September 2009
9/30 MLB Tonight – Twins-Tigers Preview
One of our main storylines this evening will be game 3 of the Twins-Tigers series. It’s a must win for Minnesota tonight and they have the right guy on the mound.
The Twins brought in Carl Pavano for this game. He’s 4-0 against the Tigers this season and if you look at the pitching matchups the next 2 nights they favor Minnesota. It’s Pavano vs. Bonine tonight and Baker vs. Robertson tomorrow night. There’s a good chance the AL Central will be tied heading into Friday night. I honestly think that this race will come down to the final day and may even need an extra day.
Another thing we’re going to discuss is this year’s possible award winners. I like Joe Mauer for the AL MVP and Albert Pujols for the NL MVP. I still haven’t decided on the AL Cy Young award winner. I want to see how Zack Greinke and Felix Hernandez do in their last start. The NL Cy Young race will be close too, but right now I’m leaning towards Adam Wainwright. As far as my Rookie of the Year choices you’ll have to tune in tonight at 6 to find out. There are a lot of good ones to choose from.
Don’t forget we’re on an hour early tonight with Path to the Pennant at 5 followed by MLB Tonight at 6.-Dave Valle
9/29 MLB Tonight – View From Outside the Dugout
After the Twins and Tigers game, we are going to break down the Brewers and Rockies matchup. Even though the Braves have fallen out of the sky to put a little heat on the Rockies, the Rockies are still my favorite for the Wild Card. Once they’re in it’s a different story because of a few weaknesses that need to be straightened out in the last days of the season.
Two challenges stand out in my mind: the pitching of Jason Marquis, and the Rockies lineup against left handed pitchers. It’s time for Jason Marquis to step up. Here’s a guy who had a great first half, which is his trademark, but he can’t escape his other trademark which is a pitcher who needs to put two good halves together and complete a season. He’s carried the wagon for most of the season, but this start tonight might just determine if he’s going to have a spot in the rotation come playoff time.
The other challenge the Rockies need to address in these next few games is their lineup against left handed pitching. With 4 out of the next 6 games against lefties, Jim Tracy will be able to shuffle around guys like Garrett Atkins, Ryan Spilborghs, Carlos Gonzalez, Seth Smith, and Dexter Fower to see whose stroke is in rhythm with the southpaws.
With all of our focus on the playoffs, it’s time to shift on a few teams that will be going home in a week. For the Rangers and the Giants, the season was just two weeks too long. They took a few steps forward, and now they see what improvements need to be made in the offseason.
And with 81 wins the Marines had a season they can feel good about. It didn’t take long for the entire organization to put that 100 loss season in the rear view mirror. From players to scouts, coaching staff to the front office, all around top to bottom, the organization was completely turned around, and there’s a team to look forward to next season.
It’s playoff time, no second guessing – Clint Hurdle
9/29 MLB Tonight – Musings of a Play by Play Guy
So I’m sitting here watching the 1990 World Series highlights on MLB Network as my Oakland A’s eventually get swept by the Cincinnati Reds. There’s no way that should have happened, which brings me to the point of today’s blog. It’s not always the best team that wins it’s the hottest and you have to be in it to win it.
Let’s start with the Atlanta Braves who heading into tonight have won 15 of their last 17 and are only 2 games back of the NL Wild Card. On September 12th they were 6.5 games behind the Rockies. This is an interesting spot for Colorado as just 2 years ago they were the hunter and now they are the hunted. They won 14 of their last 15 games to make the playoffs and went onto to win 21 of 22 overall and now the Braves are trying to do the same. I think the announcement of Bobby Cox retiring after next season has made this even more interesting for the Braves. We’ll see this week if they can pull this off and make the postseason.
The other great race is in the AL Central and the Twins pulled to within a game of the Tigers after their 3-2 win in 10 innings today. They’ll try and draw even with them tonight in game 2 of their DH that can be seen on MLB Network. The Twins are another hot team as they have now won 12 of their last 14 as they are trying to chase down the Tigers. As we saw with the Angels in 2002 and then the Marlins the following year it’s not always the team that was good all year that wins it all. Sometimes it’s the team that got hot at the right time. The key of course is to get in.
It’s going to be a fun week as we have 2 races coming down to the wire. It all starts tonight with Path to the Pennant at 5, the MLB Tonight at 6, and the Twins and Tigers at 7.-Matt Vasgersian
9/28 Path to the Pennant Debut
We’re debuting a new show today called “Path to Pennant.” It will air all this week from 5-6 as a lead-in to MLB Tonight. This is where our network is different from everyone else. We can bring you baseball in a variety of ways.
We’re going to begin the show tonight discussing the 10 teams that have a shot at the winning the World Series. I know there are only 8 playoff spots, but the Braves and Twins still have a great shot at making it with one week to go. Atlanta is 2.5 back in the NL Wild Card race and Minnesota is only 2 back in the AL Central and they begin a 4-game set in Detroit tonight. We are carrying this game on MLB Network.
The Twins-Tigers series is going to be fun to watch this week. We’ll be breaking it down from every angle. Tonight Harold Reynolds will be talking about Nick Blackburn, Tom Verducci will discuss Rick Porcello and our John Hart will break down the pitching matchups in all 4 games.
The other big topic tonight will be on the Yankees and Cardinals since they both clinched their divisions over the weekend. Harold’s going to break down the seasons of Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, and Johnny Damon and how they’ve benefited from the short porch in right field at the new Yankee Stadium. He’s also going to look at facing the Cardinals’ Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright back to back and whether that’s good or bad.
Make sure you tune in to all of it tonight. Path to the Pennant at 5, MLB Tonight at 6, Twins-Tigers at 7 and then MLB Tonight after the game.-Greg Amsinger
9/25 MLB Tonight – Thing’s Things
Tonight at 11, we’ve got the playoff races flowing on tap.
Only one interesting playoff race is going on right now, and it’s in the AL Central. The showdown between the Tigers and Twins is going to be a fight to the finish.
I mean for me, what makes baseball exciting is that after the long season it comes down to four games to determine it all.
One team’s going home.
One team’s going to the playoffs.
Who’s it gonna be??
In the NL, it’s plain and simple; the bullpen that pitches the best is going to carry their team in the playoffs.
To me, the Dodgers have the potential to make it to the series because they have the best bullpen. With Jonathan Broxton, George Sherrill, and Ramon Troncoso firing on all cylinders they could be taking the Dodgers for a long ride in October.
And if we’re talking about bullpens, we should probably talk about the Phillies. It’s simple, if they don’t get Scott Eyre and J.C. Romero back, it’s trouble.
If Brad Lidge can’t get his game straightened out, more trouble.
Add the playoffs and that’s a whole heap of trouble. The offense is going to have to score a ton of runs with that bullpen. – Mitch Williams
9/25 MLB Tonight – Musings of a Play by Play Guy
We have a must see segment on the show tonight. Make sure you set your DVR’s between 6:30 and 7 as we’ll show you some of the great work from MLB Productions. It’s a 5 minute vignette covering some of the greatest sound in baseball from memorable calls, interviews, sound bytes, emotions and live sound from games. You’ll see some footage that you’ve never seen before and it will reaffirm that baseball is the greatest sport. Our colleagues over at MLB Productions do great work so make sure you check it out.
I’d also like to talk about the Oakland A’s today. This was my team growing up and considering how well the A’s are playing in September what’s going on in Oakland right now is a shame.
It’s nearly impossible for the A’s to compete consistently because they need a new stadium and have no prospects for one. There are a few people we can thank for this. The former Mayor of Oakland Jerry Brown is one who did not help the A’s get a stadium in any way. The second person we can thank is Raiders owner Al Davis. He ruined the ballpark when he brought the Raiders back by blocking the great views of the Oakland Hills.
Think about the players that have come through Oakland this decade alone. We’re talking Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, Tim Hudson, Miguel Tejada, and Jason Giambi. They were not able to keep this group together and with no new ballpark on the horizon they may not be able to keep their current crop of young talent. Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill both registered double digit wins at the age of 21, but what is their future in Oakland with no new ballpark plans?
The reason I’m working at MLB Network today is because I followed the A’s growing up. I carried a Shooty Babitt card in my velcro wallet. In addition to the great job I have now I’d love to be a front office executive for the A’s with my only responsibility being to find a new ballpark. They deserve it and so do the fans. Make sure you watch MLB Tonight at 6. – Matt Vasgersian
9/24 MLB Tonight – The Hot Corner with Hazel Mae
Here’s what’s HOT……The Albert Pujols Golf Tournament.
Don’t know if you guys caught the early edition of MLB tonight. In addition to the A’s crushing the Rangers, and maybe crushing their playoff hopes, you would have seen highlights of the Albert Pujols Charity Golf Tournament!
Yours truly got to tee it up with Pujols, and the rest of the Cardinals team. Bobby Knight, Tony La Russa, and The Wizard of Oz, Ozzie Smith, were also a few who came out to support Albert’s foundation.
One thing that really amazed me was the fact that every player on the Cardinals showed up. In the middle of the season to see them all out there says a lot about the character of the Cardinals as a team. It also shows how much respect Albert’s teammates have for him on and off the field.
And here’s a shocker: Albert Pujols is an amazing golfer! He just continues to prove he is an overall incredible athlete.
Being there also gave me a great chance to improve my developing golf game. One of Albert’s tips was to stop using my Red Sox golf balls.
I’ve got to tell you, it made me a little nervous hitting in the group in front of PGA golfer Chris DiMarco. That and my golf partners calling me Heather Mae really took me out of my game.
Overall, it was a great experience for a great cause, way to go Albert, knocked it out of the park!
So check it out; it’s the Pujols Family and Faith Foundation. They do amazing work with people with Down Syndrome, disabilities, life threatening illnesses, and families struck with poverty in his native Dominican Republic.
Till next time, keep it in the fairway. – Hazel Mae
9/24 MLB Tonight – Hart of the Matter
We’re coming on after the World Cup game between USA and Cuba so make sure you tune it a little earlier tonight.
We’ll begin with the Cardinals who can clinch a playoff spot with a loss by the Cubs this evening. It’s amazing the job Tony LaRussa has done. At the beginning of the year he didn’t know what to expect from Chris Carpenter and he didn’t have a closer. Carpenter is back to being his ace and Ryan Franklin has stepped up to be his closer. Also, remember he didn’t have anyone to protect Pujols to start the season, but he had his team in good shape until they got Matt Holliday and we all know how that trade has worked out. Let’s not also forget the moves to bring in DeRosa, Lugo, and Smoltz. The Cardinals know how to stay in the race year in and year out and a lot of the credit has to go to their manager.
Another team that’s interesting is the Twins. This is a team that is always in the mix year in and year out and they have to do it with a low payroll. They lose players like Johan Santana and Torii Hunter, but can replace them with a Joe Mauer and Justin Morneuau. Even with Morneau out for the season they are right there with the Tigers with players like Michael Cuddyer stepping up. Their race with the Tigers down the stretch will be fun to watch.
Speaking of the Tigers they are playing in our Thursday night game tonight against the Indians. They have had a great turnaround from a year ago with letting players go like Gary Sheffield and Edgar Renteria and allowing young players to flourish like Rick Porcello. With Justin Verlander, Edwin Jackson, and Porcello at the top of that rotation the Tigers could be a tough out in the playoffs.-John Hart
9/23 MLB Tonight – The Left Wing
Tonight we’re going to focus on teams that are postseason bound, mainly closer situations.
With the exception of Mariano Rivera, most playoff bound teams have some closer issues going into these last few games.
Ryan Franklin, Brad Lidge, and Brian Fuentes, have all been inconsistent this season, and going into the postseason, that’s never a good feeing in a managers gut.
What strikes me going into October this year is that any of the 8 teams in the mix will have as good a chance as any to win it all.
The Yankees are the best team right now, with the Cardinals right behind them.
Having a one-two punch of CC Sabathia/A.J. Burnett (who got back on track today) or Chris Carpenter/Adam Wainwright at the top of the rotation is solid, and adding those dangerous lineups into the mix is what makes them my favorites right now.
It’s important for teams like the Yankees and the Cardinals, who have their playoff births wrapped up to rest their players, but it’s usually the team playing their best at the end of the season that does the most damage. It’s time for them to turn it on.
To me, they’ve got some big targets on their backs this October; let’s see how they’ll handle that added pressure.
And how about Chad Billingsley tonight, taking a no-hitter into the 7th is a step in the right direction because the Dodgers really need him. Adding him to Randy Wolf and Clayton Kershaw will really step it up for them. – Dan Plesac
9/23 MLB Tonight – Billy Ripken’s Take
So the New York Yankees are the first team to qualify for the postseason. The thing we’re going to find out from this club this year is can you truly buy yourself a world championship?
The Yankees went away from devoloping players a long time ago and have gone the free agent route. Now this did not work with Mike Mussina and Jason Giambi, but it may for CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira. If it does what does that say to the rest of the baseball teams out there? These teams have to outwork the Yankees with shrewd moves and proper scouting where NY can just throw money at any problems they have.
The Yankees have a long way to go though before we say their offseason was a success. They need to come away with a championship. If not, they spent over 400 million dollars this season with nothing to show for it and as we know it’s all about rings with the Yankees who haven’t won one since 2000 when they had home grown players and excellent role players.
Do the Yankees have an unfair advantage? If they win people will say yes. If they don’t then it’s a different story. You need intangibles to win a championship. The Yankees may have brought in the right players to win this year, which shows you that it’s not how much money you spend, but who you spend it on. We’ll find out if it works out in about 6 weeks.
Make sure you watch MLB Tonight starting at 6.-Billy Ripken
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