Blog Archives
MIlwaukee Is Making A Boneheaded Move If Non-Tendering Chris Carter: Should Have Learned From Houston Last Year
Chris Carter would be the perfect ‘cheap’ addition to compete on a lot of American League Rosters. This man has been criminally underrated for the power and walks he has put forth over the last 4 campaigns. With the ability to DH/play 1B or LF, with Milwaukee having 2 years left of team control in Arbitration, the club has DFA’d him, and likely will be forced to release him outright as A Free Agent. The management also signed an unproven MLB’er (Eric Thames) to a guaranteed $15 MIL over 3 years. Pretty bad on all front in my opinion!
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Last year at this time I made the point that the Houston Astros made a big mistake in non-tendering Chris Carter. At that juncture, the man has clubbed 90 HRS over the previous 3 campaigns with the Astros.
Houston struggled at the First Base Position all year in 2016 – with a collection of Tyler White, Marwin Gonzalez, Luis Valbuena and Yulieski Gurriel. With just bringing forth 84 wins. with the cutoff for the playoffs at 89 victories, one could say the franchise could have used the slugger ( and his .821 OPS, 41 HRs and 94 RBI).
The ‘Stros’ finished with production of .232/.299/.381 – 19 HRs, 62 RBI out of the position – which had a huge factor in them not reaching the playoffs, having the 2nd worst offensive output for the American League (Yankees – the worst).
Carter is a powerful dude who is a kind of the new Adam Dunn of the Majors. If he qualified for HR/PER AB ALL – Time with 3000 PA (he has 2645 his 14.97 AB per homer would rank him 13th in Major League Baseball History. So where is the love? Read the rest of this entry
NY Yankees Player Milestones In 2016: A-Rod, Teixeira, Beltran + CC
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
There is no doubt about it that the Yankees are old. However, they have some guys who are chasing down some historical numbers this season in Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran.
A-Rod is chasing down Babe Ruth next on the ALL – Time HR list with just trailing him 714 – 686. If he can crack 28 jacks, he will tie the “Sultan of Swat” and with 29 he will surpass him.
If #13 manages just 23 HRs, he would become the ALL – Time American League HR champ, as Babe Ruth hit 708 of his 714 big fly’s in the Junior Circuit, before tallying 6 more with the Boston Braves.
Rodriguez is also chasing down many other categories like Hits, Runs, RBI, GP, XBH and Strikeouts. Of course he already holds the record for Career Grandslams with 24.
If he can somehow reach the 30 HR barrier, it will be his 16th year of that many, and break a tie with Aaron for that honor.
A-Rod is just 60 Runs Scored behind Willie Mays. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives Jan.1, 2013 – Jan.31, 2013 (Lost Eps 70 – 100)
Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1216 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 70 – 100 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Sully starting posting his daily podcasts at the mlbreports.com on Feb.6, 2013. So we will add the dates between Oct.24, 2012 and Feb.6, 2013 in case you missed any of his awesome 1st 105 episodes.
But we will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans.
Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.
Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter Follow @sullybaseball
To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.
To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Baseball Hall Of Fame (Class Of 2017) Voting Poll
Vladdy was an Expo from 1996-2003 and will be elected into the Hall of Fame as An Expo to join Andre Dawson, Gary Carter and potentially Tim Raines next year.
Now that the 2016 Baseball Hall Of Fame Voting has come and gone it is time to turn our attention to the 2017 vote already.
There are 15 remaining names left from the 2016 Vote including: Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, Trevor Hoffman, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, Lee Smith, Jeff Kent, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa and Gary Sheffield.
Out of those 15, Raines and Smith are in the final years of their names being on the ballot.
There are 21 new names that come to the 2017 selection process for the 1st time – headed up by Vladimir Guerrero, Manny Ramirez and Ivan Rodriguez. All of these guys have the numbers to be 1st ballot Hall inductees, however Ramirez has been suspended over PED’s and Rodriguez has had whispers mentioned about him. Read the rest of this entry
Ken Griffey JR. + Mike Piazza Named To The Hall: Our Final Poll Vote Had Bagwell Joining Those Two
Ken Griffey was well on his way to the all-time career HR record before injuries slowed him down after the age of 30. He is also the last player in the MLB to have a HR in 8 straight contests, dating in 1993. Griffey received a record 99% of the ballots vote from the BBWAA, eclipsing Tom Seaver’s old record for highest percentage of votes in his selection today.
There were the 32 names on the list for consideration for the Baseball Hall Of Fame, only 2 made were selected to Cooperstown with Griffey JR. and Piazza. Our poll also had Jeff Bagwell make it.
Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey Jr., Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Garret Anderson, Mike Lowell, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Sweeney, David Eckstein are all on the ballot.
.Mike Piazza almost made it into the Baseball Hall Of Fame in voting for last year with a clip of 69.9% of the votes. He made it into the BBHOF this year.
Out of 524 People Voting, Final Results (75% would get a Hall Of Fame Induction)
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 519 | 99.04% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Bagwell | 416 | 79.38% | |
| Mike Piazza | 397 | 75.77% | |
| Tim Raines | 380 | 72.52% | |
| Roger Clemens | 331 | 63.17% | |
| Barry Bonds | 285 | 54.39% | |
| Curt Schilling | 222 | 42.37% | |
| Trevor Hoffman | 218 | 41.60% | |
| Edgar Martinez | 203 | 38.74% | |
| Alan Trammell | 190 | 36.26% | |
| Mike Mussina | 188 | 35.88% | |
| Mark McGwire | 169 | 32.25% | |
| Fred McGriff | 130 | 24.81% | |
| Sammy Sosa | 130 | 24.81% | |
| Larry Walker | 120 | 22.90% | |
| Lee Smith | 107 | 20.42% | |
| Jeff Kent | 101 | 19.27% | |
| Billy Wagner | 95 | 18.13% | |
| Gary Sheffield | 81 | 15.46% | |
| Jim Edmonds | 52 | 9.93% | |
| Nomar Garciaparra | 35 | 6.68% | |
| Brad Ausmus | 10 | 1.9% | |
| Jason Kendall | 9 | 1.72% | |
| Mark Grudzielanek | 9 | 1.72% | |
| Mike Hampton | 7 | 1.34% | |
| Garrett Anderson | 7 | 1.34% | |
| Troy Glaus | 4 | 0.7% | |
| Randy Winn | 4 | 0.7% | |
| MIke Lowell | 4 | 0.7% | |
| Mike Sweeney | 4 | 0.7% | |
| David Eckstein | 4 | 0.7% | |
| Luis Castillo | 2 | 0.35% |
Despite coming 15 votes shy with the BBWAA vote, Bagwell made it to the Hall in our poll – registering almost 80% of the ballots.
MLB Baseball Hall Of Fame (Class Of 2016) Voting Poll Results So Far (Last Chance To Vote)
Below the results listed so far, Pick 10 players who you believe should be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame this year. We will post the results after the class of this year is posted. We can see the amount of people who voted.
So we will accurately adjust this mark once the poll ends. A basic reference to see if a player is being voted for is to take their votes (times by 10) and then divide by the total amount of votes.
Here are the 32 names on the list for consideration.
Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey Jr., Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Garret Anderson, Mike Lowell, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Sweeney, David Eckstein are all on the ballot.
So Far (at 9:45 AM EST, Tuesday Jan.6, 2015) there have been 386 People who have voted, and only 6 people have left Ken Griffey JR. off of their list. Piazza and Raines (just barely) would both join Junior on the Baseball Hall Of Fame Induction list should this come to fruition.
I think the BBWAA should really take stock on the Clemens and Bonds numbers as they are far superior to what they voted for last year. Both of them are about 25% higher and on the fringe of making the Hall..
I also think that Hoffman is hurt by his 1st year on the ballot. A lot of people may have factored this in.
I really think Raines is going to see a big boost to his bid for the Baseball Hall Of Fame with it being his 9th year on the ballot. Under the new rules, that means that 2017’s Baseball Hall Of Fame Class would be his last chance to be elected to Cooperstown.
Out of 386 People Voting, The Results Thus Far (75% would get a Hall Of Fame Induction)
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 380 | 98.45% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Piazza | 312 | 80.82% | |
| Tim Raines | 290 | 75.12% | |
| Jeff Bagwell | 241 | 62.43% | |
| Roger Clemens | 237 | 61.40% | |
| Barry Bonds | 236 | 61.14% | |
| Trevor Hoffman | 186 | 48.19% | |
| Edgar Martinez | 162 | 41.96% | |
| Curt Schilling | 161 | 41.71% | |
| Mike Mussina | 148 | 38.34% | |
| Mark McGwire | 147 | 38.08% | |
| Sammy Sosa | 117 | 30.31% | |
| Alan Trammell | 116 | 30.06% | |
| Lee Smith | 98 | 25.39% | |
| Fred McGriff | 98 | 25.39% | |
| Larry Walker | 86 | 22.28% | |
| Jeff Kent | 79 | 20.47% | |
| Gary Sheffield | 69 | 17.88% | |
| Billy Wagner | 49 | 12.69% | |
| Jim Edmonds | 37 | 9.6% | |
| Nomar Garciaparra | 25 | 6.48% | |
| Jason Kendall | 6 | 1.56% | |
| Garrett Anderson | 3 | 0.78% | |
| MIke Lowell | 3 | 0.78% | |
| Troy Glaus | 2 | 0.54% | |
| Mike Sweeney | 2 | 0.54% | |
| David Eckstein | 2 | 0.54% | |
| Brad Ausmus | 2 | 0.54% | |
| Mike Hampton | 1 | 0.27% | |
| Luis Castillo | 1 | 0.27% | |
| Randy Winn | 1 | 0.27% | |
| Mark Grudzielanek | 1 | 0.27% |
Vote up until 558 PM EST today.
MLB Baseball Hall Of Fame (Class Of 2016) Voting Poll Results So Far (Last Chance To Vote)
Below the results listed so far, Pick 10 players who you believe should be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame this year. We will post the results after the class of this year is posted. We can see the amount of people who voted.
So we will accurately adjust this mark once the poll ends. A basic reference to see if a player is being voted for is to take their votes (times by 10) and then divide by the total amount of votes.
Here are the 32 names on the list for consideration.
Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey Jr., Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Garret Anderson, Mike Lowell, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Sweeney, David Eckstein are all on the ballot.
So Far (at 8:30 AM EST, Tuesday Jan.5, 2015) there have been 260 People who have voted, and only 2 people have left Ken Griffey JR. off of their list. Piazza and Raines would both join Junior on the Baseball Hall Of Fame Induction list should this come to fruition.
I think the BBWAA should really take stock on the Clemens and Bonds numbers as they are far superior to what they voted for last year. Both of them are about 25% higher and on the fringe of making the Hall..
I also think that Hoffman is hurt by his 1st year on the ballot. A lot of people may have factored this in.
I really think Raines is going to see a big boost to his bid for the Baseball Hall Of Fame with it being his 9th year on the ballot. Under the new rules, that means that 2017’s Baseball Hall Of Fame Class would be his last chance to be elected to Cooperstown.
Out of 260 People Voting, The Results Thus Far (75% would get a Hall Of Fame Induction)
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 257 | 98.84% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Piazza | 207 | 79.62% | |
| Tim Raines | 206 | 79.23% | |
| Roger Clemens | 166 | 63.84% | |
| Barry Bonds | 166 | 63.84% | |
| Jeff Bagwell | 166 | 63.84% | |
| Trevor Hoffman | 133 | 51.15% | |
| Edgar Martinez | 119 | 45.77% | |
| Curt Schilling | 115 | 44.23% | |
| Mark McGwire | 114 | 43.84% | |
| Mike Mussina | 109 | 41.92% | |
| Sammy Sosa | 89 | 34.23% | |
| Alan Trammell | 84 | 32.31% | |
| Lee Smith | 74 | 28.46% | |
| Fred McGriff | 69 | 26.54% | |
| Jeff Kent | 65 | 25.00% | |
| Larry Walker | 62 | 23.85% | |
| Gary Sheffield | 42 | 16.15% | |
| Billy Wagner | 39 | 15% | |
| Jim Edmonds | 29 | 11.15% | |
| Nomar Garciaparra | 20 | 7.7% | |
| Jason Kendall | 4 | 1.5% | |
| Garret Anderson | 2 | 0.8% | |
| MIke Lowell | 2 | 0.8% | |
| Troy Glaus | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Mike Hampton | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Luis Castillo | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Randy Winn | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Mark Grudzielanek | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Mike Sweeney | 1 | 0.4% | |
| David Eckstein | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Brad Ausmus | 1 | 0.4% |
Vote today.
When Can The Baseball Writers For The Hall Of Fame Consider Cheating Through PED Use, Or Not?
Barry Bonds once admitted to a Federal Jury that he used PED’s. As MLB’s ALL-Time HR King with 762 Round-Trippers, will the BBWAA ever consider looking past this and elect him into Cooperstown? He only received 36.8 % of the votes last year – and will be in his 4th year of balloting this season. The 7 time MVP, the 13 time ALL – Star, 12 time Silver Slugger, and 8 time Gold Glove Winner had a career 3 slash of .298/.444/.607 – and is also the ALL – Time Leader in Walks with 2558 – and is in the top 5 for several other categories lifetime.
Prof. Wes Reber Porter and Dan Dressman (Special Guest Writers): Follow @WRPspdADVOCACY and Follow @DannyDressman
When the 2016 MLB Hall of Fame Ballot is announced tomorrow, the heated discussion will begin about which controversial candidates, if any at all, should have been inducted into Cooperstown (HOF).
While isolated athletes have come up in previous years, this year represents the fourth year tension between the modern era of baseball – the “steroid era” – and traditional standards for admission into the Hall. With no one that has been connected to PEDs still having been inducted in
The 500+ baseball writers are, and should be, entrusted to weigh cheating and use of PEDs against the HOF’s criteria of “character,” “sportsmanship” and “upholding the integrity of the game” (the integrity standards).
These writers each will struggle, however, with a preliminary question that falls outside of their expertise:under which circumstances may a HOF voter consider, at all, a candidate’s connection to cheating and performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)? Read the rest of this entry
MLB Baseball Hall Of Fame (Class Of 2016) Voting Poll Results So Far
Below the results listed so far, Pick 10 players who you believe should be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame this year. We will post the results after the class of this year is posted. We can see the amount of people who voted.
So we will accurately adjust this mark once the poll ends. A basic reference to see if a player is being voted for is to take their votes (times by 10) and then divide by the total amount of votes.
Here are the 32 names on the list for consideration.
Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey Jr., Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Garret Anderson, Mike Lowell, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Sweeney, David Eckstein are all on the ballot.
So Far (at 7:30 AM EST) there have been 157 People who have voted, and only 2 people have left Ken Griffey JR. off of their list. Piazza and Raines would both join Junior on the Baseball Hall Of Fame Induction list should this come to fruition.
I think the BBWAA should really take stock on the Clemens and Bonds numbers as they are far superior to what they voted for.
I also think that Hoffman is hurt by his 1st year on the ballot. A lot of people may have factored this in.
I really think Raines is going to see a big boost to his bid for the Baseball Hall Of Fame with it being his 9th year on the ballot. Under the new rules, that means that 2017’s Baseball Hall Of Fame Class would be his last chance to be elected to Cooperstown.
Out of 157 People Voting, The Results Thus Far (75% would get a Hall Of Fame Induction)
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 155 | 98.72% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Piazza | 129 | 76.43% | |
| Tim Raines | 129 | 76.43% | |
| Jeff Bagwell | 110 | 70.06% | |
| Barry Bonds | 106 | 67.52% | |
| Roger Clemens | 105 | 66.88% | |
| Trevor Hoffman | 84 | 53.51% | |
| Edgar Martinez | 77 | 49.04% | |
| Mark McGwire | 77 | 49.04% | |
| Mike Mussina | 75 | 47.78% | |
| Curt Schilling | 71 | 45.22% | |
| Sammy Sosa | 61 | 38.86% | |
| Lee Smith | 52 | 33.12% | |
| Alan Trammell | 52 | 33.12% | |
| Fred McGriff | 47 | 29.34% | |
| Larry Walker | 46 | 29.29% | |
| Jeff Kent | 41 | 26.11% | |
| Gary Sheffield | 32 | 20.38% | |
| Billy Wagner | 31 | 19.75% | |
| Jim Edmonds | 24 | 15.29% | |
| Nomar Garciaparra | 19 | 12.11% | |
| MIke Lowell | 2 | 0.12% | |
| Luis Castillo | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Randy Winn | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Jason Kendall | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Garret Anderson | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Mark Grudzielanek | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Mike Sweeney | 1 | 0.06% | |
| David Eckstein | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Brad Ausmus | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Troy Glaus | 0 | 0% | |
| Mike Hampton | 0 | 0% |
Vote today. The Hall Of Fame Class of 2016 will be announced tomorrow.
2016 MLB Baseball Hall Of Fame Voting Poll
Pick 10 players who you believe should be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame this year. We will post the results after the class of this year is posted. We can see the amount of people who voted.
So we will accurately adjust this mark once the poll ends. A basic reference to see if a player is being voted for is to take their votes (times by 10) and then divide by the total amount of votes.
Here are the 32 names on the list for consideration. Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey Jr., Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Garret Anderson, Mike Lowell, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Sweeney, David Eckstein are all on the ballot.
Top 10 Active List: Homers Per At Bat
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part-Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
I guess I was pretty surprised to that despite 181 HRs in just 2567 AB – Giancarlo Stanton doesn’t have enough AB to qualify for the career lead in this category.
For the record Stanton has gone deep for every 14.18 AB thus far, including his 2015 year where he did yard work 27 times in just 279 AB – which is just 10.33 AB per jack.
Mike Trout is operating at a Home Run so far at 1/17.61 AB. Bryce Harper is just 3 HRS shy of the 100 Homer plateau. He has a HR/per 18.86 AB in his career, but he was at an incredible 1 longball per 12.40 AB last season. Read the rest of this entry
An 154 MLB Game Schedule Makes A lot Of Sense – Even For Separating The Record Books
Major League Baseball used to run on a 154 game schedule before 1961 In that year, the American League added two new franchises in expansion, with the California Angels and the Washington Senators. The National League played one more season with the 154 games mark before they also converted to the new 162 game season in the 1962 campaign.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Nice Idea, Doubt It will happen anytime soon though
I have been a longtime advocate of a 154 game schedule. I believe you could draw back the clock and have an official record book for the 162 game schedule and also the 154 ame schedule. Guess what that would do? Set back the single season HR mark to 60 by Babe Ruth in 1927 again.
The idea has lots of merit at its starting point, but a lot of the big market clubs like New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, LA Dodgers, Philadelphia Philies, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and LA Angels would hate voting for this for sure, as it would cut into revenue’s based largely on attendance alone, but for the other clubs I could see them not dropping by much in attendance at all aggregate for the whole lump sum of a year.
I think it would only work if they increased the Post Season to a bet of 7 LDS Round once the Wild Card Winners were determined. Read the rest of this entry
2015 MLB Hall of Fame Voting: Who Deserves to Get In?
The MLB Hall of Fame will announce which players will be part of the Class of 2015. With players such as Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez being added to the ballot this year, the question remains as to which players will ultimately make the final cut this year?
By Nicholas Delahanty (MLB Reports Writer) Follow @Nick_Delahanty
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
It is very possible that history is made with regards to this year’s MLB Hall of Fame induction class. In the past, the committee has been hesitant to vote in more than three players in one class, and it has been very rare to see more than three voted in at one time. In the past, the committee voted in four players twice (1947 and 1955) and five players only once (1936- the first year of the voting process).
As the decision day quickly approaches, there is speculation that the BBWAA could possibly end the long drought and elect five players this year. With this year’s ballot having a ton of players who could make a legitimate case to be inducted, I decided to go to the process of picking my own ballot (which doesn’t count for the BBWAA), and after taking the time and effort to research my ballet, I realized that it was a much harder process then I anticipated it would be.
Cespedes Wins The 2014 MLB HR Derby With An Awesome Power Display: Stop Complaining About The Contest Experts!
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
I have had enough with the experts flogging on the HR Derby last night.
Yes, it took long, but not as long as last year. I believe the actual event was under 3 hours. What every one was feeling had a lot to do with the hour plus rain delay.
I loved the new format of 7 outs, and AL vs NL. If there is anything I think the MLB could do away with – is having 5 players in each league participant.
I firmly believe that Jose Bautista and Giancarlo Stanton suffered because of an inactive round caused by them both winning a bye. Read the rest of this entry
Odds To Win The 2014 Home Run Derby + ALL – Time Derby Winners + Cespedes Wins 2014 Title
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
I said yesterday that I believed Todd Frazier would be an underdog darkhorse to win the HR derby at Target Field.
Little did I know he is tied for the 8th favorite out of 10 hitters.
The ALL – Star longball competition has changed formats. There are 3 players from the AL and NL that survive the 1st RD (7 outs each hitter).
The top players in each league (during the 1st round) win a bye into the semi-final round automatically, while the 2nd and 3rd seeds in each league square off in the 2nd round in a matchup each.
Once the winners are established in that round (7 Outs), the remaining 4 contestants will be duking it out in their respective leagues to find who owns the National League and American league big fly bragging rights.
It is all players within their own league until the final.
The winners of the AL/NL will face off for the championship. Again, all rounds contain 7 outs. Maybe this will ease some of the time constraints. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – May 27, 2014
Photo: Lettera/FPS.
The Cubs have brought Manny Ramirez in to be a player coach in their minor leagues.
How can the Cubs embrace Manny Ramirez but shun Sammy Sosa?
It is a Cubs centric episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Jonathan Schoop, A.J. Pollock, Hyun-jin Ryu, Tommy Milone, Tyler Skaggs, Desmond Jennings, Jacob deGrom and Khris Davis all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 24, 2014
(Photo by Anthony J. Causi)
Why don’t I record my podcasts ahead of time?
Because you will never know when a Yankee pitcher smeared pine tar on his neck!
Also, the Cubs snub Sammy Sosa and I am not cool with that.
That and more on today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Kyle Seager, Martin Perez, Hector Sanchez, Zack Greinke, Desmond Jennings, Sonny Gray, Matt Carpenter and Jeff Samardzija all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball.
MLB Reports Hall Of Fame Predictions: Class Of 2014 Players
The deadline of December 31st has come and gone for The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). Members were asked to submit no more than 10 names of players they “deem” worthy of induction towards this year’s National Baseball Hall of Fame ceremony set for July.
By Patrick Languzzi (Cooperstown Correspondent) Follow @patricklanguzzi
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Results are scheduled to be announced on January 8th.
Players must receive at least 75 percent of the votes in order to be inducted by a voting body of roughly over 500 eligible writers.
There are many player names worthy of discussion, however, few will see enshrinement, now or ever.
Greg Maddux Tribute:
Passing The Torch From Greatest MLB Player To Player During The Years 1979 – 2013: From Brett To Cabrera
Cabrera has had back to back AL MVP seasons in 2012 and 2013. He has also won 3 straight AL Batting Titles. Cabrera is the best player offensively in the universe. He has put up 10 straight 100+ RBI campaigns, but he has racked in 276 RBI, and also 88 HRs – while featuring an OPS well north of 1.000. The 11 Year Veterans totals would have even been higher in 2013, but he fought a torn groin for the last half of the year. The 8 time ALL – Star and 5 time Silver Slugger Award Winner has improved even greater on his totals over the last decade. Cabrera has a Career 3 Slash Line of .321/.399/.967 – with 365 HRs and 1260 RBI in just 1660 Games Played.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
While watching Miguel Cabrera this year, I started thinking about the best players in the MLB over the last 33 years. I am talking the best player of the game at any point of time.
I tracked back to 1979 for this article. I may expand further back in follow-up articles. I didn’t rank defense as highly as offense when I came up with the players.
I agonized over players like Mike Schmidt, Jim Rice, Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken for some of the years given in specific time frames. These gentlemen were given every consideration.
In the end, we are talking about the best player in the game though and it is always subject to debate and personal opinion.
The criteria had to involve leading the league in several different offensive and/or defensive categories, followed by routinely being in the top 7 in MVP balloting (if not taking home the honor), All-Star Appearances for every year I listed them for and most of them won silver sluggers and/or Gold Gloves as well.
Cabrera’s 3 HR Game – 2013
Enough With PED Users Being Rewarded! Peralta Signs For 4 Years With St. Louis
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
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For those fans that may not think about it very much, every time a PED user is gaining an advantage with the crap they are ingesting or shooting them, they are talking away another guys opportunity to make the big leagues.
The Cardinals signed Jhonny Peralta to a 4 YR/$52 MIL deal yesterday. I am not certainly not faulting the St. Louis for conducting business the way they have to. They are just following the rules.
What I am choked about is how an offender of the drug policy, can just resume his career, and double his last contract with no real consequences.
It is absurd on so many levels…
When Can The Baseball Writers For The Hall Of Fame Consider Cheating Through PED Use, Or Not?
Barry Bonds once admitted to a Federal Jury that he used PED’s. As MLB’s ALL-Time HR King with 762 Round-Trippers, will the BBWAA ever consider looking past this and elect him into Cooperstown? —Photo by sportsagent.com.
Prof. Wes Reber Porter and Dan Dressman (Special Guest Writers): Follow @WRPspdADVOCACY and Follow @DannyDressman
When the 2014 MLB Hall of Fame Ballot is released in November, the heated discussion will begin about which controversial candidates, if any at all, would be inducted into Cooperstown (HOF).
While isolated athletes have come up in previous years, this year represents a first real tension between the modern era of baseball – the “steroid era” – and traditional standards for admission into the Hall.
The 575 baseball writers are, and should be, entrusted to weigh cheating and use of PEDs against the HOF’s criteria of “character,” “sportsmanship” and “upholding the integrity of the game” (the integrity standards).
These writers each will struggle, however, with a preliminary question that falls outside of their expertise:under which circumstances may a HOF voter consider, at all, a candidate’s connection to cheating and performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)? Read the rest of this entry
Baseball Academies In The Dominican Republic
Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206
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In 2012, almost ten percent of all major league players were born in the Dominican Republic. This is despite the population of the United States of America being more than thirty-one times greater than that of the D.R.
How does the Dominican Republic produce so many baseball players, one might ask.
Well, baseball academies run by major league teams and player agents are one of the driving forces increasing the number of professional baseball players from the D.R.
Orioles’ Chris Davis And Manny Machado Primed For Big Second Half
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Chris Davis is one of the premier sluggers in all of baseball, and is showing everyone that he is a great all-around hitter as well. He is on pace to hit at least 60 HRs this season, and this would put him in some exclusive company. The last time a player hit 60, is when Barry Bonds hit 73 in 2001. Crush as the fans in Baltimore like to call him has a chance to not only lead the Orioles to another post season berth, but also a division crown. The last time they won the division was in 1997. He has a WAR of 4.3 that is 3rd in the AL and is 1st in AB per HR with 9.5 this season.
By Chris Lacey (Lead Baseball Columnist/Minority Website Owner) Follow @aecanada12
Baltimore Orioles are proving that their post season appearance last season was no fluke and that they are not a one-hit wonder with their play this season. The Orioles are second in the American League East division and they trail the Boston Red Sox by 3 ½ games.
This is very good considering the division that they play in is the toughest one in baseball, where all but one of the five teams is under .500. Baltimore can attribute some of the success this season to their offense.
Chris Davis 2013 Highlights- So Parental Guidance Is Advised
An American Hobby: Baseball Memorabilia – Harmon Killebrew’s 1955 Topps Rookie Card
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Killer was an 11 Time All – Star and an 6 time HR King and led the AL in RBI 3 times as well. He also hit 40+ HRs 8 times. The man had a Hall Of Fame Career. Killenbrew also had a great eye – in leading the American League in Walks in 4 separate years. Overall, he Walked 1559 times in 2435 Games Played. His 3 Career Slash was .256/.376/.884.
By Lee Edelstein (‘Baseball Memorabilia Enthusiast’ – visit his website here) Follow @chinmusicstory
MLB Reports: We are pleased to present you with Baseball Author Lee Edelstein as the newest writer with us at the Reports. Lee will be providing us with great stories about baseball memorabilia on a regular basis.
MLB Reports
An American Hobby
Blog 10
This week’s article features a member of the 500 Home Run club.
During the decade of the 1960’s, sluggers named Hank Aaron,Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Willie McCovey, Ernie Banks, and Frank Robinson, in the prime of their careers, bashed balls out of the ballpark in record fashion.
In 1961, Mantle and Maris duked it out as the baseball world watched their assault on Babe Ruth’s single season Home Run record. But after the dust had settled on the 60’s, it was a quiet gentleman named Harmon Killebrew who wound up hitting more Home Runs in the decade than anyone else.
Nicknamed “The Killer”, although he was anything but, he pounded 393 Home Runs in that ten year period:
Harmon Killebrew Tribute:
Chris Carter: The Future Star That Will Make Billy Beane Regret His Trade Mistake
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Chris Carter: A career .283 hitter in the minors, with a .378 OBP and .535 SLG. The perfect combination of power and patience. He will prove to be the one that got away from Billy Beane.
Jonathan Hacohen (Lead Baseball Columnist, Oakland A’s Correspondent and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
Mark down the date of February 4th, 2013. The day that Billy Beane broke my heart. In preparing for my latest A’s feature, the working title of the article was “Chris Carter: The Next Great A’s Superstar”. Then fate intervened. Or rather, Beane decided to pull off one too many trades. After a successful offseason that saw the A’s GM bolster significantly bolster his playoff squad, Beane decided that one more blockbuster move was in order. Jed Lowrie was headed to Oakland, with Chris Carter (the good one), Max Stassi and Brad Peacock going over to the Astros. For the purpose of this piece, I will be focusing on the loss of Carter. Stassi is a former 4th round pick of the A’s and a young 21 Year Old catching prospect. With Derek Norris ready to grab the A’s catching job for the next decade, I can see how he was expandable. Peacock was a 41st round pick of the Nationals. A 25 Year Old arm that may develop one day, but crashed and burned last season in AAA. With the A’s pitching depth, I can see how he could be ticketed out-of-town for a change of scenery. But Chris Carter? Really Billy??!! You worked your magic to get him in the first place from the Diamondbacks. I certainly hope that your return pans out (Jed Lowrie and Fernando Rodriguez). Right now, I simply cannot see the logic of this move.
Adam Dunn: The New Dave Kingman?
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Adam Dunn has hit 40+ HRs 6 times in his career and 38+ HRs in 8 of the last 9 years. He is the Classic ‘3TO’ Guy. AKA 3 True Outs Guy: HR/BB or SO. At The MLB Reports, we call it a ‘Dunn Trick’ when he does all 3 in a game.
By Brian Madsen (White Sox Correspondent): Follow @brianm731
.159 Batting Average, 11 HRs, 42 RBI, 177 SO, $12 Million. Those are the #’s posted by Adam Dunn in 2011 during his first season with the Chicago White Sox in just 415 AB or two-thirds of a season. Quite possibly one of the worst statistical seasons in MLB history. Far from Dunn’s previous season averages leading up to that point in his career: .248 Batting Average – with 33 HRs and 82 RBI. These were not the #’s the White Sox thought they were getting when they signed Dunn to a 4 YR/$56 Million Contract prior to the 2011 season. Dunn never was a high average kind of guy, has always struck out a lot (as a lot of power hitters do), but also walks a lot. Much to Dunn’s credit, he turned everything around in 2012 hitting (only) .204, but with 41 HRs and 96 RBI. His turnaround season was a big reason for Chicago’s success in 2012.
Dunn has been one of the game’s premiere power hitters since 2004. Yet, to this date, has never been on a playoff team. He and the Sox came close in 2012, but fell short behind the Tigers. Dunn surpassed 400 HRss last year for the Sox, ( the same year that his teammate Paul Konerko hit his 400th. Konerko actually hit his 300th HR in the same game, back-to-back with, then teammate, Jermaine Dye) and has a great chance to surpass 500 HR’s. While Dunn will probably fall short of 500 HRs in his next 2 seasons with the Sox, you have to figure he’ll catch on with a team in 2015 and get there. A common complaint about Dunn is, and has been, his average. Last year Dunn hit a “robust” .204, yet still managed to have an OBP of .333. Not quite as good as his career OBP of .370, but not awful either. For a guy that strikes out as much as he does, Dunn sure walks a lot. Though Dunn walked 105 times last year, his K’s more than doubled that amount with 222.
Adam Dunn Highlights: Mature Lyrics – Parental Guidance is Advised:
The Patrick Languzzi Interview: The Man Behind The Petition About The Dwight Evans For The ‘BBHOF’ Candicacy Campaign
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Dwight Evans falls into that category with Don Mattingly, Mark Grace, Will Clark and Keith Hernandez. Guys that were the best players amongst their peers, (offensively and defensively) plus BBHOF Worthy (In some cases) – but are trounced on by the ballooned ‘Steroid era” numbers.
By John Tuberty – Special Guest Writer and Cooperstown Correspondent (Owner of The Wesbite Tubbs Baseball Blog, please view here . )
Under current Hall of Fame voting rules, the Expansion Era Committee meets once every three years to vote on retired players who are no longer eligible for election by the BBWAA, have been retired 21 or more seasons, and made their biggest contributions to the sport after 1972. In addition to the retired players, the Expansion Era ballot also includes retired managers, umpires, and executives from the post-1972 era. One player who is eligible to be included on December’s Expansion Era ballot is former Red Sox Right Fielder, Dwight Evans.
Despite owning impressive career totals such as 385 Home Runs, 2,446 Hits, and 8 Gold Glove Awards, Evans struggled to draw support in BBWAA Hall of Fame voting and fell off the ballot after failing to draw the necessary five percent needed to stay on the ballot on a very crowded 1999 election. However in recent years, Evans has become a popular Hall of Fame debate in the sabermetric community and several articles have been written in support of his overlooked Hall of Fame candidacy. One particular writer, Patrick Languzzi is spearheading a campaign to put Dwight Evans on December’s Expansion Era ballot. Languzzi, who writes for MLB Reports as the Hall of Fame Correspondent, created his own website, Call to the Hall, which is devoted to bringing awareness to Dwight Evans’ overlooked Hall of Fame candidacy. Languzzi even started a petition which calls for Evans to be selected as one of the twelve finalists on December’s Expansion Era ballot. Languzzi was nice enough to take the time for me to interview him about his Call to the Hall website and petition.
JT: Patrick, you, along with Nick Carfardo of the Boston Globe were recently interviewed by Tom Caron on the New England Sports Network (NESN) to discuss Evans’ overlooked Hall of Fame candidacy (see link below). What was that experience like?
PL: The experience was validating for me, meaning, when I started this project, I never imagined it would have gone as far as it has, and gotten the attention it’s drawn. It’s great to see that I’m not the only one that feels that Evans’ case deserves to be revisited.
JT: You mention in the NESN clip that you got a chance to meet Dwight, what can you tell us about meeting him?
PL: Through all of my research, I’ve gotten to know Evans, and what I’ve found is that he is extremely humble and unwilling to discuss himself as a possible Hall of Fame candidate. He was humble as a player too. A good example of this is the clip from the 1987 All-Star game (see link to clip below) when Dwight fields a fly ball and fires a strike to home plate, Tim Raines the player at third holds from tagging up.
Paul Konerko Has Asserted Himself As An ALL-Time South Sider
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Paul Konerko heads into the last year of a contract. At 37, Konerko has hit 415 HRs as a White Sox Player – and is 33 Round-Trippers short of Frank Thomas (448) for the ALL-Time Franchise Lead. Will he reach the ‘BIG HURT’ in 2013? Better yet, if he re-signs with the team past 2013, he may enter the top 10 of ALL-Time HRs for one team. Currently Lou Gehrig and Eddie Matthews sit tied in 9th with 493 HRs each for one club.
By Brian Madsen (White Sox Correspondent): Follow @brianm731
The South Side of Chicago. U.S. Cellular Field. You’re likely to have heard chants of “Let’s go White Sox!!”, “Ozzie!! Ozzie!!, and maybe even “Oh-E-Oh, Magglio!!”, over the years at this beautiful, yet underrated ball park. But, for the last 14 seasons, you probably would have heard “Paulie!! Paulie!!”, more than any other. No, not Paulie from Rocky fame. Paul Konerko, the 6 time ALL-Star and 2005 World Series Champion First Baseman of the Chicago White Sox. Some would say he’s underrated, much like the stadium he’s called home since 1999. Acquired via trade from the Cincinnati Reds in late 1998 by the White Sox for Mike Cameron, Konerko has been a consistent producer for them for 14 seasons.
He’s averaged more than 32 HRs and 101 RBI in that time frame for the Sox – and has combined for a few quality 1-2 punches over the years with some big hitters. Frank Thomas, Carlos Lee, Magglio Ordonez, and now Adam Dunn, to name a few. He is said to be one of White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf’s favorite players of ALL-time. He should be, as he helped guide the White Sox to their first World Series Championship in 88 years back in 2005. Konerko even presented the “3rd and final out ball” to Reinsdorf at the victory parade, bringing the owner to tears in front of thousands of screaming Sox fans.
Paul Konerko 2012 Highlights: Mature Lyrics – Parental Guidance is Advised:
Bartolo Colon: Ready For One More “BIG” Season in Oakland
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Bartolo Colon saw his 2012 season end early due to a PED suspension. He is scheduled to return in April. Does he have one more big year left in the tank?
Jonathan Hacohen (Lead Baseball Columnist, Oakland A’s Correspondent and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen
Bartolo Colon (or Fatolo as he is known in inner-baseball circles), is set to make his major league return in April, 2013. Back in August, 2012 Colon received a 50-game suspension for the use of a Performance Enhancing Drug (PED). This suspension came a week after Melky Cabrera received his 50-game ban. With only 5 games left in his suspension, Colon will be back in early-April (health permitting). But as much as fans discuss his performance on the field, Colon’s weight always seems to be the center of attention. Generously listed at 5’11” and 265 lbs. on the Baseball Reference site, Colon won’t be winning modelling contests anytime soon. Billy Beane said it best in Moneyball, when he made it clear to his scouts that the team wasn’t trying to sell jeans. They were trying to win ballgames. Regardless of his weight and appearance, as long as Bartolo Colon can get the job done, I say hand him the ball every 5th game. Babe Ruth wasn’t a small guy, but he sure got the job done. Colon may not have the talent possessed by Ruth, but he can still be effective on most given nights. When baseball has 1-2 pitchers falling to Tommy John surgery on a weekly basis, there is something to be said for a pitcher that can go out there and give his team a good chance of winning. That is the Bartolo Colon that the A’s are hoping for in 2013. With a $3 Million salary this year and approximately $2 Million in incentives to be earned, Colon has all the incentives in place to give the A’s the workhorse they need this upcoming season.
Cincinnati’s Favorite Son (Pete Rose) Still Awaits Baseball Re-Instatement And A Spot In Cooperstown
Thursday, October.18/2012
Always driven by the “Almighty Dollar” Pete Rose has appeared in several WWE Pay-Per-Views and was paid to be unceremoniously dumped on his keester like this picture dictates. He was always feuding with the wrestler ‘Kane.” Rose usually showed up at the events as the San Diego Chicken first. This time he sent someone else as the Chicken and tried to sneak attack ‘The Big Red Machine ” with a baseball bat only to be caught. I guess Kane wasn’t a fan of the 70’s “Big Red Machine Player.”
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024
I started watching baseball when I was really young. Back in the day in the early 1980’s, one of my favorite players was Pete Rose. I mean who couldn’t admire the ALL-Time Hit Kings all out effort in running the bases? As a young baseball player myself, I emulated Rose by sprinting to first base when I drew a walk. I always love why he said he did this: “There is no point in not hustling down to first because that just makes you that much closer to second.” He was monikered with “Charlie Hustle” for his tenacity towards the game. Who could ever forget how he wiped out Ray Fosse in the 1970 ALL-Star Game? Pete Rose was ‘old school’ as they come. He is the ALL-Time leader in Games Played (3562) At Bats (14059), Plate Appearances (15890) and of course his 4256 hits still sits 1st on the Career list. The man also had 10-200 hit seasons (Tied for 1st ALL-Time with Ichiro Suzuki) and has won 3 batting titles. He was on 3 World Series Championship teams including being the key transaction in putting over the 1980 Phillies to their first franchise World Series Title ever. Rose had a .303 Career Avg while hitting .300 in 17 different seasons and making 17 different ALL-Star Teams. He was the Rookie of the Year for the Reds in 1963 and was the NL MVP in 1973, when he hit .338 and collected 230 hits. Rose also holds a 426-388 Career Record as a Manager with the Reds.
I wish every MLB Player would adopt Pete Rose’s intensity for the game of baseball. I am happy to see Mike Trout and Bryce Harper hustle their muscles off like Pete Rose did. Maybe others will follow.
Rose was also last Player/Manager in the Major Leagues, when he played and called the shots with the Cincinnati Reds in 1986. All of these incredible achievements should have placed him in Cooperstown by the early 90’s, however he was just as competitive in something else that would later be revealed. On Aug.24/1989, Pete Rose was issued a lifetime ban from the MLB for betting on the game of baseball. It shocked the world and was the biggest scandal in the National Pastime since the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. Pete fought for his innocence with as much reckless abandonment as he displayed with his famous head first slides. Read the rest of this entry
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