The Case for Mike Napoli

Every year the fall classic brings out the best in some previously unknown player. Last year, Cody Ross stole the show for the San Francisco Giants. This year, Mike Napoli has proven to be a legitimate big-game player. Going into this World Series I swore that Adrian Beltre would prove to be the MVP of the series. It looks like I may have to eat those words as Napoli is just feeding them to me.

In the 5 games he has played thus far Napoli has compiled the following stat line: 13 at bats (18 total plate appearances), 2 runs scored, 4 hits, 1 double, 2 home runs, 9 runs batted in, 3 walks and he has struck out twice. His batting average is .308 while his on-base percentage is .389. His slugging percentage is .846 and his OPS is 1.235.

What does that all translate into? He is first on the Rangers in OPS, Slugging and OBP. He is 3rd in batting average (2nd if you only quantify players that have played in all 5 games.) I need to repeat this, he has 9 RBI's - that is as many as Michael Young (3), Adrian Beltre (2), Nelson Cruz (2) and Josh Hamilton (2) combined. He has become an offensive machine.

On the other side of the ball - he has not allowed the St. Louis Cardinals to steal a base on him, throwing out all 3 attempts: Allen Craig twice and Jon Jay once.

While Napoli's star is surely shining bright right now, the question is, why haven't we noticed him before? The obvious answer is that he is buried on a team full of offensive and defensive weapons. But, Napoli is single handedly destroying my case for the Texas Rangers needing to/being in the hunt for Albert Pujols. Now, allow me to clarify here, I am not saying that Napoli is as good as Pujols, but what I am saying is that Napoli is good enough to not need Pujols.

First of all, Napoli is only 29 years old. Pujols is 31 - not a huge difference in age, but nevertheless, a difference exists. Napoli is capable of both catching and playing first base as well as DH'ing if need be. Pujols can play first or DH. Those are the plain eyeball examinations of the players, but lets take a quick look at the meat and potatos.

During the 2011 season Mike Napoli's stat line looked like this: 113 games played, 72 runs scored, 118 hits, 25 doubles, 30 home runs, 75 RBI's, 58 walks, .320 batting average, .414 OBP, .631 slugging and 1.046 OPS.

During the 2011 season Albert Pujols' stat line looked like this: 147 games played, 105 runs scored, 173 hits, 29 doubles, 37 home runs, 99 RBI's, 61 walks, .299 batting average, .366 OBP, .541 slugging and .906 OPS.

For arguments sake, Prince Fielders 2011 stat line looked like this: 162 games played, 95 runs scored, 170 hits, 36 doubles, 38 home runs, 120 RBI's, 107 walks, .299 average, .415 OBP, .566 slugging and a .981 OPS.

In 34, and 49 fewer games played respectively, Napoli put up fairly similar numbers to both Pujols and Fielder. Of course, on the free agent market, both of those gentlemen will command big dollars and long term contracts. The Rangers have Napoli arbitration eligable for the 2012 season and he becomes a free agent in 2013. According to SI.com, the average salary for a catcher is $2,160,425.94. The Rangers have something special in Napoli and if they are wise, their biggest signing this off-season could be a nice contract extension for him. Not bad for a guy who was traded to the Blue Jays, stayed there for all of 4 days and was turned around and traded to the Rangers last winter.

After all that, I need to offer up 2 mea culpa's... first, Mike Napoli, not Adrian Beltre will win the World Series MVP. Second, the Rangers do not need, nor will they sign Albert Pujols, they're gonna be just fine without him.

The Stars at Night are Big And Bright

It's all over now, right? I mean, Texas has been an absolute beast playing at home this season and they've just stolen home field advantage after splitting in St. Louis. True, Josh Hamilton has a hernia that is going to require off-season surgery. That didn't seem to slow him up in game 2 when he drove in a the game tying run in the top of the 9th.

Look, I love the story of the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals as much as the next guy. The problem is, the Cinderella story is going to be all over within the next 3 games, 4 at best. The Texas Rangers went 52-29 at home this season. That is a .642 winning percentage for those keeping score at home.

The drama comes in here: The Cardinals had an identical home and road record, 45-36, or .556 winning percentage. That is damn good. Though the Rangers finished the season with 6 more wins overall, the Cardinals have been the hottest team in baseball since September 1st (that is still playing.)

The fact that Josh Hamilton is injured does not change my opinion of this Rangers team. They are stacked. They have the pitching advantage and offensively they have an advantage over the Cards in all 5 categories that win post-season games: hits - 1599 to 1513, runs scored - 855 to 762, home runs - 210 to 162, team batting average - .283 to .273 and finally OPS - .800 to .766.

Though the Cardinals had a better team ERA during the regular season 3.74 to 3.79 (Texas finishing JUST behind the Cards) - the Rangers pitching staff had more quality starts, 99 to 86 and gave up one less earned run 607 to 608.

Statistics on paper are one thing that can be a measure of how far a team can go. I believe heavily in the natural eyeball test. Texas just looks to be more dominant than the Cardinals. With the series shifting to Texas, and on the heels of a dramatic win, the Rangers have all of the momentum right now. Aside from the fact that I have already predicted the Rangers winning the series, I think its time to make my prediction for the World Series MVP: Adrian (the Red Sox should have resigned me) Beltre.

Playoff Baseball Rocks

Is there anything better than baseball in October? It is so unpredictable and intense. I love it. Watching the Division Series these past few nights have been pretty amazing. We've been able to watch October stars be born, others have come up short under the pressure. October is truly the time to separate the men from the boys.

A fine example came last night in the first inning, yes, FIRST inning of the New York Yankees/Detroit Tigers game. AJ Burnett looked awful. He managed to load the bases and could not seem to find the strike zone to save his life. Luckily, a guy named Curtis Granderson was playing in center field prepared to bail Burnett out.

Burnett had managed to walk the bases full and was about to face Detroit right fielder Don Kelley. In the mean time, the Yankees already had activity in the bull-pen, as Cory Wade was up and loosening to take over for what appeared to be a dead in the water Burnett. Burnett proceeded to throw a fastball right down the middle that Kelley appeared to have gotten a good piece of lumber on.

That is when Curtis Granderson changed the face of the game. Initially he sold out and came in on the fly ball. Watching the game it was going to be an inside the park grand slam if Granderson was unable to come up with the catch. He (Granderson) realized his judgement error in barely enough time to make a spectacular catch to save the inning for the Yankees and the game for Burnett. Let's face it, that ball gets down, Burnett is pulled, Wade is in and the Tigers go on to win the game and the series. I don't think you can really dispute that fact. Last night capped off (for me) the full transformation of Curtis Granderson being a good/solid player in Detroit, to being an all-star in New York.

Travel down South to Tropicana Field and another October superstar was born last night. Adrian Beltre belted 3 homeruns to put the

Texas Rangers into the ALCS for the second straight year in a row. Beltre has been an absolute BEAST for the Texas Rangers this season and I love the fact that it has paid off for him this far.

This season he batted .296 with 32 home runs and 105 runs batted in. His slugging percentage was .561 this season, which is second only to his best career season in 2004 when it was .629. The guy has been a consistently good hitter and an impeccable fielder for his career and it is nice to see him in an organization that allows him the opportunity to shine.

Tonight we get to see 2 potential elimination games in the National League. The Phillies will be in St. Louis tonight trying to boot the Cardinals from the post season. The probable pitchers for tonight are Roy Oswalt for the Phillies and Edwin Jackson for the Cards. This is going to be quite the matchup. The last time Oswalt pitched in St. Louis he took the Houston Astros to their first... and ONLY World Series birth. On the other hand, Edwin Jackson has easily been the Cards best starter since late July. He has allowed 2 or fewer runs in 9 of his 12 starts. He has also gone 6 or more innings in 10 of those 12 outings.

Travel across the country and we will see the Milwaukee Brewers visiting the Arizona Diamondbacks and try to take them out of the playoffs. The probables for this game are Randy Wolfe for the Brewers, whom, while not an exciting pitcher, is a horse and an inning eater; squaring off with Joe Saunders for the D'Backs. I'm not sure what to think of this game - I think it may be an offensive outing, ending in a 6-4 final score - and I am assuming that 6 will be at the hands of the Brew Crew.

God, I love baseball.

DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS!!!

Robin Ventura certainly learned not to mess with Texas. Furthermore, Robin Ventura learned never to cross Nolan Ryan. At midnight on August 5, 2010 the future of the Texas Rangers was improved for the better and immediately the dividends started paying off. Nolan Ryan was holding the reigns of this sled that previously could not make payroll, and he has, in under one year, turned this cellar dweller of a ball-club into a beast.

One of the first signs that Nolan Ryan was serious about making the Rangers a contender - making the trade that brought Cliff Lee to the Rangers last year. True, Ryan did not have full control, but it was he that made this deal happen. For what it is worth, take a look at the end result: Ryan made the deal and the Rangers made it to the World Series. If the Red Sox or Yankess pull off that trade, you can bet they would have been to the dance in place of the Rangers.

This season, the Rangers have made smart signings and are not afraid to spend money. Moreover, they are not afraid to make a splash in the trade market. Though I am an absolute die-hard Boston Red Sox fan, how can you not love seeing a team like the Rangers come from the depths of dire straits, barely making payroll, suddenly a powerhouse, deservedly in the same conversation as the Red Sox, Yankees and Phillies?

According to FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal, "The team gives every indication that it will be quite active again before Sunday's non-waiver deadline, showing varying levels of interest in several big names:Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran, Rockies right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, Padres closer Heath Bell and the Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda." All of which are widely considered to be the hottest players on the trade market. In 2009, the Rangers would not have been able to sniff these deals, now, they are top contenders.

The lineup that the Rangers could feature after July 31st would be considered one of the best since the Cleveland Indians of the mid 1990's. They are already leading Major League Baseball in runs scored - a big time deal at the deadline could be just the thing to put them over the edge. Nolan Ryan has proven that he's a tough sonofabitch on the field, and I think it is safe to say, he's showing the same now from behind the big desk. As they say, everything is bigger in Texas.

Where Pujols Fits

Adrian Gonzalez has ruined the market for Albert Pujols. Its true that the season is very young, but Pujols is not off to a prototypical "Pujols" season. If Adrian Gonzalez performs as expected in Boston and outperforms Pujols then it would be really hard for any team not named the Yankees (a presumed non-factor) to shell out $200 million for his services.

Let's assume that there is no blockbuster mid-season trade that sends Pujols elsewhere and he makes it (as expected) to free agency. The question then becomes, "Who will pay for his services?" The list should be short, right? After much debate with a friend of mine, we narrowed the field down to 7 realistic potential suitors. Surprisingly, neither will be the Boston Red Sox or the New York Yankees. Having said that, let's examine those teams that would be willing to shell out the coin (presumably) as well as have the desire to make a splash. As for Pujols, I don't get the vibe that he is all to concerned with staying in St. Louis for the sake of staying in St. Louis. Albert wants to get paid and he wants to win. With those parameters, I offer up these potential suitors for the biggest free agent in recent memory:

St. Louis Cardinals

Obviously the Cardinals need to keep him. The loss of Pujols could prove to be a catastrophic hit to the proud franchise. The signing of Matt Holiday was an attempt to show him that they have the willingness to spend the money to build a winning team around him. They have a new stadium that would be a sad sight if half empty. The loss of the power hitting first baseman could set this team back for years to come. Even if they attempted to fill the gap by becoming major players in the Prince Fielder auction, that would be like trying to sell Jo Jo English as a suitable replacement for Michael Jordan. No disrespect to Prince Fielder, but you catch my drift.

Colorado Rockies

This is my dark horse selection for the race. They are a complete team in many regards, but they have an aging first baseman in Todd Helton with a stud, young lineup that includes Troy Tulowitski, Carlos Gonzalez and Ubaldo Jimenez. The Rockies have never been known to be "big spenders" so to speak, which is why I would love, LOVE to see them in the race for Pujols. Can you just imagine it? At Coors Field Pujols would average 60 home runs, 120 RBI's, post easily a .300 average and be a potential triple crown threat every year. The Rockies would instantly be the team to beat for the next 8 years in the National League.

Anaheim Angels

I don't care how you want to spin it, the Angels were big time losers in the free agent market this past season. They did not get Carl Crawford. They did not get Cliff Lee. They were non-factors and were left with doing what the Angels do best, acquiring big, bad contracts. (See Vernon Wells.) This is a team with the resources and the need to make a big splash to become legitimate contenders in the eyes of the Red Sox and Yankees. Being an American League team, this offers Pujols the option of becoming a DH in the later portion of his contract. That might be an attractive incentive.

Texas Rangers

My American League dark horse. The Texas Rangers have built a reputation of winning under the leadership of Nolan Ryan. I love this organization right now. They wanted to shell out big money for Cliff Lee, who is to say they won't do the same to get Albert Pujols? Being an American League team, again, he will have the option of DH'ing in the later years while being thrust into a winning lineup as constituted. He will have protection in the lineup with the likes of Josh Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, and possibly a contented DH in Michael Young (assuming he is stuck there through the 2011 season.) This team would instantly be World Series favorites, hands down.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Once again we have to assume that the McCourts will get the legal issues ironed out by the time the free agent frenzy begins next year. If they do, I'm pretty sure they'll do their best to inject some life into this highly talented lineup that is just under performing. I think you'd see them part ways with James Loney and light a fire under Andre Ethier (a personal favorite player of mine) and Matt Kemp. The Dodgers have fallen off from being considered a real threat in the NL and this would definitely give them back their legitimacy. It would also be a huge market for Pujols to make money in on his own... Pujols, Los Angeles...

New York Mets

I know - they are boring. They are broke. They haven't been viable for at least 3 seasons. That's why I can't rule them out. They're in New York. They may be bought out and suddenly find the cash the be a player again. Its New York. Did I mention that? The Mecca of the free world, Pujols could cash in nicely on endorsements etc being in the Big Apple. In the grand scheme, I find this to be the least likely option, but I would hate to not at least through the Mets in the mix. Lastly...

Chicago Cubs

The hated Cubs. This would vilify Pujols in St. Louis as much as LeBron is vilified in Cleveland. Maybe even more. It would be as if Ted Williams came back from war and decided to put on the pin stripes. Magic Johnson really did desire a trade and wound up playing with Bird in Boston. It would be the biggest smack in the face of the St. Louis Cardinals... but that might not be a concern for Pujols. He wants to get paid and he wants to win. The Cubs have Carlos Pena on a one year deal. They need a shot of adrenaline in their lineup. They have money to burn and a drought to end. They're desperate at this point. Don't sleep on the Cubs. They don't make sense across the board, but they may just overpay for Pujols to lure him away from St. Louis and to show their fanbase that they are trying to end their curse.

The field is wide open. There could be some other clubs that want to make a splash that just don't come to mind. But, based on my assessment and much debate... I think you may see Albert Pujols singing, "The stars at night, are big and bright...." Just like his contract, and his future... as a Texas Ranger. You heard it here first.