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.

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?

I find all the New Year’s hoopla to be a bunch of bunk.  It’s just another day, right?  So usually I skip the resolutions and just take it as an excuse to get together with people and watch crappy bands on TV.  This year, though, I think I’ll resolve to update this thing more often.  I kind of quit because I felt like I was monopolizing the blog that was supposed to be a collaboration, but I’m done feeling guilty about that.  The other collaborators can feel free to contribute, of course, but be prepared to see regular updates here.  Let’s start with this post: the top DFW sports stories of 2008. 

20. Schellas Hyndman takes over head coaching job for FC Dallas.

Everybody knows that when you do a list like this, you don’t really put the 20th most important story here, you do the one that you wanted to write about but didn’t make the list.  Hyndman’s hiring didn’t exactly inspire conversation around Dallas-area water coolers, but it is important for FC Dallas.  The long-time SMU coach was a mid-season hire, so he get a good chance to implement his potent offense, but look for it next year.  Word is that this hiring may be what keeps Kenny Cooper from jetting for the EPL, and if that’s the truth, he’s already worth the money.

19. Avery Johnson out, Rick Carlisle in.

Avery was certainly the scapegoat for the Maverick’s recent struggles, but Carlisle may be exactly what the Mavs need to turn it around.  He’s been Don Nelson-esque in being able to get more out of less.  Under him, J.J. Barea has found his role and the Mavericks have played well against the teams they’re supposed to beat, which is more than they could say in the spring.

18. The Grand Prairie AirHogs reach the AAIPB Finals in their Inaugural Season.

This summer the expansion AirHogs got some local press by playing .604 baseball and getting hot in the playoffs, eventually losing 3 games to 1 in the finals.  Perhaps more important was the fact that they actually took some attendance away from the Texas Rangers, leading Tom Hicks to state that high gas prices, not the team’s struggles or the town’s new team, were taking away from attendance.  Meanwhile, the AirHogs are busy sending their players to major league farm systems.  Will a team with such high roster turnover be able to gain some staying power in the Metroplex?  2009 will tell.

17. Team leaders for the Cowboys, Rangers, and Stars all injured at critical times.

Team: Cowboys

Who: Tony Romo breaks the pinky on his throwing hand.

When: Right in the middle of the season, when the Cowboys faced winnable games against the Rams and the Bucs and an important statement game against the Giants.  They managed to only beat Tampa Bay.

Team: Rangers

Who: Ian Kinsler has season-ending sports hernia surgery.

When: In August, when it was probably too late anyway, but Kinsler’s departure killed any and all hopes.  He was having an MVP-type season (when he stopped playing, his numbers were better than eventual winner Dustin Pedroia) and was a clubhouse leader.  In 2009, Kinsler will need to play more than 130 games (his career high) if the Rangers are going to have a prayer.

Team: Stars

Who: Brenden Morrow tore his ACL, all but ending his season.

When: November 20, right in the middle of their start-of-the-season slump.  The Stars went 0-for-22 on power plays following the injury.

16. TCU goes 11-2, wins Poinsettia Bowl.

The Horned Frogs have been on the fringe of FBS greatness for some time now, and 2008 was another step in the right direction for this program.  Despite losing to Oklahoma early in the season, TCU expected to make a BCS bowl before they were knocked off by Utah in Salt Lake City.  However, they bounced back to beat previously undefeated Boise State in a comeback win in the Poinsettia Bowl.

15. The Romo-Witten-Owens drama distracts the Cowboys in December.

The he-said, he-said drama about who Romo likes to throw the ball to more was a bit of a head-scratcher.  Sure, T.O. has been involved in this kind of stuff before, but what was with all the anonymous sources and meetings?  Supposedly Owens rounded up the receivers to go to talk to Jason Garrett, and supposedly Owens and Witten got into a shoving match in the locker room.  All of a sudden, none of it actually happened and it was all Ed Werder’s fault.  What really happened here?  Let’s start with what we know: the Cowboys underperformed.  All the other love triangle stuff was just extracurricular.

14. Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban accused of insider trading.

I’ve never really understood insider trading: who decides what information is okay to trade on and what isn’t?  All I know is my high school government teacher used to get worked up about white collar crime being treated as no big deal.  The Securities and Exchange Commission decided this was a big deal, and now they’re after Cuban.  Mark posted a strongly worded denial on his blog, but the allegations doomed his attempt to acquire the Cubs, meaning it’s only the Mavericks who might have to deal with any potential fallout this thing might bring in the future.

13. The Stars start the ‘08-’09 season in the basement.

The NHL is ridiculous with their standings: why award points for an overtime loss anymore?  In any case, that means that almost nobody finishes below .500; last year only 7 of the 30 teams did so.  That should give you some perspective to just how bad the start of the season was for the Stars.  They started an abysmal 6-10-4 and just narrowly climbed above .500 for the end of 2008, now standing at 16-15-5.  Much of the blame for the horrible start can be attributed to Marty Turco, who began the season dead last in GAA and Save Percentage.  He has since turned it around, probably due to the fact that he is now actually being coached.

12. Adam Jones is reinstated – twice.

Roger Goodell reinstated Adam Jones largely because Jerry Jones promised he would behave as a Cowboy.  Despite not being able to live up to his promise, Jerry got his wish when Adam was reinstated a second time after getting into a scuffle with his bodyguard.  Jerry then got karma served to him when Adam was an instrumental part in the Cowboys’ end of season embarassment, commiting a personal foul and a fumble.

11. Sean Avery joins the Stars, then shows everybody why he’s the NHL’s Most Hated Man.

Sean Avery played 23 games for the Stars and wasn’t nearly as good at backing up his talk as Les Jackson and Brett Hull apparently thought.  He scored 3 goals during that time, then managed to draw a whole lot of attention to the Stars (and losing teams never need more negative press) by making disparaging remarks about Dion Phaneuf and his girlfriend.  Shortly after his 6-game suspension was served, the Stars announced he would not be returning to the team.  Maybe the infatuation that Dallas teams seem to have with negative personalities is starting to wane now.  One can only hope.

10-1 are coming tomorrow.  Happy new year!

This week’s rankings are a collaboration between Robert and Scott.  Last week’s ranks are in parentheses.

1. Cubs, 57-38 (6)
2. Angels, 57-38 (2)
3. Red Sox, 57-40 (4)
4. Rays, 55-39 (1)
5. White Sox, 54-40 (3)
6. Twins, 53-42 (5)
7. Cardinals, 53-43 (7)
8. Mets, 51-44 (20)
9. Brewers, 52-43 (11)
10. Phillies, 52-44 (13)
11. Rangers, 50-46 (10)
12. Marlins, 50-45 (12)
13. Athletics, 51-44 (8)
14. Yankees, 50-45 (10)
15. Tigers, 47-47 (9)
16. Blue Jays, 47-48 (15)
17. Dodgers, 46-49 (24)
18. Reds, 46-50 (22)
19. Diamondbacks, 47-48 (16)
20. Braves, 45-50 (21)
21. Astros, 44-51 (18)
22. Orioles, 45-48 (17)
23. Pirates, 44-50 (23)
24. Royals, 43-53 (19)
25. Indians, 41-53 (25)
26. Giants, 40-55 (26)
27. Rockies, 39-57 (30)
28. Padres, 37-58 (28)
29. Mariners, 37-58 (29)
30. Nationals, 36-60 (27)

I have put out the call to my fellow contributors to collaborate on a weekly power ranking.  I have yet to receive word, so until I do, here’s my personal list.  Check back as this list may change if more input is provided.

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

All-Star voting ends in just over a week, so now seems as good a time as any to evaluate how the fans are voting.  Are they actually choosing the best players at their positions.  The stats will tell the tale, at least on this blog.  Voting totals and statistics are current as of 6/24.

American League

Catcher 

Current Vote Leader: Joe Mauer (1,178,360 votes)
Other Contenders: Jason Varitek (1,133,855 votes)

Stats Comparison
Mauer: 69 GP, .331 AVG (5th in MLB), .417 OBP (6th), 2 HR, 29 RBI, 0 SB, .995 FPCT
Varitek: 63 GP, .231 AVG, .306 OBP, 7 HR, 25 RBI, 0 SB, .996 FPCT

Conclusion: Mauer and Varitek don’t even belong in the same conversation, as Mauer has been the best catcher in either league hands-down while Varitek continues to be overrated.  ‘Tek is a career .265 hitter with only 636 RBI in 10 1/2 seasons, yet here he is in second place in the All Star voting.  The Texas Rangers have three catchers in the minor leagues that I would rather have on my team.

First Base 

Current Vote Leader: Kevin Youkilis (1,482,011 votes)
Other Contenders: Justin Morneau (1,214,603 votes)

Stats Comparison
Youkilis: 71 GP, .304 AVG (26th), .376 OBP (32nd), 13 HR (39th), 47 RBI (25th), 3 SB, 1.000 FPCT
Morneau: 76 GP, .305 AVG (22nd), .362 OBP, 11 HR, 59 RBI (7th), 0 SB, .999 FPCT

Conclusion: Morneau seems to be slightly outperforming Morneau, although the margin is about as close as the margin of votes.  Either one could be the starter and it wouldn’t cause an outrage from me.

Second Base 

Current Vote Leader: Dustin Pedroia (1,286,962)
Other Contenders: Ian Kinsler (1,120,439) 

Stats Comparison

Pedroia: 78 GP, .284 AVG, .330 OBP, 7 HR, 34 RBI, 8 SB, .986 FPCT
Kinsler: 75 GP, .303 AVG (26th), .360 OBP, 12 HR (45th), 47 RBI (25th), 19 SB (9th), .968 FPCT

Conclusion: Kinsler is clearly the best second baseman in the AL, the only one who shows up in the Top 50 in our categories.  If Pedroia makes it as a starter, he is only taking a deserving player’s spot.

Third Base

Current Vote Leader: Alex Rodriguez (1,940,827 votes)
Other Contenders: none 

Stats
Rodriguez: 57 GP, .324 AVG (7th), .402 OBP (14th), 14 HR (29th), 41 RBI, 9 SB (36th), .961 FPCT

Conclusion: This makes sense.  Even with A-Rod’s DL stint, he is outperforming the other third basemen in the league.

Shortstop 

Current Vote Leader: Derek Jeter (1,988,251 votes)
Other Contenders: Michael Young (1,140,258 votes)

Stats Comparison
Jeter: 71 GP, .278 AVG, .337 OBP, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 5 SB, .978 FPCT
Young: 74 GP, .278 AVG, .335 OBP, 6 HR, 39 RBI, 5 SB, .988 FPCT

Conclusion: Jeter and Young are so close (and mediocre), it’s ridiculous.  Neither one deserves to start, but there’s not really any competition.  Imagine saying that about AL shortstops 10 years ago.  By the way, compare the AL’s infielders with those in the NL.  Can we stop saying the NL is inferior now?

Designated Hitter

Current Vote Leader: David Ortiz (1,982,786 votes)
Other Contenders: Hideki Matsui (1,207,892 votes)

Stats Comparison
Ortiz: 54 GP, .252 AVG, .354 OBP, 13 HR (39th), 43 RBI (40th), 0 SB
Matsui: 69 GP, .323 AVG (8th), .404 OBP (11th), 7 HR, 34 RBI, 0 SB

Conclusion: Matsui has a significant advantage in AVG and OBP, while Ortiz takes HR and RBI.  Personally, I’d take Matsui over Ortiz on my team.

Outfield

Current Vote Leaders:
Manny Ramirez (1,917,207 votes)
Josh Hamilton (1,791,623 votes)
Ichiro Suzuki (1,120,279 votes)
Other Contenders:
Vladimir Guerrero (933,191 votes)
Bobby Abreu (908,935 votes)

Stats Comparison
Ramirez: 73 GP, .295 AVG (42nd), .384 OBP (27th), 15 HR (22nd), 49 RBI (19th), 1 SB, .988 FPCT, 4 OA
Hamilton: 76 GP, .310 AVG (17th), .355 OBP, 19 HR (6th), 76 RBI (1st), 2 SB, .977 FPCT, 4 OA
Suzuki: 77 GP, .288 AVG, .348 OBP, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 33 SB (3rd), .995 FPCT, 4 OA
Guerrero: 71 GP, .290 AVG, .349 OBP, 13 HR (39th), 43 RBI (40th), 1 SB, 1.000 FPCT, 4 OA
Abreu: 75 GP, .273 AVG, .336 OBP, 9 HR, 46 RBI (32nd), 9 SB (36th), .993 FPCT, 6 OA

Conclusion: This is where it starts to get interesting.  Hamilton and Ramirez are clearly deserving, but the next three vote-getters are in the next tier.  A more deserving player that comes to mind is Magglio Ordonez.  By the way, even with all the press he gets, Manny Ramirez is perhaps one of the most underrated players in the game today.  He’s easily the second best outfielder in the AL, and this is a down year for him.  Josh Hamilton is your First Half AL MVP.

National League

Catcher

Current Vote Leader: Geovanny Soto (1,497,579 votes)
Other Contenders: Brian McCann (917,607 votes)

Stats Comparison
Soto: 70 GP, .275 AVG, .360 OBP, 12 HR, 43 RBI (40th), 0 SB, .996 FPCT
McCann: 73 GP, .305 AVG (23rd), .378 OBP (29th), 14 HR (29th), 44 RBI (38th), 1 SB, .994 FPCT

Conclusion: Geovanny Soto started the year strong, but Brian McCann has been more consistent over the first half.  Soto should still get consideration for ROY.

First Base

Current Vote Leader: Lance Berkman (1,682,362 votes)
Other Contenders:
Derrek Lee (1,153,519 votes)
Albert Pujols (1,116,626 votes)

Stats Comparison
Berkman: 75 GP, .358 AVG (2nd), .442 OBP (4th), 21 HR (3rd), 62 RBI (5th), 12 SB (26th), .997 FPCT
Lee: 76 GP, .294 AVG (43rd), .357 OBP, 15 HR (22nd), 48 RBI (21st), 4 SB, .989 FPCT
Pujols: 65 GP, .347 AVG (3rd), .475 OBP (2nd), 16 HR (16th), 42 RBI, 2 SB, 1.000 FPCT

Conclusion: Berkman would be your favorite for the MVP award if it weren’t for Chipper Jones.  It’s nice to see the fans reward him for the year he’s having.  Lee and Pujols also belong on this list and in the All-Star game.  It will be interesting to see if they get invites given the "every team gets represented" rule, as well as the mess in the NL Outfield.

Second Base

Current Vote Leader: Chase Utley (2,179,006 votes)
Other Contenders: none 

Stats
Utley: 76 GP, .291 AVG, .379 OBP (28th), 22 HR (2nd), 63 RBI (4th), 6 SB, .982 FPCT

Conclusion: Utley is playing out of his mind, and is your third candidate for MVP.  Dan Uggla is playing well enough to get a few more votes, however.

Third Base

Current Vote Leader: Chipper Jones (1,916,829 votes)
Other Contenders: Aramis Ramirez (1,111,901 votes)

Stats Comparison
Jones: 70 GP, .395 AVG (1st), .487 OBP (1st), 16 HR (16th), 46 RBI (32nd), 2 SB, .954 FPCT
Ramirez: 73 GP, .301 AVG (30th), .405 OBP (10th), 14 HR (29th), 54 RBI (15th), 1 SB, .952 FPCT

Conclusion: Jones is well-deserving, but Ramirez is having a killer year as well.  I hope he gets some consideration for a reserve spot.

Shortstop

Current Vote Leader: Hanley Ramirez (1,123,516 votes)
Other Contenders:
Miguel Tejada (1,052,852 votes)
Ryan Theriot (915,954 votes)

Stats Comparison
Ramirez: 75 GP, .294 AVG (43rd), .387 OBP (24th), 16 HR (16th), 33 RBI, 19 SB (9th), .966 FPCT
Tejada: 76 GP, .291 AVG, .331 OBP, 16 HR (16th), 43 RBI (41st), 5 SB, .981 FPCT
Theriot: 71 GP, .313 AVG (13th), .388 OBP (23rd), 1 HR, 22 RBI, 13 SB (22nd), .970 FPCT

Conclusion: Ramirez blows these other 2 guys out of the water.  Perhaps more deserving of 2nd place is Jose Reyes, who isn’t getting any love from the fans.

Outfield
Current Vote Leaders:
Alfonso Soriano (1,736,434 votes)
Kosuke Fukudome (1,454,257 votes)
Ken Griffey, Jr. (1,417,019 votes)
Other Contenders: Ryan Braun (1,241,843 votes)

Stats Comparison
Soriano: 51 GP, .283 AVG, .332 OBP, 15 HR (22nd), 40 RBI, 7 SB, .978 FPCT, 3 OA
Fukudome: 74 GP, .299 AVG (32nd), .404 OBP (11th), 6 HR, 33 RBI, 7 SB, .994 FPCT, 3 OA
Griffey: 72 GP, .245 AVG, .353 OBP, 8 HR, 32 RBI, 0 SB, .963 FPCT, 3 OA
Braun: 76 GP, .287 AVG, .324 OBP, 20 HR (5th), 57 RBI (9th), 8 SB (45th), 1.000 FPCT, 5 OA

Conclusion: Soriano doesn’t belong on this list as he has been on the DL twice.  Griffey is obviously a sentimental favorite, but doesn’t need to be in the conversation at all.  Ryan Braun, Matt Holliday, Corey Hart, and the three Pirates outfielders (McLouth, Nady, and Bay) have been among the NL’s best.  Fukudome is understandable, but he’s getting more votes than he’s earned.

Overall

For the most part, the fans are rewarding players having good years, although some Red Sox and Yankees players have been getting undue attention in the AL.  Apparently when it comes to the outfield, All-Star voters lose any good judgment they may have demonstrated elsewhere on the ballot.  Maybe it’s the plethora of choices that leads the voter to cast a ballot without thinking, but regardless, each league’s outfield is a mess.