MLB Site Round-Up
By
Amanda
Posted at 8:12 pm
This week, it looks like each team’s MLB website was assigned to write a Winter Meeting Checklist and a story about the team’s biggest need. Of course, since they are the official sites, they have to sugar-coat the situation a little. I think these headlines merit a little translation.
Cardinals : “Cardinals Looking for More Pitching”
Translation :Â We’re looking for the next wash-up or second rate reliever for Dave Duncan to turn into a star.
Reds : “Reds go to Meetings looking for pitching”
Translation : Anything we can do to be more like the Cardinals.
Brewers : “Melvin looking at many options for Brewers”
Translation : Option 1: find enough decent relievers to restock bullpen. Option 2: drink more beer.
Astros : “Astros seeking closer, help at second”
Translation :Â If Clemens won’t come out of retirement as a starting pitcher, maybe he’d like to try second base.
Cubs : “Cubs hope to upgrade offense”
Translation : We really think it’s enough to bring back Kerry Wood.
Pirates :Â “Pirates to play it by ear at Winter Meetings”
Translation : We have no idea what we’re doing.
At this point I’m not sure the Reds or anybody else should want to be like the Cardinals, and I don’t mean that as smack talk.
They’ve got a new ownership group that fired one of the team’s most successful GMs ever because he wasn’t listening to their new Moneyball-type front-office honcho. They have a pitching staff that’s in tatters. Scott Rolen does not get along with Yony LaRussa and reportedly wants out. Jim Edmonds apparently has said he’d waive his no-trade clause too, though only for a southern California team. And now they’ve deluded themselves into thinking they can replace Eckstein with Izturis?
“But Izturis won a Gold Glove!” That bunch of hooey and $1.50 will get you a cup of coffee. They removed an important piece from their offense, replacing him with a guy whose OBP last year was only one point higher than X-Factor’s BA.
Or to put it another way, the guy they just refused to re-sign had a career batting average of .278 in nine postseason series, with a .333 OBP. His replacement has appeared in the postseason only once, going 3-for-17 (.176) with a .222 OBP for the Dodgers while they were getting their butts kicked (by the Cardinals, no less) in the 2004 NLDS.
My condolences to Cardinals fans. Watching a championship team descend into rebuilding mode is never any fun.
HMZ
http://modernrooters.blogspot.com/
If any of you have some free time, please check out this article I wrote on Jon Lester. I’m hoping for some feedback from fans who don’t like the Red Sox. Thank you to those of you who take the time to read it.