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Sked is here: fastestthirtyballgames3021.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/30in20/

The Streak ended at 30 MLB Parks in 23 calendar days!!

I broke my old record of 24 days by being-Fastest to see all 30 MLB parks in 23 days from April 6th to 28th!

Follow me-@chuckbooth3024 on twitter

http://mlbreports.com/gwr-tracker/ or at my official website for all updates!

Wednesday May.2/2012

Chuck Booth and Anthony Salter Prior to game #22 in Detroit. Anthony has been to a game with Chuck for every one of his streak quests.

MLB Park # 22 Day # 17

TEX @ DET

April.22/2012

Comerica Park

Douglas ‘Chuck’ Booth (Baseball Writer)-The passenger exchange was made at 4:30 AM near the Forrest Lawn Oasis. I jumped from the car that Ken Lee was in to Bob Devries rental car. We were on our way to Comerica Park via Highway 94. Through the course of the drive, Bob and I realized we know everything there is to know about rental cars. I rent cars for 365 days a year and Bob rents cars every weekend. It is not often people can relate to all of my car rental stories. I haven’t even owned a car since 2009. If the market was ever to drastically change I would be out of a job and a car. The day was going to be sunny from our drive in. After arriving into town early we headed towards HockeyTown and Cheli’s. We then moved onwards to a Bar Called ‘Bookies’ off of Elizabeth Street. This bar was ideal because it was where we parked for $5.

I had a BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich with curly fries inside the Sandwich. It was tasty and hit the spot. Bob had the local IPA Beer. About an hour later we met up with the Salter Family (Joe, Dianne, Anthony, Jake and Robert). These guys have been part of every one of my streaks. I met them 1^st in 2008 at PNC Park when I almost broke the World Record the first time around. In 2009, the Salter’s were there with me front and center when MLB Park #30 was completed at Comerica. I call these guys my good luck ‘surrogate’ baseball family. I was happy that Bob was there to meet them as well. We all took pictures and headed up to our seats. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: Air Tran Airways, albert pujols, angels, Anthony Salter, Best Western Hotel, bj upton, bob devries, Bookies, California, Chuck Booth, david price, desmond jennings, fishermans wharf, Flint Michigan, florida, jack cust, jake peavey, Kenneth A. Lee, National Car Rental, o.co coliseum, oakland, pier 39, rangers, san franciso, Tampa Bay ray, the fastest 30 ballgames, tigers, tropicana fierld, whitesox, yeonis cespedes

The First Five Games of The Streak

Apr 10

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Tuesday April.10/2012

Douglas “Chuck” Booth at Citi April 9th

Douglas Chuck Booth (Baseball Writer)- Well, I finally get a chance to breathe for one second. Too bad it was at the expense of the events that transpired yesterday. Contrary to popular belief, this world record streak is not a walk in the park. Traveling is a hard thing to do at the best of times. I will break down the trip synopsis game by game. I am breaking down the travel games at Parks day by day. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: albert pujols, alex gordon, Amtrak, andre ethier, Angel Stadium, bobby abreu. vernon wells, brett myers, bryce harper, chase field, Chuck Booth, citi field, cole hamels, colorado rockies, daniel murphy, david wright, dfw, eric hosmer, Greyhound, Houston, iah, johan santana, jose altuve, kirk nieuwenhuis, LAX, Lori Martini, Los Angeles, luke hochevar, marlins, matt kemp, mets, mike moustakas, mike pelfrey, minute maid park, morgan ensberg, National Car Rental, nationals, new York, omar infante, petco park, philadelphia, phillies, Phoenix, phx, rangers, raul ibanez, stephen strasburg, Steve Fekete, texas, The Ball park in Arlingotn, the fastest 30 ballgames, todd helton, Torii Hunter, united airlines

So the Season Opener Was sold Out- What about Game #2?

Apr 6

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Friday Apr.6/2012

(From a Greyhound Bus Ride from New York City to Boston)

Douglas “Chuck” Booth (Baseball Writer- and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)-Having just finished watching the New York Mets be victorious 1-0 over the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field in their season opener, it has me now thinking, what is the attendance going to be for Game # 2? Despite reports that the game was sold out, there were many empty seats out there. This is a problem for a lot of teams in the Majors, but it is becoming a problem to even big market teams like the Mets. A dwindling team payroll, with devastating and unfortunate injuries have not been aided by the Wilpon’s financial status either in New York. If Johan Santana can recapture any likeness to his old self, the Mets actually might be okay this year. (Kind of like when the construction workers in the movie ‘Major League’ don’t think that the team is that bad.) Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: angels, baltimore orioles, barry bonds, boston, cal ripken jr, Chuck Booth, citi field, fastest 30 ballgames, johan santana, Kansas city, kauffman stadium, Lori Martini, major league the movie, new York, oriole park at camden yards, pittsburgh, pnc park, rangers, Sid Bream, tigers, yankees

Daniel Bard: Future Red Sox Ace?

Thursday March 15, 2012

Rob Bland (Baseball Writer): With most of Red Sox Nation knowing that big time closer Jonathan Papelbon would be leaving the team via free agency after the 2011 season, many thought that it would be a seamless transition to throw Daniel Bard into the mix as the closer for the foreseeable future. However, new Red Sox GM Ben Cherington surprised many when he announced that Bard would be stretched out as a starter in the spring.

Now, it’s not the first time a good reliever has been turned into a starter, and many of them have turned into useful starters. C.J. Wilson is just one of these successful conversions, having been the Texas Rangers’ closer from 2007-2009, then shifting into the rotation for 2010 and 2011. Wilson earned 46 saves in those 3 seasons, and after his move to the rotation, he went 31-15 and accumulated 10.5 WAR, putting him in the upper echelon of starters.

This year, another closer for the Rangers will be shifting to the rotation in Neftali Feliz. Many believe that he will struggle. But if C.J. Wilson, who was a decent reliever can do it, why not Feliz? Why not Bard?

Bard has an electric fastball, averaging over 97 mph over his MLB career. He also has a solid slider that sits around 84 mph. Bard has induced ground balls at an extremely high rate; 48.6% over 197 IP. Bard has lowered his walk rate, as well as HR/FB while maintaining an extremely low BABIP over the last two seasons, .215 and .224, respectively.

Bard hasn’t started a game since 2007 when he was in single-A ball. He threw 75 innings of 7.08 ERA, striking out 47 and walking 78. Obviously a lot of those control issues are behind him, as evidenced by his shrinking BB/9; 4.01, 3.62, and 2.96 in 2009, 2010, and 2011, respectively. Bard has been able to get guys out with a fastball that touches 100 mph, and a plus slider. The problem here is that he only ever threw one inning at a time, and thus rarely needed a third pitch. According to brooksbaseball.net, in 2011, Bard threw his change-up 83 times, which is only 7.5% of all his pitches, in contrast to 64% on his fastball, and 25% on his slider. He also threw 46 sinkers, around 4.1%.

In such a small sample size of changeups, one should definitely not get too excited over the results. However, in 2011, Bard fared pretty well with his change-up. He was able to induce swings on 48.19% of his changeups, and 25% of those were swing-and-misses. His changeup was put in play 23% of the time, and had a ground ball rate of 63%.

In no way does this mean it is a good changeup. However, it does seem promising. It is also possible that Bard just throws them at the most opportune time, and delivers when necessary. It could also mean that he is incredibly lucky.

With Bard having to throw 6+ innings every 5^th day, how will his arm hold up moving to the rotation? Most relievers have a limit in their first years starting as to how many innings they will throw.

Brandon Morrow was moved to the rotation full time when he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays, and was shut down after 146 innings in 2010, and threw only 179 innings in 2011. This year, there will be no limitations on the hard throwing righty, whose profile closely fits that of Bard. Morrow can get his fastball in the upper 90s as well as having a devastating slider. His success has been only moderate due to mediocre offerings in his curve ball and changeup.

Bard’s development as a starter rests mostly on the development of his changeup. If he is able to use it more often and maintain success with it, he could be a solid starter this year and going forward. The other extremely important thing to look at is whether new manager Bobby Valentine will limit his innings, or let him go for the full season, as the Rangers did with Wilson in 2010 (204 IP).

I see Bard throwing somewhere around 170 innings this year, and performing fairly well, getting acclimated to throwing every 5^th day. His changeup is developing, and if he harnesses it, he could be a deadly addition to a rotation that includes Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and Clay Buchholz.

***Today’s feature was prepared by Baseball Writer, Rob Bland. We highly encourage you to leave your comments and feedback at the bottom of the page and share in the discussion with our readers. You can also follow Rob on Twitter.***

Please e-mail us at: mlbreports@me.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. To subscribe to our website and have the daily Reports sent directly to your inbox , click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.

Yu Better Believe It: Darvish to the Rangers

Jan 19

Posted by samevans87

Thursday January 19th, 2012

Sam Evans: Last night, the Texas Rangers finally agreed to a contract with Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish. The Rangers, who won the bidding to exclusively negotiate with Darvish last month, are acquiring a talented young starting pitcher. They definitely didn’t pay a small price for Darvish. We shall see if it was a worthy investment in the years to come.

Yesterday was the last day of bartering between the two sides. If Darvish and the Rangers could not come to terms on a contract, then Darvish would have pitched in Japan for the upcoming year. Luckily, they came to an agreement and we will see Darvish in the major leagues this year.

After the Rangers paid $51.7 million to negotiate with Darvish, it became clear that Darvish wasn’t going to come cheap. Darvish signed a 6-year, $60 million contract, making him the fourth highest paid player on the Rangers. In total, the Rangers are paying over $110 million for Darvish. On the other hand, C.J. Wilson who showed a desire to stay in Texas, wasn’t offered a contract. He ended up signing with the Angels for 5-years, $77.5 million.

One thing Yu Darvish has shown in Japan is the ability to carry a heavy workload. Darvish has pitched over two hundred innings in Japan every year for the last five years. Unlike other aspects of the game, an inning in Japan is the exact same thing as an inning in the majors. Conversely, I’m worried about the quality of hitters Darvish will be facing in North American. Japanese professional baseball is often compared to Triple-A. Both are considered to be leagues with hitters who don’t rely as much on scouting reports and can be overwhelmed with a fastball. In the majors, Darvish is going to have to deal with advanced scouting watching every game he pitches, and then analyzing and finding a way for opposing hitters to beat Darvish.

In my opinion, it’s crazy that the Rangers are paying this much for a player who has never even pitched in the minor leagues. This is a huge risk that the Rangers have shown that they’re willing to take. Personally, I would rather have C.J. Wilson for thirty million dollars less. Darvish should be a successful pitcher in the major leagues. His awesome array of pitches will likely baffle Major League hitters this year. Not to mention, the shuuto he throws will be something that most MLB hitters have never seen. Nevertheless, the Rangers are paying Darvish thirty million more than Justin Verlander, Felix Hernandez, and Chris Carpenter.

With his contract, Darvish will have to be an immediate ace for the Texas rotation in order to be worth the money. If I were the Rangers, I’d rather have used that money to go after Prince Fielder and sign him to a short-term deal. Fielder would be a bigger upgrade for the Rangers at first base over Mitch Moreland than Darvish will be over say, Alexi Ogando. The Rangers could have possibly signed Fielder to a 3-year deal, and brought in a veteran pitcher like Roy Oswalt to fill out the rotation. The Rangers would have had a much superior team than they will have with just Darvish… for the same price. I’m not doubting Texas GM Jon Daniels, but I think the Rangers might have gotten a little bit carried away in the Darvish extravaganza. Besides his on-field performance, the Rangers are betting that between international merchandise sales and marketing exposure, Darvish will literally pay himself. Time will tell on that one.

For 2012, the Rangers will be looking to compete with the Angels to take the AL West. While the Angels overall roster has a slight edge on the Rangers, Texas has enough minor league talent to go and acquire a star first basemen at the trade deadline if Prince does not come aboard. Overall, Rangers fans should not be worried about the Darvish contract. The Rangers may have overpaid, but Darvish will bring youth and potential to a Rangers rotation that needs it. If everything goes well, the Rangers will have six years of Darvish to keep them continually in the running for a World Series title.

***Today’s feature was prepared by our Baseball Writer, Sam Evans. We highly encourage you to leave your comments and feedback at the bottom of the page and share in the discussion with our readers. You can also follow Sam on Twitter***

Please e-mail us at: MLBreports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us on Twitter and become a fan onFacebook . To subscribe to our website and have the daily Reports sent directly to your inbox , click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

Tags: A.L West, c.j. wilson, japan baseball, los angeles angels, mlb, Nippon Ham Fighters, rangers, texas, yu darvish

Ask the Reports: Sunday January 1st, 2012

Jan 1

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

Sunday January 1, 2012

Jonathan Hacohen: Posted every Weekend: Your top baseball questions from the past week are answered. E-mail all questions to mlbreports@gmail.com, message us on Twitter and post on our Facebook Wall!

Let’s get to your top questions of the week:

Q: With just 7 weeks until spring training, which teams are looking really good for the 2012 season? Heather

MLB reports: Great question Heather. I presume you mean which teams are playoff contenders for 2012. At this point, I really like the Rays, Tigers, Angels and Rangers in the AL. These teams have the best balanced rosters that are built to make it to the playoffs. In the NL, it’s the Phillies, Reds, Dbacks and Braves (maybe Cards). Those are the strongest 8 teams that I am projecting for playoff positions at this point. There will be many improved teams to keep an eye on. The Jays continue to be on the rise in Toronto. The Royals are slowly preparing to make their move. I like what the Nationals are building in Washington. The Pirates are slowly putting together a nice stable of young prospects. The Padres are going to be a serious force very soon, perhaps as soon as this year. The common theme is good pitching and depth within the lineup. The above teams are the ones that are getting it right in my book.

Q: Will the Baseball Writers snub Tim Raines once again? David

MLB reports: Raines since 2008 has his percentage of votes rise from 24% to 37.5%. This is a tough one for the voters. I have studied the numbers and I don’t give Raines a vote. He was very good…but not Hall of Fame good in my book. Ultimately Raines will get in, as he is more deserving that say Jim Rice in my opinion. But he is one of those slow candidates that will climb every year and get to 75% in the last couple of years of eligibility. Raines is a fringe hall of fame candidate and it shows in his vote totals. Keep in mind it is the hall of fame, not the hall of very good. If we are going to put only the best of the best in the hall, Raines should not be in. But considering the track records of some recent inductees, then yes, Raines should be in. But don’t expect it anytime soon and definitely not in 2012. Raines will have to play the waiting game like many other fringe candidates.

Q: Any chance the Mets sign Prince Fielder? I know- I doubt the money is there, but still… I’d also like to think they can win the WS… Jon

MLB reports: All I have to say is…huh? You must really love your Mets, but you need to get a reality check on their chances. To answer your questions: firstly, no chance the Mets get Prince Fielder. For so many reasons. They cannot afford him. Given the Wilpon financial issues and the fact that the team is looking for a minority owner for a bailout, the team cannot take on Fielder’s salary. All the money in the budget has already been spent, so the team will go with Ike Davis again at first base. Davis has been a pleasant surprise and should continue to develop. Secondly, no way that Prince will want to go to the Mets. The team is not a contender and has too many black eyes from an image perspective. Prince would not want to get caught in the Mets mess right now. Plus, even with the outfield dimensions changing, I doubt Prince will want to play in that ballpark. As far as winning the World Series, pop in a DVD and watch the glory year of 1986. It should give you some comfort until the team returns back to glory, sometime in the next 5-10 years. I don’t mean to be hard on you Jon, but sometimes in baseball the fans need some tough love. I am being honest because I care. Don’t stop supporting your Mets: just be realistic so that you are not in for a letdown. Expect nothing and you will have your expectations exceeded!!!

Q: What’s your opinion on how my Kansas City Royals will fair this season? Michael

MLB reports: Better than many people think Michael. The Royals will not make the playoffs, but they will be a .500 squad. The hitting is really coming together and could get the boost of Wil Myers in mid-2012 if he gets the call. Things are on the rise in Kansas City. The Royals will be finishing in 3rd place, behind the Tigers and Indians. I could even see a 2nd place finish if everything falls into place. The team just has so much talent at every position, with the rotation being the only question mark for me. Perez, Butler, Hosmer, Giavotella, Escobar, Moustakas, Gordon, Cain and Francoeur. A bullpen stacked by Soria, Broxton, Crow, Collins, Mijares, Wood and Holland. On the field and in the pen, the Royals have the power to succeed. The rotation is a little more of a patchwork job. The team needs Danny Duffy to put it together and top pitching prospect John Lamb to return to form after a lost year to injury. I see 2013-2015 being the Royals time to shine. But with the team set to host the All-Star game this coming year, they should have an exciting product on the field. This will not be their year, but the first real step towards respectability. Enjoy this young team, if nothing else they will be fun to watch.

Final Question: What are the chances of any of these guys coming to Boston: Oswalt(P) Garza(P) Saunders(P) Spilborghs(RF) Quentin(RF)? Rick

MLB reports: Great question Rick. Fans are wondering what the Red Sox have up their sleeve. Unfortunately, I don’t think you will like the response on this one. Matt Garza comes at a big price of prospects that the Red Sox will not likely pay. Plus considering how long it took for Theo to make the jump to the Cubs and the negotiation of compensation and movement of front office staff, I don’t see the teams matching up well for a trade. Roy Oswalt will have many options considering that he will only get a 1-2 year deal. I don’t think he will be that excited to play in Boston. I see him more likely ending up back in the NL, or going to Texas or the Jays. Carlos Quentin is already in San Diego and will be the team’s new cleanup man. A native son, Quentin could stay long-term in San Diego. Whether the BoSox get Ryan Spilborghs or not is irrelevant for me. He just doesn’t excite me as a player with much potential. I could see Joe Saunders heading to Boston as a middle of the rotation starter. He would be an innings eater more than anything, not a real impact guy. It looks to me like the BoSox are going with what they have for the most part, with only minor tweaks coming. The team has the talent, so the bigger question is how the players respond to new manager Bobby Valentine. How Bobby V gets his players prepared and focused will decide if the BoSox can return to their glory days.

ARCHIVE: Click here for Past Issues of Ask the Reports

Jonathan Hacohen is the Lead Baseball Columnist & Editor for MLB reports: You can follow Jonathan on Twitter (@JHacohen)

Posted in Ask the Reports

Tags: baseball, boston red sox, cardinals, carlos quentin, cooperstown, hall of fame, joe saunder, kansas city royals, matt garza, mlb, new york mets, phillies, prince fielder, rangers, rays, reds, roy oswalt, ryan spilborghs, tim raines, wilpon

Yu Darvish to Texas: Samurai to Become a Ranger

Dec 22

Posted by samevans87

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Sam Evans: On Monday, the Nippon Ham Fighters announced that the Texas Rangers had won the posting fee for 25 year-old pitcher Yu Darvish. The Rangers surrendered a record $51.7 million for the rights to negotiate a contract with Darvish. The Rangers are taking an expensive risk on Darvish, who should be penciled into the top of their rotation.

The Rangers now have thirty days from the signing to work out a contract with Darvish. My guess is the contract will be anywhere from four to six years at $35 to $60 million. That is a lot of money for any team to give to a prospect, but given the Rangers new TV deal, they can certainly afford it.

Over the last five years, Darvish posted a 1.72 ERA and struck out roughly one batter an inning in a league known for its pesky hitters. He quickly became a superstar in Japan, unlike any current American baseball player’s stature. He also led Japan to the 2009 WBC championship.

Yu Darvish is not only a Japanese baseball superstar, he is a pop culture icon as well.He is married to a Japanese actress (although reports indicate the couple is splitting), and he has his own blog called “Thoughts Of Yu”. Added pressure shouldn’t be a problem for Darvish because he has gotten used to it ever since cameras started following him around in high school. Realistically, Darvish shouldn’t have as much trouble with the language barrier as previous Japanese players.

Darvish is 6’5” and weighs only 185 pounds. If he were a traditional teenage prospect, then scouts would claim that he would need to “fill out his frame”. However, he is twenty-five and it’s probably too late for him to develop physically much more. Nonetheless, don’t rule it out. There are 255 Chick-Fil-A restaurants in the state of Texas, and hopefully Carlos Lee has left some wholesome American cuisine for Darvish to enjoy.

Darvish throws a four-seam fastball that sits around 94 MPH. He also throws two types of sliders, a cutter, a curve, and a shuuto. A shuuto is thrown around 90 MPH with movement that propels the ball inward on right-handed hitters. From what I have heard, Darvish is very projectable as a number two MLB starter. However, if he were to add a change-up to his repertoire, I think the Rangers could develop him into an ace. Not to mention, Yu Darvish will have the pitcher behind the greatest change-up of all-time, Greg Maddux and pitching coach, Mike Maddux, to work with throughout the season. Also team President, Nolan Ryan, know a thing or two about pitching as well.

If Darvish struggles in 2012, it will be because of command, above other things. Japan has built a reputation for a strike zone much larger than the one in the US, and that might be hard for him to get used to. Additionally, going from playing games indoors to under the sweltering Texas sun, wouldn’t an easy transition for anyone.

The Rangers don’t have the strongest rotation compared to other teams, but they definitely have depth. Assuming that Darvish will seamlessly transition to North America, the Rangers rotation will probably include Matt Harrison, Neftali Feliz, Colby Lewis, and Derek Holland. Still, this leaves out Alexi Ogando, who was one of the Rangers brightest hurlers from last year.

The Rangers could use Ogando out of the bullpen, like they did effectively in the playoffs. Nevertheless, it would be a smarter decision if they traded one or two of their starters. With top prospect arms Neil Ramirez and Martin Perez hanging around in Triple-A, the Rangers have the depth to trade some of their arms.

A reasonable expectation for Darvish’s 2012 would be 180 IP, 3.50 ERA, and 165 IP. That is pretty impressive for a first-year player in the majors. It is questionable as to whether that is worth the 100+ million that the Rangers will likely shell out, but I believe that the Rangers front office management know what they are doing.

Even if everything doesn’t work out as planned for the Rangers with Darvish, the team is so loaded at every position that they can overcome almost any obstacle. Rangers GM Jon Daniels has led the Rangers to two straight World Series, and the Rangers believe that a Darvish acquisition would help them finally get over the hump. With the best pitching prospect ever to come out of Japan leading the way, there is no reason not to believe that the Rangers won’t finally fulfill their destiny and win it all in 2012.

Please e-mail us at: MLBreports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook . To subscribe to our website and have the daily Reports sent directly to your inbox , click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.

Tags: darvish, Matt Harrison, mlb, Nippon Ham Fighters, rangers, rotation, shuuto, signing, trade

Maddux Brothers Reunited in Texas

Dec 7

Posted by samevans87

Wednesday December 7, 2011

Sam Evans: The Maddux brothers may have stopped playing the game years ago, but they definitely haven’t left it. Greg Maddux was the best pitcher of the 90′s and Mike Maddux enjoyed a long career. Now they have finally been reunited, working for one of the smartest organizations in baseball: the Texas Rangers.

When I heard that Greg Maddux (aka “The Professor”) was going to the Rangers, the first thing I thought was, ‘ As a pitcher or a coach?’ I still have vivid memories of Greg Maddux and his command unlike any other pitcher in the history of the game. Maddux controlled games. He wasn’t necessarily intimidating, he was just so intelligent and he had such great consistency.

Greg is only 45, four years younger than Jamie Moyer, and the Rangers are in need of pitching, so on some levels a comeback would have made sense. Maddux has no reason though to come back. He hasn’t pitched since 2008, so there was no real chance of that actually happening. He just seems like the perfect kind of pitcher that would pitch at the age of 45 if the desire was there.

Greg threw an amazing 5,008 innings in his career, with a 3.16 ERA and a 3.26 ERA. Mad Dog earned four Cy Young Awards and was an eight-time All-Star. There is no doubt that Greg Maddux is a first ballot Hall-of-Famer. He is not only appealing to the newer generation of voters ( 120.6 WAR ), but to old-fashioned voters as well (a whopping 18 Gold Glove Awards).

Mike Maddux was mainly the “other guy”. Greg Maddux’s older brother had a lengthy career playing for nine years, but he was never as successful as his younger brother. He threw 862 innings in his career, with a 4.05 ERA and a 5.6 K/9.

Now in 2011, things are very different. Mike is now doing better than Greg at something baseball-related. Mike Maddux has become known as one of the best pitching coaches in baseball, first for the Brewers, and now for the Rangers. Meanwhile, Greg had been working as a coach with the Cubs. While it is impossible to find the true impact of a coach, so far Mike has had a much larger effect to-date. Mike was even considered for both the recent Red Sox and Cubs managerial openings, but he opted to stay put in Texas.

News broke late in November that Greg would be joining his brother with the Rangers. Greg was hired as a special assistant to the general manager. According to GM Jon Daniels, Greg will help with the development of their young players.

This truly is a great story. Two brothers who have never played or worked for the same team, not even in high school, will finally get the chance to do so. They will be working alongside Nolan Ryan molding one of the most talented teams in all of baseball. I’d be surprised if having these two studs working with the Rangers young pitchers doesn’t work out perfectly.

Please e-mail us at: MLBreports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us onTwitter and become a fan on Facebook . To subscribe to our website and have the daily Reports sent directly to your inbox , click hereand follow the link at the top of our homepage.

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

Tags: brewers, cubs, Greg Maddux, maddux, Mike Maddux, mlb, rangers

Ask the Reports: Saturday December 3rd

Dec 3

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

Saturday December 3, 2011

Let’s get to your top questions of the week:

Q: I just read your article about expansion. This is my most favorite topic in baseball. I have an idea. Tell me what you think of it.

American League

East
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Toronto Blue Jays
Baltimore Orioles

North
Minnesota Twins
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers

South
Kansas City Royals
Houston Astros
Texas Rangers
Tampa Bay Rays

West
Los Angeles Angels
San Diego Padres
Portland Athletics
Seattle Mariners

National League

East
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
Washington Nationals

North
Milwaukee Brewers
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
St. Louis Cardinals

South
Charlotte Knights (Expansion Team)
Atlanta Braves
San Antonio Colts (Expansion Team)
Miami Marlins

West
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Francisco Giants
Arizona Diamondbacks
Colorado Rockies

-Joe (via e-mail)

MLB reports: Radical realignment and expansion Joe. Love it! I am a BIG fan of adding 2 new expansion teams to Major League Baseball. 32 teams, 16 teams per league, 4 divisions per league and 4 teams per division makes perfect sense to me. I am sold. Now the magical question is which cities would be included and how to realign the divisions. Under your proposal, San Antonio and Charlotte would get expansion teams, while the A’s would be relocated to Portland. All three cities are top contenders for MLB teams, so I have no issue with having Major League Baseball in those cities. For this scenario to work, the A’s would need to exhaust the option of moving to San Jose or any other city in California before being fully relocated. I don’t see the A’s in Portland personally. I see them staying in California. But stranger things have happened. Interesting that you did not relocate the Rays in your proposal. I see them having an equally high chance of being relocated as the A’s. So assuming that we accept your relocation and expansion plans, the last issue will be the alignment of the divisions. The AL South and NL South need work. If we are putting a team in San Antonio, let’s put them in the same division as the Rangers and Astros and make a nearly all-Texas division. The Rays and Marlins should also be in the same division. I agree with Charlotte and Atlanta together. Consider as well putting the Dodgers, Giants, Angels and Padres together in an-all California division. You have a great basis for changes though…well done! Thank you for the comment and giving us some food for thought. Please click here to read our previous report on MLB Expansion.

Q: Just want to say that I’m glad other “unknown talented” Countries are going to have an opportunity to participate. My mother is from Nicaragua so it’s awesome to know Nicaragua AT LEAST has an opportunity. Maybe in the near future, the WBC should consist of more than 16 teams….maybe a total of 24? Joshua (via e-mail)

MLB reports: Thank you for the question Joshua. You know we love talking about the World Baseball Classic! Please click here to see our previous report on the upcoming 2013 WBC. The initial 2006 and 2009 WBC editions consisted of 16 total countries. In 2013, there are changes to the tournament. 12 holdover countries are guaranteed to play in the tournament itself. Prior to the WBC, there will be a qualifying tournament between the remaining 4 holdover countries and 12 new countries introduced to the WBC. Thus the total amount of countries that have a chance to play in the WBC is 28. I think that the 16 country format works very well. What MLB officials will look to do is to continue to expand the amount of countries worldwide that will compete in the qualifying tournament. We could easily see in the next decade 24 new countries competing for WBC supremacy. I don’t see the tournament itself changing from the 16 team format, but definitely expect the field of 28 eligible countries to expand further. Another great question, thank you for sharing!

Q: A few months ago I called Pujols in Chicago! They have the $ and could use the leadership. Aaron (via Twitter)

MLB reports: I seem to recall you saying that. There were many pushes to start the offseason for Albert Pujols to join the Cubs. At the time I wrote them off as impossible. But with the Cubs new management team on board led by Theo Epstein, I am not quite as sure. I still see Pujols back with the Cardinals. He has spent his whole career in St. Louis and has roots now in Missouri. At similar or equal money, I see him staying. The more likely move for the Cubs is to pick up Prince Fielder. I think the fit is better overall from an age perspective for Chicago. But if there is any team that will be able to “woo” Pujols, it could very well be the Cubs. The Cardinals faithful would be devastated if Pujols was to leave. We shall see how this all plays out- but I give a 99.9% chance of Pujols staying put.

Q: I’ve run out of patience with (Phil) Hughes. David (via Twitter)

MLB reports: I won’t dispute you David…and many Yankees fans would agree. But not all has been bad about Phil Hughes. He had a strong 2009 season pitching almost exclusively out of the pen, followed by an 18 win season in 2010. Last year was an injury filled season for Hughes that never got on track. Hughes has battled injuries and inconsistencies throughout his career. The million dollar is whether Phil Hughes will ever be able to complete a full season healthy. The Yankees have to decide ultimately if he is best suited to the rotation or bullpen. While he has enjoyed success in both roles, his arm may not be ultimately be able to hold up the grind in the rotation. He is still young (25) and will not be a free agent until 2014. The former 1st round pick from 2004 presents a huge dilemma for the Yankees. Can he be counted to on to be a future ace? That is unclear at best. I am prepared to give Hughes until 2014 before passing final judgement. If it were up to me, the Yankees should carry 6 starters with the hope that Hughes could become a strong #2 and at worst, a viable reliever in the pen. Phil Hughes definitely deserves the opportunity to show his worth…just don’t count on him yet at this point.

Q: Hope the Halos did not give away a young arm w/big upside (Chatwood) for a backup catcher (Iannetta) John (via Twitter)

MLB reports: We get to end today’s Ask the Reports with my favorite topics: Angels’ catchers. The Angels made an interesting move this week, trading former 1st round pick hurler Tyler Chatwood to the Rockies for catcher Chris Iannetta. Looking at the numbers for Iannetta and Chatwood…it makes me wonder what the Angels were thinking in moving Mike Napoli before the 2011 season. Let’s compare Napoli and Iannetta. Napoli is a year and a half older…but about 100x the player. I will point to a very important piece of evidence: the home/road splits. Both played in great hitter’s parks (Texas and Colorado respectively). But on the road, we really get a true sense of each player. Napoli hit more home runs on the road (17 to 13), had a higher batting average (.332 to .307) and maintained a .414 OBP and .663 SLG. The point? Mike Napoli is an effective hitter, no matter where he plays. Had he received the same opportunity in Anaheim, the Angels would have ensured a top catcher for themselves and been able to keep Chatwood. Iannetta, while younger, pales at the plate compared to Napoli. In 2011, Iannetta hit a solid .301 at home, while only batting .172 on the road. Iannetta also hit 10 home runs at home, while only 4 on the road. On the road Iannetta drove in 16 RBIs (39 at home) and scored 15 runs (36 at home). OBP was .419 at home (.321 on road) and SLG was .557 at home (.266 on road). This is a small sample of one year, but Iannetta at home is another Mike Napoli…while on the road he becomes another Jeff Mathis. I am a support of Iannetta, but in Colorado. I am seeing another Vernon Wells blunder, of a hitter taken out of a hitters’ ballpark that cannot adjust to more difficult hitting conditions. Iannetta’s bat does not appear to be a good mix with Angel Stadium. In return for Iannetta, the Angels had to give up Chatwood, their 2nd round pick from 2008. With pitching being a premium in today’s game, it is sad that the Angels had to give up a strong viable arm that I projected as a likely #3 starter for a catcher that will likely not fill in well in their system. The team already tried that least year, when it chose Mathis over Napoli. What happened? Both catchers were not far off defensively, but Napoli became one of the best hitting catchers in baseball. The Angels hope they are getting the next Mike Napoli. In truth they should have kept the original. Now they will have Iannetta (Mathis clone) and Wells clogging up their batting order. While I am left to continue scratching my head in disbelief.

(Editor’s Note: Ironically just as this article was just published, the Angels just traded Jeff Mathis…to the Toronto Blue Jays for Brad Mills. The same Jays that the Angels traded Mike Napoli to almost a year earlier for Vernon Wells. The Jays would have been smart to hold onto Napoli and kept a prize hitting catcher for themselves who could also DH and play 1B. Now the Angels take the other half of the Angels catching tandem as their new backup catcher. Funny how everything comes full circle).

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Jonathan Hacohen is the Lead Baseball Columnist & Editor for MLB reports: You can follow Jonathan on Twitter (@JHacohen)

Posted in Ask the Reports

Tags: albert pujols, angels, baseball, baseball expansion, blue jays, cardinals, chris iannetta, cubs, mlb, napoli, nicaragua, phil hughes, rangers, rockies, tyler chatwood, vernon wells, wbc, world baseball classic, yankees

Can the Rangers Win the 2012 World Series?

Nov 6

Posted by samevans87

Sunday November 6, 2011

Sam Evans: The last two years have been like a roller coaster for the Texas Rangers and their fans. The Rangers have been extremely successful, winning two straight American League championships. But both years they have fallen short in the world series. 2012 is sure to be a critical season for the Rangers organization.

Rotation: I think that C.J. Wilson is making it pretty obvious that he wants to return to the Rangers next year. If we assume that he does, then he will be the Rangers #1 starter. Barring a trade or a signing, Matt Harrison, Colby Lewis, Derek Holland, and Alexi Ogando will follow him. An interesting decision that Rangers have to make is whether they move Neftali Feliz to the rotation. Feliz is a very intriguing pitcher, who in my opinion, at least deserves one spring training to show what he can do as a starter.

If the Rangers decide not to bring back Wilson, there are not many other top of the rotation starters. Jon Daniels has scouted Yu Darvish, so the Rangers might be in the mix to sign Darvish. However, the Rangers payroll including arbitration player and existing contracts is expected to be over 100M. The consensus opinion is that Darvish will cost over 100M. I’d be surprised if the Rangers could afford a contract like that and if they would prefer Darvish over Wilson at similar money. Other options in free agency include Mark Buehrle and Erik Bedard.

The rotation is going to be immensely important for the Rangers in 2012. You could make the argument that with Cliff Lee, the Rangers would have won the World Series last year. If the Rangers could move Feliz and keep Wilson, they would have one of the stronger rotations in the American League.

Catcher, Third Base, Shortstop, and Second Base: These four positions are written in stone for the Rangers. Adrian Beltre might be the best third basemen in baseball and he is signed through 2015. Mike Napoli had a breakout year last year, and despite playing in only 113 games, Napoli was the Rangers most valuable offensive weapon. 2012 is Napoli’s contract year, so if everything goes wrong for the Rangers, Napoli might be traded for prospects.

As for shortstop, Elvis Andrus has improved ever since he first got to Texas. I think that in 2012, Andrus has the chance to take a big step forward. If he could steal 40 bases (just three more than he did in 2011), and hit over .300, he would become one of the best shortstops in the American League. At second base, the Rangers have Ian Kinsler who is their best player. If he continues at his current pace, he is a dark horse MVP candidate. In 2011, he posted a wRC+ of 128, he played defense better than any other second basemen in baseball, and he hit 30 homers and stole 30 bases. One of the reasons why I don’t think that the Rangers should make a big splash in free agency is that they already have Mike Napoli, Ian Kinsler, Colby Lewis, and Josh Hamilton. Kinsler has a $10M option, which I’d be surprised if the Rangers didn’t accept. No matter what happens, it is sure to be an expensive offseason.

First Base, Designated Hitter, and Outfield: The Rangers first base situation is a much bigger deal than most people think. Mitch Moreland is far from a sure thing, and with reports now emerging that he battled wrist soreness in the second half of the season, more uncertainty arises from the situation. Moreland batted .241 in the second half of 2011, with a OBP of .300, and only five home runs. That’s simply not good enough for an American League team. Do you think the Rangers are glad they didn’t trade Michael Young? Young hit .338 in 2011 with 213 hits. Young did have a BABIP of .368, so he is probably due for some regression in 2012.

The Rangers have the best duo of corner outfielders in baseball. Josh Hamilton can be penciled in for 2012 as the Rangers cleanup hitter. Nelson Cruz is another middle of the order bat who is an amazing talent. Both of these hitters are capable of hitting .300 with thirty home runs a piece. The biggest question for these guys is whether they can stay healthy. Both have had serious injury concerns throughout their career, but if they could both stay healthy they could help propel the Rangers toward another 2012 AL West championship. As for center field, the Rangers can either test their luck with Julio Borbon, Craig Gentry, and Leonys Martin, or they could turn to free agency. If they were to shop for a center fielder, I think that the underrated Coco Crisp might be a good fit. With the strength of their lineup, center field is really not the biggest of the Rangers worries.

Prospects: Thanks to one of the most extensive scouting departments in Major League Baseball, the Rangers have a very strong minor league collection of prospects. 16-year-old international signings Nomar Mazara and Ronald Guzman are very intriguing prospect, but both are at the least four years away from making a MLB impact. Jurickson Profar is the best shortstop prospect in all of baseball, and a top-5 prospect overall. Profar isn’t quite ready for the Majors, but if he continues to rake in the minors, he could be a September call up. Martin Perez is the Rangers top pitching prospect but he struggled in AAA last year. In the long-term, if just some of these prospects develop, then the Rangers will continue to have a really good baseball team for years to come. Unfortunately, this system is what scouts call, “bottom heavy”, meaning that most of the highly touted prospects are in the lower ranks of the minors.

Bullpen: The status of the Rangers bullpen all depends on what the Rangers decide to do with Feliz. Texas has Mike Adams, Koji Uehara, and Yoshinori Tateyama all returning for 2012. Darren Oliver is a type A free agent, but at 41 years of age, I expect him to return to Texas. Bullpens are the easiest position to assemble in baseball, so don’t expect the Rangers to have much trouble finding the right pieces to fill out their ‘pen.

In 2012, the Rangers have a chance to be a very special team. If they are not currently the best team in baseball, they are definitely in the top five. It’s highly improbable these days that a team reaches the World Series three times in a row. But I think that the Rangers have a legitimate chance in 2012. The Rangers just need the right mix of players to get over the hump and win the big one. Otherwise, another World Series loss could turn them into the modern day Atlanta Braves (minus the championship).

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Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis