Blog Archives

Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (May 11th) – Updated Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings

Adam Wainwright

Adam Wainwright took a no hitter into the 8th inning and pitched a complete game 2 hit shutout as the Cardinals defeated the Rockies, 3-0.

Jose Tabata helped the Pirates demolish the Mets 11-2 by going 4-5 and a homer, three runs and three RBI. He was a triple short of the cycle.

Toronto’s bullpen may have prevented him from getting the win, but Mark Buehrle pitched seven solid letting up only 1 run in Fenway Park. The Blue Jays won 3-2 in a game where Clay Buchholz was terrific over 8 innings.

Justin Morneau drove in three key runs in the third and fourth innings as the Twins came from behind to beat the Orioles, 8-5.

They all owned baseball on May 11, 2013

My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.

At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON.

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

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

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Monday May.06/2013

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

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

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

Stats all Prior to May.06th games. 

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

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

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

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

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Who Owned Baseball – Updated May.06/2013

Justin Verlander

Justin Verlander took a no hitter into the 7th inning and finished with seven shut out innings with 9 strikeouts as the Tigers beat the Astros 9-0.

Adrian Beltre scored on the tying home run and hit the walk off hit as the Rangers won 4-3 and swept the Red Sox.

Jaime Garcia 8 strong as the Cardinals shut down the Brewers 10-1, sweeping the series.

Adeiny Hechavarria had quite a game. He tripled and hit a grand slam off of Roy Halladay as the Marlins crushed the Phillies, 14-2 .

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They all owned baseball on May 05, 2013

My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.

At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON.

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

MLB Monthly Power Rankings May 2013 (Podcast Version)

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Sunday, May.05/2013

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

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

By The Big Ticket Show ( AKA Triple Play Podcast on http://www.mlbreports.com)

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

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

No Kyle Lohse In St. Louis – No Problem: Young Pitchers Are Thriving For The Cardinals

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Thursday, May 2nd, 2013

The Cardinals entered Spring Training in 2013 with an open spot for their fifth starter. Shelby Miller took full advantage of the opportunity, posting a record of 2-0 and an ERA of 3.94 in 16.0 IP. The Cardinals are definitely looking toward the future with Miller. At just 22 years of age, he is currently their fifth starter, but has the potential to become the ace of the staff in the matter of a couple of years.

The Cardinals entered Spring Training in 2013 with an open spot for their fifth starter. Shelby Miller took full advantage of the opportunity, posting a record of 2-0 and an ERA of 3.94 in 16.0 IP. The Cardinals are definitely looking toward the future with Miller. At just 22 years of age, he is currently their fifth starter, but has the potential to become the ace of the staff in the matter of a couple of years.

By Landen Crouch (Cardinals Correspondent)

If you are interested to know why the Cardinals would be so quick to let their best starter from 2012, Kyle Lohse  just walk away to a division rival, you might be interested in this article.  

The Cardinals made it very clear when the 2012 season ended that it was unlikely that Kyle Lohse would return to a Cardinal uniform in 2013.

 In a year that had Chris Carpenter sitting for an injury and Adam Wainwright in his first year back from Tommy John Surgery, Kyle Lohse emerged in 2012 as the ace of the Cardinals pitching staff.  He led the team with a (16-3) record and a 2.86 ERA.

But in the offseason, Lohse hit the Free Agent market asking for a hefty amount of cash.  The Cardinals simply were not willing to pay that price.  Why, you ask?  Because the Cardinals ownership have restructured their Minor League affiliates over the years and are loaded with pitching prospects.

Shelby Miller’s dominant outing against Kyle Lohse and the Brewers:

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Who Owns Baseball – Updated May.01/2013

Edwin Encarnacion

Edwin Encarnacion of the Toronto Blue Jays hit a pair of home runs including the go ahead shot in the 7th inning against first place Boston.

Justin Verlander pitched 7 strong innings, striking out 8, as the Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins and kept their spot on the top of the standings.

Rickie Weeks of the Brewers got on base four times, scored three times, drove in five and homered as Milwaukee beat Pittsburgh 12-8.

And in a night of terrific National League pitching (including wonderful performances from Tim Hudson, Hyun Jin Ryu, Kevin Slowey, Bronson Arroyo, Madison Bumgarner, Trevor Cahill and Jeremy Hefner) it was Jaime Garcia who won the night. He pitched 8 outstanding innings of a tense 2-1 Cardinal victory over the rival Cincinnati Reds.

They all owned baseball on April 30, 2013

My explanation for “Who Owns Baseball” can be found here.

At the end of the year, we will tally up who owned baseball the most individual days and see how it compares to the final MVP and Cy Young vote.

To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON. Read the rest of this entry

MLB Power Rankings – Apr.29/2013

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Monday Apr.29/2013

Papa Grande had led the AL in Games Finished during each of the last 2 seasons (70 in     2011 and 67 Last Year.  he also led the AL in Saves in 2011 with 49.  It was a Sept/Oct swoon   of a 5.02 ERA that started his troubles - before giving up 6 Earned Runs in 1 combined Inning Pitched between the ALCS and the World Series.  He remained unsigned by everyone until the Tigers gave him an incentive laden 1 Year Deal.  Valverde nailed down 2 Saves this week and the Tigers have won 4 out of 5 games - including sweeping the Atlanta Braves

Papa Grande had led the AL in Games Finished during each of the last 2 seasons (70 in 2011 and 67 Last Year.) he also led the AL in Saves in 2011 with 49. It was a Sept/Oct swoon of a 5.02 ERA that started his troubles – before giving up 6 Earned Runs in 1 combined Inning Pitched between the ALCS and the World Series. He remained unsigned by everyone until the Tigers gave him an incentive laden 1 Year Deal. Valverde nailed down 2 Saves this week and the Tigers have won 4 out of 5 games – including sweeping the Atlanta Braves in Detroit this past weekend.

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

With it coming up to the 4 week Report, the biggest mover this week where the Detroit Tigers.  Jose Valverde came back to the club, looked trimmed down – and more like his 2011 self compared to when we last saw him.  The Motown Boys pasting the Braves over the weekend speaks volumes about their talent.

The worst week went to the Giants – who plummeted from #1 to #11.  It has to be concerning for the fans that Matt Cain and Ryan Vogelsong do not look right. Decent start by Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito have been wasted.  The club may be lacking the hunger to repeat.  I see the whole team having up and down campaigns.

The Toronto Blue Jays may not have plunged down the rankings that much this week, however they have free fallen the most out of any franchise from the start of the year.  The projected AL favorite – have started 9 – 17 and are looking up at 4 good teams in the AL East now. 

I am predicting they will have a good second half, yet they will not make the playoffs now based on the Jose Reyes injury mostly.  John Gibbons also has to be on the hot seat. 

Papa Grande’s Contract is purchased

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As Nats Battle Tough Sked – A New ? Arises: Who Will Be The Future 2B: Rendon Or Espinosa?

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Wednesday, Apr.24/2013

Danny Espinosa had best start producing for this talented Washington Nationals club.  He has started the campaign at a 3 Slash Line of .176/.222/.556 even though he has cutdown his Strikeouts to start.

Danny Espinosa had best start producing for this talented Washington Nationals club – with the likes of Anthony Rendon looking for a position to overtake. The 25 Year Old has started the campaign at a 3 Slash Line of .176/.222/.556 -even though he has cutdown his SO so far.

During the course of a baseball season there are going to be ups and downs, and for the past week and a half I have written that reality far too much. The Nats started the season with a tough stretch that doesn’t end until June.

Consider for a moment that between April 1 and May 31 the Nats play 33 games against teams that were over .500 in 2012 – and only 22 afterwards. They play more games against team that had winning records the season before in the first two months of the season than they do in the final four.

That is an odd balance. Combine that with the unseemly amount of errors and irregular Bullpen play – and it is a recipe for a slow start, or exactly the start the Nationals are off to.

It was the effort by the Nationals in a while – and they ended up losing a one run game. During the course of the season those are the types of games that even out. It is unusual for a team, good or bad, to have a record much above or below .500 in one run games. Read the rest of this entry

Arizona Diamondbacks Third Week In Review

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Monday, April.22, 2013

The Arizona Diamondbacks got off to a great start at 8-4, but have recently cooled off. They have struggling with the offense because of the injuries they have dealt with

The Arizona Diamondbacks got off to a great start at 8-4, but have recently cooled off. They have struggled on offense in key situations late in ballgames. They are ale also missing some key members from their line up.  The team has also encountered some hot teams and one of the tougher schedules in terms of playing team with winning records thus far.  Arizona is 2 – 1 vs STL, 3 – 0 vs MIL, 1 – 2 vs PIT, 1 – 2 vs NYY and 1 – 2 vs the Colorado Rockies.  All of these teams have a +.500 record.  The only team is the LA Dodgers (who they are 2 – 1 against this year, 8 – 10 overall – and were above .500 when they played them.)  The DBacks sit in 3rd in the NL West, 3 Games Behind the Colorado Rockies heading into play Monday night.

By Chris Lacey (Baseball Writer)

The Arizona Diamondbacks started off the season great by going 8-4 in their first 12 games.  They were going to face a challenge in the third week of the season by staring a nine game road trip.

They were going to face The New York Yankees, Colorado Rockies, and San Francisco Giants. These three teams each represent a different degree of difficulty for Arizona.

The Yankees can score plenty of runs in short time frame because of their ability to hit HRs. The Rockies have a lineup that is strong top to bottom. The Giants have a great bullpen with an offense that is improving each game.

Arizona Diamondbacks 2013 Intro Video. Mature Lyrics – Parental Guidance Is Advised:

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MLB Weekly Power Rankings – Week 3

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Monday Apr.22/2013

The Giants have gutted out a 12 - 7 record despite Matt Cain being 0 - 2 with a 7.15 ERA, and Ryan Vogelsong featuring an early season ERA of 5.89.  Buster Posey is also off to a slow start.  This team has so much depth and talent, I see nothing that will stop this club from taking their 3rd NL West Division crown no that the LAD have had severe injury problems to their Starting Rotation.

The Giants have gutted out a 12 – 7 record despite Matt Cain being 0 – 2 with a 7.15 ERA, and Ryan Vogelsong featuring an early season ERA of 5.89. Buster Posey is also off to a slow start. This team has so much depth and talent, I see nothing that will stop this club from taking their 3rd NL West Division crown now that the LAD have had severe injury problems to their Starting Rotation.  The Giants take their rightful spot as #1 in the MLB Reports Weekly Rankings thids week.

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

The Major League Baseball Season is roughly 10% over and we are seeing some trends and patterns.  The next time you wonder why games are so long in the game right now, look no further than there are about 150 hitters that are currently on pace to Strikeout 100 plus times this season.

Other Notes:

The Cincinnati Reds won every game this past 7 days, after losing every day the week prior.  This is simply why they shot up the rankings.  I think the NL Central is the weakest Division this year.  It was my prediction that the oldest professional baseball club would run away with this Division by at least 10 games.

Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Votto are on the Basepaths at all times – carrying an OBP of over .500 plus each.  Votto is starting to drive the ball with authority too.  Brandon Phillips, Todd Frazier and Zack Cozart are driving in Runs at an incredible rate.

Look for BP to be a dark horse NL MVP candidate.

Brandon Phillips Talks about Winter Workouts:

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Are The Cardinals Making Room For Young Stars Adams And Taveras?

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Saturday, April 20th, 2013

Matt Adams is absolutely crushing the ball in his 21 AB during the young 2013 season.  He has clubbed 3 HRs - driven in 8 RBI - while posting a 3 Slash Line of .524/.564/1.613.  Will the organization be able to find room for he or even Oscar Taveras for that matter?

Matt Adams is absolutely crushing the ball in his 21 AB during the young 2013 season. He has clubbed 3 HRs – driven in 8 RBI – while posting a 3 Slash Line of .524/.564/1.613. Will the organization be able to find room for he or even Oscar Taveras for that matter? Adams, from Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, was selected  in the 23rd Round of the 2009 Amateur Draft.

By Landen Crouch (Cardinals Correspondent)

All of baseball remembers the day – Cardinals fans, especially.  It was December 8th, 2011 – the day that it was announced that Albert Pujols was leaving St. Louis for the Los Angeles Angels.  

It was a huge story for Major League Baseball at the time.  The story left most fans wondering why the Cardinals would not do absolutely everything they could to keep Albert Pujols.  

But amongst all of that, hidden behind that name Albert Pujols, was a young man by the name of Matt Adams.  Prior to the 2011 offseason, Matt Adams had no idea what was in his near future.

 His career path at the time literally depended on what decision Albert Pujols chose to make.  Adams was an up and coming First Base prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals organization.  He was coming off an incredible 2011 year, in which he posted an impressive line of .300 BA, 32 HR, and 101 RBI in just 115 Games Played.

 It was clear that this young guy was a pure hitter with outstanding Major League potential.  He is the very reason the Cardinals refused to offer Pujols any more money.  If you have ever wondered to yourself why the Cardinals did not pay Pujols, just keep reading.  I promise this story gets really interesting.

Matt Adams’ 1st Home Run of 2013:

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MLB (R) Weekly Power Rankings – Week 2

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Monday Apr.15/2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Athletics 8 Game Win Streak Is Nothing New To Pattern Formed Since Last Year

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Friday, Apr.12/2013

Oakland Athletics' Jed Lowrie has made Billy Beane look like a genius once again - with clubbing 16 hits, (8 of the Extra Base Variety), Scoring 10 Runs and Walking 6 times so far in the teams 8 - 2 start.  He has an OPS of 1.258 thus far.

Oakland Athletics’ Jed Lowrie has made Billy Beane look like a genius once again – with clubbing 16 hits, (8 of the Extra Base Variety), Scoring 10 Runs and Walking 6 times so far in the teams 8 – 2 start. He has an OPS of 1.258.  He was acquired from the Houston Astros in a February trade which sent Chris Carter the other way.  The man can play several defensive positions well.  He is due for Arbitration at the end of this season, before becoming a Free Agent in 2015.  Beane doesn’t seem to make a bad move these days.

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

Hands up.. How many people would have thought that the Oakland Athletics would start the 2013 season with the best record in the Major Leagues so far?

Of course this website is not surprised at all.  Jonathan Hacohen (Website Founder and current Oakland A’s Correspondent) wrote a brilliant piece in the 1st week of July/2012 – breaking down Billy Beane‘s new MoneyBall Philosophy here.

I have to admit something right now..  I had not seen the movie “MoneyBall” even by this time.  Yes…brutal and I was kicking myself for not seeing it before hand.

After the movie, I did some digging and was extremely flabbergasted with what I found about Beane’s magic.  I wrote a Roster Tree for the Hitters and Pitchers in the organization.  I studied every single transaction to back track how each of the current member of the team had arrived in an Oakland uniform.  You can find that 2 part series here.

Can the Oakland A’s Do it Again in 2013 Preview:

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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – April 11, 2013

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On today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I talk about the different kinds of losses and why a blow out is always better than what the Red Sox endured last night.

Also I determined that Derek Holland, Jake Westbrook, Brandon Moss and Buster Posey owned baseball on April 10, 2013.

Subscribe on iTunes HERE.

Past the READ OF THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are players that owned the Day for Baseball Read the rest of this entry

Ryan Ludwick’s Injury Could Hurt The Reds For The Long Run

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Wednesday April 10, 2013

Reds left fielder Ryan Ludwick had to be taken off the field on Opening Day by trainer Paul Lessard due to a shoulder injury. He slid head first into Third Base and dislocated his right shoulder, tearing cartilage. The Reds will be without Ludwick for the next three months. Without his offensive production will the Reds stay atop of the National League Central.  The OF hit for a 3 Slash Line .275/.346/.877 - with 26 HRs and 80 RBI in just 422 At-Bats in 2012.  Ludwick signed a 2 YR deal with the Reds worth $15 MIL over the winter.

Reds left fielder Ryan Ludwick had to be taken off the field on Opening Day by trainer Paul Lessard due to a shoulder injury. He slid head first into Third Base and dislocated his right shoulder, tearing cartilage. The Reds will be without Ludwick for the next three months. Without his offensive production will the Reds stay atop of the National League Central. The OF hit for a 3 Slash Line .275/.346/.877 – with 26 HRs and 80 RBI in just 422 At-Bats in 2012. Ludwick signed a 2 YR deal with the Reds worth $15 MIL over the winter.

Ryan Ritchey (Baseball Writer): 

The Reds are off to a hot start with a 5-2 record with wins over the Angels, Nationals, and Cardinals.

Those are big wins to start out because on paper all three of those teams should make the playoffs.  It just so happened that on Opening Day against the Angels that the Reds left fielder, Ryan Ludwick, had to leave the game due to an injury. 

When the injury occurred it didn’t look to serious, but when the x-rays were taken it showed that he had dislocated his shoulder.  Along with the dislocated shoulder Ludwick had torn cartilage in his shoulder and needed surgery.

Ryan Ludwick Highlights 2012 – Mature Lyrics So Parental Guidance is Advised:

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St. Louis Cardinals – Week 1 Review

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Monday, April 8th, 2013

2012 was a season that ended with disappointment which ultimately distracted us from recognizing what a successful year it really was.  2012 highlighted a lot of the greatness that is to come for this great franchise.  The Cardinals are greatly positioned for the next 5 years with the influx of 6 top 100 MLB Prospects at  League Entry Level Contracts. Having said this, the club started out the year dropping 2 out of 3 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, before pulverizing the defending World Series Champions over the weekend - taking the series 2 - 1 and outscoring the Giants 20 - 7, while obliterating Matt Cain's ERA for some time. by hanging 9 Earned Runs on him in just 3.2 IP

2012 was a season that ended with disappointment which ultimately distracted us from recognizing what a successful year it really was. 2012 highlighted a lot of the greatness that is to come for this great franchise. The Cardinals are greatly positioned for the next 5 years with the influx of 6 top 100 MLB Prospects at League Entry Level Contracts. Having said this, the club started out the year dropping 2 out of 3 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, before pulverizing the defending World Series Champions over the weekend – taking the series 2 – 1 and outscoring the Giants 20 – 7, while obliterating Matt Cain’s ERA for some time. by hanging 9 Earned Runs on him in just 3.2 IP.

By Landen Crouch ( Cardinals Correspondent)

Week in Review:

The opening week of the 2013 season for the St. Louis Cardinals can now be considered successful after a 14-3 win over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday afternoon.  The Cardinals finished their opening week six-game West Coast road trip with a .500-record of (3-3).

This is definitely a huge success for the Cardinals to come back to St. Louis with at least a .500 record.  Of course, they wanted to win the 16-inning marathon against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday night (and early into Thursday morning), and the 1-0 pitchers-dual game against Barry Zito on Friday. 

Those were two tough losses.  Overall, though, this week was positive for the Cardinals and should give them some momentum coming into their home opening series against the Cincinnati Reds.

2013 St. Louis Cardinals Preview by MLB Network:

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Dodgers 1st Week In Review

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Monday Apr.08/2013

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

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

By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent): 

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

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

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

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

Ryu Interviews after his 1st start:


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Rick Ankiel Earns A New MLB Life Yet Again

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Sunday, March.31/2013

Ankiel could be used in any bf the Outfield Positions as a PH/defensive replacement even if he is not in the starting lineup, Ankiel would help just about any MLB Team.  Ankiel only batted .236/.292/.377 with the Nats in 2 years but was slugging .411 this year 17 XBH (5 HRs, 10-2B and 2 3B ) in just 158 AB.  Injuries plagued him from 2009-2010. At age 34, does he have any baseball left?

Ankiel could be used in any of the Outfield Positions as a PH/defensive replacement even if he is not in the Starting Lineup for the Astros, Ankiel only batted .236/.292/.669 with the Nats in 2 years but was slugging .411 – with 17 XBH (5 HRs, 10-2B and 2 3B ) in just 158 AB during the 2012 campaign.  The Nats released him near the end of June after Jayson Werth returned to the lineup and Bryce Harper was called up. Injuries has plagued him for the majority of the 2009 – 2010 years. At age 33, does he have any baseball left?  The Astros fans will soon find out.

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

In his tenth overall MLB season, Rick Ankiel is on his fourth MLB team after struggling to stay in the Majors since 2010, being designated as a back-up outfielder with the Royals, Braves, and finally the Nationals. As a Non-Roster Invitee, Ankiel has found a home with the Houston Astros organization.

It seems clear that with his explosion towards the end of Spring Training that he could potentially earn a spot on the Astros 25 Man Roster. More than likely we will see Ankiel be platooning with J.D. Martinez in Left Field, with the former Starting Pitcher taking the Starting job, and having the young and inexperienced Martinez under him and learning from the ten-year veteran, Ankiel.

Don’t Run On Rick Ankiel – Mature Lyrics so Parental Guidance is Advised:

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An American Hobby: Baseball Memorabilia – ‘Kid Nichols’ Card From Mayo’s 1895 N300 Collection

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Saturday, March.30, 2013

Kid Nichols was 361 - 208 (.634) for his Career with a 2.96 Lifetime ERA.  From 1896 - 1898 he led the NL in wins each year - amassing a n incredible 92 - 37 (.713) Record in that time frame.  He is one of 13th players to throw in over 5000+ IP (5067.IP and good for 11th ALL - Time.

Kid Nichols was 361 – 208 (.634) for his Career -with a 2.96 Lifetime ERA. From 1896 – 1898 he led the NL in wins each year – amassing an incredible 92 – 37 (.713) Record in that time frame with the Boston Beaneaters. He is one of 13th players to throw in over 5000+ IP (5067.IP and good for 11th ALL – Time.  Incredibly he spent time growing up playing baseball in Surrey, B.C. Canada, which is where our Website Owner Chuck Booth played.

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

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

MLB Reports

An American Hobby

Blog 7

Kid Nichols

Charles Augustus “Kid” Nichols was born four years after the end of the Civil War.  He would live long enough to see himself inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1949.

His journey to Cooperstown began in 1890 when he debuted for the Boston Beaneaters.  He had quite a rookie season, winning 27 games, putting up an ERA of 2.23, and leading his league with 7 shutouts.  But Kid Nichols was just warming up. 

In 1891 he won 30 games, the first of seven seasons when he would reach the 30-win plateau.  In 1892, Nichols won 35 regular season games plus two more in the Championship Series where they vanquished the Cleveland Spiders and their top pitcher, a guy named Cy Young.

Youtube Tribute Page to 300 Game Winners – Many of the them featured:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j99r1TcnBrU&list=FLt4R0b8rfq11zVEjnHUcJsQ%5D

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Can The Cardinals Still Compete With Another Winter Of Losses For A 2nd Year?

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Friday March.29/2013

The Cardinals have been the most consistent Franchise in the National League, having appeared in 8 of the last 12 NLCS since 2000 (3-5).  They have also won 2 World Series in that time (2006 and 2011.)  They held a 3-1 NLCS lead over the San Francisco Giants before losing to the 2012 World Champions.  If there was an Atomic Bomb, I am sure that Cockroaches, Silly Puddy and the Cardinals would survive it because they just keep coming like Zombie's

The Cardinals have been the most consistent Franchise in the National League, having appeared in 8 of the last 12 NLCS since 2000 (3-5). They have also won 2 World Series in that time (2006 and 2011.) They held a 3-1 NLCS lead over the San Francisco Giants before losing to the eventual 2012 World Champions. If there was an Atomic Bomb, I am sure that Cockroaches, Silly Puddy and the Cardinals would survive it because they just keep coming like Zombie’s.  Will 2013 be any different for the team without being able for all of the NL Teams to fatten up on the Astros?


Jake Dal Porto (Baseball Writer)

The St.Louis Cardinals didn’t do much adding this offseason. Sometimes this isn’t such a bad thing, as constant tinkering to a roster isn’t always needed. But if anything, the Cardinals have become a weaker team since losing to the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS.

Perhaps the most concerning flaw to their roster revolves around the pitching staff.

Kyle Lohse just signed a deal with inner-division rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers. Lohse posted a 2.86 ERA in 2012, and finished seventh in Cy Young voting. Among other things, he also pitched a career-high 211 Innings, compiled a career-high 134 ERA+ and barely walked 1.5 batters per 9 IP. Read the rest of this entry

St. Louis Cardinals 2013 Payroll and Contracts Going Forward

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Wednesday, March.25/2013

2012 was a season that ended with disappointment which ultimately distracted us from recognizing what a successful year it really was.  2012 highlighted a lot of the greatness that is to come for this great franchise.  The Cardinals are greatly positioned for the next 5 years with the influx of 6 top 100 MLB Prospects at  League Entry Level Contracts

2012 was a season that ended with disappointment which ultimately distracted us from recognizing what a successful year it really was. 2012 highlighted a lot of the greatness that is to come for this great franchise. The Cardinals are greatly positioned for the next 5 years with the influx of 6 top 100 MLB Prospects at League Entry Level Contracts.  The Cards were 1 one away from the World Series in 2012 before the Giants won 3 elimination games.  Can the franchise withstand the losses of Lohse, Carpenter, Furcal and even Hitting Coach Mgwire

By Landen Crouch ( Cardinals Correspondent)

I believe we can expect more of the same from the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013. This is a franchise that has proven they can be competitive on a consistent basis, even doing so last year without Albert Pujols. The Cardinals enter 2013 following consecutive runs to the National League Championship Series (won World Series in 2011).

On the heels of a very quiet offseason, the Cardinals seem to be entering the 2013 season with a very clear plan: get younger while simultaneously maintaining a high level of success on the field. The franchise has clearly begun this transition already with the departure of a few key players in the last several years – Kyle Lohse being the latest.

In the money department, the Cardinals have never been afraid to spend money to help the ballclub; however, they have always done so wisely. They are not among the teams that seemingly are just trying to buy championships. They have always been a team that uses a healthy balance of money and a solid farm system for success.

In 2013, the Cardinals will rank 10th in all of Major League Baseball in overall payroll – in the upper tier, for sure, but not overspending by any means – and their farm system is ranked 1st overall in baseball. The Cardinals have the money and the players it takes to continue being competitive for a long time to come.

2011 Cardinals World Series:

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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – March 25, 2013

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There is some bad news for Cardinals fans all over the world. I’m picking the Cardinals to win the World Series in 2013, and my picks are almost always wrong!

But I have a good feeling about this Cardinals team and that is the topic for today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

Subscribe on iTunes HERE.

Oakland A’s Player Roster in 2013: State Of The Union Part 2: The Pitchers

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Sunday, Mar.24/2013

A.J Griffin was 7-1 with a 3.06 ERA in 15 Games Started for the A's in his 2012 Rookie Season.  The A's will look for the 24 Year old for some Quality Starts in 2013

A.J Griffin was 7-1 with a 3.06 ERA in 15 Games Started for the A’s in his 2012 Rookie Season. The A’s will look for the 24 Year old for some Quality Starts in 2013.  The  former University of San Diego Pitcher yielded a 1.13 WHIP during his time last year.  As the teams #4 Starting Pitcher on the depth chart, Griffin should be able to see some favorable matchups in 2013.  If he throws like 2012 again in 2013, he might very pole vault to being the ace of the rotation.  We may have another 3 – 4 staff that contend for the AL Cy Young like the days of Hudson, Mulder and Zito.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner):

Billy Beane has always recycled his great starting pitchers once they hit the experience level that he could not pay them for.  His new crop of pitchers include Jarrod Parker, Brett Anderson, Tommy Milone and new Starter A.J. Griffin

They also are bringing back Bartolo Colon for the 2013 season, despite taking a 50 game suspension for PED use last year. Billy Beane is a master tactician on assessing  a players worth and especially pitchers.  Just like the hitters, the pitchers are all mostly in the 25-30 Age bracket.  He has a quality set of controllable relief pitchers in the barn to close out games too.

A.J. Griffin at University of San Diego:

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The Washington Nationals Roster for 2013: State Of The Union Updated Mar.7/2013

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Thursday March 7, 2013

The Nationals are one of 2 teams in the MLB (The Mariners is the other) that have never made a World Series Appearance.   Will this change in the Year 2013?

The Nationals are one of 2 teams in the MLB (The Mariners is the other) that have never made a World Series Appearance. Will this change in the Year 2013?

By Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Writer):  .

It’s clear that the Washington Nationals have turned the corner as a franchise on the rise. Their most recent high included a 2012 campaign that had them winning 98 games in the regular season, good for the most in the majors, but ended with heartbreak in a game 5 loss in the NLDS at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals. Moving forward to 2013, the Nationals will certainly hope to make it deeper into the playoffs, but it will be easier said than done. The Nationals have shown patience in the past, but have made some aggressive moves this off-season.

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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – March 5, 2013

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On today’s Sully Baseball Daily Podcast, I celebrate the 8th birthday of my twin sons. They were my guests and we talked about baseball (and animals which is THEIR obsession.)

Subscribe to Sully Baseball Daily Podcast on iTunes.

An American Hobby: Baseball Memorabilia – The 1952 Stan Musial Card

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Saturday, March.o2, 2013

Stan Musial is 2nd (Aaron) ALL-Time for Total Bases with 6134. of them for his Career.. He is 3rd ALL-Time with 1377 XBH. He also is 5th ALL-Time in RBI with 1951 (1 ahead of A-ROD) and 8th in Runs Scored with 1949. " stan-1.jpg" width="588" height="350" /> Stan Musial is 2nd (Aaron) ALL-Time for Total Bases with 6134. of them for his Career. He is 3rd ALL-Time with 1377 XBH. He also is 5th ALL-Time in RBI with 1951 (1 ahead of A-ROD) and 8th in Runs Scored with 1949.  His 725 Doubles trail only Pete Rose and Ty Cobb on the ALL-Time List.  His 177 Triples are only good for 19th ALL-Time.  Meanwhile, only 4 players have topped 100 3B on the Active List: (Crawford-119, Reyes - 114, Damon -109, Rollins 105) and Juan Pierre (92) has a shot at the century mark for his Career.  The game has changed, importance of XBH has not.

Stan Musial is 2nd (Aaron) ALL-Time for Total Bases with 6134 of them for his Career. He is 3rd ALL-Time with 1377 XBH. He also is 5th ALL-Time in RBI with 1951 (1 ahead of A-ROD) and 8th in Runs Scored with 1949. His 725 Doubles trail only Pete Rose and Ty Cobb on the ALL-Time List. His 177 Triples are good for 19th ALL-Time. Meanwhile, only 4 players have topped 100 3B on the Active List: (Crawford-119, Reyes – 114, Damon -109, Rollins 105) and Juan Pierre (92) has a shot at the century mark for his Career. The game has changed, importance of XBH has not.

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

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

MLB Reports

An American Hobby

Blog 3

Stan Musial

Each week, I’ll feature a baseball card of one of these all-time greats.  Along the way, we’ll talk about other aspects of America’s Hobby, why it continues to grow in popularity, and answer any questions you may have.

We lost Stan Musial on January 19th.  The outpouring of sentiment from all of baseball was heartwarming and appropriate.  No finer man or ballplayer ever graced a major league locker room. Musial’s passing touched a nerve in baseball fans across America, Bob Costas included.  Watch how he struggles with his emotions as he delivers his simple but eloquent eulogy to Stan The Man:

Bob Costas Eulogy for Stan Musial:

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Why The Orioles And Lohse Make Sense

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Saturday February 16, 2013

Lohse has had an up-and-down career since making his debut in 2001. He has bounced around cities and has experienced some good seasons, and some less than impressive seasons. He was a big part in the middle of the rotation during their 2011 World Series run finishing 14-8 while posting a 3.39 ERA.

Lohse has had an up-and-down career since making his debut in 2001. He has bounced around cities and has experienced some good seasons, also with  some less than impressive seasons. He was a big part in the middle of the Cardinals rotation during their 2011 World Series run – finishing 14-8 while posting a 3.39 ERA.

By Kyle Holland (MLB Reports Writer):

2012 was a career year for the Cardinals’ RHP Kyle Lohse. At Age 34, Lohse has become one of the most inconsistent pitchers in the game of baseball. Since making his debut in 2001 at 21 years old with the Minnesota Twins, Lohse has had some stellar years, and some not-so-great years. This includes a 2008 season – where he went 15-6 with a 3.78 ERA. He followed that great season with ugly 2009 finishing 6-10 while posting a 4.74 ERA.

In 2012,  Lohse turned back to his ace pitching ways. Coming off a solid 2011 season – with a 14-8 record, it didn’t look like Lohse could improve too much. He proved everyone wrong and pitched his way to a 16-3 record. His .842 W-L% lead the National League – while his 2.86 ERA wound up eighth in all of the Majors.

Why the Cardinals will not sign Kyle Lohse:

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Put That Coffee Down! Coffee Is Closers Only: Top 5 Closers Projected For 2013

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Tuesday February 12th, 2013

Fernando+Rodney+Tampa+Bay+Rays+v+Minnesota+DsZ1C9fAXm_l

Fernando Rodney had one of the best seasons for a reliever in baseball history in 2012. It will be interesting to see if he can build on his strong season in 2013.

MLB Reports:

From the movie Glengarry Glen Ross came one of the most compelling scenes ever – when Alec Baldwin took the stage in an office setting – spewing out some of the greatest and powerful insults over a failing sales crew that included Jack Lemmon and Ed Harris.  In the scene, Baldwin himself is a powerful corporate executive that has been sent down to yell at these guys – from the powers to be of the operation.  At the beginning  point in Alec Baldwin’s lecture, old sales veteran (Lemmon) goes for a cup of coffee. Baldwin yells out “Put the coffee Down!  Coffee is for closers! 

The same can be said for closers that are not doing the job in nailing down games.  Many teams have bullpens that blow games at the most inopportune times.  Nothing is as deflating as losing a lead in the late Innings.  It is bad for team moral, the players and managers try to not play the blame game, however it is a tough pill to swallow when your team can’t close down baseball leads….  Just like the guys in Glengarry Glen Ross the movie couldn’t.  After you view this clip, you can move past it and read on who the best players that nail down victories.  The last part of the speech also works:  A.B.C.:  Always Be Closing.  It is Close or hit the bricks!  Great movie BTW…

Glengarry Glen Ross – Explicit Language so Parental Guidance is advised (Not for the Weak Of Heart):

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MLB.com Top 100 Prospects Features Six Cardinals

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Thursday, Februrary.07/2013

The Cardinals will start another year without an ace pitcher.  They have survived without Carpenter and Wainwright is recent seasons

The Cardinals will start another year without an ace pitcher. They have survived without Carpenter and Wainwright is recent seasons.

By Landen Crouch ( Cardinals Correspondent)

The Future for the St. Louis Cardinals is pretty clear – they are a team that will continue to win at a high level and compete in the playoffs.  Many teams in Major League Baseball have developed habits of heavy spending, looking to buy a potential World Series Title.  But the Cardinals have remained true to what has proved to be a winning formula: draft well and develop talent.  It will for sure pay off for them.  The Cardinals received some devastating news recently that Chris Carpenter will likely miss the entire 2013 season.  With that news hitting hard, the Cardinals have to feel good about how they have built their farm system recently.  The Cardinals‘ Minor League teams are loaded with talent, mostly pitchers.  Last week, mlb.com released their Top 100 Minor League Prospects in 2013, featuring six players from the St. Louis Cardinals’ organization that could possibly see action with the top club in St. Louis during the 2013 regular season.

Trevor Rosenthal vs Oscar Taveras:

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Master Schedule For All 30 MLB Parks In Double Header Opportunities In 2013

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Updated Last on March.25/2013

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

Over the course of 4 years of massive baseball travel, I have attempted 28 MLB Doubleheaders – and completed 22 of them.  I Every year I take a look at the new MLB schedule and the 183 days worth of games.  In the list (after the youtube clip I post), will feature every doable double-header scenario for a fan to view baseball games.  Keep in mind that if you have never seen a MLB Park before – that rushing a day is not advised at all in these journeys. 

The most common doubleheader is Wrigley Field or US Cellular Field – to be combined with Miller Park as part of a day-night doubleheader.  The Yankees and Mets do play a few games on the same day together and are listed.  The o.Co Coliseum in Oakland and AT & T Park also have a few doubleheader chances this season.

Other great doubleheader partners include both Dodger and Angel Stadium – combined with Petco Park if there is a matinée contest involved.  Progressive Field and PNC Park also lends itself to easily connected doubleheaders if one has a day contest.  Also watch out for Sunday Night ESPN games as part of programming as Eastern teams feature that 8:05 PM EST start time – which will lend it available to double up with a day matinée.  The Phillies are compatible with both New York teams Via Amtrak Train option – and also with the Baltimore Orioles. 

These doubleheaders mostly are located in different cities and some might even include a doable flight in the middle.

https://mlbreports.com/2012/03/02/field-of-dreams-site/

Field of Dreams Has To Be Part Of Your Trip Link Up Top and Video Down Below:

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