Author: Christopher Glotfelty (Page 37 of 67)

      Will the Dodgers rotation hold up in the playoffs?

      September 20, 2009 /

      Chad

      The MLB regular season will conclude in the next two weeks and we have a pretty good idea which teams are going to make the playoffs. Barring any hot streaks or horrific droughts, the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Tigers, Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers, and Rockies should all advance. (Perhaps the Twins will make a run if Michael Cuddyer keeps hitting like Babe Ruth.) While all these teams have the bats, ask any manager and they’ll tell you that it’s their rotation that wins a series.

      Neither of these clubs currently have a perfect starting four, but it’s the Dodgers that should be freaking out. After posting the best record in the National League for almost the entire season, Chad Billingsley has been demoted to the bullpen, Clayton Kershaw has a shoulder injury (non-pitching), and Hiroki Kuroda is trying to right himself after taking a line drive to the skull last month.

      The most consistent teams in the regular season — the ones with good records and rested bullpens — tend to have three or four pitchers with at least 30 starts.

      When the season ends in 14 days, the Dodgers may have only two.

      This month, the mix-and-match Dodgers have relied heavily on two starters, Jon Garland and Vicente Padilla, who arrived after the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. And the key starters Colletti mentioned have missed at least one start apiece in recent weeks: Wolf, Kuroda and Kershaw because of injuries; Billingsley because of inconsistent performance and waning confidence.

      Twelve pitchers have started three or more games for the Dodgers this season. Twelve. That’s a statistic one would expect from an also-ran, not a near-certain playoff team. But Padilla and Garland have performed beyond expectations, with a 6-0 record and 2.65 ERA over nine combined starts through Saturday.

      The Dodgers are very fortunate to have landed Vicente Padilla and Jon Garland. Though both were having mediocre seasons on their prior teams, they are shining with the Boys in Blue and may very will be the key to the Dodgers’ postseason success. Fans were initially skeptical about former Giants Assistant GM Ned Colletti coming aboard, but he’s proven to be the savviest general manager the Dodgers have had in years. As far as pitching is concerned, Colletti picked up George Sherrill, Padilla, and Garland late into the season — all have been solid. And who would have expected Randy Wolf to evolve into the team’s ace? Wolf, who previously played for the Dodgers in 2007, had his best season with the Phillies in ’03, then struggled to regain his prowess. Still, Colletti must have seen something in Wolf this past offseason because, with a 10-6 record and 3.24 ERA, he’s surprising everyone. Expect Wolf to start the first game of the NLDS. After that, it’s anybody’s guess who the Dodgers will look to.

      MLB

      Umpires complain of verbal abuse after Angels-Red Sox game

      September 19, 2009 /

      Angels

      What with all the padding, you think MLB umpires would be able to take some ribbing. This past Wednesday, after Nick Green nearly struck out two times in one at-bat against Angels closer Brian Fuentes, manager Mike Scioscia and staff let the umpires have it. Umpires must pass through the visiting team’s dugout at Fenway to get to their locker room. It’s a stadium design unique to the ballpark and perfect for postgame confrontation.

      “Their deportment as we left the field, going through the Angels dugout, left a lot to be desired,” plate umpire Rick Reed told the Boston Herald. “We filed a report after the game and I would think there will be a coach or two over there that would be regretting his actions today.”

      Attempts by The Associated Press to reach the umpires for comment before and after Thursday night’s game were unsuccessful. A Fenway Park security guard who knocked on the door of their changing room before the game said they were unavailable because they were on a conference call with the commissioner’s office; after the game, a reporter’s request for an interview was similarly declined.

      With two outs, the bases loaded and the Angels leading 8-7, pinch-hitter Nick Green quickly fell behind 0-2 to closer Brian Fuentes and offered at the third pitch. But first base umpire Jeff Kellogg ruled he did not go around, and Green stayed in the box.

      Green then fouled off three pitches before taking three balls to walk in the tying run. The last was a knee-high fastball that had catcher Mike Napoli jumping out of his crouch in anticipation of a strikeout.

      Later, Reed commented that the pitch “very well could have been a strike.” Not a smart move, Rick. Look, I’m not even an Angels fan and I know Green should have been called “out” on at least one of those pitches. Mr. Magoo himself was in hysterics. Reed made matters worse when he admitted that Napoli’s “framing” of a pitch earlier in the count justified giving Green an advantage. Wow. You never hear umpires being this honest about skewing calls. There’s not a catcher in Major League Baseball that doesn’t frame pitches. Nevertheless, if they’re caught doing so, they should receive a warning. In my opinion, Reed’s decision to thereby “get back” at Napoli is even more inexcusable.

      Lastly, I think Mike Scioscia has the best “oh-no-you-didn’t-Blue” face in baseball.

      MLB

      The world of tennis is in disarray

      September 19, 2009 /

      Del Potro

      This last U.S. Open was both entertaining and dramatic. Kim Clijsters and Juan Martin del Potro, both underdogs, captured the Grand Slam championship in their respective competitions. Getting the most press, however, was Serena Williams’ tirade against a lineswoman. (Serena was later fined $10,000.) Tennis had been fairly stable the past few years in terms of competition, top players, and sportsmanship. As of the U.S. Open, however, that sentiment is changing:

      – Roger Federer, of all people, was docked $1,500 for using profanity while arguing with the chair umpire open during the men’s final. Was the expletive in Swiss-German?

      – Led by Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych, the Czech Republic have reached their first Davis Cup final in 29 years after beating Marin Cilic and Lovro Zovko of Croatia in doubles.

      – Spain also advanced into the Davis Cup finals, only without the services of Rafael Nadal. Spain owes a big thank you to Feliciano Lopez and Tommy Robredo. To his credit, Nadal is still suffering from abdominal pain.

      – Can you believe Juan Martin del Potro is only the seventh male not named Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal to win a Grand Slam in the last seven years? Crazy. The others were Andre Agassi, Gaston Gaudio, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Marat Safin, Andy Roddick, and Novak Djokovic. In breaking it down that means, between those 28 Grand Slams, only nine champions have been crowned.

      Tennis

      Federer defeats Djokovic, will face Del Potro in finals

      September 13, 2009 /

      Federer

      First and foremost, I want to commend Novak Djokovic for giving it his all. He played an incredible match, neck and neck with Federer in every set. However, while Djokovic was in top form, he’s no Roger Federer. Neither made many mistakes, earning points with well-placed shots after volleys rather than relying on aces.

      After defeating Djokovic 7-6 7-5 7-5, Federer is now one match away from capturing his sixth consecutive U.S. Open Championship and sixteenth overall Grand Slam. He will face Juan Martin del Potro, the 20 year-old Argentine who defeated Rafael Nadal in straight sets earlier today. Del Potro has never made it to a Grand Slam final; Federer has been in 17 of the last 18. Who do you think is the favorite?

      Djokovic and Federer provided several entertaining and clever drop shots, lobs, and lengthy volleys. Fed’s final winner in the twelfth game of the third set was just an extension of his dominance at this Grand Slam. But it was during the second to last point, seen in the video below, that caused Arthur Ashe Stadium to gasp in amazement. It’s the shot Federer is calling the greatest of his career.

      Tennis

      Serena goes crazy on lineswoman, eliminated from U.S. Open

      September 12, 2009 /

      Serena Williams is a badass. After dropping the first set to an unseeded Kim Clijsters, Serena slammed her racket into the court, mangling it entirely. Of course, the frustrated action wasn’t unprovoked, as she was playing far below her usual level. In the second set, Serena started to regain her form, until a terrible lineswoman decided to ruin the excitement.

      With Williams serving at 5-6, 15-30 in the second set, she faulted on her first serve. On the second serve, a line judge called a foot fault, making it a double-fault. That made the score 15-40, putting Clijsters one point from victory.

      Williams went over and shouted at the line judge, who walked over and reported it to the chair umpire. That led to the chair umpire awarding a penalty point to Clijsters, ending the match.

      Though it is unclear what exactly Williams said to the linesperson, she was heard on the CBS broadcast telling the linesperson, “I didn’t say I would kill you. Are you serious?” during the discussion with tournament officials that followed.

      Williams already had been given a code violation warning when she broke her racket after losing the first set.

      What a lame way to end this exciting semifinal. At least Serena was entertaining, ripping into this dolt without restraint. Watching the countless replays on CBS, you can clearly see Serena mouth the words, “I’m going shove this ball down your f–ing throat.” Yowza. That’s my girl.

      Needless to say, Kim Clijsters was outplaying Serena before all the mayhem ensued. Clijsters, a former Grand Slam champion, had taken 2 years off to nurse injuries and grieve over the death of her father. Later, she got married and even had a baby. Although her life had changed drastically, Clijsters couldn’t stay away from the game any longer. The U.S. Open is her first Grand Slam since returning and, guess what, she’s in the finals. Good for her.

      She’ll face Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark on Sunday for the championship.

      Tennis

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