Opening Day, My Way

Opening Day is the best day of the year. You know it, I know it.

No need to get into all the reasons why. But one of my favorites reasons is for the juicy pitching matchups we get so see.

So when I heard the news that Vicente Padilla (you can’t make this up) will start the opener for the Los Angeles Dodgers, well, that’s not exactly what I had in mind.

In the grand scheme of a 162 game season, in which Starters 1-4 all start 30+ games each, it really doesn’t matter who starts which game. Due to a variety of factors, the order always gets switched around anyway. It’s not like the #1 starters from each team will always square off against each other. But shouldn’t we get exactly that in Game #1?

Because when Padilla is throwing meaningful pitches on April 5, that’s not what we’re getting.

On second thought, maybe this IS the guy that should start...

Joe Torre, move aside. I’m going to make the call on who should start Opening Day, Not just for the Dodgers, but for all 30 teams.

These are the matchups that all of America SHOULD see…

(Note: For each game I have listed the actual pitching matchup, but have made the necessary correction — if necessary.)

• New York vs Boston: CC Sabathia vs. Josh Beckett Jon Lester

Sabathia vs. Beckett will be a great treat and a great battle. And there’s nothing wrong with that selection, but Lester deserves this nod slightly over Beckett.

They had quite comparable season’s in 2009, But Lester (3.41) was a notch better than Beckett (3.86). And 2008 wasn’t even close. Over the last two years, Lester is 31-14 (3.31 ERA), while Beckett is 29-16 (3.93).

Lester also became the first left-hander in team history to record 200 strikeouts (225) in a single season in 2009. Beckett, who will start his fifth opening day, is still an ace, per se, but the 26-year-old Lester is an even better one and will be the #1 for this team for years to come.

Time to reward him for it.

• St. Louis vs. Cincinnati: Chris Carpenter vs. Aaron Harang Bronson Arroyo

Adam Wainwright would get the ball for about 15 other teams, but one brilliant year as a starter doesn’t surpass Mr. Chris Carpenter. Sorry.

Aaron Harang? Really? I know the 6-14 record last year is insanely deceiving with a decent enough 4.21 ERA, but still. He has under-achieved the last two years, and Bronson Arroyo had 15 wins, a better ERA (3.84) and nine more quality starts. It isn’t always pretty with Arroyo, but he stays healthy (five straight years of 200+ innings) and has won 30 games the last two years.

Harang has LOST 31 games the last two years.

• Cleveland vs. Chicago: Jake Westbrook vs. Mark Buehrle

Where’s Cliff Lee or CC Sabathia when you need them? Unfortunately for the Indians, they didn’t exactly get a future ace back in either the Sabathia trade nor the Lee trade.

And unfortunately for the Indians, their Opening Day options are Westbrook, Fausto Carmona, Justin Masterson, David Huff and Mitch Talbot. Yuck. Based on talent alone, it should be Carmona. But judging by his nifty ERAs the last two years (6.32, 5.45), that talent hasn’t exactly translated into results. That leaves Westbrook, who didn’t pitch a single inning last year due to injury, as the only real choice. He’s a seasoned veteran who has been with the club for eight years — three of which were healthy and productive. Hey, that’s better than the other guys on Cleveland can attest to.

As for Buehrle , who is drawing his 8th Opening-Day assignment, there may be three other guys in that rotation who have better stuff than he does. Up-and-comers John Danks and Gavin Floyd are solid, and will get their respective chance eventually. Big things are expected of Jake Peavy, but the former San Diego ace told manager Ozzie Guillen that he didn’t deserve the honor of pitching the opener. He’s right. He doesn’t. Not when he didn’t even want to come to Chicago in the first place, before finally agreeing to a trade to come over from the NL.

And until someone else throws a perfect game and epitomizes the White Sox, it’s Mark Buehrle’s right to start whenever he wants to.

• Philadelphia vs. Washington: Roy Halladay vs. John Lannan

Normally I don’t think newcomers to a team should get the honor of opening day, but we’re talking about Roy Halladay here. The ultimate workhorse on the mound. And besides, Cole Hamels (10-11, 4.32) was a major disappointment last year.

Before you laugh at a guy named John Lannan getting the opening day start, and before you laugh at a guy with a 9-13 record deserving the opening day start, consider two things: Lannan had a 3.82 ERA in 200+ innings last season AND by delaying Stephen Strasburg’s debut for a few weeks, the small-market minded Nationals will control his rights an extra year. That’s a big deal.

But I will admit, it would be an absolute delight to see Strasburg vs. Halladay.

• Toronto vs. Texas: Shaun Marcum vs. Scott Feldman

Toronto’s predicament is eerily similar to Cleveland’s. They traded away their ace (Roy Halladay), don’t currently have a lot to show for it, and don’t have anybody that really deserves this. And also like Cleveland, the guy that does deserve it most — Marcum — didn’t pitch a single inning in 2008. Oh well.

If this was 2005, Rich Harden would be nasty, healthy and an ace. But since it’s 2010, Scott Feldman and his where-the-heck-did-that-come-from 2009 season (17-8, 4.08) should start.

• Detroit vs. Kansas City: Justin Verlander vs. Zach Greinke

Duh.

This is matchup is a treasure.

• Florida vs. New York: Josh Johnson vs. Johan Santana

Another no-brainer.

• Chicago vs. Atlanta: Ted Lilly Carlos Zambrano vs. Derek Lowe Jair Jurrjens

This is an interesting one. Take a look at the 2009 stats for Chicago’s main starters.

–Carlos Zambrano: 9-7, 3.77 ERA, 17 QS

–Ted Lilly: 12-9, 3.10 ERA, 21 QS

–Randy Wells: 12-10, 3.05 ERA, 18 QS

–Ryan Dempster: 11-9, 3.65 ERA, 19 QS

So let get me get this straight…the guy with the FEWEST wins, the WORST earned-run average and the FEWEST quality starts is the one getting the start?

Give me Lilly. You know, the guy who is consistent and isn’t an absolute head-case.

Atlanta also has a tough decision on its hands with Derek Lowe, Tim Hudson, Jair Jurrjens and Tommy Hanson all with a claim.

Lowe and Hudson have the pedigree, while Hanson has the talent and future ace label — but it’s Jurrjens who has every right to start this game. His ERA (2.60) was more than two full runs better than Lowe’s 4.67.

I’m sure Jurrjens will come back to earth a little bit this season, but still.

• Minnesota vs. Los Angeles: Scott Baker vs. Jered Weaver

The Angels have some guys with filthy stuff in that rotation (Scott Kazmir and Ervin Santana come to mind), but you never know what you are getting from them. You do with Jered Weaver.

For a team that is expected to win the AL Central, the Twins don’t have any starters that scare the opposing lineups — except for maybe Francisco Liriano. But they always get the job done, don’t they? Maybe this is the  year Liriano stays healthy and breaks through like we always think he will, but Scott Baker was the best of the bunch in 2009 and deserves the ball.

• Los Angeles vs. Pittsburgh: Clayton Kershaw Vicente Padilla vs. Zach Duke

I don’t need to tell you why Vicente Padilla doesn’t deserve the Opening Day start.

Chad Billingsley headed into 2009 with “Ace” written all over him, but was erratic and inconsistent after a terrific 2008 season (16-10, 3.14 ERA, 201 K). Meanwhile, Clayton Kershaw’s 8-8 record wasn’t anything to get excited about, but his 2.79 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 171 innings pitched certainly is. Kershaw just turned 22 and it appears that he may now be the one with the ‘Ace” title of the Dodgers.

Zach Duke, Paul Maholm and Ross Ohlendorf virtually all had the same 2009 campaign for the Pirates. Duke has been around the longest and has done it for the longest. He gets the start.

• Seattle vs. Oakland: Felix Hernandez vs. Ben Sheets Brett Anderson

If Felix isn’t starting Opening Day for Seattle for the next 10 years, something has gone terribly, terribly wrong.

I want to give the ball to Sheets, but three things concern me and make me decide otherwise.

1. THIS. Just read it.
2. He missed the entire 2009 season.
3. He’s new to the team.

I know one beyond-horrendous Spring Training start really doesn’t matter. And the fact that he’s new to the team doesn’t matter much, either. But as I’ve said before, the Opening Day start is sacred in my opinion. And although Brett Anderson has only pitched one year in the Big Leagues, it was a pretty darn good one. And scouts rave about the guy and his Cy Young potential.

Anderson is probably the best pitcher on this team right now. And he likely will be for the next five years or so until Oakland can no longer afford him. He should start.

• Colorado vs. Milwaukee: Ubaldo Jimenez vs. Yovani Gallardo

Yup.

• San Diego vs. Arizona: Jon Garland vs. Dan Haren

San Diego is a mess. They got relative newbies (Clayton Richard and Sean Gallagher), a newcomer (Jon Garland), an injury-riddled reclamation project (Chris Young) and another (Kevin Correia) who likely nobody trusts to duplicate a solid 2009 (12-11, 3.91).

So basically, you have to give it to Garland — who has more career wins (117) than the other four guys combined (91).

• San Francisco vs. Houston: Tim Lincecum vs. Roy Oswalt

What? You thought it was going to be Todd Wellmeyer vs. Brian Moehler?

However, if you thought it should be Lincecum vs. Wandy Rodriguez, I wouldn’t blame you. Wandy is vastly underrated and was definitely better than Oswalt in 2009. But Roy Oswalt is 137-70 with two 20-win seasons and a 3.23 ERA in his 9-year career with the Astros. It’s his baseball if he wants it.

• Baltimore vs. Tampa Bay: Kevin Millwood vs. James Shields Matt Garza

It’s a bit sad when the 35-year-old Kevin Millwood is unquestionably the only option to start Opening Day for your team. I know he was pretty good last season, but you know what I’m talking about. Baltimore is in for another tough year.

As for Tampa Bay, David Price isn’t there yet. Jeff Niemann was good, but was no better than James Shields and Matt Garza who have the tenure. It’s close between those two who have been virtually the same pitcher over the last two seasons.

Shields has taken the ball each of the last two years on Opening Day, and was shellacked in 2009. So why not give Garza a turn?

Mariano Who?

The Yankees. The Red Sox.

The Red Sox. The Yankees.

The “SAWX and the YANKS!” as PTI’s Michael Wilbon likes to say.

It’s seemingly all ESPN and everyone else ever talks about, and it’s not only Wilbon that is sick and tired of it. I’m sure you are too.

Whether it’s the fact that nearly every ESPN game involves the Sox and the Yanks, other teams and players unfairly get lost in the shuffle.

One great example of this is at closer. I don’t mean to pick on ESPN so much, but no closer exists to them other than Mariano Rivera and Jonathan Papelbon. The publicity those two greats garner is warranted, but it often comes at the expense of someone who deserves it just as much.

Minnesota’s Joe Nathan.

Give this guy some lovin'.

Strangely enough, ESPN has talked about him extensively lately, but ONLY because he will be out for the entire 2010 season after undergoing the ever-popular Tommy John surgery.

Where was the love when he was playing? Ever since coming to the Twins for the 2004 season in one of the biggest trade heists in recent history, has been one of the most valuable players in the league and every bit as good as the future-hall-of-famer Rivera (and every one else, for that matter).

The stats don’t lie.

• Joe Nathan (2004-2009): 246 SV (90.8 SV%), 1.87 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 5.8 H/9, 2.6 BB/9, 4.3 K/BB, 11.1 K/9, 0.6 HR/9, 237 ERA+ (418.2 IP)
• Mariano Rivera (2004-2009): 243 SV (93.1 SV%), 1.90 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 6.8 H/9, 1.6 BB/9, 5.4 K/BB, 8.7 K/9, 0.5 HR/9, 233 ERA+ (440.1 IP)
• Trevor Hoffman (2004-2009): 239 SV (89.8 SV%), 2.63 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 7.2 H/9, 1.9 BB/9, 4.2 K/BB, 8.0 K/9, 0.7 HR/9, 151 ERA+ (332 IP)
• Jonathan Papelbon (2006-2009): 151 SV (89.9 SV%), 1.74 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 6.2 H/9, 2.0 BB/9, 5.2 K/BB, 10.6 K/9, 0.6 HR/9, 271 ERA+ (264 IP)
• Francisco Rodriguez (2005-2009): 229 SV (88.8 SV%), 2.62 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 6.6 H/9, 4.3 BB/9, 2.58 K/BB, 11.2 K/9, 0.7 HR/9, 168 ERA+ (344 IP)
• Joakim Soria (2007-2009): 89 SV (89.9 SV%), 2.09 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 6.1 H/9, 2.6 BB/9, 3.89 K/BB, 10.0 K/9, 0.6 HR/9, 214 ERA+ (189.1 IP)

Bet you didn’t know that nobody has as many saves as Nathan since 2004. Bet you didn’t know that nobody has been tougher to hit off of than Nathan, either. Or that Nathan is more of a strikeout pitcher than both Papelbon and Rivera, and K-Rod’s equal.

The statistics between Nathan-Papelbon-Rivera are so close all-around, that it would be unfair to say one is better than the other two. And that’s EXACTLY my point — because that’s precisely what’s happening here. Based on hype/the media/accolades, Papelbon and Rivera are better than Nathan. Not true.

If only he played for a bigger market, maybe more people would realize this.

Hoffman vs. Rivera

Career saves for Mariano Rivera: 518.

Career saves for Trevor Hoffman: 580.

That’s all the evidence that my father needs to anoint Mr. Hoffman the best closer of all-time, and not Mr. Rivera.

And that is idiotic for several reasons.

Hoffman was a full-time closer in 1994, while Rivera wasn’t until 1997. So

Game over

Hoffman, even though he missed virtually the entire 2003 season, has had nearly 100 more save opportunities than Rivera. So OF COURSE he’s going to have more saves than Mariano.

But forget that. What is the job of the closer? Get the save. No matter what. Who cares how pretty it is, just hold the lead.

And if you look at their stats once they became full-time closers, Mariano has done better at that.

• Rivera: 510-for-567 (89.95%)
• Hoffman: 570-for-636 (89.62%)

OK, but if you think it DOES matter how you get there, Mariano still has the edge. And it’s an edge in no matter what you look at.

ERA: Rivera 2.05/Hoffman 2.63

ERA+: Rivera 219/Hoffman 152

Second best ain't bad

WHIP: Rivera 0.98/Hoffman 1.02

BB/9: Rivera 1.9/Hoffman 2.4

HR/9: Rivera 0.5/Hoffman 0.8

BB/K: Rivera 4.32/Hoffman 4.10

Record: Rivera 56-45/Hoffman 53-61

And there’s a certain thing that my father forgets that makes what Rivera has done compared to Hoffman even more impressive: Mariano has done all his work in the American League, while Hoffman has had the benefit of pitching in the National League — a league that has been vastly inferior to the AL for 10 years now.

Oh, and you want clutch?

Does an 8-1 record with 56 saves, a 0.77 ERA and 0.75 WHIP work for you in the playoffs?

I thought so.

Mariano will surpass Hoffman in career saves. And he’ll do it with a higher conversion rate. And with the best adjusted ERA of all-time and as perhaps the greatest playoff pitcher ever.

This debate is over. Cue the music.

Driving drunk on PEDs

If you ask Bronson Arroyo, pretty much every Major Leaguer takes performance-enhancing drugs — while driving drunk.

Oh wait, that’s not exactly what he said.

But it’s certainly close.

Arroyo had a lot of interesting things to say, just hours before tossing a 2-hit shutout against the robust lineup of the Washington Nationals.

Here some of my favorites:

• “[Taking PEDs] might be dangerous, but so is drinking and driving. And how many of us do it at least once a year? Pretty much everybody.”

Is he referring to professional athletes or the Average Joe? Because this average Joe has done neither of those things, thank you very much!

• “I can see where guys like Hank Aaron and some of the old-timers have a beef with [PEDs]. But as far as looking at Manny Ramirez like he’s [serial killer] Ted Bundy, you’re out of your mind. At the end of the day, you think anybody really [cares] whether Manny Ramirez’s kidneys fail and he dies at 50?”

Arroyo has a point. In fact, he has two reasonable points here. Manny Ramirez is way less heinous a human being than a serial killer. I can’t deny that. He’s only harming is own body, not taking human lives.

But I hate Ramirez, because he disrespects the game. He doesn’t hustle, he

Two people that don't know when to stop talking

cheats, he breaks the law [steroids are illegal in the U.S., people tend to forget that] and he quits on his team when he sees fit. He’s an embarrassment. A fantastic player, yes, but he’s a person that has no qualms of making a mockery of the game.

Arroyo’s other point in that quote is partly true. Most people wouldn’t care if Ramirez paid the consequences of taking PEDs and he dies at 50. Manny isn’t hurting us, after all.

• “[Amphetamines are] like bubble gum compared to steroids. You’re playing [night games] in L.A., you fly across the country, and you’re pitching a day game at Wrigley [Field in Chicago]. You telling me you don’t want something to wake you up? You have half this country, maybe more, that can’t function without a cup of coffee.”

I’m no doctor or nutritionist, so I can’t comment on his comparison of Amphetamines to a generic steroid. But as someone who went to college and worked in a newsroom, I can attest that 90% of people cannot function without their coffee. You know who you are.

• “I have a lot of guys in [the locker room] who think I’m out of [my] mind because I’m taking a lot of things not on the [MLB-approved] list. I take 10 to 12 different things a day, and on the days I pitch, there’s four more things. There’s a caffeine drink I take from a company that Curt Schilling introduced me to in ’05. I take some Korean ginseng and a few other proteins out there that are not certified. But I haven’t failed any tests, so I figured I’m good.”

Yeah, you WERE good until you opened your big mouth. If I were Bud Selig, I would suspend him 50 games.

If you take drugs that are not approved by the MLB, you are suspended 50 games. Arroyo just GAVE you proof that he has taken banned drugs. Suspend him.

• “I do what I want to do and say what I want to say. But society has made this such a tainted thing. The media has made it where people look at it in such a super-negative light. I’ve always been honest. I’m not going to stop now.”

Love the honesty. It is refreshing, especially when most athletes lie and feed us B.S. 99% of the time.

But this 1% should get him fined, as I said before. Sometimes being honest isn’t the best idea. I think we all know that by now, don’t we?

• “If Mark McGwire is hitting 60 homers, the only thing that matters is his performance. People don’t own teams to lose money. If you ask any owner whether they would rather make $20 million and come in last place or lose $20 million and win a World Series, there’s only one guy who honestly would take that championship: George Steinbrenner. Nobody else.”

He’s 100% right about that one.

Although, at this point, I think Steinbrenner would take a loss of $200 million to win a World Series.

Claiming temporary insanity

What’s not to like about Alex Rios?

He’s a solid hitter, with a mix of power and speed. He’s also a good fielder, with a rocket arm and at 28, in the prime of his career.

Oh, wait, I know what’s not to love. (That is, unless you’re Alex Rios)

$66,000,000.

That’s how much money is left on Rios’ contract, which runs for 5 1/2 more seasons. That’s a big chunk of change — especially for a player who has never hit 25 home runs, a player who has never driven in 90 runs and a player who has never had an on-base percentage of over .354.

Surely, no Major League team would make the same mistake that the Toronto Blue Jays made and pay a player approximately $12 million per season for a slightly-above average player. (His career OPS+ is 104).

Right?

Alex Rios: Chicago-bound? I don't think so.

Well, apparently that assumption is wrong — because a team recently claimed Rios off of waivers.

But which team?

If you believe Buster Olney, and MLB.com White Sox beat report Scott Merkin, it was those very same White Sox.

Not if you ask White Sox General Manager Kenny Williams, though.

Now I realize that GMs use misdirection and play virtually everything close to the vest — Williams does that more than perhaps anybody — but I am inclined to trust Williams on this one.

I say this for two reasons.

1. How can the White Sox afford this guy?

Owner Jerry Reinsdorf had to be convinced to sign off on the Jake Peavy trade due to a highly increased payroll — so I find it hard to believe Reinsdorf would once again add substantially to the payroll.

2. How would Rios fit into the lineup?

He’s more of a right fielder, and a man named Jermaine Dye — easily one of the five best right fielders in the game — plays there.  Rios has never played left field before (Carlos Quentin is entrenched there, anyway) and the White Sox need Scott Podsednik to start in center field because of his leadoff skills.

Dye’s contract runs out after this season, yes, but Chicago appear to have a strong interest in an extension and seem to be too smart to vastly overpay for a player like Rios.

Heck, I’m probably wrong. But if I were a betting man (which, actually, I am), I would place a wager that it the San Francisco Giants were the ones who claimed Rios.

It makes perfect sense. They have a terrible offense and are in a heated pennant race for the NL Wild Card. They are desperate for offense and he could start in right field and be a middle-of-the-order bat for them instantly. The Giants could afford him. And they need him more than the White Sox do. Much, much more.

We’ll find out soon enough. I hope I’m wrong, though, because betting on that would be illegal in the state in which I reside.

Level of guiltiness

Is David Ortiz guilty of knowingly using PEDs?

Is David Ortiz guilty of unknowingly using PEDs?

It pretty much has to be one or the other, doesn’t it?

If you listened to what Big Papi said at Saturday afternoon’s press conference, he claims it was the latter. I lean towards the former. What do you think?

And no matter which way you look at it, David Ortiz cheated.

No walking in Minnesota

(Editors note: This entry is an updated version of a post I made on my previous baseball blog.)

What exactly do the pitching coaches in Minnesota teach that the other teams don’t? Judging by the impeccable control by nearly all Twins pitching staff’s of the past 22 seasons, it’s something substantial.

And if not, check the water in Minnesota…

YEAR	AL RANK	Walks Allowed	League Average
2009	1st	466	542 (-76)
2008	1st	406	534 (-128)
2007	2nd	420	531 (-111)
2006	1st	356	509 (-153)
2005	1st	348	483 (-135)
2004	1st	431	537 (-106)
2003	2nd	402	508 (-106)
2002	3rd	439	521 (-82)
2001	2nd	445	519 (-74)
2000	3rd	516	599 (-83)
1999	2nd	487	593 (-106)
1998	1st	457	550 (-93)
1997	1st	495	561 (-66)
1996	3rd	581	614 (-33)
1995	7th	533	541 (-8)
1994	3rd	388	424 (-36)
1993	1st	514	572 (-58)
1992	2nd	479	550 (-71)
1991	2nd	488	552 (-64)
1990	3rd	489	545 (-56)
1989	7th	500	520 (-20)
1988	3rd	453	514 (-61)

AVERAGE: 2.4            458.8     537.2 (-78.4)

NOTES:

• Not ONCE in the last 22 years have the Twins issued more walks than the league average.
• In 20 of the 22 years, Minnesota ranked in the Top 3 in the AL.
• For six straight seasons from 2003-2008 , the Twins issued at least 100 fewer walks than the league average.
• Over the last 22 years, Minnesota averages 78.4 fewer walks than the league average.
• Over that 22 year span, the Twins’ average rank in the AL is 2.4.

I can see a team sustaining this for a 3-6 year period or so, but for 20+ years? Does anyone have an explanation for how this is possible?

Fixing Perfection

Sometimes being the best isn’t quite good enough.

I take that back. Sorry, baseball, you’re great just the way you are.

But that doesn’t mean you are without flaws. Hey — even the world’s greatest game can be even greater.

With that said, I introduce my 8-step program to make it even better. And if Bud Selig can complete the program, baseball will be as close to perfect as possible.

STEP 1: Abolish the Designated Hitter

It doesn’t even bother me that the two leagues have different rules. No, my main beef with the DH is this: AL pitchers can throw at any hitter they want, and never worry about being retaliated against. It’s their teammates that have to worry.

Isn’t the NL-game more pure? Double-switches, stealing bases, pinch-hitting for the pitcher, letting the pitcher hit. It’s all good. Much more strategy involved. Why ruin that — along with tradition from 1876-1972 — with the DH?

Step 2: Get rid of Inter-league Play

Or at least cut it down to 1-2 series per team.

There are way too many inter-league games — especially between teams like Colorado and Kansas City, I mean, who cares?

But my main problem rests with the fact that inter-league play in some small way ruins the allure of the World Series and the All-Star Game. It used to be that the AL and NL only saw each other two times per year. Now it’s all the time.

A World Series between teams that have already played that year (which is always possible) just isn’t as intriguing.

I won’t lie, seeing Chicago vs. Chicago and New York vs. New York is a lot of fun. So let’s at least limit each team to playing one rival each year.

Step 3: Home-Field Advantage

“This time it counts!”

Please.

Seriously, how stupid is it that the winner of the All-Star Game determines home-field advantage in the World Series?

Anyone with a brain knows it should be determined by the team with the best record. Should one game be the barometer of home-field or should 162?

If MLB wants the two leagues to battle it out to decide, then why not give home-field to whichever league does better in Inter-League Play? Even that’s better than one All-Star Game that neither manager ever TRULY tries to win. If you’re truly trying to win, you don’t take out Albert Pujols after two or three at-bats.

Speaking of the All-Star Game, the roster sizes are getting ridiuclous. They add one addional spot every year. We really need 33 players? At this rate, every player in a uniform will be voted into one All-Star game by 2020.

And by the way, if we HAVE the DH, do we really need to see pitchers hit in the ASG? It’s obsurd. I don’t care if the game is in a NL park or not. No one wants to see Tim Lincecum hit when Prince Fielder is on the bench available to hit.

And one last gripe. I hate how so many of the pitchers on the All-Star Team are relievers. I can see 3-4 but 6-7? Stupid. Reward more starters.

Step 4: Atrocious Official Scoring

Idiotic Mistake No. 1: If you don’t touch the ball, it’s not an error.

Idiotic Mistake No. 2: “You can’t assume the double play.”

Simply put, official scoring stinks today. They never give errors anymore. If a player totally mis-plays a ball and doesn’t touch it, somehow it’s not an error.

Ludicrous. If the  play should have been made, it should have been made. It’s an error. It’s not complicated.

And I hate how no error is given because “you can’t assume the double play.” Um, yes, you can. If there’s a man on first and a routine ball is hit to short, you SHOULD assume the double play.

If they get the lead runner and a good throw WOULD get the runner out on first, and that throw isn’t made, it SHOULD be an error. How is that any different from any other bad throw? If he should have been thrown out, and isn’t, it’s an error. It has to be.

Errors used to be given out more frequently. Official-scorers were tougher on fielders and they should be. We’re talking about the best baseball players in the world — they should be making the plays.

Take a look at the average amount of errors per team throughout history

• 1908:  278 errors
• 1918: 193 errors
• 1928:  193 errors
• 1938:  173 errors
• 1948:  138 errors
• 1958:  125 errors
• 1968:  138 errors
• 1978:  139 errors
• 1988:  119 errors
• 1998:  114 errors
• 2008:  99 errors

Yes, gloves got better and bigger as time went on. That explains some of it, sure. And athletes got bigger, faster and stronger. That’s also a part of this. But not all of it.

Official scorers are way too easy on players now. It’s a fact.

Step 5: If the throw beats the runner…

Then almost every umpire automatically calls them out.

Hey, I have an idea! How about umpires call baserunners safe or out based on whether or not the fielder tagged the runner out in time or not? What a wild idea, I know.

I don’t just bring this up because of the recent infamous Derek Jeter incident regarding this very same matter. It happens all the time. You see baserunners get in safely on throws that beat them all the time. Umpires just seem not to care.

Step 6: “In the area” double plays

You’ve seen in. A double play where either the second baseman or shortstop doesn’t even come CLOSE to touching the second base bag when turning a double play.

But hey, as long as they are “in the area” it’s legit, right? That’s hogwash. I propose a crazy idea where fielders actually have to TOUCH SECOND BASE to record the double play. Wild.

Step 7: The Sacrifice Fly

Guy on third, less than two outs…

Scenario A: Fly ball to center field. Run scores, batter is out.

Scenario B: Ground ball to shortstop. Run scores, batter is out.

Same outcome. Yet, in Scenario A, the batter is not charged with an at-bat, but player in Scenario B, is. How does that make any sense? They did the exact same thing. They got the run in and both made an out. They should not be scored differently.

Either both should be charged with an official at-bat, or both should be charged with a sacrifice.

Step 8: Awarding the victory

This doesn’t happen often, but is a problem in my eyes.

June 30, 2009. John Smoltz pitches four strong innings against Baltimore before the rain comes and delays the game by 1 hour, 11 minutes. The Red Sox lead 9-1.

Because of the rain delay, Smoltz is removed from the game (it’s an injury risk to resume pitching after such a long delay) and Justin Masterson is inserted into the game.

He pitches horribly, allowing five earned runs in just two innings of work. But Boston still leads, 9-6.

Famously, Baltimore comes back to win this crazy game, 11-10. But for the sake of discussion of a flawed rule, let’s say Boston held on to win 9-6.

Who should get the win? Smoltz or Masterson? According to the rule book, a starting pitcher MUST go five innings to secure the win. Good rule, 99% of the time. But in this game, Masterson would be the winning pitcher.

Does that not seem stupid? Smoltz pitched well and helped Boston get out to a big lead. He didn’t pitch less than five innings because of a high pitch count or poor performance, but because of the common practice of taking out a pitcher after a long rain delay to avoid injury.

What in god’s name did Masterson do to earn the win? He got bombed. He would have lost the game for them had the offense not scored nine runs. He had NO PART whatsoever in helping the Red Sox win.

This is the only instance in which an exception should be made to the 5-inning rule.

PEDs and the Hall of Fame

Over the last five years or so, stat-geeks everywhere have fallen in love with ‘OPS’. And what’s not to love? This new and hip statistic combines two old classics: on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Add those two dandies together and you have a players’ OPS. By doing so, you get a good measure of not just how often they get on base, but how much damage they are causing when doing so.

Considering Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Lou Gehrig rank 1-2-3 all-time in the category, OPS must be good for something. In fact, of the Top 12 retired and Hall-of-Fame eligible players in career OPS, 11 of them are enshrined in Cooperstown.

The one loner?

Mark McGwire — who ranks 8th all-time among HOF-eligible players.

I wonder why that is…

Mr. McGwire has been largely ignored in his three chances on the ballot:

• 2009: 118 votes (21.9%)
• 2008: 128 votes (23.6%)
• 2007: 128 votes (23.5%)

The consistency in those three ballots tell me that many HOF voters refuse to vote for a player linked to PEDs. One-fourth of the voters view McGwire as a Hall-of-Famer, even as a player widely expected to have used steroids during his career. My guess is that many of the 75% not voting for him WOULD have, had it not been for his testimony in front of Congress, where he famously said “I’m not here to talk about the past.”

If I had a vote, I would not check off his name.

For me, it’s simple. For the first 10 years of his career, McGwire was a below-average hitter with power. Then, when he likely began using PEDs, he became much bigger and a better hitter with astronomical power.

McGwire: After & Before

In other words, he wasn’t a Hall-of-Fame caliber player from 1986-1995. And he only became worthy (numbers-wise), beginning in 1996.

Numbers (’86-’95): .252 AVG/.369 OBP/.523 SLG/.892 OPS/277 HR

Numbers (’96-’99): .290 AVG/.437 OBP/.704 SLG/1.142 OPS/245 HR

As a 36-year-old, his eye-popping numbers died down a bit in 2000. And in 2001 — his final season — he hit .187 over 364 at-bats.

Now let’s compare McGwire with another player who everyone assumed (me, included) used PEDs to enhance their careers.

Barry Bonds, of course.

For the sake of this argument, I would guess that he began using (allegedly) in 2001, when he broke McGwire’s single-season home run record with 73 long balls.

Numbers (’86-’00): .289 AVG/.412 OBP/.567 SLG/.979 OPS/494 HR/471 SB

Numbers (’01-’07): .325 AVG/.531 OBP/.731 SLG/1,262 OPS/268 HR

Compare Bonds’ pre-PED years with McGwire’s. Not even close. Bonds WAS a Hall-of-Fame worthy player before he ever put anything unsanitary into his body. McGwire wasn’t.

And that’s why Bonds would have my vote, while McGwire wouldn’t.

Now it’s your turn to weigh-in…