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Showalter has Rangers on the road to shame: Buck Showalter's reputation is that he prefers blue-collar players. He will be viewed harshly if he alienates stars Michael Young, Mark Teixeira and Hank Blalock
Sporting News, The, July 15, 2005 by Ken Rosenthal
INSIDE DISH
The expected return of 3B Chipper Jones (foot) around the All-Star break could put the Braves in position to trade SS Rafael Furcal, assuming the team is willing to use Wilson Betemit at shortstop in a pennant race. Furcal, though, is unlikely to be in demand; most contenders are set at shortstop. The White Sox, next-to-last in the A.L. in on-base/slugging percentage at short, are more focused on pitching and could be one of several clubs that pursues Giants RHP Jason Schmidt. > The Dodgers will possess two advantages over their N.L. West rivals as the trading deadline approaches--deep pockets and a deep farm system. "Their Double-A club is loaded," one rival G.M. says. "They'll be able to make deals if they want to." The difficult part for the Dodgers will be to decide which positions to address. "Our health will end up dictating what we need to do," G.M. Paul DePodesta says. > The Yankees might have purged the wrong lefty reliever when they dumped Mike Stanton and kept Buddy Groom. Lefthanded hitters were 6-for-34 (.176) against Stanton; they were 11-for-40 (.275) off Groom when Stanton was cut. Although Stanton's 7.07 ERA was higher than Groom's 4.29, Stanton had the superior "DIPS" ERA--a sabermetric measure defined as a pitcher's ERA independent of the defense behind him. Better defense and better luck on balls in play might have helped Stanton. The Yankees are last in the A.L. in defensive efficiency, a statistic that measures the percentage of balls in play that are converted into outs. > One Indians veteran says CF Grady Sizemore is not only the best athlete on the team but also a better player than Red Sox CF Johnny Damon. His point is not outlandish; Sizemore, 22, is a better defender than Damon and at one point last week had a higher on-base/slugging percentage. > Maybe Devil Rays RF/1B Aubrey Huff would revive if he joined a contender, but teams interested in trading for him surely are alarmed that he began the week with six homers in 282 at-bats; Rays OF Jonny Gomes had six in 80 at-bats. Huff's defensive shortcomings likely will limit his market to A.L. clubs, though the Astros might want to stick him at first and move Lance Berkman back to left. The Blue Jays also have shown interest in the past. > The Phillies are willing to move 1B Ryan Howard, but their asking price is exorbitant, according to rival clubs. One general manager indicates the Phillies want three players for Howard, who is unproven as a major league hitter and potentially a liability at first. > The Mariners' Jeremy Reed leads all major league center fielders by wide margins in both range factor, which is putouts plus assists divided by innings, and zone rating, which is the percentage of balls fielded by a player in his typical defensive zone, as measured by STATS Inc. One A.L.G.M. says his club's internal numbers also point to Reed as "the best center fielder in the league, maybe in the game. And you know what? It's not even that close"
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