Kuzul

Late February. Optimism fills the air in Major League Baseball.

The reason?

Baseball is back.

Granted, it is only a lowly beginning. Late February is the time for spring training games in Arizona and Florida. The exhibition games, though it is good to see that baseball has returned, are just that: exhibition games.

Spring training is mostly optimistic because of the fact that it is the time of the year when everyone believes they have the chance.

Obviously, there are pretenders. I’m sorry Pittsburgh, but it doesn’t look like the Pirates will be resurrected anytime soon. Likewise for many other teams.

The Phillies, as ESPN would put it, are not pretenders, but contenders.

With arguably one of the strongest pitching rotations of all time, the Phightin’ Phils seem to many people the inevitable 2011 world champions. There is already talk on the Philadelphia FM sports radio station, 97.5 The Fanatic, that Phillies manager Charlie Manuel will have a statue of him erected outside of Citizens Bank Park.

That statement is incredibly premature, but it is not far-fetched to say that the Phillies are favorites to win the Fall Classic.

It will not happen.

I’ve been trying to take this thought over the air onto Into The Night, Tony Bruno’s weeknight radio show, but I’ve been repeatedly told that I am too young to get on the air. So I decided to take this matter to the BleacherReport community.

Anyway, the main weakness that the Phillies roster presents to me is the fact that there are many holes in the offense.

I am a Yankee fan, so I have been ragged on this offseason by the “Phillies Phans” because of the fact that the Phils nabbed the jewel of the free agent market, Cliff Lee, away from my Bombers. The argument that I fought back with on that matter is extremely relevant to the reason why the Phillies will not be, as Chase Utley might say, world bleeping champions come November.

That argument is this: while the Phillies may have put up the gaudiest offseason on paper, they had a bad one in the sense that they did not acquire what they needed to avoid repeating the disappointing end that the 2010 season had for them.

Think about it.

The Giants, in the entire NLCS, scored an average of 3.3 runs per game. That is not much compared to the league average, which sits around four. This is an indication that pitching was not the problem.

The Phillies just could not hit with the Giants. That was with a good right-handed bat in the lineup, Jayson Werth, whose signing with the Washington Nationals will prove a decent to severe detriment to Philadelphia’s lineup. They will be exposed by left-handed pitching.

Compared to the rest of the NL East, getting to the playoffs should not present much of a problem for the Phils. The regular season is a test of depth and pitching throughout a 162-game grind. I predict that Philadelphia will take the division easily, posting at least 95 wins.

However, with that being said, the postseason is filled with teams that boast excellent pitching staffs, making the playoffs a battle of the team that can hit. The team that can effectively hit and manufacture runs consistently has the best shot at glory.

The team, as of now, that should win it all is the Boston Red Sox. Getting Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis back from injury-ridden 2010 seasons combined with excellent pickups Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford will help the offense emerge as the best in the majors. Combine that a pitching staff lead by John Lester which, although maybe not as prodigious as the Phils’, is excellent and the Red Sox should be the favorites.

Now, of course, nothing is ever for sure in the world of baseball. The injury bug can bite and midseason acquisitions can shake up the balance. For now though, the Phillies must add a consistent right-handed bat to their lineup to get them over the hump.

They’re right there, yet they need one extra push. For now, my prediction is a 101-61 record, an NL East crown, but a loss in five games to the Red Sox in the World Series.

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For the past two seasons, Derek Jeter has been leading off for the New York Yankees after spending many years in the two-hole.

At the beginning of 2009, Joe Girardi explained that Jeter was a “more pure” lead-off man than Johnny Damon. Speculation has it that it was also because Jeter frequently hits into double-plays.

The move certainly didn’t do any harm to the order as the Yankees posted back to back years of high offensive productivity.

In 2010, however, Jeter was not the reason.

The captain suffered one of the most grueling seasons of his career with a .270 average and a myriad of failures in the clutch.

Although even I feel that it was just an off-year for Jeter, would dropping him back a little in the order be a good idea?

After all, many have entertained the idea of giving Brett Gardner a shot at the lead-off role.

Why not?

Lead-off men are often judged by two things—speed, and the ability to get on base—Both of which Gardy possesses.

Gardner posted a whopping .383 on-base percentage with 79 walks.

As for his speed, anyone who has seen him play knows that it won’t be an issue.

Gardner’s hitting ability is criticized by many to be very sub-par, but Gardy’s .277 average lies.

Well on pace to hit over .300 before being hit on the wrist by a pitch from the Dodger’s Clayton Kershaw in July, Gardner hit .232 in the second half compared to .309 in the first.

It is, of course, impossible to say how much of an impact that the wrist had on Gardner’s performance, but it definitely played a role.

Whatever the case, Gardner is the perfect leadoff man.

Just think—How many times could this happen with him batting first?

Gardner walks, steals second and gets driven in by meat of order—Cano, whom I think should bat No. 2 next year, Teixeira, and Rodriguez—who all had over 100 RBI in 2010.

Imagine how many times we could jump on a team quick like that!

So think about it. How does this lineup sound?

1) Gardner

2) Cano

3) Teixeira

4) Rodriguez

5)  Nick Swisher

6) Jorge Posada—DH

7) Jeter

8) Curtis Granderson

9) Newly acquired Russel Martin

(Jeter and Granderson are interchangeable)

So, again, think about it.

PS—

Merry Christmas and Go Yanks!

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He who hesitates is lost. Or, in my experience, he who sleeps in misses the bus.

The Yankees were looking good. The assumed front-runners to nab Cliff Lee, the Yankees somehow lost him to a late arrival to the party, the Philadelphia Phillies. Apparently, Lee decided on Philly because of the “fans and a great atmosphere” and also hinted that it may have been what his wife wanted.

Whatever the case, Philadelphia is sure to have a “Merry Cliff-mas” and “Happy Hol-Lee-Days” this year, while Cashman and the Yankee front office friends are and will most likely continue to scratch their heads wondering what the hell happened.

When they recover from that, they are faced with some daunting problems.

The first of which is how they will compete with the Red Sox. The day has finally come when the world looks at what has happened so far in this offseason and sees the Red Sox somehow having a more productive bidding season than the Yankees.

(Gasp)

It seems to be true. The Red Sox have made astounding offensive upgrades, adding two of the game’s best—Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford—to an already dangerous lineup. If the season began today, it sure looks like the Red Sox would be the team to beat in the AL East.

Think about it.

The Rays seem to be a third place team at best this year, losing Crawford and others to free agency. The Orioles will go on their usual April run and shut down for the year. The Blue Jays could turn out to be a good team and could possibly compete with the Rays for third place, but with their pitching staff at the moment, they won’t be able to keep up with the Red Sox or Yankees.

That leaves—you guessed it—the Red Sox and Yankees. The lineup already swings in favor of the Sox, and, assuming Josh Beckett stays healthy and Andy Pettitte retires (which the Yankees and Pettitte have hinted at), the starting pitching goes to Boston as well.

That’s not to say all hope is lost for the Yankees. Things happen, and there was no better example of that than the Red Sox in 2010. Plagued by injuries, their third-place finish was excellent considering what that many injuries can do to a team.

My point is, if everything were to go as planned in life, the Yankees would appear to have no shot right now. But, baseball is a crazy game. Keep your fingers crossed New York, and Mr. Cashman, please bring us some holiday cheer (in other words, get us some arms to help our rotation compete)!

Merry Christmas, and Go Yankees!

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The World Series.

One of the most sacred events in the sports world. It goes without saying that getting there takes intense preparation, heart, skill and a little bit of luck.

The 162-game regular season is a grind, and it all boils down to even more baseball—October baseball, AKA: Baseball at its finest.

The Yankees have done all of this before, and this year they’ve completed one third of the postseason puzzle by sweeping the Minnesota Twins in the first round.

Which means they need to win eight more games to capture World Championship number 28.

It won’t be easy.

Nor will it be simple for the Rangers. Coming off an intense five-game series against the Rays, rest may become an issue for them, as well as the availability of Cliff Lee.

All in all, this will be an interesting series.

Here are 10 predictions why:

Begin Slideshow

All season long, Yankee fans have rooted against the Rays.

Especially down the stretch, when both teams were locked in an epic battle for the AL East crown.

There were some epic moments, too. Like Robbie Cano’s homer. Or arguably the best-pitched game by two teams in a game this season, with Sabathia and Price on top of their games. And of course, Derek Jeter’s “hit by pitch” that almost cost the Rays the game.

Yep, plenty to hate about them Rays.

But this is the time to be rooting for them.

What?

Has this kid officially checked in to the mental institution?

No. Well, not yet, anyways.

The Yankees do need to face the Rays. Obviously, it would be an exciting, intra-division matchup, but it goes well beyond that. This is how.

1. Cliff Lee Just Scares Me

As the title of this article should indicate, this is one of the main reasons. This year alone, the lefty is 2-0 against the Bombers with a complete game.

That’s just 2010.

Since 2007, Lee boasts a 6-1 record against the Yankees with a 2.76 ERA. Is it just me, or does anyone else cringe at the thought of seeing this guy twice in a series?

Not to mention how he pitched in the World Series against the Yankees last season.

I’ll stay away from talking about that.

2. Game 2 Won’t Be Any Easier

You know what sucks? Having to face Lee. Know what sucks more? Knowing that CJ Wilson is waiting for you the next day.

A converted reliever, CJ Wilson has been outstanding. Behind Cliff Lee, the Rangers have one of the best one-two punches in MLB. Wilson went 15-8 this season with a 3.35 ERA.

If there were questions as to whether he could produce in the postseason, I think he has answered them already.

In Game 2 of the ALDS, Wilson went above and beyond the call of duty, allowing no runs on just two hits, striking out seven in the process before leaving after 6.1 innings of work.

However, against the Yanks this year, he’s 0-1 with a 5.65 ERA in three starts.

Still, I’d rather not face him.

3. Yankees Record vs. the Rangers

This year overall, the Yankees were 3-5 against Texas.

Not extremely bad, but certainly nowhere near good.

After the Rangers got Lee in mid-July, however, the Yankees were 0-5 against the Rangers. Plus, the Rangers have home-field advantage against the wild-card Yankees, despite New York’s better record.

Does this speak to you? Does to me.

Seems like the Yankees are better off against the Rays.

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Derek Jeter cheated.

Derek Jeter—the ultimate role-model, leader, and winner—cheated.

So people say.

However, it really is just part of the game.

For those who haven’t seen or don’t know about the incident in the Yankees-Rays game at Tropicana Field on Wednesday night (and if you call yourself a Yankees fan and haven’t, I’m guessing you live under a rock), Derek Jeter came to bat in a crucial divisional game with his Yankees down by one in the late innings.

Jeter squared around to bunt, but the pitch was inside. As he pulled his bat out of the way, the ball hit the knob of the bat and bounced into fair territory.

The Rays picked up the ball and tagged first, insisting Jeter was out. Which he was, or which he should have been, if it hadn’t been for some pretty good acting by Derek resulting in a hit-by-pitch call.

Although Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon argued until he got tossed, the call remained. Hit by pitch, take your base.

The next batter, Curtis Granderson, hit a home run to give New York the lead, 3-2.

Tampa Bay ended up coming back and winning the game, so Jeter’s acting did not end up a deciding factor.

But what if it had been?

What if Dan Johnson didn’t hit the home run, his second on the day, to give the Rays the lead again?

Boy, can you imagine what the sports radio hosts would be saying in Tampa Bay?

So of course, this starts up talk about instant replay: should it be extended?

The answer is no.

Why?

Because that’s baseball.

I’m not going to give you garbage like “We can’t have a perfect system.” Anyone who uses that reason doesn’t know what they’re talking about.

Hell, “Because it’s baseball” doesn’t sound like a good reason either.

But it’s true.

Think about it. In the old school ways of baseball, guys didn’t use steroids, guys didn’t complain and whine about contracts, guys just played.

With no replays.

It’s been like that for 150 years. It’s been America’s pastime like that for 150 years.

In fact, controversy gives fans something to talk about, and it brings attention to the game.

Baseball doesn’t need the game to be stopped every other inning because someone doesn’t agree with a call. Imagine if batters could appeal called strikes that they don’t agree with. Baseball games are already too long.

The bottom line is: baseball was baseball without technology. It should stay baseball without technology.

What Jeter did was old-school baseball, the way it was meant to be. Nice guys finish last, you take what they give you.

Jeter did what anyone trying to win his team a ballgame would’ve done.

Because that’s baseball.

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As of September 12th, the Yankees are 87-56, a half game up on the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. The division will be at stake with the crucial upcoming Rays series in St. Petersburg.

The playoffs seem to be a lock for the Bombers, barring any Mets‘ style collapse over the course of the month (knock on wood), so let’s take a look at some problems and questions that the Yankees will face in October, and possibly early November.

1) The Rotation

Last year, the Yanks were very effective using a three-man rotation in the playoffs with CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Andy Pettitte in that order.

What Joe Girardi would like to do this time around is have CC Sabathia head the rotation with Pettitte following him. That itself raises a question: Will Pettitte, who hasn’t pitched since July due to a nagging groin injury, be ready to handle multiple postseason starts, especially if the Yankees want to have a three or four-man rotation?

And about that three or four-man rotation, who is the third or fourth guy? Apparently, the leading candidates are AJ Burnett, Phil Hughes, Javier Vazquez, and Dustin Moseley. Some people would like to see Ivan Nova’s name in there, but the Yankees will most likely avoid that considering how young he is. Expect to see him out of the bullpen.

As for the other four names, I think you will most likely see a four-man rotation with Burnett and Hughes, unless either one of them suddenly forgets how to throw a baseball. Sabathia, Pettitte, Burnett, and Hughes is your New York Yankees’ playoff rotation.

2) The Lineup

This paragraph will be easy.

Obviously the Yankees would like to be able to play Posada, Teixeira, Cano, A-Rod, Jeter, Gardner, Granderson, and Swisher, with Berkman the DH against righties and Thames against lefties.

Due to injuries and days off, the Yankees have had some difficulty getting this lineup on the field routinely. Hopefully that won’t be a problem in the postseason.

On the bench, the Yankees need Austin Kearns as a utility outfielder, Ramiro Pena as a utility infielder, and Francisco Cervelli as a backup catcher.

3) The Bullpen

Last year, the bullpen was lights out going into October, but then was a bit less than what everyone expected in the playoffs. 

This year, the bullpen is not as electric as last year, but for the most part effective going into the final weeks of the season. That’s all the Yankees need.

Most likely the pitchers we will see in relief are Rivera, Chamberlain, Mitre, Moseley, Nova (possibly), Vazquez, Logan, Wood, and Robertson.

Conclusion

All in all, the Yankees look good. Hopefully the Pinstripers will clinch the division, because of home field advantage obviously, but Yankee fans have reason to be confident even if the Bombers clinch via Wild Card.

Krouse’s Playoff Predictions

American League (Rays Wild Card)

Division Series: Yankees def. Rangers 3-1, Rays def. Twins 3-1

Championship Series: Yankees def. Rays 4-3

National League (Braves Wild Card)

Division Series: Phillies def. Giants 3-2, Braves def. Reds 3-2

Championship Series: Braves def. Phillies 4-3

Yes, overall I believe the Phillies are a better team than the Braves, and therefore will win the division. However, the Phils seem to have real trouble beating Atlanta head-to-head. So when the Braves squeak past Cincinnati, they defeat the Phillies to claim the NL title. And yes, the Padres won’t be able to stop their skid soon enough to claim the NL West title over the Giants.

2010 World Series

Yankees def. Braves 4-1

Go Yanks!

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Let’s take a trip back to the late offseason of last year.

Alex Rodriguez, a then 33-year-old New York Yankees slugger sits in front of a microphone, trying desperately to save his legacy.

Recently, Rodriguez has been proven to be a steroid user. Now he tries to clear up the story and apologize as America—no, check that—the entire baseball world watches.

Rodriguez then sat at 553 homers. He seemed like a lock to break the all-time record, given his age and torrid pace. Then this blew up.

Rodriguez was able to get out of that pickle. Somewhat. He did avoid suspension or anything like that, but he lost trust from the fans.

A season and a half, one hip surgery, and 46 homers later, Rodriguez has gained back most of that trust, and now sits one dinger shy of 600 homers, a sacred milestone that few have passed.

If he were to stop now, even at 599 homeruns, his legacy would be undeniable. Because he is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, all the way.

But there are still doubters.

Some believe that he is a downright cheater and deserves nothing. Some even believe he doesn’t deserve to be allowed in Cooperstown, let alone be enshrined in the Hall.

A question people like to toss around a lot is, “How many homers would he have hit without the help of the PEDs?”

Many say that he would be right where he is now, if not very close.

But again, there are doubters.

Some say only 350. Some, 300. Some say he doesn’t deserve any, not a single one.

However, no matter what you say, 600 is going to happen, and it will count. The reaction you have is all your own.

My take is that he deserves every one.

Now I know I look like a hypocrite after one of my other articles in which I threw Barry Bonds under the bus. But I do think the situation is a little different because that’s a guy who just so happened to hit homer after homer from age 35 and on, after he just so happened to add 40 pounds of muscle prior to the season in which he blasted 73 homers.

So don’t say that I’m biased, even though I probably am. It’s an opinion. You have one, too.

Anyways, I guess I’m trying to say that no matter what your opinions are, you should feel excited as a baseball fan. This is bringing tons of excitement to the game. If you still hate the guy’s guts, just feel happy for him as a person. Be excited.

As a Yankees fan, I know I am. Heck, I’ve never even liked A-Rod that much, but I still find myself waking up in the morning, and rather than wondering, “Did the Yanks win?” I wonder, “Did he get it?”

Now let’s look down the road. To the day when it happens.

Because whether you laugh or cry about it, it’s going to happen. 

What am I talking about?

The day Rodriguez is enshrined as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

To that day and beyond, there will still be question. But my opinion will remain the same.

Untainted.

Congrats, A-Rod.

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Let me start off by saying this: I love Francisco Cervelli.

I love his game, love his heart.

He calls a better game than most guys who have been around much longer than him, and boy, is he swinging a hot bat right now.

But no matter how much I love Cervelli, he will have to wait his turn to be the New York Yankees’ full-time backstop.

Because for now, it’s Jorge Posada’s job.

Why?

Because he deserves it.

He’s hung in there. He’s part of the core four. He’s done so much for this team, and now, he is worthy of some respect.

Maybe it’s because of his five World Series rings, or because of his 15 years (and counting) wearing pinstripes.

It could be the fact that he’s one of the emotional and fiery leaders on the team, or just the fact that Yankee fans love,  and have loved Posada because of everything he’s done.

Yeah, he deserves it.

Because he can still do it.

He calls a great game, and is still one of the best hitting catchers in the majors.

In just 78 at-bats and limited time because of a calf injury this year, he’s already hit five homers and six doubles with 12 RBI to go along with a decent .282 batting average.

He deserves it.

When I heard talk about Cervelli going full-time, I was a bit frustrated that some Yankees fans were practically dissing Posada after what he’s done in the pinstripes.

Maybe I’m overreacting, but I was kind of wondering: Why?

Sure Cervelli’s off to a hot start, but Posada has shown that he can still do it (and do it well) in limited time.

But no matter how much I love Posada and want him to catch forever, he’s wearing down. Slowly, but gradually.

That’s why it’s only fair that he gets to extend his legacy now.

But when the sad day does come that he’s done, it’s very comforting to know that you have Cervelli to hopefully play the way he has been.

By the way, that Cervelli kid, he’s hitting .408 with 24 RBI.

Very comforting, indeed.

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As April draws to a close, the New York Yankees find themselves 15-7, 1.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays. It was a good month for the Yankees, especially considering the slow start last year.

So far, we’ve seen some really good, promising things. We’ve also seen some not-so-good things. So what are the positives and negatives?

Shall we?

The Positives

1) Robinson Cano

Since he was a rookie, Yankee fans have been talking about what a great kid he was and how much potential he has. Through his first five years, Cano put up very good, consistent numbers.

Yet, he still had some bonehead moves, wasted at-bats, and some immaturity. We would see this when he would take a half-hearted swing at a curve after missing the last pitch. We’d see him hang his head and pout.

But so far in 2010, Cano has been red hot.

No, actually he’s been white hot.

As of April 30, he has a .400 BA, to go along with eight dingers and 18 RBI. And, as of April 30, he leads the Yankees in those three categories.

In an infield that already puts Alex Rodriguez at third, Derek Jeter at short, and Mark Teixeira at first, a young Cano makes them the best infield in the majors.

That infield plus the 2010 version of Cano makes them one of, if not, the best of all-time.

2) Brett Gardner

Reggie Jackson said earlier this year, “Brett Gardner can hit .250 on speed alone.”

When Brett runs, your eyes have to work to keep up with him.

When Brett hits, it makes him a .323 hitter.

When Brett does both, it makes Yankee fans very, very happy.

After two years, Gardy is finally swinging the bat. He’s earned himself some legitimate playing time, too.

In 2008 and 2009, he hit .228 and .270, respectively. This .323 is a very pleasant surprise for the Yankees.

A fan favorite in the Bronx, Gardy has added six RBI (out of the No. 2, 8, and 9 spots in the order), two doubles, and a triple to that .323.

Hopefully (I’ll admit it, I’m a HUGE Gardy fan), he continues to play like this and give Joe Girardi reason to make him the full-time starter in left.

3) A.J. Burnett

Throughout 2009, A.J. Burnett was an enigma for the Yankees. He could pitch a great game, then get rocked in the next two,

Or he could have two great innings, then get bombed the next one.

The hot-and-cold pitcher went 13-9 in ’09, and the record showed no indication of how inconsistent he was.

But so far in 2010, Burnett is 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA and 20 strikeouts. He’s pitched very well, especially in a recent April 28th start against the Baltimore Orioles in which he gave up zero runs on just three hits in eight innings of work.

If Burnett can pitch like this for the rest of the year, it will be very tough to win a series against a Yankee rotation that also features CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, and Phil Hughes, who has really come along as a starter.

The key will be Burnett’s head. We saw too many times last year when he would throw a bad pitch, lose focus, and then serve up a homer or something else. If Burnett stays in control, he will be very tough to beat.

The Negatives

1) Javier Vazquez

When the Yankees picked up Javier Vazquez from Atlanta, I loved it because Vazquez, a 15-game winner in ’09, could give us a reliable man in the four-spot of the rotation.

But so far, he’s just 1-3 with a 9.78 ERA. His command is awful. He’s leaving pitches right over the heart of the plate.

It could help the Yankees a hell of a lot if Vazquez gets things turned around. That would mean that all five pitchers in the rotation are dominant. As I said before, when you have a rotation like that, it’s very hard for someone to win a series against you.

2) Nick Johnson

So far, we’ve seen some struggles out of Nick Johnson in the DH spot.

He’s hitting .136 with one homer and five RBI. From a big guy who’s supposed to give you a big bat in the DH, it’s safe to say that he’s not getting it done.

However, you have to remember, it’s only been one month. Expect for Johnson to break out of his funk and to start producing for the Yankees.

3) The Pen

Mariano Rivera is pitching exceptionally well. The sandman, reliable as ever, has an ERA at 0.00, and seven saves in the same number of opportunities.

Sergio Mitre has pitched well, too. He displays a 1.23 ERA.

Other than that, it’s not all that good.

With the exception of Rivera and Mitre, the rest of the pen combined puts up a 5.54 ERA: Something that really jumps out about a bullpen, the guys who shut the door.

Seven dingers have been served up, and 23 runs have been surrendered. The numbers aren’t terribly horrendous, but that’s where it’s going.

Again though, it’s one month into the season. Hell, Mo had some trouble last year in the beginning. If we can get the bullpen to turn it around, we can make it a lot easier on our starters and make these games seem automatic and a little shorter.

Overview

The Yankees are looking good. I think that this is a good pace, but it’s now time to really step on the gas pedal. It’s really time to heat things up.

Look out, MLB.

Here come the 2010 Bronx Bombers.

All stats and records as of April 30, 2010

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