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King of the Royals Exuberant, feisty Pena has done wonders in Kansas CityPosted: Wednesday August 13, 2003 11:45 AM
Click here to send a question to Tom Verducci's Mailbag. OK, everybody who had Tony Pena in their office pool for Manager of the Year, raise your hand. Didn't think so. I don't think even Royals GM Allard Baird picked that one. Give Pena big-time credit. He's had the perfect touch for this team -- being a good teacher and an unfailing optimist. He never let injuries become an excuse for the Royals. Is there anybody out there in the AL who's done a better job? How about first-year men Bob Melvin of Seattle and Ken Macha of Oakland in the West? Don't forget about the underrated Carlos Tosca of Toronto. And could Jerry Manuel pull off the amazing turnaround from nearly being fired before the All-Star break to Manager of the Year? Read on.
What are Tony Pena's chances for winning AL Manager of the Year? The Royals skipper has orchestrated a complete turnaround for a team that lost 100 games last year. He has done this despite the club's small-market constraints and all of the injuries to key players, including Mike Sweeney, Carlos Beltran and Joe Randa, not to mention most of the starting pitchers.
I'd have to rate Pena as the frontrunner in the AL. It's amazing to see where Kansas City is in the standings after having gone through so many pitchers this year. Tom, the Twins are finally coming on, and the AL Central is shaping up to be a tight race. Which team do you like in that division? I'm pulling for the Royals because I think it would be the best story, but I just don't think they have enough talent. What do you think?
I still think the Twins should win the Central, although they haven't had a hot streak this whole season. When you pick a team to win, I believe you have to ride with it unless it's hopelessly out of contention. That said, the Twins have been tough to figure out. I agree that the Royals are a great story and it would be great to see them win the division. Give the White Sox the edge on starting pitching, and you have a great three-team race that's too close to call. With less than two months remaining in the season, do you think it's possible for Albert Pujols to win the Triple Crown?
Possible? Yes. But I think it's unlikely. As of Wednesday, Barry Bonds has a four-homer edge on Pujols and that's tough to make up on a guy like Bonds, and then you still have Preston Wilson and Todd Helton to contend with for the RBI crown. It's just too hard for one player to lead all three categories. It takes a special guy like Pujols to even make a run at it. Shouldn't someone set the record straight regarding Nolan Ryan? People talk about his "bad luck," but nobody pitches in hard luck for 26 years. You are what your record says you are. Does anyone want to debunk this "tough luck" theory by properly pointing out that collectively Ryan actually pitched for better teams record-wise than did Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton -- each of whom finished more than 100 games above .500 for their careers?
Well, I don't buy the 26 years of bad luck theory, either, but in no way would I look to diminish what Ryan did in the game. The guy was a feared pitcher through his 40s and his strikeout numbers were phenomenal. No, he's not in the same class as Seaver and Carlton as far as the whole package of a polished pitcher, but Ryan's in that next group of greats. With Jose Mesa struggling as the Phillies' closer, and Mike Williams not being a viable option either, would it be within the realm of possibility to suggest Brandon Duckworth get a shot at closing games? Isn't Duckworth having trouble pitching deep into games? I recall the Dodgers had a young man with a similar problem a couple years ago: Eric Gagne. Could the Phillies take a cue from L.A.?
I don't know if Duckworth's stuff is in Gagne's class, but it's a moot point because the Phillies can't make that experiment at this point in the season. They might give Rheal Cormier or Turk Wendell a chance to finish a game or two, but, for the most part, the Phils are going to have to live and die with Mesa. That's not a comfortable feeling. What are the Braves going to do with Javy Lopez after this year? He is having the best season of his life, yet he is a free agent and catcher Johnny Estrada is tearing up Class AAA. On a side note, nothing gets me more frustrated than guys like Lopez. They have a great couple of years out of the blocks, put up good numbers and earn a big contract. Once the money is there, they gain 50 pounds, hit just .250 and drive in 40 runs. Then, the summer before they hit the free-agent market they decide to get back on track, lose the weight, find the swing, have a monster year and sign another huge deal. I just feel cheated as a fan, and it makes me think it's all about the money for some of these guys. What do you think, Tom?
I don't know if I'd put Javy in that class. I just think his body got beat up from catching a lot of innings and he did get himself into better shape for this season. He's been great this year, but I'd be very careful with a guy like that. A two-year deal is about as far as I'd go, especially with Estrada sitting there. It's possible Javy could price himself out of Atlanta. With the addition of Rich Harden, do you believe that the Oakland Athletics have the best collection of starting pitchers in baseball? If not, which team does?
Yes, I'd take the Oakland rotation over anybody else's, which is why the A's were my pick to go all the way this year. They will be the team everybody fears in October, if they get that far. And with Harden pitching the way he has, Oakland won't have to use its Big Three (Mulder, Zito and Hudson) on short rest. When rumors of Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer buying the Dodgers first surfaced in the spring, he was quoted as saying that he intended to sell the Bucs in order to earn the rights to a Los Angeles NFL team. However, he also stated that he wanted to knock down Dodger Stadium, build the Dodgers a new downtown facility, and erect a football stadium in Chavez Ravine, where Dodger Stadium now stands. I, for one, am extremely opposed to this idea, as are most of the people I've talked to. Dodger Stadium is an all-time classic and it should not be torn down, even if a new stadium might earn a few extra bucks in the short term. Your thoughts?
I have to agree with you here. Dodger Stadium is becoming a classic, if it isn't one already. The setting is gorgeous. However, it does need to be updated a bit -- luxury boxes come to mind. But I'd miss gazing over those retro outfield pavilions, past the Union 76 ball and toward the mountains. What do you make of the situation in Seattle? Was Jeff Nelson right to blast GM Pat Gillick? Was Gillick right to trade Nelson? Do you think the M's have enough to win the West? Shouldn't the Mariners be in a position to add payroll?
I'm not a big Armando Benitez fan, so I think acquiring him was a bit of a risk. Benitez and Arthur Rhodes have trouble in big spots, especially against the Yankees. But I love the balance on the Mariners and I think the X factor is Gil Meche. I see two things happening here: Meche could either be the hard-throwing ace ex-skipper Lou Piniella always wanted but never had there and pitch Seattle into the World Series, or Meche will hit the wall next month because he's thrown so many more innings this year than he has in any previous season. I've been very impressed with the 24-year-old right-hander's stuff and his pitching smarts, and it seems he has the Yankees' number. He's the key to how far the M's will go. Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci covers baseball for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com. Click here to send a question to his Mailbag.
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