Five Burning Questions For MLB's Second Half

With the National League's win in the 2010 All-Star game, the first half of baseball is now officially in the books.

It is fairly easy to say that the first half of the season belonged to the pitchers, with no-hitters, perfect games, and many near misses of both. As a matter of fact, twelve teams enter the second half with team ERA's below 4.00 and eighteen individual pitchers had ERA's below 3.00 on the season.

Certainly, the hitters will look to make a difference in the second half of the season, as we enter the dog days of summer, but they won't be the only story of the second half. Here are the other burning questions that will need to be answered as baseball swings from July to October:


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No Sport Needs A Super Team

We were all witness to the Lebron James extravaganza that held the fates of New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Miami, and Cleveland in its hands. And we were all less than surprised when James chose to team up with fellow free agents Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade in order to try and win a championship with the Heat.

Fans in Cleveland and New York rightfully felt betrayed and angered by the decision, but all misgivings aside, James followed his desire to win a championship in making his decision, and obviously felt that by helping to create a super team in South Beach was his best means to an end. Then again, nothing is guaranteed in sports, and the games will still need to be played. That all said, there is one thing that bears saying about this whole ordeal:


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Many fans of baseball may have loved to hate him, but few of us can really fault the man for his passion for winning and the contributions he made to the game and the legacy of the New York Yankees. With that said, and despite any personal misgivings toward George Steinbrenner, those same baseball fans are united in mourning after learning that Steinbrenner had passed away earlier today at the age of 80.

George Steinbrenner achieved a level of success that few sports owners ever have, parlaying a struggling team he purchased for $8.8 million into a franchise worth an estimated $1.6 billion, winning seven world championships during his tenure. Steinbrenner was also known as much for his antics with the media, managers, and players as he was for his dedication to putting together the best team’s money could buy.

But George left a completely different legacy as well, as he was one of the greatest sound bites that sports reporters could dream of. The following is just a small collection of some of the greatest George Steinbrenner quotes ever captured.

“I am dead set against free agency. It can ruin baseball.”

-         Given that the Yankees have made a living off of the free agent market since its inception, one could argue that George was a little hypocritical here. But then again, there are very few fans of small market teams that would disagree with this quote either.

“I will never have a heart attack. I give them.”

-         George gave his fair share of heart attacks during his reign atop the Yankees. From managers to general managers to players and fellow owners, Steinbrenner was a force to be reckoned with. Fitting though that a man who fired on all cylinders would eventually succumb to just such an attack.

“Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing. Breathing first, winning next.”

-         If there was one mantra that Steinbrenner lived by, it was winning. Winning was everything and the fans of New York always knew if George was steering the ship, he would make sure they had the best chance to do it.

“He pushed me to strive for excellence. If I competed in five races and won four, we talked about the one I lost.”

-         This was part of a quote about how George’s father pushed him in athletics, but it personifies what he stood for as an owner, especially in regards to the Yankees. Steinbrenner didn’t want to hear about how much was achieved unless it was completed with a world championship.

“When you're entrusted with a tradition, you've got to protect it.”

-         Steinbrenner certainly recognized the tradition that the Yankees had and made it a point to protect and expand it. He made them the most recognizable franchise in all of sports, establishing them more as a name brand than a team. He also instilled the same mentality in his children, who he’s now entrusted to carry on that tradition.

George Steinbrenner will always be remembered as one of the most recognizable owners that American sports have even seen. He will be missed by all, fans and detractors alike. Rest in peace Boss.

Sources:

Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner Dies at 80, Boston.com

George Steinbrenner, Wikipedia.com

George Steinbrenner Quotes, BrainyQuotes.com

George Steinbrenner Quotes, ThinkExist.com

George Steinbrenner Quotes, Esquire.com

Is There A New Red Sox Curse?

Call it whatever you wish, but the “Curse Of The DL” has fallen upon the Boston Red Sox.

Since June 24^th, the Red Sox have been steadily adding names to the Disabled List, including Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, Manny Delcarmen, Mike Lowell, and now captain Jason Varitek, who was catching just his first game since Martinez was taken with a broken bone on the tip of his thumb. Overall, Boston now has 10 total players on the DL, some with minor injuries and others with the kind of freak injuries that only befit a curse.

-         Josh Beckett – Lower Back Spasms – Due Back Late July

-         Jacoby Ellsbury – Rib Fracture – Unknown Return Date

-         Jeremy Hermida – Rib Fracture – Unknown Return Date

-         Mike Lowell – Right Hip Injury – Unknown Return Date

-         Jed Lowrie – Mononucleosis – Unknown Return Date

-         Victor Martinez – Broken Left Thumb – Due Back Late July

-         Dustin Pedroia – Broken Left Foot – Due Back Early August

-         Jason Varitek – Broken Foot – Due Back Early-Mid August

-         Manny Delcarmen – Right Forearm Strain – Due Back Late July

-         Junichi Tazawa – Tommy John Surgery – Out For Season

What lends credence to the thought of a curse is a couple of factor. First, the Red Sox had just pulled themselves within a game and a half of the first place Yankees in the AL East and had taken possession of the Wild Card lead from division rival Tampa Bay, so the timing of the recent rash of injuries couldn’t be any tougher to deal with.

Second, the nature of how the injuries occurred just hinges on the absurd. Both Ellsbury and Hermida experienced fractured ribs after colliding with third baseman Adrian Beltre on shallow fly balls. Pedroia suffered his broken foot after fouling a pitch off of it. Both Martinez and Varitek suffered their injuries while catching and taking a foul ball of an opponents bat into their glove hand and foot respectively. The sheer magnitude of all of these occurring within a given season is mind-boggling.

Perhaps the devil was due after the Red Sox had achieved not one but two World Series championships during the first decade of the century after waiting 84 years between championships. Perhaps it is just coincidence, but whatever it is a tremendous hurdle to overcome for a team in the middle of the pennant race and playing in the toughest division in baseball.

This is the kind of adversity that can define a team, something that could make or break them. No one would fault the Red Sox if they fell out of the race at this stage, but can you imagine what it will do for them if they pull though it and get back that troop just in time for the postseason? A team that rested could be a wrecking ball in October.

But first they have to get there.

Sources:

Varitek To Miss Six Weeks With Broken Foot, Boston.com

Red Sox Injury Updates, MLB.com

Every team in baseball has that guy; the one that ignites everything the team does and is the very glue that holds them together. You know the guy, the one that goes out and does his job day in and day out without question; the one guy that provides the big hits and still does the little things to keep an inning moving.

Recently, the Boston Red Sox lost that guy, when it was revealed that second baseman Dustin Pedroia suffered a fracture of his left foot after fouling a pitch off of it in a game against San Francisco on June 25^th. Pedroia was coming off a career night the game before, going 5 for 5 with three home runs and five runs batted in. Pedroia's stellar defense at the keystone position, as well as his hitting prowess and base running skills make him one of the elite team players in all of baseball. Somehow, the Red Sox are going to have to weather his loss for the next six weeks and still hope to stay in the tough American League East race with New York and Tampa Bay.


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Return Engagement As Ramirez Comes Back To Boston

Say what you want about baseball fans, but know this:

A true fan never forgets...anything!

With that being said, it will be interesting to see what kind of reaction Boston Red Sox fans give to Manny Ramirez when he returns to Boston for the first time since he forced his way out of town at the 2008 trade deadline.

Fans had discounted Ramirez's "Manny Being Manny" act of lackadaisical play, fan availability, and general lack of care for the Red Sox in general because he seemingly put his numbers when he wanted to. However, that all came to an end in 2008 when the slugger basically pulled his last shenanigan in a Red Sox uniform and fans finally understood what the front office had been dealing with for years, a diva that put himself before his team and his teammates. The package received of Jason Bay easily helped Sox fans wash their hands of their former hero and move on quickly.

But as I said before, baseball fans never forget and Red Sox fans have had to wait for over 2 years to get the chance to show just how fresh in their memory the whole situation was. Manny made it clear when he left town that he didn't like playing in Boston, he didn't like the attention he received from the fans, and he certainly didn't like the Boston media. Fans certainly do not forget that type of betrayal, and you can be certain that the Boston media is going to have a field day with his return.

Granted, this isn't the same situation as Johnny Damon returning in a Yankee uniform either, but it is also a far cry from Kevin Millar coming home in the Orioles colors too. Then again, Damon's reception will likely be completely different when he returns with Detroit at the end of July.

Manny is a different story. Fans will consider every aspect of who he comes into town with, how he left town, and how much he contributed while he played in Boston. Considering he hit .312 with 276 home runs and 868 RBI's during his heyday for the Red Sox, not to mention a World Series MVP during that historic championship 2004 season, Ramirez will at least have the benefit of performance to help his cause. But Sox fans are a fickle crowd and they can smell blood in the water too, so performance may be a long forgotten factor.

It wouldn't be surprising to see his reception go in either direction, with a heart-warming cheer or a rain of boos from the stands. Then again, since this is Manny, maybe it is fitting that you don't what you're going to get.

Sources:

Manny Ramirez Stats, Baseball-Reference.com

Promoting Prospects All The Rage In MLB

If there is one common bond between Major League Baseball teams, it is that if something works for one, the rest are sure to follow suit shortly after.

A few years ago, "Moneyball" was all the rage among MLB teams, as Michael Lewis's book showcasing the Oakland Athletics philosophy of moving away from traditional scouting and focusing on statistical analysis to assemble teams caused other teams to undertake the process of promoting on-base and slugging percentages as a way to evaluate their players. While the premise behind it was solid, front office staffs forgot to cater the philosophy to their teams and parks, making the process itself flawed in its nature. Today, it has been largely discarded or evolved to a more refined version.


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On another note, I just read a fantastic baseball piece on the Pittsburgh Pirates and what it would mean to the National League if the wins against Pittsburgh didn't matter because...well...they are "JUST THE PIRATES!"