MLB Thoughts: Sept. 25

Posted on September 25, 2014 by Jason

With only a few days left in the season, I’m going to take a crack at handicapping the AL Awards.

AL MVP

As I wrote earlier in the week, I think Trout finally wins his first MVP award this season. According to SI, Trout has slashed .352/.486/.741 in his last 17 games with 10 extra-base hits. You could make a case for what Victor Martinez has done this season in Detroit; and the same could be said for Michael Brantley in Cleveland and Nelson Cruz in Baltimore. In fact, Brantley might be the only player hotter than Trout lately (.436 batting average in September). But I think these guys are all vying for 2nd and 3rd place votes. This award is Trout’s, the first of many.

The incredible season of Jose Altuve deserves recognition as well. The diminutive Astros 2B leads the majors in batting average and base hits — a team record 222 hits (and counting) — while ranking 2nd in the big leagues with 56 stolen bases. At 24, Altuve looks poised to be the elder statesman of Houston’s youth movement. If you ask me, you’d be hard pressed to find a better building in the middle infield right now.

AL Cy Young

I’m going to say that if Chris Sale hadn’t spent a month on the disabled list this season, he’d be the runaway favorite for this award. The Pale Hose lefty limited batters to a .205 batting average and a 2.17 ERA, which is the best in the American League. Over 174 innings, Sale struck out a whopping 208 batters with a 0.97 WHIP. At 25, Sale could be the AL’s answer to Clayton Kershaw by this time next year. Check back in and we’ll see.

The only other AL pitcher to match Sale’s dominance this season is Mariners’ righty Felix Hernandez. In 230 innings, King Felix has a 2.34 ERA with 241 strikeouts and a 0.94 WHIP. In fact, if it weren’t for his last start (4 2/3 IP, 8 ER) which raised Hernandez’s ERA 27 points, this would be as easy as the MVP discussion. But Hernandez’s stinkbomb start in Toronto opens the door for another contender.

Indians’ ace Corey Kluber has been dominant this season: 17 wins, a 2.53 ERA with 258 strikeouts and a 1.10 WHIP in 227 innings pitched. If you didn’t see that coming, welcome to the club. Kluber was on quite a few sleeper lists developed by industry prognosticators this spring, but no one could have predicted he’d be this good this soon. His numbers look more comparable to Hernandez’s now, but in the end, I think the edge goes to King Felix and his sparkling 0.94 ratio.

AL Rookie of the Year

Jose Abreu basically put this award to bed in April. In my estimation, it’s always a little odd that MLB counts international imports as “rookies” on par with the 23 year old backup third baseman fresh off the bus from Pawtucket. But until the rules change, Abreu qualifies for the award and he should win in a landslide.

A pair of Yankee pitchers also deserve special mention. Masahiro Tanaka was pitching like an ace before his injury and he was the only realistic competition to Abreu for this award. It looks like Tanaka’s DL stint did the trick and that’s a good thing; I’d hate to see him become the latest casualty of Tommy John surgery this season. (Hasn’t it seemed like an epidemic this year?) Flame-throwing righty Dellin Betances became the most celebrated Yankee setup man since Joba Chamberlain (anybody remember the Joba Rules?).

I’ll turn my attention toward the National League tomorrow.

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MLB Thoughts: Sept. 24

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Jason

At the July 31 trade deadline, the Oakland A’s were 25 games above .500, scoring more than 5 runs per game, and cruising toward a date with October. Having already gone “all in” by dealing prized prospect Addison Russell to the Cubs in exchange for Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel, everyone expected the A’s to either make a minor bench pickup or stand pat.

Instead, GM Billy Beane sought to rectify a problem that didn’t exist. In so doing, he may have wrecked his club’s best chance at his long sought after championship.

LesterThe A’s “shocked the world” by dealing clean-up hitting and laser-throwing outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to Boston to net one of the prime arms on the trade market, lefty ace Jon Lester. The deal itself wasn’t shocking; anyone that follows the game knows Beane has a reputation for big name wheeling and dealing. No, it was the content of the trade that had most people scratching their heads. “The A’s dealt away Cespedes to acquire MORE pitching?” Suddenly the A’s lineup looked a lot less intimidating. But a foursome of Lester, Samardzija, Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir looked to steamroll the competition all the way to a title.

Then the wheels came off the bus. The A’s stopped hitting altogether; since the trade, the A’s have averaged 3.5 runs per game. Oakland sits at 10 games below .500 for August and September. The bullpen took a hit with the injury of closer Sean Doolittle. And the industry is widely divided on whether or not the Lester deal was a good one or not. As for Lester himself, he’s doing his part. Since coming over, he and Samardzija have been every bit as good as advertised. But the A’s nosedive coincided with the Angels’ recent hot streak, putting Oakland in a tie with Kansas City for the Wild Card spots.

Which would render moot all that maneuvering to acquire a stable of starters for a deep October run.

It’ll all come down to one game.

At least we know who’ll probably be pitching for the A’s.

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MLB Thoughts: Sept. 23

Posted on September 23, 2014 by Jason

On Opening Day, the Detroit Tigers boasted the 5th highest payroll in the majors. Kansas City, meanwhile, stood at #19. Despite a payroll delta of over $70 million, the Tigers and Royals are locked in a final-week battle for the AL Central crown.

Everyone expected Detroit to end up here. For 3 years running, this division has been theirs. The 2014 iteration has succeeded in large part thanks to a dynamic offense that ranks 3rd in the majors in runs scored, 2nd in OBP, SLG, BA, and OPS+SLG. Miguel Cabrera has been his usually prolific self, but Victor Martinez has actually been better. If it weren’t for Mike Trout, Martinez would be the AL MVP. When he caught fire after his late spring call-up, it was easy to dismiss J.D. Martinez as lightning in a bottle. But with 8 9th-inning HR to his credit this season, Martinez has become an integral part to the deepest offense in the league.

Which is good, because the pitching has been a real disappointment for the Tigers this year. Justin Verlander has allowed the most earned runs in the league this year. With a 4.68ERA and diminishing velocity on his fastball, Verlander’s days as a premium starter seem a distant memory. Heck, at this point, he’s not even league average. Thankfully Max Scherzer has been nearly as dominant as he was in 2013. Although he’s allowed more hits, the rest of his peripherals are nearly a carbon copy of his Cy Young campaign from last season. David Price hasn’t been lights out since coming over from Tampa, but he and Scherzer give the Tigers as formidable a 1-2 combo as you’re going to see in this year’s postseason. Rick Porcello and Anibal Sanchez also have the potential to match any given starter throughout October. Which brings us to the bullpen. Maybe the only Tiger that’s been worse than Verlander this year is Joe Nathan. For some reason, Brad Ausmus continues to trot the veteran out there with the game on the line late. I can’t see that this is a recipe for success come October.

As of this writing, the Royals are a game behind the Tigers for the division lead and two up on Seattle for the second wild-card. Kansas City’s “small ball” approach contrasts sharply with Detroit’s: the Royals rank dead last in the majors in home runs and among AL teams, only Tampa Bay and Boston have team slugging percentages worse than KC’s .375 mark. But the Royals strike out less than any team in baseball. (Ironically, they also walk fewer than any team in the majors.) This “put it in play” attack relies heavily on one surplus asset: speed. The Royals lead the majors in stolen bases by a large margin. In a platoon role (256 at bats), Jarrod Dyson leads the team with 36 steals; SS Alcides Escobar has 31; CF Lorenzo Cain has 27. And according to some, September call-up Terrance Gore may be the fastest man in the majors. All of this is a good thing, because the rest of the Royals regulars look fairly punchless compared to the rest of the lineups in the AL.

But the Royals also boast the best defense in the majors for the second year in a row, particularly in the OF. Cain and fellow OF mate Alex Gordon help a so-so pitching staff look much better because of the number of fly balls they’re able to get to — perhaps another function of such incredible speed. Coupled with a dominant back end of the bullpen — Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis, and Greg Holland — the Royals have found a formula that works.

Here’s hoping it’ll be a formula that will take them deep into the October hunt.

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MLB Thoughts: Sept. 22

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Jason

We’re in the final week of the MLB regular season, which means the postseason is on deck. To whet your appetite, I offer you this one man show from Bryan Cranston:

The regular season winding down means the final curtain call on the career of The Captain, Derek Jeter. I’m not a Yankee fan, but you have to admire what Jeter has been able to do in pinstripes. If you were to create a Mt. Rushmore of Yankee greats, the pantheon is as follows:

  1. Ruth
  2. Gehrig
  3. Mantle
  4. Dimaggio

You could make a case for Jeter at 5; it’s probably either him or Berra. Either way, that’s pretty rarefied territory for a modern player. A final postseason berth would’ve been a fitting end, but as it is, Jeter finds himself in a place he’s seldom been before: playing out the string in meaningless September games.

Angels closer Huston Street

Angels closer Huston Street

I didn’t make any preseason predictions this spring, but even if I had, there’s no way I would’ve picked the Angels and O’s to have the best records in the majors in the last week of the season. For years, I’ve expected an Angels resurgence; after regularly participating during the first decade of the century, the Angels haven’t made an October appearance since 2009. It appears they may be poised to make a significant run, thanks in large part to an offense spear-headed by boy wonder (and MVP lock) Mike Trout and a rejuvenated Albert Pujols. The starting rotation is pedestrian, especially after the loss of Garrett Richards, but the back end of the bullpen is lights out with Jason Grilli, Joe Smith, and Huston Street.

If Buck Showalter doesn’t win the AL Manager of the Year Award, they just need to stop giving the thing out. No manager has drawn more out of his club this year and no manager has had to deal with the loss of more players to season-ending injuries. Steve Pearce, Delmon Young, Jonathan Schoop, Caleb Joseph, T.J. McFarland…these are the household names Showalter has relied on to navigate past the losses players like All-Star catcher Matt Wieters, 3B Manny Machado, pitching prospect Dylan Bundy, and 1B Chris Davis. Again, I’m no O’s fan, but it’s nice to see Buck — with his mantra of “playing the game the right way” — have success this season.

The Angels and O’s have the advantage of easing through the next week in preparation for October. It should be interesting watching how these teams approach the postseason because they’re built so similarly. Each squad boasts a solid offense, with Baltimore relying a little more on the longball. Baltimore has committed the second fewest errors in the majors; L.A. the fourth fewest. Neither team has a lock down starter (though Jered Weaver leads the AL in wins at present with 18). Yet both teams have an assortment of riches in the bullpen. In fact, the only team to rival Anaheim arm-for-arm might be Baltimore with Darren O’Day, Tommy Hunter, Andrew Miller, and Zach Britton.

I’ll write more about the rest of the American League tomorrow; the NL toward the end of the week.

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Things I Want to Remember, Vol. 26

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Jason

Time for my semi-regular installment of things I want to remember during this stage of parenting.

Lego Me

Lego Me

Joshua came up to me the other day and said, “Hey, Dad. This is my Lego version of you.” I like it; it’s a very Han Solo-esque interpretation of me. Although I’m not sure about the Christopher Reeves lock of hair falling down in my eyes. Or the ascot. But I’m loving the sword. Very swashbuckling.

 

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ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Posted on August 23, 2014 by Jason
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Fifteen

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Jason

Fifteen years ago, I made a promise that changed my life.

And fifteen years ago, I received a promise that continues to make me whole.

___________________

An anniversary is a way of marking time, a way of measuring the depth to which events continue to shape us. There are the anniversaries that haunt us: the date that a loved one passed away, the day you received your diagnosis or lost your job. These are the tough anniversaries, the days we’d just as soon not reflect on. And then there are the anniversaries that remind us of life’s riches: birthdays, holidays, and the celebration of years of marriage to the one you love most. And these are the anniversaries we relish.

This anniversary reminds me that I am a rich man, indeed. And this richness is measured in the fifteen years I’ve enjoyed with Sunny as my wife.

In some respects, I guess fifteen years is a long time. According to the traditional anniversary gift ledger, the fifteenth year is the last year to be counted this way; after this one, the big ones come in increments of five. (Way to make a guy feel old, Hallmark!) And I suppose fifteen years is long enough to be wholly absorbed in a relationship that defines so much of your identity. I really can’t remember what my life was like before Sunny and I were married. Life with her by my side is all I’ve known — and all I’ve wanted to know — for as far back as I can really remember. For that, I’m thankful.

But then again, fifteen years isn’t nearly long enough to say what’s in my heart for her. Fifteen years isn’t nearly long enough for me to enjoy the life she’s blessed me with. Sunny, I told you I loved you when we married and I’m proud to say that those feelings have only continued to grow. I pray for many more years — as much time as the Lord will give me — to be your husband and to grow closer to you.

I love you, Sunny. Happy anniversary.

Fifteen years of blessings (photo taken by Kristen Moore)

Fifteen years of blessings (photo taken by Kristen Moore)

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Boyd Mountain

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Jason

We enjoyed a fantastic weekend with family at Boyd Mountain in Waynesville, NC. Here’s one of my favorite pictures from the weekend.

20140811-090156-32516106.jpg

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The Church: An Outpost of Service and Love

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Jason

From James Bryan Smith in his book, The Good and Beautiful Community:

Communities become others-centered when they are steeped in the narrative of the kingdom of God. They know that their community is an outpost of the Kingdom of God, a place where grace is spoken and lived for as long as is needed. The value of a church is not in its longevity but in its love. The success of a church is not in its size but in its service to the people and the community.

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Things I Want to Remember, Vol. 25

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Jason

Tonight at dinner, Jackson looks at me and says, “Dad, I want you to dye your hair black. Lots of old people have to dye their hair.”

Instantly, this came to mind:

I also want to remember this:

Note from AK

Even though the compliments are a total set-up for the question, I’ll take it!

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