By Richard Schortemeyer III
In April 1923, Babe Ruth and the New York Yankees opened up Yankee Stadium with a four-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox. In the following 85 years, the stadium has seen numerous spectacular moments of baseball history.
Roger Maris’ record-breaking HR, Dave Righetti’s no-hitter, Aaron Boone’s walk-off series-clinching HR, and the greatest playoff comeback in MLB history only scratch the surface of the lifetime of instant classic moments this rivalry has provided.
Despite the overall losing record that the Red Sox hold at this stadium, it looks like they’ll have the last laugh as the Yankees are in danger of missing MLB’s second season for the first time since 1993.
With all of the Hall of Famers that have played, and all of the memories that have occurred, at the “House that Ruth Built,” I think all baseball fans, Yankee fans or not, will be somewhat saddened when baseball ends at Yankee Stadium after the team’s September 21st game versus the Baltimore Orioles.
In this edition of “On the Record,” we’ll talk about an OF who’s starting to gain some votes in D.C., a much-needed veteran influence in Milwaukee, and a long lost Jackson relative who’s found his place in the Sunshine State.
Question #1
What OF is starting to sway Washington National voters onto his side?
When former first-round pick OF Lastings Milledge debuted in MLB in 2006, New York fans saw signs of a Jose Reyes-like talent … an exciting player with some pop and solid speed. However, lackluster play on the field and inconsistency at the plate ultimately led to Milledge’s departure, as he was dealt last offseason to the Washington Nationals.
Milledge’s new baseball life in D.C. started with him showing the same signs which led to him being sent to D.C. The Nationals continued to give him playing time, and Milledge has started to show why he should be elected into the Nationals starting lineup for the long term. This past month has seen Milledge hit around .315, with close to double-digit HRs, 20 RBIs, close to 20 Runs, and several Stolen Bases.
The two obvious ‘bugaboos’ for Milledge are plate discipline and playing for Washington. His discipline has improved as he had a season high 10 walks in the month of August to go with his .300 plus average. He still has, yet, to get away from his wild swinging ways completely, but he’s showing promise.
The second concern is the team for which he plays. The Nat’s are too inconsistent, which forces the youngster to try and do too much at times. The short term might not seem that bright, but with his development (he is still only 23) and the potential OF of Milledge, Elijah Dukes, Willy Mo Pena, and “On the Record” alumnus Willie Harris, the long term for the Nationals looks promising.
He may not be the top OF choice right now, but if your team is desperate for a slugging OF with some speed, I would give Lastings a shot.
Question #2
What OF has become the center of the much needed veteran influence in Milwaukee?
When you think of the current Milwaukee Brewers, the first thing that would come to mind is the “Quad Squad.” That squad features the team’s four young stars, SS J.J. Hardy, 1B Prince Fielder, and OFs Corey Hart and Ryan Braun.
All of them are exciting players with some serious pop in their bats. However, the one thing they lack is experience … especially down the stretch and into MLB’s postseason. I have mentioned Gabe Kapler before, and now you can add another solid veteran to the Brewers’ mix in former All-Star and 3-time Gold Glove winning OF Mike Cameron.
It was a slow start for Cameron in 2008 as he was suspended for the first 25 games for testing positive a second time for a banned stimulant. That late debut led to a difficult first half as Cameron had a .227 BA heading into August.
Fortunately, Cameron has finally flipped the switch in August. This past month has seen the veteran rank in the Top 5 in Yahoo!’s Fantasy Baseball rankings, batting around .350 (which has raised his BA nearly 40 points since August 1st), with close to double-digit HRs and 20 RBIs, scoring almost 20 runs, and stealing close to a double-digit mark in bases.
After struggling a bit, batting no. 7, manager Ned Yost has moved him up a spot. This move has made a world of difference for Cameron as he’s batted over .400 from the sixth spot.
With his bat, his speed, and all members of the “Quad Squad” batting right in front of him, I am puzzled to why some leagues still have this solid veteran on the FA list. This is a no-brainer.
Question #3
What former 15-game loser has helped pitch his team, surprisingly, into a pennant race?
Mentioned in this column last week, the best story of the 2008 MLB season is arguably the AL East leading Tampa Bay Rays. Ever since its inception, the organization has been a laughing stock on the field. That has changed as manager Joe Maddon has taken a young core of players, mixed in a few veterans, and taught them how to win.
The biggest reason for this team’s sudden success is their young, impressive pitching staff. Anchored by All-Star Scott Kazmir, over the last couple of years they have added James Shields, Matt Garza, and this week’s spotlight, Edwin Jackson.
Originally drafted by the LA Dodgers, Jackson was expected to be a top-half mainstay in the LA rotation. However, his first few seasons have been flat-out disappointing, highlighted by 15-loss output last season in his first season in Tampa.
Jackson has finally put the pieces together and has started looking like the pitcher that he was projected to become. Jackson did struggle in the first few months, as he posted a 4-6 record with a 4.33 ERA heading into July.
In these last two months, Jackson has been one of the biggest reasons Tampa has held onto the top spot in the AL East … as well as been one of the best pitchers in the game overall. Jackson has gone 7-2 with an ERA well under 3.00 since the beginning of July, only allowing more than three runs in just one of his starts in this impressive two-month period.
If you are in need of some help in Wins and ERA, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up the rejuvenated EJ to solidify the bottom-half of your staff.
Check back next week to see who’s “On the Record.”
Until next time, Adios all.