Last night Major League Baseball umpires used the newly implemented instant replay policy for the first time to uphold Alex Rodriguez’s 31st* homerun of the season.  The entire scenario took only two minutes and fifteen seconds.  All went according to plan as Crew Chief Charlie Relaford checked replays provided by Major League Baseball headquarters in New York upon Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon’s request.

  Remember earlier this year on May 22 when Rodriguez hit a ball that was ruled a double when replay showed it should have been called a homerun?  Many have cried out in recent years for asterisks to note steroid era records, but there will be no asterisk next to Rodriguez’s final homerun tally for this season.  Whatever amount of homers he hits in 2008, he should have been credited with one more.  Last night’s bomb moved Rodriguez past Mike Schmidt to 12th all-time with 549 for his career, but it should have been his 550th.

Carlos Delgado has 31* homeruns this season.  It was his liner down the left field line at Yankee Stadium that began the great debate of instant replay this year.  Of course, it was ruled a foul ball when replay showed the ball had hit the foul pole.

Major League Baseball has a propensity for screwing things up.  That’s clear.  That’s why there is hesitation, but if MLB oversees the process wisely and limits instant replay only to correcting homerun calls, then the getting the call right will be the most important thing.

While some argue that human error is part of the game, it should be noted that Major League Baseball umpires are better at their jobs than you are at yours.  Besides, video will not be used to determine safe/out calls, balls/strikes, or fair/foul.  Replay will only be used to correct or confirm the most influential play in a baseball game, the homerun. 

  Jeffrey Maier became part of Major League Baseball’s vast history in Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS when the 12-year-old kid reached down to snag a fly ball off the bat of Derek Jeter just above Tony Tarasco’s outstretched glove.  A playoff game shouldn’t be decided by fan interference. 

Maybe in the future ballparks will be constructed to a standard less susceptible to homerun controversy.  No more double walls.  No more vertical yellow lines.  That would this whole situation easier from the beginning.  If the ball goes over the fence and does not come back, it’s a homerun.

MLB has much pressure to get this thing right.  Hopefully Bud Selig and company can use modern technology to make the game better without creating a plethora of problems if the instant replay analysis is used beyond homerun judgement.  We definitely all deserve to have these controversial homerun plays called correctly. 

  This time last season, Cliff Lee was among the annual September call-ups.  But it wasn’t because Lee was a rising prospect in the Indians’ organization and ready for his first cup of coffee in the Major Leagues.  It was because Lee had been so awful early in 2007 that Cleveland had to send the lefty with three full MLB seasons under his belt back to the minor leagues.  He began 2007 on the disabled list and missed the first month of play.  Then Lee went 5-8 with a 6.38 ERA in 16 starts before being demoted to the minors.  The Indians decide they had seen enough after Lee gave up 7 earned runs in his final three starts.  He pitched out of the bullpen for the AL Central champs upon returning in September, but did not make the playoff roster.

He won the fifth spot in Cleveland’s rotation this spring training over youngsters Aaron Laffey and Jeremy Sowers.  By July, Cliff Lee was starting the All-Star Game for the American League.

On September 1 this year when the MLB rosters expanded to 40 players for the remainder of the 2008 season, Cliff Lee threw a complete game shutout, allowing only 5 hits and no walks to win his 20th game of the season. 

Now he is the front runner for the 2008 American League Cy Young Award.  One season after being demoted to the minors, Lee leads the American League in ERA (2.32), K-to-walk ratio (5.52), and wins (20).   He is among the top three in WHIP (1.05), innings (194.3), and complete games (4).

How ironic that Lee’s turnaround has coincided with the Indians’ disappointing 2008.  This time last year Cleveland was wrapping up the AL Central Division title.  This year, they’re under .500.  It hasn’t been because of Lee, however. 

Lee’s consistency has been remarkable.  In the first half (18 starts), he was 12-2 with a 2.31 ERA.  In the second half (9 starts), he’s 8-0 with a 2.33 ERA.  Lee’s absolute worst month came in June when he went 3-0 with a 3.41 ERA in five starts.  Not bad for a guy who may have won his job in spring training because he was the only player of the trio vying for the 5th spot who has a Major League contract.  Lee signed a 3-year, $14 million dollar contract in 2006 to make him an Indian through 2009.

Lee looked like a promising and durable left-hander when he went 18-5 with a 3.79 ERA in 2004 to finish 4th in the AL Cy Young vote.  After an average 2006 and a dismal 2007, it appears his career is back on track.  He turned 30 years old two days before his 20th victory, but now Lee looks to have several more good seasons ahead of him.  No more trips back to the minors will be necessary for the best pitcher in the American League of the 2008 season.

Only 284 times has a player hit a single, double, triple, and homer in the same game.  Hitting for the cycle is so rare that three Major League Baseball teams–the San Diego Padres, the Florida Marlins, and the Tampa Bay Rays–have never had a player hit for the cycle.  On Sunday, however, two players hit for the cycle on the same day.

  Stephen Drew went 5-5 and raised his season line from .282/.322/.473 all the way to .289/.329/.491.  That is an increase in OPS from .795 to .820.  Since being moved into the leadoff spot of Arizona’s lineup, Drew has hit .313/.356/.504 in 59 games.

  Three of Adrian Beltre’s five hits came on an 0-2 count.  He went 5-6 to raise his OPS for the year to .783.  Beltre is a valuable player, but not at the price the Mariners paid (5 years, $64 million) for him after his monster 2004 season when he finished 2nd in the NL MVP vote with a season of .334/.388/.629 with 48 homers and 121 runs batted in.

Incredibly, this is not the first time in MLB history that two players have hit for the cycle on the same day.  On September 17, 1920, Bobby Veach of the Detroit Tigers and George Burns of the New York Giants each hit for the cycle.

The Chicago Cubs haven’t won the World Series in 100 years.  That’s fairly common knowledge by now in the sports community, but what’s even more remarkable is that over that century, they have had no consecutive playoff appearances.  That’s almost hard to believe, but true.  Everybody has a bad century every now and then, right?

The Milwaukee Brewers were an American League team the last time they made the playoffs just over a quarter-century ago (1982) and the MVP of the AL, Robin Yount, is now in the Hall of Fame.  Their only other playoff berth was the strike-shortened season the year before in 1981 when they played only 109 games.  In that odd 1981 season, Major League Baseball decided its playoff teams by first half and second half leaders, much like several minor leagues currently do. 

All that could change in 2008.  The Cubs have the best record in the National League and are the current favorite to win the NL Pennant.  It would also mark consecutive playoff appearances since they won the NL Central in 2007.  Meanwhile the Brewers are currently leading the chase for the NL Wild Card by 3.5 games and are 21 games over .500.  Clearly each of these teams had a quality roster coming into the 2008 campaign, but Cubs’ GM Jim Hendry and Brewers’ GM Doug Melvin are the first two names that come to mind for National League Executive of the Year.  The Brewers’ acquisition of C.C. Sabathia and the Cubs’ trade for Rich Harden have proven to be wildly successful for each club thus far. 

  Rich Harden has been dominant in his eight starts for the Chicago Cubs.  He’s recorded double digit strikeouts in five of those eight games.  His ERA and WHIP are nasty and hitters have hit .162/.229/.312 against him since the trade.  The Cubs were going to playoffs before they traded for Harden.  They were going to break the ugly mark of 100 years without consecutive playoff appearances.  That was pretty clear.  But what would it matter to go three games and out like in 2007?  After the Cubs lost game one at Arizona in the NLDS last year with Carlos Zambrano on the mound, things looked grim even before Ted Lilly was bashed to the tune of six earned runs in just 3.1 innings.  Eight Major League Baseball teams make the playoffs every year.  Only one of those eight will win the World Series.  The Cubs were going to be one of the four of 16 NL teams represented in this year’s playoffs, but the depth and talent to the rotation that Rich Harden adds dramatically increases their chances at their first World Series title since 1908.

  C.C. Sabathia is going to earn a gigantic new contract at the conclusion of the 2008 season.  He’s a 28-year-old, hard-throwing, talented, and durable starter coming off a Cy Young award in 2007 and a remarkably similar 2008 year.  It’s also highly likely that the Milwaukee Brewers will not be the team that signs him to the riches in his future.  If that’s the case, they’re getting their money’s worth on their half-season rental of the prized lefty.  They gave the Indians their top prospect, Matt LaPorta, but they are getting every bit of use out of Sabathia.  In his ten games in the National League, he’s thrown five complete games, including two shutouts.  He’s averaging 111.1 pitches per outing and 7.6 innings.  (Meanwhile, the Cubs have limited Rich Harden to an average of 98.5 pitches and 6.125 innings per start.  Injuries have always been Harden’s downfall, but the Cubs have hardly been conservative with him.) People have whispered Sabathia’s name for NL Cy Young, which he neither deserves nor has the numbers for, but take a look at his overall statistics for the 2008 season.  The Indians have been brutal in 2008 and while Sabathia got off to a slow start, he pitched well before the trade.  His undefeated streak for the Milwaukee Brewers have his overall 2008 numbers looking very similar to his 2007 numbers through 28 starts, except in this season his ERA is better in more innings pitched.

* 2007 AL Cy Young

Clearly each of these teams needed another big-time arm to go behind staff aces Carlos Zambrano and Ben Sheets.  Jim Hendry and Doug Melvin deserve much credit for rolling the dice and each move has shown instant success.  In fact, it’s quite likely that these two are matched against one another in Game 2 of the 2008 National League Championship Series. Now each squad has the 1-2 punch in the starting rotation to not only make the playoffs, but win in the playoffs and even beat the American League representative in the World Series.  

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  Brad Ziegler gave up the go-ahead run in the 9th inning versus Tampa Bay yesterday and received a standing ovation from the Oakland Athletics crowd.

In case you haven’t noticed, the fans cheered Ziegler’s failure because it was the first time so far in his Major League career that he’s given up an earned run.  He ran his Major League-record streak to 39 1/3 innings pitched before finally allowing an earned run.

Ziegler’s ERA has now skyrocketed to 0.23 in 40 career MLB innings.  He’s only given up 23 hits and allowed 18 walks as well.

Ziegler’s run has been impressive, but his success is also a tribute to the Oakland Athletics scouting and development team.  Ziegler was a 20th round draft choice by the Philadelphia Phillies out of Southwest Missouri State University.  He was released and signed by Oakland in June 2004, going 29-17 in three seasons as a starting pitcher.  Then in 2007, Oakland made him a reliever.  He went 12-3 and posted a 2.41 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in 78.3 IP between Double-A and Triple-A.

The sidearm right-hander’s specialty is getting ground balls.  His ground out/air out rate is a whopping 3.13 in 2008.  That tendency leads to another impressive number, especially considering the pressure situations late-inning relievers pitch in:  Ziegler has induced 13 double-play groundouts in his 40 MLB innings.

Brad Ziegler has notched his name into Major League Baseball’s vast history and Billy Beane and his Oakland A’s have found another solid player at a discount price.

  No other National League teams with a worse record than the Arizona Diamondbacks wanted to claim Adam Dunn.  It’s understandable that these clubs would not want to add the last two months of the $13 million Dunn will earn in 2008, but what hasn’t been mentioned is that Arizona received a quality addition to counter the surging Dodgers’ acquisition of Manny Ramirez.

Dunn strikes out a lot.  He plays sub-par defense.  But Dunn gets on base and hits for power.  At the time of the trade, he was in the top-30 of all Major League hitters in both on-base percentage (.373) and slugging percentage (.528).  Who cares that his batting average was .234 at the time of the trade?  He is getting out less this season than Ichiro Suzuki, who is hitting .308 but whose on-base percentage is .363.

In fact, Dunn is close to achieving an impressive feat.  For four consecutive seasons, he has hit over 40 homeruns and walked over 100 times.  With a month and a half to play in 2008, he has 32 homers and 83 walks.  In three of the last four years, Dunn has eclipsed 100 RBIs and 100 runs scored.

The Diamondbacks are second in the National League in strikeouts and have added a player who has struck out 124 times in 2008 in only 117 games.  Dunn led the National League in strikeouts from 2004-2006.  But Dunn isn’t like his new teammates.  Dunn immediately becomes the team leader in slugging percentage, second in on-base percentage (to Conor Jackson’s .388 mark), and leads the team in OPS.

  The Reds receive:  Dallas Buck and two players to be named later.

Dallas Buck is a 23-year-old right-handed starting pitcher who only 1-5 in starts between Class Low-A and Class High-A, but has a 3.55 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.

Oh, those elusive players to be named later.  They’re always the wild card of any player.  In these situations clubs give their counterparts options between a few players and those clubs will wait a few months longer to concluce the evaluation process on the minor league players.  Except this time, at least one of the two (and possibly both) players to be named later is reportedly not a minor leaguer.  Well, they may be in the minor leagues now, but they are part of the 40-man, Major League roster.  They must clear waivers like other Major Leaguers, meaning the trade may be completed after the conclusion of this season. 

So it seems as if the trade will be completed by one of the players on the 40-man roster, but not one of the 25-players currently on the actual Major League team.  This list includes Max Scherzer and Micah Owings.  It’s highly unlikely that the D-Backs part ways with Scherzer, but if the Reds can lure Owings away, it would be very beneficial for their franchise.  Owings struggled so badly in 2008 that Arizona had to send him back to Triple-A, but he’ll only be 26 next season and could still be a very useful piece to a Major League club. 

This trade, like most, is about money.  Adam Dunn is a free agent after the end of 2008 and should command a pretty hefty salary in the open market.  Cincinnati felt they had to get something in return other than a compensation pick in next June’s draft, so they made the deal.  They could end up receiving a Major League-experienced pitcher in Micah Owings, a piece they need badly.  Maybe the Diamondbacks can convince Dunn to stay in Phoenix beyond 2008.  If so, they win this trade easily because Dunn will hit 40 homeruns and draw 100 walks for several more years.  If not, they still have a guy with left-handed power and patience that could push them past the Los Angeles Dodgers and into the 2008 playoffs.

Sometimes a change of scenery makes all the difference in the world.  The early evaluations have been good for all sides so far in the major trades leading up to this year’s deadline.  Maybe the new environment and new opportunity for these players have been the catalyst for instant success.

  Yankees receive:  Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte. 

Xavier Nady was a second round pick of the San Diego Padres in 2000, who went straight to the Major Leagues upon signing as part of his contract and singled in his first MLB at bat.  Then the Padres immediately sent him to the minors to begin his development into a big leaguer.  Last season was Nady’s career high in OPS at just .806, but in 2008, as the 29-year-old Nady is enjoying a career year, hitting .330/.383/.535 with Pittsburgh.

Damaso Marte is a journeyman left-handed reliever.  He’s 33 now, but has had a solid career.  His career ERA (3.29) is over a run better than the league average of his career (4.52).  Only once in his eight MLB seasons has Marte failed to strike out less than a batter per inning.  He had 47 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings for Pittsburgh before the trade.

  Pirates receive:  Jose Tabata, Jeff Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf, and Dan McCutchen.  

Jose Tabata has been the Yankees’ best position prospect for at least two years–until this year.  He is still very young–only 19–but the projection of his talent has been hampered by injuries.  Last season, it was a hand injury.  In 2008, it’s been a hamstring problem.  The outfielder has always been pushed, playing with much older players, but he was probably a bit overwhelmed as a 19-year-old in Double-A this season where he hit only .248/.320/.310 for the the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate (Trenton).  Pittsburgh has put him in Double-A as well and he’s gone just 2 for 13 for Altoona. 

Jeff Karstens is an average right-handed starting pitcher.  He’s 25 years old and threw well in Triple-A for the Yankees in 2008.  A Triple-A pitcher for the Yankees is good enough to be a starter for Pittsburgh, though, and Karstens is 2-0 in two starts since joining the Pirates’ rotation, including the game of his life on August 6 when he threw a complete game shutout, allowing only two hits and one walk.

Many in the organization thought Ross Ohlendorf would be the guy to take Joba Chamberlain’s 8th inning slot when Chamberlain moved to the rotation.  However, Ohlendorf has given up 50 hits in 40 innings pitched and had an ERA of 6.53 with New York.

Dan McCutchen is a solid starting pitching prospect and will get a shot in Pittsburgh.  He has a 3.33 ERA in 148.2 IP with 127 strikeouts and 35 walks allowed.

Verdict:  It seems the Pirates traded Nady at his highest value for Tabata at his lowest value.  The Pirates received usable parts and lost Nady’s salary, but they should have asked for Ian Kennedy as well, even though he’s been terrible at the Major League level in 2008.  Also, Nady’s 2008 salary is only $3.35 million and he’ll be eligible for free agency after the 2009 year.  He has raked for the Yankees, hitting .339/.403/.679 with 5 homeruns in 16 games.  Nady’s .942 OPS in 2008 is tied for 11th best in all of Major League Baseball.  A right-handed power hitting outfielder is just what the Yankees needed and they haven’t had a viable lefty bullpen option since Mike Stanton.  Advantage: New York Yankees.

  Dodgers receive:  Manuel Aristides Ramirez.

   Pirates receive:  Andy LaRoche, Bryan Morris, Brandon Moss, and Craig Hansen.

  Red Sox receive:  Jason Bay.

Manny Ramirez didn’t play hard for his last ten games in a Boston Red Sox uniform to the tune of .351/.467/.622 including two bombs, eight walks (three intentional), eight runs scored, and an OPS of 1.089.  He’s the best right-handed hitter in the 50-year gap between Joe DiMaggio and Albert Pujols.  At the time of the trade, Ramirez’s OPS was .927  That would be his second-lowest for a full season in his illustrious career, yet still good enough for 7th in the American League at the time. 

Jason Bay has already put together a pretty solid MLB career.  A terrible 2007 season in which he still hit 21 homeruns is the aberration in a career that Bay has displayed both plate discipline and power.  His career line is .282/.375/.515 in five full seasons.  Bay is signed through 2009 and is due to make $7.5 million next year, much less than half of the $20 million option for Ramirez.

Brandon Moss hit his first MLB homerun in the opening series of 2008 in Japan.  He is underrated as a player and should have a solid career, but he’s yet to have regular playing time.  He’ll get just that in Pittsburgh.

Andy LaRoche should have been playing third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers all along.  He injured a ligament in his thumb during spring training and found his spot occupied when he returned to action.  He has yet to receive regular MLB at bats, but his minor league numbers show the potential for an exceptional hitter.  In three and a half minor league seasons, LaRoche has hit .294/.380/.517 with 95 homeruns.  The 86-point difference between his batting average and on-base percentage shows that he’s quite selective at the plate along with a .223 isolated power number proving his pop.

Craig Hansen was a first rounder in 2005 St. John’s University and signed to a Major League contract.  He was going to be the Red Sox closer until command issues hampered him and Jonathan Papelbon emerged.  He’s a right-hander who throws 95 mph, but recorded only 25 strikeouts to 23 walks in 30.7 innings for Boston before the trade.  His periphreal ratios in Pittsburgh has been even worse.  He’s yet to record a strikeout, but walked six in four appearances.  He does have a save and a 3.86 ERA for the Pirates.

Bryan Morris could be the wild card in this trade for Pittsburgh.  The Dodgers took him in the first round in 2006 and he did well in rookie ball.  Then he had to have Tommy John surgery and missed all of 2007.  In 2008 in the Class-Low A Midwest League, Morris has shown flashed his potential.  He is still gaining arm strength, but had a 3.20 ERA in 81.7 IP (17 starts) before the trade.

Verdict:  Manny Ramirez could be the difference in the Dodgers winning the NL West.  He’s torched the NL for a line of .475/.543/.850 including four homeruns in just 10 games.  Jason Bay has hit a solid .326/.383/.488 in his first 10 games with Boston.  Andy LaRoche already has his first homerun as a Pirate and Jeff Karstens flirted with a no-hitter in his second start with Pittsburgh.  All of these teams should be pleased with the preliminary results of this blockbuster trade.  Boston did give up three players for one not as good as Manny Ramirez, though.  The Pirates gave up the second of their trio of outfielders who had an OPS over .900 in the 2008 season, leaving only Nate McLouth for 2009.  The Dodgers gave up too soon on Andy LaRoche, who only needs a chance at the MLB level to succeed.  That and a clean bill of health.  The Dodgers win this trade because the acquisition of the much-needed power bat in Manny Ramirez makes them a completely different team offensively.  It would be an interesting twist in irony if the Red Sox, who felt they had to deal Manny, end up missing the playoffs while his new team is catapulted to a playoff berth.

   Angels receive:  Mark Teixeira.

  Braves receive:  Casey Kotchman and Stephen Marek.

Mark Teixeira looks like he’ll hit right under .300 with around 35 bombs and post an OPS just under .950 for several more years.  He’s done pretty much that every year since coming into the league in 2003.  He’ll turn 29 in the second week of the 2009 season.  Agent Scott Boras knows all this and is sure to garner the switch-hitting first baseman a huge contract. 

Casey Kotchman was a rare first round first baseman taken in 2001.  He simply never developed the power the Angels thought he would.  His 12 homeruns so far in 2008 are a career high.  Kotchman is only 25 years old, so there is hope that he develop more power, but so far in 1,317 MLB plate appearances he’s only got on base at a .336 career clip.

Stephen Marek is a minor league reliever.  He is a right-hander in Double-A.  The 24-year-old put up solid numbers in the Texas League before the trade, striking out 57 and allowing only 39 hits in 46.7 innings pitched.  He will help out in Atlanta’s bullpen within two years.

Analysis:  Trading for Mark Teixeira makes the Anaheim Angels a very different team.  In 2006, they finished second in the AL West.  Last season, they won the West but were swept in the first round by Boston.  It was Vladimir Guerrero’s worst power season in the Major Leagues.  This season, Guerrero’s numbers have slipped even more.  Teixeira’s power will help this National League-style team–that is clearly good enough to win the West–compete with the powerful teams from the AL East for the American League pennant.  In fact, the addition of Teixeira may the piece that makes Anaheim the team to beat in 2008.  Atlanta was not going to sign Mark Teixeira.  They would’ve received a Type A compensation for losing Teixeira in next June’s amateur draft, but instead they sold him for pennies and acquired Kotchman and Marek.  Kotchman will be in Atlanta the next two seasons, but will also be arbitration elgibile.  While this move is adequate by Atlanta to get something (rather than just a draft choice) for the premium Major League talent in Teixeira, it’s a shame they gave up so much to Texas in acquiring Teixeira in the first place.  They gave up Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, and Neftali Feliz for a year’s rental of Teixeira.  The future of this deal is, of course, contingent on whether or not the Angels can secure Teixeira to a long-term contract.  Apparently Torii Hunter has already began to lobby Teixeira on behalf of the Angels organization.  They Angels clearly play in a market that could afford a player of his talent.  If they aren’t able to keep him after this season, the cost was still minimal and the return is a powerful, switch-hitting first baseman that gives the Angels a chance to win the 2008 World Series.

  Cole Hamels is one of the best starting pitchers in the game.  He ranks second in the Majors in strikeouts (133), innings pitched (150.7), and fourth in WHIP (1.01).  While Hamels should finish in the top-5 of the National League Cy Young Award vote, the other starters in Philadelphia’s rotation have not been good. 

Brett Myers, the Phillies’ Opening Day starter, has an ERA of 5.84 and had to be sent down to Triple-A.  Adam Eaton hasn’t been much better.  With the addition of Blanton, the Phillies are sending Eaton and his 5.71 ERA to the bullpen.  Second-year righty Kyle Kendrick is 8-4, but his ERA isn’t good either at 4.87.

45-year-old Jamie Moyer has been a solid sidekick to Hamels as he continues to get people out on very limited stuff.  He is 9-6 with a 3.90 ERA for the 2008 season.

Joe Blanton isn’t flashy.  He is a solid right-hander who throws just above 90 mph with an average breaking ball.  However, if Kyle Kendrick has won twice as many games as he’s lost in 2008, Blanton could be a great addition.  Blanton’s dependability could translate into several wins behind Philadelphia’s prolific offense.  He’s made at least 31 starts and logged at least 194 innings in each of his three Major League seasons.

Blanton is one of the original Moneyballers, drafted in the first round of out of the University of Kentucky in 2002.  He finished 6th in the 2004 AL Rookie of the Year vote by posting a 12-12 mark with a 3.53 ERA.  He won a career-high 16 games in 2005, though his ERA ballooned to 4.82.  Last season, Blanton took over duties as staff ace and logged a whopping 230 innings, but kept his ERA (3.95) under 4.00.  His career ERA is 4.25, just above the league average of 4.24. 

Joe Blanton is not yet arbitration eligible and made only $380,000 in 2007.  The Phillies will take no risk monetarily, and Blanton isn’t scheduled to become a free agent until after the 2010 season.  However, while Blanton’s durability almost guarantees that he is able to throw 200 inning annually, his rough 2008 season is concerning.  He is 27 years old and, although his MLB career is relatively short, his best years could already be behind him.  Plus, Oakland general manager Billy Beane seems to have a knack for trading away pitchers just as they begin the downside of their careers.  (See:  Barry Zito and Mark Mulder.)

Billy Beane is running laps around the rest of the general managers in Major League Baseball.  This trade is no blockbuster, but supply and demand ensured that Beane maximized Blanton’s value.  Adrian Cardenas was named the High School Player of the Year by Baseball America his senior season at a Miami, Florida high school and was the Phillies’ best position prospect.  Cardenas is a second baseman–obviously blocked at that position in Philadelphia by superstar Chase Utley–that will more than likely be a top-30 overall prospect going into 2009.  Since the Athletics drafted University of Miami second baseman Jemile Weeks last month in the first round, Cardenas may very well end up playing third base in the Major Leagues, but scouts believe his bat will be powerful enough to play at the hot corner.  The Athletics also received Josh Outman, a left-hander who ranked as the Phillies’ fourth-best prospect entering 2008.  He has moved to the bullpen and has a 3.20 ERA in Double-A.  Matt Spencer is a second-year outfielder who is struggling at Class High-A.

Cardenas is a prized hitting prospect, but Billy Beane was able to pry him away from the Phillies even though Joe Blanton is having the worst season of his MLB career.  Blanton is just 5-12 with 4.96 ERA in 2008.  While the National League will not be as strong as Blanton’s American League foes, Philadelphia’s park is grossly different than Oakland’s pitcher-friendly park.  Despite the poor numbers, Blanton was one of the best pitchers available in the trade market.  Beyond the supply and demand factor, the New York Mets have been on fire of late and are tied for the NL East lead, heightening Philadelphia’s urgency to acquire a starting pitcher.  Now Blanton is thrust in the midst of an exciting playoff race.  He will make his Philadelphia Phillies debut tomorrow in Shea Stadium versus Johan Santana and the New York Mets.

  Ten years from now, Justin Morneau will be the answer to a great trivia question.  He won the 2008 Homerun Derby, but it was Josh Hamilton who became the water cooler talk of the nation on Tuesday morning with his incredible first round performance.  Just over 24 hours later, Morneau would single to start the American League’s half of the 15th inning and later score the game-winning run of an epic All-Star Game.

The nearly five hour mid-summer classic had it all:  homers, strikeouts, diving catches, plays at the plate, and plenty of drama.

But the most impressive moment may have come before the game.  Major League Baseball has plenty of faults–most recently, taking 15 years before acknowledging there was a steroid problem–, but it sure knows how to celebrate itself.  MLB trotted out nearly every living Hall of Famer (Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, and Sandy Koufax were nowhere to be found) by position with the All-Star starter from each league joining the legends.  Never before has the world seen such an accumulation of baseball talent.  The diversity of the players–from Juan Marichal, Cal Ripken, Jr., Ferguson Jenkins, Willie McCovey, George Brett, Bruce Sutter, Bob Feller, and Yogi Berra–was incredible because of their common bond as Hall of Famers.  The four living members who are in the Hall of Fame as New York Yankees–Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson, and recently-elected Goose Gossage–threw out the first pitch.  The baseballs they threw were delivered by long-time Yankees owner George Steinbrenner who wept in emotion in his first public appearance in months and called the moment one of the greatest of his life.  Love him or hate him, Steinbrenner deserves to be in the Hall of Fame himself for his impact on and success in the game.

  Each starting pitcher–Ben Sheets for the NL and Cliff Lee for the AL–threw two innings and struck out three.

  After pitching dominated the first four innings (4 IP, 4 K for the NL; 4 IP, 3 K for the AL) Matt Holliday hit an opposite field homerun off Ervin Santana to open the scoring in the 5th inning.  J.D. Drew tied the game at two in the bottom of the 7th inning with a bomb off Edinson Volquez.  

Earlier in the week Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon claimed he should get the save opportunity in the All-Star Game, not Mariano Rivera.  Like a politician, Papelbon changed his tune a day later saying his true intentions were that Rivera should close all along and that his previous comments were misconstrued.  When Papelbon entered the All-Star Game in the 8th inning, Yankees fans in attendance booed him loudly.  When he gave up the go-ahead run (unearned), the fans razzed him as if it would be just fine if the American League took the loss, just so long as Papelbon was the game’s losing pitcher.

The fans voted rookie Evan Longoria into the final roster spot for the AL All-Stars and he delivered in the 9th inning off Mets closer Billy Wagner to tie the game at three.

It seemed everyone had planned a storybook ending of Mariano Rivera being on the mound to close the game, but he found himself in a first-and-third jam with only one out before Dan Uggla grounded into a double play.  It was Uggla’s only at bat that he didn’t strike out.  He also had three errors to go along with the hat trick and the double play in an RBI situation.

Rockies starter Aaron Cook worked out of a bases-loaded-with-no-outs jam following two of Uggla’s errors.

Nate McLouth threw out Dioner Navarro at home plate to save the game for the National League.

Ryan Ludwick made a diving catch.

Miguel Tejada made an incredible do-or-die play with two outs and a runner on third to extend the game.

For the American League, George Sherrill entered with the bases loaded and two outs, but struck out Ludwick to end the NL rally.

Ryan Dempster struck out the side in his inning of work, while Brandon Webb struck out two in an inning just two days after throwing 108 pitches.

The National League gave a valiant effort and had plenty of opportunities, but the American League prevailed once again as Michael Young delivered the game-winning RBI in the All-Star Game for the second time in the last three years.  The AL hasn’t lost an All-Star Game 1996, including the infamous tie in Milwaukee in the 2002 version of the mid-summer classic. 

J.D. Drew was named the 2008 All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, going 2-4 with a homer, 2 RBIs, a walk, and a run scored.  Scott Kazmir, who also threw over 100 pitches on Sunday, was the winning pitcher.  Brad Lidge was the losing pitcher.

This epic game ended just in time, as the pitchers of record were the last pitchers used by managers Terry Francona and Clint Hurdle.  If you stayed up to watch all 15 innings, you saw a classic. 

The 2008 All-Star break began with Josh Hamilton becoming a household name on the national level.  Then after a parade through the Bronx, nearly every living Hall of Famer took the field.  Major League Baseball’s pomp and circumstance was a sight to be seen, celebrating not only the All-Stars of 2008, but the game itself.  Yankee Stadium, in all its grandeur, was the perfect venue.  Then, the All-Stars delivered one of the most-memorable All-Star Games ever. 

CLICK HERE FOR WEEK 15 POWER RANKINGS

AL EAST

(57-40)  The Red Sox don’t need to trade for bullpen help because of their organization’s depth.  They have sent down Justin Masterson (who was 4-3, 3.67 ERA as a starter) to prepare the sinkerballer for a relief role in the second half.

(55-39)  The Rays’ number five overall prospect, shortstop Reid Brignac, has made his MLB debut, but has yet to collect his first MLB hit in 10 at bats.

(50-45)  Alex Rodriguez’s time on the disabled list earlier in the year has hurt his overall numbers as well as the attention he normally receives, but he is still having a good year, hitting .312/.392/.581.  Expect a monster second half from the reigning AL MVP.

(47-48)  Roy Halladay looks poised to win his second AL Cy Young.  He is top five in the American League in wins (11), ERA (2.71), strikeouts (121), WHIP (0.998), innings (146.3), complete games (7), and shutouts (2).

(45-48)  24-year-old Nick Markakis‘ plate discipline is pretty impressive for a third-year player:  he is fourth in the AL in on-base percentage (.401) and third in walks (59).  He only drew 61 walks in 2007.

 AL CENTRAL

(54-40)  Paul Konerko had a bad 2007 and is having a worse 2008, hitting .217/.320/.368.  He signed a 5-year, $60 million contract before the 2006 season.

(53-42) Denard Span was supposed to play in the Futures Game this year, but it didn’t happen because he got called up to the Show.  He’s hitting .324 in 25 games and is an incredibly good defensive outfielder.

(47-47)  Miguel Cabrera is on fire, finally showing the form that had many predicting he would win the 2008 AL MVP.  His OPS is 1.029 in July, including 5 homeruns in the month.

(43-53)  David DeJesus had trouble early in his career dealing with the expectations that he was the next Carlos Beltran, but DeJesus made himself into a solid regular in his own right.

(41-53) Masahide Kobayashi is the new closer in Cleveland as the Indians have released Joe Borowski.  The native of Japan has 5 saves on the year.

AL WEST

(57-38)  Francisco Rodriguez’s 38 saves at the All-Star break is remarkable.  In a season without a marquee seson by the marquee players for the division leaders, K-Rod has a legitamite shot at the 2008 American League Most Valuable Player Award.

(51-44)  A blown save denied Justin Duchscherer his 11th win on Sunday, but at the All-Star break he continues to lead the American League in ERA (1.82) and WHIP (0.865).

(50-46)  Ian Kinsler (.337/.397/.548, 23 stolen bases) is a lock to win the Silver Slugger for AL second basemen in 2008.

(37-58)  Only 17 of Ichiro Suzuki’s 119 hits are for extra bases.  However, he has earned 34 extra bases via steals.