Odd Man Rush

It has long been the complaint of many that fan voting for the All-Star Game can be, at times, suspect, sometimes hilariously so.  But rather than wasting a lot of space crying about it, I offer a solution:  If you haven’t voted your maximum 25 times yet (and if you have, what about using your wife’s/girlfriend’s/roommate’s/etc. email address?), consider voting for the players with the best VORP - Value Over Replacement Player.  In a perfect world where popularity/playing in New York or Boston doesn’t matter and statistics do, these guys should be your 2009 All-Stars.  I am recommending who to vote for based on who has a chance to make it, but you can always just vote for the high-VORP players, regardless of standing.  Here’s the rundown:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Catcher

All-Star Should Be: Joe Mauer, Minnesota.  VORP: 44.9.  

Alternative Selections: None.  The second-place player, Mike Napoli, has a VORP of 15.0.

Current Leader: Mauer, by a lot.  Great job, fans.

First Base

All-Star Should Be: Russell Branyan, Seattle.  VORP: 29.5.

Alternative Selections: Victor Martinez is close behind Branyan with a 29.3, but he’s on the ballot as a catcher.  Justin Morneau (28.0) and Kevin Youkilis (27.1) are acceptable alternatives.

Current Leader: Mark Teixeira ranks 6th in VORP with a 21.8.  Branyan isn’t even on the voting leaderboard, leading me to recommend voting for Youkilis or Morneau, both of whom have an outside chance of catching Teixeira.

Second Base

All-Star Should Be: Aaron Hill, Toronto.  VORP: 25.8.

Alternative Selections: Ian Kinsler (25.4). 

Current Leader: Kinsler, though he leads by a thin margin over Dustin Pedroia (10.8).  Once again, a vote for Kinsler is probably the smartest, since it keeps Pedroia out.  Hill will likely by chosen as a back-up.

Third Base

All-Star Should Be: Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay.  VORP: 33.1.

Alternative Selections: Scott Rolen (24.5) and Michael Young (23.4) are the closest, but it’s not like Longoria’s defense is suspect.  There’s no true alternative here.

Current Leader: Longoria has more than twice as many votes as second-place Alex Rodriguez (12.8).

Shortstop

All-Star Should Be: Jason Bartlett, Tampa Bay.  VORP: 35.5.

Alternative Selections: The gap between Jason Bartlett and Derek Jeter (28.3) is significant, but Bartlett missed a few weeks due to injury.  Still, it looks like Bartlett deserves it.

Current Leader: Jeter is the runaway leader, as expected, but Bartlett is in second place.  This should be a more respectable race, though.  Bartlett deserves your vote!

Outfield

All-Stars Should Be: Torii Hunter, Los Angeles of Western Hemisphere (32.9), Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle (32.8), Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay (31.2)

Alternative Selections: Jason Bay (27.6), Carl Crawford (26.1), and Adam Jones (23.6).  Nobody else really comes close. 

Current Leaders: Bay, Ichiro, and Josh Hamilton (3.0).  Hamilton has been injured much of the season and hasn’t done a lot when healthy.  This is by far the most egregious error on the AL side.  Hunter, in 4th place, deserves to move up.  Crawford is right behind him in 5th.  Unfortunately, Zobrist doesn’t even crack the leaderboard.  My recommended ballot: Ichiro, Hunter, and Bay.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Catcher

All-Star Should Be: Brian McCann, Atlanta.  VORP: 22.3.

Alternative Selections: None.  David Ross, McCann’s actual replacement player, is second with a 10.3.

Current Leader: Yadier Molina (7.4) is the inexplicable leader by 300,000 over McCann.  My guess is that McCann is perceived to be having an off-year due to his vision problems, but the statistics say otherwise.  Get Molina out of there!

First Base

All-Star Should Be: Albert Pujols, St. Louis.  VORP: A ridiculous 51.4.

Alternative Selections: Prince Fielder (31.7) and Adrian Gonzalez (29.1) are having monster seasons, but they aren’t even worthy to stoop down and untie Pujols’ sandals. 

Current Leader: Pujols, by an appropriately wide margin.  The 1.3 million people who have voted for Ryan Howard (13.0) shouldn’t be allowed to watch baseball anymore – or worse, when they do, they should be forced to watch it with Tim McCarver.

Second Base

All-Star Should Be: Chase Utley, Philadelphia.  VORP: 37.1.

Alternative Selections: I worry that Freddy Sanchez (22.3) will be overlooked as a backup in favor of Orlando Hudson (20.7) or Brandon Phillips (14.7).  Then again, maybe the "one player from every team" rule will work in his favor.

Current Leader: Utley has almost as many votes as Pujols.

Third Base

All-Star Should Be: David Wright, New York Mets.  VORP: 34.2.

Alternative Selections: Pablo Sandoval, 31.0.

Current Leader: Wright, and he isn’t in any danger of being passed, so vote for Sandoval. He at least deserves to crack the Top 5.

Shortstop

All-Star Should Be: Hanley Ramirez, Florida.  VORP: 37.5.

Alternative Selections: None.  Second-place Miguel Tejada has a 25.4.

Current Leader: Ramirez, but not by much.  He barely leads Jimmy Rollins, who has a ghastly – 8.4.  That’s negative, people.  It means that the Phillies could (and apparently, should) plug in an average player and expect to score 8.4 runs more than they would with Rollins in the line-up.  Who do these Philadelphia fans think they are?  You know what to do.

Outfield

All-Stars Should Be: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee (35.6), Raul Ibanez, Philadelphia (33.6), Carlos Beltran, New York Mets (33.4).

Alternative Selections: The National League isn’t as close as the AL.  Your three viable alternatives are Justin Upton (30.2), Brad Hawpe (27.9), and Matt Kemp (26.2).

Current Leaders: Ibanez, Braun, and Beltran.  As it should be.  Beltran is being chased by Alfonso Soriano (2.2), so whatever you do, make sure to get Carlos on your ballot.

One observation: This really puts the MVP race in perspective.  Mauer and Pujols are your runaway leaders at the halfway point.

I will post who I think the pitchers should be later this week.  As always, your comments are welcome.

Note: I’m having trouble getting the embedded videos to show up on #9 & #5.  Until I can fix this, they will just be links.

Part 1 (#20-11) is here.

10. August 22, 2007: Rangers 30, Orioles 3

The Rangers set a major league record by scoring 30 runs in one game.  The performance was so awe-inspiring that Tim Kurkjian had trouble keeping it together in describing it on ESPN.  Of course, a game like this invites statistical analysis.  You can find some of that here.  One of my favorite stats?  Wes Littleton earned a save – yes, that’s right – by pitching three shutout innings.  Box Score

9. May 26, 1993: Jose Canseco uses his head

I’m afraid that this needs no explanation: Video

8. 1996, 1998, 1999, 2003: MVP Awards for Juan Gonzalez (twice), Ivan Rodriguez, and Alex Rodriguez

The fact that 3 Rangers players won 4 MVP awards in the span of just 8 years speaks to the level on individual accomplishment that players have achieved in Texas.  Unfortunately, it also points to the lack of team success that has plagued the franchise.  These 3 are now almost certainly tainted names, but they each had career seasons in Arlington.

7. August 22, 1989; June 11, 1990; July 31, 1990; May 1, 1991: Nolan Ryan Milestones in a Rangers uniform: 5000 Ks, No-hitter #6, 300 Ws, No-hitter #7

Nolan Ryan’s plaque in Cooperstown shows him wearing a Rangers hat, and the reason for that is because he was able to accomplish so many statistical feats while in Arlington.  He spent more time with both the Angels and the Astros, but most of his iconic pictures show Ryan in a Texas uniform.  Only 24 pitchers have achieved the 300 win mark (and some have speculated that it is now an unreachable plateau).  With 324 wins, Ryan stands at #14 on the all-time list.  The other 2 accomplishments are widely considered to be among baseball’s untouchable records.  Notably, Nolan pitched his 7th no-hitter on the same day that Rickey Henderson broke the all-time steals record, overshadowing his feat.

 

6. May 29, 1993: Jose Canseco pitches

Three days after Jose Canseco let one out off his noggin, he somehow convinced bumbling manager Kevin Kennedy that he needed to pitch in a blowout game against the Red Sox.  In 1 inning of work, Canseco threw 33 pitches (only 12 were strikes), walking 3 and giving up 2 hits and 3 earned runs, good for a career ERA of 27.00.  In the process, he injured his elbow and was lost for the remainder of the season.  He underwent Tommy John surgery, leading to this image which was run in Ranger programs the following year:

Box Score

5. July 28, 1994: Kenny Rogers throws a perfect game

Kenny Rogers’ perfect game is memorable mostly for two reasons: (1) It’s the only perfect game in team history, and (2) Rusty Greer made an amazing catch in the 9th inning to preserve it.  You can see it at about the 1:08 mark here: Video

Box Score

4. October 1, 1996: The Rangers win a playoff game

The Rangers hold the ignominous honor of being the only MLB team to have never won a playoff series.  They have played a total of 10 playoff games, all against the New York Yankees, and they won the first and have lost the last 9.  The lone win featured home runs from Juan Gonzalez and Dean Palmer, and John Burkett was the winning pitcher.  Unfortunately, the Rangers were unable to turn their early postseason success into anything positive.  Box Score

3. July 14, 2008: Josh Hamilton takes over the Home Run Derby

Anybody who has followed baseball the last couple of years knows Josh Hamilton’s story: A young baseball phenom throws away his career to drug addiction, then finds Jesus and hits in batting cages at his local Putt Putt to get his swing back.  America fell in love with Josh during the Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium in its last year.  Hamilton took pitches from one of his old Little League coaches, the 71 year old Clay Council and hit 28 home runs in the first round, beating Bobby Abreu’s record.  He didn’t hit one out of the stadium like he wanted to, but he did get to tell ESPN’s Erin Andrews about the dream he had in 2006 where he participated in a home run derby in Yankee Stadium and talked to a blonde reporter about it afterwards. 

2. June 20, 1991: Pudge makes his major league debut

One of the greatest catchers to ever play the game had a decent major league debut, if you just look at the box score.  Pudge hit a 2 RBI single and struck out.  You have to look a little deeper to see just how special it was.  The 19 year old Rodriguez, who would become known for striking fear into the hearts of baserunners everywhere, threw out two runners at second.  More memorable, though, was the fact that he got married at home plate in Arlington Stadium before the game.  What a way to celebrate.

1. August 4, 1993: Nolan Ryan beats down Robin Ventura

In 1993, Nolan Ryan was 46 years old and winding down his Hall of Fame career.  Robin Ventura was 26 and in his 4th year.  When Ventura took exception to the Ryan hitting him on August 4, he charged the mound and learned a lesson about respecting his elders.  Nolan, using a move he says he uses on steers at his ranch in South Texas, put Ventura in a headlock and hit him 6 times on the head before being pulled away.  Ventura was ejected, while Ryan was allowed to stay in the game.  Video

 

It is with great pride that I present to you Part 1 of the most memorable moments in recent Texas Rangers history.  Compiling this list was a collaborative effort.  

The list represents good and bad moments that happened both on and off the field.  I did not include trades and acquisitions, with one very notable exception.  Perhaps in the near future (or around trade deadline time), we’ll come up with a list of the best and worst trades in Rangers history.  For now, the memorable moments:

20. April 1, 1994: The Ballpark in Arlington opens

In 1991, it was clear that the Rangers needed to move out of Arlington Stadium, an old minor league ballpark.  The new park was modeled after several classic stadiums, but it has met mixed reviews among baseball and sports publications.  In 2006, Sports Illustrated ranked it #5 for Fan Value. However, ESPN.com ranked it #17 overall just three years earlier.  Recent reviews have it at 15th and 25th.  What became quickly apparent to Rangers fans following the opening of the stadium was that it was pretty much the opposite of Arlington Stadium in terms of friendliness to pitchers.  The jet stream continues to be a problem in drawing free agent pitchers to this day.

19. August 3, 2003: Johnny Oates inducted into Rangers Hall of Fame

In my opinion, the hierarchy of Rangers managers goes thusly: Oates, Valentine, and Martin, with an honorable mention for Ted Williams because hey, he’s Ted Williams.  Oates remains the only manager to take the Rangers to the playoffs, and he was unfairly forced to resign in 2001 following unrealistic expectations after Tom Hicks committed $252 million to one player (see #14).  In 2003, following a diagnosis of brain cancer, he rode onto the field as an inaugural inductee to the Rangers Hall of Fame.  He died about a year and a half later.  You can see part of that induction in this video.

18. 2003, 2006, 2008: Rangers heroics at the All Star Game

The National League hasn’t won an All-Star game since 1996, thanks in large part to Texas Rangers players. 

In 2003, the American League trailed 6-4 entering the 8th inning when the NL brought Eric Gagne in to close.  The AL made it a one-run game before Hank Blalock came up and hit the go-ahead two run homer to win the game.  It was the only save Gagne blew that year, and since it wasn’t an official game, his eventual record-setting consecutive saves record was allowed to continue.

In 2006, the American League once again trailed, this time 2-1 entering the ninth.  On this occasion, it was Michael Young’s two-run triple that proved to be the difference.  Young was named the MVP.

Young was the hero again in 2008, driving in the winning run via sacrifice fly.  The RBI came against Brad Lidge, and the game became his only blown save all season as well.  

The 2004 All-Star game wasn’t close, but Alfonso Soriano was named MVP of that game also.

17. May 22, 1997: Mark Holtz’ last game

Mark Holtz and Eric Nadel were without question the best broadcast team the Rangers have ever had.  I contend that Holtz is also the best TV guy to do Rangers games on a regular basis.  His catchphrase, "Hello, win column!", shouted after victories, was uttered one last time during Holtz’ final game on May 22, 1997.  He died three and a half months later.   The phrase is still displayed on the Rangers’ center field scoreboard after wins.

 

16. June 29, 2005: Kenny Rogers assaults a cameraman

 

The Rangers and Kenny Rogers have always had an on-again, off-again relationship.  Rogers spent three stints in Texas, leaving on good terms the first two times.  The third time, however, was not such an amicable split.  On June 29, 2005, with the Rangers slumping, but still in second place and on the fringe of contention, Rogers assaulted two cameramen, saying, "I told you to get those cameras out of my face."  One of the gentlemen was sent to the hospital, as were the Rangers postseason hopes after Rogers was suspended for 20 games.

15. June 12, 1997: Arlington hosts the first regular season interleague game

Okay, so the Rangers lost the game.  But it was still the first-ever regular season interleague game, and it happened in our ballpark.  The Rangers have played the most interleague games (212) in the major leagues since its implementation, and have gone 103-109.

14. December 2000: A-Rod signs a $252 million contract

Following a disappointing 2000 season, Tom Hicks was eager to prove that he was willing to spend to put the Rangers back into contention, which resulted in what was at the time the biggest baseball contract ever.  The record is so ridiculous that it has only been passed by A-Rod himself.  The signing should be memorable just for that fact alone, but the ramifications that it had on the team make it even more so.  There was little room for signing other free agents, and the team had to say goodbye to some of their beloved stars, such as Ivan Rodriguez.  Finally, the unrealistic expectations caused by the signing led to the departure of Johnny Oates (see #19).  

13. September 8, 1990: Nolan Ryan takes a Bo Jackson liner to the face

This picture has always epitomized Nolan Ryan for me:

 

On September 8, 1990, Bo Jackson lined a Nolan Ryan fastball back up the middle and hit Ryan square in the mouth with it.  Nolan calmly picked up the ball and threw the speedy Jackson out, then stayed in the game and retired the side.  And some people call this wussy-boy steroid user named "Rocket" the greatest living pitcher.  What do they know?

12. September 13, 2004: Frank Francisco throws a chair

 

Kids, let me tell you a story.  Frank Francisco wasn’t always a closer with terrible entrance music.  One day in Oakland, the thug fans behind the bullpen decided to turn their trash talk personal by mentioning then-Ranger Doug Brocail’s stillborn child.  Francisco, a middle reliever at the time, lost his cool and threw a chair into the stands.  He missed almost two years due to a suspension and Tommy John surgery and became the pitcher you now know and love for getting five-out saves.

11. 1996, 1998, 1999: AL West titles

There was something to like about each of the Rangers division-winning teams.  1996 represented the first title ever for the Rangers, and it showed the promise of a team with staying power.  1998 featured another MVP season from Juan Gonzalez, who drove in 101 runs before the All-Star break.  1999 was the best season ever for Texas, who won 95 games.  Unfortunately, these seasons sit at #11 on our list for one reason: playoff ineptitude.

Box

Positives

• Once again, the offense got going early.  The Rangers didn’t trail all series.  That’s got to take a lot of pressure off the staff.
  
• Here’s how good the offense has been so far: I haven’t even mentioned Ian Kinsler yet, and here are his stats: 7-14, 1 HR, 6 RBI, good for a SLG of .929 and an OPS of 1.429.
• Every hitter scored at least 1 run.
  
• Andruw Jones went 3 for 5 in his debut.  He had just 33 hits in 75 games last year.  I’m not ready to jump on the bandwagon yet, but is there any denying that Rudy Jaramillo is the Hank Haney of hitting?
• 5 RBI’s for Marlon Byrd today.
  
• Omar Vizquel contributed on both sides of the ball, making several key defensive plays as you might expect, but also by driving in and scoring a run.
• Brandon McCarthy was mediocre overall, but he debuted his new slurve, and it was filthy.  He relied on it to collect 7 K’s in 5 IP.  You can also say this for McCarthy: He went for 105 pitches.  That’s 3 starters in a row to go over 100, and Rangers starters are now 3-0.
  

Negatives

• The Indians hit 5 home runs, and that accounted for 7 of their 8 RBI’s.   
  
• Scott Feldman was the long reliever today, and he was not good.  After allowing a leadoff hit in the 8th, the camera focused on his face and he had one of those "Here we go again" looks.  You weren’t the only one, Scott.
• Chris Davis went 0 for 4, which means he’s now 1 for 11 with 5 K’s.  He also left 4 on base today.
  

Does anybody know where I can get text-only box scores without all the fancy graphics?  I’d love to just be able to copy and paste.

Box

Positives

• Vicente Padilla was one out away from a Quality Start.  You would like to see him get more innings, but once the Rangers took the lead, Padilla kept Cleveland at bay.  He got himself into some trouble in the fourth, hitting Ryan Garko with the bases loaded, but then he got himself out of the jam.
• The offense was on again, and the best part is that it’s not coming from just one or two sources.  Five Rangers drove in runs.
• Nelson Cruz hit two home runs.  Breakout season?
• Elvis Andrus used his speed to beat out an infield single and drive in his first run, then hit a solo homer.  I’m starting to like this kid.
• Francisco made it a little interesting in the ninth, but ultimately got the save on a strikeout. 
• Have I mentioned I love the red unis?  The Rangers wore white with blue letters tonight, but the red hats were a great touch.  It was funny to watch the commercials with last year’s footage and the blue uniforms.
  

Negatives

• Defense.  Michael Young and Elvis Andrus each had throwing errors.  So much for that tight defense on the left side.  I really do think it will be better, but it’s a little early for errors, right?  C.J. Wilson added one of his own.
• Jarrod Saltalamacchia left the game with "lightheadedness."  Uh, what?  Taylor Teagarden was already scheduled to start tomorrow (day game after a night game), so hopefully Jarrod has enough time to, er, recover.
• It took Padilla 109 pitches to get through 5 2/3.  He’s going to have to be more economical in the future.  He also had 7 flyouts versus 5 groundouts, which will not be okay in July.
• I question bringing in Eddie Guardado for 1/3 of an inning.  Why not let leave him in for the 8th if he’s already in the game and warm?  He only threw 10 pitches.  It seems like Washington was maybe being a little slavish to the predefined bullpen roles in this case.
• Only 23,000 in attendance?  Come on, guys.
  

I hope to post recaps of all 162 games this season.  I realize this is ambitious, so don’t expect to see recaps on the same day or even the next day – but I will get around to them.  They will be short and sweet – a link to a box score, 3 (or more) positives from the game, and 3 (or more) negatives from the game.  Of course, I reserve the right to call an audible, but that’s how I see this going.

Box Score

Positives

• Kevin Millwood pitched 7 innings and only gave up 5 hits, all of them singles.  He threw 113 pitches and said afterward he could have kept going, so I guess there’s something to Nolan Ryan’s conditioning program.  It’s nice to get an ace performance from your ace.
• The defense.  Pitching has always been a problem for the Rangers, but a significant improvement in defensive play will obviously help the Rangers as they try to avoid posting a league-worst ERA two years in a row.  Michael Young was tested in his first game at third base, and he passed.  He had to charge two balls, and he looked like he’s been doing it his whole career.  Similarly, Elvis Andrus turned two double plays and even made an amazing diving stop behind second base.
• Hank Blalock hit a 3-run homer, proving in my mind that he can be effective protecting Josh Hamilton or Nelson Cruz (depending on the handedness of the pitcher) in the lineup.
• Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit his first home run since June 3.  More importantly, he was in sync with Millwood behind the plate and kept the pace moving when things were going well.
• Michael Young is back.  Last year, he played with a broken finger on each hand.  Today, he looked like the player that’s accustomed to collecting 200 hits a season.
• Josh Hamilton didn’t have to be a hero, but he was effective at the plate and in the field.
• C.J. Wilson and Frank Francisco each pitched a perfect inning in relief.
• Those new red uniforms looked fantastic.  I love the Rangers in red.

Negatives

• You really have to pick nits to find something.  It says a lot when only one player went hitless.  That player was Chris Davis.  Nothing to worry about here – Chris is going to be fine.
• The one run was caused by a Millwood wild pitch that Saltalamacchia maybe could have stopped.
• Frank Francisco’s entrance music/scoreboard montage was TERRIBLE.  One or the other (preferably both) needs to be changed.

Opening Day is here!

Predicted Standings for 2009

First number in parentheses is predicted # of wins, following number is differential from 2008.

AL East

New York (98, + 8 )

Tampa Bay (Wild Card) (94, – 3)

Boston (90, – 5)

Toronto (84, – 2)

Baltimore (67, – 1)

AL Central

Chicago (91, + 2)

Minnesota (89, + 1)

Kansas City (80, + 5)

Cleveland (77, – 4)

Detroit (76, + 2)

AL West

Los Angeles of Anaheim (91, – 9)

Texas (83, + 4)

Oakland (79, + 4)

Seattle (66, + 5)

 

NL East

New York (94, + 5)

Philadelphia (Wild Card) (92, +/- 0)

Florida (81, – 3)

Atlanta (75, + 3)

Washington (58, – 1)

NL Central

Chicago (95, – 2)

Cincinnati (88, + 14)

St. Louis (84, – 2)

Milwaukee (80, – 10)

Houston (73, – 13)

Pittsburgh (66, – 1)

NL West

Los Angeles (95, + 11)

Arizona (86, + 4)

San Francisco (78, + 6)

Colorado (62, – 12)

San Diego (60, – 3)

 

Preseason Power Rankings

1. Tampa Bay Rays
   
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Chicago Cubs
4. New York Yankees
5. New York Mets
6. Philadelphia Phillies
7. Los Angeles Dodgers
8. Chicago White Sox
   
9. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
   
10. Minnesota Twins
    
11. St. Louis Cardinals
12. Toronto Blue Jays
    
13. Cincinnati Reds
    
14. Arizona Diamondbacks
    
15. Texas Rangers
    
16. Oakland Athletics
    
17. Florida Marlins
    
18. Milwaukee Brewers
    
19. Cleveland Indians
    
20. San Francisco Giants
    
21. Atlanta Braves
    
22. Kansas City Royals
    
23. Detroit Tigers
    
24. Colorado Rockies
    
25. Houston Astros
    
26. Baltimore Orioles
    
27. Seattle Mariners
    
28. Pittsburgh Pirates
    
29. San Diego Padres
    
30. Washington Nationals

Individual Awards – American League

The top vote-getters are listed in order for voting awards, and in statistical order for other awards.

MVP: Mark Teixeira, Grady Sizemore, Josh Hamilton

Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Jon Lester, Joe Nathan

Rookie of the Year: Matt LaPorta, Matt Wieters, David Price

Comeback Player of the Year: Francisco Liriano, David Ortiz, Andruw Jones

Batting Champ: Ian Kinsler, Nick Markakis, Dustin Pedroia

Home Run Champ: Grady Sizemore, Evan Longoria, Jermaine Dye

RBI Champ: Josh Hamilton, Mark Teixeira, Kevin Youkilis

ERA Champ: Roy Halladay, Jon Lester, CC Sabathia

Wins Champ: Roy Halladay, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Andy Sonnanstine

Strikeout Champ: CC Sabathia, Roy Halladay, Zack Greinke

Saves Champ: Joe Nathan, Jonathan Papelbon, David Price

Individual Awards – National League

The top vote-getters are listed in order for voting awards, and in statistical order for other awards.

MVP: Albert Pujols, David Wright, Aramis Ramirez

Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, Cole Hamels, Brandon Webb

Rookie of the Year: Cameron Maybin, Andrew McCutchen, Jason Motte

Comeback Player of the Year: Aaron Harang, Troy Tulowitzki, Chris Carpenter

Batting Champ: Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman, Ryan Theriot

Home Run Champ: Ryan Braun, Albert Pujols, David Wright

RBI Champ: David Wright, Aramis Ramirez, Albert Pujols

ERA Champ: Tim Lincecum, Rich Harden, Johan Santana

Wins Champ: Brandon Webb, Cole Hamels, Chad Billingsley

Strikeout Champ: Tim Lincecum, Cole Hamels, Dan Haren

Saves Champ: Brad Lidge, Francisco Rodriguez, Jonathan Broxton

I love international competition in sports.  During the Olympics, I watch sports I care nothing about (fencing? curling?) because I love how excited athletes get about representing their country.  The passion is unmistakable.  That’s why I don’t get the hatred in the media for the World Baseball Classic.  Sure, the timing isn’t perfect.  Major League teams are getting ready for their season.  But how many people really pay attention to spring training?  I love baseball, and the only reason I can sit through a spring training game is that I’ve been jonesing for baseball since the end of the World Series.  Meaningful games in March?  Sign me up.

Peter Gammons disagrees with me.  He says that fan bases for the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, and Cubs should not and do not care about how well their national team is doing.  They should be worried about the health of their superstars.  By the way, if anybody knows about those four teams, it’s Peter Gammons.  Those are the only teams he reports on.  But you know what?  My loyalty to team has been pushed aside these last few days.  I have found myself rooting for Derek Jeter for the very first time.  Last night, I openly rooted for Geovanny Soto to ground into a double play.  Does that mean that I’ll continue to do so once April 6 rolls around?  NO. WAY.  But Team USA is in the semifinals.  If you can cheer for your country in bobsledding or synchronized diving, why not baseball?

Let’s start this off with an aside: If today weren’t Super Sunday, you’d see a post here about how the Stars are back in playoff contention.  That’s probably really good for the Stars, because nobody cares right now, so they can continue to fly under the radar.  Anyway, it is Super Sunday, and after two long weeks of pondering, I have decided that the Cardinals will win the Super Bowl.  Here’s why:

1. Arizona’s offense is elite, and Pittsburgh’s defense is overrated.

Yes, I am well aware of the fact that by almost any statistical measure, the Steelers had the number one defense in the NFL this year.  But look at the schedule:  The 6 intradivision matchups certainly helped pad the stats.  I don’t think anybody is going to mistake Cincinnati, Cleveland, or Baltimore for a good (or even decent) offensive team.  They also played Houston and Jacksonville.  Same drill.  Borderline offensive teams they played include San Diego, Washington, Dallas, and Philadelphia (they lost that game).  That leaves the New York Giants, New England, Indianapolis and Tennessee.  Indianapolis shouldn’t even count, because they had absolutely no running game this year, but Pittsburgh lost anyway.  The Giants and the Titans both exposed the Steel Curtain.  The only exception is New England, and you have to bow down to that defensive performance, but 1 great game is worthy of all the praise they’re getting in the media?

On the other side, the Arizona offense has come alive.  The fact that they have found their running game and will be able to balance their playcalling is going to cause some problems.  The common denominator among all the teams that beat Pittsburgh this year is that they all have a solid passing game.  If Arizona can establish the run and Troy Polamalu starts sneaking up into the box, Kurt Warner will be able to carve up the secondary.

2. Ben Roethlisberger is a liability, and Ken Whisenhunt is his old Offensive Coordinator.  

I don’t think enough has been made of this.  In Super Bowl XL, Roethlisberger was terrible.  The winning touchdown pass was thrown by the wide receiver.  A lot has been made of Big Ben’s "legacy" because he did win that Super Bowl, but he’s been nothing but a game manager since he arrived.  This year, he hasn’t even done a great job of that, throwing barely more touchdowns than interceptions.  Of the 16 starting quarterbacks in the AFC, Ben finished 12th in quarterback rating, just ahead of JaMarcus Russell and behind such phenoms as Joe Flacco and Trent Edwards.  (By the way, just to bolster my "Pitt’s defense stats are juiced because of their division" argument, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Derek Anderson were 15 and 16.)  If you don’t think Ken Whisenhunt knows how to get to Ben Roethlisberger, think again.  While we’re on the subject, the offensive line of the Steelers allowed the second-most sacks this year.  If the Cardinals turn this game into a shootout, their underrated front seven will pin their ears back and get to Ben.

3. The Cardinals are hungrier than the Steelers.

There’s no way that anybody could possibly know this, but look at the situation: A young, up-and-coming team coached by the guy who got passed over for the Pittsburgh and led by a quarterback whose last taste of the Super Bowl was very bitter (and whose Hall of Fame status is almost assured with a win) is pitted as an underdog against an established team that played a fairly easy schedule this time around and acts like they’re going to win handily.  In every interview I’ve seen or heard with a Pittsburgh player who played for them 3 years ago, they talk about how satisfying it was to win.  Teams that win the Super Bowl aren’t focused on how satisfying it will be to hold up the trophy; they focus on the work it will take to get there.  I’ve heard nothing but that from Cardinals players.

I know this is an intangible category, but the intangibles always come into play in the Super Bowl.  The game is so big that they have to.  Ultimately, I believe this game comes down to the will of the two teams, and from what I’ve seen, the Cardinals want and need it more.  Arizona 29, Pittsburgh 23.

Note: If you know how I can fix the pictures so they don’t look so stupid, let me know.

10. The Red River Rivalry Game becomes a focal point of the National Championship discussion.

College football was once again a mess in 2008, and much of the controversy revolved around three Big XII South schools: Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech.  When three teams have identical records and they all beat each other, people (and computers) turn nit-picky when trying to determine which team is best.  For a while it looked like Texas might be the team because they beat Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, but ultimately Oklahoma got the nod based largely on style points.

9. Nolan Ryan rejoins the Texas Rangers as President.

Not many baseball fans know who their team’s President of Baseball Operations is, but most Rangers fans do.  It helps that he is the best player to ever put on a Rangers uniform, but Nolan Ryan has nevertheless been a very visible executive.  The legend was spotted regularly at the ballpark this summer enjoying his new old team play mediocre baseball.  Ryan reportedly spent this season "learning the ropes" and will have a more hands-on approach with the baseball side of the team this year, but his new role of President has ignited at least a glimmer of hope that this ship can, in fact, be righted.  

Is it possible for Nolan to start 20+ games this year?

8.  The Cowboys play their last game in Texas Stadium.

The game itself was an embarrassment, but the story here is that the Cowboys are all set to move in to the new place in Arlington.  Jones and company have done a great job with the design; nostalgics will still have their hole in the roof (a retractable one), and what’s not to love about all of the events the new stadium (not even finished yet) has already brought?  Dallas has already been promised a Super Bowl, a Final Four, the NBA All-Star Game, and there are even some unsubstantiated rumors that Dallas may put together an exploratory committee for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.

7. The Mavericks lose in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year.

For those fans looking for a silver lining, here’s a couple:

• The Mavericks didn’t lose to a #8 seed this time.
• Dirk Nowitzki didn’t suffer the indignity of winning the MVP, then losing in the first round.
• Dallas didn’t lose a potential series-clinching game.
• It’s not like anybody expected them to win this year, anyway.
  

6. Plano native Nastia Liukin wins Olympic Gold.

The media darling going into the Beijing Olympics was Shawn Johnson from West Des Moines, Iowa.  In the end, however, it was Plano native Nastia Liukin that came away with the gold, then returned to Dallas to a hero’s welcome.  The best part: she wasn’t underage.

5. The Cowboys put up a 13-3 record, then lose in the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

The 2007 Cowboys expected to end an 11-year playoff drought after going 13-3 and sending 13 players to the Pro Bowl, but were unable to do so after running into the playoff juggernaut that was The New York Giants.  Despite beating the Giants twice in the regular season, the Cowboys couldn’t hang with them in a dogfight.  The final drive was capped by – what else? – a Tony Romo interception.

4. The Stars make the Western Conference Finals.

Nobody expected the Stars to be the team that achieved playoff success, but they were able to dispatch defending champion and division rival Anaheim Ducks despite a poor finish to the season and a #5 seed.  They took the first two games in California before winning Game 6 by a 4-1 score.  In the Conference Semifinals, they faced another division rival, the San Jose Sharks.  The Sharks were heavily favored going in, but the Stars prevailed in 6 games again.  Game 6 was an emotional, 4-overtime affair (the 8th longest game in history) that capped a series which featured 4 overtime games.  The Stars won 3 of the 4, shaking a stigma of soft overtime-play that had followed them since the institution of the shootout to decide regular season games.  Also convincing doubters was Marty Turco, who despite being labeled a choker, matched Evgeni Nabokov save-for-save in that Game 6.

The overmatched Stars eventually lost in 6 games to the eventual champion Detroit Red Wings, but were able to make a series out of it.  The end of the season led to high hopes for the 2008-09 season, but so far the Stars have disappointed.

3. The Cowboys miss the playoffs.

The Cowboys were so intent on winning a playoff game in 2008 that they forgot to qualify for the playoffs.  After starting the season as presumptive Super Bowl favorites (you should have heard local radio shows in July), the three-ring circus took over. The franchise quarterback hurt his pinky and couldn’t play, Tank Johnson, Terrell Owens, and Adam Jones took the media spotlight, the owner questioned Marian Barber’s toughness, and Wade Phillips acted as if none of it was a big deal.  Despite all the drama and losing that happened in the first half of the season, the Cowboys nevertheless faced a win-and-you’re-in situation against the hated Eagles.  What ensued was an embarassment that the franchise perhaps has not seen since losing to the lowly Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card round in 1998.  The Cowboys didn’t just swing-and-miss in their final attempt to qualify for the playoffs in the 2008 – they swung and fell on their backside, then tripped on their way back to the dugout.  Inexplicably, Jerry Jones stood behind Wade Phillips, despite the erosion of the locker room over the course of the season.   Focus turned to Tony Romo, who turned the ball over 3 times, fueling speculation that Tony is maybe not a big-game quarterback.  Cowboys fans will hope that he will have a Marty Turco-type resurgence in next year’s playoffs – if they remember to make it first.

2. The Mavericks trade Devin Harris for Jason Kidd, then fire Avery Johnson.

I don’t know what to say about this.  In 5 or so years, this trade will be legendary in Dallas, like the Herschel Walker trade, but in reverse.  I guess if the objective for the Mavericks was to make the playoffs, Mission Accomplished.  Apparently it wasn’t though, because Mark Cuban subsequently fired Avery Johnson after the Mavs lost in the first round again.  Wait, it was Avery’s fault?  I’ll still be trying to figure this one out this time next year.

 

Do you think Cuban had one of these banners in his office when he fired Avery?

1. Josh Hamilton makes a comeback.

The trade that brought Hamilton to the Rangers technically happened in 2007, or one of these items would have been "Rangers trade away more pitching talent."  But it didn’t, and it’s more fun to focus on the positives anyway.  In my opinion, there was not a better story in sports this year than the Lance Armstrong-like story of Josh Hamilton, who battled a drug addiction and three years without baseball to become the American League RBI Champion in 2008.  Aside from his outstanding showing during the regular season (particularly the first half), Hambone took the spotlight in the Home Run Derby, wowing the Yankee Stadium crowd with 28 bombs in the first round, a new record.  In his post-"game" interview, Hamilton revealed that he had envisioned the spectacle in a dream, which inspired him in his comeback.  That, my friends, makes Josh Hamilton’s comeback the story of 2008.

 

Was the pitcher 71 years old in Hamilton’s dream, too?