Monthly Archives: January 2013
Rest In Peace, Ryan Freel
Sunday, January 6th, 2013
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreports
Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206
Ryan Freel, a utility player for eight years from 2001 to 2009, died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound a few weeks ago. Freel will be remembered for his fearless play and highlight-reel catches. Ryan Freel was a player that defined grit, he played baseball the way it was meant to play. Everyone’s thoughts and prayers should be with the Freel family during this time of sadness.
Ryan Freel Highlight Reel Video – Parental Guidance is advised:
MLB Reports Junior Reporter Haley Smilow Interviews Joel Hanrahan
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsSaturday January 5th, 2013
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Haley Smilow was a busy reporter last year. So much so, that we couldn’t keep up with her. In her latest interview from last summer, Haley talked to Joel Hanrahan (of the Pirates back then) about his favorite Ball Parks to Play in, who he doesn’t like to face, what he does for pre and post game rituals, what he likes to cook, what he does on the road. Haley pulls no punches in asking the Relief Pitcher about his life in this candid interview. Amongst other topics discussed were: What Hanrahan does for charity work, what his favorite animal is…etc Read the rest of this entry
The Los Angeles Angels Roster in 2013: State Of The Union
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsSaturday, January.05, 2013
With Trout, Trumbo and Pujols in the lineup for the next decade, plus Hamilton for the next 5 years. I could see the Angels appearing on another top 10 decades win list. Question is will they make a World Series? They have not been to the dance since 2002 when they won it.
Josh Jones (Angels Correspondent): Follow @joshjones4
Look-back at last year: 2012 was a year, much like this upcoming season, with expectations as high as the sky moon. The Halos stole future Hall-of-Famer Albert Pujols and Texas ace C.J. Wilson from their respective 2011 World Series teams and looked to have a strong rotation headed by the trio of Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Wilson. The team fought its way to a 89-73 record, missing the playoffs by a mere four games despite having more wins than the eventual AL Champion Detroit Tigers (Yes, I’m still bitter).
This year, Arte Moreno and the Angels front office decided once again to go big-fish hunting, giving outfielder Josh Hamilton a 5-Year Deal worth $125 Million. Hamilton gave the Angels quite a logjam in the outfield and Designated-Hitter, leading to the trade that sent designated-hitter Kendrys Morales to the Seattle Mariners in return for Jered Weaver’s college teammate and fellow innings-eater Jason Vargas. You can read a post a fellow writer here at the MLB Reports wrote about that very trade here . Angels General Manager Jerry DiPoto also poured some money into the bullpen and back-end of the rotation, signing hurlers Ryan Madson, Sean Burnett and Joe Blanton. .
Albert Pujols Highlights from 2012- Parental Guidance is Advised for watching the video:
The Best DH of All-Time
Like us on Facebook here
Saturday, January 5th, 2013
Martinez had a 3 Slash line of .312/.418/.933. He smacked 309 HRs. 514 Doubles and had 1261 RBI. Will he be the 1st ever Primary DH to be inducted into the Hall? Or will 2247 Career Hits and suspicions of PED Use prevent him from being elected?
Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Intern): Follow @ryandana1
In my previous article examining the decline of the DH position in the AL, I briefly touched on a few great DH’s. Now I will exert my focus on examining who the best DH of all time was. While the DH position may be in a decline, it has experienced good times. To be truly great at one of the hardest things to do in sports, (hit a baseball) is quite an accomplishment whether you play in the field or not. The Top 4 DH’s off all time have to be Harold Baines, Edgar Martinez, Frank Thomas, and David Ortiz. (The ordering just goes from 1st to enter the MLB to last, not who was the best. I will order them in that way later in the article.)
Harold Baines was somewhat of a pioneer of the DH position, as he was one of the early greats. His 22 Year Career started in 1980 with the Chicago White Sox, and ended for the same team in 2001, although he had stints with the Rangers, Athletics, Orioles, and Indians in between. Baines was a regular Outfielder for the White Sox until the ’86 season – where knee problems all but ended his fielding career. With Baines well-rounded, Left-hHanded stroke at the plate, he etched out a place in baseball history that will leave him remembered by many.
Frank Thomas Highlights:
Cincinnati Reds Roster In 2013: State Of The Union
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsFriday, January.04, 2013
The core is as solid as ever and they could potentially attack next year with more speed with some recent trades and Draft Picks. The Reds will be a fast, entertaining team with lots of power from both hitting and defense.
Matt Steinmann (Reds Correspondent): Follow @thesteinmann
97 wins. NL Central Championship. Knocked out of the playoffs by the eventual World Series Champion, San Francisco Giants in the NLDS. That’s the story of the 2012 Cincinnati Reds. Everything that was going so great in the summer of 2012 ended abruptly, leaving many people scratching their heads wondering what went wrong? How did this team, who went 2-0 in San Francisco in the NLDS, come home and lose 3 straight at Great American Ballpark? Having nobody on base when Joey Votto came to the plate didn’t help, but that was only part of the story. Lack of clutch hitting was another problem. You could point fingers at skipper Dusty Baker as well, who did not manage with the sense of urgency that San Francisco’s skipper Bruce Bochy did. Either way, it was a team effort to get where they got, and a team effort on why they didn’t get to where they wanted to be.
Cincinnati Reds: Fan-Made 2012 NL Central Champions Video:
Vargas/Morales Trade Fills Needs For Both Teams
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsFriday, January.04, 2013
Kendrys Morales had a breakout year with the Angels in 2009, where he he hit .306 with 34 HRs and 108 RBI. He also clubbed 43 Doubles and carried an OPS of .924 for the year which propelled him to a top 5 AL MVP Finish. In 2010, he suffered an ankle injury celebrating a Walk-Off Grand Slam in Angels Stadium. His OPS was .778 in 2012, can he regain his previous form in Seattle?
Nicholas Rossoletti (MLB Trade Correspondent): Follow @NRoss56
It is rare in baseball that division rivals complete trades. Most of the time when it does happen, it is a lower end deal involving pieces that neither team is particularly worried will come back to haunt them. This is what makes the Jason Vargas for Kendrys Morales trade so interesting. It is a trade that makes incredible sense for all parties involved, but there is at least some likelihood that either or both players could make their former club regret the move in the short term. Let’s take a closer look at the players involved in the deal and why each club wanted to make this move.
On the Angels side, the team was in dire need of innings they could count on. After acquiring Tommy Hanson and his questionable shoulder as well as losing Zack Greinke to their cross-town rivals, the Dodgers, the Angels needed to find a starter who could give them guaranteed innings. Enter Jason Vargas. Vargas has been good for 190 plus innings over the last three season including over 200 Innings Pitched in 2011 and 2012. Vargas is a back-end of the rotation starter who has one terrific pitch in his arsenal, which is his change-up. Vargas’ change-up is an elite pitch. To help characterize how elite a pitch it can be, we can look to some statistical measures. Per 100 pitches, Vargas saved 2.25 runs over the course of 2012 with his change-up. To understand in comparison, Justin Verlander‘s curveball, what many would consider his “put-away” pitch saved 2.04 runs per 100 pitches in 2012. Now clearly, no one in their right mind is going to positively compare Vargas to Verlander, but in terms of Vargas’ change-up, I think it is important for everyone to understand that he does do something as well if not better than any other pitcher in the Major Leagues.
The Brutal Kendrys Morales injury after a Grand Slam Walk-Off HR:
Adam Lind: Ready For His Last Season in the Big Leagues
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsFriday January 4th, 2013
Adam Lind better hope he continue his decent second half in 2012 for the Jays, where he hit.304 with 4 HRs and 25 RBI in 161 AB after his recall from Las Vegas. As an AL East Contender, the Jays can’t afford any struggles like his 2012 first half. It could be curtains for a Career if he is sent to the Minors.
Jonathan Hacohen (Baseball Writer and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
Living in Toronto, I have watched MANY Adam Lind At-Bats in my time. Watching Adam Lind recently, I start to ponder back to the days of Russ Adams and Josh Towers. Watching each of these players (hit and pitch respectively), I continually asked myself one question: how do these guys still have jobs? Perhaps the manager really likes them. Perhaps the organization sees immense potential. I am not really sure, but eventually the Adams and Towers bubbles came to burst. In 2013, I sense the same thing will happen to Adam Lind.
Ryan Braun: Setting His Sights As An ALL-Time Brewers Great
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsThursday January 3rd, 2013
Ryan Braun’s 162 Game Average is scary for Pitches. .37 HRs, 118 RBI, 113 Runs Scored, 41-2B, 23 SB, 200 Hits and a .313/.374/.943 Slash Line.
Ben Dobson ( Baseball Writer and Brewers Correspondent): Follow @brewerpride06
1982….Mention this date to any Brewers fan and immediately you will witness a smile and a nod of the head. Very little has to be said that isn’t communicated with that simple smile and subtle shake of the head. Harvey’s Wallbangers; Cecil Cooper, Paul Molitor, Robin Yount, Gorman Thomas and Ben Oglivie to name a few. Coming off a (3-2) AL Division Series loss to the Yankees in 81′ the Brewers stormed in to 82′ ready to make amends. The Brewers began 82′ slowly going (23-24), thus Harvey Kuenn replaced Buck Rodgers. The Brewers made history going forward posting a (72-43) record leading the league in runs and HRs. This team poured it all out on the field before losing in Game 7 of the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals. Yount, Molitor and Cooper will forever be household names associated with the epic ’82 team.
Fast-Forward 26 years….2008 & 2011….The Brewers finally made it back to the postseason. This time the club was led by Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Corey Hart and Rickie Weeks. These were both magical years but neither year ended in a World Series appearance. The constant and consistent cog of these two playoff teams was Ryan Braun. The “Hebrew Hammer” lead the team in batting both playoff years and put up power numbers as well as speed numbers. This perennial All-Star continues to perform as one of the best in the game, but how does Ryan Braun compare to the 82′ heroes of Yount, Molitor and Cooper. The following statistics were taken during 6 consecutive seasons for each player (only exception is the 84′ season for Molitor who was limited to 13 games, 85′ season was substituted).
Ryan Braun Highlights in 2012: Suggestive Mature Lyrics-Parental Guidance Advised:
Juan Pierre: The Unappreciated Stolen Base Master
Thursday January 3rd, 2012
Juan Pierre is one of the most prolific hitters in terms of base hits in the last 12 years along with being the Active Leader for Career Stolen Bases (591). Pierre has 4-200 hit seasons on his resume. He also strikes out only about 1 time every 18 PA (452 SO in 7950 PA). He is a .297 Career hitter, with 2141 Hits and has scored 1039 Runs.
Jake Dal Porto (Baseball Writer) Follow @TheJakeMan24//
Remember Juan Pierre? The guy who’s the definition of consistent? Yeah, that’s him. He now resides in Miami with a bleak Marlins’ crop of players. At 34-Years-Old, he is not entirely irrelevant, and could turn out to be a worthwhile signing for the Marlins. Yes I know, he’s not the big bopper that garners the media and headlines, but his career isn’t one to disregard.
Let me enlighten you…
For Pierre, it all started in Colorado where broke into the majors at 22 years of age, and instantly caught the eye of the baseball world thanks to a solid rookie year with the Rockies. After spending some time as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement, he eventually overtook Colorado’s leadoff spot. He finished the season with a triple slash of .310/.353/.320, and swiped a modest seven bases.
Juan Pierre Feature Video-Beast Mode:
Major League: Revisiting One of the Greatest Baseball Movies of All Time
Like us on Facebook here
Follow @mlbreportsThursday January 3rd, 2013
Larry Myers (Guest Writer): Follow @TribeFanz1969
This is my first (and hopefully not my last) article on the MLB Reports. Growing up as an Indians fan and also a fan of movies, I have always wanted to write a baseball article. One day I was chatting with Jonathan Hacohen (Founder of MLB Reports), about baseball movies. He told me to write something about it, so here I am. Major league the movie changed my life and many others. It is a timeless classic that deserves to be revisited again today.
1989 was a very good year for me and many other people, as two great baseball movies came out that year. Once was the classic Field Of Dreams with Kevin Costner. Then there was that other movie, Major League. Being a lifetime Cleveland Indians fan, I had to go see this movie when it first came out. I wasn’t expecting too much considering the cast and the plot of the movie. This was the type of movie that critics hated, but fans of baseball would love. I felt that it would turn out to be a cult classic, which it has. After seeing the movie for the first time, I consider Major League one of the finest baseball comedies of all time. Plus, it does have a great cast.
*This Clip Contains Swearing and Other Mature Content, Parental Guidance Is Advised*
Billy Butler: The Consistent Royal
Like us on Facebook here
Thursday January 3rd, 2013
Billy Butler (Country Breakfast) heads into 2013 with a .300 Career Average and coming off a personal best year of 107 RBI in 2012. The big DH is perhaps the 2nd best player for the position in the AL next to Big Papi.
Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer): Follow @BernieOlshansky
For the past few seasons, the Kansas City Royals have not had a lot of consistency. The pitching has been sub-par, and the hitting has been disappointing. But, there has been one guy the Royals have been able to rely on: Billy Butler. Butler, a First Round pick in the MLB Amateur Draft (14th Overall), is not the type of player that is a household name, but he gets the job done—very well for that matter. Not much attention has been paid to Butler, probably because of the lack of success that the Royals have had. From 2009 to 2012, Butler has played in no less than 158 Games—something that is very valuable to a team. His worst season (power-wise) in that 4 Year span was 2010, in which he hit .318 with 15 HRs and 78 RBI. In 2012, Butler was outstanding, hitting .313 with 29 HRs and 107 RBI. This season included his first All Star Game Appearance and a Silver Slugger Award.
In terms of defense, Butler has been squeezed out. The rise of star prospect Eric Hosmer eliminated any possibility of Butler playing First base. Butler did not play much defense before Hosmer came up anyway, but the call-up solidified this. Now, Butler is the everyday DH, similar to a David Ortiz-type. He occasionally gets some time in the field, notably in 2012 when Hosmer was mired in a deep slump. If Butler was more versatile, maybe he would be more recognized and could receive the attention he deserves. When Ortiz retires soon, Butler may take the reigns as the best DH in the game.
Billy Butler 2012 Highlights
What To Expect From The Brewers OF Norichika Aoki In 2013
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013
Like us on Facebook here
Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206
Norichika Aoki entered 2012 as the 4th Outfielder in Milwaukee. By the time the season ended, Aoki was the 27th ranked outfielder on ESPN’s Fantasy Baseball Player Rater. It’s not very often a player with no minor league experience makes the kind of impact Aoki did in his first season. In 2013, Aoki will need to replicate his numbers from last year in order to stay as a top 30 outfielder in fantasy baseball. With his rare combination of speed, runs, and to a lesser extent power, Aoki has the tools to repeat his success again in 2013.
The Sad State Of The DH Position In 2012 And Probably Going Forward
Like us on Facebook here
Tuesday January 1st, 2013
David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox is one of the few players to have a lengthy and successful career almost exclusively from the DH position. He was The Sporting News DH of the decade in 2009. As his career winds down, who will be the next great DH?
Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Intern): Follow @RyanDana1
The Designated Hitter in the American League has morphed into many different roles for teams over the years since its adoption in 1973. At times it has been used to put lethal bats into the lineup without having to put the player’s subpar defense on the field too. At times the DH was a great place to use aging veterans who could still hit, but could not handle the rigors of playing every day in the field and stay healthy at the same time. The former use of the DH has been more common amongst larger market teams, and the latter more common avenue for smaller market teams to take. Not all that long ago, the DH was a position of prominence and was a great advantage to teams that had one of the league’s best, but there has been a recent trend that has put the DH position into a role of diminished importance.
There are a lot of things happening in Major League Baseball that have contributed to the decline of the DH in one way or another. For one, the “steroid era” has seemed to fade and gone are the days of 16 players hitting 40+ HRs a year (like in 2000). Not to bring up a debate about steroids, but there were only 6 players in 2012 that hit 40+ HRs, and only 15 players to accomplish this in the past 4 seasons combined. So whether the reason for the decline in HRs is a decline in steroid use, or something completely different, the numbers are the numbers regardless. There has simply been a decline in availability of players to fill what was the prototypical, power hitting, DH of the past. Power numbers are down, and aging sluggers seem to be aging faster in recent times.
David Ortiz Highights:
MLB Reports 
You must be logged in to post a comment.