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MLB Monthly Power Rankings May 2013 (Podcast Version)
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Follow @mlbreportsSunday, May.05/2013
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
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 26, 2013
I recorded today’s episode The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast at my gym. I talked about the Tigers bullpen, the return of Daniel Bard and some of my unorthodox behavior while exercising.
Alex Gordon, Clay Buchholz, Gio Gonzalez and Gaby Sanchez owned baseball on April 25, 2013.
To see the up to date tally of “Who Owns Baseball?”, click HERE.
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Mid – Week MLB Reports Around The Horn Rant – April.25th/2013
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Adam Dunn has hit 40+ HRs 6 times in his career and 38+ HRs in 8 of the last 9 years. He is the Classic ’3TO’ AKA 3 True Outs: HR/BB or SO. At The MLB Reports, we call it a ‘Dunn Trick’ when he does all 3 in a game. But this year he is hitting a meager .100 – with only 3 HRs. His time may be up.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Welcome to the 1st installment of the Mid – Week Around the Horn blog. This weekly piece will feature random thoughts from the MLB – that I just cant go on without saying something.
Notes:
Will somebody please (for the love of god) remove Adam Dunn from the #4 slot. I think he would be best hitting 9th – even 2nd (if he continues to walk). Hitting a .100 as the cleanup hitter has to have cost the club some games.
Shin-Soo Choo is off to a hot start and we are having an awareness week for him at the MLB Reports. He has a Career 3 Slash Line of .282/.386/.856 and had 20+ Stolen Bases in 3 out of the last 4 years. The one year he didn’t achieve 20, he swiped 15 Bags in 85 Games.
Shin-Soo Choo trains with the Reds
Jose Valverde Returns To The Detroit Tigers: Rondon Also Called Up For The Bullpen
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Follow @mlbreportsWednesday, April.24/2013
Valverde was the best option available for a club that is expected to win the American League Central Division – and possibly return to the 2013 World Series. The ‘Closer by committee’ had less than stellar results thus far- and Jim Leyland was not a fan of operating that way. The slimmer 35 Year Old from the Dominican Republic will assume the Finisher’s role immediately – and should be available for game action tonight in Detroit at Comerica Park.
By Matthew Lafave (Tigers Correspondent) Follow @MatthewLafave
Yes, Jose Valverde has returned to the Tigers and will be available as early as Wednesday night.
This all came quite quickly through the evening on Tuesday. After making three appearances for Class A Lakeland, Valverde was expected to join the Toledo Mud Hens to get some extra extended work before possibly joining the Tigers.
But Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski decided to skip some steps.
Jose Valverde 2011 Highlights – Mature Content so Parental Guidance is advised:
White Sox Off To A Good Start
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Follow @mlbreportsThursday April.4/2013
Opening Day saw 39012 brave and tough Chicago and other natives – take in the game. The club narrowly escaped with a 1 – 0 victory against their Division AL Central Rival The Kansas City Royals. Game #2 saw the Bullpen throw 3 IP and only yield 1 hit for their effort. The Sox are not expected to contend for a playoff position – although they carry multiple time ALL – Star players on their Roster. Does everyone forget that the ‘Southsiders’ led the AL Central for the majority of the year during the 2012 season? The Tigers barely nudged them out for the Division at the end of September. The Sox are looking for payback in 2013.
By Brian Madsen (White Sox Correspondent): Follow @brianm731
The last time the White Sox won on Opening Day by a score of 1-0 was 2005. They won the World Series that year. They beat the Royals 1-0 on Monday behind a solid pitching performance by Chris Sale and a solo HR from Tyler Flowers.
Monday was Opening Day. Not that that means anything, but baseball fans are superstitious. I know I am.
The Sox were 6-12 against the Royals in 2012, proving to be the Sox undoing. After their victory on Wednesday against KC 5-2, they’re 2-0 against the Royals so for in 2013. You have to understand, this is mind boggling for a White Sox fan.
The Royals have been the Sox’ achilles heel for what seems like forever now. If the Sox find a way to knock around Jeremy “Catfish” Guthrie today, the world may come to an end. Guthrie posted a 0.30 ERA vs the Sox last season, but, only managed one victory against them.
White Sox Opening Day At Us Cellular Field – Mature Content so Parental Guidance is advised:
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – March 14, 2013
The Detroit Tigers don’t have a full time closer right now. Do they really need one with all of their pitching depth?
That’s the question on today’s edition of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Subscribe to The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast on iTunes.
Rondon’s Struggles Continue For Tigers, Valverde And Wilson Rumors Emerge
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Follow @mlbreportsSaturday, March.09/2013
Bruce Rondon is 1-1 in Spring Training so far with a 5.79 ERA. He has allowed 7 Hits (including 1 HR) and Walked 5 in 4.2 IP. Not such a hot start for the rookie phenom. With World Series Aspirations this year – can the Tigers afford to not enter the Regular Season with a proven Closer?
By Matthew Lafave (Tigers Correspondent) Follow @MatthewLafave
Panic in Motown?
Not quite yet.
But the Tigers ‘chosen’ Closer isn’t making things easy.
Bruce Rondon, 22-Years-Old, is expected to be the closer for this coming season and hopefully many more to follow. Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski and manager Jim Leyland have both made it known that it’s his job to lose this spring.
Losing it is just the path he is on. Through 4.2 IP, he has given up 7 Hits, 3 ER, 1 HR, and yielded 5 Walks..It’s early we know, but at what point does early become too late?
If he happens to pitch himself out of the Closer spot then who will be our fearless Closer?
Bruce Rondon hits 103 MPH!
MLB Player Profile: SD Padres – Huston Street
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Huston Street was the 2005 Rookie of the Year for the Oakland. He has really good control for a Closer – with a Strikeout to Walk ratio of 4-1 (9.2 SO per 9 IP vs 2.3 BB per 9 IP)His game is suited for the Petco Park. At only Age 29, he could conceivably pitch for the next decade and has an outside chance at about 400 Saves for his Career. He has played for the 3 West Coast teams (OAK, COL and SD.)
By Chance Moore (Padres Correspondent) Follow @chancemoore_EB
Street was traded by the Rockies to the San Diego Padres for Left Hander Nick Schmidt on December 7, 2011. As part of the deal the Padres paid the remaining money on his contract. Street missed a month with a right shoulder strain, but otherwise had an excellent first half with the Padres. He compiled a 1.13 ERA, was 13 for 13 in converting Save Opportunities, and did not allow a Home Run in his 1st 25 games, earning a selection to his first All-Star Game.
Street is an underrated Relief Pitcher in the MLB realms. The man burst onto the scene for Oakland in 2005 – netting the Rookie of the Year Award in the American League with a 5-1 Record and 23 Saves during his 78.1 IP. 8 Years into his career, he has 201 Saves – while yielding a 3.01 ERA. Here he is on the Active MLB Saves List in #8 position. Really he will be 7th early into the year because Brian Fuentes recently retired.
| Rank | Player (yrs, age) | Saves | Throws |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mariano Rivera (18, 42) | 608 | R |
| 2. | Jason Isringhausen (16, 39) | 300 | R |
| 3. | Joe Nathan (12, 37) | 298 | R |
| 4. | Francisco Rodriguez (11, 30) | 294 | R |
| 5. | Jose Valverde (10, 34) | 277 | R |
| 6. | Jonathan Papelbon (8, 31) | 257 | R |
| 7. | Brian Fuentes (12, 36) | 204 | L |
| 8. | Huston Street (8, 28) | 201 | R |
| 9. | J.J. Putz (10, 35) | 183 | R |
| 10. | Brian Wilson (7, 30) | 171 | R |
Huston Street Interview on his 1st Save for the San Diego Padres in 2012:
2013 WBC Group C Preview
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Sunday, February 24th, 2013
Miggy Cabrera will take his talents to the WBC (for Team Venezuela starting on Mar.2.
By Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206
Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Spain have produced some of the most talented baseball players in the world. All four of these countries will be will represented in Group C of the WBC starting on March 7th in Puerto Rico. From Miguel Cabrera to Robinson Cano, this division is filled with popular MLB superstars. Even though the Dominican Republic and Venezuela appear to be early favorites to advance from this division, don’t count out Puerto Rico or Spain to make a run at qualifying for the next round.
World Baseball Classic–Venezuela Vs Puerto Rico–Alejandro Toca Cuatro:
Top MLB Free Agents Still Available:
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Follow @mlbreportsWednesday January 23rd, 2013
Micheal Bourn is seeking a contract worth 15 Million Dollars plus per year. Since 2008, he has averaged 50 SB a year. He has steadily improved his offensive game. He is a guy who would help most ball clubs as a Lead Off hitter.
By Jordan Gluck (Prospects/Baseball Operations Correspondent) Follow @JGluck777
The offseason is winding down right with the availability of Free Agents and the budgets of many MLB teams. The talent on the open market is not what it was a few months ago but there is still some risk/reward players in the pool along with Bourn, Lohse, and Marcum. There are certain clubs with some dollars to spend but most are to their cap or don’t see the value. Here I present to you my top 10 Free Agents who can help propel a team to more wins or be used by subpar clubs as viable trade chips as Trade Deadline Deals.
1. Michael Bourn (30) (Braves) – the clear-cut best player left on the market but with budgets near filled up it will be interesting to see how Scott Boras works his magic. There is no doubt the tender is hurting him as it hurt Soriano and Laroche. He can play CF and has blazing speed. (Texas)
Michael Bourn Highlight Reel in 2012 – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is Advised
ATR: Ask the Reports Answers Your Baseball Questions: MLB Free Agency Season Is Upon Us!
Sunday November 4th, 2012
Jonathan Hacohen: Here we go again. We spend the whole offseason waiting and hoping for the MLB season to start. We speculate where free agents will sign, which teams will pull off trades and which teams have reason for optimism once the season. We dissect every move and weigh the dollars/years on each contract. Welcome to hot stove baby! But then the season comes and goes in a flash- then we end up right back to the offseason again. Right back to free agency talk again.
This week we have a nice mix of topics. From covering free agents, to trades, division realignment- our readers really went through the whole spectrum of baseball topics. We couldn’t possibly jump into ATR during free agency season without hearing the names Hamilton, Greinke or Upton? Of course not! So enough talking- more asking! It’s time for Ask the Reports.
Now let’s get to your top questions of the week: Read the rest of this entry
Jose Valverde: Ready to Rejoin the Houston Astros?
Follow @mlbreports Friday November 2nd, 2012 
Kyle Holland: Although postseason baseball is a wonderful time for baseball fans everywhere, the end of the World Series becomes a devastating time. The start of November means no more major league baseball for almost 5 months. Ironically enough though, some fans love the offseason. They enjoy seeing where some of their favorite players will go and who their favorite team will get.
One prime example of these players during the this 2012-13 offseason is the ex-Detroit Tigers closer, Jose Valverde. He enjoyed great success during the 2011 season closing 49 out of 49 save opportunities. The 2012 season wasn’t nearly as impressive, as Valverde “only” saved 35 games. Then September and the postseason rolled around and he just wasn’t himself. On October 10th in game 4 of the ALDS, Valverde blew a 3-1 lead in the ninth against the Oakland A’s. On October 13th in game 1 of the ALCS, although not a save opportunity, Valverde blew a 4-0 lead against the New York Yankees before being pulled.
Jose Valverde became a free agent on October 30, two days after the Tigers got swept by the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. The Tiger publicly announced they are not going to make an attempt to re-sign Valverde. Now the question becomes: where will Jose Valverde end up for Opening Day 2013? Read the rest of this entry
ATR: Ask the Reports Answers Your Baseball Questions: Special World Series Edition
Saturday October 27th, 2012
Jonathan Hacohen: In a few short hours, Game 3 of the World Series will be played from one of my fave parks in baseball, Comerica Park in Detroit. It has been a very interesting season and playoffs for me. While I readily admit that I bleed blue and orange, I did not pick the Tigers to make the playoffs this year. That fact usually stuns other Tiger fans. “How can you support the team and not pick them to win the World Series”…that is a question that I am often asked. The answer is simple: while I enjoy Comerica and have a soft spot for the Tigers, I am first and foremost a baseball writer. Baseball fandom is not something that one can turn on and off like a light switch. But if one is going to do their job properly, they need to stay fair and impartial. So while my heart wanted the Tigers to win the AL Central, my brain said that the White Sox were this year’s team of destiny. Goes to show that you never know what will happen in baseball.
As the Tigers kept winning, I kept doubting them further. So just to prove a point, Detroit swept the Yankees in the ALCS and made it to the World Series as the favorites. At that point, I saw the Tigers beating the Giants, likely in 5 games to win the World Series. But then a couple of pitchers named Madison Bumgarner and Barry Zito came along. They proved that the Giants had a ton of fight in them, They also proved that I had no business trying my hand at any predictions during the 2012 playoffs. The Giants are up 2-0 in the series, with Ryan Vogelsong taking the mound against Anibal Sanchez. My heart and brain are saying that the Giants will win big tonight and jump out to a 3-0 lead. Does that mean that the Tigers will win one and get back into this series? We will find out very shortly.
A great pitching matchup tonight, with Ryan Vogelsong and Anibal Sanchez as the probable starters. Sanchez has enjoyed a great run as of late for the Tigers, while Vogelsong has been solid for the most part. I am seeing here a big win for Vogelsong. He is a great success story for the Giants, their version of R.A. Dickey. Having watched Sanchez implode on too many occasions, I have a hard time trusting him. Although he is batting for the almighty free agency contract, so perhaps he has a quality start in him. If the Tigers don’t pull it off, they have the near impossible task of facing Matt Cain on Sunday down 3-0. Max Scherzer will take the mound tomorrow night for the Tigers. He could be helping the Tigers even the series 2-2, or watch the Giants sweep their way to another World Series championship. In a short series, anything can happen.
Given the amount of World Series questions that we have received this week, I decided to feature the most popular questions surrounding the Tigers and Giants. If these guys can make it to the finals, the least we can do is discuss/analyze them.
Now let’s get to your top questions of the week: Read the rest of this entry
Giants vs. Tigers: Who Will Win the 2012 World Series?
Thursday October 25th, 2012
Jake Dal Porto (Baseball Writer):
Who Has The Edge In The Starting Pitching Department?
The Tigers’ starters go as far as Justin Verlander takes them, which is a long, long way most of the time. Thus far, Verlander has lifted his fellow rotation mates to an elite stature. In the American League Championship Series, the Tigers posted a 0.67 ERA against a helpless Yankees’ team. But as last night proved, anything can happen in the World Series.
When the Tigers are mentioned, don’t fall into the trap that their pitching is just based around Verlander. Yes, we get, the world gets it, Verlander is a god. But the assumption that he’s all the Tigers have is completely false because they wouldn’t have swept the Yankees without others contributing. Remember, Verlander pitched just once in the ALCS. Heck, Verlander could arguably take the backseat to Max Scherzer who has only allowed one run over 11 innings so far in this year’s playoffs. After giving up 5 runs to the Giants last night in 4 innings, the Tigers showed that they cannot simply rely on Justin Verlander…or the 2012 World Series will end very quickly. After all, all sporting gods show their human side at some point.
On the Giants’ side, their rotation is greatly shuffled after having to go seven games to finally derail the Cardinals, basically meaning that they didn’t have their ace in Matt Cain to oppose Verlander in Game 1. Instead, Barry Zito got the nod against the presumable A.L Cy Young winner. Please, pause for a second and digest that sentence, I dare you to. Now look at Barry Zito’s start in Game 1. 5 2/3 innings, 1 run and 6 hits. And now the Tigers still have to contend with Cain. After Zito, Madison Bumgarner will take the ball in Game 2 against Doug Fister. Bumgarner has been reeling since the end of August. In two postseason starts (8 innings), he has posted an 11.25 ERA, and in both starts, the Giants lost. However, the lefty fixed a couple of mechanical flaws during a side session last week.
In Game 3, Ryan Vogelsong will oppose Anibal Sanchez, as the series changes scenery back to Comerica Park. Vogelsong has arubably been the best pitcher in the playoffs this year outside of Verlander, of course. In three starts, he has a 1.42 ERA, and most recently allowed just one run to the Cardinals in Game 6 of the NLCS. Sanchez has been solid up to this point as well, finally proving why he was a great addition to the Tigers’ rotation. In two starts, he has totaled a 1.35 ERA, but walked five batters in those two starts as well.
The main thing to take away from here, is that Sanchez can be a bit wobbly in terms of consistency. Usually, walks are detrimental to him, as his stuff is above average. For Vogelsong, pitching on the road is the only concern with him, but Comerica shouldn’t play small, seeing as how the forecast is supposed to be chilly.
Lastly, Matt Cain will make his first appearance when he opposes Max Scherezer in Game 4. What comes as a surprise here, is the fact that Cain is pitching Game 4. This likely means that he wouldn’t pitch a potential Game 7, instead Vogelsong would likely receive the honor.
Both the Tigers and Giants have heavily relied on good starting pitching to get them to where they are—the World Series. However, the Tigers boast Justin Verlander; a guy who can pitch three times in this series if the Tigers desperately need him to. After a rough outing last night, we know that Verlander will return later in the series- hungrier than ever.
Tigers: 6 Giants: 4
Who Has The Edge Offensively?
Yes, the Giants erupted for nine runs in Game 7. But the truth is, only a handful of their 14 hits were crisp line drives. Most notably, Hunter Pence’s game-opening two-run double took a wicked hop that fooled the shortstop. That hit set-up a huge inning for San Francisco.
Basically, the Giants might not reap the benefits of lucky hops or bloopers in the World Series. The Tigers’ pitching staff is a bit better than St.Louis’s at the moment, meaning that runs are going to come at a premium. You wouldn’t know it, with the Giants scoring 8 runs in Game 1 of the World Series, with Pablo Sandoval connecting for 3 home runs. But the tide could just as easily turn in game 2, with Doug Fister silencing the Giants bats. If the Giants are to win this series, their bats better stay scorching hot.
The Tigers obviously have the most dangerous weapon of all in Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera hasn’t been dominant per say so far in the playoffs, but that’s mostly due to the fact that opposing pitchers have elected to pitch him extremely careful. Buster Posey has received the same type of treatment. And with Pence struggling, it’s likely that the Tigers will continue to pitch around Posey until Pence proves otherwise. The presumable N.L MVP winner hit just .154/.267/.154 in the NLCS with just a lone RBI. He did go 2-4 last night with 2 singles. Hopefully a sign of more to come.
Now, onto Marco Scutaro, the NLCS MVP. Hitting exactly .500 with 4 RBIs, Scutaro carried the Giants’ offense. Also carrying the Giants’ offense, Pablo Sandoval hit .310 with two home runs and six RBIs. If it wasn’t for Scutaro, Sandoval probably would have won the MVP. Both men have started off hot in the World Series and with no surprise, the Giants got a big win in the process.
But the Tigers’ offense is dangerous in many facets. They can beat you with the long ball, big innings, and high hitting outputs. Delmon Young has produced eight RBIs in the playoffs, and Austin Jackson has scored seven runs, acting as the catalyst in the Tigers’ lineup.
Timely hits are going to be key in this series. Both of these teams like to score runs early, and both can bust out for big innings. Despite a big game last night from the Giants, I am still trusting the Tigers bats more in this series.
Tigers: 6 Giants: 4
Who Has The Better Bullpen?
This category is a tad more simpler to predict, even with the emergence of Phil Coke taking over the closer’s role for the Tigers.
The Giants’ bullpen has simply been better. At time during the regular season it was a major concern, but now, it’s a major strength. Armed with Tim Lincecum as the versatile swingman, Bruce Bochy can call upon several weapons to close the gap. Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez combined have pitched 11.2 scoreless innings. Sergio Romo has a save and has only given up one run over 7.2 innings, and Santiago Casilla has allowed just one run over 5.2 innings.
The only rough spots for the Giants has been Guillermo Mota and Jose Mijares, who have given up four and three runs, respectively.
As for the Tigers, Jose Valverde has surrendered seven runs in 2.1 innings, and was stripped of his closer’s duties in favor of Coke who has been a pleasant surprise for Jim Leyland.
This series predicts to be a starting pitching heavy type of series, but the bullpens will still play a major role. The Tigers just have too many question marks, especially with Coke’s lack of experience as a closer.
Tigers: 2 Giants: 8
Final Tally: Tigers 14 – Giants 16
(*The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com*)
Jake Dal Porto is a Baseball Writer with MLB reports and a student from the Bay Area. Jake’s favorite sports moment was when the Giants won the World Series back in 2010. He loves to use sabermetrics in his work. He thinks they are the best way to show a player’s real success compared to the basic stats such as ERA, RBIs, and Wins. Jake also enjoys interacting and debating with his readers. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @TheJakeMan24
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Detroit is One Game Away from the World Series
Wednesday October 17th, 2012
Sam Evans: In the first three games of a thrilling ALCS, Detroit showed its dominance over the New York Yankees. In fact, even though the Yankees still technically have a chance, World Series tickets at Comerica Park go on sale Wednesday morning… and Tigers fans should be ready to use them. Detroit has been led by the outstanding performances of Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, and Delmon Young. With Game Four coming up tonight, here’s a quick look at how Detroit has managed to win the first three games, what’s gone wrong with the Yankees, and what lies ahead for both of these teams. Read the rest of this entry
2012 ALCS Preview: Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees: Can the Yanks Survive the Loss of Jeter?
Sunday October 14th, 2012
Jake Dal Porto: The Yankees’ offense is limping into the series, while Detroit is riding Justin Verlander’s arm high. Both were expected to be in this position when the season began, but their journeys were vastly different.
Who will prevail in a series which won’t be lacking for ageless headlines and drama?
Starting Pitching Preview
The Tigers and Yankees each heavily rely on one guy on their respective rotations. And it’s quite clear who those two guys are. But just for reference, we’ll make it known. The Tigers ride Justin Verlander, while the Yankees put a lot of faith in their 33 year-old veteran left-hander, C.C. Sabathia. There’s that.
It’s clear that neither of these teams would be where they are without their two aces. Verlander carved up the A’s in Game 5 on the ALDS to punch Detroit’s ticket to the ALCS with a complete game shutout, and Sabathia sliced and diced the Orioles’ lineup in Game 5, allowing just one run en route to a complete game gem of his own. Think back to their 8th inning of Game 5 and how Sabathia escaped trouble. That is a true ace.
Therefore, guys other than Verlander and Sabathia will provide the separation. Realistically, it could be anyone at this point. Neither the Tigers or Yankees have a stellar number two that’s consistent. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: September 2012
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
Top Ten Stat of the Week: Active Saves Leaders in the MLB (A Closers Role)
Monday August.13/2012
Mariano Rivera holds the ALL-Time Record for any closer (active or retired) with 608 Saves. Will he come back in 2013 to add to his totals?
Chuck Booth: (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- To be a closer in today’s baseball game takes quite the mental fortitude. There is a lot of psychological warfare one could do to himself in preventing a successful run at saving games. While I am of the mindset that the relief pitchers of yesteryear seemed to be relied on more for lengthier durations, this does not diminish this stat in any way. It is hard to acquire the 90-100% save rate that most teams are striving for in a pitching staff. In any given seasons the average save opportunities average from 45-65 chances to lock a game down. A lot of this also depends on what team you play for. There have been several phenomenal stretches put forth by closers of the game in recent vintage. Who could forget Canadian born Erig Gagne? This man once saved 85 straight games from 2002-2004. He is the all-time leader in that category and beat out John Franco’s previous record by an astounding 30 games. Another incredible run was Brad Lidge‘s incredible 2008 season where he did not blow a save opportunity out of 48 games both in the regular season and playoffs.
Sure these guys don’t log 120 innings anymore, or throw for 3 inning saves like Rollie Fingers and Goose Gossage did for many years. By the way, we can all thank Tony La Russa for the invention of specialists pitchers (Rick Honeycutt, Jesse Orosco anyone?) and the one inning save closers. La Russa perfected this scenario with former starter Dennis Eckersley coming out of the pen for the Oakland A’s during their powerhouse days in the late 80′s. Eckersley was so dominant every team tried to duplicate their own bullpens to mock the A’s.
Before this time had come, relief pitchers were all mostly comprised of young pitchers trying to acclimatize themselves into the Major Leagues first, before earning a spot as a Starting Pitcher. For example, David Wells was once a relief pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays first and then was promoted to a starting pitcher after he proved he could pitch in the Major Leagues. In today’s baseball world, relief pitchers are now being drafted out of college and high school as relievers whereas they used to all come from the position of starting pitcher. It also used to be that relief pitchers were players that graduated to a starter and then could not find success as starters and were sent back to the bullpen once again to stay. When it came down to it, you had only a couple of chances to perform as a starter. Maybe it was because there were bigger than life characters like Gossage that make remember these pitchers in such favorable terms. Maybe it was because we never saw them interviewed on a social media platform like today’s athlete is and the mystery surrounded them made them more feared, or maybe it is because we tend to admire things more when they happened in the past. I still love the closers role in today’s game and nothing has more drama in a baseball game than trying to nail down the last 3 outs!
MLB Closer Report: Where Does Your Team Stand?
Sunday May 6, 2012
Bryan Sheehan (Baseball Writer): Seeing Mariano Rivera go down with a torn ACL is like driving by a car accident and reflecting on how easily it could have been you in that accident, or in this case- how it could have been your team’s closer cringing in pain on the warning track. And this is the year of the injured closer: from Boston’s Andrew Bailey to San Francisco’s Brian Wilson, closers across the league have been dropping like flies. Other closers, like the Angels’ Jordan Walden, have stayed healthy but haven’t played well enough to keep their coveted ninth inning role. Even though there has only been a month of baseball so far, much has changed for some clubs.
Today, I’ll be taking a look at every team’s closer situation, and breaking down how it got to be the way it is: Read the rest of this entry
The 2012 Tigers may Bring first WS Title Home to Detroit Since 1984
Monday, March.26/2012
Kirk Gibson celebrates with teammates during a 1984 World Series Game 1 homer, they won the series 4-1 over the San Diego Padres.
Douglas ‘Chuck’ Booth (Baseball Writer @ChuckBooth3024 on Twitter) - My dad and I were not always Yankees fans. In the past blogs I had written that my favorite teams when I first started watching baseball were the Montreal Expos(because of Gary Carter) and my American League team was the Detroit Tigers (because of Lance Parrish). As a 7-year-old kid playing baseball, our team name was the Tigers. I remember that as I took my position behind home plate, the coach called me Lance Parrish. My dad was the assistant coach that year and would whip baseball’s at me to toughen me up. I asked him too, because I wanted to learn how to block them like #13. Read the rest of this entry
