Blog Archives

Nationals Are Banking On A Trio Of Players To Have Comeback Seasons In 2016

The Nationals have made the playoffs in 2 of the last 4 years with 2012 and 2014 being sandwiched between poor 2013 and 2015 campaigns of failed expectations. With 2 .300 hitters fleeing the club this past winter, coupled with the loss of Ian Desmond to Free Agency, this club needs Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth and Anthony Rendon healthy and on the field in 2016. If they struggle in production or health, the efforts of reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper will not matter.

The Nationals have made the playoffs in 2 of the last 4 years with 2012 and 2014 being sandwiched between poor 2013 and 2015 campaigns of failed expectations. With 2 .300 hitters fleeing the club this past winter, coupled with the loss of Ian Desmond to Free Agency, this club needs Ryan Zimmerman, Jayson Werth and Anthony Rendon healthy and on the field in 2016. If they struggle in production or health, the efforts of reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper will not matter.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) 

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Bryce Harper fashioned one of the greatest years we have ever seen by a 22 year old, and the Washington Nationals still only finished with a 83 – 79 record – and plenty of victories behind the NL Playoff Bar.

Harper took home the MVP efforts, and has to be wondering if his supporting cast has his back for the 2016 campaign – if he can make it safely to base at least 300 times again like he did in 2015.

Perhaps the biggest factor Washington struggled down the stretch was injury.  Ryan Zimmerman couldn’t stay on the field – despite racking up a productive 74 RBI on 346 PA.

Denard Span missed 101 games, which is definitely too bad considering the squad was 36 – 25 in games he was featured in.

Jayson Werth never got on track after injuries plagued him early and often – and had his worst year in a decade – after finishing with top 18 votes for MVP in the previous two seasons.

2014 stalwart Anthony Rendon only mustered a half a season of injury riddled play at a .707 OPS after putting forth a Silver Slugger campaign – with a top 5 MVP vote the previous year.

Ian Desmond also had added a horrible 1st half of the year, before he corrected his problems at the plate, and stopped booting the ball around in the second half. Read the rest of this entry

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 25, 2015

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Robert Gauthier – Los Angeles Times

 

Mark McGwire is joining the Padres coaching staff, which is good for helping us get past the steroid era. But I have a radical suggestion for a new coach in California.

It is not a day to talk about the past episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

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How To Fix The Nats For 2016: Washington Nationals State Of The Union

In 2012, the Nationals won the NL East and then followed up with a disappointing 2013 year. The same pattern happened in 2014 and 2015. The Nats window is closing as the club only has one more of team control on Stephen Strasburg - and the total salary for the club escalates with Bryce Harper being Arbitration Eligible starting next year. The team has solid Starting Pitching and a lineup that is coming back for the most part. A key acquisition for both the offense and defense may suffice.

In 2012, the Nationals won the NL East and then followed up with a disappointing 2013 year. The same pattern happened in 2014 and 2015. The Nats window is closing as the club only has one more of team control on Stephen Strasburg – and the total salary for the club escalates with Bryce Harper being Arbitration Eligible starting next year. The team has solid Starting Pitching and a lineup that is coming back for the most part. A key acquisition for both the offense and defense may suffice.

Chuck Booth (Owner/Lead Analyst)

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So having been back from my 224 MLB Game all year trip in 2015 – I was happy to have put in such a great season of witnessing games.  My real disappointment was the Nationals not making the playoffs in 2015.

I am guilty as charged for having a National League favorite team in Washington, and also be a Yankees fan for the American League.

I am a Nats fan because they used to be the Montreal Expos before 2005.  It was a tough negotiation to have been a fan when they moved to D.C., but I followed the team. I saw some bad baseball via MLB.TV for about 6 or 7 years. Read the rest of this entry

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – October 5, 2015

 Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

 

The season is over, always a sad day for your pal Sully. Plus thoughts on Matt Williams and CC Sabathia.

That and the final WOB totals on  Episode 1,078 of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Cole Hamels, Chris Davis, Shelby Miller, A. J. Pollock. Rick Porcello, Jose Altuve, Tanner Roark and Dee Gordon  all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball

Joey Votto, Clayton Kershaw, Mike Trout and Dallas Keuchel won the final tally for Who Owns Baseball.
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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – September 28, 2015

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Well, the Nationals are at least going to make the ending of their season interesting!

Papelbon chokes Harper. Papelbon goes out and pitches and gets bombed. And a clubhouse has gone from bad to worse.

Manager Matt Williams has to go… like right now! Before you finish reading this sentence.

I recorded Episode 1,071 of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast in the bathtub. No really.

 

Jake Arrieta, Dallas Keuchel, Ender Inciarte, Byron Buxton, John Lackey, Hisashi Iwakuma, Matt den Dekker and Mikie Mahtook all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball
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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – August 30, 2015

It is time for the SUNDAY REQUEST

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A thought provoking request, if for no other reason than it took me forever to figure out how to even make this evaluation!

It is a “Who is to blame here?” episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Edwin Encarnacion, Luis Severino, Joey Votto, Lance Lynn, Brian Dozier, Garrett Richards, Jacob deGrom and Scooter Gennett all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball
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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – August 10, 2015

Greg Fiume/Getty Images North America

Greg Fiume/Getty Images North America

The idea of the Dodgers and the Nationals missing the post season was inconceivable this April, but possible.

It is a “To Hell with Predictions” episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Jackie Bradley Jr, Francisco Cervelli, Corey Kluber, Jake Arrieta, Ryan Zimmerman, Colby Rasmus and Masahiro Tanaka  all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball



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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – October 31, 2014

MYERSHOUSE

It is October 31, and there can be no scarier costume to wear in Kansas City than Madison Bumgarner.

His post season was remarkable of course. Emotionally, it also mirrored what Bob Gibson did in 1968.

Recorded in front of the house from Halloween, it is the Halloween episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

 

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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – October 8, 2014

"Photo:

The Cardinals and the Giants cement their reputations as the teams of the decade.

One reason they both made it this far was some questionable bullpen management from the opposing manager.

It is a dynasty episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

 

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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 21, 2014

David Manning-USA TODAY Sports

David Manning-USA TODAY Sports


Unwritten rules, managerial decisions and not trying to score runs.

A lot of stuff is getting me worked up today!

That and more on today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast..

Rick Porcello, Josh Donaldson, Ryan Howard, Homer Bailey, Troy Tulowitzki, Adam Jones and Gerrit Cole  all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball.

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Which Manager’s Seat Is The Hottest In The MLB – 2014?

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): 

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There are many expectations in 2014 for a lot of the MLB clubs. 

Realistically, only the Houston Astros and the Minnesota Twins could be ousted from playoff contention before we even play in the American League.

The National League has several more teams with improbable chances to post a postseason berth in 2014.

The Mets, Marlins, Twins, Cubs and Padres are the longest shots on the board to nail down play in October as well.

Out of those teams, Chicago just hired Rich Renteria, and the other 5 teams would likely let the year play itself out before thinking of a skipper’s switch.

With those teams listed, I highly doubt the current bench bosses will remain in position by the time the clubs become good. Read the rest of this entry

Passing The Torch From Greatest MLB Player To Player During The Years 1979 – 2013: From Brett To Cabrera

Cabrera has had back to back AL MVP seasons in 2012 and 2013.  He has also won 3 straight AL Batting Titles.  Cabrera is the best player offensively in the universe.  He has put up 10 straight 100+ RBI campaigns, but he has racked in 276 RBI, and also 88 HRs.  The 11 Year Veterans totals would have even been higher in 2013, but he fought a torn groin for the last half of the year.

Cabrera has had back to back AL MVP seasons in 2012 and 2013. He has also won 3 straight AL Batting Titles. Cabrera is the best player offensively in the universe. He has put up 10 straight 100+ RBI campaigns, but he has racked in 276 RBI, and also 88 HRs – while featuring an OPS well north of 1.000. The 11 Year Veterans totals would have even been higher in 2013, but he fought a torn groin for the last half of the year.  The 8 time ALL – Star and 5 time Silver Slugger Award Winner has improved even greater on his totals over the last decade.  Cabrera has a Career 3 Slash Line of .321/.399/.967 – with 365 HRs and 1260 RBI in just 1660 Games Played.

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

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While watching Miguel Cabrera this year, I started thinking about the best players in the MLB over the last 33 years.  I am talking the best player of the game at any point of time. 

I tracked back to 1979 for this article.  I may expand further back in follow-up articles.  I didn’t rank defense as  highly as offense when I came up with the players. 

I agonized over players like Mike SchmidtJim Rice, Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken for some of the years given in specific time frames.  These gentlemen were given every consideration. 

In the end, we are talking about the best player in the game though and it is always subject to debate and personal opinion. 

The criteria had to involve leading the league in several different offensive and/or defensive categories, followed by routinely being in the top 7 in MVP balloting (if not taking home the honor), All-Star Appearances for every year I listed them for and most of them won silver sluggers and/or Gold Gloves as well.

Cabrera’s 3 HR Game – 2013

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The Nate McLouth Signing Demonstrates A Lesson Learned For Washington About Bench Players

The Nationals failed to meet expectations as the Preseason favorites to lock down the World Series in 2013.  Heck, they didn't even qualify for the playoffs.  Whether it was injury, or complacency, the talent of this team didn't maximize their potential this year.  However, the club did go 24 - 12 in their last 36 Games Played, and made a late charge at the 2nd Wild Card Spot.  Most of the nucleus is coming back for the 2014 year.

The Nationals failed to meet expectations as the Preseason favorites to lock down the World Series in 2013. Heck, they didn’t even qualify for the playoffs. Whether it was injury, or complacency, the talent of this team didn’t maximize their potential this year. However, the club did go 24 – 12 in their last 36 Games Played, and made a late charge at the 2nd Wild Card Spot. Most of the nucleus is coming back for the 2014 year.  But a most underrated facet of an NL club sometimes is their bench.  Washington hopes to have a better bunch of pine riders in 2014 – than they did in 2013.

By David Huzzard (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): 

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When the Nats built a bench on the cheap in 2012 it worked.

Steve Lombardozzi, Roger Bernadina, Chad Tracy, and Tyler Moore all had outstanding seasons, and the four of them combined cost less than half of what the Nationals will be paying Nate McLouth in 2014, but when they tried to do the same thing in 2013 it was a disaster.

The only back-up outfielder to have a higher than .700 OPS was Corey Brown and that was in 15 plate appearances. Hardly enough of a sample size to be trusted.

Nate McLouth gives the Nationals bench something it severely lacked in 2013, a reliable veteran. McLouth’s numbers aren’t great.

Nate McLouth Highlights in 2012 – Mature Lyrics So parental guidance is advised

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Six Minor Leaguers Who Could Make An Impact In 2014 For The Nationals

Matt Williams will be announced as the teams new skipper upon the World Series finishing.  The City of Washington will hope that Williams can press the right buttons at the helm of this ship.

Matt Williams will be announced as the teams new skipper upon the World Series finishing. The City of Washington will hope that Williams can press the right buttons at the helm of this ship.  Included in his responsibilities,putting the right young players of the organization in a chance to succeed.

By Sean Hogan (Nationals Correspondent via Citizens of Natstown.com – view website here): 

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Much will be written this offseason about who the Nats should sign, trade for and hire. I’m not one to beat a dead horse, so I decided to look for an angle.

Since the minor leagues are what I know and love, I’ve compiled a list of players in the Nats organization who are not on the 40-man roster who I could see adding value to the 2014 Nationals.

I’ve also decided against including top prospects like Brian Goodwin or A.J. Cole, as both would be obvious picks.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks Players In All Organizational Affiliates, Prospects, Depth Charts, (MLB + MiLB) Fall 2013

The Arizona Diamondbacks didn't have the type of year in 2013 that they had wished for, however the future looks really strong.  Aided by a slugging 1st Baseman (Paul Goldschmidt), and great young Staring Pitching like Wade Miley and Patrick Corbin, added with Veterans Miguel Montero, Martin Prado and Aaron Hill, with prospects A.J. Pollock and Adam Eaton being the future core, this team should see some heavy duty improvement from year to year.

The Arizona Diamondbacks didn’t have the type of year in 2013 that they had wished for, however the future looks really strong. Aided by a slugging 1st Baseman (Paul Goldschmidt), and great young Staring Pitching like Wade Miley and Patrick Corbin, added with Veterans Miguel Montero, Martin Prado and Aaron Hill, with prospects A.J. Pollock and Adam Eaton being the future core, this team should see some heavy duty improvement from year to year.

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

The Arizona Diamondbacks are one of the better run franchises in the MLB  In fact, they are in a constant battle with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, for the best record ALL – Time for an expansion team.

The club has made the playoffs in 5 of its 15 years existence.  While they won’t make the Post Season in 2013, they have been competitive for yet another campaign.

One of the best things they could have done was to lock down Paul Goldschmidt to a a lengthy (team friendly contract, that will see the big First Baseman be the pillar behind the offense for the next several seasons.

Kevin Towers and his scouting staff are always on top of the mark for player development, and it will probably result in the team having a chance every year in both the NL West Race and for a Wild Card Birth.

For a Full 3 year Salary Outlook plus last years Stats for every player in the D-Backs Organization click here.

Paul Goldschmidt  Highlights 2013

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The Arizona Diamondbacks Best Hitters (1998 – 2013): Part 2 Of A 3 Part Series

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Friday July.26th/2013

The Arizona Diamondbacks are only 6 games behind .500 for the franchises existence, and are just fraction percentages away from the LA Angels for the best record all time by an expansion franchise.  They have a solid crop of young players that could end up on this list a  few years down the road.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are only 6 games behind .500 for the franchises existence, and are just fraction percentages away from the LA Angels for the best record all time by an expansion franchise. They have a solid crop of young players that could end up on this list a few years down the road.  Chase Field has seen some great offensive seasons from its players.  Whether it was Luis Gonzalez blasting 57 HRs in 2012 (3rd  ALL Time Single Season Best for an NL LHB, behind Barry Bonds 73 – 2001 and Ryan Howard’s 58 in 2006), or Mark Reynolds cracking 44 Round Trippers, while Striking out 223 times for a MLB Record in 2009, it hasn’t been dull in the desert for the clubs offense.

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

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been one of the better franchises in the last 15 years, despite being one of the newest teams.

Unlike their expansion cousins the Tampa Bay Rays, that went through 9 years, before reeling off 5 straight winning seasons, the DBacks won the World Series in just their 4th year of existence.

The team has been able to make 5 playoff years in their 14 years.  This year, they are right in the thick of the race, so they could possibly add a 6th Post Season Birth to their resume.

The team has lacked a lot of long – term hitters for the club, however they have had their share of big seasons.

From “Gonzo” to “Goldy”, we will honor all of these guys in this post.

For Part 3 Of the 3 Part Series: The Franchise Pitchers – click here

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Triple Play Podcast Ep # 13 – Around The Horn w/OAK/KC/COL/TOR + Bean Wars + The Genius Beane

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Monday, June.17, 2013

The Triple Play Show will have 5 shows per month.  Each show will be about 1 hour

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)

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.

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An Interview With Chase Field Expert Paula Vaughnn

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Wednesday Mar.6th,  2013

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

I have been communicating with Paula Vaughnn since December of 2011 on www.ballparkchasers.com. She was kind of enough to purchase my book “The Fastest 30 Ball Games.”  When I first set out my Guinness World Schedule Streak last year, I was only supposed to use Chase Field on Opening Day (April.6/2012) as an emergency game.  Well, the game turned into needing me to crack back the clock and make it Game #1 out of my 30 MLB Park Quest.  One of the disappointments was that I was not going to meet Paula in Phoenix for a game later in the month of April. 

There are few women around that rival Paula’s fandom in the game.  I recently had a chance to ask Paula about her impending trip to all 30 MLB Parks, life in Phoenix Arizona and most importantly about Chase Field.

‘Chase Field’ 2011 ASG Highlights – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is advised:

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Matt Williams: The Next Great MLB Manager

Sunday October 28th, 2012

Jonathan Hacohen: This past spring, I had the chance to converse on the telephone with one of the greatest players of my generation. Middle-of-the-order power bat, combined with gold glove defense. Matt Williams is everything a manager could want in a baseball player. He showed up every day and played the game hard. Ran out every ground ball. Dove for every ball at third base. Consistently got his jersey dirty. Never complained to the media or spoke poorly about management or a teammate. Matt Williams was the ultimate professional, on and off the field. And now here he was, on the other end of the line conversing with me. It will be a baseball talk that I will never forget. Matt Williams has that strong of a presence. 

I actually grew up a Giants fan, with the highlight of my baseball life being the 1989 Giants playoff run. But once Matt Williams and Will Clark left the Bay area, I was so devastated that I decided to never forgive the Giants. But I continued to follow the players that I idolized, through the rest of their playing days and into the next phases of their respective careers. Once Comerica Park opened, I grew to adopt the Tigers as my main team. The proximity to Detroit  from my hometown made the Tigers a natural fit for me. But I was always a baseball fan first and foremost. If I respected a player, I followed them regardless of the team(s) they played for. Studying the history of the Tigers, I started to think about some of their former players. Kirk Gibson and Alan Trammell came to mind. Both were hard-nosed players who went on to manage in the big leagues. Gibson was a coach under Trammell in Detroit. Now Trammell is the bench coach in Arizona under Kirk Gibson. The team enjoyed an incredible run in 2011 and are still seen as a team on the rise. Ironically enough, Gibson’s third base coach? Matt Williams, of course. Read the rest of this entry

Passing of the Torch as The Greatest Player in The MLB: From Pujols to Hamilton

Wednesday June.6, 2012

Josh Hamilton is on pace for 64 HRs and 177 RBI in 2012 with a .345 AVG. He has taken over as the best player in MLB from Albert Pujols -Photo Courtesy of http://www.real-fans.com

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- While watching Josh Hamilton this year, I started thinking about the best players in the MLB over the last 33 years.  I am talking the best player of the game at any point of time.  I tracked back to 1979 for this article.  I may expand further back in follow up articles.  I did rank defense highly when I came up with the players.  I did agonize over Mike Schmidt,  Jim Rice, Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken for some of the years given in specific time frames.  These gentlemen were given every consideration.  In the end, we are talking about the best player in the game though and it is always subject to debate and personal opinion.  The criteria had to involve leading the league in several different offensive and/or defensive categories, followed by routinely being in the top 7 in MVP balloting(if not taking home the honor), All-Star Appearances for every year I listed them for and most of them won silver sluggers and/or Gold Gloves as well.

George Brett won batting titles in 3 different decades and flirted with .400 in 1980 while hitting .390 for the year. -Photo courtesy of lanius.wordpress.com

George Brett 1979-1983-George Brett was the best hitter in the game from 1979-1983.  He hit for a .320 average and slugged his way to having the Royals as perennial contenders.  He led the league in triples (20) and hits in 1979.  In 1980, he hit .390 with a .454 OBP, 664 SLG and a 1.118 OBP which led the league.  In 1983, Brett led the league in slugging an OPS once again.  Brett won the MVP in 1980 and was the runner-up in 1979.  In 1985, George Brett would lead the Royals to a World Series.  He later won a batting title at age 37 with a .329 average.  This was the toughest time frame to judge from 1979-1983.  Mike Schmidt was an incredible force at third base with huge power and Jim Rice also put up mammoth numbers, but in the end I chose  George Brett because he was more consistent out of 3. Read the rest of this entry

An Interview with ‘Rogers Center Expert’ and “MLB reports Founder” Jonathan Hacohen

Monday April 16th, 2012

Follow Chuck Booth’s streak all the through to the bitter end.  Schedule is this link:

https://mlbreports.com/gwr-tracker/ or at his official website for all updates!

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and- @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)– For once the shoe is on the other foot.  I asked the MLB Reports Founder and ‘Lead Columnist’ Jonathan Hacohen if I could interview him 5 months after he interviewed me.  Jonathan and I came into talking by both talking to the  MLB FanCave guys at the same time on twitter last June.  Jonathan was really interested in My baseball book “The Fastest Thirty Ballgames” and I sent him a copy of it if he agreed to do a review.  Jonathan finished the book and gave one of the most incredible reviews for my book that I have ever seen for any baseball book anywhere.  Somewhere I had given up all of my creative writing energy in the process while writing this said book.  Jonathan followed up with an interview later.  During the World Series, he offered up a chance to do a guest article since I knew a lot about the ballparks in Texas and St. Louis.  Now I am sure it was all part of his master plan: the one guest article turned into a once a week article, before I even realized it myself, I was writing 2 articles a week and craving more!  I messaged Jonathan about a potential run at the record to see all 30 MLB Parks before anyone on this planet.  The reason is the man loves baseball.  He was just as fired up as I was!  From there we have worked together as a team to provide a different kind of article series that has ever been seen by a baseball writer and website.  I am happy to finally meet Jonathan today live in person for the Jays game during this record chase.  Before we write about that, I had a chance to talk the man about baseball life, the MLB Reports and the Rogers Center.  Here is what we discussed… Read the rest of this entry

Erika Monroe Williams Interview: Conquering the Baseball and Entertainment World- My Way!

Sunday March 25th, 2012


MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen:
We are excited to present our featured guest today on MLB reports, the one and only: Erika Monroe Williams. Erika has been involved in entertainment, news and baseball in many capacities over her brilliant career. From a news anchor in Texas and Phoenix, to working in public relations and then a pre-game host on Diamondbacks’ broadcasts. She even recently completed a stint on the VH1 reality show, Baseball Wives! Erika also forms half of what I call the “Baseball Power Couple”. You may know her husband- All-Star Third Baseman, multiple Gold Glove and Silver Slugger recipient and World Series champion, Matt Williams. The Williams couple actually hosted for a period the Diamondbacks pre-game show together (awwww…), before Matt went back onto the field to become a Diamondbacks coach. Matt is currently serving as the Third Base Coach on Kirk Gibson’s staff, as well as being a minority owner of the Diamondbacks. To say that Erika and Matt have strong Diamondbacks ties would be an understatement.

Matt and Erika currently reside in Arizona, raising their children. With hectic work schedules, they are truly living the modern-day baseball life! I had the chance to speak with both Erika and Matt recently. Today’s feature is my conversation with Erika Monroe Williams, with the Matt Williams interview coming up in part two of this two-part feature. In part one, Erika opens up about all the facets of her fascinating life. From meeting Matt and getting married, to working as a news anchor and in public relations, to what it is like to working and preparing as a host of the Diamondbacks pre-game programs. Did I mention that she also appeared on the VH1 show Baseball Wives? 😉 For those of you that followed the program, Erika actually quit the show. Today, we find out why. Erika though hasn’t given up on television…far from it. As Matt expressed to me during our interview: Erika is full of life and has a charismatic personality that is perfectly suited for entertainment. She is smart, funny, hard-working and extremely motivated. As she prepares for her next projects (Erika currently has a cooking show in the works), there is no doubt that the sky is the limit for Erika Monroe Williams! She is just getting started. 

You know the name. Now get to know the lady. Today on MLB reports, our exclusive interview with Erika Monroe Williams:

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Chad Moeller Interview: From MLB Catcher to Coaching- Living the Baseball Dream

Saturday March 10th, 2012

MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen: Today’s featured guest on MLB reports needs no introduction. But he is still getting one anyways! Chad Moeller was a catcher for seven teams over eleven MLB seasons. The man won a World Series and hit for the cycle. Few players can say that. To say that Chad has lived the dream would be an understatement.

Here is a rundown of Chad’s baseball bio:

Chad Moeller Bio

Born: Upland, California

College: University of Southern California – Majored in Economics
1st Team All Pac Ten in 1996.
College World Series 1995

Professional:
Drafted and Signed with the Minnesota Twins in 96 (7th Round)
Major League Debut in 2000 (Twins)
Arizona Diamondbacks 2001-03
Milwaukee Brewers 2004-2006
Cincinnati Reds 2007
Los Angeles Dodgers 2007
New York Yankees in 2008
Baltimore Orioles in 2009
New York Yankees in 2010

Individual Accomplishments:
Caught in over 500 major league games
Hit for the Cycle in 2004
Catcher for Randy Johnson 2002-2003
Caught Randy Johnson’s 16 strike out game
Caught Ben Sheets’ 18 strike out game
Played in the Big Leagues for 11 seasons
Played professional baseball for 16 seasons
Member of 2001 AZ Diamondbacks World Series Team

Resides: Scottsdale, Arizona since 2001

(courtesy of Chad Moeller Baseball, via chadmoellerbaseball.com) Read the rest of this entry

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