Throwin Heat - Joe Torre

In my opinion, getting rid of Torre's a mistake. New York has made the playoffs every season since he's been their manager, with six World Series appearances and four wins. The Yankees are a very tough team to manage for a variety of reasons... Steinbrenner, the number of star players, and the high expectations that come with having the highest payroll in the majors. However, Torre's used to the situation there, appears to be perfectly content managing in New York, and is the best guy for the job.
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The players on that team respond well to Joe Torre, and he deserves a lot of the credit for their second half run. The ship's gonna go like the captain goes, and Torre has a great ability to keep guys focused and pointed in the right direction. As a result, this team was able to salvage what started out as a terrible season and turn it into a playoff spot. The Yankees have had vulnerable pitching for the last three seasons, and it's their offense that's been winning games for them. Torre shouldn't be taking the heat for poor pitching. It's Cashman's responsibility as GM to sign the pitching talent, and it's Torre's job to manage those pitchers.
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One name that's been thrown out as a possible replacement for Torre is La Russa. I don't see Tony staying in St Louis because he and Jocketty were a team. Now that Walt's no longer there, La Russa will probably want to do something different. However, even if Jocketty was still the GM Tony would probably still be contemplating taking a year off after such a tough season. Either way, I don't see La Russa going someplace where he has to deal with an owner like Steinbrenner at this point in his career.
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Two other names that have been mentioned are Don Mattingly and Joe Girardi. If Torre doesn't return and La Russa passes, Don should get the job. Mattingly's a better choice than Girardi because he's a true Yankee.
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Bottom line... The trouble with a team that has a meddlesome owner, like New York, is that you don't know where to place blame. One thing's for sure, if Joe does get the axe, he'll get a job managing somewhere else if he wants.
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Dave Stewart is NBX's MLB analyst and enjoyed an illustrious 17 year MLB pitching career. He's the owner of three World Series rings and was named World Series MVP in 1989. He drops some serious knowledge in his Throwin Heat posts on a regular basis and sponsors a free weekly baseball contest on NBX.com.

Throwin Heat - Post-season Predictions

I ended up at .500 with my predictions back in March. I picked NYY, DET, LAA, PHI, CHI and LAD to all win their respective divisions. The Yankees and Tigers each finished up a respectable second, but the Dodgers definitely let me down. Well, now it's show-time. So, here are my post-season predictions...
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LAA/BOS... These are two excellent teams filled with great players and big bats. However, I like the Angels to come out of this one for no other reason than their pitching. It's a tough call because the Red Sox have a great pitching staff as well, but I simply have more confidence in the guys the Angels will be sending to the mound.
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CHI/AZ... I picked the Cubs to win the NL Central this season, but I'm going with the Diamondbacks in this series. Arizona scratched and scraped to get here and I like their starters and bullpen. They've been doing the little things well and have guys who go out and get it done in clutch situations.
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NYY/CLE... Even though I picked the Yankees to come out on top in the AL East, I'm liking the Indians to advance to the ALCS. Cleveland is a great hitting ball club with five guys who hit 21 or more homers this season. However, they also have three great starters in Sabathia, Carmona and Westbrook. There's no doubt that New York also has a ton of offensive fire power, but Cleveland has better pitching all the way through than the Yanks. Not only do I like the Indians in this series, but I also like them over the Angels to keep rolling on through to the main event.
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COL/PHI... I thought the Phillies would be tough before the season started, but I'm going with the Rockies. Nobody saw this team coming, but they're not a secret anymore. Like Arizona, this team scratched and scraped their way here, but had an even tougher road. Colorado is filled with young, hungry players who are not only talented, but also have great intangibles. With some teams it's helpful to have playoff experience. However, I don't think this team's lack of experience matters. The Rockies are playing great ball and their intensity and tenaciousness in that final game against the Padres was truly impressive. This team is gonna win it all.
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Recap... ALCS: LAA/CLE... NLCS: AZ/COL... WS: CLE/COL... 2007 Champ: COL
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Dave Stewart is NBX's MLB analyst and enjoyed an illustrious 17 year MLB pitching career. He's the owner of three World Series rings and was named World Series MVP in 1989. He drops some serious knowledge in his Throwin Heat posts on a regular basis and sponsors a free weekly baseball contest on NBX.com.

Throwin Heat - Kent

If you haven't heard about Jeff Kent's latest rant, here's an excerpt... ["I don't know what it is, especially when you have a lot" of young players, said Kent... "It's hard to influence a big group. We've got some good kids on the team. Don't get me wrong, please don't misinterpret my impressions. [But] it's hard to translate experience. "I don't know why they don't get it." Asked what they don't get, Kent said: "A lot of things. Professionalism. How to manufacture a run. How to keep your emotions in it. There's just a lot of things that go on with playing 162 games. "But I think experience can help more than inexperience. And it's hard to give a young kid experience."]
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There's no question that experience is a tremendous asset, and Kent's right, you can't give someone experience. However, you can mentor and teach. Every winning ball club I was ever on had a combination of solid veteran leadership and good rookies who knew how to take constructive criticism when it was presented to them properly. In other words, a veteran player like Kent should have been pulling the younger players aside and guiding them. Instead, he chose to publicly blast and blame the younger players on the Dodgers for the team's demise.
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The fact is there are veterans on this team who played adequate at best all season long. They're a year too late and on their way down. Penny's the only veteran starting pitcher the Dodgers could count on. Lowe has more losses than wins, Wolf and Schmidt got injured, and  Hendrickson, and Tomko pitched poorly with ERAs of 5.26 and 5.80 respectively. Chad Billingsley on the other hand, who entered the league last season, has been their stopper since he's been in the rotation. Andre Ethier, who also started playing in the big leagues last year, has been a stabling point for them in the outfield. Another young guy, James Loney, has been nothing but good when they've played him. Relief pitcher, Jonathan Broxton, has only pitched 170 career innings so far, but has been very solid this year (80IP, 2.93ERA, 96K, 1.16WHIP). And, this may only be Russell Martin's second season in the majors, but he's already made an All-Star team (.299BA, 18HR, 85RBI, 85R, 21SB).  If anything, the Dodgers have waited too long to play their young guys more.
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Bottom line... I think the way Kent handled this whole situation is complete garbage. I wasn't in that clubhouse, but chances are he didn't say a damn thing all year long and waited until they got eliminated to criticize and cry like a baby. If you have concerns speak up. Don't wait until September to let your frustration come to a head. Furthermore, if a veteran player doesn't want to play a leadership role, that's obviously their choice. However, if you don't want to be a leader then you need to shut-up.
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Dave Stewart is NBX's MLB analyst and enjoyed an illustrious 17 year MLB pitching career. He's the owner of three World Series rings and was named World Series MVP in 1989. He drops some serious knowledge in his Throwin Heat posts on a regular basis and sponsors a free weekly baseball contest on NBX.com.

Throwin Heat - Parity

Major League Baseball has wanted parity for years. They've been striving to get to the point where anyone can win and it's starting to happen. There are only two divisions, the AL Central and West, that don't have a tight race going on right now. And, even the Wild Card race is looking pretty competitive.
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As much as I hate to admit it, this is a feather in Bud's cap. Selig and the owners deserve credit for making some positive changes in recent years. Baseball still doesn't have a salary cap, but revenue sharing appears to be working. And, the luxury tax paid by high payroll teams, that goes to the lower division clubs, seems to be making a difference. Bottom dwellers like the Devil Rays, Royals, Nationals and Pirates have all improved and are playing better baseball overall.
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The two teams that have exceeded my expectations the most this season have been the Brewers and Rockies. Milwaukee ranks 19th in terms of payroll for 2007, but still has a chance to win their division. I salute them for showing up and playing hard all season long. I really thought the Brewers would be out of it by now, but they've hung in there. And, the Rockies rank 25th on the team payroll list, but they appear to be on the right track. Colorado has improved more than any other team in the majors since last season.
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Bottom line... There will always be teams, like the Devil Rays and Orioles, who will have a tough time competing in their divisions. However, baseball has done a great job of getting things a lot more leveled out.
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Dave Stewart is NBX's MLB analyst and enjoyed an illustrious 17 year MLB pitching career. He's the owner of three World Series rings and was named World Series MVP in 1989. He drops some serious knowledge in his Throwin Heat posts on a regular basis and sponsors a free weekly baseball contest on NBX.com.

Throwin Heat - La Russa

Tony La Russa has declined to talk about his expiring contract with the Cardinals and whether he wants to return for a 13th season. Among other things, he's said that he needs to determine if the stresses of this season have weakened his relationship with his players.
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La Russa and I go back to 1986 when he took the job in Oakland. He's by far the best manager I ever played for, and was the first manager I  had who placed blame on himself for a loss. I admire Tony's attention to detail and his ability to motivate. And, unlike some managers, he doesn't attempt to clone players. La Russa treats everyone as an individual and expects three things... 1) come to the ballpark on time, 2) come prepared, 3) when you get between the lines you give it your all.
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Considering all the events of this season, I wouldn't be surprised if Tony decides to take a little time off. La Russa once told me that once you've stayed in one place for 10 years, you start to wonder how many more times guys can listen to you in team meetings. In addition, this has been a season like no other for him, and La Russa's a superstitious guy. He may view what's happened in St Louis this year as a sign for him to move on. Like Jim Leyland, La Russa may simply need some time away from the game and a fresh start somewhere else. However, I don't see him calling it a career right now. And, because of La Russa's relationship with GM Walt Jocketty, I don't see him leaving St Louis to manage somewhere else in 2008.
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Bottom line... I have tremendous respect for Tony. And, if he leaves the game it will be a sad day for baseball. The fact that he doesn't take anything for granted and is conscientious and aware of how important his relationship with his players is says a lot about the guy.
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Dave Stewart is NBX's MLB analyst and enjoyed an illustrious 17 year MLB pitching career. He's the owner of three World Series rings and was named World Series MVP in 1989. He drops some serious knowledge in his Throwin Heat posts on a regular basis and sponsors a weekly baseball contest on NBX.com.

Throwin Heat - Different Era

Jake Peavy is without a doubt one of the premier guys in the league right now, and it's commendable that he wanted the ball on three days rest last night. Unfortunately, his performance was definitely affected by that shortened rest. Peavy gave up 8 earned runs in 4 innings... his shortest start since July of 2006. Jake's a gamer, but given his history of shoulder and elbow problems, it may not have been the best decision to have him pitch on short rest and risk an injury this late in the season.
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Pitching on three days rest in today's game is seen as admirable. However, in the 60s, pitchers did that all season long. Twenty years ago, it was common for guys to pitch on 3 days rest several times during the regular season, and clubs pitched on a three man rotation in the postseason.
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In other words, a lot less is expected from starting pitchers in the majors nowadays. For example, in 1987 there were 11 pitchers who started over 35 games, in 2006 there were none. In that same year, there were 29 guys who pitched more than 6 complete games, in 2006 there were 0. And, in 1987 there were also 19 starters who took the mound for over 241 innings, while in 2006, you guessed it, there were none.

Bottom line... the overall look of baseball has changed considerably in the last twenty years, and it's clear that we're in a very different era.
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Dave Stewart is NBX's MLB analyst and enjoyed an illustrious 17 year MLB pitching career. He's the owner of three World Series rings and was named World Series MVP in 1989. He drops some serious knowledge in his Throwin Heat posts on a regular basis and sponsors a weekly baseball contest on NBX.com.

Throwin Heat - Brewers

Milwaukee's front office has worked hard to make them competitive and they've done a good job of improving this organization. It worked well the first half of the season. However, I expected this team to fade, and from what I've seen since the All-Star Break, I don't expect the Brewers to make the playoffs this year.
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Fielder and Hardy have had a good season and Braun should win Rookie of the Year. Milwaukee's starting rotation was unbelievable earlier this year and they were doing everything right. However, it's been a different story in the 2nd half. Ben Sheets is their only starter with an ERA under 4.78, and he just came off the DL. Let's put it this way... without a closer like Cordero, the Brewers would really be in trouble right now.
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When a ball club plays as well as they did in the first half of this season, and then has a second half like this, you have to look at their manager. I'm not asking for Ned Yost's head, but this team hasn't been known for strong finishes since he got the job. In '03 they ended up 68-94... '04, 67-94... '05, 81-81... and in '06 they went 75-87. If the Brewers don't at least finish above .500 this year, Milwaukee will need to make a change somewhere before '08.
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Bottom line... right now the Brewers are the kind of team that what they are is what they're going to be... and that doesn't equal contender.
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Dave Stewart is NBX's MLB analyst and enjoyed an illustrious 17 year MLB pitching career. He's the owner of three World Series rings and was named World Series MVP in 1989. He drops some serious knowledge in his Throwin Heat posts on a regular basis and sponsors a weekly baseball contest on NBX.com.

Throwin Heat - Dodgers

The Dodgers have been losing ground since the All-Star break and don't appear to be poised to turn things around anytime soon. Like every team, they've had some injuries to deal with and are now having to play without Garciaparra who has notched the third most RBIs on the team so far this season. However, they've got larger problems than that...
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For starters, the Dodgers have struggled offensively all year which has put a lot of pressure on their pitching staff. When you go three straight games without scoring a single run, that creates problems for your starters. Thank God for Penny, because he's been solid, but it's a vicious cycle... once you realize you're not scoring runs you try too hard and start swinging at pitches out of the strike zone. And, when pitchers start feeling the pressure of little or no run support they start making mistakes.
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To make matters worse, the Dodgers are also a relatively old team. Unlike most teams that are trying to get younger, the Dodgers have a hard time letting their youth play. For example, it's rumored that LA might be signing 44 year old David Wells. Wells is a good guy to party with, but his work ethic isn't very good and he isn't a good influence on the younger guys. And, it makes no sense to sign him since the Dodgers already have guys that are better than Wells. For instance, 27 year old Eric Stults has pitched well enough to earn a spot in their starting five.
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Bottom line... there's an old saying in baseball, "it's better a year too soon than a year too late". In other words, if you've got some promising young players at your disposal, you're better off playing them even if you're not quite sure if they're ready, than playing older guys who are past their prime.
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Dave Stewart is NBX's MLB analyst and enjoyed an illustrious 17 year MLB pitching career. He's the owner of three World Series rings and was named World Series MVP in 1989. He drops some serious knowledge in his Throwin Heat posts on a regular basis and sponsors a weekly baseball contest on NBX.com.

Throwin Heat - Yanks

A couple months ago I was amongst those who didn't think the Yankees would be able to rebound from their horrible start. However, I have to give credit to that organization's leadership for weathering the storm. They waited for guys to get healthy, bought a little before the trade deadline, and made some personnel adjustments.
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I still don't think Clemens will have much of an impact on their season, and I still believe the Red Sox will win the AL East. However, unlike earlier this season, it's now looking like a Wild Card spot will be achievable for the Yankees.
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Regardless of whether the Yankees make it into the playoffs or not, I hate the Wild Card. I'm a baseball traditionalist and the Wild Card simply isn't traditional baseball. I believe that if you win your division you earned the right to be there. The Wild Card was added in order to make more money and is nothing more than a back-door way into the playoffs. I used to sit in meetings where people would say "we can't win our division, but we can still win the Wild Card spot". It's a poor way to plan and I think it's garbage.
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The moral of the story is don't give up on the Yanks. And, if New York makes it into the Playoffs, Joe Torre gets my vote for Manager of the year.
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Dave Stewart is NBX's MLB analyst and enjoyed an illustrious 17 year MLB pitching career. He's the owner of three World Series rings and was named World Series MVP in 1989. He drops some serious knowledge in his Throwin Heat posts on a regular basis and sponsors a weekly baseball contest on NBX.com.