I love baseball! And I was reminded yesterday just how much I love the game. The Twins and Tigers were playing a one game, do-or-die, playoff to determine who would move on in the postseason. The teams had identitical records during the regular season, thus the need for the one game playoff.
I don’t have any particular interest in either team. And yet, I sat transfixed in front of the television as the two teams battled back and forth. And just as the regular season needed one additional game, that additional game needed extra innings to determine a winner.
The Twins won in 12 innings, but the more important point, at least for me, was how much I loved watching the game. I didn’t have a rooting interest, so the outcome was less important to me than the gutsy play of both teams. It was a great game and I loved every minute of it. I’m just sorry it had to end so soon.
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The 29 other MLB owners gave their unanimous approval yesterday for the Ricketts Family to take over the Cubs. The next step in the process is to take the Cubs through a quick, pre-packaged bankruptcy to make sure there are no liens or liabilities the parties are unaware of. That should happen next week and the Rickettses should have complete control of the team by the end of October.
What will happen then? Will Tom Ricketts want to make a big splash going into the family’s first season as owners? Will he spend a lot of money (more than the $140 million +/- the team is already spending) or will he reign in the spending and go into rebuild mode (doubtful)? There are a lot of moving pieces with the Cubs right now. It should make for an interesting and exciting offseason.
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Two Chicago sportswriters have put together to-do lists for Jim Hendry. Both writers agree that moving Milton Bradley will be job one in the offseason for Hendry, but Gordon Wiitenmyer of the Sun-Times seems to be a bit more positive about the situation than the Tribune’s Paul Sullivan.
Among the things the writers have listed are:
- Trade Milton Bradley
- Get an RBI bat for the middle of the lineup
- Resign John Grabow
- Resigning Reed Johnson (maybe)
- Retool the bench
- Add a lead-off hitter
- Get and keep Carlos Zambrano in shape
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Bruce Miles at the Daily Herald also is starting to think about next year. He takes a look at the Cubs position players from 2009 and gives his thoughts on what he thinks is going to happen with each player and each position.
Miles is an astute writer who always seems to see through the haze to get the “real” story. There are two particular passages from his article that give the Ying and Yang of this Cubs team:
3B Aramis Ramirez: Maybe once and for all, people will realize what a potent offensive force Ramirez is. His season was cut to 82 games because of the shoulder. He turned in a hitting line of .317/.389/.516 with 15 homers and 65 RBI.
Nuggets: You may or may not believe there are “clutch” hitters, but Ramirez batted .425 with runners in scoring position (37-for-87). He was 5-for-11 with the bases loaded.IF Aaron Miles: Somebody has to be the worst player in baseball, or at least the worst veteran, and that dubious distinction may go to Miles, whose hitting line is .185/.224/.242. And to think he completed only the first year of a two-year, $4.9 million contract.
Nuggets: In Baseball Prospectus’ VORP (Value Over Replacement Player) system, Miles ranked 1,018th, at minus-13.4. At least he ranked ahead of Ronny Cedeno.
The thing that amazes me about Aramis Ramirez is that he missed half of the season and still managed to be a more potent offensive force than guys like Alfonso Soriano and Milton Bradley who played the vast majority of the season. The thing that amazes me about Aaron Miles is that he received a two-year, $4.9 million contract last offseason. Jim Hendry does love his scrappy little second baseman, doesn’t he? It wouldn’t surprise me if Miles was released this winter.
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If you’re interested in a funny, irreverent, and perhaps completely inappropriate parody column from the frozen head of Ted Williams, then check out the FoxSports website.
