Just Joshin'

Here's hoping Josh Hamilton stays on the wagon. He's every bit as gifted as his 1st overall draft selection indicated in 1999. Hamilton hit 28 home runs in the first round of tonight's home run derby, a new record, before succumbing to Justin Morneau in the final round, 5-3. Hamilton put on one of the great All-Star showings in recent memory.

Spitting Seeds midseason awards

AL MVP - Josh Hamilton, TEX: .310 AVG/60 R/21 HR/95 RBI/7 SB
NL MVP - Lance Berkman, HOU: .347 AVG/79 R/22 HR/73 RBI/15 SB
*Hamilton's 95 RBI make him the AL MVP by a longshot. Berkman's the most well-rounded.

AL CY - Cliff Lee, CLE: 12-2/2.31 ERA/124.2 IP/20 BB/106 K
NL CY - Edinson Volquez, CIN: 12-3/2.29 ERA/117.2 ERA/56 BB/126 K
*Lee's hot start earned him the CY over Halladay. Volquez over Lincecum and Webb.

AL ROY - Evan Longoria, TB: .275 AVG/45 R/16 HR/53 RBI/6 SB
NL ROY - Geovany Soto, CHC: .288 AVG/37 R/16 HR/56 RBI/0 SB
(tie) Jair Jurrjens, ATL: 9-4/3.00 ERA/111 IP/41 BB/81 K
*Ellsbury is still chasing Longoria. Flip a coin on Soto vs. Jurrjens.

Deny the DH

I stumbled upon this week-old Wall Street Journal article on the state of the two leagues in Major League Baseball. The assumption is the American League is superior to the National League, and that's proved with all sorts of statistical models. The argument turns to the designated hitter, and while I thought I didn't have a position on the DH and what should be done with it, I do now. Thank you Wall Street Journal.



I have, for a long time, believed the DH helps American League teams in the World Series. The DH typically means American League teams have more pop in their lineup. If they play in a National League park, they have a bigger bat to bring off their bench. This is an inherent advantage that an NL team cannot counter, because a player that can hit but can't field is more likely to take a starting spot as a DH than he is a bench spot on an NL roster.

If this is not cyclical, if the National League doesn't come around and show competitiveness, if the American League continues to dominate interleague play, the post season and the All-Star game, then the DH rule and what to do with it is eventually going to come up. A lack of competitive balance between the leagues is not a good thing, so baseball will eventually have to tackle the issue.

My guess is baseball will analyze all the statistical data, interview a bunch of players, managers, owners and front office types, and decide to install the DH in both leagues. They'll argue that pitchers are not good hitters, and to make them hit would be to take a step backward in baseball evolution. Most pitchers do not hit as they climb through the minor leagues, and none make it to MLB because of their stick. The argument will be fairly tidy and smack of lowest-common-denominator appeasement.

That said, I'm going to cast my vote against the DH. I think it needs to go. If it hurts competitive balance for one league over the other, it must die. Pitchers can't hit, but that doesn't mean allowing them to try takes away from the game. It actually adds to baseball, forcing managers to use more strategy to work around the pitcher slot late in games. If the DH is a step into the future, and pitchers hitting is de-evolution, then why are designated hitters a bunch of 35 year-old Neanderthals posing as baseball players. We watch these hangers-on do nothing but swing for the fences, padding their careers with gaudy numbers that help them reach he Hall of Fame.

It's time for the DH issue to be put to rest.

Is baseball insane?

Bud Poliquin, a columnist with the Syracuse Post-Standard sums up my feelings exactly on the midsummer classic's attachment to the World Series. Bud laments the follies of baseball, wishing the sport could do better than give meaning to an exhibition.

But Major League Baseball is the sport with different rules for different teams (i.e., the continuing DH lunacy) . . . legislated, integrity-compromising scheduling imbalances (brought on by inter-league play) . . . "competition" that includes clubs with $207-million payrolls (Yankees) vying for the same title as those with $23-million payrolls (Marlins) . . . and various and sundry other sins.
Associated Press/Chad RachmanThis is Madonna, who may or may not be dating Alex Rodriguez, who will play in Tuesday's All-Star Game when not possibly partying with Madonna, who could help to determine the World Series winner in October. Savvy?

So anointing a rompish nine innings, squeezed around parties where scoring takes on a meaning beyond what Abner Doubleday had likely considered, is ridiculous. Which suggest that MLB is consistent, if nothing else.

Thanks, Bud.

Somethin' Brewin'

Ben Sheets is about to be named the NL starter for the All-Star game. Some special season Milwaukee is having. They haven't made the postseason in 26 years, now they're buying last year's Cy Young winner on the trade market and landing their first-ever starter in the All-Star game. Expect the Cubs to counter immediately, trying to get Carlos Zambrano or Ryan Dempster on the hill for the American League.

Like putting a shoe on

Che-Hsuan Lin won the Futures Game MVP for his two-run homer, pushing his World team past the USA team, 3-0. Lin is a Red Sox farmhand.

In case you're wondering, his name is pronounced Chee shoo-ahn Lin. Start practicing.

Bad column alert

I just can't understand this point of view. The All-Star game deciding home-field advantage in the World Series is asinine. What's more, MLB shouldn't receive "props" or any other outdated congratulatory slang for such a terrible idea. If giving the winning side of an All-Star game home-field advantage for the championship series is such a good idea, why hasn't any other major sport in this country or any other country picked up on it?

Take your time, hurry up - the choice is yours

My post on Reds radio delaying broadcasts to match up with TV caused a bit of a stir. A number of blog communities picked up on it and commented on which is better: letting fans at home match TV and radio for their enjoyment, or leaving the radio signal as is to allow fans at the game a chance to listen live. Delaying the signal means less enjoyment for fans who like to listen from their ballpark seats.

Well, the original article picked up on this problem yet failed to offer a solution. The Reds say delaying broadcasts is currently just an experiment, and they welcome feedback from their fans on what to do with it in the future.

The solution fans should ask for, I'm fairly certain, is quite simple: simulcast the game on two radio stations. The Reds, just like any team in baseball, could simulcast the game with an immediate feed of the play by play via one station while a second station delays the feed for fans watching TV at home. This shouldn't be too expensive, because I know there are at least a few college football teams that put their games on both AM and FM stations in order to reach a wider audience. It makes so much sense that I wouldn't be surprised if we start to see this in the coming seasons with a number of teams.

Tell the Reds Spitting Seeds suggestion here: breinberger@reds.com

Kurt Cobain once sang, "take your time, hurry up, the choice is yours" in "Come as you are." Who knew he was singing about radio broadcasts? The choice is easy in this case: choose both immediate and delayed feeds on two different stations!

Harden makes it look easy

Not much posting here this weekend due to a younger brother's bachelor party. The party happened to be held at Wrigley Field, however, which was a very interesting place to be on Saturday. Rich Harden made his Cubs debut, striking out 10 in 5.1 innings, but he was denied the win when Carlos Marmol blew the lead with a five-run Giants ninth. The Cubs did prevail in 11, 8-7.

Most striking in this impressive debut performance was Harden's pregame. Pregame, you ask? Yes. Harden's first jog as a Cub, a 40-yard trot across left field before warm up tosses, was met by a standing ovation from the bleachers. His second cantor was met by half of the stadium (half of what had arrived in time to see Harden prepare to pitch a half hour before the game) rising for another ovation. Without a tip of his cap or even a slight acknowledgment of this overwhelming welcome, Harden went about his business with straightforward workman-like determination, looking totally unaffected.

What followed was a pitcher dominating his opposition, striking out 10 of the 24 batters he faced. It was such a smooth performance, I turned to my father at one point in the fifth amazed at having learned Harden had fanned nine batters already. Harden looked almost too comfortable out there. He looked in complete control. Only later did I read that he felt like this was his first start in the majors.

"That was a pretty cool feeling," Harden said. "I've never really had anything like that pitching in Oakland."

Pitching in Wrigley is not pitching in Oakland, and it looks like Rich Harden will fit in around the Friendly Confines just fine. He does, however, need to go a little deeper into games unless he wants to continue leaving things up to the bullpen.