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• Book Review: New York Yankees Then and Now

  LADY AT THE BAT

  14 May 2013 | 5:18 am

  Larry Rossman's New York Yankees Then and Now, a pictorial depiction of Yankee history, presents itself similar to a set of baseball cards made of highlights and short prints, without the "commons" that usually ended up in bicycle spokes. This is not surprising since Rossman, a self proclaimed Yankee fan since childhood, has enjoyed every nostalgic proclivity that comes along with rooting for the most successful team in sports history. In my own Yankee fandom there has never been anything ordinary about the Yankees--even now as the superstars are gone and the commons have put the…

• Giants' Vogelsong Wins at Last but Injures Hand

  NYT > Baseball

  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

  20 May 2013 | 10:21 pm

  Ryan Vogelsong broke his throwing hand on a swing after pitching himself toward his first win in seven starts, and the San Francisco Giants returned from a terrible road trip to beat the Washington Nationals 8-0 on Monday night.    

• D-backs cruise behind Corbin's three-hitter

  ARI Homepage News

  Steve Gilbert

  20 May 2013 | 9:53 pm

  Left-hander Patrick Corbin became just the third visiting pitcher in the history of Coors Field to strike out 10 or more in a complete-game win, holding the Rockies to one run on three hits to lead the D-backs to a 5-1 victory on Monday night.

• Braves ride dominant Teheran to win vs. Twins

  ATL Homepage News

  Mark Bowman

  20 May 2013 | 8:46 pm

  Julio Teheran produced the finest start of his young career, as he benefited from a four-run first inning and came two outs away from his first career shutout while leading the Braves to a 5-1 win over the Twins on Monday night at Turner Field.

• At Triple-A Iowa, Stewart contemplating future

  CHC Homepage News

  Carrie Muskat

  20 May 2013 | 8:52 am

  Ian Stewart isn't where he expected to be, but he is trying to make the most of his situation with Triple-A Iowa.

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  NYT > Baseball

• Giants' Vogelsong Wins at Last but Injures Hand

  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

  20 May 2013 | 10:21 pm

  Ryan Vogelsong broke his throwing hand on a swing after pitching himself toward his first win in seven starts, and the San Francisco Giants returned from a terrible road trip to beat the Washington Nationals 8-0 on Monday night.    

• Marquis Wins 5th Straight, Padres Beat Cards 4-2

  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

  20 May 2013 | 10:21 pm

  Jason Marquis combined with four relievers on a four-hitter to win his fifth straight start and Will Venable homered to lead the San Diego Padres to a 4-2 win against the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night.    

• Giants RHP Vogelsong Breaks Right Hand on Foul

  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

  20 May 2013 | 9:53 pm

  San Francisco Giants right-hander Ryan Vogelsong broke his pitching hand when he fouled off a pitch in the fifth inning Monday night.    

• Smith, Colon Lead Athletics Past Rangers 9-2

  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

  20 May 2013 | 9:47 pm

  Seth Smith homered and scored three times, Bartolo Colon pitched seven strong innings for his first win in nearly a month and the Oakland Athletics beat the Texas Rangers 9-2 on Monday night.    

• Bats: Hughes Does Best to Look Ahead After Disastrous Start

  By SCOTT CACCIOLA

  20 May 2013 | 9:33 pm

  On Monday, Phil Hughes said he was looking forward to taking the mound Tuesday, although he was peppered with questions about his last start in which he failed to get out of the first.    

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  ARI Homepage News

• D-backs cruise behind Corbin's three-hitter

  Steve Gilbert

  20 May 2013 | 9:53 pm

  Left-hander Patrick Corbin became just the third visiting pitcher in the history of Coors Field to strike out 10 or more in a complete-game win, holding the Rockies to one run on three hits to lead the D-backs to a 5-1 victory on Monday night.

• Kennedy eyes second straight win in Denver

  Tyler Emerick

  20 May 2013 | 9:14 pm

  Jhoulys Chacin's April success hasn't carried over into May, but the Rockies right-hander will try to get back on track when he faces Ian Kennedy and the D-backs on Tuesday afternoon at Coors Field.

• Reynolds brings familiarity to Denver series

  Steve Gilbert

  20 May 2013 | 5:16 pm

  When he pitched for the Rockies from 2010-12, Matt Reynolds had more success than most at Coors Field, and the left-hander will be counted on for more of the same during the D-backs' series at mile-high altitude this week.

• Miley trying to stay out of his own way

  Steve Gilbert

  20 May 2013 | 5:16 pm

  Last year as a rookie, one of D-backs left-hander Wade Miley's greatest strengths was his lack of thought on the mound, but with a year of experience under his belt it is harder to do that.

• First-pitch HR, 1-0 score among game's rarest feats

  Anthony Castrovince

  20 May 2013 | 4:36 am

  D-backs outfielder Gerardo Parra went deep off Marlins pitcher Tom Koehler on the first pitch of Arizona's 1-0 victory on Saturday. The last time a game was essentially decided by a first-pitch home run? You have to go all the way back to Sept. 2, 1963.

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  ATL Homepage News

• Braves ride dominant Teheran to win vs. Twins

  Mark Bowman

  20 May 2013 | 8:46 pm

  Julio Teheran produced the finest start of his young career, as he benefited from a four-run first inning and came two outs away from his first career shutout while leading the Braves to a 5-1 win over the Twins on Monday night at Turner Field.

• Hudson hopes for change of luck against Twins

  Doug Miller

  20 May 2013 | 8:15 pm

  Tim Hudson heads to the mound as the Braves take on Mike Pelfrey and the Twins on Tuesday at Turner Field.

• O'Flaherty to undergo Tommy John surgery

  Mark Bowman

  20 May 2013 | 6:13 pm

  The Braves announced reliever Eric O'Flaherty will undergo Tommy John surgery on Tuesday afternoon in Gulf Breeze, Fla. Dr. James Andrews will perform the procedure.

• Simmons wants MLB to review pair of errors

  Mark Bowman and Eric Single

  20 May 2013 | 4:58 pm

  Andrelton Simmons does not want to develop the reputation of being a whiner. But after being on the wrong end of four questionable scoring rulings during this past weekend's series against the Dodgers, the Braves' shortstop petitioned two rulings from Friday night's win.

• Other arms need to step up in bullpen after injuries

  Mark Bowman and Eric Single

  20 May 2013 | 4:32 pm

  With Eric O'Flaherty and Jonny Venters now out of the picture, closer Craig Kimbrel is the last man standing from the vaunted bullpen trio the Braves have possessed the past few years. The Braves will compensate for the absences of Venters and O'Flaherty by enhancing the roles of some of their less-tested relievers, including Luis Avilan, Cory Gearrin and Anthony Varvaro.

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  CHC Homepage News

• At Triple-A Iowa, Stewart contemplating future

  Carrie Muskat

  20 May 2013 | 8:52 am

  Ian Stewart isn't where he expected to be, but he is trying to make the most of his situation with Triple-A Iowa.

• Man spills beer on wife, who reciprocates in kind

  Matt Monagan

  19 May 2013 | 9:35 pm

  You never know where a home run ball will land. Sometimes you catch them and sometimes they hit you square in the face. So, if you're at the game with your wife, you should protect her from these flying projectiles -- but please, do not spill her beer in the process.

• Cubs helped, hurt by homers in loss to Mets

  Cash Kruth

  19 May 2013 | 4:33 pm

  Travis Wood turned in another quality start and contributed a two-run homer, but he surrendered a game-tying two-run homer to Juan Lagares with two outs in the seventh before reliever Kyuji Fujikawa gave up the game-winning homer to Daniel Murphy in the eighth.

• Garza eager, not nervous, about first start of 2013

  Ethan Asofsky

  19 May 2013 | 3:28 pm

  Right-hander Matt Garza, who last toed a Major League rubber 10 months ago, gets the start in Tuesday's series opener at PNC Park against Pirates left-hander Wandy Rodriguez.

• Cubs put shift to good use against Ankiel

  Cash Kruth

  19 May 2013 | 9:35 am

  If you thought the Cubs were playing without a third baseman at times during Saturday's win over the Mets, you wouldn't be entirely off base. The defensive shifts that Dale Sveum and his staff like to employ have been on display this weekend when New York outfielder Rick Ankiel comes to bat.

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  CIN Homepage News

• With Cueto back, steadily rolling Reds are even better

  Matthew Leach

  20 May 2013 | 9:42 pm

  The team with the second-best record and second-best run differential in the NL added an elite starting pitcher to its rotation on Monday. And though Johnny Cueto didn't look much like the man who was a Cy Young candidate a year ago, on this night it didn't matter. He did enough, and got enough help, for Cincinnati to rack up win No. 27 in 45 tries.

• Thanks to Bruce, Cueto victorious in return

  Mark Sheldon

  20 May 2013 | 8:47 pm

  Johnny Cueto overcame early command issues in his first start since coming off the disabled list, and the Reds claimed a 4-3 win with the aid of Jay Bruce's leadoff home run in the top of the sixth inning.

• Latos talks all things Reds in Chatting Cage

  Paul Casella

  20 May 2013 | 1:16 pm

  Reds right-hander Mat Latos didn't mind stepping up as the club's top starter in the absence of fellow righty Johnny Cueto, but Latos is certainly happy to have the staff's usual ace back on the mound Monday night against the Mets.

• Cozart remains sidelined with stomach bug

  Mark Sheldon

  20 May 2013 | 12:42 pm

  Zack Cozart was out of the lineup for a second straight day on Monday as he continues to deal with a stomach illness.

• Aroldis bounces back in opener with Mets

  Mark Sheldon

  20 May 2013 | 12:42 pm

  On the heels of Sunday's heartbreaking walk-off loss to the Phillies, in which he gave up back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the ninth, Aroldis Chapman returned strong vs. the Mets on Monday, earning his ninth save with a perfect ninththat included two strikeouts.

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  COL Homepage News

• Rockies stall against D-backs' Corbin

  Thomas Harding

  20 May 2013 | 10:09 pm

  The Rockies seemed to be rolling after winning three of four against the Giants over the weekend, but D-backs left-hander Patrick Corbin twirled a complete game, holding Colorado to three hits while striking out 10 in a 5-1 victory on Monday night at Coors Field.

• Chacin looks to right ship against D-backs

  Tyler Emerick

  20 May 2013 | 9:14 pm

  Jhoulys Chacin's April success hasn't carried over into May, but the Rockies right-hander will try to get back on track when he faces Ian Kennedy and the D-backs on Tuesday afternoon at Coors Field.

• Fowler uses clear head to get back on track

  Thomas Harding

  20 May 2013 | 4:45 pm

  After a lengthy slump, center fielder Dexter Fowler went 10-for-20 as the Rockies won three of four games against the Giants, raising his batting average from .254 to .286 in the process.

• Lefty-swinging CarGo thriving against southpaws

  Thomas Harding

  20 May 2013 | 4:45 pm

  Going into Monday night, Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez's .386 batting average in 57 at-bats against southpaws was third-highest among batters with a significant number of left-on-left at-bats.

• Cuddyer could return on Friday

  Thomas Harding

  20 May 2013 | 4:45 pm

  Rockies right fielder/first baseman Michael Cuddyer will play two days this week at extended spring training in Scottsdale, Ariz. If all goes well, he will rejoin the active roster Friday in San Francisco.

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  HOU Homepage News

• Astros ride Dominguez's bat, glove past Royals

  Brian McTaggart

  20 May 2013 | 9:45 pm

  Astros third baseman Matt Dominguez started a terrific double play in the sixth inning and belted a decisive three-run homer to help the Astros earn a 6-5 win over the Royals on Monday night in the series opener at Minute Maid Park.

• On first day, Ryan gets up to speed with Astros

  Brian McTaggart

  20 May 2013 | 5:20 pm

  Monday, the first official day on the job for new Astros president of business operations Reid Ryan, included mundane tasks like getting the keys to the building, finding his office and getting his computer set up. He also wasted no time in rolling up his sleeves and getting his hands dirty.

• Altuve leaves Boras to rejoin former agency

  Brian McTaggart

  20 May 2013 | 3:35 pm

  Astros second baseman Jose Altuve recently left agent Scott Boras and signed with Scott Pucino and Wil Polidor of Octagon -- the agency that originally represented him before he switched to Boras about a year ago.

• Maxwell ditches brace, making progress

  Brian McTaggart

  20 May 2013 | 3:34 pm

  Astros outfielder Justin Maxwell, who's been out nearly a month with a fractured left hand, is no longer wearing a brace and continues to make good progress. He hit 15 balls off a tee on Monday and took 30 more swing from soft toss.

• Harrell outdueled as Astros blanked by Pirates

  Brian McTaggart

  19 May 2013 | 2:29 pm

  With an effective sinker, Lucas Harrell held the Pirates to four hits and one run in seven innings Sunday afternoon, but the Pirates made a fifth-inning home run by Pedro Alvarez stand up for a 1-0 win over the Astros at PNC Park.

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  LA Homepage News

• Kemp unnerved by tornado's havoc in Oklahoma

  Ken Gurnick

  20 May 2013 | 10:13 pm

  Matt Kemp is from Oklahoma City and was shaken after reading first-hand accounts from family and friends of the destruction in the wake of Monday's monster tornado.

• Ethier, Kemp go deep to back Kershaw's gem

  Ken Gurnick

  20 May 2013 | 9:17 pm

  Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier ended home run droughts while Clayton Kershaw was dazzling again with a three-hitter as the Dodgers took the series opener in Milwaukee, 3-1.

• Greinke to face ex-teammates in Milwaukee return

  Adam McCalvy and Doug Miller

  20 May 2013 | 8:58 pm

  Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke, who was with Milwaukee from the start of 2011 through the 2012 Trade Deadline, will return to face the Brewers at Miller Park in a matchup against Hiram Burgos.

• Injury updates: Hanley won't be rushed back from DL

  Ken Gurnick

  20 May 2013 | 6:22 pm

  Hanley Ramirez continues to take ground balls and hit, but manager Don Mattingly reiterated that the club will be careful with the injured shortstop.

• Lilly activated, Magill sent back to Triple-A

  Ken Gurnick

  20 May 2013 | 5:43 pm

  Rookie pitcher Matt Magill has Minor League options and the Dodgers apparently want to see if veteran left-hander Ted Lilly can return to his form of early last season.

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  MIL Homepage News

• Bats unable to generate much against Kershaw

  Adam McCalvy

  20 May 2013 | 9:49 pm

  With Clayton Kershaw on the mound for the Dodgers, Yovani Gallardo needed to be great. He was something less than that as the Brewers dropped the series opener, 3-1.

• Burgos tasked with opposing Greinke at Miller Park

  Adam McCalvy and Doug Miller

  20 May 2013 | 8:58 pm

  Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke, who was with Milwaukee from the start of 2011 through the 2012 Trade Deadline, will return to face the Brewers at Miller Park in a matchup against Hiram Burgos.

• Hart takes BP as rehab progress inches along

  Adam McCalvy and Kevin Massoth

  20 May 2013 | 6:05 pm

  Corey Hart hit two more milestones Monday in his recovery from right knee surgery but will not be ready to come off the 60-day disabled list when his term expires on May 30.

• After weekend concert, Miller Park back to baseball

  Adam McCalvy and Kevin Massoth

  20 May 2013 | 5:51 pm

  Brewers head groundskeeper Justin Scott and his staff took on the tall task of transforming Miller Park from a concert venue back to a ballpark in less than 48 hours this weekend.

• Brewers draw Dodgers' top arms in series

  Adam McCalvy and Kevin Massoth

  20 May 2013 | 5:25 pm

  After a tough trip through the National League Central, the Brewers returned home Monday to face the Dodgers' top three starting pitchers: Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu.

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  OAK Homepage News

• A's offense backs ageless Colon in win over Rangers

  Jane Lee

  20 May 2013 | 10:24 pm

  Seth Smith homered and had two RBIs and Coco Crisp and Jed Lowrie each had three hits to help the A's grab a 9-2 victory over the Rangers on Monday night in Arlington. Bartolo Colon allowed two runs over seven innings.

• A's seek fifth straight win behind Straily

  Tyler Emerick

  20 May 2013 | 9:16 pm

  Rangers phenom Yu Darvish has the numbers to be called an ace, but he refuses to take that label. He will however take the ball on Tuesday and try to stop the A's from gaining more ground in the American League West. Dan Straily will start for Oakland.

• Jaso still affected by right shin injury

  Jane Lee and Teddy Cahill

  20 May 2013 | 4:54 pm

  Five days have passed since John Jaso was last seen behind the plate, and he wasn't there for Monday's series opener in Texas, either. Jaso remains bothered by a right shin injury.

• Top prospect Russell settling in at plate for Stockton

  Jane Lee and Teddy Cahill

  20 May 2013 | 4:54 pm

  A's top prospect Addison Russell struggled at the start the 2013 season, but he has recently turned the corner offensively at Class A Advanced Stockton.

• Reddick may avoid surgery, eyeing rehab assignment

  Jane Lee and Teddy Cahill

  20 May 2013 | 4:54 pm

  The A's understand that wrist surgery is still a possibility for outfielder Josh Reddick, but they're also optimistic that he can avoid it. Reddick will join the team on Friday for a round of batting practice.

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  NYM Homepage News

• Hawkins, Collins ejected for arguing hit-by-pitch call

  Chris Iseman

  20 May 2013 | 9:57 pm

  Mets reliever LaTroy Hawkins' seventh-inning appearance against the Reds in Monday's 4-3 loss was filled with frustration and controversy, culminating with the ejections of both he and his manager, Terry Collins.

• Lack of run support hurts Marcum, Mets

  Anthony DiComo

  20 May 2013 | 9:17 pm

  Shaun Marcum gave the Mets six adequate innings, but the offense could not support him in a 4-3 loss to the Reds.

• Mets to honor military on Sunday

  Chris Iseman

  20 May 2013 | 4:44 pm

  On Sunday, more than 3,000 servicemen and women, as well as their families, will be at Citi Field to participate in the Mets' sixth annual Military Appreciation Night. Since budget cuts from government sequestration forced the cancellation of Fleet Week, an annual event in New York, the event at Citi Field will be one of the largest military events in the city over Memorial Day weekend.

• Murphy maintains top spot in lineup

  Anthony DiComo

  20 May 2013 | 12:45 pm

  Seeking some sort of production out of the first spot in his lineup, Terry Collins solicited advice following Saturday's loss in Chicago. Bench coach Bob Geren presented the winning suggestion, revisiting an idea that the team had broached several times in recent years: Daniel Murphy, leadoff man.

• Davis moved to sixth in batting order

  Anthony DiComo

  20 May 2013 | 12:45 pm

  Manager Terry Collins bumped Ike Davis to sixth in the lineup on Monday, marking the first time in more than a week he has hit anywhere other than fourth against a right-handed pitcher.

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  PHI Homepage News

• Hamels strikes out 10, but takes tough loss in Miami

  Todd Zolecki

  20 May 2013 | 8:32 pm

  The Phillies lost to the lowly Marlins at Marlins Park, 5-1, on Monday night, wasting a fine pitching performance from Cole Hamels and erasing any warm, fuzzy feelings following Sunday's dramatic ninth-inning comeback against the Reds.

• Cloyd starts as Phils try to beat Fish's Fernandez

  Stephen Pianovich

  20 May 2013 | 7:22 pm

  The Phillies could not figure out Jose Fernandez either of the first two times they saw him, but they will get another crack against the Marlins' rookie phenom Tuesday night. Rookie righty Tyler Cloyd will get the nod for Philadelphia at Marlins Park.

• Ruiz headed to DL with strained right hamstring

  Todd Zolecki

  20 May 2013 | 12:30 pm

  The Phillies will place catcher Carlos Ruiz on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a Grade 2 strained right hamstring. He is expected to be sidelined three to four weeks, based on the size and location of the tear.

• Adams placed on 15-day DL with strained back

  Todd Zolecki

  20 May 2013 | 12:29 pm

  The Phillies placed right-handed reliever Mike Adams on the disabled list Monday because of a strained back. The move is retroactive to May 11, meaning Adams can be activated as early as Sunday.

• Howard sits out with left knee inflammation

  Todd Zolecki

  20 May 2013 | 12:29 pm

  Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard missed much of last season following surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles. He then had a cortisone injection in his left knee Sunday in Philadelphia because of inflammation and changes in his meniscus. He was unavailable to play Monday, but the Phillies said he is day to day.

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  MLB News Index

• A's offense backs ageless Colon in win over Rangers

  Jane Lee

  20 May 2013 | 10:24 pm

  Seth Smith homered and had two RBIs and Coco Crisp and Jed Lowrie each had three hits to help the A's grab a 9-2 victory over the Rangers on Monday night in Arlington. Bartolo Colon allowed two runs over seven innings.

• Vogelsong gets win, but breaks hand vs. Nats

  Chris Haft

  20 May 2013 | 10:09 pm

  Ryan Vogelsong pitched five shutout innings Monday night but left the game with an fractured right hand, sustained while batting, in the Giants' 8-0 triumph over the Washington Nationals.

• Marquis gets the best of ERA leader Miller

  Corey Brock

  20 May 2013 | 10:03 pm

  Jason Marquis outdueled ERA leader Shelby Miller, Will Venable homered and Chris Denorfia chipped in three hits as the Padres won their third straight, 4-2, in the series opener against the Cardinals on Monday night.

• Hafner delivers clutch homer before Yanks win in 10th

  Bryan Hoch

  20 May 2013 | 10:00 pm

  Travis Hafner's ninth-inning homer tied the game and Vernon Wells' ground-rule double provided the lead an inning later, powering the Yankees to a 6-4 victory over the Orioles on Monday at Camden Yards.

• How it's Dunn: Slugger's homer sparks White Sox

  Ethan Asofsky

  20 May 2013 | 9:58 pm

  Adam Dunn continued his hot streak, when he belted a two-out, three-run home run in the first inning during the White Sox 6-4 win over the Red Sox at U.S. Cellular Field on Monday night.

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  PIT Homepage News

• Pirates showing organization is on the rise

  Steven Petrella

  20 May 2013 | 11:36 am

  Slowly but surely, things have begun to turn around under the guidance of general manager Neal Huntington, and the Pirates' farm system is now ranked seventh in baseball.

• Wandy goes for fourth straight quality start

  Ethan Asofsky

  19 May 2013 | 3:28 pm

  Right-hander Matt Garza, who last toed a Major League rubber 10 months ago, gets the start in Tuesday's series opener at PNC Park against Pirates left-hander Wandy Rodriguez.

• Solo shot all Locke needs as Pirates top Astros

  Tom Singer

  19 May 2013 | 2:50 pm

  Jeff Locke added seven dominant innings to his growing trail in the Pirates' series-clinching 1-0 victory over the Astros at PNC Park on Sunday afternoon.

• McCutchen has no structural damage in sore knee

  Tom Singer

  19 May 2013 | 9:47 am

  Starling Marte was due to miss his second start of the season, left out of the Pirates' original lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Astros. Instead, Andrew McCutchen missed his second start, scratched with a sore right knee.

• Pirates fall in 11th after bullpen has rare misstep

  Tom Singer

  18 May 2013 | 10:03 pm

  Jason Castro scored from third base on Matt Dominguez's grounder with one out in the 11th inning, a controversial run that snapped a 2-2 tie and sent the Astros to a 4-2 victory over the Bucs.

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  MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

• NL East Notes: Braves, Brown, Quintero

  Steve Adams

  20 May 2013 | 8:20 pm

  Braves rookie Julio Teheran came within an inning of his first big league shutout tonight before a Josh Willingham homer halted that effort. The Braves hung on to win, preserving a three-game lead on the NL East. As it stands right now, only Atlanta has a positive run differential in that division. Here's more on the Braves and their NL East rivals... The Braves are already without Jonny Venters following Tommy John surgery. But with today's news that Eric O'Flaherty needs the same operation, the team will need to mix and match with some unproven options late in games, writes David O'Brien…

• Eric O'Flaherty To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

  Steve Adams

  20 May 2013 | 8:04 pm

  Braves left-handed setup man Eric O'Flaherty visited Dr. James Andrews today, and it was determined that he will indeed undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery tomorrow, as the team had feared, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The news bears extra significance for O'Flaherty because he's in his final year of team control and will be eligible for free agency following the 2013 season. The 28-year-old, who was a lock for a multiyear free agent contract, will almost certainly have to settle for a one-year deal and could end up signing a minor league contract. Since…

• Draft Notes: Appel, Gray, Shipley, Manaea, Stanek

  Tim Dierkes

  20 May 2013 | 7:27 pm

  The Astros, Cubs, and Rockies have the first three picks in the 2013 amateur draft, which takes place Thursday, June 6th.  Draft gurus expect college righties Mark Appel and Jonathan Gray and college third baseman Kris Bryant to go within those first three picks, though the order seems tough to pin down at this point.  The latest on the draft: Conor Glassey of Baseball America takes a look at the age spectrum among this year's BA Top 250 by splitting the list into high school and college players and examining the youngest and oldest in each group. Baseball America's Jim Callis asked four…

• Transaction Retrospection: The Jackson-Hudson Trade

  Steve Adams

  20 May 2013 | 6:18 pm

  It's not often that you see a well-regarded starting pitcher (or any well-regarded player, for that matter) appear on eight different teams prior to his 30th birthday, but that's the situation in which Edwin Jackson currently finds himself. Of course, Jackson inked a four-year deal with the Cubs that should give him some stability, but that's not his first stop in Chicago. Jackson spent parts of two seasons across town as a member of the White Sox rotation from 2010-11. General manager Kenny Williams swung a midseason deal in 2010 that brought a struggling Jackson from the Diamondbacks to the…

• Scott Proctor Retires

  Steve Adams

  20 May 2013 | 4:25 pm

  Right-hander Scott Proctor has decided to retire, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). The 36-year-old had signed a minor league contract with the Giants this offseason but was traded to the Orioles in March and released at the end of April. Proctor, a fifth-round pick of the Dodgers in 1998, appeared in 307 games between the Dodgers, Yankees and Braves. In 343 career innings, he pitched to a 4.78 ERA, 7.6 K/9, 4.4 BB/9 and a 31.9 percent ground-ball rate. Proctor's best year came in 2006 with the Yankees when he totaled 102 1/3 innings with a 3.52 ERA. The…

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  WGN-TV

• Dunn Homers, White Sox Beat Red Sox

  Joel Liberatore

  20 May 2013 | 8:56 pm

  By Mark Gonzales Tribune reporter9:55 p.m. CDT, May 20, 2013 The Chicago White Sox on Monday night opened an eight-game homestand against the Boston Red Sox with a stiff wind blowing toward left field. But slugger Adam Dunn isn’t assuming the White Sox are due for a big game, especially since they’re facing tough left-hander Jon Lester. “We know with a guy like him, runs are going to be at a premium,” Dunn said. “(If) we have opportunities to bust the game open or get some big hits, we need to capitalize on it.” Dunn and the Sox made an early statement and…

• Red Wings Win Game 3, Take Series Lead

  Joel Liberatore

  20 May 2013 | 8:34 pm

  By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporterMay 21, 2013 DETROIT — With a two-day break between games in Detroit during their Western Conference semifinal series against the Red Wings, the Blackhawks were scheduled to head to Chicago to sleep in their own beds after Game 3. It was likely not their best night of slumber after the Hawks fell 3-1 to the Wings in Game 3 on Monday night and now trail the best-of-seven series 2-1 with Game 4 scheduled for Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena. Gustav Nyquist, Drew Miller and Pavel Datsyuk scored to provide the offense and Jimmy Howard stifled the Hawks in…

• Thunderstorms, severe weather headed for Chicago-area

  marisapozowgntv

  20 May 2013 | 8:18 pm

  A severe thunderstorm watch will be in effect for much of the Chicago area until 3 a.m. for much of the Chicago area. A cluster of thunderstorms is headed for the Chicago area. The storms have a history of gusty winds and hail. They will be moving into the south and west portions of the  Chicago area by 10-10:30 pm with the potential for hail, gusty winds and heavy downpours.   Some affected cities include Yorkville, Sugar Grove, Shorewood, Oswego, Montgomery,  Boulder, North Aurora and Plainfield. A severe thunderstorm warning has been also issued for north and central Cook,…

• Tornado expert: It was ‘the sound of destruction’

  aroberts12

  20 May 2013 | 8:15 pm

  Dr. Chuck Doswell, senior research meteorologist with the University of Oklahoma on the destruction in Oklahoma.

• Arrests made at CPS protest at city hall

  aroberts12

  20 May 2013 | 8:01 pm

  More than 20 people protesting school closings across the city were arrested today at city hall. The demonstrators were arrested after sitting and blocking elevators on the main floor. They were protesting the city’s plan to close 53 elementary schools. The teachers’ union organized today’s protest and their officials report many of the people cuffed and taken away were teachers, parents and community activists.

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  SD Homepage News

• Marquis gets the best of ERA leader Miller

  Corey Brock

  20 May 2013 | 10:03 pm

  Jason Marquis outdueled ERA leader Shelby Miller, Will Venable homered and Chris Denorfia chipped in three hits as the Padres won their third straight, 4-2, in the series opener against the Cardinals on Monday night.

• Family of Padres' Hinch safe after Okla. tornadoes

  Corey Brock and Jamal Collier

  20 May 2013 | 9:12 pm

  Padres vice president and assistant general manager A.J. Hinch, an Oklahoma native, has family that lives where Monday's deadly tornadoes hit, but everyone was safe.

• No need for a cab, Everth is running like the wind

  Corey Brock and Jamal Collier

  20 May 2013 | 5:09 pm

  Everth Cabrera says he has never felt better in the Majors before now -- and it shows, as the Padres shortstop entered Monday leading the big leagues in stolen bases.

• Black can't say enough about boffo batting

  Corey Brock and Jamal Collier

  20 May 2013 | 5:09 pm

  Bud Black was gushing like a proud papa -- er, manager. The Padres' offense ended the weekend going gangbusters, and the skipper was raving not only about all the runs, but the diversity of the attack.

• Minor Leaguer Darnell again felled by injury

  Corey Brock and Jamal Collier

  20 May 2013 | 5:09 pm

  Padres infielder/outfielder James Darnell, hurt in 2011 and again in 2012, suffered what appears to be another serious shoulder injury while playing for Triple-A Tucson last week.

• 

  STL Homepage News

• Shelby shaky but better than bullpen

  Jenifer Langosch

  20 May 2013 | 10:02 pm

  Shelby Miller was not at this best, but he still left with a lead, one that was quickly given up the bullpen as the Cardinals dropped the opener of their eight-game trip, 4-2, to the Padres on Monday night.

• Rosenthal's heavy workload not a concern to Cards

  Jenifer Langosch

  20 May 2013 | 6:19 pm

  Trevor Rosenthal is on a pace to pitch in nearly 90 games this season, but the Cardinals are not concerned as yet with overworking their standout setup reliever.

• Freese, originally in lineup, scratched as precaution

  Jenifer Langosch

  20 May 2013 | 6:19 pm

  A day after after getting stitches to close a gash near his right thumb, David Freese said he could play, but manager Mike Matheny removed his third baseman from the starting lineup after seeing some swelling.

• Despite off-day ahead, rotation to stay on schedule

  Jenifer Langosch

  20 May 2013 | 6:19 pm

  With an off-day on Thursday giving Mike Matheny a chance to alter the rotation, the manager said he will keep everyone on schedule, thereby giving all his starters an extra day of rest.

• Another day, Westbrook passes another rehab test

  Jenifer Langosch

  20 May 2013 | 6:19 pm

  Jake Westbrook threw again on flat ground on Monday with no pain in his elbow, and he hopes to move onto a mound on Tuesday.

• 

  SF Homepage News

• Vogelsong gets win, but breaks hand vs. Nats

  Chris Haft

  20 May 2013 | 10:09 pm

  Ryan Vogelsong pitched five shutout innings Monday night but left the game with an fractured right hand, sustained while batting, in the Giants' 8-0 triumph over the Washington Nationals.

• Vogelsong fractures hand while batting vs. Nats

  Chris Haft

  20 May 2013 | 9:03 pm

  In a cruel stroke of fortune, Giants right-hander Ryan Vogelsong left Monday night's game with a fractured throwing hand after shutting out the Washington Nationals for five innings.

• Pagan, Sandoval play despite battling flu

  Chris Haft

  20 May 2013 | 7:34 pm

  Giants center fielder Angel Pagan overcame his bout with the flu sufficiently enough to start Monday night's series opener against the Washington Nationals.

• Bullpen work uneven as starters struggle

  Chris Haft

  20 May 2013 | 7:32 pm

  The problems endured by the Giants' starting rotation have affected the bullpen, too. The workload distribution has been uneven during the past week as manager Bruce Bochy has called on his middle relievers more than his setup men or closer Sergio Romo.

• Nats skipper familiar with pitching woes

  Chris Haft

  20 May 2013 | 7:23 pm

  Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson can relate to the struggles of San Francisco's starting rotation, having guided some talented staffs himself.

• 

  WAS Homepage News

• Duke has short start in Nationals' third straight loss

  Alex Espinoza

  20 May 2013 | 10:09 pm

  Before Monday night's first pitch against the Giants, Nationals manager Davey Johnson said he was hoping spot starter Zach Duke would be able to get through five good innings. It turned out Duke couldn't even escape the fourth frame of the series opener, which ended in an 8-0 Washington loss.

• Knee improved, Harper back in action

  Alex Espinoza

  20 May 2013 | 7:55 pm

  Following two days off to rest his left knee, Bryce Harper returned to the Nationals lineup for Monday's series opener at the Giants.

• Needing more rest, Werth won't return Friday

  Alex Espinoza

  20 May 2013 | 7:51 pm

  Manager Davey Johnson revealed that Jayson Werth has had a setback in his recovery from a hamstring strain and that he won't be ready to return from the disabled list as expected Friday.

• Slumping Espinosa sits for another game

  Alex Espinoza

  20 May 2013 | 7:47 pm

  For the second straight contest, Steve Lombardozzi replaced Danny Espinosa as Washington's starting second baseman Monday night. Lombardozzi was penciled in as the second hitter in the order vs. the Giants, with Espinosa mired in a 1-for-30 slump in his past seven-plus games.

• For time being, Detwiler to stay off DL

  Bill Ladson

  19 May 2013 | 6:39 pm

  It looks like left-hander Ross Detwiler will not go on the disabled list, according to manager Davey Johnson. However, Detwiler will miss his scheduled start on Monday against the Giants because of a right oblique strain.

• 

  BAL Homepage News

• Johnson's struggles continue as O's lose sixth straight

  Brittany Ghiroli

  20 May 2013 | 9:50 pm

  Jim Johnson blew his third straight save, and Pedro Strop was tagged for two runs in the 10th inning as the Orioles lost their sixth straight game, 6-4, to the Yankees on Monday night.

• Gonzalez comes off disabled list to face Yankees

  Adam Berry

  20 May 2013 | 9:10 pm

  Phil Hughes will have a chance to put his last two starts completely out of mind Tuesday night, when he leads the Yankees against the Orioles, who have lost six straight, at Camden Yards. Baltimore will activate righty Miguel Gonzalez off the disabled list to make the start.

• Chen set to begin rehab from oblique injury in Florida

  Brittany Ghiroli

  20 May 2013 | 4:19 pm

  Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen (oblique strain) will head to Sarasota, Fla., on Tuesday to get an early start on his rehab, although he isn't expected to pick up the ball for at least another week.

• Hunter always monitoring his important changeup

  Brittany Ghiroli

  20 May 2013 | 4:19 pm

  Orioles right-hander Tommy Hunter isn't shy about admitting he checks the stadium's radar gun while on the mound. But it's not exactly the way you would imagine.

• O's can't solve Moore to back Tillman's quality start

  Brittany Ghiroli

  19 May 2013 | 3:30 pm

  Chris Tillman was sharp with four strikeouts in six innings, but the Orioles managed just five hits in a 3-1 loss to the Rays in the series finale on Sunday.

• 

  BOS Homepage News

• Hamstring tightness Victorino's latest nagging injury

  Ian Browne

  20 May 2013 | 9:31 pm

  Shane Victorino keeps coming back from nagging injuries, only to have another one crop up. It happened again in Monday's 6-4 loss to the White Sox, as the right fielder had to leave the game in the bottom of the sixth inning with tightness in his left hamstring.

• Deep-sixed: Lester roughed up, takes first loss

  Ian Browne

  20 May 2013 | 9:27 pm

  Jon Lester kept getting two outs, only to give up a big hit after that. The offense kept knocking on the door, and the one big hit that would have changed the game never came. It added up to a 6-4 loss to the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field in the opener of a three-game series.

• Red Sox ask Doubront to even up series in Windy City

  Adam Berry

  20 May 2013 | 9:22 pm

  Despite being three games below .500, the White Sox remain confident and will face a Red Sox squad that has won nine of 14 series this season in Tuesday's action at U.S. Cellular Field.

• Bailey won't be overused in return to closer's role

  Ian Browne

  20 May 2013 | 5:52 pm

  As excited as the Red Sox are to have Andrew Bailey back in the bullpen -- the closer was activated for Monday's game with the White Sox -- manager John Farrell will be careful not to overuse him at the outset.

• Farrell feels for Oklahoma City community

  Ian Browne

  20 May 2013 | 5:51 pm

  The powerful tornado that hit just outside of Oklahoma City on Monday saddened manager John Farrell, who played and coached at Oklahoma State.

• 

  CWS Homepage News

• How it's Dunn: Slugger's homer sparks White Sox

  Ethan Asofsky

  20 May 2013 | 9:58 pm

  Adam Dunn continued his hot streak, when he belted a two-out, three-run home run in the first inning during the White Sox 6-4 win over the Red Sox at U.S. Cellular Field on Monday night.

• White Sox confident they can turn things around

  Adam Berry

  20 May 2013 | 9:22 pm

  Despite being three games below .500, the White Sox remain confident and will face a Red Sox squad that has won nine of 14 series this season in Tuesday's action at U.S. Cellular Field.

• Scouts on lookout for players who can make impact

  Scott Merkin

  20 May 2013 | 5:09 pm

  The marching orders from general manager Rick Hahn for the White Sox pro scouts on the road remain the same from what they were in Spring Training.</p>

• News on Danks, Beckham positive but not definitive

  Scott Merkin

  20 May 2013 | 5:05 pm

  The White Sox have not officially set their starting rotation for this weekend's series against the Marlins, but there's a strong possibility that John Danks could make his 2013 big league debut Friday night.

• Konerko feels as if he's getting close

  Scott Merkin

  20 May 2013 | 5:03 pm

  Paul Konerko feels as if he swung the bat well during the past couple of days, but for a cerebral All-Star caliber performer such as the captain, the hits aren't always the sign of being in a good spot.

• 

  CLE Homepage News

• Kluber, Indians host Tigers in division showdown

  Doug Miller

  20 May 2013 | 5:57 pm

  Max Scherzer is learning what it means to be a veteran horse of a top-notch Major League pitching staff. Corey Kluber would love to someday wear that mantle. The two hurlers square off in an early American League Central showdown when the Tigers visit the Indians for a two-game series beginning Tuesday.

• Scoreless week earns Masterson AL honors

  Joey Nowak

  20 May 2013 | 5:36 pm

  Indians ace Justin Masterson was named the American League Player of the Week after throwing two scoreless outings last week.

• Now may be the time to believe in the Indians

  Anthony Castrovince

  20 May 2013 | 4:40 pm

  Winners of 18 of their last 22 games, the Cleveland Indians are starting to look like real contenders in a tough AL Central. Their current run may be enough to make anyone a believer.

• Gomes' three-run homer completes four-game sweep

  Jordan Bastian

  20 May 2013 | 3:35 pm

  On Monday afternoon, the Indians did it again. The Tribe put its never-say-die mentality on full display in a 10-8 victory over Seattle in 10 innings at Progressive Field, a win delivered courtesy of a three-run walk-off home run from catcher Yan Gomes.

• Perez serves up third homer in two outings

  Mark Emery

  20 May 2013 | 3:09 pm

  Speaking after Monday's thrilling 10-8 walk-off win in extra innings, Indians closer Chris Perez sounded like a guy who thinks something might be wrong.

• 

  DET Homepage News

• Tigers searching for right mix of arms, roles in 'pen

  Jason Beck

  20 May 2013 | 2:25 pm

  The Tigers went into Spring Training with a 22-year-old rookie competing at closer. They went into the season with a closer by a committee, then with Joaquin Benoit as the top option before welcoming back Jose Valverde.

• Miggy's big hitting night in loss a first in MLB

  Joey Nowak

  20 May 2013 | 6:42 am

  Miguel Cabrera's remarkable display at the plate Sunday night proved to be for naught as the Tigers lost to the Rangers, 11-8. But it made it all the more historic.

• As encore to Triple Crown, Miggy even better

  Richard Justice

  19 May 2013 | 11:20 pm

  If you drew up the perfect baseball player -- that is, if you gave someone size and strength and quickness, if you also gave him a dedication to his craft and a commitment to being the best teammate he can be -- you would have Miguel Cabrera.

• Despite Miggy's three HRs, Tigers outslugged

  Christian Corona

  19 May 2013 | 10:38 pm

  Miguel Cabrera hit three homers and drove in five runs and Prince Fielder had three RBIs, but the Tigers dropped an 11-8 slugfest to the Rangers on Sunday night in Arlington.

• Smyly showing off versatility in bullpen

  Christian Corona

  19 May 2013 | 4:13 pm

  If everything works out, Drew Smyly will be a reliable member of the Tigers' rotation soon. But for now, he's helping them every way he can out of the bullpen.

• 

  KC Homepage News

• Royals extend one-run loss streak against Astros

  Gene Duffey

  20 May 2013 | 10:05 pm

  Right-hander Jeremy Guthrie was tagged for a pair of home runs, including a decisive three-run blast by Matt Dominguez, as the Royals endured their fourth straight loss by a run, 6-5, to the Astros on Monday night.

• Perez nursing sore hip after hitting dugout fence

  Gene Duffey

  20 May 2013 | 9:15 pm

  Royals catcher Salvador Perez left Monday's game prior to the bottom of the sixth inning after slamming his right hip into the fence in front of the Astros dugout chasing a foul ball off the bat of Jason Castro in the fifth at Minute Maid Park.

• Gordon counting up wins, not personal hits

  Gene Duffey

  20 May 2013 | 3:41 pm

  Royals left fielder Alex Gordon went 4-for-5 on Sunday at Oakland, which is about as good as it gets. The one at-bat that Gordon remembered most was his trip to the plate in the ninth inning -- when he struck out in a 4-3 loss.

• Tejada starts, homers in return to Houston

  Gene Duffey

  20 May 2013 | 3:41 pm

  Veteran Royals infielder Miguel Tejada returned to the starting lineup on Monday night against the Astros, starting at third base in place of the struggling Mike Moustakas. Tejada homered in his return to the city where he was the starting shortstop in 2008 and '09.

• Hochevar geared up for action in bullpen

  Gene Duffey

  20 May 2013 | 3:41 pm

  Royals right-hander Luke Hochevar tried to take a good attitude with him when he was moved from the starting rotation to the bullpen this season. He did not look at the switch as a demotion, and he's enjoyed success with a sparkling 1.17 ERA in 15 1/3 innings.

• 

  ANA Homepage News

• Pujols leads another successful charity golf tourney

  Alden Gonzalez

  20 May 2013 | 6:48 pm

  It was a great morning at the Trump National Golf Club of Los Angeles, site of the Pujols Family Foundation's marquee event. But Albert Pujols, was feeling a little bummed.

• Angels looking to repeat history against Mariners

  Adam Berry and Andrew Simon

  20 May 2013 | 4:24 pm

  Seattle has won only nine of its last 33 games in Anaheim, where the Angels will send Jerome Williams to the mound Tuesday night against Mariners right-hander Aaron Harang.

• Angels take patient approach to back Vargas

  William Boor

  19 May 2013 | 5:02 pm

  Jason Vargas tossed seven scoreless innings as all facets were working for the Angels Sunday in a 6-2 victory at Angel Stadium.

• Nelson joins Angels, Jimenez returns to Triple-A

  William Boor

  19 May 2013 | 1:25 pm

  A day after infielder Chris Nelson was claimed off of waivers from the Yankees, he was added to the Angels' 25-man roster and found himself in his third Major League clubhouse in a span of 22 days.

• Coello using forkball to make strong impression

  William Boor

  19 May 2013 | 1:12 pm

  If not for his roots as a catcher, Angels reliever Robert Coello may have never discovered the forkball that is now his out pitch.

• 

  MIN Homepage News

• Correia off his game as Twins fall in Atlanta

  Rhett Bollinger

  20 May 2013 | 9:06 pm

  Kevin Correia continued the Twins' alarming trend of their starting pitchers not going deep into games, as the right-hander struggled over just four innings in a 5-1 loss to the Braves in Interleague Play on Monday night at Turner Field.

• Pelfrey looks to bounce back against Braves

  Doug Miller

  20 May 2013 | 8:15 pm

  Tim Hudson heads to the mound as the Braves take on Mike Pelfrey and the Twins on Tuesday at Turner Field.

• Gardenhire reflects on '91 World Series in Atlanta return

  Rhett Bollinger

  20 May 2013 | 4:11 pm

  Monday marked the Twins' first return to Atlanta for regular-season play since playing the Braves in the 1991 World Series.

• Twins adjust to no DH for first time this season

  Rhett Bollinger

  20 May 2013 | 4:02 pm

  With the Twins playing in a National League park for the first time this season, manager Ron Gardenhire had to write out his lineup without a designated hitter for the first time all year.

• Twins option starter Hernandez, recall reliever Thielbar

  Rhett Bollinger

  20 May 2013 | 12:49 pm

  The Twins optioned struggling left-hander Pedro Hernandez to Triple-A Rochester on Monday and recalled left-handed reliever Caleb Thielbar from Rochester to take his place on the roster. The Twins will recall a starting pitcher for Friday's game in Detroit.

• 

  NYY Homepage News

• What starts as night off ends with huge hit for Wells

  Bryan Hoch

  20 May 2013 | 10:13 pm

  The original thought was to give Vernon Wells a night off on Monday, allowing him back-to-back days of rest after the veteran outfielder had appeared in all but one of the Yankees' 42 contests this season. So much for that. Wells entered the game as an eighth-inning pinch-hitter and delivered a go-ahead ground-rule double in the 10th inning off Pedro Strop, helping lift the Yankees to a 6-4 victory over the Orioles.

• Hafner delivers clutch homer before Yanks win in 10th

  Bryan Hoch

  20 May 2013 | 10:00 pm

  Travis Hafner's ninth-inning homer tied the game and Vernon Wells' ground-rule double provided the lead an inning later, powering the Yankees to a 6-4 victory over the Orioles on Monday at Camden Yards.

• Hughes looks to bounce back, keep Orioles reeling

  Adam Berry

  20 May 2013 | 9:10 pm

  Phil Hughes will have a chance to put his last two starts completely out of mind Tuesday night, when he leads the Yankees against the Orioles, who have lost six straight, at Camden Yards. Baltimore will activate righty Miguel Gonzalez off the disabled list to make the start.

• Yanks help local charities with golf tournament

  Spencer Fordin

  20 May 2013 | 5:15 pm

  The Yankees rolled out the green carpet at the venerable Westchester Country Club on Monday, when they hosted the third-annual Pinstripe Bowl Charity Golf Tournament. The tourney, co-sponsored by New Era, helped raise funds for four local charities.

• Tex takes at-bats for first time since injury in sim game

  Bryan Hoch

  20 May 2013 | 3:44 pm

  Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira announced on Twitter on Monday that he had his first at-bats since March at the Yankees' complex in Tampa, Fla., a good sign as he attempts to return from a partially torn tendon sheath in his right wrist.

• 

  SEA Homepage News

• Struggling Mariners have reasons to stay optimistic

  Anthony Castrovince

  20 May 2013 | 6:02 pm

  While the Mariners have struggled, their crop of young players give them reason to be optimistic. If hitters like Jesus Montero and Dustin Ackley get on track, they can help support a young group of pitchers waiting to come up from the Minors.

• Mariners looking to flip script at Angel Stadium

  Adam Berry and Andrew Simon

  20 May 2013 | 4:24 pm

  Seattle has won only nine of its last 33 games in Anaheim, where the Angels will send Jerome Williams to the mound Tuesday night against Mariners right-hander Aaron Harang.

• Mariners can't hold leads, fall on walk-off HR in 10th

  Greg Johns

  20 May 2013 | 3:57 pm

  Closer Tom Wilhelmsen spoke for all his teammates Monday as the Mariners packed their gear in silence in the visitors' clubhouse at Progressive Field and prepared to head to Anaheim following the latest in a stunning series of losses, this one a 10-8 heartbreaker in 10 innings at Progressive Field. "We are glad to leave Cleveland," Wilhelmsen said.

• After workout, Harang ready to make next start

  Greg Johns

  20 May 2013 | 8:17 am

  Veteran right-hander Aaron Harang did some running and tests on Monday, and the Mariners plan on starting him Tuesday in Anaheim after he missed his last outing in New York due to lower back stiffness.

• Mariners need to hit better with men in scoring position

  Greg Johns

  20 May 2013 | 8:16 am

  In three losses in Cleveland over the weekend, the Mariners were just 1-for-20 (.050) with runners in scoring position. Given the walk-off losses on Friday and Saturday, a clutch hit or two could have changed the complexion of the weekend dramatically.

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  TB Homepage News

• Rays look to get back on track behind Cobb

  Andrew Simon

  20 May 2013 | 4:02 pm

  Ramon Ortiz will take the ball for the Blue Jays on Tuesday night as they play the second of a three-game series against the Rays at Rogers Centre. Alex Cobb will go for Tampa Bay, which dropped Monday's opener but still has won nine of 12.

• Escobar's revelry has new meaning in Toronto

  Bill Chastain

  20 May 2013 | 3:20 pm

  With the Rays trailing the Blue Jays, Yunel Escobar homered off his former team, going on to celebrate his fourth homer of the season. Rays manager Joe Maddon clearly did not care for Escobar's gesture.

• Odorizzi solid in debut, but Rays fall to Blue Jays

  Bill Chastain

  20 May 2013 | 3:18 pm

  Edwin Encarnacion's bases-loaded double in the seventh led the Blue Jays to a 7-5 win over the Rays on Monday afternoon at Rogers Centre. It was the Rays debut for starter Jake Odorizzi.

• Longoria playing as good as Maddon has seen him

  Bill Chastain

  20 May 2013 | 11:29 am

  Even before his second-inning leadoff single Monday against the Blue Jays, Evan Longoria was riding a career-high 13-game hitting streak.

• So far, Cobb can't help but rack up K's

  Bill Chastain

  20 May 2013 | 11:29 am

  Earlier this year, Alex Cobb noted that getting rid of hitters in two or three pitches, or pitching to contact, would go a long way toward lasting more innings. Alas, his strikeouts are up this season.

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  TEX Homepage News

• Lindblom optioned to Triple-A following rough start

  T.R. Sullivan

  20 May 2013 | 9:48 pm

  Josh Lindblom's first big league start lasted 4 2/3 innings and he was optioned back to Triple-A following the Rangers' 9-2 loss to the A's on Monday. Top prospect Jurickson Profar tallied two RBIs in his season debut.

• Humble Darvish tries to slow A's roll

  Tyler Emerick

  20 May 2013 | 9:16 pm

  Rangers phenom Yu Darvish has the numbers to be called an ace, but he refuses to take that label. He will however take the ball on Tuesday and try to stop the A's from gaining more ground in the American League West. Dan Straily will start for Oakland.

• Lowe designated for assignment by Rangers

  T.R. Sullivan

  20 May 2013 | 4:37 pm

  The Rangers have designated veteran pitcher Derek Lowe for assignment to make room for fellow right-hander Josh Lindblom.

• Profar to split time at second with Garcia

  T.R. Sullivan and Christian Corona

  20 May 2013 | 3:50 pm

  Jurickson Profar, MLB.com's top-rated prospect, was in the Rangers lineup at second base on Monday, one day after being recalled from Triple-A Round Rock.

• Pierzynski set to return to lineup on Tuesday

  T.R. Sullivan and Christian Corona

  20 May 2013 | 3:50 pm

  A.J. Pierzynski played the second game of his rehab assignment for Double-A Frisco on Monday, going 1-for-3 as the RoughRiders' designated hitter, and will be back with the Rangers for Tuesday's contest against the A's.

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  TOR Homepage News

• With Johnson rehabbing, Jenkins likely to fill rotation

  Evan Peaslee

  20 May 2013 | 5:50 pm

  The next time the Blue Jays have a decision to make on their rotation is Friday, when the Orioles come to town. Josh Johnson is unlikely to make that start, with Chad Jenkins a strong possibility.

• Johnson fans five in successful first rehab start

  Adam Berry

  20 May 2013 | 5:07 pm

  Blue Jays righty Josh Johnson struck out five and walked none over three innings for Class A Advanced Dunedin on Monday night in his first Minor League rehab start.

• Ortiz aims to capitalize on return to Majors vs. Rays

  Andrew Simon

  20 May 2013 | 4:02 pm

  Ramon Ortiz will take the ball for the Blue Jays on Tuesday night as they play the second of a three-game series against the Rays at Rogers Centre. Alex Cobb will go for Tampa Bay, which dropped Monday's opener but still has won nine of 12.

• Dickey solid for eight as Blue Jays top Rays

  Gregor Chisholm

  20 May 2013 | 3:11 pm

  Edwin Encarnacion had a bases-clearing double in the seventh inning, while R.A. Dickey pitched eight strong innings to lead the Blue Jays to a 7-5 victory over the Rays on Monday afternoon at Rogers Centre.

• Elite prospect Stroman makes first '13 start

  Evan Peaslee

  20 May 2013 | 12:06 pm

  It took a while, 50 games to be exact, but the Blue Jays and Marcus Stroman are both extremely happy the former first-round Draft pick is back pitching again.

• 

  Bats

• Looking for Jump Start, Mets Let Murphy Lead Off

  By JORGE ARANGURE JR.

  20 May 2013 | 7:13 pm

  The Mets have been unable to find a leadoff batter who regularly gets on base. Manager Terry Collins has tried six leadoff hitters and none have produced. On Monday, he turned to Daniel Murphy.

• Hughes Does Best to Look Ahead After Disastrous Start

  By SCOTT CACCIOLA

  20 May 2013 | 4:40 pm

  On Monday, Phil Hughes said he was looking forward to taking the mound Tuesday, although he was peppered with questions about his last start in which he failed to get out of the first.

• Triple Play: Week 7 Results

  By THE NEW YORK TIMES

  20 May 2013 | 9:21 am

  Put your predictive skills to the test each week of the baseball season.

• Out of Necessity, Yanks Call Up Betances

  By JORGE ARANGURE JR.

  16 May 2013 | 5:06 pm

  Dellin Betances, once a top 50 prospect, has struggled at Class AAA, but after a couple of encouraging outings the Yankees called him up to shore up their overtaxed bullpen.

• Triple Play: Make Your Picks for Week 8

  By THE NEW YORK TIMES

  16 May 2013 | 3:34 pm

  Put your predictive skills to the test each week of the baseball season.

• 

  Over the Monster - All Posts

• Red Sox 4, White Sox 6: Streak snapped by a matter of inches

  Ben Buchanan

  20 May 2013 | 8:13 pm

  The Red Sox missed big plays by inches, letting the White Sox escape with a 6-4 victory and snapping Boston's streak at five straight. It did not take long for Jon Lester to show he simply didn't have it tonight. While the first two outs would come relatively easily on a pop-up and a strikeout, Alex Rios would hit a 2-2 fastball on he ground, but back up the middle. That seemed to completely derail Lester. He struggled to find the strike zone against Paul Konerko, walking him on five pitches, and then threw two balls to Adam Dunn. The Chicago designated hitter entered the game hitting…

• Game 45: Red Sox vs. White Sox

  Ben Buchanan

  20 May 2013 | 5:10 pm

  The first of the five straight wins the Red Sox have was 9-2. Convincing, but just one win. It would've been easy to imagine them falling right back into the slump. The second win almost was that loss that sent them back into the slump, but for Will Middlebrooks' big hit that completed Fernando Rodney's blown save. The third win, 3-2, came only in extra innings, once again just barely enough. Saying at that point that the Red Sox were back...well, they'd won three, but it didn't feel like they were really all the way back. The good news is that those wins helped to keep them above water. They…

• Red Sox vs. White Sox lineups: Full lineup behind Jon Lester

  Ben Buchanan

  20 May 2013 | 1:40 pm

  The Red Sox are back to full strength Monday night as they start their series against the Chicago White Sox with Jon Lester on the mound. Boston Red Sox (27-17) Jacoby Ellsbury, CF Shane Victorino, RF Dustin Pedroia, 2B David Ortiz, DH Mike Napoli, 1B Daniel Nava, LF Will Middlebrooks, 3B Stephen Drew, SS Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C Starting Pitcher -- Jon Lester Chicago White Sox (19-23) Alejandro de Aza, CF Alexei Ramirez, SS Alex Rios, RF Paul Konerko, 1B Adam Dunn, DH Dayan Viciedo, LF Jeff Keppinger, 3B Tyler Flowers, C Tyler Greene, 2B Starting Pitcher -- Dylan Axelrod It's the first time…

• Andrew Bailey activated from DL, Jose De La Torre optioned to Triple-A

  Marc Normandin

  20 May 2013 | 1:14 pm

  After completing his one rehab appearance over the weekend while with Triple-A Pawtucket, Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey has been activated from the disabled list in time for the series opener against the Chicago White Sox. Jose De La Torre, who was originally placed on the 40-man roster and called up to replace Joel Hanrahan's roster spot, was the corresponding move, as he was optioned back to Pawtucket. Read More: Red Sox closer Joel Hanrahan undergoes Tommy John surgery Bailey will resume his closer duties, taking over for Junichi Tazawa, who never even had a save opportunity during his time…

• Series Preview: Red Sox at White Sox

  Marc Normandin

  20 May 2013 | 11:45 am

  The Red Sox began this nine-game road trip in the midst of a downward spiral that saw them fall from first place in the AL East to a record of just 22-16, and their loss to the Rays in game one of the trip didn't help matters any. Since then, though, they've reminded us all that it's a long season, and sometimes the hits and wins drop in, and other times they don't. Right now, they're falling in, and the Sox have reeled off five-straight victories and consecutive series' wins, pushing them to just half-a-game out of first once more and three games up on a wild card spot. They head to Chicago…

• 

  The Baseball Card Blog

• Cerone Alone

  mkenny59

  15 May 2013 | 7:00 pm

  Rick Cerone, 1989 Topps PUTTING PINE TAR ON MY BAT SO MY HANDS WILL STICK TO IT. LA DI DA DI DA ... THERE'S TWO HITS IN THIS BAT I CAN FEEL IT. WHY YOU LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT? WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM BRO I'LL BE FINISHED WITH THE PINE TAR TOWEL IN A MINUTE DAMN. PEOPLE BE LOOKING AT ME WEIRD ALL THE TIME HERE. WHAT YOU'VE NEVER SEEN A HANDSOME VETERAN BACKSTOP BEFORE? TAKE A PICTURE IT'LL LAST LONGER ACTUALLY DON'T OR I'LL BREAK YOUR CAMERA SONNY CORLEONE-STYLE. THAT'S A COINCIDENTAL REFERENCE NOT A STEREOTYPE, OKAY? JUST TRYING TO BE A LEADER MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS JERK. FEELS LIKE THERE ARE…

• Why You Should Care About Bubblegum Art

  Ben Henry

  14 May 2013 | 9:58 am

  Have you ever heard of Pat Riot? If you're a voracious reader of The Baseball Card Blog and have devoured all of its pages, then I'll assume you know who he is. But if you're new to the blog (welcome!), you have to check his work out. His re-faced cards are little masterpieces of pop-culture art. It's been a while since we heard from him, but Riot's got a new show coming up in Los Angeles. Opening May 25th at the Known Gallery and titled "Out of Left Field," it promises a full gallery of baseball-card and bubblegum art. What is bubblegum art? Well, it's kind of exactly what it sounds…

• The Inspiration

  mkenny59

  8 May 2013 | 7:00 pm

  Wayne Tolleson, 1989 Topps Guys, Wayne Tolleson stole my heart and will steal yours, too. Where do I begin? How about here: Love and first sight. Let's go to Wikipedia: Jimmy Wayne Tolleson That's his full name, for reals. It's so dang AMERICAN I want to hop on a bald eagle and sail above Mount Rushmore. His Wiki bio photo is him at pregame with two boys, prolly his baseball-loving, well-behaved sons. I already feel like a terrible person being around Wayne Tolleson on the Internet. A switch hitter who threw right-handed, Tolleson was listed at 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) tall and 160 pounds during…

• A few of my favorite screw-ups: 1951 Bowman Overprints edition

  Ben Henry

  3 May 2013 | 6:51 pm

  Did you see this great write-up about the blog? Check it out when you get a chance. All right, let's talk about screwed-up baseball cards. I've written lots in the past about my love for screwed-up baseball cards. Severe, horrendous miscuts, wrong fronts, wrong backs!, diamond-cut cards, cards missing foil, cards with typos, cards at the edge of a sheet, cards missing a color, cards with the wrong photo—or the wrong facsimile signature. And what about cards that have problems with color registration? Those are great. But the best? The best are overprints. What's an overprint, you say?

• Frank

  mkenny59

  1 May 2013 | 7:00 pm

  Frank Viola, 1989 Sports Illustrated for Kids Picture me, 1989, delicately tearing out the perforated card of a curly-haired, mustachioed pitcher and adding it to my collection. Who's living better than this? Got my own magazine subscription, practice is in 45 minutes, 'bout to get on the phone with this girl who I might like but only if she likes me, got my dope new 3-D-ish Frank Viola card ... can't tell me NOTHIN'. Wait 'till I get my money right. Frank won the American League Cy Young Award in 1988, Please use his last name, Sports Illustrated for Kids, and stay true to AP Style. Frank.

• 

  The LoHud Yankees Blog

• Postgame notes: “We just want to win”

  Chad Jennings

  20 May 2013 | 9:28 pm

  One way or another, the Yankees keep winning baseball games. Early in the season, the lineup’s surprising power stole the show. For a while, the rotation seemed to be carrying the most significant load. Lately, it’s been the bullpen that’s provided the stability. Through injuries and call-ups and minor trades, this team has defied expectations [...] The post Postgame notes: “We just want to win” appeared first on The LoHud Yankees Blog. Click on the headline for the rest of this blog post ...

• Yankees rally to win a wild one in Baltimore

  Chad Jennings

  20 May 2013 | 7:39 pm

  The Yankees have been especially good at winning the games they’ve had a chance to win. They’ve rarely let games slip away, and rarely squandered opportunities. They nearly did both tonight, which made a 6-4 win against Baltimore all the more thrilling. Travis Hafner tied the game with a solo home run in the ninth before a [...] The post Yankees rally to win a wild one in Baltimore appeared first on The LoHud Yankees Blog. Click on the headline for the rest of this blog post ...

• Game 44: Yankees at Orioles

  Chad Jennings

  20 May 2013 | 4:00 pm

  YANKEES (27-16) Brett Gardner CF Robinson Cano 2B Travis Hafner DH Lyle Overbay 1B Curtis Granderson LF David Adams 3B Ichiro Suzuki RF Reid Brignac SS Austin Romine C LHP CC Sabathia (4-3, 3.19) Sabathia vs. Orioles ORIOLES (23-20) Nick Markakis RF Manny Machado 3B J.J. Hardy SS Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B Matt [...] The post Game 44: Yankees at Orioles appeared first on The LoHud Yankees Blog. Click on the headline for the rest of this blog post ...

• Pregame notes: Teixeira hits; A-Rod fields

  Chad Jennings

  20 May 2013 | 3:06 pm

  Mark Teixeira first at-bats since March came in a simulated game at the Yankees minor league complex. It’s likely he’ll continued to play in simulated games for a while so that the Yankees can guarantee at-bats from both sides of the plate. It’s kind of like his own little simulated Grapefruit League down there. “I [...] The post Pregame notes: Teixeira hits; A-Rod fields appeared first on The LoHud Yankees Blog. Click on the headline for the rest of this blog post ...

• Wells sits in Baltimore

  Chad Jennings

  20 May 2013 | 12:37 pm

  Brett Gardner CF Robinson Cano 2B Travis Hafner DH Lyle Overbay 1B Curtis Granderson LF David Adams 3B Ichiro Suzuki RF Reid Brignac SS Austin Romine C LHP CC Sabathia The post Wells sits in Baltimore appeared first on The LoHud Yankees Blog. Click on the headline for the rest of this blog post ...

• 

  RotoFeed

• Bullpen Report: May 20, 2013

  20 May 2013 | 8:30 pm

  • Vinnie Pestano, Chris Perez and Joe Smith each gave up an earned run in the eighth, ninth and tenth innings respectively this afternoon against Seattle and in the bottom half of the tenth the Indians took back the lead, netting Joe Smith his second win of the season. Although Pestano blew the save today, back from the DL he’s slotted again into his usual set up/eighth inning role ahead of Chris Perez. Perez has struggled a tad of late, giving up a run today and blowing the save in his last appearance this weekend but his hold on the job remains secure. In the same game, Tom…

• Reality Check: Being proactive about Profar

  20 May 2013 | 8:05 pm

  Some owners may think that Jurickson Profar is up for two weeks, bypassing the chance to add the top prospect to their rosters. As Scott White writes, even if that's the case, he's worth the gamble.

• Tomorrow’s Streamers Today!

  20 May 2013 | 7:14 pm

  Like the headline says! Here are your best pitching and hitting fantasy baseball streamers for Tuesday, May 21! Note all ownership percentages are from Yahoo! Happy streaming! The Horses Wade Davis – SP – 7% owned. Wade has been bad in three of his last four starts but the matchup doesn’t get much better than the Houston Astros. I think he has a bounce back outing tomorrow. (Rating ****) Bud Norris – SP – 11% owned. Bud has been great this year at home (2.30 ERA) and absolutely brutal on the road (7.71 ERA). He pitches at home tomorrow and his counterpart is…

• Dodgers Ted Lilly Activated From 15-Day Disabled List

  20 May 2013 | 5:56 pm

  The Los Angeles Dodgers have activated left-handed starter Ted Lilly from the 15-day disabled list after having missed over three weeks due to a right rib cage strain. Making room for him on the active roster, Los Angeles optioned right-handed starter Matt Magill to their Triple-A Albuquerque farm club. Lilly will rejoin the rotation sooner or later, but may be skipped over initially. The post Dodgers Ted Lilly Activated From 15-Day Disabled List appeared first on FFLockerRoom | Fantasy Sports Advice | Sports News | Sports Talk |.

• MASH Report (5/20/13)

  20 May 2013 | 2:08 pm

  Just one pitcher coming back from the DL to check velocity on, so I dug a little deeper into a few other players. • One of favorite setup men, Vinnie Pestano, returned from the disabled list. His fastball velocity is off a couple mph from appearances earlier in the season. It was just one inning, but his owners should keep a close eye on him to see if/when he is 100%. • Johnny Cueto will return tonight to the Reds rotation and may change his delivery to prevent further injury(source). Cueto injured his right oblique in the National League Division Series last year. Soreness in the same…

• 

  38Pitches

• Marketing Automation Software: An Introduction & Buyer’s Guide

  38PItches

  18 May 2013 | 9:48 am

  Marketing automation targets a very specific, CRM-demographic within the software market. MA software is geared towards the reduction of time-consuming processes and tasks within various, marketing sectors. By implementing specific, analytic marketing tools and strategies, the MA software niche is able to segue the “middle man work” so to speak; replacing tedious, manual processes with expedient platform solutions. A steady influx of product innovations/upgrades enhance existing marketing solutions. Currently, these solutions can be divided into two varying spectrums: business to business…

• Marketing Automation Tools: How To Find The Best Match For Your Business

  38PItches

  13 May 2013 | 2:45 pm

  To cope with the veritable avalanche of data now generated by multiple digital channels as well as the proliferation of mobile devices, marketing automation platforms are rapidly growing in importance. B2B marketers face demanding market dynamics and ever-increasing ROI pressures. As a consequence, marketing automation is proving to be a solution to the need to manage the complexities of multi-touch consumer ecosystems. Overview Of The Market Undoubtedly, email marketing remains a core focus of business-to-business marketing automation platforms. However, this singular focus is rapidly being…

• (Almost) Free Marketing Automation Software & Tools

  38PItches

  13 May 2013 | 6:47 am

  Listen, marketing automation tools like Hubspot and Marketo are awesome and all, but who has the budget?!  Even if you have the budget, who wants to spend it on automation tools?  Here are just a few ways you can put your marketing on autopilot with next-to-no budget. Just for context, I was recently listening in on a HRmarketer-sponsored webinar, when someone asked: “What marketing automation software do you recommend that’s NOT HubSpot or Marketo.  There’s no budget for those.” To which the panel responded, glibly: “Get the budget.” Seriously?  If you…

• What Is Marketing Automation?

  38PItches

  11 May 2013 | 11:56 am

  Marketing automation is the colloquial term used to describe any software platforms that seek to simplify, automate, and streamline repetitive marketing tasks.   It’s intrinsically designed to amplify your marketing capabilities and create efficiencies in existing efforts, thereby improving lead acquisition, customer retention, enhancing conversion and sales process. Though the concept of marketing automation is relatively new, a number of providers exist with varying feature sets.  In evaluating whether a provider is right for your business, it’s critical to understand your…

• Guaranteed SEO: Fact Or Fiction?

  38PItches

  10 May 2013 | 1:19 pm

  Search engine optimization is a complex and rapidly evolving field in which countless website owners from around the world are competing for all of the top search engine spots. One of the most popular developments in this industry is the use of guaranteed results with an SEO firm, also referred to as performance-based SEO. While this option does sound tempting, this is one component of advertising and marketing in which no company should opt for without understanding the benefits and risks. This is why all web masters, business owners, and advertisers should understand the basics of…

• 

  AaronGleeman.com

• Twins Notes: Thielbar, Gibson, Colabello, Hernandez, Diamond, and Radke

  aarongleeman

  20 May 2013 | 10:05 pm

  • Pedro Hernandez posted a 6.67 ERA with just 10 strikeouts in six starts since replacing Liam Hendriks in the rotation, predictably struggling versus lineups stacked with right-handed hitters. Hernandez, not unlike Brian Duensing, simply isn't capable of handling righties well enough to be a consistent starter. He struggled against righties in the minors and they've clobbered him in the majors, hitting .389 with a .704 slugging percentage and more walks than strikeouts. Hernandez may still have a big-league future as a reliever, but in the meantime he's headed back to Triple-A and the…

• Gleeman and The Geek #94: Reunited and It Feels So … Meh

  aarongleeman

  19 May 2013 | 10:05 pm

  Topics for this week's "Gleeman and The Geek" episode included the Twins suddenly living up/down to expectations, Kyle Gibson's timetable and other possible call-ups, Joe Mauer's ridiculous hot streak, remembering David Ortiz as a Twin, putting Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton in prospect context, more injury hijinks, John Bonnes' trip to New York, my trip(s) to the Apple Store, and missing "The Sandlot." Gleeman and The Geek: Episode 94 In addition to the direct download link above you can also subscribe to the podcast via iTunes. Here's my view of Sunday afternoon's game before the rain delay…

• Link-O-Rama

  aarongleeman

  16 May 2013 | 10:05 pm

  • We spent 20 minutes talking about this story on this week's "Gleeman and The Geek" episode, but the headline should be enough to draw you in: "Tammy Jung, 23, feeds on 5,000 calories a day through a funnel in hope to become an obese internet star." Also: NSFW (sort of). • Gophers football assistant coach Matt Limegrover lost 175 pounds via gastric bypass surgery. • This is the reason why I'm afraid to get married. Also, girls have cooties. • Seriously though, if you were in prison for a year what's the first thing you'd wanna do once you got out? OK, so maybe the second thing. And…

• Listen to me on “The Sportive” podcast

  aarongleeman

  15 May 2013 | 10:05 pm

  Last night I was a guest on "The Sportive" podcast with Jon Marthaler, Randall's Stu, Brandon Broxey, and Clarence Swamptown. I had a great time on the show and we talked about a wide variety of topics, most of them silly and all of them leading to multiple tangents. Beer and swear words flowed freely and I think you'll enjoy listening to it, so check out the episode: "Spoken Like A True Baby" This week's blog content is sponsored by Ticket King, a local ticket broker that doesn't charge check-out fees, offers in-store pickup, and specializes in Twins tickets. Please support them for…

• Twins Notes: Hicks, Arcia, Parmelee, Dozier, Mauer, and mock drafts

  aarongleeman

  14 May 2013 | 10:05 pm

  • Aaron Hicks got off to such a dreadful start that his overall numbers are going to look ugly for a long time--and maybe even the entire season--but there's no doubt he's putting together better plate appearances and getting better results. That all culminated with Monday's two-homer game and Hicks is now hitting .215/.333/.431 with three homers and a 15-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his last 22 games. Before that he was 2-for-43 (.047) with 20 strikeouts and three walks. Since mid-April or so Hicks has been exactly the type of hitter that his minor-league track record suggested he…

• 

  The GNUru Fantasy Sports News

• A Special Offer From Our Sponsor

  admin

  20 May 2013 | 10:00 pm

• Chippewas to honor scholarship of RB with cancer

  admin

  20 May 2013 | 9:54 pm

  Chippewas to honor scholarship of RB with cancer

• West limited in practice

  admin

  20 May 2013 | 8:29 pm

  The Pacers official team website reports Monday that forward David West was limited in practice due to a strained right calf. The report said when asked if it would be an issue, West said “Nah.” The Pacers play at the Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday.

• Woods impressive at OTAs

  admin

  20 May 2013 | 8:24 pm

  The Bills official team website singled out rookie Robert Woods for his performance in practice Monday. In his first workout with the team Woods still had some timing issues with the quarterbacks but proved his route running is not amateurish. “I was really impressed with was a move that a lot of young guys make a mistake on and he didn’t make it,” Kevin Kolb said. “He beat the guy off the line and he continued to run his route and continued to push and was patient with it. He understood the timing of the offense and my footwork and we were able to hit a big play and…

• Lester roughed up, suffers first loss of season

  admin

  20 May 2013 | 8:14 pm

  Jon Lester kept getting two outs, only to give up a big hit after that. The offense kept knocking on the door, and the one big hit that would have changed the game never came. It added up to a 6-4 loss to the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field in the opener of a three-game series.

• 

  RotoRob

• MLB Today: Wilkin Ramirez Can’t Gain Traction

  RotoRob

  20 May 2013 | 11:48 am

  Wilkin Ramirez is seeing more action, but not exactly running with it. When Wilkin Ramirez last popped up on our Fantasy radar, we were already pegging him as a Quad-A player, and we have not wavered from that conclusion as since then he’s struggled to gain a foothold in the majors. On Sunday, in his first start in a week, Ramirez went 1-for-4 with a double for just his third extra-base hit in 19 games and 40 at-bats this season. He also continued to flash his horrible strike zone judgment, fanning three times. He’s been a bit more productive this season (as you can see from the…

• The Wire Troll: Jake Odorizzi Gets the Call

  Tim McLeod

  19 May 2013 | 9:40 am

  Jake Odorizzi is finally getting his shot with the Rays. We’re at that time of year when we’ve got to make a decision for many of our Fantasy squads. Contenders or pretenders? Are we building for the chase or rebuilding for 2014? Whatever decision we make will determine the path we take. At RotoRob.com we’ve always been huge proponents in moving early and saving a buck or three and our in-game strategy hasn’t changed one iota in 2013. This week we’ll take a look at some players that could be right around the corner and worthy of some early attention as we round out our…

• Changes Coming for Struggling Minnesota Twins Rotation?

  RotoRob

  18 May 2013 | 12:32 pm

  Pedro Hernandez is a prime candidate to lose his rotation spot. We’ve spent a fair amount of time recently looking at various members of the Minnesota Twins bullpen, which has been very strong so far. It’s a big reason why the Twins have gotten off to a better start this season after winning just 10 of their first 36 games last year to bury themselves by May. However, it’s still hard to believe the team is flirting with .500 and is just two games behind the third-place Royals in the AL Central considering that three-fifths of Minnesota’s rotation is a shit show. Kevin…

• Shane Victorino Dealing With Back Woes

  RotoRob

  17 May 2013 | 9:09 am

  Shane Victorino never had problems with his back until he started hanging out with lemurs. Heading into the season, we expected Shane Victorino to be among the top 40 in our 2013 Outfield Rankings, however, back woes that have limited him to 120 at-bats have made it difficult for him to live up to that billing. Through a month and a half, he’s probably been a top 65 outfielder. Victorino’s back issue cropped up last month, causing him to miss several games and nearly landing him on the DL. A few days after his return in May he started to heat up, recording four multi-hit efforts…

• Video Game Review: Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut

  Jeff Cater

  16 May 2013 | 7:23 am

  Dentist zombies are among some of the worst. Are you there, Zach? Deadly Premonition: The Director’s Cut is out? Zach, have you ever noticed that whenever a movie is released in stores as a “Director’s Cut” they always offer a litany of special features? Possibly even improvements to the original piece? Did someone drop the ball, Zach? We have to figure out the murder of Anna Graham, Zach. Among other things, something just isn’t right about this town. We have to figure out what the hell is going on in Greenvale, Zach. It’s in the coffee, Zach… CONTROLS (3/5) Featuring a…

• 

  the joy of sox

• Manny In Taiwan

  15 May 2013 | 9:44 am

  I am getting scores while on vacation, but have not been keeping up on the day-to-day details of the team.So everyone reading this knows more about the slumping Red Sox than I do. But perhaps you have not seen what Manny Ramirez has been up to in Taiwan.The EDA Rhinos, the team Manny now plays for, recently dressed in Halloween costumes for a road trip. (Manny also needs to work on his sliding.)

• Spain

  6 May 2013 | 5:13 am

  JoS is on vacation! Laura and I fly tonight to London, where we will visit some old friends we know from our years in New York. Then it's on to Paris for two days. From there, we fly to Barcelona - and we will spend roughly two weeks driving around Spain. We return on May 28.Laura will be blogging about our travels at wmtc (maybe not daily, but close to it).

• G31: Rangers 4, Red Sox 3

  5 May 2013 | 6:08 am

  Red Sox - 210 000 000 - 3 5 0Rangers - 001 002 001 - 4 9 0Adrian Beltre's single off Clayton Mortensen in the bottom of the ninth scored Elvis Andrus from second base to give the Rangers a win, and a sweep of the three-game series.Mortensen (who had been warming with Joel Hanrahan) got the nod in the ninth and struck out pinch-hitter Leonys Martin and leadoff man Ian Kinsler. But Andrus dumped a single into center and took second on a wild pitch. Lance Berkman was walked intentionally, and Beltre slapped a 1-2 pitch to the opposite field. Right fielder Shane Victorino's throw home was far too…

• G30: Rangers 5, Red Sox 1

  4 May 2013 | 1:45 pm

  Red Sox - 010 000 000 - 1 7 2Rangers - 100 200 02x - 5 10 0Texas pitching - which leads MLB in team ERA - shut down the Red Sox for the second straight night. Ogando (6-6-1-2-4, 101) worked out of a few minor jams and a trio of relievers held the line.Ian Kinsler belted Lackey's first pitch of the game to deep left for a home run. Left fielder Daniel Nava had no idea where the ball went; he was standing with his arms outstretched, confused, as the ball landed 15 rows deep beyond the high wall.Boston tied the game when David Ortiz doubled and scored on Nava's single to center.Lackey's control…

• Cheating Epidemic Against Blue Jays Is Out Of Control

  4 May 2013 | 1:41 pm

  Let's look at the unassailable evidence:On Wednesday night, Boston's Clay Buchholz beat the Blue Jays 10-1.On Thursday night, Boston's Ryan Dempster beat the Blue Jays 3-1.On Friday night, Seattle's Felix Hernandez beat the Blue Jays 4-0.On Saturday afternoon, Seattle's Hisashi Iwakuma beat the Blue Jays 8-1.Obviously, every one of these pitchers is cheating. How long will MLB allow this anti-Jays conspiracy to continue?

• 

  Scouting Book RSS Updates

• A Closer Look at Closers: Closer Watch 2.0 is Now Live

  30 Apr 2013 | 1:30 pm

  (TOP STORY) No matter whether you're a fantasy player or just a hardcore baseball fan, relief pitching is probably one of your biggest frustrations. Relievers are notoriously flaky, and their grip on the job is usually a weak one: some teams will replace their setup men and closers not just once, but many times per season. Meanwhile, fans and fantasy players lose hair over each blown save or meltdown, and hope that some new pitcher in the minor leagues will be their team's late-inning salvation... someday. [more...]

• Closer Watch Update: DET

  Update: DET -- Al Albuquerque got his shot to impress in Detroit, and for the most part did exactly that, striking out 26 batters in only 14 innings of work so far this season. Unfortunately, the value of being unhittable only goes so far: he's also thrown six wild pitches and walked thirteen in the same span. He'll return to the minors to sharpen that control a bit, and should be back in a month or so. (5/17/2013)

• Prospects on the Rise...

  These prospects have moved up in our composite rankings recently: Jake Odorizzi (#40)... Michael Wacha (#54)... Didi Gregorius (#71)... Jonathan Gray (#98)... Mark Appel (#106)... Braden Shipley (#169)... Kris Bryant (#216)... Austin Wilson (#319)... Luke Jackson (#330)... Anthony Ranaudo (#349)... Marco Gonzales (#350)... Jonathan Griffin (#395)... Vincent Velasquez (#441)... Danny Otero (#458)... Carlos Contreras (#473)... Ramon Cabrera (#549)... Carson Smith (#550)... Alex Wilson (#556)... Michael Olmsted (#566)... Taylor Thompson (#610)... Josh Phegley (#620)... Preston Claiborne…

• And Prospects on the Fall...

  These prospects have moved down in our composite rankings recently: None. See our detailed prospect rankings for more info. (5/20/2013)

• The Big Farming Picture : Our New Farm Strength Index Measures Overall Minor League Might

  30 Mar 2013 | 6:37 pm

  If there's anything we love more than baseball here at Scouting Book, it's building new tools we can use to study and follow baseball from new angles. Today, we're taking the wraps off our newest favorite toy, a tool to measure and track the overall strength of all 30 MLB minor league systems. [more...]

• 

  Roto Think Tank

• FAAB Rundown Home Leagues: May 20, 2013

  Mike Gianella

  19 May 2013 | 10:14 pm

  NATIONAL LEAGUERick Ankiel $22. Other bids: $9, $9, $8, $3, $1.D.J. LeMahieu $21. Other bid: $5.Burch Smith $10Eric Stults $8. Other bid $2.Neftali Soto $6. Other bid $1.Ryan Vogelsong $5Tim Stauffer $2George Kontos $1Tyler Moore $1Chris Coghlan $0Brandon Inge $0, Other bid $0Sam LeCure $0Jordy Mercer $0Dale Thayer $0AMERICAN LEAGUEDavid Lough $6. Other bids: $1, $1.J.B. Shuck $3. Other bid: $1Chris Dickerson $2. Other bid: $1Vance Worley $2.Danny Valencia $2. Other bid: $1Jesse Crain $2. Other bid: $1Josh Lueke $2.Jerry Blevins $1. Other bid: $1Brett Cecil $1Matt Thornton $1David Adams $1Don…

• FAAB Rundown Home Leagues: May 13, 2013

  Mike Gianella

  12 May 2013 | 10:08 pm

  AMERICAN LEAGUEScott Kazmir $16. Other bids: $12, $10, $6, $5, $3.Ubaldo Jimenez $7. Other bid: $2Jerome Williams $3Ramon Ortiz $2Jimmy Paredes $2Ryan Lavarnway $1Trevor Crowe $1. Other bid: $1.Luke Hochevar $1. Other bid: $1.Dewayne Wise $1.Kelly Shoppach $1.Wilkin Ramirez $1.Mark DeRosa. Claimed by 12th and 5th place teams.Joe Smith. Claimed by 10th, 9th and 3rd place teams.Eduardo Escobar. Claimed by 4th place team.Munenori Kawasaki. Claimed by 1st place team.NATIONAL LEAGUEDerek Dietrich $13. Other bid: $6Charlie Blackmon $10. Other bids: $7, $3, $2, $2.Jeanmar Gomez $6Andrew Brown…

• FAAB Rundown Home Leagues: May 6, 2013

  Mike Gianella

  6 May 2013 | 5:19 am

  NATIONAL LEAGUEFrancisco Peguero $17. Other bids: $3, $1.Roger Bernadina $7.J.J. Hoover $5. Other bid: $0.Donald Lutz $5.Jesus Guzman $2.Justin Turner $1.Guillermo Quiroz $0.Justin Wilson $0. Other bid: $0.AMERICAN LEAGUEChris Nelson $9. Other bids: $7, $3.Matt Tuiasosopo $5. Other bids: $1, $1Roberto Hernandez $3.Adam Rosales $3. Other bids: $2, $2, $2.Freddy Garcia $2.Jeff Baker $2.Bryan Shaw $1.Vidal Nuno $1.Carlos Corporan $1.Luke Montz $1.Joe Ortiz $1.Joe Blanton. Claimed by 12th and 3rd place teams.Brian Matusz. Claimed by 6th place team.Endy Chavez. Claimed by 2nd place team.

• FAAB Rundown Home Leagues: April 29, 2013

  Mike Gianella

  28 Apr 2013 | 10:15 pm

  AMERICAN LEAGUEDavid Phelps $13, $11.Justin Grimm $11, $6.Zach Britton $6Robbie Grossman $4, $2, $1.Nick Maronde $3Tommy Hunter $2Austin Romine $2Kyle Farnsworth $1Nick Hagadone $1Jose Lobaton $1Carlos Peguero $1Joe Smith. Claimed by 5th, 3rd place teams.Nate Freiman. Claimed by 3rd place team.Charlie Furbush. Claimed by 2nd place team.NATIONAL LEAGUEKevin Gregg $28, $12, $12, $12, $7, $5, $4, $3Joe Mahoney $11, $2, $0Khris Davis $5Brandon Inge $4, $0Tony Watson $4Michael Dunn $2Juan Lagares $2, $1, $0Jonathan Pettibone $2, $1Kevin Frandsen $1Jonathan Herrera $1, $0, $0.Reed Johnson $1,…

• FAAB Rundown Home Leagues: April 22, 2013

  Mike Gianella

  22 Apr 2013 | 6:22 am

  National LeagueHiram Burgos $8, $6, $6, $4, $2Julio Borbon $7, $2, $2, $0Daniel Descalso $6, $2, $1Jason Marquis $3, $1, $0Shawn Camp $2, $0Brandon Lyon $1Alex Presley $1Nick Punto $1Craig Stammen $1, $0Stephen Fife $0Chad Gaudin $0Sam LeCure $0Justin Turner $0Anthony Varvaro $0Josh Wilson $0Brad Ziegler $0American LeagueAllen Webster $11, $8, $1, $1Corey Kluber $7Scott Diamond $5Brandon Barnes $4, $2, $1Brandon Laird $2Endy Chavez $1Jordan Danks $1Ben Francisco $1Munenori Kawasaki $1Aaron Loup $1Brian Matusz $1, $1Hector Santiago $1Ronny Cedeno. Claimed by 9th place teamRobbie Ross.

• 

  Mop Up Duty

• It’s time to say goodbye to Henry Blanco

  Matthias Koster

  13 May 2013 | 10:40 am

  Yeah, going after the 41 year old Blanco is an easy target. For some reason Henry is still at the major league level. Why? Well, I’m sure we could fall back on the Dickey personal catcher, maturity, clubhouse leader traps. But the fact is, Blanco’s internal pitch statistics just SCREAM out that he’s over the hill. Let’s cast aside Henry’s full-time pitcher like line of .160/.192/.200 , and jump right into a few of the warning signals. Fastballs (92+ MPH): Blanco has faced 35 pitches at 92+ MPH this season. He has exactly 1 hit on 21 swings (with 14 takes). Of…

• It’s Now or Never for the Toronto Blue Jays

  Matthias Koster

  7 May 2013 | 10:07 am

  Since the wild card was introduced back in 1994, only two teams (during a full 162 game season) have made the playoffs with a sub .500 record at the all-star break; the 1997 Houston Astros and the 2003 Minnesota Twins. And in both instances, the Astros and Twins earned their playoff berths by winning weaker Central divisions, which I would have to say is an easier task vs climbing up the AL East standings. A 162 game baseball season is clearly a Marathon– not a sprint. Experienced runners don’t view a Marathon as a whole 42.2 KM race; they tend to chop it down into smaller chunks…

• These Deeply Disappointing Toronto Blue Jays

  Callum Hughson

  30 Apr 2013 | 8:54 am

  We’re at the end of the month of April and the Toronto Blue Jays have played abysmal baseball, to put it lightly.  The team that Vegas had picked as favourites to win the World Series at the beginning of the season has stumbled to a 9-17 record.  Although I’m not even remotely in the camp of panicking Jays fans, my concern is that this Blue Jays team is not at all fun to watch. First off, a quick overview as to what has gone wrong.  The opening day lineup was supposed to look like this: 1.  Jose Reyes, SS 2.  Melky Cabrera, LF 3.  Jose Bautista, RF 4.  Edwin Encarnacion,…

• Quick Pitch: J.P. Arencibia Using All Fields

  Matthias Koster

  22 Apr 2013 | 11:44 am

  Raise your hand if you predicated J.P. Arencibia to lead the Jays, let alone the AL in HR at this point in the season… Waiting, waiting. Yeah, it’s safe to say that nobody saw this coming. What’s different? For starters, Arencibia’s is having early success this season by using the entire ballpark. In 2012, he liked to pull damn near everything. Here’s a chart of his HR: And here’s a busy chart of his singles, doubles, fly outs and line outs. (see Graphic for corresponding colour values): Fast forward to this season and Arencibia’s 2013 HR chart: And…

• Quick Pitch: Santos Pitch Selection on Reynolds HR

  Matthias Koster

  4 Apr 2013 | 6:15 am

  Last night, the Jays dropped a heart breaker 3-2 in 11 innings to the Cleveland Indians. The final blow came via a solo HR from Mark Reynolds. Upon first glance, Mark Reynolds game winning HR last night seems to be a matter of luck. He extended his zone and smoked a high fastball over 450 feet. But the real question is, why was he given a fastball in this two strike situation? This is the second time this season Santos has faced Reynolds. The first time around on opening night Santos struck Mark out in three pitches. Opening Night: The decisive strikeout pitch was a foul tip on an outside…

• 

  Baseball-Intellect

• Quick Take: Scouting Gavin Cecchini

  Alex Eisenberg

  15 May 2013 | 5:15 pm

  Breaking down the Mets first round pick of 2012...

• Scouting Garin Cecchini

  Alex Eisenberg

  10 May 2013 | 6:40 pm

  Is the Boston prospect having a breakout season?

• Scouting Phillies Prospect Jesse Biddle

  Alex Eisenberg

  7 May 2013 | 4:36 pm

  A pitch-by-pitch look at Biddle's 16 strikeout game against Nationals prospect Brian Goodwin and Harrisburg...

• Corey Seager: Scouting Report

  Alex Eisenberg

  30 Apr 2013 | 6:44 pm

  A quick take on the young Dodgers prospect...

• Scouting Orioles Prospect Kevin Gausman

  Alex Eisenberg

  23 Apr 2013 | 8:40 pm

  Breaking down the right hander vs. Washington Nationals' prospects Brian Goodwin and Anthony Rendon...

• 

  BBTF's Baseball Primer Newsblog

• The Changing Gigantics of SF | Bill James Online

  jimfurtado@baseballthinkfactory.org

  20 May 2013 | 5:26 am

  Is this really true?Baseball teams change at a glacial pace. I’m not talking about how a team does in a given season…that can change quite dramatically…I’m talking about what a team is: the broad scope of a team’s talents, their strengths and weaknesses. A team that’s good at converting a double play generally stays good at turning the double-play, just as a team with a terrible bullpen can’t make that bullpen a strength, at least not quickly. A team that gets lots of production at second base and no production at DH one year will likely have the same results next year.

• Primer Dugout (and link of the day) 5-20-2013

  jimfurtado@baseballthinkfactory.org

  20 May 2013 | 3:25 am

  New York Tribune, May 20, 1913:[Heinie] Zimmerman is said to have been incensed by [Cubs owner Charles] Murphy’s statement…that Zimmerman would be able to play when he could get his hat on with a shoehorn, charging Heinie with having a swelled head. This afternoon Zimmerman told [Johnny] Evers that he would not play, as he was ill. They then had a redhot argument, in which Zimmerman declared that he was tired of carrying the entire Chicago team on his shoulders…Evers informed Zimmerman that he would either play this afternoon or be suspended without pay. “I’m angry that you think my…

• Rosenthal: Ax to fall soon for LA’s Mattingly

  jimfurtado@baseballthinkfactory.org

  20 May 2013 | 2:56 am

  Gutting the new manager has never been easier, thanks to the ax effect! The Dodgers were swept over their weekend in Atlanta, getting outscored, 16-8. Their bullpen allowed 12 of the runs. And Mattingly’s postgame quotes were the equivalent of bad body language, the thoughts of a manager who doesn’t know how to snap his team out of it. Watching Sunday’s meltdown on television, I thought, “Mattingly might be gone tomorrow.” And then I got a text from a rival scout, one who has no particular insight into the Dodgers, but is attuned — like so many in the sport — to the game’s…

• Sherman: Mets’ roster of rubbish makes it impossible to evaluate Collins

  jimfurtado@baseballthinkfactory.org

  20 May 2013 | 2:32 am

  Roster of Rubbish? I know some people were down on who joined Armisen on stage…but this is ridiculous! And Collins’ team isn’t winning. So you should understand why he might be losing it. He turns 64 later this month. He was run out of Houston and Anaheim. There is no next managing job. This is more than his last best chance. It is just plain his last chance to prove he is a good major league manager. ...For if you know whether Collins is a good manager or bad manager based on his Mets time, you are a heck of an evaluator. You want to argue not enough guys have gotten better under his…

• Justice: 3-homer effort puts Miguel Cabrera ahead of pace from MVP 2012 season

  jimfurtado@baseballthinkfactory.org

  20 May 2013 | 2:23 am

  If you wondered what Cabrera would do for an encore after winning the Triple Crown, he’s sailing along. His batting average is 83 points higher than it was at this time last season. He also has three home runs and 13 RBIs more than he did after 42 games last season. ...For his part, Cabrera seemed almost embarrassed by the attention. He said he took no joy from doing great things in a loss. He also said that any talk of comparing him to the all-time greats is premature. “It’s too soon to say that,” Cabrera said. “There are a lot of great players that have played this game. I respect…

• 

  Brock for Broglio

• スターツアーズ

  ctw

  30 Apr 2013 | 10:52 pm

  そのスターツアーズが３Dになってリニューアルしたなんて、早く乗ってみたいものです。    

• 特訓を受けるべきでしょうか

  ctw

  28 Apr 2013 | 6:35 am

• オルフェーブルが産経大阪杯に

  ctw

  28 Mar 2013 | 4:12 am

• シャワー

  ctw

  26 Feb 2013 | 9:55 pm

  いま、シャワーから出てきましたよぉ！ シャワーなので１５分くらいで出てきました。 早すぎて自分でもびっくりしましたよ。 湯船に浸かっても３０分くらいで出てくるわたしなので、おもったら１５分とか普通でした。 なが風呂ができる人がうらやましいです。 出てきてから、化粧水と乳液をして髪を乾かしました。 あとは、お化粧をして着替えたら準備オッケーです。…

• 息子の体調

  ctw

  18 Jan 2013 | 5:44 am

  今朝から息子が下痢をしています。今日だけで10回ぐらいトイレに行ったと思います。 昨夜からお腹が痛いと言っていたので警戒はしていたのですが、朝ごはんに納豆ご飯を食べた時は何ともなかったので、「幼稚園休ませないでもよかったかな」なんて気楽に考えていました。ですが、息子のリクエストでホワイトシチューを作って、旦那の買ってきた菓子パンとシチューをお昼に食べてからは、トイレの常連さんになってしまいました。…

• 

  The Natural Independent

• Birth Defect Risks Related To Birth Control–Are They Possible?

  Jesse Herman

  13 May 2013 | 11:54 am

  Used by millions of women around the world, birth control pills are some of the most effective means of preventing pregnancy. Although most are generally considered safe, there are a number of oral contraceptives that have been linked to serious side effects. Of particular concern are the oral contraceptives belonging to the fourth generation category, all of which contain drospirenone as its primary active ingredient. Drospirenone is a synthetic type of progestin that works to prevent pregnancy by interfering with the sperm’s ability to come into contact with eggs, and making it more…

• Surgical Error Highlights Deficiencies In Hospital Procedure

  Jesse Herman

  13 May 2013 | 11:50 am

  While we would all like to think of doctors, nurses, hospitals, and medical facilities as infallible, the truth is that all are capable of making mistakes–some of them very serious. This was made tragically apparent to Regina Turner, who underwent an operation that went horribly wrong. Regina Turner was a former supervisor of an Internet service provider company, who later worked as a paralegal prior to her relocation in St. Louis, Missouri. When a series of small strokes left her speech impaired, she was recommended for a craniotomy bypass procedure which was intended to prevent the…

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Treat Flu As Well

  Jesse Herman

  29 Apr 2013 | 8:28 pm

  By now, the many benefits of omega-3 fatty acids are already well-known, even by the general public. However, there is apparently no end in sight to the benefits of this seemingly miraculous substance, and it seemed that every passing month brings with it news of yet another health beneficial discovery for omega-3. Already recognized for the essential role it plays in terms of enhancing cardiovascular condition, reducing inflammation, and improving brain function in the cognitive aspects, omega-3, as it turns out, may help form a potent defense system against the flu as well. Omega-3 falls…

• Alternative Medications More Effective For Bipolar Condition Than Commercially-Available Drugs?

  Jesse Herman

  28 Apr 2013 | 8:25 pm

  Although it is common knowledge than bipolar disease can take a severe toll on its victims, the traditional medications prescribed to help ease the symptoms of the condition may not be as effective as alternative remedies. Affecting as many as 5.7 million adults in the United States alone, bipolar disease can cause a number of debilitating symptoms, ranging from severe depression to alternating manic episodes. In more extreme cases, the person afflicted may even be driven to suicide. The effects of the condition extend beyond the primary victim as well, placing a significant burden on…

• Lead Found In Major Brands Of Baby Food

  Jesse Herman

  27 Apr 2013 | 8:21 pm

  Health officials in the United States have long cast a watchful eye on food and non-food products imported from certain countries for a number of widely-documented health and safety risks. So you could imagine the uproar caused by the discovery that the latest threat to public safety comes not from outside the United States–but from within its shores. After a recent investigation of several major brands of baby food, the Environmental Law Foundation (ELF) based in California announced the discovery of lead in a number of samples. Alarmingly, the lead contained in these products exceeded…

• 

  Fantasy Sports 101 | Online Sports Guide

• An Overview On Various Motorcycle Accessories

  AdspaceGuru

  2 May 2013 | 12:45 am

  Have you got a motorcycle off late? Well, then you need to stay aware on certain motorcycle accessories that will ensure a convenient motorcycle experience for you. There are a wide range of motorbike accessories around and the following will present an overview on varied motorcycle accessories. The first one is the motorbike exhaust pipes. The motorcycle engine might start to malfunction over time due to airflow constriction through the stock pipes. But this problem could be solved easily by exhaust pipes. These pipes work to enhance engine efficiency. Then there are grips & pegs. The…

• Playhouse Things Available Online

  AdspaceGuru

  28 Mar 2013 | 12:13 am

    There are many kinds of playground equipments that are available in the market these days. From sandpits to towers, toy kitchens and legehus or playhouse , the choice is numerous. Indeed, many people wish to set up a playground with interesting toys and playhouses for their children. That is a great way to turn a boring garden into an interesting playground. When one has the right equipments around, children are enthused and motivated to play with the playthings in the garden for hours. They can even invite their friends over to use their different playhouse toys. The sand-pit or the…

• Things to Consider When Choosing an Off Road Bike

  AdspaceGuru

  8 Jan 2013 | 11:58 pm

  So, you are ready for your first mountain bike.  You now have a lot of decisions to make.  The choice of different bikes can sometimes be confusing since there are so many options to consider.  Your first step in choosing your bike will be to educate yourself. Since we all have different riding styles, we will not use the bikes in exactly the same way.  You have to make some decisions based on what you plan to do with your bike.  You might think; “I’m just going to ride it.”  But not everyone will ride the same way.  Keep in mind that the terrain you plan to use your bike on and…

• Make Crolf Your Favorite Family Garden Sport

  AdspaceGuru

  13 Dec 2012 | 3:23 am

  A New Garden Sport There are a lot of people who would like something new to happen in their life more often than not. If you are also a person who loves to play a new sport that you have never played before, then you can very well try your hand out at the latest and new garden sport that is slowly becoming very popular among leisure time sports hunters and this game is called krolf (“Crolf”). It is an interesting new garden sport that you can play with your family and relatives on a leisure Sunday and it will provide all the excitement and enthusiasm that will keep your family and…

• How is live fodbold streaming actually done?

  Admin

  8 Oct 2012 | 3:21 am

  Summary: If you understand how live fodbold streaming is actually done, you can get various benefits from it. As the obsessive football fan, you would always like to watch the top football matches wherever you are! Thanks to various technological advancements, you can watch the live matches anywhere through the live football streaming on the websites. Certain networking facilities as well as the Internet have made things simpler for you and you can watch the live match, no matter where you are! To have access to at least one match of football anywhere in the world can be a good option for…

• 

  Baseball Prospectus

• Minor League Update: Games of Monday, May 20 by Zach Mortimer

  20 May 2013 | 5:00 pm

  Marlins lefty Andrew Heaney impressed in his 2013 debut, fanning nine in 4 1/3 innings.

• Daily Roundup: Around the League: May 20th, 2013 by Clint Chisam

  19 May 2013 | 5:00 pm

  News and notes from around the league for May 20, 2013.

• BP Unfiltered: Brandon McCarthy on Catcher Framing by Ben Lindbergh

  19 May 2013 | 5:00 pm

  What the cerebral Diamondbacks starter thinks about the importance of framing pitches.

• Monday Morning Ten Pack: May 20 by Jason Parks and Jason Cole

  19 May 2013 | 5:00 pm

  Updates on Byron Buxton, Francisco Lindor, and others around the minor leagues.

• Pebble Hunting: Extreme Strikeout Matchups by Sam Miller

  19 May 2013 | 5:00 pm

  Strikeouts have the momentum of a runaway freight train. Why are they so popular?

• 

  BR Bullpen Today in Baseball History

• 21 May 2013 | 3:00 am

  21 May 2013 | 3:00 am

  1927 - Mel Tappe, minor league pitcher (d. 1992)

• 21 May 2013 | 3:00 am

  21 May 2013 | 3:00 am

  1970 - Jack Farmer, infielder (b. 1892)

• 21 May 2013 | 3:00 am

  21 May 2013 | 3:00 am

  1880 - In Albany's Riverside Park, Lip Pike hits a ball over the wall and into the river. RF Lon Knight begins to go after the ball in a boat but gives up. Few parks have ground rules about giving the batter an automatic home run on a hit over the fence.

• 21 May 2013 | 3:00 am

  21 May 2013 | 3:00 am

  1980 - Lee Delfino, minor league infielder

• 21 May 2013 | 3:00 am

  21 May 2013 | 3:00 am

  1892 - George "Hub" Collins, 28-year-old Brooklyn OF and leadoff batter, dies of typhoid fever after a brief illness. He had led the American Association in doubles in 1888 and the National League in runs in 1890.

• 

  Diamond Hoggers

• Game 44, 2013: Phillies 3, Reds 2

  TheNaturalMevs

  20 May 2013 | 3:15 pm

  [Box Score] I was just thinking yesterday in the beginning stages of the game about how there are so many baseball games in the average person’s lifetime that the events start to bleed into one another. Small details are forgotten. Each game across time represents a grain of sand on a beach which is your baseball lifetime. Yesterday’s grain of sand was a very dark hue. Let yesterday be remembered here forever as the day delicious Dominican pastries were the demise of our closer. Seriously though; I was ready to announce the Reds as the best team in baseball after 44 games until…

• Hard Hittin’ Mark Whiten Memorial Player of the Week: Paul Goldschmidt

  TheNaturalMevs

  20 May 2013 | 12:13 pm

  The next time the man known as “Bear Jew” has a week like this, I hope he’s not owned by the guy who is hot on my tail in fantasy baseball. There was no other player who could win the inaugural Hard Hittin’ Mark Whiten Memorial award. We won’t do an honorable mention today partly because we’re at work, and partly because Bear Jew really did that good of a job steamrolling the rest of the field. For the week that was, Paul Goldschmidt did this: .480 (12 for 25), no walks (but still good for a .480 on-base %), 3 home runs, 5 RBI The weeks all blend together,…

• Respect the Pitcher: Introducing the Francisco Liriano IcyHot Award

  Taylor

  19 May 2013 | 4:05 pm

  The two sides of Liriano – celebrating a no hitter and biting his jersey in the dugout Mevs had a brilliant idea of recognizing a batter each week who goes off for that week, maybe out of no where.  We couldn’t ignore the pitchers for long though.  After much deliberation (with myself), we’d like to introduce the Francisco Liriano IcyHot Award.  Let me explain why we chose this name.  First of all, it’s gives maximum flexibility.  Francisco Liriano has had only 2 starts in his 2013 season after returning from injury.  His numbers? 16 K in 11 innings, 1.64 ERA,…

• Rank Relief: When Aroldis Chapman loses, he give up the long ball

  Taylor

  19 May 2013 | 2:57 pm

  Freddy Galvis ran into one to steal the series for the Phillies The Reds have been red hot of lately and looked like they were set to take another series win against the Phillies.  That was not to be today.  Aroldis Chapman has been one of the better closers over the past year and a half, but when he’s missing some movement on the fastball, it’s not too difficult to run into.   And when someone runs into a 99-100 mph fastball, the ball tens to travel far.  That’s what happened today. Erik Kratz hit a solo home run and then Freddy Galvis hit a home run.  Game over. …

• Rank Relief: So bad that John Axford got a win

  Taylor

  18 May 2013 | 10:36 pm

  Jeff Bianchi delivers a single up the middle to give the Brewers the lead John Axford was an early season source of rank relief, but since he was moved to middle relief he has mostly stayed off the radar.  Fortunately for him, he actually pitched well today and backed into a win.  Joe Kelly was the loser today. In the bullpen after losing the fifth starter spot to Shelby Miller (smart choice), he came in today in a tied game in extra innings – a high leverage situation.  He started off rough with a couple singles.  Let’s see what happened. 3 singles, 1 walk.  He almost got…

• 

  LADY AT THE BAT

• Lyle Overbay: The Biggest Yankees Surprise To Date

  19 May 2013 | 4:03 pm

  On Friday night, while Hiroki Kuroda was shutting down the Toronto Blue Jays, I had the opportunity to be the guest on Sportswire Entertainment's live broadcast. Vinnie Apicella, the show's host, started in with a couple routine questions-- "How did you get started?" "How about those Yankees?" Then he asked a question I had to think about, "Which Yankee player has been the biggest surprise for you?" I gave it some thought. Hasn't the entire team been a surprise? They're in first place without their star players! Though I would have liked my answer to have been Francisco Cervelli, he hasn't…

• Yankees Lose A Series And Potentially Two More Players

  17 May 2013 | 6:23 am

  The Yankees lost Thursday's rubber game against the Seattle Mariners (just the second series loss of the month) and potentially lost much more. Andy Pettitte left after just 4.2 innings with a tweaked trapezius muscle and Chris Stewart, forced into starting catcher duties after an injury to Francisco Cervelli, limped off the field with a left groin strain. While the severity of Stewart's injury is unknown, Pettitte's was deemed not too serious. To a weary Yankees team and fan base this injury refrain is all too familiar. At some point, these injuries will stop. It can't continue at this…

• In Yankees Latest Loss, The Woeful, The Wonderful & The Weird

  16 May 2013 | 6:24 am

  As baseball games go, Wednesday night's Yankees game against the Seattle Mariners was a disaster, at least for the Yankees and their fans. With a final score of 12-2 in favor of Seattle, it's clear that things didn't go according to the Yankees plan. It was a tough loss but there were still some positives. The Woeful Just over 15 minutes after the game started, before most viewers, and those with Yankees tickets, had even settled into their seats, Seattle had batted around, the score was 7-0 in their favor and New York Yankees starter Phil Hughes was sitting in the dugout after recording only…

• 11 Comeback Wins & Counting, Plus A Word About Melky

  15 May 2013 | 4:15 am

  After the Yankees secured their 11th comeback win last night, a feeling came over me that I haven't had since the 2009 season. You remember 2009, right? That was the season the Yankees had 15 walk-off wins. During that season it seemed as if they were capable of winning every single game they played. I hardly ever got down when they were trailing in a 2009 game because they were, most likely, going to come back and win it end the end.Though the Yankees have yet to record a walk-off win, this season is shaping up to be just like 2009. Why did I only just start feeling that way last night?

• Book Review: New York Yankees Then and Now

  14 May 2013 | 5:18 am

  Larry Rossman's New York Yankees Then and Now, a pictorial depiction of Yankee history, presents itself similar to a set of baseball cards made of highlights and short prints, without the "commons" that usually ended up in bicycle spokes. This is not surprising since Rossman, a self proclaimed Yankee fan since childhood, has enjoyed every nostalgic proclivity that comes along with rooting for the most successful team in sports history. In my own Yankee fandom there has never been anything ordinary about the Yankees--even now as the superstars are gone and the commons have put the…

• 

  TigerBlog

• Jose Valverde Back as Tigers Closer

  Brian

  23 Apr 2013 | 6:20 pm

  What an interesting few years for Jose Valverde. In 2011, he has his “perfect” season.  Then last year he was good but had a late season melt down and didn’t get the job done in some high profile games.  Then the Tigers gave up on him until he was still available as a minor league [...]

• Early Thoughts

  Brian

  19 Apr 2013 | 3:31 am

  My tax season hangover is about over and as usual, I had the Tigers to keep me company through some of my work.  After dropping that first series to the Twins, the Tigers have looked pretty sharp and sit in sole possession of first place in the Central.  Everything seems to be working except for [...]

• Brandon Inge Announces Retirement, Joins Tigers as New Hitting Coach

  Brian

  1 Apr 2013 | 3:48 am

  Teams don’t usually make coaching moves at this time of year but that didn’t stop the Tigers from making an adjustment.  Longtime Tiger Brandon Inge announced his retirement today after the Pittsburgh Pirates placed him on the disabled list to start the season because of the shoulder that put him down for a good part [...]

• It’s Almost Here

  Brian

  30 Mar 2013 | 4:14 am

  The official start to the season is tomorrow with the Astros taking on the Rangers while most teams, including the Tigers, kick off on Monday or Tuesday.  First up are the Twins who should finish last in the division.  We’re also catching the Yankees at a good time with our Opening Day on Friday. Rick [...]

• Spring Training is Here

  Brian

  12 Feb 2013 | 12:39 pm

  It’s a new year and a new season and while pitcher’s and catchers reported yesterday, the first real day of spring training is today.  To kick things off, the Cleveland Indians made things interesting by signing Michael Bourn and while that’s a nice long term move for them, I don’t see he alone making a [...]

• 

  River Avenue Blues

• Yankees steal victory from jaws of defeat, beat Orioles 6-4 in series opener

  Mike Axisa

  20 May 2013 | 8:22 pm

  The Yankees were very close to losing their first game after scoring first on Monday night, but some late-inning heroics from a pair of scrap heap pickups gave the Bombers an unexpected come-from-behind win over the Orioles. New York won 6-4 in ten innings. Pronk smash. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) Pronkilicous Jim Johnson’s shook. The Orioles All-Star closer has now blown three saves in his last three appearances, this time coughing up a one-run lead when Travis Hafner slugged an opposite-field solo homer on a sinker that didn’t sink enough. In his 16 years as closer, Mariano…

• Gumbs stays hot; triples in Tampa win

  Mike Axisa

  20 May 2013 | 7:28 pm

  RHP Gabe Encinas is done for the season with some kind of elbow surgery according to his Twitter feed. No idea if it’s Tommy John surgery or bone chips or something else entirely. He was placed on the DL last week. Meanwhile, C Peter O’Brien was named the Low-A South Atlantic League Offensive Player of the Week. Triple-A Scranton (6-5 loss to Columbus in ten innings, walk-off style) 2B Corban Joseph & RF Brennan Boesch: both 0-4, 1 BB — CoJo whiffed twice … Boesch scored a run and struck out three times LF Zoilo Almonte: 2-4, 2 R, 1 BB DH Thomas Neal: 2-5, 1 2B, 3…

• Pineda “received strong reviews” for latest Ext. Spring Training game

  Mike Axisa

  20 May 2013 | 5:00 pm

  Via Ken Davidoff: Right-hander Michael Pineda “received strong reviews” for his 51-pitch Extended Spring Training start on Saturday. No word on his velocity, but he reportedly touched 95 in previous outings. I think this was his fourth ExST start, but don’t hold me to that. The Yankees are planning to have the 24-year-old Pineda make two more ExST starts — one on Thursday and another next Tuesday — before starting his official 30-day rehab window by sending him out with one of the full-season affiliates. They want to get him stretched out to 65 pitches before…

• Game 44: B’more

  Mike Axisa

  20 May 2013 | 3:30 pm

  (Presswire) This series is about as important as a mid-May series can get. The Orioles gave the Yankees fits down the stretch last year and currently sit four games back in the AL East, so these three games will give the Bombers a chance to create some distance in the division race. Almost no lead is insurmountable this time of year, but that doesn’t mean having decent-sized cushion isn’t a big deal. Here’s the lineup that will face former Yankee right-hander Freddy Garcia… CF Brett Gardner 2B Robinson Cano DH Travis Hafner 1B Lyle Overbay LF Curtis Granderson 3B David…

• 2013 Draft: Jon Denney

  Mike Axisa

  20 May 2013 | 2:00 pm

  The 2013 amateur draft will be held from June 6-8 this year, and between now and then I’m going to highlight some prospects individually rather than lump them together into larger posts. Jon Denney | C Background A star at Yukon High School in the suburbs of Oklahoma City, Denney created a ton of buzz and stood out during various showcase events last summer. He is committed to Arkansas. Scouting Report Listed at 6-foot-2 and 205 lbs, Denney has one of those rare pretty right-handed swings. He has a simple setup and a balanced swing through the zone, showing more than enough bat speed and…

• 

  Sliding Into Home: A Yankees Blog

• Granderson is in the Lineup, Hafner Going For MRI

  Greg Cohen

  14 May 2013 | 1:02 pm

  Here's tonight's Yankees lineup: Brett Gardner CF Robinson Cano 2B Vernon Wells DH Curtis Granderson LF Lyle Overbay 1B Jayson Nix SS Ichiro Suzuki RF Chris Nelson 3B Austin Romine C CC Sabathia P Also, Travis Hafner is experience some soreness in his right shoulder and is headed for an MRI. Expect him to miss at least a few game.

• Granderson Activated

  Greg Cohen

  14 May 2013 | 12:17 pm

  Curtis Granderson has been activated and I assume will be available tonight. Vidal Nuno has been optioned to Scranton to make room on the roster.

• Wanna Win $100 Ticket Credit for some Yankees tickets?

  Greg Cohen

  14 May 2013 | 12:04 pm

  Here's a great contest from our partners at TiqIQ. Enter their Joe Girardi Ticket Giveaway & Win $100 in Ticket Credit + 50% OFF for ANY GAME from our partners at TiqIQ.com. Click here to enter. It's pretty simple. Just go to the link above, enter your name and email info, and then tell them if you think Joe Giardi is the current manager of the year and why---considering that he has this team with this depleted roster in first place, I think he is.... The best answer wins!

• Granderson On His Way To The Bronx

  Greg Cohen

  14 May 2013 | 9:12 am

  If you want to be there tonight to watch CC vs King Felix, with Granderson possibly back in the lineup, you can get all your New York Yankees tickets right here with SIH Tickets. There are almost 200 seats still available for tonight's game with prices starting at just $10 bucks.

• Mo: Everything With Joba is Fine

  Greg Cohen

  13 May 2013 | 9:01 am

  From Wallace Matthews:The New York Yankees say they are one big happy family again, a day after middle reliever Joba Chamberlain publicly warned Mariano Rivera not to "shush'' him. "We did talk,'' Rivera said Sunday morning. "It's good. Sometimes you have little things that we say that we don't mean. We're a family here. It's something that we take care of in house. Unfortunately it happened in front of you guys, but again, it shouldn't happen. We apologize and we move on.'' Chamberlain denied that he had apologized to Rivera -- "There's no need to apologize. For what?'' -- but said he and…

• 

  Mister Baseball

• Rio 2016 Olympic Chief Carlos Nuzman Supports Baseball and Softball at Olympic Games

  philipp

  20 May 2013 | 9:55 am

  Press Release World Baseball Softball Confederation Support PlayBall2020 and become a fan on Facebook LAUSANNE (20-21 May 2013)—Baseball and softball’s 2020 Olympic inclusion endeavours have received the key backing of Rio 2016 and Brazilian National Olympic Committee President, Carlos Nuzman. In a letter to the President of the Brazilian Baseball and Softball Confederation (CBBS), Nuzman cited the “notable work” that has been carried out under CBBS to develop baseball and softball in Brazil and declared “you can count on my support to reinstate the sports [starting with] the 2020…

• Results Spanish Division de Honor May 18&19

  philipp

  20 May 2013 | 5:09 am

  In the Spanish Division de Honor CB Barcelona solidified first place this weekend a sweep over El Llano. The team of manager Jorge Miqueleiz won 15-0 and 4-2 in Gijon to close out the first half of the regular season. CD Pamplona in the derby at Burlada over Baseball Navarra and CBSSant Boi against San Inazio Bilbao also celebrated two-win weekends. CB Viladecans and the Astros Valencia split. Results: Saturday and Sunday, May 18&19, 2013: El Llano – CB Barcelona 0-15 El Llano – CB Barcelona 2-4 Baseball Navarra – CD Pamplona 2-3 Baseball Navarra – CD Pamplona 9-10 CB Viladecans…

• Results French Division I May 18&19

  philipp

  20 May 2013 | 4:54 am

  In the French Division I the Beaucaire Chevaliers stunned leader Rouen Huskies on Sunday with a 7-2 victory in game one of the doubleheader. The reigning champion struck back in the second match, dominating in a 15-5 victory. The other three sets ended with sweeps. The Templiers Senart, Toulouse Tigers and the Montpellier Barracudas prevailed in their matchups. Results: Saturday, May 18, 2013: Templiers Senart – Paris UC 6-3 Sunday, May 19, 2013: Templiers Senart – Paris UC 9-2 Toulouse Tigers – Savigny Lions 5-2 Toulouse Tigers – Savigny Lions 4-0 Academy Toulouse – Montpellier…

• Results Belgian First Division May 18&19

  philipp

  20 May 2013 | 4:49 am

  In the Belgian First Division the Brasschaat Braves lost the duel at the top of the standings against the Borgerhout Squirrels. The guests swept the doubleheader on Saturday to move into sole possession of first place in the standings. Meanwhile the Namur Angels versus the Royal Greys and the Mortsel Stars against the Deurne Spartans split two-game sets this weekend. Results: Saturday, May 18, 2013: Namur Angels – Royal Greys 0-8 Namur Angels – Royal Greys 17-6 Brasschaat Braves – Borgerhout Squirrels 5-7 Brasschaat Braves – Borgerhout Squirrels 3-11 Deurne Spartans – Mortsel Stars…

• Results Swedish Elitserien May 18

  philipp

  20 May 2013 | 4:45 am

  On Saturday two doubleheaders were played in the Swedish Elitserien. The Karlskoga Bats brought out the big sticks to beat the Goteborg Hajarna 11-1 and 16-5 in seven innings each. The Leksand Lumberjacks won twice over the Alby Stars. This week the Swedish Baseball Academy will be up, facing Sundbyberg, Alby and Leksand. Results: Saturday, May 18, 2013: Alby – Leksand 1-11 (7) Alby – Leksand 3-7 Karlskoga – Goteborg 11-1 (7) Karlskoga – Goteborg 16-5 (7) Schedule: Monday, May 20, 2013: 18:30 Sundbyberg – Academy Tuesday, May 21, 2013: 18:30 Leksand – Academy Wednesday, May 22,…

• 

  BaseballGB

• MLB this Week: Potential Latos-Harvey match-up on Wednesday

  Matt Smith

  20 May 2013 | 4:00 am

  There are ten MLB games currently scheduled to begin before midnight U.K. time this working week. Hisashi Iwakuma has arguably been Seattle’s best pitcher this season and he’ll look to help his team avoid a series sweep in the finale against Cleveland on Monday. The Indians have won the first three games of their series against the Mariners, including a victory against Felix Hernandez on Sunday. Meanwhile, in Toronto, Tampa Bay will call up pitching prospect Jake Odorizzi as a replacement for the injured David Price. Odorizzi was one of the prospects the Rays obtained from the…

• Weekly Hit Ground Ball: Upton away

  Matt Smith

  19 May 2013 | 4:01 pm

  Every football fan knows the feeling of foreboding created by an ex-striker of your team coming back home to face you for the first time since their departure. Whether you try to put him off through jeers or try to win him over with cheers, you know he’s going to score against you. Returning strikers always do. Fans of the Arizona Diamondbacks must have had that exact same feeling last Monday when Justin Upton returned to Chase Field for the first time since being traded to the Atlanta Braves over the off-season. A ground-out and a single in his first two at-bats suggested his first game…

• British Baseball Beat: Mets and Mustangs meet on Sunday

  Matt Smith

  15 May 2013 | 4:01 pm

  The action from the British Baseball Federation leagues last weekend saw the number of unbeaten teams come down to three. BBF NBL report AAA-South report AA-South report A-South report Mustangs v Mets this Sunday Mustangs Field in Southampton is set to host a top-of-the-table clash this Sunday in the National Baseball League. The London Mets sit at the top of the standings after two wins last Sunday against the Essex Redbacks improved their season record to 6-0. Meanwhile their nearest challengers, the Southampton Mustangs, won two games on the road against the Bracknell Blazers to keep the…

• BGB Fantasy League 2013 Week Six

  Mark George

  15 May 2013 | 10:29 am

  An eventful week in the world of MLB saw a number of high-profile umpiring blunders as well as multiple bids for a no-hitter. Here ‘s how it affected the BaseballGB fantasy league.   R HR RBI SB AVG OPS W SV K HLD ERA WHIP Score NE Riverkings 27 9 30 1 .254 .773 2 4 39 0 3.55 0.99 1 SWAT* 36 11 34 5 .279 .855 2 9 41 4 1.58 1.05 10   We begin with a big win for SWAT, who used an offensive sweep to defeat the Riverkings 10-1. Mauer hit .533 for the week, Goldschmidt belted four homers and Everth Cabrera stole three bases. On the mound, an incredible nine saves were racked up…

• Box Office Bryce

  Matt Smith

  14 May 2013 | 2:53 pm

  Bryce Harper came to the attention of most baseball fans when he was labelled “Baseball’s Chosen One” on the front cover of Sports Illustrated as a 16 year old. Human nature being what it is, from that very moment there were people all too keen to see this precocious young buck fall flat on his face. In some ways they got their wish on Monday night when Harper went face-first into the outfield fence at Dodger Stadium in a classic ‘that’s got to hurt’ moment that is sure to be replayed countless times over the years. However, far from knocking him down, the incident illustrates…

• 

  Baseball de World

• College: Vanderbilt Keeps #1 Spot with Sweep of Kentucky

  Eric Bynum

  15 May 2013 | 12:50 pm

  For the third week in a row the Vanderbilt Commodores are atop the NCBWA Division I Poll. The Commodores swept a weekend series from Kentucky over the weekend. They will face Alabama in the last weekend SEC series before the conference tournament begins. The Top 5 was shaken up a bit after North Carolina fell to #4 after spending the past few weeks at #2. They faced off with #26 Georgia Tech dropping two-of-three over the weekend including an 11 inning loss in Game 3 of the series.  UNC lost two game by just a single run, but they were not the only Top 5 team to fall over the weekend. Cal…

• Today in Baseball History – May 10

  Eric Bynum

  10 May 2013 | 3:30 am

  May 10, 1967 In the eighth inning of a game against Philadelphia’s Jim Bunning, Hank Aaron hits the only inside-the-park home run of his career. May 10, 1970 The Braves’ Hoyt Wilhelm becomes the first player to appear in 1,000 games in a loss to St. Louis. May 10, 1981 The Expos’ Charlie Lea no-hits the Giants 4-0. It was the first no-hitter in Olympic Stadium, which opened in 1977. Related NewsToday in Baseball History – January 2ndJanuary 2, 1977 Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turne...Today in Baseball History – April 23April 23, 1903 The New York Highlanders…

• Today in Baseball History – May 9

  Eric Bynum

  9 May 2013 | 3:30 am

  May 9, 1984 The longest game in Major League history was played between the Chicago White Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers. The game, longest in time and innings, ends in the 25th inning when Harold Baines homers giving the White Sox a 7-6 victory. The game lasted eight hours and six minutes. The game is halted on May 8th and continued before the regular scheduled game on May 9th. Tom Seaver wins the game with an inning of relief, then starts the regularly scheduled game and tosses 8.1 innings of  ball to win both games in the day. May 9, 1987 Eddie Murray hits a home run from both sides of the…

• Germany: Regensburg Stays Undefeated in South Division

  Eric Bynum

  8 May 2013 | 10:54 am

  The Mannheim Tornados and the Tubingen Hawks were rained out over the weekend, but the Regensburg Legionaere remained undefeated with a weekend sweep of the Bad Homburg Hornets. The Mainz Athletics kept pace with the division leaders winning both of their games with the Stuttgart Reds. Bad Homburg Hornets 5, Regensburg Legionaere 6 Bad Homburg Hornets 1, Regensburg Legionaere 6 In Game 1, the Legionaere used a bottom of the ninth rally to score two runs and walk off with the win 6-5 over the Hornets. Boris Bokai came on to run for Christoph Zirzlmeier (1-for-1) who led off the bottom of the…

• Germany: Solingen Alligators Stay Undefeated in North Division

  Eric Bynum

  8 May 2013 | 10:00 am

  The Solingen Alligators stayed undefeated in the North Division with a weekend sweep of the Cologne Cardinals. The Bonn Capitals fell two games back with a loss to the HSV Stealers. Paderborn got back in the mix of the division with two huge wins over Berlin. Cologne Cardinals 1, Solingen Alligators 11 (7) Cologne Cardinals 0, Solingen Alligators 3 Game 1 saw an offensive barrage from the Alligators led by Markus Stryczek who went 3-for-3 scoring three runs. Tanner Leighton went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Andre Hughes won again improving to 3-0 on the…

• 

  The Cub Reporter (TCR) | A Chicago Cubs Blog

• Cubs Celebrate Almora Departure with Laugher at Diablo Park

  Arizona Phil

  20 May 2013 | 4:31 pm

  Steve Clevenger laced an RBI double and a single and scored two runs, Jesse Hodges belted an RBI double and a triple and scored three times, Dong-Yub Kim doubled, singled twice, drove-in two runs, and scored another, and Jacob Rogers drove-in three runs with an RBI 6-3 GO, a triple, and a bases-loaded walk, as the Cubs drubbed the Angels 16-3 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Diablo Park Field #3 in Tempe, AZ. This was the final Cactus League Extended Spring Training game for Albert Almora (broken hand rehab), as he will be leaving Arizona…

• 2013 Cubs Extended Spring Training Updated Stats (thru 5/18)

  Arizona Phil

  19 May 2013 | 6:55 pm

  2013 Cubs Cactus League Extended Spring Training updated stats (thru 5/18) Tags: EXST Cubs Extended Spring TrainingRead more about 2013 Cubs Extended Spring Training Updated Stats (thru 5/18)

• Brewers Leave Cubs Offense in a Stupor at Fitch Park

  Arizona Phil

  18 May 2013 | 4:36 pm

  Dustin Houle and Jalen Harris smacked back-to-back RBI doubles in a two run 4th, Francisco Castillo collected three singles (including a run-scoring hit in the 9th), and RHP Zach Quintana tossed five innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts, as the Brewers defeated the Cubs 3-1 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa, AZ. The Cubs scored their one run in the bottom of the 1st inning, when Albert Almora ripped a two-out triple into the left-centerfield gap, and then scored on a Xavier Batista line-drive double into the LF…

• A's Late Rally Tops Cubs at Papago Park

  Arizona Phil

  17 May 2013 | 3:34 pm

  Luis Baez stroked two run-scoring doubles (one to tie the game in th 6th and another to put the A's ahead in the 9th) and knocked-in three runs, helping to rally the Athletics to a 6-4 victory over the Cubs in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Papago Park Field #2 (AKA "Connie Mack Field") in Phoenix, AZ.Jesse Hodges smacked an RBI double and a solo HR, Albert Almora singled, doubled, and scored a run, and Paul Blackburn hurled three shutout innings for the Cubs in a losing cause.The game was pre-planned as a ten-inning affair, so when the A's scored…

• Garza's Better Balls Win Battle of the Rehabbers

  Mike Wellman

  16 May 2013 | 7:35 pm

  Matt Garza looked all tuned up and ready to go tonight at Principal Park as he tossed six scoreless innings that required only 75 pitches by my count. Maybe it was the balls. More on those later. He also fielded his one chance with the glove flawlessly. Tags: Iowa Cubs updateRead more about Garza's Better Balls Win Battle of the Rehabbers

• 

  About.com Baseball

• Monday Morning Manager: Race to the bottom

  20 May 2013 | 12:00 am

  It's only happened twice this year -- on Friday, April 19 and Monday, April 29. Through seven weeks of the Major League Baseball regular season, those were the only two days in which the Houston Astros and Miami Marlins both won....Read Full Post

• More instant replay is coming; let's pick up the debate

  19 May 2013 | 2:50 pm

  Don't like the proposals for expanded instant replay in baseball? Blame the NFL. "Now we're addicted to instant replay," writes Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post. "The NBA stops the flow of the game so a referee can check to see which player touched the ball last before it went out of bounds. Major League Baseball wants to greatly reduce the authority of umpires by expanding use of replay in 2014. Where does it all stop?"...Read Full Post

• Bryce Harper earns a dubious comparison

  15 May 2013 | 2:30 pm

  One show I always like to catch on MLB Network is "Prime 9," which is a countdown show with a subject and then nine answers, such as the nine best second basemen of all-time, the nine best teams of the 1990s, etc....Read Full Post

• Blockbusters revisited: The first Adrian Gonzalez trade

  15 May 2013 | 2:00 am

  As part of our Wednesday series re-grading big baseball trades of the past few years, let's go back to a trade from December 2010 that promised to remake the Boston Red Sox. And then a year-and-a-half later, he was dealt again. First baseman Adrian Gonzalez has been involved in two blockbuster trades in the past few years, but it's a little too early to grade the one that sent him to the Dodgers. But we can do a little bit of prognosticating based on that deal....Read Full Post

• The best uniforms stand test of time

  13 May 2013 | 2:58 pm

  ESPN.com has a theme this week built around the best baseball uniforms, and has set up each MLB team's uniforms in a bracket-like format. Should be fun to see who comes out on top. Some thoughts on the seeding:...Read Full Post

• 

  Pitchers Hit Eighth

• Cardinals proving Road Warriors

  Nick

  6 May 2013 | 9:52 pm

  As the Redbirds prepare to begin another road series, this one their first trip to Wrigley Field in 2013, they bring with them a 2013 MLB best seven-game road winning streak. By virtue of a three-game sweep in the nation’s capital and four games worth in Milwaukee, the Cards head into Chicago with an opportunity to set themselves apart with the longest road winning streak in the league this season, a distinction currently shared with the Atlanta Braves. While the Cards obviously hold the longest current streak, you’ll note that the Detroit Tigers are lurking right behind, albeit…

• 2013 UCB Progressive Game Blog – Cards vs Brewers – Third Inning

  Nick

  4 May 2013 | 2:00 pm

  Pitchers Hit Eighth has the distinct honor of calling the third inning action in the United Cardinal Bloggers’ 2013 Progressive Game Blog.  If you’ve not seen one of these things before, here is the gist of it, from the UCB site: If you’ve never read one of our Progressive Game Blogs before, you are in for a treat.  The PGB is a unique way to look at a game–you’ll not find anything like it elsewhere–and is always a lot of fun.  Nine blogs will each analyze a different inning, linking to each other in a seamless line.  When you are done, you’ll have read a number of…

• Please stop booing Brandon Phillips

  Nick

  3 May 2013 | 1:04 pm

  Dearest Cardinals fans, I am before you today, a humble basement blogger, asking – nay, pleading – that you stop your incessant booing of Brandon Phillips when he plays at Busch III. Exhibit A: Split G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OBP SLG OPS STL-Busch Stad 3 6 26 23 3 8 2 0 2 5 .348 .385 .696 1.080 Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 5/3/2013. No, I am not convinced that there is some snake-oil in your boos that fuels Dat Dude.  However, there’s simply no reason to any longer provide him the crooked, misplaced fuel that he so desires.  The guy…

• UCB Weekend: Mo Knows Drama

  Josh

  30 Apr 2013 | 11:00 pm

  For the third straight season, the United Cardinal Bloggers were guests in St. Louis and in my opinion, the team may even invite us back! It is the least we can do since the win streak was snapped by Pittsburgh. Christi and I made the trip up Saturday to attend the dinner and brought with us the unseasonal Winter Warm-up weather instead. Those festivities will be covered later in the week, as tonight’s offering is strictly about the insider knowledge the Cardinals bestowed before the chilly battle with the Pirates. UCB Weekend Those pictures are courtesy of Lindsey Weber, who again gets…

• Re-reviewing Mitchell Boggs’ Mechanics (they seem bad)

  Nick

  24 Apr 2013 | 9:04 pm

  [ED. note - I am not a pro-fesh-un-ul scout nor do I pretend to be one.  I am far from qualified to be giving advice to big-league pitchers.  That said, here are some things I would consider, were I in a position to communicate things to the staff in charge of said advice and/or improvement amongst Major League Baseball Cardinals.] In the spring of 2012, Pitchers Hit Eighth completed a pretty thorough (at least we’d like to claim so) review of the hot new middle relief band Mitchell Boggs and the Consistent Delivery. Boggs had adopted a more over-the-top approach, noticeably. Mitchell…

• 

  Capitol Avenue Club

• Game 44 – Twins (18-22) @ Braves (25-18)

  Mark Smith

  20 May 2013 | 2:30 pm

  Source: FanGraphs MVP: Julio Teheran .198 WPA, Dan Uggla .194 LVP: Gerald Laird -.042 Fredi the Tinkerer. 7:10 PM on Sports South Lineups Twins ISO Maps The Twins don’t have a fearsome lineup. Brian Dozier, Pedro Florimon, and Aaron Hicks from the left side are nothing to fear. Joe Mauer is an excellent hitter with a high OBP, but he won’t put up a lot of power numbers. Justin Morneau hasn’t been the same for a few years now, and he no longer really strikes fear into anyone. Josh Willingham is the big power threat, but he’s less dangerous against righties. Trevor…

• Evaluating The Braves’ Defense At The 1/4 Mark

  Franklin Rabon

  20 May 2013 | 1:59 pm

  There’s been a lot of talk recently about how good defensive stats are or aren’t.  However, one of the big problems with defensive stats is apportioning team defense between individual players (and coaches, when it comes to shifting).  That means that many of the biggest issues with defense go away when you are evaluating the team as a whole.  You no longer have to worry if the out was made because of a defensive shift, or if a centerfielder with superior range allowed the right fielder to play closer to the line and get to a ball he wouldn’t had he played next to an…

• RIP Every Eighth Inning Guy, Ever

  Franklin Rabon

  20 May 2013 | 10:07 am

  Podcast Powered By Podbean Pre-music: The Whigs – Rock and Roll Forever Post-music: The Beatles – I’ve Got a Feeling Or Directly Download the mp3: Download this episode (right click and save)

• Game 43 – Dodgers (17-24) @ Braves (24-18)

  Mark Smith

  19 May 2013 | 9:24 am

  1:30 PM on TBS and FOX Sports South Lineups Matt Magill 23-year old Matt Magill will take the hill for his 3rd career major-league start. He features mainly a fastball and a slider, but he will add a change-up to lefties. The righty throws fairly hard – ranging from 91-94 – but his main weakness is his control. During his minor-league career, he never really had a walk rate below 9%, and in his transition to the majors, it’s up to 16%. Obviously, it’s only been two starts and could simply be a rough patch, but with a history of control issues that seem to be popping up…

• Game 41 – Dodgers (17-22) @ Braves (22-18)

  Mark Smith

  17 May 2013 | 2:15 pm

  Source: FanGraphs MVP: Justin Upton (duh) .425 WPA LVP: Paul Maholm -.230 WPA Well, I said these two offenses could hit lefties. 7:30 PM on MLB Network and FOX Sports South Lineups Dodgers ISO Maps The Dodgers aren’t a terribly impressive offensive team, and the above ISO maps pretty much tell the story. Carl Crawford is having a resurrection season, and he can be a tough guy to pitch to at the top of the order. Nick Punto is Nick Punto. Matt Kemp has been struggling, but he’s still dangerous and apt to get righteous against the Braves. Adrian Gonzalez is an excellent low-ball…

• 

  Bats

• Looking for Jump Start, Mets Let Murphy Lead Off

  By JORGE ARANGURE JR.

  20 May 2013 | 7:13 pm

  The Mets have been unable to find a leadoff batter who regularly gets on base. Manager Terry Collins has tried six leadoff hitters and none have produced. On Monday, he turned to Daniel Murphy.

• Hughes Does Best to Look Ahead After Disastrous Start

  By SCOTT CACCIOLA

  20 May 2013 | 4:40 pm

  On Monday, Phil Hughes said he was looking forward to taking the mound Tuesday, although he was peppered with questions about his last start in which he failed to get out of the first.

• Triple Play: Week 7 Results

  By THE NEW YORK TIMES

  20 May 2013 | 9:21 am

  Put your predictive skills to the test each week of the baseball season.

• Out of Necessity, Yanks Call Up Betances

  By JORGE ARANGURE JR.

  16 May 2013 | 5:06 pm

  Dellin Betances, once a top 50 prospect, has struggled at Class AAA, but after a couple of encouraging outings the Yankees called him up to shore up their overtaxed bullpen.

• Triple Play: Make Your Picks for Week 8

  By THE NEW YORK TIMES

  16 May 2013 | 3:34 pm

  Put your predictive skills to the test each week of the baseball season.

• 

  TODAYinBASEBALL.com

• May 20, 1945: Pete Gray's best day

  BTGrimes

  20 May 2013 | 2:00 am

  One-armed man ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI - Pete Gray may have had his best day on this date in 1945. He helped the St. Louis Browns sweep a doubleheader from the New York Yankees 10-1 and 5-2. Gray had three hits and two RBI in the opener. He scored the winning run in the second game, and hauled in three great catches in the outfield, nothing astonishing, except Pete Gray only had one arm. He was born Peter J. Wyshner in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania in 1915. He lost his right arm in a farm accident at age six. He played two solid seasons for the Class A Memphis Chicks in 1943 and '44. The St. Louis…

• May 19, 1981: Bibby almost perfect

  BTGrimes

  19 May 2013 | 2:00 am

  Cancel the post-game show  PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - The first batter Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher Jim Bibby faced on this date in 1981 got a hit. Terry Harper would be the only Atlanta Brave batter not to go right back to the dugout. Bibby was perfect after Harper's hit. He retired 27 hitters in a row for a one-hitter as he and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Atlanta Braves and Phil Niekro 5-0. Except for going 19-6 in 1980 and 12-4 in 1979 Jim Bibby's won-lost record was unremarkable. He finished his twelve year career just over .500 at 111-101, but his career earned run average was a…

• May 18, 1957: HR beats curfew

  BTGrimes

  17 May 2013 | 10:00 pm

  Get me to the station BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - Dick Williams of the Baltimore Orioles hit a ninth-inning, game-tying solo home run against Chicago White Sox pitcher Paul LaPalme seconds before 10:20 p.m. on this date in 1957. If Williams had done anything else - taken a pitch, hit a foul ball, gotten a single, double or triple, struck out - any of those things, the game would have ended with the White Sox a winner because the Sox led and a curfew was about to put an end to the contest. The curfew was an agreement by the two teams ahead of time so the White Sox could catch the last train out of…

• May 17, 1979: 22 runs not enough

  BTGrimes

  17 May 2013 | 2:00 am

  Overly friendly confines CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - On this date in 1979 the Chicago Cubs scored 6 runs in the first, 3 in the fourth, 7 in the fifth, 3 in the sixth, 3 more in the eight and still lost. The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cubs 23 to 22 in ten innings, but not before the Cubs made a miraculous comeback from a 21-9 deficit in the 5th to tie it 22-22 in the eigth. There were eleven home runs on this windy afternoon at Wrigley Field, a record at the time. It's as though former NFL great Gale Sayers sneaked into the Chicago Bears old stomping grounds and ran off a few touchdowns. The…

• May 16, 1939: 1st AL night game

  BTGrimes

  16 May 2013 | 2:00 am

  Into the night PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - On this date in 1939 the American League finally played a game under the lights - four years after the National League pioneered the trend. The game took place at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. The Cleveland Indians beat the home team Philadelphia Athletics (today's Oakland A's) 8-3 in ten innings. Night games are so prevalent today, it's hard to imagine a time when all games were played during the day. That slowly began to change in 1935. The Cincinnati Reds played the first night game at Crosley Field in Cincinnati May 24, 1935. Crosley was the…

• 

  Lady Loves Pinstripes

• Yankees: Secret stopper Kuroda

  Kate

  18 May 2013 | 1:07 am

  Hiroki Kuroda (Photo credit: Wikipedia) When an MLB team’s roster features Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, CC Sabathia, Alex Rodriguez, Andy Pettitte and Robinson Cano getting overlooked is not uncommon. The New York Yankees roster, or current DL is littered with stars that have all rightfully earned their popularity over the years. But if I had to name the Yankees most valuable player this season, Hiroki Kuroda would be on the top of the list. Gazing at his numbers (stats courtesy of baseball-reference.com), Kuroda has actually been the Yankees most dependable starter since he joined the…

• Yankees: Teixeira causing an Overbay problem

  Kate

  16 May 2013 | 10:02 pm

  No one hypothesized that the New York Yankees would be anything less than joyful and relieved to get back their wounded superstars. Mark Teixeira on the basepaths during a game between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles on August 26, 2011 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Of course, no one assumed this haphazard army of reserves would be winning enough games to be atop of the AL East either. You can check out available MLB future odds to see that the Yankees are now one of the favorites to win the 2013 World Series, a spot this team was far from just six weeks ago. Everyone getting this team…

• Yankees: 4 reasons the Bronx Bombers are proving everyone wrong

  Kate

  15 May 2013 | 4:32 am

  Yes, we are a quarter of the way through the 2013 MLB season and to say the New York Yankees have surprised everyone is the understatement of the year. Mariano Rivera (Photo credit: Wikipedia) After beating the Mariners 4-3 last night, the Yankees are 25-13 on the season, which is tied for the best record in baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals. Here are five things I’ve learned about the Bronx Bombers at the quarter mark. 1) GM Brian Cashman is good at his job. It is time to give credit where credit is due, and Cashman merits much praise. Coming under heavy fire during the off-season from…

• Yankees: Granderson is back so who do you think goes?

  Kate

  14 May 2013 | 1:28 pm

  Curtis Granderson (Photo credit: Wikipedia) The first of the New York Yankees walking wounded super stars, OF Curtis Granderson returns tonight in the Bronx vs. the Seattle Mariners. So far this season, the outfield has been occupied with Vernon Wells in left; Brett Gardner in center; and Ichiro Suzuki in right. That means someone has to go to make room for the Grandy-man. Today’s lineup, given by skipper Joe Girardi has Wells as the DH (designated hitter) and Granderson playing left field, not center. Do you think that Wells should be the odd man out as things go forward? Or should…

• Yankees: I told Hughes so

  Kate

  13 May 2013 | 11:11 pm

  Photograph of Phil Hughes taken on April 29, 2008 at Yankee Stadium. 04:50, 1 May 2008 . . Mandalatv . . 1,272×954 (691 KB) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Is Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes irrevocably becoming what everyone touted him to be?  After six seasons of being a source of utter frustration, it seems like Hughes has finally gotten it. And I hate to say I told you so, but I did. Countless times in the past, I have pointed out that Hughes lived and died by the speed gun. His fastball’s velocity went hand in hand with his confidence level. At first, Hughes got away with primarily throwing…

• 

  Rays Index

• Here’s The Yunel Escobar Home Run Celebration That Everybody Is Talking About

  Cork Gaines

  20 May 2013 | 3:12 pm

  In the top of the ninth inning of today’s loss to the Blue Jays, Yunel Escobar hit a 2-run home run that pulled the Rays within two. But it is what he did after the home run that left some people angry. Escobar, as he was crossing home plate, made the “safe” sign in the direction of the fans. It was a move that Escobar makes after most home runs. However, this one felt a bit more emphatic considering the score and probably done in response to the boos he heard all afternoon. The move may have been justified. But it is also easy to see why the Blue Jays, and even Joe Maddon,…

• Postgame Shot Of Joe: Too Much Lueke

  Joe Rays Fan

  20 May 2013 | 1:21 pm

  Joe is back with his postgame thoughts … Josh Lueke walked three batters in the seventh today and somehow Joe Maddon thought was in the best interest of the Rays to let him keep struggling and face Edwin Encarnacion with the bases loaded. Bases cleared. Game over. Bad decision. Reboot the computer. The peaceful optimist in Joe says this was a game the Rays had little chance to win anyway, with Jake Odorizzi facing R.A. Dickey in Toronto, but that wasn’t the case by the seventh. The bullpen collapsed again, wasting opportunistic hitting by the Rays in the 7-5 loss and choking…

• Ben Zobrist Nearly Breaks Matt Joyce’s Hand [audioGIF]

  Cork Gaines

  20 May 2013 | 11:09 am

  Earlier we showed you a blown call in which it Ben Zobrist clearly tagged a runner before he reached second base. That play cost the Rays a run and the normally mild-mannered Zobrist was visibly upset. Well, the very next inning, Zobrist scored on an Evan Longoria double, and after crossing home plate, he nearly detached Matt Joyce’s hand from the rest of his arm with a violent high-five… © The Professor for Rays Index, 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags:

• Another Blown Call Costs The Rays A Run [PICTURE]

  Cork Gaines

  20 May 2013 | 10:54 am

  With one out in the second inning, Henry Blanco hit a ball into the leftfield corner. Sam Fuld made a strong throw back to the infield that appeared to easily beat Blanco to the bag. But after Ben Zobrist tagged Blanco, umpire CB Buckner inexplicably called Blanco safe. And it wasn’t even close. Blanco would later score on a basehit to put the Jays up 3-1… © The Professor for Rays Index, 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags:

• Tailgating With The Rays: Talking Matt Moore, Babe Ruth, And A Player Born In The 90s

  Cork Gaines

  20 May 2013 | 8:30 am

  Playing A Little Pepper… The Rays are now 9-2 in their last 11 games and have moved into a tie for third place in the East. The Rays are also 3.5 games behind the Red Sox in the Wild Card…The Rays have not committed an error in their last 7 games…Matt Moore is the youngest starting pitcher to start 8-0 since Jered Weaver in 2006 and the youngest AL lefty to start 8-0 since Babe Ruth in 1917…Jake Odorizzi will be the first Rays player born in the 1990s when he takes the mound today…The Rays averaged just 3.0 runs per game in their first 13 games. In the 30 games…

• 

  Rays Colored Glasses

• Game 44: Josh Lueke Collapse Negates Jake Odorizzi’s Solid Debut as Rays Lose Opener to Toronto

  Robbie Knopf

  20 May 2013 | 4:11 pm

  In order to manage in the major leagues, you often have to take leaps of faiths. Joe Maddon and the Rays took two of those with wildly different results. Jake Odorizzi was never going to replace David Price, but the Rays called him up hoping he could give them some solid starts and keep them in games. Against the Blue Jays, Odorizzi did exactly that. Things were tough early as he threw 29 pitches in the first inning and allowed a pair of runs on an Adam Lind sac fly and a Brett Lawrie RBI triple, and he threw 22 more pitches in the 2nd giving up a third run on a Melky Cabrera RBI double. The…

• Can Jake Odorizzi Become The Next Shifty Rays Starter to Make It Big in the Major Leagues?

  Robbie Knopf

  20 May 2013 | 9:24 am

  On the Rays right now are two pitchers who have achieved a great deal of success with power arsenals rivaling anyone’s in the major leagues. Those two pitchers are David Price and Matt Moore. Everyone else has not been lucky enough to have arms like them–but it doesn’t mean they haven’t been successful. From James Shields to Jeremy Hellickson to Alex Cobb, the Rays have found themselves quite a few pitchers without as dominating repertoires who have been critical pieces of their rotations. Can Jake Odorizzi be next? Odorizzi’s fastball reaches 95 MPH, but he survives…

• The Undercards: Taylor Guerrieri Tosses Six 1-Hit Innings as Hot Rods Split Doubleheader

  Robbie Knopf

  20 May 2013 | 4:31 am

  Sunday was a return to normalcy for the Rays organization from the major leagues all the way down: the offense wasn’t that great, but pitching reigned supreme. Triple-A International League: Norfolk Tides (BAL) 3, Durham Bulls 2 (7 innings- rain) For the second straight day, the Bulls-Tides game was shortened by rain and lasted just 7 innings. This time, though, it was the Bulls that were on the wrong end of a 3-2 score–but a couple minutes later and it easily could have ended differently. The game was ludicrously called with the Bulls have two on, nobody out and one run already…

• 

  Vinci Baseball and Softball Sports Blog

• Introducing NEW Black Optimus Leather

  Vinci

  8 May 2013 | 4:26 am

  Introducing the Addition of NEW Black Optimus Leather New Black Leather Optimus Do to popular demand we have researched and found what we believe to be the finest Black Leather in the industry. Here is information on some of our current line up of Optimus series gloves. The Vinci Research and Development department has been working for the past two years to bring you the newest Vinci Pro glove series, the Optimus series. The Optimus series already made its way into the Major Leagues as gloves in this series were tested throughout the 2012 season at the Major League level. Every glove in this…

• Order A Custom Glove- Receive Free Vinci T-Shirt with Your Own 2 Digit Number on Back

  Vinci

  29 Apr 2013 | 4:30 am

  This week only, Vinci is offering a free Vinci Make the Play T-Shirt with your own custom 2-digit number on the back with any custom glove order. To get your free t-shirt, simply order a custom glove at www.vincipro.com. Customization offered on 22, Limited, Limited Mesh, and our newest line the Optimus series of baseball and softball gloves!   Engraving a personal name to any of our regular stock gloves from the series mentioned above will also qualify for the free t-shirt give away   Click here to see our Vinci Make the Play t-shirts To get your free t-shirt (a $19.95 value),…

• Questions with Wayne Vinci Product Specialist

  Vinci

  12 Apr 2013 | 4:00 am

  We spoke with our product specialist Wayne Wright, asking him some common questions we get in the order department. Here are the questions along with Wayne’s answers. How long does it take to get a custom glove made? WAYNE: Because of our quality control it takes 4 to 6 weeks to build your custom glove. Once the order is placed. 1.The leather is cut. 2. Name embroidered on the flat leather. 3. Leather and padding is sewn together. 4. Web and lace is added. 5.The glove is then inspected and shipped directly to you. What is the difference between the glove I can purchase and the gloves…

• New Vinci Baseball and Softball Gloves Now Available

  Vinci

  25 Mar 2013 | 3:52 am

  New Vinci Baseball and Softball Glove Models In Stock and Ready To Ship Spring is here! So are 3 NEW Vinci glove models. Two are additions to our extremely successful  Optimus series glove line. The other is a new color that we have added to our CP Series. The JV20 in cream with dark brown, which has already been a hit in black, as well as Navy with white.   Optimus PJ Optimus PJ 13 inch The Optimus PJ 13 inch is a great glove for either baseball or softball. Our top of the line walnut leather has been tested at the major league level for the past two years. Carlos Torres of the New…

• New Vinci Custom Baseball and Softball Glove Options Video

  Vinci

  18 Feb 2013 | 2:30 am

  So, you want a Vinci custom baseball or softball glove, but can’t pick which one?  This new video is designed to help! In this video you will see all your lace color options. You will also see each leather color option available. Pick and choose whether you want all leather or mesh back. A NEW feature is the ability to actually pick which web style you want on YOUR new glove! We hope that you are as excited about these features as we are. Check out the video below Another new feature we recently added is the ability to add your own custom name embroidery to any STOCK glove within our…

• 

  MLB» Cleveland Indians

• Yan Gomes Gives Surprising Lift to Cleveland Indians in Monday Day Game

  Cody Williams

  20 May 2013 | 4:01 pm

  David Richard – USA Today Sports Images The Cleveland Indians were expected to be much improved for the 2013 MLB season, but knew that they would still have to deal with the loaded Detroit Tigers in the American League Central. The prevailing belief coming into the year and through the very early stages of the season was that the Tigers would come out of the division rather handily. Though the season is still quite young, the Indians aren’t buying into that as they currently hold a 2.5-game lead over the Tigers in the AL Central. Cleveland has been on fire lately, winning their last…

• MLB Trade Rumors: 5 Cleveland Indians That Could be Dealt

  Connor Muldowney

  19 May 2013 | 11:22 am

• Jason Kipnis Uses Shorter Swing to Walk-off With Cleveland Indians

  David Miller

  17 May 2013 | 9:13 pm

  Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports If there is one true unwritten rule about Major League Baseball players it is that good players make adjustments. Good hitters get into slumps but make good adjustments to pull themselves out of it. Good pitchers suddenly have problems and make adjustments to regain their control. This is the mark of a player that is going from a ballplayer to a very good ballplayer. Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis has made one such adjustment and it is paying off big for the Indians. Since May 3 Kipnis has twelve extra-base hits in thirteen games. He has been one…

• MLB Preview: Seattle Mariners at Cleveland Indians

  JM Catellier

  17 May 2013 | 8:22 am

  Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports The Cleveland Indians are playing their best baseball of the season right now, and it’s no coincidence that former all-star Ubaldo Jimenez has finally found some consistency. The right-hander will be trying to win his fourth straight start (something he hasn’t done in three years) when the Indians host the Seattle Mariners on Friday. Jimenez (3-2, 5.55 ERA) has allowed just three runs in his last three outings, while allowing 10 hits and striking out 20 batters over 18 2-3 innings. This comes after losing eight consecutive decisions with the Indians dating…

• Cleveland Cavaliers Enjoying Hot Start from Justin Masterson

  Cody Williams

  16 May 2013 | 6:03 pm

  Peter G. Aiken – USA Today Sports Images The Cleveland Indians have surprised some people early in the MLB season as they trail the Detroit Tigers by just a half game in the American League Central. They haven’t been exceptional, but they have been an above-average team, which is more than a lot of people would have predicted for them. They have enjoyed a nice display from Mark Reynolds and terrific overall performances from Carlos Santana and Michael Brantley. Their bats have been much more alive than was expected coming into the season. However, another pleasant surprise that the…

• 

  Baseball de World

• College: Vanderbilt Keeps #1 Spot with Sweep of Kentucky

  Eric Bynum

  15 May 2013 | 12:50 pm

  For the third week in a row the Vanderbilt Commodores are atop the NCBWA Division I Poll. The Commodores swept a weekend series from Kentucky over the weekend. They will face Alabama in the last weekend SEC series before the conference tournament begins. The Top 5 was shaken up a bit after North Carolina fell to #4 after spending the past few weeks at #2. They faced off with #26 Georgia Tech dropping two-of-three over the weekend including an 11 inning loss in Game 3 of the series.  UNC lost two game by just a single run, but they were not the only Top 5 team to fall over the weekend. Cal…

• Today in Baseball History – May 10

  Eric Bynum

  10 May 2013 | 3:30 am

  May 10, 1967 In the eighth inning of a game against Philadelphia’s Jim Bunning, Hank Aaron hits the only inside-the-park home run of his career. May 10, 1970 The Braves’ Hoyt Wilhelm becomes the first player to appear in 1,000 games in a loss to St. Louis. May 10, 1981 The Expos’ Charlie Lea no-hits the Giants 4-0. It was the first no-hitter in Olympic Stadium, which opened in 1977. Related NewsToday in Baseball History – January 2ndJanuary 2, 1977 Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turne...Today in Baseball History – April 23April 23, 1903 The New York Highlanders…

• Today in Baseball History – May 9

  Eric Bynum

  9 May 2013 | 3:30 am

  May 9, 1984 The longest game in Major League history was played between the Chicago White Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers. The game, longest in time and innings, ends in the 25th inning when Harold Baines homers giving the White Sox a 7-6 victory. The game lasted eight hours and six minutes. The game is halted on May 8th and continued before the regular scheduled game on May 9th. Tom Seaver wins the game with an inning of relief, then starts the regularly scheduled game and tosses 8.1 innings of  ball to win both games in the day. May 9, 1987 Eddie Murray hits a home run from both sides of the…

• Germany: Regensburg Stays Undefeated in South Division

  Eric Bynum

  8 May 2013 | 10:54 am

  The Mannheim Tornados and the Tubingen Hawks were rained out over the weekend, but the Regensburg Legionaere remained undefeated with a weekend sweep of the Bad Homburg Hornets. The Mainz Athletics kept pace with the division leaders winning both of their games with the Stuttgart Reds. Bad Homburg Hornets 5, Regensburg Legionaere 6 Bad Homburg Hornets 1, Regensburg Legionaere 6 In Game 1, the Legionaere used a bottom of the ninth rally to score two runs and walk off with the win 6-5 over the Hornets. Boris Bokai came on to run for Christoph Zirzlmeier (1-for-1) who led off the bottom of the…

• Germany: Solingen Alligators Stay Undefeated in North Division

  Eric Bynum

  8 May 2013 | 10:00 am

  The Solingen Alligators stayed undefeated in the North Division with a weekend sweep of the Cologne Cardinals. The Bonn Capitals fell two games back with a loss to the HSV Stealers. Paderborn got back in the mix of the division with two huge wins over Berlin. Cologne Cardinals 1, Solingen Alligators 11 (7) Cologne Cardinals 0, Solingen Alligators 3 Game 1 saw an offensive barrage from the Alligators led by Markus Stryczek who went 3-for-3 scoring three runs. Tanner Leighton went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Andre Hughes won again improving to 3-0 on the…

• 

  Blitzcorner

• 2013 ACC Baseball Championship Seedings

  info@blitzcorner.com

  19 May 2013 | 7:05 am

  http://allsportsdiscussion.com/2013/05/19/2013-acc-baseball-championship-seedings-and-schedule/

• 2013 MLB Draft: Who To Take?

  info@blitzcorner.com

  19 May 2013 | 3:05 am

  The 2013 MLB Draft is on June 6th through the 8th and the Chicago Cubs pick 2nd. Mark Appel is my favorite, but Jonathan Gray or Kris Bryant would be fine.

• Royals Are Starting To Heat Up!

  info@blitzcorner.com

  19 May 2013 | 3:05 am

  http://www.i70baseball.com/2013/05/17/royalsangels-three-to-walk-with/

• Where Are The Brewers Headed?

  info@blitzcorner.com

  17 May 2013 | 2:05 am

  http://disciplesofuecker.com/are-the-brewers-trending-in-the-wrong-direction/10983

• Can The Brewers Bounce Back?

  info@blitzcorner.com

  16 May 2013 | 2:05 am

  http://disciplesofuecker.com/brewers-lose-series-recall-k-rod/10899

• 

  The Mets Report

• John Buck Continues Torrid Power Hitting

  Dave Doyle

  28 Apr 2013 | 7:11 am

  Mets catcher John Buck continued his assault on National League pitching yesterday by blasting a garbage time home run to left-center in the ninth inning of a blowout loss. Yesterday the victim was Phillies pitcher Jeremy Horst. But Buck has been taking advantage of NL pitchers all month. Buck started to tail off a bit over the last week, so I thought his storybook month might have come to an end. But he lit up Horst for a garbage time homer to keep the fairytale alive for one more day. Buck’s now third in the NL in home runs and first in RBI’s. The Mets haven’t had a…

• Jeremy Hefner Starts Against the Nationals Today

  Dave Doyle

  20 Apr 2013 | 6:18 am

  Jeremy Hefner (Photo credit: paul.hadsall) Talk about a let down for Mets fans after an exciting night of Matt Harvey starting against the Nationals! Jeremy Hefner starts against the Nats today going up against Gio Gonzalez in the “Tough Act to Follow” game of the series. The sparse crowd at Citi Field last night was rightfully fired up to see Harvey put on another show and go to 4-0 for the season out-dueling Stephen Strasburg. Unfortunately for Fox Sports, they get the Saturday afternoon game today with Hefner on the mound sporting his 7.20 ERA. Hefner’s certainly wearing…

• Mets Johan Santana May Need Shoulder Surgery

  Dave Doyle

  28 Mar 2013 | 5:08 pm

  Multiple media reports state that Mets ace Johan Santana had an MRI on his shoulder today that indicated a probable re-tear of his surgically repaired shoulder capsule. In all likelihood, Santana’s season is over and so is his Mets career. Santana will finish his Mets career pitching in four seasons to a 46-34 record with a 3.18 ERA over 109 games. The injuries were a huge disappointment but we’ll never forget the 2012 no-hitter with the game saving catch by Mike Baxter. The Wilpons must be kicking themselves now for not insuring Santana’s contract against injury. At least…

• David Wright May Start Season on DL

  Dave Doyle

  16 Mar 2013 | 5:23 am

  David Wright (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Several media sources are reporting that David Wright may start the 2013 season on the disabled list. He suffered a muscle strain in his ribs while participating in the World Baseball Classic this week. This is really a team’s worst nightmare about the WBC. The face of your franchise gets hurt in an exhibition away from the team and misses time during the regular season. I’m not a fan of the WBC anyway, but this makes me even less so. Granted, and injury like this could happen anytime even if Wright was with the Mets. But I have to say that…

• Johan Santana Not Happy With The Mets

  Dave Doyle

  12 Mar 2013 | 4:00 am

  Johan Santana Isn’t Happy With The Mets

• 

  Number 5 Type Collection

• Top 5 Carlos Peña Impersonators

  17 May 2013 | 3:03 pm

  I have a soft spot in my heart for Carlos Peña, who turns 35 today. Houston's slugging first baseman doesn't club them into the seats at the same pace he used to, but his 5 years in Tampa Bay were so good, he comfortably holds the Rays franchise HR record at 163.Peña's similarity scores from B-R.com turn up more of the same, big first basemen and designated hitters who regularly posted 120 OPS+ thanks to their power stroke. His top five cover a nice range of years and players, where "nice range" means "after the DH's installation in 1973."1. Gorman Thomas (1984 Donruss Champions #5)If that…

• 1980 TCMA Batavia Trojans Baseball #5, Mike Kolodny

  13 May 2013 | 11:52 am

  Mike Kolodny, you look like every guy I hung out with in the bowling alley parking lot on weekends. Can I bum a sip of New Coke? How about a quarter for some Ironman Stewart's Off Road Racing? You're a true friend, Mike Kolodny.It's easy to poke sophomoric fun at TROJANS, but trying out team names is the sacred duty of minor leagues franchises, be they great, goofy, or groan-worthy. Toledo has its Mud Hens; Vermont its Lake Monsters; Albuquerque its Isotopes. Franchise affiliates that matched MLB names top-to-bottom would feel trite and unmoored from local fan bases, so here's to keeping…

• 1980 TCMA Memphis Chicks Baseball #5, Greg Bargar

  7 May 2013 | 3:03 pm

  In the spirit of SBNation's recent additions to their Baseball Name Hall of Fame (class of 2013), I further recognize the cultural context of guys like Greg Bargar, complete with camelback hat and "aspiring wrestler" mustache. You know, for the Chicks. (Montreal's AA affiliate Memphis Chicks.)While a fan of minor league baseball and interesting names, I'm of two minds on this team. A squad intentionally named the "Chicks" already borders on gaudy, but did you know they played in Tim McCarver Stadium, so named in 1968 for the Memphis native, then a pretty-good catcher, now (in)famous…

• 1980 TCMA Glens Falls White Sox Baseball (Color) #5, Mark Esser

  2 May 2013 | 8:26 am

  Red borders and blocky white text must mean TCMA's back in town! Today's set marks an encore performance for Chicago's AA team in Glens Falls, a franchise that started 1980 with a black-and-white set, whose #5 was shadowy Mark Platel. I assume that offering proved popular enough to merit this mid-season bump to full color.I see you there, Budweiser1980 was also a busy year for Esser, who'd started 1979 with Chicago's White Sox after doing great things against single-A hitters in 1978. He lasted less than a month on the South Side, pitching 1.2 innings, garnering a 16.20 ERA, and striking…

• 1889 Philadelphia "Stars of the Diamond" Baseball #5, L.M. (Lave) Cross

  29 Apr 2013 | 7:15 am

  Before MLB.tv, before designated hitters, before talk radio, before the 20th century, there was still baseball. "Founding era" baseball. Well-dressed gentlemen who played dirty. Outlaw leagues that ignored each others' signed contracts. Cheating, drinking, and megalomania. Yellow journalism baseball. For all our ragging on today's public sports obsession, at least there are hundreds of other channels to watch. 19th century fans flocked to baseball in part because it put the ne'er-do-wells into a public arena with nominal rules and umpires to enforce them.In their collective infancy, 19th…

• 

  MLB» New York Mets

• Cincinnati Reds Starter Johnny Cueto Struggles in Win

  Jon Krouner

  20 May 2013 | 8:41 pm

  Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports In his first start in over a month, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto struggled with his command, but escaped with a win against the New York Mets. Cueto, who hadn’t made a start since April 13 due to a strained right lat-muscle, was activated from the 15-day disabled list prior to Monday night’s game at Citi Field. In the first inning, Cincinnati staked the right-hander to a 3-0 lead behind a 2-run single from Brandon Phillips, but Cueto couldn’t make it stand up. Cueto labored through much of the outing in which he failed to locate his…

• New York Mets Still Lack Leadoff Man

  Bryan Zarpentine

  20 May 2013 | 6:20 am

  Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports It’s roughly a month and a half into the 2013 MLB season, and one of the biggest questions for the New York Mets heading into spring training is still left unanswered: the leadoff spot in their lineup. The Mets have tried half a dozen players in the top spot of their order, but none of them have been a permanent answer. Shortstop Ruben Tejada has arguably been the best of a bad group, but he is better suited to hit elsewhere in the lineup. Tejada does well to get on base by hitting singles and drawing walks, but he brings no speed to the base paths once he…

• New York Mets Take Series Over Chicago Cubs

  matthewyaspan

  19 May 2013 | 7:30 pm

  David Banks-USA TODAY Sports The New York Mets beat the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field today in what would have been a dramatic fashion if it wasn’t for the fact that both teams are now seven games under .500 with just over a quarter of the season finished. It was a game of many players’ first home runs. Juan Lagares belted his first big league blast, and Ryan Sweeney and Travis Wood each added their first home runs of the season. In both the Cubs’ cases, it might just be their last. The Mets won the series, but it’s hard not to consider their play an embarrassment.

• New York Mets’ Bullpen Edges Out Chicago Cubs

  Holly Berkowitz

  19 May 2013 | 6:21 pm

  Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports The New York Mets were able to eke out another close win against the Chicago Cubs in the rubber match of their weekend series. After another poor outing by Jeremy Hefner, Dillon Gee had a decent, yet short start, helping lead the Mets to a 4-3 victory. Gee went five innings and gave up three runs on two homers getting a no decision and keeping his record at 2-5. This is the fourth consecutive start in which Gee has not gone beyond five innings, and in fact his longest outing of the season was only 6.1. Regardless, Gee exited the game down 3-1, leaving it up…

• Rick Ankiel Making Unexpected Impression In New York Mets Lineup

  Thom Tsang

  19 May 2013 | 1:20 pm

  Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports Don’t look now, but Rick Ankiel may have found yet another life in the bigs yet. Yes, the New York Mets outfield may have been just about the only place where a Houston Astros throwaway player like Ankiel can find a regular job, but not only is he holding it down through his first week of work with his new team — he’s actually excelling in it, too. The Mets, as most you will know, have been brutal over the recent stretch, with an offense that is tied for 25th in the league (23 runs) over the last seven days. Needless to say, things are not…

• 

  Independent Professional Baseball Trivia and History

• Number Of Teams Which Played In The Continental Baseball League

  independentbaseball

  20 May 2013 | 2:59 am

  Independent Baseball Trivia Question How many teams played at least one regular season game in the Continental Baseball League from 2007-2010? Answer: 13 Alexandria Aces (2009) Bay Area Toros (2007-2009) Big Bend Cowboys (2009-2010) Coastal Kingfish (2009-2010) Corpus Christi Beach Dawgs (2008) Desert Valley Mountain Lions (2010) Las Cruces Vaqueros (2010) Lewisville Lizards (2007) McKinney [...]Please support this site: if you need any home repair service in your area, let local contractors compete to give you a great price. Call toll-free 877-854-3526 today.

• Grand Prairie AirHogs Pitcher Drafted Ahead Of Papelbon

  independentbaseball

  19 May 2013 | 1:58 am

  Independent Baseball Trivia Question Grand Prairie Airhogs pitcher was drafted 14 picks ahead of four-time AL All Star Jonathan Papelbon in the 4th round of the 2003 MLB Draft? Answer: Josh Rainwater Please support this site: if you need any home repair service in your area, let local contractors compete to give you a great [...]Please support this site: if you need any home repair service in your area, let local contractors compete to give you a great price. Call toll-free 877-854-3526 today.

• Yonkers Hoot Owls Manager On 1977 And 1978 Yankees

  independentbaseball

  18 May 2013 | 3:01 am

  Independent Baseball Trivia Question What NY Yankee outfielder who played in the 1977 and 1978 World Series managed the Yonkers Hoot Owls (Northeast League) in 1995? Answer: Paul Blair http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Blair_%28baseball%29#Coaching_career Please support this site: if you need any home repair service in your area, let local contractors compete to give you a great price. Call [...]Please support this site: if you need any home repair service in your area, let local contractors compete to give you a great price. Call toll-free 877-854-3526 today.

• Newark Bears Player On 1990 Topps All Star Rookie Team

  independentbaseball

  17 May 2013 | 4:50 am

  Independent Baseball Trivia Question What 1998-2000 Newark Bears infielder was a member of the 1990 Topps All Star Rookie Team? Answer: Craig Worthington http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Craig_Worthington http://lifetimetopps.wordpress.com/2011/10/04/1990-topps-%e2%80%93-all-star-rookie-team-future-stars-and-1-draft-picks/ Please support this site: if you need any home repair service in your area, let local contractors compete to give you a great price. Call toll-free 877-854-3526 today.Please support this site: if you need any home repair service in your area, let local contractors…

• Huntington Rail Kings Pitcher Whose MLB Debut Was With The 1981 Dodgers

  independentbaseball

  16 May 2013 | 3:00 am

  Independent Baseball Trivia Question What pitcher for the 1998 Huntington Railkings made his MLB Debut in the strike-shortened 1981 season for the LA Dodgers? Answer: Ted Power He became the pitching coach for the AAA Louisville Bats in the Cincinnati Reds system in 2006 http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/LAN/LAN198109090.shtml                http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=power-001ted Please support this site: if you [...]Please support this site: if you need any home repair service in your area, let local contractors compete to give you a great…

• 

  Baseball Tutorials

• Killer Overload Exercise to Improve Power Hitting!

  kenny

  20 May 2013 | 8:41 am

  As as coach, you want to train your athletes to be the strongest player they can be – whether that is hitting, throwing or running.  Great conditioning drills and exercise can help accomplish this!  In today’s article, I am highlighting a great overload exercise that will help improve your power hitting!   The variations available make [...]The post Killer Overload Exercise to Improve Power Hitting! appeared first on Baseball Tutorials.

• Knee Throwing Drill to Help Your Players Improve

  kenny

  15 May 2013 | 8:49 pm

  Knee Throwing Drill Many young players have difficulties understanding the importance of glove in front, and closing the gap up front.  I found that by putting an athlete on his knees, they really get the feel of leaving the glove out in front.  So in today’s blog post, I am featuring the Knee Throwing Drill, [...]The post Knee Throwing Drill to Help Your Players Improve appeared first on Baseball Tutorials.

• 3 Bat Speed Drills for the Intermediate Player

  kenny

  13 May 2013 | 11:22 pm

    In today’s blog post, I am going to share 3 bat speed drills that are great for training the intermediate player.   Rapid Fire Soft Toss Difficulty Level: Intermediate Setup: Here you need a partner, five baseballs, and a bat. Execution: This is a lot like a 5 ball soft toss drill, except that [...]The post 3 Bat Speed Drills for the Intermediate Player appeared first on Baseball Tutorials.

• Baseball Hitting Secrets: The Hip Slide Part 2

  kenny

  8 May 2013 | 7:31 pm

  In today’s video blog post, we are continuing to talk about the baseball hitting secrets to correct the common problem of the Hip Slide.  If you missed Part 1 of this series, you can view it here:  The Hip Slide Part 1 Baseball Hitting  and The Hip Slide: Part 2 Continuing our discussion, here is [...]The post Baseball Hitting Secrets: The Hip Slide Part 2 appeared first on Baseball Tutorials.

• Score like a Pro! Baserunning Drills & Techniques – Part 2

  kenny

  6 May 2013 | 3:48 pm

  Today, we are continuing our discussion on baserunning drills, getting through the bag, and taking a lead.   If you missed the previous installment on this topic, check out Score like a Pro! Baserunning Drills & Techniques. When it comes to baserunning and scoring, there are different approaches you need to take depending on where you [...]The post Score like a Pro! Baserunning Drills & Techniques – Part 2 appeared first on Baseball Tutorials.

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  Chicken Fried Baseball

• The More Things Change

  chickenfriedbb

  1 May 2013 | 8:00 am

  An overwhelming burden of various commitments over the last twelve months has unfortunately left me with little time to update this blog. Many are now clearing up, so I hope to both increase and improve my contributions. I may have spared myself some time and unnecessary web space. A quick look at today’s standings would show that despite recent and relentless hemming and hawing by the media, MLB’s divisions are lead by the usual group of suspects. Teams including the Rangers, Red Sox, Yankees, Tigers, Braves, Giants, and Cardinals comfortably rest in their familiar leadership roles. The…

• Rangers Hire Dave Magadan

  chickenfriedbb

  22 Oct 2012 | 5:55 am

  The Rangers announced the hiring of former “future star” Dave Magadan as their new hitting coach.

• Yankees Offensive Woes Could Mean Trouble for Texas

  chickenfriedbb

  15 Oct 2012 | 3:05 am

  The disgust among Yankees fans with the team’s offensive output this postseason has been palpable. Simply adjust the volume on your TV, and you will hear what sounds like everyone not named Raul Ibanez or Derek Jeter serenaded with boos after every out. Make that everyone but Ibanez. Of course, Yankees fans aren’t the only group that seems to feel entitled to big offensive output. Rangers fans let their disappointment be known after the team’s shocking and sudden exit from the playoff picture by loudly booing the Rangers best hitter, Josh Hamilton on the season’s last day. With the…

• Crossing the Aisle

  chickenfriedbb

  23 Jul 2012 | 6:09 am

  A good friend of mine is a die-hard Angels fan living in Orange County. We also happen to work together and regularly make use of gchat during the workday to boast about our favorite teams and ridicule the other’s. C.J. Wilson, Mike Napoli, Yu Darvish and Jared Weaver are frequently hot topics. That said, I’ve surprised myself by my reaction to one of Anaheim’s newest heroes. My colleague recently took to instant messaging to sing the praises of Mike Trout. My response? “I agree. He’s awesome and will probably be the AL MVP”. My Rangers fandom hasn’t been enough to stand in the…

• Rangers Continue to Build Prospect Pipeline

  chickenfriedbb

  5 Jun 2012 | 3:24 am

  The Rangers entered the 2012 season with one of the top rated farm systems in baseball. While that designation should have encouraged Rangers fans, several of the top prospects that helped them earn it have been disappointing thus far. The Rangers top two arms at AAA Round Rock, Martin Perez and Neil Ramirez, have struggled and had ugly starts to the season. Conversely, Leonys Martin was off to a hot start before being sidelined with a thumb injury over a month ago. It’s a small window, and the prized assets of the Texas system still have tons of potential, but the important takeaway is…

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  The Shea Faithful

• The Carlos Beltran Litmus Test

  JonPresser

  16 May 2013 | 11:00 pm

  <p>The <strong>New York Mets</strong> just finished a four-game series with the <strong>St. Louis Cardinals</strong>, and among other things, I couldn&#39;t help but notice that <strong>Carlos Beltran</strong> is still as excellent as ever.</p> <p>Beltran hit&nbsp;.400 with two walks, a home run and&nbsp;5 RBI in 17 plate appearances against his former team, as the 36-year-old shows no signs of slowing down, putting up a .309/.347/.554 line through 38 games.</p> <p>I&#39;ve always been <a…

• This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things

  JonPresser

  9 May 2013 | 10:36 am

  <p>Let&#39;s be honest. We all know, and have known for quite some time, that &quot;<strong>Lucas Duda</strong>, outfielder&quot; is not a long-term solution for the <strong>New York Mets</strong>.</p> <p>The 6&#39;4, 255-lb Duda&nbsp;was never truly&nbsp;meant to roam the spacious Citi Field outfield, but as a natural first baseman on a team that already has a good-gloved first baseman, the Mets don&#39;t exactly have a lot of options when it comes to finding ways to get Lucas Duda&#39;s bat in the lineup on a regular…

• Kirk Nieuwenhuis Doesn't Let Mere Fences Stop Him From Catching Baseballs Down on the Farm

  JonPresser

  4 May 2013 | 12:50 am

  <p><em style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6em;">(Video courtesy of the Sacramento River Cats)</em></p> <p>The <strong>New York Mets</strong> outfield has had its fair share of adjustments this year, to say the least.&nbsp;While the Mets juggle&nbsp;the six current outfielders on their 25-man roster, one of the&nbsp;reinforcements down in Triple-A&nbsp;made a highlight reel play.</p> <p><strong>Kirk Nieuwenhuis</strong>&nbsp;made the Opening Day roster as the Mets&#39; sixth outfielder initially, but…

• Scott Rice Emerging as a Main Course Option for Terry Collins and the New York Mets

  JonPresser

  3 May 2013 | 7:00 pm

  <p>Even in <strong>Scott Rice</strong>&#39;s wildest dreams, I&#39;m not sure he expected this.</p> <p>After 14 years of toiling in the minor leagues and independent ball, the <strong>New York Mets</strong>&#39;&nbsp;31-year-old rookie reliever has become one of the best stories in baseball after&nbsp;breaking through and making it to the big leagues this spring.</p> <p>However, with other left-handed relievers struggling in the Mets&#39; bullpen, Rice has been thrown firmly into the pressure cooker of the late…

• Lucas Duda is Seeing the Ball Well Right Now

  JonPresser

  20 Apr 2013 | 1:20 am

  <p class="p1"><b>Lucas Duda</b> isn&#39;t exactly a walking quote machine.</p> <p class="p1">Even at 6&rsquo;4, 255, the <b>New York Mets</b> left fielder seems to have a knack for being a wallflower, even when his bat is doing the talking for him.</p> <p class="p1">After hitting a pair of homers&nbsp;in support of <a href="http://thesheafaithful.com/articles/matt-harvey-s-emergence-is-due-in-part-to-the-bridging-of-two-new-york-mets-regimes--2" target="_blank">the incomparable</a> <b>Matt Harvey</b>,…

• 

  Macho Row

• Phillies win series, but offense needs to pick it up soon. Is a solution possible?

  20 May 2013 | 2:15 pm

    The Phillies concluded their battles versus the state of Ohio with a stunning 3-2 victory over the NL Central Cincinnati Reds.  The series definitely had its share of ups and downs as the Phillies experienced 16 scoreless innings before Chase Utley’s RBI single in the bottom of the eighth yesterday.  The Phillies now sit at 21-23 going into a stretch of games where they face the Marlins, Nationals, and Red Sox in a unique home and home series.  A positive win loss record in the next 10 games would put the Phillies in a good position in the NL East going into the…

• This day in 1993: Incaviglia slam helps Schilling shut down Expos

  20 May 2013 | 8:43 am

  This year marks the 20th anniversary of the 1993 Philadelphia Phillies going from worst to first and winning the National League pennant. All season long we will take a look back at each game of the 1993 season. Expos 3 Phillies 9 WP: Curt Schilling (5-1) LP: Chris Nabholz (3-4) Fresh off a .500 road trip with three-game stops in Atlanta and Miami, the Phillies returned home for a three-game set in NL East play against the Montreal Expos. The Phillies and Expos would play a tight season series with some tension-filled moments in September, but on this night in May it would be all Phillies.

• Pettibone sharp, Phillies enjoy a 3 game winning streak.

  15 May 2013 | 11:22 am

  Jonathan Pettibone has been a pleasant surprise to Phillies fans since making his debut back on April 22nd.  He improved to 3-0 on the season and was the first Phillies pitcher since Gavin Floyd to start his career at 3-0.  The 22 year old right hander pitched 6 2/3 innings which was his longest outing to date.  He gave 2 runs in the second on a Michael Brantley single that scored Nick Swisher and Carlos Santana.  That was all the Indians would get on this night in South Philadelphia as the Phillies won 6-2.   The Phillies wasted no time as Kevin Frandsen (starting in…

• Lee, Howard, Halladay, Hamels named on Sports Illustrated's Fortunate 50

  15 May 2013 | 9:26 am

  The Phillies finally found a way to beat a team from Ohio last night, bringing the team to within just 3.5 games of the first place Atlanta Braves. You would think the bar would be set a little higher for this team, especially given the payroll set up for this year's roster. Critics of the Phillies are quick to point out the massive contracts to aging players, and that is fair. It is also documented by Sports Illustrated. Sports Illustrated released their 2013 Fortunate 50, a listing of the top 50 professional athletes according to value - consisting of salary, winnings, bonuses and…

• Caught looking! Mitch Williams Twitter, Ryan Howard strikeouts and fire Sam Perlozzo

  13 May 2013 | 2:11 pm

  I like to take a look at the in-depth numbers behind the scenes for my web sites, including Macho Row. From time to time I think I woudl like to share some of the most interesting search results leading readers to this little piece of the Phillies blogosphere with you. Maybe you will find some of them as amusing as I do. Here is a look at the most recent top searches bringing people to Macho Row. Are you one of them? 1. Mitch Williams Twitter - Yes, the lovable closer from the 1993 Phillies is in dee don Twitter, and he tweets a lot. 2. Ryan Howard strikeouts 2013 - After a rough road swing…

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  Philliesflow.com

• How soon can you start, Carlos?

  egrissom

  16 May 2013 | 7:06 am

  And is it going to be a problem if we need to you pitch like you did in 2004? Every day? The Phillies used five pitchers yesterday and four of them were awful. Phillippe Aumont allowed a single in a scoreless seventh, but Hamels struggled in his start and Durbin, Horst and Valdes were awful behind him as the Phils lost 10-4. Valdes and Durbin have been especially miserable this year and I would be surprised if the Phillies weren’t thinking about how their roster spots could be better used. The Phillies haven’t had a lot of success winning without good pitching this year.

• Everybody and Indians

  egrissom

  15 May 2013 | 8:05 am

  The Phillies were hammered the last time they saw the Indians, outscored 20-2 as they lost both games of two-game set about two weeks ago. Just about everything went well for the Phils last night as they topped Cleveland 6-2. Pettibone pitched well. Manuel put righties Mayberry and Frandsen in the lineup against a lefty and they combined to drive in three runs in the first four innings. Up two runs in the eighth with Mike Adams unavailable, Justin De Fratus and Jeremy Horst wriggled out of a jam with one out and runners on the corners. Frandsen ended the day hitting 467/579/933 against…

• Left, left, left, left, left

  egrissom

  10 May 2013 | 8:05 am

  Cole Hamels held the Diamondbacks to two runs over six innings last night, but it wasn’t enough as the Phils fell 2-1 for their fourth loss in six games. The Phillies had six hits in the game, five singles and a double. Arizona started Patrick Corbin, making it the third time in four games the Phils had faced a lefty. They’re hitting .216 against lefties for the year with Utley, Howard and Brown all on-basing .250 or less against them. The guys who don’t hit left-handed aren’t getting the job done either. Rollins is at 244/262/366 against lefties and Mayberry…

• How ’bout we promise to keep watching and you promise to stop getting caught stealing with the game on the line?

  egrissom

  9 May 2013 | 8:35 am

  And maybe get a middle reliever with an ERA under six? Charlie Manuel is about to become the man who has managed the most games in Phillie history, reminding me that one of the biggest moments in this era of team history came off the field. On April 17, 2007, the press conference that followed the latest Phillie loss didn’t take long to get out of hand. Manuel eventually challenged a media member critical of the team to fight. That offer refused, Manuel stood telling the room, loudly and more than once, that his team was going to win. They were 3-9 that day, coming off of an 8-1 loss to…

• Repeat performance

  egrissom

  8 May 2013 | 7:13 am

  The Phillies got six runs and good starting pitching for the second straight night last night. For the second straight night it was enough and they topped the Giants 6-2. Lee led the way with his start in game one. Last night was Kyle Kendrick’s turn. Kendrick tossed seven strong innings to get the win and is 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA and a 1.00 ratio in 42 innings over his last six starts. Opponents have hit .219 against him. The Phillies have scored 12 runs in the first two games of their set in San Francisco. Utley and Howard both homered last night, with Howard’s blast coming off of…

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  Mental Baseball Coach

• Pitching Through Adversity

  Darrell Smith

  16 May 2013 | 8:38 pm

  Even the best pitchers in baseball face adversity at one point or another. Everyone gives up hits, walks, home runs, and earned runs. Nobody has ever had a 0.00 ERA. No matter who you are you going to face adversity. Here are ways to pitch through it. Flip the PageNo matter what happens, you can never dwell on it. You have to be able to learn to forget about it and move on. You can't worry about the hit you just gave up, you have to focus on the next batter and know that you are going to get him out. There are many things you can do to help you flip the page. Have a Focus PointFind…

• Coaching Techniques After a Loss

  Darrell Smith

  31 Mar 2013 | 7:42 pm

  There is a big issue on the aspects of coaching after a loss. Of course it depends on how the team plays, but some coaches yell and scream at there players while other look at the positive aspects. This article will teach the coaching techniques that I think are most affective after a loss. Let's take a look at the topics of coaching techniques after a loss.Looking at the PositiveSome coaches like to look at everything positive after the loss. This can work very well because it will not cause your players to get down on themselves or be afraid to do something wrong the next game. It will also…

• Focusing on Stealing

  Darrell Smith

  17 Mar 2013 | 12:06 am

  Not everybody steals, but this is for all you speedsters out there! A lot crosses your mind when you are stealing second base. You get the sign from the third base coach and so many things start to cross your mind. You might be scared to get thrown out or confident, knowing you are going to swipe the base with ease. Base running takes a vary large amount of focus. It may seem so simple , but making an error on the base path can be very easy to do. Not only that, they can make a big impact on the game. There are many keys to give yourself an advantage when stealing a base.1. Don't Even Think…

• Frustration and it's Impact

  Darrell Smith

  13 Mar 2013 | 7:32 pm

  Frustration is something that is in every one's life. The emotion comes and goes in baseball to an extreme level. Everyone has been frustrated with their performance at one time or another. Batters get very frustrated every time they strike out, get out, or if the umpire blows a call. Pitchers get frustrated if they don't get the call they want, if their teammate commits an error, or if someone gets a hit. These are all things that happen in baseball everyday but the feelings it brings are always similar. This frustration will make a huge impact on your game and confidence. Almost every…

• Why Goal Are Important

  Darrell Smith

  10 Mar 2013 | 8:32 pm

  A Goal - the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.Goals are very important in both life and sports. You cannot achieve anything in life without having goals. When you do achieve your goals, the feeling it gives you is something that cannot be explained. Every major league player had the dream and goal to become one before anything. It is the start of something huge in your life. A goal is something that needs to be worked towards everyday. So why are goals important?Gives You DirectionIf you don't have goals,…