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MLB Truths: Totally Different Story If Jose Bautista Was A New York Yankee

Posted by on 24 May 2011, 7:30 pm

Wait…give me a chance.

This is not another article by a delusional New York Yankee fan who thinks everyone can and wants to play in the Bronx.

It is a simple point that if current Toronto Blue Jays super-slugger and baseball’s newest poster boy, Jose Bautista wore a different uniform my guess is things would be much different.

For example, imagine if Bautista had become a Yankee back in 2009 and not a Blue Jay?

Sure you can Photoshop a uniform onto your grandma, but I am referring to his career prior to 2010.

After playing for five different teams over six seasons, no one could or would have anticipated that Bautista would ever knock-in 56 home-runs, 148 hits, 35 doubles, three triples and 124 RBIs in one season.

Not even in their wildest dreams, considering this same utility player the year prior posted 13 home-runs, 79 hits, 13 doubles, three triples and 40 RBIs, which were standard numbers judging over the years of watching Bautista’s capabilities.

Bautista’s best career home-run season was back in 2006 when he hit 16. Then you look at the fact that he has only hit 63 RBIs once, which up until 2010 was a career milestone for the utility player, as that RBI number was usually 10-20 points lower.

So, getting back to the idea that if Bautista was doing all this in Yankee pinstripes would it be the same storyline? And would the media be so kind and would MLB be as forgiving?

Doubtful considering MLB, along with the press generates so much revenue when the Yankees dominate the headlines. The media capitalizes off the negative by constantly over-hyping or make-up stories about the Yankees; it is to the point where any baseball fan, without realizing it, is getting brainwashed.

Two of the zillion of articles hailing Bautista a baseball god really caught my eye.

The first was from yesterdays New York Times written by Dan Rosenheck and the article was called Keeping Score: Bautista’s Stats Approach Those of the Greats, praising Bautista like he is  the hitter baseball has been waiting for.

Next was by Cliff Corcoran of Sports Illustrated who keeps an Awards Watch page all-season, and the most recent article from today read Bautista dominating AL MVP race while NL’s is wide open.

Let me start by saying that Corcoran’s assessment of Bautista being on top is totally fair considering Bautista’s current numbers. What really pissed me off was that Corcoran did not have Yankees Curtis Granderson on the list at all, but instead gave the Grandy-man an honorable mention at the bottom with about 10 other players. That is just pathetic and completely inaccurate.

It got me thinking that if Granderson being a Yankee has anything to do with it?

It sure makes you wonder.

This is the same reason the media hasn’t gone nuts about the real possibility of Bautista using steroids because the stats are quite alarming. Continue reading ‘MLB Truths: Totally Different Story If Jose Bautista Was A New York Yankee’ »

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New York Yankees: Curious About Bartolo Colon And Not Jose Bautista

Posted by on 24 May 2011, 1:54 am

Let me start by saying that I am not accusing Bartolo Colon or Jose Bautista of any misconduct regarding MLB’s Performance Enhancing Drugs Policies.

I am merely conveying a comparison of two players who are playing well beyond what seems humanly capable.

The two happen to be playing each other tonight at Yankee Stadium, where in the first inning Bautista went yard off of Colon bringing his home-run total to 19 this season.

Bautista and his Toronto Blue Jays got the better of Colon’s New York Yankees, taking the first of this three game set 7-3.

BARTOLO COLON:

In Bartolo Colon’s case, his talents were never in question. From the moment he took the mound for the first time in the majors back in 1997, Colon was a rising star. Following his rookie debut, in his first full season in 1998 he was voted an All-Star at the age of 24-years-old.

Colon’s biggest silver came from winning the 2005 CY Young Award, which is the pitching version of the MVP Award. (In case you need a refresher, the CY Young is given once a season, acknowledging the two most impressive arms from each respected league, the American and the National. It is the prize every pitcher dreams about, so the list of winners is the most elite in the history of the game.)

The three seasons following 2005, Colon was on three different teams and had a incurred an injured elbow that was not healing. Colon looked to be heading out the door.

Instead, as he sat out of the entire 2010 season Colon decided he wasn’t done just yet, so when he heard of this progressive procedure that if successful could get him back on the bump again, he jumped.

Serge F. Kovaleski of the New York Times wrote an article recently describing the actual surgery:

Dr. Joseph R. Purita, an orthopedic surgeon who runs a regenerative medicine clinic in Boca Raton, said he and a team of Dominican doctors that he led treated Colon in April 2010. Purita said he employed what he regards as one of his more pioneering techniques: he used fat and bone marrow stem cells from Colon, injecting them back into Colon’s elbow and shoulder to help repair ligament damage and a torn rotator cuff.

Well, the procedure, along with a noted attitude change has worked.

Colon is pitching not just well, but great again. This has caused enormous speculation that HGH was used during the procedure, which all involved completely deny.

Dr. Joseph R. Purita even told ESPNNewYork.com that he is willing to take a lie detector test to prove that he did not use human growth hormone in an elbow surgery that may have saved New York Yankees starter Bartolo Colon’s career.

There has been no proof stating otherwise, but Colon, Dr. Purita and Colon’s agent all understand the position that MLB has taken by conducting an investigation to make sure everything was legal.

JOSE BATISTA:

Why am I bringing up Toronto Blue Jays OF Jose Bautista in relation to the Colon-drama?

Bautista’s bat had a 2010 that will go down in the books as one of the best on record, with the 54 home-runs sticking out the most.

Now in his ninth pro-season, Bautista is defying all odds and is hitting even better so far in 2011.

So, it makes you wonder where this guy was the first seven years, and why had no one even batted an eye at him over that time span.

No one noticed because Bautista wasn’t even an above average hitter. If you want proof all you have to do is check out the facts…. I mean stats. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Curious About Bartolo Colon And Not Jose Bautista’ »

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New York Yankees Are Not Immune To Slumps

Posted by on 15 May 2011, 12:25 pm

THE LATEST:

As if listening to FOX’s Joe Buck for nine innings wasn’t bad enough, the New York Yankees tacked on another ugly loss, as they fell 6-0 to the Boston Red Sox for the second straight night.

Add that to some internal Yankee drama with ex-catcher, now DH Jorge Posada removing himself from the line-up, about two hours after he was moved to the ninth spot in the order.

It’s no secret that Posada has not been happy in his new role, nor has he been exceling in it either. To his credit Posada has posted 6 home-runs, 15 RBIs, two doubles, 18 hits and 15 walks so far in 2011, which is not horrific but his last home-run was back on April 23rd. Posada has the lowest batting average for players who have more then 100 plate appearances with a .165.

Posada needed a night to clear his head, nothing wrong or nuts about that as we have all been there before. So, try to give Posada a break, end of story.

THE SLUMP:

Overall the bigger problem is that Yankees are not playing well. The good news is that if the team hasn’t hit rock bottom already, they are darn close. For once the media’s antics will actually help the Yankees get their sooner.

Without a doubt it absolutely sucks when a team is slumping. For players it can’t be fun, but speaking as a fan I try to remind myself that this is standard and unavoidable bearing in mind the extent of a 162 game season.

The Yankees are not immune to slumps. Trust me, I know how maddening it is to witness, as it seems never ending. Then you turn on ESPN or pick-up the Sunday paper only to be reminded how ugly it is.

Remember how bad things were for the Red Sox or the reigning World Champion San Francisco Giants the first few weeks of 2011? Or look at what is going on in Minnesota, as the Twins are 12-25 and sitting in the cellar of the AL Central.

I was actually really bummed for the Red Sox because I love the rivalry. I even defended the Red Sox because I knew that this was a temporary situation up in Boston and had no doubt in my convictions.

Look, truth is the Yankees are flirting with a mini-collapse if things don’t change now. This is due to their upcoming schedule, as the Bombers face the hot Tampa Bay Rays, the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays over the next 10 days. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Are Not Immune To Slumps’ »

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New York Yankees: Mariano Rivera Is Human After All

Posted by on 20 April 2011, 4:46 pm

What baseball fan doesn’t love the extra inning, walk-off win?

Maybe the fans whose team didn’t win and get to witness their favorite players partake in baseball’s version of a mosh-pit of joy.

Well, last night that was my life, but ten times worse, as the New York Yankees lost in the 10th inning to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Why was it 10x’s worse?

It is like a dagger through any Yankees fans heart when Mariano Rivera is the culprit because it so seldom happens.

Understand that Mo allows New York fans to be cocky, without any disagreement from even the biggest Yankee haters. He is our ego.

In comparison it feels like you just got dumped because, speaking for myself, that same pit comes back in my stomach.

Mo is not supposed to have bad days because Yankee fans really believe he is super-human. So when a game ends like yesterday’s it makes Mo seems real, and that is the one thing he is not.

AJ Burnett imploding; Joba loading the bases; or even Boone Logan giving up a homerun are disappointments Yankee fans expect.

Sincerely, acknowledging that the day when Enter Sandman will be no longer play in the ninth inning is coming makes each appearance by Mo that much more extraordinary. Which, in turn makes a loss like last night’s become very personal.

Look, it happens and it will happen to Mo again but that doesn’t make it any easier for Yankee fans to swallow.

See, each of Mariano Rivera’s 566 saves or one of his 978 appearances in relief means special to someone because they get to say that they saw the greatest closer ever.

He defines what rarified air is in sports, but what makes Mo stand out even more is that even his superior talents can’t surpass his individual character.

Toronto battled in the ninth inning to tie the game, and then win it in the 10th with a score of 6-5.

The Blue Jays well deserved the win, as they outplayed the Yankees, even it did break chip away at my soul  just a little.

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New York Yankee Fans Have To Play Nice With AJ Burnett Too

Posted by on 8 March 2011, 5:39 am

After a disappointing finish in 2010 season, New York Yankees pitcher AJ Burnett knew what he has to do.

When Burnett first came to New York in 2009 from the Toronto Blue Jays he delivered, posting a 4.04 ERA, eating 207 innings and 195 strikeouts in the regular season. He followed by making 5 postseason starts, where he went 6+ innings in four starts.

The Yankees won three critical playoff games with Burnett on the mound, which eventually led to the franchise’s 27th World Series title.

Burnett showed no signs of slowing down when 2010 season began. He didn’t lose a game in March/April finishing the month with a 3-0 record over five starts and a 2.34 ERA.

By the All-Star break Burnett started to slip. Still, he left no time for the Yankees to worry, as in July Burnett posted a 3-1 record over five starts, an ERA of 2.0 and threw one complete game.

It is easy to forget, or it was hard to remember how well Burnett was pitching last season before the real damage came in August.

Burnett literally was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in pinstripes, finishing 0-4 with a 7.80 ERA in five starts.

Whether it was pitching coach Dave Eiland going AWOL for weeks, or something personal like his mystery black eye, really didn’t matter because the discontent was all over his face. Something was clearly off.

Always known to be a fierce competitor, Burnett career is branded as wild hitting 89 batters in 12 seasons, 19 of which were from 2010.

In all fairness, no pitcher has ever been perfect all season long but no one expected Burnett too be either.

Burnett performances deemed ‘bad days’ are a whole new level of mess. Usually it happens in the third or fourth inning, after Burnett flashes though the two or three prior. Than he just implodes, sometimes allowing seven or more runs to score with only one out achieved.

If Burnett is not pulled and comes in following the hell he just allowed, he has a tendency to go right back to pitching like a stud again. Burnett defines frustration; you can see it in his face and on every fan at the game when this happens.

See all pitchers are expected to have tough games, but Burnett would have four or five solid outings maximum knowing inevitable struggles were on the horizon. This was part of having Burnett on your staff, and trust me any MLB team would be happy to have AJ as their solid number two. His stuff is electric and he so much natural talent.
The last two months of 2010, Burnett seemed to be stuck in that one bad inning, but it was no longer sandwiched in between accomplishments. It was painful for everyone to witness.

Now, with 2011 Spring Training in full swing fans have seen Burnett in a few outings and he looks phenomenal. He built a pitching facility on his property in the off-season and all his hard work is headin in the right direction.

Continue reading ‘New York Yankee Fans Have To Play Nice With AJ Burnett Too’ »

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2011 MLB Team Preview: Toronto Blue Jays

Posted by on 11 February 2011, 7:01 am

The Toronto Blue Jays haven’t seen the post season since 1993.

Just like the Baltimore Orioles, the Blue Jays suffer from AL East syndrome.

The AL East Division was tough enough when it housed the two best teams in baseball, the Red Sox and Yankees. Than, in the last few seasons the Tampa Bay Rays jumped onto the elite list, which made baseball life in Toronto only harder.

What is so frustrating is the Blue Jays would have made the playoffs many times, if they played in any other division. In 2010, the Blue Jays won 85 games and in four of the last five seasons prior have won 80+ games. That amount of W’s has been enough to make the playoffs many times and even clinch a division title outside of the AL East.

For the Blue Jays, even with their major-league leading home-run total of 257 from last season, heading into 2011 things look to be the same…meaning anything is possible.

Blue Jays fans blamed not making the postseason on unfortunate circumstances for a darn good team, until the Rays proved that theory wrong.

The Positives:

With the sad departure of skipper Cito Gaston, the Jays hired Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell that was a great move. The Jays have a young pitching staff with a lot of potential and under Farrell’s guidance they could flourish.

Trading ace Roy Halladay prior to last season was not a popular move, but the starters finished with an ERA of 4.30, which top the Yankees 4.35 ERA.

The starters have the potential to make Toronto a 2011 surprise story, lead by Rickey Romero who looks to replace the traded Shaun Marcum. Romero finished last season with a 14-9 record and an ERA of 3.73. Three other youngsters Brandon Morrow, Brett Cecil and Kyle Drabek will follow Romero.

The Jays had the most homeruns, 46 more than the Red Sox who had 211. Jose Bautista led that charge being accountable for 54 of the 257 total. Bautista should have a big year, as the 30-year-old is a free agent at the end of 2011, and players know the better play, the bigger contract. He also had 124 RBIs last season.

Joining Bautista is rookie Travis Snider, who displayed power in the minors and so moving Bautista to third base frees up a spot in the outfield for Snider to move in full time.

Also, the Jays were the slowest team in baseball, finishing 2010 with a pathetic 58 steals. So, signing Rajai Davis who stole 92 bases for the Oakland A’s the last two seasons is be a huge improvement. Look for Davis’ RBIs and total runs to jump because of the massive power bats behind him in the line-up.

The future of the Blue Jays looks very promising, as their outlook has changed under second-year GM Alex Anthopoulos. Instead of trying to compete with the ‘win now’ attitude of their peer teams, Anthopoulos’ is putting the money into acquiring the top young talent, by adding more scouts all over; in California alone the team has five. This attention to detail seems to be right on track so far. Continue reading ‘2011 MLB Team Preview: Toronto Blue Jays’ »

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New York Yankees Have Issues, But So Do Other Playoff Teams

Posted by on 30 September 2010, 6:43 pm

The New York Yankees clinched another playoff spot on Tuesday night, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 6-1.

The night belonged to ace CC Sabathia, who shut down the heavy hitting Blue Jays bats. Some are tagging the Yankees doomed in the playoffs, as the rotation is having some issues. Still, there are many positives in pinstripes too that tend to get overlooked.

One fact remains true in MLB: No team gets into the postseason via luck. Each team that plays in October deserves it; this is not the NFL and the Yankees are not the 2009 New York Jets. The season is long and 162 games doesn’t allow for it.

With the 2010 playoff spots almost filled, let’s find at the flaws of each team that has clinched so far.

The Texas Rangers owned the AL West pretty much all season, but the competition was a joke. MVP candidate Josh Hamilton is the bread and butter of the Rangers lineup and the team needs him being at 100 percent healthy. Hamilton has cracked ribs and has admitted he is injured. The Rangers are praying that Hamilton’s two weeks off will get him swinging for October, because if not…adios amigos.

Don’t forget that historically, the Rangers can’t usually hang with the AL East boys (Rays and Yankees) so perfection is needed deep in the heart of Texas.

The Minnesota Twins have been without All-Star first baseman Justin Morneau since July 18. No doubt having Morneau in the playoffs would be ideal, considering his other half Joe Mauer has been flirting with injuries all season. The latest is Mauer will be back behind the plate this Friday, after suffering a jammed knee on September 18. Morneau is practicing with the team but the concussion he suffered will not be resolved this season.

The Tampa Bay Rays‘ best player is third baseman Evan Longoria, who has been resting since the moment the Rays clinched. Skipper Joe Madden is no dummy and knows the Rays need Longoria in October. Also, other than David Price the rest of the Rays starters have been struggling. One other feature that makes the Rays so lethal is stealing bases, which has slowed down quite a bit.

It is tough to find many flaws when talking about the Philadelphia Phillies. All-Star shortstop Jimmy Rollins has been on the DL for the majority of the season, so keep an eye on Rollins. Also, first baseman Ryan Howard and second baseman Chase Utley both spent significant time on the DL too. The Phillies have starting pitcher Cole Hamels and closer Brad Lidge, who have gotten into major funks, AJ Burnett style. Though both seem to be back in form, you never know with players that both perform that badly for such long stretches of time.

The Cincinnati Reds won the NL Central over the powerhouse St. Louis Cardinals. It was a complete team effort, as the bench players came up big when injuries happened, but can this team hold up against teams like the Phillies, Rays, and Yankees. It will be tough for the Reds, as it will take the whole team to win. The NL Central was the Cardinals to lose, not the Reds to win. Also, the Reds were 2-5 against an injured Phillies during the regular season, so a healthy Phillies would be tough for the Reds to defeat.

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