Kuzul

The Boston Red Sox have called Fenway Park home for 100 years now but, apparently, their abode is not so humble to some.

Boston hosted the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday for the first baseball action Fenway has seen this year, with the BoSox dominating the Rays, 12-2. The game featured Sox catcher Kelly Shoppach with a bizarre slide to get his first stolen base of his career. But even more bizarre was what was said off the field by Rays DH Luke Scott about the stadium. Via Evan Drellich of MLB.com:

As a baseball player, going there to work, it’s a dump. I mean, it’s old. It does have a great feel and nostalgia, but at the end of the day, I’d rather be at a good facility where I can get my work in. A place where I can go hit in the cage, where I have space and it’s a little more comfortable to come to work.

This wouldn’t be the first time Scott has done something to irritate the Boston faithful. As an Oriole last season, Scott was at Fenway when Baltimore defeated Boston on the last day of the season to prevent the Red Sox from making the postseason. He made comments to MLB.com during spring training about how sweet it was to eliminate Boston because of his disdain for their fans. From Bill Chastain of MLB.com:

Just their arrogance. The fans come in and they take over the city. They’re ruthless, they’re vulgar, they cause trouble, they talk about your family, swear at you. Who likes that? When people do that, it just gives you more incentive to beat them. Then when things like [the last game of last season, a 4-3 walk-off Orioles victory] happen, you celebrate even more. You go to St. Louis—classiest fans in the game. You do well, there’s no vulgarity. You know what? You don’t wish them bad.

It’s pretty clear Mr. Scott isn’t making any fans in Beantown, but his comments about the stadium make absolutely no sense to me—mainly for the fact that the Rays play in what might be the worst stadium in the majors.

Scott can take his shots at the ballpark and call it a “dump,” but Tropicana Field is, no offense Rays fans, the dump. It’s an eyesore, has a terrible atmosphere and I don’t like it. 

And I’m far from alone in this mindset. Every single “Worst Stadiums in Baseball/Sports” has the Trop right in the top five, more often at No. 1 than not. I think The Dugout Doctors summed it up best: “No wonder the Rays haven’t won a World Series, who can win when the best thing about your stadium is the cat walk because you can jump from it. There is nothing more depressing than this field. If they ever blow it up I’ll be happen to push the button.”

So Luke Scott, you may be saying things to irk the Boston fans you despise so much, but next time, make sure your comments can’t be applied just as well to yourself.

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In the middle game of a three game set between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards earlier this week, a rubber match was taking place between Boston’s Josh Beckett and Baltimore‘s Jeremy Guthrie.

That is, until O’s outfielder Luke Scott smashed a 425-foot two-run homer onto Eutaw Street in the bottom of the fourth to break the scoreless tie.

Understandably, Scott admired his ball as it carried off into the night. Who wouldn’t? If you hit a ball that far, you’re going to want to see it go.

Unless your name is Josh Beckett.

The Red Sox‘ pitcher didn’t appreciate Scott watching his hit fly, and appeared to be yelling at Scott as he stared him down multiple times as he rounded the bases, and even after he reached the inside of the dugout. The game’s plate umpire, Fieldin Culbreth, had to calm Beckett down.

In Scott’s next at-bat in the game against Beckett, the pitcher didn’t retaliate, though that could be due to the teams being caught in a close ball game, as well as a sure-fire ejection had Beckett drilled Scott.

After the game, Beckett told reporters on the subject that “Those things have a way of working themselves out.”

So is Beckett planning on drilling Scott the next time the two teams meet? Or will he have a fellow pitcher do so?

On the flip side, this is what Scott had to offer to reporters when asked about it after the ballgame: “When I got into the dugout, the guys said he was yelling or something like that. I’ve got all the respect in the world for Josh Beckett. He’s one of the best pitchers in the game. I respect every pitcher who takes the mound against me. He is a tremendous competitor, and there are emotions. I’m an emotional person, so I can understand people getting emotional.”

What’s so bad about one admiring a lengthy home run they hit? Personally, I’m not exactly sure. If I were a pitcher and someone beat me in that fashion, I would understand them wanting to give it an extended look.

That’s baseball, as well as life. People naturally want to take a look at their accomplishments, and for Beckett to get upset over it further proves that he has the emotions of a pre-teen going through puberty.

Beckett is well known for being one of baseball’s most notorious cry-babies, and though there have been all too many examples proving as much, one sticks in my head.

I can’t remember what season it was, but my guess is between three to five years ago. It was, again, a game at Camden Yards between the Sox and the Birds with Beckett on the bump.

Melvin Mora, a longtime Oriole during the last decade, was on second, taking his lead, when all of a sudden, Beckett turned around and started walking towards Mora, shouting at him the whole time.

I don’t remember specifics, such as if the benches cleared or if Beckett was stopped by umpires/teammates before he reached Mora, but I do remember that no punches were thrown. It was a rather controlled incident, in terms of a baseball altercation.

I also remember why Beckett suddenly became incredibly pissed off.

He claimed that Mora was stealing his catcher’s signs, something that Mora denied post-game, was very obviously not doing, and that happens in baseball all the time by the players. It’s part of the game, just like how New York Yankees‘ captain Derek Jeter faked being hit by a pitch in a game late last year between his team and the Tampa Bay Rays. Teams find any way they can, within the rules of the game, to get a leg-up on the competition.

Again, that’s baseball. For Beckett to react the way he did was simply childish.

God only knows why Beckett feels that he needs to be the unwritten rule police on the diamond. If he decides to retaliate against Scott the next time the two meet, it’ll just be another example of the man’s immaturity.

The time to unnecessarily retaliate was in Scott’s next at-bat, which as I said, he failed to do. But a better alternative would be for him to grow up and play the game of baseball, not throw a fit over it. He should try to put a K next to Scott’s name the next time he faces him, instead of a HBP.

Apparently, Beckett can’t handle getting beaten in a game very well, and if I were a part of the Red Sox’ management, I would have looked into getting him help for that a long time ago.

And just for the record, did he ever have a problem with Manny Ramirez and/or David Ortiz for doing the exact same thing so many times over the past decade? Didn’t think so.

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This time of year, America is buzzing over both March Madness and the fantasy baseball information superhighway. 

In this show, I’ll provide you with the broadband information you’ll need to win a championship and get your coins in.

Join me as I get it in and let you know the under the radar players to roster.

Begin Slideshow

Luke Scott has become a fan favorite in Baltimore since he came to the Orioles from the Houston Astros in 2008.

In 2010, Scott was one of Baltimore’s most consistent hitters and helped carry Baltimore late in the season after Buck Showalter came aboard.

 
5. Luke Scott, LF

Luke Scott, 32, enters the 2011 season penciled in fifth in Baltimore’s projected lineup. The Orioles’ designated hitter the past two years will be moving over to left field after Baltimore signed Vladimir Guerrero to a one-year deal.

He is no stranger to left field either; in 2008 he started 100 games in left field, though he is three years older though now.

Although Scott does not have the biggest arm, he has always been very reliable outfielder for the Orioles.

In 2008, he committed only two errors in over 840 innings in left field and a  RF/9 of 2.17, which was third in the American League.

Not to mention he was one of Baltimore’s more reliable hitters in 2010, at the plate he hit .284/.368/.535 with 27 home runs.

Luke has also provided the Orioles with consistent power bats the past couple of years—Scott has hit 75 home runs in his three years with the O’s.

Even with his improved overall average, Scott is still far off from being an elite hitter in the American League East. 

In 2010, the designated hitter hit .214/.307 /.375 with RISP, compared to 2009 when he hit a more manageable .271/.378/.523 with RISP.

He also struggled against power pitchers and according to baseballreference.com, Scott hit .178/.290/.267 against pitchers who ranked in the top third in strikeouts and walks.

Although  having limited success with RISP and against power pitchers in 2010, Scott still managed to find consistency at the plate in other situations. In years past fans became familiar with the “Luke Scott” that would would go on a power surge for two or three weeks only to follow with a slump that would last upward to months.

Along with the rest of the team, Luke was able to fight off the dog days of August—Scott finished strong in the second half of 2010 hitting .295 with 15 home runs.

It should also be noted that with the addition of Derrek Lee, Vladimir Guerrero and Mark Reynolds, Scott will have a tremendous burden of being Baltimore’s lone power bat taken off his shoulders in 2011.

With the added protection, it is not unreasonable to expect him to see better pitches with RISP in 2011.

The upcoming season is setting up to be exciting years for the Baltimore Orioles with added depth in the Orioles lineup-Luke Scott should flourish offensively.

Prediction: .285 AVG, 33 HR, 90 RBI

On Deck: Mark Reynolds

In the Hole: Adam Jones

Previous predictions: Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, Derrek Lee, Vladimir Guerrero

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According to Luke Scott, “Obama does not represent America.”

This article is not an ideological rant or a political statement. That is just the sort of thing that baseball does not need, and it is what Luke Scott provided in his recent “Answer Man” interview on Yahoo! Sports.

For those who missed it and those who won’t click this link, In an interview, Baltimore Orioles outfielder, Luke Scott was talking about some recent hunting trips he’d taken. He was then asked about gun control and responded about communism and socialism.

Next he was asked about Barack Obama and went on to talk about how America is losing its values. Shortly thereafter he was asked, “You don’t believe Obama was born here do you?” To which he replied, “He wasn’t born here,” and provided a short rant about how Obama is obviously hiding something.

The next day his team publicly distanced itself from Scott’s opinions, and there was a small uproar amongst baseball fans on forums across the Internet. Undoubtedly, there are many baseball lovers who see no problem with what Scott said.

One thing needs to be made clear. Luke Scott did not pull a Kanye. He didn’t grab the mic and rant. He was being interviewed, and he didn’t impose his beliefs on anyone, because anyone reading was expecting to hear from the depths of Luke Scott’s mind.

That’s generally the point of interviews. He was asked a question, and his response was not completely irrelevant to the question(s) he was asked. It was still wrong though.

The game is pure in the sense that it unites people who play it, watch it and love it. It makes us forget politics, and at its best, makes us forget what divides us and angers us. We don’t need to know very much about the players as people. In fact, often we don’t care.

Politics seems so at odds with baseball. Baseball, or a majority of its fans at least, reject personality. The only values that are relevant are those relating to what you do on the field.

Fans respect a “team first” mentality. We respect players who sacrifice their sweat and blood for their team. Talent is never enough. Heart goes a long way.

Don’t let the abundance of advertisements fool you. MLB is not an MTV reality show. Alex Rodriguez learned this the hard way. This year, young pitchers jumped at the opportunity to board the anti-A-Rod train. [I don’t care what Dallas Braden says, he would not have yelled at his mom for walking across his pitcher’s mound.]

Anger is not a welcome sentiment among players. Milton Bradley has bounced from team to team because of his constant altercations with teammates, management and fans. We love players who play with intensity and with passion, but the best of them leave it on the field.

They don’t take that out into their public life. They have two identities, the baseball player and the person. Often we care only about the first. In the case of Milton Bradley, the message from baseball’s higher-ups is clear. They will only tolerate so much.

It’s amazing how well I tend to think I know a player based on a page full of numbers. I can look at the raw stats; I can look at their progression over time; I can read the scouts’ assessments. Never do I wonder what’s on the player’s iPod, what he ate for dinner, what he thinks of the New York City public school system, etc. It’s all about what the player has done on the field and what he will do on the field next spring.

The Baltimore Orioles immediately made it clear that they did not endorse Scott’s comments. When a team goes as far as to make a public statement about something a player said, that means something.

It means they don’t want to hear divisive statements. They don’t want to be associated with such talk. They’re about baseball. That’s it. Check everything else at the door. Especially things that might become a distraction.

Someone in the front office wishes Scott had kept his mouth shut. It’s not because anyone thinks what Scott says will have any lasting affect on our nation. It’s because it changes the tone around the organization.

The Orioles clubhouse does not need distractions. The Orioles organization does not need that sort of climate hovering about it. An air of controversy hangs over outspoken ballplayers.

His right to speak freely is not in question.

I come down hard on baseball players who I think act childish or show disrespect for the game. I lost respect for Brandon Phillips when he created fire between his Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals by ranting about how much he hates them. I lost respect for Nyjer Morgan in August after he started behaving like a frat boy at a kegger.

Luke Scott has now become a polarizing player. A solid hitter, like himself, generally earns a degree of respect if not outright adoration based on his play. There is a contingent who will readily stand behind Scott. Some will agree wholeheartedly with his comments and put him on a pedestal for having the courage to speak up.

Luke Scott is a man who used to bring a gun to baseball games. He makes acceptable points about guns being a potential mode of protection. Something is off there.

What did he need protection from in Houston? Was Roger Clemens trying to sleep with his sister? What could he possibly need protection from at Oriole Park? There aren’t enough fans in the stands to storm the field.

Throwing a baseball to another human being is one of the most communicative exercises one can engage in. In its purest form, personality is utterly removed from the equation. One element of teamwork is being on the same page, being unified. Strong ideological differences could stand in the way of that. It helps when strong personalities are left out of the picture.

Make no mistake, Luke Scott has the right to say what he wants. We aren’t debating freedom of speech. We all deserve to say what we want, but the caveat is that there are things we should and should not say in certain situations. There is no room in this game for grand, divisive political statements.

And, it doesn’t help that the editor of the very article who printed the original conversation went out of his way to show some of Scott’s “opinions” are anti-factual.

Things like this that make me look past the stats and skills for a moment. I don’t want to, but I can’t help it. The realization that I might not like these people as human beings adds an odd dynamic to this game that I love.

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The far left police are out in full force once again.

The target this time?

Luke Scott.

He stated his belief regarding Obama’s citizenship and has consequently been humiliated by media outlets and fans alike.

While that particular quote may have been wrong (very wrong), his overall theme was correct:

America has changed.

Look at the response to his comments if one needs proof. The good points he made were glossed over by critics who called him a “moron” among other grade school insults. Somebody call Jon Stewart, ASAP!

There is no reason that comments made by a career .268 batter who plays for the Baltimore Orioles should be this important. The message that is being sent is clear: Obama is off-limits. Every person who speaks out against Obama is an idiot. Anyone who says that he does not represent America are instantly labeled as a racist or a member of the Tea Party.

Scott’s assertion that America will become a place where thieves and liars roam may be a little far-fetched, but it is at least plausible. The people who might make it that way are those who refuse to have an open dialogue without resorting to childish insults about a person’s intellect who, let’s be honest, doesn’t get paid to think.

Let’s look at one aspect of his interview that NO ONE has decided to put a spotlight on:

People no longer stand by their word.

It is the reason that walking into a bank and getting a loan is so difficult. It is the reason banks had to be bailed out. If he feels that Obama is being dishonest, that is his opinion. What he had to say went much further than “Obama wasn’t born here.” It was more of a critique of his presidency and the state of America as it exists today.

If I may be so bold, I don’t care whether or not Barack was born here. I certainly don’t care what Luke Scott thinks about Obama’s citizenship, either.

I care about sports. I care about what the Crawford signing means for the AL. Why the Colts are in a slump. Whether or not the Lakers will repeat.

So let’s get back to that.

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The NL-Central boasts a few great pickups this week and one real surprise Sit ‘Em candidate.  While there is great outfield help abound, a couple could use some rest on your bench. 

Low-percentage owned pitchers rounds out the help in this week’s fantasy baseball forecast.  Congratulations to those of you who followed last week’s advice in starting Neil Walker and sitting Dexter Fowler.

Start ‘Em

Jonny Gomes | Cincinnati Reds | 36.1 percent

He hasn’t been as hot as he was before the All-Star break, but Gomes might be able to find a spark this week against some weak pitching and playing in hitter-friendly parks. 

His lifetime stats at Coors field include a .409 average and three home runs in 22 at-bats.  Against the four starters for Colorado, Gomes is hitting .474 with five home runs in 19 at-bats for his career.  He’s also hitting .310 with two home runs through 29 career at-bats against the Pittsburgh starters.

Colby Rasmus | St. Louis Cardinals | 78.7 percent

Look for the newly disgruntled Cardinal to have a great week.  Against Atlanta this year  Colby is hitting .600 in ten at-bats with one home run. 

His bigger strength though, is hitting against the Brewers.  This year against the Brewers Colby is hitting .393 with a .514 OBP and three home runs in 28 at-bats.  Also, all of Colby’s games are away games this week, in which he’s hitting .305 (79 points higher than at home).

Sit  ‘Em

Luke Scott | Baltimore Orioles | 96.7 percent
One of the streakier players in baseball, Scott is headed for…

Click here to continue >>>>

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I know, I know.

The Braves are a first place team with good vibrations all around.

They’ve been one of the best teams in the game since the beginning of May and really lack any substantial holes in their line-up.

But…I like to think ahead.

And, right now, I’m thinking about how Frank Wren and Company can improve the National League’s top run-scoring offense.

There are a couple of different routes the Braves could pursue to achieve this.

They could go with a speed guy (a dimension lacking in the line-up), but there really isn’t anyone readily available that fits that description (unless you’re thinking of Juan Pierre and his .248/.318/.278 line or Co-Co Crisp and his and injury-prone nature) – and Martin Prado has been on an absolute tear since taking over the lead-off spot.  He has pretty much eliminated the need for a “stereotypical” lead-off hitter.

An extra power bat, specifically from the right side, could also be of benefit to the Braves.

Again, there aren’t a lot of options that the Braves could pursue for this venture since teams aren’t going to just trade away a legitimate power threat if they’re even remotely close to being in a playoff race.

The other thing the Braves could look at is an everyday center field option that just, if only barely, out-performs the guys that they’ve been throwing out (Melky Cabrera and Nate McLouth and their combined sub-.550 OPS) at the plate, while playing at least average defense in the field.

And, of course, versatility anywhere would be a plus.

And with the infield set-up with Jones-Escobar-Prado-Glaus from left to right…the outfield seems to be the most viable option for an upgrade.

So, all things considered, here are two guys the Braves should be pursuing at the trade deadline.

Luke Scott

The Baltimore Orioles outfielder, who still has two more years of team control remaining on his contract, has posted a .276/.347/.505 through 219 plate appearances from the left side of the plate (although that is acceptable considering his .852 OPS) thus far in 2010.

Now, his splits aren’t pretty (.905 OPS vs. RHP to .696 vs. LHP), and his 13 games in the outfield might make him a liability from a defensive standpoint.

And (this is why he’s No. 3 – there are a few downsides with Scott) his line looks a little poor compared to current left-handed “platooning” outfielder Eric Hinske ‘s .311/.377/.548 slash (his splits are a little more drastic with .946 to .633 OPSs versus right- and left-handers, respectively).

But, even once Matt Diaz returns and Hinske continues in his platoon purgatory, Hinske’s numbers are bound to move more and more towards his career marks of .256/.338/.442.

That’s why I like Scott — his career line is .265/.349/.496 which is much closer to the numbers he has posted en route to his 10 homers and 24 RBI in what has proven to be a rather anemic Orioles offense (in other words, even if in only a platoon, he’s more likely to sustain his production).

Considering their 19-51 record and recent firing of their manager, you have to figure that Baltimore will be “blowing it up” and building for the future — so MLB-ready talent probably won’t be a “must” in a deal.

But, close-to-primo prospects will be.

And with a lack of top-flight depth in the outfield down on the farm, and the old mantra of “you can’t have too much pitching” likely coming in the negotiation process, this would be my package if I’m the Braves…

Potential Deal: Cody Johnson (OF), Randall Delgado (RHP), and Scott Diamond (LHP) for Luke Scott  (OF) and Pedro Viola  (LHP)/Jim Johnson  (RHP).

David DeJesus

Remember the “barely-better-than-the-current-options” guy?

Here he kinda is (I say “kinda” because he’s actually significantly better than the other options without being a total top-flight offensive threat).

But, for the sake of comparison, pick one of these lines blindly (with career lines)…

.260/.319/.337 (.269/.330/.380)
.323/.395/.485 (.289/.361/.429)
.176/.295/.282 (.253/.339/.439)

Obviously, you pick the dude in the middle, who is not surprisingly David DeJesus.

He’s one of the top players on the Kansas City Royals and has, as evidenced by his career line above, always been the sort of player he has been this year – one that gets on base while hitting with a little pop (i.e. an ideal No. 1 or No. 2 hitter).

His five homers and three steals don’t expire much in the “flashy” categories, but he’s been getting the job done to the tune of 22 doubles (tied for third most with many others in the AL) and three triples from the top of KC’s line-up.

You plug that sort of production, even if he is left-handed, into the top of Atlanta’s line-up between Prado and Chipper Jones and you’ve got a pretty good set-up (especially of Heyward gets to move down to a run-producing spot where he was more comfortable at the beginning of the year).

Now, to the deal.

Kansas City has some holes at various spots around its minor league system and DeJesus has an option on his contract (the Braves would be trading for a year and a half of the center fielder) — so a deal with an “eclectic” feel would likely work.

Potential Deal(s): Kris Medlen (RHP), Melky Cabrera  (OF), Zeke Spruill (RHP) OR Arodys Vizcaino  (RHP), Adam Milligan (OF), Cole Rohrbough  (LHP) for David DeJesus  (OF) – preferably the latter package.

Oh, and I will admit to being generous in my deals with talent being given up from the Braves’ perspective — I sometimes think too much into the “talent-for-talent” theory and surrender too much in certain packages.

(This article is also featured on The Hey Train .)

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