Could LaRussa’s days be numbered? February 29, 2008
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Since the Cardinals are beginning the rebuilding process this season
with the departures of Eckstein, Rolen, Taguchi and Edmonds, maybe it is
time to consider a change in the manager as well. Tony LaRussa has had
a successful tenure as manager for the Cardinals including a World
Series Championship in 2006. However, there has been a lot of
adversity surrounding the Cards and their clubhouse since then.
LaRussa received a DUI in March of 2007, LaRussa butted heads with
former third baseman Scott Rolen on numerous occasions, the rehab in
August of 2007 for Scott Spiezio and eventual release this week from
the team stemming from an incident that occurred in December. Also, the tragic death of pitcher Josh Hancock who died in a motor
vehicle accident while driving intoxicated. Hancock had possession of
a glass smoking pipe and over 8 grams of marijuana in his vehicle at
the time of the accident. However, no drugs were found is his system.
A
possible replacement for LaRussa is Jose Oquendo. The former player is
currently the third base coach for the Cardinals. In the 2006 World
Baseball Classic, Oquendo was the manager of the team representing
Puerto Rico and guided them to a 4-2 record, but was unable to qualify
for the semifinals. When LaRussa ends his tenure as the manager of the
St. Louis Cardinals look for Jose Oquendo to be at the top of the list
to replace him.
Alex Gonzalez out with Injury February 29, 2008
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The Cincinnati Reds received some bad news this week with a knee injury
to SS Alex Gonzalez. This is the same knee that was bothering him near
the end of the 2007 season. The Reds’ starting shortstop has a
compression fracture on his left knee and it will be reevaluated in
three weeks. Right now the injury does not appear to be too serious,
but the Reds will monitor the situation closely.
Cardinals part ways with Spiezio February 27, 2008
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The St. Louis Cardinals released utility man Scott Spiezio today
after he was charged in a six-count complaint involving drunken driving
and assault in a December car crash. The Cardinals supported Spiezio
last summer when he left the team for treatment of substance abuse.
Unfortunately, he apparently hasn’t beaten his addictions. The members
of Big League Chatter extend our prayers for Scott Spiezio and his
family. Hopefully, he realizes the importance of overcoming his
substance abuse problems.
Cincinnati Reds Review February 27, 2008
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Cincinnati Reds fans should
be getting excited about the future of their ball club. The Reds
are loaded with young talented players that should give them the opportunity
to start winning games. Leading the charge is 2B Brandon Phillips
who will turn 27 in June this year and is coming off a 30 homerun 32
stolen base season. 1B is Joey Votto’s to lose during spring
training. The 24 year old left handed hitting Votto batted .321
in 84 at bats last season with the Reds. 3B will be held
down by Edwin Encarnacion. The 25 year Encarnacion slugged 16
homers last season and drove in 76 runs. Looks for him to improve
upon those numbers. The Reds still have veterans Ken Griffey Jr.,
Alex Gonzalez, Ryan Freel and Adam Dunn. Dunn and Griffey Jr.
will be in the outfield, Gonzalez will be at SS and super utility man
Freel will probably start the season in CF. Jay Bruce is the number
one future prospect according to www.minorleaguebaseball.com Don’t be surprised to see Bruce
playing CF for the Reds early this season. He will turn 21 in
early April and possesses great abilities. The Reds have 3 young
pitchers ready to make an impact this year too. 24 year old Edinson
Volquez, 22 year old Johnny Cueto and 21 year old Homer Bailey.
Volquez was acquired from the Rangers in a trade this off-season and
stands a good chance at making the rotation. With a name like
Homer, Bailey should be a power-hitting outfielder. However, he
is a talented pitcher and should start the season as the number four
or number five starting pitcher. Cueto should start the year in
Triple A. Look for him to log some more innings under his belt
at Triple A before being called up some time this year. The rest
of the Reds rotation isn’t as young but very solid. Aaron Harang
is the number one starter for the Reds. He’s a bulldog on the
mound that won 16 games last year and struck over 200 men. Harang
will be followed in the rotation by Bronson Arroyo and Matt Belisle.
Josh Fogg also hopes to find himself in the rotation somewhere.
He pitched the last two seasons in Colorado and has a career ERA just
under five at 4.90.
There is one area that Reds needed to improve on during the off-season.
That was the bullpen. The addition of Francisco Cordero brings
them a legitimate closer. He saved 44 games with the Brewers last
year and posted an ERA of 2.98. This move will allow David Weathers
to return to the role of a setup man despite his 33 saves last season.
The Reds Achilles heal was their bullpen last season. They had
28 blown saves and a bullpen ERA of 5.13.
The one off-season acquisition that will never play one inning on the
field, but is possibly the most important move the team made is the
hiring of Manager Dusty Baker. This move proves that the Reds
are serious about winning. Baseball should be fun again in Cincinnati
this season.
Where’s Kenny Lofton Going? February 26, 2008
Posted by misterbaseball in Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers.add a comment
Kenny Lofton will turn 41 at the end of May this year and he has yet to sign with a team this off-season. The much traveled Lofton made his big league debut in 1991 with the Houston Astros. Since then, Lofton has played for the Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland again, Chicago Whitesox, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers and Cleveland one more time. Due to him changing teams so much the shipping company DHL did a commercial on him about always being on the move that aired constantly last year during the playoffs.
Kenny Lofton is a career .299 hitter and good at stealing bases. There are several teams that could use his services this season to make a push at the playoffs. The Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners all seem like a good fit for the talented and aging Lofton. It could be that some of these teams are waiting to see what happens at the start of spring training. The Cubs Felix Pie will get the opportunity to play CF at Wrigley this year before they consider going after anyone. The Mariners were hoping Adam Jones would be in the mix for their outfield but then they shipped Jones to Baltimore in the Erik Bedard trade. San Diego has Edmonds in CF, but Lofton is very capable of playing LF too. Atlanta hasn’t settled on their outfield yet either, except for Francouer. If Josh Anderson performs well in March he may be starting in April for the Braves. Finally, Cleveland could use Lofton, but look for their younger players like Ben Francisco, Franklin Gutierrez and Shin-Soo Choo to get a shot first.
Washington Nationals Review February 25, 2008
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will be playing on a new field this season finally leaving the spacious
RFK Stadium. This is good news for this team’s lineup, but terrible
news for their pitchers. The Nationals have loaded up with a lot of
young outfielders that have huge power potential. Wily Mo Pena, Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes will compete with each
other for playing time this season. The most likely scenario to start the season will have Austin Kearns in RF, Lastings Milledge in CF and Wily Mo Pena
in LF. That leaves Dukes as the fourth outfielder. If he performs well
this spring look for him to be with the big league team to start the
season. If he struggles it’s very possible he will start the season in
triple A. It is promising to have four outfielders with so much
potential and all born in the 1980s. The infield has a lot of question
marks everywhere except at 3B. Ryan Zimmerman would be this teams
franchise player if this were football. He’s young, good defensively
and is a career .282 hitter with the ability to hit 25+ home runs, score
over 100 runs and drive in over 100 RBI’s. Playing in a new park should
help his offensive numbers. The job at 1B should be Dmitri Young
following his 2007 all star season where he hit .320. Nick Johnson is
coming back from an injury to his right leg and did not play last
season. However, Johnson is better defensively than Young and did hit
.290 with 23 home runs in 2006. If Johnson is able to prove he is fully
recovered and returns to his 2006 form he may have a chance at taking
over at 1B. If that happens I could see the Nationals trading Young to
a team in the American League where he could DH. The middle infield has
three players vying for two positions. Ronnie Belliard
is the favorite at 2B and Christian Guzman is the favorite to play SS.
That makes Felipe Lopez the odd man out. The catcher’s job should go to
Paul LoDuca. However, Johnny Estrada
will get his share of at bats and may start in place of LoDuca if he
contributes offensively like he has the last two seasons with Arizona and Milwaukee.
The dark horse candidate at this position is Jesus Flores. The 23 year
old Flores showed some promise last season and may be the catcher of
the future for the Nationals.
The outlook for the hitting is
bright. Unfortunately, there are a lot of questions when it comes to
the team’s pitching staff. There are injury concerns and young pitchers
with little experience competing for a job in the starting rotation. If
John Patterson can come back healthy he may be able to help this team.
If not, the young pitchers on this team will have step up and take the
reigns. That starts with Shawn Hill. Hill pitched 97.1 innings last
year and posted a solid 3.42 ERA, but only has 25 career starts to his
name. Left hander Matt Chico will turn 25 this June and pitched 167
innings in his first big league season. Look for him to improve on his
numbers from last season. Jason Bergman will find himself somewhere in
the rotation after going 6-6 in 21 starts last year. Other potential
starters include John Lannan, Tyler Clippard, Joel Hanrahan and Tim Redding.
The bullpen for the Nats is anchored by closer Chad Cordero. Last season Cordero recorded 37 saves while the Nationals won only 73 games. The main set-up man will be Jon Rauch. Rauch is a solid 8th inning pitcher that can hold the lead until Cordero comes in to close the game out in the 9th.
If
the Nationals starting pitching perform better than last year the
Nationals will have a chance to finish at .500 or better.
That’s
a big if.
Bartolo Colon Contract February 25, 2008
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Low risk with potentially high rewards are the type of signings you
want. The Boston Red Sox just did that by reaching an agreement with
Bartolo Colon on a minor league contract. The former Cy Young winner
is 34 years old now and hasn’t pitched a full season since 2005. If
Colon pitches well this spring don’t be surprised to see him in the Red
Sox rotation to start the season.
Brad Lidge Injury February 25, 2008
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The Phillies off-season acquisition of closer Brad Lidge from the
Houston Astros has hit a small speed bump. The 31 year old right
hander is going to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and
will miss anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks. The good news is that Lidge
should be able to recover in time to pitch in early April. The
Phillies also have Tom Gordon in their bullpen and he should assume the
closer’s role until Lidge can return. Phillies fans shouldn’t worry.
Gordon has recorded 156 saves in his career and can hold down the job
until Lidge’s return. Also, the tear in Lidge’s meniscus is a small
one. Don’t be surprised to see Lidge ready for opening day. If he
isn’t though, Tom Gordon is great insurance to have in the Phillies’
bullpen.
The Future of the Cubbies-Part 1 of 4 February 23, 2008
Posted by misterbaseball in Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox.2 comments
The fact that the Cubs represent one of the most historic teams in baseball, makes the possible sale of the team and Wrigley field, even more distressing. The fans, the league, and the City of Chicago, all have a vested interest in this deal and the future of Cubs baseball.
Over the next several weeks, the analysts here at Big League Chatter will look into the myriad of possibilities that await the fifth richest team in baseball, and how Sam Zell can create a win-win-win situation for everyone involved.
The Fans
Since their World Series victories in 1907 and 1908, both times against Ty Cobb’s Detroit Tigers, the Cubs have come up empty in their quest for a championship. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Chicago Cubs fans are chomping at the bit considering the team has spent $100 million on a roster that contains Lee, Soriano, Zambrano, Ramirez, and Marquis just to name a few.
The question everyone is asking is what effect Sam Zell will have on the quest for a world series victory. If Zell sells the Cubs, as he is presently considering, the details of the deal will determine the fate of the team. With so many variables and possible outcomes, this will be analyzed in part 2 of this section. For now, the assumption will be made that Zell will keep the team through the 2008 season, and realize what a great investment he’s made.
Can the Chicago Cubs achieve the coveted World Series title under the direction of Sam Zell ownership? That would be a function of Zells’ leadership and experience.
Leadership: Sam Zell is a leader. Forget the fact that his personality is rough around the edges and he cusses like a sailor, this guy has been building his business portfolio since he was 25 years old and is now a billionare. That doesn’t happen by accident. He has been dubbed a visionary in the real estate investment trust industry, and until recently was the largest land owner in America. Zell owned more apartment communities and office space than anyone in the country. Forbes magazine rated his companies "one of the most admired in America." Apart from real estate, Zell has invested in everything from garbage recycling to communications and specialty wire companies.
It’s impossible to research Sam Zell and not come to the conclusion that he knows what he is doing.
Experience: Sam Zell has experience. He has never owned a sports team, aside from his small percentage in the White Sox which is non-controlling, but Sam is a business guy through and through and his ability to create value and make money is impressive. At a recent speech to some LA Times staff ,he made the point that he is not a newspaper guy, but he is a business guy. He is focused on serving the customer and providing them with the best product possible.
Sam Zell’s Bio
1963-BA University of Michigan
1966-JD University of Michigan Law School.
1968-Began investing in real estate
1969-Founded Equity Residential Properties: Largest owner of apartments and residential communities in America.
1976-Founded Equity Office Properties: Largest owner of office and retail space in America.
1986-Net worth of $200 million
1987-Bought Anixter International (AXE); Communications and specialty wire company.
1992-Bought Jacor Communications: Radio broadcast group that included a television station.
1993-Took Equity Residential REIT public (EQR)
1993-Took Equity Lifestyle REIT public (ELS)
1993-Took Equity Office Properties REIT public (EOP)
1997-Founded Capital Trust: A specialized real estate finance company.
1999-Founded Equity International: Company controls Gafisa, the leading homebuilder in Brazil; BR Malls, one of the largest shopping center owners and operators in Brazil; Homex, the fastest growing homebuilder in Mexico; and Xinyuan, a rapidly expanding homebuilding company in China.
2002-Bought American Commercial Lines (ACLI): Commercial Barge Manufacturing Company
2005-Bought Covanta (CVA): Waste to energy plant
2007-Received Kellogg Award for Distinguished Leadership from the Kellogg School of Management.
2007-Bought Chicago Tribune (TXA): Company owns the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field, LA Times, ComCast SportsNet and several other t.v., radio, and newspaper companies.
In short, Sam Zell is considered a pioneer, a visionary, a leader, and a pure genius when it comes to business. Zell has been criticized in the news for his decision to take on the high debt load of the Tribune, but the fact is that Zell has made his fortune because of his ability to analyze risk and manage substantial debt. The fact is that when Sam Zell talks, people listen.
Sam Zell is a win for Chicago Cubs baseball if he keeps ownership of the team. It doesn’t appear that he’s leaning in that direction, but if it happens, Cubs fans can rest assured that a World Series championship will happen.
Philadelphia Phillies Review February 23, 2008
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The reigning NL East Champion Phillies have one of the best lineups in
baseball. 2006 MVP Ryan Howard at 1B, Chase Utley at 2B and 2007 MVP
Jimmy Rollins at SS are the Big 3 for this team. All three of these
guys are potential MVPs of the National League and make this one of the
most dangerous lineups to face in baseball. However, that’s not all
the Phillies have. At 3B the Phillies recently acquired Pedro Feliz.
The former Giant has hit 22, 20, 22 and 20 home runs the last 4
seasons. Look for that number to increase this year. Also, don’t
forget about this team’s outfield. Shane Victorino will be in
center field. He has plenty of speed, a strong arm and has hit .287
and .281 the last two seasons. Pat Burrell will man left field once
again for the Phils. He has lots of power and is capable of 30
home runs and 90+ RBIs. While Burrell is a just a .258 career hitter
he did have on .OPS of .902 last season. The Phillies are hoping Geoff
Jenkins can play right field and provide some additional thunder from
the left side of the plate in this already powerful lineup. If he
falters or gets injured look for Jayson Werth to take over. The 6′5"
Werth may platoon with Jenkins in right field and fill in for Burrell in
left field occasionally. The Phillies have also brought in So Taguchi.
He can play all three outfield positions and will probably be used for
his defense and to pinch hit. Finally, the Carlos Ruiz will be the
starting catcher. He is the only starting player not to hit double
digit home runs last season.
The main question mark for the Phillies is pitching. The team’s ace is
Cole Hamels. The young lefty has struck out 322 men in 315.2 innings
in his short career. Following him in the rotation looks to be last
year’s closer Brett Myers. Jaime Moyer, Adam Eaton and youngster Kyle
Kendrick should round out the rotation. The arrival of Brad Lidge
allows Myers to go back to the starting rotation. Lidge had
respectable numbers last year and hopefully he will thrive with his new
team.
Even though the Phillies are the NL East’s defending Champions, they
will most likely be chasing the Mets once again. They did it last year
and maybe they can again this year. Don’t be surprised to see this
team try to add some pitching in July to help them win the East or the
wild card. Finally, will Chase Utley be this year’s MVP? Ryan Howard
won it in 2006 and Jimmy Rollins last year so maybe this year will be
his turn.
