Teach's Top 5
1: Boston Red Sox
2: LA Dodgers
3: New York Yankees
4: LA Angels
5: Tampa Bay Rays
Langston's Top 5
1: Los Angeles Dodgers
2: Boston Red Sox
3: Tampa Bay Rays
4: St. Louis Cardinals
5: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Teach's Bottom 5
1: Washington Nationals
2: San Diego Padres
3: Baltimore Orioles
4: Arizona Diamondbacks
5: Oakland A's
Langston's Bottom 5
1: Washington Nationals
2: Cleveland Indians
3: San Diego Padres
4: Oakland A's
5: Baltimore Orioles
3 players I wish played for my team
Teach:
Well, when Langston sent me this category, I thought all the Braves need are a right fielder, a second baseman, and a first baseman, and they would own the NL East; so I comprised a wish list of JD Drew, Mark Texiera, and Jermaine Dye. Then, I remembered all of these guys have already been Braves, and we either couldn't afford their services or traded them away.
Out of these three, I wish most of all that Jermaine Dye was still a Brave. We drafted him. He hit a home run in his first at bat with us. He played in the '96 World Series for us, and we traded him for Michael Tucker. If you google Michael Tucker, the baseball player isn't even the first Michael Tucker who shows up. Instead, you get the guy who almost derailed Gordon Bombay's coaching career, along with Team USA's gold medal hopes at the Junior Goodwill games. Jermaine Dye could have been our clean-up hitter behind Chipper for the last twelve years.
At second base, I wish we had a guy like Dustin Pedroia. Someone who hates losing more than he likes winning and has a sense of humor about himself.
At first base, we might as well bring back Fred McGriff because no one has worked out there since the Crime Dog left, well, except for Galarraga.
Langston:
Considering the Dodgers have the best record in the bigs and accomplished a lot of it without their most talented player, I couldn't ask for much more out of these guys. However the rotation has outplayed their abilities, and logic tells me it will be hard for them to keep it up for the rest of the season and the playoffs. So my first addition would come in the shape of pitching. Since Billingsley is already the ace of the staff and Broxton has evolved into one of the most reliable closers in baseball I don't think they would need much help. My first acquisition would be Cliff Lee, who was much better last year in the number two role. With C.C. taking the heat off of him he blew away the league en route to a comeback player of the year award and a Cy Young. I think pitching behind the likes of Chad Billingsley he could replicate his form of 2008. The Indians are already out of playoff contention and are looking to deal, so this is an arm that could be had. Plus I think he would come at a considerably cheaper rate than Roy Halladay.
Since the starting rotation is set it would be easy for me to say a guy like Albert Pujols, but I am trying to be realistic here. With the A's out of the playoff hunt, Matt Holliday could be had. I would love to see him be the future left fielder for the Dodgers. His bat and his glove would be a great compliment to both Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, and make them quite a formidable offense for the foreseeable future.
My last piece to add would have to be an extra arm in the bull pen and since he just defected from Cuba, I think Aroldis Chapman would be the perfect choice. His 100 mph fastball would be a terrific addition to a bullpen that already has Broxton and Belisario. Since he doesn't have much of a second pitch, the pen would be the perfect fit for him at this point.
3 players I would trade off of my team
Teach:
I'm not sure I can come up with three. My GM mindset is stuck in a HBO baseball documentary about the 1950's, narrated by Kevin Costner, meaning I look at Atlanta's roster and think, "these are our guys. They'll win it for us sooner or later."
After studying the roster, I think Jeff Francoeur would be top on my list. I know all Braves fans are supposed to love him because he's from Georgia, but let's face it, with his .
244 average, he's the college buddy that has yet to grow out of doing keg stands and stealing grocery carts every time you see him. It's like You, Me, and Dupree is happening at Turner Field. Frenchy, I'm sorry.The other guy I might trade is Tim Hudson. If the Braves are out of contention as the trade deadline approaches and there's a buyer to be found, then the Braves might want to think about dumping Tim's 15.5 million dollar salary. Again, I'm only for doing this if the Braves are out of contention in the NL East.
Langston:
When I first thought up this category, I figured this would be much easier. But I guess that's why I am pursuing a career as a CPA and not a GM. After taking a look at the roster it becomes that much harder. It becomes difficult because like Teach these are my guys and they all have a role. Without all of these guys leading the league in wins would be improbable, however I made the categories so I have to fill them out. So after thinking about it there are maybe three guys I think the Dodgers would improve by trading away; Randy Wolf, Jeff Weaver, and Guillermo Mota. All three have had their moments this season and Wolf has pitched his best ball in years, but I wouldn't bet that they could keep it up in the second half.
MVP
Teach:
Albert Pujols. If this MLB season was a multiple choice test, then wouldn't the safe bet be to just bubble in A for Albert every question?
Langston:
Zack Greinke. I know the Cy Young is typically used as the MVP award for picthers, but he has been that good. He has a 10-4 record, a 2.00 ERA, 5 complete games, 2 shutouts, 120 strikeouts, and only 19 walks; and all of this while pitching for the Royals. Pretty.. pretty... pretty .... pretty ....... pretty good.
L(east)VP
Teach:
I'm going with Manny Ramirez. The Dodgers are pretty good with or without him. Also, I used to love the guy, but now he's one of my least favorite players. I love hot dogs, but I never eat a whole pack at once; so I always have four to six left. Well, sometimes I forget they're in the fridge, or I think they won't go bad; they're hot dogs after all. Unfortunately though, hot dogs do go bad, and Manny Ramirez is a moldy hot dog.
Langston:
Manny Ramirez. Last season when he joined the team he threw them on his back and took them to the NLCS. After a long and drawn out contract negotiation he came back to the club, when he finally did you could see his impact on the younger players. He helped give them the patience and confidence that they lacked. Throughout the first two months of the season
they were blowing the league away with offensive firepower rarely seen at Chavez Ravine. He had brought fans to the park in huge numbers, and an enthusiasm for the Dodgers not seen since the days of Fernando mania. And for all the good he brought to the team and the city, it was all undone by an idiotic and unneeded decision to take steroids.Your second favorite team and why:
Teach:
First, I hate the whole rest of the NL East, pretty much all of the NL West, and don't feel comfortable rooting for any of the NL Central teams on a regular basis. It's like having a girl friend and a girl you see on a regular basis, like at a grocery store, gas station, work, or the neighborhood bar. If you flirt too much with the girl that just shows up in your regular routine too often, then eventually it will become an issue with your girl friend. There are just too many proximity issues, in terms of space, time, and frequency, even if the flirting is innocent.
So, I've got to go with the Baltimore Orioles. They're not good enough for me to feel guilty of hopping on a bandwagon. They were my Dad's favorite team when he was younger. I like Brooks and Frank Robinson. There's nothing to dislike about Cal Ripken. They've got a bright, young outfield. Camden Yards feels like a walk back in time, and they give me an owner to complain about, in Peter Angelos.
Langston:
I was always told if you have a second team, make sure they are in the other league. However my second team is the Washington Nationals. It comes from living in the DC metro area for most of my adult life, and watching them daily on MASN. It comes from wanting a closer drive than Baltimore to see a game. It comes from the stadium. It comes from Ben's Chili Bowl. It comes from how hapless they are and the way they seem to find a new way to lose games almost daily. It comes from what kind of bad team they are, FYI they are the best type of bad team. A team with a lot of offense, bad defense, and even worse pitching. Typically ending in games with scores like 7-9 and 9-10. It's for all of these reasons that I root for the Nationals second.
Most disappointing player of the year:
Teach:
For me, it's Jeff Francoeur. Every Braves fan keeps waiting for it to click, and it just hasn't happened. I mean, every year starts with articles about what Hindu monk or religious guru is teaching him patience, and, apparently, Frenchy listens as well as a Chinese tank.
Langston:
Jimmy Rollins. Last year he helped lead the Phillies to a World Series Championship, this year he can't get on base. Two seasons age he won an MVP award with his bat and glove. He still flashes the leather pretty well, but is now near the bottom in both batting average and on-base percentage (.224 BA, 275 OBP). I don't know what's wrong with J-Roll but if the Phils want to repeat he needs to get it figured out.
Most surprising player of the year:
Teach:
I'm going to say Zack Greinke just because I was surprised to hear myself ask, "when are the Royals going to be in town?" He leads the AL in ERA and is tied for the
lead in wins, with a 10-4 record. His career high, in a season, is 13 wins, and his lowest ERA prior to this season is 3.47. The Royals might have a third less wins without him, which would make them the Kansas City Natinals. Also, he's only 25.Langston:
Juan Pierre. Last year the Dodgers made their move for Manny with Pierre's play being a big factor. He wasn't getting on base and he couldn't throw any more, making it hard for Torre to pencil his name on the lineup card. Soon after the trade Dodger Stadium became Mannywood and Pierre wanted out. Thankfully the Dodgers couldn't find a suitor and when the suspension came Pierre proved he could still play. He helped keep the team afloat and in April no one could have foretold how good he still was; without him the Dodgers may be in shambles.
7 comments:
Teach: I'd probably add Kelly Johnson to the trade list. He's been pretty awful his .286 OBP is almost as bad as Francouer's (hard to believe Francouer is 10 points lower. Though I doubt any team would give anything of value for Johnson he needs to be off the team before he costs them any more games.
July 8, 2009 at 10:55 PMYeah, I meant to add Kelly Johnson. I guess I'm thinking that there might be a few more people out there who might be sold on Francouer's "potential," but Kelly Johnson is definitely on my short list, which is why I said I'd like to have a guy like Pedroia. I just wish we lined someone up at 2b, rf, or 1b that we knew might produce.
July 9, 2009 at 12:10 AMOh, and Langston, the answer to that SI cover is that no one can be that good apparently
July 9, 2009 at 12:11 AMTeach: Haha if that cover ran now the answer would be everyone.
July 9, 2009 at 3:43 AMLangston: Man I don't know if I'd want to break up that pitching staff on the Dodgers. I'd even keep Weaver and Mota around if they keep producing. You are right its hard to find anyone to trade off the team, but there is one guy i'd be looking to move, Juan Pierre. The Dodgers should trade him before he comes crashing down to earth (again). No way are his numbers sustainable.
July 9, 2009 at 4:06 AMI had thought about trading Pierre for a while. I had even written three paragraphs about him, noting that his trade value will never be higher and his contract is a liability. In the end I would happily say goodbye to those pitchers but not Pierre. I think he is too much of a asset off the bench.
July 9, 2009 at 12:35 PMTeach:
July 9, 2009 at 12:42 PMYeah unless your name is Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, Albert Pujols, or Tim Lincecum.
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