Category Archives: The Rest: Everything Baseball
From Cuba to Japan, Opening Day to the World Series and the WBC
Ian Desmond: A Player to Watch in October
When asked which Nationals are key to winning in October the trendy picks are going to be Jayson Werth and his .264/.374/.586 postseason batting line or Bryce Harper along with the fact that he has the most raw talent of any National, hit .288/.359/.454 in the second half of the season, and is fully capable of a month like he had in April 2013 when he hit .344/.430/.720. Both of them are full capable of carrying the Nats for a month, but there is another Nat that is known for crazy hot streaks and can carry the team and that is Ian Desmond.
Ian Desmond finished the season with his best month hitting .277/.351/.458 and while that isn’t a particularly hot month for Ian Desmond he never had a truly cold month this season with April being his worst month with a .644 OPS. Ian Desmond never truly had one…
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The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated For September 28, 2014 )
The first Washington No Hitter since 1931!
No Washington Nationals pitcher has ever thrown a no hitter. The last one thrown representing Washington? Bobby Burke, who no hit the Red Sox in August of 1931.
That’s all over now!
Jordan Zimmermann threw the first Washington Nationals no hitter (and the first in Franchise History since Dennis Martinez‘s perfect game as a member of the Montreal Expos.)
9 complete, 1 walk and 10 strikeouts of the Marlins, who for the second straight year end the season on a no hitter. Last year Henderson Alvarez won 1-0 over Detroit. This year the Marlins LOST 1-0.
Odd symmetry.
Safe to say, Jordan Zimmermann looks solid for this post season.
It is time to update my list!
Even With The Awesome Farewell To Jeter, There Are Others Who Are Hanging Up The Cleats This Year
Paul Konerko announced that the 2014 season will be his last. Konerko has 439 career HR, 1412 RBI, and 6 All Star appearances in his 18 year career. What will most likely not be a HOF career, will certainly go down as one of the best in White Sox history. Konerko was the direct replacement for Frank Thomas.He is only 16 HRs behind Thomas for the White Sox franchise record. Konerko, now 38, was a 1998 trade acquisition – with OF Mike Cameron going back the other way. while Cameron was a nice Major Leaguer in his time. Konerko should have his number retired by the club, and is the 2nd active leader for HRs hit for just one team.(432 HRs) to Albert Pujols (having hit 445 HRs with STL). His 3 Slash Line for his career is .279/.354/.487 – and he has collected 2340 hits.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
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1st off, mad respect to Derek Jeter, for giving everyone a last night to remember on Thursday. He embodied what a class act superstar should be his whole career.
The MLB world is fully justified to praise him as much as they want. So the ‘hater’s’ will just have to suffer.
I am happy to see a lot of our brethren of website writers all chime in some of the other guys hanging them up too.
Paul Konerko is about us unheralded as their is for a near Hall of Famer these. days. He is second actively when it comes to HRs for a select team, with his total of 432 bombs for the White Sox. Only Albert Pujols‘s 445 HRs for the Cards is more.
Only David Ortiz has hit over 400 HRs for one active team besides Pujols and Konerko..
It is only too bad, that the big 2005 World Champion, saw a lot of his power evaporate before he passed Frank Thomas‘s career mark of 448 big fly’s for the franchise.
Still, #14 will be missed, and I definitely will be watching on my computer, with it being “Paul Konerko Day” today (Saturday Sept.27th) at Us Cellular Field. Read the rest of this entry
I Give The Captain More Accolades: Jeter To Play Last Game In The Bronx + Last Series In Boston
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead/Analyst – with assist to Jonathan Hacohen, Website Founder) Follow @chuckbooth3024
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I understand the “Jeter Fatigue” that has gone on all year, and half of me just wishes that he never mentioned that he was done after the 2014 campaign. I just hate giving any ammunition to the ‘hater’s’, and definitely when I have agreed it was overkill at some points.
But then I would have missed his brilliant series at Safeco Field, that was worth the price of admission, if I hadn’t known it was his last year.
While he has struggled for some of this season, he had hits in his 1st AB, all three games of that series I attended, and reached base 9 times in 3 straight Yankee wins, giving me yet more memories for my favorite current Pinstriper.
I was there in person for that, and bought my only t-shirt of the year from a street vendor afterwards.
While everyone is not a Yankees fan. and are growing tired of the talk, this is the greatest Yankees player in my years of watching the sport. So, because I have a forum to write about him, Damnit I will!!
Sure I had grown up on Don Mattingly (the last captain of the team prior to #2).. Heck…he is still my favorite player of ALL – Time, but Jeter came into the mix about the same time I graduated from high school.
I am sure I can say this about a lot of “Bronx Bombers’ fans my age. I wanted to be a New York Yankee while playing organized baseball. It was my dream.
Derek Jeter has lived the life all of us would have wanted as a Yankee Stadium ‘hero’. Read the rest of this entry
Ichiro Suzuki Is Closer To Setting The ALL-Time Professional Hits Record: Provided He Keeps Playing
Ichiro Suzuki fashioned 10 straight 200 hit campaigns to start his career (2001 – 2010), tying Pete Rose for the most 200 Hit seasons ALL-Time, and setting the most consecutive years with the feat. He may only be a .270 – .280 hitter now as a 4th OF, but he still plays decent defense, and makes nice contact. Suzuki is about a full season of AB’s away from setting the professional hits record. He is a Free Agent after this year, and at 40, he may have a few campaigns left to offer a club. His 2841 Career Hits come during what will end in 2014, as his 14th year only in the MLB.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
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He is not receiving the kind of fanfare that Derek Jeter is this year, (although maybe he would if he was retiring too and had announced it), by Ichiro Suzuki has put forth a decent year in 2014.
His .284/.323/.338 Slash Line is not something to write home about, but he is a nice 3A Outfielder on a club that has seen its fair share of injuries.
Heading into the last 4 games of the year, the 10 time 200 hit man, has 99 hits on the season, thus giving him 2841 Hits in his MLB Lifetime.
After Derek Jeter retires this year. Ichiro will be 2nd in active total hits to Alex Rodriguez. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Baseball Clubs Should Make Single Game Tickets Available Before Christmas
The home site of the 2015 MLB ALL – Star Game, The Great American Ball Park..Baseball owners, and the MLB alike, should really think about having tickets made available for purchase prior to the Christmas season every year Both of the NBA and NHL have free rein on this concept, with their season’s barely being midway yet in each calendar year at the end of December. The supply and demand for NFL tickets only reaches 8 games, and is never in question whether most stadiums will have good turnouts. You would think that kids especially, with love to receive game tickets as gifts on Christmas morning Instead, all that is available are gift certificates at this point in the year.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
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First off, the MLB has done a great job in posting their following year schedules earlier each consecutive year over the last half-dozen or so.
I give these guys full marks for that. It also looks like they are improving their coverage of each team, to include more splits in each of the 30 squad’s itineraries.
I still wish they would follow the NHL (god did I just say that), in providing better splits for their 2430 Games Master Schedule, to include 7 day splits (you can go to ESPN.com for those), monthly splits and one year long page.
This past year, I did all of the schedules I just mentioned, and even added an Interleague Master Schedule.
It has been quite the undertaking, and I am not doing all facets of it again – going forward in 2015. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Baseball Is A Great Value Live At The Park
Safeco Field is among the very top valued parks in the MLB. A pair of tickets can be had for $35 – $40 at the most, and there are an unbelievable amount of free parking spots within a mile of the venue. The pricing for the 2014 Post Season is decent as well for those with season ticket holder status. $40 for face valued tickets (LF Bleachers) during the LDS round. That goes to $85 during the ALCS – and only $120 per ticket for the World Series games. I can’t even buy a ‘Standing Room Only’ Ticket for my local NHL Hockey team. to see the worst team in the league for that much!
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
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Stop me if you heard this before…Baseball is dying.. Come on folks, the actual facts don’t suggest that at all. Sure if you are going back to the day when there were 3 networks on TV, and that is it.
I am going to let you in on a little secret here. Back in 2004, I was once a NHL hockey fan. Yeah, let the stereotype stand for living north of the border, but yeah I followed the sport religiously, even more than baseball for a period.
At that point in my life, I had been to about a hundred games live in Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary, and had been to exactly 3 MLB games (1 at Skydome in 1989, and 2 at Olympic Stadium) in the mid 90’s.
Once I went to Safeco Field once in 2005, I was hooked and had the vibe to see all other 29 parks in rapid fashion.
My love for viewing baseball parks escalated from there into 4 world record chases – to become the fastest to see a full game live at all 30 MLB Stadiums.
A lot of my friends and family are often baffled why i don’t just watch hockey, and support the local hockey team. My interest dwindles every year, and especially now that I am more rabid about baseball than ever, doing this website daily. Read the rest of this entry
A Regional World Series In 2014? NYY/BOS/ATL Maybe All Out Of The Playoffs For 1st Time Since 1989
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst), with a heavy assist for the idea to Josh Robbins: Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Nationals and Orioles both locked down their respective league’s East Division’s last night. Could it be a possible Beltway World Series?
Or how about a Freeway Series (I-5) between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels Of Orange County near Disneyland and Fullerton (or whatever Arte Moreno’s team us called now).
If that doesn’t tickle your fancy, maybe iconic close series of 1985 and 1989 respectively, meaning the I-70 series (KC vs STL) or the Bay Bridge (Earthquake Series), between the A’s and Giants.
Both of those winning clubs have not won the Fall Classic since those years.
Even Detroit and Pittsburgh are only 284 Miles apart, should they have a chance meeting.
Who is not here for the 1st time in 20 years – will probably be the Braves (whose playoff chances are on fumes), and the Yankees/Red Sox all failed to have at least one representative of those 3 in the Post Season since 1989, when the Cubs, Dodgers, A’s and Blue Jays made the playoffs.
2009 was the last time teams within close proximity to each other squared off in the World Series – when the Yanks took out the defending champion Phillies in 6 games.
The Yankees/Mets 2000 “Subway Series” was the last time two teams in the same city played in the Fall Classic, something the 2 Los Angeles squad’s could do.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – September 3, 2014
Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports
Was the Jon Lester trade a mistake?
Do they desperately need Yoenis Cespedes?
Or would they be in worse shape relying on a slumping Sonny Gray or Scott Kazmir at this point?
And what does this have to do with the beef stroganoff recipe by comedian Ritch Duncan?
It all makes sense (or maybe it doesn’t) in this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Why Ruben Amaro Jr. Should Be Fired Right Now!
Ruben Amaro JR and the brass of the Phils should have faced the facts – and started dismantling their team before they lost any relevant value over the last few years. Now players like Rollins, Burnett and Utley have had their Vesting Options all exercised – and with the exception of the 2nd baseman, none of them have any trade value. Add brutal dollars owed to Howard and Papelbon, and this team is headed for financial peril.
Why Ruben Amaro Jr should be fired
Jordan Gluck (Prospects/Organization Expert): Follow @jgluck777
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I believe that if any GM were asked what is the organization that they would least like to take over the answer would be the Phillies. This team is a train wreck and it starts with up top where a new general manager is needed.
The Phillies even with the money that they generate are a long-term project that won’t be easy to fix. Rubens tenure started November 3rd 2008. The team had just won the World Series under the tutelage of Pat Gillick.
Amaro had a team that could have brought a dynasty type of run to the franchise. After a slow-moving regression that went from World Series Appearance in 2009, to NLCS in 2010, and then NLDS in 2011, the team finally missed the playoffs.
The core began to grow older and become expensive. It has been apparent the squad needed a rebuild on the fly, but the powers that be have sat on their diminishing assets too long, and now the apples have become rotten, and not useful to other 29 teams.
It is a flawed way of thinking – and will set the organization back 3 – 5 years.
Out of our entire staff here at MLB Reports, we all hold the same opinion about Amaro JR. – and in this article, we have all added our 2 cents in some form. Be sure to listen to Sully’s great podcasts about the Phillies at the end of the blog.
ALL – Time TJ Surgery Tracker 1974 – 2014 (30 Updates Including Jonny Venters 3rd Time)
Dr. James Andrews – leading Tommy John surgeon is the new senior leader on this innovative and break through procedure, championed 1st over 40 years ago, and responsible for extending over 700 players careers now.
For all the talk of baseball players (pitchers mostly) that will be undergoing Tommy John Surgery, we will be keeping a running list! E-mail us at mlbreports@gmail.com if you have any names to add to our totals.
How many players are having or had TJ in history? You are about to find out:
Links
TOMMY JOHN SURGERY – 2014 (30)
2014
Jonny Venters – (3rd Time Probable) Braves: Aug/Sept 2014Jeremy Hefner, NYM Aug 2014 (TJ Watch List – Possible 2nd TJ Surgery)
Tyler Skaggs, Angels, Aug 10 – will have season ending TJ surgery soon. expected to be out til 2016
Nate Jones, White Sox, July.30
Tyler Chatwood, Rockies, July,19
Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees (Partially Torn UCL, (TJ Watch List), July 10th
Bronson Arroyo, D’Backs July Surgery.
Matt Wieters, Orioles, June 17th
Sean Burnett, Angels, June 5th
Chris Withrow, Dodgers, June 3rd
Jose Cisnero, Astros, May 28th
Martin Perez, Rangers, May 19th.
Jose Fernandez, Marlins, May 16th
A.J. Griffin, Athletics, Apr.25th .
Pedro Figueroa, Rangers, Apr.30th
Ivan Nova, Yankees, – Apr.29th
Josh Johnson, Padres, – Apr.24
Matt Moore, Rays – Apr.24, 2014 – Link: With Moore Out For TJ Surgery – The Rays Should Hold Onto Price Through 2015
Jameson Taillon – Pirates – April 9, 2014
Bobby Parnell – Mets – April 8th
Cory Gearrin – Braves – Mar.29 – Went on the 60 Day DL with partial ligament tear of right elbow Mar.29, 2014 – May Require TJ Surgery.”
David Hernandez – D’Backs – Surgery April 2014.
Bruce Rondon – Tigers – Mar.2014
Patrick Corbin – D’Backs – Mar.2014.
Jarrod Parker – Athletics – March 2014
Brandon Beachy – Braves – “2nd TJ Surgery” Mar 2014
Kris Medlen– Braves – Mar 2014
Luke Hochevar– Royals – March.07, 2014.
Miguel Sano – Twins (Position Player) Mar, 2014.
Cory Luebke – Padres: Luebke went under the knife for his 2nd TJ Surgery Feb 2014. Read the rest of this entry
The Nats Offense Is Better Than You Think
Well, probably. I don’t know for sure how good you think the Nationals offense is, but I’m speaking more to the general population here. Just bear with me.
Moving on, looking at the Nationals rate stats it paints a seemingly bleak picture. The team average, not including pitchers, is a .260/.329/.403 slash line, a .324 wOBA and a meager 4.28 runs per game. Coming from the steroid fueled offensive funfest that was the early 2000’s that looks absolutely terrible. But spoiler alert, it isn’t the early 2000’s anymore and the game has changed a lot on the offensive side.
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ALL – Time TJ Surgery Tracker 1974 – 2014 (30 Updates)
Dr. James Andrews – leading Tommy John surgeon is the new senior leader on this innovative and break through procedure, championed 1st over 40 years ago, and responsible for extending over 700 players careers now.
For all the talk of baseball players (pitchers mostly) that will be undergoing Tommy John Surgery, we will be keeping a running list! E-mail us at mlbreports@gmail.com if you have any names to add to our totals.
How many players are having or had TJ in history? You are about to find out:
Links
TOMMY JOHN SURGERY – 2014 (30)
2014
Jonny Venters – (3rd Time Probable) Braves: Aug.Jeremy Hefner, NYM Aug 2014 (TJ Watch List – Possible 2nd TJ Surgery)
Tyler Skaggs, Angels, Aug 10 – will have season ending TJ surgery soon. expected to be out til 2016
Nate Jones, White Sox, July.30
Tyler Chatwood, Rockies, July,19
Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees (Partially Torn UCL, (TJ Watch List), July 10th
Bronson Arroyo, D’Backs July Surgery.
Matt Wieters, Orioles, June 17th
Sean Burnett, Angels, June 5th
Chris Withrow, Dodgers, June 3rd
Jose Cisnero, Astros, May 28th
Martin Perez, Rangers, May 19th.
Jose Fernandez, Marlins, May 16th
A.J. Griffin, Athletics, Apr.25th .
Pedro Figueroa, Rangers, Apr.30th
Ivan Nova, Yankees, – Apr.29th
Josh Johnson, Padres, – Apr.24
Matt Moore, Rays – Apr.24, 2014 – Link: With Moore Out For TJ Surgery – The Rays Should Hold Onto Price Through 2015
Jameson Taillon – Pirates – April 9, 2014
Bobby Parnell – Mets – April 8th
Cory Gearrin – Braves – Mar.29 – Went on the 60 Day DL with partial ligament tear of right elbow Mar.29, 2014 – May Require TJ Surgery.”
David Hernandez – D’Backs – Surgery April 2014.
Bruce Rondon – Tigers – Mar.2014
Patrick Corbin – D’Backs – Mar.2014.
Jarrod Parker – Athletics – March 2014
Brandon Beachy – Braves – “2nd TJ Surgery” Mar 2014
Kris Medlen– Braves – Mar 2014
Luke Hochevar– Royals – March.07, 2014.
Miguel Sano – Twins (Position Player) Mar, 2014.
Cory Luebke – Padres: Luebke went under the knife for his 2nd TJ Surgery Feb 2014. Read the rest of this entry
Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams Selected As SABR’s 19th Century Overlooked Baseball Legend
Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams Selected as SABR’s 2014
19th Century Overlooked Baseball Legend
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By Roger & Cathy Ratzenberger (Special Guest Writers): (Visit Roger’s website here)
Daniel Lucius “Doc” Adams (1814 – 1899) has been selected as the 19th Century Overlooked Baseball Legend by the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). This recognition comes in the bicentennial of his birth.
Each year SABR honors a 19th century player, manager, executive or other baseball personality not yet inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Adams’ contributions to the game include the creation of the shortstop position and heading the baseball governing body that established key aspects of today’s baseball game including nine players per team, the nine-inning game, ninety feet between bases and catching the ball on the fly.
Adams was born in Mont Vernon, New Hampshire on November 1, 1814. He graduated from Yale in 1835 and Harvard Medical School in 1838. In 1839, he moved to New York where he established his own medical practice. Read the rest of this entry
Interactive Nats Bullpen Decision Chart
It is time to see what Matt Williams job is like…
You’ve been clamoring for it and it’s finally here, an updated Matt Williams Bullpen Flow Chart. This time though, to make things even more fun, it’s interactive. Go into the mind of Matt Williams and see what it’s like being the manager of the Washington Nationals. Answer the questions by clicking the links and find out which pitcher you need to send into the game skip.
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Ice Bucket Challenge For ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), No, But A Donation Challenge To All Websites!
Historic Films Stock Footage Archive
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Lou Gehrig is still making an imprint on today’s society. 75 years after the “Ironman” made his famous farewell speech at Yankee Stadium in 1939, the disease so ‘aptly’ known more as “Lou Gehrig’s disease – more so than ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis).
After all of the money raised in the three-quarters of a century since #4 stopped playing, there is still no cure for the disease.
ALS is a neurodegenerative ailment that is as debilitating as they come to the human body.
Before he was known for that, Henry Louis Gehrig, born June.19, 1903 was one of the best baseball players of ALL – Time.
To state how awesome he was would take forever. But he was known best for his durability (setting the consecutive games mark for MLB’ers at 2131 games. A mark that was stopped by ALS.
It took over 56 years for the record to be broken by Cal Ripken.
The Bronx Bombers 1st Baseman clubbed over 100+ RBI in 14 straight seasons from 1925 – 1938, His 184 RBI in 1931 is still the ALL – Time Single year record in the American League.
Gehrig held an OPS over 1.000 for every season between 1927 – 1937
His 3 slash for his career is .340/.447/.632. Only Babe Ruth and Ted Williams had higher marks.
Gehrig cranked out 1995 RBI in just 2164 Games Played, in what amounts to be an average season of 149 RBI. The ‘Iron Horse’ actually topped the 150+ RBI clip 7 different times, His RBI/Game is the highest clip for a career.
There is no doubt in my mind, if he wasn’t cut short of playing, he would be the RBI king,
The man was part of 6 World Series Titles in 7 Appearances, accounting for a 3 Slash of .361/.477/.731 – with 10 HRs and 35 RBI during his 34 lifetime games. Incredibly in those 34 contests, Gehrig reached base 75 times.
During his illness days, baseball made a special exception to induct him directly into the Baseball Hall Of Fame in 1939.
Showing that his appreciation by the MLB has only grown with time, he received the most votes for the 1999 ALL – Century Team – that listed all the best players from the 20th century.
A man who was such a legend will grow as the years continue on. Read the rest of this entry
My ALS Challenge To All Baseball Related Websites!
Historic Films Stock Footage Archive
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
My ALS Challenge To All Baseball Related Websites!
I was challenged to participate in the “ALS – Ice Bucket Challenge” that has been making the rounds in social media networks for some time.
MLB has come up huge in the efforts to keep the ball rolling.
Derek Jeter, Yasiel Puig, White Sox announcer Hawk Harrelson – and even the Twins owner Jim Pohlad took up the quest in the owners box the other night.
I would totally love to be drenched by a bucket of ice, however I have come up with a separate challenge for this movement.
I hereby throw out the idea to all of my fellow baseball bloggers to write a blog about Lou Gehrig, of course mentioning the ALS disease that took down this Yankee legend at such a young age.
I want these websites to talk of the heroic inspiration that the “Ironman” displayed in giving his farewell speech.
Lastly, to include a link to for their readers to make a donation to http://www.alsa.org/ at the very minimum.
I will donate a cent per 4 views of my Lou Gehrig blog posted later today/coupled with this short mentioned post. (capped to a maximum of 2131 cents as – which is the same as #4’s ironman streak which came to an end when he ALS was discovered in his body, equivalent of $213.10 to the foundation – if the max is hit).
I urge any of the sites/bloggers to come up with some sort of donation platform such as this.
It is my hope – that this will create another round of awareness for the disease. and of course… one of the greatest players of ALL-Time in Gehrig.
So Share this on your social media outlet, ramp up the views – and earn some money for a great foundation.. Don’t forget to make a donation yourself.
Lou Gehrig was only 35 when he was diagnosed with ALS. He had to retire right away and came back for what some would consider ‘the greatest speech of all-time’ on July.4, 1939. It was the “I am the Luckiest Man on the face of the Earth” speech. Gehrig died June.2, 1941 at the age of 37. –Photo courtesy of ultimateyankees.com
The Bullet Version Of Monday’s MLB Games + Craig Kimbrel Is Filthy!
Season high 7 game winning streak – including 3 straight walk off hits at Nats Park. They hold a 6 game lead over 2nd place Atlanta, and the Nationals haven’t even hit full stride with several key players not maximizing on their talent level. With a weaker NL East schedule down the stretch, they just may hold home field advantage by season’s end in the National League.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
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Erik Kratz smacked 2 HRs and now has 23 HRs in just 472 AB. Thats a HR for every 20.52 AB or would equal about 29 Bolts in a 600 AB campaign. The guy is 34 so that is not likely to happen… but smart move on KC’s part to bring him in. Beats the alternative for what they had.
Washington is starting to heat up, and if you play them into late and extra innings, any of their hitters can beat you right now. This does not bode well for Atlanta.
Everybody just back off of Trevor Rosenthal, as all young relievers go through this. Besides what is a season if the Cardinals didn’t changeup their Closer at least once…
Everyone also needs to take a chill pill on the A’s missing Yoenis Cespedes so much it has destroyed the unity of the offense. Teams go through stretches where they don’t play well. It is just 17 games of a sample size so far. Read the rest of this entry
“Stoking The Fire Segment” – MLB Games Are Too Long But Fantasy Baseball Is a Godsend!
More and more fans are accessing the MLB from their own personal phones these days. Here is the problem. With games going too long, people lose interest in a real hurry – and especially just the casual fan..
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
I tried to watch the Mariners vs Rangers a few months ago on MLBTV.
5 Instant Replay reviews, many pitching changes, and the game lasted 3 hours and 30 minutes – and this was a 4 – 3 9 inning game.
It is not hard to figure out why games are longer in length.
Money Ball has forced every team to wear down pitchers, see as many tosses from the Starting Chuckers as humanly possible.
30 years ago, it was more of a rip it and grip it approach.
Strikeouts and Walks are at an all time high, but also are some pre-pitch rituals. Read the rest of this entry
All Time Tommy John Surgery List – Updated For Tyler Skaggs (1974 – 2014)
DR. FRANK JOBE, who would have turned 89 in the summer of 2014 before his recent passing, was a renowned orthopedic surgeon who revolutionized the medical care and prolonged the careers of baseball pitchers with his groundbreaking tendon transplant procedure now known as the “Tommy John” surgery. In 1974, Dodgers pitcher TOMMY JOHN was diagnosed with a torn ligament in his left (pitching) elbow, apparently ending his career. In an experimental surgery, which he estimated at the time as having 1% odds for a successful outcome, Jobe transplanted a tendon from John’s right forearm to his left elbow. After more than a year of rehabilitation, John and his bionic arm returned to the mound, where he pitched for 14 more seasons and racked up 164 of his 288 career victories before retiring at the age of 46. Today, the procedure is commonplace among professional and amateur pitchers. It has been estimated that Jobe performed more than 1,000 Tommy John surgeries himself and that nearly 200 major leaguers – not all of them pitchers – have had their careers extended by the procedure.
In a recent interview with Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News, Jobe discussed how he and John decided to proceed with the surgery, thus establishing a relationship of trust between doctor and patient: “Tommy happened to be in my office talking, and we already had told him about all the potential complications. I was ready to sign his papers for retirement. I wasn’t even sure I should have brought [the operation idea] up in our conversation. I had no idea if it would be successful. I really wasn’t sure. We got to a point where we kind of looked at each other and he said, ‘That makes sense, let’s do it.’ I think those were the three words that changed the course of baseball medicine for the rest of time. ‘Let’s do it.’”
After a long and grueling rehabilitation, John returned to the mound with the Dodgers in 1976, completing 207 innings, recording 10 wins with a 3.09 ERA, and receiving both the National League Comeback Player of the Year Award and the Fred Hutchinson Award for Outstanding Character and Courage. That he was a better pitcher after the experimental surgery was fully evident by 1977, as John won 20 games with a 2.78 ERA, earning him a second-place finish to Steve Carlton in Cy Young Award balloting. Reliquarian Michael Fallon, in his biographical profile of Tommy John for the Society for American Baseball Research, noted that the pitcher revolutionized “athlete’s attitudes toward medicine. With 164 of his 288 victories coming after the surgery, John shattered the barrier that said players could not play after undergoing surgery.” Fallon added that, despite having the most wins of any eligible pitcher not inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, John’s “pioneering gumption, his ability to endure and come back from adversity does put him among baseball’s all-time elite.”
The two figures made medical history over 40 years ago.
Total AL Plus/Minus Of BB/SO On Offense + Pitching
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Baseball is a game full of stats and numbers. Sabermetrics aside, one thing that I fully believe takes to win baseball games is superior pitching, and still having some plate discipline.
Of course it you can compensate for a lack of patience at the plate, with some big Home Runs, than you still may make out just fine.
While doing some research on the Oakland A’s, I looked at AL offensive and defensive Walk to Strikeout totals on both sides of the field.
I believe this is a relevant look at how good a team is faring.
Right away, the Rays and Orioles stick out in this blog, because the Rays were number 1 for this category, and the O’s are 14th, yet have the 3rd best record in the AL, and lead the AL East by 5 games currently.
Unsolved Mysteries: Stephen Strasburg
In all of my posts I look to take some statistics, present them in a logical manner and share my own conclusion from these statistics. This has been a tried and true formula that has been highly effective. However, today’s topic has left me without a conclusion and you’ll hopefully soon see why. So instead we’ll go a bit more behind the scenes as I take you through my research process for this post.
To start I knew I wanted to write about Stephen Strasburg. He’s been a hot topic among Nats fans since the Opening Day and no one can quite get a read on him. By many measures he’s been one of the best pitchers in baseball, but by the most important measure, runs allowed, he’s been merely average. How is it that someone with such great stuff and peripherals is producing such pedestrian results? This is what…
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MLB Expansion, Possible Destination: Portland, Oregon
Portland: One of the largest cities without a team, this would be a safe bet for Major League Baseball. This city has been thrown around in almost every discussion on expansion. This one will likely happen. The population is over 600,000 – but it has a couple more Million in the Metropolitan area.
Jordan Gluck (Baseball Operations Analyst): Follow @jgluck777
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MLB Expansion Destinations: Portland Oregon
The second city I think is a contender for MLB expansion is Portland Oregon. I think that MLB in the next 8 or so years will expand to 32 teams with one team absolutely somewhere on the west coast.
I think the west coast is a necessity due to division alignment and that the Astros who are located in the central time zone are in the American League West. Which West Coast team is the answer that we don’t know about yet.
I will Clarify that Portland WILL NOT receive the Oakland Athletics!!!!!!!!!!!
Portland due to high precipitation will require a retractable roof stadium. I would make the stadium kind of funky like the young “hip” town of Portland which is commonly referred by its natives as “Portlandia”. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Trade Deadline Breakdown 2014 + The August Aftermath
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
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It was a flurry of action that baseball really needed. Half way through the day, I was amazed their was actually day games.
Oakland and Detroit pushed all of their chips in, and you have to think they are pretty much done with transactions, although one of them doing an August deal could prompt the other to do the same.
I am holding back reservations for judging the Pirates, Blue Jays and Royals….however they all must be the “MLB clubhouse leaders” in August acquisitions to challenge for playoff slots.
Although KC better have a better idea than having Raul Ibanez take regular AB at 1B..That is horrible..
It wasn’t like the club didn’t know Eric Hosmer was injured badly.
I am also about throwing Ruben Amaro‘s career about 10 second from a toe-tag (and those ten seconds are August), for standing pat on his 47 – 60 aging core.
Like I have said so many times on twitter and social media outlets. Someone teach this man some basic economics.
Take a lesson from Boston, and trade-off assets, to receive younger ones in the process, then you can turn around and spend every red cent in Free Agency in the offseason.. Read the rest of this entry
Beane Acquires Lester + Gomes For Cespedes: Then Acquires Fuld For Millone
Jon Lester, 30, is in the last year of his contract, which will make him around $4 MIL for the last 2 months of the 2014 season. While there is no way he signs with Oakland past this campaign, this is a calculated move to land a playoff assassin that can front a franchise a #1 starter for a playoff series – or as the pitcher in a Play in Wild Card game should the Angels run the A’s down for the AL West. Much like Samardzija, the Athletics brass knows these guys could never be acquired via Free Agency, and have the wherewithal to know that inking longterm aces to deals past the age of 30 is just not in the cards for the franchise. The A’s were put in the position to rent them because of Beane’s nice deals to build the organization’s depth. Lester features a 2.11 ERA in 76.2 IP worth of work in the Post season lifetime. Lester is 10 – 7, with a 2.52 ERA in 143.2 IP this season in 21 Game Starts.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Billy Beane has been adamant about his team winning the World Series in 2014, and he fired yet another salvo on the July 31st deadline.
The A’s GM acquired Jon Lester and Jonny Gomes for the popular Cuban OF Yoenis Cespedes.
Lets have the finances out of the way 1st.
Jon Lester, 30, is in the last year of his contract, and will be a Free Agent after this year.
There is no shot at the man signing with the Athletics after this year. however the A’s will receive a compensatory pick for giving him a qualifying offer following 2014.
The LHP wll make approximately $4 MIL the rest of the season.
Yoenis Cespedes, 28, is signed through the 2015 at $10.5 MIL per year the next 2 seasons, and will become a Free Agent after next year.
As per the article 20B section of the CBA, he negotiated that he would be free and clear once his original 4 YRs/$36 MIL deal with the A’s was completed – prior to the 2012 campaign.
The 2013 and 2014 HR Derby winner will make just south of $3.3 MIL for the rest of this year.
Jonny Gomes 33, will make about $1.5 MIL for the duration of the 2014 year, and will become a Free Agent this winter. Read the rest of this entry
ALL – Time Tommy John Surgery Tracker (1974 – Present) Updated For Nate Jones
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
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For all the talk of baseball players (pitchers mostly) that will be undergoing Tommy John Surgery, we will be keeping a running list! E-mail us at mlbreports@gmail.com if you have any names to add to our totals.
How many players are having or had TJ in history? You are about to find out: Read the rest of this entry
Jeter Passes Yaz, Maybe Ties Wagner for 7th On ALL Time Hits List?: Plus #2’s Historical #’s
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Derek Jeter had 3 base hits in last night’s 4 – 2 loss to the Texas Rangers. In doing so, the man now has 3420 hits for his career.
Carl Yastrzemski had 3419 to hold onto the 8th spot previously, but Jeter’s 3420th hit seems to be confusing when you look at the websites of both http://www.mlb.com and http://www.baseballreference.com
BBREF has Honus Wagner listed at 3420, which would have El Capitan tying that mark for 7th last night, while MLB has Wagner listed at 3430 Career Hits.
All will be a moot point when Jeter passes the 3431 hits plateau in a few weeks, and shortly after that he should nestle into the 6th slot for good, when he passes Cap Anson. (3435)
For those that still don’t give Derek Jeter the respect he deserves, the man also is the Career Hits leader ever for an Infielder.
Of his 3420 base knocks. 3337 have come as a SS and 81 at the DH position, which is ahead of Wagner, Anson, and Eddie Collins.
The other 2 hits come via pinch hitting.
Wagner and Anson both saw some time in the Outfield during their time. Read the rest of this entry
Get Ready for Torture Nats Fans
If you’re a baseball fan you’re really going to enjoy these final two months. If you’re a Nationals fan it is going to be pure torture. With the addition of the second Wild Card in 2012 there are now five playoff teams and in the NL there are currently seven teams within three games of each other. If things broke right in three days’ time the Pittsburgh Pirates could have the best record in the NL and the Milwaukee Brewers out of the playoffs entirely. This creates real danger for the teams leading a division.
No NL division leader has more than a three game lead with the Giants and Nationals both being half a game up in their divisions. The current Wild Card leaders are the Dodgers and Braves with the Cardinals and Pirates only a half game back of them. It isn’t hard to imagine one of the current division…
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MLB Reports ‘Writer/Senior Reporter’ Lori Martini Interviews ‘Baseball Fan + Musician’ Cassandra Kubinski
BY Lori Martini (MLB Reports Senior Reporter) Follow her On TwitterFollow @lorimartini
Follow MLB Reports On twitter Follow @mlbreports
Cassandra Kubinski is a rarity…very similar to the legendary solo artists of the early to mid 1970’s…she proves that the genre [singer/songwriter] is not only alive and well, but that it is still capable of being transcendent. – Billy Joel
Cassandra Kubinski began her career doing musical theatre at the age of 12. Since then, she’s released 4 albums, toured from NYC to LA to Germany to Jamaica, and opened for folks like Anna Nalick, Dickie Betts, and Ingram Hill.
Her latest album, “Just Being Myself”, features adult contemporary hit trumpeter Chris Botti, as well as 15 originals in her theatrical pop style.
Her music has been heard on NBC, ABC, Bravo, MTV, VH1, and more, including 7 song placements on Lifetime’s “Dance Moms.” As a vocalist, she’s done jingles and commercials for the USPS, Barnes and Noble, Homegoods, Kohls, Capitol One, Dunkin Donuts, MTV, Tampax and more.
She also works to raise awareness and acceptance for Autism through her song “Not So Different”, which has raised thousands of dollars for autism causes and been featured on ABC, NY1, and many Autism websites. Let’s not forget, she is also a baseball fan and references a certain team in some of her songs. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Reports Writer/Senior Reporter Lori Martini Interviews ‘Baseball Fan + Rapper’ Steven Cooper
BY Lori Martini (MLB Reports Senior Reporter) Follow her On TwitterFollow @lorimartini
Follow MLB Reports On twitter Follow @mlbreports
Steven Cooper is an artist/rapper based out of Kansas City, MO who’s starting to make a name for himself in the pop/hip-hop world. Currently he’s giving away his album “Stereotype” for FREE until it hits 100K downloads before releasing any new material.
His music is anthemic, positive and inspirational which is a refreshing direction to instill in the youth.
He will be performing his song “Born To Do”at the Staten Island Yankees on Wednesday, July 23rd and at the Brooklyn Cyclones on Thursday, July 24th. Read the rest of this entry
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