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Miami Marlins: Defending Jeffrey Loria

Thursday November 22nd, 2012

Bernie Olshansky: What the Marlins had to do this offseason is horrible. Last year, the Marlins raised the hopes of the fans with a rejuvenated logo and uniforms, a new stadium, and most of all a new-look team. Last winter, Marlins management made a commitment to the fans to provide a contending team for the years to come. They went out and signed Jose Reyes for seven years. He and Hanley Ramirez were supposed to serve alongside Giancarlo Stanton as the core of the team for almost the next decade. To build on the Reyes signing, the Marlins also inked pitchers Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell. Ozzie Guillen also jumped aboard and was set up to be a lovable manager. With this spending spree, the Marlins brought a lot of excitement to South Florida and were supposed to be a major contender in the NL East.

Unfortunately this was not the case. The Marlins quickly faltered and Ozzie Guillen was immediately under the spotlight for his comments about Fidel Castro. Fans were already calling for Guillen to be fired. The team’s performance was not helping. I personally attended the second home game at Marlins Park against the Astros. Although it was against the Astros, any team that spends as much money as the Marlins did in the offseason should have a packed house at their second game of the season (in their new stadium!). The stadium was full, but not sold out. I was hoping that this was not a sign of things to come, but it was. The Marlins continued their spiral downward and talks of trades began. Heath Bell was the opposite of what the Marlins signed him to be and lost his job as closer. Both Reyes and Ramirez slumped. The Marlins needed to make some moves.

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Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

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Tags: arizona diamondbacks, astros, attendance, baseball, fidel castro, florida, giancarlo stanton, hanley ramirez, heath bell, jeffrey loria, john buck, jose reyes, Mark buerhle, marlins, money, nathan eovaldi, New Marlins Park, ozzie guillen, ramirez, toronto blue jays, yunel escobar

Philadelphia Phillies: Brotherly Love and the Upton Brothers

Nov 3

Posted by mednickalex

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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 8^th 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 →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

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Tags: alex mednick, alexander ewing mednick, angel pagan, arizona diamondbacks, b.j. upton, bossman junior, chase utley, citizens bank ballpark, Citizens Bank Park, cliff lee, darin ruf, david montgomery, diamondbacks, Domonic Brown, jacoby ellbury, jimmy rollins, joe dimaggio, john mayberry, john mayberry Jr., josh hamilton, justin upton, melky, melky cabrera, michael bourn, mlb reports, nick shierholtz, philadelphia, philadelphia phillies, phillie phanatic, phillies, rays, roy halladay, ryan howard, shane victorino, tampa bay devil rays, upton

Baseball’s Best Bullpen: Arizona Diamondbacks

Nov 2

Posted by mednickalex

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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 5^th 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 →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

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Tags: 2012 world series, alex mednick, alexander ewing mednick, angel pagan, arizona diamondbacks, at and t park, baltimore orioles, Big Ticket Show, Big ticket show podcast, boston red sox, brad ziegler, buster posey, charles nagy, cleveland indians, colorado rockies, d-backs, daniel hudson, david hernandez, detroit tigers, diamondbacks, doug fister, heath bell, ian kennedy, j.j. putz, jeff kent, Joe Carter, joe saunders, josh collmenter, justin verlander, kevin towers, Marco scutaro, matt holliday, matt lindstrom, max scherzer, melky cabrera, miami marlins, milwaukee brewers, new haven, new york mets, NLCS 2012, NLCS MVP, patrick beaulieu, Phoenix, red sox, roberto alomar, san francisco giants, st louis cardinals, toronto blue jays, yankees

What 2012 Really Meant to the St. Louis Cardinals

Nov 1

Posted by mednickalex

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Thursday November 1st, 2012

2012 was a season that ended with disappointment which ultimately distracted us from recognizing what a successful year it really was. 2012 highlighted a lot of the greatness that is to come for this great franchise.

Alex Mednick (Baseball Analyst and Writer)

The St. Louis Cardinals came into 2012 as the defending World Series Champions. In 2011 they just eked their way into the post season on the final day of the regular season when they defeated the Houston Astros and the Braves, who were tied for the wild card spot with St. Louis, ended up losing to the Phillies in extra innings. Coming into the 2011 postseason, the Cardinals were huge underdogs. That didn’t stop them from going for what they wanted: to win it all.

While most analysts amongst the sport would not have guessed St. Louis would even make it to the World Series, yet alone win it, the Red Birds emerged to show their true colors. The current team that the city of St. Louis has assembled and gets to watch for 81 games a year is, undoubtedly, a team that plays on all cylinders and the highest octane fuel. They play with the intensity of a little league team that wants nothing more than the coach to bring them out for ice cream when they win. Watching the Cardinals brand of baseball is to watch baseball again as a game, and not just as a competition played by millionaire athletes with tremendous talent.

Watching the scrappiness of St. Louis native David Freese in the 2011 playoffs is the perfect example. His David Eckstein-like approach to the game reminds us all of one of our teammates back in middle school. The one at the sandlot that always slid hard, tried to steal home, and complained when the rest of us wanted to go home because “it was getting dark”. In 2011, David Freese and his 39 teammates played baseball together as a true team and sent Tony LaRussa home with a World Series title in his final year managing. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

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Tags: a.j. burnett, aj burnett, alcs, alex mednick, alexander ewing mednick, angels, anibal sanchez, arizona diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, baltimore orioles, boston red sox, boston redsox, brandon league, cardinals, chicago cubs, chicago white sox, Chuck Booth, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, cincinnati reds, derek jeter, detroit tigers, dodgers, francisco liriano, gaby sanchez, george kottaras, geovany soto, geroge kottaras, giants, hall of fame, hanley ramirez, Houston, hunter pence, ichiro suzuki, jays, jim thome, joe blanton, joe saunders, jonathan broxton, josh beckett, ken lee, kenley janzen, kurt suzuki, la dodgers, los angeles dodgers, Memphis Red Birds, mets, miami marlins, mike napoli, milwaukee brewers, mlb, nationals, new york mets, new york yankees, nick punto, nlcs, oakland athletics, omar infante, orioles, paul maholm, philadelphia phillies, reds, reed johnson, robert whitmer, ryan dempster, ryan roberts, san francisco giants, seattle mariners, shane victorino, st louis cardinals, St. Louis, stephen drew, tampa bay rays, texas rangers, The Rest: Everything Baseball and tagged adrian gonzalez, tigers, tony larussa, travis snider, twitter @chuckbooth3024, washington nationals, world series, yankees, zack greinke

Matt Williams: The Next Great MLB Manager

Oct 28

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Sunday October 28th, 2012

Jonathan Hacohen: This past spring, I had the chance to converse on the telephone with one of the greatest players of my generation. Middle-of-the-order power bat, combined with gold glove defense. Matt Williams is everything a manager could want in a baseball player. He showed up every day and played the game hard. Ran out every ground ball. Dove for every ball at third base. Consistently got his jersey dirty. Never complained to the media or spoke poorly about management or a teammate. Matt Williams was the ultimate professional, on and off the field. And now here he was, on the other end of the line conversing with me. It will be a baseball talk that I will never forget. Matt Williams has that strong of a presence.

I actually grew up a Giants fan, with the highlight of my baseball life being the 1989 Giants playoff run. But once Matt Williams and Will Clark left the Bay area, I was so devastated that I decided to never forgive the Giants. But I continued to follow the players that I idolized, through the rest of their playing days and into the next phases of their respective careers. Once Comerica Park opened, I grew to adopt the Tigers as my main team. The proximity to Detroit from my hometown made the Tigers a natural fit for me. But I was always a baseball fan first and foremost. If I respected a player, I followed them regardless of the team(s) they played for. Studying the history of the Tigers, I started to think about some of their former players. Kirk Gibson and Alan Trammell came to mind. Both were hard-nosed players who went on to manage in the big leagues. Gibson was a coach under Trammell in Detroit. Now Trammell is the bench coach in Arizona under Kirk Gibson. The team enjoyed an incredible run in 2011 and are still seen as a team on the rise. Ironically enough, Gibson’s third base coach? Matt Williams, of course. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

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Tags: alan trammell, arizona diamondbacks, baseball, cleveland indians, colorado rockies, cooperstown, derrick hall, don baylor, erika monroe williams, gold glove, hall of fame, kevin mitchell, kirk gibson, matt williams, mlb, mlb manager, omar vizquel, san francisco giants, toronto blue jays, will clark

2012 MLB Trades And Deadline Deals Revisited for Contenders: Who Won and Lost

Oct 26

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Friday, October.26/2012

Ichiro Suzuki played the best baseball he has in the last 2 years with the Yankees. It would be a wise move to re-sign the guy for at least the next season. In my opinion, they should have Jeter and Suzuki linked together on the club until they retire.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024

I love the new era of baseball. One thing the 2nd Wild Card team enabled this year was a flurry of transactions right near the Non-Waiver Trade Deadline, plus we even saw a bunch of trades between Aug.01-31 as well. I am not going to breakdown the trades for who went the other way (unless both teams were in contention) since we have a dedicated page for that here. What I am going to do is see who made out well with their new player. I will tell you right now that the hands down winner was the San Francisco Giants for picking up Marco Scutaro and Hunter Pence. Marco Scutaro hit .362 for the Giants and smacked 90 hits in 61 games. He has parlayed another 19 hits in 59 AB during the playoffs (.322).

I am going to be writing a series of payroll breakdowns for each MLB team in the offseason. I have already compiled reports for the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels and Washington Nationals. These reports can be found in my author archives here. In addition to this, I am going to write another piece on Payroll Strategy specifically geared towards making runs at trades near the deadline. Look for those in the coming weeks. The work never ends here, and we will have you game ready for spring training when it comes to all of the clubs. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

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Tags: a.j. burnett, aj burnett, alcs, angels, anibal sanchez, arizona diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, baltimore orioles, boston red sox, boston redsox, brandon league, chicago cubs, chicago white sox, Chuck Booth, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, cincinnati reds, derek jeter, detroit tigers, dodgers, francisco liriano, gaby sanchez, george kottaras, geovany soto, geroge kottaras, giants, hall of fame, hanley ramirez, Houston, hunter pence, ichiro suzuki, jays, jim thome, joe blanton, joe saunders, jonathan broxton, josh beckett, ken lee, kenley janzen, kurt suzuki, la dodgers, los angeles dodgers, mets, miami marlins, mike napoli, milwaukee brewers, mlb, nationals, new york mets, new york yankees, nick punto, nlcs, oakland athletics, omar infante, orioles, paul maholm, philadelphia phillies, reds, reed johnson, robert whitmer, ryan dempster, ryan roberts, san francisco giants, seattle mariners, shane victorino, st louis cardinals, stephen drew, tampa bay rays, texas rangers, The Rest: Everything Baseball and tagged adrian gonzalez, tigers, travis snider, twitter @chuckbooth3024, washington nationals, world series, yankees, zack greinke

Robby Rowland MLB Blog: Pirates Prospect Discuss His Transformation, Trade and Much More

Oct 5

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Friday October 5th, 2012

Featured today on MLB reports, we are proud to present the return of Robby Rowland, Pittsburgh Pirates Pitching Prospect. Robby is back on MLB Reports with his latest MLB Blog. We have been very fortunate to have Robby appear several times on MLB reports, in interviews and MLB Blogs prepared by Robby in his own words. One of our fave alumni returns with thoughts from Robby’s World. Robby looks at his transformation as a pitcher, trade to the Pirates organization and much more. Get ready for a special treat. Robby Rowland is real, funny and informative. We know you missed him…as we all did! Get ready to fulfill your Robby Rowland fix!

Robby Rowland- Guest MLB Blogger:

For those of you who have followed my journey through these blogs, I apologize for taking so much time to write this one. I would like to say thank you to MLB reports for having me on once again. For those of you who are reading one of my blogs for the first time, I want to apologize ahead of time for the writing style. I have so much that I would like to touch upon and I may not always use the proper commas or periods that some English major would… or something like that, I’m not sure. One more thanks is to my computer class teacher, who taught me how to type without looking. I’m glad I can use this skill in my baseball career, unlike all the other subjects in school that seem useless now. I also am known to ramble on a little bit, so bear with me here. Hopefully you will enjoy reading this as much as I did when I wrote it.

As I sit here, listening to a country music Pandora station, I try to think of some things that you guys would like to read about. I’ve heard some good topics via twitter and I will try my best to write about those and try to pick out topics that I can elaborate on. I will try to make this blog entry as entertaining as possible because I know how boring reading can get… if what you are reading doesn’t interest you. I had to do it ALL 4 years in high school… well, I had to read the sparknotes of whatever, which were still boring when they didn’t have anything to do with sports!

I will first talk about my transformation of becoming a “sinker ball pitcher” just over a year ago. Then I will talk about getting traded at the beginning of the season. After I have covered those 2 subjects, I will go on to write about lighter topics. Hope you enjoy and I don’t bore you! Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Interviews with MLB Stars

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Tags: arizona diamondbacks, baseball, cloverdale, guest blog, minor leagues, missoula, mlb, offseason, pitcher, pittsurgh pirates, pre-game ritual, robby rowland, starting pitcher, toledo mud hens

The Dodgers Are Going To Force the MLB Into Changes

Sep 21

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Friday, September.21/2012

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!

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024

Baseball is about to receive a serious wake-up call from the Dodgers. Perhaps the Yankees would have already done what the Magic Johnson ownership team is planning, had “The Boss” had full faculties and the team had not cashed in on the 2009 World Series. With no salary cap and a soft luxury tax on the heavy spenders, the MLB is really setting themselves up for a disaster when a team finally pulls the trigger on obliterating the payroll system. The Dodgers new ownership has spent 2 Billion on the California Franchise. They are in perfect position with Billions in revenue about to be promised for the TV rights of their franchise. So do you really think they are done spending on the team? I would be surprised if the Dodgers payroll isn’t in the $230-$250 Million Dollar Range for 2013.

I wrote an article about this very topic right after the trade that brought over the Boston Red Sox big 3 salaried players. You can check out that blog here. As it stands right now, the 2013 Payroll projects to be in the 200-210 Million Dollar Range already. You add the constant health doubts now plaguing Clayton Kershaw, plus a need for some more starting pitching and you could be sure these guys will make a play for a couple of starting pitchers. Zack Greinke has to be on the club’s radar. While Greinke might not be the top of the pitchers ‘Mount Rushmore’, he is really close to it. He may get a 5-6 YR contract worth 90-105 Million Dollars. He has pitched really well for the Los Angeles Angels, so clearly he likes the city. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

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Tags: arizona diamondbacks, Chuck Booth, clayton kershaw, Division Re-Alignment, dodger stadium, george steinbrenner, los angeles dodgers, Luxury Tax Threshold, Major League Baseball, minnesota twins, MLB CBA, new york yankees, oakland athletics, philadelphia phillies, san diego padres, san francisco giants, st louis cardinals, the fastest 30 ballgames, zack greinke

The Case for Bryce Harper as the 2012 National League ROY

Sep 21

Posted by samevans87

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Friday September 21st, 2012

Sam Evans: Bryce Harper is two years removed from high school and he is a young leader on a team leading the competitive N.L. East. Baseball has never seen a high school prospect draw as much attention that Harper got yet somehow, he has managed to live up to the hype at every level he’s faced. As with any rookie, Harper has had struggles. What has impressed me the most about him is how he responded to those slumps. Harper has a 181 wRC+ in the month of September and he is showing no signs of slowing up. For these reasons and others, I believe Bryce Harper deserves to be the National Rookie of the Year. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

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Tags: arizona diamondbacks, baseball, bryce harper, conservative hero, harper, mlb, national league rookie of the year, nl, NL east, Norichika Aoki, rookie of the year 2012, roy, wade miley, washington nationals, wilin rosario

Was Ian Kennedy’s 2011 Cy Young Caliber Season Just A Fluke?

Sep 9

Posted by Jake Dal Porto

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Sunday September 9th, 2012

Jake Dal Porto: Ian Kennedy has had an up and down six-year career in the major leagues so far. He has been really good, average, and really bad, and he can’t seem to stick in one of those categories. Obviously, the Diamondbacks would prefer him to fall in the latter category, but the team that drafted him with the 21st pick in the 2006 draft, the Yankees, saw the former side of him for about three years. New York couldn’t fix him, so they ended up trading him to Arizona in a three-way trade for Curtis Granderson.

Whose the real Ian Kennedy? The 2011 Cy Young contender or the Yankee fallout?

There isn’t a clear answer. I’m making it sound like Kennedy was really bad with the Yankees, but that’s not exactly the case. In 2007, he totaled a 1.89 ERA in 19 innings. That’s not half bad. But in 2008, he posted an 8.17 ERA in 39.2 innings pitched. So with a more sizable role, he regressed greatly. The next year he suffered an elbow injury, and ended up pitching just one lone inning. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: arizona diamondbacks, austin jackson, baseball, curtis granderson, cy young, daniel hudson, ian kennedy, joe blanton, kirk gibson, mlb, mlb reports, new york yankees

MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: September 2012

Sep 3

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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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 →

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Weekly 6-Pack MiLB Prospects Hot/Cold Sheet- Week of August 20th (Pitchers Edition)

Aug 19

Posted by Codey Harrison

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Sunday August 19th, 2012

Codey Harrison (Lead MiLB Prospect Analyst): We are back this week with the weekly prospect hot/cold sheet, this week we will feature starting pitchers. First, We will feature 3 pitching prospects that are on fire, and 3 pitching prospects that are ice-cold. Our list of players will only include those who are still prospect eligible (less than 50 innings pitched at the MLB level). Featured players are generally players who are highly regarded amongst the minors and are regarded as legit prospects. Gaining our ranking as the hottest prospect of the week is Pirates prospect Gerrit Cole, who is starting to show the impressive strikeout numbers scouts have been waiting to see from the 2011 number one overall draft pick.

HOT PROSPECTS

Gerrit Cole (Pirates AA) – The 6 foot 4 Cole is everything scouts look to find in a starting pitcher. Gerrit Cole posses the size, strength, and power stuff that have most scouts believing Cole can become an Ace. A fastball that sits 94-97 MPH, and occasionally touches 100 MPH rates as the top pitch for the very talented righty from UCLA. Cole has recently been putting up the dominant walk/strikeout numbers scouts have been waiting to see from the Pirates prized prospect, which has led to Cole being the feature hot prospect this week. With AA Altoona Cole has gone 11 1/3 innings, 6 hits, 2 runs (1ER), while only walking 3, and striking out 15 in his last 2 starts. In his first full pro season Cole has posted numbers that make it very clear why the Pirates where unwilling to trade Cole, or his new AA teammate Jameson Taillon. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: arizona diamondbacks, baseball, Codey Harrison, Cold Prospects, Dallin Betances, gerrit cole, Hot Prospects, jameson taillon, milb, mlb, mlb reports, new york mets, new york yankees, philadelphia phillies, pittsburgh pirates, top 50 prospects, trevor bauer, Trevor May, Weekly 6-Pack, zack wheeler

The Philadelphia Phillies Part 1 of 4: ‘The Franchise’

Aug 17

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Friday August.17/2012

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 Team’s Payroll going into in 2013 and 5. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) To follow all of the updates, be sure to check my author page with a list of all archived articles here.

It took the Phillies 77 years to win their first World Series in 1980, however since that time, they have been to 4 more World Series: In 1983, 1993, 2008 and 2009, while taking home the Trophy in 2008.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024 The Phillies started as a franchise in 1883 in the city of Philadelphia-and have the longest continued stretch as their original name. It has been a club that suffered tremendous droughts for the player and fans alike. Only in recent vintage (since 1975) has this team come into permanent prominence, with the now Hall of Fame Mike Schmidt entering the league and turning the fortunes of the city. From signing Pete Rose to put them over the top for their 1st World Series Trophy, to just re-signing Cole Hamels to a 144 Million Dollar Contract, the team has been adamantly aggressive in keeping its name amongst the elite in baseballs annals.

One could even argue that the Phillies had been the best team in baseball from 2008 up until the start of this season. I recently named this club the best team from the years 1980-1983 and then again for the years of 2008-2009. But before the likes of: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins, or Curt Schilling, Lenny Dykstra and Darren Daulton, or Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton and Pete Rose, they were plenty of other men who left a mark on this historic NL Franchise. We will look at all of the significant players that ever played for the club as a pitcher or hitter. The pitchers and hitters will be focused on solely in the next 2 weeks. Let us look and how the team has fared in its history.

Here are the final pitches of the 2008 World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays. Property of Major League Baseball & Fox.

For Part 2 of The 4 Part Philles Article Series: The Hitters, click here.

For Part 3 of The 4 Part Phillies Article Series: The Pitchers- click here

For Part 4 of the Phillies Article Series: Team Payroll and Contractual Statuses click here

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Weekly 6-Pack MLB Prospects: Hot/Cold Sheet – Week of August 13TH

Aug 13

Posted by Codey Harrison

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Monday August 13th, 2012

Codey Harrison: This is the second installment of the weekly prospect hot/cold sheet. We will feature 3 prospects that are on fire, and 3 prospects that are ice-cold. Our list of players will only include those who are still prospect eligible (less than 130 MLB at bats, less than 50 innings pitched at the MLB level). Featured players are generally players who are highly regarded amongst the minors and are regarded as legit prospects. This week’s hottest player goes to Arizona Diamondbacks LHP Tyler Skaggs who has posted a 1.70 ERA in 8 AAA starts.

HOT PROSPECTS:

Tyler Skaggs LHP Diamondbacks – The prize prospect in the trade that sent Dan Haren to the Angels, Tyler Skaggs has been dominant in his 2 season in the Diamondbacks organization, especially of late with AAA Reno. Skaggs has the kind of stuff scouts drool over, 3 pitches that grade out from above average to plus, to compliment his above average command. In Skaggs’ last 3 starts, he has gone 20 innings, allowing 2 runs on 11 hits, with a very impressive 25 strikeouts to only 7 walks. Tyler Skaggs is considered the best southpaw of the loaded Dbacks pitching prospects entering 2012 (Trevor Bauer, Archie Bradley, Patrick Corbin, Wade Miley). Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: 6-pack, anthony rizzo, Archie Bradley, arizona diamondbacks, baseball, BIlly Hamilton, Brett Jackson, chicago cubs, Cincinati Reds, Codey Harrison, gerrit cole, Hak-Ju Lee, Hot/Cold Prospects, jameson taillon, Javier Baez, mlb, Patrick Corbin, pittsburgh pirates, prospects, starlin castro, tampa bay rays, trevor bauer, tyler skaggs, wade miley

MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: August 2012

Aug 6

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Monday August.6/2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- It has been a crazy month in which teams have stockpiled some heavy talent at the trade deadline to get ready for the playoffs. Amongst the biggest gainers for the rankings this month were: the Athletics, Reds, Braves, Tigers, Dodgers (because of the deals) and Mariners while the Mets, Red Sox, Indians and Royals saw brutal months all but seal their playoff fates. I do think that Boston has a punchers chance but that all is dependent on David Ortiz returning to the lineup swiftly. The power of the best teams is definitely leaning to the National League right now where several teams are playing great baseball. With one-third of the season left we are all in for a treat as baseball fans.

I will have one more regular season Power Rankings month of September (to be posted on Labor Day Weekend,) before I also provide a playoff style ranking of the 1-10 seeds right before the Wild Card Teams play the play in game. It certainly has been awesome to follow how the trade deadline has effected the Monthly Rankings this time around. I think it is safe to say that this years deadline provided more interest and following-from even the casual fan more than any other year before. I also believe that the Non-Waiver Trade Deadline is now the best Trade Deadline in all of sports. Social Media has a lot to do with this but so does parity. The 2nd Wild Card spot has also created more teams willing to trade prospects in lieu of going for it. Read the rest of this entry →

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Interview with Arizona Diamondbacks Outfield Prospect Marc Krauss

Jul 27

Posted by Codey Harrison

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Friday July 27th, 2012

Codey Harrison: Arizona Diamondbacks AA outfielder Marc Krauss joined us recently to talk some baseball. Krauss was Arizona’s second round pick of the 2009 first year player draft from the University of Ohio. Since being drafted, Krauss has played at various minor league levels: Low A South Bend, High-A Visalia, and 2 seasons at AA Mobile. For the last 3 seasons, Krauss has been ranked as one of the Diamondbacks top prospects by most baseball analysts. Marc Krauss is a corner outfielder/ first baseman, who brings big time power, as well as very good plate discipline to the plate. In 2012 with the AA BayBears, Krauss is posting solid offensive numbers: .289/.420/.521, 15 HRs, 61 RBIs.

Get to know baseball prospect Marc Krauss, as we proudly feature our interview with the rising star in the Arizona Diamondbacks system:

Codey – With some pro athletes you hear about them being multiple sport stars in high school, did you play any other sports in high school? If so how do you feel that they helped you with baseball?

Marc Krauss – “Yes I played football and basketball in high school along with baseball, so I was pretty busy in high school. I loved it though, being able to compete in all the sports. I grew up in a small town and there were not enough athletes to really specialize in one or two sports, so everyone pretty much played something year round. I definitely think it made me a better baseball player because it kept me active and I became a better overall athlete. And also when you’re in tough situations in any sport and can learn how to handle success or failure and pressure, it only benefits you in the other sports.” Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: a.j. pollock, arizona diamondbacks, baseball, Marc Krauss, mlb, mobile baybears, paul goldschmidt, prospect, trevor bauer

Washington Nationals-The Pitchers and Hitters: 2005-2012 Best 25 Man Roster (Part 5 of Expos/Nats Series)

Jul 25

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Wednesday July 25, 2012

Livan Hernandez leads the 2005-2012 version of the franchise in ALL-Time wins and innings pitched.

Chuck Booth (Lead baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- I think it safe to say that the best days of the Washington Nationals are purely ahead of them. They have a great nucleus of young talent with Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, Drew Storen, Ryan Zimmerman, Ian Desmond, Danny Espinosa, Mike Morse and Gio Gonzalez. These guys are so good that they all made the ALL-Time 25 man roster for the 2005-2012 Washington Nationals. I am a firm believer that these guys will be the best team in the National League within 2 or 3 years. I like Ted Lerner’s attitude on spending for now. This will ensure the money will be spent on the team to keep competing for the city of Washington’s 1st World Series Title since 1924. I would venture to say that not many living fans of the old Washington Senators saw the club hoisting the trophy 88 years ago.

The Nationals Park went soaring up my ranks as a baseball venue to see in the 30 stadium circuit. This place is now electric. I was so elated when I was able to see Strasburg pitch and win for the Nationals back in April. Next year I hope to see Bryce Harper play ball when I go on another 30 park tour. Next year is when I will have the official rankings of all of the ballparks posted here. I can assure you that the President’s Race will probably be voted the most popular race of any in the Majors at the parks. My humblest of apologies to the sausage race fans in Milwaukee and racing legend heads in Arizona. I still follow the campaign to ‘Let Teddy Win’, however that may take all of the fun out of it if Teddy does win one of those races.

As a fan of the old Expos franchise, I have a soft spot in my heart for the Washington Nationals. Playing meaningful baseball in September and October this year would be incredible to witness. So without further speak, let us start with our 25 man roster for the best players in the last 8 years. I picked the roster based on longevity or utter greatness for a couple of players. If this team was to play an alumni game right now, all of the positions would be filled. I don’t think I excluded anyone entirely crucial here. Please feel free to let me know if I did on any social platform. If you make a solid case for someone for whom I may have omitted, I could always add them later.

For Part 1 of the Article Series, The Expos Hitters: click here

For Part 2 of the Article Series, The Expos Pitchers: click here

For Part 3 of the Article Series, The Demise of the Montreal Expos: click here

For Part 4 of the Article Series, The Washington Nationals Franchise 2005-2012: click here

For Part 6 of the Article Series, The Nationals 2013 Payroll and Contract Statuses click here

Here is the highlight reel from Stephen Strasburg’s debut at Nationals Park. 14 Strikeouts is amazing!

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Top Ten Stat of The Week: Odds To Win The AL/NL/WS

Jul 9

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Monday July.9, 2012

The Yankees pay at the rate of +190 to win the American League and +375 to win the World Series. They are actually the 2nd favorite in the MLB for both to Texas. These odds are not flattering to throw any money down on either team.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024)- I thought we would try a different top ten today with the ALL-Star Break here today. This morning I did some research on the odds of what http://www.bet365.com thinks will happen for the rest of the MLB Year based on their gambling futures. Gambling is an increasing industry like no other entity in the world. The NFL is better suited for ‘punters’ to throw down some bucks at Vegas. They have only one game a week and the gambling experts think that baseball is easier for the bad teams to beat the good teams. I will tell you as one of these ‘so called experts’, they are completely right. The worst teams in baseball usually can still beat the best teams 1 out of 3 games in a series. This makes normal gambling for a regular season game really hard to make any money, or minimize losses. I do think that betting who makes the playoffs and who wins it all has some good value picks.

Y0u have to search for the value in anything. I never like to play the #1 favorites of each league because they simply don’t pay enough of an odd. Right now, Bet365.com has the Texas Rangers at +175 to win the AL, or The Yankees at +190. I love these two teams to probably represent the AL in the World Series, however these odds are not good at all. As I list all of the odds for each league first, then the World Series, I will make some notes up. I have two teams in the NL that I have already wagered with and I am coming up roses on them so far. It is time for Gambling 101. Read the rest of this entry →

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Barry Enright Interview: Haley Smilow Talks Baseball with the Arizona Diamondbacks Pitcher

Jun 7

Posted by smilowfamily

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Thursday June 7th, 2012

Barry Enright was drafted out of Pepperdine University by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the second round for the 2007 amateur draft.

The right-handed pitcher made his major league debut on June 30, 2010. He pitched five innings and earned the win that day against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Enright, 26, is in his second season with the Reno Aces, the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate. Enright was 9-5 with the Aces last season, and is 4-3 with 4.82 ERA (as of June 5) this year.

Haley: First, congratulations on your engagement. Have you set a date yet? And if it is not a surprise where are you going on your honeymoon?

Barry: Thank you. We set a date for January 19 2013 in Santa Barbara. We haven’t decided on our honeymoon yet, but our qualification is clear blue warm ocean water.

Haley: Can you share with us your first memory as a professional?

Barry: My first memory as a professional was in Yakima Washington. I gave up an 0-2 double off the wall to start off the inning but proceeded to strike out the side after that. I was a reliever my first half season to keep my innings down, it was a lot of fun. Read the rest of this entry →

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MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: June 2012

Jun 4

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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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 →

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MLB Should Investigate a Payroll/Geographical Look into Division Re-Alignment

May 21

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Monday, May.21/2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- Despite being a Yankees fan, I admit the economics of baseball are way out of whack. I was talking with a few other fans about the MLB and thought of a radical new change in division re-alignment that may finally end the disparity between all ball clubs having a chance to make the playoffs each year. Much like soccer, it would kind of be a tier system. Scheduling and travel wise it makes a lot more sense as well. For those hardcore fans I would also make each team play at least 3 games against every other team in the Majors. Let’s see if you like what I have done.

The new AL would feature the bigger payroll teams. I know this break’s up 130 years of tradition but it is time to move into the new millennium. There would be 15 teams in each league so that would make for 1 Interleague series at all times. Under this format you could still keep your 2^nd wild card berth. After you read these Divisions take a look at how I would break up the 162 game schedule-and then demo sampled the natural rivalries playing each other 12 or 19 times still. I believe this is the fairest and most accurate way to have competitive balance for all of the clubs. The National League would take a bit of a hit however they should change the All-Star Game to mean nothing for the World Series home advantage. The team with the best record overall in the regular season should have home field advantage when deciding the World Series and playoff round. There would be 50 interleague games for each team. This still only represents 30% of the games folks. With more teams rotating through the league, the games would remain fresh. They can still keep the American League and National League Stats separate like the NFL does. Read the rest of this entry →

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MLB reports Monthly Power Rankings: May 2012

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Tuesday May 8th, 2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)-We are going to bring you a monthly power rankings every month of the season. There will be a few verses for each team. Please feel free to let us know your thoughts.

May Power Rankings

Texas (19-10) Josh Hamilton is clubbing the ball at his 2010 like AL MVP clip. Yu Darvish appears to be the real deal. Mike Napoli hits 8^th on most nights. Michael Young might be the most under-appreciated hitter in the last decade. Ian Kinsler is on pace for 162 runs. If Nelson Cruz starts hitting and or Nathan rounds into form, than this team may blitz by every one.
Tampa Bay (19-10) The pitching staff is incredible right now. David Price is asserting himself as one of the premier left-handed pitchers in baseball. Strong starts from Evan Longoria, Luke Scott and Carlos Pena have helped. Joe Maddon may be the best ‘in-game manager’ of baseball now with Tony La Russa out of the Majors.
Atlanta (18-12) The reason I have Atlanta rated so high is they are not even having a good year from Tim Hudson yet and Jair Jurrjens has been atrocious. Still they sit near the top of the standings. Chipper Jones has 21 RBI and Freddie Freeman has taken the next step so far with 26 RBI. Last year the team had a lot of players with career worst years and they were only eliminated on the last day of the season. This year may be different.
St. Louis (18-11) You lose a franchise player like Albert Pujols and you spend half the money for Carlos Beltran and Rafael Furcal, who are finally hitting the numbers like the back of their bubble gum cards from 5 years ago. Are we giving enough credit to Mark McGwire here? Lance Lynn has morphed into Chris Carpenter with his 6-0 start.
LA Dodgers (19-10) Matt Kemp is the best player in baseball right now and may walk away with the triple crown this year. Andre Ethier has matured into the RBI guy he needs to be. Solid pitching by Clayton Kershaw, Chris Capuano and Ted Lilly have this team looking solid. Dodgers look good in the future when the new ownership takes over. (more…)

Posted on May 8, 2012 | Image

Gregg Olson Interview: Talking Ball with One of the Greatest Closers in MLB History

Apr 6

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Friday April 6th, 2012

MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen: As a big fan of baseball cards growing up (weren’t we all), one of my favorite memories was opening up my first pack of 1989 Donruss. For those of you that never saw that particular baseball card set, it is longer considered one of the ugliest cards of all time. The choice of colors was interesting to say the least. But for those that grew up with it, the cards were beautiful to us and we loved it! In that first pack of cards, I got a Gregg Olson “rated rookie”. The set featured many great rookie cards, including Griffey, Sheffield and Tom Gordon. But the Olson was my fave. The close-up on his wind-up. The intense competitor’s face. That card was forever burned in my mind. I became a huge Gregg Olson fan and watched his career from his MLB debut in 1988 and ROY season to follow in 1989. It all started though from that first pack of baseball cards. Thank you Donruss…wherever you are…

Being based in Toronto, I had the pleasure of watching Gregg Olson pitch on many occasions as a member of those Baltimore Orioles squads. From 1989-1993, Gregg rang up 160 saves in one of the dominant runs I had ever seen from a MLB closer. The most saves at the time for a closer under 27-years of age. In 1989, Gregg won the AL Rookie of the Year award and finished 6th in CY Young voting. He was named an AL All-Star in 1990 (the only All-Star game nod in his career). Elbow issues unfortunately set back his career and Gregg did not get the chance to jump back into the closer’s role in 1998, while a member of the Diamondbacks. After 14 years in the big leagues and 217 career saves, Gregg Olson had a career that most players could only dream of. Had things played out differently health-wise, we would have seen him in Cooperstown one day, along with the other top closers of the modern-day, including Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera.

Known for his fastball and devastating curveball nicknamed “Uncle Charlie”, Gregg Olson was as good as they get in his prime. It was very difficult in my mind to see him outside of a Baltimore Orioles jersey, but so goes the business of baseball. Gregg ended up playing for 9 major league teams, with a playoff appearance with the aforementioned Diamondbacks coming in 1999. Today on MLB reports, we had a chance to catch up with the Baltimore Orioles Hall-of-Fame pitcher and talk some great baseball. Gregg was at home watching the Masters, but was kind enough to take some time for us. Following his retirement, Gregg Olson has been one busy cat. A Scout for the San Diego Padres. Published Author of the baseball book “We Got to Play Baseball”. Part Owner and President of “Toolshed Sports“- a leading manufacturer of high performance undergear. Gregg has his hands in many facets of the game of baseball! He spoke to us about all parts of his career, from getting drafted and playing with the Orioles to his current ventures and roles (and everything in-between). Gregg is a great personality to speak with. He is funny, sarcastic and extremely knowledgeable. He tells it like it us and doesn’t hold back. Much like the dominant closer in the 9th inning that went straight after top hitters in tight ballgames- Gregg Olson approaches life with the same vigour and intensity. One of my personal favorite baseball players of all-time, baseball fans are in for a treat as I spoke exclusively one-on-one with one of the greatest closers in MLB history. Today on MLB reports, I am proud to feature my conversation with the one and only, Gregg Olson:

Welcome to MLB reports Gregg. First question: A 1st round pick (4th overall) in 1988. Did you expect to go that high in the draft? Did you always know you would be heading to Baltimore?

I actually did. I was told that it was down to Andy Benes and myself for the 1st pick, so it was going to be 1-5. Baltimore wanted me- so it was either going to be San Diego or Baltimore.

It didn’t take you many games- only a handful until reaching the majors in 1988. How did you get the call? Tell us about that experience.

I really don’t remember how I was told. I had it in my contract that I would be there by September 1st. So it wasn’t a surprise. I do remember flying from Charlotte to Seattle with Curt Schilling (my roomie) for our first trip as big leaguers. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Interviews with MLB Stars

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Tags: arizona diamondbacks, baltimore orioles, baseball, baseball scout, closer, cy young, detroit tigers, goose gossage, gregg olson, mlb, reliever, rookie of the year, san diego padres, saves, we got to play baseball

Interview with Robby Rowland: Discussing the Trade from the Diamondbacks to the Pirates

Apr 3

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Tuesday April 3rd, 2012

Jonathan Hacohen: We welcome back to MLB reports one of our most famous almuni, Robby Rowland. Robby interviewed with us on December 1, 2011 and also appeared as a Guest MLB Blogger on February 6, 2012 and December 31, 2011 in his blog that we call “Robby’s World”. RobbyRow is back on MLB reports…and he has some major news to discuss. As you are aware, RobbyRow was traded this past weekend to the Diamondbacks in exchange for pitcher Brett Lorin. Originally taken by the Dbacks in the Rule 5 Draft, the team was able to keep Lorin’s rights by completing this trade. RobbyRow was a 3rd round pick of the Diamondbacks in 2010. Now, after 2 seasons in the Dbacks organization, he is off to a new team and a fresh start in Pittsburgh.

Trades are a way of life in baseball. It’s the reality of a sport that is first and foremost a business. While difficult to be leaving the only team that he has ever known, Robby Rowland has taken the trade in stride. While he is grateful to Arizona for everything that they have done for his career, he is exciting to be joining the Pirates and competing for a rotation spot one day. It takes a very mature player to recognize the nature of a trade and the opportunities that can arise as a result, especially at such a young age. The Pirates are very lucky to have obtained this pitching prospect, as he will quickly become a fan favorite!

I caught up with RobbyRow as soon as the trade was announced. He was digesting news of the trade and preparing to join the Pirates. But being the gentleman that he is…RobbyRow still fit us into his hectic schedule. We discussed the trade, from the moment that he got to news to his future plans. Robby was extremely generous with his time in discussing the move and his thoughts. So let’s jump right into it!

Today exclusively on MLB reports, we are proud to present the newest member of the Pittsburgh Pirates and addition to their pitching prospect arsenal, Robby Rowland:

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Tags: arizona diamondbacks, baseball, brett lorin, diamondbacks, missoula osprey, mlb, pioneer league, pitcher, pittsburgh pirates, prospect, robby rowland

Ask the Reports: ATR Answers Your Baseball Questions – April 1st, 2012

Apr 1

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Sunday April 1st, 2012

Jonathan Hacohen: Posted every Weekend: Your top baseball questions from the past week are answered. E-mail all questions to mlbreports@me.com, message us on Twitter and post on our Facebook Wall!

Let’s get to your top questions of the week:

Q: My question this week in about a prospect in the Diamondbacks system. Was reading an article about Trevor Bauer and his 10 different pitches along with his unique training program. What I want to know is how MLB Reports see his future. Will he be a number one starter on their staff one day and where will he end up when he retires? Larry

MLB reports: First question this week goes to our #1 fan, Larry! Happy April Fool’s Day by the way! No tricks today from us. Just baseball talk! Watching this kid pitch, it is hard not to get excited about him. Trevor Bauer comes with a lot of hype as a top-3 pick from last year’s MLB draft. He will definitely see time in Arizona this year, with a full rotation spot in 2012 possibly happening. Will Bauer be a #1 starter? Will he retire as a Dback? Very difficult questions, because of the complexity of the circumstances. Injuries. Performance. Financial expectations. So much goes into the equation. But if you are asking me to check the crystal ball (which I think you are), here is what I see: Yes, Bauer will become a #1 starter one day. We love his mechanics too much for him not to develop. As long as he stays healthy, works hard and keeps his nose clean. Which we all hope he does! But I cannot see him retiring as a Dback. In this day and age, it is very rare for a player to stay on the same team for his whole career. The law of baseball probability says that if Bauer becomes a stud, he will go one day to a major contender, like the Yankees or Red Sox. Even if for some reason Bauer does play the majority of his career in Arizona, he will at some point make a team change. Maybe his skills will diminish. Or a conflict with the manager. The bottom line, he will be in Arizona for the next 5+ years likely at least. So let’s enjoy his time there for now. Thanks for writing! Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: alex avila, alfonso soriano, arizona diamondbacks, ask the reports, Atlanta Braves, atr, baseball, baseball questions, catcher, cba, doubleheader, durham bulls, dustin richardson, jason heyward, kerry wood, livan hernandez, los angeles dodgers, lucas duda, matt garza, mike napoli, mlb, mlb expansion, nl west, theo epstein, trevor bauer, zack greinke

Erika Monroe Williams Interview: Conquering the Baseball and Entertainment World- My Way!

Mar 25

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Sunday March 25th, 2012

MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen: We are excited to present our featured guest today on MLB reports, the one and only: Erika Monroe Williams. Erika has been involved in entertainment, news and baseball in many capacities over her brilliant career. From a news anchor in Texas and Phoenix, to working in public relations and then a pre-game host on Diamondbacks’ broadcasts. She even recently completed a stint on the VH1 reality show, Baseball Wives! Erika also forms half of what I call the “Baseball Power Couple”. You may know her husband- All-Star Third Baseman, multiple Gold Glove and Silver Slugger recipient and World Series champion, Matt Williams. The Williams couple actually hosted for a period the Diamondbacks pre-game show together (awwww…), before Matt went back onto the field to become a Diamondbacks coach. Matt is currently serving as the Third Base Coach on Kirk Gibson’s staff, as well as being a minority owner of the Diamondbacks. To say that Erika and Matt have strong Diamondbacks ties would be an understatement.

Matt and Erika currently reside in Arizona, raising their children. With hectic work schedules, they are truly living the modern-day baseball life! I had the chance to speak with both Erika and Matt recently. Today’s feature is my conversation with Erika Monroe Williams, with the Matt Williams interview coming up in part two of this two-part feature. In part one, Erika opens up about all the facets of her fascinating life. From meeting Matt and getting married, to working as a news anchor and in public relations, to what it is like to working and preparing as a host of the Diamondbacks pre-game programs. Did I mention that she also appeared on the VH1 show Baseball Wives? 😉 For those of you that followed the program, Erika actually quit the show. Today, we find out why. Erika though hasn’t given up on television…far from it. As Matt expressed to me during our interview: Erika is full of life and has a charismatic personality that is perfectly suited for entertainment. She is smart, funny, hard-working and extremely motivated. As she prepares for her next projects (Erika currently has a cooking show in the works), there is no doubt that the sky is the limit for Erika Monroe Williams! She is just getting started.

You know the name. Now get to know the lady. Today on MLB reports, our exclusive interview with Erika Monroe Williams:

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Tags: arizona diamondbacks, baseball, baseball wives, erika monroe williams, matt williams, mlb, vh1

Ask the Reports: ATR Answers Your Baseball Questions – March 19th, 2012

Mar 19

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Monday March 19th, 2012

Let’s get to your top questions of the week: Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: andrelton simmons, andy pettitte, arizona diamondbacks, ask the reports, Atlanta Braves, atr, baseball, baseball questions, batting order, bud selig, charlie haeger, chipper jones, colorado rockies, derrick hall, freddy garcia, freddy sanchez, houston astros, jack wilson, knuckleball, mlb, mlb realignment, new york yankees, r.a. dickey, tim wakefield, tyler pastornicky

Chad Moeller Interview: From MLB Catcher to Coaching- Living the Baseball Dream

Mar 10

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Saturday March 10th, 2012

MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen: Today’s featured guest on MLB reports needs no introduction. But he is still getting one anyways! Chad Moeller was a catcher for seven teams over eleven MLB seasons. The man won a World Series and hit for the cycle. Few players can say that. To say that Chad has lived the dream would be an understatement.

Here is a rundown of Chad’s baseball bio:

Born: Upland, California

College: University of Southern California – Majored in Economics
1st Team All Pac Ten in 1996.
College World Series 1995

Professional:
Drafted and Signed with the Minnesota Twins in 96 (7th Round)
Major League Debut in 2000 (Twins)
Arizona Diamondbacks 2001-03
Milwaukee Brewers 2004-2006
Cincinnati Reds 2007
Los Angeles Dodgers 2007
New York Yankees in 2008
Baltimore Orioles in 2009
New York Yankees in 2010

Individual Accomplishments:
Caught in over 500 major league games
Hit for the Cycle in 2004
Catcher for Randy Johnson 2002-2003
Caught Randy Johnson’s 16 strike out game
Caught Ben Sheets’ 18 strike out game
Played in the Big Leagues for 11 seasons
Played professional baseball for 16 seasons
Member of 2001 AZ Diamondbacks World Series Team

Resides: Scottsdale, Arizona since 2001

(courtesy of Chad Moeller Baseball, via chadmoellerbaseball.com) Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: arizona diamondbacks, baseball, bob wells, chad moeller, chad moeller baseball, eric milton, lyle overbay, mark grace, matt williams, milwaukee brewers, minnesota twins, mlb, world series

NL West: Value Picks, Up-and-Coming Players and Red Flags in Fantasy Baseball

Feb 14

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Tuesday February 14th, 2012

Peter Stein (Fantasy Baseball Analyst – MLB reports): As part of a six series installment to prepare for fantasy drafts, I examine the National League West from a strictly fantasy perspective. Instead of your run of the mill position-by-position rankings, I identify players who fall into the following three categories: value pick, buyer beware, and up-and-coming. The traditional rankings often do a disservice and give owners too close-minded of an approach, particularly in the ROTO format. An owner cannot have a clear-cut strategy and ranking system, as one must adapt to the circumstances on draft day. Remember that you are often building a team for five categories, and you cannot predict which categories you will need to target to offset weaknesses as the draft progresses. Therefore, the key to success is to understand which player’s are over and undervalued, by looking at determinants such as: performance trends, offseason movement, and skill development. We are all aware of the fantasy studs, but the way to build a winning roster is to identify players who provide sneaky good value. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Players: Fantasy Baseball Articles

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Tags: andre ethier, arizona diamondbacks, baseball, brandon belt, cameron maybin, carlos quentin, clayton kershaw, colorado rockies, cory luebke, daniel hudson, dee gordon, edinson volquez, fantasy baseball, huston street, ian kennedy, justin upton, kenley jansen, los angeles dodgers, madison bumgarner, matt kemp, mlb, nick markakis, nl west, pablo sandoval, players to target, ryan vogelsong, san diego padres, san francisco giants, stephen drew, tim lincecum, yonder alonso

Robby Rowland Guest MLB Blog: Inside the Life of a Minor League Player

Feb 6

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Monday February 6, 2012

Jonathan Hacohen: Featured today on MLB reports, we are proud to present Arizona Diamondbacks pitching prospect, Robby Rowland and his 2nd Guest MLB Blog. After a little bit of arm twisting, we were able to get Robby back on the Reports. Just kidding. Robby is a super guy and was very gracious in agreeing to return. For his latest Guest MLB Blog, Robby took in some suggestions from his followers on Twitter to come up with different topics to cover today. From all his entries, Robby chose to discuss life on the road, springtime and pre-game rituals. Exclusively on MLB reports, Robby Rowland is back with his latest blog entry:

Robby Rowland- Guest MLB Blog: Hello all! I am honored to say that I have been welcomed back onto the Reports. Once again, I would like to thank Jonathan for having me on here. It truly is an honor to be asked to share my experiences with the world. For those of you who have not met me in person, you should know that I just love to talk… I got kicked out of a lot of classrooms in my day because I love to chat. That’s why I am honored to be on here- because I am allowed to express my love of talking… but just on paper. I have some great topics to discuss with all of you today. The way I like to prepare my blog entries is by asking my twitter followers about subjects they would like to hear about. I like to first write them down on paper and later type in my blog. And once again I apologize if everything is just thrown down with no sense of proper writing. Boy would my english teacher in high school be upset if he/she read these…

So without further adieu, I would like to discuss several of the topics that you have all brought to my attention!

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