By Richard Schortemeyer III
The last two NL MVPs reside in the City of Brotherly Love - Philadelphia. The last two NL MVPs were key parts in Philadelphia’s magical run to the NL East title and Playoffs last season. The last two NL MVPs were two of the biggest reasons why the Phillies got four-game swept by the LA Dodgers and fell out of first in their division.
You know who really doesn’t care that SS Jimmy Rollins and 1B Ryan Howard are the last two NL MVPs? Well, the city they play for. Philly fans are arguably the most downright ruthless the sports world has ever seen. They don’t care one bit what you did last season. If you don’t produce now, they’ll let you know about it.
This season, Rollins and Howard have played far from MVP level, and the Philly faithful have let them know. Rollins is not even halfway to his 2007 Run, HR, and RBI statistics. Howard’s HR and RBI statistics look normal, but he hasn’t seen a .250 BA since the third game of the season. He is only just halfway to his 2007 BB total and is on pace to shatter his own record for Ks in a single season.
This past week, Rollins and Howard paid a visit to Fox’s Best Damn Sports Show and demonstrated that intelligence is not a factor in the MVP voting. Rollins had some choice words for his own fans, calling them frontrunners, with Howard noticeably nodding in agreement. Can we say boneheads?
I’m sure the fans will voice their extreme displeasure when Philly returns home next Tuesday. I don’t think it will matter if it is possible that Philly’s going to have its third straight MVP (2B Chase Utley). If the two previous MVPs continue to be two big disappointments, it’ll be an interesting off-season in that ‘brotherly’ city.
In this edition of “On the Record,” we’ll talk about a long-awaited leadoff hitter in San Diego. Tomorrow, we’ll be back to chat about a solid in-house arm in the Steel City and Detroit striking gold with a former reliever now starter.
Question #1
Who has finally stepped up for San Diego to fill-in their much needed leadoff hitter role?
For countless years, the strength of the San Diego Padres has been their pitching. With help, most recently from an extremely pitcher-friendly ballpark and young quality arms like Jake Peavy and Chris Young, San Diego has finished #1 and #2 in ERA the last two seasons. However, with much help from the injury bug, this season shows the team closer to the bottom in that category with an ERA close to 4.50.
Add to that an issue that has troubled San Diego for years … lack of offensive production. Inconsistency has mostly been the problem, especially this season, with SS Khalil Greene and 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff heading the disappointment list.
One problem they have finally have seemed to solve, though, is the leadoff spot as OF Jody Gerut has stepped up and revived his career. Gerut’s career began in 2003, and it looked like this OF was going to be an instant star. He was a solid Rookie of the Year candidate in ‘03, as he batted .279 with 22 HRs and 75 RBIs.
The following season wasn’t as spectacular, but he improved in categories like SBs, BBs, and Runs. However, disaster struck towards the end of the 2004 season when he tore his ACL trying to save what would become an inside the park HR in a game against Kansas City.
The timing got bad for Gerut’s return. As he tried to fight his way back into Cleveland’s lineup, the Grady Sizemore era was beginning and Coco Crisp established himself as a quality OF. There seemed to be no place for Gerut anymore, which ultimately resulted in a trade deadline deal out of Cleveland.
After bouncing around a of couple clubs, the Padres gave Gerut a second chance this year to become a starter in the Big Leagues. With injuries to the Padres outfield, Gerut made the Opening Day roster, but he was sent down to the minors shortly thereafter.
After a strong stint in Triple-A, San Diego brought him back up, and Gerut has stayed ever since. He was quickly inserted in CF and became the team’s leadoff hitter. In just over 50 games batting #1, he’s hit close to .300 with double-digit HRs and close to 30 RBIs. Most recently, he showed no sympathy for the Billy Wagner-less NY Mets bullpen, hitting a couple late-inning HRs.
His fantasy value remains low because the Padres, as a team, lack offensive punch. Veteran OF Brian Giles is still a great hitter, but his offensive production has diminished. Unfortunately, there is only one Adrian Gonzalez in the San Diego lineup.
Nonetheless, if you are desperate for some late-season offense, take a shot on Mr. Gerut. If nothing else, this is one ‘helluva’ story, as he’s entered himself in the mix with the Mets OF Fernando Tatis for ‘Comeback Player of the Year’ honors.
Check back tomorrow to see who else is “On the Record.”
Until then, Adios all.