It was a night filled with agony and anticipation mixed with a pulsating sense of dread, fear, and hope. Finally, exhalation, for the Rays and Cardinals. The Red Sox and Braves fell to earth and saw all hope shattered. Rookie Freddie Freeman’s face as he grounded into a double play to end the Braves chances, put the harsh period on what looked like a sure thing. The heartache etched into his young face as he watched the opponent celebrate.

In the mix of all the action young rookies and hopeful prospects such as Freeman were trying to make an impact, rising to the occasion  to show the team what they are capable of. For them it’s one part sports contest, one part audition.

For Yankees pitcher Dellin Betances it was a chance not to help the team clinch a playoffs spot, that was done, but it was to showcase a little bit more of his talent. He allowed one hit and two walks, striking out two Orioles batters. It looked good early for the Yankees and the game appeared to be in cruise-control. But Betances name will now be attached to one of the greatest comebacks in baseball history. The Rays rallied from a seven-run deficit to defeat the Yankees 8-7. Betances did what he needed to do, pitching two innings, allowing a hit and two walks. He also struck out two. Looking ahead to 2012, he can rest assured that he’s passed a very big test. The Rays were simply entering into some sort of unimaginable destiny.

On September 4th Tampa was nine games back in the Wild Card on September 3rd, trailing the confident Red Sox. On September 28th they were down seven runs going into the eighth inning and preceded to win the game 8-7 in the 12th inning. Evan Longoria was the star of the upset, but the bullpen had a one-run lead to protect. Rookie relievers Jake McGee and Brandon Gomes played a big part in the Rays holding on.  Gomes pitched a scoreless 11th and McGee did the same in the 12th when the ball was handed over to closer Kyle Farnsworth. McGee had pitched 33 innings for Triple-A Durham before his call-up in May, finishing with a 2.70 ERA and 38 strikeouts. His Durham teammate Gomes had put in 25 innings for the Bulls with a 1.07 ERA. The Rays called on him in May after sending McGee back to the minors.

The Yankees pen also brought out a few young arms including George Kontos, possibly the Yankees most major league ready reliever, and Andrew Brackman pitched in the loss. Kontos pitched 2/3 an inning allowing no runs and no hits. Brackman also pitched in short-relief , also scoreless in his 1/3 of an inning of work.  The Phillies were also not in a do-or-die situation, nothing more than winning a ballgame and setting a franchise record with 102 wins, they too put some of their young pitchers in the spotlight. Justin De Fratus picked up his first major league win when he pitched a scoreless 12th. Michael Schwimmer pitched two innings of one-hit baseball.  De Fratus made his major league debut on the day the Phillies clinched the National League East, add the 28th, a second non-pressure situation to his major league resume. Not a bad way to begin. Career milestones and Phillies milestones seem to go hand in hand for him.

The Phillies National League rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, called Allen Craig up in June from Triple-A Memphis with 42 at-bats under his belt between there and Double-A Springfield.  Playing the role of spoiler, the Houston Astros could do nothing with Chris Carpenter whose glittering start included eleven strikeouts. Craig went 2-5 with a home run in the Cardinals 8-0 victory. It was a comeback no one believed would happen. The Braves were in control with an 8 1/2 game lead for the wild card.

As the Cardinals fought their way back, Braves closer Craig Kimbrel was closing in on a most unfair destiny. Will people remember that the 23-year old rookie set a major league record with 54 saves in 79 appearances? Hopefully, but add him to the Braves disastrous ending. September was his undoing. He blew three saves in eight opportunities. Let it also be remembered that the Braves were not hitting and the Braves pen was worn out. It was a nothing game to the Phillies. Not a game they needed anyway. The Braves season ended in a 4-3 loss to their long-ago longtime rival.

Ryan Lavarnway was behind the plate for the Red Sox when Robert Andino hit the game-winning single that gave the Orioles, a team with nothing but pride to play for, the 4-3 victory. Lavarnway’s was another face in a crop of prospects that experienced that historic day in baseball. All Lavarnway can do is look forward to his bright future. One that all who watched that brilliant night of baseball got a good look at.

During the 1995 season, the New York Yankees had made the playoffs as the first American League Wild Card winner, however, Rivera did not play a part in getting there. The then 25-year-old rode the bench, receiving rare chances while not taking advantage of the times he did.

His 5.51 ERA said it best — he was a failed starter, one who underwent elbow surgery just three years prior. Being sent to the bullpen was said to be his last chance or in his case, the place where he belonged.

He almost never had the chance to prove it.

There were trade rumblings that the Yankees were going to acquire a veteran shortstop and the price was parting with Rivera. However, the Yankees decided not to go ahead with the trade, a decision that would change the franchise’s fate over the next decade.

After the divisional round loss to the Seattle Mariners, Yankees management showed then manager Buck Showalter the door and hired a perennial loser named Joe Torre. Torre did not know it at the time, but the last member of his bullpen — the long man — was special.

Rivera would be called on to pitch in situations the starter faltered early, and Torre expected him to hold the fort. He did just that and soon pitched his way into a more prominent position, the role of the set-up man for closer John Wetteland.

The 1996 campaign was the debut of a formula, one that soon witnessed Wetteland being supplanted by Rivera the very next season. From then on, it’s history.

From the 1997 season to the present day, Rivera has been the best closer in all of baseball, a weapon no other team could match late in games. However, what is it that sets Rivera apart from the rest?

Simply put, Rivera changed the game of baseball like great pitchers before him. Bruce Sutter was also a struggling starter, one who was banished to the bullpen, but while there he developed a pitch that would change his career and many after him.

The pitch: a splitter. Sutter used the splitter to record 300 saves en route to a Hall of Fame career. The splitter helped pitchers lengthen their careers, most notably Roger Clemens. Rivera and his cutter have down the same.

The cutter is now an essential pitch to any pitcher’s repertoire. A fastball that moves at the very last second, darting away from the barrel of the bat and recording outs.

It can be argued that Rivera also made the Yankees. Many credit Derek Jeter and his clutch play during the playoffs as reasons they now have 27 World Series Championship flags lining their stadium, but would they have them without Rivera?

The answer is a resounding no.

Rivera’s dominance in the postseason has been well-documented and is stuff of legend. Elite players pick up their game when everything is on the line and his 0.71 ERA in 94 postseason appearances says everything.

When the final three outs needed to be recorded, Rivera is as close to unhittable in the playoffs as one can be. Being named the MVP of multiple playoff rounds shows the impact he can have.

When “Enter Sandman” blares over the speakers, 54,000 people erupt and the opposing dugout lets out a collective groan.

Rivera gives the Yankees a psychological edge, representing an aura of invincibility.

As Rivera recorded his historic 602nd save, one must realize his significance to the Yankees success. Without Rivera, the Yankees dynasty may never have been realized.

When he decides to retire, it will be a dark day for Yankee fans. Until then, sit back and watch history play itself in front of you, one pitch, one strike and one out at a time.

There will never be another like him. Enjoy his brilliance while you can.

Ryan Lazo is a Senior Writer for baseballdigest.com. He can reached at RMLazo13@gmail.com, followed on Twitter @RMLazo13 and read his blog Artificially Enhanced.

Austin Romine – New York Yankees – The common belief was that Austin Romine should be out of Double-A where he’d spent 2010 and 2011. But Jesus Montero was blocking him at Triple-A Scranton. Montero got an anticipated call to the Bronx. Romine got an unanticipated call to the Bronx. After finally getting a promotion to Scranton on the final day of the Trenton Thunder’s home schedule, the reaction was that at least he’d get some Triple-A at-bats. But September 12th. he arrived at Yankee Stadium and made his major league debut. His first experience in Yankees pinstripes was catching Mariano Rivera’s 599th save. Romine isn’t the exciting bat that Montero is. What he has is a toolbox of skills that he has quietly developed over the past two seasons at Trenton. Those skills need even more polishing, and by getting behind the plate in the playoffs, he would get to improve upon an already excellent ability at his position. He gives the Yankees options. And he gets to show the Yankees (and fans) why he should be the catcher of the future.

Justin De Fratus- Philadelphia Phillies – The Phillies bullpen is a weakness on a team that is being called the best in franchise history. Post-season baseball requires the services of the bullpen more than any other time of the season. Justin De Fratus arm could be immensely helpful to a pen that, like any, is feeling the wear and tear of the season. De Fratus split his time between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley, finishing with a 2.99 ERA in 75 innings pitched.

Leonys Martin – Texas Rangers – His inspiring story has made the rounds and made his debut all the more special among this pack. Martin defected from Cuba and began the pursuit of his baseball dream. The twenty-three year old fully earned his call-up, hitting .348 at the time for Double-A Frisco. The outfielder is getting his opportunity due to Nelson Cruz going on the DL, but it would be a shock not to see him remain on the roster for post-season play.

Jacob Turner – Detroit Tigers – The Tigers 2009 first round pick has certainly made a fast trip to the majors. And he’s put a heck of a lot of work in during a short period. His first professional season in 2010 ended with a 3.28 ERA in 115 innings combined for Class-A West Michigan and Advanced-A Lakeland. He began 2011 at Double-A Erie, but ended it at Triple-A Toledo. Turner threw 131 innings, struck out a career-high 110 batters, and posted a 3.44 ERA. The Tigers plans appear to include him in the post-season, despite a rough start to begin his major league career. Turner has 9 innings under his belt, with a 7.45 ERA in two games. After all he’s accomplished so far, there’s no reason to count him out.

]]> http://www.gothambaseball.com/2011/09/minor-league-report-five-prospects-to-watch-in-the-post-season/feed/ 0 http://www.gothambaseball.com/2011/09/nl-east-the-phorgotten-phils/ http://www.gothambaseball.com/2011/09/nl-east-the-phorgotten-phils/#comments Sat, 10 Sep 2011 05:58:52 +0000 Shai Kushner http://www.baseballdigest.com/?p=10316 We all know that the 2011 Philadelphia Phillies are good, but not many seem to realize how good.

This season has certainly had its share of surprises: the Diamondbacks dominance in the west, Adam Dunn’s struggles just to get a glimpse of the Mendoza line and Jose Bautista proving that 2010 wasn’t a fluke, just to name a few.  On the other hand, some things have gone as expected: The Yankees and Red Sox will make the postseason, Mariano Rivera is still a dominant closer and Ozzie Guillen’s anger management classes haven’t had much of an effect, just to name a few.  Least surprising of all, though, may be the performance of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Most preseason predictions had the Phillies winning the NL East and it was easy to see why.  The group of starting pitchers was given all sorts of nicknames before even showing up to spring training.  The last time this happened was with the 1995 Mets and Generation K (which we all know didn’t go so well).  The question never seemed to be “would they win” but “how many would they win”.  So it’s easy to understand the lack of noise surrounding the team’s success so far this year.  A situation living up to expectations is rarely newsworthy.  What is surprising, however, is how little noise is being made about how good this team has actually been.

For starters (pun unfortunately intended), four members of the Phillies rotation boast ERA’s under 3 (Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Vance Worley).  Halladay and Lee have also amassed over 200 strikeouts already.  Worley is 11-1 with a 2.85 ERA and he’s just a rookie.  Hamels is 14-7 with a 2.60 ERA and also has a WHIP under 1, yet he’s almost an after-thought…a very dangerous after-thought.  So even though veteran Roy Oswalt may not have lived up to what some had hoped for him, the team doesn’t seem to be all that affected.

The bullpen, a seemingly weak area for the Phillies coming into this season, has found a couple truly dependable arms.  Ryan Madson has been an effective closer, saving 29 of his 31 opportunities (through Friday, September 9).  Meanwhile, lefty reliever Antonio Bastardo has gone from specialist to just plain special in his first full major league season.  Bastardo has an ERA under 2, a 0.81 WHIP, 66 K’s in 54.1 innings and has kept opponents to a .119 batting average.

The Phillies are on their way to the best record in franchise history.  After Friday night’s win (their 5th straight) the Phillies have 93 wins, 8 short of the franchise best 101 (1976 & 1977) and there are still 21 games to go.  In other words, the Phillies have never been this dominant in the franchise’s 122 seasons (129 if you include their time as the Philadelphia Quakers).

Perhaps what’s most impressive about this accomplishment is that they’ve done it when virtually every offensive player (not named Shane Victorino) is having an down season.  Furthermore, many important pieces of this team have spent significant time on the disabled list at various points in the season.  Still, the Phillies have been able to sustain their dominance since April.  Credit their pitching.  Credit their manager, Charlie Manuel.  Credit their GM, Ruben Amaro, for making some key moves prior to, and during, the season.  Really though, credit the team as a whole, as they find ways to win on a daily basis.

Once October begins, the Phillies regular season accomplishments will cease to mean a whole lot.  Many teams have coasted through the regular season only to make a quick trip back home to join their lesser counterparts.  All season long though, something special has been going on in Philadelphia and it shouldn’t be ignored.

Around the Division:

Atlanta Braves -  Brandon Beachy’s 142 strikeouts give him the most ever by a Braves rookie pitcher.  Jair Jurrjens was the previous record-holder with 139 K’s in 2008.  More impressively, rookie closer Craig Kimbrel notched his 41st save on 8/31, breaking Neftali Feliz’s record (40) set just last season, for most saves by a rookie.

New York Mets - Johan Santana is getting closer to making an appearance for the Mets this season, just to prove to fans that he does still exist.  Second-year first baseman Ike Davis will not need ankle surgery after all, however Jay Horwitz, the team’s long standing VP of Media Relations, is out indefinitely with a broken ankle of his own (and that WILL require surgery).  Horwitz has been the Mets PR guy for over 30 years, has only missed 3 games during that time and hadn’t missed a game in 21 years.

Washington Nationals - On September 3, rookie Tom Milone became the first pitcher to hit a home run on the first major league pitch he faced since Adam Wainwright did it for the Cardinals in 2006.  Stephen Strasburg looked sensational in dominating the Los Angeles Dodgers in his first major league start since last year’s Tommy John surgery.  Strasburg’s next start is Sunday, 9/11 against the Astros.

Florida Marlins - Hanley Ramirez will be out for the remainder of the season, closing the books on the young shortstop’s most disappointing season to date.  Ramirez will have surgery next week.  According to Larry Beinfest, the Marlins president of Baseball Operations, the surgery will be performed by Dr. James Andrews and will start out as arthroscopic surgery with a possibility that open surgery will be necessary.  Ramirez’s recovery time will depend on the type of surgery he ends up having.

Shai Kushner is a Senior Writer for BaseballDigest.com.  Email Shai at: BaseballDigestShai@gmail.com.  Follow Shai on Twitter at: @BD_ShaiKushner.

Earlier this season, New York Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes was a mess: his fastball, once hummed through the strike zone in the mid 90s, barely touched 88. His trademark precision with his pitches, gone. The sharp, biting curve ball which made him a No. 1 pick also missing.

Two questions crossed most observers minds. What is wrong with the much-hyped phenom and will he ever be the same again?

The question of course was fair game after the Yankees juggled Joba Chamberlain from the bullpen to starter and back again, thoroughly messing with his head and career.

Few wondered if it was the dramatic increase of innings thrown the previous season when he was brilliant through the first half and merely mortal in the second.

However, with his spot in the rotation secure after a cooking accident by the resurgent Freddy Garcia placed him on the DL, Hughes once again showcased his mastery.

Truth be told, Hughes had already begin to turn the corner two starts prior when facing the Chicago White Sox. His fastball showed the type of zip not seen since the days of him charging out of the bullpen, leaving White Sox hitters defenseless in their attempts to square it up.

He was back to being the Hughes who the Yankees envisioned becoming a No. 1 starter when they drafted him at the ripe old age of 18. Without a set spot in the rotation, Hughes found himself heading out through the bullpen gates to keep the Yankees in the game against the Boston Red Sox.

It seemed to be an audition for Yankees management to see if Hughes would be up to the task if his number were called during the postseason. He failed the test, allowing the Sox to walk-off with the win.

Although the starts he has made since, most especially the one against the Minnesota Twins, an eight-inning, one-run outing where he flat out dominated leaves the Yankees with a few questions to ponder.

Sure Hughes was not beaming the ball through the zone in the mid 90s, but his 92 mph fastball gave the Twins hitters fits. They could not square it up, either just fouling it off or weakly hitting into the field for an easy out.

This outing comes just a few days after Bartolo Colon once again struggled in a start, this time against the lowly Kansas City Royals. Since arriving in camp for Spring Training, Colon was seen as a curiosity by management.

It was a low-risk, high-reward deal and Colon quickly emerged as the teams best pitcher, behind only C.C. Sabathia. The 38-year-olds resurgent season came about from his devastating two-seam fastball which moves the length of the plate, leaving hitters to do nothing but pound it to the ground. However, the results have not been kind of late to Colon.

He has failed to surpass seven innings in his last four starts and has surrendered five runs or more in three of his past eight starts. Colon looks tired on the mound, his fastball doesn’t quite have the bite like earlier this season and he is being forced to work for everything, leaving him with high pitch counts in the early innings.

With the Yankees all but assured of a postseason start, manager Joe Girardi must decide what is best for his team during the playoffs. Which pitcher should he trust?

Does he go with the veteran who looks to be running out of steam or the youngster who has compiled an ERA slightly above one over his past three starts — all wins.

The decision he makes will have a big impact on the outcome of any possible series. It could be the difference between advancing or being eliminated and once again falling short of the ultimate goal — a World Series Championship.

Ryan Lazo is a Senior Writer for BaseballDigest.com. He can be reached at RMLazo13@gmail.com, followed on Twitter @RMLazo13 and read his blog Artificially Enhanced.

When the name Goose Gossage is mentioned, you think big bushy walrus mustache, intimidation, upper 90′s fastball, and the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. But things weren’t always so easy for the player originally known as Rich in MLB circles and Rick to his friends and family.

Richard Michael Gossage was born in 1951 in Colorado Springs, CO where he still makes his home today. After a stellar career at Wasson High School, Gossage was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 9th round of the 1970 amateur draft. He appeared in 13 games combined that year for the Gulf Coast rookie White Sox and low level ‘A’ Appleton Foxes with mixed results, but a year later as a starter he made everyone in the organization stand up and take notice.

24 of Gossage’s 25 appearances for Appleton in 1971 were indeed as a starting pitcher and he excelled. An 18-2 record, 1.83 ERA and 149 strikeouts in 187 innings jumped off the page at everyone. He also allowed just 141 hits and 50 base on balls. His performance earned the 20-yr old an invitation to the big league spring training in 1972. He then continued to open eyes that spring and went north will the ball club.

Manager Chuck Tanner, who later became Gossage’s manager with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the front office decided to move Gossage to the bullpen despite his prior year’s performance. It was felt that his electric stuff would work even better out of the pen. He made 36 appearances his rookie season, but despite a 7-1 record, his other numbers weren’t up to his minor league standards. He walked five batters per nine innings, allowed 72 hits in 80 innings, and posted a 4.28 earned run average. Control issues would be the reason was Gossage shuttled back and forth between the Majors and minors the next two seasons.

Bob Rubin of the Miami Herald profiled Gossage after the reliever saved 33 games in 1980. Click here to read all about it.

It wasn’t until 1975 that the player nicknamed “Goose”, by teammate Tom Bradley, (because of the way he stuck his neck out when looking for the sign from the catcher) started to put it all together at the Major League level. He led the American League that year with 26 saves, struck out 130 batters in 141.2 innings pitched, and allowed 99 hits (just three of which were home runs). His play earned him the first of his nine All-Star appearances, and he finished sixth in the 1975 AL CY Young voting.

Despite his fabulous year, the White Sox decided to move Gossage back to the starting rotation for the 1976 season. The results were semi-disastrous. Goose lost 17 games, struck out just 130 in 224 innings, and allowed 214 hits. The team led by Paul Richards also lost 97 games, so that winter owner Bill Veeck decided to make some changes. In December, Gossage along with lefty Terry Forster were shipped to Pittsburgh for outfielder Richie Zisk and pitcher Silvio Martinez. Zisk hit 30 home runs and produced 101 RBI in his one and only year in Chicago and never approached those numbers again. Meanwhile Gossage’s best days were ahead of him.

Back in the bullpen in 1977, Gossage saved 26 games and combined with Kent Tekulve and Grant Jackson for one of those dominant relief corp in baseball. But free agency loomed for Gossage and New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, despite having the reigning AL CY Young winner Spark Lyle on his team, was greatly intrigued.  And whatever George wanted, George generally got. He landed Gossage with a six year deal on November 22, 1977. It was a move that eventually led to third baseman Graig Nettles’ famous quote on Lyle, “He went from CY Young to sayonara.”

Gossage’s intro to New York was a rough one. He lost the first game of the season when he gave up a 9th inning home run to none other than Texas’ Richie Zisk. His next appearance was a blown save to Milwaukee and another loss. After mop up duty in his third appearance, Gossage lost another ninth inning game, this time to Toronto. His 0-3 record led to boos when the Yankees returned home. Gossage loves to retell the story today of when center fielder Mickey Rivers jumped on the hood of the bullpen car, yelling “NO”, to stop Gossage from entering a game.

Though he also had a blown save in the ’78 All-Star game, Gossage turned things around (a league leading 27 saves) and helped the Yankees come back from a 14.5 game deficit to Boston in the AL East. He then protected a one run lead in a one game playoff between the two teams, getting Carl Yastrzemski to pop up to Graig Nettles to end the game. Gossage went on to make four All-Star appearances while with New York, led the league in saves twice and finished third in the AL CY Young voting in 1980. But Gossage began to clash with owner George Steinbrenner as the 1980′s marched on and he decided to depart as a free agent after the 1983 season. He signed with San Diego and helped them to their first World Series with 25 saves.

After four years on the left coast, Gossage spent time with the Chicago Cubs, had a second tour with the Yankees before rounding out his career with the Texas Rangers, Oakland A’s, and Seattle Mariners. He also pitched in Japan during the 1990 campaign. In 22 big league seasons, Gossage finished with 310 saves and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008. Today, the Goose is active in youth sports and serves as a Spring Training instructor for the Yankees.

]]> http://www.gothambaseball.com/2011/07/baseball-digest-birthdays-goose-gossage/feed/ 0 http://www.gothambaseball.com/2011/06/nl-east-swimming-downstream/ http://www.gothambaseball.com/2011/06/nl-east-swimming-downstream/#comments Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:36:37 +0000 Shai Kushner http://www.baseballdigest.com/?p=9843

A 1-15 start to June has sunk the Marlins from contenders to bottom feeders in the division.

It wasn’t that long ago that the Marlins were being lauded for their hot start.  The hitting may not have been powerful but it was timely.  The starting pitching may not have been the best but it was impressive.  And the bullpen was solid, but not even tops in their own division.  The Marlins may have been relying on smoke and mirrors, but they were effective smoke and mirrors.  Just one month ago they found themselves in second place, only a half game behind the Phillies.  However, after losing 7 in a row, 15 of their first 16 games this month, 17 out of their last 20 overall, the Marlins are last in the division, 11.5 games out of first.

They haven’t just been losing games, they’ve lost some players too.  Their best starter (and one of the league’s best), Josh Johnson has had an extended stay on the disabled list and is still about a month away from returning.  Their supposed best hitter, Hanley Ramirez, got off to a terrible start before making a trip of his own to the DL.  Reliever Clay Hensley has already had two separate stints on the DL.  Potential future star Mike Stanton missed some early season games with an injury.  Even Scott Cousins, the bench player whose controversial collision with Buster Posey ended the catcher’s season, is now among the injured.   These injuries certainly haven’t helped, but as is said each season by multiple teams, injuries are not an excuse.

The Marlins also fired hitting coach John Mallee, despite his popularity among the players.  They replaced him with Eduardo Perez, who may have been a qualified analyst on TV but had no prior major league coaching experience.  Owner Jeffrey Loria stated the hitting had been an issue for “some time”.  While this was an accurate assessment, his choice of how to address the problem was questionable at best.  Coming into the season the Marlins hitting was a potential weakness, and it wasn’t because of their hitting coach.  That’s not to suggest that Perez won’t do a good job, but it’s evident that the Marlins problems (Fishues?) run a little deeper.

Their manager, Edwin Rodriguez has a style that has been compared to that of Felipe Alou.  But that was when they were winning.  Now, for some, he’s more reminiscent of Jerry Manuel.  In either case, he seems to be doing his part to try to snap his team out of this funk.  And while there are those who believe he’s on the proverbial hot seat, and he may be, it’s hard to believe he’s the problem with this team.  Much like the idea of replacing their hitting coach, it’s feasible that a new manager could squeeze a few more wins out of the Marlins, but it’s unlikely that would be enough to make a difference in the standings.

When you get down to it, this is a young Marlins team who came into the season needing a whole lot to go right in order for them to contend.  Right now, not much is going right at all.  They’re playing like a young, inexperienced team, which happens to be what they are.  Of course losing is part of what makes a player, or a team, experienced.  Besides they do have talent.  Plenty of talent.  And they’ll have even more talent when Josh Johnson returns to the mound and Hanley Ramirez returns to form.

While it’s only June, and there’s plenty of time for the Marlins to undo what they’ve done to themselves over the past few weeks, they should probably start their turnaround soon.  If not, this young will find themselves waiting until the players are slightly less young before the winning starts.

Around the Division:

Philadelphia Phillies – The Phillies have won 7 straight and sit atop the NL East with the best record in the majors.  Aside from the much discussed starting pitching, they’ve had to rely on some clutch hitting to get to this point.  Through this past Wednesday, over 40% of the runs scored by the Phillies this year were driven in with 2 out.  Most of their hitters may be experiencing some manner of early season struggles, but they do seem to hit it when it counts.  Lefty reliever JC Romero was designated for assignment and has likely played his final game as a member of the Phillies.

Atlanta Braves – Randall Delgado, considered by many to be the franchise’s second-best pitching prospect (to Julio Teheran), will make his major league debut on Friday night, replacing injured starter Tommy Hanson (shoulder tendinitis).  Teheran started for Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday night so he is unavailable to pitch on Friday.  A nice moment occurred in Thursday night’s game versus the Mets.  Brian McCann’s bat flew into the crowd and hit a man in his shoulder (wait, the moment gets nice, I promise).  McCann’s at-bat continued with a new bat while security ran to retrieve his original one from the fan.  When McCann realized that security was going to take the bat away from the unlucky fan, he stepped out of the box (on a 3-2 count, no less) and instructed security to let the fan keep the bat.  McCann then grounded out to the first baseman.

New York Mets – Thursday night’s blown save was only the second all season for Francisco Rodriguez.  While his ERA has ballooned somewhat in the past few weeks, he has still had an impressive 2011 so far.  Speaking of impressive starts, Jose Reyes had yet another multi-hit game on Thursday, his 35th of the season.  He now has 101 hits in only 66 games, the fastest to reach 100 hits in Mets history.  Reyes leads the majors in batting average, hits and triples (he has twice as many as the next in line), and is second in the NL in runs scored (to Ryan Braun) and stolen bases (to Michael Bourn).

Washington Nationals – With their sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, the Nationals have now won 6 straight to move up to fourth place in the division.  This is their longest winning streak since 2009.  A Danny Espinosa error on Thursday night ended the Nationals streak of 13-straight error-free games.  This was the longest streak in the majors since the Houston Astros went 14 in-a-row without an error in 2006.  Espinosa made up for it though with a game-winning home run in the 10th inning.

Shai Kushner is a Senior Writer for BaseballDigest.com.  Email Shai at: BaseballDigestShai@gmail.com.  Follow Shai on Twitter at: @BD_ShaiKushner.

One of the best ways to gauge the temperature of the Mets fan base is the internet. I’ve felt that way since 1998, when I first started checking out the different message boards and early Mets fan communities. As “heals9″ I got into more than my fair share of online scuffles with other Mets fans who had different points of view. The fact that I was covering the Mets and their minor league system for a number of outlets, as well as working full-time at the Associated Press, complicated the matter a bit. First of all, my colleagues (and bosses) thought it was a dangerous line to walk; admitting fandom while trying to maintain objectivity in a public forum.

It’s a line I still walk, and I really don’t care who feels differently about my choice. I AM a Mets fan and I always will be, regardless of the state of flux the current ownership has created with their incredibly bad decision-making for much of the last three decades.

Sandy Alderson knew that when he took or was assigned ( I think it matters when MLB is almost and / or probably running a privately-owned baseball club, but no matter), this job that he was coming here to clean up a mess. But even like Sanford and Son, a pile of junk piled up in the backyard (which was created by the previous front office’s sloppiness and cronyism) has some valuable finds, like Ike Davis.

I’m not going to criticize the way he constructed his bullpen, but the fact remains is that he basically dragged the river for cost-effective corpses. He didn’t even have the money for the fresh cadavers the medical schools use. But I am NOT going to defend him either. This approach is nothing to celebrate. I accept it, but Jesus, there’s a difference between that, and spitting ijn someone’s eye about it.

Sandy knew what he was doing when he did it. The lack of identifying a long man, which Terry Collins said he would do, has been absent from the game plan. Perhaps that little detail would have prevented an overworked BP in the second week of April, but let’s face it, the last man to properly implement a long man for the Mets was Willie Randolph’s use of Darren Oliver in 2006. Si8nce then, the concept of the guy who saves innings for the rotation and the pen has been non-existent.

Any fan who is disgusted with the product he is seeing has ever right to be annoyed and fearful that another season “has come” and gone and its April. Panic? No. But be annoyed? Hell, yes.

I will not celebrate mediocrity, champion it, or defend. I will except a rebuilding project if that is what it will take, but I want it done with the players the Mets draft, and train and develop. Not with a bunch of guys nobody else wants, like we have seen in years past.

All that said, I believe that before all is said and done, this team will play itself into some kind of contention, and that Terry Collins will find a way to get this team above .500. I even picked him to be Manager of the Year in the NL in my BaseballDigest.com predictions. But it’s all pretty meaningless until the Mets win a division title and get back to the playoffs. Terry Collins won’t be the guy to do that, and neither will this front office, because none of them will still be here when that goal is accomplished. On that day, when the Mets are hosting the first game of the 201X NLDS, then I’ll do my little rah-rah dance. Until then, I’ll sit back, watch, and hope that they don’t do anything more stupid in the meantime.

Like trade away a 28-year old shortstop in the prime of his career because they can’t pay their electric bills.

With the July 31^st trade deadline came many surprising (and some fairly obvious) moves. Only one uniform change had yours truly dancing in the streets, and it was that of the former Yankee Chan Ho Park. In his brief tenure with the Bombers,  Park did nothing but give up hits and homeruns.  Brian Cashman’s signing of Park in the offseason always seemed odd to me given his unimpressive numbers from past seasons.

Another move that induced some head scratching was that of  Boone Logan, who was sent to the Bronx with Javier Vasquez in the 2009 offseason.  The Yankees wanted another hand throwing lefty to complement Damaso Marte in their bullpen and hoped to find it in Logan. In April, Logan batted around to the tune of a 3.86 ERA and in May his ERA rose to 5.40. The Yankees knew that these weren’t exactly big league numbers, so they sent him back to the minors to work things out.

The trip to Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre paid off as Logan pitched to a 2.35 ERA in June and, since the All Star break, has been lights out with an ERA of 1.04.  To date, this pitching performance is the best of his five year career including time spent with the White Sox and Braves.

Logan’s performances are even more important now that Damaso Marte’s barking shoulder has landed him on the disabled list once again.  Marte was an unsung hero of the 2009 postseason, getting the job done every single time Joe Girardi called on him. Marte’s delivery when it really mattered has won him a spot in the hearts of all true blue Yankee fans, if not the box score Yankee fans.  Post season play aside, his regular season numbers leave a lot to be desired.

The Bronx is gearing up for the inevitable hard nose fight between the Rays, Red Sox, and Yankees in August and September.  With the Yankees and Rays neck and neck, every single at bat and pitch is going to matter and, unless you’re a fool, you can’t count the Red Sox out no matter how many injuries they tally up. I may have been among those who doubted his ability, but I truly believe that Boone Logan is the Yankees best chance to record an out during the home stretch of this regular season.

Jay Ferraro is the Executive Producer of Baseball Digest LIVE and Gotham Baseball LIVE.  He is also the Fantasy Editor for Gotham Gridiron and Baseballdigest.com as well as a columnist for Baseball Digest Magazine and Assignment Editor for Gothambaseball.com. You can reach him at Jay_Ferraro@Juno.com , follow him on Twitter , add him on Facebook and check out his Official Website.

As the trade deadline approaches, contenders will look to fill specific needs to aid them down the stretch run. Blessed with otherworldly starting pitching and a Hall of Fame lineup, the Yankees only have one real need: their bullpen. Aside from the eternal Mariano Rivera closing out games, the rest of the pen is in shambles. Never afraid to pull the trigger on a deadline deal, GM Brian Cashman has been given every reason to once again swing a trade to land help.

The most prominent problem that the Yankees face is getting to Mariano, and that has fallen on the shoulders of Joba Chamberlain. In a statistical breakdown of relievers by Steve Lombardi of Baseball Reference Blog, the Nebraska alum has a .282 BAA (Batting Average Against) and the fourth worst ERA+, an adjusted earned run average based on ballpark and league averages, among relief pitchers with at least 30 appearances. More so, the idea of Joba coming into the game is an option that scares even manager Joe Girardi, who has begun to sought other alternatives. Chamberlain’s inability to work out of jams has yielded quite a few big innings for the opposition under his watch.

Although he hasn’t been giving up the long ball, the Yankee reliever gives up runs because of his propensity to give up timely hits and poor control with men on base. Whether Chamberlain needs to be sent down to AAA to fine tune his mechanics or just get demoted to a less pressure-filled situation to refine his skills, the Yankees cannot keep Joba in his eighth inning role.

With three of their most used relief pitchers holding ERAs over 5 (Chamberlain, David Robertson, and Chan Ho Park), the Yankees don’t have many internal options to help shore up the bullpen. Although Damaso Marte was a key player in their playoff run last year, his play had been uneven this year before he landed on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation. The only solid option within the organization is right-hander Alfredo Aceves. On the DL since May 15th, the reliever would be a nice addition to a struggling pen as he can add stability to the later innings.

In the trade market, relief pitching looks to be the most plentiful position available in both depth and talent. Just in the NL Central, bullpen options spring up with Octavio Dotel now replaceable in Pittsburg with the rise of All-Star Evan Meek and the Brewers have depth in the pen in veterans Carlos Villanueva and Todd Coffey. Because they aren’t looking for a closer, the Yankees market expands dramatically as they can, but do not have to, poach a closer from a team.

Matt Capps is the dominant name on the rumor wire among closers, as his All-Star appearance combined with experience finishing games puts him on the top of many suitors’ lists. With future closer Drew Storen having a successful season in the Washington pen, Capps now becomes an attractive trading chip for the rebuilding Nationals.

Seattle has a pair of relievers that have received interest and reportedly been put on the block in David Aardsma and Brandon League. Although Aardsma hasn’t come close to being the dominant closer he was last year, he still provides as a serviceable option for a team with a struggling pen. Former Blue Jay prospect Brandon League never lived up to the hype he gained as a blue-chipper in the minors, but he too can be a nice fill-in to a Yankee bullpen that lacks arms.

The trade deadline is usually a crapshoot when it comes to relievers as it is difficult to predict how a closer handles a set-up role. With many failed ventures, such as Eric Gagne to the Red Sox or J.J Putz to the Mets, the Yankees may turn to the middle relief market for support.

With many attractive names on the market, Brian Cashman is faced with the question of making a deal or riding out the year with what he has; hopefully he makes the right call and gets some relief.