Category Archives: The Rest: Everything Baseball

From Cuba to Japan, Opening Day to the World Series and the WBC

It Took a Lifetime

By: Daniel Foote

On October 14, 1908, the Chicago Cubs clinched their second consecutive World Series title.  A mere 229 days later, George William Penley was born and so was a love affair with the Chicago Cubs.  You see, Mr. Penley was my grandfather (we called him “Poppa”, so you’ll forgive me for referring to him as such), and he loved the Cubs. In Poppa’s lifetime, the Cubs went to the World Series seven times (1910, 1918, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1938 and 1945).  All of them by the time he was 36 ½ years old. From 1945 to 1984, when he passed away, Poppa continued to love his Cubs.  He loved them so much, that he passed that love affair to me.

Read the rest of “It Took a Lifetime’ via 9 Inning Know It All.

5 MLB Starting Pitchers With a lot to Prove in 2017

With the 2016 MLB season officially in the rearview mirror, the entire baseball world now shifts its focus to the offseason and preparing for 2017.

Some players and teams hope to build upon the progress they’ve made over the last six months, but others are out to re-establish themselves and prove that recent subpar performances were a blip in the radar. That’s easier said than done, of course.

Plenty of players have an eye toward rebounding in 2017, but the following starting pitchers find themselves in an unfamiliar situation. They’ve each experienced a period of dominance on the mound – some longer than others – but had to deal with tough times in 2016.

To regain their status of being one of baseball’s top starters, these five hurlers have plenty to prove once April rolls around. 

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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 2, 2016

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ROB TRINGALI/MLB PHOTOS

Game 7 of the World Series is tonight. What fan base will have their dreams come true? Which fan base will be devastated? What scenarios will be the most crushing? And what other Game 7’s have lived up to the hype?

All will be answered soon but first here is an Episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

For the up to date standings of Who Owns October and Who Owns the World Series, go to MLB Reports

What is “Who Owns October”? Click HERE for an explanation.

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Francisco Lindor’s Postseason Showcasing Why He’s Baseball’s Best Young Shortstop

Baseball is currently enjoying a period full of young, elite shortstops. Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor is in this group, but often gets overlooked –by myself included – because guys like Carlos Correa and Corey Seager grab most of the headlines.

Well, I’m done overlooking and ready to put him at the top of the list. Lindor has been front and center in October and the 22-year-old is making the most of his opportunity as the Indians are on the verge of their first title since 1948.

Manager Terry Francona is getting a ton of credit for the masterful usage of his bullpen, and rightfully so. However, as important as preventing runs is in the postseason, teams still must score in order to advance.

Lindor has been a catalyst for Cleveland throughout the past month, but this isn’t anything new. His full range of skills and ability to put it all together in the big leagues from the minute he was promoted makes him special and worthy of being the game’s top young shortstop.

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Prospects of the Weekend – Greg Allen of the Cleveland Indians

is weekend was started off with Greg Allen’s rare power surge with a two-homer game on Friday. Allen said last time he did that was probably in little leagues. The speedster has only hit 14 home runs since his debut which shows how rare Friday was. Also, it was his first four-RBI performance as a pro.

Greg Allen and the other best prospects this weekend

On Bullpen Management in the 2016 Playoffs

The fall of 2016 has been a season of extremes. In the very first game of the postseason, we saw the Baltimore Orioles lose the most important game of their season with their best pitcher, Zach Britton, who happened to be the best reliever anywhere in baseball this year, sitting on the bench.

The fallout was swift and severe. Columnists, bloggers, and fans rightly derided manager Buck Showalter, typically something of a sabermetric darling, for being the latest in a long line of playoff managers to manage to position his team for a future game they would never get to play. (See Fredi Gonzalez as a recent, obvious example)

Possibly in response to the Orioles’ debacle – not to give bloggers too much credit, Showalter made a transparent baseball mistake- managers in the rest of the postseason have been notably aggressive.

Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts deployed his closer Kenley Jansen in the 8th inning 3 times in the NLDS and CS, and once in the 7th in game 5 of the DS against the Nationals. Jansen even pitched in the 6th inning in the team’s final game of the year; Jansen is usually used for just 3 outs, but went for 3 innings to keep NLCS Game 6 close.

Indians’ manager Terry Francona is perhaps the most talked about guy this October. He and his bullpen Ace Andrew Miller have been blowing the existing bullpen paradigm out of the water.

 

To continue reading, please visit Offthebenchbaseball.com.

Montreal Expos’ Pitcher Ernie McAnally Talks About His Baseball Career

Expansion teams can give many baseball players their first taste of the major leagues and act as a spring board to a big league career. Such was the case for right-handed pitcher Ernie McAnally, who nearly gave up on the game before being finding his chance by the Montreal Expos.

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These 6 MLB Free Agents Will be Intriguing to Follow This Winter

Compared to previous years, the 2016-17 MLB free-agent market leaves a lot to be desired, but that doesn’t mean there still aren’t intriguing players to follow as they search for new homes.

Like everyone else, I knew this winter’s class of available players wasn’t great, but the reminder was an unpleasant one while looking at the list again this week. Seriously, just take a look at who is expected to hit the market at shortstop and third base this year and tell me that doesn’t make you shake your head.

With that in mind, it means the few MLB free agents who would’ve been rather intriguing during a normal winter get super intriguing this winter. The following six players have unique situations that will shape their trip into the market over the coming months, and here’s why it’s worth following them on their journey.

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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – October 27, 2016

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John Kuntz – Cleveland.com

I have some thoughts of Game 2 of the World Series and I began to think of Frank Thomas and Clay Buchholz and participating and NOT participating in the World Series.

Lots of meandering ideas on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast

For the up to date standings of Who Owns October and Who Owns the World Series, go to MLB Reports

What is “Who Owns October”? Click HERE for an explanation.

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2016 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty League Trade Analysis (Part 2)

Now that the season is over, I wanted to go through my dynasty league trades throughout the 2016 season and give my analysis. I gave the analysis of my team earlier last week, but this analysis is for a very different team. This team is currently rebuilding and had by far the biggest roster turnover during the 2016 season. Austin, the owner of the team, asked me to analyze his team, so I figured I would share my analysis of his deals (there is A LOT of them). Before going into the trades, let me give you a quick overview of the rules and regulations of the league:

 

-16 team dynasty league founded 1.5 years ago

-Head to head categorical scoring (offensive categories include: Runs, RBIs, HRs, SBs, Slugging, OBP, Strikeouts for hitters, Total Bases…. Pitching categories include: H/IP, BB/9, Total Strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, Quality Start %, Saves, and Holds)

-Roster: 19 active on the roster (C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, LF, CF, RF, UTL, 5 SP, 5 RP), 12 bench players, and 21 minor league prospects

-Active salary cap (max of $20 million per player) of $168 million based on actual MLB contracts

-Annual amateur draft for the most recent MLB amateur draft during the offseason (if I mention a draft pick in a trade, that is what it is referring to)

 

SEE THE REST OF THE ARTICLE AND THE TRADE ANALYSIS

Dexter Fowler Has Been The Biggest Key During the Chicago Cubs’ World Series Run

For the first time in over 70 years, the Chicago Cubs are National League champions and have an opportunity to end the most excruciating drought in pro sports. While the roster is loaded with talent, a trip to the Fall Classic wouldn’t have been possible without one player in particular.

With the kind of star power Chicago possesses, Dexter Fowler probably isn’t the “X-factor” kind of player to roll off your tongue first, but he should be.

The Cubs won 103 games during the 2016 regular season, and it happened because their entire team is solid. Kyle Hendricks, Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta led a pitching staff that produced a league-best 3.15 ERA, while the offense boasts two MVP candidates in Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant.

So, why was it such a big deal when Theo Epstein and Co. agreed to a one-year dealwith Fowler (including an option for 2017)? Let us count the ways as the Cubs prepare for their first World Series appearance since 1945.

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World Series Predictions by Mike

world-seriesBy: Mike Carter

In the last few days, we have seen some amazing things happen in the baseball world. The World Series is upon us, with the upstart Cleveland Indians pitted against the spring favorite, the Chicago Cubs.

The coming week is what we long for when baseball season starts every year, when hope is eternal for all of our teams, and we hope for one good season from that aging veteran hurler, or a surprise year from an unexpected source. Both teams feature superstar players; both teams feature aging veterans looking for one more crack at glory; both teams ride hot streaks into the biggest series of their lives. The excitement is palpable and millions of fans are on edge. Which team will break their significant winless streaks? The Cubs have not been to the World Series since 1945; the Indians were last in the Fall Classic in 1997. The Cubs have not won it since 1908; the Indians last won in 1948. Someone is about to break a long streak of futility. Who will it be?

Read the rest of Mike’s World Series Predictions via 9 Inning Know It All.

World Series Thoughts

world-seriesBy Josh:

The clash of teams that haven’t won a World Series title in not only my lifetime but my father’s lifetime, is set to begin on Tuesday in Cleveland. A battle of Midwest team vs Midwest team will excite all of the East coast bias media outlets (don’t even try to deny it ESPN) and West coast ‘what about us’ whiners (yes I know they’re real because I live on the West coast and might be one).

Read the rest of Josh’s World Series Thoughts via 9 Inning Know It All.

How the Cubs and Indians Overcame Injuries to Kyle Schwarber and Michael Brantley

The Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians will meet tomorrow in a World Series matchup that nobody thought possible. If it weren’t actually happening, I would have thought it unthinkable. The Cubs and Indians are both tortured franchises upon whom the baseball gods have picked for nigh on a century.

However, one is in for redemption in 2016, and for whichever one it is, that redemption will be all the sweeter having overcome a mountain of injuries, most notably the loss of an All-Star left fielder… The Indians and Cubs both lost their left fielders in April. Every team deals with injuries, but both these guys were absolute mainstay studs. Overcoming those losses to reach the World Series was extremely impressive.

For Cleveland, Michael Brantley received MVP votes in each of the last two years and was worth something like 10 WAR over that same timeframe. He was a top 10 outfielder in all of baseball, but played just 11 games for the Indians this season while battling shoulder problems. Meanwhile, the Cubs lost Kyle Schwarber to an “multiple-CL” injury just two games into the 2016 season. Last year, as a 22 year old, Schwarber looked every bit the part of a young Prince Fielder. He combined a solid regular season with an other-worldly postseason (5 HRs in 9 games) to lay the foundation for a solid career.

So how did they do it? How did both teams lose one of their best players and then bowl through the playoffs to reach the World Series?

To continue reading about how the Cubs and Indians overcame adversity to reach the World Series, please visit Off the Bench.

David Ortiz Leaves Behind Best Legacy with Boston Red Sox

The illustrious career of the Boston Red Sox’s David Ortiz has come to a close. Given what he has meant to one of the flagship franchises of Major League Baseball for the past 14 years, his departure will create a crated-sized void. He will leave behind quite the legacy; one that had never been seen before and will never be seen again.

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Who Owns October in MLB Playoffs 2016 (#WOO) Tallies Updated for October 22, 2016

NLCS - Los Angeles Dodgers v Chicago Cubs - Game Two

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Well, we have a World Series match up… and the Cubs will face off against the Indians in a “Hell Freezes Over” Series.

Time to see who owned October.

Each winning team for every post season game gets a pitcher and a hitter who earn a full WOO (Who Owns October.)

And at my discretion, I award a 1/2 WOO’S to a worthy player on the losing team.

At the end of the post season, we will see who had the highest WOO total as a pitcher and a hitter.

A complete description of the rules can be found HERE.

From October 22nd.
NLCS Game 6:

Receiving 1 WOO’s

Kyle Hendricks pitched the Cubs into the World Series with 7 1/3 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits and earning the 5-0 decision over the Dodgers.

Anthony Rizzo got 2 hits including a towering homer off of Kershaw that helped put the game away for the Cubs 5-0 over LA.

Receiving 1/2 WOO’s 

Kenley Jansen threw 3 perfect innings out of the bullpen but it was too little and too late as the Dodgers were eliminated by the Cubs, 5-0.

Current ‘WOO’ Totals MLB 2016:

Hitters ‘WOO’ MLB 2016,

Josh Donaldson – Blue Jays 3 1/2, Francisco Lindor – Indians 3, Adrian Gonzalez – Dodgers 2 1/2,  Daniel Murphy – Nationals 2, Addison Russell – Cubs 2, Justin Turner – Dodgers 2,  Javier Baez – Cubs 1 1/2, Edwin Encarnacion – Blue Jays 1 1/2, Conor Gillaspie – Giants 1 1/2, Mookie Betts – Red Sox 1, Kris Bryant – Cubs 1,  Coco Crisp – Indians 1,  Dexter Fowler – Cubs 1, Brandon Guyer – Indians 1, Yasmani Grandal – Dodgers 1, Shawn Kelley – Nationals 1,  Jason Kipnis – Indians 1, Miguel Montero – Cubs 1, Mike Napoli – Indians 1, Joe Panik – Giants 1, Joc Pederson – Dodgers 1, Anthony Rizzo – Cubs 1, Troy Tulowitzki – Blue Jays 1, Jayson Werth – Nationals 1, Ben Zobrist – Cubs 1,  Elvis Andrus – Rangers 1/2, Jose Bautista – Blue Jays 1/2,  Andrew Benintendi  – Red Sox 1/2, Gregor Blanco – Giants 1/2, Ian Desmond – Rangers 1/2, Curtis Granderson – Mets 1/2, Rougned Odor – Rangers 1/2, Roberto Perez – Indians 1/2, Buster Posey – Giants 1/2, Carlos Ruiz – Dodgers 1/2, Michael Saunders – Blue Jays 1/2, Corey Seager – Dodgers 1/2, Mark Trumbo – Orioles 1/2,

Pitchers ‘WOO’ MLB 2016,

Jon Lester – Cubs 3, Kenley Jansen – Dodgers 2 1/2, Clayton Kershaw – Dodgers 2, Corey Kluber – Indians 2, Andrew Miller – Indians 2,   Roberto Osuna – Blue Jays 2, Josh Tomlin – Indians 2, Marco Estrada – Blue Jays 1 1/2, Kyle Hendricks – Cubs 1 1/2,  Madison Bumgarner – Giants 1, Aroldis Chapman – Cubs 1, Rich Hill – Dodgers 1, Derek Law – Giants 1,  Mark Melancon– Nationals 1, Ryan Merritt – Indians 1, Mike Montgomery – Cubs 1, Aaron Sanchez – Blue Jays 1, Marcus Stroman – Blue Jays 1, Travis Wood – Cubs 1, Jake Arrieta – Cubs 1/2,  Johnny Cueto – Giants 1/2, Matt Moore – Giants 1/2, Darren O’Day – Orioles 1/2, Max Scherzer – Nationals 1/2, Noah Syndergaard – Mets 1/2,

Clayton Kershaw’s Legacy

Clayton+Kershaw+New+York+Mets+v+Los+Angeles+XVeAFkM8_OvlBy Josh:

Today’s start for Clayton Kershaw against the Chicago Cubs isn’t going to make or break his career. Whether he wins or not, he is still going to be seen as an extremely talented and dominate pitcher. With that being said he needs to pitch a good game and show that he can step it up when the stakes are highest.

Read the rest of Clayton Kershaw’s Legacy via 9 Inning Know It All

2016 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty League Trades Analysis

Following a 2nd place finish in 2015, this is the active roster I ended the year with:

C– Travis d’Arnaud

1B– Brandon Belt

2B– Robinson Cano

3B– Anthony Rendon

SS– Brandon Crawford

LF– Yoenis Cespedes

CF– David Peralta

RF– Bryce Harper

UTL– Daniel Murphy

Starting Pitchers– Madison Bumgarner, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Sonny Gray, Justin Verlander

Relief Pitchers– Ken Giles, Daniel Hudson, Jonathan Papelbon, David Robertson, Shawn Tolleson

Off. Bench– Robinson Chirinos, Justin Bour, Jonathan Schoop, Alex Rodriguez

P. Bench– Nick Martinez, Carlos Rodon, Arquimedes Caminero, Jenrry Mejia, Drew Pomeranz, Tom Koehler

Offensive Prospects– Chance Sisco, A.J. Reed, Kean Wong, Tim Anderson, Jorge Mateo, Eloy Jimenez, Manuel Margot, Bradley Zimmer, Brett Phillips

Pitching Prospects– Edwin Diaz, Anderson Espinoza, Michael Fulmer, Taylor Guerrieri, Pierce Johnson, Yoan Lopez, Francis Martes, Alex Reyes, Jack Flaherty, Casey Meisner, Luis Ortiz

 

While I did finish the season in 2nd, my roster needed some serious improvements. I had a lot of faith in my ability to scout prospects, so I figured it was time to unload some prospects for win-now talent and trust my ability to refill my minor league system with less publicized talent. You can see all of the trades I made in the offseason and during the 2016 season in order from oldest to most recent below (all trades made prior to the season are in bold and in season is in italics):

 

SEE THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – October 17, 2016

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Jason O. Watson/Getty Images North America

The Dodgers won and Game 4 is the key to making this a series.

Meanwhile I make a strange discovery about the Indians clinching post season series.

It is a home field advantage episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

For the up to date standings of Who Owns October,Click MLB Reports

What is “Who Owns October”? Click HERE for an explanation.

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Who Owns October in MLB Playoffs 2016 (#WOO) Tallies Updated for October 16, 2016

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Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Look at that! There will be no sweep in the NLCS. In fact there is no guarantee that there will be even another game in Wrigley if the Dodgers win all their home games. That would be… home field advantage!

Time to see who owned October.

Each winning team for every post season game gets a pitcher and a hitter who earn a full WOO (Who Owns October.)

And at my discretion, I award a 1/2 WOO’S to a worthy player on the losing team.

At the end of the post season, we will see who had the highest WOO total as a pitcher and a hitter.

A complete description of the rules can be found HERE.

From October 16th.
NLCS Game 2:

Receiving 1 WOO’s 

Adrian Gonzalez got on base twice and hit a solo homer that was the only run of the game as the Dodgers blanked the Cubs, 1-0.

Clayton Kershaw threw 7 innings of shutout ball, wiggling out of trouble in the 7th and finishing with 2 hits, 1 walk and earned the razor thin 1-0 for the Dodgers over the Cubs.

Receiving 1/2 WOO’s 

Javier Baez broke up the Kershaw no hitter and made some strong defensive plays in the field in the Cubs 1-0 loss to the Dodgers.

Kyle Hendricks pitched into the 6th, allowing 1 run over 5 1/3 innings, and took the hard luck Cubs 1-0 defeat to the Dodgers.

Current ‘WOO’ Totals MLB 2016:

Hitters ‘WOO’ MLB 2016,

Josh Donaldson – Blue Jays 2 1/2, Adrian Gonzalez – Dodgers 2 1/2, Francisco Lindor – Indians 2, Daniel Murphy – Nationals 2, Javier Baez – Cubs 1 1/2,  Edwin Encarnacion – Blue Jays 1 1/2, Conor Gillaspie – Giants 1 1/2, Justin Turner – Dodgers 1 1/2, Mookie Betts – Red Sox 1,  Coco Crisp – Indians 1,  Dexter Fowler – Cubs 1, Brandon Guyer – Indians 1, Shawn Kelley – Nationals 1,  Jason Kipnis – Indians 1, Miguel Montero – Cubs 1, Joe Panik – Giants 1, Joc Pederson – Dodgers 1, Troy Tulowitzki – Blue Jays 1, Jayson Werth – Nationals 1, Ben Zobrist – Cubs 1,  Elvis Andrus – Rangers 1/2,  Andrew Benintendi  – Red Sox 1/2, Gregor Blanco – Giants 1/2, Kris Bryant – Cubs 1/2,  Ian Desmond – Rangers 1/2, Curtis Granderson – Mets 1/2, Rougned Odor – Rangers 1/2, Buster Posey – Giants 1/2, Carlos Ruiz – Dodgers 1/2, Mark Trumbo – Orioles 1/2,

Pitchers ‘WOO’ MLB 2016,

Kenley Jansen – Dodgers 2, Clayton Kershaw – Dodgers 2, Corey Kluber – Indians 2, Jon Lester – Cubs 2,  Roberto Osuna – Blue Jays 2, Josh Tomlin – Indians 2, Marco Estrada – Blue Jays 1 1/2,  Madison Bumgarner – Giants 1, Aroldis Chapman – Cubs 1,, Derek Law – Giants 1,  Mark Melancon– Nationals 1, Andrew Miller – Indians 1,  Marcus Stroman – Blue Jays 1, Travis Wood – Cubs 1, Jake Arrieta – Cubs 1/2,  Johnny Cueto – Giants 1/2, Kyle Hendricks – Cubs 1/2, Matt Moore – Giants 1/2, Darren O’Day – Orioles 1/2, Max Scherzer – Nationals 1/2, Noah Syndergaard – Mets 1/2,

Gregory Polanco Had A Great 2016 Season, but 2017 Could Be Even Better

Gregory Polanco made huge strides in 2016, but this Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder could be in store for an even bigger 2017 season. At only 25 years old, Polanco made significant improvements to his swing and approach at the plate in 2016. He finished the season with a .258/.323/.463 slash line, 34 doubles, four triples, 22 home runs, 86 RBIs, 79 runs, and 17 stolen bases. Out of all Major League hitters this year, only 14 had more than 20 home runs and 15 stolen bases. Out of those 15, only five are 25 years old or younger (Gregory Polanco, Bryce Harper, Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, Wil Myers). As you can see, Polanco is in a very elite group of young talent, but after looking more into his numbers, his game could explode in the upcoming seasons.

 

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2017 Top 300 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty League Rankings (New Statistic)

Hello all you dedicated and crazy fantasy baseball fans. While I know we are all enjoying the playoffs, many people have asked me about when my rankings for the 2017 season will be released. Well, today is your lucky day. Over the last few weeks, I have been working on a new and improved statistical formula to value players in a dynasty league. For those who aren’t familiar with dynasty leagues, here is my personal definition: A fantasy baseball league where your drafted roster is carried over year after year. Please click the link below to see the rest of the article:

 

SEE THE REST OF THE ARTICLE AND RANKINGS

Who Owns October in MLB Playoffs 2016 (#WOO) Tallies Updated for October 14, 2016

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Michael Chritton – Akron Beacon Journal

THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES HAS BEGUN!

Time to see who owned October.

Each winning team for every post season game gets a pitcher and a hitter who earn a full WOO (Who Owns October.)

And at my discretion, I award a 1/2 WOO’S to a worthy player on the losing team.

At the end of the post season, we will see who had the highest WOO total as a pitcher and a hitter.

A complete description of the rules can be found HERE.

From October 14th.
ALCS Game 1:

Receiving 1 WOO’s 

Corey Kluber threw 6 1/3 shutout innings, allowing 6 hits and earning the 2-0 Game 1 decision for Cleveland over Toronto.

Francisco Lindor got 2 hits including the 2 run homer that provided the Indians with all the offense they needed to take Game 1 of the ALCS 2-0 over the Blue Jays.

Receiving 1/2 WOO’s 

Marco Estrada went the distance, allowing 6 hits and 2 runs over 8 innings. He would, however, be saddled with a hard luck 2-0 loss for Toronto over the Indians.

Edwin Encarnacion doubled and singled but could not score as the Blue Jays were blanked by the Indians, 2-0.

Current ‘WOO’ Totals MLB 2016:

Hitters ‘WOO’ MLB 2016,

Josh Donaldson – Blue Jays 2, Daniel Murphy – Nationals 2, Edwin Encarnacion – Blue Jays 1 1/2, Conor Gillaspie – Giants 1 1/2, Justin Turner – Dodgers 1 1/2, Javier Baez – Cubs 1, Mookie Betts – Red Sox 1,  Coco Crisp – Indians 1,   Dexter Fowler – Cubs 1, Adrian Gonzalez – Dodgers 1, Brandon Guyer – Indians 1, Shawn Kelley – Nationals 1,  Jason Kipnis – Indians 1, Francisco Lindor – Indians 1,  Joe Panik – Giants 1, Joc Pederson – Dodgers 1, Troy Tulowitzki – Blue Jays 1, Jayson Werth – Nationals 1, Ben Zobrist – Cubs 1,  Elvis Andrus – Rangers 1/2,  Andrew Benintendi  – Red Sox 1/2, Gregor Blanco – Giants 1/2, Kris Bryant – Cubs 1/2,  Ian Desmond – Rangers 1/2, Curtis Granderson – Mets 1/2, Rougned Odor – Rangers 1/2, Buster Posey – Giants 1/2, Carlos Ruiz – Dodgers 1/2, Mark Trumbo – Orioles 1/2,

Pitchers ‘WOO’ MLB 2016,

Kenley Jansen – Dodgers 2, Corey Kluber – Indians 2,  Roberto Osuna – Blue Jays 2, Marco Estrada – Blue Jays 1 1/2,  Madison Bumgarner – Giants 1, Aroldis Chapman – Cubs 1,  Clayton Kershaw – Dodgers 1, Derek Law – Giants 1, Jon Lester – Cubs 1, Mark Melancon– Nationals 1, Andrew Miller – Indians 1,  Marcus Stroman – Blue Jays 1, Josh Tomlin – Indians 1,  Travis Wood – Cubs 1, Jake Arrieta – Cubs 1/2,  Johnny Cueto – Giants 1/2, Matt Moore – Giants 1/2, Darren O’Day – Orioles 1/2, Max Scherzer – Nationals 1/2, Noah Syndergaard – Mets 1/2,

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – October 14, 2016

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Marc Bona, cleveland.com

I make my official picks for the ALCS and NLCS. But factors always get in the way of accurate predictions.

Want an example?

How about a drone?

It is a chaos theory at the airport episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

For the up to date standings of Who Owns October, Click MLB Reports

What is “Who Owns October”? Click HERE for an explanation.

Read the rest of this entry

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – October 13, 2016

screen-shot-2016-10-13-at-11-17-11-pm

Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

The Nationals and Dodgers played not only for a game and a series but an October identity.

They gave us a wonderful classic game.

It is a gut check episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast

Joc Pederson, Kenley Jansen, Daniel Murphy and Max Scherzerand Daniel Murphy all added to their Who Owns October totals.

For the up to date standings of Who Owns October, Click MLB Reports

What is “Who Owns October”? Click HERE for an explanation.

Read the rest of this entry

Who Owns October In MLB Playoffs 2016? (#WOO) Tallies Updated For October 13, 2016

screen-shot-2016-10-13-at-10-54-14-pm

Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

An all time classic played today in a postseason that has had very few duds.

Time to see who owned October.

Each winning team for every post season game gets a pitcher and a hitter who earn a full WOO (Who Owns October.)

And at my discretion, I award a 1/2 WOO’S to a worthy player on the losing team.

At the end of the post season, we will see who had the highest WOO total as a pitcher and a hitter.

A complete description of the rules can be found HERE.

From October 13th.
NL Division Series Game 5:

Receiving 1 WOO’s 

 

Kenley Jansen entered the game in the 7th with nobody out and the Nationals rallying. He stopped the momentum and threw a career high 51 pitched over 2 1/3 tense innings to help preserve the 4-3 Los Angeles win.

Joc Pederson reached base 3 times and launched a game tying homer in the 7th that helped turn the deciding Game 5 around for the Dodgers as they topped Washington, 4-3.

Receiving 1/2 WOO’s 

Daniel Murphy reached base 3 times and scored. But he popped up in a critical moment in the 9th and could not push the Nationals over the top as they fell short to Los Angeles, 4-3.

Max Scherzer was brilliant over 6 shutout innings, allowing 4 hits and striking out 7. But he let up a game tying homer in the 7th and was pulled, leading to a disastrous 4-3 finish for the Nationals against the Dodgers.

Current ‘WOO’ Totals MLB 2016:

Hitters ‘WOO’ MLB 2016,

Josh Donaldson – Blue Jays 2, Daniel Murphy – Nationals 2, Conor Gillaspie – Giants 1 1/2, Justin Turner – Dodgers 1 1/2, Javier Baez – Cubs 1, Mookie Betts – Red Sox 1,  Coco Crisp – Indians 1,  Edwin Encarnacion – Blue Jays 1, Dexter Fowler – Cubs 1, Adrian Gonzalez – Dodgers 1, Brandon Guyer – Indians 1, Shawn Kelley – Nationals 1,  Jason Kipnis – Indians 1,  Joe Panik – Giants 1, Joc Pederson – Dodgers 1, Troy Tulowitzki – Blue Jays 1, Jayson Werth – Nationals 1, Ben Zobrist – Cubs 1,  Elvis Andrus – Rangers 1/2,  Andrew Benintendi  – Red Sox 1/2, Gregor Blanco – Giants 1/2, Kris Bryant – Cubs 1/2,  Ian Desmond – Rangers 1/2, Curtis Granderson – Mets 1/2, Rougned Odor – Rangers 1/2, Buster Posey – Giants 1/2, Carlos Ruiz – Dodgers 1/2, Mark Trumbo – Orioles 1/2,

Pitchers ‘WOO’ MLB 2016,

Kenley Jansen – Dodgers 2,  Roberto Osuna – Blue Jays 2,  Madison Bumgarner – Giants 1, Aroldis Chapman – Cubs 1, Marco Estrada – Blue Jays 1, Clayton Kershaw – Dodgers 1, Derek Law – Giants 1, Jon Lester – Cubs 1, Mark Melancon– Nationals 1, Andrew Miller – Indians 1,  Marcus Stroman – Blue Jays 1, Josh Tomlin – Indians 1,  Travis Wood – Cubs 1, Jake Arrieta – Cubs 1/2,  Johnny Cueto – Giants 1/2, Matt Moore – Giants 1/2, Darren O’Day – Orioles 1/2, Max Scherzer – Nationals 1/2, Noah Syndergaard – Mets 1/2,

Asdrubal Cabrera’s Drastic Improvement vs. Fastballs Turned His 2016 Season Around

New York Mets shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera has been with the organization for just one season, but he’s instantly become a fan favorite. A strong April helped start his tenure on a positive note, but it was an epic late-season surge that instantly brings a smile to every Mets fan.

It’s interesting how one player transformed from being the biggest rally killer to the team’s most dependable run producer, but that’s a microcosm of the Mets’ 2016 performance.

His turnaround can be credited toward a number of things, but there was one specific area that tells a lot of the story.

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OTBB: 10 MLB Teams With a Very Important Offseason Ahead of Them

Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared on On The Bench Baseball.

The 2017 MLB regular season is the furthest thing from our minds right now with the postseason in full swing, but not for the majority of the league.

Most are at home watching the playoffs, trying to figure out how they could be playing baseball next October instead of sitting on their respective couches. The winter months don’t include any on-field action, but the Hot Stove does plenty to keep us warm and occupied until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training.

Before the slate officially gets wiped clean for the coming year, front offices around baseball put in a lot of hours to decide what pieces could make their team a playoff contender. Here are 10 MLB teams who have a very important few months ahead:

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Is Adam Eaton Underrated or Just a “Good” Ballplayer?

The following post was written by Sean Morash of Off the Bench Baseball. Check out their website and be sure to follow them on Twitter, along with Sean.

The Chicago White Sox posted a 78-84 record and really lost pace after the All-Star break, finishing 16 games behind the division-winning Cleveland Indians. This was a poorly constructed team that had serious flaws on the roster.

They addressed exactly one of the five needs I outlined last December by shifting Adam Eaton to right field. However, that effectively shifted their problem over to center field.

Chicago’s logic for doing this was nuanced in the belief they’d extract more value by pairing Eaton with a replacement-level center fielder instead of the other way around. Fair enough, but what did it do to Eaton as a player?

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Who Owns October In MLB Playoffs 2016? (#WOO) Tallies Updated For October 10, 2016

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EZRA SHAW/GETTY IMAGES

One series ended, one saw a team break a tie and a classic played out in San Francisco.

Time to see who owned October.

Each winning team for every post season game gets a pitcher and a hitter who earn a full WOO (Who Owns October.)

And at my discretion, I award a 1/2 WOO’S to a worthy player on the losing team.

At the end of the post season, we will see who had the highest WOO total as a pitcher and a hitter.

A complete description of the rules can be found HERE.

From October 10th.
NL Division Series and AL Division Series Game 3:

Receiving 1 WOO’s 

Coco Crisp hit a key two run homer that helped the Indians sweep the Red Sox, 4-3.

Shawn Kelley stopped any Dodger momentum by retiring all the batters he faced in the 7th and 8th, striking out 8. The Nationals would put the game away in the 9th and win Game 3, 8-3.

Derek Law threw 2 no hit shutout innings after Bumgarner was lifted that helped set up the Giants come from behind rally and ultimately a 6-5 win over the Cubs.

Joe Panik reached base 5 times and delivered the walk off double in the 13th as the Giants held on to beat the Cubs, 6-5.

Josh Tomlin baffled the Red Sox over 5 plus innings, allowing 4 hits and 2 runs but kept getting first pitch strikes with his slow stuff while earning the 4-3 decision for the clinching Indians.

Jayson Werth got 3 hits, including a towering homer, and a walk, driving in 2 and scoring 2 to lead the Nationals past Los Angeles, 8-3.

Receiving 1/2 WOO’s 

Jake Arrieta threw 6 strong innings and hit a 3 run homer that looked like would be enough for the win. He would not factor in the decision of the Cubs 6-5 loss to the Giants.
Mookie Betts doubled off of Miller, scored and made a terrific catch in right field. It would not be enough as the Red Sox season ended at the hands of Cleveland, 4-3.
Kris Bryant collected 7 total bases, including a dramatic 2 run, 9th inning, game tying homer. The Cubs would fall in 13 to the Giants, 6-5.
Carlos Ruiz made it a ballgame with a pinch hit 3 run homer that pulled the Dodgers to within one run. The Nationals would pad their lead and win 8-3.

Current ‘WOO’ Totals MLB 2016:

Hitters ‘WOO’ MLB 2016,

Josh Donaldson – Blue Jays 2, Justin Turner – Dodgers 1 1/2, Javier Baez – Cubs 1, Mookie Betts – Red Sox 1,  Coco Crisp – Indians 1,  Edwin Encarnacion – Blue Jays 1, Dexter Fowler – Cubs 1, Conor Gillaspie – Giants 1, Brandon Guyer – Indians 1, Shawn Kelley – Nationals 1,  Jason Kipnis – Indians 1, Daniel Murphy – Nationals 1, Joe Panik – Giants 1,  Troy Tulowitzki – Blue Jays 1, Jayson Werth – Nationals 1,  Elvis Andrus – Rangers 1/2,  Andrew Benintendi  – Red Sox 1/2, Gregor Blanco – Giants 1/2, Kris Bryant – Cubs 1/2,  Ian Desmond – Rangers 1/2, Curtis Granderson – Mets 1/2, Rougned Odor – Rangers 1/2, Buster Posey – Giants 1/2, Carlos Ruiz – Dodgers 1/2, Mark Trumbo – Orioles 1/2,

Pitchers ‘WOO’ MLB 2016,

Roberto Osuna – Blue Jays 2,  Madison Bumgarner – Giants 1, Marco Estrada – Blue Jays 1, Kenley Jansen – Dodgers 1, Derek Law – Giants 1, Jon Lester – Cubs 1, Mark Melancon – Nationals 1, Andrew Miller – Indians 1,  Marcus Stroman – Blue Jays 1, Josh Tomlin – Indians 1,  Travis Wood – Cubs 1, Jake Arrieta – Cubs 1/2,  Johnny Cueto – Giants 1/2, Darren O’Day – Orioles 1/2, Noah Syndergaard – Mets 1/2,