Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

Ringolsby: Humidor talk is just a bunch of hot air

Published August 18, 2006 at midnight

Text size  

More Sports Columns & Blogs

More stories »

For 11 years, the baseball world moaned about Coors Field and how the offensive numbers were skewed and it was bad for baseball. There were demands that the fences be raised. There were pleas that the fences be moved in. There were suggestions that a high-altitude baseball, similar to what is used in tennis, be developed to "normalize" the game.

So what happens? The games at Coors Field become normal, and there is sudden whining from coast to coast about the Rockies having doctored baseballs to lessen the offensive aspects of the game at altitude.

The demands should be that a humidor, set to the specifications for proper storage of baseballs, be installed at every major league stadium so that there is more consistency in the baseballs at the 30 major league parks.

The whining about Coors Field and the suddenly quality pitching performances is a slap in the face to the fact the Rockies have a vastly improved pitching staff, particularly its starting rotation.

All of a sudden, Jeff Cirillo, an engaging sort who lives in a world in which the sky is falling, becomes a nationally recognized expert when he comes up with some hair-bent theory that the Rockies are actually switching baseballs between innings so they can hit with the old- time, hitter-friendly baseballs.

Is that why the Rockies offense is struggling at home? Is that why the Rockies have battled to stay above .500 in a ballpark where they once dominated teams?

Overheard

• Bench coach Ernie Whitt is going to be the fall guy in Toronto. Whitt never quite fit into plans of general manager J.P. Ricciardi, who isn't comfortable with longtime Blue Jays personnel. Whitt was an expansion draft pick of the Blue Jays in November 1976.

• Atlanta third base coach Fredi Gonzalez is getting strong consideration for the Cubs managerial job if a move is made with Dusty Baker. Gonzalez managed in the Florida system when Cubs GM Jim Hendry scouted for the Marlins.

• St. Louis, looking for a veteran presence in its lineup, is set to pick up outfielder Preston Wilson once he clears waivers in Houston. Wilson had nine home runs and 94 strikeouts in 390 at-bats with the Astros, who had concerns about his defense.

Sneak peak

The Rockies were set with Luis Gonzalez as their second baseman. He had earned the shot after two years as a utility player. They paid Washington $300,000 for Jamey Carroll to handle the bench role. Next thing they knew, Gonzalez was getting a refresher course in the minors and Carroll had become the leadoff hitter.

For a look at the players who have been pleasant surprises for each team, check out my team-by-team breakdowns at .

It's a fact

Paul Tessar wants to know the derivation of the expression "The Golden Sombrero?" "If I understand its meaning correctly," he said, "it is a mock award for striking out three times in a game."

The Golden Sombrero, actually, is for an even bigger achievement than Paul thought. It is given to the player who strikes out four times in a game. The Dickinson Baseball Dictionary refers to an early usage of the term by one-time Rockies manager Don Baylor, who in 1989 said, "I struck out four of the next five at- bats, my first-ever 'golden sombrero.' " Needless to say, a Golden Sombrero is an upgrade of a simple hat trick, which is three strikeouts.

Two cents' worth

Let's forget about the steroid issue for now. Mark McGwire will be on the December Hall of Fame ballot, and the first question, before steroids even gain consideration, is whether McGwire's career is worthy of being enshrined in Cooperstown.

Yes, he is seventh on the all-time list, with 583 home runs, but he was part of a generation in which there was a power explosion for whatever reason, and so do the home runs have the same meaning they had for earlier generations? Is he a Hall of Famer, or more like the Dave Kingman of his generation? Do the 583 home runs outweigh marginal defense, a .263 career batting average and only 1,626 hits?

The initial feeling is no. And if McGwire's numbers don't add up to enshrinement, why should the steroid issue even be broached in regard to his Cooperstown possibility?

MILE-HIGH WATCH

Kevin Kouzmanoff is no longer under the radar.

The third baseman has soared to the top of the baseball prospect lists with a breakout season in the Cleveland Indians minor league system.

Kouzmanoff was an undrafted player out of Evergreen High School who initially went to the University of Arkansas-Little Rock and then transferred to the University of Nevada for his senior season. Kouzmanoff finally got drafted out of Nevada, but it wasn't until the sixth round in 2003 that Cleveland selected him.

Now look at him. After starting the season at Double-A Akron and hitting .389 with 15 home runs and 55 RBI, he was promoted to Triple-A Buffalo when the Indians called up Andy Marte. In his first 13 games at Buffalo, Kouzmanoff hit .367 with four more home runs and eight more RBI.

With Marte considered one of the prime prospects in the game, the Indians figure to look at possibilities of moving Kouzmanoff to first base or the outfield so they can have both players in the big league lineup.

ERIC YOUNG, forever a part of Rockies lore for hitting a home run in the first Denver at-bat for a Rockies player, is now at Triple-A Oklahoma, where the Texas Rangers are hoping a week or two of playing time will have Young in shape to be called up so he can provide the Rangers a spark in their postseason hopes.

LUKE HUDSON, a fourth-round draft choice of the Rockies in 1998, became the first pitcher in 110 seasons to give up 11 runs in the first inning of a start, when he took the mound for Kansas City against Cleveland on Sunday. The right-hander retired only one batter.

The previous time a pitcher allowed as many as 11 runs in the first inning was Sept. 21, 1897, when Kid Nichols of Boston gave up 12 runs against Brooklyn in the first game of a doubleheader. Nichols, it should be noted, is in the Hall of Fame.

TEAM-BY-TEAM CAPSULES

Pleasant surprises

National League

Statistics through Wednesday, Aug. 16

ARIZONA was intent on unloading third baseman Troy Glaus and took right-handed pitcher Miguel Batista back in the Toronto deal because of Batista’s versatility. He has become a savior in the rotation, giving Diamondbacks a second consistent starter behind Brandon Webb. Having come into the season with a 57-71 big-league record, he is already 10-5, just one victory shy of his career best.

ATLANTA has been scrambling for a semblance of decency in its bullpen since the season started. When Horacio Ramirez went on the disabled list on May 9, the Braves decided to give Chad Paronto, 31, a look. They have liked what they have seen. The right-hander who has spent all or parts of the past seven years at the Triple-A level, is the only reliever to appear in at least 10 games with the Braves this year and have an ERA below 4.00.

CHICAGO has had a season with no pleasant surprises, only disappointments. Catcher Michael Barrett is only Cubs player hitting .285 or better. With Kerry Wood and Mark Prior battling inuuries, opportunities abounded form someone to step forward in the rotation, but other than Carlos Zambrano there isn’t a starter with an ERA below 4.90.

CINCINNATI GM Wayne Krivsky took a shot at raw talent, and picked up second baseman Brandon Phillips from Cleveland at the end of the spring. Phillips finally lived up to scouting reports, going into the weekend hitting .289 and succeeding on 21 of 23 stolen base attempts.

COLORADO was able to purchase infielder Jamey Carroll from Washington for $300,000 in February with the idea he would assume the utility role of Luis Gonzalez, who after two years as a super sub was given the second base job. By mid-May, however, Gonzalez was sent down, and Carroll had a starting job for the first in his career, not only playing second base, but filling the leadoff role for Rockies.

FLORIDA manager Joe Girardi shrugged off suggestions by others that he put Ricky Nolasco and Jason Johnson in the rotation, claiming they didn’t have a good enough pitch selection. By mid-May, however, Girardi had to heed the advice, and the two of them have become the top two members of the Marlins rotation. Johsnon is 10-4 with a 2.74 ERA as a starter and Nolasco 9-6 with a 4.11 ERA.

HOUSTON spent $4 million on outfielder Preston Wilson looking for a run-producer for the lineup. It didn’t work, but Luke Scott arrived from Triple-A Round Rock, hit .419 his first 28 games, and prompted the release of Wilson.

LOS ANGELES picked up right-handed pitcher Danys Baez in the offseason to have protection at closer in case Eric Gagne didn’t come back from elbow surgery. Well, Gagne didn’t make it back. Baez was a bust. The Dodgers, though, are leading the NL West, and have right-handed Japanese import Takashi Saito to thank for it in part. Saito has stepped into closer role, failing only once in his first 14 save opportunities.

MILWAUKEE finally had to rework its right field situation. It’s not that Cory Hart had been that overwhelming (.279 in 49 games), but Geoff Jenkins has been a bust, hitting .251 with 10 home runs and 110 strikeouts in 402 at-bats.

NEW YORK invited left-handed pitcher Darren Oliver to spring training more as a courtesy than anything else. Mets special assistant Sandy Johnson was scouting director in Texas who signed Oliver out of high school, and GM Omar Minaya was a Rangers scout at the time. Oliver, however, did the job in the spring, and hasn’t missed a beat in the season, giving the Mets a solid left-handed middle man.

PHILADELPHIA has had very few things go right this season, but right-handed pitcher Geoff Geary has definitely given them quality setup work for closer Tom Gordon, earning victories in all six decisions.

PITTSBURGH signed free agent third baseman Joe Randa, but it turned out the Pirates didn’t need him. Freddy Sanchez, once a highly-regarded second base prospect with Boston, got a chance early in the season when Randa was hurt to play third on a regular basis, and blossomed into team’s top hitter. He carried a team-best .364 average into the weekend, ranking second on Pirates with 64 RBI despite only five home runs.

ST. LOUIS has been scrambling to piece together its pitching staff, and has found quality relief work from highly-regard prospect Adam Wainwright, who should parlay his experience in middle relief this year into a spot in rotation next year.

SAN DIEGO lost first baseman Ryan Klesko early in the season, but had picked up Adrian Gonzalez as part of the winter deal with Texas that also brought righty Chris Young to the Padres. Gonzalez, a former No. 1 pick of Florida out of the San Diego area, not only filled in, but played so well the Padres are more anxious than ever to unload Klesko, having given Gonzalez the first base job, regardless of Klesko’s health.

SAN FRANCSICO right-handed pitcher Brad Hennessey has become Mr. Fix-It with the Giants pitching staff. He has done quality work in the rotation (4-1, 2.41) and also been their most stable reliever (3.06 in 19 bullpen appearances).

WASHINGTON had built its bullpen around Chad Cordero as the closer and Gary Majewski as the right-handed set-up man. Majewski, however, struggled, now admitting he has battled arm problems since the spring. Up stepped Jon Rauch, a one-time phenom who failed to break through with the White Sox. He leads the team with 62 appearances and a 3.31 earned-run average in relief.

American League

Statistics through Wednesday, Aug. 16

BALTIMORE was forced to keep outfielder Nick Markakis, the No. 1 draft choice in 2003 out of Young Harris Junior College, after he hit .358 in spring training, and it worked out well. With right fielder Jay Gibbons battling knee and hamstring problems, he has been primarily a DH when he has been on the active roster and Markakis has settled into right field, hitting .301.

BOSTON knew right-hander Jon Papelbon had bullpen potential. He was, after all, the closer at Mississippi State when the Red Sox signed him as a fourth-round draft pick in 2003, and after initially making the big-league team as a middle man, Papelbon provided instant relief to the Red Sox closer headaches.

CHICAGO was disenchanted with its left-handed relievers and at the end of spring decided to swap disappointments with Seattle, sending the Mariners outfielder Joe Borchard, a 1997 No. 1 draft pick whom the Sox had bought out of his senior year as the quarterback at Stanford, for left-hander Matt Thornton, the erratic Mariners No. 1 pick in 1998. Thornton has provided an excellent complement to fellow lefty Neal Cotts. Thornton has gone from issuing 67 walks in 89 2/3 innings with Seattle to allowing only 18 in his first 37 2/3 innings with the White Sox.

CLEVELAND wasted a lot of money signing free- agent pitchers Paul Byrd and Jason Johnson, who was such a flop they dumped him. Meanwhile, the Indians found exactly what they needed from within, former No. 1 draft pick Jeremy Sowers, who goes into a Friday start 3-0 in his past five starts, during which he allowed five earned runs in 36 innings and pitched two shutouts.

DETROIT decided to rush its young arms and found key components to its pitching staff with starter Justin Verlander (14-5, 2.95 ERA), the Tigers’ No. 1 draft pick two years ago, and reliever Joel Zumaya (6-2, 2.15). Verlander was 11-2 with a 2.19 in his only minor league season. Zumaya, an 11th-round pick in 2002, had made only one relief appearance in his pro career before Opening Day.

KANSAS CITY hasn’t had any nice surprises — with the season the Royals have had, there is little that’s nice — but the Royals have confidence in third baseman Mike Teahan. That makes for an interesting decision before long on what to do with Teahan because last year’s No. 1 draft pick, Alex Gordon, is arguably the best hitting prospect in the minors.

LOS ANGELES obviously got its Weavers confused when it shelled out $8.325 million to sign free agent Jeff Weaver. When he bombed, the Angels finally released him and called up younger brother Jered, their No. 1 draft choice two years ago, and he has responded by going 8-0 with a 2.14 ERA in his first 11 starts, providing a rotation stability that has allowed the Angels to remain in the AL West race.

MINNESOTA wanted to bring lefty Francisco Liriano along slowly, and given his recent forearm soreness, maybe the Twins should have been a bit more careful. But after the rotation failures of Kyle Lohse and Scott Baker, the Twins felt compelled to move Liriano out of the controlled environment of the bullpen and into the rotation, where in six weeks he proved himself All-Star worthy.

NEW YORK came up short with both of the pitchers who bailed the Yankees out in the final two months last year — Aaron Small and Shawn Chacon — but finally began to receive some rewards from the signing of oft-injured Jaret Wright. Wright is 9-6 this season, but more important for the pennant push, he began August 3-0 with a 1.65 ERA.

OAKLAND was ready to deal center fielder Jay Payton early in the season, given his displeasure with a limited backup role. Injuries, however, sidelined Mark Kotsay among others, and Payton responded to regular playing time with offensive production.

SEATTLE finally had to give up on left-hander Eddie Guardado as the closer in mid-May, despite his hefty free-agent contract. The decision was made easier because there was a legitimate alternative — J.J. Putz, who converted 25 of his first 29 save opportunities while compiling a 2.25 ERA.

TAMPA BAY found the answer to its infield problems with Ty Wigginton until he was sidelined with a broken hand July 30. He had stepped in at third when Aubrey Huff was hurt, took over at second when Jorge Cantu was sidelined and then at first for Travis Lee. And when Wigginton went down, Greg Norton took his spot, both on the field and in terms of production. Norton hit .364 in his first 12 games in August.

TEXAS opened the season with Laynce Nix in center field, but suddenly the well-traveled Gary Mathews Jr. began to play up to the potential scouts saw back when San Diego made him a first-round draft choice out of high school. Mathews not only played stellar defense but showed run production and earned an All-Star spot.

TORONTO went bust with two former No. 1 draft picks at shortstop. But as Aaron Hill and Russ Adams failed, journeyman John McDonald surfaced and at least gave the Blue Jays a respectable effort. A 12th-round draft choice of Cleveland in 1996, McDonald was a career backup with a .241 big-league average whom the Jays acquired in December 2004 for minor league player Tom Mastny.

Listen to Tracy Ringolsby at 4:12 p.m. Friday with Dave and Lois on The Ride Home on KOA-AM (850) and watch him on the pregame show when FSN Rocky Mountain televises Rockies games.