Nate McLouth had a breakout season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, batting .276/.356/.497, with 26 homers and 94 RBIs. McLouth, who earned the Pirates’ starting center field job in spring training, made his first All-Star team while emerging as a legitimate offensive force. In 152 games, he collected 46 doubles and four triples, scored 113 runs and posted a solid .853 OPS to lead his team in every major offensive statistical category.

McLouth played all three outfield positions throughout the year, serving as the only regular outfielder on the Pirates to remain with the club through the full season. Jason Bay and Xaxier Nady, of course, were dealt to contenders in exchange for prospect packages before the trade deadline. He spent the majority of his time in center, though, and finished second among major qualifying major league outfielders with a .997 fielding percentage. In 1300.1 innings, he collected 380 putouts, sixth among center fielders in all of baseball, while making only one error and compiling five assists.

For these numbers, it seems, the coaches and managers rewarded McLouth, 27, with his first career Rawlings Gold Glove Award on Wednesday afternoon. He joined Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets and Shane Victorino of the Philadelphia Phillies as Gold Glove recipients for outfielders in the National League. Unlike Beltran, though, he did not deserve the award, and, in all honesty, should not have been seriously considered.

In John Dewan’s plus/minus defensive rankings—perhaps the most valuable metric used to evaluate defensive value—McLouth ranked as the least effective defender at center field in the majors. He finished with a -40 rating, which was the worst total among all outfielders overall as well.

Beltran, on the other hand, finished with a +24 rating. The New York star, who was recognized by Bill James in the 2008 Fielding Bible Awards, had a fine year roaming the gaps in the final year at Shea Stadium.

It gets worse for McLouth, though. According to Baseball Prospectus’ defensive data, he was 17 runs worse than the average major league center fielder. He also finished 11th in range factor and 17th in zone rating.

Essentially, McLouth has terrible range, and did not convert as many balls hit into a certain area as nearly every other player at the center field position. Which is what matters most. While he was sure handed in the plays that were hit near where he was positioned, he had a difficult time getting to balls out of his zone.

Clearly, the coaches and managers relied on three things to make their decision here: subjective opinions (what they saw with their eyes, in the brief encounters that they had against the Pirates), his offensive output (which should not play a factor in the decision process for a fielding award) and traditional (and meaningless, on their own sometimes) statistics like fielding percentage, which does not account for balls that certain players cannot get to due to poor range.

The Gold Glove award system has lost a lot of its prestige in recent years. First, there was the voters' egregious error during the Rafael Palmeiro fiasco in 1999, when the Texas Rangers slugger played in only 28 games at first base yet somehow managed to take home the prize at his position.

Then, in several instances in the past decade, many outstanding offensive players, and mediocre fielders, earned the hardware based on their offensive output and reputation. Russell Martin, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ backstop, provides a recent example, in 2007, when Yadier Molina was so far superior behind the plate that it was almost comical.

Yet again, even though there is still not perfect metric out there to evaluate defense yet, objective data has proven to be more useful than relying on subjective images and overrated traditional stats.

And, with every McLouth gaffe, winning a Gold Glove Awards become less of an honor on a player’s resume.

Full List of Gold Glove Winners:

P: Greg Maddux, Los Angeles Dodgers—Although Maddux is terrible at holding runners on, he fields his position like a seasoned infielder. Expected to retire, this marks his 18th, and likely final, Gold Glove award, which is by far a major league record. The 42-year-old future Hall of Famer finished second in all of baseball, behind only Kenny Rogers of the Detroit Tigers, in John Dewan’s plus/minus system (+14).

C: Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals—Molina deserved to win the award in 2007 as well, but the voters do deserve some credit for finally getting it right this year. The 26-year-old backstop, who recently won the Bill James Fielding Bible Award and was named the best defensive catcher in the majors, was one of five first-time winners.

1B: Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres—Gonzalez had an incredible season offensively for the Padres, posting an excellent .871 OPS in spacious Petco Park. For this reason, he tends to get overlooked overall while playing in a small market. As far as this award goes, however, he is not the most deserving candidate for the first base position in the National League. Again, it seems, his fielding percentage (.996, which tied for first in the Senior Circuit, with the most chances) played a huge factor here, allowing Gonzalez to win his first Gold Glove.

But some under-the-radar guy named Albert Pujols actually should have won the award. Pujols, a three-time Fielding Bible Award winner, ranked among leaders at the position in nearly every defensive category, advanced to traditional. A sensational athlete, he posted a +20 ranking in the Dewan system, second in the game at first base behind Mark Teixeira, and the highest range factor and zone rating at the position in his league. Throw in Pujols’ 1.013 OPS and a likely M.V.P award and it truly is difficult to make a case for anyone else as the best player in baseball at this point.

2B: Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds—No complaints here, as Phillips is arguably the majors’ best defensive second baseman. One could make the case for Mark Ellis or Chase Utley, but the former shortstop was the lone bright spot in the Reds’ atrocious infield defense. Like Gonzalez, McClouth and Molina, he is a first-time winner. Unless he moves back to shortstop, his original position while rising up the ladder as a prospect in the Cleveland Indians’ farm system, adding Gold to his trophy case may become an annual occurrence for him.

3B: David Wright, New York Mets—Wright gets a lot of flack in New York for his errant throws, but that unfair criticism is seriously misguided. While there were not any sensational wizards at the hot corner in the N.L. this year as most of the third base leaders in the Dewan system played in the other league, the Mets star infielder is a decent choice.

However, Pedro Feliz, Troy Glaus, Chipper Jones and Ryan Zimmerman would all be solid options here as well.

SS: Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies—Rollins is the best defensive shortstop in the game, with soft hands, excellent range and a plus throwing arm. With his presence at short, Pedro Feliz at third base and Utley at second, the Phillies have a solid defensive infield, even with Ryan Howard at first base. Bill James and co. recently rewarded the switch-hitting SS the Fielding Bible Award as well. He ranked first among N.L. shortstops in fielding percentage (.988), third in range factor (4.52) and second in zone rating (.855).

Rollins also finished first among all major league shortstops with a +23 ranking in the Dewan system. Case closed.

OF: Carlos Beltran, New York Mets—Best defensive center fielder in the game.

OF: Nate McLouth, Pittsburgh Pirates—For those who have a poor short-term memory, reread the main story above.

OF: Shane Victorino, Philadelphia Phillies—Victorino is solid, with above-average range (.899 zone rating, second among CF behind Corey Patterson), but this decision is a bit questionable as well. Cody Ross, of the Florida Marlins, and Chris Young, the center fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks, each ranked higher in Dewan’s system. Young, in particular, seems more deserving.

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

The Sporting News has named Tampa Bay Rays executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman as the 2008 Major League Baseball Executive of the Year.

This award was well-deserved, as Friedman is one of the most talented GMs in all of baseball. I have been accused of praising the man too much in the past, so this is all that I am going to write about this.

Update: I wrote this post right after the game was delayed following the top of the sixth inning, unaware that Bud Selig had already determined the game would be played in its entirety, regardless of the current rulebook. With his power, he decided it was in the best interest for the integrity of the game. After meeting with each team, he made the decision on Saturday. However, he simply changed the rules on the fly, and even the announcers on Fox were unaware of this decision. Thinking ahead, changing the rule seems like a no-brainer.

Major League Baseball is an industry that is slow to adapt change.

In fact, it was practically shocking when Commissioner Bud Selig decided to allow the use of instant replay on home run calls earlier this season.

Yet again, though, change is necessary—as we learned in Game 5 of the World Series.

If the Tampa Bay Rays had not tied the game up at 2-all in the sixth inning tonight, the Philadelphia Phillies may already be celebrating their first championship since 1980. Since the game was official, the Phillies would have won the shortened game if the game had been called due to the weather.

With the rain coming down in bunches, this was a likely scenario—a potential Phillies’ celebration after only 18 outs.

This, of course, would have a bad thing for everyone involved. The Rays, who certainly have not played well all series, would have felt cheated, as would their fans.

On the flip side, if they had scored again in that frame to take a 3-2 lead, and then shut the Phillies down in the bottom half to take the game (and eventually the series), the city of Philadelphia might have actually burned to the ground.

As a torrential downpour turned the playing conditions into almost a joke, though, Carlos Pena knocked in the speedy B.J. Upton with a line drive single to left field. Pena, who delivered a double earlier in the game, was 0-for-the-series coming into the night. He delivered when it counted, helping to prevent a potential disaster of colossal proportions for the sport.

Which must have provided a huge sigh of relief for Commissioner Bud Selig and the MLB.

The game is suspended until tomorrow now, and will pick up with the Phillies coming to bat in the bottom half of the sixth inning.

If the Rays had not scored, however, odds are the game would have continued.

This is why, in my opinion, Major League Baseball should adjust the rulebook. During the regular season, the score should stand if the game is called early due to inclement weather. But when it comes to the postseason, all games should be played in their entirety, a full nine innings, even if that means the game has to be suspended until another day.

This way, the game could have been suspended earlier tonight—as Upton, or any other player could have been seriously injured while running on the base paths or out in the field—even before the Rays had tied it up.

It is not exactly asking for a lot. Heck, I am not calling for robots to call balls and strikes, even though this would perhaps be more effective than the current system in place (just ask a one Mr. Scott Kazmir, who was squeezed all night.)

Selig and MLB barely escaped a potential public relations disaster tonight, the equivalent of a mediocre pitcher getting out of a no-outs, bases-loaded jam with Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell coming up.

Things truly could have gotten ugly.

If the game was called and the Phillies won in five, the Commissioner would have never heard the end of it, sports talk radio hosts from St. Petersburg to Orlando would have played the “What if?” game for weeks and the term “asterik” might have entered the conversation.

Plus, the Phillies have outplayed their opponent to this point, thanks to surprisingly solid outings from Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton in the previous two games in Philadelphia. Would they want to win like that? Hey, if the game was called after a delay, that could have been the first time in history that the winning team did not get to celebrate their title on the field, after making the final out or producing a walk-off base hit.

How weird would that have been?

Thinking ahead for the future, Selig should never allow a situation like this to happen again. Instead, he needs to prevent the first three hypothetical runners from getting on base, changing the rule before the start of the 2009 season.

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

Quarterback Cullen Harper had a breakout season in 2007, passing for 2,991 yards and 27 touchdowns to lead Clemson to a 9-4 record, including five conference wins.

Harper, recently selected as the pre-season Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, threw only six interceptions on his way to becoming the highest-rated passer in the conference. The red-shirt senior completed 65.1% of his passes--a better total than Boston College star Matt Ryan, the Atlanta Falcons’ first-round pick and QB of the future.

Look for Harper to have another big year for the Tigers, the favorite to win the conference championship. Although he has come a long way since his high school days—he only played two games as a senior at Sequoyah High (GA) due to injury, then spent his first few years of college playing behind Charlie Whitehurst and Will Proctor—he is one of the most accurate passers in all of college football. He does not get the same attention as a Chase Daniel, Tim Tebow, or Pat White, but deserves to be in that class. With a strong supporting cast, including standout tailbacks James Davis (1,064 rushing yards in '07) and C.J. Spiller, the Tigers’ offensive unit is projected to put up a lot of points. This will certainly help his status in the NFL draft, as 2009 is considered a weak class for the position.

According to Scout.com, in fact, Harper is the premier senior QB in the nation eligible for the draft.

Another QB to keep an eye on is Hunter Cantwell, who will begin his first season as the starter at the University of Louisville. Cantwell, who originally came to Louisville as a walk-on after a standout prep career at Paducah Tilghman High School in Kentucky, has been blocked on the depth chart for his entire collegiate career by the best player in program history, Brian Brohm.

Brohm, competing for the backup job with the Green Bay Packers, forced Cantwell to the bench for another season by deciding not to enter the NFL draft following his monster junior campaign. The hometown hero is gone now, though, opening the door for the Paducah native to emerge as one of the best QBs in the Big East Conference. A physical specimen, he has been impressive while filling in for an injured Brohm, and has the ability to attract some interest in the draft. If he can lead the Cardinals, picked to finish near the bottom of the conference in several pre-season publications, to a respectable finish, look for him to move up some draft boards.

David Price ended up on the wrong side of the decision column for the first time of his professional career on Wednesday night. Price, making his Triple-A debut for the Durham Bulls, allowed three earned runs on seven hits in four innings in a 7-6 loss to the Norfolk Tides. The 22-year-old left-hander, expected to make an impact for the Tampa Bay Rays down the stretch, struck out six without walking a hitter.

Price is now 11-1 with a 98-to-23 K/W ratio in 16 starts combined between three levels. Even with the mediocre International League debut, look for him to get called up soon enough. He has the command, pitching smarts and stuff to make an impact for the Rays. Most likely coming out of the bullpen, which will limit his innings, the former number one overall pick may play a major factor in the American League East race.

If you are a Rays fan and this one start makes you feel uneasy, sit back, relax and enjoy the Rays rap video below. That should cheer you up, but do not stress out about Price. The kid is going be a star in Tampa Bay for a long time.

The Tampa Bay Rays extended their lead in the American League East on Tuesday night, defeating the Boston Red Sox 3-1 to clinch a series victory over their new nemesis. Tim Wakefield, who turns into Cy Young when he comes to Tropicana Field, was outpitched by Tampa Bay starter Matt Garza, who scattered five hits and one earned run in seven solid innings to earn the win.

Despite an unusual amount of errors, the Rays won their second straight game in the battle for first place, writes Marc Topkin.

Grant Balfour, who was throwing smoke tonight and earned his second save, relishes the ninth-inning role, writes Joe Smith. Balfour, the odd man out in the bullpen at the end of spring training, went down to Durham with a chip on his shoulder, then posted unbelievable statistics in 15 appearances: 1-0, 0.38 ERA--he only gave up one earned run in 23.2 innings pitched--39-to-10 K/W ratio. His performance was hard to ignore, and it now looks as if he will take over ninth inning duties with veteran closer Troy Percival headed to the DL. Lefty J.P. Howell and Dan Wheeler have been invaluable members of the Rays' bullpen thus far, but, depending on Percival's status, Dohmann could be the key reliever for Tampa Bay down the stretch.

The Rays are willing to pay the price for a pennant, writes John Romano.

Several local Boston fans have been seduced by the Rays' success, writes John Barry.

The Rays are the feel-good sports story of the summer, writes Mark Kriegel.

Percival To Disabled List, Talbot Called Up

Percival has been great in the clubhouse. (AP)

The Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday placed closer Troy Percival on the disabled list. Percival, who was forced to leave Monday night's game with two outs in the ninth inning, aggravated his ailing hamstring while backing up third base against the Boston Red Sox. In one of his most recent outings before that, June 24 against the Florida Marlins, the veteran righty walked a career-high four batters before getting out of the jam by allowing only one earned run. Following the poor showing, he then complained about his nagging left hamstring, which has bothered him for much of the spring and already forced him to spend some time on the disabled list earlier this month.

Percival, who came off the DL on June 14, ranks seventh in the American League with 19 saves and has posted an opponents' OPS of .591 and 0.96 WHIP in 28.0 innings pitched. He has also been a tremendous influence on the Rays' younger players, helping to establish a culture of winning in the clubhouse and bullpen. Tampa Bay needs him down the stretch, though, so it is crucial for him to stay healthy in the second half. Thus, hopefully he can get the necessary rest that he needs, joining the Rays when they need his presence the most, down the stretch in August and September.

The Rays called up right-handed pitching prospect Mitch Talbot to take Percival's spot on the 25-man roster. Talbot is 7-6 with a 77-to-16 K/W ratio in 17 starts at Triple-A Durham.

Garza Continues To Shine

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Matt Garza looked like an ace last week in Miami, pitching one of the most dominant games in franchise history. Garza, the key piece acquired by the Rays in the Delmon Young trade with the Minnesota Twins, was practically unhittable, tossing a complete-game one-hitter in a 6-1 win over the Florida Marlins. Only a day after his alma mater, Fresno State, capped off their Cinderella story to win the 2008 College World Series, he struck out 10, allowing only one run on a solo shot to Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez.

Garza continued to be effective on Tuesday night, giving the Rays a series victory over their new nemesis, the Boston Red Sox, by scattering five hits and allowing one earned run in seven solid innings to earn his seventh win. The 24-year old, USA Today's Minor League Player of the Year in '06, continues to make Tampa Bay fans forget about Young, who has only two homers for the Twins, every time that he takes the ball. Clocked as high as 96 MPH in the ninth inning last Wednesday, he appears to finally be cashing in on his tremendous talent with his recent performance.

With the win, Garza is now 7-4 with a 3.47 ERA and 58-to-29 K/W ratio in 15 starts.

Price Wins Again

David Price is having a fine debut season in professional baseball, perhaps emerging as the top overall prospect in the minors. Selected with the number one overall pick of the 2007 draft out of Vanderbilt University, Price is rising up the Tampa Bay Rays' farm system with ease.

Price turned some heads in the Florida State League earlier this spring, going a perfect 4-0 with a 1.82 ERA and 37-to-7 K/W ratio in six starts for the Vero Beach Devil Rays. After limiting opponents to a .220 batting average while scattering 28 hits in 34.2 innings pitched, he was promoted to Double-A Montgomery last week.

The 6'6'' southpaw, who impressed Pedro Martinez when he squared off against the future of Hall of Famer earlier this season, was solid but unspectacular in his Southern League debut. He allowed two earned runs on four hits while striking out seven and walking four in six innings to earn the fifth win of his professional career.

Price was even better the second time around, though, tossing six shutout innings--giving up only five hits--to lead the Biscuits to a 5-0 victory over Mississippi on Tuesday night. He struck five and walked two, lowering his ERA with the club to 1.50.

Overall, Price is now 6-0 with a 1.74 ERA in eight starts in 2008. In 46.2 innings pitched, he has given up only 37 hits, posting a .218 opponents' batting average. If he continues to make pitching in the minors look this easy, it is not difficult to imagine Price pitching at Tropicana Field for the Rays in September.

Notes:

Jason Barlett collected his eighth extra-base hit of the season on Tuesday, hitting his seventh double of the year. He went 1-for-3 to raise his batting average to .253, though his .598 OPS is among the lowest in the majors...Ben Zobrist hit a homer for Triple-A Durham on Tuesday, helping the Bulls to a win...Dioner Navarro collected two hits in the Rays' win over Boston, raising is his line to .316/.368/.439...

The Tampa Bay infield defense has been markedly better in 2008. Bartlett, Akinori Iwamura, who has made a flawless transition from the hot corner to second base, and highlight-reel regular Evan Longoria are all plus defenders at their respective positions. Tampa Bay, in fact, has the second-highest defensive efficiency rating--the rate at which balls put into play are converted into outs--in all of baseball, and the defensive play of the aforementioned trio is a a big reason why.

The Rays' defense has been the difference, writes Rob Neyer.

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

Brett Myers (Associated Press)

Brett Myers will try to work out his problems in the minors, as the Philadelphia Phillies optioned the veteran right-hander to Triple-A Lehigh Valley this afternoon.

AP:

Brett Myers, leading the major leagues with 24 home runs allowed and coming off the shortest start of his career with the Phillies, is headed to the minor leagues.
Myers agreed to be optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Tuesday.

Myers, 3-9 after giving up five runs in two-plus innings in Friday night's 8-7 loss at Texas, has a 5.84 ERA, sixth worst in the majors among qualifying pitchers.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said he spoke with Myers on Monday about accepting the assignment to work on his delivery. Myers, who has more than five years experience in the majors, had the right to decline the assignment and asked for a day to consider the move.

The Phillies are 1-11 in the last 12 games started by Myers, who is 1-8 in that stretch.

Myers will start Wednesday night against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

"We don't look at it as a demotion," pitching coach Rich Dubee said. "We look at it as the means to getting his delivery right. He's a guy we need."

Headed into spring training—when Myers pulled that hilarious prank on teammate Kyle Kendrick—many experts thought that Philadelphia made a tremendous upgrade to its pitching staff. While the club resisted the urge to overpay for a veteran free-agent starter—with Carlos Silva highlighting the list of available options, this was a wise decision—the acquisition of a talented closer, Brad Lidge, allowed Myers to move back into the Phillies’ rotation.

Everything has not gone according to plan, however.

Philadelphia is still in first place, with one of the best records in the inferior National League, where anything is possible. Myers has done little to help the Phillies’ cause, though, posting a 78 ERA+ in 17 games started before the demotion; the barometer for league average is 100. His velocity has been down a tick this season—he was consistently clocked in the 92-93-MPH range as a closer in ’07, but is now topping out in the upper-80s—and he has struggled with his command as well; he ranks 10th in the NL with 44 bases on balls.

Clearly, something is not right with him. Whether he needs to refine his approach—due to the drop off in velocity—and reinvent himself on the mound, or his problems are the result of a health issue, the organization can only hope that he can get things straightened out down in the minors.

While the Phillies remain the favorite to win the East, the club needs an effective Myers in the second half. Philadelphia, 45-39, still has an excellent +77 run differential, outscoring its opponents 428-351. But imagine where they would be if Myers had lived up to his pre-season projections in the first half, especially with the Atlanta Braves’ unprecedented struggles in one-run games.

This season, Philadelphia has used five starters, ace Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Kendrick, Adam Eaton and Myers. Overall, the group has combined to post a 4.51 ERA. That number, however, is inflated by the poor performance of Myers, who was forced to become the Phillies’ closer after Tom Gordon went down with an injury early in 2007.

Hamels was one of the best starters in baseball in the first half, limiting opponents to a line of .212/.264/.378. He is a misleading 8-5 with a 3.38 ERA and is among league leaders with 103 punchouts. A command specialist, he has walked only 31 in a club-best 120.0 innings pitched.

Moyer does whatever it takes to get the job done. The 45-year-old is turning into the Julio Franco of pitching, and continues to frustrate hitters by using his control and savvy on the mound to keep them off balance.

Then there is Eaton, whom many people thought would never make an impact in the city of Brotherly Love after his disastrous ’07 campaign. While he has not exactly been stellar—.816 opponents’ OPS—he has given his team a chance to win in several of his starts, providing some value for them over the season’s first couple months.

Kendrick has done his part as well. Really, it is a good thing that he was not actually traded to Japan for the famous hot dog eating champion Kobayashi, as Myers, manager Jerry Manuel and club officials tricked him into thinking this March. Although he was a savior for the Phils down the stretch a year ago, he has been equally effective—though he has had a great deal of run support—this season, going 7-3 in the first half.

Myers, however, has been a major disappointment, as you can see from the numbers mentioned in the blurb above from the Associated Press. But a 3-9 record and 1.56 WHIP hardly tell the whole story of his struggles. In 101.2 innings pitched, he has posted an opponents’ OPS of .907. To put this into perspective, consider this: There are only 10 hitters who have posted a higher total in this statistical category in the National League, including the likes of Chipper Jones and Myers’ teammate, All-Star second baseman Chase Ultey.

So, yeah, if he can get it figured out and turn into the Myers of old once he returns, Philadelphia could run away with this thing. The NL East figures to remain as one of the least competitive divisions the rest of the way.

With a dynamic offense led by stars such as surging Pat Burrell, Ryan Howard and Utley, the club will definitely score its fair share of runs. Not to mention, the Phillies’ bullpen has been excellent, as Lidge has regained his old—he has had confidence issues ever since giving up the infamous walk-off home run to Albert Pujols in the NLCS—form. In fact, he has been one of the best closers in the game so far, posting a 0.84 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 42-to-15 K/W ratio while averaging 11.81 strikeouts per nine innings in 32.0 innings pitched. Not to mention, he is among league leaders with 18 saves.

The Florida Marlins, one of the year’s best stories, are likely to fade, as they have a negative run differential. There is no telling if Atlanta can rely on its young pitchers the rest of the summer. Sure enough, Charlie Morton struggled as the teams went head-to-head tonight, allowing five earned runs on eight hits in the Phillies’ 8-3 win. Jones and Mark Kotsay did return to the lineup for the game, though, which should provide the Braves a nice boost; Jones was expected to hit the DL.

It should be interesting to see how this plays out. It is safe to say, the club prankster (see video below) is not laughing anymore. Perhaps Kobayashi would have been more effective over the first three months than Myers.


 

Myers will look to turn things around on Wednesday night, when he makes his first Triple-A start in Allentown.