Managers of the Year

The straws that stir the drink, or I guess they might be the hand stirring the straw that is stirring the drink. The managers are often criticized, but then comes this time of the year when we look at how good of a job they did. The races for this award are usually not that interesting, mostly because you will have someone, in the National League this year for example, that is the overwhelming choice.

So as it is, Jim Tracy in the NL, manager of the Colorado Rockies, might as well have had his speech ready when they clinched a playoff spot. It is as simple as this, when Tracy took over the Rockies were 18-28. They finished in the playoffs with a record of 92-70. Enough said, he wins. You can talk about the jobs done by Tony La Russa and Bruce Bochy but they fail in comparison. It was a great turnaround and a great managing job.

Then when you look at the American League it is probably down to Joe Girardi and Mike Scioscia. The two teams with the best records, and were handled the best by their managers. Sure, Don Wakamatsu had a great year in turning the Mariners around, but they also got some better talent. Then Ron Gardenhire did a great job without two of his best players for a good portion of the year, and made a valiant run into the playoffs, but you have to look at the intangibles.

While Scioscia had a great year, especially after the death of Nick Adenhart, I think that you have to give it to Girardi. He came into the season on the hot seat after the Yankees had not made the playoffs the previous year for the first time in 12. He had a star that was hurt both physically with his hip, and then mentally and emotionally with the steroids scandal in Alex Rodriguez. He had three new, big signees in C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira that he had to get in there and win now with. They themselves started out slow, 13-15 before Rodriguez returned, and the team finished 103-59 with the best record in the majors.

There were a lot of managers that may have deserved it, but Girardi stepped up with the pressure and media circus surrounding them and led them to where they should be. A slow start into the best record in the league, and that is got to be worth something.

American League Cy Young Award

So this is an interesting race because of the intangibles that are involved. The players that are up for the award are of different records and credentials, as well as teams and baseball class really. In the end there are probably four pitchers that are legitimately in the discussion, including Felix Hernandez, Zach Greinke, C.C. Sabathia, and Mariano Rivera. You have guys that are in the middle of the pack, a low level team, and the new World Series Champions, along with the fact that one is a closer.

Greinke is a good place to start, because in all reality he should probably be the guy to win the award this year. Greinke had an ERA of only 2.16, while striking out 242 batters (which was more than all three of the others mentioned, 25 more than Hernandez who was second), and had more shutouts that the other two starting pitchers combined. That is all in his favor, not to mention that as the ace of the Kansas City Royals he won 16 games. The team only won 65 games, so he won almost a quarter of their games as the starter by decision. You put him on another team who knows what his win total is, and that has to be a factor.

Hernandez was no slouch himself, he only had 19 wins in 24 decisions, to accompany an ERA of 2.49, in a hitters ballpark in Seattle. He also pitched more innings than Greinke, while also giving up only 11 more earned runs. On the other hand he also gave up 20 more walks than Greinke, along with four more home runs.

Sabathia, the big hurler from the Yankees is a different animal to look at, because of the atmosphere that surrounded a lot of his starts, and what he did in the most meaningful starts. He also had 19 wins, and was an inning eater when his team needed him to be. His ERA was a solid 3.37, though that is a detriment despite because of the lower ERA's of the others in the running. While giving up only 18 home runs in what was a hitter's ballpark, his opponents avg. was also worse than Greinke's at .230, and Hernandez's at an impressive .227.

Finally, there is Rivera who has some history on his side. Having a season in which he achieved the status of 500 saves is something that has to be in his favor. Being a closer you have to look into his stats more, but in 66.1 innings pitched Rivera was able to strike out 72 batters, had an ERA of 1.76 and 44 saves in 46 chances, finding himself third in saves. It will be very hard however for Rivera to win as a closer, especially given the seasons by the starters he is going up against.

In the end Zach Greinke was amazing the whole year, and he had the best statistics amongst those that are up for the award, all while playing in Kansas City. I think that if Greinke does not win the award that it is a mistake by all those that voted.

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The Yankees spend money, we get it

I have to be honest, as a Yankees fan last offseason I liked getting the players, but I knew that they were setting themselves up. Either they win and bought a championship, or they lose and wasted their money TRYING to buy a championship. Then come postseason and they are talking about the core-four (they being the media), and I am thinking alright, well at least I do not have to listen to the buying stuff anymore.

Then come the fans, the bitter ones, that all they want to do is talk about buying championships. Enough already, because it really is getting old, and you need to come with something better than that. Look at the roster, and you will be surprised with what you see. Sure they "bought" C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and M.C (he goes by Mark but I just saw the initials trend going) Teixeira.

Let us go past the core-four though, and look at the rest of the team. Robinson Cano was signed by the Yankees in 2001 and was in their minor league system until being called up in 2005. Joba Chamberlain was drafted by the Yankees at number 41 in the 2006 MLB Draft after a stellar career at Nebraska. Phil Hughes was drafted by the Yankees in the 2004 MLB Draft in the first round. Brett Gardner was drafted by the Yankees in the 2005 MLB Draft in the third round following his junior year of college. In the same draft that they got Joba the Yankees drafted David Robertson in round 17. As was the case with Cano, the Yankees signed Melky Cabrera when he was just 17, back in 2001.

These players, along with the core-four were all homegrown products. They were drafted and signed by the Yankees, and are making their careers with the Yankees. Now, I am not saying that these guys all mean more than the A-Rods, Teixeiras, Sabathias, but they do mean something. The Yankees are paying big time players, but their farm system and scouting is getting them great players too. Enough with the buying of championships.

This list does not even include guys that they brought up through the system and elected to let them leave, i.e. Alfonso Soriano. Yeah you might have heard of him, among others. The Yankees know and evaluate talent as well as any team.

Last time I checked, Pedro, Manny, Ortiz, Schilling, Damon, Lowe, Foulke and others were not coming through the Red Sox farm system.

Hot Topic 2: John Lackey

John Lackey has been consistent, has won a World Series, and now he wants to get paid. Nobody is going to argue with those facts, and frankly they should not. In the last five seasons Lackey has had a record on average of roughly 13-7, without an ERA over 3.83. The thing about Lackey is that he gets better in the postseason, in which is ERA is 3.12 overall.

The native Texan is now, along with agent Steve Hillard, is looking for suitors willing to put up the big bucks. Last year A.J. Burnett signed with the Yankees for five-years and $82.5 million. Burnett going into that negotiation had been with Florida and then Toronto the previous five years, and in comparison to Lackey was not as good a pitcher statistically. He averaged a record of roughly 11-8 during that stretch, and an ERA of 3.75 or higher three times.

In that comparison there are other factors that have to be looked into, as the Angels were a better team overall than both Florida and Toronto. While Burnett had only one strikeout less in that five year span in almost 1a0 less innings pitched. So while the record and ERA are in favor of Lackey, Burnett is able to claim other advantages himself.

So while Lackey may want, and deserve Burnett type money, it is a tough call for clubs to make, and there might only be a certain number of suitors for that price range. As goes with Holliday, the rich are the ones that are going to be able to afford Lackey, so let the buying championships rants begin.

Let the offseason begin. Hot topic 1: Matt Holliday

Some people tend to think that this year's free agency group in baseball is lackluster, not as great as others. You know what that means for those lucky enough to be in that pool, getting over payed. Yay! One guy that is hoping so, though he is a free agent that is worth the money and elite in any class, is Matt Holliday.

The slugging outfielder is one of those players that you look at and realize, he gets it. He knows how to play the game, and he definitely knows how to hit. Now the question is, where is he going to be hitting next season?

At the winter meetings the teams were already trying to jump ahead of one another, and the New York Mets certainly were not going to wait after their dismal year last year. In meeting with Scott Boras, the agent of Holliday, they were trying to get a leg up on the competition, which will be stiff. The Mets are definitely one of the teams that can handle his contract though, as they were in the top five of highest team salaries last year.

Other teams that might be interested include the Giants and the Angels, those California squads. As of right now the Yankees are said to be tending to their re-signing of players from the championship team, but you can never count them out. They are going to be after World Series number 28, and anybody that can help seems to be a good fit, right?

While the Yankees and Mets in New York, and the Giants and Angels in California are the main targets as of now for Holliday, everyone in between the continental United States would love to bring him in as well. Do not count out that little New England town either...