The Score: The media has focused on St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa's reaction to Kenny Rogers "pine-tar gate" incident.
Sfvftc's Shot: MLB commissioner Bud Selig's silence on the Kenny Rogers "pine-tar gate" controversy is deafening.
Selig's lack of action is both disappointing and disturbing. A MLB player, Kenny Rogers, cheated on baseball's grandest stage, the World Series, and Selig refuses to investigate the incident. Apparently, Selig condones blatant cheating in his "beloved" sport. Perhaps, he hates the St. Louis Cardinals or dispises its manager Toy LaRussa. Is it possible that Selig wants the Tigers to win the World Series? We do not know Selig's rationale for ignoring Rogers brazen disregard for the rules.
However, it is obvious that Selig is a fan of the old television sitcom titled "Hogan's Heroes." Situated during WWII at P.O.W camp "stalig 13", the camp is run by the incompetent "Captain Klink" and "Colonel Schultz." Schultz's loved to say, even though he saw everything that prisoners did to assist the allied side, "I see nothing. I know nothing."
The Score: Television replays showed that Detroit Tigers left-handed pitcher Kenny Rogers had a foreign substance on his throwing hand in two playoff games this year and the World Series.
Sfvftc's Shot: Kenny Rogers is a post-season phony, not a post-season paladin.
Rogers has dominated opposing batters this post-season. His record is a sterling 3-0 and his ERA a perfect 0.00. Last night, he pitched 8 scoreless innings against the St. Louis Cardinals.
In doing so, he has appeared to fulfill the role of a paladin. A paladin is a person who fights for a particular cause or a hero. In addition to the obvious goal of trying to help his team win the World Serie title, Rogers has pitched to erase his previous playoff failures. Prior to this year, he had appeared in 9 post-season games with three different teams and allowed a staggering 19 runs in only 20.3 innings of work. (Source: http://www.baseball-reference.com).
Thus, he entered this October attempting to help his club win the World Series crown and trying to prove that he could thirve in the crucible of the MLB playoffs.
Rogers astonishing playoff statistics this year are a pronounced improvement upon his 2006 regular season statistics. He compiled a first-rate regular season but not a scintillating season. He registered a 17-9 record with an above average 3.84 ERA.
Yet in this year's playoffs Rogers has turned in one sublime performance after another. This type of positive spike in a player's performance begs the question: why is he playing better?
Yesterday, we learned the answer to this intriguing question. Kenny Rogers used a foreign substance on his hand to scoff the baseball in all three of his playoff starts this fall. In his first two starts, against the New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics respectively, he pitched with a substance on his hand and got away with it.
Last night, though, the umpires noticed the foreign substance on Rogers left-hand and forced him to remove the substance. MLB rules stipulate that a pitcher is forbidden from having any "foreign substance" on his hands. The consequence for breaking this rule is an immediate ejection and a suspension.
However, the umpires ,inexplicably, did not eject him from the game and MLB remains quiet on a possible suspension for Rogers.
At least, now, we know Kenny Rogers is a post-season fraud not post-season hero.
The Score: New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, a licensed pilot, and his co-pilot died today when the plane Lidle piloted crashed into a building in New York City's Upper East side.
Sfvftc's Shot: My prayers go out to both Cory Lidle's family, friends and former teammates and to the family and friends of his unnamed co-pilot.
The scouting reports on Cory Lidle characterized him as a right-handed thrower with "average stuff" but a savvy pitcher. He broke into the majors in 1997 with the New York Mets. In 9 seasons with seven different teams, he compiled a respectable 82-72 record with a 4.57 ERA.
Lidle had his best year as a MLB pitcher in 2001, while a member of the Oakland Athletics. That year, he posted a 13-6 record and a 3.59 ERA. He limited opposing batters to a .242 average against him in 188 innings of work and helped the A's reach the playoffs.
This year, he pitched for both the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees. With the Phillies, he recorded an 8-7 record and a 4.74 ERA before they traded him to the Yankees on July 31st--MLB's trading deadline.
For the Yankees, Lidle notched a 9-4 record and a 5.16 ERA. Also, he helped New York to the American League Division title. Of course, on Saturday, he entered game 4 of his team's ALDS match up against the Detroit Tigers in the third inning. He lasted only 1.1 inning and surrendered 3 earned runs, as the Tigers won the game and vanquished the Yankees from the playoffs.
Lidle started a planned trip, with several scheduled stop overs, to fly across the country to his home in California today from New Jersey. Apparently the manager in the sky, God, needed a wily veteran right-handed pitcher for his team of Angels.
The Score: The Detroit Tigers defeated the New York Yankees 3 games to 1 in the ALDS.
Sfvftc's Shot: The Detroit Tigers pitching staff executed "Murders Row and Cano."
Tigers manager Jim Leyland dubbed the New York Yankees lineup, "Murders Row and Cano." At the time, it seemed an appropriate and catchy nickname. All-Stars filled out the Yankees lineup card from top to bottom. Second baseman Robinson Cano finished third in the American League in batting average with a lusty .342 average. Yet Cano found himself batting ninth in the series.
Cano and his mates seemed to justify their lofty nickname with 8-4 win in game 1. The Bronx Bombers pounded out 14 hits and bashed two home runs en route to the victory.
The runs continued to pour in for the Yankees in game 5. Johnny Damon belted a 3 run homer in the fourth inning to give New York a 3-1 lead. Then, Detroit's pitchers held New York scoreless for 15 innings spanning including a shutout in Game 3.
Jason Verlander, Jamie Walker, Joel Zumaya and Todd Jones started the shutout streak in Game 2. Next, in game 3, Tigers starting pitcher Kenny Rogers continued the onslaught. Rogers pitched a brilliant 7.2 innings, allowed zero runs and limited New York to 5 hits. Zumaya and Jones completed the Rogers masterpiece.
Then, in Game 4, Detroit pitcher Jeremy Bonderman dominated "Murders Row and Cano." Bonderman carried a perfect game, 15 batters up 15 batters down, into the sixth inning before Cano singled to lead off the sixth inning.
Still, though, Detroit maintained its impressive shut out innings streak. In the seventh inning, New York scored a run on a fielder choice by Hideki Matsui. Bonderman went 8.2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits before giving way to Walker who got the last out after surrendering another run.
In total, the Tigers pitching posted a sterling 3.84 ERA for the series. Also, they compiled a dazzling 15 innings of shut out baseball over the span of 2 and half games.
In fact, the Tigers pitching snuffed the life out of "Murders Row and Cano."
Key Play (s):
1. The Detroit Tigers pitching staff executed "Murders Row and Cano."
The Score: Numerous baseball fans and sports broadcasters alike are suggesting that the 2006 Detroit Tigers are this year's version of the '05 Chicago White Sox.
Sfvftc's Shot: The '05 Chicago White Sox were superior to the '06 Detroit Tigers.
The Tigers, similar to the '05 White Sox, feature a dominant starting pitching rotation. Detroit's starting rotation combined E.R.A. is a sterling 3.85 and they have compiled an outstanding record of 54-29. The top starter, Justin Verlander, is 14-6 and opposing teams batting average versus him is a terrific .254.
In addition, Tigers manager Jim Leyland's coaching style is akin to '05 White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. Leyland is feisty and he demands first-rate effort from his players every night.
Nevertheless, the '05 White Sox were better than this year's Tigers. If you conceed that the '05 Sox and '06 Tigers are equal in pitching and managing, you have to compare Chicago's position players to Detroit's position players. Listed below is a comparison:
'05 Chicago White Sox Starters v. '06 Detroit Tigers Starters
Catcher-A.J. Pierzynski v. Ivan Rodriguez Edge-Tigers
1B-Paul Kornerko v. Sean Casey Edge-White Sox
2B -Tadahito Iguchi v. Placido Polanc Edge-White Sox
SS-Juan Uribe v. Carlos Guillen Edge-Tigers
3B-Joe Crede v. Brandon Inge Edge-White Sox
LF-Scott Podsednik v. Marcus Thames Edge-White Sox
CF-Aaron Rowland v. Craig Ganderson Edge-White Sox
RF-Jermaine Dye v. Magglio Ordonez Edge-Tie
Closer-DustinHermanson/Bobby Jenks v. Todd Jone Edge-White Sox
Key Play (s):
1. While there are similarities between the '05 White Sox and the '06 Tigers, it is a myth that the '06 Tigers are as good as last year's White Sox.
2. '05 Chicago Pitching & Managing = '06 Detroit Pitching & Managing
3. '05 Chicago Position Players Superior to '06 Detroit Position Players
