| | The Major League Baseball playoffs are in full swing and ESPN baseball analyst Buck Martinez says there have been many surprises and he expects many more.
During his weekly chat with ESPN.com users, Martinez talked about all the series and offered his opinion on some of the advantages each team has. He also talked about the offseason contract situations with Sammy Sosa and Juan Gonzalez.
If you missed Buck's Oct. 5 chat, and edited transcript follows:
Ed the Red: Any ideas/hunches about who is or is not on the Reds shortlist to replace Trader Jack?
Buck Martinez: It is interesting about the speculation about Lou Piniella leaving Seattle. That would be a good fit.
Ken Griffey Sr will also get consideration.
But there is lots of speculation because so many managers have been let go.
FotopND: The White Sox, can they still do this?
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Tue, May
2
Martinez, a 17-year Major League catcher, serves as analyst on ESPN's Wednesday night national telecasts of Major League Baseball and also makes appearances as an analyst on Baseball Tonight and Baseball Today. He joined ESPN in 1992. Since 1986, Martinez has been the analyst for the Toronto Blue Jays on The Sports Network and also does reporting for The Manager's Show and Sports Desk on TSN. In addition, he is the host of the half-hour special The Boys of Winter, and Knockout, a half-hour game show. His radio experience as a color commentator for Telemedia Radio Network (1982-88) includes the World Series, the American League Championship Series and the All-Star Game. He has also served as postgame analyst for Telemedia's regular season Major League Baseball coverage.
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Buck Martinez:
It is going to be very difficult without their top pitchers healthy -- they were very important. Plus,
Seattle has really shut down the heart of that order. It will be tough to come back.
Paul: What do you attribute to Rich Ankiel's wildness Monday -- rookie nervousness, Hernandez not calming
him down, or what?
Buck Martinez:
Combination of both. I don't think he was as nervous as he looked. He made some bad pitch
selections. They should have gone back to the fastball and curveball and shelved the changeup for
that inning.
Greystable: Should the Yankees be playing Paul O'Neill? He seems to still be bothered with his side injury. Is
putting Jose Canseco or Glenallen Hill too much a liability in the outfield?
Buck Martinez:
Yes, O'Neill is a base hit from breaking out. His history of coming through is something Joe Torre
doesn't want to give up.
Brian: Should the Tigers sign or get rid of Juan Gonzalez?
Buck Martinez:
They were very disappointed with his performance down the stretch. But he is a hard bat to
replace. If I were them, I would try to sign him.
Cakash: Do you think Griffey would even think to go to Seattle?
Buck Martinez:
I don't think Senior would go there. If they make a change, I think they will look elsewhere.
Jun: What is going on the Mets hitting? It seems like their whole offense is not what it used to be
couple of months ago. Is it fatigue? It is a slump?
Buck Martinez:
Obviously Robin Ventura has not be healthy and hasn't been able to contribute. Mike Piazza has been pitched
very tough. In the postseason, hits are tough to come by. They have the stuff to comeback, but
key hits from Ventura and Piazza would really boost their spirits.
Ramy: Will Sammy Sosa get what he is asking for? Do you see the Cubs dumping him and going for a big
name free agent to become their franchise player?
Buck Martinez:
It seems the Cubs want to keep Sosa. But does his big salary keep them from making more
moves? They are several players away from competing again. They need a lot of help in the
bullpen. Signing him may not be the answer.
Tooley: Do you think that (Wednesday's) game was what the Yankees needed to help them get out of their
recent slump? Was it enough to get them to the ALCS?
Buck Martinez:
I love the A's, Hudson and Zito will be tough. But it is the first time I have seen the Yankees
smile on the bench in two weeks. It might get them back to where they used to be. It was a
HUGE win.
Cakash: Do you think Davey Johnson will be fired from L.A.?
Buck Martinez:
Yes, they have already said he was.
Vito: Was that 2-2 pitch to Barry Bonds a strike?
Buck Martinez:
This is interesting because we put so much focus on one pitch and an umpire missing a pitch at a
crucial point. It happen in 1998 with Mark Langston against Tino Martinez. An umpire makes 4-5
mistakes a game and a pitcher makes 30-40 mistakes a game. It was a shame it came at a crucial
points. But a pitchers percentages are much higher than the umpires.
By mistakes, I mean a pitcher trys for location and instead hangs a curveball. That is the same as an
umpire missing a call.
Mike: Can Kansas City keep their young stars?
Buck Martinez:
I think they are trying to sign Johnny Damon right now. He is their first priority. They have a
great nucleus to build around but I would make every effort to keep Damon in K.C.
Sean: How do you think Darryl Kile will pitch (Thursday)? And what do you think are the Cards
chances of winning the series?
Buck Martinez:
I think he will pitch very well today and I like their chances in this series. It is cool and drizzling here so that
will allow him to throw his curveball. His fastball location is his No. 1 concern.
The Cards lost two games to Tom Glavine this year, but had him on the ropes. They are confident they
can beat him today.
CircleK: Since Al Leiter is so tough, do you expect Dusty Baker to try and exploit MIke Piazza's inability to throw people
out if the Giants can get Murray, Benard, or Bonds on in a tight game?
Buck Martinez:
Yes. What you want to do against a tough pitcher is to get to him before he gets into his rythmn
with his pitching. I think they will force the offense early and try and score on Leiter in the first
couple of innings.
Tsjoe: All that has been said about Atlanta's pitching, what do you think their chances are to reach the
Series?
Buck Martinez:
You can never discount them because they have been so consistent. But they need to win Game
2 to neutralize the momentum of the Cardnials. They are not as dominant as they have been
without John Smoltz.
Ward: What do you think will happen in Boston this offseason?
Buck Martinez: That is a great question because there is so much turmoil in that organization. I think Jimy
Williams is one of the best in the game but they have to address the turmoil and focus on the
team. They have to improve their pitching.
Boomer775: If Mike Hampton doesn't prove himself in the postseason, should the Mets still make an hard
push to try and sign him in the offseason?
Buck Martinez:
Yes, if they don't, Houston might. He is a premiere pitcher. It is very difficult to win in the
postseason. Think about Dave Stewart and Jim Morris and what they were able to do, that was
amazing. Randy Johnson doesn't have a very good postseason record but I don't think anyone
would be afraid to sign him.
Ray-Ray: Do you think Mark McGwire will play a big role in the Cardinals-Brave series?
Buck Martinez:
No, I don't. I don't think the Braves will allow him to have an impact. The situation has to be
perfect so McGwire can hit and not get pitched around. La Russa will be very careful in his use
of McGwire. But it will have to be a special situation where the Braves would have to pitch to
him.
Daniel Abromowitz: How much does knowing their own ballpark help a team? For instance, a park like the Giants use. Visitors seem to have a very difficult time adapting.
Buck Martinez:
The sun in left is very much a problem as can the nooks and crannies in right. The advantage for
the Giants is psycological and emotional with their great fan support. They play with a lot of
confidence at home. That park is a real advantage for the Giants.
Jim: Are the A's going to be able to keep their young nucleus?
Buck Martinez:
Yes. They have already signed the majority of them and they have been very aggressive in
offering their young players multi-year deals (ala Cleveland).
That is all the time I have for now. I have to get to the park. The postseason has given us some
surprises already and it should be a good weekend for baseball.
Take care everyone | |
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