Uncertain Times for Kyle Lohse

Among the more baffling things of last offseason was how things played out with Kyle Lohse. While the trade winds were blowing, multiple teams were thinking about offering him around $27M for 3 seasons. Maybe more when all was said and done. When the winds stopped, no one would take him for 1 year, $7M. Maybe less. That's pretty cheap starting pitcher depth for a number of contending teams. I still don't get it. He ended up a Cardinal on a one year contract for 4 and a quarter. Through six starts he's doing quite well.

Thus far he's 3-0 with a 2.36 ERA. That's not likely to last for a whole season, but it seems the alchemists Duncan and La Russa have turned him into a different pitcher. He's giving up a lot of hits, but not walking many, and his groundball ratio is way up. Hitters seem to have no trouble making contact off him, but they're not doing much damage. Through 34.1IP, he hasn't given up a single homer. A lot of people have looked like someone they're not over six starts, but Lohse is working with one of the best pitching coaches in the business, and it will be interesting to see how long and how well he can keep this up. Especially because if the Red Birds are serious about stealing the division, people like him are going to have to do things like what he's doing now.

Raw baseball

The wonderful Peter Gammons has a piece on how the crackdown on illegal muscle and attention enhancers has favored the players who are more naturally vivacious: the young ones. It's pretty dead-on, and it makes me nervous for the near-future of my Mets. Every year a few kids show up and change the entire look of a bullpen. Position players and starters can make a big enough splash to vault their team into the playoffs. I still have high hopes and expectations for the boys of Queens, but I think our unexpected farm help won't go much beyond a couple of good starts from the inevitably unexciting Nelson Figueroa.

Here's my long term solution for baseball: raw food.
I'm not joking at all. Here's why:
Do you know any raw foodists? There's something different about them. They have a palpable glow. They grin, laugh, hug. They never seem to get tired. That's what I find compelling, but from a baseball standpoint, the benefits are clear and tangible:
1) Increased energy. More than the muscle-building PEDs, with their often easy-to-point-to effects, I suspect amphetamines had the larger impact on the game. Everyone benefits from extra energy and focus. Baseball seasons are really long, and there are far more uninteresting at-bats than "big" ones. A little extra jazz in your step keeps you tuned in, and gives you more energy to work with.
The most commonly sited raw food benefit is abundant energy.

2) Better senses. Lasik eye surgery has been shown to increase batting averages. Makes plenty of sense- if you have better vision, you get a better look at pitch speed, type, spin, direction, etc. Committed raw foodies report better vision, hearing, taste, etc.

3) Faster injury recovery. When the body is not taxed by improper nutrition, it is better equipped to deal with upsets when they occur.

From a baseball perspecitve, a raw food diet is like amphetamines, Lasik and HGH rolled into one. The cost of raw food is an issue for some, but not for any baseball player. The main issue for them would be convenience. Going out to eat can make things difficult, and all the travel would complicate things. So yes, it would be something they'd have to commit to. Lots of people wouldn't get it and/or would make fun of them, these hypothetical raw-foodist big league baseball players. But wouldn't it be worth it? And wouldn't nutrition at its finest be a great thing for baseball to put on display?
Prince Fielder's a vegittarean. The times they are a-changin.

Mets v. Cubs: A Retrospective

Yesterday I managed to get out of the house, and found myself at Wrigley field to watch the Mets take on the Cubs. I had a good time, despite spending the game in a cloud of 6th graders, most of whom didn't seem aware that there was some sort of contest happening on a nearby field. I also didn't get the blues when the Mets walked away 8-1 losers. Here are some thoughts on the game, by position:

Mets pitchers: Nelson Figueroa, a brief feel-good story to distract us from the feel-bad story of Pedro and Duque's health- was exposed by the Cubs good lineup. He looked in control on the first go through the order, but my nervousness mounted in any inning after that. He was lucky to let in only 3- it could have been a lot more. Then, after Smith and Schoeneweis tag-teamed through the evening innings, Jorge Sosa was brought in to guide us to the night. Sosa stayed in way too long. By the time he was out, the game was effectively over, because he gave up a grand slam to Ronny Cedeno. Heilman warmed up, but didn't come in. Was Willie saving him for a game he thought the team might win?

First base: The Cubs ended up winning by 7, but 5 or 6 of those runs were allowed to happen because of close plays at first base, both of which could have been avoided with some good D. With two outs and the pitcher batting, the Mets, mostly Figueroa from my replayless look, botched an awkward tapper to first. The next batter knocked in two with a single. Later the Cubs were up 4-1 with the bases loaded and one out in the 8th. Groundball to Reyes at short, who gets the force at home. Catcher Casanova swings it to first, but the runner is barely safe (he may have even been out, but it was really close). That would have ended the inning, and had Reyes gone to 2nd instead of home, he probably would have gotten both. Instead, up came strutting Ronny, who gave it a good whack and heard the cheers.

Second base: I’ll be honest. I love Wright, Reyes and Beltran, but I miss Edgardo Alfonzo, John Olerud and Mike Piazza. I think, since the acquisition of Roberto Alomar, the Mets second base situation has not been right. We could use another corner guy who can smack the ball around, but what I would really love is the second coming of Alfonzo. He was the perfect 2. He played a great second base, he had average speed, he could handle the bat beautifully, and he hit for power. He made a lot of Met leadoff men look good as long as they could get on base some of the time. Hitting third was the wonderful stoic professional named John Olerud. My favorite Olerud story isn't a real story, just a moment in time described by the Times to start an article: John Olerud and Al Leiter taking a cab to Shea (though Olerud actually took the train a lot of the time). Leiter was his usual hyper self, verbosely explaining his plan for the first and second times through the lineup. I imagine Olerud, quietly, almost spookily engaged- like how I imagine Calvin Coolidge. While Leiter chatters and gesticulates, Olerud is simply there.

I read somewhere that the Mets had signed Edgardo Alfonzo to a minor league deal. I hope he starts at least one game for the professional ballclub this year. Maybe a whole series. It will be a healing ritual for the Mets second base situation.

Third base: David Wright is my favorite player. I haven’t had a real favorite baseball player in a while. I also love Reyes and Santana, but there’s just nothing not to like about Wright.

Outfield: The Mets offense, outside of the big 3, was exposed. With Ryan Church out of the lineup, and Delgado something of an unknown quantity at this point, the Mets lineup felt like three really dangerous hitters excessively cushioned by a bunch of guys who might hit a single. What it would take to get Jason Bay? What kind of contract is Boras going to try to get Texiera next season? F-Mart is really still a year or so away, right? Church, Delgado and Alou can all help, but question marks linger. The bottom of the lineup just doesn’t put a lot of pressure on opposing pitchers or punish them for taking them lightly. This makes the big 3 easier to handle.

The crowd: I have learned much about energy, especially human energy since the last time I went to a live baseball game. I could palpably feel the energy of the crowd, and I took a moment to channel it toward a cause or two that I deemed worthy. I don’t know if I did a lot, but I do feel confident that I did a little.

Hooray! The Mets are Good

Last night, there was a whole lot of good in the Met world. The more it happens, the easier it is for it to happen again the next time. Situational muscles can develop and atrophy just like will power and real muscles. Some nice truths got a workout last night. Among them:

1) They were good. Nothing succeeds like success. You gotta have heart, but you also gotta have pitch movement and bat speed. Winning tends to make teammates like each other more, and be more into the idea of fighting for each other.
2) Reyes was Reyes. Two singles, a double and a triple. When Reyes is good, he plays with a fire and a joy that bring out the same in others. Not only that, but he can really friggin play. When he's SupeReyes, he's on the short short list of best players in the game right up there with...
3) Wright was awesome. You can be sure of two things in life: The sun loves you, and David Wright will mash.
4) Exactly what we wanted to see from Pelfrey and Sanchez. Pelfrey wasn't perfect, but he didn't give up any runs either, and he had a great four inning stretch. I dream of John Maine II. Originally I thought the consistency of Santana and Maine would be a great support base for Perez and Pedro this year. That may shake out to be true in the summer, but right now it looks like Pelfrey is the #1 benefactor, and that's mega awesome. Oh and Duaner Sanchez pitched in a major league baseball game and didn't get hammered. Let's see more of that too.
5) The lineup switcheroo. Willie moved Ryan Church up to second between Reyes and Wright, and Luis Castillo down to 8th. I like this lineup better with someone with a little pop in the 2-spot. The second leadoff guy thing works best when it's an Edgar Renteria type who can hurt you on his own- someone you'd like to see in a number of situations. I'm still scratching my head over signing Castillo for four years. At this point in his career, he needs to sneak everywhere. Sneak on base, sneak to the next base. He doesn't have much "This is what I'm going to do, and you probably can't stop it." Not that he isn't useful, but he might as well be doing that from the 8th spot. The pitcher can bunt him over, Reyes can slap him in. Church backing up Delgado and Alou is okay, but having him bat second feels more dynamic. More playing to win than not to lose. I feel he could really help the team if put in the right situation.

Hope for more good things today.

Magic Maddux

ESPN the Magazine has a cool piece on Greg Maddux. Maddux has been written about a ton, but I did get a nugget or two that I hadn't heard before. The one that's stuck in my head: he some times changes pitches in the middle of his windup! He's not just being indecisive, he adjusts based on the batter's stance. Does anyone else do this? I realize not everyone can, but does anyone try? How many pitchers have even thought to?

Can we inject Maddux's pitching intelligence into every other pitcher and see what happens? How fun would a Maddux-Verlander hybrid be. Someone get on that.

Lord Stanley

It's a secret that no one tries to keep, much like professional hockey itself. Actually, we hockey fans say it every year, right around this time, but when we do, we're already talking about hockey, so you've probably stopped listening. Anyway, here it is: hockey has the best playoffs of any sport. I'm not here to prove it to you, and I won't even try too hard to convince you, but those of use who have been through a full marathon of the Stanley Cup playoffs know that there's nothing like it. With a few game 1s already done, I'll offer up a few thoughts on this year's tournament.

The East
1. Montreal Canadiens vs. 8. Boston Bruins
Montreal did something gutsy at the trade deadline. While most contenders were vying for a big name to add, the Canadiens traded their backup goaltender for a second round draft pick. For those of you who understand metaphors better than hockey, that's like trading all the eggs in your second basket, leaving you with one basket that looks really promising, but that you've never taken on a long journey before. That basket, Carey Price, is a rookie. He's been good, really good, so far, but now it's the playoffs, and all kinds of things can happen. If he rides the faith put in him, the Canadiens could go far. If he falters, they have no chance.

Running start for him and them: Habs in 5

2. Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 7. Ottawa Senators
For all of last year, and the start of this one, the Senators were the bullies of Canada. At present, they seem to have consolidated into a speed bump in the path of a herd of frolicking penguins. Those penguins are getting their first real taste of life among the big creatures. If they can stay united and keep their beaks sharp, they will do well. The goalie sitch seems to favor them, but if that turns, so could the series.

Probably not though: Pens in 6

3. Washington Capitals vs. 6. Philadelphia Flyers
Battle of the comeback kids. 3-6 matchups can be misleading because the Caps earned the 3 spot by winning their division, not by having the 3rd most points. Still, they have one utterly relentless Russian, a player who was the game's best some years ago, and a goalie, who up until the trade deadline was the backup for Montreal. Philly can bully, and has some sunshine in the future. They'll do their best to push Ovechkin around, but he's a kid in a candy store.

Caps in 7

4. New Jersey Devils vs. 5. New York Rangers
Oh man. I really can't separate my personal feelings from any analysis of this series. The Devils are my team. Martin Brodeur is my favorite player on any team in any sport. New Jersey is an exceptionally well run franchise, and that makes me happy. Late-ish in the season, the Devils were 1st in the East, at least for a day or two, and that also makes me happy.
But I just can't help thinking that this series belongs to the Devils' biggest rival. It just makes sense. The Rangers play in the biggest market, have imported and home-grown star power, and play in a building that is aching for success (and no, firing Isiah Thomas doesn't count as success... WHAT? THEY STILL HAVEN'T FIRED HIM?). The Devils are notorious for turning hockey into what one opposing coach once called a "chess match." Now I love chess and the Devils, but they do need a little more speed and scoring touch. Maybe a first round loss would be a kick in the pants for them. As for the Strangers, it's their time to channel their considerable talent into a playoff run. Something to get New York excited.
Still, I'd just love to see Brodeur steal this thing and go on another magical playoff run.

That's enough for now. Hockey's an acquired taste. Go out there and acquire it.

The Conversation

Tonight, while waiting for the Belmont bus to take me home, a man spoke to me unprovoked, as if we’d been speaking for a while. I had sized him up as I was walking over. The first thing I noticed was his Detroit Red Wings jacket. I considered starting a hockey conversation, but first I wanted to check if he was homeless. Well, homeless isn’t the word I’m looking for. I mean drunk, poor guy on the street who isn’t quite sure how to make sense to people. This wasn’t that kind of guy. He could have been drunk, I wasn’t sure, and he hadn’t shaved in a while, but, then, neither have I. His hands shook as he lit his cigarettes. It was a covered bus stop, and I leaned against a holographic car ad. I’m okay with cars having advertisements, though your average car ad is 98-100% imagery, 0-2% facts about the car. There aren’t too many types of cars… ok there are zillions of car types, but I imagine that when you’re buying a car, there are a limited, containable number of models that you seriously consider. Maybe it’s kind of like picking colleges. You select a few favorites and then hope that one accepts you.

I had no New Jersey Devils regalia or paraphernalia or anything that might have suggested I knew a thing about sports. I was wearing a slightly too small jacket, a purple sweatshirt, black cargo pants, brown shoes and a small beige backpack. The man turned to me and said, “The Blackhawks got eliminated tonight.” He had practically continued the conversation I imagined as I walked over where I started by asking if he was a Red Wings fan. He never actually said that he was, but he referred to the Wings as “us.” We talked about hockey until the bus came. As he payed to get on, he told the busdriver: “Blackhawks got eliminated tonight.” I really wonder what the busdriver thought that meant. I doubt it really registered. We talked about hockey on the bus, until he got off four blocks later.

I can’t always tell what to make of sports in our world. It’s a story generator that has nothing to do with anything else. Inevitably we find humanity within the system. We find truth in the way these humans follow the mental structure of the game. Stay on the green part, not the grey part. When this thing happens, run in a straight line to that pillow on the ground. Watch out for the others, but they’ll only get in your way under certain conditions. Quickly it turns into a language and stories, reports and poems are written with the cameras on and the crowd screaming. That’s what I wanted to say- that I can’t quite place my feelings about sports in this world, but it is definitely something larger than itself. Here this man was, and the only thing on his mind, the thing he wanted to tell everyone was that there was a violent ice dance on the other side of town.

If I Was Alex Rodriguez...

I'd be friggin terrified right now. And I might sacrifice a goat or two. It'd be annoying tabloid fodder, but probably worth it.