Blog Archives
183 in 2015: Ball Park Previews, Games 3 + 4 – Wrigley Field/Miller Park Doubleheader
2015 MLB Trip Sponsors: Man Fish Brewery, Megabus.com, MLB Reports, National Car Rental and the MLB Ball Park Pass-Port.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
*** I Will be live tweeting from all ballpark venues I am watching games at. Join the discussion.
Chuck Booth’s 2015 MLB Park Historical Road Trip
The GOAL: 183 Straight Days (every single day at least 1 gm) Of ALL 30 MLB Parks Trip In 2015 (218 Games) view full year schedule.
The CAUSE: To Raise Money for Concussion Awareness (via Sports Legacy Institute. donate money here) Through Inspiring Others.
DAY DATE
Wed Apr 8, 2015 Games #3, #4 – Day #4
Today’s game (s) Start Time (s) in EST and Venue (s):
1:20 Wrigley Field, Cubs vs Cards: Miller Park 7:10, Brewers vs Rockies
Read the rest of this entry
183 in 2015: Ball Park Preview, Game 3 – Wrigley Field
2015 MLB Trip Sponsors: Man Fish Brewery, Megabus.com, MLB Reports, National Car Rental and the MLB Ball Park Pass-Port.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
*** I Will be live tweeting from all ballpark venues I am watching games at. Join the discussion.
Chuck Booth’s 2015 MLB Park Historical Road Trip
The GOAL: 183 Straight Days (every single day at least 1 gm) Of ALL 30 MLB Parks Trip In 2015 (218 Games) view full year schedule.
The CAUSE: To Raise Money for Concussion Awareness (via Sports Legacy Institute. donate money here) Through Inspiring Others.
DAY DATE: Tueday, Apr.07, 2015
Game # 3 Day # 3
Today’s game (s) Start Time (s) in EST and Venue (s):
Wrigley Field :8:05 EST Cubs Vs Cards
After 3500 miles on the road since Friday., including 1000 yesterday, it will be nice to be on the same park the next 2 games.
183 in 2015: Ball Park Preview Game 2, Great American Ball Park Home Opener
2015 MLB T))rip Sponsors: Man Fish Brewery, Megabus.com, MLB Reports, National Car Rental and the MLB Ball Park Pass-Port.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
*** I Will be live tweeting from all ballpark venues I am watching games at. Join the discussion.
Chuck Booth’s 2015 MLB Park Historical Road Trip
The GOAL: 183 Straight Days (every single day at least 1 gm) Of ALL 30 MLB Parks Trip In 2015 (218 Games) view full year schedule.
The CAUSE: To Raise Money for Concussion Awareness (via Sports Legacy Institute. donate money here) Through Inspiring Others.
DAY DATE: Monday, Apr.06, 2015
Game # 2 Day #2
Today’s game (s) Start Time (s) in EST and Venue (s):
Great American Ball Park: 4:10 local time. Reds Season Opener vs the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Read the rest of this entry
183 in 2015: Ball Park Preview Gm 1 – Sun Apr.05, 2015 (Wrigley Field, MLB Season Opener)
2015 MLB Trip Sponsors: Man Fish Brewery, Megabus.com, MLB Reports, National Car Rental and the MLB Ball Park Pass-Port
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Chuck Booth’s 2015 MLB Park Historical Road Trip
The GOAL: 183 Straight Days (every single day at least 1 gm) Of ALL 30 MLB Parks Trip In 2015 (218 Games) view full year schedule.
The CAUSE: To Raise Money for Concussion Awareness (via Sports Legacy Institute. donate money here) Through Inspiring Others.
DAY DATE: Sunday, Apr.05, 2015
Game # 1 Day # 1
Today’s game (s) Start Time (s) in EST and Venue (s): Wrigley Field (MLB Season Opener) 8:05 Cardinals @ Cubs
Read the rest of this entry
Road Travel Tips: Greyhound Bus Tickets at 7 – 11, Cheap Airport Parking + Airfare Savers
If you have a 7 – Eleven nearby, you can receive the cheapest method to buy tickets via Greyhound on their website. It is their WEB ONLY FARE, and you must pay in cash. The receipt given at the till acts like your ticket onto the bus. It is another reason that 7E is still one of the biggest convenient stores to aid you in road trips. Thank – you to Greyhound for imploring their services.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Anayst): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
A lot of how I have gone about finalizing my baseball tour this year has to do with cost. Yes I have pared my trip from 229 games to 216 games, but that has more to do with the Canadian Dollar, than increasing my budget in the year. I could still do the original amount of contests even with some growing expenditures.
Lets start off with buying Greyhound Tickets At 7-Eleven. I laughed at the notion during 2012, but I soon realized that this service is convenient. Book a travel itinerary (WEB ONLY FARE), and then simply go to a nearby 7 – Eleven and pay cash. The register receipts serves as your bus ticket. Read the rest of this entry
Megabus Saves The Day For Travel Savings On Year Long MLB Trip
To this minute, have booked over 70 bus rides that only cost me a $1 to book the journey with. With the majority of my baseball games watched on the road in Philadelphia, New York, Washington, Baltimore and Washington, one can spend a fortune on parking, gas, tolls and hotels from extended driving. Well, I am here to tell you that Megabus has rescued me from financial ruin on my upcoming journey. These are bus rides so cheap, that you can probably find the fares in seat cushions of your couch or car!
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Anayst): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Megabus Saves The Day For Travel Savings On Year Long MLB Trip
Go to their homepage and book a trip here.
I have changed my schedule so many times on the upcoming season that I never got around to posting the monthly and yearly master schedules. There is a reason for that.
Since the beginning of this ordeal it has come to down to every trick in the book I know to save on travel, and my new favorite go to is Megabus.com
It is a Bus Site that starts the bidding on many bus fares for just $1 on certain days and times. As the times approach for the date to arrive, the rates incrementally go up.
I am lucky to feature 120+ games with both New York clubs, Boston, Baltimore, Washington and Philadelphia this campaign, as such I am fortunate to reel in the savings.
To date, I have placed bookings on over 70 bus rides for $1.00 between these fine cities. I even found a few loopholes to circumnavigate the $10 fares that are customary between Pittsburgh with New York and Boston, while using the Beltway cities of Washington and Baltimore to do the same.
The hub for all of these fine cities, (median so to speak) is Philadelphia. If y ou stop there 1st , the journeys are a $1 there, and then repeat the fare to New York.
New York to Boston is always on the docket for just $1. Pretty much I spent all of Tuesday booking trips through Labor Day weekend. It was the 1st day these routes were live for purchasing. Task completed. Read the rest of this entry
A Chase For A World Record Means Some Sacrifices To Full Year Schedule
With family leaving in New Jersey about a $5 public transit move away, I will be visiting CBP for another 30 games to help keep costs down for the whole year trip. In addition to this park being cool – it also has doubleheader chances with both New York teams and Baltimore?Washington. It is a good place to set up shop on the Eastern Seaboard. I will see 40 games at CBP this season.
What a rollercoaster of a month it has been. I may crumbled out of the gate before I even begin my year long baseball park journey. Of course I am kidding there.. But there have been several ups and downs.
The Good:
A great schedule for the most part. I have worked out several kinks, bought plenty of tickets already, made plans with countless other ballpark chasers. The ability to be able to do this trip is not lost on me. Bought several tickets when the dollar value was high.
I am seeing my favorite 2 teams almost a quarter of their games (Yankees and Nationals).
I will chase a world record down from June to July in some fashion.
Also purchasing partial season tickets for the Yankees, Red Sox, Mariners, Cubs, Phillies, Brewers and White Sox is awesome to have in the hopper. Read the rest of this entry
Potential World Record Of All 30 MLB Parks In 21 Or 22 Days – 2015 (Air + Ground Streak)
BallparkChasers.com is a website where some of the fans dedicated to going to baseball parks meet. There are many members who have completed all current 30 MLB Parks in their travels. Go to the site and join the movement.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
We covered the ground attack yesterday for an all 30 MLB Parks World Record Pursuit. Now it is time to turn our attention to the schedule that would challenge the record chase of all 30 MLB Parks (done in 2012 by yours truly) in 23 days.
The odds are stacked favorably against anyone ever eclipsing this record. Even with a perfect schedule, I am not sure I could accomplish the task.
In 2012, I knocked off 7 out of 10 Doubleheaders – and put forth the new mark. None of the 3 misses were my fault from planning. I had 3 plane delays ruin attempts, all had mechanical failures, and the worst one was the 2nd officer’s seat belt not coming down completely. Lost an Atlanta/St. Louis double for that.
Realistically had the flights worked out, I may have set a 30-21 streak. But I was lucky. I had only one game of 30 even reach extra innings. Also faced no weather challenges, despite it being opening month if the game.
In 2013 and 2014 I put out scenarios that could have challenged the record, but all would have ended up in flames with bad game times and even a rainout. Read the rest of this entry
The MLB Reports Own State Of The Union (SOTU) – 2015 Address
Home Of Sully Baseball + #WOB, #WOO, #WOWS #SullyMetrics, Baseball Analysis (Audio + Written, Roster Trees, Salaries, Org. Depth Charts,+ Roster Trees + TJ Surgery Tracker – MLB Park Roadtripping + Wicked Daily Content,) + We are not your Cutter” Website. Also our motto is “THE TRUTH STINGS LIKE A CATCUS!”
What We are Up To This Campaign + Going Forward
The MLB Reports will be updating lots of posts for the 2015 schedule as it sits right now for the next 2 weeks. We will have all 26 weeks listed in 7 day increments from during the year. I will try to update those as much as possible.
I will do an all 2430 game schedule on 1 page post once. I will not update it that much though, this will be for mostly pre-season planning for most ballpark goers,
I will also compile a month to month schedule around the last week of each month. The MLB or ESPN still need to follow in the nhl.com’s footsteps and make these possible. I do like the ESPN 7 day module for any time frame. I still think they should have a 179 days module and a month module.
We will also be featuring our Interleague Master Schedule with updated start times. We already have a master grid of all 30 clubs and who they play in league versus league combat this season. Keep in mind of the special 4 day window in which Interleague has 15 – 2 home and 2 away games against one other club from Monday June 15th to Thursday June 18th, 2015. In essence a back to back – home and home series. Read the rest of this entry
It Was An Epic 24 Hours For The 2015 MLB Schedule, Potential Trips + Season Opener At Wrigley!
Wrigley Field had its 100th birthday last season, and is undergoing modifications and renovations for 2015. Some of them won’t be ready for the SMLB Season Opener on Sun Apr.05, 2015. in the North Side of the Windy City. Tickets are going for $150 each, but if you had the luck to buy a 12 game fan flex pack yesterday. then you scored tickets to the opener and 11 other contests at about $25 per ticket.
At last, we have the majority of all 30 MLB teams scheduled start times. The Padres, Indians, White Sox and Astros were the last 4 clubs to join the party. Yes, I will continue to call franchises out on this aspect.. It costs you people from including your park as part of their road trips when they are trying to finagle the landscape of a trip itinerary for time, and you have yet to put them up before other squads.
Having said that, I have no complaints in how the actual times they put forth on their year calendars. I was stoked about a month ago, as it looked like I had a perfect storm brewing for a World Record Chase for either my own record (ALL 30 MLB Parks, every pitch of every game, in just 23 days).
What happened after that is the Canadian dollar went from hovering 90 cents versus the American Dollar, all the way to just over 80 cents. The costs were mounting astronomically for an odyssey that requires special kinds of transportation to break the damn thing.
Secondly, I had horrible news (schedule wise) from the Cubs/Brewers, Rays/Marlins, and Giants/A’s all hosting games in their towns in respective areas, only to not have one scheduled available Doubleheader for all of the ballpark chasers to attend every pitch. I was frustrated at all concerned, and packed in the thought of trying for either. world record journey in 2015. Read the rest of this entry
Random Travel Tips I Have Stumbled Across In 2015 MLB Roadtrip Planning
Milwuakee is one of the cheapest cities to travel in, (if not the cheapest), and I routinely start a big tour there, for rates within car rentals, hotels and of course the doubleheaders that can be done with the Cubs or White Sox. MKE Airport is also one of the only airport that has a rental center within the airport that you can walk to among the 30 teams, Sometimes it cheaper to fly into Chicago 1st and make your way to this city via Amtrak.
I have said it many times before, but having Amtrak and Greyhound available for travel on the Eastern Seaboard is a life saver for the MLB Roadtripper.
Another company I like is http://www.hihostels.com. This place is instrumental for cheap accommodations in San Diego, Houston, Chicago, Boston and Baltimore specifically, and to a lesser extent in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.
The dumbest new thing is the airliner http://www.spiritairlines.com. Sure they will be the cheapest on several flights for websites like http://www.kayak.com, but then you realize that is just a price for your personal being and belongings. These guys are the only carrier that gets with you carry on charges (hidden from the normal fee) Just include the price like everyone else jackball’s.
The best airline is still southwest.com They offer the free luggage check ins, being able to change flights, and they have the most modern gates in any airport, and all have free WiFi. The whole plane is coach, and I personally love that on a budget. Read the rest of this entry
Confessions Of A Ball Park Chaser – 2015 Edition Part 3: Why I Will See 220+ Games In 2015
Confessions Of A Ball Park Chaser – 2015 Edition: Why I Will Attend 220+ MLB Games This Year Part 1
Confessions Of A Ball Park Chaser – 2015 Edition Part 2: Why I will See 220+ MLB Games in 2015
So I finally had my insurance settlement (that I was waiting almost 3 years) paid out in the summer of 2013.. The 1st thing I did was take a lesser route for my courier job. I had already bought this website in Nov of 2012.
From June 2013 – February of 2014, I barely made a profit at work, but still had physical lingering of not taking the 6 months off I needed. The symptoms were a lot more apparent in the summer when it is hotter, and I was staring down a long 6 months of warmer weather.
2013 had been a gong show for me personally, and I only made it 2 games at MLB Parks (Safeco Field and Dodger Stadium). I was at least happy that this website was flourishing with a growing network of readers, and we had 40 writers work the season with us.
Not adding enough money to my savings account, in order to take off 6 months straight was frustrating. I needed to come up with something quick. A new route popped up that was the highest paying profit in the company, and I pounced on the chance. In March of 2014 I embarked on my new quest that required more work than I ever had done in my life.
To give myself some fun for the baseball year in 2014, I purchased a portion of Mariners Season Tickets to attend games. The baseball was awesome, and I had fun, but 10 hour days of going to Seattle and back, then working straight through after arriving home, was a lot to do that much in one year.
When the hot month’s hit last season in July and August. , it was the 1st time I had taken on so much work ever at the job (Twice as much than any other year). I had the 2008 and 2009 summer’s off, I had 2 jobs still in 2010, in 2011 I had a lower paying route, recovering from the accident, the months of June, July and August of 2012 are the only 3 months I failed to turn a profit in the last 90 – with less papers coming back after my 2012 baseball streak. Read the rest of this entry
Confessions Of A Ball Park Chaser – 2015 Edition Part 2: Why I will See 220+ MLB Games in 2015
This was taken for a news paper article. It was in June of 2008. I was in the best shape of my life mentally and physically..
We finished off earlier in the week about the chance for me to play NCAA Baseball that was foiled by knee problems and concussions. Looking at reconstructive knee surgery in late 1994, I was seeking a second and third opinion on the matter. If you have to read that blog to catch up it is available right here.
On a night in Sept of that year I was in the wrong place at the wrong time helping a friend move. I was a victim of a serious home invasion. It was truly a life or death situation at points. It ended with all of receiving baseball bats to the back of the head before they left.
In the minutes after it was over, I was on an adrenaline rush, so I never realized how much damage had been done with the impact. I did go to the hospital that night, but we never wanted to divulge that much information about what happened to us. I was given some painkillers, and I passed a quick eyeball test with the doctor in the emergency room.
I stayed up for almost 2 days straight. Previous head injuries had told me not to sleep that much if all. I drank alcohol and took painkillers. at will.
When I went to work 3 days later, I knew I was in trouble. I started having vision problems and felt nauseous. Within 3 months – I stopped working entirely and didn’t want to leave the house at all. I never went to my knee appointments, as I had gone through similar symptoms with my brain after a concussion at 16. Worse part of the whole ordeal, was not demanding a CT scan on the night of the incident. Read the rest of this entry
My New 2015 30 MLB Parks/183 Day Record Trip Is Revealed (226 Games)
The count is in, and it may increase a little – or decrease a little. It has taken me about a week’s worth of hours to formulate this game plan. I have had to revamp the itinerary several times for cost and time considerations.
I initially had wanted to spend the first few months on the West Coast, however the parks are too far from each other. Once I established that was a problem, it made life easier. Factor in some great scores on tickets for the Red Sox and Phillies, and I am looking at a ton of games on the Eastern Seaboard.
Highlighted in my April schedule are 12 Doubleheader Attempts. Yes I am crazy, but this a good way to put a lot of games up early while I am freshest.
ESPN has also placed its first 5 games for Sunday night contests and surprise…the Yankees are in 3 of the contests. I am attending 4 of these games as part of Doubleheader days. The only one not consisting of 2 games is the MLB Season Opener at Wrigley Field on Apr.5, 2015.
I have slated to see most teams at least 3 times at home (except for Tropicana Field which I will see 2x), and all teams at least once on the road. I will see Citizens Bank Park, Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Miller Park, Safeco Field, US Cellular Field, Nats Park and Citi Field at least 10games or more.
There are 46 Doubleheaders in the 179 games played, with potentially more coming on the way. I could have a few taken away with my schedule projections as well. Right now the Royals, Padres, White Sox, Astros and Indians have not placed their start times yet (Shame on them, LOL). Read the rest of this entry
Confessions Of A Ball Park Chaser – 2015 Edition: Why I Will Attend 220+ MLB Games This Year Part 1
Donnie Baseball holds the record for most HRs hit in a 8 game HR streak stretch ever – with big flies in July of 1987. The Yankees 1B also would establish a record for 6 grandslams in one year that campaign, (since tied by Travis Hafner in 2006. Mattingly knocked in 23 RBI with those 10 HRs.
Confessions Of A Ball Park Chaser – 2015 Edition Part 2: Why I will See 220+ MLB Games in 2015
Confessions Of A Ball Park Chaser – 2015 Edition Part 3: Why I Will See 220+ Games In 2015
When I was a kid I wanted to be baseball player for the New York Yankees. Don Mattingly was my favorite hitter. Funny saying this as a Canadian, where our national pastime is hockey. Don’t get me wrong, I loved that sport too.. Just not as much as baseball.
My mom was talking me to my dad’s fastball league games when I was in a stroller in the late 1970’s.
By the time I was 3, my 2 older brothers were already playing baseball and I was hooked. It wasn’t too long after that I was joining them in practice.
For the next 16 years I ate, lived and breathed the sport. Some real life issues popped up, and I never recovered from injuries sustained growing up. I still can’t play recreational baseball because of a deep concussion history. I turned my back on the sport live in late 1996, never coming back until 2005. Now I am about to go my 4th epic journey to all 30 MLB Parks in the last 7 years.
This season, I will be live for a game every day all year. So how does one come to this lifestyle and crazy fandomness? We must go back in time…..
Quick Blurbs:
From Ages 10 – 15, I would hit baseballs to my dog every day. He was an English Springer Spaniel named Patches, and he was the quickest outfielder of ALL-Time, and handy when no one else wanted to play ball in the rainy winter months in Vancouver B.C, Canada. All I had to do was to bring a towel to wipe the slobber off of the baseballs.
I caught for 10 years, and loved the position as I could lead from the backstop of the diamond. At 9 years old, I began to umpire baseball games like my father. Read the rest of this entry
My 183 Day/30 MLB Park Trip Will Be About 229 Games.
Follow Chuck Booth On Twitter Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
I have been waiting for every last team to post their times, so I can mark my way through the entire calendar for game action for every single day next year,
Two-Thirds of the teams have complied, and I am seeing about 44 – 50 Doubleheader Attempts for the calendar season.
From the season opener at Wrigley Field, I will be there… I am attending about 17 – 20 games on the North Side Of Chicago, and many of them will couple a game at Miller Park right afterwards.
Since my brother lives in Philadelphia, and is the hub for doublheaders on the Eastern Seaboard, I will see the most games there out of any other park.
I contemplated basing out of Seattle, but it is just too far away from other parks. I will still see about 20 games there next season.
I plan on seeing the Nationals in about 12 different road parks..
Barring Any Setbacks Schedule Wise, I Will Be Attempting An All 30 MLB Parks/20 Days Trip In 2015
Follow Chuck Booth On Twitter Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
I have been waiting as patiently as I can for the 2015 time starts for the upcoming MLB season. It all started coming together when Wrigley Field was announced as the 2015 campaign opener.
I knew where I was going to start my quest of attending a game for every day in the 2015 year.
A lot of teams have put forth their start times for most games already, and even the Mets, Yankees and A’s are smart enough to have single game ticket sales up before Christmas holidays for 2015.
Scouring the June and July itinerary of games (for another ballpark chaser’s potential 30 Games in 30 Days via a ground trip) I started to see some Doubleheaders arise in the time frame of June 10 – July 4th time frame.
This is nothing new to me, as I have been scouting out Doubleheader possibilities since 2007. What was starting to take form is a sweetheart list of potential opportunities of 2 games in one day.
Now not every club has specified their start times. Teams like the Royals, Indians, Marlins, Astros, Padres, Angels and White Sox have yet to publish any game times this far. But from the games that are put in at this point, it is looking like I will have a streak chase to trek down my own World Record of 30 parks in 23 days set in 2012.
I will have to wait until the end of January to finish the schedule, as I am in need of the ESPN Sunday night schedule of games for those months too, but it is looking in my favor to have about 10 doubleheader attempts in a 20 day span. Read the rest of this entry
Yankees Off-Season Outlook: Big Shoes To Fill For Jeter, But How Do They?
By Nicholas Delahanty (MLB Reports Writer) Follow @Nick_Delahanty
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The 2015 off-season is very important for the New York Yankees, as they have a lot of major questions surrounding their current roster. With an aging roster and the return of recently reinstated Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees have some holes to fix, but those issues might not be their biggest concern this off-season.
We all knew the time would come, but no one was ready to start talking about how the Yankees would replace Derek Jeter. Jeter leaves very big shoes to fill in the Bronx, and the Yankees must try their best to find a successor who can not only handle the pressures of New York, but also can step up and produce.
Filling the void might be difficult at first, as past experiences have shown that Yankee fans are very impatient when it comes to replacing some of the best to wear the Yankee pinstripes. The only legitimate shortstop on the roster, Brendan Ryan, won’t be the Yankees everyday shortstop in 2015, so the Bronx Bombers must go through the trade market or free agency to fill a void that right now is larger than life.
Baltimore Orioles State Of The Union For 2015
By Nicholas Delahanty (MLB Reports Writer) Follow @Nick_Delahanty
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Even with some key players being out of the lineup for long periods of time (due to injuries/suspensions), the Baltimore Orioles still found a way to win 96 games during the 2014 regular season, and advanced to the ALCS after sweeping the Detroit Tigers in the ALDS.
Unfortunately, the Orioles’ World Series hopes were crushed by the Kansas City Royals in the Final Four, as the O’s struggled mightily against this year’s “Cinderella story.”
It turned out to be an ugly end for a great season, but the Orioles now need to look forward to the off-season.
With some key players heading towards free agency and arbitration, the Orioles need to make some moves in order to put themselves in contention to compete once again come 2015.
World Series Betting, MLB Reports SOTU + Happy 2nd Anniversary To Sully Baseball’s Daily Podcast
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Okay..It has been a trying month here at the MLB Reports..Damaged electronics, power outages, I moved (while working every single day) – and all of this in the eye of the Postseason. But we are finally 100% back, and all systems at go.
First off, I wanted to acknowledge Sully for his incredible work on his 20 minute daily podcast, and his ironman streak for a couple of different things.
Sully has done a brand new podcast every day for 732 days straight. That is incredible to say the least. We are ecstatic to have partnered with him for all but about 3 months of that time. If you don’t currently listening to it, you are missing out.
Paul Sullivan “Sully” is a walking historical book on the game of baseball, but he presents it in a way that anyone can be a fan of the game.
My girlfriend can even easily spend 20 minutes a day downloading his show on Soundcloud, because he makes it easy to follow – and entertaining.
He doesn’t beat you over the head with stats and spends a lot of time telling stories on the narrative, or just his personal views.. It is a gift to be able to translate the game to any specter of age or gender in audio fashion for 20 minutes a day.
Subscribe to The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Another thing Sully does, is watch every single game of the 2430 game regular season schedule, and all of the playoffs.
At the completion of the 2014 Postseason, he will have listed a daily MVP for the AL and NL Games for 2 years straight as well.
Much like his podcast, he posts these articles every day there was baseball the previous day of action.
You are talking about 200+ more posts per year. The guy doesn’t miss a day. That kind of devotion is and will become even more legendary as the season’s pile up.
Thank you Sully, looking forward to many more years of featuring your work on our website.
So because Paul Sullivan does these baseball posts every day, we are guaranteed at least an article of the Daily MVP, and also his podcast.
For those of you who have been lucky enough to become a follower, spread the word out there so we can make this daily show a huge paying gig for Sully one day. Read the rest of this entry
How To Do Wrigley Field And Miller Park Doubleheader Attempts
Wrigley Field might just be the best place just to watch a baseball game (Fenway Park rivals it for entire ballpark experience). AT &T Park and PNC Psrk usually round out the top 4 Parks. Once you have watched a game in this park once, I suggest going to a doubleheader with Miller Park. In any given year there are 12 – 20 Doubleheaders between the 2, with Wrigley usually taking the matinée 1st. Today I will give you an example of ways to travel between the stadiums.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Welcome to my 1st installment, of what could take about a year’s worth of writing to complete, if I were to post a blog everyday. I am talking about Modern Day MLB Baseball Doubleheaders.
I have done around 30 DH’s in my time so far, and have scouted every plausible scenario for all 30 Parks, to line up with dance partners, so you can see two games in one day.
For the last 2 years, have prominently displayed the Master List for Doubleheaders in the game of MLB, for each calendar year.
As some of you know, and now other will figure out, I am attending at least one baseball game every day of the 2015 MLB Season.
Listed in my itinerary, I plan to attend 50 – 60 Doubleheaders throughout the course of the year.
Of course the land attempts are far easier than flight, but I like the challenge of those to.
In the next 365 days, I will be giving you a preview of how to do all the doubleheaders possible, should time allow it on MLB’s schedule. Read the rest of this entry
Previewing The ALDS: Orioles Vs. Tigers
By Nicholas Delahanty (MLB Reports Writer) Follow @Nick_Delahanty
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
For the first time since 1997, the Orioles are back on top of the AL East Division, clinching their 9th division title in franchise history. For a team who has dealt with numerous injuries over the season, this team still found a way to win 96 games, which easily won them the division crown.
As October baseball is sure to bring out the best in the remaining competition, the Orioles have a tough task at hand, as they match up with the Detroit Tigers in the American League Division Series (ALDS).
Although the head-to-head numbers and the critics seem to favor the Orioles at the moment, it would be wise to not count this Orioles team out just yet, as they have proven doubters wrong throughout the course of the entire season.
Odds To Win The 2014 MLB World Series (All 10 Playoff Teams)
The Washington Nationals/Montreal Expos franchise still has never appeared in the World Series. That didn’t stop the oddsmakers from giving them the #1 favorite status heading into the playoffs today. They are the deepest team on both offense and defense, and only lack postseason experience. The Stephen Strasburg ‘decision’ of a few years back, will never be put to rest until this club wins a title. Despite them being favored, I am not sure the ranking is justified, as the Dodgers reside in the same league.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
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It is time to place your bets on the World Series. The Washington Nationals are your favorites to win the whole thing at +450. The Tigers, Angels and Dodgers are both next at all tied for +500.
To round out the teams in sequence…5 – Baltimore is at +700, 6 – St. Louis at +900, 7 – Oakland at +1100, 8 – San Fran at +1400, and the Royals and the Bucs are the biggest odds on the board at +1600 for 9th.
At first glance I see the pattern. The Nationals are the most deep team across the board, with having all 4 starters as potential aces in Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez and Doug Fister.
Each one of the players in the positional lineup, were over right near of plus.400 for Slugging Percentage, and this doesn’t even include Ryan Zimmerman – who will be an awesome bat off the bench at least to start. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Reports Playoff Predictions 2014
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
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The playoffs are upon us, and since we had such a great year predicting a lot of stuff, both Chuck Booth and I are putting our postseason prognostications up.
In other blogs we will take a look at the series and everything, but this is just pure bets.
American League
American League Wild Card Game
Oakland -104 @ Kansas City -106 (Jon Lester @ James Shields)
Chuck – Oakland, Hunter, Oakland
MLB Baseball Is A Great Value Live At The Park
Safeco Field is among the very top valued parks in the MLB. A pair of tickets can be had for $35 – $40 at the most, and there are an unbelievable amount of free parking spots within a mile of the venue. The pricing for the 2014 Post Season is decent as well for those with season ticket holder status. $40 for face valued tickets (LF Bleachers) during the LDS round. That goes to $85 during the ALCS – and only $120 per ticket for the World Series games. I can’t even buy a ‘Standing Room Only’ Ticket for my local NHL Hockey team. to see the worst team in the league for that much!
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
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Stop me if you heard this before…Baseball is dying.. Come on folks, the actual facts don’t suggest that at all. Sure if you are going back to the day when there were 3 networks on TV, and that is it.
I am going to let you in on a little secret here. Back in 2004, I was once a NHL hockey fan. Yeah, let the stereotype stand for living north of the border, but yeah I followed the sport religiously, even more than baseball for a period.
At that point in my life, I had been to about a hundred games live in Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary, and had been to exactly 3 MLB games (1 at Skydome in 1989, and 2 at Olympic Stadium) in the mid 90’s.
Once I went to Safeco Field once in 2005, I was hooked and had the vibe to see all other 29 parks in rapid fashion.
My love for viewing baseball parks escalated from there into 4 world record chases – to become the fastest to see a full game live at all 30 MLB Stadiums.
A lot of my friends and family are often baffled why i don’t just watch hockey, and support the local hockey team. My interest dwindles every year, and especially now that I am more rabid about baseball than ever, doing this website daily. Read the rest of this entry
How All Of The O’s Pitchers Were Acquired: 2014 Roster Tree Explains That The Staff Was Created By Deft Transactions!
Chris Tillman continues to assert himself as one of the emerging great arms in the American League. The 26 Year Old RHP is 26 – 12 in his last 38 game decisions with a mid 3 ERA. Not bad when you consider he and Adam Jones were brought to Maryland for former Draft Pick Erik Bedard, (who is barely hanging on to professional baseball – and was hurt or average in his Seattle days). That deal and the Tommy Hunter and Chris Davis/for Koli Uehara deals kickstarted the renaissance of this historic club. The O’s made the postseason for the 1st time in 15 years during he 2012 campaign, and now possess a massive lead in the AL East with 35 games to go. The O’s management and brass can take stock in a job well done in building this current group of ballplayers.
How All Of The Orioles Pitchers Were Acquired:
By Chuck Booth Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner) & Nick Delahanty (MLB Reports Featured Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024 Follow @nick_delahanty
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The Orioles made a swift and blunt move last off season, when they traded their 2012 and 2013 Closer Jim Johnson for Jemile Weeks.
The club took some flak in virtually discarding a 101 save man over the last few years to save some money. Johnson was awarded $10 MIL for the year, and has flamed out in Oakland and Detroit since. Those dollars are about what the team receives collectively as a unit.
The team was also lambasted for the signing/not signing of Grant Balfour, because a sketchy physical. Again, they have looked good in the transaction.
The O’s have done a great job building their Bullpen and Rotation.
Chris Tillman was part of the now extremely lopsided deal, which saw Adam Jones for Erik Bedard several years back.
That coupled with some waiver claims (T.J. McFarland as a Rule 5 Draft Picks) and former team draft picks – converting in to late inning arms (Brian Matusz and Closer Zach Britton), and you have seen a brilliant molding of a Relief Core.
Darren O’Day was claimed off of waivers from Texas, in the same campaign the club also fleeced the Rangers, with the Chris Davis/Tommy Hunter deal for Koji Uehara.
Ryan Webb was actually optioned to the Minors, despite decent numbers, while clearing a path for Andrew Miller, as part of a deal from Boston. Miller is one of the better LHP out of the pen in the last year.
The team has supplanted the rotation, with a few key Free Agents over the years, starting with Wei-Yin Chen, and Miguel Gonzalez.
Kevin Gausman represents the only starter right now that was drafted by the team originally.
Bud Norris was brought into Baltimore for a couple of former draft picks and a 2014 RD A compensation pick.
The other significant 2013 deal for the staff – was dealing a Minor Leaguer for Brad Brach.
The Ubaldo Situation
Looking at the numbers, Buck Showalter has the right idea in taking Jimenez out of the rotation.Regardless of the contract figures, Jimenez has failed to be that ace that the Orioles expected to get when he signed his 4 YR $50 MM dollar contract in the winter.
It’s time to let Jimenez take some time to figure things out, as hopefully skipping a start or two will give him time to work on his mechanics to help get him back on track.
This is also familiar territory for the Orioles, as Showalter and crew have had some good success sending guys to the bullpen.
Remember, Zach Britton and Tommy Hunter, two of the best arms in the Orioles’ bullpen this season, were starters that struggled, but once they were shifted to the bullpen they seemed to have figured it out and have been very reliable throughout the season.
Maybe Jimenez can find a role in the pen that could help the team clinch a playoff spot. Read the rest of this entry
How All Of The Pirates Hitters Were Acquired: 2014 Roster Tree
The Pittsburgh Pirates organization havebeen looking a lot better over the last few years. They had 20 Losing seasons in a row finally end in 2013, – and at the time were one of the 3 teams to not make the playoffs since the 1994 Player Strike (KC and Toronto) and were the only National League team to hold this distinction until they clinched a wildcard berth in last year’s postseason. The squad even won a game at PNC Park for the 1st time ever in playoffs against the Reds in the NL Wildcard game. They were ousted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 5 games during the NLDS round. The club was one of the best franchises around the game of the MLB in the 1970’s. Their recent struggles (prior to 2013) have been because of drafting prior to the Huntington reign as GM. This Roster Tree will show you they have done well via the trade route for several years.
How All Of The Pirates Hitters Were Acquired:
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
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Neil Huntington has done a great job assembling this Pirates team – and has spun some great trades in order to see his club actually be competitive over the last few years.
He may have taken some flak over not spending any money over the 2013 off season, but let’s see if he is active towards the Trade Deadline.
If the club has money to spend, they could really do some damage with picking up some help to bolster the squad.
Making the playoffs is just not good enough anymore.
You have been given a gift with the longterm deals that Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte have inked, and with the service clock just starting on Gregory Polanco.
It is an OF that hasn’t seen this much talent in Steeltown since the days of Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla and Andy Van Slyke. Read the rest of this entry
Should The Orioles Make A Blockbuster Deal Before the Deadline?
The Orioles are kicking around the top of the AL East, and may have three players that crack 30+ HRs by years end with Cruz, Jones and Davis. The team hasn’t even had normal contributions from Hardy and Machado – while Matt Wieters is out for the year. The time to strike is now with just being behind the AL East by 2 Games, and in barely trailing for the 2nd Wild Card Spot.
By Nicholas Delahanty (MLB Reports Writer) Follow @Nick_Delahanty
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As July rapidly approaches, the Orioles find themselves in the middle of the competitive AL East division trying to make a run at a division title in 2014.
Although the team finds themselves currently in second place in the division, the O’s have seen inconsistency throughout the first half of the season.
There are definitely places where the team can improve before the July 31st trade deadline, but the question remains of whether or not Dan Duquette and the Orioles front office want to part ways with some of the club’s promising young talent for a possible rental player.
ATR (Ask The Reports) Returns For One Day Here: June 25th, 2014
Home Of Sully Baseball + #WOB, #SullyMetrics, Baseball Analysis (Audio + Written, Roster Trees, Salaries, Org. Depth Charts, Historical Series for All 30 Clubs + State Of The Unions + Wicked Daily Content,) + tyhe best coverage on the 2014 MLB schedule in the world. We are not your average “Cookie Cutter” Website. Also our motto is “THE TRUTH STINGS LIKE A CATCUS!”
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
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As our website has increasingly adapted to changes both suggested by our readers and writers, we are forever changing our content on our little space carved out on the interwebs.
So for a little bit of nostalgia, I add an installment of a previous segment we once had, called ATR (Ask The Reports).
Q: I noticed you pulled down the HR leaderboard pages and placed them on a website called www.30mlbteamsreports.com, is this the same ownership of that site?
CB: Absolutely, I purchased the domain www.30mlbteamsreports.com to help control some of the amount of stuff we post at http://www.mlbreports.com. In some cases, we will post some of our work on both websites from now on. Read the rest of this entry
Defending Our MLB Power Rankings + What Is Strength Of Schedule?
Here at the MLB Reports we don’t pull punches. Earlier this week, our chief writer, Hunter Stokes worked his ass off to give a great rankings post for all 30 MLB teams. You want to debate us on the some of the clubs we choose to place in a standing then fine, but don’t say this website slacks off – or doesn’t invest their time for each piece. We eat, live and breathe baseball. We tell it like it is – no holds barred. Just to provide more clarity, I decided to write this ditty about how we come up with ratings on a weekly basis. I fully urge every other sports entity to at least offer that much to do their readers. This way, you know how these rankings came to be, and not it wasn’t just us flinging them out there.
I have come on to write an article fresh after talking all morning with people on twitter that have criticized our Rankings system. Then it occurred to me, a lot of the other main baseball websites do a different rankings system for their ratings.
I love ESPN and their baseball coverage, but seriously the Brewers and Braves don’t deserve to be #1 and #2 respectively in the latest week report.
I wish the website would define how they write their rankings. Is it how teams are playing? Maybe I could see that, but there should be a better definition in describing how their system is derived.
At the MLB Reports, there is no confusion at all. We base our 1 – 30 listings on how the teams rate in terms of the World Series – and if that particular squad has the talent to win the “Fall Classic” for the 2014 campaign. Read the rest of this entry
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