Skip Schumaker's New Topps Card Is Awesome
This is awesome. Remember the Rally Squirrel, who gained so much attention during last year's Cardinals playoff run? Topps has dragged it back into the limelight, prominently featuring the squirrel on Skip Schumaker's Topps card for this season. Don't worry Schumaker fans, this is just going to be a short print and not the more commonly distributed card. I'm not much of a card collector anymore, and I was never really into short printed variations that didn't sparkle or feature hunks of bat, ball, jersey or an autograph, but this is a pretty cool nod towards the bizarre side of baseball from Topps.
Now, all we need is Allen Craig's tortoise to be featured on a card. Torty is a legend, and dammit, he deserves more recognition. I mean, back in the 1980's, Fleer put Glenn Hubbard and a boa constrictor on a card...maybe this is just a simpler time now.
[h/t: Larry Brown Sports]
no commentsThe Market For Edwin Jackson
The market for free agent starter Edwin Jackson appears to be pretty weak. He really hasn't been strongly linked to any teams, but there are rumors floating around that he's got a couple of three year deals on the table. Personally, I don't think Jackson is a bona fide ace, and more falls into the Kyle Lohse type of a third starter...which considering Lohse's four year deal that he got prior to the 2009 season, maybe the market for Jackson is stronger than we think.
Jackson is a good middle of the rotation arm, but he's not some sort of ace like he's been made out to be by certain people. CBS's Jon Heyman, who loves his arbitrary endpoints, noted that Jackson is one of four pitchers 28 or younger to have at least 199 innings, 140 strikeouts, and a sub-4.50 ERA in each of the last three seasons, with the other three being Matt Cain, Felix Hernandez, and Tim Lincecum. Here's another fact: Heyman's full of garbage by grouping Jackson with those three. This is the ultimate example of why arbitrary endpoints are garbage. While Jackson does hit all of those barometers, if you decrease that ERA to 4.40, increase the innings pitched to 200, and increase the strikeouts to 150, he doesn't make it....while the other three still do, with flying colors. Jackson's total fWAR over the last three seasons is 11.2, which isn't a bad number at all. But to group him with Cain (12.2), Hernandez (18.5), and Lincecum (17.3) is not only silly, but irresponsible.
But anyway, back to Jackson's market. He's not an ace, he's a middle of the rotation guy that hasn't been able to call a team his own for more than just a couple of seasons, being with a total of six in his career (four of which have come over the last three seasons). CJ Wilson, a contemporary to Jackson in age alone, got five years and $65 million from the Angels. But then again, the ceiling with Wilson is much higher, as he's accrued 10.5 fWAR in just two seasons as a starter. I think a better matchup could be Mark Buerhle, who has more experience than Jackson, but has been worth roughly the same value (10.5 fWAR over the last three years). Neither guy is an extreme strikeout artist, but Buerhle's control is much better than Jackson's. Both are pretty solid inningis eaters, and have roughly the same strand and groundball rates. Buerhle got four years and $56 million from the Marlins, but the general consensus is that they overspent.
So where does this leave Jackson? He's really got two options at this point: take one of these supposed three year deals on the table, and probably take less money in the process, or take a shorter term deal for more money per season. With Jackson seemingly learn how to pitch over the last two seasons (3.71 FIP), it might not be totally out there for him to take the shorter deal in an effort to rebuild his value. However, he definitely won't be the cream of the free agent crop, with Cole Hamels and Matt Cain heading to free agency next offseason, and Tim Lincecum heading there in 2013.
Jackson is in a difficult spot right now, and things haven't really played out for him the way that he imagined. I think he's going to have to settle for a team that needs a middle rotation starter, and one that will probably pay him as such. No team is going to pay him as an ace, because all of the teams that needed a top-line pitcher has already gotten one, either through trade or free agency.
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You May Say I'm A Dreamer: The Texas Rangers
What else can baseball fans do in January but dream of October? In You May Say I'm a Dreamer, the Outside Corner staff will imagine the route to a World Series in 2012 title for all 30 teams.
(SCENE: The Texas Rangers have just won the 2012 World Series, and team president Nolan Ryan joins general manager Jon Daniels for a victory cigar in the GM's office. Atop the desk in the office sits the World Series trophy that Texas just won as they look down on the last few fans filing out of The Ballpark at Arlington, who had stayed late to celebrate with some of the players who had just come out of the clubhouse, soaking wet with champagne.)
RYAN: Man, I'll tell you what, Jon, third time's a charm.
DANIELS: It sure is, Nolan. It's nice to finally have been handed the trophy instead of watching San Francisco or St. Louis hoist it.
RYAN: I have to admit, I didn't think we'd be able to make some of the moves we did, but I guess when Artie made those huge deals for Pujols and Wilson, I was happy to see the ownership move some money our way. Darvish was everything we could have asked for and more.
RYAN: Darvish really did impress me. He assimiliated well to the team's culture and went out and competed. With him already having all those 200+ inning seasons in Japan, I was very happy to see him play well in the second half. 19 wins, a sub-3 ERA, 180 K's...that was definitely worth the posting fee.
DANIELS: His arm came alive in the playoffs, too. On top of that, I got another fantastic season from Kinsler. That's one of the easiest team options ever for us to pick up next year, no doubt. Might even extend him if I could. On top of that, Hamilton had a great year, Beltre stayed healthy for 140 games, and Napoli continued to rake. Now I just hope I can bring him back next year.
RYAN: Well, considering the pitching we got coming up and all the pitching we have right now, I like him being the regular backstop. He's done a great job with our staff the last couple seasons.
DANIELS: I mean, let's think about where we were in August. The Angels were 75-45, they had all that firepower on the hill, they had brought up Trout full time...that offense was in full swing, you know?
RYAN: But then we took them down seven out of nine times down the stretch head-to-head. That five game swing ignited us and got us to 98 wins. Darvish had the big win when he had that pitcher's duel win against Wilson.
DANIELS: And I'll tell you what, Joe Nathan was nails down the stretch. I liked what he did for us in the second half. And then he really came through in the playoffs considering he had never really been in that big time situation before. Sure, he had been in the playoffs, but man, saving three of those World Series wins, I was very pleased with that. That one worked out for us, as well.
RYAN: I'm still surprised that Tanner Scheppers came through, too. He was fantastic as a guy who held down the 7th and 8th innings for us once Ogando got tired. He has a chance to be the guy to take over for Nathan when his contract is up.
DANIELS: And to think...Perez, Profar, Martin, all those guys are on the way to being a part of this team next year and in 2014.
RYAN: Profar...that guy's gonna be a legend.
DANIELS: We'll see. I think the best part about all this was that Wilson left for all that money and he couldn't get it done against us. Those games he had against us here just weren't the best. We knew exactly what he was going to do and it set the tone for our games against the Angels.
RYAN: Yeah, that was key considering 95 wins could have won this division. That five-win swing down the stretch was the difference.
DANIELS: So you think we can do it in 2013?
RYAN: I don't know why not, Jon. Should we prank call C.J. and ask him his ring size?
DANIELS: Of course! Raise your glass, Nolan! We finally did it! C.J.'s our Tiki Barber!
(Suddenly, C.J. Wilson starts yelling in his sleep, clutching a bag of money in bed while tossing and turning. He sits up in a cold sweat, panting and heaving.)
WILSON: What a horrible dream...at least I still have my money...damn...only...four...more...
(Wilson falls asleep, waiting to dream again.)
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Manny Ramirez to the Oakland Athletics Almost Makes Too Much Sense
Manny Ramirez needs a paycheck.
Well...chances are he doesn't really NEED a paycheck. Over the course of his career, Ramirez has earned more than $200,000,000 (!) to hit the ball real far at the plate and watch it go over his head in the outfield. Buf if you have the ability and the option of earning millions of dollars playing a kid's game as opposed to the alternative of sitting around and twiddling your thumbs, one tends to choose the former over the latter.
And while he'd have to still serve a 50-game suspension for a positive PED test if he were to make the decision to end his retirement, the fact of the matter is that at 39, his body has held up about as well as any that has played parts of 19 seasons in the Major Leagues.
no commentsNyjer Morgan Will Practice With the San Jose Sharks
Tony Plush is about to become Tony Pucks.
Everyone's favorite lunatic outfielder, Nyjer Morgan, is about to hit the ice with his hometown San Jose Sharks. The man they call Tony Plush will be practicing with the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. And really, after getting the NLDS-winning hit against the Arizona Diamondbacks and establishing himself as one of baseball's greatest personalities, this is more the next logical step in the order of progression than it is a publicity stunt.
no commentsThe Astros Shall Henceforth Be Known As...the Astros.
Change is scary. It takes us out of our comfort zones, forcing us to conform to a whole new set of societal norms and accept things that are both foreign and unnerving.
It doesn't matter if this change is for the better. The end of a toxic relationship, the big move to a big city, starting a new job with new challenges and a bigger paycheck. And of course, the renaming of our favorite sports teams.
Fortunately for Houston Astros fans, while certain things about the organization -- namely, the league they're in and the laundry the everchanging roster of players are sporting on the field -- will be changing, one thing about the organization won't.
no commentsLate January Power Rankings
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1. New York Yankees Why they deserve it: Their biggest weakness outside of a lack of organizational depth was a subpar pitching staff. By trading their young DH labeled a catcher they managed to acquire a solid young starter in Michael Pineda and signed Hiroki Kuroda to a one year deal. Why they don’t deserve it: Not much help on the way from the minors and they have an aging team whose best years are well behind them. - They may be a little long in the tooth, but the Yanks should still be able to hit their way to victory this season. Pineda had a poor second half and Kuroda won’t be as a good as he moves into an extreme hitters park but they are still considerably deeper than they were before. |
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2. Texas Rangers Why they deserve it: They have the best offense in baseball and play in one of the friendliest hitter parks in baseball. Their pitching staff should be improved and they’ve been to the World Series two years in a row. Why they don’t deserve it: Their pitching is still suspect. Will Yu Darvish be as good outside a pitchers park and facing the best hitters in the world? Can Neftali Feliz successfully make the transition to the rotation? If both answers are no (and they might be) the Rangers will be in trouble with the improving climate in the AL West. - There’s no reason to doubt the Rangers right now, they look better than they were last year and they were the best team in the AL. |
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3. Los Angeles Angels Why they deserve it: The Angels have arguably the best rotation in baseball. There’s no weakness 1-5 and they have very good depth in AAA. Their offense will add the greatest hitter in baseball in Pujols, plus Kendrys Morales to the lineup. Mike Trout looms large in AAA and there’s no way the Angels will put up with another Vernon Wells letdown. Why they don’t deserve it: They’ve missed the playoffs the last two seasons in a row and have a shaky bullpen. They also have a questionable depth problem. Vernon Wells is blocking Mike Trout and Kendrys Morales is blocking Mark Trumbo. A trade is needed because their offense isn’t good enough to have hitters like that on the bench. - The Angels will combine a good offense with great pitching. Their bullpen isn’t proven, but the system is stacked with bullpen arms, so these troubles could pass as early as 2012. |
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4. Tampa Bay Rays Why they deserve it: A full year of Matt Moore, Jeremy Hellickson, David Price and James Shields is dangerous. Desmond Jennings can be one of the most dangerous players in baseball and they’ve reacquired 1B Carlos Pena, who should add another 30 HR’s to their lineup. Why they don’t deserve it: The Rays have one of the best minor league systems in baseball, more pitching depth than they know what to do with and an incredible number of young talented contibutors. What they don’t have is an easy division or large payroll. At the end of the day it’s faster to buy a Carl Crawford than it is to develop one, the Yankees and Red Sox know this. - The Rays have no weakness, they are a well-rounded team, and still they may not make the playoffs. |
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5. Philadelphia Phillies Why they deserve it: Halladay, Lee and Hamels are as good of a 1,2,3 as there is. They should get Utely back healthy and have added Hunter Pence to an already strong lineup. Papelbon in the 9th inning is a relatively sure thing as well. Why they don’t deserve it: The back end of the rotation is terrible and they have literally no help on the way in their minors as the cupboard is bare not only in AA/AAA but in the lower levels as well. They’ll also have to go without slugger Ryan Howard for a large chunk of the year. - The Phils have some fierce competition for the next few years, but their combination of pitching, offense and money will make them formidable in 2012. |
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6. Boston Red Sox Why they deserve it: They have one of the best offenses in baseball and will be getting Pedroia and Youkilis back. Crawford will almost certainly be better than he was in 2010. Getting Buchholz back could be the difference between October baseball and a disappointing September. Why they don’t deserve it: This is largely the same team that completely collapsed to end 2010 except this time around they have no Theo Epstein, Terry Francona or Jon Papelbon and are depending on Daniel Bard to become a starting pitcher. - The more you look at it, the more it seems the Red Sox could struggle in 2012 despite having an immensely talented team. By struggle, I mean only with 85 – 90 games. |
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7. Detroit Tigers Why they deserve it: They have two of the Top 10 hitters in the game in Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. Watching those two in the same lineup will be a treat for every fan. They also have possibly the best pitcher in baseball right now with Justin Verlander. Why they don’t deserve it: The offense really isn’t great outside of Fielder and Cabrera. They’ve got enough depth and talent to win the weak AL Central, but their pitching simply can’t match up with the beasts in the East or the best in the West. Also the idea of Miguel Cabrera as an everyday 3B is being force-fed down everyone's throat as if it's an actual possibility. - The Tigers are playoff team. Their minor league system isn’t great, but their team is built to be a contender for the foreseeable future and if they get hot at the right time they can be a threat to the Yanks, Rays, Rangers or Angels in the playoffs. |
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8. Arizona Diamondbacks Why they deserve it: They already had a good rotation, but bringing back Joe Saunders for another year only makes them that much better. There’s also the possibility of Tyler Skaggs, Pat Corbin or Trevor Bauer working their ways into the rotation in 2012. When this occurs they will overtake the Phillies/Rays/Angels for the best rotation in baseball. Why they don’t deserve it: They’re young and were lucky the Giants lost Buster Posey. Outside of Upton, there isn’t much game changing talent in the field. Jason Kubel can hit but he hasn’t proven that he’s healthy or consistent enough to power the middle of a lineup as he’s being paid to do. - The D-Backs are a well built team. Decent enough offense, good starting pitching, and stronger bullpen and TONS of depth in the minor leagues. They’re a Top 10 team right now, but in 3 or 4 years they could be a Top 5 team. At the same time, they could have a hard time holding off the Giants in he NL West. |
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9. St. Louis Cardinals Why they deserve it: They just won the World Series and have added Carlos Beltran to an already solid offense. Adam Wainwright will give them as much pitching depth as anyone in their division and they boast a core of strong middle relievers that can shorten a game. If they add Roy Oswalt as is rumored then they should jump up a couple spots in the rankings. Why they don’t deserve it: They’ve lost that one player that made their offense special in Albert Pujols. Holliday and Berkman simply won’t have the same protection. After their first three starters, there’s no starting pitching to speak of. They’ve also lost Hall of Fame manager Tony LaRussa and will go without the best pitching coach in baseball Dave Duncan for a significant amount of time. - Can the Cards win without Duncan, LaRussa and Pujols? I’m not so sure they can. I’d have a lot more confidence in their ability to win if Dave Duncan could return soon or if they signed Roy Oswalt. |
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10. Atlanta Braves Why they deserve it: Like any dangerous team, their strength begins and ends on the mound. They have good starting pitching right now, but have the minor league depth to sustain a solid rotation for the next decade. Their 7th, 8th and 9th inning relievers may be the best in the game. I’m expecting Freeman and Heyward to progress and having Bourn a full season should help. Why they don’t deserve it: There’s no game-changing talent on the offense. They’re decent enough but unless Chipper Jones goes back in time 5 years and Freeman and Heyward go forward in time 5 years, they may not score enough to win. - This is a good team, but too much can go wrong for the Braves. Their offense wasn’t great to begin with, but they’re only one injury away from mediocrity. The pitching staff is still good enough to make them an 85-win team at minimum. |
You May Say I'm A Dreamer: Houston Astros
What else can baseball fans do in January but dream of October? In You May Say I'm a Dreamer, the Outside Corner staff will imagine the route to a World Series in 2012 title for all 30 teams.
When we said we were going to dream of a championship for all 30 teams, we weren't messing around. Let there be no greater proof of that than this article. Yes, that's right, I'm going to tell you how it is the team that won 56 games in 2011 will bounce all the way back to their first ever World Series championship. All I ask from you, dear reader, is to suspend your sense of disbelief and dream a little dream with me.
Imagine if you will a 2012 season that would go down as one of the most memorable ever. It would be a season known by many names. For some, it would be known as The Year Nobody Wanted to Win the NL Central. While the NL Central may be home to the defending champions, it will be a very rough season for most everyone in the division. Already having been abandoned by superstar Albert Pujols, the Cardinals will suffer further losses from all sides. First, a setback in Adam Wainwright's recovery from Tommy John surgery. Next, Matt Holliday was felled after blowing out his knee in Spring Training. But the ultimate blow was Chris Carpenter, Rafael Furcal, Carlos Beltan and Lance Berkman suddenly all feeling their age almost overnight. For the Cardinals 2012 would be The Year Everyone Got Hurt.
no commentsIs Moving Miguel Cabrera to Third Secretly A Weight Loss Plan?
Depending on your way of thinking, the Detroit Tigers' decision to make room for Prince Fielder by moving Miguel Cabrera to third base ranges from being a questionable decision to a catastrophically stupid one.
Miggy is a fantastic hitter but, even at first base, he is a miserable defender. At third... gentlemen, start your blooper reels. As you've know doubt read countless times over, Cabrera was a defensive disaster at third base the last time he played there full-time back in 2007 (-16 Defense Runs Saved). That was five years and probably thirty pounds ago. How can Detroit possibly expect him to be any better as a hot corner defender than he was before they were compelled to move him across the diamond now that he is older and heavier?
Well, the Tigers can't turn back time to make Miguel younger, but they can make his waistline slimmer and therein might lie Detroit's secret motivation for this seemingly inferior defensive alignment.
no commentsAnd So Ends The Saga Of The Lake County Fielders...
Last night, I received an e-mail from a gentleman named Clay in regards to our series of posts about the Lake County Fielders, partially owned by actor Kevin Costner. When we last heard from the Fielders, they were booted out of the North American Baseball League, and reportedly owing a vendor thousands of dollars. Well now, the story is pretty much over with this image that Clay sent me yesterday evening.
This is an eviction notice, posted outside of the Fielders' main office at the Gurnee Mills Mall in Gurnee, Illinois. The Fielders apparently owe $3,750 in back rent, and have been given five days (as of the 25th, which was last Wednesday) to either pay the rent in full, or to vacate the property. Without offices, this sad, pathetic saga that started off on the bizarre route will finally end, unless of course, the Fielders want to run their operations out of someone's house.
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