Decline of the Sox? Rise of the Yankees? [J. Mark English]

For the first time all season, the New York Yankees beat their rival, the Boston Redsox. The win cushioned their division lead to 3 1/2 games in the AL East. In the beginning of the season, few might have expected this reversal of fortunes. We look at a perspective of the Bosox from the Boston papers, and a perspective of the Yankees from NY papers:

Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe: Billy Traber on the mound. Kevin Youkilis in left. John Smoltz in the showers, possibly contemplating retirement.

And the Red Sox sinking like a stone in the American League East.

Not exactly what you had in mind for Boston’s big August series at the new Yankee Stadium, is it?

The Yankees presented Muhammad Ali with an award before last night’s game, and if the champ stuck around, he was probably reminded of his bloodbath victory over Ernie Terrell in the Astrodome in 1967.

Zero for 8 against their division brethren this year, the Yankees pummeled Smoltz and broke through with a 13-6 victory over the unraveling Sox.

Josh Beckett will be asked to stop the madness tonight. The Sons of Tito are 3 1/2 games behind the Bombers and only 2 1/2 ahead of Tampa Bay. Pass the brown paper bags. The Hub is on the brink of panic.

“We’re playing like [expletive] right now, that’s obvious,’’ said AL MVP Dustin Pedroia. “We’ve got to play better.’’

Clearly it’s time for Theo and the minions to Just Say No to the admirable Smoltz experiment. We’ve seen eight starts and Smoltz is 2-5 with an 8.33 ERA. The Yankees roughed him up for eight runs on nine hits and four walks in 3 1/3 innings. Lefty batters went 9 for 13 against Smoltz with three walks.

It doesn’t sound as if Smoltz is going to make it easy for the brass.

“It’s correctable,’’ said the 42-year-old righty, while admitting, “Time may not be on my side if this continues.’’

Continues? That would indicate that he’s getting another start. Though the alternatives are not good (Michael Bowden?), it’s hard to imagine the Sox sending Smoltz back to the mound Tuesday at Fenway against Detroit.

“We have a lot of things to talk about,’’ said Terry Francona. “I don’t think five minutes after a game we need to come to a conclusion.’’

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George Vecsey, New York Times: It was a great day for the Bronx. A Yankee fan from the borough, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, was confirmed for the Supreme Court by a 68-31 vote in the Senate. Whatever else transpired in her hometown on this day would surely be secondary.

Then, on a soft summer evening, the borough that gave the world the Bronx cheer greeted a citizen of the world, Muhammad Ali, making his first appearance in the House That Cable Built.

In his old age, and stricken with a form of Parkinson’s disease, Ali is an icon, the old divisions long forgotten by most. The fans applauded respectfully as he was driven in from the outfield in a golf cart, and Jorge Posada of the Yankees shook his hand on the outfield warning track.

As Ali walked slowly toward home plate, a few in the crowd chanted the familiar “Ah-LEE! Ah-LEE!” that used to rock boxing arenas and spontaneous street appearances by the champ in the old days.

The cheer in the new stadium was definitely not of the Bronx variety as Ali, 67, accepted something called the Six Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Service. Derek Jeter gave him a cap and the Yankees posed around him for a group photograph.

Then the game began. That’s right. The game. The Yankees were playing their rivals, the Red Sox, on the first visit by David Ortiz since recent revelations that he was on a list of ball players who tested positive for banned performance-enhancing drugs in 2003.

Yankee fans have been saying, Nyah, nyah, I told you so, since the news was revealed in The New York Times. Many of them had been convinced Ortiz had to be doping because of the ridges on his head, or the home runs he was suddenly smiting.

No Surprise David Ortiz Used Steroids in 2003 [Dan Shanoff]

This is written by Dan Shanoff from his blog:

Please -- PLEASE -- tell me that you're not shocked to find out that David Ortiz used PEDs back in 2003. (Obviously, to find out Manny was is hardly a shock at this point.)

I have never been much of a PED hysteric -- I'm more of a realist: Everyone was using PEDs in some way, either steroids or amphetamines, so it is what it is.

But you can bet that a hot meme will quickly become: "Well just how delegitimized is Boston's 2004 title now?" We're not taking the banner away, obviously. But it's certainly tainted.

And that's the point: Everything is tainted. Therefore: In a twisted way, nothing is tainted.

I think what should offend fans more than the cheating is Big Papi's lying. He has consistently denied using steroids. Which makes him a Hall of Fame hypocrite.

It's always the cover-up, never the actual crime. I don't blame Ortiz for the cheating; I blame him for lying about the cheating.

-- D.S.

UPDATE: Because I am more concerned about the lying than the cheating, can we please agree to have a one-day window where anyone who ever used PEDs can admit to it without punishment (aside from taint, I guess). After that, if it came out you used, we would know you were a liar and in the best interests of baseball, you'd be banned. So clean! And when we figure out that EVERYONE did it, it wouldn't be a big deal anymore.

33: Baseball's Not so Magical Number [J. Mark English]

For most people, your thirties are supposed to be the age when you are "thirty, flirty, and thriving". In baseball, the early part of this decade showed that the same was true on the diamond. Think of players like Barry Bonds who excelled well into their twilight ages.

However, 'normalcy' (decline) seems to have crept up on certain players whom have reached the age of 33. Bill James breaks this all down in a conversation with Joe Posnanski from Sports Illustrated:

Today's topic is actually an age -- 33 years old. Many years ago, Stan Musial set a baseball player's prime from age 28 to 32. And even though this isn't 100 percent true*, there is truth in it. For many good-to-great players, 33 is the age when they begin to grow old. Maybe the bat slows a touch. Maybe nagging injuries nag more. Maybe the legs lose a little bit of their spring. Maybe the shoulder aches when they try to throw home....

....This is true this year, just like it is true every year: Alex Rodriguez, of course, is 33 years old and he in struggling in many ways. David Ortiz is 33 years old and he is struggling in just about every way (though he has been coming on the last couple of weeks). Alfonso Soriano, Placido Polanco, Edgar Renteria and Eric Byrnes are all 33 years old and all are having difficult years for one reason or another. Lance Berkman's batting average is way down. Carlos Guillen has been hurt all year. And so on....

...Joe: Let's start with Royals outfielder Jose Guillen. I've spent much of this year watching him; Guillen has never been a GREAT player, but he has been a good player, in large part I think because of an unusually quick bat. In 2007 he hit .290/.353/.460. In 2008 he had a mostly lousy year, but he had about a five- or six-week stretch where he hit the ball about as hard as anyone I've ever seen -- he hit .390 and slugged .662 from May 7 through June 17, and many of his outs were smashes.

Well, he's 33 years old this year, and he seems in better shape, he seems more focused, he seems more determined than ever not to be a distraction for the team. But, again, he's 33. And you can see changes: His bat no longer seems as quick. This shows up in different ways ... he seems to be behind the fastball. He's seems to be taking more pitches. He seems to struggle against those third and fourth starters he once loved facing.

Bill: Historically, hitters' bats die at age 33 ... not always, of course, but there is quite significantly more loss in batting ability at age 33 than at any other age. Let me give you a few for-instances from history ... and obviously, I'm just hitting a few highlights; there are many others involving players with less recognizable names.

1) Hall of Famer Hack Wilson
1932, age 32: .297, 23 homers, 123 RBIs
1933, age 33: .267, 9 homers, 54 RBIs

2) Hall of Famer Al Simmons
1934, age 32: .344, 18 homers, 104 RBIs
1935, age 33: .267, 16 homers, 79 RBIs

3) Hall of Famer Heinie Manush
1934, age 32: .349, 11 homers, 89 RBIs
1935, age 33: .273, 4 homers, 56 RBIs

4) Hall of Famer Tony Lazzeri
1936, age 32: .287, 14 homers, 109 RBIs
1937, age 33: .244, 14 homers, 70 RBIs

5) Hall of Famer Bill Dickey
1939, age 32: .302, 24 homers, 105 RBIs
1940, age 33: .247, 9 homers, 54 RBIs

6) Walker Cooper
1947, age 32: .305, 35 homers, 122 RBIs
1948, age 33: .266, 16 homers, 54 RBIs

7) Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr
1950, age 32: .294, 27 homers, 120 RBIs
1951, age 33: .289, 13 homers, 73 RBIs

8) Gus Zernial
1955, age 32: .254, 30 homers, 84 RBIs
1956, age 33: .224, 16 homers, 44 RBIs

9) Del Ennis, perpetual 100-RBI guy
1956, age 32: .286, 24 homers, 105 RBIs
1957, age 33: .261, 3 homers, 47 RBIs

10) Hall of Famer, Duke Snider
1959, age 32: .308, 23 homers, 88 RBIs
1960, age 33: .243, 14 homers, 36 RBIs

11) Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle
1964, age 32: .303, 35 homers, 111 RBIs
1965, age 33: .255, 19 homers, 46 RBIs

12) Bill White, slugging first baseman, later National League president
1966, age 32: .276, 22 homers, 103 RBIs
1967, age 33: .250, 8 homers, 33 RBIs

13) Rocky Colavito
1966, age 32: .238, 30 homers, 72 RBIs
1967, age 33: .231, 8 homers, 50 RBIs

14) Hall of Famer Al Kaline
1967, age 32: .308, 25 homers, 78 RBIs
1968, age 33: .287, 10 homers, 53 RBIs

15) Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda
1970, age 32: .305, 34 homers, 111 RBIs
1971, age 33: .276, 14 homers, 44 RBIs

16) Hall of Famer Willie McCovey
1970, age 32: .289, 39 homers, 126 RBIs
1971, age 33: .277, 18 homers, 70 RBIs

17) Dick Allen
1974, age 32: .301, 32 homers, 88 RBIs
1975, age 33: .233, 12 homers, 62 RBIs

18) Hall of Famer George Brett
1985, age 32: .335, 30 homers, 112 RBIs
1986, age 33: .290, 16 homers, 73 RBIs

19) Hall of Famer Eddie Murray
1988, age 32: .284, 28 homers, 84 RBIs
1989, age 33: .247, 20 homers, 88 RBIs

20) Amos Otis
1979, age 32: .295, 18 homers, 90 RBIs
1980, age 33: .251, 10 homers, 53 RBIs

21) George Foster
1981, age 32: .295, 22 homers, 90 RBIs in a strike-shortened season of 108 games
1982, age 33: .247, 13 homers, 70 RBIs in a full season of 151 games

22) Andre Thornton
1982, age 32: .273, 32 homers, 116 RBIs
1983, age 33: .281, 17 homers, 77 RBIs

23) Greg Luzinski
1983, age 32: .255, 32 homers, 95 RBIs
1984, age 33: .238, 13 homers, 58 RBIs

24) Buddy Bell
1984, age 32: .315, 11 homers, 83 RBIs
1985, age 33: .229, 10 homers, 68 RBIs

25) Alan Trammell
1990, age 32: .308, 14 homers, 89 RBIs
1991, age 33: .248, 9 homers, 55 RBIs

Joe: This amazes me... you know from 1983 to 1990, Alan Trammell put up a 124 OPS+. Over those same eight years, Cal Ripken Jr. put up an OPS+ of ... yes, 124. I personally believe Trammell is a Hall of Famer, but I don't think he will get elected and the reason seems to be that he never played a full season after age 32.

Bill: Maturity in a player is the development of talents; not the development of NEW talents, but the development of those talents that the player has always possessed.

Aging is a narrowing of talents, and the narrowing of talents begins long before the player reaches the major leagues. Players, as they age, don't run as well, don't throw as well. They continue to develop those talents that they have, but the range of talents continues to narrow. What I'm trying to get to ... I don't think that "maturing" as a player is one thing and "aging" is a different thing. I think it is one continuous process, that helps the player up to some point, and hurts him beyond that point.

Joe: You will hear players say, all the time, "I wish I knew then what I know now." There's no doubt that David Ortiz is a smarter hitter now than he ever was. No question that Alex Rodriguez knows more about how pitchers are trying to get him out now. No question that Lance Berkman knows more about the game than he did at 26 when he mashed 42 homers and drove in 128 runs.

That's the cruelty of 33 for so many players ... and every player eventually hits that age. The brain is sharper than ever, but the body can't quite get them there.

Bill: It's like baking bread, or cooking an omelet. The baking of the bread helps the bread up to a point, and then, if you leave the bread in the oven beyond that point, the same things continue to happen, only they don't HELP the bread any more; they begin to ruin the bread.

Eight more players:

26) George Bell
1992, age 32: .255, 25 homers, 112 RBIs
1993, age 33 .217, 13 homers, 64 RBIs

27) Cecil Fielder
1996, age 32: .252., 39 homers, 117 RBIs
1997, age 33: .260, 13 homers, 61 RBIs

28) Albert Belle
1999, age 32: .297, 37 homers, 117 RBIs
2000, age 33: .281, 23 homers, 103 RBIs

29) Brian Jordan
1999, age 32: .283, 23 homers, 115 RBIs
2000, age 33: .264, 17 homers, 77 RBIs

30) Bill Mueller
2003, age 32: .326 (led American League), 19 homers, 83 RBIs
2004, age 33: .283, 12 homers, 57 RBIs

31) Jason Giambi
2003, age 32: .250, 41 homers, 107 RBIs
2004, age 33: .208, 12 homers, 40 RBIs

32) Cliff Floyd
2005, age 32: .273, 34 homers, 98 RBIs
2006, age 33 .244, 11 homers, 44 RBIs

33) Ivan Rodriguez
2004, age 32: .334, 19 homers, 86 RBIs
2005, age 33: .276, 14 homers, 50 RBIs

The human body is like bread that won't stop baking. Age 33 is about the age at which you KNOW the bread is getting over-done and you wish that you could turn off the oven, but you just can't.

Red Sox Rookie, Clay Buchholz, Tosses a No-No [J. Mark English]

Here with the story is Howard Ulman of the Boston Globe:

Before Clay Buchholz made his major league debut two weeks ago, the Boston Red Sox told him he was going back to the minors -- even if he pitched a no-hitter. Got to keep the kid now. The 23-year-old rookie pitched that no-hitter in just his second outing, using a dazzling three-pitch assortment of fastballs, curves and changeups to beat the Baltimore Orioles 10-0 Saturday night.

"There's no going back to Triple-A," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

Buchholz was called up from Pawtucket on Saturday when teams were allowed to expand their 25-man rosters.

The crowd stood through the entire ninth inning, cheering every pitch and taking pictures of the righty in his windup and as he paced around the mound.

He started the inning by striking out Brian Roberts on a 93 mph fastball. A groan rose from the stands when Corey Patterson hit a line drive to center with one out, but Coco Crisp easily moved over to catch it.

Buchholz started Nick Markakis with a ball, then went ahead 1-2 when the batter fouled one off with a check swing. The crowd grew even louder, the flashes were constant, and Buchholz threw a 77 mph curveball that Markakis watched go by.

Plate umpire Joe West hesitated, but catcher Jason Varitek rose from his crouch to run to the mound. The rest of the Red Sox soon joined him there, and David Ortiz enveloped the rookie in a bear hug.

"He's somebody you don't want to see running at you, full-speed," Buchholz said.

No one stopped cheering until Buchholz appeared on the scoreboard for a television interview, and the fans hushed to try to hear him. But when "Clay Buchholz, No-hitter" appeared on the message board, the ballpark erupted anew.

Best of the Best Conclusion: Baseball Edition [David Stefanini]

This is the conclusion of the Best of the Best posts. It has taken me a little longer to write because there are so many players in baseball it is nearly impossible to say who are the top 5. There will be a lot of disagreement with these picks, and there should be. One can make a case for literally 20 different top 5's. When writing this post I re-wrote my list 6 times, at first including names like A-Rod, then taking them out. So without any further delays here it is:

1 - Albert Pujols - Pujols is the most versatile in the game today. Every time he steps to the plate there is a good possibility bringing in every runner on base, including himself. Along with being the best batter in the league Pujols can play outfield or 1st base exceptionally well. There is nothing he can't do and he is still growing as a hitter and a defensive player. The sky is the limit for Pujols and there is no telling when he will get there.

2 - David Ortiz - Ortiz is the most clutch hitter in the league. With the game on the line in the 9th inning who do you want up to the plate, Ortiz without question. He does not play defense because he is the DH, but there is no questioning what he can do with the bat. He may not be the fastest runner or the best hitter for AVG. however the way he steps up in the clutch over compensates for his lack of speed and defense.

3 - Johan Santana - Is there a more dominating pitcher in the league? Undoubtedly no. He lead the league in Wins, Strikeouts (by a mile), and ERA. For the second time in his career he won the CY Young Award with a unanimous vote. When he takes the hill his team has a very good chance to walk out with a victory. His change up makes even the best hitters look like sorry excuses for batters and his fastball makes even the best hitters look silly trying to catch up. He is the most dominating pitcher in the league and still has a long career ahead of him.

4 - Derek Jeter - Jeter has been the face of baseball for quite sometime now. More than just his hitting his defense is unbelievable. He is a complete player and has been the leader of the Yankees for several years. His leadership is what makes Jeter the player he is. It is impossible for one player to win a game in baseball, but at times you can see Jeter willing the Yankees to victory.

5 - Ryan Howard - Howard just completed his second full year in the majors and did he show up with a bang. Howard lead the majors in HR's and RBI's at 58 and 149 respectively. He won the MVP Award by almost bringing the Phillies into the playoffs single-handily. Going into next year he has to be one of the top 2 favorites to win the MVP Award again. It should be a great race between him and Pujols to see who can claim the award.