The magical (and sometimes sleepless depending upon your viewpoint) non-waiver trade deadline is 5 days away for Major League Baseball. A few moves have been made (most notably pitchers Cliff Lee and Dan Haren), but the real flurries will begin around Friday and go throughout the day and night.
Team of the Week
American League – Minnesota Twins. In a week when no team truly stood out, the Twins have pulled out 7 wins in their last 10 games and have seemed to recapture some momentum after a mid-season stumble. They are notorious for furious finishes and could be buyers at the trade deadline which would be against their recent trends.
National League – San Francisco Giants. The one team with more than enough pitching seems to have hit its stride as of late. The Giants have won 4 straight, cut the gap from first place to 3 games, and have an awakening offense.
Position Player of the Week
American League – Miguel Cabrera (Detroit). I’m not sure how many times I’ve given this award to Miggy, but he could probably win it every week. A legitimate triple crown candidate, the Detroit first baseman blasted 2 homers, 6 doubles, drove in 9 runs, batted .500, slugged .929, and reached base 51% of the time. Then again, that’s just another week in the life of Miguel Cabrera.
National League – Jason Heyward (Atlanta). The 20 year old rookie phenom is also no stranger to this award, but he has rebounded from a June slump partially induced by an inflamed thumb. The young man batted .535 last week while also totaling 5 walks. His .613 on-base percentage shows his maturation at a young age.
Pitcher of the Week
American League – Wade Davis (Tampa Bay). The weekly awards are full of rookies this week with Heyward and now Davis. 14.1 innings pitched, 2 wins, 2 walks total, and a 1.88 ERA were Davis’ numbers for the week. David Price, Matt Garza, and Wade Davis are one helluva future trio for the Rays.
National League – Johnny Cueto (Cincinnati). In 2 starts this week, the Reds pitcher threw 14 innings, struck out 10, and recorded a 1.29 ERA. Cincinnati will need their young pitcher for the stretch runs against the Cardinals.
dear mr. street e.i.t,
I know it is a bit off topic but did you watch the World Cup in Oklahoma?
Jennie Finch retired, and the USA retired Japan!
7 consecutive championships! USA ! USA ! USA !
score was 5 – 1 in case anybody wondered.
I didn’t watch it this time, though I usually do. I did see that the U.S. won.
Very proud of them.