Monthly Archives: June 2012

Top Ten Stat of the Week: HRs per AB Career (Active)

Top Ten Stat of the Week: HRs per AB Career (Active)

Jun 11

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Monday June.11, 2012

Russell Branyan has raw power and was never given a chance to play full time despite ranking 6th amongst active players in HRs per AB. Photo courtesy of seattlesportscentral.com

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- Chicks dig the long ball right?  Well so do dudes.  There is a certain folklore of a player that can absolutely cream a baseball regardless of their batting average or ability to make contact all of the time.  One of my favorite players to watch swing a bat is Russell Branyan.  I follow the Seattle Mariners since they are my closest team for geography.  I was able to see what Russell “The Muscle” was able to do once he was given a chance to play every day for the Mariners.  He rewarded the club by pasting 31 HRs and knocking in 76 RBI in just 116 games during the 2009 year.  The next season, he started with the Cleveland Indians before rejoining the Mariners again at the end of June.  Branyan would electrify the crowds at Safeco by hitting another 15 HRs in just 205 AB. Branyan hits as many HRs per AB for a rate in his career as Mickey Mantle did.  Branyan draws comparisons to another one of my favorite players in Jack Cust with his nickname ‘3TO’, which is short for 3 True Outs.  This is a strikeout, walk or HR.  Cust never made this upcoming list but he did hit 63 HRs in his first 1000 AB while striking out 430 times!  Branyan’s average 162 game season average (with full at bats) would have included striking out 171 times.   In this video you can see his power, (also click the link provided from at the top of the page on this link to see another shot of this mammoth blast that Branyan had at Yankee Stadium.  You can do this by copying the blue version of the link and pasting it into your browser.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0KRvFSdcII

  Read the rest of this entry →

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Manny Machado and the Shortstop Dilemma Brewing in Baltimore

Manny Machado and the Shortstop Dilemma Brewing in Baltimore

Jun 10

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Sunday June 10th, 2012

image courtesy of thelosscolumn.com

Sam Evans: Despite being only a teenager, and never having played a full season above High-A, Manny Machado has already drawn comparisons to Alex Rodriguez. Machado has great instincts and covers a lot of ground as a shortstop. Not to mention, he has outstanding bat speed for a player his size. Even though Machado has yet to truly dominate at any level of the minors, Orioles fans are already pegging him to be their shortstop of the future. However, Orioles’ fans shouldn’t be the only ones excited for Machado’s major league debut. If Machado can put all his tools together, he has the chance to be the best shortstop in all of baseball.

Manny Machado was born in July of 1992 in Miami, Florida. After playing in high school at Brito Miami Private School, Machado was considered a top-five prospect for the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft. After all, he had been recorded throwing up to 92 MPH, his footwork at shortstop looked great, and he squared up a lot of balls. If Bryce Harper wasn’t available at number one for the Nationals, some thought Machado could have been the #1 pick.

Machado stands 6’3’’ and weighs roughly 190 pounds. He hits from the right side of the plate, and has striking plate discipline for a teenager. Machado has a lot of room to grow, so if he does grow into his frame, he could potentially move over to third base. He is athletic enough to make this change, and become one of the top defensive third baseman in the league. However, as long as Machado can stay in shape and not bulk up too much, his team will use him at shortstop, where he will be of the most value. Read the rest of this entry →

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Ask the Reports: ATR Answers Your Baseball Questions – June 10th, 2012

Ask the Reports: ATR Answers Your Baseball Questions – June 10th, 2012

Jun 9

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Sunday June 10th, 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:  Hey there, glad to see a Torontonian loving baseball! I was born in Burlington, but grew up in Charlotte, NC… and am a lifelong Jays diehard! But hey, as a baseball guy growing up in NC… no way Durham got pro ball over Charlotte.. no chance… mayyyyyyyyyybe Raleigh (only b/c Charlotte already has 2 pro teams)… but in which case does MLB choose the lesser populated city in a State? Never. The MLB is the BIGS for a reason… and Charlotte could most certainly (fans, sponsors, funding) support a MLB team. It would be a ‘Baseball Town’…people live and breathe the sport here. I grew up playing here, it was a treat.

But here’s the catch, I just don’t know if Charlotte can support 3 major league teams… Panthers, Bobcats, and Baseball… If the Bobcats relocated… which could happen within 10 years… I could certainly see the city shift its focus to luring a pro ball team. The Knights (AAA) new stadium has pretty much gotten the city official’s approval and will be able to transform into a pro stadium if Charlotte becomes a relocation or expansion candidate.

But as a baseball fan, I would be all for the Bobcats moving and us getting MLB…. if I had to choose between NBA and MLB… pretty obvious…

But, LET’S GO JAYS!!!

Cheers,

Greg from Charlotte

JH: Hello Greg. Thank you for writing to us all the way from Charlotte! There are a couple of us here on the Reports from Toronto (present company included), but the majority of our writers are American. Hey, it is America’s favorite pastime!  But in all seriousness, you have touched upon one our most popular subjects:  MLB Expansion.  The World Baseball Classic is another one…and yes…we will cover that topic as well on this edition of the Reports.  But getting back to your comment, it was great to hear from a baseball fan directly from the area in question. Charlotte is brought up all the time in expansion talk. While it was not an area that I directly considered when I wrote my original expansion article, the area has been brought up countless times since. You bring up some very interesting points in your analysis. The local area and economy will play a HUGE part in the final decision when the next expansion locations are awarded. If indeed you are correct and it will take another sports team to relocate out of Charlotte for baseball to arrive, then I am afraid that you will be out of luck. The perception I feel will be that if Charlotte could not sustain the Bobcats, then it certainly cannot handle Major League Baseball.  40+ home games at 12-15,000 fans per game is no comparison to trying to feel 81 home games at 30,000+ fans per game. My mindset is that all existing teams need to do exceptionally well for the area to prove that it can handle a major sports team.

We can agree to disagree on this one, because of the subjective nature of what Major League Baseball will consider ultimately in expansion talks. But overall, factors will include population, health of the economy, television deal, stadium size/age/location, ownership groups etc. In other words, I am not counting out Charlotte just yet. There is still hope my friend, so keep the faith!!  And….Let’s GO TIGERS!!!!!!! Read the rest of this entry →

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Baseball As My Muse: Baseball Artist Margie Lawrence – Guest Blog

Baseball As My Muse: Baseball Artist Margie Lawrence – Guest Blog

Jun 9

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Saturday June 9th, 2012

Margie Lawrence (Guest Blogger):  Having grown up blocks from the friendly confines of Wrigley Field, I had no choice but to fall in love with the Cubs. 

 

The organ music and cheers of the crowd would drift through the open windows of my school, which sat a mere block from the bleacher entrance. And like many of my loves, the Cubs have disappointed me, but I still keep the hope alive that one day everything will be all right in the world and they—we— will win a World Series.

 

My first baseball memory involved 20 or so family members crowded around the portable TV cheering Sandy Koufax on during the 1963 World Series. Later on, I would pretend I was Sandy or Fergie Jenkins or Ken Holtzman, throwing what I perceived to be a curve ball at a small painted square on a brick wall. That square was always Mickey Mantle, for some reason. I was 11, it was 1969. My height was about that of a munchkin, and I may have weighed at 65 pounds.  If only I could have played on a Little League team…but damn those girl chromosomes. (And damn those Mets!) Read the rest of this entry →

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He is a 30/30 Club Member: But How Good Was Eric Davis?

Jun 8

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Friday June.8, 2012

Photo Courtesy of spokeo.com

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- Eric Davis was an amazing talent for the Cincinnati Reds during the mid 1980’s.  He was drafted as a shortstop but quickly made his way through the minors and ended up in the Reds outfield for his debut in May of 1984.  You talk about 5 tools in a player, Davis was the poster-boy for this.  Pete Rose described him in one of his books as “having the greatest raw ability that he had seen since Roberto Clemente.”  Davis grew up in Los Angeles, California and was a thin-wiry 165 pounds when he came up to the Majors,  despite being 6 foot 2 in height.  In 174 AB that year, he hit 10 HRs an stole 10 bases.  In 1985, he hit 8 HRs and stole 16 bases in just 122 AB.  This prompted a promotion to full-time player by then skipper Pete Rose at the start of the 1986 season.

The Cincinnati Reds had just come out of he ‘Big Red Machine’ era and were searching for young players such as Davis and Barry Larkin to take the reins with the new club.  Eric Davis did not disappoint in his first season, in just 415 AB  he hit 27 HRs and stole an eye-popping 80 bases while scoring 97 runs.  A star was born.  Eric Davis played with an all-out mentality, as such he required rest days from time to time with the nicks and bruises he would sustain through stealing  bases or playing nice defense by diving.  The Reds were always in contention under Pete Rose, however they were always finishing in 2nd place.  It finally looked the team had a nucleus of players that could take them to the promise land.  Davis was right at the top of the forefront for talent. Read the rest of this entry →

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The Future of Kurt Suzuki in Oakland: Long Term Catcher or Trade Bait

The Future of Kurt Suzuki in Oakland: Long Term Catcher or Trade Bait

Jun 7

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Thursday June 7th, 2012

 

John Burns (MLB reports Intern Candidate):  Kurt Suzuki has been in the Oakland A’s organization his entire career since being drafted in the 2nd round out of Cal State Fullerton in the 2004 MLB draft.

Suzuki is having a rough 2012 season so far, he is only batting .207 with no homers and 15 RBIs. The Athletics have struggled in the hitting department this year, as they are dead last in baseball with a team average of .213. This is one of the main reasons for their 24-31 record to start the year.

As the trade deadline approaches, the last place Athletics will most likely be sellers. The A’s will have to make a hard decision this July on their once called “franchise catcher” Kurt Suzuki. The 28 year-old catcher is signed through the 2013 season with a 2014 option with the Athletics. Butt that does not mean Suzuki is guaranteed a spot with the A’s. Read the rest of this entry →

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Aroldis Chapman’s Unbelievable Start: Star Closer or Future Starter?

Aroldis Chapman’s Unbelievable Start: Star Closer or Future Starter?

Jun 7

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Thursday June 7th, 2012

Bernie Olshansky: As the season winds on and we begin to approach the All Star break, many players who had hot starts have come back to reality.  The Cincinnati Reds’ Aroldis Chapman, however, has not. In 24 games this season, the native of Cuba has given up only seven hits and yielded just one run (unearned) in 29 innings pitched. He posts a 52:9 strikeout to walk ratio—which translates to a ridiculous 16.1 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. Against Chapman, hitters are hitting a miniscule .076. He has officially been named the Reds’ closer and has recorded six saves. If he could sustain these numbers, Chapman could be a legitimate Cy Young candidate (even as a reliever).

The Reds initially planned to use Chapman as a starter, while letting him adjust to the major leagues pitching out of the bullpen his first year, like many rookies. He was dazzling as he threw upwards of 100 miles per hour (even hitting 103), and was kept in the bullpen. This year, rather than being moved to the rotation, he was designated the closer and has excelled. After performing in this role, it seems like he is destined to stay. Chapman has all of the qualities of a closer, and on top of those, he is left-handed, which gives him an even bigger advantage due to the scarcity of left-handed closers. Read the rest of this entry →

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Barry Enright Interview: Haley Smilow Talks Baseball with the Arizona Diamondbacks Pitcher

Barry Enright Interview: Haley Smilow Talks Baseball with the Arizona Diamondbacks Pitcher

Jun 7

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Thursday June 7th, 2012

Barry Enright was drafted out of Pepperdine University by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second round for the 2007 amateur draft.

The right-handed pitcher made his major league debut on June 30, 2010. He pitched five innings and earned the win that day against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Enright, 26, is in his second season with the Reno Aces, the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate. Enright was 9-5 with the Aces last season, and is 4-3 with 4.82 ERA (as of June 5) this year.

Haley:  First, congratulations on your engagement.  Have you set a date yet?  And if it is not a surprise where are you going on your honeymoon?  

Barry:  Thank you. We set a date for January 19 2013 in Santa Barbara. We haven’t decided on our honeymoon yet, but our qualification is clear blue warm ocean water.

Haley:  Can you share with us your first memory as a professional?  

Barry:  My first memory as a professional was in Yakima Washington. I gave up an 0-2 double off the wall to start off the inning but proceeded to strike out the side after that. I was a reliever my first half season to keep my innings down, it was a lot of fun. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Interviews with MLB Stars

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Passing of the Torch as The Greatest Player in The MLB: From Pujols to Hamilton

Passing of the Torch as The Greatest Player in The MLB: From Pujols to Hamilton

Jun 6

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Wednesday June.6, 2012

Josh Hamilton is on pace for 64 HRs and 177 RBI in 2012 with a .345 AVG. He has taken over as the best player in MLB from Albert Pujols -Photo Courtesy of http://www.real-fans.com

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- While watching Josh Hamilton this year, I started thinking about the best players in the MLB over the last 33 years.  I am talking the best player of the game at any point of time.  I tracked back to 1979 for this article.  I may expand further back in follow up articles.  I did rank defense highly when I came up with the players.  I did agonize over Mike Schmidt,  Jim Rice, Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken for some of the years given in specific time frames.  These gentlemen were given every consideration.  In the end, we are talking about the best player in the game though and it is always subject to debate and personal opinion.  The criteria had to involve leading the league in several different offensive and/or defensive categories, followed by routinely being in the top 7 in MVP balloting(if not taking home the honor), All-Star Appearances for every year I listed them for and most of them won silver sluggers and/or Gold Gloves as well.

George Brett won batting titles in 3 different decades and flirted with .400 in 1980 while hitting .390 for the year. -Photo courtesy of lanius.wordpress.com

George Brett 1979-1983-George Brett was the best hitter in the game from 1979-1983.  He hit for a .320 average and slugged his way to having the Royals as perennial contenders.  He led the league in triples (20) and hits in 1979.  In 1980, he hit .390 with a .454 OBP, 664 SLG and a 1.118 OBP which led the league.  In 1983, Brett led the league in slugging an OPS once again.  Brett won the MVP in 1980 and was the runner-up in 1979.  In 1985, George Brett would lead the Royals to a World Series.  He later won a batting title at age 37 with a .329 average.  This was the toughest time frame to judge from 1979-1983.  Mike Schmidt was an incredible force at third base with huge power and Jim Rice also put up mammoth numbers, but in the end I chose  George Brett because he was more consistent out of 3. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

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Carlos Correa: Welcome to the Houston Astros

Wednesday June 6th, 2012

                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                      Image Courtesy of Aol.Sportingnews.com

Brendan Henderson: Coming into this year’s MLB Draft, the main question people kept asking themselves was, “Who are the Houston Astros going to take with the first overall pick?” Many thought the Astros would go with college pitcher Mark Appel or the young centerfielder Byron Buxton from Appling County High School in Georgia. Instead of taking the players most people thought they would, the Astros took the young shortstop from the Puerto Rico, Carlos Correa. Was it a good move for the Astros? I will tell you what I think below. (more…)

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MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: June 2012

MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: June 2012

Jun 4

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Monday June.4, 2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)-We are going to bring you monthly power rankings every month of the season.  There will be a few notes written for each team.  Please feel free to let us know your thoughts.  The Texas Rangers are the top ranked team yet once again, although teams are certainly gaining on the them in the last week.  Look out for Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees to make their move towards the top this month.

June Power Rankings-Last Month Rank in Parenthesis

1. Texas-32-22 (1) The Rangers rode Josh Hamilton in the month of May-who enters today on pace for about 60 HRs and 170 RBI while hitting .354.  Nelson Cruz is starting to heat up and the duo of Adrian Beltre and Ian Kinsler are steady as as ever. Yu Darvish is 7-3 en route to the leading the group amongst Rookie of The Year Contention.  Joe Nathan is looking like his old self again out of the pen with an ERA under 2.

2. LA Dodgers 33-21 (5) Even with Matt Kemp out of the lineup again, the Dodgers are winning ball games with solid contributions from Andre Ethier and A.J Ellis on offense.  The pitching staff has been anchored by Clayton Kershaw and a fast 7-1 start by Chris Capuano.  Ted Lilly was 5-1 before a stint on the DL.  It is too bad because Lilly is 125-104 since 2004.

3. Tampa Bay 31-23 (2) Hideki Matsui homered in two of his first 3 games back with the Rays.  The team has had steady pitching to stay in contention.  Carlos Pena has really struggled in the last month and will need to pick it up.  Luke Scott with 35 RBI has good production numbers in spite of his .225 AVG. Fernando Rodney has converted 17 out of 18 saves to pace the club.

4. Cincinnati 30-23 (12) Joey Votto has hit .404 in the last 30 days and maybe the best all-around hitter in the National League right now.  Jay Bruce has 12 HRs and 34 RBI and is living up to his all-star potential.  Aroldis Chapman has 27 Strikeouts in just over 14 innings and has yet to yield a run while opponents are hitting a paltry .043 against him.

5. NY Yankees 29-24 (6) The Bronx Bombers have 6 players with 8 HRs or more, which is a good thing because with the exception of Derek Jeter, a lot of them are hitting under their career averages.  The return of Andy Pettitte has helped the rotation with the loss of Micheal Pineda.  Phil Hughes threw a complete game over the weekend and CC Sabathia is on pace for another 20 win season. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

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Are the Orioles a Real Threat in the AL East?

Jun 3

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Sunday June 3rd, 2012

 

John Burns (MLB reports Intern Candidate):  As we have just entered the month of June, it is worth pointing out that the AL East leader for most of the season has been one of the most surprising teams in the all of baseball so far during this young season.

The Baltimore Orioles, who finished 2011 last in the AL East with a 69-93 record, have emerged as one of the early East leader this seasons. It helps that they have arguably one of the best bullpens in all of baseball, and recently locked up their superstar centerfielder by the name of Adam Jones.

The Orioles currently are 2-8 in their last 10 games, mostly due to the inconsistency of their young starting pitching. But here is why I believe that the Orioles will be in the race for the East longer than most “experts” think: Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

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“Third Base For Life: A Memoir of Fathers, Sons, and Baseball”, By Joshua L. Berkowitz: Baseball Book Review

“Third Base For Life: A Memoir of Fathers, Sons, and Baseball”, By Joshua L. Berkowitz: Baseball Book Review

Jun 3

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Sunday June 3rd, 2012

“THIRD BASE FOR LIFE:  A MEMOIR OF FATHERS, SONS, AND BASEBALL” –  BY JOSHUA L. BERKOWITZ

(Vantage Point Books:  2012)

MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen:  There are very few things in this world that get me emotional in this world. Baseball. Yes, I have a very deep-rooted relationship with the game. For the hardcore fans out there, you definitely know what I mean. But then there is family. My wife. My two boys. That is my ultimate passion. My family is my everything. With my oldest son starting his first season of baseball, I thought that it would be an appropriate time to review Third Base For Life. For like the author of the book Joshua Berkowitz, I don’t just get to watch my son playing baseball. I am also his coach. When I heard about the book, I was very excited. Jewish father, coaching his son and baseball team. This was too good to be true. Being a dad is a role that I take very seriously. It is my most important position. I get to take my children, my boys that I helped bring into this world- to teach them, love them, and help them grow into young men one day. To read about the journey of fatherhood through baseball, this was a book that I could not miss.

To start, here is a blurb on our featured book:

Third Base for Life is the true story of twelve bungling and inept fourth grade boys from a small Jewish day school in Newton, Massachusetts who band together to challenge the top ten-year old baseball talent in the country at Cooperstown Dreams Park, one of the nation’s most prestigious youth tournaments. Every summer since 1996, ten thousand elite players from California to Florida visit Dreams Park in upstate New York to measure themselves against the very best. Major League Baseball’s annual draft is replete with players who at one time in their lives graced the diamonds of Cooperstown.

Third Base for Life is the first hand account of how an ordinary father who has not played baseball since Little League, manages to put together a group of kids from his son’s small religious school and somehow gain admittance into a tournament (and a world) where they simply do not belong. The story spans a year and half of the author’s life as he reluctantly gives into his son’s wishes and, against his better judgment, organizes a team of Jewish “Bad News Bears”. The ragtag group must learn to play baseball, come together as a team, face formidable opponents and deal with tragic illness. Ultimately, as they square off against other teams from across the country whose talent is light-years beyond theirs, the author and the boys learn that losing can bring gifts of its own while finding strength to confront one’s fears can be a reward in and of itself. Read the rest of this entry →

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Wil Myers is Off to a Tremendous Start in the Minors: Royals Prospect is On the Verge

Wil Myers is Off to a Tremendous Start in the Minors: Royals Prospect is On the Verge

Jun 2

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Saturday June 2nd, 2012

Sam Evans: A couple of years ago, the Kansas City Royals had not only the best farm system at the time, but maybe one of the best farm systems in the history of baseball.  Fast forward a few years later and the Royals still have a bright future, and a lot of their prospects have graduated to the major league level. One of their top prospects, Wil Myers, is on the verge of the major leagues after tearing up both Double-A and Triple-A in 2012. If he can stay healthy, he has the potential to become a perennial All-Star.

Wil Myers was born in High Point, North Carolina in December of 1990. After four seasons of baseball at Wesleyan Christian High School, Myers committed to the University of South Carolina, which was at the time, was one of the best baseball programs in the country. After the Royals selected Myers in the third round of the 2009 Amateur draft, it took a $2 million signing bonus to get Myers to turn professional. Despite the high cost, it was evident that the Royals got a very talented player in the third round of a strong draft. Read the rest of this entry →

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Ask the Reports: ATR Answers Your Baseball Questions – June 2nd, 2012

Ask the Reports: ATR Answers Your Baseball Questions – June 2nd, 2012

Jun 2

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Saturday June 2nd, 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:

JH: Before we get to your questions, we have to send a big shout out to the one and only, Johan Santana. We have enjoyed countless e-mails, tweets and comments on the Mets this year. The Mets faithful have been loud and supportive this year and represent the largest fan base we hear from every week. So this little note is for you.

The incredible Santana, in his first year back from major surgery that threatened to de-rail his career, threw a no-hitter. Not just any no-hitter. But the first no-hitter in New York Mets history. Think about that one. It will boggle your mind. The amount of quality pitchers that have pitched for the Mets over the years is astronomical. Nolan Ryan. Tom Seaver. David Cone. Dwight Gooden. Frank Viola. How is it possible that this team had never spun a no-hitter before? Fate and luck are the biggest reasons. It is not that easy to get a no-hitter. Many things have to go right for a no-no to occur. So finally, in the whole history of this franchise, the Mets have a no-hitter of their own. Plus, it came from not just any pitcher, but one of the best pitchers of our generation. Johan Santana. I can’t say enough good things about the man. He has been as solid as they come over his career. From a Twins ace for all those years, Santana came to the Mets to take them to the promised land. But critical shoulder surgery, combined with the team’s other injuries and off-field issues put a damper on the entire teams and its players. The 29-23 Mets have been amazing this year though. With only David Wright as their leading hitter, this team has been incredible. R.A. Dickey. Frank Francisco. Jon Rauch. Bobby Parnell. Daniel Murphy. The Mets just don’t give up. Now with the no-hitter in the books, this season has turned magical for the Mets and its fans. Santana was on fire tonight. Despite giving up 5 walks, he struck out 8 over a complete 9 innings. He needed 134 pitches to complete the no-no. In front of only 27,069 Mets fans, Santana pitched the game of his life on home turf. Lucas Duda with the home run and 4 RBIs. Daniel Murphy with 2 hits and 3 RBIs. The Mets won this one as a team and the city of New York gets to celebrate the reincarnation of the Miracle Mets. At least for 1/3 of a season to start. Well done Johan Santana, we’re proud of you! Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

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Can Canada Support a Second Baseball Franchise in Vancouver?

Can Canada Support a Second Baseball Franchise in Vancouver?

Jun 1

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Friday, June.01/2012

Newly renovated BC Place Stadium with $600 Million Dollars in upgrades, re-opened on Sept.30/2011 and features a 100 by 85 retractable roof. The lights also illuminate different colors both inside and outside of the building. The stadium could be converted to meet MLB specifications.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- At first look you might not think that Vancouver could support a Major League Baseball franchise, but there are a few things to consider.  With a surrounding area population of 2.5 Million, it is one of the biggest cities in the USA or Canada not to have a team. Of course when you are looking at the viability of a franchise submission/or relocation, you must look at the facility that the baseball would be played in.  With newly renovated B.C Place Stadium-(see http://www.bcplacestadium.com/,) and its $600 Million Dollar Renovations, it is one of the most impressive structures in North America now. 

The building itself is estimated to be worth over a billion dollars.  It’s clear, retractable roof, with an incredible look to detail inside the building with 22 inch stadium style seating has all of the modern amenities that a new age fan would want.  The facility features several new Skyboxes for corporate suites, and brand new concession stands that would be an extremely good revenue generator. The stadium’s surface is made up of Field Turf, and could be converted to meet baseball specifications.  This stadium is a turn-key situation unlike any other in North America when it comes to a baseball ready facility.

Major League Baseball has gained in popularity over the last 20 years in the Lower Mainland with turning out MLB’ers like Larry Walker, Jeff Francis , Ryan Dempster and Brett Lawrie all coming from this area.  Also in Canada, you have 3 TV networks that have an all-sports format in www.thescore.ca, www.tsn.ca and www.sportsnet.ca that would gladly love to fill content on their networks by bidding for television rights on a new baseball team in Canada.  There are enough talented sports personalities to fill in solid coverage. Read the rest of this entry →

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Posey or Wieters: Which Young MLB Catcher Has the Bigger Upside? The Friday Faceoff

Posey or Wieters: Which Young MLB Catcher Has the Bigger Upside? The Friday Faceoff

Jun 1

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Friday June 1, 2012

Ryan Ritchey (Baseball Writer): A couple of years ago the Minnesota Twins were talking about moving Joe Mauer to first base, to save his legs. Since he was such a great hitter, the Twins were looking to preserve his bat. That never did happen and the Twins are going down really fast and so is Mauer. The only thing Mauer has been really good for lately is making commercials for Head and Shoulders shampoo and one-liners from video game ads. Joe Mauer has played 9 seasons in the majors and does not have 100 career home runs. Yes he hits for a very high average. But he was supposed to be a great overall hitter. In my opinion, this home-grown Minnesota boy stayed behind the dish too long and now he will never be the same offensive player that he was in ’09. Injuries have taken their toll and the Mauer decline began far sooner than most expected.

The big question for the next two big young catchers is whether they going to stay behind the dish, or undertake a postion change to save their legs…and bats. Buster Posey and Matt Wieters are no doubt the best young catchers in the game right now. Some will look at Mike Napoli, Brian McCann and Alex Avila for that title. But for actual youth, production and potential, Posey and Wieters are the next big things. The only thing is how long will they actually be catchers. If I’m in either the Giants or Orioles front office, I move them as soon as possible. The catcher position is one of the hardest positions in the game and leaving either Posey or Wieters behind the plate too long could prove detrimental. Just look at Joe Mauer as an example of what could happen if you wait. Read the rest of this entry →

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