Reliever Joe Beimel is 4-0 this year for the Dodgers. In two of those victories, he had to throw only one pitch to get the “W.”

That was the case Sunday at Dodger Stadium, where the southpaw retired Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder on one pitch for the final out of a four-run ninth inning that tied the game. Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier hit a two-run homer off Carlos Villanueva in the bottom of the ninth for a 7-5 win.

Beimel also won a game throwing one pitch on May 1, facing the Marlins in Florida. He induced Jeremy Hermida to pop out to shortstop Rafael Furcal to end the eighth inning of a 3-3 game. In the top of the ninth, the Dodgers scratched for a pair of runs and a 5-3 win.

Seven others have recorded one-pitch victories in 2008, but only Beimel and Milwaukee’s Brian Shouse have two such wins.

Beimel has made four one-pitch relief appearances this season, including the two victories, and only Dennys Reyes of the Twins has more.

Most One-Pitch Relief Appearances, 2008

Dennys Reyes, Min. . . .5
Joe Beimel, LAD. . . . . .4
Javier Lopez, Bos. . . . .3
Royce Ring, Atl. . . . . . 3
Brian Shouse, Mil. . . . .3
Russ Springer, StL. . . . 3

Reyes has been efficient. In his first one-pitch appearance on April 2, the lefty delivered an eighth-inning double-play grounder off the bat of Casey Kotchman in a 1-0 Twins loss to the Angels. Reyes recorded an out in three of his other four one-pitch outings. He also has worked four two-pitch appearances and recorded an out in three of them.

Beimel has retired the batter in three of his four one-pitch games. Boston southpaw Javier Lopez, Atlanta's Royce Ring and the Cardinals' Russ Springer have recorded outs in all three of their one-pitch outings. Springer posted successful one-pitch stints in consecutive games against Atlanta at the end of July. In a pair of St. Louis victories, he induced a flyout to Cardinals center fielder Skip Schumaker both nights.

Only one pitcher has worked one-third of an inning and departing a game without throwing a pitch in 2008. On Aug. 1, Royals right-hander Ramon Ramirez entered the top of the ninth inning with two outs and his team trailing the White Sox, 4-2. Chicago shortstop Orlando Cabrera was thrown out at third on a stolen-base attempt before Ramirez threw to the plate. The Royals still lost.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 9:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a breakout season, White Sox left fielder Carlos Quentin has taken a commanding lead in the American League home-run race with 32. The 25-year-old Quentin, who digs in and often leans over the plate, also leads the majors with 20 hit-by-pitches this season.

The right-handed hitter has stormed to the top of the HBP leader board by taking one for the team in six consecutive games going into Friday night’s contest in Oakland. From what historical records exist, reportedly Quentin is the only major leaguer since 1920 to be struck by a pitch in six straight games.

In the last 50 years, according to STATS’ databases, no one had been plucked in more than four consecutive contests in a single season before Quentin started taking hits this week. Five players have been struck four times in a season, with the most recent being Shawn Green in September 2006, as the Mets’ right fielder.

The others to get hit by a pitch in four straight games in a single season since 1954 are F.P. Santangelo (July 1997), Don Baylor (September 1976), Richie Hebner (May 1975) and Joe Cunningham (May-June 1961).

Baylor ranks second on the modern era’s all-time leader board for hit-by-pitches, with 267. His modern-era mark was surpassed in 2005 by Craig Biggio, who retired with 285. The long-time Houston star never was hit in more than three straight contests.

Quentin has a history of absorbing pitches with body parts. Playing for Stanford before signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks, he set an NCAA record by going 5-for-5 in a game against Florida State. That’s five times up, hit five times.

In 379 minor league games, Quentin was hit 112 times. He set a minor league record in 2004, when he was hit with 43 pitches playing between high Class-A Lancaster and Double-A El Paso. In 2005 with Triple-A Tucson, he was hit three times in a single game, twice in the same inning, en route to a new Pacific Coast League record for a single season (29).

On pace for 27 HBP in 2008, Quentin is far off from the modern-day record of 50 by Ron Hunt with the 1971 Expos. In time, Quentin may get there, but obviously his power breakout is what deserves the headlines. No one could have predicted Quentin competing for the AL home-run crown, let alone winning it.

That would be monumental to the White Sox for another reason. Only two White Sox players have ever won home-run crowns in the 107-year history of the franchise. They combined for three homer titles, all collected in the four-year span 1971-74. Bill Melton led the league with 33 in 1971, and Dick Allen topped the circuit in both 1972 (37) and 1974 (32).

A stranger twist to Quentin’s big season is that he could become just the sixth player in the modern era to lead his league in both homers and HBP in a single season, and he would be the first American Leaguer in 44 years. No one on the chart can top his 20 HBP.

Led AL or NL in HR & HBP in Same Season, Since 1900

Player, Year Team. . . . . . .League. . . HR. . . . HBP
Cy Williams, 1927 Phi. . . . . .. . NL. . . . .30*. . . . .9
Joe DiMaggio, 1948 NYY. . . . . AL. . . . . 39. . . . .8
Al Rosen, 1950 Cle. . . . . . . . . AL. . . . .37. . . . 10*
Harmon Killebrew, 1964 Min. . AL. . . . . 49. . . . .8*
Mike Schmidt, 1976 Phi. . . . . NL. . . . . 38. . . . 11*

• tied for league lead

Posted by Thom Henninger at 12:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Patience at the plate helps set up hitters' counts, when a player can zero in on a specific pitch or location. The most patient hitters tend to go 3-2 in the count more often, and a number of them have been especially successful after the count goes full.

After Saturday's games, 45 major leaguers have seen 70 or more full counts in 2008. Five of them have reached 3-2 at least 100 times:

Most 3-2 Counts, 2008

Hanley Ramirez, Fla. . . 115
Jack Cust, Oak. . . . . . 108
Nick Swisher, CWS. . . .105
B.J. Upton, TB. . . . . . 103
Adam Dunn, Cin-Ari. . . 100

Among those 45 players with 70-plus 3-2 counts this season, B.J. Upton and Adam Dunn also rank among the leaders in batting and slugging, respectively. Dunn tops the majors with 18 RBIs in 3-2 situations. Here are the batting and slugging leaders in 3-2 counts:

AVG & SLG Leaders in 3-2 Counts, 2008
(minimum 70 PA in 3-2 situations, through Saturday)

Player. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .AVG. . . . . . . .Player. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SLG
Brian Roberts, Bal. . . . . . . . .356. . . . . . . . Mark Reynolds, Ari. . . . . . . . . . .717
Akinori Iwamura, TB. . . . . . . .333. . . . . . . .Pat Burrell, Phi. . . . . . . . . . . . . .692
B.J. Upton, TB. . . . . . . . . . .298. . . . . . . .David Wright, NYM. . . . . . . . . . . .634
David Wright, NYM. . . . . . . . .293. . . . . . . Geovany Soto, ChC. . . . . . . . . . . .617
Aramis Ramirez, ChC. . . . . . .286. . . . . . . .Jim Thome, CWS. . . . . . . . . . . . . .591
Mark Reynolds, Ari. . . . . . . .283. . . . . . . .Adam Dunn, Cin-Ari. . . . . . . . . . . .576

Another player who has turned 3-2 counts into a hitter-friendly scenario is Arizona's Mark Reynolds, who has powered 10 extra-base hits in 53 at-bats -- including six doubles and three home runs -- and has slugged a major league-high .717 in those situations. He's also drawn 21 walks.

White Sox slugger Jim Thome is batting just .197 in his 98 plate appearances that have gone 3-2, but he has a 1.050 OPS by virtue of stroking eight home runs and drawing 31 walks.

Through Saturday, Jack Cust (46 walks), Upton (44) and Dunn (38) have drawn the most walks in 3-2 situations. Let's take their knowledge of the strike zone a step further. Here are the leaders in walk-strikeout ratio among players with 40 or more walks and strikeouts combined in 3-2 counts.

Highest BB-K Ratio after 3-2 Count, 2008
(minimum 40 BB & K combined, through Saturday)

Player. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PA. . . . . . BB-K
Carlos Quentin, CWS. . . . . . . . . .67. . . . . 3.00 (30/10)
B.J. Upton, TB. . . . . . . . . . . . . 103. . . . . 2.93 (44/15)
David Wright, NYM. . . . . . . . . . . 78. . . . . 2.64 (37/14)
Gregor Blanco, Atl. . . . . . . . . . . 74. . . . . 2.21 (31/14)
Troy Glaus, StL. . . . . . . . . . . . . 75. . . . . 2.15 (28/13)
J.D. Drew, Bos. . . . . . . . . . . . . .84. . . . . 2.13 (34/16)

There's Upton on another 3-2 leader board. Also noteworthy for his 3-2 production is Mets third baseman David Wright, who has four home runs and 37 walks in those situations. Based on his .628 OBP and .634 slugging, Wright has a 1.262 OPS, the best 3-2 mark in the National League.

Patience at the plate has been a key part of Carlos Quentin's breakout season with the White Sox. He's fanned just 10 times in 67 plate appearances that have gone 3-2. His 30 walks give him a .582 OBP in 3-2 counts.

Although Quentin hasn't delivered any of his AL-leading 32 home runs on a 3-2 pitch, teammate Thome has countered with a major league-high eight bombs with the count full.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

All is not well in Seattle. The 2007 Mariners won 88 games and sparked a renewed interest in the young club this spring, but the 2008 version sports the worst record in the American League at 45-72.

The Mariners canned skipper John McLaren in mid-June, a few days after firing GM Bill Bavasi. McLaren went 66-88 as Seattle’s manager, following Jeff Hargrove’s abrupt retirement in July 2007, and the M’s have been only marginally better at 20-25 under interim manager Jim Riggleman.

The possibility the listless Mariners aren’t giving a full effort hasn’t been addressed by the front office or players, but after Friday night’s loss to the Rays, right-hander Carlos Silva broke that “wall of silence,” according to Seattle Times sportswriter Geoff Baker.

Silva unloaded after losing in a less-than-stellar effort of his own, allowing eight hits, three walks and four earned runs in six innings of a 5-3 decision. He fell to 4-13 with a 5.92 ERA and .322 opponent batting average on the season, then took on teammates who he believes are phoning it in or simply padding statistics.

Insisting that his frustration wasn’t based on his Friday night effort, Silva told Baker “maybe half the team wants to do the best they can.” He suggested that at times some players were more interested in getting a hit than moving a runner over, or a pitcher was looking for a strikeout rather than inducing a groundball.

“I don’t care if we are 40 games behind, we should have played better than this,” said Silva, who is called “The Chief” by teammates. “For me, every game is important.”

It might be easy to write off Silva’s comments in light of his own poor performance, but Baker noted that fellow starter Felix Hernandez was standing directly to Silva’s right with a smile on his face while his veteran teammate lashed out about how the team’s approach was making the rotation look bad. Starter Jarrod Washburn was a few feet away, listening but not commenting.

Silva stepped into similar tricky territory with the Twins a few years ago, when he criticized his team’s performance in the middle of a lackluster season. It didn’t go over well, as Silva was perceived as selfish and casting blame for his own problems.

That experience made him cautious about speaking out, but the cat’s out of the bag now. Some will say Silva should look in the mirror, but it’s just as likely that the Mariners will need to do even more housecleaning to change the clubhouse culture in 2009.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 3:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Texas Rangers are as dangerous as ever offensively, leading the majors by scoring 5.53 runs per game going into Sunday’s action. Not much is different on the pitching side, either, as the Rangers continue to struggle assembling a major league starting rotation.

Texas starters have the second-highest team ERA at 5.52. Most of the organization’s top pitching prospects haven’t panned out, and youngsters Edinson Volquez and John Danks have blossomed elsewhere. There wasn't a payoff in sending Danks and Nick Masset to Chicago for Brandon McCarthy.

The best Texas starter in 2008, the abrasive Sidney Ponson, was cut loose in early June after going 4-1 with a 3.88 ERA in nine starts. Among the starting five, the next-lowest ERAs belong to Scott Feldman and Kason Gabbard, both with 4.82 marks. Vicente Padilla has used the run support to go 12-6, though with a 4.85 ERA.

The struggles of the starters have put a lot of pressure on the bullpen, which has been the busiest in the majors. Texas relievers have worked 429.2 innings, easily the most among all teams; they also lead the way by averaging the most innings per game.

Most Innings Pitched by Bullpens, 2008

Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IP. . . . . . . . . . . . . .IP/G
Texas Rangers. . . . . . . . . . . . .429.2. . . . . . . . . . . . .3.74
Pittsburgh Pirates. . . . . . . . . . 411.1. . . . . . . . . . . . .3.61
Florida Marlins. . . . . . . . . . . . .397.1. . . . . . . . . . . . .3.43
Cincinnati Reds. . . . . . . . . . . .394.2. . . . . . . . . . . . .3.34
San Diego Padres. . . . . . . . . . .388.2. . . . . . . . . . . . .3.38

By averaging 3.74 innings per game -- more than three and two-thirds innings -- the Texas pen has been forced to record, on average, 11 outs a game.

Though no longer “Everyday Eddie,” Eddie Guardado and bullpen mate Frank Francisco have been solid contributors in the Texas pen. Still, the heavy usage takes its toll, and the Rangers’ 5.01 bullpen ERA is the second-highest in the majors. Only the disappointing Cleveland Indians have a higher mark (5.23).

Texas is two games over .500 through 118 games -- not bad for a club that hasn’t finished above .500 in any of the three previous seasons.

Whether the Rangers take their game to the next level in the next two or three years may be decided by how they develop their next generation of pitching prospects. The likes of Neftali Feliz, Eric Hurley, Blake Beavan Michael Main, Omar Poveda and Matt Harrison are critical to the team’s future.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 3:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Not only have the Toronto Blue Jays lost Dustin McGowan for the season to shoulder troubles, last week they demoted struggling starter Jesse Litsch to Triple-A Syracuse. Pitching prospect David Purcey is getting an extended look in the rotation, and others in the high minors may be called on if the Jays decide to trade right-hander A.J. Burnett before Thursday’s trade deadline.

Scouts from numerous teams have been in the ballpark when Burnett pitches for the Jays. Among the teams reportedly interested in acquiring the 31-year-old veteran are the Yankees, Phillies and Cardinals. The Phillies have added Joe Blanton, and the story goes that the Jays won’t trade Burnett within the division. The demand for Burnett’s services may be less than anticipated, even with CC Sabathia and Rich Harden already off the market.

Yet, recent history suggests that Burnett is the kind of guy who could give a contender a boost down the stretch. The oft-injured right-hander has missed a lot of time during the first half of recent seasons, but he’s been impressive in August and September the last two summers.

In the final two months of 2006 and 2007 combined, Burnett went 13-6 with a 3.34 ERA. That’s markedly better than his 6-9 (4.31) record before the All-Star break those two years.

The Jays haven’t received their money’s worth from Burnett in his three seasons with the club, but selling his August-September performance to a prospective trade partner could provide some payoff before Thursday’s deadline. It’s less certain that the Jays could get Burnett through waivers in August and September, so now is the time to get a deal done.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 5:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Despite being swept by the New York Yankees this week, the Minnesota Twins have been the best American League club over the last 40 days, going 21-10 to stay close to the AL Central-leading White Sox.

The Twins were on a 21-7 run when they visited Yankee Stadium this week. They were swept convincingly by the Yankees, which not only continued a trend of poor performance in the Bronx in recent years, but added to their overall struggles on the road in 2008.

Whether the Twins stay in the hunt may be decided by how the pitching staff fares away from the Metrodome. That’s especially true for the Jekyll-and-Hyde bullpen, which has the worst road ERA in the majors.

Twins’ ERA Breakdown, 2008 (with MLB ranks)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Home. . . . . . . .Away
Overall ERA. . . . . . . . . . . 3.22 (4th). . . . 5.59 (29th)
Starters ERA. . . . . . . . . . 3.88 (12th). . . .5.35 (22nd)
Bullpen ERA. . . . . . . . . . .1.92 (1st). . . . .6.02 (30th)

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

The bullpen of the Toronto Blue Jays has a 3.12 ERA, the fifth-best mark in the major leagues this season. Three relievers -- southpaw Scott Downs, rookie Jesse Carlson and closer B.J. Ryan -- have worked at least 30 innings and have an ERA lower than 3.00. Seven Jays have pitched more than 15 innings in relief and have ERAs lower than 3.75.

The Toronto bullpen ranks sixth in the majors for lowest opponent batting average (.234). Yet Jays relievers are just 7-17 on the season. Their win total and .292 winning percentage are the lowest among all major league bullpens. Such a statistical dichotomy is unusual.

Despite a 3.36 ERA in April, Toronto relievers were 1-7 for the month. In six of those eight decisions, the Jays pitcher who earned the decision entered a tied game in what turned out to be a one-run or extra-inning defeat.

The bullpen was rarely touched for big innings in April, and that trend has continued, though the relievers are now 5-11 in games that were tied when they entered. They are 3-7 in extra innings.

The Jays are 15-22 (.405) in one-run games, and only four big league clubs have lower winning percentages in games decided by a single run.

Still, those aren’t reasons to beat up on the relief corps. The pen has been victimized by poor run support. In seven of those 11 losses, the Jays haven’t scored a run after the sixth inning.

When Downs allowed two late scores in a 7-6 loss to Seattle on July 1, the bullpen had slipped to 4-17, though with a solid 3.16 ERA. To that point in the season, the offense had provided just 3.2 runs of support per nine innings for the relievers. That’s barely a run for every three innings worked by the pen.

Getting the clutch hit hasn’t come often enough in any inning. The Jays are batting .241 with runners in scoring position this season. That’s the third-lowest mark in the majors, and in 10 of the bullpen’s 17 losses, the team stranded double-digit runners on base.

Things are looking up for the run-starved relievers. The bullpen has won three straight decisions over the last two weeks. The difference has been the 12 runs scored by the offense over the final three innings of those three victories combined.

Prior to those three wins, the bullpen had lost eight straight decisions, dating to June 1. In those eight one-run defeats, the Jays scored a total of three runs after the sixth inning -- a span of 29 innings when the pen could have used a little help.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 12:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After three days off, the second half of the 2008 season begins today. The pennant chase resumes, and the contenders are looking for their stars to lead the way.

Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins of the Phillies, the last two National League MVP Award winners, have been key contributors after the All-Star break the last two seasons. Colorado’s Matt Holliday came up big for the Rockies down the stretch in 2007, when he batted .403 with 11 home runs during Colorado’s 17-5 sprint to the playoffs.

The Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez has been a big second-half performer, en route to MVP honors in both 2005 and 2007. New York has another post-break stud, who is one of 21 major league players who have driven in 100-plus runs over the last two second halves. It’s not Bobby Abreu, Jorge Posada or Jason Giambi, but Robinson Cano, who has recorded 108 RBIs in 128 games.

Cano’s been markedly better down the stretch in both 2006 and 2007, but the difference last summer was staggering. His second-half hitting percentages a year ago were .343/.396/.557, compared to .274/.314/.427 before the break.

Among major leaguers with at least 400 post-break plate appearances the last two years, Cano leads the way with a .352 average. He’s slugged .590, with 41 doubles, 24 home runs and 81 runs scored in 128 games. Only nine players can top his 41 two-baggers in this stretch.

Cano might be a great fantasy pickup in a trade deadline deal. The Yankees need him as well, though it’s probably pitching that will determine whether the Bronx Bombers reach the postseason for the 14th consecutive year in 2008.

You’ll find a review of the top second-half performers of recent years in this week’s “Thom’s Take.” It's a season-long source of fantasy and prospect news provided as part of STATS Fantasy Advantage. SFA offers 2008 player projections, latest player injury info, team depth charts and more. Find out more or sign up at stats.com.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It’s soapbox time. Time for this writer’s annual rant against having the All-Star Game determine home-field advantage for the World Series.

The All-Star Game has been little more than an exhibition for fans, who get a chance to add their two cents to the game by voting for the starters. It’s been pageantry, an event that seldom generates memories beyond the end of the season.

In fact, the most memorable game of late for this writer is the 1999 Midsummer Classic, and it had nothing to do with the game itself. Seeing Ted Williams on the grass of Fenway Park, surrounded by the modern-day stars before the game, is unforgettable.

The fans deserve some credit. At times favorite players get the nod over the best players, though this year it’s notable that the fans have smartly selected relative unknowns such as Geovany Soto, Josh Hamilton and Ryan Braun for starting jobs. Still, too much is at stake in October to make the selection process a fan-participation event, or to require that a player from each of the 30 teams is on the roster.

Since 1982, the team with home-field advantage has won 20 of 25 World Series. The only clubs to overcome home-field advantage in this stretch are the 1984 Tigers, 1992 Blue Jays, 1999 Yankees, 2003 Marlins and 2006 Cardinals.

Clinching a World Series title on the road in a sixth or seventh game has been nearly impossible, with the home team posting an 18-3 record in Games 6 and 7 since 1982. No home team has lost a Game 7 since Pittsburgh came back from a 3-1 deficit and won the final two games at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium to claim the 1979 Fall Classic. Since then, the home team is 8-0 in Game 7. Visiting clubs don't fare much better in Game 6, going 3-10.

Another part of the pageantry is managers feeling obligated to play just about everyone on the roster. If the game is close in the late innings, we are unlikely to see the best players taking critical at-bats.

An exhibition game in July shouldn't play a role in deciding who wins the last game of the season in October. Giving the team with the best regular-season record home-field advantage is a better idea, but the power of television may prevent that from ever being an option.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 4:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A major league team has yet to have a woman run its baseball operations, but Kim Ng is a solid candidate who has built an impressive resume over the last two decades. Is MLB ready for her?

The decision-makers in baseball are slow to change. The color barrier remained in place until 1947, and it was nearly three decades later, in 1975, that Hall of Famer Frank Robinson became the first manager of color. It was nearly 20 more years before Bob Watson became the first non-white general manager.

This resistance to change is apparent in other aspects of the game. Over the last 30 years, Bill James and others have spawned new ways to study the game through statistical analysis. They have created stats that have worked their way into the mainstream of baseball coverage.

Despite the validity and insight of the early sabermetricians, their approach is only beginning to draw interest from baseball old-timers in front offices and coaching positions. Slowly some of the best analysts, including James, have worked their way into baseball operations departments.

The notion that tools and skills are the only valid measures of talent has been challenged by sabermetricians, who believe minor league numbers also are worth studying when evaluating young players.

Most stats geeks have never played the game at a high level, and often that’s behind the bias against non-traditional methods. Robinson and Watson were talented players, of course, and in time, that fact had to make a difference in opening doors to them.

The next challenge to traditional barriers in management may be waged by Kim Ng, who has spent 17 years working in baseball and ranks among the most promising GM candidates in the game. She’s neither white nor male, and biases against her running a team’s baseball operations are just as likely to focus on the fact that she hasn’t played the game professionally.

Of course, Boston GM and sabermetrician Theo Epstein hasn’t played pro ball, but he’s directed the Red Sox to a pair of World Series titles in the last four years. The men who played the game and later oversaw the Red Sox failed to win a championship through the previous 85 seasons.

After playing softball for four years and earning a bachelor’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago, Ng began her baseball career in 1991 as an intern with the White Sox. Sabermetric statistical analysis was just starting to find its way into big league front offices, and working the numbers with computers was something in which Ng excelled.

Now 39 years old, Ng has spent the last 11 seasons as an assistant general manager for the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. She has worked with manager Joe Torre on both coasts, and he’s impressed with her knowledge and skills.

Assistant general managers don’t attract much public attention, but Ng was forced into the national spotlight roughly five years ago at the GM meetings in Phoenix. She was approached by former big league pitcher Bill Singer, who was a special assistant to then-Mets GM Jim Duquette. Singer stopped Ng and asked her who she was and why she was in attendance. She patiently handled his questions before Singer mocked her by uttering sounds that were supposed to approximate Chinese. Ng, a Chinese-American, considered the confrontation to be more about sexism than racism.

Ng’s story is an interesting one. Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports wrote a fascinating feature last week about her and the matter of breaking barriers in baseball. It’s a terrific read, well worth a look.

Ng is likely to attract interviews for GM jobs in coming years. Whether they are serious or lip service remains to be seen. She is quick to point that there are others -- both men and women -- who share her career path, but Ng is likely to be the one who breaks down the gender barrier.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last fall, the Cleveland Indians were one win away from the World Series. Nine months later, they have traded 2007 Cy Young Award winner C.C. Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Even more surprising than Cleveland’s fall is that Sabathia landed in Milwaukee, the team with the smallest television market in baseball. More often than not, premium pitchers and impact players dealt in July join big-market clubs, often those in New York, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Yet, Sabathia will hook up with the Brewers, who posted their first winning season in 15 years in 2007.

The game has changed in that time. More teams tend to value their prospects and draft picks. As FOXSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal notes in a piece about today’s trade, prospects = power.

Thanks to Scouting Director Jack Zduriencik, the Brewers have a loaded farm system, which allows them to trade veterans, as they have plenty of young talent to fill holes. Or they can acquire a veteran such as Sabathia with that talent.

It’s widely perceived that the Brewers have no intention of re-signing either staff ace, Sabathia or Ben Sheets, both of whom become free agents at the end of the season. The Brewers would get four top draft picks if both walk. That would be the same approach taken by Milwaukee when it traded three minor league pitchers to the Padres for reliever Scott Linebrink last July, then took the two draft choices when he signed with the White Sox in November.

The cost of acquiring Sabathia wasn’t particularly steep for the Brewers, either. The key player moving to Cleveland is a terrific hitting prospect, Matt LaPorta, who doesn’t have much going for him on the defensive side. Milwaukee’s first-round pick in 2007 is a much better fit for the American League, plus the 23-year-old outfielder would find it hard to break into the Brewers lineup with Ryan Braun and Corey Hart playing the outfield corners.

Making LaPorta the cornerstone of a trade is clearly a case of Milwaukee dealing its surplus. And if Sabathia departs, the Brewers acquire two more draft picks, with Zduriencik prepared to add more assets to an already-rich minor league system.

Even in acquiring Sabathia, the Brewers stand to get richer -- in their case, not in terms of revenue streams, but in stockpiling young talent.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 4:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Going back to the start of divisional play in 1969, you can count on one hand the number of days the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals have been the two best teams in the National League after the Fourth of July.

Much of the credit for that goes to the Cubs, who for years have been out of the pennant chase by the time the weather heats up.

In 2004, however, St. Louis and Chicago were 1-2 respectively in the NL for the first two days after the Fourth. The third and only other day in the last 39 years is Saturday afternoon, when the Cubs and Cards square off in Game 2 of their weekend series in St. Louis.

The Cubs took Friday night’s opener, 2-1, with staff ace Carlos Zambrano returning from a stint on the disabled list to claim his first win in four starts, dating to June 2. With Zambrano pitching six scoreless frames and Kosuke Fukudome and Geovany Soto drilling home runs, the Cubs improved to 52-35 and continue to sport the league’s highest winning percentage at .598.

The Cardinals fell 3.5 games behind first-place Chicago, though the 49-39 Cards still have the NL’s second-highest wining percent (.557). Despite Friday’s loss, St. Louis still has the edge in wins going head-to-head with Chicago during the division era, 323-322 with a tie. Talk about a rivalry.

Just in case there wasn’t enough interest in this weekend’s series, St. Louis manager Tony La Russa lit some Fourth of July fireworks. He was bent out of shape by recent comments made by former Cardinal Jim Edmonds. The better verb is "overreacted."

Edmonds has endured a common phenomenon in sports coverage in Chicago. A good story line doesn’t go away overnight, and reporters here seem prone to asking the question -- or a series of questions about one and only one topic -- over and over again.

The 38-year-old veteran has faced a steady barrage of questions about fitting in with the Cubs after eight seasons in St. Louis. Choosing to look forward rather than backward, Edmonds asked reporters to quit bringing up his St. Louis years in interviews. Apparently La Russa took it as a slight that Edmonds didn’t want to be associated with the Cards.

“I was trying to fit in with Chicago and everybody kept asking me questions about trying to fit in,” Edmonds told the AP’s R.B. Fallstrom. “So if that was what it was, obviously that was taken out of context.” Apparently La Russa didn’t see it that way.

“Are we indebted to him? For what?” La Russa responded. “Didn’t he play in a bunch of postseasons? How many of the postseasons was he in before he got here? None.

“He got to a World Series, too, and he was paid for it. I mean, there isn’t anything he gave us that we didn’t give him back, is there?”

Perhaps this is La Russa trying to light a few firecrackers in his own clubhouse. After all, the Cardinals are 7-10 since June 12, a stretch in which they lost four of six to the cross-state Royals.

Reportedly La Russa and Edmonds have a good relationship -- or at least had one. La Russa said he would ignore his former center fielder this weekend, being Edmonds was inclined to ignore his Cardinals heritage.

As a player who has spent more than a few days on a Chicago baseball club, Edmonds is quick to realize that the story has been overblown. And he’s not concerned with the comments of his long-time skipper.

“If he ignores me, I’m going to punch him in the mouth,” Edmonds joked. “I think he’s trying to stir it up. He gets a little excited about this rivalry.”

For what it’s worth, controversy or no controversy, Cardinals fans greeted Edmonds warmly in his first 2008 visit. It didn’t matter that he had asked to be traded over the winter, after it was apparent he would be a bench player in the final year of his contract.

Edmonds, a popular player in St. Louis and a member of the 2006 World Series champions, doffed his helmet after a lengthy ovation Friday. Of course, love from the other side is short-lived in this rivalry, which continues Saturday with Lilly facing Lohse.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 12:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Among major league third basemen, who would you say has been the biggest run producer in 2008? Alex Rodriguez? Chipper Jones? Aramis Ramirez?

A case can be made that among his peers, Arizona’s Mark Reynolds has been the biggest contributor at the plate. Going into Wednesday’s games, the 24-year-old had scored 56 runs, the most by a third baseman, and his 17 home runs tied him for the most with A-Rod. Reynolds has driven in 52 runs, and only David Wright of the Mets (65) and the Cubs’ Ramirez (55) have more RBIs.

In 32 fewer games this season, Reynolds has already matched his rookie home-run total of a year ago. He’s on course to surpass most of his first-year numbers, sooner rather than later. Reynolds has whiffed 99 times in 317 plate appearances, but he’s produced, hitting .261-17-52 and slugging .507 in 79 games.

You’ll find A-Rod, Jones, Wright and Ramirez on the offensive leader boards for third basemen. There are a few other less-prominent third sackers who are producing, too, including Cleveland's Casey Blake. The 34-year-old veteran is batting .374 with 17 runs and 20 RBIs in his last 31 games.

You’ll find charts and analysis of the top hitters at the position in this week’s “Thom’s Take.” It's a season-long source of fantasy and prospect news provided as part of STATS Fantasy Advantage. SFA offers 2008 player projections, latest player injury info, team depth charts and more. Find out more or sign up at stats.com.

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

St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina has struck out just 10 times in 244 plate appearances this season, just once for every 24.4 plate appearances. Among hitters with at least 200 trips to the plate in a season, Molina has the best mark since 1999, when Tony Gwynn struck out just 14 times in 446 plate appearances for a 31.9 PA-K ratio.

Gwynn, who had a 28.1 ratio in 1998, is the only player who has posted a better mark than Molina in the last 10 years. Molina’s 24.4 ratio is the highest in the majors this season, and not far down the leader board is brother Bengie Molina of the Giants, who ranks sixth in the majors with a 16.1 mark.

Highest Plate Appearance-Strikeout Ratio, 2008
(minimum 175 PA)

Player. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . K. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ratio
Yadier Molina, StL. . . . . . . . . . .244. . . . . . . . . . . . . .10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24.4
Cesar Izturis, StL. . . . . . . . . . . .217. . . . . . . . . . . . . .10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.7
Casey Kotchman, LAA. . . . . . . . 289. . . . . . . . . . . . . .15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.3
Juan Pierre, LAD. . . . . . . . . . . .277. . . . . . . . . . . . . .15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18.5
Yuniesky Betancourt, Sea. . . . . .277. . . . . . . . . . . . . .17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.3
Bengie Molina, SF. . . . . . . . . . . 274. . . . . . . . . . . . . .16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.1

Molina isn’t the only Cardinal on the leader board, as shortstop Cesar Izturis has been nearly as difficult to strike out. As a team, St. Louis has the highest PA-K ratio in the National League at 6.6. Ranking ahead of the Cardinals are the Mariners (7.1), Yankees (7.0) and Blue Jays (6.8).

Posted by Thom Henninger at 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez leads the majors with 30 saves, closing out 65.2 percent of his team’s 46 wins. He’s recorded 40 or more saves in each of the last three seasons, and at age 26, the right-hander is on course to surpass his single-season high of 47 in 2006.

Second in the majors in saves is more of a surprise. Left-hander George Sherrill, who moved to Baltimore when the Mariners acquired ace southpaw Erik Bedard in February, has 25 saves. Sherrill didn’t reach the major leagues until he was 27. Now 31, he’s consistently nailing down Baltimore wins in his first season as a closer.

Sherrill leads all big league closers by recording a save in 65.8 percent of Orioles victories this season. Since saves became an official stat in 1969, only Bryan Harvey for the 1993 Florida Marlins has saved a higher percentage of his team’s victories. Harvey recorded 45 saves that season, or 70.3 percent of Florida’s 64 wins.

Highest Pct of Team’s Wins Saved by One Pitcher in a Single Season, since 1969

Reliever. . . . . . . . . . . .Team. . . . . . . . . . . Pct
Bryan Harvey. . . . . . . .1993 Marlins. . . . . . . .70.3 (45 of 64)
George Sherrill. . . . . . 2008 Orioles. . . . . . . .65.8 (25 of 38)
Francisco Rodriguez. . .2008 Angels. . . . . . . . 65.2 (30 of 46)
Eric Gagne. . . . . . . . . 2003 Dodgers. . . . . . . 64.7 (55 of 85)
Mike Williams. . . . . . . .2002 Pirates. . . . . . . .63.9 (46 of 72)
Randy Myers. . . . . . . .1993 Cubs. . . . . . . . . .63.1 (53 of 84)

Bullpen roles have become increasingly specialized over the last 30 years, so it’s not surprising that Harvey’s mark is at risk. Still, it’s hard not to be impressed with Sherrill’s emergence and Rodriguez’s dominance since arriving in Los Angeles in 2002. K-Rod will have close to 200 saves at the close of 2008.

Among the top five in saves all time, the most saves through their age-26 season belong to Lee Smith, with 80. Closers rarely have long careers; the job takes it toll. But if Rodriguez stays healthy, he’ll be competing for the all-time saves record at a much younger age than those who have come close to it.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 7:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

San Francisco right-hander Tim Lincecum showed flashes of brilliance as a rookie last season. Even with some rough spots along the way, the 23-year-old prospect managed to finish 7-5 with a 4.00 ERA for a Giants club that finished 20 games under .500.

Lincecum, who turned 24 on Sunday, has been dominant for most of 2008. Despite his team’s 31-42 record, he’s 8-1 with a 2.21 ERA that ranks second in the majors behind the 1.64 mark posted by Cincinnati surprise Edinson Volquez. The Reds are 33-41, but Volquez is 9-2, and he and Lincecum share an ability to put hitters away with runners in scoring position.

Among pitchers who have faced at least 60 batters with runners in scoring position, Lincecum has limited opponents to a major league-low .121 average (11-for-91). Nearly as stingy are Milwaukee’s Ben Sheets and Volquez.

Lowest Opponent Batting Average Allowed by Pitchers with RISP
(minimum 60 batters faced with RISP)

Pitcher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Record. . . . . . . . .OBA
Tim Lincecum, SF. . . . . . . . .8-1 (2.21). . . . . . . .121
Ben Sheets, Mil. . . . . . . . . .8-1 (2.74). . . . . . . .141
Edinson Volquez, Cin. . . . . . 9-2 (1.64). . . . . . . .147
Jake Peavy, SD. . . . . . . . . . .5-4 (2.88). . . . . . . .161
Tim Redding, Was. . . . . . . . .6-3 (4.10). . . . . . . .162
Shaun Marcum, Tor. . . . . . . 5-4 (2.65). . . . . . . .169

Shutting down opponents in pressure situations goes a long way toward winning, but a little run support always helps. The pitchers on the leader board who have received less than five runs of support per nine innings are Shaun Marcum (3.92) and Jake Peavy (4.59). Both are just 5-4 despite ERAs less than 3.00.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 5:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When Detroit left fielder Marcus Thames drilled a 450-foot blast over the center-field fence in San Francisco Tuesday night, he matched the franchise record for consecutive games with a homer by connecting in his fifth straight. According to home-run historian David Vincent, Thames pulled alongside Rudy York (1937), Hank Greenberg (1940), Vic Wertz (1950) and Willie Horton (1969) in the record book.

The franchise mark is at risk Wednesday afternoon after Tuesday’s shot reached a part of the park that only Barry Bonds knows. Thames already has three homers in the first two games of the series.

Thames’ last eight hits have been home runs, dating to June 7, when an eighth-inning homer tied a divisional matchup with Cleveland, which the Tigers went on to win, 8-4. Four of his six longballs during his five-game homer streak have either tied the score or put the Tigers ahead. Two of them came Monday night off Giants ace Tim Lincecum, who is 8-1 and has allowed just five home runs all season.

So, what’s more remarkable, homering in five straight games or connecting for eight bombs in his last eight hits? Chase Utley has homered in five straight games twice this season, and Adam Dunn has done it once. Since 1974, however, only Mark McGwire has powered more consecutive hits for home runs.

Most Consecutive Hits that were Home Runs, Since 1974

Player. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Span
Mark McGwire. . . . . . . . . . . . . 11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .July-Aug 2001
Marcus Thames. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .June 2008
Albert Belle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sept 1995
Mike Schmidt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .April 1976
Rob Deer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sept 1991-Apr 1992
Adam Dunn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .May 2003
Hee-Seop Choi. . . . . . . . . . . . . .7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .June 2005

All eight of the right-handed hitter’s blasts have come against right-handed pitching. On Wednesday, Thames faces Giants lefty Barry Zito, against whom he is 0-for-3 with a strikeout. Meanwhile, all eight of the home runs allowed by Zito this season have been coughed up to right-handed batters.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For decades, the Chicago Cubs have often been out of the pennant race by this point in the season. After winning the National League Central crown in 2007, this year’s Cubs currently have the best record in baseball and lead the National League in batting, runs scored and runs per game.

What is most surprising, however, is that the Cubs lead the major leagues in on-base percentage with a .362 mark. The last time the franchise led the majors in OBP was 1886, when the team was known as the White Stockings. The Cubs haven’t even led the National League in OBP since 1937.

It’s as if a disdain for taking a walk has been a part of the franchise’s corporate culture. In the 20 seasons prior to 2008, the Cubs ranked in the top half of the NL in OBP only four times: 1988, 1989, 1998 and 2001. The highest OBP posted by the Cubs in this span was .337 in ‘98. That mark is 25 points lower than this year’s .362 OBP.

The last time the Cubs had a higher OBP than .362 was 1930, when they set their modern-era, single-season record of .378, and the only other Cubs team to surpass .362 since 1901 was the 1929 club (.373).

A key reason for this year’s more walk-friendly ways is the addition of Japanese star Kosuke Fukudome, who leads the Cubs with 45 free passes. The Cubs right fielder is tied for ninth in the majors in walks, and not far down the leader board you’ll find Aramis Ramirez (40), rookie catcher Geovany Soto (33), Ryan Theriot (32) and Mark DeRosa (30).

The most walks in a season by the Cubs are 650 by the 1975 club. This year’s team is on course for 660, so the franchise record is up for grabs. Cubs fans hope the franchise’s 100 years of futility is at risk, too.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 12:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Atlanta Braves lost to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field Tuesday night, their 15th loss in their last 18 road contests. The Braves are looking to regain contender status in the National League East after failing to win the division crown the last two seasons, but their struggles on the road are keeping them from staying above the .500 mark and making a move on the NL East-leading Phillies.

The Braves are 7-22 away from Turner Field this season. Their win total and .241 road winning percentage are the lowest in the major leagues. A key problem is the team’s inability to win a one-run decision on the road.

In fact, the last time the Braves won a one-run game on the road was Aug. 9, when they defeated the Mets at Shea Stadium, 7-6. Since then, they have lost 20 straight one-run decisions away from home. In that span, the Braves have a 17-37 road record, also the worst in the majors.

Atlanta’s road futility in one-run games picked up steam at the start of the 2008 season. The Braves dropped each of their first three road games by a single run, and in losing seven of their last eight road contests, four of them have been by one run.

Between 1991 and 2005, when Atlanta dominated the NL East, the Braves bullpen posted a 3.70 ERA. Only the Dodgers (3.67) had a lower mark during this 15-year span.

The Braves pen hasn’t been the same since the team won its last division title in 2005. With the team’s offense in the middle of the big league pack in runs per game, Atlanta needs to get the kind of pitching that was the team’s trademark during its long run of playoff appearances. Particularly on the road.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 2:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In February, the Baltimore Orioles traded their staff ace, left-hander Erik Bedard. This spring, one of the top pitching prospects in their system, Garrett Olson, another lefty, has moved into the rotation and thrived.

After going 9-7 with a 3.16 ERA in 22 starts last season for Triple-A Norfolk, the 24-year-old Olson returned to the Tides at the end of spring training. Four weeks into the season, however, he was in Baltimore. In his first start on April 29, Olson held the Tampa Bay Rays to two runs over six innings in a 7-4 victory. He earned his first “W,” and today he is 5-1 with a 3.86 ERA.

Olson has been roughed up only once all season -- when he took his only loss at Yankee Stadium on May 21 -- but he’s been even better since the defeat.

In his next two starts, at home against the Yankees and the Red Sox, Olson blanked the Yanks for seven innings and allowed a total of two runs combined. On Thursday, he worked into the seventh inning of a 3-2 road win at Minnesota. Olson has posted a 1.96 ERA and .206 OBA in these starts.

The rebuilding Orioles are sticking close to the .500 mark this spring. Much of the credit goes to Olson and Daniel Cabrera, who lead the staff with five wins each and have combined to go 10-3. The ace is Jeremy Guthrie, who is 3-6 with a 3.40 ERA that is the lowest in the rotation, and he could have six or seven wins with a little run support. All three of his May losses were quality starts.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 4:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Reds rookie Jay Bruce went hitless in four trips to the plate Wednesday. In light of what the 21-year-old Bruce has done in his first 10 days in the majors, his hitless night warrants almost as much attention as his red-hot start.

Arguably the best minor league prospect in the game going into the 2008 season, Bruce didn’t need much time to show he was ready for the majors. The talented outfielder was recalled May 27 after batting .364-10-37 with a 1.023 OPS in 49 games for Triple-A Louisville. His hitting surge has picked up steam since joining the Reds.

It took seven plate appearances before a major league pitcher retired him, as Bruce started in center field and went 3-for-3 with two walks in his big league debut -- a 9-6 come-from-behind win over Pittsburgh on the 27th. Even after his hitless night in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Philadelphia, the left-handed batter has five multihit performances in his first nine games.

Bruce, who is in his now-familiar No. 2 spot in the Reds lineup for Thursday afternoon’s series finale with the Phillies, begins play at .485 (16-for-33) with three doubles, three homers and 12 runs scored. Bruce, who also has seven walks and a .585 OBP, is 13-for-19 (.684) with two doubles and three homers batting second for the Reds.

The rookie recorded his first four-hit game and scored the winning run in Cincinnati’s 3-2, 11-inning victory over Atlanta on May 30. Three of his four hits came off left-handed 300-game winner Tom Glavine. Then Bruce homered in three consecutive games, and his walk-off shot in the 10th inning on May 31 gave the Reds an 8-7 win over the Braves.

The darling of Reds fans for his fast start, Bruce rounded the bases while most of the crowd of 38,585 chanted “BRUUUUCE!” in unison. He flipped his helmet into the air halfway to home, before he disappeared into a crowd of teammates at the plate.

“That’s the first walk-off home run in my life, at any level,” Bruce said after the game. “It’s crazy.”

That’s for sure. Bruce, who has been held hitless just twice in nine games, won’t bat in the .400s all season. Still, he’s a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate -- just like Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun, who joined the Brewers on May 25 a year ago and won NL honors. Bruce has the bat speed, power potential and smarts to succeed right from the start. He has been recognized for his ability to make adjustments between and during at-bats. It’s a skill that will serve him well as big league pitchers see more of him.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With a game-tying shot against the Yankees last night, Twins catcher Joe Mauer stroked his first home run of 2008. . . in his 216th plate appearance.

That’s not to say that Mauer hasn’t been productive. Going into Monday’s 6-5 win, he had 21 RBIs, the most among major leaguers who were without a homer.

Mauer wasn’t the only Twin drawing attention for not finding the seats this spring. Offseason acquisition and power prospect Delmon Young hasn’t hit a longball in 234 plate appearances. That’s the most trips to the plate among the homerless.

With Mauer’s blast last night, the next-highest homer-free total after Young now belongs to Tampa Bay shortstop Jason Bartlett (204 PA), who was acquired from Minnesota as part of the Young-Matt Garza deal.

Both Mauer and Young are capable of driving the ball all over the field. The 25-year-old Mauer already has a batting title and a .314 lifetime average. And with a .319 mark and .405 OBP this spring, he leads Minnesota with 35 runs scored. The young catcher is inclined to stick with what works, and the Twins are leaving him alone. A power breakout will come.

Young, all of 22, ranked among the rookie leaders with a .288 average, 38 doubles and 93 RBIs for Tampa Bay last season. The Twins don’t appear concerned about Mauer or Young when it comes to power numbers. Both may be better hitters for not focusing on turning on pitches or worrying about loft. They are young and talented enough to develop a power stroke in time.

The home run hasn’t been a necessary tool for the young Twins. Although they rank 13th in the American League with just 34 homers, they have a major league-leading .311 average with runners in scoring position, and are fourth in the AL in runs scored.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 5:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On the strength of a 24-11 surge since April 22, the Tampa Bay Rays find themselves 10 games above .500 with a one-game lead over the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox in the tough American League East.

The strong 2008 start marks only the second time in 11 seasons that the franchise has been better than .500 as late as May. The one other time the Rays had a winning record in the season’s second month was 1999, the franchise’s second year, when the team was 22-21 on May 22, but a 2-16 skid at that point ended any hope for 1999.

Six times in 11 years the Rays have failed to be above .500 beyond the first 10 days of the season. Three times -- 2000, 2001 and 2003 -- the Rays won on Opening Day and never had a winning record again.

In six of 11 seasons, Tampa Bay has failed to go more than one game above .500 at any point in the season. Three of those times are 2000, 2001 and 2003, of course, and the other three instances are the last three seasons. In the last three Aprils, respectively, the Rays were above .500 for the last time on the 9th, 16th and 6th of the month.

What a turnaround for the Rays, who moved to 11 games above .500 on Wednesday before losing to the White Sox yesterday.

Prior to 2008, the team had never been more than four games above the .500 mark. The Rays had gone four games up twice in their history. Both times in the second half of April, during the franchise’s first two seasons in 1998 and 1999.

In 2002, the Rays won their first three games of the season to move three games over .500 on April 4, but six days later was the last time they were better than .500 all season.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 2:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After posting a 6.69 ERA in 17 major league starts prior to the 2008 season, Cincinnati’s Edinson Volquez leads the major leagues with a 1.31 mark in 10 starts and a relief appearance this spring. He’s 7-2 and has held opponents to a .194 average.

It was nearly impossible to foresee Volquez’s emergence. He was traded to Cincinnati in December for outfielder Josh Hamilton. The move came after the Texas Rangers had sent the promising prospect to Class-A ball last summer to encourage an attitude change and better performance. He’s having one of the biggest turnaround seasons so far in 2008.

Pitchers Having Turnaround Seasons, 2007 vs. 2008, Youngest to Oldest
(major league numbers only)

Pitcher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Age. . . . . . . . . . . . . .2007. . . . . . . . . . . .2008
John Danks, CWS. . . . . . . . . . . .23. . . . . . . . . . . . 6-13 (5.50). . . . . . . . . 3-4 (3.00)
Scott Olsen, Fla. . . . . . . . . . . . 24. . . . . . . . . . . .10-15 (5.81). . . . . . . . . 4-2 (3.38)
Edwin Jackson, TB. . . . . . . . . . 24. . . . . . . . . . . . .5-15 (5.76). . . . . . . . . 3-3 (3.47)

Edinson Volquez, Cin. . . . . . . . .24. . . . . . . . . . . . .2-1 (4.50). . . . . . . . . . 7-2 (1.31)
Gavin Floyd, CWS. . . . . . . . . . . 25. . . . . . . . . . . . .1-5 (5.27). . . . . . . . . . 4-3 (2.93)
Ervin Santana, LAA. . . . . . . . . . 25. . . . . . . . . . . . .7-14 (5.76). . . . . . . . . .7-2 (3.09)

Command and control have been significant issues in Volquez’s previous big league stints. His walk rate is heading in the right direction, but the 24-year-old right-hander still is putting too many runners on base. Volquez, who has held opponents to a .204 average, has walked 33 and hit four batters in 62 innings. He’s playing with fire issuing so many free passes.

Volquez is one of 70 pitchers, 25 years old or younger, who have made at least one start in the major leagues this season. The current edition of “Thom’s Take” reviews the young, up-and-coming pitchers in this age group. To see it and track other fantasy news each week, subscribe to STATS Fantasy Advantage. SFA offers 2008 player projections, latest player injury info, team depth charts and “Thom’s Take,” all for the reasonable price of $19.95 for the entire season. Find out more or sign up at stats.com.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 4:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The sun is shining brighter on Florida baseball these days.

Prior to Wednesday night’s games, the surprising Tampa Bay Rays were 27-19 and just one game behind the American League East-leading Boston Red Sox. The Rays moved near the top of the AL East with a recent 8-1 surge that included a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels and three wins in four tries facing the New York Yankees.

Down the interstate in south Florida, the 25-19 Marlins are the leaders in the highly competitive National League East. They held a game-and-a-half lead over both Atlanta and Philadelphia going into Wednesday’s action. On Tuesday night, the Marlins defeated Arizona, the team with the best record in the league, and they are looking to stick Brandon Webb (9-0, 2.56 ERA) with his first loss of the season Wednesday.

As it turns out, the two teams to post the largest improvement in winning percentage over last season are Tampa Bay and Florida. The Rays have improved their winning percentage by .180 over their 2007 mark of .407. The Marlins have improved by .130 over 2007.

Biggest Improvement in Win Pct. 2007-2008

Team. . . . . . . 2007. . . . . . . . . .2008. . . . . . . . . . .Diff
Rays. . . . . . .407 (66-96). . . . . .587 (27-19). . . . . . . . .180
Marlins. . . . .438 (71-91). . . . . .568 (25-19). . . . . . . . .130
Orioles. . . . .426 (69-93). . . . . .545 (24-20). . . . . . . . .119
Astros.. . . . .451 (73-89). . . . . .553 (26-21). . . . . . . . .102
White Sox. . .444 (72-90). . . . . .545 (24-20). . . . . . . . .101

Tampa Bay’s young rotation -- Scott Kazmir, James Shields, Edwin Jackson, Matt Garza and Andy Sonnanstine -- has been critical to the Rays’ early success. Florida’s middle infield, Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez, is leading the Marlins’ offensive charge, with a combined 23 home runs and 55 RBIs through 44 games.

Both teams will need terrific performances from young pitching staffs to stay in the pennant race deep into the season. Both the Rays and Marlins perpetually retool with young talent, so the jury is still out whether these two clubs are ready to become contenders in 2008.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With the steady flow of premier free agents from the National League to the American League in recent seasons, a number of my friends have made the case that the Junior Circuit is the superior league. Measuring talent is tricky business, but it’s hard to disagree.

Pitchers tend to get their ERA dinged up when they move from the NL to the AL. Going the other way often is a good career move. The DH has something to do with the difference, but there's more to it than that.

Certainly the AL has had the upper hand in interleague play of late. Since the start of the 2005 season, it has gone 449-348 for a winning percentage of .563 against the Senior Circuit.

Don’t look for Games 6 & 7 of the World Series to be played in an NL park any time soon, as the NL hasn’t won an All-Star game since 1996. OK, the All-Star format doesn’t put the best team on the field, but that’s another issue.

So, should it come as a surprise that the eight players with the highest on-base-plus-slugging (OPS) in the majors come from the same league. . . and it’s not the American League?

The major league leader is Houston’s Lance Berkman (1.280), who is slugging 1.065 in May, with seven doubles, eight homers and 19 RBIs in 16 games.

Top 12 in On-Base-Plus-Slugging (OPS)

Player. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . OPS
Lance Berkman, Hou. . . . . . . . . 191. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.280
Chipper Jones, Atl. . . . . . . . . . .179. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.154
Albert Pujols, StL. . . . . . . . . . . .201. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.085
Dan Uggla, Fla. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.066

Rafael Furcal, LAD. . . . . . . . . . .154. . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.045
Geovany Soto, ChC. . . . . . . . . . 168. . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.036
Chase Utley, Phi. . . . . . . . . . . . 201. . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.024
Pat Burrell, Phi. . . . . . . . . . . . .183. . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.015

Milton Bradley, Tex. . . . . . . . . .162. . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.014
Nate McLouth, Pit. . . . . . . . . . .201. . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.010
Carlos Quentin, CWS. . . . . . . . . 176. . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.004
Kevin Youkilis, Bos. . . . . . . . . . .191. . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.003

Ninth on the list is the American League leader: the Rangers’ Milton Bradley. Only three of the top dozen are from the AL.

Maybe there isn’t much to read into the NL’s OPS dominance, but the leader board offers a conflicting view of how we tend to perceive the two leagues.

Or maybe pitching in the AL is better, too.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A free-agent prize two offseasons ago, Barry Zito has become the first Giants pitcher to start a season 0-8 since Rod Beck went 0-9 as the San Francisco closer in 1996. It’s true Zito hasn’t pitched well for much of 2008, but he’s allowed three earned runs or fewer his last three times out and six times in nine starts.

The Giants haven’t received their money’s worth from Zito, who hasn’t received his fair share of support from his teammates. They have scored a total of 11 runs when he’s been in the game. No pitcher has received less run support per nine innings pitched.

Lowest Run Support per 9 IP as Starting Pitcher, 2008
(minimum 5 starts)

Barry Zito, SF. . . . . . . . 2.22
Justin Verlander, Det. . .2.29
Paul Byrd, Cle. . . . . . . .2.47
Felix Hernandez, Sea. . .2.67
John Lannan, Was. . . . .2.72
Dustin McGowan, Tor. . 2.81

Although Detroit’s Justin Verlander has received almost as little support as Zito, he has a win. Zito (0-8, 6.25 ERA) and Verlander (1-7, 6.05 ERA) have similar numbers, though, and a case could be made that Zito’s been the better pitcher. Until he worked six innings of a 2-0 loss to Kansas City Wednesday, Verlander’s only quality start of the season came in his only win on April 22.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 1:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Houston’s Lance Berkman is in the midst of a remarkable 11-game hitting streak that dates to April 30. Arguably he's been May’s most productive hitter, as he is batting .605 (26-for-43) with seven doubles, five home runs and 15 RBIs during his streak.

On May 4, when the streak was in its infancy, the Astros first baseman went 4-for-5 with four RBIs in an 8-6, 12-inning win over Milwaukee. After an off day, Berkman followed up with a five-hit performance and scored four times in a 6-5 victory over Washington. He has recorded multiple hits in all but one of his last nine games.

Beginning with his four-hit night, Berkman has been retired only nine times in his last 37 plate appearances. He is on a 22-for-31 tear, good for a .710 average, and his OPS in this stretch is a mere 2.080.

The Astros are in San Francisco this week, and the Giants’ two young studs, Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum, will have to face the game’s hottest hitter. The streak will be on the line, as will be Houston’s recent run of success.

Houston was 13-16 in April, but the team has a major league-best 9-1 record in May. The pitching has been solid during the Astros’ run, but the offense has powered the surge. The Astros are scoring 6.1 runs per game this month, the highest average in the National League. They also lead the league in May batting (.306), and rank near the top with Florida and Atlanta in on-base percentage (.376), slugging (.469) and total bases (167).

Berkman, who leads the majors in total bases with 112, has 47 of Houston’s 167 in May. Those 47 total bases are nearly half the total generated by the struggling Cleveland Indians (98) this month.

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

Arizona rookie Max Scherzer was sensational in his major league debut a week ago, working 4.1 perfect innings in relief with seven strikeouts. It was an outing that generated media attention and great expectations for his first big league start Monday night.

The 23-year-old right-hander didn’t fare as well against the Phillies Monday, but you can be sure the heady University of Missouri product learned something from it. In an interview with this writer, three days before he was called up, Scherzer repeatedly discussed his baseball experiences in terms of what he learned from them. As a pitcher, he’s a lot more than a guy who throws hard.

Scherzer gets it to the plate in the mid-90s, but he knows pitching is more than power stuff. He’s worked hard on his secondary pitches, and during our chat before a Triple-A game in Tucson, he repeatedly emphasized the importance of throwing first-pitch strikes and getting ahead of hitters.

“You have to throw a strike 65 percent of the time on the first pitch,” Scherzer said. “Seventy-five-80 percent of the time you need to work ahead of hitters.” Thanks to Tony Vitello, his pitching coach at Missouri, Scherzer has made getting ahead of hitters a far more important tenet than throwing the ball by hitters.

With better secondary pitches this spring, which have aided him in working ahead in the count, Scherzer posted a 1.17 ERA in four starts for Tucson. In 23 innings, he allowed just 12 hits and three walks, and fanned 38.

Then Scherzer went out and proved the value of throwing strikes in his debut. In those 4.1 perfect innings against Houston, he threw 35 of his 47 pitches for strikes. It wasn’t lost on the hard-throwing rookie that the ageless Jamie Moyer was the teacher on Monday night.

“He rope-a-dopes you to death,” Scherzer said after the game. “I know firsthand, he throws a 74-mile-an-hour change, then backs it up with a 71-mile-an-hour change. He’s cutting it to both sides of the plate at 81 or 82, and his fastball’s about the same velocity, but he knows how to pitch. Been doing it a while.”

The full story on Max Scherzer and his approach to pitching will appear in this Friday’s edition of “Thom’s Take.” To see it and track other fantasy news each week, subscribe to STATS Fantasy Advantage. SFA offers 2008 player projections, latest player injury info, team depth charts and “Thom’s Take,” all for the reasonable price of $19.95 for the entire season. Find out more or sign up at stats.com.

Posted by Thom Henninger at 4:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)