The Drawback of the Small Market Team

Currently, the Arizona Diamondbacks are 6.0 Games up in the National League West Division at the start of the last month of the regular season.  They are entering a three games series with the 2nd place team, the San Francisco Giants, tomorrow which can have a direct and major impact on the way the remainder of the month will play out.  Yet who will even know it happened?

If anything we've learned from the Great Quake of 2011 it's that nothing is media worthy if it doesn't affect New York or Boston.  A measly earthquake that caused next to no damage dominates the news for days on end is only an example of the bias news coverage that directly translates right into sports.  If you are not an East Coast team, don't expect National Coverage.  If it didn't happen to New York it didn't happen.

Even when the Pirates and Indians were doing well half way through the season it was just a blip on the national scene before coverage diverged back to the Red Sox, Yankees, and Phillies.  It's understood that their fan bases are nationally huge.  Their tv ratings are some of the highest in baseball.  Their ticket prices are the highest so therefore their gross revenues are the largest.  Which in turn brings in the big name free agents they all swoop up and secure before the little guy gets his fair chance.

Yet on September 1st, for the baseball fan in all of us, isn't a Division Series game with the playoffs on the line worth noting on ESPN?  The Diamondbacks have proven themselves over the course of this season as more than just a team on a hot streak.  They've proven themselves at this point to be a formidable opponent regardless of their opponent.  Yet still, September 1st, no national recognition.  No mention of their stellar starting pitching.  Their MLB best come from behind victories.  Feel good stories about their turnaround in the bullpen which at this time last year was holding an ERA north of 6.00.  They haven't blown a save since the All Star break.  Only team in baseball to hold that claim.

They play in the National League.  They play in the National League West.  I understand yet if this was the AL West is that any better?  If this is the AL Central is that any better?  I've never been convinced that because you play in the AL you are somehow superior to an NL player.  NL teams are not inferior to the AL teams or leagues as the World Series titles can attest to.  Take out the Yankees and Red Sox and their combined $400 million dollar payrolls and see where that leaves the standings since 1990.  The DH is an offensive advantage and a pitching disadvantage yet pitchers still don't go to the NL and suddenly start dominating.  So why all the NL disrespect?

Aside from the NL East and AL East there are not many divisions that have much for stacked teams.  As well as you don't only play the teams in your own division.  You have to play everyone in the league and every team is still a professional baseball team.  The Rockies for instance are struggling this year but have a #3 Tulowitski, #4 Helton and #5 Gonzalez.  As formidable as anything the AL has going for them.

If the division you played in was really all that mattered then why did the San Francisco Giants win the World Series last year?  Why are the Colorado Rockies (at least in recent years) consistently knocking off major opponents in the playoffs.  Why did the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees in 2001?  The Division argument to me is moot when you reach the playoffs as anything can happen and everyone has an equal chance at winning.  What division you played in is not relevant beyond reaching the playoffs and what seed you end up with.

So when the Diamondbacks reach 90+ wins this season are they somehow less impressive than if the Angels get 90+ wins?  Are they somehow less worthy of recognition as a team to be reckoned with?  Nine straight wins and the starting staff has a 1.05 ERA?  I don't know if it matters what teams you are playing in the league, that's just plain impressive.

What will it take for these Diamondbacks to make it to ESPN, magazines and the like?  100 wins?  A sweep of the Phillies in the Playoffs?  A win against an AL East team in the World Series?  Given how the Giants are given little credit I don't know if even that will make a difference.

Maybe the Diamondbacks haven't earned the coverage?  Considering they only won 67 games last year with a near MLB worst ever team ERA and now almost 80 wins, division lead in September and one of the best pitching staffs in baseball??  Seems odd that I can't find coverage of this turnaround outside of the Arizona Republic and www.dbacks.com.

It'll be interesting to see how this weekend's series pans out against the Giants.  As well as the rest of the month.  I for one look forward to this time of the year, the close games, following opponents scores as close as your own, every at bat, hit, homerun, web gem, big k.  All meaningful in a way that they were not in April, May or June.  I hope the Diamondbacks come through this month and prove to the media world, and the national fans out there, that they are not a fluke, they are not going away and they are here to stay.

Can the Yankees compete with the Phillies or Red Sox Rotation?

CC
Hughes
Burnett
... Pettitte??
...Nova??

Versus:
Beckett
Lester
Dice K
Buchholz
Lackey

Or the Phillies new Rotation of:
Halladay
Lee
Oswalt
Hamels
Blanton/Kendrick

Of course the Maddux/Smoltz/Avery/Leibhardt didn't exactly cover the walls with Championships but Lee going to the Phillies and a healthy Red Sox rotation is pretty dangerous.  Red Sox are also close to signing Bobby Jenks as their new closer.  Does that mean Pap's is going elsewhere in a trade?  They still have Daniel Bard too...

Not saying the Yankees are lost without Lee but banking on Andy Pettitte to come back to MAYBE pitch 20 starts is not exactly matching the Phillies/Giants/Red Sox in pitching.  They do still have Rivera though. 

Read a few things on Bleacher Report that the Yankees could possibly go after a David Price/Clay Kershaw type person in the league using Jesus Montero as trade chips.  That would be interesting...

Side Note:  Check out the career stats of the 2011 rotation for the Phillies.  I think people overlook how good they are after Halladay and Lee, the "Superstars."  Oswalt is still wicked good and so is Hamels even if he had a so-so year in '09. 

Halladay, Lee, Oswalt and Hamels are ALL 200 IP, 200K guys that could easily win 20 games each if they stay healthy.  Ridiculous.  Amazing what a switch to a good offense will do for a pitchers stats and "W" colomn...

HALLADAY:

Pitching Stats: Next Stats >> SEASON TEAM W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV SVO IP H R ER HR HBP BB SO 1998     Toronto Blue Jays 1 0 1.93 2 2 1 0 0 --- 14.0 9 4 3 2 0 2 13 1999     Toronto Blue Jays 8 7 3.92 36 18 1 1 1 1 149.1 156 76 65 19 4 79 82 2000     Toronto Blue Jays 4 7 10.64 19 13 0 0 0 0 67.2 107 87 80 14 2 42 44 2001     Toronto Blue Jays 5 3 3.16 17 16 1 1 0 0 105.1 97 41 37 3 1 25 96 2002     Toronto Blue Jays 19 7 2.93 34 34 2 1 0 0 239.1 223 93 78 10 7 62 168 2003     Toronto Blue Jays 22 7 3.25 36 36 9 2 0 0 266.0 253 111 96 26 9 32 204 2004     Toronto Blue Jays 8 8 4.20 21 21 1 1 0 0 133.0 140 66 62 13 1 39 95 2005     Toronto Blue Jays 12 4 2.41 19 19 5 2 0 0 141.2 118 39 38 11 7 18 108 2006     Toronto Blue Jays 16 5 3.19 32 32 4 0 0 0 220.0 208 82 78 19 5 34 132 2007     Toronto Blue Jays 16 7 3.71 31 31 7 1 0 0 225.1 232 101 93 15 3 48 139 2008     Toronto Blue Jays 20 11 2.78 34 33 9 2 0 0 246.0 220 88 76 18 12 39 206 2009     Toronto Blue Jays 17 10 2.79 32 32 9 4 0 0 239.0 234 82 74 22 5 35 208 2010     Philadelphia Phillies 21 10 2.44 33 33 9 4 0 0 250.2 231 74 68 24 6 30 219 Career Totals 169 86 3.32 346 320 58 19 1 --- 2297.1 2228 944 848 196 62 485 1714 LEE: Pitching Stats: Next Stats >> SEASON TEAM W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV SVO IP H R ER HR HBP BB SO 2002     Cleveland Indians 0 1 1.74 2 2 0 0 0 0 10.1 6 2 2 0 0 8 6 2003     Cleveland Indians 3 3 3.61 9 9 0 0 0 0 52.1 41 28 21 7 2 20 44 2004     Cleveland Indians 14 8 5.43 33 33 0 0 0 0 179.0 188 113 108 30 11 81 161 2005     Cleveland Indians 18 5 3.79 32 32 1 0 0 0 202.0 194 91 85 22 0 52 143 2006     Cleveland Indians 14 11 4.40 33 33 1 0 0 0 200.2 224 114 98 29 8 58 129 2007     Cleveland Indians 5 8 6.29 20 16 1 0 0 0 97.1 112 73 68 17 7 36 66 2008     Cleveland Indians 22 3 2.54 31 31 4 2 0 0 223.1 214 68 63 12 5 34 170 2009     Cleveland Indians 7 9 3.14 22 22 3 1 0 0 152.0 165 53 53 10 3 33 107 2009     Philadelphia Phillies 7 4 3.39 12 12 3 1 0 0 79.2 80 35 30 7 2 10 74 2010     Seattle Mariners 8 3 2.34 13 13 5 1 0 0 103.2 92 31 27 5 0 6 89 2010     Texas Rangers 4 6 3.98 15 15 2 0 0 0 108.2 103 53 48 11 1 12 96 Career Totals 102 61 3.85 222 218 20 5 0 0 1409.0 1419 661 603 150 39 350 1085

OSWALT:

Pitching Stats: Next Stats >> SEASON TEAM W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV SVO IP H R ER HR HBP BB SO 2001     Houston Astros 14 3 2.73 28 20 3 1 0 0 141.2 126 48 43 13 6 24 144 2002     Houston Astros 19 9 3.01 35 34 0 0 0 0 233.0 215 86 78 17 5 62 208 2003     Houston Astros 10 5 2.97 21 21 0 0 0 0 127.1 116 48 42 15 5 29 108 2004     Houston Astros 20 10 3.49 36 35 2 2 0 0 237.0 233 100 92 17 11 62 206 2005     Houston Astros 20 12 2.94 35 35 4 1 0 0 241.2 243 85 79 18 8 48 184 2006     Houston Astros 15 8 2.98 33 32 2 0 0 0 220.2 220 76 73 18 6 38 166 2007     Houston Astros 14 7 3.18 33 32 1 0 0 0 212.0 221 80 75 14 7 60 154 2008     Houston Astros 17 10 3.54 32 32 3 2 0 0 208.2 199 89 82 23 10 47 165 2009     Houston Astros 8 6 4.12 30 30 3 0 0 0 181.1 183 83 83 19 8 42 138 2010     Philadelphia Phillies 7 1 1.74 13 12 1 1 0 0 82.2 53 18 16 6 3 21 73 2010     Houston Astros 6 12 3.42 20 20 1 1 0 0 129.0 109 52 49 13 2 34 120 Career Totals 150 83 3.18 316 303 20 8 0 0 2015.0 1918 765 712 173 71 467 1666 HAMELS:

Pitching Stats:																		Next Stats >>
	SEASON		TEAM		W		L		ERA		G		GS		CG		SHO		SV		SVO		IP		H		R		ER		HR		HBP		BB		SO
	2006		Philadelphia Phillies		9		8		4.08		23		23		0		0		0		0		132.1		117		66		60		19		3		48		145
	2007		Philadelphia Phillies		15		5		3.39		28		28		2		0		0		0		183.1		163		72		69		25		3		43		177
	2008		Philadelphia Phillies		14		10		3.09		33		33		2		2		0		0		227.1		193		89		78		28		1		53		196
	2009		Philadelphia Phillies		10		11		4.32		32		32		2		2		0		0		193.2		206		95		93		24		5		43		168
	2010		Philadelphia Phillies		12		11		3.06		33		33		1		0		0		0		208.2		185		74		71		26		8		61		211
	Career Totals				60	45	3.53	149	149	7	4	0	0	945.1	864	396	371	122	20	248	897