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E-MAILBAG: Ask the Reports, Wednesday April 20th
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We will be compiling a list of your questions from our e-mailbag and posting the responses on Wednesdays.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Q: Here’s my plan: Ozzie Guillen as General Manager, Paul Konerko as Manager and A.J. Pierzynski as a coach. What do you think? Sounds awesome to me 🙂 From Tina, Chicago.
MLB reports: A great plan in principle, but I do not see it happening. Firstly, I agree that Kenny Williams is on borrowed time. After winning the 2005 World Series, the White Sox have not even had a sniff at another title. After the Jake Peavy fiasco, I think management will eventually put Kenny’s head on the chopping block as the reason behind the White Sox recent failures. Williams has a way of trading young talent and taking on big contracts which I think will end up being his downfall. From there, the new general manager will likely want to bring in his own manager and will need his stamp on the team in order to gain respectability. Also remember that the Marlins did not hire a big name head coach after the Valentine talks broke down. Further, the Marlins had inquired as to the availability of Ozzie from the Sox in the off-season and were told it would cost them Mike Stanton in return. If Ozzie plays out his deal with the Sox, as a coach with the 2003 World Series champions Marlins, I could see him taking over the as the manager as they open their new ballpark in Miami. Ozzie has a great deal of experience as a manager but not as a general manager and at this stage of his career, I see Ozzie remaining in the dugout.
To rebuild the team and start fresh, I can’t see the Sox going to an existing member of the team to take over the general manager role. With Kenny and Ozzie likely gone, it will be up to Konerko and Pierzynski as to whether they continue on in the game in any capacity after they retire. I have not heard great things about Pierzynski the player in terms of attitude, thus coaching to me does not appear to be a reality. Konerko however, I can see taking such a role on as he is an extremely hard worker and well-respected in baseball circles. But given the difficulties Sandberg had to get a major league managing job and the time Don Mattingly had to put in before landing the Dodgers gig, I can’t see Konerko getting a managing role without a great deal of coaching experience beforehand.
Q: I’m still pulling for Jonathan Broxton. Let’s not kid ourselves. Who else do the Dodgers have to go to? Kuo on DL and Jansen isn’t ready. From Matthew, Los Angeles.
MLB reports: Broxton is 5 for 5 in save opportunities, but that 6.14 ERA is not pretty. Looking at the numbers, the only person with a shot is Mike MacDougal as the veteran has a very solid start to the campaign with the Dodgers. If Broxton continues to give up runs like they are going out of style, MacDougal will get a shot. I seriously hope for your sake and Dodgers fans everywhere, Broxton can get it together. I don’t see many options on the horizon, you know your Dodgers pitching well.
Q: How do you think the Jays will do against the Yankees this week? From MLB reports Agent, Toronto.
MLB reports: For those that are not aware, my niece was kind enough to intern on MLB reports to keep up the tweeting reports while I was away on my honeymoon in February. Now joining us on Twitter, our agent in the field will mostly be looking after postings, articles and photographs on our Facebook page and helping with the occasional tweets. Great first question Ms. Agent. The Jays had a hard-fought win last night with Travis Snider hitting the game winner in the bottom of the 10th to take the first game of the series. Game 2 goes today and has Bartolo Colon for the Yankees and Brett Cecil for the Jays. Should be a high-scoring game as I do not expect either starter to be very effective. After a hard loss I expect the Yankees to come out firing early and take the 2nd game. A 1-1 split would still be considered solid work for the Jays and much to build on going into the weekend series with the Rays. That matchup will really show what the Jays are made of as the Rays are a tough inter-division squad with very solid pitching.
Q: I read on the site this week about some pitchers who had been injured. I felt that there should have been one more. What’s the status on Jake Peavy? It’s just a thought. I just wanted to know how he was doing. From Richard, Roanoke.
MLB reports: Peavy was supposed to return on April 29th but he has been postponed due to arm discomfort. The official word is that Peavy has soreness of the lat muscle that was reattached during his July 2010 surgery. Peavy will be taking anti-inflammatory medicine for a week and if all goes well, could be going back to a rehab assignment by the end of the month. Given that Peavy is getting on in years and had radical experimental surgery, I cannot understand the Sox insistence to rush him. Looking at what happened to Ben Sheets and Brandon Webb, there is nothing to gain by rushing Peavy and everything to lose. I can see Peavy back in uniform if all goes well sometime in May, but a relapse is very probable, if not certain. My prediction is that Peavy will either have another surgery and/or be shut down again at some point this season. He does not seem to be fully healed and apparently can re-injure himself at a moment’s notice. I am a big Peavy supporter and would love to see him out on the field battling for the Sox, but sometimes the body just has a way of saying no. Time will tell. To see my previous updates on Webb, Sheets, Morrow and Francisco that was posted this week on the website, please click here.
Q: What is the chance of Jhoulys Chacin on the Rockies winning the Cy Young this year? From Joe, Atlanta.
MLB reports: At 6’3″ and at the age of 23, Chacin has not even entered his prime yet. You are looking at his 3-0 record, 1.64 ERA and 1.091 WHIP and getting excited. I can’t say I blame you as Chacin had a solid 2010 campaign as well with a 3.28 ERA and 1.274 WHIP. The potential is clearly there and given what Jimenez did in 2010 (19 wins, 2.88 ERA), anything is possible. I give his chance at winning the Cy Young this year at about 2%. Why so low you ask? Mostly the competition: from Halladay, to Lee, Oswalt, Lincecum, Gallardo, Greinke, Lincecum…the list goes on and on. Chacin still plays in a difficult pitcher’s park and likely will be 2nd on his own team behind Ubaldo as the top pitcher. Chacin still has 2-3 years to grow into ace-status and while he has a good chance at 15 wins, I think that a Cy Young is still years away. Pitchers of Chacin’s age still tend to go through ups and downs during their growing pains. Don’t discount the experience factor in overall Cy Young voting and final statistics. Experience often carries the day.
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MLB Opening Day Preview: Schedule and Pitching Previews
MLB reports: With the 2011 MLB season about to commence, literally hours away at this moment- my thoughts continue to centre on the Holy Grail: Opening Day. This year, there are 12 teams playing on Thursday March 31st with the remaining teams playing the next day. For each MLB fan rooting for their respective team, there are 15 different opening day games that will be the focal point for them. Regardless of the city you live in or the team you root for, the first game of the year is the most exciting. It is time to shake the snow off your boots, grab your jersey and tickets and get ready for the start of baseball. For you, the diehards, I present the matchups and probable pitchers for each game.
In my brief analysis of each game, I have taken a slight twist in my analysis. I have decided not to crunch the numbers and take the stats route. To predict the outcomes of games, most stat-heads tend to look at historical opening day numbers for each team, head-to-head records, home/away records, day/night games, etc. This article contains none of the above. I am simply looking at the teams, taking a feel for each lineup and starting pitcher for each team, in performing my discussion. I was planning to post this article in a couple of days but with the enthusiasm of opening day on the horizon, I simply could not wait. Thus MLB fans, I present to you: The breakdown of the MLB Opening Day lineup. (Note: all game times are EST. Starting pitchers are subject to change, especially for injuries. Games may be delayed due to weather conditions)
Thursday March 31, 2011
1) Atlanta Braves at Washington Nationals:
1:05pm: Derek Lowe vs. Livian Hernandez
There will be 2 games to start the year on Thursday at 1:05pm and this will be the first game previewed. America’s team, the Braves vs. the Nationals in the Nation’s capital. The Nationals are a nice, young exciting team with a great deal of buzz surrounding the team. Unfortunately, neither of its 2 brightest stars-to-be, Strasburg and Harper will not be a part of the opening day lineup. The Braves have a strong, young team led by Heyward and Freeman. Derek Lowe is an experienced veteran who gets the opening day nod out of respect. Livian Hernandez, on the other hand, is the opening day starter by default. The Nationals fans will be likely going home disappointed on this day, as the Braves will be the victors in a high scoring opener.
2) Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees
1:05pm: Justin Verlander vs. C.C. Sabathia
The next opening game of the year to start the year comes from new Yankee Stadium, as 2 historical teams matchup in what should be an excellent pitching matchup. Verlander and Sabathia are 2 of the strongest pitchers in the majors and should go toe-to-toe in this game. While I see the hitters having the advantage in this game while the pitchers break into the season in a strong hitting park, smart money is the Yankees taking the win in their home park.
3) Milwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds
2:10pm: Yovanni Gallardo vs. Edinson Volquez
This game is the one that will catch my attention the most on Thursday. Two of the most exciting offensive teams in the majors, each led by their young strikeout artists. Gallardo and Volquez are cut from the same mold: when on, both are untouchable. When both are having difficulties, they can be time bombs. In the Cincinnati bandbox, I am predicting a high scoring game and a Reds victory. I am a big Gallardo supporter, but I can’t see opening in Cincinnati working well for him.
4) L.A. Angels at Kansas City Royals
4:10pm: Jered Weaver vs. Luke Hochevar
On paper this matchup looks very easy to analyze and in reality, it is. Weaver is a stud hurler for the Angels, a team with strong defense and fairly balanced offense. The Royals have Cabrera and Francouer in the outfield and Hochevar as their “ace”. The Royals fans are fortunate to be opening the season at home. This will be the last of their fortunes on this day as Weaver and the Angels should easily have their way with a Royals team in their final year of rebuilding as respectability begins for them in 2012.
5) San Diego Padres at St. Louis Cardinals
4:15pm: Tim Stauffer vs. Chris Carpenter
The young and surprising Padres bring their smoke and mirror show to St. Louis to face the Cards and Chris Carpenter. With one of my hyped young hurlers Matt Latos on the shelf, Tim Stauffer gets the nod for the opener for the Padres. With Adrian Gonzalez in Boston, the Padres will find a difficult time to score runs this year. Stauffer, stellar in the bullpen and spot starts for the Padres in 2010, is now moved into the rotation full time this year. Carpenter, one of the best pitchers in the game, will prove to be stingy at home. Regardless of how many runs the Cardinals score on this day, 2 runs will be enough for the Cardinals to start their year with a win.
6) San Francisco Giants vs. L.A. Dodgers
8:00pm: Tim Lincecum vs. Clayton Kershaw
This will be a premier matchup, as the World Series champions Giants face their arch-rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lincecum vs. Kershaw will be a pitching matchup for the ages. I see these pitchers battling all night, with the Dodgers emerging victorious. Opening night will be exciting for the Giants, but the hangover effect on the road leans to an advantage to L.A. on this night.
Friday April 1, 2011
7) Houston Astros at Philadelphia Phillies
1:05pm: Brett Myers vs. Roy Halladay
Day 2 of Opening Day finds Brett Myers coming back to his old stomping grounds to face Halladay and the Phillies. I don’t want to formally go on record and say that Halladay will throw a no-no in the opener…so….let’s just say, I have already said enough. The Phillies fans will be smelling blood and it should not take long for Myers to be shaken as the Phillies hitters have their way with him. Houston goes down quietly and quickly in this one.
8) Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs
2:20pm: Kevin Correia vs. Ryan Dempster
Unless you are a Pirates or Cubs fans…I imagine that only the diehards will be watching this one. Kevin Correia in my estimation was a solid pickup for the Pirates and with decent run support will win at least 12 games in Pittsburgh. Dempster, as a steady pitcher for the Cubs will prove to be a worthy adversary. This game will boil down to which team gets the better pitching and my crystal balls sees a Pirates victory in this one.
9) Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Indians
3:05pm: Mark Buehrle vs. Fausto Carmona
In the seemingly never-ending Opening Day matchup between the Chisox and Indians, Buehrle and Carmona face off in Cleveland. As most White Sox fans will attest, Buehrle can be steady at the best of times and extremely frustrating in others. The Opening Day nod was given to Buehrle by Ozzie out of respect and years of service, which is well deserved and applauded. But with the hot hand of Fausto going into the opener, the Indians will squeak out a victory in the opener in one of the few bright moments that will likely shine in Cleveland’s otherwise rebuilding 2011 season.
10) Boston Red Sox at Texas Rangers
4:05pm: Jon Lester vs. C.J. Wilson
I would have loved to be at this game, as this game features the matchup of two of the best MLB offenses and dynamic left-handed pitchers. This game is being in played Texas, which tends to favor the hitters in the summer…but alas, this game is being played in April. The Red Sox will be buzzing with excitement with the additions of Gonzalez and Crawford, with the home return of Salty. After falling short in the World Series, I foresee the Rangers coming to the game focused and determined. Wilson will be on his game as the Rangers start 2011 with a hard fought victory over the Red Sox in a low scoring game.
11) Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies
4:10pm: Ian Kennedy v. Ubaldo Jimenez
One word: Ubaldo. The man with what, a 0.70 ERA in the first half of last year? Ubaldo translates from Spanish to English to mean unhittable. The Rockies take this game in 2 hours or less.
12) Minnesota Twins at Toronto Blue Jays
7:07pm: Carl Pavano vs. Ricky Romero
My live Opening Day game is in Toronto, Canada as Pavano and the Twins take on Romero and the Jays. Both pitchers come into this game after difficult final outings in their last respective spring training games. I was impressed with the Pavano re-signing with the Twins, as there is an excellent fit for him with this team. Romero, while a young exciting pitcher, is still growing into his role as ace on an up-and-coming Toronto team. While game 2 of this series features the true exciting pitching matchup of Liriano and Drabek, the fans attending opening day will have to settle to watch a decent game which will feature a victorious Twins team.
13) Baltimore Orioles at Tampa Bay Rays
7:10pm: Mark Guthrie vs. David Price
David Price, who will prove to be a serious Cy-Young candidate this year, faces the Orioles at home. My preseason favorites to win the AL East, this game should be a cake walk for the Rays and Price. While the Orioles will have a .500 team this year, Opening Night will not be their night.
14) New York Mets at Florida Marlins
7:10pm: Mike Pelfrey vs. Josh Johnson
Josh Johnson, when healthy, is one of the top pitchers in baseball. Mike Pelfrey, pitching for the bottom-feeder Mets, is like a lamb being led to the slaughter. Playing their final opener in their current home park, the soon-to-be Miami Marlins will give the Mets the first of their likely 90+ losses of the year. Not even close.
15) Seattle Mariners at Oakland Athletics
10:05pm: Felix Hernandez at Trevor Cahill
The final game of the year features the “Moneyball” Oakland A’s hosting King Felix and the Mariners. The A’s will have an exciting young team that has some of the strongest pitching in the AL with an improved offense that should finish 2nd in the AL West, with the chance of a division win. The Mariners, a young team in rebuild mode, have the reigning AL Cy Young winner on the hill. Despite many bumps ahead in their season, I would never bet against King Felix. Opening Day ends with a Mariners victory and the season being completely underway.
As you, I cannot wait for the season to start. Spring training has been exciting and now it is time for the game and stats to count. While March has been about the hitters and pitchers to get their innings and at-bats in, Opening Day means that the games will be played the way they are meant to. It’s a long MLB season, with 162 games ahead for each of our teams. But with all the teams starting with a 0-0 record, everyone has an equal chance of success. With that in mind and knowing the matchups, let’s get ready for 3 more nights of sleep and then it will be time to play ball. Have a great season everyone; I have a feeling 2011 will be one of the best MLB seasons of all time.
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