Opening Day Renewal and Hope

The Counselor is IN: 

The air is full of the smells of the Spring.  Scents of cut grass and pollinating pollinating trees hang and mix with the oxygen. Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is upon us.

Opening day of Baseball season brings me a sense of renewal. After a cold hard winter, it is the gateway to warm weather. The grass, trees, flowers, and plants are renewed and coming back to life. Even at age 40, the start of baseball season brings the promise of playing outside and the upcoming summer months (no longer 12 weeks of summer vacation but still).

Every baseball fan anticipates opening day. His or her team is undefeated. This could be the season that their team breaks out, returns to dominance, and could win the World Series. As a Texas Rangers fan, I am hopeful for a return to the Series and  this time a championship. Even my family and friends that are Kansas City Royals fans believe that this could be their break out season. Opening Day is all about Renewal and Hope and I am grateful for it.

 The Counselor is OUT:

 

Review of the Texas Rangers and 7 questions

The Counselor is IN:

The Texas Rangers were one of the biggest surprises of the 2010 season.  Their young pitchers stepped up and pitched well even in the Heat of an August in Dallas.  The youth of the Ranger's offense made considerable advances and scored points in bunches. Midway through the season, Texas acquired Ace Cliff Lee.  Lee did not  pitch that well during the season but stepped it up in the post season and helped lead the Rangers to their first World Series appearance.  

The Rangers targeted three key pitchers during the off season.  Their top priority was to re-sign Cliff Lee.  They lost out on the Lee sweepstakes to the Phillies.  They were attempting to trade for Cy Younger winner Zack Greinke but lost out to Milwaukee.  Tampa Bay's Matt Garza was the third option but the Rangers were rejected by the Rays when they traded Garza to the Cubs.  The Rangers did sign 3 time All Star and Cy Young winner Brandon Webb but Webb is recovering from surgery and has not pitched since April of 2009.

The Rangers did make a big splash in free agency by signing 3rd Baseman Adrian Beltre.  Beltre is a power hitter who will add some needed power to the Rangers order. He should add some protection behind Josh Hamilton. This will move Perennial All Star Michael Young to 1st Base.

Questions about the 2011 Texas Rangers

1) Can Brandon Webb return to his former self?  He has 3.27 career ERA but he is now 31 years old. He could be the steal of free agency if he comes close to his past numbers.  

2)  Can the Rangers pitching staff achieve at the same level as last season? At this time, a rotation of Wilson, Lewis, Hunter, Webb, and Feldman does not scare many teams.  They will need to be a smart pitching staff like they were last year to have the same level of success.

3) Will Michael Young adjust to 1st Base?  He adjusted well when he moved from Second to Short and then Short to Third including All Star Seasons for all three positions.  He will not be a power hitting 1st Baseman but the Rangers do not have a power hitting 1st baseman.

4) Will Beltre be able to add protection for Hamilton?  Beltre is now 31 years old. He had a great season last year with Boston with 28 homers and a batting average of .321.  I don't see a reason why should should not continue to hit for decent average and power but probably not those numbers.

5) Can the Rangers hold off the other A.L. West teams? Last year the Angels severely under achieved. The Rangers did improve from the season before but would not have won the division if the Angels would have performed up to expectations.  The Rangers will need to continue to improve and mature as a team if they want to win their division again and make the playoffs.

6)  Will the Rangers continue to pursue an #1 starter? After missing out on their top 3 targets, I think they will start the season with their current pitching staff.  If they are playing well in late June and early July, I look for the Rangers to make a trade for a #1 guy like they did last year.  

7) Can the Rangers win the World Series this year?  Yes they can. They will need their team to come together like last season.  The Rangers have a lot of potential but they also have potential for a disappointing season after their success last year.

 The Counselor is OUT:

Rangers Win First Playoff series

The Counselor is IN:

As a Texas Rangers fan, this is a time of celebration.  Congratulations Rangers.  Don't celebrate to long because you will be facing the New York Yankees come Friday. 

It is a strange story how I became a Rangers fan.  I grew up and still live in Southwest Missouri.  In the early 80s both  the ST. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals were fantastic.  Since they were both so good, the local fans would argue over which team was better.  I grew tired of these debates so I picked a random team from the list of MLB teams.  I had no idea where the Texas Rangers played (other than in Texas).  I continued to cheer for both the Cardinals and Royals but from that time forward, I am a Texas Rangers Fan first.

As I started rooting for the Rangers, I quickly learned that this team was not like the Royals and Cardinals of the early 80s.  The Rangers were not a winning team and did not have a positive mentality. It did not matter because I picked them as my team and I continued to cheer for them. 

I loved the Nolan Ryan years for the Rangers.  I still smile when I think about Nolan Ryan beating the snot (and blood) out of Robin Ventura. 

I hoped and dreamed the Rangers of the late 90s when the made the playoffs but then ousted by the Yankees. 

I am very excited about the Rangers victory over the Rays.  It was a strange series with the road team winning each game.  I was enthralled with tonights game with the Rangers aggressive base running to take the lead and keep it on the Rays.  Go Rangers and beat the Yankees.

The Counselor is OUT:

The Balk 6-12-08

The Counselor is IN:

Larry's Ramblings:

I recently spent an evening at Hammons Field, the ballpark for the Springfield Cardinals. The Springfield Cardinals are the AA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. This team played in the Championship series for the Texas League last year. In Springfield, we do get to see the up and coming players before they become Major League stars.

With prices at $6 a ticket, I can afford to take my family out to the ballpark and have good seats. It has become an economic hardship to my family to Busch Stadium to see the big Cards with the noise bleed seats. Financially there is no comparison.

The game was a reminder of why I love baseball. A live baseball game has wonderful atmosphere. I love the mix of the smell of the grass and the hotdog vender. You have the crowd cheering for the home team. With every man, woman, and child singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", it was nostalgic and wonderful.

Fantasy Section:
It is nearing the middle of June. You should have a good idea of what your players are doing. You should know if your team is a contender or not.

If a contender, then you need to examine what will make your team better. Do you need that one top starter to push you over or a stolen base guy to help you in a week category? No team is perfect. The other contenders will be examining their teams and attempting to make trades. Even if you are winning your league easily, you should examine possible trades. Rarely have I seen someone leading at the All Star Game not make a move and still win their league in a traditional roto league.

If you are out of contention, then you should be examining big names that you might want to trade. This is particularly true in keeper leagues. If you have a keeper league, trade off that big name for up and coming players. Done properly, this can get you into contention next year. If you are not in a keeper league, then you should be open to trading for quality players to advance your position this year

The key to performing well in Fantasy Baseball is continued to pay attention. So often the long daily season will cause some owners to stop paying attention. Replace your injuries and examine trade options and free agency pickups. If you do this, it should help your team stay near the top.

The Counselor is OUT:

The Balk 5-28-08

The Counselor is IN:

Over the last couple of weeks, we have seen a few really bad homerun calls. Some are called homeruns that are not and others are called foul that are home runs. Some of these calls are changing the outcome of games. These calls could cause a team to miss the playoffs. How many divisional races and wild card races have come down to the last couple of games? If you can put in a form of replay for close homerun calls, then why not do it? MLB is talking about instituting this form of replay in the fall league as a test.

Baseball has been very slow to experiment with replay. I know several hard core baseball fans that are completely opposed to replay in baseball even when the call goes against their team. These fanatics usually discuss the tradition of the game and pace of the game. They also fear MLB using replay to call balls and strikes.

Here are my points back at these loyal lovers of the game. Firstly, the pace of baseball is already slow and laid back. This is not a bad thing. It makes for a relaxing day at the ball park. Taking time for a former umpire to check the monitor and to make a call will not slow it down much at all.

Secondly, you can easily limit what you will replay. The NFL has been successful in limiting what is reviewable for a long time. Tennis is using replay in a limited fashion very effectively.

Thirdly, let us talk about tradition of the game. How traditional do you really want to go? Should we go back to the days before the wild card where the only the winners of the two divisions in each league makes the playoffs? How about going back to a 9 game World Series? How about removing the bases and putting poles in their places (poles were common instead of bases in the late 1800s). Traditionalists usually want things to remain as they were when they were kids but the 1970s have come and gone.

Fantasy Advice:
A few weeks ago, I reminded owners not to dump their studs that were off to a slow start. Now it is time to examine those big names and see what they are doing 2 months into the season. Here are a few previously productive fantasy players that are not producing. You may want to consider trading or dropping these players at this time.

Tigers- OF Gary Sheffield is batting .213 with 3 homers, 12 RBIs, and 3 stolen bases. Age may have caught up with Gary.

Cubs- OF Jim Edmonds is only batting .167 with 1 homer, 6 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases. Talking about getting old, Jim looks like he is done. He should have retired as a Cardinal at the end of last year.

Reds- OF Corey Patterson is hitting .200 with 4 homers, 16 RBIs, and 8 stolen bases. Corey is still stealing bases so you may want to keep him but his batting average will kill you if he does not start hitting batter.

Pirates - 1B/3B Doug Mientkiewicz is hitting .207 with 1 homer, 8 RBI's and 0 stolen bases. Doug used to bring limited power but great batting average. Now he does not even bring that.

The Counselor is OUT:

Brotherhood of the traveling golden thong

The Counselor is IN:

Baseball players are very superstitious. If they do something special and they happen get out of a slump, then they attribute the luck to what they did. Jason Giambi has attributed breaking slumps to his golden thong underwear. The New York Daily News has the story.

"The Yankee slugger revealed Friday he slips on a gold lamé thong with a flame-line waistband when he's trying to get out of a hitting slump - and he's shared it with his teammates." (Daily)

"'It works every time,' Giambi told the Daily News after his secret was outed on Portfolio.com." (Daily)

If that was not strange enough, he has talked up his thong underwear to his teammates. Some of them not only bought into it but borrowed his underwear to help them out of their own slumps. There is nothing like shared underwear to break one out of the slump.

"Derek Jeter agreed that Giambi's thong works, although 'it's so uncomfortable running around the bases'." (Daily)

"'I had it over my shorts and stuff,' he said. 'I was 0-for-32 and I hit a homer on the first pitch. That's the only time I've ever worn it'." (Daily)

"Johnny Damon also admitted donning the golden panties 'probably three times'." (Daily)

"I may need to wear it again soon', said Damon, who is batting a mediocre .255." (Daily)

"What is the secret of Giambi's golden thong?" (Daily)

"'You're not worrying about your hands or your balance at the plate,' Damon said. You're worried about the uncomfortable feeling you're receiving'." (Daily)

The New York Daily News wanted to help out all of the Yankees. They delivered 26 pairs of golden thongs to the Yankees. This way each team member and the manager can have their own.

As my father says, "Baseball players are not the men they used to be." After this story, I am inclined to agree.

The Counselor is OUT:

Accusations against Clemens continues to mount

The Counselor is IN:

First were accusations that Roger Clemens used steroids. He testified before Congress stating that he did not use steroids. This was contrary to Brian McNamee testimony that Roger did use. Roger is facing a lawsuit for defamation of character from McNamee.

The latest twist on the scandal has Roger having a ten year affair with a country music star, Mindy McCready. The accusations have Roger starting the affair when Mindy was 15 years old. MSNBC has the story. “'I cannot refute anything in the story,' McCready told the newspaper in a story posted on its Web site Monday night."

Roger is the best pitcher of my generation. He should be a first ballot Hall of Famer. These accusations could not only damage his reputation and affect the lawsuit against him, but they could potentially keep him out of the Hall of Fame. We know that off the field issues can keep you out of the Hall. If any evidence of this comes out, this could ruin Clemens.

Beyond all of that, if these accusations are true, then Roger will be going to jail for a long time. He will have violated a teenage girl. Sex offenders are not treated very nicely in prison. Roger may in for a nightmare of legal issues.

It is very sad to see your heroes fall.

The Counselor is OUT:

Why does the American Pastime start it's season in Japan?

The Counselor is IN:

Major League Baseball has often been referred to as the National Pastime (or America's Pastime). It is viewed up there with apple pie and Fourth of July. We associate it strongly with our country. Even now days when the NFL is a more popular sport, there is still something special about baseball.

I always look forward to opening day. I associate it with the end of winter and the beginning of spring. This year, I feel disjointed because the MLB season has already begun in Japan. To me it is very strange that we let our National Pastime open its season in another country. I don't even like when the first game of the season opens in Canada.

I understand that there is a large baseball fan base in Japan. Many of their stars have joined Major League Baseball. I am sure that the game drew a lot of supporters. I am glad that are able to connect with other countries like Japan and Korea. But I do not appreciate that we forfeit our opening day to another country.

I do not know how to solve the issue but it really bothers me.

I am writing this post while watching Fox Sports' broadcast of today's Cardinals/Orioles Spring Training game. It is an oddity to watch a Spring Training game after two teams have played two regular season games. At least baseball is back.

Play ball!

The Counselor is OUT:

Baseball's Free Agent Update

The Counselor is IN:

What baseball teams have signed what free agents? What free agents are still available? The lists are long but I have couple of links to point you to. Here are the links to ESPN and MLB.com. You can also check the individual team sites for team specific free agents.

The Counselor is OUT:

When is cheating OK?

The Counselor is IN:

With all the steroid hoopla surrounding Roger Clemens and Congress, it has caused me to ponder the greater issue of cheating in sports. In this country, we appear to have a double standard with cheating. Sometimes we become passionately and aggressively against it. Other times, we are happy to turn a blind eye to it and even embrace it.

The steroid use in baseball has been a huge issue. We had records being broken by men who used performance enhancing drugs. The outcry has been intense against players that are caught in steroids. Barry Bonds has not been found guilty but we (as a society) treat him with disdain for what we think he has done. Mark "Big Mac" McGuire went from super star and first ballot Hall Of Famer to a man that does not have a chance to make the Hall of Fame because of assumed steroid use.

The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame has a ton of known cheaters. Some pitchers used files, Vaseline, and pine tar to give them an edge. There are Hall of Fame players that have used corked bats. Yet there were no Congressional Hearings on these practices?

People seem alright with players in the NFL to sit out a hand full of games because of steroid use. LB Shawne Merriman is a perfect example of this. They caught him dead to rights but yet we were happy with his mild suspension. Why is there not the same outcry as with baseball and steroids?

Another example is the SpyGate Scandal. This was swept under the rug and the team was given a slap on the hand. They did not even forfeit the game that they were caught cheating in. There are some suspicions of them filming the Rams' practice the day before the Super Bowl when New England upset St. Louis. If you try to point these scandals out, many people will dismiss you as a hater and will not give you any creditability. But wasn't SpyGate still cheating? Where is the uproar?

I find it fascinating that we want to rail against some players that we have no evidence of wrong behavior but yet we embrace other players and coaches that are caught red handed.

The Counselor is OUT:

Colorado Rockies continue to amaze

The Counselor is IN:

In the middle of last month, most experts had written off the Rockies. They appeared to be too far out to make the playoffs. They started winning, winning, and winning more. In fact they have now won 21 of their last 22 games. They barely snuck into the playoffs. They swept the Phillies and the Diamondbacks. They are waiting on the Indians and the Red Sox to finish their series so the Rockies will know who they will face in their first ever World Series appearance.

Before the playoffs began, I stated that a Rockies/ Indians World Series would be great. So far, one of my picks has made it and the Indians are up 3 to 1 in their series.

Congratulations Rockies! You have deserved it.

The Counselor is OUT:

We shall return

This blog has been left rotting for too long. I am resurrecting it and will be getting baseball info out as soon as I can. Look for a good update this week.