The 5.5 Hole

Last night, 120 grown men and a handful of their coaches transformed into something usually reserved for Little League. These men became jubilant little boys with smiles a mile wide. They jumped and shouted, cheered and clapped. They donned championship shirts and caps, and they took celebratory dips in the pool. The daily grind of playing 162 games slipped away for a night, and these men became the boys they once were, more concerned about celebrating with their friends than multi-million dollar contracts.

The Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewera, and Texas Rangers all clinched division titles last night. Each of them did it at home and were given the opportunity to celebrate with their fans. The Diamondbacks ran around the infield and dog-piled J.J. Putz, then took a trip to the outfield pool. The Rangers sat on the field after their win and watched, with many of the night's fans still in attendance, the Angels lose to the Athletics giving the Rangers the division. The Brewers left little doubt about their division title with monster home runs and great defensive plays. They all experienced the joy that only baseball can bring.

The Diamondbacks, Brewers, and the Rangers joined the Yankees, Phillies, and Tigers as division champs for 2011. Let's take a look at how these three newest entries to the 2011 postseason did it.

Arizona Diamondbacks:

There were two men specifically responsible for the Dbacks success this season, and neither of them played a single game. Kirk Gibson and Kevin Towers have changed the culture of this team and helped build the chemistry necessary for success. Kirk Gibson's no-nonsense approach and his championship pedigree made him instantly credible in the clubhouse. His leadership has brought a group of relatively dysfunctional players together. Kevin Towers has continued his tradition of making the most of his trades and signings. He may go down in history as a genius with his Kelly Johnson for Aaron Hill move. Everyone, myself included, thought that was a bad move, but Towers saw something in Hill that none of us could see.

Justin Upton has finally lived up to his potential and is having an MVP caliber season. Maybe it's the comfort he feels with this team. Maybe it's the fact that he isn't the only one expected to produce. Whatever the case, Upton has put all of his talents to use this season and carried the Diamondbacks offensively.

Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson have provided a one-two punch the Diamondbacks haven't seen since Johnson and Schilling led them to the World Series. Kennedy quietly put together a Cy Young caliber season, and Daniel Hudson is continuing to improve as a Diamondback.

Milwaukee Brewers:

Two words: Braun and Fielder. Ryan Braun will likely win the National League MVP, and Fielder is having -well- a Fielder-like season. The Brewers have been together long enough to have multiple veterans leading the team. They've improved their pitching quite a bit since their last play-off appearance, and they are hungry for success.

Zach Greinke has been unstoppable at home, which is part of why the Brewers have also been unstoppable at home. With the best home record in baseball, the Brewers have made it look easy. As they battle with Arizona for home-field advantage during the first round, each game remains increasingly important to a team who doesn't lose at home.

Texas Rangers:

Nolan Ryan has infused new life into this ball club since taking over ownership. With a combination a new pitching philosophies and power hitting, the Ranger have made themselves a force to be reckoned with. Like many great teams before them, much of the Rangers' pitching value comes from a shutdown bullpen. Neftali Feliz, Koji Uehara, Darren Oliver, Mike Adams, and just about anyone else that trots out from that bullpen has been lights out this season.

Then there's the offense. Josh Hamilton has been healthy all of September unlike last season which should give him some confidence and momentum heading into the postseason. He has helped the Ranger widen the gap this month and take the division away from the Angels last night. Nelson Cruz has battled injuries this year, but when healthy has been as good as he always has been. Adrian Beltre has slowly been worked back into the line up after injury, but is already contributing. Beltre's power gives the Rangers another boost that can only help them as they enter the postseason.

All year long, the Rangers have had one of the most potent offenses in the league. Mike Napoli, who is playing out of his mind, Hamilton, Beltre, Cruz, Young, Kinsler. There is not an easy outin this line up. That's why they are back-to-back division champions in the AL West.



Soak in the joy of a division crown boys, but don't linger too long in celebration because there's still work to be done by all of you

My advice to the Boston faithful: close your eyes and hope for the best. With their faces buried in their hands with silent prayers floating through their minds, the Red Sox Nation is in full panic mode. And they should be.

While the Rays are furiously banging on the Red Sox door, the Angels are politely knocking. At just 4 games back, the Angels have inserted themselves as a second layer of Wild Card competition for the Sox. The difference, of course, is the scheduling. The Rays still have three vitally important games against the team they're chasing. The Angels, probably more focused on the Rangers, have none against the Red Sox.

Over in the National League, The Beer-Makers are in a similar spot. After building what seemed to be an insurmountable lead in the Central, the Brewers are suddenly faced with an entirely surmountable lead. Up 5.5 games on the Cardinals, Milwaukee probably has little to worry about, but a streak of two or three losses could make this interesting.

Beyond that, the Braves, who once seemed destined for the Wild Card, now carry just a 4 game lead over the Cardinals and a 6 game lead over the Giants. Yes, those Giants. With no head-to-head match-ups between these teams, the standings may not change much by the end of the year, but each game becomes more and more important down the stretch.

Just a month and a half ago we all had the play-off match-ups pegged. Yankees or Red Sox host the Tigers and Yankees or Red Sox on the road to Texas. Now things aren't so clear. In case you haven't noticed, the Tigers have the second best record in the A.L. all the sudden. They have moved from a sure-fire road series in the first round to potentially hosting the Red Sox or Rays. Even more surprising is the dwindling gap between the Tigers' record and the Yankees' record. They are now only 3 back in the win column for the American League's best record. Unfortunately, they are 5 back in the loss column and you can't control losses that have already happened.

What about the National League? Well, no one is catching the Phillies. But if I told you on August 1st that in mid-September the Diamondbacks would be tied for the second best record in the N.L., would you have believed me? The Phillies were all set to host Arizona in the first round, but now may be faced with hosting a Brewers club that can be as streaky as the best (or worst) of them.

A month ago, I wrote about what a second Wild Card in each league would look like this season. While in support of the idea, I wrote at the time that it would water-down the play-offs this season. That's no longer the case. How amazingly fun would a three game play-off series be between the Red Sox and Rays? How about the Braves and the Cardinals? These would be compelling match-ups worthy of postseason baseball.

In a 162 game season it's amazing to see such swings in the standings. You'd think things would normalize and start to be clear by September. Instead, thing get even more uncertain. And I love it.

After 10 years, I can admit to myself a truth I've tried hard to forget. I can admit I was a teenager more concerned with a girl than a terrorist attack on our country. I can admit, as a high school senior, I made a joke about the attack on my way to home room. I can admit my insensitivity and ignorance. But that all stopped the moment I saw the television. It changed and I matured the moment I saw the billowing smoke, like so many of the victims, reaching out into the New York sky.

There have been many stories about baseball and 9/11. This is mine.

Much like the rest of our country, I was changed that day. I was moved and hurt and saddened and angered. I was depressed and resilient and proud and fearful. I was an American bound not only by faith in recovery and a thirst for justice, but in my need to heal.

My immaturity quickly faded that day. The empty skies, moments of silence, and ever-increasing death toll did that to people. To ease the sickness I felt in thinking of the senseless and immense loss of life, I turned toward something only a sports fan would understand; baseball.

The game was gone for six days. But when it returned, it was like battlefield patch-work for a wounded soldier. It wasn't a permanent fix, but it helped get us through. The New York Mets and New York Yankees stood paramount for obvious reasons. The Mets failed to make the postseason, so New York City's hopes and continued healing rested solely with the Yankees.

The Yankees made it all the way to the World Series, their run seemingly guided by destiny. But they were facing an Arizona Diamondbacks team in just its third year of existence. That team didn't know any better. That team didn't realize the
Hollywood scribes were writing a different story, one that saw the Yankees win the title and help heal the hearts of New Yorkers.

I was living in Arizona at this time and remember that series like it was yesterday. I remember the Diamondbacks pitching dominance. I remember the Yankees comeback. I remember Randy Johnson coming in from the bullpen the day after he started. I remember a tie game in the ninth. Most of all I remember the distraction of a game we played as children, and I remember welcoming it with open arms.

When Luis Gonzalez blooped a single over the drawn in infield, the state of Arizona rejoiced. Yankees fans were left stunned. A walk off hit in the bottom of the ninth in game seven of the World Series is baseball lore. It's what Little Leaguers dream of when they are on the practice fields. It's what fans hope for ever year.

While the magical run was over for the Yankees and the Diamondbacks celebrated into the night, the next day would mark a return to what we were all hiding from. It would mark the return to mourning, questioning, and doubt. But for a month and a half baseball gave us a distraction. For the first time in history we had November baseball, and nothing could have been more beneficial to a grieving nation.

"Freedom itself was attacked this morning by a faceless coward and freedom will be defended." -- President George W. Bush

With play-off spots all but locked up, let's take a look at which teams are hottest heading into the last leg of the season. First, we'll look at the contenders' records since the All-Star break.

Division leaders:

Milwaukee: 35-14 .714
Philadelphia: 31-14 .689
New York: 33-18 .647
Arizona: 31-17 .646
Detroit: 31-19 .620
Texas: 29-21 .580

Wild Card leaders:
Atlanta: 28-19 .596
Boston: 29-20 .592

Everyone knows about the Brewers' recent success. Right on their heels are the Phillies who are on pace for 105 wins. The surprising team (if you ignore their massive 7 game lead over the Giants) is the Arizona Diamondbacks. At only 3 games back of Milwaukee's second best record, the Dbacks are in a fight to avoid a 5-game series with the Phillies in the first round of the postseason.

Considering the ups and downs of the Rangers and their lead over the Angels, it shouldn't be surprising they have the worst winning percentage of all play-off contenders since the break.

Records since the All-Star break are often indicative of postseason success, but the Giants showed us all last season that the last month and a half can prove more important. Below are records since August 15th.

Division leaders:

Milwaukee: 15-6 .714
Detroit: 15-6 .714
New York: 14-7 .667
Arizona: 13-7 .650
Philadelphia: 10-7 .588
Texas: 11-10 .524

Wild Card leaders:
Atlanta: 12-6 .667
Boston: 11-6 .647

Interestingly, Milwaukee has the exact same winning percentage. They are tied with the surprising Tigers. The Rangers are the coldest team right now, followed by the Red Sox and Phillies.

Perhaps most surprising is the Yankees winning percentage verse the Red Sox winning percentage since August 15th. Granted both have had to deal with postponements due to Hurricane Irene, but the Sox and Yankees have very similar winning percentages, only .020 apart. Yet, the Yankees have overtaken Boston and now hold a two and a half lead.

The moral of this story is look out for Detroit and Milwaukee, but don't sleep on Arizona and New York. Winners still have to perform on the field, but entering the postseason on a hot streak sure will help.

This is the first year I can remember where, as of September 1st, there was literally not a Wild Card chase to found.  That is, unless you consider 7.5 games back or 8.5 games back within striking distance.  Mathematically, there is still a possibility of Atlanta or New York being overtaken for the Wild Card.  Realistically though, not a chance.

As of September 1, 2010, the A.L. Wild Card was all but wrapped up.  In the National League though, the Giants were 1.5 games back of the Phillies, and the Cardinals were 5 games back.  Using the Septemmber 1st date as our constant, let's look at the Wild Card standing back through the 2002 season:

2009: Texas was 4 games back in the American League while San Francisco was 1 back in the senior circuit.  Colorado was 3 back and Florida was 5 back.

2008: The White Sox and Twins were tied at 3 games back of Boston.  In the National League, the race wasn't as tight, but Philadelphia was still 5.5 games back of Milwaukee.

2007:  Seattle was 2 games back in the A.L. and Detroit was 3 games back.  San Diego and Arizona were tied for the Wild Card lead, and Philadelphia was 3 games back.

2006: The Twins were 0.5 games back in the American League, and Boston was 5.5 back.  In the National League there were 7 teams within 5 games of the Wild Card, including Philadelphia and Cincinnati only 0.5 games back.

2005: The Angels, the Yankees, and Oakland were all tied for the Wild Card lead while the Indians were 1 game back and the Twins were 5. In the N.L., Houston was 0.5 games back, Florida was 1.5 games back, the Mets were 2.5 games back, and the Nationals were 3 games back.

2004: The Angels were 3.5 games back of Boston and Texas was 5 games back.  San Francisco, San Diego, Florida, and Houston were at least within 3 games of the Wild Card lead.

2003: Boston was 1.5 games back of Seattle.  The National League again had 7 teams in competition.  All 7 were within 4 games of the lead, with 4 teams within 2.5 games.

2002: Seattle was 2 games back and Boston was 5 games back.  San Francisco was the lone competitor in the N.L. at 2 games back.

In the 9 seasons preceding this one, we have had compelling Wild Card races.  We have had parity.  But suddenly, in 2011, teams are either good, or they are bad.  And a lot of it has to do with pitching.  As Jason Stark wrote yesterday, pitchers are gaining ground on hitters through technology and constant study.  In addition, the reduction in steroid users has brought the game closer to a level playing field. 

Teams who have pitching are successful.  The Phillies clearly have the best rotation in baseball.  The Braves have probably the best bullpen in baseball (not to mention an aging Derek Lowe who slugged a home run yesterday).  The Brewers have a threesome of pitchers who have gelled better than any other team besides the Phillies.  The Diamondbacks have developed Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson into legitimate stars and Kennedy is even Cy Young quality.  In the American League, the Red Sox had Clay Buckholtz most of the season to go along with a rejuvenated Josh Becket and a consistent Jon Lester.  The Yankees have CC Sabathia.  The Tigers have the best pitcher in baseball.  And the Rangers have had one of the best staffs all season (they may be breaking down now, but they posted solid number up through about the middle of August).

I am a big proponent of adding another Wild Card in each league, but this season does not help my case much.  There is not a single team out there that cries out, "Hey, we deserve to be in the postseason!"  The Indians have tailed off terribly, the White Sox are inconsistent, the Giants don't have an offense, and the Cardinals don't have pitching.  If a second Wild Card team were in play in each league this season, much like artificial sweetener, it would just be fake. We'd be looking at Tampa Bay and St. Louis as the additional play-off teams.  While those teams could make some noise in the postseason, a glance at there season does not reveal a compelling reason to let them in.

In a league where only 27% of the teams make the postseason, it is easy to wish for more.  But not this year.  There's no one else deserving enough.  The Wild Card races as they are aren't even all that wild. 

It was announced today that the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Toronto Blue Jays pulled off a three player waiver period trade. The Diamondbacks put a claim in for Aaron Hill and John McDonald. In exchange they sent Kelly Johnson to Toronto.

If you didn't know where the Dbacks stood in the National League West standings, this would seem like a pretty good deal. The Jays are getting a veteran second baseman with some pop to help compete with the juggernaut that is the Yankees and the Red Sox. The Diamondbacks are shedding a player who was due for free agency at the end of the season, grabbing a couple of players to fill holes, and dropping a couple million off payroll. Sounds like a move designed to build toward the future doesn't it?

But the future is now. The Diamondbacks are in first place and need every bit of help they can get to push toward the postseason. Generally I'm not one to question a move made by GM Kevin Towers, but this one is a head-scratcher.

Here are the 2011 numbers:

Kelly Johnson: .209/.287/.412, 18 HR, 13 SB, 44 BB, 0.2 WAR, 2 RAR

Aaron Hill: .225/.270/.313, 6 HR, 16 SB, 23 BB, -0.3 WAR, -3 RAR

John McDonald: .250/.285/.345, 2 HR, 2 SB, 8 BB, 0.9 WAR, 9 RAR

With Stephen Drew out for the season, I can see the Dbacks desire to plug the shortstop hole with a veteran. But they gave up a veteran second baseman with some power for a player in Aaron Hill who doesn't even provide more benefit than a Triple-A replacement. As for McDonald, he is a free agent after this year and I'm not sure the Diamondbacks will be re-signing him.

Maybe Kevin Towers has a master plan behind this surprising move, but right now, it looks like the Diamondbacks forgot they were a team in contention. Right now this trade looks like a wash at best, but it certainly does not look like a move designed to make the team better as they head toward a possible date with the Philadelphia Phillies.

"They are who we thought they were!" One of the greatest and easily usable quotes in sports history came from former Arizona Cardinals head coach Dennis Green. The quote applies to so many things.

If your team gets knocked around and blown out by a better team, "they are who you thought they were." If you think you have a shot against a former Cy Young winner because he's coming off an injury, only to be dominated as usual, "he was who you thought he was." And if you bring in a former closer who has shown more of a propensity for giving up runs than preserving them of late with the hopes that he can be molded into a solid set-up man, only to melt down in his first real opportunity, "he is who you thought he was."

Forgive the possible run-on sentence above, and the roundabout way of getting to the point that Chad Qualls is not a fit for an 8th inning hold man. He proved this last night. While there will be more opportunity for redemption in Qualls' future, he was promoted and put into the set-up role because he's supposed to bridge the gap from starter/reliever to Heath Bell.

Qualls spent last season in Arizona posting an 8.29 ERA before being shipped to Tampa and posting a 5.57 ERA to close out the season. Qualls struggled all of last season after having himself a decent career up to that point. Therefore, the Padres thought he could return to form in the spacious, pitcher-friendly confines of Petco Park. Unfortunately, they passed up a solid candidate for set-up man when they chose to promote Qualls in the wake of Mike Adams' trade.

Luke Gregerson, while experimenting with mustache choices, has quietly been putting together a nice resume for the Padres. Since his call-up in 2009, Gregerson is sitting on a 3.18 ERA, a 1.097 WHIP, and 9 K's per 9 innings. He's also only 27 and making $448,000 this season. He's not eligible for free agency until 2015, and he has three arbitration years ahead of him unless his contract is re-worked.

Qualls, on the other hand, Is going to be 33 in a few days and is making $2.55 Million this season with a club option for 2012.

Qualls is still an above average pitcher. For his career, he has 3.7 WAR. Gregerson, through three seasons, has a 1.7 WAR. However, Gregerson has not yet had the opportunity to be a set-up man, let alone a closer. Qualls has held both positions.

It would be easy to write this off as a rant in response to last night's bullpen meltdown, but the numbers, both statistical and contractual, support Gregerson in the set-up role over Qualls.

Qualls will do well in San Diego. Most pitchers who come here show better numbers than their previous career stops. But Qualls is who we thought he was and is better served as a 7th inning guy or long-relief man.

The Yankees and Red Sox entered last night's contest in a perfect tie.  Winning percentage, wins, losses.  On August 5th, this should have been one of the biggest (if not the biggest) series of the regular season.  The nation should have been glued to their TV screen whether they loved or hated either team.  The President himself should have been peaking in or getting game updates from Secret Service.

Instead, the series doesn't matter.  The Yankees won last night and took a one game lead entering Saturday.  Barring a miraculous come-back from the Angels or the Rays, both the Yankees and the Red Sox are locks for the postseason.  So what does this series actually mean, besides another chance for ESPN to flex its love of "The Rivarly?"

Let's end the season right now and take a look at the match-ups:

The Yankees would win the East and would face off with Detroit in the Division Series.
Boston would take the Wild Card and would travel to Texas.

Now, let's flip this and say the Red Sox win the next two games, then end the season there:

The Red Sox would win the East and would host the Tigers.
The Yankees would win the Wild Card and take on Texas in Arlington.

So, essentially what this series decides is who travels to Texas and who hosts Detroit.  For many Yankees fans, that could be a big deal.  Just look at what happened last season when New York took on Texas.  However, in the overall play-off picture both New York and Boston will have the two best records at the close of the season.  They both have better teams than Detroit, and probably have better teams than Texas.

The rivalry this year isn't about making the postseason, it's about play-off scenarios.  For that reason, the play-off structure needs to change.  Talks of adding another Wild Card team are great, but there needs to be a better reward for winning the division.  This isn't a new discussion by any means, but it seems to be magnified in this "larger than life" series between the two titans of the American League East.

Many people are arguing for a one-game play-off between the two Wild Card teams (assuming the League does add another Wild Card in each league).  In this scenario teams would hopefully battle more for the division title rather than settling for the Wild Card.  No one wants to play a one-game series.  However, even a three-game series would lead teams down the right path of competition.  Look at the College World Series.  A three game series barely gauges the talent on the field and allows for flukes.  No team entering the play-offs wants to be knocked out by a fluke.

Yankees and Red Sox fans can occupy themselves this weekend with their nationally-televised rivalry of little consequence.  In the mean time, I will be paying attention to the race between the Diamondbacks and the Giants, the race between the Indians and the Tigers, and the race between the Angels and Rangers.

Every year around this time there's a run on boxes and packing tape. As teams in the hunt wheel and deal with those shedding payroll, the moving industry gets a temporary bump. With less than 24 hours left before the non-waiver deadline, I'll examine the winners and losers so far.

Let's take a look at the winners and losers, top to bottom:

1) Giants. Carlos Beltran provides a much needed bump to the San Francisco offense. For more tha half the year, they have relied on their pitching staff to carry them along in a mild National League West. With this move, they prove their plan is repeat or bust. No longer satisfied with coasting along, the Giants almost instantly put distance between themselves and the Diamondbacks.

2) Indians. By picking up Ubaldo Jimenez, Cleveland looks to secure a positive run differential in the American League Central. With the White Sox as the only team giving up less runs than they score (barely), it was clear that the Indians needed pitching help if they were going to continued to compete.

3) Pirates. Just announced, the Pirates pulled of a deal for a sweet swinging left handed bat in Derek Lee. While Lee's numbers have clearly been on the decline, he should see a minor statistical resurgence playing at PNC Park the rest of the season. The park plays smaller than Camden and should allow Lee to help the Pirates challenge for the division crown. More importantly, it signals to Pirates fans that this team is actually in it to win, not just to create the warm and fuzzy feel good story of its first winning season in 18 years.

4) Phillies. Hunter Pence should help Philly in two important areas; Offense and youth. The Phillies should have control over Pence for the next two years without even having to work a new deal. They get a proven contact hitter with a little pop, and they get some youth infused into an ever-increasingly older team. Already the clear National League favorite, the Phillies may be able to force the Braves to forget about a division win and focus on the Wild Card.

5) Red Sox. Rich Harden should help, but probably not enough to justify the trade. This move feels like a move made simply for the sake of the trade deadline. Over his career, Harden has proven himself successful, but he is injury prone. The Red Sox should do fine with this deal, but most likely could have done fine without it.

6) Diamondbacks. Already 3 games back in the division, the Dbacks were faced with the prospect of dealing with the Giants AND Carlos Beltran the rest of the season. Their counter-move? Trading for Jason Marquis. Arizona gave up a 21 year old prospect for a 33 year old pitcher with only 7 wins more than he has loses. Marquis is a decent player, but in comparison to the Beltran deal, it's like a boxer countering an upper-cut with a weak side jab.

7) Yankees. They will likely take the Wild Card, but by standing idly by, they seem to be willing to allow the Red Sox to take the division. New York is a good team that could have been better. With such a head start earlier in the season over a struggling Sox team, it would seem the Yankees would dread giving up not only the division lead but the eventual crown. Yet, their lack of action during the trade season would indicate otherwise.

There will probably be more trades to come, but based on what we know so far, these are the winners and losers. Now, it's the time for teams to take these puzzle pieces, put them in place, and charge toward the finish line. Races will intensify, rivalries will renew, and the play-offs will take center-stage.

Already working to extend their current 3.5 game lead in the terribly uncompetitive National League West, the Giants may have just delivered the knock out blow.  After Carlos Beltran agreed to waive his no trade clause, the Mets shipped him off to the Giants for a Minor League starter with an ERA hovering near 4.00 and a $2.5 million salary dump. 

Beltran is in the final year of his contract and will likely become a free-agent next season unless the Giants re-work the deal (unlikely).  However, the contract probably doesn't matter much to San Francisco right now.  This looks to be a 3-month rental trade for the play-off push.

And it's the smartest move they could have made.  Aaron Rowand, who will most-likely be going to the bench to make room for Beltran, has been a serviceable Major League outfielder throughout his career.  However, he is sitting on a .244 average with 4 home runs and 20 RBI's.  Beltran on the other hand is hitting .289 with 15 home runs and 66 RBI's. The adjustment shouldn't be too tough for Beltran either.  The Mets' Citi Field play similar to AT&T Park in San Francisco. 

For 3 months and $4 million, the Giants have acquired a player with 60.9 WAR for his career, 616.5 RAR (Runs Above Replacement), and a career walk-to-strikout ratio of 1.38.  After losing Buster Posey for the year, Freddy Sanchez for a good chunk, and dealing with an anemic offense, the Giants may have just moved themselves from World Series hopeful to legitimate World Series contender.

As for the team in their rear-view, the Diamondbacks sat idly by while their competition got better.  Stephen Drew is lost for the season, their bullpen is showing signs of reverting back to last year's travesty, and their offense is inconsistent.  Without a big move before the deadline (and really who's out there?), there is little chance of the Dbacks catching the Giants.

Carlos Beltran may only be a rental, but he is a Lamborghini-type rental, rented by a teenager during spring break to pick up girls. 

Stephen Drew literally had to flop his fractured ankle back into place while writhing around on the ground by home plate, and I couldn't help but think in that moment, the Giants just won the division. 

In an attempted feet-first slide into home plate, Drew's right ankle bent a way that ankles are not supposed to bend.  It was obvious the second it happened, he would be done for the season.  The news was confirmed after the game, and the loss means so much more than just replacing a short-stop on the surprisingly competitive Diamondbacks roster. 

Stephen Drew, through 86 games, was batting .252 with a .317 on-base percentage.  He had 5 home runs, 45 RBI's, and 44 runs scored.  His average ranked him 7th among starting shortstops in the National League.  His OBP ranked him 8th.  No, Drew was not an offensive juggernaut, but he carried the weight of that team on his shoulders and provided so much more than the box score can ever show.

Like Matt Williams during his days with the Giants and later the Diamondbacks, Stephen Drew just quietly went about his business. He wasn't a showboat, he didn't complain. Simply, he was and is a professional. And he is the consummate teammate.

Any questions about how well-liked he is in the clubhouse could be put to bed just by looking at the Dbacks dugout anytime they were up to bat after Drew's injury. Any chance the players got, they were down in the trainer's room, checking on Drew.

Even with his injury, Drew can provide support from the bench, but it's not the same as the leadership he provides out on the field, as the captain of the infield. Without him out there, the Diamondbacks are going to struggle. His business-like approach kept players grounded. He acted as a glue for clubhouse morale. When a player like him goes down, it affects everyone.

Now, the Giants have their opportunity to create some distance. They lost their star player earlier in the year, but Buster Posey was not yet a leader. Stephen Drew on the other hand has the experience and is no longer a boy among men in the league.

If the Diamondbacks want to continue to challenge for the National League West, they need a leader step up. They need someone to keep them together. They need to keep from breaking down.