Rich bullpen gets richer - Trading deadline 2007

It's not the wild west trading days of old, but most major league fans will take it.

With few superstars being moved this season, the headliners had to be Boston's aquisition of Eric Gagne - but not Jermaine Dye - and Atlanta's two newest Braves in Mark Teixeira and Octavio Dotel, big enough names, but nothing like the old school fire sales that used to happen.

Gagne is the talk of the telecast as the Red Sox are trailing the Orioles tonight and there is plenty to talk about there. With a bullpen that is already home to All-Stars Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon as the respective setup man and closer for the team.

The reports I've read make a point of mentioning that Gagne agreed to take a supporting role in Boston, so hopefully there won't be any turf wars over the closer's spot. Assuming that holds true and that Gagne is fine with taking it easy on his suddenly shaky arm, this is a great play by the Red Sox.

With Curt Schilling returning from the DL shortly, Josh Beckett's history of injuries and Daisuke Matsuzaka's high pitch counts this year another reliable arm in the bullpen can only help, especially if the starters need to be spelled in August as a long season takes its toll.

There's something to be said for having confidence in a deep bullpen - just ask any Cubs fans this year.

Personally, I thought the move to put Scott Linebrink in a Milwaukee uniform was interesting from a NL Central perspective. Despite his numbers, Linebrink was a bit of an untouchable player in San Diego as he was a favorite of management from everything I'd read. It seemed strange at the time, much like the unnatural attachments fantasy baseball managers seem to develop with their players, especially when they find diamonds in the rough.

For overviews of the trades made, you can check ESPN's take here or a little more blogger-friendly link here.

The Cubs decided to stand pat, with Sweet Lou Piniella opting to get a rubdown as the clock ticked down to zero on the trading deadline and the club prepares the areas around the clubhouse whirlpool tubs for Kerry Wood's return this weekend. Better put up some of those little yellow signs, too - just in case.

Knowing Wood's awful luck, there should probably be a lifeguard on duty just to be on the safe side.

(Image from MLB.com)

Well, that was strange

Much like my constant crowing for a passable DH in Minnesota, I rarely shut up regarding the need for the Cubs to find (or pay for) a front-line closer.

When the dust settled on Ryan Dempster's outing in Atlanta tonight, it was one inning pitched, three runs, all earned with three hits and three walks. (I'm still double checking that line because - while I'm seeing it in two places - it still looks so damn strange.)

It was a weird game and a weird loss, but it wasn't a lot of fun to see things go downhill so quickly. It really doesn't make me feel any better to see the trainer out there after the slider that got away for the go-ahead run, either.

Between the birds at the Tigers game and the Royals (yes, the Royals) blowing the doors off the Phillies 17-5, I think it's best if I go lie down now.

Not to pile on or anything...

So, ESPN has a quick hit piece today about the"Five teams that failed in 2006" targeting the Indians, Red Sox, Angels, Braves and Cubs as losers for the season that's wrapping up.

The Indians young team fell apart, the Red Sox were decimated by injuries, Angels couldn't field the ball, Braves couldn't pitch well enough to contend and the Cubs were crushed by the weight of Cubdom.

Uh? What about the Champs? Not even a mention?

I'm more than willing to accept the list at face value for teams that didn't achieve as much as conventional wisdom would have suggested they might in May, but just because it was a late-season collapse does that make it any less of a failure in expectations?

Here they are coming out of the turn...

Man, football season crept up fast, didn't it?

Almost made me forget there was a playoff race coming down to the wire in my backyard. Well, that and our fantasy league has been pretty interesting now that we're in our playoffs.

For the record, the injury bug hit the Jaleel White Sox hard this month and it's tough to get up for games anymore, but we'll keep plugging along.

So, where does it all stand?

The Braves have been offficially declared dead after 35 years of winning the NL East. Never saw that coming. The Cubs are being sent to AAA until they can get their heads right - and would there be a better sport for relegation European soccer-style?

I really wish this were the case, but logistically it'd be a nightmare. It's too bad, too - I think it'd be a lot more fun to watch teams try to rebuild and make the majors, but there'd be a lot of hard selling done to convince small-market teams to build major league stadiums with no promises that there'd be major league games.

Maybe we can get a secondary idea like the second-to-last place team gets to cherry pick any player from the last place team or a combination of the bottom two or three teams.

Wouldn't you play a little harder if you knew your team could lose it's ace with a bad finish?

* Ryan Howard has surprised the hell out of me this year. In a relatively quiet season (buzz-wise, not numbers-wise) he's leading in RBI and HR this morning.

I thought he'd be a good player, just not this good and not this soon. I can admit that now. I'm sorry I ever doubted you, Ryan.

* In your AL Central update, Minnesota is three games up on the champs. Yikes.

We got our postseason ticket information last week. Looks like that might be a real possibility. That's kind of strange to write, especially after the way the season kicked off.

There's still time for the White Sox to catch up, but they need to do so quickly. Oh, did you know the final series of the season is in the Dome and is Twins/White Sox?

Just so you know.

* For any Red Sox fans still holding out hope, go re-read the stories about Jonathon Papelbon's injury. He said if the Sox were still in the hunt or had any hope for the season he'd be out there.

He's not out there.

There's always 2004, campers.

It's too bad that both he and Francisco Liriano blew out before the season ended. Kind of a bummer - both were a lot of fun to watch. Liriano jerseys sprung up all summer in the seats in Minnesota and his return lit up phone lines with Twin Cities sports talk stations last week.

I guess the trick is resisiting the urge to try and win right now in cases like these. Still, it adds a new flavor to each of those teams to trot out staffs without those guys in them.

The Piranas of September

It's raining in New York today with the Twins up on the Yankees in the eighth inning (note: this is how the game ended when it was called) and it seemed as good a time as any to get some thoughts in about the upcoming stadium here in the Twin Cities.

After a trip to the state fair this morning, I saw new shirts from the Twins marketing department for this year's gimmick (the pirana bit) and the signs for the upcoming seasons in the sun.

Event staff shirts had slogans like "Take home a souvenir sunburn" and I think that's the thing that I'd be most excited for if I was a fan who had been sentenced to indoor ball for 20-plus years.

Where's the fun in sneaking out of work early for a day game if you have to go sit in a ball mall? Some of my favorite memories of ballgames involve being out in the sun and fresh air with the wind blowing out to or in from the lake or just outright inclement weather.

Those of us who grew up outside of domed stadiums can't really process how much games blend into each other when the scenery never changes, except for the tint of the roof. Day game or night? Was it summer or early fall? Was it so cold you ducked out in the seventh or such a nice night that you stayed until the ushers shooed you from the upper deck seats?

These are the things you miss out on until you get a fresh air and green grass stadium. (Speaking of which, have you seen the Arizona Cardinals new digs? I love the rolling turf idea, it seems so cool.)

So while a home of their own is exciting in and of itself, I hope that all of the trappings that come with the new park will be the real draw once the idea catches on.

Imagine a whole generation of fans who have never known games that can be impacted by the elements or even the simple pleasure of being able to come into work the morning after a day game with a nasty sunburn and a self-satisfied grin.

* Yes, I know it's been quiet here at the dumping ground, but in addition to life getting busy, it's tough to find the motivation to spend some time thinking about baseball when your soul is being ripped into ticker tape confetti by your team and the forces of nature.

In the last two weeks there was a five-game tanking againast the Yankees as the Red Sox fell from playoff contention faster than it takes corn to pass through my digestive tract.

On top of that, the two star sluggers are out with a heart problem and a mystery ailment, Wily Mo hopped the flight with Manny for the hell of it, Papelbon got hurt last night and Jon Lester has cancer.

No really, he has cancer.

These things never happen to the Mariners or the Reds, do they?

At least I should be able to watch the playoffs with a more critical eye this year, right?

* And finally, Jesus, what happened to the Braves this year?

Could one borderline autistic old man and his handling of a pitching staff make such a difference?
Huh, who knew?

(Image from: edenprairieweblogs.org)