Blog Archives

Who Owns Baseball – Updated Apr.27/2013

Anibal Sanchez

Pitching ruled Friday in an unbelievable way.

How much so?
Kyle Kendrick threw a complete game shutout against the Mets and Wei-Yin Chen threw 8 shut out innings on the road against the A’s. And neither of them owned baseball last night!

Jordan Zimmermann of the Washington Nationals threw a masterful one hit shutout against the Cincinnati Reds.

For the American League, Detroit’s Anibal Sanchez set a franchise record of 17 strikeouts as he dominated the Atlanta Braves.

Meanwhile some hitters had quite a good night as well. Carlos Beltran‘s two home runs helped the Cardinals beat Pittsburgh.

With all the star power in the Tiger lineup, it was Matt Tuiasosopo who dominated, driving in five of Detroit’s 10 runs.

They all owned baseball on April 26, 2013

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

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

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Who Owns Baseball – Updated Apr.26/2013

Clay Buchholz

Clay Buchholz of the Red Sox dominated the Astros and improved to 5-0.

Alex Gordon of the Royals smashed a grand slam that sunk the Tigers.

Gio Gonzalez shut down the Reds as the Nationals prevailed.

Gabby Sanchez homered the Pirates to a come from behind victory against the Phillies..

They all owned baseball on April 25, 2013

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

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

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

Who Owns Baseball – Updated Apr.25/2013

Jordany Valdespin

Last night was another wild and loopy night of baseball with come from behind wins, dramatic homers and dominating pitching.

But with all the drama in the National League yesterday, was I really NOT supposed to pick Jordany Valdespin and his walk off grand slam for the Mets?

The National League pitcher who owned baseball was Edinson Volquez of the Padres. He shutdown the hottest team in baseball, the Brewers, for seven shutout innings giving San Diego (the coldest team in baseball) a much needed win.

J. P. Arencibia of the Blue Jays owned baseball with his home run and key 11th inning single that sparked Toronto’s victory over the Orioles.

And all due respect to Yu Darvish and his amazing start against the Angels, but Alex Cobb of the Rays owned baseball as Tampa Bay beat the Yankees 2-0 behind his 8 1/3 shutout innings. 

They all owned baseball on April 24, 2013

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

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

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

Who Owns Baseball – Updated April.24/2013

Adam Wainwright

Lots of terrific performances in baseball last night, and none by the Red Sox, whose only positive quality was seeing their game shortened by rain.

Oakland pitcher Bartolo Colon owned the American League with seven shutout innings in Boston as the A’s got back into the win column.

Howie Kendrick of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim owned the American League as a hitter. He homered twice including a walk off shot in the 11th inning, giving the Angels a much needed win over the first place Rangers. In all, Kendrick went 3-5 with two homers and four runs batted in.

Atlanta Braves star Justin Upton homered in both ends of a double header sweep against the Colorado Rockies. He has 11 for the year so far and is making the Diamondbacks look foolish for dealing him. He owned the National League last night.

Meanwhile the amazing Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals easily owned the National League as a pitcher. He let up his first walk of the year (he has one in 37 1/3 innings) and got the win pitching into the 9th, letting up no runs and striking out 9.

They all owned baseball on April 23, 2013

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

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

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

Who owns baseball? Updated for April 22, 2013

Buster Posey

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

There are four categories: American League Hitter, American League Pitcher, National League Hitter and National League Pitcher.

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

Is it subjective? Sure.

But so are the MVP and Cy Young votes.

On April 22, 2013, A.J. Pierzynski , Matt Moore, Buster Posey and Shelby Miller all owned baseball.

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MLB Weekly Power Rankings – Week 3

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Monday Apr.22/2013

The Giants have gutted out a 12 - 7 record despite Matt Cain being 0 - 2 with a 7.15 ERA, and Ryan Vogelsong featuring an early season ERA of 5.89.  Buster Posey is also off to a slow start.  This team has so much depth and talent, I see nothing that will stop this club from taking their 3rd NL West Division crown no that the LAD have had severe injury problems to their Starting Rotation.

The Giants have gutted out a 12 – 7 record despite Matt Cain being 0 – 2 with a 7.15 ERA, and Ryan Vogelsong featuring an early season ERA of 5.89. Buster Posey is also off to a slow start. This team has so much depth and talent, I see nothing that will stop this club from taking their 3rd NL West Division crown now that the LAD have had severe injury problems to their Starting Rotation.  The Giants take their rightful spot as #1 in the MLB Reports Weekly Rankings thids week.

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

The Major League Baseball Season is roughly 10% over and we are seeing some trends and patterns.  The next time you wonder why games are so long in the game right now, look no further than there are about 150 hitters that are currently on pace to Strikeout 100 plus times this season.

Other Notes:

The Cincinnati Reds won every game this past 7 days, after losing every day the week prior.  This is simply why they shot up the rankings.  I think the NL Central is the weakest Division this year.  It was my prediction that the oldest professional baseball club would run away with this Division by at least 10 games.

Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Votto are on the Basepaths at all times – carrying an OBP of over .500 plus each.  Votto is starting to drive the ball with authority too.  Brandon Phillips, Todd Frazier and Zack Cozart are driving in Runs at an incredible rate.

Look for BP to be a dark horse NL MVP candidate.

Brandon Phillips Talks about Winter Workouts:

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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 21, 2013

Photo: NY Daily News

Photo: NY Daily News

On today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I ask if Don Mattingly‘s job as Dodger manager is in danger? Should it be?

Lance Lynn, Bryce Harper, Hiroki Kuroda and yes Daniel Nava owned baseball on April 20, 2013.



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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 20, 2013

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Today on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I talk about how the Red Sox are a symbolic healing of Boston. They need to also offer some real tangible methods of healing.

How about free admission to police officers?
And oh yeah, help out the medical bills of those injured.
Small potatoes money wise and a big way to get the love of fans back.

Travis Hafner, Yu Darvish, Angel Pagan and Wandy Rodriguez owned baseball on April 19, 2013.



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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 19, 2013

Photo: ESPN.com

Photo: ESPN.com

On today’s episode, I make a plea to the many eccentric billionaires who listen to The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast:

Please buy the Miami Marlins! You get to be a famous rich big shot in Miami, and if you are even competent, fans will love you.

Troy Tulowitzki, Yovani Gallardo, Matt Wieters and R.A. Dickey owned baseball on April 18, 2013.



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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 18, 2013

IMG_5696entrance

Today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast was taped during the San Jose Giants and Stockton Ports game played at San Jose Municipal Stadium on April 17, 2013.

The Ports won 7-2. It wasn’t a very good game.

I talked a little baseball, shared some memories, made some observations and bumped into comedian Garret Gonzales.

The G-Man is a San Jose native and Giants fans and had some clear points of view about where his heart lies in baseball and thoughts about mascots.

Check out Garret’s album on iTunes and he will be appearing on CBS later this year.

Wade Davis, James Loney, A.J. Burnett and Zack Cozart owned baseball on April 17, 2013.



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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 17, 2013

Screen Shot 2013-04-17 at 6.21.52 PM

On today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I look at the negative things in our life that we can express as fans in a healthy way. Also, the James Shields and Wade Davis trade for Wil Myers doesn’t look so stupid right now.

Mike Napoli, Derek Holland, Alexi Amarista and Homer Bailey owned baseball on April 16, 2013.



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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 16, 2013

Screen Shot 2013-04-17 at 12.43.37 AM

Today on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I ask Is Mike Scioscia‘s job safe? Are the Angels making a stupid lineup decision? It sure looks that way.

Also, Bronson Arroyo, Ryan Zimmerman, Kevin Correia and Joe Mauer owned baseball on April 15, 2013.



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Mets And Harvey Looking Great So Far

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Tuesday April 16, 2013 

Matt Harvey with his stellar outings so far this season may have just become the New York Mets "ace". Harvey is now 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA. Harvey has pitched 22 innings only given up 6 hits and 2 runs. " src="https://mlbreports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/matt-harvey.jpg" width="604" height="408" /> Matt Harvey with his stellar outings so far this season may have just become the New York Mets "ace". Harvey is now 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA. Harvey has pitched 22 Innings - only given up 6 hits and 2 runs. Not only has Harvey now become the Mets ace, the team is now winning games on a consistent basis. Winning is contagious and with Harvey pitching like he is the other pitchers want to try to match his performance every time they take the rubber. Harvey will be looking for an extension after this season as he is making the minimum of $499,000.

Matt Harvey with his stellar outings so far this season may have just become the New York Mets “ace”. Harvey is now 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA. Harvey has pitched 22 Innings – only given up 6 Hits and 2 uns. “Matt Harvey with his stellar outings so far this season may have just become the New York Mets “ace”. Harvey is now 3-0 – with a 0.82 ERA. Harvey has pitched 22 Innings – only given up 6 hits and 2 runs. Not only has Harvey now become the Mets ace, the team is now winning games on a consistent basis. Winning is contagious and with Harvey pitching like he is the other pitchers want to try to match his performance every time they take the rubber. Harvey will be looking for an extension after this season as he is making the minimum of $499,000.

By Ryan Ritchey (Baseball Writer): 

The Mets are off to 7-4 start – and the pitching is proving to be a huge factor so far this season.

Matt Harvey is leading the charge with three wins and an 0.82 ERA. He also has 25 Strikeouts in only 22 Innings! He is showing everyone that he wants to be an “ACE” on this staff.

He is Arbitration Eligible after this season and should be expecting a huge paycheck if he keeps pitching like he is right now. Mets have a bright future with Harvey and that is always a great thing for a franchise.

New York Mets 2013 Preview- MLB Network:


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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 15, 2013

Larry-Doby-01

Today on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I discuss Jackie Robinson Day and ask to pay tribute to Larry Doby, the second pioneer to break the color barrier.

I quote an article by Kim Geralds of The Oakland Press.



Also, Michael McKenry, Paul Maholm, Austin Jackson and Clay Buchholz owned baseball on April 14, 2013.

The podcast was recorded before the events in Boston took place.



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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 14, 2013

42-movie

Today on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I review the movie 42.

I also look at the famous moment when Pee Wee Reese put his arm around Jackie and wonder if it ever really happened.



Also, Prince Fielder, Jon Lester, Adam Wainwright and Wilin Rosario owned baseball on April 13, 2013.



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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 13, 2013

Tommy Hanson


On today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I talk about the parity in the American League and why the Angels resemble a little league team.


Also, Andrew McCutchen, Shelby Miller, Justin Maxwell and Justin Masterson owned baseball.


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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 12, 2013

I recorded today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast in the parking lot of Trader Joe’s. Don’t ask. I hate bean ball wars and brawls in baseball. And I let me feelings known to all the shoppers today. Meanwhile Manny Machado, A. J. Griffin, Bryce Harper and Sergio Romo owned baseball on April 11, 2013. Subscribe on iTunes HERE.

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The Mets Fans Have Good Reasons To Be Choked

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Friday, Mar.29/2013

Johan Santana signed a 6 YR/$137.5 MIL deal with the Mets prior to the 2008 season.  He only managed to start in 109 Games for the franchise in his stint.  With a 2nd shoulder surgery coming - he is likely finished for his Career.  He will receive a $5.5 MIL Buyout for the team declining his 2014

Johan Santana signed a 6 YR/$137.5 MIL deal with the Mets prior to the 2008 season. He only managed to start in 109 Games for the franchise in his stint. With a 2nd shoulder surgery coming – he is likely finished for his Career. He will receive a $5.5 MIL Buyout for the team declining his 2014 Option.  That means he will have made $143 Million in his New York time.  This works out to be over $1.2 MIL per game.  If pro – rated on a 33 Start season, it equates to be about a $40 Million a year pitcher.  Santana is 46 – 34 – with a 3.14 ERA for his Met playing days.

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

Today has to eb a frustrating day if you are a Mets fan with the news of Johan Santana being out for the year.  It is just another example of a deal gone awry from a superstar. 

Tom Glavine, Pedro Martinez, Mo Vaughn, Jason Bay and  Roberto Alomar….What do these ex – superstar players have in common with former Cy Young Winner Johan Santana??

How about all of them played at ALL – Star Caliber (even Hall of Fame Careers) before they entered a Mets uniform.   Once they arrived in the Big Apple, their careers basically fizzled out faster than a sparkler on the 4th of July.  They all made great money in their time with the New York club, yet failed to live up to expectations.

All 27 Outs of Johan Santana’s No Hitter:

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The New York Mets 2013 Roster: State Of The Union

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Monday December 31st, 2012

a new york mets

(There’s a still reason to come to Shea Citi this year (or why you should watch the 2013 Mets)

Stephon Johnson ( Baseball Writer and Mets Correspondent):

You knew someone had to go:

The Mets had a few decisions to make during this current offseason regarding personnel. Stick with Cy Young Award winner (and franchise folk hero) R.A. Dickey or stick with franchise face and soon to be Mr. Met David Wright. While general manager Sandy Alderson might have tried as hard as he could to keep Dickey at Citi Field for a price that would appease the cash strapped Wilpons, the situation ended up like the plot to Highlander: there could be only one.

But where does that leave the team and the fans who make the trek out to Flushing? Playing in a NL East that features a World Series contender in the Washington Nationals, a perennial playoff team in the Atlanta Braves and the “not-as-good-but-still-better-than-you” Philadelphia Phillies, the Miami Marlins are the only team standing between the Mets and last place in 2013.

But Mets fans should still come to Citi. Read the rest of this entry

It Is Time For The Mets To Cash In On R.A. Dickey By Trading Him

Friday November 23rd, 2012

Kyle Holland: R.A. Dickey had a career year and without a doubt the best year of his career in 2012. He went 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA and capped off his amazing season with a CY Young Award, a first for a primarily knuckleball pitcher. But with his age, and his current value, should the New York Mets try shopping Dickey?

Dickey is coming off the best season he may ever have so look at his value. The Mets could really cash in on this. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want a CY Young winner pitching on their team?

Dickey doesn’t have many years left as he just turned 38 in late October. The Mets are going to need at least 3 years to become real contenders again so Dickey is going to do them no good. Having Dickey on their team would be a waste as they can definitely trade him for some prospects that they can rebuild around. Read the rest of this entry

Zack Wheeler and Matt Harvey are Signs of Hope in New York

Sunday, November 4th, 2012

Sam Evans: It has been over a decade since the New York Mets ranked in the top five in the majors in Fielding Independent Pitching. Last year, the Mets had roughly league-average production from their pitching staff and it led to a 74-88 finish. With Citi Field being a pitcher’s park, the Mets are going to need a lot more from their pitching staff in order to be a successful ballclub. Luckily, New York is breeding two very talented young pitchers, both of whom could start for the Mets next season. Zack Wheeler and Matt Harvey should provide hope and confidence to the Mets and their fans.

Zack Wheeler is a twenty-two year old right-handed starting pitcher who has yet to pitch in the majors. Wheeler was drafted out of a Georgia high school in the 2009 MLB Amateur draft by the San Francisco Giants. Standing 6’4’’, Wheeler throws a fastball that can reach up to 95 MPH. His arsenal also includes a plus curveball, a changeup and a cutter. Wheeler came over from the Giants organization in the Carlos Beltran trade after one and a half years in the lower minors. In 2012, his first full season with the Mets, Wheeler split time between Double-A and Triple-A. Read the rest of this entry

NL East: Value Picks, Up-and-Coming Players and Red Flags in Fantasy Baseball

Wednesday February 29th, 2012


Peter Stein (Fantasy Baseball Analyst – MLB reports): The National League East is filled with many big name fantasy players, particularly the Philadelphia Phillies with their starting rotation and hitters like Howard, Utley, Rollins, Victorino, and Pence. However, this division is intriguing, because teams like the Braves have a plethora of up-and-coming players. Furthermore, scattered throughout the rest of the division are players who have potential to provide sneaky good value. Read the rest of this entry

My Top Six Worst MLB Teams in 2012

Sunday January 8th, 2012

Sam Evans: It’s no fun to be a fan of a losing team. Every game seems longer and it hurts to look around and see fans of the other teams loving every moment. There’s always supposed to be next year, but that kind of talk just hurts the players and coaches as much as it does the fans. Let’s look at my bottom five teams in 2012: based on the major league roster and talent in the system that could make an impact in the upcoming season.

25. Seattle Mariners: As a Mariners fan, this one hurts. It’s been eleven years since the Mariners made the playoffs. A city blessed with a beautiful new ballpark, Seattle hasn’t had much of chance to cheer on many winners in recent times.

Since he was hired in 2008, Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik has transformed the Mariners farm system into one of the best in the game. The problem is that the major league club is still struggling, and fans are losing interest. The Mariners are like New Year’s resolutions. They’re so promising at first, but after two weeks, most people just give up.

So far this offseason, the Mariners have been rumored to be actively pursuing Prince Fielder. The argument for Prince Fielder is that his contract would be worth the risk for the team given all of the fans he would draw… not to mention, the M’s need for a middle of the order slugger. However, other fans feel that Fielder is overpriced and point to the fact that if the Mariners signed Prince, they would be only the fourth team with two players making over $20M in 2012.

The Mariners do have some young promising players. Justin Smoak, a former top 10 BA prospect, will finally be healthy heading into the new year. Also, the M’s have a trio of young pitchers in the minors that are all top 100 prospects. James Paxton and Danny Hultzen could possibly see time in the rotation this year. Furthermore, last time I checked Felix Hernandez was still a Mariner, and he’s signed through 2014.

26. New York Mets: The Mets have always been second to the Yankees in New York in terms of popularity, but there’s never been this much of a difference. The Mets have been silent this offseason, except for a swap of outfielders with the Giants, and bringing in some bullpen help. The Mets do have Zack Wheeler (acquired in the Carlos Beltran trade) and Matt Harvey (2010 1st rounder) on the way, but neither will make a huge impact in ’12.

Jason Bay has struggled ever since receiving his enormous contract two years ago. In 2009, Bay hit 36 homers for the Red Sox. In 2010 and 2011, Bay had only eighteen homers. Part of the decline in numbers is the park factor that Citi Field has on hitters (which is due to change with the new park dimensions in 2012). It should be noted though that Bay hasn’t hit a home run to right field since June 28, 2010.

This year, the Mets should get Johan Santana back. I wrote about Johan in November here. If he is healthy this year, hopefully the Mets can get something out of Santana, who is due $24M in 2012.

The Mets future will be based on how they spend their money and how they control their prospects. If the Mets hadn’t pushed Jenrry Mejia, chances are he wouldn’t have gotten injured. If the Mets hadn’t signed the Jason Bay and Johan Santana contracts, then they would have had the money to go after Prince Fielder this offseason (in theory). New York has a long ways to go to compete with the other N.L. East teams, and they’re going to need to make smart long-term decisions to get there.

27. San Diego Padres: The Padres acquired Carlos Quentin and Yonder Alonso this offseason in an attempt to boost their offense. They ended up trading away Mat Latos and Anthony Rizzo, and losing Heath Bell and Aaron Harang to free agency.

Carlos Quentin is really going to struggle in Petco Park, and Alonso is going to have his share of issues developing into a power hitter with his new team. The fact is that the Padres will never have a terrible pitching staff due to the spacious Petco Park effect. But their rotation is actually as bad as it has been in some years. I also am a supporter of Will Venable, and I think the Padres would be making a mistake if they traded him.

San Diego plays in a division where it’s not impossible that they could make a nice run and make the playoffs. But I would be surprised.

28. Oakland Athletics: Led by GM Billy Beane, the Athletics have been extremely active this offseason. They’ve shipped away their best pitchers and let their best hitter leave in free agency. The A’s have had a good offseason, thanks to all the new talent that they’ve imported into their farm system.

2012 is not going to be the year of resurgence for the A’s. 2013, maybe, but right now the Angels and Rangers are just too good. The A’s strength is probably their middle infield which will feature Jemile Weeks and Cliff Pennington. If Chris Carter can show some power in the majors, then he will do just fine at DH.

With acquisitions such as Derek Norris, Jarrod Parker, and A.J. Cole, Billy Beane has shown he’s not afraid to trade his best major league players in order to obtain talent that won’t be ready for a year or two.

29. Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles were a promising team heading into 2011. The “Fighting Showalter’s” had a late run in 2010, and Buck Showalter seemed to be really getting through to the players. Unfortunately, 2011 didn’t go as expected for the Orioles. They finished 69-93 and solidified their reputation as the worst baseball team in the A.L East, if not the whole American League.

The  2011 Orioles will forever go down in baseball history not for their season, but for their last game against the Red Sox on September 28, 2011. The Orioles were down 3-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth on the last day of the season. Going into the game,  the Red Sox were 77-0 on the season when leading after the eighth inning. The Orioles came back to win, and they will forever be remembered for their contributions to one of the best days in baseball history.

2012 can be a  successful year for the Orioles if they discover an ace… and if Adam Jones improves his game to the next level. It’s not going to be easy, but if everything falls into place, Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette could lead the Orioles out of the A.L. East basement in the next coming years.

30. Houston Astros: Moving into the 2011 season, the Astros were projected by pretty much everyone in baseball to be the worst team in baseball. Well, at least they didn’t let anyone down. The Astros finished 56-106, which was the worst record in all of baseball.

I traveled to Houston this summer and I expected to find an uninterested Astros fanbase. I was surprised to see countless devoted fans who truly cared about their team. Astros fans are out there and they will start coming back to Minute Maid Park when the team starts winning.

Sorry Houston fans, but 2012 isn’t going to be much fun for you. Chances are that you will return to the basement of the N.L. Central and lose over one hundred games. Nevertheless, there is hope. Jose Altuve is turning into a nice young second basemen who can hit for average . Jordan Lyles can be a #3 starter, and Jarred Cosart could finally reach the bigs in 2012.

Another piece of the silver lining is Houston’s new General Manager Jeff Luhnow, who is involved in sabermetrics and helped build the Cardinals who won the 2011 World Series. Luhnow was in the Cardinals scouting department since 2003 and helped produce major league talent from the draft. He also has been a General Manager for Petstore.com, and has an M.B.A from Northwestern. His first move was trading for Jed Lowrie. On the surface this seems like a solid deal, whereby he attained a young talented infielder for his new organization. In my opinion, this is going to look like an amazing hire in four years time.

So even if 2012 is rough, Astros fans can start looking towards the future. It might take a couple of seasons, but it won’t be long  before the Astros are packing Minute Maid Park everyday. Ironically, the road to the respectability for the worst team in the majors won’t happen until they move to the A.L. West. With the Rangers and Angels waiting in their new division, the journey towards success for the Astros will get that much tougher in 2013.

**Today’s feature was prepared by our Baseball Writer, Sam Evans.  We highly encourage you to leave your comments and feedback at the bottom of the page and share in the discussion with our readers.  You can also follow Sam on Twitter***

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