Kuzul

Just when I think I’ve heard it all, this story comes down the pike.

The San Diego Padres are in the middle of a pennant race in the National League’s Western Division, leading by six games over the San Francisco Giants with just over a month to go.

You’d think the last thing they’d want to do is affect their home field, or stadium, in any way during said pennant race. Unfortunately, you’d be wrong.

The Padres have decided that hosting a soccer match, in the middle of September, was a brilliant idea and will do just that on September 14th between Chivas Mexico and Chivas USA. Why is that a bad idea? I’m glad you asked.

Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union Tribune has an article out this morning and he describes just what has to be done for Petco Park to be ready for this match.

The pitching mound, or what Padres’ closer Heath Bell calls “their office,” will have to be removed for the game and rebuilt in time for the Padres to return home on September 24th against the Reds. The team will be at home on the 12th, two days before the event, which gives their grounds crew just 48 hours to remove the mound as well as home plate and sod over the infield.

Padres’ president, Tom Garfinkel, is in favor of the idea and tells Zeigler that their grounds crew will be able to handle it just fine, “We have a great grounds crew. We have a lot of confidence it won’t be an issue.”

While I appreciate Garfinkel’s optimism, the last time Petco Park hosted a soccer game, in 2005 between Mexico and Sweden, it presented “several organizational headaches” according to Zeigler.

There are a lot of soccer fans in the city of San Diego, as well as surrounding cities, that would flock to see a game like this. But why Petco Park and why would they schedule something like this in the middle of a pennant race?

Bell has been more than outspoken about this idea calling it “asinine,” and I for one agree with him. Qualcomm Stadium is available and only has one game scheduled between now and the end of September so why not there? The answer to that would be the fact that the last time a soccer game was played there, it drew just 5,000 fans. That number looks a whole lot smaller at Qualcomm than it would at Petco.

The last time Petco Park had an event there, Comic-Con, a section of left field had to be completely re-done. One thing that isn’t being mentioned is the fact that there are going to be a lot of guys running around in cleats which will most certainly leave holes in the right field section of the outfield.

It’s one thing to have to tear down and rebuild the pitching mound, but aren’t the Padres the least bit afraid of their players, or visiting players, turning an ankle in a hole left from the game?

While I’m sure the Padres believe they have the best grounds crew in baseball, putting this kind of pressure on them is unfair. They’re going to be ultimately held responsible if the field isn’t completely restored by the time the Padres return home at the end of the month.

If it affects the team, even a little bit, Garfinkel won’t be admitting it was a bad idea or admitting that it was too much for this grounds crew to handle. Instead, the finger will be pointed at them for not getting the field in playing condition for the most crucial part of a pennant race.

I don’t have a problem with Petco Park hosting a soccer match, nor do I have a problem with the sport itself though I’ll freely admit that I’m not a fan of it. I have a problem with the timing and how it may affect their ultimate money maker.

This could be the best shot the Padres have to get to the World Series. Changing the field, even the slightest bit, could turn the tide of this race and cost the team that shot.

It’s a bad idea, plain and simple, but they’re going through with it anyway.

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The San Diego Padres are four games up on the San Francisco Giants in the National League’s Western Division and they’re doing it all without second baseman David Eckstein and right-hander Chris Young.

So far, the Padres have been able to stem the tide without Eckstein and have pitched better than most thought without their ace. Just when it looked like they might be without both players until deep into September, they might get both back sooner than anyone thought.

Eckstein is headed to Fort Wayne, IN to play a few rehab games with the Padres’ Single-A affiliate. He told Corey Brock of MLB.com that he’s not so much worried about how he swings the bat but how his calf holds up going full speed. If he feels good, the Padres should have him back sometime next week.

As for Chris Young, he has started to work his way back and threw his fifth bullpen session on Monday while the team is in Chicago to face the Cubs. He is scheduled to throw a simulated game on Thursday and could be back with the Padres by early September.

The big 6’10” right-hander hasn’t pitched since he went on the disabled list after his first start of the year back in April. The team has done just fine without him, having young pitchers like Mat Latos, Clayton Richard, and Wade LeBlanc along with veterans Jon Garland and Kevin Correia. However, getting Chris Young back would be a definite boost for this team especially in the final month of the regular season and the NL West division on the line.

The biggest question is, if Young is able to return, where do you put him?

You can’t shut down Mat Latos for the year because the Padres will need him, especially if the division lead is within two or three games. if Kevin Correia is struggling in the rotation, you could move him to the bullpen, but he’s been a workhorse for the Padres for the last two seasons with Young spending most of that time on the disabled list.

That leads me to this conclusion. Put Young in the bullpen. Not only do you put less stress on his arm but it strengthens an already outstanding bullpen.

You have guy like Latos starting who’s able to go at least six to seven innings, then having to face Young out of the bullpen followed by Mike Adams and Heath Bell would be as automatic as they come.

Not only that, but you can use him in long relief as well.

If Young proves that he’s ready to go, you can’t tell him no, especially if team doctor’s clear him. The Padres hold a $6.5 million option on him for next season which is unlikely to be picked up after spending most of the last two seasons on the bench with injuries.

There’s no question that this will be a difficult decision for the Padres when he’s ready to return. However, bringing him back when the rosters expand on September 1st gives the team an opportunity to do so without having to demote or release anyone.

The Padres, without Chris Young, have done just fine to this point. Getting him back into the fold makes this team that much stronger and even they can’t deny that.

Young’s simulated game this coming Thursday should be even more telling than his bullpen sessions on just how healthy he is. If he shows no signs of the injury or any weakness at all, then they have yet another dominate pitcher they can bring into the fold. It would be just like getting a starter off waivers except they wouldn’t have to give anything up to get him.

They need to be a solid challenger in the National League and they need to be able to hold the current lead in the division. To do both, they need a guy like this to be able to solidify themselves as NLCS contenders.

To see Young’s true potential and what he’s already brought to the Padres, take a look at his numbers from the 2006 to the 2008 season.

Through those three seasons, Young started 79 games for the Padres, with a combined record of 27-19 and finished with an ERA of below 4.00 in all three seasons. His best finish was in 2007 when he finished with a 3.12 ERA and was a Cy Young candidate for the majority of that season, though he never would have won it with a 9-8 record and pitching for a mediocre Padre team.

Over the last two seasons, he’s made just 15 starts with 14 of those coming in 2009. It’s not how Young saw things going and it’s not the way he would want to end his time in San Diego having not helped the team on the field.

But, that’s the life of a pitcher. They go through every start wanting to give their best effort, even if they’re not feeling 100 percent.

Watching from the dugout each and every day, wanting to be up on the mound helping his team win and being unable to has to be the worst feeling. Seeing his team in first place, fighting for every win and getting victories they weren’t getting last year has made the guy from Princeton fight that much harder to get back and do everything he can to help this team get to their ultimate goal. The World Series.

The San Diego Padres are as good, if not better, than the team that made it to the series in 1998. They’re winning games they should win, they’re getting good pitching, and timely hitting. It’s all adding up to one of the more probable runs they’ve had in 12 years.

The season doesn’t hang on the return of Chris Young, but having him at full strength and able to be a sixth starter gives Bud Black yet another weapon in his already deep arsenal.

He wants to start, he wants the ball just like the other starters in the rotation. But the Padres need him in the bullpen. They need another shutdown arm. Another guy that can stop another team’s rally in its tracks.

They may only get one shot at the World Series and this may be their best opportunity. Putting the right pieces in the right place is absolutely key. If Young is the team player I believe he is, he’ll go where the team needs him and he’ll do anything it takes to help the team win.

So, he’ll take a seat right next to Heath Bell and he’ll wait for the bullpen phone to ring. He’ll get up, start to warm up. His number will be called and he’ll enter Petco Park to the biggest roar since Trevor Hoffman’s theme song “Hells Bells” echoed through downtown San Diego.

His time is coming. There’s no need to rush it but when he’s ready and 100 percent, the Padres will welcome him back. They need him as much as he needs them.

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I love the game of baseball. In fact, I’d call myself a baseball enthusiast.

That being said, there’s a topic that seems to stick in my craw more often than not. While I have my own opinion on players’ salaries and how most aren’t worth half of what they’re getting, that’s not one of the biggest issues in the game today.

What is? Controversial managers.

Guys like Ozzie Guillen, Billy Martin, Lou Piniella, and more that I won’t start to list here. My problem is how they affect the game and the players around them. Not only that,  but how it’s almost gotten to a point where a few of these guys almost act entitled.

Take Ozzie Guillen, for example. Maybe he gets a bad rap. Maybe his players love and respect him and maybe most of the guys that have played for him have nothing but good things to say about him. At least on the record.

Guillen is one guy that a lot of baseball guys focus on as to what’s wrong or what’s gone wrong with the game of baseball today. The fact of the matter is that some managers just want to hear themselves talk and believe they’re entitled to say what they want.

It’s the same problem I have with a guy like Mark Cuban, but that’s a different story for a different day.

As much as a White Sox fan wants to sit here and tell me Guillen is entitled to say what he wants because he’s won a World Series, I’ll put Joe Torre up there as an example. I don’t ever remember Joe Torre running his mouth just to hear himself talk or spark the kind of controversy Guillen has.

This isn’t out of disrespect for a guy like Ozzie because, to be honest, he makes me laugh. While I can’t understand a lot of what he says especially when he really gets to talking fast, he does have some pretty insightful or comedic things to say.

The other problem I have with these managers is the kind of fight that they put up if they don’t agree with a call. I’ll use Lou Piniella as a perfect example.

While there have been some legendary meltdowns, Lou Piniella is one of the all-time greats at melting down in front of the umpires, players, and fans.

Most of us remember the big time meltdown he had last season where the hat hit the ground, a quick ejection, and an in-your-face argument took place at Wrigley Field against the Braves. What you’ll also notice in the above video is Cubs fans throwing stuff onto the field. Classy.

Is there a reason that managers have to have this kind of meltdown to prove their point or is it all an act to give fans more entertainment for their money? Don’t get me wrong, but I enjoy a good meltdown just as much as the next fan, especially the classics like this one, but I just wonder if they’re necessary.

The umpire isn’t going to change the call, and the egotistical ones won’t even admit they were wrong after the fact. So again, what’s the point?

There have been some other classic meltdowns from guys like Bobby Cox, Charlie Manuel, and others. But what makes these managers controversial? Is it their style on the field, their style in the clubhouse, the way they handle the media, or is it everything combined?

To me, and to a lot of fans, we can only speak to what we see on the field and through the media. Maybe it’s a skewed view of what these guys are really like. Maybe it is all just for the entertainment value. Maybe the arguments are nothing more than a way to show the fans that they are fighting for their players.

While I respect that from a lot of managers, it can be handled a lot better than it is these days. Call me a sap if you want, and I know a lot of fans love a good meltdown, but there’s a better way to handle a blown call from an umpire than getting in his face for more than three minutes.

I understand that a tirade against an umpire, and a subsequent ejection, can fire up the players and send a signal to them that they need to wake up. But there are some tirades that don’t make an impact at all.

The best managers have the best timing, but the managers you see skipping from team to team, never able to hang on to a managerial job for more than a few seasons at a time, don’t seem to have good timing at all or a good handle on their players.

To answer the question that started this article, is it good or bad for baseball, it’s not a bad thing at all. Managers will say what they want to say and a lot of us fans will get nothing but a good laugh from the best of them. We enjoy some good dirt kicking, hat throwing, and rosin bag tossing. 

The only way that this becomes bad for baseball is if it starts to effect the game itself. Until then, the game remains unchanged. If you notice, even the most controversial managers seem to to hang on to their jobs long term.

Even the most controversial and outspoken managers are loved by not only their players, but the fans of those respective teams.

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Just days before the big three game set between the NL West front-running San Diego Padres and the trailing San Francisco Giants, both sides were already looking forward to their divisional showdown. Giants’ left-hander Jonathan Sanchez may have been a little too fired up.

Sanchez is, undoubtedly, a good pitcher. He’s the same guy who threw a no-hitter against the Padres in July of 2009 at AT&T Park. He was also the same pitcher that gave up just one hit to that same team earlier this year…and lost 1-0.

Maybe his adrenaline or excitement got the best of him. Or, perhaps, he just wasn’t thinking when John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle talked to him about the upcoming series. Whatever the case may be, Sanchez decided to throw down the gauntlet and say something he probably shouldn’t have said.

“We’re going to play them three straight times and we’re going to beat them three times,” Sanchez told Shea. “If we get to first place, we’re not looking back.” You have to wonder how many of his teammates put their hands over their faces and wished they could have shut him up before he spoke. Henry Schulman, also with the Chronicle, reported that some in the Giants’ clubhouse were annoyed at the comment.

Unfortunately, the words were out and, the next morning, they were in the paper for all to see. When the Padres got wind of it, not one of them fired back with a guarantee of their own. Left fielder Scott Hairston told a San Diego television station that it wasn’t a smart thing of Sanchez to say, but didn’t go much further. Padres’ closer Heath Bell decided to have a little fun with the comment saying, “All right, cool. We’re going to get swept. Well, I swept my garage this morning.”

It wouldn’t take long for Sanchez to regret his words, as he ended up the losing pitcher on Friday night, and, after an extra innings victory for his team on Saturday, watched as the Padres put an exclamation point on the series with an 8-2 win on Sunday.

While he would be eating his words in the Giants clubhouse on Sunday afternoon, another Giants pitcher apparently didn’t learn the lesson Sanchez had just learned the hard way.

Reliever Guillermo Mota, who got tagged for the final two runs in an 8-2 defeat, decided to open his mouth and make everyone else roll their eyes. It’s one thing for Sanchez, an above average pitcher, to say what he said, it’s quite another for a guy that’s given up six earned runs in three and a third innings to say it.

Mota started off politically correct when talking to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, “We’ve got seven games left with them? We don’t care about those seven games now. What we care about is winning series. They’ve been playing good. We do, too. But it’s not between us and San Diego. It’s us and the whole league right now. We’ve got to go to Philly and take care of business.”

At this moment, you can imagine Mota’s teammates answering their own questions from the media and minding their own business.

Then, in a “what the hell did he just say” moment, Mota dropped this little nugget: “Every team has a down time. Every team has its lumps. They haven’t had their lumps. You don’t think they’re going to be playing like that all year, do you? If they do, congratulations.”

I’m curious what the media thought when Mota popped off like that. Did they know it was coming? Could they sense that a moment of brilliance, or lackthereof, was about to be shared? What about his teammates? Did they take him aside and smack him upside the head and remind him that’s exactly what got Sanchez in trouble?

Mota can say they don’t care about San Diego all he wants. But, this time of year, there isn’t one playoff-contending team that isn’t watching the out-of-town scoreboards or wanting to know how the other team did.

These two teams will meet seven more times, including four at Petco Park, before the season is over. You can bet that those seven games will be just as big as this past weekend was, especially if the race is as close as it is so far.

Through 11 games between the two teams, the Padres have won nine of those 11 games and sit at three and a half games in front of the Giants.

Their battle isn’t over and, apparently, neither are the guarantees.

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The San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants play the first game of a three-game set that is sure to be an epic battle between two NL West teams.

Both are locked in a battle for the top spot in the division, there’s already trash talk going on, and both want a series win in a big way. The winner of this series will definitely be in the driver’s seat.

There will be several things to watch for during this series and several keys for each team to come out on top, but here are 10 things to watch for over the next three days.

Some may even surprise you. Are you ready?

Begin Slideshow

The San Francisco Giants couldn’t have had better timing. They completed a trade for Jose Guillen of the Kansas City Royals, just in time for the first game of a three-game set against the NL West-leading San Diego Padres.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports broke the news via Twitter this morning, confirming a report from ESPNDeportes.

It’s not known whether Guillen will be in the lineup for the Giants tonight, but I imagine we’ll find out in the next few hours.

The Giants had been looking for a “big bat” before the trade deadline and chased the likes of Milwaukee‘s Prince Fielder and Corey Hart, along with Washington‘s Adam Dunn, but were unable to get deals done for any of the three.

The Royals have been wanting to move Guillen for some time, even offering to pick up most of his contract to get a deal done. There was talk out of Kansas City that the outfielder was a “bad influence” on the younger players.

There are plenty of veterans on the Giants, but there are plenty of young players as well. There are always those saying a “change of scenery” does wonders for a player, so I imagine that’s what’s being said on the San Francisco airwaves this morning.

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The NL West hasn’t gone the way most of the “experts” thought it would. The team leading the division, the San Diego Padres, was expected to be the bottom feeder, while the predicted leader, the Los Angeles Dodgers, sits in third place seven games back.

That sets up for a showdown in the bay area this coming weekend between the first place San Diego Padres and the second place San Francisco Giants who are just two and a half games back. The two teams have met eight times this season with the Padres coming out victorious in seven of those games.

Giants’ right-hander Jonathan Sanchez has already thrown down the gauntlet in a recent comment to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle saying, “We’re going to play San Diego, and we’re going to beat them three times. If we get to first place, we’re not going to look back.”

The only problem with the comment from Sanchez was the fact that he was confident in the first part then questionable in the second part. First, it was “we’re going to beat San Diego,” but then said “if we get to first place.” Why not go all the way and say “when we get to first place?”

When Shea asked Sanchez about the Giants losing seven of eight to the Padres so far this year Sanchez responded, “That was a long time ago. Doesn’t matter. We’ve got a better team now.” While he wasn’t quite as colorful as Cincinnati’s Brandon Phillips calling the St. Louis Cardinals “little b******,” it still gives the weekend series a different feel than early on in the year.

Tale of the tape:

Pitching:

San Diego Padres – 3.26 ERA

San Francisco Giants – 3.44 ERA

Analysis: The San Diego Padres have been towards the top of the NL West all season long. Much to the chagrin of a lot of “experts” who picked them to finish last. The biggest reason for their success is their pitching staff. Not only their starters but also the guys out of the bullpen.

Adding Jon Garland, a veteran that knows what it takes to get to the World Series, was a good off season acquisition, but adding a young and talented right-hander in Mat Latos behind him makes for a solid one-two punch in the rotation. Not only have those two guys been getting it done but guys like left-hander Clayton Richard, right-hander Kevin Correia, and young left-hander Wade LeBlanc have stepped up at the right time to provide solid outings.

As for the Giants, they also boast one of the best rotations in baseball with guys like Tim Linecum, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez, not to mention Barry Zito, all of which have ERA’s below 3.60 with Matt Cain leading the way at 3.06.

The problem this team has had in years passed was the failure of their bullpen to hold a late inning lead. They seemed to have fixed that with guys like Brian Wilson (2.19), Sergio Romo (2.18), Javier Lopez (2.51), and Santiago Casilla (2.32). It give the starters confidence to turn the ball over to them when the game is on the line instead of worrying whether or not the lead would hold. 

Offense:

San Francisco Giants – .261 average

San Diego Padres – .250 average

Analysis: There’s no secret when it comes to the struggles of the San Diego Padres as far as scoring runs. Sometimes, pitchers can hold an opposing team to a single run and end up losing the game 1-0. General manager Jed Hoyer is hoping that the addition of both Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick will help some of those issues and give their pitchers more runs to work with.

Outside of those two, the Padres have been getting better than expected production from Jerry Hairston Jr. and as expected production from Adrian Gonzalez. However, having David Eckstein out of the lineup for an extended period has definitely hurt the team. They are hoping to have him back by this weekend.

As for the Giants, they have become a better offensive team but still lack that one big bat that general manager Brian Sabean really wanted. They attempted to acquire Adam Dunn from Washington as well as Corey Hart from Milwaukee but were unable to get a deal done for either player.

What they did get came from inside their own system. After trading away catcher Benji Molina, it gave them the opportunity to call up Buster Posey who has since surprised even the Giants with his performance. Posey played in just seven games for San Francisco in 2009, hitting .118 and striking out four times in 17 at bats. This season however, something must have clicked because the young catcher is hitting .345 with eight home runs and 42 runs batted in.

Padres will take the series if…

They can score early on the Giants’ starters. The longer they go, the stronger they seem to get. Get to their pitchers early and get into their bullpen.

They can go into the late innings with the lead and hand it to their bullpen.

Giants will take the series if…

They are patient and take pitches. The Padre pitchers will attempt to get ahead and early but wait them out and they will make a mistake.

Their pitchers can keep Ryan Ludwick from becoming a factor. His bat has started to heat up and that’s the last thing they want to see.

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Let’s call the American League West for what it is, over. Pull out the white flag, hook it up, and raise it to the top of the flag pole and let it fly proudly.

That’s the note that I would write to the front office of both the Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It’s time for these two teams to call it a season, pack it in, and start planning their off season capabilities.

So, let it be known, on this 10th day of August 2010, that the AL West was declared for the Texas Rangers (insert the sound of crickets here). Where is everybody? Where is the champagne, where is the celebration?

Oh wait, the fans here in Dallas are waiting for one of the most monumental collapses in sports. They’re waiting for the Rangers to fall on their face like they’ve done so many times before.

Let me soothe you Ranger fans. Let me put your fear at ease. The AL West is a wrap. At no time has a Texas Ranger team held an eight game lead two weeks into the month of August, the second to last month of the regular season.

This is not the team that has fallen in seasons past. These are not the same players that have quit on each other because they didn’t know how to handle a division lead, or a divisional race for that matter.

While the Ranger fans work their way out of hiding, I’ll talk to the other baseball fans whose teams wish they had an eight game lead in their division. They would love to be breathing a little easier at this point, just ask the fans of the White Sox and Twins who are in a dead heat in the AL Central. Ask the fans of those two teams if they wouldn’t love to have that kind of lead and be able to call their division, over.

The Rangers are doing all this despite Vladimir Guerrero hitting .232 after the All-Star break with just a single home run after hitting 11 prior to the break. During the first half of the season, Guerrero struck out just 30 times in 323 at bats.

So far, through just 82 at bats, he has almost half that number (13).

The first three months of his time with the Rangers, it looked as if they had gotten a diamond when all the Angels saw was a guy past his prime. He hit .333, .330, and .356 from April to June respectively. However, those numbers took a huge fall as Vlad hit just .210 in the month of July and had his second highest number of strikeouts (12) that same month.

Not only has Vlad struggled, but they’ve been without second baseman Ian Kinsler who was put on the disabled list on July 28th with a left groin strain.

One guy that they have been getting production from is outfielder Nelson Cruz. Prior to the All-Star break, Cruz was hitting .299 with 11 home runs and 41 runs batted in through 174 at bats. Since the break, Cruz is hitting .344 with four home runs and 20 runs batted in.

However, that’s not the most telling stat. Cruz had struck out 44 times in those 172 at bats but has just 15 in 90 at bats. If he keeps that up, he would have cut down on his strikeouts considerably.

The hottest Ranger of them all since the All-Star break, a guy who’s making one heck of a case for the American League’s Most Valuable Player award, is outfielder Josh Hamilton. While his numbers in the first half of the season were more than respectable, hitting .346 with 22 home runs and 64 runs batted in, his numbers post All-Star break have been nothing short of astounding. Hamilton is hitting .395 with a .457 on base percentage not to mention hitting .454 in June and .418 in July.

Two players can not carry this team, especially if they hope to make a serious run through the playoffs. Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz can’t carry this offense on their own.

Michael Young (.247), Elvis Andrus (.258), and Benjie Molina (.232) are all guys that they need to step up as the team reaches October, each of three haven’t exactly been impressive since the All-Star break.

However, it’s not the hitting that will make or break this team in the next two months, it’s their pitching. Rich Harden, just this past weekend, showed just how much the team can’t trust him as a starter down the stretch. His five walks and one hit batter through two and a third innings was not what manager Ron Washington was hoping to see.

The best move the Rangers made prior to the trade deadline all but guaranteed them a playoff spot. That move was landing left-hander Cliff Lee from the Seattle Mariners, a guy that most thought was about to be traded to the New York Yankees.

Since his arrival to the Rangers, Lee is 2-2 with a 2.63 ERA. While he’s going to be instrumental for this team over the last few months, his previous playoff experience will prove to be exactly what will help this team come October. There’s no substitute for having a guy anchoring your rotation that knows what it’s like to get to the World Series. Not only that, but he knows what it’s like to pitch in those games.

Outside of Lee, the Rangers have been getting big performances in their rotation from Tommy Hunter (9-1, 3.01) and C.J. Wilson (10-5, 3.30) not to mention Colby Lewis (9-8, 3.37). Aside from those four, when the starters can turn the ball over to their bullpen and not worry about a lead getting squandered, it helps their confidence that much more. Darren Oliver (2.33), Darren O’Day (1.18), and Alexi Ogando (1.19) have been nothing short of solid when they get the ball in the late innings. Though Oliver has struggled of late, giving up six earned runs in his last five appearances (4 1/3 IP).

What every team needs is a guy that can come in to the game in the ninth and shut the door. The Rangers have that guy in young right-handed flame thrower Neftali Feliz who has racked up 29 saves this season and has blown just two save opportunities all year.

So, for all you Ranger fans who are afraid to come out of the woodwork and believe that this team has it wrapped up, you can come out of hiding and wear your Ranger colors proudly. Sure the Cowboys are almost a month away from kicking off, but there’s another team in Arlington that might have their best shot at a championship this year.

Doubt all you want, question if you must, but admit that this is not the same team or the same players that have let the fans down in the past. This is a team that is gearing up for October.

So, as Brian Dalgin says so well…Let’s go!

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As we’re headed down the homestretch of the 2010 Major League Baseball season, the divisional races in both leagues are heating up.

In every division, except for the AL West, teams are separated by three games or less.

The Yankees and Rays are battling in the AL East. In the AL Central, a half game separates the White Sox and Twins. And in all three National League divisions, all three are each separated by two games from the NL East to the NL Central to the NL West.

But even when you look at the AL West, with the Texas Rangers currently holding a seven game lead over the Oakland Athletics, can we call that division over or do the A’s still have something left in the tank to make a run?

There are so many story lines that will play themselves out over the next few months. We’re going to breakdown each division and where each race will stand at the end of August. How many lead changes will there be? Will the Yankees be able to distance themselves from the Rays? Can the Rangers put the AL West away for good or will the A’s find something a little extra and crawl back into the race? Can the Padres hold off the Giants in the NL West?

Just so it’s clear, the number at the very bottom of each slide is how many games that team will gain this month. We’ll answer all these questions and give you a glance at just how these races will look at the end of the month.

Ready? Let’s get it…

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For those of us that love the game of baseball, there’s one thing that we’ve gotten used to seeing but is something we don’t see very often—the collision at home plate.

Baseball isn’t a contact sport; it’s never been known as one. But it has been known to happen and is part of the game.

A runner coming hard down the third base line has every right to turn himself into a hard-hitting linebacker after a wide receiver that doesn’t see him coming. If the catcher blocks the plate, he knows he is about to get lit up by someone arguably bigger than he is.

We’ve seen some big hits at the plate. We’ve seen both the catcher and the runner get the worst end of the hit, and we’ve seen both get up and go on with their respective roles.

Lately, however, it seems the trends are changing. I’m not sure whether it’s the runners that have gotten wimpier and are afraid to hit the catcher or if Major League Baseball is giving the catcher too much protection or freedom.

If you watch the game on a regular basis, or if you’re a big fan of the game, these days you’ll see catchers blocking the plate with their leg, forcing runners to try to slide around them or sometimes not slide at all. The question that has been raised is, are there more injuries being caused by runners not sliding?

Being a catcher growing up, I knew what I could and couldn’t get away with. I knew about blocking the plate, I knew about “owning” that space around home plate, and I have even paid the price of getting laid out a few times in my days.

I also knew that the runner had the same right to the baseline, and home plate, as the catcher did. The runner was trying to score and could do whatever he could do to get there, short of lowering his shoulder and purposely trying to hurt someone.

These days, it seems like catchers think they’re protected more than the runners. Popular opinion would be that runners should avoid catchers at all costs. That’s not how it should work.

Catchers are allowed far too much in the game these days. They can block the plate with every part of their body they can use short of covering the entire plate with their body. They can stick their leg out so a player can’t touch it with their hand on a head-first slide or with their feet as they go feet first. So what’s to stop runners from remembering their rights and making some of these catchers pay for blocking the plate?

It’s because most will tell you that running over the catcher would be against the rules. Some might even say catchers are as protected as Tom Brady with a “don’t touch me” red jersey. But how many players have to get injured, from broken fingers or broken wrists, before Major League Baseball steps in and takes some of those freedoms away from some of the worst offenders?

I understand that the catcher’s job is to keep the other team from scoring, a lot like a goalie in soccer or hockey, but at least in those two sports, other players aren’t getting injured trying to do just that.

Block the plate if you wish, but some of these catchers will have to learn that doing their job comes with some amount of risk. It’s going to take getting run over to finally realize that maybe blocking the plate completely isn’t the smartest move in their bag of tricks.

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