Grant Balfour earns the save as the Rays make it to the ALCS

Their first year into the postseason, and the Tampa Bay Rays have made it to the ALCS! Grant Balfour today pitched the Rays into the American League Championship Series, earning the save in a 6-2 victory over the White Sox. He pitched both the 8th and the 9th innings, facing 7 hitters. He walked 1 and struck out 2, including Ken Griffey Jnr to end the game. The Rays will now face the winner of the Angels v Red Sox series currently underway.

Season Review - Part Two

Top 5 Most Impressive Aussie Baseballers in 2008

2. Ryan Rowland-Smith

Maybe he knew something we didn't?

Speaking of his chances of making the 2008 Opening Day roster for the Mariners, Ryan Rowland-Smith said 'I always try to stay positive and tell myself that it's not where I am in April, it's where I am in September'. At that time, the Mariners were boasting about their 'best rotation (on paper) in several seasons'. There was some uncertainty about the makeup of the bullpen, but Rowland-Smith had his eyes set on a spot. 'I knew the rotation was set and I just tried to get one of the spots in the bullpen. I think I've given myself a good opportunity', he said during Spring Training.

Rowland-Smith displayed real maturity, determination and versatility through the 2008 season, and his wise words were a real insight into what lay ahead for him. I really hate the word 'journey', and I think it is bandied about way too much in this the reality TV era. But 2008 was a real journey for Ryan Rowland-Smith.

During the winter between the 07 and 08 MLB seasons, Ryan Rowland-Smith trekked to Venezuela to build his arm strength for the season ahead. RRS ended up making the 2008 opening day roster, after posting impressive numbers during Spring Training. He pitched 11 innings during the spring, and did not allow an earned run; giving up 9 hits and 7 walks. What particularly impressed me was his ability to pitch well when the other members of the Mariners' pitching staff were off their game. On 15 March, Erik Bedard (who is on about US$8 million a year and pitched just 81 innings through 2008) gave up 8 runs over 4 innings against the Giants. Rowland-Smith then came in and pitched 2 scoreless digs! 

 

In his first appearance in the regular season, Ryan pitched 1.2 innings, striking out 2, and picking up his first Major League save. Through the early parts of the season, he continued to feature out of the 'pen. Through the middle of June, he had appeared in 25 games, pitching 27 innings. His ERA was a very respectable 2.33, and he had 2 saves from 3 opportunities. He had struck out 21, and his WHIP was also very respectable at 1.18. Things were looking pretty good by any measure. But was this where Ryan wanted to be? 

By July, the Mariners' rotation was struggling. Bedard had battled injuries. Felix Hernandez busted up his ankle. RA Dickey got smacked around a few times. Rowland-Smith had proved himself as an effective long reliever on a couple of occasions, and their new manager Jim Riggleman tossed the ball to him to fill a spot starter role. He didnt set the world on fire during his first start - pitching 3.2 innings, allowing 4 hits, 3 runs, with 1 walk and 1 strikeout - but it was a taste of things to come. He did well enough to earn another chance during the same week, with an increased pitch count. In that second outing he held the Detroit Tigers to 1 run over 5 innings, and worked his way out of a number of jams. 

Ryan made no secret of the fact that he wanted to be a starter. Posting on his blog on 13 July, RRS wrote 'to be honest with you mate, in the long run, I really wanna be a starter. To me, it’s the ultimate, to have the game in my control, and try and go the entire nine innings.' But, after the two spot starts, he was back in the 'pen.

In late July, Rowland-Smith was dropped/demoted/sent to AAA Tacoma to work on his role as a starter.  Like his words from the pre-season, Rowland-Smith's response to being sent to Tacoma showed real perspective. 'All I can do is pitch, go to Triple-A and work my ass off and give them no reason to keep me out of Seattle', he said. On his blog he gave some real insights into how it felt to be sent to Tacoma, and recalled some advice he'd received from his mother that 'the journey is more important than the destination'. 

Rowland-Smith was effective in his starts at Tacoma, and after a few weeks he found himself back in the bigs. He got 10 starts at the Mariners over the last month or two of the season, and he pitched really well. In all but one of the 10 starts, he gave up 4 or less runs, and he went 5 innings or more in every one of his appearances. In August, he became only the second Mariners pitcher to pitch more than 7 innings in consecutive starts. (Yes, that is not a typo - AUGUST and only Felix Hernandez had pitched more than 7 innings in consecutive starts) He got very little run support over those 10 starts, and ended up with a 3-2 record over that period. He ended the season on a high, earning the win against the Oakland A's in front of an appreciative Safeco Field crowd. 

Looking back at his words from Spring Training, Rowland-Smith must be pretty happy. His stocks rose significantly through 2008, and entering the 2009 season, he will be a leading contender for a spot in the Mariners' (or perhaps someone elses' - plenty of teams, including the Yankees, have had some pitching problems this year...) rotation. A simple Google search now shows plenty of superlatives describing RRS as a bright spot in an otherwise cloudy season for the Mariners. Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre was impressed - 'boy did he jump in and do a tremendous job', he said - and Manager Jim Riggleman was also pleased, saying there is nothing more RRS can do other than 'come to Spring Training and nail down his spot in the rotation'.

By any assessment, Ryan was in a much better position in September than he was in April. The destination for Ryan and the Mariners in 2008 was the bottom of the AL West standings. The journey was a lot more than that for one promising lefty. There can be no doubt that Rowland-Smith learnt a lot through 2008, and his experience pitching in a number of roles in the bullpen, and as a starter at both AAA and Major League level was quite a journey. 

Looks like Mrs Rowland-Smith was right. Hopefully Ryan Rowland-Smith's destination in 2009 can hold some of the promise of his 2008 journey. 

Grant Balfour - King of the Mountain!

Ahh its more than 12 hours since Balf's bust-up with the White Sox, and I am still loving it. Here is a little photo and video tribute to the man of the moment....I cant wait to see what lies ahead in the coming playoff games (and fingers crossed the WS).

Balf pumps his fist like so many times this season

Dioner Navarro keeps the peace

What a great shot!

Longo pats Balf on the head while he calls out to Orlando Cabrera to give directions back to the dugout

What a shot! James Shields thanks Balf for saving his ass in the 7th inning jam.

And the video tribute...the Oils rocking out:

There are a ton of articles out there today about the game, here are a few choice selections:

• Baseball.com.au story
• The Blacktown Advocate story
• Herald Tribune Story

Season review - Part One

I had intended to post the following when I finished my full review, but after Grant Balfour's fireworks today as the Rays beat the White Sox, I couldnt help myself, and had to post it today. Stay tuned for the full review of Aussie MLB players performances in 08.

Top 5 Most Impressive Aussie Baseballers in 2008

1. Grant Balfour

Before the season began, I wrote that 'my prediction is that Balfour is a solid contender for the Rays' opening day bullpen. If he does not make it, he will likely pitch in AAA, and I would expect he will see some time in the majors this year'.

Not a bad prediction in the end.

Balfour missed out on the opening day roster, but he pitched amazingly at AAA Durham, and he saw plenty of time with the Rays. What I, and probably nobody on the planet (with the exception perhaps of the brilliant Joe Maddon), could have predicted was the level of success that Balfour (and the Rays) have found this year. There are a number of things that stand out about Balfour's success this year, but it seems that he really worked hard to earn his spot, and once he got it he hung on to it for grim death.

Coming into 2008, Balfour had tasted some success at Major League level, but had also had injury problems. He had appeared in post-season play for the Minnesota Twins in 2004, but 2005 and 2006 were soured by arm and shoulder injuries. He found his way to the Rays via the Reds and Brewers, and in 2007 he showed some of his firepower potential, striking out 30 over 24.2 innings pitched. However, he also gave up 20 walks, and posted a 7+ ERA.

Grant pitched his arse off during spring training. He gave up 7 hits and 3 walks over 8.1 innings, and struck out 7. He posted an ERA of 3.24, and faced off against some tough hitters, including the core of the Yankees lineup - Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Morgan Ensberg. On 21 March, he pitched two innings against the Bronx Bombers and gave up no hits and just the one walk. His spring performance was high quality, but really only a very small taste of what lay ahead for the firebrand from Sydney.

It was not smooth sailing for Grant though, and he hit some rough seas at the end of spring training; missing out on an opening day roster spot. A lesser man would have struggled to get over such disappointment, especially after the 2 years battling injuries, and such a quality spring training. But Balf did not muck around. He copped his assignment to AAA Durham on the chin, and set about forcing his way back into the big league squad.

Remarkably, Balfour was out of options entering 2008, meaning that he was effectively pitching to secure his major league future.

Balfour worked hard at Durham to prove his worth and to maintain his confidence in his pitching. "Pitching is about confidence," Balfour said. "Get on a little bit of a roll and take it from there. Just go out there and drop a zero. Then go out there and drop another one. Like hitters getting hits. I just tried to roll with it as long as I could". And roll with it he did.

In 15 appearances for Durham, Grant pitched 23.2 innings and allowed just 5 hits and 1, yes that's right - just 1 run, for an ERA of 0.38! He picked up 8 saves and 39 strikeouts in the process. On 23 May, he struck out 5 hitters over 1.2 innings against the Richmond Braves. A week later he picked up his first major league save, drawing a flyout from the one hitter he faced, as the Rays beat the White Sox 2-0. Rays manager-cum-saviour Joe Maddon said that Balf had to work on controlling his pitches. 'If he can locate with his pitches he can be very successful here,' said Maddon.

He must have done something right, because he was unstoppable throughout the season. Through 58.1 innings Grant showed his versatility, filling all roles in the bullpen, including that of middle reliever, setup man, and closer, and he pitched one or two games as a mop-up man. Through it all, he struck out 82 and gave up just 10 hits and 24 walks.

What really impressed me about Balfour's season was that he absolutely owned his spot on that roster. Once he was in the Rays squad, there was no way anyone was getting him out of it. You could see the intensity in his body language when he pitched, and you could hear it in the yells he made on the mound. There were testing times for the Rays bullpen throughout the year, with their #1 closer Troy Percival going on the DL a number of times. Each time Percy came back, there was the chance that Balf would find himself back at Durham. But he pitched so well that they were forced to keep him, and to use him.

It seems that Balfour became an absolutely integral part of the Rays team. He was heavily involved in the mohawk craze that took over during the team's race to the pennant, and it seems that his energy and intensity had a real impact on his teammates every time he toed the rubber.

His obvious hard work and intensity have paid dividends so far. Balfour and the Rays are headed into the post-season. Grant has pitched in some absolutley massive situations throughout the season, and has usually done amazingly well. He will be looking to bring the same firepower into October, and beyond. He has a lot to play for; a possible ALCS; the World Series, and not insignificantly, a contract for 2009. 

However it all ends up, Balfour has provided one of the best single-season performances of any Australian Major Leaguer ever. We can only hope that he succeeds in the post-season and into 2009, and sit back and enjoy watching a fierce competitor being tested against the best teams in MLB. 

PS - and now his intensity and fire has kicked into the postseason, with Grant pitching the Rays out of a bases loaded jam in Game 1 of the ALDS and getting into a bit of a slanging match with Orlando Cabrera! Onya Balf!