Many big names are set to hit the free agent market beginning this off season, but arguably the two biggest names that could give teams many headaches on deciding between the two are Manny Ramirez and C.C. Sabathia. I have heard many debates on national TV shows on which of the two big name free agents would be a better investment. Due to the type of money both players will get, only a handful of teams will have to make this torturous decision. If any of these teams' general manager's read this blog site, I will help reach a verdict.
The two players up for debate are basically opposites in every aspect of the game. Position, throwing hand, work ethic, etc., the players are literally night and day. Sabathia's advantage lies in his age and his complete domination the past two years. Plus he is left handed and many of the big market teams are dying to land an ace pitcher.The thing that might hold teams from shelling out a monster deal for C.C. is the many past big name free agent pitchers that have literally done nothing for their teams (see Mike Hampton or Carl Pavano).
Manny's main strength is that he can flat out rake, and justified this during his stint with the Dodgers. He is one of the greatest right handed hitters of all time and really shows no sign of slowing down. An AL team my drool of the option of having him be able to DH for years to come because his defense is lackluster to e say the least. Clearly Manny's question mark is his work ethic. It is what many believe drove him out of Boston (I believe it was Scott Boris, and my facts to support this lie in this wonderful piece by ESPN's Bill Simmons http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=manny).
So when it comes down to it, should the Angels, Mets, Yankees or any other big teams pay for the pitching or the hitting? I personally believe pitching is the most important aspect of baseball, for one pitcher can take over a game better then any position player can. I mean Manny defined a baseball player putting a team on his back in this past postseason and all it got him was a crushing defeat to the Phillies. But spending big money on free agent pitchers hasn't worked out so well in years past. I still say it would be smarter to land Sabathia for two reasons. First off he is easily better then what most FA pitchers have been in the past. It seems to me that lately there hasn't been somebody this consistently good in the market and therefore mediocre pitchers sign mega deals since big market teams just settle. Also Sabathia is younger then most pitchers are when they sign lucrative free agent deals, so teams should be very confident that they will get the numbers to back up the dollars they shell out for him. And if one thing is a guarantee in this whole debate it is that money will be shelled out, and lots of it.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Manny vs CC
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
MVB's World Series Predictions
The 2009 World Series will mark the first fall classic for this blog, so to honor this event we brought the whole team out to make their bold predictions for the series.
Brett WernerBut the Rays are no NL team: they have a stronger overall bullpen than Philadelphia (who have Lidge et rien) even if the closer position may be falling to Price in the WS. And they have as good or better hitters at nearly every position, guys who can get to anyone except maybe Hamels. I give the Rays' starters a big edge once you get past the Phillies' ace.
The Phillies are better rested, but obviously that didn't help last year's Rockies. Two off days is more than enough for the Rays to recover.
The Rays have been on a run all year, have been on the verge of losing it for most of the last month or two, and they haven't yet. I don't think they lose it now.
Mark WernerLike the Rockies last year who had a payroll 66% below league average, the Rays arrive at the final stage having a payroll 50% below major league average--and one fifth the size of the long-idle, much-maligned Yankees. Unlike the Rockies, the Rays will prevail, taking the series in 5 games. Where the Rockies were overdependent on their thin-air hitting, the Rays have a sturdier foundation in their pitching: a young rotation and an experienced bullpen capped by a talented rising star in Price.
In stark contrast to the Twins, the Phillies slug 40 points higher against LHP. Unfortunately, the Rays rotation features just one lefty in Kazmir. Righties Shields and Garza will combine for three wins. Your World Series MVP: James Shields (and not the semi-transient 19th century senator from Minnesota)
PS. Is anybody else sick of EVERY ANALYST saying the key part to the Delmon for Garza trade was Jason Bartlett because he "shores up the Tampa defense?" He is terrible at short! He led all AL ss in errors for the Twins in 2007, and seems to make errors in every other game in the playoffs! I just don't get it, but it is nice to see two former Twins playing key roles in the playoffs.
Dain TePoelHmm...I'll roll with it.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
What's your song?
DY21 gives his thoughts on one of the interesting traditions in Major League Baseball today...
The 7th inning stretch, the ceremonial first pitch, and even the kiss cam are all "extras" that every baseball game has that has nothing to do with the actual baseball game. My sister, for example, seems to be completely oblivious to all action on the field, but due to the kiss cam, her 20 dollar ticket was well worth it. I bring this up because I'd like to speak on my favorite "extra" at a baseball game if you will. This would be player walk up music. I am always intrigued as to what songs each player picks to come up to the plate with. To me it gives me some kind of personality traits for each player as to what they may be like off the field.
So that got me thinking and I came up with my own possible walk up songs that would have been fitting for fellow Twins this past year.
Carlos Gomez - "Kiss Kiss" by Chris Brown
With his always upbeat attitude I figured he would need an uptempo beat. Also one of my favorite things about Gomez is that I can always laugh at him, especially when he kisses his bat before every at bat. Put 2 and 2 together and you get "Kiss Kiss" by Chris Brown
Delmon Young - "Stop and Stare" by One Republic
I'm sure at first glance this makes no sense for Delmon Young. But think closely of these lyrics. The beginning chorus goes, "stop and stare, i think I'm moving but i go nowhere." Honestly nothing can describe Delmon when he moves any better, and when he does move all Twins fans can do is stop and stare.
Adam Everett - "I Hate Everything About You" by Three Days Grace
This works because it is what every Twins fan thinks every time he makes an appearance on the baseball field.
Nick Punto - "Everyday I'm Hustlin" by Rick Ross
Another fairly self explanatory one I feel. I mean Nick Punto would head first slide into first base on a lineout to the pitcher.
Denard Span - "Saved" by R. Kelly
The chorus is a constant, "You saved me" and this is exactly what I feel Denard did for the Twins this season. Gomez's free swinging attitude clearly wasn't working in the leadoff spot, so when speedy Denard Span got called up to take place for injured Cuddyer he brilliantly became almost the epitome of a leadoff hitter. He has the patience and discipline of Joe Mauer yet still has the speed and a little pop for a leadoff man. Who would have thought Cuddyer's injury would arguably be the best thing that happened to the Twins?
So here are some possible "walk up" songs that I feel do a fair job at representing each player. Obliviously plenty of other players are available for song selections, so I would like to hear what others feel would be appropriate songs for players. Leave your comments.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Missed Opportunities Hurting Twins
DY21 releases some steam over the Twins recent 4 game skid...
The Seattle Mariners are 49-82. I repeat the Seattle Mariners are 49-82. I can't help but shudder as a Twins fan when I read that stat because it exemplifies the opportunity the Twins are missing currently. Everyone knew the current 14 game road trip the Twins are playing wouldn't be easy, but for a potential playoff squad this may be the point in the season where we see if the young, fun Twins are mentally tough enough to buckle down and win big games. It started out golden with the Twins taking two games from the best team in baseball, the Los Angeles Angles. From there it went downhill as the Twins dropped the next two games, both of which turned out to be winable.
I still was not worried about the two losses against the Angels, for a split with the best team in baseball isn't bad at all an now the Twins would surely bounce back against the lowly Mariners. But unfortunately for the Twins, Safeco Field seems to be a tougher place to play then a World Series Game 7 in Yankee Stadium. Earlier in August the Twins dropped 2 of 3 in Seattle and the worst part was they held leads in all 3 games. Then last night's game everything seemed to be going just fine. The Twins took a 2-1 lead after Delmon Young's big RBI single in the eighth inning. Newly acquired Eddie Guardado pitched as clean of an inning as possible, so that was left was the usual Joe Nathan shut down ninth. What could go wrong?
Well, a leadoff double and a very rare Nick Punto error forced the Twins to play extra baseball, and forced me as a Twins fan to say, "Here we go again." After Adrian Beltre's two run blast in the 11th the Twins once again blew a huge opportunity against one of the worst teams in the league and started digging a deeper hole in catching Chicago for the division.
Once again I believe this is the make or break part of the Twins schedule. The Twins still have 9 games left against the Blue Jays, Mariners, and Athletics on this road trip. To me anything less than 6 wins against these teams will be a dissappointment. I just don't know how many of these young inexperienced Twins will deal with the pressure if they start slumping against these lowly teams, while the White Sox keep winning. Once again, it's make or break time.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
It's Liriano Time
A matter of hours remaining until the trade deadline. Word has it the Twins are looking at Rich Aurillia as well as a middle infielder after the devastating injury to Alexi Casilla. Also, my childhood hero Ken Griffey Jr. is headed to the AL Central to dawn White Sox stripes. Yuck! It'll certainly be hard to watch Griffey play for the Sox, but we will get to seem him in the dome more. Sorry for my writing delay, I have been away for work in Chicago for the last two weeks. More to come on the Casilla and Giffey issues and stay tuned for deadline deals, for now DY21 has this to say...
Sorry it has been over a week since my last post but life has been hectic as of late. Since my last post the Twins have been up and down, but things are looking good now taking the first 2 games of the ginormous July series verse the Chi Sox.
As Twins fans know there have been many grumblings about the young lefty Francisco Liriano's recent dominance in AAA. For the season Liriano has 10 wins and a 3.28 ERA with 5 less strikeouts then innings pitched. That's not even the sick part. Up until his most recent start in which he allowed 4 runs in 6 innings (he did still strike out nine) Liriano had a 0.26 ERA in his previous 5 starts. If that isn't deserving of a callup I don't know what is.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
DY21's 2nd Half Preview
On the night of the start of the second half of the season, DY21 gives his predictions for the remainder of the 2008 season. Expect MVB picks on the way soon...
I don't know about all you guys, but I'm still riding the high the All Star game Tuesday night gave me. It was incredible to see the best in each league keep taking punches from the other side, yet then deliver a counter blow just as heavy. I mean how many incredible opportunities did each league have throughout extra innings? And if Cory Hart didn't throw like my little sister we probably would have seen even more baseball, forcing managers Terry Francona and Clint Hurdle to make lose/lose decisions in dealing with their pitchers.
Any who the "first half" of the season is now behind us and it is now time to look forward to what the next half of the season has to offer. I'm a subscriber to ESPN the magazine and one of my favorite things to do is look back at their preview editions to see who they picked to win it and where teams ranked in each division. As I looked back on this years baseball preview the writers would be lucky if they still had their jobs. Division winners for them were the Yankees, Indians, and Mariners. Ouch is right as they would have had better success drawing out of a hat then using their minds and baseball IQ. So on that note I will now give you my 2nd half predictions, and more then likely mess them up worse then ESPN did at the beginning of the year.
In the AL East all of me wants to just say the Rays will the division because it would be incredible for baseball and Dick Vitale may go crazy and I will never have to hear him broadcast a game again. But I have to believe that by September the Red Sox will be about 5 up on the Yankees and hold on to win the division. With DiceK becoming unhittable and we all know what Beckett can do mixed with the great lineup (that hasn't even seen a healthy David Ortiz) it’s scary what this team will be like when they hit on all cylinders. A week ago the Rays would have been my pick, but after this disaster of a week for them I just can't pick such an inexperienced team to compete with the big boys.
The AL Central will be the division to watch in the second half of the year. The Twins and White Sox will both be around but the Tigers seem to turn it on whenever they so choose and will probably surge at times in the second half. As I look into my crystal ball I see the White Sox taking the division, the Tigers finishing about 2 out and the Twins just don't have the gas and end 5 away. The reasons I say this is one because I think that Chicago and Detroit have the firepower in their lineups to hit at will, with ultimately the Chicago pitching will outdo Detroit's and also it's a win win situation for me, for either my prediction comes right or the Twins make the playoffs.
Some things I'm certain of in life are one day I will die, Brookings, South Dakota has the best Taco Johns in the nation, 2+2=4, and that in September the A's and Angels are battling for a division. It doesn't matter how ugly the A's lineup looks or how many superstars they trade away because they always find young guys that can come up and play right away, and do very good too. If the Twins are the PT Cruiser of young prospects and minor league development then the A's are the Rolls-Royce. But when it is all said and done I see the Angels narrowing out the A's because I see the Angels acquiring another bat to even add more oomph to the already very stacked lineup. Who would have though coming into this year that Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders would carry this staff rather then John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar? Definitely not ESPN the magazine.
So who will be representing the AL to face the Diamondbacks in the World Series? Hope you all liked the 2001 World Series as the Yankees come in as the wild card to face Arizona in the fall classic, only this time the Yankees prevail in 6 games. I just think this team has too many veterans and too much swagger to be left out of the playoffs, and once they get there I think they will win a couple of series’ and will take their 28th championship in 2008(excuse me while I go throw up) .
So there you have it, my second half preview for the rest of this already incredible MLB season. Now that I think of it, I have one more thing to add to my list of things I’m certain of in life; that these predictions are sure to be wrong.
Monday, July 14, 2008
All-Star Twins
As the all star game approaches I thought I would take the time to break down the mid summer festivities by reflecting on the game and also the 3 Twins who made the game. All in all I really do enjoy the MLB's All-Star Week, but it definitely has its ups and downs. A very heated debate over years past has been Bud Selig's decision that the winner of the all star game receives home field advantage in the World Series. I love this aspect of the game for it gives the game meaning and forces the players to play hard and take the game more seriously. I feel that the most over hyped aspect of all star week is the home run derby. The boo birds may come out for this statement but honestly I'm really only interested for the first 15 minutes and the next thing I know I'm watching reruns of Americas Next Top Model. I mean really how many times can we hear Chris Berman's "back, back, back, back, back, etc." in one night without going insane. Sure it's a fun event that the fans seem to adore, but I think it would be a lot better if it was tweaked to make it shorter and a little easier to watch.
Now onto the real important issue about All Star week, the Minnesota Twins that will represent one of the biggest surprises of the season. First I would love to tip my cap to Joe Mauer, for not only was he selected to the All Star game, he was also chosen to be a starter for the AL. This couldn't be more justified as he leads all catchers in runs and average and is also first in the AL in RBI's. It's also worth noting the job he has done in molding the young Twins pitching staff into one of the best staffs again this year. Another interesting thing I saw about Mauer came from the ESPN game last Monday verses the Red Sox (a heart breaker i know). During Mauer's last at bat Mauer was faced with a 3-1 count. Above the score on ESPN a statistic came up that said Mauer's average whenever the count as gotten to 3-1 is .480 on the season. That's right, Mauer gets a hit nearly 50% of the time if he gets ahead 3-1 in an at bat. I found this to be just an astounding figure and a true testament to the spectacular hitter Mauer has become .
The next Twin American League All Star is the punch to the Twins lineup. Cleanup hitter Justin Morneau was selected as a reserve at first base. This was another no brainer selection into the game for Morneau ranks 2nd among AL 1B in runs, and even better 1st in RBI's and Avg. Surprisingly so Justin Morneau is now battling aforementioned Joe Mauer for the batting champ not only on the Twins but also in the AL. Morneau has been a constant all year for the Twins and without him in the middle of the lineup the Twins probably would be sitting closer to where the Royals are now rather then 1 game and a half out of the division.
To anchor my article I decided to go to the anchor of the Twins rotation. Joe Nathan was probably the least likely of the three to make the All Star game coming into the year. No it wasn't because his skills had diminished or that he signed a lucrative deal, but rather because the Twins would be horrible and his save chances would be minuscule. But as it turns out the exact opposite has occurred as Nathan seems to have to close the door on a game at least once a series and almost always get the job done without giving my grandma any chance of having a heart attack (Something Latroy Hawkins and Eddie Guardado struggled with). When the Twins gave Nathan so much dough at the beginning of the year I questioned it thinking there wasn't a way closers were worth that kind of money. But Nathan has made me eat my words as he has been lights out in the 9th inning and is very deserving to be traveling to New York to pitch July 15th. - DY21
I certainly can agree with DY21 that Chris Berman's Home Run Derby commentary can be quite annoying, but with Twin Justin Morneau becoming a late addition to the derby I'll be watching tonight. Although Morneau has the least amount of homeruns of the 8 competitors, I think he an underdog candidate for tonight's competition. Morneau struggled last year in this same contest in San Franciso, but I believe he's learned from last time and will benefit from short right field porch in Yankee Stadium. Chris Singleton of Baseball Tonight predicted Justin Morneau as the winner. MVB's pick - Josh Hamilton. Enjoy the homers!
BREAKING NEWS: MVB makes trade!
It’s July 11th and the July 31st trade deadline is approaching fast. Teams are looking to boost their roster and make that one move that puts their team over the top.
The frenzy started this week with the Milwaukee Brewers acquiring Cleveland Indian’s ace C.C. Sabathia. The move seemed like that perfect piece to make the Brewers formidable contenders in the NL Central. However, the Chicago Cubs were not going to be outdone. The next day they made a very bold move acquiring Rich Harden from the Oakland A’s. Both pitchers bring ace quality to a crowded NL Central division. Sabathia is the reigning AL Cy Young winner and Harden is one of the toughest pitchers to hit (when he is healthy).
Most importantly, two great pitchers have left the American League, especially Sabathia who the Twins will no longer have to face three times a year. So with the deadline nearing, the Twins MVB decided to make a big move of his own to lead his blog into the playoffs.
The Twins MVB is announcing the emergence of another blogger on the MVB network…DY21!
DY21, which stands for his favorite Twin player Delmon Young, is a huge addition to the MVB squad (which was previously a squad of one). DY21 is a lifelong Twins fan with blog experience and extensive knowledge of the game.
So please welcome the second member of the MVB network. FYI: whenever there is a new post it will be tagged by the author, either Twins MVB or DY21. Here’s to a playoff push!
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