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Sully Baseball Podcast – Outside Dodger Stadium talking about Yuli Gurriel and Ken Giles – October 29, 2017
I wanted to walk around Dodger Stadium but it was locked up. I address Yuli Gurriel’s racist gesture and Ken Giles horrific outing.
Wandering outside the gates in Chavez Ravine in this Episode of Sully Baseball.
While we are at it, enjoy the In Memoriam video.
Who Owns October (#WOO) Tallies Updated For October 9, 2017
Photo: Karen Warren, Houston Chronicle
Ohhhh we were so close to a Game 5 in Houston with no clue what pitchers were available. Ah well… congrats to the Astros and nice season Red Sox.
The Dodgers have their groove back and finished the only sweep so far. I guess the Diamondbacks weren’t the threat we all thought they were going to be.
Meanwhile Max Scherzer wanted to make history. Instead the Nationals are almost history themselves.
The Yankees of all teams have pushed the mighty Indians to the brink
So who owned October?
Each winning team for every post season game gets a pitcher and a hitter who earn a full WOO (Who Owns October.)
And at my discretion, I award a 1/2 WOO’S to a worthy player on the losing team.
At the end of the post season, we will see who had the highest WOO total as a pitcher and a hitter.
A complete description of the rules can be found HERE.
From October 9
2017 American League Division Series Game 4
2017 National League Division Series Game 3:
Receiving 1 WOO
Cody Bellinger reached base 3 times, homered and made a highlight reel catch to help the Dodgers clinch with a 3-1 victory over Arizona.
Alex Bregman launched a stunning game tying homer off of Sale in the 8th inning and saved the Division Series for the Astros in the 5-4 win against the Red Sox.
Yu Darvish allowed 2 hits and 1 run over 5 innings, striking out 7 Arizona batters in the process as the Dodgers swept the Diamondbacks with a 3-1 win.
Ken Giles closed out an epic Division Series match up with a six out save that clinched the 5-4 Houston victory in Boston.
Aaron Judge doubled home a pair to pad the lead and help the Yankees stun Cleveland, 7-3.
Jose Quintana struck out 7 Nationals over 5 2/3 innings where he allowed 1 unearned run. He did not get the decision but the Cubs won 2-1.
Anthony Rizzo singled home the go ahead run in the 8th inning to push the Cubs past Washington, 2-1.
Luis Severino redeemed his Wild Card Game disaster with 7 innings of 4 hits ball, striking out 9 Indians, winning 7-3 and giving the Yankees a chance to clinch with a Game 5.
Receiving 1/2 WOO
Andrew Benitendi hit a 2 run go ahead homer to give Boston hope. But the Astros came back to win 5-4 and clinch.
Archie Bradley threw 2 2/3 innings of 1 hit shutout ball to keep the Diamondbacks in the game but the Dodgers topped them 3-1 to finish the series.
Daniel Descalso homered to give the Diamondbacks their only run which was not enough to keep the Dodgers from sweeping the series with a 3-1 final.
Chris Sale kept the Astros scoreless for 4 brilliant innings out of the bullpen. But he could not stretch it to a 5th when he was charged with 2 runs, lost the 5-4 decision and saw the Red Sox get eliminated.
Carlos Santana hit a run homer but it wasn’t enough as the Indians could not close out the Yankees with a 7-3 final.
Max Scherzer took a no hitter into the 7th, whiffing 7 Cubs along the way. He would give up one hit and be charged with one run and the Nationals bullpen took the 2-1 defeat.
Ryan Zimmerman doubled home the Nationals only run as they were pushed to the brink by the Cubs, 2-1.
Current WOO Totals MLB 2017
Hitters ‘WOO’ MLB 2017,
Anthony Rizzo – Cubs 1 1/2, Ryan Zimmerman – Nationals 1 1/2, Jose Altuve – Astros 1, Greg Bird – Yankees 1, Alex Bregman – Astros 1, Cody Bellinger – Dodgers 1, Jay Bruce – Indians 1, Kris Bryant – Cubs 1, Carlos Correa – Astros 1, Logan Forsythe – Dodgers 1, Brett Gardner – Yankees 1, Yan Gomes – Indians 1, Aaron Judge – Yankees 1, Ketel Marte – Diamondbacks 1, Hanley Ramirez – Red Sox 1, Justin Turner – Dodgers 1, Andrew Benitendi – Red Sox 1/2, Starlin Castro – Yankees 1/2, Daniel Descalso – Diamondbacks 1/2, Brian Dozier – Twins 1/2, Paul Goldschmidt – Diamondbacks 1/2, Yuli Gurriel – Astros 1/2, Jason Kipnis – Indians 1/2, Sandy Leon – Red Sox 1/2, J. D. Martinez – Diamondbacks 1/2, Gary Sanchez – Yankees 1/2, Carlos Santana – Indians 1/2, Trevor Story – Rockies 1/2, Christian Vazquez – Red Sox 1/2,
Pitchers ‘WOO’ MLB 2017,
David Price – Red Sox 1 1/2, Trevor Bauer – Indians 1, Archie Bradley – Diamondbacks 1, Yu Darvish – Dodgers 1, Sean Doolittle – Nationals 1, Ken Giles – Astros 1, Kyle Hendricks – Cubs 1, Kenley Jansen – Dodgers 1, Clayton Kershaw – Dodgers 1, Dallas Keuchel – Astros 1, Jose Quintana – Cubs 1, Robbie Ray – Diamondbacks 1, David Robertson – Yankees 1, Masahiro Tanaka – Yankees 1, Josh Tomlin – Indians 1, Justin Verlander – Astros 1, Carlos Carrasco – Indians 1/2, Jaime Garcia – Yankees 1/2, Zack Godley – Diamondbacks 1/2, Jon Lester – Cubs 1/2, Chris Rusin – Rockies 1/2, Chris Sale – Red Sox 1/2, Max Scherzer – Nationals 1/2, Stephen Strasburg – Nationals 1/2,
Top 5 Projected Holds Leaders For The MLB In 2017
It is one of the harder stats to predict every year, and we are talking about the category of Holds. Last season the New York Yankees disrupted the flow of the entire landscape.
Since the New York club traded both Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman, this affected the chances of Dellin Betances winning the year, with him moving to Closer.
Miller himself finished 2nd in the Majors having worked setup for Chapman – and then predominantly clearing the deck for Indians Closer Cody Allen.
Falling into the same atmosphere was perennial winner Tony Watson coming into the 9th inning role once Mark Melancon was dealt to the Washington Nationals. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Power Rankings 2016: Week 7 – May
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)
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MAY 15, 2016
Well not much has changed from this week as compared to last week. Detroit carried its free fall to 4th in the AL Central, the Yankees took 5 of 7 contests – and 7/10 in their homestand to save their season for now.
Miami and Philadelphia continue to stick around in the NL East, and the Giants and Dodgers finally had winning weeks to make the NL West Division Leader respectable.
Nobody looks scarier right now than the Boston Red Sox offense, who led by David Ortiz, Jackie Bradley JR. and Xander Bogaerts, plated 10 runs or more in 5 of the last 6 games, after going their 1st 32 games without doing so.
I am still awaiting for a Jays big winning streak. Houston has not played winning baseball since the 1st 6 weeks of the 2015 – and are tending to resemble the 2007 Tampa Bay Rays more than anything.
All offense and little pitching and defense.
There is nobody struggling worse than Logan Morrison, Russell Martin, Carlos Gomez and the consortium of LF’s in Anaheim! Recently bouncing out of this list are Jason Heyward and Chase Headley.
We are nearing the quarter pole and rapidly approaching Memorial Day Weekend, so it is not early anymore.
Read the rest of this entry
MLB Power Rankings 2016: Week 6 May
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)
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MAY 8, 2016
Disclaimer: We based these rankings on best strength to win the World Series. Therefore some teams that have an easier division to play in, with the least path of resistance to the postseason overall may be ranked a lot higher than a club who is equally talented, yet may play in a juggernaut of a division.
Rank – Team Record (Last week rank) (Up down) (W – L Record Last week)
(1) (1) Chicago Cubs (E) (24 – 6) : A real bad day for the Cubs is battling with a team like Washington on Sunday, to see whether or not they are going to sweep them or go 3 – 1 in a series.
Yep, they swept the 4 game set in a 13 inning walk off HR by Javier Baez – to cap a 7 – 0 week. They are on pace for about 129 wins right now.
Depth of the Starting Rotation is looking solid with Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Jason Hammel (Killer J’s) and Kyle Hendricks.
Hector Rondon is not even needed in most leads, with the team almost at a +100 differential through 30 games,
(2) (3) Chicago White Sox (+1) (22 – 10) ( 4 – 2): Chris Sale is 7 – 0, and may go Ron Guidry (circa 1979 on us). If anyone will win 25 games in a year, it would be him or Jake Arrieta.
Bob Welch won 27 games in 1990 for the A’s was the last guy to do that.
Has anyone noticed that Brett Lawrie has an OBP closer to .400 – than his usual .310 – .320?
Jose Quintana is finally receiving some run support. If Todd Frazier and Jose Abreu start hitting for BA, than look he the hell out. We could see a “Windy City” World Series for the 1st time since 1906. Read the rest of this entry
What Is Wrong With Houston Astros’ Pitcher, Ken Giles?
Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com)
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The Houston Astros acquired young flamethrower, Ken Giles, from the Philadelphia Phillies this offseason. The Astros paid a king’s ransom for Giles considering they gave up top prospect, Vincent Velazquez, former #1 overall pick, Mark Appel, Brett Oberholtzer, and Thomas Eshelman. Giles’ cost was so high because of his young age, success, and his team control for the next 4 years.
Unfortunately for the Astros, this trade hasn’t quite worked out as people expected. Giles continues to struggle, Velazquez continues to shine, and Mark Appel seems to be back on track.
Following the trade, the Astros were expected to name Giles the opening day closer over the previous closer, Luke Gregerson.
Well, the unexpected happened during spring training. Giles struggled to get people out and the Astros decided to name Gregerson the opening closer for 2016. Many Astros’ fans believed this was going to be temporary, considering the Astros paid so much for 25 year old closer, but this situation doesn’t seem to be temporary anymore.
Through 8.2 innings pitched in 2016, Giles has a 8.31 ERA, 2 losses, 13 hits given up, 3 walks, and 12 strikeouts. The start of the season is not Giles-esque considering in his first two seasons with the Phillies, he threw 115.2 innings, with a 1.56 ERA, 84 hits given up, 151 strikeouts, 36 walks, and 16 saves. So that brings up the question every Astros fan and fantasy baseball owner is asking, what is wrong with Ken Giles?
To read the rest of the article, click the link below:
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MLB Power Rankings: April 2016
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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Disclaimer: We based these rankings on best strength to win the World Series. Therefore some teams that have an easier division to play in, with the least path of resistance to the postseason overall may be ranked a lot higher than a club who is equally talented, yet may play in a juggernaut of a division.
Yesterday won’t change much for the rankings. Although it kicked off interleague with the Royals beating the Mets 4 – 3, and starts the Junior Circuit looking to win the AL vs NL competition for a 13th straight year.
Pittsburgh also beat the Cardinals. I have them both ending the year win 91 victories, but these squad’s really intrigue me.
There are a multitude of reasons why I have picked the Cubs as the #1 team. I explain them in the writeup.
Each Monday, we will post a new set of power rankings and go over the week that was. Read the rest of this entry
2016 MLB Preseason Power Rankings
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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With just 5 weeks to the regular season – and all of the important Free Agents finally being locked up with Ian Desmond signing with the Rangers, it is time to see where all 30 MLB clubs stack up.
We are going to be running weekly power rankings once the year starts on Apr.3, 2016.
The way I compile the Power Rankings is best on confidence to win the World Series. Some clubs may be more talented (or playing better) than a squad they are behind in the rankings, but the Division (and strength of opponents) plays a massive factor.
It is the reason why teams like the Royals or Astros will be selected above a team like the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Pittsburgh Pirates might win 90 games (which may only see one AL club join them), but because they have to contend with the Cards and Cubs in the NL Central, it will be tough for them to receive a great ranking (at least until games are played). Read the rest of this entry
Why The Houston Astros Have The Brightest Future In Major League Baseball
Carlos Correa was the 1st overall pick in the 2012 Amateur Draft for the Houston Astros. He came up in early June and proceeded to win the American League Rookie Of The Year Award with a 3 Slash of .279/.345/.512 with 22 HRs (led all shortstops in the MLB) and 22 Doubles in just 99 Games. This type of production will change the complexion of the team for the next 6 years. He is just going to be 21 for all of next season – and he looks exactly like a young Alex Rodriguez. In his 1st postseason action, Correa smacked 2 HRs in that pivotal game 4 of the ALDS for Houston, staking them to a 6 – 2 lead before the Bullpen gave up the game.
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @Dynasty_Digest
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The Houston Astros had some very rough years from 2011 to 2013 (162-324 record).
While this was a tough time for the Major League Organization, their Minor League affiliates were thriving. Luckily for the Astros, a lot of their young talent has made their way through the minors and has finally landed in the big leagues.
This youth movement has helped the team drastically. Many baseball experts and fans didn’t predict the Astros to compete in 2015, but they proved them wrong.
In 2015, they made the playoffs for the first time since 2005. They accomplished this feat while having the 6th youngest roster in Major League Baseball (Average age of 26.7 years old).
If the Astros were this successful with a roster with so little Major League experience, then can you imagine what they will do once their talent matures throughout the next few seasons?
How To Stop Tanking Maneuvers In Order To ‘Rebuild’ MLB Teams
In the last year of the current ‘CBA’ there may be a change to the new agreement that would stop teams from intentionally losing under the “integrity of competitiveness” clause. Teams such as Houston and the Chicago Cubs have laid the template down, and now other teams are following suit like the Phillies, Braves, Reds, Padres, Rockies and Brewers.
Jordan Gluck (Part Owner/Featured Writer): Follow @jgluck777
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How to stop Tanking?
Spearheaded by Jeff Luhnow – the complete ‘tank philosophy’ has taken off across sports which is a terrible thing for competitive balance.
Teams in other leagues such as the Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Cubs, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Timberwolves and Indianapolis Colts have had completely terrible teams with the goal of landing the top selection in that draft(s).
Tanking has become much more widespread and is EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE. The problem is losing this badly leads to teams being terrible likely for long periods of time so they can be at the top of the draft and have a chance at elite players.
The differences in tanking differ by league though, in basketball if you don’t have the elite talent then you will never win and that talent is found almost always at the top of the draft.
In football you need a quarterback to be a super bowl contender and tanking will likely be just for the quarterback as the Colts did for Andrew Luck.
Hockey (like baseball) requires depth but top line players carry a huge premium and are available at the top of the draft and you defiantly need at least a few to be Stanley Cup contenders. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Power Rankings New Years 2016
Perhaps the Back to the Future Prediction was off by just one year. The Cubs , who are immensely loaded with young offensive superstars added another to the mix with the Jason Heyward signing. Add that to a revamped Bullpen, strong Starters signed last year in Jon Lester and Jason Hammel, coupled with John Lackey this year, and this team is the clear cut #1 ranked team. Oh yeah..They even have depth to make another trade should they need to.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part-Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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(1) Chicago Cubs: Big additions of Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist and John Lackey. Tonnes of young superstars only ging to get better.
(2) NY Mets: Starting Pitching best in the Majors. Offensive depth better in offseason. Need David Wright to stay healthy. NL East easiest bottom 3 teams in the bigs.
(3) Kansas City Royals: Easiest Division in the Majors. Back to Back AL Pennants and defending World Series Champs. Look for some more mid year deals. Read the rest of this entry
Philadelphia Phillies State Of The Union For 2016
The Phillies have not had a winning season since 2011 after putting forth a decade straight of them. A promising second half to the year – coupled with full seasons by Aaron Nola and Maikel Franco could have them inch closer back to achieving that mark in the next few years. The management finally started the rebuild halfway through the year, have continued it so far this winter – and the financial flexibility in going forward should really be shaped up in a few more seasons. It may be a tough campaign in 2016 for the win loss column, however the team has a lot of young players to watch and be excited about.
Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst) Follow @chuckbooth3024
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I was lucky enough to watch a record 224 MLB Games live last year – spread across all 30 MLB parks in every day of the campaign last season.
Unfortunately I saw the most home games (33 Games) in Philadelphia with my brother living close by. There is nothing wrong with Citizens Ball Park, it was the team that was tough to watch.
When you have Jeff Francouer as your #4 hitter for half of the year, there is something wrong with that. I love the guy, and Frenchy had a decent year, it just said a lot about the depth of the Roster in 2015.
At the end of the year Philadelphia’s management started to trade away Veterans from the glory days of the World Series, and you can start to see the healing begin.
The dealing continued with Ken Giles sent to Texas for a bunch of stud arms coming back. Now the Phillies are looking forward to a bunch of young talent coming to the big leagues in the next few seasons.
The old guard is still there with Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz holding down the Starting First Base and Catcher respectively. Howard is an average offensive threat only now that makes $25 MIL. Read the rest of this entry
Odds To Win The 2016 MLB World Series
The Cubs signed Jason Heyward over the last week – and may have dealt a massive blow to the rest of the National League that could be felt for several years. Despite the signing, the odds for Chicago, St. Louis and Los Angeles Dodgers did not change. This is not what is supposed to happen when a player like Heyward signs. The +800 odd is bang on though. I would not put any money down for the value, however they would be my pick to win the World Series if I picked any one team right now for next year’s Fall Classic.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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The ripple effect of the Johnny Cueto‘s signing did not hit the odds very much for the Giants. San Fran went from +1800 to only +1600 in one week. The Dodgers also did not lose any ground – standing firm at +1200??
This is crazy. I am not saying the Dodgers value at +1200 isn’t actually right. What I am saying is that the 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series Champs should be right there with them. At least at +1300 – or even more favored than the 2nd place Arizona Diamondbacks.
San Francisco has the best Starting Pitching and Bullpen in the Division. This team also has a comparable lineup 1 – 8 with both the 2 clubs in Arizona and Los Angeles.
There is no doubt that the D’Backs heart of the lineup is better, but guys like Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford and Matt Duffy all featured decent offense in the 2015 campaign. Read the rest of this entry
Philadelphia Phillies Payroll In 2016 + Contracts Going Forward
The Phillies have not had a winning season since 2011 after putting forth a decade straight of them. A promising second half to the season – couple with full seasons by Aaron Nola and Maikel Franco could have them inch closer back to achieving that mark in the next few years. The management finally started the rebuild halfway through the year – and the financial flexibility in going forward should really be shaped up in a few more years. Philadelphia has $110 MIL in approximate Team Salary already committed for next year. I would keep the course and build through the Draft. Spending money on any premiere Free Agents is a little premature right now. In addition, the club could really trade away anything not nailed down for 2017.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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The Philadelphia should have a payroll of near $110 MIL after Arbitration dollars are handed out next year. Of that money, Ryan Howard and 3 players (Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Chase Utley) rake in $49 MIL of the salary on players that no longer play on the club, or in Howard’s case – are very unproductive.
I love the deals the franchise has made since the Trade Deadline – and even loved some of the Veterans they have picked up for the coming year like Charlie Morton and Jeremy Hellickson.
Between the half a dozen Starters or so they have acquired through trades, and their nice young Starter in Aaron Nola, they now have a promising future in the Rotation.
Mark Appel was also acquired in the Ken Giles trade. This is a #1 overall pick who may just need some more seasoning in the Minors.
Houston Astros State Of The Union For 2016
The Houston Astros were the worst team in the Major Leagues from 2011 – 2013, where they topped the 100 Loss barrier for each of those seasons, underwent an ownership change, and also moved from the tough NL Central to the AL West. Last year the Astros finally turned the corner with the 2nd Wild Card Spot, won that game in New York and took the KC Royals to the brink of elimination before they lost. They are young, have a core nucleus of team controllable superstars and exceptional depth that they can use for upgrades. It is a great time to be a ‘Stros fan.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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The Houston Astros are set to contend for the foreseeable future. A 6 year stretch in which they revamped their entire Minor League System – and kept payroll down to grab top Draft Picks finally reeled in the teams 1st playoff spot in a decade in 2016.
After taking a 6 – 2 lead in Game 4 of the ALDS series against the Royals with 2 – 1 lead the Bullpen coughed up the margin – with the club also losing the next game to the eventual World Series winner.
It was a tough lesson to learn in the postseason – but it may be the 1st of many appearances in October in the near future.
The #1 task of acquiring a lock down Closer has been addressed in the recent trade for Ken Giles. Yes it cost them Brett Oberholtzer, former #1 overall Draft Pick Mark Appel, and a few other prospects, but it also sets up the nucleus core for 4 – 5 more years.
The clubs offense featured 11 guys with double digit Homers in the lineup, and 2 others that fell just a dinger shy of the clip. Read the rest of this entry
Odds To Win The 2016 MLB Divisions
Even with the Cubs signing Jason Heyward and being the favorite to win bot the NL Pennant and World Series, they have to contend with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2016 once again. The Redbirds won 100 games and are coming back with another great squad. That is the sole reason why the Cubs are not the biggest favorite to win their own Division.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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These odds are a pretty good reflection of the landscape in the MLB right now. The best value on the board would be the NY Yankees are +240 and Detroit at +250. Both of these clubs are old, but if they can play to their talent level and avoid injury, could win their Divisions.
I fully expect the Cubs will win the National League Central Division, but the +140 odd doesn’t pay enough to entice a wager.
The worst odd on the board has to be the Texas Rangers. I am not sure they are that much better than the Houston Astros right now, and they have not had a banner winter yet – while Houston has solidified their Bullpen by adding flamethrower Ken Giles.
Add in a full year of Carlos Correa – and Houston should be the Division favorite.
I think the Twins might be a nice long shot wager at +310. This club did finished 2nd in the American League Central Division during the 2015 year with 83 victories. Read the rest of this entry
Odds To Win The 2016 MLB World Series
Pittsburgh had the 2nd best record in the Majors with 98 wins, yet were simirarily 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 was 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 retool for 2017. Instead they have made a boneheaded trade in doling out Neil Walker for Jon Niese this week. Their odd should not be +1400 as the #3 ranked team in the NL Central. I don’t think 3 teams qualify for the playoffs out of that Division in 2016.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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Okay hands up, how many of you followed my advice minutes after the Zack Greinke deal – and pounced on that 40/1 play? I am happy to say I did, and voila, they jumped from +4000 all the way to+1600.
Sure there was an added bonus of the club picking up Shelby Miller via the trade route – but that is how quickly the odds fluctuate. The job is to render value.
So far we have given really sound advice on this whole off season. The first time the new odd was posted we said to stay clear of the Dodgers as the favorite. Look at them right now – they are considered the 5th favorite in the NL.
Now if you think the Los Angeles franchise is not done on the winter with high priced talent, you can get them at this nice odd. I personally believe they need to add 1 more #2, #3 starter in addition to the latest Dodgers Hisashi Iwakuma signing – and another premiere Outfielder as well. Read the rest of this entry
On The Trading Block In The NL East
The Phillies have not had a winning season since 2011 after putting forth a decade straight of them. A promising second half to the season – couple with full seasons by Aaron Nola and Maikel Franco could have them inch closer back to achieving that mark in the next few years.
Jordan Gluck (Part Owner/Featured Writer): Follow @jgluck777
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
On the Trading Block NL East
Atlanta Braves: The Braves have quite a few players that they can trade and under John Hart you don’t know what direction they will go in this offseason.
Can they be in a position to compete moving into the new Sun Trust Stadium next year or is it a longer term rebuild
I think this team really isn’t 2 bad and could compete for a wild card this season with the addition of a 3B (Rio Ruiz?) and consistent starting pitching.
However it is clear their sights are not set on this season but on the future as indicated by their trade of Andrelton Simmons. Read the rest of this entry
The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated for Max Scherzer, June 20, 2015 )
Rob Carr/Getty Images
Max Scherzer gets his first no hitter!
He nearly got a no hitter in his last start and nearly threw a perfect game (ah those hit by pitches.) I think he will take it. Man, Jordan Zimmermann didn’t last long on this list. After no Washington no hitter since Bobby Burke’s gem for the Senators in 1931 and no franchise no hitter since Dennis Martinez’s perfecto in 1991, Zimmermann ended the regular season of 2014 with a no no.
Now Scherzer takes Zimmermann’s place. And by the way he has been pitching, he will be back.
It is time to update my list!
The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated for June 9, 2015 )
Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
The first No Hitter of 2015!
Lots of Giants greats have thrown no hitters, from Christy Matthewson to Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. Now add Chris Heston to the list. Just think. In 2013, the Giants designated him for assignment and anyone could have picked him up.
I bet the Giants are glad nobody did.
With a 5-0 masterpiece, Chris Heston has his own piece of history and removes his teammate Lincecum from this list.
I am sure Tim is fine with it.
It is time to update my list!
Who Owned Baseball For 2014 – The Final Regular Season Tally
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
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.
The Most Recent No Hitter For Each Franchise (Updated For September 28, 2014 )
The first Washington No Hitter since 1931!
No Washington Nationals pitcher has ever thrown a no hitter. The last one thrown representing Washington? Bobby Burke, who no hit the Red Sox in August of 1931.
That’s all over now!
Jordan Zimmermann threw the first Washington Nationals no hitter (and the first in Franchise History since Dennis Martinez‘s perfect game as a member of the Montreal Expos.)
9 complete, 1 walk and 10 strikeouts of the Marlins, who for the second straight year end the season on a no hitter. Last year Henderson Alvarez won 1-0 over Detroit. This year the Marlins LOST 1-0.
Odd symmetry.
Safe to say, Jordan Zimmermann looks solid for this post season.
It is time to update my list!
Who Owned Baseball Sept 27, 2014 (Daily AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2014 #WOB Standings
(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
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.
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 25, 2014 (Daily AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2014 #WOB Standings
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.
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 24, 2014 (Daily AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2014 #WOB Standings
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
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.
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 22, 2014 (Daily AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2014 #WOB Standings
(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.
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 21, 2014 (Daily AL/NL Pitcher + Hitter MVP’s) + 2014 #WOB Standings
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.
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.
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