Author: Christopher Glotfelty (Page 33 of 67)

      MLB will use veteran umpires in World Series

      October 24, 2009 /

      umps

      It’s the playoffs, and everyone needs to step it up, including the umpires. Subjectivity is part of the game, but this year’s postseason has been riddled by an obscene amount of unforgivably bad calls. The proper teams advanced to the League Championship Series, so any prior mistakes are now all but forgotten. However, recent blunders are scarring a tight competition between the Yankees and Angels, thereby affecting their chances at facing the Phillies in the World Series. As a result, MLB will have their veteran umpires call the games.

      Longtime crew chiefs Joe West, Dana DeMuth and Gerry Davis, along with Brian Gorman, Jeff Nelson and Mike Everitt will handle the games, three people with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press this week.

      In each of the last two years, there were three new umps working the World Series.

      CB Bucknor was in line to work the World Series for the first time this year. But he missed two calls in Game 1 of the division series between the Red Sox and Angels, damaging his chance to get picked, one of the three people said.

      Umpiring mistakes caused anxious moments for MLB in the first two rounds: Phil Cuzzi’s foul call on a drive by Joe Mauer that was fair by a foot, Jerry Meals’ error on a ball that bounced off Chase Utley’s leg, Dale Scott’s miss on a pickoff and Tim McClelland’s call on a tag play, among others.

      Scott missed again Thursday night in Game 5 of the AL championship series, ruling New York’s Johnny Damon out after he clearly beat Angels first baseman Kendry Morales’ toss to pitcher John Lackey.

      This year, instant replay on home run calls didn’t cause too much of a stir during competition. It was rarely used, and when umpires actually had to review a play, they were very efficient. Still, I don’t think one postseason is enough to enact a full-on video surveillance of the game. Unlike other sports, baseball games can go on for ages, given the extra innings. Sometimes, even the most loyal sports fan just needs to go home.

      While I appreciate the angles Fox gives viewers during a game, it’s almost bittersweet. While an umpire’s subjectivity still reigns supreme, Fox supplies damning evidence. Imagine if one call a cost a team the World Series, and the video proved the umpire was incorrect. That umpire would have to live with that for the rest of his life. I know, I know — then the game would be completely fair.

      Still, baseball is the one American sport that hasn’t advance with the technology of the times. The game was designed for error and I appreciate the utter humanism involved. I’m sure instant replay will gradually envelope the game, but I hope this doesn’t happen in a single instant.

      As for this postseason’s umpires, they’ve been terrible. Bring in the old guys.

      MLB

      Cliff Lee shuts out Dodgers, Kuroda gets rocked

      October 18, 2009 /

      Lee

      Hiroki Kuroda hadn’t pitched since Sept. 28 because of a bulging disk in his neck. Doctors said this problem may have been caused by the line drive he took to the skull in August. Despite the concussion, Kuroda still came back in September, but was mediocre. Now your team is in the National League Championship Series, tied at a game a piece. Are you going to throw Kuroda, simply because he was dominant against the Phillies last year? Hell no.

      Joe Torre is going to take the brunt of the blame for this one. Knowing Kuroda was a question mark at best, Torre chose to drop starter Jon Garland and long reliever Jeff Weaver from the NLCS roster. Torre said he went with Scott Elbert because the Phillies have so many lefties in their lineup. Still, why pitch Kuroda, a right-hander? Given how crucial this game was, wouldn’t you throw Randy Wolf, a left-handed pitcher who’s familiar with Citizens Bank Park? Kuroda was absolutely awful, giving up six hits and six runs in one and a third innings. The Phillies immediately jumped over Kuroda as he gave up four consecutive hits to Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Jayson Werth. By the end of the first inning, the Phillies had scored four runs off of Howard’s triple and Werth’s solo shot.

      Scott Elbert soon took over, but didn’t have any command. Enter Chad Billingsley, the former Dodger ace who was removed from the starting rotation before the postseason began. Billingsley was better than expected, but still allowed two runs in three and a third. If the Dodgers can somehow force a Game 7, Billingsley could get the call.

      While the Phillies’ bats were hot throughout the night, the Dodgers might as well have hit with chopsticks. Cliff Lee was simply phenomenal. Over eight innings of work, Lee struck out 10, holding the Dodgers to three hits and zero runs.

      The Dodgers were the best hitting team during the regular season, so what happened tonight? Manny Ramirez did come up with two of the Dodgers’ three hits but, as we learned during his fifty-game suspension, he is not the team. A solid rotation is the most vital part to a club’s postseason success. At this point, the Dodgers don’t have one. Vicente Padilla is shaking his head.

      Pedro Martinez, CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Cliff Lee have all been dominant in the League Championship Series. Which teams do they play for again?

      MLB

      Dodgers Assistant GM interviews with Padres

      October 18, 2009 /

      Kim Ng

      Most of us aren’t familiar with Kim Ng, the Assistant General Manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that Ng recently interviewed for the position of San Diego Padres General Manager, now vacant after the firing of Kevin Towers. Although Ng is one of various candidates, that isn’t stopping Dodger enthusiasts from speculating what could happen to their team if Ng were to leave.

      Ng has interviewed for other general manager positions before and isn’t necessarily the favorite to get this one (which incidentally could make her the boss of her former boss at the Dodgers, Padres executive vice president Paul DePodesta, who is not a candidate for the job). But she certainly has a fan club in Los Angeles that holds its breath each time she talks to another team.

      Is there any chance Ng could ascend in Los Angeles? Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti and the Dodgers have a mutual option for 2010, and after winning three division titles and two National League division series in four years, Colletti’s return for 2010 (and perhaps years to come) would seem to be a formality. What could disrupt it?

      Colletti is the general manager, but he doesn’t work alone. He has Ng, he has assistant general manager/scouting Logan White, he has a host of scouts and advisors, and he also no doubt has the McCourts weighing in on the biggest deals. (Manny Ramirez, anyone?) Yes, in most player transactions, the buck has stopped with Colletti since the end of 2005, but we really don’t know how much of the past four years is uniquely Colletti.

      If Ng leaves, I’ll fear the Dodgers have lost a great executive. But I’ll console myself with how well the Dodgers have done under the current regime, and with the knowledge that Ng deserves her moment in the sun, wherever that sun is determined to shine.

      Before joining the Dodgers organization, Ng was the Assistant GM for the Yankees, and worked in the White Sox front office before that. If Ng were to land the coveted position with the Padres, Ng would become the first female General Manager in the history professional sports. Still, her chances are slim as Jed Hoyer, assistant GM of the Red Sox, is viewed as the favorite.

      In the end, Colletti will receive a contract extension next year. While Ng has a positive reputation throughout the MLB, I doubt she’ll get the job in San Diego. Unless the Dodgers completely collapse over the next two seasons, she will remain as their Assistant GM. Unfortunately, if she really wants to become a GM of a big league club, she’ll have take a similar position to the one she already has with another team. There, she’ll have to wait till the front office becomes dissatisfied with their current GM. With Ng’s past experience and determination, she’d naturally get the gig. However, I doubt Ng has the patience for this strategy.

      MLB

      Yankees capitalize on Angels’ bonehead play, win Game 2

      October 18, 2009 /

      Game 2

      “It’s very difficult, when you’re looking up at all those raindrops and trying to find the biggest one. And Jeter did.”

      – Tim McCarver commenting on Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter catching a pop fly in the rain.

      I needed to laugh. After watching nearly 13 innings of enthralling play, I was absolutely infuriated with the outcome of this game. I’m not even rooting for either team — I was just screaming at the television because the ending was bad baseball. Luckily, Tim McCarver delivered countless lines of nonsense to keep things light. The gem I’ve included above was easily his best.

      It’s a damn shame this game ended because of an error. Both teams played their hearts out and gave fans five hours or grueling, yet exciting competition. The players, coaches, and fans deserved a walk-off hit or a final strikeout. With one out, Jerry Hairston Jr. on second, and Robinson Cano on first in the bottom of the 13th, Melky Cabrera hit a routine ground ball to Angels second baseman Maicer Izturis. All he had to was make the easy out at first. Then, with two outs and runners on second and third, Ervin Santana would have faced Jorge Posada. Instead, Izturis attempted a double play and completely missed the glove of shortstop Erick Aybar. Granted, there was a slim chance that they would have turned two, as Cabrera isn’t the fastest guy in pinstripes. Still, why risk it? Get the easy out and try your luck against the next batter.

      While this game was filled with clutch pitching and hitting, the Angels and Yankees were both sloppy on defense. Robinson Cano, Chone Figgins, Derek Jeter, and Macier Izturis all committed errors (Cano had two). I know the rain didn’t help, but some of these mishaps were inexcusable. You know the overall defense was brutal when Johnny Damon made the best grab of the night.

      Joe Saunders and A.J. Burnett both provided solid starts for their clubs. Saunders went seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits, while Burnett powered through six with two earned runs on three hits. As the game progressed, the Yankees almost went through every pitcher on their roster, excluding the starters. Surprisingly, the Angels looked to Ervin Santana in the game’s late innings. Santana, a starter who spent most of the year battling injuries, managed to control the Yankees during his time on the mound. Although he’s credited with the loss, he won’t take the blame. Maicer Izturis and Brian Fuentes should have a rough flight back. With the Angels up by one run, Fuentes gave up an 11th inning home run to Alex Rodriguez. Mike Scioscia had decided to reserve Fuentes until the Angels took the lead, and it cost him. Fuentes, who led the American League in saves, looked very nervous out there, and A-Rod read him like a book.

      With the Yankees up two games to none, the series now heads to Anaheim. Jered Weaver is set to pitch for the Angels against veteran Andy Pettitte of the Yankees in Game 3.

      MLB

      CC Sabathia freezes Angels, Yankees take Game 1

      October 17, 2009 /

      What a day for pitching. Vicente Padilla goes seven and a third for the Dodgers, surrendering one run; the Phillies’ Pedro Martinez throws seven shutout innings on two hits; CC Sabathia wows his fans at Yankee Stadium in a marvelous eight-inning performance; Angels starter John Lackey is…not good. Sadly, Lackey couldn’t treat baseball fans to a pitching clinic — it’s practically impossible against the Yankees. Over five and two thirds innings, the Angels ace gave up four runs (two earned) on nine hits. This was hardly an outing typical of Lackey’s stature, but his supporting defense was even worse. In their 4-1 loss to the Yanks in Game 1 of the ALCS, the Halos committed three errors and were absolutely clueless up at the plate against CC Sabathia.

      The Angels, who set a franchise record for fewest errors this season with 85 and played flawlessly against Boston in the division series, were horrible on defense. . Only twice this season did the Angels commit three errors in a game; they made three Friday night.

      t appeared Lackey would minimize damage in the first inning when, with runners on second and third and no out, he got Mark Teixeira to fly to shallow left, the runners holding, and Alex Rodriguez to hit a sacrifice fly to center.

      Hideki Matsui hit a towering popup to the left side of the infield. Third baseman Chone Figgins and shortstop Erick Aybar converged, both looked at each other thinking the other would catch it, and the ball dropped for a single, allowing Johnny Damon to score.

      This exciting postseason has witnessed some horrific defense by otherwise Gold Glove-caliber fielders. Considering crucial errors by Matt Holliday, Chase Utley, and almost the entire Angels roster, something seems out of whack. After skating by against the Red Sox, one would think the Angels knew how to communicate on the diamond. With A-Rod, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixiera, and the Yankees rotation in the groove, the Angels have their work cut out for them. They need to quickly forget this embarrassment and give starter Joe Saunders some solid support in Game 2.

      MLB

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