Kuzul

Nobody doubts the power of Cliff Lee. In nine postseason starts in his career, he has an ERA below two and a SO/BB ratio of above nine. After winning the Cy Young in 2008, Lee has blown away hitters in both leagues, recording earned-run averages below 3.50 for three different teams in two seasons. Toward the end of 2010, he helped the Rangers get to the World Series, mowing down all opposition in between.

For these reasons, the Yankees are going to throw everything they have at Lee during the offseason. Especially after not accomplishing the ultimate goal in 2010, the Yankees are again feeling the pressure to get back to the World Series, and Lee is the man they need. 

While this seems to be usual business for the Yankees, things may be a bit different this time. The Rangers will also be in on the bidding, and could pose as a threat to the Yankees. 

Regardless, many believe that the Rangers simply don’t have the economic power to compete with the Yankees, not to mention the psychological power. However, even with the Rangers out of the picture, the Yankees are going to need to do everything they can to bring Lee aboard. Why? Because there are no other choices.

Looking at the free agent market beyond Lee, there are virtually no other options that will bring talent even close to that of Lee. Instead, the market is full of options that include has-beens, injury prone starters and unknowns.

Hiroki Kuroda and Chris Young are probably the best options other than Lee. However, Kuroda is entering his late thirties, and Young pitched just 20 innings last season. Sure, you can make a reasonable bet on either of these guys, but the Yankees are not looking for the steal-of-the-decade, they are looking for a sure-star.

The next two options are pitchers that Brian Cashman may need to mention in the midst of a fake cough if he wants to convince Yankees fans. Forgive me for bringing them up, but Carl Pavano and Chien-Ming Wang will both be available. Wang is having some injury troubles, and no airline with ties to New York will give a flight to Pavano. Both are out of the question.

Brandon Webb, Justin Duchscherer, Erik Bedard and Rich Harden constitute what I like to call the nostalgic squad. In other words, these would have been great options four years ago, but now they pose serious injury risks, and very minimal production at most.

Kevin Millwood and Pedro Martinez are both reasonable options as well. However, they are going to need time this season to fill out their AARP forms, and won’t have much time for baseball. Again, these pitchers would have been great options for the ’99 Yanks, but certainly not the ’11 club.

Jake Westbrook, a former Yankee, is the last option and arguably the best option past Lee. However, while he may be a solid veteran starter, he has never been the difference maker that the Yankees are looking for. 

All other options aside, the Yankees have no reason to be timid with Lee. After all the re-signings the Yankees are set to make, there will be plenty of money left to give Lee the record-breaking contract that he is expected to get. True, not much money will be left over after that, but the Yankees aren’t going to need another star besides Lee. 

Clearly, Lee is the guy the Yankees are going to target. They want to get back to the World Series, and Lee is the pitcher that can get them there. Nobody expects the Yankees to be quiet during this process, but perhaps there is some extra urgency in this particular deal. Fortunately for the Yankees, it probably wont matter.

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Game three of the World Series is in the books and the Texas Rangers are finally on the board.

A Mitch Moreland three-run home run, a solo shot from ALCS MVP Josh Hamilton, and solid pitching from starter Colby Lewis helped the Rangers put a 4-2 win in the books in Arlington on Saturday night.

After two demoralizing losses in San Francisco, fans here in Texas wondered if the Rangers were capable of coming back and tying the series.

When the offense went dormant on Thursday night, a collective fan base dropped their heads and didn’t know if they were ever going to be able to pick them back up again. The team wasn’t hitting, they were making mistakes, and their bullpen was just short of awful.

On Saturday afternoon, as fans began to file into the stadium, they wanted to believe that their team wasn’t ready to quit. They wanted to believe that there was still a little magic left in the Rangers’ tank and they were hoping they would see that come out in game three.

When Moreland lined his three-run shot to right, the fans exploded. It was the first time in three games they were really able to cheer for anything at all. It was the first time they were able to really throw their hands up, yell, and scream.

It was also the first time their team had a lead since game one. They wanted this win, they needed this win, and they got it.

Lewis came in on Saturday night and did exactly what the team needed him to do. But not only that, the bullpen did their job as well. Darren O’Day came in to the game in the eighth inning, an inning that has plagued the Rangers through the first two games, and although it was scary, he got the job done.

Then, in the ninth, it was Neftali Feliz who shut the door on the Giants and made it look easy although it was his first World Series appearance in his career.

With one win under their belt, the Rangers and their fans can rest a little bit easier, knowing that a small chunk of the Giants’ lead is gone.

But with one win comes even more challenges and even more obstacles this team will have to overcome.

They will need to keep themselves grounded. They will need to keep themselves from getting too high on the performance they put in game three. They have a job to do and they still have ground to make up.

Scheduled to go to the mound on Sunday is right-hander Tommy Hunter, a guy who has struggled throughout the playoffs.

That has brought up a whole new set of questions, actually just one question and one that was asked by the media to manager Ron Washington during his post game press conference after game three.

“Ron, is there any thought to bringing Cliff Lee back on short rest to start game four?” Ron’s answer was a simple, “no.”

That question was asked again during the post game show on Fox Channel 4 here in Dallas. The answer to that is simple. Lee’s numbers when pitching on short rest are not good and his performance in game one was not enough to think he’d be any better in a ballpark that plays smaller than AT&T Park in San Francisco.

On one hand, I understand why the question came up and I understand those who think Lee should go on three days rest. However, if you lose game four, then you’re almost forced to come back with C.J. Wilson also on three days rest. You put yourself in a bad situation that way.

Going with Tommy Hunter will give him the confidence to go out there and do what he needs to do to get the job done. This Giants’ offense is a potent one without question, but they’re not unbeatable.

Hunter needs to trust his stuff, he needs to trust that he can get the job done, and he needs to trust the guys behind him. Throw first pitch strike, keep the ball away from the middle of the plate, and throw the right pitches at the right time.

If he can do that and if he can keep his confidence up for at least six innings, he can allow his bullpen to do the rest.

The Rangers got their first win, but they’re a long ways from climbing back in this series. This is a good Giants’ ball club and they’re not going to give up wins. They’ll continue to fight all the way through and not give you an inch.

You hate to use the old cliche but it’s one the Rangers need to use starting Sunday night. “One game at a time, one win at a time.”

Take care of tomorrow, get the win, then worry about what comes next. If they do that, they won’t have to play with their backs against the wall.

Get yourself back into this series, than go and take control of it.

The Texas Rangers have their destiny in their own hands and they know exactly how to handle things from here. As long as they do what they’re capable of doing and putting together the kind of effort we saw from them in the ALCS against the New York Yankees, this series won’t be just tied up, but the Rangers will have the lead going back to San Francisco.

The 2010 World Series isn’t over yet. It’s only just begun.

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The baseball world got their wish: the New York Yankees are not in the World Series and parity played its part.

The San Francisco Giants with their 11th ranked payroll ($96,277,833), play host to the 25th ranked Texas Rangers ($64,810,570). 

It is great to see new blood in the playoffs; however the ratings do not support that fact.  Game 1 pulled in a rating of 8.9 (approx 15 million viewers).   

Compared to the lowest-rated World Series, Philadelphia Phillies-Tampa Bay Rays, that’s a drop off of 3 percent, and a 25 percent drop from last year’s New York Yankees-Phillies series (also Game 1) 

To make matters worse, the ratings from Game 2 were not any better. 

Game 2 pulled in an 8.5 or nearly 14.5 million viewers—still a 26 percent decrease from last year’s Game 2. 

According to an article published in USA TODAY, Bud Selig still has high hopes for the remaining games:

“MLB commissioner Bud Selig told Sirius XM Radio’s Chris “Mad Dog” Russo Thursday that Giants-Rangers will draw ‘great ratings’ if it can build to a competitive five-game, six-game, or ideally, seven-game series.”

I have to sit on the fence on this one.  On one side, this is great for baseball—new players and more exposure. On the other hand, the Yanks and the Boston Red Sox are nowhere to be found and it does make it feel quite empty this October. 

Sure there are great players: Josh Hamilton, the once untouchable Cliff Lee, “The Freak” Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and the ageless Edgar Renteria continuing to perform after 15 seasons. 

There are also great teams: The Texas Rangers, who found themselves in dire straits financially, but stuck it out through 162 games; and the San Francisco Giants, looking for their first World Series title since 1954. 

With all that said, for the viewers to be entertained and the ratings to increase, something magical needs to happen, and happen quickly.   

Games 3 and 4 have to be ones for the ages.  If Game 3 is a blowout with the Giants up 3-0 heading into Sunday night’s game, competing head-to-head against Sunday Night Football, the numbers could be very, very unflattering.

This article can also be found on The GM’s Perspective

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Recently, The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo entertained the idea that Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka could generate some serious trade interest if the Sox chose to put him on the block.

He cited an informal poll of baseball execs as the basis of his claims that moving Daisuke could generate a lot of interest among the baseball community

This is certainly not a new idea, as his inconsistency on the mound and unwillingness to adapt to a more aggressive style of pitching has frustrated many Red Sox fans.

Yet the talent is definitely there, and a change of scenery could be all it takes for Daisuke to finally figure it out on the major league level.

If the Red Sox really were going to seriously consider trading the Dice-Man, which teams would be lining up for him, and what could the Red Sox expect to get in return?

One thing’s for certain: The Red Sox would likely have to eat a portion of his remaining two years and $20 million to move him. 

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The 2010 World Series is not over yet, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to talk about players who could be changing teams this offseason.

Notable playoff players such as Texas Rangers pitcher Cliff Lee, Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth and Tampa Bay’s Carl Crawford all could start with different teams next April on opening day 2011.

Free agency and trades make the hot stove season very exciting, and this winter is sure to see major players switch cities.

Next, we will look at 10 significant players who are free agents or may likely be traded this winter.

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Few teams in MLB history have come back from a 2-0 deficit in the World Series. But maybe the Rangers have what it takes to continue their ride through new club precedents.

For a team running through new experiences with each pitch, spotting the opposition a two-game lead must seem like climbing a mountain made of wet soap bars. A serious strategy seems like the remedy, but how do you stop superb pitching and clutch hitting?

Where does a team turn after its ace implodes in Game 1 and its offense turns comatose for Game 2? 

Here are five aspects the Rangers must address to avoid embarrassment in the 2010 World Series.

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Detroit Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski has said the Tigers will be aggressive this offseason. He has already locked up Brandon Inge and will have a deal in place for SS Jhonny Peralta. This will allow Dombrowski to focus on the big bat the Tigers need in their lineup. If I was the GM these are the two moves I would attempt to make this offseason. 

I believe pitching wins, and the Tigers have three of the best young pitchers in baseball. They also have one thing in common; they’re right handed. The Tigers need a lefty, and there just so happens to be a lefty on the market: Cliff Lee. 

I know the chances are remote at best. However, if the Tigers were to offer Lee a front loaded, six-year, $145-150 million deal, he’d listen. Front loading the contract allows the Tigers to have more flexibility as their young players reach arbitration. 

The Tigers rotation would look something like this. Justin Verlander, Cliff Lee, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello and Phil Coke (or a young pitcher allowing Coke to return to the ‘pen). They would have without doubt one of the top, if not the top, rotations in all of baseball. 

To address the need of a power bat to hit behind Miguel Cabrera I would look to the trade front. The Milwaukee Brewers have been open about looking to trade slugging first baseman Prince Fielder. Fielder will be a free agent after the 2011 season, so the Tigers would want an extension before agreeing to the deal. 

Who would they send? I would put together a package which would include Andy Oliver, Jay Sborz, Ryan Strieby (or Brennan Boesch) and Ryan Raburn or Casper Wells.

A heavy price? Yes, but well worth it. Field had an off year (32 hrs, 83 RBI and .261 BA), but that would have double the next closest HR total the tigers had, and would have been the leader outside Cabrera for RBI.

For Detroit, Fielder would be the DH, except to give Cabrera a day off. The other thing this could do is enable the Tigers to resign Magglio Ordonez to a reasonable contract (two years, $11-15 million). The Tigers lineup would look like this: (2010 stats in parenthesis)

1. (CF) Austin Jackson (.293, 181 H, 27 SB)

2. (2B) Will Rhymes/Scott Sizemore (.304, 12 doubles, 191 ABs)/(.224, seven doubles, three HR, 43 ABs)

3. (RF) Magglio Ordonez (.303, 12 HR, 59 RBI)

4. (1B) Miguel Cabrera (.328, 38 HR, 126 RBI)

5. (DH) Prince Fielder (.261, 32 HR, 83 RBI)

6. (SS) Jhonny Peralta (.249, 15 HR, 81 RBI)

7. (LF) Ryan Raburn/Brennen Boesch (.280, 15 HR 62 RBI)/(.256, 14 HR, 67 RBI)

8. (3B) Brandon Inge (.247, 13 HR, 70 RBI)

9. (C) Alex Avila (.228, seven HR, 31 RBI).

The pitching rotation would look like this: (Lee and Verlander could be switched)

1. Justin Verlander (18-9, 3.37 ERA, 219 Ks)

2. Cliff Lee (12-9, 3.18 ERA, 185 Ks)

3. Max Scherzer (12-11, 3.50 ERA, 184 Ks)

4. Rick Porcello (10-12, 4.92 ERA, 84 Ks)

5. Phil Coke (7-5, 3.76 ERA, 53 Ks)*

If Detroit was able to make these moves I believe they would be a front runner for the American League Pennant and would challenge for the World Series Title, not only this year, but for future as well.

*Pitched in the bullpen.

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Last night’s game was not the total shock many people think. I figured the San Francisco Giants would score a couple runs early against Lee, but was surprised the way they knocked him around.

The Giants pitchers also neutralized Mickey Mantle Jr, I mean, Josh Hamilton.

The Giants game plan with those two players were the key to winning Game 1. 

1) Cliff Lee vs. Giants Hitters

The key in getting to Cliff Lee is to be aggressive in the batters box. I have long discussed that on this site. Hitters cannot continue to take early strikes, get behind in the count and then have to react to any on of four different pitches he throws with two strikes.

Lee starts most hitters off with a fastball. He then mixes in cutters, curves and an occasional change up. He is also more likely to throw his curve ball with two strikes.  

And why not? It is harder to control that either the fastball or cutter and you do not have to throw it over the plate with two strikes, just get in low in the zone and you can be successful.

But the Giants are a very aggressive group of free swingers. They like to hack at lots of pitches early in the count, both in and out of the strike zone.

Against Lee, the Giants were aggressive, but mostly on pitches inside the strike zone, more specifically right over the middle of the plate.

They did not chase the high fastball. One of Lee’s important pitching traits is that he moves the ball around, changing the eye level of the hitters.

He works low and away, then up and in. He will throw the two-seamer or curve low, then throw a normal 91 MPH fastball up, many times out of the zone.  

But unlike the Yankees hitters, the Giants lineup did not chase the pitch up and out of the zone. The right-handed hitters also did not offer at the many pitches Lee threw just off the outside corner. That is why Lee probably threw very few changeups.

This forced Lee to work from behind in the count, and then have to come over the plate with his pedestrian fastball.

And that usually gets hit…and hit hard. While there were many hard hit balls, especially in that fifth inning, there were even more fat pitches which the Giants aggressively attacked yet fouled back.

Andres Torres, Juan Uribe and Cody Ross all missed fat fastballs over the middle. Lee threw too many pitches over the middle of the plate. The Giants hitters were also looking to hit the ball the other way, with right handed hitters hitting the ball to the right side.

That allows the ball to travel deeper and the hitter can see the ball longer. Going to right field hurts Lee’s pitching game plan. He thrives on teams like the Yankees who are looking to pull the ball, but the pesky Giants hurt him. Another reason why Lee likely threw very few changeups.

The Giants aggressive nature works well with pitchers who throw lots of strikes. That is why the Giants have beaten Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and now Cliff Lee in this postseason.

Watch for the Giants to continue to be aggressive on pitches in the zone, and their key to winning is to stay off the pitches out of the strike zone. Even Uribe took two pitches before hammering his three-run home run.

Credit the Giant shitting coach, Hensley Muelens, for putting together a good game plan for the hitters last night and will likely have another good one for tonight.

Tonight’s starter, C.J. Wilson, has one of the highest walk rates in the American League. The Giants will continue to be selectively aggressive.

2) Josh Hamilton vs. Giants pitchers

Right now Josh Hamilton has a long swing. He doesn’t have very quick hands and mostly swings with his arms. Does it have something to do with his rib injury from a month ago?

Since most teams pitch him away (like the Yankees always did in the ALCS), Hamilton continuously looks (and leans) out over the plate.

But the Giants pitches have worked Hamilton differently. They have thrown lots of off speed pitches away, but they also challenged Hamilton. 

And they challenged him inside where his long swing can not catch up even with a normal major league fastball.

In Hamilton’s first at bat, Tim Lincecum had to pitch to him with men on first and second.

But Lincecum got Hamilton to meekly ground out on pitches away.

Next time up, Lincecum jammed Hamilton on an 89 MPH fastball up and in.

Third time up, Hamilton was worked outside again and weakly grounded out back to Lincecum.

Fourth time up, Casilla blew an up and in fastball right by Hamilton then got him to fly out again on a fastball in.

The Giants pitchers got Hamilton out twice away and twice in, moving the ball around and not just trying to keep the ball away all the time.

Like the Yankees did, Joe Girardi worked scared against Hamilton. Most of the hard hit balls Hamilton had were on pitches out over the plate when the pitchers were constantly working away.

Look for Matt Cain tonight to continue to pound Hamilton inside with fastballs, but also showing him some stuff away for effect.

The Giants neutralized both of Texas’ main weapons, Lee and Hamilton, and won big in Game 1. If they continue to play smart baseball and do the same things they did in Game 1, they will have an good time in Game 2.

Except for his high walk rate, C.J. Wilson is a similar type pitcher as Lee and can be approached the same way. Wait him out to come over the plate.

And the job of Cain and the able bodied bullpen is to bust Hamilton inside.

He can’t handle that pitch, and the Giants will continue to exploit it.

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Cliff Lee was thought to be invincible, and his postseason record proved that he just might be. He had never lost in the postseason, that is until Game 1 of the World Series.

Game 1 was a disaster for the Rangers. They allowed 14 hits and 11 runs, with Cliff Lee allowing a postseason-high of six. They made four errors, which was uncharacteristic for a normally solid Rangers team. Cliff Lee was pounded around for 4 2/3 innings.

When the dust settled in the fifth inning, the Rangers were down 5-2, and Cliff Lee was taken out of the game. By the time the inning was over, the Rangers were down 8-2, and Game 1 might as well have been over.

So much for the unbeatable Cliff Lee, so much for the Clee Facts, so much for the “I heart Clee shirts, the absurdity that was “Cliff Lee’s wife doesn’t flirt with him because no one hits on Cliff Lee” turned into anyone and everyone can hit on Cliff Lee.

Lee was unable to locate his breaking pitches and was forced to abandon those altogether. He was forced into being a strictly fastball/cutter pitcher, and that was not working either. Countless times his cutter drifted over the middle of the plate, allowing the Giants to tee-off on Lee.

If you would have told me before the game that Cliff Lee would have more hits than Josh Hamilton, I would have laughed at you, even though Cliff Lee was put up on this high pedestal. Hamilton could not produce a hit, while Lee produced a double in the second inning.

Freddy Sanchez had three doubles in his first three at bats off of Cliff Lee, and everyone was pounding the ball.

The matchup of aces Cliff Lee and Tim Lincecum quickly turned into an afterthought, as both made early exits. The Rangers, rookies in the World Series, played just like you would expect any rookie. They were jittery and nervous, and it showed in their play. Even the great Cliff Lee showed his nervousness throughout the game.

“I think it’s just baseball. That’s the only thing you can say,” Sanchez said. “This is a crazy game.”

“I was trying to make adjustments,” Lee said. “I was up. I was down. I was in. I was out. I was trying to find it, and I was never really consistent with what I was doing.”

This has been the “year of the pitcher”, but if Game 1 was any indication, it will be the World Series of the hitter.

The Giants won 11-7 in a game that was never really that close.

What does this mean for the Rangers?

The Rangers desperately need a win tonight, and they will give the ball to left-hander, C.J. Wilson. Wilson has been the Rangers most consistent pitcher this year, and has snapped Texas’ losing streaks time and time again this season. The Rangers will need him to do just that tonight.

He will be facing Matt Cain tonight, who could be difficult for the Rangers to rebound against.  Cain has allowed one run, nine hits and struck out 11 over 13 2/3 innings while going 1-0 in two starts this postseason. These are impressive stats, and the Rangers will need to produce runs if they want to go back to Texas with the series tied.

A 2-0 deficit is not insurmountable, but it will put the Rangers in a hole that I am not sure they could dig out of.

The Rangers look to rebound tonight against the Giants, and they will need a solid effort from C.J. Wilson to do so.

B/R Prediction: Texas Rangers 5, San Francisco Giants 4

For questions regarding the article, please comment or send me an e-mail.

Paul Ferguson is an intern at Bleacher Report.

Visit www.cleefacts.com

Follow him on twitter at: @paulwall5

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Few things have been more certain that Cliff Lee’s dominance in the playoffs over the last two seasons.

Sure, there’s the sunrise and, nearly as certain, sunset.

There’s Glenn Beck angering liberals and Jon Stewart offending conservatives. 

And there’s MTV killing the brain cells of children with Jersey Shore.

But other than those things, there are few things you could set your clock by with more certainty than Cliff Lee shutting down opponents in October. Going into last night’s Game 1 of the World Series, Lee had allowed only two postseason earned runs while striking out 35 and walking one.

Wow.

Nevertheless, Lee got shellacked last night. Courtesy of baseballreference.com blogger “Andy”, we now know that Lee’s performance is tied for the 13th-worst Game Score in World Series Game 1 history.

Wow again.

Never fear, though, Cliff Lee fans. The company he’s keeping on this list is actually pretty impressive. Here is a look at the top seven pitchers to have sucked as bad as Cliff Lee did in Game 1 of a World Series.

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