Kuzul

Jose Bautista, the Blue Jays right fielder, became the 26th player in major league history to hit 50 home runs when he launched a Felix Hernandez pitch into the left field bullpen in the first inning of a 1-0 Toronto win.

It’s a special number, no doubt.

Nobody in baseball has done it since 2007, when both Prince Fielder (50) and Alex Rodriguez (54) accomplished the feat. Other players on the list include Ryan Howard, David Ortiz, Andruw Jones, and a few other guys who probably know their way around a pharmaceutical supply store (Bonds, Sosa, McGwire).

But Jose Bautista?

This is a guy whose previous career high in home runs was 16 in 2006, his first season as a regular player for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The next three years his production stayed very consistent, hitting 15, 15, and then 13 in 2009 in his first full season with Toronto.

So how does he get to his current total of 52 seemingly overnight?

The popular answer in today’s modern era is through the use of performance-enhancing drugs. But Bautista flatly denies the idea.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “I understand (the question) because of the history of what happened in the past. Those days are gone. It’s been six years since we have a new (testing) program in place. It seems to be working. It’s the most strict in all of professional sports. I don’t see why those questions really come up. The only reason why is the history of what happened in the past.”

So unless Bautista discovered an untestable drug that somehow eluded the rest of baseball (Manny Ramirez still probably has a team of scientists on speed dial), the odds of him juicing are virtually zero.

But the astronomical rise in production is still astonishing. Bautista‘s slugging percentage has never been above .420. This year it’s .635. 

At 6’0″ and 195 pounds, Bautista does have the body to be an elite power hitter. He’s also only 29 years old and may just be entering his prime.

We’ll know more about whether Bautista is the real deal or a one-year wonder (Luis Gonzalez) after next year. In the meantime, the best explanation for his sudden prowess is the change of scenery and his comfort within a new system.

After all, who has succeeded recently as a Pittsburgh Pirate?

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We interrupt this 2010 AL East Division Chase to bring you this important update:

The Tampa Bay Rays are “All In” in 2010, and have no chips left for 2011.

Can we hit the pause button here?

Instead of focusing on how the Rays are defying logic, gravity, and every law possible by going neck-and-neck with the New York Yankees for 150 games, the attention in this huge final series showdown against New York is this:

The Rays will cut their payroll in 2011 and in turn cut their playoff chances as well.

The New York media swarmed around Rays owner Stu Sternberg, and as always the case, the conversation turned to payroll and attendance.  Sternberg reiterated the payroll will go down.  And with the Rays drawing less than 1.9 million fans for the season, it’s no wonder why.  The outgoing expenses must match the incoming revenues.

Imagine that:  An American living within a budget.

At first glance, it would appear that Sternberg is the one who is saying the Rays playoff hopes end this year.  Nay, nay!  National media such as ESPN’s Buster Olney and local media such as St. Pete Times John Romano have taken Sternberg’s comments about payroll and given the assumption of a step back forthcoming.  They have essentially told fans to enjoy what they have because after this year they won’t have it anymore.  And when these players leave, you should temper expectations of keeping up with the Joneses, or in this case, Boston and New York.

Is it 2008 again?  Have I taken a nap and somehow went back in time instead of forward?  Have I fallen and hit my head? 

The Rays’ Cinderella ’08 season was considered a fluke. One-year wonder.  And national media used the 2009 season as the evidence.  But then a funny thing happened:

The Rays started winning again.

Never mind that this is the Rays’ third consecutive winning season.  Never mind that this is the Rays’ second division crown chase in three years.  Never mind this is the Rays’ second postseason berth in three years.

It cannot be sustained.  The Rays cannot win without Carl Crawford, Rafael Soriano, and Carlos Pena.  The Rays cannot win by trading Matt Garza, B.J. Upton, and Jason Bartlett.  The Rays cannot win by reducing their payroll.

The national pundits sure like to be proven wrong.

Consider them wrong again.

Here are six reasons why the Tampa Bay Rays will contend for their third postseason berth in four years in 2011:

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As the season winds down, more and more teams are getting closer to clinching a playoff berth. The Yankee, Rays, Twins, Rangers, and Reds are all sitting very comfortably in the driver’s seat as their respective magic numbers drop by the day.

This is not quite the case in the wild, wild NL West.

The Padres’ struggles have opened the door for both the Giants and Rockies. Now only 1.5 games separate the three teams.

The Rockies, seemingly dead in the water two weeks ago, are pounding teams in September and are now a legitimate contender.

The Giants pitching staff has righted the ship and might just run away with the title if the Padres don’t figure out how to score more runs.

And at this point in the season, that isn’t going to happen.

Two of the three could conceivably make the playoffs as the Braves are starting to fall apart. They have relinquished the NL East lead to the Phillies. Now they are just hanging on for dear life in the wild-card hunt.

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As soon as the World Series ends, all eyes will turn to Cliff Lee and the free agent class of 2010 to see where some of the games biggest stars will end up at the start of the 2011 baseball season.

In advance, we take a look now at the top 20 free agents for the coming offseason.

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Here is today’s Holy Crap discovery. It has to do with the roller coaster season Andre Ethier has had.

But let’s not start in 2010. Let’s go back to 2008.

Back in 2008, you’ll recall, Manny Ramirez made kind of an ass out of himself (which is like saying back in the summer of 2003 Kobe Bryant had some trouble in Colorado), and got himself run out of Boston. The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Manny, he had an unbelievable two months with L.A., and the Dodgers went to the NLCS.

Manny’s first day with the Dodgers was August 1st.

Coming into August 1, 2008, Ethier was having a merely solid season for the Dodgers. He was hitting .274 with a .339 on-base percentage and a .442 slugging percentage (which we’ll represent as .274/.339/.442). To that point in the season, he had 11 home runs and 46 RBI, along with 33 walks and 61 strikeouts.

Let’s make this pretty; if everyone can follow it, we’ll represent his stats as:

2008, w/o Manny: 11/46, 33/61, .274/.339/.442

These numbers were roughly equivalent, if not a little below, his career totals of 35 home runs, 165 RBI, 113 walks and 206 strikeouts in 375 career games. Prior to Manny going to LA, Ethier had hit .289/.351/.457 with a career OPS of .809.

But over the course of the final 45 games of the season, after Manny joined the team, Ethier blew up:

2008, w/Manny: 9/31, 26/27, .368/.448/.649

He hit nine home runs with 31 RBI, took 26 walks and struck out only 27 times, and his rate stats were shocking: .368/.448/.649.  He was, almost literally, a completely different player.

Now, Dodgers fans and Manny haters alike will remember that in the 2009 season, Manny got suspended for taking birth control pills (or something), and endured a 50 game suspension. That suspension ran from May 6th to July 3rd.

On May 6, 2009, Andre Ethier was hitting .317/.438/.558 with 6 home runs, 27 RBI, 20 walks, and 16 strikeouts.

2009, w/Manny Pt I: 6/27, 20/16, .317/.438/.558

The Manny left the team. Over the 48 games Ethier played in during Manny’s absence, he hit 9 home runs with 25 RBI, walked 16 times and struck out 42 times, and hit went .222/.293/.438!

2009, w/o Manny: 9/25, 16/42, .222/.293/.438

Manny’s first game back was July 3rd, and from that point on Ethier returned to respectability: 83 games, 16 home runs, 54 RBI, 36 walks, 58 strikeouts, and .285/.370/.532.

2009, w/Manny Pt 2: 16/54, 36/58, .285/.370/.532

On to 2010. Manny, of course, has had a spotty season in 2010, so we’ll try to keep this neat:

Ramirez and Ethier each missed two weeks during the first three months of the season, during which time Ethier got off to a tremendous start before slowing up a bit, and by June 29th had 12 home runs, 47 RBI, 23 walks and 35 strikeouts, and was hitting .312/.370/.547, though as late as May 14th he was hitting .392.

2010, w/Manny: 12/47, 23/35, .312/.370/.547

Manny then got hurt (or whatever it was) at the end of June/beginning of July, and missed all but seven games in July and August.  During this period, Ethier hit eight home runs with 24 RBI, 20 walks, and 48 strikeouts, while hitting .278/.345/.460.

2010, w/o Manny: 8/24, 20/48, .278/.345/.460

Manny was then waived and picked up by the White Sox at the end of August, and Ethier has fallen off the face of the earth: After eleven September games, Ethier has one home run, 3 RBI, 6 walks and 13 strikeouts, while hitting .167/.286/.278.

2010, after Manny: 1/3, 6/13, .167/.286/.278.

Put it all together, and what do we get?

2008, w/o Manny: 11/46, 33/61, .274/.339/.442
2008, w/Manny: 9/31, 26/27, .368/.448/.649

2009, w/Manny Pt I: 6/27, 20/16, .317/.438/.558
2009, w/o Manny: 9/25, 16/42, .222/.293/.438
2009, w/Manny Pt 2: 16/54, 36/58, .285/.370/.532

2010, w/Manny: 12/47, 23/35, .312/.370/.547
2010, w/o Manny: 8/24, 20/48, .278/.345/.460
2010, after Manny: 1/3, 6/13, .167/.286/.278.

What you get is numbers that don’t paint a particularly flattering picture of Andre Ethier, and make it seem pretty clear that when the Dodgers acquired Manny Ramirez, they were getting two players for the price of one.

And now that Ramirez is gone, so too is Andre Ethier.

Asher B. Chancey lives in Philadelphia and is a co-founder of BaseballEvolution.com.

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What a difference a year makes.

After two consecutive trips to the NLCS in 2008 and 2009, Dodgers fans had even higher hopes for the 2010 season.

Folks in Dodgertown knew that the divorce between Frank and Jamie McCourt would have some type of effect on the organization, but nobody guessed the 2010 campaign would turn into a struggle on the field.

For the first two months of the season, the experts were concluding the Dodgers easily had the best offense in the NL West, and they presumed starting pitching would be the downfall for the Boys in Blue. However, those experts were way off the mark with their analysis—the starting pitchers were steady, and the offense was scarce.

Some critics say it was the overwhelming number of injuries that prevented a successful year, while others insist it was the lack of funds to sign a big market player to put the team over the top. Some even blame the coaches and managers for ineffective guidance and poor decision-making.

After Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers found themselves under the .500 mark for the first time since May 11. Trailing the division-leading Padres and the Wild Card leaders by 10 games in both categories with only 23 contests remaining, the Dodgers are hoping to close out the year on a high note and build momentum heading into 2011.

Still, with future management and ownership uncertain, many questions remain to be answered in the off-season, and depending on the outcome of the divorce trial, it may be difficult for the Dodgers to get a fresh start heading into next year.

The following slides show eight primary reasons why the Los Angeles Dodgers fell from contention 2010. Everyone in Dodgertown hopes to put these horrors and nightmares in the past and start with a new sense of enthusiasm, and a fresh appetite in 2011.

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Manuella Being Manuella  

Manny Ramirez was suspended from baseball for using hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), a women’s fertility drug which helps steroid users restart testosterone production when they come off a steroid cycle.

Many suspect, because of the hCG, Manny was using steroids. However, we’ve heard a different, possibly ridiculous theory:  the drug is also used in the hormonal treatment for pre-transsexuals.

Could it be? Could the most macho man in baseball decide he no longer wished to be a “he?” Could the most macho man in baseball decide he’s tired of being a “Manny?”

Possible theory: you carry that name all your life—Manny, Manny, Manny—and one day you wake up and wonder what would it be like to be Margarita or Manuella?  What would it be like not to have a penis?

“Does my butt look big in this uniform?”

Crazy theory, right? No possible way Manny might be exhibiting the traits of a pre-transy. Manny never gets moody, right? No, never! You’ll never find Manny decide he does not want to run out a base hit. “Well, today, I just did not feel like running.” Manny would never do that.

It’s a crazy theory. Does Manny like to wear his hair long like Jennifer Lopez? Of course not!

Does Manny ever say he doesn’t want to play because “Manny wants to clear his head?”

Clear his head? Looking for an epiphany like Julia Roberts in “Eat. Pray. Love?”  No, not the most macho man in baseball! Manny would never do that. 

What if a teammate hurt his leg, and it was Manny’s day off, and the manager came to Manny and asked if he would play? Manny would never say “No, I don’t feel like it.” See, Manny’s not a pre-transy.

Manny would never wear earrings like a girl, and then insist the entire team scour the third base area looking for a missing diamond stud.  That’s not Manny.

Let’s go back to the clubhouse. We’re pretty sure Manny’s no transy in a training bra.

Manny, we’re checking out a theory. We have a few questions:

“The movie ‘Eat, Pray, Love.’” says Manny being Manny. “Julia Roberts, she downs a load of carbs, doesn’t gain a pound. Her figure… carumba. How does she do it?”

Manny, ummm, we’re trying to figure…

“Have you tried J-Lo’s new Glow perfume?” asks Manny, being Manny. “I like it much better than Deseo. Too much jasmine in Deseo.”

Manny, there are times, ummm, when they…

“Look in this mirror!” says Manny, “Ozzie wants me to trim my dreads. I’m thinking down to here… or here. What do you think? Here… or here?”

Manny, you keep changing locations, new homes, selling your condos, what’s that about?

“A guy needs a change of scenery. I love to decorate. Is that a crime? Now I’m working with purples and greens. Do you like paisley?”

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Dome catwalks, bad umpiring, and opponents forgetting how to play, oh my.

The Chicago White Sox have won seven out of their last eight games and have lost half a game in the American League Central division standings, sitting 4.5 back with 24 games remaining. A yellow brick road is nowhere in sight and mix the above three with the Minnesota Twins and you have yourself a done-for Dorothy, getting no help.

No scarecrow, no tin man, no lion. The White Sox are on their own.

What can’t be added to the fairytale-turned-nightmare is injuries to the White Sox.

Gordon Beckham was hit in the hand Aug. 30, against the Cleveland Indians. On Tuesday, Beckham said the pain was the most intense and that he couldn’t hold a bat. Beckham went on to claim it feels like it hurts in a different place every day.

Not good.

Beckham was scratched from Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Tigers and manager Ozzie Guillen plans to shut him down for a couple days. Beckham hit .354 in July and .309 in August. 

Paul Konerko sat out for the second consecutive day Tuesday due to lower back issues. Konerko said he felt discomfort in the second game of the doubleheader on Saturday. He played in Game 2, but was taken out later in the game.

This injury is not expected to be serious, but the White Sox can’t afford to have their MVP, and at least a top five MVP candidate for the American League in any intelligent sports follower’s eyes (Jayson Stark, if you’re reading…), sit out any games.

This was all before Tuesday’s game.

You’re already looking at having to play Omar Vizquel and Mark Kotsay for Beckham and Konerko. Now the White Sox may need to find another pitcher.

Freddy Garcia had to leave in the second inning of Tuesday’s game due to a sore back, which caused the starter to leave a start last week after four innings.

Garcia has been an unexpected horse this year, and logic says he’s due for an injury. Unfortunately, this is the worst time, especially with Jake Peavy being gone for the season.

The White Sox may have to start thinking of using a four-man rotation rather than wasting every fifth start on a guy like Carlos Torres.

It’s that time of year where logic doesn’t make sense.

And to cap off an injury-filled night, Manny Ramirez left after getting plunked for the second time of the game. Ramirez took a fastball from Tigers’ Robbie Weinhardt after taking a ball in the elbow from Justin Verlander earlier in the game.

Ramirez is thought to be OK, but once again, this is no time for “OK” to mean “be back in a couple games.”

The White Sox are running out of time, while running out of players as well.

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A funny thing happened to the Chicago White Sox on their way to a disappointing offseason.

They decided to get off the mat and play baseball.

Two weeks ago, it had been 19 days since they had won a series. In that span their record was 5-11. Eight of the 11 losses were by two runs or fewer.

The bullpen was faltering and fighting through injury. Key cogs of the offense were struggling, and it seemed the starting rotation was finally tiring.

Flash back to early June, when the Sox sat 9.5 games out of first place. The offense was nonexistent. The bullpen was inconsistent (save for Sergio Santos). The starters? Less than persistent.

Then the Sox started to streak. They ran off a disgusting 25-5 record from June 9 to the All-Star Break and finished the first half in first place.

Just as they did then, the Sox have come alive right when everyone counted them out, and with the rival Twins pulling out close games, the stage is set for an exciting finish to the season in the AL Central.

“We Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”

The fabled “dog days of August” looked as if they had stopped the Fighting Sox in their tracks as they limped back into Chicago.

They had just dropped 2 of 3 games to the Royals in exhausting fashion: all three games went to extra innings and rain forced a Saturday night doubleheader that started at 6:10 pm and ended well after 2 in the morning.

Yet, after that dreadful week of play, the White Sox were only 4.5 back of Minnesota. Five games might have spelled the end of the season, certainly a much harder mountain to climb. But 4.5 games were manageable.

The Sox had a chance to make a move, to put some pressure on the Twinkies. And they have.

A perfect 7-0 week and a 10-3 record since August 23 has the White Sox not only 3.5 games out of first, but six games out of the AL Wild Card lead.

Suddenly, Sox fans are doing something they hardly ever do.

Hope.

The Final Foes

As the MLB season winds into the final 25 games, the Sox and Twins once again find themselves vying for the AL Central crown.

Both squads have been beset by injuries to key players–Joe Nathan, Justin Morneau, and Jason Kubel have gone down for the Twins, while Jake Peavy, Matt Thornton and J.J. Putz have seen time on the disabled list for the White Sox.

As of late, both teams have been able to get the timely hit while receiving some welcome luck. Case in point: Michael Young’s “phantom clap” that gave Minnesota a 6-5 victory over Texas on Sunday, along with Brandon Inge’s overturned home run yesterday that allowed the South Siders to outlast Detroit 5-4 in 10 innings.

Needless to say, the three-game series in Chicago next week will be huge. However, there are three other sets to watch for White Sox fans:

Sep. 20-22 at Oakland

The final road trip of the season starts at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, which has not been kind to the Sox in years past. The A’s are well out of the AL West race, but boast a pesky lineup and a young pitching staff on the cusp of stardom. A letdown could be possible after facing Minnesota and Detroit at home, so the ChiSox need to stay alert.

Sep. 27-30 vs. Boston

The BoSox suffered a humiliating sweep at the hands of the Pale Hose this weekend and may have folded up the tent for the season. It remains to see if they have a run at the Wild Card left in them, but they remain a quality team with great pitching. A rematch with Cy Young candidate Clay Buchholz will test the White Sox’s mettle.

Sep. 17-19 vs. Detroit

On July 10, the Tigers were 11 games over .500 and in first place. Now, they’re in third and all but out of contention after a post-All-Star break swoon. Rick Porcello has had a sub-par season and rookie Brennan Boesch has come to earth after a torrid start to the season. Still, the (Paper) Tigers will come to play at U.S. Cellular following the Twins series, especially if the Sox win the next three at Comerica Park.

Winning Time

With the acquisition of Manny Ramirez, Kenny Williams officially made the decree that the White Sox were in it to not only win the division, but make noise in the playoffs. Manny has done his part, going 7 for 16 since joining the Sox.

Of course, Chicago has to make the playoffs first. As a Tampa Bay collapse is unlikely, the AL Central is the viable prize. That means beating the Twins (and Tigers) in Chicago next week.

As Magic Johnson once said about the Chicago Bulls, it’s winning time. Those Bulls had Michael Jordan to step up and be the hero.

One wonders if this year’s Windy City savior will have significantly more hair.

Until next time, keep waving the Pennant.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Another wacky week of baseball. The ever-annoying Nyjer Morgan decided to slam into the Marlins catcher one too many times.

After being thrown at, Morgan decided to charge the mound and MLB‘s second brawl of the season occurred.

More violent than Reds vs. Cardinals, Morgan got in a few head shots before getting knocked down by the entire Marlins team.

Aroldis Chapman of the Reds made his major league debut this week. He arrived in a blaze of glory, hitting 103 on the radar gun multiple times.

He already owns the two fastest pitches in MLB since ’06. He has thrown three scoreless innings in a middle relief role. It will be interesting to watch how Chapman will be used down the stretch.

In other news, the Padres are in the midst of a predictable collapse, losers of 10 in a row.

The Yankees continue to stomp the AL while the Rays follow their lead. the Reds are still rolling as the Cardinals fade to black.

The Phillies are breathing down the Braves neck and the NL Wild Card is still up for grabs.

The ’10 baseball season has been fun, but the stretch run should provide even more excitement.

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