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Royal mistake K.C. will regret cutting Mark Quinn loosePosted: Wednesday March 12, 2003 1:28 PM
Click here to send a question to Jeff Pearlman's mailbag. Tuesday afternoon the Kansas City Royals dumped Mark Quinn. At first, this came as quite a shock. It reminded me of my esteemed colleague, Paul (Dr. Z) Zimmerman, who a couple of years ago said Cal QB Pat Barnes should have been a first-round NFL draft pick. Last I heard, Barnes was collecting mail in Topeka. For eons, I have been singing Quinn's praises, explaining how -- with time -- he would develop into a legit major league star. Why, two seasons back I boldly predicted that he would lead the American League in home runs. Hell, in last week's mailbag I said the former Rice University slugger would have a tremendous 2003. Gosh, I thought to myself upon hearing the news of Quinn's release, I really stink at this. Now, however, I am back. It must be remembered that Quinn was let go by the Royals, as inept and pathetic an operation as the majors has to offer. This is a team that traded Jermaine Dye for Neifi Perez; that is building around a good-field, no-hit shortstop named Angel Berroa; that will probably let Carlos Beltran walk without receiving proper compensation. Inevitably, Quinn will sign with San Diego, fill in for the injured Phil Nevin and smoke 40 homers. That is how the law of averages works with a team like Kansas City. And, for that matter, with a guy like me. One day, I will be proven right. One day ... On to your questions ...
Despite being one game away from winning the World Series, and despite all of the changes the team has gone through during the course of the offseason, I actually like the look of this year's Giants more than last year's. Am I crazy to think that the 2003 team will be better without Dusty Baker and Jeff Kent? Matt, you're crazy because you own a pink Members Only jacket and your middle name is Tollbooth. Otherwise, your thoughts on the Giants are quite normal. Even a bit impressive. With the departure of Kent, San Francisco loses a hefty dose of muscle in the middle of its order. I, however, think the lineup GM Brian Sabean has put together is much more dangerous. Ex-Met Edgardo Alfonzo will bat fifth behind Barry Bonds, and while the second baseman won't clear 20 homers, it'd be shocking if he fails to drive in 100 runs. Alfonzo is a career .300 hitter with runners in scoring position. Last year, he hit behind the slow Mike Piazza and the immobile Mo Vaughn. This season, with speedsters Ray Durham and Jose Cruz Jr. on the base paths, it should be Production City. Speaking of Cruz, this is a guy worth following. He was a 30-30 player in Toronto two seasons ago, then dropped off last year. Much of the slowdown was due to a foot injury. Part of it was because pitchers were attacking him with off-speed junk. The N.L. is a low fastball league. Cruz is a low fastball hitter. Stay tuned ... I've read a lot about prospects that are ready to emerge in the upcoming season, but I have not seen much ink given to White Sox third baseman Joe Crede. His numbers (.285, 12 HRs, 35 RBIs) in 53 games following his callup last August were excellent. What kind of season do you see him having and what effect will he and the other young prospects starting for Chicago have on the team's chances for a playoff spot?
Tony, I'm as surprised as you are that Crede isn't getting more pub. There are 12,471 reporters covering Matsui Fever in Tampa, yet the next great major league third baseman roams in relative obscurity. As you point out, Crede had a dazzling rookie run last season, and he looks like the kind of guy who will produce solid power and a ton of doubles. Equally impressive is Crede's defense. He's not Scott Rolen, but only because of arm strength. Otherwise, there could be a Gold Glove in Crede's near future. Still, the White Sox are not a great team or, for that matter, an especially good team -- 80 to 83 wins is realistic. It's time for someone to start giving my Blue Jays some love. I know they're probably going to end up in third place -- again -- but the Jays are only one or two devastating Red Sox injuries away from creeping into second. Could you tell me how close you think Vernon Wells, Eric Hinske, Josh Phelps and Roy Halladay are to becoming genuine All-Stars?
Chris, the Blue Jays receive no love because they play in front of minuscule crowds in a blah baseball city. That said ... The Jays are going about this the right way. Halladay is a genuine All-Star right now, and if his 19-7 record isn't evidence enough, how 'bout his 2.93 ERA? In countless ways, the 25-year-old right-hander is a priceless example of how to properly develop a prospect. For years, baseball folk have been awaiting Hallday's arrival as the next big thing. When he struggled, Toronto didn't panic. They stuck with him, sent him down to the deep minors and gradually brought him back up. Now, when he's asking for $5 million in a couple of years, they can trade him to the Yankees. Like Halladay, Wells took his time living up to the hype, and like Big Roy, he's All-Star stock. Five tools are hard to come by, but the center fielder's got 'em. Who's the most impressive young player you've seen in camp?
Because he has the mound presence of a 30-year-old, it almost seems silly to call Mark Prior a youngster. But the Cubs righty is just 22, and he's A-W-E-S-O-M-E. Too many of us baseball geeks use poetic-sounding BS to describe the burning smell of baseball hitting glove, blah, blah, blah. But Prior's fastball really pops. He hits the mid-90s on the radar gun, and an equally deadly curve makes the heater look 10 times faster. Best of all, he's got poise out the wazoo.
As a die-hard Dodgers fan, should I be optimistic about the return of pitchers Kevin Brown and Darren Dreifort? Brown is getting up there in age, and I've always thought that Dreifort was more hype than substance. Art, two years ago I visited the Dodgers to write a piece on Gary Sheffield. While waiting around, I smelled smoke. Sitting in the rear of the clubhouse was Dreifort, puffing on a cigarette. Right there, I lost a lot of faith in a pitcher who's always been more hype than reality. If you're not taking care of your body, what's the use? Dreifort has never produced in his major league career. One must seriously doubt if he ever will. I haven't seen the Dodgers this spring, but word has it that Brown, who turns 38 on Friday, looks pretty good. Still, it probably doesn't matter. LA is in a very difficult division, and unless Fred McGriff is actually Jason Giambi in disguise, the offense has a lot of holes. The Dodgers are a third-place team, and nothing more. To me, the Cubs bringing in Dusty Baker as manager is similar to when the Lakers brought in Phil Jackson as coach. Sammy Sosa is the Shaquille O'Neal of baseball and, with all the young talent on the Cubs, I see a familiar picture here. I think a World Series is in the Cubs' future. I'd like to hear your comments.
Ryan, do you remember my column a few years ago on crack, and its impact on brain cells? Baker is a great manager, especially when it comes to running the clubhouse. But when Jackson arrived in LA, he came with a system (the triangle offense) that worked wonders. Baker's system is solid, fundamental, heads-up baseball. It is reliant on talent and drive, two areas in which Chicago still comes up a bit short. Listen, I'm not trying to dog the Cubs. They'll be the most improved club in baseball this year, and could win 85-90 games. I love their young arms. But they have a veeeeeery green right side of the infield (Bobby Hill at second, Hee Seop Choi at first), as well as a center fielder (Corey Patterson) with lots to prove. I haven't heard much about the Reds since the end of last season, except for how pleased the higher-ups are with the conditioning of Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Larkin and Sean Casey. How does Cincinnati look compared to the rest of its division? Oh, funny crack last week about Chuck LaMar losing talent faster than Death Row Records. I admire a man who is knowledgeable in a wide array of subjects.
R, when I'm on the mic, it's like a cookie, they all crumble. The Reds are in trouble. We know this because when teams are in trouble everyone talks about conditioning -- this guy's in great shape, that guy's lost 10 pounds. Reality: Larkin turns 39 in a few weeks, and even if he's got my muscular, godlike physique, it's still asking waaaay too much for a man his age to play great shortstop for any more than, oh, 100 games. Same goes for Griffey: We can wait and wait for his triumphant rebound, and it might even happen, but the dude is 33. At some point, we all break down. The Reds are a fifth-place team, surpassed by the vastly improved Pirates in the N.L. Central. At least Cincinnati's uniforms are cool. Jeff, do the Reds still plan to use Adam Dunn as a leadoff hitter? And do you think Danny Graves will be able to make the transition from the bullpen to the rotation?
Mike, after much reconsideration, Reds manager Bob Boone has come to his senses and returned Dunn to the middle of the order. Having the 6-foot-6 outfielder bat leadoff was an incredibly dumb idea that never would have worked. Anyone who's seen Dunn -- a great guy and an even greater talent -- try the drag bunt knows such. Graves, meanwhile, is in an interesting situation. He's been a reliever since his college days at Miami, which makes one wonder how he'll be feeling in the fifth and sixth innings this season. However, he's aided by his pitches. The right-hander isn't a pure rear-back-and-rip power guy. He throws a sinker as his first pitch, then a change and then a slider. None of the three are wear-down selections. Will Graves do well? My guess is yes. Which, in Cincy, means 10-12 wins. Am I the only one who thinks that Brett Tomko and Cal Eldred are going to make Cardinals GM Walt Jocketty look like a genius for not shelling out the cash to high-salary players such as Russ Ortiz and Greg Maddux? In terms of cost, I see good value and high return with Tomko and Eldred. What's your take?
Amber, I wouldn't hold my breath on the soft-tossing Eldred, who wasn't that great of a pitcher even when he was a great pitcher. But I agree with you 100 percent about Tomko. In the secret society of San Diego, the veteran right-hander had a pretty good season last year, going 10-10 with a 4.49 ERA. Tomko easily could have won an extra three or four contests had the Padres' offense managed a run every so often. I spoke with Tomko a few weeks ago, and he seems to have really developed the maturity and appreciation of the game that once wasn't there. Some guys need to struggle before they succeed. Now, at age 29, Tomko is ready to win. Jeff, are you the Simon Cowell of the spring training beat? The way you went off on poor Patrick from Boston last week was priceless. That said, what do you think of Hideki Matsui so far? George Steinbrenner's record with guys named Hideki is not so good.
I have yet to see Matsui, primarily because I'd rather eat 100 roach-covered Dodger Dogs than attend the circus/zoo that is Yankees Camp. That said, this afternoon I paid a psychic $5 to give me Matsui's 2003 numbers. Here, courtesy of Mystic Schmoopie Monaghan, is what I got: Matsui: 403 at-bats, 54 runs, 98 hits, 16 doubles, 1 triple, 17 home runs, 56 RBIs, 53 walks, 71 strikeouts, .243 average. In other words, The Boss just spent $10 trillion on Bubba Trammell. I have to disagree with you about Ryan Klesko. How is Brian Giles not the most underrated player in the N.L?
By writing to SI.com, 'How is Brian Giles not the most underrated player in the N.L.?' it is now impossible for Giles to, in fact, be underrated. You blew it. PS: Emmanuel Lewis. Sports Illustrated senior writer Jeff Pearlman is a regular contributor to SI.com. Click here to send Jeff a question.
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