MLB Reports

Comments Off on Pittsburgh Pirates Schedule in 2013: The Team Has The Right Ticketing Scheme

Tags: @chuckbooth3024 on twitter, @MrBaseballMan on twitter, anaheim angels of los angeles, arizona diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, baltimore orioles, boston red sox, chicago cubs, chicago white sox, Chuck Booth, cincinnati reds, cleveland indians, colorado rockies, detroit tigers, houston astros, interleague play, kansas city royals, la dodgers, miami marlns, milwaukee brewers, minnesota twins, new york mets, NL Central, oakland athletics, philad, Pirates 2013 Schedule, pnc park, Richie Devotie, san diego padres, seattle mariners, sf giants, tampa bay rays, texas rangers, toronto blue jays, washington nationals

Roger Clemens: Close To Returning To Houston

Jan 11

Posted by Lee White

Like us on Facebook here

Friday, January.11, 2013

Roger Clemens won 7 Cy Young Awards with his Career Record of 354-188 (.658). A lot of MLB people thought that the Astros would bring Clemens in to spark attendance at Minute Maid Park this season.

By Lee White (Astros Correspondent) Follow @Lee_White73

The Houston Astros have made many changes this off season. From uniform changes all the way to the broadcast booth. The Astros are close to yet another change. Many thought Roger Clemens would return to Houston as a pitcher. That didn’t happen. It doesn’t look like it will happen either. However, the Houston Astros are close to a deal with Clemens to return as a Minor League Pitcher’s mentor.

Roger Clemens Pitching with the Sugar Land Skeeters Aug.25/2012

Posted in MLB Player Profiles, The Rest: Everything Baseball

Tags: @moguls73 on twitter, AL West, astros, houston astros, jeff luhnow, jim crane, Lee White, minute maid park, mlb, News, roger clemens, strosbros.wordpress.com, sugar land skeeters

St. Louis Cardinals Roster For 2013: State Of The Union

Jan 9

Posted by Landen Crouch

Like us on Facebook here

Wednesday, January.09/2013

The Cardinals have been the most consistent Franchise in the National League, having appeared in 7 of the last 11 NLCS since 2000 (3-4). They have also won 2 World Series in that time (2006 and 2011.) They held a 3-1 NLCS lead over the San Francisco Giants before losing to the 2012 World Champions. They are ready for another great 2013 campaign. The NL Central goes from 6 teams to 5 – with the departed Houston Astros.

By Landen Crouch ( Cardinals Correspondent) Follow @LandenCrouch

The current St. Louis Cardinals roster, set to take them into the 2013 season, has seen little changes from what was a very successful 2012 season. This really is not much of a surprise, though, as the front office has told fans they were not planning to change too much this offseason. After a gut-wrenching offseason a year ago, in which Albert Pujols headed west to the Angels, a quiet offseason really does not seem like such an awful thing. In the upcoming season, the St. Louis Cardinals will be hoping for more of the same from a team that was one win away from a second straight World Series Berth. The Cardinals will look to continue recent success, while filtering in some young prospects in the process.

Game #5 of the NLDS (Comeback win versus the Washington Nationals)

Tags: 2004 World Series, 2006 World Series, 2011 World Series, 2012 NLDS, 2012 Wild Card Play In Game, 2013 Cardinals Payroll, 2013 Cardinals Player Roster, @landencrouch on twitter, adam wainwright, albert pujols, allen craig, carlos beltran, chris carpenter, cincinnati reds, colby rasmus, Daniel Descalso, david freese, Edward Mujica, houston astros, jake westbrook, jamie garcia, jason motte, joe kelly, john jay, kyle lohse, kyle mcclellan, lance lynn, Landen Crouch, los angeles dodgers, marc rzepcynski, matt carpenter, mike matheny, mitchell boggs, MLB State of the Union, national league, NL Central, nl mvp, pete kozma, rafael furcal, randy choate, san francisco giants, shelby miller, Skip Schumaker, st louis cardinals, toronto blue jays, trevor rosenthal, ty wiggington, victor marte, World Series MVP, yadier molina

MLB Player Profile: The Cubs OF Alfonso Soriano

Jan 6

Posted by Alex Kantecki

Like us on Facebook here

Sunday, January.06, 2013

Alfonso Soriano has hit 434 Career HRs in 14 Years and has clubbed 164 of them with Chicago over the last 6 years. He is on the 7th Year of an 8 YR/136 Million Dollar Contract. He has made 2 ALL-Star Appearances with the Cubs.

Alfonso Soriano has hit 373 Career HRs in 14 Years and has clubbed 164 of them with Chicago over the last 6 years. He is on the 7th Year of an 8 YR/136 Million Dollar Contract. He has made 2 ALL-Star Appearances with the Cubs. The Man also has 270 SB and 836 Extra Base Hits. He should end his Career with over 1000 XBH, which would place him in the top 40 of ALL-Time for that Category.

Alfonso Soriano: Misunderstood, Good, But Never A Fit

Alex Kantecki (Guest Baseball Writer and Cubs Correspondent): Follow @Akantecki

It’s no secret Alfonso Soriano isn’t the most liked player among Cubs fans. Following the 2006 season when then general manager Jim Hendry signed the Outfielder to the largest contract in team history ($136 Million over eight years), fans dreaming of a World Series title pinned their hopes on the unconventional Leadoff hitter that hit 46 HR and stole 41 bases with the Washington Nationals the year before. Soriano did his part and helped lead the Cubs to two straight National League Central titles in 2007 and 2008, but the Cubs were swept away in the Division Series both years. Like his teammates, Soriano struggled to do much of anything in the postseason, collecting three hits in 29 Plate Appearances and failing to score or drive in a single run in six games.

Alfonso Soriano 2012 Highlights – Parental Guidance Is Advised

Comments Off on MLB Player Profile: The Cubs OF Alfonso Soriano

Tags: 40/40 Club, @alexkantecki on twitter, alex kantecki, alex rodriguez, alfonso soriano, aramis ramirez, barry bonds, chicago, chicago cubs, derrek lee, houston astros, jed hoyer, Jim Hendry, jose canseco, kerry wood, MLB ALL-Star, National League Central, new york yankees, NLDS 2007, NLDS 2008, pittsburgh pirates, rickey henderson, ryan dempster, san francisco giants, SB Nation, Silver Slugger Award, texas rangers, theo epstein, washington nationals, world series, wrigley field

Houston Astros Payroll In 2013 And Contracts Going Forward

Dec 27

Posted by nross56

Like us on Facebook here

Thursday, December.27, 2012

Nicholas Rossoletti (Baseball Writer): Follow @NRoss56

The 2013 Houston Astros payroll is one of the stranger payrolls to look at given the current state of baseball where player’s salaries seem to be ever-increasing. Before Dec.18, the Astros were paying exactly one player above One Million Dollars annually. That player was shortstop, Jed Lowrie. Then, the team added 1B/DH Carlos Pena to its roster on a one year deal for approximately $2.9 Million according to reports and reliever, Jose Veras on a 1 Year/$1.85 Million dollar deal. Thats it. Three players earning more than a Million Dollars on a professional baseball franchise approximately sixty (60) days until pitchers and catchers report. (Please note that the Astros are rumored to be interested in signing Third Baseman Jose Lopez who may be added to this list). These are your 2013 Houston Astros, who are a far cry from the Astros of the mid-2000’s who signed Andy Pettite, Roger Clemens, traded for Carlos Beltran and made a run at a World Series. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Payroll and Contracts, The Rest: Everything Baseball

Tags: @nross56 twitter, Arbitration eligible houston astros, brett wallace, bud norris, carlos beltran, Carlos Pena, chris snyder, dallas braden, Houston, houston astrons player roster 2013, houston astros, houston astros payroll 2013, j.d. martinez, jair jurrjens, jason castro, jed lowrie, jed lowtie, jeff karstens, joe saunders, jonathan sanchez, jose altuve, jose veras, justin maxwell, kevin slowey, los angeles angels, lucas harrell, marwin gonzalez, minute maid park, nicholas rossoletti, oakland athletics, roger clemens, seattle mariners, texas rangers, wandy rodriguez, wesley wright

The Tampa Bay Rays: The Franchise 1998-2012: Part 1 Of A 5 Part Article Series

Dec 20

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Thursday, December.20, 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 many Rays Logo’s over the years. Is the best of this franchise yet to come?

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024

The Tampa Bay Rays Franchise can be summarized into two different categories: “The Devil Rays Days” and the “Rays Days.” The Devil Rays endured 10 straight losing seasons to start the club’s history. From 1998-2007, was a complete gong show (645-972) and last place finishes in a tough AL East every year, except for 2004, when they finished 4th, although they did stockpile several top Draft Picks based on their horrid regular seasons. In 2008, all of that changed when the ‘Devil’ was literally and figuratively knocked away from the Tampa Bay team. Their young stars finally saw their potential realized and they appeared in the 2008 World Series versus the Philadelphia Phillies. The Franchise would lose in 5 hard-fought, weather fulfilled games, however the team was now one of the model clubs in baseball. From 2008-2012, the club has gone 458-352.

The Rays have made the playoffs in 2010 and 2011 since, plus featured two other over .500 records in 2009 and 2012. The club has now had 5 winning seasons in a row. There is still a long way to go as they feature the worst winning percentage in MLB History, with a 1103-1327 Franchise Record (.454). The next worst team is the Padres at .463. The Arizona DiamondBacks were the NL Expansion cousins of the Rays and they feature a Win Percentage of (.498), which is second overall for the Expansion teams. The Arizona DiamondBacks also have made the playoffs 5 times and won the World Series in 2001. Still if you asked anyone right now, the Rays would gladly be the team everyone picked.

Franchise Series Links:

The Hitters: The Tampa Bay Rays: The Hitters 1998-2012: Part 2 Of A 5 Part Article Series

The Pitchers: The Tampa Bay Rays: The Pitchers 1998-2012: Part 3 Of A 5 Part Article Series

2013 Team Payroll: Tampa Bay Rays Payroll 2013 And Contracts Going Forward: Updated for Myers Trade Dec.11/2012

Tropicana Field Expert: An Interview with Tropicana Field Expert Kurt Smith

3 Comments

Tags: 2008 world series', @chuckbooth3024 on twitter, AL East, alex cobb, American league, andrew friedman, andy sonnanstine, arizona diamondbacks, at and t park, aubrey huff, b.j. upton, baltimore orioles, ben zobrist, Bobby Abreu, brandon backe, carl crawford, Carlos Pena, chicago cubs, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, chuck lamar, danys baez, david price, delmon young, dmitri young, dough waechter, edwin jackson, elijah dukes, esteban yan, evan longoria, gerald williams, greg vaughn, hal macrae, heath bell, houston astros, jackie robinson, jake mcgee, james loney, james shields, jason hammel, jeff niemann, jeremy hellickson, jim mecir, Joe Maddon, john jaso, johnny damon, jorge cantu', josh hamilton, kevin stocker, kyle farnsworth, larry rothschild, lou piniella, manny ramirez, mark teixeira, matt diaz, matt garza, matt moore, matthew silverman, mike jacobs, mike pelfrey, mike scioscia, national league, philadelphia phillies, rafael soriano, randy winn, reid brignac, roberto hernandez, rocco baldelli, rolando arrojo, ryan fontenot, ryan raburn, safeco field, san diego padres, scott kazmir, seattle mariners, seth mcclung, st. petersburg florida, stuart sternberg, tampa, tampa bay devil rays, tampa bay rays, tampa bay rays payroll 2013, tanyon sturtze, texas rangers, toby hall, toronto blue jays, tropicana field, victor zambrano, vince naimoli, wade davis, wade leblanc, wil myers, willie harris, wilson alvarez, yunel escobar

Is A Return to the Astros in the Cards For Lance Berkman?

Dec 2

Posted by Jake Dal Porto

Sunday December 2nd, 2012

Lance Berkman spent from 1999-2010 with the Houston Astros amassing 326 HRs and 1090 RBI with a stat line of .296/.410/.959. With HOU moving to the AL West, will they make him a contract offer to possibly DH?

Jake Dal Porto (Baseball Writer):

With the move to the American League West, the Houston Astros are likely years away from contending in one of the toughest divisons in baseball. So basically, the Astros won’t be in the market for immediate impact players because that type of approach likely won’t get them anywhere in the standings. There’s one exception, though—Lance Berkman.

Berkman played with the Astros for 12 years before being traded to the Yankees in the midst of the 2010 season, and eventually signing with the Cardinals where he has spent the last two years. Given his age (36) and his derailed body, Berkman might choose to end his career with the team that drafted and brought him up. It would be bittersweet for both sides involved, and something positive for a struggling Astros’ organization.

The timing for the Astros and Berkman to reunite is seemingly perfect. See, if the Astros still played in the National League, it would be unlikely that Berkman could endure another year of wear and tear on his fragile frame. Well, he could, but the likelihood of him suffering an injury would balloon dramatically. Luckily, the Astros now have the benefit of the designated hitter. It’s like adding another hitter. This is where Berkman comes into play. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles, MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

Comments Off on Is A Return to the Astros in the Cards For Lance Berkman?

Tags: AL West, American league, Carlos lee, cbs sports, Houston, houston astros, jake dal parto, lance berkman, MLB Rumors, national league, NL MVP Voting, rice university, st louis cardinals, wayne graham

MLB Should Distribute More Games Against All Teams For Every Club

Nov 30

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Thursday, Nov.29/2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024

I wrote an article about 6 months ago that investigated a solution to a Payroll/Geographical Alignment that the MLB should consider in going forward for the next CBA discussions in 2016 here. Let’s be real and this will never happen. The idea of running any drastic re-alignment is probably too much for the folks at MLB to fathom. However, there is a growing trend that is starting to rear its ugly head in MLB Baseball. It is the bigger market teams really starting to throw down some serious dollars, while the lesser revenue teams can’t keep up with same kind of salary influx. Of course I have fought this fight on Twitter, Facebook and any other social media platform I have found. Sooner or later these big salaried teams will reel off a bunch of World Series Titles amongst themselves and it will leave the MLB having as much competitive balance as the NBA. Read the rest of this entry →

2 Comments

Tags: @chuckbooth3024, al central, AL West, American league, baltimore orioles, boston red sox, bryce harper, Chuck Booth, cleveland indians, detroit tigers, giancarlo stanton, houston astros, kansas city royals, la dodgers, los angeles dodgers, miami marlins, Mike Trout, MLB CBA, MLB Divisions, mlb realignment, MLB Unbalanced Schedule, mlbpa, national league, nba, new york yankees, nfl, NL Central, NL east, nl west, oakland athletics, philadelphia phillies, safeco field, san diego padres, stephen strasburg, tampa bay rays, the fastest 30 ballgames, toronto blue jays

Jose Valverde: Ready to Rejoin the Houston Astros?

Nov 2

Posted by kholland13

Follow @mlbreports Friday November 2nd, 2012

Kyle Holland: Although postseason baseball is a wonderful time for baseball fans everywhere, the end of the World Series becomes a devastating time. The start of November means no more major league baseball for almost 5 months. Ironically enough though, some fans love the offseason. They enjoy seeing where some of their favorite players will go and who their favorite team will get.

One prime example of these players during the this 2012-13 offseason is the ex-Detroit Tigers closer, Jose Valverde. He enjoyed great success during the 2011 season closing 49 out of 49 save opportunities. The 2012 season wasn’t nearly as impressive, as Valverde “only” saved 35 games. Then September and the postseason rolled around and he just wasn’t himself. On October 10th in game 4 of the ALDS, Valverde blew a 3-1 lead in the ninth against the Oakland A’s. On October 13th in game 1 of the ALCS, although not a save opportunity, Valverde blew a 4-0 lead against the New York Yankees before being pulled.

Jose Valverde became a free agent on October 30, two days after the Tigers got swept by the San Francisco Giants in the World Series. The Tiger publicly announced they are not going to make an attempt to re-sign Valverde. Now the question becomes: where will Jose Valverde end up for Opening Day 2013? Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

Comments Off on Jose Valverde: Ready to Rejoin the Houston Astros?

Tags: 2012 Season, 2013 Season, andrew bailey, baseball, boston red sox, closer, detroit tigers, houston astros, jose valverde, mlb, san francisco giants, saves, vicente padilla

Carlos Beltran Is The Best Active Hitter For A Postseason Career

Oct 17

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Wednesday, October.17/2012

Carlos Beltran is only amongst a select few active and retired players that possess 300 Career HRs (334) and 300 Stolen Bases (306) for their Career. At age 35, this year may be his last chance to win a World Series.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024

I love that baseball is a game of numbers. Every once in a while you stumble upon an awesome mind-blogging stat or ten that makes you sit and back and think, wow, that guy is awesome. I have a decent memory when it comes to the history of the game. So it came as no surprise to me that Carlos Beltran continues to be putting up video game statistics in the postseason. Having started this article, unfortunately the man has left the 3rd game of the National League Championship Series with a strained left knee. This is a shame. I hope that the slugger can come back in this series as he is listed on the injury report as Day-to-Day. Just how good is Carlos Beltran in the Playoffs? Check out these stat lines. In 111 career AB, the man has a .378 AVG with 14 HRs, 25 RBI and has a staggering OPS of 1.327 (His OBP is .489 and Slugging is .838.) These are unbelievable numbers and easily the highest OPS in the history of MLB for a playoff career.

When the St. Louis Cardinals lost Albert Pujols to free agency last year, it was a risky yet bold move to pick up the often injured slugger. The franchise signed Beltran to a 2 YR/26 Million Dollar contract (or just over 10% of the contract that Pujols signed for.) The team also re-signed Rafael Furcal and Lance Berkman to help carry the load offensively. Showing the wisdom as they have so often done, the Cardinals proved to work their payroll model and still improve their club in the process. While Furcal and Berkman would succumb to injuries during the year, Beltran has produced at a high rate for a nice portion of the year. At the 82 game mark, the outfielder had 20 HRs with 65 RBI and was a co-frontrunner (along with Joey Votto) for the National League MVP. While his numbers slumped a little in the second half, the club still knew they had a proven playoff performer. Beltran also played in 151 games this season, his highest amount since 2008 with the New York Mets. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles, Playoffs, The Rest: Everything Baseball

Tags: 2004 NLCS, 2006 NLCS, 2012 nlcs, albert pujols, Atlanta Braves, carlos beltran, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, houston astros, jermaine dye, joey votto, johnny damon, kansas city royals, lance berkman, national league, new york mets, rafael furcal, san francisco giants, st louis cardinals, twitter @chuckbooth3024, washington nationals

Top-5 Worst MLB Teams of 2012 plus a Preview of the 2013 Amateur Draft

Oct 3

Posted by samevans87

Wednesday October 3^rd, 2012

Sam Evans: With the 2012 season winding down, a lot of MLB teams can’t wait for the season to end. Houston, Chicago, Colorado, Minnesota, and Cleveland have been the five worst teams in baseball this season. While their seasons have all been disappointing and hard to watch, these teams will possess the most valuable picks in the 2013 Amateur draft. Here’s a look at how these teams have struggled and where they are projected to pick in the draft.

5. Cleveland Indians 68-93:

Baseball in Cleveland took a huge step back in 2012. Coming off of an 80-82 season, Cleveland was let down by an underperforming pitching staff. With Detroit and Chicago leading the AL Central, Cleveland was out of the pennant race for the better part of the year. The stretch that did them in was the month of August, in which Cleveland was 5-24.

Ubaldo Jimenez was one of the best starting pitchers in baseball just two years ago. Now, the Indians will be lucky if they can manage to get the performances of a #4 starter out of him. There have been many areas in which he has been less dominant than before but they all trace back to that his previous velocity and nasty stuff just aren’t there anymore. Perhaps the problems with Ubaldo have to do with his age and the toll that throwing so many innings when he was younger took. Either way, by relying on Ubaldo Jimenez and his 5.40 ERA this season, the Indians weren’t putting themselves in a better place to contend. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

Comments Off on Top-5 Worst MLB Teams of 2012 plus a Preview of the 2013 Amateur Draft

Tags: 2013 MLB draft, baseball, chicago cubs, cleveland indians, colorado rockies, houston astros, jeff luhnow, lastros, minnesota twins, mlb, theo epstein, worst mlb teams

ATR: Ask the Reports Answers Your Baseball Questions: Chapman, Hamilton, WBC, Billy Corgan and Neiko Johnson

Sep 16

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

Sunday September 16th, 2012

Posted every Weekend: Your top baseball questions from the past week are answered. E-mail all questions to mlbreports@gmail.com, message us on Twitter, post on our Facebook Wall and leave comments on our website! There are many ways to reach us and we will get to your questions from all social media outlets! We love to hear from you- so keep the questions coming every week!

Jonathan Hacohen: I hate being sick. In writing terms, I have been placed on the 5-10 day DL with a chest infection. It actually feels worse than it sounds. I have the cough of George Burns and probably his energy level as well. But the show must go on! ATR appears every weekend and dammit, I’m not letting a little thing like illness get in my way. Write through pain, that’s my philosophy.

Before I get to your questions, I just want to take a quick look at the MLB standings as of this morning:

The Yankees are hanging onto the AL East by the skin of their teeth, with a 1 game lead over the Orioles. But for all the talk of those two teams, don’t forget about the Rays. They are only 4 GB. The Rays have pulled it off before and if I am placing my wager, I give it to Tampa Bay. Just too much pitching in my estimation.
As we continue to scan through the standings, I notice that the AL races are far more interesting than the NL ones. I’m not sure if that says much, but perhaps the AL teams will continue to battle each other to a pulp, and become easy pickings for the NL (who enjoys home field advantage in the World Series). Just a thought.
The White Sox hold a 1 game lead over the Tigers in the AL Central. Yes, I bleed Tigers Blue and Orange. But I will admit that my crystal ball sees this season as the year of the White Sox. Sorry Tigers supporters, its nothing personal. Just business. Adam Dunn is back and as long as Chicago can continue their season long magic for a couple of more weeks, they will be playoff-bound.
The most interesting division has become the AL West. The Rangers, the 2-time AL champions now hold a slim 2 game lead over the Athletics (after losing to the Mariners and the A’s beating up on the O’s in a key weekend matchup). Chuck Booth and I have called what the A’s are doing as “Moneyball 2”. Let’s consider that when Moneyball the Movie came out last fall, critics were quick to mock Billy Beane and the A’s as being outdated and the movie being a historical piece, with no relevance to the current team. Guess who’s having the last laugh people? That’s right. Billy Beane. The A’s might actually have the guts to pull this thing off and take the division. It would be an incredible shot in the arm for Oakland and a tragedy in Texas. Keep an eye on this race people: if we have learned nothing else this season, the A’s are not going away.
The AL Wild Card spots are currently held down by the A’s and Orioles, with the Angels (2.5 gb), Rays (3 GB) and Tigers (3.5 GB) all in shooting distance. If we assume that the Rays, White Sox and Rangers end up taking their respective divisions, we are left with the A’s, Yankees, Orioles, Tigers and Angels as the contenders for the Wild Card spots. I see from there the Yankees and A’s taking the wild cards, with Oakland advancing to the ALDS. It is not an exact science, but playoff predictions are sure fun to create.
In the NL, we start with the Nationals, who enjoy a 6.5 game lead on the Braves. Not out of reach, but the Nats are still likely to take the AL East. They have been one of the best stories in baseball this year. Let’s see how far they go sans their ace.
In the Central, the Reds have a stranglehold on their division, with a 11.5 game lead over the Cardinals. Dusty Baker and company have a magic number of 6. ‘Nuff said.
Over in the NL West, the Giants are pulling away with a 7.5 game lead over the Dodgers. Now Clayton Kershaw may need surgery and be out for the season. It looks like the Dodgers’ big ticket items will not pay off until 2013 at the earliest.
The NL wild card race is messier than an algebra exam. The Braves hold a fairly good lead on the 1st spot, almost assuring Chipper Jones of at least one game of playoff action in his final season. The final spot is held in a tie, between the Cardinals and Dodgers. While there are several teams still in contention for that final spot (Pirates 2 GB, Brewers 2.5 GB, Phillies 3 GB, Diamondbacks 4.5 GB and even the Padres 6 GB). Predicting this spot is like taking a shot in the dark. Many are going with the Phillies, given their strong pitching staff (the three aces). I am not counting out any teams at this point, but I will say keep an eye on the Dbacks. It would not surprise me if they somehow face the Braves in the one-game sudden-death playoff series.

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

Comments Off on ATR: Ask the Reports Answers Your Baseball Questions: Chapman, Hamilton, WBC, Billy Corgan and Neiko Johnson

Tags: adam dunn, aroldis chapman, ask the reports, atr, baltimore orioles, baseball, baseball questions, billy corgan, chicago cubs, cincinnati reds, dusty baker, free agent, houston astros, josh hamilton, kerry wood, mark prior, mlb, neiko johnson, oakland athletics, pedro martinez, ramon martinez, wbc, world baseball classic

Just How Bad Are The Houston Astros?

Sep 12

Posted by samevans87

Wednesday September 12^th, 2012

Sam Evans: The 2012 Houston Astros are breaking records every day. If you have followed baseball at all these last two years, you know that these aren’t records that are normally associated with winning baseball teams. At their current pace, this year’s Houston team is on pace to lose at least 111 games. What Jeff Luhnow and others are doing to turn around the losing in Houston looks great, but it doesn’t hide the fact that the product the Astros are putting out on the field is historically bad.

Since 1962, only one team (the 2003 Detroit Tigers) has lost more than 108 games in a single-season. The 2003 Detroit Tigers were pretty awful, but it’s not like they were bereft of talent. That team featured a young Jeremy Bonderman in the rotation and Fernando Rodney pitched out of the bullpen. That Tigers team also had Dmitri Young, Carlos Pena, Omar Infante, Andres Torres, and Cody Ross. Looking at the current Astros’ roster, I don’t see anywhere close to that level of talent. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

Comments Off on Just How Bad Are The Houston Astros?

Tags: 1962 mets, 1962 ny mets, 2003 detroit tigers, AL West, astros, brett wallace, Houston, houston astros, jed lowrie, jeff luhnow, jonathan singleton, jose altuve, NL Central

The Blue Jays Payroll 2013: A Reader’s thoughts On The Jays Part 7 of a 7 Article Series

Sep 12

Posted by mednickalex

Wednesday, September.12/2012

Note from Chuck Booth: Sometimes at the Reports, we are fortunate to have someone take out some serious time to write a huge-detailed explanation of their thoughts on a piece we have written about. I was blown away by the enthusiasm of one of these such readers. Alex Mednick and I started back and forth on the piece I wrote about the 2013 Toronto Blue Jays and I suggested that we should give his analysis a full appreciation by posting it in a guest column for him, So this is Alex’s guest column:

Alex Anthopoulos has fixed a lot of the problems that J.P. Ricciardi left him with. It will take a few more years to see the club reap the benefits of the stock-piled talent coming from the replenished Minor League System.

Alex Mednick: (Special Guest Writer):

Update after the Nov.13 Trade with Miami:

Man, I gotta say…The move with the Miami Marlins made by the Blue Jays shows that management want’s to play ball. Signing Josh Johnson and Mark Buehrle give the Blue Jays two bonafide front-end starters to add into the mix in 2013. With a healthy year from Johnson and Morrow, you’ve got to guys with electric stuff going 1-2, and Buehrle is about as solid of a #3 any team could wish for. Romero in the number 4 slot, takes a lot of pressure off of him to bounce back, and even if he can simply perform at 90% of what he is capable of…it’s a pretty sight for the Blue Jays to have this kind of rotation in the AL East. Management definitely quieted some dubious fans and put it’s money where it’s mouth is!

The signing of 29 year old Jose Reyes gives the Blue Jays a superstar shortstop up the middle for the next 5 years. A guy to lead off who gets on base and steals 40+ bases a year will be very nice to set up the table for Bautista, Encarnacaion and Lawrie. And I wouldn’t be surprised if the Blue Jays still added some more pop to the lineup by trading for an offensively minded left fielder or DH.

The Blue Jays inherited a lot of salary from the deal, but only parted with a few prospects from their deep farm system (Nicolino…one of the Big 3 pitchers, Hechevarria, and Marisnick). They now have Bonifacio and Izturis at 2nd base who are nearly identical players and can deal from a sudden strength there in a emaciated 2nd base market…and they have a plethora of catchers in another thin market, that they can trade. Not to mention the remainder of their extensively talented farm system which they can use as trade bait.

I don’t think the Blue Jays are happy with expecting Adam Lind to bounce back, and I’m unsure whether they are comfortable with Gose/Rasmus in CF either so I would expect them to bring in another outfielder or DH. They already have incredible speed on the basepaths between Gose, Lawrie, Bonifacio, Reyes and Davis.

They may still go after ANOTHER pitcher in the mold of Edwin Jackson, but it is doubtful that they want to spend any more money on the rotation after acquiring Johnson and Buehrle. If they did anything it would likely be via trade, but why when they have Drew Hutchinson, Kyle Drabek, JA Happ and a bunch of other great 5th starter possibilities laying in wait? They are more likely at this point to use trading chips for offense/and or bench players.

The Blue Jays finally made a bold move that shows they recognize that with their current players/contracts/core and the current health of the AL East…the time to strike was now…we couldn’t continue to wait for a rich farm to develop and then harvest. Who would have ever guessed that the two front end starters we required this offseason would come in a single trade? Out of nowhere! And we knew that Yunel Escobar was on the trading block, but we never would have expected to have a Super Star like Jose Reyes at SS for the next 5 years? I know the Blue Jays inquired on Reyes last year during the offseason, but wow…All we can say is “Thank you Mr. Loria”.

I really enjoyed your analysis of the Blue Jays future (for that blog click here ) along with your digest of the various possibilities and directions that may chose going forward.

Furthermore, you hit the nail on the head: When Alex Anthopoulos inherited this team from J.P. Ricciardi, he was merely a protégé of a failed, and over-hyped GM (Ricciardi), who was the protégé of Billy Beane…possibly also “over-hyped”. If Anthopoulos learned anything from his time working under J.P. Ricciardi, and his time sweeping floors in Montreal it may have been this: “While some people may quantify your value based on perceived potential, it is best to quantify yourself on what you have actually done”. Therefore, Anthoploulos wasted no time making moves and proving to all of Canada (along with most of baseball) that he truly is a Ninja. Somehow, someway…he was able to convince the Angels brass, and the ChiSox to fill in the holes that Ricciardi had dug with contract extensions to Vernon Wells and Alex Rios (respectively).

For Part 1 of a 7 Part Article Series: The Toronto Blue Jays Franchise 1977-1993, click here

For Part 6 of the 7 Part Series: Blue Jays 2013 Team Payroll Click here:

8 Comments

Tags: adam lind, adeiny hechavarria, AL East, alex anthopoulos, alex mednick, alex ríos, andrew freidman, anthony gose, boston red sox, brad lincoln, brett lawrie, chicagon white sox, cincinnati reds, david ortiz, dunedin, edwin encarnacion, francisco liriano, george steinbrenner, houston astros, j.p. ricciardi, joey bautista, john farrell, josh hamilton, lansing, manny ramirez, milwaukee brewers, new york yankees, nl west, pedro martinez, pittsburgh pirates, rajai davis, ricky romero, skydome, st louis cardinals, stuart sternberg, tampa bay rays, toronto blue jays, travis d'arnaud, travis snider, vancouver canadians, vernon wells, yunel escobar, zack greinke

MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: September 2012

Sep 3

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Monday, September.3/2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024 To say that this year has been a good year for baseball is an humongous understatement. I thought after last years finish, that nothing was going to duplicate the experience. Everyone forgets (or maybe not) that there should not even have been many races last year with Atlanta and Boston having such substantial leads on playoff spots. The Red Sox and Braves collapsed like a couple of bowling pins with King Kong Bundy splashing down on them!

This year, there are 15 teams still vying for 10 playoff spots. So far the only probable locks are Washington for a playoff spot-and Cincinnati to probably win their division The player races for all of the categories is almost as fascinating. Will Andrew McCutcheon catch Melky Cabrera for the Batting title? Or will 2012 be forever cemented in baseball folklore by a stained player like Cabrera? He could still end up determining who wins the World Series in the Fall Classic by his Testosterone filled antics in his MVP ALL-Star Game. The big question is, will the San Francisco Giants fans cheer for him if he comes back in the playoffs? They cheered for another league leader before when it was obvious he was guilty. Right now if you are the Giants, you will take an opportunity to boo or cheer for Cabrera because that means you would be in the playoffs.

Will the spending happy Dodgers have to wait another year to capitalize on their new plan to make the playoffs? If they ultimately miss the playoffs outright, are they going to buy every player they can in the off-season? I sure hope Magic knows that there are Luxury Tax penalties for spending over 178 Million Next Year. 1st year fine is 22.5%, 2nd year is 30%, 3rd year and beyond is 40%. So if they plan on having a 250 Million Dollar Payroll in 2013 (by adding 2 or 3 more top Free Agents) will the Dodgers just forego the worry of any financial penalties on a yearly basis– just to dominate the whole National League (plus baseball for that matter.) Every other team has to consider the urgency in cashing out a World Series right now while the Dodgers have not had a full off season with the new management yet. Can Oakland and their ‘New Money Ball philosophy’ make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2006?

The Best Players over the last month were: Buster Posey, Prince Fielder, Giancarlo Stanton, Adrian Beltre, Josh Hamilton, Yovani Gallardo, Kris Medlen, Adam Wainwright, Aroldis Chapman and Felix Hernandez. The best teams have been Oakland, Washington, San Francisco, San Diego, Baltimore and Texas. The worst teams have been Houston (at least its better to go down hard and stockpile #1 Draft Picks guys.) I have a feeling you will be there for a while with the division you are heading into and may even challenge the 120 Loss Single Season Record. At least you are not going into the NL West to compete with the LA Dodgers! The Cleveland Indians have fallen to an epic drop-off as well. Toronto misses their top sluggers. What has happened to the Minnesota Twins? The Mets have ownership and payroll problems, so at least they have an excuse. Plus they lead the world in guys being hurt. When David Wright has been your healthiest player, you know the season has been backwards! So sit back, get your notebook and popcorn ready for this Month’s Rankings! Read the rest of this entry →

Comments Off on MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: September 2012

Tags: aaron loup, adam dunn, adam laroche, adam wainwright, adrian beltre, albert pujols, alex cobb, alex gordon, Alexi Ogando, alfonso soriano, allen craig, andre ethier, angel pagan, aramis ramirez, arizona diamondbacks, aroldis chapman, Atlanta Braves, austin jackson, baltimore orioles, ben revere, ben zobrist, billy butler, boston red sox, brad ziegler, brandon belt, brandon phillips, Bronson Arroyo, bruce chen, bryce harper, buster posey, c.c. sabathia, carlos gomez, carlos quentin, carlos ruiz, casey fien, chad billingsley, chase headley, chicago cubs, chicago white sox, cincinnati reds, clayton kershaw, clayton richard, cleveland indians, cliff lee, coco crisp, cole hamels, colorado rockies, corey hart, craig kimbrel, curtis granderson, curtis maybin, danny espinosa, darren o'day, david cooper, david Dejesus, david hernandez, david murphy, david price, david wright, delmon young, derek jeter, detroit tigers, Dexter Fowler, dustin pedroia, elvis andrus, eric chavez, eric young, erik kratz, evan longoria, felix hernandez, freddie freeman, freddy garcia, garrett jones, giancarlo stanton, gio gonzalez, hanley ramirez, hisashi iwakuma, houston astros, hunter pence, ike davis, j.a. happ, j.j. putz, james shields, jamey carroll, jason heyward, javier lopez, jay bruce, jayson werth, jeff keppinger, Jeremy guthrie, jesus montero, jim johnson, jimmy rollins, joaquin arias, joe mauer, joe nathan, joel hanrahan, john jay, john mayberry Jr., johnny cueto, jon lester, jonathan broxton, jonathan lucroy, jonathan papelbon, jose reyes, jose valverde, josh hamilton, josh reddick, juan encarnacion, justin morneau, justin verlander, kansas city royals, kevin frandsen, kevin youkilis, kris medlen, kyle kendrick, kyle lohse, kyle seager, los angeles angels, los angeles dodgers, luke gregerson, Marco scutaro, Mark buerhle, mark reynolds, mark rogers, martin prado, mat latos, Matt Harrison, matt holliday, matt kemp, matt moore, matt scherzer, matt wieters, melky cabrera, miami marlins, miguel cabrera, mike fiers, Mike Leake, milwaukee brewers, minnesota twins, mitch moreland, moises sierra, New Marlins Ball Park, new york mets, new york yankees, nick markakis, nick swisher, NL Comeback Player of the Year, NL Rookie of the Year, Norichika Aoki, oakland athletics, oliver perez, paul goldschmidt, pedro alavarez, pedro ciriaco, philadelphia phillies, pittsburgh pirates, placido polanco, prince fielder, r.a. dickey, ricky romero, roy halladay, ryan dempster, ryan howard, ryan mattheus, ryan webb, ryan zimmerman, san diego padres, san francisco giants, scott podsednik, scott rolen, seattle mariners, sergio romo, st louis cardinals, stephen strasburg, steve lombardozzi, tampa bay rays, texas rangers, tim hudson, todd frazier, Torii Hunter, toronto blue jays, Triple crown, tyler colvin, Tyler Flowers, wade miley, washington nationals, will venable, yonder alonso, yovani gallardo, yu darvish

Roger Clemens and the Sugar Land Skeeters

Aug 29

Posted by samevans87

Wednesday August 29^th, 2012

Sam Evans: Roger Clemens deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. If Cooperstown picked candidates with regard to their off-field activities, players like Dick Williams and Mickey Mantle might have never been chosen to the elite class that is the Hall of Fame. If Hall of Fame voters look at Clemens’ career numbers, they’ll find it hard to not see him as having one of the best starting pitching careers we’ve ever seen. Clemens is currently pitching with the independent league Sugar Land Skeeters after five years away from the game. It’s been only one game so far, with more possibly to come. Let’s look at Clemens, his first start, and how he stacks up against some of his teammates.

Roger Clemens ranks eighth all-time among major leaguers in WAR, and second among starting pitchers (145.5). His upper 90’s fastball, nasty splitter, and above-average changeup led him to over 300 wins and a twenty-four year career in the majors. His last season, in 2007 with the New York Yankees, Clemens still managed to pitch at a fairly high level, posting a 4.14 FIP in seventeen starts. His average fastball velocity was just over 90 MPH for the 2007 season.

After Clemens figured out a bunch of legal things, he “tried out” for the Sugar Land Skeeters, who play in the independent Atlantic League, and made the team. In his first start on Saturday, August 25^th, Clemens lasted 3 1/3 innings, allowing only one hit, not walking a batter, and striking out two. Facing a Bridgeport team that features former major leaguers Joey Gathright and Shea Hillebrand, Clemens topped out at 88 MPH and got a few outs via his splitter. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

3 Comments

Tags: astros, baseball, bubba bell, cooperstown, dick williams, hall of fame, houston astros, jeff farnsworth, joey gathright, mickey mantle, mlb, new york yankees, pitcher, roger clemens, shea hillebrand, steriods, sugar land skeeters

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

Aug 17

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Friday August.17/2012

Note from Chuck Booth: I am attempting to bring the history for each of the 30 MLB Franchises into a 5 part series that will focus on 1. The teams history. 2. The hitters 3. The pitchers. 4. The Team’s Payroll going into in 2013 and 5. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) To follow all of the updates, be sure to check my author page with a list of all archived articles here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4 Comments

Tags: aaron rowand, alex rodriguez, all-star game, Andy Seminick, arizona diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, baltimore orioles, Bill Mazeroski, billy hamilton 19-20th century, Bob Boone, brad lidge, brett myers, cal ripken, carlos ruiz, Charlie hayes, chase utley, Chris Short, Chuck Booth, chuck klein, citizens bank ballpark, cliff lee, cole hamels, colorado rockies, Connie Mack, curt schilling, Darren Daulton, Dave Hollins, del ennis, Dick Allen, Dick Ruthven, ed delahanty, eddie sawyer, Garry Maddox, gavvy cravath, Granny Hammer, gregg jeffries, grover alexander, houston astros, hunter pence, jamie moyer, Jason Grimsley, jayson werth, Jim Bunning, jim fregosi, Jim Lonborg, jimmy rollins, joe blanton, Joe Carter, joe dimaggio, john kruk, john mayberry Jr., johnny callison, juan pierre, Juan Samuel, Kevin Gross, kyle kendrick, la dodgers, Larry Christenson, Lee Thomas, lenny dykstra, marlon byrd, mike Lieberthal, mike schmidt, mike timlin, Milt Thompson, Mitch Williams, montreal expos, national league, new york mets, new york yankees, nl mvp, NL Rookie of the Year, nlcs, Ozzie Virgil, pat burrell, pat corrales, pat gillick, pat moran, paul owens, pete rose, Pete Smith, philadelphia, Philadelphia A's, Philadelphia Quakers, phillie phanatic, pittsburgh pirates, placido polanco, Randy Ready, raul ibanez, Recreation Park Philadelphia, Richie Ashburn, Rick Wise, rico brogna, robin roberts, roger mcdowell, Ron Reed, roy oswalt, ruben amaro jr, ryan howard, sam thompson, san diego padres, san francisco giants, Schibe Park, scott rolen, shane victorino, sherry magee, Stan Lopata, steve carlton, steve o'neill, tampa bay rays, Terry Mulholland, the fastest 30 ballgames, tommy greene, Tug McGraw, veterans stadium, vicente padilla, Von Hayes, Whiz Kids, willie jones, world series, yogi berra

Top Ten Stat of the Week: Active Saves Leaders in the MLB (A Closers Role)

Aug 13

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Monday August.13/2012

Mariano Rivera holds the ALL-Time Record for any closer (active or retired) with 608 Saves. Will he come back in 2013 to add to his totals?

Chuck Booth: (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- To be a closer in today’s baseball game takes quite the mental fortitude. There is a lot of psychological warfare one could do to himself in preventing a successful run at saving games. While I am of the mindset that the relief pitchers of yesteryear seemed to be relied on more for lengthier durations, this does not diminish this stat in any way. It is hard to acquire the 90-100% save rate that most teams are striving for in a pitching staff. In any given seasons the average save opportunities average from 45-65 chances to lock a game down. A lot of this also depends on what team you play for. There have been several phenomenal stretches put forth by closers of the game in recent vintage. Who could forget Canadian born Erig Gagne? This man once saved 85 straight games from 2002-2004. He is the all-time leader in that category and beat out John Franco’s previous record by an astounding 30 games. Another incredible run was Brad Lidge‘s incredible 2008 season where he did not blow a save opportunity out of 48 games both in the regular season and playoffs.

Sure these guys don’t log 120 innings anymore, or throw for 3 inning saves like Rollie Fingers and Goose Gossage did for many years. By the way, we can all thank Tony La Russa for the invention of specialists pitchers (Rick Honeycutt, Jesse Orosco anyone?) and the one inning save closers. La Russa perfected this scenario with former starter Dennis Eckersley coming out of the pen for the Oakland A’s during their powerhouse days in the late 80’s. Eckersley was so dominant every team tried to duplicate their own bullpens to mock the A’s.

Before this time had come, relief pitchers were all mostly comprised of young pitchers trying to acclimatize themselves into the Major Leagues first, before earning a spot as a Starting Pitcher. For example, David Wells was once a relief pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays first and then was promoted to a starting pitcher after he proved he could pitch in the Major Leagues. In today’s baseball world, relief pitchers are now being drafted out of college and high school as relievers whereas they used to all come from the position of starting pitcher. It also used to be that relief pitchers were players that graduated to a starter and then could not find success as starters and were sent back to the bullpen once again to stay. When it came down to it, you had only a couple of chances to perform as a starter. Maybe it was because there were bigger than life characters like Gossage that make remember these pitchers in such favorable terms. Maybe it was because we never saw them interviewed on a social media platform like today’s athlete is and the mystery surrounded them made them more feared, or maybe it is because we tend to admire things more when they happened in the past. I still love the closers role in today’s game and nothing has more drama in a baseball game than trying to nail down the last 3 outs!

Comments Off on Top Ten Stat of the Week: Active Saves Leaders in the MLB (A Closers Role)

Tags: active saves leaders, al cy young, all-time saves leaders, American league, boston red sox, brad lidge, brian fuentes, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, colorado rockies, david wells, dennis eckersley, detroit tigers, eric gagne, francisco cordero, goose gossage, houston astros, Jesse Orosco, joe nathan, jonathan papelbon, jose valverde, la angels, los angeles dodgers, mariano rivera, milwaukee brewers, minnesota twins, national league, new york yankees, nl cy young, oakland athletics, rick honeycutt, rookie of the year, san diego padres, st louis cardinals, texas rangers, tony la russa, toronto blue jays, troy percival, washington nationals, world series

ATR: Ask the Reports Answers Your Baseball Questions: Lowe to the Yankees, Mauer Before Head and Shoulders, Extend Wright, Jose Canseco is Bankrupt (again) and Creative MLB Realignment

Aug 12

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

Sunday August 12th, 2012

Jonathan Hacohen: Posted every Weekend: Your top baseball questions from the past week are answered. E-mail all questions to mlbreports@me.com, message us on Twitter, post on our Facebook Wall and leave comments on our website! There are many ways to reach us and we will get to your questions from all social media outlets!

Jonathan Hacohen: I am off to the Rogers Centre today to watch the Yankees battle the Jays. This game matters little in reality. The Yankees are in first place, with a 14 game lead over the last place Jays. The Yankees are on a 4 game winning streak, while the Jays have lost their last 5. Given the Jays bulging disabled list, they will likely be fielding a team that will more resemble a AAA squad. But I still go. I go because I love baseball. I go because it is the Yankees and I love the history and pride of the franchise. The truth is: I don’t care who is playing and where the game will take place. I go because I love baseball.

Speaking of the Yankees, I have something important on my mind. Derek Lowe. I will never stop thinking him as a member of the Red Sox, so today’s news took me somewhat by surprise. Lowe is now a member of the Yankees. So this is not your dad’s version of Derek Lowe. No, the 39-year old Lowe is nearly done. Unless he discovers the fountain of youth…or learns to throw a knuckleball. Lowe started off hot in Cleveland, but fizzled out quickly. Going to New York, his record on the year sits at 8-10 with a dismal 5.52 ERA. He has an unsightly 1.689 WHIP. He has walked more batters than he has struck out. But yet I hold out faith. Lowe was still very good as of 2010, but the wheels came off last year and never returned.

Apparently Lowe has accepted an assignment to the pen. Heck, for the league minimum- the Yankees have nothing to lose. Pettitte may not return and now Sabathia is having elbow issues. As the Jays, Red Sox, Yankees, Rangers and many other teams have proven this year- you can never have too much pitching. Pitchers get injured. Pitchers become ineffective. Remember how many Yankees fans were booing Bartolo Colon last year? Bet those same fans would love to have him back this year. Look at Ben Sheets on Atlanta. What’s old is new again. As long as Lowe’s arm is still intact, I say throw him in there. If he can get hot for even 2 weeks- that’s all what it might take in this game. Great signing by Brian Cashman. Derek Lowe could end up being a winning lottery ticket- or simply a lost dollar. Low risk, high reward is the name of the game folks.

For our Batting Stance Guy featured video of the week, we bring you Gar’s All-Star compilation titled: “Best Batting Stances By Position”

For bonus points this week: Tell us which former MLB player Gar is hanging with…and which stance he is imitating? First correct answer gets a secret prize: e-mail your answer to mlbreports@gmail.com

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

Comments Off on ATR: Ask the Reports Answers Your Baseball Questions: Lowe to the Yankees, Mauer Before Head and Shoulders, Extend Wright, Jose Canseco is Bankrupt (again) and Creative MLB Realignment

Tags: ask the reports, atr, bankruptcy, bartolo colon, baseball, bud selig, cleveland indians, david wright, derek lowe, head and shoulders, houston astros, joe mauer, jose canseco, jose reyes, Mike Trout, mlb, mlb expansion, mlb playoffs, mlb realignment, new york mets, wild card, world series, yankees, yoenis cespedes

Houston…We Have a Problem: The Astros Are in for a Painful Rebuild

Aug 9

Posted by johnburnsmlb

Thursday August 9th, 2012

John Burns: With a 36-76 record the Houston Astros have been the laughing-stock of baseball this season. Houston is going into a complete rebuilding phase after trading the very few veterans they had, such as: Carlos Lee to Miami, Wandy Rodriguez to Pittsburgh, Brett Myers to Chicago (White Sox), Chris Johnson to Arizona, and J.A. Happ to Toronto. It is safe to say that Houston was definitely a seller at the recent non-waiver trade deadline and they made the right decision. They had one of the best deadlines in my opinion because they got rid of players that they were not going to win with and got very talented prospects in return. With the load of prospects Houston received, they will most definitely need several of their new young players to pan out if Houston plans to contend in the A.L. West one day. Oh yeah… I forgot to mention the worst team in baseball is going to one of the best divisions in baseball in 2013. A difficult situation is about to get a whole lot tougher. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

Tags: al central, AL West, astros, baseball, brett myers, carlos correa, Carlos lee, chris johnson, houston astros, ja happ, jarred cosart, jonathan singelton, los angeles angels, mlb, prospects, seattle mariners, texas rangers, wandy rodriguez

MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: August 2012

Aug 6

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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 →

4 Comments

Tags: a.j ellis, a.j. burnett, aaron hill, adam dunn, adam jones, adam laroche, adrian gonzalez, albert pujols, alex gordon, alex ríos, alexei ramirez, alfonso soriano, anaheim angels, andres torres, Andrew McCutchen, anthony rizzo, aramis ramirez, arizona diamondbacks, aroldis chapman, Atlanta Braves, austin jackson, baltimore orioles, ben revere, billy butler, blake beaven, boston redsox, brandon inge, brandon moss, brandon phillips, Brian McCann, Bronson Arroyo, buster posey, Carlos lee, carlos ruiz, carlos santana, carlos villanueva, chase headley, chase utley, chicago cubs, chicago white sox, chipper jones, chris davis, chris sale, cincinnati reds, clay buccholz, cleveland indians, cliff lee, colorado rockies, corey hart, craig kimbrel, dan haren, daniel murphy, dave robertson, david murphy, david ortiz, david price, david wright, denard span, derek jeter, derek lowe, detroit tigers, doug fister, edwin encarnacion, felix hernandez, freddie freeman, garrett jones, gerardo parra, giancarlo stanton, gio gonzalez, hanley ramirez, homer bailey, houston astros, hunter pence, huston street, ian kennedy, jason kubel, jeff keppinger, jered weaver, jesus montero, joe blanton, joe mauer, johnny cueto, johnny gomes, jon lester, jonathan broxton, jordan zimmerman, jose altuve, jose bautista, jose reyes, josh beckett, josh hamilton, josh johnson, josh willingham, justin morneau, justin ruggiano, justin upton, kansas city royals, kevin youkilis, kyle seager, la dodgers, lorenzo cain, Luke Scott, mark teixeira, mat latos, matt kemp, melky cabrera, miami marlins, micheal brantley, Micheal Mckenry, Micheal Morse, miguel cabrera, mike fiers, mike napoli, Mike Trout, milwaukee brewers, minnesota twins, Monthly MLB Rankings, neil walker, nelson cruz, new york mets, new york yankees, nick markakis, oakland athletics, pauil maholm, paul goldschmidt, pedro strop, philadelphia phillies, pittsburgh pirates, prince fielder, r.a. dickey, rafael soriano, rickie weeks, ruben tejada, ryan braun, ryan dempster, ryan howard, ryan vogelsong, ryan zimmerman, sam dedundo, san diego padres, san francisco giants, scott diamond, scott feldman, scott hairston, scott rolen, seattle mariners, seth smith, shane victorino, shin-soo choo, st louis cardinals, stephen strasburg, tampa bay rays, team rankings MLB, texas rangers, Torii Hunter, toronto blue jays, travis hafner, ubaldo jimenez, washington nationals, wie-yin chen, willie bloomquist, yasmani grandal, yu darvish

Roy Oswalt: The Rangers Are Hoping That He Has Enough Gas Left For One More Playoff Run

Aug 1

Posted by Jake Dal Porto

Wednesday August 1st, 2012

Jake Dal Porto: Roy Oswalt has been one of baseball’s best and most consistent pitchers over the past decade. He’s finished top five in Cy Young voting five times, is a three-time All-Star, and has even received MVP votes throughout his career. However, his return to the major leagues with Texas has been everything BUT impressive. Oswalt is aging. He has a bad back, his arm seems to be dead, and both of those things are effecting his ability to pitch.

Why did the Rangers shock the baseball world by pulling off a last-minute deal for Ryan Dempster? Partly because they knew Neftali Feliz was going to need Tommy John surgery and would not be returning. Partly because they felt that they did not have enough pitching depth to compete with the Angels. And Partly because they aren’t sold on Oswalt as a dependable playoff starter. Oswalt, who made his first start with Texas on June 22nd, has a racked up a few good outings and a few extremely bad ones. Unfortunately for the Rangers and their fans, the bad outings have outweighed the good ones. This is a very concerning pattern that the veteran Oswalt continues to follow. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

Comments Off on Roy Oswalt: The Rangers Are Hoping That He Has Enough Gas Left For One More Playoff Run

Tags: angels, baseball, houston astros, ian kinsler, josh hamilton, mike napoli, mlb, neftali feliz, nelson cruz, roy oswalt, ryan dempster, starter, texas rangers, tigers, white sox, world series, yu darvish

Baseball Movie Review: Ballplayer Pelotero

Jul 16

Posted by samevans87

Monday July 16th, 2012

Sam Evans: “Ballplayer: Pelotero” is a documentary that follows two highly regarded Dominican fifteen year-old baseball players. It’s a story of lies, backstabbing, and MLB’s darker side. I highly recommend “Ballplayer: Pelotero” if you’re at all interested in International Free Agency, and how young prospects can get taken advantage of.

The two players shown throughout the film are Miguel Angel Sano and Jean Carlos Batista. Sano is portrayed as an extremely talented fifteen year-old, who comes from a very poor family. As you may know, Sano is now in the Minnesota Twins organization, and he has more raw power than any other player in the minors. Throughout the film, Batista opens up about the death of his father in a dramatic eye-opening fashion. He ends up signing with the Houston Astros, after a major discovery is made by Major League Baseball that alters his signing bonus.

Posted in On the Verge: MLB Prospects

Comments Off on Baseball Movie Review: Ballplayer Pelotero

Tags: ballplayer Pelotero, baseball, D.R., Domincan, dominican republic, houston astros, Miguel Angel, miguel sano, minnesota twins, mlb, movie, pittsburgh pirates, Rene Gayo, review

Top Ten Stat Of The Week: (Active Pitchers Winning Pctg-Min 100 Decisions)

Jul 15

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Sunday July.15/2012

Lester had started his career 61-26 (.709) before he has pitched to a 20-15 record the last two seasons (.571). Lester still leads the active pitchers in Winning Percentage. Photo courtesy of http://www.bostonsportssu18.com

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)-Piching wins are given less importance all of the time by the sabermetric community. I am here to refute these findings. A won-loss category is still very important in a pitchers career. Yes there are definite exceptions. Nolan Ryan played for a lot of mediocre teams and that is why he is 324-292 all time. I would definitely say the modern pitchers Matt Cain 78-76 and Felix Hernandez have valid arguments why their won-loss percentages are way lower than they should be. Recent Cy Young winners were voted on more for other periphery stats such as: ERA, WHIP, OBA and WAR.

I often think of Jack Morris when I hear this. He had the situational pitching down perfect between 1983-1993. The man won 4 World Series with 3 different teams. Morris posted a 254-186 record (.577) and he has an ERA for his career at 3.90. At first glance you may scoff at the notion of a near 4.00 ERA before the steroid era. You had to watch his games to see where he was coming from. He was on great offensive teams and would have large run support from time to time. Jack Morris would challenge hitters by pitching to contact. Sometimes the hitters would get the better of him in these lopsided games. If you were a hitter, you were going to get no free pass from Big Jack. His 175 complete games were a testament to his duration. Morris also led the 1980’s in pitching wins. He was just as capable of pitching in a low scoring, close game as evidence by his 1-0 World Series 10 innings pitched win in-game #7 of the 1991 World Series versus the Braves. The gentlemen on this list all can throw complete games like Jack Morris did. All of these pitchers have logged huge innings at parts of their careers. Read the rest of this entry →

Comments Off on Top Ten Stat Of The Week: (Active Pitchers Winning Pctg-Min 100 Decisions)

Tags: adam wainwright, andy pettitte, Atlanta Braves, boston red sox, cc sabathia, cleveland indians, detroit tigers, felix hernandez, houston astros, ivan nova, jered weaver, joe niekro, johan santana, jon lester, juan guzman, justin verlander, Los Angele angels, matt cain, new york mets, new york yankees, oakland a's, philadelphia phillies, roy oswalt, st louis cardinals, tim hudson, Top Ten Pitching Active Winning Percentage Leaders

The Best Teams from 1980-2012: Will Texas claim the title this year from 2010-2012?

Jul 11

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Wednesday July.11, 2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- There is only so much one can read in an article, otherwise I would make these lists up from the turn of the 20th century. If you gave me enough time as a reader, I promise to backdate this topic with another article featuring the best teams dating back further in years. Eventually, all of the years may be dissected and we can have a healthy debate on some of my selections. I really started watching baseball in the early 1980’s. As I became older and discovered ways to research the history of the game, my knowledge and curious mind grew for more information. I have studied and read baseball stat books and breezed through the odd Bill James novel. If I ever take a break from writing or baseball park chasing, I may find some time down the road to watch the 9 part PBS documentary that Ken Burns did on baseball’s history.

Baseball lends itself more to the history than any other sport because of how it has been chronicled throughout their past. Writers, announcers, former players, parents etc.. have always carried on with the stories of America’s favorite pastime. I will never be sold that NFL is the greatest pastime in sports right now. NFL is the greatest gambling sport presently. It is my firm belief that the only reason why the NFL draws in more cash from its sport is because of the gambling factor. If you took that aspect out of it, I believe baseball is the #1 sport. Can you imagine how much attention we would pay to baseball if there were only a 16 game schedule? Enough with that rant, let’s get down to the list. Who were the best teams at any specific time period for the last 32 years? We will start with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1980-1983. Read the rest of this entry →

4 Comments

Tags: adrian beltre, albert pujols, alcs, alesx rodriguez, andruw jones, andy pettitte, Atlanta Braves, bernie williams, Bill James, boston red sox, brad lidge, cal ripken, cecil fielder, chili davis, chipper jones, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, cliff lee, darryl strawberry, dave justice, dave stewart, dave winfield, david ortiz, Dennis Exckersley, derek jeter, Devon White, Doc Gooden, Duane Ward, dustin pedroia, elvis andrus, fenway park, florida marlins, fred mcGriff, gary carter, gary sheffield, george steinbrenner, Greg Maddux, houston astros, jack morris, jamie moyer, jason giambi, jason varitek, jayson werth, jd drew, Jesse Orosco, JImmy Key, Joe Carter, Joe Torre, john olerud, john smoltz, john wetteland, jon lester, jonathan papelbon, jose canseco, josh hamilton, juan guzman, kansas city royals, ken burns, ken hill, Keth Hernandez, kevin millar, kevin youkilis, Larry Walker, los angeles dodgers, lowell, manny ramirez, mariano rivera, mark trumbo, marquis grissom, Matt Harrison, mike, mike schmidt, mike stanton, Mike Trout, Mitch Williams, mlb, moises alou, montreal expos, new York, new york mets, new york yankees, nfl, nlcs, oakland athletics, pat gillick, Pat Hentgen, paul molitor, Paul o neill, pedro martinez, pete rose, Philadephia Phillies, raul ibanez, rickey henderson, roberto alomar, roger clemens, ron darling, ruben sierra, ryan howard, scott brosius, shane victorino, Sid Fernandez, skydome, st louis cardinals, tino martinez, tom glavine, tom henke, toronto blue jays, twitter, world series, yu darvish

The Jose Altuve Phenomenon

Jun 15

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Friday June.15/2012

Jose Altuve is listed as 5 foot five although he may be even shorter than that. His lethal swings have created a new metric measurement based on his height called an ‘Altuve.’ Everyone is picking up the new measurement including social media platforms dedicated to the cause: @howmanyaltuves on twitter and the official website http://www.howmanyaltuves.com –Photo courtesy of the Washington Post.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- Baseball lends itself to traditions and nicknames like no other sport in the world. During last year, there were two phenomenons in the form of social media and radio. I was lucky enough to be part of them both. The MLB ‘Fancave’ sidekick Ryan Wagner was dubbed ‘thickish’ by Mitch Williams of the MLB Network. The social media took off on his nickname and blogs, websites and a lot of the Fancave skits had Mike O’ Hara calling Wagner ‘thickish.’ I love things like this. I took it upon myself to be the West Coast distributor of the movement. I was even fortunate enough to have Ryan Wagner write a blog about my buddy Justin and I. It was cool to be part of the fun of this social media driven nickname.

Then the summer of 2011 hit. I was listening to MLB Roundtrip like I do every night while at work. Mike Ferrin and Morgan Ensberg were talking about Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros. There were saying the man was swinging out of his cleats like he was Paul Bunyan. They also mentioned that Altuve was the leader of the Texas League (before his call up) for average. The next thing I knew Ensberg suggested that they should come up with a new unit of measurement called an “Altuve.” The idea would be that you can divide the total amount of feet hit for a home run divided Jose Altuve’s height. I couldn’t stop laughing at the concept. To me, Ensberg was entirely right, Altuve does sound like a unit measurement! For the next few weeks, the guys kept on speaking of long homers hit and how many Altuve’s they would go. Read the rest of this entry →

2 Comments

Tags: all-star game, bryan trostel, Chuck Booth, Houston, houston astros, howmanyaltuves.com, jose altuve, justin dion, kansas city royals, ken lee, mike ferrin, mike o hara, minute maid park, Mitch Williams, MLB FANCAVE, morgan ensberg, ryan wagner, safeco field, Texas League, the fastest 30 ballgames, twitter, XM HOME plate

Carlos Correa: Welcome to the Houston Astros

Wednesday June 6th, 2012

Image Courtesy of Aol.Sportingnews.com

Brendan Henderson: Coming into this year’s MLB Draft, the main question people kept asking themselves was, “Who are the Houston Astros going to take with the first overall pick?” Many thought the Astros would go with college pitcher Mark Appel or the young centerfielder Byron Buxton from Appling County High School in Georgia. Instead of taking the players most people thought they would, the Astros took the young shortstop from the Puerto Rico, Carlos Correa. Was it a good move for the Astros? I will tell you what I think below. (more…)

Posted on June 6, 2012 | Image

MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: June 2012

Jun 4

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Monday June.4, 2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)-We are going to bring you monthly power rankings every month of the season. There will be a few notes written for each team. Please feel free to let us know your thoughts. The Texas Rangers are the top ranked team yet once again, although teams are certainly gaining on the them in the last week. Look out for Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees to make their move towards the top this month.

June Power Rankings-Last Month Rank in Parenthesis

1. Texas-32-22 (1) The Rangers rode Josh Hamilton in the month of May-who enters today on pace for about 60 HRs and 170 RBI while hitting .354. Nelson Cruz is starting to heat up and the duo of Adrian Beltre and Ian Kinsler are steady as as ever. Yu Darvish is 7-3 en route to the leading the group amongst Rookie of The Year Contention. Joe Nathan is looking like his old self again out of the pen with an ERA under 2.

2. LA Dodgers 33-21 (5) Even with Matt Kemp out of the lineup again, the Dodgers are winning ball games with solid contributions from Andre Ethier and A.J Ellis on offense. The pitching staff has been anchored by Clayton Kershaw and a fast 7-1 start by Chris Capuano. Ted Lilly was 5-1 before a stint on the DL. It is too bad because Lilly is 125-104 since 2004.

3. Tampa Bay 31-23 (2) Hideki Matsui homered in two of his first 3 games back with the Rays. The team has had steady pitching to stay in contention. Carlos Pena has really struggled in the last month and will need to pick it up. Luke Scott with 35 RBI has good production numbers in spite of his .225 AVG. Fernando Rodney has converted 17 out of 18 saves to pace the club.

4. Cincinnati 30-23 (12) Joey Votto has hit .404 in the last 30 days and maybe the best all-around hitter in the National League right now. Jay Bruce has 12 HRs and 34 RBI and is living up to his all-star potential. Aroldis Chapman has 27 Strikeouts in just over 14 innings and has yet to yield a run while opponents are hitting a paltry .043 against him.

5. NY Yankees 29-24 (6) The Bronx Bombers have 6 players with 8 HRs or more, which is a good thing because with the exception of Derek Jeter, a lot of them are hitting under their career averages. The return of Andy Pettitte has helped the rotation with the loss of Micheal Pineda. Phil Hughes threw a complete game over the weekend and CC Sabathia is on pace for another 20 win season. Read the rest of this entry →

3 Comments

Tags: a.j ellis, adam dunn, adam jones, adam laroche, adrian beltre, albert pujols, all-star game, andre ethier, andy pettitte, angel pagan, arizona diamondbacks, aroldis chapman, Atlanta Braves, baltimore orioles, barry zito, boston red sox, brandon beachy, Bronx Bombers, bryce harper, carlos beltran, carlos gonzalez, Carlos Pena, carlos zambrano, Casey Janssen, cc sabathia, chicago cubs, chicago white sox, chipper jones, chris capuano, chris carpenter, chris sale, Chuck Booth, cincinnati redds, cincinnati reds, clayton kershaw, cleveland indians, colorado rockies, Coors Field, dan uggla, daniel hudson, david ortiz, david wright, dayan viciedo, derek jeter, derek lowe, detroit tigers, dodgers, edwin encarnacion, Felix Doubront, fernando rodney, freddie freeman, giancarlo stanton, gio gonzalez, grady sizemore, hanley ramirez, hideki matsui, houston astros, ian kennedy, ian kinsler, jake peavey, jason kipnis, jay bruce, jered weaver, Jim Leyland, JJ Hardy, joe mauer, joe nathan, joey votto, johan santana, john macdonald, jose altuve, jose bautista, josh hamilton, josh johnson, josh reddick, josh willingham, justin morneau, justin upton, justin verlander, kevin youkilis, kirk nieuwenhuis, kyle lohse, la angels, lance berkman, lance lynn, lucas duda, Luke Scott, Mark buerhle, mark trumbo, matt cain, matt kemp, melky cabrera, mendoza line, miami marlins, michael pineda, Micheal Morse, miguel cabrera, mike scioscia, Mike Trout, minnesota twins, MLB rankings, mlb reports rankings, nelson cruz, new york mets, nick markakis, NY Yankees, oakland a's, pablo sandoval, paul goldschmidt, paul konerko, phil hughes, prince fielder, r.a. dickey, rafael furcal, rangers, rookie of the year, ryan doumit, san francisco giants, Scott Achison, st louis cardinals, starlin castro, stephen drew, stephen strasburg, tampa bay rays, ted lilly, terry collins, the fastest 30 ballgames, tim lincecum, todd helton, toronto blue jays, travis hafner, vladimir guerrero, washington nationals, will middlebrooks, willie bloomquist, yeonis cespedes, yu darvish

2012 MLB Draft Preview

May 30

Posted by Bryan Sheehan

Wednesday May 30th, 2012

Bryan Sheehan (MLB Writer): For those who may not know, the MLB’s first-year-player draft starts June 4th. While there may not be a huge name like Bryce Harper or Stephen Strasburg to create excessive buzz, this year’s draft should be interesting. The first overall pick belongs to the 2011 worst Houston Astros, who surprisingly have one of the shallowest farm systems in baseball. Though the Hunter Pence trade brought in their number one and two prospects, Jarred Cosart and Jonathan Singleton, respectively, the organization is lacking in prospect depth overall. Picking behind the ‘Stros are the Minnesota Twins, with the Mariners and Orioles following. Predicting a draft, especially where there is no clear-cut “number one” prospect is difficult, to say the least. Teams aren’t drafting to fill immediate needs, so much as to bolster a weak area in their organization. For example: it may seem logical for the Phillies to draft a power-hitting first baseman with the 40th pick since Ryan Howard is injured, but really a 2012 draftee wouldn’t be MLB ready for a few years and therefore irrelevant to Howard’s injury. Plus with the changes in this year’s draft as to salaries, teams will no longer have “recommended slots” to play with. Translation: signability will play a bigger part in this year’s draft than ever before. With that being said, here are my predictions for the first ten names to be called on Monday.

Posted in On the Verge: MLB Prospects

2 Comments

Tags: albert almora, baseball, bryce harper, byron buxton, carlos correa, david dahl, houston astros, jonathan singelton, kevin gausman, kyle zimmer, lucas giolito, mark appel, max fried, Mike Trout, mike zunino, mlb, mlb draft, prospects, ryan howard, stephen strasburg

Ask the Reports: ATR Answers Your Baseball Questions – May 27th, 2012

May 27

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen