Last year the Giants won 100 games. They were so far in front of the other clubs that the last 10 games of the season were meaningless. If Cruz, who was celebrated for his fielding throughout the year, even if he was a loss at bat for most of the year, hadn’t dropped a fly ball that a bush leaguer woiuld have caught. the team could have beaten Tampa Bay in the playoffs.

It was no mystery, at the start of spring training, that the club faced uncertainties with the pitching. Schmidt ended the year with arm problems and Nen was lost the entire season. They hadn’t resigned Worrell, who had pitched well in the closer role. They were looking for a fifth starter, as so many clubs are experiencing these days.

The word now, from knowledgable observers, is that, in addition to pitching woes, without Bonds in the lineup the Giants are a worse hitting team than the Dodgers. It may be a cause for wonder why anyone is picking them to finish ahead of the Rockies.

A realistic look at the club today is in order. Last year they won 100 games. No club does that if they aren’t playing at a high professional level. No one can reasonably contend that this wasn’t a good ballclub last year. Removing Bonds from the lineup and then forming an opinion respecting the team’s ability is not meaningful. The other clubs would like to see Bonds removed from the lineup but, unfortunately for them, the last time I looked it appeared that Bonds was still on the team. There is no point in debating whether the Giants are a better hitting team than the Dodgers if Bonds is not playing. They probably are a better hitting team than the Dodgers, even without Bonds. But they are not without Bonds.

What has the team done since the end of the 2003 year? For one thing, they removed the three least productive players on the team which, despite them, won 100 games. Those three players are Cruz, Aurilia and Santiago. The pundits who are showing a lack of respect point to what they consider a loss of offensive strength by the departure of these three. Continual reference is made to the “pop” in Aurilia’s bat which it is contended will be missed.

For some difficult to fathom reason, all of these opinions respecting Aurilia’s “pop” overlook his actual performance these past two years. They continue to be beguiled by his performance in 2001, an aberration in a career that extends at the major league level for nine years. The past two years he has averaged 14 homeruns and 60 rbis. This is not exactly A-Rod numbers. Coupled with his clearly established lack of range in the field his departure will not be sorely missed.

Cruz was a disaster at bat the last three quarters of the year. Most of the hitting stats referred to in asserting how much power the team loses by giving away Cruz were stats produced in the opening days of the season. Even so, he ended up hitting .250. As for Santiago, he is far gone, both offensively and defensively. The pitchers much preferred throwing to Torrealba. Santiago, as well as Aurilia and Cruz, consistently hit into more double plays than good hitters should.

As for the admiitted problems with the pitching— the spring training season so far has offered some encouraging signs. Schmidt apparently has overcome what was troubling him at year’s end. Nen has been throwing without pain although he still needs to face opposition hitters. Hermanson may be the fifth starter thay need. Williams must overcome the so-called sophomore jinx and give them a reliable number two starter.

The bench, which was a disaster last year has been strengthened. The trio of outfielders contending for time in right field provides bench strength lacking in 2003. These are three reasonably good, major league players. They will collectively perform at a higher level than Cruz, not a difficult task.

Perez will give the team far better defense than Aurilia. He may not have any “pop” but overall the club is better with Perez playing shortstop than Aurilia. Catching is bound to be improved with Pierzynski and Torrealba.

This is a ballclub which won 100 games last year and could be an improved team this year. It is not worthy of despair. It may not win 100 games this year but it should be odds-on to win the division.

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L [Read more →]

Jermaine Dye increased his speed to first base this winter. Dye who suffered a broken leg in the playoffs 2001 now is slightly above the average major leaguer in his time down the line.

The big improvement in Dye’s speed is noticeable when he runs from first to third, I think it’s the best he’s looked since the injury.

Pitch him up and away and he can hurt you, low and in and he’s got more to worry about.

Click below for more. [Read more →]

Eric Chavez who usually heats up in the second half of the season may get off to a fast start in 2004 and it won’t have anything to do with his off season conditioning.

Click “Read More” to read the rest of the story. [Read more →]

Batter up Feb. 28th

You will hear the word “knowingly” all the time as the BALCO case unfolds. The interested parties are choosing their words very carefully lately, saying they never “knowingly” took or distributed illegal substances. What’s up with all these sophisticated trainers and athletes, didn’t anyone ask any questions when the expensive designer supplements were given out. Were blindfolds handed out too?

Click below for my column…Marty [Read more →]

Batter Up Feb 21st, 2004

Alex Rodriguez, a Yankee , what does it mean? The Yankees will crush mediocre pitching. Derek Jeter’s time at short will end either around the all star break or when Jeter suffers his first injury which you know is coming soon to a theater near you.

Jason Giambi will benefit the most hitting behind Rodriguez and in front of Gary Sheffield, who will mean more to the Yankee offense than A Rod. Even with all this offense, I expect pitchers Jose Contreras and Jon Leiber, two weak links, will be replaced in the starting rotation around July 1st?

This is a copy of my “Batter Up” column which appeared in the Oakland Tribune Sports Section on February 21st.

Marty Lurie… Click below for more of the column! [Read more →]

Two and half years, a stint in jail, and the threat of a “tell all” book that would damage the game that he once was king of, Jose Canseco, 40, still hasn’t gotten baseball out of his system.

According to circulated reports, Canseco will attend the Los Angeles Dodgers open try out on March 1st. Jose tried to convince Dodger scouts to watch him work out at a private location, but they said they had no interest, so Jose will once again eat some “humble pie” and attend the tryout.

Is Jose in a fantasy land? Is he listening to his ego and pride instead of his realstic abilities to produce in the big leagues?

Or, is Jose Broken-man , humbled and has finally decided to return to his first love with a new attitude? Is he willing to go through the humility process and prove to everyone he’s a new man?

If I’m a general manager of a Major league team, I might want to take and extra look at this possible wise investment.

Any team that may consider signing Canseco may have finally found the perfect time. He’s served some time in jail, in which I’m sure he did some deep self-evaluation. From recent photos, Jose seems very thinner, which was his physical condition when he had the most success in the mid-eightees. The more bulkier he was, the more it effected his once-devasting swing.

Of Course, he is an admitted steroid user, but that jacket is light with the latest news of rampage use of performing enhancing drugs in the big leagues.

Canseco will not use steroids not only because of the policy of random testing in the majors, but because he loves his freedom way too much.

With all the success of Canseco in the past, and even his somewhat successful stints with Chicago and Tampa Bay, why haven’t the front office people given him a chance? He has proven he can hit .250 with 25-30 dingers. Will a guy like Eric Karross be that much of an upgrade for the A’s then Canseco?

Or is there another motivation that only front office people have for not giving Jose another shot?

Canseco’s only 32 home runs away from the milestone 500. Why not allow Jose to reach 500 with your team? The Devil Rays are giving Mcgriff that opportunity. Jose has constantly stated that he will play for the bare minimum, just like his fellow former Oakland star Rickey Henderson. Yet both former MVP’s are without a spring training facility to go to.

Timing is everything. Jose may be just the right and wise investment right now.

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Marty; The pitchers have reported, the rest of the team will be there in a few days and spring training is upon us. The real world of baseball is once again, thankfully, here, and we can open the sports pages to meaningful matters. The free agents have made their commitments and we need no longer bewail the fates which allow the rich to get richer and the improvident to complain the world is unfair.

Good to have Ed Stern back with us with his first spring training report on his favorite team. Ed’s analysis on the Giants is superior to any writer’s column in the Bay Area!

Thanks, Ed….
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What a difference a year makes. At this time last season, the Marlins were hardly on anyones radar, the Chicago Cubs were expected to be loveable losers once again, the Phillies were hopeful entering their last year at the Vet, Kansas City was known for its BBQ rather than its baseball team, the Padres were dreaming of their new park instead of getting ready to open it, and the Astros didn’t have a single ex-Yankee in its pitching rotation.

Fast forward to spring training 2004.

The Cubs are the favorites to REPEAT as the NL Central champs, The Marlins open spring drills as defending world champions, the Phillies have one of the deepest pitching staffs in the NL and are considered by many the team to beat this year, Kansas City signed everybody in sight and just might win the AL Central, the Padres are scaring the Giants in the West, and the Astros have the core of the Yankees pitching staff ready to open the season in Houston.

Click below for more! [Read more →]

The Red Sox have no one to blame for this mess other than themselves. I wrote two months ago that egos were preventing the deal between Boston and Texas from going down.

The Yankees will simply hammer the bad pitching staffs even more unmercilessly than they have in the past.

A Rod will have motivation to play all out instead of mailing in his at bats when they really mattered for Texas.

I’ve never been a big A Rod fan ever since Roger Clemens brushed him back in the playoffs between Seattle and New York. Ever since then A Rod has been a loser in my mind.

I don’t doubt any of A Rod’s numbers, but it takes more than that to be a difference maker on a championship team, just take one look at Manny Ramirez and all his numbers and tell me how many rings he has?

Click below and let’s look at the Yankees and their prospects with A Rod in the lineup. [Read more →]

It looks like the trade that willbring A-Rod to the yanks
is a done deal. They will gain a second mvp player
along with jason giambi and will lose a 30 homer, 30 base stealer in Soriano. Soriano’s fielding was less than desired. The big question that has to be answered is
pitching. Will the yanks staff be as good as those the past 8 years? We will find out once the season begins. Is there any thing left in Kevin Brown’s tank? Will
Vasquez win 15 to 20 games? The Red Sox will be potent on offense and their pitching should be better.
Baltimore has improved. Red Sox fans across the country are hoping that this will be their year.
All I can tell you is that my late father-in-law,who passed away 2 years ago at the age of 95 was one of the few people who could actually remember the Red Sox winning the world series. He was 11 years
old at the time. Camps open this week and it should be interesting.

Jerry F [Read more →]