Bud Selig says he’s stepping aside as commissioner after his contract expires on Dec. 31, 2012.
I know it’s easy to bang on the commish, and in some cases rightfully so, but I still think Selig takes more heat than he should.
Nonetheless, baseball needs the change in leadership…whether the owners want to believe it or not.
Thanksgiving leftovers: good.
Andruw Jones leftovers: not so much.
Listen, I love the job Kenny Williams does on the South Side. He’s one of the top general managers in the game. He’s a mover, a shaker and a risk taker…all to be appreciated for.
But adding Andruw Jones to the Sox lineup? Seriously, Kenny. C’mon!
As a Cubs fan it’s easy to dislike Albert Pujols, but you have to respect the guy, even as a rival Cardinal.
Take a look at Pujols’ 162-game averages for his career and tell me there’s not a better player in the game:
.334/.427/.628 with 42 home runs, 129 RBIs, 94 walks, 124 runs scored, a 1.055 OPS and 374 total bases.
That from a guy who was taken in the 13th round of the 1999 draft…and just another reason I love the game of baseball.
Ted Keith of Sports Illustrated wrote a terrific article on Albert Pujols’ third MVP Award. He sums up Pujols best with this line…
Sean Marshall sees himself as a starter, not a reliever.
At least that’s the word coming from Bruce Levine of ESPN 1000.
Funny thing is…I feel just the opposite.
Not hard to believe Tim Lincecum won consecutive Cy Young Awards.
On the other hand, what is hard to believe is that ESPN’s Keith Law and Will Carroll from Baseball Prospectus both left Chris Carpenter off their three-pitcher ballots.
Both writers are entitled to their opinions, of course, but I still find it rather ridiculous to write off Carpenter completely.
Aaron Heilman was my whipping boy last season, an obvious fact for those who reads this blog with regularity. I hammered the guy pretty hard too, like the rest of the National League.
Mudslinging isn’t my style, but Heilman’s inconsistency in the clutch was unbearable. Cubs leading, Cubs trailing, Cubs tied…Heilman stunk in every situation. And if you didn’t cringed at the site of Heilman taking the mound this summer, you’re obviously not a Cubs fan.
I’m glad to see Junior back with the M’s for another season.
His return is a bit of a surprise to me, and unfortunately, I’m not sure it’s the right move either.
Consider that in 117 games last season his average dipped to .214, well below his career average of .285. His defense in center field wasn’t much better, limiting him to strictly a DH role. So it’s interesting Seattle is willing to give the 40-year-old’s tattered wheels another go-round.
At the very least, enough home run power was present to justify Junior being in the lineup, 19 to be exact, and his 57 RBI were serviceable, as well. But when Griffey singled up-the-middle in his last at-bat at Safeco, I figured that was a perfect, and fitting, ending to a most memorable career.
The baseball writers got this one right.
Zack Greinke is most deserving of the AL Cy Young Award. He dominated opposing teams, and that was clearly evident beyond the numbers too. Statistics, remember, only provide a general picture, not the entire view, which happens to be the case with Greinke.
So while the Royals’ right-hander didn’t have all the best numbers, it still remained clear Greinke processed the AL’s best complete package on the mound: poise, power and pin-point accuracy.
Had Greinke played for a contender it’s likely he wins more than his 16 games with K.C. I’d venture to say he could’ve reached 25, but who really knows?
Anyway, I’m happy for Royals fans too. Seriously, what else can Kansas City root for, the Chiefs? C’mon.
The Cubs need a centerfielder; Curtis Granderson is the best player available.
I’m all in favor of a trade. Granderson is a smart player, an energy guy and a terrific teammate.
I couldn’t care less that he’s a hometown kid from Lynwood, either. Doesn’t even factor into my thinking.
More importantly, it’s about the talented package of players Jim Hendry will have to assemble to get the budding 28-year-old star from Detroit.
I’d sign off on any trade package including the likes of Jake Fox, Jeff Samardzija, Tyler Colvin, Jeff Baker, Sam Fuld, Andres Blanco, Micah Hoffpauir, Aaron Heilman or Sean Marshall.
