WILD CARD RACE: A WILD RIDE

It does not get much better than this. Two excellent baseball teams, both battled for a division championship all year, and now the one spot in the national league playoffs has been filled. Let me break down the final weekend in baseball. The Milwaukee Brewers finish with a record of 90 wins and 72 losses. They cinch the NL wild card by defeating division rival and National League Central champions, the Chicago Cubs. The New York Mets end the season with a record of 89 wins and 73 losses, losing to division rival Florida Marlins, who happened to eliminate them from playoff contention just last year. There was an enormous amount of pressure on both sides. The Milwaukee Brewers were still subject to a controversial move, the removal of Manager Ned Yost with a small portion of the season left. The New York Mets collapsed under the pressure last year, and then went out and signed all-star Johan Santana to a huge deal to ensure a playoff appearance this season. Both teams played their final game at home. The Mets pitched Oliver Perez against Florida's Scott Olsen. Neither of them is the ace of their own staff, but both have been competitive all year. Oliver Perez went 5 1/3 innings, giving up only 2 earned runs. Olson went six innings, giving up two earned runs as well. However, the Mets bullpen let them down again. All year long the Mets put themselves in a position to win games and the bullpen could not close. They allowed another two runs as Florida went on to win, 4-2. Milwaukee pitched ace C.C Sabathia, who some pick to win the N.L Cy Young award even after being traded mid-season. Chicago's ace, Carlos Zambrano, was supposed to start but scratched at the last minute in favor of Angel Guzman. Sabathia turned in one another one of his great performances. He tossed all nine innings giving up only one earned run. He improved his record with Milwaukee to 11-2, and more importantly has lead them to the playoffs. Both of these games peaked great interest, and left some fans ecstatic and some devastated. After exploring the blogosphere, I came across several different blogs regarding both of these teams and their current status. The first blog I posted on, LastWordSportsNewsz.com, is a site dedicated to sports blogs. The goal is to allow give different opinions on current issues in sports. The second blog I posted on, Bats, is a blog written by New York Times reporters, Tyler Kepner, Ben Shpigel and Jack Curry. The goal of this blog is to give the most current information regarding the Mets and Yankees. What will be the future of managers Jerry Manuel and Dale Sveum?

"Final: Santana Keeps Mets Alive; Mets Beat Marlins 2-0"
Comment

Thanks for your post. The end to this baseball season has been very rocky. It seems that every day a different team is gaining momentum. Just last week it seemed like the Mets were going to run away with it. Suddenly, they find themselves with their backs to wall. I am extremely impressed with the way that Johan Santana handled himself today. Coming off just three days rest and a 125-pitch performance, it is quite remarkable that he was able to shut down a Marlin team that is playing well. With the pressure really building up, this was a very clutch win for the Mets.

I would love to get your opinion about Sunday's game and what will take place. The Mets will be throwing Oliver Perez against Scott Olsen. Neither of the pitchers are considered the ace of their staff, but either one could pitch a great game at any given time. Meanwhile, the Brewers will be throwing C.C Sabathia against Carlos Zambrano. Who do you think has the advantage in that game? Zambrano is still getting back into the swing of things since coming off the D.L, even though he had that incredible no hitter. Sabathia has been absolutely incredible since coming to Milwaukee. I would have to give the advantage to the Brewers, being at home with Sabathia. It really should be interesting to see how things play out.

Say both teams win tomorrow. Who do you think holds the advantage in a one game playoff? I am not quite sure where the game would be played. Which team had a better record against each other during the year? With the disaster that was last season, I think that there is an intense amount of pressure put on the Mets. Today Santana came up extremely clutch. It seems that the huge off season contract was in fact worth it. It should be interesting to see how these last couple days play out, and whether the Mets can handle the pressure, especially if the season was to go into a one game playoff. I am curious of what your opinions are on the future of the season. Thanks for keeping us updated.


"New York Mets & Milwaukee Brewers: Different Teams, Same Issues"
Comment

Thanks for you well thought out post. I completely agree that these two teams had similar qualities. Now that the wild card race is over, there are several questions that need to be answered. The Mets have now choked in the final game, two seasons in a row. It seems that their bullpen problems are the reason that they are not going to the playoffs this year. Once again, they were let down in the late innings of the game. I do not fault Jerry Manuel, I just think he was hit with a little bad luck. When Billy Wagner went down, the bullpen really suffered. Although I am a Marlins fan, I actually feel slightly bad for the Mets. They went out in the off-season and purchased Santana for a huge price. Then he goes out yesterday and pitches absolutely incredible. You would think that his performance would give them the boost they needed. Apparently this is not the case because the $22 million payroll Florida Marlins knocked the Mets out once again. How do you think the Mets will handle this off season? Last year was tough, but two years in a row must be even more difficult to swallow.

On the other hand, I congratulate the Brewers on a job well done. They had to deal with great adversity the last couple weeks of the season. The front office was scrutinized for the firing of Ned Yost, and the team seemed to be crumbling. Under the command of Dale Sveum, they were able to get around the distractions and finish out on top. Do you think that Sveum earned himself a full time managerial position, or does it depend on the outcome in the playoffs? I happen to think it depends on the playoffs because we still have not had enough time to analyze his game management. If he proves that he can win in the playoffs, then by all means give him the job. The Brewers have a ton of talent and I am happy that they have finally broken the streak. I definitely think that they are a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs. I am interested to know the directions that you think both of these organizations are heading in.

The Mitchell Report: Baseball Prevails

Being an avid sports fan or not, it is likely that the hectic activity following steroid use in baseball has been brought to one's attention. The Mitchell Report is the most recent action, taken by former Senator George Mitchell (pictured at the left), to uncover the most unknown facts regarding performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. Names like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens top a list that has stirred up great controversy. Congress was fearful that the drug polices implemented by Major League Baseball were weak, and was allowing certain athletes to obtain an unfair advantage during competition. Congress designated George Mitchell to lead this extensive 20-month investigation, which was released December 13, 2007. This report was a federal investigation, which resulted in trials of several different current and former major league players. It has been an extremely stressful period for the athletes, management and fans. I am writing this not to criticize players who have taken performance enhancing drugs. My goal is analyze different aspects of baseball's success as a business and fan based sport, post-Mitchell Report. The popularity of professional football, basketball and NASCAR are constantly increasing. The most important element that we need to analyze regarding the steroid scandal is what effects will be drawn from this in the future? Many people have been personally offended by this situation, while others do not even care. We must take all the necessary precautions to make sure that the name of baseball is not forever damaged.

We have lived in an era dominated by the long ball. 73 home runs is absolutely incredible. The thought of that number that high is almost mind boggling. At one point Barry Bonds rounded the bases in Pittsburgh at a slim 185 lbs. His final year in San Francisco he was listed at a bulky 230 lbs, probably even heavier. Due to his incredible power numbers and growth physically, Bonds has long been the main topic of the steroid discussion. In recent years, books like Jose Canseco's "Juiced" and Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance William's "Game of Shadows" have released the names of several players who aided their performance. It is evident that books like these, have really changed the dynamic of baseball. Does baseball really need the long ball to succeed as a business? Even with home run totals far lower than they have been in a long time, the fans are still filling the seats. Yes it is exciting when an athlete homers, but winning is still the most important part of baseball. It is about cheering on your team, and helping people relate with their city. The drug testing is now far more advanced, making it nearly impossible to get away with anything. Statistics show us that power numbers in baseball are drastically down. Only Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies currently has more than 40 home runs. The last couple years Howard has been the class of the league when it comes to home run and RBI totals. Fortunately, Howard seems to hold a natural size and strength that help produce his leading statistics. An area that has really hurt baseball, is when these superstar players are caught in their lies. Former major league great, Rafael Palmeiro, was known around the league and to the country as a great all around person. When he was questioned in the courtroom, Palmerio looked straight into the camera and emphasized the fact that he did not taking performance enhancing drugs. It was much to the chagrin of the league and fans around the country when we later found out that Palmeiro did in fact lie. These athletes have disappointed their fans and embarrassed themselves. Maybe it has all been for nothing. Even with a rise in the scandal situation, baseball remains in a thriving situation.

As the number of home run totals decreases, attendance is as constant as ever. In Bonds's record setting season in 2001, the San Francisco Giants averaged 40,877 fans per game. In 2007 a far less talented giants team still averaged 39,792 fans a game. Allegiance is as strong now as it was prior the steroids, and The Mitchell Report. September 21, 2008 marked the last game played at Yankee Stadium. Yankee fans are viewed as dedicated, yet loathed by many people around the country. Tickets for the last game at old Yankee stadium reached outrageous prices ranging up to $15,000, even though it was against a mediocre Baltimore team. Both Andy Pettite and Jason Giambi suit up for the Yankees, but that does not seem to effect fan support either. In fact, it has been the consistency of Yankee fans that has given owner George Steinbrenner, the means to build the new Yankee stadium, which is costing a reported $1 billion. The stadium is said to resemble a 5-star hotel, including a spa, and several high end restaurants. The New York Mets are also building a new park, as well as a few other teams around the league. The integrity of the game has been tainted slightly, but the popularity of baseball is still there. Scandals are common in all athletic competition because everyone is looking to get a competitive edge. The consistent success of baseball, post-Mitchell Report, shows me that America needs baseball. Even if baseball reverts back to small ball, like it used to be, fans will continue to remain loyal and dedicated. This is America's game, and although The Mitchell Report hit this game with heavy force, baseball prevailed.