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Friday, May.17/2013

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

People in this Podcast:

Chuck Booth – (`15 Minutes In – 15 Minute Segment) Guest (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): 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’, Chuck Booth Follow @chuckbooth3024 does his regular segment this time about what’s been going on the MLB Reports website & talking about what to do with the DH position with Adam Dunn, Steve Pearce & Nolan Reimold In the AL.

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

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

Also I talk to Diamondbacks correspondent for MLB Reports & for Rant Sports (www.rantsports.com) Chris Lacey 45 Minutes In (10 Minute Segment) Follow @aecanada12 - as we talk about whats going on with the team.

We also see the return of Yankees correspondent & trade correspondent for MLB Reports Nicholas Rossoletti (1 Hour In – 45 minute Segment) Follow @nross56 as we talk about the importance of the WAR stat, sabermetrics, lack of trading & why buying free agents isn’t working for the Angels, Dodgers & Blue Jays!

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

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

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

Tags: moneyball, toronto blue jays, tampa bay rays, baltimore orioles, arizona diamondbacks, st louis cardinals, Atlanta Braves, oakland athletics, AL East, johan santana, phil hughes, vernon wells, don mattingly, travis hafner, mark buehrle, cc sabathia, ken griffey jr, alex rodriguez, matt kemp, seattle mariners, cleveland indians, derek jeter, fantasy baseball, joba chamberlain, hector noesi, new york mets, yankee stadium, nl west, pnc park, prince fielder, milwaukee brewers, carlos beltran, philadelphia phillies, melky cabrera, matt cain, clayton kershaw, david price, hanley ramirez, pittsburgh pirates, mariano rivera, robinson cano, AL West, san francisco giants, brian cashman, los angeles dodgers, andre ethier, tim lincecum, justin upton, troy tulowitzki, Sparky Anderson, kirk gibson, zack greinke, jose reyes, craig kimbrel, lyle overbay, andy pettitte, rickie weeks, fernando rodney, adrian gonzalez, at and t park, paul goldschmidt, kyle lohse, carlos gonzalez, jim johnson, rafael soriano, Luke Scott, lou gehrig, francisco liriano, matt carpenter, ja happ, Patrick Corbin, Bob Melvin, bucky dent, pete kozma, @Nross56 on twitter, Hyun-Jin Ryu, AL Cy Young Award Winner, fangraphs.com, @aecanada12 on twitter, @sullybaseball on twitter, NL Cy young award winner, Sully Baseball, @yankeeman1973 on twitter, @MLBreports on twitter, Bobby Parnell, The Benchwarmers Show, angel hernandez, jordany valdespin, Los Angels Angels, John Sterling, MLB Reports Podcast Network, www.rantsports.com, Stump Merrill, 1995 ALDS, 2011 NLDS, A.J. Hinch, baseballreference.com, Hyung-jin Ryu

Triple Play Podcast Ep #8 – Bucs And Nats Time In The Around The Horn Feature

May 13

Posted by cleitch21

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Monday, May 13th, 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

Guests in this Podcast – MLB Reports Nationals Correspondent David Huzzard of Citizensofnatstown.com ( Follow @bigticketshow and MLB Reports Pirates Correspondent Brad Cuprik
Follow @bradcuprik

On a Mother’s day edition of the triple play podcast we heed the advice of our mother’s and turn the lemon of our original guest being unable to join us into the lemonade of Bard Cuprik of mlbreports.com (Check out his latest Roster Tree piece – where he goes through the 6 degrees of separation of a how each pitcher arrived in a Bucs uniform here ) – and David Huzzard of the Citizens of Natstown podcast (and Writer) dissects the pitching and the Nationals start to the 2013 Season. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Podcast Network, Triple Play Podcast

Tags: 1979 world series, 2012 NLDS, @bigticketshow on twitter, @bradcuprik on twitter, @davidhuzzard on twitter, a.j. burnett, AL East, Andrew McCutchen, andy van slyke, angel hernandez, anthony rizzo, Atlanta Braves, barry bonds, barry zito, baseball hall of fame, Bill Mazeroski, bobby bonilla, brad cuprik, brett lawrie, cc sabathia, chad jenkins, chad tracy, chicago cubs, chris leitch, cincinnati reds, cliff lee, clint barmes, clint hurdle, Connie Mack, cy young, davey johnson, David Huzzard, denard span, derrek lee, dioner navarro, dontrelle willis, Doug Drabek, drew storen, edwin encarnacion, emilio bonifacio, felix hernandez, francisco liriano, Gary Perez, gio gonzalez, Homestead Grays, honus wagner, j.a. happ, jim joyce, joba chamberlain, joe girardi, John Candeleria, jordan zimmermann, jose bautista, jose reyes, josh gibson, josh johnson, Lloyd Waner, mariano rivera, matt cain, montreal expos, neil huntington, neil walker, new york mets, new york yankees, NL east, nyjer morgan, patrick beaulieu, Paul Waner, pedro alvarez, pie traynor, pittsburgh pirates, pnc park, r.a. dickey, rafael soriano, ralph kiner, rick rueschel, ricky romero, roberto clemente, ross detwiler, ryan zimmerman, Sam Khalifa, san francisco giants, seattle mariners, Shirley Povich, st louis cardinals, starling marte, stephen strasburg, steve lombardozzi, Steve McCaddy, tim lincecum, Tommy John Surgery, toronto blue jays, travis hafner, triple play podcast, vernon wells, walter johnson, wandy rodriguez, washington, Washington Generals, washington nationals, Washington Post, willie stargell, www.bethubb.com, www.citizensofnatstown.com

MLB Monthly Power Rankings May 2013 (Podcast Version)

May 5

Posted by cleitch21

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Sunday, 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 →

Posted in MLB Podcast Network, The Rest: Everything Baseball, Triple Play Podcast

Tags: a.j. burnett, a.j. pierzynski, a.j. pollock, aaron hill, adam dunn, adam laroche, adam wainwright, adrian beltre, al central, AL East, AL West, alex ríos, Alexi Ogando, American league, andy pettitte, anibal sanchez, anthony rizzo, asdrubal cabrera, Atlanta Braves, austin jackson, b.j. upton, baltimore orioles, barry zito, bartolo colon, billy beane, billy butler, boston red sox, brandon maurer, brandon moss, brandon phillips, Brian McCann, brian wilson, bruce bochy, bryce harper, buster posey, carl crawford, Carlos Marmol, carlos quentin, casey kotchman, cc sabathia, chase field, chase headley, chase utley, chicago cubs, chicago white sox, chris archer, chris carter, chris denorfia, chris johnson, chris nelson, cincinnati reds, Cito gaston, clay buchholz, clayton kershaw, cleveland indians, cliff lee, cole hamels, collin cowgill, colorado rockies, Coors Field, danny hultzen, dave dombrowski, dave kingman, david ortiz, david price, david wright, detroit tigers, didi gregorius, don mattingly, Drew Smyly, dusty baker, dylan bundy, edwin encarnacion, eric hosmer, ervin santana, everth cabrera, felix hernandez, Fernando Martinez, freddie freeman, garrett jones, George Kontos, gerardo parra, giancarlo stanton, hanley ramirez, hiroki kuroda, hisashi iwakuma, houston astros, huston street, ian kinsler, jacoby ellsbury, james loney, james paxton, james shields, jarrod parker, jason giambi, jason grilli, jason heyward, jed lowrie, jeff francis, jeff francoeur, jeff samardzija, Jeremy guthrie, jerry dipoto, joel hanrahan, joey votto, john farrell, john gibbons, johnny damon, jon lester, jorge de la rosa, jose altuve, jose bautista, jose fernandez, jose reyes, jose valverde, josh beckett, josh hamilton, josh rutledge, Juan Francisco, jurickson profar, justin upton, justin verlander, kansas city royals, kevin slowey, kyle blanks, kyle lohse, kyle seager, la angels, la dodgers, lance berkman, lorenzo cain, lucas duda, luke gregerson, lyle overbay, mariano rivera, mark reynolds, mark trumbo, Matt Adams, matt cain, matt harvey, matt moore, max scherzer, miami marlins, Michael Saunders, michael wacha, miguel cabrera, mike aviles, Mike Morse, mike moustakas, mike napoli, mike scioscia, milwaukee brewers, minnesota twins, national league, new york mets, new york yankees, NL Central, NL east, nl west, nolan arenado, Nolan Reimold, oakland athletics, oscar taveras, ozzie guillen, pablo sandoval, paul goldschmidt, paul konerko, peter bourjos, phil hughes, philadelphia phillies, pittsburgh pirates, pnc park, rafael soriano, randy winn, rick porcello, ricky nolasco, roy halladay, ryan braun, ryan howard, ryan vogelsong, ryan zimmerman, seattle mariners, sergio romo, shelby miller, shin-soo choo, Sid Bream, st louis cardinals, stan musial, starling marte, taijuan walker, tampa bay rays, Terry Pendleton, texas rangers, tim lincecum, tom wilhelmsen, tony cingrani, Torii Hunter, toronto blue jays, travis hafner, trevor hoffman, troy tulowitzki, ubaldo jimenez, vernon wells, washington nationals, wil myers, will venable, yasmani grandal, yoenis cespedes, yonder alonso, yovani gallardo, yu darvish, Yuniesky Betancourt, zack greinke, zack wheeler

Game 1 Recap Of The Nats Big Opening Day Win – A Glimpse Of Things To Come

Apr 2

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Tuesday, Apr.02/2013

Just as impressive as Harper taking on higher expectation in 2013 is Stephen Strasburg being unleashed on the world for a full season for the first time and starting off with an 80 pitch performance of seven shutout innings.Strasburg didn't even have his best command falling behind 1-0 on 13 of the 23 batters he faced. Strasburg finished the day with only three Strikeouts and no walks giving up only three hits, but this wasn't the dominate swing and miss Strasburg.

Just as impressive as Harper 2 HRs yesterdayn- was Strasburg’s being unleashed on the world for a full season. His start featured an 80 pitch performance over 7 shutout IP. Strasburg didn’t even have his best command – falling behind 1-0 on 13 of the 23 batters he faced. He finished the day with only three Strikeouts, but no walks and giving up only 3 hits.

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

Seeing Stephen Strasburg picked to win the Cy Young should come as no surprise to anyone. He did finish 2012 tied with Gio Gonzalez for the best FIP in the majors at 2.82 – and led all starters with a staggering 11.13 K/9. There are arguments that can be made that when Stephen Strasburg is firing on all cylinders - he is the best pitcher in the NL and among the best on the planet.

The same argument cannot be made for Bryce Harper as an Outfielder. Based on stats last year, he finished seventh in the NL in fWAR and tied for eighth in wOBA with Jay Bruce and Garrett Jones.

No one is picking Jay Bruce or Garrett Jones for their MVP. In all of the NL Bryce Harper‘s .352 wOBA ranked sixteenth.

Bryce Harper 2 HR Performance On Opening Day – MLB Reports does not own anything from this video:

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

Tags: 2012 NL Rookie of the Year Winner, @davidhuzzard on twitter, bryce harper, buster posey, casey kotchman, citizens of natstown, citizens of natstown the book, davey johnson, David Huzzard, drew storen, giancarlo stanton, gio gonzalez, jay bruce, joey votto, juan pierre, matt kemp, miami marlins, nationals opening day, nationals park, nl cy young contenders, NL east, rafael soriano, rob brantly, ryan braun, stephen strasburg, tyler clippard, washington nationals

The Washington Nationals Roster for 2013: State Of The Union Updated Mar.7/2013

Mar 7

Posted by kdana2012

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Thursday March 7, 2013

The Nationals are one of 2 teams in the MLB (The Mariners is the other) that have never made a World Series Appearance. Will this change in the Year 2013?

By Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Writer): Follow @RyanDana1.

It’s clear that the Washington Nationals have turned the corner as a franchise on the rise. Their most recent high included a 2012 campaign that had them winning 98 games in the regular season, good for the most in the majors, but ended with heartbreak in a game 5 loss in the NLDS at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals. Moving forward to 2013, the Nationals will certainly hope to make it deeper into the playoffs, but it will be easier said than done. The Nationals have shown patience in the past, but have made some aggressive moves this off-season.

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

Tags: adam laroche, angels, anthony rendon, blue jays, brian goodwin, Chris marrero, christian garcia, craig stammen, dan haren, danny espinosa, denard span, Destin Hood, Eury Perez, gio gonzalez, ian desmond, jayson werth, jordan zimmerman, kurt suzuki, miami marlins, nationals roster 2013, new york mets, NL east, nlds, philadelphia phillies, rafael soriano, ross detwiler, ryan mattheus, ryan zimmerman, sandy leon, sean burnett, st louis cardinals, stephen lombardozzi, travis d'arnaud, tyler clippard, washington nationals, Wilson Ramos

New York Yankees Payroll In 2013 And Contracts Going Fwd Updated Mar.4/2013

Mar 4

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Monday, March.04/2013

You are looking at the #1 and #2 Hits Leaders of ALL-Time for Active Professional Hitters in the World. Having them hit 1-2 in the lineup only makes sense. You might as well have them both retire at the same timeJeter is signed for one more year at 17 Million Dollars plus a player option ($8 MIL) for 2014. The Yankees signed Ichiro to a 2 year deal worth $13 MIL this past winter.

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

I am not like a lot of people thinking that there should be a full-scale blow-up of the Yankees current roster this year (past that I am acknowledging this will happen.) They are old and 2013 will not make them younger. However, there are some small tweaks that the team could do in order to make the payroll make sense. 1st priority was to sign Ichiro Suzuki.

The Japanese Superstar was not and Yankees obliged to let him play RF in New York. Adios to outgoing Nick Swisher. He was much too pricey and Yankee fans have to be sick at his lack of production in his playoff career. Swisher commanded a nice 4 or 5 year deal in the 56 – 70 Million Dollar Range from the Indians - and was not a fit into the Yankees current payroll structure.

The Yankees were initially looking to spend just a little over 178 Million Dollars in 2013, but that didn’t happen. At a 40% penalty (for every dollar spent over the 178 Million Mark) for abusing the Luxury Tax Threshold, the team will need to have made financial considerations in moving forward each time they sign another new player. Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano are on the last year of their contracts. Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and A-Rod still have multiple years left in their contracts.

I would immediately move Alex Rodriguez to a permanent DH (when he returns to the lineup) - and play Kevin Youkilis at 3B for all of 2013.

To the Readers on our Payroll Breakdowns: Keep in mind these are all just estimates as we are all not forensic payroll accountants. For a better look at how Payrolls work in the MLB please check out this article here.

Derek Jeter Highlights:

Posted in MLB Payroll and Contracts, The Rest: Everything Baseball

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Tags: 2013 Yankee Payroll, a, alex rodriguez, andruw jones, andy pettitte, anibal sanchez, b.j. upton, boone logan, brian cashman, casey mcehee, cc sabathia, cesar cabrel, chris stewart, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, clay rapada, cody ross, curtis granderson, dave robertson, david phelps, dellin betances, derek jeter, derek lowe, eduardo nunez, eric chavez, freddy garcia, Hal steinbrenner, ichiro suzuki, ivan nova, j. burnett, jonathan broxton, juan pierre, justin thomas, kevin youkilis, mariano rivera, mark teixeira, matt garza, michael bourn, michael pineda, new york yankees, nick swisher, pedro feliciano, phil hughes, rafael soriano, raul ibanez, reed johnson, robinson cano, russell martin, ryan madson, travis hafner, twitter @chuckbooth3024

The New York Yankees Hitting Roster In 2013: State Of The Union Part 1

Feb 13

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Wednesday, February.13, 2013

The Yankees have 27 World Series Titles and 13 Losses in the Fall Classic since 1921. That is 40 Appearances in 91 years. They have had the highest payroll team in MLB for the Majority of that span. As of 2013, they will not be able to claim that stake anymore. Will they still make the playoffs for the 18th time in 19 years?

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

The Yankees had a precarious winter after failing miserably in the ALCS, (AKA the last time the country saw them play on Television) – when the team was decimated by the Detroit Tigers in a sweep. So what has happened since? A lot of status quo: Re-signing Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Ichiro Suzuki and Hiroki Kuroda, while saying good-bye to Raul Ibanez (SEA), Andruw Jones (FA), Nick Swisher (CLE), Eric Chavez (ARI), Russell Martin (PIT), Derek Lowe (FA), Steve Pearce (BAL), Casey McGehee (FA), Freddy Garcia (FA) and Rafael Soriano (WSH). All they really added back was former arch-nemesis Kevin Youkilis (CWS) and Travis Hafner (CLE). The team is sitting around 215 Million Dollars at Payroll right now, yet they have are heading into the 2013 campaign with Catchers that are of limited experience.

For the first time in years, the club will need to see some internal progress from their farm system to help the big club. With A-ROD out with his hip injury, plus the Miami fiasco, can you really count on the prima-donna to play at all this season? Derek Jeter is coming off a brutal ankle injury that occurred in the aforementioned Post Season Series vs the Tigers . The club is also hoping that ‘MO’ Rivera can find it within himself to make it through another year as a 43 Year Old. Just like The ALL-Time Saves Leader, this team is aging fast. Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson are Free Agents after 2013 is over. Brian Cashman is also going to take advantage of the reset option f the Luxury Tax loophole in 2014.

This means that when the Luxury Tax goes from 178 Million to 189 Million next year, that the club can stop paying its 40% annual penalty if they can get under for just one season. The Yankees will be sure to blow up the Payroll from 2015 and beyond that, it is just to not start the new luxury lax at the maximum penalty. Had the Luxury Tax not moved from its current spot, the Yankees would always pay the 40% penalty (even if they decided to skip one year).

Yankees Highlights 2012: Mature Lyrics So Parental Guidance is Advised:

Posted in MLB Payroll and Contracts, The Rest: Everything Baseball

Tags: 2009 World Series, 2012 ALCS, 2013 Yankee Payroll, 25 man roster New York Yankees, 40 Man Roster Yankees, a, al mvp, AL Silver Slugger Award Winners, alex rodriguez, all time hits list, all-time home run list, andruw jones, andy pettitte, austine romine, boston red sox, brian cashman, casey mcehee, chicago white sox, chris stewart, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, cleveland indians, curtis granderson, dave robertson, dellin betances, derek jeter, derek lowe, detroit tigers, eddie collins, eduardo nunez, eric chavez, francisco cervelli, freddy garcia, Gold Glove Award Winner AL, Hal steinbrenner, hiroki kuroda, ichiro suzuki, john buck, johnny damon, jonathan broxton, juan pierre, kevin youkilis, kurt suzuki, mariano rivera, mark teixeira, new york yankees, nick swisher, paul molitor, phil hughes, rafael soriano, raul ibanez, robinson cano, russell martin, ryan madson, seattle mariners, stan musial, steve pearce, thurman munson, travis hafner, twitter @chuckbooth3024, Wilson Ramos

The Tampa Bay Rays: The Pitchers 1998-2012: Part 3 Of A 5 Part Article Series

Dec 28

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Friday, December.28, 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.

James Shields ALL-Time so far. David Price may not take very long to surpass all of is Franchise Records James Shields has been the teams best chucker of ALL-Time so far. David Price may not take very long to surpass all of his Franchise Records with Shields heading to KC now

James Shields enjoys most of the Teams ALL-Time Pitching Records so far. David Price may not take very long to surpass all of his Franchise Records with Shields heading to KC now.

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

The Rays had several lean years of pitching before a starter really made his mark. Out of the gate, Roberto Hernandez had helped the team with closing at least. In the early years, the best pitching was done by Rolando Arrojo, followed by Victor Zambrano, before he was traded for Scott Kazmir. The Mets/Rays trade was the foundation for the pitching staff finally evolving. Soon James Shields was up with the big club. In 2008, the teams 5 starters towed the hill for all season in what would be an eventual World Series Birth. Newly acquired Matt Garza, joined Shields, Kazmir, Edwin Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine for double-digit wins and winning records.

David Price was next to join the staff in 2009 and he has not looked back since. Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis, Jeremy Hellickson and Matt Moore joined the pitching staff in the next few years after that. The stable of bullpen relievers keeps coming and going. J.P. Howell has been the biggest mainstay there. Even with departing starters of Davis and (the Franchise Leader in several pitching categories) Shields, the team is not bare at the kitchen cupboard. The Rays finished 1st in Team Pitching ERA last year for all of the MLB. The next closest team in the AL was the Oakland – at almost a third of a run more.

The Rays have been blessed with some great years recently out of lower salaried closers. Whether it was Troy Percival, Kyle Farnsworth, Rafael Soriano or Fernando Rodney, Andrew Friedman has had a knack for gluing together a bullpen on a shoestring budget. With David Price winning the Cy Young Award in 2012, the best pitching may be yet to come for the AL East Team. Honorable Mentions went to these players, but they were not the same caliber as everyone else: Esteban Yan, Andy Sonnanstine, Kyle Farnsworth SP/RP Rick White RP Lance Cormier and RP Jim Mecir.

Scroll Down past the Franchise Links for the Pitchers or click on the Read The Rest Of This Entry Icon just past the Video Clip.

Franchise Series Links:

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

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

2013 Team Payroll Part 4 of 5: Tampa Bay Rays Payroll 2013 And Contracts Going Forward: Updated for Myers Trade Dec.11/2012

Tropicana Field Expert Part 5 of 5: An Interview with Tropicana Field Expert Kurt Smith

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball, MLB Historical Series

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Tags: American league, tampa bay rays, boston red sox, cy young, tampa bay devil rays, scott kazmir, AL East, texas rangers, danys baez, roy halladay, philadelphia phillies, kansas city royals, matt garza, james shields, david price, matt moore, jeremy hellickson, wade davis, grant balfour, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, delmon young, fernando rodney, rafael soriano, wil myers, Al rookie of the year, jeff niemann, troy percival, twitter @chuckbooth3024, kyle farnsworth, andrew friedman, ALCS MVP, j, 2008 world series', esteban yan, jim mecir, rolando arrojo, roberto hernandez, victor zambrano, Gold Glove Award, tampa bay payrolls, tampa bay ALL-Time Franchise Leaders, ALCS Comeback Player of the year, p. howell, rick white, lancer cormer, jim morris, ALL-Star Appearances Rays, dennis quaid, the movie "The Rookie"

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

Dec 20

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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

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Detroit is One Game Away from the World Series

Oct 17

Posted by samevans87

Wednesday October 17^th, 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 →

Posted in Playoffs

Tags: alcs, alex rodriguez, baseball, c.c. sabathia, delmon young, derek jeter, detroit tigers, doug fister, Jim Leyland, joe girardi, jose valverde, justin verlander, miguel cabrera, mlb, new york yankees, nick swisher, phil coke, prince fielder, rafael soriano, raul ibanez, robinson cano, world series

2012 ALCS Preview: Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees: Can the Yanks Survive the Loss of Jeter?

Oct 14

Posted by Jake Dal Porto

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 →

Posted in Playoffs

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2012 Top Ten MLB Saves Leaders

Oct 8

Posted by samevans87

Monday October 8th, 2012

Sam Evans: With the 2012 regular season completed, bullpens will become even more important during the postseason. Closers in particular will be under more pressure than usual during these next few weeks. Before these pitchers make a name for themselves in the postseason, let’s admire what the top closers in baseball did during the 2012 regular season. Some closers helped many fantasy teams, and their real-life teams, by their outstanding performances in the ninth inning. Here is a look at the top ten closers in baseball this past year in terms of saves:

Tags: 2012 saves leaders, aroldis chapman, baseball, chris perez, closers, craig kimbrel, jason motte, jim honson, jim johnson, joe nathan, joel hanrahan, mlb, rafael soriano, saves, saves 2012, top closers fantasy

Your Saves Savior: The Closing Strategy for Your 2013 Fantasy Baseball Team

Sep 18

Posted by pwstein87

Tuesday September 18, 2012

Peter Stein: Follow @peterwstein

The following stat is the most telling about the roles of closers from a fantasy baseball perspective: 47 players have recorded 5 or more saves and a total of 61 have record 3 or more in 2012. The dispersion of saves throughout baseball reaffirm the old fantasy adage to never overpay for saves, demonstrating just how volatile the closing position is… and the difficulty of predicting saves.

A look at the top-five save leaders tells us even more:

Fernando Rodney (0.66 ERA, 0.78 WHIP 43 saves)

Jim Johnson (2.82 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 43 saves)

Rafael Soriano (2.07 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 40 saves)

Chris Perez (3.48 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 36 saves)

Craig Kimbrel (1.14 ERA, .0.67 WHIP, 36 saves) Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Players: Fantasy Baseball Articles

Tags: addison reed, aroldis chapman, baseball, brian wilson, Casey Janssen, chris perez, closer, craig kimbrel, fantasy baseball, fernando rodney, greg holland, huston street, jim johnson, mariano rivera, matt capps, mlb, mlb reports, peter stein, rafael soriano, santiago casilla, saves, sergio santos, tom wilhelmsen, tyler clippard

MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: August 2012

Aug 6

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Monday August.6/2012

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

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

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Top MLB Saves Leaders At the All-Star Break

Jul 8

Posted by Bryan Sheehan

Sunday July 8, 2012

Bryan Sheehan (MLB Writer): The All-Star Break is now upon us, so now is a good time to start looking at stats for the first half of the season. One of the most important statistics in the game of baseball is the “save,” and the mammoth contracts that relievers are signed to every year in free agency are proof that teams are hungry for a strong closer capable of providing saves. In fact, a third of the league’s closers are making at least $4.5 million in 2012, while eight are raking it at least $7 million. This does not include the huge salaries of Ryan Madson ($8.5 million), Mariano Rivera ($15 million), Brian Wilson ($8.5 million) or any other that may have been injured or otherwise removed from their role as closer. But salary does not always equal success: six of the top eleven saves leaders are earning less than $2.75 million (keep in mind that the MLB average is just about $3 million). This top eleven, all of whom have recorded 19 saves or more, is not as predictable as you might think: Heath Bell of the Marlins serves as a surprise member of the list while his NL East counterpart Jonathan Papelbon, while more consistent in terms of ERA and opportunities converted, falls just shy. So who else is on the list? You’ll have to read on to find out. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

Tags: alfredo aceves, baseball, chris perez, closer, craig kimbrel, fernando rodney, heath bell, jason motte, jim johnson, joel hanrahan, jonathan broxton, mlb, rafael soriano, santiago casilla, saves

MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: July 2012

Jul 4

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Wednesday July.4, 2012

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

Standings taken before play Tuesday July.03/2012

July Power Rankings-Last Month Rank in Parenthesis

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

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

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

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

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

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The New York Yankees Are Getting Old

May 10

Posted by baseballaddicts13

Thursday May 10, 2012

Ryan Ritchey: The beloved New York Yankees that everyone knows are getting older and starting to not make that much of an impact. One of the many has already retired, Jorge Posada. Posada ran the team from behind the dish for 15 years and did a very good job at what he did. The Yankees didn’t ask him to be an offensive power (although he certainly had a strong bat for a catcher). Posada was told to focus on his defense and he did just that. It wasn’t that he didn’t hit the ball that great, it was just defense came first for him. Calling games from behind the plate isn’t easy, especially in front of the whole city of New York. Posada had a lot of pressure on him calling the games in 5 World Series Championships. With Posada ending his career: Jeter, Rivera, and A-Rod are not far behind.

As everyone in the baseball world should know by now, Mariano Rivera has a torn ACL and will be out for the rest of the 2012 season. While going in for a check up something else was found. Rivera has a blood clot in his left calf. Rivera was put on a blood thinner and everything should be back to normal soon with that. As soon as the injury occurred he came out and said he was not finished, that he wouldn’t go out like that. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

Tags: a-rod, AL East, baseball, bobby valentine, david robertson, derek jeter, joe girardi, jorge posada, mariano rivera, matt joyce, mlb, new york yankees, rafael soriano, yankees

Mariano Rivera’s Injury: What Does it Mean to You?

May 10

Posted by blandy12

Follow @mlbreports

Thursday May 10th, 2012

Rob Bland: Last week, there was a bit of a disruption in the baseball world. At first, I saw on Twitter as a few beat writers reported that Mariano Rivera fell to the ground during batting practice before a game against the Kansas City Royals. They said it looked bad, and that three guys carried him to a stretcher to get carted off the field. It seemed like the entire Yankees fan base collectively held their breath while awaiting news of their closer’s future.

Rivera had an MRI during the game on Thursday May 3rd, where it was discovered that he had torn his ACL in the freak accident.

I will admit that I am not a Yankees fan. I am a fan of a team with far less championships and a smaller fan base in the same division as the mighty Yankees. But reality is that the most storied franchise in all of baseball, and probably all of sport, lost one of their true greats. A sad moment for any fan of the game. However, the good news is that even at 42 years old, Rivera has vowed that he would pitch again in 2013 after surgery and a grueling rehabilitation process. Mo will return. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

Tags: acl, baseball, closer, cut fastball, cutter, david robertson, mariano rivera, mlb, new york yankees, rafael soriano, saves

MLB reports Monthly Power Rankings: May 2012

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…)

Posted on May 8, 2012 | Image

MLB Closer Report: Where Does Your Team Stand?

May 6

Posted by Bryan Sheehan