The Rays-Red Sox ALCS turned into ratings gold for TBS.  The network scored a 7.9 rating for Sunday’s Game 7, the highest rating of any televised game in 2008.  An estimated 13,357,000 tuned in, the most to view a baseball game in cable television history.  The record number of viewers broke the mark set by the 1998 Cubs-Cardinals game on ESPN where Mark McGwire tied the single-season home run record.

In addition, the series drew an average 4.6 rating for the seven-game ALCS and 7.443-million viewers both up from their NLCS broadcast in ‘07.  The ratings were up 64 percent from the Rockies sweep of the Diamondbacks.

—————– 

The St. Louis Cardinals paid $1.5-million to buyout the option year on Mark Mulder’s contract.  According to Mulder’s agent, Gregg Clifton, he received a letter from the organization that stated the club would pass on the $11-million option year in his contract.

Mulder, during his last two years with the club, earned $13 million but made only six appearances and four starts during the course of the two year deal.  Mulder retired just five batters in ‘08 and pitched a total of 12-2/3 innings in ‘07 and ‘08.

With the buyout, Mulder will be a free agent when free-agency opens after the end of the World Series.

—————–

The Los Angeles Dodgers chose to buyout the option year on Angel Berroa’s contract for $500,000.  The option year was worth $5.5-million but the Dodgers decided to pass on the year although the team still owns Berroa’s rights and have the option to offer him salary arbitration.

Berroa joined the Dodgers after a trade earlier in the season sent him from Kansas City to Los Angeles.  Berroa added depth at short stop but hit .230 with one home run and 16 RBI in 84 games with the Dodgers.

If the Dodgers were to bring back Berroa, the minimum they are able to pay him is $2.85 million due to a rule in the collective bargaining agreement that prevents players other than free agents to receive a pay cut of 40 percent or more.  Berroa earned $4.75 million in ‘08.

—————–

The Oakland Athletics quickly brought second baseman Mark Ellis back into the fold for ‘09.  On Monday, the club officially announced an agreement with Ellis for a two-year contract with a one-year option.

The contract is expected to pay Ellis roughly $5 million in ‘09 and nearly $6 million in ‘10.  The club option is $6 million in ‘11.  Ellis hit a career-low .233, played in only 117 games — the least since his rookie year in ‘02 — and needed season-ending surgery on his shoulder on September 19.

—————–

Former Orioles’ first round pick Adam Loewen saw his pitching career come to a close earlier this season and on Monday learned he may have played his last game in an Orioles’ uniform.  The Baltimore Orioles released Loewen who abandoned pitching after an injury to his arm and is attempting to follow in the foot steps of Rick Ankiel and become a position player.

Loewen is likely to land a Minor League contract somewhere and there is a possibility that he lands back in the Orioles’ organization rather than sign with another team.

…Rays closer Troy Percival was supposed to join the Rays for Game 7 at the Trop, but decided against it and stayed in California to tend to a family matter. He could be activated for the World Series but since he’s stayed in California that might not happen. [Fox Sports]

…Mike Freeman of CBS Sports says that the Phillies/Rays World Series will most likely be the lowest rated and least watched World Series in Modern History. I’m sure Bud Selig and the Fox executives are gargling with drano as we speak. [CBS Sports]

…Not that it should surprise anyone, Seattle Mariners Right Fielder Ichiro will play for the defending WBC Champs - Team Japan. [MLB.com]

“Apart from the Olympics, I really wanted this WBC tournament to be the event that decides the true world champions, so that’s why I participated in this event,” he said. “And at the end, I was able to be on the championship team, and this is probably the biggest moment of my baseball career.”

…The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced today that they’ve named Joe Kerrigan Pitching Coach of the Major League Club. [MLB.com]

“Joe Kerrigan brings to the Pirates, a long and successful track record of developing and maximizing the performance of the pitchers on his staff,” said Huntington. “His teaching ability, work ethic and game planning will pay immediate dividends. Joe’s passion, knowledge and experience will make a quality impact on our organization.”

…With Willie Aybar’s and Dustin Pedroia’s home runs in Game 7, they helped set a ALCS record for the most home runs in the series. The Rays already had 15 as a team in the LCS which is a record too but the Rays/Red Sox broke the record that stood since the 2003 ALCS where Boston and New York mashed 20 home runs. [MLB.com]

…According to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution the key to a deal with the Padres for Peavy is going to have to be both second baseman Kelly Johnson and Shortstop Yunel Escobar plus a pitching prospect (at least). [AJC]

…72 people were ejected this weekend from the Rays/Sox games at the Trop. This according to a preliminary report from the St. Petersburg Police Department. 47 were kicked out on Saturday with a couple arrests and another 25 on Sunday. [The Heater]

The Chicago Cubs and General Manager Jim Hendry have agreed to a four-year contract extension through the 2012 season. 

 “Jim Hendry has helped build a sense of urgency and create a winning environment throughout our organization,” said Cubs Chairman Crane Kenney.  “Jim’s aggressive nature and tireless dedication to improving our club are well known but equally important is his assembly of one of the most-talented baseball operations departments in the industry. 

“It’s an honor to receive this long-term commitment from the Chicago Cubs,” said Hendry.  “We know there is work to be done in reaching our goal and I thank my staff for their commitment to this organization.  We’ll continue to do everything it takes to reward our great fans for their dedication to this team.”

Hendry, who enters his 15th season with the organization, has been the club’s general manager since July 5, 2002.  With more than six years in the position, he already is the third-longest tenured general manager in franchise history, trailing only John Holland (1957-1975) and James Gallagher (1940-49).  The club is 537-513 (.511) with Hendry as general manager, including four winning records in his six full seasons.

In 2008, Hendry, 53, became the first general manager in franchise history to assemble a Cubs team that made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, as the club in 2007 and 2008 qualified for post-season play in consecutive campaigns for the first time in 100 years (1906-08).  Overall, he has seen three of his six clubs make the playoffs (2003, 2007 and 2008), the lone general manager in club history to take three teams to the postseason.

At 200-to-1 to win the World Series, very few gave the Tampa Bay Rays a shot to win it all.  Any dreamer willing to plunk a buck down in March on the Rays to win it all are now four wins away from turning a George Washington into to two Benjamin Franklins and the Rays are four wins from a worst-to-first story for the ages.

It took three runs off of stingy Red Sox ace Jon Lester, a 118-pitch performance into the eighth inning by Matt Garza and a whole lot of cowbell but the “Cinderella” Rays knocked off the defending champion Red Sox 3-1 in the seventh game of the American League Championship Series for the right to host the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.

Two batters in, the veteran Red Sox jumped out to a 1-0 lead behind a solo home run by one of their younger stars, Dustin Pedroia.  Lester was perfect through three innings before the Rays chipped away and tied the game in the fourth on an Evan Longoria RBI double that scored Carlos Pena from first.

The Rays added a second run in the fifth on a Rocco Baldelli RBI single.  Then, Garza pitched through trouble in the seventh after manager Joe Maddon sent him to start the inning despite a 100-plus pitch count.  Garza allowed two runners to reach base with one out but Mark Kotsay hit a fly out to right and Jason Varitek struck out.

Lester also took the mound for the seventh but immediately gave up a solo homer to Willy Aybar to extend the Rays lead to 3-1.  Lester completed the inning without further damage but the Rays now had a two-run cushion.

Maddon sent Garza out to start the eighth but after a Jason Bartlett error that allowed Alex Cora to reach base then used four different relievers before David Price struck out J.D. Drew with the bases loaded to end the Red Sox threat.

In the ninth, the 2007 first overall draft pick returned to the mound to close out the victory.  First, Price walked Jason Bay.  Then, Kotsay struck out looking and Varitek struck out swinging.  Finally, pinch hitter Jed Lowrie grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the game and start the celebration at Tropicana Field.

“As a kid I think everybody pictures this night,” said Garza.  “Usually it’s Game 7 of the World Series but I’ll take Game 7 of the ALCS.”

Garza was awarded the ALCS MVP after he beat Boston’s ace twice including the biggest game of his career on Sunday.  He lasted seven innings and allowed one run on two hits and three walks in the Game 7 win and also struck out nine.

Price, 23, the least experienced of all the Rays, grabbed a postseason save for his effort and added it to his previous postseason win.  The young lefty picked up a postseason win and save before he earned a regular season Major League win or save.

“I wanted the ball,” said Price.  “I think everybody down there in the ‘pen wanted the ball tonight.”

For the Red Sox, they failed in their attempt to overcome a 3-1 series deficit for the fourth time in franchise history and with their loss guarantee a new World Series champion is crowned.

“We didn’t get as far as we wanted,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona.  “We got beat by a very good team.  They’ll represent the American League very, very well.  But this is probably the funnest couple months maybe I’ve ever had.”

The Rays will play the Phillies in their first-ever attempt to capture a World Championship for the franchise.  Their opponents, the Phillies, have just one World Championship in franchise history which came 28 years ago.  The World Series begins on Wednesday at 8:00 PM at Tropicana Field. 

————————————-

RAYS’ THREE KEYS

• Manufactured Runs

Great base running scored Pena from first on Longoria’s double in the fourth and Baldelli’s single in the fifth scored after a third consecutive hit. 

• Have Wheeler Step Up

Wheeler gave up a hit and retired one batter in the eighth but it looks like there is a new sheriff in town for the Rays in young fireballer Price.  If there’s a manager with the willingness to take the chance of using a 23-year-old with only 14 innings of Major League experience under his belt as the team’s closer in the World Series, it’s Maddon.  We’ll see.

• Play Beyond Their Experience

To those who expected the “nerves” of the Rays to bite them in pivotal Game 7, they’re still waiting.  Too many clutch young performances throughout the series to mention but other than Game 1, this team never seemed to loose its’ championship calibre composure.

RED SOX’ THREE KEYS

• Safely Get From Starter to Papelbon

Lester pitched well but did not outpitch Garza for the second time in the ALCS.  Papelbon was never a factor in this game.

• Get a Quality Start From Beckett or Wakefield

Under the traditional definition, the Sox never did get a quality start from Beckett or Wakefield and they lost the series. 

• Make Rays’ Starters Work

Garza worked but he was also a workhorse.  He pitched into the eighth and allowed just one run on two hits and threw 118 pitches in the process.  Because Garza worked so deep into the game, it allowed Maddon the ability to use four different relievers on top of Garza in the eighth inning that saw the Red Sox leave the bases loaded.

STAR OF THE GAME

Matt Garza, Tampa Bay Rays

Garza took it really personal before the series started that no one gave the Rays a chance to beat Lester.  Note to the Phillies: Don’t get Garza angry, you won’t like it when he’s angry.  The offseason pick-up from the Minnesota Twins out-pitched Boston’s ace not once but twice and turned in a stellar 118-pitch, two-hit, one-run, seven-plus inning performance.

We continue our series today on Scout School with the Kansas City Royals… 

Part III – An Athlete’s Body and Hitting the Field

On Monday afternoon we got our first taste of action on the field acting as scouts. The Texas Rangers instructional team walked across the Surprise practice field to take on our own Royals squad.

Baseball is great in any shape or form, and I was really excited to check out some prospects, but boy it was hot! I’m sure I’ll repeat the theme throughout the week, but the heat in Arizona borders on unbearable. It was 105 degrees this Monday afternoon. I swore that if I saw a pitcher with a jacket on, I was going to rip it off!

Anyway, let me set the stage for those of you unfamiliar with instructional league games. Each team has 30 or so 18-20 years olds who participate in the game. There are coaches, front office staff, and plenty of other players, who aren’t playing, that are watching. The games employ 3 umpires like most minor league baseball games. But what these games don’t have are hoards of fans, expensive tickets, or elaborate stadiums. In fact, an afternoon at an instructional league game resembles a high school contest more than a professional ball game.

Since this was our first game to analyze, I decided to take in as much as possible and write down whatever I saw, inconsequential or not. I have to say that zeroing in on a game like that really makes you pay attention to even the smallest of details. When you watch the game as a fan, you pick up the obvious achievements and mistakes, but a lot of the minutia sneaks by.

You suddenly notice where everyone on the field is positioned on just about every play. You check the on deck hitter’s attention, you watch the bullpen, you clear your stop watch, and then you watch the radar gun. You watch the batter’s hands, analyze the pitcher’s delivery, and time a throw from third to first. Sound a little hectic? Well it is. You really need to glance around the field quickly in order not to miss anything. The amount of information you garner in just a few minutes of observation can really make a difference in determining whether a player is a prospect or not.

As we watched the two teams on the field, it was easy to recognize that these were professional athletes. From the outset of scout school, our instructors emphasized the body. The Kansas City Royals like big athletic bodies. I suppose most teams probably have a similar preference. The Texas Rangers certainly do (see Justin Smoak!). Big athletic bodies play well, are stronger, have more power, and generally hold up better under the day to day grind of a long baseball season. Will scouts disregard all players who aren’t 6’4” and weigh 220 pounds? No, of course not. But for an athlete who has a less than ideal body type to make it at the professional level, he must really have some pretty special tools and “play up” to someone who does have a more desirable frame.

The majority of the Kansas City pitchers taking part in the instructional league ranged from 6’2”, 180 lbs. to 6’5”, 220 lbs. For example, Sam Runion is 6’4”, 220 lbs. Tim Melville is 6’5”, 205 lbs. And Chase Hentges is 6’5”, 185 lbs. On the other hand, Derrick Saito is only 5’9” and weighs just 155 lbs. But Saito had been clocked at 92-93 mph in college and has a great curveball. In other words, his skills “play up” for his size.

Big strong bodies are not just reserved for the pitching staff either. In fact, only one position player on the entire instructional league roster was under 5’10”. Johnny Giavotella was that player (5’8”), and if you saw the way he was built, you’d understand why he was there and why the Royals chose him in the second round this past June. Johnny has the largest forearms I have ever seen, and he uses his strength to drive the ball to all fields with power. As my grandfather used to say, he’s built like a bull! But again, Giavotella “plays up” for his size. He compensates for not having an ideal body type by possessing tremendous strength and demonstrating terrific bat speed.

By now you get the point about bodies. Bigger equals better 99% of the time in professional sports. It’s no different in baseball, especially when you’re projecting prospects.

    
Up Next…Part IV – Evaluating Players During Batting Practice and Bullpen Sessions

If you missed Parts I and II, click the links below…
Building a Professional Baseball Organization: Scout School with the Kansas City Royals - Part I - The Beginning
Building a Professional Baseball Organization: Scout School with the Kansas City Royals - Part II - Grading the Players