Kuzul

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kevin Millwood has suffered through a nightmarish season, yet he still takes the ball every fifth day and gives his best effort. On Saturday night, against the Los Angeles Angels, Millwood’s best effort turned into into his best start of the season.

Millwood scattered six hits over eight innings, and No. 9 hitter Josh Bell slammed a two-run homer, giving the Orioles a 5-0 victory over the suddenly punchless Angels.

Millwood (3-14), who earned his first victory in over two months, could have easily finished the game, having only thrown 110 pitches. Instead, at the request of O’s manager Buck Showalter, he gave way to Jimmy Johnson, who pitched a scoreless ninth. Johnson, who last pitched on April 30, was activated from the 60-day disabled list on Friday night after being sidelined due to inflammation in his right elbow.

“I know Kevin probably as well as anybody here, and I feel so good for him because I know how much he cares,” Showalter said.

“I think he could have finished that game. I mean, 110 pitches doesn’t come into play on a cool night. But it was a perfect spot for J.J. to get broken in a little bit, and I appreciate the professionalism of Kevin after I explained to him what we were trying to do.”

Millwood worked out of jams in both the fifth and seventh innings, when the Angels put runners on the corners. In the fifth, Milwood induced a double-play grounder to end it, and in the seventh, after Mike Napoli doubled and moved to third on an Erick Aybar single, Millwood retired both Bobby Wilson and Peter Bourjos on pop-ups to escape the threat.

Angels’ starter Scott Kazmir (8-12) was able to match Millwood through the first four innings, however in the fifth, after giving up an infield single to Cesar Izturis, Josh Bell smacked his third major league homer to break the scoreless tie.

The victory was the O’s fifth straight against the Angels this season, and they’ll have a chance to sweep the season series on Sunday afternoon, something neither team has done against each other in 50 years.

For the Angels, they can only scratch their heads and wonder.

You can follow Doug on Twitter, @desertdesperado.

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The All-Star Break is just about upon us, which marks the real halfway point for the baseball season. Awards can start to be discussed, playoff pictures can start to be formed, and those who are playing the best and worst can be looked at as well.

There are those who started off strong but have completely disappeared, and those who have had an amazing June for their team. This is not an end-all be-all list; there are many others who are hot and cold as well.

Here’s an analysis of five of the hottest and five of the coldest players in the league right now.

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It appears that Scott Kazmir has reached a crossroads in the 2010 season.

I have been following Kazmir’s season since spring training , discussing the ups and downs , and documenting his progression .  Unfortunately, this time around all the positives have turned into disappointment for, I’m sure, management, the fans, and undoubtedly, himself.

After four starts in mid-June, he went 4-0 with a 2.34 ERA.  All signs pointed to a return to the Kazmir of old.

Since his June 24 start against the Los Angeles Dodgers, those numbers have taken an ugly nosedive.

In his four starts since then, Kazmir has gone 0-4, and he has given up 30 runs in less than 20 innings, more specifically, an ERA of 13.73.

More disturbing was Kazmir’s last start on July 10, against the light-hitting Oakland Athletics.

Kazmir’s line: 5 innings pitched, 11 hits, 13 runs, 13 earned runs, 3 HR, 3 BB, 2 SO

If that does not destroy one’s confidence, I just read in an article on the Los Angeles Times website that 13 earned runs is the most ever given up by a starters in the club’s history.  The last starting pitcher to give up 13 was Jason Marquis against the Chicago White Sox on June 21, 2006, as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Midway through 2010 his fastball is a averaging a touch over 90 mph (90.5), yet there is still a concern at how much he is throwing it.

His fastball is being thrown more than 70 percent of the time, while his slider, thrown sparingly (12.7 percent), has also seen a reduction in velocity, down four mph since 2006.

Whether it is the velocity, the pitch type, or a combination of both, it is now a legitimate possibly that Kazmir could lose not only his spot in the rotation, but also his roster spot with the Angels.

With the All-Star Game on the horizon, Kazmir and the second place Angels have some time to regroup, relax, and possibly come up with a contingency plan.

Could the bullpen be a solution, maybe a lefty specialist in the late innings?

It is an idea, but upon inspection, lefty-specialist may not be in the cards.  Against lefties this year, Kazmir has only three strikeouts, and has given up 23 hits in 17 innings. To make matters worse, a .319 average against does not help his cause.

It will be interesting to see what does happen after the All-Star break, but after this recent string of appearances, I am unsure of how many more times the Angels can afford to let Kazmir hit the field until a suitable solution can be found.

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

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It was nice while it lasted, Angels fans.

With the stunning acquisition of Cliff Lee by the Texas Rangers from AL West rival Seattle, it is time for the Angels to cut their losses and let the fire sale begin.

Not only should this be the nail in the coffin for the Angels, but maybe for the rest of baseball as well. Texas just assured themselves not only a trip to the playoffs, but a real chance to take it all.

Angels fans, don’t feel bad.

Three years in a row was a good run, but now the Angels have a chance to heal, re-tool and try to come up with a plan for next season.

The following players need to be sold to the highest bidder in the next three weeks: Brian Fuentes, Fernando Rodney, Scott Kazmir, Mike Napoli, Brandon Wood (if someone would be willing to give us a fungo bat for him), Bobby Abreu, Hideki Matsui, and Torii Hunter.

Get on it Tony Reagins, and make sure to get a third base prospect that can actually play this time.

Those eight players account for roughly $60.1 million in payroll. None of them have a future in helping the Angels win a championship due to age, performance or injury.

The Angels should trade them all. Get at least one draft pick in each deal and completely reload the organization with talent for another decade.

The Angels should then turn around and sign $60 million in young free agents with which they can build new chemistry around their nucleus.

Congratulations to Texas on that amazing acquisition.

Angels fans can take comfort in the idea that Nolan Ryan may finally get his ring.

An entire nation, with the exception of one certain city, can take even further comfort in knowing that he didn’t go to the New York Yankees—as was reported eminent by Buster Olney of ESPN earlier in the day.

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The Angels had the second best record in all of baseball for the month of June.

The problem is, the Texas Rangers were the only team better, and they are the team the Angels are trying to catch.

July has not started out with as much promise.

The Angels now find themselves 5.5 games back in the AL West after being swept by the Chicago White Sox during a four-game series in Chicago for the first time in 27 years.

Many are ready to push the panic button and start the fire sale. However, all is not lost with the Angels. One major move, accompanied by some minor tweaks, could manage to save their season.

Here are five things the Angels need to do going forward.

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Cliff Lee to the Yankees! Prince Fielder to the Giants! Dan Haren to the Cardinals! Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox!

As the 2010 Trade Deadline approaches—and speculation runs rampant regarding this year’s potential blockbuster deals—we should temper the frenzy by revisiting the decade’s biggest blockbuster busts.

Every fan hopes his team’s general manager will venture into the trade market and go all-in on a mammoth bat or a top-of-the-rotation ace—a difference maker who will carry his team to the playoff promised land.

Yet, as many of these monster trades successfully shift the balance of power and launch the buyers on a powerful postseason run, just as many prove impotent and meaningless.

An aging star fails to produce. A rising star has already reached his zenith. Prospects hastily dealt today mature into the All Stars of tomorrow.

Woe to the team that deals away a future MVP for an early exit in the division series. Woe to the general manager that mortgages his franchise’s future for a late-season rental who just can’t deliver.

These are the 5 Biggest Blockbuster Busts of the Decade.

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Alexei Ramirez launched a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning against the Angels’ Scott Kazmir, letting the Angels know that the 11-run shutout game against the Royals the night before was over.  A phenomenal warning track diving catch by White Sox right fielder Carlos Quentin moments earlier brought a standing ovation to Chicago that would pull the White Sox for the early portion of Monday evening’s game.

New call-ups Cory Aldridge and Paul McAnulty both found themselves in Mike Scioscia’s starting lineup Monday.  Jeff Mathis, Mike Napoli, and Juan Rivera were out of the lineup, as Hideki Matsui took left field for the second consecutive night.

Floyd’s second strikeout assisted a one, two, three top of the second inning, as Chicago looked to add on early.  Scott Kazmir came into the game with 55 strikeouts in 81 innings. Kazmir allowed a five-pitch walk and put leadoff hitter Andruw Jones on base for A.J. Pierzynski, who flew out to Matsui in left. Viciedo popped a foul ball out, followed by Lillibridge, who hit an RBI double after Jones stole second base to make it 2-0 Chicago.

Howie Kendrick, snubbed for the 2010 All-Star Game by the Baltimore Orioles representative, Ty Wigginton, drove his second hit into the outfield in the top of the fourth, leading off the inning for the Angels. Abreu hit into the second double play of the game to that point. Four hits and no runs through five frames made the two-run Chicago lead more significant as the game pressed on.

The defense helped reduce further damage with the Angels’ second double play in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Kazmir settled down from his shaky start. Erick Aybar’s leadoff double was a promising start to the sixth inning, and Kendrick grounded out to advance Aybar to third base.  Aybar then scored on a sacrifice by Bobby Abreu to make the game 2-1 Chicago.

Kazmir looked a little rattled again, walking Juan Pierre with four straight throws in the bottom of the sixth.  Pitching coach Mike Butcher came out to settle Kazmir down, but White Sox captain Paul Konerko was able to drive in the third run on a slider that scored Pierre on the 90th pitch from Kazmir. Quentin smacked a two-run home run on a full count to make it a 5-1 lead.

With the Angels unable to answer in the top of the seventh, Dayan Viciedo added another solo home run, the first of his career, down the line to make the game 6-1 White Sox.  Lillibridge was walked on four pitches and stole second base for his first steal.  A walk to Pierre ensued and Rich Thompson was called in to relieve Kazmir. 

The game that was already busted open got worse with a base hit, scoring Lillibridge.  This made seven runs, a season high for Scott Kazmir.

Kendrick added his third hit to bring the deficit to five runs and score Bobby Wilson, who walked to first base against Bobby Jenks.  Jenks was pulled after walking Torii hunter and his 24th pitch of his first outing in a few weeks.

Erick Threets, of Hayward, California, replaced Jenks in his 13th career big league appearance.  Threets walked Matsui and the bases were loaded for pinch-hitter Mike Napoli, as Threets was pulled for Sergio Santos.  Napoli was a career .222 with the bases loaded and failed to drive in any, striking out on a Santos slider to end the inning.

Quentin added his second home run in the ninth to continue his stellar performance as the White Sox went up 8-2.  Viciedo picked up another RBI on a base hit, scoring Jones from second base and giving the White Sox a 9-2 advantage.

The Angels were unable to score in the top of the ninth to end the ballgame.

Game two of this series between the White Sox and Angels will take place on Tuesday evening, pre-game starting at 4:00 p.m. on AM 830 KLAA, first pitch at 5:05 PT. Jered Weaver will take the mound against Jake Peavy.

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That’s because the young center fielder wasn’t in the starting lineup.

“I just did not want to start him tonight based on a lot of different items that I’m looking at,” Rays’ manager Joe Maddon told MLB.com writer Bill Chastain before Tuesday’s, 8-5, loss.

“Often times, I don’t start somebody. A day off after a day off is part of the reason. I just chose not to start him tonight. But he’s definitely available for the game.”

Before Wednesday’s, 9-4, victory, Maddon said it was a sore right quadriceps that kept Upton from appearing.

Whatever reason Maddon wants to use about not starting Upton, Rays’ fans couldn’t help to think it had something to do with Sunday’s dugout skirmish between two of southwest Florida’s most popular athletes, Upton and Evan Longoria.

Maddon did cover his tracks, Tuesday, in the top of the eighth, entering Upton as a pitch hitter. Upton tripled then took centerfield in the bottom of the ninth.

According to Chastain, Upton told Maddon, Wednesday, that he felt a little sore and did not give reporters details on the injury.

However, Upton’s short appearance didn’t help the stumbling Rays (45-32), which finished 11-14 in June; and are two games behind the AL East leaders, New York Yankees, and one game below Wild Card leader, Boston.

The news gets worse.

Not only is a playoff spot slipping away, the recent events with Upton has put the front office in the spotlight and with the trade deadline looming, the decision on what to do with the center fielder has reached a crossroad.

In 2007, Upton put up All-Star numbers in just 129 games hitting .300 with 24 homers, 82 RBI, 86 runs and 22 stolen bases.

At the time, Upton was 22-years old and it seemed he’d develop into a 30-30 player, who could hit for average and flash the glove—despite coming through the Rays’ system having no idea what type of defensive glove he’d wear.

This hasn’t been the case, at all.

In the 2008 regular season, Upton hit .273 with nine homers, but rebounded in the postseason, smashing seven homers in 16 games.

Upton struggled in 2009, hitting .241 with 11 homers.

In 72 games this season, Upton is batting .262 with seven homers and has put the Rays’ front office on red alert.

“We’ve had a lot of conversations lately,” said, Maddon about Upton before Tuesday’s game. “We had one after the game [Sunday]. We had one yesterday and also today. We had some wonderful conversations — very frank. I just wanted to share with him some of my past experiences as a young man and as a manager today.”

It’s well documented that Upton is a good guy who had a good upbringing by his parents, Manny and Yvonne, documented in this 2007 article by ESPN’s Bomani Jones (below).

So, let’s assume, maybe, attitude isn’t the problem.

Let’s say, Upton’s latest tantrums and lack of hustle doesn’t come from being a bad egg.

Instead, it’s from being a frustrated competitor—Longoria confronting Upton came from frustration, right?

The real question is, what happens if the player’s skills don’t listen?

What then?

When does an organization stop waiting for a player’s talent to come around and parts ways with him?

“At this point, salvaging Upton’s potential is going to be that much harder for the Rays,” wrote Tampa Bay Tribune columnist Gary Shelton on Tuesday. “For a long time, the Rays have had to endure the underachievement and hoped the talent inside Upton will emerge” said, Shelton.

Fact is, at the end of the season, Upton becomes eligible for arbitration and could see a spike in pay; and starting left fielder, Carl Crawford, becomes a free agent.

Ask any Rays fan and they’ll admit, they want Crawford to stay, no matter what the cost.

According to baseball-reference.com , Upton, currently makes $3 million a year. That money could be spent on Crawford, who makes $10 million and will see a pay raise in the $15 millon range.

Last season, the Rays parted ways with a potential superstar prospect, pitcher Scott Kazmir.

Kazmir, picked 15^th overall in the 2002 amateur draft by the New York Mets, was dealt to the Rays in 2004 and was supposed to be the hard-throwing lefty a franchise builds a rotation around.

In five and a half seasons, Kazmir made two All-Star teams, but combined for a 3.92 ERA, 55-44 overall record, and a 2.29 K/walk ratio.

Numbers not good enough for a legitimate ace.

At last season’s trade deadline, the Rays shipped Kazmir to Anaheim for minor leaguers Alex Torres, Matt Sweeney and Sean Rodriguez, who has played in 58 games this season.

As of June 30, Kazmir is 7-6 and carries a 5.92 ERA for the Angels.

The bottom line, baseball is a business and too much attachment to an investment can hinder a team’s progression.

I’ll admit, I like B.J. and once had an attachment to the second-overall pick of 2002.

Back in 2008, I drafted Upton in the third-round of The Super League ’s first baseball draft .

Looking at his 2007 stats, the kid was a five-tool, 5×5 fantasy player and thought it could only get better.

In 2009, the Frontnac Bigg7evens  kept Upton, thinking the kid had a tough season and needed a second chance.

However, after another slow start, Frontnac cut ties with the centerfielder and traded him for Yankee pitcher C.C. Sabathia.

At the time, Upton had fantasy upside and that’s how it was possible to make a deal.

Currently, Upton has real-life upside and now, is the best time to move the 25-year old.

But it’s not easy to let go of an investment, especially one that a franchise has scouted, drafted, and spent time and money developing.

Unfortunately, for the Rays, its time to decide.

Either keep Upton and accept him for the player he is; or deal Upton to another team which is willing to be patient and let him reach that potential we’re all still waiting on.

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While Angels’ southpaw Scott Kazmir struggled with a 7.20 and 5.97 ERA in April and May respectively, the 26-year-old has seemingly salvaged his season with a deceiving June.

In 23 innings (four starts) this month, Kazmir is 4-0 with a 2.35 ERA. What most fail to see is his 1.35 WHIP and 13/15 K/BB ratio, both of which raise red flags.

Fantasy managers have been gushing over Kazmir’s stuff since he was seemingly stolen from the Mets in the 2004 Victor Zambrano trade . The then Tampa Bay pitcher made his major league debut later that season and has disappointed ever since.

In 943 career innings, the 2002 first-round pick owns a walk rate of 4.09. After showing signs of improvement in recent years, Kazmir has left fantasy managers disgruntled once again, posting a 4.58 BB/9 in 72 2/3 innings this season.

Further, Kazmir’s career WHIP is a whopping 1.39, a number that will continue to hamper the Texas native. His Kyle Davis-like WHIP of 1.51 this season makes him useless in most leagues.

Kazmir’s high strikeout totals, which used to be a strength, have now become a weakness. After topping out with a 10.41 K/9 in 2007, Kazmir’s strikeout rate has dropped to 9.81 and 7.15 in recent years, before plummeting to a below league average 6.07 in 2010.

As if that’s not enough to scare fantasy managers away, Kazmir’s xFIP (5.37) and declining average fastball velocity suggest his fantasy value should be no greater than Felipe Paulino’s .

With five-plus major league seasons under his belt, (only two of which he’s topped 160 innings) it’s safe to say Scott Kazmir is one of the most overrated players in fantasy baseball. If you’ve been the unfortunate owner of the former pitching prodigy, deal him away for the freshest mound of cow pies you can find. They won’t win you any games, but at least this pile of dung won’t send your ERA and WHIP through the roof.

Original Article: FANTASY BASEBALL INSIDERS

A day after all 27 batters failed to reach base, the Tampa Bay Rays head to Anaheim for a three-game series against the Angels. Looking to break out of a slump, the Rays would probably prefer a different venue. The team has lost 23 of their last 26 games in Anaheim, including the last five.

While the Rays still boast the best record in baseball at 22-9, their bats have been kept silent of late, hitting just .189 as a team over the last nine games. Tampa Bay is 5-4 in those games, which speaks volumes to how good the starting pitching staff has been.

This year’s Angels may need the extra support of playing at home and the added assistance of the Rally Monkey. The team is off to a 14-19 start, the worst in recent memory for Angels fans.

Matt Garza takes the mound in the first game, having already won five games this season. He’s struggled against the Angels though, with a 6.46 ERA in three career starts. The Angels counter with Joel Pineiro, who’s had similar struggles against the Rays.

Game two is the most intriguing as it features Scott Kazmir, the Rays all-time leader in numerous pitching categories, who was traded to the Angels last season. Kazmir has said it will be weird facing his former team and that he may have a hard time not laughing when some of his buddies, namely B.J. Upton, step up to the plate.

The Rays counter with Jeff Niemann, who’s been one of the AL’s better pitchers this season. On Wednesday the Rays send David Price, who’s off to an even better start, against Angels ace Jered Weaver.

Projected Lineups

Rays

1. Jason Bartlett – SS

2. Carl Crawford – LF

3. Ben Zobrist – RF

4. Evan Longoria – 3B

5. Carlos Pena – 1B

6. B.J. Upton – CF

7. Willy Aybar/Pat Burrell – DH

8. Dioner Navarro/John Jaso – C

9. Reid Brignac/Sean Rodriguez – 2B

Angels

1. Erick Aybar – SS

2. Bobby Abreu – RF

3. Torii Hunter – CF

4. Kendry Morales – 1B

5. Hideki Matsui – DH

6. Juan Rivera – LF

7. Howie Kendrick – 2B

8. Brandon Napoli – C

9. Brandon Wood – 3B

Monday

TB: M. Garza (5-1, 2.09)
LAA: J. Pineiro (2-4, 5.30)

Batter vs. Pitcher: Carl Crawford has seen Pineiro the most, going 5-for-17 with a home run. Carlos Pena is 2-for-11 with six strikeouts. Kendry Morales in 2-for-2 with a homer off Garza. Hideki Matsui is 1-for-9.

Tuesday

TB: J. Niemann (2-0, 2.23)
LAA: S. Kazmir (2-2, 7.11)

Batter vs. Pitcher: A few of the current Rays have seen Kazmir when they were on other teams. Jason Bartlett is 3-for-7. Matsui has seen Niemann the most and is 1-for-7. Mike Napoli is 3-for-5 with a triple.

Wednesday

TB: D. Price (4-1, 1.91)
LAA: J. Weaver (4-1, 2.66)

Batter vs. Pitcher: Bartlett is 2-for-10 with a homer off Weaver. Evan Longoria is 2-for-5 with two doubles and Crawford is 1-for-9. The Angels haven’t seen much of Price. Jeff Mathis is 2-for-4.

Game Notes

-Rays manager Joe Maddon is 1-13 in Anaheim against his former team.

-Former Angel Sean Rodriguez, traded in the Kazmir deal last year, will play against his former team for the first time.

-Tampa Bay was 12-21 against the AL West in 2009, 6-2 this season.

-The Angels went 4-2 against the Rays last season, 3-0 in Anaheim.

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