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Category Archives: MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

From the Atlanta Braves to the Washington Nationals, Discussions on All 30 MLB Teams

The Delmon Young Effect Is Crippling The Phils Lineup: Does it Need To Be Eradicated?

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Sunday May.19, 2013

Delmon Young has not exactly lit up for the Phillies this campaign - hitting .208/.286/.619 and just 1 HR, plus 4 RBI in 48 AB.  Despite this abysmal start, Delmon Young might just hit 5th?  Really?

Delmon Young has not exactly lit it up for the Phillies this campaign – hitting .208/.286/.619 and just 1 HR, plus 4 RBI in 48 AB. Despite this abysmal start, Delmon Young is still going to  hit 5th Today? Really?

By Chris Creighton (Phillies Correspondent via http://www.warrroomphilly.com – visit the website here

Charlie Manuel is, if not anything else, loyal to his players and his gut-feelings when it comes to filling out the Phillies lineup card every day. If it’s his dedication to Jimmy Rollins batting lead-off over the years or leaving Cliff Lee in for 120+ pitches when he might be cooked, he certainly honors a hunch for better or worse.

So it should come to no surprise there exists a strong belief in his mind that Delmon Young is the right-handed bat to protect Ryan Howard in the five-spot.

While maybe later this season that could eventually be true, the Delmon Young Effect has been plaguing the lineup over the past month after his return from an ankle injury.

Any batter entering into the MLB season a month late due to injury–and slightly out-of-shapedness–is going to play a little catch-up baseball at the plate and Young is certainly not an exception to the rule.

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Mariners Lose Two Tough Games in a Row To Cleveland: But They Are Still Playing a Good Brand Of Baseball

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Sunday, May 19th, 2013

One bright spot for the Mariners over the past couple of days has been first baseman Justin Smoak, who has reached base eight times in the last three games.

One bright spot for the Mariners over the past couple of days has been first baseman Justin Smoak, who has reached base eight times in the last three games.

Sam Evans ( Baseball Writer and Marlins, Mariners Correspondent):

The last two days have to have been extremely rough for the Seattle Mariners. Coming off a series win in New York, the Mariners were sitting comfortably in second place in the A.L. West. However, after two straight walk-off losses to Cleveland, the Mariners have slipped to third in the West.

Having deserved to win at least one of their last two games, the Mariners have likely just ran into some bad luck and they have a great opportunity to get back on track Sunday, with King Felix on the mound.

Tom Hamilton Calls Jason Kipnis Walk Off Home Run 5/17/13: 

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Fernando Martinez Joins The Redhawks: Reid Ryan Joins The Houston Astros As President

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Saturday May 18, 2013

Fernando Martinez clubbed a 2 Run HR in 1st game back with the Houston Astros this year.  Unfortunately, he took a monster dive in Averages right after his ensuing opener.  The 24 Year Old Man from the Dominican Republic, hit for a 3 Slash Line of .181/.229/.501 - after posting a .237/.300/.766 during his 2012 campaign with the big club - spanning 118 AB (6 HRs and 14 RBI).  Martinez went unclaimed and will report to

Fernando Martinez clubbed a 2 Run HR in 1st game back with the Houston Astros this year. Unfortunately, he took a monster dive in Averages right after his ensuing opener. The 24 Year Old Man from the Dominican Republic, hit for a 3 Slash Line of .181/.229/.501 – after posting a .237/.300/.766 during his 2012 campaign with the big club – spanning 118 AB (6 HRs and 14 RBI). Martinez went unclaimed this week, after being placed on waivers – and will report to Oklahoma.

By Brian Hamilton (Astros Correspondent visit the StrosBros Website here):

Week That Was For The Stros:

Fernando Martinez, whom the Astros acquired off waivers from the New York Mets in January 2012, will be joining the AAA Oklahoma City RedHawks.

He was designated for assignment by the Astros last week. Martinez did not have any options remaining, meaning that he would have to clear waivers and be placed on an MLB teams active roster in order for the Astros to lose him.

He went unclaimed and has been assigned to AAA.

Fernando Martinez 2 Run HR April.23

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Current Top 5 MLB Home Run Leaders in the AL + NL: Home Runs Hit May 17th

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Saturday, May.18, 2013

Alex Rios has been quietly piecing together a solid campaign in 2013, with 10 HRs (T 5th in the NL), He has 8 2B, 7 SB and has scored 25 Runs in 40 GP. His 3 Slash line reads .297/.363/.917.

Alex Rios has been quietly piecing together a solid campaign in 2013, with 10 HRs (T 5th in the AL), He has 8 2B, 7 SB and has scored 25 Runs in 40 GP. His 3 Slash line reads .297/.363/.917.  Behind Great Start Pitching, plus recent good play of Adam Dunn, the Southsiders have won 4 Games in a row to climb within 4 Games of the AL Central with a 19 – 21 Record.

DH on our home site pages – Stands for Daily HR Hitters in the Majors.

We are going to run the gauntlet on the previous days HRs for all MLB Players.

I loved it when MLB XM Radio used to do a running total every night on their Roundtrip with Mike Ferrin (Laser Show).  So I am bringing it every day on this website.  To view every nights big boppers for the whole year (from May 8th on) visit the DH page!

Click beyond the Youtube link or click  the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON to see who hit yesterdays big flies.

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Greinke Return Can Turn The Dodgers Season Around

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Friday May.17/2013

Zack Greinke hits an RBI single in his first at-bat since his return from the DL. Greinke earn a quality start against the Nationals 5.1 innings and only allowed 1 ER with 4 SOs.

Zack Greinke hits an RBI single in his first at-bat since his return from the DL. Greinke earn a quality start against the Nationals 5.1 innings and only allowed 1 ER with 4 SOs.

 By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent for MLB Reports)

I think it’s pretty safe to say that the Dodgers haven’t had a very mary month of May and with halfway through the month, they are 4-9. This includes an eight-game losing streak that went from May 1st to May 10th.

During that losing streak, the Dodgers committed a Dodger sin by being swept against their Rivals the San Francisco Giants at AT and T Park.

Usually when this happens to a team with a lot of talent, fans begin pointing fingers and try to figure out what the issue is. Either that or begin giving up on the team’s season right away.

Fingers have been pointed at many different things-from Dodgers’ skipper Don Mattingly to the injuries themselves.  The biggest blow for the Dodgers was the injury that made their expensive new pitcher Zack Greinke miss several starts.

ESPN analysts Manny Acta and Alex Cora analyse Zack Greinke’s comeback

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2 And A Hook Podcast Ep #5: What about WAR? + The Good, The Bad + Downright Underachieving Teams in 2013

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Friday, May.17/2013

MLB reports and The Benchwarmers Show present 2 and A Hook Podcast

MLB reports and The Benchwarmers Show present 2 and A Hook Podcast.

People in this Podcast:

Chuck Booth – (`15 Minutes In – 15 Minute Segment) Guest (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

By James Acevedo – Host (Podcast Veteran) 

’2 And A Hook’ is an expression from Baseball:  ‘Throw the guy 2 Fast balls and then a Hook’ (AKA Curve Ball, Wiggly one, Chair etc..)

On today’s show, brought to you by MLB Reports (www.mlbreports.com) & yours truly  ‘The Bench Warmers Show’, Chuck Booth does his regular segment this time about what’s been going on the MLB Reports website & talking about what to do with the DH position with Adam Dunn, Steve Pearce & Nolan Reimold In the AL.

Plus the Baltimore franchise signing and pitching Freddy Garcia & why the Orioles should have added veteran pitching depth before the season started

Why Raul Ibanez being an underrated player & the horrible starts of their seasons by David Price & Rickie Weeks!

Also I talk to Diamondbacks correspondent for MLB Reports & for Rant Sports (www.rantsports.com)  Chris Lacey 45 Minutes In (10 Minute Segment)  -  as we talk about whats going on with the team.

We also see the return of Yankees correspondent & trade correspondent for MLB Reports Nicholas Rossoletti (1 Hour In – 45 minute Segment)  as we talk about the importance of the WAR stat, sabermetrics, lack of trading & why buying free agents isn’t working for the Angels, Dodgers & Blue Jays!

I also do my stats & notes segment as usual for you baseball nuts out there so go check out the show & SPREAD THE WORD!!! Thanks for all of your continuous support!!!

CLICK THE READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON or scroll down to listen to the episode Read the rest of this entry

Current Top 5 MLB Home Run Leaders in the AL + NL: Home Runs Hit May 15th

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Thursday May.16/2013

Ibanez had 1004 RBI in the last 11 Years and he clubbed  338 of those from 2006-2008 with the Mariners.  He is likely to see around 350-400 AB this year.  Ibanez has hit HRs in consecutive days - hitting 1 HR on Tuesday versus the Yankees - before exploding for a Grand Slam and a 2 run shot yesterday versus his old Yankees Teammates.  He is currently on a 5 Games Hitting Streak ( 8 - 19, .421) with 5 HRs and 12 RBI

Ibanez had 1004 RBI in the last 11 Years and he clubbed 338 of those from 2006-2008 with the Mariners. He is likely to see around 350-400 AB this year. Ibanez has hit HRs in consecutive days – hitting 1 HR on Tuesday versus the Yankees – before exploding for a Grand Slam and a 2 run shot yesterday against his old teammates. He is currently on a 5 Game Hitting Streak ( 8 – 19, .421) – with 5 HRs and 12 RBI.

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

DH on our home site pages – Stands for Daily HR Hitters in the Majors.

We are going to run the gauntlet on the previous days HRs for all MLB Players.

I loved it when MLB XM Radio used to do a running total every night on their Roundtrip with Mike Ferrin (Laser Show).  So I am bringing it every day on this website.  To view every nights big boppers for the whole year (from May 8th on) visit the DH page!

Click beyond the Youtube link or click  the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON to see who hit yesterdays big flies.

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Buyer’s Remorse: The Failed Joel Hanrahan Experiment

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 Thursday May.16/2013

It seemed like everyone was so much more excited about Hanrahan joining the Red Sox this offseason than any of their other acquisitions. Turns out his time in Boston was not only short, but memorable for all the wrong reasons. Where is Mark Melancon when you need him...Oh wait.

It seemed like everyone was so much more excited about Hanrahan joining the Red Sox this off-season than any of their other acquisitions. Turns out his time in Boston was not only short, but memorable for all the wrong reasons. Where is Mark Melancon when you need him…Oh wait.

By Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Writer and Red Sox Correspondent): 

While some people in Red Sox Nation have had concerns about the team’s offense recently, it is clear that the major worry at the moment is the bullpen.

Their starting rotation is no longer at the top of the league statistically, but it has still been good, and the offense is still at the top of the league in most categories. The Sox are 4th in the MLB in Runs Scored, and 2nd in Doubles, AVG, OBP, SLG, and OPS. They’re also 1st in Triples.

The Bullpen was supposed to be a strength for the Red Sox entering the 2013 season, but it has been in shambles recently. At the forefront of the mess is Joel Hanrahan who I will talk about in-depth in a moment. First let me run through some of the other pitchers.

The Red Sox are 26th in the Majors with a 4.47 ERA from their relievers. Their BAA is .250 which is 23rd in the Majors, and they have 6 blown saves which is tied for 6th most in the MLB.

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Mark Reynolds And Asdrubal Cabrera: What To Make Of The Club In Cleveland

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Wednesday May 15th, 2013

 was Arbitration Eligible in 2013 and could have been offered it by the Orioles, instead they let him walk, He was great insurance for First and Third Base and they should have kept him for one more year." src= width="604" height="408" /> Mark Reynolds was Arbitration Eligible in 2013 and could have been offered it by the Orioles, instead they let him walk, He was great insurance for First and Third Base and they should have kept him for one more year.  He likely would have made in the 1 YR/$11 MIL Range.  Instead the club opted to try Nolan Reimold and a cast of others for the positions available.  The Orioles DH slot is hitting well under the Mendoza Line at the time of this article.

was Arbitration Eligible in 2013 and could have been offered it by the Orioles, instead they let him walk, He was great insurance for First and Third Base and they should have kept him for one more year.”  Mark Reynolds was Arbitration Eligible in 2013 and could have been offered it by the Orioles, instead they let him walk, He was great insurance for First and Third Base and they should have kept him for one more year. He likely would have made in the 1 YR/$11 MIL Range. Instead the club opted to try Nolan Reimold and a cast of others for the positions available. The Orioles DH slot is hitting well under the Mendoza Line at the time of this article.

Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer):

The Cleveland Indians are off to a hot start, sitting just one game back of the Detroit Tigers atop the AL Central. In their last 10 (through Tuesday) they are 7 – 3. Most of this is due to Mark Reynolds.

So far this year, he is hitting .272 with 11 HRs and 32 RBI. This puts him on pace to hit 50 HRs and drive in  close to 15o Runs. Of course, there is no way that he drives in 151 runs, but I think it is possible that he could hit 40+ HRs.

He would have to stay hot the entire season and not get injured, so I would say there is about a three percent chance that he does so. His career highs in HRs and RBI came in 2009 when he hit 44 and drove in 102.

With the Indians lineup the way it is with Jason Kipnis (whom I will talk about later), Asdrubal Cabrera and Nick Swisher hitting in front of him, it seems like Reynolds will have plenty of RBI chances.

Reynolds is also on pace to strike out about 176 times, which is a little bit lower than his career average. Needless to say, if he keeps up his current performance throughout the entire season, he will be the MVP (although I would not count Miguel Cabrera out just yet with the season he is having thus far).

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The Athletics Enter The Quarter Pole At .500: Its Better Than It Looks

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Tuesday May.14/2013

Cespedes has struggled this year - hitting for a 3 Slash Line of .212/.283/.748.  However the team always better when he is in the lineup.  They were 4 - 10 with the big fella out of the Lineup.  Cespedes left last nights game with an illness - after cracking his 7th HR.

Cespedes has struggled this year – hitting for a 3 Slash Line of .212/.283/.748. However the team always better when he is in the lineup. They were 4 – 10 with the big fella out of the Lineup. Cespedes left last nights game with an illness – after cracking his 7th HR.  With the longball Monday night, Cespedes now has hit 31 HRs and driven in 101 RBI in his 1st 155 Games and 586 At-Bats.  Billy Beane signed him as  a Free Agent last winter – prior to the 2012 year.  He finished 2nd in Rookie Of The Year Voting and 10th in AL MVP Voting.  His salary at 4 YRs/$36 MIL deal looks pretty good right now.  He made $6.5 MIL last year, will make $8.5 MIL this year – and will earn $10,5 MIL for both 2014 and 2015.

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

The Athletics will enter game #41 at the record of 20 Wins and 20 Losses.  Last nights win was a sigh of relief for the Oakland club and their fans.

After taking 2 out of 3 versus the New York Yankees in the Bronx last week, they were swept in Cleveland in a 4 game series (including that debauchery of a call by Angel Hernandez on the Adam Rosales Game Tying HR) – before losing two of three to the Seattle Mariners.

The A’s have seen their quick start of 12 -4  turn into a barely .500 season thus far at 20 – 20.

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Current Top 5 MLB Home Run Leaders in the AL + NL: Home Runs Hit May 13th

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Monday May 13th, 2013

Justin Upton hit his 1st HR in 2 weeks yesterday - and the club re-assumed the Major League lead for Roundtrippers with 52 in 38 Games Played.  The club is 7th in the NL for OBP (.312), 11th in Team BA (.243) and are 42 SO ahead of the next team with 351 batters fanned.

Justin Upton hit his 1st HR in 2 weeks yesterday – and the club re-assumed the Major League lead for Round-trippers with 52 in 38 Games Played. The club is 7th in the NL for On Base Percentage (.312), 11th in Team Batting Average (.243)- and are 42 Strikeouts  ahead of the next team with 351 batters fanned (San Diego Padres with 309).  Atlanta is 22 – 16 – and still holds a 1 game lead over the Washington Nationals for the National League East.  Upton went 4 – 5 in his 1st game back in Arizona, falling just a Triple short of the cycle.

DH on our home site pages – Stands for Daily HR Hitters in the Majors.

We are going to run the gauntlet on the previous days HRs for all MLB Players.

I loved it when MLB XM Radio used to do a running total every night on their Roundtrip with Mike Ferrin (Laser Show).  So I am bringing it every day on this website.  To view every nights big boppers for the whole year (from May 8th on) visit the DH page!

Click beyond the Youtube link or click  the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON to see who hit yesterdays big flies.

Read the rest of this entry

MLB Team Power Rankings: Week 6

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Monday May.13/2013

The Rangers have opened up a 6 game lead over the Athetics - prior to their series with Oakland that kicks off tonight.  They have also only played 15 Home Games - as opposed to 22 Road Games.  Steady veteran hitting - and great Pitching all around has paved the way.  They are the only team in the Division over .500

The Rangers have opened up a 6 game lead over the Athletics – prior to their series with Oakland that kicks off tonight. They have also only played 15 Home Games – as opposed to 22 Road Games. Steady veteran hitting – and great Pitching all around has paved the way. They are the only team in the Division over .500

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

The Rangers are #1 again based on the Division lead they currently possess, plus the fact they play all of these teams a total of 76 Games this year.

St. Louis Cardinals have one hell of a pitching staff – and it is downright scary for the rest of the National League that they have played this well without the offense really clicking.

The Giants continue to streak.  I like their offensive makeup – because players like Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval, Marco Scutaro and Hunter Pence all tend to be streaky.

The Boston Red Sox have begun to slow down recently.

The Tampa Bay Rays seem ready to make their charge.

Josh Hamilton and his 1 AB back in Arlington:

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Pittsburgh Pirates Roster Tree Part 1: The Pitchers

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Sunday, May. 12/2013

What 3 current Pirates players can be traced back to Ricardo Rincon?  Read this article and you will find out how all of the players have arrived in a Bucs uniform - and we dissected the Pirates brass for each move.

What 3 current Pirates players can be traced back to Ricardo Rincon? Read this article and you will find out how all of the players have arrived in a Bucs uniform – and we dissected the Pirates brass for each move.

By Brad Cuprik (Pirates Correspondent) and Chuck Booth (MLB Reports Owner/Lead Analyst

Neil Huntington has done a great job assembling this Pirates team – and has spun some great trades in order to see his club actually be competitive over the last few years.

At the MLB Reports, we intend to show you the Roster Tree for the Bucs – and how they assembled their current rosters.  It will work in a six degrees of separation like format.

Once we figure out the origin of how many trades going back in time it takes to see where the tree started, it will be time to dissect how the team fared on the deals.

If a player has never left the organization at all, the tree will be easy – as it will just be the year they were drafted.

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The Marlins Should Promote Christian Yelich Now

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Sunday, May 12th, 2013

After being ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Marlins farm system by Baseball America coming into 2012,  Yelich hit .330 in High-A with a .922 OPS. Most scouting reports have him again as either the No. 1 or No. 2 prospect in the Marlins system.  Yelich cracked both Baseball America and Keith Law’s top 50 prospects coming into 2012 and by mid-season Yelich had jumped into Law’s top 15 prospects (No.12).  If Yelich can stick in centerfield, he could be a huge asset for the Marlins as they build a foundation around an outfield of Stanton, Yelich and Jake Marisnick, who was acquired in the Reyes deal. Yelich could offer a very steady compliment to Stanton as early as 2013 depending on his performance at Double-A . He is not a power hitter as of yet, but his body projects as one that can fill out over time and gain strength

“After being ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Marlins farm system by Baseball America coming into 2012, Yelich hit .330 in High-A with a .922 OPS. Most scouting reports have him again as either the No. 1 or No. 2 prospect in the Marlins system. Yelich cracked both Baseball America and Keith Law’s top 50 prospects coming into 2012 and by mid-season Yelich had jumped into Law’s top 15 prospects (No.12). If he cmarcellan stick in centerfield, he could be a huge asset for the Marlins as they build a foundation around an outfield of Stanton, Yelich and Jake Marisnick, who was acquired in the Reyes deal. He could offer a very steady compliment to Stanton right now based on his performance at Double-A  He is not a power hitter as of yet, but his body projects as one that can fill out over time and gain strength.”  Nicholas Rossoletti – (MLB Reports Writer)

Sam Evans ( Baseball Writer and Marlins, Mariners Correspondent):

The Marlins have turned heads all over baseball for their controversial promotions of young, inexperienced prospects over the last couple months. So far, the clubs decisions couldn’t have turned out much better. Marcell Ozuna is holding back at the plate, and it’s led to 13 hits in 45 at bat’s in 11 games.

Jose Fernandez looks like a serious N.L. Rookie of the Year candidate with his 3.15 FIP in seven starts and 39 strikeouts in only 37 innings. So with these two top prospects shining at the Major League level, why wouldn’t the Marlins bring up another elite prospect that will keep fans coming to the ballpark and plays a position of need?

Christian Yelich has proven he’s ready for the Majors and the Marlins would be silly not to call him up in the next week or two.

Miami Marlins- Christian Yelich talks Spring Training 2013:

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The Astros Feel Pressure From Disappointments: But Are Doing The Rebuild Right!

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Saturday, May 11th,2013

If all goes well with the team this year, the Astros could improve on their 2012 year.  If all else fails, Houston might challenge the ALL-Time Loss Record.  Whatever happens, any Veteran Player with a heartbeat will be on the trading block by June.  The Astros will continue to dissolve any of their assets (with expiring contracts) onto other teams in order to pick off some more prospects.  The Astros will also Draft 1st overall at the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft.  Whether you agree with them or not, they are going about their rebuild the right way.

If all goes well with the team this year, the Astros could improve on their 2012 year end record. If all else fails, Houston might challenge the ALL-Time Loss Record. Whatever happens, any Veteran Player with a heartbeat will be on the trading block by June. The Astros will continue to dissolve any of their assets (with expiring contracts) onto other teams in order to pick off some more prospects. The Astros will also Draft 1st overall at the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft. Whether you agree with them or not, they are going about their rebuild the right way.

By Richard Perez (Astros Correspondent visit the StrosBros Website here):

It seems that the only thing that you hear about the Astros in 2013 is that they are bad, really really really bad. Most of what you hear about the Astros is how they are bad enough to out do the 1962 expansion New York Mets’ worst record in the modern baseball era.

Most recently, Buster Olney (whom I revere and respect) on the Baseball Tonight podcast simply trashing the Astros, saying that they were “non-competitive” in their most recent sweep at the hands of the Detroit Tigers, the defending American League champion Detroit Tigers. 

Olney went on to talk about exactly how bad this team is, listing every possible statistic the Astros are on pace to set a new season worst record for, and summarized how they simply had their butts handed to them on a silver platter by the best team in the American League.

Opening Night PH 3 RUN HR by  Rick Ankiel

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Who’s On Third? White Sox Edition.

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Friday May 10th, 2013

When Gordon Beckham broke a bone in his hand and required surgery, many White Sox fans weren't overly concerned. After all, Beckham's offensive struggles have been well documented throughout his young career. Simply move Jeff Keppinger to second base, and then.... Wait. Who's going to take Keppinger's place at third?

When Gordon Beckham broke a bone in his hand and required surgery, many White Sox fans weren’t overly concerned. After all, Beckham’s offensive struggles have been well documented throughout his young career. Simply move Jeff Keppinger to Second base, and then…. Wait. Who’s going to take Keppinger’s place at third?

By Brian Madsen (White Sox Correspondent): 

Who’s on Third Base for the White Sox you ask…Connor Gillaspie. Who? Connor Gillaspie. The same new guy that’s hitting .291, the highest current batting average for any White Sox player with more than 80 AB.

The same  that hit CLEAN-UP in the Sox lineup in Wednesday night’s inter-league game against the Mets. The man from Omaha, Nebraska has been a revelation, so far. He’s played solid defensively, and swung a pretty hot bat.

As I mentioned above, he hit cleanup for the Sox on Wednesday, and went 2 for 4, with 2 RBI.

Connor Gillaspie’s Diving Catch:

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Reds Outlook For The Rest Of May: And 5 Week Recap Thus Far

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Wednesday May.08, 2013

Tony Cingrani has been filthy dominant in his limited Major League outings.  In 29 IP, he is 2 - 0, features a 2.48 ERA and has blown away 42 Batters for a 13.0/Per ( IP Strikeout Rate.  The Reds would ne nuts to send this guy anywhere from the Starting Rotation (let alone back to the Minor Leagues)  Cingrani was a 3rd Round Draft Pick of the Reds back in the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft.  The 23 Year Old  from Evergreen IL, is 14 - 6 with a 1.62 ERA during his Minor League Career.  The Cincinnati franchise  find yet another young phenom Pitcher for its coffers!

Tony Cingrani has been filthy dominant in his limited Major League outings. In 29 IP, he is 2 – 0, features a 2.48 ERA – and has blown away 42 Batters for a 13.0/Per 9 IP Strikeout Rate. The Reds wou.ld nb nuts to send this guy anywhere from the Starting Rotation (let alone back to the Minor Leagues) Cingrani was a 3rd Round Draft Pick of the Reds back in the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft. The 23 Year Old from Evergreen IL, is 14 – 6 with a 1.62 ERA during his Minor League Career. The Cincinnati franchise finds yet another young phenom Pitcher for its coffers!

Richie Devotie (Guest Baseball Writer):

Today were are going to take a look at the Reds first five week’s of play. The Reds have a 19-15 record. They sit two games back of the 20-12 St. Louis Cardinals for the NL Central Division. The Reds have five walk off victories out of their 13 home wins.

The 3 slash line for Reds at home is.264/.344/.427 and 22 Home Runs at Great American Ball Park. They have won all five series they have played at GABP. 2-1 vs LA, 2-1 vs WSH, 3-0 vs PHI, 3-1 vs MIA, 2-1 vs CHC.

Away from the Great American Ball Park is a different story for the Cincinnati Reds. They have a 3 slash line of   .224/.312/.329. and only 9 Home Runs. The have a 6-10 Road Record. The Only Road series win came in Chicago where they swept the Cubs. 1-2 @STL, 0-3 @PIT, 1-3 @WASH, 1-2 @STL, 3-0 @CHC.

This is Reds Country – Mature Lyrics So Parental Guidance is Advised:

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MLB Top Teams 1 – 30 + (Best 200 Stats of 2013)

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Monday May.06/2013

Matt Harvey with his stellar outings so far this season may have just become the New York Mets "ace". Harvey is now 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA. Harvey has pitched 40.1 innings - only given up 21 hits, 12 Walks for a League Leading WHIP of .0818  For his awesome 5 weeks we name him the MLB Reports NL Pitcher Of The Month

Matt Harvey with his stellar outings so far this season – may have just become the New York Mets “ace”. Harvey is now 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA. Harvey has pitched 40.1 innings – only given up 21 hits, 12 Walks for a League Leading WHIP of .0818. For his awesome 5 weeks – we name him the MLB Reports NL Pitcher Of The Month

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

Stats all Prior to May.06th games. 

The time has come for the 1sy May Power Rankings.  There will be one each for May, June, July, August, September – and then a special playoff edition Power Rankings will be done in October.

I will not do a weekly Power Rankings during this weeks, because in essence, these are the weekly rankings done on a much larger scale.

These Reports are done with a heavy thought to how the teams project by the end of the season – along with how the clubs have fared so far.

I will point out who has had great months for the all 30 MLB Teams.  I reward the good performances in these rankings – and leave the poor ones for the Podcasts or future articles. CLICK THE READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON

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Forget About The Ryan Howard Contract: Philly Fans Should Respect Him

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Monday May.06, 2013

Ryan Howard will need to remain healthy and be a force in the Phillies lineup. Howard is owed a Minimum of $105 MIL over 4 years (He is paid $20 MIL in 2013, and $25 MIL from 2014 - 2016 - with a $23 MIL Team Option (or a Buyout for $10 MIL)

Ryan Howard will need to remain healthy – and be a force in the Phillies lineup for the club to make a charge in the next 5 months of the year. Howard is owed a Minimum of $105 MIL over 4 years (He is paid $20 MIL in 2013, and $25 MIL per year from 2014 – 2016 – with a $23 MIL Team Option – or a Buyout for $10 MIL).

By Chris Creighton (Phillies Correspondent via http://www.warrroomphilly.com – visit the website here

On Friday night, Phillies First Baseman, Ryan Howard, honored his favorite teacher as the Phillies celebrated Teacher Appreciation Night at Citizens Bank Park.

This is nothing out of the ordinary for “The Big Piece”, a nickname he acquired for obvious reasons other than its metaphor which tells us just how important he is to this team and this city.

After all, Ryan Howard is one of the team’s most charitable athletes and most visible volunteers in the community. His dedication to his adoptive city of Philadelphia has been felt through several charities such as Ryan Howard’s Celebrity Servers, his work with the Police Athletic League, and his pride & joy,The Ryan Howard Family Foundation.

The list of donations and events this charity has raised and participated goes on and on. Athletic equipment to city schools, scholarships to student athletes,Winter coats and warm meals for the hungry and indigent during the holidays just to name a few where Howard has touched the hearts of so many in our fine city, like this sweet, young boy this past Friday.

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Chase Headley: Contract Talks Or Trade Bait?

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Monday May 6th, 2013

Headley led the NL with 115 RBI in 2012 amongst 31 HRs, he will need to put up monster numbers for the Padres to compete with the LA Dodgers going forward.  Headley caaptured a Gold Glove Award and Silver Slugger in 2012. He ended up finishing 5th in NL MVP voting.  He hit 23 HRs and 73 RBI in just 75 Games after the 2012 ALL-Star Game.. Chase Headley actually fared well at Petco Park in 2012 - with a 3 Slash Line of .272/.357/.812.  He added 13 HRs and 51 RBI.  He could potentially hit a few more out with the fences drawn in.

Headley led the NL with 115 RBI in 2012 amongst 31 HRs, he will need to put up monster numbers for the Padres to compete with the NL West teams  going forward Chase Headley actually fared well at Petco Park in 2012 – with a 3 Slash Line of .272/.357/.812. He added 13 HRs and 51 RBI. He could potentially hit a few more out this season with the fences newly drawn in.

Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer):

For the past few seasons, Chase Headley has been the one guy on the roster that the San Diego Padres can rely on. Last year, he put up MVP-like numbers, hitting 31 HR and driving in 115 runs.

This year, he is really the only guy in the lineup that can truly produce runs. Yonder Alonso has that capability, but he is still a bit raw. Headley is signed to a one-year $8.58 million contract.

He becomes Arbitration-eligible in 2014 and is a Free Agent in 2015. The Padres are faced with a conundrum: should they trade Headley?

This third baseman is 28 years old—about the time when most players enter their prime. With the season we saw from Headley in 2012, I think it is safe to say that he has already entered his prime, and probably has two or three more years similar to 2012 ahead of him.

If the Padres are building for the future, which I sure hope they are, they need to trade Headley right away.

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