The Sommer Frieze

King, George A. III has the Yanks’ plan. I’m intrigued by #3. Pitching and defense win titles, but if the Yanks don’t get the pitching, then going for Teixeira (does that move Swisher to CF?)…Infield defense would ok w/Teix, but how would be OF D be? Damon-Swisher-Nady? The Yanks didn’t get Swisher to have him sit. Should Teix be a Yankee option because of not being able to bag C.C., A.J. or Lowe, Swisher isn’t going to sit behind Melky or Gardner. As for #4 on King’s list, hmmm. You hope it wouldn’t come to that, but if the Yanks can’t land C.C., A.J. or Lowe and still need pitching, trading Cano and signing Hudson (who, actually WANTS to come to NY) may have to play into their thoughts. As for #5 on King’s list…count me in with the voices who want no part of Manny.

But it’s pitching, pitching, pitching that wins titles, and right now the Yanks have huge holes in the rotation that need to be addressed…Moose gone, Andy a ????, Wang coming off injury, and a lot of inexperience in Joba, Hughes and Ian.

Kevin Kernan has filled out his HOF ballot. I gave my seven picks (too bad I don’t have a vote, ha ha) in a post about a week ago. I agree with Kernan on six picks…Rickey, Blyleven, Rice, Dawson, Raines and John. I disagree with his selections of Lee Smith (saves are an overrated stat, and I believe Smith was overrated), Dale Murphy (tough call, but the .265 hurts…even if Reggie was just .262, but Reggie had the postseasons and 165 more HR. Also a 139 OPS+ as opposed to Murphy’s 121) and Jack Morris (3.90 ERA). My problem with Murphy is that I think he needed one or two more great seasons to get in. Seasons like he had from 1982-1987. One or two more of that, which he didn’t do. Which makes him just short imho. Kernan says about Morris “this is about being the best of your generation.” Well, I can’t buy that argument completely. The 3.90 ERA and 105 ERA+ means he was just five percent better than the average ERA of his generation. 5%. 5% isn’t good enough for me. I can see the argument (over 250 wins, toughness, Game 7 of 1991 WS, three 20W seasons). But he also had that ERA I mentioned, and if one is going to point at his 1984 and 1991 postseasons, they also need to check out his 1992 postseason. There is good and bad regarding Morris.

I put Trammell on. Kernan didn’t. As I mentioned earlier, I believe middle infielders need to be judged on a different level than say, a power-hitting 1B or OF. Less emphasis on offense (although Trammell was a fine offensive player) and more on defense and all-around play. One reason Ozzie Smith (.262, 87 OPS+) and Bill Mazeroski (.260, OPS+ 84) are in. (By contrast, for those who knock Rizzuto’s induction, the Scooter wound up at .273, OPS+ 93…just saying). Trammell was .285, OPS+ 110. Maybe one year Kernan could read this and reconsider Trammell’s merits. Nice offensive numbers for a SS, and Trammell was fine defensively, too.

As for Smith, I just never saw him as a HOF, regardless of how many saves he had. His ERA was 3.03. By contrast, the greatest, Mariano Rivera, has a 2.29, Hoffman a 2.78, Fingers 2.90, Sutter 2.83, Wilhelm a 2.52. Goose, who made it last year, was at 3.01, and Smith supporters could probably point to Gossage’s ERA of 3.01 and 310 saves vs. Smith’s 3.03 and 478 saves. But Smith only had one year with an ERA of less than 2.00. Gossage had four. Goose was 124-107. Smith 71-92. (Rivera is 68-49).

Tough calls, as is the Vets’ ballots.

Florida (Tebow, Meyer) vs. Oklahoma (five straight games of 60 or more points) for the national championship. What will be the over/under? 100?