Bleacher Report - Articles by Tim Gottschalk

Ivan Rodriguez to Yankees For Farnsworth

Tim Gottschalk — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 10:00:22 -0400

13-time Gold Glove winner and very possibly the best at his position ever, Ivan Rodriguez, has just been traded to the New York Yankees for reliever Kyle Farnsworth

Rodriguez who is having a down year, batting only .295 with five home runs and 32 RBI might fine a new birth in New York.

This is another attempt for the Yankees to climb up the division and regain the No. 1 position in the AL East.

It was only a matter of time before the Yankees had to go and arguably the best catcher of all time. With one World Series ring already, Rodriguez now has additional weight on his back.

The question is, will this be enough for the Yankees to overcome division rival the Boston Red Sox's and the Cinderella story Tampa Bay Rays?

Why the New York Yankees Will Not Make the Playoffs

Tim Gottschalk — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:12:59 -0400

As history will show, the New York Yankees have had more success than any other team in baseball. In 2008, however, the Bronx Bombers will not make the playoffs, and, as it's closing after the season, you will not see a playoff game in Yankee Stadium ever again.

There are too many things going against the Yankees this year.

Joe Torre was the savior of the Yankees in the past. He took a bunch of superstars and melded them into a team. However, Torre is now on the wrong coast.

Current manager Joe Giardi is not new to the game of baseball, and has as much field knowledge, but he lacks one knack that Torre made look easy: winning.

Other than a select few, there are not many Yankee managers that have won in the famous pinstripes.

There are two other mountains the Yankees will have to climb in 2008 to make it to the playoffs. The first one resides in Boston, MA. The Red Sox have the taste of blood in their mouths, and it's still fresh.

The other, and this might be the biggest part of the problem, is the Tampa Bay Rays. This club is young and energized. Both of these teams are well over the .500 mark at home.

Not only do the Yankees have to worry about teams in their own division playing well over .500, but they have to deal with the publicity of their last year at the cathedral of baseball stadiums.

With all the history that has occurred in the stadium's past, there is nothing this team will be able to do to surpass it. Fans sit around Yankee Stadium and talk about different feats that have already been accomplished.

The Yankees are known in baseball for being clean-cut and smooth on the field. When you dig up the past, all you get is dirty, and that's exactly what is going on this year.

The American League East is also the toughest in baseball right now. I would honestly be surprised to see the wild card come out of the East. These clubs are going to beat each other up all season, and they will pay for the prize.

Right now, I'm going with the Rays out of the East, the Angels out of the West, the Twins out of the Central, and the White Sox with the wild card. It's a far-fetched prediction, but it has some legitimacy behind it.

Nonetheless, the Yankees just don't seem to fit in that picture, and, unless something changes, there will never be another playoff game in Yankee Stadium.

Steroid Problem Out Of Control at The Amateur Level

Tim Gottschalk — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 23:22:40 -0400

In this column, you the reader won't find any statistical information or documented facts. This disaster is a complete and full eyewitness. Sports enhancing drugs are being used well before athletes get to the professional level.

I played college baseball at a competitive level for four years. During these four years, I personally encountered baseball players taking a substance called Winstrol along with many others.

If you were offered a magic pill that could make you millions of dollars and get your dreams to come true, would you do it, even if you didn't know what was in that pill? Of course without thinking most people would say; yes, of course I would take that pill. College athletes are put to the test on a daily basis with this question.

When used in the right direction, steroids can have many positive side effects with few to no negative side effects. Professional athletes have the access to these directions, that is without a doubt. Granted, some will not be safe with these products but will suffer the consequences later along in life. College athletes do not have this access and seek the results much quicker.

You the reader might ask, why not test every athlete no matter the level they're playing in. The problem is UA (Urinary Analysis) tests are very expensive and can not be conducted on many college budgets, nor do some college coaches care whether or not a player on there team is using them.

I even know a case where a college baseball coach got arrested coming back from Mexico trying to smuggle steroids in for his players. This is a disgrace to the game, and sport in general.

The punishment in professional sports is not near what it needs to be for those athletes using steroids, as I'm sure many would agree.

I propose that if a player has ever once used a drug banned by their respective professional sport at any time that they not be permitted to play at the professional level at which the drug was banned.

This might seem a little exaggerated, but how many of those athletes would actually be where they are today with out the enhancement?

The Mitchell report only listed a small percentage of users. Take a second and imagine what the game would be without those players. Less thrillseeking would probably be a fair statement, but it would be a cleaner, more respectable game.

Something drastic needs to be done in sports, not only to clean up the game but to clean up what is going on at the lower levels at which players strive to succeed.

Kansas City Royals Lack Pitching

Tim Gottschalk — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 23:44:45 -0400

The Kansas City Royals are a struggling franchise. In the past six years, the Royals have barely, if that even, kept their head above water by winning only 390 games to their 582 losses, with only one of those six seasons above the .500 mark (2003).

In recent years, the World Series Champions have all been well over that same .500 mark at home. Winning at home is the road to glory for playoff-bound teams. The Royals, on the other hand, have struggled to meet that requirement and only once, again in 2003, did they meet that requirement.

Along with winning at home, one-run games have been a thorn in the Royals' side. In the past six years, the Royals have only won one-run games 40 percent of the time. These close-game losses can be attributed to the pitching, or lack there of in the Royals organization.

All the Royals need to do to find their way to success is catch a glimpse of the Tampa Bay Rays. At home this year, the Rays have been outstanding, with a record of 24-10, and they are 10-7 in one-run games. These numbers, along with being in the top five in nine different pitching categories at home, have put the Rays in a solid position; second place in the intimidating AL East.

Kansas City is on the right path, with vast improvements over the last couple of years, but change still needs to be made. Pitching results have been much like a roller coaster ride at the local theme park, and hitting is all but absent.

The Royals need to focus on keeping the hit totals down. Base on balls are the Royals strong point this season, allowing only 199 total walks, which puts them in a tie with the Yankees for eighth place.

Look for some upcoming trades in the Royals' organization to improve the pitching staff for seasons to come. And assuming the Rays stay on pace, look for them to be the World Series champs in 2008.