Lets Talk Real Baseball

Sunday's Power Rankings (Well kinda)........

2010-09-06T14:34:00.003-04:00

Sorry folks for this being a day late but here they are.

1. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays take over the number one spot form the Yankees. They are a younger and overall better team. They didn’t do much at the trade deadline but still have the team to make a deep run in the playoffs. Their rotation is by far the best in the American League if not the entire Major Leagues. Price has solidified himself as an ace with James Shields and Matt Garza two and three, respectfully; they would be a tough match for anyone in a five or seven game series. They don’t have the greatest offensive in baseball but they have a good mix of power and speed to give teams headaches.

2. New York Yankees
The Yankees are a great team but have been overtaken by the Rays. Their offense is what is keeping them in the two spot. They have a great lineup and a deep bench. Their pitching and age is where they drop off. What started in the beginning of the season as a good rotation has been very weak all year. A.J. Burnett has been the biggest disappointment for the Yankees staff and with Pettite hurt they have a lot of question marks going into the playoffs. Age has seemed to have lead to some injuries and decline in ability. Jeter is a year older and hitting 48 points off his career average. They still have a great team that can contend but are no longer number one.

3. Texas Rangers
This team seemed to have come out of nowhere this year. They signed Rich Harden in the offseason to be their number one starter but he hasn’t been very good at all this year. The emergence of C.J. Wilson has boosted their rotation and brought the team to life. They took a shot by signing Vlad in the offseason when no one thought he had anything left. He fits right in, in the middle of that lineup with batting average leader Josh Hamilton. They made a trade to get Cliff Lee before the deadline to give them a great one two punch going into the playoffs. If Rich Harden can figure out how to pitch again and stay healthy then no one will want to face this team.

4. Atlanta Braves
The Braves are kind of like the Rangers. People thought they would be good but not as good as they are now. Coming into the season they had a great rotation. It is one of the best in baseball one through five. With Hudson pitching like he did on the A’s he is locked up his spot as the Braves number one. Behind him there is Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrjens and Derek Lowe. They also have a great bullpen anchored by a rejuvenated Billy Wagner. One question mark for the Braves from Jump Street was their offense. The emergence of rookie of the year candidate Jason Heyward has helped with the big bat they needed in the middle of the lineup but that wasn’t enough, they made a great move at the trade deadline to pick up Derrek Lee from the Cubs. He could be the key to the Braves success in the playoffs.

5. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies have been somewhat of a disappointment coming in at the five spot. After getting Roy Halladay in the preseason they looked like the favorites in the weak National League but they started off slow and were plagued with injuries which dropped them in the NL East standings. Getting Victorino and Utley back will help out their normally high power offense. Before the trade deadline they got one of the best pitchers available. Their top three will be a scary match up for anyone in the playoffs and with their offense getting healthy they could shoot up this list before the season is over.

Honorable Mention
6. Boston Red Sox, 7. Minnesota Twins, 8. Cincinnati Reds, 9. San Fransisco Giants, 10. Chicago White Sox

Power Rankings

2010-09-02T20:54:00.002-04:00

1. Rays

The thing that puts them over the top of the Yankees is the rotation. Price is a legitimate number one to go along with "big game" James Shields, Matt Garza, Wade Davis, and Jeff Niemann. Not to mention Jeremy Hellickson who dominated in his brief stint in the rotation and is now transitioning to the pen. The Rays offense provides a good balance of speed and power to go along with a few power arms out of the pen.

Key player for rest of the season: Carl Crawford
Crawfords base stealing numbers usually tail off at the end of the season so for the Rays to stay near the top of the AL east he has to stay agressive on the bases. Crawford is key to the Rays success.

2. Yankees

I reluctantly put the Yankees second because of the inconsistency in the rotation. Sabathia and Hughes are the only ones who have pitched well enough to earn in spot in their postseason rotation. The third spot is up for grabs. Burnett has been extremely shaky this year, Pettite is hurt, Vasquez has been back and forth in the rotation and bullpen, and numerous spot starters havent performed as well. What keeps the Yankees so high in this weeks ratings is their offense. They have a threat in the order from 1-9, and have a better pen than the Rays with Joba, Kerry Wood, and Mariano Rivera providing a dominant trio at the back end of the bullpen.

Key player for the rest of the season: A.J. Burnett

Burnetts numbers have fallen off a cliff this year. And ERA over 5.00. His strikeout numbers, which is the key to his success, are dramatically down this season. If Burnett can get hot and solidify his spot as the Yankees third starter they will have a lot less to worry about come October.

3. Texas Rangers

Texas has shocked the west this year and they should easily go on to win the division. They bolstered their team midseason with the acquisitions of Jorge Cantu, Cliff Lee, and Bengie Molina which puts them at the top of this discussion. They have a lineup thats nearly similiar in terms of depth 1-9 as the Yankees with no weak spots. They have an extremely underrated rotation as four guys have sub 4.00 era's.

Key player the rest of the season:Cliff Lee

Lee has to assure Ron Washington the rest of the way that he can be the dominant number one they thought they were getting when they acquired him. Washington's confidence has been dampered latelely and Lee's ERA with Texas is approaching 5.00. If he doesnt get back into his old form C.J. Wilson could take over as the number one heading into the postseason.

4. Braves

The Braves have continued to improve their team throughout the season with the additions of Derrek Lee and Rick Ankiel. They have had breakout season from Jason Heyward, Omar Infante, and Martin Prado. Just like the other teams on this list the Braves have a tough lineup top to bottom. The only thing lacking is the big power bat in the middle. The 2 big arms of Hanson and Hudson anchor a strong rotation. Not to mention they have the best bench in the majors, which could play in big in the playoffs. They should be the NL favorites entering the postseason.

Key player for the rest of the season: Derrek Lee

Its no secret that Lee has struggled this season. His average is down over 50 points, and more importantly his home run and rbi numbers half been cut nearly in half. There is still a month left in the season but unless he gets red hot he wont come close to his numbers from last year. The Braves desperately need his power for the playoff push. Unless he picks it up opposing teams will have nothing to fear in the middle of that lineup.

5. Padres

Pitching, speed, and defense have carried this team to the best record in the NL with no real superstars exluding Adrian Gonzalez. They made a few moves at the trade deadline to improve the team with the acquisitions of Miguel Tejada and Ryan Ludwick. But the number one reason for their success is pitching. Mat Latos, Jon Garland, and Clayton Richard have proved to be a solid 1-2-3 combo at the top of the rotation. And unknowns like Luke Gregorson have sealed up a reliable bullpen. If pitching wins championships the Padres may be the team to watch in October.

Key player for the rest of the season: Ryan Ludwick

Ludwick has to provide protection Adrian Gonzalez to avoid letting opponents simply pitch around him. If Ludwick can pick it up opposing teams will have a nightmare trying to pick their poison between him and Gonzalez.

Year of the Pitcher?

2010-09-01T20:46:00.004-04:00

With all the talk about 2010 being the year of the pitcher, there are three players fighting for the NL offensive triple crown. Yes there has been three no-hitters and two perfect games but the offensive numbers have not fallen off by much. The no-hitters are over shadowing great seasons being put together by major league hitters. Albert Pujols, Joey Votto, and Carlos Gonzalez all have a chance to lead the National League in batting average, home runs, and RBIs. This feat was last accomplished 43 years ago by Red Sox great Carl "Yaz" Yastrzemski and hasn't been done in the National League since Joe Medwick did it for St. Louis in 1937. If you can't tell how hard it is to lead in all three categories by seeing how long its been since its happened think about how baseball has changed. You have players that are there just to hit home runs or you have a speedy contact hitter that will take the batting title. And it's not just the national league that is putting up offensive numbers. In the beginning of the season Miguel Cabrera looked like a legit contender for the American League triple crown until Jose Bautista decided he wanted to start crushing the ball and Josh Hamilton went on a 23 game hitting streaking. Bautista is on pace to have more home runs then anyone in 2009 and Hamilton is hitting an amazing .361. Cabrera is still putting up great numbers and leads all of Major League Baseball in RBIs. Even if you just focus on the pitching stats themselves there were 13 starters with sub-3.00 ERAs last year and there are 15 starters this year. That's only two more in a year where everyone is saying pitching is dominating. I love pitching just as much as the next guy but its frustrating to hear all the "analyst" talk about pitching when there are some great offensive stories.

Top AL Offensive Rookies

2010-09-01T20:05:00.002-04:00

Numerous rookies are contributing all around the league this year. And 3 rookies are standing above the rest offensively in the American League. Brennan Boesch, John Jaso, and Austin Jackson have all put up impressive numbers for two good balls clubs.

Brennan Boesch
Boesch is the power threat of the group leading all AL rookies in home runs, rbis, and he second in slugging only behind Carlos Santana who has played in less than half as many games. He has 19 more rbi's then John Jaso who is well behind in second. Boesch is also 3rd in runs scored, 2nd in hits, 2nd in total bases,and 2nd in doubles. The few knocks on Boesch is that he doesnt work the count well as his OBP sits at only .329. But he has undoubtedly been the biggest AL rookie power threat thus far in the season.

John Jaso
Jaso has played a vital role in the Rays success this season. He has batted all over the lineup and has settled in recently as Joe Maddons leadoff hitter. Jaso hasnt played in as many games as the other players but he'll still end up playing in over 110 games. He currently leads all AL rookies in on base percentage and walks. Jaso's most impressive stat is that he has 47 walks on the year compared to only 32 strikeouts, one of the main reasons that he hits at the top of the order. Jaso has quickly become one of the most important hitters in the Rays lineup, and much of their success depends on him.

Austin Jackson
After being acquired in the offseason from the Yankees, the speedy Jackson has quickly accended to the top of the list as one of the most dangerous leadoff hitters in the AL. He is one off two AL rookies hitting over .300 as he sits at .304, trailing only Danny Valencia who has 296 less at bats. He leads all AL rookies in stolen bases, 17 ahead of the number two base stealer. He leads in hits, at bats, total bases, runs, doubles, and triples. To go along with that he is suprisingly 4th in slugging. Jackson has all the tools to make him a dominant force in the leadoff spot for years to come. He has the perfect combination of speed, average, and baseball savviness to keep setting the table atop the Detroit lineup. Not to mention his ability in the outfield to track down balls with his blazing speed.

My Pick: Austin Jackson
The importance of a stable leadoff hitter can never be underestimated and that is why Jackson is my pick as the best AL offensive rookie. Across the board he has been a better all around hitter than both Jaso and Boesch, and also leads in more major offensive categories than any of the competitors on the list. Jackson has the ability to hit at the top of almost any team in the majors, impressive for a player this early into his career. He has been possibly the most reliable and statistically impressive leadoff hitters in all of the American League this season. What impresses me the most about him is that he is in the discussion for the top leadoff hitter in the AL, which cannot be said when comparing the other players on this list to other players in the leage. Jacksons defense and offense combine to make him a nightmare for opposing teams to gameplan for.

Please comment and let me know what you think of my selection, and any suggestions for other AL offensive rookies that could be in the discussion.

Long Road to Recovery- Tommy John Surgery

2010-09-01T19:58:00.004-04:00

I have been a baseball player throughout my entire life. The long season of baseball extends from the beginning of spring until the end of fall. Not only is the baseball season long in duration, it is a physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding season and a yearly commitment to practice, games, showcases, and strength and conditioning training. Over the years I have come to question, when does the baseball season begin and end? A simple question that involves an extended answer. I have come to conclude that that the baseball season never ends, it just began when were young, continued through our teenage years and into adulthood.

Last week, Washington Nationals rookie sensation, Stephen Strasburg was diagnosed with a strain of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), requiring Tommy John surgery. Tommy John surgery requires surgical reconstruction of the UCL, a ligament located on the medial aspect of the elbow. Well known strength and conditioning specialist, Eric Cressey (ericcressey.com) of Cressey Performance located in the Boston area, has written extensively on the subject of elbow injuries, specifically to the baseball population. I would encourage all of the blog readers to view his daily blog, as there is much educational material on the subject of baseball and strength and conditioning training in regards to athletes of all sports and general population clients, as well as those who share a passion for baseball or the strength and conditioning industry.

When discussing Tommy John surgery, the most common issue that arises is the rehabilitation, recovery, and treatment protocols. It has been estimated that Strasburg might not pitch another professional game until the 2012 season, well over one year of recovery.

I have had many years of experience rehabilitating with physical therapist and chiropractors, incorporating various methods of treatment protocols. My most recent injury occurred my freshman year of high school, when I re- stress fractured my lumbar 5 vertebrae a week prior to the start of the season.

The main purpose of this blog is to not discuss the extent of my injury. The main purpose is to discuss the rehabilitation and treatment process to develop better awareness of the improved treatment methods and develop better awareness for all the professionals alike in the health and fitness industry. I had the greatest privilege of rehabbing with Doctor Waide Miller, who I would encourage the blog readers and health and fitness professionals to research. (thearpdoc.com)

The bases of my treatment protocols consisted of utilizing the ARP (accelerated recovery performance) wave, an electrical stimulation machine that uses bio- electrical current, simultaneously with active range of motion through various exercises. Again, my main purpose for writing this blog is to develop awareness of this technology and treatment protocols throughout the health and fitness industry because I believe this method of treatment is superior to many methods in rehabilitation, recovery, and performance enhancement. I am not an expert the topic of rehab, or any topic for that matter, so I would encourage the health and fitness professionals to research and learn about the ARP wave(arpwave.com, getarp’d.com).

I believe with technology such as the ARP wave being used in the rehabilitation field, injuries such as Tommy John may not involve over one year of recovery, but could be avoided altogether. The health and fitness industry not only has the advantage of utilizing the ARP wave as a method of treatment, but injury prevention and performance enhancement, as we are always searching for new and improved methods. My experience with the ARP wave has come to question past and present treatment protocols in rehab, and I continue to search for the superior methods alike. If a treatment protocol such as the ARP wave has been a superior method of treatment and performance enhancement, why is it not well- known throughout the health and fitness industry? A superior tool that allows athletes to recover in half or less time to return to the playing field in matter of 3-6 months, opposed to a year and a half recovery. Why would we not want to become more familiar with the ARP wave treatment? So I ask, does Tommy John surgery or any injury for that matter, have to be a long road to recovery?

New Addition to the Team

2010-09-01T19:51:00.002-04:00

We have added a new member to our blog team. Ace's cousin Christoper "Kip" Steingart. He will be bringing his knowledge of baseball and sports medicine to give us a new angle to blog about.

Baseball Just a Business?

2009-08-03T01:10:00.002-04:00

Ever wonder why a team keeps there stud prospect down in the minors until halfway through a season even though they need him or he is clearly ready to come up? Its for arbitration reasons. They want to be able to keep the player for an extra year for a discounted price. Yes this is a smart move but its turning baseball into a business rather than a game. Take the Braves for example, they kept Tommy Hanson down until the beginning of June and fell back in the NL East race. He has been outstanding for them in his short career and if he were there for the start of the season that could have been a lot more wins for the Braves. The Braves could have been in first place and put more pressure on the Phillies to trade all the prospects away to get Halladay. The O's did the same thing to Matt Weiters. He was their prized prospect and they kept him down for money reasons. The O's are out of contention in the powerhouse AL East but they could have at least done it for the fans. The fans pay good money to see their home team year after year the front office at least owes them the best team they can put out on the field. Now there are talks that after sending Cameron Maybin down the Marlins are keeping him their just to have him an extra year. Do they know they are in the middle of a playoff race and could use all the help they can get? It happens every year and us fans have to sit and wait to see the up and coming stars because the owners don't want to have to dish out the millions of dollars a year before they have to. I think that the front office personal needs to put the best team out there so they can win and make baseball a game for the fans sake.

Manny Ramirez an All Star?

2009-06-02T11:17:00.002-04:00

There is a debate going around with Manny sitting at 4th in the NL all star outfielders fan voting. People say that because Manny was suspended for using performance enhancing drugs then he shouldn't be able to play. Personal I agree but not because he was suspended but because he hasn't produced. The all star game should be about the players that are stars in the league at the time. Fan voting should be taken away because its not about stats to most of them its a popularity contest. It should be the players and coaches voting for who is having the best season to play in the game. I don't see Torii Hunter, Nelson Cruz, or Carl Crawford killing the voting even though they are having great years. I do see Josh Hamilton in the starting slot with his .240 batting average and 6 home runs. He is a great player and has been hurt but there is no reason he should be an all star. I don't want to see players on the DL or players way past there prime get in. Its not fair to the young guys having great years. I am sure if there was DH voting David Ortiz would be leading. Manny is great and has been great throughout his career and I understand that its the ALL STAR game so it should be full of stars but if you aren't producing then you shouldn't be in the game. Let the guys having the good years get a shot. It might be there only one.

And the Struggles Continue....

2009-05-29T23:41:00.001-04:00

David Ortiz isn't having a career year. He is actually having a year that will probably be one of if not the worst of his career. I bet most Boston fans would like to believe that Big Papi is just having a bad year because his wrist is still hurt. I highly doubt that. People can say all they want but its plan and simple. He is struggling because he doesn't have Manny. Its really that easy folks. Nothing is going to help him. Not moving him down in the lineup or letting him sit out some games. Its just that pitchers don't have to worry about pitching to anyone with the ability to hit that Manny brought to that lineup. You see how great Manny made all the Dodgers hitters around him. Well that's what he did for David Ortiz. Coming over from the Twins he was a 20 home run hitter. So how does he go from 20 home runs to 50 home runs you ask? Well PED (Performance Enhancing Drugs), short wall in right field, and Manny hitting behind you help. Its sad to see someones career just kind of end like that but he isn't going to be helping with the bat any time soon unless he wants to hop back on the roids and he sure won't do anything in the field so I guess its good by Big Papi. You had a good run while it lasted.

Just saying hello...

2009-05-29T23:31:00.003-04:00

Hello, My name is Zachary Hoffmann. I will be writing this blog with my good friend Nick Steingart. We met around first or second grade and have been best friend ever since. We both grew up loving this great sport and have played it all our lives. We would like to think we knew more then your average fan and we would love to keep you coming back reading our opinions. If you like what you read tell your friends. We are trying the best we can to get our names out in the baseball world.

Thanks for reading,
Zach "Hoff" Hoffmann
Nick "Ace" Steingart