As one deadline passed by, another approaches with August 15th looming overhead. That of course is the final day for major league clubs to sign their draft picks, and that along with another group of star studded guests will highlight this week’s BDD Live broadcast. Join host Eric SanInocencio as this week’s podcast tackles the hottest topics of our national pastime.
 
Before the draft takes the spotlight, Philadelphia Phillies star reliever Chad Durbin will join us in studio, as his squad currently leads the three-way dogfight in the National League East. Durbin will comment on the Phillies success, and his transition to relief for Charlie Manuel’s squad. Having found his first taste of major success, Durbin has been a key component and currently leads Philadelphia in ERA. He is also the co-founder of Showcase U, a recruiting service aimed at baseball softball players looking for an opportunity to play at the collegiate level.
 
Next in the booth is Baseball America’s Jim Callis, with all the info surrounding the looming deadline for this year’s draft picks. 11 first round picks remain unsigned, including four of the top five selections. Callis will enlighten us and fans about the status of tomorrow’s stars, and give us insight on all the posturing and negotiating behind the scenes as deadline day closes in.

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The players to watch and what to watch for this weekend:

Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs vs. Saint Louis Cardinals (8/8-8/10)

The Chicago Cubs are starting to distance themselves from the competition in the National League Central.  One of the reasons the Cubs have been so hot is outfielder Alfonso Soriano.  Soriano missed more than a month due to injury but since his return the Cubs are 11-4.  Soriano is hitting .348 with six home runs and 15 RBI in those games.  The Cubs enter this weekend’s series with a five game lead over the Brewers and six games ahead of the Cardinals.  Soriano is flirting with a .300 average at .299 with 21 homers and 55 RBI in 66 games.  The Cubs are obviously a better team with Soriano in the lineup than without.  When Soriano starts, the team is 43-21 and 26-25 when he does not.  While there are a number of players in the National League with better numbers but Soriano’s impact on his team’s record earns him Most Valuable Player consideration.

Lance Berkman, Houston Astros at Cincinnati Reds (8/7-8/10)

Stat geeks everywhere just collectively shouted, “But what about Lance Berkman?”  Houston’s first baseman is tearing it up this year and has started all but four games this season for the Astros.  The Astros are 55-59 but 0-4 when Berkman sits.  Bill James Online tracks win shares which awards three shares per team win and Berkman leads all Major Leaguers with 26.  He also leads the National League in runs created (108), runs scored (91) and doubles (35) and is second in times on base (206), third in on-base percentage (.434), third in slugging percentage (.603), third in OPS (1.036), third in extra-base hits (60) and fourth in batting average (.335).  Although he might be out-stated by Albert Pujols or Chipper Jones, it is safe to say that without Berkman, the Astros would not even be close to .500.  If Berkman ever leaves Houston, he should consider Cincinnati as a new address.  The Astros’ superstar pounds the ball at Great American Ball Park — he has more home runs (18) than any other visiting player. 

Jhonny Peralta, Cleveland Indians at Toronto Blue Jays (8/8-8/10)

For a losing team, the Cleveland Indians still give their fans a number of reasons to watch.  There is Cliff Lee who is trying to become the club’s first 20-game winner since Gaylord Perry won 21 in 1974.  There is Grady Sizemore who is three home runs and three steals from becoming the second 30-30 man in Indians’ history — Joe Carter is the other.  Finally, there’s Jhonny Peralta who has two five-hit games this season and with one more five hit game would be the first Major Leaguer since Ichiro Suzuki in 2004 to get five hits or more at least three times in the same year.  The only other Indians’ player since 1956 to get five hits or more three times in the same season is also Carter who had three five-hit games in 1986.  At 15 games under .500 and 14 games out in the American League Central, those three individual performances are more to watch than the team is giving you this season.

Willy Taveras, Colorado Rockies vs. San Diego Padres (8/8-8/10)

Willy Taveras might run his way into the Rockies’ record book this weekend.  The speedy Taveras enters their weekend series with the Padres with 50 stolen bases and is just three steals away from Eric Young’s club record of 53 steals in 1996.  He would have to step up his stolen base production slightly to break the record this weekend but if he gets on and has the opportunity, there is a good chance he will take down the record against the Padres.  Padres’ catchers have allowed 130 stolen bases this season, the most of any team in the Majors.  On Bill James Online, there is another statistic tracked called “Baserunning Net Gain”.  This statistic measures the overall contribution of a player on the basepaths and Taveras leads the league with a +54 — Ichiro Suzuki at +46 is the next closest.  If he did not miss some time due to injury, Taveras might have had a better shot at becoming the first player to steal at least 80 bases in a season since Rickey Henderson and Vince Coleman in 1988.  With 45 games remaining, if he stays healthy and plays every day, Taveras is on pace to finish the season with 73.  The biggest problem is Taveras’ .304 on-base percentage which limits his opportunities.

Curtis Granderson, Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland Athletics (8/8-8/10)  

In an earlier edition of “Starting Lineup”, I mentioned a stat which measured how individual players reaching base to lead off an inning affected their team.  The current leader in this statistic is Detroit’s Curtis Granderson.  Granderson has reached base 55 times in his 148 appearances leading off an inning for a .372 on-base percentage.  The Tigers’ offense perks up when Granderson gets on base.  In the 55 innings he reached base, the Tigers have scored 1.67 runs per inning compared to the 93 innings he did not where they scored just 18 runs or 0.19 runs per inning.  Every opportunity the Tigers get to climb back into the race, they come up short.  Their most recent misstep was dropping three of four to the White Sox who are now 7.5 games ahead of Detroit.  While the White Sox are more worried about the Twins who trail them by half a game, the Tigers start a 10-game home stand this weekend with three games against Oakland.  This extended stay at home is a make-or-break stretch for the preseason favorites who have failed to live up to expectations.

Brad Penny, Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants (Friday, 8/8)

The Dodgers added a future Hall of Famer at the deadline by picking up Manny Ramirez but failed to land another when Greg Maddux stayed put in San Diego.  Without Maddux to help stabilize the rotation, the Dodgers will turn to the return of Brad Penny from the injury that kept him out of action since June 14.  Before the injury, Penny was disappointing.  In his last eight starts, he is 0-7 with an 8.52 ERA after starting the season 5-2 with a 3.19 ERA.  Penny was head and shoulders the team’s ace coming into 2008 and through April until his tailspin put him on the disabled list.  Now, Penny looks to reclaim his ace status against Barry Zito and the Giants on Friday.  Penny and Zito squared off in their opener back on March 31 and Penny got the better of the match-up with 6 2/3 scoreless innings in the Dodgers’ 5-0 win over the Giants.

Matt Garza, Tampa Bay Rays at Seattle Mariners (Saturday, 8/9)

The Tampa Bay Rays have never had three 10-game winners in the same year.  Andy Sonnanstine already has 11 wins and James Shields goes for 10 wins on Friday.  If Shields picks up his 10th win on Friday then Matt Garza will have an opportunity to make Rays’ history.  In his first year in Tampa Bay, Garza has already won one more game than he won in two seasons with the Twins.  Garza came to the Rays through an offseason trade along with Jason Bartlett for Delmon Young, Brendan Harris and Jason Pridie and the trade has helped both teams.  At 9-7 with a 3.70 ERA, Garza has had some rocky starts but also has two complete games and a shutout to his credit.  Against the Mariners on Saturday, Garza looks to avenge his shortest outing of the season.  In his second start in a Rays’ uniform, Garza failed to make it through the third against the Mariners but escaped without a decision in the Rays’ 6-5 loss to the Mariners.  Now, he looks to keep the Rays ahead of the Red Sox and Yankees in the East and continue their Cinderella season.

Brandon Webb, Arizona Diamondbacks at Atlanta Braves (Sunday, 8/10)

If you are a fan of dominating pitching, clear your schedule on Sunday and find a seat to watch Brandon Webb go for his Major League leading 17th win against the Atlanta Braves.  Webb is 5-0 with a 2.37 ERA in his last eight starts and has posted six consecutive quality starts.  His last outing was a complete game win against the Pirates which improved his record to a staggering 16-4.  Atlanta is one of the four teams to find a way to hand Webb a loss this season back in May in Atlanta but the Braves are a different team on the road.  Webb will look to add to his resume in his bid for his second Cy Young Award in six Major League seasons. 

George Sherrill, Baltimore Orioles vs. Texas Rangers (8/8-8/10)

Sometimes relievers are forced to be magicians.  Another Bill James Online gem is a stat he calls a “Houdini”.  A “Houdini” is whenever a pitcher faces a bases loaded, no out jam and is able to get all three outs, no run scores and no run is charged to the reliever at any point in the inning.  In 2008, a “Houdini” has occurred 47 times.  The Baltimore Orioles pitching staff have become masters of the “Houdini” with four of them and George Sherrill is only one of two pitchers in baseball — Casey Fossum is the other — that have accomplished the feat twice this season.  Sherrill had a scoreless inning streak of 10-plus innings snapped against the Rangers earlier this year when he gave up a run in a non-save situation and still continues to look to add a save against the Rangers to his book.  Sherrill has converted saves against every team in the American League except for the Yankees and Rangers and hopes to get his chance this weekend.  The Orioles are a definite long shot to be playoff contenders down the stretch and will need Sherrill to be near perfect when called upon to close out games in August and September if they have any hope.  The problem is, they might need more than “Orioles Magic” to climb out of the cellar in the East.

…As with the theme this summer, Boston Red Sox minor league pitcher Victor De La Cruz has been suspended by Major League Baseball. He tested positive for PED’s, namely Stanozolol. He was pitching in the Dominican Summer league, his 50 game suspension of course, starts immediately.

…The Atlanta Braves will hold a public tribute to Skip Caray on Tuesday at Turner Field in Atlanta. Caray died on Sunday at the age of 68, scheduled to speak Tuesday morning will be Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, Braves Chairman Terry McGuirk and Skip’s long time broadcast partner Pete Van Wieren.

…Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald is reporting that if the Cincinnati Reds can’t come to an agreement with first round draft pick Yonder Alonso, he will return to the University of Miami. He told the Herald that negotiations have hit a snag and that he’s signed up for fall classes at the University of Miami.

”Coming back is definitely an option I’m thinking about,” said Alonso

“If we can’t get this thing resolved, I’ll be very happy to come back to Miami, break some records and go back to Omaha [Neb.] and finish the job. I always said if worse comes to worse, I’m going back to school.”

Alonzo said there’s a “50-50″ chance of returning to play for the Hurricanes. Keep in mind that the deadline to sign draft picks is coming up quickly (August 15th).

…Oakland A’s closer Huston Street claimed on waivers? That’s what Susan Slusser of the San Fransisco Chronicle is reporting. Assistant General Manager of the A’s David Forst would not comment on the supposed waiver claim, and that the A’s would have to be “overwhelmed” to deal the closer.

…Todays the day, as in - whether or not Brian Giles remains a San Diego Padre or becomes a Boston Red Sox. This according to Micheal Silverman of the Boston Herald. If the Padres don’t trade Giles, they can’t trade him unless they put him on trade waivers again..but this time they would be irrevocable and the claiming team would get him.

According to a report out of the USA Today, Toronto Blue Jay’s GM JP Ricciardi has announced that Cito Gaston will return to skipper the club in 2009.

“Cito’s definitely going to be back,” general manager J.P. Ricciardi said Thursday. “He’s done a good job. We’re six games over .500 since he took over. We’ve got a long way to go offensively, but he’s really laid the groundwork for some of the right stuff offensively. The guys like playing for him.”

Ricciardi replaced manager John Gibbons on June 20th with Gaston. Since then the Blue Jays have gone 24-17 (4th best record in baseball, in that span) and have put themselves 2 games over the .500 mark at 58-56. Ricciardi wasn’t specific if the rest of the coaching staff would remain in place for Gaston come 2009.