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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June.02) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
USATSI
Kyle Seager missed the cycle by a single. He doubled, tripled twice and launched a back breaking homer as the Mariners blew out the Yankees, 10-2.
Justin Masterson dominated his former team, throwing 7 innings of 3 hit shutout ball, striking out 10 and ending the Red Sox winning streak with a 3-2 win in Cleveland.
Jordy Mercer got on base 5 times, including a homer, drove in a pair and scored 4 times in the Pirates 10-3 romp in San Diego.
Clayton Kershaw threw 8 strong innings, striking out 9 and walking none, allowing the Dodgers to come from behind and beat the White Sox, 5-2.
They owned baseball on June 02, 2014.
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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (June.01) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
ED S. WARREN/AP
In a day full of remarkable pitching performances, Roenis Elias stood out with a masterful 3 hit shutout of the mighty Detroit Tigers. The Mariners won 4-0.
Brock Holt got on base 5 times with 4 doubles and a stolen base helping the Red Sox sweep the Rays with a 4-0 win and extend their winning streak to 7 games.
Kyle Lohse threw a complete game 3 hit shutout against the Cubs, 9-0, and padded the Brewers divisional lead.
Andrew McCutchen homered, smacked a pair of doubles and made a sliding catch, starring in the nationally broadcast 5-3 Pirates victory in Los Angeles.
They owned baseball on June 01, 2014.
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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.31) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Ben Margot, Associated Press
Yoenis Cespedes was a single shy of the cycle. He hit a go ahead triple in the 7th, blasted a game busting 3 run homer in the 8th and threw out a pair of runners at the plate, doing it all in the A’s 11-3 thumping of the Angels.
Hanley Ramirez went 4-5 with a pair of homers, 5 RBI and 4 runs scored, helping the Dodgers blow out Pittsburgh 12-2.
Masahiro Tanaka did not let up an earned run over 8 innings, giving up just 4 hits and struck out 9 Twins, picking up his 8th win for the Yankees, 3-1.
Johnny Cueto threw shutout ball into the 8th inning. He finished with 7 1/3 innings with 7 strikeouts and 1 walk leading the Reds to a 5-0 win in Arizona.
They owned baseball on May.31, 2014.
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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.30) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Dilip Vishwanat, Getty Images
Madison Bumgarner threw 7 three hit shutout innings, striking out 10 while only walking 1 Cardinal batter, leading the Giants to a 9-4 win.
Devin Mesoraco hit a second inning grand slam and later added a solo shot, providing most of the spark for Cincinnati’s 6-4 victory in Arizona.
Corey Kluber pitched into the 8th inning, finishing with 5 hits over 7 1/3, striking out 12 and walking 1 as the Indians topped Colorado, 5-2.
Josh Donaldson had another amazing day at the plate. He got on four times, including a pair of homers and 4 RBI as Oakland topped the Angels, 9-4
They owned baseball on May.30, 2014.
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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.29) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Photo: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Josh Collmenter faced the minimum 27 batters in his brilliant 3 hit no walk complete game shutout against the Reds, earning the 4-0 win in Arizona.
Michael Morse homered and drove in the go ahead runs with an 8th inning double as the Giants came from behind to beat the Cardinals, 6-5.
Brad Peacock threw 6 solid innings, striking out 8, walking no Orioles and allowing just one run. He did not get the win but he kept Houston in the game long enough to top Baltimore 3-1 and extend their winning streak to 6 games.
Erick Aybar went 3-5 with a homer, a stolen base and 3 RBI, leading the Angels to a 7-5 win in Seattle.
They owned baseball on May.29, 2014.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.28) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Ted S. Warren – AP
Felix Hernandez came within an out of a complete game, finishing with 8 2/3 innings of 4 hit, 1 walk and 9 strikeout ball. He got the 3-1 win for the Mariners over the Angels.
Josh Donaldson made his second hit of the game count. He clocked a 3 run, bottom of the 9th, come from behind walk off homer that stunned the Tigers and made the A’s 3-1 winners.
Bartolo Colon pitched shutout ball into the 8th inning. He threw 7 1/3 innings, striking out 9 and walking just one Pirate, earning the 5-0 victory for the Mets.
Paul Goldschmidt missed the cycle by a triple, driving in 3 and scoring 2, leading the Diamondbacks in a 12-6 bombing of the Padres.
They owned baseball on May.28, 2014.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.27) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Lance Lynn threw a complete game 5 hit shutout, dominating the Yankees 6-0 in St. Louis.
Andre Ethier homered and hit a three run triple, leading the Dodgers past the Reds 6-3.
Collin McHugh won a tense pitchers duel by throwing 7 scoreless innings, striking out 9 Royals and walking none as the Astros won 3-0.
Adam Lind kept the torrid bats alive for Toronto, going 3-5 with a homer and 2 RBI in the 9-6 slugfest against Tampa.
They owned baseball on May.27, 2014.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.26) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Photo: Patrick Breen/azcentral sports
A.J. Pollock finished a 3 hit day with a 2 out, bottom of the 9th, 2 run walk off homer to give Arizona a 7-5 win over the Padres.
Hyun-jin Ryu tried to make it back to back no hitters for the Dodgers. He took a perfect game into the 8th against the Reds before needing help from the bullpen. He would finish with 7 1/3 strong innings and a 3-2 win over the Reds.
Jonathan Schoop went 3-5 with 2 homers, leading the Orioles in a 7-6 come from behind win in Milwaukee.
Tommy Milone pitched shutout ball into the 7th inning, letting up 4 hits and helped the A’s trounce the Tigers, 10-0.
They owned baseball on May.26, 2014.
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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.25) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Ron Cortes / McClatchy-Tribune
Josh Beckett threw the first no hitter of 2014 and the first Dodger no no since 1996 as he dominated the Phillies, 6-0.
Evan Gattis homered twice, driving in 3 runs and led the Braves to a 7-0 victory against the Rockies.
Dallas Keuchel pitched a complete game victory, letting up just one unearned run, walking none, as the Astros topped the Mariners, 4-1/
Derek Jeter had a 4 hit game in the Yankees 7-1 thrashing of the White Sox.
They owned baseball on May.25, 2014.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.24) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Duane Burleson, AP
Rougned Odor went 4-5 with 5 RBI including a pair of triples helping the hobbled Rangers blow out the Tigers, 12-2.
R. A. Dickey pitched into the 9th innings, giving the Blue Jays 8 1/3 innings of 5 hit, 1 walk, 2 run ball. He got the victory over Oakland, 5-2.
Ben Revere went 4-4, including a double, drove in a run and scored 3, leading the Phillies to a 5-3 over the Dodgers.
Travis Wood threw 7 1/3 innings of 3 hit ball, walking just 2 batters. He earned the 3-2 decision for the Cubs in San Diego.
They owned baseball on May.24, 2014.
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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.23) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Photo: Nick Wass, AP
Chris Davis got on base 3 times, homered and drove in 4 runs, powering the Orioles to an 8-4 victory over Cleveland.
Felix Hernandez dominated the Astros with 8 strong innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 1 walk and 9 strikeouts as the Mariners rolled, 6-1.
Mark Reynolds homered twice and helped Milwaukee win a slugfest against Miami, 9-5.
Gavin Floyd pitched into the 7th, letting up just 2 runs in 6 2/3 innings, striking out 7 and walking none. He didn’t get the decision but helped set up Atlanta’s 3-2 topping of Colorado.
They owned baseball on May.23, 2014.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.22) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Nam Y. Huh/AP
Chris Sale came off the DL and retired the first 17 Yankees he faced. A base hit prevented him from pushing the no hitter issue and finished with 6 innings of 1 hit shutout ball with 10 strikeouts and no walks. He got the 3-2 win for the White Sox.
Jose Bautista went 3-5 with a homer leading the Blue Jays to a 7-2 victory and a sweep of the slumping defending champion Red Sox.
Henderson Alvarez gave the Marlins 7 innings of 4 hit shutout ball, walking just 2 Phillies in the process. He did not get the decision but the Marlins walked off a 4-3 winner.
Shane Robinson went 3-4, hit a game tying double and scored an insurance run in the Cardinals come from behind 4-2 win over Arizona.
They owned baseball on May.22, 2014.
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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.21) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
Photo: Harry How, Getty Images
Jered Weaver threw a complete game 2 hitter, let up one run on a solo shot and picked off a runner at first in the 9th to give the Angels a 2-1 win over the Astros.
Kyle Lohse went 8 strong, letting up just 1 run, striking out 8 and walking no Braves as the Brewers took the showdown between first place clubs, 6-1.
Edwin Encarnacion had another 2 homer day, driving in 3 and pushing the Blue Jays past the Red Sox, 6-4, and into a first place tie.
Marcell Ozuna hit a grand slam and drove in a fifth run, getting on base 3 times in the Marlins 14-5 drubbing of the Phillies.
They owned baseball on May.21, 2014.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Washington Nationals Payroll In 2014 + Contracts Going Forward
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024 & Jeff Kleiner (Org Depth + Payroll Expert – find his website here) Follow @prosportsroster
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Washington Nationals have had an escalating salary structure for the last few years. The truth is that their talent needs to be paid as time goes on.
In 2014, the Budget is looking to be around $130 MIL so far, after just being over $110 MIL.
The situation is more expensive next year, with 10 players under the Arbitration Eligible – highlighted by Stephen Strasburg for his 2nd year of it.
Among the others are: Craig Stammen, Danny Espinosa, Tyler Clippard, Doug Fister, Drew Storen, Ross Detwiler, Wilson Ramos, Jerry Blevins, Jose Lobaton and Ryan Mattheus. Read the rest of this entry
More Minnesota Twins Trade Candidates
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Wednesday July.03 /2013
Kevin Correia is, in my mind, the most likely Twin on the move. Not far behind are Morneau, Willingham, and Burton. Correia isn’t the best Starting Pitcher on the market, but he is pitching well and has shown the same ability in the past. He was an All-Star for Pittsburgh in 2011. He has turned out to be a pretty good sign this off-season by the Minnesota.
By Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Writer and Red Sox Correspondent): Follow @ryandana1
Our new ‘Lead Baseball Columnist’ Chris Lacey wrote about the Morneau and Willingham Trade Market yesterday here – and it had me thinking who else could be on the block – and my thoughts on those guys?
Much like the last article I wrote on the Chicago Cubs trade candidates, the Minnesota Twins will be in selling mode too as the 2013 trade deadline approaches.
With that being said, the Twins have less selling to do. Twins fans will remember they already did some of that this past offseason.
The Twins have a record of 36-44 just 7.5 Games Back of 1st place. However they are in 4th place only ahead of the Chicago White Sox, and it is my belief that is where they will end the 2013 season.
They won’t upgrade their Major League roster via trade this year, but they may add to the talent in their farm system which is growing to be pretty strong.
The Twins had the 4th ranked farm system at the start of the season according to Baseball Prospectus.
I’m not sure how much to trust the rankings because they have the Yankees ranked above the Red Sox which is laughable in my opinion, but my points stand, they are still in the rebuilding process and are doing well at it.
The Washington Nationals Offense – Post Rendon At 2B + Going Forward
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The Nationals still rank next to last in the NL in runs per game, but it was known weeks ago that all the bad from April and May would take a long time to correct. The Nationals however are on the way to correcting it, and when analyzing the current team that is on the field it is important to look at the team that is currently taking the field. Since inserting at second base the Nats offense has scored 72 runs in 18 games, an average of four runs a game. That is much better than the overall season average of 3.55 and much better than the average with Espinosa at second of 3.40.
By David Huzzard (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): Follow @davidhuzzard
Numbers before June.27/2013
Not surprisingly replacing a .158/.193/.465 hitter with a .354/.402/.887 guy – has had a marketable difference. The Nats offense hasn’t yet turned the corner, for in June, the Nationals left fielders have hit .228/.293/.616.
Surprisingly that isn’t the worst in baseball but it is pretty darn close. Soon the Nationals are going to replace those paltry numbers with the numbers of Bryce Harper who at the time he was placed on the DL was hitting .287/.386/.973.
Washington Nationals Organization: Payroll, Depth Charts + Rosters, (MLB + MiLB)
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The Nationals were everyone’s Preseason favorite to get to the 2013 World Series. A litany of injuries, with a few slumps from some key Veterans – have caused them to only be hovering around .500. They still have a chance to rundown the Atlanta Braves in the NL East if they can put together the kind of winning baseball they put forth during the 2012 campaign. Even if it doesn’t come to fruition this year, the club looks solid in the coming years. Only a World Series Championship will forever cement their legacy as a great club.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024 and welcome Jeff Kleiner (Salary, Roster and Depth Chart Expert for the MLB) – visit his website here Follow @prosportsroster
You guys are all in for a treat. Jeff Kleiner recently contacted me about a partnership merge for the website. He has developed a site (prosportsrosters.com) that covers all organizational affiliates in the Minors for all of the Major League Baseball Clubs. We are going to combine efforts to bring you the best look at salaries, current 25 Man Player Rosters and Depth Charts for all 30 teams.
Jeff is going to provide the documents in form of spreadsheets and I am going to accompany the posts with deep analysis of what the numbers tell us from my perspective. If you can’t wait for all of my assessments for each club, go and visit Jeff’s website over at http://www.prosportsrosters.com.
In Speaking with Jeff, he is one of the more passionate fans I have come across towards the game of baseball. He spends enough time in updating his MLB Facts for it to be a Full-Time Job. So after the usual Video Clip and READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY button, you will find some serious &*!@?!#!
Jeff updates this page below on a daily basis. After you click on it….Bookmark it. There is a 3 year salary forecast and stats not listed here on this page. Jeff updates these pages daily and these changes include any Roster moves!
For a Full 3 year Salary Outlook plus last years Stats for every player in the Nationals Organization clickhere
From Last To First – The Rise Of The Nats
Triple Play Podcast Ep #8 – Bucs And Nats Time In The Around The Horn Feature
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Follow @mlbreportsMonday, May 13th, 2013
The Triple Play Show will have 5 shows per month. Each show will be about 1 hour.
By The Big Ticket Show ( AKA Triple Play Podcast on http://www.mlbreports.com) Follow @bigticketshow
Guests in this Podcast – MLB Reports Nationals Correspondent David Huzzard of Citizensofnatstown.com ( Follow @bigticketshow and MLB Reports Pirates Correspondent Brad Cuprik
Follow @bradcuprik
On a Mother’s day edition of the triple play podcast we heed the advice of our mother’s and turn the lemon of our original guest being unable to join us into the lemonade of Bard Cuprik of mlbreports.com (Check out his latest Roster Tree piece – where he goes through the 6 degrees of separation of a how each pitcher arrived in a Bucs uniform here ) – and David Huzzard of the Citizens of Natstown podcast (and Writer) dissects the pitching and the Nationals start to the 2013 Season. Read the rest of this entry
Down On The Farm: A Look At The Twins Top 5 Prospects
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Sano is the top prospect in the Minnesota Twins organization. Currently at high-A Fort Myers, Sano excels with his power and speed. His fielding could use a little work and his hitting is coming around good. So far he is hitting .387 this year despite a career average of .286 before this campaign. MLB.com has him ranked as the #12 prospect in all of baseball.
By Kyle Holland (MLB Reports Writer): Follow @TheKHolland13
The Minnesota Twins have a Minor League farm system with a lot of depth, there is no questioning that. In fact, minorleaguebaseball.com ranked the Twins as having the 7th best farm system in all of baseball, and that probably isn’t too far off.
They have hitting, pitching, and fielding, the whole 9 yards. The major league club is already great but with this farm system working their way to the majors they will be major contenders in upcoming years.
All the way from their top prospect, Miguel Sano, to one of their best pitching prospects, 7th in the organization, Trevor May, the Twins have young guys that will be a threat in the future. Today, we are going to look at the Twins’ top 5 prospects.
Twins Prospect Byron Buxton
As Nats Battle Tough Sked – A New ? Arises: Who Will Be The Future 2B: Rendon Or Espinosa?
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Follow @mlbreportsWednesday, Apr.24/2013
Danny Espinosa had best start producing for this talented Washington Nationals club – with the likes of Anthony Rendon looking for a position to overtake. The 25 Year Old has started the campaign at a 3 Slash Line of .176/.222/.556 -even though he has cutdown his SO so far.
During the course of a baseball season there are going to be ups and downs, and for the past week and a half I have written that reality far too much. The Nats started the season with a tough stretch that doesn’t end until June.
Consider for a moment that between April 1 and May 31 the Nats play 33 games against teams that were over .500 in 2012 – and only 22 afterwards. They play more games against team that had winning records the season before in the first two months of the season than they do in the final four.
That is an odd balance. Combine that with the unseemly amount of errors and irregular Bullpen play – and it is a recipe for a slow start, or exactly the start the Nationals are off to.
It was the effort by the Nationals in a while – and they ended up losing a one run game. During the course of the season those are the types of games that even out. It is unusual for a team, good or bad, to have a record much above or below .500 in one run games. Read the rest of this entry
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!:
Nats Acquire LHP Ian Krol To Complete The Mike Morse Deal
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Ian Krol is a 6 FT 1 and 190 LB native of Illinois – who was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 7th Round of the 2009 Amateur Draft, He was selected right out of high school and jumped two levels of the Minor Leagues before he even hit the age of 19. Controversies and in injuries then ensued. Last year he played with Stockton (A+) and Midland (AA) – going 3 – 9 with a 5.20 ERA.
By Sean Hogan (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): Follow @seanhoganvt
The Nationals already came out ahead in the Michael Morse trade, acquiring two Righties with upside in A.J. Cole and Blake Treinen. Last Wednesday, they added to the previous bounty when the player to be named later was named:was… wait for it……..
LHP Ian Krol. The Lefty, who was once lauded by prospect gurus Kevin Goldstein and Keith Law in 2010, has fought through some self-inflicted drama as well as some minor injuries since then; the Nationals are picking him up in hopes that he’ll continue to be “a joy to watch” as Goldstein mentioned and will build upon his solid 2012 season.
Krol is a pitcher, not a thrower. His mechanics are excellent, throwing from a ¾ arm slot, and he has no issues locating his three pitches. Like former Nats prospects Tommy Milone and Danny Rosenbaum, Krol lacks velocity, topping out at 90-91 MPH. In order to keep climbing up the ladder, he must continue to exhibit excellent command on the hill and induce ground balls.
Ian Krol Bullpen Session:
The Washington Nationals Roster for 2013: State Of The Union Updated Mar.7/2013
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The Nationals are one of 2 teams in the MLB (The Mariners is the other) that have never made a World Series Appearance. Will this change in the Year 2013?
By Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Writer): Follow @RyanDana1.
It’s clear that the Washington Nationals have turned the corner as a franchise on the rise. Their most recent high included a 2012 campaign that had them winning 98 games in the regular season, good for the most in the majors, but ended with heartbreak in a game 5 loss in the NLDS at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals. Moving forward to 2013, the Nationals will certainly hope to make it deeper into the playoffs, but it will be easier said than done. The Nationals have shown patience in the past, but have made some aggressive moves this off-season.
Bryce Harper – The Nats LF
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Bryce Harper won the NL Rookie Of The Year, made an ALL-Star Appearance – and even clubbed his 1st Post season HR in 2012. With a full season to play in 2013 – how high might his numbers go?
By David Huzzard (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): Follow @davidhuzzard
With the acquisition of Denard Span to play Center Field and bat Leadoff, a new defensive home had to be found for Harper. In 2012, advanced stats didn’t just rate Harper as a good defensive Center Fielder he was rated as a great one.
The Span move makes the Nats better in two positions of weakness and it also allows Harper to move to a more offensive position and focus on that aspect of his game. Left field is the second least important defensive position according to the defensive matrix, and often times it is the home of some of the games best sluggers.
For a quick comparison the average MLB Center Fielder hit for a 3 Slash Line of.265/.330/.418 in 2012 – and the average Left Fielder .261/.327/.431. While Left Field is traditionally a more offensive position current Left Fielders only managed a .009 OPS advantage over their CF brethren in 2012.
This doesn’t nor should it change the perception of Left Field as the less important defensive position of the higher offensive position. All it means is that there aren’t a lot of good Left Fielders right now. In WAR there are built-in bonuses for playing different positions, a good offensive player at an up the middle position will be rated higher than a good offensive player at a corner position, because an up the middle player that can hit is more valuable.
Bryce Harper Highlights as a 16 Year old hitting bombs and Tropicana Field 2009:
Morse Back To Seattle: The Mariners Add Yet Another Bat
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MIcheal Morse Has a Career 3 Slash Line of .295/.347/.839 heading into 2013. He will likely see some time at 1B and DH with Kendrys Morales.
By Nicholas Rossoletti (MLB Reports Trade Correspondent): Follow @NRoss56
Once upon a time, Mike Morse was a Seattle Mariners’ farm hand who played parts of four seasons in the majors with Seattle. He never really lived up to expectations during his first time in Seattle. Now, the Mariners have acquired him from the Nationals where he spent the best four seasons of his career. The Mariners are looking everywhere they can for affordable offense, and they have turned back to a familiar face in Morse. The real question is how does Morse fit in Seattle and does the acquisition make the Mariners better?
In order to address this topic, its important that we take a look at how Morse performed last season and whether the decrease in performance is going to carry over into the 2013 campaign. Morse was injured for a portion of the season so it is important to take that into consideration when breaking down his 2012 season, but even with injury, Morse took a fairly large step backwards.
Mike Morse’s 1st hit in the Major Leagues with the Mariners (2005):
What Happened To The Once Competitive Twins? Can They Turn It Around?
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Thursday January 17, 2013
After very disappointing seasons in 2011 (63-99) and 2012 (66-96), the Twins look to rebound in 2013. The Twins were a model franchise from 2002-2010. They won the AL Central Division in 6 out of the 9 years – and one of the years they didn’t win the Division included a 1 Game playoff loss to the White Sox in 2008. Will 2013 be a return to competitiveness or end up as another rebuilding year?
Kyle Holland (MLB Reports intern): Follow @TheKHolland13
In 2010 the Minnesota Twins seemed like they would be having themselves a good club in upcoming years. To start off the exciting season they opened up a brand new stadium. Target Field has quickly become one of the most beautiful stadiums in all of baseball. The team ended up with a 94-68 record, quite impressive considering Justin Morneau was knocked out for the remainder of 2010 with a concussion on July 7. They reached the playoffs coming in first in the AL Central proving they didn’t need Morneau to be a successful franchise. They got swept by the Yankees in the ALDS for the second straight year. Even though they were swept, nobody was ignoring the regular season record. It seemed as if they had years to look forward too.
So now comes the 2011 season. Fans had big hopes for their Twins the summer of 2012. No injuries coming into opening day and they had made some moves in the offseason. They signed Japanese shortstop Tsuyoshi Nishioka to fill a whole in the middle infield. Carl Pavano and Jim Thome were also resigned by Minnesota. 2011 looked like it would be a year like 2010 for the Twins.
Awesome Stop Motion Video from a Twins Fan at Target Field
MLB Player Profile: Phillies CF Ben Revere
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Wednesday January 16th, 2013
Ben Revere would be best suited to hit in the 2 slot behind Jimmy Rollins this year, as he makes great contact (1 SO/Per 10.7 PA) , yet he doesn’t walk much. Revere has a 3 Slash-Line of – .278/.319/.642 for his career heading into the 2013 year.
Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer): Follow @BernieOlshansky
The 28th pick of the first round in the 2007 Amateur Draft, Ben Revere was regarded as one of the Minnesota Twins’ top prospects. He made his Major League debut in 2010 at age 22 and played in 13 games for the Twins that season. The next year, Revere spent most of his time in the Majors playing in 117 games and hitting .267. With Revere, the Twins had some speed at the top of the lineup. On December 6th, 2012, Revere was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Pitchers Vance Worley and Trevor May. After trading Shane Victorino to the Dodgers and Hunter Pence to the Giants, the Phillies had some gaps to fill in their outfield, and Revere was just the right guy.
Ben Revere 2012 Highlights: Mature Lyrics – Parental Guidance is advised
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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MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: August 2012
Monday August.6/2012
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- It has been a crazy month in which teams have stockpiled some heavy talent at the trade deadline to get ready for the playoffs. Amongst the biggest gainers for the rankings this month were: the Athletics, Reds, Braves, Tigers, Dodgers (because of the deals) and Mariners while the Mets, Red Sox, Indians and Royals saw brutal months all but seal their playoff fates. I do think that Boston has a punchers chance but that all is dependent on David Ortiz returning to the lineup swiftly. The power of the best teams is definitely leaning to the National League right now where several teams are playing great baseball. With one-third of the season left we are all in for a treat as baseball fans.
I will have one more regular season Power Rankings month of September (to be posted on Labor Day Weekend,) before I also provide a playoff style ranking of the 1-10 seeds right before the Wild Card Teams play the play in game. It certainly has been awesome to follow how the trade deadline has effected the Monthly Rankings this time around. I think it is safe to say that this years deadline provided more interest and following-from even the casual fan more than any other year before. I also believe that the Non-Waiver Trade Deadline is now the best Trade Deadline in all of sports. Social Media has a lot to do with this but so does parity. The 2nd Wild Card spot has also created more teams willing to trade prospects in lieu of going for it. Read the rest of this entry
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