The Scores Report - The National Sports Blog » Mark Teixeira

In regards to expanded playoff, Lincecum doesn’t know where Selig’s “head is at”

Anthony Stalter — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 22:30:05 +0000

Not everyone is on board with baseball commissioner Bud Selig’s idea of expanding the current playoff format.

“It doesn’t seem very fair, and personally, I don’t know where his head is at,” said Giants’ ace Tim Lincecum in an interview last week. “Players like it the way it is. It’s dog-eat-dog. People know they need to win 11 games to win the World Series.”

I for one like the idea of an expanding the current playoff pool, although not if it’s going to be a one-game format like some have suggested. Anything can happen in one game and as Lincecum points out, it’s not fair that a team goes through a 162-game jaunt to make the playoffs, only to be knocked out in one game because its pitcher had an off day. That’s not right.

But I can’t be alone in the thinking that adding two more teams (one from each league) to the current playoff pool is a bad thing. It’s good for the game for several reasons, none bigger in that it’ll keep fans interested (and stadiums packed) through August because they know their team has a shot at making the postseason. (This is assuming of course that their team isn’t 15 games out of first place.)

Lincecum isn’t alone in criticizing Selig’s idea, as Yankees’ first baseman Mark Teixeira has sounded off about the news as well.

From the New York Daily News:

“For a team like us, I don’t like it,” Mark Teixeira said. “We battle all year long in a very tough division; if you win the division and have to have five or six days off before the start of the playoffs, or you win the wild card and still have to play another one- or three-game series just to get into the playoffs, it doesn’t make much sense.”

Hey, I get why this would upset the players. They don’t want to have to win more games in order to reach/win the World Series and they don’t want extra days off. They like the current format and want to see it left alone, which I get.

But from a fan’s perspective, if Selig figures out a way to add two more teams and a new five-game series (not just a one-game series), then I’m all for it. Maybe I’m in the minority though.

Are the Yankees finished?

Anthony Stalter — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:49:16 +0000

Things don’t look good in the Bronx.

A.J. Burnett retired the fist six batters he faced Tuesday night, but then remembered he was A.J. Burnett pitching in 2010 and the wheels started to fall off. The end result was disastrous, which is what most pundits figured when Joe Girardi appointed him his Game 4 starter.

Burnett allowed five runs on six hits in six innings of work as the Rangers crushed the Yankees 10-3 in Game 4 of the ALCS. Texas’ catcher Bengie Molina (a great midseason pickup from the Giants) went 3-for-4 with a go-ahead three run homer in the sixth off Burnett, while the eventual ALCS MVP Josh Hamilton also hit a pair of dingers and Nelson Cruz added a two-run shot in the ninth.

Compounding issues for the Yankees is that Mark Teixeira is now done for the season with a strain in his right hamstring. Twenty-three-year-old Eduardo Nunez hit .280 this year in 50 at bats with one home run, but he’s not going to keep pitchers awake at night like Teixeira will.

The Bombers face elimination this afternoon at 4:00PM ET. The good news is that they have their ace on the hill; the bad news is that CC Sabathia has a 7.20 ERA in this year’s postseason. C.J. Wilson will start for the Rangers and his ERA is a tad better (2.03), plus he flustered New York hitters for most of Game 1 before they got to him in the 7th inning. And even if the Rangers lose today, they’ll be at home for the final two games of the series and Cliff Lee (who’s pretty good in the postseason) would start Game 7 if necessary.

The Red Sox have proved this decade that being down 3-1 doesn’t mean a club can’t pull off a comeback. But the Yankees look old, tired and dare I say completely overmatched in this series. They look finished.

Yankees’ postseason experience shines in Game 1 of ALDS

Anthony Stalter — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:16:31 +0000

The Yankees entered the playoffs losers of eight of their last 11 games. But no matter how much they’ve struggled or how many chinks in the armor they may have shown, this is still their time of year.

For five innings Wednesday night, the Yankees were making Twins’ starter Francisco Liriano look like Cy Young. They trailed 3-0 in the top of the sixth, but after Nick Swisher struck out swinging to start the inning, Mark Teixeira doubled to deep left, Alex Rodriguez walked and then Teixeira scored on a Robinson Cano single to right.

After Marcus Thames struck out, Jorge Posada lined a single to right to score A-Rod and move Cano to second. Curtis Granderson delivered the big blow by tripling off the wall in deep right center to score Cano and Posada to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead.

They never trailed after that.

The Twins scratched across a run in their half of the inning, but Teixeira blasted a 355-foot home run in the top of 7th to give the Yankees a 6-4 lead. After allowing two base runners to reach in the ninth, Mariano Rivera got Jim Thome to pop out to third to end the game and give New York a 6-4 victory.

This is the time of year when the Yankees are never out of any game. They may have showed their age throughout the regular season, but there’s no replacement for postseason experience. When the stakes are high, this is when the Bombers are at their best.

Of course, this is still a team that’s going to struggle to win it all. Their pitching is a major concern and Joe Girardi’s stomach must have been in knots watching his ace C.C. Sabathia struggle in the early innings last night before finally settling in. He’s supposed to be the rock of the rotation and if he struggles, then the Yanks are doomed.

Game 2 is set for tonight at 6:07PM ET, as Andy Pettitte will take on former Yankee Carl Pavano.

Adrian Gonzalez wants Mark Teixeira money

Anthony Stalter — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:06:26 +0000

Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Adrian Gonzalez is looking for a contract similar to the one Mark Teixeira signed with the Yankees last offseason.

“This is a premium ballplayer,” said John Boggs, Gonzalez’s agent. “If you think you can get it done, he’s obviously somebody who’s moveable …

“I never try to dissolve the possibility (of a deal with the Padres), but I don’t see any signs.”

Boggs said his preliminary discussion with Padres General Manager Jed Hoyer was so superficial that “you couldn’t characterize it as a negotiation.” Boggs said Hoyer inquired as to Gonzalez’s expectations; that Boggs cited the eight-year, $180 million deal of New York Yankees’ first baseman Mark Teixeira, and that that comment effectively ended Hoyer’s exploration.

Gonzalez still has two years remaining on the four-year, $9.5 million contract he signed in April of 2007. He’s owed $4.75 million this year and there’s a $5.5 million club option for 2011.

If the report is true and Gonzo is looking for Teixeira-type money, then he won’t get it from the Padres. The more likely scenario is San Diego acquiring a package similar to the one the Rangers got from the Braves when they traded Teixeira to Atlanta in July of 2007.

It’s likely that the Padres would look to trade Gonzo by the deadline this year, so they’re not on the hook for any of the $5.5 million in 2011. After all, if they know they can’t pay him then there’s no sense in delaying the process another year, unless they think they can get more in return if they wait until 2011.

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2010 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: First Basemen

Anthony Stalter — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:15:12 +0000

All 2010 Fantasy Articles | 2010 Position Rankings

Before the onset of a draft, many fantasy owners believe that they better select their first baseman in one of the first three rounds. If they don’t land Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Miguel Cabrera, Mark Teixeira or Ryan Howard early, then their entire draft could be ruined.

There’s certainly nothing wrong in subscribing to this theory. Making first base a top priority is a wise decision given the production you’ll get across the board from someone like Cabrera, Teixeira and of course, Pujols. That said, there are many owners that don’t mind waiting to address first base, instead choosing to stockpile players at more scarce fantasy positions. That’s not a bad way to go either, especially if other owners are focusing on first base in the first couple rounds.

We don’t need to re-hash how good guys like Pujols and Fielder are. Instead, here are seven first basemen that you can nab in the middle rounds if you choose to address other positions early. You won’t get the same out-of-this-world numbers that you would from a Pujols, Fielder or Cabrera from these seven, but chances are you’ll be quite satisfied by your first base production by the end of the season.

Mark Reynolds, Diamondbacks
We don’t have to sell you on Reynolds given his breakout 2009 campaign. He hit 44 dingers and drove in 102 runs while hitting .260 last year and while he may not duplicate those numbers, if he keeps his steals up (he swiped 24 bags last season) then he’ll be extremely valuable. You’d be in good shape if you grabbed premier players at other positions and then nabbed Reynolds after the top seven or eight first basemen come off the board.

Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox
It would be nice if Youk could stay healthy for an entire season, but his production has been solid the last couple years. He hits for average, will give you 20-plus dingers, score 95-plus runs and drive in around 100 RBI. Don’t forget that he has added bonus given that he also qualifies as a third baseman.

Derrek Lee, Cubs
While his production didn’t match his 2006 output, Lee turned in a banner 2009. He hit .306, smacked 35 home runs, drove in 111 RBI and scored 91 runs. Assuming his home run production doesn’t dip back to the 20-22 range like it did in 2007 and 2008, Lee would be a solid pickup in the middle rounds.

Pablo Sandoval, Giants
Last year, we predicted that Sandoval could be the ultimate fantasy sleeper and we’d like to think that we nailed that projection. (Hey, this back isn’t going to pat itself.) This year, everyone knows about the “Kung Fu Panda,” so you may have to snag him a round or two earlier than you may have wanted. But that’s okay given that he’s more than capable of hitting upwards of .330 again with 25-30 home runs. Hopefully the additions the Giants made in the offseason (Aubrey Huff, Mark DeRosa, Freddy Sanchez) will allow Sandoval to drive in over 100 RBI this year as well. Draft the Panda (who also qualifies as a 3B) with confidence.

Kendry Morales, Angels
After the All-Star Break last season, Morales hit .330 and slugged 19 home runs. If he can carry that kind of production over to 2010, then he’ll be a steal later in your draft. Hopefully his second half numbers from ’09 weren’t an aberration and instead, a sign of great things to come for the 26-year-old. Value Morales higher in keeper leagues given his age.

Lance Berkman, Astros
The concern about Berkman is that his home run totals have dropped over the last three seasons. But if he can get his average back up (he hit .274 last year after hitting .312 in 2008) into the .300 range, then he still represents plenty of value. He’s often viewed as an unspectacular option on draft day, so there’s a good chance he’ll fall to the later rounds. You can do much worse than having a seasoned vet like Berkman at first base, especially if his home run numbers rebound.

Adam Dunn, Nationals
When you draft Dunn, you resign to the fact that he’s never going to hit .300 or score 90 runs. But you’ll gladly take the 40 home runs and 100-plus RBI while looking for average elsewhere.

Below is our official ranking of first basemen.

1. Albert Pujols, STL
2. Prince Fielder, MIL
3. Mark Teixeira, NYY
4. Miguel Cabrera, DET
5. Ryan Howard, PHI
6. Adrian Gonzalez, SD
7. Joey Votto, CIN
8. Justin Morneau, MIN
9. Mark Reynolds, ARZ
10. Kevin Youkilis, BOS
11. Derrek Lee, CHC
12. Kendry Morales, LAA
13. Pablo Sandoval, SF
14. Lance Berkman, HOU
15. Adam Dunn, CIN
16. Victor Martinez, BOS
17. Carlos Pena, Rays
18. Billy Butler, KC
19. Michael Cuddyer, MIN
20. James Loney, LAD
21. Jorge Cantu, FLA
22. Chris Davis, TEX
23. Adam LaRoche, AZ
24. Todd Helton, COL
25. Garrett Jones, PIT

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Twins’ Mauer earns much-deserved 2009 AL MVP award

Anthony Stalter — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:30:29 +0000

In a unanimous decision, Twins catcher Joe Mauer was named the 2009 American League’s Most Valuable Player on Monday. Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira and shortstop Derek Jeter finished second and third, respectively.

Mauer received 27 of 28 first-place votes after leading the league in batting average (.365), on-base percentage (.444) and slugging percentage (.587). No other catcher has ever led the league in those three categories and he even threw in a Gold Glove this season, just for good measure.

Not to take anything away from Teixeira, Jeter or Miguel Cabrera (who finished fourth), but there simply was no other choice for this award than Mauer. He was phenomenal and most likely parlayed his ’09 season into a fat contract extension. (Mauer becomes a free agent in 2011.)

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Yankees win 2009 World Series

Anthony Stalter — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:15:16 +0000

What a difference a year makes.

This time last year, the New York Yankees were at home on their couches watching as their 2009 World Series counterparts, the Philadelphia Phillies, defeated the Tampa Bay Rays to become world champions.

One of the big reasons the Bronx Bombers were at home during the Fall Classic and not participating in it was because their pitching wasn’t good enough. That’s why GM Brian Cashman opened George Steinbrenner’s fat checkbook to sign starting pitchers CC Sabathia (7-years, $161 million) and A.J. Burnett (five-year, $82.5 million). And just to make sure he had enough offense, Cashman also inked the top bat on the free agent market, Mark Teixeira, to an eight-year, $180 million deal.

The end result is that the Yankees got what they paid for.

With their 7-3 victory over the Phillies in Game 6 of the World Series, the Bombers won their 27th championship in club history. Hideki Matsui (who was later named Series MVP) went 3-for-4 with six RBI and a run scored, while Derek Jeter finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Long-time veteran Andy Pettitte earned the victory, yielding three runs on four hits over 5.2 innings of work.

The Yankees are clearly at an advantage because they’re willing to spend. But at least they spend their money the right way unlike clubs like the Mets, who spend widely only to miss the postseason every year. The Yankees want to win and they knew last year that they’re pitching wasn’t good enough to match their offensive firepower. So yes, they spent and spent big. But they spent to win and they accomplished their one and only goal: To win a World Series.

It’s easy to get caught up in how much the Yankees spent on free agents last winter, but let’s not overlook how homegrown players like Jeter, Pettitte (even though this is his second stint in the Big Apple), Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera continue to produce in pressure situations.

Stat geniuses love to boast about how Jeter is overrated defensively and how his numbers continue to drop offensively, but this guy continues to shine when it matters most. He continues to be the backbone of the Yankees’ offense and provided the top of the lineup with a spark night in and night out during the postseason. There’s a reason why so many Yankee fans love him: He produces when everything is on the line. And these idiots with all their numbers and calculations continue to miss what he does for his club in the postseason.

I imagine this will be a bitter night for a lot of baseball fans that hate to see the Yankees win. Personally, it’s hard night to root for guys like Jeter, Posada and Rivera. Guys who play the right way and who are natural winners. So congratulations, Yankees.