A Reds Fan's Christmas List

With Thanksgiving over, many are now looking towards Christmas. As a Reds fan, here is my Christmas list for my team. (Note that some of these moves would be dependent on all of them being made.)

1. A shortstop that can be the leadoff hitter. Assuming Jonny Gomes and Chris Heisey take up the majority of the playing time in left field, this is the only position that is open where they could plug in a leadoff hitter. Let's assume they don't re-sign Orlando Cabrera, who was ineffective as the leadoff man anyway. If you know me, then you know I'm not a big fan of Paul Janish. I don't think he's as good defensively as everyone makes him out to be, and I think his offensive numbers last year were a fluke. Let's also assume Brandon Phillips is a better number two hitter, because he failed as the leadoff hitter too. And Drew Stubbs is more suited in the middle of the lineup because of his power. That leaves shortstop as the guy to set the table.

Jose Reyes

So who is that guy? How about Jose Reyes of the New York Mets. He's as dynamic a shortstop as you can get. Speed, power, flair for the dramatic, and a good arm. Yes, he's a little bit of a head case, but why not take the risk on him? A change of scenery and he could be the leadoff hitter the Reds have lacked since Barry Larkin. New York has expressed interest in possibly trading him, and the Reds have the pieces to pull off a deal. I would make an offer of Edinson Volquez, Juan Francisco, and Yonder Alonso. That gives the Mets a good power arm in their rotation, as well as a potential man to replace David Wright at third should they trade him, or someone to play right field. Alonso could be someone they flip to another deal in a second trade, or could man first if they move Ike Davis to another position.

2. Move Aroldis Chapman to the rotation, and keep him there. Don't keep messing around with him in the bullpen, it's not worth it. I don't want him to become gun shy and not be effective as a starter OR a reliever, like Joba Chamberlain. Give the kid a defined role as a starter on this team, don't bounce him back and forth. It will only screw him up. The sky is the limit for Chapman, who has the best arm the franchise has ever had, and could be the best pitcher since Tom Seaver.

Brad Boxberger

3. Trade Francisco Cordero. I don't want to go through another year of heart attacks in the 9th inning, like this year. Especially when the relief corps is so deep. Nick Masset or Jordan Smith could easily fill in as the closer. If that doesn't work for you, then take a chance and let the 2nd round pick from last year's draft, Brad Boxberger out of USC, have a shot at the role. He struggled down in double-A, but is in line to be the closer in a few years, though he did have several starts in the minors as well. But with that power arm touching 98 mph, why not take a chance on him?

Dave Sappelt

4. Call up Todd Frazier, Zack Cozart, and Dave Sappelt. Frazier and Cozart could both end up being solid back ups to Scott Rolen, with more power than Miguel Cairo can provide. Also, Frazier could be the future at third base, with Cozart being the future at shortstop, should Jose Reyes not work out. Sappelt, meanwhile, may very well be the future in left field, after hitting .342 over all three levels of the minors. He hit well at each stop, has decent power and good speed. He projects as a Chris Heisey, Drew Stubbs type of player. They are only the start of what continues to be a bright, bright future for the Reds.

5. Use the money saved in trading Francisco Cordero to lock up Joey Votto. I'm thinking a 7 year $98 million contract. That gives him a reasonable $14 million per year, which is a substantial increase of what he is making. Of course, the contract should be loaded with potential clauses that allows him to make more. But this team cannot allow Joey Votto to walk when he is eligible for free agency. He is undoubtedly one of the three best players in the game, and is the best player this farm system has produced in years. Votto's value can't be put in numbers, or dollar figures, though the Reds certainly should try.

D-Train Departs for Cincinnati

I know this is a little late on the uptake, but the Reds signed Dontrelle Willis to a minor league contract.

The left hander was a former starter that once won 22 games for the Florida Marlins, as well as a Rookie of the Year award. He was a power pitcher with a funky delivery that made him one of the more feared pitchers in the game at the time. But like many pitchers with strange deliveries, Dontrelle went into a slump towards the end of his run in Florida. They sent him to Detroit while he still had value. The Tigers thought they could fix his delivery, and failed. So last year, he went on to Arizona, and continued to struggle. The strikeouts went down, and the walks went up. That isn't a formula for success. And with the delivery messed up, his velocity has disappeared. It's a perfect storm of disaster for the former All Star.

However, it's a gamble worth taking, and I love it. You can never have enough pitching, especially left handed pitching. If Dontrelle Willis ever corrects that delivery, he could be very effective again. The Reds have nothing to lose here. He will only be competing for a spot in the bullpen, not in the rotation. They would only look at him for the rotation if there were injuries, or Willis becomes highly effective again. He did hold lefties to a .216 batting average, with just three extra base hits in 75 at bats. So, as a left handed specialist, he could be extremely effective.

At the same time, signing Willis worries me somewhat. I continue to wonder if the Reds will re-sign Arthur Rhodes. Obviously, this move is insurance for that situation. They wouldn't want to go into spring training with just Bill Bray and Daniel Herrera. Especially since Herrera was so ineffective in both the majors and triple A. But Rhodes was a key piece to that bullpen. He held the bullpen together while Nick Masset was ineffective. I understand sports is about "next man up," but I like having the insurance of that sure thing in Rhodes. Maybe the Reds think Arthur has become too old, I mean, he is 41. He became ineffective at the end of the year. But for that first half? No one in baseball was better than him. Control his innings next year, and he could still be effective.

Speaking of Arthur, the Reds declined to offer he or Orlando Cabrera arbitration, which means teams are free to negotiate their signings without having to give up draft picks to the Reds. I understand not offering it to Cabrera, because he would have taken it, and the Reds would have owed him what they did last year, which is not feasible for a small market team and an aging shortstop. But Rhodes? I doubt he would have accepted, seeking instead a two year deal. Now, this opens the window for a team needing a good lefty to get him without consequence. A team like St. Louis immediately comes to mind.

Most Valuable Indeed

Albert Pujols may be a better player, hitter, and first baseman. You can argue for either he or Votto in almost any category. So perhaps Pujols is better than Votto.

But he isn't as valuable, at least not in 2010.

Joey Votto took home the NL MVP today, after a season where he hit .324 with 37 homers and 113 RBIs. He also led the NL in slugging percentage (.600) and on base percentage (.424), which have become the recent trend to look at for those pundits that love numbers, and the measurement of how good a player is.

At the end of the day, Votto was only slightly better than Pujols in some categories, and Pujols slightly better than Votto in other categories. No doubt the fact that Votto hit better in the clutch than Albert played a factor in the decision, but also that the Reds pulled away from the Cardinals in the division. And, while the Cardinals slumped, Pujols disappeared.

Votto won because of something that was unquantifiable. He was the most important player, with the biggest impact on the field every night, for any of the four teams that made the playoffs in the National League. It's not that he was better than some guys, though he certainly was. It's that the Reds would not have been where they were without him. We saw that last year, when he missed a month while struggling with depression. The Reds collapsed during that stretch, after having been over .500 for the first two months.

And everyone that voted clearly saw how important Votto was. That's why he got 31 of the 32 first place votes, leaving Albert in the dust, and in second place, just like his team.

Now, Joey Votto will forever be remembered as a legend in Cincinnati. He joins Ernie Lombardi (1938), Bucky Walters (1939), Frank McCormick (1940), Frank Robinson (1961), Johnny Bench (1970 and 1972), Pete Rose (1973), Joe Morgan (1975 and 1976), George Foster (1977), and Barry Larkin (1995) as an MVP winner in a Reds uniform.

And in twenty years or so, it will be we who are speaking to our children about what a great player we saw with the Reds. And how valuable Joey really is to this team.

Brandon Webb a Red?

I have heard rumors in the baseball world that Brandon Webb has interest in becoming a Cincinnati Red. Three or four years ago, this was my dream. He was a Cy Young winner, and then on his way to winning 22 games. Webb was a true, dominant ace, and his name belonged in the conversation for top pitchers in the game. His sinker was as nasty as it gets, and he often looked unbeatable if you didn't get to him early. And, he's from Ashland, Kentucky, just across the river from Cincinnati. He grew up a Reds fan. He'd hit free agency and bolt for the Queen City, hopefully. How perfect could it get?

But, as I said, that was three or four years ago. Now, Webb is a shell of his former self. Shoulder injuries and surgeries limited to just an Opening Day start in 2009. He hasn't pitched in the majors since. Does he still have that sinker? Can he be an ace again? Is he still durable? There are so many questions, and little to no answers. Webb says he is ready to deliver 28+ starts in 2011.

So, why not take a chance? Webb could bounce back and become an ace again. Or, he could be a solid middle of the rotation starter, that would win at Great American because of his sinker. He could be a bust and absolutely suck. But he'll never be cheaper than he is now. Take advantage of the home town discount. Get him here for a few million, with incentives in a one year deal. If he makes the team, and proves to be valuable as a starter again, give him a reasonable contract extension. Then, you may have the true ace on this staff to match up with Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum. If he's a middle of the road guy, just keep him for the year. And if he's terrible, use the ailing shoulder excuse and slap him on the disabled list for the year. Problem solved. Ask Bob Castellini to open his wallet a little wider for a potential ace.

If it works out, it's the steal of the year. Or the decade. It could bring a World Series home to Cincinnati again, if they have an ace. What do you have to lose? The Reds have the starting pitching depth so they wouldn't get burned by investing in him. As strong as this roster is, it's time to take a flyer on someone like this.



As I mentioned, the reason they can do this is because of the strong rotation. Every time a Reds starter takes the hill, they have a chance to win. They have 8 legitimate starting pitchers. That's tough to match by any team in baseball. I believe only the Giants, Reds, Red Sox, Yankees, A's, and Rays have a rotation where all 5 of their guys give their team a legitimate chance to win every day.

I bring this up because the Cardinals re-signed Jake Westbrook. He slots in as their number four starter, as he did for two months after coming over from Cleveland. Why did they need him? Because they only had three good pitchers. Now they have four. Which is still four less than what the Reds have stockpiled, and one less than having an excellent rotation. Carpenter and Wainwright were terrible down the stretch. What if one of them gets hurt? Then St. Louis is done. Jaime Garcia could struggle in his second year, and then they'd be in trouble. It's because of a lack of depth. The Reds could lose Edinson Volquez and Johnny Cueto, and slot in Homer Bailey and Mike Leake. Then they're good to go. Little to no drop off. St. Louis has no backup plan. Westbrook helps even their rotation somewhat, but its not enough. The fact the signing happened almost a week ago, and no one is talking about it outside of St. Louis tells you all you need to know: it does not matter.

Why?

Because the better team has a 2010 NL Central Champions banner hanging outside of Great American Ball Park. They both have the same teams as they did when Cincy went on their run, and the Cards collapsed in the second half. Nothing has changed, except the Cards got a little older and the Reds a little more seasoned. The Cardinals have superstars and big names. The Reds have depth. This is a 162 game season, not an 82 game season. Baseball is a marathon sport, not the star driven league that the NBA is.

Dusty Just Misses on Manager of the Year

Dusty Baker is one of the most controversial managers in the game. Many (and probably most) know him for pitching Mark Prior and Kerry Wood so much and so often in Chicago. This may have led to their subsequent arm injuries. He's known for sticking with the veteran players over the younger players. Others know him as the man that brought the San Francisco Giants back to prominence, taking them within just outs of a World Series title. In Cincinnati, he and Walt Jocketty turned around what was a sputtering franchise.

Baker has won 3 Manager of the Year Awards, all with the San Francisco Giants (1993, 1997, and 2000). Subsequently, it means he is one of the better managers in the game. A so-called players' manager, his guys love playing for him, and the passion he has for the game is translated into their play. We saw that in Cincinnati this year. Today, he just missed out on winning his fourth Manager of the Year Award. Bud Black of the San Diego Padres won it with 104 votes. Dusty had 103.

Make no mistake, both of them deserved it. Dusty brought the Reds back from a lost decade, and turned them into a relevant contender again. The St. Louis Cardinals were expected to run away with the division, and instead the Reds beat them by five. Truly, the lead by the end of the year was never that close.

Dusty broke the stereotypes everyone had of him this year. He stuck with Drew Stubbs and Jay Bruce all year long. He entrusted rookies like Mike Leake and Travis Wood to help anchor his rotation. He knew when Aaron Harang was finished, and didn't push to keep him in the rotation because he was a veteran. Yes, he was guilty of keeping Francisco Cordero in too long at times. But don't look at this blindly. Remember, he pulled Cordero in a tight situation in Chicago, and gave the ball to Nick Masset, who slammed the door and got the save. Dusty was willing to role the dice there. He wasn't the same guy he had been in San Fran and Chicago.

Baker adapted to his team, and they responded with a 91 win season.

But Bud Black needed to win this award today. The Padres won 90 games when most didn't think they'd win 70. Their payroll was under $40 million. Beyond Adrian Gonzalez and closer Heath Bell, I would have been hard pressed to name more than five other players on their roster come last spring. And they led the division for most of the year, before collapsing in September. Yet they still had a shot come the final day of the season.

Dusty Baker was not short changed here. The voters could have chosen either him or Black and gotten it right. They chose Bud Black, and he deserved it.

Reds Bring Back Hernandez

On Monday, the Reds announced they had come to terms on a one year $3 million deal with catcher Ramon Hernandez. Ramon caught a team high 85 games last year, and hit .297 with 7 homers and 48 RBIs. Combined, he and Ryan Hanigan created one of the most dynamic tandems at catcher in the league. They (along with Corky Miller) combined to lead all NL catchers with a .296 batting average and 168 hits. Hernandez doesn't have the arm behind the plate that Hanigan does, nor does he call as good a game as Hanigan, which is why I think Ryan will get the majority of the playing time next year, but it will still pretty much be a 50/50 split. Ramon was originally acquired from the Baltimore Orioles for Ryan Freel and a pair of minor leaguers. I'd say the deal has turned out pretty well, considering Freel is out of the league, and Hernandez has become a team leader on the Reds. This move also means that top catching prospect, Devin Mesoraco, will likely remain in Triple-A for the majority of 2011. Make no mistake, though, he is the catcher of the future in Cincinnati, along with 2010 first round draft pick, Yasmani Grandal.

The Reds also put in a waiver claim for Hisanori Takahashi, a left handed pitcher of the New York Mets. Takahashi declined the claim, and became a free agent. The Reds could still pursue him in free agency, but the move was curious to me. Why go after him? Yes, you can never have too many lefties on your team, and Takahashi was a solid 10-6 with a 3.61 ERA last year. However, he has expressed the desire to be a starter (which he obviously would not be on the Reds), even though the Mets used him as a starter, reliever, setup man, and occasional closer last year. The only thing I can make out of the Reds' attempted acquisition of him is that they, a) think they will have trouble signing Arthur Rhodes, or b) want someone to replace Bill Bray and/or Daniel Ray Herrera. The latter is the likely, which would indicate the Reds are going along with the plan to put Aroldis Chapman in the rotation. Overall, this attempted move doesn't make too much sense to me. I'm glad Takahashi declined the waiver claim, because it would have just given the Reds far too many options, and not enough spots.

Reds Are "Golden"

The awards season of baseball continues, and the Reds dominated the Gold Glove awards, while the Yankees dominated the AL winners.

For the complete NL winners, click here: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5788835.
For the AL, here: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5784846.

There were three Reds that won Gold Gloves, and there could have been more. Third baseman Scott Rolen earned his 8th Gold Glove in his third different uniform (he won 4 with the Cardinals, and 3 with the Phillies before that). Brandon Phillips took his second, and Bronson Arroyo won his first.

The Arroyo award surprised me a little, but he is a solid fielder, and didn't make any errors all year. Rolen and Phillips were very much deserving, and you can make the argument that Votto should have won at first, Bruce in right, and Stubbs (maybe) in center. Certainly Bruce deserved one.

Nonetheless, it was good to see the media recognize the fact that the Reds were built with solid defense this year. And they played that way all season long.

I'm most happy to see the 35 year old Rolen win his award. Don't let anyone fool you. No one deserved it more than him. I can't even remember him making errors this year. Not to mention, at third, his defense was more valuable to this club than any other third baseman in the game was to their club.

Free Agent Outlook

This is a list of who I believe are the top 25 free agents. Of course, I didn't include players such as David Ortiz, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte, because there is absolute zero chance they won't return to the Red Sox and Yankees, respectively. So here's my list, along with where I believe they are headed.

1. Carl Crawford OF, Tampa Bay Rays
New Team: Los Angeles Angels - LA needs a new leadoff man since Chone Figgins left for Seattle last season. Crawford is as dynamic a player you can get.

2. Cliff Lee SP, Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers - I've got a gut feeling that Lee will buck the trend of most big free agents and will stay in Texas.

3. Jayson Werth OF, Philadelphia Phillies
Boston Red Sox - The loss of Jason Bay from last year was huge. They need a power bat in left, and Werth fits that mold.

4. Adrian Beltre 3B, Boston Red Sox
Los Angeles Angels - There's a gaping hole at third in Anaheim, and Adrian Beltre can provide solid defense, as well as protection for Kendry Morales and Torii Hunter.

5. Adam Dunn 1B, Washington Nationals
Chicago Cubs - The Cubs need a big bat in the heart of their order, and Dunn would prefer to stay in the NL.

6. Victor Martinez C/1B, Boston Red Sox
Detroit Tigers - The Tigers are without a big name catcher, and Martinez certainly is that. He will give protection to yearly MVP candidate Miguel Cabrera.

7. Paul Konerko 1B, Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox - There's no way the Sox can let their captain walk away.

8. Jorge de la Rosa SP, Colorado Rockies
New York Yankees - Losing out on the Cliff Lee sweepstakes will leave the Yankees going after the second best lefthander on the market.

9. Rafael Soriano CP, Tampa Bay Rays
Atlanta Braves - Billy Wagner's retirement means Atlanta needs a new closer. They had Soriano as a setup man one year, but now he will be returning as their closer.

10. Vladimir Guerrero DH, Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers - The Rangers need that veteran power bat behind Hamilton. Nelson Cruz is very good, but Vladdy is a hall of famer.

11. Carlos Pena 1B, Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays - Pena is the leader on that team. I don't think he'll leave Tampa.

12. Carl Pavano SP, Minnesota Twins
Milwaukee Brewers - The Brewers, after several failed attempts to acquire good starting pitching on the open market, will go get a good one this time. He'll be a fine number two behind Yovani Gallardo.

13. Aubrey Huff 1B, San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants - He was the MVP of the Giants' offense for the entire year. Enough said.

14. Juan Uribe IF, San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants - Most versatile player on their team, and far too clutch to be let go.

15. Jim Thome DH, Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins - Thome provided thump when Justin Morneau went down. Even at 40, he's still one of the more feared sluggers in the game.

16. Hiroki Kuroda SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
New York Mets - There's no telling when Johan Santana will be healthy again. The Mets need another top of the line starter.

17. Manny Ramirez OF/DH, Chicago White Sox
Detroit Tigers - The Tigers will need more thump in their lineup, and Ramirez can DH there.

18. Kerry Wood RP, New York Yankees
St. Louis Cardinals - Dave Duncan loves those power arms, and Kerry Wood can provide relief for the aging Ryan Franklin at closer.

19. Jake Westbrook SP, St. Louis Cardinals
Los Angeles Dodgers - Chavez Ravine will be a pitcher's paradise for this sinkerballer.

20. Jon Garland SP, San Diego Padres
St. Louis Cardinals - If they fail to sign Westbrook, they'll need another starter to avoid the failure that were exposed last year. Garland is a Dave Duncan type of player.

21. Orlando Hudson 2B, Minnesota Twins
San Diego Padres - Hudson is a winner, and fits the mold of the slash, instead of slug, offense San Diego is developing.

22. Miguel Tejada 3B, San Diego Padres
St. Louis Cardinals - This pains me to think the Cardinals could get him, but he would provide the thump and depth to their offense that they were missing last year. Not to mention he can play every infield spot.

23. Hideki Matsui DH, Los Angeles Angels
Oakland Athletics - The A's need a veteran power hitter, and Matsui could help bring some life to a stagnant offense.

24. Johnny Damon OF, Detroit Tigers
Atlanta Braves - This will give Atlanta a true leadoff hitter, and solve the left field problem.

25. Derrek Lee 1B, Atlanta Braves
Toronto Blue Jays - The Jays need another slugger to go with potential MVP Jose Bautista. If Lee is healthy, he's as good as it gets.


Bargains (these are former stars, or players off the radar that could make a big impact):

Brandon Webb SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
St. Louis Cardinals - Remember when this guy won a Cy Young? And was one of the most feared aces in the league? If he finds that form again, imagine a rotation of Carpenter, Wainwright, Garcia, and Webb. St. Louis could never pass on that.

Joaquin Benoit RP, Tampa Bay Rays
Los Angeles Angels - The Angels need a closer, and Benoit was the best setup man in baseball last year. Why not give it a shot?

Magglio Ordonez OF, Detroit Tigers
Tampa Bay Rays - Ordonez will just be looking for a job after fracturing his ankle. He can provide more offense to Tampa Bay, and bring that veteran leadership.

Adam LaRoche 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks
Atlanta Braves - With Lee going to Toronto, and the failed Troy Glaus experiment, LaRoche can return to Atlanta, where he could be very productive again.

Javier Vazquez SP, New York Yankees
Los Angeles Dodgers - Vazquez is an NL pitcher, that is clear. It will be even more so when he goes to a big ball park, like in LA.


Buyer Beware (these are former stars that teams will buy purely on name, and probably get burned):

Lance Berkman 1B, New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox - They need another hitter, and the Red Sox will gamble on the aged and crumbling Berkman.

Brian Fuentes CP, Minnesota Twins
Washington Nationals - The Nationals are looking for a closer, but Fuentes smoke and mirrors style no longer works in this era.

Rich Harden SP, Texas Rangers
Kansas City Royals - The Royals always make a dumb move at some point in the offseason. Count this up as one.

John Buck C, Toronto Blue Jays
Boston Red Sox - He had a good year in a homerun hitter's paradise. The Sox need another catcher and will gamble that 2010 was not just a career year.

Orlando Cabrera SS, Cincinnati Reds
Houston Astros - Cabrera is obviously on his last legs. He's a great player, but not what he once was. Houston will gamble, though, needing a leader and a shortstop.

Sparky, Joey, Walt, and the Options

The award season has started now that the World Series is over, and the first two of what could be many awards for the Reds have come their way. Joey Votto was named the 2010 NL Hank Aaron Award winner, as the National League's top offensive player. We all know the season that Joey had, and I'm sure that come November 22nd, he will be crowned the league MVP as well. Perhaps the most impressive stat? He reached base in 41 consecutive games from May 15 to July 3, the longest such streak by a Red since Pete Rose reached in 48 straight in 1978. General Manager Walt Jocketty was named MLB's top executive by his peers. It's the third time he's won the honor, also earning it in 2000 and 2004 with the St. Louis Cardinals. Jocketty had a plan all along for the Reds, and it clearly took shape with the acquisitions of Orlando Cabrera and Scott Rolen, as well as the bold move of signing Aroldis Chapman. The Reds became relevant once again with their first division title since 1995.


The Reds exercised Bronson Arroyo and Jonny Gomes' options today. Arroyo will come back for $11 million, while the Reds work towards an extension for him. Meanwhile, Jonny Gomes will return at $1.75 million. Cincinnati declined to pick up shortstop Orlando Cabrera's $4 million option, as well as Aaron Harang's $12.75 million option. Look for Cincinnati to try to keep Cabrera at a lower price, and if not, they will go with Janish next year, who proved himself worthy of being a major league shortstop last year. Aaron Harang is most likely done in Cincinnati, unless he cannot find a job elsewhere, in which case I think the Reds would give him an invitation to Spring Training, with the chance of potentially making the club. If he's smart, though, he should make his way out to Los Angeles, where he can pitch at the pitcher's paradise in Chavez Ravine for the Dodgers.


Today, former Cincinnati and Detroit manager Sparky Anderson was placed in hospice in his hometown of California for complications with dementia. He managed in the bigs for 27 years, 8 with the Reds and 19 with the Tigers. At the time, he was the only manager to ever win 100 games with a team in each league, and win a World Series with a team in both leagues. He won in 1975 and 1976 with Cincy, and then in 1984 with Detroit. After winning that one with the Tigers, he could have managed as long as he wanted. He won 2,194 games and is officially in Cooperstown as a Red, in honor of former Reds GM Bob Howsam, who gave him his first job. His #10 is retired in Cincinnati, and he is synonymous with the Big Red Machine. Sparky is truly one of the greatest of all times. He called it like it was, and piled heaps of praise on his players. He was the ultimate players manager, and is still an inspiration to what a major league manager should be. To me, I never saw him manage a game, but he's the greatest there ever was and will be.





"I don't believe a manager ever won a pennant. Casey Stengel won all those pennants with the Yankees. How many did he win with the Boston Braves and Mets? I've never seen a team win a pennant without players. I think the only thing the manager has to do is keep things within certain boundaries."


"The man I marvel at is the one that's in there day after day, and night after night and still puts the figures on the board. I'm talking about Pete Rose, Stan Musial, the real stars. Believe me, especially the way we travel today, flying all night with a game the next night and then the next afternoon, if you can play one-hundred and sixty-two games, you're a man."

Misfits Win the World Series

That didn't play out like I envisioned it.

I foresaw the Rangers' potent lineup slugging the pitching of the Giants, scoring enough runs to take control of games. I also thought their pitching would shut down a strangely shaped San Francisco offense.

But the funny thing about baseball is that when things go wrong, they go wrong in a hurry. And there's no correcting it in this game. Especially in the playoffs.

So when the Giants bombed Cliff Lee in Game 1, I figured things were going to end up strangely in this World Series. A pair of Vladimir Guerrero errors in the 8th inning allowed the Giants to blow the game open. Game 2 was a masterpiece for awhile between Matt Cain and CJ Wilson. Wilson left with a blister though, and Cain rolled on through the game, dominating the Rangers. Ian Kinsler missed a homer by fractions of an inch, barely missing a chance to take the lead. Instead, Edgar Renteria hit a go ahead homer, and the Rangers bullpen blew up in the 8th inning, leading to a 9-0 rout. 

But there still was hope. Texas was headed home, where they got a three run homer by rookie Mitch Moreland, and another outstanding performance from Colby Lewis. With a victory, Texas had its sights on evening the series. Rookie Madison Bumgarner had other plans. He shut out the Rangers through 8 brilliant innings, proving why he's been considered a top prospect for the last several years. Then, tonight, it was a rematch of the aces. Cliff Lee versus Tim Lincecum, in the Rangers' last stand. It was a pitcher's duel through 6 innings, until Edgar Renteria struck again. A three run blast was all the Giants would need. Lincecum turned it over to closer Brian Wilson, who struck out Nelson Cruz to capture San Fran's first World Series since 1954. 

This was a club whose starting 8 changed drastically over the year. By the end of the year, 7 of the 8 position players in the lineup weren't were they were on Opening Day. Buster Posey was called up to catch, leaving the Giants to trade incumbent Bengie Molina. Aubrey Huff was an Orioles castoff, who was the MVP of the club for much of the year. Freddy Sanchez was hurt at the beginning of the year, but the former batting title winner was solid down the stretch. Juan Uribe, who started at 2nd to start the year, ended up playing both shortstop (replacing Edgar Renteria) and third (replacing Pablo Sandoval). Former Cub Mike Fontenot played third down the stretch. Pat Burrell became the slugger in the heart of the lineup, after failing in Tampa. Andres Torres took over in center, and was the catalyst at the top of the order. Postseason hero Cody Ross wasn't even on the team until late August. Former World Series hero Edgar Renteria, who hit three total homers in the regular season, jacked two in the Series. He was up to his old tricks, like when he beat the Indians in Game 7 back in 1997 with an RBI single up the middle in the 11th inning. There were important bullpen pieces added in August, as they became the setup men. And how about the guy they were setting up? Brian Wilson? Talk about a misfit, with that beard and the mohawk. This was a group of players that many didn't want and didn't believe in. 

They proved the whole world wrong.

The Texas Rangers were the story of this season and the postseason. They had so many things going on. Hamilton, Cliff Lee, the bankruptcy, finally winning a playoff series, and on and on. The Giants stole the headlines. They ripped the carpet right out from underneath Texas, and ran with it.

Pitching wins championships. That was no clearer than in this World Series, where Lincecum, Cain, and Bumgarner dazzled in the four wins.

Congratulations San Francisco. You've waited long enough for a winner.

Enjoy this one.