The countdown to the end of the 2015 run of Top of the Heap. There are just two more editions after this one leading up to the grand finale in which we crown our plays of the year! Teams are starting to be mathematically eliminated on one end of the standings in the National League while on the junior circuit the wild card race has become tighter and tighter. Through it all the hardball brilliance continues from the batter’s box to the pitcher’s mound, the infield dirt to theoutfield grass. Without further ado, here are the five plays that defined the week that was in baseball.
5. Maybe Michael Conforto Shouldn’t Be Getting Subbed For Defense
The Mets have been a revelation this season. The Mets have dealt with the loss of Zach Wheeler for all of 2015 and have gotten about three total weeks out of David Wright. Let’s not even get into the idiocy of former closer Jenrry Mejia. Through it all, these Mets have been the antithesis of the phrase “typical Mets.” The big named arms called up to the show have received ample attention from fans and media, but one cannot discount the impact of the young hitters that the Mets have brought into the fold. One of those is Michael Conforto, their first round pick from last year out of Oregon State. Conforto has plugged into the Mets lineup seamlessly, though he was initially pulled late in games due to his reputation of being a shaky glove. After this past week, those rumors may be a tad unfounded. Conforto confounded two separate opponents with late game catches this past week, but his first is what makes it here. On Wednesday evening against Washington, the team chasing New York in the NL East, the Mets clung to a lead in the bottom of the eighth that they had just got in the top of the frame. With two outs, Clint Robinson flared a ball to shallow left that had the potential to score a runner in motion. Conforto was playing deep in “no doubles defense” but was still able to come in sliding to end the inning in an eventual Mets win. In fact, the Mets have only lost one game since, and it wasn’t against the Braves featuring this second Conforto gem.
4. Kyle Kendrick Turns The Tables
Kyle Kendrick has been a punching bag all year. He left a hitter’s ballpark in Philadelphia this offseason only to sign for the team with the ultimate hitter’s ballpark in Colorado. Needless to say the results have been hard on the eyes. He’s been a regular candidate to go against for daily fantasy players, bettors, and streak game players. It wasn’t very fun being Kyle Kendrick in 2015. That was until last Monday when the beleaguered right hander exacted a measure of revenge. In the top of the 4th inning with the Rockies up 5-2, Kendrick dug in against San Diego’s Ian Kennedy. The 1-0 offering from the former 20 game winner was absolutely launched to deep left by Kendrick, landing on the second deck of the outfield mezzanine. You could tell that Kendrick didn’t initially know what to do. He unintentionally gave a stare at his handiwork before rounding the bases. In his defense, it was the first home run of his career and just his seventh hit all season. The Rockies are one of the seven teams to be eliminated from contention and Kendrick’s ERA is still over 6. But for that one moment, his first ever 360 foot trot, Kyle Kendrick felt like things were going his way.
3. Big Papi Hits Home Run 500
David Ortiz is already a legendary figure in the history of the Boston Red Sox. He was a vital contributor to three World Series championships after the most famous drought in sports history. Big Papi will go down as maybe the most clutch Sox hitter that ever lived. Not bad for what originally amounted to a scrap heap pickup to compete with Kevin Millar eh? Ortiz doesn’t need anything more in his career to eventually see his number up on the Fenway facade and his bust in Cooperstown. 500 home runs can’t hurt though. The value of 500 home runs as an instant ticket to the Hall was devalued by the “Steroid Era” (such an annoying moniker) with a player seemingly hitting the figure every year. With power figures coming back to Earth, there was a five year lull before Albert Pujols re-opened the club’s doors a season ago. Many thought David Ortiz would need at least two more seasons to join Pujols and company. Ortiz showed this year that rumors of his demise were greatly exaggerated. 34 home runs later he is at 500. The latest and most noteworthy homer came off a team that the Red Sox generally detest: the Tampa Bay Rays. Matt Moore probably thought he’d escape infamy after giving up #499 in the first inning, a three run job. Nope, Moore will forever be linked to the Dominican legend as he herky-jerkily served up the quintuple-century (or half-millennium, both sound weird), a solo shot that would have been out of any park in the bigs. So toast your Dunkin’ iced coffee and tip your cap to the 27th member of the 500 Home Run Club: David Ortiz.
2. Brian Bogusevic Can Catch Lasers
Is it lasers or lazers? Never mind that, this isn’t a physics lesson (even though there are some fancy stats on the video) this is a top plays list. With that criteria in mind, Brian Bogusevic’s catch against the Cubs definitely qualifies. Philadelphia was the first team mathematically eliminated (get used to that phrase) from the playoffs even though they’ve been spiritually eliminated since Opening Day. They’ve jettisoned manager Ryne Sandberg, GM Ruben Amaro, ace Cole Hamels, second baseman Chase Utley, and closer Jonathan Papelbon. The new regime needs to see what they have for the future. One player that could factor in any of the three outfield spots is Brian Bogusevic. He’s no spring chicken at 31, but the Phillies have shown with players like Marlon Byrd and Jayson Werth that Citizens Bank Park can be a fountain of youth to players that have been deemed busts by the scouting community. Bogusevic is hitting .353 in eight games with half of his hits going for extra bases. He is also an exemplary glove as shown by his play on Dexter Fowler from Sunday. In the top of the third inning, Fowler laced a line shot to the right/center field gap. Bogusevic had played Fowler to pull and was playing closer to the line. He sped over into no man’s land though and robbed the Cubs leadoff man. As the announcer’s say, it is plays like that in late September that stay in the minds of people making decisions. With new decision makers, that play (plus a hot bat) could finally give the journeyman a permanent home.
1. Angel Pagan: Home Run Thief
San Diego’s Justin Upton has shown up on the wrong side of the countdown a couple times. He would find redemption though. Matt Kemp has only been on the good end of Top of the Heap this season. He got to feel Upton’s pain finally this past Friday against the Giants. Angel Pagan and San Francisco have been in a losing battle in their attempts to gain ground on the Dodgers in the division as the Wild Card is all but out of reach. Every game from here on out is a proverbial Game 7, and there can be no plays taken off. So when Kemp took Jake Peavy for a ride to center, Angel Pagan knew what had to be done. He tracked back to the wall and made a leaping grab robbing Kemp of a dinger and all but ending the chances of a Padres comeback. The Dodgers may be the top of the division, but we have a Giant at the Top of the Heap.
