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Welcome to this week’s Weekly Rant!!!
As the annual tradition of baseball’s version of musical chairs approaches, it is interesting to see what teams will be active and what teams will be content to run with their current cast. Let’s take a look at the National League teams, and see what they might do.
National League West
San Diego Padres—Buyers: The Padres are playing unbelievably well right now. Their only weakness would be the depth of their starting pitching. Adam Eaton and Jack Peavy give them a great chance to beat anyone in a 5 game series, but the Padres may be vulnerable in the NLCS and World Series, which are 7 games. A strong lefty like Barry Zito would be the obvious choice. Zito gives San Diego three aces in their rotation, which may be enough to get them over the top.
Arizona Diamondbacks—Buyers: The Diamondbacks are also buyers at this point, but they will be not nearly as gung-ho about it as the Padres. An injury to a key player like Luis Gonzalez or Troy Glaus could derail their surprisingly successful season. If the Diamondbacks do go out shopping, they will also be looking for starting pitching. I look for them to try and acquire another power pitcher like Javier Vasquez. Breaking balls don’t “break” as well in Bank One Ballpark and a pitcher has to have a solid fastball in order to thrive.
Los Angeles Dodgers—On The Fence: Two weeks ago, I would have said that the Dodgers were buyers. Their recent slide now puts them in a position where they may not try to improve the club this season. I don’t think they are sellers, but if things don’t improve, a player like J.D. Drew may be playing elsewhere. If Los Angeles does try to improve the club, look for them to acquire a corner infielder. Mark Sweeney, Adam Dunn and Ben Broussard all fit the bill.
San Francisco Giants—On The Fence: I don’t think Brian Sabean is going to do anything either way until he knows what Barry Bonds’ status is. If Bonds returns to the Giants before the break, San Francisco still has a chance to get back into the race. If not, I don’t think the Giants have a chance. However, this does not mean that they will be sellers. The Giants have a bunch of older players who aren’t very attractive as trade bait, and they only have Jason Schmidt who would be good as a “rental” for another team. Since Schmidt is just about untouchable, the Giants will probably pursue the free agent market for next season.
Colorado Rockies—On The Fence: Even though the Rockies do not have a prayer of winning the West this season, they are building a club that will contend in the near future. Brad Hawpe, Clint Barmes, Jason Jennings, and Jeff Francis are the building blocks of a team that will have success soon. Todd Helton, a perennial All-Star, would be the only player that the Rocks may entertain offers on. The Yankees are rumored to be among the buyers for Mr. Helton, but don’t be surprised if Colorado denies their request. Helton would be a valuable veteran influence on a team poised to make big leaps in the upcoming years.
National League Central
St. Louis Cardinals—Content: The Cardinals are the only team in the National League that falls under the “content” category. St. Louis has an excellent starting rotation, a solid bullpen, and unbelievable production at the plate. They are strong defensively even with the loss of Scott Rolen at third base. I don’t see the Cards making any moves this season, and if they do, it would be to only strengthen their club. That’s scary.
Chicago Cubs—Buyers: Only a week ago, no one’s job at Wrigley Field was safe. Cubs fans were even calling for Dusty Baker’s head. What a perfect time for a six game winning streak! The Cubs are now definite buyers, and they will be looking to improve their bullpen. Ryan Dempster is the closer by default, and even though is doing a decent job, the Cubs know they need better. A blockbuster deal for Eric Gagne has been rumored, but Chicago knows his price will be steep. Octavio Dotel or Armando Benitez would be come far cheaper and this would put the Cubbies in a favorable spot for the NL Wildcard.
Milwaukee Brewers—Sellers: The Brewers have been sellers on the market for as long as I can remember. The Selig family does not care about moving this franchise into the upper-echelon of teams in the league. Even with Miller Park, the Brewers have not performed and their best players have been plucked away year after year. Lyle Overbay, Geoff Jenkins, Junior Spivey and even Ben Sheets are the likely candidates to be shipped away.
Pittsburgh Pirates—Sellers: The Pirates are in the same boat as the Brewers. They are a small-market team who are perennial sellers. Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla, Brian Giles, Kris Benson, and Jason Kendall have all left Pittsburgh in the prime of their careers. This year may be different, except that the Pirates don’t have that marquee player that’s headed towards free agency. Oliver Perez is still attractive even though he’s stunk up the joint this season, and Jason Bay would also be a great catch, but I don’t think either of them are leaving the Steel City.
Cincinnati Reds—Sellers: Even though the Reds are playing well as of late, they have no hope of making the playoffs. They have already cut Danny Graves who has not performed this season, and would entertain offers for Austin Kearns. Kearns has not lived up to the immense hype surrounding him for the past three seasons. He may benefit from moving to another franchise, and there are many other GM’s that still covet his services. I don’t think there is any other person that the Reds would shop, but who knows. Aaron Harang and Sean Casey are untouchable, and in order to get Adam Dunn, Cincinnati wants at least a #1 starter and a solid infielder.
Houston Astros—Sellers: This season, all of the juice has been squeezed out of Minute Maid Park. The Astros are last in the NL Central, and will need a dramatic change of fortune in order to have a shot at the wildcard. Clemens is not going anywhere, and Pettitte will most likely stay in Houston as well. Roy Oswalt and Brad Lidge are the players that everyone wants, but no one will get. Morgan Ensberg is having a great season, and the Stros might look for a team like Los Angeles who could use a corner infielder.
National League East
Atlanta Braves—Buyers: Before the season started, I thought the acquisition of Danny Kolb from Milwaukee was one of the best moves made. Kolb has done everything but close games. Therefore, the Braves will be looking for someone to help them in the bullpen. Atlanta is in first place in a very tight NL East race, and a trade for a hurler will be necessary for them to maintain their cushion. The Braves may make a move for another outfielder, as Raul Mondesi was designated for assignment.
Florida Marlins—On The Fence: The Marlins are playing very well, but the results have not shown up in the win/loss column. Carlos Delgado is back to All-Star form, and Miguel Cabrera is showing why he may be the best outfielder in the league. His combination of power and defense is amazing, and he just turned 22. The starting pitching is solid with Dontrelle Wills, A.J. Burnett, and Josh Beckett. Mike Lowell has struggled mightily, but he is starting to come around, and the Marlins definitely will not trade him. If they make a move, it will be to acquire a setup reliever, who can also close in case Guillermo Mota is unavailable.
New York Mets—Buyers: Even with the acquisition of Carlos Beltran, the Mets are still only one game above .500. This is not really Beltran’s fault, as he has played fairly well. Cliff Floyd has also been solid, and leads New York in almost every offensive category. The problem for the Mets this season has been pitching. Pedro Martinez has been excellent, but everyone else has been a disaster. The Mets need some help in the starting rotation, as they cannot rely on overrated hurlers like Victor Zambrano and Kris Benson. Tom Glavine is in the twilight of his career and he is a 60-day DL candidate waiting to happen. Look for Omar Minaya to bring in a quality #2 starter as long as the Amazins stay in the race.
Washington Nationals—On The Fence: Frank Robinson has his team playing very solid baseball. The Nats are a good young team who will give everyone in the NL East problems. Chad Cordero, one year out of eating dorm food at Cal State Fullerton, has been the best closer in the majors. Livan Hernandez is pitching well, and Jose Guillen is producing big numbers as usual. If Jose Vidro figures out how to ever stay off of the DL in his career, Washington could even make a run at the wildcard. If they were to make an acquisition, it would be for a leadoff hitter with speed. I just don’t know if financial restrictions in D.C. will get in the way.
Philadelphia Phillies—On The Fence: This squad has got to be among the most enigmatic in all of baseball. They have studs in Bobby Abreu, Jim Thome and Billy Wagner, but they have consistently underperformed. Maybe Larry Bowa didn’t do such a bad job after all. Even with all of their struggles, they are still only 3 ½ games out of first place. I look for the Phils to try and improve their starting pitching if they are able to stay in the NL East race. If they can acquire another starter to complement Brett Myers, and the overachieving Jon Lieber, Philadelphia might have enough to squeeze out the division crown.
Email Bag
This was a rather light week of emails…Remember, anyone can email at any time. The first is from Thomas.
I myself kinda like the Angels when they beat the Yankees in 2002 Division series on their way tothere first World Series title winning a title final for a man that started the Angles Gene Autry. I DO NOT LIKE THE NEW NAME BECAUSE THE DODGERS WHERE THE ONLY TEAM IN LA UNTIL 1961. The Angels play in Anahiem so I say just keep the Anaheim they dont deserve the right to be call Los Angeles Angles of Anahiem. When they win more World Series titles than the Dodgers then maybe they can call LA home but not until.
Thomas, I think that most fans in Southern California were pulling for the Angels when they defeated the Yanks, and the Giants in the same season. However, the name change has alienated many Dodger fans who also rooted for them, and it is just downright ugly now.
This next email is a CLASSIC from Tim.
BIG AVERY!!!!!
Well, well, well... I leave town on business for a little bit and what happens? THE RANT BLOWS THE F*CK UP!!!! Damn, some of the rants and e-mails have been hotter than a poor little Milk Dud caught between Roseanne's plump thighs (sorry about the scary imagery...). Let's speak on the latest and greatest topic: Contenders and Pretenders.
In case some folks don't know this: The Detroit Pistons are the current NBA World Champions. And here's another little known fact: They may not vacate that position for a few years to come. I'll get to the Heat in a second, and I AM NOT a Pistons jock-rider at all (I'm a Knick fan FOR LIFE... Alright you can stop giggling now, DAMNIT!). What I am stating are the facts. Like the fact that when teams play Detroit, they come with their own psycho-therapists because the Pistons play that kind of defense that hurts your inner child. Or the fact that you have to question if Ben and Rasheed are actually the Wonder Twins and when they activate their powers of defense and offense, respectively, you can pretty much hang it up. Or the even scarier fact that their team is relatively young and can run the table for about next five years or so (barring any major catastrophes like a dumb-ass trade or serious injury to one of the starters). And speaking of starters, how about the fact that their damn second squad is made up of cats that could easily start on any other squad in the L? Carlos "I Whipped America's Ass Single-Handedly At The Olympics" Arroyo; Antonio "Oh You Forgot I Could Fly On That Ass" McDyess; Elden "They Don't Have Concrete Evidence I Smoke Weed But I Really Do" Campbell; And Lindsey "I Can Pull My Wheelchair From 3-Point Line To 3-Point Line Droppin' Treys And Still Shut These Young Bucks Down On D" Hunter. Let's also not forget the current "Human Victory Cigar" Darko Milicic, who I have to believe, no matter what folks say, will still grow into a force in the league once he learns how to remove Larry Brown's foot from his ass. They even have Delfino, who is a knock-off Manu Ginobli (which ain't that damn bad)... AND THE PISTONS DIDN'T EVEN HAVE HIM ON THE PLAYOFF ROSTER!!!!
Now for the Heat: Shaq is always going to be Shaq, and Dwayne Wade is quite possibly the second coming of Oscar Robertson. But Damon Jones needs to realize that there's a whole new world awaiting him inside that three point arc. And Eddie Jones needs to realize that Shaq is never going to look at him as anything more than a soft perimeter player and that's OOO-KAY... just get over it. Udonis Haslem ain't bad, but still has a ways to go. Alonzo Mourning is one of my favorite players of all time but I get nervous that his warrior sized heart will sometimes give way to his fragile health. Christian Laetner is OK... I'm still pissed he was on the original Dream Team instead of Isiah Thomas. Keyon Dooling looks like a pterodactyl... TELL ME I'M LYING???!!!!!
And let's not get into the coaches... Larry Brown is a broke version of Chuck Daly as Detroit's Yoda, but I'm sure teams like Cleveland, Portland and my beloved Knicks wouldn't mind him leading their Jedi. To me, Stan Van Gundy will always be the Van Gundy brother that just didn't push away from the dinner table fast enough.
Look, truth be told, I can't really watch a full Detroit Pistons game because, at times, their offense is about as exciting as watching grass grow in a snowy winter. But you have to respect those stretches where they completely stifle another squad, go on a little run and then watch as Rasheed goes nuclear at referee Steve Javy for a missed call... Followed by a hammer dunk with his Air Force One's high in the sky. If the Heat are going to pull this one off, they will need big contributions from Zo and the rest of the Shaq-ettes.
Honestly, I would love to see Detroit win just to see them play the Phoenix Suns in the finals and see which truly wins out: Defense wins championships, but I also heard that the best defense is a good offense. Hmmmm...
HOLLA!
Tim
That was a superb piece of writing!! The Rosanne analogy was off the charts! Regarding the Pistons-Heat series, even though its knotted up at 2-2, I still think the Pistons will be victorious. Even with all of the distractions regarding Larry Brown, Detroit is going to wrap this one up.
Thanks for reading, and remember to send all email inquiries to aveosmth@yahoo.com. Also, Point-Counterpoint is in full swing and if you would like more details, please visit www.sportsrant.com. Thanks again!
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