Blog Archives
MLB Top Teams 1 – 30 + (Best 200 Stats of 2013)
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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): Follow @chuckbooth3024
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
MLB Monthly Power Rankings May 2013 (Podcast Version)
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The Triple Play Show will have 5 shows per month. Each show will be about 1 hour.
By The Big Ticket Show ( AKA Triple Play Podcast on http://www.mlbreports.com) Follow @bigticketshow
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
One month down in the MLB season and that means it’s time for some Power Rankings! Chuck Booth the czar of MLBreports.com joins us in studio to rank every team from worst to first. Where does your team rank? Read the rest of this entry
2 And A Hook Podcast Episode #4: The Blue Jays Are Finished in 2013 + The Angels Are Close
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MLB reports and The Benchwarmers Show present 2 and A Hook Podcast.
People in this Podcast:
Chuck Booth – Guest (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
By James Acevedo – Host (Podcast Veteran) Follow @yankeeman1973
’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), I had Chuck Booth talk for over an hour about a bunch of topics.
We started off with the horrible season the Toronto Blue Jays have had thus far. We also talked about the Angels, what Robin Ventura is thinking – hitting Adam Dunn #4 still and how the Braves must regret paying B.J. Upton $15 MIL a year – while they are ecstatic about paying Justin Upton only about half of that. Read the rest of this entry
Carl Crawford Is Off To A Surprisingly Hot Start As The Dodgers Leadoff Guy
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Follow @mlbreportsTuesday Apr.30/2013
Outfielder Carl Crawford has been red hot offensively hitting .307 with team leading 4 HRs and 6 RBI. He has been a huge surprise in his comeback season. The former Rays and Red Sox player is hitting far above his Career 3 Slash Line of .293/.333/.706 – by posting a line of .308/.388/906 to date. More importantly than any other statistic – Crawford has crossed home plate 20 times in 25 Games Played in 2013. This would put him on pace for about 130 Runs this campaign. This is lieu of Matt Kemp’s slow start and Hanley Ramirez not being in the lineup at all.
By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent) Follow @eriqwiththeq
When the Dodgers acquired Outfielder Carl Crawford last year, they definitely didn’t know what they were getting, it was a pretty much a gamble they were able to afford. With the Dodgers’ new ownership willing to spend the big bucks on big players, this trade seemed like the ideal move to do for General Manager Ned Colleti.
Crawford wasn’t able to perform at all right away after he got traded to the Dodgers as he was rehabbing from his Tommy John Surgery but he was able to get healthy just in time for Opening Day. He has been healthy ever since.
Dodgers’ skipper Don Mattingly right away decided to make Crawford the leadoff hitter since Opening Day and has not disappointed. Through April 29th, 2013, Crawford is hitting .307 with OBP. of .390 (obviously doing his job as Leadoff hitter) with 4 SB and has been caught twice. He has also walked nine times but perhaps the most impressive stat is his team leading 4 HRs.
Slow motion video of Carl Crawford’s Home Run swing
MLB Power Rankings – Apr.29/2013
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Papa Grande had led the AL in Games Finished during each of the last 2 seasons (70 in 2011 and 67 Last Year.) he also led the AL in Saves in 2011 with 49. It was a Sept/Oct swoon of a 5.02 ERA that started his troubles – before giving up 6 Earned Runs in 1 combined Inning Pitched between the ALCS and the World Series. He remained unsigned by everyone until the Tigers gave him an incentive laden 1 Year Deal. Valverde nailed down 2 Saves this week and the Tigers have won 4 out of 5 games – including sweeping the Atlanta Braves in Detroit this past weekend.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
With it coming up to the 4 week Report, the biggest mover this week where the Detroit Tigers. Jose Valverde came back to the club, looked trimmed down – and more like his 2011 self compared to when we last saw him. The Motown Boys pasting the Braves over the weekend speaks volumes about their talent.
The worst week went to the Giants – who plummeted from #1 to #11. It has to be concerning for the fans that Matt Cain and Ryan Vogelsong do not look right. Decent start by Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito have been wasted. The club may be lacking the hunger to repeat. I see the whole team having up and down campaigns.
The Toronto Blue Jays may not have plunged down the rankings that much this week, however they have free fallen the most out of any franchise from the start of the year. The projected AL favorite – have started 9 – 17 and are looking up at 4 good teams in the AL East now.
I am predicting they will have a good second half, yet they will not make the playoffs now based on the Jose Reyes injury mostly. John Gibbons also has to be on the hot seat.
Papa Grande’s Contract is purchased
Dodgers Struggle After Brawl With Padres
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Matt Kemp has begun the year hitting .182 with no HRs and 5 RBI in 15 games. Kemp hopes to get out of his slump by visiting an American League ballpark for the first time in the season. Last year, the big man torched through April, smashing 12 HRs and adding 28 RBI – to go along with a .417 Batting Average.
By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent): Follow @eriqwiththeq
After the brawl last week with the San Diego Padres, Dodger fans were wondering if Dodgers’ slugger Matt Kemp would get out of his early season slump and start getting clutch in the series at Arizona and the series back at home against the Padres but Kemp was still unable to get out of that slump. Kemp went 4 for 22 (.182) in those two series but did collect 4 RBI.
The Dodgers managed to win only one game in those six games including a three-game sweep by the Padres at home. They were also shut-out twice in Arizona.
The most devastating one was the Sunday game as they let an amazing pitching performance by Josh Beckett go to waste in the 9th Inning. The final score of that game was 1-0. Beckett had 9 SO on that game with only one Earned Run.
Dodgers’ skipper Don Mattingly might have criticized a bit by letting Beckett continue on with the game.
Harrison Ford throws out first pitch on Jackie Robinson Day for Dodgers
The Rays Need To Call Up Wil Myers Pronto!
2 And A Hook Podcast Talks About Calling UP Wil Myers – 25 Minute Mark
download the episode here
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Myers ascended onto the PCL scene last year and ripped out 24 HRs in just 99 Games at Omaha. The Rays will be counting on him for their offensive future for many years to come. The club has featured a futile attack with the bats – hitting for a 3 Slash Line of .204//284/.588. They have scored only 39 Runs – while allowing 59 Runs through 13 Games.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
First off, I wanted to say that I completely respect the Tampa Bay Rays – and especially am an avid supporter of the head office – including GM Andrew Freidman. I will get to all of this in this article.
It is time to call up Wil Myers to the big club!
The club is mired in a slow start at 4 – 9 and are already 5 Games Behind the AL East Division Leaders ‘Boston Red Sox.
The team traded away Veteran Pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis to Kansas City in order to acquire the top hitting prospect.
Here is why the time makes sense.
Service time for Super 2 Arbitration Status and Free Agency Year aside, this clubs current offense is abysmal despite having great pitching ability.
Wil Myers Highlight Reel:
Dodgers 1st Week In Review
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Follow @mlbreportsMonday Apr.08/2013
Mattingly managed the Dodgers to a nice record in the NL West during the first few months of the 2012 campaign – before injuries crippled their chances to continue as the leaders. 2013 gives the former Yankees a fresh start with the biggest payroll in the game and lots of ALL-Star talent. Can he unite the players to gel? In the last year of his contract, he has guided the Dodgers to a 4 – 2 record so far in 2013. The pitching has been dominant, particularly only yielding just 2 run to the Pirates in a 3 game Series over the weekend, plus throwing back to back Shutouts on Friday and Saturday. All they need now is for Matt Kemp to come around!
By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent): Follow @eriqwiththeq
Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly began his third season as Dodgers manager with a four-man rotation. Clayton Kershaw opened on Monday – and pitched a Complete Game Shut-out – with a Game Winning HR at the plate himself against the defending world champs San Francisco Giants.
On Saturday night, Kershaw went on to pitch a Seven-Inning Shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates – with 9 SO and only 2 Hits surrendered. He’s currently 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 16 SO, 6 H and only 1 Walk.
Hyun-Jin Ryu (another Left-Hander) went on Tuesday to make his Major League debut and lost. His official line seems a little off but in 6.1 IP, he gave up 10 hits , however the end result was only one Earned Run – with 5 SO and O Walks.
On his second career start, Ryu was able to pick up his first career win by defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates. He pitched 6.1 Innings once again, allowing 2 Earned Runs (a two-run shot to Pirates Center Fielder Andrew McCutchen), Striking out six – allowing only 3 Hits and 2 Walks on Sunday afternoon.
Ryu Interviews after his 1st start:
Kershaw Smacks 1st HR And Nets Win In Dodgers Opener – Before LA Loses 2 In A Row
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Dodger Stadium was at full capacity (53,138) on Monday’s Opening Day. It was 66 Degrees at Game Time. With the MLB’ s biggest payroll right now, the Dodgers have heavy expectations in 2013. They won 4 – 0 on Mondays game – before dropping back to back games to the Giants Starting Pitchers Bumgarner and Lincecum. Matt Kemp is still hitless on the year – and Adrian Gonzalez had not had a base knock since his 2nd AB of the Year. On a solid note, Carl Crawford has looked great with 5 Base Hits in 9 At – Bats. The team has switched Luis Cruz to Shortstop and Juan Uribe to 3rd after a brutal Game #2 by Justin Sellers (which featured a couple of errors).
By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent): Follow @eriqwiththeq
Everything just went right for the Dodgers. Crawford got two hits (including a Double), Adrian Gonzalez got a hit, Ethier got a hit, Kemp scored a run, just what the Dodgers expect out of their stars.
The Dodgers made Matt Cain throw 35 pitches in the 1st inning – including Kemp drawing a 11 Pitcher AB, with several Foul – Balls before finally Striking Out.
This still jacked up Cain’s pitch count, causing the Giants to lift him before the Bottom of the 7th. After the 8th Inning HR, the club even scratched out two runs on Infield grounders!
Without signing a contract extension during the winter, the 2011 Cy Young Award winner (and 2012 runner-up) Clayton Kershaw did more than expected for the Dodgers as they defeated the reigning World Champs – and Dodger arch-rival San Francisco Giants 4 – 0.
Not only did he picked up the win, he earned himself his first Shutout of the season. He allowed only four hits and Struckout seven hitters.
Clayton Kershaw is interviewed on Opening Day HR:
LA Dodgers Organizational Depth Charts, Rosters And Salaries (Majors And Minors)
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When Magic Johnson and his ownership group spent 2 Billion Dollars on acquiring the Franchise, that should have been a red-flag that they were going to outspend every club when it came to payroll. Get ready for it baseball world! With the MLB not having a Salary Cap – and a whimsy penalty for 1st time offenders for the 1st violation of the Luxury Tax Threshold – how high will the LA club go?
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024 and welcome Jeff Kleiner (Salary, Roster and Depth Chart Expert for the MLB – visit his website here Follow @prosportsroster
You guys are all in for a treat. Jeff Kleiner recently contacted me about a partnership merge for the website. He has developed a site (prosportsrosters.com) that covers all organizational affiliates in the Minors for all of the Major League Baseball Clubs. We are going to combine efforts to bring you the best look at salaries, current 25 Man Player Rosters and Depth Charts for all 30 teams.
Jeff is going to provide the documents in form of spreadsheets and I am going to accompany the posts with deep analysis of what the numbers tell us from my perspective. If you can’t wait for all of my assessments for each club, go and visit Jeff’s website over at http://www.prosportsrosters.com.
In Speaking with Jeff, he is one of the more passionate fans I have come across towards the game of baseball. He spends enough time in updating his MLB Facts for it to be a Full-Time Job. So after the usual Video Clip and READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY button, you will find some serious &*!@?!#!
For a Full 3 year Salary Outlook plus last years Stats for every player in the Dodgers Organization click here
LA Dodgers Great Moments:
LA Dodgers Payroll In 2013: And Contracts Going Forward
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Thursday Mar.28/2013
Adrian Gonzalez flew into LA last year and paid immediate dividends as he clubbed a 3 run HR in the 1st Inning with his new team. Gonzalez is in the 3rd year of a 7 YR/154 Million Dollar Contract. At age 30, he is a career .294 hitter with 214 HRs and 750 RBI in 1176 Games. Perhaps a full season back in California will re – ignite his MVP like numbers with the Padres during the 2009 and 2010 seasons – where he hit 71 HRs, drove in 200 RBI and hit for an OPS well over .900. He also is a 3 Time Gold Glove Award Winner in the National League.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst And Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
I must say I am completely shocked at the Dodgers spending as much money as they are since the ownership change. I listened to Magic say how he ‘was not going to do anything stupid’, I will give him this much. However, the amount of payroll the team has taken on is enormous. The Dodgers are going to be over 200 Million Dollars in Payroll for years to come.
After I put their top ten salaries on the board, I will break down the rest of the roster to analyze some more projections for salary. The Dodgers have about 218 Million Dollars in signed contracts.
If you can believe this next part, they even are paying Manny Ramirez 8.33 Million Dollars still in 2013, Andruw Jones 3.375 Million and Huroki Kuroda 2.0 Million. That is roughly 13 Million Dollars on guys that are no longer in your organization.
Back to the trades that have brought in several players. I do agree for the mentality of it. The Dodgers fans were given a raw deal by the past management and the new guys are showing the rest of the MLB that they intend to be the big dog.
With Cole Hamels re-signing with the Phillies, their coveted starter was no longer available in Free Agency. Gonzalez was there to be had if they would take on the Carl Crawford/Josh Beckett contracts.
The team went out and signed Zack Greinke (15 – 5 with a 3.48 ERA split between the Brewers and Angels) instead.
Here is a nice highlight clip of Carl Crawford below. As a side note: The only inside the park Home Run I have ever witnessed at a game live was hit by Carl Crawford at Us Cellular Field in 2008. He was one of the best lead-off hitters back then.
Carl Crawford Highlights – Mature Lyrics So Parental Guidance is Advised:
Pedro Martinez Rejoins The Red Sox Organization: Meets Up With Francona At Boston Book Signing
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Sunday, January.27, 2013
Tito autographs a copy of Red Sox Rule: Terry Francona and Boston’s Rise to Dominance – for his former ace pitcher.
By Saul Wisnia, Red Sox Correspondent (Read his blog ‘Fenway Reflections’ here): Follow @SaulWizz
What a roller-coaster week for Red Sox fans — enough to make you reach for the Rolaids. First came the early excerpts from former manager Terry Francona‘s book, revealing that during the 2010 offseason, Sox ownership took the advice of a media consultant to boost its sagging TV ratings by loading the team with “sexy” stars like Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. For those who looked forward to hearing Francona’s memories of the 2004 and 2007 World Series runs, this mudslinging was just another reminder of how dreadful life has been on Yawkey Way the last 15 months.
Then there were the reports that contract negotiations with free agent first baseman Mike Napoli had finally been settled — and that the early rumors of his injuries were even worse than expected. Napoli was found to have a more serious hip problem than originally thought, a development that whittled down Boston’s original three-year, $39 Million offer to one year at $5 Million – plus a ballbag full of incentives.
Terry Francona Interviews on Jan.22/2013:
After Coming Off Of TJ Surgery – Carl Crawford Looks To Help The LA Dodgers in 2013
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Carl Crawford Ranks 3rd on the ALL-Time Active Stolen Base Leaders (Pierre 1st – 591, Suzuki 2nd – 452) with 432 SB. He also has a Career 3 Slash Line of .292/.332./.774 heading into 2013.
By Aaron Roberts (Dodgers Correspondent): Follow @Bertsball
Allow me to pose a scenario for you to pensively ponder. I shoot a basketball 9 times. The first 6 of my 9 shots are swishes. The next 2 aren’t as pretty but still go in the basket. My last shot I miss. Overall, I succeeded in making 8 of the 9 shots which means I have an 89% success rate. Now let me ask you this; would you bet on me to make a 10th shot?
This in a nutshell is Carl Crawford’s career. A 4-time All-Star, he has also consistently been amongst the top producing outfielders in all of baseball for the last decade. Barring his rookie season, His first 5 Major League campaigns were incredible – with him routinely posting over a .300 average and 50 steals – while still belting 10-15 HRs. That combination of speed and power is a rare mix that Crawford displayed with ease. He fared very well for his RBI totals when you take into account he has mostly been a Lead-off and #2 batter for his time in the Majors. He faltered slightly in his 6th season with a .273 Average, 8 HRs and only 25 SB, yet still scored 69 Runs in just 109 Games Played during the 2008 season. Not terrible numbers by any means but not Carl Crawford like production. The following 2 seasons, he regained form and astounded many by posting some of his best numbers yet – even placing 7th in the MVP voting of the 2010 season.
Then came the dark days. Then came Boston.
Carl Crawford – The ALL-Star!
MLB Player Profile: Phillies CF Ben Revere
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Wednesday January 16th, 2013
Ben Revere would be best suited to hit in the 2 slot behind Jimmy Rollins this year, as he makes great contact (1 SO/Per 10.7 PA) , yet he doesn’t walk much. Revere has a 3 Slash-Line of – .278/.319/.642 for his career heading into the 2013 year.
Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer): Follow @BernieOlshansky
The 28th pick of the first round in the 2007 Amateur Draft, Ben Revere was regarded as one of the Minnesota Twins’ top prospects. He made his Major League debut in 2010 at age 22 and played in 13 games for the Twins that season. The next year, Revere spent most of his time in the Majors playing in 117 games and hitting .267. With Revere, the Twins had some speed at the top of the lineup. On December 6th, 2012, Revere was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Pitchers Vance Worley and Trevor May. After trading Shane Victorino to the Dodgers and Hunter Pence to the Giants, the Phillies had some gaps to fill in their outfield, and Revere was just the right guy.
Ben Revere 2012 Highlights: Mature Lyrics – Parental Guidance is advised
Andre Ethier Can Play On My Team Anytime: The LA Dodgers Home Grown RF Is Good
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Follow @mlbreportsSunday, January.13/2013
Andre Ethier finished 6th in NL MVP Voting during the 2009 season. It has been his best year to date. He hit 31 HRs, added 106 RBI, blasted 76 XBH Overall and scored 92 Runs. He won a Silver Slugger Award for his efforts. Matt Kemp and he both have played only for the LA Dodgers in their Careers.
By Aaron Roberts (Dodgers Correspondent): Follow @Bertsball
Isn’t a well-prepared home meal always better than take-out? There’s just something about it that makes the food taste better. Maybe it’s because you prepared it yourself or that it’s uniquely yours. As if the fact that no other hands have influenced the final product makes the flavors just pop right out like they were meant to. Well I feel the same way about Baseball players. While he was drafted by the Oakland Athletics, he came over to the Dodgers in a trade before he had a single At-Bat in the Major Leagues.
Homegrown talent is priceless. There’s an intrinsic quality that players who’ve only worn your colors have. They just feel more authentic as if they care about the name on the front of the jersey more than the one on the back. Thus is the case with Andre Ethier. He has been the Right Fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers for all seven years of his Major League tenure. He’s been with us through thick and thin. The good and the bad. He’s tasted the sweetness of October Baseball and the bitterness of July Bankruptcy. He’s true blue all the way.
Andre Ethier 2012 Highlights – Mature Lyrics For Content, so Parental Guidance is advised
The Red Sox Trade for a Closer (Hanrahan) … Again.
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Joel Hanrahan had 76 Saves over the last 2 Years with the Pittsburgh Pirates – including 2 straight ALL-Star Appearances. He will be throwing down in the 9th Inning for Boston now. Picture Courtesy of Marc Smilow.
By Nicholas Rossoletti (MLB Reports Trade Correspondent): Follow @NRoss56
Back in 2005, the Boston Red Sox brought up a 24 Year Old flame throwing phenom. Seven seasons, a World Championship and 219 Saves later, Jonathan Papelbon and his fastball had become something of Boston baseball lore. Papelbon was the kind of big strike out, big personality that fans grow to love at the back-end of a bullpen. From 2007-2011, Papelbon never posted a K/9 under 10.00 and never had less than 30 saves in a season. It seemed like Papelbon would become Boston’s answer to Mariano Rivera until the Phillies swooped in and signed Papelbon to a 4 year/50 Million Dollar Contract before the new CBA was even agreed to during the 2011 off-season. Suddenly, Boston was without its ALL-Time Saves Leader and in need of a new stabilizing force in the back of their bullpen.
After Papelbon signed in Philadelphia, the Red Sox went out and acquired Andrew Bailey from the Oakland A’s to fill the closers role. When the trade happened, the perception was that Andrew Bailey was the best player in the deal. The Red Sox acquired Bailey and OF Ryan Sweeney for OF Josh Reddick, INF Miles Head and Right Handed Pitcher Raul Alcantara. Bailey was coming off a 24 save season where he was worth less than 1 WAR (Win Above Replacement). It is important that we differentiate perception with reality at this point.
Joel Hanrahan Highlights from 2010-2012
Carlos Gonzalez: Committing Superstar Fraud in Colorado
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Follow @mlbreportsSunday December 30th, 2012
Jonathan Hacohen (Baseball Writer and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
Today I tackle one of my favorite baseball points of discussion: Carlos Gonzalez – MLB Superstar or simply a product of Coors Field?
It absolutely amazes me how Gonzalez has seemingly fooled the majority of the baseball world. From Twitter to leading baseball magazines, the average baseball fans to leading national writers are convinced that the young man is one of the top players in the game. Whenever I hear the CarGo fan train pulling into the station, I always have one response: check the home/road splits. Read the rest of this entry
The Tampa Bay Rays: The Franchise 1998-2012: Part 1 Of A 5 Part Article Series
Thursday, December.20, 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 Teams Payroll going into 2013 and 5. The Ball Park that they play in. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) Be sure to check my author page with a list of all of my archived articles section here.
The many Rays Logo’s over the years. Is the best of this franchise yet to come?
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
The Tampa Bay Rays Franchise can be summarized into two different categories: “The Devil Rays Days” and the “Rays Days.” The Devil Rays endured 10 straight losing seasons to start the club’s history. From 1998-2007, was a complete gong show (645-972) and last place finishes in a tough AL East every year, except for 2004, when they finished 4th, although they did stockpile several top Draft Picks based on their horrid regular seasons. In 2008, all of that changed when the ‘Devil’ was literally and figuratively knocked away from the Tampa Bay team. Their young stars finally saw their potential realized and they appeared in the 2008 World Series versus the Philadelphia Phillies. The Franchise would lose in 5 hard-fought, weather fulfilled games, however the team was now one of the model clubs in baseball. From 2008-2012, the club has gone 458-352.
The Rays have made the playoffs in 2010 and 2011 since, plus featured two other over .500 records in 2009 and 2012. The club has now had 5 winning seasons in a row. There is still a long way to go as they feature the worst winning percentage in MLB History, with a 1103-1327 Franchise Record (.454). The next worst team is the Padres at .463. The Arizona DiamondBacks were the NL Expansion cousins of the Rays and they feature a Win Percentage of (.498), which is second overall for the Expansion teams. The Arizona DiamondBacks also have made the playoffs 5 times and won the World Series in 2001. Still if you asked anyone right now, the Rays would gladly be the team everyone picked.
Franchise Series Links:
The Hitters: The Tampa Bay Rays: The Hitters 1998-2012: Part 2 Of A 5 Part Article Series
The Pitchers: The Tampa Bay Rays: The Pitchers 1998-2012: Part 3 Of A 5 Part Article Series
2013 Team Payroll: Tampa Bay Rays Payroll 2013 And Contracts Going Forward: Updated for Myers Trade Dec.11/2012
Tropicana Field Expert: An Interview with Tropicana Field Expert Kurt Smith
The Battle Of Los Angeles: Dodgers or Angels?
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Tuesday December 18, 2012
Kyle Holland (MLB Reports Intern): Follow @TheKHolland13.
2012 was a year to remember for Los Angeles fans. Even though neither team made a playoff appearance, both showed they will be a contender in years to come. The Angels signed Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson before the season started. The club possibly had the best player in the league with Mike Trout. The Dodgers already had Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and 2011 Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw. In late August ,the Dodgers traded for slugger Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and Josh Beckett.
The 2012-13 offseason has been in no way different for Los Angeles. The Angels and Dodgers have clearly made the most impact so far heading into the 2013 campaign.
First let’s look at the Dodgers. They started their spending spree with a bang when they signed Hyun-Jin Ryu. The Dodgers won the right to sign him from his Korean League team (Hanwha Eagles), initially on November 9 for a $25,737,737.33 bid. He ended up signing for 6 Years/$36 Million on December 9. He has been reported to have a 90 MPH fastball that can top out at 95. He has a very impressive changeup-that has been said to be a very effective putout pitch. He also has a slider and a decent curveball. He pitched in the 2009 World Baseball Classic but has yet to announce if he’s pitching in the 2013 WBC. This is doubtful due to the fact the Dodgers probably want to preserve his arm during Spring Training and save the innings for the regular season.
The Dodgers have also made another huge acquisition in ace Zack Greinke. The guy started last year in Milwaukee as a member of the Brewers, before being traded halfway through the year to the Angels. He finished 2012 with a 15-5 Record, and a 3.48 ERA in 121.1 Innings Pitched. Greinke decided to sign with the cross town rivals for 6 years/$147 Million, the largest contract ever for a Right-handed pitcher. With Kershaw, Greinke and Ryu, the Dodgers may arguably have the best starting rotation in the National League.
Now that we know what the Dodgers have to offer in 2013, a plus lineup and a stellar pitching rotation. Across the city, the Angels have a situation that is not much different.
2012 was one of their best years in recent memory whether they made the postseason or not. The way they see it is the Billy Beane way: No one cares if you don’t win the last game of the season. So what do they do? They sign more absurd people so they can get the job done. The club went 81-57 with Trout in the lineup and only what could of have been if Pujols hadn’t started out so slow.
After signing the top Free Agent last year in Albert Pujols, they took the same approach again signing Josh Hamilton. It was almost identical in the events leading up to both signings. They didn’t even seem to be a contender in the Hamilton sweepstakes and yet they ended up landing the slugger. The contract awaiting the Outfielder in LA, is for 5 years/$125 Million. This is also key because they were able to weaken the Rangers. LA is basically the one team Texas did not want Hamilton to sign with and he did. Talk about frustration in the Rangers organization from pillar to post.
This Hamilton signing gives the Angels probably the best outfield in all of baseball. Mike Trout in Center just makes it fantastic alone. He probably should have won a Gold Glove and probably would have sewn up the MVP had he played in the 1st month. Hamilton will be in left and he has range and a cannon for an arm . Trumbo will round off the outfield in right. These are all fantastic outfielders, with the ability to make solid contact with the ball and hit it over the fence on a regular basis.
So exactly who wins the battle of LA right now? Judging by player ability and experience combined, I’d say the Dodgers. The better overall team? Probably the Angels. The Dodgers hitting will win them games, but defense wins championships. The Angels have power, defense, and pitching in C.J.Wilson, Jared Weaver, and Jerome Williams. The Dodgers have a stellar lineup and an absurd rotation, but the defense behind the staff lacks compared to the Angels.
Only time will be able to tell between these two teams. Games between them will certainly be highly awaited by every baseball fan in LA. You better be ready to dish out large amounts of cash if you’re looking attend any of these games between the two clubs for the foreseeable future… Or at least cue up the CD of Rage Against the Machine’s: “Battle of Los Angeles.”
(*The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com*)
Welcome to our newest Baseball Intern: Kyle Holland:
Kyle is a life long baseball fan outside of Boston. He is a sophomore in high school has played baseball since he was 5. Although growing up in one of the best baseball towns in the major leagues, he has been a Giants fan since 2009. He credits his aunt with the Giants being his favorite team as she lives in San Francisco. Some of his favorite players include Buster Posey, Stephen Drew, Trevor Bauer, Stephen Strasburg, and minor leaguer Danny Hultzen. You can find Kyle on Twitter Follow @TheKHolland13.
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The Red Sox Are Spending All That Cash Without Acquiring Pitching!
Tuesday December 11, 2012
Kyle Holland (MLB Reports Intern):
The summer of 2012 was by far the Red Sox worst in recent memory. Hiring Bobby Valentine might have turned out to be the Red Sox front office’s worst decision within the last 20 years. It was probably a worst decision than signing Carl Crawford for seven years and $142 Million. The Sox have decided during the 2012-13 offseason that they would dish out some money to spend again. Their only problem? They are not spending any money on what they really need, pitching.
They drove through 9 starting pitchers throughout the 2012 campaign and their ERA leader had a 4.56 ERA. That’s not a very good ERA for a team leader. The same man, Clay Buchholz , also led the team with 11 wins. Also not amazing for a team leader. Read the rest of this entry
