Clint Hurdle

They've thrived after the firing of Clint Hurdle, as Jim Tracy has pushed the right buttons, rarely ever taking a misstep.

Considering the way they've played in recent months, is a 4.5 game cushion plenty for the Rockies? Can the Giants, Marlins, and Braves kiss their playoff hopes goodbye?

Continue reading "Have the Rockies locked up the NL Wild Card?"

In the process, Clint Hurdle had Phillies closer Brad Lidge warming up six different times before he finally came in and gave up the game on Michael Young’s sacrifice fly.

The NL used 11 pitchers and the AL 12, meaning that if the game had continued much longer, Selig might still have had to face the tough set of choices outlined above. As it was, the game taxed pitchers like Brandon Webb (who had pitched seven innings and 108 pitches two days before), George Sherrill (the Orioles’ closer, who pitched two and a third innings), and Scott Kazmir (who had also pitched on Sunday, logging six innings and 104 pitches). Webb and Kazmir weren’t supposed to appear at all, with Tampa manager Joe Maddon specifically requesting that Kaz rest his arm, and we have yet to see what the effects might be on them, or guys like Carlos Marmol, who threw an inning in spite of recent struggles and a strong need for rest.

Continue reading "Six Extra Innings of Meaning"

He was selected by manager Clint Hurdle based on his stature among on the players ballots cast. His peers are the best judge of talent, and Sheets fails to gain criticism with his numbers. His 2.85 ERA is just about a full run lower than his numbers the past years and his 10 wins are only two shy of his career high which he set in 2004 and matched in 2007. Despite the brilliance Sheets has shown so far in his career, his tenure could be easily summed up by his strong potential for injuries which have clearly limited his career totals.  In his second All-Star campaign in 2004, his first since his rookie year in 2001, Sheets pitched 237 innings, leading the league strikeout to walk ratio but was limited to 12 wins due to his 6th place Brewers. But since that breakout year, Ben Sheets has not hit 160 innings. His injuries have varied throughout that time, and a trip to the DL last season during the stretch arguably cost the Brewers their first playoff berth in a quarter of a century. If Sheets can dazzle the American League in the All-Star Game like he has shut down the NL all season long so far, then the contenders in the Senior Circuit can start licking their chops for hosting a Game 7.

Continue reading "National League Looks to End Rut"

with Lance Berkman, who’s having a heck of a year, instead of Albert Pujols, whom NL skipper Clint Hurdle had to hand-pick after fans passed on him. Pujols, for those of you who have been asleep since 2001, has been arguably the best hitter in baseball since then. And Ryan Braun’s a whiz with the bat—when he makes contact—but not such a great defender in left. Might you want to shift Nate McLouth, a reserve who normally plays in center, to right instead, since Nate’s OPS is 16 points higher even than slugger Braun?

Continue reading "Gimme A Break!"

Well one manager got it right and one well got it half right.

Clint Hurdle made the right choice for the NL Starter. Ben Sheets has had a great year and has never had the honor of starting the game. Hurdle was left with only two choices, Sheets and Edinson Volquez, as everyone else who deserved to be there (Tim Lincecum and Brandon Webb) both threw lastnight. Volquez was eliminated by his manager Dusty Baker as he threw over 120 pitches Saturday. (Hopefully Lincecum, Webb, and Volquez can all get an inning of work and showcase their talents). So that left Sheets as the starter, and he was the right guy to get the nod.

Continue reading "Cliff Lee vs Ben Sheets"