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Top Ten Stat of the Week: Players with 40 HRs on 4 Different Teams Or More

Monday July.02/2012

Gary Sheffield hit 30 HRs and 120 RBI in both 2004 and 2005 for the Yankees before injuries held him to just 39 games in 2006. Sheffield also hit 40+HRs on 5 other teams (per stay) besides the Bronx Bombers in his career. –Photo courtesy of exposay.com

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- As the world of Twitter and Facebook has invaded the internet these days, I am brainstorming about all sorts of stats I have had in my head for years. This stat came to my head because of Gary Sheffield. A few years back, I watched a game on my birthday at Safeco Field. It was the New York Yankees and Sheffield visiting. There are players that you are sure to watch live in person. Gary Sheffield was one of these hitters. Not only is he one of 25 player in history to hit 500 HRs, but he had one of the fiercest swings ever. The man would wiggle that bat back and forth like a toothpick before striding and swinging with daunting ferocity. It was an unorthodox style that must have made Little League coaches cringe, yet it was effective. Sheffield was a bit of a hot head though, this may have led to him being traded or not re-signed by several teams. Hitting 40 HRs for 6 different teams is definitely impressive and may never be duplicated. I knew he had played on several teams already so the seed of today’s article was planted back in 2005.

Fred McGriff was the exact opposite of Gary Sheffield when it came to temperament. This man was traded several times in his career because he could flat-out hit. Jose Canseco is the only other player besides McGriff and Sheffield to hit 40 HRs with 5 different teams. The reason many older players are not on this list is because free agency never arrived in the MLB until the early 70’s when Curt Flood challenged a trade and the Players Union saw it through. Now player movement has enabled more players switching teams each season than ever before. Rusty Staub was the 1st to make this list and Alfonso Soriano is the last player to make this list and the only current player left. I have a feeling we will see more players arrive on this list in the next 25 years.

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PNC Park Book Excerpt from ‘The Fastest 30 Ballgames’ Novel

Apr 25

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Wednesday April.25/2012

Original Print of the book was June 2011
Book Excerpt writeup By Chuck Booth

“This was the first of two visits to PNC Park during streak chases of 2008. This date was on July.7/2008. The events that happened right after this game caused me to restart the Guinness Streak on July.08/2008. A little diversion from a closure in the Lincoln Tunnel heading towards LGA cost me a flight from New York to Dallas. Hmmm.. I have not had a lot of luck in flying to Dallas have I?”

Game #7 Day #6

PNC Park

Pittsburgh PA

July.07/2008

It was not my first time to see the Pirates play at ‘PNC’, the previous year I watched a doubleheader featuring Barry Bonds last games to be played in Pittsburgh—for awhile I was thought he might pass Hank Aaron for the all time Homer list for the games I was attending. Barry had surpassed Aaron a week earlier but I was still glad to see him in the starting lineup. Now I was back less than a year later.

I was ready to rebound from the day before. I drove 340 miles from my brother’s house in New Jersey—to arrive in Pittsburgh with lots of time to spare.

I parked in a business building across the “Roberto Clemente Bridge.” PNC Park is very convenient for parking, as they close off most of the bridges directly nearest to the ballpark. The park looks immaculate from the bridges and especially in reverse from the park where you can see the bridges.

Pittsburgh is a blue collar town but it a beautiful city downtown. The crowd was not bustling that night. There were 13,223 fans for the game and half that many were there when I arrived.

There may not be a better new ballpark when it comes to respecting the history of their team. There are statutes for just about any significant member ever associated with Pirates. There is a great amount of history of the World Series Runs of 1971 and 1979. The area my ticket was in was the left field bleachers section for a $9 price. Quite simply it is the best value in the majors considering it is general seating. You are right on top of the left fielder.

I made it over to “Greentree Pizza”—located just behind the huge scoreboard. I was staving so I ordered the large fourteen inch Pepperoni Pizza. It is made on a light thin crust and is one of the best singular foods in the majors.

Around the park, people were texting each other on their cell phones as the Pittsburgh Pirates display between every inning on their scoreboards. This is a fun thing to do—and very fan interactive.

They have two mascots that are running around the empty park. ‘The Pirate,’ (who will steal your food if you are not looking and/or opposing team ball caps that fans wear) and ‘The Parrot,’ (who is a lot more kid friendly and usually can be found occupying seats in the empty lower bowl.). I was pleasantly surprised that the ushers were so nice to me when I told them about my record streak. The lady talked to me for thirty minutes about the ballpark and even asked if I had time for a tour while in the city, she said she could call her boss if I wished. I politely declined as I had a long drive back to New York City. It was then I realized I actually needed a quick game.

It was one of the plane fares bought before the trip started and impossible to change because it was too costly. I would have about six hours to drive back to New York for a five and a half hour drive. There was not much wiggle room.

One of the coolest things about the PNC Park-is the size of left field center scoreboard. They play a four minute introduction at the start of the game that shows years of Pirate highlights and it always pumps me up. Then there is a segment where a cartoon pirate is away at sea with his crew and they come across the opposite team boat. A 3 minute battle ensues with the Pirates crew eventually taking ownership of the other boat. The pirate laughs and then it is game time.

The scenery is beautiful with the backdrop. The big green fence in right-center field has ‘Pirates’ perfectly hedged in shrubs. The only thing that is kind of weird is you can’t walk in the general area entirely across the outfield sectors. The seat’s in right field are in the 3rd level and is quite a shot from home plate to hit a home run. It is even a better sight at night with the bright lights of all the bridges illuminating the park. If only the franchise was in better shape.

The food courts are impressive for the limited amount of people attending. They are quick with the vendors—and have some of the longest serving staff of any in the majors.

In the left field bleachers there is a sit in restaurant that features live performances out on the patio deck including ‘mariachi band’s’ and groups that sing ‘a cappella.’ There is not much going on downtown directly around the park inside of the bridges that does not pertain to the ball game.

That night began sunny but soon clouds over giving me the worry of a rain out. The Houston Astros ran out to a 3-0 lead on a towering homer by Carlos Lee. The Pirates responded with a 4 run bottom of first. The inning took about forty-minutes and I was in time trouble again.

Fast forward to the 4th inning and it was 10-7 Pittsburgh—and we were already nearing 9:15 PM. I was sweating the game big time. If I left about 10:30 PM—I would be in massive trouble. I had done the drive from Pittsburgh to New York a few times before so I had some confidence to make good time.

It is a scheduling nightmare the certain Monday and Thursday baseball games on the condensed nights of the MLB when you are chasing this record.

There were not too many other nights I could see the Pirates playing. Again I was thinking about the July.9th restart option.

I was happy to see a quick 5th and 6th inning. The only thing that made me happier then that—was the game went the last 5 innings—only with one hit, and no runs after 17 runs in the 1st four innings. The last 5 innings only elapsed 40 more minutes in time.

I thanked the ushers for signing my logbook and ran out of the southwest corner near the ‘Clemente Bridge.’ I was happy at this moment it was Pittsburgh—as the crowd was smaller to navigate back to the highway. I had 7 hours in order to make it there for an hour before my flight.

I had prepaid the parking fare in the business garage, and was horrified to see the PT Cruiser I had rented the previous week in New York had now been keyed by someone. I was relieved that I had added the extra insurance to the car rental-which I usually forego however, because of the New York City garage experience the last time I had been to New York—I took the insurance.

This was still a concern. The car rental place would certainly want to discuss this. Just like some other rentals the scratches were not too visible and for a minute I thought they had been there the whole time. The scratches were on the passenger side so I had not seen that area much in the week. I pressed on.

I was revving on adrenaline as the time and miles wore away. I stopped at the edge of NJ State to stop for gas. All I had to do was go through the Lincoln Tunnel merge onto the ‘FDR’—in order to merge onto the 495-S Long Island Expressway. It was just after 4:40 AM-when I was headed for the tunnel.

“You have got be friggin kiddin me!!!! I yelled as I approached the tunnel which was closed for construction. I was at a loss for what was next. I knew the FDR would take me to the bridge I needed to take over. I then remembered the “Holland Tunnel” would work. I starting making way in that direction as panic set in. It was only starting to become daylight. At 5:00 AM-I made it to ‘Times Sqaure.’ I then finally made it to the FDR before merging onto the 495—and was on the Brooklyn-Queens-Expressway within reason.

Then the fun began. LGA is an airport dropped into a rural neighborhood. I made it to the airport okay—the problem was the car rental place was up the street. I arrived into ‘Thrifty Car Rental’ at 5:25 AM-with the flight leaving at six sharp I had a chance at that point.

I was on the shuttle bus awaiting the driver to leave for the airport which would have taken about 5 minutes—maybe another 10 minutes for early morning security and then I would have 10 minutes to run to the gate. The shuttle was away.

“Yes, I am going to make it,” I pronounced—it would be the closest miss yet. The shuttle driver had informed me that there was not much of a lineup for people traveling without checked baggage. The sun popped out and all of a sudden I loved New York City. Despite a small detour, I had overcome it by feeling out my way through it like I did as a courier back home.

A knock on the loading window stopped the shuttle bus smooth–and a grey haired, tall lanky old man with glasses came on the bus and pointed in my direction. “There is damage to your Cruiser. We need you to fill out an accident report.”

“Sir, I have full insurance and have a plane to catch, there is no time. I will be back this way next week watching a baseball game at Shea Stadium can I fill it out then?”

“Son, I could get in serious trouble for that. If you hurry there is another shuttle leaving in 5 minutes.”

I knew if I left the shuttle I would miss my flight. The only saving grace was that ‘Air Tran Airways’ are nice enough to their travelers—by letting them fly stand by on remaining flights to their original destination should they miss their flight. It was a stand-by option good for one day only. I knew there were two more flights to Dallas that day—both had a lengthy stop over in Atlanta. The first flight arrived in Dallas at 3:30 PM. I had designated that flight the first time I was going to book the flight. I then mistakenly thought the drive from Pittsburgh was only 5.5 hours-like it was from my brother’s house to PNC Park. I had the two confused in my final booking of the flight!

I opted for the earlier flight because I would arrive in Dallas at 11:00 AM-and could check into the Motel 6 right away to catch up sleep.

I filled out the accident report and made the next shuttle to LGA. Like I was a possessed addict chasing an addiction I ran to the ticket window at ‘Air Tran’. It was 5:45 AM. The system had already shut me out of the flight. I ran to the window were a mid-40’s gentleman was typing a keyboard and looking at me running at the same time.

“Flight to DFW right?” he questioned, he knew the answer.

“Yeah, I thought that you could print out the tickets up to 10 minutes before?” I answered, somehow gaining a glimmer of hope that he could radio ahead, stop the plane until I got there. I heard stories growing up of this happening.

“Actually you need to be in the boarding area 10 minutes prior to gates closing-we cut off the boarding passes 20 minutes before sorry.”

“Ah, man.” I was pissed, I half-wanted to race back to the car rental facility and drag the manager out into the street and beat him to a pulp. “How does the next flight look to Dallas?”

“Lemme check that for you.” The man typed quickly as he could, a man who was late for the same flight I was—came in line to be helped next. “The flight is oversold and there are 7 people on the waiting list ahead of you.”

If there is one thing I know is waiting for stand-by on flights. My step-mom had worked in the airline industry for 25 years. I was able to fly whenever I wanted, wherever I wanted provided there were available seats. 7 seats was a lot for a 9:00 AM Flight. It would have been different if it was the flight I had just missed. I had to try it. New York traffic had swallowed me up that morning, maybe it would swallow up others. “Print me the pass, I will try.”

“You never know sir you might also get a family that does not want to fly separately. You are a single traveler so you have a better chance than others.”

I grabbed my new boarding pass and headed trough security, and pressed onward to the gate. There was not much open for breakfast so I was happy to have polished off that huge pizza in Pittsburgh the night before. I needed to call the airlines to see if I could arrange other travel arrangements to Dallas.

I searched for the internet at ‘LGA’ which was non-existent at that time. I called every airline up. It was going to be $600 or $700. Day of flight’s prices sky rocket on same day sales. My plan was simple now. I would see if I made the next flight before another decision was to be made. I called Visa in the meantime and I was appalled to see that I had little credit left with all of the pre-authorizations against the car and hotel rentals. I was awaiting a payment to go through as well. I had $450 left. I was stuck. Not only was I in danger of missing my game in Texas—but my streak reset needed to start over in San Diego the next day.

It was a lost cause at ‘LGA’ and I left the airport at 10:00 AM-by boarding what I thought was a charter bus in between ‘LGA’ and “JFK.” I wanted to be at JFK incase I was stranded-since there were more amenities and late night domestic flights. At 10:30 AM-the charter bus let me off downtown in Manhattan.

“Wait a second I purchased a bus-ride all the way to JFK.” I said to a heavy set German fellow.

“You boarded the wrong bus.” The man replied.

“No I didn’t.” I was right–the man had forgotten to switch the template on the bus signage based on what I had seen back at ‘LGA’- he had deceived me.

“I paid for a ticket to JFK, and that is what your sign said. I know you are going to try to stiff me,” I was being rude back to the rude New York people now, “so why don’t you tell me how I get to JFK, it has been a brutal morning.”

The man radioed a bus a block away, “hold the bus for a minute, I need to drop a passenger for you to take to JFK, I made a mistake, no charges either.” The man actually smiled and nodded at me. I was relieved but knew that New Yorkers were good at nearly breaking you and then surprising you with doing the right thing.

I made it to JFK at noon in the hot heat, it was approaching 90F. I was still not ahead of the game. Like LGA-JFK did not have internet accessible terminals anywhere. I was running out of options. I called my buddy Dan Dion.

Dan Dion and his brother Justin had given me the time off delivering newspapers for the trip. I had known them both for eight years. Justin was doing one of my routes for me while I was away. I had to forfeit the second route because of the timing, but was promised a different route when I returned in August.

Dan was in Langley, British Colombia, and was in front of his computer.

“Dude, It’s me, missed my flight to Dallas because of an idiot car rental worker and a bridge closed for construction, I need your help, are you online?”

“Ya, I am online right how. Where are you?”

“I am on the Air-Tram at JFK circling the gates and don’t know where to go because I don’t have a plane ticket yet, I need you to go to the site www.kayak.com.”

“10-4 man.”

“Man, I am glad you are home. Okay click on the flights icon and then enter JFK letter into the: ‘from part’-and ‘SAN’ letters in the: ‘to’ part, and don’t forget to make this a one-way flight.”

“How is it in the big crapple?” Dan was laughing and typing at the same time.

“Dude, this is a brutal city sometimes, good thing I always had the reset option, knew I was probably going to need it after that Philly/New York doubleheader miss anyway.” Some girl left here tote-bag on the seat next to me and I was going to hand it in.

Some old man freaked out on me saying I was stealing it. All this was happening while awaiting results.

“Cheapest flight is $545.”

“Not good, okay try LAX from JFK, I need to return there tomorrow night anyway so it will work for a car rental.” The man scoffed a look of disgust at me again. If I was not on a good will ambassador tour I would have sworn at him for his ignorance.

A few seconds elapsed, “Dude, I got an American Airlines flight leaving at eight your time arriving at just after eleven in LA-price is $160.”

“That is awesome, book that dude, click on it for me and I will give my credit card number to buy it-and then you can give me the confirmation code, then I will need to hit Budget Car Rental’s site next.”

Dan helped me for the next fifteen minutes and I was now going somewhere again. I had several hours before the flight to kill. I was fortunate enough to have the reset option. The new attempt was still 30-26 days. I had a grueling stretch of 4 doubleheader attempts in 5 days: SD Padres-Los Angeles Dodgers, followed by a Detroit Tigers-Cleveland Indians attempt; followed by Chicago Cubs/Milwaukee Brewers; then Toronto isolated by itself before a Washington Nationals/New York Mets attempt to hit the all-star break.

If all were hit all games I would be at 9 games in 5 days, even with the 3 day penalty for the all-star break I would have a chance on the other side of it. I arrived in LAX without a hitch.

I had just enough credit on my visa to rent the car and I had $150 cash. I knew there was lots of deposit money coming off by the next night at midnight eastern time. I had to make it the next 24 hours with the money I had. There was $30 for parking/probably $20 for gas and $100 left for food and shelter. I drove to San Diego right away. I tried the Motel 6-but no there was no vacancy. I wish I would have known about the hostel downtown then. I decided to keep all my money. I had an idea to shower at a ‘YMCA’ in the morning. Besides I had to spend money on batteries for the digital camera-plus I needed some health and beauty aids.

I ate 7-Eleven food for dinner and drove around San Diego for a few hours before resting at a ‘Rite-Aid.’ I slept for a few hours and finally it was open. A homeless man was outside and needed some money bad to eat. I only had $60 left after the drugstore but decided to give him $5. He was so thankful. I talked to him about my day in New York City. He informed me that my day was about to change for the better. After I drove away somehow I finally believed it.

Great American Ball Park Book Excerpt from the Fastest 30 Ballgames Novel

US Cellular Field Book Excerpt from “The Fastest 30 Ballgames” Novel

***Thank you to our Lead Baseball Writer- Chuck Booth for preparing today’s feature on MLB reports. To learn more about “The Fastest 30 Ballgames” and Chuck Booth, you can follow Chuck on Twitter (@ChuckBooth3024) and you can also follow Chuck’s website for his Guinness Book of World Record Bid to see all 30 MLB Park in 23 days click here or on the 30 MLB Parks in 23 days GWR tracker at the Reports click here. To Purchase or read about “The Fastest 30 Ballgames Book, ” please click here ***

Please e-mail us at: mlbreports@me.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. To subscribe to our website and have the Daily Reports sent directly to your inbox, click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.

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Tags: Air Tran Airways, American Airlines, barry bonds, chicago cubs, Chuck Booth, cleveland indians, Dallas, dan dion, detroit tigers, dodgers, houston astros, JFK Airport, lga airport, Lincoln Tunnel, Los Angeles, milwaukee brewers, Motel 6, New Jersey, new york mets, padres, pirates, pittsburgh, pnc park, San Diego, the fastest 30 ballgames, washington nationals

Dynamic Scalping – A Fan Manifesto

Apr 20

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Monday April.23, 2012

Lori Martini at Citizens Bank Park at the April.9th game on Opening Day 2012. The Phillies are at a 102% sellout rate capacity and don’t need dynamic pricing like some of the other clubs that are featured in this article.

Lori Martini (Baseball Writer and @lorimartini on twitter)- Kenneth J. Silver (Special Guest Contributor):

Imagine you’re standing on line to purchase film tickets on its premiere day.The film has just received very good reviews. When you initially passed by the box office you saw that each ticket was the standard local price of $12. After your long wait, when finally came your time to purchase admission, the ticket seller said that your $12 was no longer a valid admission price, that due to the laws of “supply and demand,” the theater was now at 70% capacity, which was a signal that the owner of the theater that s/he could raise his price up to $15. Too shocked to argue, you pay for your ticket and take your seat. You strike a conversation with the patron next to you, who tells you that s/he blindly paid for an advance ticket for the film months ago at $10 per ticket. Same film, same time, same place—but three different price tiers, manipulated by the owner’s need to raise quick cash for investment before the product is rolled out, a “bargain” that is only a bargain if one has absolute blind faith in the proposed product and/or unlimited funds to invest in an iffy proposition. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: angels, bud selig, cubs, dynamic pricing, justin turner, kenneth j silver, Lori Martini, marlins, mets, mlb, padres, phillies, StubHub, Vh1 house of consignment, white sox

The 2012 Padres Rotation Will Be Just Fine

Apr 8

Posted by samevans87

Sunday April 8th, 2012

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Sam Evans: From what I’ve heard around baseball about the Padres rotation, the Padres have no chance of contending in 2012. This was surprising to me, when actually the Padres slim chance of contending this year is due to their abysmal offense. The Padres rotation is fairly average compared to the rest of baseball. Obviously, losing your ace would hurt any MLB pitching staff. But I believe that the 2012 Padres rotation is almost criminally underrated.

At the forefront of the Padres rotation is newly acquired right-handed pitcher from the Reds, Edinson Volquez. Volquez was one of the players included in the Mat Latos trade in December. He was always a highly esteemed pitching prospect coming up in the Rangers minor league system, the problem always being his command. After being traded to the Reds following two average seasons with the Rangers, Volquez had a breakout year with the 2008 Reds. He threw 196 innings with 206 strikeouts, a 3.21 ERA, and a 4.3 BB/9. Due to his ridiculous first half of the season, Volquez made the 2008 National League All-Star team. The next year, Volquez got off to a decent start, but then was forced to miss the rest of the year with Tommy John surgery. Coming back from Tommy John surgery is not an easy thing, but multiple MLB pitchers have come back from the surgery, pitching just as good (if not better) than they did when they were healthy before. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: anthony bass, baseball, cory luebke, dustin moseley, edinson volquez, mat latos, mlb, nl west, padres, San Diego, yonder aloso

An Interview with Petco Park Expert Ken Lee

Apr 7

Posted by chuckbooth3023

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Saturday April.07/2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- I had the chance to talk to my fellow co-author of the “Fastest 30 Ballgames” Ken Lee recently about Petco Park. Ken has made numerous trips to San Diego to visit this newer ball yard. This is what we discussed.

DB: “Welcome to the MLB Reports Experts Interview Series Ken. Please tell us about yourself and then give us a bit of background information on your life as a baseball fan?”

KL: “My name is Ken Lee, I am a General Manager for Jackson Hewitt Tax Service and I live in Marysville, WA with my wife Yvonne and our 2 pup pups, Boomer & Tilly. I am a co-writer of the book titled “The Fastest 30 Ballgames – A Ballpark Chasers World Record Story” that came out last year. I grew up playing baseball and loving every aspect of the game. I attended my first MLB game in April of 1977 @ the Kingdome in Seattle (Yankees vs Mariners). Since then I have attended about 1,000 games or so. I have seen games at 29 outta 30 current ballparks (the lone exception being the new Marlins Park – which I will pick up on May 14th & 15th) and I have seen 42 different MLB ballparks overall.”

DB: “You recently joined me in writing the book “The Fastest Thirty Ballgames”. What does having your name permanently as an author in the ‘Library of Congress’ mean to you?” Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: ac/dc, busch stadium, California, Chuck Booth, fenway park, giants, Jackson & Hewitt Tax Services, Kenneth Lee, Kingdome, Library of congress, mariners, Marysville, old town, padres, petco park, San Diego, Seeall30.com, the fastest 30 ballgames, trevor hoffman, wrigley field, yankees

Is Yu Darvish the Next Young International Baseball Superstar?

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Monday, February 13th, 2012

Douglas ‘Chuck’ Booth (Baseball Writer)– One of the first names I forgot in my blog about ‘young phenom pitchers’ taking the league, plus a city by storm was Fernando Valenzuela. I immediately thought of another blog right after. That is young International Phenom pitchers. I picked 4 pitchers that hail from other places other than the USA to concentrate the story on. I came up with Valenzuela from Mexico, Hideo Nomo from Japan, Eric Gagne from Canada and Juan Marichal from the Dominican Republic. The 4 baseball players all flashed onto the scene as young pitchers, 3 of them dominating their peers from the get go. Eric Gagne, the 4^th member of this study, only started to dominate when the Los Angeles Dodgers sent him to the bullpen. Speaking of the Los Angeles Dodgers, three of these four pitchers were both with the club when they started out. It is a credit to their scouting staff. There is a reason why no other team has turned out more ‘Rookie of the Year’ players in the last 30 years than the Dodgers. (more…)

Posted on February 13, 2012 | Image

Casey Lawrence Interview: Blue Jays Pitching Prospect (Casey’s Got Game!)

Jan 16

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Monday January 16, 2012

MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen: I love talking baseball prospects. I can discuss them and debate them all day long. I get asked all the time: how do you know which prospects will make it? The truth is…picking prospects is not an exact science. Some highly touted ones end up falling off the map, while relative unknowns can shoot up and shine. But if you ask me my measuring stick, it always begins with one statistic. Walks. I look for hitting prospects that take walks and pitching prospects that give up very little walks. It is that simple. The process if far more complicated and this is an oversimplification. But if a walk total stands out, you definitely have my attention.

On the hitting side, take Jaff Decker in the Padres system. The outfield prospect took 103 walks last year in AA. Ranks him very high in my books. But as rare as it is to find a hitting prospect who can take a walk with pop in his bat, it is even more rare to find a good control pitcher in the minors that gives up few walks and punches hitters out. Let’s say I was to find you a pitcher. In his first two professional seasons combined, here are his numbers: 21-11 record, 2.80 ERA, 1.082 WHIP, 228 1/3 IP, 211 hits allowed, 172 strikeouts and…only 36 walks allowed. Interested? That is a 4.78 SO/BB ratio. Only 1.4 BB per 9 IP. At 24-years of age, welcome to the world of Casey Lawrence.

At 6’2″, Casey has good size for a pitcher. He stepped into professional baseball in 2010 and has dominated from day one. As starting pitchers goes, I really like his potential. There is a common obsession in baseball circles to favor pitchers who throw 99 mph gas but are generally wild. In my book, an out is an out. Casey Lawrence still has a good share of strikeouts, but it is his control and stinginess on walks that separates him from the pack. 2012 will be a big year for the kid who’s got game. I would like to see what he can do in AA. He has shown that he can pitch. The Jays now need to take that potential and put it up against the next level. If he continues on his current path, Toronto will not be too far behind.

For all his success to-date, Casey has not let the numbers get to his head. With his down to earth nature, Casey is not getting too far ahead of himself. He does not consider himself above the game, but rather a student of the game. This is what we call the total package- and Casey Lawrence will continue to turn heads in the coming years. Featured today on MLB reports, we are proud to present our interview with Blue Jays Pitching Prospect, Casey Lawrence:

MLB reports: Welcome to the Reports Casey! First question we like to start off with: Who was your favorite baseball player growing up, that you most idolized and patterned your game after?

Casey Lawrence: The player that I most idolized growing up was Cal Ripken Jr. of the Orioles. I admired Cal for his ability to show up to the field day in and day out, without ever taking a day off and playing through injuries. I admired the way he accepted a position change from SS to 3B for the betterment of his team. I admired the way he played the game and had fun doing it.

MLB reports: Which current MLB star do you most admire and why?

Casey Lawrence: Today, I admire Derek Jeter for the way he handles himself on and off the field. He is the type of player that has become a household role model. He plays the game the way it is supposed to be played and has that “it” factor; the ability to make the big play, clutch hit, and find a way to win.

MLB reports: Reflecting on your career to-date, what are your proudest accomplishments on the baseball field?

Casey Lawrence: My most proudest accomplishment of my career-to-date would have to be a combination of two: the day I signed my contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and being given the honor of starting the 2010 New York-Penn All-Star Game. I consider both to be honors and rewards for the hard work I’ve put in each and every day.

MLB reports: You started your baseball career with the Jays organization in 2010. Did you expect to be signed by Toronto? What was that process like?

Casey Lawrence: I had been shown some interest from a few teams after my junior year at Albright College heading into the draft. While no teams took a chance then, I still had faith that my time would come after graduating my senior year. My senior year was greeted with several more teams showing interest, but yet again the draft came and went without a single phone call from any of the 30 MLB teams. That means I had been passed over in the draft 3,000 times in two years. But wasn’t the first time I had been looked over, so I had accepted the fact that I had to continue to prove people wrong each and every day. I had actually been in Florida for vacation during the 2010 draft. I returned home that Sunday and pitched in a local men’s league game for the Brushtown Bulldogs. Monday morning I received a phone call from Blue Jays scout Bobby Gandolfo saying that they would like to offer me a contract. I flew back to Florida Tuesday morning and my journey started.

MLB reports: What do you consider your greatest baseball skill(s)?

Casey Lawrence: I consider my knowledge of the game as one of my greatest baseball skills. I grew up learning and playing the game I love from my Grandfather, who was offered a professional contract from the St. Louis Browns. But he turned it down because my Grandmother insisted he stay home and take care of the family, my Father and my Uncle. I really enjoy talking the game and strategy of baseball every day and don’t know what I’d do without it.

MLB reports: What facets of your game do you most wish to improve upon?

Casey Lawrence: I am continually working to better myself within this game whether it be mentally or physically. I always keep “The Mental ABC’s of Pitching” close by me and consider it a pitcher’s Bible. I also have been striving to continue to get stronger and increasing my arm strength in order to stay healthy and consistent.

MLB reports: I am very impressed with your numbers. Good win totals, low ERA and WHIP. I am particularly blown away by your low walks rates. What’s the secret of your success?

Casey Lawrence: The secret to my success is no secret at all but rather hard work. I have always worked hard at throwing strikes, locating all my pitches, getting ground balls, and allowing the defense to make plays. My Uncle Dave (also my pitching coach at Delone Catholic High School) and Gary Yeager Jr. (my pitching coach at Albright College) always preached about pounding down in the strike zone and that hasn’t changed since signing with Toronto.

MLB reports: Long-term do you see yourself as a starter or a reliever?

Casey Lawrence: Long-term I see myself doing whatever the team asks me to do. Obviously, I’d love to continue to start; but if they feel I’d help the team more by relieving ,then that’s what I’ll do.

MLB reports: What pitches do you throw? Best pitch? Anything you are currently working on?

Casey Lawrence: My repertoire consists of a 2-seam sinking fastball, 4-seam fastball, change-up, slider and curveball. I’m continuing to develop my breaking pitches into being more consistent and sharper.

MLB reports: If you had to look into a crystal ball, when do you see your expected time of arrival in the big leagues and what do you think you need to do most to get there?

Casey Lawrence: That’s a tough one, really putting me on the spot with this one! I’ll say this. I see my arrival in the big leagues whenever the team feels I’m ready. Obviously, everyone wants to get there sooner rather than later, but it takes a lot of hard work to get there. They are the greatest players in the world. The truth is “if you think you’re ready, you’re probably not”. Every day is another opportunity to get better and learn something new. No one is guaranteed the opportunity to play at that level and if I’m fortunate enough to one day have that opportunity, that would be a blessing.

MLB reports: What do you do for fun when you are not playing baseball?

Casey Lawrence: When I’m not playing baseball, I enjoy going to the movies, watching television, playing some video games and golfing.

MLB reports: Have you visited Toronto yet?

Casey Lawrence: I honestly have never been outside the United States. My passport is ready if the time calls for it, but I’d rather not just visit.

MLB reports: You just completed your second professional season, finishing in High-A ball. Do you know where the Jays likely plan to start you this season?

Casey Lawrence: I have no idea where the Blue Jays plan on starting me this season. I’m anxious for Spring Training to start and earn a spot on the team they feel I fit best.

MLB reports: If you could send out a message to the Jays fans, what would it be?

Casey Lawrence: My message to the fans of the Blue Jays would be to continue with their unbelievable support and that the whole entire organization is working very hard day in and day out to bring them a World Series. Hopefully in the near future!

MLB reports: Final thoughts?

Casey Lawrence: Finally I’d like to thank my family, friends, and fans for their continued support. I don’t think they get enough credit for what they have meant to me in my life. It’s truly a blessing and I thank God each and every day for the opportunity I have to play the game I love for a living.

***Thank you to Casey Lawrence for taking the time today to speak with us on MLB reports (and the pictures used in todays’ feature)! You can follow Casey on Twitter (@CaseyLawrence). Casey is very social media savy, so please feel free to send him any questions/comments you have. Good luck in 2012 Casey, the crystal ball sees big things for you this season!***

Jonathan Hacohen is the Lead Baseball Columnist & Editor for MLB reports: You can follow Jonathan on Twitter (@JHacohen)

Please e-mail us at: MLBreports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook . To subscribe to our website and have the daily Reports sent directly to your inbox , click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.

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Posted in Interviews with MLB Stars

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Tags: auburn doubledays, baseball, cal ripken jr, casey lawrence, derek jeter, dunedin blue jays, jaff decker, jays, lansing lugnuts, mlb, new york penn league, padres, toronto blue jays

My Top Six Worst MLB Teams in 2012

Jan 8

Posted by samevans87

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Sunday January 8th, 2012

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please e-mail us at: MLBreports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us onTwitter and become a fan on Facebook . To subscribe to our website and have the daily Reports sent directly to your inbox , click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.

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Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

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Tags: astros, athletics, baseball, billy beane, carlos beltran, danny hultzen, felix hernandez, Jack Zduriencik, james paxton, jason bay, jeff luhnow, jemile weeks, justin smoak, mariners, matt harvey, mets, mlb, orioles, padres, prince fielder, zack wheeler

Who is the Padres First Baseman of the Future?

Dec 21

Posted by samevans87

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Wednesday December 21st, 2011

Sam Evans:On Saturday, the Padres pulled off a blockbuster deal with the Cincinnati Reds for Padres pitcher Mat Latos. One of the players the Padres received was first baseman Yonder Alonso. Prior to the trade, the Padres were heading into the season with Anthony Rizzo as their projected first baseman. Now, the Padres have some big decisions to make that will affect the outcome of their franchise for years to come.

San Diego acquired Anthony Rizzo in the Adrian Gonzalez trade a couple of years ago. In 2011, I watched Rizzo play once in Triple-A, and again in the majors. Rizzo came into the season as a top-fifty prospect, and solidified his stature with a strong start to the season. With the Tucson Padres in 2011, Rizzo batted .331 with a 149 wRC+. Rizzo made his debut on June 9 against the Nationals, and hit his first Major League homer two days later.

Unfortunately, that would be Rizzo’s only homer in the big leagues all year. Despite his dominance of the lower levels, Rizzo batted .141 for the big league team over forty-nine games. Rizzo plays with extreme intensity, and I would not be surprised (given that he is a young player), if he was down on himself after his poor performance in San Diego.

Rizzo struggled in the majors with making solid contact and squaring up the ball. He has a very long swing, which he might consider changing this offseason. If everything works out perfectly for Rizzo, he would project to be a .280/.350/.500 hitter.

Yonder Alonso is a very intriguing prospect. First of all, he is 240 pounds and two years older than Rizzo. He is not as athletic as Rizzo, and not a strong defender. In 2011, Alonso played shaky outfield defense because he was blocked by Votto at first base. From what I have heard, the majority of people think that Alonso can’t stick in the outfield. He lacks speed, and experience at the corner outfield positions.

Offensively, Alonso is an outstanding hitter. A great comparison for Alonso is a right-handed Carlos Lee. In his 69 games with the Reds over the last two years, Alonso has hit .299 with a .354 OBP and .479 SLG. If you add a couple more homers to those numbers, that would give you a good idea of what Alonso is capable of doing.

The San Diego Padres have a problem on their hands. However, some people are forgetting that this is a great issue to have. San Diego has the choice to either trade one of the above named players, or try to find a new position for one of them. If San Diego keeps both players, Rizzo will probably end up moving to the outfield. With his athleticism, he would probably do just fine. The Padres could also trade Rizzo, and they would probably get some decent to excellent players in return.

It will be interesting to see what the Padres do with this situation. They have several different options available to them. Personally, I would move Rizzo to the outfield and keep Alonso at first base. Nevertheless, I am still worried about Rizzo’s ability to hit Major League pitchers given his current swing. There is no doubt that this decision has a strong potential to change the course of the Padres franchise for years to come.

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

Please e-mail us at: MLBreports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us on Twitter (@MLBreports) and become a fan on Facebook . To subscribe to our website and have the daily Reports sent directly to your inbox , click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.

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Tags: anthony rizzo, cubs, first basemen, mat latos, mlb, nl west, padres, reds, yonder alonso

Interview with Jaff Decker: Padres Prospect and Future MLB Superstar

Dec 14

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Wednesday December 14, 2011

Jonathan Hacohen: Get ready folks, as you are in for a big treat today. Exclusively on MLB reports, we have one of the top prospects in the game, outfielder Jaff Decker of the San Diego Padres. Jaff was recently featured by us prior to this interview. As a former 1st round pick of the Padres (2008 draft, 42nd overall), Jaff came to professional baseball as a very highly touted talent. After working hard and improving every year in the minors, Jaff is on the verge of cracking the Padres lineup in the near future. I had a chance to take some time to speak with Jaff recently. We discussed his childhood, learning the game of baseball, getting drafted in the 1st round, his career to-date and future plans in baseball. Despite being featured in many baseball publications and rated as a top prospect in the game, it was refreshing to find that Jaff has not allowed his notoriety to get to his head. He is a down-to-earth person, who genuinely works hard and takes nothing for granted. He believes in himself and his abilities, but with a strong sense of humor and humility. I project that Jaff will have a long and productive career in the big leagues. He has the talent, work ethic and focus to succeed in baseball. Attention Padres fans: Jaff Decker is knocking on the doorstep and will be a big part of your Padres team very soon.

Featured on MLB reports, I am absolutely thrilled to present my interview with Jaff Decker. Former 1st Round Pick. San Diego Padres Outfield Prospect and Future MLB Superstar:

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MLB reports: Welcome to MLB reports Jaff. It is a pleasure to be speaking with you. As you are a highly rated prospect in the game, do you receive many requests for interviews at this stage of your career?

Jaff Decker: It has definitely started to pick up more and more as I have moved up each year in levels, especially with the teams I have played on the last couple of years. Winning 2 championships out of 3 years has really helped the interviews out.

MLB reports: It is impossible to have a conversation about Jaff Decker without first discussing the walks. You had 85 walks in 2009 and 103 this past season. How did you become a walk/obp machine? At what age did you develop your strong batting eye?

Jaff Decker: I would have to say it is pretty hard to go without talking about the walks I have had the past couple of years. Good and bad. My dad has taught me everything I know about the game of baseball and the hitting aspect of it. He has always taught me great fundamentals and has preached to me that “a pitcher has 3 pitches to get you out. As the pitchers pitch you, work the count. A walk is just as good as a hit.” But I am also learning to be a little more aggressive in the count as well, which I have worked real hard on by watching film and working on pitches.

MLB reports: I often use Nick Swisher and Adam Dunn as comparisons to you. What current and former players did you grow up idolizing and/or patterning your game after? Have the names that I mentioned come up before?

Jaff Decker: Yes, actually Nick Swisher has come up a lot. I really enjoy watching how hard he plays the game and how much he enjoys playing this great game. Growing up though the years, it was always Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr. and Tony Gwynn. I had so many opportunities to watch them play being from Arizona, so I always watching them during the spring. Funny story: when I was about 5-years-old, I caught a home run ball over Tony and actually got the ball signed by him after that inning. That will always be a great moment in my mind.

MLB reports: You were a 1st round pick in 2008. One of the highest honors a young player can experience in the game. Did you know that you would be drafted that high going into the draft and were the Padres the team that you expected to take you?

Jaff Decker: Being drafted where I was a great accomplishment. We had a huge party at my house during the draft and all my family and friends were there to experience it with me. When my name finally got called, it felt like the house was shaking (laugh). To answer your question, I actually had no idea that the Padres were going to pick me there. There were many teams that had talked to me before. But they (the Padres) kind of flew under the radar and I couldn’t be happier with this organization.

MLB reports: What was the first “big” purchase you made after signing with the Padres?

Jaff Decker: My first and only purchase was a car. Everything else has been put away. But I did have to promise my mom who is a teacher that I would go back to school after I was done playing (grin).

MLB reports: You started off the first two seasons of your career with a bang. How did you find your 2010 season? What was that season like and tell us about your strong finish that year.

Jaff Decker: I had battled an injury during the first half of 2010 and I struggled a little bit. It (the injury) did get to me a little bit, as I was not helping the team like I knew I was capable of doing. So I had a few days off at the all-star break that year and went home. Just like when I was younger, my dad spent those 3 or 4 days putting in many hours in the cage with me working on the fundamentals and just the mental side of hitting. When I came back, everything fell back on track. The big thing was not trying to do too much at the plate and just trusting myself and to start using the whole field again.

MLB reports: Your 2011 season was magical in my eyes. You crossed the magical 100 walks plateau, while flashing strong power, driving in and scoring runs at a healthy clip. Looking back on this past year, what are your feelings? Satisfied? Areas of improvement?

Jaff Decker: I don’t think I’ll ever be 100% satisfied. I felt that I had ups and downs all year and my struggles related to being too patient at times at the plate. There were points that I would know when I was getting pitched around. No excuses at all, but I became a little complacent with what I call “maybe pitches”, that were called strikes by the umpires, but in my eyes were balls. We also didn’t play in the most hitter-friendly ballpark. I did feel though that I came up with some big hits at times during the season. But I still need to work on different parts of my game to get to where I want to be and stay there.

MLB reports: In my estimation, you clearly put yourself in the driver’s seat going into 2012. You are turning 22 in February. What are your goals for the upcoming year?

Jaff Decker: I would have to say my goals would include coming to spring training in better shape again. I love proving people wrong and to show them that I can be a five-tool player, even without being 6 feet and built like a specimen. But I want to work hard to prove them (the critics) wrong and I just try to soak everything I can in. I work out at a place with many proven big leaguers. I just can sit and listen to what they say for hours because I know they have been there and who better to learn from than them.

MLB reports: Have you watched and/or read Moneyball? You have been labelled a Moneyball-player throughout your career. Thoughts?

Jaff Decker: Yes I have seen the movie (big laugh) and I loved it. I love seeing that a ballclub can be put together that is not based on how you look, but how you control the game of baseball. Because by no means when you look at me, am I built like a brick house. But I’ve been taught how to play the game the right way and I think it’s helped me get to where I am today.

MLB reports: Is conditioning a strong concern for you, either as your own goal or anything communicated by the team?

Jaff Decker: Conditioning is huge for me. Like I said earlier, I am no way a guy you look at and say he could be a model (chuckle). I do have to work harder than some other guys and be smarter how I treat my body. I am learning how to do that and love seeing everyone’s faces when I show up after a long hard offseason of workouts and preparation.

MLB reports: You hit .236 this past season, but have a career .273 AVG. You also have a .411 lifetime OBP. How do you view OBP, strikeouts, batting average and home runs as part of your game? If the walks and home runs remain consistent, is there any concern that your average needs to be raised?

Jaff Decker: I believe that I had a slight down year in the average department, but I know I can hit a whole lot better than I did. I felt like I came through with runners in scoring position and by walking, I got on base for the middle of the lineup behind me. Getting on base equals scoring runs (laugh). But my power was there throughout this year. It was just about taking what the pitcher gives me, even if it’s a single the other way instead of a double in the gap.

MLB reports: Long-term, do you project that you will remain in the outfield? How important is defense to your overall game?

Jaff Decker: I believe I can handle my own in the outfield. I have worked very hard every year and tried to learn a lot from other guys. A big part of my game on defense is getting good jumps and routes on balls, because I can run well- but not blazing. I need that to become a great outfielder and that is what I have worked very hard on every year to become better at. I love being able to take hits away from opposing batters, especially if they (the other team) are taking them away from me (big laugh).

MLB reports: The MLB reports crystal ball sees you arriving in San Diego as early as this upcoming year and latest 2013. When do you see yourself arriving in The Show? What do you need to do to get there?

Jaff Decker: That is great to hear (big grin). I know I can play this game with the best of them. I always have and when the chance comes, I don’t plan on missing it. I have some things to iron out and I am working day and night to become that complete player that I know I can be.

MLB reports: Did you always know that you would be a professional baseball player? What would you be doing right now if you weren’t playing ball?

Jaff Decker: Honestly I get that question a lot. I have asked my mom and dad the same thing. They said they knew the time I first stepped on the field and was diving for balls, throwing guys out and just had a natural feel for the game. Even when I was 4 or 5, I was playing with older boys and having to lie about my age so I could play with them. I have always loved this game since I can remember. I was constantly standing in front of the television and mimicking all the big leaguers stances. I was even sleeping with my new bats or gloves. There is honestly nothing else I could be doing right now… or ever.

MLB reports: Last question Jaff: What legacy do you want to leave in baseball? What do you need to do to have a successful baseball career?

Jaff Decker: I want to be remembered as the guy that played this game to the fullest, had fun doing it and played the best I could every time I stepped in-between the lines. Even if I didn’t have my best stuff every game, you can always say that I went out there with everything I had to be great.

Jaff Decker: Thanks again Jonathan and I look forward to being back on MLB reports soon. Thanks for everything. I have really enjoyed speaking with you!

Thank you to Jaff Decker for taking the time to join us today on MLB reports. We highly encourage our readers to post at the bottom of the article any questions and/or comments that you may have for Jaff. You can also find Jaff Decker on Twitter (@JaffDecker22). He may be a top MLB prospect, but yes- he does answer back!

Jonathan Hacohen is the Lead Baseball Columnist & Editor for MLB reports: You can follow Jonathan on Twitter (@JHacohen)

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Posted in Interviews with MLB Stars

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Tags: adam dunn, barry bonds, baseball, first ound pick, jaff decker, mlb, nick swisher, outfield, padres, prospect, tony gwynn

Interview with Robbie Erlin: San Diego Padres Prospect

Oct 31

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Monday October 31, 2011

Jeff P (Guest Writer – MLB reports): I had the pleasure to recently interview one of the top prospects in the game, Robert Erlin of the San Diego Padres. The 21-year-old Erlin was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 3rd round of the 2009 draft. After posting incredible numbers in his brief time in the Rangers organization, Erlin was traded in July 2011, with Joe Wieland for reliever Mike Adams. While Adams was a solid addition to the Rangers bullpen on the road to the World Series, Erlin exploded after the trade. In 6 starts with San Antonio in AA, Erlin had a 1.38 ERA, 1.154 WHIP and 31/4 SO/BB. On the fast track with the Padres, Erlin has a good chance of making his major league debut as early as 2012. Featured on MLB reports, I proudly present my interview with Padres Prospect, Robbie Erlin:

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MLB reports: Hey, Robbie. First of all, I want to thank you for being with us today, it really is an honor to have you with us. I’m sure you have a busy schedule so, let’s get this started. First off:

MLB reports: You have been outstanding to late, and even became a nominee of MLB.com‘s top 50 prospects, who can you thank for your success?

Robbie Erlin: I would thank my dad who taught me how to pitch at a young age, Dave Salter, my pitching coach since I was 13 years old, all the coaches in the Texas Rangers organization who I have worked with during my first couple years of pro ball, and the coaches on the San Antonio Missions who I got to work with for a couple of months this season.

MLB reports: Was it hard to adjust from the Rangers to the Padres?

Robbie Erlin: It wasn’t too hard to make the adjustment. The Padres and Missions staff let me stick with my routines and throwing program and the players were very helpful with any questions that I had.

MLB reports: What do you think is unique about the San Diego Padres organization?

Robbie Erlin: The amount of young talent that they have in both the minor leagues and at the major league level.

MLB reports: What are your daily rituals, and hobbies off the field?

Robbie Erlin: I watch the TV show “Las Vegas” everyday before I go to the field. In the offseason I enjoy spending time with my family and visiting my friends who are in college.

MLB reports: You have been dominating lately. What changes have you made in order to succeed?

Robbie Erlin: I have really tried to concentrate on hitters’ tendencies and gaining information about offenses so I can apply it in my outings. Also, I have made small adjustments in my delivery so it looks the same on every pitch.

MLB reports: What were the reactions on you getting drafted, and the after party?

Robbie Erlin: My family, friends, and I were very excited about getting drafted. I wanted to play baseball after high school and the Rangers provided me with the opportunity.

MLB reports: Out of your fastball, curveball, and change-up, what would you say is your strongest pitch?

Robbie Erlin: Fastball.

MLB reports: Is it safe to say we can see you in MLB in late 2012, or 2013?

Robbie Erlin: That is a decision for the Padres to make. I am going to focus on pitching and improving as much as I can.

MLB reports: Who do you look up to in the MLB?

Robbie Erlin: There is not one specific player. I watch all of them and try to learn from how they play the game.

MLB reports: What kind of music can one find on your iPod?

Robbie Erlin: Country, Classic Rock, Pop, and Rap.

MLB reports: What’s your favorite sport besides baseball?

Robbie Erlin: Football.

MLB reports: Who was the hardest batter you’ve faced in your professional career?

Robbie Erlin: Cody Hinze from Houston has always been a tough out for me.

MLB reports: Let’s end it off here: If you weren’t a baseball player, where would you see yourself today?

Robbie Erlin: I would be in college working towards a degree.

MLB reports: Thank you very much for taking your time out of your busy schedule so we can have you with us. Much appreciated!

Robbie Erlin: No problem. Thank you very much for the interview!

Thank you again to Robbie Erlin for taking the time to join us today on MLB reports. We highly encourage our readers to post at the bottom of the article any questions and/or comments that you may have for Robbie. As well, please follow Robbie on Twitter (@RobbieErlin11)

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

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John Lackey to Undergo Tommy John Surgery: The Aftermath in Boston

Oct 26

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Wednesday October 26, 2011

MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen: The Boston Red Sox announced this week that starting pitching John Lackey would be undergoing Tommy John surgery, ending his 2012 season before it began. In a twist of irony, this move actually comes as relief to Red Sox nation as Lackey has been anything but stellar since coming to Boston.

In 8 seasons with the Angels, Lackey had a 102-71 record, good for a 3.81 ERA and 1.306 WHIP. In his past 2 seasons with the Red Sox, Lackey’s numbers ballooned to a 26-23 record, with an unsightly 5.26 ERA and 1.504 WHIP. Lackey’s winning record in Boston is attributable more to the Red Sox strong offense, rather than Lackey’s own production. 2011 was a miserable season statistically for Lackey with 2012 not looking much promising either.

In hindsight, John Lackey’s contract is one of the worst in baseball. Lackey is signed to a 5-year, $82.5 million deal running through 2014. For the final 3 years (2012-14), Lackey will get paid $15,250,000 per season. The one bit of relief to the Red Sox is that the injury kicks in a 2015 vesting option, whereby Lackey will only be paid $500K for that season. A small consolation given the magnitude of the money and disappointing numbers from Lackey to-date.

For whatever reason(s), the relationship between John Lackey and the Boston Red Sox is not working out. Lackey has battled personal issues while in Boston, including his wife’s health and battle with Cancer. While clearly we can all sympathize with Lackey’s difficulties in playing while dealing with personal issues, the reports from the end of the season of his involvement with drinking in the clubhouse and eating fried chicken during games brings into question Lackey’s commitment and focus to the team and game. Before news of his surgery, many outlets were reported that the Red Sox were actively shopping Lackey in the hopes of removing him from the team. A strong rumor was a swap with the Padres and reuniting Lackey with his old pitching coach from his Angels’ days, Bud Black. The Padres and Petco would have been an ideal environment for Lackey, provided that the Red Sox would have picked up the majority of his contract in the deal.

But the reconstructive elbow surgery has brough the Lackey rumors to a halt. He will be staying in Boston for the foreseeable future. The Red Sox have faced bad luck this year with Tommy John, as pitchers Daisuke Matsuzaka and Rich Hill both underwent the same procedure in 2011. Theo Epstein was wise to include the injury provision in the Lackey contract; but then again, he may have been better off avoiding the pitcher all-together. News of the Lackey injury was the first announcement by Ben Cherington as the new Red Sox GM. From all the offseason transactions and news that will follow in Boston, this one will be taken as one of the more positive moves.

The Red Sox have many decisions facing them this offseason. The re-signing of David Ortiz and Jonathan Papelbon. The integration and structure of the organization with a new GM. The hiring of a new manager. The departure of J.D. Drew and possibly Marco Scutaro. The comeback of Carl Crawford. These are surely hectic times in Boston. The team will need to make many roster changes for 2012, including the signing of 1-2 new starting pitchers. The injury to Lackey could prove to be a blessing in disguise. The surgery may pinpoint that his terrible numbers in Boston were based more on declining health than eroding skills. With a year-off to rehabilitate and re-energize, the Red Sox may see a new and focused John Lackey. The team would have had to eat most of his contract to trade him; perhaps they are better off paying and playing him.

In the worst case scenario, the Red Sox will need to either trade or release John Lackey between now and 2014, if they do not believe that he can rebound and be a useful asset for the team. There is always the chance that Lackey is not able to recapture the form he displayed back in his Angels days. Also, there may be enough bad feelings between the player and organization that a fresh start will be in order. At this point, the Red Sox are best off to take a “break” so to speak for a year from John Lackey. Come to 2013, the team may find that they have a new valuable asset that they never counted on. John Lackey at the end of the day is a classic example of the risk involved handing a 30 something year-old pitcher a 4+ years contract for big dollars. The Red Sox in this case gambled and lost. But at least the decision can be put off for a year whether to write John Lackey off completely or try to recover pennies on the dollar. I wish John Lackey a successful surgery and healthy recovery. While I don’t expect to see him emerge as a MLB ace upon his return, my sense is that we will see an older and wiser John Lackey on the mound. The talent has always been there. Now he just needs to find the health and heart to fulfill the remainder of his potential.

Jonathan Hacohen is the Lead Baseball Columnist & Editor for MLB reports

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Tags: angels, baseball, black, cherington, drew, epstein, hill, lackey, matsuzaka, mlb, ortiz, padres, papelbon, redsox, tommyjohn

Jobless in 2012 – MLB Managers on the Hot Seat from 2011

Sep 10

Posted by blandy12

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Saturday September 10, 2011

Rob Bland (Baseball Writer – MLB reports): When a team has a disappointing season, the most likely candidate to lose his job is the manager. So far in the 2011 season, there has already been three managers who have either resigned or been fired. The Oakland Athletics fired Bob Geren on June 9^th and replaced him with Bob Melvin. A week and a half later, Edwin Rodriguez resigned from his post as manager of the Florida Marlins. Jack McKeon became the oldest manager since Connie Mack at 80 years old. Yet another week later on June 26^th, Jim Riggleman of the Washington Nationals resigned and was replaced by Davey Johnson two days later. With only a few weeks left in the regular season, who are the frontrunners to be replaced after the World Series?

With eight managers being new to their respective teams to start the 2011 season, one would think there can’t be too many jobs to lose. The first criteria I look at in order to predict who will not be returning his club is if the team was expected to contend for the playoffs, and fell short. Another thing I look at is the perception of the clubhouse, ie. if players get along, or if the manager is able to manage egos. Of course, the manager’s ability to create a lineup and manage a bullpen is taken into consideration. Other factors such as injuries and expectations of players are measured as well. The list that follows are my top 3 managers who could be canned after this season.

Mike Quade, Chicago Cubs

It is not often that I would think a first year manager would be fired like this, but there are so many circumstances that make me believe he will be gone. First, there has been grumbling since day one in Chicago that Quade was hired over franchise icon Ryne Sandberg. The Cubs have been packed with talented players such as Carlos Zambrano, Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, Geovany Soto, Ryan Dempster and Carlos Marmol. Add in Matt Garza and Starlin Castro, and you would think they could at least come close in the terrible NL Central. They are 22 games behind the streaking Milwaukee Brewers, and 21.5 behind Atlanta for the Wild Card. Their record is 62-81 with a 35-40 record at Wrigley Field.

Bud Black, San Diego Padres

With 2011 being Black’s 5^th season with the Padres, a 62-82 record and already 21 games behind Arizona for the NL West title, he could be on the way out. The Padres have yet to reach the postseason under Black, however they were involved in a 1-game playoff with Colorado for the Wild Card title in 2007 that many of us will never forget as one of the most exciting games we have ever witnessed. In 2010, the Padres held a 6.5 game lead over eventual World Series Champs San Francisco Giants on August 25^th. After a 10 game losing streak, the Padres were still in contention, and were not officially eliminated from the playoffs until the final day of the regular season with a 90-72 record. Those were the only winnings seasons in Black’s tenure and his time in San Diego may be up.

Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins

Is it really fair to say Gardenhire’s job is in jeopardy? Probably not, but it definitely is possible. Over his 10 year career with the Twins, he has amassed an 861-740 record and they have been in the playoffs 6 times. However, they have only won 6 games, 4 of which were in one series, in Gardenhire’s first season; 2002. The Twins have not won a playoff game since 2004, being swept in 2006, 2009 and 2010 in the American League Division Series. This year, Gardenhire has had to deal with crippling injuries of former AL MVP’s Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer. Statistically, the best hitter has been Michael Cuddyer, hitting .282 with 18 home runs and 64 RBI. The best pitcher has been Scott Baker who is 8-6 with a 3.21 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 131 2/3 innings. Francisco Liriano has not been the same as he was before undergoing Tommy John surgery after the 2006 season, and aside from his no-hitter against the White Sox on May 3, he has been downright awful and is now on the 15-day disabled list. When the best players don’t perform, or are hurt, the manager is forced to do the best he can with what he is given. However a 59-84 record may just be the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back for Gardenhire.

This year, with 3 mid-season changes already, and eight new managers at the beginning of the season, shouldn’t see too much activity. I do believe that with the Cubs’ search for a new general manager under way, Quade’s days are numbered in Chicago. I also believe that Black’s inability to get the always promising Padres to the next level will leave him without a job by November. Gardenhire has not proven to me that he can bring the Twins to the World Series, and that is what the job description entails. Has it ever happened where both Managers of the Year from their respective leagues gets fired the following year? It could happen if Black and Gardenhire are let go.

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

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Top 10 Closers: MLB Saves Leaders

Aug 26

Posted by blandy12

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Thursday August 25, 2011

Rob Bland (Intern- MLB reports): Closers are a topic a lot of people ask about, but I never really got around to writing about. Mainly because, in my opinion, it is a position that is completely overrated. While it certainly helps to have a guy that can go in and slam the door and collect saves for over a decade a la Mariano Rivera, it isn’t necessary to have a “closer” to be a contending team. One need only to look at the top 20 leaders in saves in baseball to notice that the Texas Rangers’ closer Neftali Feliz sits 19^th with 25 saves, and Philadelphia Phillies’ Ryan Madson is 20^th with 23 saves. It also doesn’t guarantee success, as Heath Bell, Drew Storen, Leo Nunez, Joel Hanrahan are all in the top 10 in saves, while their teams are not in playoff contention.

Top 10 Saves Leaders in MLB as of today:

Pitcher	Team	Saves	K/9	BB/9	ERA	FIP	WAR
Craig Kimbrel	Atlanta Braves	40	14.56	3.53	1.70	1.20	3.1
John Axford	Milwaukee Brewers	37	10.86	3.32	2.26	2.36	1.7
Jose Valverde	Detroit Tigers	37	8.31	4.79	2.72	4.08	0.2
Brian Wilson	San Francisco Giants	35	8.72	5.20	3.19	3.40	0.7
Heath Bell	San Diego Padres	35	6.79	3.23	2.55	3.07	0.7
Drew Storen	Washington Nationals	34	8.03	2.19	2.77	3.48	0.6
Mariano Rivera	New York Yankees	33	8.45	0.92	2.20	2.23	1.8
Leo Nunez	Florida Marlins	33	8.31	2.88	4.63	4.02	0.1
Joel Hanrahan	Pittsburgh Pirates	32	7.85	2.04	1.73	2.17	1.8
JJ Putz	Arizona Diamondbacks	32	8.28	2.17	2.76	3.10	1.0

I look at this list and a few things come to mind:

1) Craig Kimbrel is absolutely filthy.

2) Mariano Rivera is still one of the very best.

3) Closers are more overrated than I originally expected.

4) A lot of saves does not equal success.

5) Craig Kimbrel. Wow.

Craig Kimbrel is having the best year ever for a rookie closer. It isn’t even September and he has 40 saves. Not only that, but he is striking out more than 14 batters per 9 innings. His FIP is a ridiculous 1.20, and his WAR is at 3.1, which is 1.3 higher than any other closer in the Major Leagues. His ground ball rate is 43.7% and has only given up 1 home run in 63 2/3 innings. If the Braves end up winning the Wild Card and have a lead late in games, the shutdown duo of Johnny Venters and Kimbrel should be able to save the game for the Braves in most instances.

John Axford has had a strange way to becoming one of the premier closers in all of baseball. It took him many years to get there, but under the tutelage of Trevor Hoffman, the career saves leader, whom Axford took his job from, he has flourished. In 2010, Axford had 24 saves after taking over for Hoffman mid-season, and this year’s 37 so far are tied for 2^nd in the big leagues. Axford gets over 50% ground balls, and keeps the ball in the yard, two main factors for his success.

Jose Valverde is one of the closers whom I find to be overrated. Part of his success can be attributed to a lucky .250 BABIP. He also walks close to 5 batters per 9 innings, which is extremely high, especially when he does not strike out a very high number of batters. Valverde may appear to be very good with 37 saves, but his 0.2 WAR suggests that he is basically a replacement level pitcher. Surely he is not worth the $7M he is being paid.

Brian Wilson is loved by many in the game. He is funny, has a strange personality, (which seems to be perfectly suited for the bullpen) and he has an outrageous beard. Since 2008, he has accumulated 162 saves, so he is very valuable at the back-end of the Giants’ bullpen. He keeps the ball on the ground, with a career 50% ground ball rate, but he walks a ton of batters (5.20/9IP). He gets a lot of save opportunities because the starting rotation is very good, and his team doesn’t score many runs, so there are a lot of close games.

Heath Bell has put up some ridiculous numbers over the last few years, but these numbers come with half of his games played in the cavernous PETCO Park. While his last two seasons had his K rate over 10, he sits at 6.79 for this season. His ground ball rate is also down 5% to 43. Although his ERA is a good 2.55, his xFIP is 3.89, and like Wilson, gets saves because of an anaemic offense that results in his team often being in close games.

Drew Storen is another of the Washington Nationals’ young phenoms. He moved up the ranks, throwing only 53 2/3 innings in the minor leagues before making his debut in 2010. He has been a tad lucky as his BABIP is .241, but he gets a lot of ground balls, so the hits will even out. He also gives up a higher than average home run per fly ball rate at 11.1%. Storen doesn’t walk many, and as he matures, should probably strike out a higher number. When Washington starts winning more games, he will have even more opportunities for saves.

Mariano Rivera is up to his usual tricks. Even at 41 years old, he is carving up hitters with his signature cut fastball. Rivera has a ridiculous 9:1 K:BB ratio, as well as getting ground balls 47% of the time. His WAR sits at 1.8, tied for second best for closers. The only question is when will this guy ever slow down?

Leo Nunez of the Florida Marlins may be the most overrated closer in baseball. Nunez doesn’t get a lot of ground balls, nor does he strike out a ton, as he gives up a ton of fly balls (49%) and home runs (8 in 56 IP). Nunez’s ERA of 4.63 actually looks worse than his 4.02 FIP, so he has been a little unlucky, but still not very good.

Joel Hanrahan has found a home at the back-end up the Pirates’ bullpen, and is thriving there. While his K rate has dropped to 7.85/9 IP from almost 13 last year, he has walked less batters. Hanrahan has been able to induce ground balls on over half of his plate appearances, and only given up 1 home run in 57 1/3 innings. His stellar numbers have allowed him to tie Rivera for 2^nd in closer’s WAR this year.

JJ Putz’s resurgence as a closer this year comes as no surprise to many. Last year as a setup man for Bobby Jenks with the Chicago White Sox, Putz’s K rate was just below 11/9IP, while he walked only 2.5 per 9 innings. He hasn’t put up the same strikeout numbers this year, but he is walking less batters. Putz’s WAR of 1.0 puts him towards the top of the list of closers.

Out of the top 30 relievers in WAR, only 9 are full-time closers. Francisco Rodriguez is among those pitchers, but since he does not close games since traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, he was not counted. Although this doesn’t mean that just ANYONE can close games and earn saves, it does show that many pitchers who have not been given the opportunity probably could get the job done.

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

Please e-mail us at: MLBreports@gmail.com with any questions and feedback. You can follow us on Twitter and become a fan onFacebook . To subscribe to our website and have the daily Reports sent directly to your inbox , click here and follow the link at the top of our homepage.

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2011 MLB Draft: Recap and Draftees who Didn’t Sign

Aug 16

Posted by blandy12

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Tuesday August 16, 2011

Rob Bland (Intern- MLB Reports): Amongst all the madness that was the Draft Signing Deadline, I first have to say congratulations to Jim Thome for hitting the 599^th and 600^th home runs of his illustrious career. He is only the eighth player in MLB history to reach that mark.

There were many signings that went down to the wire last night, and most players in the early rounds signed. There were five Major League deals signed from this draft. The Washington Nationals gave pitcher Matt Purke a 4-year, $4.4M deal out of the third round. Second overall pick Danny Hultzen, the left-handed pitcher from Virginia University selected by the Seattle Mariners was given 5 years and a guarantee of $8.5M. It was previously reported that the Arizona Diamondbacks gave RHP and third overall pick Trevor Bauer a 4 year, $7M deal. High school pitcher Dylan Bundy was given five years and $6.225M from the Baltimore Orioles and Rice University’s Anthony Rendon was given four years and $7.2M as the most polished bat in the draft by the Washington Nationals. Top pick Gerrit Cole was given an $8M bonus by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

However, there were three players in the first two rounds who did not sign, which will result in the teams who selected them receiving a compensation pick in next year’s draft. First of those was RHP Tyler Beede. Known to be extremely tough to sign, the Toronto Blue Jays selected him 21^st overall. Beede’s talent alone could have taken him into the top 10 picks, but his lofty demands as well as his desire to play for Vanderbilt University dropped him down to the Blue Jays. It was reported that the final offer The Blue Jays offered was in the $2.3M range, but Beede did not budge from his demands. In a tweet from his Twitter handle @TylerBeede, he said “g-d has plans for me and that is college first.” Beede will look to follow in the footsteps of recent first round pitchers from Vanderbilt; David Price and Jeremy Sowers. Beede was one of my picks that would come down to the wire, and I said that it would take close to $3M to sign him. The Blue Jays will now pick 22^nd in the 2012 draft.

North Carolina State University will get their coveted catching signee, as the San Diego Padres were unable to sign switch hitter Brett Austin. The first supplemental round pick, 54^th overall, has plus speed for a catcher, being clocked at less than 6.9 seconds in a 60-yard dash. He has a quick release and routinely has a pop time (throwing the ball home to second as if a runner were stealing) under 2 seconds. He has quick feet and a quick bat, although he has more bat speed from the right side of the plate. With the Padres already locking up catcher Austin Hedges for $3M, they felt as though Austin was expendable, and did not offer a contract near his demands. The Padres will choose 55^th in the 2012 draft.

When the New York Yankees selected college junior Sam Stafford in the second round, 88^th overall, it was widely believed that the University of Texas Longhorns had lost their top two pitchers. Taylor Jungmann was selected 12^th overall and signed with the Milwaukee Brewers for $2.525M. However, talks with the Yankees hit a snag over parts of his physical, and Stafford was never offered a contract around the slot value. Stafford was 6-2 with a 1.77 ERA in 81 1/3 innings this past season at UT. The left-handed pitcher has had consistency issues with fastball command, but pitches in the 90-93 mph range. His curveball and change-up are both works in progress and he shows flashes of plus potential in both. The Yankees will select 89^th in the 2012 draft.

The biggest surprise to me was that the Pittsburgh Pirates were able to sign Josh Bell. It did not take a Major League contract, and only $5M to pull him away from the University of Texas. This was much less than originally predicted, and his huge demands seem to have just been posturing. The Pirates signed both of their top picks for a total of $13M, which in itself would have been the most money spent by one team in draft history.

Other notable signings were second round pick LHP Daniel Norris of the Toronto Blue Jays at $2.5M, 14^th round pitcher Dillon Maples of the Chicago Cubs at $2.5M, and 6^th round catcher Nicky Delmonico of the Baltimore Orioles at $1.525M.

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MLB Draft Signing Deadline: Who Will Sign By August 15th

Aug 12

Posted by blandy12

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Friday August 12, 2011

Rob Bland (Intern- MLB Reports): With the August 15 deadline for all 2011 MLB draftees to sign, players and teams are getting down to the wire with negotiations. Only two of the top ten picks have been signed, right-handed pitcher Trevor Bauer, and second baseman Cory Spangenberg by the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres, respectively. Of the 33 first round picks, 9 have signed, as well as 14 of the 27 picks in the supplemental first round. It is expected that most of the picks from the first round will go down to the last hour, if not minute. However, there is a lot of speculation about who will not sign, and the fans of each team are hoping and praying their team will get their guy. Some players come into the draft with lofty expectations and high estimates of signing bonus money. As a result, many of the lower budget franchises stay away from these players, and draft “safe” players, who will sign for a more reasonable price.

The Oakland Athletics’ GM Billy Beane was made famous through the book “Moneyball”, which portrayed the club as a bottom feeder organization financially. They had to pick lesser talents in order to sign all their draft picks. They shied away from the big “sexy” names on draft boards and targeted players with specific skill sets. Other teams who have done this in the past to varying degrees of success are the Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals. In the last couple of years, these organizations have turned their philosophies around, drafting tough to sign players with higher ceilings, and ending up signing most of them. Today will highlight a few of the players drafted who will be tougher than others to sign.

From this year’s draft, one of the players who was known to be extremely difficult to sign was Josh Bell. On talent alone, he was rated as an early first round pick, yet dropped to the second round to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He had sent a letter to Major League Baseball advising teams not to draft him on account that he wanted to attend the University of Texas. Some have said this was just a bargaining tool to simply add more leverage to his situation, while others think he will not sign under any circumstances. It has been predicted that it will take a minimum of $10M and a Major League contract in order to sign him. I feel that the Pirates are an extreme long shot to sign Bell, and he will attend U of T and be a Longhorn for the next three years.

High school right-handed pitcher Tyler Beede could have been a top 10 pick, with his 95 mph fastball and devastating change-up. Beede was widely known to be seeking a bonus upwards of $3-4M. The Toronto Blue Jays and their new management have made it a point to take the best player available when they it is their turn to select a player in the draft. So, when it came to their turn as the 21^st selection, the Jays did not hesitate to choose Beede, who has said it will come down to money in the long run. I believe the Jays will sign him in the final minutes for close to $3M.

With the 5^th overall pick, the Kansas City Royals had a tough decision to make. Outfielder Bubba Starling, a hometown kid from Kansas, was widely considered the top prep offensive talent in the draft was still on the board. Starling has a scholarship to the University of Nebraska to play both football and baseball. It is very likely that a bonus upwards of $8M will be what it takes for Starling to sign with KC on August 15. Expect this deal to get done.

Gerrit Cole, the flame throwing right-handed pitcher from UCLA was taken by the Pirates first overall in the draft. Cole has reached 102 mph on radar guns and routinely hits triple digits. Cole has yet to sign, but is widely expected to join the Pirates. A Major League deal for 4 years and $8M or so is likely.

Rice University has been known to producing top talent, as witnessed by having eight first round picks in the last 11 years, most notably when Phil Humber and Jeff Niemann went 3^rd and 4^th overall in the 2004 draft. Another first rounder from Rice was Lance Berkman in 1997. So when one of the top three candidates for the first overall pick came down to an infielder from Rice, who just happened to win the Dick Howser Trophy, (essentially the Heisman Award for college baseball players), nobody was surprised. Anthony Rendon may not have above average speed or the best glove, but he has an above average arm and was considered by most to be the best hitter in the country. Rendon dropped to #6 to the Washington Nationals due to signability concerns but should sign for $4M plus.

Shortstops with ultra talent often get huge signing bonuses and Cleveland Indians’ first pick (8^th overall), Francisco Lindor will be no exception. Lindor has the talent to warrant a $3M bonus, but should hold out for more. The Indians tend to shy away from this kind of pick, but the talent speaks for itself and I believe the Indians will go as high as $3.5M to sign the talented shortstop.

There has arguably not been a better high school pitcher in the last decade than flame throwing Dylan Bundy. The right-hander has reached 100 mph and has 2 plus secondary pitches. His high school pitching numbers are straight out of a video game. 71 innings, 2 earned runs. TWO! He also had 158 strikeouts to 5 walks. FIVE WALKS! Good for a 31.6:1 K:BB ratio. Oh, and the fact that he can also hit, as evidenced by his 11 home runs and 54 RBI in only 105 at-bats doesn’t hurt. The University of Texas commit could command a Major League contract and $6-8M. He should sign; my guess is $6.5M.

Here is the breakdown of the entire 2011 first round of picks, with players in bold having already signed:

1 Gerrit Cole RHP Pittsburgh Pirates
2 Danny Hultzen LHP Seattle Mariners
3 Trevor Bauer RHP Arizona Diamondbacks – ML deal 4/$7M
4 Dylan Bundy RHP Baltimore Orioles
5 Bubba Starling OF Kansas City Royals
6 Anthony Rendon 3B Washington Nationals
7 Archie Bradley RHP Arizona Diamondbacks
8 Francisco Lindor SS Cleveland Indians
9 Javier Baez SS Chicago Cubs
10 Cory Spangenberg 2B San Diego Padres – $1.86M
11 George Springer OF Houston Astros
12 Taylor Jungmann RHP Milwaukee Brewers
13 Brandon Nimmo OF New York Mets
14 Jose Fernandez RHP Florida Marlins
15 Jed Bradley LHP Milwaukee Brewers
16 Chris Reed LHP LA Dodgers
17 C.J. Cron Jr. 1B LA Angels – $1.467M
18 Sonny Gray RHP Oakland Athletics – $1.54M
19 Matt Barnes RHP Boston Red Sox
20 Tyler Anderson LHP Colorado Rockies
21 Tyler Beede RHP Toronto Blue Jays
22 Kolten Wong 2B St. Louis Cardinals – $1.3M
23 Alex Meyer RHP Washington Nationals
24 Taylor Guerrieri RHP Tampa Bay Rays
25 Joe Ross RHP San Diego Padres
26 Blake Swihart C Boston Red Sox
27 Robert Stephenson RHP Cincinnati Reds
28 Sean Gilmartin LHP Atlanta Braves – $1.13M
29 Joe Panik SS San Francisco Giants – $1.116M
30 Levi Michael SS Minnesota Twins
31 Mikie Mahtook OF Tampa Bay Rays
32 Jake Hager SS Tampa Bay Rays – $963K
33 Kevin Matthews LHP Texas Rangers – $936K

I think that although you can’t be sure about these kinds of things, my gut feeling is that every first rounder this year will actually sign by August 15th. I also predict that at least one signing will come minutes after the deadline, probably a Scott Boras client, and the league will allow the deal to pass.

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Summary of all Trades- 2011 MLB Trade Deadline Report and Analysis

Aug 1

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

Monday August 1, 2011

MLB reports: Another hectic MLB trade deadline is in the books. This year’s trade market was just as much about the trades that were not made as the ones that were. For all the speculation leading up to the deadline, star players like James Shields, B.J. Upton, Heath Bell and Carlos Quentin stay put. The trades that did go down included Ubaldo Jimenez, Mike Adams, Doug Fister, Colby Rasmus and much more. Here is a rundown of all the trades that took place in Major League Baseball as part of the non-waiver MLB Trade Deadline, which was 4:00p.m. on Sunday July 31st:

Michael Bourn and cash (Astros) for Jordan Schaefer, Brett Oberholtzer, Paul Clemens, Juan Abreu (Braves): The Braves get a solid leadoff hitter, center fielder and base stealer from the Astros for four average prospects. Without having to give up any of their top prospects and filled a huge hole in their lineup and outfield, top marks goes to the Braves.

Hunter Pence and cash (Astros) for Jonathan Singleton, Jarred Cosart, Josh Zeid and a player to be named later (Phillies): A win for the Phillies, as they get one of the top outfield bats in the game in Pence, who remains under team control going into next year. I like the return of Singleton, one of the top hitting prospects in the minors. But still, the Astros should have received a higher return for Pence who was the face of their franchise. A win for both squads but give the edge to the Phillies.

Mike Adams (Padres) for Joseph Wieland and Robert Erlin (Rangers): A win for both sides. The Rangers get one of the top relievers in baseball (Adams), who remains under team control after the season. For a team that is a World Series contender, Adams and Uehara give the Rangers a suddenly formidable pen. Wieland and Erlin were two top pitching prospects in the Rangers system and give the Padres much more depth. For a team that acquired what it needed most without giving up any of its top prospects, the Rangers can chalk this trade up to a huge win. The Padres did not do badly either, as Adams was a luxury they did not require and the Padres farm system all of a sudden became much stronger.

Brad Ziegler (A’s) for Brandon Allen and Jordan Norberto (Diamondbacks): A deal that works for both teams. Ziegler is a useful reliever that strengthens the Dbacks pen in a push for the NL West crown. Allen is a highly considered first base prospect who should slot well in Oakland plus Noberto is another arm in the A’s organization. It is too bad for the A’s that the Lars Anderson plus prospect for Rich Harden deal fell through with Boston, but Allen is a good runner-up prize.

Erik Bedard and Josh Fields (Mariners) for Trayvon Robinson (Dodgers) and Chih-Hsien Chiang, Tim Federowicz, Juan Rodriguez and Stephen Fife (Red Sox): Red Sox get Bedard and Fields (the reliever, not third baseman currently in Japan, Mariners get Robinson and Chiang, while Dodgers get Federowicz, Rodriguez and Fife. Confused? Good. This was one of those three-way deals that when all is said and done, you are left scratching your head. The key to this deal is Erik Bedard for the Red Sox. If he stays healthy, and that is a big if, the Red Sox might have a valuable addition to their starting rotation. Fields should also slot in well in the Red Sox pen. Both Robinson and Chiang are considered to be good prospects and should have a very good chance at cracking the Mariners’ outfield. The trade of Robinson came as somewhat of a surprise and the Dodgers have received a great deal of negative press on the deal. The team however was looking for a prospect catcher and believe they have found it in Federowicz and the additional parts in Rodriguez and Fife. The Mariners are the big winners in this deal, while the Red Sox play with fire and the Dodgers likely just got burnt.

Ubaldo Jimenez (Rockies) for Drew Pomeranz, Alex White, Joe Gardner and Matt McBride (Indians): What a difference a year makes. The Indians are going for it and have beefed up their rotation with the addition of Jimenez. When on his game, Ubaldo is one of the best in baseball. Further, Ubaldo continues to be under team control, so the Indians don’t simply acquire a summer rental here. The keys to this deal for the Rockies are Pomeranz and White. Considered to be the Indians two best pitching prospects, the Rockies add to their farm while losing their ace. While Pomeranz is considered highly in baseball circles, I would have expected to see the Rockies get more major league ready talent. Considering that they were supposed to get Jesus Montero and Ivan Nova from the Yankees or Yonder Alonso, Yasmani Grandal and/or Homer Bailey from the Reds, I give the Indians the edge on this deal. Ace pitchers do not grow on trees and the Indians got one without giving up any of their major league talent or some of their other finer prospects, including Nick Weglarz. Competing with the big boys, the Indians get the prize of the trade deadline and likely a division title as well.

Derek Lee (Orioles) for Aaron Baker (Pirates): The Pirates are going for it and while Lee is an aging first baseman, he is an upgrade offensively over incumbent Lyle Overbay. Baker is a Class A first baseman that is not considered a top prospect. This trade is a draw, as the Pirates beef up for their playoff run and the Orioles auction off an impending free agent to stock their system.

Orlando Cabrera (Indians) for Thomas Neal (Giants): This deal came out of left field, as the Indians are still contending and were expected to hold onto Cabrera. With many young infielders on their roster, the Indians were prepared to sacrifice their utility man for one of the Giants higher rated prospect bats. Speaking to Neal on several occasions, he is one of the nicer young men you will ever want to meet in the game. Considered a great tools player, both offensively and defensively, the Indians have added another piece to their offensive puzzle while sacrificing a veteran that was expandable. The Giants, with injury and offensive woes, took a chance on Cabrera, a good luck charm for each of his respective teams in the postseason. While Neal was a big price to pay, the Giants are in win-now mode. A draw, as both teams will away happy from this exchange.

Koji Uehara (Orioles) for Tommy Hunter and Chris Davis (Rangers): This is a good old-fashioned baseball trade. The Rangers pick up a veteran reliever, who is enjoying his finest campaign in the big leagues and could be a setup man or closer. The Orioles continue to stockpile prospects and add a starter and first baseman to their mix. Davis has one of the most explosive bats in the game when he gets hot and the Orioles could have their cleanup hitter for the next 5-7 years. Hunter should be a good #3 or #4 starter for the team. A draw as both teams achieve their respective goals in this deal.

Mike Cameron (Red Sox) for player to be named later or cash (Marlins): Cameron was not hitting in Boston but could be a valuable veteran presence in Florida. I like this move for the Marlins as Cameron is solid player and person, perfect for their clubhouse.

Felipe Lopez (Rays) for cash (Brewers): Lopez still has pop in his bat and could be useful for a playoff push. There was no room for the Rays on their roster and they will happily take the financial relief.

Jason Marquis (Nationals) for Zach Walters (Diamondbacks): I am a fan of what the Diamondbacks are doing in Arizona, but this trade doesn’t work for me. Marquis will pitch in Arizona, but I don’t see him being the effective starter the team needs to fight the Giants for a playoff berth. Walters is a prospect shortstop who could have been Stephen Drew‘s replacement one day when he left the team. Walters has a good offensive bat and was not worth the price of Marquis. Advantage Washington for adding another prospect to its growing farm while dumping a veteran pitcher that had no place on their roster.

Mike Aviles (Royals) for Yamaico Navarro and Kendal Volz (Red Sox): The Red Sox get some sort of infield insurance, which was unnecessary in my estimation with both Marco Scutaro and Jed Lowrie on the roster. If Lowrie is out beyond early August as projected, then this deal makes sense. Otherwise, to give up two decent prospects for a player who has struggled this season and is unlikely to hit much in Boston does not equate for me. Advantage Royals for dumping a player who did not fit on the team and continuing to stock their system.

Jerry Hairston Jr. (Nationals) for Erik Komatsu (Brewers): The Brewers get depth for their playoff run and the Nationals get a marginal prospect back. A draw.

Wil Nieves (Brewers) for cash (Braves): Yawn. An average catcher for cash.

Francisco Rodriguez and cash (Mets) for two players to be named later (Brewers): A good trade for both teams. The Brewers strengthen their pen with the addition of K-Rod, who could close or set up for the team and is a free agent at season’s end. The Mets get salary relief and likely two decent prospects back.

Colby Rasmus, P.J. Walters, Brian Tallet (Cardinals) for Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen (White Sox) for Jason Frasor, Octavio Dotel, Marc Rzepczynski, Corey Patterson and Zach Stewart, three players to be named later or cash (Jays): The good news with this trade is that I will not have to struggle to spell Rzepczynski anymore. But in all seriousness, this was the first three-way deal of the deadline and probably the most interesting trade that went down. The White Sox shed the contract of Teahen (to the Jays) and acquire Frasor and Stewart. The Cardinals get Jackson for their rotation and Dotel/Rzepczynski for their bullpen, as well as three more PTBNL or cash from the Jays. The Jays get the biggest prize, Rasmus to play center and bat second, as well as Miller, Tallet and Walters for their pen. The Jays in our opinion win out, as they get a rare top prospect bat and only give up three middle relievers. The White Sox did well in getting salary relief, a prospect arm in Stewart and a useful bullpen arm in Frasor. The question marks surround the Cardinals, who give up the top player in the trade and might get left with very little more than adqueate playoff rentals as both Jackson and Dotel might not be with the team in 2012.

Nick Green and cash (Orioles) for Zach Phillips (Rangers): Marginal reliever for marginal shortstop. A push.

Ryan Langerhans (Mariners) for cash (Diamondbacks): A depth player at best, the Diamondbacks hope to get one or two big hits out of Langerhans in the push for a playoff berth. It looks like this was the best the Mariners could do in dumping another salary.

Doug Fister and David Pauley (Mariners) for Francisco Martinez, Casper Wells, Charlie Furbush and a PTBNL (Tigers): For a Tigers team that was considered early in the day to be in the hunt for Ubaldo Jimenez, this one is a bit of a let down. Fister will be a #4 or #5 starter for the Tigers, good but not great. Pauley was having an incredible season for the Mariners in their pen and should do well in Comerica. Wells will likely slot immediately into the Mariners outfield and the rest of the players are prospects to their stock their farm. While I’m not excited about what Detroit received, I am equally not impressed by what they gave up. Call this one a draw. Middle of the road players for players at this point.

Rafael Furcal (Dodgers) for Alex Castellanos and cash (Cardinals): With Dee Gordon in the minors and money woes being an issue, this trade for the Dodgers is about getting younger and saving money in the process. The Cardinals are pushing for a playoff spot and if healthy, Furcal should give the team a spark offensively. Personally, I would not trust Furcal based on his injury history. The Dodgers get back a marginal prospect in this swap. The fact that the Dodgers unloaded Furcal and got the Cardinals to pick up a large portion of his contract, I will label this trade a Dodgers win.

Juan Rivera (Jays) for player to be named later or cash (Dodgers): Considering the Dodgers just released Marcus Thames, I am not sure why they chose to acquire Rivera. They are very similar players, although I would give the edge to Thames for his better defense. A win for the Jays, dumping a player that had no role on their team and was not hitting very much.

Jonny Gomes and cash (Reds) for Bill Rhinehart and Christopher Manno (Nationals): Gomes should be a good bat for the Nationals but with the team out of the playoff picture, it is a little curious why the team would give up prospects at this point. Reds get the advantage as there was no room in their outfield for Gomes, they acquire two prospects and open up space for Yonder Alonso to play everyday.

Carlos Beltran (Mets) for Zack Wheeler (Giants): One of the best trades of the year that will benefit both teams. The Giants get the top bat they so badly needed after Buster Posey went down. Together with salary relief (the Mets will kick in about $4 million), the Mets get one of the top pitching prospects in the game. The Giants had to go for it and could not afford to waste their top pitching rotation without providing offense. With Beltran an impeding free agent, the Mets strengthen their rotation for years to come.

Jeff Keppinger (Astros) for Henry Sosa and Jason Stoffel (Giants): The Giants get more bench depth for the playoffs and the Astros get back decent prospects. Another boring but necessary trade for both. Consider a draw.

Ryan Ludwick (Padres) for a player to be named later (Pirates): The Pirates are looking to make a strong playoff run and former Indian Luckwick would fit well in their offense this year. It remains to be seen what the Pirates have to give up, but for a player in as strong demand as Ludwick, as long as it is not too much, give the edge to the Pirates. This one will hinge on the quality of the prospect going to the Padres.

Kosuke Fukudome and $3.9 million (Cubs) for Abner Abreu and Carlton Smith (Indians): This trade is all about the Indians going for it in a year when the AL Central is ripe for the taking. Fukudome, largely considered a disappointment in Chicago, is sent with cash to the Indians for their stretch run. Good to get on base with the occasional pop, the hope is that the change of scenery will do Fukudome good. The prospects the Cubs received back are marginal at best, as this trade was mostly about a salary dump. Credit to Chicago for ridding itself of one its huge mistake contracts, with more such contracts to go. The Indians hope they catch lightening in a bottle, but likely will get only decent production out of their latest Japanese import.

Wilson Betemit (Royals) for Antonio Cruz and Julio Rodriguez (Tigers): The first trade in the deadline dealings, the Tigers upgrade their third base situation over Brandon Inge. The Royals shed a contract and get two decent prospects. We will call this one a draw.

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Top 5 Closers Available at July 31 MLB Trade Deadline

Jul 22

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Friday July 22, 2011

MLB reports: The MLB Non-Waiver Trade Deadline is rapidly approaching. With only nine days to go, MLB teams need to decide if they are buyers or sellers. Right up until July 31st deadline, the baseball world will be buzzing on potential deals. While transactions can occur after July 31st, the respective players will need to first pass through waivers, which makes trades more difficult to happen. Especially in the category of closers, who are sought after by almost every team. Whether to obtain a 9th inning stopper or upgrade their middle relief, the majority of MLB teams are currently on the prowl.

There are some contending teams would love to add a closer, including the Rangers and Cardinals. The host of other teams battling for a playoff spot are ready to take a current closer to pitch the 7th or 8th inning. To win today in baseball, you usually need 2-3 closer-type pitchers in your pen. The Brewers recently added Francisco Rodriguez to compliment John Axford. The New York Yankees signed Rafael Soriano to pitch in front of Mariano Rivera, although David Robertson has since grabbed the role. True closers will always be in demand and teams with playoff aspirations will always find room for these guys on their rosters.

As the line between buyers and sellers becomes less blurry, we take a look today at the top five closer candidates to be traded by the July 31st MLB Trade Deadline:

1) Heath Bell: San Diego Padres

The Rolls Royce of available closers, the Padres are talking to teams on a daily, if not hourly basis on the availability of Heath Bell. Nearly every team has been linked to Bell in the past few days, from the Rangers, Cardinals, Phillies, Red Sox, Jays and Tigers. The prize of the closing market, expect the Padres to demand a king’s ransom for his services. At least two top prospects, with one being major league ready should get this deal done. With 28 saves and a 2.45 ERA, the 33-year old Bell is having another fantastic campaign before his impending free agency. The Rangers and Cardinals are most in need of a closer, with the Rangers the most likely destination based on availability of prospects. The Rangers have the superior farm system and could match up best with the Padres. The Phillies and Jays are the dark horses according to reports and need to decide if they are willing to pay the price.

2) Brandon League: Seattle Mariners

A first time All-Star in 2011, Brandon League has raised his stock this year and given the Mariners an interesting trade chip to work with at the deadline. League has chipped in 23 saves already this year, with a 3.35 ERA and 1.088 WHIP. With a team friendly contract and under team control for another season, League should draw much interest on the market. St. Louis seems like a logical choice, as the Cardinals will be looking for a long-term solution to their closing woes. I cannot see the Mariners dealing in their division and having to face League next year with the Rangers. A top prospect or two middle prospects should make this one happen. With the Mariners far out of contention and in complete rebuild mode, a top closer seems like a luxury that the Mariners cannot afford at the moment. The Mariners need offensive help and need it quickly, with League being one of many candidates likely to leave Seattle by July 31st to replenish the farm system.

3) Frank Francisco, Jon Rauch, Octavio Dotel, Jason Frasor: Toronto Blue Jays

If Heath Bells is a Rolls Royce, the Blue Jays are running a used Ford dealership in their bullpen. Frank Francisco is like a used mustang with transmission problems, while Jon Rauch is a pickup truck without the V8 engine. The Jays have assembled a collection of the middle-of-the-road closers and setup men this year in their bullpen. Francisco will likely draw the most attention, despite his mostly awful numbers this year. At 31-years of age and throwing big time heat, Francisco still has potential. Rauch has served as the Jays closer for much of the year and could be in demand as well. Octavio Dotel, the eldest member of the pack, has bounced around during his major league career and could be a useful trade deadline pickup. The most effective reliever though for the Jays has been Jason Frasor and a smart team should consider him. While the Jays are unlikely to offer any true closers to contending teams, there are middle relief candidates to be had. Expect the Phillies to come calling and pickup one of the above.

4) Kevin Gregg: Baltimore Orioles

For those teams that like to play with fire, closers don’t get more dangerous than Kevin Gregg. A 4.00 ERA and unsightly 1.583 WHIP are not numbers that scream out lock-down closer. Gregg has shown though the ability to get hot at times during his career and will be considered by many teams over the next week. Signed through next year, the Orioles will look mainly for salary relief in shedding Gregg’s contract. Personally, I wouldn’t consider Gregg if I was running a team. But somehow he will likely move by July 31st.

5) Leo Nunez: Florida Marlins

Another up-and-down closer in the Gregg mold, Leo Nunez is quietly having a very solid season for the Florida Marlins. Up to 27 saves, with a 3.22 ERA and 1.187 WHIP, Nunez might actually be the best affordable option on the closers market. The Rangers and Cardinals will sniffing around here, as will the Red Sox, Indians and Tigers. As the Marlins and Tigers have matched up well before in trades, I can see this swap happening. The Tigers have the ability to surrender a decent pitching prospect and can use Nunez down the stretch as Valverde insurance. With the Tigers in contention and the majority of their bullpen being fairly unstable for most of the year, Nunez might be a late inning option that the the Tigers can ill-afford to miss out on.

Send us your comments and opinions on available closers for the trade deadline. Other names thrown around have been Joakim Soria, Matt Capps, Joe Nathan, Andrew Bailey and Brian Fuentes. The trading of players, especially closers, is especially reliant on the competitiveness and status of a team in the standings. With so many teams still in their respective races, there are not as many top bullpen arms available at this point in the season. But come August, as more teams continue to drop out, expect to see even more trade activity. Exciting times, as the MLB pennant races continue to heat up, and baseball trade talk is on everyone’s lips.

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2011 MLB All-Star Game Recap: National League Defeats the American League for 2nd Year in a Row

Jul 13

Posted by blandy12

Wednesday July 13, 2011

Rob Bland (Intern Candidate for MLB Reports): This year’s edition of the Midsummer Classic, the 2011 MLB All-Star Game, had a record-setting vote-getter. Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays received over 7.4 million votes in fan voting. This game was said to have lost some of its lustre due to the amount of players who elected not to participate. A total of eight players that were voted in by fans or chosen by coaches dropped out due to injury, timing or just plain wanting to rest. For the American League, David Price (TB), Derek Jeter (NYY), Mariano Rivera (NYY), Alex Rodriguez (NYY) and Jon Lester (BOS) all withdrew due to various ailments and injuries. Chipper Jones (ATL), Jose Reyes (NYM), and Placido Polanco (PHI) were the players who bowed out in the National League. One of Major League Baseball’s rules pertaining to eligibility for pitchers is that they must not start on the Sunday prior to the game. Due to this rule, CC Sabathia (NYY), James Shields (TB), Justin Verlander (DET), Felix Hernandez (SEA), Cole Hamels (PHI), and Matt Cain (SF) were ruled ineligible and unable to participate in the game.

Surely not having Price, Sabathia, Shields, Verlander, Hernandez and Rivera hurt the AL. Although he has had an impressive start to the season, CJ Wilson (TEX) probably should not have been pitching when he gave up the 3-run home run to Prince Fielder (MIL). It easily could have been one of those more accomplished aces as mentioned. However, that is the way it turned out, as the National League took advantage early and defeated the American League by a score of 5-1. The MVP of the game was Fielder, because of his huge home run that put the NL on top early and as it turned out, for good.

My pick for MVP was Roy Halladay (PHI), as he started for the National League and was dominant as only the Doc can be. He faced the minimum six batters over two innings, including Curtis Granderson (NYY), Adrian Gonzalez (BOS) and Jose Bautista (TOR); all potential MVP candidates. Halladay managed to throw only 19 pitches as part of his historical pitching performance.

In the 2^nd inning, the defensive play of the game occurred when Brian McCann (ATL) hit a towering flyball in foul territory that Bautista caught as he slid into the wall. Aside from being one of the top home run hitters in baseall, Bautista is also an accomplished fielder who is capable of winning a gold glove at either third base or right field.

The scoring in the game started in the top of the 4^th inning, when Adrian Gonzalez blasted a Cliff Lee (PHI) cutter over the right center field wall for a solo blast. The AL followed with three straight singles, the last of which was off Tyler Clippard (WAS). Hunter Pence fielded the ball and threw a laser to the plate to catch Bautista who tried to score from second for the third out. In the bottom of the inning, Carlos Beltran (NYM) and Matt Kemp (LAD) hit singles to set up Fielder`s massive bomb.

Jordan Walden (LAA), another player who probably didn`t deserve to play as much as the other big name starters, began to light up the radar gun last night, hitting 100 mph on his first four fastballs. Starlin Castro (CHC) came in to pinch run at first base after Troy Tulowitzki (COL) hit a leadoff single. Castro proceeded to immediately steal second and third base. He then set up another play at the plate, where Walden bare handed a weak ground ball by Rickie Weeks (MIL) and threw Castro out. Weeks stole second and came around to score when Andre Ethier (LAD) hit a single to right field, making the score 4-1.

The scoring continued in the bottom of the seventh inning when Pablo Sandoval (SF) hit a ground rule double over the wall in the left field corner. This scored Hunter Pence (HOU) after his leadoff single and a passed ball that allowed him to move to second base, and eventually score.

Fan favorite Brian Wilson (SF) came in the top of the nineth inning with runners on second and third. A fly out and ground out later, and the game was in the books. Make the final score 5-1, as the National League wins for the All-Star Game for the second year in a row and secures home field advantage for its league in the up coming World Series in the fall.

This year`s All-Star Festivities were enjoyed by so many fans, and continually impressed me. I have had a great time covering the 2011 All-Star Game, everything from the Futures Game, Home Run Derby and of course, the All-Star Game itself. With Major League Baseball now entering the dog days of summer and the secon half of the season, it is time to speculate on trades and the calling up of prospects. Pure heaven for this baseball writer!

***EDITOR’S NOTE: With Chase Field still buzzing, the trade market has already begun. The Milwaukee Brewers announced right after the game taht they had acquired closer Francisco Rodriguez and cash considerations from the New York Mets for two players to be named later. With the Brewers acquiring Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum in the offseason, clearly Milwaukee is going for it. Will be interesting to see if Brewers allow K-Rod’s $17.5 million option to vest for 2012, which is based on number of games finished in 2011. If K-Rod finishes 55 games, the option will vest. As he has already finsihed 34 this season, so the option could vest depending on how the Brewers use K-Rod and how close they remain to a playoff berth. It will be interesting to see what prospects go from Milwaukee to New York. Long-term this deal could hurt Milwaukee depending on which top prospects they give up. But in the short-term, this deal will make the Brewers’ fanbase happy and their slugging free agent to be, Prince Fielder, may have more thinking to do before selecting his new team for 2012. The ground work has been set with respect to the trade market. Now we will see if the K-Rod deal has indeed open the trading floodgates for the rest of baseball. ***

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
American	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	0
National	0	0	0	3	1	0	1	0	–	5	9	2

W: T. Clippard

L: C. Wilson

S: B. Wilson

National All-Stars
Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	#P	AVG	OBP	SLG
R Weeks 2B	3	1	0	0	0	1	12	.000	.000	.000
B Phillips 2B	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	.000	.000	.000
C Beltran DH	2	1	1	0	0	1	7	.500	.500	.500
a-A Ethier PH-DH	1	0	1	1	0	0	8	1.000	1.000	1.000
b-G Sanchez PH-DH	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	.000	.000	.000
M Kemp CF	2	1	1	0	1	0	15	.500	.667	.500
A McCutchen CF	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	.000	.000	.000
P Fielder 1B	2	1	1	3	0	0	6	.500	.500	2.000
J Votto 1B	2	0	0	0	0	1	9	.000	.000	.000
B McCann C	2	0	0	0	0	0	8	.000	.000	.000
Y Molina C	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	1.000	1.000	2.000
c-J Bruce PH-RF	1	0	0	0	0	1	6	.000	.000	.000
L Berkman RF	1	0	1	0	0	0	3	1.000	1.000	1.000
J Upton RF	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	.000	.000	.000
M Montero C	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000
M Holliday LF	1	0	0	0	0	1	7	.000	.000	.000
H Pence LF	2	1	1	0	0	1	10	.500	.500	.500
T Tulowitzki SS	2	0	1	0	0	0	5	.500	.500	.500
S Castro PR-SS	1	0	0	0	0	1	3	.000	.000	.000
S Rolen 3B	2	0	0	0	0	2	8	.000	.000	.000
P Sandoval 3B	1	0	1	1	0	0	6	1.000	1.000	2.000
Totals	31	5	9	5	1	9	126
a-singled to right for C Beltran in the 5th b-popped out to second for A Ethier in the 7th c-struck out looking for Y Molina in the 8th
BATTING 2B: Y Molina (1, C Perez); P Sandoval (1, B League) HR: P Fielder (1, 4th inning off C Wilson 2 on, 0 Out) RBI: P Fielder 3 (3), A Ethier (1), P Sandoval (1) 2-out RBI: A Ethier All-Stars RISP: 3-8 (P Fielder 1-1, J Upton 0-1, S Rolen 0-1, B Phillips 0-1, R Weeks 0-1, A Ethier 1-1, G Sanchez 0-1, P Sandoval 1-1) Team LOB: 3
BASERUNNING SB: S Castro 2 (2, 2nd base off J Walden/A Avila, 3rd base off J Walden/A Avila); R Weeks (1, 2nd base off J Walden/A Avila) CS: L Berkman (1, 2nd base by D Robertson/A Avila)
FIELDING E: S Castro (1, throw); J Bruce (1, throw) Outfield Assist: H Pence (J Bautista at Home).

National All-Stars
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
R Halladay	2.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	19-14	0.00
C Lee	1.2	3	1	1	0	0	1	25-16	5.40
T Clippard	0.1	1	0	0	0	0	0	3-3	0.00
C Kershaw (H)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	8-6	0.00
J Jurrjens (H)	1.2	1	0	0	0	1	0	23-15	0.00
C Kimbrel (H)	0.1	0	0	0	1	0	0	14-8	0.00
J Venters	0.2	0	0	0	0	1	0	4-4	0.00
H Bell	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	0	5-2	0.00
J Hanrahan	0.1	1	0	0	0	1	0	14-9	0.00
B Wilson (S)	0.2	0	0	0	0	0	0	7-5	0.00
Totals	9.0	6	1	1	1	5	1	122-82
PITCHING First-pitch strikes/Batters faced: R Halladay 4/6; C Lee 4/8; T Clippard 1/1; C Kershaw 1/3; J Jurrjens 5/6; C Kimbrel 0/2; J Venters 2/2; H Bell 0/1; J Hanrahan 1/3; B Wilson 2/2 Called strikes-Swinging strikes-Foul balls-In Play strikes: R Halladay 4-3-2-5; C Lee 4-1-3-8; T Clippard 1-1-0-1; C Kershaw 1-1-2-2; J Jurrjens 3-5-3-4; C Kimbrel 1-2-4-1; J Venters 1-2-0-1; H Bell 1-0-0-1; J Hanrahan 1-2-4-2; B Wilson 1-1-1-2 Ground Balls-Fly Balls: R Halladay 3-2; C Lee 4-1; T Clippard 0-0; C Kershaw 2-0; J Jurrjens 2-2; C Kimbrel 1-0; J Venters 1-0; H Bell 0-1; J Hanrahan 0-0; B Wilson 1-1 Game Scores: R Halladay 57

American All-Stars
Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	#P	AVG	OBP	SLG
C Granderson CF	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	.000	.000	.000
J Ellsbury CF	2	0	0	0	0	2	8	.000	.000	.000
A Cabrera SS	2	0	0	0	0	1	6	.000	.000	.000
J Peralta SS	2	0	0	0	0	0	8	.000	.000	.000
A Gonzalez 1B	2	1	1	1	0	0	6	.500	.500	2.000
M Cabrera 1B	1	0	0	0	0	0	5	.000	.000	.000
M Young 3B	1	0	0	0	0	1	5	.000	.000	.000
J Bautista RF	2	0	1	0	0	0	5	.500	.500	.500
C Quentin RF	2	0	0	0	0	0	8	.000	.000	.000
J Hamilton LF	2	0	1	0	0	0	4	.500	.500	.500
M Joyce LF	2	0	1	0	0	0	7	.500	.500	.500
A Beltre 3B	2	0	1	0	0	0	10	.500	.500	.500
K Youkilis 3B	1	0	1	0	0	0	4	1.000	1.000	1.000
M Cuddyer 1B	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000
D Ortiz DH	2	0	0	0	0	1	10	.000	.000	.000
a-P Konerko PH-DH	1	0	0	0	1	0	13	.000	.500	.000
R Cano 2B	2	0	0	0	0	0	4	.000	.000	.000
H Kendrick 2B	1	0	0	0	0	0	7	.000	.000	.000
A Avila C	2	0	0	0	0	0	7	.000	.000	.000
M Wieters C	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000
Totals	33	1	6	1	1	5	122
a-walked for D Ortiz in the 7th
BATTING HR: A Gonzalez (1, 4th inning off C Lee 0 on, 2 Out) RBI: A Gonzalez (1) 2-out RBI: A Gonzalez All-Stars RISP: 2-5 (M Joyce 1-1, A Beltre 1-1, H Kendrick 0-1, M Cuddyer 0-1, P Konerko 0-1) Team LOB: 6
FIELDING DP: 1 (A Avila-R Cano). PB: M Wieters. Outfield Assist: J Bautista (A Ethier at 2nd base).

American All-Stars
Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
J Weaver	1.0	0	0	0	1	1	0	14-8	0.00
D Robertson	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	14-7	0.00
M Pineda	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	10-8	0.00
C Wilson (L)	1.0	3	3	3	0	1	1	22-14	27.00
J Walden	1.0	2	1	1	0	1	0	20-13	9.00
C Perez	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	0	15-9	0.00
B League	1.0	2	1	1	0	1	0	19-13	9.00
A Ogando	0.2	0	0	0	0	0	0	6-5	0.00
G Gonzalez	0.1	0	0	0	0	1	0	6-3	0.00
Totals	8.0	9	5	5	1	9	1	126-80
PITCHING First-pitch strikes/Batters faced: J Weaver 4/4; D Robertson 1/3; M Pineda 3/3; C Wilson 3/6; J Walden 2/4; C Perez 2/4; B League 3/5; A Ogando 2/2; G Gonzalez 1/1 Called strikes-Swinging strikes-Foul balls-In Play strikes: J Weaver 3-3-0-2; D Robertson 2-1-3-1; M Pineda 3-3-1-1; C Wilson 4-2-4-4; J Walden 2-3-5-3; C Perez 2-2-2-3; B League 1-4-4-4; A Ogando 2-0-1-2; G Gonzalez 2-1-0-0 Ground Balls-Fly Balls: J Weaver 1-1; D Robertson 0-1; M Pineda 0-1; C Wilson 0-2; J Walden 1-0; C Perez 0-2; B League 0-2; A Ogando 2-0; G Gonzalez 0-0 Game Scores: J Weaver 53

***Thank you to Rob Bland for preparing today’s article on the All-Star Game. You can follow Rob on Twitter.***

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Posted in The Rest: Everything Baseball

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Tags: 2011, all-star, American league, baseball, bautista, beltran, blue jays, boston, braves, cain, castro, chipper, clippard, dodgers, ethier, giants, granderson, halladay, hamels, hernandez, jeter, jones, kemp, lee, lester, mccann, mets, midsummer classic, mlb, national league, new York, padres, pence, phillies, price, rangers, red sox, reyes, rivera, rodriguez, rolen, sabathia, Sandoval, shields, tulowitzki, verlander, walden, weeks, wilson, yankees

Jim Riggleman Resigns from the Nationals: Treason in Washington

Jun 24

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Friday, June 24, 2011

MLB reports: June has apparently become the month in baseball to fire your coach if you are a MLB General Manager, or to quit your team if you are a manager. Follow along the coaching carousel:

June 8th: Texas Rangers fire hitting coach Thad Bosley and replace him with Scott Coolbaugh
June 9th: Florida Marlins fire hitting coach John Mallee and replace him with Eduardo Perez
June 10th: Oakland Athletics fire manager Bob Geren and replace him with Bob Melvin
June 14th: Houston Astros fire pitching coach Brad Arnsberg and replace with him Doug Brocail
June 17th: Cleveland Indians fire hitting coach John Nunnally and replace him with Bruce Fields

It looks like where there is smoke, there is fire. A lot of it apparently in the coaching ranks of baseball. Teams were getting nervous and to help jump-start their slumping players, several teams decided to change a coach rather than making wholesale roster moves, or let go of the manager and/or General Manager. On June 19th, the baseball world was stunned as manager Edwin Rodriguez of the Florida Marlins resigned and was replaced with 80-year old ex-Marlins manager Jack McKeon. Then yesterday, Jim Riggleman, manager of the Washington Nationals, got the same itch from the “quit bug” suffered by Rodriguez and announced that he was resigning his post. The captain jumped ship in Washington but unlike the Florida situation, Riggleman made his decision for all the wrong reasons. As a result, he may never coach again in baseball.

The inside story behind Riggleman leaving the Nationals was that he requested some sort of meeting from General Manager Mike Rizzo to discuss his long-term future in Washington. When Rizzo refused to discuss his contract status, Riggleman departed from the team and resigned his position as manager. Essentially Riggleman did not like the rules of the game, so in a childlike manner he took his ball and went home, so to speak.

“It’s been brewing for a while,” said Riggleman. “I know I’m not Casey Stengel, but I do feel like I know what I’m doing. It’s not a situation where I felt like I should continue on such a short leash.”

No Jim. You are certainly not Casey Stengel. Let’s take a look shall we, at Riggleman’s career managerial record:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	W	L	W-L%	Finish

1992	39	San Diego Padres	NL	12	4	8	.333	3
1993	40	San Diego Padres	NL	162	61	101	.377	7
1994	41	San Diego Padres	NL	117	47	70	.402	4

1995	42	Chicago Cubs	NL	144	73	71	.507	3
1996	43	Chicago Cubs	NL	162	76	86	.469	4
1997	44	Chicago Cubs	NL	162	68	94	.420	5
1998	45	Chicago Cubs	NL	163	90	73	.552	2
1999	46	Chicago Cubs	NL	162	67	95	.414	6

2008	55	Seattle Mariners	AL	90	36	54	.400	4

2009	56	Washington Nationals	NL	75	33	42	.440	5
2010	57	Washington Nationals	NL	162	69	93	.426	5
2011	58	Washington Nationals	NL	74	37	37	.500	3
		San Diego Padres		291	112	179	.385
		Chicago Cubs		793	374	419	.472
		Seattle Mariners		90	36	54	.400
		Washington Nationals		311	139	172	.447
				1485	661	824	.445

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Jim Riggleman in his twelve-year managerial career has a record of 661-824, .445 winning percentage. During his three years in Washington, Riggleman finished with a 139-172 record. Riggleman’s best year was 1998 with the Cubs, where he had a 90-73 record and his team finished second in their division. He had a 73-71 record in 1995 with the Cubs and was floating at .500 this year, with a Nationals team sitting at 37-37. The man is clearly no baseball Houdini. While some may argue that Riggleman was not given much to work with at each of his stops for the most part, the man clearly was not able to get much out of his teams at most stops. A great manager should be able to turn out something out of nothing. But alas, this was not one of Riggleman’s gifts as a manager.

The reality of baseball is that coaches and managers get let go by teams all the time, as evidenced by the amount of activity among teams this month. Managers and coaches also quit sometimes. Rodriguez left his position in Florida, as did Riggleman in Washington. But when a coach leaves a team, the intention and circumstances behind the resignation are crucial. For it is the story behind the announcement that will ultimately dictate if and when said manager receives another crack at a big league post. Gonzalez left his position for the better of his team. The Marlins were floundering and in the interests of having his team recover, Gonzalez felt that a change was needed. While that should have been up to the team to decide, at least Gonzalez acted in what he felt was best for his team. His compassion and sentiments to the organization means that Gonzalez should continue coaching in baseball. In the case of Jim Riggleman, that door has been shut close in my opinion.

The Nationals were not happy to say the least with the news. “I was always taught that one of the cardinal rules of baseball was that no individual can put his interests before those of the team,” was the sentiments expressed by Mike Rizzo. The GM is right in this case. Many MLB managers are on one-year contracts like Jim Riggleman was in 2011. Some have a chance at long careers with their teams, while others are seen as more temporary solutions. In Riggleman’s case, he was likely more of the temporary variety. But players, coaches and managers are in this position all the time. Many veteran players sign for one-year deals, knowing full well that they will not be with a team beyond the period. The same goes for managers, who can often be brought in to manage a young team and eventually be replaced with a fresh voice as the team looks to grow and change direction. That is the rules of the game and Jim Riggleman is not better than the system. If a player was to leave his team mid-season due to contractual issues, he would be seen as selfish. Jim Riggleman as manager is no different. He let his organization, players and fans down, by jumping ship. He put his own financial and security needs ahead of those of the people around him. So Riggleman wanted a long-term contract? The best way to do it was to right the ship and lead the Nationals to their strongest possible record this year. Instead, Riggleman has likely blacklisted himself from the game and lost the chance to manage again.

The 58-year old Riggleman does not have any excuses in my book. He was a bench coach for several years, including stints with the Dodgers and Mariners following his departure from the Cubs in 1999. He did not receive another managerial opportunity until 2008, where he was an interim manager with the Mariners. Again Riggleman received an interim managerial job with the Nationals the following year, but stayed on with the team until yesterday. Was he a lame-duck manager so to speak? Probably. But that had more to do with his managerial skills and overall record than anything else. Sure many people want job security, especially in baseball. But let’s keep this in perspective. There are only thirty MLB manager jobs out there. Period. Jim Riggleman had one but he threw it away. He wanted to be a long-term manager but yet was not prepared to do what it takes to get there. Nobody should be above the system. I would not expect the Nationals to give Riggleman a strong recommendation, or any sort of reference in that regard. Teams have long memories and will likely be very cautious with Riggleman, who is today seen as having acted as a “jilted lover.”

In looking to the future, it is interesting to read Riggleman’s take. “I’m not sure if I’ll get another opportunity,” Riggleman said. “But I’ll promise you I’ll never do a one-year deal again. I’m 58. I’m too old to be disrespected.” His comments show that he clearly does not get “it”. This is not a question of respect. There is no entitlement. The Nationals did not owe you a thing Jim. They named you manager by removing the interim label. You were working year-to-year. Your lifetime managerial record did not entitle you to more. You were very lucky to have a MLB manager’s position. Your actions were selfish and disrespectful. The truth is that the Nationals team and its fans are better off for this move. They did not want to have a manager in the dugout who did not want to be there. That would not benefit anyone and a fresh voice and style could prove to be beneficial in the long-term. There are rumors that team is looking at Davey Johnson for the position. Personally, I think that Bobby Valentine should be considered for the job. But no matter who the Nationals hire, the team will be heading in a new direction. Jim Riggleman has committed baseball treason. For that reason, it is time for him to walk the plank and plunge into the waters of baseball oblivion.

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Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

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Tags: baseball, cubs, harper, mariners, mlb, nationas, padres, riggleman, rizzo, strasburg

A Tribute to Chad Cordero: Retired MLB Closer

Jun 22

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Wednesday June 22, 2011

MLB reports: The man with the straightest brim in baseball, Chad Patrick Cordero formally announced his retirement from baseball on Monday, at the tender age of 29. Cordero originally suffered a torn labrum and missed most of the 2008 season. He was never able to return back to full health and form following the injury and his 2010 season with the Mariners will remain his last in the majors.

Chad Cordero was originally drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 26th round of the 2000 draft, and later was a 1st round pick of the Montreal Expos, 20th overall, in 2003. Cordero was one of the rare college closers who graduated to the same role in the majors. He attended Cal State Fullerton and made it all the way to a College World Series title. Cordero made his major league debut the same year he was drafted and stayed with the Expos/Nationals organization for the majority of his career.

Here are Chad Cordero’s final major league numbers:

Year	Tm	W	L	ERA	SV	BB	SO	WHIP
2003	MON	1	0	1.64	1	3	12	0.636
2004	MON	7	3	2.94	14	43	83	1.343
2005	WSN	2	4	1.82	47	17	61	0.969
2006	WSN	7	4	3.19	29	22	69	1.105
2007	WSN	3	3	3.36	37	29	62	1.387
2008	WSN	0	0	2.08	0	3	5	2.077

2010	SEA	0	1	6.52	0	5	6	1.552
7 Seasons		20	15	2.89	128	122	298	1.208
162 Game Avg.		4	3	2.89	28	26	65	1.208

WSN (6 yrs)		20	14	2.78	128	117	292	1.198
SEA (1 yr)		0	1	6.52	0	5	6	1.552

NL (6 yrs)		20	14	2.78	128	117	292	1.198
AL (1 yr)		0	1	6.52	0	5	6	1.552

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

The year 2005 will always stand out as Cordero’s best, as he led the Majors with47 saves that year. Cordero was taken out of baseball in his prime and the game has lost one of its top relievers much too early. Cordero played with teamUSAin the inaugural edition of the World Baseball Classic in 2006. After departing from the Nationals in 2008, Cordero went on to play in the minors and majors for the Seattle Mariners. He also played in the minors for the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays organizations. Cordero was released by the Jays on May 17th and was last playing for the St. Paul Saints, an independent baseball team, before announcing his retirement on Monday.

In addition to his baseball injuries, Chad Cordero has also suffered from personal tragedy. In December 2010, Cordero and his wife lost an eleven-week old baby daughter. The cause was Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Cordero is quoted as saying, “I’m just using her as motivation, trying to find strength. Because I know, now, she’ll always be with me, no matter what.” From the time of his daughter’s passing, Cordero has been active in raising awareness for SIDS. It is very uplifting to hear that despite all the adversity suffered by Cordero, that he could still work so hard to try to continue his baseball career, while assisting with SIDS awareness. SIDS is a subject that must be very difficult for Cordero and his family to discuss and deal with, but he still fights on to continue the memory of his dear daughter.

A true fighter in every sense of the word, Chad Cordero gets our sympathies and respect. Cordero has faced many roadblocks and hills to climb and he has continued to see through all the hardships that life has handed to him. Still young, there is always a chance that Cordero could try to make a return to organized baseball. The torn labrum that he suffered though is not a “fixable” injury in the same category as Tommy John surgeries, which has become very common in baseball circles. It is unlikely that we will ever see the Chad Cordero of old on the mound and if he never returns to baseball, we will always remember him for the competitor he was on the mound. But given the circumstances surrounding his family, baseball and sports takes a back seat to the human element of life. We wish all the best to Chad Cordero and his family. For everyone that can go purchase a baseball hat today and leave the brim unfolded, wear your hat this week as a tribute to one of the best relievers in the game: Chad Cordero.

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***Note: The Wednesday E-mailbag is on hiatus this week so that we can bring you this tribute. The E-mailbag will return next week. Please feel free to continue to send all your baseball questions***

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

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Tags: baseball, cordero, expos, jays, mariners, mets, mlb, nationals, padres, sids

McKeon, Valentine and Guillen: The Loria Marlins Manager Roller Coaster

Jun 21

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

MLB reports: In the world of Jeffrey Loria, nothing is ever boring. Loria, who orchestrated an Expos to Marlins trade-in back in 2002, already owns two World Series rings. The first championship ring was courtesy of manager Jack McKeon, who came on board to manage the Marlins in 2003 and won it all in his initial Florida campaign. McKeon was successful in turning around a Marlins team that started off slowly and picked up steam after his selection. The Marlins currently sit after today’s game with a 33-41 record. They are in last place in the NL East, 12.5 games behind the division leading Philadelphia Phillies. Losers of 11 out of their last 12 games, the Marlins have a 16-23 record at home and 17-18 record on the road. Something had to give and manager Edwin Rodriguez resigned abruptly yesterday. Indicating that change was in the best interest of the team, Rodriguez was out and the Marlins quickly replaced him with former manager Jack McKeon. Out with the “old” and in with the “new”.

John Aloysius (Jack) McKeon will be 81 in November of this year. A veteran manager for sixteen seasons, McKeon managed five teams in his manager league career. His record in the dugout speaks for itself, as we take a look at the numbers:

Year	Tm	Lg	G	W	L	W-L%
1973	Kansas City Royals	AL	162	88	74	.543
1974	Kansas City Royals	AL	162	77	85	.475
1975	Kansas City Royals	AL	96	50	46	.521

1977	Oakland Athletics	AL	53	26	27	.491

1978	Oakland Athletics	AL	123	45	78	.366

1988	San Diego Padres	NL	115	67	48	.583
1989	San Diego Padres	NL	162	89	73	.549
1990	San Diego Padres	NL	80	37	43	.463

1997	Cincinnati Reds	NL	63	33	30	.524
1998	Cincinnati Reds	NL	162	77	85	.475
1999	Cincinnati Reds	NL	163	96	67	.589
2000	Cincinnati Reds	NL	163	85	77	.525

2003	Florida Marlins	NL	124	75	49	.605
2004	Florida Marlins	NL	162	83	79	.512
2005	Florida Marlins	NL	162	83	79	.512
	Kansas City Royals		420	215	205	.512
	Oakland Athletics		176	71	105	.403
	San Diego Padres		357	193	164	.541
	Cincinnati Reds		551	291	259	.529
	Florida Marlins		448	241	207	.538
			1952	1011	940	.518

McKeon comes with some terrific credentials. He is a two-time National League Manager of the Year, winning the award in 1999 originally with the Reds and again with the Marlins in his championship 2003 season. McKeon has done it all and seen it all. But the question on everyone’s mind is whether he will have a strong impact on the Marlins and turn around their season. From there, the Marlins will need to choose their long-term manager for the 2012 season. There is much discussion and debate surrounding the Marlins, as they complete the 2011 season and move next year to their new stadium and become the “Miami Marlins.”

As much as the Marlins seemed to take a step forward this season as an organization, they are apparently still stuck at square one in some ways. Take their managerial candidates. Back in their last offseason, the Marlins were looking at Bobby Valentine and Ozzie Guillen to become their next manager. Valentine, an analyst with ESPN, could not come to terms with the team and as a result was not hired. The team inquired as well on the availability of Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, a former coach with McKeon’s 2003 championship team. When the White Sox required a return of either super prospects Logan Morrison or Mike Stanton, the Marlins said thanks, but no thanks. Edwin Rodriguez ended up receiving the post and did not last even half a season in Florida. With the team in disarray and a fresh voice needed, the Marlins turned to their past in naming Jack McKeon their interim manager for the remainder of the season.

The cigar chomping McKeon, one of the most old-school baseball men you will ever meet, is seen as having a no-nonsense type of approach to the game. As his first move as manager, McKeon benched franchise superstar Hanley Ramirez yesterday. Reports indicate that tardiness was the cause, while others have viewed the move as a wake-up call for the team. Either way, McKeon has clearly shown that he is in charge and is not prepared to accept the Marlins losing ways. Unfortunately, as the years have progressed, baseball has become more and more of a “young man’s game.” Todays young players, part of the me-first generation, don’t often take kindly to veteran coaches that are seen as being out of touch with today’s times. This was evident before in Florida, where McKeon originally lasted only three seasons. McKeon was seen as a very stern and tough manager and had lost much of the attention of the clubhouse by the end of his tenure. Now the Marlins have gone back to the barrel to see if McKeon has one more strong season of managing in him.

In accepting the Marlins’ position, McKeon has become the second oldest manager in baseball history, just behind Connie Mack. While a great feat for McKeon, it will remain to be seen the impact that he will have on the Marlins 2011 fortunes. My gut is that the Marlins will be lucky to get much more out of the team, even with McKeon in charge. The team is dangerously close to knocking themselves out of contention by the All-Star break and anything short of a miracle at this point will change that. With most MLB teams hiring young, dynamic managers to lead the way, its surprising in some ways that Loria has gone backwards in his approach. But given Loria’s track record, he rarely does anything by the book.

After Jack McKeon completes his second tenure in Florida, the decision will still remain as to whether Bobby Valentine or Ozzie Guillen will be at the helm come 2012. Both are still in contention for the job according to reports, but neither appears in my estimation to be a great fit. Valentine and Guillen are both fiery individuals with strong wills and personalities. After watching the Joe Girardi fiasco in his battles with owner Loria, many managerial candidates have since been scared off from taking the manager’s job with the Marlins. Valentine and Guillen would both have difficult times being placed in a puppet type role as a manager and for that reason, I cannot see a either working out long-term in Florida. Loria would be well served selecting a strong baseball man for the job, but one that has extreme patience and ability to take the directions that would come from the top of the pyramid. Loria has shown in the past to be a man of little patience and self-control when it comes to the personnel of his ball club. If Bobby V or Ozzie do eventually take the job, watch out for the fireworks that will likely come in Miami. While Ozzie is signed for the 2012 season, insiders have indicated that the White Sox may grant permission for the Marlins to speak to him, if the ballclub does not return to contention by season’s end. My bet is that Ozzie will be headed one day to Miami to rejoin the Marlins as their manager. Until then, Jack McKeon will be captain of the Marlins ship.

I guess its true what they say. Everything old really is new again. The magic was there in 2003. Let’s see if the Marlins and McKeon can rekindle some of their spark eight years later.

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Tags: angels, athletics, baseball, guillen, loria, marlins, mckeon, padres, ramirez, reds, rodriguez, royals, valentine

E-MAILBAG: Ask the Reports, Wednesday June 1st

Jun 1

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Thank you for reading the E-mailbag. Please send all your questions to mlbreports@gmail.com and please include your first name and City/Country.

We will be compiling a list of your questions from our e-mailbag and posting the responses on Wednesdays.

Wednesday June 1, 2011

Q: Might be late, but a question for you. I love hitting pitchers. Who are some of the best of all time? From Larry, Laughlin.

MLB reports: Larry, as our #1 fan, you really know how to come up with great questions. An interesting question but one that is a little difficult to answer. As baseball has evolved, we have seen the introduction of the designated hitter, specialized relievers and closers. As years have gone by, pitchers have been hitting less and less. If we were to look overall at the “best” hitting pitchers, the discussion would begin and end with the greatest hitter of all time, Babe Ruth. To those of you that enjoy studying baseball history, Babe actually started off as a pitcher and was very good. Babe has a 94-46 career record as a pitcher, with a 2.28 ERA and 1.159 WHIP. At those numbers, Babe would have made the hall of fame even if he had stayed on the mound. But as he spent most of his career in the outfield, most people would not think of as Babe as a great hitting pitcher, just a great hitter. Bob Gibson, Don Drysdale and Walter Johnson were also decent hitting pitchers in their days, who could pop a few home runs. Looking at hitting pitchers of today, Carlos Zambrano, Micah Owings, and Jake Peavy when he was in the NL were all strong hitters. Rick Ankiel, before moving the outfield, was probably one of the best hitting pitchers at the time. Pitchers who can hit are out there, but as you can see from the list, they are a rare breed. If I have my way and the DH is abolished, we might see more pitchers enter this list in the future.

Q: Possible question for MLB reports. I Mat Latos finally back? From Nolan, Parts Unknown.

MLB reports: Mat Latos, the next great ace in baseball appears to have finally turned a corner. He has pitched really well in 3 of his last 4 starts and was outstanding last night, with 2 earned runs given up in 6.0 innings with 7 strike outs. After starting the year on the DL and taking time to come back to form, Latos has decent numbers on the year. A 3-6 record with a 3.97 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. Let’s remember that he pitches for a very weak Padres team that has a difficult time scoring runs and clawing out wins. Latos would be a 15-20 game winner on a contender and his numbers are telling me that he is back. By season’s end, we should see the Mat Latos that we all have come to know and admire.

Q: Your thoughts on Eric Thames thus far? From J, Toronto.

MLB reports: I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Thames recently at an autograph signing during the sleepover at the ballpark night at the Rogers Centre. The man has the biggest smile that you will ever see. Thames really gives the impression that he appreciates his place in the big leagues and does not take anything for granted. Watching him also during BP, he appears to be very intense and focused at developing his skills. That being said, his solid numbers in the minors have not yet translated to the majors. The 24-year old 7th round pick from the 2008 draft was hitting .342 in AAA at the time of his promotion with 6 home runs in 36 games. So far he has not hit a home run for the Jays and is batting .265. With Adam Lind due back, Lawrie about to be promoted and Travis Snider hitting .298 in AAA, the Blue Jays roster is becoming very crowded. I really like what I have seen thus far from Thames and I feel that he has a future in the Jays outfield. Having got his feet wet in the bigs, I believe that he needs a little more seasoning to develop the power side of his game and then be able to return back to Toronto with a vengeance. Thames has 20+ home runs in his bat and has shown a good eye at the plate. The potential is there and I hope that he is able to fulfil it.

Q: Will Anthony Rendon be the first overall pick in next week’s MLB draft? From Kathy, San Francisco.

MLB reports: Everything that I have read and seen from Anthony Rendon tell me that he should be the first overall pick in this year’s draft. However, injury concerns and the development of Gerrit Cole say that the Pirates will be drafting Cole next week. My prediction is that Rendon will go #2 to the Mariners and not fall past Arizona with the 3rd pick. The consensus #1 overall pick for some time, Rendon’s stock has gone up and down this year. Having broken his ankle and suffered a shoulder strain, the injury concerns will possibly scare off the Pirates from selecting him. Given the Pirates need for offense and inability to develop pitchers over the past few years, I would pick Rendon if given the choice. But the Pirates loss will likely be the Mariners gain, with Rendon and Dustin Ackley forming a 1-2 punch in their lineup for years to come.

Q: Best thing you ever ate or drank at a ballpark? I’m hungry! From Frank, Milwaukee.

MLB reports: Grab a sandwich my man, lol! I have not been to a game to watch the Brewers but I have heard that you have some great food at your park. I will say that I honestly love food and have eaten everything that you can imagine at a ball game. From nachos, hot dogs, hamburgers, turkey legs, perogies, chili, brisket sandwiches, fried chicken, stir fry….my stomach has seen and digested it all (thank goodness for tums!) My personal fave though? That’s easy. I am a true old school baseball guy and I would order hebrew national hot dogs off the grill at Comerica Park any day, with onions to boot. To wash it all down? Sometimes a blue slushy is my beverage. But in Comerica they have Cuervo green margaritas on tap. On a nice summer afternoon at the ballpark, nothing can beat that. Bottoms up and enjoy!

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A TRIBUTE TO GREGG ZAUN

Apr 16

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

MLB reports: On March 7, 2011, after sixteen seasons in baseball, Gregg Zaun decided to hang up his spikes for a final time. In spring training with the San Diego Padres, his tenth major league team, Zaun decided that he was not ready to continue in the game. Zaun seemed like a great fit for the Padres, a young team on the rise that could use his mentorship to guide its up and coming pitching staff. But being a man of integrity, Zaun apparently knew that his time had come. After a final farewell to the baseball field, Gregg Zaun joined Sportsnet in Ontario to become a full-time member of the Toronto Blue Jays broadcasting team. After broadcasting with Sportsnet for the last couple of years as a commentator for the playoffs, reports indicated that Zaun would one day become a broadcaster once his career was done. While being highly capable to continue in the game as a scout, coach or future manager, broadcasting has become the fit for Zaun as he starts the new phase of his career.

A nephew of Rick Dempsey, catching apparently ran in the family as Zaunn started his career with Dempsey’s Baltimore Orioles and rejoined the team for a brief stint in 2009. A 17th round pick in 1989, Zaun, a catcher by trade, made his major league debut in 1995 and lasted briefly on the Orioles until moving on to Florida. As a member of the Marlins, Zaun won his only World Series ring in 1997. After two and a half season in Florida, Zaun bounced to the Rangers, Royals, Astros and Rockies over the next several years. While the Gregg Zaun we have come to know and love is cool, collected, knowledgeable and intelligent, the younger Zaun of yesteryear was perhaps not as “together”. Reports I have read indicate that Zaun in his early his career perhaps took his role for granted, apparently having a sense of entitlement based on his famous uncle before him. Being 5’10” and weighing 170 pounds, Gregg Zaun is not the picturesque baseball player that we would necessarily come to expect. In the age of behemoth 6’3″+ catchers and ball players, a player of Zaun’s stature needs to show hustle and heart in order to have longevity in the game. After several cups of coffee around baseball, the maturation and stability of Zaun finally occurred in 2004.

Gregg Zaun became a member of the Toronto Blue Jays in ’04 and proceeded to spend the best five-year period of his career in Toronto. Zaun transformed himself into a leader on the ball club and became a fan favorite in the city. In 2005, Zaun played in a career high 133 games and had 434 at bats. Career highs of 162 total bases, 61 runs and 61 RBIs were set, but most telling were his 73 walks taken. Zaun, in addition to an outstanding defensive catcher was becoming an offensive catalyst as well. In 2006, despite playing in only 99 games, hit a career high of 12 home runs. Despite reports of Zaun being unhappy about sharing playing time near the twilight of his Jays playing days, Zaun showed up every day without a hiccup and was a team player right until the end of the 2008 season. Obviously Zaun’s time in Toronto was special for both him and his fans, given that Zaun continued to broadcast for the Jays in the off seasons following his departure from the team. A definite sign of things to come.

Over the last two seasons of his career, Zaun played out the string with the Orioles, Rays and Brewers. As the Rays were contending in 2009, Zaun became a stretch-run acquisition. Playing fairly well, Zaun earned a contract with the Brewers going into 2010. Unfortunately injuries cut Zaun’s last MLB season short, to a miniscule 28 games. The thinking around baseball was that despite being 40 years old on opening day 2011, Zaun still had enough gas left in the tank that he would continue playing with his new team, the San Diego Padres. However, as Zaun realized that he would not be able to achieve his personal goals, rather than take up a roster spot for a youngster he decided to call it a career. While the sport lost one of its last true gamers on the field, it gained it substantially back on its television screen.

When J.P. Ricciardi was let go as the general manager of the Blue Jays, not coincidentally Buck Martinez (the former Jays broadcaster that was fired by Ricciardi as Jays manager) returned to the team as its new play-by-play man. Who did Buck replace? Jamie Campbell, who was reassigned to the position of in-game analyst during commercials for the regular season and playoffs. Campbell, who worked with Zaun for five seasons and gave him his first start in broadcasting, is now Zaun’s full-time broadcasting partner . It was a breath of fresh air to have Zaun return to the Jays as a broadcaster. With a new studio set up directly inside the Rogers Centre during the 2011 to boot, fans get to witness the brilliance of Zaun’s work up close and personal during every Jays home game.

The reality of sports is that a player’s time always has to come to an end. Baseball is no different. Whether a young hot-shot prospect like Brien Taylor is a first overall pick that never makes it to the majors, or a Jamie Moyer/Julio Franco type that almost plays into their fifties. Gregg Zaun could have easily gone either way in the game. A World Series ring in his third season in the majors. Having a famous uncle who was a major league catcher for a whopping 24 seasons. Zaun from all accounts came into the game with a sense of entitlement and if his first few seasons had followed suit, Zaun could have burnt out quickly. Without the proportions of a typical star major league player, arrogant/unmotivated type players tend to not last long in the show. But something did click with Zaun and lasted within him to allow him to have a long and productive major league career. Unfortunately for the Gregg Zaun fans out there, that same maturity allowed Zaun to walk away from the game, even though he could have hung on for another season or two. Apparently his time was done and now Gregg Zaun is ready to continue the rest of his career.

I have really enjoyed reading and listening to Gregg Zaun’s analysis and thoughts on the game. In addition to being an analyst on Blue Jays broadcasts, Gregg can be found on twitter under the handle, appropriately enough @greggzaun. In my opinion the game of baseball needs more Gregg Zauns in its ranks. A winner with pure hustle and determination, the Gregg Zaun that I know embodies everything that is pure and great about baseball. The future is unlimited for Gregg Zaun. MLB reports wishes Gregg all the best as he starts the second phase of his career and get ready, you will be watching Gregg on ESPN or the MLB Network before you know it. Remember, you heard it here first.

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Tags: baseball, brewers, dempsey, jays, marlins, mlb, orioles, padres, sportsnet, worldseries, zaun

MLB Opening Day Preview: Schedule and Pitching Previews

Mar 28

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

MLB reports: With the 2011 MLB season about to commence, literally hours away at this moment- my thoughts continue to centre on the Holy Grail: Opening Day. This year, there are 12 teams playing on Thursday March 31^st with the remaining teams playing the next day. For each MLB fan rooting for their respective team, there are 15 different opening day games that will be the focal point for them. Regardless of the city you live in or the team you root for, the first game of the year is the most exciting. It is time to shake the snow off your boots, grab your jersey and tickets and get ready for the start of baseball. For you, the diehards, I present the matchups and probable pitchers for each game.

In my brief analysis of each game, I have taken a slight twist in my analysis. I have decided not to crunch the numbers and take the stats route. To predict the outcomes of games, most stat-heads tend to look at historical opening day numbers for each team, head-to-head records, home/away records, day/night games, etc. This article contains none of the above. I am simply looking at the teams, taking a feel for each lineup and starting pitcher for each team, in performing my discussion. I was planning to post this article in a couple of days but with the enthusiasm of opening day on the horizon, I simply could not wait. Thus MLB fans, I present to you: The breakdown of the MLB Opening Day lineup. (Note: all game times are EST. Starting pitchers are subject to change, especially for injuries. Games may be delayed due to weather conditions)

Thursday March 31, 2011

1) Atlanta Braves at Washington Nationals:

1:05pm: Derek Lowe vs. Livian Hernandez

There will be 2 games to start the year on Thursday at 1:05pm and this will be the first game previewed. America’s team, the Braves vs. the Nationals in the Nation’s capital. The Nationals are a nice, young exciting team with a great deal of buzz surrounding the team. Unfortunately, neither of its 2 brightest stars-to-be, Strasburg and Harper will not be a part of the opening day lineup. The Braves have a strong, young team led by Heyward and Freeman. Derek Lowe is an experienced veteran who gets the opening day nod out of respect. Livian Hernandez, on the other hand, is the opening day starter by default. The Nationals fans will be likely going home disappointed on this day, as the Braves will be the victors in a high scoring opener.

2) Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees

1:05pm: Justin Verlander vs. C.C. Sabathia

The next opening game of the year to start the year comes from new Yankee Stadium, as 2 historical teams matchup in what should be an excellent pitching matchup. Verlander and Sabathia are 2 of the strongest pitchers in the majors and should go toe-to-toe in this game. While I see the hitters having the advantage in this game while the pitchers break into the season in a strong hitting park, smart money is the Yankees taking the win in their home park.

3) Milwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds

2:10pm: Yovanni Gallardo vs. Edinson Volquez

This game is the one that will catch my attention the most on Thursday. Two of the most exciting offensive teams in the majors, each led by their young strikeout artists. Gallardo and Volquez are cut from the same mold: when on, both are untouchable. When both are having difficulties, they can be time bombs. In the Cincinnati bandbox, I am predicting a high scoring game and a Reds victory. I am a big Gallardo supporter, but I can’t see opening in Cincinnati working well for him.

4) L.A. Angels at Kansas City Royals

4:10pm: Jered Weaver vs. Luke Hochevar

On paper this matchup looks very easy to analyze and in reality, it is. Weaver is a stud hurler for the Angels, a team with strong defense and fairly balanced offense. The Royals have Cabrera and Francouer in the outfield and Hochevar as their “ace”. The Royals fans are fortunate to be opening the season at home. This will be the last of their fortunes on this day as Weaver and the Angels should easily have their way with a Royals team in their final year of rebuilding as respectability begins for them in 2012.

5) San Diego Padres at St. Louis Cardinals

4:15pm: Tim Stauffer vs. Chris Carpenter

The young and surprising Padres bring their smoke and mirror show to St. Louis to face the Cards and Chris Carpenter. With one of my hyped young hurlers Matt Latos on the shelf, Tim Stauffer gets the nod for the opener for the Padres. With Adrian Gonzalez in Boston, the Padres will find a difficult time to score runs this year. Stauffer, stellar in the bullpen and spot starts for the Padres in 2010, is now moved into the rotation full time this year. Carpenter, one of the best pitchers in the game, will prove to be stingy at home. Regardless of how many runs the Cardinals score on this day, 2 runs will be enough for the Cardinals to start their year with a win.

6) San Francisco Giants vs. L.A. Dodgers

8:00pm: Tim Lincecum vs. Clayton Kershaw

This will be a premier matchup, as the World Series champions Giants face their arch-rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lincecum vs. Kershaw will be a pitching matchup for the ages. I see these pitchers battling all night, with the Dodgers emerging victorious. Opening night will be exciting for the Giants, but the hangover effect on the road leans to an advantage to L.A. on this night.

Friday April 1, 2011

7) Houston Astros at Philadelphia Phillies

1:05pm: Brett Myers vs. Roy Halladay

Day 2 of Opening Day finds Brett Myers coming back to his old stomping grounds to face Halladay and the Phillies. I don’t want to formally go on record and say that Halladay will throw a no-no in the opener…so….let’s just say, I have already said enough. The Phillies fans will be smelling blood and it should not take long for Myers to be shaken as the Phillies hitters have their way with him. Houston goes down quietly and quickly in this one.

8) Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs

2:20pm: Kevin Correia vs. Ryan Dempster

Unless you are a Pirates or Cubs fans…I imagine that only the diehards will be watching this one. Kevin Correia in my estimation was a solid pickup for the Pirates and with decent run support will win at least 12 games in Pittsburgh. Dempster, as a steady pitcher for the Cubs will prove to be a worthy adversary. This game will boil down to which team gets the better pitching and my crystal balls sees a Pirates victory in this one.

9) Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Indians

3:05pm: Mark Buehrle vs. Fausto Carmona

In the seemingly never-ending Opening Day matchup between the Chisox and Indians, Buehrle and Carmona face off in Cleveland. As most White Sox fans will attest, Buehrle can be steady at the best of times and extremely frustrating in others. The Opening Day nod was given to Buehrle by Ozzie out of respect and years of service, which is well deserved and applauded. But with the hot hand of Fausto going into the opener, the Indians will squeak out a victory in the opener in one of the few bright moments that will likely shine in Cleveland’s otherwise rebuilding 2011 season.

10) Boston Red Sox at Texas Rangers

4:05pm: Jon Lester vs. C.J. Wilson

I would have loved to be at this game, as this game features the matchup of two of the best MLB offenses and dynamic left-handed pitchers. This game is being in played Texas, which tends to favor the hitters in the summer…but alas, this game is being played in April. The Red Sox will be buzzing with excitement with the additions of Gonzalez and Crawford, with the home return of Salty. After falling short in the World Series, I foresee the Rangers coming to the game focused and determined. Wilson will be on his game as the Rangers start 2011 with a hard fought victory over the Red Sox in a low scoring game.

11) Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies

4:10pm: Ian Kennedy v. Ubaldo Jimenez

One word: Ubaldo. The man with what, a 0.70 ERA in the first half of last year? Ubaldo translates from Spanish to English to mean unhittable. The Rockies take this game in 2 hours or less.

12) Minnesota Twins at Toronto Blue Jays

7:07pm: Carl Pavano vs. Ricky Romero

My live Opening Day game is in Toronto, Canada as Pavano and the Twins take on Romero and the Jays. Both pitchers come into this game after difficult final outings in their last respective spring training games. I was impressed with the Pavano re-signing with the Twins, as there is an excellent fit for him with this team. Romero, while a young exciting pitcher, is still growing into his role as ace on an up-and-coming Toronto team. While game 2 of this series features the true exciting pitching matchup of Liriano and Drabek, the fans attending opening day will have to settle to watch a decent game which will feature a victorious Twins team.

13) Baltimore Orioles at Tampa Bay Rays

7:10pm: Mark Guthrie vs. David Price

David Price, who will prove to be a serious Cy-Young candidate this year, faces the Orioles at home. My preseason favorites to win the AL East, this game should be a cake walk for the Rays and Price. While the Orioles will have a .500 team this year, Opening Night will not be their night.

14) New York Mets at Florida Marlins

7:10pm: Mike Pelfrey vs. Josh Johnson

Josh Johnson, when healthy, is one of the top pitchers in baseball. Mike Pelfrey, pitching for the bottom-feeder Mets, is like a lamb being led to the slaughter. Playing their final opener in their current home park, the soon-to-be Miami Marlins will give the Mets the first of their likely 90+ losses of the year. Not even close.

15) Seattle Mariners at Oakland Athletics

10:05pm: Felix Hernandez at Trevor Cahill

The final game of the year features the “Moneyball” Oakland A’s hosting King Felix and the Mariners. The A’s will have an exciting young team that has some of the strongest pitching in the AL with an improved offense that should finish 2^nd in the AL West, with the chance of a division win. The Mariners, a young team in rebuild mode, have the reigning AL Cy Young winner on the hill. Despite many bumps ahead in their season, I would never bet against King Felix. Opening Day ends with a Mariners victory and the season being completely underway.

As you, I cannot wait for the season to start. Spring training has been exciting and now it is time for the game and stats to count. While March has been about the hitters and pitchers to get their innings and at-bats in, Opening Day means that the games will be played the way they are meant to. It’s a long MLB season, with 162 games ahead for each of our teams. But with all the teams starting with a 0-0 record, everyone has an equal chance of success. With that in mind and knowing the matchups, let’s get ready for 3 more nights of sleep and then it will be time to play ball. Have a great season everyone; I have a feeling 2011 will be one of the best MLB seasons of all time.

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MILTON BRADLEY – “I can fix him”

Jan 20

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

MLB reports: Milton Bradley. The name just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?

The board game references are endless and I’m sure Milton has heard and seem them all. For me, if I had to draw a comparison, having Milton Bradley on a team is like playing operation. You have to hold the tweezers gently and play very carefully. Once false move and watch out, ZAP! Game over. Over the years, since 2000 to be exact, 8- count them 8, major league teams have played the baseball version of operation by employing Milton Bradley on their respective teams. The history is well-known by all MLB fans, but here is a recap for those of you new to the game:

Team 1 – Montreal Expos 2000-2001: Drafted Milton and traded him to the Indians for Zach Day.

Team 2 – Cleveland Indians 2001-2003: Bradley’s longest tenured team (NO joke). Bradley had an altercation with then Indians’ manager Eric Wedge in spring training of 2004, Bradley is then subsequently traded to the Dodgers for Franklin Gutierrez and Adrian Brown.

Team 3- Los Angeles Dodgers 2004-2005: Bradley and then teammate, future hall of famer Jeff Kent trade barbs in the media, essentially Bradley accused Kent of a lack of leadership and not knowing how to deal with black people. With all due respect to Kent, dealing with Bradley and Bonds is a difficult task regardless of race, gender or ethnicity. Bradley is later traded with Antonio Perez to the Oakland Athletics for Andre (gulp) Ethier. Definitely not one of Billy Bean’s finer moments. Sorry Billy.

Team 4- Oakland Athletics 2006-2007: Oakland represented Milton’s last team run beyond 1 year, but just barely. On June 21, 2007 Bradley was designated for assignment by the A’s and was traded subsequently with cash to the San Diego Padres for the infamous Adrian Brown. Quite the distinction of twice being traded for one another.

Team 5- San Diego Padres 2007: Bradley in September of 2007 had his famous run-in with an umpire which caused his manager at the time Bud Black to restrain him and Bradley ended up tearing his ACL in the process. Bradley ends up leaving Padres as free agent and signing with Rangers.

Team 6- Texas Rangers 2008: While with the Rangers, Bradley had his most celebrated season in the majors, leading the AL with a 1.036 OPS. Despite a lofty season capped by an all-star appearance, Bradley has one known incident where he sought out Royals broadcaster Ryan Lefebvre to “discuss” comments Lefebvre made about Bradley during that tame. At the end of the season, Bradley signs with the Cubs as a free agent for a whopping 3 years, $30 million.

Team 7 – Chicago Cub 2009: The Milton Bradley era in Chicago lasted a grand total of 1 year in Chicago, with Bradley fighting with everyone that was anyone that year and making his heavily criticized contract seem well, very ….very…..very bad. The tables started to really turn on Milton in June of that year, first from a suspension relating to an umpire bumping and later Sweet Lou blowing up at Bradley and sending him home during a game. The Bradley Cubs era unofficially came to an end on September 20, 2009 when the Cubs suspended Bradley for the rest of the season for disparaging remarks made by Bradley about the Cubs and city of Chicago. Lovely exit. Officially on December 18, 2009, Bradley was traded to the Mariners for Carlos Silva in a “your junk” for “my trash” deal.

Team 8- Seattle Mariners 2010 -?: The Mariners acquired Bradley in the hopes of rejuvenating a stagnant offence and instantly inserted Bradley as their cleanup hitter. The low-pressure stage of Seattle was to have a calming effect on Bradley with many experts expecting a comeback season, yours truly included by drafting Milton in the 15th round of my fantasy draft that year. In May 2010 Bradley removed himself from a game and took a two-week leave of absence for “personal reasons” which have not been explained to-date to my knowledge. The rest of the year was a fairly meek one for Bradley, with neither his bat or his team ever getting on track. As of the new year, Bradley was arrested on January 18, 2011 for allegedly uttering criminal threats to a female patron in his home.

Given his track record of incidents and altercations, my question is: how can so many teams and related executives have continued to give this man so many chances and employ him in baseball? It appears that Bradley wore out his welcome in almost every city he played in and lasted only 1-2 years at a time at most stops. The lifetime statistics are good- .272 average, .366 obp, .443 slg, but not great. Bradley though was never a particular strong home run hitter, did not drive in or score many runs and did not steal many bases. He did a lot of things, but none exceptionally well. A constant malcontent and injury prone player, team after team acquired him only to be left with egg on their faces.

Then again I ask, why the fascination with Bradley? How did he manage to have a career that lasted this long? Simple. Everyone wants to be considered a genius, to have a breakthrough. Imagine the person that is able to motivate, settle down Bradley and extract all the talent out of him and turn out the results that were expected of him. That executive would succeed where all else have failed and that is saying a lot. One by one some great minds in baseball set out to achieve this result and one by one, each failed. The closest achieved result was in Texas, where the Rangers led by Ron Washington were able to get an all-star year out of Bradley where he kept his nose clean for the most part and produced. Did the Rangers lock him up that offseason. No. They thanked their stars for getting the results they did and left the relationship on a high note. The result? Bradley I read in reports contacted the Cubs during that offseason and expressed his desire to play for Chicago. The Cubs were apparently so moved by his sincerity and gesture that they chose to sign Bradley over other available similar free agents Raul Ibanez and Adam Dunn. Yikes.

When news spread of the Cubs signing of Bradley to his monster contract, people in the industry were floored. The common theme that arose was “nothing good can come of this” and sure enough, nothing did.

As we are now in the year 2011 and Bradley has paid his bail and is now back resting at home, the reality is that this is a baseball player at the end of his rope. He has now played and been blacklisted on 26% of the MLB teams and the other 74% have taken note. We have entered a new era of major league baseball, one where speed, defence and youth has a higher premium than it did compared to recent years. Older, slower, defensively inclined players have been pushed aside for younger, cheaper talent. As we stand today, Manny Ramirez, Vlad Guerrero and Johnny Damon are still looking for work. I’m sure the Mariners have a team of lawyers working as we speak trying to find a way to void Bradley’s contract. If unsuccessful, we will probably see a release of him as the final footnote to his career. If Vlad can still be unemployed given his strong showing last year the Rangers, teams will equally have no issue leaving Bradley dangling on the waiver wire.

In my era we have seen Joey/Albert Belle, Carl Everett, Manny Ramirez and now Milton Bradley sideshows in baseball. Train wrecks that people criticize but can’t stop watching. I believe executives are getting smarter and more sophisticated in judging character and personality before drafting and promoting players. As we stand in the new MLB, we will see fewer, if any, Milton Bradleys in baseball. Baseball executives will choose not to play “operation” with their teams and their own baseball careers. Happy trails Milton Bradley. The game will continue, just with a different player in your place.