Only two weeks left to finish your before-trade-deadline shopping. So here are the guys at the top of those shopping lists:
Pedro Astacio
Every team with starting-pitching needs has inquired about him. The Cardinals currently seem to be bearing down the hardest, with the Astros, Phillies, Twins, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Blue Jays and Dodgers still at least pushing their shopping carts.
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| 2001 SEASON STATISTICS |
| GM |
IP |
W-L |
BB |
SO |
ERA |
| 20 |
131.1 |
6-11 |
46 |
118 |
5.14 |
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But does Astacio's $9-million club option for next year help or hurt his value? Because he isn't necessarily a rental for a club that picks up the option, the Rockies are looking for at least three young, big-league-ready players back. But the words some clubs have used to describe him include "too streaky," "inconsistent" and "not a $9-million guy, the way he's pitching." Tough to argue, since he has three wins in his last 16 starts.
On the other hand, he's clearly the starting pitcher out there with the highest ceiling. And getting him out of Colorado sure won't be hazardous to his ERA or psyche.
Ugueth Urbina
Even though he flunked the Yankees' health test, the Red Sox and Phillies continue to have strong interest. One scout who saw Urbina this month says: "He threw really well. His stuff was very good. The only concern was that he's lowered his arm angle, so his command is a little off. But he could help somebody." The good news: 50 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings. The bad news: Scored on in two straight outings since the break (2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K).
Sterling Hitchcock
Rumblings of a Hitchcock-for-Erubiel Durazo deal haven't died, although it raised the eyebrows of some Hitchcock watchers when he was scratched from his first start after the break with an ingrown toenail. Pitched great in his win over Colorado on July 4, but never got to 90 on the gun, and hasn't been out there since. "Makes me nervous," said one interested exec.
Jason Isringhausen
If the A's stay hot, they may keep him. But they might not. Suffice it to say they'll be watching call-up Luis Vizcaino very closely over the next two weeks. He could wind up in a closer-by-committee set-up, if the A's think they can get someone like Durazo back for Isringhausen. The Cardinals also remain interested, but may not have the right bat to trade.
Albie Lopez
Three good-to-decent outings in his last four starts (19 IP, 6 ER, but only 6 K) have revived the market for him. But those 12 straight starts without a win before that (0-10, 8.15) has most teams treading cautiously. "I worry about him in pressure situations," says an AL West exec. Still, the Phillies, Twins, Red Sox, Cardinals and Mariners are among the clubs that have stayed in the game.
Dmitri Young
Among the many Reds on the shelf these days (Pokey Reese, Alex Ochoa, Scott Sullivan, etc.), Young seems the most likely to get traded, if only because he's a hit machine with multi-position versatility. The Mariners, Twins, Yankees, Red Sox and Rockies are all possibilities.
Jose Cruz Jr.
The Blue Jays are telling clubs they'll listen to offers on anyone but Carlos Delgado, Raul Mondesi, Chris Carpenter and Billy Koch. But the Mariners' clear interest in Cruz -- and young pitching to trade for him -- makes him a prime attraction. The Rockies, Mets and Padres are other potential destinations. Toronto also has found a ton of interest in Paul Quantrill and Kelvim Escobar.
Shawn Estes
A month ago, Estes seemed headed for the All-Star team. Now the Giants are shopping him after four starts in which he allowed 47 baserunners in 19 innings. Scouts watching him say his velocity has dropped by 7-8 mph. He's been on the DL three times in four years. He's a year away from free agency. So the word to best describe his market would be "wary." One team interested: the Red Sox.
Jermaine Dye
Despite Royals CEO David Glass' public statements that the Royals want to keep him, clubs report the Royals haven't hung up when anyone calls on Dye. And the Mariners, Yankees, Mets and Cubs are among the teams doing the calling.
Other arms
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Triviality
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Sammy Sosa now has hit 30 home runs in every season since the strike. Can you name the other five players who had done that heading into this season?
(Answer at bottom.)
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The Twins have interest in Jose Mercedes, although the Orioles continue to float the names of Jason Johnson and Sidney Ponson in search of a young power bat. The Rangers would be willing to move Rick Helling. Ditto the Blue Jays on Joey Hamilton and Esteban Loaiza. The Phillies would deal the likes of Bruce Chen, David Coggin, Nelson Figueroa and Vicente Padilla for the right pitcher (their chief target these days: a quality set-up arm). And James Baldwin, Woody Williams, Jason Schmidt, Bryan Rekar, Jeff Suppan are all out there. Highly unlikely: Al Leiter.
Bullpen arms include Mike Williams, Todd Jones, Scott Sauerbeck, Dennis Cook, David Weathers and nearly the entire Blue Jays and Reds bullpens. There is also a possibility that both Keith Foulke and Troy Percival could wind up on the block, but for exorbitant prices. So stay tuned.
Other bats
You've heard the names: Jeff Conine, Steve Finley, Tony Womack, Roger Cedeno, Juan Encarnacion, John Vander Wal, Michael Tucker, Chuck Knoblauch, Neifi Perez, Alex Gonzalez (Toronto), Mark Loretta, Andres Galarraga, Marvin Benard, Milton Bradley. The A's are divided on dealing Johnny Damon (especially now that he's 15 for 50, with a .580 slugging percentage, in July), and even more reluctant to dangle Jason Giambi, unless they collapse in the next two weeks. The Astros would trade Daryle Ward only for the right pitcher. And the Yankees are telling clubs calling about Nick Johnson: Don't bother.
Useless information dept.
No wonder George Steinbrenner was teed off by the events in Florida last weekend. Except for that meltdown in the final week of last season, after they'd already essentially clinched, the Yankees hadn't lost back-to-back games by eight runs or more since Aug. 28-29, 1996 (when they lost 10-2 and 14-3 games in Seattle).
Jorge Posada is on a pace to rack up an astounding 25 passed balls. With the help of the Elias Sports Bureau's Ken Hirdt, we've determined that no catcher has committed 20 passed balls in a season in which he didn't have to catch at least one knuckleballer since Benito Santiago had 22 for the '87 Padres. Last to commit 25 or more: Ted Simmons, 28, for the '75 Cardinals.
For all the talk of how the new strike zone has helped the pitching populace, let's remind you again: This is not 1968. Sunday marked the first day since Memorial Day weekend (May 27) that every team played and at least one team didn't score 10 runs in a game.
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| Alou |
Moises Alou's hitting streak was up to 21 games through Monday. He may be a month and a half short of DiMaggio, but Elias reports he went into Tuesday one game away from the record for longest hitting streak by an Alou. His dad, Felipe, had a 22-gamer in 1968.
If it makes the Phillies feel any more comfortable, they ought to know that, according to Elias, no National League team has ever held a lead of eight games or more on June 1 and not made it to the postseason.
Most hits by AL pitching staffs during interleague play, with one day to go: Twins 6 (for 16), Angels 4 (for 22) -- three of them by Jarrod Washburn. Twins pitchers got more hits in interleague play than the Rockies' designated hitters (4 for 19), believe it or not.
Most hits allowed to AL pitchers: Dodgers 6, Cubs 5, Braves and Pirates 3. Only teams not to allow a hit to an American League pitcher (and proud of it, too): Marlins, Diamondbacks and Cardinals.
The Expos called up the long-lost Bobby Munoz this week to start Monday against the Red Sox. Munoz since 1994: seven organizations, one big-league win.
The Expos drew 32,965 paying humans Sunday when the Sox crossed the border. Before that, they'd had 13 straight series in which they hadn't drawn that many people.
So Barry Bonds has hit one home run in his last 18 games, huh? Hey, it happens. While we've never thought it was likely Bonds would break the single-season home run record, one drought like this does not mean it's out of the question. Back in '98, Mark McGwire had a stretch in which he hit two home runs in 17 games, from July 29 through Aug. 18. He then crunched 23 homers over the final six weeks.
Meanwhile, Bonds now has hit 40 homers in back-to-back seasons for the second time in his career. The only other players ever to do that, according to loyal reader Lee Sinins, of baseballimmortals.net:
Juan Gonzalez 1992-93, 1996-98
Ken Griffey Jr. 1993-94, 1996-2000
Harmon Killebrew 1961-64, 1969-70
Willie Mays 1954-55, 1961-62, 1964-65
Babe Ruth 1920-21, 1923-24, 1926-32
You see great sights in those box scores. The Detroit Free Press' John Lowe noticed that twice this month, a team used four relief pitchers in one game and they all had essentially identical lines.
Marlins on July 4: Vladimir Nunez, Armando Almanza, Vic Darensbourg, Braden Looper: all 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER.
Rockies on July 8: Gabe White, Dan Micelli, Jay Powell, Mike Myers: all 1 IP, 0 H, 0R, 0 ER.
How ironic was it that Fred McGriff hit two home runs Sunday, the day before he decided not to become a Cub? Well, all Cubs not named Sosa own exactly two multihomer games all season: Todd Hundley (April 21, while batting fifth, behind Sammy) and Matt Stairs (June 24, while batting fourth, behind Sammy).
Finally, Phillies fun-and-games director John Brazer proved he's been listening to way too much '70s music by wondering which old Loggins & Messina tunes the Phillies ought to play Tuesday night when the pitching matchup at Veterans Stadium is Coggin (David) and Mussina (Mike).
Well, we know which guy they ought to be spinning, "Even though we ain't got money" for ...
Salaries
Mussina $10 million
Coggin $200,000
Leftover All-Star useless information
A-Rod went 0 for 2 in the All-Star Game, meaning he's now 4 for 24 (.167) this year in Safeco, as an ex-Mariner.
Jon Lieber hasn't allowed two home runs in any game he's pitched all year. But he gave up two home runs to the first two hitters he faced in the All-Star Game.
If you count All-Star Games across the Pacific, Ichiro now has hit in 12 of them in a row. Longest All-Star hitting streaks on this side of the Pacific: 7, by Mickey Mantle, Dave Winfield and Joe Morgan.
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| Ordonez |
Magglio Ordonez's homer was only the second in All-Star history by a member of the White Sox. The other was by Frank Thomas, in 1995.
What was the Baltimore connection between Cal Ripken's final All-Star hit and Ted Williams'? In Williams' final All-Star at-bat, he pinch-hit for Minnie Minoso in 1960 and singled. Who then pinch-ran for him? Some guy named Brooks Robinson.
The only Hall of Famers to homer in their final All-Star Game were Frankie Frisch (1934), Larry Doby (1954), and Roberto Clemente and Harmon Killebrew, both in 1971. Andre Dawson would make it five if he's elected between now and 2006, when Ripken adds his name to that list. Other notables who homered in their final All-Star Games: Ken Boyer, Dave Concepcion, Ken Griffey Sr. and Bo Jackson.
The Sultan's Corner
Not to suggest it had been a while since the Twins hit seven home runs in one game or anything. But the Sultan of Swat Stats, SABR's David Vincent, reports that before they did it last weekend in Milwaukee, their previous game of seven or more was on Aug. 29, 1963, when they hit eight in Game 1 of a doubleheader (and then hit four more in Game 2). The Twins who homered last time they did it:
Harmon Killebrew, 2
Vic Power, 2
Bob Allison, 1
Jimmie Hall, 1
Rich Rollins, 1
Bernie Allen, 1
Allen, Hall and Killebrew also homered in Game 2.
Another big Johnson moment in Florida over the weekend: Charles Johnson hit a home run off Jason Johnson. Here are the eight other homers in history that were sponsored by Johnson and Johnson, according to the Sultan:
Jerry Johnson to Cliff Johnson 06/30/1977
Jerry Johnson to Cliff Johnson 09/25/1977
Ken Johnson to Lou Johnson 06/25/1966
Hank Johnson to Bob Johnson 07/08/1934
Fred Johnson to Bob Johnson 08/06/1938
Earl Johnson to Billy Johnson 09/24/1948
Ken Johnson to Billy Johnson 07/15/1951
Mark Johnson to Charles Johnson 04/07/2000
Then there's Reggie Sanders, voted by Rockies reliever Gabe White as this year's walk-off king. On the day before the All-Star break, Sanders hit his second game-ending homer off White this year. (The other was April 20.) That made him the first NL hitter in almost half a century to hit more than one game-ender off the same pitcher twice in one season. The others in big-league history:
Ralph Kiner (Pirates) vs. Karl Drews (Phillies) in 1952
Alvin Davis (Mariners) vs. Keith Atherton (Twins and Athletics) in 1986
Tim Laudner (Twins) vs. Jim Winn (White Sox) in 1987
Harold Baines (White Sox) vs. John Wetteland (Yankees) in 1996
Trivia answer
Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Mike Piazza, Rafael Palmeiro and Mo Vaughn.
Jayson Stark is a Senior Writer at ESPN.com. Rumblings and Grumblings appears each week.
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