Blog Archives
Who Owns Baseball – Updated April.24/2013
Lots of terrific performances in baseball last night, and none by the Red Sox, whose only positive quality was seeing their game shortened by rain.
Oakland pitcher Bartolo Colon owned the American League with seven shutout innings in Boston as the A’s got back into the win column.
Howie Kendrick of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim owned the American League as a hitter. He homered twice including a walk off shot in the 11th inning, giving the Angels a much needed win over the first place Rangers. In all, Kendrick went 3-5 with two homers and four runs batted in.
Atlanta Braves star Justin Upton homered in both ends of a double header sweep against the Colorado Rockies. He has 11 for the year so far and is making the Diamondbacks look foolish for dealing him. He owned the National League last night.
Meanwhile the amazing Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals easily owned the National League as a pitcher. He let up his first walk of the year (he has one in 37 1/3 innings) and got the win pitching into the 9th, letting up no runs and striking out 9.
They all owned baseball on April 23, 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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Who owns baseball? Updated for April 22, 2013
My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.
There are four categories: American League Hitter, American League Pitcher, National League Hitter and National League Pitcher.
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.
Is it subjective? Sure.
But so are the MVP and Cy Young votes.
On April 22, 2013, A.J. Pierzynski , Matt Moore, Buster Posey and Shelby Miller all owned baseball.
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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 21, 2013
Photo: NY Daily News
On today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I ask if Don Mattingly‘s job as Dodger manager is in danger? Should it be?
Lance Lynn, Bryce Harper, Hiroki Kuroda and yes Daniel Nava owned baseball on April 20, 2013.
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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 20, 2013
Today on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I talk about how the Red Sox are a symbolic healing of Boston. They need to also offer some real tangible methods of healing.
How about free admission to police officers?
And oh yeah, help out the medical bills of those injured.
Small potatoes money wise and a big way to get the love of fans back.
Travis Hafner, Yu Darvish, Angel Pagan and Wandy Rodriguez owned baseball on April 19, 2013.
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The LA Dodgers Player Roster In 2013: State Of The Union Mar.28
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Follow @mlbreportsThursday Mar.28/2013
The Dodgers are putting the other National League teams to shame with payroll – and have assembled an ALL – Star Squad with 8 Starting Pitchers, with perhaps the best athletic Outfield in the Major Leagues. The Dodgers spent most of the 1st half of the 2012 campaign in the NL West before injuries crippled the product on the field. A blockbuster trade late in August saw the club win 8 of the last 10 games after struggling to gel early. Skipper Don Mattingly is in the last year of his contract, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez will try to put their 2012 fiasco behind them. Home grown talent, Kemp and Ethier will be in the best opening lineup since they came up to the Majors. Could all of this equal a World Series Berth?
By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent): Follow @eriqwiththeq
The Los Angeles Dodgers franchise had an exciting 2012. From March, when Magic Johnson was announced as part of a group that had bought the Dodgers, to June, when Los Angeles gave Yasiel Puig $42 Million, this has been a wild year for the Dodgers.
After all of the hype surrounding the new Dodgers seemingly died down, they committed $147 Million to Zack Greinke. The N.L. West has been dominated by the Giants in the last couple years, but one has to wonder if the Dodgers recent moves make them the favorite to win the N.L. West in 2013?
Clayton Kershaw 2012 Highlights – Mature Lyrics So Parental Guidance Advised:
Top Five Most Memorable Moments from the 2013 World Baseball Classic
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Monday, March.25 2013
The World Baseball Classic Ran from Mar.02 – Mar.19/2013.
By Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206
The 2013 World Baseball Classic was an amazing tournament that had its up’s and down’s; but for the most part, it provided a great opportunity to watch meaningful spring training games during the winter. Having watched almost every game, I can officially say that it exhausted me.
From cheering on the Americans to trying to pronounce all of the Japanese names, there was never a shortage of things going on at the 2013 WBC. There were a very few number of special moments that will stay with me until the 2016 WBC. Without further ado, here are my top five memories from the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
The Final 3 Outs of the World Baseball Classic:
San Francisco Giants Payroll in 2013: And Contracts Going Forward (Updated Mar.8)
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Follow @mlbreportsFriday March 8, 2013
Angel Pagan (31) led the NL in Triples with 15 in 2012 amongst his 61 Extra Base Hits and 95 Runs. Pagan parlayed his great campaign into a 4 Year/$45 MIL Contract.
By Kyle Holland (Giants Correspondent): Follow @TheKHolland13
Coming off of the 2012 World Series victory, the Giants haven’t really done much this offseason. Either way every team in the league is going to be trying to take them down. When you’re the Champion of all of baseball, what team wouldn’t be gunning for you? Their biggest contest is going to be their rivals in the NL West, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team has made more moves since August than you can count. The Giants realize what a great team they have and how little moves they made have shown they are confident in what they can do in 2013.
The possibly most important move they have made is resigning the Second-Half-hero Marco Scutaro. His 3 yr./$20,000,000 deal is a great deal for San Francisco. After what he did the Giants probably would have considered paying more for Scutaro. You just can’t match .500 AVG in the NLCS. This man was the definition of clutch for the club. Other very important deals include Hunter Pence, Angel Pagan, and Jeremy Affeldt. Pence, who was acquired at the Trade Deadline from the Phillies, was a huge reason the Giants even made it past the NLDS. His inspirational speeches got the entire squad ready before every game. Him resigning for a 1 YR./$13,800,000 deal was huge for him and the Giants. The team gets to utilize his skills for another year – while he gets to prove he’s worth more come next winter.
San Francisco Giants: 2012 World Series Highlights. Mature lyrics- parental guidance is advised:
San Francisco Giants Payroll in 2013: And Contracts Going Forward
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Follow @mlbreportsFriday February 8, 2013
Without Marco Scutaro during the second half of the 2012 season – who knows if the Giants would’ve gone nearly as far as they did. He hit a very impressive .362 after joining the Giants in July. He hit a new NLCS record .500 versus the Cards last year. Resigning him was definitely a priority for the Giants so signing him through 2015 on a 3 YR/$20,000,000 was huge for both sides of the deal.
By Kyle Holland (Giants Correspondent): Follow @TheKHolland13
Coming off of the 2012 World Series victory, the Giants haven’t really done much this offseason. Either way every team in the league is going to be trying to take them down. When you’re the Champion of all of baseball, what team wouldn’t be gunning for you? Their biggest contest is going to be their rivals in the NL West, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The team has made more moves since August than you can count. The Giants realize what a great team they have and how little moves they made have shown they are confident in what they can do in 2013.
The possibly most important move they have made is resigning the Second-Half-hero Marco Scutaro. His 3 yr./$20,000,000 deal is a great deal for San Francisco. After what he did the Giants probably would have considered paying more for Scutaro. You just can’t match .500 AVG in the NLCS. This man was the definition of clutch for the club. Other very important deals include Hunter Pence, Angel Pagan, and Jeremy Affeldt. Pence, who was acquired at the Trade Deadline from the Phillies, was a huge reason the Giants even made it past the NLDS. His inspirational speeches got the entire squad ready before every game. Him resigning for a 1 YR./$13,800,000 deal was huge for him and the Giants. The team gets to utilize his skills for another year – while he gets to prove he’s worth more come next winter.
San Francisco Giants: 2012 World Series Highlights. Mature lyrics- parental guidance is advised:
Giants Player Profile: The Return Of Andres Torres in 2013
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Wednesday January 9, 2013
Torres (right) did not enjoy his time as a Met hitting only .230 with a .327 OBP in 132 games. He was done in New York after just one year as they decided not to tender him by the November 30 Deadline – making him a Free Agent.
Kyle Holland (Giants Correspondent): Follow @TheKHolland13
The Giants’ offseason thus far hasn’t been very exciting from most fans point-of-views. They haven’t made any blockbuster moves. Actually they haven’t made any new moves at all. They resigned the second half hero, Marco Scutaro. They resigned Centerfielder Angel Pagan. They also resigned one of their star pitchers in the bullpen Jeremy Affeldt. The 2013 is going to shape up to be essentially the same exact team as the 2012 World Champions. One new addition to the team? He’s a familiar face actually and was on the 2010 World Series Champions team.
On December 13, 2012, the Giants resigned Outfielder Andres Torres. Torres was a key contributor in the 2010 World Series run with a .268 BA and a .343 OBP. He hit (.350 in the NLCS) and .318 in the 2010 World Series,. He was very reliable in the outfield, playing all 3 positions as he had a very impressive .997 Fld% throughout the 2010 campaign.
Andres Torres Triple Against Jon Garland (Padres) 2010:
Torres as a member of the Giants in 2009. He hit for an Average of .253 in his 3 years as a Giant.
After a disappointing 2011 season in San Francisco, the Giants shipped him off to the New York Mets in exchange for Angel Pagan. The deal clearly worked in the Giants favor as Pagan was giant in the World Series run. As he was tearing it up in San Francisco, Torres struggled big time. He hit .230 with a .327 OBP in 132 games. He had a very sub-par season this summer as a part of the Mets.
When the Mets decided not to offer Torres a contract on November 30 – he had plenty of options. Although more than enough teams were showing interest, he displayed his intent to sign with the Giants from day 1.
“No disrespect to [the other teams], but I told my agents that I wanted to play for the Giants. My heart was there. The Giants were the team that gave me an opportunity.”
Torres reportedly signed for the “low” salary of 1 Year/ 2 Million Dollars. He likely got higher offers from other contending teams but San Francisco is where he wanted to participate in 2013.
The playing time is going to be very limited in San Francisco for Torres. The Giants have a set outfield. Blanco in Left Field, Pagan in Center Field, and Pence in Right Field. Torres is likely going to be playing when one of those guys needs an off day. He may also be in the lineup against Left-Handed Pitchers as the Giants have been looking for a Right-Handed Batter, or switch hitter, to replace Blanco.
Torres was a great signing for the Giants because of a few reasons. First, the Giants needed that player to replace Blanco in the lineup. Second, the Giants weren’t looking to spend a large sum of money this offseason. 2 Million Dollars is not a huge amount of money. It’s perfect because Torres knew that he was not going to be making the big bills next year. His disappointing season as a Met basically told him he wasn’t worth a lot of money. Plus he was willing to take any amount of money from the Giants just in order to be a part of the club.
Back through 2009-2011, Torres made himself a fan-favorite among the San Francisco faithful. Instead of signing Shane Victorino for a huge amount of money, they ultimately chose Torres. Fans hate Shane Victorino. For one he’s a dirty player in general. Giants specific fans mostly hate him because of that brawl that happened on August 5, 2011. I went to the game the next day on a beautiful Saturday afternoon and I’ve never heard louder boos. I’ve been to Red Sox vs Yankees games and the Sox game against the Rays after Luke Scott made those comments about Fenway Park. Those boos to Victorino were by far the loudest. Giants fans hate this man. There is no doubt they would take a lousy fan favorite over a hated, overrated, and dirty player.
With Torres knowing he wasn’t going to be a starter in 2013 – he just wanted to go where he knows he will have fun playing. There’s not a prayer he starts the majority of the games next year unless injury occurs. He is just happy to have another opportunity to bring home another ring while playing in San Francisco.
Andres Torres (right) strongly expressed his interest in coming back to San Francisco in 2013. He was big in their World Series Championship in 2010 hitting .350 in the NLCS and .318 in the World Series.
(*The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com*)
Welcome to our newest Baseball Intern: Kyle Holland:
Kyle is a life long baseball fan outside of Boston. He is a sophomore in high school has played baseball since he was 5. Although growing up in one of the best baseball towns in the major leagues, he has been a Giants fan since 2009. He credits his aunt with the Giants being his favorite team as she lives in San Francisco. Some of his favorite players include Buster Posey, Stephen Drew, Trevor Bauer, Stephen Strasburg, and Minor leaguer Danny Hultzen. You can find Kyle on Twitter Follow @TheKHolland13.
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Juan Pierre: The Unappreciated Stolen Base Master
Thursday January 3rd, 2012
Juan Pierre is one of the most prolific hitters in terms of base hits in the last 12 years along with being the Active Leader for Career Stolen Bases (591). Pierre has 4-200 hit seasons on his resume. He also strikes out only about 1 time every 18 PA (452 SO in 7950 PA). He is a .297 Career hitter, with 2141 Hits and has scored 1039 Runs.
Jake Dal Porto (Baseball Writer) Follow @TheJakeMan24//
Remember Juan Pierre? The guy who’s the definition of consistent? Yeah, that’s him. He now resides in Miami with a bleak Marlins’ crop of players. At 34-Years-Old, he is not entirely irrelevant, and could turn out to be a worthwhile signing for the Marlins. Yes I know, he’s not the big bopper that garners the media and headlines, but his career isn’t one to disregard.
Let me enlighten you…
For Pierre, it all started in Colorado where broke into the majors at 22 years of age, and instantly caught the eye of the baseball world thanks to a solid rookie year with the Rockies. After spending some time as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement, he eventually overtook Colorado’s leadoff spot. He finished the season with a triple slash of .310/.353/.320, and swiped a modest seven bases.
Juan Pierre Feature Video-Beast Mode:
The San Francisco Giants 2013 Player Roster: State Of The Union
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Monday December 24, 2012
Kyle Holland (MLB Reports Intern): Follow @TheKHolland13
There’s no question that the San Francisco Giants have been one of the best teams in the MLB in recent years. This includes 2 World Series championships in 2010 and 2012. Without an injury to Buster Posey in 2011, we could be talking about a three-peat right now. 2012 was without a doubt the greater year between 2010 and 2012 making sure they would have a spot in October baseball. In 2010, they cut it close by not clinching the NL West until Game 162. This year, they wasted no time at all as they took out the Dodgers by clinching the Division on September 2nd. When they were in the playoffs, they won won 6 straight elimination games during the NLDS and NLCS, versus the Reds and Cardinals respectively, erasing 2-0 and 3-1 deficits. The Giants then swept Detroit on their way to their second World Series ring in 3 Years.
Now the question all Giants fans are asking: What is needed for the Giants to have the possibility to repeat in 2013?
So far the Giants have done a lot this winter. That all but means you’ll see a different 9 guys on the field opening day. Right now it looks like it may be the same 9 that started game 4 of the World Series. The Giants haven’t really made any changes so far. They have resigned their 2 Major Free Agents, Marco Scutaro and Angel Pagan. They even resigned their major pitching Free Agent, Jeremy Affeldt. Their projected 25 Man Roster is going to be a tough one to take down in the NL West. Even with he Dodgers looking to eclipse the 250 Million Dollar Mark in Payroll, the Giants should still make a push for the Division in 2013
First, let’s look at their starting pitching. It’s not going to change much besides the order. You can expect Matt Cain to be taking the bump when the Giants open up on the road against the Dodgers on April 1st. Cain was their ace in 2012. He led the team in Wins (16) ERA (2.79) and SO (193). He also got the W in-Game #5 of the NLDS, Game 7 of the NLCS, and he started Game 4 of the World Series. His most memorable moment of the 2012 season was a Perfect Game against the Houston Astros on June 14. Read the rest of this entry
2012 Offseason Giants Key Free Agents: To Sign Pagan and Scutaro?
Thursday November 29th, 2012
Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer):
It is not an outrageous thought that the San Francisco Giants, coming off their second World Series title in three years would not have a problem signing two key free agents. Angel Pagan was a fixture at the top of the lineup throughout the year and played a big part in helping the Giants reach the playoffs and World Series. Marco Scutaro, a trade deadline acquisition, provided the Giants with the boost they needed to leave the Dodgers in the dust in the NL West. Not to mention, Scutaro caught fire in the NLCS against the Cardinals and wound up NLCS MVP. Signing both of these guys would most likely make the Giants favorites for a Wild Card at the least. It could be hard to compete with the Dodgers for the West after the blockbuster trade that they made with the Red Sox, but Scutaro and Pagan could help. So, how likely is it that both free agents sign with the Giants and return for 2013? Also, why has this team been so quiet in pursuing other Free Agents so far?
Unfortunately for most Giants fans, not very likely. I see the Giants signing one or the other. Angel Pagan, coming off a great season, will undoubtedly ask for more than he’s worth. The Giants also have highly regarded prospect Gary Brown waiting in the wings. He is suited to man centerfield for years to come. Pagan is probably looking for at least four years, and Brown will most likely be ready by late 2013 or 2014. Pagan would probably demand somewhere around $10-12 million per year. He has been a great fit for the top of the Giants lineup, setting the table for Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey. He led the league in triples and scored 95 runs, partially due to his great second half. Pagan’s speed is especially valuable in the spacious outfield of AT&T Park. Gary Brown also has great speed, so there will not be too much of a discrepancy in the defensive abilities once Brown is a Giant. What comes to my mind when I think about rewarding Pagan with a large contract is Aaron Rowand. The Giants made a huge mistake by giving Rowand a large contract after just one good year. Pagan, like Rowand at the time, has not had a streak of consecutive great years, so signing him for more than a few years could be risky.
Contact Hitters and Pitching Are Keys to Winning In the MLB Playoffs: Bravo Giants! Attn: Yankees!
Saturday, Nov.10/2012
The Giants GM Brian Sabean saw that his offense had significant holes from previous years and before 2012, dealt for Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan. Both are decent contact hitters, with decent power and speed. It also took for the emergence of Marco Scutaro and the renaissance play from Pablo Sandoval to show that teams that can make regular contact (and are armed with great pitching,) ultimately win in the playoffs.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024
I can’t believe I am going to utter these next few words, “I am starting to shift on the idea of eliminating the DH in the AL and also I am beginning to find the National League Brand of Baseball a lot better these days.” I am not just saying this because the National League has registered 5 World Series Wins out of the last seven years (STL x 2, SF x 2 and PHI vs BOS AND NYY since 2006.) I just find that the American League Baseball is becoming boring. If you have read my articles in the past, I hate teams that strikeout non-stop and when you put two of these teams together for a Series like the AL routinely does, the games are filled with heavy pitch counts, four-hour games and not much contact. This years ALCS represented an all-time low for fan excitement. Put aside that I am a Yankees fan for a minute, it was absolutely brutal baseball. In fact, last years ALCS was no picnic either. If the games continue on like this, they might as well scrap the DH, start having the umpires call more strikes on the hitters and have all AL Teams convert to a National League style of game.
The National League has seen the Cardinals give us thrilling moments and comebacks to epic proportions over the last 2 years. I honestly think that Mark McGwire is not receiving enough credit for molding that team into a bunch of contact hitters. You watch the 2013 offense of the LA Dodgers, they will all have a different approach. We will save the DH debate for another day, but lets just say that 2012 was the worst year for DH’s in some time if not ever. There are only about 3-4 decent DH’s left in the game and if David Ortiz is not in the lineup for the Red Sox, there are no more marquee guys that just hit and not field! The National League Teams plan on more contact for runs created out of necessity and it is always reflective by the competitive games we see them play in the playoffs.
In 2012, the Giants made 4 key acquisitions before and during the season to change their offensive demeanor. If you ask me flat-out as a baseball observer, there is no way the Giants win the World Series without Marco Scutaro or Angel Pagan at the top of the lineup. I also am conceding credit to Melky Cabrera’s hitting contributions as a contact hitter before being busted. Before Melky Cabrera was shown the door for PED’s, he was the same hitter as Scutaro in the 2nd half and postseason, in just hitting every single pitch that was thrown at him. To be honest here, Angel Pagan does strike out a fair bit as a lead off hitter, however he also has speed that makes him dangerous whenever the ball is contacted. It is all about a mixture of power, speed and contact hitters. To illustrate this fact, Hunter Pence (also picked up near the Trade Deadline) did not hit well in the regular season or playoffs for average, yet he was able to drive in a pile of runs because guys ahead of him were always on base. All he needed to do was to make contact for his RBI. Read the rest of this entry
Philadelphia Phillies: Brotherly Love and the Upton Brothers
Saturday November 3rd, 2012
Can Phillies Phans fathom having these big-league-brothers manning the outfield at Citizen’s Bank Park?
Alex Mednick (Baseball Analyst and Writer): Both B.J. Upton and his younger brother Justin will be available this offseason. Bossman Junior (B.J.) will be a top centerfield free agent option, and Justin signed a lucrative 6-year deal just two years ago, is widely known to be on the trading block from Arizona. The Upton brothers are the two highest drafted brothers in sports history. B.J. was a second overall pick in 2002 and Justin, the first overall pick of the 2005 draft. They have both had ups and downs in their young careers, but both have performed extremely well and shown glimpses of brilliance. Justin has already cashed in on his first big major league contract, and B.J. is looking to so this offseason. Where B.J. will sign, we will find out over the next months. But one thing that is clear…he makes since for just about any team out there.
The Philadelphia Phillies are one of those teams that could envision B.J. Upton gracefully patrolling centerfield for 162 games. As a premier center fielder facing free agency, B.J. as become far too expensive a commodity for the Rays to retain going forward. He plays top-notch defense in centerfield and has a cannon for an arm. All he did in 2012 as 27-year-old (in his 8th year in the MLB) was hit 29 doubles, 28 home runs and steal 31 bags. Yes, with this amazing tool set that combines defense with speed and power comes a lifetime .255 batting average and about 150 strikeouts a year. There are weaknesses in every player’s game, but B.J. Upton’s strengths make him a very attractive target for any team that doesn’t have Joe DiMaggio manning centerfield.
There is no doubt that B.J.’s speed and power will fit very nicely into the Phillies lineup along with Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard. We have to also consider what it is going to take to get B.J. signed to a contract. Right now, we know that the Tampa Bay Rays have offered B.J. a qualifying offer. While the chances of B.J. agreeing to this are virtually ‘zero’, it does mean that whoever signs B.J. is going to have to sacrifice their first round draft pick next year to Tampa. For a team like Philadelphia that can afford to sign top free agents, giving up a top prospect is an acceptable part of doing business. Read the rest of this entry
Baseball’s Best Bullpen: Arizona Diamondbacks
Friday November 2nd, 2012
The Diamondbacks are looking at having an incredibly strong bullpen in 2013.
Alex Mednick (Baseball Writer and Analyst):
In 2011, the Arizona Diamondbacks made a really nice push in the AL West and finished with 94 wins, 8 games ahead of the second place San Francisco Giants. They performed well above expectations, and they did so with a relatively unglamorous starting rotation, that consisted mainly of Ian Kennedy, Joe Saunders, Josh Collmenter, Daniel Hudson and a revolving 5th starter. What really carried the team in 2011 and made the Arizona Diamondbacks a competitive in 2011, happened to be their weakest link in their miserable 2010 season: the bullpen.
The Diamondbacks won 29 more games in 2011 than they did in 2010. The most drastic changes made by the organization were in the bullpen where the D-Back’s added closer J.J. Putz and setup man David Hernandez. The 2011 bullpen allowed 100 fewer runs than their predecessors in 2010 and dropped their group ERA from 5.74 in 2010 to just 3.71 in 2011. It goes without saying that their newly revamped bullpen allowed Arizona to stay close in a lot more games and gave them a better chance to be winners.
Following their great 2011 season, the D-Back’s found themselves reverting back to their former ways in 2012. Finishing 13 games behind the first place Giants, and just barely hanging on to a .500 record, the Diamondback’s finished 81-81. You want to know something interesting? It was their bullpen, once again, that failed. Read the rest of this entry
Pablo Sandoval: A Tribute to Panda’s Historic World Series Night
Wednesday October 31st, 2012
Luke Whitecotton: When I mention Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, and Albert Pujols, what words come to mind to describe these guys? Probably legends, greatness, clutch hitters, and champions. Now what if I asked the same question about Pablo Sandoval or better known as “Kung Fu Panda”? You can say champion. But legend,clutch hitter and greatness might not be anywhere near your radar. What if I told you he had one of those magical October nights? One that people in and out of baseball will talk about for years to come, and something those other greats did not do. Would you say that I was crazy, or maybe a little out of my mind? Well, maybe- but Pablo Sandoval was a legend, great, and a clutch hitter on a special October night in San Francisco. Read the rest of this entry
Marco Scutaro: The Best 2012 Trade Deadline Deal And NLCS MVP
Wednesday, October.24/2012
The Post Season almost ended for Marco Scutaro in Game #2 in St. Louis as Matt Holliday slid late to break up a double play. Scutaro stayed in that game and collected a key hit before being pulled as a precautionary move. He would come back and play from games 3-7. —Photo Courtesy of giants.com
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024
I am pleased to always write about a player that has appeared one of my #UnheraldedAwarenessWeeks on Twitter. For those that don’t know what that is, every week I pick a retired player and a current player to talk about and share info, stats, stories and funny anecdotes about. Marco Scutaro was one of those players in September. My buddy Patrick (who hosts a PODCAST I do MLB Expert Interviews on called ‘The Big Ticket Show‘) was the first one to say this signing was good. I did remember that Scutaro was able to plate a 100 runs for the Jays in 2009 despite only playing in 144 games and also provided solid offense out of the Shortstop Position. He was hitting in low .300’s at the time of the trade on July.27 to the San Francisco Giants from the Rockies. I wasn’t as sold on the guy heading to AT &T Park to play half of his games at home. I quickly came on board when he started tearing it up in his 1st week as a Giant. Boy did I ever turn out to be wrong with him batting in San Francisco too, where he hit .352 in 33 games at AT &T Park in 2012. That is an incredible average for what is one of the toughest parks on player averages in the Major Leagues!
With his 3rd organization since Jan.21 of this year, Scutaro has provided the necessary spark to the Giants lineup that was voided with losing Melky Cabrera. At 37 years old, he should be able to garner one more multi-year contract
Scutaro ended up being the best trade deadline acquisition in the Major Leagues this year. Not only did he hit .339 in the second half, he also hit .402 in the month of September and the last 3 games of the regular season in October. After going 0-12 in the 1st 3 games against Cincinnati in the NLDS, Scutaro has put a 9 game hitting streak together-and he had 6 multi-hit games in the NLCS en-route to being named the NLCS MVP. He has pivotal game changing hits in Game #2 (where he also got run into by a hard and controversial slide by Matt Holiday before leaving) and in Games 6 and 7. Scutaro tied and LCS record by recording 14 hits in 28 AB for a .500 Average. while scoring 7 runs. The man has also contributed solid defense at second base, a position the Giants have struggled to fill since Jeff Kent left almost a decade ago. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Reports Playoff Power Rankings and Predictions 2012
Friday, October.5/2012
The Reds have Joey Votto back and definitely are the deepest team in the playoffs. They start in San Francisco versus the Giants on Saturday in a best of 5 Series in the NLDS Round.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024
In what could be one of the most exciting days in MLB History, we present to you a special edition of the MLB Reports Power Rankings,
1. Cincinnati Reds: The reason I have chosen these guys is because of their path to the World Series is probably easier than any other team in the MLB when it comes to Strength of Schedule. Johnny Cueto, Aroldis Chapman and Todd Frazier will challenge for NL Cy Young Votes and the Rookie of the Year Award. They have a healthy Joey Votto and it is time for Brandon Phillips to show his playoff metal. They have the greatest bullpen in the playoffs and are playing in the 1st round against the San Francisco Giants. The Great American Ball Park should be a great home field advantage.
Unheralded Player to watch in this Playoffs: Starting Pitcher Homer Bailey has pitched really well this year and is coming off a recent no-hitter.
2. Detroit Tigers: The Tigers are playing their best baseball of the season and caught a break when the Athletics won the AL West. Miguel Cabrera was on fire in September en route to his AL Triple Crown win. The Tigers were 32-11 in their last 43 home games and their solid pitching bodes well versus all of the homer centric teams in the AL. Their toughest competition would be the Yankees and Rangers and I am not sure those teams will be able to match the pitching of the club. While in my rankings I have given the #1 ranking to the Reds, the Tigers were my preseason pick to win the WS Title and it will all be on the backs of Prince Fielder and Cabrera.
Unheralded player to watch in the Playoffs: Omar Infante. He is a great all around player who comes up with clutch hits.
N.L. Wild Cards: The Playoff Picture Update
Monday October 1st, 2012
Jake Dal Porto: Unlike the American League wild card situation, the National League race is much simpler. And by that I mean that there’s one spot left to be decided, and just two teams competing for it. A couple of weeks ago this wasn’t the case. The Brewers, Phillies, Pirates, and even the Diamondbacks were all congested and all had a legitimate chance. Now, all of those teams are entirely out of contention. Boring? Yes. But it was fun while it lasted, imagining all of the possible scenarios to tiebreaker games to potential rainouts.
However, the Cardinals and Dodgers are the only two left.
Atlanta: 93-66 –
St.Louis: 86-73 –
Los Angeles: 84-75 2 GB Read the rest of this entry
MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: September 2012
Monday, September.3/2012
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024 To say that this year has been a good year for baseball is an humongous understatement. I thought after last years finish, that nothing was going to duplicate the experience. Everyone forgets (or maybe not) that there should not even have been many races last year with Atlanta and Boston having such substantial leads on playoff spots. The Red Sox and Braves collapsed like a couple of bowling pins with King Kong Bundy splashing down on them!
This year, there are 15 teams still vying for 10 playoff spots. So far the only probable locks are Washington for a playoff spot-and Cincinnati to probably win their division The player races for all of the categories is almost as fascinating. Will Andrew McCutcheon catch Melky Cabrera for the Batting title? Or will 2012 be forever cemented in baseball folklore by a stained player like Cabrera? He could still end up determining who wins the World Series in the Fall Classic by his Testosterone filled antics in his MVP ALL-Star Game. The big question is, will the San Francisco Giants fans cheer for him if he comes back in the playoffs? They cheered for another league leader before when it was obvious he was guilty. Right now if you are the Giants, you will take an opportunity to boo or cheer for Cabrera because that means you would be in the playoffs.
Will the spending happy Dodgers have to wait another year to capitalize on their new plan to make the playoffs? If they ultimately miss the playoffs outright, are they going to buy every player they can in the off-season? I sure hope Magic knows that there are Luxury Tax penalties for spending over 178 Million Next Year. 1st year fine is 22.5%, 2nd year is 30%, 3rd year and beyond is 40%. So if they plan on having a 250 Million Dollar Payroll in 2013 (by adding 2 or 3 more top Free Agents) will the Dodgers just forego the worry of any financial penalties on a yearly basis– just to dominate the whole National League (plus baseball for that matter.) Every other team has to consider the urgency in cashing out a World Series right now while the Dodgers have not had a full off season with the new management yet. Can Oakland and their ‘New Money Ball philosophy’ make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2006?
The Best Players over the last month were: Buster Posey, Prince Fielder, Giancarlo Stanton, Adrian Beltre, Josh Hamilton, Yovani Gallardo, Kris Medlen, Adam Wainwright, Aroldis Chapman and Felix Hernandez. The best teams have been Oakland, Washington, San Francisco, San Diego, Baltimore and Texas. The worst teams have been Houston (at least its better to go down hard and stockpile #1 Draft Picks guys.) I have a feeling you will be there for a while with the division you are heading into and may even challenge the 120 Loss Single Season Record. At least you are not going into the NL West to compete with the LA Dodgers! The Cleveland Indians have fallen to an epic drop-off as well. Toronto misses their top sluggers. What has happened to the Minnesota Twins? The Mets have ownership and payroll problems, so at least they have an excuse. Plus they lead the world in guys being hurt. When David Wright has been your healthiest player, you know the season has been backwards! So sit back, get your notebook and popcorn ready for this Month’s Rankings! Read the rest of this entry
MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: June 2012
Monday June.4, 2012
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)-We are going to bring you monthly power rankings every month of the season. There will be a few notes written for each team. Please feel free to let us know your thoughts. The Texas Rangers are the top ranked team yet once again, although teams are certainly gaining on the them in the last week. Look out for Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees to make their move towards the top this month.
June Power Rankings-Last Month Rank in Parenthesis
1. Texas-32-22 (1) The Rangers rode Josh Hamilton in the month of May-who enters today on pace for about 60 HRs and 170 RBI while hitting .354. Nelson Cruz is starting to heat up and the duo of Adrian Beltre and Ian Kinsler are steady as as ever. Yu Darvish is 7-3 en route to the leading the group amongst Rookie of The Year Contention. Joe Nathan is looking like his old self again out of the pen with an ERA under 2.
2. LA Dodgers 33-21 (5) Even with Matt Kemp out of the lineup again, the Dodgers are winning ball games with solid contributions from Andre Ethier and A.J Ellis on offense. The pitching staff has been anchored by Clayton Kershaw and a fast 7-1 start by Chris Capuano. Ted Lilly was 5-1 before a stint on the DL. It is too bad because Lilly is 125-104 since 2004.
3. Tampa Bay 31-23 (2) Hideki Matsui homered in two of his first 3 games back with the Rays. The team has had steady pitching to stay in contention. Carlos Pena has really struggled in the last month and will need to pick it up. Luke Scott with 35 RBI has good production numbers in spite of his .225 AVG. Fernando Rodney has converted 17 out of 18 saves to pace the club.
4. Cincinnati 30-23 (12) Joey Votto has hit .404 in the last 30 days and maybe the best all-around hitter in the National League right now. Jay Bruce has 12 HRs and 34 RBI and is living up to his all-star potential. Aroldis Chapman has 27 Strikeouts in just over 14 innings and has yet to yield a run while opponents are hitting a paltry .043 against him.
5. NY Yankees 29-24 (6) The Bronx Bombers have 6 players with 8 HRs or more, which is a good thing because with the exception of Derek Jeter, a lot of them are hitting under their career averages. The return of Andy Pettitte has helped the rotation with the loss of Micheal Pineda. Phil Hughes threw a complete game over the weekend and CC Sabathia is on pace for another 20 win season. Read the rest of this entry
How Will the San Francisco Giants Score Runs in 2012?
Saturday January 7th, 2012
Sam Evans: Last year, the San Francisco Giants scored only 572 runs, which was good for 29th overall in all of baseball. Despite their below-par offense, the Giants managed to win 86 games and finish second in the NL West. So far this offseason, Giants GM Brian Sabean has traded for Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan to bolster their outfield. The bottom line is as follows: if the Giants want to compete with the rest of the NL West, they’re going to have to score more runs. It is as simple as that.
Batting leadoff for the Giants will most likely be recently acquired Angel Pagan. Pagan is a talented veteran outfielder who has had problems staying healthy in the past. Over the last five years, Pagan has missed a total of 414 games due to various injuries. When he was healthy, Mets fans found out just how pivotal Pagan can be to his team’s success.
In 2010, Pagan stole 37 bases, and was worth 5.2 WARP. However, by failing to stay healthy, Pagan struggled in 2011. He was only worth 1.9 WARP, and he hit .262, which is about twenty points below his career average. If Pagan can stay healthy in 2012 and get back to playing closer to the level that he played in ’10, he will be a huge upgrade over the Giants center fielder last year, Andres Torres.
I’d guess that second baseman Freddy Sanchez will bat second for the Giants. Last year, Sanchez hit .289, but didn’t succeed in any other statistical category. He only played in sixty games due to a dislocated shoulder in June. Sanchez will be ready for Opening Day, and the Giants are hoping that he can continue to hit for average, and possibly reach base more than he has in previous years.
Hitting third will probably be Buster Posey, the Giants starting catcher. Posey had a solid start to the 2011 season that was ended with a disturbing collision at home plate. He missed the rest of the season with a broken fibula and torn ankle ligaments. Giants fans pray that Posey can come back healthy and return to form.
Having Posey back will help the Giants offense enormously. Backup catchers Eli Whiteside and Chris Stewart combined to hit .200 in Posey’s absence. I wouldn’t be surprised if Posey was the Giants’ most valuable hitter by the end of the year.
Hitting cleanup will be third baseman Pablo Sandoval. Sandoval was the Giant’s best hitter last year. He hit .315 with a .552 SLG %. After seeing Sandoval struggle in 2010, last season was a crucial bounce back year for him. At one point in 2010, the Mariners reportedly offered David Aardsma and Jose Lopez for Sandoval. Sabean was smart enough to hold onto to Sandoval and it paid off. “Kung Fu Panda” is under team control through 2014, so he will likely continue to be a middle of the order bat for years to come.
Melky Cabrera, the former Royal, Yankee, and Brave, was a big acquisition for the Giants this offseason. Cabrera is coming off the best year of his career, in which he hit 18 homers with a .305 AVG and twenty stolen bases. Before 2011, Cabrera had been considered a contact hitter who struggled at the other fine aspects of the game.
I’m very interested in how the 27 year-old Cabrera’s season will turn out. Maybe he’s just a late-bloomer who found his stroke in 2011. It’s also possible that his ’11 season was just a fluke. If everything goes as planned, Cabrera will hopefully be a nice upgrade for the Giants lineup.
Next, is the thirty-five year old first baseman Aubrey Huff. One year removed from his famous comeback year in which he led the Giants to the World Series, Huff struggled in 2011. Last year, Huff was just awful. For eleven million a year, Huff managed just a .294 wOBA with twelve homers, fourteen less than he hit in 2010. If you average Huff’s production over the last two years, he would be a solid hitter to have in a lineup. He needs to produce though in 2012 (his contract year), because he’s not getting any younger.
If the Giants are smart, then they will bat Brandon Belt seventh, if not higher. So far, I haven’t been pleased with the Giants usage of the “Baby Giraffe”. They need to give him a lengthy shot in the majors. In 2011, Belt only came to the plate 209 times. If the Giants are serious about winning in 2012, then Belt needs at least four hundred at-bats. Belt could actually end up at first with Huff in the outfield or bench, depending on the Giants’ defensive positioning and whether another big bat (especially at first base) is acquired before the start of the season.
And finally, we come to the young shortstop- Brandon Crawford. The Giants don’t seem to sold on Crawford as their shortstop of the future, as Crawford helped the Giants become one of the worst offensive teams in the league last year. Most of Crawford’s value comes from his defense. As a result, the Giants might give a free agent shortstop significant playing time in 2012.
Off the bench, the Giants will have OF Nate Schierholtz– who is a solid player and should see plenty of playing time. Also, the veteran middle infielder Mike Fontenot will be a back up for Sanchez and Crawford. Giants top prospect OF Gary Brown will likely reach the majors around the midseason mark, and will likely grab the starting job at that point. Brown is the future of this Giants’ offense, and could help the Giants with a late season playoff surge.
2012 is going to be a fun year for Giants fans. The offense will be much improved thanks mostly in part to having so many players healthy again in the lineup. I think with their new additions (and always strong pitching staff), the Giants will be back in the playoffs in 2012.
**Today’s feature was prepared by our Baseball Writer, Sam Evans. We highly encourage you to leave your comments and feedback at the bottom of the page and share in the discussion with our readers. You can also follow Sam on Twitter***
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