Blog Archives

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (August.29th) – Updated Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Photo: Gene J. Puskar - AP

Photo: Gene J. Puskar – AP

Yovani Gallardo kept the Pirates out of first place with 7 shutout innings, getting the 4-0 win for the Brewers.

Daniel Murphy went 4-5 with a pair of doubles, a run scored, 2 RBI and a stolen base, leading the Mets offense in a 11-3 mauling of the Phillies.

Jason Vargas continued the Angels winning ways in Tampa Bay by blanking the Rays over 7 innings of 3 hit shutout ball and getting the 2-0 decision .

Torii Hunter launched a 2 out, 3 run, come from behind, walk off homer that salvaged a game for the Tigers and avoided an Oakland sweep, 7-6.


They all owned baseball on August 29, 2013.

My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.

At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON.

To View The List of just the nightly winners (WOB dedicated Page) starting from Mar.31/2013 – today click here

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The LA Angels Payroll In 2014, Organizational Affiliates, Prospects, Depth Charts, (MLB + MiLB)

Albert Pujols signed a 10 YR/$254 MIL contract with the Angels at the age of 31.  He has seen his numbers decline in th 1st year and now is injured for the rest of the year with a foot injury.  STL Career 3 Slash: .382/.420/1.037 - LAA:  .275/.338/.823.  Pujols needs to come back healthy for at least the duration of 2017, when Hamilton's crippling contract is finally over.

Albert Pujols signed a 10 YR/$254 MIL contract with the Angels in 2012 at the age of 31. He has seen his numbers decline in the past year and a half – and now is injured for the rest of the year with a foot injury. STL Career 3 Slash: .382/.420/1.037 – LAA: .275/.338/.823. Pujols needs to come back healthy for at least the duration of 2017, when Hamilton’s crippling contract is finally over.

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): and welcome Jeff Kleiner (Salary, Roster and Depth Chart Expert for the MLB) – visit his website  here  

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 Angels Organization click here.

Mike Trout Highlights 2013

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MLB 30 Team Power Rankings: Week 21

42 - 8, 25 - 3, 19 - 1, 10 wins in a row.  These are all significant numbers put up with a team with deep pockets, the ability to outdraw everyone, and owners willing to do whatever it takes to bring home the 1st World Series Title since 1988.  No one can touch these guys right now. Best 3 Starters in the NL and hottest 2 NL Hitters in Puig and Ramirez.  Oh yeah, the Bullpen has been lights out for the last 50 contests!

42 – 8, 25 – 3, 19 – 1, 10 wins in a row. These are all significant numbers put up with a team with deep pockets, the ability to outdraw everyone for park attendance, and owners willing to do whatever it takes to bring home the 1st World Series Title since 1988. No one can touch these guys right now. Best 3 Starters in the NL and hottest 2 NL Hitters in Puig and Ramirez. Oh yeah, the Bullpen has been lights out for the last 50 contests!

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

It is time for the MLB Power Rankings.  These are based on my thoughts on whether who has the best chance to win the World Series.

A lot of these positions are based on who has the toughest Strength of Schedule left, who their competition is for the Division, and possibly even the League they are in,

The races for the Divisions (AL East, AL West and NL Central are starting to tighten up, while the NL West, AL Central and most notably NL East are looking to be foregone conclusions

The Braves have rattled of a 18 – 3 stretch, and have been ousted by the Dodgers for the #1 spot in the MLB Rankings .

The Rangers are trying to ricochet off of a couple of great deals, in order to flame down the Oakland Athletics.

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Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Payroll in 2013 and Contracts Going Forward

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Monday, August.12, 2013

Jered Weaver is the ace of the staff for the Angels, but has had issues avoiding the disables list this season. When healthy Weaver is one of the best pitchers in the AL. He has won seven games for the Halos, while sporting a 2.87 ERA in 103.1 innings pitched. He has struck out 82 batters and has just walked 24 with a WHIP of 1.10. The right-hander is limiting the opposition to a .233 batting average on the season, with left-handed batters just managing a .231 average. He knows how to pitch when runners are in scoring position, as indicated by teams just having a .230 average in this situation.

Jered Weaver is the ace of the staff for the Angels, but has had issues avoiding the disables list this season. When healthy Weaver is one of the best pitchers in the AL. He has won seven games for the Halos, while sporting a 2.87 ERA in 103.1 innings pitched. He has struck out 82 batters and has just walked 24 with a WHIP of 1.10. The right-hander is limiting the opposition to a .233 batting average on the season, with left-handed batters just managing a .231 average. He knows how to pitch when runners are in scoring position, as indicated by teams just having a .230 average in this situation.

By Chris Lacey (Lead Baseball Columnist/Minority Website Owner)

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have set high expectations coming into this season, and for the second straight off season they were able to sign a highly coveted free agent.

This season has gone from bad to worst with the team trailing the Texas Rangers by 14 games in the American League West division. One reason they have struggled is that they have allowed 546 runs this season, which is third most in the AL.

Mark Trumbo 2012 Highlights

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The LA Angels Have Got To String Together A Big Stretch Of Wins – And Quick!

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Wednesday, June.26th, 2013

J.B. Shuck and Peter Bourjos have done their job, Howie Kendrick is Batting .321, Mark Trumbo is on pace for a 35 HR - 100+ RBI campaign, Errick Aybar is solid, and Callaspo is okay for a Third Baseman.  The team has suffered from the #3 and #4 hitters, and inadequate Starting Pitching - other than C.J. Wilson and Jason Vargas. The Bullpen has also been abysmal with the exception of Sean Burnett.  The club has gone 9 -14 since their big 8 game winning streak last month.

J.B. Shuck and Peter Bourjos have done their job, Howie Kendrick is Batting .321, Mark Trumbo is on pace for a 35 HR – 100+ RBI campaign, Errick Aybar is solid, and Callaspo is okay for a Third Baseman. The team has suffered from the #3 and #4 hitters, and inadequate Starting Pitching – other than C.J. Wilson and Jason Vargas. The Bullpen has also been abysmal with the exception of Sean Burnett. The club has gone 9 -14 since their big 8 game winning streak last month.

By Josh Jones (Angels Correspondent): 

Gut-check time

The 2013 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are at a crossroads.  Seventy-six games into the season and the team has not had the ability to find prolonged success in order to climb back into the AL West standings.

The club is currently 34 – 43 after being swept over the weekend by the Pittsburgh Pirates before trouncing the Tigers for the 4th straight time this , yet they still find themselves considering the unthinkable:  being sellers at the deadline.  They are 10 Games behind both of the Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers – while they are 8.5 Games out of the last playoff spot holder.

LA Angels Preview – They haven’t lived up to the Hype yet:

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Top Teams In The MLB 1 – 30 + (200 Best Stats For The Last Month)

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Thursday June.06/2013

Chris Davis was the hitter of the month for the MLB Reports.  The guy has 20 HRs and 20 2B on the season - after hitting 11/11 for both columns in the last 30 Days.  The Orioles slugger also hit for a 3 Slash Line of .385/.448/1.256.  Davis also Walked 11 Times, drove in 22 RBI - and collected 40 Hits in just 24 Games Played.  He is on pace for a 50 HR/ 50 Doubles Season.  "Crush" is due for Arbitration after this year - and will garner a considerable payraise from the $3.3 MIL he will earn this season.

Chris Davis was the AL hitter of the month for the MLB Reports. The guy has 20 HRs and 20 2B on the season – after hitting 11/11 for both columns in the last 30 Days. The Orioles slugger also hit for a 3 Slash Line of .385/.448/1.256. Davis also Walked 11 Times, drove in 22 RBI – and collected 40 Hits in just 24 Games Played. He is on pace for a 50 HR/50 Doubles Season. “Crush” is due for Arbitration after this year – and will garner a considerable payraise from the $3.3 MIL he will earn this season.

By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

The time has come for the June Power Rankings with Stats Edition.  There will be one each for May, June, July, August, September – and then a special playoff edition Power Rankings will be done in October.

I will not do a weekly Power Rankings during this weeks, because in essence, these are the weekly rankings done on a much larger scale.

These Reports are done with a heavy thought to how the teams project by the end of the season – along with how the clubs have fared so far.

I will point out who has had great months for the all 30 MLB Teams.  I reward the good performances in these rankings – and leave the poor ones for the Podcasts or future articles. CLICK THE READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON or scroll past the video and picture

Chris Davis 2013 Highlights:

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.31) – Updated Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto was one of the four players who owned baseball on May 31, 2013. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Johnny Cueto was one of the four players who owned baseball on May 31, 2013. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Johnny Cueto let up only one and one walk over 8 shutout innings as the Reds defeated the Pirates 6-0.

Jonathan Lucroy went 5-5 with two homers, three runs scored and four runs batted in as the Brewers topped Philadelphia 8-5.

Chris Dickerson crushed a 2 out, 3 run, walk off, come from behind homer to turn a Baltimore loss into an Oriole 7-5 win over the Tigers and bring the Birds to within 1 game in the loss column of first place.

And CC Sabathia shut down the Red Sox into the 8th inning, going 7 1/3 innings, letting up only 1 run, no walks and 10 strikeouts to end the Yankee losing streak, 4-1 and bring them to within a game of first.

They all owned baseball on May 31st, 2013.

My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.

At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON.

To View The List of just the nightly winners (WOB dedicated Page) starting from Mar.31/2013 – today click here Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May 30th) – Updated Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Dillon Gee

Dillon Gee pitched 7 1/3 innings, letting up one run, 4 hits no walks and 12 strikeouts as the Mets beat the Yankees 3-1 and completed the season sweep of the Subway Series.

Luis Valbuena went 3-4, a triple shy of the cycle, scoring three runs as the Cubs swept the White Sox with an 8-3 win.

Jacoby Ellsbury went on a franchise record setting stolen base binge, swiping 5 bags against the Phillies while getting on base 4 times including 3 hits as the Red Sox beat the Phillies, 9-2.

And Freddy Garcia pitched 8 shutout innings, letting up only 3 hits and no walks as the Orioles topped the Nats 2-0.

They all owned baseball on May 30th, 2013.

My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.

At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON.

To View The List of just the nightly winners (WOB dedicated Page) starting from Mar.31/2013 – today click here Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.29th) – Updated Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Dioner Navarro crushed three homers in the Cubs 9-3 WIN over the White Sox. (Sorry Ryan Zimmerman.)

Mr. Zimmerman’s night (and baseball ownership) was foiled by the Orioles 9-6 comeback over the Nationals, led by Chris Davis‘ 4-4, 2 homer, 3 RBI  performance.

Eric Stults did not get the decision, but his 8 inning, 3 hit, 1 run, 12 strikeout and no walk performance set up the Padres 3-2 10 inning victory over Seattle.

Sam Deduno held down the Brewers bats for 7 innings and a single run, letting up 4 hits and 2 walks as the Twins won, 4-1.

They all owned baseball on May 28th, 2013.

My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.

At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON.

To View The List of just the nightly winners (WOB dedicated Page) starting from Mar.31/2013 – today click here Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.27) – Updated Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Aaron Harang

Aaron Harang threw a complete game 4 hit shutout as the Mariners beat the Padres, 9-0.

Kelly Johnson went 4-5 with 2 homers and a stolen base as the Rays topped the Marlins, 10-6.

Jeff Samardzija went the distance, throwing a two hit shutout over the crosstown White Sox, striking out 8 and walking 2 as the Cubs prevailed, 7-0.

And David Wright hit a triple, went 2-3 and his towering home run tied the game in the 7th and sparked the Mets come from behind 2-1 victory in the first game of the Subway Series with the Yankees, 2-1.

They all owned baseball on May 27th, 2013.

My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.

At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON.

To View The List of just the nightly winners (WOB dedicated Page) starting from Mar.31/2013 – today click here Read the rest of this entry

202 ‘WOB’ Awards Since Opening Day – Find Out Who

Sully baseball hosts a 20 Min Daily Podcast https://mlbreports.com/2013/04/27/sully-baseball-daily-podcast-april-27-2013/

‘Sully’ Baseball (Paul Francis Sullivan) hosts a 20 Minute Daily Podcast Every Day – 365 Days a Year – unless its a Leap Year – and then he is going to do another one.

check out Sully Baseball’s 20 Min Daily Podcast Right here

Don’t forget to Subscribe on iTunes HERE. RSS Feed here

WOB Stands For ‘Who Owned Baseball’  It is based on a Daily Look at the best players from the baseball games the day before. Our Lead Writer – Paul Francis Sullivan – (please call him ‘Sully’),  keeps a running total for the yearly leaders every day – and we will update the standings here every day on this page.. 

Agree or Disagree with him on the players he selects – leave him a comment at info@sullybaseball.com.  Follow him on twitter. 

So Bookmark this Page – and be part of the new phenomena of #WOB – If you reverse WOB it also means Players that take a BOW for being the best players of the night! Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May 20th) – Updated Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Screen Shot 2013-05-21 at 7.21.26 AM

Yan Gomes hit a walk off, come from behind, 3 run homer in the bottom of the 10th to cap off a 3-5 day as the Indians won a bizarre 10-8 game over the Mariners.

R. A. Dickey pitched 8 strong innings letting up only 4 hits and 2 earned runs as the Blue Jays got a much needed win over the Rays, 7-5.

Brandon Belt went 4-5, homering and scoring 4 times as the Giants demolished the Nationals 8-0.

And Patrick Corbin threw his first career complete game, improving to 7-0, as he let up only 3 hits and 1 run in Coors Field, striking out 10 for the Diamondbacks 5-1 win over the Rockies.

They all owned baseball on May 20th, 2013

My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.

At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON.

To View The List of just the nightly winners (WOB dedicated Page) starting from Mar.31/2013 – today click here Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.19) – Updated Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Miguel Cabrera

In a losing cause, Miguel Cabrera hit three homers, reached base 5 times, scored three and drove in 5 runs. (His critics would point out that he made an error.) Despite his best efforts, the Tigers lost to Texas 11-8.

Matt Moore pitched seven terrific innings, holding the Orioles to a single run. The Tampa Bay Rays won 3-1 and swept a series in Baltimore that could come back to haunt the Birds later.

Carlos Gonzalez got on base four times and got RBI hits in the first and fifth as the Rockies blanked the Champion Giants 5-0 in Coors Field.

And Ricky Nolasco pitched 8 strong innings, letting up only 1 run and struck out 11 as the Marlins enjoyed a rare win, 2-1 over the Diamondbacks.

They all owned baseball on May 19th, 2013

My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.

At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON.

To View The List of just the nightly winners (WOB dedicated Page) starting from Mar.31/2013 – today click here Read the rest of this entry

Who Owns Baseball – Updated May.04/2013

Buster Posey

Buster Posey drove in both Giants runs including hitting a walk off solo shot in the 9th as San Francisco beat rival Los Angeles in a 2-1 thriller.

A. J. Burnett pitched 7 strong innings, letting up one run and striking out 9 as his Pirates beat the Nationals, 3-1.

Drew Stubbs went 4-5 with three doubles including a walk off two bagger in the bottom of the 10th as the Indians topped the Twins 7-6.

And the Angels got a much needed win as Jason Vargas threw a complete game three hit 4-0 shutout against the Baltimore Orioles.

They all owned baseball on May 03, 2013

My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.

At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON. Read the rest of this entry

Angels Two Week Review: The (Mostly) Bad And The (Somewhat) Good

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Sunday, April.14, 2013

Albert Pujols kicked off the 2012 year by struggling brutally for the 1st 6 weeks. This year the man is off to a hot start - and can't be faulted for the teams failures so far. The Active Leader for Batting Average at .325 is back to his MVP form. The most telling stat the he is in the Zone is his Walks to Strikeout Rate being 11 - 3.  The 33 Year old is also the Active Leader for OPS among players at 1.022.

Albert Pujols kicked off the 2012 year by struggling brutally for the 1st 6 weeks. This year the man is off to a hot start – and can’t be faulted for the teams failures so far. The Active Leader for Batting Average at .325 is back to his MVP form. The most telling stat the he is in the Zone is his Walks to Strikeout Rate being 11 – 3. The 33 Year old is also the Active Leader for OPS among players at 1.022.

By Josh Jones (Angels Correspondent): 

For the second consecutive season the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have come out of the gates at an utterly slow pace. The 2013 version of the Angels followed in the footsteps of the 2012 team which started 6-14 and found themselves failing to dig themselves out of the April hole when it came down to making the playoffs.

The 2013 Angels have actually started worse than their 2012 campaign, posting a meager 3-8 record through 11 games. If it wasn’t for Albert Pujols’ 2 -run Double which gave the Halos a walk-off victory a few hours ago, this team would have been 2-9 and looking at the worst record to start the season in franchise history.

LA Angels Preview – They haven’t lived up to the Hype yet:

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Seattle Mariners Roster in 2013: State Of The Union:

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Thursday, January.31/2013

Felix Hernandez is still the Mariners best player without a doubt. Will he get some help shouldering the load in 2013? Either way, all of baseball should be watching when King Felix pitches, he is a true marvel on the mound.

Felix Hernandez is still the Mariners best player without a doubt. Will he get some help shouldering the load in 2013? Either way, all of baseball should be watching when King Felix pitches, he is a true marvel on the mound.

By Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Intern):

Seattle Mariners fans must be pretty amazing, Felix Hernandez sticking with their team through recent times. The Mariners were established in 1977 and have made the playoffs just 4 times in their history. They were the AL West champs 3 times (’95, ’97, ’01) and winners of the Wild Card once (’00). They have never won a World Series, or even an AL Pennant, and in 2012 they shipped off a fan favorite, Ichiro Suzuki, to the Yankees. The AL West is a tough division. The Rangers and Athletics made the playoffs last year, and the Angels just landed the prize of the off-season in slugger Josh Hamilton. I guess one bright spot is the Astros are moving to the AL West, so the Mariners won’t be rebuilding within the brutal division alone.

The Seattle Mariners hopes and dreams start where they have for years now, on the shoulders of King Felix. Felix Hernandez is no doubt an Ace. He has pitched 200+ innings every year since ’08, and had a sub 4.00 ERA every year since ’07. Hernandez won the AL Cy Young in 2010, and is a perennial contender for the award. Last year the Seattle fireballer threw his first Perfect Game. Hernandez will once again be atop the Mariners rotation, which as of now figures to include Hisashi Iwakuma, Blake Beavan, Erasmo Ramirez, and Hector Noesi.

Hisashi Iwakuma was a pleasant surprise for the Mariners in 2012. He wasn’t a greatly sought after oversees free agent last year, overshadowed greatly by fellow Japanese hurler Yu Darvish, but proved to be a great signing. Iwakuma started 2012 in the bullpen until he later earned a spot in the team’s rotation. Iwakuma managed a very respectable 3.16 ERA in the 125.1 innings he split between the rotation and the pen. This success is part of the reason the Mariners resigned the pitcher to a 2YR/14 Million Dollar deal this past November. He figures to hold down the 2nd spot in the rotation and should do just fine if 2012 was a sign of things to come.

Blake Beavan is still just 23 Years Old, but he already has 41 Major League Starts under his belt which gives the club hope he can hold down the 3rd or 4th slot in the rotation. Beavan clearly has the talent which is what made him a 1st Round draft pick out of high school for the Rangers, and the reason the Mariners made sure he was a part of the package they received in return for Cliff Lee in 2010. Beavan’s 2012 stats won’t impress a lot of people, but they were a good start for a young player like himself to build and improve upon.

Felix Hernandez Highlights:  Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is advised

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The Los Angeles Angels Roster in 2013: State Of The Union

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Saturday, January.05,  2013

With Trout, Trumbo and Pujols in the lineup for the next decade, plus Hamilton for the next 5 years. I could see the Angels appearing on another top 10 decades win list. Question is will they make a World Series?  They have not been to the dance since 2002 when they won it.

With Trout, Trumbo and Pujols in the lineup for the next decade, plus Hamilton for the next 5 years. I could see the Angels appearing on another top 10 decades win list. Question is will they make a World Series? They have not been to the dance since 2002 when they won it.

Josh Jones (Angels Correspondent):

Look-back at last year: 2012 was a year, much like this upcoming season, with expectations as high as the sky moon.  The Halos stole future Hall-of-Famer Albert Pujols and Texas ace C.J. Wilson from their respective 2011 World Series teams and looked to have a strong rotation headed by the trio of Jered Weaver, Dan Haren and Wilson. The team fought its way to a 89-73 record, missing the playoffs by a mere four games despite having more wins than the eventual AL Champion Detroit Tigers (Yes, I’m still bitter).

This year, Arte Moreno and the Angels front office decided once again to go big-fish hunting, giving outfielder Josh Hamilton a 5-Year Deal worth $125 Million.  Hamilton gave the Angels quite a logjam in the outfield and Designated-Hitter, leading to the trade that sent designated-hitter Kendrys Morales to the Seattle Mariners in return for Jered Weaver’s college teammate and fellow innings-eater Jason Vargas. You can read a post a fellow writer here at the MLB Reports wrote about that very trade here . Angels General Manager Jerry DiPoto also poured some money into the bullpen and back-end of the rotation, signing hurlers Ryan Madson, Sean Burnett and Joe Blanton. .

Albert Pujols Highlights from 2012- Parental Guidance is Advised for watching the video:

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Safeco Field: The Effect Of Moving In The Fences

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Wednesday, December 5th, 2012

Safeco+Texas+Rangers+v+Seattle+Mariners+GjzNWDePp-el

Sam Evans (Baseball Writer):

The Mariners made a decision regarding the dimensions of Safeco Field in October that will likely change the way the Mariners front office will attempt to put a potent baseball team on the field. By bringing in the fences, the Mariners are symbolizing that they have moved on from the early Jack Zdurencik philosophy that the Mariners could win in Safeco Field with pitching in defense. This move could entice some free agent position players that normally would not want to play in such a hard ballpark to hit home runs in. By moving the fences iTTn at Safeco, more runs will be scored at Safeco and the Mariners will likely no longer play in debatably the most pitcher-friendly park in the American League.

It’s pretty easy to see why the Mariners organization has finally decided to move in the fences at Safeco. Since 2000, the Mariners have scored the fewest runs of any American League team. In 2012, Seattle ranked last in the AL in runs scored per game, home runs, and batting average at home. The Mariners were a far better team on the road then at home. Right-handed hitters like Jesus Montero and Casper Wells had their power numbers and projections greatly affected by spending their first full seasons in Seattle. The Mariners had their reasons for moving their fences, and if they believe the new dimensions will help them win more ballgames, there should be no argument that Seattle is not making the right move. Read the rest of this entry