Tito Looks to be the Scapegoat After All

Multiple sources are reporting this morning that Terry Francona's time is up as the manager for the Boston Red Sox. This coming on the heels of the historic September collapse that saw the Red Sox lose 19 games.

On Thursday, Francona and Theo Epstein addressed the media. Epstein went on record to state that "Nobody blames what happened in September on Tito. Collectively it was a failure." But it would seem that Tito's head will be the first to roll. Sure, they (the Red Sox) will do it as diplomatically as possible, by not picking up Francona's option for 2012. But is that not the same as firing the man? Anyone watching this team would tend to think it is.

Francona has been managing the Red Sox since the 2004 season. He brought the ball club 2 championships in 8 seasons (2004 & 2007.) While watching the press conference yesterday it became evident that Tito was uncomfortable being there. He had a scowl on his face and answered minimal questions.

Details have been slowly emerging this morning as to some of the things Francona was increasingly upset about in his own clubhouse. It has been reported by the Boston Herald's John Tomase, citing multiple sources, that more than one pitcher drank beer in the clubhouse on days he did not pitch. This called their professionalism into question. It has also been vastly reported that this team bought their own hype and held a feeling of entitlement, which lead to their ultimate demise.

Francona has been steering this ship for 8 seasons. He has been successful and has brought 2 World Championships to Boston. To me, this is an absolute shame if he in fact is let go. This team has undergone some serious transitions since the days of the "idiots" and it is vastly apparent. I do believe some major changes need to occur, but similar to that of the Boston Celtics and Doc Rivers, I feel it is vital to have a manager like Francona in place to help guide the team through this transition period. It appears that Epstein and ownership feel differently.

It's been fun, Tito. It's been fun.

Oh Boy Pal.

What a night for baseball. We had drama, rain delays, collapses, comebacks... the evening was packed with excitement. At the end of the line, 2 teams that *should* have made the playoffs as of September 1st, did not. 2 teams that were considered to be dead in the water are both now riding some pretty amazing hot streaks. Here I sit, a Sox fan watching OTHER teams play in October. I think I'm okay with that.

Let's start with what happened last night. The Red Sox finalized the single largest collapse any baseball team has seen in the month of September by losing 4-3 to the Orioles after an hour and twenty minute rain delay going in the the 7th inning. The over-used bullpen looked to be holding firm into the 9th. Jonathan Papelbon racked up 2 outs and then gave up 3 hits, 2 doubles and 1 single. The problem was NOT Papelbon. If you watch that inning he hit his location on every pitch but one in that inning. The problem was that somewhere along the line this team just lost its heart.

Travel a few miles south and you find a team that discovered their heart at about the same time the Sox lost theirs. The Tampa Bay Rays were losing 7-0 in the 8th inning against the Yankees. The came ROARING back to tie, take things into extra innings, and in dramatic fashion, see the face of their franchise, Evan (wish he played in Boston) Longoria just barely go yard - to win the Wild Card for the Rays. Amazing finish to an amazing regular season run for the team with about 20 fans in attendance.

Take a look at the National League and the other epic failure: The Atlanta Braves. The Braves should be thankful for the Red Sox this morning, as they hosted an 8.5 game lead over the Cardinals at the start of September. They fell apart in the same fashion the Red Sox did while the Cards came roaring back, much like the Rays did.

What I really like about these playoffs is the fact that I don't feel there are any clear-cut World Series finalists in the lot. You have 8 quality ball clubs vying for 2 open slots in the grandest stage of the grandest game. In the AL - we will see (AL MVP, CY YOUNG WINNER?) Justin Verlander's Detroit Tigers square off against the aging, yet incredibly resilient New York Yankees in New York, while Tampa Bay travels to Texas to face off with the offensive juggernaut Texas Rangers.

In the National League we will see St. Louis ride into Philadelphia for a matchup of the team many consider to be the best in the Majors in 2011, the Philadelphia Phillies, and arguably the NL's hottest team at the moment, the Cardinals. Travel pretty much across the country and the Arizona Diamondbacks will square off with the Milwaukee Brewers. Please, someone show me a single person who figured that it would come down to these 8 teams.

I guess the fun starts here now. Who will take the ALDS and NLDS matchups? Let's not get ahead of ourselves and talk World Series yet, but this is what I am thinking/hoping to see:

ALCS

Texas Rangers vs. Detroit Tigers

NLCS

Philadelphia Philles vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Shipping Up to Boston in a Sinking Ship

It has officially been the greatest collapse Major League Baseball has seen in September ever. This is worse than the '66 Cardinals. Worse than the '07 Mets. The Boston Red Sox have gone from being the mighty Thor, with the hammer of the Gods... to being the nail, being hammered by the Gods.

Watching the loss last night in Baltimore the month of September can pretty much be summed up by the inside the park home run given up with 2 outs in the sixth inning. Robert Andino hit a fly ball out to the warning track in center field. It appeared that Ellsbury had a read on it, the ball landed in his glove... then he smacked into the wall and dropped the ball, allowing 3 runs to score, and the game being put out of reach for the once mighty Sox.

Is that not the perfect metaphor? Routine season, playing well, then we hit September (the wall) and drop the ball. Runs get scored on the Sox like defense is going of style.

A couple of great statistics here to consider; in the month of September the Boston Red Sox have given up over 70 runs. They have also given up over 20 errors. When the pitching staff is not giving you anything to work with you need your defense to pick things up for you. This is just not happening with the Red Sox.

On ESPN today they are reporting that the Red Sox may try to trade for a starting pitcher for tomorrow night. Names like Bruce Chen from the Royals, Ted Lily from the Dodgers or Chris Capuano from the Mets are being thrown around. If Theo Epstein makes a move like this it is out of sheer desperation. The idea of bringing in an outsider to start one game (and not be playoff eligible) is absurd to me. More so, the other two names being shopped were (get this) Carlos Zambrano from the Cubs whom has not pitched since August 12th. The other name (I hope your sitting) would be Pedro Martinez.

I sit here shaking my head at this team. My team. With all of the errors, the lack of passion, the fact that I have to watch John Lackey pitch, still I believe.

I may be an eternal optimist, who knows? What I do know is that the playoffs do not start on Friday for the Sox. They start tonight. So, go get 'em Eric Bedard. If you remember, you pitched in Baltimore and did quite well there. How about a glimpse of that old you tonight? If you don't a loss tonight will probably punch the tickets not to Tampa Bay or Detroit. We'll be shipping up to Boston alright. I just don't know how many people will be at the docks waiting.

Designation... Hitter

Games Played: 993 to 844

At Bats: 3512 to 3082

Runs Scored: 566 to 551

Hits: 988 to 877

Doubles: 198 to 221

Triples: 9 to 7

Home Runs: 227 to 201

Run Batted In: 649 to 640

Base on Balls: 561 to 530

Stolen Bases: 15 to 6

Batting Average: .281 to .284

Strike Outs: 777 to 651

Slugging Percentage: . 537 to .554

On Base Percentage: .388 to .388

On Base + Slugging Percentage: .925 to .942

The figures posted above reflect those of 2 key free agents this coming fall. These numbers are compiled as of the 2006 season through the stats as they stand at 12:20pm EST. The numbers on the left are those of a younger player about to hit free agency for the first big payday of his career. The numbers on the right are those of a free agent looking to get one last contract. Both will seek large contracts. Both are considered liabilities in the field. Both would make for excellent DH's for teams in need. Who would you rather have?

All this time I have thought that Prince Fielder would wind up in the AL. I mean, just look at the man. He is his father in the making. David Ortiz needs to stay in the AL. He offers nothing to an NL club short of poor defense. So now the question is, what teams need a DH in the AL and who would be willing to pick up these studs?

The way I see it, there are 5 teams that both are in need of a DH next season and can actually afford to pay for these guys. They are as follows: Boston, Toronto, Chicago, Texas and Anaheim. For once the Yankees are not in need of a big money guy. They already have both Jeter and A-Rod ready to become a DH any day now.

The Boston Red Sox are likely to re-sign David Ortiz. Though I personally believe it is time to move on, there are far too many mitigating factors that contribute to the decision to bring him back. So, that knocks down the Prince Fielder field to just 4 teams.

The Texas Rangers I believe are going to sign Albert Pujols. Read my blog from months ago and you'll see that. There goes all of their money and ability to bring in Fielder. Down to 3 teams.

Oh yeah... Chicago was really smart and locked up Adam Dunn through 2014. Forgettable move. The field is down to 2.

Toronto or Anaheim? The Angels did not make the free-agent splash that many thought they would last season. Instead they have started taking on a bunch of dead weight and bad contracts (e.g. Vernon Wells.) Which leads me to believe they won't be viable contenders.

Toronto is looking to compete with the big boys in Boston and New York. Jose Bautista has been a beast for them for the past 2 seasons. They have solid young pitching. They need one more big bat. Enter Prince Fielder. The tree headed race in the east just became 4. You heard it here first.

Hot in the City Tonight!

What a surreal ride it has been for the 2011 Arizona Diamondbacks. At the beginning of the season it was a foregone conclusion that the San Francisco Giants were going to run away with the NL West and go on to possibly repeat as World Series Champions.

Really, what competition would they have? The Padres just lost their biggest star, the Dodgers were a financial disaster, the Diamondbacks were no threat. If anything the Rockies could pose some challenge, right?

On March 30th, Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal gave his predictions for the 2011 season. He stated that the Diamondbacks were below average in every aspect of the game. Who can really blame Rosenthal? After all, the D'backs were coming off of a division worst 65-97 record in 2010. Things looked dismal in the desert and some thought that perhaps manager Kirk Gibson would be out of a job at some point in the 2011 campaign.

Then something changed. They received solid starting pitching and their offense rallied. They played well enough to get things into the hands of their consistent bullpen.

That is exactly how they won Friday night against the reigning NL West Champion San Francisco Giants. It was a fitting scenario. The worst of 2010 versus the best. The Cinderella story versus, well, the Cinderella story. The snakes came together as a team and rallied.

Looking at Arizona's roster there is no name that jumps out at you other than Justin Upton. Somehow they still manage. This team reminds me a lot of the 2010 San Diego Padres (who did miss the playoffs.) They have a desire to win and it has pushed them to the front of the herd. Obviously the end of their story will end differently from that of the 2010 Padres.

I have several friends who do not watch National League Baseball and it saddens me. Teams like the 2011 Arizona Diamondbacks are teams that are loaded with guts and desire while limited on payroll and resources.

As it stands today the D'backs will open up the playoffs facing an imposing Philadelphia Phillies ball club. If ever there was a team assembled to test the resolve of a young, hungry team it would have to be the Phillies. If ever there was a David looking to conquer a Goliath, the Diamondbacks appear to be the team looking to fill those shoes.

10 Predictions for the 2012 Red Sox

I know, I know - the season is not over yet. We are not eliminated from a playoff birth. No heads have been called to roll (yet.) But let's be honest, there are several things that will be or SHOULD be changing in the off-season to impact this baseball club. Here is my take on the current state of the nation and the direction they should head in... in no particular order:

DANIEL BARD IS NOT YOUR CLOSER OF THE FUTURE.

Look, I love Daniel Bard. I think he is a hell of a setup man. I don't think he's got that edge that great closers have. Riveira has it. Trevor Hoffman had it. Papelbon has it. Eckersley had it. It is that "eye of the tiger" savoir-faire essence that Bard just does not appear to have. True, it could be the fact that he is still young, but I think a hardened closer shakes off blown saves and does not allow it to rock them. Bard has not proven this to me yet. I have no problem with the Sox resigning Jonathan Papelbon to come back and maintain his closing duties.

TIME TO SAY GOOD-BYE TO SOME FAMILIAR FACES.

Cue the Bob Segar, its time to turn the page. Tim Wakefield, David Ortiz, Jed Lowrie, JD Drew. It's been fun, but the ride is over. I don't think anyone will debate me on JD Drew (contract is up, fingers crossed that Theo is not still crushing on him) or Wake. It was nice to see him get his 200th win, now time to take your ball and go home. What people loved about Wake was his ability to eat innings and save the bullpen. I can't remember the last time he was doing that on a regular basis; aside from the fact that he did not rack up a "W" in the 8 games leading up to his 200th win. Only 2 months of baseball passing by, no big deal.

Jed Lowrie, to me is an underestablished version of JD Drew. Lowrie is often injured without the cashe' (or $14 million per year) contract to back it up. Has he had a couple nice streaks for this team? Sure! But mediocrity and softness will not win you the AL East. He can go on and probably have a nice little career in Houston, Kansas City, Oakland... you get the idea.

The BIG question is Papi. Why do I think it is time to get rid of David Ortiz? Because the money he will be looking for is not worth a one-dimensional player. Looking at the rest of the American League, the DH position is starting to be one of flexibility. With David Ortiz you have a 30/100/.280 guy - which is great - but he can't play the field (effectively) for you. He hits. He slumps. He hits. He will be grossly overpaid. I think we are seeing Kevin Youkilis age right before our eyes. Maybe you make him your DH and find a replacement for 3B. Putting Youk's bat there still gives you 30/100 - but also a .300 hitter that can also play the corner infield positions.

MARCO SCUTARO SHOULD BE BACK.

I did not hate the signing originally of Scutaro. I have had quite the love/hate relationship with him. His defense is not as solid as Alex Gonzalez's was. It is not terrible either though. He has proven over the past 6 weeks to me that he is a gamer. While the pressure has been on this team to win, Scutaro has been a beast at the plate. He is a gamer, he deserves a spot on this team. I would have no problem with him splitting time with Jose Iglesias at shortstop, perhaps being your utility infielder. In theory, he could even take over at third.

THE RED SOX WILL OVERPAY FOR CJ WILSON.

The pitching staff sucks this year. Period. But what can be done about it? The brass has made it known they are tired of swallowing bad contracts. That means we as fans get 2 more years of Lackey. Daisuke may be expendable. Buchholz will be back and healthy next year - but you still are in need of an arm. Who is going to be the hottest free agent left hander? CJ Wilson from the Texas Rangers. Though I understand the argument that his numbers look good because he is in the weak AL West - but I really think this kid has got some solid stuff. He's young. He's a lefty. He will fit in nicely. He will make more money than Lackey and he will be your 4th starter.

CARL CRAWFORD WILL BE FINE.

Carl Crawford will be just fine, stop worrying. I have 2 great examples to offer. First - Josh Beckett came here and sucked his first season in Boston - then in 2007 - BOOM - lights out. The other stellar example - Curtis Granderson. Granderson's first season in New York was dismal. This year, you can make the case that he is the AL MVP. If Crawford has another bad season next year, we can start to worry. Until then, just chill Boston.

JOHN LACKEY WILL STILL BE ON THE TEAM.

Take the gun out of your mouth, I don't like it either.

JASON VARITEK WILL BE BACK FOR 1 LAST SEASON.

El Capitan will be back next year for one last rodeo in town. Why not give him that shot? The catching tandem of he and Saltalamacchia has been excellent. Tek is hitting and maintaining his health, all while showing Salty the ropes. Just imagine how good Saltalamacchia will be after one more season of tutoring from Jason Varitek. That tandem has driven in 90 runs with 27 homeruns... which makes up for the dismal .241 (Salty) and .221 (Tek) batting averages.

ADRIAN GONZALEZ WILL EASILY WIN THE 2012 AL MVP AWARD.

Just watching Gonzalez play has become appointment viewing. Even when he is slumping you have to watch because his swing is so beautiful. His defense is amazing. He is not an asshole (see Manny Ramirez.) The numbers he has put up his first year in Boston are indicative of how well he will do as time moves on. It was only his first year facing American League pitching - next year he will feast on it. Here is his line - .338, 42HR's and 136 RBI's. Let's see how close I get.

JON LESTER WILL WIN 20 GAMES.

Lester has had an off year. Sure, looking at his 15 wins it is hard to say he has had an "off" year - but those of us who watch all of the games, you can see it. He has not been as dominant as he was last year. He is not being called "the best lefty in the American League" this year, as he has been in past. I think next year he will really have a break out season and win 20-21 games, making a strong case for himself as the Cy Young Winner, losing out to Justin Verlander, who will win the CY in back to back years and win 24 games.

JOSH REDDICK WILL BE YOUR RIGHT FIELDER.

As much as I would love, Love, LOVE to see the Red Sox try to trade for Andre Ethier from the Dodgers, I am pretty confident that Reddick has proven himself enough this season to be granted that starting position next season. This may not come without some stiff competition from a healthy Ryan Kalish. Either way, this team will benefit greatly from having both of those talents on the Major League roster - giving an injection of youth and hunger to a lineup that needs just that. We can collectively slam the door on JD Drew's ass on his way out the door.

There you have it, my 10 (not so) bold predictions for the 2012 season. Thoughts from the Nation?

Sox Woes Continue... Hate to Say I Called This

Saturday, July 23, 2011 - I posted a blog stating that the Red Sox need pitching, not Carlos Beltran. In fact, I called for Matt Garza to be brought in and bolster this rotation. At the time, Garza was 4-7 for the Chicago Cubs. His ERA was 3.80 with 110 k's, opponents batting .248 against him and his WHIP was 1.31. The Red Sox took my advice... sort of. They did not acquire Carlos Beltran (thank God) but did acquire Eric Bedard. Eric Bedard? Really?

Since the 23rd of July Matt Garza has won 4 games, dropped 3, now with an 8-10 record. Once again, I must remind you all that this is taking place in Chicago. Since that time, he has managed to bring his ERA down from 3.80 to 3.51. He has added 69 more k's, for a total of 179. Opponents are batting .249 against him and his WHIP is 1.29. Nothing much has changed. He's been a steady, reliable pitcher for the Cubs, kind of what the Red Sox needed to add to their rotation.

Since coming to Boston, Eric Bedard has started 6 games (32 innings) for the Red Sox. His record is 1-2 with a 3.66 ERA. Opponents are hitting .256 against him and his WHIP is 1.38 with 32 k's. There is a key point I would like to make here that reflects directly on the reliability of Bedard. As I just mentioned, he has started 6 games for Boston: a total of 32 innings pitched. That averages out to 5 1/3 innings pitched per outing. Barely getting into the 5th is NOT what the Sox were hoping to get from their pitching staff.

For a completely fair comparison - I neglected to post the 1 game Bedard pitched in Seattle after my July 23rd post and before being traded. He pitched on the 29th for 1.1 innings against Tampa Bay. He gave up 3 hits and 5 runs. I am actually being kind not bringing that into the argument - but it is worth mentioning before I move forward - as this was the last game he played before going on the 15 day DL.

Matt Garza, since July 23rd has started in 11 games. He has pitched 73 innings and that averages out to 6 2/3 innings per outing. Simple deductive reasoning states: deeper into the game means less wear and tear on your bullpen. Less wear and tear means they will be healthier for a longer run. Healthier pitchers for a longer run means more likely to be deeper in the playoffs.

Where do we sit right now? The Red Sox are strapped with injuries, losing their once firm grip on the Wild Card. Their pitching staff is showing signs of age and lack of conditioning. Their farm system is obviously not as deep as it is billed to be. There is plenty of blame to go around and fingers to point if this ship does indeed sink. I think the first finger needs to be pointed at Theo Epstein. His shortsightedness has been a major reason this team is flailing in the wind, hoping to be able to grasp onto the Wild Card. Then, as it stands, they get to run their tired, depleted team into Detroit and get sliced up by (Cy Young, MVP to be) Justin Verlander and Co.

As I stated the other day; the season is not over yet. I do think the Red Sox will manage to win the American League Wild Card; I'm just not sure it will do them any good.

Is tonight "make it or break it" for the Red Sox?

This morning while dropping my daughter off at daycare I was listening to WEEI (sorry Sports Hub, reception isn't that grand in New Bedford) and heard Gerry Callihan boldly proclaim that if Josh Beckett and the Red Sox lose tonight against Tampa Bay - they will not be in the playoffs. I said this was a bold claim, and I truthfully believe it. At first, I found myself agreeing with what Callihan said, but then gave it a bit more thought.

Admittedly the Red Sox have a depleted lineup right now. Going into tonight we already know that Kevin Youkilis will be out nursing a hernia. Jed Lowrie is out busy trying to be the under established JD Drew of the team. JD Drew will be out because he's JD Drew. Ortiz is banged up. Crawford has been sub-par and the pitching staff is depleted. Fear not Sox fans, there is hope both tonight and beyond. Tonight we might see Mike Aviles play third base which is not ideal, but he is a solid defender. Perhaps we could see some of that run prevention that Theo always talks about. We will also see a cooled down Josh Reddick in right field as the righty James Shields will be on the mound for Tampa Bay. It is important to note that this would be the first time Reddick would face Shields.

Let's move past tonight. If the Sox win, they are gaining time and a game... for a day. Tomorrow it is Jon Lester against Jeff Nieman. If we split these two games we are no worse off than we are right now. The big question is Sunday with Tim Wakefield facing David Price who, by the way has dominated every Red Sox batter not named Kevin Youkilis over the past 5 years (Youk has 4 hits in 10 at bats against Price.) I'm a realist. Barring any unforeseen offensive explosions on Sunday the Sox will likely drop that game. I feel real good about Beckett and Lester. Especially Lester, coming off of a terrible outing with a chip on his shoulder. I have a feeling the Sox will leave this series leading the Rays by 4 games in the Wild Card race.

Then what happens? The Red Sox go on to host the 60-88 Baltimore Orioles at home for 4 games. Kicking off Monday with a double header - which is rough after a fierce series with the Rays. Still, I feel better with Lackey and maybe Andrew Miller facing Baltimore over Tampa Bay. While the Red Sox are busy hosting the Orioles for 4 home games, Tampa Bay will be visiting the 90-58 New York Yankees for 4 games. They too have a double header lined up for their series on Tuesday. The Sox then hit the road to close out their season, playing 3 games against those same New York Yankees, whom may have just had a hard fought series with Tampa Bay and whom, its worth mentioning, the (healthy) Red Sox have owned this season. Tampa heads home to start a 3 game series with the 75-74 Toronto Blue Jays. A team that I think is better than their record reflects. The Sox will then head into Baltimore to play their final 3 games of the season as the Rays host the Yankees once again.

Simple math here - the Red Sox are playing a sub-.500 team 7 times before the end of the season. The Rays are playing a sub-.500 team 0 times. Scheduling bodes well for the Red Sox. I do not see any way that the Boston Red Sox will not make the playoffs this season. Sadly though, I'm not sure how far they can make it with their depleted staff. The post season does have a way of bringing normal players into elite status though - just take a look at Cody Ross in San Francisco for example. Maybe this years Cody Ross could be Carl Crawford? Who knows? What I do know is, the Red Sox will be playing baseball in October.

Nyjer Morgan... WTF are you thinking?

Nyjer Morgan: 6'0", 175lbs. Albert Pujols: 6'3", 230lbs. Really? That is like Mike Tyson fighting Little Mac.

As a Boston Red Sox fan,

the idea of rivalries obviously is not foreign to me (See: Pedro/Zimmer, Varitek/A-Rod), but I guess the idea of throwing chewing tobacco at a pitcher may be a bit of a line crosser in my book. For those not keeping score, the melee ensued on Wednesday night in the 9th inning of a Brewers/Cardinals game

in St. Louis. Apparently, Chris Carpenter shared some vulgar thoughts with Morgan after having struck him out. Though Carpenter vehemently denies having said anything (yeah, like Rafael Palmeiro didn't take steroids...) Morgan fired back his own creative phrases.

That's not all folks! On top of throwing his verbal cues at Carpenter, Morgan felt that his words needed more weight behind them. What better way than to throw your wad of chewing tobacco at the pitcher as your walking back to your bench?

Enter Albert Pujols, who observed this exchange from first. He ca

me running in to support his pitcher, but this aggressive move by Pujols prompted Morgan to turnabout and start towards him. Now, in a rivalry there is not much thought given behind stupid moves. What Morgan did was uncalled for, obviously. Pujols came to his teammates aid, like any player should. Though he managed to hold up and not go all Gaby Sanchez on Morgan, it was enough to clear the benches.

That infraction was bad enough one would assume. Until of course, the world of social media gets in the mix. Morgan, after the game logged on to his twitter account and posts the following:

Nothing like poking the tiger in the cage. Something tells me that the next time these two teams get together, Morgan is going to take a lot of high and inside pitches. Part of me absolutely loves this... if they were going to play each other in the playoffs. With the likelihood of St. Louis going home after 162 apparent (barring an epic collapse of either the Brewers or Braves) then this is only good fodder for a day or so.

I will say this: Seeing the Brewers emerge as a legitimate team over the past couple of seasons has been refreshing. I like having a new front runner in the NL Central. I'm sure the reaction would be the same if the Blue Jays won the AL East. This is a team that (other than 2008) has really not been relevant since the days of Robin Yount, Paul Molitor and dare say a young Gary Sheffield. With this rejuvenated team playing pretty damn good baseball, does Nyjer Morgan's antics take away from that?

If the resume keeps building, I fear it may.

Should a Pitcher Be Eligible to Win MVP?

It is a debate that has been gathering some serious momentum as the 2011 MLB Season moves on; should a pitcher, most notably Justin Verlander, be eligible to win the MVP award? At this point in the season you can make a strong argument that the Cy Young Award is a lock for him, so should he be in the discussion as the league's MVP as well?

It has not happened in 19 years. Dennis Eckersley won the award in 1992 for the Oakland A's and was certainly deserving that season. He had a 7-1 record with 51 saves to boot. That means he helped the A's win more than 1/3 of their games, a pretty significant statistic. Prior to that, Roger Clemens won it in 1986, with a 24-4 record and an ERA of 2.48. He also stuck out 20 batters that season, as we all remember here in Boston. Clemens was a beast that season, as Eckersley was in 1992.

In 1999 Pedro Martinez went 23-4 with a 2.09 ERA winning the Cy Young and many people thought he deserved to win the MVP, losing out to Ivan Rodriguez of the Rangers. Pedro might have been the most dominant pitcher EVER in that one season, yet he did not take the MVP home with him.

Justin Verlander is 21-5 with a 2.34 ERA so far this season. His numbers are very similar to that of Roger Clemens in 1986 and he is easily the reason why the Tigers are going to make the playoffs. If Verlander had only been "very good" to this point in the season, having won, say 15 games, the Indians may very well be in first place, or in a tight battle for first with the Tigers. However, Verlander is almost assuredly a win every time he touches the ball this season.

The question then becomes, how much value do you place on the assurance of a victory every time a certain player is in the game? I understand the opposing argument that he only plays every fifth game. Many people believe that pitchers receive the Cy Young and therefore shouldn't be eligible for the MVP. I however, do not believe that.

I know that in my previous post I omitted Verlander from my final three, and my reasoning was based on an argument of run production, and not run prevention and wins. Do I think that Justin Verlander should be in the conversation for MVP? Absolutely. He is the most valuable player on the Tigers and has been a delight to watch pitch this season. (I am a huge proponent of pitchers duels, I love the chess match.)

I am curious of the general consensus out there though. Should a pitcher only be able to win the Cy Young? If so, what about the 19 other pitchers that have won the MVP award since its inception in 1931?

As of Today: Who is Your MVP?

(I apologize for the alignment, the editor on this site isn't that great....)

I know that it may seem a bit premature to name an MVP. However, the fact of the matter is the season is winding down. True, there is still a month of baseball to be played and a lot can change in that time, however, I have narrowed down my field(s) for each league to 3 players that I think are very much deserving of the Most Valuable Player designation. So let's kick this thing off with my National League finalists:

Ryan Braun, the Hebrew Hammer, the man the Brewers locked up to a nice contract extension earlier this se

ason, is living up to his pay. What are his credentials? First of all, he is leading (okay, co-leading) a Milwaukee Brewers team to an 8.5 game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central. In doing so,

he has amassed a .333 batting average with 25 homers, 89 RBI's, 30 stolen bases and has scored 92 runs. The hard sell is that he is pretty much neck and neck with Prince Fielder as the MVP of his team! I give Braun the nod because I feel he is a more rounded player. Though Fielder has more home runs and

RBI's, Braun has a higher OPS and obviously has the speed that Fielder lac

ks.

Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers is doing something in LA that one has not observed in a few seasons now - playing exceptional baseball. While his team appears to be falling apart at the seems, Kemp has gone on to hit .319 with 31 home runs, 100 RBI's, 35 stolen bases and added 86 runs. The Dodgers, in my opinion, have a team that is capable of being great, especially anchored by Kemp. They just cannot seem to get their stuff together. Kemp is playing hardfor a team that is obviously going nowhere, but his numbers look as though, to him, every game is the 7th game of the World Series.

Jose Reyes of the New York Mets is my third nominee. Again, this is a player on a team going nowhere.

I mean, NOWHERE, yet he is still playing hard baseball. True, he is in a contract year, however, when healthy, Reyes always puts up tremendous numbers. This season he is batting a healthy .336 with 5 home runs, 37 RBI's, 34 stolen bases and has scored 82 runs. In essence, he is d

oing exactly what is asked of him. He is getting on base, advancing, and scoring. Not bad for a guy stuck on a team that is just... horrible. Okay, they aren't THAT bad, but when not a single player on your team has more than 50 RBI's this late in the season... well, things aren't exactly aces there, now are they?

In the American League we start things off with a player I find to be playing OUT OF HIS MIND this season, Jacoby Ellsbury of the Boston Red Sox. After only having played 18 re

gular season games last year, there is no way in hell you would have been able to tell me that Ellsbury would have transformed into a beast for the 2011 season. But, batting out of the lead

off spot he has managed to put up a .312 average adding 23 homeruns, 82 RBI's, 36 stolen bases and has scored 95 runs. I repeat, this is out of the lead off spot!!!! To put that in perspective

, arguably the greatest lead off hi

tter of all time, Rickey Henderson, maxed out at 28 home runs in a season (twice, 1986 and 1990), NEVER had 80 RBI's (coming closest with 74 in 1986), but did manage to blow away Ellsbury with dozens of bags swiped (obviously) and runs scored. However, this looks like this kids match has just been lit.

Next up, fellow member of the Boston Red Sox, Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzo was brought in to rake for the Sox. He is doing exactly that. Though many people had him pegged to unanimously win the AL MVP award, he has had a couple of slumps that have taken him out of that obvious selection. Having said that, he has still managed to bat .342 with 23 home runs, 103 RBI's and has scored 90 runs. Nobody really cares about the 1 stolen base he has. In fact, I think that may have been a courtesy stat. However, Gonzo is doing exactly what everyone expects him to do. Now, we just need to see if the power numbers take a spike in the month of September.

Last, but certainly not least is Curtis Granderson of the New York Yankees. This man has been a pleasant surprise for the Yanks, much like some would say about Ellsbury in Boston. Granderson went from having a very disappointing 2010 campaign, to becoming a beast. Granderson comes into today batting .274 with an AL best 38 home runs, 107 RBI's, 123 runs scored and has swiped 24 bags. Another all-around player. Though he wears the pin stripes, I have a hard time disliking Granderson. He plays the game the right way and he plays it hard. Granderson has managed (in my opinion) to steal the spotlight in New York away from Jeter, A-Rod, Cano and even Texeira. I think this young man is the next face of the franchise, and the Steinbrenner family should be very pleased with that.

So, after giving my case for each of the above players, I had a fairly easy time with my selection for the NL, but a much more difficult time with the AL. In the NL, I think Matt Kemp is by far the best player this season. He is tops in most statistically categories and has not given up on a team that just doesn't seem to care. In the AL - my pick, like many at the start of the season was for Gonzo. However, Granderson has better numbers. On top of that argument, I think Ellsbury is playing far and away the most surprising baseball of all the nominees. I had to rule out A-Gon because of his lulls. Between Granderson and Ellsbury I have to go with Ellsbury. What this kid is doing right now and what he is capable of... well, he's gonna make a whole lot of money when he hits the free agent market. So there you have my picks - thoughts?

NL MVP: Matt Kemp

AL MVP: Jacoby Ellsbury