It isn’t quite the All-Star Break for baseball, yet most of the league’s teams are at or past the halfway point of this year’s grueling 162 game season. With that being said, there are certainly a number of teams and players that have already stood out in a negative way.

Yep, they’re askin’ for it. It’s a special edition of “Throwing Tomatoes”… nah, let’s call it a “special delivery”. So get your ammo ready, and let’s start slingin’…


Throwing Tomatoes – Volume VIII **
SPECIAL DELIVERY: Baseball’s Halfway Point


Colorado Rockies (32-50)
Eight short months ago, this team was the NL’s representative in the World Series. What happened? A lot of things, including first half injuries to Tulowitzki and Holliday, struggles by staff ace Jeff Francis, and little progress from some of their promising young players. Oh, and Colorado’s pitching staff has a team ERA of 4.70. Only Texas and Pittsburgh are worse.

San Diego Padres (32-51)
Injuries to Jake Peavy and Chris Young during the first half certainly didn’t help, but the lack of production by the offense (with exception to Adrian Gonzalez) has been the bigger issue.

Detroit Tigers (41-40)
Sure, they’re above .500 and finally getting their act together, but it’s still been a rough first half for a Tigers team that entered 2008 with a boatload of lofty expectations. Offseason acquisition Miguel Cabrera (.279 average, 11 HR, 47 RBI) has been decent since joining the Tigers. Dontrelle Willis, on the other hand… let’s get back to him in a minute.

New York Mets (40-41) and Omar Minaya
Are the Mets suffering from a hangover after last season’s collapse? That depends on who you ask. Still, this team has way too much talent to be performing this poorly. Fortunately for Mets fans, the Phillies are not running away with the East. By the way, Minaya and the front office deserve a tomato for the way they handled the Willie Randolph firing.

Cleveland Indians (37-45)
One game from the World Series last season, the talented Indians now find themselves in the cellar of the AL Central division. Cleveland’s offense has been abysmal in the first half, batting .246 as a team. That’s good for 27th in the majors.

Seattle Mariners (31-50)
After a promising 2007 campaign, the M’s thought they had the door open to the playoffs after acquiring Erik Bedard during the offseason. Instead, Seattle is by far the AL’s worst team. GM Bill Bavasi and manager John McLaren were first half casualties. Who’s next?

Troy Tulowitzki (.157 average, 2 HR, 13 RBI)
In 34 games this season, Tulowitzki is nowhere near the Mendoza line. That’s a far cry from his 2007 campaign, where he batted .291, with 24 homers and 99 RBI’s.

Barry Zito (3-11, 5.91 ERA)
This is not exactly what the Giants were looking for when they signed Barry “The Green Giant” Zito to a monster deal before the 2007 season. What happens if Barry loses 20 games?

Shawn Chacon (2-3, 5.04 ERA, and 1 violent act)
Chacon didn’t perform well, but more notable was the outburst in which he snapped and threw Houston GM Ed Wade to the ground. Chacon has since been cut by the Astros, and don’t be shocked if he never pitches in the majors again.

Francisco Liriano (0-3, 11.32 ERA)
With Santana departing, the Twins were depending on Liriano to return to his 2006 form (12-3, 2.16 ERA) after being out for the entire 2007 campaign. Instead, Liriano struggled and was shipped back to AAA. The Twins persevered and have played well anyway.

Eric Gagne (1-2, 6.98 ERA, five blown saves)
If you’re like me, you thought the Brewers were crazy to sign Gagne to a ten million, one-year deal, especially after watching him struggle with Boston last year. Salomon Torres has pitched so well in the closer’s role, Milwaukee would be equally as crazy to make a change now that Gagne’s back.

Ryan Howard (.216 average, 113 K’s)
While his twenty homers are only three behind the major league lead, Howard has struggled throughout the year. In fact, he’s on pace to eclipse last year’s horrific 199 strikeout total.

Erik Bedard (4-4, 3.79 ERA)
Bedard hasn’t exactly been what the Mariners have hoped for this season. Then again, he certainly isn’t the only one to blame for Seattle’s woes either.

Phil Hughes (0-4, 9.00 ERA) and Ian Kennedy (0-3, 7.41 ERA)
These were the two young talents that were supposed to help anchor the Yankees’ rotation, while adding youth to an older roster. Neither has panned out at this point.

Bronson Arroyo (4-7, 6.19 ERA)
After two solid seasons in Cincinnati, Arroyo has struggled during the first half of 2008. Most notable was Bronson’s one inning, ten run disaster against Toronto about a week ago.

Homer Bailey (0-3, 8.76 ERA)
I’ve always thought it was a bit of a jinx to be a pitcher named “Homer”. Still, one of the game’s most highly touted prospects continues to underachieve in Cincinnati.

Dontrelle Willis (0-1, 10.32 ERA, demotion to High-A Lakeland)
Willis has been a disaster since joining the Tigers during the offseason. To say Dontrelle (21 walks, 5 K’s) was wild before his demotion to Single A would be the understatement of the year. What’s higher, his leg kick or his ERA?!

Near Misses (Honorable Mentions)
Felix Pie, Victor Martinez, Eric Byrnes, Bill Hall, Richie Sexson, Jim Thome, Robinson Cano, Steve Trachsel, Brad Penny, Tom Gorzelanny, Joe Blanton, Pedro Martinez, and Matt Morris.

Honorary Tomato Throwers of the Week
Because those who found success earn a chance to sling one at their opposition

Asdrubal Cabrera – at the Toronto Blue Jays during his unassisted triple play on May 13th
Jered Weaver – at Mike Scioscia for removing him while having a no-hitter intact
Carlos Delgado – at the New York Yankees after having 9 RBI’s on June 28th
Mark Teixeira – at the Seattle Mariners after hitting three HR’s on June 22nd

If you get a chance, check out this post’s counterpart, “Gold Stars: Baseball’s Halfway Point”.

This has been “Throwing Tomatoes”… now don’t forget to wear red this Independence Day.

** All stats as of Sunday June 29, 2008

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack… and grab me a beer while you’re at it.  Honestly, would Cracker Jack still be made today if it wasn’t for the game of baseball?  I don’t recall ever seeing it stocked at the grocery store, just being sold at a stadium at an exorbitant price from a big fat guy screaming “Crackahh Jack heeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrreeeeeee”.  OK, now I just went and typecast all the stadium vendors in baseball.  I had to be “that guy”.

Now that you have your snacks, sit back and relax.  Baseball season is finally upon us!  If you are as excited as me, perhaps you have a number of thoughts running through your head about Opening Day and the 2007 season.  If not, then let me present you with some random and tantalizing baseball thoughts that will hopefully keep you preoccupied until the first pitch crosses the plate…

Some Baseball Thoughts That Are Off Base

Pete Rose is back in the news, but this time he discusses how he gambled in baseball.  In fact, a few days ago, Rose was on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno discussing how often he gambled.  Rose did so quite nonchalantly I might add… and that struck me as odd.  How many years has this man adamantly stated that he never gambled in baseball?   Now, without any segway at all, Rose tells the story of how he bet on every game that his Cincinnati Reds played when he managed the team.  Hello?  Where have you been the last decade Pete?  I think Rose’s brain may be missing more than Mark Prior and Kerry Wood from the Chicago Cubs lineup.

Speaking of gamblers…

Kenny Rogers, also known as “The Gambler”, is back in baseball news.  Rogers is going to open the 2007 season on the disabled list.  The injury has been labeled as a “tired arm”.  Yeah, so I’m not going to lie to you, having a “tired arm” before the season begins is not exactly a good thing.  At age 42, my diagnosis to Rogers would be that he has an “old arm”.  Who’s “The Gambler” now?  My money is on Detroit’s front office.

Speaking of players on the disabled list…

Kenny Rogers isn’t the only player missing from rosters in the early going.  In fact a number of others are missing from baseball as Opening Day approaches.  While players like Rogers hit the 15-day DL, I am left to think of Ugueth Urbina.  Today, I personally placed Urbina on the 14-year DL… but hey, don’t worry Urbina fans, I imagine that it’s probably retroactive to last season.  Therefore, he should be eligible to come off the DL in 2020.

Speaking of players not in the Majors this year…

There are a number of great prospects on the outer edge looking in.  Among the many talented minor league players waiting for his big break include the talented starting pitcher Homer Bailey, who has a career minor league record of 18-11, with an ERA of 3.36 and 290 strikeouts in just under 255 innings (all with the Cincinnati Reds organization).  There is no doubt that Bailey could get his chance real soon with the Major League club.  If you ask me, I think maybe his parents may have jinxed him at birth.  OK, honestly his full name is David “Homer” Dewitt Bailey Jr.  I assume the nickname came from family (to distinguish between father and son), but I’m not entirely sure.  But hey, it’s OK, Homer will mostly get to pitch at Great American Ballpark too.  Poor guy.

Speaking of homers…

Once again featuring talented, powerful, and expensive lineups, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will likely be hitting a lot of home runs during this upcoming season.  The real question will remain… “Can either of these two high profile teams translate its giant payroll into a World Series title?”  While watching the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry on TV is entertaining, I think the general baseball fan thinks that it’s getting old to see each of these two teams involved in the playoff chase almost every year.  With exception to the obvious, being the Sox and Yanks fans themselves.  Personally, I would rather see Sanjaya Malakar win American Idol than see New York or Boston take the title in 2007.  And I’m tellin’ you, I’m no Pavarotti, but I would never put that kid in a glass house and tell him to belt out his favorite tune.

Speaking of the Red Sox...

Everyone knows who will be receiving the most attention this year in Boston.  That’s right people, it’s Daisuke Matsuzaka… the new Red Sox hero.  The media has already opened the floodgates with Matsuzaka Mania.  Dice-K, D-Mat, and the list goes on… he’s already being called so many different names, that Daisuke is going to need to get a separate translator just for the nicknames.

Speaking of being lost in translation…

The talk of the season in Seattle is regarding Ichiro, and if this will be his last season in Seattle.  Suzuki could even be moved at the trading deadline, perhaps sign with another team in the upcoming offseason, or maybe make it back with the Seattle Mariners if an extension is signed.  Either way, wouldn’t it be extremely odd to see Ichiro playing in a different uniform?

Speaking of odd uniform changes…

I don’t know about you, but to begin the season, it is going to be difficult for me to see the following: “The Big Hurt” in a Toronto uniform, Alfonso Soriano playing with the Cubs, Andy Pettitte back in New York, J.D. Drew in Boston, Jason Schmidt playing for the Dodgers, and Barry Zito in a Giants uniform.  Then there’s Roger “The Rocket” Clemens.  Will he play again, and if so, will he come back to Houston, or instead travel to Boston or New York?

Clemens is one of those players with a name that makes me think of non-baseball related things.  Do you have players like that, or am I the one losing my mind?  For example, I think it’s fitting for “The Rocket” to remain in Houston because the city itself is a main hub for NASA.  Clemens isn’t the only player that makes me think of other random things.  In fact, there are countless others.  Three more examples are:

#### Bonser (Minnesota Twins) – Bonser will be relied upon heavily to stabilize a Twins rotation that will have lost young phenom Francisco Liriano for the year due to injury.  But when I think of #### Bonser, I just think of the movie Teen Wolf.  C’mon admit it, you know what I’m talkin’ about people.

Coco Crisp (Boston Red Sox) – Yes, you guessed it… I think of cereal.  I think of that goofy bird in the commercials when I was a kid.  However, now I realize I was combining Cocoa Krispies and Cocoa Puffs, so maybe in the long run, I will be able to move on from this.  The question will be, can Crisp move on and improve on a subpar first season with the Red Sox?

Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants) – While everyone else is thinking of the home run record or any allegations, I just picture Bonds as a tank… but in human form.  Let’s face it, I could work out EIGHT days a week, and I still wouldn’t look like that.

How will all of these players perform in 2007?  Especially the ones that are in new uniforms, as they will be under a microscope for sure.  Will each player’s respective fan base approve of his performance in the upcoming season?

Speaking of approval…

How will the D.C. faithful react to the Washington Nationals this year?  Can anyone out there name the team’s starting rotation without cheating?  Even better yet, bonus points if you are able to name the team’s 25 man roster.  Yeah, I didn’t think so.  Something tells me that the Washington fan approval may hover near the Mendoza line this season.  We’re talking similar to the approval rating of another figure in the Nation’s Capital, that being President Bush.  Don’t worry, I’m not going to go political on you… but hey, you should vote!

Speaking of voting…

Do you have any votes for the upcoming 2007 season?  It can be anything from MVP in the American League to comeback player of the year, biggest free agent bust to Cy Young in the National League, Wild Card in the AL to World Series representative in the NL.  If you were to bet on anything to happen, what would it be?  Bold predictions or minor mild predictions… whatever you wish.  On my side, I’ll come up with one of each, a mild prediction, a bold prediction, and a betting thought…

Mild Prediction: The Toronto Blue Jays are in arguably the most talented division in baseball, that being the stacked American League East.  After finishing in second place in ’06, there are high hopes in Toronto this year for the team to push its game to the next level.  I’m sure Canadians will no longer want to hear any more excuses after this season… you know, such as my prediction of… They’ll be the best team in Canada, eh!

Bold Prediction: I think the most interesting races of the season will be in both Central divisions, and if I were to make a bold prediction, I would guarantee that there will be one surprise division winner, coming from either the American League or the National League.  There are two teams that come to mind, both of which feature talented young core players along with improved health and pitching.  Therefore, I would not be shocked to see either the Cleveland Indians steal away a playoff spot in the AL Central, or the Milwaukee Brewers earn a playoff berth in the NL Central.

Betting Thought: At the moment, I’m not 100% sure on what I would bet on, as baseball has been becoming more and more unpredictable in recent years.  However, I imagine that if I were to put $1 down on a Pirates vs. Royals World Series in 2007, that with the odds I could get approximately a MILLION in return.  Is that mean to think such a thing?!  Perhaps.  I admit it though, it would be fun to see a surprise team become the World Series champs of 2007.

Speaking of the Champs…

The St. Louis Cardinals come into the 2007 season as the returning champs.  However, with less veteran talent in St. Louis and more need for the younger players to step up their game, Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa is going to have his hands full.  It will be a major challenge for the Cards to repeat.  LaRussa will definitely need to pull some magic with this team and he definitely can’t “fall asleep at the wheel”.  Hmm, maybe that was a bad choice of words.  Anyway, it is going to be an interesting year, not only in St. Louis, but throughout all of Major League Baseball.

With all that being said… is it Opening Day yet?  Let’s get this party started!

 

The recent Major League Baseball offseason provided a great deal of fireworks, as a number of All-Star caliber players and young minor league talent were traded.  By now, all of these players have likely settled into each of their new roles. 

Two months into the 2006 baseball season, who has gotten the better of these deals? 

Deal 1: Red Sox trade SP Bronson Arroyo to the Reds for OF Willy Mo Pena

BOSTON RED SOX	to	CINCINNATI REDS
SP Bronson Arroyo	à
	ß	OF Willy Mo Pena

The Red Sox had a surplus of starting pitchers in their organization at the time and had a need for a situational outfielder that could replace starters such as Trot Nixon from time to time.  Enter Willy Mo Pena, a young player with significant power, but a lack of plate discipline.  Near the beginning of the season, Pena was more of a bench player, but due to the injury of CF Coco Crisp, Pena has had the opportunity to step in and play a more significant role in the Boston offense.  As for Arroyo, he filled a need for starting pitching on the Cincinnati team, who desperately needed another starter to eat up more innings.  Here are the stats currently for each player this season.

Player	Team	W	L	ERA	IP	K	BB
Bronson Arroyo	CIN	5	2	2.40	63 2/3	47	14

Player	Team	AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG
Willy Mo Pena	BOS	101	10	4	18	0	.327

Both players have fared well in the first two months of the season.  Pena only has just over 100 at bats currently, as he is now replacing the injured Coco Crisp in most games.  On the other hand, Arroyo has been nearly flawless thus far.  In addition to the stats listed above, Arroyo also has two home runs.  While Arroyo has pitched very well for the surprising Reds, it will be only a matter of time until the National League hitters start to figure the unfamiliar Arroyo out.  Once that happens, his numbers should rise in the second half of the season (but they will not rise as high as his leg kick).  Overall, this is a very close call, as both players have fared well, but at the moment, I would give a slight edge to Bronson Arroyo and the Reds.

ADVANTAGE: Cincinnati Reds

Deal 2: Mets trade SP Kris Benson to the Orioles for RP Jorge Julio and SP John Maine

NEW YORK METS	to	BALTIMORE ORIOLES
SP Kris Benson	à
	ß	RP Jorge Julio
	ß	SP John Maine

At the time, the Orioles desperately needed a veteran starter to anchor their rotation, while the Mets had additional pitching options and were looking to part with Benson’s contract.  In addition, it is also a definite possibility that Anna Benson and her antics had something to do with Kris being traded to Baltimore.  The Orioles had also given up on the ability for Jorge Julio and John Maine to be consistent, and decided to move them to New York for Benson, who Baltimore felt would be a good fit with pitching coach Leo Mazzone. Here is how each player has performed so far this season. 

Player	Team	W	L	ERA	IP	K	BB
Kris Benson	BAL	6	3	3.86	58 1/3	28	20
Jorge Julio	NYM	1	1	5.31	20 1/3	32	10
John Maine	NYM	0	1	6.75	5 1/3	6	2

So far, Kris Benson has benefited from the teachings of Leo Mazzone more than anyone on the Baltimore pitching staff.  If not for a horrible outing in Boston on May 7^th (4 1/3 innings and nine runs), Benson would be sporting an ERA of 2.67.  As for Jorge Julio, he has been very streaky.  Julio has regained his strikeout dominance in the National League, as he has 32 strikeouts in just over twenty innings.  However, his ERA is still above 5.  Meanwhile, John Maine has only had one start in the majors this season, and the rest of his time has been spent in the minor leagues.  The one start that Maine did have was average at best, and therefore, the edge currently goes to Kris Benson and the Baltimore Orioles.

ADVANTAGE: Baltimore Orioles

Deal 3: D’Backs trade SP Javier Vazquez to White Sox for SP Orlando Hernandez, P Luis Vizcaino, and OF Chris Young

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS	to	CHICAGO WHITE SOX
SP Javier Vazquez	à
	ß	SP Orlando Hernandez
	ß	P Luis Vizcaino
	ß	OF Chris Young

This was a “rich get richer” trade for Chicago, as the White Sox already had a dominating starting rotation even without Vazquez.  Chicago would tell you (as would anyone) that you can never have enough pitching in baseball, and therefore the addition of Vazquez was huge for the White Sox.  This also could have been a defensive move to ensure that Vazquez did not go to another AL rival.  As for the Diamondbacks, the team had no choice but to move Vazquez, who was demanding a trade back East so he could be closer to his family.  In return, the D’Backs picked up a veteran starter (Hernandez) to replace Vazquez in their rotation, as well as a young and talented outfielder in Chris Young and a relief pitcher in Luis Vizcaino.  Here is how the players have fared so far this season.

Player	Team	W	L	ERA	IP	K	BB
Javier Vazquez	CHW	4	3	4.22	53 1/3	39	9
Orlando Hernandez	ARZ	2	4	6.98	38 2/3	43	17
Luis Vizcaino	ARZ	2	2	3.54	20 1/3	22	8

 

Player	Team	AB	R	HR	RBI	SB	AVG