Among the topics discussed:

• The Texas Rangers signing Yu Darvish and about the possibility of them signing Prince Fielder.
• The Michael Pineda-Jesus Montero trade and how it works for both teams.
• The Reds doing more to make a run at the NL Central this year.
• Most importantly, we make too many jokes about Fausto Carmona’s name and Jamie Moyer’s age.
• We wrap things up talking about the cases that went to arbitration this past week.

Click play on the player below to listen:

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But now to the more important issue.

With some players, the question of what hat to wear in the Hall is a big one. It’s not with Larkin. He played his entire 19-year career with the Cincinnati Reds. However, based on new evidence uncovered today by Reddit (here), I think the Hall of Fame should eschew a baseball cap for Larkin and instead induct him with a full body bronze statue complete with the sublime turtleneck-sweater-overall outfit he is pictured in below.

Image source: Imgur via Reddit

Pretty spectacular right? Also spectacular is that at first glance it looks like the lifetime Red is wearing a Cubs sweatshirt. Sorry to disappoint you Cubs fans, but he’s not. As this Reddit commenter pointed out, it’s a sweatshirt commemorating the 1990 All Star Game that was played at Wrigley.

It’s just a terrific ensemble. Based on the relaxed clothing of Joe White Guy standing next to Larkin, it doesn’t appear to be overly chilly where they are, yet Larkin is three layers deep in quintessential early 90s garb, including and especially the single unstrapped overall.

In conclusion, there may be worthy debate over Barry Larkin’s Baseball Hall of Fame credentials, but just based on this picture alone Larkin is a first ballot 1990s Hall of Famer. Congratulations Barry. Welcome to the club.

(Now excuse me while I go search for an old picture of myself in Jubaz pants to post…)

During that time Ohio has suffered like few other states have.  In addition to almost total futility on the field, the state has had to endure more than its share of off the field problems as well.

One of its football teams left town (only to win a Super Bowl within 5 years in their new city) and then returned and has been mostly terrible since.  The other football team became notorious for poor draft picks and criminal activity as well as being the worst team of the 1990s in the standings.

Of Ohio’s two baseball teams, one has choked away two chances at a World Series crown in the past 15 years, while the other has only two playoff appearances since 1990.  Even the Kid, Ken Griffey Jr. suffered a string of debilitating injuries once he returned to play in his home state, potentially costing him a run at the most hallowed of individual achievements, the career home run record.

The only NBA team in the state was largely irrelevant from 1990-2003, with only a couple of heartbreaking losses to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls to show for their troubles.  Then, perhaps even more gut wrenching, Ohio watched the franchise’s homegrown meal ticket flee the state and head to Miami to chase championships and parties, leaving them nothing more than a lottery-bound mess.

Finally, Ohio’s pro hockey team, established in 2000, has had the worst points record in the NHL during the span of their existence.  They have settled into a state of relative failure, in a league that has struggled to maintain its status as one of the premier associations in sports.

Given this bleak (but somewhat recent) history, it’s difficult to imagine one of these star-crossed teams bringing a professional championship home to the Buckeye state.  In considering all 6 teams, we can see that there are varying levels of likeliness that each of them will win a title.  Let’s rank them, from least likely to most likely to reach the promised land of their respective sports.  Keep in mind that this is not a declaration that one of these teams will win a title, just my take on the likelihood that one will, relative to the others.

6. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have been a complete disaster for almost all of the last 20 years.  Currently, they are pinning their hopes on rookies Andy Dalton (QB) and A.J. Green (WR).  It’s hard to say how good Dalton can be, but the consensus is that Green is a star in the making.  Of course, just a few years ago the Bengals had a star receiver at the peak of his ability (Chad Johnson), and they still couldn’t make it out of the first round of the playoffs.

Unfortunately for the Queen City, Mike Brown’s reluctance to spend the necessary money on scouting and facilities will prohibit the team from getting to the elite level in the NFL.  When your star quarterback decides to retire healthy at 31, you know your team is a long way from winning it all.

5. Columbus Blue Jackets

As I mentioned earlier, the Blue Jackets have been pretty dreadful since their inception.  They do have star center Rick Nash locked up for the next 8 years under a very rich contract, but barring some extraordinary upgrades on the rest of the roster they will not find themselves competing for a Stanley Cup any time soon.

It’s simply too tough to contend in the superior Western Conference, especially with Detroit, Chicago and Nashville, all formidable powerhouses, residing in their own division.  I’m afraid Columbus had better stick with the Buckeyes and their impending NCAA punishments.

4. Cleveland Browns

The poor Browns.

As an Ohio resident I can tell you that there are drastic differences between Bengals fans and Browns fans.  Bengals fans are convinced every year that this will be their year.  They ceaselessly envision their beloved purveyors of Who-Deyism beating out Pittsburgh and Baltimore on their way to the playoffs.  And they are almost always wrong.

Browns fans, however, are almost always pessimistic.  They expect the worst, and who can blame them?  They’ve been force-fed the equivalent of a turd sandwich for the better part of 50 years.

I’m convinced that Mike Holmgren will at least make the moves necessary to return the Browns to respectability, but that’s their ceiling as far as I’m concerned.  It seems doubtful that Colt McCoy will be the savior they need at quarterback, and the NFL has taught us that until that position falls in line, everything else is baseless.

3. Cleveland Indians

Baseball is a game in which, despite the gaps in spending between the haves and the have-nots, all teams seem to have a decent chance at success.  The Indians have made themselves a (surprising) contender by building around pitching and defense.

For many small market teams, winning is cyclical.  I expect the Indians to stockpile prospects and keep building a smart, sabermetric-friendly club until they are ready to make a big splash for the pieces they need to go for it all.  Then they will blow it all up and start over again while sandbagging money.  Such is life for the have-nots.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

Given the total debacle that the last 12 months have been for Dan Gilbert’s Cavaliers, it may be surprising to see them this high on the list.  But if we have learned anything in the NBA (coincidentally from this team and that famed 2003 top draft pick) it’s that one player can make the difference in a team winning a title and failing to even make the playoffs.

Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson were the two players the Cavs chose to build their future on in this year’s draft.  Looking at their roster, they still appear to be a lottery team, so we could be looking at a team that is able to mature together much like Oklahoma City has in the last couple of years.  Maybe the NBA landscape will become one in which stars all join up to party and win together, but it seems that any team with three or four elite young players should have a chance to contend no matter what the new NBA looks like.

1. Cincinnati Reds

The Reds made the playoffs last year behind a potent offense and quality pitching from the top three starters in their rotation.  Their management team, led by Walt Jocketty, has made it clear that they are willing to spend more than previous regimes, and they have done a good job of developing talent (see Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto among others).

As I mentioned above, baseball allows teams to compete as long as they make sound decisions and are able to spend a little (although it certainly helps if they can spend a lot, right AL East?).  The Reds must address issues in their pitching, both in the rotation and the bullpen.  If they can upgrade a few arms they have an excellent chance to bring a World Series back to the state of Ohio.

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Twitter: @keithmullett

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Image Credits:

mancavesports.org

one4theotherthumb.com

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images North America via zimbio.com

Joe Robbins/Getty Images North America via zimbio.com

It’s not all that exciting when teams have the division essentially wrapped up in June, which is why the Wild Card race is the most interesting, at least to me.

NL East

The Phillies have the best pitching staff in the National League, and perhaps in all of baseball. They are getting Chase Utley back as we head into the heart of the season, and he may just be what the .246-hitting Phils need. If you’re wondering, that batting average is tied for ninth in the NL, with Fred Wilpon’s very own New York Mets. I think the Phillies will distance themselves from the rest of the NL East soon enough.

NL Central

St. Louis is leading the NL in hitting at .281, which is surprising considering the “down” year that Albert Pujols is having. Lance Berkman and Matt Holiday are each hovering around .350, and even if they drop off I expect Pujols to pick up the slack the rest of the season.

NL West

The Giants suffered a huge blow losing Buster Posey for the rest of the season, but I think the rest of the NL West is mediocre enough that the Giants still should be able to win that division.

I’m going to pencil in Philadelphia, St. Louis and San Francisco for those three divisions, leaving just one spot left for a few deserving teams.

As of Thursday, the Marlins were leading the (yes, admittedly very early) NL Wild Card race at 28-19. The Braves were two games back at 28-23, the red-hot Brewers 2.5 games behind at 27-23, and the Cincinnati Reds coming in at 26-25, four games behind the Marlins.

Obviously, for any one of these teams to make the playoffs, a few things have to go right, but I think a few things stand out for each team as must-haves over the course of the season if they want to be playing playoff baseball in the fall.

4. Braves

I think the Braves have the smallest chance of the four teams I listed to make the playoffs. They have the best ERA in the NL at this point but only have the 12th-best team batting average and the 14th-best OBP. On top of all that, the injuries are starting to accumulate, with both Jason Heyward and Tim Hudson missing time this week. If they are going to make they playoffs, they need to stay healthy, especially Heyward and Chipper Jones.

3. Marlins

I like the youth that the Marlins have, especially the way Gaby Sanchez and Mike Stanton are really starting to break out. I think they are about two years away from being really good, though whether they can keep that core around for a few years is an entirely different story. For this year though, I think they are still a bit raw, especially having to face teams like Atlanta and Philly more often. The Marlins will make the playoffs only if they can keep up the production their youth has put up early in the season.

2. Reds

Last season’s version of the Reds was the young team that got a bit too wide-eyed when they actually made it to the postseason and found out they were perhaps a year too early. This season’s team can still mash the ball as well, leading the NL in homers and RBIs. Their offense carried them to the playoffs in 2010, but that offense will have to overcome the 14th-best ERA in the NL, as well as a bullpen that has already blown seven saves.

1. Brewers

The Brewers have a very potent mix of pitching and hitting, and they seem to have everyone back and healthy at the right time. Shawn Marcum was the ace of the staff early on the season, but Yovani Gallardo and Zack Greinke are coming on to give Milwaukee three ace-quality starters.  Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder have been as good as advertised, but they will need some more production out of the bottom of their lineup if they want to keep their hot streak alive and eventually end up in the playoffs.

The Rockies have the next best chance of getting hot and making the playoffs, as they have shown they can do, but I think the NL Wild Card team will come from one of these four. The Braves and the Reds kick off a weekend series Friday, the Brewers starts a series in Cincy on Monday and the Marlins after that, with Florida facing the Braves on June 7.

By the middle of June, we should have a pretty clear idea of which team may emerge from this pack.

It’s still quite early, and I don’t gamble nor predict — especially in baseball where nothing is guaranteed and parity reigns supreme — but I’m pretty confident Cincinnati and Texas will be “just fine” in 2011.

The teams have opened a combined 9-0.

The Reds return basically the same team from last year, which was a solid  one that happened to run into two unhittable Philly pitchers (Roy Halladay was literally unhittable n Game 1, and Cole Hamels was close in Game 3, and Cincy gave away Game 2 with errors). Cincinnati simply is not the “one year playoff wonder” that perhaps the 2008 Brewers have proven to be.

The Rangers are solid, especially offensively, which should cover up any bullpen mishaps or back-end rotation holes. Former all-star and one of the best pitchers in baseball through 2009, Brandon Webb, is another great pickup by Texas that could work out very well.

Exchanging Vlad Guerrero for Adrian Beltre (9th in AL MVP voting) is a wash, at worse. Cliff Lee did win three playoff games, but also was disastrous in the World Series, losing two times when it mattered most. I love Clifton Phifer, but we forget he was 4-6 with an ERA of 4 during the 2010 regular season for Texas. Lee didn’t hurt the Rangers, but he also didn’t get Texas into the playoffs; the other pitchers and the bats did.

So the Rangers already swept the Red Sox, while Cincy swept trendy Milwaukee; therefore let’s wait and see about them, okay capricious New York and Philadelphia Media? Perhaps focus on your teams, like you normally do.

(I recently chronicled how the east coast media, especially in NY, is allergic to facts, humility, and reality. New Yorker Joel Sherman said the 2010 ”Phillies Yankees World Series battle was inevitable” last October, while arrogant Yankee broadcaster Michael Kay declared “the series is over” after New York beat Texas in Game 1 of the ALCS. Texas demolished the Yanks in 4 of next 5, yet Kay, like Sherman, were not reprimanded and kept their jobs.)

With the AL East being the best division in baseball, and the NL West being highly competitive, the Reds and Rangers could easily utilize the unbalanced schedule to their advantage — and to other teams’ disadvantages.

*After Cole Hamels horrific performance last night, Philadelphia’s “Fab Four” have a combined ERA of around 5. Yes, Hamels hurt that, but despite what the obsequious Philly media (which is as arrogant as the NY media now, it seems) pontificates, the other three guys weren’t exactly brilliant versus a winless Houston team over the weekend.

This year, the Boys of Summer are beginning earlier than ever (the regular season will end mid-week instead of on a Sunday for the first time in eons, so who says baseball cannot adjust? They actually do moreso than any other sport), on Thursday the 31st with half a dozen games —  before we’re presented with a full weekend slate.

Here are ten nationally-televised matchups to keep an eye on prior to the July All-Star Break in Phoenix:

Giants-Dodgers (Thurs, 3/31): There are just two small things I miss about living in Los Angeles: In-N-Out Burger and Dodger Stadium. A 5pm battle in the late afternoon sun between historic rivals on Opening Day– one now being the defending champs — is simply delicious.

Padres-Cardinals (Sat, 4/2):  Many believe these teams will be down in 2011, but baseball is too hard to forecast like that. An inter-divisional matchup of two strong second place clubs from last year on this season’s first weekend is very enticing — especially since I will be in attendance!

Yankees-Red Sox (Sat, 4/9): The Yankees may struggle this season, while the Red Sox are considered the best team in baseball; but even though we midwesterners love to poke fun at this overhyped matchup, it’s still ‘special,’ particularly the first series each season.

Rangers-Yankees (Sun, 4/17): While the Rangers’ pennant-winning club of 2010 exorcised 40 seasons of frustration, it was extra awesome that they knocked off the hated Yankees along the way (since New York ended Texas’s season three times in the late 90s). This game will conclude the teams’ first matchup since the 4-2 ALCS win for Texas last October.

White Sox-Tigers (Sat, 4/23): Many expect the Twins to take a step back in 2011, and if they do, these two upper midwest rivals will duke it out for AL Central supremacy. Chicago and Detroit compete in six head-to-head series this season, but this will be the first round.

Padres-Cardinals Reds-Cardinals (Sun, 4/24): Though the Reds pulled away in September to win the NL Central with ease, Saint Louis still dominated the head-to-head series in 2010, including a huge sweep in August before the Cardinals fell apart down the stretch. And I don’t need to remind you about the unique brawl in Cincy during that key series, beginning with Brandon Phillips and Yadier Molina, ending with Chris Carpenter pinned against the backstop. No love here between these two rivals. This series will also be their first meeting of 2011.

Braves-Phillies (Sun, 5/8): The Braves first visit to Philly of 2011 culminates with a Sunday night telecast. (We can all be thankful to ESPN for finally putting the annoying Jon Miller/Joe Morgan broadcast team out to pasture last November.) These are arguably the two top teams in the NL East, and with the Phillies’ celebrated rotation, you have an 80 percent chance of seeing a top-tier pitcher in this one too.

Rangers-Phillies (Sat, 5/21): Interleague play returns with this unique matchup that was nearly your 2010 World Series. It will be interesting to see how the Rangers have fared through seven weeks at this juncture, as well as whether Philly’s Fabulous Four have lived up the hype, or floundered a bit like Miami’s “Heatles” so far.

Reds-Giants (Sat, 6/11): If the Reds perform to expectations, this could be a midseason matchup of two of the NL’s best, as Cincy embarks upon a west coast swing.

Yankees-Cubs (Sat, 6/18): Ten weeks in, one or both of these squads could be buried in 3rd or 4th place, but this is why Interleague Play exists: Yankees at Wrigley. If you want proof of baseball’s popularity, stop by Wrigley Field on Father’s Day Weekend.

*White Sox-Cubs (honorable mention,Sat, 7/2): A late Saturday afternoon start on 4th of July weekend at Wrigley for the cross-town showdown. Surely an epic scene, even if the game is often secondary.

Full season national broadcast lineup here.

Today, we preview the NL Central and predict whether it will be the Reds heading to the playoffs yet again, or if the retooled Brewers or the consistent Cardinals can take the title.

In previous posts we have taken a look at the NL East and the NL West.

Cincinnati Reds

The starting rotation will be led by Edison Volquez, Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, Homer Bailey and Travis Wood. Mike Leake could make the roster if the team decides to place Cueto on the DL as the fifth starter. Non-roster invitee Dontrelle Willis will get a chance to resurrect his career as a reliever.

The offense is full of power, led by NL MVP Joey Votto, Scott Rolen, Jay Bruce and fan favorite Jonny Gomes. The rest of the lineup will be filled by Brandon Phillips, Drew Stubbs and Paul Janish, who will be the starter at shortstop. Stubbs and Fred Lewis will get time in centerfield, while Miguel Cairo will be the utility infielder. Edgar Renteria will also get some time at short, but has injury issues, and therefore may be used sparingly. Catchers Ramon Hernandez and Ryan Hanigan will split the duties behind the plate.

Francisco Cordero will be the closer, and Aroldis Chapman will more than likely be the setup man. Manager Dusty Baker will have this team ready.

Prediction: I look for the Reds to win at least 90-95 games and make a run at winning the Central again.

St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals finished five games behind the Reds last season, and really didn’t do much in the offseason to help the club out. Lance Berkman signed with the team, and at 35, will play right field. Many thought he would hook up with a team that needed a first baseman, and thus DH help in the American League. Matt Holliday and Colby Rasmus will be the other starters in the outfield.

Albert Pujols, who will not talk contract until the after the season, will start at first base. The rest of the infield will consist of Ryan Theriot, Skip Schumaker and David Freese. Tyler Green will get some time in the outfield and at shortstop. Jon Jay will fill in for the outfielders when they need rest.

The starting rotation took a big blow in the first few days of training camp, losing Adam Wainwright for the year after experiencing soreness in his throwing arm. He will miss the year, and the start of next year, as he recovers from Tommy John surgery that’ll take 12-14 months. The Cards still have a good rotation with Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, Jake Westbrook and Kyle Lohse. Kyle McClellan looks to be the fifth starter, and will be counted on to keep the opponents offense in check. Non-roster invitee Miguel Batista looks like he may get a chance in the bullpen. Yadier Molina will be the starting catcher with Gerald Laird getting some spot starts. I just don’t see the offense putting up runs on a consistent basis, averaging maybe 3 to 4 runs a game.

With the Pujols distraction finished, for now, there won’t be much to talk about in St. Louis. If the team loses any of their remaining starting pitchers though, the season will be lost.

Prediction: Winning 80 games will be good for the Cardinals, which unfortunately could push them as far back as fourth place in the always surprising NL Central.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers, who finished third in the NL Central, look to make a push at winning the division after acquiring Zack Greinke (will miss at least first three starts) and Shaun Marcum to help the starting rotation. Yovani Gallardo, Randy Wolf and Chris Narveson will be the other starters. Mark Rogers is the front runner to cover for Greinke until he returns. John Axford, who filled in well last season for Trevor Hoffman, will be the closer.

With Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks set to be free agents at the end of the year, and looking to land big contracts with a great campaign, the time is now for the Brewers. The rest of the lineup is full of talent, with Ryan Braun, Corey Hart, Casey McGehee and Carlos Gomez all young and ready for great seasons. Catcher Jonathan Lucroy will be counted on to put up good numbers at the dish, as he’ll be the teams opening day starter. Yuniesky Betancourt will start at shortstop for the Brewers, Rickie Weeks will play second, and Craig Counsell, Luis Cruz and Mark Kotsay will battle it out for two remaining spots on the opening day roster.

Manager Ron Roenicke, in his first season as manager, will look to get his team off to a fast start. He says his team will run the bases aggressively, and force the opponent to make plays.

Prediction: I believe the Brewers will win over 90 games this year, and if they don’t win the Central, they will make the playoffs as the NL Wild Card.

Houston Astros

Brad Mills, the former bench coach for the Boston Red Sox, will try and make his second year better than his first. The Astros finished 2010 at 76-86, 15 games behind the Reds. This won’t be an easy transition for Mills, as the Astros really don’t have an identity.

The starting rotation won’t be able to hold opposing offenses down enough for the offense to keep up. Wandy Rodriguez, Brett Myers and J.A. Happ are the top three in the rotation, with Bud Norris more than likely the fourth starter, and either Aneury Rodriguez or Lance Pendleton getting the fifth spot. The Astros also have Ryan Rowland-Smith and Nelson Figueroa, who are capable of starting. Non-Roster invitee Gustavo Chacin is also capable of filling a starting role.

Carlos Lee, Michael Bourn, Bill Hall and Hunter Pence will be the offensive leaders. The closer going into camp is Brandon Lyon, and it will be his to lose. With the loss of Jason Castro, out until September with torn ligaments in his right knee, Humberto Quintero and Brian Esposito will split the catching duties. Jeff Keppinger (Out Indefinitely with left foot surgery, mid-May return) will be an infield reserve, and will need some AAA time to get into game shape.

This will be an interesting year in Houston, as Mills may make allot of changes to the roster after the first month, as he looks to see what all his players can do.

Prediction: The Astros will struggle to win 70 games this year, but Mills will use this season to see what he has going into next year.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs treated their fans to yet another disappointment last season, finishing sixteen games behind the Reds with a record of 75-87. Now it’s Mike Quade’s turn, after taking over for Lou Pinella in late August of last season. The Cubs signed Carlos Pena and traded for Matt Garza, both huge contributors to the success of the Tampa Bay Rays over the last three seasons.

Chicago looks good offensively, with Koske Fukudome, Aramis Ramirez, Pena, Starlin Castro, Marlon Byrd, Geovany Soto and Alfonso Soriano all capable of getting runs across the plate.

The pitching will compete, with Ryan Dempster, Garza, Carlos Zambrano, Randy Wells and Carlos Silva filling the rotation. The return of Kerry Wood will help settle things in the eighth inning, and Carlos Marmol will be the closer. Jeff Baker, Darwin Barney, Tyler Colvin and non-roster invitee Reed Johnson will all battle for two or three bench spots.

On paper the Cubs look great; it’s just getting everyone on the same page that’s the problem. If Chicago can play as a team, they will challenge the Reds and Brewers for the division, which will make the NL Central very exciting this season.

Prediction: I think, barring any injury issues (Ramirez, Silva and Pena), the Cubs can win 90 games this year.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Pittsburgh had the worst record in the major’s last year, finishing at 57-105, thirty four games behind Cincinnati. Clint Hurdle will take over as manager, and hope to start turning the Bucs back into a contender again. The former Colorado Rockies manager, who took the Rox to the World Series in 2007, may have the toughest job in the league.

The starting rotation will be comprised of James McDonald, Paul Maholm and Kevin Correia. Ross Ohlendorf, Charlie Morton and Scott Olsen will use the spring to get the four and five spot figured out.

Lyle Overbay and Matt Diaz were signed to try and put some pop in the lineup. Neil Walker, Ronny Cedeno, Pedro Alvarez, Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata, Garrett Jones and Chris Snyder will more than likely be the other starters. Josh Rodriguez, John Bowker and Ryan Doumit will use the spring to win a utility role.

Joel Hanrahan will be counted on to close any games that the Pirates may be leading going into the ninth. Non-roster invitee Joe Beimel (3-11, Day to Day, pain in left forearm) could make the team due to the lack of left handed relief in the bullpen. Who are these guys? Other than Overbay, Diaz, Doumit and McCutchen, I can’t say I have any idea.

Prediction: It looks like another last place finish, and another 55-60 win season.

The Reds and Phillies will match up on one side of the NL bracket while the Giants and Braves match up in the other.

Reds-Phillies

The Phillies are trying to be the first team since the Cardinals over 60 years ago to represent the National League in the World Series three straight years. The media that called them “the Yankees of the NL” in 2008 now treats them better than the Yankees, as a club that sat in 2nd or 3rd place most of 2010 is now the prohibitive favorite to win it all. 

Most “experts” scoff at Philly even participating in these 2010 NL playoffs – as if the other teams should not show up. And maybe they’re right, as like the Yankees, they went out and “acquired” what they needed in pitching: Halladay and Oswalt to join a reborn Hamels as the best big three of any of the NL playoff teams. Without the two newcomers, Philadelphia might not have even made the postseason — even had they retained Cliff Lee’s services.

Now, with their longer LDS, they can use those three studs in 17 of a potential 19 playoff tilts. Recall the Yankees won the 2009 World Series with only three starters, due to the inane day off between Games 4 and 5 of the ALCS, which thankfully no longer exists.

Offensively, on paper, Philadelphia has fantastic weapons. But their biggest guns — Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino and oft-injured Jimmy Rollins  —  all had down years at the plate.  Jayson Werth was the team’s offensive MVP, especially when it came to clutch hits. These hitters also have some mileage, though that “mileage” could be deemed playoff and World Series experience.

As analysts from ESPN to MLBN have in fact noted, Philadelphia can strike out and  the slumps often become contagious. The Phillies hit a horrific offensive stretch in late August, culminating in a four game home sweep by lowly Houston. They then got hot and won 27 of 35 to put the eastern division and home field advantage throughout away.

This team is still incredibly deep, confident, experienced and hot. Factor in Brad Lidge has looking like the 2008 version the second half of 2010, and the “Fightin’ Phils” are going to be tough to topple.

As someone whose closest geographic team resides in Cincinnati, I surely hope Reds are not 2008 Brewers: advance to the playoffs after a long absence, followed by a quick exit back down to earth. After 15 years, their fans deserve better.

These Reds are also very deep, especially in their pitching rotation and bullpen. There is also some playoff experience: Ramon Hernandez, Scott Rolen, Jimmy Edmonds, Orlando Cabrera, Bronson Arroyo, Jonny Gomes, Arthur Rhodes and others. Oh, and they have the putative NL MVP in Joey Votto with a red hot Jay Bruce and hungry Brandon Phillips. Edinson Volquez, Bronson Arroyo and Johnny Cueto could conceivably shut down the Phillies (or any team) on any given night.

But in reality, Cincy is probably overmatched. The Reds are rather lucky Saint Louis collapsed, as the Reds did not play stellar ball down the stretch, going 14-16, all versus non-playoff teams.

Phillies in four.

Braves-Giants

Aside from the Bobby Cox swan song story, the Braves are truly the “vanilla” team of the playoffs. Chipper Jones has not played since August 10, nor will he in October. They also are missing Martin Prado, who was probably the team’s MVP in 2010. Atlanta’s defense has been abysmal and their pitching erratic, allowing 25 runs over the weekend to a Phillies team only playing for pride.

The Braves do have good pitching, headlined by a resurgent Tim Hudson, reliable veteran Derek Lowe, Tommy Hanson, and playoff tested Billy Wagner. Can rookie phenom Jason Heyward carry an offense that’s been inconsistent in big games this season?

And then there are the Giants, who’ve been miserable offensively at times, and did not reside in first place until the Padres finally finished their collapse in the final fortnight of the season.

But San Francisco is leading a charmed life. After nearly coughing up the division in the final weekend, the Gigantes still received home field advantage, a full three days rest, and an Atlanta team that’s probably the weakest team in all the postseason.

Giants in five — mostly because of home field.

And though this may seem sacrilegious to say considering the Strasburg mania that has swept America, our initial glimpses of Chapman have somehow been more impressive than the man for whom Strasmas was eponymously named.

Still, no matter how dominant Aroldis Chapman may be, he is definitively not the Cuban Missile, as so many are claiming. That title belongs to White Sox SS Alexei Ramirez, and I hereby issue this blog post as a cease & desist to all of you disrepsectful, unoriginal, non-contributing zeroes (thanks Louis) who think it’s okay to take one man’s nickname and slap it onto another.

You disgust me.

Full disclosure: I feel like I need to admit that I have, at certain points in the past, referred to LaDainian Tomlinson as “LT”, a clear violation of my one-nickname-per-man rule, as well as referring to both Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson as “MJ”. However, I will say that I think the unwritten rules of nicknames become a little more lenient when we are discussing different eras and/or different sports or mediums.

Now, before I go any further, allow me to channel the brilliant thoughts of a great man, which sum up my feelings on this Chapman-Missile nonsense:

Yes, this absolutely grinds my gears.

During Spring Training of his 2008 rookie season, Alexei Ramirez – a native of Cuba – was dubbed “The Cuban Missile” by Ozzie Guillen. His lithe frame, high top-end speed, and lightning quick bat made the nickname perfectly appropriate.

After struggling early on, the Missile went on to hit four grand slams – many of them tremendously clutch – en route to a a terrific final line of .290-21-77-65-13 in only 136 games. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting to Evan Longoria. Alexei then went .277-15-68-71-14 during his sophomore campaign, numbers that were admittedly a bit of a disappointment after how his rookie year ended.

He has rebounded in 2010, however, to settle in as a consistent offensive force on a team that desperately has needed one (he is at .286-16-57-71-8 with a month left to go). He has also become one of the best defensive shortstops in the game, a fact that few people seem to realize since Alexei plays in the relative obscurity of Chicago’s South Side and the AL Central.

Add it all up and the 28-year old Ramirez (he’ll be 29 on September 22nd) has become one of the most all-around productive shortstops in Major League Baseball.

So why in the hell is Alexei, an established veteran, having his nickname poached because clowns are enamored with a flame-thrower who has logged all of two major league innings?

He shouldn’t be. And I’m here to demand that it stops.

I understand why many people think that “Missile” fits for Chapman, and obviously the “Cuban Missile” tie-in is so obvious it needs no explanation. The guy is throwing 102, 103, 104 mph fastballs and being compared to legends like J.R. Richard and…Stephen Strasburg. Obviously we are witnessing an extraordinarily rare talent who we all hope has staying power on the big league level.

This young pitching prodigy deserves to have his own nickname, befitting his transcendent talent, just as much as Alexei Ramirez has earned the right to keep his nickname all to himself. So stop calling Aroldis Chapman the “Cuban Missile”. Not only are you disrespecting the original Cuban Missile, but you are selling Chapman’s mound brilliance short.

Now, if I were just a whiny blogger, I might end here, pointing out a problem and bitching about it yet offering no practical solution. I realize that as sports fans we like to have nicknames to call great players. Thus, I have come up with a few that keep in mind the following realities about any potential nickname for Aroldis Chapman:

1. It has to reference his native Cuba.
2. It has to reference the mind-blowing velocity of his fastball.

So here are some options that keep both of those two realities in mind:

Fidel Fastro – A reference to Cuba’s controversial dictator. Could also be “Fidel Fastthrow”, which keeps the sound of the syllables of the same, but is a bit cumbersome.

The Communist Manifasto – A reference to Karl Marx’s…legendary?…work that is clearly a favorite on the bookshelves of the Cuban government. This could also be “The Communist Man of Fast Throw” or, more simply, “The Communist Manifastthrow”. I think I like “The Communist Man of Fast Throw” myself (though I doubt it will receive critical acclaim in the comment section).

Cha - We could just take the first letters of Chapman’s last name as an homage to another legendary (though grossly misunderstood) figure in Cuba’s history – Che. The idea here is that Chapman’s fastball is so fast, you can’t even say his full last name before the ball hits the catcher’s mit. This one’s a bit of a stretch, and requires to much explanation to make sense…I know.

The Cuban Missile Thriceis – a reference to Chapman’s ability to hit triple digits on the radar gun. (Not a big fan of this one…)

I like The Communist Man of Fast Throw myself, although it’s a bit bulky to ever really catch on. I now turn it over to you, my brilliant and creative readers, to come up with a new nickname for Aroldis Chapman.

If we get enough responses I’ll open a poll so everyone can vote on a winner (who will get a T-shirt like this sent to them, courtesy of the fine folks at Alternative Hero.)

Update: This post is now up on Reddit. Something tells me the clever folks at r/sports will be able to come up some good potential nicknames. I like “Havana Heat” so far.

Update: I just thought of another one: “The Cuban Trifector”. It’s a play on him being a Cuban defector and the fact that he is famous for hitting triple digits on the radar guns. Just throwing these out there as they come to me…

Turns out urban legends just might be true after all.

Bigfoot is very much alive and well. Area 51 indeed exists. Los Chupacabras is a threat to suck the blood out of your family pet in the middle of the night. Somebody can offer one a drink at the pub and next thing he knows he wakes up neck deep in ice in a bathtub with a note nearby that his kidney has been harvested.

And Aroldis Chapman really does throw well over 100 miles per hour…

We had heard the stories, with skepticism, in recent days about Chapman, during one of his last appearances with the Cincinnati Reds AAA affiliate, being clocked at a mind-numbing 105 MPH. Conventional wisdom says those kind of reports from down in the minors can get slightly fabricated, or that the gun used to clock Chapman was borrowed from a Kentucky State Trooper.

You can see one of Chapman’s bullpen sessions from Louisville here, and wonder what his catcher needed to ice his hand in afterwords…

The first offical taste of Chapmania in The Show occurred Tuesday night with a shock-and-awe eight pitch (all strikes) display against the bottom of the Milwaukee Brewers batting order. And suddenly the rest of the National League is bracing for a Cuban Missile Crisis, with possible targets in a Reds October including St. Louis, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and possibly even an American League venue in the World Series.

Here is Tuesday’s blow-by-blow description…

Jonathan LuCroy

• Pitch #1 – 98 MPH fastball, called strike. Ardolis is just warming up as the first pitch ball is taken out of play.
• #2 – Bending 86 MPH slider that catchers grabs just off the ground while LuCroy hopelessly whiffs.
• #3 – 102 miles per hour, fouled off just over first base dugout.
• #4 – Slider at 87, very similar to second pitch, again Lucroy is helpless, striking out swinging.

Hat tip: SBNation.com

Craig Counsell

• #5 – Looks at a 100 MPH heater.
• #6 – Grounds out 6-3 on a pitch recorded by Fox Sports Ohio/Wisconsin at 103…

Carlos Gomez

• #7 – Watches a 101 MPH pitch go by.
• #8 – Ardolis ‘takes something off’, only 99 MPH, Gomez grounds out 4-3. But Carlos is still willing to tell anyone who bothers to listen that he’s an exceptional talent.

For those scoring at home, Chapman’s six fastballs AVERAGED 100.5 MPH

Personally watching those eight pitches on TV, I can say easily that this was as hard as I have ever seen anyone throw a baseball.

It should get a bit more fun this weekend as the Reds go to St. Louis for a huge, possibly decisive four-game series with the Cardinals. Suddenly Albert Pujols and company have more to worry about than what Brandon Phillips might say in the media.

And I have a feeling the Reds attendance might finally get a boost from their recent 15,000 or so they typically have been drawing for mid-week games.

After signing a $30 million dollar contract with the Reds after defecting from Cuba last summer, the road to the bigs for Chapman was not exactly as smooth as expected. Ardolis had an up and down season as a starter and struggled with some control problems. At mid-season the organization decided to give him a look as a reliever, which yielded much improved results and finally led to his August 31^st call-up.

Meanwhile, another organization might now second-guessing whether they should have handled their own once-in-a-generation pitching phenom a little differently.

Yes, in a much smaller news item, Stephen Strasburg is set for Tommy John surgery at the end of the week and is not due back until the beginning of the 2012 season.

It can easily be argued that the Washington Nationals did everything possible in handling Strasburg with kid gloves, and already had an innings limit set for him, a trend now commonplace among promising hurlers such as San Diego’s Mat Latos and the Blue Jays Brandon Morrow.

Strasburg’s Major League debut remains one the highlights of the 2010 MLB season, when he struck out 14 Pittsburgh Pirates in seven innings. Yet, it has to be wondered how much that showcase took out of his prized right elbow.

It was not like the rest of Strasburg’s 11 other outings were bad; there was only one start in which he gave up more than three earned runs, his ERA finished at 2.91, and he averaged 12+ strikeouts per nine innings.

However, maybe pitching 5-6 innings per start and throwing 80-100 pitches at his stage of development may have proved to be too much. Perhaps Strasburg would had better been served, especially after getting the call to the show, throwing 1-2 innings every few nights, as the Reds eventually decided that this was the workload Ardolis Chapman was best suited for right now.

Jim Bunning

However, there is still the old school that will talk about the old days, when pitchers went every fourth day and routinely logged 300+ innings per year and there was no such thing as a pitch count.

Senator Jim Bunning mocked Strasburg after the first time the phenom’s arm barked before an aborted start in July. Bunning noted that he made 500+ starts in the majors and never once refused the ball. The Bunnings and Bob Fellers of the world are kind of like grandpa talking about the days of trudging through the snow to get to school and surviving with televisions that only picked up three network affiliates and a couple of UHF channels. You can’t argue with them, but the baseball business and the diagnosis of injuries is a different world today.

And then there was Nationals TV commentator Rob Dibble, who suggested that Strasburg was going to need to learn how to pitch through discomfort. Last time I checked wasn’t Dibble a career reliever?? How much experience did he have in the majors going seven strong and throwing 100+ pitches?

Chapman’s role for the rest of September, and ideally for the Reds during most of October and maybe even into November, is as a key situational reliever in the middle of a pennant drive. What happens afterwards is anyone’s guess. Perhaps Ardolis becomes the Reds closer next year, or they eventually work him into a starting role. But after just eight pitches in the majors, it’s possible that even Jim Bunning and Bob Feller might be impressed…

Unlike many of the obscure players I will touch on, I never saw Belinsky play. He only pitched from 1962 to 1970 and was merely 28-51 for his career, but that did not stop him from being really famous for a really short period of time.

Belinsky can be used as an example that the media has always focused far too much on the private lives of celebrities. He was the Kim Kardashian of southpaw pitchers, not because of an especially plump rump, but because he became famous mostly for romantic exploits.

So how does he embody Jeter and Morrow?

Well, Belinsky threw the first no-hitter in the history of the Los Angeles Angels and the first one at Dodger Stadium, beating the Baltimore Orioles 2–0 on May 5, 1962. This capped a four game winning streak to start his career. He had lots of talent, lots of promise, and lots of that oh-so-beloved “stuff” that people look for in pitchers. Belinsky also was a charismatic womanizer whose 1960s dating history is comparable to Captain Yankee’s 90-00s list. Belinsky dated several actresses including Marnie Van Doren, Ann-Margret, Connie Stevens, and Tina Louise.

Apparently, the night before the no-hitter Belinsky was out until 4am with a woman he was courting (it’s the 60s, that’s what they did out at Inspiration Point). Before the final out, Belinsky called his catcher Buck Rodgers to the mound to point out the well-endowed bombshell. I like to imagine David Wells did the same with Jorge Posada, except elaborating on the masterful combination of mortadella, prosciutto, and gabagool that he ingested the night before

Belinsky would never be this good again.

He never won 10 games in a season after 1962. Only his decent 1964 season (9-8, 2.86 ERA) saved him from being a total bust. This is largely blamed on Belinsky’s love of the nightlife. Hopefully, the same thing does not happen to Morrow. Thankfully, in Toronto, playing pro baseball ranks somewhere between being a cast member of Degrassi and playing for The Winnipeg Bluebombers on the scale of appealing to women (who wouldn’t want to date Buck Pierce?).

Bo would play for Philadelphia, Houston, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati before finally retiring a Red. In 1973 Maury Allen wrote a biography on Belinsky titled “Bo: Pitching and Wooing”. Belinsky summed it up best when he said, “I think I have gotten more publicity for doing less than any player who ever lived.”

Bo Belinsky #71 Angel of All-Time

Bo Belinsky’s Dating Scorecard

If you have any suggestions for future Obscure Players, drop them in the comments.

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* – Bo Belinsky photo credit: AngelsWin.com

It’s so big, in fact, that coastal elites at ESPN are actually venturing into middle America to broadcast tonight’s opener — so that, three short years into his remarkable career, people from Boston to New York to Philadelphia will finally know who NL MVP frontrunner Joey Votto is.

The two best teams in the Midwest — at least in terms of the NL — will therefore take center stage for these crucial games beginning tonight. It’s been the Reds and Cardinals basically since day one this season in the NL Central, and both teams happen to be playing some of their best baseball right here on August 9th.

Following a sweep of the pitiful Cubs in Chicago, the Redlegs are now 16 games above .500 (64-48) for the first time in over a decade, while the Redbirds are just one game back in the loss column, and two overall, at 61-49. This places both squads right in contention for a wild card berth should they fail to take the central crown.

Good pitching matchups and huge crowds are expected for the next two nights and Wednesday afternoon along the Ohio River. It does not get much better than this, as we approach the proverbial “Dog Days of August” with  Cincinnati pursuing their first playoff appearance in 15 years.

To make matters even more enticing through Wednesday, both teams are essentially lined up to throw their best hurlers:

Tonight: Chris Carpenter vs. Mike Leake

Tomorrow night: Jaime Garcia vs. Johnny Cueto

Wednesday afternoon: Adam Wainwright (for my money, the leading candidate for NL Cy Young) vs. Bronson Arroyo

Joey Votto, who would undoubtedly be in the top 5 if NL MVP voting were held today, was inexplicably not named as an NL All Star reserve by Phillies manager Charlie Manuel.

So who was named? Well, Ryan Howard was, of course.

Yeah, this would be the figurative definition of getting “f’d in the a”.

Just look at the how the numbers compare between Votto and the two NL first basemen who were named as reserves, Howard and the Padres’ Adrian Gonzalez:

• Votto: .313/.414/.574, .988 OPS, 19 HR, 57 RBI, 53 R, 7 SBs, 2 errors
• Howard: .296/.353/.506, .859 OPS, 15 HR, 58 RBI, 52 R, 0 SBs, 8 errors
• Gonzalez: .295/.390/.524, .914 OPS, 16 HR, 51 RBI, 43 R, 0 SBs, 3 errors

Now, based on those numbers, you tell me how there is even a debate for who was the first reserve 1B chosen (Albert Pujols was voted as the starter). There should not have been.

Image source: JeffPearlman.com

Joey Votto has been way better than both Howard and Gonzalez, two outstanding players in their own right who simply are not deserving of All Star recognition over Votto.

Now, concerning Gonzalez, I find it hard to quibble that he should be on the team. His Padres are the surprising leader in the NL West based on a tremendous team effort with few standout individuals. Gonzalez is an exception to that and he deserves to be the Padres’ representative.

It is, however, unconscionable that Manuel would select Howard – his own player – over the clearly superior Votto.

In addition to the numbers, consider this: Votto’s Reds are in first place with a record of 46-36. Howard, who recently signed a 5-year, $125 million contract, and the Phillies are 42-37, good for just third place in the NL East behind Atlanta and the Mets.

Manuel’s Phillies have three All Stars – Howard, Chase Utley (voted in), and Roy Halladay. To his credit, Manuel did reward the Reds for their great start with three All Star reserves – Arthur Rhodes, Brandon Phillips, and Scott Rolen.

But it is Votto who is the team’s MVP!

How can Rhodes, Phillips, and Rolen be going without Votto? And how can Ryan Howard – who Votto dominates in every statistical category but RBI (Howard leads by one) – somehow be on the team while Votto sits at home?

I would love to hear Charlie Manuel’s explanation for this, but it’s really quite simple: the Phillies just signed Howard to his incredibly ridiculous contract extension – which he is virtually certain to underperform as he ages – and they would look pretty foolish if he didn’t even make the All Star team before the extension kicks in. I’m sure Manuel also wanted to maintain harmony in his clubhouse and, granted, reward Howard for helping lead Manuel to two World Series appearances and one title.

Still, there is no excuse for leaving Joey Votto off of the team. A player having a season as outstanding as Votto should have been a no-brainer selection, written in pen before the manager starts trying to fit in the single reps from the bottom feeding teams.

Votto’s hopes to become an All Star now rest on fan voting. He goes up against Billy Wagner, Heath Bell, Ryan Zimmerman, and Carlos Gonzalez to determine who takes the final spot.

My fellow Midwesterners, one of our own got screwed by the East Coast bias yet again. Do not let this All Star travesty be compounded by Votto losing out on the fan vote to any of his less deserving competitors.

Charlie Manuel f’d this up. Let’s help send Joey Votto to the All Star Game, where any non-biased observer understands that he belongs.

(Now stay tuned for AJ Kaufman’s incensed response in the comment section…)

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* – Ryan Howard / Charlie Manuel photo credit: Gene Puskar (AP) via Lehigh Valley Live

The Reds haven’t been in first place this late in a season since 2006, while the Cards had been atop the division since the final day of July 2009.

Image credit: Jamie Ramsey, Better off Red blog

While St. Louis has inexplicably dropped nine of 12, Cincinnati now boasts these impressive numbers: seven wins in eight tries, and a 14-5 record since my most recent capricious calling for Dusty Baker’s head.

My recanting will continue, as I head down after work tonight (weather permitting) to see Johnny Cueto – coming off the best start of his career — take on the Brewers at GABP.

(In other Midwest/NL Central news, though the Cubs came back late yesterday to salvage one game from the Pirates at Wrigley this weekend, Pittsburgh has beaten Chicago five times in six tries this season.  Pittsburgh remains in third place, still ahead of the Cubbies. For you “competitive balance” folks, the Pirates opened the season with a $39 million payroll. The Cubs? $144.4 million.)

Update: Follow this link for more on the jubilant first place Reds.

And boy, Cincy is finally playing well.

Image source: Sun-Times.com

The team’s roster has always been stacked — especially for a semi-small market team – yet they’ve been underachieving the past few years of the Dusty Era.

The Reds have now won five in a row, seven of nine and 12 of 16. This has pulled the squad to within one single game of first place Saint Louis, as the Cards come to Great American Ballpark this weekend for a key May series.

That’s all I have to say, and I had to say it — to be fair.