35 years old. That is a lot of mileage on those legs.

Rodriguez is the single largest investment that the Yankees have right now (in the middle of a 10-year contract he signed with the Yankees in 2007). He carries an annual average salary of $26.9 million. He figures to make $29 million this season, $30 million if he hits 30 or more home runs. It is a lucrative deal for a lucrative player. Arguably on of the best to ever play the game. The problem with A-Rod is that he does not appear to pass the eyeball test any longer.

Sure, he had a .973 fielding percentage in 2011, but he also managed to commit 13 errors. Is he the crux of the Yankees problems this offseason? Not at all. Could he help fill another void in the lineup?

Absolutely.

I admit, it might call for some creativity on the side of Brian Cashman and Co. There are only two bona fide everyday third basemen available through free agency: Aramis Ramirez and Wilson Betemit.

Ramirez is obviously the best third baseman on the market. The problem I see with him is that he is 33 years old and is going to command top dollars. Not that paying for a player has ever been an issue for the Yankees, but I see them starting to make some wiser baseball decisions as of late and perhaps giving big money to an older player may not be a priority.

Sure, he hit .306 with an OPS of .871 with 26 homers in 2011, but offense is not a problem for the Yanks. Ramirez’s .953 fielding percentage in 2011 is no upgrade over A-Rod, and thus, negates the true need for him.

Betemit may not be high on the radar of Yankees fans. After his abysmal stint in New York in 2007 and 2008, Betemit has proven himself to be a solid player at third. He would be a low-cost option, but again, no upgrade defensively as he posted a .947 fielding percentage in 2011. If the Yankees were to bring in Betemit again, you might see them sign Eric Chavez to come back and platoon the position.

The real solution that may be viable would be through a trade with the Kansas City Royals.

Going into the 2011 season, the Royals had the single highest-rated third base prospect in all of Major League Baseball: Mike Moustakas.

Moustakas is only 23 years old and got the call-up to play 89 games this season. That is the entirety of his major league experience. His bat is not there yet, and his fielding percentage was .954—which is pretty damn good for a kid getting his first licks in the majors. (In his first 63 games in the majors, A-Rod posted a .934 fielding percentage.)

The question becomes, why would the Royals trade him? They seem to be re-tooling right now. The Royals traded (former Yankee) Melky Cabrera to the San Francisco Giants to bring in Jonathan Sanchez.

What if the Yankees put together a package surrounding A.J. Burnett and perhaps either Manny Banuelos or Hector Noeisi?  Burnett flourished in smaller markets like Florida and Toronto. Kansas City might give him the fresh start he needs, and the young pitching might be enough to make Kansas City pull the trigger.

The catch would be that the Yankees would have to eat a majority of his salary so that the low-budget Royals may bite at the offer. This would give an immediate boost to their starting rotation while allowing the Yankees to get a little bit younger in a position that could use it.

It may not be realistic, but it is one viable way for the Yankees to move forward, securing their largest asset for the long run.

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Now that the drama involving a new manager has been solved for the Red Sox, General Manager Ben Cherington still has a lot of work to do.

While busy interviewing managerial candidates, the Red Sox witnessed their star closer, Jonathan Papelbon, skip town and sign with the Philadelphia Phillies.

It seemed as though during the press conference announcing Bobby Valentine as their new manager, another closing candidate was swept out from under them as Heath Bell signed a three year deal with the Miami Marlins.

To this point the Sox remain a fragmented team. They are only a few minor moves away from being ready to take the field in 2012. Here are five realistic offseason moves they should consider.

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I believe Mark McGwire has paid his dues, and it is now time to let him into the Hall of Fame.

This is a topic that will inevitably run deeper than just the issue of allowing McGwire into the Hall, I am aware of that. He is really the first legitimate player from the steroid era entering his sixth year of eligibility. I would like to briefly take a look at some of the other eligible candidates before making my full case on behalf of McGwire.

First, the list of 27 players making their first appearance for Hall voting is vastly underwhelming. The best player on the list, in my humble opinion, is Bernie Williams. Now, Williams was a fine ballplayer, but he was not a Hall-of-Fame-caliber player.

This is not the Hall of Good Players, it is the Hall of Fame—reserved for the best of the best.

Unfortunately, the list of players making the ballot for the first time is just that: Good players, not great. That leaves the Baseball Writers’ Association of America to examine the 14 holdover names on the ballot and decide which of them are worthy of making it into Cooperstown.

This is where it gets dicey.

These are the players on that list. Next to their name, I will put the percentage of the vote they received in the 2011 voting as well as what year of ballot this will be for their consideration:

Barry Larkin 62.1, third year

Jack Morris 53.5, 13th year

Lee Smith 45.3, 10th year

Jeff Bagwell 41.7, second year

Tim Raines 37.5, fifth year

Edgar Martinez 32.9, third year

Alan Trammel 24.3, 11th year

Larry Walker 20.3, second year

Mark McGwire 19.8, sixth year

Fred McGriff 17.9, third year

Don Mattingly 13.6, 12th year

Dale Murphy 12.6, 14th year

Rafael Palmeiro 11, second year

Juan Gonzalez 5.2, second year.

There are several players on that list that I believe deserve to be in Cooperstown. The problem with the crop of players this year is that the list has no stand-out player that is head and shoulders above the rest.

The voting this year won’t be anything like 2007, when Cal Ripken, Jr. received 98.5 percent of the vote and Tony Gwynn received 97.6 percent; if anything, we may see two players just barely receive the needed 75 percent to get in to the Hall.

Looking back at BaseballReference.com, I examined what percentage of the vote McGwire has received over the past five attempts. Sequentially, it went as follows: 23.5 percent in 2007, 23.6 percent in 2008, 21.9 percent in 2009, 23.7 percent in 2010 and 19.8 percent in 2011. While he did dip in 2011, McGwire has averaged 22.5 percent of the vote in his five years of eligibility. This could be the year that number soars.

And why not?

Mark McGwire has paid his dues. Yes, he admitted—albeit a little late in the eyes of many—that he had in fact used steroids on and off for a decade, including when he broke the single-season home run record in 1998. McGwire does have a good argument on his side for being in the Hall, especially now as we are on the cusp of several accused steroid users being on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2013.

McGwire came out and apologized for his actions, and truth be told, nobody knows how uneven the playing field truly was during the steroid era. From all of the names that have been floated around in The Mitchell Report, we as a fan base have to come to terms with that time period in baseball.

Looking at the career statistics that McGwire has put up, it is extremely hard to ignore him this season. He has 583 career home runs, which is good for 10th all time. He drove in 1,414 runs, had 1,626 hits and scored 1,167 times. His career batting average was just that—average—at .263, but it was his on-base percentage (.394) and slugging percentage (.588) that were incredible, giving him a career OPS of .982.

In 1987, McGwire won the AL Rookie of the Year Award and also broke the record for home runs hit by a rookie that year, belting 49. In 1999, he won the ML Lou Gehrig Memorial Award. He is a 12-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger recipient (1992, 1996 and 1998) and he won a Gold Glove in 1990.

Less we not forget that it was McGwire and Sammy Sosa who arguably saved baseball in 1998, after the ugly strike in 1994 that brought about a work stoppage. In my opinion, the game did not recover until the summer of Big Mac and Sammy racing to see who would break the single-season home run record.

McGwire has silently been loyal to the Cardinals, acting as the team’s hitting coach since 2010. The man has paid his dues, and I think it’s time to say we forgive him.

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