Colorado moved closer to a return to the playoffs Tuesday night, defeating Milwaukee in 11 innings to move three games up on Atlanta in the NL wild-card chase. When Chris Iannetta hit a two-run homer off David Weathers, Rockies manager Jim Tracy improved to 71-40 (.640) since replacing Clint Hurdle in late May.

The Rockies haven’t even clinched a playoff spot, nor have they found out if they can recreate the October magic that sparked a run to the World Series in 2007. Still, this writer was wondering if a red-hot run by an in-season managerial replacement means great things the following season.

Since the expansion era began in 1961, Tracy is only the 13th in-season appointment to manage at least 50 games and post a .600 winning percentage. Believe it or not, not all of the first 12 returned for a full season after overseeing a big improvement in performance. Not with the managerial version of musical chairs in the Bronx. In 1978, Bob Lemon took over for Billy Martin and led the team to a 48-20 finish (.706), but he was gone after starting 34-31 in 1979. Martin took over for Yogi Berra 16 games into the 1985 season and directed the team to a 91-54 record (.628). After fighting Yankees pitcher Ed Whitson that September, Martin didn’t return in 1986.

So, 10 of the first 12 returned to his team for a majority of its games the next season. Six of those 10 managers with a .600 winning percentage posted winning records in the followup season, but only one won 90 games. That was Whitey Herzog, who took over the Royals late in the 1975 season and directed them to a 41-25 finish (.621). The Herzog-led Royals were 90-72 in 1976 before losing the ALCS to the New York Yankees. It was the first of three straight seasons that Kansas City fell to New York in the LCS.

The only other playoff team in the group is the 2005 Astros, who were 89-73 and lost the World Series to the Chicago White Sox. Phil Garner took over for Jimy Williams at the 2004 All-Star break and oversaw a 48-26 surge (.649).

Here are the best regular-season records of those 10 managers who returned for a majority of their teams’ games the following season.

Highest Win Pct in Second Season by In-Season Replacement, Since 1961
(managed at least 50 games with .600 win pct as in-season replacement)

Manager. . . . . . . . . .Team. . . . . . .Rec. . . . .Pct
Whitey Herzog. . . . .1976 KC. . . . . 90-72. . . . .556
Phil Garner. . . . . . . 2005 Hou. . . . 89-73. . . . .549
Harvey Kuenn. . . . . 1983 Mil. . . . . 87-75. . . . .537
Billy Hunter. . . . . . .1978 Tex. . . . .86-75. . . . .534
Cito Gaston. . . . . . .1990 Tor. . . . .86-76. . . . .531

The group includes Harvey Kuenn, who guided the Brewers to a fifth-place finish in the American League East in his first full season as a manager in 1983. It was as an in-season replacement for the Brewers in 1982 that Kuenn directed the Brewers to a 72-43 finish and the franchise’s first and only trip to the Fall Classic.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 5:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It’s déjà vu all over again, with the Tigers and Twins squaring off in a critical series for the American League Central crown and the final AL playoff berth. A week ago it was in Minnesota. Now the two teams meet for the final four times in Detroit, beginning Monday night.

The Twins are the hottest team in the league going into the series. They are 11-2 since slugging first baseman Justin Morneau went down with a stress fracture in his back two weeks ago. They’ve outscored opponents nearly two to one in this span, scoring more than six runs a game and giving up barely more than three.

In the 13 games without Morneau, his replacement at first, Michael Cuddyer, has been the biggest run producer. Cuddyer, who made the move from right field, is batting .370 with a team-leading six home runs and 19 RBIs. He isn’t the only Twin who has picked it up since Morneau was sidelined.

Joe Mauer is hitting .455 (20-for-44) with 10 RBIs. Orlando Cabrera also has driven in 10 runs, and he’s scored 15. Leadoff man Denard Span is batting .356 with a .420 OBP and nine RBIs. Then there’s Matt Tolbert, a utility infielder who was called up in early September. He’s taken most of the playing time at third for the injured Joe Crede, and Tolbert is 14-for-42 (.333) with seven runs scored.

Minnesota pitching has been at its best in September. The staff posted an ERA higher than 5.00 in both July and August, but it has a 3.63 mark this month. The Twins have received quite a payoff from rookie Brian Duensing, who joined the rotation in late August and has gone 5-0 with a 1.88 ERA in seven starts.

In three of his September outings, the 26-year-old left-hander has worked six or more innings and didn’t allow a run. He is only the eighth rookie in the last 55 years to pitch three scoreless quality starts in September-October, and no one has worked four. He may get two more shots at it, as he is scheduled to face Justin Verlander on Tuesday and may work the final game of the season on Sunday.

At the same time the Twins have closed in on the AL Central leaders with an 11-2 surge, the first-place Tigers have gone 8-6. They bounced back nicely after dropping two of three at the Metrodome a week ago, sweeping a three-game set in Cleveland, but the Tigers allowed the Twins to move within two games of first place by losing two of three in Chicago over the weekend.

Detroit has been in first place since early May, a stretch of 155 days going into the Twins-Tigers series. Only three other teams in Tigers history have been in first place longer, and all three reached the World Series. The 1984 Tigers started 35-5 and ruled the AL East for 181 days before soundly defeating the San Diego Padres in the Fall Classic. A century ago, the 1909 club (165 days) lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a seven-game World Series, and the 1968 Tigers (158 days) won in seven games over the Cardinals.

The Tigers call on their own rookie tonight, as Rick Porcello takes the mound against Twins right-hander Nick Blackburn. The 20-year-old Porcello, who was the youngest player in the majors nearly all season, is 14-9 with a 4.14 ERA and leads the rookie class in wins. He is 4-1 with a 3.28 ERA in his last seven outings. His only loss in this month-long stretch was at Minnesota last Tuesday.

One Tiger to keep an eye on in this series is closer Fernando Rodney. He has been wildly inconsistent all season, but has repeatedly dodged bullets. Despite a 4.35 ERA, the veteran right-hander has blown only one of 36 save chances in 2009. Is the bubble about to burst?

Rodney has given up multiple runs in five of his 12 September appearances. Although he’s 6-for-6 in saves, he has a 10.13 ERA and a .326 OBA for the month. If he can keep it together, he could become the answer to a trivia question.

Since saves became an official statistic in 1969, no pitcher with at least 25 saves and no more than a single blown chance has posted an ERA of 3.00 or higher. Rodney has gone more than one run better with a 4.35 mark. Even if he were to blow another opportunity, he still would likely post the highest save-era ERA among relievers with 25 saves and no more than two blown chances -- and probably still by more than a full run.

On the other hand, Rodney could crash and burn, and take the Tigers with him. Or he might be seen as an omen that the Tigers are meant to win this season. At the moment, all that matters is that the Tigers win now. They have the hottest team in the league visiting, and anything less than a split would give the Twins at least a share of the AL Central lead.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 4:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Javier Vazquez, Atlanta’s starter in Washington tonight, is 14-9 with 20 quality starts and a 2.91 ERA that would be a career low. He might be a favorite for NL Cy Young honors if not for a little more run support in June.

June was Vazquez’s best month of the season, though he’s making a case for September with a strong finish. He posted a 1.98 ERA and opponents batted just .197/.239/.315 against him in June, but he was only 1-3. The 33-year-old right-hander pitched two quality starts in which the Braves were shut out, including a 1-0 loss to Boston on June 27. In another start two weeks earlier, he struck out 12 Pirates and left a 1-1 tie after eight innings. He easily could have had a couple of extra wins in June.

Vazquez has been prone to extreme highs and lows over the course of a season, but he is having far and away the most consistent one of his career. He lost more than two games in a month only in June and never posted a monthly ERA higher than 3.76.

Another indicator of his consistency has been his strikeouts. He has struck out at least five batters in each of his 30 starts in 2009. Since 1954, only three pitchers have recorded five or more strikeouts in more consecutive starts from the start of a season. They are Randy Johnson, who fanned at least five in all of his 35 starts for the 1999 Diamondbacks; longtime Cardinals ace Bob Gibson in all 34 of his 1970 starts; and Curt Schilling with 33 straight for Arizona in 2002.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Friday night, Milwaukee rookie Casey McGehee provided another highlight to a fine rookie season. The Brewers were tied with Houston, 2-2 in the eighth inning, with Prince Fielder on second base and one out. Astros manager Cecil Cooper brought in LaTroy Hawkins, his top setup man, to face McGehee, who laced a single to right field to score the winning run.

One of the biggest surprises of the rookie class, McGehee has been driving in runs consistently since he became an everyday player in mid-June. Although he has mostly played third base in place of the slumping and eventually traded Bill Hall, the rookie also has been able to fill in at second base, a position left vacant in mid-May by Rickie Weeks’ season-ending wrist injury.

After six years in the Chicago Cubs’ system, the 26-year-old McGehee was picked up on a waiver claim by Milwaukee last October. He was coming off a solid but unspectacular season at Triple-A Iowa in 2008, but McGehee has been better than that as a major league starter. And his production has continued into September.

McGehee not only tops all rookies with 61 RBIs this season, he is the major league leader with 21 in September. He is hitting .349/.419/.587 with four home runs in 19 games this month, and he’s a .304 hitter for the season.

With 17 doubles and 15 home runs in 105 games, McGehee is slugging .506 and has an .874 on-base-plus slugging (OPS). Among rookies with at least 250 plate appearances in 2009, only Pittsburgh’s Garrett Jones has higher marks. He’s slugging .589 with a .955 OPS.

A year ago, the rookie looked like little more than a bench player, but he’s made a case for a regular job in 2010. He was bumped from second base when the Brewers acquired Felipe Lopez on July 19, but he’s made most of the starts at third base since then and kept himself in the lineup with his bat.

The next challenge will come from third-base prospect Mat Gamel. McGehee, one of the unexpected success stories of 2009, will have to prove again next spring that he’s more than a minor league lifer.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 3:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After San Francisco took two out of three from Colorado this week, there aren’t many make-or-break series remaining, but two rookies take the mound for the start of one on Friday night.

With four straight wins, the Minnesota Twins have moved within four games of the American League Central-leading Detroit Tigers, who are in Minneapolis for a three-game set this weekend.

The Tigers, who are 3-7 over their last 10 games, will give the ball to rookie Rick Porcello. The 20-year-old right-hander, who has been the youngest player in the majors nearly all season, leads the rookie class with 13 wins. He’s endured the ups and downs a young starter almost always faces in his debut season, but when he's been on -- as he was in May and August -- it's been obvious Porcello has a chance to be a No. 1 starter someday. He was 5-0 in May, when he posted a 1.50 ERA and .208 OBA in defeating Minnesota, Cleveland, Oakland, Colorado and Kansas City.

Porcello scuffled through the middle of the season, but after winning three of his last four starts, he has a chance to make a final push for AL Rookie of the Year honors. He worked six solid innings against Toronto in his last outing, and improved to 13-8 with a 4.21 ERA and .265 OBA. He hit 96 mph on the radar gun facing the Jays, and after the win, he discussed pitching in big games down the stretch.

“I didn’t know how I would feel in this situation -- I didn’t even know that I would be here,” Porcello said. “But I feel great. I just want to keep improving, because I don’t think I’m a finished product.”

If there’s an element of surprise to it for Porcello, consider how Twins rookie Brian Duensing must feel. Minnesota started the season with one of the youngest and most promising rotations in the game, but it’s been a rough year for Francisco Liriano and Glen Perkins, and Kevin Slowey was lost to a wrist injury in early July.

It wasn’t exactly a great year in the minors for Duensing, who for a second straight season posted a losing record with Triple-A Rochester and had a 4.66 ERA this year when he was promoted on July 3. He had a few rough outings out of the bullpen early on, but when Liriano was scratched with a sore forearm on July 29, Duensing gave the Twins five solid innings in a victory over the White Sox.

Duensing returned to the bullpen, but rejoined the rotation when another rookie, Anthony Swarzak, lost his starting job in late August. In five starts, with the Twins trying to hold on in the AL Central race, the 26-year-old left-hander has gone 3-0 with a 1.74 ERA and .250 OBA. He’s blanked two of his last three opponents, and after working seven scoreless innings in a victory over Oakland on Sunday, Duensing pitches the biggest game of his brief major league career.

The Tigers are 1-5 at the Metrodome this year, but the Twins will be without Justin Morneau, who is lost for the season with a stress fracture in his back. If the Tigers don’t put the Twins away this weekend, their four-game set in Detroit at the end of September may be just as meaningful.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 1:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It’s do-or-die-time for the San Francisco Giants.

The Giants were tied with division rival Colorado for the NL wild-card berth at the start of September, but they had gone 5-7 this month heading into this week’s three-game set with the Rockies, which began Monday night.

While the Giants have slumped the last two weeks, the red-hot Rockies had posted a major league-best 10-3 record this month before arriving in San Francisco for the final three games between the two NL West contenders. The series began with the Giants 4.5 games behind the Rockies in the wild-card race.

Scoring runs has been a struggle for the Giants, who were averaging just 3.08 runs a game in September at the start of the series. As a team, they were hitting only .219. Among all big league clubs, only Tampa Bay ranked below the Giants in both categories during this stretch. And San Francisco’s .169 average with runners in scoring position was dead last in the majors.

The Rockies, on the other hand, ranked among the most productive offensive teams in September. The Giants, though, had the great equalizer for the series opener. After back spasms pushed back his next start nearly a week, ace Tim Lincecum returned to the mound on Monday and shut down the Rockies through seven innings in a 9-1 win. The right-hander fanned 11, and relievers Jeremy Affeldt and Bob Howry held Colorado hitless over the final two frames.

The biggest news of the night was the nine runs the Giants scored in the must-win matchup. It marked only the third time in 13 September contests that they have scored more than three runs. The outburst came a day after the Giants had scored seven times in Sunday’s victory over the NL West-leading Dodgers.

Leadoff Eugenio Velez came though with four RBIs on Monday, and both Juan Uribe and Travis Ishikawa have gone 5-for-8 over the last two games. Uribe has continued his hot hitting while Ishikawa has shown signs of breaking out of an extended slump. The pair scored seven of San Francisco’s 16 runs the last two days.

The gap is now 3.5 games. The Rockies go with their top starter on Tuesday, Ubaldo Jimenez, with the Giants calling on lefty Barry Zito. Wednesday’s matchup may favor the Giants, as Matt Cain takes the hill against Rockies southpaw Jorge De La Rosa.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 2:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On the same night Derek Jeter secured the Yankees’ franchise record for hits, a couple of noteworthy streaks came to end. Both the Yankees and Marlins had 10-game home winning streaks against their Friday night opponents, but both home teams lost the opener of their weekend series.

With the Yankees leading 3-1 in the third inning, Jeter singled to right field to surpass Lou Gehrig with his 2,722nd hit, but the Baltimore Orioles throttled New York pitching for nine runs over the fifth, sixth and seventh frames in a 10-4 victory. It was the Orioles’ first win at Yankee Stadium since July 29, 2008.

The Marlins had been equally dominant over the Washington Nationals the last two seasons, with 10 straight home victories since last losing to the Nats on July 1, 2008. On Friday, Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman stroked homers in Washington’s 5-3 victory.

The Marlins threatened to win their 11th straight in the ninth, when Dan Uggla led off with a home run and the next two batters reached, but Mike McDougal struck out Emilio Bonifacio and induced a game-ending double-play grounder from Chris Coghlan.

Both the Yankees and Marlins failed to inch closer to the longest active home winning streak against a single opponent. The Milwaukee Brewers stretched their winning streak over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Miller Park to 21 games at the end of August, and that’s currently the longest against a single opponent.

Longest Active Home Winning Streaks vs. Any Opponent

Streak Holder. . . . . . . . . . .Opp. . . . .Gms
Milwaukee Brewers. . . . . . . Pit. . . . . . 21
Cleveland Indians. . . . . . . . .TB. . . . . . 17
Los Angeles Dodgers. . . . . . .Cin. . . . . .12
San Francisco Giants. . . . . . Tex. . . . . .11
Detroit Tigers. . . . . . . . . . .Tex. . . . . .11

Texas is on the wrong end of two of the longest active streaks, including the longest among two interleague opponents.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 12:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Two years ago at this time of year, Colorado manager Clint Hurdle led the Rockies to a remarkable 23-8 finish. They were 4.5 games behind in the National League wild-card race with two weeks to play, but they secured the final playoff berth with a stunning 14-1 surge that wrapped with come-from-behind 9-8 victory in 13 innings over San Diego in Game No. 163.

Although the Rockies have held down the NL’s final playoff spot since Aug. 10, it’s hard not to see comparisons between the 2007 and 2009 clubs.

This year’s version looked dead in the water months ago. On May 28, after the Rockies had lost 10 of their last 15 games, they were 18-28. Among all major league teams, only the Washington Nationals had a worse record. At that point, Colorado’s only shot to secure a playoff berth seemed to be 2010.

General manager Dan O’Dowd fired Hurdle the following day, and new skipper Jim Tracy has directed the team to a 62-32 record since his appointment. A week after Tracy’s arrival, Colorado went on a 17-1 run to climb back into contention.

The Rockies’ repeat of their 2007 magical run seemed to be gasping for air at the end of August, however, when they lost their last five games of the month to division rivals Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The Giants pulled into a tie for the wild-card berth after sweeping a weekend series from the Rockies, whose wild-card aspirations took another hit when closer Huston Street was sidelined with tightness in his right biceps at the start of September. With lefty Franklin Morales stepping in for Street and saving five games in five chances, the Rockies have gone 8-1 this month and have won six in a row going into their Thursday afternoon matchup with Cincinnati.

Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who hit .346/.398/.607 with 23 RBIs in August, sat out Wednesday’s win over the Reds with a back strain. It’s uncertain when he or Street will return, but the Rockies keep winning without them.

The Rocks also have won without Jeff Francis this season, and without Aaron Cook since he went on the disabled list with a shoulder strain on Aug. 22. Ubaldo Jimenez has emerged as the staff ace with a solid season, and the likes of Jason Hammel, Jorge de la Rosa and trade acquisition Jose Contreras have been pitching well of late. The rotation has a 2.98 ERA and .227 OBA in nine September contests -- all of them at Coors Field.

The bullpen has been pretty solid, too, with Morales converting all five of his September save opportunities and the pen as a whole limiting hitters to a .207 average this month.

Offensively, the Rockies are batting .294/.374/.510 in September. Those numbers aren’t the best in the majors this month, but they have been more than adequate with the pitching staff doing so well.

The remaining schedule mostly features games within the NL West, though in two weeks there’s a weekend series with possible first-round playoff opponent St. Louis in Denver. The season ends at Dodger Stadium, where the fate of the Rockies’ surprising 2009 revival may be sealed.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Derek Jeter needs only one more hit now. With three in New York’s come-from-behind victory over Tampa Bay on Wednesday, the veteran shortstop tied Lou Gehrig for the most all-time hits in Yankee pinstripes.

As much buildup as there has been during Jeter’s pursuit of the franchise mark, tying Gehrig seemed to catch him off guard. The game situation didn’t help.

“I really didn’t know what to do because we were losing at the time and I didn’t want to disrespect Tampa,” Jeter said. “I never dreamt about all of this.” The show of respect seemed to be mutual, as numerous Rays players were out on the top step of their dugout when the crowd honored Jeter with a lengthy standing ovation.

Perhaps Jeter wasn’t anticipating tying Gehrig at 2,271 hits as soon as Wednesday night. He had gone 0-for-12 in his previous three games and seemed stuck at three hits shy of Gehrig’s total. Instead, Jeter singled twice and doubled against the Rays. When he hit a sharp grounder inside the first-base line in the seventh inning, past a diving Chris Richard, he tied the record that Gehrig had held alone for more than 70 years.

Here’s a list of the eight players who have collected 2,000 hits in a Yankees uniform.

Career Hits as a Yankee, All-Time

Derek Jeter. . . . . . . . 2,271
Lou Gehrig . . . . . . . . 2,271
Babe Ruth. . . . . . . . . 2,518
Mickey Mantle. . . . . . 2,415

Bernie Williams. . . . . .2,336
Joe DiMaggio. . . . . . .2,214
Don Mattingly. . . . . . 2,153
Yogi Berra. . . . . . . . .2,148

The list includes five Hall of Fame players: Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and Yogi Berra. The other three -- Jeter, Bernie Williams and Don Mattingly -- are the only players on the list who have been active in the last 40 years.

It’s always interesting to find Yogi on a list such as this. Here’s a guy who is built more like an accountant or a used car salesman than an athlete, but he could play the game.

It’s only a matter of days before Jeter has the top spot to himself. The Yankees are off on Thursday before the Orioles arrive for a three-game set that begins Friday.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 3:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Six weeks ago, the Los Angeles Dodgers had the most wins in the major leagues and looked like the team to beat in the National League. They were 25 games over .500 on the final day of July, after Jason Schmidt and three relievers had blanked the Atlanta Braves on three hits.

After defeating the Padres on Saturday, the Dodgers managed to pull back to 25 games over .500. That’s right. They have played .500 baseball since the start of August, going 17-17 despite playing just 12 games against teams that were more than two games over .500 at the time. The Dodgers are 7-5 in those games, and 10-12 in the rest of them.

Manny Ramirez may have returned from his drug suspension at the start of July, but the Dodgers are averaging a half-run less per game since Aug. 1 than they did over the first four months of the season.

It was suggested in this space a while back that Matt Kemp should be the Dodgers’ leadoff man, based on his success leading off an inning. That’s as true as ever. Among the team’s regulars, Rafael Furcal, who has been the No. 1 hitter most of the season and nearly all of the second half, has the team’s lowest batting average (.221) and OBP (.276) since the start of August.

Russell Martin is hitting .233/.295/.311, and James Loney's numbers are .241/.339/.333. Casey Blake has been only marginally better, with a few more extra-base hits and RBIs. Still, he has only 12 RBIs in this 29-game stretch.

Ramirez has been productive, though he hasn’t put up the numbers he did a year ago after joining the team in a trade-deadline deal. Most of the power has come from Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, who have combined for 53 of the club’s 140 RBIs since Aug. 1.

How damaging have the Dodgers’ offensive struggles been? Even with Hiroki Kuroda, Jason Schmidt and Guillermo Mota going on the disabled list last month, both the rotation and bullpen have been better since the start of August.

Dodgers ERA, Before & After August 1

. . . . . . . . . . Thru 7/31. . . . .Since 8/1
Rotation. . . . . .3.77. . . . . . . . 3.21
Bullpen. . . . . . 3.30. . . . . . . . 2.80

With a 3.18 ERA in 2009, the Los Angeles bullpen has the lowest ERA among all big league pens, and by a large margin. That bodes well for the late innings of postseason games, when teams can’t afford to throw away wins.

The Dodgers, though, will have to rekindle their ability to score runs as they did earlier in the season. Otherwise, they will struggle to remain competitive into the late innings in October against the game's best teams.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a Wednesday column, FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal noted that a few of the game’s elder statesmen -- Frank Thomas, Luis Gonzalez and Jim Edmonds -- failed to find major league jobs last spring. The nation’s economic downturn was blamed, as owners were more inclined to go with young players instead of veterans with their best days in the rear-view mirror.

Rosenthal figures the squeeze on older guys will continue this winter, and for some of them, it will be driven by the position they play. He points out that a host of veteran first base-DH types will be looking for work. The names he mentions were Jim Thome, Carlos Delgado and Jason Giambi; Aubrey Huff, Nick Johnson, Mike Sweeney and Hank Blalock. Gary Sheffield may be another casualty, but the 40-year-old veteran believes he’ll be playing in someone’s outfield in 2010.

Rosenthal make an interesting point, especially for guys who are designated hitters -- or should be, based on their defensive performance or injury history. That would include Thome, Giambi, Johnson and Sweeney. The 39-year-old Thome, with 564 career home runs, still has a shot at becoming the seventh player to reach the 600 plateau. Although only a few DH jobs with regular playing time may be available, he should be the one guy who is guaranteed to get one, based on his .865 OPS for the White Sox.

Looking at the DH spot on American League clubs, it’s surprising how few jobs are held by established run producers who rank among the game’s best hitters. Boston’s David Ortiz is one, though his bat seems to be on the decline as he endures his worst year since joining the Red Sox in 2003. Thome is another, though now he’s solely a pinch-hitter for the Dodgers after being dealt by the White Sox on Monday.

Seattle’s Ken Griffey Jr. and Cleveland’s Travis Hafner would have fit that description a few years ago, and perhaps the Rays’ Pat Burrell will be better in his second season in the AL next year. He had averaged 31 homer and 99 RBIs a year over his previous four seasons with Philadelphia, and he may bounce back after having to adjust to a new league in 2009.

Arguably the most productive designated hitters this season have been Thome, Toronto’s Adam Lind, Baltimore’s Luke Scott, Jason Kubel of the Twins, and the Yankees’ Hideki Matsui. Of this group, only Thome and Matsui are DH-only players.

Looking to 2010, only five AL clubs appear set at DH. That may seem to counter Rosenthal’s point, but a more in-depth look suggests otherwise. Among the nine teams that have some wiggle room to make a change at the position, six of them are small-market or rebuilding teams -- or both. They include the Orioles, Blue Jays, Royals, White Sox, Mariners and Rangers.

Among this group, the White Sox have shown a willingness to spend money if a free agent or player on the trade market is a good fit, but the Thome deal may have been made with the idea of making room next season for talented catching prospect Tyler Flowers. He and A.J. Pierzynski could share catching duties, and both could stay in the lineup regularly by getting plate appearances at DH. If Flowers flounders in spring camp, perhaps a veteran will be signed.

There may be a DH opening in Baltimore, as the O’s are looking at Scott to man first base next season, but that may be a temporary scenario with first-base prospect Brandon Snyder on the way up and rookie Michael Aubrey currently getting a look on the roster. The Royals seem likely to stick with Mike Jacobs, despite his 2009 struggles. The Blue Jays may give 31-year-old rookie and power source Randy Ruiz a chance to stick next spring, despite his dismal 23-8 strikeout ratio in 65 at-bats. The Rangers have to like what they have seen from outfield prospect Julio Borbon since he was recalled in early August, and he and the three outfield regulars could share a lot of the DH time in 2010. Seattle faces a decision on pending free agents and DH candidates Griffey and Sweeney.

The three AL teams most likely to spend money on an aging veteran to DH are the Yankees, Tigers and Angels.

In New York, Matsui and Johnny Damon have had solid 2009 seasons, but both will be free agents. The 35-year-old Damon, playing in left field, is having one of the best seasons of his career; the 35-year-old Matsui has rebounded nicely from a knee injury, though he hasn’t played in the outfield in 2009. The free-spending Yankees could re-sign either left-handed hitter -- or both, with Damon returning in left -- or they could go in a different direction and sign Thome or one of the other DH options.

The Tigers traded for Aubrey Huff in mid-August, and have given him most of the DH at-bats against right-handers, but the 32-year-old veteran has struggled mightily and becomes a free agent at year’s end. On the other hand, injury-prone Carlos Guillen, soon to be 35 years old and still signed for two more years, may be heading toward full-time duties as Detroit’s DH. If he’s unable to stay healthy enough to play regularly in the field, the Tigers will have only one way to make room for his bat in the lineup. Interestingly, Magglio Ordonez, whose playing time is inching him closer to having his option vested for 2010, has been far more productive at the plate as a DH than an outfielder.

The Angels also may have a DH opening if they don’t re-sign Vladimir Guerrero and Bobby Abreu over the winter. Abreu and the Angels are talking, and he seems a good bet to return to right field next spring. That move alone would keep Gary Matthews Jr. on the bench, despite having two years remaining on a $50 million contract. If the Angels re-up with Guerrero, there’s no opening for a free-agent DH.

There will be few first-base openings in either league, as well, so it’s likely at least a few major league veterans among the group mentioned by Rosenthal will be hard-pressed to fine regular work. Perhaps Carlos Delgado and Hank Blalock will find a first-base gig in Oakland or Cleveland if they’re willing to take less money. Nick Johnson may be a good fit in a place where he won’t be depended on to play 125 games, and Thome should sign somewhere. Otherwise, it might be a frustrating winter for a number of major league veterans in search of job.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 2:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Step aside for a moment, Andrew McCutchen. It has taken eight years, three college stops, four June drafts and a July deadline deal, but right-hander Daniel McCutchen finally made his big league debut yesterday.

What a circuitous route to Pittsburgh it has been. McCutchen pitched for three colleges before signing a pro contract. That would include the University of Oklahoma in his hometown of Norman, where he earned an economics degree. He also is one of a select few who have been drafted by major league clubs four times, which he admits sparked occasional anxiety and some second-guessing about staying in school.

Playing baseball in college wasn't even a given when McCutchen graduated high school in 2001. Primarily a shortstop at Norman High, he drew no attention from college programs and walked on at Division II Central Oklahoma, where he moved to the mound. That's when his baseball career began to take flight.

It was as a freshman at Central Oklahoma that the 6-foot-2 McCutchen matured physically, adding 25 pounds and discovering the mid-90s with his fastball. He transferred to Grayson (Oklahoma) Community College the following year, but was limited to two innings of work because of injury. Still, the Yankees took notice of his radar readings and promise, and made him their 27th-round pick of the 2003 draft.

Unhappy with where he went in the draft, McCutchen chose to return home to Norman to pitch for his hometown university. He was one of Oklahoma's top relievers as a sophomore in 2004, and Tampa Bay selected him in the 28th round of that spring's draft.

McCutchen improved steadily over his three seasons pitching in the Big 12, but he returned to Oklahoma each fall, frustrated by his draft position. Being passed over in the early rounds became a motivational tool for an already-driven athlete, who departed the bullpen as a junior and became the Sooners' No. 1 starter.

St. Louis made McCutchen a 12th-round selection in 2005, and he had a tentative deal in place with the Cardinals late the following spring. Oklahoma was still playing in the NCAA's Norman Regional in his final days of eligibility leading up to the 2006 draft, however, and as long as the Sooners were playing, McCutchen couldn't sign.

On the night before the draft, Oklahoma squared off against Wichita State in the regional final, and McCutchen's draft status hung in the balance when he came into the game in relief. The senior worked 5.2 innings for the Sooners, and he was protecting a 7-6 lead with one out to go.

"We were up by one run, runners on second and third, two out," McCutchen explained in an August 2008 interview with this writer. "If I give up a hit, Wichita States wins, I sign the contract with the Cardinals that night, and I get a lot more money than I ended up signing for. If I get this guy out, I go back into the draft pool.

"I threw a 2-2 breaking ball the guy hit pretty hard to our third baseman, and he came up with it and threw the guy out. I was not going to be a Cardinal and went back into the draft."

The Yankees chose McCutchen with their 13th-round pick the following day, and his professional career began soon after Oklahoma lost in a super regional matchup with Rice, the No. 1 team in the country at the time.

Nearly 24 years old when he signed, an age when most prospects are flirting with big league opportunities, McCutchen climbed quickly through an organization known more for dealing prospects than calling on them. His opportunity suddenly seemed infinitely closer last summer, when he was dealt by the Yankees to the Pirates in a late-July trade that shipped Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte to New York.

McCutchen’s long-awaited big league debut might have come a year ago with the perpetually rebuilding Pirates, but it took another 13 months. And after all those years of working hard and waiting for a chance, it was a debut to remember -- for a number of reasons, both positive and strange.

After posting an International League-leading 13 wins, a 13-6 record and a 1.90 ERA in eight second-half starts for Triple-A Indianapolis, McCutchen debuted on Monday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader in Cincinnati. It was a makeup of an April rainout, and fewer than 2,000 fans showed up. The chatter of both players and fans could be heard throughout the stadium, an occurrence that the minor league veteran may not have experienced since his Class-A days with the Yankees.

It might have been a disastrous day. McCutchen served up a home run to Cincinnati leadoff man Drew Stubbs on his second big league pitch, but he put the Pirates up 2-1 with an RBI single to shallow right in his first major league at-bat in the second inning.

McCutchen settled down and worked a quality start, allowing five hits, a pair of walks and three runs over six frames. He fanned five and left with the Pirates trailing 3-2. Pittsburgh tied the game after McCutchen’s departure, but the Reds prevailed, 4-3, when Cincinnati right fielder Darnell McDonald dashed home on a two-out wild pitch from Jesse Chavez in the bottom of the ninth.

“I was a little antsy, trying to block that crowd out,” said McCutchen, breaking into a grin during a postgame interview. The rookie also had the rare major league experience of hearing shouts of encouragement from the handful of family members and friends who drove 13 hours from Oklahoma to witness his big day.

It didn’t appear that the other McCutchen in Pittsburgh, who turns 27 on Sept. 26, would even be given a big league opportunity in 2009. He had been invited to pitch for Team USA in the World Cup later this month, and not being on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster, a September callup seemed unlikely. Now he’s a good bet to get a handful of September starts. No doubt it’s been worth the wait.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)