Annie asks: Hi Buck, with Game 5 set to go Tuesday night between the Rangers and the Rays, who has the advantage, the Rangers with veteran Cliff Lee or the Rays with youngster David Price? Normally I’d say whoever had Lee would win, but are the Rays holding the hot hand after winning two straight?
BUCK: Annie, I think you are right on the money with the momentum of the Rays and that would have been a factor if Game 5 was on Monday instead of Tuesday as both teams were away from the park with a full off-day. This should be a classic match-up of a veteran with a perfect record in the post season in Cliff Lee and the newcomer David Price who I think will win the AL Cy Young Award.
Lee was great in Game 1 and worked out of a tough situation in the first. He should be a good again but Evan Longoria is in a better place right now than he was in the series opener. Price too had problems in the first, got out of the inning but never really got into the flow of the game with his secondary pitches. Although he throws harder than Lee, Price needs his secondary pitches (curve, slider and change) to make up for his lack on pinpoint location that works so well for Lee. As for who has the advantage in Game 5, I think Price will be better with a start under his belt but still think Lee will shut down the Rays’ bats and Texas advances.
Parker asks: Hi Buck, how much pressure is on Bud Selig to expand the use of instant replay in the playoffs? Upon review, Michael Young should have been out on a checked swing then hit a three-run homer, while Buster Posey should have been out on a steal of second and scored the only run of the Giants’ Game 1 win over the Braves? Do you still prefer the human element or is it time to start using some of the technology available?
BUCK: Parker, I still don’t think there is a tremendous amount of support for expanding the replay. If you really watched the playoffs you may see four or five calls that might have been reversed with additional replay, but there are still calls that replay can’t define even with frame-by-frame, slow-motion, high-digital replay. I like it the way it is and think it will stay that way for a while. That being said, I know the umpires are working on a proposal that would include expanded replay, but want to make sure it is flawless before they make their pitch.
John asks: Hi Buck, Ken Rosenthal of foxsports.com reported a few days ago that ex-Blue Jays GM and current Phillies advisor Pat Gillick is interested in being a GM again. Since his preference apparently is the west coast, where do you see him fitting in?
BUCK: I really don’t see Pat Gillick coming back into the action. He has little to prove in the game. He has left his mark on four different franchises and can be proud of how he left each of those teams in good shape. Seattle is a place he really likes but I don’t see him going back there. The Athletics, Giants, Angels, Padres, Dodgers and Diamondbacks all seem to be set in the front office.
Ken asks: Hi Buck, do you think we’ve seen the last of David Ortiz and Jason Varitek in Red Sox uniforms or will they be re-signed? Thanks.
BUCK: Ken, I think David Ortiz will be back and I can see a restructuring of his contract from the one-year deal to two years for $10 million. There seems to be some thunder in that bat and if you get one good year in 2011 and a down year in 2012 it is probably a good deal for the Sox.
Jason Varitek is a tough one. I know he still wants to play and when you take a close look at his numbers he had a pretty productive season with the injuries and limited playing time. At this point of his career, he can be a very good backup player and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the locker room. I don’t think it will be with the Red Sox though. They really don’t have a good option behind the plate right now with Varitek and Martinez both free agents and they may look to get a front-line guy by giving up some of the young talent that had a chance to play this year.
The division is getting deeper with Toronto and Baltimore improving and the Yankees being the Yankees. The Red Sox TV numbers dropped dramatically this year and they need to make a splash in the off-season to recapture their fans’ interest.
Jamie asks: Hi Buck, since Barry Zito was left off the Giants roster and A.J. Burnett is relegated to the Yankee bullpen, how do they stay fresh in case they’re asked to start in the LCS? Thanks!
BUCK: Jamie I don’t think either manager is too concerned about keeping either Zito or Burnett ‘fresh.’ They were both a mess at the end of the season. Bruce Bochy had little confidence in Zito to the point of taking him out of a game in Colorado in the fourth inning with the lead. You can’t afford, if you are Joe Girardi or Bochy, to run these guys out there in the post-season if they aren’t throwing the ball well. The rest of the players on the two teams see what these guys have done and don’t want to risk a playoff game, hoping they turn it around in October.
Laura asks: Hi Buck, what advice would you give to a hitter facing the Yankees’ Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning with the game on the line? Is it possible to have a game plan with this guy or is your best bet to get a lead and not have him even come in from the bullpen? Thanks!
BUCK: Laura, we have all seen Mariano for years now and everyone that faces him knows what to expect, the cutter on either side of the plate. Mo went through a tough stretch in September when the cutting action on his fastball disappeared. He worked a couple of side sessions in Toronto late in the year and found out that his fingers had moved to the side of the ball instead of staying on top of the ball. He fixed that and the hitters are in trouble again.
I had a couple of switch hitters bat right-handed against him trying to eliminate the cut fastball on their hands when they bat lefty. Not much of a difference. The movement of the ball is so late that the hitter goes after it in one spot and it moves six inches from the sweet spot to the label or the end of the bat. Next time you watch Mariano Rivera pitch, count how many bats he breaks. Big-league hitters look like little leaguers against Mo.
Daniel asks: Hi Buck, the National Hockey League has started handing out a general manager of the year award. Does baseball do the same, and who would be your pick this year? Thanks again.
BUCK: Daniel, there is an award in baseball for “Executive of the Year” that recognizes one’s efforts running the front office. I think if I had a pick it would be Jon Daniels of the Texas Rangers. His impact on the team on the field has been dramatic with all of the changes he made this year and before this year to get this team in a position to play in their first post-season since 1999.
First think about this: Scott Feldman and Rich Harden were No. 1 and 2 in the rotation and where are they now? Harden has been released and Feldman is off the playoff roster. At the start of the season, the catching was handled by Jarrod Saltalammachia and Taylor Teagarden; Salty is now in Boston and Teagarden is off the roster for October baseball. First base was Davis and Smoak; now it’s Cantu and Moreland. Daniels went out and got Cliff Lee, Benji Molina, Cristian Guzman, Jorge Cantu and Jeff Francouer. All of these moves didn’t really hit but they added depth to the roster with quality veteran players.
The most impressive move by Daniels that impacted this championship season happened two years ago when he traded Mark Teixeira to the Braves for Saltalammachia to give them a top-notch catching prospect that they sorely needed. But in that deal with Atlanta, Daniels insisted on a couple of single-A ball players not many knew about — one a rangy shortstop and the other a wild but hard-throwing right hander. The Rangers would not make the deal with the Braves unless they got the SS and the RHP. They turned out to be Neftali Feliz and Elvis Andrus. Pretty good trade for the Rangers, I’d say. This is why I think Jon Daniels is the “Executive of the Year.”