Archive for Baseball
Will Innovation Be Lost?
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s the deal: I’ve been around this hobby for 20 years and have worked at Upper Deck for 12. I used to be the editor of Trading Cards magazine during the hobby’s heyday in the early ‘90s and spent ample time comparing, reviewing and writing about innovative sports card products. I watched price guides go up and down; industry trade shows catch fire with more and more excited collectors; and products being unveiled that made people stop and take notice. And more often than not, Upper Deck was the company that made people say: “Wow.” Very simply, they had products worth crowing about.
UD took the hobby by storm in 1989 with the release of its inaugural baseball set, headlined by the much-talked-about Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card (#1). That single, sought-after card catapulted through hobby price guides and reached as high as $150 on the secondary market. Its meteoric rise gave birth to more hobby periodicals and more price guides, not to mention hundreds of new hobby shops sprouting up throughout North America. Older, vintage sports cards were still on serious collectors’ radars, but it was Upper Deck’s initial set that made it possible for any collector to enter the market and turn a modest profit on their original investment. If somebody wasn’t seeking a quick return, they at least walked away with a better baseball card for their collection. The burgeoning hobby, as we know it today, was off and running.
Upper Deck’s debut baseball release also introduced the industry’s first-ever anti-counterfeit hologram on each of its cards. It was groundbreaking. That security device would revolutionize the industry, put competitors on notice, and force card counterfeiters out of business.
In 1990, Upper Deck introduced the first autographed cards in product with the release of its Reggie Jackson “Heroes of Baseball” inserts. Nolan Ryan autographed “Heroes” cards followed in 1991. Upper Deck debuted the hobby’s first-ever game-jersey cards inside Upper Deck Football in 1996. An actual game-used jersey swatch from the player was incorporated on the card front. In 1998, the hobby’s first digital trading cards, called “PowerDeck,” were unveiled by UD. Each beautifully designed trading card-sized CD-ROM was an audio/visual masterpiece that contained 60 seconds of video of the player featured! Babe Ruth bat cards and 500 Home Run Club member bat cards packed out shortly thereafter where an actual piece of a game-used bat used by the players featured was embedded on each of the card fronts. Collectors salivated at the mere thought.
Two years later, “Legendary Cuts” signature cards were released by Upper Deck, which contained the hobby’s first cut signatures of deceased legends and stars. High-end sets like Exquisite and Ultimate Collection were next. You get the drift. When it came to knocking the socks off of collectors, Upper Deck consistently delivered.
What I’ve noticed during my tenure here is that the folks at Upper Deck have worked hard to establish a loyal following of fans interested in purchasing a superior product. It’s as simple as that. So it’s a shame that after 21 years of dedicated service we’re no longer allowed to produce baseball cards showing MLB trademarks, logos and team names because we are, in fact, the company that attracted so many new customers to the category. They came buzzing like bees to honey. Topps may have had a monopoly on the baseball card market for 40 years, but things really didn’t start to flourish until UD arrived.
Its cutting-edge designs, full-color photography, glossy cardstock and anti-counterfeit hologram kick-started a hobby that was dying a slow death. But now the right to produce baseball cards goes exclusively to Topps, the industry’s 60-year-old grand-daddy, for at least the foreseeable future.
Major League Baseball believes that collectors are now the real winners with its decision to limit the playing field to just one licensed manufacturer. But does the collector really win in the end?
Popularity: 98% [?]
Pitchers and Catchers Report: National League
Posted by: | CommentsIf you missed last week’s American League preview, click here to catch up.
Ever since the Yankees and Red Sox engaged in an arms race of epic proportions to dominate their league, the National League has received a bit less love and mainstream attention. But unlike its counterpart, the National League has fostered a bit more parity over the years, and features far more teams with a chance to contend. This is not to say that the league doesn’t have some serious big market teams, with the Mets, Cubs and Phillies sporting payrolls near the $140 million mark lately. But when you look at the first two on that list, it’s clear that the investment doesn’t necessarily result in a trip to the playoffs.
Because this division has a lot more contenders and possibilities, we’ll go by division.
National League West
This is not the National League West you used to look down on. It seems like only yesterday when our local San Diego Padres made the playoffs with a mere 82-80 record in 2005, but those days are long gone. In 2010, this will be the most competitive division in the league, bar none. To be more specific, the Padres are the only team that doesn’t have a realistic shot at winning it (and they’re at least rebuilding properly).
The Dodgers haven’t added much over the winter thanks to the financial issues caused by the ownership couple getting divorced. However, they still have one of the best young cores in the game featuring Kemp, Ethier, Broxton, Billingsley and Kershaw. They’re down Randy Wolf and would probably like a bit more help in the rotation; they still have a solid chance to win the division again, but it won’t be as easy as 2009.
If I had to name a favorite at this moment to win the division, it would have to be the Rockies. We saw the run they went on last year, reminiscent of their legendary late season tear en route to the 2007 World Series. I have to say, even without Matt Holliday, this 2010 Rockies team is better than three years ago. In fact, it was Holliday who netted the Rockies Huston Street and Carlos Gonzales in a trade, setting them up with a reliable closer and a very talented young outfielder for years to come (at age 23, he already started to live up to his prospect hype). The rest of the diamond is filled with some of the top young talent in the game: Dexter Fowler gives the team a legit speedster, Ian Stewart is another player who looks to finally be living up to his potential, Seth Smith has great OBP and power, while veterans Hawpe and Helton round it out. And of course, the Rockies have the immensely talented Troy Tulowitzki, who may be the most underrated player in the game today.
Unlike past Rockies teams that were all bats and no arms, this incarnation has a formidable rotation. Ubaldo Jimenez has emerged as an ace who produces serious strikeouts, and #2 starter Jorge de la Rosa does the same. Jason Hammel provided solid innings you’d want to see from a #3 style starter, while Aaron Cook also provides steady innings to go along with his experience. Jeff Francis had been the ace of this team in their 2007 World Series run, and is coming back from injury. The minor league roster is stocked with arms too, featuring Greg Smith, who was the third player to come over from Oakland in the Holliday trade.
Where pitching is concerned, it’s of course hard to beat the Giants and their 1-2 combination of Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. Jonathan Sanchez harnessed a bit more control in 2009 to go along with his strikeout talent, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can build on last season’s accomplishments (highlighted by a no-hitter). If Giants fans have been spoiled by their nucleus of talented young pitching, things are about to get even more ridiculous once top prospect Madison Bumgarner joins the mix. If Bumgarner lives up to the hype, Lincecum and Cain continue to put up great seasons and Sanchez can put it all together, we may be looking at one of the best top-to-bottom rotations in recent memory (one where veteran Barry Zito is a #4-5 starter).
Of course, the issue for the Giants remains offense. They did add Aubrey Huff and Mark DeRosa this winter, but are still lacking some serious bats to build up what has been an anemic offense at best. Top prospect Buster Posey is waiting in the wings, but I have a feeling Giants fans will look at the line scores and lament missing out on free agents like Holliday and Bay by the time the summer rolls around.
Rounding out the division is another team with serious frontline pitching talent in the Arizona Diamondbacks. If Brandon Webb can come back from last year’s injury and regain some of his Cy Young form, he’ll combine with Dan Haren to give the team the 1-2 punch it envisioned when it traded for the latter a few seasons ago. Edwin Jackson comes over from Detroit (at the expense of the departed Max Scherzer) to give the team a legit #3. Offense has also been an issue for the Diamondbacks in recent years, but things are looking up for 2010: Justin Upton and Mark Reynolds have emerged as premium talent, while additions in Adam LaRoche and Kelly Johnson should provide the team with more ways to get runs on the board.
While Reynolds and Upton have come into their own as major league players, the jury is still out on Stephen Drew and Chris Young. The former has at least shown the ability to hit and field well at times, but Young provides negative value in the field, and has yet to learn how to take a walk at the plate. For this team to really take a step forward and provide offense to supplement the rotation, these two guys are going to need to put it all together. Based on past performance, I think Drew will get there, but I’m not convinced at all by Young. He’s clearly a great athlete, but I’m not sure he’s a great baseball player.
National League Central
As has been the case for the last few years, this division will be all about the Cardinals, Cubs and Brewers. After locking up Holliday, and knowing Chris Carpenter is back and healthy to form a strong tandem with Wainwright, St. Louis is looking strong. Top prospect Colby Rasmus showed some value with his glove immediately, and scouts expect his bat will follow. The main issue with the Cardinals though is the same one that hurt them down the stretch, and made their playoff run short lived: a lack of depth on offense beyond their superstars. Pujols and Holliday are always intimidating, but the supporting cast doesn’t have a ton of depth. The question for 2010 then, is whether or not the likes of Ludwick, Schumaker and Lugo can provide adequate support to get the job done again.
The core for the Cubs is getting older, and time is running out on this team before the veterans start to age and under-perform while being overpaid. Specifically, Soriano is locked up through 2014, Zmbarano through 2012, and Aramis Ramirez is on the team for another two seasons. These are all players who can still contribute, but one has to wonder how much longer they can do so at a high level; the team is also stuck with Carlos Silva for the next two years, the price that was paid to get the unpopular Milton Bradley out of town.
Their only major moves this winter involved upgrading the outfield with the likes of Marlon Byrd and Xavier Nady; not exactly marquee names, but solid players who you can more or less count on (assuming Nady returns to form following last year’s injury). The rotation has veteran depth, but also features players who have had their share of injuries, and ups and downs. If Lilly can come back from injuries and Dempster can put together another reliable 200 IP season while Zambrano, Soriano and Ramirez stay on the field, the Cubs will take the division back and make one more run at that World Series championship Chicago so desperately wants.
The third contender in this division is the Brewers. Unlike past seasons where the offense wasn’t a question, but defense and pitching were, this is the most well-rounded Milwaukee team we’ve seen in a while. Taking advantage of a slower free agent market than in years past, the Brewers brought Doug Davis back to Milwaukee, while signing the underrated Randy Wolf to round out the rotation. Last year’s rotation was more or less “Gallardo + a bunch of guys putting up 5.00-6.00 ERAs”. It was pretty ugly, and while I don’t expect Wolf and Davis to be All-Stars, they’ll give the Brewers quality innings and a chance to win when they take the ball.
Helping matters will be Alcides Escobar at shortstop, and Carlos Gomez in center (who was obtained for J.J. Hardy to make room for the former). These two players don’t hit much, but bring some great defensive skills to the field in the two positions you want them most. Whereas Brewer teams a few years ago had some serious issues defensively, this year’s incarnation is taking a step in the right direction, while still getting power contributions from Braun and Fielder.
National League East
As a Mets fan I hate to say it, but the Phillies are clearly the top team in the NL. This time around, they’ll have a true ace in Roy Halladay for the entire season, and I expect Cole Hamels to bounce back to what we saw from him in 2008 (he threw a ton of innings that year for a guy his age, and was due for some regression in 2009 as a result). The only major change to the lineup is Placido Polanco returning to Philly to man third base, giving the team a good contact hitter to supplement an offense that gets on base and hits for lots of power, but is prone to strikeouts. Aside from catcher, this team has a premium offensive player at each position; to give you an idea, Chase Utley is the best of them all, and should contend for his first MVP title this season. Teammates Howard and Rollins already have their own from past years.
Philly’s only weakness is their bullpen, and the closer situation. Brad Lidge was remarkably perfect in 2008, but followed that with a horrible 2009 campaign. The team is hoping he can bounce back, but the rest of the bullpen isn’t looking terribly strong either. It remains to be seen if the Phils will be able to consistently win close games.
The Braves have rebuilt with pitching strong #1-5, and have young ace Tommy Hanson front and center. The 22 year old posted a 2.89 ERA last season, and there’s plenty of reasons to think he’ll be a dominant starter for years to come. Follow that with Hudson, Lowe, Kawakami, and you’ve got guys who will take the ball and give you a chance to win each day (and often enough, will put the team on their shoulders). Jair Jurrjens is the key at the moment; he’s fighting through some injury issues, but outlook is positive.
As has been standard for the Braves since Teixeira left, the lineup is where the weakness lies. There isn’t much to be intimidated by when it comes to their bats, making phenom prospect Jason Heyward’s transition to the majors even more critical.
Unlike the past few years when the Mets entered the spring considered favorites (Sports Illustrated famously picked them to win the World Series this time last year), the 2009 disaster has brought down expectations considerably. The team did sign Jason Bay to add a power bat, but they failed to sign a reliable starter to back up Johan Santana. The result is that Maine, Perez and Pelfrey will need to all perform up to career bests for the Mets to contend. Of course, last year’s injured squadron of position players like Beltran and Reyes will need to bounce back to form as well.
Don’t count out the Marlins either. The low payroll wonder-franchise is set to contend again, featuring the game’s best young player in Hanley Ramirez. The rotation, bullpen and lineup are stacked with young, hungry players who have grown up in the big leagues together, and this time around it looks like the top talent will stay in Florida: Ramirez and staff ace Josh Johnson have multi-year extensions in hand.
Finally, I expect the Nationals to surprise a lot of fans this year. While I don’t have any expectations that they’ll be contenders, they’re much improved from past incarnations, and have a plan in place. They have a solid core lineup, and their pitching is vastly improved. They’ve also taken some low risk chances on guys like Chien-Ming Wang, Matt Capps and Brian Bruney, who could be significant arms for the team. I don’t think this is quite their year (that’ll happen once Strasburg and Storen are big league ready), but 2010 is when they finally take a strong step forward.
It’s going to be another great season, and I can’t wait for Opening Day. On a side note, I think it’s about time they just make it a national holiday. Most years it’s on a weekday anyway, and every stadium is still sold out. That tells me enough people are skipping out on work that we might as well add it to the national calendar; I know I’ve taken a vacation day to fully celebrate and enjoy past Opening Days, and plan to do the same this year too.
Here’s to the spring, and the promise and optimism it brings to every baseball fan.
Popularity: 20% [?]
Pitchers and Catchers Report: American League
Posted by: | CommentsI hear there was some snow over there in the rest of the country these past few weeks. Hard to know, given where I live.
Sorry, had to get that brag in there.
With most of the country dealing with massive snowstorms this winter, the sight of pitchers and catchers reporting today is a welcome harbinger of warmer days to come, and the daily routine of games that many baseball fans live for. For those of you still thawing out and stacking layers of clothes on before leaving the house, here’s a rundown of some of the most interesting stories on the horizon for the American League in 2010 to warm you up.
The Yankees as the Big Bad Juggernaut
Around this time last year, expectations were certainly high for the Yankees (as is always the case). They had just committed $423,500,000 to three players (Sabathia, Teixeira and Burnett), but we had seen this song and dance from the Yanks many times before in the decade. Spending lots of money on veteran players was nothing new for them, and similar past investments (Giambi, Pavano, Johnson, Brown, etc.) didn’t get them a World Series championship. So while expectations were higher given the quality of talent they obtained in their latest shopping spree, fans weren’t about to make assumptions.
This year, make no mistake about it: the Yankees are the best team in baseball by a wide margin.
When I look at how the team is constructed, I simply don’t see any weaknesses. Every hitter in the lineup is a major threat, with the exception of Brett Gardner. Their rotation is stacked #1-4, to the point that Joba and Hughes may both end up in the bullpen to form a longer, solid bridge to Mariano. Even defense, which was often an overlooked part of the team’s construction, is much improved from the years of Giambi stumbling around the bag, or Bernie Williams on his last legs in center field.
Oh, and they’re improved from last year too. Johnny Damon has been replaced by Curtis Granderson, who provides better defensive value and makes the team younger. Javier Vazquez joins the team as a #4 starter, after having a quiet Cy Young quality season in Atlanta.
The team’s one Achilles heel is the age of their core guys: Jeter, Posada, Pettitte and Mariano. But with the market for players shrinking drastically the last two years, and the huge amount of resources available to the Yankees, I’m sure they’ll be able to replace anyone who goes down as the season progresses. They would be fine without one or two of their stars, but if the injury bug hits multiple players, then things won’t go quite as smoothly this year.
In years past, spring training brought with it an emotion of “Anyone can win the World Series this year”. And while that’s still true to some extent, this current incarnation of the Yankees has buried much of the parity we saw in the sport during the past decade. What does this mean for the other 29 teams? The bar has been set, and it’s going to take that much more effort from players and management to meet the challenge.
The Red Sox Counter with Pitching and Defense
The biggest arms race in baseball continued this winter, as the Red Sox had to make some changes to keep up with the Yankees. I’m sure Theo Epstein would have loved to trade for Adrian Gonzalez and slot him in at first base, but the Padres aren’t looking to trade their superstar just yet. So, rather than trying to outslug the Bronx Bombers, the Sox made some subtle, but substantial moves to improve in the run prevention department. If you’re a more traditional kind of baseball fan, you look at Jacoby Ellsbury and see your prototypical center fielder: lots of speed in the field and on the base paths. To the naked eye he looks and plays solid defense, but statistical analysis shows he was actually the worst defensive center fielder in the league last year.
Fans may disagree with this, but management doesn’t. They made a smart move by bringing in veteran CF Mike Cameron, who is still a top rated fielder despite getting up there in age. Ellsbury clearly has the talent and ability to play good defense, but lacks the experience and instincts. A season or two in left field should help him get adjusted, and Cameron is just the kind of player who can help Ellsbury improve (the guy has only had two full seasons in the big leagues, after all).
As a side note, the Cameron move is actually very reminiscent of when the Brewers acquired him in 2008: it allowed the team to reconfigure what had been a very poor defensive alignment. It created a domino effect that allowed the Bill Hall experiment in center field to end, shifting him back to a more comfortable third base position. This in turn allowed the team to move Ryan Braun, who had been an absolute butcher at third base, and hide his glove better in left field. The Red Sox may have been taking notes, as the 2010 Cameron acquisition improves their defense drastically in two positions.
The Sox have been blessed with a great homegrown defensive right side of the infield featuring Pedroia and Youkilis, and they now have a left side to match by signing Scutaro and Beltre. The Lackey acquisition came as a bit of a surprise, but once again gives the Red Sox the potential to have the best rotation in the league, assuming Beckett and Matsuzaka stay healthy while Buchholz continues to improve.
Make no mistake about it: in 2010, the Red Sox are in the run prevention business. Fans aren’t giving their lineup quite enough credit though, as it really has solid players 1-9. They may not have quite the pop fans would like to see, but I absolutely expect them to make a trade for a bat or two come the trade deadline. Too much is being made of the weight of Papi’s performance and what it means for the team’s success. Yes, it would be great for him to return to even 30 home run form, but in this current market, it won’t be too hard to obtain a power DH bat. Guys who fit the bill like Jermaine Dye and Carlos Delgado don’t even have a job at the moment.
Zduriencik Reigns in Seattle With Defense
After too many years of mismanagement in the Pacific Northwest, General Manage Jack Zduriencik has turned around the Mariners, and provided them with an identity. He’s proven to be ahead of the curve with analysis, collecting defensively strong players who were undervalued by the market. Franklin Gutierrez is probably the best example of this philosophy: Zduriencik picked him up in a three way trade when he was a center fielder without much of a bat, but solid defensive value. After two years in Seattle, we now know how important those defensive skills are: click here to check out his stats on FanGraphs. His bat only provided 6.3 runs over an average player through the course of the 2009 season, but his fielding saved a staggering 29 runs over an average player (this is more than ten runs better than the second best defender in the whole league, Evan Longoria). The end result? A player worth nearly six wins more than an average outfielder, a value that would be worth $26,400,000 on the open market.
Not bad for a guy who cost Seattle a little less than $500,000.
Take the Gutierrez strategy, expand it over the diamond, and you have the modern Seattle Mariners brand of baseball. Chone Figgins and Jack Wilson combine to create a vacuum for ground balls on the left side of the infield. The aforementioned Gutierrez combines with Ichiro to do much of the same for balls in the air. Even new first baseman Casey Kotchman is a glove first kind of player, rather than your prototypical slugger.
Oh, and of course they picked up Cliff Lee this winter, who combines with King Felix Hernandez, fresh off a new extension that will keep him in Seattle through 2014. Assuming both produce to form, Seattle should have the best 1-2 punch in the majors this year.
As someone who always purchases the Extra Innings package, I’ll be watching plenty of Mariners games this season for entertainment alone. This 2010 team may very well go down as the best defensive club in the history of the game, they have two bona fide aces, and two speedy on-base machines in Ichiro and Figgins at the top of their order. It’ll be a thrill to watch. The only thing missing is some power in the lineup, but if Milton Bradley can bring back the form that made him a deadly hitter in 2008, it’ll go a long way towards a playoff berth for Seattle.
The New Look Angels, For Better or Worse
On subject, the Angels have really seemed to own the AL West in recent memory, but I expect to see a significant race this time around. Despite losing Lackey, the pitching depth is still very strong between Kazmir, Weaver, Saunders, Santana and new acquisition Joel Pinero. There are no true aces in this bunch, but all are very capable pitchers who will give the team a chance to win. The Angels offense has really shifted in tone from its famous aggressive-on-the-bases style that defined the franchise in the past decade. Now, the heart of the order features guys with power and on-base ability in Matsui, Hunter, Morales and Rivera. The bullpen is also not what it used to be, as Brian Fuentes wasn’t the most reliable closer in his first American League season, and new acquisition Fernando Rodney’s WHIP is just as poor.
For the reasons mentioned above, Seattle really has a chance to take the division this year. Texas and Oakland also have strong farm systems stocked with pitching; while it’s unlikely that either team will contend for a playoff spot this year (unless the Rangers’ young guys develop faster than expected), they won’t be easy opponents for the Angels and Mariners.
The White Sox Gamble, the Twins Remain Steady
General Managers are often compared to poker players these days: they remain patient, wait for the right opportunities, maximize value whenever possible, and take into account all available statistics when making a move.
By the same analogy, White Sox GM Kenny Williams is far less of a poker player, and more of a high stakes gambler at the craps table: placing big bets and throwing the dice in hopes of a big payoff.
He traded top prospects and invested $52 million into three years of Jake Peavy’s services. The former Cy Young winner missed most of 2009 with an injury, but looked quite good in his 20 innings wearing a White Sox uniform. Still, he’s never proven himself in the American League, and he’ll need to be the Peavy of old to give the Sox a chance to contend.
An even bigger gamble was acquiring Alex Rios from the Blue Jays for, well . . . nothing. Rios’ contract was an albatross for the rebuilding Jays, and the best they could do was literally give him away to be free of the burden. Rios is a tremendous athlete and still relatively young, but he’s yet to fully realize his potential. The Sox are now stuck with his hefty contract through 2014, and fans are hoping he doesn’t become their albatross moving forward.
Some of Williams’ other gambles are a bit more calculated, such as getting J.J. Putz for $3m, and Andruw Jones for $500,000. Among other gambles, the Sox are really hoping Carlos Quentin can return to his 2008 form, when he made a strong case for AL MVP before injuring himself by slamming a bat in frustration after hitting a foul ball. The rotation and lineup are actually filled with a combination of steady veterans and young talent, so if Peavy, Rios and Quentin can play up to expectations, the division should go to the Sox.
The Twins’ philosophy is polar opposite of everything I just wrote about the White Sox. They are steady, build from within, and practically never take major risks bringing in external players. This time around, with a shrinking market for free agents, they made two incredibly smart signings by bringing in Orlando Hudson and Jim Thome on affordable one year contracts. Hudson should round out the infeld nicely with new shortstop J.J. Hardy, and Thome gives the team that one extra power bat they’ve always seemed to need. They’re opening a new stadium this year and feature reigning homegrown AL MVP Joe Mauer, who has become one of the biggest stars of this era. With their improvements, they have to be considered the favorite in the Central.
The Tigers have a solid core built around frontline starters Justin Verlander, Rick Porcello and Max Scherzer. They look like a team that can contend, but realistically, I don’t think this is their year. The team is still bogged down by expensive contracts currently held by guys who are likely past their prime in Magglio Ordonez, Dontrelle Willis, Carlos Guillen and Nate Robertson. They are actually in a great position to contend in 2011 once those contracts start to come off the books and they can bring in premium talent to support the core in a strong free agent class. This is not to say they can’t contend this season if things fall into place, but this looks to be a team in transition, and I applaud them for getting one step ahead to make their team stronger for the future.
Next up: the National League.
Popularity: 19% [?]
Gone Bay-By, Gone: A Look to the Past (and Future) of Left Field at Fenway Park
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s been a little over a month now, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around Jason Bay signing with the Mets. It’s not just because the Sox are losing a good player (and they are), but because of the repercussions it may have of the Legend of Left Field. You don’t know what that means, you say? Well, that’s because I just made it up right now.
Since the 1940s, the Sox left field has seen some of the best hitters to play the game. Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Manny Ramirez have all stood in front of the Green Monster. Known just as much for their bats as they are their larger than life personalities, these players helped define the franchise. That continued straight to Jason Bay’s year and a half in left for Boston. But with Bay gone, the Red Sox are planning to move Jacoby Ellsbury to left. Ellsbury is a great young player, to be sure, but he’s a speedy leadoff hitter, not a big bat with big personality. But does that mean Ellsbury won’t fit into his role in left field? Let’s take a look at the past for answers!
1939-1987: The Hall of Famer Era
Between 1939 and 1987, left field was home to three of biggest names in the the Red Sox franchise. Each succeeding the other, this amazing 40-something year period saw three Hall of Famers destroy records and give fans something to cheer for. First, way back in 1939, Ted Williams started as a rookie with Boston, setting the world on fire by leading the league in RBIs. Williams, of course, went on to become the last player to hit above .400, with a career average of .344. Williams wasn’t just a feared hitter, he was also a combat pilot serving in World War II and the Korean War., eventually reaching the rank of Captain. A model hero cut from the same cloth as John Wayne, Williams didn’t always get along with the fans at Fenway, but he certainly delivered on the field.
Debuting in the 1961 season was Williams’ successor, Carl Yastrzemski (with huge shoes to fill, especially as a hitter). Yaz rose to the occasion, eventually racking up more RBIs than Williams and proving to be a master in left with a gun for an arm, winning seven Gold Glove Awards. While he may not have been a national hero in the tradition of Williams, Yaz did much to inspire his teammates, being named the first captain of the team since the 1920s. Like Williams before him, Yaz even had a signature batting style, holding his bat high to facilitate a dramatically large swing. But as he aged, Yaz moved to first, base, leaving left field open for another future Hall of Famer.
Jim Rice replaced Yastrzemski and continued the tradition of power hitters playing left field for Boston. While arguably not as great as his two predecessors, Rice remained a force at the plate for his entire career and inherited the position of team captain from Yastrzemski (he would be the last team captain until Jason Veritek received the honor in 2004). He had a reputation of being uncooperative with the press (ironic since Rice himself is now a member of the press as a commentator on NESN), but he was still able to build a fan base of faithful Sox fans. After a culmination of small, nagging injuries began chipping away at his performance, Rice retired in 1989.
1988-2001: In the Shadow of the Monster
The next two players to inherit the position never quite made it out from the shadows of those three former left fielders. First up was Mike Greenwell. Nicknamed The Gator on account of rumors that he wrestled alligators in the offseason, Greenwell was solid all ten years he played with the Red Sox. But solid wasn’t quite enough and Greenwell lost the 1988 MVP race to Jose Conseco, who had posted the first 40 home run, 40 stolen base season in MLB history. While his play remained good (he was named to the All-Star team in both ‘88 and ‘89), Greenwell’s stature never seemed to recover. His last season in Boston was 1996, and he retired in 1997 after breaking his foot playing in Japan. A big personality, memorable nickname and solid play still couldn’t elevate Greenwell to the level of former Red Sox greats.
Troy O’Leary, Greenwell’s replacement, didn’t fare much better. Another solid player, especially in his seven years with the Sox, O’Leary didn’t make a lasting impression on the franchise. O’Leary simply wasn’t the player that Williams, Yastrzemski and Rice had been. By the turn of the century, it seemed like left field had cooled, lost in the shadow of the Green Monster.
2001-2009: Return of the Bat
The Red Sox signed Manny Ramirez in 2001, placing a bona fide super star in left field. Ramirez, already known and respected for his time with the Cleveland Indians, helped usher in a new generation of powerful hitters playing left field for the franchise. Everything about Manny was big. He put up huge numbers, and his reputation for lackadaisical fielding and a generally cheery and carefree demeanor led to the phrase “Manny Being Manny”: the most succinct way to describe his unique personality. But Boston fans latched onto Ramirez, embracing him fully, quirks and all. It makes sense, especially within historical context, as Ramirez helped recall a time when greats inhabited left field. Ramirez was even achieved what had been impossible for his Hall of Fame predecessors and won a World Series in 2004 (also taking home the series MVP award). But, as tension between the club’s management and Ramirez grew, Manny publicly admitted he was no longer interested in playing for the team, something that turned a lot of fans against him for the remainder of his time in Boston. He was finally traded to the Dodgers before the trade deadline in 2008 in a complex, three-way deal that saw his replacement shipped to Boston.
Jason Bay grew up a Red Sox fan, wearing Red Sox pajamas and had posters of his left field heroes, Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice, on his bedroom wall in his home in Canada. It seemed that Bay was destined to inherit left field, and his first few months with the team seemed to cement this. He had a monstrous postseason, and continued performing well into 2009. But his skill and charming history as a fan didn’t help him in contract negotiations with the team in the off-season, and he signed with the Mets just before the new year. It seemed, at least temporarily, that left field may go cold again.
The Future of Left Field
With the prospect of Bay not returning, the Red Sox signed outfielder Mike Cameron in December. The team announced soon after that Cameron would be playing center field and they would be moving the previous center fielder, Jacoby Ellsbury, to left. Ellsbury has built quite the career for himself in just two-and-a-half short seasons with the Sox. For the last two seasons, Ellsbury has led the league in stolen bases (with 50 and 70, respectively), and has been a solid leadoff hitter for the team (not to mention stealing the first base of the 2007 World Series, winning fans a free taco the next day, courtesy of Taco Bell!) But does he have what it takes to live up to the legends?
Yes, absolutely. In fact, Ellsbury fits the bill quite well. Like Williams, Yaz and Rice, Jacoby was brought up through the Red Sox system. He may not be the power hitting type, but he has shown a tremendous amount of skill at the plate, on the bases and in the outfield. Ellsbury is fast becoming one great leadoff hitter, and his speed is an important for the team’s offense and defense. But, the league has changed in the past 25 years. Players are traded regularly and rarely play their career with only one team. There’s a chance he may not have the chance to reach the heights of the ghosts of Fenway’s left field, at least not with the Sox (rumors swirled all off season that the team attempting to deal him, along with several other players, to the Padres for Adrian Gonzales). But he has the potential to join the ranks of the great left fielders of Red Sox history.
Besides, he won me a free taco, and that has to count for something.
Quintin Marcelino is a writer and Red Sox fan currently lost in the National League city of San Diego. He can usually be found at several local haunts, writing or complaining about the Yankees to anyone who will listen.
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Yankees in Six – Again?
Posted by: | CommentsWell I, for one, certainly hope not. But we’ll just have to wait and see how the 2010 MLB season pans out. So many players, so many deals, so little time to put all the pieces together. But somehow, those 30-something-year-old big league GMs find a way. They always do; just ask Theo Epstein or Josh Byrnes. Or that seasoned 42-year-old brainiac by the name of Brian Cashman.
When I conjure up images from last year’s postseason, I can’t help but see Alex Rodriguez actually finding his groove and helping the Yankees claim their 40th AL Pennant and 27th World Series title, albeit the team’s first with A-Rod on board (six years in the making). I’m not a big A-Rod fan, never have been, but I had to actually give the guy his due based on his impressive postseason last year. I don’t like him for several reasons, but basically it boils down to these two: 1.) I’m a lifelong Red Sox fan; and 2.) he’s a pampered superstar who doesn’t like getting his hands dirty, literally. He is the anti-Mike Lowell in that respect, and any guy making $25 million a season to play baseball should be willing to get his uniform dirty once in a while.
Getting back to A-Rod’s resurrection from postseason failure, he earned a smidgen of my respect with last season’s turnaround. I mean, here was a guy who couldn’t find his bat, much less his swing, every time the postseason rolled around. He earned the nickname “The Cooler” since he always seemed to go cold at the most inopportune times for his team. But, lo and behold, he managed to put all the pieces together last fall by batting .378 in the playoffs and launching six bombs. Maybe it was gal-pal Kate Hudson’s influence? Perhaps she was the one guiding him on follow-through and consistency. Or perhaps it was Captain Derek Jeter’s stellar season (.334 with 18 dingers) coupled with Mark Texeira’s moon shots (39 of ‘em) and 38-year-old southpaw Andy Pettitte staying intact for the entire haul and notching 14 wins. And then again, maybe it was just Joe Girardi’s destiny, seeing as how he was already sporting No. 27 on his back. Whatever the reason, the Yankees won it all last year and are back on top of the baseball world.
But will they be there in 2010? In June, Pettitte turns 39, while Jeter turns 36. A month later, A-Rod turns 35. And a month after that, Jorge Posada celebrates his 39th birthday. These guys aren’t getting any younger. And the fact that World Series MVP Hideki Matsui signed in the offseason with the dreaded Halos of Anaheim could spell a different ending to this season’s merry-go-round. But then again, with the likes of CC Sabathia on the hill, Texeira at first, Robinson Cano covering second and the newly arrived Curtis Granderson patrolling center, chances are the Yankees will at least be in contention. And after all, isn’t that all anybody can ask for? Unless, of course, your last name is Steinbrenner.
Who might bump them off in the AL, you ask? Who else, but my beloved Sox, of course. By picking up John Lackey to shore up the starting rotation, as well as signing veteran center fielder Mike Cameron and Gold Glove third baseman Adrian Beltre, the Sox are stocking up for a season-long battle with the Bronx Bombers. The acquisition of Cameron moves the speedy Jacoby Ellsbury from center to left, which actually improves Boston’s defense with any ricochets off the Green Monster after Jason Bay’s disappointing bolt to that other New York team. And backstop Victor Martinez will continue to get more comfortable with Fenway’s faithful so 2010 definitely looks like it’s shaping up to be another barnburner in the AL East.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot; those pesky Rays aren’t going away quietly. Yep, should be a doozy this year. Can’t wait.
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