Blog Archives

Current Top 5 MLB Home Run Leaders in the AL + NL: Home Runs Hit May 19th

Like us on Facebook here

Monday, May.20, 2013

Miguel Cabrera has hit 332 HRs, 398 Doubles and 13 Triples in his 11th year in the Major Leagues. With 1170 RBI, and just barely being 30 Years of age, the man has a serious chance to chase the ALL – Time RBI record of 2297 By Hank Aaron. After his 3 HR night on Saturday, he has a 2013 – 3 Slash of .387/.457/1.116 (all lead the AL). He has added 11 HRs (tied for 2nd) and 47 RBI (1st in the MLB). He could challenge a 2nd straight Triple Crown in 2013. Something that hasn’t happened since Honus Wagner in the 1920′s.

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.

Cabrera’s mammoth night May.19th/2013

Read the rest of this entry →

About these ads

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis, The Rest: Everything Baseball

Leave a Comment

Tags: @chuckbooth3024 on twitter, AL East, anthony rizzo, arizona dbacks, bryce harper, carlos beltran, carlos gonzalez, chris davis, Chuck Booth, daniel murphy, david murphy, dustin pedroia, edwin encarnacion, erik kratz, Freddy Galvis, hank aaron, honus wagner, jay bruce, Joe Maddon, joey votto, john buck, juan lagares, justin upton, kyle blanks, Luke Scott, mark reynolds, mat latos, matthew joyce, michael brantley, miguel cabrera, nelson cruz, new york yankees, nl west, paul goldschmidt, pedro alvarez, petco park, robinson cano, ryan Sweeney, ryan zimmerman, san diego padres, tampa bay rays, Top 5 Home Run Hitters in the MLB, top 5 HR hitters al, top 5 hr hitters NL, travis wood, washington nationals, will middlebrooks, will venable, yoenis cespedes, yonder alonso

The Pitching Artist Formerly Known As Fausto Carmona Needs To Be DFA’d!

Apr 28

Posted by jakeyjake63

Like us on Facebook here

Follow @mlbreports

Sunday, Apr.28/2013

Through five outings Hernandez is 1-4 record with a 5.28 ERA in just over thirty innings of work. His kryptonite this season has been the long ball in almost every start Hernandez gives up at least one long ball.The long ball has been a big issue for Hernandez this season, giving up eighteen earned runs in a little over thirty innings this season. One good spot is that even though the sinker baller is not getting many of those groundballs he is used to, he has been striking hitters out at a good rate. In three out of his five starts, Hernandez has struck out seven batters and in the other two he struck out at least four per start. While only walking an average of three per start.

Through 5 outings, Hernandez is 1-4 record with a 5.28 ERA in just over 30 IP of work. His kryptonite this season has been the long ball. In almost every start Hernandez gives up at least one long ball – giving up 18 ER in his time thus far in total. One good spot is that even though the sinkerballer is not getting many of those groundballs he is used to, he has been striking hitters out at a good rate. In three out of his five starts, Hernandez has fanned 7 batters and in the other two Game Starts – he punched out at least four per start. He is also walking an average of 3 hitters per start.

By Jake Bullington (Rays Correspondent): Follow @jakeyjake01

Roberto Hernandez, ( AKA Fausto Carmona), was supposed to be insurance for the Tampa Bay Rays this year. The club was supposed to have Jeff Niemann re-assume his spot in the Starting Pitching Rotation – along with David Price, Jeremy Hellickson, Alex Cobb and Matt Moore to round out the top 5.

James Shields and Wade Davis. were dealt away to acquire Wil Myers on the basis of this assumption. However, Niemann was been hurt – and we are still a few weeks away before Chris Archer is brought up for good. Thus the club has had to use the beleagured ex Indians chucker.

Roberto Hernandez lone good start for Tampa Bay:

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles, MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

Leave a Comment

Tags: 2007 ALCS, @jakeyjake01 on twitter, al central, AL East, alex cobb, chicaho white sox, chris archer, cleveland indians, durham bulls, jake bullington, jake odorizzi, james shields, jeff niemann, jeremy hellickson, Joe Maddon, kansas city royals, matt moore, pcl, Rays Starting pitcher roster, roberto hernandez, tampa bay rays, tropicana field, wade davis, wil myers

The Rays Need To Call Up Wil Myers Pronto!

Apr 18

Posted by chuckbooth3023

2 And A Hook Podcast Talks About Calling UP Wil Myers – 25 Minute Mark

Update Required To Play MediaUpdate your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.

download the episode here

Like us on Facebook here

Follow @mlbreports

Thursday Apr.18/2013

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:

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball, On the Verge: MLB Prospects, MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

2 Comments

Tags: new york yankees, toronto blue jays, tampa bay rays, boston red sox, carl crawford, san diego padres, oakland athletics, AL East, milwaukee brewers, kansas city royals, james shields, david price, matt moore, jeremy hellickson, wade davis, los angeles angels, yunel escobar, san francisco giants, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, Joe Maddon, Carlos Pena, wil myers, ben zobrist, jeff niemann, jeff keppinger, james loney, alex cobb, andrew freidman, chris archer, @chuckbooth3024, roberto hernandez, top prospects, Rays farm system

Rays Say No Time To Panic: It Has Just Been 10 Games

Apr 14

Posted by jakeyjake63

Like us on Facebook here

Follow @mlbreports

Sunday, Apr.14/2013

Ben Zobrist has quietly tuned into one of the best all around players in the game. He has finished in the top for WAR in 3 of the 4 years – including 1st in 2011 and 2nd in 2009. At Age 31, Zobrist goes into a contract year. Ben Zobrist has been a big bright spot for the Rays this season. Zobrist who continues this season with his musical chairs role on the team has not let his bat cool down 10 games into the season. Rays fans need not worry this early. With only 10 games played in the young season now is not the time to start throwing in the towel and saying that GM Andrew Friedman and his staff have lost their touch.

By Jake Bullington (Rays Correspondent): Follow @jakeyjake01

Ben Zobrist aside, the Rays have started this season with a four and six record and are currently in last place in the American League East division, but this is not cause for concern.

Sure David Price does not have his first win of the season and has an ERA up to almost six ( 5.82 to be exact), but the Rays are not worried so why should we be.

The club started at 0 – 6, before making the playoffs in 2011, so there is no way Joe Maddon will hit the panic button in 2013.

David Price Highlights 2012 – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is Advised:

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

Leave a Comment

Tags: @jakeyjake01 on twitter, Al East Division, alex cobb, b.j. upton, ben zobrist, david price, desmond jennings, jake bullington, james shields, jeremy hellickson, Joe Maddon, Luke Scott, shelley duncan, tampa bay rays, wil myers

Put That Coffee Down! Coffee Is Closers Only: Top 5 Closers Projected For 2013

Feb 12

Posted by bernieolshansky

Like us on Facebook here

Follow @mlbreports

Tuesday February 12th, 2013

Fernando+Rodney+Tampa+Bay+Rays+v+Minnesota+DsZ1C9fAXm_l

Fernando Rodney had one of the best seasons for a reliever in baseball history in 2012. It will be interesting to see if he can build on his strong season in 2013.

MLB Reports:

From the movie Glengarry Glen Ross came one of the most compelling scenes ever – when Alec Baldwin took the stage in an office setting – spewing out some of the greatest and powerful insults over a failing sales crew that included Jack Lemmon and Ed Harris. In the scene, Baldwin himself is a powerful corporate executive that has been sent down to yell at these guys – from the powers to be of the operation. At the beginning point in Alec Baldwin’s lecture, old sales veteran (Lemmon) goes for a cup of coffee. Baldwin yells out “Put the coffee Down! Coffee is for closers!

The same can be said for closers that are not doing the job in nailing down games. Many teams have bullpens that blow games at the most inopportune times. Nothing is as deflating as losing a lead in the late Innings. It is bad for team moral, the players and managers try to not play the blame game, however it is a tough pill to swallow when your team can’t close down baseball leads…. Just like the guys in Glengarry Glen Ross the movie couldn’t. After you view this clip, you can move past it and read on who the best players that nail down victories. The last part of the speech also works: A.B.C.: Always Be Closing. It is Close or hit the bricks! Great movie BTW…

Glengarry Glen Ross – Explicit Language so Parental Guidance is advised (Not for the Weak Of Heart):

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Players: Fantasy Baseball Articles, The Rest: Everything Baseball

1 Comment

Tags: 2013, @bernieolshansky, alec baldwin, Atlanta Braves, baltimore orioles, baseball, bernie olshansky, closers, craig kimbrel, ed harris, fernando rodney, fernando salas, glengarry glen ross, jack lemmon, jason motte, jim johnson, Joe Maddon, jonathan papelbon, mitchell boggs, mlb, philadelphia phillies, projections, ryan franklin, st louis cardinals, tampa bay rays, Top Closer AL MLB, top closers in MLB 2013, Top Closers NL MLB 2013, Top Saves Leaders MLB 2012

The Tampa Bay Rays: The Hitters 1998-2012: Part 2 Of A 5 Part Article Series

Dec 21

Posted by chuckbooth3023

twitter-follow screen_name=’mlbreports’ show_screen_name=’no’]

Like us on Facebook here

Friday, December.21, 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.

Carl Crawford Leads as the ALL-Time Club Record Holder in most offensive categories. Will Evan Longoria run him down..or will the club trade him?

Carl Crawford Leads as the ALL-Time Club Record Holder in most offensive categories. Will Evan Longoria run him down for all of the team records..or will the club trade him in a few years when his contract escalates in pay?

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

The Rays have only been around for 15 years, however they have seen their share of talent grace the club. In their inaugural year, the club signed Free Agents Fred McGriff and Wade Boggs. A few years later when Boggs retired, they added Vinny Castilla, Jose Canseco and Greg Vaughn all to the club. This movement did not work out. It was the drafted talent of the club that started to surface in the early 2000′s. Aubrey Huff and Carl Crawford emerged as AL offensive threats. Other picks like Rocco Baldelli, Jorge Cantu and Jonny Gomes started out on fire, yet quickly flamed out. The club saw other guys come and go before the 2007 started to show what the team was really capable of. Carlos Pena gave them a bonafide HR guy. Soon Evan Longoria was called up to the Major Leagues and the club featured one of the best attacks in all of Major League Baseball.

The offense has suffered a bit of a drop-off in the last few years, but newly acquired Wil Myers is one of the best offensive prospects in the game of baseball. Longoria is signed through 2023 and Ben Zobrist is a great all-around offensive talent signed for the next 3 seasons. While the team will still be predominantly based with great pitching, the club should see some well-rounded offensive players.

Tropicana Field is one of the harder places to put up great numbers, so we will see what the future holds. We must look at the past. In these Series I have been doing for the teams, a lot of criteria had to be met to be included in the Franchises best hitters or pitchers. Obviously with a 15 Year Old team, the stakes are not raised as high. I still looked for significant contributions to the team. Of course if anyone ever leads the American League in any category, that is usually grounds for inclusion.

Franchise Series Article Links:

The Tampa Bay Rays: The Franchise 1998-2012: Part 1 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 Part 4: 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

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

4 Comments

Tags: 2008 ALCS, 2008 world series', @chuckbooth3024 on twitter, AL East, AL GG, al mvp, AL Pennant, Al rookie of the year, AL Silver Slugger Award, aubrey huff, b.j. upton, Believe, ben zobrist, boston red sox, Carlos Pena, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, delmon young, desmond jennings, dioner navarro, evan longoria, greg vaughn, jason bartlett, Joe Maddon, jonny gomes, jose canseco, julio lugo, mark teixeira, matt garza, matt joyce, philadelphia phillies, randy winn, rocco baldelli, St. Petersburg, tampa bay devil rays, tampa bay rays, toby hall, tropicana field, Ty Wigginton, vinny castilla, wade boggs, war, wil myers

The Tampa Bay Rays: The Franchise 1998-2012: Part 1 Of A 5 Part Article Series

Dec 20

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Follow @mlbreports

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

Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

3 Comments

Tags: 2008 world series', @chuckbooth3024 on twitter, AL East, alex cobb, American league, andrew friedman, andy sonnanstine, arizona diamondbacks, at and t park, aubrey huff, b.j. upton, baltimore orioles, ben zobrist, Bobby Abreu, brandon backe, carl crawford, Carlos Pena, chicago cubs, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, chuck lamar, danys baez, david price, delmon young, dmitri young, dough waechter, edwin jackson, elijah dukes, esteban yan, evan longoria, gerald williams, greg vaughn, hal macrae, heath bell, houston astros, jackie robinson, jake mcgee, james loney, james shields, jason hammel, jeff niemann, jeremy hellickson, jim mecir, Joe Maddon, john jaso, johnny damon, jorge cantu', josh hamilton, kevin stocker, kyle farnsworth, larry rothschild, lou piniella, manny ramirez, mark teixeira, matt diaz, matt garza, matt moore, matthew silverman, mike jacobs, mike pelfrey, mike scioscia, national league, philadelphia phillies, rafael soriano, randy winn, reid brignac, roberto hernandez, rocco baldelli, rolando arrojo, ryan fontenot, ryan raburn, safeco field, san diego padres, scott kazmir, seattle mariners, seth mcclung, st. petersburg florida, stuart sternberg, tampa, tampa bay devil rays, tampa bay rays, tampa bay rays payroll 2013, tanyon sturtze, texas rangers, toby hall, toronto blue jays, tropicana field, victor zambrano, vince naimoli, wade davis, wade leblanc, wil myers, willie harris, wilson alvarez, yunel escobar

Florida Baseball and The San Juan Rays

Nov 15

Posted by mednickalex

Follow @mlbreports

Thursday November 15th, 2012

Alex Mednick (Baseball Writer and Analyst)

Last week Jonathan Hacohen, the founder of MLBReports.com called to my attention that the Tampa Bay Rays are an anomaly. Ultimately, if you look at the way their team is structured and where their talent lays, and the kind of game that Joe Maddon manages the Rays are ultimately a National League team; displaced in the AL East. The Rays greatest strength is their depth of pitching that they can reach into the bowels of an amazing farm system ripe with young talent. But from there on out, they rely on an offense that generates runs due to other inefficiencies.

Joe Maddon might very well be the best manager in baseball. He possesses a unique approach to the game, that if had to be categorized, is definitely more national league style than american league. He has to be creative in how he manufactures runs, as his offense does not boast the big sluggers other AL East teams do. He does, however, have a plethora of pitching talent available.

With B.J. Upton leaving town, and Carlos Pena only a carcass of what he once was, there is ultimately zero power left in their lineup. Their DH for the past two years have been the likes of an aging Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, and Luke Scott. Ownership is constantly complaining about attendance and looking for bargain free agents like Johnny Damon to bring in at the end of their careers and hopefully attract some Yankees and Red Sox fans to the stadium.

At this point, the Rays power hitters are Evan Longoria, Matt Joyce and Ben Zobrist. They have an amazing nucleus of pitching talent, including David Price who just won the AL Cy Young, and they are mentioning trading almost all of their starting pitchers. This is understandable, as you have to dish out talent to bring back offensive talent that they are in great need of. But I still have major gripes with the way owner Stuart Sternberg has approached the past 4 seasons in St. Petersburg, and I will get into more detail about this in a little while. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

6 Comments

Tags: 51st state, al cy young, al cy young 2012, AL East, albert pujols, alex mednick, alexander ewing mednick, American league, american league east, andrew friedman, b.j. upton, ben zobrist, bj upton, caribbean, cuban, cy young, dade county, david price, dominican, evan longoria, florida, football, haitian, hideki matsui, james shields, jeff loria, jeffrey loria, jeremy hellickson, Joe Maddon, johnny damon, jonathan hacohen, las vegas, Luke Scott, Major League Baseball, matt joyce, matt moore, miami, miami dade, miami marlins, mlb, nascar, national league, national league east, ncaa, new haven, NL east, philadelphia, Philadephia Phillies, phillies, puerto rico, rays, saint petersburg, saint petersburg florida, san juan, san juan rays, st pete, St. Petersburg, st. petersburg florida, Tampa Bay, tampa bay rays, test

Rays Are a Serious Contender

May 14

Posted by baseballaddicts13

Follow @mlbreports

Monday May 14, 2012

Ryan Ritchey: The Tampa Bay Rays are a team to watch this season for sure. A 21-14 record has them 1 game back of Baltimore for first in the East. The Rays this off-season went out and got Carlos Pena back from Chicago and moved Fernando Rodney to closer. The Rays depend on pitching to carry them and they have the starting pitching to do it. Leading the way for this staff is James Shields. Shields is 6-1 with a 3.52 ERA. Not far behind is Jeremy Hellickson who is 3-0 with a team leading 2.95 ERA. Both of these guys are going to need to lead this team to the promise land. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

Leave a Comment

Tags: baseball, Carlos Pena, david price, evan longoria, fernando rodney, james shields, jeremy hellickson, Joe Maddon, matt moore, mlb, rays, tampa bay rays, tropicana field

MLB reports Monthly Power Rankings: May 2012

Follow @mlbreports

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…)