Tagged: Mike Scioscia
11/18 Hot Stove – The HOT Corner with Hazel Mae
Here’s What’s HOT……Doc on the Block.
Congratulations to Mike Scioscia and Jim Tracy, two skippers who lead their teams through difficult situations to a great and successful season. Hats off to you gentlemen.
Hope you’ll tune in at 6pm Eastern, where in the Insider Segment, I’ll be sitting down with Sports Illustrated Senior Writer, and MLB Network’s own Jon Heyman to discuss some potential trades.
The biggest trade commodity out there is Roy Halladay, from my hometown Toronto Blue Jays.
Toronto’s rookie GM Alex Anthopoulos said he was open to the idea of trading Halladay in the AL East, something former GM J.P. Ricciardi was adamant about averting.
The interesting twist in this development is that the biggest suitors out there for the former CY Young winner are the Yankees and Red Sox. Halladay has always been a “Yankee Killer,” and would do wonders for a Red Sox team that has lost their starting pitching depth due to injuries and trades.
For the Yankees, the addition of Halladay to a stacked staff that already includes C.C. and A.J. could potentially be lethal to all of baseball.
The tug-of-war over Halladay might just be another chapter in the already heated Red Sox/Yankees rivalry. And you know the MLB Network will be there as this battle unfolds.
Halladay is a fierce competitor and his timeline for winning a championship might not be aligned with the Blue Jays plans for building a championship team.
Do I want Roy Halladay, possibly the best player ever to wear a Toronto uniform, to win a championship elsewhere?
NO, but can a trade for Halladay help this young Jays team be more competitive when they’re ready to put up a fight against the heavyweights in the AL East?
I don’t know, but I do know growing up a Jays’ fan, I’d hate to face Doc in Game 7 of the ALCS, that would be painful…especially in anything other than a Toronto uniform.
Till next time, eh? – Hazel Mae
Click here to watch our segment on Roy Halladay from Wednesday night.
10/23 MLB Tonight – Thursday’s Thriller
Before we move to Game 6, we need to dig deep into the Angels victory last night.
People want a formula that works with regards to keeping your ace in a close game, because last night was a mess.
Aaron Boone said to me, as we were watching Lackey getting pulled, that pitchers usually plead their case with managers on the mound, but yesterday, because of the Fox production staff, you really got to see an extreme closeup of John Lackey just pleading, begging Mike Scioscia not to come to the mound. He was screaming, “Come on Sciosch, This is Mine, This Is Mine,” because he knows that once his skipper makes up his mind, there’s no two ways about it, his decision is made.
I think Joe Magrane said it best, “If you’re going to take out your ace, you’ve got to get better.” Darren Oliver has come up big for the Angels, but he is not better than John Lackey, and that move almost cost them their season. Flipping Teixeira around to the right side was not a big enough reason to take Lackey out of the game. Taking Lackey out was huge, that one move could have ended the Angels season.
But Joe Girardi bailed him out by sending A.J. out for the 7th. OK, I get the rationale; 80 pitches, cruising after a rocky 1st, and pitching with a lead, but is a tiring A.J. really the best option? He needed to showcase right there why the Yankees have been the best team during the regular season, and ride Joba, Hughes, and Rivera into the World Series. Instead, A.J. was sent out there to face finely tuned hitters seeing him for the 3rd time. His stuff was shaky and inconstant all night, and he couldn’t get the job done when he finally got a lead. By keeping A.J. in, Girardi turned the back end of the bullpen into a convoluted mess, and bailed out Mike Scioscia.
But we’re not done yet, because Fuentes almost stepped in and bailed out Girardi. There was some high drama in that 9th inning with Fuentes going up against the meat of the Yankee order, and looking at that inning, luck was in the air at the Big A.
Damon smashed a liner, Tex just missed a moon shot, and then A-Rod got the Barry Bonds treatment. Wildness loads the bases, but Swisher popped up a 3-2 pitch, and we have a Game 6.
At this point we’re not looking at a crisp October night; there is some heavy rain on the way to the Bronx. If a rain-out becomes reality, advantage Angels because of the pitching.
If Saturday doesn’t happen, the way Jered Weaver looked last night I won’t be surprised if he steps in for Game 6. John Lackey is gonna pitch on 3-days rest, and a Game 7 is not what the Yankees want.
There’s so much to talk about, so join us at 6 for MLB Tonight. – Greg Amsinger
9/22 MLB Tonight – B. Larks Blog
Tonight we’re going to break down the playoff races to see what’s carrying teams into October baseball.
The Angels and Yankees might just be a preview of what we will see in October. Last night the Angels seemed to put it all together, and there’s no better time than now. With all the injuries to key players, inconsistency, and the tragic death of Nick Adenhart, there have been two keys which have carried the Angels:
Bobby Abreu’s consistency and patience in the line up.
Mike Scioscia’s professional approach to managing the ballclub.
It’s remarkable what they have done this season.
With Joe Girardi giving his players time off, the Yankees haven’t been cruising into October, but with 9 games left, it’s time for them to get focused, and revved up so they don’t stall in the playoffs.
In the Central, the Tigers will have a big test tonight against an Indians team they have dominated all season. Let’s see if Edwin Jackson can bounce back tonight, because with Jarrod Washburn’s bad knee, and an inconsistent offense, the Twins are knocking loud and hard on the door atop the AL Central.
And let’s talk about those Twins who have been simply amazing, mainly because they have been doing it without that “wow” guy going out there every five days. Their pitching staff reminds me a lot of Brad Radke, getting hitters out with sinkers, and backed by the always consistent defense, this year led by Orlando Cabrera.
The Twins seem to have taken a page from the Angels’ book on playing winning baseball. They have won with a patient approach and guys stepping in for injured stars. Joe Mauer, MVP??? Guys like Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer have really stepped up since Justin Morneau was shut down with a bad back. They need to keep playing well going into their crucial series in Detroit.
Denard Span has also been a huge part of the Twins offense. I’m interested in seeing how Span comes back from being hit in the head last night. I got hit early in my career and it took me a while to get comfortable in the batters box.
One guy to keep and eye on tonight is Zack Greinke. If he wants to win the CY Young, he’s going to have to pitch well against playoff teams. This is also his 1st appearance since being drilled on the elbow, so let’s see if he can get the job done.
Turing to the NL race, it’s do or die for the Giants. Tonight against the Diamondbacks they’ve got to take care of business, especially against Mark Reynolds, who has 43 Home Runs going into tonight.
In San Diego the Rockies are going up against a Padres team which has been playing well of late. Can they do to the Rockies what they have done to the Giants and Dodgers? Or can the Rockies hold on to what they’ve got, with Jorge De La Rosa on the hill tonight, a hot Troy Tulowitzki, and a resurgent Jason Giambi?
See you next time- Barry Larkin
MLB Network 