The Reds' biggest needed is in the bullpen, and their general manager Walt Jocketty has addressed that need. Well, sort of. He signed Russ Springer and Jason Isringhausen, sending them to Triple-A Louisville.

Isringhausen has made two appearances this year, giving up two runs and two hits in 1.6 innings of work. One of the two hits was a homer!

Springer has pitched much better. He has appeared in six games, allowing one hit, one walk, and five strikeouts in 5.6 scoreless innings.

Besides adding Isringhausen and Springer, the team also moved left-hander Aroldis Chapman to the pen in Triple-A Louisville. He has pitched 11 games in relief for Louisville and is 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA, recording 23 strikeouts and eight walks in his 14 innings of work.

Reds' manager Dusty Baker wants him to be more consistent before bringing him up.

"I've been monitoring him some, he's been dong pretty good. Still, he's a little bit erratic. Naturally, we want him to be more consistent and do better. That's why he is there." Baker said.

It appears this may be the Reds' only action before the trade deadline.

"It's quiet. I don't expect anything to happen, not with us. A lot of times it doesn't start to escalate until the last few days. Maybe when we get back home, it might change." Jocketty said.

Jocketty has been involved in some conversation with other GMs and had this comment.

"The sense I get from other clubs is two factors: People don't want to give up their young prospects, and clubs don't want to take on additional payroll. That makes it hard to make a deal. Again, that may change closer to the deadline."

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It’s no secret that the Phillies’ uncanny ability to consistently win away from home has helped make them of baseball’s best teams in recent years.

Winning on other teams’ home turf has been a staple for this club ever since 2004 and is also a huge reason why they’re three-time defending NL East champions.

The 2007 Phillies won their last SIX games in Shea Stadium against the Mets.

The 2008 Phillies won ALL NINE of their games in Turner Field against the so-called division rival Braves.

The 2009 Phillies averted disaster by starting the season 24-9 on the road, despite beginning the year 13-22 at home.

Yet, it’s been a much different story so far in 2010.

The Phillies are 22-28 in games played outside of Citizens Bank Park.

It gets worse.

This month, the Phillies have lost three-of-four to both the lowly Cubs and Pirates. Remember that Chicago would have swept that four-game set if catcher Geovanny Soto could have just handled that perfect one-hop throw to home plate…

Since starting the season 13-7 on the road by mid-May, the Phillies have lost 21 of their last 30 road games. The last time the Phillies have suffered through that bad of a prolonged stretch on the road was back in 2003, as that team lost 24 of its final 33 road games en route to coughing up the Wild Card on the season’s final week.

But thankfully there’s now a renewed sense of optimism here in 2010, with these Phillies embarking on their next road-stint as both the winners of eight straight and the rightful owners of Mr. Roy Oswalt.

This upcoming six-game road trip against the Nationals and Marlins is a great place for the Phillies to start improving their play away from home. Recently, the Phillies have enjoyed playing in these two cities, as the Phils have gone a combined 16-5 in Miami and Washington since the beginning of 2009.

Twenty-one of the Phillies final 28 road games this season will come against the NL East, so playing well against the division will be pivotal, as usual.

The Phillies will also catch a few lucky breaks this week, as they will not face Nationals’ ace Stephen Strasburg nor Marlins’ ace Josh Johnson. Strasburg is on the 15-day DL while Johnson is slated to pitch the day before the Phillies arrive in Miami.

But winning on the road ain’t easy.

So far this season, 21 of the 30 ML teams have winning records at home, including all four of the Phillies NL East adversaries, but only eight have winning records on the road.

Can the Phillies turn it around away from home? You bet they can. They have the talent, the tradition, and right now they surely have the confidence.

After all, this great era of Phillies baseball has been partially defined by this group’s knack for performing well in enemy territory…especially when it matters most.

The fate of the 2010 Phillies hinges on their ability to start doing it again, and this upcoming trip down the East Coast is the perfect place to start….

Phillies Yearly Road Record (Since 2004)

Year                Record              ML Rank

2004                44- 37              Tied 5th

2005                42- 39              Tied 6th

2006                44- 37              Tied 5th 

2007                42- 39              Tied 5th

2008                44- 37              2nd     

2009                48- 33              Tied 1st

2010                   22- 28                 17th      

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"On this date in 2006, Bobby Abreu was traded by the Philadelphia Phillies to the New York Yankees for, well, not much. Although the deal was heavily criticized at the time, the Phillies have since enjoyed the winningest period in their history, winning three division titles, making two trips to the World Series, and winning the 2008 World Championship.

"More relevantly, it was day the moved to Philadelphia."

For Philadelphia fans, that day meant the end of the misery known as Bobby Abreu, Philadelphia Phillie.

What only fans who watched him day in and day out could appreciate was that Abreu, while accumulating impressive numbers in the home runs, stolen bases, and bases on balls departments, could be a spectacularly bad fielder and could, at times, give the impression of not trying all that hard.

Or so I've been told. Frankly, I thought the move had been a mistake. I was wrong.

The Phillies have had no regrets.

If that day marked the end of the Bobby Abreu Era in Philadelphia, it also marked the end of the Chancey family's own personal hell, a hell that had begun 11 months earlier with Hurricane Katrina.

As we loaded our moving van four years ago today, I was reminded of the one thing my wife and I told each other just before we evacuated the City of New Orleans with my mother and brother in tow and with the massive hurricane looming in the Gulf of Mexico:

No regrets.

We had lots of choices to make that day: whether to leave, when to go, where to go, and how to get there. We had three choices of places to evacuate to because we had people waiting for us in Dallas, Texas, Tallahassee, Florida, and Lake Charles, Louisiana.

We had no idea what lay ahead of us, and so we thought it was important that we not end up playing the "what if?" game should things turn out poorly for us.

And so we didn't. No regrets.

What followed that evacuation, of course, was the worst natural disaster—from a financial perspective—in United States history. The Chancey family spent a brief couple of months as nomads-turned-squatters before ending up in Alexandria, Virginia just in time for Thanksgiving and the longest, most dreary winter these New Orleans folks had ever endured.

We spent roughly a year feeling out of place and out of touch, feeling as though our world had been turned upside down and we had no control over it. Don't get me wrong: Alexandria, Virginia is a lovely place, but we didn't chose to live there, and it wasn't home to us.

And so it was that eight months, a law school graduation and a job offer later, that we found ourselves in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As we arrived with a moving van full of stuff we'd found on craigslist over the previous year, we looked at each other, and one truth became astonishingly clear.

For the first time since the hurricane had forced us from New Orleans, we were once again in control of our own destiny. We were back on track.

We were finally home.

So, too, did the Philadelphia Phillies finally come home that day in July, 2006.  

As it turns out, the Chancey family had moved to Philadelphia on the very day that the Phillies became a National League dynasty, and the ride has been nothing short of magical.  

After trading away Bobby Abreu (I'll never forget my first ever purchase of the Philadelphia Inquirer , which featured a column titled "Wait 'till the Year After Next"), the Phillies went on an improbable run, and Ryan Howard won the NL MVP on the strength of matching Jimmie Foxx's record for home runs by a Philadelphian with 58.

The following year Jimmy Rollins told the world that the Phillies were the team to beat in the NL East and then backed it up, winning his own NL MVP on the strength of becoming the fourth player ever with 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs, and 20 stolen bases.

I believe it was Shane Victorino's grand slam against C.C. Sabathia in the 2008 NLDS, two batters after Brett Myers' Epic Walk, when I started saying "we" when referring to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phils got us a world championship that year and then went to the World Series again the following year.

To tell you the truth, I have no problem whatsoever considering the Phillies' run to be my own personal reward for past ills suffered, both the acute trauma of Hurricane Katrina as well as the chronic lifetime condition of being a Chicago Cubs fan.

As I've said in the past, if you spent your life rooting for the Cubs and then moved to a new city and the team in that city suddenly started going to the World Series every year, you'd switch allegiances too.

And so it continues.

Tonight, on the fourth anniversary of Bobby Abreu's departure from Philadelphia, the Phillies are two days into the tenure of Domonic Brown, the player we hope will be the next Phillies superstar. Meanwhile, newly acquired Roy Oswalt takes his first turn in the Phillies' rotation against our NL East neighbors to the south, the Washington Nationals.

Will this be the beginning of a third run to the World Series? Will Oswalt and Brown be the pieces we need to win our second championship in three years?

We'll see.

For my part, I could not be more pleased with this team or this city.  

Becoming a Philadelphian has meant, to me, making "Our Nation's first..." jokes (this is the site of our Nation's first microwave dinner, etc.), figuring out where the best cheesesteaks really are, and making fun of people who take their picture in front of the Rocky statue.

Meanwhile, my wife, my kids, and I have found ourselves in a wonderful West Philadelphia neighborhood surrounded by the best group of friends we could have ever hoped for, living a life I don't think we could have imagined four years ago.

True to our word, we have no regrets.  

As one of my favorite movie lines goes, I'd rather be with the people of Philadelphia than with the finest people in the world.

As for the Phillies, it's been a great run, and while all good things must come to an end, I hope that this Phillies run doesn't end for a long, long time.  

It is crazy to think it all started by trading away what appeared to be their best player, but here we are. Now, as we watch Roy Oswalt take the first step towards our next World Series appearance, hopefully a couple of months from now the Phillies will be able to look back on this deal and, once again, have no regrets.

Asher B. Chancey lives in Philadelphia and is a co-founder of BaseballEvolution.com .

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All right, the Pittsburgh Pirates CAN win on the road.

At least they did so against the Colorado Rockies. Two out of three, anyway. In quite good fashion I might add, especially considering the first-inning injury to Ross Ohlendorf on Wednesday that required more than eight innings of bullpen work.

The Pirates have been on a hot streak at the plate since the All-Star break, at least relative to themselves. Enough to get out of a 30-team cellar for offense, anyway. The Rockies, on the other hand, have been on a cold streak, losing eight of their previous nine.

Sometimes it is the luck of the draw, but the Pirates did take advantage of things. If only they could do so well in every road series.

The Pirates were not nearly as good earlier against the San Diego Padres, going 0-3 at PETCO Park. But the Padres, perhaps surprisingly, have the best record in the National League, meaning that they are now too high a hurdle for the Bucs to beat—at least on the road.

Last year, the Pirates actually won two out of three road games against San Diego—in April, at a time when the Bucs were actually 11-7. But San Diego has been a powerhouse team since about the middle of last year, and took back three out of four from the Pirates at PNC Park in the fall.

The Pirates' results against the other Western division teams on the road are intermediate; 1-3 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, 1-2 against the San Francisco Giants, and 1-2 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Five of their 13 "Away" wins (just under 40%), have come against Western division teams. That compares to the fact that they'll play only 16 out of 81 (less than 20%) such games.

Still, with a young team you will take any reason for optimism you can get.

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Yankees manager Joe Girardi was impressed enough to say he may have found a replacement in the starting rotation until Andy Pettitte returns from injury.

Who will be taking Pettitte's spot? Dustin Moseley, who did just enough to earn another start after throwing six innings of one run ball in his first start since last April. The righty has battled back through an arm and hip surgery.

While he said he "felt calm from the get-go," Moseley admitted he may have been trying too hard in the first inning.

That's really the only time he got in a jam. In what could have developed into a disaster, the pitcher got out of a bases loaded situation and allowed just the one run.

After the first inning, Moseley calmed down and gave the Yankees all they could ask for. He would go six innings, giving up just that one run on four hits.

In all, 55 of his 83 pitches were strikes, as Moseley showed confidence and attacked the strike zone all night. His next start will come Tuesday at Yankee Stadium against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Yankees have been linked to some starting pitchers as the trade deadline approaches, but this quality start by Moseley may make them think twice. Their focus is likely more on the bullpen.

Continue this article for more Yankees notes at Double G Sports .

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Washington Nationals closer Matt Capps has been traded to the Minnesota Twins for Wilson Ramos and Joe Testa.

Testa, a left-handed pitcher, is currently 1-4 with an ERA of 8.25 for Minnesota's Double-A team in New Britain.

Triple-A catcher Wilson Ramos is a top prized prospect, who might one day take over Ivan Rodriguez as the Nationals catching starter.

Ramos was part of the proposal that would have sent Cliff Lee to the Twins. It was not sent through because Ramos was injured at the time.

Washington is in a spot where they have so much potential, and is building their prospects around stars such as Josh Willingham, Adam Dunn, and Ryan Zimmerman. They also have young Bryce Harper coming their way.

Matt Capps, who has 26 saves, will close for Minnesota, while Jon Rauch has 21 saves and will set-up.

It was a smart move for the Twins to make a solid bullpen even better.

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In return, Houston got a major league-ready pitcher in J.A. Happ and two minor league prospects.

One of them was Anthony Goss, who was immediately traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for first baseman Brett Wallace.

The Phillies have been looking for a starting pitcher to go along with ace Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels. Hamels has not been at his best this year, so it was a great move to get Oswalt with Halladay to lead the pitching rotation.

The trade was made early morning on July 29, but Oswalt had to approve it since he had a full no trade clause. He approved, and he was on his way to Philly.

He is scheduled to start Friday for Charlie Manuel's defending National League Champions.

On the other side, Happ will start today for Houston.

Roy Oswalt has a record of 6-12 with an ERA of 3.71. The stats to keep in mind are that in his last 13 starts against the National League East, he is 0-7 with an ERA over 7.00.

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But this set ends in August, and games become a little bit more important in August.

New York (65-36) currently holds a two-game advantage over Tampa Bay (63-38) in the American League East, but that could all change if the Rays pull off a sweep.

Let's take a look at the pitching matchups.

Friday, July 30: Phil Hughes (12-3, 4.04) vs. Wade Davis (8-9, 4.32)

Hughes has a 6.52 ERA over the five starts that he's made since having his turn skipped in the rotation in late June. That time period also coincides with the point when the right-hander eclipsed his previous high for innings pitched in a season, which was 86.

But we all knew this was inevitable when the Yankees spent all of last year building up Joba Chamberlain's arm strength only to hand the fifth starter's spot to Hughes, who had far fewer innings under his belt.

The 24-year-old has managed to avoid pitching against the Rays this year but is 2-1 with a 4.20 ERA in seven career appearances (two starts) versus them. He has allowed two earned runs in 7.2 frames at Tropicana Field.

The Tampa Bay roster is 8-for-24 (.333) off Hughes. Carlos Pena has been particularly troublesome, smacking two homers and walking three times in six plate appearances.

After losing all five of his starts in June, Davis has rebounded to win three straight starts. But keep in mind, those triumphs were over Cleveland and Baltimore.

The right-hander is 1-1 with a 4.63 ERA in two starts against the Yankees this year. He yielded four runs over six innings in a 10-0 home loss on April 10 but gave up just two runs and struck out seven through 5.2 in a 10-6 win at Yankee Stadium on May 19.

Against Davis, Derek Jeter is 4-for-9 (.444), Alex Rodriguez—still searching for that elusive 600th home run—is 4-for-8 (.500) with two homers, and Robinson Cano is 3-for-8 (.375) with a blast. Mark Teixeira, however, is 1-for-7 (.143) with three strikeouts.

Saturday, July 31: Javier Vazquez (9-7, 4.54) vs. Matt Garza (11-5, 4.06)

Vazquez continued his run of good performances against the National League and bad AL teams during his last outing, when he held the Indians to two runs over seven innings.

But overall, the right-hander has a 5.05 ERA against the AL and a 5.43 versus teams with winning records. The Rays fit into both of those categories.

Vazquez surrendered eight runs and 11 baserunners over 5.2 innings in a 9-3 loss at Tampa Bay on April 9. He is 5-5 with a 4.94 ERA in 13 career starts against the Rays and 3-3 with a 5.36 at Tropicana Field.

Carl Crawford is 11-for-29 (.379) with five extra-base hits off Vazquez, but that's nothing compared to B.J. Upton's 8-for-15 (.533). Upton is dealing with an ankle injury but could return on Saturday, just in time to face his whipping boy.

Vazquez, however, has had success against Pena, limiting the slugger to just three hits in 19 at-bats (.158) with 10 strikeouts, but two of those three hits have been homers.

Garza tossed the first no-hitter in Rays history and the fifth in baseball this season during his last outing against the Tigers. The other four pitchers to make history this year are 3-1 with a 3.29 ERA in their following starts.

The right-hander has pitched well against the Yankees in the past. Despite a 1-3 record, he has a 3.26 ERA in nine career appearances (eight starts).

Curtis Granderson's run of good at-bats will be tested, as he is just 4-for-17 (.235) with four strikeouts facing Garza. The same is true for Teixeira, who is 1-for-13 (.077). A-Rod, however, is 7-for-15 (.467). 

Sunday, Aug. 1: CC Sabathia (13-4, 3.15) vs. James Shields (9-9, 4.79)

In a difficult series, this will definitely be the Yankees' best chance of picking up a win. A lack of run support and two errors behind him snapped Sabathia's string of nine consecutive victorious decisions in a 4-1 defeat at Cleveland on Tuesday.

He'll look to bounce back against the Rays, a team he shut out on one hit over 7.2 on April 10 and held to three earned runs in a seven-inning no-decision on July 16.

The big lefty is 8-3 with a 3.03 ERA in 17 starts versus Tampa Bay, but a more pedestrian 3-3 with a 4.27 in St. Petersburg.

Jason Bartlett (13-for-41, .317), Upton (7-for-20, .350, .850 slg), Ben Zobrist (7-for-20, .350), and Evan Longoria (4-for-11, .364, two HR) have all had success against Sabathia. But Pena (4-for-32, .125, 17 K) and Willy Aybar (2-for-11, .182) have not.

Shields has looked better over his last three starts, going 2-0 with a 4.26 ERA, but he continues to give up too many home runs, including the two he surrendered to the Yankees in a six-inning, three-run no-decision in the Bronx on July 16.

Overall, the right-hander is 1-0 with a 3.86 in three outings against the Bombers this season, but is 2-7 with a 5.45 mark in 12 lifetime starts.

Jeter is 14-for-40 (.350) off him, and Cano is 14-for-32 (.438) with an astronomical .969 slugging percentage. Teixeira, on the other hand, is just 4-for-25 (.160) with 11 strikeouts, A-Rod is 5-for-23 (.217) with a homer, and Granderson is 2-for-23 (.087).

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report's New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

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Who would you select?  To whom would you give the ball to face off against Walter Johnson, Lefty Grove, Whitey Ford, Jim Palmer, and Roger Clemens?  Who would be your backup pitchers and relievers as well?

The guidelines are simple: You may select pitchers from any era since the inception of the team in 1901.  Starting pitchers must have reached 1,000 innings for the Tigers, and relievers must have appeared in 250 games to be eligible for your team.

The Tigers were one of eight charter teams in the American League.  Detroit had baseball before the Tigers got their start.  The Detroit Wolverines were a part of the National League from 1881-1888.  They won the pennant in ’87, but were soon contracted for lack of attendance after the ’88 season.

In 1894, the Western League, a minor league with big ambitions, established a team in Detroit.  Owner George Vanderbeck built Bennett Park in 1895 for the new team.

When the league changed their name to the American League in 1900, the team wrote to and got permission to use the name of a local military light guard unit with a heroic reputation, called the Tigers.

By the time the American League declared itself a major league in 1901, the team had the Tigers as its official name.

That first decade witnessed early success for the new team.

In 1905 the Tigers acquired Ty Cobb, who joined a talented team including Sam Crawford, Hughie Jennings, and pitchers Bill Donovan and George Mullin. 

By 1907, they were the team to beat in the AL, winning the first of three consecutive pennants.  Their best pitchers were George Mullin, who won 20 games five times; Bill Donovan, who went 25-4 in 1907; and Ed Killian, who won 20 games twice in his short career.

This pitching staff allowed the team to hold their American League competition at bay, while the offense took care of business.  But when it came time for the Tigers to face their National League opponents, it was a different story.

The 1907 and 1908 World Series pitted the Tigers' prolific offense against the Cubs dominant pitching.

The Cubs came out on top both times, featuring one of the most dominant pitching trios in baseball history in Mordecai Brown, Ed Reulbach, and Orvall Overall.  The Cubs trio shut down the Tigers offense both years and took home the titles.

The Tigers again brought their game in 1909, armed with new pitching stars Ed Willett and Ed Summers, who combined for 40 wins in the regular season, joining Mullin (29 wins) and mainstays Donovan and Killian.

The Tigers handled Lefty Leifield, Deacon Phillippe, and eventual Hall of Fame pitcher Vic Willis at various points in the series.  It was Pittsburgh control artist, rookie Babe Adams, who stole the show, winning three complete games, including a shutout in Game Seven.

So, Ty Cobb remained thwarted of baseball’s biggest prize, a World Series title.  In 1907 and 1908, it was the dominant pitching of the Cubs, and in 1909, it was Honus Wagner and a sensational rookie pitcher.

The Tigers never again appeared in a World Series during Cobb’s considerable career as a player and manager through 1928.  They twice finished second in 1915 and in 1923.

The next resurgence of Tigers greatness came in the mid- and late 1930s.

Going into 1934 the team made two moves: They brought in veteran (and future Hall of Fame) catcher Mickey Cochrane and future Hall of Fame outfielder Goose Goslin.  They teamed up with Hank Greenburg, Charlie Gehringer, and third baseman Marv Owen to make one of the greatest offensive juggernauts the sport has ever seen.

Fronting the team on the mound were developing stars Tommy Bridges and Schoolboy Rowe.  Over the next three years, the duo won 128 games and pitched 25 shutouts.  They are one of the great pitching duos is baseball history.

Schoolboy Rowe was a strapping, naturally gifted athlete.  He became a fan favorite for his good looks and devotion to his high school sweetheart, Edna.

Eddie Cantor picked up on Rowe’s quotation of, “How am I doing, Edna?” The phrase caught on through radio broadcasts and was chanted at games.  Rowe featured excellent command, leading the league in K/BB ratio in both ’34 and ’35.

Tommy Bridges stood 5'10” and weighed 155 pounds, dripping wet.  Despite his slight frame, he possessed some of the best stuff in the league, leading in strikeouts in both 1935 and ’36.  It was his drop-off-the-table curve that opponents held in wonder.

In 1935, the Tigers finally won their first World Series title.  They beat the Cubs in the Series. Bridges won two games.

Despite Rowe being given the attention and lead starting roles in the World Series, it was Bridges who beat Dizzy Dean in the ’34 Series, and came away with a career record of 4-1 in the Tigers' three World Series battles, including a win in the 1940 series against the Reds.

Bridges remained a leading pitcher in the league until he left for the war after the ’43 season.

Just two seasons later, the Tigers were in a youth movement.  They featured young star hurlers Dizzy Trout, Hal Newhouser, and Virgil Trucks. 

What a difference two years makes.

In ’43, Newhouser went 8-17.  But the following year, he flipped the switch, and became the dominant pitcher in the American League, winning 80 games over the next three years while winning two MVP awards.  He led the Tigers to a pennant and World Series title in ’45. 

The Tigers showed little patience toward former hero Tommy Bridges waiting for him to come back to form after he returned from the war.  The team basically sent him packing, telling him he was washed up.  But Bridges had some gas left in his tank, pitching a perfect game in ’47 and winning the ERA title in the Pacific Coast league.

With a bit of patience, the Tigers might have had a second Hall of Fame pitcher to go along with Hal Newhouser, as Bridges’s career total wins ended at 194, just short of the 200 opening the door for HOF consideration.  Newhouser ended with 207 wins.

Giving support to the efforts of Newhouser was Tigers workhorse Dizzy Trout.

Not being able to enlist because of a hearing impairment, Trout was one of the top AL pitchers during the war, winning 27 games in 1944.  He was instrumental in the Tigers second World Series title in ’45.

The Early Years Rotation

1. Hal Newhouser, 1939-53: 200 W, 33 SHO, ERA-plus 130

2. Tommy Bridges, 1930-46: 194 W, 33 SHO, ERA-plus 126

3. Dizzy Trou, 1939-52: 161 W, 28 SHO, ERA-plus 125

4. George Mullin, 1902-13: 209 W, 34 SHO, ERA-plus 102

T5. Bill Donovan, 1903-18—140 W, 29 SHO, ERA-plus 109

T5. Schoolboy Rowe, 1933-42: 105 W, 16 SHO, ERA-plus 114

Spot Starters: Hooks Dauss (223 W, ERA-plus 102), Virgil Trucks (114 W, ERA-plus 114), Fred Hutchinson (95 W, ERA-plus 113)

Toward the end of the ;40s, Newhouser’s arm was shot, and the Tigers drifted into mediocrity over the next decade until the 1960s.

As the '60s began, the team was blessed with some fine position players like Al Kaline, Bill Freehan, ’61 batting champion Norm Cash, and later, Willie Horton.  The team also featured dependable starters Frank Lary and Jim Bunning.

Bunning’s career really took off after he left the Tigers and put up some great years for the Phillies.

But it was not until the next generation of pitching started to emerge that the Tigers surged to the top of the league standings, winning the pennant in ’68 after narrowly missing the year before.

It was flamboyant Denny McLain who stole the show in 1968, winning 31 games, the Cy Young Award, and the MVP Award.  Even during his peak, McLain burned the candle at both ends, playing organ in a musical group which appeared at night clubs.

If it was Denny McLain who got the Tigers to the World Series, it was blue collar, lunch pail-carrying Mickey Lolich who brought home the title in the World Series.  Lolich was fearless, shutting down a great St. Louis team with his darting fastball and poise on the mound. 

When Game Seven came around, it was Lolich against the great Bob Gibson, who had already set the single game strikeout record (17) against the Tigers in Game One.  In one of the greatest series ever played, Lolich brought home the MVP award by winning his third game.

It was the Tigers’ third World Series title.

Denny McLain soon self-destructed, getting involved in gambling and the wrong ilk. It wasn’t long before he was out of the game.  One could only wonder what could have been if McLain could have controlled his problems.

The Tigers remained a good team for several years, making the postseason in ’72 with a rag tag group of older veterans including their core, pinch-hitter Gates Brown, super sub Tony Taylor, and late-season acquisition Frank Howard.

Their playoff series against the eventual World Series champion A’s was one of the most hotly contested playoff series in history.  It took every bit of greatness available to the three-time World Champion A’s to turn back the Tigers in this playoff series.

Twice Mickey Lolich pitched nine innings of one-run ball without coming away with a win. 

In Game Four, down two games to one in a best-of-five series, the A’s scored twice in the top of the 10th inning after Lolich left the game.  The series was theirs until the Tigers clawed back to score three runs in the bottom of the inning to send it to a fifth game.

Most of these Tigers players knew this was their last chance at postseason success, and they didn’t go down without a fight.  Game Five came down to the last at bat for the Tigers, down 2-1 and facing a dominant Vida Blue sent in as a reliever.

However, this time there was no miracle come-from-behind win, and on to the World Series went Catfish Hunter, Vida Blue, Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, and the rest of the legendary A’s. They went on to win three titles in a row.

Mickey Lolich won 25 and 22 games in ‘71 and ’72, but narrowly missed winning a Cy Young award.  He came as close as any pitcher has to 3,000 strikeouts (2,832) without passing the milestone.  His 41 shutouts, World Series heroics, and career resume give him a strong case for the HOF.

After the old guard retired, the Tigers needed to rebuild.

They brought in Sparky Anderson, manager of the team of the decade in the '70s—the Big Red Machine—to lead them onward.  Beginning in 1980, the Tigers began to surge, winning two division titles in ’84 and ’87 and finishing second in ’83, ’88, and ’91.

The magical year for the Tigers proved to be 1984.  They broke out of the gate at a record pace, going 35-5 to open the season.  The team never looked back and won the World Series.

The formula again was the convergence of strong position players with strong pitching. 

Catcher Lance Parrish led an offense that included Allan Trammell, Lou Whittaker, Chet Lemon, Kirk Gibson, and Darrell Evans.  They featured plenty of power and some great infield defense.

Leading the pitching staff was workhorse and ace Jack Morris, accompanied by Dan Petry and Milt Wilcox.

However, any mention of the ’84 Tigers would be remiss if it didn’t give ample credit to "Captain Hook’s" go-to guys, Willie Hernandez and Aurelio Lopez.  They combined to pitch in 151 games and 278 innings, giving up only 205 hits while saving 46 games between them.  They were truly amazing.

Jack Morris was consistent and strong throughout the '80s for the Tigers.  But it was after he travelled on to the Twins and Blue Jays that he won two more championship rings and dazzled a generation of fans with his 10-inning, shutout performance in Game Seven of the ’91 series.

The Tigers, after winning only 43 games in ’03, built their way back to being competitive.  In their first year with Jim Leyland as manager in ‘06, they made it to the World Series.

Poor weather hindered the play of the Series.  Several costly errors by the Tigers pitchers also spelled the team’s doom, as they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in an anti-climactic Series.

The leader of the Tigers staff today is Justin Verlander.  Verlander won Rookie of the Year award in ’06, and has generally turned in strong performances on his way to a significant career.  Other young Tiger pitchers have shown promise but not the ability to sustain success to this point.

The Modern Rotation

1. Mickey Lolich, 1963-75: 207 W, 39 SHO, ERA-plus 105

2. Jack Morris, 1977-90: 200 W, 24 SHO, ERA-plus 108

3. Frank Lary, 1954-64: 123 W, 20 SHO, ERA-plus 116

4. Jim Bunning, 1955-63: 118 W, 16 SHO, ERA-plus 116

5. Denny McLain, 1963-70: 117 W, 26 SHO, ERA-plus 110

Spot Starters: Milt Wilcox (1977-85), Justin Verlander (2005-10)

The Relievers

There are four relievers to mention when looking to name an all-time Tigers team.

Todd Jones leads the Tigers in saves with 235, but has a rather pedestrian ERA-plus of 114 for a reliever.  Mike Henneman has 154 saves and a very respectable ERA-plus of 136.

Both of these closers have inflated WHIP marks of 1.456 and 1.305.  This relates to having runners on base.

The two I am selecting for the team are John Hiller, who pitched in 545 games, had 125 saves, and an ERA-plus of 134 with a 1.268 WHIP, and Willie Hernandez, who appeared in 358 games, had 120 saves, and had an ERA-plus of 135.

There is certainly room for interpretation here in the choice, but I feel confident with the latter two, Hiller and Hernandez.

The All-time Rotation and staff

1. Hal Newhouser

2. Tommy Bridges

3. Mickey Lolich

4. Jack Morris

5. Dizzy Trout

Spot Starters: George Mullin, Bill Donovan, Schoolboy Rowe, Denny McLain

Relievers: Willie Hernandez, John Hiller

In Conclusion

If you’re a fan of Virgil Trucks, Jim Bunning, or Frank Lary, they could certainly go in the spot starter group in place of those listed.  The team is deep at this level of pitching.

Throughout the team history, success has depended on the combination of strong position players and sturdy pitching.  When the two came together, the team surged to success.

With a couple of breaks here and there, this rotation could be touting four of its pitchers as members of the Hall of Fame.  Bridges and Lolich have strong cases, and Jack Morris is still up for election.

The Tigers have a full-flavor history.  The pitchers are no exception.  Each one of these starters has a great story behind them.

It is my wish that Tiger fans understand and embrace their team history and the formula for future success that is so clearly laid down in their history.

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The last few days have seen a flurry of player movement with high profile players such as Dan Haren and Roy Oswalt changing teams, in addition to the numerous smaller deals that have been occurring around the league. Since adding Cliff Lee and Benjie Molina, Texas also just acquired Jorge Cantu to provide injury cover and bolster their lineup. San Diego obtained infielder Miguel Tejada to bring some veteran leadership and experience to their squad.

While most eyes focus on the blockbusters, keen observers are aware that contenders aren't usually in need of a massive deal to solidify their standing amongst the top teams in the game. They usually are in a contending position by July 31 because they already have a deep, talented team. Many times, a shrewd move for a veteran utility player with the versatility to play several positions can bring depth and stability to a team as they fight towards October.

Of course, everyone wants to know if bigger names like Prince Fielder, Adam Dunn, Lance Berkman, or Derek Lee are bound for greener pastures. As a culture infatuated with celebrities, we're naturally enamored by the glamorous names splashed across the rumor pages.

Naturally, the big-spending teams like the Yankees draw a lot of attention at times like these. As they are often active in both free agency and in the trade market, teams and players always try to involve the Yankees in order to create leverage for themselves.

Clearly in the free agent market, an agent for a player almost always hopes to engage the Yankees in dialogue, expecting their free-spending ways to assist in driving the market up for whichever player they represent. Even when the Yankees are not even remotely involved, mysterious sources will often float purported rumors attributed to the team.

Conversely, when a team is trying to drum up interest in a player that they have made available on the trading market, they want as many teams involved as possible to attempt to secure the best potential deal they can for their franchise. Knowing that the Yankees are interested, along with their vast resources and willingness to deal, can serve to apply pressure and a sense of urgency when exploring the trade market. If a team knows that the Yankees are looming, it may force them into action, fearful that they might miss out if they hesitate.

True to form, the July 31, 2010 non-waiver trading deadline has seen the New York Yankees mentioned in connection with nearly every player who may or may not have been made available by their team.

Over the last several weeks, the Yankees have allegedly been close to deals on Cliff Lee and Dan Haren, they have been shopping for Zack Greinke and Joakim Soria. Various sources have linked them heavily to Prince Fielder, Adam Dunn, Ty Wiggington, and even a potential reacquisition of Hideki Matsui.

As fans, it's fun to read the stories and follow the rumors, but honestly, most of it is merely wishful thinking or completely fabricated nonsense.

You have to separate the fantasy from reality and seriously consider the potential impact of any such deal and how it could potentially fit into the fabric of the team as currently constructed.

Please continue reading the complete article at PinstripeWest.com

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9:51am CDT - Hold everything, folks. According to White Sox beat writer Joe Cowley, the talks between the Diamondbacks and White Sox have been put on hold and apparently Sox general manager Ken Williams has an even bigger deal that's being worked out. Cowley says, if complete, the Jackson deal is off.

9:28am CDT - According to Bob Nightengale from USA Today, officials from both the White Sox and Diamondbacks say they are close to a deal that would send Edwin Jackson to the White Sox.

If this deal goes through, watch and see if the Sox don't turn and send Jackson to the Nationals for Adam Dunn.

8:47am CDT - MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reports that the holdup on the deal that would send Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot to the Los Angeles Dodgers is the amount of money the Cubs are willing to send to cover the two contracts.

7:44am CDT - I forgot to mention the Minnesota Twins acquiring Matt Capps from the Nationals for catching prospect Wilson Ramos. Capps will be the new closer for the Twins.

7:35am CDT - SI.com's Jon Heyman reports that the White Sox are close to a deal for Edwin Jackson. Heyman says the Sox will probably send Daniel Hudson plus one other prospect to Arizona.

If this deal gets done, it could mean that Jackson will then be on his way to the Nationals for Adam Dunn. We'll have to wait and see.

7:31am CDT - The Chicago White Sox could still be after Adam Dunn but doing so in a roundabout way. The Sox have contacted the Arizona Diamondbacks about right-hander Edwin Jackson. SI.com's Jon Heyman says the Sox, if they land Jackson, could then flip him to the Nationals in return for Dunn.

7:26am CDT - The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired outfielder Scott Podsednik from the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, but it looks like they're not done dealing. According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Dodgers and Cubs are discussing a deal that would send left-hander Ted Lilly and infielder Ryan Theriot to Los Angeles. It's not known whether the deal is close at this point.

With just over 24 hours to go before Major League Baseball's non-waiver trade deadline, there are still plenty of rumors that are flying around. There are still names out there that are available and teams that still need to make a move.

We saw a lot of late movement yesterday as both the Rangers and the Padres both made trades to strengthen their ball clubs.

The Padres acquired shortstop Miguel Tejada from Baltimore for a minor league pitcher and the Rangers landed Florida Marlins infielder Jorge Cantu while optioning struggling first baseman Chris Davis to Triple-A.

We'll keep track of all the movers and shakers today as there are sure to be even bigger trades made today.

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The Reds also have some popular promotions scheduled for this weekend.  There will be fireworks after tonight’s game.  Tomorrow, fans will receive a Homer Bailey bobblehead.  On Sunday, the first 10,000 kids 14 and under will receive a Brandon Phillips t-shirt.

The biggest and most important reason for the expected capacity crowds is the team itself.  The Reds are an exciting team that is playing winning baseball.

Good weather, bobbleheads, the Reds in first place—what could possibly be better?

Well, LaRosa’s pizza would surely hit the spot, and it will tonight at the Machine Room.

Here are the probable pitchers for the series.

Friday, July 30  7:10 PM
Braves:  Kris Medlen, RHP (6-2, 3.57)
Reds:  Johnny Cueto, RHP (10-2, 3.18)

Saturday, July 31  4:10 PM
Braves:  Jair Jurrjens, RHP (3-3, 4.37)
Reds:  Bronson Arroyo, RHP (10-6, 4.21)

Sunday, August 1  1:10 PM
Braves:  Tommy Hanson, RHP (8-7, 3.99)
Reds:  Edinson Volquez, RHP (1-1, 8.25)

Read more at Reds Country.

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USA Today has reported that the 2011 Major League Baseball Season will open on Friday, April 1 .  Apparently, MLB is doing this to avoid the possibility of playing World Series game in November.

For Reds Country, Opening Day is sacred.  People take the day off from work and kids skip school to attend the game.  The Findlay Market Parade is a tradition in Cincinnati that has been enjoyed by generations since 1920.

At first, I cringed at the idea of Opening Day being held on a Friday.  I love tradition and don’t usually adapt well to change, especially when it concerns something like Opening Day.  However, when I began to really think about it, I decided it may not be that bad after all.

We usually drive to Cincinnati the day before Opening Day and spend the night in a hotel.  We get up early for the parade, attend the game and drive home.  If the game we on a Friday, we could come down on Thursday evening, go the parade and game on Friday, and then be free to stay longer if we wanted to.

So, I can’t believe I am saying this…

Opening Day on a Friday?  Let’s do it!

Read more at Reds Country .

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Sheets plans on having flexor-tendon surgery, mostly so that he can pitch again if he would like to; but he stated: "If I came back, I would have to feel a lot better." (San Francisco Chronicle).

He will most likely miss all of next season, and there is a good chance he could be done permanently.  The infamous Dr. James Andrews did his prior surgery on his injured tendon in his arm.

Now let's get to the review:

Sheets, the 6'1'', 222 pound starter was 4-9 this season with a 4.53 ERA. The league average is 4.15.

He started 20 games this season and had seven no decisions. He had 116 innings pitched this year which was his second lowest of his career (88 in 2006 was lowest). Sheets was 1-1 against his division with four no decisions.

All of these factors are mixed in with his $10 million contract which equals out to $2.5 million dollars per win. I am not trying to be too hard on Sheets—who undoubtedly went out and pitched hard, but the wins just aren't there.

He was getting quite consistent to end the year as he didn't allow more than four Earned Runs after a May 2nd debacle where he gave up 9 runs to the Blue Jays. That meant over his last fourteen starts, he has left his team in the game, just not been able to get run support.

With all of this taken into account, he can't be given a high grade, since he just didn't step it up in the games when needed; but still became effective to a point as the season progressed. The season ending injury realistically has to hurt his grade overall.

Season Ending Grade: C

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After taking two of three from the first-place Cardinals, the Mets will welcome the last-place Arizona Diamondbacks, a team who swept the Mets a week and a half ago.

Tonight's pitching matchup will be a rematch of the series opener in Arizona on July 19—Mike Pelfrey against Ian Kennedy.

That was the infamous game in which Pelfrey threw 51 first-inning pitches, and hit rock bottom. He only lasted 1.1 innings, allowing six runs on seven hits, while thowing a total of 74 pitches.

The Mets went on to lose the game, 13-2, in what was part of an awful road trip.

Pelfrey did rebound in his last start on Saturday against the Dodgers, where he went five innings, allowing two runs on six hits, in a Mets 13-inning loss.

It was his most effective start since June 25, which was his last win against the Twins. He seemed to be throwing more fastballs and sinkers, staying away from the offspeed pitches, which apparently hurt him.

Facing Pelfrey will be Ian Kennedy who beat the Mets in that 13-2 Diamondbacks win. The Mets had trouble hitting Kennedy, as they did against virtually every pitcher on the road trip, only managing four hits in five innings.

Kennedy's last start wasn't spectacular, lasting 6.2 innings, allowing four runs on six hits, in a 10-4 loss to the Giants.

Since the Diamondbacks swept the Mets, finishing it off with a 14-inning marathon win, they haven't won another game. They have lost seven in a row, having gotten swept four at home to the Giants, and three in Philadelphia.

The problem with the Diamondbacks so far this season is the difference between home and road. They aren't that great at home, but only five games under .500 at 24-29. On the road, they have been awful with a record of 13-36.

Although Arizona swept the Mets in their park, it may be different in this series. The combination of the way they've been playing, the way the Mets have been hitting on this home stand, and the Mets 32-17 home record should give the Mets a huge advantage this time around.

Today, the Mets are expected to make a decision on the concussed Jason Bay. In all likelyhood, they will put him on the disabled list.

The Mets will get back both David Wright and Luis Castillo who both rested yesterday, so they'll have a full lineup against Ian Kennedy.

With R.A. Dickey going 8.1 innings yesterday, the Mets have a fully rested bullpen except for Francisco Rodriguez, who came in and got the final two outs yesterday.

The key in this series amongst other things, will be for the Mets to get to the Diamondbacks bullpen. With one of the worst bullpens in Major League history, the Mets couldn't doing anything against the Diamondbacks relievers in Arizona.

It's the final series in July, and the Mets will try to win the home stand this weekend.

Mike Pelfrey vs. Arizona (July 19)
Loss, 1.1 IP, 6 ER, 7 hits, 2 BB, 1 SO

Ian Kennedy vs. New York (July 19)
Win, 5 IP, 1 ER, 4 hits, 2 BB, 1 SO

2010 season series (New York vs. Arizona)
July 19: Arizona 13, New York 2
July 20: Arizona 3, New York 2
July 21: Arizona 4, New York 3 (14)
Diamondbacks lead series 3-0

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With the aquisition of former Houston Astros ace Roy Oswalt, it's arguable the Phillies now boast the best top 3 starting rotation in the National League.

The injury bug has decimated the Phillies throughout season, with only a handful of games being played using the club's top starting lineup.

In spring training, starter Joe Blanton and closer Brad Lidge suffered injuries.

Once the season got underway, it didn't take Jimmy Rollins long to strain a calf in a pregame warm up.

Placido Polanco got hit in the elbow in a game against the Atlanta Braves a few weeks later and ultimately landed on the 15-day DL in June.

Late in April, Ryan Madson got frustrated with his performance in San Fransisco and broke his toe kicking a chair.

As players returned to health, the starting lineup saw more setbacks.

Chase Utley broke his thumb trying to stretch a single into a double and Jamie Moyer hurt his pitching arm a short time later.

The latest casualty is center fielder Shane Victorino, who suffered a strained side muscle a few days ago.

Despite all the injuries, the Phillies have continued to go out and play hard everyday.

With a mediocre June, the club found themselves sitting in third place behind Atlanta and the New York Mets.

Since a four-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds before the All-Star break Philadelphia has a 13-6 record including the current eight-game winning streak.

Even with all the injuries and setbacks, Philadelphia has played well enough to get within 2.5 games of the NL East leading Atlanta Braves.

Since Charlie Manuel became the Phillies manager, the club has earned the reputation of being an excellent second half team.

With this in mind, Philadelphia GM Ruben Amaro Jr. decided Thursday to throw down his cards and deal for Roy Oswalt.

With three top starters in Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels, the Phillies may have all the pieces in place to capture a third consecutive National League Championship.

Chase Utley and Shane Victorino are scheduled to come off the disabled list in three weeks.

The Phillies should, barring any other injuries, finally be at full strength just in time for September.

Stay tuned Philadelphia, here comes the Phillies- again!

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Friday night, the New York Yankees are at Tropicana Field to face the Tampa Bay Rays, and it will be a true battle of the young guns on the mound.

Since pitching and defense will dictate the outcomes of all three games, the match-ups on the mound will set the tone. Let's look at the Friday night's pitchers.

Ironically, both the Rays and the Yankees have their "young guns" squaring off. Both players are 24 years old, both stand at 6'5 feet, and both are right-handed pitchers.

Tampa Bay Rays: Wade Davis (8-9)

Davis didn't look very good this season, after losing all five of his starts in the month of June. Davis' June numbers included an ERA of 6.0, and batters were hitting just shy of .270 against him.

Since the start of July, Davis has looked like a different pitcher. He has gone unbeaten. Over his last three starts, he has posted an ERA of 2.11. For the month of July, Davis has pitched 25 innings, faced 110 batters and allowed nine earned runs, six walks and 12 strikeouts. Eleven of those 12 strikeouts were in his last three starts and a monthly ERA of 3.12. That is pretty impressive stuff.

Davis is suddenly throwing with a lot more confidence. Davis is not afraid to throw hard because he is locating the ball much better.

Davis faces a potent Yankees lineup who have seen him before. This works in the Yankees favor because Davis is not new, and they have hit him successfully.

Davis needs to be careful with Cano, Gardner, Granderson, Thames, A-Rod, and Jeter because all have multiple hits in the few at-bats they have had against him.

New York Yankees: Phil Hughes (12-3)

Unlike Davis, Phil Hughes started out the season on fire. Hughes was an 2010 All-Star and his name was frequent in Cy Young discussions.

He was the Yankees most reliable pitcher through the month of May. As they say, all good things must come to an end, or in Hughes' case, back down to baseball-reality.

Hughes got a lot of help via the Yankees hitters, who seemed to always score a lot of runs when he is on the mound. This masked a few mediocre starts and redefined them as great. It was not that Hughes didn't look solid, he completely did, but his struggles started earlier than the numbers or newspaper headlines might read.

Hughes has been slowly declining, as his ERA is rising.

His OBA has consistently dropped in each start since the end of May. July has been ugly for the youngster. In 23 innings, Hughes has faced 90 batters, and allowed 15 earned runs, issued five walks, all with an ERA of 5.79. He has struck out 15, but in his last two starts, he only has five in total.

Hughes cannot seem to locate his fastball, and his curveball has turned flat. There has been no marked improvement, but he wins games because luckily, the team scores runs.

Hughes does have the advantage of not having to face the Rays' BJ Upton who crushes his pitches, as Upton is on the DL. Look for Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena to stir up some hits as they have has success against Hughes whether he is hot or not.

Prediction:

Davis has found what Hughes has lost, so I expect both teams bats to dictate in this matchup. Looking ahead, Hughes has the brighter future. But, for this game, I have to go with the Rays. 

Score: Rays beat the Yankees 9-5.

Hughes and Davis: No decision.

Read More At Lady Loves Pinstripes......

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During a year in which pitchers are being sold for remarkably low prices, the Minnesota Twins announced last night that they had traded Wilson Ramos to the Washington Nationals for closer Matt Capps. On the face of things, it seems a very high price to pay for a closer.

Ramos, 22, was one of the most-blocked prospects in baseball. Being a catcher in Minnesota's organization doesn't exactly qualify you for much playing time, and Ramos was a virtual lock to be traded eventually.

That he was only able to bring Matt Capps as a return, though, is disappointing. Many thought Ramos was worth much more than an expensive relief pitcher, but a lot of that can probably be attributed to a fan base overvaluing a prospect's worth.

The fact is, Ramos hasn't helped the Twins out much this year. By hitting a paltry .241/.280/.345 in Triple-A Rochester this season, Ramos' value has either dropped significantly, or Minnesota's front office panicked and sold Ramos for less than he was worth.

Capps is owed around $1.3 million for the rest of this season, and is set for another raise for the 2011 campaign. With Joe Nathan expected to attempt a comeback next year, though, Capps may not even be tendered a contract. If Nathan can make a full recovery, Capps would be a very expensive set-up man, to say the least.

While it would be nice to have a Capps-Nathan combo in the 2011 bullpen, the duo would combine to make entirely too much money for the impact they could make on the team as a whole. But while it wouldn't be cost-effective to keep both a functional Nathan and Capps next year, the 26-year old reliever from Washington will be available should Nathan not recover from Tommy John surgery.

Expensive though he is, Capps makes the Twins a better team than they were yesterday. Being inserted directly into the ninth inning role, Capps will force the entire bullpen chain down a notch, which should help other Minnesota relievers improve, or, in some cases, take high-leverage innings away from relievers who have no business pitching in them.

Capps has induced quite a few ground balls this year, and has seen a healthy drop in his fly ball rate. The transition from Nationals Park to Target Field will be negligible, so the Twins are hoping Capps can keep batted balls on the ground. Minnesota's infield is much more prepared to handle an increased work-load than the outfield.*

* Minnesota's currently outfield deserves a post of its own. The primary culprit for Baker, Slowey, and Blackburn's poor seasons this year, the outfield could use an infusion of range. As Beth Sickella opined last night on Twitter, the Twins should consider giving Cuddyer a few games at third (once Morneau is healthy again, of course) during starts from Slowey and Baker. This will hurt the infield defense, but allow both Repko and Span to play in the outfield. An interesting idea, to say the least.

By bringing in Capps, the Twins will increase their final win total of the regular season by a fraction of a win, at best. Still, in the very tight American League Central, a division that has required a couple Game 163's, even a fraction of a win could make a huge difference.

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The Baltimore Orioles have named 54-year-old Buck Showalter their new manager, taking over from interim manager Juan Samuel.  The former Yankees, Diamondbacks, and Rangers manager had been previously out of baseball since he was fired by Texas in 2006.

Since his time as Yankees manager, Showalter has had a sort of " Midas touch" getting the best out of under-performing franchises.  When he took over the helm in the Bronx in 1992, the Yankees were far from a championship caliber team.

Showalter turned the over-paid Yankees around by changing the clubhouse atmosphere into one of seriousness and dedication.  Along with then general manager Gene Michael, he shipped out veterans who were unwilling to conform to his demanding methods.

In 1995, Showalter led the Yankees to their first playoff appearance since 1981, but possibly could have done so the year before if not for the 1994 strike, as the Yankees, at the time, held the best record in the American League.

A falling out with owner George Steinbrenner led to Showalter's exit from the Yankees, but the pieces were in place for a championship run as Joe Torre entered the manager's office.  Torre deservedly got the credit for the future success of the franchise, but Showalter had done much of the work in restoring the Bronx Bombers.

He then became the inaugural manager of the newly former Arizona Diamonbacks, and with all expansion teams, it takes time to win.

Showalter, though, was able to do so in his second season in the Arizona desert, as the D'Backs went 100-62 and won the NL West.  He was booted the following season as Arizona struggled, but again he had set the path to their World Series championship under Bob Brenly.

His next stop was in Texas, where he inherited a team of stars that finished the season 79-91 while Jerry Narron was at the Rangers' helm.

Showalter struggled to the get the Rangers to play as a unit for most of his tenure in Texas, but found success in 2004.  He won the Manager of the Year award as the club finished 89-73 despite a serious lack of pitching and the loss of superstar Alex Rodriguez, who was traded to the Yankees.

The Rangers fired Showalter after the 2006 season, and for once, he was unable to breathe life into a struggling franchise.

Showalter now takes over a Baltimore Orioles team that is buried in the AL East and realistically will never compete as they share the division with the powerhouses that are the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays.  The Orioles have been willing to deal away their best talent every year, and there isn't much of an end in sight to the club's misery.

Baltimore hasn't been able to eclipse 70 wins since the 2005 season, and Showalter has a huge rebuilding job ahead of him.

For the Orioles to finish near .500 over the next three seasons would be a tremendous accomplishment, especially considering the last time they came near that mark was the 1998 season, when they finished 79-83.

Despite the lack of talent available on the Orioles' roster and their inability to lure free agents due to the AL East division being a perennial "three-horse race," Showalter is the sort of manager who can achieve steady progress in Baltimore.

It would be foolish to count him out, based upon his track record, and if owner Peter Angelos is patient, it is possible that Showalter can get the team playing near .500 baseball during his contract that runs through the 2013 season.

To call the Orioles a "stepping stone" might be a bit harsh, but it is justified in this case.

If Showalter can make decent progress early in his tenure, there is a strong chance contending clubs will come calling for his guidance.  Once he gets his feet wet and proves that he hasn't lost his managerial ability, there is no doubt that Showalter will surface as a hot candidate for future vacancies around baseball.

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Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein is looking to upgrade the bullpen as the team has had poor middle relief from Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima over the last few weeks. 

Epstein has reportedly considered many names such as Rafael Perez, Will Ohman, Mike Gonzalez, Michael Wuertz, Craig Breslow, Kerry Wood, Kyle Farnsworth, and David Aardsma as possible targets. 

Arguably the top reliever available with Matt Capps heading the Twins is Blue Jays relief pitcher Scott Downs.  Downs, has an impressive 2.34 ERA in 47 games for Toronto.  However, the Blue Jays are asking for either Casey Kelly or Jose Iglesias for Downs, a price that they are not willing to pay.

Even with the unlikely acquisition of Downs, the Red Sox still have other options that could come much cheaper.

One name that hasn't been mentioned at all and who has numbers better than Downs and is also a left handed pitcher is Chicago Cubs reliever Sean Marshall.

Marshall, has been the Cubs primary bridge to Carlos Marmol. This season, Marshall has put up a 6-3 record with an amazing 1.71 ERA in 53 appearances. 

Marshall's name has not come up at all in trade rumors, and the Red Sox could make a serious run at him.  Unlike Downs, Marshall's price tag is likely a lot lower.

The Sox have been looking for a set up man along with Daniel Bard to pitch and hand the ball off to Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth inning.  Their current middle relievers besides Bard are Manny Delcarmen and Hideki Okajima, who both have an ERA over 5.

Marshall is by far the best fit right now for the Sox as a reliever.

The Sox have also been looking into a possibility of bringing in an outfielder to hold down the fort in left field until Jacoby Ellsbury returns. 

Names such as Jayson Werth and Corey Hart have been thrown around, but both are unlikely to move at this point.

However, a guy that no one has really paid attention to who is having an all right season and is a real bargain is Cubs outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, Marshall's teammate.

Fukudome, has been forced into a pinch hitting role in Chicago in favor of Xavier Nady.  This season, he has a .250 AVG with 8 HR and 26 RBIs. 

The Red Sox have previously shown interest in Fukudome, but were not a fan of his salary.

However, due to lack of interest, the Cubs have tried to draw the Sox back in by offering to pay for most of Fukudome's 2010 salary as they have been trying to trade him since June.

A Marshall and Fukudome deal for the Sox could be a real bargain and probably their best option to get better at this point.

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Well, the news is all over the airwaves in Houston and it is official.

Pitcher Roy Oswalt has officially accepted the trade to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Oswalt waived his no-trade clause in a deal that will bring left handed pitcher J.A. Happ, outfielder Anthony Gose, and shortstop Jonathan Villar to the Astros.

The Phillies added $1,000,000 to his 2012 buyout option that will bring him $24,000,000 between now and then.

The Astros are sending $11,000,000 to the Phillies to help pay his salary and are paying half his guarantee.

Fans in Houston expressed the opinions in a video clip from the Houston Chronicle.

What do you think? Vote in the poll at the right.

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This year, the source of the frustration has been Joba Chamberlain. When he came up from the minors, he grasped the attention of Yankee fans. In his first year, he pitched 19 games and gave up just one run, an earned run average of 0.38.

It was then that Yankee fans started to dream: maybe he could be the next Mariano Rivera; maybe we don’t have to worry about the day our beloved closer calls it quits.

But Joe Girardi had a different idea. Someone—we don’t know who—decided that Joba Chamberlain was meant to be a starter. From the moment he was drafted in the first round of the 2006 draft, he was destined to be in the Yankees starting rotation.

And that is just what management decided to do. He started 12 games in 2008 and 31 games on 2009.

But that wasn’t before management decided that he should be on an innings limit. For a few years, all Yankee fans heard was “innings limit, innings limit, innings limit.” Nobody ever found out what it was, but he pitched 100 1/3 innings in 2008 and 157 1/3 innings in 2009.

Did that innings limit screw him up? Well, for one thing, ever since he became a starter, his seasonal ERA’s have gotten progressively worse: from around one in 2008 to almost six in 2010. The average velocity on his fastball has also gotten progressively worse: from 97 mph in 2007 to 94 mph in 2010.

The most convincing factor, though, is the attention. Along with hearing about the unknown innings limit everyday, Joba was widely criticized and passionately debated over. Believe it or not, apparently baseball players are humans too.

Here in 2010, the soap opera is anything but over. You can pick up the Daily News and read about how Joba Chamberlain is messing up the Yankees bullpen, and then you can pick up a New York Times and read about how the Yankees may trade Chamberlain for Dan Haren.

I, unlike most New Yorkers, can understand how all of this criticism and unstableness can shake up your performance. But what I know, also unlike most New Yorkers, is that the criticism was never merited.

This season has seemed to be the boiling point of the frustration. Next to the near deal for Dan Haren that would have sent Joba to Arizona, people want Joba out, even after they dreamed of him being the heir to Mariano.

At initial glance, it would seem as though New Yorkers have a point. His ERA of almost six this season is enough to frustrate any passionate and knowledgeable fan. But if you take a closer look at the numbers Chamberlain has put up, he may be very deserving of a second chance. Maybe even a first chance if you ask me.

If you take out all fielding factors (errors, misplays, etc.) you get a stat calls FIP, which stands for fielder independent pitching. Joba’s FIP is a very respectable 3.02. So, for some reason, Joba is experiencing some very bad luck. Wherever that bad luck may be coming from, it is all blamed on Chamberlain, the wrong man.

Accompanying this idea of luck, let’s go back to the method that illustrates how luck has affected a player. For those who don’t know, we can look at two stats to measure luck: batting average on balls in play (BABIP) and line drive percentage.

So how does this work? Pitchers get unlucky—or lucky—when balls fall in front of fielders or ground balls find the hole. So, if you have a high BABIP, then many balls are finding holes, meaning you are unlucky.

Line drive percentage measures how many line drives you give up. If you give up many line drives, you are not a good pitcher. So, if you BABIP is high and your line drive percentage is low, you are giving up many soft hit balls that are finding holes.

In Chamberlains case, he is very unlucky. Joba’s opposing BABIP this season in .393, very high. However, his opposing line drive percentage is 19.4, the lowest of his career.

If he is pitching well, why is his ERA so high? To answer that, take a look at these two splits:

Runners on second/third: 6 PA, 2 1B, 1 2B, 2 BB, 6 runs scored
Bases loaded: 5 PA, 1 2B, 1 HR, 6 runs scored

So of the 28 earned runs Joba has given up, 12 of them—almost half—come from just 11 plate appearances. The few mistakes he has made came with runners on base and thus brought up his ERA. If you as me, 11 plate appearances should not determine how successful you are.

Furthermore, Joba has had six streaks this year of at least three scoreless outings in a row. The longest streak of the year is eight games. Most of his 44 games he pitched this year have been a part of a scoreless streak. The bad performances are rare and sprinkled in between the good performances.

It seems as though Yankee fans love to dwell on the negative. When it comes to Joba, Yankees fans pick and choose the best reasons to bash Joba Chamberlain. For a guy that has averaged over nine strikeouts per nine innings in three of his four seasons, it appears there has been a bit of unfortunate and unworthy finger-pointing.

So that’s it. That is the story of Joba Chamberlain. The story of a man who’s future seemed bright enough to shine on a plaque in Cooperstown, just to be diminished by the misleading frustration of spoiled Yankee fans. The story of a man buried in criticism, who’s talent will be missed when wrongfully thrown away.

You can e-mail me at jess@jesskcoleman.com or follow me on Twitter @jesskcoleman .

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Capps hasn’t really pitched all that great for a closer (2.80 ERA), but he’s certainly been good, and the odds are strong he’ll strengthen the Twins bullpen considerably for the last two months of this season. 

Capps throws strikes, which the Twins highly value, and American League hitters have seen very little of him to date, which favors Capps.

Ramos is a highly regarded prospect, but he’s definitely no sure thing.  He’s been hitting better of late at AAA Rochester, but he’s still got only a .241 batting average and a .625 OPS for the season. 

Meanwhile, Capps has one more year of control before he becomes a free agent, and the Twins could possibly get a draft pick or two then, if he continues to pitch well and they offer him arbitration.

The second prospect, Joe Testa, is a small 24-year-old left-hander who is currently getting hit hard (8.25 ERA) at AA New Britain.  Like a lot of trade throw-ins, he’s got a good arm, but he’s getting a little old to be struggling out of the bullpen at the AA level.

The Twins look like a better team than the White Sox on paper, and the move will certainly give the Twins a shot in the arm as they try to make the post-season in the first year of their new ballpark.

A number of other trades were announced today, the most significant obviously being the Phillies’ acquisition of Roy Oswalt.  One thing seems obvious, however—except for the Cliff Lee trade, it’s definitely a buyers’ market this year.

Ultimately, Oswalt only required the Phils to add $1 million to his 2012 buy-out, rather than requiring them to exercise the option now. 

Also, the Astros sent east $11 million toward Oswalt’s future contract obligations.  Even so, the ‘Stros didn’t get a whole lot in return.

J.A. Happ had a fine rookie year last year, but he’s been injured most of this season, and he turns 28 in October. 

He’s under team control another four years after this one, but something about Happ strikes me there’s a good chance he’ll blow out his arm some time in the next couple of seasons.

The two minor leaguers the Astros got have tools, but otherwise don’t really impress me.  In fact, the ‘Stros immediately flipped 19-year-old centerfielder Anthony Gose to the Blue Jays for 23-year-old first baseman Brett Wallace.

Gose has great speed and some obvious talent, but he isn’t much of a baseball player yet.  He’s stolen 36 bases at Class A+ Clearwater, but he’s been thrown out 27 times, an awful 57 percent success rate.

He’d be better off just keeping still at that rate, and it’s only going to get harder to steal bases as he advances to the high minors, let alone the major leagues.

Actually, Brett Wallace sort of has the same problem.  He was the 11th player selected in the 2008 Draft, a great Draft for college hitters, but he’s now with his fourth major league organization (Cardinals, A’s, Blue Jays and now Astros) in two years. 

He hasn’t developed as a hitter as fast as hoped, and he’s proven that his defense probably isn’t good enough to play anywhere but first, which means he has to hit.

Wallace currently has an .868 OPS at AAA Las Vegas, which is pretty good, but not good enough to play first base at the major league level.  He turns 24 in late August.

Other examples of a buyers’ market: the Orioles sending Miguel Tejada and $1.1 million to the Padres for 24-year-old RHP Wynn Pelzer, who has a 4.20 ERA as a starter at AA San Antonio with generally unimpressive ratios. 

Meanwhile, the Marlins sent Jorge Cantu and $600,000 to the Rangers for two AA pitchers, one of whom hasn’t pitched at all this year because he’s recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Sure, the Orioles and Marlins are saving some money they otherwise would have had to pay out in salary to Tejada and Cantu between now and the end of the season, but even so, they sure didn’t get much in return. 

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After the 32-year-old ace dropped his no-trade clause and accepted the move from the Houston Astros to the Philadelphia Phillies, Oswalt joins a team dedicated to winning. That is exactly what Oswalt is looking for, and he may be exactly what the Phillies need in order to win their second World Series in three years.

The Phillies were the clear winner in this trade with the Astros. The Phillies received one of the best pitchers in the league along with $11 million. In return, the Astros received J.A. Happ and two prospects, Anthony Gose and Jonathan Villar.

With Oswalt, the Phillies immediately jump into World Series contention.

Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels lead a Philly pitching rotation that could prove to be the best in the league.

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. agrees as he said, "To have Roy Oswalt, Roy Halladay, and additionally Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton and Kyle Kendrick, we stack ourselves up as one of the best rotations in baseball."

It is a rare luxury as a manager to sit back and think to yourself, "Who should I start tonight, the active league leader in complete games, a World Series MVP, or a three-time All-Star?"

Sure, Amaro, Jr., is rectifying a mistake when he let Cliff Lee go, but at least he realized his mistake, and made sure to go out there and get Roy Oswalt. This pitching rotation will prove to be something special, but that is not all that has people smiling in the City of Brotherly Love.

Dominic Brown, their new prospect called up due to a Shane Victorino injury, proved to be a success.

In his first at bat in "The Show," Brown nearly hit a home run, but settled for a double. Brown's major league debut was something special, as he went 2-3 at the plate, with two RBI and two runs scored.

Could this be a taste of the future?

With Brown having so much success in his first ever Major League game, we can be sure to see more of this young slugger as the Phillies look to win the NL East and contend for their second World Series title.

The Phillies are riding a seven-game win streak and look to continue tomorrow night at Washington against the Nationals.

With Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, and Jamie Moyer all on the disabled list, Roy Oswalt and Domonic Brown are exactly what the Phillies need at this integral part of the season to continue their winning ways.

Even with all these injuries, the Phillies look as good as they have all season, but they're not done yet. They are still 2.5 games back of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East race with two very important games against the Nationals coming this Friday and Saturday.

The Phillies should be thanking their lucky stars for Oswalt and Brown, who will prove to be essential in their mission to win the NL East and return to the World Series.

This team is on a seven-game winning streak with four of their star players on the DL; imagine what they will do at full strength.

And the cherry, or cherries on top, are Roy Oswalt and Domonic Brown.

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