The Tigers will host ALCS Games 3, 4 and 5 at Comerica Park, where they were 51 – 30 this season. The Red Sox had a 2013 Road Record of 44 – 37. The Tigers remain slight favorites heading into Game #3 – and for the ALCS in general. The Tigers are also 8 – 5 at home in their last 13 Playoff Games from 2011 – now.
By Matthew Lafave (Tigers Correspondent) Follow @MatthewLafave
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter: Follow @Mlbreports
We all know what happened in Game 2. Do you need a reminder? His name is David Ortiz.
Alright, that is enough of that.
The series is tied 1-1 as we are now looking at a best-of-5 series. The positive, besides Justin Verlander, is that the next 3 games are in Detroit.
If the Tigers can win 2 of the 3 at home, that’ll give them a 3-2 series lead heading back to Boston with Scherzer and Verlander ready to go for Game 6 and 7.
Seems pretty possible eh?
Ozzie Guillen is a smart manager that deflects the media in his direction when the club is struggling and praised their efforts when doing well. With 20% of the players having already played for him in Miami of 2012, he would have a smooth transition as the bench boss in Toronto. With national media following around the club, in the country of Canada, he is the best choice! His Manager style is better suited for the American League anyway. If the Jays don’t hire him, another team should give this guy a chance to manage once again.
Hunter Stokes (Featured Baseball Columnist): Follow @stokes_hunter21
It is that time of year where all the coaches who are not playing the game of baseball still, should wonder whether or not they still have a job.
Well, honestly, the coaching carousel should definitely add a few victims to the list.
For the love of god too, stop talking about Don Mattingly as a bad coach. Last time I checked, dude is still in the Post Season.
2013 was not an easy road traveled for Atlanta. The Braves suffered so many injuries and set backs this season that I think a lot of us almost forget about the ones that happened earlier on in the year. Johnny Venters never even threw a regular season pitch this year and he has been our premiere set up man. Eric O’Flaherty threw his last pitch somewhere around the middle of May against this very Dodger team at Turner Field.
By Bob McVinua (Special Guest Braves Writer – visit his website here): Follow @tomahawkchop95
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
At the point after Eric O’Flaherty went down, many of us Braves fans began to panic and wonder how Fredi Gonzalez would get the ball to arguably the best closer
in all of baseball Craig Kimbrel. What happened after that? The Braves would still go on to post the best bullpen ERA in all of baseball and on top of that set a franchise record for the same mark.
Jason Heyward missed significant time as did Brian McCann. Freddie Freeman spent a couple of weeks on the disabled list and still drove in over 100 runs on the season.
BJ Upton and Dan Uggla struggled throughout most of the 2013 season and BJ was one of the players expected to make a huge impact when he signed with the Braves this winter and it just never happened.
Other players stepped up and young players assumed roles that were well beyond the original expectations of them in 2013.
No one panicked and no one quit and as a fan I am appreciative of the heart and effort this team always put forth.
The Dodgers Celebrate winning the NLDS Series versus Atlanta (At Turner Field)
The Nationals failed to meet expectations as the Preseason favorites to lock down the World Series in 2013. Heck, they didn’t even qualify for the playoffs. Whether it was injury, or complacency, the talent of this team didn’t maximize their potential this year. However, the club did go 24 – 12 in their last 36 Games Played, and made a late charge at the 2nd Wild Card Spot in the Nationals League. Most of the nucleus is coming back for the 2014 year. Here are some priorities for the winter.
By David Huzzard (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): Follow @davidhuzzard
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
1. Find a Manager
There are moves that can be made without a new manager in place, but this is the most important thing the Nationals have to do this off-season. Not having the leader of the team will make all the other moves more difficult.
Players want to know who they are playing for and the manager is going to have a lot of input into what free agents the Nationals go after for the bench and bullpen, which happen to be their two biggest needs personnel-wise.
It is also important to get the new manager in place early so that he has an entire off-season to communicate with the players already in the majors and to familiarize himself with the system and the minor leaguers that could help during the season.
For all of the Rosters, Depth Charts, State of the Unions and Salaries that we do, please visit our dedicated page link here.
Jordan Zimmermann Interview
Victor Martinez took exception to Grant Balfour blurbing something under his breath. Martinez has been around long enough to know that this is part of the Aussie’s act, however, when you hear the verbal exchange, you get a sense that something set off V-Mart. The Tigers ended up losing the game 6 – 3, and now face elimination in Game #4 at Comerica Park tonight, with Doug Fister towing the hill against Dan Straily. The Tigers are favored at -151.
By Matthew Lafave (Tigers Correspondent) Follow @MatthewLafave
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter: Follow @Mlbreports
The first postseason game in Detroit didn’t go as expected. It wasn’t even due to the 1:00 PM start time either.
Tigers Anibal Sanchez went only 4 1/3 innings and gave up home runs to Josh Reddick, Brandon Moss, and Seth Smith. Yes, that’s 3 home runs.
Though the Athletics jumped to a 3-0 lead early, the Tigers were able to claw back with 3 of their own in the bottom of the 4th.
Martinez and Balfour in a heated foul mouthed exchange – Parental Guidance Is Advised
The Braves are National League Eastern Division champions and for that they deserve a large amount of recognition. When you think back to the start of Spring Training and look all of those “expert” predictions that said the Washington Nationals would win the East this year you have to realize that despite the busy off season activity the Braves were still labeled as under dogs in their own division.
By Bob McVinua (Special Guest Braves Writer – visit his website here): Follow @tomahawkchop95
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Despite injuries and struggles on the offensive end from highly paid players such as BJ Upton and Dan Uggla the Braves still manged to dominant the Eastern Division.
By “dominate” I mean they were in 1st place every single day of the season except for April 4th and they held at least an 8 game lead every single day for the final 60 of the season. If that’s not dominance I don’t know what is.
Besides the incredible season – and all that was achieved, the Braves did fail to secure the number one seed in the National League for the post season – which would have secured them home field throughout the playoffs and allowed them to play the winner of the Wild Card “play in game.” rather then having to face the Dodgers in the N.L.D.S.
Roy Halladay is still the Active Win Pctg Leader among Pitchers with a W – L Record of 203 – 105 (.659), and he also owns the most Complete Games at 67 Currently for guys still chucking. This is despite battling a litany of injuries in 2012 – 2013, posting a 15 – 13 Record, while carrying an ERA well north of 5 in the last 2 campaigns. Can he reinvent himself at 36 (about to be 37 in May of 2014)? It may just be the Phils can’t afford to give him a new contract?
By Chris Creighton (Phillies Correspondent via http://www.oldcitybaseball.com – visit his website here) Follow @phillybeerchris
Follow MLB Reports on Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Uncertainty. It’s an extremely ominous word among Philadelphia baseball fans because throughout the Phillies organization, there seems to be plenty of it.
Sounding the word out syllabically slow brings about an uncomfortable feeling flooding through my brain and because its plague-like presence is felt when pondering the Phillies future, the reality sets in that it may be a few years before this team can rise to an elite level once again.
The starting staff, the bullpen, the first baseman, the closer, and the outfield are all enormous question marks as the 2013 season comes to a close today.
Roy Halladay’s Perfect Game 2009
The Nationals are just the latest in a string of failures the city of Washington has seen. It has been 80 years since an MLB club from the District has seen World Series Baseball, and now they will have to wait another season. Despite being the Preseason favorite to make the Fall Classic, Washington has missed the playoffs outright in 2013.
By James O’Hara (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): Follow @nextyeardc
Follow the MLB Reports on Twitter Follow @mlbreports
On Oct. 1, 1971 in the last game played by the Washington Senators at RFK Stadium, fans began tearing apart the stadium and field to claim souvenirs. Much like the current Washington Nationals are tearing apart Washington, D.C.
A lot is made of the Chicago Cubs (not winning a World Series since 1909 – or playing in one since 1945) and Boston Red Sox decades long pursuit of World Series titles and the pressure from it – before knocking the monkey from their back in 2004.
But that cannot compare to the pressure of being in town without baseball for 33 years – and having not played in the World Series at all since the Joe Cronin led 1933 squad lost.
From 1971 – 2004, Thirty-three World Series champions were crowned without a team from Washington, D.C. even entering the fight.
It is almost fitting in a way that the Montreal Expos moved to Washington, as you are talking about 1 of 2 teams in the MLB currently, that have never played (other is Seattle) in a World Series before. The Expos/Nats club have now completed their 45th season in the Majors without showing up in the “Fall Classic”.
The Braves won 14 straight Division Titles from 1991 – 2005, that culminated in 5 World Series Visits, with cashing in for the Trophy in 1995, however other than a Wild Card Berth (2010), and a Wild Card Play In Game in 2012 (that they both lost), the club has not seen playoff success for the past 14 years. The Bravos will have a full NLDS Series to claim another chance at a NLCS Pennant, for the 1st time since 1999. Atlanta is still duking it out with the Dodgers and Cardinals for overall home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and have a 0.5 Games Lead over St. Louis (2 game lead over Los Angeles) with just 5 games left. This would be extremely ‘vital’ to the club – as the team sports a (MLB best) record of 53 – 23 at Turner Field – compared to 40 – 41 on the road this season.
By Hayley Howell (Featured Baseball Writer + Braves Enthusiastic Fan) Follow @heyhaylzzz
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The first fourteen years of my life (1991-2005) the Braves won consecutive division titles (the best run in MLB to date). They were the first team in the NL to go from last place to first place the next year (“Worst to First”).
They went to the World Series. (1991 was the first time that the home team won all 7 games of the World Series-too bad Atlanta wasn’t the home team).
On my first trip to the local library after moving downtown twenty minutes from home I quickly discovered there were only two Braves books in the whole four floors:
The Miracle Season and a book by John Smoltz that I wish I could remember the title of because I read that thing like it was a holy canon that summer.
I know the Braves beat the Astros 6-5 a few hours after I was born, and I think, in baseball astrology terms, that meant I was destined to become a Braves fan.
The first World Series I was alive for was the Braves and the Twins, not as if I could remember it, but I know that people still argue over the bad call that supposedly caused the Braves to lose, as if one call among thousands could determine a game much less a series.
And for fourteen years consecutively the Braves won their Division (of course the 1994 Season was cancelled, negating the only time the season ended, without them atop the NL East Standings – Montreal was leading that year).
Braves Clinch The NL East
The Nationals have been compiling a bunch of Curly W’s lately. The team now sits at 77 – 69, and have an outside chance to put a scare into the Reds by only having a 5.5 Games Deficit for the 2nd Wild Card Slot. Washington has a 10 Game Home stand starting tonight vs PHI (3 gms), ATL (4 gms) + MIA (3 Games). The team will probably have to win 9 games, as then they head on the road for their last 6 games @ STL (3 Games) and ARI (3 Games), and will likely need 4 more wins there. If they go 13 – 3 in their last 16, then they better hope the Reds go 7 -8 (or worse) to force a playoff game.
By David Huzzard (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): Follow @davidhuzzard
Follow @mlbreports Follow @citsofnatstown
Back when Werth signed a seven year $126 million contract to come to Washington, one of the biggest criticisms was that he wasn’t a middle of the order bat. That he only succeeded in the Phillies line-up because he had Utley and Howard batting in front of him.
In the first year of the contract that appeared to be the case as Werth batted a disappointing .232/.330/.719, and looked more like a bottom of the order bat than anything else.
2012 saw Werth injure his wrist early on, return as the lead-off hitter, and do an excellent job in getting on base, but the power wasn’t there as he had an ISO of only .140. His lowest since 2005.
Jayson Werth Highlights – Mature Lyrics So Parental Guidance Is Advised
At first thought of Freddy Garcia stepping anywhere near the hill to start a playoff game, may have fans cringe at the thought, but keep in mind of his prior playoff pedigree. In a spot start or a pinch, the wily veteran chucker may be up for the challenge. The 36 Year Old from Venezuela, holds a 6 – 3 record – with a 3.28 ERA in 10 Post Season Game Starts, and in particular was 3 – 0, with a 2.14 ERA for the 2005 World Champion White Sox. Could he channel some of his experience for Atlanta if called upon?
By Bob McVinua (Special Guest Braves Writer – visit his website here): Follow @tomahawkchop95
Freddy Garcia, nicknamed the “chief” has recently been called up from the minor leagues to add some relief to the Atlanta bullpen.
At first I was very skeptical of the move and didn’t really see it as being anymore then an inexpensive way to eat up innings down the stretch while the team sits on a large division lead.
Then when Garcia began to see minor league action and couldn’t seem to get anyone out I became even more convinced that this deal wouldn’t amount to anything.
Well we all know how quickly things can change in Major League Baseball and today’s zeros can become tomorrow’s hero’s in the blink of an eye.
Freddy Garcia hurls a SO versus the Nationals 5/30/2013
The 30 MLB Park Road Trip has been mastered by about 25 people who have accomplished the feat in under a month. We are going to keep giving the extreme ballpark chasers some more food for thought here.
My grandfather was a traveling salesman for most of his working life. Frequently, he recalls stories about selling his wares in exotic places such as Keokuk, Iowa, Hannibal, Missouri, and Cairo, Illinois.
However, the real Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) asks this question: “Given a list of cities and the distances between each pair of cities, what is the shortest possible route that visits each city exactly once and returns to the origin city?”
Applying this computation to all 30 MLB stadiums is more complex given the nature of the regular season schedule. A handful of metropolitan cities host two clubs enabling for travel to occur in the same city more than once.
Without using a complex algorithm or formula based system, google maps will be utilized to determine the shortest distances between each city/stadium to determine the most logical route.
Extreme ballpark chasers are often left to the mercy of the schedule eliminating a perfect directional path.
After optimizing the mileage breakdown between stadiums, this is the shortest possible DRIVING route discovered:
30 Ballparks in 30 Days Documentary
I certainly wish Amaro was a little more Ben Franklin and a lot less Daft Punk as 2013’s Song of the Summer, “Get Lucky”, coincidentally captured the embattled GM’s philosophy for this year’s Phillies. When the song’s lyrical hook defiantly proclaims, “We’ve come too far to give up who we are”, I can easily see Ruben’s head bobbing an arrogant yes, yes, yes to the beat en route to his office at One Citizens Bank Way. Unfortunately, who the Phillies are right now under Amaro’s stubborn direction are a team that is painting themselves into a corner. The current roster carries several veterans already past their prime, but with very few promising young stars in the making ready to carry the torch.
By Chris Creighton (Phillies Correspondent via http://www.oldcitybaseball.com – visit the website here) Follow @phillybeerschris
Follow MLB Reports on Twitter Follow @mlbreports
“I live on a one-way street that’s also a dead end. I’m not quite sure how I got there.” – Steven Wright, Comedian
Sounds about right.
It should be obvious to most that Ruben Amaro Jr.’s ego has been waging war against his own rational sense of decision-making and his ability to consider the future of this Phillies franchise since he was handed the keys to the palace back in November 2008.
A speckled and spotty track-record ripe with big-splash acquisitions along with several transactions banking on a player’s abilities of yesteryear–each of which left the cupboard mostly bare down on the farm–is all he has to show during his tenure as the big boss man.
Even the most optimistic of Philadelphia fans (including myself) now envision the Phillies ship as a tired, rudderless old vessel drifting through uncharted waters without a compass. How did it ever come to this?
Ryan Howards Injury 2011 NLDS
The days of not being able to visit all MLB parks in consecutive days ended in 1993, when the Rockies were introduced, and enhanced even more with the Arizona Diamondbacks entering the league in 1998. In the last 15 years, several people have tried to see all 30 MLB parks in under a month. Some successful, some broke some rules, and one guy even bought this website 6 months after he set the World Record for visiting all 30 MLB Parks in just 23 Calendar Days – completing 7 Doubleheaders.
By Josh Robbins (Special Guest Writer And Co – Creator for The Factor12 Rating Pitching Metric.) Factor 12 (F12) is an analytic measurement utilizing league average performance to compare the value of all MLB pitchers on 60ft6in.com.
MLB Expansion Makes Ballpark Chasing Possible
Twenty years ago, the course of history changed for ballpark chasing. In 1993, the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins debuted in the National League, increasing the total number of MLB teams to twenty-eight.
The two new franchises created positions for fifty players and expanded the pursuits for ballpark chasers.
In prior years, the nearest connection between a west coast team and the mid-west was Anaheim Stadium to Royals Stadium, a 23-hour drive covering 1,619 miles.
As a result, it was impossible for fans to attend games in consecutive days at every MLB stadium during one concurrent driving trip. Consequently, the only method to complete the entire circuit was to combine land and air travel.
The new league structure dramatically altered the traveling landscape by adding Mile High Stadium in Denver, a 14-hour, 1,011-mile drive from Anaheim Stadium.
Reggie Deal’s- 30 Day. 30 Park Compilation (A Blind Fan Who visited all 30 MLB Parks in 30 Days last year)
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Follow @mlbreportsThursday, August.08, 2013
You almost have to be bitter about the Sox recently sweeping the New York Yankees. While it was fun to do, and booing A – Rod was right up the Southsiders alley, this team just put itself too many wins away from the Astros from the 1st overall pick in 2014. They should extremely active in the August Trade Market – and perhaps the offseason. It is time for the rebuild to commence! Chicago enters play today at 43 – 69, tied with the Marlins for the 2nd worst record in the MLB. This was a team that was within a week of playing in the Post Season in 2012. A major shakeup is needed in going forward.
1st part by Brian Madsen (MLB Reports White Sox Correspondent Follow @brianm731
It was all but certain that the White Sox were going to be sellers come the trade deadline in 2013.
The question was, were they selling everybody? Well, they didn’t trade everybody, but they still traded more players than they have during a season in recent memory.
And, there could be more to come during the August waiver period.
Matt Thornton was the first to go, traded to the Boston Red Sox for the young Brandon Jacobs. A staple in the White Sox bullpen since 2006, Thornton was a quality reliever for quite a while.
And he has fit in just fine in the Boston bullpen, accumulating a 2.70 ERA since his acquisition.
The second chip to fall was the still-DLed Jesse Crain. Crain was sent to the Tampa Bay Rays in a very unique “player-to-be-named” scenario.
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Wednesday May 8th, 2013
Slick, big-city sports agent Rob Decker has it all. But on his latest mission to sign a high school baseball superstar, Rob becomes stranded in a small town where the simplicity of life—and the faith of the people—stands in stark contrast to his own fast-paced, win-at-all-costs mindset. Torn between these two worlds, will Rob have the courage to let faith transform his life? Sometimes the next big thing isn’t what you expect.
Starring Ryan Scharoun and Ashley Anderson McCarthy, RING THE BELL features Christian music artists Casting Crowns, Steven Curtis Chapman, and Matthew West, along with baseball legends Rick Sutcliffe, John Kruk, and Ben Zobrist. This heartwarming story of redemption will entertain and inspire the whole family.
Jonathan Hacohen (Lead Baseball Columnist, Oakland A’s Correspondent and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
They say once you go Hollywood, you never go back. So appears to be the case with our very good friend, Casey Bond. From life as a professional baseball player to Hollywood actor, Bond has done it all and seen it all when it comes to the many worlds of baseball.
I originally interviewed Casey Bond during the release of Moneyball. Destined to become a baseball movie classic, Moneyball was nominated for an Academy Award. Also included an actor that you may have heard of, a guy by the name of Brad Pitt.
Moneyball was a tremendous opportunity for Bond, who portrayed pitcher Chad Bradford in the film. Since Moneyball, Bond has been acting on both the big and small screens, as well as producing. But given the baseball roots he comes from, Casey Bond – Baseball – and Hollywood certainly go hand-in-hand. Evidence? Bond’s latest project, the baseball film “Ring the Bell”.
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Follow @mlbreportsFriday April 5th, 2013
All Nate Freiman did was carry the Country of Israel during the recent World Baseball Classic Qualifying Tournament. Can this First Base giant do the same in Oakland?
Jonathan Hacohen (Lead Baseball Columnist, Oakland A’s Correspondent and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
Baseball is a funny game sometimes. One minute you’re crying the Chris Carter blues. Then before you know it, Nate Freiman appears. That is how Billy Beane works my friends. Just when you think he might be slipping, he pulls a magic rabbit out of his hat (better known as the waiver wire in baseball terms).
On February 11, 2013, I wrote an article outlining Billy Beane’s error in trading Chris Carter. While I have always endorsed the talents of Jed Lowrie, it was my opinion that giving up a future star in Chris Carter was too high of a price to pay.
The trade (which actually took place on February 4th) saw the Astros acquire yet another stud First Base prospect. I wondered out loud what the Astros would do with all their First Base talent (Brett Wallace, Jonathan Singleton, Nate Freiman and veteran Carlos Pena).
It seemed like too many bats and not enough positions in Houston, despite the newfound need for a Designated Hitter. A little over a month later, March 23rd to be exact- I had my answer. Nate Freiman was on his way to Oakland.
The star for Israel in this year’s World Baseball Classic qualifying tournament was going to get the opportunity of a lifetime.
While some felt the A’s were simply acquiring roster depth, I saw a different vision. The A’s had their replacement for Brandon Moss at First Base.
Billy Beane had an uncovered yet another gem that was going to thrive in Oakland. Remember Josh Reddick 2012? Meet Nate Freiman 2013.
Nate Freiman Interview:
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Follow @mlbreportsWednesday March 2oth, 2013
Jonathan Hacohen (Lead Baseball Columnist, Oakland A’s Correspondent and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
After the initial WBC in 2006, the tournament returned in 2009. The decision was made to have the WBC played three years after the inaugural edition and then four years later from there.
As result, after a long wait for baseball fans…the third World Baseball Classic was back for the 3rd edition in 2013.
It was a thrilling March- with the final 2 countries facing off for global baseball supremacy: The Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The DR won the game 3-0 behind the MVP bat of Robinson Cano.
Congrats to the Dominican Republic on being crowned the 2013 WBC Champions!
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Follow @mlbreportsFriday March 8th, 2013
From Cuba to A.L. MVP? Despite not being able to represent his native country in the WBC, Cespedes is a year older and wiser. The more he adjusts to North America life and baseball, opposing pitchers will shudder even more each time Cespedes comes to the plate.
Jonathan Hacohen (Lead Baseball Columnist, Oakland A’s Correspondent and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
It’s pretty ironic if you ask me. The 2013 World Baseball Classic is here and Cuba is off to a huge start. I had to pick a winner and went with Cuba as my pre-tournament favorite. Considering that Japan has won both editions of the WBC, Cuba was definitely going to be in tough. To top it all off, they are starting off the first two rounds in Japan. Why is it ironic? For Cuba is missing its biggest star for the tournament. Yoenis Cespedes, the Oakland A’s star outfielder is in Arizona for Spring Training.
Far away from the bright lights of Japan, where Cuba finally beat its nemesis this week in WBC play after several failed attempts in the past. With that monkey off their back, Cuba has made the statement that they are ready to win it all. But yet without their biggest star. For when one defects from Cuba, they are forever banished from representing their country again in any baseball capacity.
I couldn’t help but think watching Cuba play in Japan this week that in fact Cespedes and the A’s opened their season last year in Japan. Cespedes actually started off his season with a bang out there and never looked back. On March 29th last year, Cespedes had a home run in the 2nd game of the A’s young season. That bomb in Japan was the start of the legend. Who knew that Cespedes would actually be in Japan a year too early? For all the success that Cuba has enjoyed thus far in the 2013 WBC, imagine if they had Cespedes anchoring that lineup?
Cuba may very still win the 2013 WBC. My money is on that happening. But if Cuba falls short yet again, the what if scenarios will endlessly get bounced around. What if the team had Aroldis Chapman? Alexei Ramirez? And most of all, Yoenis Cespedes? Until Cuba allows its defectors to come home again, the talent drain will continue to affect the country in international tournaments.
Yoenis Cespedes 2012 Highlights Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is Advised:
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Follow @mlbreportsSaturday February 16th, 2013
Pedro Luis Lazo. One of Cuba’s greatest pitchers of all-time. Considered also one of the best pitchers in the history of baseball not to pitch in the big leagues. A legend, he represented Cuba in the 2006 and 2009 WBC tournaments. He will be missed in this year’s edition.
By Jonathan Hacohen (Lead Baseball Columnist, Oakland A’s Correspondent and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
Going into the 3rd edition of the World Baseball Classic, the #1 question that I get asked on a daily basis is: “Which country will win it all?” A fair question, as all sports fans (not just baseball ones) love to predict champions before the first game is even played. Given that Japan has won the first two WBC titles (2006 and 2009), they have to be the favorites going into this year’s tournament. But as every new WBC edition begins, every country begins to get hungrier and hungrier. We had a qualifier tournament recently, the inaugural one for a WBC. 16 countries battled it out to win the 4 coveted spots into the tournament. Chinese Taipei, Brazil, Canada and Spain will field teams next month.
Canada and Chinese Taipei were two of the four countries that did not receive automatic entries and were required to qualify. Brazil and Spain were the newcomers that got their first taste of the WBC…and evidently loved it. So who will be it folks? Japan beat Korea in 2009 and Cuba back in 2006. Ironically, Cuba lost to Japan twice back in the 2nd round of 2009. If not for Japan, Cuba would have at least WBC title under their belts. Maybe two. So who does Cuba get in their group as part of the 1st Round of the 2013 WBC? Japan, of course. This time around, things will be different. Cuba is ready to knock the Japanese gorilla off their backs and take the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
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Follow @mlbreportsMonday February 11th, 2013
Chris Carter: A career .283 hitter in the minors, with a .378 OBP and .535 SLG. The perfect combination of power and patience. He will prove to be the one that got away from Billy Beane.
Jonathan Hacohen (Lead Baseball Columnist, Oakland A’s Correspondent and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
Mark down the date of February 4th, 2013. The day that Billy Beane broke my heart. In preparing for my latest A’s feature, the working title of the article was “Chris Carter: The Next Great A’s Superstar”. Then fate intervened. Or rather, Beane decided to pull off one too many trades. After a successful offseason that saw the A’s GM bolster significantly bolster his playoff squad, Beane decided that one more blockbuster move was in order. Jed Lowrie was headed to Oakland, with Chris Carter (the good one), Max Stassi and Brad Peacock going over to the Astros. For the purpose of this piece, I will be focusing on the loss of Carter. Stassi is a former 4th round pick of the A’s and a young 21 Year Old catching prospect. With Derek Norris ready to grab the A’s catching job for the next decade, I can see how he was expandable. Peacock was a 41st round pick of the Nationals. A 25 Year Old arm that may develop one day, but crashed and burned last season in AAA. With the A’s pitching depth, I can see how he could be ticketed out-of-town for a change of scenery. But Chris Carter? Really Billy??!! You worked your magic to get him in the first place from the Diamondbacks. I certainly hope that your return pans out (Jed Lowrie and Fernando Rodriguez). Right now, I simply cannot see the logic of this move.
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Follow @mlbreportsSunday January 20th, 2013
A .372 OBP in 2010. A .394 OBP last season. Can you blame Billy Beane for LOVING John Jaso?
Jonathan Hacohen (Lead Baseball Columnist, Oakland A’s Correspondent and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
My name is Jonathan Hacohen. And I am a John Jaso fan. There…I have said it. Feels very good to get it out. Ok, so I don’t own any John Jaso t-shirts or jerseys. I wouldn’t recognize him if I hit him with my car. But when #27 (formerly #28 on the Rays) comes up to bat, I know that good things will usually happen. Remember that .372 OBP in 2010? I sure do. So do many Tampa Bay Rays fans. For you see my friends, John Jaso is a special breed of baseball player. He is a catcher with patience. He won’t hit for great pop, but he finds ways to get On Base. That is a skill that served him very well back in his aforementioned first full MLB season.
From that season on, I came to expect great things from Mr. Jaso. But then 2011 hit. Or actually, he didn’t. A .224 AVG with a .298 OBP was good enough for the Rays to dump Jaso on the Mariners for Josh Lueke. Remember him? Do I really have to say more? The Rays, for all the talk of their poor offensive showing and need for major league bats, decided that John Jaso just didn’t fit into their system. So Jaso was off to Seattle and Jose Molina was brought on board. The same Jose Molina who hit .223 last season with a .286 OBP. The same Jose Molina who got paid $1.5 Million last season. John Jaso on the other hand got paid $495,200 last year. What did he do? Only hit .276 with a .394 OBP. Plus a .456 SLG for good measure. His reward? A one-way ticket to Oakland with a 30 second stopover in Washington. The man can’t win. A good or bad season, either way MLB GM haven’t shown faith in this kid so far in his career. But then, most GMs are not Billy Beane. Despite being apparently set at the position for 2013, Beane proceeded to trade for Jaso and dump George Kottaras, to catch with Derek Norris. Beane said on record that he would have kept Kottaras unless Jaso was made available. So does Billy Beane know something that Andrew Friedman, Jack Zduriencik and Mike Rizzo don’t? The answer is yes. Beane knows which players he wants and usually, he will get them at the end. Now John Jaso is set to bring flair, leadership and of course, On Base skills to Oakland. The playoff picture just got much rosier for the A’s.
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Follow @mlbreportsSunday January 13th, 2013
Bartolo Colon saw his 2012 season end early due to a PED suspension. He is scheduled to return in April. Does he have one more big year left in the tank?
Jonathan Hacohen (Lead Baseball Columnist, Oakland A’s Correspondent and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
Bartolo Colon (or Fatolo as he is known in inner-baseball circles), is set to make his major league return in April, 2013. Back in August, 2012 Colon received a 50-game suspension for the use of a Performance Enhancing Drug (PED). This suspension came a week after Melky Cabrera received his 50-game ban. With only 5 games left in his suspension, Colon will be back in early-April (health permitting). But as much as fans discuss his performance on the field, Colon’s weight always seems to be the center of attention. Generously listed at 5’11” and 265 lbs. on the Baseball Reference site, Colon won’t be winning modelling contests anytime soon. Billy Beane said it best in Moneyball, when he made it clear to his scouts that the team wasn’t trying to sell jeans. They were trying to win ballgames. Regardless of his weight and appearance, as long as Bartolo Colon can get the job done, I say hand him the ball every 5th game. Babe Ruth wasn’t a small guy, but he sure got the job done. Colon may not have the talent possessed by Ruth, but he can still be effective on most given nights. When baseball has 1-2 pitchers falling to Tommy John surgery on a weekly basis, there is something to be said for a pitcher that can go out there and give his team a good chance of winning. That is the Bartolo Colon that the A’s are hoping for in 2013. With a $3 Million salary this year and approximately $2 Million in incentives to be earned, Colon has all the incentives in place to give the A’s the workhorse they need this upcoming season.
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Friday, January.11/2013
Mike Morse has a Career 3 Slash of .295/.347/.839 and could provide as a great replacement RHB for the departing Tigers DH/OF Delmon Young. Morse can play 1B/OF or DH.
By Matthew LaFave (Tigers Correspondent): Follow @MatthewLaFave
With the Washington Nationals locking up Adam LaRoche to a new 2-year deal on Tuesday, it leaves 1B/OF Michael Morse without a starting roster spot. As many as 11 teams have been said to already be inquiring on Morse.
The 30-Year-Old, born and raised in Florida, mainly played left field for the Nationals last season. A position that the Detroit Tigers just so happen to be looking for. The Tigers are currently sitting with a starting outfield of Andy Dirks, Austin Jackson, and newly signed Torii Hunter. Many feel that Dirks is not an everyday player but is better suited as a 4th Outfielder. He is able to play all 3 positions with above average defense.
Mike Morse Highlights “The Beast”:
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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:
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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.
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Follow @mlbreportsSunday December 30th, 2012
Jonathan Hacohen (Baseball Writer and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
Today I tackle one of my favorite baseball points of discussion: Carlos Gonzalez – MLB Superstar or simply a product of Coors Field?
It absolutely amazes me how Gonzalez has seemingly fooled the majority of the baseball world. From Twitter to leading baseball magazines, the average baseball fans to leading national writers are convinced that the young man is one of the top players in the game. Whenever I hear the CarGo fan train pulling into the station, I always have one response: check the home/road splits. Read the rest of this entry
Saturday December 15th, 2012
“CHASING A DREAM” – BY CJ BOERGER, 2012
Jonathan Hacohen (Baseball Writer and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
The most popular question I receive at this time of year? Typically centers around Christmas coming around the corner and the need to buy a gift. Lots of them. For the baseball fan that has everything, what is one to buy?
I go through this list seemingly every year. With spring training still a whole 3 months away (along with the World Baseball Classic this upcoming year), baseball fans need some sort of outlet to satisfy their baseball thirst. Baseball dvds are always a good source- as all the classic games are forever enshrined in the video archives. But after having watched ball for the spring/summer/fall, sometimes it is nice to get away from the television. That is when you curl up to a good book and enjoy a baseball read.
There is nothing finer than getting lost in someone else’s world. Reading a story about another person’s hopes, goals and dreams. Where they go and how they get there. All of us have dreams. We spend our entire lives chasing them. Some are attainable, while others elude us. But sometimes it is nice to take a break from our own pursuits and live in another pair of shoes. For 300+ pages, I got to be an outsider in the world of Charlie Becker and learn about his dream. Read the rest of this entry
Thursday, December.13, 2012
Warner Park is home to the Madison Mallards, a collegiate summer baseball team that plays in Madison, Wisconsin.
Jessica Jensen (Special Guest Baseball Writer:) Follow @jensen_jessica
As a parent, your life changes when your child is admitted to the hospital. It was the day before the Fourth of July, the physicians who attended my oldest daughter knew that something was wrong based on her blood work, but no one could tell us exactly why certain levels were elevated. Not knowing why she couldn’t eat or drink in case emergency surgery was needed was terrifying. The Fourth of July at Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee is a slow day, so it wasn’t until the fifth that my daughter had an MRI. When she was finally discharged from the hospital, she went home with an osteomyelitis diagnosis, and two full styrofoam coolers of medication. For a while my family joked about the drugs in my refrigerator, my daughter required around the clock IV antibiotics that had to be kept cold. My sister is a nurse, but I’m not, and neither is my husband, so the home health nurse had to demonstrate a lot of things that I thought I wouldn’t be able to handle.
After the initial shock wore off, I was left with a low energy child who was removed from many activities she enjoyed due to the PICC line in her arm. She couldn’t swim, I was afraid to let her do too much outside, although there wasn’t much running around she could do with her severe limp. During this time, my Twitter friends were amazingly supportive. I had read about the baseball family, but I didn’t feel included in it until I posted tweets about my daughter and her condition. In an effort to get my daughter out, I talked to my sister and brother-in-law. My sister is not a baseball fan, but my brother cheered the Cardinals to victory last year. It was tough, but I decided I would heap coals of fire on his St. Louis roots by inviting him to a college baseball game. Read the rest of this entry
Monday December 3rd, 2012
Jonathan Hacohen ( Lead Baseball Columnist): Follow @jhacohen
Last February we introduced you to Cade Kreuter. As part of the interview, we learned all about the “Crocodile Hunter.” A third generation baseball prospect and a member of the Miami Hurricanes, Cade was getting ready to make his own mark on the game.
Now a member of the San Diego Padres organization, Cade has a bright road ahead. We talked about many facets of his career. From joining the Padres, to playing multiple positions, his offseason in the Dominican and much more. Being around the game his whole life, Cade knows what he needs to do to succeed. 2013 will be his first full season in professional baseball. At 21 years of age, he has his whole career ahead of him. We will be certainly be watching his progress with great anticipation!
Today on MLB reports, we bring you our interview with Padres’ prospect and 3rd generation player, Cade Kreuter:
MLBR: Congrats on joining the Padres! What was the process like joining them?
CK: Well, as you may know, I missed my entire junior season at The U this past year due to a broken left foot caused by a foul ball I hit off of it in practice the day before our season opener. I was misdiagnosed with a deep bone bruise for the first month of my injury so that was a setback right there for me. I went understandably undrafted after my junior season, after really only playing almost 1 full season out of 3 years in college. But, I felt it was still time for me to move up and play pro ball. I knew another season at The U was not what was best for me. I was contacted by the Padres and they asked me if I was interested in doing a workout and possibly signing as a free agent. I jumped at the opportunity and made the most of it. Later that week I signed and headed to Peoria, Az for the rookie ball season! Read the rest of this entry
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