MARCO'S BASEBALL BLOG-O-ROONIE: "5-STAR PREDICTIONS ON A 1-STAR BUDGET!"

MARCO'S BASEBALL BLOG-O-ROONIE:

“5-STAR PREDICTIONS ON A 1-STAR BUDGET”

It's time for 2016 predictions and I know you've been holding your breath. But before we get going with the AL EAST let's take a moment to honor a baseball Ancestor. This is a player who rivals Ruth as a two-way star...Ace pitcher and batting King.

In honor of America's reset of our relationship with Cuba, let us pay homage to the greatest Cubano baseball player of all:

Called “El Maestro” and “El Inmortal”...the Immortal. He was the almost incomparable...

MARTIN DIHIGO

Induction Information Elected to Hall of Fame by Negro Leagues Committee in 1977, Negro Leaguer Born: May 25, 1905, in Matanzas, Cuba Died: May 20, 1971, in Cienfuegos, Cienfuegos, Cuba Primary Position: Pitcher Bats: R   Throws: R   Played For: Cuban Stars East (1923-1927, 1930), Homestead Grays (1928), Hilldale Daisies (1929-1931), Baltimore Black Sox (1931), New York Cubans (1935-1936, 1945) Bio Martín Dihigo Llanos was perhaps the most versatile player in baseball history. Known as "El Maestro," he played all nine positions skillfully. Dihigo became a national institution in his native Cuba, but also starred in many other countries, including Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, also spending 12 seasons in the Negro leagues. Playing in the Mexican League in 1938, he went 18-2 and led the league with a 0.90 ERA, while also winning the batting crown with a .387 mark. Quote "He was the greatest all-around player I know. I say he was the best player of all-time, black or white. He could do it all."    — Buck Leonard Martin Dihigo started out as a quick, tall, rangy shortstop in the late twenties. He had such a great arm that they also played him at third and in the outfield before finally letting him pitch, but when he wasn't pitching he was playing somewhere else. Some seasons he would play all nine positions and manage at the same time. Most people say he was most like Joe DiMaggio in body type and all around talent. He could run and his arm was legendary. He once stood on home plate and threw a baseball that hit the wall in dead center on the fly. Many, many major league players say Martin Dihigo was the greatest player they ever saw. Johnny Mize, the Hall of Fame first baseman, played winter ball with him in 1943 when Dihigo was 38. Mize would hit 359 homers and also won a batting title in a career interrupted by WWII. He reported that he batted behind Dihigo and pitchers were walking Martin to get to Mize. That 1938 season: Being a batting champ and the best pitcher in any league at the same time is quite impressive, but this was a winter league loaded with major league stars and all the great Negro Leaguers. Dihigo was simply, “El Inmortal”. 2016 PREDICTIONS: This year, in a tip of the hat to my movie career roots, I'm rating these teams on the star system. 5*stars= among the best of all time. 4*stars=really good 3*stars=a little above average 2 ½*stars=average 1*star=stinko 0*stars=a real liability...they're playing the batboy. I'm rating teams in 5 categories: offensive lineup, defense, rotation, bullpen and leadership. “Leadership” is mostly managers and coaches, but also includes the roles of the front office, clubhouse chemistry and inspiration and the ever elusive “JUJU”...good or bad. Breaking offense down into categories like speed and power doesn't change the overall effectiveness of your offense. You can do it like Kansas City with small ball and speed or you can do like Toronto and brutalize people to death. It's still just offense. Having two categories of pitching weights the final score accurately (I think) in that it recognizes the supreme importance of your pitching staff. Let us proceed: AL EAST OVERVIEW: 1st place: TORONTO ...Mainly because this is their best shot and they know it. Encarnacion and Bautista are going to be free agents and will probably move on. They are just leaving their primes and can still get really hot and carry a team. But folks...that ain't all. They've got Tulo after he's had a chance to adjust to the new league. He's gotta be hungry for a pennant after all those terrible wasted seasons with the Rockheads. Donaldson is an MVP in his hitting prime, surrounded by lineup help. What will he put up this year with all the motivation he must have to win now? Add in Russell Martin's 25 dingers,Colabello's 15 and .321 average in 101 games, Smoaks 18 bombs in 296 Abs and the on-base/speed advantage of Ben Revere hitting leadoff? There is not enough right handed pitching in that division to control this line-up. Offensive lineup: 5 *...among the greatest ever! Led the majors in OPS by 45 points at .797! Defense: 4 *...above average almost everywhere. Martin a key at catcher and Pillar and Revere in the outfield. Installed new grass infield to save Tulo's legs. Rotation: 2 ½ *... if Stroman steps up and can be an ace, it might be a 3 ½. Estrada coming on. Happ, Dickey and Chavez are innings eaters who can win when the offense scores 6 for them every outing. They may need late season help from the front office here. Bullpen: 3 ½ *... Osuna a great rookie closer last year and Martin helps this unit at catcher a lot. Leadership: 4 *...front office wants to win badly and satisfy hungry fans who supported this team so well. No money but they went out and got help when needed. Managing seems to be “Here's your bat...another homer would be nice.” Bautista's salary demand was bad juju. But him and Encarnacion and Tulo and Donaldson and Martin all together? Great clubhouse leadership power. TOTAL: 19 STARS...FIRST PLACE 2nd place...NEW YORK … because their pitching is a little better than the Red Sox, mainly. Price of the Sox is the best starter on either team, but I think with Tanaka,Pineda and Severino the Yanks have stronger arms starting for them. The Sox staff stunk it up last year and they must re-prove themselves. Also, Bucholz is only good for half a season and you don't know how his replacement will do. The Yanks have a little better starting depth. The Yanks also have three spectacular horses anchoring their bullpen (even though the rest of the bullpen is inexperienced). Chapman, Miller and Betances trump Kimbrel, Uehara (40 years old), Tazawa and Carson Smith. The gap would be wider if Chapman wasn't missing the first month because he got violent with his wife. (file under Bad Juju) Plus Carson Smith of the Sox is hurt to start the season. Here's my breakdown of the Yankees: Lineup: 3 ½ *...their club is tailor made for their ballpark with left-handed power to lob homers over the right field wall. This would be higher if most of their guys weren't so old that they will probably get hurt. They have pretty good depth in that eventuality. Defense: 3 *...very good up the middle now that Starlin Castro has joined them at second. Pretty good everywhere. Rotation: 3 ½ *...see above Bullpen: 4 *...see above Leadership: 4 *...spelled M-O-N-E-Y. The Yanks can always buy themselves out of trouble if they really want to. And all those old pros on the team give them some quality leadership in the house. Girardi has proved himself a master of low-key New York media manipulation and is a quality handler of pitchers and respected in the clubhouse. The players know he has their back. This score would be even higher if not for: Bad JuJu: age, injuries, the big “S” on ARod's chest, Chapman funny stuff, huge unmovable contracts (see last issue) TOTAL: 18 STARS...SECOND PLACE Third place...BOSTON Lineup: 3 ½ *...weird combo of young stars, older stars and inconsistent stars. If they all do their best work...Wow! But that's asking a lot. Defense: 3 *...awesome in the outfield, more than adequate at second and short, miserable at first and third. Catching talented but young. (And the pitchers need help) Rotation: 3 *...mainly because of Price, but what are they going to get out of 2 through 5? Lots of possibles in depth chart but are they really good enough when the first team starts going down with the ever-recurring Bosox injury bug? Bullpen: 3 ½ *...a strength of the team. Kimbrel a great closer...Uehara, Tazawa pitched too much the last few years. They needed Carson Smith and his right-handed fastballs to handle Toronto and he went down early. Leadership: 3 ½ *...like New York, they have money if they need help. Dombrowski is a dynamic and knowledgeable baseball guy. Farrell is supposed to be Mr. Pitching Guru but they actually did much better when he was gone second half last year. Still paying the price for blunders like Hanley Ramirez, Panda and Rusney ($70+mil?) Castillo. If those guys turn it around....maybe. Off the charts leadership from Dustin Pedroia, Ortiz and (it looks like) now Mookie Betts. Ortiz's last ride should be good for some motivation. (Good JuJu) TOTAL: 16 ½ STARS...THIRD PLACE Fourth place...BALTIMORE Lineup: 3 *...they got Chris Davis back to team with Adam Jones and Manny Machado. That's a potent combo if they stay healthy. Defense: 4 *...very , very good. Rotation: 2 ½ *...very, very bad (if you're trying to win the East...otherwise average) Bullpen: 3 ½ *...very good actually with Zach Britton, Darren O'Day at the top. Leadership: 2 ½ *...everybody says Showalter is so great. Genius handler of pitching staffs. Well, the Orioles are in the lower middle of baseball in pitching. Also, Buck keeps griping about how the Yankees and Red Sox have more money than the Orioles do. Three words for you Buck...Kansas City Royals. If they had money the Orioles wouldn't spend it 'cause their owner is tight as a tick. TOTAL: 15 ½ STARS...FOURTH PLACE Fifth place...TAMPA BAY ...they finished higher over the last few years and didn't get the best high draft choices anymore. It's showing. They still have good pitchers coming through but a lot of them got hurt or had to be traded when they became free agent-eligible. They have a terrible park and just don't make any money. The franchise should be moved. Lineup: 1 ½ *...almost totally stinko. Only Longoria and maybe Loney are threats and any sane pitcher will pitch around them. Defense: 3 *...Kiermaier is the best in baseball in center. Keystone combo is young and suspect. (29th in baseball last year in DP's) Rotation: 4 *...as usual the Rays run out great arms every day. Not as much depth as in the past. Bullpen: 3 *...weaker than usual. Leadership: 2 *...Manager Cash isn't Joe Maddon. The front office can't seem to get a new ballpark. They should hire George Bush to teach them how to fleece the taxpayers to your own profit. The scouting department should get about a 4 ½ for identifying terrific pitching prospects over the years. TOTAL: 13 ½ STARS...FIFTH PLACE That's it for this issue. The rest of the AL follows in a day or two and then on to the National League. Check your mailbox and thanks for your kind attention! PLAY BALL!