2006 Managers of the Year

Predicting the Predictable

While most people predict the more popular categories, I'd like to take a shot at predicting quite possibly the most predictable category. Managers of the Year. Typically, this award will go to the manager of a good team that was a bit better than they were the year before. I simply took a look back at the 2005 season, found a few disappointing teams, and am guessing that they won't be as disappointing this season. Also, having managers than everyone has heard of does not hurt. Without further ado...

2006 AL Manager of the Year: Joe Torre
The Yankees definitely had some issues last year in their road to the playoffs. They didn't make too many changes this year, although the addition of Johnny "Clean shavin' " Damon is certainly noteworthy. I expect less bumps this season, and 100 wins from these Yanks. ESPN will probably promote a 100-110 win season as the Yankees' "Return to Glory," so they would certainly give the award to Torre.

2006 NL Manager of the Year: Dusty Baker
I thought the Cubs were the most disappointing team in baseball last year. However, their offense was solid, and with the addition of Juan Pierre, it should be terrific (as long as Dusty gives Pierre the green light). If their pitching staff performs anywhere near expectations this year, they should be golden. Mark Prior, Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano are an incredible Big 3 when healthy (not to mention three of the best hitting pitchers in baseball). I think the Cubs can continue the trend of curse-ridden teams winning World Series in 2006. As long as they come anywhere close that, Dusty should win Manager of the Year.

Preseason Power Rankings

Since everyone likes Power rankings, here's a list of my own!

1. New York Yankees - Yeah, ok, I know I'm a dirty Yankees fan, but seriously; this team has the capability to score 950 runs this year. I know pitching might be a problem, but with the way Shawn Chacon, Aaron Small and Chien-Ming Wang pitched in the 2nd half last year, it'd be hard to deem the Yankees staff as anything less than good. If pitchers stay healthy, the team could have a great 5-man rotation come June. All this and one of the best bullpens in the Majors (Rivera, Dotel, Farnsworth), as well as by far the best lineup in the Majors will have the Bronx Bombers seeing fireworks in October.

2. Chicago White Sox - The defending World Champs (Well, I guess now Japan is) have a lot to prove in 2006, and with stellar pitching and excellent pitching, they should be able to do so. The addition of Jim Thome should give this team a lift, because simply put, there's no way he'll suck as badly as he did last year. Buehrle and Garland are aces on any staff.

3. St. Louis Cardinals - Albert Pujols and the Cards' incredibly rotation will drive this team to the top of the NL Central. Chris Carpenter is an absolute machine with great mechanics, while Suppan and Mulder will get easy wins for the Birds.

4. Boston Red Sox - This team is deep; and I mean really deep. It seemed like with each free agent acquired, the Sox got a great player for a great price. This team did really well this off-season with Beckett and Pena, and Coco Crisp will fill the hole that Damon left behind. Save Manny throwing (another) hissy fit, this team should be playoff-bound.

5. Oakland Athletics - There's not enough that I can say abut the A's. While in the last few years they havn't had a great lineup, they've still seemed to win. I hate typecasting players and teams as "winners," but Harden and his rotation have anchored this team as of late, and will continue to do so in 2006. Frank Thomas is a great addition to a team missing power.

6. Atlanta Braves - Although Leo Mazzone is gone, it'll be interesting and fun to watch the Braves (on tbs ... again) in 06. John Smoltz and Tim Hudson are two of the best pitchers in the Majors, and although the bullpen is an asterisk, excellent hitting from Andruw Jones, Chipper Jones and Adam LaRoche should anchor this team at the top of the NL East.

7. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - The Angels are the type of team that you wonder how they can lose. With incredible hitting from Vlad Guerrerro, Garrett Anderson and Chone Figgins, the Angels have the ability to be the best team in the Majors (although currently, they don't have a spot in the playoffs). An excellent 5-man rotation lead by Fatty (Bartolo Colon) and John Lackey, along with K-Rod closing represents by far the best pitching staff in all of baseball.

8. Houston Astros - Although Jeff Bagwell is most likely not playing again, the Killer B's should be able to pull off a wildcard birth (no way they take the Central) with their hitting. Great pickup with Preston Wilson in the offseason, and if Andy Pettitte stays healthy, he could be a serious Cy-Young threat, and thats excluding Roy Oswalt. Morgan Ensberg is also one of the most underrated players in baseball.

9. Cleveland Indians - If they hadn't dropped off so suddenly at the end of 2005, they'd be higher on this list. With the best catcher in baseball (Victor Martinez), and a very solid rotation, the Indians will be fighting for an AL wildcard spot, which isn't out of the question. Lots of young talent will lead this team to a good record.

10. New York Mets - The Mets are another team that screams deep. An incredible pitching staff, along with a killer lineup could drive the Amazin' Mets back into playoff contention. Jose Reyes should pick up his OBP and produce more runs, especially if driven in by Delgado, or the up-and-coming superstar David Wright.

11. Chicago Cubs - Oh, poor Cubs. It looks like Prior won't be back any time soon, and Kerry Wood's fastball isn't anywhere close to where it was in his prime. Great hitting will lead this team to another 3rd place finish, and hopefully this time Derek Lee won't get an MVP stolen from him. The Cubbies outfield is a far cry from what it was in 2003, with Sosa and Alou being replaced by my favorite French men, Juan Pierre and Jaque Jones. My prediction: lose Dusty and make the playoffs.

12. Texas Rangers - The Rangers are probably the best hitting team in the AL West. Unfortunately for them, their pitching is absolutely in shambles. Eaton is hurt, but Kevin Millwood was a great pickup for a team in need. Vincente Padilla will struggle to post a sub-4 ERA, but hey, with hitting that good, who needs pitching?

13. Philadelphia Phillies - The Phanatic will have to wait another year for his team to make the playoffs, as the NL is too rich with talent for them to be considered legitimate threats. Last year they kept up well with the pack, and if Rollins continues hitting like he did in the 2nd half, they might have a shot. Brett Myers is a legit pick for the Cy.

14. Toronto Blue Jays - The Blue Jays were rather reckless in their spending this off-season, picking up big names (and contracts) such as AJ Burnett and BJ Ryan (whats with their infatuation with guys without real names?!). The AL BEast is too strong for them to get into the equation this year, but with young arms and good hitting, they could be a threat in 2007.

15. San Francisco Giants - Oh, how the mighty have fallen. I've always regarded the Giants as a winning organization, but the last two years have sent this team into a downward spiral. Don't worry though, the Orangemen have great prospects, as Matt Cain and Noah Lowry have the ability to post incredible numbers this year. If Bonds stays healthy this year (and hopefully he won't), he'll win another MVP, with or without the 'roids. And hey, at least its the NL West!

16. Baltimore Orioles - Good young arms from Daniel Cabrera and Bruce Chen could give this team a glance at the playoff picture in the future, but again, the AL BEast is too strong for a team lacking a bullpen and great hitting. Mazzone should help out Cabrera and Chen, and Miggy could churn out 100 RBI again, but this team is a far cry from the playoffs.

17. San Diego Padres - Again, anything can happen in the West. The Padres, to put it bluntly, are not a great team, but unfortunately for most of the teams above them on this list, they have the capacity to make the playoffs with a .500 record, due to the lack of talent in the West.

18. Minnesota Twins - The Twins lost a great outfielder in Jaque Jones, significantly falling from AL Central clinch to AL mediocrity in just two short years. Johan Santana should win the Cy, which will be the only trophy the Twins will be able to glance at in November.

19. Los Angeles Dodgers - Although their squad from two years ago would have won this division for sure, the Dodgers lack hitting, which could kill them in the long run. Their pitching in Jae Seo and Brad Penny could lead them into the playoffs, and hopefully will.

20. Milwaukee Brewers - The Brew Crew will have to wait a few years to be a legitimate contender, and if Prince Fielder keeps progressing as he has, that could be a real possibility. Ben Sheets has something to prove in Milwaukee, but other than that, Carlos Lee is the Brewers' only hope.

21. Washington Nationals - Soriano will cause major trouble in D.C., but rightfully so. Once a great 2nd baseman, Soriano is being told to play in the outfield, which could hinder him defensively in the future. Good pitching, and an ugly field, could lead this team into the playoff picture, but they'll fall short due to a serious lack of hitting.

22. Tampa Bay Devil Rays - The Devil Rays had one of the best second halves in the Majors last year, and should continue to succeed in the 2006 season. Although every year since their arrival to the Majors has been a rebuilding year, the D-Rays have a bright future ahead of them, with tons of great young talent.

23. Detroit Tigers - The Tigers are headed by Dmitri Young, and his completely non-platonic boyfriend Jeremy Bonderman. Althugh Pudge Rodriguez might have been a good addition a few years ago, he's ineffective now, and will continue to be so. This team lacks serious leadership, and could use some bullpen arms.

24. Cincinatti Reds - The Reds are a prime example of a well-hitting team with bad pitching. I'm just saying, if I were a GM, I'd see a red flag when Aaron Harang was my Opening-day starter. Dunn and Griffey are great fantasy options, and will get a ton of runs and RBI's.

25. Pittsburgh Pirates - The Pirates will have to wait a while for a playoff birth, but they have good things to look forward to in the future. Jason Bay and Zack Duke are two of the best youngsters in the game, and have a lot to prove this year to skeptics. Sean Casey and Jeromy Burnitz were good additions to this ailing squad.

26. Seattle Mariners - King Felix really needs to get the M's out of a rut, and if he's all that he's hyped up to be, he might be able to. Ichiro performed well in the WBC, hopefully a sign of things to come. If Beltre keeps performing like he has been in spring training, the Mariners will easily rise in the rankings, but are a ways away from a playoff birth.

27. Florida Marlins - After an extreme firesale this offseason, the Fish will count on youngsters Dontrelle Willis and Miggy Cabrera to acclerate attendance at Pro Player. The firesale really put these Marlins at risk to move, providing almost an exact replica of the movie Major League (D-train=Wild Thing)

28. Colorado Rockies - Hopefully the Rockies' woes will not include Todd Helton this year, as he should be back to his normal self. If not, expect a loooonnnng season at Coors.

29. Arizona Diamondbacks - The D-Backs have a long season ahead of them, especially Brandon Webb. After picking up fan-favorite Eric Byrnes, this team will struggle in 06, and can expect to finish around .400 (which could very well win them the West)

30. Kansas City Royals - This team just sucks; I shouldn't even say more about them.

NL ROY chatter

Although there were some good points made about past AL Rookie of the year winners, its interesting to see how the NL ROY winners are almost exactly opposite. While all but three winners in the American League in the last 15 years amounted to meaningless careers, almost every winner in the NL has seen a fantastic Major League tenure. In the last 15 years, only three winners (Eric Karros, Todd Hollandsworth and Jason Jennings) have not been been named All-Stars, and these three also happen to be three of the weakest winners in recent history. Although I don't necessarily believe that Jason Bay (2004) and Ryan Howard (2005) are good yet, I figure they have a few years to prove themselves. Here's a list of the others:

2003: Dontrelle Willis (FLA 14-6 3.30 142 SO) - D-Train has brought us constant entertainment since he entered the league. He shocked the world as a rookie with his high leg kick and zippy fastball, and after a short sophomore slump, he proved himself as an elite Major Leauge pitcher in 2005, going 22-10 while posting a 2.63 ERA.

2002: Jason Jennings (COL 16-8 4.52 127 SO) - Jennings is the only candidate on this list that I'd consider a complete flop. Although he won a lot of games at Coors, his 4.52 ERA in 2002 was less than stellar for a ROY winner.

2001: Albert Pujols (STL .329/.403/.610) - Theres not enough I can say about this guy. Incredibly classy and a decent defensive threat, Pujols has simply been tearing up the majors since his arrival. His career LOW in HR's is 35, which is nothing but astronomical. Pujols has the opportunity to break any Major League power record, and most likely will. Although its a bit early, he's the kind of guy who we can already say will be enshrined in Cooperstown.

2000: Rafael Furcal (ATL .295/.394/.382) - Furcal has been one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball the last couple of years, and is respected as one of the best overall shortstops in the game. Although his power numbers aren't high, he's a career .284 hitter, and is a perrenial fantasy favorite.

1999: Scott Williamson (CIN 12-7 (19 sv) 2.41 107 SO) - Williamson is one of the most underrated and under-utilized players in Major League Baseball. His game as of late has been flawed, only because he's been kept in the hard-worn Sox and Cubs bullpens. Williamson has the potential to get any batter out, and if played more, could turn around a career gone wry.

1998: Kerry Wood (CHC 13-6 3.40 233 SO) - One of the saddest stories in Major League Baseball has to be Kerry Wood. The flamethrower who came into the league as a 19-year-old and struck out 20 batters in a game has been plagued with injuries in the last few years, only further ailing the Cubbies injury problems. Kerry is a great pitcher with great mechanics, but needs to stay healthy to really prove himself again.

1997: Scott Rolen (PHI .283/.377/.469) - Rolen is absolutely incredible. Regardless of how he hits (which is phenominal), he is one of the best, if not the best, third baseman in baseball. How many times have we seen him charge impossible bunts and making the sidearm throw off one leg? This guys plays with heart every game of the season, and his stats only prove his dedication to the game.

1996: Todd Hollandsworth (LAD .291/.348/.437) - Hollandsworth is another asterisk on the list. He never hit 20 home runs in a season, and was never a big-name prospect. But hey, you gotta love when a players name has to be curved around his numbers because it has too many letters in it.

1995: Hideo Nomo (LAD 13-6 2.54 236 SO) - Nomo Mania swept LA (much like Fernandomania) in 1995, as the Japanese import put up incredible numbers, and gave Dodgers fans hope for the future. His numbers were never as good as his rookie season, but they remained respectable until lately, where he's been shipped around from team to team.

1994: Raul Mondesi (LAD .306/.333/.516) - The man who claimed "Joe Torre hates Dominicans" has provided a big bat, and an even bigger arm for seven teams in his 11-year career. This guy had the biggest gun in baseball until Vlad Guerrerro came to the states, but has hit over 250 home runs, and always been a decent right fielder.

1993: Mike Piazza (LAD .318/.370/.561) - Mike Piazza is the best-hitting catcher of the last 20 years, if not all-time. At this point, he and Johnny Bench are well-regarded as the two best of all time, without much difference between the two. Piazza led the Dodgers throughout the '90s, only to later be traded to the Mets. Big Mike was also the only real major leaguer on the Team Italy squad in the WBC (Sorry Dave Dellucci, you don't count).

1992: Eric Karros (LAD .257/.304/.426) - Again, Eric Karros sucks. His .257 average should not have won him the ROY award, enough said.

1991: Jeff Bagwell (HOU .294/.387/.437) - Jeff Bagwell is one of my favorite hitters of the '90s, only because of his hilarious stance. The heart of the Astros, and the origional "Killer Bee," Bagwell is a 4-time All Star, and won the MVP in 1995 when he hit .368 with 39 home runs. Simply incredible.


I think the most interesting thing about this list of winners is the fact that from 1992 to 1996, the Dodgers produced 5 winners in a row, and never made it to a championchip series. Although they were some of the weaker winners as of late, it's still shocking that they were not better with such young talent. So hey, maybe the ROY isn't a total fluke...

Barry

Bonds' Lawyers File Suit
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2381381

If anyone had any doubts about Barry Bonds' steroid (and all other performance-enhancing drugs) use, they should have disappeared today. Since Bonds didn't accuse the writers of Game of Shadows of libel, I think it's pretty fair to assume that he did use. You can give me innocent until proven guilty, but I think Balco charts with his name on them are pretty guilty.
Fans should be allowed to cheer for him this year if they don't care, and should feel free to boo if they do. He doesn't seem to have lost any power or bat speed (4 home runs in just a few partially-played games this spring), so you can expect a lot of noise, whether it be positive or negative. There should not even be debate over wiping out his homers from before the drugs he used were made illegal by MLB. After that happened, however, I think MLB has a right to investigate Bonds to see if he was indeed cheating. Whether you believe taking steroids is ok or not, you can't argue that breaking the rules is ok. If Barry was only using drugs while they were legal, then it just means that he was smarter than baseball, and that sucks for baseball.

(Note to Pac Bell/SBC/AT&T Park: Don't confiscate any funny steroid signs this year)

Some facts about Chuck

Well, since the blog is named after him, I figure he's deserving of the innagural (err, second) entry. Here are some unknown (and known) facts about the greatest 2nd baseman in New York Yankees history:

Chuck Knoblauch
Edward Charles Knoblauch

Bats Right, Throws Right Height 5' 9", Weight 181 lb. School Texas A&M University

Debut April 9, 1991 Final Game September 27, 2002 Born July 7, 1968 in Houston, TX

Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 1st round (25th pick) of the 1989 amateur draft

Year Ag Tm  Lg  G   AB    R    H   2B 3B  HR  RBI  SB CS  BB  SO   BA   OBP   SLG   TB   SH  SF IBB HBP GDP
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+---+---+---+---+---+
 1991 22 MIN AL 151  565   78  159  24  6   1   50  25  5  59  40  .281  .351  .350  198   1   5   0   4   8
 1992 23 MIN AL 155  600  104  178  19  6   2   56  34 13  88  60  .297  .384  .358  215   2  12   1   5   8
 1993 24 MIN AL 153  602   82  167  27  4   2   41  29 11  65  44  .277  .354  .346  208   4   5   1   9  11
 1994 25 MIN AL 109  445   85  139  45  3   5   51  35  6  41  56  .312  .381  .461  205   0   3   2  10  13
 1995 26 MIN AL 136  538  107  179  34  8  11   63  46 18  78  95  .333  .424  .487  262   0   3   3  10  15
 1996 27 MIN AL 153  578  140  197  35 14  13   72  45 14  98  74  .341  .448  .517  299   0   6   6  19   9
 1997 28 MIN AL 156  611  117  178  26 10   9   58  62 10  84  84  .291  .390  .411  251   0   4   6  17  11
 1998 29 NYY AL 150  603  117  160  25  4  17   64  31 12  76  70  .265  .361  .405  244   2   7   1  18  13
 1999 30 NYY AL 150  603  120  176  36  4  18   68  28  9  83  57  .292  .393  .454  274   3   5   0  21   7
 2000 31 NYY AL 102  400   75  113  22  2   5   26  15  7  46  45  .282  .366  .385  154   1   2   0   8   6
 2001 32 NYY AL 137  521   66  130  20  3   9   44  38  9  58  73  .250  .339  .351  183   5   2   1  14  10
 2002 33 KCR AL  80  300   41   63   9  0   6   22  19  3  28  32  .210  .284  .300   90   2   2   1   4   5
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+---+---+---+---+---+
12 Seasons         6366      1839     64      615    117     730  .289  .378  .406       20  56  22 139 116
              1632      1132      322     98      407    804                       2583
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+---+---+---+---+---+
162 Game Avg        632  112  183  32  6  10   61  40 12  80  72  .289  .378  .406  256   2   6   2  14  12
Career High    156  611  140  197  45 14  18   72  62 18  98  95  .341  .448  .517  299   5  12   6  21  15

As you can see, Chuck's stats weren't absolutely phenomenal, but a few stellar years picked up his career numbers. His .341 in 1996 put him 4th in the league in batting (Alex Rodriguez hit .358). Like most Yankee trade victims, Chuck crashed in New York, but served as a decent lead-off hitter to one of the greatest lineups in Yankee history (1998 114-48), and stole enough bases to be worthwhile. During the 1998 playoffs against the Cleveland Indians, Chuck began arguing with an umpire during play, allowing the Indians to score and win the game. Luckily, the Yanks picked up the series, and eventually swept the Padres in the WS. In 1999 his playing derailed, and he started making throwing errors to first base (deemed "yips" by local media), and finanally his Yankee career ended on the last night of the 2001 World Series, when Manager Joe Torre benched him (He hit an abysmal .056 in the playoffs).


Fun facts about Chuck:

Chuck is 4-time All-Star 2nd Baseman.
Chuck won the ROY award in 1991.
Chuck won a Gold Glove award in 1997.
Similar batters to Chuck include Delino Deshields and Ray Durham.
Chuck finished his 12-year career only 2 home runs shy of a whopping 100.

But hey... he did go to Texas A&M.