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Fernando Martinez Joins The Redhawks: Reid Ryan Joins The Houston Astros As President

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Saturday May 18, 2013

Fernando Martinez clubbed a 2 Run HR in 1st game back with the Houston Astros this year.  Unfortunately, he took a monster dive in Averages right after his ensuing opener.  The 24 Year Old Man from the Dominican Republic, hit for a 3 Slash Line of .181/.229/.501 - after posting a .237/.300/.766 during his 2012 campaign with the big club - spanning 118 AB (6 HRs and 14 RBI).  Martinez went unclaimed and will report to

Fernando Martinez clubbed a 2 Run HR in 1st game back with the Houston Astros this year. Unfortunately, he took a monster dive in Averages right after his ensuing opener. The 24 Year Old Man from the Dominican Republic, hit for a 3 Slash Line of .181/.229/.501 – after posting a .237/.300/.766 during his 2012 campaign with the big club – spanning 118 AB (6 HRs and 14 RBI). Martinez went unclaimed this week, after being placed on waivers – and will report to Oklahoma.

By Brian Hamilton (Astros Correspondent visit the StrosBros Website here):

Week That Was For The Stros:

Fernando Martinez, whom the Astros acquired off waivers from the New York Mets in January 2012, will be joining the AAA Oklahoma City RedHawks.

He was designated for assignment by the Astros last week. Martinez did not have any options remaining, meaning that he would have to clear waivers and be placed on an MLB teams active roster in order for the Astros to lose him.

He went unclaimed and has been assigned to AAA.

Fernando Martinez 2 Run HR April.23

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May.17) – Updated Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

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Paul Goldschmidt went 4-5 with two homers and four RBI as the Diamondbacks clobbered the Marlins 9-2.

Matt Harvey pitched into the 8th inning and drove in the go ahead run himself as the Mets beat the Cubs 3-2.

Jason Kipnis went 2-4 and hit a walk off 10th inning homer as Cleveland topped Seattle, 6-3.

And Chris Sale pitched 7 2/3 shutout innings in Anaheim, striking out 12, as the White Sox blanked the Angels 3-0.

They all owned baseball on May 17th, 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.

To View The List of just the nightly winners (WOB dedicated Page) starting from Mar.31/2013 – today click here Read the rest of this entry

Greinke Return Can Turn The Dodgers Season Around

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Friday May.17/2013

Zack Greinke hits an RBI single in his first at-bat since his return from the DL. Greinke earn a quality start against the Nationals 5.1 innings and only allowed 1 ER with 4 SOs.

Zack Greinke hits an RBI single in his first at-bat since his return from the DL. Greinke earn a quality start against the Nationals 5.1 innings and only allowed 1 ER with 4 SOs.

 By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent for MLB Reports)

I think it’s pretty safe to say that the Dodgers haven’t had a very mary month of May and with halfway through the month, they are 4-9. This includes an eight-game losing streak that went from May 1st to May 10th.

During that losing streak, the Dodgers committed a Dodger sin by being swept against their Rivals the San Francisco Giants at AT and T Park.

Usually when this happens to a team with a lot of talent, fans begin pointing fingers and try to figure out what the issue is. Either that or begin giving up on the team’s season right away.

Fingers have been pointed at many different things-from Dodgers’ skipper Don Mattingly to the injuries themselves.  The biggest blow for the Dodgers was the injury that made their expensive new pitcher Zack Greinke miss several starts.

ESPN analysts Manny Acta and Alex Cora analyse Zack Greinke’s comeback

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2 And A Hook Podcast Ep #5: What about WAR? + The Good, The Bad + Downright Underachieving Teams in 2013

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Friday, May.17/2013

MLB reports and The Benchwarmers Show present 2 and A Hook Podcast

MLB reports and The Benchwarmers Show present 2 and A Hook Podcast.

People in this Podcast:

Chuck Booth – (`15 Minutes In – 15 Minute Segment) Guest (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

By James Acevedo – Host (Podcast Veteran) 

‘2 And A Hook’ is an expression from Baseball:  ‘Throw the guy 2 Fast balls and then a Hook’ (AKA Curve Ball, Wiggly one, Chair etc..)

On today’s show, brought to you by MLB Reports (www.mlbreports.com) & yours truly  ‘The Bench Warmers Show’, Chuck Booth does his regular segment this time about what’s been going on the MLB Reports website & talking about what to do with the DH position with Adam Dunn, Steve Pearce & Nolan Reimold In the AL.

Plus the Baltimore franchise signing and pitching Freddy Garcia & why the Orioles should have added veteran pitching depth before the season started

Why Raul Ibanez being an underrated player & the horrible starts of their seasons by David Price & Rickie Weeks!

Also I talk to Diamondbacks correspondent for MLB Reports & for Rant Sports (www.rantsports.com)  Chris Lacey 45 Minutes In (10 Minute Segment)  –  as we talk about whats going on with the team.

We also see the return of Yankees correspondent & trade correspondent for MLB Reports Nicholas Rossoletti (1 Hour In – 45 minute Segment)  as we talk about the importance of the WAR stat, sabermetrics, lack of trading & why buying free agents isn’t working for the Angels, Dodgers & Blue Jays!

I also do my stats & notes segment as usual for you baseball nuts out there so go check out the show & SPREAD THE WORD!!! Thanks for all of your continuous support!!!

CLICK THE READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON or scroll down to listen to the episode Read the rest of this entry

Rick Ankiel Has Another Shot To Stay In The MLB: The New York Mets Claimed Him

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Tuesday May.14/2013

Rick Ankiel had a dubious beginning as a Met last night, misreading a baseball and having it bounce in and out of his borrowed glove (Jon Nieses's) hit by Ty Wigginton that led to 3 runs. Ankiel went 0 - 3 with a walk in St. Louis.  Despite the poor game, I like the move and it should enable Ankiel to be a starting Outfielder for a stretch.  If he can hit, he may be a good late season defensive acquisition/Pinch Hitter for a contending ball club

Rick Ankiel had a dubious beginning as a Met last night, misreading a baseball and having it bounce in and out of his borrowed glove (Jon Nieses’s) hit by Ty Wigginton that led to 3 runs. Ankiel went 0 – 3 with a walk in St. Louis. Despite the poor game, I like the move and it should enable Ankiel to be a starting Outfielder for a stretch. If he can hit, he may be a good late season defensive acquisition/Pinch Hitter for a contending ball club.  Rick Ankiel hit for a 3 Slash Line of .194/.231/.715 with the Astros this year prior to being Designated For Assignment on May 5th.  The former Astro did have 5 HRs and 11 RBI in just 62 AB.

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

There are certain players in the MLB that you cheer for more than others.  For me, Rick Ankiel exemplifies this.

I always check for his stats in the boxscores early into my perusal of any baseball website.

His story is one of inspiration and dedication to the game of baseball.

I was disappointed when he was released by the Houston Astros – but completely understood why the change had to occur,

The Mets have the weakest Outfield in the Major Leagues and are actually one of the teams I suggested for Ankiel as a landing spot in my post 2012 year write-ups.

It is obvious that the Wilpon’s continue to look for cheap alternative options to patrol their grass.

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MLB Team Power Rankings: Week 6

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Monday May.13/2013

The Rangers have opened up a 6 game lead over the Athetics - prior to their series with Oakland that kicks off tonight.  They have also only played 15 Home Games - as opposed to 22 Road Games.  Steady veteran hitting - and great Pitching all around has paved the way.  They are the only team in the Division over .500

The Rangers have opened up a 6 game lead over the Athletics – prior to their series with Oakland that kicks off tonight. They have also only played 15 Home Games – as opposed to 22 Road Games. Steady veteran hitting – and great Pitching all around has paved the way. They are the only team in the Division over .500

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

The Rangers are #1 again based on the Division lead they currently possess, plus the fact they play all of these teams a total of 76 Games this year.

St. Louis Cardinals have one hell of a pitching staff – and it is downright scary for the rest of the National League that they have played this well without the offense really clicking.

The Giants continue to streak.  I like their offensive makeup – because players like Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval, Marco Scutaro and Hunter Pence all tend to be streaky.

The Boston Red Sox have begun to slow down recently.

The Tampa Bay Rays seem ready to make their charge.

Josh Hamilton and his 1 AB back in Arlington:

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Triple Play Podcast Ep #8 – Bucs And Nats Time In The Around The Horn Feature

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Monday, May  13th, 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 – MLB Reports Nationals Correspondent David Huzzard of Citizensofnatstown.com ( and MLB Reports Pirates Correspondent Brad Cuprik

On a Mother’s day edition of the triple play podcast we heed the advice of our mother’s and turn the lemon of our original guest being unable to join us into the lemonade of Bard Cuprik of mlbreports.com  (Check out his latest Roster Tree piece – where he goes through the 6 degrees of separation of a how each pitcher arrived in a Bucs uniform here ) – and David Huzzard of the Citizens of Natstown podcast (and Writer) dissects the pitching and the Nationals start to the 2013 Season. Read the rest of this entry

The Astros Feel Pressure From Disappointments: But Are Doing The Rebuild Right!

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Saturday, May 11th,2013

If all goes well with the team this year, the Astros could improve on their 2012 year.  If all else fails, Houston might challenge the ALL-Time Loss Record.  Whatever happens, any Veteran Player with a heartbeat will be on the trading block by June.  The Astros will continue to dissolve any of their assets (with expiring contracts) onto other teams in order to pick off some more prospects.  The Astros will also Draft 1st overall at the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft.  Whether you agree with them or not, they are going about their rebuild the right way.

If all goes well with the team this year, the Astros could improve on their 2012 year end record. If all else fails, Houston might challenge the ALL-Time Loss Record. Whatever happens, any Veteran Player with a heartbeat will be on the trading block by June. The Astros will continue to dissolve any of their assets (with expiring contracts) onto other teams in order to pick off some more prospects. The Astros will also Draft 1st overall at the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft. Whether you agree with them or not, they are going about their rebuild the right way.

By Richard Perez (Astros Correspondent visit the StrosBros Website here):

It seems that the only thing that you hear about the Astros in 2013 is that they are bad, really really really bad. Most of what you hear about the Astros is how they are bad enough to out do the 1962 expansion New York Mets’ worst record in the modern baseball era.

Most recently, Buster Olney (whom I revere and respect) on the Baseball Tonight podcast simply trashing the Astros, saying that they were “non-competitive” in their most recent sweep at the hands of the Detroit Tigers, the defending American League champion Detroit Tigers. 

Olney went on to talk about exactly how bad this team is, listing every possible statistic the Astros are on pace to set a new season worst record for, and summarized how they simply had their butts handed to them on a silver platter by the best team in the American League.

Opening Night PH 3 RUN HR by  Rick Ankiel

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Who’s On Third? White Sox Edition.

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Friday May 10th, 2013

When Gordon Beckham broke a bone in his hand and required surgery, many White Sox fans weren't overly concerned. After all, Beckham's offensive struggles have been well documented throughout his young career. Simply move Jeff Keppinger to second base, and then.... Wait. Who's going to take Keppinger's place at third?

When Gordon Beckham broke a bone in his hand and required surgery, many White Sox fans weren’t overly concerned. After all, Beckham’s offensive struggles have been well documented throughout his young career. Simply move Jeff Keppinger to Second base, and then…. Wait. Who’s going to take Keppinger’s place at third?

By Brian Madsen (White Sox Correspondent): 

Who’s on Third Base for the White Sox you ask…Connor Gillaspie. Who? Connor Gillaspie. The same new guy that’s hitting .291, the highest current batting average for any White Sox player with more than 80 AB.

The same  that hit CLEAN-UP in the Sox lineup in Wednesday night’s inter-league game against the Mets. The man from Omaha, Nebraska has been a revelation, so far. He’s played solid defensively, and swung a pretty hot bat.

As I mentioned above, he hit cleanup for the Sox on Wednesday, and went 2 for 4, with 2 RBI.

Connor Gillaspie’s Diving Catch:

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A Night With Mookie Wilson Part 2: The Interview

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Thursday, May 9th, 2013

By Jordan Hennessey (Blue Jays Correspondent) 

One night with Mookie Wilson Part 2: The Interview

“Personality outweighed talent, you are most successful on the field when you have a group of men who are willing to make sacrifices for the betterment of the team. He thought the 1988 team might have been better, but the 1986 team “got the most out of each other” – Mookie Wilson.

To Read About A Night with Mookie Wilson Part 1 – click here

Click past the READ THE REST OF THE ENTRY ICON TO KEEP READING + Listen to the Audio Interview:

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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May 7th) + Updated Yearly WOB Standings

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Matt Harvey may not have pitched a perfect game, or a no hitter, or even get credit for the Mets 1-0 win over the White Sox. But any pitcher who throws 9 innings, no runs, no walks, 1 hit and 12 strikeouts is going to be honored here.

Shin-Soo Choo hit a pair of home runs including the walk off shot with 2 outs in the 9th as the Reds stunned the Braves, 5-4

Scott Diamond threw his fourth straight good start. He pitched 7 shutout innings against the Red Sox, surrendering only 3 hits and no walks as the Twins won 6-1.

Matt Wieters drove in 3 of Baltimore’s 4 runs including the 8th inning go ahead tally as the Orioles squeaked by the Royals, 4-3.

They all owned baseball on May 07, 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.

To View The List of just the nightly winners (WOB dedicated Page) starting from Mar.31/2013 – click here Read the rest of this entry

MLB Top Teams 1 – 30 + (Best 200 Stats of 2013)

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Monday May.06/2013

Matt Harvey with his stellar outings so far this season may have just become the New York Mets "ace". Harvey is now 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA. Harvey has pitched 40.1 innings - only given up 21 hits, 12 Walks for a League Leading WHIP of .0818  For his awesome 5 weeks we name him the MLB Reports NL Pitcher Of The Month

Matt Harvey with his stellar outings so far this season – may have just become the New York Mets “ace”. Harvey is now 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA. Harvey has pitched 40.1 innings – only given up 21 hits, 12 Walks for a League Leading WHIP of .0818. For his awesome 5 weeks – we name him the MLB Reports NL Pitcher Of The Month

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

Stats all Prior to May.06th games. 

The time has come for the 1sy May Power Rankings.  There will be one each for May, June, July, August, September – and then a special playoff edition Power Rankings will be done in October.

I will not do a weekly Power Rankings during this weeks, because in essence, these are the weekly rankings done on a much larger scale.

These Reports are done with a heavy thought to how the teams project by the end of the season – along with how the clubs have fared so far.

I will point out who has had great months for the all 30 MLB Teams.  I reward the good performances in these rankings – and leave the poor ones for the Podcasts or future articles. CLICK THE READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON

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MLB Monthly Power Rankings May 2013 (Podcast Version)

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Sunday, May.05/2013

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)

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

One month down in the MLB season and that means it’s time for some Power Rankings! Chuck Booth the czar of MLBreports.com joins us in studio to rank every team from worst to first. Where does your team rank? Read the rest of this entry

Yankees Update: Week 4 – The Injuries Mount Yet They Are Still The Bronx Bombers!

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Wednesday May 1,2013

After a hot start to the 2013 campaign, Francisco Cervelli has broken his hand and added his name to the long list of Yankee injuries in 2013.  Cervelli worked to get back to the Majors and won the Yankee starting job out of training camp.  Now only time will tell whether Cervelli can return from injury with the same skill that he opened the season.

After a hot start to the 2013 campaign, Francisco Cervelli has broken his hand and added his name to the long list of Yankee injuries in 2013. The man worked his way back to the Majors and won the Yankee starting job out of training camp. Now only time will tell whether Cervelli can return from injury with the same skill that he opened the season.

By Nicholas Rossoletti (Yankees Correspondent/Trade Correspondent):

The end of April was supposed to signal the beginning of the end of the Yankee injury woes. Upon breaking camp, it was thought that Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira would all be returning in the next week or two.  

Now, it has become clear that the Yankee injury woes are just beginning.

As discussed in last week’s piece, Jeter’s set-back already has extended his time table until the middle of July at the earliest.  Big Tex has been unable to meet his time table as well and is not prepared to take live swings yet.

Granderson is the only player on track to return from injury based on the original timeframe.  Grandy is slated to return in at some point in May.

Frankie Being Frankie:
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The Mets Should Call Up Zack Wheeler Right Now!

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Tuesday April.30, 2013

Zack Wheeer was brought to the Mets via Trade for Carlos Beltran   This 6 FT 4 - 185 LB Right Handed specimen was ranked #8 by Baseball America in 2013.  Last year, Wheeler was 12 - ,with a 3.26 ERA.  He fanned  148 Batters in 149 Frames with Binghamton (EL) and Buffalo (IL).  This year he has struggled in the PCL with hitter friendly parks.

Zack Wheeer was brought to the Mets via Trade for Carlos Beltran. This 6 FT 4 – 185 LB Right Handed specimen was ranked #8 by Baseball America in 2013. Last year, Wheeler was 12 – 8,with a 3.26 ERA. He fanned 148 Batters in 149 Frames with Binghamton (EL) and Buffalo (IL) combined. This year he has struggled in the PCL with hitter friendly parks.  Mets fans should not worry, the man can pitch.

Stephon Johnson ( Baseball Writer and Mets Correspondent):

Forget what you heard about his last few starts in Triple-A Las Vegas. It’s time for the New York Mets to bring up pitcher Zack Wheeler.  

Forget about the 5.79 Earned Run Average in Triple-A or the 15 Walks in 23.1 Innings playing in the notoriously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Wheeler needs his shot in Flushing and he needs it now…and so do Mets fans.  

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Carl Crawford Is Off To A Surprisingly Hot Start As The Dodgers Leadoff Guy

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Tuesday Apr.30/2013

Outfielder Carl Crawford has been red hot offensively hitting .307 with team leading 4 HRs and 6 RBIs. He has been a huge surprise in his comeback season.

Outfielder Carl Crawford has been red hot offensively hitting .307 with team leading 4 HRs and 6 RBI. He has been a huge surprise in his comeback season.  The former Rays and Red Sox player is hitting far above his Career 3 Slash Line of .293/.333/.706 – by posting a line of .308/.388/906 to date.  More importantly than any other statistic – Crawford has crossed home plate 20 times in 25 Games Played in 2013.  This would put him on pace for about 130 Runs this campaign.  This is lieu of Matt Kemp’s slow start and Hanley Ramirez not being in the lineup at all.

By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent)

When the Dodgers acquired Outfielder Carl Crawford last year, they definitely didn’t know what they were getting, it was a pretty much a gamble they were able to afford. With the Dodgers’ new ownership willing to spend the big bucks on big players, this trade seemed like the ideal move to do for General Manager Ned Colleti. 

Crawford wasn’t able to perform at all right away after he got traded to the Dodgers as he was rehabbing from his Tommy John Surgery but he was able to get healthy just in time for Opening Day. He has been healthy ever since.

Dodgers’ skipper Don Mattingly right away decided to make Crawford the leadoff hitter since Opening Day and has not disappointed. Through April 29th, 2013, Crawford is hitting .307 with OBP. of .390 (obviously doing his job as Leadoff hitter) with 4 SB and has been caught twice. He has also walked nine times but perhaps the most impressive stat is his team leading 4 HRs.

Slow motion video of Carl Crawford’s Home Run swing

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The Miami Marlins Are Clearly The Worst Team In Baseball

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Sunday, April 28th, 2013

Nick Green, 34, has a career .303 OBP in the Majors. He has been forced into duty as the Marlins starting shortstop with Adeiny Hechavarria on the DL.

Nick Green, 34, has a career .303 OBP in the Majors. He has been forced into duty as the Marlins starting Shortstop with Adeiny Hechavarria on the DL.  The Marlins continue to use journeyman Veteran players in many of their main positions.  Along with the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres, all of them are nearly on pace to lose 100 games this year.  This Marlins team might even approach the 1962 Mets for the worst amount of defeats ALL – Time.  This club is not doing well at the turnstiles either – drawing just 19600 fans to an MLB Park that is in just its second year (down almost 8 K fans per game from last year.)

By Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): 

The 2013 Marlins are the most painful team in baseball to watch. With a lineup filled with washed up Major Leaguers – and young players struggling to keep their heads above water in the big league, the Marlins have struggled to score any runs this year. Despite having played 24 games, the club has only managed  to hit 7 Home Runs.

The Miami Marlins are without a doubt the worst team in the MLB right now – and the 2013 season is going to be unfathomable experience for even the most optimistic Miami fan, but there are signs of hope in their youth. 

Miami Marlins Misfire:

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Kyle Kendrick Should Have Earned Your Respect By Now

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Saturday April 27, 2013

Kyle Kendrick 2007- Present  56-43 (.566)  with a 4.22 ERA:  Kyle Kendrick came onto the scene in the middle of the 2007 year and finished 5th in Rookie of the Year Voting, by posting a 10-4 record with 3.87 ERA.  He has since had 4 straight winning seasons as the 5th man out of the rotation - before narrowly missing a 5th straight year last campaign (11 -1 2, 3.90 ERA). Kendrick has also seen some spot duty in the Bullpen for the franchise in his days

Kyle Kendrick has a Career Record of 56-43 (.566) with a 4.22 ERA: He came onto the scene in the middle of the 2007 year and finished 5th in Rookie of the Year Voting, by posting a 10-4 record with 3.87 ERA. Kendrick had 4 straight winning seasons as the 5th man out of the rotation – before narrowly missing a 5th straight year last campaign (11 -1 2, 3.90 ERA). Kendrick has also seen some spot duty in the Bullpen for the franchise in his days.

 

By Chris Creighton (Phillies Correspondent via http://www.warrroomphilly.com – visit the website here

Kyle Kendrick is only 28 years old. Seems like he’s been here forever and probably unfairly to many fans, it’s kind of the same as when the office know-it-all or socially inappropriate joke-teller never gets fired and continues to work next to you for a few years.

It feels like an eternity because he just won’t go away and probably doesn’t plan to anytime soon, collecting his weekly paycheck and pouring the dollars on top of his 401k. 

Naturally, the only thing left to do during every work day is to talk about that guy behind his back relentlessly or maybe mockingly doing an impersonation of him from time-to-time.

Kyle Kendrick Was Fake Traded to Japan!

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An American Hobby: Baseball Memorabilia – Roberto Clemente’s 1955 Topps Rookie Card

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Saturday, April.27, 2013

Roberto Clemente was a 13 Time ALL - Star and a 12 time Gold Glove Award Winner.  He also led the NL in Batting Average 4 X - and in hits 2 X.  He was the 1966 NL MVP - setting Career highs in HRs (29) and RBI (119).  In the 13 years from 1960 - 1972, he hit under .312 only in 1 season (.291 in 1968).  Sadly, he died in an aviation accident on New Years Eve 1973, while he was delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua at the age of 38.  He and Lou Gehrig hold the distinctive honors of having the 5 year wait period waived for the Baseball Hall Of Fame.

Roberto Clemente was a 13 Time ALL – Star and a 12 time Gold Glove Award Winner. He also led the NL in Batting Average 4 X – and in hits 2 X. He was the 1966 NL MVP – setting Career highs in HRs, (29) Runs, (105) and RBI (119). In the 13 years from 1960 – 1972, he hit under .312 only in 1 season – (.291 in 1968). Sadly, he died in an aviation accident on New Years Eve 1973, while he was delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua at the age of 38. He and Lou Gehrig hold the distinctive honors of having the 5 year wait period waived for the Baseball Hall Of Fame.

By Lee Edelstein (‘Baseball Memorabilia Enthusiast’ – visit his website here)

MLB Reports:  We are pleased to present you with Baseball Author Lee Edelstein as the newest writer with us at the Reports.  Lee will be providing us with great stories about baseball memorabilia on a regular basis.

MLB Reports

An American Hobby

Blog 10

Roberto Clemente

This week’s article features a member of the 3,000 Hit Club.

Roberto Clemente is a beloved figure in baseball history, one of the greatest defensive right fielders of all time, and, in many ways, a pioneer – the Jackie Robinson of Hispanic and Latin ballplayers. 

While Robinson faced the monumental hurdle of integrating baseball, Clemente’s challenges included overcoming pervasive language and cultural barriers.

Consider this – he is the first Latin American in the Hall of Fame, the first Hispanic ballplayer to win a World Series as a starter (1960), win an MVP award (1966), and win a World Series MVP Award (1971). 

He played in the era of Aaron, Mays, and Mantle and, for much of his career, was under-appreciated.

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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 25, 2013

New York Mets Photo Day

The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast today salutes the long and memorable career of Mets reliever LaTroy Hawkins. He has pitched for nearly 20 years, surviving in the game and becoming teammates with some of the game’s best.

Edinson Volquez, Jordanny Valdispin, Alex Cobb and J. P Arencibia  owned baseball on April 24, 2013.

To see the up to date tally of “Who Owns Baseball?”, click HERE.


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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 25, 2013

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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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A Night With Mookie Wilson Part 1: The Gala Dinner Speech At Tangle Creek Golf And Country Club

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Monday, April.22/2013

Mookie Wilson talking at the Golf and Country Club Friday April.12/2013, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada

Mookie Wilson talking as the Keynote Speaker at the Tangle Golf and Country Club Friday April.12/2013, Thornton, Ontario, Canada.  MLB Reports was there to listen to the Mets Hall Of Famer speak – and we have a special 2 part series for you surrounding the event – including an exclusive one on one interview we conducted that will be the 2nd part of the 2 part series.

By Jordan Hennessey (Blue Jays Correspondent) 

One night with Mookie Wilson Part 1:

“Speed is the one thing that there’s no answer for. You can kind of contain it but in order to do that, you have to change your game” – Mookie Wilson.

Mookie Wilson is remembered for his speed and enthusiasm on the base baths, but there is more to him than that. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Mookie Wilson at a Gala for Smith Brothers Baseball Central Sports Facility, a great new Baseball factory in Central Ontario.

The event was held at Tangle Creek Golf and Country Club. Partial proceeds went to Candlelighters Simcoe, in support of parents whose child has been diagnosed with cancer. Needless to say it was a great night for two great causes.

As an added bonus, we got to hear Mookie Wilson talk baseball, life, and his time on Sesame Street hanging out with the count. Which he told like it was yesterday.

To listen and read about the Interview I did with Mookie Wilson: Part 2 of a night with Mookie click here

The Mets and Mookie on Sesame Street

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2 And A Hook Podcast Ep #3: Wil Myers, Mets + Baseball’s Importance To The World

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Thursday, April.18/2013

MLB reports and The Benchwarmers Show present 2 and A Hook Podcast

MLB reports and The Benchwarmers Show present 2 and A Hook Podcast

People in this Podcast:

Chuck Booth – Guest (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

By James Acevedo – Host (Podcast Veteran) 

In the Clutch Guys from 90.3 FM Tuesday Show In Long Island NY  

On today’s show, brought to you by MLB Reports (www.mlbreports.com )& yours truly (The Bench Warmers Show), I talk about the horrible bombings that happened in the Boston Marathon & how sports especially baseball unites us in this great country! Also I told to Chuck Booth who is the lead analyst and owner of MLB Reports on the world of baseball! Read the rest of this entry

Can The Blue Jays Weather The Jose Reyes Injury?

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Wednesday Apr.17/2013

Anthopoulos is about as prudent a man as you will find.  He is all smiles in this press conference, but he knows what is at stake.  He has deemed that the "time is now" for the Blue Jays to go for it all, and convinced his bosses to risk hundreds of millions of dollars.  If the team he has assembled does not compete, for any reason, he may be out of a job.  He is not the kind of guy who puts his feet up and becomes content.  His focus right now is on eliminating any causes for concern from the 2013 Blue Jays as possible, because they do still exist, despite the recent mania.

Anthopoulos is about as prudent a man as you will find. He is all smiles in this press conference, but he knows what is at stake. He has deemed that the “time is now” for the Blue Jays to go for it all, and convinced his bosses to risk hundreds of millions of dollars. If the team he has assembled does not compete, for any reason, he may be out of a job. The team has had a mediocre start at 6 – 7 in the tough AL East – and have lost their prime Leadoff Man for 3 months.  Going the extra mile to add depth in the franchise may enable the club to stay in contention until Jose Reyes comes back in July.

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

Jose Reyes was the best player acquired over the winter by the Toronto Blue Jays.  He was supposed to be the Leadoff Hitter, provide speed and flash the glove at the Short Stop position.

The 30 Year Old was doing just that before going down in a heap at Second Base over the weekend stealing a bag.

Incredibly, the guy almost was injured even weeks doing the very same thing just a few weeks back.

Brett Lawrie was activated from the Disabled List last night.  The initial plan was to maybe play him at Second Base, with Jose Bautista moving back to Third Base.  This would put Maicer Izturis at Shortstop, with relegating Emilio Bonifacio to Right Field.

Jose Reyes Injury:

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The Rockies Record Is Misleading

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Tuesday Apr.16/2013

The Coors field Effect is still alive and well for Pitchers and Hitters.  19 out of the 20 years, the Rox have led the Major Leagues in Home Batting Average.  Last year, position hitters (1-8) hit for a .315. Batting Average.  This season will be no different.  The team played at Coors Field and Miller Park during week 1, pasting the Brewers and the Padres.  The team will host 16 of the next 22 games in Denver - and will need to make some hay.

Last year, position hitters (1-8) hit for a .315. Batting Average at home. The team played at Coors Field and Miller Park during week 1, pasting the Brewers and the Padres . Week 2 saw the Giants sweep them at AT and T Park, before they returned the favor to San Diego at Petco Park.  The team will host 16 of the next 22 games in Denver – and will need to make some hay because they haven’t played well on the road in the past few years .

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

If you take a look at the Standings in the NL West, you would see that the Colorado Rockies are among 4 teams over .500 right now.  They are tied with the Arizona DiamondBacks at 8 – 4 – and 1 game behind the defending World Series Champion Giants.

Judging by a lot of other publications placing the Rockies so high on their MLB Rankings, I am guessing these place do not give out much credence to Strength of Schedule.  at http://www.mlb.com – the club is listed #9 on the Power Rankings.

The Rockies are 6 – 0 this year already versus the hapless San Diego Padres and 2 – 1 versus the Milwaukee Brewers ( a team that is 3 – 8 itself and not looking so great).  The Rockies played the San Francisco in a 3 game set at AT and T Park – and were swept, surrendering 23 Runs Scored, while only scoring 9 Runs themselves.

2013 Rockies Commercial:

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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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MLB (R) Weekly Power Rankings – Week 2

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Monday Apr.15/2013

Billy Beane has pick- pocketed some of the best power hitting prospcects from other clubs that may just need a chance to prove their metal with some big league At - Bats.  His club has roared out of the gates - leading in most offensive and defensive categories so far.  The team has put up a 80 - 40 Record since starting last year 23 - 32.

Billy Beane has seen his club roar out of the gates – leading in most offensive and defensive categories so far. This year’s team is 9 – 4 (Leading the AL West) – and have put up a 81 – 40 Record since starting last year 23 – 32.  The Tigers seem to be the only toxic for the franchise.  The Athletics at least played in front of decent crows at 0.co Coliseum  on Saturday drawing 35K – with the team trying to go for a 10th straight win.  Justin Verlander stopped the streak.

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

Well, the Atlanta Braves are the toast of the MLB right now, Prince Fielder is the hottest hitter on the planet, John Buck is doing his best  Johnny Bench impersonation – while Chris Davis is giving new definition to the nickname   ‘Crash’.

The Mets and Rockies have had the biggest ‘Cupcake Schedules’ thus far in the Major Leagues – and I am still not buying stock in these teams.

The Angels pulled out a couple of wins versus the Houston Astros to end the week 5 – 8 (You guys are supposed to beat Houston whenever  you play them this year!

The Yankees rode a 4 – 1 week among a schedule that was blown apart by weather induced cancellations in Cleveland, to climb the standings.

To quote Joe Pesci in (‘ My Cousin Vinny” when Fred Gwynne tells him he is in contempt of court) in response to Jose Reyes being injured.  “There is a f—— surprise!

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The Baseball Struggles of Tall/Heavy Players After 30: Is Prince Next?

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Friday, Apr.12/2013

Prince Fielder will turn 29 in May.  Throughout my studies of some extremely tall - or heavy player, the time of deterioration in ones ability seems to seep in about 34.  In my opinion, the club should move to trade Victor Martinez and shift Fielder over to the DH position ASAP, so they can preserve his  body for the next 8 years of his contract.  He will be 37 when his big deal ends.  Fielder has a Career 3 Slash Line of .287/.393/.931

Prince Fielder will turn 29 in May. Throughout my studies of some extremely tall – or heavy playera, the time of deterioration in ones ability seems to seep in about the  34 Year Old Age range. In my opinion, the club should move to trade Victor Martinez and shift Fielder over to the DH position ASAP, so they can preserve his body for the next 8 years of his contract. He will be 37 when his big deal ends. Fielder has a Career 3 Slash Line of .287/.393/.931.  The second generation Fielder, has clubbed 262 HRs and added 774 RBI in 1168 Games Played.  Will he suffer the same fate as the others in this article (including his dad) – or will he buck the trend?

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

I am still astounded when I see that Prince Fielder has not been turned into a Full – Time DH – and can still man the position of First Base. The Tigers were lucky enough to sign him last year.

So when should the club decide to take the glove out of Fielder’s hand? 

Victor Martinez is there at the Designated Hitter position now, however they should convert Prince Fielder to DH the second V-Mart vacates the club after the 2014 season.

When I thought about this a little more I realized that tall/heavy hitters really have a tough time keeping their productivity up once they are near the second half of their career.  It is really not that hard to figure out.  

A player that is taller also carries a larger Strike Zone, where the overweight players will only lose any speed they had as their career starts winding down.  

For this particular article, I choose 4 players to study this exact scenario. Those players are: Richie Sexson, Tony Clark, Mo Vaughn and Cecil Fielder.

Prince Fielder wins the 2012 HR Derby:

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Dodgers 1st Week In Review

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Monday Apr.08/2013

Mattingly guided the Dodgers to a nice NL West ion 2012 - before injuries crippled their chances to continue.  2013 will be a fresh start with the biggest payroll in the game and lots of ALL-Star talent.  Can he unite the players to gel? In the last year of his contract, he has guided the Dodgers to a 4 - 2 record so far in 2013

Mattingly managed the Dodgers to a nice record in the NL West during the first few months of the 2012 campaign – before injuries crippled their chances to continue as the leaders. 2013 gives the former Yankees a fresh start with the biggest payroll in the game and lots of ALL-Star talent. Can he unite the players to gel? In the last year of his contract, he has guided the Dodgers to a 4 – 2 record so far in 2013.  The pitching has been dominant, particularly only yielding just 2 run to the Pirates in a 3 game Series over the weekend, plus throwing back to back Shutouts on Friday and Saturday.  All they need now is for Matt Kemp to come around!

By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent): 

Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly began his third season as Dodgers manager with a four-man rotation. Clayton Kershaw opened on Monday – and pitched a Complete Game Shut-out – with a Game Winning HR at the plate himself against the defending world champs San Francisco Giants.

On Saturday night, Kershaw went on to pitch a Seven-Inning Shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates – with 9 SO and only 2 Hits surrendered. He’s currently 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 16 SO, 6 H and only 1 Walk.

Hyun-Jin Ryu (another Left-Hander) went on Tuesday to make his Major League debut and lost. His official line seems a little off but in 6.1 IP, he gave up 10 hits , however the end result was only one Earned Run – with 5 SO and O Walks.

On his second career start, Ryu was able to pick up his first career win by defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates. He pitched 6.1 Innings once again, allowing 2 Earned Runs (a two-run shot to Pirates Center Fielder Andrew McCutchen), Striking out six – allowing only 3 Hits and 2 Walks on Sunday afternoon.

Ryu Interviews after his 1st start:


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MLB Weekly Rankings Week 1: MLB Reports

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Monday Apr.08/2013

The Nationals won a Major League leading 98 Games Last Year.  They have the best roster in the Major Leagues - and have started the year 4 - 2.  The team receives a narrow edge for me over the Reds for the #1 Spot in the MLB reports 1st installment of the MLB Rankings.

The Nationals won a Major League leading 98 Games Last Year. They have the best roster in the Major Leagues in 2013 – and have started the year 4 – 2. The team receives a narrow edge for me over the Reds for the #1 Spot in the MLB reports 1st installment of the MLB Rankings.  Check back weekly for updated rankings!

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

This is the first installment of my weekly Rankings for all MLB Teams.  There are no real surprises here,  I picked the Nationals just slightly over the Reds from top to bottom based on their current roster depth.

Really, the Reds may have an easier path to the playoffs playing in the NL Central -as opposed to the NL East lineup the Nationals would face. 

I am not sold on the Rockies quick start because they beat up the Padres and Brewers.  The DiamondBacks also look great, so look for them to possibly keep climbing the ranks

The AL East is already beating each other up. 

The Braves might charge up the ranks again next week.

The White Sox have looked great so far with their pitching.

Oakland and Texas have ended the week on a hotstreak each by way of fattening up on the Houston Astros.

Washington Nationals On Opening Day:

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