Diamond Dust: The This Guy Has Staying Power Edition

I was among those who loved the Ryan Ludwick story in the first part of the season, which culminated in a trip to the All Star Game, but thought there was no way this could last. Over the last 10 games, Ludwick's average has gone from .292 to .307. Over this stretch, he has 6 HR and 11 RBIs. He now has 6 more home runs (29) and 9 more RBIs (82) than Albert Pujols. No one thought this possible, not even Ryan Ludwick's parents. The Not-So Crappy Cardinals have played a decent brand of baseball as of late, but the bullpen is becoming a major issue. Isringhausen does not have it right now, Franklin is not dependable, and McClellan is not ready for the spotlight despite a great rookie campaign thus far. Chris Perez, who has 24 career appearances, got the save against the L.A. Many Ramirez's last night. This is not the guy one wants closing out games this weekend against the front-running Cubs. TheCubs seem to have a stranglehold on the division, but the Cards remain only one game out of the Wild Card, trailing the Brew Crew. The Double C gave another great performance on Tuesday, pitching 5 scoreless (only 51 pitches) innings before taking no-decision when Izzy & Co. blew a 4-run 9th inning lead. I pose the same query form last week when it comes to the Cards. They can hit, but can they pitch? I wish I knew.

Random inane mutterings:

• Manny Ramirez has been on a tear since Boston gave him away, batting almost .600 with 4 home runs and 9 RBIs in 6 games. The funny thing about this is that before acquiring Ramirez, the Dodgers were a .500 team (54-54), and after acquiring Ramirez, the Dodgers are a .500 team (3-3).


• The Mets have bullpen issues, but remain within striking distance of the Phillies.


• The Terrible Tigers are on life support and I fear the doctor is about to ask me if I want to pull the plug on my World Series pick after they lost 6 in a row this week.


• Is Seattle really 26.5 games behind the Angels?


• Chipper Jones could win the NL batting title by missing the rest of the season, he is currently 19 points ahead of Pujols (.369-.350).


• Carlos Lee is the most underrated player in baseball right now (.309/28 HR/97 RBI).

Diamond Dust: The Welcome Back Edition

The Double C returned from a long, long, long stint on the DL to pitch effectively on Wednesday night. He only went 4 innings and threw 67 pitches, but he also only gave up one earned run. Needless to say, this was a much better return than the Mark Mulder experience. A healthy Chris Carpenter will add stability to a pitching rotation that has survived despite countless injuries. As of late, the bullpen has been obnoxiously bad. Rookie Kyle McClellan seems overworked, Ryan Franklin has shown he is better suited for the set-up role, and Ron Villone has been awful. A sweep at the hands of the Cubs has put the Brew Crew in a tie with the Cardinals in the Wild Card, but the resurgent Mets and insurgent Marlins are close behind. The Cards can hit (more runs scored than the Brewers), the question is, can they pitch?

Senseless mutterings:

• The Dodgers add Manny Ramirez with the Red Sox giving up a lot financially and in talent to get rid of one of the best hitters of this era. For the woeful Dodgers, this is the type of player they desparately need. A guy who can actually hit the ball over the fence. Of course, Andruw was supposed to be that guy, but his supplier stopped getting him the inspiration he needed, thus he has been rendered ineffective. Furcal's continued absence will be what ultimatley sinks this ship in a bad division.
  
• The addition of Jason Bay was a nice one for the super annoying Red Sox, as they replace an older, disgruntled player with a much younger, happier one. Bay is no Manny and has zero playoff experience, but this guy has not peaked yet and could be a stalwart in that lineup for years to come.
• It must be nice to be the Yankees. You lose your catcher, no problem, just go out and acquire one for $12.5 million. The acquisition of Nady and Marte was a great move.
  
• The rich get richer, as the Angels get Mark Texieria from the disappointing Braves. Now, instead of winning every game 4-2, they will win 7-2. Somewhere, Boby Thigpen is smiling. This team is in a class by itself at the moment.
• The standings seem to be taking on a more recognizable appearance, with a few exceptions. The Devil Rays, Marlins, White Sox, and Not-So Crappy Cardinals continue to defy expectations. The Cubs seem to be pulling away in the NL Central, the Angels might clinch the NL West tomorrow, the Mets have managed to get to the top of a very competitive NL East, and the Tigers are very slowly moving in on the White Sox.

Go see what LWAL's favorite old man thinks here.

Diamond Dust: Power Players Edition, V.3.0

The All Star game was one to remember. I would like to put forth a notion that no one should be allowed on the field if they are unable to play. Why have Kazmir in the bullpen if they do not want him to pitch? If the game counts (as they have told us continually), these guys have to act like it. Credit to Clint Hurdle for throwing his guy for three innings before bringing in Brandon Webb.

The Not-So Crappy Cardinals have come out swinging in the second part of the season in sweeping the lowly Padres in impressive manner, coming from behind to win each of the games. None were more dramatic than Aaron Miles' walk-off grand slam in yesterday's 9-5 victory. The time has come to shut down Jason Isringhausen, as he blew a two run ninth inning lead yesterday. Troy Glaus is currently the hottest hitter o the planet. After a loss to the Phillies on July 10, Glaus was hitting .256. Since then his average has shot to .284 over 7 games. During this stretch, he has gone 17-29 with 12 runs scored, 4 doubles, 5 home runs, 9 RBIs, and has only struck out 3 times. More importantly, during this stretch, the Cards are 6-1, winning their last 5. The team will be tested this week, starting a four game set at home against the similarly hot Brew Crew and three this weekend against the Mets. And now for power players:

Top Bats:

1. Lance Berkman (1)-.342 (2)/22 HR (8t)/73 RBI (4)/.438 OBP (3)/.638 SLG (1)/30 2B (2)/15 SB (13t)
2. Josh Hamilton (2)-.309 (10)/21 HR (3t)/95 RBI (1)/.365 OBP (22)/.545 SLG (6)/24 2B (24t)
3. Albert Pujols (5)-.359 (2)/18 HR (20t)/55 RBI (30t)/.472 OBP (1)/.611 SLG (2)/21 2B (35t)/14 games missed
4. Chipper Jones (3)-.373 (1)/18 HR (20t)/53 RBI (33t)/.469 OBP (2)/.607 SLG (3)/12 games missed
5. Ian Kinsler (NR)-.328 (1)/14 HR (24t)/5 RBI (12t)/.389 OBP (9)/.533 SLG (9t)/34 2B (2)/24 SB (5t)

Guys to keep an eye on: Chase Utley (4), Dan Uggla, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Ryan Braun, Ryan Ludwick, Carlos Quentin, Jermain Dye, Milton Bradley

Top Arms:

1. Cliff Lee (2)-13-2 (1)/2.29 ERA (1)/110 K (7)
2. Edinson Volquez (1)-13-3 (2t)/2.49 ERA (1)/129 K (4)
3. Francisco Rodriguez (NR)-44 IP/2.25 ERA/45 K/40-43 SVO (1)
4. Brad Lidge (NR)-41 IP/1.10 ERA/56 K/21-21 SVO (5)
5. Tim Lincecum (4)-11-3 (5t)/2.79 ERA (4)/143 K (1)

Guys to keep an eye on: Justin Duchsherer, Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, Ben Sheets, Carlos Zambrano, Roy Halladay, JOe Saunders, Ervin Santana

Diamond Dust: The All Star Edition

The MLB All Star Game is the best of its kind with the Pro Bowl being the most insufferable. There are two major problems with the Summer Classic, first is the fan voting and second is the fact that the winning team gets home field advantage in the World Series. The second is so inane and irritating that I cannot devote anymore space to it here. The fan voting is irritating when the entire infield is made up of Yankees and Red Sox in the AL and the NL outfield is littered with undeserving Cubs. It is the job of the managers to fix what the fans do and for the most part a good job was done this year with two glaring exceptions. Brian Wilson is not an All Star. A certain amount of credit is due to the man for leading the NL in saves, but his ERA is 4.37. The conversation on Mr. Wilson ends there. But the biggest offense is Jason Varitek. His selection is embarrassing. He is not the second, third, fourth, or fifth best player at his position in his league. Varitek is hitting .215. You read that right, .215. It is not clear to me when .215, even for a catcher (one who is not a great defensive catcher mind you) was relegted to All Star level. I will argue that it is not.

The Not-So Crappy Cardinals continue to play at a level no one thought possible. Currently, this crop of overachievers has the second best record in the NL, only .5 game up on the hard charging Brew Crew. While the Cubs and Brewers have made news in acquiring C.C. Sabathia and Dan Haren this week, the Cardinals will look to some old arms to give them a boost. Mark Mulder returns to the rotation tonight in Philadelphia and the Double C continues his rehab and should be ready in August. I am weary of Mulder's chances of getting back to where he was when the Cardinals acquired him in 2005 (his only healthy season in a Cardinals uniform), but am willing to give Dave "the Miracle Worker" Duncan the benefit of the doubt. The Cardinals have showed up as a potential suitor for the red-hot Matt Holiday. Probably will not happen, but stay tuned. Ryan Ludwick's selection after a career thus far ravaged by injury was certainly deserved and would get more attention if not for Josh Hamilton's amazing story.

Other random mutterings:

• The Devil Rays continue to be the story in the first half. The Washington Nationals were the story in 2005 when they led at the break, so let's slow down on projecting this bunch into the World Series. While it is legitimate to point out that the 2008 Devil Rays are much more talented than the 2005 Nationals, the latter did not have have the Red Sox and Yankees behind them in the standings.
• The Tigers have put themselves into the conversation in the AL Central, but the White Sox and Twins have been sensational as of late.
• Remember when the Mets were finished? They currently reside 1.5 games behind the overrated Phillies.
• The NL West is a disaster.
• Ian Kinsler is as Pato Banton would say "bubbling hot," Josh Hamilton might drive in 150 runs, Justin Duchscherer (try spelling that correctly without looking) is currently the best pitcher in baseball, Joe Saunders will not win 20 games, Brandon Webb might win 25 games, Ryan Howard has 137 more career strikeouts than Albert Pujols in 2,470 fewer at-bats and might strikeout 250 times this season, and I do not care if A-Rod is f^cking Madonna.

Go see what the old man's got cooking here.

Diamond Dust: The ??? Edition

The big story upon waking up this morning was that the Mets fired manager Willie Randolph. This should have surprised no one, as there have been hints of this taking place since Memorial Day. It is not clear what the Mets were doing with this situation over the past several weeks. Why let the man fly to Anaheim and win for a third time in four outings and then fire him? Is it amateur hour in the Big Apple? Now, to be fair to the Mets brass, Randolph has disappointed as a manger. This team should have won the World Series in 2006 but lost in dramatic fashion to you know who in the NLCS (go here for a refresher). Then last season's record collapse did not do much for confidence. Many of the smartest baseball minds thought the Mets were a shoo-in to win the NL this year (like here), but this team has not played anywhere close to its potential.

At 6.5 games behind the Phillies, who are about to cool off after a torrid stretch, with 90 to play it is not time to throw people overboard. Especially when Plan B is Jerry Manual, who makes Randolph seem animated and excitable. The season isn't over for the Mets, but they need to get it together fast. Buster Olney's take is worth a look here.

_

It is June 17 and the Not-So Crappy Cardinals have the second best record in the NL. As much as I would love to say I saw this coming, I didn't. This team has been resilient, overcoming pitching injuries to continue winning. Without Pujols and Wainwright, the Cards managed to take a weekend series from the aforementioned Phillies. The keys to this teams success not named Albert Pujols has been the All-Star level play of Ryan Ludwick (.310/16/54), the solid hitting of Yadier Molina (.295/only 9 K), the emergence of Skip Schumaker in the lead-off spot (.310/4/25), and the surprising performances of guys who were once thought to be worthless as big league pitchers. This list includes Kyle Lohse (8-2/3.77), Todd Wellemeyer (7-2/3.67), and Braden Looper (8-5/4.34). Add Carpenter and Mulder (I do not believe Mark Mulder will ever be an effective big league starter again) after the All Star game and the Not-So Crappy Cardinals start to resemble contenders.

_

Random utterances:

• Teams to watch out for: The Tigers have won 8 out of 10; the Padres have won 7 out of 10 and almost pulled even with the lowly Dodgers for second in a terrible NL West; the super annoying Yankees have won 7 out of 10 and are slowly poaching the Devil Rays.
• Biggest disappointments to date: 1. Tigers, 2. Mets, 3. Padres, 4. Dodgers, 5. Mariners
• Most surprising to date: 1. Devil Rays, 2. Marlins, 3. White Sox, 4. Oakland, 5. Pittsburgh/Baltimore
• Best players no one had heard of before the start of the season: Edinson Volquez, Shaun Marcum, George Sherill

For the older generation's take, go here.

Diamond Dust: The Power Players Edition

The Not-So Crappy Cardinals continue to play a brand of baseball that no one thought possible. Exceptional pitching and a solid offense has catapulted them into the league's elite through 36 games. Ryan Ludwick is the hottest player in the league, hitting .522 with 3 HRs, 7 RBIs, .538 OBP, and 1.087 SLG in the month of May thus far. This team's biggest problem right now is the right arm of Jason Isringhausen, who, despite leading the NL with 11 saves, currently has an ERA of 6.60 and four blown saves, which is somewhat unnerving. There are still several other teams playing either way above their expected level and many who are playing well below. The Devil Rays continue to keep their heads above .500, Minnesota and the Chi Sox are 1-2 in a terrible AL Central, the Oakland A's are eight games over .500, Florida leads the NL East, and no one thought the Diamondbacks were this good. As for the disappointing, the Pussy Cats from Detroit are playing like a Triple-A team, as are the new-look Seattle Mariners, who seem be just as terrible as last year's version. Both of these teams should be much better. The Indians are two games under .500 and the Yankees are playing .500 baseball. The Mets should not be in fourth place at any point, thus their slow start is a disappointment. And the Padres are 11 games below .500, two games behind the Giants. And now for the debut of power players, senseless rankings of pitchers and hitters done by yours truly:

Top 5 Pitchers:

1. Cliff Lee--6-0/.81 ERA/44.2 IP/2 BB
2. Edinson Volquez--5-1/1.06 ERA/42.1 IP/52 K
3. Brandon Webb--8-0/2.41 ERA/56 IP
4. Ervin Santana--6-0/2.02 ERA
5. Mariano Rivera--14 IP/0.00 ERA/12 K/5 H/2 BB

Top 5 Hitters:

1. Chipper Jones-Hornsby--.419/10 HR/29 RBI/.471 OBP/.718 SLG
2. Lance Berkman--.368/11 HR/33 RBI/.449 OBP/.752 SLG
3. Chase Utley--.345/13 HR/28 RBI//.423 OBP/.727 SLG
4. Xavier Nady--.349/5 HR/34 RBI/.411 OBP/.558 SLG
5. Geovany Soto--.345/6 HR/24 RBI/.447 OBP/.645 SLG
   

Diamond Dust: Cardinals, Chipper, and Cliff Edition

The Not-So Crappy Cardinals continue to impress, weathering last week's stretch of bad baseball by winning three out of four and reclaiming a share of first place in the NL Central. Pujols is still the best player on the planet, but the play of Skip Schumaker, Adam Kennedy (yes, the same Kennedy who was good 5 years ago), and Ryan Ludwick at the plate have given this team a lift. The pitching of these Cardinals continues to defy the odds. What should have been one of the worst rotations in the last 25 years, has been lights-out:

• Adam Wainwright--3-1/2.79 ERA
• Kyle Lohse--3-0/2.36 ERA
• Joel Pineiro--2-2/3.75 ERA
• Braden Looper--3-1/4.05 ERA
• Todd Wellemeyer--2-1/4.14 ERA

Currently, the Cardinals rank third in all of baseball with a team ERA of 3.46. Other baseball-related observations not related to the Not-So Crappy Cardinals are:

• Many surprises continue at the top of many divisions. The Orioles continue to torment its fan base by playing well. I am setting the over-under for days before the birds start their collapse and end up in the cellar at 20. The White Sox are still on top and the Tigers are still at the bottom of the AL Central, but the latter is still working on closing the gap. How is Oakland tied for first with the ALs best record? A league best, 3.11 team ERA helps. The Marlins still lead the NL East despite ranking 21st in team ERA, 18th in runs scored, and 29th in team fielding percentage. What does this team do well? Win.
• Chipper Jones is doing his best 1925 Rogers Hornsby. In 1925, Hornsby hit .404 with 39 home runs and 143 RBIs for the Cardinals. Chipper is currently hitting .432 with 8 home runs and 21 RBIs. Can he stay healthy?
• While Cliff Lee has been nothing short of sensational, as chronicled here, Brandon Webb is trying to be the NL version of Cliff Lee, sexy 0.28 ERA not included. In 6 starts, Webb is 6-0 with an ERA of 1.98 (Cliff Lee scoffs at an ERA that high) and 34 strikeouts in 41 innings pitched.
• Hitters to watch not named Chipper--Albert Pujols, Chase Utley, Pat Burrell, Derrick Lee, Rafael Furcal, Manny Ramirez, and Josh Hamilton
• Pitchers to watch not named Cliff and Brandon--Edinson Volquez (who?), Ben Sheets, Tim Lincecum, and Zack Greinke

Diamond Dust: The Tigers Have a Pulse and the Crappy Cardinals Rear Their Ugly Head

It is amazing how much easier it is to win when you hit. The Tigers have finally realized this in winning 3 in a row and 7 of their last 10. It is safe to say that two weeks from now the teams that are currently fourth and fifth respectively in the AL Central (Detroit and Cleveland) will probably be at the top, as the White Sox, Royals, and Twins have already started to fade into oblivion. The Not-So Crappy Cardinals are trying their hardest not to morph into the Crappy Cardinals, but losing 6 out of 10 will not help. The team ERA is slowly ticking upward (still 6th in all of baseball at a respectable 3.72). This team's ability to pitch has been its diagnosed issue, thus this trend is concerning. Mark Mulder is making rehab starts and could be back soon. Needless to say I am not holding my breath. Other points of intrigue include:

• Baltimore, Oakland, Chicago White Sox, and Florida continue to play way above their heads.
• The Phillies have the two best players in the league right now--Chase Utley is hitting .368 with 10 HR/21 RBI and Pat Burrell is hitting .351 with 8 HR/23 RBI.
• Brandon Webb and the Diamondbacks are attempting to run away and hide--Despite Johan Santana and Jake Peavy, Brandon Webb reminds us that he is pretty good too (5-0/2.31 ERA/29 K) and the Diamondbacks have found that pop that yours truly said did not exist and are 6 games up in a seemingly very overrated NL West.
• John Smoltz got to 3,000 K's, imagine how many he might had he not had to pitch out the bullpen for three seasons. In mentioning the great NL pitchers above, I failed to mention the guy who tops that impressive list. No one is enjoying a better start to the season than Old Man Smoltz. He is 3-1 with a .79 ERA and has struck out 31 in only 23 IP.

Check out LWAL's Senior Baseball Correspondent's take here.

To Juice Or Not To Juice...

After blowing another save yesterday against the Not-So Crappy Cardinals, Eric Gagne has now blown three of nine save opportunities this season and has an ERA of 8.31. Right now, he is so inept that he makes the injured Joe Borowski seem like Rollie Fingers comparatively. This guy needs a shot in the arm at this point in his career. Literally, he needs an injection of those steroids that fooled many into believing he was a legitimate big league closer between 2002 and 2004. And not those B-12 shots that Miguel Tejada was passing out in the Orioles clubhouse or that weak flax seed oil that the same trainer gave to both Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield. He needs the hard stuff, the kind that took Lyle Alzado's life prematurely. Gagne's 84 straight saves and 2003 Cy Young Award are as legitimate as Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds' combined 1,345 home runs. During the aforementioned period where he was consistently injecting himself with steroids, Gagne converted 157 out of 163 save opportunities, appearing in an average of 75 games a year over this three year span. Since the 2004 season, Gagne's right arm has broken down about as often as my old 1984 Chrysler LeBaron used to. Since the juice has run dry, Gagne has converted 31 of 38 save opportunities and appeared in only 80 games total. For those of us that were on to this guy from the get-go, it is nice to watch him struggle now that he is playing at the same level as others.

Diamond Dust: The Tigers and Mets are Making Me Look Like an Idiot

What do Baltimore, Kansas City, Oakland, Florida, St. Louis, and Arizona have in common? No, they are not all stops on George Michael's comeback tour this summer (anyone who pays for that is an idiot). These are the teams that currently reside at the top of their respective divisions two weeks into the long baseball season. Of course it is too early, who can forget the Nationals magical run in the first half of the 2005 season. On July 25 the Nationals were tied with the Braves for first place (after leading for several weeks) in a weak NL East, before going on to finish in the cellar, nine games back. In that same season, the Baltimore Orioles were in first place in the always tough AL East, four games ahead of the utterly irritating Boston Red Sox on June 1. By season's end, they were in fourth, 22 games behind the super annoying Yankees. The point is, things will change. The Royals will not continue to pitch lights out (a league best 2.46 ERA, almost a run better than the Diamondbacks and Cardinals). The Tigers will start hitting (a pitiful, league low 33 runs scored thus far). And the Mets will start winning (the health of the rotation is question mark). The Not-So Crappy Cardinals continue to pitch well and hit well enough to win, making their 9-4 start a truly pleasant surprise to yours truly.

A few other not-so bold predictions for this season, Jason Kendall (.405) and AJ Pierzynski (.421) will not win their respective league's batting titles. Justin Germano (0.00), Cliff Lee (0.61), Edwin Jackson (0.64), Ryan Dempster (0.69), Zack Greinke (0.75), Cole Hamels (0.82), Brian Bannister (0.86), and Kyle Lohse's (1.04) collective assault on Bob Gibson's 1.13 ERA will last about another five minutes. And Ryan Ludwick will neither finish the year hitting closer to .350 than .250 nor with a slugging percentage higher than Pujols (.800 to Pujols' .707). Random point that makes one's head spin-Justin Upton has yet to turn 21.

For more inane musings on baseball, see LWAL's resident baseball insider here.

Diamond Dust: The Not-So Crappy Cardinals Edition

If only everything that happened in the first week of the MLB season held true through October. Of course, if this were the case, the Devil Rays and Royals might have met for three or four pennants over the past five years. Two surprises stand out from week one. First is the play of the Detroit Tigers. In picking the Tigers to win the World Series, I never envisioned a scenario where they won the Central running away or started the year 15-0. But I did think they might manage a single win in six games against the Royals and the White Sox. They have the worst pitching in the AL thus far (5.30 team ERA) and have scored more runs than only the Giants and Rockies. The lack of offensive production is particularly alarming. Ordonez is hitting .280, Renteria .231, Jones .214, Sheffield .200, Cabrera .111, and Polanco .087. Collectively, these guys have combined for one home run (Cabrera). Who leads this run scoring juggernaut in home runs and RBIs? Brandon Inge with two and four respectively. It is early and there is a 100% chance that the Royals and White Sox will choke away their early lead.

The second and much more important development thus far is the play of the Not-So Crappy Cardinals. It is worth noting that this designation will changed based on the ebb and flow of the season. The Cardinals have the second best team ERA in the league? No, that cannot be right. Let me check that again...Apparently it is true (proof here). The Cardinals are 5-1 with their only loss being the Troy Glaus error game. The starters have been nothing short of amazing thus far:

1. Adam Wainwright: 1-0/8 IP/2.25 ERA
2. Kyle Lohse: 1-0/12 IP/0.00 ERA
3. Braden Looper: 1-0/6 IP/1.50 ERA
4. Todd Wellemeyer: 1-0/5 IP/1.80 ERA
5. Brad Thompson: 1-0/6 2/3 IP/0.00 ERA

If only MLB adopted a 16 game schedule like the NFL. In going 5-1, Pujols only has only one RBI, but Ankiel has picked up the slack with 3 home runs and 6 RBIs. Also, Brian Barton (who?) has emerged as a decent option in the lead-off spot and Yadier Molina is off to his best start as a pro. Will this last? No. I am fairly certain that Barton won't be threatening Nap Lajoie's .426 (he is currently hitting .455) and Kyle Lohse will give up at least one run in his next start. But, could this team stay competitive until C.C. comes back after the all-star break, in a division that features Eric Gagne (the no-steroids version) and Kerry Wood as closers? Possibly, it is the NL Central, first team to 85 wins gets the crown...