Steelers’ Dixon shines in first career start, loss

Dennis Dixon flourished in his NFL starting debut, throwing for a touchdown and running for another before his lone mistake, an interception in overtime, fueled the Ravens victory over his Steelers. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

Ex-Oregon Duck and current Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Dennis Dixon, who was informed he would start his first career game against the Baltimore Ravens not two days before game-time, dropped back thirty seconds into the second quarter, spun to his right in order to avoid the oncoming run, set himself, and then rifled a tight spiral 20 yards down-field to receiver Santonio Holmes. The Steelers star receiver shook off a defender then out-sprinted him to reach the corner of the end-zone.

Dixon pointed to the heavens and celebrated with his teammates, something that was routine during his four years at Oregon. With the Ducks, he was extremely versatile; a gifted tall, lanky athlete at 6′3″, 200 pounds, he was as deadly with his legs as with his arm. In 2007, his senior season, he was a Heisman Trophy candidate, throwing for 2,136 yards and 20 touchdowns. Late in the year he tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament against Arizona State, but after being cleared to play two weeks later to face Arizona, his knee buckled dropping back to pass, ending his Heisman Trophy chances and squashing any chance Oregon had to play for a National Championship.

Dixon was a twig physically throughout his career in Oregon, when he entered Steelers camp after being selected in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft, and on this night, during his starting debut. But, with the ACL-tear in his past, Dixon played with the poise and composure he possessed with the Ducks. Against a watered down, but still aggressive Baltimore defense, his offensive coordinator Bruce Arians called some pretty simplistic plays–slants, hitches, all within 10-15 yards–but as Dixon completed those, Arians confidence grew in the 24-year old, and he let him take a few shots down the field. One of note was his gunned pass to Holmes that tied the game.

On Pittsburgh’s next drive, he completed five of his seven attempts, but one, an 18-yarder to Holmes, was called back due to a holding penalty. Earlier in the contest, another extremely positive play was spoiled because of a holding penalty. On Pittsburgh’s second possession, Dixon dropped back on a 3rd-and-5 his own 45-yard line. He couldn’t find an open receiver, so he took off, evading and juking a couple of defenders while scrambling down-field for a 31-yard gain. But whistles blew, and the referee announced Justin Hartwig had held a Ravens defensive lineman on the play. Instead of a first down on Baltimore’s 24-yard line, the Steelers were left with a 3rd and 13 on their 35-yard line, which they failed to convert.

His run was foreshadowing, however. With six and a half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the Steelers behind by three, 17-14, the Ravens blitzed on a 3rd-and-5. Pittsburgh’s drive was fueled by a fumble recovery at their own 46-yard line, and Dixon led his team down to the Baltimore 24-yard line to set up a moment he will remember forever. Taking into account the Ravens blitz, and the fact that the left side of the Steelers line was receiver-heavy, he took the snap, easily evaded the rush, bootlegged to the left, and immediately scrambled up-field. Arians drew up a play, on 3rd down no less, trusting Dixon’s legs, and it worked. There wasn’t a Raven in sight after receiver Hines Ward decleated the closest defender, and Dixon sprinted into the endzone, holding the ball in his outstretched right hand as he reached pay-dirt. This same play happened time and time again at Oregon, and now on the biggest stage, in the NFL.

From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows: in overtime, he made his lone mistake. At the 50-yard line five minutes in, Dixon tried to find Holmes on a quick slant. Holmes slanted as diagramed, but multiple Ravens hovered over the area. Dixon finally showed signs of inexperience, zeroing in on Holmes without seeing 23-year old defensive end Paul Kruger fly in, tracking the play all the way. Kruger intercepted Dixon’s pass and ran it back 26 yards, setting up a game-winning field goal by Billy Cundiff five plays later.

Despite the interception and the loss, Dixon gave the Steelers a great chance to win in his first real action as a quarterback in the National Football League. Head coach Mike Tomlin praised Dixon for his efforts. “I like his demeanor throughout it all. He made some plays. I thought he represented himself relatively well.” Within his comments, there is the sense that he expected more. Even against a stingy Ravens defense, coming in having thrown just one pass, there were higher hopes for Dixon, a testament to how much Pittsburgh thinks of the former Duck.

Red Sox reportedly talking to Marlins about deal for Hanley Ramirez

Hanley Ramirez back with the Boston Red Sox? Whoo boy! Can you say 'dream come true?'

The Boston Red Sox traded one of their top prospects, shortstop Hanley Ramirez, to the Florida Marlins during the 2005 offseason. Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell came to Beantown in the deal, and both produced for the Red Sox, and helped bring the franchise a championship in 2007. But Ramirez also flourished with the Marlins.

He won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2006 by hitting 17 homers, 46 doubles, 11 triples, while driving in 59, swiping 51 bases, and scoring 119 runs. The following season, he had 29 homers, 48 doubles, 212 hits, 81 rbi’s, and hit .332 with a .386 on-base percentage, and then after a similar 2008 campaign, he clubbed 24 homers and drove in 106 while batting .342 this past season.

The Red Sox kept an eye on the budding pro-turned-superstar, and with these statistics it’s hard not to. Currently, they don’t have a shortstop. They lost Alex Gonzalez to the Toronto Blue Jays. In response to his departure, they expressed interest in free-agent Marco Scutaro, and talked to the Arizona Diamondbacks about the availability of Stephen Drew. Evidently tired of searching for just average shortstops, they have turned their attention to the 25-year old Ramirez.

Their former top prospect is due nearly $50 million over the next five years, relatively inexpensive given his talent-level. But the Marlins, with a payroll well under $30 million, simply may not be able to afford to hand out that kind of cash. This is where the Red Sox come in. In need of a shortstop, and a franchise that can easily dole out millions upon million like candy, they contacted the Marlins, and the porous franchise apparently listened intently.

“Bill Madden of the New York Daily News writes that ‘the Red Sox are reportedly engaged in talks with Florida about reacquiring the All-Star shortstop.’”

This is music to my ears. Ramirez is only 25-years old and is the best shortstop in baseball. He would shore up a hole that’s been gaping since Nomar Garciaparra left in 2004, and bolster an already formidable lineup. Can you imagine a Jacoby Ellsbury-Dustin Pedroia-Ramirez trio atop their lineup?

To make this happen, the Red Sox would have to give up major-league ready talent, which means starting pitcher Clay Buchholz, and a few of their top prospects–most likely three of shortstop/pitcher Casey Kelly, pitchers Michael Bowden and Daniel Bard, and outfielders Ryan Westmoreland and Josh Reddick. The package would have to be pretty overwhelming, and would presumably deplete their farm, but if they could somehow get the Marlins to take Kelly, Bowden, Westmoreland, and another prospect not named Reddick, Bard, or Buchholz, I would pull the trigger.

Ramirez is a rare talent with power, speed, and plate discipline. The Red Sox have players with power, speed, and plate discipline, but not one with all three attributes. Their roster is old, which could keep their management from giving up an array of touted prospects, but Ramirez’s youth and talent would help them short-term and, given they would still have plenty of players roaming on the farm, allow the Red Sox to stay extremely competitive longterm.

Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein and Owner John Henry watched arch-rival New York win the World Series. This offseason, they have sought out to improve in order to overtake the Yankees. They want to celebrate next year just as New York did this year. Hanley Ramirez could help them achieve their goal.

Where will they land? Predicted destinations for top Free Agents (Part 2)

Adrian Beltre isn't going to hit 48 homers like he did in 2004. He isn't going to drive in 120 runs, either. But he would give the Twins 20-30 homers and stellar defense at third base.

There are four sure-fire stars on the free-agent market–Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, John Lackey, and Chone Figgins–but there are countless others that, though classified as B-list free-agents, are capable of putting up solid numbers. Having predicted where the top-five free-agents will land, here now are my predicted destinations for free-agents six through ten.

6. Andy Pettitte: Pettitte has been a tremendously dependable pitcher over the course of his career, and especially in the playoffs. He can be counted on to accumulate 12-15 wins during the regular season, 3-4 more during the playoffs, and an ERA in the low 4’s. There is no reason for him to leave the World Series champion New York Yankees, and they have no reason not to retain him. He, who won all three playoff-series clinchers, will stay with New York, barring an unexpected retirement.

7. Marco Scutaro: Alex Gonzalez, who was the shortstop for the Boston Red Sox last season, signed a one-year deal with Scutaro’s old team, the Toronto Blue Jays, so it’s only fitting that the 34-year old signs with the Red Sox. There aren’t a lot of pleasing shortstops on the market (it’s Scutaro, a 36-year old and intriguing Miguel Tejada, and offensively-challenged Adam Everett, and that’s about it), and not many that are available via trade (unless Boston trades Florida the farm for Hanley Ramirez), but though it appears Scutaro is the only option for Boston, they want him and he wants the Red Sox.

He picked a good time to have a career year. This past season, he hit .282 with 12 home-runs and 60 rbi’s out of the leadoff spot, and posted a tremendous .379 on-base percentage. He is aging, and would probably want a three-year deal from Boston, but he’s a very good defender (he only made 10 errors), doesn’t strikeout very often (he had only 75 strikeouts compared to 90 walks in 144 games), and would be a good fit with Boston. If he is signed by the Red Sox, he will be their sixth shortstop in as many years.

The eccentric closer would solve many of the Phillies bullpen troubles.

8. Jose Valverde: The fiery closer has been one of the best in the business over the past three seasons. He saved over 40 games in both 2007 and 2008, and though he appeared in just 52 games in 2009 for the Houston Astros, the 31-year old compiled 25 saves in 29 chances, allowed only 15 runs in 54 innings, and had his best ERA, 2.33, since his rookie year with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Not many teams are looking for a closer. The lack of demand for a saves machine is either because they can’t afford to spend money, or because they have their own options in-house or on the farm. One team in particular needs to add bullpen stability, and that would be the National League’s representative in the World Series, the Philadelphia Phillies. Their closer, Brad Lidge, had a nightmarish regular season. In four more innings than Valverde, he had a 7.21 ERA, allowed 51 runs, 11 home-runs, walked 34, and blew 11 saves. He pitched well in the postseason before being shelled in his lone World Series appearance, but the Phillies should certainly be on the lookout for a replacement.

They could move Lidge to the eighth inning, thereby taking the pressure off to increase his effectiveness, put Ryan Madson in as he setup man’s setup man, and Valverde in as closer. The 6′4″, 250 pound Dominican has been very dependable and will come relatively cheap. Unless they want uncertainty throughout their ‘pen, the Phillies should pounce on Valverde.

9. Adrian Beltre: In 2004, the third-baseman’s final season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Beltre hit 48 homers–25 more than in 2003–drove in 121–41 more than in 2003–and batted .338–94 points higher than in 2003. Since this unbelievable season, Beltre hasn’t clubbed more than 26 homers or driven in more than 99 rbi’s in a season, disappointing throughout his five seasons with the Seattle Mariners, but he’s only 30 years old and is still an accomplished hitter.

On top of his offensive production, he is a tremendously gifted defensive third-baseman, which makes him that much more appealing on the free-agent market. The Red Sox have been linked to him, but he would fit more with the Minnesota Twins, a team in dire need of offense and particularly a third baseman. He would not only give the Twins one of the best defensive infields in the majors, but also 20-30 home-run power. Throughout his career in Seattle, his on-base percentage was awful, hovering around .300, yet in the 6th or 7th hole in Minnesota’s lineup, he would be a significant upgrade over the Brian Buscher/Brendan Harris/Joe Crede trio.

Harden should draw a lot of interest, and could be an ace if healthy.

10. Rich Harden: If there is a high-risk, high-reward player on the market, it’s the 27-year old Harden. The gifted right-handed starting pitcher has spent the bulk of his seven-year career with the Oakland Athletics. Over the course of his tenure in the league, he has compiled 50 wins to just 29 losses, and a 3.39 ERA. Despite these outstanding numbers, he has made only 127 starts, or an average of 18 per season. So, he’s been injury-plagued throughout, but he has a very good repertoire, with a wide array of strikeout pitches. Last season with the Chicago Cubs, he allowed just 122 hits in 141 innings while striking out 171 batters.

He should have plenty of suitors this offseason, given his age and ability. The Red Sox just signed knuckleballer Tim Wakefield to a two-year deal, making him their fifth starter once again. Daisuke Matsuzaka is also returning to the rotation, and the team has also expressed interest in Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay, who is on the trade market. But, despite having five starters and interest in a sixth, they should pull out of the Halladay Sweepstakes and focus on an inexpensive option.

Because of Harden’s injury history, teams will be hesitant to give him a multi-year deal. So, why don’t the Red Sox sign him to a one-year, $8 million contract? He could make 30 starts, something he has done only once, win 15-18 games, and make an already stacked rotation dominating. Worst case, he makes 15 starts, wins seven-to-nine games, and spends the majority of the year on the shelf. Given Harden’s potential for greatness, if Red Sox General Mananger Theo Epstein wants to improve, he’ll take the gamble.

Where will they land? Predicted destinations for top Free Agents (Part 1)

The Red Sox want Jason Bay back. Jason Bay wants to be back. But, given Bay rejected their initial offer worth $60 million, will they get the money right to make it happen?

This offseason, there are very few star free agents on the market. Still, there is a lot of intrigue, and a lot of players looking to make an impact on a contending team. Here now are my predictions for where the top-five free agents will land in what should be another busy offseason in baseball.

1. Matt Holliday: The New York Mets aren’t getting any younger, and need to make a statement this offseason to get back into the winning circle. Holliday, a 29-year old outfielder who hits .330 with 30-plus homers, 100-plus rbi’s annually, would give them a force in the middle of their lineup. The Mets didn’t have a player with more than 12 homers last season, so they certainly need a long-term pick-me-up of Holliday’s caliber.

2. Jason Bay: The 31-year old outfielder who hit 36 homers and drove in 119 runs for the Boston Red Sox last year rejected their initial 4-year $60 million offer. The Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Angels, will be after him, but I expect the Canadian to re-sign with the Boston Red Sox. The two sides are apart as far as years and money are concerned, yet, there is no reason to believe that General Manager Theo Epstein won’t open his pocketbook and work out a deal favorable for both the Red Sox and Bay.

3. John Lackey: The Los Angeles Angels can’t afford to let him go, but they can’t afford him. He’s the best pitcher on the open market, and was their ace. He’s 31 years old, has had elbow troubles in the past, and will likely want a 5-6 year deal worth more than the $82.5 million, money he will probably get, despite his age and injury history. He’s out of their price range, as they have only $12 million they can donate annually this offseason. I expect the Angels to try and woo him to come back for less, but I don’t believe he will settle. The Washington Nationals are interested. So are the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, and possibly the Seattle Mariners. Where will he end up? I think the Mariners might swoop in and snag him in their effort to challenge his former team in the American League West.

4. Chone Figgins: The Angels will have to choose either Lackey or Figgins this offseason. As previously said, Lackey may be too pricey. But Figgins, their third baseman who had a career-high .395 On-Base Percentage last season and fits Mike Scioscia’s system perfectly, is too important to their success to leave. Other teams have expressed interest, but Figgins will come relatively inexpensive, and should fit in the Angels budget. Look for General Manager Arte Moreno to lock up the 31-year old for 4-5 years at $10 million annually.

5. Randy Wolf: It’s a down year free-agent-wise if Wolf is fifth. He had a career year this past season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning 11 games with a 3.23 ERA, while allowing only 178 hits in 214 1/3 innings. But, he’s 33 years old, allowed 24 home-runs, and struck out 160, meaning he’s a contact pitcher. The fact that he doesn’t strikeout many and allows a high amount of home-runs should hurt his chances of getting a 4-5 year deal, but if he stays in the National League, he should continue to be a very dependable pitcher. The New York Mets, who regrettably chose Oliver Perez over Wolf during last year’s offseason, need to add some stability behind Johan Santana in the rotation, and Wolf, at 3-years, $30 million, could give them that.

A team’s record doesn’t matter: Lincecum, Greinke win Cy Youngs

San Francisco Giants' Tim Lincecum became only the fifteenth pitcher in history to win the Cy Young award twice.

The St. Louis Cardinals made the playoffs in large part because of the two-headed monster atop their rotation: Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. Wainwright won 19 games with a 2.63 ERA in 233 innings, and Carpenter won 17 games with a 2.24 ERA. Their statistics were unbelievable, and they would have been one-two in the race if not for San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum.

Lincecum, who won the Cy Young award in 2008 by winning 18 games, touting a 2.62 ERA, and, in 227 innings, allowing only 182 hits and 10 home-runs while striking out 265 batters, was in the mix to repeat as winner. The Giants missed out on the playoffs, but finished strong and won 88 games, sixteen more than in 2008. Lincecum was a big reason for the improvement, anchoring their very successful rotation by going 17-5 with a 2.48 ERA in 225 1/3 innings. Even more remarkable than his record and ERA, was that he allowed an amazingly low amount of hits, 168, home-runs, 11, and walks, 68, while striking out the opposition 261 times.

So, it was a three-horse race between Wainwright, Carpenter, and Lincecum. Carpenter and Wainwright had more wins, forming a two-headed monster. Lincecum had a sidekick as well: Matt Cain won 14 games and had a 2.89 ERA. He wasn’t flying solo, therefore making the decision a toss-up. The voters, made up of sportswriters around the country, voted in a tight-knit fashion, expectedly so considering the similarity in statistics and impact. Who did the majority pick? The Freak, also known as Tiny Tim.

Lincecum, who had a microscopic WHIP (Walks + Hits/Inning Pitched) of 1.05, had 10 first place votes, less than Wainwright’s 12. But, what won it for him was the substantial number of second place votes, which gave him 100 points overall, barely beating Carpenter’s 94, and Wainwright’s 90. Though the voters’ indecision in choosing between Carpenter and Wainwright played a role in Lincecum taking home the award, there is no doubt the 25-year old, 5′9″ Washington-native deserved the hardware for the second straight year.

Zack Greinke convincingly won the American League Cy Young award, acquiring 25 of 28 first-place votes.

In the American League, another pitcher won deservedly on a non-playoff team: the Kansas City Royals Zack Greinke. His story is well-documented, but though I presume it had little to do with the 26-year old winning the award, it made his victory that much more remarkable. His statistics spoke for themselves, as he won 16 games with a dominating 2.16 ERA. He had 6 complete games, 2 shutouts, struck out 242 in 229 1/3 innings, relinquished only 11 homers and 51 walks, and had a 1.07 WHIP. His numbers were very similar to Lincecum’s, and he also won without leading the league in wins.

In fact, he was seventh in that category. CC Sabathia of the World Series-winning New York Yankees led the league with 19 victories, tying the Seattle Mariners’ Felix Hernandez and Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander; Toronto’s Roy Halladay, Boston’s Josh Beckett, and Texas’s Scott Feldman each tallied 17 wins. Clearly, as in Lincecum’s case, a teams’ record doesn’t matter, as the Royals finished last in the American League Central with 65 wins and 97 losses, nor do the victories they themselves accumulate.

Lincecum’s win was surprising at first glance, given the year both Wainwright and Carpenter had. So was Greinke’s victory in some respects. But though they somewhat flew under my radar, the writers did their job and truly picked both leagues best pitchers over the course of the season; and what a season Tiny Tim and Greinke had.