By Richard Schortemeyer III

It looks as though the major trade of the 2008 season has worked out for all parties involved.

It is going to take awhile for people, especially myself, to get use to Manny Ramirez in a non-Boston Red Sox uniform. Manny seems to be really comfortable in his new ‘digs’, and the LA faithful seem to be eating out of his hand. In the latest chapter of the book, “Manny Being Manny,” Ramirez is batting nearly .600, with four HRs, and 10 RBIs.

Manny’s replacement, Jason Bay, seems to be adjusting nicely, as well, to the bigger and brighter spotlights of Fenway Park. Bay is batting nearly .430, with close to double-digit RBIs, and has already reached double-digits in runs. However, one who has been negatively affected by this is ‘Big Papi’ David Ortiz. He has dropped nearly 20 BA points since Manny’s departure.

And, let’s not forget the main gem that Pittsburgh received in this three-way deal. OF Brandon Moss, who batted around .300 in 34 games with Boston, is batting just around .250 in his new colors. Moss has instantly replaced Bay in LF, and it should be only a matter of time before this talent shines bright in the Steel City.

In this edition of “On the Record,” we’ll talk about a ‘Byrd’ who’s flying high in Texas, a veteran backup who’s finally getting a chance in D.C., and a hurler who’s providing some support for one of the top 1-2 combos in baseball.

Question #1

What Texas veteran is providing a nice compliment to the ‘Young Guns’ outfield?

For many years, with talents like Juan Gonzalez, Rafael Palmeiro, Mark Teixeira, the Texas Rangers’ main strength has been their explosive offense. Well, this year is no different. A majority of their offensive fireworks has come from the outfield, with AL MVP candidate Josh Hamilton and rookie phenom David Murphy leading the way. The Rangers currently find themselves in the top-5 in just about every major offensive category.

Someone who’s been providing help, while under the radar, is fellow OF and 7-year veteran Marlon Byrd.  Mostly a reserve player, since his MLB debut in 2002, this ‘Byrd’ has seemed to have found a long-term nest in the Lone Star State.

He had a career season in his first year as a Ranger in 2007, with highs in BA (.307), HRs (10), and RBIs (70). That success has seemed to carry over into this season. In the last month alone, he’s batting around .300, with a few HRs, driving in around 15 RBIs, scoring around 20 Runs, and stealing a couple bases.

Currently batting fifth, with three solid hitters and All-Stars in front of him (2B Ian Kinsler, SS Michael Young, and Hamilton), Byrd should continue to benefit mightily. If in need of an offensive surge these last couple of months, I would snatch this ‘Byrd’, because he is currently flying higher than ever.

Question #2

What known utility backup is providing some much need ‘O’ in D.C.?

Pretty much the complete opposite of the Texas Rangers is the Washington Nationals. Ever since their MLB debut in 2005, the Washington Nationals have been known for having some of the most putrid offenses in MLB history.

This year is definitely no different as they are currently in the bottom-5 in almost every major offensive category. After a mixture of major injuries and, even more, major disappointments, the growth of this young club has been stunted in 2008.

One of the few position players who have provided a positive impact this season is a veteran who plays multiple positions, IF/OF Willie Harris. Like Mr. Byrd, Harris has played the reserve role ever since his MLB debut in 2001 and has also seemed to find a long-term home.

With injuries to D.C.’s #1 commodity 3B Ryan Zimmerman, OFs Elijah Dukes and Willy Mo Pena, and the release of IF Felipe Lopez, Harris has taken full advantage of the increased playing time. In the last month, he has batted close to .310, with a few HRs, over 20 RBIs, and has scored nearly 20 Runs.

Two things to look at with Harris are speed and power. Last season, Harris had a career-high 17 SBs with Atlanta.  He’s currently close to double-digits in that category this season, and with a low-powered ‘O’, you would expect manager Manny Acta to be really aggressive with his speedsters. With regards to power, Harris has finally found some in his bat with close to double-digits in that category in ‘08. His previous career high was just 2 HRs.

The obvious flaw is the ‘not so offensive’ supporting cast. However, batting mostly in the 2-hole, the three guys behind him (OF Lastings Milledge, OF Austin Kearns, and Zimmerman) have warmed up their bats a tad after their series with Colorado.

Once again, like Byrd, Harris is playing his best ball after years of seeing most of the action from the bench. Though, unlike Byrd, he is not blessed with quality offensive support. But, if you are desperate for ‘O’ from your IF, I would take a flyer on this former K-State Owl.

Question #3

What hurler has been a quality #3 ‘beer-man’ in support of one of the top 1-2 ‘beer-man’ combos in baseball?

You probably already guessed that my focus here is in one of the top ‘brew cities’ in the world, Milwaukee.  With the addition of former All-Star, and reigning AL Cy Young award winning, pitcher C.C. Sabathia, the Brewers instantly had one of the top 1-2 pitching combos with fellow All-Star hurler Ben Sheets. But, while C.C. has suddenly regained his Cy Young form (4-0 with three CGs in July), Sheets has struggled and hasn’t won a game since Sabathia’s arrival.

A pitcher that has been positively affected, though, is Brewers #3 option Dave Bush. A second-round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays, Bush struggled to validate that pick, combining to go 10-15 with a 4.09 ERA in two seasons up north. However, since leaving ‘north of the border’ for the States, Bush has started to pitch to his expectations. While still maintaining a high ERA, he has been more victorious, as he won 12 games in each of his first two seasons as a Brewer.

The beginning of 2008 saw DB struggle out of the gate, as his record fell to 1-5 in late May. Since then, he has rebounded a little, going 5-4 and lowering his ERA well over a run. In just the last four starts, he’s won only two games but has 28 Ks in 27.1 innings, a WHIP under 1.00, and a respectable 3.65 ERA.

The rest of August is extremely favorable to Milwaukee’s Mr. Bush as the Brewers face some low-power offensive teams. Bush’s next four starts (assuming the Brewers stick with the same rotation) should be home against Washington, at Los Angeles, and back to back starts against Pittsburgh.

The only quality offensive team on the Brewer’s August schedule is St. Louis, and as the rotation is currently set Bush should miss them. So, if your team needs to make up some ground and join the playoff shuffle, this ‘beer-hurler’ could definitely provide some assistance.

Check back next week to see who’s “On the Record.”

Until next time, Adios all.