Archive for the ‘baseball’ Category
Vinny Rottino Called Up by Cleveland Indians
There hasn’t been much of a press release about this, which is why it took me until today to find it out — but Vinny Rottino was indeed called up by the Cleveland Indians as of Monday evening.
Here’s a link to the only article I’ve found about it:
Acta says in this article that “not every single one is going to get a look equally” and that Rottino is likely to be used off the bench. (Actually, Acta nodded his head at this when the writer of this article, Anthony Odoardi, suggested it.)
But at least Rottino’s back up and is acquiring more major league service time . . . maybe he’ll still get his shot this year. Because I know if he does get his shot, he will hit and he will do well — I just don’t know how that’s to come about if his new manager isn’t willing to put him into many games.
Finished Short Story and Sent it off to UFO Anthology
Folks, the “UFO Anthology” referenced above is actually UNIDENTIFIED FUNNY OBJECTS — an anthology that accepts either science fiction or fantasy short stories, providing they are funny. I sent in a funny urban fantasy story that’s about baseball; I don’t know what they’ll think about it, but I do know that it at least has the virtue of being original. (Not many urban fantasies written about baseball these days, for reasons that elude me.)
Now, this was more difficult than I’d expected, considering that my main claim to fame (such as it is) is due to being a funny fantasist. (ELFY, if you can say nothing else about it, is funny. It’s meant to be. I did that on purpose, even.)
Why was this, you ask? (Maybe you didn’t ask. But I’ll answer anyway.) Simple — I came down with a sinus infection several weeks ago. I was finally diagnosed last week, and got some antibiotics; only after taking antibiotics for several days was I able to finish up my latest urban fantasy story.
The good news is that I was able to complete my story on time; the bad news, as always, is that I wasn’t invited to submit to this anthology. (I don’t have anywhere near the name recognition for that, nor the story sales to back me up, nor anything except sheer cussedness and a dab hand for urban fantasy to recommend me.) And thus far, over 700 people in addition to those invited into the anthology have submitted stories; only a handful of stories have been accepted, at most, with another handful being debated among the editors for possible inclusion.
** Edited to add: The official stats, from Alex S.’s blog post of 8/22/12, are these: 745 stories had been read. 18 stories were accepted totaling 55,600 words in length; 19 stories were held in round 3 (meaning they’re still being debated among the editors), totaling 35,000 words. Now back to our regularly scheduled post.
How do I know this, you ask? Well, Alex Shvartsman, through his blog, has given excellent updates throughout the process as to what he’s taking, why he’s taking it, and what he really doesn’t want to see any more of if he can help it. (Fortunately for me, baseball stories were not among his “thou-shalt-nots.)
If you’re like me, though, and finished your story up the day before the anthology closed, then sent it in before the anthology was officially declared closed (as it says quite clearly that the “anthology window” is between July 1 and August 31, 2012), you can still get your story in if you hustle. Go to the link provided above (click on UNIDENTIFIED FUNNY OBJECTS), follow the directions, and submit your story.
Otherwise, wish my little baseball-oriented urban fantasy well, will you?
Milwaukee Brewers Place Shaun Marcum on Waivers
Folks, I really don’t understand the Milwaukee Brewers front office moves these days. Case in point, today’s move — placing right-handed pitcher Shaun Marcum (5-4, 3.19 ERA) on waivers.
Here’s an excerpt from today’s story by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports:
The Milwaukee Brewers placed right-hander Shaun Marcum on trade waivers Tuesday, thinking strategically as the deadline for setting postseason rosters looms at midnight Friday ET.
Skipping down a few paragraphs, Rosenthal says:
If Marcum is claimed, the Brewers will have nearly 36 hours to negotiate a trade with the claiming team. If he clears, they will have the same amount of time to discuss Marcum with multiple clubs, possibly enabling them to get a stronger return.
Now, as to why I think this move is inexplicable? Marcum is only thirty years old — thirty. Up until the 2011 postseason, Marcum pitched very well for the Brewers (13-7, 3.54 ERA). A strong case could be made that without Marcum, the Brewers wouldn’t have made the postseason at all, as Marcum was one of the cornerstones of the vaunted Brewers pitching staff.
So here’s a proven veteran who isn’t considered “too old” by most baseball people, who likely will snap back next year after significant arm problems in 2012 — and who pitched quite credibly a few days ago on August 26, when he gave up zero earned runs in a 4-0 loss to Pittsburgh. (In fact, the Boston Herald called Marcum’s return “solid” in their story.)
And the Brewers waive him? Why?**
Apparently it’s because the Brewers front office has decided not to offer Marcum a contract for next year, and rather than keep Marcum around, they’d rather he catch on elsewhere so maybe the Brewers won’t have to pay him so much.
Typical Brewers penny-pinching nonsense, which I thought owner Mark Attanasio was going to do away with . . . yet he hasn’t. (Strange, that.)
This is the second move in the past week that I haven’t totally understood (after the release of left-hander Randy Wolf). And because it’s being bruited about that the Brewers front office is being “smart” about waiving (and/or releasing) pitchers that obviously aren’t in their plans, I figured I’d mention the human side — which really does matter, even in major league baseball.
To wit: after seeing the Brewers front office cold-heartedly cut Wolf on his thirty-sixth birthday, then waive Marcum a few short days after Marcum did all he could to help the Brewers win a ballgame (not Marcum’s fault he got an undeserved loss there, as he pitched well but the Brewers defense let him down), why would any pitcher want to sign here? For any money?
Look. The Brewers have a “player’s manager,” Ron Roenicke; I have my differences with him, but one thing I will say for him is that he treats people with respect. And that’s a good thing.
But the Brewers do not have a “player’s front office.” And everyone in the league knows it.
As I’ve been saying all season long, if I’d have been Randy Wolf — who pitched far better than his record or ERA shows (Wolf was ahead in eight games when he left, then the Brewers bullpen blew the win, or he’d be 11-10 right now) — I’d never have come back here. And if I were Shaun Marcum, even before this nonsense, I’d not want to come back here, either, for the same reasons (Marcum, like every pitcher on the staff, has been victimized either by poor defense or blown saves from the bullpen).
Now, the Brewers front office has given every pitcher in the league yet another reason to think twice. And even for a league that’s far more concerned with performance on the field than they are with high character, highly-motivated people, the Brewers front office has shown itself to have very little class, and even less respect for starting pitchers, than most of the rest of the league.
And while it’s understandable that on-the-field performance would be the determining factor, some things need to be taken into account (such as the Brewers often-poor defense and the real problems in the bullpen this year, that I and every other commentator in “Brewers Nation” have noted). These things were not taken into account in Wolf’s case, and they certainly haven’t been taken into account in Marcum’s, either.
So my point remains: if you were a free agent starting pitcher, why on Earth would you want to come to Milwaukee? Because sooner or later, the Brewers front office will treat you this way, too — and as far as I’m concerned, there’s no amount of money that will make up for bad treatment.
—————
** Unless Marcum wants to be waived, this move is inexplicable. My assessment of the cold-bloodedness of the front office staff with regards to these two moves stands.
Quick Hits, August ’12, pt. 2
Folks, it’s been a few days between blogs, mostly because I’ve had much to do and little time to do it in. But I do have a few things to discuss, so let’s get to it.
Congratulations go out to Seattle Mariners’ pitcher Felix Hernandez, who pitched a perfect game on Wednesday, August 15, 2012, against the Tampa Bay Rays. (One of the many excellent stories about Hernandez’s perfecto can be found here.) This was the third perfect game thrown this season by major league pitchers, and it’s already one more than was thrown in the entire 2011 season.
On a milder note, but staying with baseball, congratulations should also be given to Milwaukee Brewers first baseman/right fielder Corey Hart. Hart, you see, hit a grand slam home run in the eighth inning last night against the Philadelphia Phillies; that grand slam home run was the difference in a 7-4 win for the Brewers. (And to think that Hart had been 0-for-3 with three strikeouts before that, though that’s a bit deceptive as Hart’s previous three at-bats had come against Phillies ace Cliff Lee.)
And in more baseball news, former Brewers ace Ben Sheets, now with the Atlanta Braves, currently has a 4-2 record with a 2.13 ERA in 38 innings pitched; Sheets has also given up 8 walks and has marked 28 strikeouts during that time. (An excellent article from Bleacher Report about Sheets’s comeback is available here, if you’re interested.) Sheets’s comeback has proven to be “the real deal” and I couldn’t be happier for him (in my view, once a Brewer, always a Brewer; best of all in Sheets’s case, he’s on a contending team).
Finally, the Racine Concert Band will play its final summer concert this Sunday at the Racine Zoo. (Showtime is 7 p.m.) So if you’re in the mood for a free concert, please be sure to stop on by and listen to the band.
Brewers Sweep Reds — Then Lose to Astros. Huh?
I have been puzzled by many things when it comes to the 2012 edition of the Milwaukee Brewers. Why Brewers manager Ron Roenicke and Brewers pitching coach Rick Kranitz continue to have jobs is definitely at the top of the list.
The Brewers had a three-game homestand on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday against the best team in the National League — the Cincinnati Reds. And what do you know? The Brewers swept them.
Now, as to why I didn’t say anything about it? I was hoping to write something tonight about the Brewers now having a four-game winning streak, and I didn’t want to jinx it.
Anyway, the Brewers were doing well against the Houston Astros in the top of the eighth inning, as they were leading, 3-1, in Houston after a nifty start by Brewers rookie starting pitcher Mark Rodgers. However, Houston scored a run against Brewers reliever Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez in the bottom of the eighth, which made the game 3-2.
The Brewers ninth came and went, so it was up to Brewers relief pitcher John Axford to close out the 3-2 win. However, Axford was wild; worse, Axford couldn’t seem to throw strikes. And because of this, Axford ended up first blowing the save, as the Astros tied it up, 3-3; then, Axford also lost the game, as the Astros scored the winning run, 4-3.
Rodgers’ winning effort goes for nothing, all because Roenicke didn’t have the sense he was born with to get someone else in there once it was clear Axford didn’t have it. (Two batters in would’ve been soon enough; also, that was before the Astros scored a run, so maybe a different pitcher would’ve still been able to save the game.)
And what really stinks about this is that Brewers reliever Jim Henderson (a thirty-year-old rookie who has two saves in two save opportunities) and Axford were both ready to go in the bottom of the ninth. However, Brewers pitching coach Rick Kranitz (who supposedly consults with Roenicke on every pitcher, all the time) called for Axford. And then, Roenicke didn’t realize he needed to get Axford out of there — which is why I blame them both for this loss.
See, sometimes it’s easy to blame a player like Axford who just doesn’t have it. But Axford is a very good pitcher who’s tried everything to get it together; as I’ve said before, I think there’s something mental, not physical, going on there (though if I were the Brewers, I’d also check out Axford’s pitching mechanics with a specialist, just to cover all the bases).
That’s why I blame Kranitz and Roenicke instead, as they are supposed to understand when one of their players is having trouble. Yet, for whatever reason, they just didn’t — and when Axford, quite predictably, ran into problems, neither of them seemed to believe there were any other viable options than Axford.
Even though Henderson was warm in the bullpen. And certainly could’ve at least attempted to save that win for Mark Rodgers and the rest of the Brewers, especially considering that Axford had shown nothing while putting the first two guys on base.
Yet Roenicke and Kranitz didn’t make a change. And the Brewers lost. Again.
That’s how the Brewers, who looked great at home against the Reds, ended up losing to the worst team in baseball, the lowly Houston Astros.
And as it’s the joint failure of the Brewers manager and Brewers pitching coach that led to this unlikely win for the Astros, not just the failure of any specific pitcher (even though it’s obvious Axford had nothing), my solution is simple: fire Kranitz and Roenicke. Fire them both. Now.
Otherwise, they will both continue to make bad decisions about which pitchers should come in, and which shouldn’t. (As they’ve done all year long.) And they’ll never blame themselves; oh, no. Instead, they’ll blame the players — yet it’s obvious that the blame must be shared to anyone excepting these two men: Rick Kranitz, pitching coach. And Ron Roenicke, manager.
That’s unacceptable to me as a Brewers fan. Especially as I have eyes and a brain, and know how to use both. Which is why I’m sick and tired of Roenicke and Kranitz continuing have jobs when, during the course of 2012, they’ve done nothing to deserve it.
The definition of insanity has often been given as, “Doing the same thing over and over again after it’s already been proven not to work.” If that’s the case, then Kranitz and Roenicke have both proven that they are not up to the task of doing even a mediocre job for the Brewers. Which is why both of them should be fired, soonest.
Vinny Rottino Optioned to AAA Columbus
Folks, in some ways Vinny Rottino getting optioned back to AAA Columbus from the Cleveland Indians is good as it means Cleveland obviously still wants him. But of course it has to be frustrating for Rottino to be up in the major leagues for two days, then to be sent back down.
Rottino’s most recent stint in the majors was as follows: he went 0 for 5 with 1 RBI (on a sacrifice fly), striking out once. His batting average in the majors this year (thus far at any rate) is .158; he has 2 home runs, 6 RBI, has scored 8 runs, stolen 3 bases, taken 6 bases on balls and struck out 10 times.
At any rate, Rottino’s had a good season at AAA and it’s likely that he’ll be called up again in September once rosters expand. At that point, I hope Rottino will finally get a decent shot to show that he really can hit major league pitching.
Vinny Rottino Called Up by Cleveland Indians
Folks, if you’re a regular reader of my blog, you should know by now that I appreciate two main things when it comes to people: hard work, and persistence. Yes, you must have talent, but you also must work to apply your talent . . . at any rate, the application of hard work and effort to maximize talent is what I celebrate most when it comes to baseball player Vinny Rottino, 32, of Racine.
Rottino’s been working for the past ten years, all to get a legitimate shot at playing in the major leagues. He is a utility infielder and outfielder who also catches; he’s a good baserunner, knows how to advance the runner, is an unselfish player, and can steal a base or two for you as he has deceptive speed — and due to his knowledge of pitchers and pitching from catching them so often in the minors, he rarely gets caught stealing.
I’ve been a strong proponent of Rottino getting his shot at the major league level. I believe he can hit major league pitching, if only given a week or so to adjust to it; I also believe that if a team gives him a legitimate chance to show what he can do, Rottino will thrive.
And even though he is now 32, he takes good care of his body; maybe Rottino could be another guy like Julio Franco who plays well into his forties due to how well-conditioned and smart Rottino has been throughout his playing career.
Age is just a number, folks. (I really wish major league baseball executives would learn to keep this in mind.) What matters is the size of a person’s heart, first; then, it’s down to two things (providing you have the talent to play minor league baseball at any level to begin with): how hard you’re willing to work, and how long you’re willing to keep trying.
Rottino works hard. And he’s extremely persistent. Which is why I’m thrilled that Rottino got called up by the Cleveland Indians.
Here’s the straight scoop: on Wednesday evening (August 1, 2012, to be exact), Rottino got the call from Cleveland. His manager, Manny Acta, immediately inserted Rottino into the lineup for Thursday night’s game; Rottino played left field, taking an 0-for-4 at the plate with one RBI.
Here are some words from Rottino, courtesy of last night’s blog at the Cleveland Plain Dealer, written by Paul Hoynes:
“I’m glad they’re throwing me right in there,” said Rottino, 32. “I don’t want to sit around and wait.”
The Indians claimed Rottino on waivers from the Mets on June 27. He was optioned to Class AAA Columbus where he hit .299 (35-for-117) with nine doubles, four homers and 32 RBI in 30 games. This is his third trip to the big league this year, the first two coming with the Mets.
“My swing feels good,” said Rottino. “My approach feels good. I got limited playing time with New York. So I was excited to just start playing again. I got off to a nice start.”
Another reason I like Rottino so much, as a player, is because he doesn’t point fingers at anyone. He simply states the truth. I think that’s wonderful.
Going back to Hoynes’s blog, it was obvious that Hoynes was surprised by how many gloves Rottino brought with him — eight — and how many positions Rottino plays (everything except second base, shortstop, and pitcher). Here are a few more words from Rottino regarding that:
“I’ve got four gloves and four backup gloves,” said Rottino. “I can catch, play third, first and all three outfield spots.
“I love catching the most of all the positions, but I’ve played mostly outfield the last two years.”
This blog also pointed out that as Rottino is taking the place of Travis Hafner (currently on paternity leave), Rottino’s stay in the majors may be short — and if it is, Rottino could end up designated for assignment (DFA’d) again. But Rottino is thinking positively, and apparently, so is writer Hoynes, who ends his blog with:
There could be some roster changes coming with the Indians seven games out of first place. They designated Derek Lowe, 39, for assignment Wednesday. If changes are made, Rottino might be able to stick around a little longer than Saturday.
Let us all sincerely hope so. (And as always — good luck, Vinny. ‘Cause I know you have the talent.)
Milwaukee Brewers Fire Bullpen Coach Stan Kyles
Folks, the bad news keeps on coming for the Milwaukee Brewers pitching staff; today, due to a series of several horrible games for many members of the bullpen (including John Axford and Francisco Rodriguez), the Brewers fired bullpen coach Stan Kyles.
I do not approve of this, even though I understand that someone was going to have to take the blame for how poorly the bullpen, as a whole, has done this season. The Brewers bullpen’s record is 15-26 with a 4.80 ERA, which is the worst in the major leagues. The Brewers have also blown the most saves in the major leagues — 20 — with 13 of them being blown by closers Rodriguez and Axford alone. But it’s ridiculous that Kyles, who doesn’t work on mechanics with these pitchers (pitching coach Rick Kranitz does that), and also doesn’t choose which pitcher to bring in (Kranitz and manager Ron Roenicke do that) was thrown to the wolves, mid-season, in a similar manner to how long-time bullpen coach/short-time pitching coach Bill Castro was fired mid-season in 2009.
Look. There’s another thing in play here that most commentators are completely overlooking. The fact that Jeff Adcock, who worked as a Brewers groundskeeper for many years and was one of the major bullpen “helpers” — a guy everyone in the bullpen knew, and knew well — died at Miller Park earlier this year certainly has a great deal to do with why the bullpen is underperforming. This poor man died in front of some of the relievers, and as far as I know, nothing has been done to help any of these men deal with their loss.
Now, maybe the Brewers organization has sent these men to sports psychologists, grief counselors, or have done what they feel needed to be done and it’s still not helped. But if the Brewers organization hasn’t done this, it should be done now, as it’s possible that if these guys are able to discuss their grief and sadness over this poor man dying without them being able to do anything to affect the outcome that it will help the Brewers on-the-field performance.
My belief is that there’s something that’s gone wrong inside these men’s heads, and that it has nothing to do with their actual ability. The fact that Axford pitched several innings of sparkling relief when he wasn’t a closer, only to screw up once inserted back into the closing role, makes me think that there’s something else wrong there — and not with his pitching arm. The fact that K-Rod was good as a set-up man before he was put back into the closer’s role, too, adds credence to my belief. And finally, as if I needed any further reason for believing the way I do, the strangely inconsistent performance of Kameron Loe (who, if I remember right, was one of those relievers who knew Adcock the best, and may have been in the bullpen when Adcock had his fatal heart attack) since Adcock died makes me believe that he, in particular, needs to discuss his feelings with a priest, counselor, or sports psychologist. (Or maybe all three.)
What I’m doing my best to remember is that every single one of the Brewers is a human being first, baseball player second. They’ve all worked very hard to get to the major leagues. None of them want to screw up, much less screw up royally; all of them want to do well every day, even though they know that’s impossible, and it seems to me that not one of them has any idea why the bullpen has melted down.
Anyway, the Brewers have now made their desperation move by firing their bullpen coach. But they’d do much better if they got Axford, Rodriguez, Loe, and the other long-term members of the bullpen to psychologists, counselors, or maybe even priests — because I’m convinced that much of what’s gone wrong has little to do with their arms, and everything to do with their heads.
Brewers News: George Kottaras Designated for Assignment; Greinke Trade Rumors
Folks, the Milwaukee Brewers have made four roster moves so far today, but the two moves that concern me right now are these: they’ve reinstated catcher Jonathan Lucroy from the disabled list, and designated for assignment catcher George Kottaras (.209 BA, 3 HR and 12 RBI) to make room for him. (The other two moves? The Brewers sent shortstop Jeff Bianchi, who hadn’t yet managed to get a hit in his major league tryout, back to AAA ball, and have brought up pitcher Jim Henderson from AAA, where he’d been having an outstanding year — 4-3 record, 15 saves, a 1.69 ERA in 35 outings (48 innings) with 56 strikeouts.)
Aside from that, everything else is all rumors — but the hottest rumor right now is that pitcher Zack Greinke may be going to the Texas Rangers for shortstop Elvis Andrus via the Brewer Nation blog. Neither player would be traded alone; supposedly, a relief pitcher and a position player would go with Greinke (anyone but Corey Hart, please!), while a pitching prospect or two would come from Texas along with Andrus. While other rumors insist that the Chicago White Sox and Atlanta Braves are still very interested in Greinke and will do anything to cut the rest of MLB out of the mix . . . as always, I’ll keep you posted.
Barb Caffrey's Blog 