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Shades of the 1969 New York Mets? From the Miami Herald-
The Tampa Bay Rays, laughable losers for the first 10 seasons of their existence, became the third team from Florida in the past 12 years to earn a trip to the World Series, dethroning the defending champion Boston Red Sox on Sunday with a 3-1 win in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.
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Matt Garza, named the ALCS MVP, fired a pitching gem and the Rays survived a close battle, squeaking out just enough runs to edge past the Red Sox. Rays manager Joe Maddon used five pitchers - four from his bullpen - in the eighth inning to snuff out Boston’s best chance for a rally.
David Price struck out J.D. Drew with the bases loaded to kill the threat, and the rookie from Vanderbilt recorded the final three outs to preserve the win and give the Rays the pennant. He got Jed Lowrie on a ground ball to end the game.
I think the Ray’s magic will run out starting Wednesday. The only other times a Florida team(The Marlins in 1997 and 2003) made The World Series, they came out on top. My pick though is for the Philadelphia Phillies to win in seven.
He was 10-0 lifetime versus Florida before last night’s game.
Whether it was simply the law of averages catching up or a 45-year-old pitcher struggling on a hot night, Moyer lost to the Marlins 8-2 Tuesday after having won all of his previous 10 starts against the Marlins.
“It was bound to happen,” Moyer said. “The way I look at it, I beat myself tonight.”
And for the Marlins - who beat Moyer for the first time in four starts this season - their win in front of a sold-out crowd of 44,896 at Citizens Bank Park couldn’t have come at a better time.
Backed by Josh Johnson’s strong start and Jeremy Hermida’s four RBI, the Marlins started an important road trip by moving to within 11/2 games of first-place Philadelphia in the National League East.
It is simply amazing Florida is contending this year. I would have sworn they would lose 90 at least.
As for Moyer, some pitchers have certain team’s numbers. Tom Seaver used to clobber the San Diego Padres, on the other hand Al Oliver used to clobber Seaver. As Moyer said, the Marlins were bound to beat him eventually.
He died Saturday after a fall down the stairs at his home. John was strictly a bullpen catcher, but he managed to stay employed at the Major league level for 12 years. Afterwards he went into broadcasting. RIP.
PHILADELPHIA - Former major leaguer John Marzano died Saturday after falling down a flight of stairs at his home. He was 45.
The cause of his death was not immediately clear, police said.
Marzano was from Philadelphia and had been working for Major League Baseball’s Web site, where he co-hosted a show on weekday mornings.
“John was a beloved member of our team, a personable, terrific friend to all with whom he worked,” said Bob Bowman, chief executive officer of MLB Advanced Media. “He was an engaging, informed interviewer. His energy, knowledge of the game and comedic touch produced admirable results. We miss him dearly already.”
In a statement announcing his death, MLB said Marzano had fallen. MLB.com will establish an internship program in Marzano’s name, the release said.
Before joining MLB’s Web site, Marzano was a baseball analyst on Comcast SportsNet for the station’s Philadelphia Phillies postgame shows. He had also appeared regularly on WIP-AM.
“John was one of those rare persons who put a smile on your face the moment you saw him. He was joyous and he was proud,” said Comcast’s Michael Barkann, who co-hosted many of the postgame shows with Marzano. “You always knew when John was in the room. You never asked, ‘When’d you get here, Johnny?’ He always made an entrance, and it was big and it was loud and it was full of joy.”
Marzano, known for his South Philly accent, appeared with Barkann on the station’s “Daily News Live” show from the Wachovia Center before the Philadelphia Flyers hosted the Washington Capitals in an NHL playoff game on Thursday. At one point, Marzano stopped in mid-sentence, turned to the crowd and screamed, “Let’s Go Flyers!”
“The place went nuts,” Barkann said. “He did that a few more times during his segment to the same effect each time. That will be my enduring memory of John — smiling, talking sports with a sea of fans behind him. I will miss him every day.”
A graduate of Temple, Marzano earned a spot as a catcher on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team that included future major league stars Mark McGwire, Barry Larkin and Will Clark. He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox with the 14th overall pick in the first round of the 1984 amateur draft.
Marzano played 10 seasons in the big leagues for the Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners before retiring in 1998. He also played in the minors for the Phillies and the Cleveland Indians.
Overall, Marzano batted .241 with 11 homers and 72 RBIs in 794 at-bats in 301 games.
“He was a baseball guy and he loved life,” said Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, who managed Marzano in Cleveland’s minor-league system in 1993. “He had a personality. He was kind of a pepper-pot player. He was a go-getting kind of guy. That’s what he had to do and it worked for him.”
Marzano was popular in Seattle for his altercation with New York Yankees outfielder Paul O’Neill during a game in 1996. The two traded punches at home plate after O’Neill took exception to a knockdown pitch by Tim Davis.
Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer played three seasons with Marzano in Seattle and remained friends with him.
“He was a lot of fun to be around,” Moyer said after facing the New York Mets on Saturday. “He was the brunt of a lot of jokes, but he could dish it out too. He always used to call everybody, ‘Cuz.’ He’ll be missed.”
The Red Sox planned to honor Marzano with a moment of silence before their game against Texas on Saturday.
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The Philles have signed former Giant third baseman Pedro Feliz to a two-year $8.5 million contract with an option and bonuses that could raise the total of three years and $15 million. Third base has long been a troublesome lineup spot for the Phils, and that trend seems likely to extend another two to three years. Let’s look at Feliz for a minute.
| timeframe |
Avg |
OBP |
SLG |
BABIP |
OPS+ |
| Feliz ‘07 |
.253 |
.290 |
.418 |
.259 |
81 |
| Feliz ‘06 |
.244 |
.281 |
.422 |
.266 |
79 |
| Feliz ‘05 |
.250 |
.295 |
.428 |
.273 |
85 |
| Feliz ‘04 |
.276 |
.305 |
.485 |
.295 |
100 |
| Feliz all |
.252 |
.288 |
.433 |
.261 |
84 |
The typical BABIP is around .300. Feliz’ poor plate discipline leaves him forty points below average for his career. This would be okay if he slugged 40 homeruns every year, but he doesn’t. He slugs 20. Even moving to Citizens Bank Bandbox won’t improve Feliz’ power numbers enough to make him a better than average ballplayer. His fielding ability is rather good, but it hardly makes up for his deficiency at the plate.
As terrible as Feliz is, he represents an improvement over the three headed monster (Greg Dobbs, Wes Helms and Abraham Nunez) that tallied a combined line of .255/.321/.368/.689. The Phillies won the division thanks in part to an historic collapse by the Mets and a little internal luck. Their black hole 3B solution did not doom them last year, and they might be able to overcome that problem in 2008, too. However, without Aaron Rowand’s production in center, that task will be tougher. Their hitting core of Rollins, Utley, Howard and Burrell are all still young enough to be relied on to produce near current level or above for another few seasons. But a young third baseman with the capability of improving would have been far superior to an aging player with a good glove and limited ability at the plate.
Strangely, the Phils dealt away the best third base prospect in Michael Costanzo as part of the package to obtain Brad Lidge. I can’t imagine that the Astros were so bent on getting Costanzo that the Phillies substituting a different player or cash would have prevented them from acquiring Lidge. After all, Costanzo was later dealt by the Astros to the Orioles as part of the package to acquire Miguel Tejada. Costanzo looks like he will be in prime position to take over for Melvin Mora in late 2008 or early 2009. Costanzo, a Philly native, could have been underpaid to underperform for the next two or three years, freeing up a few million with which the Phillies could have shored up another area of need.
Teams that eschew inexpensive and equally effective solutions in favor of aging veterans of limited utility are failing their fans. Enjoy the title defense, Philadelphia. The cupboard looks pretty bare coming up next year.
The Dodgers recently declined to pick up the option they had on the long-time catcher. From AP-
LOS ANGELES — Catcher Mike Lieberthal has decided to retire after a 14-year big league career with the Phillies and Dodgers.
“I’m done,” Lieberthal said on Saturday. “I decided a couple weeks after the season ended. If [the Dodgers] had picked up my option, I probably would have played one more year. But I didn’t want to go anywhere else.”
The 36-year-old Lieberthal, who grew up in nearby Westlake Village, played his first 13 seasons with Philadelphia before signing with the Dodgers last winter. He hit .274 with 150 homers and played in two All-Star games.
The Dodgers declined the option they had on Lieberthal for the upcoming season. Lieberthal played in 38 games last season as a backup to Russell Martin, hitting .234 in 77 at-bats.
Mike was a good ML catcher for over 10 years. My best memory of him isn’t related to the real game, but to the Strat-O-Matic tournaments I used to play in. His home run for me at the 2002 Worlds in a must win game allowed me to make it to that year’s Quarter-finals. Thanks for getting me there Mike, and good luck in retirement.
A journeyman pitcher with a career record of 39-38, his career spanned sixteen years, with a 6 year span in the middle where Ridzik pitched 29 innings or less of ML ball or was out of the league entirely. He was a VERY small part of the 1950 pennant winning Philadelphia Phillies known aka The Whiz Kids. Being a fan and player of Strat-O-Matic’s past seasons, I was somewhat familiar with Ridzik’s accomplishments. RIP
BRADENTON — Former professional baseball player Steve Ridzik never forgot the fans who helped him fulfill his dream for more than a decade.
The former pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, the New York Giants and several other teams, who died Jan. 8 of heart disease at 78, helped create a players’ alumni association that raises money for charity.
Ridzik helped organize a Bradenton golf tournament with former baseball players that raised more than $50,000 for Manatee Memorial Hospital in the early 1990s, said his wife, Nancy Ridzik of Bradenton. The ex-ballplayer had undergone open-heart surgery there for a triple bypass a couple of years earlier, she said.
In addition to taking part in several other fundraisers over the years, Ridzik also regularly granted fans’ requests for autographs by signing baseball cards and blank cards that arrived by mail on almost a daily basis, his wife said.
“We’ve even had baseball bats and baseballs sent here” and he obliged, she said.
Born April 29, 1929, in Yonkers, N.Y., Ridzik was signed by the Phillies’ in 1945 at age 16 and pitched his first major league game in 1950, the same year the Phillies went on to win the National League pennant for the first time in 35 years.
Nicknamed “The Whiz Kids” that year because their average age was 26, the Phillies were the youngest team to ever reach the World Series, which they lost to the New York Yankees.
Ridzik subsequently played for the Cincinnati Redlegs, the Giants, the Cleveland Indians and the Washington Senators before retiring from baseball in 1966. He later worked for a food distributor in the Washington, D.C., area before retiring and moving to Bradenton in 1988.
He helped former Senators teammate Chuck Hinton establish the nonprofit Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association in 1982 for former players to serve as goodwill ambassadors of the sport.
Ridzik returned to Philadelphia in 2000 for a 50th anniversary reunion of his pennant-winning team before a crowd of 40,000 in Veterans Stadium.
“He wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” his wife said. “I think there were 13 of the original ‘Whiz Kids’ still around back then, and now there are only about six left.”
In retirement, he enjoyed golfing and watching horse and dog racing.
Tonight’s game will be the first MLB tiebreaker since 1999.
DENVER - The San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies finished the regular season tied for the wild card and will play one game tonight to determine who advances to play the Philadelphia Phillies in one National League Division Series starting Wednesday.
Tonight’s playoff was set when the Padres were beaten by Milwaukee 11-6 yesterday and the Rockies stopped Arizona 4-3.
The one-game playoff is the first in baseball since the New York Mets beat Cincinnati in 1999. The Padres are going with 19-game winner Jake Peavy against Josh Fogg, who is 10-9.
I may stay up and watch it. If so, it will be the first game I watched all of 2007.
The Padres seem well positioned wit Peavy able to go tonight. In 1967’s great race conclusion, The Detroit Tigers had to play back to back doubleheaders the last two days of the season. Tiger Manager Mayo Smith used eight pitchers(remember most teams had 9 or 10 man pitching staffs in those days) in the season’s finale in a desperate attempt to keep Detroit alive. It would have been interesting to see who Smith would have put out on the mound the next day. Without access to some parallel universe, we’ll never know.
We still have just under 3 weeks of regular season baseball left to play, it’s not quite football season yet! The National League is totally up for grabs. The Central can be won by any of three teams. The East by the Mets or Phillies. The West by any of four teams. What a race! With all the competition, who is the National League’s MVP? I will list the top candidates and give you my pick for the NL MVP.
David Wright (3B Mets) - Here is the pick that you will most commonly see. Wright is a great option for the NL MVP. He is hitting .316/.411/.544 with a career high 28 homers, 35 doubles, 96 RBI, 98 runs, 31 stolen bases, and a 86/108 BB/K rate. Wright could, and should, win the gold glove at 3B. Wright kept the offense going while Carlos Beltran was out of the lineup due to injury and he has tore it up in the 2nd half (.355/.470/.609 and a 45/35 BB/K rate) with Jose Reyes struggling and hitting .258 since the break. Wright has carried the team on his shoulders but I tend to remember the team carrying him when he struggled at the beginning of the season.
Chase Utley (2B Phillies) - Utley has missed some time due to injury and if not for that missed time I think we would be looking at the NL MVP. He is hitting .338/.417/.565 with 18 homers, 43 doubles, 92 RBI, 86 runs, 9 stolen bases, and a 46/75 BB/K rate. He leads the league in AVG and is second in OBP. He plays a physically demanding postion up the middle and holds his own. The knocks on Utley are that he has a lineup around him and that he his home stats carry his total stats (.384/.458/.643 with 12 of his 18 homers). But imagine where teh Phillies would be if he never got hurt.
Matt Holliday (LF Rockies) - If the Rockies squeek their way into the playoffs this guy could easily win the award. Holliday is hitting .335/.396/.586 with 29 homers, 46 doubles, 5 triples, a league leading 191 hits, a league leading 116 RBI, 100 runs, 11 stolen bases, but a not-to-great BB/K rate of 52/111. Holliday also has improved his defense in left. The knock on Holliday will always be that he plays in Coors but he has hit .306 with 51 RBI on the road this season. If the Rockies miss the playoffs expect Holliday to finish in the 5-8 range in the MVP voting.
Prince Fielder (1B Brewers) - You want power numbers for your MVP? Fielder is your man. He has hit to the tune of .290/.387/.616 with a league leading 44 bombs. He has also driven in 105, scored 96, hit 33 doubles, and has a good BB/K rate for a power hitter at 72/105. The Brew Crew have had a hard time keeping the lead in the Central and Fielder could lose votes for that. He could also lose votes due to the surrounding cast he has in rookie Ryan Braun (tied for 5th in homer with 30 in only 388 at-bats), Corey Hart (hitting .297/.355/.536 and is a 20/20 guy), and J.J. Hardy having a career year at SS with 24 homers. But let’s not forget that Bill Hall is having a down year with only 13 homers and a .258 AVG. And Rickie Weeks has been injured and been sent down to AAA. Fielder is a good option for MVP.
Jimmy Rollins (SS Phillies) - If I had a vote it would go to Rollins. He has been the one constant in the Phillies lineup. While Ryan Howard was out he hit. While Utley was out he hit. While Pat Burrell sucked he hit. While the bullpen was blowing saves. While the bullpen and rotation were injured. While… wait, I think you get my point by now. Overall Rollins is hitting .295/.346/.532 while leading the league in runs scored at 125, triples at 17, at-bats with 633, tied for the lead in extra-base hits at 80, and third in hits with 187. He is second amongst shortstops in homers with 27, tied for the lead in RBI with 82, third in doubles with 35, and third in stolen bases with 30. Like Wright, Rollins should also win a gold-glove if there is any justice in this world. In my opinion defense is way overlooked when it comes to MVP voting and it should factor in. Now, imagine where the Phillies would be without Rollins.
Other notable options:
Albert Pujols (1B Cardinals) - .321/.424/.562 with 30 homers, 31 doubles, 89 RBI, 88 runs, and a ridiculous 90/56 BB/K rate.
Russ Martin (C Dodgers) - .297/.378/.475 with 17 homers, 30 doubles, 21 stolen bases, 81 RBI, 80 runs, and 60/79 BB/K rate.
Chipper Jones (3B Braves) - .330/.416/.598 with 25 homers, 39 doubles, 87 RBI, 93 runs, and a 70/70 BB/K rate.
Eric Byrnes (OF Diamondbacks) - .297/.367/.487 with 21 homers, 28 doubles, 8 triples, 81 RBI, 94 runs, 45 stolen bases, and a 56/89 BB/K rate.
As I’ve said before, umpires need help. And I refer you to a piece I wrote over a year ago on this very same subject. Baseball (and sports in general) is far behind the times in utilizing modern technology where it can, specifically to improve officiating.
I’ve thought about this topic for a long time. I think Questec is a good thing. (For those who dont know, it’s a computerized system that measures ball & strikes, and compares it to what the umpire actually called.)
One of the biggest and most frustrating problems in pro sports are bad calls by umps/refs. What I’d like to see is the steady removal of the so-called ‘human error’ from sports; I’ll talk specifically about baseball:
When umps are unsure when a ball is fair or foul down the line, why can’t a system be installed like they use in tennis? They could use technology to determine whether balls are just that, fair or foul.
Also, on disputed HRs, they must use instant replay. There’s no other fair way. An ump should be stationed in the park somewhere near a TV, like in the NHL. He should have the final word, since he’ll have access to the replay.
On balls and strikes, why not use Questec or ESPN’s ‘K-Zone’ (for example) to actually call the strikes? The only problem is that strike zone height is different for every hitter, but width is exactly the same, 17 inches (the width of homeplate). Rickey Henderson had a smaller up/down zone because he was short and crouched, and Richie Sexson’s up/down zone is bigger because he’s 6′8″. But their side-to-side zone is exactly the same. Therefore, computers/technology should be used to tell an umpire when a ball hits the plate or just misses. For the time being, umps will still need to call the up/down pitches (because every hitter is different), but will know for sure when a pitch crosses the corner or not. Or an ump could be assigned to determine the upper limit of each hitter’s strike zone dependent on his stance.
It also sucks when a pitcher throws a strike, but it’s not where he meant to throw it, the catcher has to reach for it, so the ump automatically calls it a ball. It doesn’t matter where the pitcher MEANT to throw the ball, it only matters whether it’s a strike or a ball.
For out/safe calls, when the closest ump feels the play is too close to call, he could send it to the ‘booth ump.’ TV technology is such today that it could be done in 30-60 seconds. Or (ala the NFL) managers should have two replays to use per game.
These steps would help legitimize the officiating and would make for fewer arguments from players and managers. You can’t argue with Questec strikes - it’s 100% consistent and 0% prejudiced (for veterans, or against rookies). Instant replay would also ensure the right call, and isn’t that worth waiting (at most) 60 seconds for - especially in close and/or playoff games?
When I heard that the Braves were down seven runs late in yesterday’s game against the Phillies, I figured their season was over. I still think the playoffs are improbable, but an amazing rally at least gives them some room for hope.
With their faint playoff hopes flickering, the Braves’ bloops started falling for hits. The team that has claimed it couldn’t get a break for months got several in the last two innings Wednesday during an unusual, improbable 9-8 come-from-behind win against the Philadelphia Phillies, capped by Matt Diaz’s game-ending, three-run double with two out in the ninth.
The Braves overcame an 8-2 deficit by scoring four runs in a bloop-filled eighth and three runs in the ninth on a two-out rally when things looked just about hopeless. They turned a sparse crowd at Turner Field into a surprise party with a Braves pileup at midfield after Yunel Escobar slid home with the winning run and pointed to the sky, pumping his arm.
“We’re a pretty streaky team, and hopefully this starts a good streak,” said Diaz, who had a broken-bat, bases-loaded infield single in the eighth inning, then cleared the bases in the ninth with an opposite-field hit off the glove of right fielder Chris Roberson as he raced into the corner. “Matty being Matty,” said outfielder Willie Harris, whose home run and two RBIs helped the Braves win the series 2-1.
They’re still in third place in the NL East, 7-1/2 behind New York and 2-1/2 games behind Philadelphia, and five teams were ahead of them in the wild-card race.
When Tim Hudson gave up 11 hits and five runs in the first five innings, the Braves appeared headed for their 14th loss in 20 games and eighth in 10 home games. “Just one of those games where you’re thinking, ‘Here we go again,’ ” Jones said. They got two runs in the sixth inning on a homer from Harris and an RBI double by Jones, before stranding two runners in the inning.
Then a funny thing happened on the way to another disheartening, opportunities-wasted loss. The baseball gods turned the game upside down in the eighth and shook it. “We hit some balls hard that were caught,” Harris said, “and we hit some balls soft that weren’t caught, that went for base hits. Hopefully this a turning point for us. We’re not rolling over.”
Manager Bobby Cox said, “We had a lot of bloops. Just one of them gets caught, and we’re done. They all fell.”
Diaz said some Braves couldn’t help but laugh during the eighth inning, when they got three consecutive one-out bloop singles by Brian McCann, Jeff Francoeur and Scott Thorman, after Jones’ leadoff double.
Francoeur drove in a run, then another scored on a wild pitch by closer Brett Myers. The Phillies still had an 8-4 lead, and McCann left with a contusion of his left ankle (he said it’s not serious).
“Crazy, crazy game,” Jones said. “We had no business winning this game, as lousy as we played through six innings. But you keep swinging the bats, and sometimes good things happen.”
Not often enough lately. But Braves fans can keep their hopes alive for a little while longer.
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