Hot Topics as MLB Season Winds Down

Firstly, the ongoing A-Rod "slump" story. Personally, I'm finding this whole saga as interesting as the Home Run Derby followed by an evening out in an Afghan restaurant with Tony Kornheiser. Alex Rodriguez is still a premier baseball player, without question one of the best five players in the game. He's not had his best year, but the numbers for 2006 will end up similar to his 2004 stats (36 homers, 106 RBI, .888 OPS). So they aren't his 2005 MVP numbers, but they aren't disastrous.

The wretched "sportswriter" (I use the term loosely) Mike Celizic on MSNBC even wrote an article on Rodriguez in July entitled "A-Rod is finished as a Yankee." I'd never read such drivel — and I read Bill Plaschke's columns regularly.

Firstly, A-Rod isn't going anywhere, primarily because he's actually a relatively cheap acquisition for the Yankees. He costs the team $112 million over seven years, which is around $16 million a year. That's less than Derek Jeter's $19 million a year deal and, though Jeter is a consistently fine performer, Rodriguez is a better player. If the Yankees were to acquire Aramis Ramirez in the offseason to replace Rodriguez, he'll cost at least the same in salary and he's a lesser player.

Were the Yankees foolish enough to trade Rodriguez, only the New York Mets and possibly the Angels would be interested in taking on so much salary. Boston has already balked in the past offseason. The Cubs' ownership is traditionally too mean and the Dodgers like taking on high salary players with a history of injury, so Rodriguez doesn't fit their criteria. So it's basically the Angels or nobody as there's no way that George Steinbrenner sends his marquee signing across town. The Mets don't need a shortstop or a third baseman anyhow.

What could Brian Cashman get for him, bearing in mind how hard it is to get young pitchers away from Bill Stoneman? Chone Figgins and some pitching prospects with cash going the other way? Ho-hum. There's no way the Yankees take that deal.

How about we all let the guy play and find his groove again? All premier players have minor slumps, no matter how much they get paid. I'd have thought the Yankee-obsessed media might have something better to talk about, like how Carl Pavano, Kyle Farnsworth, and Randy Johnson aren't earning their considerable salaries.

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So Jim Leyland is a shoe-in for AL Manager of the Year, huh? Wake me up after it's over. There's no doubt Leyland has done a fine job in Detroit, but short of filling out the lineup card and stopping the clubhouse imploding, there's no a lot else to do in an AL dugout. Leyland doesn't do a great job with the lineup (walk-to-the-dugout machine Neifi Perez leading off?), but he's protected his young pitchers pretty well and shut the lid on potential whiners like Ivan Rodriguez and Magglio Ordonez, so he's as good a choice as anyone.

Far more interesting is the NL equivalent. So the league stinks this year, with the exception of the Mets, but there's still (mediocre) clubs to run and Joe Girardi in Florida has done an exceptional job with a bunch of rookies.

Not only has Girardi kept the youngsters focused throughout a tortuously long season, no rare feat indeed, he's actually maneuvered them into an outside shot at the post season. He's protected his talented but raw starters and avoided the abject collapse almost everyone predicted. On top of this he's got the guts to tell the objectionable owner Jeffrey Loria to "shut the ^&#$& up." He'll be fired by early October, pickup a Manager of the Year award, and walk straight into Wrigley Field on the strength of it.

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Much to FOX's annoyance, it's odds-against the Boston Red Sox making the postseason. The injuries became too much, the pitching wasn't as advertised in spring training, and the bullpen was a disaster area. Theo Epstein is taking the heat from a hysterical Boston media for not making a desperation move in July and the world's about to stop turning in New England.

Epstein was right. A quick fix wouldn't have fixed the insurmountable problems Boston had. They could have added a bat, a starter, and a bullpen lefty and still have been in the same mess they're in now. In hindsight, Espstein made the right move in holding onto his youngsters. Boston can regroup for next year from a position of strength. Barry Zito will be on Theo's shopping list as a starter. Boston will also be in the thick of the Alfonso Soriano race if they want to take on his salary. The future's still bright in Fenway, thanks to Theo's caution.

That said, what has happened to the strength of the AL East? Boston has imploded, New York's pitching looks as fragile as Nicole Richie's breakfast, and the Toronto clubhouse resembles a Daytona bar during spring break.

This is the perfect time for both Toronto and Baltimore to make big offseason moves and Tampa Bay to invest in some veterans to guide their huge crop of talented youngsters. Tampa Bay has a way to go yet before it can compete with only Scott Kazmir of any note in the rotation, but the Jays and Orioles need to make a serious splash in the free agent waters this offseason. The timing is perfect given the question marks in New York and Boston.

Toronto has the most to gain short term. J.P. needs to fire Gibbons if he thinks he's lost the core of the locker room with his ludicrous antics. Julio Lugo would be a great addition at shortstop and leading off and the team needs a starter to augment Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett. If they could tie-up Vernon Wells long-term, as well, it would make Toronto a serious contender in 2007 and beyond.

Baltimore's problems will take longer to solve, especially while the Peter Angelos and his sons are running the show. Angelos is the epitome of a bad baseball owner, concerned only with revenue, prickly at (justifiable) criticism, and seemingly unconcerned with competing with powerhouses Boston and New York.

Baltimore has the basis of quality pitching staff despite their youth, with Daniel Cabrera, Adam Loewen, Hayden Penn, and Erik Bedard. The dreadful gamble with Kris Benson has predictably failed and Rodrigo Lopez should have been traded at the deadline. Black marks for GM Mike Flanagan.

On offense, Nick Markakis (OF) has been a difference-maker since the break and Corey Patterson has rebounded from underachieving in Chicago. Add in Brian Roberts, Melvin Mora, and Miguel Tejada and the core of a decent team is in place. The team is desperate for a big bopper at first.

The coming offseason will tell us if Flanagan has the green light from Angelos to compete. If he backs off and signs stop-gaps, the fans will vote with their feet — again.

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Did anyone see last Monday night's telecast of the Yankees/Tigers game? If you did could you let me know where the strike zone was for Jeremy Bonderman? I've seen bigger atoms. Home plate umpire James Hoye presumably went out for dinner after the game on Randy Johnson's Amex card. Johnsons outside edge was somewhere in Connecticut.

MLB needs to address this in the offseason. Umpires consistently favor the big-name guys and it's wrong. Call the strike zone as it's defined, or lose your job — it's simple.

Bud Selig can address this easily and break the power of the umpires' union at the same time. Get them to signup to calling the strike zone on penalty of a big dollar fine if they don't. At the same time, give them a 20% raise. That will split the hardline old-timers from the ambitious young guys. If they call Seligs' bluff, bring in replacements and train some new guys to step in. This current crop has stunk for way too long. Oh, and raise the mound at least six inches when you have a free moment, Bud.

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Finally, a few words on the AL MVP debate. David Ortiz is out, so the new name in the frame is Derek Jeter.

I love Derek Jeter, in a manly way, of course. He plays hard, he plays hurt, he plays better defense than Rob Neyer-lovers claim, he's "clutch" — if there is such a thing — and he's squeaky clean. But he's not even the Yankees' MVP. Jason Giambi is.

Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui went down and A-Rod fell into a slump. Giambi stepped up and carried the team. Forget the .250ish average. Batting average is a garbage stat. His OBP is .413. He's slugging around 1.000. He's hit 36 homers and counting. Even his play at first base has improved, as well.

I can hear the cries. He's tainted; he's a cheat; he should be run out the game.

The award is called Most Valuable Player, not Most Valuable Player Without a Dubious History. Jermaine Dye should get it anyway, but Jason Giambi deserves more consideration than the admirable Mr. Jeter.