Blog Archives
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – May 23, 2013
(Photos: Jim Anness – Matt Slocum/AP)
The Giants remind me of the Yankees.
Specifically the current San Francisco Giants remind me of the Joe Torre Yankees of the 1990′s and early 2000′s.
I make the comparison today on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, Remove all the negative associations with the Yankees and bear with me. The analogy makes sense.
Jose Bautista, C. J. Wilson, Francisco Liriano and Carlos Gonzalez all owned baseball on May 22, 2013.
To see the up to date tally of “Who Owns Baseball?,” click HERE.
Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May 22nd) – Updated Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Jose Bautista went 4-4 with 2 homers and drove in all four of Toronto’s runs, including a game tying shot in the 9th and a walk off hit in the 10th as the Blue Jays beat the Rays 4-3 in 10.
C. J. Wilson went 8 strong, letting up only one run and striking out 10 as the Angels beat the Mariners, 7-1.
Carlos Gonzalez homered, hit an RBI triple then scored on a wild pitch as the Rockies beat the Diamondbacks, 4-1.
And Francisco Liriano pitched 7 shutout innings as the Pirates beat the Cubs 1-0.
They all owned baseball on May 22nd, 2013.
My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.
At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON
.
To View The List of just the nightly winners (WOB dedicated Page) starting from Mar.31/2013 – today click here Read the rest of this entry
Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May 21st) – Updated Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Alex Gallardo / Associated Press / May 21, 2013
Max Scherzer pitched 8 strong against the first place Indians, striking out 7 and walking 1 as the Tigers pulled a game closer, winning 5-1.
Gregor Blanco stole a base and scored the first and then hit the 2 out, 2 strike bottom of the 9th game tying triple that set up the dramatic 4-2 Giants win over the Nationals.
Adam Wainwright pitched 7 1/3 innings, letting up only 4 hits and one walk as the Cardinals manhandled the Padres, 10-2.
And while it was a hard decision, I guess Mike Trout had an OK day. He went 4-5 with a single, a double, a triple and a homer, and that would be the cycle. He also drove in 5 runs and stole a base. I guess that is a good enough day to own baseball.
They all owned baseball on May 21st, 2013
My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.
At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON.
To View The List of just the nightly winners (WOB dedicated Page) starting from Mar.31/2013 – today click here Read the rest of this entry
Who Owned Baseball May.12th – Plus Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Chris Sale threw the third one hit shutout of the weekend as the White Sox (wearing their wonderfully dreadful 1980′s throwbacks) defeated the Angels 3-0
Jose Bautista homered twice and walked, driving in three runs as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Red Sox in Fenway 12-4.
Marco Scutaro went 2-5 with a homer as the Giants defeated the Braves 5-1.
And Jorge De La Rosa answered the gems pitched by the Cardinals by holding St. Louis hitless into the 7th as the Rockies won 8-2.
They all owned baseball on May 12, 2013
My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.
At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON.
To View The List of just the nightly winners (WOB dedicated Page) starting from Mar.31/2013 – click here Read the rest of this entry
Robert Whitmer ‘s All – Felon Team
Like us on Facebook here.
Follow @mlbreportsSaturday, May.04/2013
In the game of baseball, we have had the unfortunate circumstance of having players that aren’t exactly model citizens. Join me on an adventure of looking at putting together our all-felon team.
Let me start off by saying that this piece that I have written is intended to be a humorous piece. I am not trying to talk bad about any players, just merely stating facts that are public record.
Everyone makes mistakes. We are here to make them and learn from them. I have put together the first Robert Whitmer’s all-felon team. I have chosen a player from each position that has been either arrested or convicted of a crime. I hope that you find this entertaining as well as informative.
I do this article to address the “entitlement” that I believe some players feel that they deserve. I feel that they think they are, somehow, above the law for the sole purpose that they are professional athletes and are known, or popular, in the community in which their team resides.
Pete Rose hit #4192
Who Owns Baseball – Updated May.02/2013
Clay Buchholz pitched 7 shutout innings, striking out 8 and collected his sixth win as the first place Red Sox man handled the Blue Jays 10-1.
The Kansas City Royals came from behind to beat the Tampa Bay Rays and took over first place thanks in part to Lorenzo Cain‘s 2-5 two RBI performance.
Brandon Belt‘s dramatic two out, two strike, 8th inning three run homer helped turn a Giants loss into a victory over Arizona.
And Washington’s Jordan Zimmermann dominated division rival Atlanta with 8 shutout innings, letting up only 2 hits, no walks and 8 strikeouts as the Nats squeaked by 2-0.
They all owned baseball on May 01, 2013
My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.
At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON. Read the rest of this entry
Kershaw Smacks 1st HR And Nets Win In Dodgers Opener – Before LA Loses 2 In A Row
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsThursday Apr.04/2013
Dodger Stadium was at full capacity (53,138) on Monday’s Opening Day. It was 66 Degrees at Game Time. With the MLB’ s biggest payroll right now, the Dodgers have heavy expectations in 2013. They won 4 – 0 on Mondays game – before dropping back to back games to the Giants Starting Pitchers Bumgarner and Lincecum. Matt Kemp is still hitless on the year – and Adrian Gonzalez had not had a base knock since his 2nd AB of the Year. On a solid note, Carl Crawford has looked great with 5 Base Hits in 9 At – Bats. The team has switched Luis Cruz to Shortstop and Juan Uribe to 3rd after a brutal Game #2 by Justin Sellers (which featured a couple of errors).
By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent): Follow @eriqwiththeq
Everything just went right for the Dodgers. Crawford got two hits (including a Double), Adrian Gonzalez got a hit, Ethier got a hit, Kemp scored a run, just what the Dodgers expect out of their stars.
The Dodgers made Matt Cain throw 35 pitches in the 1st inning – including Kemp drawing a 11 Pitcher AB, with several Foul – Balls before finally Striking Out.
This still jacked up Cain’s pitch count, causing the Giants to lift him before the Bottom of the 7th. After the 8th Inning HR, the club even scratched out two runs on Infield grounders!
Without signing a contract extension during the winter, the 2011 Cy Young Award winner (and 2012 runner-up) Clayton Kershaw did more than expected for the Dodgers as they defeated the reigning World Champs – and Dodger arch-rival San Francisco Giants 4 – 0.
Not only did he picked up the win, he earned himself his first Shutout of the season. He allowed only four hits and Struckout seven hitters.
Clayton Kershaw is interviewed on Opening Day HR:
What Buster Posey’s New Contract Means For The Giants
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsWednesday April.3, 2013
I don’t know that there is a single Giants fan that didn’t want this to happen. Buster Posey has done about as much as any player could possibly do for a city in his few years with the Giants, and I think we’re all glad that he has the opportunity to retire as a career Giant. While this signing on the surface looks like every other major extension, a player does something better than most and rightfully now gets paid handsomely for it. This signing brings a few interesting implications along with it.
By Jon Schifferle ( Giants Correspondent – visit his own personal website here.) Follow @jonschifferle
5 Points About Posey’s Contract:
1.The Giants are ready to compete for a long time.
Through the extensions of Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, and Buster Posey, the Giants have shown that they are ready to keep this core, build around it, and compete every year with it.
When franchises are starting to let their stars go, or even trading away their stars for younger players with little experience but lots of potential, it is generally the first sign of a rebuilding club.
This is not always true, sometimes the players are forced out, or they have fallen out of favor with the team, and then are traded, but generally it is the start of a bad pattern that eventually causes the team to end up looking like the Cubs or the Astros.
The Giants clearly feel that they won’t need to take this path to be competitive in the future, and that they can refuel their farm system without trades or extra draft picks.
Buster Posey Highlights from 2012 – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is advised:
Arizona DiamondBacks Payroll In 2013: And Contracts Going Forward
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsThursday, February.14, 2013
Arizona have won 5 Division Titles in just 15 years of existence – including winning the World Series in 2001. The franchise consistently is rated as one of the top rated front office organizations – and routinely rank as the most fan-friendly team in the MLB. The Franchise is 2nd amongst Expansion Clubs for Winning Percentage (.498) behind the Angels (.499.) The DBacks are only 10 games below .500 for their ALL-Time record (1210-1220). Will they be able to compete with the Dodgers and Giants in future years by increasing Payroll?
By Chris Lacey (Diamond Backs Correspondent) Follow @aecanada12
The Diamondbacks finished the 2012 season with disappointment as they struggled to get over .500 for much of the season. They lost the last game of the season to the Rockies that summed up what happened during the year. When they got good starting pitching, the defense would make a costly mistake, and then the offense would struggle to score any runs. The Diamondbacks enter the 2013 camaign with plenty of new faces on the club.
General Manager Kevin Towers has changed the makeup of this team these past two off-seasons. He has put an emphasis on players who can make consistent contact, rather than hitting the long ball. The Dbacks GM is always looking to improve upon the bullpen. He did this by taking a risk on Heath Bell who had a bad year with the Marlins, but Towers believes a change of scenery will help. Towers not only brought in bullpen help, but also signed some key players’ to long-term contracts that will aid the team to not only contend now, but for the future.
2011 DiamondBacks Post Season Highlights. Lyrics May Contain mature content so Parental Guidance is advised:
Master Schedule For All 30 MLB Parks In Double Header Opportunities In 2013
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsUpdated Last on March.25/2013
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Over the course of 4 years of massive baseball travel, I have attempted 28 MLB Doubleheaders – and completed 22 of them. I Every year I take a look at the new MLB schedule and the 183 days worth of games. In the list (after the youtube clip I post), will feature every doable double-header scenario for a fan to view baseball games. Keep in mind that if you have never seen a MLB Park before – that rushing a day is not advised at all in these journeys.
The most common doubleheader is Wrigley Field or US Cellular Field – to be combined with Miller Park as part of a day-night doubleheader. The Yankees and Mets do play a few games on the same day together and are listed. The o.Co Coliseum in Oakland and AT & T Park also have a few doubleheader chances this season.
Other great doubleheader partners include both Dodger and Angel Stadium – combined with Petco Park if there is a matinée contest involved. Progressive Field and PNC Park also lends itself to easily connected doubleheaders if one has a day contest. Also watch out for Sunday Night ESPN games as part of programming as Eastern teams feature that 8:05 PM EST start time – which will lend it available to double up with a day matinée. The Phillies are compatible with both New York teams Via Amtrak Train option – and also with the Baltimore Orioles.
These doubleheaders mostly are located in different cities and some might even include a doable flight in the middle.
http://mlbreports.com/2012/03/02/field-of-dreams-site/
Field of Dreams Has To Be Part Of Your Trip Link Up Top and Video Down Below:
The Most Underrated Statistic: Extra Base Hits (XBH)
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsSaturday, February.02/2013
Alex Rodriguez is the Active Leader for XBH with 1190, however who knows when he will have a chance to resume his career again with injuries + allegations of PED use perhaps sparking an investigation/suspension for the MLB and is still owed 114 Million Dollars over the next 5 years.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
I have nothing against sabermetrics in baseball. Yes I know they are not going away and I will probably learn them one day as someone who can comprehend Math pretty good. However, I understand the frustration of the casual fan who will not set a foot near them – although they know what Home Runs and Runs Batted In are. I have thrown the topic out for discussion on Twitter – and am extremely curious to see what percentage of fans actually follow the new numbers formats. This site totally allows our writers to convey any form of statistical analysis they want. The only thing that I request, is that if they use sabermetrics, to also add some regular stats with them.
One of the stats that can gauge any era since the beginning of baseball is Extra Base Hits. Before the fences were brought in (or even put up), Doubles and Triples could be hit at any time. Singles are great in the game too. There have been several great baseball players that are singles hitters, that also compiled a bunch of Doubles and Triples. That is why this statistic is fairest to all of the hitters in the history of the game and the most comparable. Like the old saying, (hit’em where they ain’t), players that can hit the baseball into the open areas of the outfield are special. Babe Ruth re-coined the phrase later when he said “Well they ain’t over the fence, so that’s where I hit them!” The Bambino was right. In the course of this article, we will list the top active list for this category – and some underrated hitters that may stack up nicely against historical hitters.
(Pete Rose Highlights):
The Chicago Cubs Schedule In 2013: (The Wrigley Field Ticket Is Still The Best Pure Baseball Experience)
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsSaturday, January.26, 2013
Wrigley Field might just be the best place just to watch a baseball game (Fenway Park rivals it for entire ballpark experience). AT &T Park and PNC Psrk usually round out the top 4 Parks
By Richie Devotie (MLB Schedule Correspondent): Follow @MrBaseballMan and Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner) Follow @chuckbooth3024
I love Wrigley Field more than any other park just to watch a game. Having been to all of the MLB Parks a minimum of 3 times (and most closer to 5 and above) – there is something so unique about this baseball cathedral that makes me think it is the 1920s still. We have another video presentation from our Baseball Schedule Correspondent’ Richie Devotie down below that has all of the Cubs opponents in the upcoming season in 2013 – plus a recap of how the team fared in 2012. After viewing it – plus read about one of the craziest, yet rewarding days of my ballpark chaser streaks.
The setup to this was that I was 13 days into my 1st World Record Attempt – at breaking the category of “The Fastest Person to view a full game at all 30 MLB Parks”. I had already had to restart my streak attempt after some chaos that happened just a few days prior. This day in Chicago would be my 3rd straight day of trying to fit 2 games in on one day. On the 1st day of the new streak, I nailed a doubleheader between Petco Park (day game) and Dodger Stadium (night game). I then boarded an overnight flight to Detroit (at 1 AM- Arrival in Motown at 10:30 AM. I was poised to watch a day game at Comerica Park (1:05 PM) – before jettisoning 168 Miles to Cleveland right after for a 7:05 PM start at Progressive. The Tigers looked to nail down a victory until Todd “the Hammer” Jones blew the save by letting the Twins tie it up in the ninth – to prolong the game into extra innings. An hour later and the game finally ended but I couldn’t even try to head to Cleveland. So I made my way to Chicago/Milwaukee. I had a Wrigley Field/Miller Park doubleheader. The next day after – I was to fly to Toronto to see the Yankees play. 2 days after that, I would see if I could hit on a Nationals Park/Shea Stadium Sunday day/night double-header. It would be 4 doubleheader attempts in 5 days. I was only 1 for 2 so far.
Richie Devotie Presents His Power Point Cubs 2013 Schedule Breakdown
Cincinnati Reds Schedule In 2013: The Team Hopes For NL Central Dominance
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsThursday, January.24, 2013
By Richie Devotie (MLB Schedule Correspondent): Follow @MrBaseballMan and Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner) Follow @chuckbooth3024
The Great American Ball Park is a great place to watch a game. The Great American Ballpark is one of the best parks in the majors for scenery outside the yard. You get a close personal view of the Ohio River. The park also features the ‘Cincinnati Reds Hall Of Fame” that is directly adjacent to the park—great place to check out the 1st Major League Baseball Club. Particularly if you are a Pete Rose fan, you have to visit this Museum. Pete Rose is nowhere to be found at Great American because of his lifetime ban—but his career is nicely chronicled inside the doors of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
The concourses at Great American are spacious, clean and the workers there offer the nicest hospitality. There is not a bad seat in the place. Cincinnati’s fans are amongst the smartest in baseball. They have 3 mascots still in use that walk the field in:‘Gapper,’ ‘Mr. Redlegs’ and of course ‘Rosie Red,’ a truly great experience for the kids. The fireworks display on Friday nights in the summer are incredible against the back drop of the Ohio River.
From guys who also did 30 Ball Parks in 30 Days:
Top MLB Free Agents Still Available:
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsWednesday January 23rd, 2013
Micheal Bourn is seeking a contract worth 15 Million Dollars plus per year. Since 2008, he has averaged 50 SB a year. He has steadily improved his offensive game. He is a guy who would help most ball clubs as a Lead Off hitter.
By Jordan Gluck (Prospects/Baseball Operations Correspondent) Follow @JGluck777
The offseason is winding down right with the availability of Free Agents and the budgets of many MLB teams. The talent on the open market is not what it was a few months ago but there is still some risk/reward players in the pool along with Bourn, Lohse, and Marcum. There are certain clubs with some dollars to spend but most are to their cap or don’t see the value. Here I present to you my top 10 Free Agents who can help propel a team to more wins or be used by subpar clubs as viable trade chips as Trade Deadline Deals.
1. Michael Bourn (30) (Braves) – the clear-cut best player left on the market but with budgets near filled up it will be interesting to see how Scott Boras works his magic. There is no doubt the tender is hurting him as it hurt Soriano and Laroche. He can play CF and has blazing speed. (Texas)
Michael Bourn Highlight Reel in 2012 – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is Advised
Pittsburgh Pirates Schedule in 2013: The Team Has The Right Ticketing Scheme
Like us on Facebook here
Wednesday, January.16, 2013
PNC is rated highly amongst Ball Park Chasers. As a destination point for a lot of them, it is nice that the Pirates post their start times earlier than most clubs – and put their tickets up for sale quicker than most teams as well.
By Richie Devotie (MLB Schedule Correspondent): Follow @MrBaseballMan and Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner) Follow @chuckbooth3024
From Chuck Booth: The Pirates get it. They are always quick to put up their times schedule for the upcoming season. Even better than this, is that they follow that up by having their tickets for sale almost as quick. As people who love to chase Ball Parks and plan road-trips, it would be nice if all other franchises followed suit. As of right now, only four teams have tickets for sale for the upcoming season (for single games): the Red Sox, Rockies, Athletics and Pirates have begun selling their tickets for the 2013 season. For the Red Sox, this is a big surprise because the team sells out every home game anyway and have had a great run of being successful over the last 40 years.
With so many choices ton spend your entertainment dollar these days – why wouldn’t the MLB put their single game tickets on sale much earlier? They could definitely take advantage of the Christmas season. So most of the clubs wait till about end of January to post their single tickets, meanwhile credit card bills are piling up on them. Fans are also preparing for a shortened February Month and cutting living expenses. Most people also need to request vacation time off as early as possible in order to plan road-trips from Easter through Labor Day. So why not change the waymost MLB clubs operate when it comes to dates of ticket sales and game times? Having said all of this, Richie Devotie has taken a look at the Pirates upcoming schedule for the 2013 Year.
2012 Pirates Highlights:
Buster Posey is Keeping the Giants in Contention
Wednesday August 22nd, 2012
Sam Evans: When Buster Posey broke his fibula in 2011, it was a crushing blow to a Giants team fighting for a playoff spot. The Giants ended up missing the playoffs that year, largely due to not having any production from catcher. In 2012, Posey was expected to regain his old form immediately and help bring the playoffs to San Francisco. So far in 2012, Posey has exceeded previous expectations, and deserves a lot of the credit for the Giants’ success. With the N.L. West looking like it’s going to come down to the wire, and Melky Cabrera out for the regular season (and part of the playoffs), Posey needs to keep up his performance in order for San Francisco to make the playoffs.
Buster Posey has always been a hitter. At Florida State, Posey was moved from shortstop to catcher so he doesn’t have as much experience behind the plate as a typical catcher. Posey’s defense at catcher has improved year by year thanks to his work ethic and athleticism. This year, Posey has shown no signs of his previous injury, and has continued to play solid defense behind the plate. Not to mention, Posey is having his most valuable offensive season ever, and one of the more impressive batting lines in the National League. Read the rest of this entry
Montreal Expos Drafting Record Part 2: The Pitchers
Wednesday June.27/2012
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 Team’s Payroll going into in 2013 and 5. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) To follow all of the updates, be sure to check my author page with a list of all archived articles here.
Drafted in 1985 by the Montreal Expos, Randy Johnson was erratic in his early days. After trading away Mark Langston to acquire the young fireballer, the Mariners worked him into the rotation and he developed into a Hall of Famer.
Chuck Booth (Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- When looking back at some of the pitchers that the Montreal Expos have had in their organization, you don’t have go down the list very far to find Randy Johnson. He is the ‘crown jewel’ of the draft history record for the club. It is unfortunate the ‘The Big Unit’ was traded to the Seattle Mariners with Brian Holman and Gene Harris to the Mariners for rental player Mark Langston and a player to be named later. To be fair to the Montreal Expos, they were in serious contention for the pennant in 1989 and were trying to chase down the Chicago Cubs. Langston was one of the top Left Handed Aces in the Majors and he was available. Johnson was completely wild in the Minor Leagues and the Expos had a lot of veteran pitchers like Dennis Martinez and Bryn Smith that were on the back end of their careers. The time to try and win was now and they could not wait for Johnson to come around. The Expos did not succeed in capturing the pennant and Langston moved onto the California Angels as a free agent while Johnson blossomed into the premier left handed pitcher in his generation. Speaking of Martinez and Smith, they won 100 and 81 games respectively for the club. While they were not drafted by the Expos, they are 2nd and 3rd on the all-time win list.
Along with Smith and Dennis Martinez (who threw a perfect game as an Expo in 1991 and note: Bill Stoneman also threw two no-hitters for the franchise), you have to factor in the career of Pedro Martinez as an Expo for guys that were great pitchers during their prime. Pedro was acquired prior to the 1994 season from the Dodgers in exchange for the Expos departed ALL-Star second baseman Delino DeShields. Martinez went 11-5 in the strike shortened year and formed an impressive 1-2 ace combination with Ken Hill. Pedro went onto a 55-33 record and a 3.06 ERA for his 4 year Expos career. Pedro’s best year with the club was 1997 where he was the NL CY Young with a 17-8 record and a 1.90 ERA. Martinez finished the year with 305 strikeouts and a ridiculous 13 complete games. Pedro ended up signing with the Boston Red Sox before the 1998 season and he ultimately won a World Series with the Beantowners in 2004. In his post game celebration, Martinez mentioned the Expos franchise and their fans. Pedro shared his triumph as a testament to them. It was talent like this that Expos could never afford to resign and would lose outright- or have to trade for prospects based on their economic viability. I will get more into this in Part 3 of the Article Series on Friday.
For Part 1 of the Article Series, The Hitters: click here
For Part 3 of the Article Series, The Demise: click here
For Part 4 of the Article Series, The Washington Nationals Franchise 2005-2012: click here
For Part 5 of the Article Series, The Nats Best 25 Man Roster 2005-2012 click here
Don Mattingly has managed The Dodgers to the ‘Best Record in the MLB’
Wednesday, May.30/2012
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)-At first glance at the LA Dodgers you will see a team that leads the Major League with a 32-17 record heading into action tonight. Matt Kemp has missed the last two weeks of action and yet the team still continues to put up wins. Before his injury, Kemp was playing like an MVP candidate and Andre Ethier has racked up 43 RBI to the lead the National League. Clayton Kershaw has been his usual dominant self. Key pitching contributions from Chris Capuano (7-1) and Ted Lilly (5-1) have paced the club in the pitching department, where they rank 2nd in a lot of categories amongst pitching staffs in the NL and the Majors.
Don Mattingly has battled several injuries, a team of platoon players, a lowered payroll due to the impending ownership changes en route to this record. It is clear why the Dodgers are winning ball games, Mattingly is making good managerial decision at the key times. When you look at how the current club is configured, you would see there is great baseball pedigree in the stable. There are 4 sons of ex major league ball players on the roster: Scott Van Slyke (son of Andy), Tony Gwynn Jr. (son of Tony Sr.), Dee Gordon (son of Tom) and Jerry Hairston Jr (son of Jerry Sr.) These guys are hardly trailblazing their way to Cooperstown anytime soon, however they play good fundamental baseball having grown up in Major League clubhouses. (On a side note, I would pay good money to see a father son game with these boys versus their fathers.) Read the rest of this entry
