DUGOUT: Wait ‘til next year

Last week, it was announced that the Arizona Diamondbacks had traded away Felipe Lopez to the Milwaukee Brewers for two minor league players.

The return was considered minimal, and the transaction was received with few positive responses from Arizona fans, even seeing as how the Diamondbacks aren’t exactly in contention for a World Series.

The two players received from the Brewers were Cole Gillespie and Roque Mercedes. Gillespie is a 25-year-old outfielder in Triple-A — one step away from the major leagues. He was drafted in 2006 by the Brewers and has been rushed through the minors at a very fast pace.

For a team with a logjam of outfielders already under their control (Eric Byrnes, Conor Jackson, Justin Upton, Chris Young) the addition of Gillespie to the Diamondbacks is confusing unless another trade is in the works.

Mercedes has much more potential than his older counterpart. The 22-year-old reliever is currently pitching in Mobile, the Diamondbacks’ Double-A affiliate. He has consistently put up great numbers during his journey through the minors and could be a very solid piece of Arizona’s bullpen in two or three years.

Lopez’s meager $3.5 million contract is due up after this year, so in reality the Brewers purchased a half-year rental. The trade value of Lopez was probably higher than what the Brewers shipped over, but Arizona settled for a mediocre outfielder and a high-risk/high-reward reliever that is two or three years away.

Earlier this month, the Diamondbacks also traded away reliever Tony Pena to the Chicago White Sox. Their return on this trade was much higher, as they received the best power-hitting prospect in the White Sox organization in first-baseman Brandon Allen. At just 23 years old, Allen is young for his level of competition — currently the Triple-A Pacific Coast League — but is tearing the cover off the ball.

Drafted as a high-schooler in 2004, Allen has been steadily progressed through the minor leagues, allowing him time to develop along the way. He gets on base at a good clip and has great home run potential in addition to being quite patient at the plate.

The “great debate” for Arizona this year seems to be whether or not to trade de facto ace Dan Haren, who is in the running for the Cy Young award. Haren is making a mere $7.5 million this year and is under contract through 2012.

If the Diamondbacks decided to dangle Haren on the trade block there is little doubt that they would receive a king’s ransom of minor league talent in return.

For the first time in five years, a perfect game was thrown in the major leagues. Chicago White Sox left-handed hurler Mark Buehrle, who threw a no-hitter two years ago, lasted nine innings on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays without allowing a baserunner.

The perfect game was not without dramatics. In the top of the ninth inning, Buehrle received a spectacular catch from defensive replacement Dewayne Wise that robbed Gabe Kapler of a home run, which would have spoiled the no-hit bid, as well as the shutout.

After that first out Buehrle struck out Michael Hernandez for the second out of the inning and induced a groundball from Jason Bartlett to end the game. His teammates mobbed him at the mound and President Barack Obama, an avid White Sox fan, called Buehrle after the game to congratulate him.

Buehrle struck out six en route to the 5-0 victory.

Induction ceremonies will be held today in Cooperstown, N.Y., to honor the two players elected in the baseball Hall of Fame: Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice.

The rules of this election are relatively simple: the hundreds of members of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) voted for as many as 10 players they felt deserved the Hall of Fame. Those names on at least 75 percent of the 539 ballots would be inducted to Cooperstown.

Henderson will forever be remembered as the best base-stealer in baseball history, but his abilities as a lead-off hitter are also rivaled by very few. His speed and ability to get on base make him one of the best in baseball history. Pete Rose comes to mind when discussing excellent leadoff hitters, but Henderson seemingly did everything Rose did except hit doubles.

In 1982, Henderson stole 130 bases (the most in a single season since the turn of the century) and he leads baseball history with 1,406 total stolen bases, cementing his position as the most disruptive base runner to play this game.

Rice will be the only other nominee, and his induction will not be without controversy. Playing with the Boston Red Sox his entire career, Rice had the advantage of playing in the hitter-friendly Fenway Park on a regular basis. Those who thought Rice shouldn’t have been elected into Cooperstown last January will be quick to point out that his numbers are inflated because of the favorable venue.

The statistics Rice boasts were among the best in the league during his time and he was considered one of the most feared batters in the American League. Rice’s slugging percentage, however, was rarely in the top 10 every year, and he consistently ranked in the top five in runners on base when he was at bat, giving him loads of opportunities to score other runners.

Although they have many differences, both Henderson and Rice will be recognized as two of the greatest players to ever play the game of baseball.

Manny Ramirez came through in the pinch for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. With the bases loaded in the sixth inning, Ramirez hit a pinch-hit grand slam over the left-field wall, otherwise known as “Mannywood.”

This came on his “bobblehead” night, when at least 50,000 fans left with two souvenirs of one of the best home-run hitters in the league.

The slam was the 21st of Ramirez’s career, and he now trails only Lou Gehrig in that department, who hit 23 in his career.

When fans saw Ramirez put a batting helmet on in the dugout they exploded with excitement. Without even taking a warm-up swing Ramirez launched the first pitch he saw into the sold-out Dodger Stadium bleachers.

Andrew Kneeland will be a junior at the Arizona Virtual Academy. He is an intern at the Green Valley News.