Giants Get Top Target Leake to 'Impact' Rotation

Mike Leake

#45, SP, San Francisco

• Height: 

  5-10

• Weight: 

  190

• Bats: 

  R

• Throws: 

  R

• Born: 

  November 12, 1987

• Birth Place: 

  San Diego, California

• College: 

  Arizona State

• Draft: 

  2009 1ˢᵗ round (8ᵗʰ pick) by the Cincinnati Reds

• W

  9

• L

  5

• ERA

  3.56

• K

  90

• BB

  34

The Giants get "their" man. They were likely never in the mix for Hamels and while Price would have been very, very nice in reality he too was a little rich for the Giants tastes.

from csnbayarea.com via Bleacher Report:
Giants Get Top Target Leake to 'Impact' Rotation

Leake will be a free agent at the end of the season, but some in the organization have talked in the past of getting him in a Giants uniform and hoping he falls in love with the franchise and the city. A similar approach worked with Hunter Pence, who passed up a chance at free agency in 2013 and instead signed a five-year deal with the Giants. Regardless of how the deadline played out, Leake was going to be a target in the offseason. 

Found via Team Stream by Bleacher Report.

Sent from my iPhone

 Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that the Giants have agreed to a deal with the Reds for Mike Leake.

Advice: The Reds will receive minor leaguers Keury Mella and Adam Duvall in return. The Giants get the rotation help that they so desperately coveted without having to sacrifice their entire future. It's also a huge win for Mike Leake, who gets to pitch in his home state while moving from one of the top offensive parks in the league to a pitcher's paradise in San Francisco.

More: Jon Heyman on Twitter

Leake should fit in well and give the Giants a little bit of a "recruiting" advantage. Leake benefits by going from a hitters paradise to a pitching friendly, defensive oriented team. Classic Win - Win scenario.

The Broken Down Gang ( the Giants starting rotation ) gets a needed boost. Leake gives the Giants three solid and steady starters along with Bumgarner and Heston. Now if one, maybe two guys can up their game from a list that includes Matt Cain, Jake Peavy, Tim Lincecum, Tim Hudson and Ryan Vogelsong, the Giants improved their chances to make a serious stretch run and playoff push. One of two solid efforts out of five options. Not too much to ask for.

P.S. - To date: Bumgarner 11-5, Heston 11-5, Leake 9-5. Top three starters are winning 2/3 of games started. They should eat up 96 of 162 starts, giving you  64-32 mark in those games. If the #4 and #5 starters can just give you a .500 record, 33-33 in the remaining 66 starts, you finish 97-65. And actually the final two starts should go to your #1 and #2 starters, but it doesn't change the final mark unless you assume #1 and #2 win both versus a split by the mid-bottom of the rotation. So there you go.

BTW: Mella is a solid prospect, I'm not sure he is the #1 prospect in the chain even though MLB Prospect Pipeline does, but I am glad the cost was not two pitching prospects. The fact that Duvall was the second guy in makes this deal a relative bargain, even though Leake is considered a "rental". He is a rental, but with the option to buy.  This is a solid deal on all fronts for the Giants.

Duvall is not even a prospect anymore due to his age. Duffy has a head-lock on the position for now anyway. So he goes to the Reds and sits behind Joey Votto and Todd Frazier. Good Luck with that.

Duvall's experience illustrates the old saw "When opportunity knocks, you better answer the damn door". Don't hide behind the curtains and act like your not home or treat Opportunity like a bill collector or your good for nothing cousin or something.

Do what Matt Duffy did, seize the opportunity. Carpe Opportunity!!! That's why Matt Duffy is still a Giant and Adam Duvall is not. Lesson learned.

Giants reportedly making 'strong push' for Cole Hamels - McCovey Chronicles

I think this "Strong push" is merely an attempt to push up the eventual prospect cost to the Dodgers, if he ends up there. Any deal with the Giants would surely include Kyle Crick or Tyler Beede, which I could live with, but also Andrew Susac, which I could not.

from McCovey Chronicles:
Giants reportedly making 'strong push' for Cole Hamels - McCovey Chronicles:

There are complications, true. The first is the Giants can offer quantity over quality, but the Phillies might prefer the quality. Also, of note is that the Giants aren't on Hamels's list of pre-approved trade destinations, which means he might want them to pick up his $20 million option for 2019 in exchange for agreeing to the deal. Even though one of the Giants' selling points is their ability to take that Jon Lester money and shovel it to Hamels without the Phillies kicking in that much, an extra year at $20 million might make them think twice. At least the Dodgers are in a bidding war now. Stupid Dodgers.

'via Blog this'

David Price is a better option and a better fit, at less cost. Mike Leake is a better option and a better fit long-term ,at less cost AND perhaps an Aroldis Chapman chaser.

Give me

• Price
• Leake and / or Chapman 
• Hamels 

in that order. On my desk by Friday, sirs!!!

----

from the Twitter-sphere (or whatever you call it)

bayareasportsguy.com 

The Dodgers are better-suited to pay for a starter like Cole Hamels or David Price, because they have a couple prospects in Julio Urias and Corey Seager who are rated higher than Finnegan. However, Morosi thinks the Giants have some pitchers in the minors that teams might like.

The Dodgers are said to be highly reluctant to move left-hander Julio Urias, but Double-A right-hander Jose De Leon should be ready to join a major-league rotation by next year.

The Giants, meanwhile, have a number of pitching prospects who could be major-league-ready by next year: Tyler Beede, Joe Biagini and Kelvin Marte at Double-A and Keury Mella at high Class A.

Tossing aside the very real possibility that the Tigers won't sell on Price or Yoenis Cespedes (they're only four games behind Minnesota in the Wild Card race), it's hard to believe the Giants have enough to land a superstar like Price.

• Biagini and Marte are pitching quite well for Richmond (in a pitcher-friendly league), but the former is 25 and the latter is 27.
• 
  
• At 21, Mella is a year younger than Beede and he's pitching well in San Jose, but it seems unlikely he'd be a candidate to make a big league rotation next year.
• 
  
• Beede doesn't seem like a guy the Giants would want to trade, and he lasted just 1/3 of an inning today (one hit, three walks, one HBP) while allowing five earned runs, as he came within one pitch of the team-instituted 30-pitch limit. One has to wonder how many scouts were in the stands today in Erie, PA.

If a scout or team really likes Beede, a start like today's (where it appears that he didn't have his normal command) wouldn't have too much impact. But the Giants consider Beede a future starter, perhaps as soon as next season. They also don't want to saddle themselves with another big contract for a pitcher unless he's the perfect guy, so this is almost certainly true:

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Sandoval Fires Back at Ex-Teammate Huff - Puck the Fanda

AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

Pablo Sandoval challenged Aubrey Huff's claims following his critical Facebook post this week.

Pablo will fit right in with Ortiz & Company in Boston. It sure looks like self-indulgent assholes of a feather flock together, Did I mention I agree with Aubrey Huff's assessment?


from Bleacher Report:
Sandoval Fires Back at Ex-Teammate Huff:

"Who is Aubrey Huff?" Sandoval asked in response to a post made by the former first baseman on Facebook. "What is important here is to see where the person who made those comments is, and where I am now, that's what counts."

Huff, who played 13 years in the big leagues, ended his career in 2012 after the Giants declined the $10 million option they held on him for the 2013 season. He currently is a assistant varsity baseball coach at Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego.

"I'm pretty sure their (sic) wasn't a tear shed on behalf of all the players, and the coaches when he signed with Boston," Huff's Facebook post from earlier in the week read. "It has always been about Pablo. He had the fans fooled but not the players! One of the biggest reasons he didn't want to come back is because the Giants made him workout on the treadmill every day! Pretty sure that was a driving force for him! Never the less [sic] he could have always been a legend in San Fran but ego always will come in to play when it comes to Pablo! Sorry for the rant just want to take up for the players who are there now holding their tongues, because they don't want to get in the middle of this! If you can't get along with guys like (Buster) Posey, (Madison) Bumgarner, (Matt) Cain, (Jeremy) Affeldt (sic), just to name a few, then maybe it's time to look in the mirror! Rant over!"

Huff was reacting to a Bleacher Report story last week in which Sandoval asserted he left the Giants because they "disrespected" his agent, and that "it is not about money, it is about how you treat the player."

Sandoval also was quoted as saying he missed only Giants manager Bruce Bochy and outfielder Hunter Pence.

'via Blog this'

Recall it was Pablo's agent who created the initial amateurish faux-pas by saying Sandoval wanted (implied: deserved) "Hunter Pence" money. Bringing another teammates name into your individual contract negotiation that your agent is running through the press is a double faux-pas. You bring an amateur to a professional negotiation and bad things are going to happen. This was a  bush league agent trying to compete in the major leagues and he pissed down his leg. That would be bad enough, but to piss on his clients teammates when his client is the one who has to live in the locker room is just plain DUMB!!

Pablo wasn't disrespected. He and his team were disrespecting others and the organization. He'll fit right in with his fellow Mr. Big Heads in Boston. It's not like Hanley Ramirez was a joy in the Dodgers clubhouse either.

Enjoy your Dominican milkshakes fellas. Another big-ass target for David Price this year.

Take a look in the mirror once in a while Pablo. Oh yeah, that's been a problem for you for quite some time it seems, along with the scale.

The question shouldn't be "Who is Aubrey Huff?", it should be "Who is the real Pablo Sandoval?"

Puck the Fanda!!!

Did the Giants lose out on David Price for lack of a Drew Smyly alternative?

Giants lose out on David Price for lack of a Drew Smyly alternative?

The first thing I thought when I heard Price got traded was "The Giants could have put together a more attractive package than that". But could a serviceable, major league rotation ready LHP been what stood in the way? Clearly that is the only thing I see the Rays got that the Giants couldn't give and maybe it would have required the Giants getting a third team involved like the Tigers did with the Mariners. Three way deals can be tricky and hard to pull off. 

Not that I would.... know....anything.....about.....that..........She's not looking over my shoulder is she? I don't think she actually reads the blog anymore. 

Anyway, we could have matched Nick Franklin with Joe Panik or Adam Duvall and Willy Adames......sheesh that's easy.....take Christian Arroyo, a local product to boot, or Ryder Jones. 

I would hate to think that a more refined Mike Kickham is the only thing that stood in the way of a third title, that's all. 

from MLBTradeRumors.com
MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com:

Here are the moves that contenders made yesterday, by team:

Tigers get David Price; give up Drew Smyly, Austin Jackson, Willy Adames

Mariners get Austin Jackson, Chris Denorfia; give up Nick Franklin, Abraham Almonte, Stephen Kohlscheen

Marlins acquire Jarred Cosart, Enrique Hernandez, and Austin Wates; give up Colin Moran, Jake Marisnick, Francis Martes, and comp draft pick

Braves get James Russell and Emilio Bonifacio; give up Victor Caratini

Yankees get Martin Prado, Stephen Drew; give up Peter O’Brien, Kelly Johnson

Nationals get Asdrubal Cabrera; give up Zach Walters

Orioles get Andrew Miller; give up Eduardo Rodriguez

Athletics get Jon Lester, Jonny Gomes, Sam Fuld; give up Yoenis Cespedes, comp draft pick, Tommy Milone

Cardinals get John Lackey, Corey Littrell; give up Joe Kelly, Allen Craig

Brewers get Gerardo Parra; give up Mitch Haniger and Anthony Banda

'via Blog this'

And we couldn't out bid the Nationals offer for Asdrubel Cabrera to reinforce 2B? Again, Joe Panik or Adam Duvall should have clinched that deal.

The Cubs as expected went into asset dumping mode with Bonifacio by throwing in a serviceable bullpen LHP in James Russell for Victor Caratini? A Sally League C, former second rounder. Andrew Susac would be a better offer.

Hopefully, this is more an indication of the Giants organizational confidence in the prospects of Panik, Duvall and Susac and less an indication of other organizations lack of respect for same.

As always, Time will tell.

Price is right for the Tigers

Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

David Price will join a loaded starting rotation with the Tigers, who also have Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.

The Giants certainly could have made a more attractive offer than this for Price. Maybe Franklin allows them to turn Zobrist over to the G-men for a song.

Oh wait, we decided to keep Dan Uggla after all instead of the more attractive options out there, my bad. Looks like the Giants waved the white flag every bit as much as the Rays just did. Way to go, Brian.

from ESPN.com:
David Price traded to Detroit Tigers in deal with Tampa Bay Rays - ESPN:

The Detroit Tigers have acquired All-Star left-hander David Price in a blockbuster three-team trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners, a source has confirmed to ESPN's Jayson Stark.

Detroit sent center fielder Austin Jackson to Seattle while Tampa Bay received left-hander Drew Smyly from the Tigers and infielder Nick Franklin from the Mariners, according to multiple reports.

The Rays also received infield prospect Willy Adames from the Tigers, according to reports
'via Blog this'

Belt learns how to line up his knuckles, Giants lose a squeaker

One of the more interesting discussions to come out of the Giants loss yesterday was about the re-making of Brandon Belt's grip on the bat. This is a major league hitter, who besides the Giants farm system, has been through a major Division I baseball program and likely some elite youth and HS programs and coaches, and we are going back to something that coaches try to ingrain into 8-9 year olds and T-Ball graduates? 

Simply mind-boggling. 

I see where the article says the Giants have been "trying" to get him to change, but for whatever reason Belt has been reluctant to change, but it is still incredible that we are going back to the basics like this with a major league hitter. 

from mercurynews.com:

POSTGAME NOTES: Rays get Brandoned; Bumgarner keeps learning; Zito reacts to bullpen decision | Giants Extra:

There was more to the Philadelphia benching than just a mental break, or Brett Pill’s hot streak. The coaching staff spent three days with Belt, changing his location in the batter’s box and the way he grips the bat. The result: Belt came to the plate in the ninth inning a double short of the cycle.

Was he thinking about it?

“I didn’t NOT think about it,” Belt said, smiling.

Belt grounded out to second but still ended up with one of his best games of the season. It was an encouraging sign after three days of extra work in the cage. Belt has moved back in the box, allowing him to see pitches a bit longer. He also adjusted his grip, removing a “tendency to wrap a little bit,” Bochy said.

The Giants have long urged Belt to make adjustments and Bochy said he was pleased that Belt is “all-in” this time. Belt said part of that came after he went 1 for 19 at the end of the homestand. But you can bet that the coaching staff believes Pill’s presence has helped.

 'via Blog this'

Here's some advice that we use down at the lower levels with the little guys.

from efastball.com:
http://www.efastball.com/hitting/how-to-grip-the-bat-knuckle-alignment/

This is another confusing topic in a baseball swing. 

Most recommmend lining up the "door knocking knuckles". Some align the "big knuckles" or "punching knuckles". And yet others "line up the rings". We will explore the pros and cons of each version and give you the correct alignment. 

Big Knuckles
aka Punching Knuckles

Door Knocking Knuckles
aka Middle Knuckles

Line Up the Rings
aka Box Grip
aka Offset Grip

Advocates for Using Door Knocking Knuckles

Here is Alex Rodriguez talking to Good Morning America:

One thing all good hitters should always do is you should always put your knuckles together - all eight of them - should be lined up together that will create better whip and better bat speed. even though he doesn't use this knuckle alignment - see picture

I agree with Grant on this one in terms of 'consistency'. That's all you can ask for out of an umpire. Do I think that Joe West is a bit of a hot-dog or a showboat with little tolerance for debate? Yes. Do I think he's a 'homer' who changes his strike-zone to suit the crowd? No. There are betting sites that keep track of just such data to look for an edge and there are four or five others in the league who score higher than West last time I checked.

The Giants announcers do an early game analysis of the plate umpire. Almost like a scouting report really. I think most teams nowadays do keep a "book" on umpires as well. So maybe that is part of the developing "book" on Joe West, I'm just not sure the raw data bears this out at this point.

David Price just jams the ball through the strike zone very consistently and has been doing that for over a month now. And he's been doing with guys not named Joe West as the home plate umpire. So tip your cap to him.


from the McCovey Chronicles:
http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2013/8/3/4586548/giants-hang-with-rays-until-they-cant-david-price-tim-lincecum-astro-price-farts-alot

And Joe West.

Sweet, cholesterol-clogged Joe West and his strike zone of ???.

I'm not keen to write about umpires, #umpshow, or robot umpires. I will say that I can *appreciate* the human element, but only to a point. The dividing line comes down to inconsistency. Fine. You don't want to call the regulation strike zone that night but you call it consistent for both teams -- I can deal with that. Do as Mike Krukow suggests and have a zone for the home team and a zone for the away team and I lose my pants (in anger).

Aggravating an entire team feels completely wrong and far outside the bounds of "the human element". It's called being a jerk.

All is not lost with this loss, but it was disappointing because the game was there to be taken, setting up a sweep.  The Giants at 45-55 need to go 20-10 for August to get to .500 and the 20-10 for September to get to 85-75 with two games left. Win those and I think you should get in the playoffs, although it may likely be the play-in game.

Right now the Dodgers are hot, home and road ( the mark of a good, solid team ) and they are top five in hitting and pitching ( a sign of a well-balanced squad ), so the Giants have their hands full. But this is the bed they made for themselves in the first half, now they have to lie in it.


UPDATE:
From the Mercury News:

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/giants/2013/08/06/tuesdays-new-lineup-same-as-mondays-new-lineup/

–On Brandon Belt’s modifications: “I’m really pleased that he’s sticking with the adjustments. It’s not easy during the season to try to hit major league pitching when you’ve made a couple of adjustments. They’re not real small ones, either. Changing the grip in your bat a little bit is going to feel different, but he’s staying with it. Then you look at what he’s done. He had the big game in Tampa and he swung the bat well (Monday) night (three hits). I’m happy he’s having some success with this. It makes it easier for him to stick with this, and get to the next level.”

Jose Molina's Hidden Value (and a lesson for David Price)

I agree with the premise of the article that Molina adds value -- as most good catchers do -- to the pitching staff that are difficult to measure and are therefore often over-looked and under-appreciated.

I'm not sure if the two examples posted below are examples of great framing skills as much as they are examples of poor ball - strike call, but WTH at least the lesson learned for the Rays and David Price is that "the bad ball - strike calls of umpires swing both ways".

Something they may want to consider after the pain to the pocket-book goes away. I'm just saying.

from Bleacher Report:
Tampa Bay Rays: Jose Molina's Hidden Value | Bleacher Report:

His pitch-framing wizardry has made a significant impact on the Rays, as well as other teams he's played with throughout his 14-year career. Tampa had the best pitching staff in the MLB in 2012, ranking first in ERA, FIP, strikeouts and strike percentage. Molina, who caught 102 games for the Rays last year, more than likely had something to do with this historic success.

Here's some examples of Molina's special talent:






'via Blog this'

Weekend wrap: No swearing in baseball - SweetSpot Blog - ESPN

Speaking of SABR-stuff that does not compute.... who projected this youngster (shown above) into a SS capable of hitting like this?


from ESPN:
Weekend wrap: No swearing in baseball - SweetSpot Blog - ESPN:

Hitter on the rise: Brandon Crawford, Giants

Is the light-hitting defensive whiz really hitting .291/.361/.547? He hit his fifth home run on Saturday -- one more than he hit last season. 

'via Blog this'


from baseball reference re: Brandon Crawford:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/crawfbr01.shtml

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From a Sim-score of Desi Relaford ( 40 HR's in 2,939 AB's ) to a projected pace of 30+ this season?!?

I mean, how do you go from Desi Relaford to Cal Ripken, Jr. in one season?

If this keeps up, I'm handing in my HP-12c calculator and all my Excel spreadsheets and calling it a day. I am, however, keeping the pocket protectors. Thank-you very much.

P.S. - I know there's no crying in baseball.....But, I've never heard of any "no swearing in baseball" credo amongst any of the assembled personnel. If there is one, it is routinely violated. If the umpire "balled a strike" he violated one of the most important ball and strike "rule of thumbs" out there. So....he shouldn't lash out at Price, much less call him a "liar" in public. Sounds like more than one thing got away from Hallion that game, but they should have left it between the lines. Price running to Twitter is a bit juvenile as well, it's just compounding Hallion's errors and escalating the deal. What ever to happened to "leave what happens between the lines, between the lines"? But it does sound like a lot of sand was tossed around in the old sand box yesterday between Hallion and the Rays. Must have been fun to watch.

ALCS GAME 7 - NOT MUCH MORE NEEDS TO BE SAID

LOOKING FOR HELP FROM ABOVE?? - IT COULDN'T HURT - REMIND HIM YOU GOT RID OF THE DEVIL

The Red Sox have responded and pushed the series to a Game 7. They showed the heart of a champion and, in many respects, have taken advantage of the Rays inexperience in these matters. That's to be expected. The surprise would have been if the Rays had finished the deal in Boston in Game 5.

From the moment Joe Maddon lifted Scott Kazmir to start the seventh inning of Game 5, momentum has shifted to the Sox side. Not to second guess Maddon but in that situation, unless Kaz had a history of arm difficulties after a long inning, he's in there until the Sox hitters tell you he's done or his arm comes flying out of it's socket. Kaz had shut them down until that point and he may have done it the rest of the evening if allowed. He should have been allowed to start the inning, if the hitters catch up to him, fine, lift him. But not until then. Bad move. Serious momentum shifter, both within the game and for the series overall. Rays will have a tough time getting old Mo back on their side now. Old Mo is a serious front-runner.

It's strange and almost inconceivable that the Rays could take two of three from Boston in Fenway and come back disappointed, but that may be where we stand. When the teams left St. Pete to head up there, the best most Rays fans were hoping for was to come back to St. Pete at all. If you're down 3-2, with the chance to play at home again, that's still not a bad deal. But they came back UP 3-2. In a sense, they are still playing with house money. That may sound like it's whistling past the graveyard, but that's how players need to think.

The Rays have to believe that the Sox may have grown weary from the uphill climb from 3-1 to 3-3 and have used up their reservoir of clutch, two out hits. Because whereas Old Mo is a consistent front-runner, Clutch is a fickle mistress. As predictable and fair as a seeing eye single that scores two late in the game or a hump back liner off the fists that wins the game. Sox fans are hoping for old Mo to continue to be on their bench and clutch to continue to embrace their hitters. The Rays want to lure clutch back knowing that Old Mo will follow. That's the way I see tonight.

Now, about last night.....

Game 6 was a disaster from the start, but mainly due to TBS. "The Steve Harvey Show"???? Instead of Game 6???? I'd have rather have watched twenty minutes of a test pattern. And thanks for not posting a trailer explaining the blackout for at least ten of the twenty minutes. That had to be good for ratings as casual viewers across the nation assumed rain-out or cancellation. I know, I know, the game's being played in a Dome, but casual fan doesn't know that.

I'm not going to go all Oliver Stone on TBS here either but, if you're going to show the Pitch Trak results when they confirm the umps made the right call on controversial ball-strike calls by Derryl Cousins, then you simply MUST do the same to show when the Trak shows he may have blown the call. Otherwise I think we're on safe ground assuming that since you didn't show it, the ump missed it.

We know from MLB's own reports using Questec that the umps blow somewhere between 5-10% of the ball-strike calls. Given Cousins recent history with the Rays, I'm not sure having a close eye paid to the calls is unwarranted. By positioning yourselves as watchdogs and then only showing a one-sided view puts your integrity and credibility as a network--and that of your announcers--at risk.

You'll either be a watch-dog acting on behalf of the fans or a lap-dog acting on behalf on Major League Baseball. Pick a side and stick with it. Stop dancing from side to side like a spasmodic ballerina

I don't like to see anyone get hurt but I'm just saying Cousins getting drilled in the mask, forcing his removal from the game was a sign. That's all I'm saying.


POETIC JUSTICE?? - WHO'S TO SAY??

None of that matters once tonight's game starts and none of it will matter once the game is over. The potential story lines of a Rays gag job or the phenomenal comeback saga of the Sawks have BOTH been written in the minds of most sportswriters and whichever way the game eventually plays out will determine which copy we see Monday A.M. In a sense neither story line in entirely true, but it makes for the best reading.

I don't think you can make a case that the Rays have done anything more than outperform and over deliver this season. If they don't do it on one night in October it doesn't wash away 162+ games worth of achievement. As Bobby Bowden once said, you have to experience a few "wide right" type of disappointments on the way to becoming a championship caliber team.

If you had mentioned to Rays fan at the beginning of the season that in late October the Rays would be playing at home for the right to advance to the World Series, they would be more than happy. You might have received very generous odds in Vegas on such an event occurring and you would be a bit wealthier today as a result.

This is still a young, talented team on the ascent with more talent in the pipeline. The Sawks are in the midst of a reloading effort similar to the Yankees, albeit they are continuing to win while they retool the franchise. What we are seeing in the Sawks is a proud, veteran team that is well aware of the fact that the clock is ticking on the core members that remain from the first World Series winner. They are making a gallant last stand on this season confident in the knowledge that future Sox teams will likely have a different look and feel to it for Sox Nation.

Sox Nation will not see Manny anymore. Schilling, Lowell and maybe Varitek and Ortiz are soon to follow to other teams or retirement. It's a Custer's last stand for the Sox vets. A last hurrah. Of course they want to milk it for all it's worth.

There's always been a rule of thumb in heavyweight title fights that you have to knock out the champ in order to take the crown. The Rays clearly had the champs on the ropes in Game 5 and couldn't put them away. In Game 6, the Rays did not find the knockout punch. They better find a way to put them back on the ropes early in Game 7, because a decision goes to the Sox.

P.S. to Joe - I've seen enough of Balfour and Wheeler out of the pen. Go to Edwin Jackson early and Bradford and/or David Price to close. Why not find out what you have in Price? You spent a lot of money on him, if he's Rick Ankiel, he's Rick Ankiel. But you need to find out. One of the earlier games might have been a chance to get his feet wet. Wheeler hits too many bats and Balfour seems to be trying too hard not to hit ANY bats. Neither will get the job done for you tonight, both are pitching with fear.