Blog Archives

Who Owned Baseball August 28, 2017 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2017 #WOB Standings

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Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

 

Corey Kluber pitched 8 strong innings, striking out 7 Yankees and earning the 6-2 victory for the Indians.

Jeff Samardzija threw a complete game 3 hit shutout, leading the Giants in the 3-0 blanking of San Diego.

Jose Ramirez hit a go ahead homer and a game tying homer to spark Cleveland’s offense past the Yankees, 6-2.

Howie Kendrick reached base 3 times, including a triple, driving in 3 runs as the Nationals crushed the Marlins, 11-2.

They all owned baseball on August 28, 2017

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

Who Owned Baseball May 23, 2017 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings

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AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

 

Ervin Santana threw a complete game 2 hit shutout, striking out 6 Orioles and getting the 2-0 Minnesota victory.

Clayton Kershaw went 9 innings, striking out 10 Cardinals and walking none. He didn’t let up a run until a wild pitch in the 9th. He would not get the decision but the Dodgers won in 13, 2-1.

Edwin Encarnacion hit a pair of homers, driving in 3 and scoring 3 as Cleveland held on, 8-7, in Cincinnati.

Anthony Rendon homered twice, added another hit and drove in 5 to lead the Nationals past the Mariners in a 10-1 thrashing.

 

They all owned baseball on May 23, 2017

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For DraftKings 9/7/16

P- Noah Syndergaard (vs. Cincinnati Reds): $11,000. Syndergaard appears to be back folks. Over his last three starts, he owns a 1.23 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 22 innings pitched. In his last start against the Reds, Thor went 6.2 innings and struck out nine, while giving up three earned runs. If he pitches to his full potential, Syndergaard is easily capable of a 25+ point performance.

P- Marcus Stroman (vs. New York Yankees): $7,400. Stroman has struggled over his last few starts, but he has shown great career success against the Yankees. In his sole start against New York this season, he allowed only two runs over eight innings pitched. In 72 career at bats against Stroman, the Yankees are batting .139, with a .194 OBP, and a .281 slugging percentage. Over the last seven games, the Yankees are ranked 27th in OPS, 24th in OBP, and 27th in slugging percentage.

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Daily Fantasy MLB Picks For DraftKings 9/5/16

P- Masahiro Tanaka (vs. Toronto Blue Jays): $9,900. In 127 career at bats against the Blue Jays, Tanaka has a .197 opposing batting average, 36 strikeouts, and a .246 OBP. Over his last five starts, he owns a 4-0 record, 1.93 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 32.2 innings pitched. Toronto has been hitting fairly well recently, but Tanaka has been dominant on the mound, which should counteract the Blue Jays’ bats.

P- Ian Kennedy (vs. Minnesota Twins): $9,100. Prior to his last start, Kennedy was 3-0 with a 1.14 ERA over his previous six starts. He did give up four runs over 6.1 innings in his last start, but as you can tell, Kennedy has been very reliable recently. The Twins offense has been decent recently, but I don’t think that will stop Kennedy from succeeding.

 

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Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For DraftKings 8/12/16

P- Stephen Strasburg (vs. Atlanta Braves): $12,400. In two starts against Atlanta this year, Strasburg owns a 1.98 ERA. He is 15-2 on the year, with a 2.80 ERA, and 169 strikeouts. He is putting up a Cy Young caliber season and the Braves won’t stand in his way on Friday.

P- Joe Musgrove (vs. Toronto Blue Jays): $8,300. As many of my readers well know, I am quite a fan of Joe Musgrove. He is incredibly efficient on the mound, issues very few walks, and has an above average strikeout rate. Over the last seven games, the Blue Jays have struck out 70 times (4th worst in baseball) and have a .686 OPS (ranked 19th in baseball).

 

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Who Owned Baseball June 27, 2016 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings

Screen shot 2016-06-27 at 8.38.34 PM

JOE ROBBINS/GETTY IMAGES

Kris Bryant went 5 for 5 with 3 homers, driving in 6 and scoring 4 to lead the Cubs in a wild 11-8 slugfest in Cincinnati.

Jon Gray struck out 8 Blue Jays over 7 innings, walking none and worked around a pair of homers to get the 9-5 victory for Colorado.

Nick Franklin singled, doubled and homered, driving in 5 runs as the Rays snapped their losing streak, 13-7 over Boston.

Danny Duffy pitched 8 innings, allowing 2 runs, walking none and struck out 8 Cardinals batters to earn the 6-2 decision for the Royals.

They all owned baseball on June 27, 2016.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

Who Owned Baseball June 26, 2016 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings

Screen Shot 2016-06-26 at 7.27.00 PM

RICH SCHULTZ/GETTY IMAGES

Tyler Duffey did not allow a hit until the 6th and finished with 8 innings, 2 hits, 8 strikeouts and 1 run as the Twins clobbered the Yankees, 7-1.

Jose Fernandez struck out 13 Cubs and allowed just 4 hits and 1 run to earn the 6-1 decision for the red hot Marlins.

Lonnie Chisenhall collected 9 total bases with his 4 hits, including a homer and 3 RBI as the Indians continued to roll, 9-3, in Detroit.

Freddie Freeman reached base 4 times, including a homer and a pair of runs scored in the Braves 5-2 victory over the Mets.

They all owned baseball on June 26, 2016.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

Who Owned Baseball June 18, 2016 (Daily #MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings

 

Wil Myers, Andy Green

(AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

 

Wil Myers homered and hit a game tying single, added another hit and stole a base as the Padres came back to stun Washington 7-3.

Zack Greinke allowed just 3 hits and 1 run over 8 innings to give Arizona a 4-1 victory over Philadelphia.

Tyler Naquin reached base 5 times, homered and drove in 4 as the Indians clobbered the White Sox 13-2.

Dallas Keuchel pitched 7 strong innings, allowing 2 runs and walking none. He would not get the decision but the Astros walked off 5-4 winners over the Reds.

They all owned baseball on June 18, 2016.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

MLB Daily Fantasy Picks (DFS) For FanDuel – 5/9/16

fanduel

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)

In order to accommodate our Coors Field lineup, we are going to forego any expensive pitcher on Monday, and go with flamethrowing Aaron Sanchez of the Jays against Jake Peavy in San Francisco

Peavy has bee the ultimate gong show the last several outings, and despite being back in the comfort of AT & T – it will still be tough to tame the high powered Blue Jays

While I am going with the clubs second tier offensive players you could certainly skip picking the Coors Field game – and implement Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion against Peavy.

I am using the top of the Rockies lineup to bludgeon Rubby De La RosaCarlos Gonzalez at $3900 vs a RHP at home might be the value play of the night.

It would be nice if Russell Martin could kickstart his offense this year  I keep playing him as a cheap option on fantasy – but he has failed to deliver  Like teammate Troy Tulowitzki though, at least he doesn’t cost much money.  The latter I refuse to play now until he goes over the Mendoza Line for BA.

Love Aaron Sanchez in a big ballpark with Kevin Pillar running the ball down in the OF.  The Giants have a decent lineup of LHB, but Joe Panik has been hurt, and Brandon Crawford not to his 2015 standards yet.  Brandon Belt does scare me, but he is a different hitter at home.

Sanchez can strike out players at least – which will be crucial for this play.

I will be checking to see if they do switch EE in at 1B for Smoak, in which case I would switch to underperforming Prince Fielder vs Miguel Gonzalez (for $2700).

Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball May 2, 2016 (Daily MLB AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2016 #WOB Standings

bartoloCapture

KATHY WILLENS/AP

Bartolo Colon gave the Mets 8 shutout innings, striking out 7 Braves and getting the 4-1 victory.

Brandon Crawford went 2 for 5, knocking in 4 and hitting a come from behind homer that propelled the Giants past the Reds, 9-6.

A.J. Griffin struck out 9 Blue Jays in 6 innings and allowed only 1 run, earning the 2-1 decision for the Rangers.

Robinson Cano got 3 hits, including a double, and scored a pair in Seattle’s 4-3 win in Oakland.

They all owned baseball on May 2, 2016.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

Trey Rose: Daily Fantasy MLB DFS Picks For Draft Kings 5/2/16

Johnny Cueto

Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) 

P- Jon Gray (vs. San Diego Padres): $7,900. This is a pretty risky play on Monday, but many factors point towards Gray having a big game.

Gray struggled in his first two starts this season, but they have been against two very tough teams, the Pirates and Dodgers, and they were played at Coors Field.

Coors Field has not been kind to Gray in his 7 career starts at home. In those starts, he has thrown 29.1 innings, with a 9.20 ERA, 52 hits against, 9 walks, and 29 strikeouts.

In 4 career starts on the road, he has thrown 20 innings, with a 2.70 ERA, 16 hits, 8 walks, and 25 strikeouts. Luckily, Gray will be on the road on Monday.

Not only will he be on the road, but he is pitching at a pitcher’s park in San Diego against a mediocre offense. In his only career start versus the Padres, he threw 5 innings, giving up 2 hits, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts.

Gray’s impressive career strikeout rate (9.5 strikeouts per 9 innings), success on the road, and favorable matchup all point to a great performance on Monday.

P – Johnny Cueto (vs. Cincinnati Reds): $10,800. This start is going to be an emotional one for Cueto. He will be returning to Cincinnati for the first time since he was traded.

He played 8 years in Cincinnati, so the fans will be behind him and I’m sure he wants to put on a show.

Not only will his emotions play a factor, but he is facing one of the worst offenses in Major League Baseball.

The Reds are ranked as the 28th overall offense, which is clearly a huge advantage for Cueto. In Cueto’s first 5 starts in 2016, he is 4-1, with a 2.65 ERA, 33 strikeouts, and only 5 walks.

In his 98 career starts at Cincinnati’s home stadium, he has a 48-22 record, and a 2.91 ERA.

All signs point to a huge day for Cueto on Monday. He is averaging 25 points per game on Draft Kings this season.

To see the rest of the picks, click the link below:

SEE THE REST OF THE PICKS

 

 

MLB DFS Fantasy Draft Picks For DraftKings – 4/28/16: 2nd Lineup (Coors Field Factor)

Coors Field is a beautiful ballpark and often ranked in the top 10 amongst extreme ballpark chasers. The park even has $4 Rockpile tickets.

Coors Field is a beautiful ballpark and often ranked in the top 10 among extreme ballpark chasers. The park even has $4 Rockpile tickets.  It is also a haven for DFS wagering.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) 

We are going to run a daily feature of a 2nd lineup every time there is a game played at Coors Field.  Lets face it, whatever you did yesterday would not have mattered much unless you had Andrew McCutchen in your roster.

This park continues to serve up fantasy points galore.

So with loading all of the players for stacks between the Rockies and Pirates Thursday (Juan Nicasio @ Tyler Chatwood) I left off the Catchers as who knows who will play on a matinee game on getaway day.

I found a couple of gems in order to save some cash to Start Jake Arrieta as well.

The 1st player is A.J. Pierzynski – who holds a 400 BA lifetime versus Clay Buchholz, and will most likely start.

Has anyone been following this Brandon Drury kid out of Arizona?  He can play 2B/3B and OF – and has a 3 Slash so far of .298/.317/.526 – and is perfectly priced at $2200.

Then I used Tyler Wilson at home for the Orioles ($4800) against the White Sox.  Chicago just swept the Jays and should be due for a letdown .  Baltimore is 7 – 1 at home thus far on the season.  Wilson actually won his last start versus the Royals in KC.

Since I only spent a total of $10.200 on those guys. it left me $39800 for the remaining 7 players.  Bang, Now I can afford Arrieta, and roster 4 Rockies and 2 Pirates in my Coors Field mandatory lineup

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Josh Robbins’ MLB Daily Fantasy Picks DFS For FanDuel 4/27/16

 

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Starting Pitchers  (Expensive, Midlevel, Bargain)

1. Jake Arrieta ($12900) vs. Milwaukee Brewers

2. Gio Gonzalez ($9600) vs. Philadelphia Phillies

3. Steven Wright ($6900) vs. Atlanta Braves

Team Stacks

Colorado vs Jon Niese

Pittsburgh vs Jon Gray

Boston vs Bud Norris

Baltimore vs Matt Moore

BVP (Minimum 10 AB)

1. Mark Reynolds vs. Jon Niese (8-15/ 2 HR/ 1.496 OPS)

2. Matt Wieters vs. Matt Moore (8-17/ 2 HR/ 1.432 OPS)

3. Evan Longoria vs. Chris Tillman (17-51/ 7 HR/ 1.216 OPS)

Sample Lineup (Coors Field Lineup 1)

P – Steven Wright, ATL @ BOS, $6900

C – Stephen Vogt, OAK @ DET, $2600

1B – Mark Reynolds, PIT @ COL, $3300

2B – D.J. Lemahieu, PIT @ COL, $3400

3B – Nolan Arenado, PIT @ COL, $5100

SS – Jordy Mercer, PIT @ COL, $3400

OF – Carlos Gonzalez, PIT @ COL, $4000

OF – Gregory Polanco, PIT @ COL, $3800

OF – Jackie Bradley JR, ATL @ BOS, $2500


$35, 000, 000 ($0 Left)

Sample Lineup (Coors Field Lineup 2)

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If you’re not familiar with the points breakdown, here’s the format utilizing a $35 million salary cap.  

Scoring System: https://www.fanduel.com/spring-training?t=lobby

1 Starting Pitcher (SP)

1 Catcher (C)

1 First Baseman (1B)

1 Second Baseman (2B)

1 Third Baseman (3B)

1 Short Stop (SS)

3 Outfielders (OF)

Game Types: https://www.fanduel.com/how-it-works

50-50s


If you’re interested in playing DFS games, please use my Fanduel referral link to signup.

Please use the Referral Link for a signup bonus:

https://www.fanduel.com/?invitedby=bobadney&cnl=da

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*** The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com and their other partners.***

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A big thanks goes out to our ‘Chief Writer/Part Owner’ Hunter Stokes for preparing today’s featured post.

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As the Pirates Lurch Forward Towards Opening Day, The Debate Over The Everyday Lineup Continues

pirates+logoJason Rollison  (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – pbcbreakdown.com) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

With John Jaso now seemingly entrenched at the top of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ lineup, coupled with Andrew McCutchen pointed towards remaining in the number two slot, many observers now wonder what the rest of the batting order may look like against the Cardinals on April 3rd.

Despite the focus on the top of the order, it may be the bottom of the order that can take a step forward for the club.

In 2015, the seventh and eighth hitters for the Pirates performed reasonably well.

There are a couple of interesting notes when considering the Pirates’ performance form the bottom two spots in the order.

First, the 114 rating for wRC+ (weighted runs created +) led the NL from the seventh spot (100 is considered an “average” score). This will likely continue for 2016, as we will see shortly.

From the eighth spot, the wRC+ rating of 93 might seem underwhelming, yet only two teams in the NL had a rating of 100 or more. The St. Louis Cardinals were far and away the most productive in this regard, with a 110 rating.

2016 will likely be another story completely, as the changes at the top have ramifications that will be felt all the way through the order. While Pedro Alvarez‘s free swinging ways often led to his insertion in the lower third, his departure and a re-focusing on quality at bats results in a case of addition by subtraction.

If spring batting orders over the past week are any indication, Jordy Mercer, Gregory Polanco or Josh Harrison could be reliable bats at the 7th spot.

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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Oct 1, 2013 – Oct 31, 2013 (Episodes 343 – 373)

sunkenDFiamond

Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1231 days consecutively!

Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 343 – 373 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

We will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans. Check out all his Archived info here.

Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.

Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter

To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.

To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE. Read the rest of this entry

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Sept 1, 2013 – Sept 30, 2013 (Episodes 313 – 342)

sunkenDFiamond

Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1230 days consecutively!

Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 313 – 342 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

We will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans. Check out all his Archived info here.

Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.

Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter

To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.

To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE. Read the rest of this entry

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Aug 1, 2013 – Aug 31, 2013 (Episodes 282 – 312)

sunkenDFiamond

Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1229 days consecutively!

Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 282 – 312 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

We will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans. Check out all his Archived info here.

Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.

Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter

To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.

To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE.

Read the rest of this entry

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives July 1, 2013 – July 31, 2013 (Episodes 251 – 281)

sunkenDFiamond

Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1228 days consecutively!

Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 251 – 281 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

We will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans. Check out all his Archived info here.

Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.

Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter

To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.

To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE. Read the rest of this entry

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives June 1, 2013 – June 30, 2013 (Episodes 221 – 250)

sunkenDFiamond

Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1219 days consecutively!

Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 221 – 250 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

We will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans. Check out all his Archived info here.

Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.

Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter

To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.

To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE. Read the rest of this entry

The White Sox Need To Sign 1 Of Fowler Or Desmond To Stay Competitive

The White Sox have had a decent offseason however every team that was near or beneath them in the standings have also upgrade their rosters going into 2016. With a need for an upgrade for the OF, and the chance to out forth an incredible homer centric Infield, I would love to see them go after Ian Desmond, and/or Dexter Fowler.

The White Sox have had a decent offseason – however every team that was near or beneath them in the standings have also upgrade their rosters going into 2016. With a need for an upgrade for the OF, and the chance to put forth an incredible homer-centric Infield, I would love to see them go after Ian Desmond, and or Dexter Fowler.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

I like the moves the White Sox have done in the offseason.  The only problem is what the Royals and Tigers also have done this winter will make it tough for Chicago to keep up.

The Pale Hose finished a disappointing 76 – 86 in 2015 – and almost 20 games behind Division winner KC for the AL Central.

2014 winter moves of Adam LaRoche, Jeff Samardzija and Melky Cabrera just didn’t work out like they thought.

Despite the poor results off those player acquisitions Rich Hahn acquired Todd Frazier and Brett Lawrie so far in the hot stove this year, and also inked catchers Alex Avila and Dioner Navarro as key moves.

I love this aggression – and even believe that LaRoche and Cabrera will have bounce back seasons for the White Sox this season.  Cabrera was pretty decent in the 2nd half, and LaRoche suffered the Adam Dunn NL to AL syndrome.

Having said this already, the Royals are sitting with a talented squad as reigning World Series Champs, and the Tigers added Jordan Zimmermann, Justin Upton, and bushel full of relievers and Cameron Maybin.

There is no doubt in my mind that Detroit will be much better than their cellar dweller 2015 campaign.

The White Sox have a decent pitching staff in its entirety. Maybe not as talented as the Cleveland Indians, but the Tribe doesn’t have the sticks as Chicago either.

KC has the best bullpen in the Division, and will rely heavily on it again with their grinder offense backing it up.

Minnesota has a ton of young offensive superstars in Miguel Sano, Brian Dozier and Byron Buxton, yet also lost team leader Torii Hunter.

Chicago is still spending at a decent clip – having a budget of near $123 MIL so far, but Detroit has crept up to near $200 MIL, and KC has paid for its title, by going near the $140 MIL team salary barrier. Read the rest of this entry

Pittsburgh Pirates State Of The Union For 2016: All Hands On Deck To At Least Start 2016!

Pittsburgh had the 2nd best record in the Majors with 98 wins, yet were samarily dismissed in the Wild Card Game by the Cubs - and a lightning hot Jake Arrieta at the time It may actually get worse for the Bucs in coming years with the emergence of the young NL Chicago squad and the continued dominance of the St. Louis franchise. My idea is to spend some money this offseason, but if you are 5 or 6 games behind the playoff bar near the Trade Deadline, to deal all guys on the remainder year of their contracts and to retool for 2017.

Pittsburgh had the 2nd best record in the Majors with 98 wins, yet were samarily dismissed in the Wild Card Game by the Cubs – and a lightning hot Jake Arrieta at the time It may actually get worse for the Bucs in coming years with the emergence of the young NL Chicago squad and the continued dominance of the St. Louis franchise. My idea is to spend some money this offseason, but if you are 5 or 6 games behind the playoff bar near the Trade Deadline, to deal all guys on the remainder year of their contracts and to retool for 2017.

Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead  Analyst) 

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter 

I start this blog by praising Neil Huntington and his management for how they assembled this team over the last 6 – 7 years.

It follows the Royals and Twins before them as smaller market clubs that finally used the draft to their advantage after struggling for years.

Here is the thing though..You have a team that needs the final pieces now to compete for a championship!

Heading into 2016 the teams core nucleus comes back, and the club will attempt for a 4th straight playoff appearance.

There are 8 players on the last year of their deals, and you have several other players that will become increasingly more difficult to keep as their Arbitration Dollars exponentially grow over the coming years. Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball For 2014 – The Final Regular Season Tally

Getty Images, USA Today Sports and The Seattle Times

Getty Images, USA Today Sports and The Seattle Times

Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates… Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers… Mike Trout of the Angels… Felix Hernandez of the Mariners.

They all owned baseball in 2014.

After a full year of checking each game and determining which player owned the game for that day, there were 4 winners.

McCutchen beat out Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman by a 9 to 7 1/2 final.

Kershaw had the highest overall WOB total, 14 1/2, topping Johnny Cueto‘s 11.

The American League races were razor thin.

Trout beat Oakland’s Josh Donaldson by a final of 9 1/2 to 9. Meanwhile King Felix squeaked past Corey Kluber of the Indians 11 to 10 1/2 (with Chris Sale close by at 9)

If I turned in a ballot with McCutchen winning NL MVP, Kershaw winning NL Cy Young, Trout winning AL MVP and Hernandez winning the AL Cy Young, could anyone protest?

Sure I could make valid arguments for Giancarlo Stanton winning the NL MVP. (His WOB total was a surprisingly low 4.) And of course Kluber and Hernandez is basically a coin toss right now. But the above ballot would certainly be acceptable.

WOB works. Adding the 1/2 WOB dynamic made it more accurate than last year.

Thanks for following it for the year. For the post season, I will have new tallies for “Who Owned October?” (WOO) and “Who Owned the World Series?” (WOWS.)

To view the Final Tally of Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

Who Owned Baseball Sept 28, 2014 (Daily AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + FINAL 2014 #WOB Standings

Photo: Alex Brandon/AP

Photo: Alex Brandon/AP

Jordan Zimmermann threw the first no hitter in Washington Nationals history (and the franchise’s first since Dennis Martinez‘s perfect game for the Expos in 1991). He allowed only 1 walk while striking out 10 Miami hitters en route to his 1-0 masterpiece.

Sonny Gray provided relief for 2 months of Oakland frustration with a post season clinching 6 hit complete game shutout of the Rangers, striking out 5 and walking none.

Anthony Rizzo went 3-4 with a homer and 2 RBI, helping the Cubs win against Milwaukee 5-2.

Ian Kinsler homered, hit an RBI single and added another hit to lead the Tigers to the Division Title with a 3-0 victory over Minnesota.

They all owned baseball on Sept 28, 2014.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.

Who Owned Baseball Sept 27, 2014 (Daily AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2014 #WOB Standings

 (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Eduardo Escobar got 4 hits, including a 3 run homer, and drove in 6 runs, helping the Twins spoil the Tigers hopes of clinching with a 12-3 blow out.

Mark Trumbo got on base 3 times and drove in 4, including a tie breaking 3 run homer in the 7th that was the difference in Arizona’s 5-2 win against the Cardinals.

John Danks gave the White Sox 7 strong innings, scattering 5 hits and allowing just 2 runs, earning the 5-4 decision over Kansas City.

Wily Peralta finished his season with 17 wins following his 7 innings, 1 run and 13 strikeout performance against the Cubs for a 2-1 final.

 

They all owned baseball on Sept 27, 2014.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN. Read the rest of this entry

Who Owned Baseball Sept 26, 2014 (Daily AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2014 #WOB Standings

Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer

Chuck Crow/The Plain Dealer

Corey Kluber helped his Cy Young cause with an 8 inning, 5 hit shutout performance, striking out 11 Rays, walking 2 in a 1-0 pitchers duel in Cleveland.

Doug Fister gave the bullpen a rest for the first game of a double header as he threw a 3 hit complete game shut out as the Nationals blanked the Marlins, 4-0.

Dalton Pompey  Doubled and hit 2 triples (that is rare) driving in a pair, helping the Blue Jays top the Orioles, 4-2.

J.T. Realmuto missed the cycle by a homer, finished going 3-5 with 4 RBI in the Marlins wild 15-7 win in Washington.

They all owned baseball on Sept 26, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Sept 25, 2014 (Daily AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2014 #WOB Standings

ROBERT SABO/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

ROBERT SABO/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Derek Jeter went out in Hollywood style, getting a double and a walk off single in the 9th, driving in 3 runs all together and giving Yankee fans one last thrill with a 6-5 win over Baltimore.

Pablo Sandoval went 3 for 3, driving in 4 runs, including one in the wild 3 run come from behind rally as the playoff bound Giants topped the Padres, 9-8.

Hiroki Kuroda let up homers to the first two batters he faced and then let up 1 hit and no walks the rest of the way. The bullpen blew his lead but he set up the Yankees dramatic 6-5 walk off victory over Baltimore.

Edinson Volquez inched the Pirates closer to the Division Lead with 7 brilliant innings, allowing 4 hits, 1 walk and 10 strikeouts, blowing out the Braves 10-1.

They all owned baseball on Sept 25, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Sept 24, 2014 (Daily AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2014 #WOB Standings

ANDY LYONS/GETTY IMAGES

ANDY LYONS/GETTY IMAGES

Kyle Lohse kept the Brewers dim playoff hopes alive with a complete game 2 hit shutout with 6 strike outs and no walks, blanking the Reds 5-0.

Carl Crawford got on base 4 times, broke open the game with a 2 run double in the 6th and scored 3 more runs as the Dodgers clinched the NL West with a 9-1 blow out of the Giants.

Mark Buehrle pitched 8 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits, 1 walk and 10 strikeouts as the Blue Jays snuck past the fading Mariners, 1-0.

Ryan Flaherty collected 3 hits, including a 2 run double, and helped the Orioles come from behind to beat the Yankees, 9-5.

They all owned baseball on Sept 24, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Sept 23, 2014 (Daily AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2014 #WOB Standings

JAE C. HONG/AP

JAE C. HONG/AP

Justin Turner hit a pair of homers off of Bumgarner and led the Dodgers to a 4-2 victory over the Giants.

Zack Greinke pitched 8 strong innings, allowing just 2 runs and walking no San Francisco batter, bringing the Dodgers a little closer to the NL West title with a 4-2.

Nick Markakis went 4-5 with a homer and 3 RBI, helping Baltimore top the Yankees, 5-4.

David Price pitched a shutout into the 9th and was an out from a complete game. While he blew the lead, he pitched 8 2/3, striking out 8 and walking none. The Tigers would walk off in the 9th 4-3 winners against the White Sox.

They all owned baseball on Sept 23, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Sept 22, 2014 (Daily AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2014 #WOB Standings

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Adam Wainwright extended his scoreless inning streak to 21 while notching win number 20, throwing 7 scoreless 3 hit innings, striking out 8 Cubs for an 8-0 St. Louis triumph.

Michael Pineda kept the Yankees dim post season hopes alive with 7 1/3 innings of 1 hit shutout ball, striking out 8 and walking 1, beating the Orioles 5-0.

Gregor Blanco led off the game with a homer, scored in the third and hit a double that drove in a critical insurance run in the 13th as the Giants won a thrilling 5-2 extra inning marathon against the Dodgers.

Jose Bautista reached base 4 times, scored 3 times, drove in a pair, homered and made several fine defensive plays as the Blue Jays played spoiler to the Mariners 14-4.

They all owned baseball on Sept 22, 2014.

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Who Owned Baseball Sept 21, 2014 (Daily AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2014 #WOB Standings

Bob Stanton, USA TODAY Sports

Bob Stanton, USA TODAY Sports

Josh Donaldson reached base 4 times, scored 3 and ended a wild 10 inning game with a 2 run walk off homer to give the A’s an 8-6 win over the Phillies.

Corey Kluber pitched 8 dominating innings, letting up 2 hits and 1 walk while striking out 14, as the Indians beat the White sox 7-2.

Matt Kemp went 4-5 with a homer and 4 RBI leading the Dodgers to an 8-5 win against the Cubs.

Vance Worley pitched the Pirates closer to contention with 8 innings of 4 hit shutout ball to get the 1-0 decision over Milwaukee.

They all owned baseball on Sept 21, 2014.

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