A Freeway Series May Be a Long Way Away

Los Angeles had a rough weekend for baseball. Not only did the Dodgers get absolutely creamed last night in Philadelphia, but the Angels lose a heartbreaker in New York the night before (or early that morning, if you prefer) on a Maicer Izturis throwing error in the bottom of the unlucky 13th inning (right). Neither team is out of it yet, but it does appear that the LA thirst for a freeway series may not be quenched in 2009.

Phillies absolutely roll over the Dodgers 11-0. Trouble happened early and often for the Blue, starting with Hiroki Kuroda (below left) in the first inning. Kuroda pitched 1 2/3 innings with 6 earned runs. He was replaced by Elbert in the bottom of the second, but really it wasn’t early enough. It’s tough to watch a starting pitcher get pulled in the 1st, but Kuroda could not find the strike zone. On multiple occasions in the first inning, the count quickly rang to 3-0 or 3-1, and the Phillies made him pay. Like any great major league pitcher, once your team is up, you can really turn on the heat, and Cliff Lee pitched a lights out game.

Many are blaming Joe Torre on the loss once again, and it’s pretty easy to see why. Kuroda had been out for weeks with a herniated cervical vertebra (neck) and had only pitched a few side games against wimpy-batted Arizona. Not to make excuses, but this was a throw away game anyway. Besides the surprising performance from Pedro Martinez in game two, the Phillies don’t really have any great starters besides Cliff Lee. From a long way off, this seemed like the game that Philly would win, regardless of who started for the Dodgers. So why waste a game with someone like Padilla or Wolf when you can try and see if you can get anything from the only pitcher who did anything in last year’s NLCS, Kuroda? It was a gamble yes, but one that had a relatively similar balance on win vs loss.

Unfortunately for LA fans, this isn’t really looking like the year. But after today we’ll really get a chance to see where LA stands in the Championship Series. Both games are must wins for each team. The term “must win” is greatly over used, but a win by the Phillies or Yankees puts each team away from the World Series by one win. Dodgers would be down 3-1, and Angels would be down 3-0. With how Philadelphia and NY are playing right now, that would be an absolutely insurmountable distance to make up.

Phillies Steal Home Field Advantage in Game 1

In the top of the 5th inning last night, the Phillies did their damage. After pitching an incredibly competitive first four innings, Clayton Kershaw had a complete meltdown. Kershaw threw only 11 wild pitches all season, but lost the strike zone and threw three in one inning. Rarely do I ever blame coaches and managers for losses because it’s always the players that have to execute, but Torre might need to be credited with this loss.

Even after the first two wild pitches in the fifth, Torre was still going to stick with his 21 year-old starter. Even after Carlos Ruiz smacked a three-run homer with no outs on the board, Torre was still going to stick with his starter. A reliever wasn’t even warming up until AFTER Kershaw (pictured above) walked Philly Pitcher Cole Hamels on four pitches after Ruiz’s three-run shot. Kershaw pitched four great innings, but he lost his stuff. If it was the 2nd inning, maybe give him some time, but not halfway through the game. Torre should have pulled him after the Ruiz’s home run.

The fifth inning is where the game was lost, even though bullpen ace George Sherrill blew it in the 8th. Sherrill has been dynamite since the Dodgers acquired him from Baltimore earlier this year, (2 runs in 27 ⅔ innings), and had LA not been in such a hole from the 5th, 3 runs in the top of the 8th really wouldn’t have mattered. The Dodgers are great when leading. The pitching staff can historically get a little shaky when having to make up ground, and LA’s consistent strength throughout the year has been their unstoppable bullpen. The most they’ve ever come back from is a 5 run deficit, but that was way back in the beginning of June. The Dodgers are like the horse racing legend War Admiral, once they get ahead, they never look back.

The Dodgers are very much still in the race. Even though home field advantage is no longer relevant, it’s not over yet. A disturbing statistic is that 14 out of the last 16 Game 1 NLCS winners went on to the Series. A reverse of that stat then is only 2 teams since 1992 have come back to win after losing the first game. But the last time it did happen was only in 2006, when the St. Louis Cardinals beat the NY Mets in 7. Oh yeah, they went on the win the World Series by the way.

And Then There Were Four

October is the easily the best month in sports, and the MLB post-season is one of the best things in October. 30 teams started in April, now only 4 remain. Three sweeps and one 4-game series prove that the Yankees, Angels, Dodgers, and Phillies are truly in the right spot.

With incredible comebacks, this has been one of the most exciting first rounds in recent memory. Dodgers 9th inning comeback in game 2 against the Cardinals was the most exciting baseball game I’ve ever seen. Well, maybe the most exciting 9th inning I’ve ever seen. The Dodgers have been railed for having weak pitching, but Wolf, Billingsley, and Padilla held the Cardinals to only 6 runs, easily taking care of Pujols. What’s most impressive is that LA survived arguably the best one-two punch in Major League Baseball in Chris Carpenter & Adam Wainright. Not many thought they’d be able to take one, let alone two games from those two. Even the LA Times picked St. Louis to sweep the Dodgers. But one must remember that the Dodgers had a playoff spot virtually locked up for the last two months. They ended with a terrible road trip which almost knocked them out of a Division Championship, but when you’re on the road, with a 7 or 8 game lead, playing terrible teams, it’s pretty difficult to rise to the challenge and have fun playing baseball. No one really thought that the Dodgers could flip the switch, but it sure seems like they have. Watch out Philly. Dodgers in 6.

The Yankees have been getting a lot of love recently, but it might be the love Kate Hudson is giving ARod that’s changed him for the better. On his show, David Letterman mentioned that there are rumors that Kate Hudson may be pregnant. His response was that it “might be the first time Alex Rodriguez has ever produced in October!” Hey-O! But Dave’s not too far off. However, this year’s a little different. Through controversy and injury, the spotlight isn’t directly on him, and he’s been absolutely on fire with 5 hits, 2 home runs, and 6 RBI. The LA Angels of Anaheim also impressively knocked off their Achilles heel, the Boston Red Sox. The Angels are the only ones who can boast a winning record against the Yankees in the last five years, and they certainly not going to be afraid of them this time around.

Do I dare predict a freeway series between Angels and Dodgers? It’s difficult not to. If it doesn’t happen this year, it probably never will. For me the Yankees just seem too good this year. There’s a different mentality in the locker room that shows on the field, both in the faces of the players and in the box scores. Angels are also riding a very personal wave with the loss of their upstart young starting pitcher Nick Adenhart to a drunk driving accident. Both of these teams have something worth fighting for. It’s very difficult to pick a winner, but I really have to say Yankees win it in the end. As far as the Phillies and Dodgers are concerned, apart from Cliff Lee, Philadelphia’s pitching is atrocious. While they’ve got fantastic bats with Victorino, Utley, and Howard, the Dodger Bullpen has proved itself to be nearly unhittable. But the Dodgers have been as about as inconsistent of a team you’ll find this far into the playoffs, so you never really know. But as far as I can see, I’m looking at a Dodgers v Yankees World Series.

Dodgers Win in Lucky 13th

National League leading Dodgers faced off against the 55-88 Pittsburgh Pirates last night in hopes of extending their lead against the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies lost the San Francisco Giants last night in a 10-2 slaughter and are currently on a 4 game losing streak. Less than a week ago, the Dodgers lead was down to only two games after being as high as 15 ½ back in early June. It’s quickly caught back up to five off of the bat of Andre Ethier.

Andre Ethier saved the day again with another walk-off home run. It was the sixth time he’s done so this year, which is the best in the major leagues. It was also his 30th homer of the season, which leads Los Angeles and certainly solidifies his place as one of the Dodgers major hitters. After the Dodgers couldn’t earn one run in the bottom of the 12th after Juan Pierre hit a triple to the right corner of the outfield with only one down, it looked as though it might just not be their night. Pittsburgh was able to convert in the top of the 13th, making it a go big or go home situation for the Dodgers, who dramatically rose to the challenge.

The supernatural superstition of the number 13 didn’t disappoint. It was an odd inning to begin with and at nearly midnight PST, it had become an eerie chess match between managers Joe Torre and John Russell. Pinch hits, pitching changes, and strategic bunting had become commonplace. It took a fluke line drive into Pittsburgh pitcher, Chris Bootcheck, thigh to allow Rafael Furcal to get on base and bring the potential winning run, Andre Ethier, to the plate. One pitch, one swing, one home run, one 13 inning game in the books.

There are still some questions as to how well the Dodgers are built for the post season. Leaving a man on third when the game is on the line is a situation that raises a few red flags. Going to 13 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates also is troubling. The Pirates have the second worst record in MLB, only above the Washington Nationals, and only by 5 ½ games. If they’re wanting to go far in the playoffs, Dodgers will have to maintain or regenerate their early season success. Dodgers will by all accounts still be the top seed in the National League, but if the playoffs were to start tomorrow, they would face the World Series Champs Phillies in the first round. It will be a seriously tough match-up for LA.

Dodgers Acquire A New Rook and Bishop

In an unexpected, last minute move before the playoff trade deadline, the Dodgers pick up big hitter Jim Thome and starting pitcher Jon Garland. The former Chicago White Sox slugger, Thome, will add to the already deadly offensive line-up primarily as a pinch hitter, while the former Arizona Diamondback, Garland, will probably slip into the 5th starting spot on the pitching line up. Both moves were made by giving up a few prospects, minor-league infielder Justin Fuller will go to the Sox, while a player to be named at a later time will head to the D-Backs. Sources inside the Dodgers organization claim that player will be Tony Abreu, a former top infield prospect who’s progress was slowed by injuries. All in all, it’s a relatively good short-term trade for the Dodgers. Thome is currently 12th on the all-time home run list. The addition of a head-game chess piece like Thome is Dodger-dandy, the real team issue has been somewhat addressed with the addition of a new starting pitcher.

The Dodgers have been stretched to find a 5th starter all year, and the loss of Hiroki Kuroda hasn’t helped the hunt. He was hit on the head by a line drive, a seemingly eerie omen for the head hunting that needed to be done by the Dodgers front office to secure another solid starter. They have it now in a durable Garland, who won a World Series with the White Sox in 2005. Garland has already been named the starting pitcher against his old team, Arizona, this Thursday. We’ll see how he fits in the line-up then.

Although these new assets make the Dodgers better today than they were yesterday, many in Southern California are feeling like this may be a little bit of a pointless scramble. A. Martinez of the Mason & Ireland Show on 710 ESPN Radio said “it feels like a move to get back in contention for the wild card… not to win the division and go onto win the World Series.” Was this too little too late? After the regular season trade deadline ended, many Dodger fans were upset that they weren’t able to acquire Cliff Lee. He was available and the Dodger front office said that they made an offer, but was refused. How good an offer? We have no way of knowing, but the question now is whether these two smaller additions make up for not getting Cliff Lee? And the even bigger question is, will it make a difference in October?

Dodgers Beginning to Slip?

Due to the HCG controversy, the seemingly outrageous contracts that stars get in baseball, and the fact that he’s only hit 4 home runs since the All-Star break, Manny Ramirez is receiving most of the blame for the recent “slide” in the Dodgers offense. Last night’s loss to the creeping Colorado Rockies is only adding a can of diesel to that flame. Starting at a base camp of 15 ½ games back of the NL West division leading Dodgers, the Rockies have almost reached Everest finding themselves only 2 ½ games back of the boys in blue. While Manny isn’t necessarily being Manny over the last month, the blame for slipping from their “best offensive team in baseball” status doesn’t necessarily lie with him.

Although his home runs haven’t quite been up to par, Ramirez is still hitting .306, by all accounts a quite respectable number. Last night, Manny was 2 of 4 at bats with a tying RBI. Not spectacular, but he did come up clutch in a major moment. Now let’s take a look at James Loney, Russell Martin, and Rafael Furcal: 0 for 5, 0 for 5, and 1 for 6 respectively, all with 0 RBIs. Russell Martin has been in a slump all year, making it one of his worst ever, so we leave him out of the equation. James Loney and Rafael Furcal have been almost non-existent on the offensive end for the last few months. Defensively, Furcal (SS) is still the leader and best player on the team, but that doesn’t make up for his lack of hitting when the Dodgers have needed it most. It also hasn’t made it any easier that he’s their lead-off hitter. When the lead man can’t do anything, it makes successful clean up batting (Ramirez) very difficult. Whoever wrote the article blaming Manny Ramirez for this “losing streak” needs to turn a watchful eye to these two players.

The Dodgers left 8 men on base last night, and there are no excuses for that, but since the beginning of the season the real problem has been that the Dodgers don’t really have an outstanding pitching staff. Maybe they didn’t do enough before the trade deadline, but who knew Cliff Lee would be this dominant for the Phillies? Regardless of any slump the Dodgers may be having right now, they’ll still probably make the post-season. But with an acceptable to mediocre pitching staff, it will be difficult to make it far in October without some astounding offense. A problem which the Dodgers need to solve. Quickly.

Governmental Sports

Recently it seems as if the Government is trying to put their hands in everything and the public is screaming for intervention in the areas in which they’re not. With the steroids controversies to the Tim Donaghy scandal, it appears that the athletes are inviting politicians into their courts and fields. Tonight at the MLB All-Star game, one very special politician will grace us with his presence on the field, a Mr. President Barack Obama. President Obama will also join Fox Sports announcers Joe Buck and Tim McCarver in the booth sometime between the 3rd & 5th innings. Obama is scheduled to throw out the first pitch tonight in St. Louis at Busch Stadium. The last first pitch this monumental came during the World Series in 2001, when George W. Bush threw out the first pitch in Yankee Stadium shortly after the 9/11 tragedy. Obama will also be joined by former Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter in a seven-minute video address to be aired during the pre-game ceremony.

If the president wants to be a sports announcer for an afternoon, that’s fine by me, but when they want to try and pass legislature who’s only purpose is to help govern College Football Postseason, I think there’s a bit of a problem. When the Supreme Court has to take time away from other pressing issues to see whether Barry Bonds took drugs or not, it seems a little ridiculous. I’m pretty sure there’s more important things that Congress should be doing. I can think of a few blaring problems right off the top of my head that are slightly more important than sports. Jobless Americans? Misuse of welfare? Trillions of dollars going out in bailout money to companies who didn’t run their businesses well in the first place? Economy in the stinkpot? Any of these ringing a bell? To most fans sports is life, but does it really rank in the same stratosphere as health care and social security? Of course it doesn’t. So for all of you politicians out there, keep doing what your doing. Fix this economy, find a solution to our education problems, and resolve that stuff over in the Middle East and bring our boys home, just stay out of our games. They’re not important enough in the grand scheme of things to require your attention. If you don’t think so, what was the final score of the last Super Bowl?

President Obama will join FDR, Nixon, Ford, and George Bush Sr. as presidents to throw the first pitch at an All-Star Game. One thing remains on everyone’s mind, where will Obama throw from? Will he be brave enough to go to the mound? If he does, he better get it across the plate. Well, even if he doesn’t, he could throw Fox Sports a cheap trillion to give him a do-over. That’s it! Goodnight everybody! Don’t forget to tip your waitress.

Bernie is Sad Today

I guess single A was going to be a little too much for Manny Ramirez. Dodgers AAA Affiliate, the Albuquerque Isotopes, are now the rehab destination for Manny. Sorry Bernie. Manny will play tonight in Albuquerque, not Inland Empire. The Isotopes usually draw about 7,000 fans, which is actually a fairly decent draw for AAA minor league, but look for the stadium to hit capacity when Ramirez starts this week. In fact, the staduim seats a total of 9,000, but up to 6,000 can find seats on a grassy lawn outside the gates. Attendance records are expected to break tonight. Believe it or not, each Manny Ramirez at bat will be broadcast on ESPN.com.

I feel for the 66ers club, I feel for the 66ers fans, I feel for Bernie! Sorry guys, I know all you minor league fans and clubs pray for injuries and suspensions so big name players can breeze through your city on the rehab wagon for a few games, but it’s apparently not up to you. LA fans already have Manny in Chavez Ravine for 56 some-odd games this year, so it’s understandable that the McCourts want to spread the Manny love to New Mexico. But I’m sure it’s tough for 66ers fans to have come so close, but no Dominican Republic cigar.

Manny's 50 Game Suspension and "Bernie" the 66ers San Bernardino... Guy? Bear? Muppet?

On May 7th of this year, Manny Ramirez was suspended for 50 games for violating the MLB drug policy. He was tested for abnormally high levels of testosterone and later revealed that Ramirez had used hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), a female fertility drug commonly used by steroid users to restart their bodies’ natural testosterone production after they’ve come off of a steroid cycle. It’s similar to Clomid, the drug that Barry Bonds got busted for. That's the update, just in case you’d been banished to Siberia for the last few months.

It’s been reported that Manny Ramirez will be bringing his big bat to the mighty Inland Empire 66ers in San Bernardino as early as this Thursday. Wait a minute, you’ve never heard of the 66ers? I live in Southern California and have barely heard their name before now. If you’re living in Arkansas and know them, I commend you. I will be the first to admit that I’m not a “real” baseball guy. I couldn’t tell you who played short stop for the Yankees in 1967, although I’m sure there are plenty of guys out there who could. But I bet you even those guys couldn’t name 2 players on the Inland Empire 66ers.

Regardless of whether you know much about the Dodgers Class “A” Affiliate in San Bernardino, the 5,000 seat Arrowhead Credit Union Park will be packed when Manny Ramirez comes to town. I bet even the high-priced $10 Exclusive Box Seats will be filled, although I don’t really know who could dish out that kind of money in this economy. So set your calendar on your office Outlook, Manny Ramirez is swinging for the Inland Empire 66ers this Thursday, June 25, 2009! But wait a minute, doesn’t his 50 game suspension end on July 3 when the Dodgers are in San Diego?

Apparently when someone in MLB gets a 50 game suspension, it’s really more like a 44 game suspension. Maybe Bud Selig wants Manny ready to go by Independence Day, but to me, if he gets a 50 suspension that ends on July 3, he should miss 50 games and return on July 3. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a Manny hater. In fact, I can easily say that Major League Baseball is more interesting when he’s playing. He’s a transcendental player. There’s a few in every sport. Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Tom Brady, LeBron James, David Beckham… there are several more. Whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, your Aunt Agnes in Florida who listens to Glen Miller and watches re-runs of the Honeymooners on Nick at Nite probably knows who these guys are. Even though Manny didn’t test positive for steroids (lets get that clear, hCG is not a steroid), he still violated the MLB drug policy, and shouldn’t be allowed to cut corners.

It is true that Ramirez is permitted to have a 10 game rehabilitation assignment before he’s activated again with the Dodgers. Regardless of that, if we’re playing by the rules, shouldn’t that period start on July 3? It seems pretty simple to me. To all of you baseball guys, I know that’s allowed and that everyone coming back from injuries use that rehab period, but was Manny injured? He’s serving a suspension, not coming back from a torn ACL. He may not be getting paid his gigantic Major League salary during these games with the 66ers, but he is honing in on his game so he’ll be ready when the time comes. That seems like a pretty nice head start to me.

I’ll say it again, baseball will be more interesting when Manny gets back, but whether you’re a Manny lover or hater, this is great for the Inland Empire 66ers. Hooray for their club, hooray for their fans, hooray for Bernie! (pictured above) They couldn’t get this type of press if a UFO landed in center field during one of their games. Hopefully they’ll get some great exposure and will really take advantage of this opportunity that’s fallen in their lap.

The 66ers are currently in third place (out of 5) in the Cal South Division at 32-38, 11 games back of the division leading High Desert Mavericks.