Blog Archives
Master Schedule For All MLB Doubleheader Attempts In May 2014
All 2430 games in the 2014 MLB schedule are now posted at MLB reports, and we will also have schedules for interleague, doable doubleheaders attempts at parks, weekly, monthly and a running page with all games on 1 page post. All at http://www.mlbreports.com
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Over the last few years the MLB has made doubleheaders more capable – by scheduling so many matinees in the month of April.
While these games are subject to many weather delays because of how early it is in the year, the most amount of action for doubleheader attempts will be this month.
Now a lot of people think this is a crazy way to witness contests in the Majors, as some would prefer to soak up all of the sights in the park – and not rush in veering off to another ballpark.
For this, I understand, I am just crafting out another way to do this. Read the rest of this entry
Re – Aligning To 4 Divisions May Help The MLB
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Since the MLB doth refuses to address their salary discrepancies among teams in the league, how about we take another radical approach?
How about eliminate the 6 Divisions – and come back with 4 new divisions!
We can also go back to 14 teams in the AL and 16 in the NL.
I have long since agreed with this websites philosophy on re-aligning the Divisions for payroll and geography reasons. Read the rest of this entry
Master Schedule For All MLB Doubleheader Attempts In April 2014
All 2430 games in the 2014 MLB schedule are now posted at MLB reports, and we will also have schedules for interleague, doable doubleheaders attempts at parks, weekly, monthly and a running page with all games on 1 page post. All at http://www.mlbreports.com
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Over the last few years the MLB has made doubleheaders more capable – by scheduling so many matinees in the month of April.
While these games are subject to many weather delays because of how early it is in the year, the most amount of action for doubleheader attempts will be this month.
Now a lot of people think this is a crazy way to witness contests in the Majors, as some would prefer to soak up all of the sights in the park – and not rush in veering off to another ballpark.
For this, I understand, I am just crafting out another way to do this. Read the rest of this entry
The Modern Day Doubleheader For Baseball Fans Of The MLB
Breaking the World Record for “Fastest To See all 30 MLB Parks” (every pitch): caused me to study every scenario for all Doubleheader Attempts humanly possible for all MLB Teams. Over the course of the next week – I will dissecting the 2014 MLB schedule – in order to list every 2 games in one day maneuver this year. I will list them by month blogs first, and then have a dedicated page at this website – that has the whole year on one page post!
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Gone are the days when baseball teams deliberately schedule two games in one stadium like teams used to do in past generations.
If there is not a postponed game for the duration of your team’s schedule, you will not even have this occurrence. I am here to tell that modern-day traveling has opened up possibilities for two games in one day for separate cities like never before.
For the extreme ballpark chasers, nothing is more exciting for a baseball fan when Major League Baseball posts the new season’s calendar. Usually the brass does this in mid-September.
Across the world, ballpark goers mark their favorite teams mapped out schedule.
A lot of fans check off what new or old baseball parks they want to visit in the next season. Plans formulate with a heavy thought to their own planned vacation time. ‘
For the most hard-core baseball fan, their whole lives revolve around this process.
Posting the schedule mind you, is only part one of itinerary.
All 2430 MLB Regular Season Games On 1 Page Post (Game Times Given So Far)
Do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here
Before You read the whole 2014 MLB season, just wanted to say that MLB Reports is going to be the best website on the planet for the MLB 2014 scheduling.
For Weekly/Monthly MLB Schedules or all 2430 MLB games in 2014 on 1 page post – find the links master grid right here Read the rest of this entry
MLB Schedule Sept 2014
Do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here
Before You read the Month Schedule for Sept 2014, just wanted to say that MLB Reports is going to be the best website on the planet for MLB 2014 scheduling.
For Weekly/Monthly MLB Schedules or all 2430 MLB games in 2014 on 1 page post – find the links master grid right here Read the rest of this entry
MLB Schedule Aug 2014
Do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here
Before You read the Month Schedule for Aug 2014, just wanted to say that MLB Reports is going to be the best website on the planet for MLB 2014 scheduling.
For Weekly/Monthly MLB Schedules or all 2430 MLB games in 2014 on 1 page post – find the links master grid right here Read the rest of this entry
MLB Schedule July 2014
Do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here
Before You read the Month Schedule for July 2014, just wanted to say that MLB Reports is going to be the best website on the planet for MLB 2014 scheduling.
For Weekly/Monthly MLB Schedules or all 2430 MLB games in 2014 on 1 page post – find the links master grid right here Read the rest of this entry
MLB Schedule June 2014
Do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here
Before You read the Month Schedule for June 2014, just wanted to say that MLB Reports is going to be the best website on the planet for MLB 2014 scheduling.
For Weekly/Monthly MLB Schedules or all 2430 MLB games in 2014 on 1 page post – find the links master grid right here Read the rest of this entry
MLB Schedule May 2014
Do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here
Before You read the Month Schedule for May 2014, just wanted to say that MLB Reports is going to be the best website on the planet for MLB 2014 scheduling.
For Weekly/Monthly MLB Schedules or all 2430 MLB games in 2014 on 1 page post – find the links master grid right here Read the rest of this entry
Interleague Master Schedule For The 2014 MLB Season
Do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here
In this blog, we look at the start times, plus home an away teams for all of the Interleague schedule during the 2014 season.
For Weekly/Monthly MLB Schedules or all 2430 MLB games in 2014 on 1 page post – find the links master grid right here
MLB 2014 March – April Schedule – Includes All Home Openers
Ballpark Chaser Guides Links Courtesy of http://www.ballparkchasers.com:
Also do yourself a favor and read this blog on the 30 MLB Park Pass-Port here
Before You read the Month Schedule for March-April/2014, here are 30 Links to Ballpark Chaser Guides, that will aid you in your road trip quests.
American League
AL EAST
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY (New York Yankees)
Fenway Park, Boston, MA (Boston Red Sox)
Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON (Toronto Blue Jays)
Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL (Tampa Bay Rays)
Oriole Park, Baltimore, MD (Baltimore Orioles)
AL CENTRAL
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI (Detroit Tigers)
U.S. Cellular, Chicago, IL (Chicago White Sox)
Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH (Cleveland Indians)
Target Field, Minneapolis, MN (Minnesota Twins)
Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO (Kansas City Royals)
AL WEST
Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA (Los Angeles Angels)
Rangers Ballpark, Arlington, TX (Texas Rangers)
Minute Maid Park, Houston, TX (Houston Astros)
Safeco Field, Seattle, WA (Seattle Mariners)
O.co Coliseum, Oakland, CA (Oakland Athletics)
National League
NL EAST
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia Phillies)
Nationals Park, Washington, DC (Washington Nationals)
Marlins Park, Miami, FL (Miami Marlins)
Citi Field, Flushing, NY (New York Mets)
Turner Field, Atlanta, GA (Atlanta Braves)
NL CENTRAL
Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH (Cincinnati Reds)
Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee Brewers)
Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL (Chicago Cubs)
PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO (St. Louis Cardinals)
NL WEST
AT&T Park, San Francisco, CA (San Francisco Giants)
Petco Park, San Diego, CA (San Diego Padres)
Chase Field, Phoenix, AR (Arizona Diamondbacks)
Coors Field, Denver, CO (Colorado Rockies)
Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA (LA Dodgers) Read the rest of this entry
All 30 MLB Parks In 21 Days – 2014?
All 2430 games will be posted at MLB reports, and we will also have schedules for interleague, doable doubleheaders attempts at parks, weekly, monthly and a running page with all games on 1 page post. All at http://www.mlbreports.com. I have spent thousands of hours dissecting the MLB schedule for the last 7 years. It helped aid me in becoming the fastest human ever to witness (every pitch for all 30 MLB home games) – when I made it to all stadiums in 23 calendar days from Apr.6th – Apr.28/2012. I broke my own record that was set in 2009 (30 – 24). It takes countless hours figuring out geography, finances – and setting up contingency plans if you fail at a game. You will see a snippet of my work here.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
I haven’t been able to sleep for a few days. After blowing off the snail speed website of http://www.mlb.com for not converting the last 7 teams home start times, I decided to try my luck with http://www.espn.com.
Much to my delight, they have posted all of the games times for all 30 MLB clubs – in coordination with the teams doing so themselves on their own sites.
I have done this for the last 7 years. Yes, it is sad in a way, but we all have our vices in life, mine just happens to be the master schedule for Major League Baseball.
My interest this year was ramped up even more when Craig Calcaterra wrote a blog about how somebody was doing 30 Ballparks in 30 days.
I am not going to say this is not still a great feat – because it is, I just wish he would have taken 5 seconds to google the record holder for “Fastest To See All 30 MLB Ballparks.”
Once again, this wasn’t done, so half of the story wasn’t told.
For those that have followed this website over the course of 2011 – 2014, or even have been a part of ballparkchasers.com – will be aware we have a fraternity of insane stadium goers.
ALL Games Attended – you must be there from 1st to last pitch. You have to go to all 30 parks before returning to another one, otherwise it starts all over.
For Weekly/Monthly MLB Schedules or all 2430 MLB games in 2014 on 1 page post – find the links master grid right here
Confessions Of A BallPark Chaser: 2014 + The Real Price To See All 30 MLB Parks In A Month
The MLB Reports is going to step up our coverage of talking about the ballparks. We are part of the biggest fraternity of balllpark experts, all lending creative information to help out others. Stay tuned for future posts. But all you really have to do is to see all of our links of interest on the left hand side of our home page, to click on all of these aforementioned sites.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
There is nothing that revs my adrenaline more than knowing I am going to chase a ballpark this year.
In 2013, between running this website, and juggling my work, I only went to 2 games in MLB Parks.
Nicely I made the opener at Dodger Stadium, and then captured a late season game in Safeco.
After breaking my own World Record for witnessing 30 MLB Games (All Parks in 23 days – every pitch) in 2012, I was left with my worst total in a decade last year.
I wanted to change that in 2014. Unfortunately I wont be chasing any records this upcoming year, but I will potentially be going on a historic run in 2015.
I will get to that in a minute. This year I do plan on seeing 20 games at Safeco Field. It is important for me to see games live in person, so I forked out $750 yesterday to do just that.
I bought a 17 game flex plan for the Mariners, and it involves an array of games from April to September.
While it will trounce my records ever for a ballpark in one year, there are no plans for attending a game in any other ballpark on the road this season.
Now that we have talked about, let’s chat about my plans for 2015.
Stoking The Fire – Week 6: The ‘Royals’ MUST Sign James Shields To An Extension Right Away!
Shields was brought into do a job (via trade) in the 2013 year, and he did just that, leading the American League In Innings Pitched, Game Starts – and Batters Faced – en route to a 13 – 9 year, with a 3.15 ERA. The Royals have him for an exercised $12.5 MIL Team Option in 2014, but the ALL – Star Pitcher has expressed interest in signing an extension long – term. My question is – why are they not backing up the Brinks truck right now?
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twiter Follow @mlbreports
I have been writing for this fine website for a few weeks now. I must say that I have been bored with my bleeping mind since the World Series – from lack of excitement.
One of my 1st articles a few weeks back, also addressed the Kansas City Royals need to go for it in 2014. It is not time to sit back any longer. At the end of this post, I will provide a link to read that post too.
I was commuting to my business last week, and I heard that James Shields likes it in KC – and would be willing to stay long-term if possible.
Okay, so why aren’t David Glass and Dayton Moore at Shields house right now, hammering away on an extension deal?
James Shields 2013 HIghlights
“Stoking The Fire” Week 3: Kansas City Royals State Of The Union 2014 Part 1
James Shields turned in a workman like effort for the Royals (13 – 9, with a 3.15 ERA – AL leading 228.2 IP and 34 Game Starts) – only to have received little run support. With the Trade having going down seemingly to correct each other main ailments with the Rays needing offense and the Royals needing defense. It has worked for both teams. 2014 becomes the most pivotal year in the last 3 decades for the franchise – as it is “Big Game” James’ last year under contract. With them trading away Wil Myers for his services, the team needs to capitalize on this year. Ultimately the franchise should spend any amount of $$$ necessary in 2014 to compete with the big boys of the AL. With so many of their own core young players due to start receiving salaries increases, this next year has to be the time to go for it!!
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twiter Follow @mlbreports
I am officially calling out the Royals Management and ownership to buck up again for the 2014 season. If ever there was a year to spend the money it is now!
You have James Shields for one more year, and all of your core young players like Billy Butler, Eric Hosmer, Luke Hochevar and Mike Moustakas are heading for some payraises in the near future for Arbitration.
Wade Davis also will see his money bumped in 2015.
For all of the Rosters, Depth Charts, State of the Unions and Salaries Posts that we do, please visit our dedicated page link here.
The time to win is now!
Shields first inning as a Royal
The Traveling Salesman Problem: 30 MLB Stadiums In Record Time
The 30 MLB Park Road Trip has been mastered by about 25 people who have accomplished the feat in under a month. We are going to keep giving the extreme ballpark chasers some more food for thought here.
By Josh Robbins (Special Guest Writer And Co – Creator for The Factor12 Rating Pitching Metric.)
The Factor 12 (F12) is an analytic measurement utilizing league average performance to compare the value of all MLB pitchers on 60ft6in.com.
My grandfather was a traveling salesman for most of his working life. Frequently, he recalls stories about selling his wares in exotic places such as Keokuk, Iowa, Hannibal, Missouri, and Cairo, Illinois.
However, the real Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) asks this question: “Given a list of cities and the distances between each pair of cities, what is the shortest possible route that visits each city exactly once and returns to the origin city?”
Applying this computation to all 30 MLB stadiums is more complex given the nature of the regular season schedule. A handful of metropolitan cities host two clubs enabling for travel to occur in the same city more than once.
Without using a complex algorithm or formula based system, google maps will be utilized to determine the shortest distances between each city/stadium to determine the most logical route.
Extreme ballpark chasers are often left to the mercy of the schedule eliminating a perfect directional path.
After optimizing the mileage breakdown between stadiums, this is the shortest possible DRIVING route discovered:
30 Ballparks in 30 Days Documentary
Breaking Down A Potential Suitor For My World Record Of 30 MLB Parks in 23 Days with a 30 – 21 bid
30 in 21 chance by Jake Beham
The schedule of Jake Beham, who is trying to chase down my World Record of Seeing all 30 MLB Parks (every pitch) in 23 calendar days or less. This schedule must have been done without knowing you have to witness all plays of the game to qualify. Jake is going to have a tough time dodging a miss on day 2 – where he will try to beat Labor Day Monday traffic from after the game – in order to make 1st pitch at CBP. He will never make it by car. The Yankees always play games that are 3 Hours or longer as well. Even Amtrak train is a longshot. I give him a 10% chance to make it on his 1st Doubleheader attempt.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @mlbreports
2 days later he flies to Chase Field – and has scheduled a Doubleheader with Angel Stadium For DH #2. I am assuming he is planning on taking a Southwest Airlines flight that arrives at John Wayne Arpt. The flight leaves Phoenix at 455 PM.
That is 4 hours and 15 minutes after 1st pitch. The flight that arrives in SNA at 605. If he makes the flight, he could make this. However it is about a 67% chance. Most NL games last about 2 hours and 35 minutes.
The airport is close enough to the park in PHX – as is SNA airport. Any extra innings though, and it is over.
On FRI, Sept.6th, he has scheduled a Wrigley Field and Kauffman Stadium doubleheader for DH #3. This one is impossible. The game starts at 120 PM local Chicago Time.
The closest flight I saw that leaves ORD or MDW in time for Kansas City, leaves at 441 PM. That is 3 hours and 21 minutes from 1st pitch at Wrigley Field.
The History Of Extreme Ballpark Chasing (1993 – 2013)
The days of not being able to visit all MLB parks in consecutive days ended in 1993, when the Rockies were introduced, and enhanced even more with the Arizona Diamondbacks entering the league in 1998. In the last 15 years, several people have tried to see all 30 MLB parks in under a month. Some successful, some broke some rules, and one guy even bought this website 6 months after he set the World Record for visiting all 30 MLB Parks in just 23 Calendar Days – completing 7 Doubleheaders.
Ballpark Chaser definition: Someone who is actively pursuing quests to view Baseball Parks.
Guys talked about in this Article: Completely Insane!
By Josh Robbins (Special Guest Writer And Co – Creator for The Factor12 Rating Pitching Metric.) Factor 12 (F12) is an analytic measurement utilizing league average performance to compare the value of all MLB pitchers on 60ft6in.com.
MLB Expansion Makes Ballpark Chasing Possible
Twenty years ago, the course of history changed for ballpark chasing. In 1993, the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins debuted in the National League, increasing the total number of MLB teams to twenty-eight.
The two new franchises created positions for fifty players and expanded the pursuits for ballpark chasers.
In prior years, the nearest connection between a west coast team and the mid-west was Anaheim Stadium to Royals Stadium, a 23-hour drive covering 1,619 miles.
As a result, it was impossible for fans to attend games in consecutive days at every MLB stadium during one concurrent driving trip. Consequently, the only method to complete the entire circuit was to combine land and air travel.
The new league structure dramatically altered the traveling landscape by adding Mile High Stadium in Denver, a 14-hour, 1,011-mile drive from Anaheim Stadium.
Reggie Deal’s- 30 Day. 30 Park Compilation (A Blind Fan Who visited all 30 MLB Parks in 30 Days last year)
Greg Holland’s Dominating 1st Half
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Greg Holland has picked up in the 2nd half exactly where he left off in the 1st half, with back to back Saves versus the AL Central leading Tigers to start the Post ALL – Star portion of their 2013 campaign. Holland, The 27 Year Old from Marion. NC, is 2 – 1, with a 1.70 ERA and 24 Saves in 35 IP – and a phenomenal 61 Strikeouts. He made his 1st ALL – Star game in New York City last week, and has provided a dominant Closer for the Royals.
By Michael McGraw ( Royals Correspondent) Follow @quickdraw29
It seems like a distant memory now, but controversy existed in the backend of the Royals bullpen during the first week of the 2013 season.
Greg Holland, the incumbent at the closer position, had a shaky first couple of appearances and some were anxious to have set-up man Kelvin Herrera take over the reins.
Herrera, the hard-throwing 23-year old, led the American League in 2012 in average speed per-pitch, according to PitchFX, at 97.4 MPH.
Herrera complicated the situation by gathering two early saves, striking out all four outs he recorded in those saves.
Greg Holland Highlights – Mature Lyrics – So Parental Guidance Is Advised:
Triple Play Podcast Ep # 13 – Around The Horn w/OAK/KC/COL/TOR + Bean Wars + The Genius Beane
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The Triple Play Show will have 5 shows per month. Each show will be about 1 hour.
By The Big Ticket Show ( AKA Triple Play Podcast on http://www.mlbreports.com) Follow @bigticketshow
Guests in this Podcast – Chuck Booth (MLB Reports Owner and Lead Analyst)
On this week’s show Chuck Booth joins us to break down all the biggest stories in MLB. We also go Around the Horn with Chuck to discuss the A’s, Rockies and Royals current situations and declare the worthy few that belong on their respective Mt Rushmore’s. Bethubb.com best bets end the show as always. Happy Father’s Day!!!!!!!
Intro – 10 Minutes, Toronto Blue Jays talk from 10 Minute to the 18 Minute Mark. OAK chat – 18 minute – 33 Minute Mark, COL Talk 33 Minutes – 44 Minute Mark. Kansas City Royals Chart 44 Minutes Mark – 59 Minute Mark. Late Jays Talk Bethubb Best Bets 1 hour 1 MIN mark to 1 hour 9 Minute Mark.
Quick Facts: Catsfish Hunter was 7 – 2 in the Post Season for the 1972, 1973 and 1974 World Series Winning A’s – and only 2 -4 with the 3 Post Seasons with the Yankees. Still 5 World Series Winners was great. Chuck also meant Ewing Kauffman (Chuck thought his nickname was Charlie in the podcast – maybe because his name his Charlie) when talking about the Royals MT. Rushmore for the franchise.
Yogi Berra did indeed play in 14 World Series and won 10 of them in his Yankees days.
To Keep Reading and Listen to this Podcast click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY or scroll past the Triple Play Logo.
MLB Team Power Rankings
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Miguel Cabrera is absolutely unconscious this season so far; He has a 3 Slash Line of .369 (Leads AL)/.445 (Leads AL/1.121 (2nd in AL), with 17 HRs (2nd AL) and a mind – blowing 65 RBI through 54 Games Played. He is on pace for 51 HRs, 195 RBI and about 250 Hits. He keeps getting better every single year if possible. Despite his prominence – and a lineup full of ALL – Star hitters and Pitchers, the Tigers are limping along at just a few games over .500. It certainly isn’t this 30 Year Old’s fault.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Featuring the Podcasters the Big ticket Show in the Audio Portion Follow @bigticketshow
I will be doing a stat fueled rankings list on this Thursday. These rankings will have some stats and random thoughts of what I will be talking about in today’s podcast with the Big Ticket Show (AKA, Triple Play Podcast.)
Games Prior to Sunday June.02/2013
Cardinals 2013 30/30 Preview
Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON to continue… or scroll past the Triple Play Podcast. Read the rest of this entry
Kansas City Royals Starting Rotation: Built for Stability in 2013
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Dayton Moore has the task of taking the longest suffering MLB Team without making a Post Season Berth, (1985), back to the promise land of the playoffs. The club replaced 80 % of the Starting Rotation from Opening Day last year. Mr. Moore has to compete with GM’s that have double the payroll of his club. The Royals at least play in the AL Central, where Detroit is the only perennial favorite in the American League out of these 5 teams over the last few years. This GM gambled away Wil Myers + prospects – to land Wade Davis and ‘Big Game’ James Shields – so that they can contend right away.
By Michael McGraw ( Royals Correspondent) Follow @quickdraw29
It was obvious through General Manager Dayton Moore’s offseason moves that overhauled the team’s Starting Rotation was a primary goal. Moore accomplished this task by adding some of the game’s most durable Starters, resulting in a core of pitchers that should consume a considerable number of Starts and Frames.
It is difficult for any team to be successful without a dependable workhorse anchoring and staff, or providing a stopper who can put an end to any losing streak. The Royals hope James Shields is that pitcher in 2013.
The centerpiece-return of the offseason trade with the Tampa Bay that sent top prospect Wil Myers to the Rays, Shields has developed a formidable reputation for his durability.
James Shields 1st Inning as a Royals Starter:
Kansas City Royals Payroll in 2013 – And Contracts Going Forward
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![There should be a lot more smiles and high-fives for the Royals in 2013 as they are continue to improve around their core of talented players. Will 2013 finally be the year the Royals make their long overdue return to the playoffs?]](https://mlbreports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/royals.jpg)
There should be a lot more smiles and high-fives for the Royals in 2013 as they are continue to improve around their core of talented players. Will 2013 finally be the year the Royals make their long overdue return to the playoffs. They are amongst three teams who have not made the playoffs since the 1994 Lockout (TOR (1993) and PIT – (1992)) and they hold the longest streak of not making an entrance into the Post Season. KC last made the playoffs in 1985 – when they won their 1st and only World Series.
By Michael McGraw ( Royals Correspondent) Follow @michaelmcgraw
With the Royals finishing the 2012 season with a 72-90 record, the eighth year out of the past nine in which the team finished with at least 90 losses, General Manager Dayton Moore spent the winter focusing on acquiring durable pitching to strengthen the rotation in the short-term, including a controversial trade with the Tampa Bay Rays that reads like a law firm transaction: Myers, Montgomery, Leonard, & Odorizzi for Shields, Davis, & Johnson.
Although the merits of the deal can be debated, as it cost the Royals one of baseball’s top prospects in Wil Myers, the Royals hope that a rotation now featuring three veterans arms, a young, powerful, and strong Bullpen, and the hopeful continued growth of the team’s young hitters can lead the organization to its first playoff appearance since its World Series Championship in 1985.
As Spring Training has progressed into Cactus League action, the Royals opening day roster appears to be predominantly solidified with the exception of one relief spot, backup Catcher and Second Base.
KC Royals 2012 Highlights and Past Photos:
Mike Moustakas: Analyzing His Strengths And Weaknesses
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Moustakas will need to improve on his 20 HRs and 73 RBI year in 2012. He is only 24 Years of Age heading into 2013.
Jake Dal Porto (Baseball Writer) Follow @thejakeman24
The Kansas City Royals might have something special in Mike Moustakas. He’s a cornerstone-type piece, and he plays a position that starting to run low on quality young talent.
Of course, he has his good attributes and bad attributes. In a nutshell, he’s a work in progress offensively, but far from a work in progress on defense.
Players typically start to bloom in their third year in the major leagues, and it just so happens that 2013 will be Moustakas’ third year in the majors.
Mike Moustakas Highlights – Mature Lyrics – So Parental Guidance is advised:
Remembering Baseball’s African – American Pioneers
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Address: 1616 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108, United States
Phone:+1 816-221-1920
Hours: Thursday hours 9:00 am–6:00 pm
By Haley Smilow (MLB Reports Junior Reporter and Writer): Follow @smilow
February is black history month. This made me think about the impact that African-Americans have had on the sports world. One of the biggest impacts, in my opinion, was the Negro Leagues. In August 2011, I was lucky enough to go to Kansas City to see a Royals vs. Yankees game. What I did not know was the history of baseball in K.C. is more then just the Royals.
I learned about many great players and the history of a great league on my visit to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. I never imaged that baseball was once divided based on the color of your skin. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is dedicated to preserving the history of great black players. In the 1920’s, a structured league of black players began under the guidance of Rube Foster, and The Negro Leagues were born.
The Negro Leagues had many great players and stories of men like Satchel Paige, James “Cool Papa” Bell, Josh Gibson, Buck O’Neil, Jackie Robinson and many others, including one amazing women named Effa Manley. What made these people great were their astonishing abilities.
Jackie Robinson Steals Home Plate!
Dissecting The Royals And Rays Trade: Shields And Davis For Wil Myers + Prospects
Tuesday, Dec.11/2012
James Shields has 2 years left on his contract with the Royals. He is 31-22 with 448 Strikeouts in 477 IP in the last 2 years. While he might not be a Premiere Ace, he is a front end starter that Kansas City has not had for a long ime.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
We at the MLB Reports have established that we are far more in favor of acquiring hitters than pitchers in today’s MLB. Why do you ask? It is simple. The amount of pitchers that end up injured for the year is mind boggling. You can check out our Tommy John Surgery Tracker Page here. Point being, is that is risky to trade away top tier offensive prospects for pitching in return. Having said this, I like this trade of James Shields, Wade Davis and a player to be named later, for Wil Myers, Jake Odorizzi, Mike Montgomery and Patrick Leonard for both clubs. It addresses immediate concerns with a look to the future. To fully assess how this trade will break down we start with the Royals: Read the rest of this entry
“The Baseball Stadium Insider: A Comprehensive Dissection of All Thirty Ballparks, the Legendary Players, and the Memorable Moments” – By Matt Lupica: Guest MLB Blog
Saturday July 21st, 2012
Matt Lupica (Guest MLB Blogger):
Hello baseball fans!
If there’s one thing that can be said about baseball, it’s that it really separates itself from the other major sports because it features venues that differ greatly from one another. If you are like me, then you appreciate every little caveat, feature, gimmick and statistic about each individual Major League ballpark. That said, attention to every detail is something I pride myself on and with baseball as my true passion, it was a no-brainer when it came to authoring what I feel is the most in-depth book regarding all thirty current stadiums. I introduce you to The Baseball Stadium Insider.
My love for baseball began in fifth grade when my class was assigned a project on a historical figure. Looking down the list of names, I noticed one that stood out more than any others: Roberto Clemente. The rest was history. My love for baseball, the Pittsburgh Pirates and everything about the game was officially born. Read the rest of this entry
A Ball Park Chaser Guide Courtesy of Ball Park Chasers.com
Friday Apr.20/2012
Kauffman Stadium Chaser Guide is courtesy of ballparkchasers.com
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City International Airport (MCI)
27 miles/35 minute drive to Kauffman Stadium
***All underlined words are direct clickable links when you are online***
WHERE TO STAY
Unlimited budget There are no 4 or 5 star hotels close to Kauffman Stadium
Moderate budget All three options are within walking distance of Kauffman Stadium
Clarion Hotel Sports Complex
Drury Inn & Suites Kansas City Stadium
Holiday Inn Kansas City – Waterpark
Chaser budget traveler The following lodging is within 4 miles of Kauffman Stadium
Super 8 Independence, MO
Best Western Truman Inn
Holiday Inn Kansas City Sports Complex
WHERE TO PARK?
Parking at “The K” has never been so easy-it sure beats struggling for a cheap lot at a downtown ballpark. The Kansas City Royals are one of a handful of ball clubs that offer a centralized parking lot in front of their respective stadium. General parking is only $10 and the Royals provide an easy-guide that has directions to either the east or west parking lot, depending on the direction you are coming from. Keep in mind that parking at Kauffman Stadium is cash only. If your trip allows it, we recommend to stay at one of the hotels listed above so you can walk to and from the game.
WHERE TO EAT?
One of our crew’s favorite restaurants in all of baseball is just 15 minutes from Kauffman Stadium. Chappell’s Restaurant and Sports Museum is a must see when coming to Kansas City. Chappell’s not only serves great food, but also is home of the country’s largest collection of sports memorabilia (within a restaurant). Don’t leave here without trying the famous half-pound burger, meeting Jim Chappell (the owner) and finding the autograph baseball from Ty Cobb and the authentic 1974 World Series Trophy!
If you haven’t already noticed in the other Ballpark Chasers Guides, we love “hole-in-the-wall” restaurants and the local favorites. If you feel the same way, look no further than LC’s BBQ. Just four miles from Kauffman Stadium, LC’s can practically be smelled from the seats! Well, that may be an exaggeration, but LC’s is arguably the best BBQ joint in all of Kansas City. Our mouths are watering just thinking of their burnt end sandwiches and fries. A few miles further lay one of the coolest interactive restaurants in the country. The 810 Zone is the place to go to find food made from scratch, interactive televisions at each table, a radio broadcast booth and a colossal collection of high-definition televisions and sports memorabilia! If that isn’t enough, bring your best swing for their golf simulator game that claims to be accurate within .3 percent. We recommend calling ahead for a tee-time if you want to play Pebble Beach. The 810 Zone offers three locations within a 20 minute drive of Kauffman Stadium.
The 2009 season opened with a newly renovated Kauffman Stadium. Some of the new features include a restaurant in right field, a Royals Hall of Fame exhibit and miniature golf in left field. Rivals Sports Bar is open just beyond the right field bleachers and is serving up traditional sports bar cuisine. To keep you up on the game, Rivals offers a number of flat-screen televisions, including a 103 incher! Rivals Restaurant makes for a perfect stop during those cool spring nights or blistering hot and humid summer days in Kansas City. A quicker option is Stroud’s Chicken, which is connected to the Royal’s Hall of Fame in left field. Stroud’s is a local favorite that arguably serves the best fried chicken in the country. For dessert, look for Sheridan’s Frozen Custard in the new “Outfield Experience”. Sheridan’s is the only custard stand operating in a professional sports venue.
WHERE TO BUY TICKETS?
The Kansas City Royals have consistently been in the bottom half of fan attendance for quite some time. The struggle of the Royals on the field translates into a struggle filling up the stands of Kauffman Stadium. Needless to say, tickets were relatively easy to come by during the 2011 season. Ballpark Chasers can pick up tickets right before the game at one of the box office locations outside of Kauffman Stadium or online using their interactive seating chart. If you can, plan on seeing the Royals play on Friday night in order to catch a great fireworks show following the game.
Ballpark Chasers Fun Fact: One of the most coveted and hardest to come by seats in all of baseball is the famous red seat found in Section 101, Row C, Seat 1. The Royals placed this red seat in honor of the legendary Kansas City Monarch, Buck O’Neil. Don’t expect to find the seat on eBay, as the Royals front office donates this seat to a member of the Kansas City community for each home game.
WHEN TO GO?
Summers in Kansas City tend to be hot and humid. Expect temperatures in the 90’s with the lowest probability of rain during the months of July and August. If you prefer less humidity and cooler temperatures, plan your trip in April, May or early June. Just be prepared to bring your umbrella.
WHAT ELSE TO SEE?
Besides the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, no other attraction comes close to the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City. Founded in 1990, the NLBM is a non-profit organization with a privately funded mission to preserve the history of African-Americans in baseball. Located in the historic district of 18 TH and Vine (10 minutes from Kauffman Stadium), the NLBM will provide hours of entertainment and will leave you with a greater appreciation of the Negro Leagues. Admission to the Negro League Baseball Museum is $8 for adults or $3 for children under 12. Ballpark Chasers recommends making a day out of it by purchasing a combo ticket ($10) which includes access to the Jazz Museum next door. Children under 12 would be $5 for a combo ticket.
After a day at the museums, head over to the Country Club Plaza for 15 blocks of restaurants, shops, concerts, entertainment and a unique atmosphere that cannot be replicated anywhere in the greater Midwest. If your trip to Kansas City is spent with the love of your life, don’t leave the Country Club Plaza without a Venetian style Gondola ride. Due to its popularity, reservations are recommended.
BALLPARK CHASERS VACATION?
Ballpark Chasers rave about the “Midwest 3” baseball road trip. This includes seeing Kauffman Stadium, Busch Stadium and Coors Field. We recommend finding the cheapest airfare to either Denver or St. Louis and using a rental car to drive in between. The drive from Denver to Kansas City is roughly 9 hours, or about 610 miles; whereas the drive between St. Louis and Kansas City is about 240 miles or 4 hours.
Unfortunately, there is not a close Minor League ballclub around the Kansas City area. Therefore, if you are looking to stay in town, Ballpark Chasers suggests seeing a couple of games at “The K” and spending some time at the Negro League Baseball Museum.
A big Thank-you goes out to Craig Landgren (Founder of ballparkchasers.com) for lending us the chaser guide today for Kauffman Stadium. To view any of the 30 MLB Parks and their awesome chaser guide click here.
Please e-mail us at: mlbreports@me.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. To subscribe to our website and have the Daily Reports sent directly to your inbox, click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.
Minute Maid Park Review: Courtesy of Stadium Journey’s Correspondent Paul Derrick
Sunday, April. 8/2012
This review is courtesy of www.stadiumjourney.com, the best source for stadium reviews and information.
Deep in the Heart of Texas
Minute Maid Park
Official Review by Paul Derrick, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent
The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas. The Astros have been calling Houston home since 1962. Originally known as the Colt .45s in 1962, then after the .45s moved to the world’s first multi-purpose dome (Astrodome) they became the Astros. In 2000, the Astros made another move to their current home of Minute Maid Park, located in downtown Houston. Minute Maid Park, like its predecessor, was one of the first of its kind being one of the first retractable-roofed stadiums. This was definitely a great idea as fans are protected from Houston’s notoriously humid weather, but also allows fans to enjoy outdoor baseball during favorable weather. Minute Maid Park has the capacity to seat just under 41,000 people.
Minute Maid Park is definitely a one of a kind venue. The largest entrance to the park is inside what was once Houston’s Union Station, and the left field side of the stadium features a train as homage to the site’s history.
The train moves along a track on top of the length of the exterior wall beyond left field whenever an Astros player hits a home run, or when the Astros win a game. The engine’s tender, traditionally used to carry coal, but is usually filled with giant oranges in tribute to Minute Maid’s most famous product, orange juice.
The playing field also has a lot of neat nooks and crannies to it from the short porch in left known as the Crawford Boxes to Tal’s Hill in center. Another cool feature you will see at Minute Maid is a concourse above Tal’s Hill which features the “Conoco Home Run Porch” in left-center field that is actually over the field of play, and features a classic gasoline pump that displays the total number of Astros home runs hit since the park opened.
For fans that have attended Minute Maid in the past but not in 2011, new for the 2011 season is a large HD screen nicknamed “El Grande” replacing the original one in center field. At 54 feet high and 124 feet wide, it is the second largest scoreboard in Major League Baseball, behind Kauffman Stadium. The old screen was taken out and replaced by billboards. Additionally they added a smaller HD screen on the far left field wall. The ring of advertisement screens around the park have also been replaced in favor of HD ribbon boards in 2011.
Fan Fare Score 4.1 stars 
Crowd Score 3.6 stars
What is FANFARE?
The FANFARE scale is our metric device for rating each stadium experience. It covers the following:
- Food & Beverage
- Atmosphere
- Neighborhood
- Fans
- Access
- Return on Investment
- Extras
Each area is rated from 0 to 5 stars with 5 being the best. The overall composite score is the “FANFARE Score”.
Food & Beverage 5
No trip to the ballpark is complete without some peanuts and crackerjacks (or so the song says, anyway). Fortunately, Minute Maid Park, has a bevy of food choices for you.
I’ll start by mentioning the Astros’ Sizzling Grille located in sections 116 and 125 where you can enjoy a Texas sized mild or hot sausage with your choice of toppings on a fresh baked poppy seed roll. If your taste buds are yearning for some fresh cooked sausages then the Sizzling Grill is where you need to be.
One of my favorite spots is the FiveSeven Grille owned by two of the greatest Astros of all time, Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio. The FiveSeven Grille is a nice sitdown resturant that offers a variety of great options as well as to go orders for fans to enjoy in their seats. The FiveSeven Grille is located near section 156.
A couple other favorites of mine include the Goya Latin Cafe and Lefty’s BBQ at Union Station. The Goya Latin Cafe has one of the best chicken in chipotle sauce I have ever had. They offer a vast array of different products from Beef Picadillo to grilled Cuban sandwiches. The Goya even offers frozen sangrias and margaritas if that is what you are in the mood for. The Goya Cafe can be found behind home plate near section 119. My last favorite spot is Lefty’s BBQ which offers mouth watering Texas favorites like beef brisket, ribs, sausages and smoked turkey with all the great fixins. If Texas BBQ is on your mind then Lefty’s is your place.
Minute Maid definitely provides many options and are right on par with most MLB park prices, so definitely make sure you bring a big appetite and even bigger checkbook.
Atmosphere 4
The atmosphere at Minute Maid Park is unfortunately declining the worse the team gets. As of the time of this review (July 2011) the Astros are the worst team in baseball and on their way to their first 100-loss season in franchise history. So anytime you go to Minute Maid Park now you may see a more than average influx of opposing fans at games, especially when some of the big teams like the Cubs, Cardinals or Mets are in town. At times you may see a 50/50 crowd if someone like the Red Sox or Yankees are in town for inter-league play.
There are still neat things around the ballpark that provide that great baseball atmosphere, but the fans are definitely hurting this atmosphere. The Astros provide a great atmosphere for the kids as well as the diehard baseball fan. It just seems the baseball atmosphere will get worse before it gets better.
Neighborhood 4
As I mentioned earlier, Minute Maid Park is in downtown Houston so you have a variety of options. I will list a couple of my ballpark favorites. First off is the Home Plate Bar & Grill. The place is packed during every Astros home game, but it’s virtually empty in the off-season. Predictably, the decor is a stuffed-to-the-gills collection of autographed jerseys and posters of sports figures. Intent on watching the game? Sit downstairs – the mezzanine section has just two 13-inch TVs. The food wins big points, but drinks and service are somewhat lacking. The incredibly delicious crawfish po’boy is Tuesday’s standout special. Wash it down with a $2.50 Mexican beer or $1.50 well drinks.
Another option right outside the ballpark is The B.U.S. If you end up on Travis St. on the way to Minute Maid Park for an Astros game, just look for the big blob of Stros gear, Ray-Bans, and Ice Cold brew all nestled under an open warehouse-like bar right across from the stadium and you have come across the B.U.S. Inside you will find 2 main bars made out of wood, many large old school big screen TVs, projections, pool tables, darts, shuffle board, an uber amount of sports memorabilia, and a bunch of happy, fired up baseball fans having a good time whether they have tickets to the game or not. It’s not the cheapest place as far as beer prices, but overall it’s a great place to unwind, relax, and drink up before or even after the game.
Fans 3
Well, as bad as I hate to say this, Astros fans are some of the worst fair weather fans you will find in the league. Just a little over five years ago, Minute Maid Park was buzzing with fans as the Astros made their run at the World Series. Unfortunately for the ‘Stros, the fans, and Minute Maid Park it has gone down hill since then. I will say if you are still looking for some of those diehard fans you’re better off looking for them in the 300 and 400 sections rather than lower to the field. I have sat all throughout Minute Maid Park and have found the more dedicated and knowledgeable fans seem to be higher up. Unfortunately for the fans it doesn’t look like they are going to get any better any time soon, so they will just have to hope the rebuilding process doesn’t take as long as it did in Pittsburgh.
Access 4
Access to Minute Maid Park is usually not too bad. If you work downtown or are visiting, then I would highly recommend taking the Light Rail. Unfortunately, the city of Houston still has a pretty dismal public transportation system. As long as you aren’t fighting the usually brutal Houston traffic though, getting to Minute Maid can be pretty easy.
Parking will cost anywhere from $10-$20 depending on the distance from the ballpark as well as importance of the game. The concourses are wide enough to make a trip all the way around the ballpark with ease.
Bathrooms are plentiful and I have never noticed much of a line during my many visits.
Return on Investment 5
Right now (2011) is about the best return on investment you will ever find at Minute Maid Park. With plenty of promotional deals, the Astros are making a trip to Minute Maid Park quite an affordable trip for the family. The Astros offer promotions like all summer long kids are free, so I can buy a regularly priced ticket and both of my sons get in free. If you’re planning a trip to Minute Maid Park in the near future I would definitely check the promotional schedule to see when you can get the most out of your money.
Extras 4
There are a few neat extras I like about the park. One is Tal’s Hill. I think it adds that special unique aspect to Minute Maid Park. As well as it can make for some great blooper reels or SportsCenter highlights depending on how the center fielder handles the hill.
Another great extra is the Train located on tracks at the top of the stadium. It is a neat fixture and the kids love it.
One of my favorite extras is the singing of “Deep in the Heart of Texas” during the seventh inning stretch. You don’t even have to be a fan of baseball to enjoy that. Trust me, no matter what your age is you will be hard pressed from at least humming the tune during this.
My last point goes out to the great inclusion of the retractable roof which makes plenty of fans happy on those blistering hot summer days.
- Paul Derrick
***Thanks to Paul Derrick and Paul Swaney for giving us all of this great information on Minute Maid Park. Be Sure to check out their entire site for ballpark reviews. They are also coming out with an MLB Magazine shortly. sign up here for all of the latest updates at Stadium Journey.***
Paul Swaney and his son
www.stadiumjourney.com, the best source for stadium reviews and information.
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