Player of the Week
Matt Holliday, Athletics
He hasn’t made the big splash many expected when he came over from Colorado. So far in his first season with Oakland, Holliday has just 11 home runs, 54 RBI and a batting average of .287. But he’s heated up over the past three contests with seven hits, two homers, two doubles and seven RBI in that span. Holliday had a perfect day at the plate on Wednesday by going 3-for-3 and scoring three times. The A’s took care of the Twins that afternoon with a 16-1 thrashing. Earlier in the series, Oakland came back from 10 runs down to stun Minnesota by a score of 14-13. And now, rumors have Holliday possibly going to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Story Lines
1. Cooperstown Bound » Heading the Hall of Fame class of 2009, which will be inducted on Sunday afternoon, is arguably the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history. Rickey Henderson is the all-time Major League leader with 1,406 stolen bases and 2,295 runs scored and cruised into Cooperstown in his first year of eligibility with 94.8 percent of the vote. It was not as easy for Jim Rice to get into the Hall, who waited 15 years. Rice was one of the most feared hitters in the game during his career. He slugged 382 home runs, drove in 1,451 runs, was an eight-time All-Star and an MVP in 1978 while playing his entire career with the Boston Red Sox.
2. As hot as the temperature » The Houston Astros, winners in seven of their last 10, are suddenly at the forefront in the NL Central picture. But is this really so sudden? The Astros went on a similar hot streak in years past. As of Thursday, they were just a game within first place. A solid win streak from the Yankees, coupled with a Red Sox losing skid, has put the pinstripers in front in their divisional race. Since Alex Rodriguez returned to the lineup on May 8, no team has a better record. The Philadelphia Phillies just recently saw their 10-game winning streak come to a close, but not before stretching their lead in the NL East.
3. Walking the trade (dead)line » Pittsburgh Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington must be an auctioneer in his down time. If not, PNC Park needs those signs you see outside of a department store that’s going out of business: “Sale! Everything Must Go!” The latest to go was starting first baseman Adam LaRoche, traded to the Red Sox for minor league prospects. The Pirates also shipped off Nate McLouth to Atlanta and Nyjer Morgan to Washington. Now, they’re hearing offers for shortstop Jack Wilson and All-Star second baseman Freddy Sanchez. Aside from Pittsburgh, other possible deals in the works prior to the July 31 trade deadline could include Matt Holliday, obviously Roy Halladay, San Diego’s Adrian Gonzalez and the Indians’ Victor Martinez.
Series to Watch
Yankees at Rays (Monday 7/27 – Wednesday 7/29)
With a six-game winning streak as of Thursday afternoon, New York has the second best record in baseball and has taken the lead in the AL East. The defending AL champion Rays have regained the form that gave them a pennant last year with Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria heading the offense. However, the way they sit now, the Rays still need a push — especially against the Red Sox and Yankees — in order to return to the postseason. One advantage Tampa has in this series is the home field advantage, as the three-game set is at Tropicana Field.
