Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 25, 2016
Never make decisions while in a spiteful mood. Why? Because it can cost you a Hall of Famer and potentially a pennant or two.
Just ask the Cardinals of the 1970s.
It is a clearing the head episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 24, 2016
AL BEHRMAN/AP
It is Sunday and time for The Sunday Request.
@sullybaseball You don’t understand why they think so, or don’t think it is? Because I get the latter, I don’t the former.
— whig apologist (@Crpls) January 22, 2016
I am not a traditionalist. I like fun and I like variety. And eliminating pitchers batting takes fun and variety out of baseball.
BUT I offer a compromise!
It is an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 23, 2016
Photo: Bill Kostroun. New York Post
Yoenis Cespedes is coming back to the Mets, at least for 2016. The goodwill that will buy for the Mets is worth every penny.
Plus I beat the hell out of a spider in Burbank.
Good times in Flushing for this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 22, 2016
Still in the parking lot of a CVS, I discuss ethics and why Pete Rose‘s number SHOULD be retired.
It is a crazy person talking outside to himself episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
NL To Eliminate The DH Or Not? Fan Voting Poll
Rob Manfred has shown an aptitude to make drastic changes in the sport since taking over as the Commissioner a year ago in the MLB. The new agenda is to have both the American League and National League playing by the same rules. Purists will hate the adopting of the DH, as is their disdain for the Designated Hitter in the AL. They will say they should eliminate that position to have both leagues equal. I offer a 3rd alternative. NO DH or pitcher hitting. Make sure you take part in our poll at the end of the blog post.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
I have to admit Rob Manfred is at least taking charge at the helm of the MLB. Uniformity of both the American League and the National League may be implemented as early at 2017 – following the CBA talks after the 2016 season.
That is right, The Designated Hitter may be introduced in the NL as early as next year.
If Manfred calls for an equalization schedule of all 30 MLB teams playing a level amount of games against their own league and divisions next – I will anoint him the best “Commissioner ever. Hopefully this would be the next step.
Since the progressive leader has made some radical changes in his infancy at the top, like fast play, blackout removals, one fee for individualized teams on MLB.TV – I am hoping he can eradicate team fatigue next.
One of the best cases to made for both the Senior and Junior Circuits to both have the same rules is the recent destruction the AL has done to the National League. They have a 12 year winning streak in Interleague play – with a whopping .550 win percentage in that time from 2004 – 2015. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 21, 2016
Yoenis Cespedes needs to find a home. The Angels and Nats are the logical landing spot. But can the Mets afford to lose him?
I pulled off the road and into a parking lot to record this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Bold Predictions For The 2016 MLB Year
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Every year we do an article called “Bold Predictions”. I love this concept as most of these ideas are so preposterous that none of them will actually happen. I liken it to the “Riverboat Gambler Theory” where you can really get rich quick if it were to come to fruition.
There may not be too many secrets in the National League where the clubs seems to be either really good or really bad. The American League has a lot more parity.
I suppose I could start off by saying that the NL would win the Interleague series versus the AL, but that it is probably not going to happen based on a 12 year losing streak. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 20, 2016
PHOTO BY: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY
What teams can lay claim to “Team of the Decade” for the 2010’s?
What team can enter the conversation with a 2016 World Series win?
It is a long term legacy episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
The Padres Should Definitely Not Pursue Yoenis Cespedes: But The Angels Should
Yoenis Cespedes led all LF for HRs with 35 on the campaign in 2015. He picked a contract year for his best season to date out of the 4 years he has been in the Major Leagues. Cespedes hit 17 HRs with the Mets in 2 months, after smacking out just 18 in the first four months with Detroit. Cespedes finished in the top 40 for both leagues in respective big fly’s, and was tie for 13th overall with Manny Machado and David Ortiz. The 30 Year Old would not be a good fit in San Diego – where they have a similar player in Matt Kemp already. His presence with Trout and Calhoun in Los Angeles would be the best all around Outfield in the Majors should he sign there.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
With Yoenis Cespedes still on the open market a lot of speculation is running rampant on which squads should be in the running for his services.
While I am not sure I buy the theory at all, the Padres have been said to be checking in on the big Cuban star.
This type of signing would be a monumental mistake in my view.
I would hope that A.J. Preller would have learned his lesson by acquiring high strikeout, low OBP players that have power that may not translate to their home park in Petco Park. Read the rest of this entry
The Miami Marlins In 2016: Contenders Or Pretenders?
The Miami Marlins have not had a winning season since finishing 87 – 75 in 2009. With some deft maneuvers and the right allocation of team salary (like the latest Chen signing) – this club could contend in the NL East with Atlanta and Philadelphia both rebuilding. With all questions pointing to how Jeffrey Loria will behave if they were in contention halfway through, it will be an entertaining season.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Marlins finally threw down some money on a relevant Free Agent in the past week when they signed LHP Wei-Yin Chen. The former Oriole received a 5 YR deal worth $80 MIL – that also has a Vesting Option for a 6th year.
Financially speaking, Chen will only earn $14 MIL of that pact in 2016 – thus bringing the Fish to about $77 MIL total team salary to start the campaign.
Miami is one of the middle of the pack teams in the National League – much like the Arizona Diamondbacks are. These teams should be predicted to be just around .500. The rest of the clubs should be well north or south of the even record mark. Read the rest of this entry
Mets All-Time Top 10 by WAR
AP
This week’s list is all about WAR or Wins Above Replacement. This is an attempt by the sabermetric baseball community to summarize a player’s total contributions to their team in one statistic.
There are a bunch of baseball fans who hate sabermetrics, but I really dig WAR and it lends itself to great conversations.
The Miracle Mets of 69, the World Series team of 1986, the 2000 Mets and the 2015 club that lost World Series, who on this list makes that?
For a franchise that has been around for 53 years going 54, they have placed just 2 members into the Baseball Hall Of Fame with Gary Carter being inducted as an Expos player – only Tom Seaver and now Mike Piazza have been enshrined in Cooperstown.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 19, 2016
Part 3 of my talk with Lonnie Smith. He talks frankly about his memories of the 1991 and 1992 World Series with Atlanta.
Do the Tomahawk Chop on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Dear FanGraphs On Your MLB Season Projections: I Wish You Ran A Gambling Site!
Talk about no respect. Back to back pennants and a projection by Fangraphs to finish tied for 12th in the American League with 79 wins, and 16 less than 2015 – even though the talent level is pretty much status quo. KC, STL and PIT are all projected to tank 15 games each from 2016 – 2015. No way fellas!
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
So I studied the recent FanGraphs projections for the upcoming 2016 MLB Year and was completely shocked at where these guys had the defending World Series Champions projected at for W – L Record….79 – 83 and tied for the 12th best record in the Junior Circuit??!!
Fangraphs, you are high if you think that will actually take place. For that, I wish you ran a gambling website to promote betting. The sharps would have a field day on a couple of these selections. I would throw down some serious money on your totals.
Lets not entirely rule out Cleveland winning the AL Central as they have also prognosticated here, albeit at just 84 wins. That victory total is about right for the Tribe – But how can you have all AL teams (except BOS) pegged between 78 – 86 wins? Read the rest of this entry
Chris Davis (Tied For 20th) + Justin Upton (38th) Join The Top 50 All – Time Salary List
Losing Chris Davis and his 45+ HR power would have been very difficult to replace. The O’s have their man with a creative deferral payment plan that will see them pay Davis $119 MIL from 2016 – 2022, and then pay out $42 MIL over the next 15 years in deferrals. The $161 MIL has him tied for 19th ALL – Time in MLB Player Contracts with CC Sabathia. The Orioles slugger led the league with 47 HRs (2nd time in 3 years), and has clubbed 126 HRs (led all of the MLB) in the last 3 seasons despite being levied a 25 game suspension for his medication in Sept of 2014.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Chris Davis, 30 in 2016, and Justin Upton, 28, are now in the 9 figure club and among historical contracts of ALL – Time. Davis inked a 7 YR deal for $161 MIL – while Upton is at 6 Years for $132.75 (distributed evenly throughout.)
The Big 1B/OF for the O’s will make $119 MIL from 2016 – 2022 paid evenly by $17 MIL per year before the crazy deferral program kicks in. From 2023 – 2030, Davis will earn $3.5 per annum for another $31 MIL. The deal then goes from 2031 – 2037 at a 1.4 MIL per annum clip. All told it is $161 MIL spread over 21 years. Read the rest of this entry
Odds To Win The 2016 MLB World Series
By re-signing Alex Gordon – and then providing depth at the Starting Rotation, KC has cemented itself on a playoff spot in 2016. They are still 4 or 5 wins better than Detroit – but health could play a factor there. Still like them better than the AL East clubs cannibalizing each other at the top, and the AL West is a little up in the air between Houston and Texas. +1200 is still a fantastic odd for the team to repeat as World Series Champs.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Since we last chatted on these odds, the KC Royals have signed Alex Gordon and Ian Kennedy, the Baltimore Orioles have inked Chris Davis – and Detroit settled on a 6 year pact with Justin Upton.
The only club that budged on the odds were the Tigers going from +2500 to +2200. For the record, I believe that both the Tigers and Royals are great value picks right now.
In doing these deals, both franchises have set themselves up nicely for a postseason berth in this forthcoming year.
I believe with the Upton deal that Detroit is now and 86 – 87 win team. I firmly think that KC will be the only club in the American League to top 90. Read the rest of this entry
Detroit Shores Up Offense; Adds Justin Upton
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
Just when you thought the Tigers were done, they bounce back once again for another impactful January singing. Welcome to the D, Mr. Upton!!
With a rumor that came out of nowhere and the focus on Yoenis Cespedes, Detroit will sign Justin Upton to a 6-year $132.75 million dollar contract.
The contract will have an opt-out clause reportedly after the 2nd year and includes a partial non-trade clause. Detroit will undoubtedly be hit with a luxury tax, only determined after the last arbitration case is finished.
Prospect Jordan Weems Trying To Catch On With The Boston Red Sox
With Blake Swihart and Christian Vazquez, the Boston Red Sox have two of the most highly regarded catching prospects in baseball.
Now that they have both reached the majors, fans and the media continue to debate the merits of each. However, team’s organizational depth at the position does not end with them.
There are other young receivers who have the talent to potentially contribute to the big league club one day, including 23-year-old Jordan Weems.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 18, 2016
SEAN M. HAFFEY/GETTY IMAGES
The Royals are aiming for their third straight pennant in 2016. If they do, they will join the Earl Weaver Orioles, Charlie Finley A’s, Bronx Zoo Yankees, LaRussa A’s and the Torre Yankees as three time pennant winners since Divisional Play began. The Torre Yankees are the only ones since the Wild Card.
It is a “Let’s Join Some Big Company” episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 17, 2016
Al Messerschmidt / Getty Images
It is Sunday and time for THE SUNDAY REQUEST
@sullybaseball Sunday request, your thoughts of Rays permission to explore new sites for Stadium & foxsports leading them to new market
— Ken Gura (@Ken51InNO) January 16, 2016
I would love for this to mean that baseball is coming back to Montreal.
Don’t bet on it.
It is a Sun Coast episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Is Yoenis Cespedes The Answer For The Mets?
Saturday morning brought a nice surprise to all Orioles fans wondering if Yoenis Cespedes was going to play in their outfield come April.
Chris Davis and agent Scott Boras were able to come to terms with the Orioles and agree on a 7 year $161 million dollar deal, once again proving he is the best sports agent that ever existed and the whole Cespedes offer was just a ploy by the Orioles to get their all-star first baseman back home where he belongs.
So what happens with Cespedes and the Mets?
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 16, 2015
Today is part 2 of my conversation with 3 time World Champion Lonnie Smith.
This segment, we talk about his transition to Kansas City and his recollections of the blown call in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series.
Upon further review, please enjoy this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Thanks to PastPros for setting up the interview.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 15, 2015
(Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
Former All Star and three time World Series champion Lonnie Smith joins the podcast today.
In this segment, we talk about his days playing with the St. Louis Cardinals and helping them clinch the 1982 World Series.
It is a Fall Classic episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Thanks to PastPros for setting up the interview.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 14, 2016
The 1977 New York Yankees had such an amazing narrative that I am actually glad they won. There are some teams and franchises that missed a perfect ending with losing the World Series.
It is a truth is better than fiction episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Pittsburgh Pirates Deep Dive: Jon Niese
EZRA SHAW/GETTY IMAGES
An intriguing ground ball rate and three years of control were enough for the Pittsburgh Pirates to obtain Jon Niese. What comprises the left-hander’s makeup as a starting pitcher?
Several weeks have passed since Neil Walker was traded to the New York Mets for starting pitcher Jon Niese.
The move still resonates strongly with many Pittsburgh Pirates observers, often serving for many as the fulcrum of a questionable off-season.
We’ve analyzed the move previously, and from all angles. For the latest in our “Pittsburgh Pirates Deep Dive” series, we are going to look at the trends that are seen when analyzing Niese purely by past performance.
For this breakdown, I took a look at Niese’s game logs for the entire 2015 season. This includes all of his regular season appearances – 29 starts and three relief outings.
By looking at the entire snapshot of a full season, I expect to be able to easily identify any developing trends.
When he was acquired, the book on Niese was that he had good groundball-producing ability and a varied pitch mix. Two of those pitches – a sinking fastball and a cutting version – saw groundball rates above 60 percent in 2015.
Ira Flagstead:The Boston Red Sox’s Unknown Hall-of-Famer
Earlier this week it was announced that the Boston Red Sox had selected four new members for their Hall of Fame.
Fans should have little trouble recognizing the first three inductees, former players Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield, and former front office man Larry Lucchino.
However, the fourth honoree, former outfielder Ira Flagstead, will likely leave many scratching their heads.
Despite his anonymity, he is worthy of the honor and is someone whose career all Boston fans should become more familiar with.
Michael Brantley Confirmed For Tribe Fest 2016 + Health Updates
Happy 2016, Brantley fans! I am back and have some exciting news for you all! today, on January 12, it was announced that Michael Brantley will be attending the 4th annual Tribe Fest, presented by KeyBank.
photo courtesy of @Indians on twitter
Unlike in years past, however, there are some big changes to this year’s event. due to the current renovations being made at Progressive Field, Tribe Fest will be held at Aloft Cleveland Downtown and the Ernst & Young Tower lobby in Flats East Bank. not only that, but because of limited space, it’s just ONE day this year on January 30.
tickets for Tribe Fest are on sale now. you must purchase a general admission ticket–$5 for both adults and children–in order to attend. (NOTE: children under 3 are free.) like usual, fans can purchase general admission tickets alone, or bundle them with an autograph ticket. the two different autograph sessions to choose from are 9 am – 2 pm and 2 pm – 7 pm. while you cannot choose which specific player to get an autograph from, you can pick between a current Indians player ($20 ticket) or an alumni player ($25).
along with Michael, the following players have already confirmed to appear (although this is subject to change):
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 13, 2016
Monte Irvin‘s wonderful life ended yesterday after 96 years. He was a pioneer in the integration of the game and a Hall of Famer.
And he was so close to taking the role assumed by Jackie Robinson.
We honor legacy of a great man on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 12, 2016
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Wei-Yin Chen signed with the Marlins and suddenly I am excited about South Florida.
Once again I have found myself drinking the proverbial Miami Kool Aid.
Cue up the crazy statue on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Where Foul Balls Go: Pitching/Batting Handedness Match-ups Determine Foul Direction
We all know the basics of baseball and how foul balls end up in foul territory. A pitcher throws the ball. A batter swings. Sometimes the ball is missed, other times it’s hit fair, and sometimes it soars into foul territory, into the seats.
Foul balls out number hits by about a 5:1 margin. In recent years, the average number of hits per MLB game has hovered around nine (9) balls. There are historically 47 foul balls hit per game. That’s about 5 times more fouls than hits.
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Who Will Win The 2016 National League Divisions Polls
The National League is a very top heavy league with the Nats, Dodgers, Mets, Giants, D’Backs Cardinals and Pirates having the best odds to qualify for the postseason in 2016. With 6 teams possibly challenging the 100 loss barrier in the Senior Circuit (Padres, Rockies, Reds, Brewers, Braves and Phillies), we may a squad break the best ever record ever to qualify for the playoffs as a Wild Card seed this campaign.
Since it is the early part of January, we will offer these polls for all teams in all of the Divisions.
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