Monthly Archives: May 2012

Can the 2012 Phillies Be Saved?

Can the 2012 Phillies Be Saved?

May 14

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Monday May 14th, 2012

Brendan Henderson: The Phillies are currently in last place in the NL East division with a 17-19 record, YES the Phillies, the team that won the 2008 World Series and the team that has won the NL East division in 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007.

Why are the Phillies doing so badly? The hitting has been okay for the Phillies this year despite the absence of stars, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley; the Phillies are 10th in the MLB in batting average with a team batting average of .257. The Phillies aren’t doing the best as in scoring runs and hitting for power though, they have scored 122 runs as a team this year which is the 19th best in the Big Leagues. As for home runs, they are 23rd in the MLB with 22 team homers this year. Their offense has picked up as of recently though. The Phillies pitching on the other hand, hasn’t been up to par so far this season; they are 15th in the league with a team 3.70 ERA. They Phillies’ opponents have a .255 batting average against Phillies pitchers, which is 20th best in the MLB. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

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Century Old Fenway Park is Fine the Way it is

Century Old Fenway Park is Fine the Way it is

May 14

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Monday May 14, 2012

Bryan Sheehan (MLB Writer): Fenway Park is baseball. The stadium itself represents the long history of Major League Baseball, spanning a century in age. Its iconic look, as well as the legends that have called it home, make the park one of the most valuable relics of all time. The impression of roughly 8,000 Red Sox games has given Fenway a rich past, with such legends as Babe Ruth and Ted Williams once calling the park home. Six World Series Championships have been brought back to the city by the Red Sox in triumph, Fenway surviving to see every one of them. Some of its features, such as The Big Green Monster and The Lone Red Seat, have legends as large as the crowd (over 130 million), that have passed through the gates in a one hundred year old history.

Fenway has also been home to the biggest rivalry in perhaps the entire history of sports. The Red Sox have been in a never-ending battle with their A.L. East neighbor, the New York Yankees, for over 100 years. Their rich history once found common ground on the diamonds they played in, as Yankee Stadium stood for 85 years from 1923 to 2008. Now, with the recent Centennial Celebration in Boston and New Yankee Stadium serving as a modern homage to the past, there is some question of when, or if, the Red Sox will follow suit and create a new shrine. Read the rest of this entry →

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Vladdy will help the Blue Jays in 2012

Vladdy will help the Blue Jays in 2012

May 14

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Monday, May.14/2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)-  Vladimir Guerrero is a professional hitter.  During the last 15 seasons, he has never hit less than .290 and has hit over .300 during 13 different seasons.  Sure he may not be able to hit his lifetime average of .318, or even duplicate some of his power numbers that had him a perennial 30 HRs and 100 RBI guy.  Vlad Guerrero will definitely help the Blue Jays.  Heck, if he can hit .290 like last year, then that would be leading the current version of the 2012 Blue Jays.  The team has had great production out of Edwin Encarnacion at the DH position.  Although a move to first base for EE would free up that position for Guerrero. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

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The Truth Behind Jason Hammel’s Amazing Start

The Truth Behind Jason Hammel’s Amazing Start

May 14

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Monday May 14th, 2012

Sam Evans:When MLB Reports first wrote about the Rockies/Orioles trade that sent Rockies’ pitcher’s Matt Lindstrom and Jason Hammel to Baltimore in exchange for Jeremy Guthrie, the Orioles seemed like early candidates to come out ahead in this trade. It’s still too early to tell, but because of Hammel’s hot start, the Orioles look like they got a bargain deal. Hammel has been so impressive because of his new pitch and his superb strikeout-to-walk ratios. The Orioles are currently on top of the A.L. East with a 22-13 record, and they owe a lot of the credit for their success to Jason Hammel. Still, there are multiple reasons why they can’t expect Hammel to keep this up.

Coming up in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays system, Jason Hammel was considered a fairly decent pitching prospect. He stands six feet and six inches tall, and weighs roughly 215 pounds. However, when Hammel reached the majors in 2006, just four years since being drafted out of high school, he struggled mightily. In 2008, Hammel’s last year with the Rays, he had a 5.25 FIP. Eventually, the Rays decided that their younger pitching prospects deserved a spot in their rotation more than Hammel. As a result, Hammel was traded before the 2009 season to the Rockies for Aneury Rodriguez. In Colorado, Hammel improved as a pitcher, but he was never considered above-average. Read the rest of this entry →

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Rays Are a Serious Contender

Rays Are a Serious Contender

May 14

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Monday May 14, 2012

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

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Barry Bonds Should Return to the Giants as Their Hitting Coach

Barry Bonds Should Return to the Giants as Their Hitting Coach

May 13

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Sunday May 13, 2012

Ryan Ritchey: When you look back at Mark McGwire’s career as a great hitter and now the hitting coach of the World Series Champion Cardinals, you must think of Barry Bonds. The same Barry Bonds who in my opinion was a cheater in the game of baseball by using steroids, but was still a great hitter. Even if you do use steroids, you still have to hit the ball solidly for it to leave the park and that is just what Bonds did. Bonds, the career MLB leader in home runs, was no doubt a great hitter. With that great hitting ability he could help many players in becoming great hitters as well.

The one team you could see him helping is his beloved San Francisco Giants. As anyone who has watched the Giants, you know they are a terrible hitting team. So far this season the Giants are 25th in the majors in runs scored with only 119 runs scored. Bonds could help this team out a whole lot with just mechanics. Learning how to hit the ball and pitch selection is a huge part in hitting. If you have a weak pitch selection, you aren’t going to be a good hitter. In my estimation, Bonds could help out a lot of the young Giants hitters and turn this team into a World Series winner again. Read the rest of this entry →

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Reds Prospect on the Rise: Billy Hamilton is on the Verge of Greatness

Reds Prospect on the Rise: Billy Hamilton is on the Verge of Greatness

May 13

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Sunday May 13th, 2012

Photo Courtesy of Giants fan: Crystal Ramos

Sam Evans: Billy Hamilton is one of the most discussed players in the minor leagues. He might be the fastest player in baseball, but the rest of his game is far from finished. Reds fans probably won’t see Hamilton until at least late-2013, but he will be ready by that point to make an immediate impact in the majors. Let’s take a look at Hamilton’s tools and how they project in the future.

First of all, if you are unfamiliar with Billy Hamilton, then you’ve probably been hiding under a rock. If you are hiding under a rock, you should probably come out. Unless, of course, you have Bryce Harper’s haircut. Anyways, Billy Hamilton grew up in Mississippi and played football, basketball, and baseball in high school. Hamilton was drafted in the second round of the 2009 MLB Amateur draft by the Reds, and passed up a football scholarship to Mississippi State University. Hamilton stands six feet tall and weighs roughly 160 pounds. He is a switch-hitting shortstop who is currently playing for the Reds High-A affiliate, the Bakersfield Blaze. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in On the Verge: MLB Prospects

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Ooh La La Gems: Review of Baseball Jewellery Fit for a Home Run King

Ooh La La Gems: Review of Baseball Jewellery Fit for a Home Run King

May 13

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Sunday May 13, 2012

MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen:  Happy Mother’s Day Everyone! Today’s feature has the special women in our lives in our mind. Whether it be our own mothers, grandmothers or the mothers of our children, today is the day that we give thanks to women. Giving us life and helping us all grow. Thank you moms!

Now what is the best way to thank moms you ask? Most people go the traditional route, with flowers and chocolate. Good presents…but not great. If you really want to blow away mom and send your appreciation, jewellery is your ticket. Now I now that today is actually mother’s day…so you could be late on the present. But if there is one thing I know about women, it is this: they tend to be very selective in their jewellery choices. Necklaces, bracelets and earrings can be a very personal choice. Not just for moms and women, but men love their jewellery as well. Especially baseball jewellery for us die-hard fans. So to meet the jewellery needs of everyone, you will need a place with a large selection that customize to all tastes and preferences.

Enter: Marla Barfield. Marla??? Wait a minute. You know Jesse Barfield. The 2-time gold glove winning, home run hitting, arm for a cannon outfielder with the Jays and Yankees. You know Josh Barfield. Second baseman with both the Indians and Padres. You know Jeremy Barfield. Huge prospect with the A’s (no joke, the kid is 6’5″ and 220!) But do you know Marla? Guess what… you do now. Marla Barfield is her name. Ooh La La Gems is her game. Read the rest of this entry →

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Ask the Reports: ATR Answers Your Baseball Questions – May 12th, 2012

May 12

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Saturday May 12th, 2012



Jonathan Hacohen:  Posted every Weekend: Your top baseball questions from the past week are answered. E-mail all questions to mlbreports@me.com, message us on Twitter, post on our Facebook Wall and leave comments on our website! There are many ways to reach us and we will get to your questions from all social media outlets!

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

Q:  (a) What are the chances of the indians moving; and

(b)  Josh Hamilton obviously, Matt Kemp too, but after that Im not sure(maybe Bruce,Braun, etc). Who do you think will be the contestants this year?  Robert

JH: Two questions for Robert this week. A great way to kick off ATR! Now I am getting many messages on the Indians moving, so it is time for some clarification. I had tweeted a couple of weeks back on the hypothetical scenario on “if your team was to relocate or contract, which team would you start to follow and why.”  Completely hypothetical and never intended to be more than that. The Indians came up with Larry, MLB reports’ #1 fan (his fave team)…and based on that discussion, the whole concept of the Indians moving was born. Now digging through the attendance figures for last season, the Indians were ranked 24th with approximately 1.8 million fans. Good…but certainly not great. Just to compare, both the Yankees and Phillies draw approximately 3.6 million fans as the top gates, while Oakland was the worst at 1.476 million. The Marlins and Rays were both very close to the bottom, with the Marlins now having a new stadium and the Rays desperately needing one. If the Rays and A’s don’t get new parks, expect to see these teams move in the next five years. The Indians though are not going anywhere. Not in our lifetimes at least. The Indians as a major league team were formed in 1901 in Cleveland and formally became the Indians in 1915. Translation: too much history and tradition. Still a very popular team. This team is not going anywhere. Progressive (formerly Jacobs) Field opened in 1994, so it is still relatively new. A beautiful park and a loyal fan base that loves their team, the Indians are here to stay.

As far as your second question, I will say this on the MLB Home Run Derby. It’s time is starting to run out. Last year, Ortiz and Fielder were the captains for the event. Contestants included Cano, Bautista, Adrian Gonzalez, Weeks, Kemp and Holiday. Cano ended up winning it, which was suprising considering that he wasn’t even a considered candidate by many. By Rickie Weeks? A little weak in my book. Many players do not wish to participate anymore, given injury risks and the issues it can create with their swings. Remember Bobby Abreu back in 2005? He was never the same after that one. I think we will see more and more young players participating. I think the old guard has had enough, with the young players still looking forward to the event. I would love to see Cespedes, Bruce, Napoli all join in the fun. I think Kemp will want a year off from this one, but Major League Baseball would love to see him and Hamilton duke it out. It boils down to politics vs. players’ preferences. I would expect to see some established stars, but more of the prospects as this event continues to grow. The captains idea was a good one- allowing more players input into the event. Hopefully Major League Baseball can continue to grow and evolve the Derby. Read the rest of this entry →

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“Extra Innings” – By Bruce E. Spitzer: Baseball Book Review

“Extra Innings” – By Bruce E. Spitzer: Baseball Book Review

May 11

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Friday May 11th, 2012

“EXTRA INNINGS” –  BY BRUCE E. SPITZER

(Bear Hill Media:  2012)

MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen:  We are full swing into the baseball book season. Stopping by my local bookstore (yes…they still have those as e-books have not yet completely taken over), I went straight to the baseball book section. I was amazed at how many new titles were out. With so much to choose from, picking a new title to read can be overwhelming. Let’s face it- we all have busy lives. There is a strong time commitment required to complete any book from beginning to end. If taken too long to read, the stories and messages can often be lost. Thus the special story that you choose must be worthy of your time. To pick the book, read it from beginning to end and walk away having gained wisdom and enjoyment from it. That is why we encourage reading books here on MLB reports and work to find you the latest and greatest titles. Today’s book is revolutionary in the world of baseball and one that completely blew me away.  Extra Innings, a novel by first time author Bruce Spitzer. Imagine science was able to bring Ted Williams back to life in the year 2092. Do I have your attention? I knew I would.

Here is a brief introduction to Extra Innings, courtesy of extrainningsthenovel.com:

   In the year 2092, Ted Williams, the greatest baseball hitter of all time, is brought back to life through the science of cryonics.

Once again playing for the Red Sox, Williams finds himself trapped in a world he hardly recognizes: the corruption of the game he loves with über-juiced batters and robot pitchers; difficult love affairs clashing with his old desires; and a military conflict of the future in which he must harness the fighter pilot skills he used in his first life.

Dr. Elizabeth Miles is the cryonicist who brings him back to life, initiating a dramatic sequence of medical achievements. She and her young son Johnnie are a constant reminder of what Williams lacked in his first trip around the bases, never devoting much time to love and family. But old habits die hard.

With enemies and allies both on the field and off, Williams must make sense of it all and play on against a machine that he detests, pressure to take the “giddyup” he abhors, unrelenting media mania, and a dystopian world he can’t ignore.

The narrative resonates with the consequences of the major issues we face in our world today—the steroids debate in sports, global warming, corporate greed, technology run rampant, and the moral ambiguity of war.

Extra Innings is alternately poignant and humorous, heartbreaking and joyous. Thought-provoking throughout, it’s a rollicking ride that looks at second chances and redemption, the ability to triumph over adversity, and the search for meaning in this life and the next.

Flawed in his first life, Williams must decide in the second what’s more important, the chance to win his first World Series, or the chance to be a better man?

I enjoyed Extra Innings on many levels. It is a book that made me think, feel and learn all at the same time. Too many of today’s baseball fans grew up having never watched Ted Williams play. Sure, they heard some stories and remember some of the tributes to the baseball great later in life. But not many fans I meet have actually watched Ted Williams play. This is where Extra Innings shines. To be able to imagine a future world where Ted Williams returns, we have to remember and think about Ted Williams in his previous life. The life that many of us missed. Spitzer likely picked Williams for several reasons. Living and growing in Boston, he would have an automatic passion for the Red Sox and Williams. A logical choice. But Williams presents an interesting contrast from days gone by to what the future would be like. Williams was a “man’s-man”.  A throwback. Playing the game hard. Giving it all on the baseball field. Serving in the army. They don’t build many like Williams anymore. From a baseball standpoint, Extra Innings gives the requisite baseball education and information that I always crave in a baseball book. Read the rest of this entry →

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Report on the Travel Companies of the 30 MLB Cities

Report on the Travel Companies of the 30 MLB Cities

May 11

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Friday, May.11/2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024) –After logging 65,000 miles from planes, trains, subways, Buses and other methods of transportation in one month, I am left with some thoughts about certain companies.  I don’t believe in trashing a company based on one incident or a rogue employee, so I will leave the negativity for a future travel book.  I will say that my four favorite travel companies helped me tremendously.  I am not just saying this because they helped me out on my trip, I wrote about the same four companies in my book ‘The Fastest 30 Ballgames.’  I am also happy to say that these companies had no blame for the half of dozen mishaps that caused me cancellations or delays during the streak.   The mishaps were a poorly executed plane de-boarding at IAH airport that cost a doubleheader attempt in Texas.  The second plane issue was some sort of mechanical failure that the airline gave up after 30 minutes of trying only in San Diego. The worst blunder was having the seat belt of the first officer not close properly cause an hour delay.  Other mishaps were a failure to understand car rental procedures right in Cleveland costing me an hour delay.  But that wasn’t as egregious as a hotel chain overcharging me three separate time for a hotel booking even though I cancelled way in advance.  All of these are about the average for the amount of traveling .  The four companies that stood above the rest are: Southwest Airlines, Air Tran Airways, Best Western Hotel Chain and National Car Rental. Read the rest of this entry →

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The New York Yankees Are Getting Old

The New York Yankees Are Getting Old

May 10

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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 →

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Who is the Best Starter in Baseball?

May 10

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Thursday May 10, 2012

Bryan Sheehan (MLB Writer): It could be said that the starting pitcher is the most important player in the game. A great starter, like Justin Verlander, puts his team in a position to win every time he hits the mound, while a poor starter, like A.J. Burnett, puts pressure on the bullpen when he gets run after just a couple of innings of work. A great starter, or even a mediocre one, can stay in the game for years with consistency (see: Jamie Moyer), but the drop off is steep and a pitcher underperforming is usually the first to be sent down. The best hurlers in the game combine dominance with consistency, rarely ever having a bad appearance. After the jump, we’ll be taking a look at who the best starters are in the game right now, and what makes them so great.

Read the rest of this entry →

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Keep the A’s in Oakland: Will They Stay…or Move to San Jose?

Keep the A’s in Oakland: Will They Stay…or Move to San Jose?

May 10

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Thursday May 10th, 2012

Bernie Olshansky: Whether or not the Athletics stay in Oakland has been an ongoing issue since John Fisher and his ownership group bought the team in around 2006. The A’s have played in a multi purpose stadium for baseball and football since the 1960s. At first, the stadium wasn’t bad, with a great view of the Oakland Hills out past the center field wall. When the Raiders returned to the Coliseum in 1995, their owner, Al Davis built suites and more seats (sarcastically dubbed “Mount Davis”) that stretched higher than the upper deck of the rest of the stadium. The once beautiful views were blocked and the stadium became a concrete bowl. In late summer and early fall, the centerfield grass (where the bleachers are placed for football) is in a state of disrepair compared to the otherwise perfect playing surface. Still, when the A’s were winning, they managed to draw crowds.  The A’s had many prosperous years, winning the World Series in 1972, 1973, 1974, 1989, and losing in the World Series in 1988 to the Dodgers and in 1990 to the Reds. More recently, in their “Moneyball” season of 2002, the A’s won 20 consecutive games and made the playoffs, but lost to the Twins in the ALDS.


It’s been a long time since the local fans have seen a winning A’s team. The last time the A’s made the playoffs was 2006, when they lost to the Tigers in the ALCS. The only time they went .500 since 2006 was in 2010. This could be due to general manager Billy Beane’s knack for trading everyone away. Notable trades include Andre Ethier for Milton Bradley, Carlos Gonzalez for Matt Holliday, and Mark Mulder for Dan Haren (who eventually was also traded). The team hasn’t been consistent since 2006. Last year, the team looked like it was finally going to be competitive with pitchers Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson healthy and ready for the season. Top prospects Michael Taylor and Chris Carter were ready to make an impact. Unfortunately Anderson got injured and needed Tommy John surgery, Cahill didn’t pitch to his potential, and Taylor and Carter spent the majority of the season in the minors because they didn’t perform in the majors. The final blow came when this winter, the A’s traded Gio Gonzalez to the Nationals and Trevor Cahill to the Diamondbacks. All of these events together had the fans asking: are we ever going to contend again? Read the rest of this entry →

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

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

May 10

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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 →

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Cubs and Angels Closers: Who Deserves the Job?

Cubs and Angels Closers: Who Deserves the Job?

May 9

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Wednesday May 9th, 2012

Sam Evans: Today’s two franchises haven’t been able to find a consistent pitcher to close out games this year, and it has resulted in sub .500 starts for both teams. The Cub’s headed into this year with their closer since 2009, Carlos Marmol, expected to have another season closing out games for their team. Jordan Walden, the twenty-four year old who closed out thirty-two games for the Angels last year, was named the Angels’ closer early in Spring Training. Now, only about thirty games into the season, and both of these pitchers have lost their jobs. Both teams secretly want their former closers to regain the job, but neither pitcher has had a successful year so far. Let’s look at what went wrong for these two pitchers and who took their place.

Carlos Marmol has always had the potential to be one of the best closer’s in the history of the game. His repertoire features a 93 MPH fastball, a changeup that he throws at around 86 MPH, and one of the best pitches in the game, his slider which is anywhere from 80-83 MPH. These pitches, the slider in particular, have led Marmol to record some the highest strikeout rates the game has ever seen. In 2010, Marmol’s 16 K/9 set a MLB record for a single-season (for pitchers with more than fifty innings pitched). However, Marmol has always had one thing holding him back from being the best closer in the league, walks.

In 2010, Marmol walked fifty-two in seventy-seven innings. In 2011, he walked forty-eight in seventy-five innings. In 2011, Dan Haren threw 238 innings and only walked thirty-three batters. Marmol has never seemed to realize that if he would let hitters put the ball into play, he would become a much better pitcher. Especially late in ballgames, walking insane amounts of hitters isn’t going to help you close games, no matter how much movement your pitches have. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis, Players: Fantasy Baseball Articles

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The Boston Red Sox Are Falling Apart

The Boston Red Sox Are Falling Apart

May 8

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Tuesday May 8, 2012

Ryan Ritchey: The Boston Red Sox since last September have been a team that has been falling apart. Ever since the report that pitchers were drinking in the clubhouse (and eating fried chicken), the team hasn’t been the same. After the season, Theo Epstein decided not to bring back Terry Francona… and then left the Red Sox himself. With this being said, the Sox had several holes to fill. First the general manager. This hole was filled by none other than Ben Cherington. Cherington had a lot of pressure placed on him to perform and to win. His first big job was to hire a manager to get the job done. He went and got Bobby Valentine. Bobby Valentine in my opinion was not a good hire for the Red Sox and judging by the Red Sox current record, most would agree.

You can put the blame on many people for the Red Sox woes this early in the season. Not only is it the fault of the manager, but it also goes on the players as they are the ones that play the game. Dustin Pedroia is one of the hardest working players in the league and doesn’t take a day off so it can’t fall on his shoulders (or Big Papi’s). But many of the Red Sox hitters need to be accountable. Mostly though, you could blame the pitching. In my opinion it is the pitching that is causing this down fall for Boston.

Josh Beckett has the best ERA from any starter in the rotation and he is 30th in the American League with a 4.45 ERA. With that number alone, you aren’t going to win many games. The Red Sox have a great offense but giving up that many runs per start you aren’t going to get many wins. Even when the starters throw a decent game, the bullpen usually ends up giving up runs on many nights and losing the game. If the Red Sox are going to do anything this season, Cherington better go find some pitching or it is going to be a long season for Red Sox Nation.

Another big reason the Red Sox are playing like they are is Adrian Gonzalez. Epstein went out and got Gonzalez from San Diego thinking he would be the best hitter in the American League. He was that player for one season but that is no longer the case. We are a little over a month into the season and Gonzalez only has 2 home runs and 16 RBI. For a power guy like Gonzalez, those numbers are subpar to say the least. His power numbers are down and he hasn’t been showing up in big games against the Rays and Yankees as he  did last year. Not only are his power numbers down, his average is a “whopping” .270. Read the rest of this entry →

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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

  1. 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 8th 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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…)

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The End of a Baseball Journey in 2012(30+6)

The End of a Baseball Journey in 2012(30+6)

May 7

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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!

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

Follow me-@chuckbooth3024 on twitter

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

Monday May.7/2012

Chuck Booth and Lori Martini @ Yankee Stadium 5/1


Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- The road baseball games are done for the year.  Sure I will still see about 5-6 more games at Safeco Field, but nothing beats going to games on the road!  It is has been 10 days since I officially broke my own Guinness Book of World Record by going to all 30 MLB Parks in 23 days.  After the streak, I decided to slowly wane myself off of baseball by watching another 5 games in 4 Parks during 8 days.  Those parks were Citizens Bank Ball Park, Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium and Citi Field for 2 games.  We are talking about 4 awesome places to watch baseball. Lest we forget the Season Opener I also went to at Citi in case of a retro-active decision. Read the rest of this entry →

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“The Baseball Hall of Shame: The Best of Blooperstown” by Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo: Baseball Book Review

“The Baseball Hall of Shame: The Best of Blooperstown” by Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo: Baseball Book Review

May 6

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Sunday May 6th, 2012

“THE BASEBALL HALL OF SHAME:  THE BEST OF BLOOPERSTOWN” –  BY BRUCE NASH & ALLAN ZULLO

(Lyon’s Press:  2012)

MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen:  Part of our love of baseball, is the art of storytelling. Talking about strange and interesting facts, side stories and statistics. In today’s baseball book review, I have uncovered a gem of a book that contains baseball information that will leave you laughing and fascinated for hours. A little blurb about “The Baseball Hall of Shame – The Best of Blooperstown”:

 

After some 20 years, Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo have returned with the 5th volume of Baseball Hall of Shame, this one called The Best of Blooperstown, but again with original cover art by the great Jack (Mad Magazine) Davis.


These books (and their spinoffs) have sold more than 750,000 copies, making them one of the great publishing success stories in baseball history.  And yes, they are the same books that you read under the covers, afraid that Bowie Kuhn would catch you.  Bet you didn’t know there was a good message behind it all – it’s okay to make a mistake, even these Major Leaguers did!


And here are ten things you WON’T see during this new season, courtesy of the authors: Read the rest of this entry →

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Ask the Reports: ATR Answers Your Baseball Questions – May 6th, 2012

Ask the Reports: ATR Answers Your Baseball Questions – May 6th, 2012

May 6

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Sunday May 6th, 2012





Jonathan Hacohen:  Posted every Weekend: Your top baseball questions from the past week are answered. E-mail all questions to mlbreports@me.com, message us on Twitter, post on our Facebook Wall and leave comments on our website! There are many ways to reach us and we will get to your questions from all social media outlets!

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

Q:  Watching Jamie Moyer tonite wondering if he reaches 300 wins (2-3 more yrs of pitching). Will that make him HOF bound?  Old Man Mack (via Twitter)

JH:  OMM. We are starting of ATR with one of your questions…and of course, it is a Jamie Moyer one. This is the 3rd Moyer question that I recall receiving from you. He certainly is a great story in baseball and you are on top of this one! Moyer is turning 50 this November. His current records sits at 1-2, 4.01 ERA and 1.663 WHIP. He is 32 wins away from 300. How can I put this nicely…it ain’t happening! As much as all of us would love to see Moyer reach the magical 300 plateau, he would need to win 10+ games for the next 3 years. That would have him pitching until 52. A neat story, but the odds are certainly against that happening. In my estimation, Moyer will be done after this year. He came back, proved he could pitch until 50…and then ride off into the sunset. At his age, we are asking a ton from his body to be able to grind out 3 more years. Plus, he would also have to be effective at such an advanced age. Not impossible…but nearly. Moyer has a career 4.23 ERA and 1.319 WHIP. He was never a true #1 starter and the best among his peers. A good pitcher, but not a great pitcher. Cooperstown is supposed to be reserved for the elite, the best of the best. While Moyer’s story deserves to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, his statistics do not. Even if Moyer reaches 300 wins- I don’t see a Cooperstown plaque in his future. Sorry my man- that’s just the way it goes! Thank you for the great question and your support of ATR and MLB reports. We very much appreciate it!

 

Q:  They should fire Scioscia for how he handled Napoli. I seriously thought Napoli must have slept with Scioscia’s wife for a while.  Mike (Via Twitter)

JH:  Probably one of the funniest tweets I have received in some time. I agree with you that the Angels did not handle Mike Napoli well. I can’t speak on his relationship with Mike Scoscia…but certainly, it did seem strained. Unless you have been living under a rock, you would know that I firmly believe that the Angels and Jays blew it by not hanging on to Napoli. The Great Napoli had a season for the ages in 2011. In only 113 games, Napoli hit .320 for the Rangers, with a .414 OBP, .631 SLG (1.046 OPS), 30 home runs, 75 RBIs, 72 runs, plus 58/85 walks/k’s. In other words, Napoli is a beast. This year, Napoli already has 7 home runs in 24 games, with a .241 AVG- but .330 OBP and .506 SLG.  I called Napoli the “Next Bautista” when the Jays acquired him and when you look at his numbers since 2011 over a full season, it is pretty darn close. How great would Napoli’s bat look right now in a slumping Angels lineup? What about at first base for the Jays or catcher over Lind and/or Arencibia?

Now would you like to hear some irony? Here it is. The Angels dumped Napoli in the Vernon Wells trade, really moving his salary and writing him off. In the process the Angels kept Jeff Mathis. How did Mathis do in 2011? In 93 games, he hit a whopping .174 avg, .225 OBP, .259 SLG and 3 home runs all year. That’s how many Napoli hits in many weeks! Mathis had 15 extra base hits all year in fact. Now where is Mathis you ask? In Toronto, of course. The team that couldn’t find a spot for Napoli, now is following the Angels twisted plan of succession. Funny though- how Mathis has played well though in Toronto. In 8 games, Mathis has 2 home runs, .250 AVG, .400 OBP and .650 SLG. Looking at him at the plate, you think Mathis should be a slugger. But it never developed. When the trade was made to the Jays, I thought Mathis could hit 15-20 home runs…if the Jays were able to get him on track. Still could happen, but I see Mathis moving back closer to his career average of .195, .259 OBP and .306 SLG.  Now for Mathis’ replacement in Anaheim? Chris Iannetta, a Mike Napoli-clone as I call him. In 23 games, Iannetta has popped 3 home runs, hitting .220 with a .324 OBP and .441 SLG. Good numbers, but certainly not great numbers. If that was the kind of production though Anaheim wanted, why not just hold onto Napoli and let him explode at the plate? That is certainly the question. So we will never know the truth behind Mike Scioscia’s thinking in wanting Mike Napoli off the Angels. But if Anaheim and Toronto could go back in time, I’m sure they would have done things differently. For the future, they may want to read up on MLB reports before making another blunder like that again! Read the rest of this entry →

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MLB Closer Report: Where Does Your Team Stand?

MLB Closer Report: Where Does Your Team Stand?

May 6

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Sunday May 6, 2012

Bryan Sheehan (Baseball Writer): Seeing Mariano Rivera go down with a torn ACL is like driving by a car accident and reflecting on how easily it could have been you in that accident, or in this case- how it could have been your team’s closer cringing in pain on the warning track. And this is the year of the injured closer: from Boston’s Andrew Bailey to San Francisco’s Brian Wilson, closers across the league have been dropping like flies. Other closers, like the Angels’ Jordan Walden, have stayed healthy but haven’t played well enough to keep their coveted ninth inning role. Even though there has only been a month of baseball so far, much has changed for some clubs.

Today, I’ll be taking a look at every team’s closer situation, and breaking down how it got to be the way it is: Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis, Players: Fantasy Baseball Articles

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Baseball and Music are Synonymous with Our Timeline

Baseball and Music are Synonymous with Our Timeline

May 6

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Sunday May 6, 2012

The NY Mets Tribute to the Recent Passing of MCA from The Beastie Boys

Lori Martini(Baseball Writer and @lorimartini on Twitter)– We don’t always remember exactly when certain events have happened in our lives and at what ages, but baseball and music gives us a pretty good reference and timeline as to when certain occurrences took place.  It’s no wonder music plays such an integral part in baseball and throughout sports.  Being a songwriter myself and having been honored that Justin Turner chose my song “Believe” as his walk-up song all last summer, I can only hope some day more players will walk up to more songs that I continue to write.  I remember Derek Bell walked up to “Big Pimpin’” by Jay-Z.  I can automatically tell you that the song was released in 2000 and that is when Bell played for the Mets.  In fact, I’m such a huge Mets fan that I don’t even have to look at the scoreboard or the plate- I’ll instantly know which player is up to bat or who came in for a pitching change just based on their music choice.

When I started my ballpark chasing in 2000, I followed the Mets to most of the stadiums.  I would meet new friends on the road including one of my best friends, Gabriel Lee who not only shares the same birthday (month/day AND year), but he also has a passion for music and manages a band called Ceasefire in LA.  I met Gabriel through Rachel (Roa) Apodaca who inadvertently met my friend Indira who I’ve know from Midwood High School and is a fellow lunatic Mets fan like myself in a baseball chat room.  I’d go to games with friends and start singing the Mets walk-up songs when they were on the road.  I had Rachel and her sister Kristen involved in the whole ordeal when my team was playing against theirs!  Gabriel also had a friend, Ted who joined us at Mets vs. Dodger games in LA.  Being that I was older I quickly noticed that Ted liked Rachel and I told her that.  She didn’t believe me at first, but shortly after they started dating and now they’re married and have a daughter Brianna who is now as big a fan as us (and has a HUGE crush on Matt Kemp….ssshhh).  Brianna met him so often that he knows who she is.  She even plays softball and wants to be a catcher like Mike Piazza.

Read the rest of this entry →

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Top 5 MLB Stolen Base Leaders

Top 5 MLB Stolen Base Leaders

May 6

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Sunday April 6th, 2012

Sam Evans: Baseball is full of athletes with not only outstanding speed, but world-class predictive reflexes as well. These players use their power to steal bases as a way to create runs for their ballclub’s. While it might not be that hard to find a player who can steal bases at a productive rate, some players steal more than any other players in the sport. Here are five of baseball’s fastest base runners:

Emilio Bonifacio, CF, Miami Marlins: This year, Marlins Manager Ozzie Guillen has taken advantage of his lineup’s speed, and set them free on the base paths. So far, the results haven’t gone exactly as planned. Despite their speed, the Marlins offense is struggling to score runs. Nonetheless, Marlins Center Fielder Emilio Bonifacio has been outrageously productive on the base paths. Despite only a .240 batting average, Bonifacio has a .342 OBP, which has helped produce runs for the heart of the Marlins’ order behind him. However, there is a lot wrong with Bonifacio’s hitting approach that he needs to change immediately. For instance, in 104 at-bat’s, Bonifacio has yet to record an extra base hit. I’m not sure how that’s even possible. Still, in thirteen stolen base attempts, Bonifacio has yet to have been thrown out. To have a perfect success rate is absurd for someone who leads the majors in stolen bases. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

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A.J. Pierzynski Interview: White Sox Catcher Discusses His Love for Wrestling and Hatred For Cold Weather

A.J. Pierzynski Interview: White Sox Catcher Discusses His Love for Wrestling and Hatred For Cold Weather

May 5

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Saturday May 5th, 2012

Playing in his 14th season in the major leagues the White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski is the guy other teams love to hate for his particular brand of competition, but they obviously like having him around on the South Side.  He is a 2x American League All-Star that played a vital role in the 2005 World Series Championship.

Despite his reputation of being Public Enemy No. 1, Pierzynski is only hungry to win.  This reputation only applies to his on field play but off the field A.J. is “not what people think.”

Ten-year-old Haley Smilow had a chance to sit down with A.J. before a game and talk baseball, but discovered the White Sox catcher is one of the most genuine, honest and appreciative guys playing baseball today.  He is just a regular guy who likes to have fun and doesn’t like the cold weather.


Haley: My family went to several games at Kauffman Stadium, Target Field and Camden Yards along with stops at Miller Park, Wrigley and Busch Stadium last summer,  do you have a favorite ballpark and why?

AJ: Seattle Mariners Safeco Field would have to be one of my favorites, it is a good field to play ball on and the retractable roof makes it possible to play ball in any weather conditions.

 

Haley: Is there a ballpark where you feel you always play well other than US Cellular Field?

AJ: I don’t know, I think I play well at Wrigley and at Safeco and not so well at Fenway for some reason. Read the rest of this entry →

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Chuck Booth’s GWR Streak (Parks 25-29)

Chuck Booth’s GWR Streak (Parks 25-29)

May 4

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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!

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

Follow me-@chuckbooth3024 on twitter

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

Friday May.4/2012

Chuck Booth and Lori Martini being interviewed by ‘Did The Tribe Win Last Night’ Blog at the Social Suite at Progressive Field.

MLB Park # 25 Day # 20

COL 2 @ PIT 1

April.25/2012

PNC PARK

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- My stay in Tampa Bay was a nice one the night before(despite having to commandeering a neighboring hotel just to do some laundry at midnight.)  I was too fired up to sleep and there was no chance at all I would risk sleeping in on this day.  I had known for a while that this was going to be an epic day.  Since the fallout of the missed doubleheader for Cleveland and Baltimore was first established on that San Diego flight, I looked forward to this day thoroughly.

Read the rest of this entry →

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Mike Trout vs. Bryce Harper: Who is the Biggest Prospect in Baseball?

Mike Trout vs. Bryce Harper: Who is the Biggest Prospect in Baseball?

May 3

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Thursday May 3rd, 2012

Bernie Olshansky:  For prospect watchers, last Saturday was one of the most exciting baseball days in a long time. Not only was Angels prospect Mike Trout (20) making his season debut against Cleveland, but Bryce Harper, the Nationals prospect and teen-wonder at only nineteen also made his highly anticipated major league debut against the Dodgers. Amazingly, two of Baseball America’s top three prospects debuted on the same day. Harper’s first and second at-bats were a couple to forget, but his third was one to remember. He roped a hard line drive over Matt Kemp’s head in center for a stand-up double. Trout’s debut was nothing special, but after hitting .408 in the minors this year he’s bound to get it going. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

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Will Bryce Harper Lead the Nationals to the Playoffs?

Will Bryce Harper Lead the Nationals to the Playoffs?

May 3

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Thursday May 3, 2012

Ryan Ritchey: The next big phenom Bryce Harper has made his way to big leagues. In the first four games he has played he has shown why he was a number one overall pick in the 2010 draft. If you have been watching recent Nationals games, you would have seen his amazing catch against the wall and his phenomenal throw to the plate. Harper may struggle a bit at the plate for a couple of weeks just getting used to the pitching, but the fielding has been there from day one for Harper. He isn’t the type of player you expect from a rookie. He has confidence through the roof and isn’t afraid to show it. A mo-hawk and eye-black smeared down his face he is the one player in the big leagues that looks like he is playing college ball.

In his first game in the big leagues he was booed by the Dodger faithful. This didn’t change the way he felt about the game and the way he played. Hitting a double off the wall to get his first hit is a memory he will never forget. Does he keep this pace and become the phenom that everyone expects him to be? I believe that the offensive side will hurt him throughout the season putting him in major slumps. On the other side of the coin is his defense, which I believe will help this Nationals team tremendously. Read the rest of this entry →

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Chuck Booth’s GWR Streak (MLB Parks 22-24)

Chuck Booth’s GWR Streak (MLB Parks 22-24)

May 2

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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!

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

Follow me-@chuckbooth3024 on twitter

https://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

 

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024)-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’s 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 1st 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.

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The 2012 Toronto Blue Jays: Need a Big Bat to Contend in the A.L. East

The 2012 Toronto Blue Jays: Need a Big Bat to Contend in the A.L. East

May 2

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Tuesday May 2nd, 2012

Rob Bland:  Much has been said about the quiet offseason that Toronto Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos underwent.  After the uproar that was caused by the media in the Yu Darvis bidding process, and the Prince Fielder free agency, fans became upset that Anthopoulos was just sitting on his hands.  The fact that Anthopoulos stated numerous times that they would not be major players in free agency seemed to fall on deaf ears.  Anthopoulos has been adamant about building this team with young and athleticism, the latter of which is something that Prince Fielder doesn’t necessarily embody.  That’s no knock against Prince, because he is paid to mash, not steal bases. 

The question is asked, do the Jays need a big bat or another arm to take that final leap into contention in the American League East?  Now, I could answer this a few different ways.  Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

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