4 aces will make many fold in '11
With four aces, the Philadelphia Phillies are all in. Because if this is the Year of the Pitcher yet again, then Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and their pals should breeze into the World Series bracket and wind up in a parade down Broad Street.
Obviously, the Phils are kings of the hill. Heck, Logan Morrison seemed shocked that someone even bothered to ask him during a Twitter chat for their No. 1 weakness.
“They have one?” the 23-year-old Florida outfielder barbed. “Thought they were the best team ever.”
Ah, youth.
Baseball 2011 is full of fresh faces. Kyle Drabek in Toronto, Freddie Freeman in Atlanta and Jesus Montero in New York pinstripes, all hoping to become the next Buster Posey — chomping for a chance in Triple-A, then celebrating a championship in the bigs.
Lots of rookies in the dugout, too. Don Mattingly takes over the Los Angeles Dodgers, trying to prove fine players can make fine managers. In all, a dozen teams go into opening day Thursday with a different skipper than they started with last season.
Gone are Joe Torre and Bobby Cox. They retired, as did all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman, top postseason winner Andy Pettitte and former World Series MVP Mike Lowell.
But there’s plenty of room for the old pros — not including Jamie Moyer, who’s recovering from Tommy John surgery and wants to pitch next season at age 49.
Derek Jeter, at 36, is coming off a down year that led to testy contract talks. Only 74 hits shy of knock No. 3,000, this is the first time since he was a rookie the Captain has fans wondering whether he’s still an All-Star.
Chipper Jones, at 38, is trying to bounce back from a knee injury that nearly finished him.
Then there’s 40-year-old Jim Thome, needing just 11 home runs to be the eighth slugger in the 600 club.
“If it happens it’d be great. It’d be a wonderful thing. Not many guys have done it so yeah, I respect it. The history of the game, you respect it,” Thome said. “But on the other end, man that World Series ring is something every player should want and strive to get. I’ve been close. But just not over that hump. We’ll see. We’ll see.”
That’s how a lot of San Francisco Giants — and their orange-and-black boosters — felt going into last season. Led by whirlybird Tim Lincecum and bearded Brian Wilson, the Giants brought the trophy to the City by the Bay for the first time.
That made it nine different World Series champions in the last 10 years. And after a flurry of winter moves, no doubt a lot of teams are thinking it’s their turn. Maybe even the Chicago Cubs, trying to end a 102-year drought.
Lee tilted the balance when he became a free agent, left the AL champion Texas Rangers, turned down the Yankees’ big bucks and joined Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels in Philly. Stars Zack Greinke, Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, Vladimir Guerrero, Manny Ramirez, Vernon Wells, Jayson Werth, Adam Dunn and Series MVP Edgar Renteria also switched teams.
Albert Pujols stayed on the St. Louis Cardinals. The three-time NL MVP didn’t get a contract extension before he reported to spring training, and insists he will not negotiate again until after the season, when he can file for free agency.
“I already blocked it out,” he said a few days ago.
By July 6, the Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates probably will be far apart. The Phillies have won four straight NL East crowns and led the big leagues with 97 wins last year; the Pirates absorbed a majors-worst 105 defeats in 2010 and have endured 18 straight losing seasons.
Listen to their stars, though, and they’re talking about the same thing.
“A lot of us are to the point in our career where you feel like the biggest thing left for you to do is win a championship, whether you’ve already done it or you haven’t,” Halladay said. “That’s why I still want to play this game. I want to be part of a world championship team.”
Echoed Pirates youngster Andrew McCutchen: “What I’m looking for is a championship with this team.”
“It’s not like I’m going, ‘I want to make the All-Star team. I want to have a Gold Glove.’ It would be nice, but if we’re a championship team, everything else will take care of itself,” he said.
