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MLB Power Rankings Roundup for Fri June 30 2006

Despite being 11 games out of first place in the division and 8.5 games out of the Wild Card, the Twins have won 8 in a row and have made a charge into the top ten in power rankings. They might not make the playoffs but at least they’re getting some recognition for their stellar play.

Here are the MLB Power Rankings by major sites this week.:

Rank Sportscolumn ESPN FoxSports Sportsline USA Today TSN.ca
1 Tigers White Sox Tigers Tigers Mets Red Sox
2 White Sox Tigers Red Sox White Sox White Sox Mets
3 Red Sox Red Sox White Sox Mets Tigers Tigers
4 Mets Yankees Mets Red Sox Cardinals Yankees
5 Yankees Mets Yankees Twins Red Sox Blue Jays
6 Cardinals Blue Jays Blue Jays A’s Yankees White Sox
7 Blue Jays Twins Twins Cardinals A’s Twins
8 A’s A’s Rangers Yankees Blue Jays Dodgers
9 Reds Mariners A’s Rangers Dodgers Cardinals
10 Padres Cardinals Cardinals Blue Jays Rangers Rangers
11-30 more more more more more more

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The Full Count: We’re going streaking!

1. Make it a dozen: The Red Sox just keep on winning, and even a series against the NL’s best team didn’t produce an Interleague loss. The Sox completed a sweep of the Mets on Thursday in a heavily anticipated Glavine vs. Shilling matchup. Each pitcher held the opposing team scoreless through five innings, but they ended up allowing two earned runs each. Shilling pitched seven innings to earn the victory, his only mistake a two-run shot allowed to Carlos Beltran in the 6th inning. Coco Crisp used a bunt single, a steal, and a sacrifice fly to score and break the 2-2 tie in the 7th. David Ortiz hit his 23rd homer to seal the deal, and Jon Papelbon collected his 24th save. The Red Sox are now up by a season-high 4 games in the AL East, while the Mets still hold an 11-game lead in the NL East.

2. It’s over: The Pirates losing streak finally ended last night despite facing the best pitcher one of the AL’s best teams. The Bucs defeated the White Sox 7-6, and Jose Contreras had his worst outing of the year but was spared of the loss. Contreras allowed 6 runs in five innings, but his undeafeated streak still stands at 16 games. That’s because Jim Thome tied up the game at 6-6 in the eighth with a pinch-hit homerun, his AL-leading 25th on the year. For the Pirates, Freddy Sanchez went 4-5 and hit a game-winning walk-off homer in the ninth. His batting average increased to an NL-leading .363. This game means little more than an ended streak for the Pirates however. They are still 17.5 games back of the Cardinals in their division.

3. Streaking Seattle: One of the many AL teams taking advantage of a weakened National League is the Seattle Mariners, whose 10-2 record in Interleague play has left them only two games back in the AL West. They currently have a 5-game winning streak going after completing a sweep of the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks. Yesterday they won 3-2 after a strong start by Gil Meche, who is 3-0 in his last five starts and has dropped his ERA over a point. JJ Putz picked up his 14th save for Seattle, and he has only blown one save all season. Raul Ibanez is having one of the quietest yet effective seasons of any player, and last night he hit his 17th homer and 63rd RBI. Even Adrian Beltre has raised his average from under .200 to .262 over the past month or so.

4. They like their homers in Cincy: After hitting four homers against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, the Reds were at it again on Thursday. They hit three homeruns, one each by Ken Griffey Jr., Felipe Lopez, and Adam Dunn. Griffey’s shot marked his fourth game in a row going yard, while Dunn’s blast gave him 25 on the year. Dunn also hit a double in the eighth inning that drove in the game-winning run. The win for Cincinnati left them just one game back of the Cardinals, and it appears they are for real. Bronson Arroyo, who left after seven innings and received a no-decision, allowed two runs to keep his ERA at an NL-leading 2.58. The Royals, meanwhile, once again have the majors’ worst record after their loss and the Pirates’ win.

5. Bringing juice to the Golden Baseball League: Jose Canseco is back in a professional uniform, as he agreed to a contract with the San Diego Surf Dawgs. Canseco will play DH and even pitch for the team, which plays in the independent Golden Baseball League. He will make the league maximum salary, which is just $2,500 per month. We’re waiting to see if a steroid scandal will soon rock this independent league.

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The Full Count: Johan Santana for Cy Young

1. Unhittable: Pitching in Minnesota, Johan Santana doesn’t get as much credit as he would if he played for a large-market team. But he deserves more, as he proved once again in yesterday’s 6-3 win over the Dodgers. Santana pitched seven shutout innings and only allowed two hits en route to improving to 9-4 on the year. Despite a slow start, he leads the AL in strikeouts, innings pitched, ERA, and WHIP. His 2.59/.96 in the latter two categories would be even better if he pitched in the National League, where there is no DH. Santana already has one Cy Young, and if continues this production he’ll have to expand his trophy case. Is there anyone out there who still thinks Chicago’s Jose Contreras should start in the All Star game for the AL?

2. Finally, a win: The St. Louis Cardinals hadn’t been able to buy a win in Interleague play, losing their first 8 games against the AL. They finally won one yesterday, defeating the Indians 5-4. Chris Carpenter followed a shaky start last week with a solid 7-inning, one run performance. But the bullpen blew it for him, allowing 3 runs in the eighth to let the Indians take the lead. But the Cardinals prevailed because of a Jhonny Peralta throwing error in the 9th inning. They escaped with the win and still have the NL Central lead.

3. A new homerun leader: Though the Phillies lost yesterday to the Orioles (twice), at least they got something out of it. Ryan Howard, their slugging first baseman, blasted two homeruns to up his total to 27 on the year. He passed Albert Pujols in the process for the major league lead, the first time since early April that Pujols didn’t have at least a share of the lead. The dual solo shots gave Howard 68 RBIs on the year; he is second to Lance Berkman’s 70 in that category. Howard will likely be one of four Phillies voted to the All Star game; teammates Bobby Abreu, Chase Utley, and Tom Gordon should all make the team.

4. Welcome back: The fans at Fenway Park gave a good greeting to Pedro Martinez, who hadn’t pitched there since leaving Boston in 2004. Unfortunately for the Mets, the Red Sox offense didn’t welcome him as well. Pedro was tagged for 8 runs in 3 innings in one of the worst performances of his lengthy career. Alex Gonzalez homered for the second straight game and Josh Beckett picked up his 10th win for the Red Sox. Boston has now won 11 games in a row and is undefeated against the National League. Both teams now have 47 wins and each leads their respective division.

5. End of his career?: Brett Myers has plenty of problems to deal with right now to say the least. Myers, Philadelphia’s best pitcher, is charged with hitting his wife in the face. His court date is August 4, and it is unlikely he will be pitching anytime soon. Myers was placed on the inactive list and sent down to Class A Clearwater yesterday. He almost certainly won’t pitch for the minor-league team, but the move will allow Philly to add another pitcher to its roster. Righthander Adam Bernero, who has pitched in the majors for multiple teams in his career, has been called up and will probably start on Friday.

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The Full Count: Clemens now 0-2

1. Outdueled–again: Roger Clemens hasn’t had much luck in his first two starts. On June 22 he took a loss to the Twins even though he pitched decently. Last night he pitched six innings, allowing only 2 runs (1 earned), but took the loss again in a 4-0 defeat to Detroit. That pushed his record on the year to 0-2 despite a fantastic 2.38 ERA. This is rather reminiscent of last season, when the Rocket led the majors in ERA but was just 13-8. This time Clemens was outdone by the Tigers’ Nate Robertson, who is having a quiet yet awesome season. Robertson is 8-3 with a 3.14 ERA (3rd in the AL) after his 7 inning, shutout performance against the Astros. Though teammate Justin Verlander gets more attention, Robertson has bested him so far in most statistical categories. The Tigers are on a roll, with 15 wins in their last 17 games and a 10-1 record against the National League. The `Stros, meanwhile, have fallen behind Milwaukee in the NL Central.

2. Burnett is back: Toronto’s AJ Burnett, in his second start after a long time on the DL, finally showed the Blue Jays why they signed him for $55 million. He pitched an efficient complete-game shutout of the Washington Nationals, throwing only 92 pitches. It was the most successful by far of four total Burnett starts this season, and it lowered his ERA almost 2 full points to 3.24. Jays outfielder Alex Rios, who had struggled mildly after exploding to a .360 average through May, got back on track with a 3-4, 2 RBI performance. For the Nationals, Alfonso Soriano continued his June struggles, going 1-4 in the loss. He is hitting just .224 on the month and has lowered his OPS from .950 to .888.

3. The stuggling Bucs: The Pirates are bad enough against the National League. But against the American League, they suck even more. They have lost 12 games in a row, 10 of those coming against AL teams. They even got swept by the Royals, who they are now tied with for the honor of “worst major league team.” Yesterday they lost in Game 1 of a three game set against the White Sox. Next, they’ll face Detroit, meaning the Pirates could go 0-for-the American League very easily. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if they lose 24 games in a row, as they travel to New York and Philadelphia when they return to NL play. And even more bad news: starter Oliver Perez, once thought to be one of the brightest young pitchers in the game, has performed so poorly he was demoted to the bullpen. At least you Pirates fans can go to the All Star game at your beautiful new ballpark. Other than that, there’s not much hope.

4. The other New York-Boston rivalry: The Red Sox sure hate those Yankees, and this week the other New York team, the Mets, travel to town. We’re not sure if the hatred exactly carries over, but anyway, it’s still a very good matchup. Boston took game one of the 3-game set, as rookie Jon Lester picked up the win. In 4 career starts Lester has performed well, with a 3-0 record and a 2.95 ERA in his limited action. Manny Ramirez, Jason Varitek, and Alex Gonzalez drove in 2 runs each for Boston in the 9-4 romp. For the Mets, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado each hit their 21st homer of the year. The next two games in the series will each feature great pitching matchups: Martinez vs. Beckett in Game 2 and Glavine vs. Shilling in Game 3.

5. Mr. Baseball: Peter Gammons has probably been the most influential reporter in baseball history, with stints at the Boston Globe, Sports Illustrated, and currently ESPN. But now the world’s brightest baseball mind will be in the hospital for a while, as Gammons suffered a brain aneurysm on Tuesday. He is currently in the intensive care unit and will hopefully be alright. No exact details have been released about the problem, but it must have been sudden as Gammons worked Sunday Night Baseball a few days ago. In a sports world that is filled with mindless talking heads, Gammons is one of the few who stand out and is an insightful and interesting reporter. Again, we hope he’s alright.

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Joe Mikulik meltdown video

In case you haven’t seen the meltdown by Joe Mikulik, or have just seen the ESPN edited down version, here’s some amateur video of the tirade. Clocking in at almost 4 minutes, it gives a sense of how involved and insane the whole thing really was. Excellent work, unknown video taker, excellent work.

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The Full Count: Beavers take the College World Series

1. Beaver Time: The biggest news in baseball last night wasn’t anything that happened in the majors. It was the Game 3 of the College World Series finals, a winner-take-all battle between favorite North Carolina and unheralded Oregon State. And it was the Beavers who took the title, with a 3-2 victory in the final game of a very close series. OSU became one of the biggest underdogs ever to win the CWS, and the first northern-based team to win it all since 1996. They won in the most improbable of fashions, with 6 victories in elimination games. Pitcher Johan Nickerson was selected the tournament’s most outstanding player, with 4 runs allowed in three elimination game starts.

2. Master in the Clutch: David Ortiz won Sunday’s game with a walk-off homerun, and he lifted the Red Sox to another win on Monday. With the Sox trailing 7-6 in the 12th inning, Kevin Youkilis hit an RBI single, followed by a Mark Loretta walk. Then Ortiz came up and did it again, winning the game with an RBI single. He became the first player since Nomar Garciaparra in early May to end two straight games with RBIs. It was the 9th win in a row for Boston, and they remain the class of the AL East.

3. Continued success: Many thought the Tigers would fade after a tough schedule stretch earlier this month, but they still are outpacing every MLB team. With a 52-25 record, they are still the only team with 50+ wins, and they are 2 games ahead of an outstanding White Sox team. Yesterday they continued their dominance over the NL, defeating the Astros 10-4. Catcher Ivan Rodriguez homered and drove in three runs, and starter Zach Miner improved to 4-1. The entire top half of the AL Central is on fire: the Tigers, White Sox, and Twins have each won 9 of their last 10.

4. St. Louis struggles: The team that many consider the best in the NL, the St. Louis Cardinals, has performed terribly in Interleague play. Excluding a May sweep of the Royals, the Cards have lost all seven games they’ve played against the American League. Their struggles continued yesterday when the Indians romped them 10-3. St. Louis starter Jason Marquis performed horrendously for his second straight start, with 7 earned runs in 6 innings. In fact, in Marquis’ last two starts he has allowed a combined 20 earned runs, becoming only the third player since WWII to allow such an amount. Over that stretch his ERA has ballooned from 4.55 to 5.82, according to Elias Says. Travis Hafner hit two homeruns for the visiting Indians.

5. Justice is not served: Most people know by now of the laughably awful tirade thrown by single A manager Joe Mikulik yesterday. It will likely hold its place as one of the worst performances by a manager in baseball history. So that is why we are questioning the punishment given to him by the South Atlantic League. Mikulik was suspended a mere week and fined $1000. The fine might be appropriate considering that a single A manager doesn’t make much cash. But the suspension is a joke, and it sends a message that a manager can disgrace himself and his organization and only miss 7 games. Ozzie Guillen says one word and people are calling for him to step down, but this guy can act like a child and gets a minor suspension? If we were the upper management of this team, we would get rid of Mikulik.

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The Full Count: Fun in Lexington

1. The Single-A leader in attention-getting: The Lexington Legends have been in the news twice in their lifetime, both times ironically this month. First they were host to Roger Clemens’ first rehab start, and yesterday they hosted one of the wildest tantrums in baseball history. Joe Mikulik, manager of the visiting Asheville Tourists, was just slightly upset about an umpire’s call about a second-base pickoff attempt. When Koby Clemens (yes, that Koby Clemens) was called safe at second, Mikulik ran out of the dugout, argued with the ump, and was ejected. Of course he didn’t stop there, picking up second base and throwing it into the infield, covering home plate with dirt, and throwing bats onto the field. Milkulik said, “I could get two mannequins at Sears and umpire better than what I saw this series.”

2. A comeback for the ages: It was a shame the Chicago White Sox lost to the Houston Astros Sunday night, because if they hadn’t it might have been considered one of the great all-time MLB comebacks. The Astros simply dominated the first 7 innings of this ballgame. Ace Roy Oswalt allowed 2 runs in seven and struck out Jim Thome 3 times. Lance Berkman hit a homer and 3 RBIs. Sox starter Javier Vasquez allowed 9 earned runs, and the Sox trailed at this point 9-2. People were even starting to leave the stands at US Cellular Field. But the performance they missed was legendary. Tadahito Iguchi, the White Sox’s unremarkable second baseman, hit a three-run homer in the eighth that set the score to 9-5. Then Houston closer Brad Lidge came on in the ninth even though it wasn’t a save situation. Two singles, two outs, and a walk brought up Iguchi again. Iguchi homered again, a grand slam that tied up what was once an eight run game. Iguchi’s seven RBI in the last two innings to tie it up would be one of the most memorable individual performances in MLB history had this been the postseason. But it wasn’t, and there was no storybook ending for Chicago. Willie Taveras hit a single in the 13th inning to win the game for Houston. The loss ended a 9-game winning streak for the White Sox.

3. Mr. Excitement: Jose Reyes was struggling about three weeks ago at this time. He was only hitting .246 in the leadoff spot for the Mets, with a measly .308 on-base percentage. But now he has proven himself as one of the best table-setters in the game, as a 13 game hitting streak has increased his average to .302. In June he is hitting .430 with 15 steals, a substantial portion of his major-league leading 34 in the latter category. Yesterday he helped the Mets to a 7-4 win over Toronto, with 4 hits, a homer, and a steal. This is what the Mets have always hoped for from Reyes, who in his first full season last year posted an OBP of just .300. With Reyes’ help the Mets are one of just two NL teams with a winning record in interleague play (the Rockies are the other).

4. Just what the Braves needed: The Braves haven’t been able to buy a win in June, as both their pitching and hitting has floundered. But yesterday they finally found some hope, as first-time starter Chuck James allowed just 3 hits and a run in 8 innings pitched. James, who is considered by one scouting service the #7 prospect in the big leagues, allowed just one hit through seven innings to Tampa. He is filling in for the demoted Jorge Sosa and brings a young talent the Braves desperately need from their pitching staff. The Braves won the game 4-1, and captured their first series win since May 25-28 vs. the Cubs.

5. Pros vs. Joes: The Yankees and Marlins played a doubleheader yesterday, significant because of the $185 million difference in payroll between the teams. It also allowed the Yankees to preview some of their future players when the Marlins dump everyone after winning the 2008 World Series. Anyways, the first game marked the best pitching duel of Sunday, as Mike Mussina took on Dontrelle Willis. Both were excellent, Willis allowing 2 runs and Mussina just one. Johnny Damon’s two run homer allowed the Yankees to take Game 1. But Game 2 was a different story, as the Marlins blanked the Yanks 5-0. Anibal Sanchez, in his first major league start for Florida, won the game with an impressive 5.2 inning performance. The Marlins’ bullpen allowed no hits the rest of the way as the team cruised to victory. In the department of the unordinary, just 6,800 people showed up for Game 2, the lowest total at Yankee Stadium in more than 10 years. It was almost like giving the Marlins home-field advantage, as they are used to those kind of crowds back in Miami.

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MLB Cost Index for Mon June 26 2006

[The MLB Cost Index is a calculation of the amount each team pays for a win and the efficiency of the payroll that the GM has put together.]

The Twins and the Royals are moving up in the Cost Index rankings after going 9-1 and 7-3 respectively. It’s too late for the Royals but Minnesota could become a playoff team with a low payroll. Well… at 9.5 games out, maybe not. But it beats being the Royals.

** all $ are in millions.

Rank (Pv) Team 2006 Payroll GP Wins YTD Payroll Cost/Win
1 (1) Marlins $15.0 72 32 $6.67 $0.21
2 (2) Rockies $41.1 75 38 $19.04 $0.50
3 (3) Devil Rays $35.4 76 33 $16.62 $0.50
4 (5) Reds $59.5 76 41 $27.91 $0.68
5 (6) A’s $62.3 75 41 $28.85 $0.70
6 (7) Brewers $56.8 76 37 $26.64 $0.72
7 (4) Pirates $40.2 77 26 $19.12 $0.74
8 (12) Twins $63.8 74 39 $29.15 $0.75
9 (8) D’backs $59.2 76 37 $27.78 $0.75
10 (11) Tigers $82.3 76 51 $38.61 $0.76
11 (9) Rangers $65.5 76 40 $30.71 $0.77
12 (10) Indians $56.8 74 33 $25.94 $0.79
13 (14) Blue Jays $71.9 75 41 $33.29 $0.81
14 (13) Padres $69.7 75 39 $32.28 $0.83
15 (20) Royals $47.3 74 24 $21.60 $0.90
16 (15) Nationals $63.3 77 33 $30.07 $0.91
17 (16) Cardinals $88.4 74 42 $40.40 $0.96
18 (19) White Sox $102.9 75 49 $47.63 $0.97
19 (18) Orioles $72.6 77 35 $34.50 $0.99
20 (17) Mets $100.9 75 47 $46.71 $0.99
21 (24) Mariners $88.3 77 38 $41.98 $1.10
22 (23) Giants $90.9 75 37 $42.07 $1.14
23 (22) Astros $92.6 76 38 $43.42 $1.14
24 (25) Dodgers $99.2 75 40 $45.92 $1.15
25 (21) Phillies $88.3 74 35 $40.32 $1.15
26 (26) Red Sox $120.1 72 44 $53.38 $1.21
27 (27) Braves $92.5 76 32 $43.38 $1.36
28 (28) Angels $103.6 75 34 $47.97 $1.41
29 (29) Cubs $94.8 74 28 $43.32 $1.55
30 (30) Yankees $198.7 73 42 $89.52 $2.13

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MLB Power Rankings Roundup for Fri Jun 23 2006

The Met’s reign at the top of the Power Rankings has ended for now. After losing 4-7, most rankings dropped them a notch or two. However, the TSN folks have us scratching our heads. Last week, they ranked the Mets #2, but after their mediocre road trip, elevated them to #1. Must be that good BC bud.

Here are the MLB Power Rankings by major sites this week.

Rank Sportscolumn ESPN FoxSports Sportsline USA Today TSN.ca
1 Tigers White Sox Tigers Mets Mets Mets
2 White Sox Tigers Mets White Sox White Sox Tigers
3 Mets Mets White Sox Tigers Tigers White Sox
4 Red Sox Red Sox Red Sox Cardinals Cardinals Yankees
5 Yankees Yankees Yankees Red Sox Red Sox Red Sox
6 Cardinals Blue Jays Blue Jays A’s Yankees Dodgers
7 Blue Jays Cardinals Rangers Rangers A’s Blue Jays
8 A’s A’s Cardinals Yankees Blue Jays Rangers
9 Reds Rangers A’ss Astros Dodgers Cardinals
10 Rangers Padres Dodgers Blue Jays Rangers Reds
11-30 more more more more more more

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The Full Count: Liriano steals the show

1. Overshadowed: Roger Clemens, making his first start of the season, got all of the attention before and during last night’s game against the Twins. The home crowd loved him, and so did ESPN, as the network showed montage after montage of him before the game. But in the end, it was the pitcher Clemens was facing who should have got the attention. Francisco Liriano, the Twins’ fantastic rookie pitcher, continued his success this season. He threw 8 innings, allowing just 4 hits and 2 runs. Meanwhile, Clemens was just average. He allowed 2 runs in 5 innings, but was ineffective in working the count. The Rocket threw 100 pitches, three more than Liriano, just 59 of them for strikes. Meanwhile, Liriano improved to 7-1 this season with a 2.17 ERA. Unless he completely fails down the stretch, he should be a leading contender for AL Rookie of the Year. Oh by the way, the Twins won, 4-2.

2. The scoring stops here: The first two games of the White Sox-Cardinals series featured an outstanding 44 combined runs from both sides. How bout Game 3? Not so much on the offensive side. Cardinals pitcher Anthony Reyes, in just the third start of his career, shut down the White Sox the first 6 innings. He allowed no hits during that time to a team that had collected 40 hits the previous two games. But then one swing by Jim Thome changed everything, as he took a ball deep to right field for his 24th homer of the season. The hit was not only all the White Sox needed to win the 1-0 game, but it also was the only hit of the night for the team. Freddy Garcia and Bobby Jenks combined to shut out the Cardinals offense, which included Albert Pujols in the lineup for the first time in 20 days. Pujols went 0-4, and the Cardinals took a sweep from the defending World Champs.

3. A Royal-like performance: What hasn’t already been said about the Braves failures this year, as their recent horrendousness has been one of the top stories in all of baseball. This team just cannot find a way to win, as they have lost 10 in a row. Only the Cubs and Pirates have worse records among all NL teams, their bullpen is the worst in baseball, and only the Brewers, Royals, and Orioles have allowed more runs. And there is no end in sight to the Braves’ failures, at least for this year. They lost again last night to the Blue Jays, 3-2, as Mike Remlinger blew his third save of the year. Meanwhile, AJ Burnett returned to the mound for the first time since April, going 6 decent innings for the Jays. Toronto is only three games back of the Red Sox in the AL East, and if Burnett is successful that gap could close quickly.

4. Not a Royal-like performance: Okay, it’s hard to make anything out of a sweep of the 29th best team in baseball. Unless you’re the 30th best team in baseball. That’s right folks, the Kansas City Royals got a sweep over the Pirates. Now the Royals have won an astounding four games in a row, and their record has improved all the way to 22-49! Last night they won a sloppy 15-7 game over Pittsburgh, with 9 combined unearned runs and 4 combined errors. But at 25 games out of first place, we don’t think the Royals care how they win ballgames.

5. Due punishment: Ozzie Guillen has been out of control recently, to say the least. Not long after sending down a rookie pitcher for not hitting a batter, Guillen was suspended one game after another questionable beanball incident on Tuesday. Ozzie was also fined and sent to sensitivity training for his much-publicized slur against Jay Mariotti. Guillen has not apologized to Mariotti, and it doesn’t seem like he will anytime soon.