Blog Archives
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 3, 2013
In a jammed packed episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I talk about listening to Yu Darvish’s attempt for a perfect game while at Ikea, the futility of Heath Bell and the dominance of the San Francisco Giants.
And I determined which hitters and pitchers owned baseball for the day.
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LA Dodgers Organizational Depth Charts, Rosters And Salaries (Majors And Minors)
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When Magic Johnson and his ownership group spent 2 Billion Dollars on acquiring the Franchise, that should have been a red-flag that they were going to outspend every club when it came to payroll. Get ready for it baseball world! With the MLB not having a Salary Cap – and a whimsy penalty for 1st time offenders for the 1st violation of the Luxury Tax Threshold – how high will the LA club go?
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024 and welcome Jeff Kleiner (Salary, Roster and Depth Chart Expert for the MLB – visit his website here Follow @prosportsroster
You guys are all in for a treat. Jeff Kleiner recently contacted me about a partnership merge for the website. He has developed a site (prosportsrosters.com) that covers all organizational affiliates in the Minors for all of the Major League Baseball Clubs. We are going to combine efforts to bring you the best look at salaries, current 25 Man Player Rosters and Depth Charts for all 30 teams.
Jeff is going to provide the documents in form of spreadsheets and I am going to accompany the posts with deep analysis of what the numbers tell us from my perspective. If you can’t wait for all of my assessments for each club, go and visit Jeff’s website over at http://www.prosportsrosters.com.
In Speaking with Jeff, he is one of the more passionate fans I have come across towards the game of baseball. He spends enough time in updating his MLB Facts for it to be a Full-Time Job. So after the usual Video Clip and READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY button, you will find some serious &*!@?!#!
For a Full 3 year Salary Outlook plus last years Stats for every player in the Dodgers Organization click here
LA Dodgers Great Moments:
The LA Dodgers Player Roster In 2013: State Of The Union Mar.28
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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:
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – March 27, 2013
Trading away Justin Upton was dumb for the Diamondbacks. They are probably regretting it now!
On today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I say “I told you so” regarding the Justin Upton trade and talk a little about Tim McCarver and why it is time to move on.
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Oakland A’s Player Roster in 2013: State Of The Union Part 2: The Pitchers
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A.J Griffin was 7-1 with a 3.06 ERA in 15 Games Started for the A’s in his 2012 Rookie Season. The A’s will look for the 24 Year old for some Quality Starts in 2013. The former University of San Diego Pitcher yielded a 1.13 WHIP during his time last year. As the teams #4 Starting Pitcher on the depth chart, Griffin should be able to see some favorable matchups in 2013. If he throws like 2012 again in 2013, he might very pole vault to being the ace of the rotation. We may have another 3 – 4 staff that contend for the AL Cy Young like the days of Hudson, Mulder and Zito.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Billy Beane has always recycled his great starting pitchers once they hit the experience level that he could not pay them for. His new crop of pitchers include Jarrod Parker, Brett Anderson, Tommy Milone and new Starter A.J. Griffin.
They also are bringing back Bartolo Colon for the 2013 season, despite taking a 50 game suspension for PED use last year. Billy Beane is a master tactician on assessing a players worth and especially pitchers. Just like the hitters, the pitchers are all mostly in the 25-30 Age bracket. He has a quality set of controllable relief pitchers in the barn to close out games too.
A.J. Griffin at University of San Diego:
Edinson Volquez In 2013: Quintessential Ace Or Inconsistent Starter?
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Volquez is coming off an up-and-down year with the Padres. He went .500 with an 11-11 record and had an average ERA at 4.14. He should be prepared for the 2013 season as he threw against real competition in the 2013 WBC so he’ll already have all of his stuff developed for the duration of 2013. You are talking about a guy that has been traded for in a Josh Hamilton deal, plus the exchange that happened to bring him to San Diego (along with Yonder Alonso, Yasmani Grandal and Brad Boxberger for Mat Latos Prior to the 2012 campaign.
By Kyle Holland (MLB Reports Writer): Follow @TheKHolland13
When the Texas Rangers signed Edinson Volquez as an amateur Free Agent in 2001 they had high hopes for the 17-year-old out of the Dominican Republic. They signed him along with John Danks and Thomas Diamond. The three pitching prospects for the Rangers were dubbed “DVD.”
After spending a few years in the Rangers’ organization, he made his debut on the big league squad on August 30, 2005 – and spent the duration of the season with them. He ended up starting 3 games and appeared in 6. His final stat line at 22-years-old read an 0-4 record – with a 14.21 ERA.
Volquez spent the next two years bouncing in and out of the Minors. When he received the call-up in 2006, he did fairly better dropping his ERA to 7.29. His 1-6 record in 8 starts wasn’t very impressive – but I’m not one to judge a pitcher on his record. As far as I’m concerned, the ERA dropping by almost 7 points was a huge step in the right direction.
Volquez discussing his new team prior to the 2012 MLB season:
[youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzPqLC5iZUE%5D Read the rest of this entry
Martin Prado Will Prove To Be A Valuable Player For The Arizona Diamondbacks
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The Arizona Diamondbacks will be able to use Martin Prado‘s versatility this season.He will provide some stability to the Third Base position for the team. He has also saw playing time at 2B and LF during his time with Atlanta. Prado is a consistent hitter whether there is a RHP or a LHP on the hill. In fact he has a .300 Batting Average for his career against Righties. Prado recently signed a 4 YR/$40 Million Contract with the NL franchise. He is set to earn $7 MIL this year – followed up by 3 years in a row of making $11 MIL per in 2014 – 2016.
By Chris Lacey (Baseball Writer) Follow @aecanada12
The Arizona Diamondbacks made several moves this off-season. The roster is completely different from last season. They traded OF Chris Young to the Oakland Athletics for SS Cliff Pennington. The other trade that they made will have an impact on this season and the future of the team was sending OF Justin Upton, and 3B Chris Johnson to the Atlanta Braves.
The player they received from this trade was 3B Martin Prado. They also acquired RHP Randall Delgado, and three more Minor League prospects. The three prospects were Nick Ahmed, Zeke Spruill, & Brandon Drury.
Martin Prado 2012 Highlights. Mature Lyrics – Parental Guidance Is Advised:
Baltimore Orioles Payroll In 2013 And Contracts Going Forward Mar.15/2013
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Buck Showalter had one of the best managerial season in recent vintage with the 2012 version of the Baltimore Orioles, will the fans and management turn on him if there is a small regression in 2013?
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024
I believe that 2013 will be a regressive season for the Baltimore Orioles. Much like the 2011 Arizona DiamondBacks in the National League, all of the bounces and luck went the Orioles way to have a magical year of a playoff berth in 2012. A crazy amount of 1 run wins, extra inning wins and a brilliant bullpen defied the odds in the American League in order to compete.
I still think the Baltimore Orioles will be competitive in 2013, I just don’t see a 90 win team. The team is not saddled with many outrageous contracts left, however it is a shame that Brian Roberts (10 Million Dollars Per Year) can’t stay healthy. They will need repeat years from Adam Jones and Chris Davis, plus significant increases in production from J.J. Hardy, Matt Wieters and Nick Markakis will need to hit his .300+.
This team has to take a run at a few players via trade or a remaining Free Agent. The need for a power hitting DH and another OF with Pop to play LF would be a wise decision. The ownership will need to extend the payroll for this very option. Also, they will need to plunk down some dough to sign an ace on the Free Agency market. You can’t tell me that a guy like Kyle Lohse won’t help the club!
2012 Winning Mix Highlights:
Harlem Shake Shenanigans Come To Spring Training:
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Just another idea by some Major League Clubs.
MLB Reports: Welcome to our newest Kids writer Jason Alpert-Wisnia – for being selected to join our MLB Reports Kids Writing team. We are pleased to present the readers with a youthful look to the game of baseball. Moms and Dad’s – if you have a young kid who loves baseball and wants to write about the game, please email us at mlbreports@gmail.com. We will be selecting three more kid writers for our website this year.
By Jason Alpert-Wisnia: (MLB Reports Kids Writer – visit his website here )
Across Youtube in the past month, the song “Harlem Shake” by Baauer has been the topic that SO many videos are all about. It all started when some dudes danced to the song on Youtube. It got LOTS of views, and so hundreds of versions have come out using Harlem Shake but with different people and things and in different places.
The idea is one per son comes out in some sort of mask and shakes their head, in a random place while everything behind him is normal and is in a regular mood, but when the song says “Do the Harlem Shake!” the whole scene changes and becomes crazy and it gets a little strange.This itself has NOTHING to do with baseball, except for one thing.
A few weeks ago, the Arizona Diamondbacks in Spring Training decided to do a publicity stunt, and post it on Youtube. If you haven’t already guessed, they did the Harlem Shake.
The video was posted by the official MLB Youtube account and at the time I’m writing,the video had about 177,000 views at the time, which is not too bad for views.
MLBR ‘Junior Reporter’ Haley Smilow Interviews Cody Ross In Spring Training
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Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Haley Smilow was a busy reporter last year. So much so, that we couldn’t keep up with her to post them in time. In her latest interview from last Spring Training last year – Haley talked to Cody Ross (of the Boston Red Sox then)… about his favorite Ball Parks to play in, who he doesn’t like to face, what he does for pre and post game rituals and what he does on the road.
Haley pulls no punches in asking the Outfielder about his life in this candid interview. Amongst other topics discussed were: What Ross does for charity work, what his favorite animal is…. Also who is the biggest practical joker in the MLB…and much much more..
Cody Ross – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is advised Highlights 2012:
Starting Pitching For The DBacks Will Make Or Break Their Season
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The Diamondbacks will need their rotation to be a strength as they compete in the NL West for a playoff spot this season.
By Chris Lacey (DiamondBacks Correspondent) Follow @aecanada12
The Arizona Diamondbacks will have to rely on their starting pitching more than ever this season. The two division rivals they have to contend with feature very good pitching rotations along with potent offensive lineups.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed Hyun-jin Ryu from South Korea as a Free-Agent, and they also signed the top Free Agent pitcher this winter in Zack Greinke.
The San Francisco Giants have the 2012 NL MVP Award Winner & Batting Champion in Buster Posey. The Giants also have two very good pitchers in Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum to anchor their staff.
30 Clubs in 30 Days Arizona Diamondbacks:
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Hotlanta OF: Hey – U and U!
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Tuesday February 26th, 2013
For those of you that follow @mlbmeme, I found this meme very funny. It is a play on the explicit DMX song, “Party Up (Up in Here)”. (Explicit lyrics – So Parental Guidance is Advised.)
Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer): Follow @BernieOlshansky
After the signings and trade this winter, Atlanta Braves fans have a lot to be excited about. The Braves made a big impact by signing B.J. Upton and trading for his brother, Justin. Both young outfielders have tremendous skill and will undoubtedly make an impact on the National League East. The Braves got an early jump on the Free Agent market by signing B.J. Upton early in the winter. The main reason for the B.J. Upton signing was to replace Michael Bourn in Center Field.
Bourn became a Free Agent after 2012 and wound up with the Cleveland Indians. The Braves strengthened their outfield even further with the acquisition of B.J.’s brother, Justin, in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks that meant sending utility-man Martin Prado.
Jason Heyward 2012 Highlights Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is Advised:
Granderson Is Out For 10 Weeks: What Can Cashman Do?
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Granderson has had back to back 40 HR years with the Yankees in 2011 and 2012. New York can ill afford to be without a productive LF for the 1st quarter of this season. I believe they should make a trade to bolster their team. When Granderson comes back, you would always have an extra player for depth still.
Chuck Booth (Yankees Correspondent/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
The start of the season is starting to look extremely bleak for the Yankees so far. Derek Jeter is coming off of a broken ankle, A-Rod is out indefinitely with (insert whatever ailment here) until after the ALL-Star Game, Mariano Rivera is 43 – and trying to make it through one more season after tearing up his ACL last year, Phil Hughes is having back spasms, Joba Chamberlain seems healthy – (but you never what freak injury is going to happen to him next,) Michael Pineda is still recovering from shoulder Surgery, so what else was going to happen? Add Curtis Granderson and a fractured right forearm to the walking wounded list.
This injury should alarm the Yankees and their fans. The team is not strong depth-wise, as they have been in decades, so “The ‘Grandy Man’ not being able to play until early May should cause New York GM Brian Cashman to explore all of his options. Like I have said in previous articles – ‘Financial Armageddon’ is coming for the club in 2014, plus the team is rapidly becoming older by the year. It is safe to say that this year might be the last kick at a championship for some time. What may the Yankees do to replace Granderson for the 1st quarter of the season?
Juan Rivera hits a Walk-Off for the Dodgers:
Cleveland Indians Payroll In 2013: And Contracts Going Forward
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The Cleveland Indians have been around since 1901. During the years the Indians have won 8,792 games & have lost 8,573 games. The Indians have won the World Series 2 times & have 31 players in the Hall Of Fame.
By Larry Myers (Indians Correspondent): Follow @TribeFanz1969
The Indians finished the 2012 season as a huge disappointment. The Indians had a strong first half before falling apart in the second half. The Indians the 2013 season with many new faces after a busy winter.
GM Chris Antonetti and President Mark Shapiro decided to make some major moves to improve the team for the 2013 season. The first move the Indians made was replacing Manny Acta with Terry Francona as manager. The Indians then traded Shin-Soo Choo & Tony Sipp in a 3 team trade to pick up Drew Stubbs, Matt Albers. Bryan Shaw & Trevor Bauer. The Indians signed a few Free Agents with the four biggest names being Nick Swisher, Mark Reynolds, Brett Myers, & Michael Bourn. The Indians showed that with the moves they made they are ready to contend now & in the future.
Cleveland Indians 2012 Season Highlights:
Arizona DiamondBacks Roster In 2013: State Of The Union
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The Diamondbacks will look to regain the magic that aided them in winning the division in 2011.
By Chris Lacey (Diamond Backs Correspondent) Follow @aecanada12
Arizona Diamondbacks fans had some high hopes coming into the 2012 season after winning the division in 2011 and making their way back to the playoffs for the first time 2007. The 2012 off-season saw them bring in free agent OF Jason Kubel. The season started off great with a three game sweep of the San Francisco Giants, but when CF Chris Young went crashing into the wall to catch a deep ball against the Pittsburgh Pirates the team was never the same. The Diamondbacks are in tough division the NL West, which is known for pitching. They will have to rely on their young starters if they hope to compete with San Francisco Giants & Los Angeles Dodgers. The offense will have to get better with manufacturing runs and instead of depending on the long ball to score runs. They traded away RF Justin Upton and 3B Chris Johnson, but they brought in versatile player Martin Prado and pitching prospect Randall Delgado.
Game #7 of the 2001 World Series – Gonzalez Game Winner – Can the 2013 DBACKS get back to the WS?
Arizona DiamondBacks Payroll In 2013: And Contracts Going Forward
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Arizona have won 5 Division Titles in just 15 years of existence – including winning the World Series in 2001. The franchise consistently is rated as one of the top rated front office organizations – and routinely rank as the most fan-friendly team in the MLB. The Franchise is 2nd amongst Expansion Clubs for Winning Percentage (.498) behind the Angels (.499.) The DBacks are only 10 games below .500 for their ALL-Time record (1210-1220). Will they be able to compete with the Dodgers and Giants in future years by increasing Payroll?
By Chris Lacey (Diamond Backs Correspondent) Follow @aecanada12
The Diamondbacks finished the 2012 season with disappointment as they struggled to get over .500 for much of the season. They lost the last game of the season to the Rockies that summed up what happened during the year. When they got good starting pitching, the defense would make a costly mistake, and then the offense would struggle to score any runs. The Diamondbacks enter the 2013 camaign with plenty of new faces on the club.
General Manager Kevin Towers has changed the makeup of this team these past two off-seasons. He has put an emphasis on players who can make consistent contact, rather than hitting the long ball. The Dbacks GM is always looking to improve upon the bullpen. He did this by taking a risk on Heath Bell who had a bad year with the Marlins, but Towers believes a change of scenery will help. Towers not only brought in bullpen help, but also signed some key players’ to long-term contracts that will aid the team to not only contend now, but for the future.
2011 DiamondBacks Post Season Highlights. Lyrics May Contain mature content so Parental Guidance is advised:
Arizona Diamondbacks Gerardo Parra Will Try To Hold Onto His OF Spot In 2013
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Gerardo Parra has a Career 3 Slash Line of .280/.332/732. He is an exceptional defender. He won a Gold Glove in 2011. He hits best at Chase Field – with a 3 Slash Line of .300/.353/.804.
By Chris Lacey (Diamond Backs Correspondent) Follow @aecanada12
Gerardo Parra was signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks as an amateur free agent in 2004. Parra received the call up to the show on May 13, 2009 from Double AA Mobile Baybears when Left Fielder Conor Jackson was placed on the disabled list. He was put into the starting lineup the same day, and in his first Major League At-Bat, he became the 100th player in MLB history to hit a Home Run in his first at bat. Parra recorded at least one RBI, in his first five games, by doing this he became the second player since Mike Lansing (1993) in the last thirty years to accomplish this feat.
He was also named NL Rookie of the Month for May and reached base in each of his first 17 games. Parra broke out in 2011 by hitting with a .292 Batting Average, 8 Home Runs, and 46 RBI. He also showed that he could a defensive weapon with his powerful arm by throwing out runners on various occasions; he recorded 12 Outfield Assists in 2011. He capped off this stellar year by winning the Gold Glove in the National League for Left Field.
Gerardo Parra Highlights:
Brandon Webb’s career was noteworthy and a warning
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Wednesday Feb.06/2013
- ESPN.com
By Paul Francis Sullivan (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @sullybaseball
Brandon Webb is retiring from major league baseball, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com. This hardly seems like a monumental announcement this spring. Webb has been out of sight and out of mind since the beginning of the 2009 season. His official retirement notice is reminiscent of a band announcing their breakup long after they had their last hit.
But Brandon Webb’s career, brief as it was, was remarkable and also should be remembered the next time an ace pitcher looks for a long term extension.
As outlandish as it may sound now, Brandon Webb was putting together the beginning of a Hall of Fame career. This is not hyperbole.
The former University of Kentucky star was an 8th round draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2000.
He shot up through Arizona’s farm system and by 2003, the 24 year old Webb was a major leaguer and finished 4th in the Rookie of the Year vote. He posted a 2.84 ERA over 180 2/3 innings, winning 10 games for an Arizona squad that finished third in the National League West.
By 2006, he became an elite pitcher. He led the league in wins, shutouts and ERA+ and had the top WAR for pitchers. He won the National League Cy Young Award and looked like he was just getting warmed up. Read the rest of this entry
Adam Dunn: The New Dave Kingman?
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Adam Dunn has hit 40+ HRs 6 times in his career and 38+ HRs in 8 of the last 9 years. He is the Classic ‘3TO’ Guy. AKA 3 True Outs Guy: HR/BB or SO. At The MLB Reports, we call it a ‘Dunn Trick’ when he does all 3 in a game.
By Brian Madsen (White Sox Correspondent): Follow @brianm731
.159 Batting Average, 11 HRs, 42 RBI, 177 SO, $12 Million. Those are the #’s posted by Adam Dunn in 2011 during his first season with the Chicago White Sox in just 415 AB or two-thirds of a season. Quite possibly one of the worst statistical seasons in MLB history. Far from Dunn’s previous season averages leading up to that point in his career: .248 Batting Average – with 33 HRs and 82 RBI. These were not the #’s the White Sox thought they were getting when they signed Dunn to a 4 YR/$56 Million Contract prior to the 2011 season. Dunn never was a high average kind of guy, has always struck out a lot (as a lot of power hitters do), but also walks a lot. Much to Dunn’s credit, he turned everything around in 2012 hitting (only) .204, but with 41 HRs and 96 RBI. His turnaround season was a big reason for Chicago’s success in 2012.
Dunn has been one of the game’s premiere power hitters since 2004. Yet, to this date, has never been on a playoff team. He and the Sox came close in 2012, but fell short behind the Tigers. Dunn surpassed 400 HRss last year for the Sox, ( the same year that his teammate Paul Konerko hit his 400th. Konerko actually hit his 300th HR in the same game, back-to-back with, then teammate, Jermaine Dye) and has a great chance to surpass 500 HR’s. While Dunn will probably fall short of 500 HRs in his next 2 seasons with the Sox, you have to figure he’ll catch on with a team in 2015 and get there. A common complaint about Dunn is, and has been, his average. Last year Dunn hit a “robust” .204, yet still managed to have an OBP of .333. Not quite as good as his career OBP of .370, but not awful either. For a guy that strikes out as much as he does, Dunn sure walks a lot. Though Dunn walked 105 times last year, his K’s more than doubled that amount with 222.
Adam Dunn Highlights: Mature Lyrics – Parental Guidance is Advised:
Justin Upton Trade Opens A Window For The Braves And Ends An Era For The D’backs
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Justin Upton leaves Arizona on a down year after finishing 2012 with .280/.355/.430 slash line and only 17 HRs.
By Nicholas Rossoletti (MLB Reports Trade Correspondent): Follow @NRoss56
What many Arizona Diamondback fans once considered the unthinkable happened last week. The team decided to part with 25-Year-Old Right Fielder, Justin Upton. Upton was the franchise’s top draft pick in 2005, its Number 1 prospect in 2007 according to Baseball America, its best player in both the 2009 and 2011 seasons based upon Wins Above Replacement and the 13th best position player in the Major Leagues in 2011 as he added 6.4 Wins to the D’Backs.
The D’Backs shipped Upton to Atlanta where he will be reunited with his brother, BJ Upton, and in doing so, the team ended a relationship with another of its first round picks. None of Arizona’s top picks from 2003 through 2011 are still with the franchise. Upton was the type of player that teams normally build around especially at 25 Years Pld. Instead the D’Backs determined it was better to use Upton to acquire 5 pieces that they hope will provide several building blocks to replace the one they gave away. In that way, Upton still provided the D’Backs with foundation even when he is no longer playing for them.
Justin Upton Highlights Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is Advised:
Cincinnati Reds Schedule In 2013: The Team Hopes For NL Central Dominance
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By Richie Devotie (MLB Schedule Correspondent): Follow @MrBaseballMan and Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner) Follow @chuckbooth3024
The Great American Ball Park is a great place to watch a game. The Great American Ballpark is one of the best parks in the majors for scenery outside the yard. You get a close personal view of the Ohio River. The park also features the ‘Cincinnati Reds Hall Of Fame” that is directly adjacent to the park—great place to check out the 1st Major League Baseball Club. Particularly if you are a Pete Rose fan, you have to visit this Museum. Pete Rose is nowhere to be found at Great American because of his lifetime ban—but his career is nicely chronicled inside the doors of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
The concourses at Great American are spacious, clean and the workers there offer the nicest hospitality. There is not a bad seat in the place. Cincinnati’s fans are amongst the smartest in baseball. They have 3 mascots still in use that walk the field in:‘Gapper,’ ‘Mr. Redlegs’ and of course ‘Rosie Red,’ a truly great experience for the kids. The fireworks display on Friday nights in the summer are incredible against the back drop of the Ohio River.
From guys who also did 30 Ball Parks in 30 Days:
MLB Player Profile: DiamondBacks OF/DH Jason Kubel
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Jason Kubel is one of the better RBI OF/DH in the last 4 years – with 343 RBI in only 1904 AB. This works out to be about 108 RBI for every 600 AB. This is great production yet he doesn’t see that much respect. His 162 Game Average is 24 HRs and 94 RBI. Kubel had a career high 30 HRs with the DBacks in 2012. He also had a career best in Runs Scored with 75.
By Chris Lacey (Diamond Backs Correspondent) Follow @aecanada12
Jason Kubel was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 12th Round of the 2000 Amateur Draft, after playing high school ball at Highland High School in California. Kubel received the call-up to the Majors in 2004. He would suffer a knee injury in the Arizona Fall League – that would cause him to miss all of the 2005 season. He would have his most productive season as a Twin in 2009, when he would have a Batting Average of .300, drive in 103 RBI and hit 28 Home Runs. He has his best 3 – Slash Line for his Career at .300/.369/.907. His efforts even saw him net 24th in AL MVP Voting. That season also saw Kubel hitting for cycle against the Los Angeles Angels, and would do in dramatic fashion by hitting the go-ahead Grand Slam in the 8th inning.
Jason Kubels hitting mechanics:
Pittsburgh Pirates Schedule in 2013: The Team Has The Right Ticketing Scheme
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Wednesday, January.16, 2013
PNC is rated highly amongst Ball Park Chasers. As a destination point for a lot of them, it is nice that the Pirates post their start times earlier than most clubs – and put their tickets up for sale quicker than most teams as well.
By Richie Devotie (MLB Schedule Correspondent): Follow @MrBaseballMan and Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner) Follow @chuckbooth3024
From Chuck Booth: The Pirates get it. They are always quick to put up their times schedule for the upcoming season. Even better than this, is that they follow that up by having their tickets for sale almost as quick. As people who love to chase Ball Parks and plan road-trips, it would be nice if all other franchises followed suit. As of right now, only four teams have tickets for sale for the upcoming season (for single games): the Red Sox, Rockies, Athletics and Pirates have begun selling their tickets for the 2013 season. For the Red Sox, this is a big surprise because the team sells out every home game anyway and have had a great run of being successful over the last 40 years.
With so many choices ton spend your entertainment dollar these days – why wouldn’t the MLB put their single game tickets on sale much earlier? They could definitely take advantage of the Christmas season. So most of the clubs wait till about end of January to post their single tickets, meanwhile credit card bills are piling up on them. Fans are also preparing for a shortened February Month and cutting living expenses. Most people also need to request vacation time off as early as possible in order to plan road-trips from Easter through Labor Day. So why not change the waymost MLB clubs operate when it comes to dates of ticket sales and game times? Having said all of this, Richie Devotie has taken a look at the Pirates upcoming schedule for the 2013 Year.
2012 Pirates Highlights:
Paul Konerko Has Asserted Himself As An ALL-Time South Sider
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Paul Konerko heads into the last year of a contract. At 37, Konerko has hit 415 HRs as a White Sox Player – and is 33 Round-Trippers short of Frank Thomas (448) for the ALL-Time Franchise Lead. Will he reach the ‘BIG HURT’ in 2013? Better yet, if he re-signs with the team past 2013, he may enter the top 10 of ALL-Time HRs for one team. Currently Lou Gehrig and Eddie Matthews sit tied in 9th with 493 HRs each for one club.
By Brian Madsen (White Sox Correspondent): Follow @brianm731
The South Side of Chicago. U.S. Cellular Field. You’re likely to have heard chants of “Let’s go White Sox!!”, “Ozzie!! Ozzie!!, and maybe even “Oh-E-Oh, Magglio!!”, over the years at this beautiful, yet underrated ball park. But, for the last 14 seasons, you probably would have heard “Paulie!! Paulie!!”, more than any other. No, not Paulie from Rocky fame. Paul Konerko, the 6 time ALL-Star and 2005 World Series Champion First Baseman of the Chicago White Sox. Some would say he’s underrated, much like the stadium he’s called home since 1999. Acquired via trade from the Cincinnati Reds in late 1998 by the White Sox for Mike Cameron, Konerko has been a consistent producer for them for 14 seasons.
He’s averaged more than 32 HRs and 101 RBI in that time frame for the Sox – and has combined for a few quality 1-2 punches over the years with some big hitters. Frank Thomas, Carlos Lee, Magglio Ordonez, and now Adam Dunn, to name a few. He is said to be one of White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf’s favorite players of ALL-time. He should be, as he helped guide the White Sox to their first World Series Championship in 88 years back in 2005. Konerko even presented the “3rd and final out ball” to Reinsdorf at the victory parade, bringing the owner to tears in front of thousands of screaming Sox fans.
Paul Konerko 2012 Highlights: Mature Lyrics – Parental Guidance is Advised:
San Diego Padres Roster In 2013: State Of The Union
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Thursday January 10, 2013
Jake Dal Porto (Baseball Writer) Follow @TheJakeMan24
The San Diego Padres haven’t made a move that will conceivably make them contenders in a competitive National League West division. San Diego went 76-86 in 2012, which was good enough for fourth place in the NL West.
A move could still be made, and Padres’ pundits have went as far to suggest some type of signing and/or trade before Spring Training. Still, their aren’t a ton of options that would fit into their constrained payroll, especially after they signed Carlos Quentin and Huston Street to extensions. They still have a decent bullpen anchored by Street and set-up man Luke Gregerson.
Pending a significant addition, San Diego should be a bit better in the win department. Some of their key starting pitchers will be returning from injuries, and a couple of top prospects could take the fast track to the Major Leagues and make an impact by season’s end. Most notably, they will need Clayton Richard to improve to the next level, having won 14 games in 2 of the last 3 years – while holding an ERA under 4.00. Eric Stults was the surprise of the Starting Rotation of last season – posting a 8-3 Record, with a 2.92 ERA in 14 Games Started.
More importantly, they went on a nice streak in the final few weeks in 2012. Perhaps this could fuel a hot start in 2013.
Let’s preview this young team.
Chase Headley – 2012 Highlights for the NL RBI Champion
The Tampa Bay Rays: The Franchise 1998-2012: Part 1 Of A 5 Part Article Series
Thursday, December.20, 2012
Note from Chuck Booth: I am attempting to bring the history for each of the 30 MLB Franchises into a 5 part series that will focus on 1. The teams history. 2. The hitters 3. The pitchers. 4. The Teams Payroll going into 2013 and 5. The Ball Park that they play in. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) Be sure to check my author page with a list of all of my archived articles section here.
The many Rays Logo’s over the years. Is the best of this franchise yet to come?
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
The Tampa Bay Rays Franchise can be summarized into two different categories: “The Devil Rays Days” and the “Rays Days.” The Devil Rays endured 10 straight losing seasons to start the club’s history. From 1998-2007, was a complete gong show (645-972) and last place finishes in a tough AL East every year, except for 2004, when they finished 4th, although they did stockpile several top Draft Picks based on their horrid regular seasons. In 2008, all of that changed when the ‘Devil’ was literally and figuratively knocked away from the Tampa Bay team. Their young stars finally saw their potential realized and they appeared in the 2008 World Series versus the Philadelphia Phillies. The Franchise would lose in 5 hard-fought, weather fulfilled games, however the team was now one of the model clubs in baseball. From 2008-2012, the club has gone 458-352.
The Rays have made the playoffs in 2010 and 2011 since, plus featured two other over .500 records in 2009 and 2012. The club has now had 5 winning seasons in a row. There is still a long way to go as they feature the worst winning percentage in MLB History, with a 1103-1327 Franchise Record (.454). The next worst team is the Padres at .463. The Arizona DiamondBacks were the NL Expansion cousins of the Rays and they feature a Win Percentage of (.498), which is second overall for the Expansion teams. The Arizona DiamondBacks also have made the playoffs 5 times and won the World Series in 2001. Still if you asked anyone right now, the Rays would gladly be the team everyone picked.
Franchise Series Links:
The Hitters: The Tampa Bay Rays: The Hitters 1998-2012: Part 2 Of A 5 Part Article Series
The Pitchers: The Tampa Bay Rays: The Pitchers 1998-2012: Part 3 Of A 5 Part Article Series
2013 Team Payroll: Tampa Bay Rays Payroll 2013 And Contracts Going Forward: Updated for Myers Trade Dec.11/2012
Tropicana Field Expert: An Interview with Tropicana Field Expert Kurt Smith
What the Indians will do with Asdrubal Cabrera
Friday December 7, 2012
Kyle Holland (MLB Reports Intern):
In 2012, Asdrubal Cabrera had an average year. He hit .270/.338/.423 with 16 HRs and 68 RBIs. He made his second straight career All-Star Game appearanc. He committed 19 errors, perhaps a little much for a team’s starting Shortstop, but not awful. His fielding percentage was his career worst by a point at .971.
Now during this offseason, the Indians think it’s a good idea to shop him.
Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer originally reported on December 4 that the Indians were looking for 3-4 players in a deal for Cabrera. He also said that they seemed to have a deal that would move a pitcher and two prospects to Cleveland, however the unknown team backed out when the Indians asked for another prospect. Now the most recent rumors are that he would be moved to Arizona as a part of a four team deal. Read the rest of this entry
Cade Kreuter Interview: Padres Prospect Returns To The MLB Reports!
Monday December 3rd, 2012
Jonathan Hacohen ( Lead Baseball Columnist): Follow @jhacohen
Last February we introduced you to Cade Kreuter. As part of the interview, we learned all about the “Crocodile Hunter.” A third generation baseball prospect and a member of the Miami Hurricanes, Cade was getting ready to make his own mark on the game.
Now a member of the San Diego Padres organization, Cade has a bright road ahead. We talked about many facets of his career. From joining the Padres, to playing multiple positions, his offseason in the Dominican and much more. Being around the game his whole life, Cade knows what he needs to do to succeed. 2013 will be his first full season in professional baseball. At 21 years of age, he has his whole career ahead of him. We will be certainly be watching his progress with great anticipation!
Today on MLB reports, we bring you our interview with Padres’ prospect and 3rd generation player, Cade Kreuter:
MLBR: Congrats on joining the Padres! What was the process like joining them?
CK: Well, as you may know, I missed my entire junior season at The U this past year due to a broken left foot caused by a foul ball I hit off of it in practice the day before our season opener. I was misdiagnosed with a deep bone bruise for the first month of my injury so that was a setback right there for me. I went understandably undrafted after my junior season, after really only playing almost 1 full season out of 3 years in college. But, I felt it was still time for me to move up and play pro ball. I knew another season at The U was not what was best for me. I was contacted by the Padres and they asked me if I was interested in doing a workout and possibly signing as a free agent. I jumped at the opportunity and made the most of it. Later that week I signed and headed to Peoria, Az for the rookie ball season! Read the rest of this entry
The Oakland A’s 2013 Roster Tree Part 2: The Pitchers And Analyzing Mulder, Hudson and Zito Post Oakland
Sunday, Dec.02/2012
A.J Griffin was 7-1 with a 3.06 ERA in 15 Games Started for the A’s in his 2012 Rookie Season. The A’s will look to the 24 Year old for some Quality Starts in 2013.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Yesterday we talked about the hitters of the Oakland Athletics current roster and today we will talk about their pitching. This has been an organization that has thrived on brilliant drafting of young arms. In the early 2000’s, the team featured three ace pitchers in Barry Zito, Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder. Billy Beane had to let each of them leave Oakland because they couldn’t pay them the kind of dollars needed to secure them long term. With the exception of this year, Barry Zito has not lived up to his 7 Years and 126 Million Dollar contract he signed with the San Francisco Giants since leaving the Athletics. Despite a 15-8 year for the SF club this past year, he holds a 58-69 (.447) record for San Francisco lifetime with a 4.47 ERA. He was 102-63 (.618) and a 3.55 ERA with the A’s before leaving at the age of 29. The guy made 18.25 Million in his Oakland days and has already pocketed 99 Million with SF.
Mark Mulder never was the same pitcher in the NL and was out of baseball four years after being traded to St. Louis. His A’s career had netted him an 81-42 (.659) record with a 3.92 ERA. He was only 22-18 (.550) and a 5.04 ERA with the Cardinals before retiring. As you will read in this article below, the franchise made a worthy trade in returns for this man. Mulder made 25.3 Million in his contract with the Cardinals after making only 8.4 Million with the A’s.
Tim Hudson on the other hand, has been one of the better pitchers in the NL for the last decade, still towing the hill for the Braves at the age of 38. He was 92-39 (.702) with a 3.30 ERA for the A’s. He has since gone 105-65 with a 3.52 ERA for the Braves in in 8 years. He definitely has been worth the $ invested (84.5 Million plus another 9.0 Million in 2013.) He only made 4.5 Million in his 6 years with Oakland. The sandwich pick they landed for Hudson’s Free Agent signing was Travis Buck. Unfortunately Buck only played 170 games for the franchise, hitting .250 with 18 HRs and 71 RBI in 571 AB.
Total Record for 3 other teams is 185-152 (.549) and they have made 208.8 Million away from Oakland, whereas they were 275-144 (.656) and made a total 33.15 Million Dollars with the Athletics. I would say, Beane made the right decision in not signing them.
The Future of the Oakland A’s: The Mustache Gang Meets the Bash Brothers: Revealing Billy Beane’s Master Plan click here.
For The Oakland A’s 2013 Roster Tree Part 1: The Hitters Click Here
My Experience at AT and T Park
Friday November 30, 2012
Kyle Holland (MLB Reports Intern):
Anyone who has read my bio knows that I’m from one of the best baseball cities in America, Boston. That means I have grown up going to games at Fenway Park, America’s most beloved ballpark. I’ve been to countless Red Sox games, including Derek Lowe’s no-hitter in 2002. I’ve been to the Rogers Centre in Toronto to watch the Sox take on Toronto. As these are absolutely beautiful ballparks, nothing can compare to my trip to San Francisco in August 2011 to see my favorite team the San Francisco Giants play in AT&T Park.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that AT&T Park is the best park in all of baseball. The team, the staff, the food, the view, none of it can be beaten.
I got the experience of going to two games in this beautiful stadium. I got to see it from all angles as I sat on the first base line and upper deck third baseline, perfect view of the McCovey Cove. Read the rest of this entry
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