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      Cardinals searching for another bat to protect Albert Pujols

      June 5, 2009 /

      More specifically, Tony La Russa is searching for another bat to project Pujols:

      “The No. 1 thing we can get is a guy to hit behind Albert [Pujols],” La Russa said. “That’s the No. 1 thing.”

      And whereas in past years, such comments have sounded like an attempt to prod the Cardinals’ front office, on Thursday they had a different tone. La Russa spoke like a man who has expectations, rather than hopes. La Russa indicated that the club has some financial flexibility, and it’s clear that St. Louis has some young pitching to deal — especially relief pitching.
      “It’s really hard to make a significant move,” La Russa said. “There aren’t many guys that fit what you’re looking for. I felt like last year they made an attempt. And since Day 1, we came into this year knowing we were a better ballclub than we thought last year at this time, and we’ve gotten off to a good start, but we know we’re thin.”

      The most intriguing name that the Cards could eventually pursue would be A’s outfielder Matt Holliday.

      Oakland currently resides at the bottom of the AL West standings and is 8.5 games back of Texas. Not that they’re completely out of contention, but GM Billy Beane could be looking to do one of his trademark deals soon with Holliday set to become a free agent at the end of the year. It’s not a matter of if Holliday will be dealt, but when.

      Getting back to the Cards, I don’t know what they would have to give up to swing a deal for Holliday (and it’s not fair at this point to speculate), but adding him to their lineup might be the thing they need to create a cushion between them and the Brewers/Cubs in the NL Central. Of course, a healthy Chris Carpenter remains the biggest factor in how much success St. Louis will have this season, but landing Holliday could make them World Series contenders.

      MLB

      Bosh wants a max deal

      June 5, 2009 /

      Chris Bosh has said in no uncertain terms that he expects that the next contract he signs will be the maximum allowed under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.

      In other words, it’s a max contract or no deal as far as Bosh is concerned.

      Asked yesterday if he felt he was worth such a contract, Bosh didn’t hesitate. “Without a doubt. I really don’t see any negotiation about that part.”

      But for anyone wanting to know the direction he might be leaning when it comes to his future, Bosh said again that he has not made up his mind.

      As for taking less than a max deal to allow Colangelo to beef up the rest of the lineup, Bosh doesn’t sound like a guy who would consider that.

      “An old school guy told me: ‘Take advantage. You can’t play this game forever. Make sure you maximize your potential,’ ” Bosh said.

      I think that there are probably 10 to 15 players worth a max deal. The no-brainers are LeBron, Kobe, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul. Deron Williams, Kevin Durant, Brandon Roy and Derrick Rose are the up-and-comers. Then there are Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki who are all over 30. The next tier of guys — Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Tony Parker, Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer and Chauncey Billups — are all great, but are they really worth max money?

      The problem I have with Bosh is that Toronto had a pretty good roster this season and they completely missed the playoffs. He is playing with one of the best point guards in the league (Jose Calderon) and he had another former All-Star on the roster as well (Jermaine O’Neal and Shawn Marion). If he’s really a max contract guy, shouldn’t he be able to carry his team to the playoffs? Obviously, a superstar needs a good supporting cast, but the Raptors had fewer wins than New Jersey, Milwaukee (who played without Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut for much of the season), Charlotte, Indiana, Detroit and Philadelphia. One could argue that Toronto has more talent top to bottom than any of those teams, so why couldn’t Bosh lead the Raptors to the playoffs?

      I definitely think he deserves a big contract (something around $13 million per season sounds about right), but there’s a tendency for teams to give their best player a max deal no matter how they stack up against the other superstars in the league. Michael Redd, Andrei Kirilenko, Shawn Marion, Allen Iverson, Jermaine O’Neal, Tracy McGrady, Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, Mike Bibby and Vince Carter all made more than $15 million last season and while some are better than others, I don’t think any of those players are worth that kind of money.

      NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Couch Potato Alert: 6/5

      June 5, 2009 /

      This could be a weekend of “firsts.” Calvin Borel could become the first jockey to record a Triple Crown on two separate horses. With “The King of Clay” Rafael Nadal out of the picture, Roger Federer could capture his first Grand Slam championship at the French Open. And Kobe Bryant could be halfway home to his first NBA title without Shaq.

      All times ET…

      NBA Finals
      Sun, 8 PM: Orlando Magic @ Los Angeles Lakers (ABC)

      Stanley Cup Finals
      Sat, 8 PM: Pittsburgh Penguins @ Detroit Red Wings (NBC)

      MLB
      Sat, 4:10 PM: Philadelphia Phillies @ Los Angeles Dodgers (FOX)
      Sun., 1:30 PM: Texas Rangers @ Boston Red Sox (TBS)
      Sun., 8 PM: Philadelphia Phillies @ Los Angeles Dodgers (ESPN)

      French Open
      Fri, 5 AM: Women’s Semifinals (Tennis Channel)
      Fri, 10 AM: Men’s Semifinals (NBC)
      Sat, 9 AM: Women’s Finals (NBC)
      Sun, 9 AM: Men’s Finals (NBC)

      Horse Racing
      Sat, 5 PM: The Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park (ABC)

      Couch Potato Alert, MLB, NBA, NBA Finals, NHL, Television, Tennis

      What has happened to Fausto Carmona?

      June 5, 2009 /

      Believe it or not, there was a time (three years ago for those keeping score at home) when Indians’ starter Fausto Carmona was considered to be one of the better young arms in baseball. He was supposed to make Tribe fans forget about CC Sabathia and if he couldn’t do that, at least be a nice complement to Cliff Lee in Cleveland’s starting rotation.

      But something happened from the time he posted a 19-8 record in 2007 to where we are now present day, where he’s currently fighting to remain in the rotation.

      According to a report by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Carmona could be facing a demotion to Triple-A after allowing seven runs in just two innings in his latest start on Thursday night. In 12 starts this season, Carmona is 2-6 with a whopping 7.42 ERA and 1.81 WHIP. He’s struck out just 36 batters and has walked 41.

      The Indians don’t have the healthiest starting rotation right now, but sending Carmona down to Triple-A might not only benefit him, but the team as well. The fact of the matter is that he’s a complete mess and when he pitches, there’s a huge possibility that Cleveland will be chalking up an L in the standings before the lights shut off at the ball yard.

      And really, sending him down to Triple-A might not even be good enough. The Tigers sent Dontrelle Willis down to A-ball when he struggled earlier this year with a variety of issues (both physical and mental), and Carmona could benefit from the same treatment. His control is the biggest problem mechanically, but his confidence appears shot to hell, too. Baseball is as much of a mental game as it is physical and Carmona’s problems seem to lie between the ears just as much as they do with his stride, his arm release and his command.

      By no means is Carmona a lost cause. He still has the stuff that made him a 19-game winner in 2007, but his control issues are mind-boggling. The Tribe should send him down, although not just to Triple-A, but to A-ball. They should allow him to work his way back up through the minors, gaining confidence and control along the way until he’s ready to face major league hitters again. Think of the situation as not only hitting the reset button your PS3, but actually pulling the plug completely out of the wall and taking a deep breath before plugging it back in.

      In the meantime, the Indians could call up pitching prospect Hector Rondon. Is he ready? Probably not, but Cleveland is running out of choices right now and Rondon gives the Tribe just as much of a chance to win as Carmona does. (If not better.)

      MLB

      Smoltz rips Braves after releasing Glavine

      June 5, 2009 /

      John Smoltz ripped his old team recently after the Braves released his former teammate Tom Glavine.

      “I’m using a very soft word in ‘disappointed’ because that ain’t right,” said Smoltz, a teammate of Glavine’s for 16 years. The duo won 454 games and three Cy Young Awards as Braves.

      Glavine, who had been rehabbing from shoulder and elbow surgery, was released Wednesday — “a performance decision,” according to Braves General Manager Frank Wren.

      “To go that far in your rehab, and then right before the time, to do that?” Smoltz said following Wednesday’s Red Sox game in Detroit. “Well, it’s not my problem anymore, I just feel bad for a teammate of mine that I had for a long time.”

      Asked if he thought Glavine’s release was financially motivated, Smoltz told reporters, “Yeah, I know too much, let’s just put it that way.”

      He’s doubtful his old teammate will pitch for another team.

      When a team releases a player that helped them win at some point throughout the years, it’s always a dicey situation. The team wants to remain loyal to that player, but the ultimate goal is to always be building for the future.

      So when a player like Glavine is released by an organization like the Braves, it’s going to get kind of ugly. I don’t disagree with what Smoltz says because after all, he knows the situation better than I do. But the bottom line is that the Braves are trying to move forward and they don’t see Glavine helping them in the future and therefore decided to part ways.

      It’s just the nature of the beast.

      MLB

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