Evan Longoria on Monday was named American League Rookie of the Year by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The news was hardly surprising, as Longoria, a unanimous selection, had by far the most impact of any rookie in the league. The 23-year-old third baseman batted .272/.343/.531, with a rookie-leading 27 homers and .874 OPS and 85 RBIs. He also provided outstanding defense at third base, playing a major part in the Rays’ dramatic improvement in run prevention.

Longoria collected 60 extra-base hits, which led all rookies in the majors, in only 448 at-bats, solidifying the Tampa Bay offense in the middle of the order. A 2006 first-round selection out of Long Beach State, he became the first player in franchise history to win a national award from the BBWAA after receiving all 28 first-place votes.

Chicago White Sox second baseman Alexei Ramirez finished second in the voting, with 18 second-place votes and 59 points total overall. Ramirez had a fine season in his own right, as he belted 21 home runs, including a rookie record five grand slams, while driving in 77. The second baseman exceeded all expectations in his first year in Chicago by batting .290/.317/.475 overall, but leaves a lot to be desired with his poor on-base skills.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury and Kansas City Royals infielder Mike Aviles also garnered second-place votes, finishing in third and fourth place, respectively.

Ellsbury, following an excellent World Series in 2007, was the pre-season favorite. The Boston center fielder struggled a bit, though, finishing the year with a disappointing .336 OBP and .394 slugging percentage. While he played exceptional defense in a number of outfield positions, he lost his starting job to Coco Crisp down the stretch.

Aviles had a fine debut campaign for the Royals, batting .325//354/.480, with 10 home runs and 53 RBIs in 419 at-bats. In fact, he provided one of the few offensive bright spots in Kansas City. At 27, he is obviously old for a rookie and is unlikely to turn into a superstar, but his .834 OPS was exceptional for a shortstop.

Manager Joe Maddon is expected to be named Manager of the Year later this week, as the Rays are beginning to cash in and reap the benefits of their magical worst-to-first season.

If you're scoring at home, I'm now 2-for-2 in my award picks, as Geovany Soto won the award in the N.L. Granted, the R.O.Y. was a pretty easy category in each league this year.

 

Carlos Pena on Thursday was selected as the Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner at first base in the American League. Pena, a first-time selection, posted a .998 fielding percentage in 1,099 chances, which was tied for first among qualifying first baseman in the majors. In John Dewan’s plus/minus rating system—perhaps the most effective metric used to evaluate defensive value—he rated out fifth in the majors at the position, and second his league, with a +14.

The Rays’ excellent run prevention efforts were the biggest reason for their remarkable worst-to-first turnaround in the American League East. Tampa Bay only allowed 671 runs, nearly a 300-run improvement from its total a season earlier. The team defense ranked first in the majors in defensive efficiency, the rate at which batted balls hit into play are converted into outs. The defensive excellence coincided with dramatic improvements in the bullpen and starting rotation, helping guide the Rays, with a middling offense, to the A.L. pennant.

Pena was an important part to an outstanding defensive infield, which featured above-average defenders at each position—Jason Bartlett (shortstop), Akinori Iwamura (second base) and Evan Longoria (third base). The left-handed hitting slugger’s defensive contributions normally get overshadowed by his offensive output—31 home runs, .861 OPS—but he is a solid glove man at the position and not a bad choice by the managers and coaches.

Longoria was a legitimate candidate to win his own Gold Glove as well, but lost out to a more deserving candidate, Fielding Bible Award winner Adrian Beltre of the Seattle Mariners.

Here are the full winners. In a future article, I will offer my criticisms about some of the undeserving winners (Michael Young, anyone?) in the American Leauge.

P – Mike Mussina, New York Yankees
C – Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
1B – Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay Rays
2B – Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
3B – Adrian Beltre, Seattle Mariners
SS – Michael Young, Texas Rangers
OF – Torii Hunter, Minnesota Twins
OF – Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians
OF – Ichiro Suzuki, Seattle Mariners

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

A lot is being made about the Tampa Bay Rays’ solid core of young talent at the major league level.

It is hard to talk about the Rays without mentioning the current core of cost-effective, team-controlled youngsters who led the franchise to the World Series. Everyone has heard of former first-round picks Evan Longoria and David Price by now, of course.

But here is a brief list, in no particular order, of several of the remaining high-level prospects in the Tampa Bay organization who are not yet household names for non-prospect fanatics.

Wade Davis, RHP—Davis’ stock took a bit of his this year, as he struggled to consistently command his pitches. He remains a high-level prospect, though, thanks to his solid movement on a low-90s fastball and an excellent curve ball. The right-hander has not shown the ability yet to consistently command his other offerings, a developing change-up and cut fastball.

Davis began the season in the Southern League, where he went 9-6 with a 3.85 ERA and 81-to-42 K/W ratio in 19 starts for the Montgomery Biscuits. He was a bit unlucky—with a high BABIP—and allowed nearly a hit per inning, but flashed signs of brilliance. He then earned a promotion to Triple-A in July, joining the Durham Bulls. He put together a nice string of quality outings for the Bulls, going 4-2 with a 2.72 ERA and 55-to-24 K/W ratio in nine outings. The difference, though it was a small sample size, had a lot to do with luck, as his BABIP decreased and he limited opponents to a .205 batting average.

Davis will spend most, if not all, of the 2009 season in a starting role again at Durham. The 6’5 former fourth-round pick, though, could join the Rays at some point if he can continue to improve his consistency.

Jeremy Hellickson, RHP—Hellickson does not have the prototypical body for a big-league pitcher, at 6’1, 185. The 21-year-old right-hander, though, is a legitimate major league prospect. He has an above-average fastball and two solid secondary pitches but what differentiates him is his excellent command.

Hellickson tore up the Florida State League this spring, going 7-1 with a 2.00 ERA and stellar 83-to-5 K/W ratio in 14 starts. Upon his promotion to Double-A Montgomery, though, he ran into some difficulties, allowing 15 home runs in 75.1 innings pitched. While he was prone to giving up the long ball, he rebounded nicely after a few rough appearances to finish his stint with the Biscuits 4-4 with a 3.94 ERA. His command remained exceptional—79-to-13 K/W ratio—but he posted an opponents’ batting average of .292. While he lacks a true out pitch, he still profiles as a solid middle-of-the rotation starter.

Reid Brignac, Shortstop—Brignac has made tremendous strides defensively the past two seasons. Considered the best defensive shortstop in the International League this year, he seems destined to stick at the position in the majors for years to come. While Jason Bartlett is currently manning the position effectively—defensively, that is—and is locked up for a few more years, the 22-year-old Louisiana native has a chance to serve as a stopgap until number one overall pick Tim Beckham, who has a real chance to remain at the position, is ready.

Brignac projects to hit for power at the major league level as well. Since his breakout offensive performance in the California League in 2006, however, he has regressed severely at the plate as he jumped two levels. His on-base skills, in fact, leave a bit to be desired, and he took another step back in his first full season with the Durham Bulls in 2008. He batted only .250/.299/.412, drawing only 25 walks while striking out 93 times. He will need to improve his plate discipline, but, with his above-average defense, he seems ready to latch on with the Rays in the near future.

Some other names to look out for: Nick Barnese, Beckham, John Jaso, Desmond Jennings, Jeff Niemann, Jake McGee

Barnese, who posted a 2.45 ERA and 84-to24 K/W ratio for Hudson Valley in the New York Penn League this summer, induces a ton of groundball outs with a solid, low-90s sinking fastball. He will look to make a major leap in his development next year, as he makes the jump to full-season ball.

Beckham has tremendous tools, and scouts feel that he can remain at shortstop. At 18 years old, though, he has a long way to go in terms of development before reaching the majors. The Georgia prep prospect is still a bit raw, as he did not begin playing baseball competitively until he was 14. While it is foolish to read too much into a prospect’s short-season professional debut, he did not exactly set the Appalachian League on fire—.243/.297/.345, in 177 at-bats. He has tremendous upside, which prompted the Rays to select him with their second consecutive first overall pick over more expensive college options like Pedro Alvarez and Buster Posey, and is an exceptional athlete. Look for Beckham, who earned a late-season promotion to Hudson Valley, to begin ’09 in the South Atlantic League.

Jaso has excellent on-base skills and can really hit, but has yet to show that he can handle his catching responsibilities effectively. The organization, it seems, is not sold on his defense, but he has a career minor league line of.273/.391/.426 and .817 OPS.

Jennings had a season to forget, as injuries prevented him from taking another giant leap forward in his development. The former Alabama quarterback recruit was looking to build upon a breakout 2007 campaign, in which he hit .315/.401/.465 in the Sally League, and established himself as one of the premier outfield prospects in the minors. An athletic, physically gifted athletic specimen, he took a major step forward as baseball player in ’07, swiping 45 bags while improving his plate discipline.

Unfortunately, Jennings began the season in extended spring training and sat out the first two months with back and shoulder injuries. When he was healthy enough, he reported to the Florida State League, hoping to stay on the field without any issues. After only 24 games roaming center field for Vero Beach, however, he re-injured his shoulder, requiring season-ending surgery. He should be ready at the start of spring training and remains a top outfield prospect.

Niemann may get traded this offseason, following a solid, injury-free performance in the International League. His star has dimmed, but he finally made his major league debut in April, posted a .3.59 ERA in 24 starts at Durham and consistently sat in the mid-90s with his fastball in an encouraging year in which he was linked to numerous trade rumors. He tends to get lost in the translation, with the Rays’ apparent surplus of pitching, but several organizations would love to have him in their system. The former Rice star no longer projects as a front-line stud, but he has a chance to turn into a solid number three or four guy in the big leagues. Out of options, he should finally stick in the majors for good next year.

McGee, lost early in the spring after tearing his ulnar collateral ligament, underwent successful Tommy John surgery—another James Andrews patient—and is out until the middle of ’09. Before the injury, the flamethrowing lefty was regarded as one of the premier pitching prospects in one of the majors’ deepest farm systems. According to Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon, he may end up as a dominant closer for the Rays.

There are certainly others as well—from Fernando Perez to Heath Rollins—and expect to find a complete top prospect list in the next couple of weeks.

With the Rays’ ability to make cost-effective roster decisions, a solid core of young stars locked up for the long term, and with several of the aforementioned prospects close to reaching the show, it is clear that the Rays are not a one-year wonder. Many were critical when the Rays refused to give up a few of these prospects in deals at the trade deadline, but they made it to the Fall Classic without having to deal away any cheap, team-controlled assets. While the American League East will always provide a tremendous challenge—with the financial superpowers—the Rays seem equipped to make a nice little run.

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

The oddsmakers in Las Vegas have it right: the Tampa Bay Rays are the easy favorite to win the World Series.

The Philadelphia Phillies have several outstanding stars, including ace left-hander Cole Hamels, former MVPs Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins and perhaps the premier infielder in the game, Chase Utley.

The Rays have a more complete roster, however, without any glaring weaknesses 1-through-25, and a better starting rotation.

Anything can happen in a short series, as the St. Louis Cardinals reminded us a few years back, but Tampa Bay is the superior team when looking at each club objectively.

The Rays’ success was dismissed as a fluke by several “experts” throughout the year. Time and time again, though, the talented group continued to silence its critics, outlasting the game’s financial superpowers to win the majors’ most competitive division. Winning the American League East, of course, is no small feat. The Rays, relying on excellent run prevention to punch a ticket to the eight-team October tournament, proved that they were for real over the full 162-game season.

After winning the East, the lack-of-experience columns began resurfacing before the start of the Division Series. Yet again, though, B.J. Upton, James Shields and company put that talk to rest, defeating a veteran-heavy Chicago White Sox team in four games. In an epic American League Championship Series, Tampa Bay then flashed its offensive muscle in a tremendous seven-game set with the defending World Series Champion Boston Red Sox.

The path to the Fall Classic, therefore, has been considerably more difficult for Tampa Bay than Philadelphia, which cruised through a Milwaukee Brewers team mostly led by one stud pitcher and the 84-win Los Angeles Dodgers.

Not to mention, the American League, which has truly emerged as the superior league in the past five years, is a considerably more competitive environment to play in.

All of these factors could play a role in the outcome of the upcoming tilt between two organizations known for their losing ways.

The Rays’ home field advantage will also come into play, especially in the year of the home team. They finished the regular season with the majors’ premier record at home, playing like All-Stars in the friendly confines of Tropicana Field.

Hamels can help negate this, to a degree, by tossing a gem in the opener. But the Cowbell effect will is a legitimate factor, as Tampa Bay is practically perfect when playing in front of a crowd of 30,000-plus.

Here is a breakdown how each team measures up in every facet of the game.

Rotations:

Hamels is the best starting pitcher on either team. He gives the Phillies the advantage in the pitching matchup for Game 1. The 24-year-old left-hander has been absolutely brilliant in the postseason, emerging as a legitimate big-game pitcher and postseason ace. In three starts, including two during his MVP performance in the NLCS, he has limited opposing hitters to a .173 batting average while posting a 1.23 ERA in 22.0 innings pitched. The October success is nothing out of left field for him, however, as he finished the regular season ranked first in the National League in WHIP (1.08), second in innings pitched (227.1) and sixth in complete games (2), ERA (3.09) and strikeouts (196). In 33 starts overall, he limited opponents to an anemic line of .227/.271/.384 while walking only 53. To put it bluntly, he is a stud.

Hamels, without question, is the X factor for Philadelphia. He needs to shut down the Rays’ offense on multiple occasions if the Phillies wish to have any real shot of winning the series. Tampa Bay has a lineup featuring several key offensive players who have struggled against southpaws—from Carl Crawford to Akinori Iwamura—and this will work to Hamels’ advantage. While the Rays are coming off a solid ALCS in which they put up several runs off of star lefty Jon Lester on two different occasions, he has to find a way to exploit this weakness.

The Rays will also turn to a lefty in the opener, sending out Scott Kazmir. Kazmir has not been efficient with his pitches over much of the past three months, but pitched surprisingly well in Game 5 of the ALCS at Fenway Park last week. When he has command over his fastball and can work ahead of hitters, he is as dominant as they come and is tough to beat. Also, keep in mind that, although this has been labeled as a down year by his standards, he still finished as the Rays’ leader in ERA and is the most successful pitcher in the history of the franchise, at 24 years old.

Kazmir has had a difficult time getting out of the first inning recently, however, and is unlikely to work deep into the game. Kazmir, too, will benefit from facing a Phillies’ lineup that features several left-handed sluggers—including Howard, who batted only .224/.294/.451 against southpaws.

After Hamels, there is a considerable drop off for Philadelphia. Brett Myers, who reemerged as a weapon after a demotion to the minors this summer, will pitch Game 2. Returning to the rotation after serving as the Phils’ closer in 2007, Myers had a rollercoaster season that saw him return to his old form after a few weeks at Lehigh Valley. He has allowed seven earned runs in 12.0 innings this October, but has won each of his decisions. He is a big question mark heading into the week.

Big Game James Shields may have not lived up to his nickname in Game Six of the ALCS, but he has been the Rays’ most effective pitcher to this point. Shields, who has plus fastball command and an excellent change-up, posted a 3.56 ERA (122 park-adjusted ERA+) and stellar 160-to-40 K/W ratio in a team-best 215.0 innings pitched during the year. Unlike Kazmir, Joe Maddon can count on him to work deep into the game. Shields is 1-2 with a 3.72 ERA in three postseason appearances, striking out 13 in 19.1 innings pitched.

Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer are not exactly studs at the back of the Phillies’ rotation, which clearly gives Tampa Bay the edge when looking at each staff as a whole.

Blanton has been decent but unspectacular since coming over in a mid-season trade with the Oakland Athletics. Having to pitch in hitter-friendly Citizen’s Bank Park has certainly not done him any favors.

Moyer, on the other hand, had a fine regular season, establishing himself as the Julio Franco of pitching as he inches near his 50th birthday. He has been lit up in the postseason, however, which is a legitimate concern.

It might be in the Phillies’ best interest to start Hamels in Games 1, 4 and 7, if necessary, because the gap in ability between him and the aforementioned pair is stark.

It is a different story for Tampa Bay.

Matt Garza, coming off a dominant, big-game performance in the ALCS finale, has a mid-90s fastball and can shut down any offense on any given night—just ask Lester and the Red Sox. While he has become a household name in Boston after his fine showing to this point in October, Garza had a fine year overall. In fact, Rays Vice President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman now looks like a genius for dealing former number one overall pick Delmon Young to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Garza and all-field, no-hit shortstop Jason Bartlett last December.

Andy Sonnanstine, the likely Game 4 starter, is more than just a freakishly amazing ping pong player: the kid can pitch, too. Sonnanstine does not have an overpowering fastball, but has tremendous command and knows how to pitch. Some scouts even refer to him as Greg Maddux Lite. His ability to limit walks and keep runners off base is perhaps the biggest reason for his surprising success. As a mid-round pick out of Kent State back in 2004, Sonnanstine repeatedly had to prove himself by putting up tremendous numbers in the minors—which he did at every level along the way. He is prone to surrendering home runs, but he is a tough competitor who is very effective when he hits his spots.

In regards to rotation, the Rays have the clear-cut advantage—though the Phillies have the better, truer ace. If Hamels should falter, however, this series could end rather quickly.

Bullpen:

The Phillies are 86-0 in games in which they hold the lead entering the ninth inning. When Howard and the gang provide the Philadelphia relief corps with a lead entering the late innings, in fact, the fans can start heading for the exits. This is why it will be crucial for the Rays to score early and often, gaining and keeping the lead before the seventh inning.

The bullpen success starts with Brad Lidge, who has been perfect in 46 save chances, including the postseason. Lidge, the NL Comeback Player of the Year, has undoubtedly regained his status as an elite closer. Pat Gillick, in fact, deserves a lot of credit for dealing Michael Bourne and his nightmare on-base skills (or lack thereof) in exchange for the stud closer, whose value was fairly low at the time of the player swap, this past winter.

Lidge truly has been dominant, posting a 1.95 ERA and 92-to-35 K/W ratio while surrendering only two long balls in 69.1 innings pitched over 72 regular season appearances. He has continued to get it done in the playoffs, too, as he has picked up five saves in as many chances while allowing only one run in 7.1 innings. The hangover from the Albert Pujols bomb is officially over, it seems.

Chad Durbin (2.90 ERA), Ryan Madson (.3.43 ERA) and J.C. Romero (3.02 ERA) have done a solid job bridging the gap to Lidge. The group, however, is prone to allowing hitters to reach base via the walk—not a good combination considering the Rays’ patient approach at the plate.

Overall, though, Philadelphia has a slight edge when it comes to relief pitching.

The Tampa Bay bullpen is not exactly a weakness, though. In fact, even without injured and ineffective closer Troy Percival taking the ball down the stretch, the Rays’ relief corps had one of the lowest ERAs in the majors.

Poor ALCS performance aside, Grant Balfour, the mad Australian with the mid-90s heater, has been tremendous. After nearly making the roster out of spring training, Balfour dominated at Triple-A Durham before getting called up to the show. He then flourished upon his promotion, posting a 1.54 ERA, unbelievable 82-to-24 K/W ratio and 0.89 WHIP. Although he only finished with four saves, he was the Rays’ most valuable reliever in high-leverage situations down the stretch—the relief ace who Bill James dreamed of back in the day. His 7.94 postseason ERA may leave some skeptical, but his performance is primarily the result of a small sample size. Assuming the Lidge-Pujols effect does not apply to him, Maddon can certainly count on him to continue to retire hitters in the World Series.

J.P. Howell, equally effective against lefties and righties, was great, too, helping to improve a Tampa Bay bullpen which allowed the most runs of any bullpen in the past fifty years just a season earlier. Dan Wheeler, despite a lack of tremendous stuff, has pitched a lot of key innings for this club as well.

Maddon unleashed his secret weapon in Game 7, calling on ace-in-training David Price to face J.D. Drew and the Boston Red Sox in the eighth inning. Price delivered, showing tremendous poise and stuff in the final 1.1 innings to earn his first major league save. The number one overall pick in the 2007 draft out of Vanderbilt, he had a tremendous debut professional campaign. The flame throwing, lanky southpaw finished 12-1 with a 2.30 ERA and 109-to-32 K/W ratio in 19 starts across three levels in the minors on his way to earning USA Today Minor League Player of the Year honors.

Price has a plus fastball—as the nation saw on Sunday night—a slider that sits in the high-80s and a developing change-up, in addition to solid command and excellent make-up. Essentially, he is a scout’s dream. Do not be surprised to see him play a major role in the Fall Classic, especially since the Phillies’ lineup features so many left-handed hitters.

If Price, the top prospect in the game entering the year, has anything to do with it, the Rays actually might have the edge in bullpen as well. It is unlikely that there will be a carryover effect from the epic collapse in Game Five at Fenway Park for the group as a whole.

Offense:

The Phillies’ lineup is very top-heavy. Utley, Howard and Rollins are three of the majors’ most dynamic offensive players, and have yet to fully break out in the postseason. An unlikely cast of characters and the supporting cast—from Matt Stairs, whose game-winning home run in the NLCS was the biggest hit of the Phillies’ season, to Shane Victorino—has helped carry the offense so far.

The aforementioned trio—in addition to slugger Pat Burrell—have to pick it up if the Phillies are to win the series.

Howard had a great second half and finished as the NL leader in homers and RBIs, but this has overshadowed his poor start and low on-base percentage. Although his name is being thrown around in the MVP conversation, it is hard to overlook that he does not rank in the Top 10 in his league in either OPS or VORP. The high RBI total, it seems, is more of a result of having Rollins and several high-OBP hitters setting the table in front of him. He has not been a factor in the playoffs, either, and has been shut down by left-handed pitching all year. A streaky hitter, he needs to pick it up this week—which might be a challenge against the talented Rays’ pitching staff.

Utley, then, is the more likely candidate to change the outcome of the series with his bat. He is practically as underrated as his counterpart on the right side of the infield is overrated, and was actually the more valuable offensive player for his team over the full 162 games. He hit .292/.380/.535 to finish as the team leader with a 62.3 VORP while playing tremendous defense at the keystone.

Burrell (.260/.367/.507), Rollins (.277/.349/.437), Victorino (.293/.352/.447) and even Jayson Werth (.273/.363/.498) are all solid offensive contributors as well. The bottom half of the lineup, however, is not exactly intimidating.

Stairs, who makes no bones about his swing-for-the-fences approach, will likely serve as a capable DH, a rarity for NL teams in the recent past. Greg Dobbs, an excellent bat off the bench, may make his mark on history as well.

The Phillies steal bases with tremendous efficiency, but are an offense that primarily relies on the long ball. There is no question that they have more star power, but the Rays’ lineup is better overall.

Tampa Bay, which has always been a patient bunch of hitters, has been otherworldly offensively at times this postseason, bringing back memories of Murderer’s Row during the ALCS. This is surprising to some, given their struggles at times to put up runs during the summer. They have posted a line of .268/.335/.508, for an .843 team OPS, with 22 home runs in 11 playoff games. The power is unlikely to hold up, although the Philadelphia staff is prone to giving up homers—especially at Citizen’s Bank Park.

Upton has been a big reason for the recent surge. The star center fielder hit only nine home runs in 500-plus at-bats during the year, as a shoulder injury prevented him from turning on the ball with authority. He seems to be at full strength now, however, and has already left the yard seven times in only 48 at-bats in October. He is now hitting .304/.365/.826, with a 1.191 OPS for the month. If he can continue to produce, the Rays might have found their own version of Mr. October.

Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena are also solid weapons in the middle of the lineup. Longoria is the shoe-in for AL Rookie of the Year, despite missing nearly a month. The sweet-swinging third baseman finished his debut season with a line of .272/.343/.531, and has also hit six bombs during the playoffs.

Pena was a monster in 2007, forcing the Rays to sign him to a three-year, $24-million contract. Injuries prevented him from replicating his similar 46-homer, 1.000-plus OPS production, as he got off to a poor start in the first half. The Rays’ vocal leader helped carry an injury-plagued offense to the finish line with a solid run down the stretch, though, again finishing with more the 30 homers and 100 RBIs. Look for him to take his walks and add value in the series.

The supporting cast—from guys like Willy Aybar to even double-digit home run bench man Ben Zobrist—has provided several key hits as well. Tampa Bay is truly a sum of its parts.

It is unlikely that the power surge will continue. The Rays got to this point through excellent run prevention, and, if they can continue to mash (16 home runs in the ALCS), they could run away with the series.

Defense:

Each team has an excellent defense.

The Rays converted a higher percentage of balls put into play into outs than any other team in baseball, ranking first in the majors in defensive efficiency.

The poor defense seemed to leave with the name Devil for the franchise, as Tampa Bay finished last season ranked 30th in the same metric. The days of Brendan Harris and Josh Wilson taking up innings at such a key position are over, though, and this is arguably one of the ultimate reasons for the Rays’ turnaround.

The excellent defense goes hand-in-hand with the Rays’ improved pitching staff as well. Every pitcher mentioned above reaped the benefits of pitching in front of such a capable defensive unit. Friedman realized this when he decided to part ways with the former top prospect Young, as he received a capable defender at shortstop in Bartlett and a legitimate number three starter in Garza.

Bartlett, with his tremendous range, has been a key to the defensive turnaround in St. Petersburg. He is not exactly a stud offensively (.690 OPS), but is the one player who Maddon has labeled irreplaceable and was even voted as the Team MVP by the Tampa Bay chapter of the BBWAA for his contributions with the glove.

Akinori Iwamura has made a flawless transition to second base. Iwamura, in fact, is as smooth around the bag, when it comes to turning the double play, as nearly every second sacker in the AL.

Pena and Longoria, who may end up winning a Gold Glove, are each solid defenders on the corners.

Carl Crawford certainly had a down year offensively, but his defense in left field was tremendous. Crawford and Upton together turned several potential gap hits into outs, using their excellent speed to rob hitters of base hits.

When Fernando Perez is in right field, the Rays have perhaps the fastest outfield in big-league history. Even when Gabe Gross is in right, though, the outfield corps is the strongest defensively in the game today.

The excellent defense was a major reason for the Rays’ remarkable improvement in run prevention. In ’07, a year in which the then-Devil Rays finished 65-96 and in the cellar of the AL East, the club had a -165 run differential, allowing 939 runs. This year, the Rays only allowed only 671 runs, as the young pitchers established themselves and the defense shined behind them.

Philadelphia, which finished 10th in defensive efficiency, has a strong team defense as well.

Utley is an exceptional defender at second base, one of the premier fielders at the position in the league. The other half of the double-play combination, Rollins, is an excellent defensive shortstop.

Victorino is an even better defender in center field than Upton, which is saying a lot.

The two major weaknesses defensively for the Phils are Burrell in left field and Howard at first base.

Still, the Rays have the edge in team defense.

Summary:

The Rays are a better team. Winning the AL East over a full season may be more impressive than getting hot over a few weeks and winning a title. That is how strong that division is.

Philadelphia has a chance to win the series if they can get big performances from their stars. The roster is top heavy in each facet listed above. They have three stud offensive players, a solid ace in Hamels and a lights-out closer in Lidge. If this group produces, they could easily win this thing.

If the Rays can get to Hamels, however, another World Series sweep may be inevitable.

Rays in six.

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

The Tampa Bay Rays continued to silence the naysayers on Monday afternoon, defeating star left-hander Jon Lester and the Boston Red Sox to take a 2-1 lead in the American League Championship Series.

This was not how the script was supposed to play out.

After all, the Rays were facing the new ace of the Boston staff. Lester, who had not allowed a run in 14.0 innings in the Division Series, was expected to shut down a Rays’ lineup featuring several hitters who have struggled against lefties.

According to nearly every article written before the first pitch, in fact, it was practically a foregone conclusion that the Rays would have a difficult time scoring runs while the Rex Sox cruised to a 2-1 series lead. Many writers seemed to forget that anything can happen in a short series, let alone one game, as Boston had its best pitcher in Lester, who has been practically untouchable at Fenway Park, on the bump.

Rocco Baldelli, Evan Longoria, B.J. Upton and the Tampa Bay offense, however, had other plans, reminding us what Kevin Garnett taught us back during the NBA Finals: anything is possible.

It started with Upton, who is turning into the Rays’ version of Mr. October. Coming off his game-winning sacrifice fly in Game Two, he gave the Rays a commanding 4-0 lead after blasting a long three-run homer off of Lester in the top of third inning. The speedy center fielder, a target of criticism among Tampa Bay fans for his apparent lack of hustle at times during the regular season, now has a 1.162 OPS in 31 playoff at-bats. Even more impressive, though, he has five dingers this October, only four fewer than he hit all year—thanks to a shoulder injury that prevented him from turning on the ball as well as he did in his 20/20 campaign back in 2007.

Longoria then increased the Rays’ lead to 5-0 later that frame, belting a long homer, his fourth in October, over the Green Monster.

Baldelli, making his first appearance in the ALCS, also got in on the homer barrage. A native of nearby Woonsocket, R.I., he put the game out of reach with a three-run jack in the top of the eighth inning that increased the Rays’ lead to seven. While his mitochondrial disorder may prevent him from ever fulfilling his potential and injuries have made all of the Joe DiMaggio comparisons seem laughable now, it was a nice moment for the once-promising center fielder who struggled through years of losing with the Devil Rays.

Carlos Pena added a solo shot in the top of the ninth to bring the score to its eventual 9-1 final, as Tampa Bay once again tied the ALCS record for most home runs in a game. For a team that is always applauded for its ability to manufacture runs, they have left the yard a lot this past week. Three things have been a constant during the TBS broadcast in the past two ALCS games, in fact: Craig Sager wearing a crazy suit, a lot of Frank TV ads and equally as many Tampa Bay home runs.

With the way that Matt Garza was pitching on the night, there was more than enough offense. Too bad they could not save some of those runs for later in the series, especially if they are shut down like they were by Daisuke Matsuzaka again.

Whether it had anything to do with his refusal to speak with reporters before the game—a ritual which he broke before his latest start, a rough outing against the Chicago White Sox in the Division Series—Garza gave his team an excellent effort. With his bullpen on the ropers after Game Two, he worked into the seventh inning. Although his fastball command was not where it has been, he attacked the strike zone in order to stay ahead of a patient Boston lineup for most of the night, allowing only one earned run while striking out five to earn the win.

J.P. Howell tossed two scoreless frames in relief of Garza, again proving his value to the Rays. Edwin Jackson got a tune-up inning in the ninth, retiring the side on 14 pitches.

And, just like that, Tampa Bay has once again silenced some of its critics and doubters. There is a lot of baseball left to be played, and the series will likely go back and forth. There is no masking the significance of what transpired on Monday afternoon, however.

The Rays’ offense, which has not been an area of strength for a team that has excelled at run prevention, was able to get to Boston’s best pitcher. For Tampa Bay to advance to the World Series, this—stealing a game from Lester—was an absolute must.

The Rays also guaranteed that they will return to Tropicana Field for at least one more night of Cowbell.

Only a few days ago, after Boston won the series opener down in St. Petersburg, it seemed as if the Rays’ home field advantage was no longer a factor. The Red Sox had just taken down the majors’ best home team on its own turf, with postseason stud Josh Beckett slated to start Game Two.

What a difference 18—I mean, 20—innings have made.

Now, all of the chatter about the Rays allegedly losing that advantage—and the lack of postseason experience nonsense—can be put to rest.

The tide has officially turned.

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

The Tampa Bay Rays had to win on Saturday night. Trailing 1-0 in the American League Championship Series, they were faced with the possibility of heading to Fenway Park down two games to zilch, with one of the best starters in baseball, lefty Jon Lester, waiting to pitch in Game 3 for the Boston Red Sox.

But, in a marathon, back-and-forth thriller, those pesky Rays found a way to get it done, beating the Red Sox in yet another one-run contest between the two clubs. 

The game, though, started off more like a home run derby than anything else.

Scott Kazmir continued to struggle in the first inning, throwing 38 pitches before getting to make the walk back to the dugout for the first time—similar to his 37-pitch first against the Chicago White Sox in the Division Series.

Unlike his performance in the ALDS, however, the rest of the outing did not go as well for Kazmir, who surrendered three jacks and gave up five earned runs in 4.1 innings.

When he was taken out of the game in the fifth, though, little did he know that he was still hours away from having to speak to reporters.

The reason: the other supposed ace, Josh Beckett—best postseason pitcher of this generation, as many people like to call him—was equally as unimpressive. Beckett did not have his normal punch on his heater, and also struggled with his command, giving up eight earned runs on nine hits while also failing to make it out of the fifth.

Evan Longoria, the shoe-in for AL Rookie of the Year, was able to work his way out of a rough playoff slump off the big right-hander from Texas. Longoria homered in the bottom half of the first—to bring the score to a 2-all tie, as Boston scraped across two during the nightmare of a first by the fellow Texan, Kazmir—to start the Cowbell parade and homer frenzy at Tropicana Field.

Dustin Pedroia then went yard in the top of the third, answering right back to the Longoria blast.
Then B.J. Upton hit a  bomb, making it a possibility that he will leave the yard more times in the postseason than he did during the regular season—four to nine, if you are scoring at home. Upton has now hit safely in five postseason games since going 0-for-5 in the first game of the ALDS.

Shortly after that, Carl Crawford singled in Longoria, who doubled in his second at-bat, to give the Rays a 4-3 lead.

Add in a bunch more home runs—Cliff Floyd, Pedroia (again), Kevin Youkilis and Jason Bay—while each starter was out on the mound.

But after the Rays chased Beckett and put up three runs to take an 8-6 lead in the fifth, the game changed completely, from a slugfest to a relief pitching duel.

Joe Maddon was forced to get creative with his bullpen, knowing that this was essentially a must-win ballgame for his club. Maddon, the unconventional thinker and perhaps the favorite to be named top skipper in the AL, brought in one of his best late-inning guys, Grant Balfour, in the fifth. Balfour, however, was not himself, walking two while giving up a bomb.

While many people were ready to criticize this choice—as Balfour could have been used later—if the Rays had lost, lefty J.P. Howell bailed out his teammate by continuing to put up zeroes. Howell, an underrated force in the Rays' bullpen all year, lasted 1.1 innings, getting some pretty big outs.

The Red Sox bullpen was also able to shut down the Rays’ offense, as everyone from Manny Delcarmen to closer Jonathan Papelbon put up zeroes until Mike Timlin entered the game in its final frame.

Dan Wheeler, despite allowing Pedroia to score from third base after an ugly 2-0 wild pitch, was huge. Wheeler threw 48 pitches, a season high, in 3.1 huge innings with Maddon's bullpen nearly tapped out. 

But that ended when Timlin walked the bases loaded, albeit one an intentional free pass, in the eleventh. The best player in the majors with a Columbia degree, the speedy Fernando Perez, was then able to score on a sacrifice fly from Upton, whose flyball was just deep enough to give the Rays the win in extras to tie the ALCS at one game apiece.

Oh, some guy named David Price got the win.

Add this one to the ESPN Classic library, because the two best teams in baseball provided a game to remember, and I only hope that the series will remain this exciting throughout.

Inside the Box Score

A few thoughts on the game that popped into my head.

• Going into Fenway, the Rays have much better chances now. This win was huge. But can the Rays rely on Kazmir to come back in game six? He has not been efficient with his pitches, seemingly laboring through five innings in nearly every outing lately. And, is his elbow still bothering him? It is telling that he is hardly using his slider, once an X factor for him. 

• Ditto for Beckett. Is he fully healthy right now, and can he come back strong in game six?

• Longoria picked the right time to get back on track. Whether it was running into Beckett at the right time or because of Maddon’s pre-game talk with him, he had a day, finishing 3-for-5, with a homer, three runs scored and three RBIs. He was mired in a 0-for-13 slump entering the game. Pedroia seems like his back on track, too. 

• Floyd hit a bomb, though many people may have forgot about that since he was removed in place of Willy Aybar so early in the game.

• Jason Varitek put up another 0-for-the day. He really just cannot hit anymore. I know he handles pitchers well, is the captain and has all the “intangibles,” but, if I were a GM, I would stay away when he hits free agency following the postseason. He hit .220/.313/.359 in 131 games over the year, and is now 3-for-21 in the playoffs.

• Youkilis, on the other hand, continues to impress. He finished the night 3-for-6, with another homer, and is now batting .357/.400/.571 in six playoff games. He truly is a great player. All those scouts could not have been any more wrong about him. Not a lot of people may realize it, but he finished sixth in the AL in batting average (.312), sixth in on-base percentage (.390), fourth in OPS (.958), third in slugging (.569) and fourth in RBI (115).

• The game took five hours and 27 minutes. Now, that is a lot of cowbell.

• Price recorded two outs in the 11th frame after walking J.D. Drew, earning the win. The former first-round pick out of Vanderbilt now has more playoffs wins than CC Sabathia. After dominating the minors in his first professional campaign, the USA Today Minor League Player of the Year has allowed only three earned runs in 15.0 innings pitched with the Rays, including this series, since getting called up on September 13. And, though it is a bit premature, he seems ready to overtake Kazmir as the lefty “ace” on the Tampa Bay staff.

• Jason Bay has three home runs, nine RBIs and a line of .440/.517/.920, with a ridiculous 1.437 OPS, in six playoff games, all without any Jason-Being-Jason antics grabbing the headlines. Sure, losing Manny was huge, but the Red Sox seem to be doing just fine without him.

One more thing: Ben Zobrist's walk, when he was attempting to sacrifice bunt, was a tremendous at-bat and totally changed the dynamic of the inning. Zobrist essentially got the same result of a sacrifice, moving up the runner, but did not pay the oh-so-costly price of making an out. 

I will be appearing on the Sports Café with Sean Duade today to discuss the Rays. I will be on from 11:20 to 11:40. Click here to tune in.

The Tampa Bay Rays have a four-game lead in the American League East, having already surpassed their previous season-high of 70 wins.

With Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria recently placed on the disabled list, however, the skeptics are surfacing on the airwaves, Internet and in print in full force.

Crawford broke his right wrist, possibly forcing him to miss the remainder of the season.

Longoria fractured his wrist after getting struck with a J.J. Putz pitch this weekend against the Seattle Mariners, forcing him to join his teammate on the DL retroactive to Friday.

While it is true that the Rays had a tough battled ahead of themselves even before the injury bug struck, do not expect this club to roll over and die. So, hold off on the J.J. bleeping Putz cries for the time being, because Tampa Bay will remain in the hunt down to the end.

Crawford is perhaps the most popular player in the history of the franchise, a two-time All-Star and a perennial threat to swipe 50 bases. Regardless, it will not be difficult to replace his performance offensively, as crazy as it sounds. The speedy left fielder has struggled through one of the worst seasons of his career, batting .273/.319/.400. Although he put together a nifty little 11-game hitting streak before the injury, a .718 OPS just does not cut it at a position, left field, which is not all that demanding defensively.

It will be difficult to replace the speed that Crawford brings to the table, but his poor on-base percentage has not allowed him to take full advantage of it yet. Hence the low—for him, at least—stolen base total. Eric Hinske, Justin Ruggiano, called up in aftermath of the news, or any other option should not be that much of a drop off production wise.

Perhaps this will situation will finally provide a real opportunity for Ruggiano, who is labeled by some scouts as a AAAA player but has put up solid statistics at each level in the minors. He was batting .315/.374/.537 with 11 home runs and 51 RBIs for Triple-A Durham at the time of the promotion.

The real hole created by losing Crawford has more to do with his defense in left field, as he has tremendous range and great instincts. He has registered the best range factor and zone rating at his position in the majors, roaming the gaps in left center with grace. Along with B.J. Upton, who has tremendous range in center field, he has helped steal his fair share of doubles by making highlight-reel plays.

The loss of Longoria hurts a lot more, of course. The rookie third baseman has undoubtedly been the Rays’ most valuable position player, posting a line of .278/.352/.533 while playing tremendous defense at the hot corner. He has already broke Jonny Gomes’ single-season record for most homers for a rookie by hitting his 22nd bomb before getting hurt, was elected to the All-Star team and is the favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year.

Longoria has also provided enough walk-off hits to make David Ortiz jealous. He truly has helped carry an offense that has had its fair share of struggles.

Thus, the Rays are going to have a difficult time replacing him with a combination of Willy Aybar and Ben Zobrist, who will see the majority of the innings at third base while the star rookie is sidelined (expected to be at least three weeks). Clearly, then, the loss of Longoria came did not come at a great time.

However, Tampa Bay has gotten to this point by relying on its excellent pitching and defense. When a team builds its success on these two pillars, it takes a lot for the house of cards to come piling down. With an improved bullpen, a talented young starting rotation and one of the majors’ best team defenses—having converted 71.7 percent of balls put into play into outs, second-best percentage total in baseball—the Rays have been excellent at run prevention.

While the defense will take a hit with the loss of Crawford and Longoria, it will still be an area of strength down the stretch.

Pitching-wise, Andrew Friedman made another nice pick-up on the waiver wire, acquiring ground-ball specialist Chad Bradford from the Baltimore Orioles. Bradford does not strike out a lot of hitters, but has posted the premier ground-ball ratio in the league and a 2.34 ERA in 42.1 innings pitched. For a bullpen predominantly consisting of pitchers prone to giving up the long ball, he has helped diversify the Rays’ relief corps—which has seen the emergence of Grant Balfour— tremendously.

Not to mention, Tampa Bay has a secret weapon, top prospect David Price, waiting in the wings down in the minors. Price, the number one overall pick out of Vanderbilt University in the 2007 First-Year draft, is 11-0 with a 1.87 ERA and 92-to-23 K/W ratio in 15 starts combined between Single-A Vero Beach and Double-A Montgomery. The 22-year-old southpaw, who has a mid-90s fastball, excellent pitching sense and tremendous command, will make his Triple-A debut on Wednesday night for Durham.

Most likely, Price will come up to fill a relief role, adding a power arm out of the bullpen—reminiscent of Joba Chamberlain for the New York Yankees last summer—while limiting his innings. There is still an outside chance that he may crack the starting rotation upon his debut, moving either Edwin Jackson or Andy Sonnanstine to a new role. Either way, the 22-year-old southpaw will impact the East race somehow, perhaps providing a necessary turbo boost as the Rays near the finish line.

There will be a major void in the lineup for the time being in the absence of Longoria, the team leader in home runs and RBIs who will miss roughly around 80 plate appearances. Still, the Rays rank 10th in the league in runs scored, with several key players having down campaigns with the stick who should pick it up the rest of the way.

Carlos Pena (AP)

The perfect example is Carlos Pena, who hit 46 homers and finished second in the AL with a 1.038 OPS to win Comeback Player of the Year in 2007. Pena, signed to a three-year, $24.125-million contract before spring training, has struggled through an injury-plagued, unproductive campaign. He has been hot of late, though, posting a 1.019 OPS with seven home runs in 80 at-bats since the All-Star break. A Gold Glover-caliber first baseman, he is batting .391/.545/.826 in his past seven games. Look for him to carry the load down the stretch.

Then there is Rocco Baldelli, who looked good in his debut against Seattle on Sunday afternoon. While a rare mitochondrial disorder will limit Baldelli from playing regularly, he has a chance to add a nice boost as well. The former star, who was once compared by a scout to Joe DiMaggio, still has a nice set of skills and will see some innings at DH and in right field.

Baldelli, who went 1-for-4 with an RBI in his debut, posted a .977 OPS in 13 games with Montgomery in the Southern League while on a rehab assignment.

Even if Baldelli does not add any real value, Crawford does miss the remainder of the season and Longoria is out for longer than expected, the Rays are built to last. There is a lot of baseball left to be played, for sure. Plus, Tampa Bay has a tough September schedule, featuring several important division games on the road, where it has struggled.

Regardless, the once-lowly Devil Rays have enough talent to win the division if the pitching holds. Even if Boston does take home the division crown, though, Tampa Bay also has the inside track at the Wild Card, as New York is now eight games back.

The injury bug struck at the wrong time, but the Rays have what it takes to survive the unfortunate circumstances. Do not begin to doubt them now. They are still in strong position, and have a legitimate chance to win the A.L. East.

To reach Tyler Hissey, send an email to TylerHissey@gmail.com.

Matt Garza was charged with a difficult task on Tuesday night.

Garza was given the ball for the Tampa Bay Rays against one of the best starting pitchers in the league, Roy Halladay, looking to help his team find a cure for its road woes against the Toronto Blue Jays.

It is safe to say that he was up for the challenge.

The young right-hander pitched his first career complete game shutout, scattering five hits in nine stellar innings to lead the Rays to a 3-0 win. He even outlasted Halladay, the majors’ leader in complete games who suffered the loss after giving up all three runs in eight innings. He struck out five while walking only one, relying on the Rays’ excellent defense, which turned three double plays behind him.

Garza, acquired in the Delmon Young deal this offseason, has been a tremendous addition to the Tampa Bay pitching staff, emerging as a legitimate number three starter in this league. With the victory, he is now 9-6 with a 3.56 ERA and 85-to-39 K/W ratio. The 26-year-old picked up a win his last outing, on July 19, as well, fittingly against Toronto. He pitched 7.2 shutout innings of two-hit ball that night, again shutting down one of the majors’ worst offensive teams.

As much as the Rays have struggled to score runs at times on their own, it is amazing how well they have done against Halladay, beating him on three different occasions. The Toronto ace came into the game ranked first in the league with seven complete games and 163.1 innings pitched, in addition to having posted the third-lowest ERA (2.81) in the AL. The throwback right-hander, among the only pitchers left out there who consistently lasts more than six innings in nearly every start, also lost to Tampa Bay on July 19, when the Rays roughed him up for five earned runs.

Eric Hinske led the way offensively, hitting his 15th home run of the year off of Halladay in the third inning to give his team a 1-0 lead. Hinske, the AL Rookie of the Year in Toronto back in 2002, continued to hear the boos from the Toronto crowd before being lifted for defensive replacement Gabe Gross.

Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford, who has struggled to get it going this year, each hit triples. Crawford, who was recently moved to the three spot in the Rays’ lineup due to his poor on-base percentage, finished 2-for-4 with a run scored. The Rays will need him to pick it up the rest of the way, as he currently has the second-lowest OPS total among all qualifying players at the left field position in the majors.

Longoria drove in the other two runs for Tampa Bay, adding insurance with his two-run triple in the eighth inning. The current favorite for Rookie of the Year, he now has 63 RBIs this season.

Garza was the story, though, as he continues to make fans forget about Young. Along with Scott Kazmir and James Shields, many with the industry feel, he helps round out one of the strongest pitching trios in the game. He certainly showed why on this night.

Update: Tampa Bay is now 62-44, two games up in the East, with a Boston Red Sox loss. Boston dropped its second consecutive game to the Los Angeles Angels, 6-2. The Angels acquired Mark Teixeira from the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, adding the impact bat that they need to truly make a run at a title.

 

The ballots are in. Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Corey Hart and Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria are headed to the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium. Hart, a budding superstar, and Longoria, the leading candidate for the American League Rookie of the Year, benefited from strong election campaigns all across the Internet, edging out the competition to earn their first All-Star invitations.

With a record 47.8 million votes cast, baseball fans clearly enjoy this new voting feature. However, as is the case with the selection process for starters and reserves—where the coaches, players and fans all struggle to make decisions in an imperfect process—the fans do not always make the right decisions on the final ballot. If you disagree, look at the case of Jason Varitek, who will make an All-Star appearance despite his slash stats line of .220/.300/.360 and OPS+ of 73. Varitek, in fact, is struggling to make contact right now, and certainly did not deserve his selection.

Did the fans get it right in choosing Hart and Longoria, though?

Well, since I cannot get enough of writing these All-Star articles, let us have a look.

In the American League, Longoria edged out—in order of votes—Jermaine Dye, Jason Giambi, Brian Roberts and Jose Guillen.

Longoria is a deserving candidate, taking into consideration his role in the Rays’ recent surge to the top of the American League East standings. A smooth-fielding defender at third base, he has delivered enough walk-off hits to make David Ortiz jealous, emerging as the top rookie position player in the league. He is batting .281/.354/.525 with 16 home runs and 53 RBIs, and sits atop the leader board in nearly offensive statistical category among AL third baseman.

With the mainstream media’s recent infatuation with the Rays and a strong campaign sponsored by the organization, this decision was almost inevitable, forcing the former first-round pick to cancel a trip to Las Vegas with his buddies. It looks as if this will be the first of many All-Star trips for Longoria, who is leading Tampa Bay in homers and RBIs as well. For all that he has done for his team, in addition to his contributions in all facets of the game, it is hard to disagree with the fans’ final vote selection here.

Dye has enjoyed a fine season to this point in his own right, slugging .550 with 20 home runs in 86 games. The Chicago White Sox outfielder, who has picked up the slack for several of his fellow veteran teammates, ranks ninth in the league in OPS (.902), fourth among outfielders, and is one of only four players on the circuit with 20-plus homers. He has been a key cog in the White Sox’s lineup, producing big hits while Paul Konerko (.679 OPS, eight home runs) and Jim Thome (.846 OPS) have struggled to get things going at the plate.

The performance of Dye and Carlos Quentin, who was acquired in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks this offseason and is leading the club with 21 jacks and 65 RBIs, is a major factor why Chicago currently resides in first place in a division that was expected to be one of the deepest in baseball. He is on the wrong side of 30 and struggled in the first half of 2007, causing Chicago to put him on the trade block only months after he produced one of the finest campaigns of his entire career last summer. He turned it around in the second half of '07, though, batting .298/.368/.579 for the White Sox, who then decided to sign him to a two-year extension. So far, it looks as Kenny Williams’ decision to keep Dye, who has fared better against right-handed pitchers so far, is justified, as he turned in an All-Star first half. Really, he has performed like an All-Star as well, perhaps even more so than Longoria.

Whether the mustache or the gold thong has anything to do with it, the 37-year-old Giambi is enjoying a nice bounce back season as well. After a foot injury sustained in May of last season sidelined him for several weeks, he did not provide the Yankees much of anything, finishing the year with a line of .236/.356/.433 while earning more than $20-million. Then, after a poor April, it looked as if his days as productive slugger were nearing the end. With the Yankees’ interest in soon-to-be free agent Mark Teixeira, Giambi’s days in New York seemed numbered as well. Since the infamous thong story broke, however, he has helped carry the New York offense, coming up with several crucial hits while Jorge Posada and Alex Rodriguez were on the DL and Robinson Cano was lost at the plate. Giambi, tied with Rodriguez for the team-lead in homers (18), now has the sixth-highest OPS (.925) in the league.

Despite a valiant effort, however, the American Mustache Institute failed in its attempt to create enough buzz to get Giambi elected onto the team.

Then there is Roberts, who is among league leaders with 102 base hits, 32 doubles and 25 stolen bases. One of the most productive offensive second baseman in the game, he has posted a line of .291/.372/.481, for one of the highest OPS (.853) totals at the keystone. A solid defender up the middle, he is one of the most underrated players in the game, truly. He has, however, been gunned down on the bases nine times in 34 tries. Regardless, the Orioles, enjoying surprising success, are lucky that they kept onto Roberts, who was nearly dealt to the Chicago Cubs this winter. As is the case with Giambi, it is easy to make the case for him as well, because he delivered an All-Star caliber first half.

Guillen finished last in the final ballot voting, perhaps because he plays in Kansas City. Well, two smaller markets—Milwaukee and Tampa Bay—got their players elected, so there goes that argument. Rather, it seems, the fans actually determined (correctly) that Guillen is undeserving of an All-Star bid. Since calling out his teammates earlier this spring at the height of the Royals’ inability to score runs, he has had his moments. He is leading the club with 13 homers and is among AL leaders with 65 RBIs. Overall, though, he has made far too many outs this season. A direct result of his inability to draw bases on balls (he has only 10 walks while striking out 67 times), his .298 OPS is nothing to write home about, bringing his OPS down to .768, hardly an All-Star mark. In fact, he does not place in the top 40 in the league in OPS, even sitting behind an aging teammate, second baseman Mark Grudzienlak, who is batting .314/.367/.419 for the fourth-place Royals.

Kansas City has a -63 run differential, and only three AL teams have scored fewer than its 386 runs scored as a team. While the performance of his former team, the Seattle Mariners, has made the Royals seem like an offensive juggernaut, Bill Bavasi was right to decline Guillen’s option for 2008. He had a nice season in ’07, batting .290/.353/.460 with 23 home runs and 93 RBIs in spacious Safeco Field, but reports of performance-enhancing drug use put that performance into question. While he hits for some power occasionally, he does not get on base enough, has had a questionable past, and his first half was not All-Star worthy.

It looks as if the fans did a nice job in the American League, but it would be hard to argue with any of the first four aforementioned players.

In the National League, Hart received 8-million votes, beating out David Wright, Pat Burrell, Aaron Rowand and Carlos Lee, respectively.

Hart is a nice player who should play a huge role in the postseason push for Milwaukee, which acquired an ace in left-hander CC Sabathia earlier this week. He does not, however, deserve to be an All-Star, at least not for 2008. The Kentucky native has certainly been a key cog in the Milwaukee offense, posting a .510 slugging percentage with 43 extra-base hits, including 15 homers, and 57 RBIs. He has also swiped 15 bases in 18 chances. Still, though, his .842 OPS is good for 28th in the National League, which makes it tough to choose him over Burrell or Wright.

It is definitely a good sign that the Brew Crew faithful helped get their guy elected, and hopefully the excitement level among the Milwaukee fan base will remain this high down the stretch.

Burrell deserved to get picked here, as he has been a force for the Phillies, who are currently in first place in the National League East. Burrell, fourth in the league in OPS (.993), has been one of the premier performers with the bat on the Senior Circuit to this point, slugging .581 with 22 homers and 54 RBIs. The former Miami star has had an up-and-down tenure in Philadelphia, which is why he is such a polarizing player among the Phillies’ fan base. This season, though, he is putting it all together at the right time—he is in a walk year—taking advantage of playing in Citizen’s Bank Park.

The Phillies recently locked up closer Brad Lidge, but it would not be a surprise if Burrell’s days in the city of Brotherly Love come to an end once the season is over. He was perhaps the biggest snub for the Mid-Summer Classic, though, and it is disappointing that he will not be playing in the Bronx on Tuesday night. In fact, if not for the brilliant play of Lance Berkman, Chipper Jones, Albert Pujols and teammate Chase Utley, Burrell might be getting some strong consideration for first-half MVP in his league. At the very least, he deserves to represent the National League, and it was a surprise that he was not selected by the coaches or players.

Burrell has undoubtedly had the most impact on his team of any of the candidates, but ended up finishing third out of the five. National League manager Clint Hurdle still has one decision left, and the Phillies slugger could end up as the replacement for injured outfielder Alfonso Soriano, who will be replaced in the starting lineup by Matt Holliday.

Wright is having a bit of a down year by his standards, but has still played well enough to confirm his place as perhaps the best player the age of 25 or younger in the National League. He is batting .288/.386/.511 with 17 home runs and 70 RBIs. Wright, a defensive stud who deserved to win the MVP award last year but paid the price for his teammates’ September woes in the eyes of the voters, may have just been snubbed again. While Chipper Jones’ monster first half led to an easy decision for the fans, Wright (.897 OPS) has been equally as valuable to the New York Mets as Aramis Ramirez (.900 OPS) has been to Chicago Cubs. If the Mets make a surprise push to supplant the Phillies in the NL East—they will have to, because the Wild Card will probably come out of the Central—he will again merit consideration for MVP.

Rowand, at 30 years old, is close to turning into a fourth outfielder in the near future, making the San Francisco Giants’ decision to offer him such a lucrative deal fairly puzzling.

This season, though, the gritty outfielder has provided one of the only bright spots for the anemic San Francisco offense, batting .296/.362/.453 with 26 doubles and eight home runs. Regardless, he has not performed like an All-Star, and it is unlikely that the veteran outfielder will do so ever again. A two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Lee could add another silver bat to his trophy case if he continues to perform in the second half. He is batting .293/.345/.548 with 21 homers and 72 RBIs, helping pack punch in the middle of the Astros’ lineup alongside Berkman. All-in-all, Burrell and Longoria seem like the most deserving of the bunch, though the American League provided a far more difficult decision.

This had to help Longoria, who had #### Vitale on his side.

Update: Hurdle selected Wright, not Burrell, to take Soriano’s place on the National League All-Star roster.

On Saturday, I will be appearing on Sports Talk 1220 to discuss the A