The BallPark Report: Tampa Bay Rays
Scott Engel takes an insider’s look at the Tampa Bay Rays
When the second week of May concluded in Major League Baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays were no longer in first place in the American League East. The surprising Baltimore Orioles took two of three from the Rays to take over possession of the top spot as the schedule moved to the mid-May point.
Inconsistency has plagued the Rays in the first month-plus of the season, as they dropped six of eight after winning 12 of 13. But no one doubts that this team will be near the top when it counts later this year. The Rays have tons of talent oozing from every corner of the roster. They also have a very tight-knit clubhouse, with excellent camaraderie. One veteran who came to Tampa Bay in the offseason told me that he definitely enjoys the clubhouse atmosphere a lot more than on his last team. Players refer to each other as “family”, and even seemingly menacing closer Fernando Rodney turns soft-spoken and speaks glowingly of his high comfort level in Tampa Bay.
Al Leiter’s Latest Mound Insights
Andy Pettitte is scheduled to return to the Yankees rotation this weekend. How effective can he be after missing a season? Why is Johan Santana is looking like he never missed time with an injury? And what the heck is wrong with Tim Lincecum?
To get answers to these hot questions and more, we spent some time with YES Network and MLB Network analyst Al Leiter at Yankee Stadium this week. Leiter breaks it down just like he used to carve up hitters when he was a player: With admirable craft and precision.
The BallPark Report: Arizona Diamondbacks
Scott Engel provides an insider’s view of the Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are the defending National League West champions. They are known for bearing the gusto and spark of their manager, Kirk Gibson. But lately, the team seems to be a hollow replica of the bunch that took the divisional flag last year, and they are struggling to recapture their stride as a unit. The Diamondbacks have been mired in third place in the NL West. They have been very disappointing at home, and their team ERA has been falling in the Major League ranks.
There’s certainly no lack of talent on this squad, with young standouts such as Justin Upton and Paul Goldschmidt offering a lot of promise. Veterans such as Aaron Hill and Jason Kubel have been strong early-season contributors. The starting pitching is certainly solid overall, and catcher Miguel Montero is a very important central figure on both offense and defense.
Cal Ripken Jr. on Today’s Greats
As current fans watch Derek Jeter seemingly defy all odds by playing some of the best baseball of his career at age 37, longtime baseball followers cannot help but start to think of some of the game’s greatest shortstops in the past. Before Jeter became the standard for others to follow, Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. was the ultimate model when it came to near-immortality on the diamond.
Known as the “Iron Man”, the Hall of Famer is best known for breaking Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played at 2,131. Ripken, who also worked at third base, was a 19-time All-Star and a member of baseball’s 3,000-hit club. Now a host on Sirius/XM’s MLB Network Radio, Ripken stopped by the RotoExperts morning show on Fantasy Sports Radio to chat about some important current trends.
The BallPark Report: Baltimore Orioles
Scott Engel provides an insider’s view of the Baltimore Orioles
Yes, it’s on early May, but reality already seems to be warped in the American League East. The Red Sox and Yankees are at the bottom of the division as play begins in the second week of the season. Yet things really seem to be out of whack at the top of the division, where the Baltimore Orioles reside. Yes, the Baltimore Orioles.
But don’t stop rubbing your eyes yet. There are more surprises to review. Such as the Orioles having the best record in all of baseball. That’s right, after 27 games, no one has a better winning percentage in the game. The shocking O’s are actually coming off a six-game road swing where they actually won five of six games against the Yankees and Red Sox. Yes, New York and Boston are at the bottom of the very competitive AL East, and that’s not major news yet, but the fact that it was the Orioles that put them there certainly raises the old eyebrows.
The BallPark Report: Detroit Tigers
Scott Engel provides an insider’s view of the Detroit Tigers
Finally, maybe the Tigers are back on track. Detroit won for just the third time in 11 games on Tuesday night, but did so in convincing fashion, thumping the Royals, 9-3. They are now one game over .500, but the offensive outburst should certainly offer some more hope going forward.
Detroit won nine of its first 12 games before dropping eight of its next 10 prior to Tuesday’s victory. Offensive inconsistency has contributed largely to the ballclub’s erratic play. Entering play on Tuesday, the Tigers were underachieving with a .243 team batting average (18th in the majors), .305 OBP (19th) and .391 OPS (16th). Ranking 29th in steals was not helping much, either. Neither was the team’s 4.27 ERA, which ranked 23rd.
The controversial suspension of outfielder Delmon Young this week for an incident that led to his arrest on a hate crime charge in New York has only added to the team’s challenges. Yet they remain confident and give opponents much to fear, especially over the long haul. Any team that can roll out Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and Justin Verlander in any series remains very dangerous no matter what the standings may indicate after just one month of regular season play.
The BallPark Report: Miami Marlins
Scott Engel provides an insider’s take on the Miami Marlins
With a new ballpark, a new look and newly-acquired big-name players, the Miami Marlins set out to establish a new identity for themselves this year. So far, they have. In the past, good Marlin teams would often play in front of sparse crowds until the postseason, when the locals would suddenly become interested.
Throughout the season’s first month, it was clear that such past trends were reversed. That’s not all good news, though. The Marlins are playing to larger crowds and South Floridians now seem to be taking more interest early in the season. Marlins attendance has been above 30,000 in eight of its first 11 home games. But the healthy attendance has also come with another new wrinkle. The team is playing very badly. They were in last place in the National League East as the schedule turned to May 1, having lost eight of their past nine. Now, the Marlins are getting people to come see them, but they are stinking up the joint, in stark contrast to years past, when they would play well or respectably often and the stands would be mostly empty.
The BallPark Report: New York Mets
Scott Engel visited the New York Mets clubhouse this week
Adversity continues to challenge the New York Mets. They are not only dealing with minimal expectations and tepid fan interest. Injuries continue to plague the ballclub, as Jason Bay has landed on the disabled list again, where newcomer Andres Torres has resided since the beginning of the season. Starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey has been lost for the season as he will undergo Tommy John surgery. Power hitters Ike Davis and Lucas Duda have struggled early on.
When former signature player Jose Reyes came to town as a Marlin for the first time this week, you could hear the frustration spew from the fan base. Reyes dealt with constant barbs from the crowd during pregame warm-ups and was roundly booed most times he stepped to the plate as a reminder of how the franchise has been squeezed financially.
Yet as the final weekend of the first month beckoned, the Mets were rather quietly and somewhat slightly exceeding expectations by keeping their record above .500. The team that has players wearing “Underdog” shirts in the clubhouse has embraced an “us against the pundits” mentality. Led by fiery and tenacious manager Terry Collins, the Mets have intended to sneer at the skeptics, and so far, they have succeeded simply by being competitive and respectable.
How long the Mets can keep the advent of high negativity away remains to be seen, and the team always seems to be on the verge of crumbling yet again. So far, though, the Mets have been survivors, and have not been walkover opponents for the teams they have faced.
The BallPark Report: San Francisco Giants
Scott Engel visited the San Francisco Giants clubhouse this week
Adversity continues to mount for the San Francisco Giants, who have dealt with some considerably bad turns since winning the World Series in 2010. They have lost superstar closer Brian Wilson for the season as he underwent Tommy John surgery, and Tim Lincecum’s rocky start to the season has been one of the biggest stories in Major League Baseball early in the 2012 campaign.
Yet an air of steely confidence and unrelenting resiliency surrounds this ballclub. No matter who you talk to, at any position, there’s a clear realization of what needs to be overcome. There is the patience to know it’s a long season and they seem to know they have lots of time to make the necessary adjustments and corrections to be a true contender. These Giants know how to scrap and claw. They are well coached and retain the strong chemistry and camaraderie that made them soar above expectations when they won it all in 2010.
The BallPark Report: New York Yankees
Scott Engel visited the New York Yankees clubhouse this week
Curtis making like Reggie in April last night...
It’s been an uneven start to the season for the New York Yankees as they seek their 28th World Championship. The 2012 campaign began with an unceremonious sweep by the Tampa Bay Rays, the team most likely to give New York a lot of trouble in their division and beyond this season. They did manage to take the brooms out for the Orioles thereafter, before taking two of three from the Angels. But they dropped two of the first three in a home series with Minnesota, a team they usually dominate at home.
The Yankees allowed 22 runs in their four-game set that concluded with the Twins on Thursday night. Yet they earned a split of the series with a 7-6 win over Minnesota in the final game of the set. The Yanks blasted four home runs, three by Curtis Granderson, their breakout star in 2011. As their first series of the season with the hated Red Sox looms on Friday, the Yanks seem to have the clear edge in momentum even though they have been inconsistent early. New York has won seven of 10 after dropping their first three, while Boston has lost eight of its first 12 games.
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