Maddux Sports Blog

We’ll take a break from regular programming for one more day to celebrate the end of the baseball season. It seems only fitting that we should take a look at what we learned from the World Series before we forget that it ever happened. After all, it wasn’t the most memorable series ever, as the TV ratings - the lowest ever - attest to.

Philadelphia is not a good place to play baseball in October.

Cole Hamels is going to be a star for a long time.

This team is not the Marlins - they have the talent and depth to be relevant for years to come.

Experience matters - this was far from the first time we have seen the less experienced team run out of gas when it matters.

Brad Lidge is a hell of a pitcher, but more importantly he is pretty much the mentally toughest guy there is. To put this year together after what happened to him in Houston is incredible. He deserves Cy Young consideration.

Joe Maddon shows flashes of genius, but they aren’t permanent. He made some awful decisions in game 5, part 2. He didn’t change pitchers when he should have, made a reliever hit or no good reason, and left his bats on the bench for far too long.

Pitching matters, but starting pitching depth isn’t crucial. The Rays had a far better rotation, but the Phillies had the ace, and the rest was good enough.

Tampa Bay has some work to do. They had a heck of a season, and they certainly deserved everything that they accomplished, but it wasn’t a coincidence that they got beat. They are a piece or two away from being a truly elite team. Maybe the interest in the team that this sparked will sell enough tickets to give them the payroll to add the bat or two that could help. A veteran star would make a big difference on and off the field.

Philly fans are hardcore. They had just won a much needed championship, but they were able to interrupt their joy to boo Bud Selig and the Rays. Always classy.

Bud Selig deserves to be booed.

As I write this I am watching Monday Night Football. It is early in the third quarter, and the Browns are up 20-14. This is why I love sports betting so much. On paper there is absolutely no way that Cleveland should be competitive in this one. They have been inept all year, their hottest offensive threat is in the hospital, their QB has been terrible, and they are facing the hottest team in the league. If you hadn’t been following the season, though, and you sat down to watch this game you would guess that the Browns are the juggernauts and the Giants are the ones who are struggling. The Cleveland offense is crisp and creative. Their defense is forcing Eli Manning to make bad mistakes and get out of rhythm. I still think the Giants will likely pull out the win, though probably not the cover. Still, this is the kind of game that keeps things so interesting - you would have had to have been psychic to have seen this one coming.

Speaking of interesting results that keep you interested, I assume you saw at least the score in Tampa Bay’s playoff visit to Boston. Wow. Again, on paper this one was as obvious as the sunrise. Tampa is a young team trying out this whole playoff thing for the first time, and they have to go to the single most intimidating  stadium in the American League. Not only that, but they have to face Jon Lester, the red hot stud of the Red Sox rotation. In response they were sending out Matt Garza, a solid starter, but not the team’s best or most reliable. This one seemed easy, and the -175 price fr the Red Sox reinforced that. So, of course, the Rays won it 9-1. It was 5-0 in a heartbeat, and Boston never looked een remotely good. I can’t believe I am saying this given the last decade of baseball, but I am increasingly confident with every passing second that Tampa is not only going to the World Series but winning it.

I can’t wait to see what happens on Wednesday night in the NLCS. If, that is, the Dodgers hang on and win tonight. It’s 5-3 in the seventh now. The Phillies have more talent but I don’t trust their pitching, and the Dodgers have that undefinable magic surrounding them that is so incomprehensibly important for playoff success. If and when the Phillies lose, this one is all on Ryan Howard - a former MVP cannot hit .160 in the playoffs. Just ask A-Rod.

Big Brown was injured in training this morning and has been retired. That means that he won’t be running against Curlin in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Sometimes I hate horse racing. Scalpers are not thrilled.

A few things occupying my thoughts:

Monday Night Football is just a couple of hours away. I am torn in the game. The big thing that stops me from backing New Orleans enthusiastically is the loss of Sedrick Ellis. I have no idea what the impact of his absence will be, but I am very curious to find out. He’s really coming into his own, and he would have made it much harder for Minnesota to run. Since they can’t really pass, that would have been important. This isn’t going to be a classic game, but it is certainly an interesting one to consider. Talented but terribly flawed teams.

As I write this the Rays are running away from Chicago and look to be heading to the second round. I really can’t wait for their series against Boston. The home field will be huge for them, and I like their chances of going on. I wonder what kind of odds you could have gotten before the season started on a Rays-Dodgers series. Strange, but true.

I just read that Brian Westbrook has two broken ribs to go with his bum ankle. That’s a big blow for the Eagles. In my mind that puts them in the drivers seat to become the one NFC East team that doesn’t make the playoffs.

I laugh at Plaxico Burress. I’ve always thought he was a big baby, and that last game, with him out on suspension, sure didn’t do much to reinforce the myth of his irreplacability.

Rich Rodriguez ripped his Michigan offense for their inept play over the last three quarters, and the lack of desire they showed. Good job, Rich. That was embarrassing.

Mark Sanchez doesn’t have any structural damage in his knee. That’s good news. He’s sitting out of practice today and maybe longer, though, and he’s day-to-day for Saturday. I will be very interested to watch the line movement as things get closer to kickoff if his position is still unclear. As it is, a 25.5 point line against Arizona State seems pretty hefty. Think of how it would look with Mitch Mustain under center.

The Tampa Bay Rays (97-65) matured this year, utilizing their talent to win the AL East. The Rays have been around since 1998 and have never been to the playoffs. Although most experts thought it would take the Rays one more year to be competitive, they proved everyone wrong, beating out the two perennial top teams—the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Meanwhile, the Central Division Chicago White Sox (89-74) won 88 regular season games but so too did the Minnesota Twins. In a one-game playoff to determine who would go to the post-season, the White Sox beat the Twins 1-0 on a Jim Thome homerun.

Tampa Bay’s team ERA of 3.82 and .246 BAA are second in the league and the best among all AL playoff teams. They’ve struck out batters 1,143 times, ranking them third, just behind the Boston Red Sox. Tampa Bay allowed 671 total runs this season. That was second in the AL and first among all playoff teams. Chicago sports a 4.06 ERA, which is last amongst all AL playoff clubs. They are tied with Los Angeles for BAA– .261, which again is last of all AL playoff teams. Strikeouts are at 1,147.

Although not one Rays pitcher has more than 14 wins, five are in double digits. Starter James Shields (14-8, 160 SO, 3.57 ERA) leads the club in wins and ERA, while lefty Scott Kazmir (12-8, 166 SO, 3.49 ERA) is tops in Ks. Matt Garza has 11 wins and Andy Sonnanstine has notched 13 victories. Edwin Jackson is a 13-game winner. Closer Troy Percival (28 SV, 3.17 ERA) came off the disabled list early in September, but continues to battle back tightness and is not on the playoff roster. Instead, Dan Wheeler, who earned 13 saves with an ERA of 3.12 gets the nod. In 66.1 IP, Wheeler has blown five saves, giving up 10 homers and allowing 23 earned runs.

The White Sox feature starters Javier Vazquez (12-16, 200 SO, 4.67 ERA), Mark Buerhrle (15-12, 140 SO, 3.79 ERA and lefty John Danks (12-9, 159 SO, 3.32 ERA) as their three primary starters. Vazquez leads the club is Ks, while Danks is best in ERA. Righty Gavin Floyd (17-8, 145 SO, 3.84 ERA) is tops in wins. Closer Bobby Jenks has 30 saves and four blown saves. He’s allowed just 18 earned runs in 61.2 IP for a 2.63 ERA.

The Rays scored just 774 runs, which was ninth in the league, and possess a team batting average of .260, which was next-to-last among all AL teams. The team’s 177 homeruns places them fifth. Tampa Bay batters can hit their weight but not much more. Chicago scored 811 runs this season, which was 37 more than the Rays. The White Sox team batting average was an unimpressive .263, but their 235 homeruns, which was best in the league, was quite impressive. Their SLG% of .448 is best of all AL post-season clubs. Tampa Bays’ stands at .422,

For the Rays, second baseman Akinori Iwamura (.275 BA, 6 HR, 48 RBI) tops the team in batting average, while first baseman Carlos Pena’s 31 rounds trippers and 102 RBI were both best on the team. OBP leader B.J. Upton (.383), who plays center, also led the club in stolen bases with 44. Third baseman Evan Longoria and outfielder Eric Hinske are both long-ball threats, with 27 and 20 homers respectively. Longoria has also knocked in 85 runs. DH Cliff Floyd, with 11 homers, 39 RBI and a .268 average, has been a disappointment.

For the Sox, slugger Carlos Quentin (.288 BA, 36 HR, 100 RBI), the left fielder, has been a standout at the plate. But he’s off the playoff roster due to wrist problems. However, right fielder Jermaine Dye has 34 homers, 96 RBI and a .292 BA. Alexei Ramoriez, at second base, has 21 round trippers and a BA of .290. On a team that does not steal a whole lot of bases, shortstop Orlanda Cabrera (.281 BA, 8 HR, 57 RBI) has the most—19. DH Jim Thome has driven in 90 runs while knocking 34 out of the park.

This season, Tampa Bay dropped “Devil” from their name, making them the Rays and not the Devil Rays. Well, that exorcism of the devil in them may have been a blessing. Here they are under coach Joe Maddon, in the post-Lou Piniella era, about to play their first post-season series ever. There’s not as much hitting as one would like, the closing situation is not optimum and the team is definitely inexperienced, but they are in the thick of it. For the White Sox, the team pitching looks suspect and the rotation may not have enough gas to dominate the Rays. The one thing in Chicago’s favor is the Rays weak hitting. In a homerun derby, the Sox win; in a pitchers duel, the series goes to Tampa Bay.

I was just about ready to count out the Rays. They were going to make the playoffs, but I was seriously doubting that they would do anything once they got there. But then the last two game happened. Twice they got into tight spots against the Red Sox, and twice they found a way to win. It wasn’t easy, either. The first time they had to beat Jonathan Papelbon. That rarely happens. The second time around they hung around in a 1-1 game until the 14th before erupting for three runs. I’m still not viewing the Rays as my favorites, but they keep showing guts that I wasn’t sure they had, and that will be very useful in the playoffs.

I’m generally not one to overestimate the impact of injuries or panic when a player gets knocked out, but as a guy who was looking forward to betting the Saints this year I am worried about the Marques Colston injury. He’s been by far the favorite target of Drew Brees, and losing a target like that can be hard for a guy to get over. New Orleans has lots of receivers, but none that obviously can step up and fill the gap left by Colston. That being said, Colston emerged from basically nowhere, so who knows what could happen. It’s about time that Robert Meachem started to earn his millions. The injury won’t turn me off of the team, but it will probably make me pass on them next week until I see what happens. On the other hand, I’m not sure it matters who is at receiver when they play the Redskins given how Washington looked in their first game.

The Pirates secured their 16th consecutive losing season today. How is that possible? How has the team not folded? How has someone not bombed the team’s headquarters? That’s the most ridiculous, incomprehensible stat I have ever seen.

Manny Ramirez may be the best deadline acquisition ever. He’s hitting the lights out, and the team can’t lose with him. They are running away from the Diamondbacks, and the playoffs are theirs for the taking. Man Ram will bring a very interesting element to the playoffs as well - something that the NL is going to need since the Mets are dreary, the Cubs are slumping badly, and the Brewers are only fearsome when Sabathia is pitching.

The buzz has been around for a bit, but it really seems to be intensifying tonight - it seems like Tampa Bay is going to call up phenom pitcher and former number one pick for the post-season. Though he is a starter, he would likely start out in the bullpen much like Joba Chamberlain did last year. That worked out very well at the time (except for when there were bugs), and the same could happen for the Rays. They don’t really need rotation help right now, but another stud in the bullpen would really help. Apparently Price is doing very well in the minors and is more than ready for prime time. I think that the Rays are attractive anyway, but this helps even more.

I’ve given up trying to figure out the Tom Brady situation. Belichik et al claim he is just fie and will play against the Chiefs. Rumors won’t go away that he had an MRI recently and it showed that a bone in his foot is cracked. The truth is probably somewhere in between the two. At least we don’t have to worry about it too much in the first week of the season - the Pats could beat the Chiefs with me at QB.

Oklahoma City Thunder? Really? That’s the best you could come up with? Brutal. Awful. Boring. How uch do you think they paid AC/DC for the rights to use Thunderstruck? You know they did.

Giants-Redskins is not an exciting way to start the NFL season. Maybe it’s just my natural biases, but I can’t find a whole lot to like about either of these teams. The Giants are favored by four.

I’m watching the Jacksonville situation with interest. Richard Collier wasn’t a starter, but he was the lead guard backup for the team, and he was going to see a lot of playing time. Now he’s in a hospital fghting for his life, and the team has an issue to deal with. On a practical level, they lost some real depth on the line, and this will force them to juggle their lineup more than they would like to. That’s not the most important thing, though. More significantly, they don’t have long to get their heads right about the situation. It could be a real positive - something to rally around - if they handle t right, or it could be a major distraction that disrupts what looks to be a very promising season. I don’t have a sense of which is which yet, and we may not until they play their first game. Either way, this is a sad but interesting stuation.

I ended up watching most of the game between the Rays and the Blue Jays tonight. That might seem a bit obscure to some, but living in Canada I can watch pretty much every Jays game, and pretty much nothing from any other team. That was pretty fun in 1992 and 1993, but it has been kind of annoying for the last decade or so. Nonetheless, it was very interesting to watch the Rays in action, and they played a heck of a game in what was, for seven innings at least, a heck of a pitcher’s duel. The Rays ended up winning 3-0, but as I was watching it two things firmly established themselves in my mind:

1. I really, really like Matt Garza. The Tampa Bay starter had a complete game shutout, and he was never not in control. Shutting down the Toronto lineup isn’t as impressive as shutting down pretty much any other lineup, but it still counts. His win tonight moves him to 9-6 on the year. Unfortunately, the team is just 10-10 when he starts, and he is the only one of the five main starters for the team, impressively, who hasn’t been profitable on the year. He’s not that far off, though - he’s lost less than two units on the year, so he can turn things around on the year without too much trouble. He’s not the most consistent pitcher, either. Yet. He’s only 24 and in his third year, and he is clearly significantly better this year than he was with the Twins. He showed impressive maturity today, and I really got the sense that he is the kind of guy who is just building to a higher level. I don’t ever think he’ll be an ace, but he strikes me as a second or third starter type who could have a 12 or 15 year career. I like Delmon Young just fine, but I think that trading him for Garza is going to turn out to be a very nice deal for the Rays. Tonight’s game is an example of where a guy like Garza is a gem. He was up against Roy Halladay, so he was a juicy +141 underdog. That fits the public’s impression of him versus an ace, but given his skill and the play of his team it was a price just loaded with potential.

2. Strangely, I lost a bit of respect for Lou Piniella tonight. Lou is doing a solid job with the Cubs this year (though he should be doing a bit better given his roster and their talent advantage). He was a total and utter waste of oxygen in Tampa, though, Granted, this team is older and more experienced than the one he was at the helm of. On the other hand, though, Lou looked like he was mailing it in for much of his time in Florida and he got absolutely no more out of the talent he had than he could of with a minimum of effort. I guess what I’m saying is that I am not nearly as convinced that Piniella is a genius as I am supposed to be. On the other hand, I caught the last couple of innings of the Cards’ win over the Braves tonight. He’s had his troubles in the last couple of years, but I still think that if I was starting a team from scratch I would unquestionably have Tony LaRussa at the helm.

A couple of other brief thoughts from the night:

1. The Angels are obviously pretty serious about things this year. I like Mark Teixera as a player, and I think that he is an upgrade over Casey Kotchman, but I’m not sure he is enough of one to warrant the move. His biggest advantage is that he is a switch hitter, and he has decent power. Kotchman is a nice player, though, and he’s younger and cheaper. This will be a good deal for the Angels if they do well in the postseason, but it also has the real potential to be a good one for the Braves. The problem I have with it for the Angels, though, is that they have already pretty much totally wrapped up their division, so this deal will only pay off (or not) in October. I’d like it better if they had given up a player like Kotchman for a gain that would have been realized for three months.

2. I know I said I was done talking about basketball, but the news that broke as I am writing this is too much to pass up on. The Kings have traded Ron Artest to Houston for Bobby Jackson, a first rounder next year, and the rights to Donte Green. This is a very interesting deal. If Artest can be a good citizen in Houston then he will be a great addition. My only concern is that there are several egos on the team already, so it won’t be a seamless transition. Still, a decent risk for a team that was fairly competitive already. On the other hand, I love what the Kings got for Artest. It’s tough to get good value for a player when he has some obvious issues, and when everyone else in the world knows that you want to get rid of him. Jackson is a decent veteran presence. The draft pick could turn into a contributor. Green is a wildly talented guy. He’s far from a lock, but he is packed with upside. Good value given the circumstances.

Eric Gagne is off the DL. He has been there since May 21 with tendinitis in his rotator cuff. He passed a 30 pitch bullpen test and will be active starting tonight. Milwaukee fans sitting in the outfield will want to be sure that they have their gloves with them when Gagne hits the mound. This guy seems to have forgotten how to pitch.

The Braves are in a world of hurt when it comes to starting pitching. Tim Hudson is the only guy in their rotation currently who has more than 10 career wins. I did not make a mistake writing that. Jair Jurrens, Charlie Morton and Jorge Campillo are rookies. Jo-Jo Reyes might as well be one. Injuries have led to this extreme youth movement. It would be a mistake to assume that the team is in trouble because of the youth, but you couldn’t be blamed for doubting the team if the pitchers are going to face a strange situation for a first time. Unfortunately, the public will likely mostly bet the value out of the youngsters.

Though it is being written and talked about too much, the showdown series between the Rays and the Red Sox should be a doozy this week. The previous games between these two has been and odd one - the home team has swept all three series. Tampa plays host in this one. The series starts with a great matchup - the quietly solid Justin Masterson takes the mound for Boston against Tampa’s ace James Shields. To be fair, it’s a bit of a stretch to call Shields the ace right now. He finally got a win against Florida last time out to go to 5-5, but that was his first win since the beginning of May. The team is 4-2 in his last six starts, though, and he is a very talented starter.

I’m thrilled that stupid interleague play is finally over. Not as thrilled as the National League is, though.

With about 29 percent of the MLB season played, you’ve got to wonder about a few things. Let’s consider a few teams when it comes to the Junior Circuit.

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