It may be a close race for Omar Infante to get to the necessary 502 plate appearances to qualify for the batting title. (John Amis / Associated Press)
Remember how we all rubbed our eyes, then scratched our heads, then laughed when Omar Infante was named an All-Star? It was called my some the worst All-Star selection of all-time. And now, predictably, we're all looking like we're the fools.
The former Tiger's batting average is up to .349 thanks to an ongoing 13-game hitting streak, during which he's hit .429 with three homers and seven RBIs. And if he were eligible for the batting title, he'd be the runaway favorite; the NL's leading hitter who's eligible is Joey Votto of the Reds at .323.
There still is an outside shot for Infante, 28, to qualify, however. A player needs 502 plate appearances. Infante is at 342 with 36 games to go, meaning if he plays all those games -- a distinct possibility because of his versatility on defense, hot bat and the season-ending ACL injury to third baseman Chipper Jones -- he'd need to average 4.4 plate appearances a game. It's certainly on the high side, but he's been batting leadoff, so it's possible.
Infante, after all, has been contributing so much that he's started the last 26 games -- all but three at leadoff -- averaging 4.6 plate appearances. In other words, this should come right down to the wire, which should add to the excitement.
If he were somehow able to pull it off, what a story it'd be for a .275 lifetime hitter who's has come into his own with the Braves. Infante hit .253 in six years with the Tigers, who traded him to the Cubs for Jacque Jones in November 2007. Three weeks later, he was dealt again, to the Braves, with whom he hit .293 in '08 and .305 in '09 -- two years spent mostly as a super utility player, seeing time at six positions.
Now, he's simply a super player, with the chance to be just the fifth Atlanta Brave to win a batting championship. Not that the hardware is his chief motivation for this unlikely hero, whose team is 2 1/2 games up in the NL East late in the final year of Bobby Cox's storied managerial career.
"That's not important right now," Infante, the reigning NL player of the week who this season has played second, third, short, and the corner outfield spots, recently told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. "I want to stay healthy and be part of making the playoffs, do my best to help this team get in the playoffs. At the end of the season. After we clinch, I'll find out who's going to have the batting title."
Triple Crown threats
Here's the twist to Infante's pursuit: He could determine whether we see our first Triple Crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.
As if the NL Central race isn't thrilling enough, now the Reds and Cardinals will duke it for history, too, as Votto and Albert Pujols both are threatening to lead the NL in average, home runs and RBIs.
Through Tuesday, here's whey they stood:
Average: 1. Votto (.323), 2. Pujols (.322)
Homers: 1. Pujols (33), 3. Votto (29)
RBIs: 1. Pujols (92), 2. Votto (86)
As expected, neither Pujols or Votto are eager to talk about the significance of the accomplishment, not with their teams -- who exchanged verbal barbs and fists earlier this month -- separated by just 2 1/2 games in the NL East, with the Reds on top.
"Talk to me about winning, not that stuff," Pujols told USA Today.
Added Votto: "We have a rivalry with the Cardinals and it would be disappointing if we lost to them. That overrides winning the Triple Crown."
Most of the season, we all talked about Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera having a legit chance at the Triple Crown, but he's fallen way back -- as has everyone -- in the homer race, with Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays, whose previous career high was a whopping 16, at 40 already.
No alternative motive
For those who suspect the Red Sox picked Johnny Damon off waivers just to block a possible claim by their fellow AL East contenders, the Yankees and Rays, I don't buy it.
The fact is, the Red Sox need an outfielder -- two of their three starters Monday were Daniel Nava and Ryan Kalish, thanks to the season-ending abdominal injury to Mike Cameron and the potentially season-ending rib injury to Jacoby Ellsbury -- and Damon has four years ofexperience patrolling that uniquely-configured outfield.
Plus, the Red Sox entered Wednesday six games out in both the AL East and wild card races, so they shouldn't be in the business about worrying about anybody but themselves.
Jason Varitek and David Ortiz made their best pitch to their former Idiotmate, and sounded crushed he said no to a return to Boston, the city he helped bring its first title in 86 years -- and the city that freely referred to him as Judas when he bolted to the Yankees for $52 million. (A poll at boston.com, the Boston Globe's Web site, did suggest all was forgiven -- 60 percent of nearly 5,000 voters approved of his return.)
"The way he plays the game, the way he goes about his business, it would have been a welcome visit to have him back here," Varitek told the Boston Herald. "It would have been a big addition to our team with what he can be."
Said Ortiz, also to the Herald: "To see him back in a Red Sox uniform would have been great."
Instead, Rays manager Joe Maddon got his wish: "Kudos to John," he told MLB.com. "I love the fact he's in Detroit."
Manager market
This offseason promises to be intriguing, and not just because of the talented free-agent pool. By my count, there could be more than 10 teams in the market for a manager, for a variety of reasons:
This could open the door for a lot of former managers to get back into the game -- baseball execs love major league experience on the bench -- including Bobby Valentine, who was supposedly so close to getting the Marlins gig until those talks quickly and surprisingly broke off. Former Tigers manager Alan Trammell finally could get another chance, too, though he won't get a shot with his current team, the Cubs, who've already dismissed the bench coach as a candidate to replace Lou Piniella. (No surprise; they've seemingly been grooming Ryne Sandberg for this very day.)
Trammell, of course, could end up with the Diamondbacks as perhaps a bench coach if Gibson is kept on, which appears to be a strong possibility. That scenario would be a role reversal from their days in charge of the Tigers.
Hard luck
Three of the game's hardest-throwing pitchers are on the shelf: Joel Zumaya (elbow) of the Tigers, long baseball's king of 100-mph club; prized phenom Stephen Strasburg (forearm) of the Nationals; and, now, Matt Thornton (forearm) of the White Sox, perhaps the game's most dominating left-handed reliever.
Thornton, along with right-handed reliever J.J. Putz, who injured his knee Tuesday night, went on the DL, two big blows for a White Sox team that already has been seeing its bullpen -- so solid most of the year -- implode, to the tune of a 4.94 ERA this month.
The bullpen has allowed 11 home runs this month, as many as the previous two months combined, and has seven losses in August, more than in all of May, June and July. The meltdown is the major reason they've gone from a half-game up in the AL Central to start the month to 3 1/2 games behind the Twins after picking up a game Tuesday.
Thornton (2.66 ERA), of Three Rivers, Mich., and Putz (2.68), of Trenton, along with converted infielder Sergio Santos (1.74), have been the 'pen's glue most of the year. And now only Santos is healthy -- though he might not want to admit that after allowing three runs in the ninth Tuesday without retiring a single Oriole. That means the White Sox will have to rely heavily on a guy who was playing collegiately a few months ago, lefty Chris Sale, the 13th overall pick this past June who's made just seven major league appearances with his scary high-90s fastball -- it was amusing watching Alex Gordon of the Royals laying down a bunt against him Saturday night -- and whatever's left in the minor leagues.
"I need some guys that can go out there," manager Ozzie Guillen told reporters Tuesday. "I'm not saying we're in trouble, but everyone in the bullpen has to pick it up a notch. We have to step it up a notch. We'll figure it out."
Can't be beat
Padres left-hander Clayton Richard, a former University of Michigan standout, has gone 12 consecutive starts against NL West opponents without being beaten, the third-longest such streak in franchise history, behind Mark Thurmond (14 in 1984) and Randy Jones (13 in 1976). Here's Richard's streak:
April 19 vs. Giants: 6 1/3 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO -- W, 3-2 (no decision)
May 5 vs. Rockies: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 5 SO -- L, 6-5 (no decision)
May 12 vs. Giants: 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO -- W, 5-2
May 17 vs. Giants: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO -- W, 3-1
June 30 vs. Rockies: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 SO -- W, 13-3
July 11 vs. Rockies: 5 2/3 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO -- W, 9-7 (no decision)
July 17 vs. Diamondbacks: 6 1/3 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO -- W, 8-5
July 28 vs. Dodgers: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO -- W, 6-1
Aug. 2 vs. Dodgers: 5 1/3 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO -- W, 10-5
Aug. 7 vs. Diamondbacks: 3 2/3 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO -- L, 6-5 (no decision)
Aug. 13 vs. Giants: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO -- W, 3-2
Aug. 24 vs. Diamondbacks: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 5 BB, 8 SO -- W, 5-0
Diamond digits
62-63 -- Twins record through Aug. 24 last year.
63-63 -- Tigers record through Aug. 24 this year.
4 1/2 -- Games the Twins were back of the Tigers last Aug. 24 (and seven games back as late as Sept. 6).
9 -- Games the Tigers were back of the Twins this Aug. 24.
He said it
"Given the guy didn't have much to work with, considering I've never been confused with Clark Gable, I thought he did a masterful job."
-- Bud Selig, baseball commissioner and former Brewers owner, on his reaction to seeing for the first time his statue, unveiled outside Miller Park on Tuesday.
He said it II
"I joked with him after the game, 'That was efficient -- don't be afraid to mix in a ball.'"
-- Dan Wheeler, talking to the St. Petersburg Times about his fellow Rays reliever, closer Rafael Soriano, who, in picking up a save Monday against the Angels, need just nine pitches to strike out the side. He's the first major leaguer to do that this year, and the 41st ever.
He said it III
"I suppose you've got to give my wife credit, too -- home cooking."
-- CC Sabathia, Yankees ace, to the New York Daily News after beating the Mariners, 10-0, on Sunday to improve to 15-0 in his last 20 starts at Yankee Stadium.
Tony's top five
1. Tampa Bay (1): With Wade Davis' win Tuesday, Rays became first team to five starters with 10 wins.
2. N.Y. Yankees (2): Hitting cleanup in A-Rod's absence, Robinson Cano has 20 RBIs in 14 games.
3. Atlanta (3): Fourteen different Braves have contributed a game-winning RBI this season.
4. San Diego (4): All of Matt Stairs' record 21 pinch-hit homers have been in the eighth, ninth innings.
5. Cincinnati (5): Joey Votto is first Red to be on Sports Illustrated cover since Ken Griffey Jr. in '04.
Tony's bottom five
26. Chicago Cubs (27): Joe's kid, Casey Coleman, just got first major league win, hit, RBI in same game.
27. Cleveland (24): Kerry who? Chris Perez has 10 saves in 11 chances with 1.44 ERA since start of June.
28. Arizona (28): Mark Reynolds is on pace for 223 K's, which would tie his own major league record.
29. Baltimore (29): Orioles, at 12-10, are on pace of their first winning month of August since 1997.
30. Pittsburgh (30): A record 18th straight losing season and word of huge profits in same week. Gross.
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