First things first, Coffee is back from a two month hiatus. The main focus this blog will cover for the next two months is baseball. Also, check out Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny is a "Grantland" style of blog. The writing and editing staff will be comprised mostly of Mizzou journalism students. Look for articles to drop June 6th. Shout out to Anthony Agbabiaka and everyone else for all their hard work to held get this project off the ground. -- Mick
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| Chris Sale out-dueled Matt Moore in a Memorial Day pitching matchup that screamed, "special." |
As for Moore and Sale, their duel last night put the league and their fans on notice. White Sox pitcher Chris Sale got the win and 15 strikeouts to tie Sox greats Ed Cicotte, Ed Walsh and Jim Scott for 2nd in club history for strikeouts in a game. Rays hurler Matt Moore, who I would tell you was easily the best pitching prospect in the game coming into this season, had a coming out party of his own. His 7 innings pitched with 2 earned runs and 10 strikeouts has been by far, his best start all season.
Moore's fatal mistake was leaving one out over the plate to Adam Dunn, which Dunn abused like a red-headed stepchild. Having watched Matt Thornton for several years, I've gotten to see the result of a lefty pitcher that leaves it out for a left-handed hitter to extend their arms on. I'm pretty sure those pitches are why Adam Dunn and Travis Hafner were able to make a living playing baseball.
The game itself serves as a reminder of how this decade will play out. Post-Steroid Era baseball is won with pitching and the draft. Post-Steroid Era baseball is won by good locker room culture and continuity. Post-Steroid Era baseball is won by the man pitching in the 7th inning, smart hitting and defense. Gone are the days where 15 guys are going to hit 40 homers and World Series are straight-up bought.
The old-school blueprint of what a baseball team should be was reintroduced by Rod Gardenhire's Twins in the aughts and ushered into this decade by Joe Maddon's Rays. Now the formula has brought a slew of new teams to the front of the pack. The Rangers cultivated a potential dynasty with this formula. It also reminded the league of the Toronto Blue Jays, the Baltimore Orioles, the Los Angeles and the Washington Nationals.
The relievers in this game were Wade Davis, Jesse Crain and Addison Reed. They represent the three key elements of this decade's game. Continuity is represented by Wade Davis. Davis was drafted by the Devil Rays in 2004 and has been with the organization for the last 8 years. Stellar middle relief is represented by Jesse Crain, who has having one of his best seasons in his long career as a serviceable middle relief man. The importance of the draft was represented by Addison Reed. The homegrown Reed was drafted in the third round 2010 by the Sox and is a big part of a young Sox bullpen.
Don't get me wrong, the league's top hitters will still command more and more money. The Yankees will still use money as a means of competing. The major markets (Cubs, White Sox, Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Angels, Dodgers) will always be a good offseason or two from being competitive. One may even hardly notice the change in baseball's culture. However, it will be apparent if you look closely. The big markets can be beaten in their own realm and that is what solidifies the change in culture. The Rangers beating the Yankees for Cliff Lee in 2010.
Back to Moore and Sale, anybody watching knew this was a special game. In 5 years, these two might be among the best in the game. All I know is that what we saw on the stage in St. Petersburg on Memorial Day was indicative of the future in baseball. Or was it indicative of the present?
