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Orioles Fill Closer Void With Signing Of Grant Balfour

The Baltimore Orioles signed Closer Grant Balfour to a 2 YR/ 14 Million dollar contract on Tuesday. Balfour will replace Jim Johnson, who was traded to Balfour’s previous team, the Oakland Athletics, earlier in the offseason. In an overall picture, the club almost essentially traded Jim Johnson for Jemile Weeks and Grant Balfour. The club will save $2 – $3 MIL in payroll next campaign, while they added Second Base depth, and perhaps may have the better Relief Pitcher out of the two. Better yet, Baltimore has their Closer scenario sewn up for the 2015 season now as well.
By Nicholas Delahanty (MLB Reports O’s Writer) Follow @Nick_Delahanty
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What the signing of Grant Balfour means to the Orioles
As the winter moves along, the Oriole faithful keeps asking the same question: when are the Orioles going to make a big move?
The beginning of the MLB Free Agency period has not been friendly to Orioles fans, as they saw their team trade away Jim Johnson, one of the best Closers in baseball, as well as part ways with Left Fielder Nate McLouth and Starting Pitcher Scott Feldman through free agency.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Orioles found out that rumors surrounding the team were actually truth, as it was announced that Grant Balfour signed a 2 YR/ 14 Million dollar deal, with $500,000 deferred each season.
Grant Balfour Rage versus the Rangers
Updated Odds To Win The 2014 World Series As Of Right Now

While I believe the Dodgers will win the NL West – and also represent that league in the World Series for 2014, the odds for betting them are not there. As the favorite, you can’t make any money. The Giants (+2500), D’Backs (+3300) and Rockies (+5500) all represent great value – considering all of them have already upgraded their franchises over this winter.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
9 days ago I posted my last article on these odds. One of my captions was to pick the Mariners at +4000 for a couple of bucks considering they may land Robinson Cano.
A day later they did, and now they are trading at +3300. The M’s also picked up Corey Hart and Logan Morrison in separate transactions. I still the team is a good bet at that value mark.
If they were to trade for David Price (by packaging Taijuan Walker, Nick Franklin, another prospect and maybe a relief pitcher, they would have 3 dominant top pitchers, plus a young fireballer in James Paxton still.
This team would vaguely resemble the type of squad the Giants were in 2010. A great deal of pitching and a decent enough offense. Read the rest of this entry
Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (September.27th) – Updated Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
A.J. Burnett pitched 8 terrific innings against rival Cincinnati, earning the victory after yielding only 1 run and 5 hits. Pittsburgh topped the Reds 4-1 and put them on the verge of home field in the Wild Card game.
Matt Holliday reached base 5 times, homered and scored twice, leading the Cardinals to a 7-0 drubbing of the Cubs and a clinching of the NL Central title.
James Shields finished his first season in Kansas City with another terrific game. He went 7 innings, 4 hits, 1 runs, walked just one White Sox batter and struck out 10, earning his 13th win, 6-1.
Drew Stubbs powered the Indians a little closer to the Wild Card by getting on base 3 times, scoring all three times including a homer. The Tribe topped the Twins 12-6.
They all owned baseball on September 27, 2013.
My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.
At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON
OR SCROLL DOWN.
Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (August.31st) – Updated Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Ivan Nova kept the Yankees playoff hopes alive by throwing a complete game 3 hit shutout against the Orioles for a final score of 2-0.
Omar Infante smacked a pair of home runs while driving in 5 runs. He led the Tigers past fading divisional rival Cleveland, 10-5
A. J. Burnett let up only 1 run and 4 hits, getting the 7-1 victory over St. Louis and propelled the Pirates into first place.
Brandon Phillips answered his critics by being a single short of the cycle. He finished going 3-5 with 3 runs scored and 2 batted in, leading the Reds in their 8-3 win over the Rockies.
They all owned baseball on August 31, 2013.
My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.
At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON
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To View The List of just the nightly winners (WOB dedicated Page) starting from Mar.31/2013 – today click here
Triple Play Podcast Ep #20: DBacks + NL Central Talk

The Triple Play Show will have 5 shows per month. Each show will be about 1 hour. Chuck Booth will guest once a month for MLB Power Rankings,
By The Big Ticket Show ( AKA Triple Play Podcast on http://www.mlbreports.com) Follow @bigticketshow
On this week’s show Chris Lacey (Lead Baseball Columnist and Minority Owner of mlbreports.) comFollow @bigticketshow joins us to discuss the D’Backs season and to break down the dog fight in the NL Central.
All that plus Chris Leitch returns as the boys cover all the biggest news in MLB – including our weekly Blue Jays ‘BITCH” on their play.
To listen to the audio for this Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY logo or past the Triple Play Logo.
Pirates Chuckers A.J. Burnett And Francisco Liriano Are Leading The Team To Greatness

A.J. Burnett is showing that he is not a one-hit wonder by having another solid year pitching for the Pirates in their rotation. He leads the club in strikeouts with 160 on the season in 145.2 innings pitched, with a WHIP of 1.22 and a 3.09 ERA. He has allowed nine Home Runs with him walking 53 batters. Burnett has a strikeout per nine of 9.9 and is holding opponents to a batting average of .231. He has been very tough on right-handers by holding them to an average of .203 in 286 at-bats. The right-hander is just as good with runners in scoring position, as indicated by teams just hitting .188 in this situation. When there are two outs and runners in scoring position, he limits teams to a .197 average.
By Chris Lacey (Lead Baseball Columnist/Minority Website Owner) Follow @aecanada12
There have been plenty of story lines this season in baseball, and one them is could the Pittsburgh Pirates finally end their drought of losing seasons. For those that don’t know the Pirates have not had a winning baseball season since 1992.
This is a long time to go without having a winning season and the fans in Pittsburgh have been waiting some time to see a good baseball club.
The Pirates have a great fan base and also they have one of the most beautiful ballparks in all of baseball. PNC Park has a great skyline that shows off the city and the three yellow bridges.
Pittsburgh Pirates 2013 First Half Highlights Parental Guidance Is Advised
Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (August.4th) – Updated Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Derek Holland threw 8 shutout innings, striking out 10 and walking only 2, giving the Rangers a 4-0 victory against the A’s, pulling them a game closer to first place.
A. J. Burnett went the distance, scattering 8 hits and giving up only 1 run as the Pirates topped Colorado, 5-1 and maintained a game and a half lead over St. Louis.
Mike Moustakas broke up a scoreless tie with a 5th inning homer. He would get on base three times in the Royals beat the Mets, 6-2.
David Freese went 3-4 with a homer and three runs scored, leading the Cardinals attack in their 15-2 blow out on the road in Cincinnati.
They all owned baseball on August 4, 2013.
My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.
At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON
.
To View The List of just the nightly winners (WOB dedicated Page) starting from Mar.31/2013 – today click here Read the rest of this entry
How The New York Yankees Acquired All Of Their Pitchers
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Follow @mlbreportsTuesday July.30/2013

Mariano Rivera holds the ALL-Time Record for any Closer (active or retired) with 641 Saves. He has been the most dominant Relief Pitcher on the planet over the last two decades. What is incredible, is that he never has a bad season – which is prone to happen to even Hall Of Fame Pitchers. Rivera also leads Active Pitchers in ERA (2.20), Games Finished (1093) and a WHIP 1.003 Add another 42 Saves, and a 0.70 ERA in 142 IP in his Post Season Career – and you are talking about the standard which any future Closer will be measured up to.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
At the MLB Reports, we intend to show you the Roster Tree for the Yankees – and how they assembled their current roster for hitting and Pitching. It will work in a six degrees of separation like format.
Once we figure out the origin of how many trades going back in time it takes to see where the tree started, it will be time to dissect how the team fared on the deals.
If a player has never left the organization at all, the tree will be easy – as it will just be the year they were drafted.
This was not as cool as doing the other Roster Trees I have done.
In fact, the Hitters were not even that fun to do, with having to go through the Alberto Gonzalez tree (from when he left the NYY the first time) – just to spice it up a little bit.
Should The Pirates Make A Deal? Huntington Should At Least Pick Up A Reliever!
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Follow @mlbreportsWednesday, July.24/2013

The trading deadline has been an exciting time of year for Pittsburgh Pirates fans the past two seasons and this year looks to be bordering on an extravaganza for the city, as the Bucs will be hosting the division-leading St. Louis Cardinals for a five-game series as the deadline approaches and passes. Although GM Neal Huntington will likely be active, the sound advice might be to hold onto prospects, do not mortgage the future and go with what got you a couple games back of the Cardinals in the NL Central and for the best record in all of MLB.
By Brad Cuprik (Pirates Correspondent) Follow @bradcuprik
If you read the newspapers in Pittsburgh or listen to talk show radio, the expectation is that Huntington is going to make a significant deal to upgrade the Pirates’ hitting, outfield, bullpen, and even starting pitching.
Realizing that baseball in October is a lot different than baseball in May, June and July, if the Bucs needed upgrades in all those areas, how are they winning about 60 percent of their games so far?
The Pirates have posted one of the best records in baseball so far in 2013.
The NY Yankees Roster Tree Part 1: The Hitters Acquisitions For Each Player
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Follow @mlbreportsTuesday July.09/2013

Derek Jeter starts the 2013 year only 11 hits behind Eddie Collins for 10th place on the ALL-Time hits list. With a possible Player Option in 2014, – and maybe playing one additional year after – can he hit 327 base knocks to pass Stan Musial for 4th place on the list by that years end? Will he play beyond this year even? Derek Jeter was Drafted by the team in 1992 – and represents all that good drafting the team did prior to the new regime.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
At the MLB Reports, we intend to show you the Roster Tree for the Yankees – and how they assembled their current roster for hitting and Pitching. It will work in a six degrees of separation like format.
Once we figure out the origin of how many trades going back in time it takes to see where the tree started, it will be time to dissect how the team fared on the deals.
If a player has never left the organization at all, the tree will be easy – as it will just be the year they were drafted.
Pirates’ Will End The Playoff Drought This Season
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Follow @mlbreportsSaturday, July.06, 2013

Grilli has done a phenomenal job in closing games for the Pirates this season. He has saved 28 games for the Pirates this season which is first in the NL, and has a chance to possibly save 60 games. Grilli has a 2.15 ERA with only one blown save, and has only surrendered two home runs in 37.2 innings pitched. The right-hander has struck out 60 batters, and has a strikeout rate of 14.3 SO/9. He also has a terrific SO/BB ratio of 8.57. The opposition is only hitting .187 against him this season, with right-handers hitting just .155. The Pirates know that with a lead in the ninth inning, he is the guy they trust the most.
By Chris Lacey (Lead Baseball Columnist/Minority Website Owner) Follow @aecanada12
Who can remember the last time the Pittsburgh Pirates were in the playoffs, because it seems like it has been a long time. The reason that I can’t remember is that it happened in 1992, when they went 96-66.
This is a long time for a sports franchise to go without at least making the playoffs. The Pirates in the past seasons have started out fast, only to fade away in the second half of the baseball season.
Pittsburgh Pirates Early 2013 Season Highlights- So Parental Guidance Is Advised
MLB Reports Junior Reporter Haley Smilow Interviews Andrew McCutchen!
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Follow @mlbreportsMonday July.01, 2013

Andrew McCutchen is a star player at the age of 26. Last year he hit for a 3 Slash Line of .327/.400/.953 – with a NL leading 194 Hits, 31 HRs and 96 RBI. He enjoyed his 1st 100 Runs Scored Season (107) and finished 3rd in NL MVP Voting, while snagging himself a Gold Glove and A Silver Slugger Award. This year he looks to carry the Bucs to their first playoff birth and winning season since 1992. He started out slow in 2013, but is coming on strong in the last 2 months. He has his Slash up to .292/.360./822 – with 9 HRs and 42 RBI. He has 50 Runs Scored and 16 Stolen Bases in his 78 Games Played. He has great plate discipline and has been aided buy several teammates for clutch hits. None are as Clutch as “Cutch”!
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Haley Smilow is a lucky baseball fan. She was able to interview Andrew McCutchen Follow @cutch22 at PNC Park. Not only was he a bonafide NL MVP candidate last year, he is a great guy.
This year, McCutchen looks to lead Pittsburgh to their first winning campaign in 20 years, and the team is playing well. As of today, they are 51 – 30, good for the best record in the MLB – and a 2 Games Lead on the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central.
Haley was able to take Andrew’s mind off of the usual questions he is asked, and it turned out to be a great interview.
Andrew McCutchen Highlights from 2013 – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance Is Advised
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oceI3COXAY] Read the rest of this entry
Could The New York Mets Have Three All-Star Representatives At Citi Field In 2013?
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Follow @mlbreportsMonday, June.03/2013

Citi Field is one of the newest Ball Parks in the Majors and will have be host to the 2013 ALL – Star Game. It is light years ahead of where Shea Stadium was. The field made slight moderation’s to the fences last year prior to being awarding the event. Will they have 1, 2 or 3 players selected for the Mid – Summers Classic? We will find out in the next 5 – 6 weeks.
Jake Dal Porto (MLB Reports Writer) Follow @TheJakeMan24
The New York Mets haven’t had much team success in 2013, as they currently sit in fourth place in the National League East, 11 games out of first place.
Amid the rebuilding process, however, the Mets could produce three All-Stars in 2013. Sending three All-Stars would be ideal for the franchise’s sake, as the All-Star Game will be at Citi Field, and a good representation of the team would be something to rejoice over in dreadful times.
The first two are fairly obvious–David Wright and Matt Harvey. The third one in Daniel Murphy isn’t as obvious.
Do they have a case?




















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