Fraudtober: Where Amazingly Bad Happens (With Poll Question)

[Ed. Note: If the NBA is where amazing happens, then Fraudtober is where amazingly bad baseball happens.  It seems that every October brings a goat -- and being a Cubs fan -- I know October failure when I see it.  So after every round of playoffs, there will be a poll after the jump to see who will be named each round's OctoberFraud.  In the end, we'll take all the winners and pit them against one another.]

Matt Holliday was not the only star to fall in October.  Check out the rest of the OctoberFrauds after the jump.

Why I Hate Your Playoff Baseball Team

Confession: I am a baseball nerd.  Really.  When I was younger, I found myself watching playoff baseball despite the fact that my favorite team had been eliminated from playoff contention for a good chunk of those years.

But now, after back-to-back soul crushing playoff sweeps, my favorite team failed to make the postseason altogether.  I thought about latching myself to the bandwagon of one of the remaining teams.  Upon further review, I couldn't find it within me to do it.

And this is how "Why I Hate Your Playoff Baseball Team" got started.

The longest (and arguably most offensive to those of you who take your favorite team way too seriously) post in TBDS history after the jump.

Cubs Interested In Shipping Zambrano? Here's Your Irresponsible Blogger-Turned-GM Post Of The Day!

The story of the day in Chicago baseball was the Cubs' 2-0 win against the Milwaukee Brewers.  The win would have meant something a year ago at this time as the Cubs and Brew Crew were duking it out for NL Central supremacy.  Right now, the Cubs' biggest battles are against themselves and mediocrity.

And now we bring you to the buried lead in the story brought to you by Chicago Tribune Cubs beat writer Paul Sullivan:

Now that Hendry is assured of returning in 2010, he'll have to decide which players to bring back. Dempster, who signed a four-year, $52 million deal last winter, is assured of returning. [Carlos] Zambrano, who signed a five-year, $91.5 million deal in August 2007, is not.

Despite the fact that Zambrano has a full no-trade clause, the Cubs plan on shopping him this off-season, sources said, believing he'll waive the clause to go to the right team, as Jake Peavy eventually did when the Padres consummated a deal this summer with the White Sox.

According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, Carlos Zambrano has $53.75 million coming his way from 2010-12, with a vesting option worth $19.25 million in 2014.

Let the record show that despite a mediocre season by Zambrano (8-6, 3.77 ERA), pitching has not been the Cubs' downfall.  The North Side staff ranks in the top-5 in strikeouts, ERA+, WHIP, H/9 and K/9.  But with a weak free agent market awaiting, now might be the best time to move Big Z.

But where?

Wang Yanked Early ... Oh, And He Didn't Pitch Well Either

Wang doesn't last long as Red Sox wear him out after another short appearance. Think Joe Girardi regrets re-inserting Wang?

Probably much as Chien-Meng regrets his last name being symbolic for a penis.

And that, my friends, is as close as I am getting to analyzing Red Sox-Yankees.

John Smoltz must have missed the memo

After more than 20 years with the Atlanta Braves, future Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz is almost set to sign with the Boston Red Sox to cap his illustrious career.

The signing will likely put an end to the idea of three of the baseball's best pitchers to walk into Cooperstown at the same time.

Greg Maddux retired earlier in the offseason at the Winter Meetings in his home town of Las Vegas and Tom Glavine will likely retire if he is not healthy to start the 2009 season.

It would have been the greatest spectacle the Hall of Fame would have ever seen. All three will likely join the Hall as members of the Braves after one World Series title and a billion National League East (and one NL West) title.

As for the Smoltz signing, it shocks me because I thought he was at the end of his tether after an early season-ending arm injury. Instead, the BoSox have made their big splash of the offseason after seeing the New York Yankees spend more than $240 million on two-fifths of a starting rotation and the defending AL champion Tampa Bay Rays add Pat Burrell as a power-hitting right-handed stick to be the team's designated hitter.

Slot Smoltzy in with Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsuzaka and the balance of power in the AL East is even again.

If he is healthy, of course.

Here We Go Again Pt. 2

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Stop me if you've heard this one before.

The Boston Red Sox are pushed to the brink of elimination and thanks to the contributions of David Ortiz, Jonathan Papelbon and Jason Varitek they're baseball season lives long enough to force a Game 7.

OK, I thought we've gone through this scenario once or twice.

If the Red Sox do indeed come all the way back to win this series, the Tampa Bay Rays will likely be written off as frauds by the media folk out there. They would go immediately from the darlings to the dumpster.

It'd be the biggest collapse since - dare I say? - the 2003 Chicago Cubs had a 3-1 lead and then choked away their best opportunity to go to the World Series since 1945.

Yeah, I'd say it.

Tonight's Game 7 matchup doesn't provide the sexy pitching names of this series like Beckett (who was darn good last night), Matsuzaka or Kazmir but baseball people like myself will enjoy tonight's pitching duel between Jon Lester and Matt Garza.

Lester and Garza are both wealthy with young talent and if both teams do their part, it won't be the last time we'll see these two square off in a big game.

So long from Austintown, Ohio. We've gotta go back to Carbondale.

[Red Sox 4 Rays 2]

Here we go again...

Photo Credit: AP

Remember that MLB campaign "You can't script October?"

I do.

And I hate to say it but tonight's ALCS Game 5 looked like something straight out of a Disney movie.

The up-and-coming Tampa Bay Rays were looking to knock off the big bad Boston Red Sox from their championship form. And up 7-0 with the franchise's best pitcher it looks bleek for the home team.

Then the big bad Red Sox took a risk throwing their all-world closer in the seventh inning.

The move will go down in history as helping to spark the BoSox's 8-0 run to end the game, giving the team an extra life and helped send the series back to Tampa Bay.

If the Red Sox win this series, I'll be sick. But I won't be surprised.

Because I've seen this movie before and to be honest, I didn't wanna see another sequel.

[Rays 7 Red Sox 8]

Are the Rays ready to go all the way?

A franchise that was the laughing stock of baseball just one season ago could be getting the last laugh with a victory tonight in Game 5 of the ALCS.

Standing between the Boston Red Sox and their chance to send the series back to Tropicana Field is one Scott Kazmir, whose flame-throwing left arm is 4-4 with a 3.02 ERA at Fenway Park with 68 strikeouts in 62.2 innings at the venerable Boston ballpark.

(On a somewhat related note: standing between a New York Mets fan and suicide watch is the picture in this post. I digress.)

The Rays are hot and have been the talk of the baseball world of late. ESPN is catching on, and it almost seems as if (for once) they will be ready to relinquish Sawks/Yanks talk if only for one night because of the Rays' surge.

But don't count out the Red Sox just yet. We've seen this song and dance before and to be honest, it's getting kind of old.

"Oh, let's dig ourselves a deep hole and then slowly climb our way out of it and gain the love and recognition for being a bunch of gritty grinders."

Bleh. Screw that.

Dear Scott: Finish them.

I promise a better blogging day tomorrow.

Until then...

Good night from Carbondale.

The Boston Red Sox Don't Care About Black People

While this may be news to some of you out there living in caves, under rocks or in mom's basement it isn't news to the TBDS team of sportswriters.

It's been a fact since the dawn of time - or at least since Ted Williams was swinging the stick.

The Boston Red Sox (a.k.a. the NEW New York Yankees) don't care about black people.

And it could hurt them when the free agency market opens up in the offseason.

Per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports:

"The trade of left fielder Manny Ramirez and loss of shortstop Julio Lugo to injury left the Sox with a predominantly Caucasian roster. Why bring this up now, with the Red Sox in the American League Championship Series? Well, the free-agent market will open in about a month. The makeup of the Red Sox's roster could be a concern for players they pursue, whether it's this offseason or in the future. ... The Sox's composition is surprising in an era in which rosters are more diverse than at any point in the game's history, even as the number of African-American players continues to decline."

True that. I think it was an ESPN piece a few years that remarked about the declining number of African-American ball - to the point where traditional black universities are giving scholarships to non-black players just to field a team.

But wait, there's more...

"But the Sox carry a special burden. They have a shameful history of discrimination, one that their present ownership group has tried to address. And a perception has long existed among some African-American athletes that Boston is hostile to players who are not white. ... The question is whether the Red Sox will lose players they want because of the makeup of their club, the perception of the city or both."

It would be terrible to lose out on a player that can change the face of your franchise (no pun intended) because of the color of his skin. Isn't this why Jackie Robinson was so important to the game of baseball?

It's almost sickening that this is an issue.

What's with all the new-fangled racism in baseball?

I think it all began with the concept that white players that aren't as athletic as their teammates are scrappy and that distinction only (apparently) goes to white players.

But Rosenthal has a point. We'll see how the offseason shakes out. Likely, this will be a story that drifts away after a while

But maybe it shouldn't.

I'll leave you with this very curious comment from a columnist last year.

Found at FireJoeMorgan.com and reproduced with the help of the BBTF Newsblog Discussion:

"My disinterest in baseball as a kid has lasted all my life. I’m still not interested in the game. I don’t watch it on television or follow it in the newspaper. I know all about Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, but today’s baseball stars are all guys named Rodriguez to me. They’re apparently very good but they haven’t caught my interest."

Daily Dosage: Like life, baseball goes on

First of all, let the record show that Nick Cannon has no business being married to the beautiful (and a little bit loco) Mariah Carey.

Seriously, Mariah can sing her butt off and look good in it. Nick Cannon had that one song with R. Kelly and that other song with a bunch of rappers.

At least he has Drumline money to fall back on.

Still, it's unfair.

Moving on to the Dosage.

The Phreakin' Phils Are Having Phun! Through four NLCS games, Brad Lidge has proven to be the anti-Mitch Williams.

Lidge converted his first four-out save this season and he did it at a perfect time for Philly fans as the fans of the Illa-delph's baseball team were rewarded with a 7-5 come-from-behind victory.

The Dodgers bullpen (normally good) allowed five runs in four innings of work to a powerful Phillies offense that is one win away from its first World Series since 1993.

Remember the Wild Thing? Here's hoping Brad Lidge has a short memory. Remember the last time he was in a LCS clinching game?

[Phillies 7 Dodgers 5]

Rays romp in Boston. To quote Eminem in the great movie "8 Mile": "Now who's afraid of the big bad wolf?"

Not the Tampa Bay Rays.

In their first playoff appearance at Fenway Park, the Rays looked like a group of veterans, knocking around Jon Lester (surprising!) to the tune of five runs (four earned) on eight hits in 5.2 innings. Then the Rays knocked around Paul Byrd (not so much!) for four runs (all earned) in 3.1 innings.

Oh yeah, and B.J. Upton is turning into an October star.

His summer troubles were chronicled here at TBDS.

The good news for the Rays center fielder is that it's the fall.

He's batting .308 after a 2-for-5 day at the plate in which he knocked in three RBIs, scored a run and hit a loooong home run off of Lester in the third inning.

The Rays are up 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

[Rays 9 Red Sox 1]

Quality Linkage:

• The SIU men's golf team posted its worst finish of the fall season. [Daily Egyptian]
• The Heisman Field is lackin' for talent. [The Big Lead]
• The best Madden glitches ever. [on205th]
• A victory for "baseball geeks" like me. [Gawker]
• Marshawn Lynch is just like me. And by just like me, I mean he's a blogger. [With Leather]
  

Jonathan Papelbon is excited to see Big Papi because he really wants to celebrate

The Boston Red Sox celebrated another AL playoff berth with the team's 5-4 victory over Cy Young candidate Cliff Lee and the Cleveland Indians.

And they celebrated like any victorious team should.

By getting each other wet.

I feel sorry for the clubhouse manager. I don't know how he would get all that stuff out. It looks like a big mess and by the look on Papelbon's face, Big Papi's got some more coming to him.

I'm assuming those are some top-notch goggles, I'd hate for that crap to get in Papi's eye, causing him to miss some key games down the stretch.

Seriously, is this not the greatest photo ever?

Kudos to With Leather for the inspiration for this post.

Should The Red Sox Pursue Barry Lamar Bonds?

If losing 1B/DH David Ortiz is damaging to my fantasy team, imagine how the Boston Red Sox feel.

"Big Papi" has been placed on the DL retroactive to June 1 because of a torn tendon in his wrist. Despite a slow start, which has his batting average currently sitting at .252, Ortiz has 13 home runs and 43 RBIs. Until further notice, manager Terry Francona has moved left fielder Manny Ramirez into the designated hitter slot while Jacoby Ellsbury, Coco Crisp and J.D. Drew man the outfield.

And while the Red Sox still have one of the most explosive offenses in baseball, the BoSox are basically replacing David Ortiz's bat with Coco Crisp and that's not going to be good in the long haul.

Enter stage left Barry Lamar Bonds.

Bonds, Major League Baseball's home run king, is sitting at home awaiting a phone call from somebody (anybody) who wants to pay him to play baseball. The Red Sox, who are in second place behind the Tampa Bay (not Devil) Rays are in search of a left-handed power hitter to fill in for an injured star.

It's not like anyone's really interested in Bonds right now. There won't be any competing offers, so you can get baseball's most prolific home run hitter without entering a bidding war.

In 2007, Bonds hit 28 home runs in 340 at-bats with an on-base percentage of .480. You can easily slide him in to the three-hole and have Ramirez batting with a runner on 48% of the time. There isn't a hitter in the world that wouldn't want that, let alone the RBI machine known as Man-Ram.

And it's not like Bonds will just be padding his stats, though that is what he'll be doing if/when he comes back. Barry is hungry for a ring, and with the kind of talent the Red Sox have, it might be his best chance ever.

So there's a free agent with these career numbers: 762 HRs, 1,996 RBIs, .298 BA and a .444 OBP. And your team needs a free agent. Sounds like a match made in heaven, right?

Well, almost. See, this wouldn't even be an issue if it wasn't for three dreaded letters: H-G-H.

But let's be honest, if adding Barry Bonds would guarantee you a World Championship, would you care about BB's past? Wait, what if Bonds was caught juicing (CJ in your scorecards) the night your favorite team clinched the title.

I wouldn't.

Because if my favorite team won the World Series, Barry's BALCO usage would be the furthest thing from my mind. I'd probably be too busy downing Old Style, spraying champagne on Erin Andrews and the Wrigleyville beauty of my choice.

Somewhere, there's a fan in Boston thinking the same way as I am.