Kuzul

When a town’s citizen receives the call to the Bigs, his hometown usually goes crazy.

He gets a parade, streets are named after him, the whole deal.

But what happens when the local neighborhood kid is playing for the local favorite team? Everyone goes crazy.

The standard for a hometown hero was set long ago, when Lou Gehrig, a young man from the Yorkville neighborhood of New York City, began his career with the New York Yankees.

“The Iron Horse” would end up setting the record for consecutive games played (since broken by Cal Ripken, another star playing in his hometown) and career hits as a Yankee (since broken by Derek Jeter, who was born in Northern New Jersey).

Since then, greats such as Pete Rose and Tony Gwynn have played in their hometown.

The general consensus around baseball is that Joe Mauer is the one of the greatest players in baseball. But which hometown hero is having the best 2010?

Here are the top ten.

Begin Slideshow

What is the value of a double play?

It seems like a simple question at first, but underneath the surface, incalculable defensive factors muddle up the idea that a double play is anything but a complex and intricate pattern of moving parts.

For those who believe glove conquers all, the middle infield is the most important part of a baseball team. How these two perform defensively can directly affect the number of games a team wins. So which dynamic duo was most valuable defensively this past decade? It’s time to find out.

The Guidelines

1.) These rankings are purely measurements of defensive prowess. Offensive ability is not taken into account. Apologizes to Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez.

2.) Gold Gloves, as they can be pretty subjective, do not affect my decisions. However, I will use them to reinforce my point, as opposed to throwing a bunch of decimals rounded to the ten-thousandth place at you.

3.) I’m measuring how both players performed together. So no matter how good of a fielder you believe Derek Jeter is, having to rely on the lead gloves of Alfonso Soriano and Chuck Knoblauch didn’t exactly put Yankees fans at ease.

4.) The actual requirement for consideration was this: The duo had to log multiple seasons in which both played manned the middle infield positions for at least one hundred games. By these standards, 37 pairs were eligible for my rankings.

This saves me the time of sifting through useless stats for combinations such as Marlon Anderson-to-Brent Abernathy.

An example of a durable player who was unfortunately ineligible due to this qualification would be Miguel Tejada. While with the Oakland Athletics, he played out a full 162 game season on three separate occasions. However, Billy Beane’s inability to find a solid second baseman during those years means the A’s have no combos eligible.

Or, take Royce Clayton. A very underrated defender, he amassed 100+ games in seven seasons during the 2000’s, playing superb defense consistently. Unfortunately for Royce, he was never with a team for more than two years, making him an extreme long shot for consideration.

Begin Slideshow

One of the most interesting franchise histories in sports is that of the Colorado Rockies. Since 1993, when they joined the National League as an expansion franchise, Colorado has been known for its “Blake Street Bombers” attitude and for their horrifying home-road splits.

Playing in the thin air of Coors Field, good hitters such as Vinny Castilla were made to look like Hall of Famers. However, it may just be the thin air of Denver that keeps the black-and-purple out of Cooperstown.

The Case For

In the short history of baseball in Colorado, two players stand out against the background: Todd Helton and Larry Walker. With the exception of young stars Ubaldo Jiminez and Troy Tulowtizki, there have been no other players who could go into the Hall with a Rockies cap on their plaque.

First, we’ll look at Helton.

The Tennessee native has been considered by most to be the greatest player in franchise history. As of June 12, his .326 career average ranked sixth among players whose careers began after World War II. Among active players, Helton is second in on-base percentage (.426), fifth in slugging percentage (.560), sixth in intentional walks (175), and tied for fourth in doubles. These are the numbers of a Hall of Famer, especially for a player who has spent his entire career with one team.

Helton is the only player ever to have 35+ doubles in his first ten seasons. He also made five straight All-Star teams and won four straight Silver Sluggers. He captured a Gold Glove on three occasions.

He paces all Rockies hitters in hits, homers, doubles, walks, runs scored, RBIs, on-base percentage, games played, total bases, among other, more obscure categories. If any Rockie should make the Hall, it should be Helton.

However, another former Colorado star could make the Hall before Helton is even eligible: Larry Walker.

Walker has a chance to enter the Hall before Helton for one reason. In 2012, the Hall of Fame class is expected to be extremely weak. First timers include Walker, Bernie Williams, former Rockie Vinny Castilla, Javy Lopez, and Ruben Sierra.

Walker, who won seven Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers, and the 1997 NL MVP, has good career numbers (52nd all-time in home runs) and the writers may look favorably upon him in comparison to his class. If Walker is going to get in, 2012 is the year.

The Case Against

The reason to keep Rockies players out of Cooperstown is obvious: They played most of their games at Coors Field.

The career splits can’t lie:

Helton at Home: 200 HR, .358/.455/.633

Helton on the Road: 126 HR, .294/.395/.486

Those splits are among the harshest ever. For Helton to make the Hall of Fame, someone’s going to have to be convinced that it’s the overall body of work that counts. For those who make a valid point that if Helton had Cooperstown ability, he would hit like it everywhere, the home/road splits.

The biggest reason, though, that could prevent

With possible holdovers such as Barry Larkin, Roberto Alomar, Mark McGwire, John Franco, and Rafael Palmeiro stealing the spotlight, it may be harder for Walker to get in. But, if he doesn’t get in in 2012, he probably never will.

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza, Curt Schilling, Kenny Lofton, Franco, Biggio, Mesa, Wells, Hernandez, and Sosa headline the class of 2013. In 2014, we have Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas, Jeff Kent, Luis Gonzalez, Kenny Rogers, Moises Alou, Mike Mussina, and Hideo Nomo. With those guys stealing the spotlight for what looks like several years, I see Walker having a very hard time making it in, and if Helton’s path is blocked, he could have a hard time getting in as well.

The Final Verdict

Chance of Todd Helton Making the Hall of Fame: 75%

Chance of Larry Walker Making the Hall of Fame: 35%

But hey, that’s my opinion. Put yours in the comments below!

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With starters Kyle Lohse and Brad Penny on the disabled list and poor showings from rookies P.J. Walters and Blake Hawksworth, the St. Louis Cardinals may be close to bringing a familiar face back to Busch Stadium: Jeff Suppan.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that parameters of a deal were in place that could have the veteran right-hander, who was released by the Brewers on Monday, join the team this weekend in Arizona.

Jon Mozeliak, the Cardinals General Manager, warned that any deal was unofficial as of yet.

“We have interest,” Mozeliak said, “but no decision today.”

Assuming the deal goes through, the Brewers would essentially be paying Suppan over $9 million to pitch for their rivals.

In 2006, the Brewers signed Suppan to what was then the largest deal in Milwaukee history at $42 million over four years.

Suppan is best remembered for his time in St. Louis, where he went 44-26 with a 3.95 ERA from 2004-2006. His biggest impact came during the Cardinals’ 2006 championship run. He was named National League Championship Series MVP for his performance against the New York Mets, and delivered a quality start in the World Series against Detroit.

However, since signing with Milwaukee that off-season, Suppan’s performance has steadily declined. He was barely respectable in 2007, going 12-12 with a 4.62 ERA. However, his 1.505 WHIP revealed a deeper problem. His ERA and WHIP increased each year, finally climaxing at 7.84 and 2.000 in 2010.

He started the year on the disabled list with a neck injury, and made two starts upon his return, after which the Brewers moved him to mop-up duty in the bullpen.

If the Cardinals can complete the deal, they would pay Suppan a prorated portion of the Major League minimum, and the Brewers would cover the rest of his $12.5 million salary. He would be the latest in a long line of reclamation projects for Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It’s no secret that Dontrelle Willis is struggling. That’s why it came as no surprise when the Detroit Tigers decided that he wasn’t worth what they were spending on him—they designated him for assignment on May 30th.

However, there may be a perfect situation for him in St. Louis.

The Cardinals, who through Sunday were 29-22, could be looking for some pitching help, with starters Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse on the disabled list.

The biggest reason the Cardinals and Dontrelle could have mutual interest is the Cardinals’ famed pitching coach, Dave Duncan.

The Willis case could be seen as similar to that of another former Detroit Tiger, 2006 reclamation project Jeff Weaver. After posting a 3-10 record with a 6.29 ERA in Anaheim, he was designated for assignment on June 30.

Weaver won important games to help the Cardinals win the National League Central Division, and then was a rock in the playoffs, helping to deliver the Cardinals a World Series Championship.

However, Dontrelle Willis is even more promising than Jeff Weaver was. Willis has gobs of talent, which he proved during his years in Florida, where he won the 2003 Rookie of the Year and finished second in 2005 National League Cy Young Award voting behind Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter.

Willis would be one of the most talented pitchers ever to play for Tony LaRussa and Dave Duncan, so he should be an easier reclamation project than say, Joel Piñeiro.

Another reason to pounce on Dontrelle is that he could come very cheaply. Now that he has been designated for assignment, the Tigers have three options. They can trade him, pass him through waivers, or, if he isn’t picked up by another team, give him his outright release. With Willis’s recent performance, the Tigers might be willing to part with him for chump change.

However, his salary for the upcoming season is $12 million. That’s an issue for the Cardinals, who are already strapped for cash. So for a trade scenario, the Cardinals would need money to cover Willis’s salary. It’s hard to imagine that scenario.

It’s more likely that Dontrelle will pass through waivers and be released, where the Cardinals can sign him to a cheap deal and the Tigers will be forced to cover the rest of his salary.

Picking up Willis could give the Cardinals options with the starting rotation. If Willis performs anywhere near his 2003 Rookie of the Year form under Duncan’s tutelage, they could plug him into the rotation, and shop around Kyle Lohse, whose 4-year/$40 million dollar deal is the only black spot on the Cardinals’ payroll.

If Willis continues his dismal performance, St. Louis could trade Willis, simply cut ties with the erstwhile southpaw, or put him in the bullpen, where he could be very effective as a reliever.

Whatever the Cardinals decide to do, they should remember one of baseball’s most consistent truths: One team’s trash is Dave Duncan’s treasure.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

It took an offensive blackout and countless griping from fans, but St. Louis skipper Tony LaRussa has finally made the move.

Monday night against the Washington Nationals, Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols found himself batting cleanup. It was the first time Pujols batted outside of the third spot since May 30, 2003, when he hit fourth against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Matt Holliday will now bat third.

“It’s a couple things,” La Russa said. “No. 1, Matt is feeling O.K., but he’s a major impact guy for us and we’ve got to get him going to where he’s more like himself. Two, hitting him in front of Albert should be a plus, but hitting him second, I didn’t really like that too much.”

One reason for making this move was Holliday’s struggles with runners in scoring position. This season, he’s eight-for-47 in those high pressure situations. Otherwise, he is having a fine year at the dish. By moving him to third, St. Louis optimizes RBI opportunities for Pujols, while lessening the chance of Holliday coming up with runners on.

Another way it helps the Cardinals is by simpling shaking things up. It’s no secret that most of the St. Louis lineup has been under-producing, and this move returns Holliday to a place he is familiar with from his years with the Colorado Rockies. Pujols, meanwhile, will be able to hit with more runners on, because Holliday is a high average, high on-base percentage guy who can come up with two-out hits if necessary.

“We’ll see,” the manager said. “We’ve still got to make it work, but Matt’s been a third-place hitter. He likes hitting third. We need to be more productive. So you identify, there’s things we can work on, there’s things we can improve, which we will improve. And there’s other things like this that maybe there’s a spark there for us. and getting Matt going would be a spark.”

Holliday didn’t say he would change his approach at the plate, but he did acknowledge he likes coming up in the first inning.

“But with Albert,” he said, “you usually hit in the first inning [anyway].”

Although LaRussa said Albert approved of the move, the St. Louis star didn’t have much to say about the switch.

“I don’t care where I hit,” Pujols said. “I’m just glad to be in the lineup.”

In a related story, Cardinals shortstop Felipe Lopez rejoined the team from the disabled list, and led off in last night’s contest.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In Thursday’s series finish against the Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Brendan Ryan was left out of the starting lineup, for good reason. The 28-year old has been an utter failure as the Cardinals’ starting shortstop.

His batting average is .173, which would be a little disappointing by anyone’s standards.

Ryan was not expected to win any batting titles, but the Cardinals were willing to barter with his bat in exchange for his stellar glove.

I, as did some others, pegged Ryan as my preseason pick for a Gold Glove. How wrong I was.

In the first two games of the Houston series, Ryan made a combined four errors, which led to a combined nine unearned runs for Cardinals starters Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse. Both pitchers have every right to be disgusted by Ryan’s lack of effort, both at the plate and in the field.

Luckily for St. Louis, they have an answer to the issue. Unfortunately, that answer is currently rehabilitating from a sore right elbow. Felipe Lopez, who the Cardinals signed at the beginning of Spring Training, should succeed Ryan at short.

Ryan has been hitting ninth in Tony LaRussa’s modified lineup, and the Cardinals manager hinted change could be on the way.

“It’s what it always is,” La Russa said Thursday. “The best guy plays—every position. Brendan is the guy we expect to be the best guy, but I don’t think he should play today. If somebody jumps in there and plays better, he plays. If we’ve got a better catcher than [Yadier Molina], he plays. … We believe in Brendan, but this is not the Minor Leagues.”

Lopez, who started as shortstop for the Reds in 2005 and made an All-Star team, would not be much of an improvement on defense (evidenced by his .970 fielding percentage in ’05), but he would almost certainly help a Cardinals offense that is struggling at the plate.

There is even the possibility that Brendan Ryan could be sent down to Memphis, with infielders Tyler Greene and Aaron Miles ready to take his spot.

Ryan is a talented player and a good clubhouse influence, so few Cardinals fans want to see him sent down, but you won’t hear many complaints if Felipe Lopez takes the field next week in his place.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com