Dan Haren, Part Two

"The ERA leader is Haren, but he doesn't have enough wins." - Tigers broadcaster.


Enough wins for what? You mean, he doesn't have enough run support.

What about Dan Haren!?

I suffer not-so-silently when it comes to the subject of Dan Haren being in the running for the AL Cy Young. I mentioned him in my very last post and then ventured to MLB.com in order to check out game times. MLB.com mocked me with their pieces on the CY awards and who's in the running.

For the AL: Wang, NYY; Beckett, BOS; Sabathia, CLE
Dark Horses include LACKEY and Escobar, LAA.
Honorable mentions were Carmona, CLE; Bedard, BAL; Putz, SEA; Borowski, CLE; and Papelbon, BOS.

I'll break this down for you. With the exception of Bedard (who's out for the season anyway and so won't get it), every single one of them is on a contending team. Putz, Borowski, and Papelbon are relief pitchers.

I'll name one pitcher who has better numbers than every single one of the abovementioned men.

DAN. HAREN.

What does Dan Haren have to do to get recognition?

• He could pitch every day to prevent a lesser pitcher, like Joe Kennedy, from losing games for the team. By the same token, he could pitch complete games to avoid leaving decisions up to the injury-laden bullpen and Huston Street.
• Haren could also bat for himself, surrendering the right to a designated hitter. Who knows, he might be the next Barry Bonds.
• He could play gratis for the A's, freeing up $12.65 million for better pitching or hitting. I'm sure the addition of Tim Hudson would boost the pitching staff. Alex Rodriguez could be the DH if the infield joined Haren in playing gratis.
• Haren could add a D to his name and twenty-five to his number in order to shock batters, umpires and radar guns into recognizing the resurrection of Rich Harden's fastball in the body of a Californian four inches taller and thirty pounds heavier than the Canadian, supplementing enough height and weight to add three miles per hour to the four-seam thereby topping it out at 103 mph, challenging Joel Zumaya for the crown of Scariest Fastball Ever.

Maybe then he'd get some recognition. Or maybe those guys could start WATCHING HIM PITCH.