Blog Archives
Who Owns Baseball – Updated Apr.25/2013
Last night was another wild and loopy night of baseball with come from behind wins, dramatic homers and dominating pitching.
But with all the drama in the National League yesterday, was I really NOT supposed to pick Jordany Valdespin and his walk off grand slam for the Mets?
The National League pitcher who owned baseball was Edinson Volquez of the Padres. He shutdown the hottest team in baseball, the Brewers, for seven shutout innings giving San Diego (the coldest team in baseball) a much needed win.
J. P. Arencibia of the Blue Jays owned baseball with his home run and key 11th inning single that sparked Toronto’s victory over the Orioles.
And all due respect to Yu Darvish and his amazing start against the Angels, but Alex Cobb of the Rays owned baseball as Tampa Bay beat the Yankees 2-0 behind his 8 1/3 shutout innings.
They all owned baseball on April 24, 2013
My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.
At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON
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Who Owns Baseball – Updated April.24/2013
Lots of terrific performances in baseball last night, and none by the Red Sox, whose only positive quality was seeing their game shortened by rain.
Oakland pitcher Bartolo Colon owned the American League with seven shutout innings in Boston as the A’s got back into the win column.
Howie Kendrick of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim owned the American League as a hitter. He homered twice including a walk off shot in the 11th inning, giving the Angels a much needed win over the first place Rangers. In all, Kendrick went 3-5 with two homers and four runs batted in.
Atlanta Braves star Justin Upton homered in both ends of a double header sweep against the Colorado Rockies. He has 11 for the year so far and is making the Diamondbacks look foolish for dealing him. He owned the National League last night.
Meanwhile the amazing Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals easily owned the National League as a pitcher. He let up his first walk of the year (he has one in 37 1/3 innings) and got the win pitching into the 9th, letting up no runs and striking out 9.
They all owned baseball on April 23, 2013
My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.
At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON Read the rest of this entry
Patrick Corbin’s Confidence Creates Success For Arizona’s Starting Rotation
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The Arizona Diamondbacks have great tandem in the 4th and 5th slots in their rotation.Wade Miley and Patrick Corbin have been as reliable as you can get with pitchers that are in the bottom part of their rotation.The two pitchers are undefeated this season – and look to be part of the future for Arizona. They provide some depth to the rotation.
By Chris Lacey (Baseball Writer) Follow @aecanada12
The Arizona Diamondbacks knew that their starting rotation was going to be a strength for the club this season, but there are two pitchers who have performed better than they were expected to. The front-end of the Starting Rotation includes; Ian Kennedy, Trevor Cahill, and Brandon McCarthy.
They have pitched good, but not great in their starts this season. These 3 Starters were expected to carry the rotation, and help Arizona reclaim the NL West Division Title. The three pitchers that Arizona has in the front part of their rotation have under-performed in their starts this season.
Diamondbacks’ Wade Miley Tells A Joke On Intentional Talk. Mature Lyrics – Parental Guidance Is Advised
Who owns baseball? Updated for April 22, 2013
My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.
There are four categories: American League Hitter, American League Pitcher, National League Hitter and National League Pitcher.
At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.
Is it subjective? Sure.
But so are the MVP and Cy Young votes.
On April 22, 2013, A.J. Pierzynski , Matt Moore, Buster Posey and Shelby Miller all owned baseball.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON Read the rest of this entry
MLB Weekly Power Rankings – Week 3
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The Giants have gutted out a 12 – 7 record despite Matt Cain being 0 – 2 with a 7.15 ERA, and Ryan Vogelsong featuring an early season ERA of 5.89. Buster Posey is also off to a slow start. This team has so much depth and talent, I see nothing that will stop this club from taking their 3rd NL West Division crown now that the LAD have had severe injury problems to their Starting Rotation. The Giants take their rightful spot as #1 in the MLB Reports Weekly Rankings thids week.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
The Major League Baseball Season is roughly 10% over and we are seeing some trends and patterns. The next time you wonder why games are so long in the game right now, look no further than there are about 150 hitters that are currently on pace to Strikeout 100 plus times this season.
Other Notes:
The Cincinnati Reds won every game this past 7 days, after losing every day the week prior. This is simply why they shot up the rankings. I think the NL Central is the weakest Division this year. It was my prediction that the oldest professional baseball club would run away with this Division by at least 10 games.
Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Votto are on the Basepaths at all times – carrying an OBP of over .500 plus each. Votto is starting to drive the ball with authority too. Brandon Phillips, Todd Frazier and Zack Cozart are driving in Runs at an incredible rate.
Look for BP Follow @DatdudeBP to be a dark horse NL MVP candidate.
Brandon Phillips Talks about Winter Workouts:
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 21, 2013
Photo: NY Daily News
On today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I ask if Don Mattingly‘s job as Dodger manager is in danger? Should it be?
Lance Lynn, Bryce Harper, Hiroki Kuroda and yes Daniel Nava owned baseball on April 20, 2013.
Subscribe on iTunes HERE.
To find out the Player who owned baseball for a Day yearly standings leaders – click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY icon Read the rest of this entry
MLB (R) Weekly Power Rankings – Week 2
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Billy Beane has seen his club roar out of the gates – leading in most offensive and defensive categories so far. This year’s team is 9 – 4 (Leading the AL West) – and have put up a 81 – 40 Record since starting last year 23 – 32. The Tigers seem to be the only toxic for the franchise. The Athletics at least played in front of decent crows at 0.co Coliseum on Saturday drawing 35K – with the team trying to go for a 10th straight win. Justin Verlander stopped the streak.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Well, the Atlanta Braves are the toast of the MLB right now, Prince Fielder is the hottest hitter on the planet, John Buck is doing his best Johnny Bench impersonation – while Chris Davis is giving new definition to the nickname ‘Crash’.
The Mets and Rockies have had the biggest ‘Cupcake Schedules’ thus far in the Major Leagues – and I am still not buying stock in these teams.
The Angels pulled out a couple of wins versus the Houston Astros to end the week 5 – 8 (You guys are supposed to beat Houston whenever you play them this year!
The Yankees rode a 4 – 1 week among a schedule that was blown apart by weather induced cancellations in Cleveland, to climb the standings.
To quote Joe Pesci in (‘ My Cousin Vinny” when Fred Gwynne tells him he is in contempt of court) in response to Jose Reyes being injured. “There is a f—— surprise!
The Atlanta Braves Are The Best Team In The National League
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The Braves have roared out of the gate during the 2013 MLB Season, with a baseball best 11 – 1, including a convincing sweep of the Washington Nationals over the weekend. This has been done without long time player Chipper Jones retiring – and Brian McCann being on the shelf for the 1st part of the season.
Jake Dal Porto (Baseball Writer) Follow @TheJakeMan24
At 11-1, the Atlanta Braves can seemingly do no wrong. Fresh off a sweep of the Washington Nationals, the Braves can make a very good case regarding their status as the best team in the NL.
That spot was occupied by the Nationals in the preseason chatter. And I wouldn’t blame the pundits who circled them as the NL’s best team.
After all, they fixed their leadoff spot woes with the addition of Denard Span, further improved their bullpen with Rafael Soriano and probably most importantly, started the season with an improved Bryce Harper. On paper, they had minuscule flaws.
The Brothers Upton Both HR to win the game!:
Bryce Harper May Just Be That Strong!
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In the 1st 8 games of the season, Bryce Harper has hit for a 3 Slash Line of .394/.394/1.182 with 4 HRs and 6 RBI. The slugger has not Walked once yet this year, but that might just be that he his working into favorable counts – and mashing the ball once he receives his pitch. In the last 38 Games dating back to last year in September, Harper has hit .344 with 11 HRS, 20 RBI, 9 Doubles and 3 Triples. Harper also has scored 33 Runs in this time frame. This amounts to a Slugging Percentage of .676 and an OPS 1.070. We are talking about a historic season if these numbers can be maintained like his last quarter of a season played.
By David Huzzard (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): Follow @davidhuzzard
The HR Harper hit in the 4th Inning of yesterdays game was a no doubter, but when I saw the ball make contact with the bat. I didn’t think it was going to go anywhere. Watch the replay. Watch it in slow motion. Harper got under that one.
Normally when a batter gets under a ball it may carry to the warning track but it is normally a harmless fly ball and not an upper deck no doubt HR that exits the ballpark faster than a speeding bullet or 106.1 MPH off the bat.
Harper’s big HR traveled an estimated 420 feet and is his furthest of the season. It is scary to watch the replay and keep seeing that he didn’t get all of it. The ball hit the sweet spot of the bat, but Harper was just a little under it, but this is how 40 HR seasons happen.
Bryce Harper 2012 Highlights:
MLB Weekly Rankings Week 1: MLB Reports
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The Nationals won a Major League leading 98 Games Last Year. They have the best roster in the Major Leagues in 2013 – and have started the year 4 – 2. The team receives a narrow edge for me over the Reds for the #1 Spot in the MLB reports 1st installment of the MLB Rankings. Check back weekly for updated rankings!
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
This is the first installment of my weekly Rankings for all MLB Teams. There are no real surprises here, I picked the Nationals just slightly over the Reds from top to bottom based on their current roster depth.
Really, the Reds may have an easier path to the playoffs playing in the NL Central -as opposed to the NL East lineup the Nationals would face.
I am not sold on the Rockies quick start because they beat up the Padres and Brewers. The DiamondBacks also look great, so look for them to possibly keep climbing the ranks
The AL East is already beating each other up.
The Braves might charge up the ranks again next week.
The White Sox have looked great so far with their pitching.
Oakland and Texas have ended the week on a hotstreak each by way of fattening up on the Houston Astros.
Washington Nationals On Opening Day:
Nate Freiman: Beane Finds Yet Another Hidden Gem… And The A’s Next 1st Baseman
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All Nate Freiman did was carry the Country of Israel during the recent World Baseball Classic Qualifying Tournament. Can this First Base giant do the same in Oakland?
Jonathan Hacohen (Lead Baseball Columnist, Oakland A’s Correspondent and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
Baseball is a funny game sometimes. One minute you’re crying the Chris Carter blues. Then before you know it, Nate Freiman appears. That is how Billy Beane works my friends. Just when you think he might be slipping, he pulls a magic rabbit out of his hat (better known as the waiver wire in baseball terms).
On February 11, 2013, I wrote an article outlining Billy Beane’s error in trading Chris Carter. While I have always endorsed the talents of Jed Lowrie, it was my opinion that giving up a future star in Chris Carter was too high of a price to pay.
The trade (which actually took place on February 4th) saw the Astros acquire yet another stud First Base prospect. I wondered out loud what the Astros would do with all their First Base talent (Brett Wallace, Jonathan Singleton, Nate Freiman and veteran Carlos Pena).
It seemed like too many bats and not enough positions in Houston, despite the newfound need for a Designated Hitter. A little over a month later, March 23rd to be exact- I had my answer. Nate Freiman was on his way to Oakland.
The star for Israel in this year’s World Baseball Classic qualifying tournament was going to get the opportunity of a lifetime.
While some felt the A’s were simply acquiring roster depth, I saw a different vision. The A’s had their replacement for Brandon Moss at First Base.
Billy Beane had an uncovered yet another gem that was going to thrive in Oakland. Remember Josh Reddick 2012? Meet Nate Freiman 2013.
Nate Freiman Interview:
“Who Owns Baseball?” An explanation for a subjective title.
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Just how far can Bryce Harper improve during his 2nd season? If he can improve by about 15 % might we see a 30 HR/ 30 SB, year with around 120 Runs Scored and 80 Extra Base Hits? This would vault the 20 Year Old LF into MVP consideration. He hit 2 HRs on Opening Day – and is crushing regular hits as well. Harper is 6 – 12 with 2 HRs and 3 RBI through 3 games. The Nats swept the Marlins in 3 straight.
By Paul Francis Sullivan (Lead Baseball Writer/Personality): Follow @sullybaseball
On my podcast, The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast (available on iTunes), I have been keeping track of a title of my creation. It is the title of “Who Owns Baseball?” for a given day.
Essentially it is the star of the day, with an American League and National League hitter and pitcher being honored. Its origin stems from the Opening Day heroics of Bryce Harper and Clayton Kershaw. I wrote on Twitter that they “owned baseball today.”
And I thought why not keep track of that? Why not follow an entire season, as I am going to do anyway, and declare a pitcher and a hitter from each league as the “Owners of Baseball.”
Yu Darvish’s near Perfect Game:
Game 1 Recap Of The Nats Big Opening Day Win – A Glimpse Of Things To Come
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Just as impressive as Harper 2 HRs yesterdayn- was Strasburg’s being unleashed on the world for a full season. His start featured an 80 pitch performance over 7 shutout IP. Strasburg didn’t even have his best command – falling behind 1-0 on 13 of the 23 batters he faced. He finished the day with only three Strikeouts, but no walks and giving up only 3 hits.
By David Huzzard (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): Follow @davidhuzzard
Seeing Stephen Strasburg picked to win the Cy Young should come as no surprise to anyone. He did finish 2012 tied with Gio Gonzalez for the best FIP in the majors at 2.82 – and led all starters with a staggering 11.13 K/9. There are arguments that can be made that when Stephen Strasburg is firing on all cylinders – he is the best pitcher in the NL and among the best on the planet.
The same argument cannot be made for Bryce Harper as an Outfielder. Based on stats last year, he finished seventh in the NL in fWAR and tied for eighth in wOBA with Jay Bruce and Garrett Jones.
No one is picking Jay Bruce or Garrett Jones for their MVP. In all of the NL Bryce Harper‘s .352 wOBA ranked sixteenth.
Bryce Harper 2 HR Performance On Opening Day – MLB Reports does not own anything from this video:
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 1, 2013
It is opening day!
The Red Sox are in first!
The Astros look great!
And MLB is currently owned by Bryce Harper.
Those topics and more on today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Subscribe on iTunes.
Reds Are Going To Make The Rest Of The NL Bleed Red
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In his 1st half season during last year, Joey Votto clubbed for a 3 Slash Line of .348/.471/1.124 with 35 Doubles, 14 HRs and 48 RBI. He was the leading candidate to pull in his 2nd NL MVP Award. Once he returned from injury, he was not the same – only plating 8 RBI and HRs in the last 28 games he played in. The Canadian still led the NL in OBP for the 3rd straight season. He also led the NL In Walks despite missing 51 games. Votto has a Career 3 Slash Line of .316/.415/.968. He is signed through the 2024 year in a 13 YR/.$263 MIL deal.
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 (AKA “JAWS”): (MLB Reports Kids Writer – visit his website here )
The Cincinnati Reds last season had a 97 Wins and 65 Losses Team Record, scoring them 1st place in the NL Central last season. The team could have made it even farther in the Postseason, maybe even beating the Giants and becoming the NL representatives, BUT, they missed their chance in losing 3 straight tries to eliminate the club from the BAY after taking a commanding 2 – 0 lead in the Series.
During the year Joey Votto injured his knee and was out for a while along with the manager Dusty Baker having a stroke, and you have to wonder about these two incidents not factoring in them feeling less than 100% heading into the Playoffs.
You throw in Johnny Cueto‘s injury moving up all of the depth on the Starting Pitching versus the Giants in the 2012, and you can see that things spiraled downward.
Joey Votto Highlights – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is advised:
What Will It Take For Bryce Harper To Be An NL MVP This Year?
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Just how far can Bryce Harper improve during his 2nd season? If he can improve by about 15% – might we see a 30 HR/30 SB year, with around 120 Runs Scored and 80 Extra Base Hits? With the Nationals being the consensus favorite in the National League amongst experts, this would definitely put him in the NL MVP discussion. Seasons of improvement between the age of 19 and 20 for MLB Players of the past has proved to show this could happen. Harper will look to avoid the similar fates of the last 5 NL Rookie Of The Year Awards with a 2nd year regression.
By David Huzzard (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): Follow @davidhuzzard
A good part of analysis is knowing when numbers are useless. I was going to look back at the last 5 NL Rookies of the Year – and inform you of their average decrease in OPS, but two of the five are Geovany Soto and Chris Coghlan. On top of that Posey got injured his second full season after only 45 games and Ryan Braun hit like a madman in his rookie season with an OPS of 1.004. It did drop from that to .888, but seriously he OPS’d 1.004 in his rookie season.
The only one of the last five position player rookies of the year to not suffer any drop was Hanley Ramirez who saw his OPS rise from .833 in 2006 to .948 in 2007. If we go back one more season to the 2005 rookie of the year, Ryan Howard, his OPS rose from .924 in 2005 to 1.084 in 2006 when he won the MVP (Pujols had a 1.102 OPS that season, the third highest of his career and tops in the NL, but the vote went to Howard).
Bryce Harper Steals Home!
Giancarlo Stanton: Stuck In Miami
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Giancarlo Stanton had 37 HRs in 2012 in only 123 Games which was 2nd most in the NL. Even more impressive, he averaged a true distance of 413 ft on those 37 dingers, coming off that bat at an average speed of 107.2 MPH. He also hit the longest Home Run in 2012 at 494 FT(true distance or about 95.5 Altuves if you use that measurement).
By Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Writer): Follow @ryandana1
Normally Miami is a desirable destination, but playing for their Major League Baseball team, the Miami Marlins, might be the one time it is not. It’s amazing how things have changed in the past year. Around this time in 2012 the Marlins moved into a brand new ballpark and opened up their wallets to sign big name free agents Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Heath Bell.
Now all 3 players have been traded, along with Marlins stars Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, Josh Johnson, and other solid players like Omar Infante, Emilio Bonifacio, and John Buck. The Marlins traded away nearly all significant contracts and veteran talent to rebuild. That is not what the fans in Miami wanted, and certainly not something their lone remaining star Giancarlo Stanton would find desirable.
Giancarlo Stanton, the Marlins Right Fielder, is just 23 years of age, but his ability is on the baseball field is far beyond most players of his age. Stanton is 6’5” and weighs in around 245 lbs. He is about as intimidating a hitter as you will find. These days baseball talent evaluators will argue over the importance of how a player looks on the field, and what numbers are attached to their play.
There is no debating that Stanton is a top talent in both senses. He is a stud athlete who received offers to play for top colleges in his home state of California in both baseball and football, but he opted to go pro after being drafted by Miami (then Florida) in the 2nd round of the ’07 draft.
2012 Giancarlo Stanton Highlights – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is advised:
Yoenis Cespedes: While Cuba Misses Their Star in the 2013 WBC – the A’s Slugger Looks to be an A.L. MVP Candidate
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From Cuba to A.L. MVP? Despite not being able to represent his native country in the WBC, Cespedes is a year older and wiser. The more he adjusts to North America life and baseball, opposing pitchers will shudder even more each time Cespedes comes to the plate.
Jonathan Hacohen (Lead Baseball Columnist, Oakland A’s Correspondent and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
It’s pretty ironic if you ask me. The 2013 World Baseball Classic is here and Cuba is off to a huge start. I had to pick a winner and went with Cuba as my pre-tournament favorite. Considering that Japan has won both editions of the WBC, Cuba was definitely going to be in tough. To top it all off, they are starting off the first two rounds in Japan. Why is it ironic? For Cuba is missing its biggest star for the tournament. Yoenis Cespedes, the Oakland A’s star outfielder is in Arizona for Spring Training.
Far away from the bright lights of Japan, where Cuba finally beat its nemesis this week in WBC play after several failed attempts in the past. With that monkey off their back, Cuba has made the statement that they are ready to win it all. But yet without their biggest star. For when one defects from Cuba, they are forever banished from representing their country again in any baseball capacity.
I couldn’t help but think watching Cuba play in Japan this week that in fact Cespedes and the A’s opened their season last year in Japan. Cespedes actually started off his season with a bang out there and never looked back. On March 29th last year, Cespedes had a home run in the 2nd game of the A’s young season. That bomb in Japan was the start of the legend. Who knew that Cespedes would actually be in Japan a year too early? For all the success that Cuba has enjoyed thus far in the 2013 WBC, imagine if they had Cespedes anchoring that lineup?
Cuba may very still win the 2013 WBC. My money is on that happening. But if Cuba falls short yet again, the what if scenarios will endlessly get bounced around. What if the team had Aroldis Chapman? Alexei Ramirez? And most of all, Yoenis Cespedes? Until Cuba allows its defectors to come home again, the talent drain will continue to affect the country in international tournaments.
Yoenis Cespedes 2012 Highlights Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is Advised:
The Washington Nationals Franchise Part 6 of 6: 2013 Team Payroll And Contracts Updated Mar.8
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Stephen Strasburg is eligible for Arbitration after the 2013 season. He originally signed a 4 Year/14 Million Dollar Entry Level Deal after he was drafted in 2009.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst / Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Perhaps no team will have more of a chance to win the 2013 World Series with Harper and Strasburg will be another year older, while both Zimmerman’s can both have been healthy for the year. They have two Mutual Options for them to re-sign which I mention on the next page. They do have several Arbitration Eligible Players including Super ‘2’ Free Agents Jordan Zimmerman and Tyler Clippard. The Nationals should try to lock most of these guys up as long as they can. Especially guys like Desmond, Espinosa and Storen.
Their price shall only skyrocket as they become older. The Nationals will not have to worry about their starting outfield of Morse, Werth and Harper as they are all signed for next year. Strasburg enters the final year of this entry-level deal and Gio Gonzalez also has a nice value deal for the salary part of it.
Kurt Suzuki had a strong finish in 2013, so you could see the club maybe trading away he or Wilson Ramos before 2013 Trade Deadline. I suspect the Phillies to be stronger this year, so major improvements by Harper and rejuvenated play from both Zimmerman’s will be crucial to the clubs success. Micheal Lerner has made it abundantly clear he wants a championship for this club ASAP. He will spend any amount of money . The rest of the lineup looks set and ready to mash in 2013!
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 5 of the Article Series, The Nationals top 25 Man Roster from 20o5-2012 click here
MLB 13 The Show – Bryce Harper Interview:
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:
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?
Top HR Hitters Projected For The 2013 MLB Baseball Season
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Thursday February 7th, 2013
Adam Dunn has hit 38 + HRs in 8 of the last 9 years.
Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer): Follow @BernieOlshansky
2012 was an exciting year for the long ball. The MLB saw its first Triple Crown winner since 1967, and there were six guys that hit over 40 HR. It seems as if 2013 will be more of the same with the emergence of new sluggers in Mike Trout and Bryce Harper. In this feature, I will highlight some of the hitters who I think will have the most dingers (and how many) by the end of 2013. I don’t think Joey Bats will stay healthy enough to reach this list (although he will have a chance if he can miss the injury bug.
Adam Dunn: 40
In the years that Dunn has not slumped, he has been pretty consistent. This past season proved to the baseball community that the slugger is not quite done yet. Although he hit for a very low average, Dunn still managed to club over 40 bombs. Knowing this, I have no problem putting Adam Dunn down to hit at least 40 this year. He will have more confidence than he did in 2012 – and will most likely be in better shape to start off the year. The White Sox might have a shot at the playoffs if Dunn can stay healthy and keep his average above the Mendoza Line.
Mike Trout: 41
Trout had 49 SB, 129 Runs 30 HRs and 83 RBI in just 138 Games. Might he improve on these numbers with a full year and the addition of Josh Hamilton to the cleanup spot in 2013?
The Angels prized possession did not even start the year with the big club, yet he still hit 30 HR. A legitimate candidate for MVP, Trout will not have a problem hitting 41 HR this season. The protection for Trout in Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton makes this argument even more convincing. I could see Trout driving in 100 runs this year and winning the MVP. Just like Dunn, Trout needs to maintain his health. With Trout, Hamilton, and Pujols running on all cylinders, the Angels will not have a problem reaching the playoffs after failing to do so in 2012. The Athletics and Rangers will not be a match for the powerful offense that now includes Josh Hamilton.
HRs 2012 (Explicit Music Lyrics-Parental Guidance Advised)
MLB Player Profile: Nationals Pitcher Jordan Zimmermann
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Wednesday January 23rd, 2013
Jordan Zimmermann is heading into Arbitration shortly with the Nats coming off of his best year in the Major Leagues with a 12-8 Record. For his career, he is 24-26 with a 3.47 ERA. Zimmermann had Tommy John surgery in 2009 – and has come back stronger.
Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer): Follow @BernieOlshansky
Having his breakout season in 2012, Jordan Zimmermann has been a guy the Washington Nationals have been able to rely on. 27 years old in 2013, Zimmermann helps anchor the young Nationals rotation including Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg. The Nationals had success in 2012, winning the NL East and making the playoffs for the first time as a franchise. The Nationals got unlucky though, and were eliminated by the St. Louis Cardinals in the Division Series. This year the Nationals will hope to build on their 2012 performance, and Jordan Zimmermann will most likely be a big help.
One of the main reasons the Nationals were eliminated so early last season is because of the shutting down of Stephen Strasburg. In the middle of the season, I wrote about the pros and cons of shutting Strasburg down, and in the end the situation ended badly. Last year, the Nationals had a very strong rotation consisting of Strasburg, Zimmermann, Gonzalez, and Edwin Jackson. By shutting Strasburg down, the Nationals lost a quarter of their rotation and had to scramble when the Division Series went more than three games. Ross Detwiler got the start and Zimmermann had to come into the game in a relief role. There was no reason for this to have to happen. Protecting Strasburg was important, but in my opinion the Nationals overprotected him, which cost them dearly in the playoffs.
Jordan Zimmermann Flashback Highlights:
Player Profile: Nationals 1B Adam LaRoche
Thursday January 10th, 2012
Adam LaRoche took home both a Silver Slugger Award and a Gold Glove Award in 2012 for the 1st time in his career for both categories.
Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer): Follow @BernieOlshansky
With the news of Adam Laroche’s signing of a 2-Year deal with the Washington Nationals breaking on Tuesday, it seems fitting for a profile to be done on this unsung hero. Last week, I profiled underrated star Billy Butler of the Royals. I will stick with this underrated theme as I cover the highlights of the career of power-hitting first baseman Adam LaRoche.
The 29th round pick of the 2000 amateur draft, Adam LaRoche broke into the league with the Atlanta Braves in 2004. He had a solid Rookie season, hitting .278 with 13 HR and 45 RBI in 110 games. LaRoche got steadily better from there, increasing his HR total by seven to 20 in 2005 and by 12 to 32 in 2006. 2005 was actually his worst year Batting Average-wise, in which he hit .259. LaRoche hit .172 in 2011, but he only played in 43 games – so I do not regard that as a true representation of what he would have hit had he played. Aside from his Rookie season and the season he was injured and only played 43 games, LaRoche has never played less than 140 games in a year. This is something that is very valuable to teams when they are looking for a power-hitting first baseman—and really any player for that matter. This is the main reason why I believe the Nationals rewarded him with his contract.
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What To Expect From The Brewers OF Norichika Aoki In 2013
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013
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Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206
Norichika Aoki entered 2012 as the 4th Outfielder in Milwaukee. By the time the season ended, Aoki was the 27th ranked outfielder on ESPN’s Fantasy Baseball Player Rater. It’s not very often a player with no minor league experience makes the kind of impact Aoki did in his first season. In 2013, Aoki will need to replicate his numbers from last year in order to stay as a top 30 outfielder in fantasy baseball. With his rare combination of speed, runs, and to a lesser extent power, Aoki has the tools to repeat his success again in 2013.
MLB Should Distribute More Games Against All Teams For Every Club
Thursday, Nov.29/2012
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Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
I wrote an article about 6 months ago that investigated a solution to a Payroll/Geographical Alignment that the MLB should consider in going forward for the next CBA discussions in 2016 here. Let’s be real and this will never happen. The idea of running any drastic re-alignment is probably too much for the folks at MLB to fathom. However, there is a growing trend that is starting to rear its ugly head in MLB Baseball. It is the bigger market teams really starting to throw down some serious dollars, while the lesser revenue teams can’t keep up with same kind of salary influx. Of course I have fought this fight on Twitter, Facebook and any other social media platform I have found. Sooner or later these big salaried teams will reel off a bunch of World Series Titles amongst themselves and it will leave the MLB having as much competitive balance as the NBA. Read the rest of this entry
Mets Ownership: The Wilpons Have To Start Spending To Compete!
Monday November 26, 2012
Owner of the Mets Fred Wilpon
Kyle Holland (MLB Reports Intern):
It’s no secret that the New York Mets are in a tough division to compete with. They are way behind the payroll of the Phillies and look up to the Nationals and Braves talent wise. So where exactly did the Wilpon’s, majority owners of the Mets, go wrong in building a talented team?
First, lets look at the payroll situation. In 2012, the Phillies ranked number 2 in payroll with approximately $173,459,000. The Mets were ranked at number 14 with their payroll at approximately $93,357,000. How can the Mets compete in a division where the top payroll in the division is about $80,000,000 more? They can’t, that’s why they have finished in the bottom 2 of the division every year since 2009. Read the rest of this entry
2012 AL and NL Rookie of the Year Predictions
Sunday November 11th, 2012
Sam Evans: Even though it may seem as if all of baseball is already focused on 2013, some of the major awards for the 2012 MLB Regular Season have yet to be announced. The AL and NL Rookie of the Year awards will be announced on Monday. Bryce Harper, Wade Miley and Todd Frazier are the finalists for the National League. Mike Trout, Yoenis Cespedes and Yu Darvish are the last three in the American League. I predict that Bryce Harper and Mike Trout will be the two players rewarded for their outstanding rookie seasons by taking home the hardware. Read the rest of this entry
2013 MLB Fantasy Keeper Rankings: Outfield
Tuesday November 6th, 2012
Peter Stein: Now that the 2012 season is over, it is time to start thinking about the 2013. For many owners, that includes deciding on keepers, although keeper systems vary from league to league. In some leagues, keepers can be held onto for an indefinite period of time, while others build upon the previous year’s draft value. Regardless of your league’s keeper setting, this piece identifies the top keeper player at each position. I chose a time period of five years; therefore, the player at each position should produce the most total fantasy value over the course of the next five years. That is, of course, assuming another Mike Trout doesn’t jump onto the scene.
Here is the outfield installment of the 2013 fantasy keeper focus:
CREAM OF THE CROP:
Mike Trout stole the spotlight in 2012. He is the complete package and a five category stud, as his rookie season looked like this: .326/30/83 and 49 steals and 129 runs. The 21-year-old can literally anchor your team in every offensive category. The most encouraging aspect to Trout’s season is that his first and second half production was very similar. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see if Trout endures any type of sophomore slump. Clearly, he has the ability to make adjustments and even a slight downgrade in production from 2012 would have him at an elite level. Although I do expect a slight dip in production in 2013, Trout’s best years are still years away. Scary, right? Five years from now he will truly be in his prime and he is capable of putting together several MVP performances. If you are fortunate enough to own him in a keeper league, enjoy the ride! Read the rest of this entry
The 2013 Nationals Appear Primed to Make a Run at the World Series
Friday October 26th, 2012
Sam Evans: The Washington Nationals had a somewhat disappointing end to their season, losing to St. Louis in five ALDS games. Nonetheless, the Nationals had a tremendous season and should be pleased with where they stand heading into next year. With the NL East teams around Washington getting older and losing talent, there’s no reason why Washington can’t repeat as division champions in 2013. In fact, the Washington Nationals should be favored to make a World Series push in 2013.
Ever since the franchise moved from Montreal in 2005, Washington had yet to have a season over .500 and finish in the top two in the NL East. 2011 was a surprising season in which Washington won ninety-eight games, the most in major league baseball, and won the N.L. East. Their Pythagorean record (96-66) suggests that the Nationals 2012 season was not a fluke. Washington was led by Ian Desmond, rookie Bryce Harper and a tremendous young group of starting pitchers. 2012 wasn’t a fluke and Washington won’t be putting a team on the field in 2013 that is much different. So why can’t they repeat as division champs? Read the rest of this entry
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