MLB Reports

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Week Two for the New York Yankees was a far more fun ride than Opening Week. An offensive outpouring in Cleveland followed by taking 2 out of 3 from Baltimore has left the Yankees within striking distance of 1st place in a very strange AL East. Now the Yankees enter the second half of April within striking distance of 1st place in a very strange AL East.

By Nicholas Rossoletti (Yankees Correspondent/Trade Correspondent): Follow @nross56

In baseball, a momentum turn can be a slight thing. A player getting a seeing eye single through the infield that turns him from slumping to streaking. A pitcher getting a lucky hop that turns a rally into a double play.

For this Yankees team, the momentum turn seems to have been C.C. Sabathia‘s gem against the Tigers on a Sunday afternoon.

The Yankees used that 7 Inning performance to jump-start the second week of the season. In almost every regard, Week Two was the anti-thesis of Week One.

After Sabathia dominating the Tigers’ line-up and the Yankees getting after Detroit ace Justin Verlander, the Yankees headed to Cleveland where it was either raining or the Yankees were scoring runs.

After Opening Week, the 11 and 14 runs scored in the first two nights in Cleveland allowed the fan base to breathe easy. This run shed some light on an issue I wanted to look at this week.

Before the season got under way, my pre-season piece focused on the Vernon Wells trade and keeping the faith in a Yankees front office.

The line-up’s ability to score runs has been largely based on the performance of their veteran acquisitions in the off-season (and the fact that Robinson Cano is absolutely an offensive superstar).

Pronk Cometh:

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis, The Rest: Everything Baseball

Comments Off on Yankees Week Two – Getting Right in Cleveland + A Triple Play = 4 – 1

Tags: @nross56, @nross56 twitter, Addison Maruszak, andruw jones, andy pettitte, austin romine, baltimore orioles, bartolo colon, ben gamel, boston redsox, cc sabathia, Cleveland, cleveland indians, curtis granderson, david phelps, detroit tigers, eric chavez, gary sanchez, hiroki kuroda, ivan nova, justin verlander, lyle overbay, mark teixeira, mason williams, nicholas rossoletti, nick swisher, phil hughes, raul ibanez, robinson cano, russell martin, slade heathcott, tampa bay rays, tigers, toronto blue jays, travis hafner, vernon wells

Interview With Cleveland Indians Prospect – Bryson Myles

Apr 13

Posted by bkrobinson

Like us on Facebook here

Saturday, April.13/2013

By Brooke Robinson (MLB Reports Reporter): Follow @bka_9

Outside of the Cleveland Indians’ circles, the name Bryson Myles isn’t very well-known… yet. But to those in the organization and from his native Dallas/Fort Worth area, his name brings a ton of excitement.

Myles was a 6^th Round Draft pick of the 2011 Amateur Draft by the Indians. He was scouted from Stephen F. Austin University, where he led the nation in Stolen Bases in 2011 with 53.

He spent his first professional season with short season Mahoning Valley where he produced a .302/.394/.401 Batting Line.

In his first full season in 2012 with the Lake County Captains, the Outfielder had 20 Doubles to go with his 20 Stolen Bases for the season – and was ranked 15^th prospect in the Indians Prospect Insider handbook.

Bryson Miles 2012 Highlights:

Posted in On the Verge: MLB Prospects, The Rest: Everything Baseball

Comments Off on Interview With Cleveland Indians Prospect – Bryson Myles

Tags: @bka_9 on twitter, brandon phillips, brooke robinson, bryson myles, carolina mudcats, Cleveland, cleveland indians, cleveland indians spring training, Indians Prospects 2013, ken griffey jr, lake county captains, mahoning valley, michael bourn, nick swisher, rickey henderson, Stephen F. Austin University, Terry Francona, tyler naquin

Trust In Cash: Vernon Wells And Getting Through Early 2013

Apr 1

Posted by nross56

Like us on Facebook here

Monday April.1, 2013

Our own Chuck Booth predicted that Mr. Wells could be wearing pinstripes this season and low and behold, Chuck was right. Now, to see if Wells can bridge the gap for the Yankees until Curtis Granderson returns.

Our own Chuck Booth predicted that Mr. Wells could be wearing pinstripes this season and lo and behold, Chuck was right. Now, to see if Wells can bridge the gap for the Yankees until Curtis Granderson returns.

By Nicholas Rossoletti (Yankees + Trade Correspondent) Follow @NRoss56

There have been few moments as divisive for Yankees fans over the past year than last weekend’s trade for Vernon Wells. While I will get to the trade analysis of the Wells deal, I find it incredibly interesting the conversations and general disdain Yankee fans are currently showing for the management team in the Bronx.

The Yankee universe took to social media after the announcement of the trade. A large contingent were calling for Brian Cashman’s job, which I’m sure is not anything unusual for the General Manager of the Yankees. It did get me thinking about where the team is coming into the season.

Vernon Wells Highlights – Parental Guidance is Advised:

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis, The Rest: Everything Baseball

Follow @mlspanstylecolor800000breports

Tags: @nross56 twitter, AL East, alex rodriguez, anaheim angels, brian cashman, Chuck Booth, curtis granderson, david phelps, derek jeter, eric chavez, gary sanchez, lyle overbay, mariano rivera, mark teixeira, new York, new york yankees, nicholas rossoletti, nick swisher, phil hughes, raul ibanez, russell martin, slade heathcott, tyler austin, vernon wells, yankee stadium

LA Dodgers Payroll In 2013: And Contracts Going Forward

Mar 28

Posted by eriqwiththeq

Like us on Facebook here

Thursday Mar.28/2013

Adrian Gonzalez flew into LA last year and paid immediate dividends as he clubbed a 3 run HR in the 1st Inning with his new team. Gonzalez is in the 3rd year of a 7 YR/154 Million Dollar Contract. At age 30, he is a career .294 hitter with 214 HRs and 750 RBI in 1176 Games. Perhaps a full season back in California will re – ignite his MVP like numbers with the Padres during the 2009 and 2010 seasons – where he hit 71 HRs, drove in 200 RBI and hit for an OPS well over .900. He also is a 3 Time Gold Glove Award Winner in the National League.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst And Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024

I must say I am completely shocked at the Dodgers spending as much money as they are since the ownership change. I listened to Magic say how he ‘was not going to do anything stupid’, I will give him this much. However, the amount of payroll the team has taken on is enormous. The Dodgers are going to be over 200 Million Dollars in Payroll for years to come.

After I put their top ten salaries on the board, I will break down the rest of the roster to analyze some more projections for salary. The Dodgers have about 218 Million Dollars in signed contracts.

If you can believe this next part, they even are paying Manny Ramirez 8.33 Million Dollars still in 2013, Andruw Jones 3.375 Million and Huroki Kuroda 2.0 Million. That is roughly 13 Million Dollars on guys that are no longer in your organization.

Back to the trades that have brought in several players. I do agree for the mentality of it. The Dodgers fans were given a raw deal by the past management and the new guys are showing the rest of the MLB that they intend to be the big dog.

With Cole Hamels re-signing with the Phillies, their coveted starter was no longer available in Free Agency. Gonzalez was there to be had if they would take on the Carl Crawford/Josh Beckett contracts.

The team went out and signed Zack Greinke (15 – 5 with a 3.48 ERA split between the Brewers and Angels) instead.

Here is a nice highlight clip of Carl Crawford below. As a side note: The only inside the park Home Run I have ever witnessed at a game live was hit by Carl Crawford at Us Cellular Field in 2008. He was one of the best lead-off hitters back then.

Carl Crawford Highlights – Mature Lyrics So Parental Guidance is Advised:

Posted in MLB Payroll and Contracts, The Rest: Everything Baseball

5 Comments

Tags: a.j ellis, aaron harang, adam kennedy, adrian gonzalez, andre ethier, andruw jones, blake hawksworth, boston red sox, brandon league, carl crawford, Carlos lee, chad billingsley, chris capuano, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, cole hamels, dee gordon, don mattingly, elian herrera, hanley ramirez, huroki kuroda, jamey wright, jerry hairston, jerry sands, joe blanton, josh beckett, josh hamilton, juan rivera, juan uribe, kenley jansen, kirk gibson, los angeles dodgers, luis cruz, manny ramirez, mark ellis, Matt Guerrier, matt kemp, matt treanor, mike napoli, nick punto, nick swisher, prince fielder, randy choate, ronald belisario, scott elbert, shane victorino, ted lilly, todd coffey, twitter

New York Yankees Payroll In 2013 And Contracts Going Fwd Updated Mar.4/2013

Mar 4

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Like us on Facebook here

Monday, March.04/2013

You are looking at the #1 and #2 Hits Leaders of ALL-Time for Active Professional Hitters in the World. Having them hit 1-2 in the lineup only makes sense. You might as well have them both retire at the same timeJeter is signed for one more year at 17 Million Dollars plus a player option ($8 MIL) for 2014. The Yankees signed Ichiro to a 2 year deal worth $13 MIL this past winter.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024

I am not like a lot of people thinking that there should be a full-scale blow-up of the Yankees current roster this year (past that I am acknowledging this will happen.) They are old and 2013 will not make them younger. However, there are some small tweaks that the team could do in order to make the payroll make sense. 1st priority was to sign Ichiro Suzuki.

The Japanese Superstar was not and Yankees obliged to let him play RF in New York. Adios to outgoing Nick Swisher. He was much too pricey and Yankee fans have to be sick at his lack of production in his playoff career. Swisher commanded a nice 4 or 5 year deal in the 56 – 70 Million Dollar Range from the Indians – and was not a fit into the Yankees current payroll structure.

The Yankees were initially looking to spend just a little over 178 Million Dollars in 2013, but that didn’t happen. At a 40% penalty (for every dollar spent over the 178 Million Mark) for abusing the Luxury Tax Threshold, the team will need to have made financial considerations in moving forward each time they sign another new player. Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano are on the last year of their contracts. Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and A-Rod still have multiple years left in their contracts.

I would immediately move Alex Rodriguez to a permanent DH (when he returns to the lineup) – and play Kevin Youkilis at 3B for all of 2013.

To the Readers on our Payroll Breakdowns: Keep in mind these are all just estimates as we are all not forensic payroll accountants. For a better look at how Payrolls work in the MLB please check out this article here.

Derek Jeter Highlights:

Posted in MLB Payroll and Contracts, The Rest: Everything Baseball

5 Comments

Tags: 2013 Yankee Payroll, a, alex rodriguez, andruw jones, andy pettitte, anibal sanchez, b.j. upton, boone logan, brian cashman, casey mcehee, cc sabathia, cesar cabrel, chris stewart, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, clay rapada, cody ross, curtis granderson, dave robertson, david phelps, dellin betances, derek jeter, derek lowe, eduardo nunez, eric chavez, freddy garcia, Hal steinbrenner, ichiro suzuki, ivan nova, j. burnett, jonathan broxton, juan pierre, justin thomas, kevin youkilis, mariano rivera, mark teixeira, matt garza, michael bourn, michael pineda, new york yankees, nick swisher, pedro feliciano, phil hughes, rafael soriano, raul ibanez, reed johnson, robinson cano, russell martin, ryan madson, travis hafner, twitter @chuckbooth3024

Cleveland Indians Payroll In 2013: And Contracts Going Forward

Feb 24

Posted by tribetaz69

Like us on Facebook here

Sunday Feb 24, 2013

The Cleveland Indians have been around since 1901. During the years the Indians have won 8,792 games & have lost 8,573 games. The Indians have won the World Series 2 times & have 31 players in the Hall Of Fame.

By Larry Myers (Indians Correspondent): Follow @TribeFanz1969

The Indians finished the 2012 season as a huge disappointment. The Indians had a strong first half before falling apart in the second half. The Indians the 2013 season with many new faces after a busy winter.

GM Chris Antonetti and President Mark Shapiro decided to make some major moves to improve the team for the 2013 season. The first move the Indians made was replacing Manny Acta with Terry Francona as manager. The Indians then traded Shin-Soo Choo & Tony Sipp in a 3 team trade to pick up Drew Stubbs, Matt Albers. Bryan Shaw & Trevor Bauer. The Indians signed a few Free Agents with the four biggest names being Nick Swisher, Mark Reynolds, Brett Myers, & Michael Bourn. The Indians showed that with the moves they made they are ready to contend now & in the future.

Cleveland Indians 2012 Season Highlights:

Posted in MLB Payroll and Contracts, MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis, The Rest: Everything Baseball

Comments Off on Cleveland Indians Payroll In 2013: And Contracts Going Forward

Tags: @tribefanz1969 on twitter, agency, al central, arizona diamondbacks, asdrubal cabrera, ben francisco, boston red sox, brett myers, bryan shaw, carlos santana, chris antonetti, chris perez, cleveland indians, Cleveland Indians 25 man roster, cleveland indians management, cleveland indians payroll 2013, Cleveland Indians Payroll 2014, cleveland indians spring training, cy young, daisuke matsuzaka, drew stubbs, ezequiel cabrera, grady sizemore, jason giambi, jason kipnis, jeremy hermida, justin masterson, larry myers, lonnie chisenhall, many acta, mark reynolds, Mark Shapiro, matt albers, matt caps, michael bourn, michael brantley, mike aviles, nick hagadone, nick swisher, progressive field, ryan raburn, scott kazmir, shin-soo choo, Terry Francona, Tony Sipp, trevor bauer, ubaldo jimenez, vinnie pestano, zach mcallister

The New York Yankees Hitting Roster In 2013: State Of The Union Part 1

Feb 13

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Like us on Facebook here

Wednesday, February.13, 2013

The Yankees have 27 World Series Titles and 13 Losses in the Fall Classic since 1921. That is 40 Appearances in 91 years. They have had the highest payroll team in MLB for the Majority of that span. As of 2013, they will not be able to claim that stake anymore. Will they still make the playoffs for the 18th time in 19 years?

Chuck Booth (Yankees Correspondent/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024

The Yankees had a precarious winter after failing miserably in the ALCS, (AKA the last time the country saw them play on Television) – when the team was decimated by the Detroit Tigers in a sweep. So what has happened since? A lot of status quo: Re-signing Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Ichiro Suzuki and Hiroki Kuroda, while saying good-bye to Raul Ibanez (SEA), Andruw Jones (FA), Nick Swisher (CLE), Eric Chavez (ARI), Russell Martin (PIT), Derek Lowe (FA), Steve Pearce (BAL), Casey McGehee (FA), Freddy Garcia (FA) and Rafael Soriano (WSH). All they really added back was former arch-nemesis Kevin Youkilis (CWS) and Travis Hafner (CLE). The team is sitting around 215 Million Dollars at Payroll right now, yet they have are heading into the 2013 campaign with Catchers that are of limited experience.

For the first time in years, the club will need to see some internal progress from their farm system to help the big club. With A-ROD out with his hip injury, plus the Miami fiasco, can you really count on the prima-donna to play at all this season? Derek Jeter is coming off a brutal ankle injury that occurred in the aforementioned Post Season Series vs the Tigers . The club is also hoping that ‘MO’ Rivera can find it within himself to make it through another year as a 43 Year Old. Just like The ALL-Time Saves Leader, this team is aging fast. Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson are Free Agents after 2013 is over. Brian Cashman is also going to take advantage of the reset option f the Luxury Tax loophole in 2014.

This means that when the Luxury Tax goes from 178 Million to 189 Million next year, that the club can stop paying its 40% annual penalty if they can get under for just one season. The Yankees will be sure to blow up the Payroll from 2015 and beyond that, it is just to not start the new luxury lax at the maximum penalty. Had the Luxury Tax not moved from its current spot, the Yankees would always pay the 40% penalty (even if they decided to skip one year).

Yankees Highlights 2012: Mature Lyrics So Parental Guidance is Advised:

Posted in MLB Payroll and Contracts, The Rest: Everything Baseball

Comments Off on The New York Yankees Hitting Roster In 2013: State Of The Union Part 1

Tags: 2009 World Series, 2012 ALCS, 2013 Yankee Payroll, 25 man roster New York Yankees, 40 Man Roster Yankees, a, al mvp, AL Silver Slugger Award Winners, alex rodriguez, all time hits list, all-time home run list, andruw jones, andy pettitte, austine romine, boston red sox, brian cashman, casey mcehee, chicago white sox, chris stewart, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, cleveland indians, curtis granderson, dave robertson, dellin betances, derek jeter, derek lowe, detroit tigers, eddie collins, eduardo nunez, eric chavez, francisco cervelli, freddy garcia, Gold Glove Award Winner AL, Hal steinbrenner, hiroki kuroda, ichiro suzuki, john buck, johnny damon, jonathan broxton, juan pierre, kevin youkilis, kurt suzuki, mariano rivera, mark teixeira, new york yankees, nick swisher, paul molitor, phil hughes, rafael soriano, raul ibanez, robinson cano, russell martin, ryan madson, seattle mariners, stan musial, steve pearce, thurman munson, travis hafner, twitter @chuckbooth3024, Wilson Ramos

Why Terry Francona As The Manager Of The Cleveland Indians Makes Sense

Feb 5

Posted by tribetaz69

Like us on Facebook here

Tuesday Feb.5, 2013

Terry Francona played for five different teams in his playing Career. His best year was in 1984 – where he hit .346 during his 218 AB. He played as a 1B/OF/PH. His only Post Season action was with the 1981 Montreal Expos. He hit .333 in the NLDS but went 0-2 in the NLCS versus the eventual World Series winning LA Dodgers. He has had much better success as Manager.

By Larry Myers (Indians Correspondent): Follow @TribeFanz1969

Terry Francona was hired as manager of the Cleveland Indians on October 6, 2012 – and officially took over the team on October 8^th. He will be returning to the dugout after a one-year hiatus of managing in baseball and doing sports broadcasting duties. After Manny Acta was let go as manager of the Indians, only two candidates were interviewed. Francona was picked as manager over Sandy Alomar Jr, who has stayed on as Bench Coach under the veteran skipper.

Before we decide if Francona was the right choice as manager of the Indians, we have to look at who the man is. Francona was born April 22, 1959 in South Dakota to former MLB player Tito Francona, (who played from 1956 to 1970). Tito ‘Jr’ played in the Majors himself from 1981 to 1990, including one year with the Indians. During his ten years, Francona played in 708 Games – with a BA of .274, 16 Home Runs and 143 RBI as a utility player . After Francona’s playing days were over, he went on to become a Minor League coach, before finally becoming manager of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1997. During his four years in Philadelphia, his team never finished above fourth place, but Francona helped develop some young players into stars that have turned the Phillies franchise into the winning seasons in 11 out of the 12 years since his departure.

Terry Francona at TribeFest:

Comments Off on Why Terry Francona As The Manager Of The Cleveland Indians Makes Sense

Tags: 1948 World Series, 1981 NLDS, 1981 World Series, 2004 World Series, 2007 World Series, 2008 ALCS, 2009 ALDS, 2011 Boston Red Sox, @tribefanz1969 on twitter, al central, AL East, American league, asdrubal cabrera, boston red sox, boston redsox, brett myers, carlos santana, chicago cubs, cincinnati reds, cleveland indians, drew stubbs, dustin pedroia, jacoby ellsbury, jason kipnis, larry myers, manny acta, mark reynolds, montreal expos, nick swisher, philadelphia phillies, Sandy Alomar, south dakota, Terry Francona, tito francona, tribefest cleveland, ubaldo jimenez

MLB Player Profile: Indians OF/1B/DH Nick Swisher

Jan 22

Posted by tribetaz69

Like us on Facebook here

Tuesday January 22nd, 2013

Nick Swisher has a Career 3 Slash Line of .256/.361/.828. His numbers were better over the last 4 years with the Yankees .268/.367/.850.

Nick Swisher has a Career 3 Slash Line of .256/.361/.828 heading into 2013. His numbers are even better over the last 4 years with the Yankees – .268/.367/.850. If you are an Indians fan – you can probably bank on a decent Batting Average, a nice OBP and 25-30 HRs and 80-90 RBI per year from him. He also can play 3 different positions for you at 1B/OF/DH.

By Larry Myers (Indians Correspondent) Follow @TribeFanz1969

Nick Swisher is the latest free agent player the Cleveland Indians have signed this off-season. Nick Swisher is the son of former MLB catcher Steve Swisher, who played for a few National League teams back in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Swisher was born in Columbus, Ohio, but grew up in West Virginia. Before his professional career, Swisher played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 2002 MLB Draft, Swisher finally made his MLB debut with the Athletics in 2004.

During the 2004 season, Swisher played in only 20 games. In 2005, Swisher went on to hit 21 HRs and 74 RBI in 131 games. He finished 6^th in the American League Rookie Of The Year Voting. During his 4 years in Oakland, Swisher hit 80 home runs and 255 RBI – while playing in 458 games. Not known as a player with a high average, he became a leader on a young Athletics teams. Swisher showed a great amount of durability during his time in Oakland compared to his teammates who spent a large portion of time on the Disabled List. Swisher made his Post Season debut in 2006. While sweeping the Twins, Swisher got 3 hits and an RBI in that series. Losing to the Tigers in the ALCS, Swisher hit .100 with only 1 hit.

One On One Interview with Nick Swisher Jan.03/2013 (Sports Time Ohio):

3 Comments

Tags: 2006 ALCS, @tribefanz1969 on twitter, al central, american league rookie of the year, asdrubal cabrera, carlos santana, chicago white sox, Cleveland, Cleveland Indians Payroll, gio gonzalez, jason kipnis, larry myers, mark reynolds, mark teixeira, minnesota twins, new york yankees, nick swisher, oakland, oakland athletics, ozzie gillen, progressive field, ryan Sweeney, steve swisher, tampa bay devil rays, Terry Francona, yankee stadium

Cleveland Indians 2013 Roster: State Of The Union

Dec 29

Posted by Jake Dal Porto

Like us on Facebook here

Saturday December 29th, 2012

Jake Dal Porto (Baseball Writer) Follow @TheJakeMan24//

The Cleveland Indians were nothing short of the laughing stock of the American League Central this past season. A hot started quickly turned into a hot mess, and their entire team went up into flames.

Now, with a new manager and a few hopeful offseason of moves, the Indians aren’t half-bad.

Let’s take a lot at a couple of the big questions in Cleveland:

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis, The Rest: Everything Baseball

Tags: @TheJakeMan24 on twitter, al central, carlos santana, cleveland indians, jake dal porto, jason kipnis, justin masterson, los angeles angels, mark reynolds, nick swisher, stephen strasburg, Terry Francona, trevor bauer, ubaldo jimenez, zach mcallister

The Rangers (And Especially Their Fans) Will Miss Mike Napoli

Dec 5

Posted by bkrobinson

Wednesday, December 5^th, 2012

Brooke Robinson (Guest Baseball Writer and Rangers Correspondent):

In the early months of 2011 when Mike Napoli was traded to Texas, most fans welcomed him with open arms (especially the women). After all, Napoli had given the fans in Arlington headaches when playing against him so the Rangers did exactly what they did with Vladimir Guerrero– added him to their own roster. His defense was incredible, and he opened up a side of his offense that Anaheim never got to enjoy as a full-time player . He hit .320, with 30 homers in his first season with Texas, but his most incredible performance was during October of 2011. His Game 5 two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning to deliver the win and the World Series lead to 3-2 was honored by Ranger fans and ultimately put him on a fan pedestal. Read the rest of this entry →

Comments Off on The Rangers (And Especially Their Fans) Will Miss Mike Napoli

Tags: @bka_9 twitter, a.j. pierzynski, adam laroche, AL West, anahem angels, boston red sox. brooke robinson, cliff lee, craig gentry, josh hamilton, leonis martin, michael young, mike napoli, mitch moreland, nick swisher, rangers, the ballpark in arlington, vladimir guerrero, yu darvish

The Oakland A’s 2013 Roster Tree Part 1: The Hitters

Dec 1

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Saturday, Dec.01/2012

How important was Cespedes to The A's Lineup? They went 83-47 with him in the lineup and 12-20 without him. He was the biggest reason the team has soared into the playoff race and wont the AL East. Beane secured him Free Agency last year without trading any prospects. He is signed for 3 more years.

How important was Cespedes to The A’s Lineup in 2012? They went 82-47 with him in the lineup and 12-21 without him. He was the biggest reason the team soared into the playoff race and won the AL East. Beane secured him in Free Agency before the start of last year. He is signed for 3 more years at 9 Million Dollars Per Year.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024

A few months ago, our Lead Columnist/Website Founder (Jonathan Hacohen) wrote a brilliant piece about the assembly of the Oakland Athletics roster. He called it “MoneyBall 2.” Right after the piece, the A’s surged to the greatest record in the second half of the season and won the AL West. The team is now constructed of power hitters and power pitchers. The man behind it all is Billy Beane. I will not get into too much of this philosophy as you can read that piece here. What I intend to do is to show the roster of how it was comprised by Beane in the form of a roster tree. It is just like a family tree, however this shows trades dating back 2,3,4,5,6 fold etc.. in order to show you the mastery of the GM’s ability to field a roster on a limited budget.

The Future of the Oakland A’s: The Mustache Gang Meets the Bash Brothers: Revealing Billy Beane’s Master Plan click here.

The Oakland A’s 2013 Roster Tree Part 2: The Pitchers click here.

5 Comments

Tags: A.J cole, aaron cunningham, aaron miles, adam rosales, adrian cardenas, AL West, alburquerque, Amateur Draft MLB, andrew bailey, Athletics Active 40 man roster, billy beane, boston redsox, brad peacock, brandon moss, brett anderson, brett wallace, California, carlos conzalez, chad gaudin, chris carter, chris young, Chuck Booth, clayton mortensen, cliff pennington, coco crisp, colling cowgill, connor robertson, corey wimberly, craig breslow, dan haren, dana eveland, daric barton, derek norris, dodgers, dustin majewski, eric patterson, eric sogard, fautino de los santos, freemont, george kottara, gio gonzalez, greg smith, guillermo moscaso, jake fox, jarrod parker, jeff gray, jemile weeks, joe blanton, jonathan hacohen, josh donaldson, josh outman, josh reddick, kevin kouzmanoff, kiko calero, kila ka'aihue, mark Mulder, matt holliday, matt murton, matt spencer, michael taylor, milwaukee brewers, minnesota twins, mlb reports, moneyball 2, nationals, nick swisher, oakland, oakland athletics, padres, pcl, phillies, reds, rich harden, robert gilam, ronny moria, ross wolf, ryan cook, ryan kelly, ryan Sweeney, Sacramento, san jose, ScottHairston Jr., sean gallagher, seth smith, the fastest 30 ballgames, tommy millone, toronto blue jays, trevor cahill, twitter @chuckbooth3024, willy taveras, yoenis cespedes

Nick Swisher to Washington: The Nationals Are Looking to Add a Key Free Agent Bat to Their Lineup

Nov 13

Posted by kholland13

Tuesday November 13th, 2012

Kyle Holland: On Saturday, the Nationals announced that they were re-signing manager Davey Johnson for the 2013 season. With the Nats clearing up the managerial situation it leaves the rest of their offseason for signing free agents. One free agent they will start with is outfielder/first baseman Nick Swisher.

Swisher would be a great fit in a Washington uniform. He just recently rejected the Yankees offer of $13.3 million for one more year in New York. With Adam LaRoche declining his qualifying offer from the Nationals, they could let him walk and sign Swisher. Swisher has been known to play first base along with his usual outfield, so he could be a great replacement for LaRoche. Added versatility is always a bonus in today’s game. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

3 Comments

Tags: adam laroche, Atlanta, Atlanta Braves, baseball, Bruce Harper, davey johnson, first base, free agency, free agent, jayson werth, mlb, new york yankees, nick swisher, outfielder, philadelphia, San Francisco, washington, washington nationals

Contact Hitters and Pitching Are Keys to Winning In the MLB Playoffs: Bravo Giants! Attn: Yankees!

Nov 10

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Saturday, Nov.10/2012

The Giants GM Brian Sabean saw that his offense had significant holes from previous years and before 2012, dealt for Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan. Both are decent contact hitters, with decent power and speed. It also took for the emergence of Marco Scutaro and the renaissance play from Pablo Sandoval to show that teams that can make regular contact (and are armed with great pitching,) ultimately win in the playoffs.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024

I can’t believe I am going to utter these next few words, “I am starting to shift on the idea of eliminating the DH in the AL and also I am beginning to find the National League Brand of Baseball a lot better these days.” I am not just saying this because the National League has registered 5 World Series Wins out of the last seven years (STL x 2, SF x 2 and PHI vs BOS AND NYY since 2006.) I just find that the American League Baseball is becoming boring. If you have read my articles in the past, I hate teams that strikeout non-stop and when you put two of these teams together for a Series like the AL routinely does, the games are filled with heavy pitch counts, four-hour games and not much contact. This years ALCS represented an all-time low for fan excitement. Put aside that I am a Yankees fan for a minute, it was absolutely brutal baseball. In fact, last years ALCS was no picnic either. If the games continue on like this, they might as well scrap the DH, start having the umpires call more strikes on the hitters and have all AL Teams convert to a National League style of game.

The National League has seen the Cardinals give us thrilling moments and comebacks to epic proportions over the last 2 years. I honestly think that Mark McGwire is not receiving enough credit for molding that team into a bunch of contact hitters. You watch the 2013 offense of the LA Dodgers, they will all have a different approach. We will save the DH debate for another day, but lets just say that 2012 was the worst year for DH’s in some time if not ever. There are only about 3-4 decent DH’s left in the game and if David Ortiz is not in the lineup for the Red Sox, there are no more marquee guys that just hit and not field! The National League Teams plan on more contact for runs created out of necessity and it is always reflective by the competitive games we see them play in the playoffs.

In 2012, the Giants made 4 key acquisitions before and during the season to change their offensive demeanor. If you ask me flat-out as a baseball observer, there is no way the Giants win the World Series without Marco Scutaro or Angel Pagan at the top of the lineup. I also am conceding credit to Melky Cabrera’s hitting contributions as a contact hitter before being busted. Before Melky Cabrera was shown the door for PED’s, he was the same hitter as Scutaro in the 2nd half and postseason, in just hitting every single pitch that was thrown at him. To be honest here, Angel Pagan does strike out a fair bit as a lead off hitter, however he also has speed that makes him dangerous whenever the ball is contacted. It is all about a mixture of power, speed and contact hitters. To illustrate this fact, Hunter Pence (also picked up near the Trade Deadline) did not hit well in the regular season or playoffs for average, yet he was able to drive in a pile of runs because guys ahead of him were always on base. All he needed to do was to make contact for his RBI. Read the rest of this entry →

2 Comments

Tags: alcs, American league, angel pagan, billy beane, boston redsox, brett butler, brian sabean, buster posey, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, curits granderson, david ortiz, dh, giants, hunter pence, ichiro suzkuki, Joe Morgan, juan pierre, Marco scutaro, mark mcgwire, melky cabrera, mlb, national league, new york yankees, nick swisher, nlcs, old dutch chip factory, pablo sandoval, phillies, roberto alomar, rod carew, st louis cardinals, twitter @chuckbooth3024, world series

ATR: Ask the Reports Answers Your Baseball Questions: MLB Free Agency Season Is Upon Us!

Nov 4

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

Sunday November 4th, 2012

Posted every Weekend: Your top baseball questions from the past week are answered. E-mail all questions to mlbreports@gmail.com, message us on Twitter, post on our Facebook Wall and leave comments on our website! There are many ways to reach us and we will get to your questions from all social media outlets!

Jonathan Hacohen: Here we go again. We spend the whole offseason waiting and hoping for the MLB season to start. We speculate where free agents will sign, which teams will pull off trades and which teams have reason for optimism once the season. We dissect every move and weigh the dollars/years on each contract. Welcome to hot stove baby! But then the season comes and goes in a flash- then we end up right back to the offseason again. Right back to free agency talk again.

This week we have a nice mix of topics. From covering free agents, to trades, division realignment- our readers really went through the whole spectrum of baseball topics. We couldn’t possibly jump into ATR during free agency season without hearing the names Hamilton, Greinke or Upton? Of course not! So enough talking- more asking! It’s time for Ask the Reports.

Now let’s get to your top questions of the week: Read the rest of this entry →

Comments Off on ATR: Ask the Reports Answers Your Baseball Questions: MLB Free Agency Season Is Upon Us!

Tags: ask the reports, atr, b.j. upton, baseball, baseball questions, david ortiz, edwin jackson, free agency, ichiro suzuki, james shields, jose valverde, josh hamilton, kyle lohse, lance armstrong, Major League Baseball, Marco scutaro, mlb, nick swisher, Torii Hunter, zack greinke

Alex Rodriguez: Ready for 2013

Oct 25

Posted by bernieolshansky

Thursday October 25th, 2012

Bernie Olshansky: Over the past couple of years, Alex Rodriguez has been a Yankee disappointment. For the humongous 10-year $275 million contract that he is signed to, his production should be a lot more than hitting .272 with 16 home runs and 57 RBIs. A-Rod was injured for a bit and played in only 122 games this year, but come on—someone with that type of contract should drive in 100 runs every year. Rodriguez is signed through 2017, so his contract is not one that another team would be excited to take on. Not by a long shot.

The Yankees will likely be paying Rodriguez the majority (or all) of the rest of his contract (no team in its right mind would trade for Rodriguez without making the Yankees pay for him). So at the end of the day, I think the Yankees will keep him. Without a much better option at third base (Eric Chavez), the Yankees will be forced to use Rodriguez. Although there is a lot of pressure put on Rodriguez and the Yankees after getting swept by the Tigers in the ALCS to end the season, the dust will eventually settle. This will provide Rodriguez with the environment he needs to make his comeback.

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

Tags: AL East, alcs, alds, alex, alex rodriguez, arod, baseball, boston red sox, c.c. sabathia, contract, derek jeter, mariano rivera, mark teixeira, mlb, new, new york yankees, nick swisher, playoffs, robinson cano, rodriguez, russell martin, trade, world series, yankees, york

ATR: Ask the Reports Answers Your Baseball Questions: The Yoenis Cespedes Showcase Video, Evolution of the Yankees, Swisher to Boston and More!

Oct 20

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

Saturday October 20th, 2012

Jonathan Hacohen: Baseball, much like life, is always full of change. Just think of all the changes that Major League Baseball has undergone during the past few years. Expansion. Realignment. Wild Card. Second Wild Card. Luxury Tax. Home field advantage in the World Series from the All-Star game. And to think, that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The Astros are moving next year to the AL West. Daily interleague play. The Athletics may move to San Jose. There is no doubt that the baseball we knew once upon a time is gone and buried. We are in a new golden era of baseball, one that promises to continue to evolve and thrive. Much like the sport it covers, MLB reports is on the same fast track.

If you follow MLB reports daily (which you DEFINITELY should), you have noticed the changes that we have enjoyed over the past few months. New writers, pages, website format- if there is one thing that we don’t do here, is sit on our hands. We recently had Kyle Holland come on board as our Baseball Intern and Alex Mednick as a Baseball Writer and Analyst. Haley Smilow is on board as our MLB Junior Correspondent. We have a diverse stable of writers, all with different experiences and styles. That raises the bar on the content that we bring you each and every day on MLB reports. We love our team, which continues to grow all the time. We have a devoted Cooperstown page, featuring our Cooperstown Correspondent, Patrick Languzzi. Love Fantasy Baseball? Peter Stein has you covered every week highlighting his fantasy baseball notes and advice. Our Fantasy Baseball page features Peter’s work. Lead Writer Chuck Booth, a Guinness World Record holder in baseball travel brings you exciting and informative articles every Wednesday and Friday night. The list literally goes on and on. If it involves baseball, MLB reports has you covered.

We feature at least two articles per day, posted at the start of each day around 9:00am ET and in the evening at 8:00pm ET. Life gets busy- we know that. We strive at MLB reports to always have an article ready on your computer to go along with your morning coffee at work, and a feature in the evening while you unwind. Plus you never know when surprise bonus features will hit our site next. When we say MLB 4 Life, we meet it! Make sure to follow @mlbreports on Twitter and to subscribe to our website- http://www.mlbreports.com. The link is at the top of the site. It’s free. And it’s an excellent investment in your baseball knowledge!

With all the exciting changes at MLB reports, the truth is… that there is even more to come. We always are on the lookout for bright new talent. New concepts. New topics. Just like MLB, we always want to improve and evolve. But it’s a gradual process. Starting Monday though, you will see that we will be adding a new something to MLB reports. I can’t tell you what…I’m very sorry. But you will find out very soon. My advice? Bookmark mlbreports.com and/or make it your homepage. Get into work on Monday October 22nd. Grab a cup of coffee and turn on your computer. When your boss thinks you are working, you will be preparing for our feature of the day. At 9:00am ET, you will find a new addition to MLB reports. It is both different and exciting. The feature is called “The Interview of a Lifetime” and one that you certainly cannot miss. Get ready to be shocked, entertained and informed. The best part? This is only the beginning. I feel like the Riddler…and have already said too much….

Now let’s get to your top questions of the week: Read the rest of this entry →

Comments Off on ATR: Ask the Reports Answers Your Baseball Questions: The Yoenis Cespedes Showcase Video, Evolution of the Yankees, Swisher to Boston and More!

Tags: andy pettitte, ask the reports, atr, baseball, baseball questions, bernie williams, boston red sox, chuck knoblauch, cuba, darryl strawberry, david cone, david wells, derek jeter, joe girardi, jorge posada, mariano rivera, mlb, new york yankees, nick swisher, oakland athletics, paul o'neill, pittsburgh pirates, playoffs, robby rowland, tim raines, world series, yoenis cespedes

The Legacy of Chris Carpenter: Savior in St. Louis

Oct 18

Posted by mednickalex

Thursday October 18th, 2012

Chris Carpenter started his career in Toronto after being the 15th overall selection in the 1994 draft. After the 2001 season, the Toronto Blue Jays made a calculated decision not to offer Carpenter a major league contract. He elected for free agency, rather than pitching in the minors for Toronto, and his legacy in St. Louis began when the Cardinals picked him up.

Alex Mednick (Baseball Analyst and Writer):

The legend of Chris Carpenter started as a 19-year-old pitching for the Medicine Hat Blue Jays in 1994. He was the 15^th overall pick by the World Series Champion Toronto Blue Jays in the 1993 draft. He was a physical specimen built to stand atop a 9.5” hill and stare down at hitters as they stared back at his 6 foot, 6 inch frame. Drafted out of Manchester, New Hampshire, the 19-year-old already had a plus fastball and a nice curveball. By 1997, at the age of 22, Chris Carpenter had broken into the Toronto Blue Jays rotation and was pitching against the best hitters in the world.

As a mid-season call up in 1997, Carpenter struggled in Toronto, hosting an ERA above 5.00 and a record of 3-7 over 13 games. His role in Toronto was mostly to eat innings, and he was there to gain experience and hopefully blossom into what the Blue Jays brass new head could be. He was in a rotation that consisted of the 1996 AL Cy Young winner Pat Hentgen, as well as the 1997 AL Cy Young winner Roger Clemens, so he had some serious mentors to help guide him on breaking into the big leagues. Despite his amazing talent, Carpenter struggled for most of his first season in Toronto and was eventually moved into the bullpen. In 1998 however, he emerged and gave everyone at least a glimpse of what would eventually come of Chris Carpenter, while proving himself to already be a competent starter capable of winning games. He led the Toronto Blue Jays (tied with Pat Hentgen) with 12 wins in 1998, and continued to pitch well into 1999…at least until he became cursed by a spell of injuries. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Playoffs

4 Comments

Tags: 1994, 2004 red sox, 2012 nlcs, a-rod, alds, alex mednick, alex rodriguez, andy pettitte, angels in the outfield, B.J. Surhoff, baltimore orioles, bobby valentine, brady anderson, busch stadium, c.c. sabathia, cal ripken, cal ripken jr, Camden Yards, cardinals, cc sabathia, Championship, chris carpenter, chris tillman, curtis granderson, derek jeter, detroit tigers, game 3, game 3 nlcs, game 7, hiroki kuroda, hunter pence, jason hammel, jeffrey maier, jeter, jim thome, JImmy Key, jimmy rollins, joe saunders, josh hamilton, madison bumgarner, manny machado, mark teixeira, matt cain, medicine hat blue jays, miguel gonzalez, mike mussina, new york yankees, nick swisher, nlcs, nlcs game 3, oakland, oakland a's, oakland athletics, october, oriole park at camden yards, orioles, Pat Hentgen, phil hughes, philadelphia phillies, postseason, Postseason 2012, rafael palmeiro, relievers, roberto alomar, robinson cano, roger clemens, roy halladay, ryan howard, san fransisco, san fransisco giants, scott erickson, shane victorino, st louis cardinals, St. Louis, texas rangers, tim lincecum, tony larussa, toronto blue jays, wei-yin chen, world series, yankee stadium, yankees

Detroit is One Game Away from the World Series

Oct 17

Posted by samevans87

Wednesday October 17^th, 2012

Sam Evans: In the first three games of a thrilling ALCS, Detroit showed its dominance over the New York Yankees. In fact, even though the Yankees still technically have a chance, World Series tickets at Comerica Park go on sale Wednesday morning… and Tigers fans should be ready to use them. Detroit has been led by the outstanding performances of Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, and Delmon Young. With Game Four coming up tonight, here’s a quick look at how Detroit has managed to win the first three games, what’s gone wrong with the Yankees, and what lies ahead for both of these teams. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Playoffs

Comments Off on Detroit is One Game Away from the World Series

Tags: alcs, alex rodriguez, baseball, c.c. sabathia, delmon young, derek jeter, detroit tigers, doug fister, Jim Leyland, joe girardi, jose valverde, justin verlander, miguel cabrera, mlb, new york yankees, nick swisher, phil coke, prince fielder, rafael soriano, raul ibanez, robinson cano, world series

2012 ALCS Preview: Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees: Can the Yanks Survive the Loss of Jeter?

Oct 14

Posted by Jake Dal Porto

Sunday October 14th, 2012

Jake Dal Porto: The Yankees’ offense is limping into the series, while Detroit is riding Justin Verlander’s arm high. Both were expected to be in this position when the season began, but their journeys were vastly different.

Who will prevail in a series which won’t be lacking for ageless headlines and drama?

Starting Pitching Preview

The Tigers and Yankees each heavily rely on one guy on their respective rotations. And it’s quite clear who those two guys are. But just for reference, we’ll make it known. The Tigers ride Justin Verlander, while the Yankees put a lot of faith in their 33 year-old veteran left-hander, C.C. Sabathia. There’s that.

It’s clear that neither of these teams would be where they are without their two aces. Verlander carved up the A’s in Game 5 on the ALDS to punch Detroit’s ticket to the ALCS with a complete game shutout, and Sabathia sliced and diced the Orioles’ lineup in Game 5, allowing just one run en route to a complete game gem of his own. Think back to their 8th inning of Game 5 and how Sabathia escaped trouble. That is a true ace.

Therefore, guys other than Verlander and Sabathia will provide the separation. Realistically, it could be anyone at this point. Neither the Tigers or Yankees have a stellar number two that’s consistent. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Playoffs

Tags: ALCS 2012, alex rodriguez, andy pettitte, anibal sanchez, austin jackson, baseball, cc sabathia, curtis granderson, david robertson, derek jeter, hiroki kuroda, jose valverde, justin verlander, mariano rivera, max scherzer, miguel cabrera, mlb, nick swisher, phil hughes, playoffs, prince fielder, rafael soriano, raul ibanez, robinson cano

Orioles vs. Yankees: Curse of Maier May Be Over

Oct 10

Posted by mednickalex

Wednesday October 10th, 2012

The last time the Yankees and Orioles met in Postseason play was in 1996. The Orioles lost that series, and a lot of fingers were pointed at the controversial home run caught young fan, Jeffrey Maier. The Orioles postseason fate may be different this time around against the Bronx Bombers.

Alex Mednick (Baseball Analyst and Writer):

The last time the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees met in the playoffs was in 1996 in the ALCS. Like in 2012, Andy Pettitte and Derek Jeter were on the Yankees roster. The Orioles boasted a lineup that consisted of Rafael Palmeiro, Roberto Alomar, Cal Ripken Jr., B.J Surhoff, and Brady Anderson—who was having a career year. That lineup, along with a rotation consisting of Mike Mussina and Scott Erickson and Jimmy Key, gave Baltimore an imposing roster that the Camden Faithful could expect to make a playoff run.

15 years later we see a tale that is much more of a David and Goliath story. The Orioles have not been in the playoff’s since 1997 and have finished 5^th place in the AL East for the last 4 consecutive seasons. The Yankees, conversely, have made the postseason 17 out of the last 18 seasons. After getting off to a hot start, the Orioles made a trade for future Hall of Famer, Jim Thome, to help add some pop and veteran leadership to their lineup. Even later in the season, when the team still found themselves in serious contention for October baseball, they called up 20-year-old phenom Manny Machado, who wasn’t even alive when Jim Thome took his first swing in the Major League. Now, Manny Machado finds himself playing on the same field as his childhood hero, Alex Rodriguez. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Playoffs

Comments Off on Orioles vs. Yankees: Curse of Maier May Be Over

Tags: 2004 red sox, a-rod, alds, alex rodriguez, andy pettitte, angels in the outfield, B.J. Surhoff, baltimore orioles, bobby valentine, brady anderson, c.c. sabathia, cal ripken, cal ripken jr, Camden Yards, cc sabathia, chris tillman, curtis granderson, derek jeter, detroit tigers, game 3, hiroki kuroda, jason hammel, jeffrey maier, jeter, jim thome, JImmy Key, joe saunders, manny machado, mark teixeira, miguel gonzalez, mike mussina, new york yankees, nick swisher, oakland, oakland a's, oakland athletics, october, oriole park at camden yards, orioles, phil hughes, postseason, Postseason 2012, rafael palmeiro, relievers, roberto alomar, robinson cano, scott erickson, wei-yin chen, yankee stadium, yankees

Ichiro Suzuki Is Proving To Be Just The Right Elixir For the Yankees Lineup

Sep 26

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Wednesday, September.26/2012

Ichiro Suzuki has thrived in this AL EAST Pennant Race. Has he done enough to warrant a 1 or 2 year deal to re-sign with New York Yankees? We might get our answer after the 2012 MLB Playoffs.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024

Ichiro Suzuki has been tearing it up over the last 10 games for the New York Yankees. The ‘freshly’ named AL ‘Player of the Week’ is hitting .432 with 19 hits in that time-including a 14-20 stretch and 6 Multi-hit games. So does his renaissance remind of you anyone? ah, yeah… The 2001-2009 version of the Japanese Superstar. The Yankees were smart enough to think that Ichiro still had some good baseball in him. For the last 250 games as a Mariner, Suzuki was struggling just to hit .260. A Career lifetime hitter at Safeco Field of .325, was only hitting .214 there this year. The Yankees brass must have been banking on his road average of .294 for this year to see what kind of player addition he would make in their lineup.

Ichiro has been hitting out of the 1 or 2 slot for the majority of this run, a move I said to do as soon as the Yankees picked the guy up. Between he and Jeter, you have two professional hitters who have a combined 7236 professional hits when you add Jeter’s 3296 hits, plus Ichiro’s 2567 hits in the MLB and his 1273 hits with the NPBL. Folks, Ichiro has 3940 hits in his professional career. It is my opinion they should not mess with this lineup for the rest of the year. Jeter is challenging for a batting crown, so he may be a little better out of the #1 slot as he sees a lot more pitches–and tends to walk more. Plus as a left-handed batter hitting second, with pinpoint bat control, Ichiro is better to hit the ball to advance Jeter into scoring position or beat out infield hits with a hole open on the right side of the base when Jeter is at 1st.

Suzuki is also an excellent bunter and his speed is still way above average. While I don’t think Jeter will ever pass Pete Rose‘s 4256 MLB hits, I believe that if Ichiro plays the rest of this season, plus another 2 seasons, he may have a chance to club another 317 hits to pass Rose on the ALL-Time professional hits list. Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: AL East, ALL-Time Hits Leader, andy pettitte, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, derek jeter, mariano rivera, mlb, new york yankees, nick swisher, NPBL, pete rose, seattle mariners

MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: September 2012

Sep 3

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Monday, September.3/2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024 To say that this year has been a good year for baseball is an humongous understatement. I thought after last years finish, that nothing was going to duplicate the experience. Everyone forgets (or maybe not) that there should not even have been many races last year with Atlanta and Boston having such substantial leads on playoff spots. The Red Sox and Braves collapsed like a couple of bowling pins with King Kong Bundy splashing down on them!

This year, there are 15 teams still vying for 10 playoff spots. So far the only probable locks are Washington for a playoff spot-and Cincinnati to probably win their division The player races for all of the categories is almost as fascinating. Will Andrew McCutcheon catch Melky Cabrera for the Batting title? Or will 2012 be forever cemented in baseball folklore by a stained player like Cabrera? He could still end up determining who wins the World Series in the Fall Classic by his Testosterone filled antics in his MVP ALL-Star Game. The big question is, will the San Francisco Giants fans cheer for him if he comes back in the playoffs? They cheered for another league leader before when it was obvious he was guilty. Right now if you are the Giants, you will take an opportunity to boo or cheer for Cabrera because that means you would be in the playoffs.

Will the spending happy Dodgers have to wait another year to capitalize on their new plan to make the playoffs? If they ultimately miss the playoffs outright, are they going to buy every player they can in the off-season? I sure hope Magic knows that there are Luxury Tax penalties for spending over 178 Million Next Year. 1st year fine is 22.5%, 2nd year is 30%, 3rd year and beyond is 40%. So if they plan on having a 250 Million Dollar Payroll in 2013 (by adding 2 or 3 more top Free Agents) will the Dodgers just forego the worry of any financial penalties on a yearly basis– just to dominate the whole National League (plus baseball for that matter.) Every other team has to consider the urgency in cashing out a World Series right now while the Dodgers have not had a full off season with the new management yet. Can Oakland and their ‘New Money Ball philosophy’ make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2006?

The Best Players over the last month were: Buster Posey, Prince Fielder, Giancarlo Stanton, Adrian Beltre, Josh Hamilton, Yovani Gallardo, Kris Medlen, Adam Wainwright, Aroldis Chapman and Felix Hernandez. The best teams have been Oakland, Washington, San Francisco, San Diego, Baltimore and Texas. The worst teams have been Houston (at least its better to go down hard and stockpile #1 Draft Picks guys.) I have a feeling you will be there for a while with the division you are heading into and may even challenge the 120 Loss Single Season Record. At least you are not going into the NL West to compete with the LA Dodgers! The Cleveland Indians have fallen to an epic drop-off as well. Toronto misses their top sluggers. What has happened to the Minnesota Twins? The Mets have ownership and payroll problems, so at least they have an excuse. Plus they lead the world in guys being hurt. When David Wright has been your healthiest player, you know the season has been backwards! So sit back, get your notebook and popcorn ready for this Month’s Rankings! Read the rest of this entry →

Comments Off on MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: September 2012

Tags: aaron loup, adam dunn, adam laroche, adam wainwright, adrian beltre, albert pujols, alex cobb, alex gordon, Alexi Ogando, alfonso soriano, allen craig, andre ethier, angel pagan, aramis ramirez, arizona diamondbacks, aroldis chapman, Atlanta Braves, austin jackson, baltimore orioles, ben revere, ben zobrist, billy butler, boston red sox, brad ziegler, brandon belt, brandon phillips, Bronson Arroyo, bruce chen, bryce harper, buster posey, c.c. sabathia, carlos gomez, carlos quentin, carlos ruiz, casey fien, chad billingsley, chase headley, chicago cubs, chicago white sox, cincinnati reds, clayton kershaw, clayton richard, cleveland indians, cliff lee, coco crisp, cole hamels, colorado rockies, corey hart, craig kimbrel, curtis granderson, curtis maybin, danny espinosa, darren o'day, david cooper, david Dejesus, david hernandez, david murphy, david price, david wright, delmon young, derek jeter, detroit tigers, Dexter Fowler, dustin pedroia, elvis andrus, eric chavez, eric young, erik kratz, evan longoria, felix hernandez, freddie freeman, freddy garcia, garrett jones, giancarlo stanton, gio gonzalez, hanley ramirez, hisashi iwakuma, houston astros, hunter pence, ike davis, j.a. happ, j.j. putz, james shields, jamey carroll, jason heyward, javier lopez, jay bruce, jayson werth, jeff keppinger, Jeremy guthrie, jesus montero, jim johnson, jimmy rollins, joaquin arias, joe mauer, joe nathan, joel hanrahan, john jay, john mayberry Jr., johnny cueto, jon lester, jonathan broxton, jonathan lucroy, jonathan papelbon, jose reyes, jose valverde, josh hamilton, josh reddick, juan encarnacion, justin morneau, justin verlander, kansas city royals, kevin frandsen, kevin youkilis, kris medlen, kyle kendrick, kyle lohse, kyle seager, los angeles angels, los angeles dodgers, luke gregerson, Marco scutaro, Mark buerhle, mark reynolds, mark rogers, martin prado, mat latos, Matt Harrison, matt holliday, matt kemp, matt moore, matt scherzer, matt wieters, melky cabrera, miami marlins, miguel cabrera, mike fiers, Mike Leake, milwaukee brewers, minnesota twins, mitch moreland, moises sierra, New Marlins Ball Park, new york mets, new york yankees, nick markakis, nick swisher, NL Comeback Player of the Year, NL Rookie of the Year, Norichika Aoki, oakland athletics, oliver perez, paul goldschmidt, pedro alavarez, pedro ciriaco, philadelphia phillies, pittsburgh pirates, placido polanco, prince fielder, r.a. dickey, ricky romero, roy halladay, ryan dempster, ryan howard, ryan mattheus, ryan webb, ryan zimmerman, san diego padres, san francisco giants, scott podsednik, scott rolen, seattle mariners, sergio romo, st louis cardinals, stephen strasburg, steve lombardozzi, tampa bay rays, texas rangers, tim hudson, todd frazier, Torii Hunter, toronto blue jays, Triple crown, tyler colvin, Tyler Flowers, wade miley, washington nationals, will venable, yonder alonso, yovani gallardo, yu darvish

Top Ten Stat of The Week Special Trade Edition! Boston Red Sox: Payroll 2013

Aug 30

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Thursday, Aug.30/2012

As the longest-serving Red Sox Offensive Player under contract, Dustin Pedroia needs to return to his MVP like form of a few years back for Boston to be in contention next year.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024– In one fell swoop, the Boston Red Sox went from a team with no payroll flexibility at all for years to come, to a team that only has 4 players under contract for 57.2 Million Dollars next year. It is actually around 43 Million Dollars for Dustin Pedroia (10 MIL), John Lackey ,(16 MIL) John Lester (11.6 MIL) and Clay Buchholz (5.8 MIL.) Now since they are paying about 15 Million to the Dodgers as part of the trade it takes the total up to about 57 Million. So how does the team look going forward? Not that bad actually. The have about 25 Pre-Arbitration to Arbitration Eligible Players to re-sign. A lot of them are under club control or will not fetch that much of a boost in pay. Jacoby Ellsbury will probably get a bump from the 8 Million he received this year and Jarrod Saltalamacchia will also be due a raise from the 2.5 Million in 2012 with his breakout power year. Daniel Bard is a “Super 2” Arb Eligible Player and should not be that hard to resign considering his ineffective year. The most pressing thing to do is to resolve the David Ortiz matter and then to grab a couple of free agent pitchers and a power hitting First baseman or an outfielder.

Judging from my best estimate, it looks like the Boston Red Sox will have about an 100-110 Million Dollars for all of their Arbitration players, plus the guys already signed. This leads me to David Ortiz. He should be given a 2 or 3 year contract as soon as humanly possible at 15-16 Million Dollars a Year. He was the only player in the AL to have an OPS over 1 still going into tonight. Yes he has been hurt, but ‘Big Papi’ is not finished in the MLB. Yes he will be 37 heading into next year but he has been the best DH in the AL over the last 3 years. Ortiz had said earlier this year-that he would be open to playing for other teams so the brass better make him feel wanted or he will walk! He genuinely likes Pedroia so I am sure Ortiz could be persuaded to come back. You have to at least find this out early as it will let you know how to proceed on the Free Agent Market.

Here are some David Ortiz highlights. THIS VIDEO CONTAINS CLIPS COPYRIGHTED FROM MLB ADVANCED MEDIA. MLB REPORTS DOES NOT OWN THESE CLIPS.

For Part 1 of the Trade Breakdown: The LA Dodgers 2013 Top Ten Payroll click here .

Tags: aaron cook, alfredo aceves, andrew bailey, andrew miller, boston red sox, charlie morton, chris carpenter, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, clay buccholz, cody ross, craig breslow, daisuke matsuzaka, daniel nava, danny valencia, david ortiz, dustin pedroia, felix doubrount, Franklin Morales, jacoby ellsbury, james loney, jarrod saltalamacchia, john lackey, jon lester, junichi tazawa, mark melancon, mike aviles, new York, nick swisher, pedro beato, pedro ciriaco, rich hill, ryan kalish, ryan lavarnway, ryan Sweeney, Scott Achison, shaun marcum, twitter @chuckbooth3024, vicente padilla, zack greinke

Top Ten Stat Of The Week: Most World Series Appearances since 1961

Aug 19

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Sunday August 19, 2012

The Yankees have 27 World Series Titles and 13 Losses in the Fall Classic since 1921. That is 40 Total appearances in 90 Years. Can they make it 41/91 this year. Heading into Sunday Aug.19, they own the 1 seed in the AL.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024 Baseball seasons are 162 games long. They used to be 154 games at one point, just ask all of the Yankees fans who did not want Roger Maris to break Babe Ruth’s HR Record with an additional 8 game schedule. The point is, every year is a marathon. Yes there are teams that can catch a hot streak and ride it all the way through the playoffs. We were privy to this the last few years with the World Series Championship teams of St. Louis and San Francisco. Ironically, both of these teams are on this top ten list. These organizations are on here because of a commitment to excellence as a Franchise. The New York Yankees do have a stacked lineup every year to help aid the World Championship Seasons, aside from them though, is there any other team that has spent money like crazy for decades? The answer is no.

Out of these teams listed in the top 10, The Baltimore Orioles have had the longest stretch since they have made the World Series (1983), yet the Cardinals were the closest to have been in the Fall Classic in wrapping up their 5th title in the last 50 years last year. Of teams that are not on this list, they are 5 teams that did not make the top 11 but have 2 World Series Trophies since 1961: Toronto won the WS in 1992 and 1993, Florida put away wins in 1997 and 2003, Pittsburgh won in 1971 and 1979, Detroit won in 1968 and 1984 and Minnesota in 1987 and 1991. Out of these 11 teams, only 3 teams have winning records in the Fall Classic since 1961: NY Yankees (9-6), Oakland (4-2) and St.Louis (5-4). This clearly shows that is easier to make the World Series than it is to win it. The Atlanta Braves made 5 World Series in the 90’s, only to lose 4 of them. All of these teams did exist in 1961. Some of the teams that are expansion clubs do have great numbers and maybe just haven’t been around long enough. Florida is in its 20th year and still has 2 World Series wins. The Blue Jays have only been around for 35 years and have 2 WS Titles. Arizona is in its 15th year right now and boasts a Trophy already. Tampa Bay has one WS appearance and is looking to make the playoffs for the 4th time in 6 years, to then add their 2nd WS Appearance if possible. It is long-suffering fans like the Chicago Cubs that haven’t won since 1909, or even appeared in the WS since 1945, that are growing extremely restless.

*** MLB Reports does not own the copyrights to the following videos or music. The videos are from MLB.com, courtesy of Fox, TBS, and KMOX, and the music is “Dark Horses” by Switchfoot from their album “Vice Versa”***

Comments Off on Top Ten Stat Of The Week: Most World Series Appearances since 1961

Tags: alcs, andy pettitte, Atlanta Braves, babe ruth, baltimore orioles, boston red sox, chicago cubs, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, david ortiz, derek jeter, detroit tigers, florida marlins, freddie freeman, ichiro suzuki, jason heyward, la dodgers, lou piniella, minnesota twins, montreal expos, new York, new york mets, new york yankees, nick swisher, oakland athletics, robinson cano, roger maris, seattle mariners, st louis cardinals, stephen strasburg, tampa bay rays, Toronto biue Jays, wahington nationals, world series

The Yankees Should sign Vlad Guerrero

Jun 13

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Wednesday June.13, 2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- The events that happened yesterday with the Blue Jays and Vlad Guerrero are strange and totally warranted for further review. In my opinion, the Blue Jays dropped the ball on this one. Guerrero lit up the Minor Leagues for a couple of weeks and should have been called up when Edwin Encarnacion was hurt on June.4th. It was the perfect opportunity to have Vladdy come up and replace EE in the lineup. It should have prompted a return to first base for Encarnacion when he came back from his injury just 5 days later.

The top average on the team actually belongs to EE, who is hitting .281 currently. Vlad Guerrero has never hit worst than .290 in the last 15 years. He tore it up in the minor leagues, and was said to have showed up in decent shape. The Blue Jays had to know that Vladdy would be upset when he was bypassed on in favor of David Cooper or Yan Gomes. I give full credit to the agent for Guerrero in this case, he negotiated a verbal contract with Alex Anthopoulos that the slugger could opt at any time and request to be released from his player contract with the club. In the only thing that makes the Jays look okay on this, they never had to go through with letting Vladdy out of this contract. Really it is a shame that the two sides could not work out something to have Vlad stay with the club. It may actually work out better for both sides in the long run.

Tags: alex anthopoulos, alex rodriguez, andruw jones, blue jays, brett gardner, brett lawrie, brian cashman, Chuck Booth, colby rasmus, curtis granderson, david cooper, derek jeter, edwin encarnacion, jose bautista, mark teixeira, new York, nick swisher, raul banez, russell martin, the fastest 30 ballgames, vladimir guerrero, yan gomes, yankees, yunel escobar

MLB reports Monthly Power Rankings: May 2012

Tuesday May 8th, 2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)-We are going to bring you a monthly power rankings every month of the season. There will be a few verses for each team. Please feel free to let us know your thoughts.

May Power Rankings

Texas (19-10) Josh Hamilton is clubbing the ball at his 2010 like AL MVP clip. Yu Darvish appears to be the real deal. Mike Napoli hits 8^th on most nights. Michael Young might be the most under-appreciated hitter in the last decade. Ian Kinsler is on pace for 162 runs. If Nelson Cruz starts hitting and or Nathan rounds into form, than this team may blitz by every one.
Tampa Bay (19-10) The pitching staff is incredible right now. David Price is asserting himself as one of the premier left-handed pitchers in baseball. Strong starts from Evan Longoria, Luke Scott and Carlos Pena have helped. Joe Maddon may be the best ‘in-game manager’ of baseball now with Tony La Russa out of the Majors.
Atlanta (18-12) The reason I have Atlanta rated so high is they are not even having a good year from Tim Hudson yet and Jair Jurrjens has been atrocious. Still they sit near the top of the standings. Chipper Jones has 21 RBI and Freddie Freeman has taken the next step so far with 26 RBI. Last year the team had a lot of players with career worst years and they were only eliminated on the last day of the season. This year may be different.
St. Louis (18-11) You lose a franchise player like Albert Pujols and you spend half the money for Carlos Beltran and Rafael Furcal, who are finally hitting the numbers like the back of their bubble gum cards from 5 years ago. Are we giving enough credit to Mark McGwire here? Lance Lynn has morphed into Chris Carpenter with his 6-0 start.
LA Dodgers (19-10) Matt Kemp is the best player in baseball right now and may walk away with the triple crown this year. Andre Ethier has matured into the RBI guy he needs to be. Solid pitching by Clayton Kershaw, Chris Capuano and Ted Lilly have this team looking solid. Dodgers look good in the future when the new ownership takes over. (more…)

Posted on May 8, 2012 | Image

Why MLB Fans Love to Hate the Yankees

Apr 1

Posted by samevans87

Sunday April 1st, 2012

Sam Evans: It’s no surprise that the most popular MLB franchise is also the most despised. For every person who hates the New York Yankees (aka “The Evil Empire”), there’s a person who claims to be a die-hard Yankees fan. The Yankees sell more merchandise than any other MLB team, and their consistent performance on the field is unmatched. Nonetheless, they have the highest payroll in baseball and they toss large contracts to steal talented players from small-market teams. Personally, I hate the Yankees and here are a couple of reasons why.

For over twenty years, the Yankees have dominated free agency. In the last five years, the Yankees’ major free agent acquisitions include Mark Teixeira, C.C. Sabathia, Alex Rodriguez, Russell Martin, and Hiroki Kuroda. For comparison, over the last five years the Royals big free agent signings include Gil Meche, Jose Guillen, and an ancient Jason Kendall. There’s a common argument among baseball fans that the Yankees don’t develop players themself, they just buy other teams’ superstars. This isn’t exactly true as proven by Yankees regulars Robinson Cano, Brett Gardner, Mariano Rivera, and Derek Jeter. However, the reality is that the Yankees do steal some of the game’s best talent by offering them enormous contracts. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

3 Comments

Tags: alex rodriguez, arod, baseball, c.c. sabathia, derek jeter, george steinbrenner, mariano rivera, mlb, new york mets, new york yankees, nick swisher, robinson cano

Rate the GM: The Kenny Williams Report Card

Mar 2

Posted by lorimartinibelieves