My Top 10 MLB Moments of 2010

10. The Three Triple Plays of 2010
I’m a sucker for great defensive plays, and a triple play always makes me tip my cap to the fielders who are able to get the three outs in a matter of seconds.

In April, the Yankees were the first team of the 2010 regular season to turn a triple play when Kurt Suzuki of the Oakland A’s hit a ground ball to Alex Rodriguez, who stepped onto third base for the first out, and then threw to Robinson Cano at second base for the second out. Cano then finished the 5-4-3 triple play by throwing to first to get Suzuki out and end the inning.

The Mets also completed a triple play a month later against the Nationals when Angel Pagan caught a liner from Cristian Guzman for the first out. Pagan then threw to Henry Blanco who was standing by the pitcher’s mound, and Blanco quickly tossed the ball to Jose Reyes standing on second, forcing another out. Reyes threw to Ike Davis at first to finish a bizarre 8-2-6-3 triple play.

In August, the Mariners turned a 5-4-3 triple play against the A’s.

9. Ken Griffey Jr. Says Goodbye
After a number of unfortunate injuries that affected his game, the Mariners great decided to retire. Griffey’s amazing swing and strong leadership brands him as one of baseball’s greatest players and he will always be remembered for the impact he had during his best years. With 630 career homers, he retired while being fifth on the all-time home run leaders list.

8. Mark Buehrle’s Opening Day Throw
He may not be the only perfect-game big shot, but I’m pretty sure Buehrle is the only pitcher to make a blind, in-between-the-legs assist to first. When Indians’ Lou Marson batted a ball to Buehrle that began to roll towards the first baseline after it hit his foot, Buehrle chased after it and with his glove, threw it – without looking – between his legs to first baseman Paul Konerko for the out. Watch it here: http://bit.ly/cYyPKq.

7. Matt Diaz Trips Phillies Fan
The most sickening story of this season was, without a doubt, the unapologetic Phillies fan that purposely vomited on an 11-year-old girl during a game at Citizens Bank Park.

So when Braves outfielder Matt Diaz decided to trip a senseless fan that stormed onto the field, some sense of vengeance towards those reckless Phils fans was met. Watch it here: http://bit.ly/9ayqnq.

6. New York Mets defeat St. Louis Cardinals in a 20-inning Game
Twenty innings, 19 pitchers, and 6 hours, 53 minutes later, the Mets finally scored on a tiebreaking sacrifice fly from Jose Reyes. Certainly an extra-innings heaven for baseball lovers.

5. Stephen Strasburg’s Debut
Stephen Strasburg did not disappoint all the people watching in the most anticipated debut of the baseball season. The 21-year-old dominated the Pirates lineup with 14 strikeouts, 0 BB, and 94 pitches (65 for strikes) in the Nationals 5-2 win. Strasburg finished off his successful night as he retired his final 10 batters, striking out his last seven.

4. Farewell Omar, Jerry
The Mets season might have ended with disappointment, but the replacement of General Manager Omar Minaya and Manager Jerry Manuel brought great pleasure for Mets fans after months of unsatisfactory management. With new additions, such as Sandy Alderson, J.P Ricciardi, and Paul DePodesta, Mets ownership seems determined to rebuild the organization…and they are not the only team to make big changes. The Marlins, Brewers, Braves, Blue Jays, Pirates, and Dodgers will also be starting the 2011 season with new managers.

3. Two Perfect Games
Dallas Braden and Roy Halladay’s perfect games epitomize the Year of the Pitcher for MLB in 2010. It is the only 20th century baseball season where two perfect games were thrown (the only other one occurred in 1880).

2. Roy Halladay’s Postseason No-Hitter
To throw a no-hitter is an amazing feat alone in itself, but to throw one in the postseason is something extraordinary. Roy Halladay continued to excel as he breezed through the Reds lineup to become the second pitcher ever to throw a no-no in the playoffs.

1. A Rangers vs. Giants World Series
The Rangers and the Giants played a great series as the underdogs of the ALCS and the NLCS made a run at the World Series Championship. The Rangers who have never won a playoff series before this season, proved to be strong competitors as they battled their way to the final series. And the Giants, who have had an intimidating rotation since Opening Day, won their first World Series title since 1954 (when they were still in New York).

“The whole world wanted to see the Phillies and Yankees in the World Series,” said Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff. “But you know what? It’s time for new blood.”

The Replay of a Major League Issue

Free agent rumors and trade talks are not the only topics that surrounded this year’s Major League Baseball Winter Meetings held in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. earlier this month [Dec. 6-9]. Commissioner Bud Selig’s desire to extend the league’s postseason by adding two more wild card teams was also discussed in great detail with a committee that included personnel such as club Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. and the St. Louis Cardinals manager, Tony La Russa.

However, the committee briefly addressed the use of instant replay in baseball, a more crucial topic that has created numerous heated debates over past seasons. In a sport where ambiguous close calls are a common occurrence, it is remarkable that instant replay is still not used for other situations beyond the resolution of a questionable home run ball, which was only implemented into the game in 2008 (12 years after Derek Jeter’s infamous home run in the American League Championship Series that would have been ruled out by fan interference if it occurred now).

Fair balls that are called foul (i.e. Joe Mauer’s potential double in the 2009 ALDS), outs that are called safe, and the heartbreak of a ruined perfect game are some of the things that result from MLB’s refusal to review important plays. Instant replay is the only conclusion to end accidents like these.

Accidents like Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galaragga’s imperfect perfect game.

Galaragga needed to retire one more batter before completing a perfect game, a feat that has been accomplished by only 20 other pitchers in Major League history.

Galaragga released his last pitch and the Cleveland Indians’ 27th batter, Jason Donald, hit a grounder to first base. The Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera recovered the ball and threw it to Galaragga, who was covering first, a split moment before Donald touched the base. Unfortunately, the umpire called Donald safe, ruining what would have been a remarkable perfect game for an ecstatic Galaragga.

In critical moments like this one, instant replay should be used to reverse bad calls that significantly alter the results of an important play. Umpires are human and yes, they make mistakes, but for the players and the coaches to suffer because of a bad judgment call is unfair and disappointing to not only them, but the fans as well.

“You know there’s a lot happening on some plays at the plate,” says Tigers’ manager Jim Leyland, on ESPN.com. “The catcher’s blocking it. Did the foot get in there or not? You might get blocked by the catcher, the runner, or the guy on deck. And you might not get a good look at it.”

The time it takes to replay a bad call would indefinitely delay the game, but only for several minutes. With the increased prices for baseball tickets nowadays, who would really mind staying at the game just a bit longer, anyway?

In August 2010, the Little League World Series tested a manager-challenge system where the team managers each received an opportunity to challenge a call they believed was wrong. Sixteen calls in 32 games were reviewed with the average time to review a play being 52 seconds, and the average total delay of the whole process being 1 minute, 50 seconds. This test concluded that the brief moment it takes to correct a play can heavily impact a game’s outcome.

“We’re going to replay it forever for the next two months anyway, so you might as well do it in the two minutes it takes to get it right,” exclaims Boston Red Sox outfielder Mike Cameron on MLB.com.

Despite the constant bickering and dispute, some fans and MLB personnel, including Selig, continue to disagree with using instant replay, insisting that this technology in baseball would diminish the human element of the game. One of the essences of the game that has been a part of baseball throughout its history would be lost.

“To avoid the extraordinary bad calls, you have to start overturning the quotidian bad calls, the gaffes and brain cramps that have always been part of the warp and woof of the game and that have never detracted a whit from anyone’s enjoyment of it,” said New York Times writer Ross Douthat.

But they have prevented fans from enjoying the game, and they will continue to disappoint them until the reasonable solution is finally issued.

In June 2010, NBCSports.com commissioned a poll to determine how many fans believed baseball should use instant replay, and a whopping 87.2 percent agreed it is desperately needed in the game.

“There’s been such a sea change with regard to technology used covering these games, and with it has come a sea change with the way viewers watch games and what they expect and what they see,” FOX sports commentator Joe Buck said. “Baseball risks losing some credibility with an audience that expects more with this new technology.

Examining MLB’s Payrolls

Say goodbye to the current economic recession and take a step into the world of Major League Baseball, a place of high biddings, expensive contracts, big payrolls, and no sight of salary reduction in projected years.

As the 2010 offseason progresses, the market for free agent players becomes limited for some teams due to money restraints, and a candy store for other teams with deep pockets. The Detroit Tigers signed catcher Victor Martinez (3.02 BA, 20 HR, 79 RBI) to a four-year, $50M contract, and they certainly won’t be the biggest spenders this winter with free agents like Cliff Lee, Jayson Werth, and Carl Crawford still on the market.

It almost seems surprising that the New York Yankees refuse to pay Derek Jeter the $23-25 million per year that he is asking, an amount that was the Kansas City Royals total payroll in 2000. The Evil Empire doesn’t seem so “evil” anymore after an abundance of teams are starting to splurge more.

YEAR                            MLB AVERAGE PAYROLL
1990                                     $17,470,113
1995                                     $31,502,634
2000                                     $55,859,338
2005                                     $73,062,897
2010                                     $88,468,223

Rivalry 101: Phillies vs. Mets

The Phillies-Mets rivalry has germinated into a tense, yet exciting, competition over the past few years.

With a 447-390 all-time record against the Mets, Philadelphia has dominated the 48-year history between the two teams, doing their most damage to the Mets from 1962-1968 and from 1974-1983, ranking up a 200-102 record in those 17 years. They have managed to stay on top of the NL East ever since they won their first division title after 14 years in 2007, and continue to be a top contendor in MLB’s postseason.

Despite the fact that both teams have won two World Series titles, the Phillies have five more division titles, one more NL title (only counted those that were won during the Mets’ existance), and 11 more no-hitters (Mets and San Diego Padres still remain the only two teams in MLB that have yet to pitch a no-hitter). And let’s not forget two perfect games, one of which was pitched by Jim Bunning against the Mets in 1964.

The Mets did, however, shutout the Phillies 10 times more (68) than Philadelphia did to them. (Special mention to the phenomenal three-game shutout from Dickey, Takahashi, and Pelfrey this past May http://bit.ly/fdTtmN.)

The Amazins’ have a lot of catching up to do and something tells me it won’t happen in their 18 matchups against Philadelphia during the 2011 regular season. But at least we have a chance to win in Connect 4, except the satisfaction might not be the same.

 

What Type of Mets Fan Are You?

Moments after Sandy Alderson and the New York Mets announced Terry Collins as the team’s new manager, the numerous conflicting reactions from fans highlighted the three types of Mets faithfuls that have existed throughout the franchise’s history: the overly optimistic, the happy medium, and the persistent cynic. Which one are you?

1. Which Mets phrase do you find yourself repeating year after year?
a. “Ya Gotta Believe!”
b. “My entire team sucks.”
c. “Let’s go Mets!”

2. You are at Citi Field, watching as the Mets are down by one run in the bottom of the ninth with runners on the corners and two outs. What do you do?
a. Leave. At least you could avoid traffic.
b. Start walking slowly towards the exit, while stopping occasionally at nearby television screens.
c. Put your hands on your head as you frantically murmur prayers under your breath.

3. Who is your favorite current Mets announcer?
a. Gary Cohen
b. Keith Hernandez
c. Ron Darling

4. Trading Scott Kazmir
a. was a big mistake since Victor Zambrano was a bust, but a lesson to be learned for future potential trades.
b. is the reason why the Mets did not win the World Series in 2004.
c. should forever ban Jim Duquette from participating in any baseball-related jobs.

5. Losing the 2000 World Series to the Yankees at Shea Stadium was
a. a given.
b. torture.
c. such a surprise!

6. As you watched Oliver Perez run out from the bullpen to pitch the top of the 14^th inning in the last game of the 2010 season, you thought:
a. Maybe he’s finally ready since he hasn’t pitched since Sept. 6.
b. The only situation where I would put Perez in, is if we were winning by 10 runs and only needed one more out to end the game.
c. I’d rather have every short-rested reliever, starter, and position player on the bench pitch before I see Perez on that mound.

7. The thing you enjoy most about going to a home game is
a. when the combination of a good pitching and offensive performance win the game.
b. a win, no matter who the opponent is or how the game is won.
c. when it’s over.

8. What was going through your head as you watched Carlos Beltran strikeout to lose Game 7 and the 2006 NLCS?
a. “How could he not swing the bat?!”
b. “It’s okay, we had a great year.”
c. “I knew that was gonna happen.”

9. Out of the following Mets players, who do you believe will have a turnaround season in 2011 (assuming all remain on the team’s roster)?
a. Oliver Perez
b. Carlos Beltran
c. Luis Castillo

10. Your initial reaction when you heard that the Mets have chosen Terry Collins as the new manager was:
a. “Collins has had a few bad bumps in his career, but if Sandy thought he was the best choice, then I do too.”
b. “This is absurd. What happen to Backman? So long to next season.”
c. “When can I order my Collins shirt?”

Scoring:
1. a-0, b-2, c-1        6. a-0, b-1, c-2
2. a-2, b-1, c-0        7. a-1, b-0, c-2
3. a-2, b-0, c-1        8. a-1, b-0, c-2
4. a-1, b-0, c-2        9. a-0, b-2, c-1
5. a-2, b-1, c-0     10. a-1, b-2, c-0

0-6 points: Overly Optimistc

This is how all Mets fans start out. From a young age, our innocence and positive outlook on the team inspires us to keep cheering ferociously until the last game is played. Unfortunately for you, that stage has not passed. Back to back wins and sweeping the Pirates still excite you and give you hope for the season.

7-13 points: Happy Medium

You expect the expected and dismiss the unexpected. As a result, you never become too disappointed with the team. You are able to enjoy the Mets success, but at the same time are aware of the possibility of things getting messy.

14-20 points: Persistent Cynic

Years of bad management, terrible seasons, and heart-wrenching losses have tainted your Mets adoration. When things are going well for the team, you watch with anxiety as you anticipate a monstrous collapse. To you, hope is just a four-letter word.