Blog Archives
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 4, 2017
Stephen Dunn – Getty Images Sports
Curt Schilling and I may not see eye to eye on many things. But I do think his Hall of Fame candidacy should be debated and his politics should stay out of it.
Opinions versus stats are debated on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast -August 21, 2016
Cindy Ord/Getty Images North Americ
It is Sunday and time for The Sunday Request.
@sullybaseball Hey Sully, Sunday request for you. What are your thoughts on Curt Schilling in politics? 😝 https://t.co/7lcSiY7RjR
— Julie Stone (@Julie_Stone) August 17, 2016
Chris Sale, Alex Gordon, Robbie Ray, Yoenis Cespedes, Lonnie Chisenhall, Clayton Richard and Denard Span all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball yesterday.
Oh Curt… the idea of you debating Elizabeth Warren is absurd.
The idea of you debating Bill Lee… is delicious.
It is a non Partisan episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast
See the updated listing of WOB on MLB Reports
ORDER SPACEMAN ON iTUNES BY CLICKING HERE
MLB Power Rankings 2016: Week 4 – April
One is the #1 club in the whole MLB right now, and the other was the biggest mover and shaker of the week for week 3 of MLB action. Both are leading the Central Divisions in their respective leagues behind awesome starting pitching and timely power.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_Hunter21
Follow The MLBreports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Disclaimer: We based these rankings on best strength to win the World Series. Therefore some teams that have an easier division to play in, with the least path of resistance to the postseason overall may be ranked a lot higher than a club who is equally talented, yet may play in a juggernaut of a division.
Game Records were before the results of the ESPN Sunday Night Game was played.
After a crazy week in which we saw our 1st no hitter, and massive long 16 inning game in Washington, we have for you the MLB Power Rankings.
There was no movement from the top 3 clubs. The NL West saw the Dodgers take a decent lead on the Giants – and that is major critical, as that is the team most likely to give them trouble in their quest for a 4th straight Division crown.
Bryce Harper has pulverized the Phillies, Marlins, Braves and Twins thus far. His late inning heroics are taking him to the next level.
The biggest mover and shaker this week was the White Sox, who climbed up 7 slots. The Giants dropping 8 positions was the biggest decline.
Bad weeks were had by the Tigers, Red Sox, Yankees and Astros. All clubs in the AL who are supposed to contend for a playoff slot.
The Mariners won their 3rd straight road series against the Angels (after beating the Yankees and Tribe 1s), and sit just a half game back in the AL West.
Oakland had started 7 – 0 on the road, before yielding 15 runs over the last 2 losses to the Blue Jays. They are tied with the Rangers for the lead in the Division, but it is just a matter of time before they are bounced out in my opinion.
Cleveland had a nice week of 4 – 2 to jump up 5 spots in the rankings. and are that much closer to bringing back Michael Brantley.
Gaining only one spot but having an awesome week were the New York Mets. All the boys are hitting now, and they are 8 – 2 in their last 10 contests. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 21, 2016
Getty Images
Curt Schilling has become that friend you can no longer defend on Facebook. Meanwhile some positive surprises for the Red Sox and negative ones for the Giants have popped up early.
I watch my tongue on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Chris Sale, Mookie Betts, Chris Carter, Carlos Martinez, Danny Salazar, Madison Bumgarner, Michael Saunders and Lucas Duda all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball yesterday.
See the updated listing of WOB on MLB Reports
Nats Need Stellar Years From Scherzer/Strasburg Similar To Johnson/Schilling Duo In 2001 – To Win The World Series
Max Scherzer was filthy in the 1st half of 2015 – with a 2.11 ERA heading up to the ALL – Star Break, and Stephen Strasburg ended the 2nd half of the year with a 1.90 in his Post ALL – Star games. If these 2 day aces can be in top form for the whole year, and then carry through to the playoffs, it would go a long with their chances to win a World Series. Since Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister left, the rotation is not as deep as it once was, yet these guys could make for an unforgettable 1 -2 punch in the postseason, and combined with Bryce Harper, potentially win the Fall Classic this year.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
With Zack Greinke flying the coop in Los Angeles over the winter, all of a sudden, this dynamic pair of Nationals chuckers should be the best back to back starting tandem in the Majors right now.
It is a walk year for Stephen Strasburg. He has shown flashes of brilliance, but has yet to put it together for the whole year. You could say his career has kind of been like Schilling’s prior to his arrival in Arizona.
I think both guys could near 20 wins each. have mid 2 ERA’s – and both compete against the NL’s elite for the NL Cy Young Award.
If they have great seasons, it should equal a playoff berth – and if not the NL East Division. Strasburg’s best two years were in 2012 and 2014, so maybe he is just a better even year pitcher himself.
Scherzer is 53 – 20 with a near 1.00 WHIP and ERA of 3 since the start of the 2013 season. No doubt these 2 guys will pull up awesome numbers in playing the Marlins, Phillies and Braves for almost 40% of their total games. Add in the Brewers, Reds, Padres, Rockies to the fold, and that becomes half of the year.
Should Washington make the playoffs, that is exactly why they doled out $210 over 7 years for Scherzer in the first place. The former Tigers pitcher was pretty damn good in the 1st RD of the postseason for Detroit, going 3 – 1, with an ERA of 2.79 and WHIP of 1.034 in 29 Innings worth of work in the LDS rounds. I think he could take the next step beyond that.
Last year Scherzer threw 2 no-hitters and nearly tossed 2 more. He has shown he can last longer than ever before. He was a workhorse with his 228.2 IP. It was a career high, just like his 276 Strikeouts in that timeframe and his incredible WHIP of 0.918 were.
It is time to for Strasburg to leave it all on the table. Much like his 34 Game Starts in 2014, where he logged 215 Innings and a NL Leading 242 Strikeouts, the former #1 overall pick could really make a fortune in Free Agency with a banner year. At Age 27 until late July when he turns 28, he is still in his prime years coming for the next few campaigns. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Feb.1, 2013 – Feb.28, 2013 (Episodes 101 – 128)
Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1216 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 101 – 128 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Sully starting posting his daily podcasts at the mlbreports.com on Feb.6, 2013. We will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans. Check out all his Archived info here.
Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.
Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter Follow @sullybaseball
To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.
To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Baseball Hall Of Fame (Class Of 2017) Voting Poll
Vladdy was an Expo from 1996-2003 and will be elected into the Hall of Fame as An Expo to join Andre Dawson, Gary Carter and potentially Tim Raines next year.
Now that the 2016 Baseball Hall Of Fame Voting has come and gone it is time to turn our attention to the 2017 vote already.
There are 15 remaining names left from the 2016 Vote including: Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, Trevor Hoffman, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, Lee Smith, Jeff Kent, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa and Gary Sheffield.
Out of those 15, Raines and Smith are in the final years of their names being on the ballot.
There are 21 new names that come to the 2017 selection process for the 1st time – headed up by Vladimir Guerrero, Manny Ramirez and Ivan Rodriguez. All of these guys have the numbers to be 1st ballot Hall inductees, however Ramirez has been suspended over PED’s and Rodriguez has had whispers mentioned about him. Read the rest of this entry
Ken Griffey JR. + Mike Piazza Named To The Hall: Our Final Poll Vote Had Bagwell Joining Those Two
Ken Griffey was well on his way to the all-time career HR record before injuries slowed him down after the age of 30. He is also the last player in the MLB to have a HR in 8 straight contests, dating in 1993. Griffey received a record 99% of the ballots vote from the BBWAA, eclipsing Tom Seaver’s old record for highest percentage of votes in his selection today.
There were the 32 names on the list for consideration for the Baseball Hall Of Fame, only 2 made were selected to Cooperstown with Griffey JR. and Piazza. Our poll also had Jeff Bagwell make it.
Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey Jr., Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Garret Anderson, Mike Lowell, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Sweeney, David Eckstein are all on the ballot.
.Mike Piazza almost made it into the Baseball Hall Of Fame in voting for last year with a clip of 69.9% of the votes. He made it into the BBHOF this year.
Out of 524 People Voting, Final Results (75% would get a Hall Of Fame Induction)
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 519 | 99.04% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Bagwell | 416 | 79.38% | |
| Mike Piazza | 397 | 75.77% | |
| Tim Raines | 380 | 72.52% | |
| Roger Clemens | 331 | 63.17% | |
| Barry Bonds | 285 | 54.39% | |
| Curt Schilling | 222 | 42.37% | |
| Trevor Hoffman | 218 | 41.60% | |
| Edgar Martinez | 203 | 38.74% | |
| Alan Trammell | 190 | 36.26% | |
| Mike Mussina | 188 | 35.88% | |
| Mark McGwire | 169 | 32.25% | |
| Fred McGriff | 130 | 24.81% | |
| Sammy Sosa | 130 | 24.81% | |
| Larry Walker | 120 | 22.90% | |
| Lee Smith | 107 | 20.42% | |
| Jeff Kent | 101 | 19.27% | |
| Billy Wagner | 95 | 18.13% | |
| Gary Sheffield | 81 | 15.46% | |
| Jim Edmonds | 52 | 9.93% | |
| Nomar Garciaparra | 35 | 6.68% | |
| Brad Ausmus | 10 | 1.9% | |
| Jason Kendall | 9 | 1.72% | |
| Mark Grudzielanek | 9 | 1.72% | |
| Mike Hampton | 7 | 1.34% | |
| Garrett Anderson | 7 | 1.34% | |
| Troy Glaus | 4 | 0.7% | |
| Randy Winn | 4 | 0.7% | |
| MIke Lowell | 4 | 0.7% | |
| Mike Sweeney | 4 | 0.7% | |
| David Eckstein | 4 | 0.7% | |
| Luis Castillo | 2 | 0.35% |
Despite coming 15 votes shy with the BBWAA vote, Bagwell made it to the Hall in our poll – registering almost 80% of the ballots.
MLB Baseball Hall Of Fame (Class Of 2016) Voting Poll Results So Far (Last Chance To Vote)
Below the results listed so far, Pick 10 players who you believe should be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame this year. We will post the results after the class of this year is posted. We can see the amount of people who voted.
So we will accurately adjust this mark once the poll ends. A basic reference to see if a player is being voted for is to take their votes (times by 10) and then divide by the total amount of votes.
Here are the 32 names on the list for consideration.
Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey Jr., Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Garret Anderson, Mike Lowell, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Sweeney, David Eckstein are all on the ballot.
So Far (at 9:45 AM EST, Tuesday Jan.6, 2015) there have been 386 People who have voted, and only 6 people have left Ken Griffey JR. off of their list. Piazza and Raines (just barely) would both join Junior on the Baseball Hall Of Fame Induction list should this come to fruition.
I think the BBWAA should really take stock on the Clemens and Bonds numbers as they are far superior to what they voted for last year. Both of them are about 25% higher and on the fringe of making the Hall..
I also think that Hoffman is hurt by his 1st year on the ballot. A lot of people may have factored this in.
I really think Raines is going to see a big boost to his bid for the Baseball Hall Of Fame with it being his 9th year on the ballot. Under the new rules, that means that 2017’s Baseball Hall Of Fame Class would be his last chance to be elected to Cooperstown.
Out of 386 People Voting, The Results Thus Far (75% would get a Hall Of Fame Induction)
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 380 | 98.45% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Piazza | 312 | 80.82% | |
| Tim Raines | 290 | 75.12% | |
| Jeff Bagwell | 241 | 62.43% | |
| Roger Clemens | 237 | 61.40% | |
| Barry Bonds | 236 | 61.14% | |
| Trevor Hoffman | 186 | 48.19% | |
| Edgar Martinez | 162 | 41.96% | |
| Curt Schilling | 161 | 41.71% | |
| Mike Mussina | 148 | 38.34% | |
| Mark McGwire | 147 | 38.08% | |
| Sammy Sosa | 117 | 30.31% | |
| Alan Trammell | 116 | 30.06% | |
| Lee Smith | 98 | 25.39% | |
| Fred McGriff | 98 | 25.39% | |
| Larry Walker | 86 | 22.28% | |
| Jeff Kent | 79 | 20.47% | |
| Gary Sheffield | 69 | 17.88% | |
| Billy Wagner | 49 | 12.69% | |
| Jim Edmonds | 37 | 9.6% | |
| Nomar Garciaparra | 25 | 6.48% | |
| Jason Kendall | 6 | 1.56% | |
| Garrett Anderson | 3 | 0.78% | |
| MIke Lowell | 3 | 0.78% | |
| Troy Glaus | 2 | 0.54% | |
| Mike Sweeney | 2 | 0.54% | |
| David Eckstein | 2 | 0.54% | |
| Brad Ausmus | 2 | 0.54% | |
| Mike Hampton | 1 | 0.27% | |
| Luis Castillo | 1 | 0.27% | |
| Randy Winn | 1 | 0.27% | |
| Mark Grudzielanek | 1 | 0.27% |
Vote up until 558 PM EST today.
MLB Baseball Hall Of Fame (Class Of 2016) Voting Poll Results So Far (Last Chance To Vote)
Below the results listed so far, Pick 10 players who you believe should be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame this year. We will post the results after the class of this year is posted. We can see the amount of people who voted.
So we will accurately adjust this mark once the poll ends. A basic reference to see if a player is being voted for is to take their votes (times by 10) and then divide by the total amount of votes.
Here are the 32 names on the list for consideration.
Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey Jr., Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Garret Anderson, Mike Lowell, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Sweeney, David Eckstein are all on the ballot.
So Far (at 8:30 AM EST, Tuesday Jan.5, 2015) there have been 260 People who have voted, and only 2 people have left Ken Griffey JR. off of their list. Piazza and Raines would both join Junior on the Baseball Hall Of Fame Induction list should this come to fruition.
I think the BBWAA should really take stock on the Clemens and Bonds numbers as they are far superior to what they voted for last year. Both of them are about 25% higher and on the fringe of making the Hall..
I also think that Hoffman is hurt by his 1st year on the ballot. A lot of people may have factored this in.
I really think Raines is going to see a big boost to his bid for the Baseball Hall Of Fame with it being his 9th year on the ballot. Under the new rules, that means that 2017’s Baseball Hall Of Fame Class would be his last chance to be elected to Cooperstown.
Out of 260 People Voting, The Results Thus Far (75% would get a Hall Of Fame Induction)
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 257 | 98.84% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Piazza | 207 | 79.62% | |
| Tim Raines | 206 | 79.23% | |
| Roger Clemens | 166 | 63.84% | |
| Barry Bonds | 166 | 63.84% | |
| Jeff Bagwell | 166 | 63.84% | |
| Trevor Hoffman | 133 | 51.15% | |
| Edgar Martinez | 119 | 45.77% | |
| Curt Schilling | 115 | 44.23% | |
| Mark McGwire | 114 | 43.84% | |
| Mike Mussina | 109 | 41.92% | |
| Sammy Sosa | 89 | 34.23% | |
| Alan Trammell | 84 | 32.31% | |
| Lee Smith | 74 | 28.46% | |
| Fred McGriff | 69 | 26.54% | |
| Jeff Kent | 65 | 25.00% | |
| Larry Walker | 62 | 23.85% | |
| Gary Sheffield | 42 | 16.15% | |
| Billy Wagner | 39 | 15% | |
| Jim Edmonds | 29 | 11.15% | |
| Nomar Garciaparra | 20 | 7.7% | |
| Jason Kendall | 4 | 1.5% | |
| Garret Anderson | 2 | 0.8% | |
| MIke Lowell | 2 | 0.8% | |
| Troy Glaus | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Mike Hampton | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Luis Castillo | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Randy Winn | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Mark Grudzielanek | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Mike Sweeney | 1 | 0.4% | |
| David Eckstein | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Brad Ausmus | 1 | 0.4% |
Vote today.
When Can The Baseball Writers For The Hall Of Fame Consider Cheating Through PED Use, Or Not?
Barry Bonds once admitted to a Federal Jury that he used PED’s. As MLB’s ALL-Time HR King with 762 Round-Trippers, will the BBWAA ever consider looking past this and elect him into Cooperstown? He only received 36.8 % of the votes last year – and will be in his 4th year of balloting this season. The 7 time MVP, the 13 time ALL – Star, 12 time Silver Slugger, and 8 time Gold Glove Winner had a career 3 slash of .298/.444/.607 – and is also the ALL – Time Leader in Walks with 2558 – and is in the top 5 for several other categories lifetime.
Prof. Wes Reber Porter and Dan Dressman (Special Guest Writers): Follow @WRPspdADVOCACY and Follow @DannyDressman
When the 2016 MLB Hall of Fame Ballot is announced tomorrow, the heated discussion will begin about which controversial candidates, if any at all, should have been inducted into Cooperstown (HOF).
While isolated athletes have come up in previous years, this year represents the fourth year tension between the modern era of baseball – the “steroid era” – and traditional standards for admission into the Hall. With no one that has been connected to PEDs still having been inducted in
The 500+ baseball writers are, and should be, entrusted to weigh cheating and use of PEDs against the HOF’s criteria of “character,” “sportsmanship” and “upholding the integrity of the game” (the integrity standards).
These writers each will struggle, however, with a preliminary question that falls outside of their expertise:under which circumstances may a HOF voter consider, at all, a candidate’s connection to cheating and performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)? Read the rest of this entry
MLB Baseball Hall Of Fame (Class Of 2016) Voting Poll Results So Far
Below the results listed so far, Pick 10 players who you believe should be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame this year. We will post the results after the class of this year is posted. We can see the amount of people who voted.
So we will accurately adjust this mark once the poll ends. A basic reference to see if a player is being voted for is to take their votes (times by 10) and then divide by the total amount of votes.
Here are the 32 names on the list for consideration.
Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey Jr., Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Garret Anderson, Mike Lowell, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Sweeney, David Eckstein are all on the ballot.
So Far (at 7:30 AM EST) there have been 157 People who have voted, and only 2 people have left Ken Griffey JR. off of their list. Piazza and Raines would both join Junior on the Baseball Hall Of Fame Induction list should this come to fruition.
I think the BBWAA should really take stock on the Clemens and Bonds numbers as they are far superior to what they voted for.
I also think that Hoffman is hurt by his 1st year on the ballot. A lot of people may have factored this in.
I really think Raines is going to see a big boost to his bid for the Baseball Hall Of Fame with it being his 9th year on the ballot. Under the new rules, that means that 2017’s Baseball Hall Of Fame Class would be his last chance to be elected to Cooperstown.
Out of 157 People Voting, The Results Thus Far (75% would get a Hall Of Fame Induction)
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 155 | 98.72% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Piazza | 129 | 76.43% | |
| Tim Raines | 129 | 76.43% | |
| Jeff Bagwell | 110 | 70.06% | |
| Barry Bonds | 106 | 67.52% | |
| Roger Clemens | 105 | 66.88% | |
| Trevor Hoffman | 84 | 53.51% | |
| Edgar Martinez | 77 | 49.04% | |
| Mark McGwire | 77 | 49.04% | |
| Mike Mussina | 75 | 47.78% | |
| Curt Schilling | 71 | 45.22% | |
| Sammy Sosa | 61 | 38.86% | |
| Lee Smith | 52 | 33.12% | |
| Alan Trammell | 52 | 33.12% | |
| Fred McGriff | 47 | 29.34% | |
| Larry Walker | 46 | 29.29% | |
| Jeff Kent | 41 | 26.11% | |
| Gary Sheffield | 32 | 20.38% | |
| Billy Wagner | 31 | 19.75% | |
| Jim Edmonds | 24 | 15.29% | |
| Nomar Garciaparra | 19 | 12.11% | |
| MIke Lowell | 2 | 0.12% | |
| Luis Castillo | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Randy Winn | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Jason Kendall | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Garret Anderson | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Mark Grudzielanek | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Mike Sweeney | 1 | 0.06% | |
| David Eckstein | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Brad Ausmus | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Troy Glaus | 0 | 0% | |
| Mike Hampton | 0 | 0% |
Vote today. The Hall Of Fame Class of 2016 will be announced tomorrow.
2016 MLB Baseball Hall Of Fame Voting Poll
Pick 10 players who you believe should be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame this year. We will post the results after the class of this year is posted. We can see the amount of people who voted.
So we will accurately adjust this mark once the poll ends. A basic reference to see if a player is being voted for is to take their votes (times by 10) and then divide by the total amount of votes.
Here are the 32 names on the list for consideration. Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey Jr., Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Garret Anderson, Mike Lowell, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Sweeney, David Eckstein are all on the ballot.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – February 27, 2015
Photo by John Rudoff
Brilliant comedian Erin Foley, as seen on Conan and in the movie Almost Famous, returns as a guest on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast. She is the creator and host of my favorite sports podcast Sports Without Balls.
Erin and I talk about Red Sox, Yankees, Kenny Rogers (both of them), her parents and what would have happened if we had kids together.
Follow Erin on Twitter by clicking HERE
Subscribe to Sports Without Balls by clicking HERE
A Early Look at Future Hall of Fame Candidates
Craig Biggio finally got his “call to the hall” and should set an example for players who didn’t get that call on their first try. Other notable players are still on the ballot, and should receive legitimate consideration for induction in the future.
By Nicholas Delahanty (MLB Reports Writer) Follow @Nick_Delahanty
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The BBWAA elected four players into the Baseball Hall of Fame for the class of 2015: Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio. This is the first time that the BBWAA has elected four players in 60 years, as these four players truly exemplify what the MLB Hall of Fame is all about.
Now that the official results have been released, we can now take a look at not only some of the guys who will return on the ballot in the upcoming years, but also some future eligible players who present a very interesting case for their enshrinement into the Hall of Fame.
2015 MLB Hall of Fame Voting: Who Deserves to Get In?
The MLB Hall of Fame will announce which players will be part of the Class of 2015. With players such as Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez being added to the ballot this year, the question remains as to which players will ultimately make the final cut this year?
By Nicholas Delahanty (MLB Reports Writer) Follow @Nick_Delahanty
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
It is very possible that history is made with regards to this year’s MLB Hall of Fame induction class. In the past, the committee has been hesitant to vote in more than three players in one class, and it has been very rare to see more than three voted in at one time. In the past, the committee voted in four players twice (1947 and 1955) and five players only once (1936- the first year of the voting process).
As the decision day quickly approaches, there is speculation that the BBWAA could possibly end the long drought and elect five players this year. With this year’s ballot having a ton of players who could make a legitimate case to be inducted, I decided to go to the process of picking my own ballot (which doesn’t count for the BBWAA), and after taking the time and effort to research my ballet, I realized that it was a much harder process then I anticipated it would be.
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
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
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
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
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
The Top 5 Players In Baseball
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
It should come as no shock for anyone on this list. Notice how I did not mention the MVP word anywhere in the Title.
This is solely for the purpose of pushing Mike Trout on the list.
In terms of all around play, there is no doubt in most experts minds, that the 22 Year Old is best overall player in the game of baseball.
If you are picking it just solely on a hitter, I am still giving the nod to Miguel Cabrera. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – February 19, 2014
CBS TV
The 1993 NLCS between the Phillies and Braves was bizarre, unpredictable, unexplainable and incredibly under appreciated.
Remembering it is the topic of today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – February 7, 2014
Boston Globe/WOR TV
Today on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I pay tribute to two men.
Curt Schilling played the role of the villain in baseball perfectly.
Ralph Kiner lived a full baseball life and was my connection to many facets of the past that are now gone.
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MLB Reports Hall Of Fame Predictions: Class Of 2014 Players
The deadline of December 31st has come and gone for The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). Members were asked to submit no more than 10 names of players they “deem” worthy of induction towards this year’s National Baseball Hall of Fame ceremony set for July.
By Patrick Languzzi (Cooperstown Correspondent) Follow @patricklanguzzi
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Results are scheduled to be announced on January 8th.
Players must receive at least 75 percent of the votes in order to be inducted by a voting body of roughly over 500 eligible writers.
There are many player names worthy of discussion, however, few will see enshrinement, now or ever.
Greg Maddux Tribute:
Arizona May Have To Rethink Their Team Salary In The NL West With High Spending LA + SF
The Arizona Diamondbacks didn’t have the type of year in 2013 that they had wished for, however the future looks really strong. Aided by a slugging 1st Baseman (Paul Goldschmidt), and great young Staring Pitching like Wade Miley and Patrick Corbin, added with Veterans Miguel Montero, Martin Prado and Aaron Hill, with prospects A.J. Pollock and Adam Eaton being the future core, this team should see some heavy duty improvement from year to year. Having said this, they compete with the two most expensive payrolls in the NL – in their Division with the Dodgers and Giants.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Chase Field is a pretty cool ballpark. The Diamondbacks have been often voted as one of the better organizations in the MLB for how they treat their fanbases for guest services, value and overall baseball experiences.
While the D’Backs finished in 14th for NL Attendance this year, they cracked the 2 Million fan barrier for the 15th straight year since entering the league.
Over the last 8 years, the team has kept comfortably between 2.0 MIL and 2.5 MIL.
Back in the first few seasons of MLB in the desert, the franchise was drawing well over 3 Million fans..
Paul Goldschmidt 2013 Highlights
When Can The Baseball Writers For The Hall Of Fame Consider Cheating Through PED Use, Or Not?
Barry Bonds once admitted to a Federal Jury that he used PED’s. As MLB’s ALL-Time HR King with 762 Round-Trippers, will the BBWAA ever consider looking past this and elect him into Cooperstown? —Photo by sportsagent.com.
Prof. Wes Reber Porter and Dan Dressman (Special Guest Writers): Follow @WRPspdADVOCACY and Follow @DannyDressman
When the 2014 MLB Hall of Fame Ballot is released in November, the heated discussion will begin about which controversial candidates, if any at all, would be inducted into Cooperstown (HOF).
While isolated athletes have come up in previous years, this year represents a first real tension between the modern era of baseball – the “steroid era” – and traditional standards for admission into the Hall.
The 575 baseball writers are, and should be, entrusted to weigh cheating and use of PEDs against the HOF’s criteria of “character,” “sportsmanship” and “upholding the integrity of the game” (the integrity standards).
These writers each will struggle, however, with a preliminary question that falls outside of their expertise:under which circumstances may a HOF voter consider, at all, a candidate’s connection to cheating and performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)? Read the rest of this entry
MLB’s Payroll Matters Part 2: Just Because Some Low Payroll Teams Have Bucked The Trend – Doesn’t Mean It Will Continue
It seems the only to way to build a team successfully – is to be atrocious for several (talking 6 – 8 seasons like the Twins, Nationals, Pirates, Rays in recent years – and now the Astros are following suit), stockpile top 5 Draft Picks, and have them all become your nucleus for a matter of a few seasons. The reason is because of Team Controllable Salaries. Teams like the Rays and Pirates have also held players in the Minor Leagues longer than needed – due to salary and Arbitration implications. I can think of Desmond Jennings, Wil Myers, Chris Archer for the Rays, while Gerrit Cole and Jeff Locke come to mind for the Bucs. If a player is ready for action in the Majors, he should playing – end of story.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Lets just take a look at the teams that have played well above their value. The Twins are a story much like the Marlins in 1997 and 2003.
The Twins had a good team in the late 80’s, and won 2 World Series Titles in 1987 and 1991. However the economics of the game hit them hard, and they struggled for an 8 year stretch in the AL Central.
For Part 1 of the MLB’s State Of the Union Part 1: Click here.
Major League Contraction Talk Again?
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – September 13, 2013
Photo: Patrick Semansky
The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast today tackles the WIN stat.
It isn’t much of an individual metric, but it is an effective story telling stat.
And that is why I am mad at a statistician in Baltimore who messed with it.
Freddie Freeman, A. J. Griffin, Jeff Locke and Ryan Raburn all owned baseball on September 12, 2013.
To see the up to date tally of “Who Owns Baseball?,” click HERE.
Subscribe on iTunes HERE.
The Arizona Diamondbacks: The Best Pitchers 1998 – 2013: Part 3 Of A 3 Part Article Series
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Follow @mlbreportsFriday, July.12, 2013
Johnson is by far the most illustrious pitcher that has pitched for the franchise. He holds multiple pitching records for the team, and it will take some time for someone to even come close to breaking those records. The “Big Unit” came to the desert in 1999, and his impact was felt immediately, by him winning 17 games in his first season with 271.2 innings pitched and he struck out 364 batters. he would go on to win the CY Young Award his first four seasons with the club, while averaging 354 strikeouts per season in his first four years in Arizona. Johnson is 2nd all-time in MLB history with 4,875 career strikeouts.He along with Curt Schilling was crucial was in bringing a World Series title to the desert in 2001. He had a SO/9 of 11.5 during the eight seasons he spent with the Diamondbacks.
By Chris Lacey (Lead Baseball Columnist/Minority Website Owner) Follow @aecanada12
The Diamondbacks have had good years and bad years in terms of pitching for their club. The first season for the club which was in 1998, they lost 97 games and 69 of those losses were from the rotation, which caused to finish last in the National West Division.
Their rotation consisted of Andy Benes, Brian Anderson, Omar Daal, Willie Blair, Amaury Telemaco, and Jeff Suppan. The closer for them that season was Gregg Olson.
Click the Link Below to see the Hitters version
The Arizona Diamondbacks Best Hitters (1998 – 2013): Part 2 Of A 3 Part Series
Luis Gonzalez’s walk off hit Game 7 World Series 2011
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – February 23, 2013
On today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I discuss Curt Schilling’s sock on the auction block.
I asked my wife questions about why anyone would spend money on an old dirty sock. Eventually we talked about cloning. I’m not kidding.
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Eight Things To Watch For At Red Sox Spring Training
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Follow @mlbreportsFriday, February.15, 2013
Lester had started his career 61-26 (.709) before he has pitched to a 24-22 record the last two seasons (.522). Lester still led the active pitchers in Winning Percentage before the 2012 year – but now has fallen to 7th with a Career Record of 85-48 (.639). Can he prove himself as an ace without Josh Beckett.
By Saul Wisnia, Red Sox Correspondent (Read his blog ‘Fenway Reflections’ here): Follow @SaulWizz
Now that the obligatory Q&A sessions about what went wrong in 2012 and what everyone thinks about Terry Francona‘s book are (hopefully) over, it’s time for Red Sox players and fans to start focusing on the season ahead.
The full squad was due at Jet Blue Park at Fenway South yesterday, but many position players showed up in Fort Myers early — a good sign that the club is hungry to rise from its unfamiliar spot in the American League East basement. While the club’s won-loss mark in spring training games is not necessarily a barometer of what is to come, the stage for the season can be largely set during the next seven weeks.
Past the Youtube clip or (Read Rest Of this Entry Click) are eight intriguing story lines to watch for leading up to Opening Day at Yankee Stadium on April 1:
Boston Red Sox Highlights In 2012 – including 100th Year Celebration at Fenway:
The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise 1977-1993 Part 1 Of A 7 Part Series
Friday, Nov.09/2012
Note from Chuck Booth: I am attempting to bring the history for each of the 30 MLB Franchises into a 5 part series that will focus on 1. The teams history. 2. The hitters 3. The pitchers. 4. The Teams Payroll going into 2013 and 5.The Ball Park that they play in. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) Be sure to check my author page with a list of all of my archived articles section here.
The Blue Jays have not qualified for the Playoffs since they won Back to Back World Series in 1992 and 1993. Only Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Toronto have not made a playoffs appearance since the 1994 strike. At the time they were around the top of the MLB Payroll for all teams.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024
In sifting through 35 years of history with the Toronto Blue Jays as a franchise, it is sad that since 1994, only Pittsburgh, Toronto and Kansas City have not made a playoff appearance in the Major Leagues. They have been battling the Red Sox and Yankees powerhouse clubs since the 1994 player strike/1995 Lock-out. This baseball interruption of play was also a deciding factor on the Montreal Expos losing their franchise, however one could say that this has had a profound effect on the other only team North of The Border. The Jays were a model franchise all the way through the 80’s. From 1983-1993, the team carried out 11 straight winning seasons, 5 Pennants and back to back World Series Wins in 1992 and 1993.
Pat Gillick had been with the baseball club from the get go, and after finishing in dead-last for the first 5 years of existence, the Jays rode the backs of several budding stars that were drafted by the man. From the early pitching stars of Jim Clancy and Dave Stieb, to the young outfield that flourished as a core for years in: Lloyd Moseby, George Bell and Jesse Barfield, the team showed that drafting and trading for young players was the way to build an organization. It took until 1985 for the teams first Pennant, barely edging the Yankees by 2 games for the AL East. Playoff disappointment followed from 1985-1991. The team soon would find the promised land as the top team in 1992 and 1993.
Franchise History Part 2 1994-2012: https://mlbreports.com/2012/11/28/jay/
The Hitters: The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise Hitters: Part 3 Of A 7 Part Article Series
The Pitchers: The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise Pitchers Part 4 Of A 7 Part Series
Skydome: An Interview with ‘Rogers Centre Expert’ and “MLB reports Founder” Jonathan Hacohen
For Part 6 of the 7 Part Series: Blue Jays 2013 Team Payroll Click here:
For Part 7 of the 7 Part Series: Blue Jays 2013 Team Payroll: A Readers Thoughts, Click Here:
MLB Reports 
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