Futures Game Preview

My favorite event of MLB’s All-Star weekend will take place this Sunday: that’s right, the Futures game. I love the chance to watch the best prospects in the minor leagues battle each other, especially when I don’t get the chance to watch most of them during the year. Each organization is represented, so you can take a look into the future of your favorite team. Here are some of the guys I am looking forward to watching this year.

Bryce Harper—RF, Washington Nationals

Harper has been one of the most hyped prospects ever and has lived up to every bit of it so far. He destroyed low-A pitching in the first half of the season, hitting .318/.423/.554, and was just promoted to double-A this past week. He has game-changing power and one of the, if not the, best bats in the minors, in addition to a great eye and good speed. He has everything you could want in a baseball player, and this is a sneak-peek of what we will be seeing in the majors for the next decade or two.

Mike Trout—CF, Los Angeles Angels

Trout is probably the second-best prospect in the minors behind Harper. He is an outstanding runner and has a great bat, hitting for average and some power. So far in double-A this season he has hit .330/.422/.544 with 28 steals. He made an appearance in last year’s game and had a hustle double. He is a fun player to watch and won’t disappoint on Sunday.

EDIT: Trout got called up to the Angels today and will probably not play in the Futures game Sunday. Watch him in the majors instead.

Shelby Miller—P, St. Louis Cardinals

Miller posted a 2.98 ERA and struck out 81 in 53 innings in his 9 single-A starts this year, and has continued to impress since getting called up to double-A where he has posted a 1.89 ERA. Still just 20 years old, Miller has an electric arm and has the potential to be the Cardinals’ ace in a few years.

Matt Moore—P, Tampa Bay Rays

Moore is quite possibly the best left-handed pitching prospect in the minor leagues, with a fastball clocked at up to 97 and an above-average curveball and circle-change. In 96.2 double-A innings this season, he has 125 strikeouts to just 25 walks and a 2.19 ERA. Tampa Bay is very careful with their pitching prospects, but if Moore continues to pitch like this, it will be hard to keep him in the minor leagues for too long.

Manny Machado—SS, Baltimore Orioles

The third overall pick in 2010 is the best shortstop prospect in the minors and has five-tool potential. Between low-A and high-A this year he is hitting .257/.347/.433. He still has plenty of time to develop, as he just turned 19 on July 7, and he could anchor the Orioles’ line-up as an All-Star shortstop for years.

Wil Myers—RF, Kansas City Royals

One of the top prospects in the Royals’ loaded system, the former catcher was moved to right field to accelerate his path to the majors. He had a combined OPS of .934 between low and high class A last year, and although he has struggled some in a promotion to double-A this year (he also missed some time with a knee infection), he is still young for the league at age 20 and has plenty of time to continue developing.

Carlos Martinez—P, St. Louis Cardinals

The 19-year-old righty has an electric arm with a fastball up to 100 mph. He struck out 50 in just 38.2 low-A innings while posting a 2.33 ERA to start out the year, and while he has struggled a little since being promoted to high-A, it is fun imagining what he and Miller can do atop St. Louis’ rotation (or scary if you’re a Cubs fan like myself).

Martin Perez—P, Texas Rangers

The 20-year-old lefty has a 3.16 ERA in double-A so far this year and has struck out 83 in 88.1 innings. He has top of the rotation stuff with a good change-up, a fastball between 91 and 95 mph, and a curveball. He’s repeating double-A, but he still is very young and is doing much better in the league this year.

Julio Teheran—P, Atlanta Braves

I was fortunate enough to see Teheran pitch in triple-A this year, and he looked like an elite pitching prospect, probably the best one in the minors. He has an outstanding change-up, and he can consistently throw his fastball at 93, even running it up to 95 or higher if he needs to. His curveball is a great third pitch too, and if he can improve his command and locate the fastball, he should be at the top of Atlanta’s rotation next year.

Jurickson Profar—SS, Texas Rangers

Profar is a switch-hitting shortstop with a very refined approach and a great hit tool. He plays above average defense and is hitting .272/.385/.492 and has 40 walks to just 35 strikeouts. He’s still just 18 and has a long way to go before the major leagues, but he could end up being Elvis Andrus’ double play partner (if he gets moved to second base) or replacement.

I am really excited about the Futures game this year, as there are some prospects on the verge of breaking into the majors as well as some intriguing guys in the lower minors. Trout, Miller, Moore, and Teheran are all guys who could have a big impact in as early as 2012, and many more have a chance to become stars in a few years down the line. Take advantage of the chance to watch these guys play together; they are some special talents.

All Star Selections

The 2011 All-Star rosters have been announced, and for the most part they are very good. I was pleasantly surprised with the fan's voting and agree with most of the decisions. The AL line-up is almost spot on, with the exception of Derek Jeter. I know the fans love him and Yankee fans dominate the voting, but a line of .260/.324/.324 should not be starting an all-star game. A better selection would have been Jhonny Peralta or Asdrubal Cabrera, who is on the roster but will not start. Josh Hamilton has missed some time this year, but he has put up great numbers when healthy and definitely belongs in the game. There may have been players more deserving than Michael Cuddyer--for example Alex Gordon or Brennan Boesch--but I don't see any heinous crimes committed here. My last change would be Victor Martinez over Michael Young in the DH slot, but I can live with Young there. My biggest complaint among pitchers, although I hate to say it, is that CC Sabathia isn't on there; I would replace C.J. Wilson with him. CC has a lower ERA, lower FIP, lower xFIP, and a higher WAR. Yeah, I'm a nerd. He also has more strikeouts and less walks in 12 more innings pitched. Quite frankly, CC has been the better pitcher this season so far.

As for the National League, the only change I would make to the starting line-up would be putting Chase Headley in at third base over Placido Polanco. Headley's .308/.399/.409 is better across the board than Polanco's .280/.335/.394, and his .362 wOBA easily trumps Polanco's .311. As for the backups, offensively, Miguel Montero is having a better year than Yadier Molina, but it is hard to argue with Molina's defense, so no real complaints there. Chase Headley should definitely be in at least as a backup; I would put him in over Chipper. In the outfield, Andrew McCutchen definitely got snubbed, and I would rather see him at the game than Jay Bruce's .335 OBP. Now onto the pitchers. I get that Bruce Bochy wants to take his own guys, but I really don't think I would say Ryan Vogelsong is having an all-star year. Anibal Sanchez and Tommy Hanson were both better choices.

Overall, the All-Star line-ups were put together pretty well. As always, there are some snubs and some undeserving players, but I'm pretty happy with the rosters for the most part, and I am very excited to watch the 82nd Midsummer Classic.

Joe Chat 10/30

Ah, finally another Joe Chat. Let the fun begin.

Joe Morgan (11:25 AM)

The Series was shorter than I anticipated it to be. But I still think it was interesting. Not great, but interesting. The Giants proved that not only were they playing the best, but they were the best team. The best team won and the Giants are world champions.

Hey Joe, good to have you here. The chat only started 25 minutes ago.

Jose (The Bronx)

Do you think Edgar Renteria deserved to be the MVP? Did Tim Lincecum get robbed?

Joe Morgan (11:26 AM)

No, he didn't get robbed. Lincecum gave up a lot of runs in the first game. He only won because his team outscored the Rangers.

Huh, that’s funny. It sounds like you’re saying that a pitcher’s win is dependent upon how many runs his team scores. It’s almost like you’re saying that Lincecum didn’t pitch that well but because his teammates scored a lot of runs, he was able to get the win. I know that can’t be right, though, because you have been constantly insisting that CC Sabathia is a better pitcher than Felix Hernandez solely because he has won more games. It doesn’t matter that Felix gave up a lot less runs, Felix just didn’t win, and that is 100% his fault. I almost fell into your trap there, Joe. Almost.

Mark (Texas)

What was wrong with our hitting? Was it the Rangers hitting or the Giants pitching?

Joe Morgan (11:28 AM)

I think it was a combination of both. What you need to understand is when a guy like Hamilton hits .359 and a lot of the other guys have high batting averages, they have a chance to hit against the mediocre pitchers as well. It's an average. Hamilton might hit .400 against some of the worse teams, but he's not going to hit .400 against the better teams. They just ran into better pitching and the better pitching stopped them.

Holy crap! Wow, I never noticed that before. I assumed that if Hamilton’s batting average was .359, he would hit .359 against Felix Hernandez and also hit .359 against Jason Marquis. Thanks for pointing that out, Joe. I now see why there might not be as much hitting in the World Series when they’re facing one of the best pitching staffs in the entire fucking league.

However, they did not make a lot of adjustments either. It didn't seem like they made a lot of adjustments to how the Giants were getting them out.

These two sentences are literally the exact same thing.

Lincecum was just great yesterday. He wasn't as good in Game 1, but he was fabulous yesterday.

This has absolutely nothing to do with your answer and should not have been written.

Jose (The Bronx)

Who do you think is the better manager: Bruce Bochy or Ron Washington?

Joe Morgan (11:30 AM)

I would have to give the edge to Bochy, as far as this series is concerned. I think there are two points to be made here. Ron Washington's bullpen was not nearly as good as Bruce Bochy's. So the moves that he made with the bullpen were not going to look as good as Bochy's.

Ok, so the Giants had a better bullpen than the Rangers. How is that any fault of the manager’s? You can say Bochy is the better manager if you want, but you cannot defend it with the reason “Bochy has a better bullpen.” That has nothing to do with how good the actual manager is. You are a dumbfuck.

Otherwise, I'm not sure there were enough great manager moves or poor manager moves to make a difference in this series. The Giants just played better. They're the better team at this moment.

1) You just said Bochy was the better manager in this series, and now you are saying that there was no difference between the managers in this series.

2)You said “there are two points to be made here” and then promptly listed only one reason, and one that doesn’t make sense at that.

Jose (The Bronx)

With the strong pitching of the Rangers and Giants, will this World Series usher in a new era of dominant pitching?

Joe Morgan (11:34 AM)

We go through cycles in baseball. Sometimes the hitters catch up with the pitchers and the pitchers respond with something new. I think every pitcher has a changeup now. That's the most important pitch to keep the hitters off the fastball. And other pitchers are throwing the cut fastball. Now, the hitters will have to adjust. We've gone through cycles where the split finger fastball was getting everyone out. The hitters make the adjustments. I don't think the pitching will be as dominant two years from now as it is now.

A typical Joe answer. He rambles on about things that don’t really have anything at all to do with the questions that was asked, probably in order to avoid having to answer other questions that he doesn’t know the answer to.

Joe Morgan (11:34 AM)

But remember, hitting a baseball is always the hardest thing in sports to do.

I love how he throws this sentence in afterwards just to contradict himself.

Richard (Stratton Mountain, Vt.)

I think the Yankees and Phillies will be back in 2011 playoffs. Do you think the Rangers and Giants will be back next year as well as the Reds, Red Sox and Rays?

Joe Morgan (11:36 AM)

No one is guaranteed a spot, probably other than the Yankees and Phillies. I thought the Phillies were the best team in the NL for a long time. I thought the Yankees were the best team for a spell, but then I thought the Rays and the Red Sox for a time. It makes you think, is the AL East as good as we give it credit for? It's supposed to be the best division in baseball, but after what happened this year, do you still think that way.

I realize that the Yankees and Phillies will probably be very good next year, but they really aren’t guaranteed a spot. Joe, you of all people are the one I would think would be saying nobody is guaranteed anything and that we have to wait and see. Also, why are you talking about what you used to think about teams? And if you jumped from the Yankees to the Red Sox and Rays bandwagon, then why do you say the Yankees are guaranteed a playoff spot? And what does the relative strength of the AL East compared to other divisions have to do with this man’s question? P.S. Joe, you’re the one supposed to be answering our questions, not asking us questions (even though you put a period in the last sentence, it really should be a question mark).

Jose (The Bronx)

With the Phillies missing the World Series, do you think their dynasty is coming to an end?

Joe Morgan (11:37 AM)

Well, it's not a dynasty, because they only won one championship. You're measured by championships. As good as the Braves were in winning division titles, they only won one world championship. That's not a dynasty, even though they were winning their division. You can't be called a dynasty by only winning one. The Yankees were a dynasty earlier this century. Just having a good team is not a dynasty.

When were the Yankees a dynasty earlier this century? They have won two titles in the 2000’s, 2000 and 2009. I assume you mean when they won in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000, but in case you didn’t know, 1996, 1998, and 1999 were not in this century, Joe.

Tito (Brooklyn)

What did you think of the overall umpiring this postseason?

Joe Morgan (11:39 AM)

There weren't as many obvious missed calls as there were last year, but there were some. The easiest call is out/safe at first base. There were two calls missed in Game 5. I just think they need to be held more accountable and that they can be better. I'm not for all of the replays, because you will never get through a whole ball game with all of the calls that could be reviewed. It would ruin the rhythm of the game.

Yeah, the umpires will get more calls right if they are held more accountable. It’s not like they constantly get criticized after blowing a huge call for days after a World Series game. Jim Joyce still lives in infamy from a game that happened months ago, you think that’s not accountability? And even if they were held more accountable, what would that do? It’s not like the umpires don’t care and are just out there messing around, but if we make them more accountable they will suddenly step it up and do a better job. They are already doing their 100% best, and the only way to be more accurate is to institute instant replay. (For the record, I am not saying I am in favor of instant replay, only that it is the only way to be more accurate with calls.)

Brian (Dayton)

What do you think the Reds need to do in order to have the best chance to get to the World Series next year?

Joe Morgan (11:43 AM)

I thought the Reds intensity level in the playoffs wasn't high enough. By that, I mean it seemed they played the game the way they played during the regular season. You have to turn it up a notch in the playoffs. That's what we say with the Rangers in the World Series. The Reds needed a higher intensity level. Sometimes teams that haven't been there or haven't been there in a long time, sometimes you're just happy to be there.

I thought the problem was more of having to face one of the best trio of starting pitchers we have seen in the last decade.

Chris (Boston)

This post-season confirmed my belief that the Twins will never get past the first round of the playoffs. They simply don't have the pitching.... It's amazing that they're there every year, but never seem to advance...

Joe Morgan (11:45 AM)

You're right in a way, because in 162 games, you can have enough depth to get through 162 games. But to go deep in the playoffs, you need at least one dominant pitcher. The Twins end up facing the Yankees every year and last year the Yankees had three dominant pitchers and this year they had Sabathia and Hughes pitched well. The Twins haven't had that. Jack Morris was that guy a while ago. And Santana was that guy before he left. You have to have at least one. The Rangers had Lee. The Giants had Lincecum and Cain.

Joe, every single chat in September you said something along the lines of “every team in the playoffs has a chance to win the World Series.” Now you’re saying that’s not true. Make up your damn mind. Also, I would consider Francisco Liriano an ace. Also, I think it’s hilarious that you brought up Jack Morris

Joe Morgan (11:46 AM)

There are teams that are built for 162 games, which the Twins are. There are teams built for the short run, which the Yankees always are.

Which is why the Yankees won the World Series this year…

Chris Fiegler (Latham,NY)

Who do you think will win the Rookie of the Year,Manager of the Year,Cy Young & MVP in Both the A.L.

Joe Morgan (11:48 AM)

I have my own opinion. My opinion is that Cano should win the AL MVP (wrong), but there are a lot of people that believe it's Josh Hamilton (a legitimate opinion and a better option than Cano). But he missed a month of the season. I think Sabathia should be the Cy Young award winner (also wrong), because he won the most games (terrible reasoning). But others are saying Felix Hernandez (correct), but he was only 13-12 (irrelevant), I think and he was pitching in a more pitcher friendly park (probably but Felix is still better when this is taken into consideration), and wasn't pitching in a playoff race (also irrelevant).

Joe, please go back and look at what you wrote in your very first answer of this chat.

Joe Morgan (11:49 AM)

In the NL, I think it's Halladay (correct), even though he lost 10 games. In the MVP race, I think Joey Votto of the Reds (again I would agree, good work Joe!). Pujols was the leader most of the year, but he had a struggle toward the end of the season.

Question: why do the win-loss records matter in the AL Cy Young race but not in the NL race?

Hunter (New Jersey)

In 07, 08, and 09 I think we could I say the best team won the World Series, but this year I'm thinking luck played a huge part in the Giants winning the WS. Can you honestly say the BEST team won?

Joe Morgan (11:51 AM)

I agree with you in that you need some luck along the way. The Giants got lucky in that they got some contributions from guys that played well. You look at it in two seasons. The 162 game season and then the short playoff season. I've said this for a long time that any team that gets into the playoffs can win.

I know you’ve been saying this for a long time. In fact, I even pointed that out when you contradicted this statement earlier in the chat.

Obviously, there is a certain amount of luck that goes along with it.

“The Giants proved that not only were they playing the best, but they were the best team.” Recognize this, Joe? You wrote it in your little intro to today’s chat. Now you are saying that it was in large part due to luck. I cannot even believe how much you contradict yourself. I would pay a large sum of money to be able to sit down and tell you exactly how fucking retarded you are. You piss me off so god-damn much. The best day of my life was yesterday when I found out you are no longer announcing Sunday Night Baseball. I literally pissed my pants with excitement. Fuck you, Joe.

Joe Morgan (11:52 AM)

It's 3.5 months until spring training. All of those teams saying wait until next year, that's when the next year will start. As every year, when the season is over spring training comes up quickly. That's the way baseball is. It was a good season. We did see two teams in the World Series that hadn't been there in a long time, even one that hadn't been there. Even though the ratings were down, in some ways, I think it was good for the game. We did find some new stars.

Per usual, Joe ends his chat 8 minutes early, meaning he was here for a grand total of 33 minutes out of the hour long chat session. You could use a lesson from Keith Law, who apologizes for leaving early after chatting for an hour and a half. Also, he knows what he’s talking about.

JoeChat 10/5/10

So it has been a reasonably long time since our last post, college life is probably getting the best of us.  Here is a short JoeChat analysis done during Sociology class.  Enjoy!

Tito (Brooklyn)

Do you think the Padres choked down the stretch?

Joe Morgan  (11:13 AM)

I don't think they choked. They had bad luck at the wrong time. It is very difficult for any team to lose 10 games in a row -- everything has to be going against you. You can go back and look at the worst teams in the league -- they don't lose 10 in a row often. It's almost impossible to lose that many when you're a good team, which they are. Just bad breaks here and there. They bounced back against San Francisco and were within one game of making the playoffs.

Joe answered the question.  Excellent job my friend.  Here is my opinion though, maybe I’m being “out of line” in saying that it takes more than just “bad luck” to lose 10 games in a row.  I don’t know about you guys, but I’m pretty sure that would essentially define the word “choking”.  Also Joe, who cares what the worst teams in the league do, and it doesn’t matter that San Diego is a good team.  The point is, they choked.

Jose (The Bronx)

Who do you think is the best team out of the teams that made it to the playoffs?

Joe Morgan  (11:15 AM)

Philadelphia. They have the experience of being in the playoffs the last four years, and the Yankees' starting pitching is in disarray. They go in as the best team, although it doesn't mean they will win. Every team right now is capable of winning the World Series.

Here is a classic example of Joe afraid of being wrong.  It doesn’t matter Joe, your probably wrong anyways.  Thanks for all the information jam-packed into the last two sentences. 

Adam (NYC)

C'mon Joe! Your ardent chat fans wanna know who you think is going to win this World Series... (and why so?) You da man!

Joe Morgan  (11:18 AM)

Last year, I picked the Yankees because they were head and shoulders above everyone else, and they had three excellent starters. This year, only CC Sabathia really retains that title for them. Philadelphia has the best rotation right now, so you have to favor them, but all this is on paper. The game is played on the field. I can't pick a winner right now. The first round offers a chance for a lot of upsets because it's such a short series.

You don’t even understand how worthless you are Joe.   Why are you so fucking stubborn!!!!! WHY?!?!?!?!?  Why are you so afraid of being wrong?????

Matthew (Columbia, NJ)

Hey Joe, what was your most memorable moment from the 2010 regular season?

Joe Morgan  (11:24 AM)

Watching Jim Joyce blow that play ... I was watching live on TV and couldn't believe it. Additionally, the perfect game from Halladay and all the no-hitters this year. I couldn't believe there were so many.

I do believe Joe owes an apology to Dallas Braden.

JoeChat: 7 September 2010

Clay Defayette (NY)

Watching Chapman pitch makes me wonder if the Cuban Missile Crisis is really over. Ok sorry, had to get that out of the way. I'm interested in your thoughts about developing Chapman to be the future closer instead of a starter. It looks like the Reds have a nice cast of young starters already, and could Aroldis throw that hard and have consistent location for 5 plus innings? It could help Cincinnati sell tickets as well. Fans could come to every game with the hope of seeing the fire-throwing Cuban. I'm almost sure you've already had this thought yourself. 

Joe Morgan 

  (11:09 AM)

My understanding is they're going to make him a starter. Remember this, a great starting pitcher is more valuable than a closer because you get more innings out of him. Every team goes into a season with a certain number of innings that need to be pitched. The more innings a starter throws, the less the bullpen gets stretched.

Look at Clay over there!  He’s cracking jokes like it’s his job.  I would just leave it to Joe big man, he’s the best at making the worst jokes.  Hey Joe, kudos for ignoring Clay’s lame joke, but you forgot to answer the only question that he asked.  Within that little paragraph, there was one sentence that ended with a question mark.  could Aroldis throw that hard and have consistent location for 5 plus innings?  Yes Joe, this is a question.  Yes Joe, your job is to actually answer these so-called “questions.”  So instead of at least talking about how Aroldis would do as a starter (in your retarded opinion), you chose to talk about the value of a starting pitcher for the whole response.  Yes Joe, we fuckin understand the value of a starting pitcher.  I’ve read your response to Clay 3 times now.  If I were him I would be pissed off because you didn’t even come close to responding with any sort of knowledge at all.  Every team goes into a season with a certain number of innings that need to be pitched. Are you kidding?  What does this have to do with anything?  I’m sorry Clay, I’m sorry Joe is a dumbass.

Tito (Brooklyn)

Do you think Nyjer Morgan received an appropriate punishment for his actions?

Joe Morgan 

  (11:12 AM)

My answer is no. I don't know about the first two incidents, I only saw the last one. First of all, if he did something wrong the day before and they decided they wanted to hit him and they did. He got first base and then he stole some bases. They don't control when he stole bases. Everything in my mind on the second day was precipitated by the Marlins. They threw behind him. And who says that you can't steal a base when you're down 11 runs? It seems like all of these unwritten rules are being written by the young players to cover themselves. There is nothing wrong with what he did there. I don't know about the other stuff beforehand, but what he did that day, I don't have a problem with. I don't think he was at fault there.

First off, Nyjer Morgan is out of his fuckin mind.  He needed a suspension badly, he needs to take the rest of the season off actually. (before he kills someone)  Joe, you didn’t see what he did the day before huh?  I think that might be a problem.  Well since you didn’t see, I will shed some light.  Nyjer assaulted the Marlins catcher, he didn’t even go for the plate.  Not remotely.  He showed no respect toward the situation, saying that “he would have hurt himself” if he had tried to slide.  He’s out of his mind and Joe is an ignorant shit.

Mike (Ohio)

Do you think Chapman has enough control/command to be a big success as a starter? The speed is great, but once the book on him gets around I think a lot of hitters will start to lay off the slider.

Joe Morgan 

  (11:13 AM)

Yes. He hasn't walked a hitter in the innings he has pitched. I just think he's going to be a great pitcher. I saw him in spring training as a starter. He's coming from a different culture. He doesn't speak the language. It takes a while for him to adjust. I've had opportunities to speak with him, I speak a little Spanish, he has a great demeanor. He's very calm on the mound. I think he's going to be a great pitcher.

At least you gave a straightforward answer, “Yes.”  Everything after that was just awful.  Joe should’ve just stopped at “Yes.”  He hasn't walked a hitter in the innings he has pitched.  False.  He walked about in the inning he pitched on September 4th against St. Louis.  Even if he hadn't walked any, he was only pitched 3.33 innings…what about the minor leagues?  He had an average command in the minors, a 2.4 k/BB ratio.   I just think he's going to be a great pitcher…. I think he's going to be a great pitcher.  It's DEJA VU!  Classic dimwit Joe.  I have a major problem with that entire middle part of this "answer."  What the fuck does any of that have to do with him being a big success as a starter?  Joe, in case you haven't realized, a good portion of baseball players are not American-born.  I'm sure the Reds pitching coach knows Spanish, its basically a given that all coaches know the language.   I've had opportunities to speak with him, I speak a little Spanish, he has a great demeanor. I guarantee that you speak more Spanish than you do English, cause half the time nobody knows what on God's green earth you are talking about.

Andrew (Montgomery, AL)

What is it about Buck Showalter that has turned the Orioles into a decent team? The Rays and Yankees can't seem to beat them.

Joe Morgan  (11:14 AM)

I've always felt that Buck was a very good baseball man. He knows the game and he stresses fundamentals, which are the more important parts of the game that are lacking on some of these losing teams. They're just not making the same mistakes they were making before.

Read the question, and then read Joe's first sentence.  Read it again.  He's a manager of damn baseball team!  Of course he is a good baseball man!  There goes Joe and his "fundamentals" again.

Tito (Brooklyn)

Can the Padres win in the playoffs given their recent struggles?

Joe Morgan  (11:18 AM)

Anybody that gets into the playoffs can win. They've proven they can win, they just hit a bad stretch. Even the Yankees who are 30+ games over .500 have hit bad stretches. Maybe not as bad as San Diego. But they've built such a big cushion and they're still in first place. You still have to turn it around and maybe last night was that point.

First sentence just makes you sound as dumb as you are.  Even the Yankees who are 30+ games over .500 have hit bad stretches. Maybe not as bad as San Diego.  So basically you just negated the first sentence.  You are useless.

Austin (Cincinnati)

Hey Joe, Do you think if the Reds are able to make the playoffs, will they be able to go far or early exit?

Joe Morgan  (11:22 AM)

Anybody that gets into the playoffs can win the world championship, because it's a short series. The only thing I would say about Cincinnati is that they do not have a true ace like Halladay, Sabathia. I think Volquez, when healthy is as good as anybody. The question will be how healthy he is. When you matchup with a team's No. 1, you need someone to stand toe to toe with him. Volquez is that guy, but he's been injured. Arroyo is an excellent pitcher, but you don't always expect him to pitch a shutout. Same for Cueto. But their team is so good, especially defensively, they can beat anybody on any given day. They have a lot of positives. They run the bases hard, they're excellent defensively. They're a real fun team to watch.

For real Joe?  You gave someone else the same crap answer earlier in this chat session.  Any after reading your little useless analysis for the second time, I realize that you didn't answer his question.  

Tito (Brooklyn)

Do you know why Javier Vazquez has struggled so much this year?

Joe Morgan  (11:26 AM)

I'm not so sure it's just the AL or pitching in New York. Some people can handle pitching in New York. The spotlight is bigger in New York than anywhere else. He might not like that. If he were with another AL team, I think he would pitch better.

I actually sort of agree with Joe on this topic.  Javier Vazquez has not pitched well in "big" games.  The only response I think that I agree with in this entire chat session.  I didn't think it possible.

John (Long Island)

Joe,You've mentioned at other times you are a sports fan, just like us. So, who do you like in this afternoon's Venus - Schiavone quarterfinal tilt out at the USTA-King Tennis Ctr.?

Joe Morgan  (11:28 AM)

I attened the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York for years. I haven't been for years because of my schedule. I would love to be out there right now, but just can't. My schedule makes it difficult.

You are so damn annoying.  All John did was ask an innocent question.  You didn't even acknowledge it.  You just went off in your own little fantasy land.  He doesn't care that you are a tennis fan, he already knows that.  John just wants your opinion on the match.  Attended is the word you were trying to say in the first sentence, but you know what?  It doesn't even matter, because your responses never matter.

Around the MLB: 3 September 2010

I'm just going to do a quick post for Friday's games.  Its a little late in the day Saturday already and I didn't get a chance last night.  I'll try to cover the highlights of last night as best I can.

Cole Hamels is lights out: Hamels' 7 innings of shutout baseball propelled the Phillies to a crucial 1-0 victory in their division race with the Braves.  Because of the Braves loss to the Marlins today, the Phillies gained a game and are now only one down.  This is probably the most exciting race in baseball at the moment.

Cardinals 3, Reds 2: For midwest baseball fans, this series is huge.  The cardinals took the first game of the series last night with a big RBI triple from Jon Jay and a solid outing from starting Jaime Garcia.  The way the rest of this series pans out will be the major factor in determining whether the Cards can come back in the NL Central.

I don't wanna write way to much so I'm just gonna finish up with my Pirates recap.

Pirates 8, Nationals 5: Garrett Jones had two doubles and 3 RBIs in the Bucs 45th win of the season.  Ryan Doumit also added his 15th HR of the season.  Zach Duke picked up his 7th win of the season with a  so-so start against a not so good team.  Typical Duke.  Besides Sean Gallagher and Brian Burres, the other three relief pitchers did a great job of holding off any threats from the Nats.  Joel Hanrahan picked up his 3rd save on the year.

Around the MLB: 2 September 2010

Short Schedule today in the Majors, looks like we can just go game by game:
Sabathia is dazzling: C.C. picked up his 19th win of the season today agains the Oakland A's.  Without a doubt, his performance today exemplified why he should be this year's AL Cy Young award winner.  8 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts.  All of this coming at a clutch time in the season when the Yankees could easily lose the division lead to the Rays.  Sabathia's ERA lowered to 3.02 after last night's game.  Mark Ellis was the only A's player who could manage a hit off the Yankee ace.  Offensively, Curtis Granderson led the charge for the Yanks going 2-3 with 2 home runs to yanked to right field.  Posada also added a solo home run.  Yankees 5, A's 0


Boston inches closer to Wildcard Spot: Following a victory last night against the Orioles, the Red Sox are now just 6.5 games back of a wildcard spot.  In order for them to make the playoffs this year, they will have to rely on the Rays losing a lot the rest of the way.  They do not control their own destiny at this point.  Last night the offensive was led by a great second inning effort from the middle of the order.  Adrian Beltre smashed a solo shot (25) and David Ortiz hit a key two run single, gathering RBIs 81 and 82 on the season.  Scott Atchison pitched two flawless innings of relief.  In his first year with the Red Sox, Atchison has done a decent job in relief.  31 appearances, and about a 3.83 ERA.  Red Sox 6, Orioles 4

Crazy night in Minnesota: 13 innings, 4 hours and 47 minutes, 15 pitchers, and constant lead changes made this game a thriller for sure.  Don Kelly got things rolling for the Tigers with a solo shot in the 2nd to put them up 2-0, only to be matched in the bottom of the inning by a two-run single from Jose Morales.  J.J. Hardy hit a sac fly in the 4th to put the Twins up 3-2, then in the top of the 5th, Miguel Cabrera had an RBI groundout to tie it up again.  The bottom of the 5th was a big inning for the Twins, putting up 3 runs, the first of which was caused by an error.  The Twins put up one more before the Tigers' Johnny Peralta hit a solo HR to make it 4-7 in the top of the 8th, immediately followed by a Ryan Raburn pinch-hit HR to make it 5-7.  Wil Rhymes then made up for his earlier error by knocking in two with a single, tying the game at 7-7.  Minnesota took the lead again in the Bottom of the 8th, on a single by Alexi Casilla.  Then in the top of the 9th, September call-up Casper Wells hit a game tying HR to send it into extras.  It was the first of his career.  In the top of the 11th, Ryan Raburn singled home a run to give the Tigers a 9-8 lead.  This was matched by an RBI groundout from Delmon Young in the bottom frame.  Finally, in the top of the 13th, Gerald Laird hit the go ahead HR and Jose Valverde held the Twins off.  Tigers 11, Twins 10


Cleveland beats Seattle in a meaningless affair: Ya, the title pretty much says it all.  It's not really worth talking about so here's the score. Indians 6, Mariners 3


Mets stand in the way of Braves: The Braves and Phillies, as we know, are in a crucial race for the division.  Tonight, before getting injured, Johan Santana pitched 5 great innings of baseball.  He gave up one run, on a homer by Brian McCann.  Hudson pitched a great game for the Bravves as well, unfortunately 7 innings and 3 ER wasn't good enough last night.  The Mets' offense was lead by a David  Wright solo HR (22) and a Carlos Beltran RBI triple.  Mets 4, Braves 2


Phillies score nine in the seventh, gain momentum: With the win tonight, and the Braves' loss, the Philies have come within two games of the division league.  This will be a very interesting race to watch as we approach the end of the regular season.  The Phillies had 9 runs in the top of the 7th, led by HRs from Ryan Howard(25) and Jayson Werth(19).  The teams had a combined 35 hits, including 20 from Colorado.  Unfortunately for Colorado, they stranded 14 runners on base.  Phillies 12, Rockies 11