The Sommer Frieze

You wonder how long Philly’s bats will stay quiet with RISP. 1 for 28? Wow. Maybe the home-crowd gets them going. The weather is cool in the Northeast, and a NorEaster of rain is supposed to hit tomorrow, making Game 3 questionable for tomorrow night. All well and good, because even if it IS played, my thoughts and eyes will be on PSU/OSU tomorrow evening.

Burrell is 0 for 6 with 3 Ks. Rollins, the sparkplug, 0 for 10, 3 Ks. Howard a quiet 2 for 9 with 4 Ks. Victorino meanwhile, is continuing his torrid postseason. Meanwhile, Evan Longoria is 0 for 8 with 4 Ks for Tampa Bay and Carlos Pena is 0 for 7. Who wakes up first?

Hmm, a shot of the Rays bullpen?

David Price closed the game out last night, but it was shaky. That Rays bullpen isn’t inspiring a lot of confidence, is it?

The Post reports that Manny was offered a 2-year $30M per year deal from the Dodgers. Manny wants at least four years. The Post reports that it’s basically a “good faith” offer from the Dodgers to placate the fan base. They don’t want to go four years with a player who’ll be 37 next May, especially one with a volatile personality as Manny.

Behind the Scenes: the Post reports that the Yanks have brought Bill Livesey back into the fold as a scout. He worked for the Yanks from 1977-1995 as minor league manager, area scout, national cross-checker and farm director and was VP of Player Development and Scouting from 1992-1995. Since 1995 he has worked with Tampa Bay, Toronto and the Mets. What I’d like to see is his resume, especially on the work he did in that early 1990’s role for the Yanks. How involved was he in say, Pettitte, Bernie, Jeter, Rivera? If he was the one instrumental for them, Yankee fans hope he can replicate that success.

In an update to the post on Cameron, I mentioned the 34 and over CFs to win WS since 1951. I did it to make a point on the possible pursuit of a 36 year old CF. The strength of a team is up the middle, and it only figures that one’s range at 2B, SS or CF would diminish with age, leaving a team more vulnerable defensively. True, experience helps in positioning, but if you lose a step…I listed four CF since 1951 who were 34 and over and won WS. Four in 57 years. Bumbry, Finley, White and Edmonds. Of course, had the Yanks won in 2003, it’d be five, since Bernie was 35 then.

Now on to SS, especially since Jeter will turn 35 next June and his range has been criticized for a while now. In 1953, the Yanks won their fifth consecutive Series. A record that I don’t think will be broken. The SS? A 36 year old Phil Rizzuto. In 1955, Brooklyn won its only WS with the Captain, Pee Wee Reese, playing SS at the age of 37. Let’s look at the WS winning SS since Reese. How many were 34 or over?

Larry Bowa was 34 for the 1980 Phillies. THAT IS IT.

One sidenote: In 1945, the Tigers won with Skeeter Webb, a 35 year old SS who went .199-0-21, OPS+ a pathetic 40. He was a .219 career hitter with 3 MLB HR and a career OPS+ of 46. Just showing how WWII depleted rosters.