Marty Lurie Talks San Francisco Giants Baseball
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Injuries Huge Part of the Game


Baseball fans live to analyze their teams chances for success. One variable that no one can predict is the injury bug, which inevitably hits each team sometime during the season.

Will the Mariners stay healthy for 162 games? Will Edgar Martinez, John Olerud, and Jamie Moyer last thru August?

The baseball season is a long grind, the summer months are particularly difficult because the off days are few, the weather is hot, and the players have been playing since February.

Erick Hinske is gone for two months with a broken hand, Fernando Vina is out two months with a hamstring, Darin Erstad has missed at least one month with various muscle injuries, and Jermaine Dye has been out for one month with a knee.

Who knows how Barry Bonds and Randy Johnson will hold up once they get back into the lineup?

The A’s have a relatively young team and that is a major plus when assessing their chances to win the West. Last summer, they put away Boston (with an injured Pedro) and Seattle with a tremendous second half run. Manager Ken Macha told me last summer that the A’s would beat the older teams. He was right they did and should do it again this year once the weather heats up.

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Peter Gammons is the ultimate homer for the Red Sox. All the years of seeing the Sox blow leads to the Yankees is already wearing on the ESPN inventor of baseball. His comments last night that the Red Sox have guaranteed that they will leave NY in first place after winning game one of a three game series, demonstrates his lack of confidence in his favorite team.

Gammons should be thinking sweep in NY. The Yankees are reeling, they have been for three weeks, the Red Sox are the better team right now, Gammons shouldn’t even consider losing the last two games of this series, but realize that even with Bruce Chen going against struggling Andy Pettitte tonight the Red Sox can outhit the Yankees and increase their 2 1/2 game lead.

Come on Peter show some confidence in your boys.

The Yankees need some life. Hideki Matsui has been a bust as far as I’m concerned. He has shown little power at the plate and can be pitched to, which most teams have done.

Carlos Beltran would look good in NY, don’t bet against it.

The Dodgers are cooking. Now tied with the Giants, LA has the pitching which the Giants don’t have right now. LA needs a big hitter in the line up. Jeff Kent would have been perfect for LA, but they passed on Kent. Now, is Roberto Alomar in their future? Carlos Beltran? They ought to get someone because if Kevin Brown and company stay healthy, which is not a done deal, they can beat the Giants with some more offense.

Sidney Ponson is still auditioning for some other team. He pitches against Aaron Sele tonight in Baltimore. The Orioles are hitting all of a sudden and did hit Sele hard last week.

The Angels wasted valuable games by splitting six with Tampa and Baltimore last week.

The A’s will hit Kenny Rogers hard, they did last Wednesday even though they lost the game in Oakland. It’s the Minnesota bull pen which they haven’t figured out. Barry Zito is not comfortable in the Metrodome and I would expect he will have another of his tough outings tonight. I never like to lose confidence in Zito, but this is one place he doesn’t pitch well.

Bartolo Colon will go nine tonight against the Blue Jays, but will he win the game. The White Sox are not suited to the turf and Roy Halladay is coming along just fine. Things get stickier for Jerry Manuel.

Carlos Reyes, yes the former Athletic, pitches for Tampa tonight against Colby Lewis. It should be BP for the Rangers. Texas is very patient with Lewis, but he clearly needs more AAA work to gain the consistency necessary to pitch in the big leagues. How long can Texas keep Todd Van Poppel around?

Freddy Garcia is a mess. Kansas City with Chris George, hopes to duplicate last week’s pasting of Garcia (six homers in the game). Kansas City is not that bad, they just make critical mistakes which cost them games.

Runelvys Hernandez and Jeremy Affeldt will miss the A’s series. Hernandez still isn’t right (elbow) and Affeldt pitches Wednesday against Seattle. Good news for Oakland which should play better over the weekend in KC.

Jeremy is hitting .198 and Jason is at .207. This is May 27th, I would be concerned if I had the brothers on my fantasy team.

Jason Schmidt saves his best performances for Arizona. Byung Hyun Kim comes off the DL tonight in Pac Bell. Kim will be packaged to the AL for some hitting before too long, you can count on it.

The Dodgers better have the bull pen ready because the Rockies are getting comfortable in Coors Field. The Giants couldn’t hold them down and with Ishii on the hill throwing curve balls, I would expect the home team to score more runs tonight.

So, the Rocket must wait for 300 until Sunday in Detroit, not so bad because he won’t miss this time.

All his friends can make reservations now, this time it will happen.

0 comments

1 Anonymous { 05.27.03 at 1:37 pm }

Part of my wish list for the A’s has come true now with the callup of Aaron Harang from AAA. Hopefully, he will get the opportunity to start in place of Lilly/Halama to balance and enhance the rotation, although starting pitching is the least of our worries right now.

So then, next, we send T. Long (.240 0 clutch hits uninspired defense and baserunning and big contract) and Mecir (over the hill, big contract) to either New York ballclub for middle infield prospect (protection for no Tejada resign). This frees up cash for next year plus playing time for Piatt, Byrnes, Singleton, and Grabowski.

Net, is no drop off in production and maybe improvement from Long’s replacements. Bring back Fikac to easily replace Mecir. Voila! We spark the team with a little shakeup and save jack for next year signings.

Go A’s. Thanks Marty for the forum.

2 marty { 05.27.03 at 2:54 pm }

I think it is just a matter of time before Harang gets a start. For now, I expect him to come in to pick Halama or Lilly up in the sixth inning and take it to the ninth. Mecir is hurting, I wouldn’t expect much from him and because of that he has Zero trade value. As I said eralier, Long has little value on the market as a corner outfielder, maybe he could play center in a park that didn’t have so many day games. Jose Jimenez the Rockies closer will look good in Oakland. Colorado is a team BB can trade with, so maybe he’ll be the eighth inning guy they need. With all that the big hitters, 3-4-5 and DH have to start raking, this interleague schedule is tougher than last season.

Marty

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