Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - August 7, 2013

As the topic of A-Rod persists, August 7 is the anniversary of Barry Bonds breaking Hank Aaron's record and the birthday of Mike Trout. Those two events are oddly connected.

 I talk about Bonds and Trout on today's episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.


Andrew Albers, Eric Chavez, Mat Latos and Adam Jones all owned baseball on August 6, 2013.


To see the up to date tally of "Who Owns Baseball?," click HERE.
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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - August 7, 2013

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - May 22, 2013

Mike Trout hit for the cycle. Did he also save Mike Scioscia's job?

Today on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I ponder the future of the 2013 Los Angeles California Angels of Anaheim in Orange County. Will they tail off? Or will the night that Mike Trout had the best night of his career also be the turning point of a championship season?
 
Gregor Blanco, Adam Wainwright, Max Scherzer and Mike Trout all owned baseball on May 20, 2013.

To see the up to date tally of "Who Owns Baseball?," click HERE.

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - May 22, 2013


 

Miguel Cabrera = John Wayne in 1969

A star is honored with the most prestigious annual award he can get. By all old standards of the award he is a clear shoo in.

By every way the honor has been evaluated for generations, this star has hit all of the right spots and would receive the award without controversy.

 But these are different times.

There are not only new young faces to contend with but new ways of evaluating excellence. The old standards seem to have been thrown into the dumpster and discarded as old fashion, uncool and no longer with merit. 

Talent and performance are judged differently and challenges all of the old thinking. In the face of a changing world, the old standard won but the writing is on the wall.

People will be looking at talent through different glasses and judge excellence by an entirely new criteria.

 Am I talking about the 2012 American League Most Valuable Player vote?
Or am I talking about the 1969 Oscar for Best Actor?

This year it was Miguel Cabrera who did all the things that in past years would have made the MVP discussion a debate of who would finish second and third.

 He won the Triple Crown.
His team made the playoffs.
Cabrera's Tigers overtook the White Sox while Cabrera was on fire.

 Boom. Open and shut case.

 But Mike Trout, who began the season in the minor leagues, had a more complete season.

 His average and OPS were comparable to Cabrera.
His on base percentage was superior. He hit for terrific power and stole bases.

 Plus his defense was exceptional. (The fact that he didn't win a Gold Glove was insane.)

 Plus he towered over Cabrera in WAR.

 I don't get WAR. No two people seem to calculate WAR the same way. I hate WAR as a stat because it is subjective. But I digress. Trout's case is compelling without that vague stat.

 So you have the new mindset clashing with the old.

 The 1969 Oscar ceremony was very similar.

 Old time Hollywood was being overtaken by new talent and a new attitude. The Oscars still honored big spectacles and traditional stars.

During the counter culture peak of 1968, the Best Picture Oscar went to the very safe musical spectacle Oliver! 

In 1969, everything was pointing to John Wayne winning his Oscar.

He had never won before and he might not ever get a better shot than True Grit.

 It was everything an Oscar performance could ask for. He was a big star in a physically challenging role, all the while showing a sensitive side to go with his rough exterior.

 It was the big crowd pleasing blockbuster that Hollywood could crank out with one eye closed, or behind a patch in the case of True Grit.

 But new talent and a new kind of filmmaking was emerging and getting harder to ignore. Just a few years prior, The Graduate and Bonnie and Clyde won a few major awards, challenging the old style of films. (The baseball equivalent of Felix Hernandez winning over a 20 game winner despite barely having a winning record.)

 Challenging John Wayne was another cowboy named Jon. Only this one was a male whore played by Jon Voight.

 Joe Buck in Midnight Cowboy was going to take on Rooster Cogburn. 

(Never confuse male whore Joe Buck with Fox Sports' Joe Buck. Or at least try not to.)

 To make the race even more interesting, Joe Buck's pimp, Ratso Rizzo, was nominated as well. Anyone watching the movies saw that what Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman brought to their roles was more exciting and more complete than John Wayne's.

 Look at Hoffman! He was the kid in The Graduate and he transformed himself into a totally different role. What range!

 And like Mike Trout, Voight' s performance seemed to come out of nowhere for a new comer and he commanded the screen with emotional depth and humor.

 It was a new kind of movie and new kind of performances. And with a new criteria for judging excellence, they towered over even John Wayne.

 So what happened?

 The Oscars had the same result as the MVP. The old school won. And frankly, I am glad that John Wayne won an Oscar. He may not have deserved it for that movie, but a movie star of his quality should have a golden guy.

 In a similar manner, Miguel Cabrera won the MVP. There was no way that Sabermetrics were going to trump a Triple Crown. Not yet, at least.

Just like there was no way that Voight and Hoffman were going to deny the Duke his Oscar. But what happened after that?

 The new Hollywood's stars began to take over and the old stars and their acclaim took a back seat to a new way of thinking. Midnight Cowboy wound up winning the Best Picture Oscar. Actors like Gene Hackman and Jack Nicholson and Ellen Burstyn started winning the acting awards. The old kind of Oscar films faded away for a time and a new measure of excellence evolved.

 So maybe this was the last gasp of the old guard the same way that John Wayne's Oscar signaled the end of a different era.

 Looking back, Wayne's performance does not carry the same resonance of Voight and Hoffman. It isn't even the best Oscar nominated performance of someone playing Rooster Cogburn. (I found Jeff Bridges' performance in the Coen Brothers remake to be more compelling).

 Maybe Cabrera's award will have the same feel with retrospect.

 And Mike Trout supporters take heart: Both Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman went on to win Oscars before the 1970s were over.

The Sully Baseball All Star Ballot for 2012

It's that time of the year again... the time when we immortalize a player for being an All Star based upon a good first half or by being a mandatory pick from a lousy team.

It's the All Star ballot time!

Now last year they handed out All Star roster spots like a T-Ball League hands out trophies. Evidently everyone got one.

My rosters will be a little more reserved. I have 34 spots including the nine starters (and DH), reserves and pitchers (with a smattering of lefties thrown in.)

Each team is represented.

AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL STARS

Starters

Catcher – A. J. PIERZYNSKI, White Sox

First Base – PAUL KONERKO, White Sox

Second Base – ROBINSON CANO, Yankees

Shortstop – DEREK JETER, Yankees

Third Base - MIGUEL CABRERA, Tigers

Left Field – JOSH HAMILTON, Rangers

Center Field – ADAM JONES, Orioles

Right Field - MARK TRUMBO, Angels

Designated Hitter – DAVID ORTIZ, Red Sox

Pitcher – JUSTIN VERLANDER, Tigers

 
Reserves

Reserve Catcher – JOE MAUER, Twins

Reserve Catcher – MATT WIETERS, Orioles

Reserve First Baseman – PRINCE FIELDER, Tigers

Reserve Second Baseman – JASON KIPNIS, Indians

Reserve Shortstop – ELVIS ANDRUS, Rangers

Reserve Shortstop – ASDRUBAL CABRERA, Indians

Reserve Third Baseman – ADRIAN BELTRE, Rangers

Reserve Outfielder –BILLY BUTLER, Royals

Reserve Outfielder –EDWIN ENCARNACION, Blue Jays

Reserve Outfielder –JOSH REDDICK, Athletics

Reserve Outfielder –ALEX RIOS, White Sox

Reserve Outfielder – MIKE TROUT, Angels

Pitchers

JASON HAMMEL, Orioles

FELIX HERNANDEZ, Mariners

JAKE PEAVY, White Sox

DAVID PRICE, Rays

CHRIS SALE, White Sox

JERED WEAVER, Angels

C. J. WILSON, Angels

JONATHAN BROXTON, Royals

JIM JOHNSON, Orioles

JOE NATHAN, Rangers

CHRIS PEREZ, Indians

FERNANDO RODNEY, Rays

NATIONAL LEAGUE ALL STARS

Starters

Catcher – YADIER MOLINA, Cardinals

First Base – JOEY VOTTO, Reds

Second Base – BRANDON PHILLIPS, Reds

Shortstop – STARLIN CASTRO, Cubs

Third Base – DAVID WRIGHT, Mets

Left Field – CARLOS GONZALEZ, Rockies

Center Field – ANDREW McCUTCHEN, Pirates

Right Field – CARLOS BELTRAN, Cardinals

Designated Hitter –RYAN BRAUN, Brewers

Starting Pitcher – R. A. DICKEY, Mets

 
Reserves

Reserve Catcher – CARLOS RUIZ, Phillies 

Reserve Catcher – BUSTER POSEY, Giants 

Reserve First Baseman – ADAM LaROCHE, Nationals

Reserve Second Baseman – JOSE ALTUVE, Astros 

Reserve Second Baseman– AARON HILL, Diamondbacks 

Reserve Shortstop – RAFAEL FURCAL, Cardinals 

Reserve Third Baseman – DAVID FREESE, Cardinals 

Reserve Outfielder – MICHAEL BOURN, Braves 

Reserve Outfielder – MELKY CABRERA, Giants

Reserve Outfielder – ANDRE ETHIER, Dodgers 

Reserve Outfielder – MATT HOLLIDAY, Cardinals

Reserve Outfielder – GIANCARLO STANTON, Marlins 

Pitchers

 MATT CAIN, Giants

JOHNNY CUETO, Reds

GIO GONZALEZ, Nationals

ZACK GREINKE, Brewers

COLE HAMELS, Phillies

JAMES McDONALD, Pirates

WADE MILEY, Diamondbacks

STEPHEN STRASBURG, Nationals

AROLDIS CHAPMAN, Reds 

TYLER CLIPPARD, Nationals 

CRAIG KIMBRELL, Braves 

HUSTON STREET, Padres 

A few notes...

- You can't accuse me of being a homer. I have more Royals (2) than Red Sox (1) on the All Star Squad.

- I put both Billy Butler and Jonathan Broxton on the squad to appease the home town fans. Jose Bautista was the odd man out.

- I opted for Alex Rios over Curtis Granderson. I have a feeling that pick will come back to bite me.

- Josh Reddick and his power put him on the club as the A's rep.

- Nobody on the Mariners deserves a trip. I selected Felix Hernandez because at least he had earned it in the past. Nobody should add "All Star" to their resume on the Mariners without earning it.

- I picked Huston Street over Carlos Quentin for the Padres rep. Neither has played enough to merit selection, but at least Street has a good save total. Also he has never been an All Star and deserved to be when with either Oakland or Colorado.

- Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo should be All Stars. Albert Pujols should not be. Who predicted that?

- Most A.L. All Stars? According to me, the White Sox! Who predicted that? Nobody.

- Most N. L. All Stars? According to me, the Cardinals! Things could look good for the Defending Champs!

We'll see how many get picked.
As I wrote last year, I think the season should START the season with the All Star Game. But nobody listens to me.

Albert Pujols has tied Mike Trout and is one behind Matt Downs

Albert Pujols pointed to the heavens and thanked the creator of the universe for giving him the strength match Mike Trout in the home run column.

20 year old Trout, who started the season in the minors, has 1 homer.
Pujols pulled off the amazing feat and tied that, making people relax that maybe committing 10 years to Pujols might have been excessive.

The next rung on the later is Matt Downs utility infielder and .189 hitter Matt Downs, who has two homers this season.

The REAL drama is building in Anaheim.

 

Uh oh Cardinals fans... Pujols to the Angels makes sense

I have felt for the past few weeks that Albert Pujols was bound to go back to St. Louis. It made the most sense for his career and it made sense for the Cardinals to keep him. The stability of Pujols on the team moving on to defend the World Series title and the end the LaRussa era and the beginning of the Mike Matheny years was critical.

And the main suitors were dropping off.

The Dodgers? Nah. They have unstable ownership and already spent big time on Matt Kemp.

The Cubs? Not going to happen. They have too many hole to spend $25 million on a first baseman, no matter how big a star he is.

The Mets? They are a nickle and dime small market team.

The Marlins? I equated their Pujols pursuit with the Herman Cain Presidential bid. It was for publicity. Plus they spent all their money on Mark Buehrle, Jose Reyes and Heath Bell.

Seriously, his return to St. Louis was all but assured.
But now it appears that the Angels want to bring Pujols to Anaheim.

Don't get comfortable Cardinal fans.
This makes a lot of sense for everyone.

Arte Moreno is not beneath spending money and making a splash. Last year's big pick up, Vernon Wells, was a turkey.

But the team has excellent pitching with Jared Weaver and Dan Haren leading the way. And they have some good veterans like Torii Hunter and Howie Kendrick.

They have some excellent young players like Mike Trout, Jordan Walden, Peter Bourjos and Mark Trumbo.

Put Pujols in the middle of this team and suddenly the young players have an MVP to look up to, veterans have a superstar to take pressure off them and pitchers know that some more runs.

And if the Rangers take a step back, then the Angels could be the favorite in the AL West.
And Mike Scioscia is a Hall of Fame caliber manager.

And Southern California is a nice place to live. Both Los Angeles AND Anaheim.

So be a little nervous, Cardinals fans.
Pujols has been your team's angel... but he COULD be an Angel.

I still think he will be a Cardinal, but the Angels actually make sense.

10 Reasons why the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim winning the World Series would be good for baseball

My series of Why Each Team's Potential World Championship Would Be Good For The Game moves on with the California Angels.

OK Fine, The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
It's a stupid name. A great organization but a stupid name. There. I got that out of the way. And I won't make any more references to the silly name.

The organization is a damn good one and they could very well have a big time contender for years to come. I picked them to win the West and the pennant at the beginning of the season on the strength of their starting pitching. However their recent 5 game slide has put them a full week behind the Texas Rangers.

If the slide continues, I won't be able to include them as a contender. So let's knock this out.

10 Reasons why the
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
winning the 2011 World Series
would be good for baseball

1. Mike Scioscia's Hall of Fame resume would be undeniable

I would argue that Scioscia is the best manager in baseball today. Maybe even a notch about LaRussa and Leyland. He took over an Angels team in 2000 that had never won a playoff series.

By 2002 they were the World Champions. Players have come and gone but the Angels returned to October baseball as Division Champions in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009 and made it to the ALCS in '05 and '09.

He already has as many World Series titles as Leo Durocher and Earl Weaver. If he wins again, then he will have a completely different roster than the 2002 Champs. His resume is already impressive. Another title (plus the fact that he already has 12 years under his belt and doesn't seem close to retiring) would mean he would join his mentor Tom Lasorda in Cooperstown.

2. It would break Bobby Abreu's bad luck streak

Bobby Abreu has logged in 15+ solid and sometimes spectacular big league seasons. The former All Star, Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner played 8 1/2 seasons in Philadelphia but was traded away before they won the World Series in 2008.

He spent a few more years with the Yankees but was in an Angels uniform when they won the 2009 World Series. He's played in the post season with three different organizations (the Astros, Yankees and Angels) and has yet to play in the World Series.

He has earned a long October.



3. A ring for Torii Hunter

I like Torri Hunter. There are a lot of reasons to like Torii Hunter. He plays with passion. He plays with respect for the game and its past.

And in his prime, he was the most dynamic defensive outfielder not named Jim Edmonds and could hit too.

He's outspoken and colorful, but isn't it nice to have a star who isn't bland?

And he sets up tons of college scholarships through his foundation. Do we really want him to finish his career RINGLESS?


4. The Age of Ace Pitchers will move to the American League

We could be in an age of having 1-2 ace tandems in for contending teams. Halladay-Lee, Lincecum-Cain, Lester-Beckett etc. You are hard pressed to find a better 1-2 punch than Jered Weaver and Dan Haren. Throw in Ervin Santana and the Angels would have probably the most lethal 1-2-3 of any American League staff.

Plus these aces winning would take away some of the sting of 2006. Dan Haren was a member of the Cardinals who was dealt away in 2005 for Mark Mulder. The Cardinals won the World Series that year but Mulder was injured and Haren was in Oakland. Mulder was replaced by Jeff Weaver, Jered's brother. Jeff was cut by the Angels to make room for Jered. It would be nice to see the Weaver brothers compare rings.



5. Old and Young Angels would be rewarded

The picture to the left shows 35 year old Torii Hunter high fiving 19 year old Mike Trout. This team can be a wonderful bridge between veterans fighting for their first title and young kids hoping to get their quest for a title over with early.

Vernon Wells, Abreu, Hunter and Joel Pinero know their window is closing. Players like Weaver, Trout, Tyler Chatwood, Jordan Walden, Peter Bourjos and Mark Trumbo all hope to be fixtures in Anaheim for a while. This year could be a wonderful bridge for two eras of Angels baseball.





6. FINALLY some tourists would discover Anaheim!

Seriously. I feel so badly for the Chamber of Commerce of Anaheim.

Without the Angels, why would any tourist come to Orange County. If only there was SOMETHING in Anaheim that could draw in tourism without being solely dependent on the fate of the Angels.

We've got to brainstorm about that.


7. It would be further humiliation for Frank McCourt... which is a good thing

The Dodgers actually play in Los Angeles and they have the deep rooted love and devotion of the city (even though they arrived in Los Angeles only 3 years before the Angels were formed.)

But with the Dodgers in disarray, losing in front of empty seats, dumping players and needing to be bailed out by baseball, one of the marquee franchises has become a laughing stock.

Having them not only endure this disastrous season but seeing their nominal neighbor win it all would only help getting McCourt and this whole mess out of the game.

As entertaining as it has been, it has run its course.




8. Arte Moreno is a great owner and great owners should have a title.

Moreno took over the Angels after they won the World Series under Disney. So he took over a quality team. But what has happened under his leadership is stability in management, a quality product on the field and class in the organization.

They have developed good players, traded and signed others and consistently contended. And their owner clearly cares to not only win but make the Angels a proud organization.

You think that's par for the course? Why not drive up the 5 and visit Chavez Ravine, then get back to me.

Like Mark Cuban in basketball, owners who really care and put their guts in the team deserve a title.


9. It's best that all teams that won in the Steroid Era win another title soon.

Look, we all had fun during The Steroid Era, but it would be best for the game that it goes away as soon as possible.

The teams that won during the peak would all be better off if they pick up another title so their last October heroes weren't sitting under a black cloud.

When 2002 World Series MVP Troy Glaus' name came up in the steroid investigations, a Giants friend of mine said "See! We should have won if they weren't juicing!" I pointed out that the Giants had Barry Bonds.

Seriously... let's put it all behind us.

10. Maybe another title will FINALLY make the Angels one of the cool marquee baseball franchises

A few years ago, I wrote about how everything was underrated with the Angels.

From Rod Carew and Nolan Ryan building up their Cooperstown credentials to Don Baylor and Fred Lynn launching homers to Reggie Jackson's last October hurrah and Jim Freaking Abbott, the Angels have always provided some great moments and likable stars. And they had Gene Autry owning the team and loving them until the day he died. (Why isn't the stadium called "Gene Autry Park?")

Maybe their lack of championships despite having star players hurt them in getting national exposure. Maybe playing in Orange County instead of in the city has given the Angels an aura of being a suburb franchise and not a cool city team.

But they ARE a model team and have given their fans lots of great baseball. They should be mentioned as one of the top tier teams. Maybe tying the Red Sox and Yankees with World Series titles this century will do just that!


Now as a Red Sox fan, I've never been a big Angels fan. But there is no denying lots of positives would come about from an Angels title.

If they lose a few more games, it would make this whole post moot. Then again, because I picked the Angels, I suppose I should be kind of rooting for them.

If you liked this then go ahead and read the entries for the other teams.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX
NEW YORK YANKEES
ST. LOUIS CARDINALS