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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 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.

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Tags: aaron hicks, AL East, alfonso soriano, andy dirks, anthony rizzo, arizona, arizona diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, brandon moss, Brian McCann, carlos beltran, chicago cubs, chris johnson, christian, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, edwin encarnacion, evan longoria, jason kipnis, john buck, jose bautista, josh rutledge, jp arencibia, justin upton, kansas city royals, los angeles of anaheim, mark reynolds, mark trumbo, matt holliday, Mike Morse, mitch moreland, nelson cruz, new York, new york yankees, NL east, paul goldschmidt, robinson cano, san diego padres, top 5 HR Leaders AL and NL, toronto blue jays, twitter @chuckbooth3024, vernon wells, victor martinez, washington nationals, yoenis cespedes

MLB Weekly Power Rankings – Week 3

Apr 22

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Monday Apr.22/2013

The Giants have gutted out a 12 – 7 record despite Matt Cain being 0 – 2 with a 7.15 ERA, and Ryan Vogelsong featuring an early season ERA of 5.89. Buster Posey is also off to a slow start. This team has so much depth and talent, I see nothing that will stop this club from taking their 3rd NL West Division crown now that the LAD have had severe injury problems to their Starting Rotation. The Giants take their rightful spot as #1 in the MLB Reports Weekly Rankings thids week.

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024

The Major League Baseball Season is roughly 10% over and we are seeing some trends and patterns. The next time you wonder why games are so long in the game right now, look no further than there are about 150 hitters that are currently on pace to Strikeout 100 plus times this season.

Other Notes:

The Cincinnati Reds won every game this past 7 days, after losing every day the week prior. This is simply why they shot up the rankings. I think the NL Central is the weakest Division this year. It was my prediction that the oldest professional baseball club would run away with this Division by at least 10 games.

Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Votto are on the Basepaths at all times – carrying an OBP of over .500 plus each. Votto is starting to drive the ball with authority too. Brandon Phillips, Todd Frazier and Zack Cozart are driving in Runs at an incredible rate.

Look for BP Follow @DatdudeBP to be a dark horse NL MVP candidate.

Brandon Phillips Talks about Winter Workouts:

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Tags: @chuckbooth3024 on twitter, a.j. pierzynski, adam dunn, adam lind, al central, AL West, albert pujols, alfonso soriano, American league, andre ethier, anthony rendon, anthony rizzo, arizona diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, b.j. upton, baltimore orioles, barry zito, boston red sox, brandon phillips, Brendan Ryan, brett lawrie, bryce harper, buster posey, chicago cubs, chicago white sox, cincinnati reds, cleveland indians, colby rasmus, colorado rockies, david price, dayton moore, dee gordon, detroit tigers, emilio bonifacio, eric hosmer, giancarlo stanton, heath bell, houston astros, jean segura, joe mauer, john buck, jordan walden, jose altuve, jose bautista, jose reyes, josh hamilton, justin morneau, justin smoak, kansas city royals, la dodgers, los angeles angels of anaheim, maicer izturis, mark derosa, matt cain, matt harvey, matt kemp, matt moore, melky cabrera, miami marlins, mike moustakas, mike piazza, milwaukee brewers, minnesota twins, MLB power rankings, munenori kawasaki, national league, new york mets, new york yankees, NL Central, NL east, nl eat, oakland athletics, philadelphia phillies, pittsburgh pirates, rajai davis, Rick Ankiel, ryan vogelsong, ryan zimmerman, san diego padres, san francisco giants, seattle mariners, shin-soo choo, st louis cardinals, tampa bay rays, texas rangers, tim lincecum, todd frazier, tom seaver, tommy hanson, toronto blue jays, washington nationals, wil myers, zack cozart

NL Trade Deadline Targets

Apr 8

Posted by jgluck777

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Monday April.8/2013

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. The Astros also play in the toughest Division in the Majors for pitching, plus have already put up back to back 100 Loss Seasons. Their second half Won – Loss Records might challenge historic rates.

By Jordan Gluck (Prospects/Baseball Operations Correspondent) Follow @JGluck777

Likely Mid season trade targets NL:

I’m assuming these teams will have a winning percentage of at least .475 and therefore will not be sellers although that doesn’t entirely rule out being sellers at the deadline. We are far away from the deadline but it’s nice to see who might be available. Nationals, Braves, Phillies, Reds, Cardinals, Brewers, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants and Rockies (sleeper).

I believe these teams will be sellers and there are not many in the NL because of the parity. Many of these teams don’t have that much to offer so it would not surprise me if a team above (Brewers?) makes a few trades for over slot prices. Marlins, Mets, Pirates, Cubs and Padres.

Giancarlo Stanton (Formerly Mike Stanton hits it out of Dodger Stadium):

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Tags: a.j. burnett, Adalberto Mondesi, alex wood, alfonso soriano, Andrew McCutchen, arizona diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Austin Wood, avisail garcia, baltimore orioles, Bobby Parnell, brandon lyon, Carlos Marmol, carlos quentin, chase headley, chicago cubs, chicago white sox, chris reed, cincinnati reds, clayton richard, cleveland indians, clint barmes, colorado rockies, dale thayer, Dan Burawa., david Dejesus, david wright, dee gordon, detroit tigers, Dillon Howard, Drew Smyly, edinson volquez, eduardo nunez, edwin jackson, evan gattis, Francisco Lindor, francisco liriano, frank francisco, garrett jones, giancarlo stanton, greg dobbs, houston astros, huston street, ick Castellanos, ike davis, jared hughes, jason grilli, jeff mathis, johan santana, john buck, jon niese, jon rauch, Jorge Bonifacio, juan pierre, julio teheran, jurickson profar, justin ruggiano, kansas city royals, la angels, la dodgers, LaTroy Hawkins, lonnie chisenhall, luke gregorson, Luke Jackson & Jorge Alfaro., manny banuelos, mark kotsay, mason williams, matt garza, Michael Clevinger, mike olt, milwaukee brewers, minnesota twins, nick hundley, nick maronde, ny mets, NY Yankees, oakland athletics, Onelki Garcia, pedro feliciano, Philadlphia Phillies, placido polanco, R.J. Alvarez, ricky nolasco, Ronny Rodriguez, russell martin, san diego padres, san francisco giants, Scott Atchison, seattle mariners, shaun marcum, Stephen Fife, steve cishek, tampa bay rays, texas rangers, tony sanchez, toronto blue jays, tyler austin, tyler collins, wandy rodriguez, washington nationals, Yordano Ventura, zach lee

The Cubs And Jeff Samardzija Belong Together

Mar 27

Posted by Alex Kantecki

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Wednesday March.27/2013

Samardzija made seven starts in Class A in 2006 before he was allowed to return to the Fighting Irish in the fall to fulfill a promise to his coach of playing football his senior year. He even helped lead his team to the Sugar Bowl -and finished out his illustrious career as the team’s all-time leader in reception yards.
But that’s where his football career ended, as Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry made the projected first-rounder in the 2007 NFL Draft an offer he couldn’t refuse – $10 Million over five years, including a $2.5 million signing bonus that Samardzija agreed to return if at any time he pursued a career in another sport.

By Alex Kantecki (Cubs Correspondent): Follow @rotodealer

I remember the grumbles and the echoes of “You’ve got to be kidding me” and “Jim Hendry did what now?” from Cubs fans when the team signed a 21-year old football star to a five-year, $10 million contract back in 2007.

I remember because I was one of the grumblers.

In 2006, the Cubs selected Jeff Samardzija – a wide receiver from Notre Dame – in the fifth round (149th overall) of the Amateur Baseball Draft, not knowing whether the All-American football player with a 97 MPH fastball would forfeit a clear path to the NFL for a hit-or-miss career in baseball.

Jeff Samardzija Tribute: Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is advised:

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Tags: @rotodealer on Twitter, albert almora, alex kantecki, alfonso soriano, anthony rizzo, chicago cubs, chris sale, college football, Javier Baez, jeff samardzija, Jim Hendry, jorge soler, matt garza, NL Central, notre dame football, ryan dempster, starlin castro, theo epstein, wrigley field

Bryce Harper – The Nats LF

Mar 2

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Friday, Mar. 02/2013

Bryce Harper won the NL Rookie Of The Year, made an ALL-Star Appearance – and even clubbed his 1st Post season HR in 2012. With a full season to play in 2013 – how high might his numbers go?

By David Huzzard (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): Follow @davidhuzzard

With the acquisition of Denard Span to play Center Field and bat Leadoff, a new defensive home had to be found for Harper. In 2012, advanced stats didn’t just rate Harper as a good defensive Center Fielder he was rated as a great one.

The Span move makes the Nats better in two positions of weakness and it also allows Harper to move to a more offensive position and focus on that aspect of his game. Left field is the second least important defensive position according to the defensive matrix, and often times it is the home of some of the games best sluggers.

For a quick comparison the average MLB Center Fielder hit for a 3 Slash Line of.265/.330/.418 in 2012 – and the average Left Fielder .261/.327/.431. While Left Field is traditionally a more offensive position current Left Fielders only managed a .009 OPS advantage over their CF brethren in 2012.

This doesn’t nor should it change the perception of Left Field as the less important defensive position of the higher offensive position. All it means is that there aren’t a lot of good Left Fielders right now. In WAR there are built-in bonuses for playing different positions, a good offensive player at an up the middle position will be rated higher than a good offensive player at a corner position, because an up the middle player that can hit is more valuable.

Bryce Harper Highlights as a 16 Year old hitting bombs and Tropicana Field 2009:

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Tags: 2012, @davidhuzzard on twitter, AL Rookie of the Year 2012, alex gordon, alfonso soriano, Andrew McCutchen, austin jackson, citizens of natstown book, citizens of natstown.com, CitsofNatstown on twitter, David Huzzard, denard span, jason kubel, justin upton, los angeles angels, martin prado, matt holliday, matt kemp, michael bourn, Mike Trout, national league, NL east, NL Rookie of the Year, NLDS 2012, ryan braun, tropicana field, washington nationals

Cubs Payroll In 2013 And Contracts Going Forward

Mar 2

Posted by Alex Kantecki

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Saturday, Mar.02, 2013

The Cubs final payroll from 2012 was just north of $107 Million, and, over the winter, President of Baseball Operations Theo Esptein and GM Jed Hoyer added plenty of pitching depth to the 2013 team.

By Alex Kantecki (Cubs Correspondent): Follow @akantecki

Only the Houston Astros stood between the Chicago Cubs and last place in the NL Central in 2012. The Cubs lost 101 games – their most losses since 1966, when the team went 51-103 — and finished with the second worst record in baseball. Under President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein, the Cubs went backwards from the year before, losing 10 more games than in 2011.

Epstein continues to rebuild the Cubs’ farm system, and the organization boasts four top prospects – Shortstop Javier Baez, Outfielder Albert Almora, Outfielder Jorge Soler and Relief Pitcher Arodys Vizcaino — all of whom are represented in the Top 100 Prospects of Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus. Over the winter, the Cubs bolstered their Starting Pitching staff, adding Starters Edwin Jackson, Scott Feldman, Scott Baker and Carlos Villanueva.

Chicago Cubs 2012 Highlights: Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is advised:

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Tags: 2013 chicago cubs, 25 man roster chicago cubs, @akantecki on twitter, albert almora, alex kantecki, alfonso soriano, anthony rizzo, arodys vizcaino, Brett Jackson, brooks raley, Carlos Marmol, carlos villanueva, chicago, chicago cubs, Chicago cubs payroll, chris rusin, Darwin Barney, dave sappelt, david Dejesus, dioner navarro, edwin jackson, gerardo concepcion, james russell, Javier Baez, jed hoyer, jeff samardzija, jorge soler, josh vitters, junior lake, kyuji fujikawa, luis valbuena, matt garza, matt szczur, michael bowden, nate schierholtz, rafael dolis, scott baker, scott feldman, scott hairston, shawn camp, starlin castro, theo epstein, travis wood, welington castillo

Granderson Is Out For 10 Weeks: What Can Cashman Do?

Feb 25

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Monday, February.25, 2013

Granderson has back to back 40 HR years with the Yankees. New York can ill afford to be without a productive LF for the 1st quarter of the year. I believe they should make a trade to bolster their team. When Granderson comes back, you could always have an extra player for depth still.

Granderson has had back to back 40 HR years with the Yankees in 2011 and 2012. New York can ill afford to be without a productive LF for the 1st quarter of this season. I believe they should make a trade to bolster their team. When Granderson comes back, you would always have an extra player for depth still.

Chuck Booth (Yankees Correspondent/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024

The start of the season is starting to look extremely bleak for the Yankees so far. Derek Jeter is coming off of a broken ankle, A-Rod is out indefinitely with (insert whatever ailment here) until after the ALL-Star Game, Mariano Rivera is 43 – and trying to make it through one more season after tearing up his ACL last year, Phil Hughes is having back spasms, Joba Chamberlain seems healthy – (but you never what freak injury is going to happen to him next,) Michael Pineda is still recovering from shoulder Surgery, so what else was going to happen? Add Curtis Granderson and a fractured right forearm to the walking wounded list.

This injury should alarm the Yankees and their fans. The team is not strong depth-wise, as they have been in decades, so “The ‘Grandy Man’ not being able to play until early May should cause New York GM Brian Cashman to explore all of his options. Like I have said in previous articles – ‘Financial Armageddon’ is coming for the club in 2014, plus the team is rapidly becoming older by the year. It is safe to say that this year might be the last kick at a championship for some time. What may the Yankees do to replace Granderson for the 1st quarter of the season?

Juan Rivera hits a Walk-Off for the Dodgers:

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Tags: Adam Eaton, AL East, alex presley, alex rodriguez, alfonso soriano, anaheim stadium, Andrew McCutchen, andy pettitte, arizona diamondbacks, boone logan, brett gardner, brian cashman, bryce harper, Carlos lee, carlos zambrano, chicago cubs, clay rapada, cody eppley, cody ross, david aardsma, david robertson, dellin betances, derek jeter, garrett jones, gerardo parra, ichiro suzuki, ivan nova, jason kubel, jayson werth, joba chamberlain, Jose Tabata, juan rivera, los angeles angels of anaheim, manny banuelos, mariano rivera, mason williams, melky mesa, michael pineda, new york yankees, peter bourjos, phil hughes, pittsburgh pirates, ryan madson, steve lombardozzi, the bronx bombers, Tommy John Surgery, top 100 2013 MLB prospects, travis hafner, travis snider, twitter @chuckbooth3024, vernon wells, yankee stadium

Anthony Rizzo’s Time Is Now

Feb 14

Posted by Alex Kantecki

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Thursday, February.14, 2013

Rizzo had a decent rookie campaign – with a 3 Slash Line of .285/.342/.805 with 15 HRs and 48 RBI in just 337 AB during the 2012 season.

By Alex Kantecki (Cubs Correspondent): Follow @Akantecki

One winter ago, Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein and General Manager Jed Hoyer acquired First Baseman Anthony Rizzo from the San Diego Padres in exchange for hard-throwing Right-Hander Andrew Cashner, one of the Cubs’ top pitching prospects at the time.

But this wasn’t Epstein’s and Hoyer’s first go-around with the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder, who – along with Cubs Senior Vice President of Scouting and Player Development Jason McLeod – drafted Rizzo while serving as Boston’s GM and Assistant GM, respectively, in 2007. The threesome reunited four years later and brought the 23-Year Old star-in-the-making over to the North Side:

“We believe Anthony has the potential to be a middle-of-the-order run producer for the Cubs for a very long time,” Hoyer said (link here). “He still has some development left. We feel what he’s done at age 20 at Double-A and Age 21 at Triple-A was remarkable.”

Anthony Rizzo Highlights From 2012: Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is advised:

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Tags: 2013 chicago cubs, @akantecki on twitter, alex kantecki, alfonso soriano, Andrew Cashner, anthony rizzo, boston red sox, chicago, chicago cubs, espn, jason mcleod, jed hoyer, Keith Law, San Diego, san diego padres, starlin castro, theo epstein, yonder alonso

The Most Underrated Statistic: Extra Base Hits (XBH)

Feb 2

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Saturday, February.02/2013

Alex Rodriguez is the Active Leader for XBH with 1190, however who knows when he will have a chance to resume his career again and is still owed 114 Million Dollars over the next 5 years

Alex Rodriguez is the Active Leader for XBH with 1190, however who knows when he will have a chance to resume his career again with injuries + allegations of PED use perhaps sparking an investigation/suspension for the MLB and is still owed 114 Million Dollars over the next 5 years.

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024

I have nothing against sabermetrics in baseball. Yes I know they are not going away and I will probably learn them one day as someone who can comprehend Math pretty good. However, I understand the frustration of the casual fan who will not set a foot near them – although they know what Home Runs and Runs Batted In are. I have thrown the topic out for discussion on Twitter – and am extremely curious to see what percentage of fans actually follow the new numbers formats. This site totally allows our writers to convey any form of statistical analysis they want. The only thing that I request, is that if they use sabermetrics, to also add some regular stats with them.

One of the stats that can gauge any era since the beginning of baseball is Extra Base Hits. Before the fences were brought in (or even put up), Doubles and Triples could be hit at any time. Singles are great in the game too. There have been several great baseball players that are singles hitters, that also compiled a bunch of Doubles and Triples. That is why this statistic is fairest to all of the hitters in the history of the game and the most comparable. Like the old saying, (hit’em where they ain’t), players that can hit the baseball into the open areas of the outfield are special. Babe Ruth re-coined the phrase later when he said “Well they ain’t over the fence, so that’s where I hit them!” The Bambino was right. In the course of this article, we will list the top active list for this category – and some underrated hitters that may stack up nicely against historical hitters.

(Pete Rose Highlights):

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Tags: 30/30 club, 40/40 Club, alex rodriguez, alfonso soriano, ALL-Time Doubles Leaders MLB, ALL-Time Extra Base Hits Leader Career, ALL-Time Extra Base Hits Leaders Active, ALL-Time Home Runs Leaders MLB, ALL-Time Stolen Base Leaders Active Players, ALL-Time Triples Leaders MLB, ALS, American league, andriuw jones, aramis ramirez, babe ruth, Bobby Abreu, Carl Yastremski, carlos beltran, Carlos lee, chicago white sox, chipper jones, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, dave winfield, derek jeter, detroit tigers, eddie murray, george brett, hank aaron, harmon killebrew, ivan rodriguez, jason giambi, jim thome, jimmie foxx, jimmy rollins, jose canseco, ken griffey jr, lance berkman, manny ramirez, mel ott, Miguel Tejada, mlb, national league leaders, paul konerko, pete rose, rafael palmeiro, reggie jackson, sf giants, stan musial, ted williams, texas rangers, todd helton, Torii Hunter, tris speaker, twitter @chuckbooth3024, ty cobb, vladimir guerrero, willie mays

MLB Player Profile: The Cubs OF Alfonso Soriano

Jan 6

Posted by Alex Kantecki

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Sunday, January.06, 2013

Alfonso Soriano has hit 434 Career HRs in 14 Years and has clubbed 164 of them with Chicago over the last 6 years. He is on the 7th Year of an 8 YR/136 Million Dollar Contract. He has made 2 ALL-Star Appearances with the Cubs.

Alfonso Soriano has hit 373 Career HRs in 14 Years and has clubbed 164 of them with Chicago over the last 6 years. He is on the 7th Year of an 8 YR/136 Million Dollar Contract. He has made 2 ALL-Star Appearances with the Cubs. The Man also has 270 SB and 836 Extra Base Hits. He should end his Career with over 1000 XBH, which would place him in the top 40 of ALL-Time for that Category.

Alfonso Soriano: Misunderstood, Good, But Never A Fit

Alex Kantecki (Guest Baseball Writer and Cubs Correspondent): Follow @Akantecki

It’s no secret Alfonso Soriano isn’t the most liked player among Cubs fans. Following the 2006 season when then general manager Jim Hendry signed the Outfielder to the largest contract in team history ($136 Million over eight years), fans dreaming of a World Series title pinned their hopes on the unconventional Leadoff hitter that hit 46 HR and stole 41 bases with the Washington Nationals the year before. Soriano did his part and helped lead the Cubs to two straight National League Central titles in 2007 and 2008, but the Cubs were swept away in the Division Series both years. Like his teammates, Soriano struggled to do much of anything in the postseason, collecting three hits in 29 Plate Appearances and failing to score or drive in a single run in six games.

Alfonso Soriano 2012 Highlights – Parental Guidance Is Advised

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Tags: 40/40 Club, @alexkantecki on twitter, alex kantecki, alex rodriguez, alfonso soriano, aramis ramirez, barry bonds, chicago, chicago cubs, derrek lee, houston astros, jed hoyer, Jim Hendry, jose canseco, kerry wood, MLB ALL-Star, National League Central, new york yankees, NLDS 2007, NLDS 2008, pittsburgh pirates, rickey henderson, ryan dempster, san francisco giants, SB Nation, Silver Slugger Award, texas rangers, theo epstein, washington nationals, world series, wrigley field

State Of The Union: What’s In Store For The 2013 Chicago Cubs?

Dec 13

Posted by bernieolshansky

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Thursday December 13th, 2012

Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer): Follow @bernieolshansky

Needless to say, it has been a dismal last few years for the Chicago Cubs. The last time they made the playoffs, it was 2008 and they were swept in the NLDS. They have not won a World Series since 1908 and do not look like they will be ending that drought anytime soon. The Cubs had a horrible 2012 in which they went 61-101. The record basically tells the story. The Cubs ended up trading Ryan Dempster, a fixture in the Cubs’ pitching staff for the past decade converting from a closer to a starter mid-tenure. In this feature, I will cover what’s ahead for this storied franchise.

For 2013, the Cubs really have not made any improvements. So far, their big offseason signing has been Nate Schierholtz, who was traded from the Giants to the Phillies as part of a package for Hunter Pence. Schierholtz will be joined in the outfield by Brett Jackson, a highly regarded prospect, and Alfonso Soriano. This outfield is not exactly a marquee group, but it will get the job done. Soriano should continue to provide some pop as he has hit 82 HRs in the past three years combined, and Brett Jackson should get on base and drive in runs with his gap-to-gap power. Schierholtz will fit right in with the rest of the lineup. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: 2013 chicago cubs, alfonso soriano, anthony rizzo, Brett Jackson, Carlos Marmol, chicago cubs, dale sveum, dan haren, hunter pence, jeff samardzija, jeff smar, kyuji fujikawa, matt garza, nate schierholtz, NL Central, paul maholm, ryan dempster, satrlin castro, theo epstein, travis wood, wrigley field

Buck Showalter Is Spinning His Managerial Magic One More Time

Sep 17

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Monday, September.17/2012

Showalter was never given a fair shake after the 1994 year. He had guided the Yankees to the best record in the AL during the 1994 Strike Shortened Season. After the 1995 ALDS loss to the Mariners, he was let go in favor of Joe Torre.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024

Buck Showalter has a knack of coming in when a franchise is down and rebuilding the team within 2-3 years after. He started with the struggling Yankees back in the early 90′s and almost brought them to the promise land a couple of times. The Players Strike cost him a chance in the 1994 season and he was on the back-end of a hot 1995 Seattle Mariners club, (who were left for dead and caught lightning in a bottle with the emergence of Randy Johnson.) Showalter was blamed for not being able to reach the stars on the club even though he was a master tactician with young players. Don Mattingly quickly retired and a new wave of young players were meshing with the old stars . The Yankees went onto hire Joe Torre, while Buck was left to view the club win 4 World Series in 5 years and make 6 out of 7 World Series Appearances overall. Showalter’s managerial record was 313-268 with the Yankees.

Joe Torre was a great manager, however I am of the belief that if Buck Showalter was given one more chance with the PinStripers, that he would have succeeded. So Showalter went to the Arizona DiamondBacks 2 years before the franchise was even playing so he could hit the ground running, From the get go, the D’Backs brass were willing to sign premier free-agents. In the second year of the club’s existence, Showalter took the team to a playoff appearance with a 100-62 record- and was was named NL Manager of the Year. He left the club after the 2000 season. Bob Brenly swept into the fray and reaped the benefits of all the hard work put forth by Showalter, by winning a World Series with the D’Backs in 2001. Showalter was left to watch from a distance yet again. Actually it was his two former teams in the World Series of 2001 as the D’backs ousted the Yankees in 7 games. Showalter left the Arizona franchise with a 250-236 record. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: alex rodriguez, alfonso soriano, angels, atizona diamondbacks, baltimore orioles, Bob Brenly, Bob Melvin, buck showalter, don mattingly, hank blalock, Lew ford, manager of the year, mark reynolds, mark teixeira, mlb, moneyball, nate mclouth, new york yankees, oakland a's, randy johnson, red sox, seattle mariners, tampa bay rays, texas rangers, tom hicks

MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: September 2012

Sep 3

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Monday, September.3/2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024 To say that this year has been a good year for baseball is an humongous understatement. I thought after last years finish, that nothing was going to duplicate the experience. Everyone forgets (or maybe not) that there should not even have been many races last year with Atlanta and Boston having such substantial leads on playoff spots. The Red Sox and Braves collapsed like a couple of bowling pins with King Kong Bundy splashing down on them!

This year, there are 15 teams still vying for 10 playoff spots. So far the only probable locks are Washington for a playoff spot-and Cincinnati to probably win their division The player races for all of the categories is almost as fascinating. Will Andrew McCutcheon catch Melky Cabrera for the Batting title? Or will 2012 be forever cemented in baseball folklore by a stained player like Cabrera? He could still end up determining who wins the World Series in the Fall Classic by his Testosterone filled antics in his MVP ALL-Star Game. The big question is, will the San Francisco Giants fans cheer for him if he comes back in the playoffs? They cheered for another league leader before when it was obvious he was guilty. Right now if you are the Giants, you will take an opportunity to boo or cheer for Cabrera because that means you would be in the playoffs.

Will the spending happy Dodgers have to wait another year to capitalize on their new plan to make the playoffs? If they ultimately miss the playoffs outright, are they going to buy every player they can in the off-season? I sure hope Magic knows that there are Luxury Tax penalties for spending over 178 Million Next Year. 1st year fine is 22.5%, 2nd year is 30%, 3rd year and beyond is 40%. So if they plan on having a 250 Million Dollar Payroll in 2013 (by adding 2 or 3 more top Free Agents) will the Dodgers just forego the worry of any financial penalties on a yearly basis– just to dominate the whole National League (plus baseball for that matter.) Every other team has to consider the urgency in cashing out a World Series right now while the Dodgers have not had a full off season with the new management yet. Can Oakland and their ‘New Money Ball philosophy’ make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2006?

The Best Players over the last month were: Buster Posey, Prince Fielder, Giancarlo Stanton, Adrian Beltre, Josh Hamilton, Yovani Gallardo, Kris Medlen, Adam Wainwright, Aroldis Chapman and Felix Hernandez. The best teams have been Oakland, Washington, San Francisco, San Diego, Baltimore and Texas. The worst teams have been Houston (at least its better to go down hard and stockpile #1 Draft Picks guys.) I have a feeling you will be there for a while with the division you are heading into and may even challenge the 120 Loss Single Season Record. At least you are not going into the NL West to compete with the LA Dodgers! The Cleveland Indians have fallen to an epic drop-off as well. Toronto misses their top sluggers. What has happened to the Minnesota Twins? The Mets have ownership and payroll problems, so at least they have an excuse. Plus they lead the world in guys being hurt. When David Wright has been your healthiest player, you know the season has been backwards! So sit back, get your notebook and popcorn ready for this Month’s Rankings! Read the rest of this entry →

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Chicago Cubs: Is Extending Starlin Castro Really the Right Move?

Aug 21

Posted by Jake Dal Porto

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Tuesday August 21st, 2012

Jake Dal Porto: Starlin Castro is one of baseball’s best young shortstops at the ripe age of just 22 years-old. Apparently, the Cubs’ front office feels the same way. While the speculated contract extension is still impending, there’s a good chance that Castro remain a Cub for a good portion of the next decade. A wealthy Cub for that matter. The rumored deal is said to be a seven-year, $60 million contract extension. Should the deal be completed, it will take him through arbitration.

Is general manager Theo Epstein and his staff pulling the right string by signing Castro? Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: alfonso soriano, anthony rizzo, asdrubal cabrera, baseball, Byran Lahair, chicago cubs, contract extension, elvis andrus, ian desmond, jose reyes, matt garza, mlb, shortstop, starlin castro, theo epstein

MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: August 2012

Aug 6

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Monday August.6/2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- It has been a crazy month in which teams have stockpiled some heavy talent at the trade deadline to get ready for the playoffs. Amongst the biggest gainers for the rankings this month were: the Athletics, Reds, Braves, Tigers, Dodgers (because of the deals) and Mariners while the Mets, Red Sox, Indians and Royals saw brutal months all but seal their playoff fates. I do think that Boston has a punchers chance but that all is dependent on David Ortiz returning to the lineup swiftly. The power of the best teams is definitely leaning to the National League right now where several teams are playing great baseball. With one-third of the season left we are all in for a treat as baseball fans.

I will have one more regular season Power Rankings month of September (to be posted on Labor Day Weekend,) before I also provide a playoff style ranking of the 1-10 seeds right before the Wild Card Teams play the play in game. It certainly has been awesome to follow how the trade deadline has effected the Monthly Rankings this time around. I think it is safe to say that this years deadline provided more interest and following-from even the casual fan more than any other year before. I also believe that the Non-Waiver Trade Deadline is now the best Trade Deadline in all of sports. Social Media has a lot to do with this but so does parity. The 2nd Wild Card spot has also created more teams willing to trade prospects in lieu of going for it. Read the rest of this entry →

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Washington Nationals-The Pitchers and Hitters: 2005-2012 Best 25 Man Roster (Part 5 of Expos/Nats Series)

Jul 25

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Wednesday July 25, 2012

Note from Chuck Booth: I am attempting to bring the history for each of the 30 MLB Franchises into a 5 part series that will focus on 1. The teams history. 2. The hitters 3. The pitchers. 4. The Team’s Payroll going into in 2013 and 5. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) To follow all of the updates, be sure to check my author page with a list of all archived articles here.

Livan Hernandez leads the 2005-2012 version of the franchise in ALL-Time wins and innings pitched.

Chuck Booth (Lead baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- I think it safe to say that the best days of the Washington Nationals are purely ahead of them. They have a great nucleus of young talent with Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, Drew Storen, Ryan Zimmerman, Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa, Mike Morse and Gio Gonzalez. These guys are so good that they all made the ALL-Time 25 man roster for the 2005-2012 Washington Nationals. I am a firm believer that these guys will be the best team in the National League within 2 or 3 years. I like Ted Lerner’s attitude on spending for now. This will ensure the money will be spent on the team to keep competing for the city of Washington’s 1st World Series Title since 1924. I would venture to say that not many living fans of the old Washington Senators saw the club hoisting the trophy 88 years ago.

The Nationals Park went soaring up my ranks as a baseball venue to see in the 30 stadium circuit. This place is now electric. I was so elated when I was able to see Strasburg pitch and win for the Nationals back in April. Next year I hope to see Bryce Harper play ball when I go on another 30 park tour. Next year is when I will have the official rankings of all of the ballparks posted here. I can assure you that the President’s Race will probably be voted the most popular race of any in the Majors at the parks. My humblest of apologies to the sausage race fans in Milwaukee and racing legend heads in Arizona. I still follow the campaign to ‘Let Teddy Win’, however that may take all of the fun out of it if Teddy does win one of those races.

As a fan of the old Expos franchise, I have a soft spot in my heart for the Washington Nationals. Playing meaningful baseball in September and October this year would be incredible to witness. So without further speak, let us start with our 25 man roster for the best players in the last 8 years. I picked the roster based on longevity or utter greatness for a couple of players. If this team was to play an alumni game right now, all of the positions would be filled. I don’t think I excluded anyone entirely crucial here. Please feel free to let me know if I did on any social platform. If you make a solid case for someone for whom I may have omitted, I could always add them later.

For Part 1 of the Article Series, The Expos Hitters: click here

For Part 2 of the Article Series, The Expos Pitchers: click here

For Part 3 of the Article Series, The Demise of the Montreal Expos: click here

For Part 4 of the Article Series, The Washington Nationals Franchise 2005-2012: click here

For Part 6 of the Article Series, The Nationals 2013 Payroll and Contract Statuses click here

Here is the highlight reel from Stephen Strasburg’s debut at Nationals Park. 14 Strikeouts is amazing!

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MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: July 2012

Jul 4

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Wednesday July.4, 2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)-We are going to bring you monthly power rankings every month of the season. There will be a few notes written for each team. Please feel free to let us know your thoughts. The Texas Rangers are the top ranked team yet once again, although teams are certainly gaining on the them in the last month. If this report was being done last week I might have put the New York Yankees in 1st and Texas in 2nd. A 7 game winning streak help preserve another month for Texas on the leader-board. There were superior months by Aaron Hill, Jose Bautista, Joey Votto , Jason Heyward and a new phenomenon was born with Jose Altuve. It was a great month for the MLB. With 20 teams within 5.5 games or less for the playoff races, we are sure to see some serious movements in the Power Rankings in the 2nd half of the season.

Standings taken before play Tuesday July.03/2012

July Power Rankings-Last Month Rank in Parenthesis

1. Texas-50-30 (1) The Rangers rode a 7 game winning streak to end up 18-8 for the last month. David Murphy, Adrian Beltre and Elvis Andrus all hit over .300 in the last 30 days. The Rangers were able to weather a slow spurt from Josh Hamilton, in which he hit .222 with only 4 HRs for the month. Matt Harrison has asserted himself as an ace on the staff with a 5-0 month with a 1.29 ERA, while leading the American League with 11 wins on the year. The Rangers have 6 players going to the ALL-Star Game including 3 starters. Yu Darvish can make a 7th if he is voted into the final roster spot with his rookie campaign of 10-5 so far.

2. NY Yankees 48-31(5) The Yankees have ridden good pitching and a hot bat from Robinson Cano to a 19-7 record over the last month, with a 5 games lead over their competition in the AL East. Cano hit .370 with 12 HRs and 24 RBI in the last month. Derek Jeter is hitting .298 overall but saw his average go from .389 in April, to .283 in May to .232 in June. He still tops a list of 4 Yankees heading to the ALL-Star Game including 23 HR homer man Curtis Granderson. Phil Hughes went 5-1 in the month with a 2.59 ERA and Ivan Nova won his 3 decisions with a miniscule 1.32 ERA. Rafael Soriano has converted 18 out of 19 save opportunities since taking over as team closer.

3. San Francisco 45-30 (9) The Giants went 16-11 in the month and saw a perfect game from Matt Cain, with a few other 1 hitters. The team shutout the Dodgers 3 games in a row in a series last week. The Giants have Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey and Melky Cabrera starting in KC next week. The Melkman continues to show that last year was no fluke with his .352 Average and he is leading the Major Leagues with 111 base hits. The Giants pitching staff has coped with the loss of Brian Wilson and the ineffectiveness of starter Tim Lincecum, by the rest of the staff having career years.

4. LA Angels 45-35 (12) The Angels have been really steady since the end of May. They just finished going 17-8 in the last 25 days on the backs of ALL-Stars Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo and resurgent Albert Pujols. Trout might be the most exciting player on the planet these days and is a lock for AL Rookie of the Year if he keeps this up. Trout hit .367 over the last month and has taken over the AL batting lead with a .342 AVG. Trumbo hit 10 HRs and drove in 28 RBI for the month and Pujols hit .337. to raise his average 40 points. C.J Wilson was good enough in June to be named as CC Sabathia‘s replacement at the ALL-Star game.

5. Washington 45-32(9) Mike Morse has returned to the lineup with a vengeance during the last week with a .484 average. Super Sub Tyler Moore has also hit .415 in the last 14 games with 4 HRs and 12 RBI. Ian Desmond had 16 Extra base hits for the month to go along with 20 RBI, while he made the ALL-Star game as a reserve. Ryan Zimmerman awoke from a season long slump to plate 17 RBI. Adam LaRoche still contributed 7 HRs and 15 RBI despite a paltry .191 average in June. Stephen Strasburg is 9-3 on the year with a 2.81 ERA and a league leading 122 SO. Gio Gonzalez is 11-3 with a 3.01 ERA. Both Gonzalez and Strasburg made the ALL-Star squad. Read the rest of this entry →

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Top Ten Stat of the Week: Players with 40 HRs on 4 Different Teams Or More

Jul 2

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Monday July.02/2012

Gary Sheffield hit 30 HRs and 120 RBI in both 2004 and 2005 for the Yankees before injuries held him to just 39 games in 2006. Sheffield also hit 40+HRs on 5 other teams (per stay) besides the Bronx Bombers in his career. –Photo courtesy of exposay.com

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- As the world of Twitter and Facebook has invaded the internet these days, I am brainstorming about all sorts of stats I have had in my head for years. This stat came to my head because of Gary Sheffield. A few years back, I watched a game on my birthday at Safeco Field. It was the New York Yankees and Sheffield visiting. There are players that you are sure to watch live in person. Gary Sheffield was one of these hitters. Not only is he one of 25 player in history to hit 500 HRs, but he had one of the fiercest swings ever. The man would wiggle that bat back and forth like a toothpick before striding and swinging with daunting ferocity. It was an unorthodox style that must have made Little League coaches cringe, yet it was effective. Sheffield was a bit of a hot head though, this may have led to him being traded or not re-signed by several teams. Hitting 40 HRs for 6 different teams is definitely impressive and may never be duplicated. I knew he had played on several teams already so the seed of today’s article was planted back in 2005.

Fred McGriff was the exact opposite of Gary Sheffield when it came to temperament. This man was traded several times in his career because he could flat-out hit. Jose Canseco is the only other player besides McGriff and Sheffield to hit 40 HRs with 5 different teams. The reason many older players are not on this list is because free agency never arrived in the MLB until the early 70′s when Curt Flood challenged a trade and the Players Union saw it through. Now player movement has enabled more players switching teams each season than ever before. Rusty Staub was the 1st to make this list and Alfonso Soriano is the last player to make this list and the only current player left. I have a feeling we will see more players arrive on this list in the next 25 years.

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He is a 30/30 Club Member: But How Good Was Eric Davis?

Jun 8

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Friday June.8, 2012

Photo Courtesy of spokeo.com

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- Eric Davis was an amazing talent for the Cincinnati Reds during the mid 1980′s. He was drafted as a shortstop but quickly made his way through the minors and ended up in the Reds outfield for his debut in May of 1984. You talk about 5 tools in a player, Davis was the poster-boy for this. Pete Rose described him in one of his books as “having the greatest raw ability that he had seen since Roberto Clemente.” Davis grew up in Los Angeles, California and was a thin-wiry 165 pounds when he came up to the Majors, despite being 6 foot 2 in height. In 174 AB that year, he hit 10 HRs an stole 10 bases. In 1985, he hit 8 HRs and stole 16 bases in just 122 AB. This prompted a promotion to full-time player by then skipper Pete Rose at the start of the 1986 season.

The Cincinnati Reds had just come out of he ‘Big Red Machine’ era and were searching for young players such as Davis and Barry Larkin to take the reins with the new club. Eric Davis did not disappoint in his first season, in just 415 AB he hit 27 HRs and stole an eye-popping 80 bases while scoring 97 runs. A star was born. Eric Davis played with an all-out mentality, as such he required rest days from time to time with the nicks and bruises he would sustain through stealing bases or playing nice defense by diving. The Reds were always in contention under Pete Rose, however they were always finishing in 2nd place. It finally looked the team had a nucleus of players that could take them to the promise land. Davis was right at the top of the forefront for talent. Read the rest of this entry →

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MLB reports Monthly Power Rankings: May 2012

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Tuesday May 8th, 2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)-We are going to bring you a monthly power rankings every month of the season. There will be a few verses for each team. Please feel free to let us know your thoughts.

May Power Rankings

Texas (19-10) Josh Hamilton is clubbing the ball at his 2010 like AL MVP clip. Yu Darvish appears to be the real deal. Mike Napoli hits 8^th on most nights. Michael Young might be the most under-appreciated hitter in the last decade. Ian Kinsler is on pace for 162 runs. If Nelson Cruz starts hitting and or Nathan rounds into form, than this team may blitz by every one.
Tampa Bay (19-10) The pitching staff is incredible right now. David Price is asserting himself as one of the premier left-handed pitchers in baseball. Strong starts from Evan Longoria, Luke Scott and Carlos Pena have helped. Joe Maddon may be the best ‘in-game manager’ of baseball now with Tony La Russa out of the Majors.
Atlanta (18-12) The reason I have Atlanta rated so high is they are not even having a good year from Tim Hudson yet and Jair Jurrjens has been atrocious. Still they sit near the top of the standings. Chipper Jones has 21 RBI and Freddie Freeman has taken the next step so far with 26 RBI. Last year the team had a lot of players with career worst years and they were only eliminated on the last day of the season. This year may be different.
St. Louis (18-11) You lose a franchise player like Albert Pujols and you spend half the money for Carlos Beltran and Rafael Furcal, who are finally hitting the numbers like the back of their bubble gum cards from 5 years ago. Are we giving enough credit to Mark McGwire here? Lance Lynn has morphed into Chris Carpenter with his 6-0 start.
LA Dodgers (19-10) Matt Kemp is the best player in baseball right now and may walk away with the triple crown this year. Andre Ethier has matured into the RBI guy he needs to be. Solid pitching by Clayton Kershaw, Chris Capuano and Ted Lilly have this team looking solid. Dodgers look good in the future when the new ownership takes over. (more…)