The LA Angels of Anaheim traded left-hander Joe Saunders over the weekend in exchange for Dan Haren, ace of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

It was an unceremonious end in Anaheim for Saunders, and his teary interview about it all demonstrated how a one-time golden child can end up with little overall value to a ball club – the dreaded “business” of sports.

Angels “new rules” about walk-off celebrations

He was accompanied in the trade by three minor league players, all pitching prospects with only Dan Haren coming over from Arizona.

Times have changed for Saunders. the Angels #1 draft pick in 2002, paid $1.8 million in a signing bonus. He was written about  in the book, “Odd Man Out” by Matt McCarthy, a former minor league pitching prospect for the Angels.

As the team’s top pick and the number 12 pick overall in 2002, Saunders was seen as a star in training by his A-level minor league teammates. According to McCarthy, they all knew he was the favorite child and would be groomed differently than them.

It took three years for him to make his major league debut and it was inauspicious. Appearing in two games in late summer he didn’t distinguish himself as he gave up 8 earned runs in 10.1 innings.

In fact, it took until 2008 for him to have a breakout season. His record was 17-7 with an ERA of 3.41. He was vying for the club’s ace pitching spot with Jered Weaver after the inevitable departure of John Lackey.

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When that time came, Saunders wasn’t able to replicate his great season. While his 2009 record was an enviable 16-7, his ERA ballooned to 4.60, walking more players and giving up more home runs.

In 2010 he seemingly lost his command and his record sat at 6-10 when he got the news that his only baseball home was saying an unceremonious farewell, to acquire a true ace.

Saunders cried when interviewed and realized that his relationships of eight years standing as well as his comfortable Southern California lifestyle were now history.

It’s clearly not a rags to riches to rags story. Saunders has the stuff to recover and at his age, 29, he has time to do it. He is going to a club that has given up on the season by trading their ace and is out of the race in the NL West.

He won’t have to suffer too long in Arizona however, since he is on an expiring contract, having been signed for only one year at less than $4 million in the off season by the Angels.

In the end, Saunders was an expendable as anyone else on a ball club seeking to maintain relevance in the AL West pennant race. He just never thought the human sacrifice to help his team would be him.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles. 

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

The Arizona Diamondbacks announced in a press conference this afternoon that they have come to terms with Justin Upton to keep him in Arizona though 2015.

According to a report from USA Today’s Inside Pitch, The breakdown of the deal is as follows: $1.25 million signing bonus and $500,000 this year, $4.25 million in 2011, $6.75 million in 2012, $9.75 million in 2013, $14.25 million in 2014 and $14.5 million in 2015.

The Sporting News broke the signing bonus down further reporting Upton will receive half of that bonus on April 15 and the remaining amount on July 15.

The 22-year-old Upton is an outfielder for the Diamondbacks but played shortstop in high school at Great Bridge High in Chesapeake, Virginia. After being switched to the outfield by the Diamondbacks, he is said to have difficulties gauging fly balls but is considered by many to have one of the stronger arms in baseball.

Upton is a solid hitter at the plate, last year hitting .300 with 26 home runs and 86 RBIs.

The Arizona Diamondbacks drafted Upton as the first overall pick in the 2005 MLB draft. At the young age of 19, he was called up to the majors in 2007.

“Justin’s age (22) played a major factor in the decision,” Larry Reynolds, Upton’s agent said. “This financially sets him up for life, and the bottom line is that he’ll still be a free agent at a time he’s just 28 years old.”

The six-year deal is the second largest contract in Diamondback history. The largest was Randy Johnson’s four-year $53.4 million deal in 1999. Had Upton not signed the deal, he would have been eligible for salary arbitration after this season.

In addition to writing her Chicago Cubs column for Examiner.com,Miriam Romain has been published in several Cubs annuals by Maple Street Press and is a contributor to SportsClimax.com . She is also writing a book with the working title “Summers at Wrigley with my Dad.”

© 2010 – Sports Climax^TM

Previously published in Baseball Digest on July 15, 2008.ATLANTA, Ga. – It’s the bottom of the 6th inning with two outs and a man on base for the Arizona Diamondbacks who trail the visiting Houston Astros 7-5. Diamondback’s Manager Bob Melvin decides to call on a right-handed pinch hitter.

Houston manager Cecil Cooper makes a trip to the mound and counters Melvin’s move by making a pitching change, bringing in reliever Dave Borkowski to come in to get the important final out of the inning.

The raucous crowd of Diamondback fans at Chase Field rise to their feet as the pinch hitter digs in, staring through Borkowski awaiting the delivery. Borkowski, confident, rears back and fires the ball, challenging the hitter.

The ball is greeted with a solid crack of the bat and the crowd erupts as the ball sails into the right field seats for a two-run pinch hit homer to tie the game. In a matter of seconds, one pitch, one crack of the bat. . . and two runs on the board for the Diamondbacks.

Unusual? This time it was.

The pinch hitter was Micah Owings, a member of the Diamondback’s starting rotation. A pitcher who many believe may be the purest hitting pitcher ever to play the game.

Last year while playing in front of friends and family at Turner Field in his home state, Owings had a record-breaking night at the plate going 4 for 5 with 2 home runs, 6 RBI’s and 4 runs scored while earning the win against the Atlanta Braves. His 11 total bases for a pitcher is a feat that had not been accomplished in nearly 50 years. Those are numbers A Rod would call home about.

Owings went on to hit .333 last season with 20 hits, including 4 home runs, 15 RBI’s and a .683 slugging percentage in 60 at bats. It’s no wonder Bob Melvin felt confident to give Owings the call at a crucial time in that tight game against the Astros earlier this season.

In addition to Owings, baseball fans expect a solid at bat whenever Chicago Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano steps to the plate. At the time this article was written, Zambrano was hitting an astounding .362 this season with 17 hits including a home run, two doubles and a triple.

Zambrano exhibited a solid swing throughout the 2006 season when he belted 6 home runs escalating his major league career total to 13.

Zambrano and Owings have both compiled impressive stats and have proven they are not automatic outs like most other pitchers. When these great hitting pitchers step up to the plate, it seems to turn up the volume of the hometown fans and create uncommon pressure for the guy on the mound, adding a unique element to the game.

Before being traded to the American League where the DH is used, Dontrelle Willis ran up some great numbers at the plate for the Florida Marlins while being placed as high up as 7th in the batting order.

Like Owings, he once hit two home runs in the same game. He did it in 2006, the same year he connected for a grand slam in another contest. During the 2007 season, his final year on the Marlins, he hit .286 with an on-base percentage of .348.

Rick Wise is another member of this elite group. In 1971, the Phillies starter pitched a 4-0 no-hitter against the Reds while hitting two over the fence at Riverfront Stadium. Again in the same year, he added a second two home run game to his record.

Throughout baseball’s long history, other pitchers have evolved into serious threats at the plate. The Los Angeles Dodgers have had a few, like Orel Hershiser who batted .356 in 1993 and Don Drysdale who hit .300 and connected on 7 long balls in 1965.

In recent history, Jason Marquis now pitching for the Cubs accrued some real impressive numbers when he batted .292 in 2004 followed by .310 in 2005; both seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals while winning 28 games as a starter during that same span.

When these great hitting pitchers are in a game, opposing pitchers have the task of studying an additional hitter in the line-up. Today, pitchers have learned not to throw three quick fastballs over the plate to Owings or Zambrano or they may end up on the bad end of an ESPN highlight reel.

When these starters get the call, NL managers Melvin and Lou Piniella have the luxury of having the additional bat in the lineup; like having a DH. In fact, during spring training Melvin used Owings in the DH slot during some inter-league games.

These athletes are MLB’s rare breed of hitters. A strong hitting pitcher adds an exciting element to the game and pumps up the volume when they step to the plate in front of their hometown fans.

Makes some baseball fans wonder, how great is the DH rule?

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax