Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - January 14, 2013

Comedian Clayton Fletcher joins The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast today.
We talked about the Baltimore Orioles, run differential and what we should do with Buck Showalter.

Follow Clayton of Twitter HERE.


 Sully Baseball Daily Podcast - January 14, 2013

 

It's GOT TO BE the Smiling Bird!

Did you notice that the Orioles are hot?



Not just based upon their 5 run bottom of the 9th win today capped by Wilson Betemit's walk off 3 run jack.



But Buck Showalter is entering the month's final game tied for first in the Division. The Orioles have a better record than the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Tigers, the Angels and many other teams that were expected to contend.



Adam Jones is off to a great start. Red Sox nemesis Nolan Reimold is hitting the ball well. Matt Weiters is driving in runs. And Tommy Hunter looked terrific today (I thought last year he was a good pick up for Baltimore.)



Jim Johnson has been spot on as a closer and while the Red Sox and Yankees try to piece together a rotation, Jason Hammel and Wei-Yin Chen join Hunter as solid starters so far. If Jake Arrieta and Brian Matusz can get their acts together, this would be a deep staff.



So who should get credit for this?

Buck Showalter?

Dan Duquette?



Of course not.

It's the smiling bird hat.



This is their best start since 2008 when they won 16 games in April. And we all know how THAT season ended. (Actually I bet you didn't. They were a .500 team in mid July but went 23-52 after the 4th of July to finish with 93 losses.)



But the feeling in Baltimore is good right now.

And that bird has reason to smile.

Beware of Birds... Orioles to be specific

What a difference a half season makes.

In June, I was telling Orioles fans to save their ticket stub for a 2010 game as proof of their loyalty to the birds. They were on pace for 117 losses and being one of the worst teams in the history of the 162 game schedule era.

Now a casual glance at the Orioles would see little to get excited about. They finished the season with the fourth worst record in baseball and 30 games out of first place (and 29 games out of a playoff spot.)

But keep in mind they were a .500 team in the second half. They played winning ball under Buck Showalter. And yes Peter Angelos is still the owner of the team and winning with that doofus calling the shots is all but impossible.

But remember it was impossible to win under Steinbrenner from 1982 until the strike of 1994. It was impossible to win with Ted Turner making so many dumb decisions with the Braves in the 1980s.

Then Steinbrenner got suspended and allowed Stick Michael and Buck to put a winner together. And Ted Turner allowed John Schuerholz to actually put a team together with Bobby Cox.

Then you couldn't LOSE in New York and Atlanta!

Could this be happening in Baltimore? Andy McPhail, like Schuerholz, has already put a winner together.

And by the looks of things, they are slapping together a young talented team.

Jeremy Guthrie isn't on anyone's short list of Cy Young candidates, but then again was Zack Greinke going into 2009? Or Cliff Lee going into 2008?

Along with Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Brad Bergsen, Zach Britton, Chris Tillman, Rick Vanden Hurk and Troy Patton, the Orioles are stockpiling arms and look like they are embracing the post steroid era of baseball: Gobble up as much pitching as possible and hope to push 3 or 4 runs across the plate.

It worked for one team wearing orange and black this October. And trust me, as recently as 2007, the Giants looked like rudderless organization.

Plus with Matt Wieters, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis there is the possibility of a nice middle of the line up. (And even Mr "Tons of potential" Felix Pie showed some improvement in the second half of the season.)

They need a veteran bat in their lineup (Paul Konerko anyone?)

Also they could use an innings eater for the rotation. I was going to suggest Jon Garland, but it looks like he is heading to the Dodgers.

So why not aim for the big fish?
Greinke wants out of Kansas City but doesn't want to play for a big market.

Why not the Orioles? Put together a package of young players but don't touch the nucleus... have Greinke anchor the rotation and Konerko give the lineup a boost.

And have Showalter in charge all year.

Something good could happen... kind of like 1989. The year before, the 1988 Orioles began the season 0-21 and were the worst team in baseball. The next year they contended until the last weekend of the season.

Think that is silly?

Sillier than the Rays winning the 2008 pennant?

The Rays are dismantling, the Yankees could be shooting themselves in the foot with this odd off season, the Blue Jays have a nice team but hardly a juggernaut and the Red Sox, while they have good pitching, have a lineup in disarray.

A good Orioles team could sneak in. Maybe not to win a playoff spot, but trips to Baltimore are no longer an easy 2 out of 3 wins.

Then guess what? The potential of the biggest sleeping giant in baseball could be awakened.
The Orioles were once a dominating team with a crazed fanbase.

They were a more consistent contender and destination for star players than Boston ever was.

Could they be again?

We'll see.

But do us ALL a favor:
GO BACK TO THE SMILING BIRD HATS!

Was it really necessary to play a double header between the Orioles and Tigers yesterday?

Did even the fans in Baltimore want to see these two games?

I mean I guess the 20,000 fans who paid to see the games must have been happy to see the birds win both games. But it is one team that played well to avoid 100 losses playing a team that has to run the table to finish about .500.

One lousy team versus an underachiever who has as much chance to play a meaningful game this October as the Seattle Pilots.

I think the baseball world could have still turned if they just played one game and each team finished the season with 161 games.

Now I didn't watch the games (No, I wasn't going to spend my Friday night watching TWO Tigers/Orioles games!) but were there really 20,000 people there?

20,000 people showed up to watch these two teams. I know that isn't a great crowd, but this wasn't a great match up.

Baltimore is a sleeping giant, folks. If 20,000 fans could show up to see this lemon of a match up... then there might very well be a rabid fan base just waiting for a winner.

Do your job, Buck Showalter. You could become a Baltimore God.

The sun is setting in Boston

There's no reason to breakdown last night's game. There has been enough breaking down.

The Red Sox lost a game to the Orioles 9-1.
Read that sentence again.

I know the Orioles have played better since Buck Showalter has arrived but I don't care if Earl Weaver is the manager, the days of losing to the Orioles 9-1 should have retired with Cal Ripken.

It is almost over... what a shame that the two Yankees series at the end of the year will be mere formalities.

But, dutifully, I will listen to the game tonight.

I am like the captain at the helm of a sinking ship.

The Buck (and the losing) stops here

As a selfish Red Sox fan, I don't like what I am seeing in the American League East.

It used to be so simple... as recently as 2007 this was what playing in the AL East was like:

The Yankees... man they are tough. The Sox can play well against them, but it is always a dog fight and the season series is always close.

The Blue Jays... they have a few good players and can beat you if you are napping. Won't be a factor in August.

The Devil Rays... please. They are a minor league team. That's 3 or 4 W's.

The Orioles... pathetic. They were once so proud. Now not only do they suck but that beautiful ballpark is empty except for the Red Sox fans who made the trip after doing the calculations that buying a train ticket to Baltimore and buying tickets at face value is cheaper than going to Fenway.

Now?

The Blue Jays are going to have a winning season... Tampa dropped the Devil and will be better than the Red Sox and playoff bound for the second time in three seasons...

And now the Orioles have shown pride playing under Buck Showalter. After tonight's win at Fenway, the O's, who were on pace for a 110+ loss season, are 28-17 under Buck.

Tonight's 7th inning rally may not have been the last nail in the coffin, but let's just say you should start buying a flower arrangement for the funeral home.

The old man is barely breathing but until the plug is pulled, I am updating the tally.

DODGED A BULLET GAMES - 49

April 4 - 9-7 win against Yankees (On Opening Night, the Red Sox overcome a 5-1 Yankee lead with a game tying HR by Pedroia and a go ahead passed ball.)
April 10 - 8-3 win against Kansas City (Beckett out pitches Zack Greinke and nearly gets decapitated by a line drive.)
April 14 - 6-3 win in Minnesota. (Okajima gets Morneau to pop up with the bases loaded in the 7th and Papelbon wiggled out of a 9th inning jam.)
April 20 - 7-6 win against Texas. (Darnell McDonald introduces himself to Boston with an 8th inning game tying homer and a walk off hit in the 9th.)
April 21 - 8-7 win against Texas. (The Red Sox were down 4-0 early only to win it on Youk's 2 out 11th inning double.)
April 23 - 4-3 win against Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 3-0 lead but win it on Adrian Beltre's bases loaded walk.)

April 24 - 7-6 win against Baltimore. (The Red Sox score 6 in the 7th and hold off a late Baltimore comeback attempt.)
April 26 - 13-12 win at Toronto. (The Sox blow an early 5-0 lead but hang on for dear life in a slugfest.)
April 27 - 2-1 win at Toronto. (Buchholz holds the Jays down for 8 but it takes a bases loaded walk in the 8th to go ahead.)
April 28 - 2-0 win at Toronto. (Daniel Bard wiggles out of trouble in the 8th to help Lester shut down the Blue Jays and finish the sweep.)
May 4 - 5-1 win against the Angels. (Juan Rivera misplays Jeremy Hermedia's 2 out flyball into a 3 run game winning double)
May 5 - 3-1 win against the Angels. (Papi and Beltre homer and the Sox hang on despite squandering many potential rallies.)
May 6 - 11-6 win against the Angels. (Dice-K puts the Red Sox in a 4-0 hole before they even bat. The Sox bats respond.)
May 10 - 7-6 win against the Blue Jays. (Sox blow an early 2-0 lead, take advantage of some errors and hang on.)
May 18 - 7-5 win in New York. (Sox climb back from a 5-1 hole. A day after hitting a walk off homer, Marcus Thames drops a fly ball to start the winning rally for the Sox.)
May 25 - 2-0 win in Tampa. (Big Papi supplies all the offense as Papelbon wiggles out of a 9th inning jam.)
May 29 - 1-0 win against Kansas City. (Zack Greinke holds the Sox to one run, but they make it stick)

June 1 - 9-4 win against Oakland. (Lackey puts the Sox in a 4-0 hole but Victor Martinez goes 5-5 and the Sox score 9 runs late.)
June 2 - 6-4 win against Oakland. (Dice-K puts the Sox in a 3-0 hole before they come to bat, but come back thanks to Papi's homer.)

June 8 - 3-2 win at Cleveland. (With Papelbon unavailable, Okajima, Ramirez and Bard hang on to make a winner out of Wakefield.)

June 19 - 5-4 win against the Dodgers. (Sox make 4 errors, blow a late lead and let Manny homer, but they win it in the bottom of the 9th on a Pedroia single.)
June 20 - 2-0 win against the Dodgers. (Dodgers blow an early bases loaded scoring opportunity and allow Buchholz to settle down for the win.)

June 24 - 13-11 win in Colorado. (The bullpen lets up 9 runs in 5 innings, but Pedroia homers 3 times including with 2 outs in the 10th to win a wild and stupid game.)
June 26 - 4-2 win in San Francisco. (An injury running the bases takes Buchholz out in the second, but the bullpen and Mike Cameron's bat and glove win the game.)
July 2 - 3-2 win against the Orioles. (Wakefield gets the win and J.D. Drew homers twice, but it is Nava's 2 out 8th inning bloop that landed between three fielders that breaks the tie.)

July 11 - 3-2 win in Toronto. (Jesse Litch took a no hitter into the 6th but back to back homers by McDonald and Big Papi win the game.)
July 17 - 3-2 win against Texas. (Youk ties the game in the 9th off of Cliff Lee and wins it in the 11th with a sacrifuce fly)
July 19 - 2-1 win at Oakland. (Beltre homers and Dice-K holds on to the win.)
July 22 - 8-6 win at Seattle. (Lackey lost a no hit bid in the 8th and the Mariners scored 5 in the 9th to tie before the Sox won in 13)
July 23 - 2-1 win at Seattle. (Bill Hall's barely fair homer gives the Sox the win on Beckett's return.)

July 26 - 6-3 win in Anaheim. (Papi homers twice and Buccholz and Papelbon each wiggle out of jams to get the win.)
July 27 - 4-2 win in Anaheim. (Jed Lowrie's 2 run 7th inning double gives the Sox the lead and makes a winner out of John Lackey. )

July 28 - 7-3 win in Anaheim. (Youk ties the game in the 7th with a homer and Scutaro wins it with an 8th inning grand slam to sweep the Angels.)
July 31 - 5-4 win against Detrout. (Big Papi hits a 3 run walk off double to crush the Tigers in the 9th.)
August 1 - 4-3 win against Detroit. (Sox blow a 3 run 9th inning lead but the Tigers throw away a 9th inning sacrifice bunt to give the Sox the win.

August 3 - 3-1 win against Cleveland. (Lowell homers on his first pitch back and plays sparkling defense to preserve the win.)

August 6 - 6-3 win in Yankee Stadium. (Cervelli drops an easy pop up, setting up the winning rally for the Sox.)
August 9 - 2-1 win in Yankees Stadium. (Marcus Thames' bid for a game tying homer hits the top of the wall as Lester, Bard and Papelbon hold on for the win.)

August 10 - 7-5 win in Toronto. (The Sox blow a late lead but Mike Lowell puts them on top for good with an 8th inning homer.)
August 14 - 3-1 win in Texas. (Lester wiggles out of jams and a botched hit and run play kills a potential 9th inning Texas rally.)
August 18 - 7-5 win against the Angels. (The Sox fell behind 5-2, but came back with Beltre's homer, a wild pitch, a hit by pitch and some great Nava defense)
August 21 - 5-4 win against Toronto. (Jed Lowrie hits a walk off 11th inning homer, masking a come back rally by the Jays against Dice-K.)
August 23 - 6-3 win against Seattle. (Scuatro drives in the go ahead runs and Lackey throws a gritty 8 innings)
August 25 - 5-3 win against Seattle. (Beckett throws a shutout into the 7th and the Sox rally for 4 in the 6th in the rain and fog, including a strange RBI single off the pitcher by Beltre.)
August 27 - 3-1 win at Tampa Bay. (Victor Martinez homers twice and Papelbon wiggles out of a 9th inning jam as Lester out duels David Price.)
September 1 - 9-6 win in Baltimore. (A 6 run seventh inning uprising turns an early Orioles lead into a Sox win.)
September 2 - 6-4 win in Baltimore. (The Sox score 5 in the second and hang on for dear life.)
September 12 - 5-3 win in Oakland. (J. D. sparks a comeback win and Beckett gets the win.)
September 14 - 9-6 win in Seattle. (The Sox come back in the 8th thanks to Ortiz's 30th homer.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 47

April 6 - 6-4 loss against the Yankees. (Scutaro's error leads to the winning run.)
April 7 - 3-1 loss against the Yankees. (Sox leave the winning run on in the 9th only to lose on Granderson's 10th inning homer)
April 9 - 4-3 loss in Kansas City. (Bard coughs up the lead, denying Wakefield a win.)
April 17 - 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Sox can't score with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 11th... lost it in the 12th.)
April 17 - 6-5 loss to Tampa Bay. (The Red Sox comeback falls a run short, leaving two on in the 8th)
April 25 - 7-6 loss to Baltimore. (The Sox blow a 4-1 lead, leave the winning run on second in the 9th, let up 3 in the 10th and could only score 2 in the bottom of the 10th)
April 30 - 5-4 loss in Baltimore. (Tejada ties the game with a 2 out 8th inning homer and wins it with a bloop in the 10th)
May 1 - 12-9 loss in Baltimore. (Dice-K and Wakes get pounded, wasting 2 homers from Ortiz and an early 4-1 lead.)
May 2 - 3-2 loss in Baltimore. (Varitek is thrown at home trying to score with 2 outs in the 8th. Sox get swept in the 10th.
May 12 - 3-2 loss against the Blue Jays. (The Sox rally in the 9th comes up a run short and Kevin Gregg gets an ugly save.)
May 15 - 7-6 loss in Detroit. (The Sox blow a 6-1 lead and lose it on a 2 out bases loaded walk in the 12th.)
May 17 - 11-9 loss in New York. (The Sox come all the way back from a 5-0 first inning hole to take a 9-7 lead in the 9th... but Papelbon lets up a 2 run game tying shot to A-Rod and a 2 run walk off shot to Marcus Thames.)
May 21 - 5-1 loss in Philadelphia. (Big Papi's bid for a game tying 9th inning grand slam is caught at the warning track.)
May 27 - 4-3 loss to Kansas City. (Dice-K walks the go ahead run in and lets another score on a wild pitch as the Royals no name bullpen shut down the Hot Sox.)
May 28 - 12-5 loss to Kansas City. (Sox blow a 3-0 first inning lead to be blown out in Fenway.)
June 3 - 9-8 loss to Oakland. (Sox lose a slugfest where two Boston runners are thrown out at home.)

June 6 - 4-3 loss in Baltimore. (Sox rally to tie the game in the 9th only to lose it on a small ball rally in the 11th.)
June 10 - 8-7 loss in Cleveland. (Sox blow an early 5-0 lead and then after rallying in the 9th to take the lead coughed it up with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th)
June 13 - 5-3 loss to Philadelphia. (Sox 9th inning rally comes up short)
June 22 - 2-1 loss in Colorado. (The Sox waste a solid Lester start and twice leave the bases loaded.)
June 23 - 8-6 loss in Colorado. (The Sox batter Ubaldo Jimenez around but Papelbon lets up 2 homers in the 9th to lose it.)
June 25 - 5-4 loss in San Francisco. (The Sox strand 11 runners in the last 4 innings wasting a solid Wakefield performance.)
July 5 - 6-5 loss in Tampa Bay. (Sox spoil a 5-1 lead and 2 homers by Eric Patterson when Dice-K and the bullpen couldn't hold down the Rays.)
July 6 - 3-2 loss in Tampa Bay. (Sox bats go dead and Kevin Youkilis goes down to injury.)
July 7 - 6-4 loss in Tampa Bay. (Matt Garza comes out of the pen, shuts down a late rally as the Rays sweep the Sox.)
July 10 - 9-5 loss in Toronto. (The Sox give Lackey an early 5-3 lead that he couldn't hold.)
July 18 - 4-2 loss to the Rangers. (Lester loses a rare game at home that included a Rangers steal of home.) July 20 - 5-4 loss in Oakland. (The Sox go up 4-0 after 2 but don't score again and lose it in the 10th)
July 21 - 6-4 loss in Oakland. (Buchholz can't hold on to an early lead as the Sox lose the series.)
July 24 - 5-1 loss in Seattle. (Lester's perfect game is foiled and the Red Sox bats die.)
July 25 - 4-2 loss in Seattle. (Okajima misplays a sacrifice bunt and the Mariners rally in the 8th to win.)
July 30 - 6-5 loss to Detroit. (Papi's grand slam makes it a 1 run game in the 9th but Cameron strikes out looking with the winning runs on base.)
August 2 - 6-5 loss to Cleveland. (Beltre drives in 5 runs by himself but the Red Sox leave the tying run on base with Big Papi on deck.)
August 12 - 6-5 loss in Toronto. (The Jays score 4 in the 9th inning to avoid the sweep.)
August 13 - 10-9 loss in Texas. (Beckett can't hold an early 8-1 lead as the Sox lose in 11.)
August 15 - 7-3 loss in Texas. (Young's homer breaks open a tight game.)
August 25 - 4-2 loss to Seattle. (The Sox knock out King Felix but can't score on the bullpen.)
August 28 - 3-2 loss in Tampa. (Buchholz was wonderful but Upton's homer in the 8th tied it and Dan Johnson's homer in the 10th was the winner)
August 29 - 5-3 loss in Tampa. (Dan Johnson once again sinks the Sox with a late game RBI single)

August 31 - 5-2 loss in Baltimore. (Beckett pitches well but 2 8th inning homers sink the Sox.)
September 4 - 3-1 loss to Chicago. (Manny acts contrite, Konerko gets 3 hits and Danks shuts down a lifeless Sox team.)
September 4 - 3-1 loss to Chicago. (Nope, it isn't a typo. They lost twice in the same day by the same score.)
September 5 - 7-5 loss to Chicago. (Papelbon implodes as the Red Sox blow a 5-3 lead in the 9th thanks to 5 ninth inning walks.)
September 11 - 4-3 loss in Oakland. (Lackey pitches well but the A's rally in the 7th, highlighted by a Rajai Davis triple just out of Ryan Kalish's reach.)
September 17 - 11-9 loss to Toronto. (Lackey gets pounded and the Red Sox rally falls short.)
September 18 - 4-3 loss to Toronto. (Ryan Kalish is picked off first in the 9th inning with the big bats coming up.)
September 20 - 4-2 loss to Baltimore. (The Red Sox tie the game in the 6th only to let the Orioles rally the next inning.


Down to +2.

The Tragic Number is down to 7.
The Red Sox could be eliminated by the weekend...

But they aren't dead yet.

Regarding the Orioles... let me paraphrase Close Encounters of the Third Kind

This is NUTS!

Before Buck Showalter arrived, the Orioles were on pace to be the worst team the franchise had fielded in the 162 game era.

I was telling Oriole fans to go to a game just to prove their loyalty.

Then when Buck took over the team, I wondered if they could play 47-7 the rest of the way and finish with a winning season.

That would mean playing at a .870 clip.

Guess what? So far they HAVE been playing at a .875 clip (7-1) and they are winning tonight!

OK fine, they STILL have the worst record in baseball... but maybe after tonight they could pass the Pirates.

These are the same players who were on pace to win 49 games before Buck showed up.

Can he keep this up?

If the Orioles do keep it up, it would be more incredible than anything Richard Dreyfuss saw at Devils' Tower.

The Birds should have hired Showalter back in April

The Orioles were supposed to be that welcoming sight on the schedule. Camden Yards was a spa where all woes of a losing streak could go away.

In other words, the Orioles have sucked for so long that beating them in a series was always a foregone conclusion and down right awful when they would sneak a game or two.

Or at least that is what the Desperate to get their act together Angels and trying to put distance between them and their closest team White Sox are probably thinking.

But the O's swept the Angels, ending any realistic playoff hopes and now the White Sox lost in extra innings.

Is this REALLY what Buck Showalter can do for a team?

They can go from joke to unbeatable after one week?

Back in June when Dave Trembley was fired and replaced by Juan Samuel on an interim basis, I said they could bring back John McGraw and this team would still lose 100 games.

Maybe that is the goal. Have this team avoid 100 losses.

After tonight, they will have to go 27-26 over their last 53 games in order to stay at 99 losses.

Granted, that's not exactly the most inspirational goal for a team, but this team needs to take baby steps.

And so far so good in the Showalter era.

Can the Orioles go 47-7 the rest of the way?

The Orioles only have 54 more games... and all season they have been staring at a 100 loss season or worse. For a while it looked like they were going to be one of the worst teams in the franchise history, dating back to their days as the St. Louis Browns.

But a strange thing has happened to the Orioles since Buck Showalter took over:

They are winning.

Granted it is only 3 games... but the lowly Orioles seem like they just eliminated the three time defending division champion Angels tonight.

And maybe Buck Showalter has scared them into relevance.

The Orioles have put a winning product on the field since losing the 1997 ALCS to the Indians.

Well what if THESE Orioles went 47-7 the rest of the way?

They'd finish 82-80 and join the rest of their division as a winning team.

Far fetched? Sure.

But so far Showalter has them on that pace.

Good luck, Buck

Buck Showalter has his own Mission Impossible and he chose to accept it.

Make the Orioles relevant again.

He's taken on a few doozy assignments over the years:

Rebuild the Yankees of the early 1990s.

Build a team in Arizona.

Put a winning product on the field in Arlington.

He did all three... and Joe Torre and Bob Brenly reaped the rewards of Buck's hard work with a few World Series titles. (I wonder what Buck felt like seeing the Yankee team he helped put together being beaten by the Diamondback team he managed just a year before in the 2001 World Series.)

Well now he needs to take what used to be one of the great baseball cities ever and make them care about the birds again, something they haven't done since Ripken was in uniform.

Step one: Make sure the Orioles don't have one of the worst records in the history of baseball.

He won tonight.

So far so good.

Yes Buck... Angelos is still the owner

Suddenly Buck doesn't look so happy about the new gig.

He had a nice cushy TV gig and now he is taking the baseball gig that can be best be compared to coaching the Oakland Raiders.

The gig used to mean pride and championships.

Now it is a joke being played out in front of empty seats, pissed off fans and an owner who should sell the team out of mercy.

Then again all Buck has to do is lead them to mediocrity and he'll be a hero. Lest we forget the Orioles haven't been a .500 team since the 1997 ALCS. Their incompetency streak is a mere 5 years shorter than their opponents from '71 and '79, the Pirates.

Good luck Buck.

Start by changing back to the smiling bird hat.

Hey Bobby V and Buck... take your time picking a team

Bobby Valentine was rumored to be the new manager of the Marlins and supposedly Buck Showalter is hovering around Baltimore ready to wear the black and orange.

And yet Edwin Rodriguez is still in charge of the Marlins and Juan Samuel is helming the Orioles. And I think that is a good thing.

Not only do life long baseball men like Rodriguez and Samuel get to potentially finish up the season, but Bobby V and Buck, two of the most intriguing managerial candidates out there, could feast on one of the most robust and potentially rewarded managerial free agency off seasons in history.

Assuming that Joe Torre will join Bobby Cox, Cito Gaston and Lou Piniella in retirement (which he should) and Jerry Manuel won't be asked back to manage the Mets (which he probably won't) then there are jobs with lots of potential glory and obvious hazards out there for two managers who have worked in the bright spotlight, had success but looking for that ring.

Let's look at the potential landing spots.

ATLANTA BRAVES

THE UPSIDE:

- The team looks like it is playoff bound, so you will be inheriting a winner.

- With McCann, Heyward, Hanson, Jurjenns and McLouth, you have a solid nucleus for a winner for years to come.

- The recent playoff success helps make it an attractive free agent destination.

THE DOWNSIDE:

- The shadow of Bobby Cox will lurk over this team for a generation.

- 14 straight trips to the playoffs is a tough act to follow.

- If they win how much credit can you claim? It will be like Joe Altobelli winning in 1983 with a team Earl Weaver put together.

- Ted Turner no longer runs the team, so the days of spending big to win now are over.

- The fans don't care. They can't even sell out playoff games!

THE VERDICT:

Best leave Bobby Cox to pick his own successor. Between Terry Pendleton and Fredi Gonzalez there are a bunch of Cox's former lieutenants who can take over the job without making the organization feel like they are going in a totally new direction.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

THE UPSIDE:

- The Orioles are a tradition rich organization with some of the best and most passionate fans in the game who are DROOLING for a winner.

- They won't be trying to move unless they get a "Camden Yards like stadium."

- Matt Weiters, Adam Jones and Brian Matusz are a nice trio to build a team around.

- The passion is high but the expectations aren't. This will be their 5th straight 90+ loss season. They haven't had a winner since 1997. Put a winner on the field and Camden Yard will be full of grateful fans.

THE DOWNSIDE:

- There's a reason they have gone more than a decade without a .500 team... the only teams in American Pro Sports with worse management are the Raiders and the Clippers.

- That Orioles winning tradition is harder to sell when the last Orioles championship took place before their young stars were born.

- The Orioles have been good and developing hyped prospects, not quality major leaguers.

- Oh that A.L. East... good luck spending with the Sox and the Yankees.

THE VERDICT:

A good gig if you want to look like a hero (a la Jim Leyland with the Tigers.) Better hope the Red Sox, Rays and Yankees get injured. Better yet, better hope Peter Angelos sells the team!

CHICAGO CUBS

THE UPSIDE:

- Hey you want to be a God to a fan base and be instantly considered a Hall of Famer? Then manage the Cubs to a World Series title.

- You don't need to worry about fan support nor revenues.

- Maybe the new ownership will open up the purse and do "Operation Red Sox - 2004" and get all that Billy Goat crap put to rest.

- With players like Castro and Soto, they have some young stars to build with.

THE DOWNSIDE:

- If winning a title for the Cubs is so easy, then why hasn't anyone done it since the days of Tinker to Evers to Chance?

- They've had over 50 managers since 1908 including Joe McCarthy, Rogers Hornsby, Leo Durocher, Lou Boudreau, Dusty Baker and Lou Piniella. Good luck!

- The Cubs lead the league in unmovable awful contracts. As long as Jim Hendry is buying the groceries, the Cubs won't be cooking up anything that tasty.

THE VERDICT:

It is the easiest route to immortality and having a major city treat you like a God. But the fan base is getting restless and the new ownership is a wild card. Also for whatever reason, Ryne Sandberg has been anointed the new Cubs manager savior... good luck with that.

FLORIDA MARLINS

THE UPSIDE:

- The team has a tendency of winning a World Series every once in a while. Might as well win one on your watch.

- Living year round in Miami isn't that bad.

- No pressure. The fans will be so busy watching Wade and LeBron that they won't notice you until you are in the World Series.

- You could manage the team when the excitement of an actual BASEBALL stadium opening in Miami occurs in a few years. Maybe some fans will show up as well.

- If you can harness the potential of Hanley Ramirez, you could have a Hall of Famer on your hand.

THE DOWNSIDE:

- Ebenezer Scrooge thinks that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is cheap.

- Joe Girardi and Fredi Gonzalez each led overachieving low budget teams to surprising records... and both were rewarded with being fired.

- Fans didn't seem to care when they won in 1997 and 2003. Why would they care now?

THE VERDICT:

Maybe the new stadium and new revenues will mean longer contracts for their players. Miami may be a cool place to live, but so far it is no baseball town. But if this is the last managerial stop, then why not? If you retire, you'll already be in Florida!

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

THE UPSIDE:

- A Chance to manage one of the marquee, big market, high profile organizations.

- They have a rich farm system that produces solid big leaguers at a steady rate.

- They also have a pitchers ballpark and play in a pitchers division, so it is about as attractive a destination for any quality free agent arm to land.

- They have a wonderfully rich tradition that treats its Champions with dignity.

THE DOWNSIDE:

- Mel Gibson's divorce was civil compared to the fiasco that is the McCourts.

- A championship window might be closing and shockingly it is not out of the question that the Dodgers might be dismantling the team soon.

- You know Joe Torre doesn't WANT to leave... but he also knows that managing a losing team isn't how he wants to end his legacy. Why should you take Joe's scraps.

THE VERDICT:

If the divorce settles and the Dodgers can act like one of the few big market, big budget teams that they are, then this is a job sent from heaven. But despite all the resources, talent and solid managers that have come and gone through L.A. recently, they still have startling turnover (nobody from the 2004 playoff roster was on the 2006 playoff roster and they had three different managers since the 2004 NL West title.) A good gig if you win. Lousy if the divorce drags on.

NEW YORK METS

THE UPSIDE:

-You win in New York and you are a God. And currently only one position is available in New York.

- The expectations aren't as high in Queens, but winning there might be more special because it has been so infrequent.

- You never have to worry about management cutting corners on free agents. They are as aggressive as any team not named the Yankees.

- National exposure and a passionate fan base would make any title even bigger.

- Both of you (Bobby and Buck) have unfinished business in New York.

THE DOWNSIDE:

- Both Buck and Bobby V managed in New York before. Are you two considered damaged goods?

- Omar Minaya is to the Mets what Jim Hendry is to the Cubs. Aggressive but wreckless with contracts and can put a loser on the field with a $100+ million payroll.

- Every move is broken down to the point where you have to answer to Joey from Sheepshead Bay calling in to WFAN when your bullpen move didn't work.

- No matter how big the Mets get, they are the poor stepchild of the Yankees.

THE VERDICT:

Untold glory and unspeakable headaches can come from being the skipper in New York. Joe Torre gave the Yankees 6 pennants and 4 World Series titles and that wasn't enough for some people. Make sure you can work well with Omar... just ask Willie Randolph how fun it was.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

THE UPSIDE:

- Toronto is a great city. Big, cosmopolitan and clean... with universal health care.

- It's also a passionate sports town and when the Blue Jays have something to offer, they show up in record numbers.

- With Marcum, Romero, Litsch and Drabek, they have a nice foundation of young pitching... which as we know is the cornerstone of any championship run.

- Expectations are low. Exceed them and be a hero.

THE DOWNSIDE:

- In case you didn't know, Toronto is in Canada. You try luring free agents across the border!

- Also in case you didn't know, Toronto is in the American League East. Unless you see the Red Sox, Yankees or Rays crumbling any time soon, you are more likely to see the EXPOS in the playoffs before the Blue Jays.

- Unless you really see Jose Bautista and John Buck being the cornerstones to a title team, this team is going to REALLY stink for a while.

- Toronto fans are passionate, yet don't you feel they'd give Joe Carter's home run back in a second for a Stanley Cup.

- People in America will put out a missing persons report for you.

THE VERDICT:

Let some young manager working their way up the ranks take over Toronto. This is no place for a skipper with some success under their wing... except for Cito Gaston.



If I were advising the two... I'd tell Bobby Valentine to take over the Dodgers. Eventually the divorce will die down and L.A. would eat up his larger than life style.

As for Showalter, I wouldn't touch the Orioles with a cattle prod. I'd go to the Mets, especially if Minaya is shown the door. Buck put together a winner in New York once before and he can do it again... and this time follow it all the way through.

Choose carefully, you two. You already have playoff experience and some aura about your dugout smarts in the bank. A World Series title on your resume... you might be talked about as a Cooperstown candidate.

And remember... all the smart baseball people read this blog and take my advice to heart.

Evaluating The Yankee Warm Up Jackets

My wife thinks I've been obsessing over uniforms on the blog these days. And as usual, my bride is right.

I've criticized the Royals and Rays for their tops and the Indians for their hats while praising the new Pirates uniforms.

But now I am turning my uniform thoughts to a bigger fish. The Yankees.



Wait a second Sully, you might be saying. What can be said about the Yankees uniforms? They haven't changed since the days of Babe Ruth!

Actually during Ruth's playing days they didn't have the interlocking N-Y on their uniform.

Any pictures you see with Babe Ruth wearing the N-Y on his jersey were taken at Old Timers Day after he had retired.

But since the days of Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig, the uniforms, both home and away have remained constant.

The hats are the same...

The home jerseys are the same...

The road unis are the same...

There's no names on the back...

What is there to discuss?

This is Sully Baseball and there is ALWAYS something to pick apart, and for the Yankees it is the warm up jackets which have changed over the years.

And seeing that the managers are usually the ones who wear the warm up jackets, let's take a look at them over the years as worn by some of the best Yankee managers of all time.

MILLER HUGGINS models the 1920s
BLOCK LETTER SIDE BY SIDE WARM UP JACKET

The manager of the first great Yankee dynasty had one of the dullest jackets in their teams history. It was probably an after thought. "Here's a jacket... just sew an N and a Y on them." They didn't have the interlocking NY on it. Yeah I know it wasn't on the uniform but it IS on the hat.

But give them a break. They didn't know how much dough was to be made from merchandising.

GRADE: C


JOE McCARTHY models the 1930s and 1940s
SLOPPY INTERLOCKING N-Y WARM UP JACKET

That's a little better. When the Yankees became the first team to win 4 straight World Series, their manager was wearing a jacket that actually can be identified with the Yankees.

The N-Y matches the hat logo, but it is a little sloppy. It kind of resembles an elementary school art project where they have to cut out the N and the Y carefully... and inevitably isn't even. But at least the effort is there.


GRADE: B

CASEY STENGEL models the 1950s
CURSIVE YANKEES WARM UP JACKET

The greatest Yankee manager of them all guided the greatest Yankee dynasty of all time in a radically different jacket.

The script Yankees never appeared on their uniforms and oddly looked too much like the Dodgers script for my liking.

Also, there is another problem I have with this jacket. They introduced red outlines to the letters and the collars. It is hard to tell from this picture, but it can be seen clearly here. Red does NOT belong on the Yankee uniform.

GRADE: C+

BILLY MARTIN models the 1970s and 1980s
SLICK INTERLOCKING N-Y WARM UP JACKET

Now THIS is a jacket. The right N-Y logo on the chest and the top hat logo on the arm. Only white (no red) on the collar and the sleeves. Buttoned up (or not in the case of this picture with Billy Martin.)

The Yankees regained their glory in the late 1970s with Billy wearing this jacket, yelling "don't you try and intimidate me!" at the umps in the World Series.

The best jacket of them all.

GRADE: A+

BUCK SHOWALTER models the 1990s
ZIP UP SLICK INTERLOCKING N-Y WARM UP JACKET

Buck had to pick up the pieces of the mess that was the Yankees of the early 1990s... and the players strike of 1994 probably cost him his best shot of being a World Series winner. But he brought pride back to the Bronx and looked good in the lighter zip up jacket.

There was less chance to be slightly unbuttoned like Billy in the 1970s, but that wasn't Buck's style. He ran a tight ship and wore a tight jacket in the process.


GRADE: A

JOE TORRE models the 1990s and 2000s
NEW CURSIVE YANKEES WARM UP JACKET

Joe Torre brought stability, class and oh yeah titles back to the Bronx. But he also brought back the era of the cursive logo jacket.

As I said with the Stengel entry, I've never been thrilled with the cursive Yankees (although this time they at least removed the red from it.)

But there is something cynical about how the jacket was introduced. They didn't wear it at all until game 1 of the 1996 World Series. Did they have them sitting in a warehouse, ready to spring them out in front of the biggest audience? What if Baltimore won the pennant that year? Would they wait until spring training? The 1997 playoffs? I say put them back into moth balls.

GRADE: C


JOE GIRARDI models the 2000s and 2010s
INEXCUSABLY DULL BLOCK LETTER AWAY WARM UP JACKET

Look, I get it. Merchandising is king and the Yankees need to sell lots of variations of clothes in order to pay for A-Rod, Jeter and Sabathia. And they don't have tons of alternate uniforms, so they need to mix and match something else... so they have home and away warm up jackets.

But how LAZY is this jacket. How dull. Do you know what this looks like? When a beer commercial wants to recreate a baseball game but they don't want to pay the licensing fee so they make up a boring fake generic bargain basement uniform. That's this jacket. If they HAVE to have the cursive Yankee for the home jacket, then just do the interlocking N-Y on the away jacket.

GRADE: F

So let's get at it Yankees... even as a Red Sox fan I can admit your uniforms look awesome. It doesn't take a big effort to have your jackets also look great.

Hmm... I wonder what uniform I can obsess about next...?