Author Archives: Jonathan Hacohen
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives July 1, 2015 – July 31, 2015 (Episodes 981 – 1011)
Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1252 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 981 – 1011 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
We will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans. Check out all his Archived info here.
Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.
Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter Follow @sullybaseball
To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.
To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE. Read the rest of this entry
Marwin Gonzalez, A Man Of Many Talents, Versatility, and A Fantasy Baseball Sleeper
The Houston Astros finished second in the Majors with 230 HRs as a club in 2015, based on 11 guys with 10+ HRs – and 2 more players with 9. Houston will try to cut down on leading the American League with 1392 Strikeouts in 2015, that came from 7 different guys possessing over 100+ Strikeouts each. The squad also led the AL with SB in 121. As a sign of a complete team, Marwin Gonzalez was a perfect compliment to the starters, clubbing 12 HRs and adding 34 RBI among a .759 OPS in his 344 AB for 2015.
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest
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Many fantasy owners overlook the value of Houston Astros utility man, Marwin Gonzalez. At only 27 years old, he should be entering his prime in the next few years and will make a big impact for many fantasy baseball owners.
Gonzalez provides positional versatility that could take your fantasy baseball roster to the next level. In 2015, he played 15 games in left field, 15 games at second base, 21 games at third base, 32 games at shortstop, and 43 games at first base.
Based off of normal fantasy baseball positional requirements (minimum of 10 games for positional eligibility), Marwin Gonzalez will be eligible at every infield position and the outfield (left field specifically).
While Marwin Gonzalez has a lot of value in his positional eligibility, he also has tons of value in his ability to produce above average statistics. To view the rest of the article, click the link below:
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Larry McLean’s Unusual Baseball Contract Demand
Andrew Martin (Featured Baseball Writer/Owner – baseballhistorian.blogspot.com) Follow @historianandrew
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Haggling over contracts is nothing new in professional baseball. For years, players and management have gone back and forth over getting the perceived upper hand when it comes to determining worth.
In the days before free agency and player representation, teams could more or less dictate the terms, which could lead to some pretty unhappy exchanges and counter proposals.
Perhaps none were as bizarre as hard-drinking catcher Larry McLean, who tried to negotiate the payment of 25 cents for every drink he refused during the 1911 season with the Cincinnati Reds.
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Robinson Cano: Fantasy Sleeper, Bounce Back, And Ready To Return To An Elite Second Base Option
Robinson Cano enters year 3 of a 10 season contract. So far his arrival has not corresponded into a playoff berth. The Mariners now hold the longest playoff drought in the Major Leagues. The Second Baseman will need to return to a MVP caliber style of play if the franchise wants to be players in the AL West.
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest
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Many fantasy baseball owners thought that Robinson Cano was starting to regress last year as he struggled through injuries that affected his first half of the 2015 season, but it looks as if they were wrong. In the first half of 2015, he hit only .251 and struggled to produce his typical run production.
This rough first half was due to an abdominal strain and a terrible stomach condition that affected his energy. Cano was quoted saying that some days he could barely drink water without feeling like he was going to get sick, which shows that his energy wasn’t at a normal level.
This stomach condition lasted much longer than a typical illness, but not many people were aware of this. Following the all-star break, he entered the second half and posted a .331 batting average.
Once he recovered from his bizarre illness, Cano was back to himself. He finished the 2015 season hitting .287 with 21 home runs, 79 RBI’s, 82 runs, and a .334 OBP. To read the rest of the article, click the link below:
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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Aug 1, 2014 – Aug 31, 2014 (Episodes 647 – 677)
Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1251 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 647 – 677 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
We will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans. Check out all his Archived info here.
Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.
Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter Follow @sullybaseball
To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.
To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Aug 1, 2015 – Aug 31, 2015 (Episodes 1012 – 1042)
Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1251 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 1012 – 1042 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
We will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans. Check out all his Archived info here.
Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.
Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter Follow @sullybaseball
To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.
To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE. Read the rest of this entry
Get Ready For Another MLB Year Of Runs Scoring Survivor In 2016
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
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This should turn out to be quite fun. A lot of gambling establishments have this sort of deal, and we will keep a running total of this on a daily basis, in addition to MLB Shutout Survivor, Who Owned Baseball (Daily MVP of the pitcher/hitter in both the American and National League) and also our Interleague results.
What Runs Survivor is: A MLB team scoring 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, 10 or (10+) (in different games throughout the course of the season.
Once a club has one of these run totals once, you cross it off and keep going until they complete the 11 different variations.
A Bold Italic illustrates it has been done for runs by the club.
Previous Winners include the SF Giants, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels and Toronto Blue Jays all over the last 4 years.
My money in 2016 would have to be on the Baltimore Orioles who could score a lot of runs, but also whiff so fast against top pitchers, that they would be able to rack up the lower run efforts along with the high end scoring totals.
The hardest total to pick off is scoring 9 runs.
We will also be doing the MLB Shutout Survivor as well. I would peg 2014 and 2015 winners (Toronto) as the last team to be blanked yet again. Read the rest of this entry
Spring Training Standouts In 2016
CARGO’s battering mate Nolan Arenado emerged as the premiere 3B in the National League in 2015 – 3 Slashing .287/.323/.575 – with a league leading 42 HRs and 130 RBI. At 24 next year, he is coming off both a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger year. Can he hold on until the club becomes competitive before losing his patience with the organization?
Shane Kay (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – sonsof84tigers.mlblogs.com) Follow @sonsof84tigers
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No one puts a whole lot of faith in to spring numbers and rightfully so, but that doesn’t mean it’s not fun to look at the numbers as long as you don’t take them too realistically. I like to look at batting average, hits, homers, and RBI for hitters and just ERA and strike outs for pitchers.
ERA isn’t a great indicator with the innings restrictions on these guys but at least we get an idea what’s working and what isn’t. Here are the standouts as of 3.23…
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Will The San Francisco Giants’ Aggressive Winter Lead To Big Results?
Matt Musico (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – chinmusicbaseball.com) Follow @mmusico8
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Throughout any given winter, it’s sometimes difficult to figure out what certain MLB front offices are trying to accomplish. The San Francisco Giants were definitely not one of them this past offseason.
After all, it’s an even year. They have a reputation to uphold. Following an 84-78 record in 2015, San Francisco was one of the winter’s biggest spenders, which doesn’t happen very often.
With so many major acquisitions made by the Giants, Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers, the NL West was undoubtedly one of baseball’s busiest divisions this past winter. On paper, the Giants are a favorite to return to the postseason and keep the even-year trend alive. However, these moves are the epitome of high risk, high reward.
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Musings On Yesterday’s Game In Cuba: Rays vs National Team
Chris Kabout (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – yankeebiscuitfansdutchblog.mlblogs.com) Follow @dutch_ball
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Even though my mind wasn’t really in baseball mode after the crap that happened in Brussels yesterday (Brussels is across the border about an hour from where I live, so it is getting very close), I still wanted to see the historic game between the Cuban national team and the Tampa Bay Rays.
Overall the game itself wasn’t that exciting as the Rays were too strong without really flexing their muscles. The result also shows that Cuban baseball has deteriorated in the past two decades.
Not only because of all the defectors but also because the highest league in Cuba is simply too big for the number of talented players. Back in the nineties, when Cuba played the Orioles, the team managed to win one game.
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Three Sleeper Boston Red Sox Prospects For 2016
Andrew Martin (Featured Baseball Writer/Owner – baseballhistorian.blogspot.ca) Follow @historianandrew
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The Boston Red Sox enter the 2016 season with a revamped major league roster, having landed some significant talent this past offseason. At the same time they have been able to maintain a well-stocked farm system that no less an authority than Baseball America has ranked as fourth-best in baseball this year.
While many will be familiar with some of their better known prospects, their young talent pool is so deep that there are many who have largely flown under the radar thus far in their young careers but may start to get more recognition.
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A-Rod Will Retire After ’17
Jerome Miron/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
Ground Rule Triple Blog (Featured BBBA Website – groundruletriple.com)
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Whether you like it or not, you can’t argue that Alex Rodriguez is definitely a symbol of the game of baseball, whether you believe that is negative due to PEDs or positive due to his illustrious career.
Alex Rodriguez announced Wednesday afternoon that he will play out the rest of his 10-year $275 million contract with the New York Yankees and then retire, which would be after next season, following the footsteps of fellow longtime Yankees Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, and Mariano Rivera.
The 40-year-old slugger has played 20 years in the MLB thus far–11 with the Yankees and counting, 7 with the Mariners, and 3 with the Rangers. He’s a 14x All-Star, 3x AL MVP, 2x Gold Glover, 10x Silver Slugger, and a 4x Hank Aaron award winner.
He was a part of that Yankees 2009 squad that won the Fall Classic, and he has proceeded to…
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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Apr 1, 2015 – Apr 30, 2015 (Episodes 890 – 919)
Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1245 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 890 – 919 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
We will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans. Check out all his Archived info here.
Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.
Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter Follow @sullybaseball
To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.
To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE. Read the rest of this entry
Mookie Betts Could Be The Best Player In Fantasy Baseball For 2016
Perhaps the best name in baseball, Mookie Betts, could find himself at the top of fantasy baseball rankings following the upcoming 2016 season.
Before we get into my reasons why, let me highlight the background of one of the most exciting players in baseball. Mookie Betts was born in Nashville, Tennessee on October 7th, 1992 (23 years old).
He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 5th round of the 2011 MLB Draft.
After tearing his way through the minor leagues, he made his debut on June 29th, 2014. Since then, Betts has done nothing but climb the ranks in fantasy baseball and prove to many owners that he is an incredibly versatile asset.
To read the reason why Betts could be the best player in fantasy baseball in 2016, click the link below:
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2016 Fantasy Baseball Seasonal/Re-Draft Rankings
Bryce Harper emerged as the premiere player in the National League during the 2015 season. At Age 22, he 3 Slashed .330/.460/.649 with 42 HRs. 38 – 2B. 118 Runs Scored and 124 Walks. His plate discipline is incredible, and he pulled off these numbers despite the rest of the club battling injuries and lackluster play. If they can all up their game, Harper’s talent will be elevated even higher. Harper won his 1st MVP Award in 2015.
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest
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The following rankings are for seasonal fantasy baseball leagues. Seasonal leagues are the same as re-draft leagues and don’t take into account keeping any players in future years. I have compiled my rankings based off of the scoring I use for the league I created last year (You can find it in the “links” of my blog called “USFBA”).
It is based on head to head scoring with the following categories: OBP, HR, R, RBI, SB, SO, SLUG, Total Bases… Quality Start %, H/9, BB/9, Total K’s, ERA, WHIP, Holds, Saves. The “position” column is based on each players eligible position(s) for the 2016 season.
In order to qualify for a specific position, they must have played 10 games at that position in 2015. Click the link below to see the rankings:
Please tweet me with any questions you may have
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Don Mattingly Gives David Wright Confidence for Upcoming Season
Doug Mills/The New York Times
Freddy Vasquez (Featured Baseball Writer/Owner – metshotcorner.com) Follow @metshotcorner
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David Wright has a very challenging 2016 season in his sights. The talk around baseball this Spring Training is if he is able to be on the field for 100 games, it’s a successful year.
To combat the naysayers, Wright spent a month in California exploring techniques and developing a game plan for a daily regimen to get him ready to play with limited or no effort outside of the ordinary preparation.
Wright himself stated, “So far, so good”, and with that I will have the utmost confidence in our Captain.
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Dodgers Dropping Like Flies In Spring Training
Elsa/Getty Images
(Featured Baseball Website – behindenemylines32.blogspot.com) Follow @3BugBooks
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Dodgers are feeling the pain.
If you’re a Dodger fan and you’re squeamish, you might want to avert your eyes. As Opening Day approaches, the injuries are coming in at a freakish clip, which is not something a club wants to see this close to breaking camp.
All the depth the front office has been stockpiling might very well get tested earlier than expected.
Candidates for the fifth spot in the rotation are on a downward spiral.
Training camp barely began when the Dodger pitching staff started taking a hit. First to go down was Brett Anderson with back surgery.
So Alex Wood moved up to occupy Anderson’s fourth slot, and then promptly felt tightness in his left forearm. He missed one start and then returned, but it’s hard to tell if he’s really healthy since he revealed he was secretly playing with a sore ankle pretty much from the day he arrived last season in the trade with the Braves. Fishy.
Then the Hyun-Jin Ryu setbacks started up, and it’s deja- vu, you know, that feeling when the team keeps on pushing back his return timetable until it finally announces he needs surgery…again. Let’s hope not.
The team says it will be at least June before Ryu sees a major league mound, so the fifth slot, just like last season, is a black hole.
In the early-going, it was fun watching guys compete for the #5, now it’s just scary.
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Projected Top 5 Home Run Hitters In Major League Baseball For 2016
Giancarlo Stanton should contend for the NL HR championship crown in 2016. He is capable of cracking 40 – 50 HRs if he can play a year completely healthy. The Marlins are lucky to have one of the best young hitters in the game on offense. We will predict he will lead the overall MLB as well. Stanton cracked 27 HRs in just 74 Games Played in 2015 before a broken hand derailed his last three months of the season.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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So I think I fared fairly well from my prognostications of last HR leaders last year – although I was seriously off on Mark Trumbo and George Springer and of course Nelson Cruz did not slow down in 2015.
I almost nailed the totals for the top 1 – 4 in the AL. Bryce Harper did emerge. I also said that Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista would be near the top of the list of near misses, but those continued to be productive past that.
So it comes to another year of figuring out this maze of the top power hitters. I still believe that if Giancarlo Stanton remains healthy for a full season – that he will bomb 50 HRs. I am picking him to be the National League Leader. Read the rest of this entry
Carlos Correa, Corey Seager And Others Could Be Ushering In The Next Golden Age at Shortstop
Carlos Correa was the 1st overall pick in the 2012 Amateur Draft for the Houston Astros. He came up in early June and proceeded to win the American League Rookie Of The Year Award with a 3 Slash of .279/.345/.512 with 22 HRs (led all shortstops in the MLB) and 22 Doubles in just 99 Games. This type of production will change the complexion of the team for the next 6 years. He is just going to be 21 for all of next season – and he looks exactly like a young Alex Rodriguez. In his 1st postseason action, Correa smacked 2 HRs in that pivotal game 4 of the ALDS for Houston, staking them to a 6 – 2 lead before the Bullpen gave up the game.
Matt Musico (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – chinmusicbaseball.com) Follow @mmusico8
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What’s the most important position on a baseball diamond? The answer you get will likely depend on whom you ask.
It’s no secret that championship-caliber teams must be strong up the middle – catcher, pitcher, center field, shortstop and second base – to be successful. While I think having a quality catcher is a team’s most important asset, it’s tough to argue against shortstop being next in line.
As many people in fantasy baseball circles know, finding a player that can be an elite hitter without being a defensive liability at this position is difficult to find.
Over the past few years, it’s basically been Troy Tulowitzki and then everyone else. Tulo is still around and will be a great option with the Toronto Blue Jays, but there are already some young big-league shortstops – along with others on the cusp of getting promoted – that will make this position deep with elite options.
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Recap Of Spring Training Injuries
(Featured BBBA Website – groundruletriple.com)
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Opening Day is getting closer which means Spring Training a couple of weeks away from its end. As always, players on nearly every team suffer small and some major injuries during Spring Training.
The question from the fans will be whether these injuries will last into the regular season and prevent them from starting the season on the Opening Day roster. Let’s take a look at the teams who have had some more major injuries this spring and their timetable:
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Odds To Win The MLB Divisions In 2016: Best Value Bets
Should win between 82 – 85 games in my view – and is the best odds on the board for this wagering in any category this week. Picking them to win the AL East for a +1200 is full value.
Hunter Stokes (BBBA Featured Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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Bad Value – Red Block
Good Value – Blue Block
AL East
As stated in an article this week, I am loving the value of the O’s across the board. Picking them to win the Division at +1200 should be ranked 1st, to win the American League Pennant at +2800 is 2nd – and to win the World Series at +5000 is third.
Since Baltimore would have a tough NL matchup for the Fall Classic, the best cash should be thrown on the AL East win, then to win the Pennant.
Boston and Toronto are both listed at 87.5 regular season win odds – whereas the Jays are favored to win over that amount just slightly ahead of the Sox. Here they are evenly slated.
David Price is a regular season beast, and Craig Kimbrel solidifies the Bullpen, but I just can’t put money behind them winning this Division.
It was a good job by BET365 handicapping the AL East
Boston Red Sox +175 (6)
Toronto Blue Jays +175
NY Yankees +350
TB Rays +800
Baltimore Orioles +1200 (1)
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ESPN’s Baseball Tonight’s Top 100 MLB Players
(Feature Website – 216clevelandgirl.blogspot.ca) Follow @clevelandgirl23
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(Michael Brantley Ranked 80th)
I wasn’t expecting Baseball Tonight to start its Top 100 countdown so soon. Usually, they do that over two days at the end of spring training, both online and in a TV special.
Now, the Top 100 reveal is taking place over 10 days, from March 15-24. every morning, a new set of 10 players, beginning with #100-91, is posted on ESPN.com.
When it’s time for the Top 10 to be announced on March 24, that will occur on a special edition of Baseball Tonight at 10 pm EST on ESPN2 and WatchESPN.
much like the change in the publication of this list, the way in which it was constituted differs from last year as well. a panel of 70 ESPN experts (vs. 60 previously), including MLB writers, analysts, and contributors, were polled in February and March after being given a list of more than 350 MLB players (vs. 600 last year).
These experts evaluated the players by assigning them a number from 0 to 10 based on player projections for 2016.
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Exclusive Interview With Houston Astros Outfielder, Preston Tucker
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest
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Today’s interview is with Houston Astros outfielder, Preston Tucker. I would like to thank Preston for being such a down to earth guy and taking the time to do this interview.
We met at FanFest in Houston and he has been incredibly nice and helpful since. While he is a great baseball player, I could tell he is an even better person after meeting him in person and talking on the phone.
I have enjoyed getting to know Preston more throughout the interview process and I wish him the best of luck in this upcoming season. He has a very bright future on and off the field.
Before jumping into his interview, I have highlighted his background below. To see the interview please click the link below:
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MLB Betting Specials: # Of No-Hitters, Will There Be A Guy With 50 Saves Or 16 Strikeouts In A Game For 2016?
Max Scherzer threw 2 no-hitters in 2015, and carried no – no’s into the late innings on a few other occasions. It seems every night there is a no – hit watch, so 4.5 on the over/under for the year seems like a big no-brainer to throw down some cabbage on. In 2015 alone, there were 7 no-hitters hurled out. At +115, it will pay you $1.15 for every dollar wagered
Hunter Stokes (MLB Reports Part Owner + Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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# Of No-Hitters For 2016 MLB Over/Under 4.5
Yes: +115 or No: -115
This is a resounding yes in my view. In 2015, Max Scherzer threw 2 no-no’s, and could have easily thrown 2 more. This was 2 of 7 doled out last campaign.
Mike Fiers, Cole Hamels, Jake Arrieta, Hisashi Iwakuma and Chris Heston also cemented their place in history by accomplishing the feat.
There are so many teams that are loaded with HR happy clubs that have plenty of swing and miss candidates like the Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles. This also brings us to our next stat. Read the rest of this entry
Bat Flips, Pumped Fists, And Change In Baseball Culture
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest
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Earlier this week, some of the league’s biggest superstars spoke out on how the culture of baseball needs to change. This charge was lead by players such as Bryce Harper, Jose Bautista, Jose Fernandez, Chris Archer, Carlos Correa,
and Yoenis Cespedes. All of these players have one thing in common, they love to show emotion on the field. Unfortunately, the culture of baseball frowns upon those who celebrate too much following a home run or pumping their fist after a big strikeout.
Perhaps the game would be even more exciting if there was more emotion on the field by other players, but as for now, this is not the norm. To hear more about the analysis from the players, please click the link below:
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The 2016 Baltimore Orioles May Break The ALL – Time Single Year Team Homer Record
Hunter Stokes (BBBA Featured Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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Last season the Baltimore Orioles cranked out 217 jacks to finish 3rd in the Major Leagues behind the Toronto Blue Jays (232 HRs) and Houston (230 HRs).
Since the end of the year they have added Pedro Alvarez and Mark Trumbo. These guys have several years of clubbing 25+ HRs each.
The squad also has the reigning AL HR champ of Chris Davis at 47, while Manny Machado bashed out 35 big flies to tie for 13th overall last year (Yoenis Cespedes and David Ortiz also smacked 35 longballs).
J.J. Hardy is capable of hitting 20+ HRs in a year despite his production being hampered by injury the last few seasons.
Matt Wieters compiled 20+ HR campaigns in each of the 2011 – 2013 seasons – before battling to recapture his power streak after Tommy John Surgery.
Nolan Reimold may hit 1st or 9th depending on the pitcher, and he has shown a penchant for hitting a ball beyond the fence as well.
Playing in a home park like Camden Yards helps. Having road games in Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park and the Rogers Centre for an additional 26 – 27 contests also bodes well. Read the rest of this entry
BBBA Live Podcast – Year 2 Ep #4 – AL West Preview
BBA Live is the flagship Podcast of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance since 2015
4
BBA Live! is entering its second season. Listen in as AC Wayne is again joined by Ricky Keeler of Yanks Go Yard and District On Deck (Nats). Tonight, we showcase the AL West as well as all the latest news and headlines throughout the league. Guest, as always. is Rich Rivera of Mets Public Record.
Follow and subscribe to the podcast http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mets-public-record
A casual look at Major League Baseball and The New York Mets. Call-in! #347-326-9300
Bugs Raymond: A Baseball Legend
image – dugoutlegends.com
Andrew Martin (Featured Baseball Writer/Owner – baseballhistorian.blogspot.ca) Follow @historianandrew
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Professional baseball is rife with legends and ciphers that have popped up over the years. Although most of them may not reach the level of a Sidd Finch, there have been many whose stories have vacillated between the humorous and the tragic.
Bugs Raymond was an outstanding pitcher who fits into both categories; whose escapades that became legendary even as he battled alcoholism and wound up murdered at the age of 30.
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The Curious Case Of ‘Mets Thrower’ Josh Smoker
Freddy Vasquez (Featured Baseball Writer/Owner – metshotcorner.com) Follow @metshotcorner
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With two spots open in the bullpen, Josh Smoker is hoping he can prove his worth and snag a spot on the big league roster. But what makes his story interesting is not that he hits 97 mph on the gun at spring training, but rather the events that took place to get him there.
Smoker was a former #1 draft pick for the Washington Nationals, but injuries would lead to shoulder surgeries and eventually his release from the team in 2012.
After playing for the Frontier League in 2014, and proving his shoulder was better than before, MLB teams were still not interested enough to take a look at Josh and retirement seemed on the horizon.
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Father And Son Milwaukee Brewers Connection – Eric Young And Eric Young Jr.
Chris Zantow (Featured BBBA Baseball Writer/Owner – chriszantowauthor.wordpress.com ) Follow @zantow_chris
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On January 5, 2016, Eric Young Jr. quietly signed a contract with the Milwaukee Brewers with an invitation to spring training in the big-league camp.
I say quietly because most reporters gave the signing an obligatory two or three paragraph article after it was first mentioned December 31, and finalized a few days later.
Of course there is more to this signing than meets the eye since his father once played for the Brewers. So today on the blog I’d like to provide a bit more depth and backstory than has been reported so far.
To tell Junior’s story, first let’s go back and take a look at his father’s story and stint with the Brewers.
Eric Young, or ‘EY’ as he was nicknamed and will be referred to going forward, had a pretty good career in the big leagues and played for 15 seasons all told. He was born in Brunswick, New Jersey, and stuck around to play both baseball and football at Rutgers.
EY decided to pursue a career in baseball and was drafted in the 43rd round of the 1989 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yup, you read that right – the 43rd round.
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