Odds To Win The MLB 2016 World Series

The Cubs are the NL favorite to win the championship, and are tied with the Jays for the overall favorite. You have to think they will do anything to sign a premiere Starting Pitcher this winter. David Price, Johnny Cueto and Jordan Zimmermann should all be on their list to sign. The only real loss from their roster this winter is Dexter Fowler at the CF position. They may even try to re-sign him, or another version of him with Denard Span.

The Cubs are the NL favorite to win the championship, and are tied with the Jays for the overall favorite. You have to think they will do anything to sign a premiere Starting Pitcher this winter. David Price, Johnny Cueto and Jordan Zimmermann should all be on their list to sign. The only real loss from their roster this winter is Dexter Fowler at the CF position. They may even try to re-sign him, or another version of him with Denard Span.  I would say to lay off this bet, as the NL Central is a tough division to win.  They may have the top 3 teams in the MLB again next campaign.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

I said last week that vegasodds.com had the wrong odd for the KC Royals to win the 2016 World Series.  Every other gambling entity I have seen since has had the club almost favored doubly to that.

In the recent website check at bet365.com – we see the defending champions tied with the Washington Nationals for the 6th best favorite odd of +1100.

We also said the Los Angeles Dodgers should not be the favorite.  They are not on this site either.  The Doyers are tied for 3rd with the Cards and Mets for the odd with a +1000 clip.

The two top clubs are the Chicago Cubs and Toronto Blue Jays.  I can’t say I disagree with these two picks necessarily.  Read the rest of this entry

30 MLB Teams Needs/Notes And Financials For The Offseason

Perhaps no team is more top-heavy than the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They need a Catcher/3B/OF/2B and have Erick Aybar, C.J. Wilson and Jered Weaver clearing off the books after next campaign. It is an important off year for them.

Perhaps no team is more top-heavy than the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They need a Catcher/3B/OF/2B and have Erick Aybar, C.J. Wilson and Jered Weaver clearing off the books after next campaign. It is an important off year for them.  Will they spend a lot of money, or will they wait until next winter?

Jordan Gluck (Part Owner/Featured Writer): 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

Team Needs notes and financials

Braves: need 4/5 SP depth Setup/Closer type and Catcher budget 15-30M -but will likely save huge splash signings for next years new stadium.

Marlins: maybe 1B Could trade Marcell Ozuna and sign an OF will likely acquire 2 SP one of them being a #2 starter the other lower end. needs lefty reliever. Budget 10-25M.

Mets: Could trade Matt Harvey or Jon Niese/Need MI (at least 1)/ and a big bat for Yoenis Cespedes replacement. Budget 20 -30M.

Phillies: Needs all over especially SP Needs all over offense except SS and 3B Bullpen can use beefing up 10-100M Budget don’t know what they are going for but should wait for next season to make some game changing moves new GM.  Unknown philosophy could sell Odubel Herrera high.

Nationals: 7th/8th inning man maybe SP (Would only be high end) Possible CF. Budget could be -10M to upwards of 30M.

Cubs: SP 3/CF/RF/CL. if needed but not urgent Quagmire at 2B High end SP a priority Should acquire shutdown closer. 40-80M budget. Read the rest of this entry

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 11, 2015

photo

While along the railroad tracks, I think about baseball award shows, more TV shows and why the Draft Kings controversy was so predictable.

All aboard this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Read the rest of this entry

2015 Final MLB Attendances + Analysis

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Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead  Analyst) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

Attendance was up 162, 221 fans over the 2014 total, or 0.2%. The same five teams topped over 3 Million fans in 2015 as did in 2014. Dodgers, Cards, Giants, Yankees and Angels.

Philadelphia lost almost 600K fans year over year – and were the MLB’s club with the worst fall.

Oakland had that distinction the AL – taking a hit of 235K – amongst their 1st non playoff year in 4 seasons.

The World Series Royals set an all time franchise record for attendance in 2015, and had the biggest climb at the turnstiles at +752K.  The club rounded out the top 10 for the MLB as well.

The Mets had the best jump in attendance at 420K in the NL.  The other teams to eclipse a 400K jump were the Toronto Blue Jays (419K) Houston Astros (401K).  All 3 teams made the postseason. Read the rest of this entry

Mastering the 48 Hour Weekend/Week Long Road MLB Trips

For people that work a Monday to Friday job, and are looking to see 3 games for the price of 2 for a weekend,, this blog gives a quick lesson on how to do that.

For people that work a Monday to Friday job, and are looking to see 3 games for the price of 2 for a weekend,, this blog gives a quick lesson on how to do that.

Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead  Analyst) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

The whole travel industry works on the 24 hour clock.  This actually works to the MLB road trip world out there.  During my year long trip, I mastered the art of the 24 hour clock.

My favorite move was to rent a car for Friday – Sunday, that would only cost two rental days at a car company.  Most of the time it would include leaving for a Friday game at 5:30 – and the car was due at a 5:30 on Sunday.

This is great for jamming at least 3 games in the 48 hours, and sometimes you can do a doubleheader on the Saturday.

I told my buddy Scott of breaking down the cost of watching baseball games into individual innings – kind of like bowling frames. Read the rest of this entry

Travel Tuesdays: Picking Off Gift Cards A Great Way To Go + Accumulate Freebies!

In buying $600 worth of Subway Cards (12 x $50 each) I earned 12 free premium foot long subs on my journey. The power of spending should always be investigated for what rewards may come.

In buying $600 worth of Subway Cards (12 x $50 each) I earned 12 free premium foot long subs on my journey. The power of spending should always be investigated for what rewards may come.

Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead  Analyst) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

On my year-long road trip I vowed not to spend much money on the food at the Ballparks.  I ended up only spending around $250 for 224 Games on the road.  So where did I eat?

If I wasn’t at a home base somewhere, or at a free breakfast from a hotel, it was usually Subway, Wendy’s, Walmart (yep, they have food too), McDonalds, Burger King or Little Caesars Pizza.

Since I didn’t want to enter the USA with a wad of cash the several times I took entrance at the borders, my wallet was stacked with Gift cards from these establishments.

I also downloaded all of their apps on my mobile phone to look for deals.

Subway was the clubhouse leader for meals eaten.  I bought 12 – $50 gift cards from this restaurant for this journey.  Check with your local chain, but every time I did this I was able to secure a free foot long premium sandwich.

My food bill was saved a great deal by eating 12 meals on Subway just for buying $50 gift card on a dozen different occasions. Read the rest of this entry

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 10, 2015

Joeff Davis

Joeff Davis

Comedian and native of Kansas City Pat Brown joins the podcast.

We talked about her being a Royals fan living in New York City during the 2015 World Series among all the Mets fans. Pat also shared memories growing up in Kansas City, why she might be a championship good luck charm and how Bo Jackson was a viral star before there was an internet.

It is one more salute to the World Champions on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Follow Pat Brown on Twitter by clicking HERE.

Get information on Pat Brown and her shows by clicking HERE.

And enjoy Bo Jackson scaling the wall.


Read the rest of this entry

MLB Scheduling 2016: Sept And Oct Of 2016

Best Source of Information for all 30 MLB Ballparks - and network of stadium afficionado's

Best Source of Information for all 30 MLB Ballparks – and network of stadium afficionado’s

Ballpark Chaser Guides Links Courtesy of http://www.ballparkchasers.com:

Also do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here

Before You read the Month Schedule, here are 30 Links to Ballpark Chaser Guides, that will aid you in your road trip quests.

American League

AL EAST

Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY  (New York Yankees)

Fenway Park, Boston, MA (Boston Red Sox)

Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON (Toronto Blue Jays)

Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL (Tampa Bay Rays)

Oriole Park, Baltimore, MD  (Baltimore Orioles)

AL CENTRAL

Comerica Park, Detroit, MI (Detroit Tigers)

U.S. Cellular, Chicago, IL (Chicago White Sox)

Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH (Cleveland Indians)

Target Field, Minneapolis, MN (Minnesota Twins)

Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO (Kansas City Royals)

AL WEST

Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA (Los Angeles Angels)

Rangers Ballpark, Arlington, TX (Texas Rangers)

Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX (Houston Astros)

Safeco Field, Seattle, WA (Seattle Mariners)

O.co Coliseum, Oakland, CA (Oakland Athletics)

National League

NL EAST

Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia Phillies)

Nationals Park, Washington, DC (Washington Nationals)

Marlins Park, Miami, FL (Miami Marlins)

Citi Field, Flushing, NY (New York Mets)

Turner Field, Atlanta, GA (Atlanta Braves)

NL CENTRAL

Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH (Cincinnati Reds)

Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee Brewers)

Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL  (Chicago Cubs)

PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA (Pittsburgh Pirates)

Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO (St. Louis Cardinals)

NL WEST

AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA (San Francisco Giants)

Petco Park, San Diego, CA (San Diego Padres)

Chase Field, Phoenix, AR (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Coors Field, Denver, CO (Colorado Rockies)

Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA (LA Dodgers)

Also do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here

 

Read the rest of this entry

All 2430 MLB Games In 2016 On One Page Post

Best Source of Information for all 30 MLB Ballparks - and network of stadium afficionado's

Best Source of Information for all 30 MLB Ballparks – and network of stadium afficionado’s

Ballpark Chaser Guides Links Courtesy of http://www.ballparkchasers.com:

Also do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here

Before You read the Month Schedule, here are 30 Links to Ballpark Chaser Guides, that will aid you in your road trip quests.

American League

AL EAST

Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY  (New York Yankees)

Fenway Park, Boston, MA (Boston Red Sox)

Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON (Toronto Blue Jays)

Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL (Tampa Bay Rays)

Oriole Park, Baltimore, MD  (Baltimore Orioles)

AL CENTRAL

Comerica Park, Detroit, MI (Detroit Tigers)

U.S. Cellular, Chicago, IL (Chicago White Sox)

Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH (Cleveland Indians)

Target Field, Minneapolis, MN (Minnesota Twins)

Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO (Kansas City Royals)

AL WEST

Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA (Los Angeles Angels)

Rangers Ballpark, Arlington, TX (Texas Rangers)

Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX (Houston Astros)

Safeco Field, Seattle, WA (Seattle Mariners)

O.co Coliseum, Oakland, CA (Oakland Athletics)

National League

NL EAST

Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia Phillies)

Nationals Park, Washington, DC (Washington Nationals)

Marlins Park, Miami, FL (Miami Marlins)

Citi Field, Flushing, NY (New York Mets)

Turner Field, Atlanta, GA (Atlanta Braves)

NL CENTRAL

Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH (Cincinnati Reds)

Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee Brewers)

Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL  (Chicago Cubs)

PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA (Pittsburgh Pirates)

Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO (St. Louis Cardinals)

NL WEST

AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA (San Francisco Giants)

Petco Park, San Diego, CA (San Diego Padres)

Chase Field, Phoenix, AR (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Coors Field, Denver, CO (Colorado Rockies)

Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA (LA Dodgers)

Also do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here

MLB Scheduling 2016

Day + Date     Away and Home, Times Start In EST

MLB Season Opening Series

Read the rest of this entry

New York Yankees Payroll In 2016 + Contracts Going Forward

With almost $100 MIL tied up in contracts for Sabathia, A-Rod, Teixeira and a potential Tommy John Surgery candidate in Masahiro Tanaka, this New York squad is in some deep trouble for next season. Despite the recent playoff misses, and injury prone players brought in by Brian Cashman, the club saw fit to grant him a 3 year extension last month. It may take a small miracle for them to make a playoff spot next campaign..

With almost $100 MIL tied up in contracts for Sabathia, A-Rod, Teixeira and a potential Tommy John Surgery candidate in Masahiro Tanaka, this New York squad is in some deep trouble for next season.  It may take a small miracle for them to make a playoff spot next campaign again without spending some cash.

Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead  Analyst) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

Brian Cashman can finally see some relief from some exorbitant contracts plaguing him from the last several years.

2016 sees the last year on deals for C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and Carlos BeltranAlex Rodriguez is still on the book for one more year after this.

Sabathia does have a Vesting Option for $25 MIL if salary guaranteed if he 1) does not end 2016 on the disabled list with a left shoulder injury, 2) does not spend more than 45 days in 2016 on the disabled list with a left shoulder injury or 3) does not make more than six relief appearances in 2016 because of a left shoulder injury.

The Yankees can’t guarantee this will happen. Therefore the club must treat this contract as part of their deal for 2017 as well.  The Buyout would be $5 MIL.

Sabathia’s drinking aside, they are paying for the good years right now, and he is no better than a 5th Starter – and at 36 years of age with 3000+ IP logged for his career, there may be not much left in the tank. Read the rest of this entry

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 9, 2015

 

Yonhap News

Yonhap News

Byung-Ho Park and his strange free agent bidding shows how baseball should find ways to make the off season more like a game show

Let’s play the game AND this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Read the rest of this entry

ALL Time Tommy Surgeries List: Updated For 2015 Players

Holland took over Closer duties during the 2012 season - once Jonathan Broxton was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. He was 7 - 4, with a 2.96 ERA - with 16 Saves. He was dominate until he went down with a UCL tear this season.

Holland took over Closer duties during the 2012 season – once Jonathan Broxton was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. He was 7 – 4, with a 2.96 ERA – with 16 Saves. He was dominate until he went down with a UCL tear this season.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

The epic is going absolutely nowhere fast, and we have seen a dramatic spike in the last decade of surgeries.  We have a dedicated page to the list here.

There have been several scares with some big name pitchers on 9 figure salaries, with Masahiro Tanaka and Clayton Kershaw in recent years, but there will come a day when a guy goes down making $25 MIL plus per year.

You could say that Yu Darvish was heading towards an astronomical payday before his setback this season.

2015 Surgeries (29)

Greg Holland, Royals, Oct.2

Aaron Barrett, Nationals, Sept.3

Nathan Adcock, Reds

Jason Vargas, Royals, Aug.1

Jack Leathersich, Mets, July.30

Don Kelly, Marlins, July.1: OF

Sergio Santos, Blue Jays, July.1

Brandon Workman, Red Sox, June.15

Jarrod Parker, A’s – Honorable mention  (3rd TJ Surgery not to occur, but he is out indefinitely after was revealed he had a tear in his elbow  – recovering from 2nd TJ Surgery from Mar, 2014 in Minor League rehabilitation earlier in the month.) Still having an elbow surgery, just not the Tommy John operation. Read the rest of this entry

MLB Scheduling: Month Of August 2016

Best Source of Information for all 30 MLB Ballparks - and network of stadium afficionado's

Best Source of Information for all 30 MLB Ballparks – and network of stadium afficionado’s

Ballpark Chaser Guides Links Courtesy of http://www.ballparkchasers.com:

Also do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here

Before You read the Month Schedule, here are 30 Links to Ballpark Chaser Guides, that will aid you in your road trip quests.

American League

AL EAST

Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY  (New York Yankees)

Fenway Park, Boston, MA (Boston Red Sox)

Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON (Toronto Blue Jays)

Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL (Tampa Bay Rays)

Oriole Park, Baltimore, MD  (Baltimore Orioles)

AL CENTRAL

Comerica Park, Detroit, MI (Detroit Tigers)

U.S. Cellular, Chicago, IL (Chicago White Sox)

Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH (Cleveland Indians)

Target Field, Minneapolis, MN (Minnesota Twins)

Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO (Kansas City Royals)

AL WEST

Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA (Los Angeles Angels)

Rangers Ballpark, Arlington, TX (Texas Rangers)

Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX (Houston Astros)

Safeco Field, Seattle, WA (Seattle Mariners)

O.co Coliseum, Oakland, CA (Oakland Athletics)

National League

NL EAST

Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia Phillies)

Nationals Park, Washington, DC (Washington Nationals)

Marlins Park, Miami, FL (Miami Marlins)

Citi Field, Flushing, NY (New York Mets)

Turner Field, Atlanta, GA (Atlanta Braves)

NL CENTRAL

Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH (Cincinnati Reds)

Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee Brewers)

Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL  (Chicago Cubs)

PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA (Pittsburgh Pirates)

Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO (St. Louis Cardinals)

NL WEST

AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA (San Francisco Giants)

Petco Park, San Diego, CA (San Diego Padres)

Chase Field, Phoenix, AR (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Coors Field, Denver, CO (Colorado Rockies)

Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA (LA Dodgers)

Also do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here

 

Read the rest of this entry

Ranking The MLB Divisions For 2016

The NL may have the best division in best with the NL Central, however this is a top heavy league. In the other Divisions. the Mets and the Nats in the NL East, and the Giants and Dodgers have been beating up the rest of their respective Divisions.  With that being said they own the 1st, 5th and 6th best divisions. Of course a 12 year losing streak in Interleague has killed their win totals of late.

The NL may have the best division in best with the NL Central, however this is a top-heavy league. In the other Divisions. the Mets and the Nats in the NL East, and the Giants and Dodgers have been beating up the rest of their respective Divisions. With that being said they own the 1st, 5th and 6th best divisions. Of course a 12 year losing streak in Interleague has killed their win totals of late.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

(1) So the NL Central had 3 teams in the playoffs on the National League said and also boasted the best Divisional record at 427 – 383 (.527) – that was due largely to the Cards, Pirates and Cubs all posting 100, 98 and 95 Wins respectively.

(2) In a tough AL East, all teams almost made it to the even stature however just the Yankees and Blue Jays were over .500 – with both making the postseason.  That Division’s .517 Win Percentage ranked them 2nd in the Majors. Read the rest of this entry

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 8, 2015

 

Julia Rendleman/Post-Gazette

Julia Rendleman/Post-Gazette

It is the first Sunday Request of the off season.

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The answer is NONE. The Pirates need to be aggressive this off season and emulate not only the current World Champs but also an unusual strategy by Bill Veeck in the 1970s.

We are family in this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Read the rest of this entry

MLB Scheduling: July Of 2016

Best Source of Information for all 30 MLB Ballparks - and network of stadium afficionado's

Best Source of Information for all 30 MLB Ballparks – and network of stadium afficionado’s

Ballpark Chaser Guides Links Courtesy of http://www.ballparkchasers.com:

Also do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here

Before You read the Month Schedule, here are 30 Links to Ballpark Chaser Guides, that will aid you in your road trip quests.

American League

AL EAST

Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY  (New York Yankees)

Fenway Park, Boston, MA (Boston Red Sox)

Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON (Toronto Blue Jays)

Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL (Tampa Bay Rays)

Oriole Park, Baltimore, MD  (Baltimore Orioles)

AL CENTRAL

Comerica Park, Detroit, MI (Detroit Tigers)

U.S. Cellular, Chicago, IL (Chicago White Sox)

Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH (Cleveland Indians)

Target Field, Minneapolis, MN (Minnesota Twins)

Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO (Kansas City Royals)

AL WEST

Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA (Los Angeles Angels)

Rangers Ballpark, Arlington, TX (Texas Rangers)

Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX (Houston Astros)

Safeco Field, Seattle, WA (Seattle Mariners)

O.co Coliseum, Oakland, CA (Oakland Athletics)

National League

NL EAST

Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia Phillies)

Nationals Park, Washington, DC (Washington Nationals)

Marlins Park, Miami, FL (Miami Marlins)

Citi Field, Flushing, NY (New York Mets)

Turner Field, Atlanta, GA (Atlanta Braves)

NL CENTRAL

Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH (Cincinnati Reds)

Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee Brewers)

Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL  (Chicago Cubs)

PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA (Pittsburgh Pirates)

Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO (St. Louis Cardinals)

NL WEST

AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA (San Francisco Giants)

Petco Park, San Diego, CA (San Diego Padres)

Chase Field, Phoenix, AR (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Coors Field, Denver, CO (Colorado Rockies)

Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA (LA Dodgers)

Also do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here

MLB Scheduling 2015

Day + Date     Away and Home, Times Start In EST

MLB Season Opening Series

Read the rest of this entry

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 7, 2015

AP Photo

AP Photo

Nobody has every accepted a qualifying offer instead of testing free agency.

Should Jeff Samardzija be the first?

Plus I have an interesting time renting a car.

It is a rental remorse episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Read the rest of this entry

Pick KC To Win The 2016 World Series At The 18/1 ODD: It’s Worth It Even To Hedge Later

Since the beginning of the 2014 playoffs, the underdogs have won 16 of the last 18 series, and the only favorites to win were the Royals and Blue Jays in the ALDS rounds this year. Series in which the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers had them on the brink of elimination. We take you behind the curtain to reveal some great gambling perspectives from this in this post.

Since the beginning of the 2014 playoffs, the underdogs have won 16 of the last 18 series, and the only favorites to win were the Royals and Blue Jays in the ALDS rounds this year. Series in which the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers had them on the brink of elimination. We take you behind the curtain to reveal some great gambling perspectives from this in this post.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

I was curious to see what the odds were for the 2016 World Series when they were first posted.  As a former professional gambler this is my favorite thing to do.  I was happy to see the early mistake made by Vegas.  KC at 18/1 odds?  Thanks fellas!

Odds courtesy of vegasodds.com

Dodgers 8/1

Mets 10/1

Blue Jays 10/1

Cubs 10/1

Nats 10/1

Cards 12/1

Astros 12/1

Pirates 12/1

Rangers 12/1

Yankees 16/1

Red Sox 18/1

Royals 18/1
Read the rest of this entry

MLB’s Flawed 2 – 3 – 2 Format Exposed Again In 2015 World Series

The Royals had home field in the 2015 World Series, yet played 1 less game at their park than the Mets, who they defeated in 5 games. Since the ALL - Star Game deciding which League would host more games, the winning team has actually had their park be the home venue for 2 less dates than the loser. There is a culprit in this fiasco, and that is the 2 - 3 - 2 format. I am proposing a 3 - 3 - 1 format or 2 - 4 - 1 change to the Fall Classic, Because of travel they would never do the 2-2-2-1 format ever again. ALEX TRAUTWIG/GETTY IMAGES

The Royals had home field advantage in the 2015 World Series, yet played 1 less game at their park than the Mets, who they defeated in 5 games. Since the ALL – Star Game deciding which League would host more games, the winning team has actually had their park be the home venue for 2 less dates than the loser. There is a culprit in this fiasco, and that is the 2 – 3 – 2 format. I am proposing a 3 – 3 – 1 format or 2 – 4 – 1 change to the Fall Classic, Because of travel they would never do the 2-2-2-1 format ever again. ALEX TRAUTWIG/GETTY IMAGES

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

Now while the team winning the ALL – Star Game is 8 – 4 overall in the World Series itself, only 2 teams have actually had to use Game #7 for home field advantage.  That was the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals and the 2014 World Series – where the visiting Giants took down the Royals.

There have been 4 Sweeps, 3 series ended in 5 games, 3 series in 6 games, and only two series in 7 games.

In 2003, the Yankees had the best record and they both played 3 games in each others field.

In 2004, Each club played 2 games each in their home park.

In 2005, Each club played 2 games each in their home park.

In 2006, Detroit had home advantage – but were split by the Cards in Detroit, before St. Louis swept them in The Show Me State! 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.

The home site of the 2016 MLB ALL – Star Game, Petco 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 reign 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 The MLB Reports On Twitter 

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 finally one year-long page on a post.

In 2014, I did all of the schedules I just mentioned, and even added an Interleague Master Schedule.  In 2016, I have already put out the American League vs National League schedule here.

It has been quite the undertaking, but I am doing all facets of it again – going forward in 2016 after just putting out the Interleague Master Schedule in 2015 because I was on the road the whole year. Read the rest of this entry

MLB Scheduling: June 2016

Best Source of Information for all 30 MLB Ballparks - and network of stadium afficionado's

Best Source of Information for all 30 MLB Ballparks – and network of stadium afficionado’s

Ballpark Chaser Guides Links Courtesy of http://www.ballparkchasers.com:

Also do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here

Before You read the Month Schedule, here are 30 Links to Ballpark Chaser Guides, that will aid you in your road trip quests.

American League

AL EAST

Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY  (New York Yankees)

Fenway Park, Boston, MA (Boston Red Sox)

Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON (Toronto Blue Jays)

Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL (Tampa Bay Rays)

Oriole Park, Baltimore, MD  (Baltimore Orioles)

AL CENTRAL

Comerica Park, Detroit, MI (Detroit Tigers)

U.S. Cellular, Chicago, IL (Chicago White Sox)

Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH (Cleveland Indians)

Target Field, Minneapolis, MN (Minnesota Twins)

Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO (Kansas City Royals)

AL WEST

Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA (Los Angeles Angels)

Rangers Ballpark, Arlington, TX (Texas Rangers)

Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX (Houston Astros)

Safeco Field, Seattle, WA (Seattle Mariners)

O.co Coliseum, Oakland, CA (Oakland Athletics)

National League

NL EAST

Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia Phillies)

Nationals Park, Washington, DC (Washington Nationals)

Marlins Park, Miami, FL (Miami Marlins)

Citi Field, Flushing, NY (New York Mets)

Turner Field, Atlanta, GA (Atlanta Braves)

NL CENTRAL

Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH (Cincinnati Reds)

Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee Brewers)

Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL  (Chicago Cubs)

PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA (Pittsburgh Pirates)

Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO (St. Louis Cardinals)

NL WEST

AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA (San Francisco Giants)

Petco Park, San Diego, CA (San Diego Padres)

Chase Field, Phoenix, AR (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Coors Field, Denver, CO (Colorado Rockies)

Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA (LA Dodgers)

Also do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here

MLB Scheduling 2015

Day + Date     Away and Home, Times Start In EST

MLB Season Opening Series

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How To Fix The Nats For 2016: Washington Nationals State Of The Union

In 2012, the Nationals won the NL East and then followed up with a disappointing 2013 year. The same pattern happened in 2014 and 2015. The Nats window is closing as the club only has one more of team control on Stephen Strasburg - and the total salary for the club escalates with Bryce Harper being Arbitration Eligible starting next year. The team has solid Starting Pitching and a lineup that is coming back for the most part. A key acquisition for both the offense and defense may suffice.

In 2012, the Nationals won the NL East and then followed up with a disappointing 2013 year. The same pattern happened in 2014 and 2015. The Nats window is closing as the club only has one more of team control on Stephen Strasburg – and the total salary for the club escalates with Bryce Harper being Arbitration Eligible starting next year. The team has solid Starting Pitching and a lineup that is coming back for the most part. A key acquisition for both the offense and defense may suffice.

Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst)

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

So having been back from my 224 MLB Game all year trip in 2015 – I was happy to have put in such a great season of witnessing games.  My real disappointment was the Nationals not making the playoffs in 2015.

I am guilty as charged for having a National League favorite team in Washington, and also be a Yankees fan for the American League.

I am a Nats fan because they used to be the Montreal Expos before 2005.  It was a tough negotiation to have been a fan when they moved to D.C., but I followed the team. I saw some bad baseball via MLB.TV for about 6 or 7 years. Read the rest of this entry

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 6, 2015

 John Minchillo/AP

John Minchillo/AP

Teams looking to win pennants and World Series titles should search the free agent bins looking for fading starting pitchers.

They could just turn out to be the bullpen depth you are looking for!

It is a bargan hunting episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Listen to my guest spot on Sports Without Balls by clicking HERE.

 

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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 5, 2015

CURTIS COMPTON / AJC

CURTIS COMPTON / AJC

With the free agent market taking shape, no two hitters are more interesting in terms of their talents nor their age as former teammates Jason Heyward and Justin Upton.

I start up the hot stove on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

 

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How To Fix The M’s For 2016: Seattle Mariners State Of The Union

Seattle was a lot of peoples pick to win the American League it seemed. A 76 - 86 season record ensued, causing the franchise to fire their GM and coach. Now with a tough AL West to contend with in the near future, we look on how the M's may go about their business this fall.

Seattle was a lot of peoples pick to win the American League in 2015. A 76 – 86 season record ensued, causing the franchise to fire their GM and coach. Now with a tough AL West to contend with in the near future, we look on how the M’s may go about their business this fall.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

The Seattle Mariners made a lot of prognosticators look bad this year (including yours truly).  Of course the Washington Nationals also did as well. Yep..Guilty again.

It was a good thing I put some money on the Blue Jays to win the World Series in preseason, and then hedged against them in the ALCS with KC.  I was  also fortunate enough to go 9 – 4 with my prop bets as well, and did decent in picking the Mets over the Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLDS, then win over the Cubs, otherwise I would have taken a beating for the year.

Anyways, enough about me, how about the 76 – 86 Mariners?  This team dropped 11 wins from the 2014 campaign, and it looked ugly on them. Read the rest of this entry

All 30 MLB Park Home Openers In 2016

Best Source of Information for all 30 MLB Ballparks - and network of stadium afficionado's

Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst)

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

The 2015 season is over and it is time to start planning for attending games in the 2016 year.  This is our third straight year of posting all of the Season Openers for all of the parks.

I have been fortunate enough to see home openers in 8 different parks already in the last 4 years.

We will update this post at the end of January when all of the times will be posted.

As of right now, there is no teams listed for the MLB Season Opener on Sunday Apr.3, 2016, so one of the 30 home opener dates posted right now will change.

We have also provided 30 links to all of the best chaser guides for the stadiums.  This will aid you in making your travel plans for the 2016 season.

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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 4, 2015

Fox Sports

Fox Sports

I heap more praise on the World Champion Royals and realize that trading for Jonny Gomes was brilliant because he had one single job: Give a great speech at the World Series celebration.

Also, I address a SoundCloud user, Bill Burns 4, who feels that I am not being respectful enough to the Royals.

Cue up the victory BBQ for the latest episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

 

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What is ‘My Favorite Baseball Game’ Ever Attended?: A New Method To Historically Score As A Ballpark Fan

Jonathan Hacohen's avatarMLB Reports

yankee stadium

By Josh Robbins (Special Guest Writer And Co – Creator for The Factor12 Rating Pitching Metric.)

The Factor 12 (F12) is an analytic measurement utilizing league average performance to compare the value of all MLB pitchers on 60ft6in.com.

 “Bill James has a pitcher stat called game score. So, I renamed my stat, “My Favorite Game.”

What is My Favorite Game?

Baseball fans often rekindle memories of their favorite games using anecdotal stories.  The accounts are often muddled by faint and inaccurate details lost over time.

My Favorite Game is intended to provide an unbiased statistical analysis using a points-based system to properly assign a value to every MLB game attended.

Here’s the breakdown of each event:

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Los Angeles Dodgers Payroll In 2016 + Contracts Going Forward

The Dodgers have not won or appeared in the World Series since 1988. With the spending the ownership will do in the next decade, I would be surprised if the team doesn't rake in multiple championships. But it will take diligent finagling on the brass to skate around the Luxury Tax with the pending CBA of 2017 coming in. Yes the ownership is willing to spend boatloads of money, but they have to be smarter than they were in 2015.

The Dodgers have not won or appeared in the World Series since 1988. With the spending the ownership will do in the next decade, I would be surprised if the team doesn’t rake in multiple championships. But it will take diligent finagling on the brass – to skate around the Luxury Tax with the pending CBA of 2017 coming in. Yes the ownership is willing to spend boatloads of money, but they have to be smarter than they were in 2015.

Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst)

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

This article deals with sensitive material that will self destruct in a few years.  Whether the current regime wants to be saddled with blame or not, or put most of it during the Ned Colletti days, last year’s fiscal budget was a dumpster fire.

Not only did the franchise exceed the Luxury Tax Threshold again at (over $189 MIL), they put it to shame – reeling in a lofty mark of $314 MIL in total Cap Spending.

For folks scoring at home, that is $125 MIL over the limit, and with a third year penalty at 40% now, the squad will take down a historic levy hovering around $50 MIL.

We wrote a blog back in April stating the disregard the brass took in approaching this year’s salary structure.  The worst part about it was that it didn’t culminate into a World Series Birth. Read the rest of this entry

MLB Scheduling: May 2016

Best Source of Information for all 30 MLB Ballparks - and network of stadium afficionado's

Best Source of Information for all 30 MLB Ballparks – and network of stadium afficionado’s

Ballpark Chaser Guides Links Courtesy of http://www.ballparkchasers.com:

Also do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here

Before You read the Month Schedule, here are 30 Links to Ballpark Chaser Guides, that will aid you in your road trip quests.

American League

AL EAST

Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY  (New York Yankees)

Fenway Park, Boston, MA (Boston Red Sox)

Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON (Toronto Blue Jays)

Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL (Tampa Bay Rays)

Oriole Park, Baltimore, MD  (Baltimore Orioles)

AL CENTRAL

Comerica Park, Detroit, MI (Detroit Tigers)

U.S. Cellular, Chicago, IL (Chicago White Sox)

Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH (Cleveland Indians)

Target Field, Minneapolis, MN (Minnesota Twins)

Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO (Kansas City Royals)

AL WEST

Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA (Los Angeles Angels)

Rangers Ballpark, Arlington, TX (Texas Rangers)

Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX (Houston Astros)

Safeco Field, Seattle, WA (Seattle Mariners)

O.co Coliseum, Oakland, CA (Oakland Athletics)

National League

NL EAST

Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia Phillies)

Nationals Park, Washington, DC (Washington Nationals)

Marlins Park, Miami, FL (Miami Marlins)

Citi Field, Flushing, NY (New York Mets)

Turner Field, Atlanta, GA (Atlanta Braves)

NL CENTRAL

Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH (Cincinnati Reds)

Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee Brewers)

Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL  (Chicago Cubs)

PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA (Pittsburgh Pirates)

Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO (St. Louis Cardinals)

NL WEST

AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA (San Francisco Giants)

Petco Park, San Diego, CA (San Diego Padres)

Chase Field, Phoenix, AR (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Coors Field, Denver, CO (Colorado Rockies)

Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA (LA Dodgers)

Also do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here

MLB Scheduling 2016

Day + Date     Away and Home, Times Start In EST

Read the rest of this entry