The 5.5 Hole

Has there ever been a time when one man's decision had such a large effect on those around him?  Aside from politics, and keeping our conversation focused on baseball, I don't think so.  When Theo Epstein's hiring as the Chicago Cubs President is announced on Tuesday, it will create a ripple effect through baseball unlike any ever seen before. 

Long before Epstein made it known that he was planning on leaving Boston, the rumors were there.  As his club collapsed in September, the rumors turned into suggestions from some, demands from others.  Those who felt bad for Epstein going through the losing streak thought it best if he cut ties.  Those rooting for the Sox, the ones most rabid after the collapse, demanded Epstein leave town.  He had used up all his talents and charm.  Yet, no matter what anyone suggested or demanded, the Red Sox did not want Epstein to leave.  Outwardly, after it became clear that he would not be returning, unnamed Red Sox employees began to change their tune on Epstein's tenure in Boston.  He had over-spent, not developed players well, and missed on many occassions.  While much of this may be true, he also won two World Series in a town that had fell under a Championship drought unlike any baseball had seen (except in Chicago). 

As yesterday's teaser of a press release came out, all the rumors of who would be coming with Epstein, of who would replace him, of moves to fill the voids began to fall into reality.  And these moves will shake the landscape of the entire League like a nationwide earthquake.  For better or worse, the names and faces we knew, and those we didn't, will be shuffled up and sprayed all over the fields and offices of baseball like a game of 52 pick-up.  Below is a glimpse of just a few of the known (or rumored) changes we will see. 

Theo Epstein:

The wunderkind, boy-prodigy, and savior of Boston is gone.  He takes over the Chicago Cubs in a position with more control, more power, and more questions.  He will be announced as the Cubs' President Tuesday, starting a new era in Chicago.  He will also be tasked with building a front office capable of evaluating players, employees, ticket sales, and promotions.  And that starts at the GM position, leading us to Jed Hoyer.

Jed Hoyer:

The former Epstein assistant, and friend, will be announced officially on Tuesday as the new General Manager of the Cubs.  The clubs released joint statements yesterday confirming as much.  Hoyer's tenure with San Diego was much too short for an real reflection on his talent.  It is clear that he has a determination and drive for success.  He clearly understood what it meant to be the GM of a small-market club.  He made moves that would easily be classified under the buy low-sell high category.  Unfortunately, many of those moves failed to pan out.  Given slightly more resources, more time, and the expert tutelage of Theo Epstein, Hoyer may develop into one of the game's best GM's.  But he, like Epstein, will be leaving a hole at his former position. 

Josh Byrnes:

Byrnes was hired by Jeff Moorad as GM when both were in Arizona.  Moorad later began the long process of buying the San Diego Padres in installment payments.  He left Byrnes to fend for himself in Arizona and hired Jed Hoyer because, well, he needed a GM.   Byrnes had some success in Arizona, but he also had some pretty famous failures.  He help the Diamondbacks to a 2007 National League Championship appearance.  Unfortunately, he only guided the club to one more winning season during his tenure, an 82-80 season in 2008.  He was fired in the middle of the 2010 season and replaced by former Padres GM Kevin Towers.  Byrnes is considered by most to be a very intelligent executive.  He seems to know what it takes to put together a winning ballclub on paper.  In practice though, he swung and missed on as many moves and he connected with.  I will not throw the Dan Harren trade in the swing and miss category.  Look at what he did for the Angels this season.  I will, however, point out the Eric Byrnes contract.  Yes, that Eric Byrnes who doesn't even play professional baseball anymore.  Perhaps, Josh Byrnes was left in a situation beyond his control.  Perhaps, a promotion to GM under Jeff Moorad in San Diego will be beneficial.  But time will only tell.  As the Padres Executive Vice President, there has not been enough to show whether he will succeed as the Padres GM. 

Ben Cherrington:

When Theo Epstein attempted to leave Boston in 2005, Ben Cherrington and Jed Hoyer were tasked with sharing the General Manager duties.  They would be co-GM's.  As we all know, Epstein chose to return to Boston, won another World Series with the club, and left Cherrington waiting for his chance.  That chance appears to be imminent.  I have not heard anyone quote a source who said the Red Sox would go in any other direction than Cherrington as their next GM.  Cherrington has been with Boston for 14 years now, knows the system well, and has been assisting Theo Epstein every step of the way.  He is the natural choice for the position.  Cherrrington shares in many of Epstein's beliefs in player development, data analysis, and how to develop wins in general.  No one truly knows what his relationship with Larry Luchino, the Red Sox President and CEO, is and how it will further take shape as Cherrington takes the helm as GM.  However, Cherrington has had years to adapt and work alongside Luchino.  Ben Cherrington's first order of business?  Salvaging a sinking Boston ship that has seen more than its fair share of drama since September 1st.

Mike Quade:

While nothing official has been announced, or even discussed for all I know, it is widely thought that Epstein's first order of business once the front office is in place will be to find a new manager.  Many will say Quade never had a chance.  He was handed a group of players that no manager could win with.  But that's not the issue.  Quade didn't have to win with them.  He had to perform and not make Cubs fans embarrassed for rooting for these players.  He had to take differing personalities and help them mesh in the clubhouse and on the field.  A few Carlos Zambrano blow-ups, some dugout fights, a short-live retirement, and a disqualification later it has become clear that Quade is not the guy to make things come together in Chicago. 

A.J. Hinch:

The front office executive-turned Major League manager-turned lower level executive is due for a promotion if Josh Byrnes take over General Manager duties.  Hinch started with the Diamondbacks in the front office as the Director of Player Development.  In May of 2009 he was promoted from the front office to the clubhouse when he took over skipper duties.  There were questions from the start.  Hinch lacked any real coaching experience.  He was a former player, but never any type of on-field coach.  Those questions proved to be based on real concerns as Hinch suffered through two losing seasons before being dumped along with Josh Byrnes.  The Padres and Jeff Moorad quickly scooped him up and made him the Vice President of Player Development.  When Hoyer leaves, he is expected to take his assistant GM, Jason Mcleod with him.  This will open an assistant GM position that will likely be filled by Hinch.

Jason McLeod: 

The current assistant General Manager of the Padres is expected to continue his same duties under Jed Hoyer in Chicago.  The Cubs and the Padres have already reached a compensation and "pilfering" agreement in which the Cubs agree to leave the rest of the Padres front office alone.  McLeod is most notable for his scouting ability.  While under Epstein and Hoyer in Boston he found Dustin Pedroia, Clay Buchholz,  Jed Lowrie, and Jacoby Ellsbury.  While it's still too early to tell how his drafts in San Diego will pan out, many consider the Padres farm system to be one of the best.  McLeod will be missed in San Diego, but his replacement, A.J. Hinch, has a knack for developing talent. 

John Lackey:

So far, Lackey's potential move to San Diego is only rumored.  It seemed certain prior to talks with the Cubs and Red Sox fell apart regarding Epstein and compensation.  If the Red Sox do eat the majority of Lackey's contract and ship him off to San Diego, Lackey will just be another domino to fall.  Lackey is much maligned in Boston right now.  He may benefit from a reunion with Bud Black, the former Angels pitching coach while Lackey pitched in Los Angeles.  A pitcher-friendly ballpark would help him return to form much like it has for Aaron Harang and Jon Garland.

The Rest:

Andrew Friedman of Tampa Bay will, by all accounts, remain with Tampa now that the Cubs have just about figured out their entire front office.  Friedman was considered by some and even better choice than Epstein for GM.  However, it appears the Rays will get to keep the man who has led them to the postseason three of the last four years with a payroll that ranked in the bottom fourth of all of baseball.  

The Yankees will hold on to Brian Cashman who was rumored for the Cubs job as well.  The club and Cashman still seem to have a good relationship, so his remaining time in New York should not be overshadowed by his connection to the Cubs' GM search. 

The lower-level executives of both the Padres front office and the Red Sox front office will still need to be worked out.  For example, A.J. Hinch will need to be replaced.  Ben Cherrington and other will need to be replaced in Boston.

The amount of job openings and employee moves generated by one man's decision are astounding.  The pressure on Epstein to win in Chicago will be huge, while the pressure on Cherrington in Boston might actually lighten.  Byrnes will feel little pressure to start in San Diego.  Overall, the moves do not seem bad for baseball.  The talent was not funneled into one team, but spread out across the League and across the nation.  Epstein's move will forever be remembers as one of, if not the biggest, ripple-effect move in baseball history.

In 8-10 years my son will be developing normal boyhood crushes on star athletes. If my evil plan works and my son is as huge a baseball fan as I am, his crushes will be on baseball players. I find myself wondering what these athletes will mean to my son. What will they represent? What will they teach?

In 8-10 years, John Lackey, Jon Lester, and Josh Beckett will be out of the game, retired, and free to eat as much chicken and drink as much beer as they'd like. But they will be replaced. They'll be replaced by others who stand defiantly by the philosophy that athletes are not role models. These new athletes will further the concept that baseball and life are separate. Two things that should never be intermingled. These players, like those of today, will continue to be wrong.

What many, not all, but many, players forget is that they're not entitled because they can swing the bat or throw a ball. They forget that they're always representing the club. They're always representing the league. And they're always playing for the fans, no one else. In a public job, employees are always the face of their employer. In private jobs, this often rings true too. Anything a player does that the fans see represents not just that player but the league.

I know I sound like a cynical, disenfranchised fan. But the truth is far from that. I will continue to watch the games. I will continue to enjoy the sport. I simply will not respect the players who walk all over that respect. Unfortunately, my son will not have that type of restraint or have the decision-making skills to choose who he roots for and idolizes. Not at 8. Not at 10.

So, in the future, when my son is old enough to become a fanatic, I can only hope the players he loves are worthy of that love. I don't expect all players to be saints. I don't have a problem with forgiving players who earn that forgiveness (and not just by their performances on the field). What I hope for is just a collective rejection of behavior that shatters the faith and respect we all have in these players.

My son's role models will be others than just myself (no matter how much I'd like that to be true). It will be my job to weed out those role models not worthy of his admiration.

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.

The eighth time's the charm. After winning his 199th game, Tim Wakefield went seven starts without picking up that elusive 200th win. Last night, in his eighth start in pursuit of a milestone, he got it. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't flashy, but it got done. That's the story of Wakefield's career.

With his slowly-graying goatee, Wakefield looks more Tim McGraw than Tug McGraw. But Wakefield is in a category all his own. His knuckleball, like a bat trying find its way by sonar, darts through the air never quite sure where it will end up. His determination is un-matched. His spirit is unbreakable.

Tim Wakefield became the second oldest pitcher in baseball history to win 200 games. How many more he can win remains unknown. Any year can be Wakefield's last, and if he does hang 'em up, he can do so with the pride of a 200-game winner. He won't win 300 games. He won't make the Hall of Fame. But he will be remembered.

If a comparison is going to be made, the best comparison would perhaps be Jamie Moyer. Even that comparison isn't a great one. Wakefield's a soft tossing knuckleballer. Moyer was a soft tossing deceiver. But according to Fangraphs, they weren't too far apart in career WAR. Moyer finished with 49 and Wakefield is slightly over 38. Wakefield has time to catch that number though. Moyer pitched for an astounding 24 years. Wakefield is "only" in his 19th year.

Neither man is Hall worthy, but that doesn't diminish the career. Tim Wakefield has hung in there and continued to produce when many others would have quit. When he was bumped to the bullpen he kept playing. When he got pulled back into a starting role, he kept playing. And when he struggled over the course of eight starts to get one very special win, he kept playing.

Wakefield has become one of the many faces of a franchise full of faces. Children at the game last night will tell their children of Wakefield's 200th win. And you know what? Those children will know who Wakefield was, what he meant to the game, and what he meant to the Red Sox.

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.

I wrote a three-part series earlier this year outlining my opinion on what baseball needs to do to increase its popularity. In the first part I explored attendance figure and concluded that totals have held pretty steady. Well forget the numbers. If you open a newspaper, go online, or flip on the television it seems doomsdayers are pointing to the fans' complete abandonment of baseball. They will show you pictures of empty ball parks. They will pick and choose teams, citing all-time lows in attendance. They will pull out the smoke and mirrors, and they may even ask Chris Angel to freak your mind.

The fact is, as pointed out in a completely unrelated Sports Illustrated article, average attendance league-wide is down just 14 fans. 14! Since last year how many more people have lost jobs? How many have taken pay cuts? And baseball has only lost an average of 14 fans per game.

If we were to just look at the teams struggling in attendance, of course we will see a problem. But what about the other teams? What about Pittsburgh who, until last month, was drawing more fans on average than they have in a decade. They've had more sell-outs this season than they have since the 90's. What about San Francisco? As of August 10th they had sold out 60 consecutive home games. What about Boston? You'd have to damn near hit the lottery to afford a scalped ticket to the constantly sold-out Fenway Park. How about St. Louis or Minnesota? Or the Angels and Rangers?

It's popular to believe baseball is dying. It's trendy to throw certain teams' attendance figures around as proof of the sport's decline. But popularity and trends are rarely built on honest fact. Think for yourself, do the research, and know that while it's not the most popular sport, baseball is surviving a terrible economy just fine.

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. 

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.

The smell of brats and beer wafted gently through the concourse, through the stands, and into the Milwaukee sun.  The sound of children laughing, men reminiscing, and line-drives flying pulsed through a near sellout crowd.  The thrill of the Brewers sixth straight win was not lost on anyone in Milwaukee, but it was lost on the rest of the world.

As the chirping of Blackberries and iPhone's drowned out the sounds of baseball with the sounds of trade rumors, as the news on the hot stove simmered so loud people couldn't hear the games, the Brewers quietly built themselves a 2-game lead in the central, stole Pittsburgh's magic slipper, and all but delivered a knock out punch to a punch-less Reds team.  Quietly, without fanfare (except those Brew Crew faithful), they swept the Cubs and they swept the Astros.

Now, two games better than the Cardinals and four and a half games better than the Pirates, the Brewers must contend with results.  They must contend with being 11-games over .500 for the first time this season, with leading the division once again after squandering it away and finding themselves in a three-team race, and they must contend with the trades.  As the Brewers have been doing a crazy little thing called winning, other teams were wheeling a dealing.

The Pirates, in the midst of being punished by Philly over the course of three games, picked up some offensive help in Derek Lee and Ryan Ludwick.  Both hope to reinvent themselves in a hitter's park.  The Cardinals added five players in July trades including Rafael Furcal from the Dodgers.  In a move designed to increase on-base percentage and generate offense ahead of Pujols and Berkman, the Cardinals sent Double-A player Alex Castellanos to the Dodgers.  And so the puzzle pieces have been laid out.  It's up to the teams to make them fit.  It's up to the players to make it stick.

The Brewers in the mean time will continue to rely on Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, monster home runs and come from behind wins.  They will continue to kick, scratch, and bite their way towards a National League Central Championship.  The other teams may get the headlines, but the Brewers will let their wins do the talking and go quietly into the night (or day in today's case).



 

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.

As I was thinking about some of the greatest baseball songs of all-time (John Fogerty's "Centerfield" wins hands down), I thought about the Red Sox fight song, Tessie. The song was such an integral part of their success in 2004, I wanted to learn more.

The 2004 American League Championship Series is the greatest postseason story in the history of baseball. No arguments, no questions, no maybes. It just is. No team had ever come back from 3-0 to win a best of seven play-off series. More so, no team had ever come back from a 3-0 deficit while trailing in the bottom of the ninth of game four. Dave Robert's stolen base, David Ortiz's heroics in extra innings, and Curt Schilling's bloody sock are indelible images burned into the minds of every baseball fan in America. Combine that with the 86 year championship drought the Red Sox were faced with, and no story can ever top this one.

Well, Red Sox fans have the Dropkick Murphys to thank. However, that story really begins in 1902.

The song Tessie, sung by Dropkick Murphys during the 2004 World Series run for the Sox, originated in the 1902 Broadway play "The Silver Slipper." At that time, the song was called You Are The Only, Only, Only. A far cry from its use as a rallying cry for the Red Sox Nation, the song was about a woman singing to her parakeet.

The Boston Pilgrims, who would later become the Red Sox, were heading into a best-of-nine series against the Pittsburgh Pirates to decide the first ever World Series. In anticipation and support of their beloved Pilgrims, a rowdy bunch called the Royal Rooters adopted "Tessie" as their anthem.

The Royal Rooters were a group of baseball-loving Irishmen led in part by JFK's grandfather and Boston mayor John Fitzgerald. They cheered their team to success while singing "Tessie" from the stands. With the Royal Rooters at their back, the Pilgrims won the series five games to three.

The team went on to win five World Series between 1903 and 1918. Then, just as quickly as the magic began, Tessie was gone. The Royal Rooters disbanded and the sounds of Tessie were no more.

The Red Sox didn't win another World Series until 2004. Is it coincidence this was the year Dropkick Murphys re-made "Tessie?"

The very anthem that had carried the Sox to five titles had haunted them in its absence. With its revival came postseason success. The Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 and 2007, and they are no longer buried beneath curses and failed expectations.

I am far from being a member of Red Sox Nation, but love a good baseball story. I will be able to tell my son that I watched the greatest comeback in sports history unfold live. So count me as a fan of Dropkick Murphys, because Tessie, I couldn't live without ya!