Baseball

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  Arizona Diamondbacks News

• D-backs acquire Heilman from Cubs

  Steve Gilbert

  19 Nov 2009 | 12:39 pm

  The D-backs bolstered their bullpen on Thursday acquiring right-hander Aaron Heilman from the Cubs in exchange for a pair of Minor Leaguers.

• Fourth starter among D-backs' needs

  Steve Gilbert

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  Josh Byrnes has some money to spend, but the D-backs general manager also has plenty of holes to fill as the free-agent season gets under way Thursday at 10:01 p.m. MST.

• D-backs unveil Spring Training slate

  Steve Gilbert

  17 Nov 2009 | 1:10 pm

  On Tuesday, the D-backs released their Spring Training schedule for 2010, the last year they'll prepare for the season at Tucson Electric Park.

• D-backs' payroll expected to increase

  Steve Gilbert

  17 Nov 2009 | 10:47 am

  The D-backs' payroll likely will rise in 2010 to north of $75 million when all is said and done, an increase over the approximately $73 million it was last season, managing general partner Ken Kendrick said.

• Virtual Catalog kicks off holiday season

  Mark Newman

  17 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  The launching of the Virtual Catalog at the MLB.com Shop signals the official start to another season of holiday shopping.

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  Atlanta Braves News

• Braves add five pitchers to 40-man roster

  Mark Bowman

  20 Nov 2009 | 6:41 am

  The Braves have chosen to protect an additional five pitchers from the Rule 5 Draft by adding them to their 40-man roster.

• Braves could add to 40-man roster

  Mark Bowman

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:53 pm

  As they continue to target moves they could make on the free agent and trade markets, the Braves will have to accordingly set their 40-man roster before Friday comes to a close.

• Lowe trade not out of question for Braves

  Mark Bowman

  19 Nov 2009 | 2:32 pm

  Though the three years left on Derek Lowe's contract make it seem that he would be difficult to trade, a slim free-agent market and lower demands may make it more likely the righty would be dealt.

• Vazquez lands among elite in Cy voting

  Mark Bowman

  19 Nov 2009 | 11:20 am

  Braves right-hander Javier Vazquez gained one of the two votes not cast for Tim Lincecum, Chris Carpenter or Adam Wainwright in the balloting for this year's National League Cy Young Award, finishing fourth.

• Patience a free-agent virtue for Braves

  Mark Bowman

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  As this year's free-agent season begins, it appears the Braves could be one of a number of teams that show patience before attempting to attempting to fill their specific needs.

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  Chicago Cubs News

• Cubs ink Grabow to two-year deal

  Carrie Muskat

  20 Nov 2009 | 9:13 am

  The Cubs signed free-agent pitcher John Grabow to a two-year, $7.5 million contract on Friday, securing a key player in the bullpen.

• Cubs have high hopes for top prospect

  Carrie Muskat

  20 Nov 2009 | 7:51 am

  Starlin Castro can finally take a day off. The shortstop wrapped up his Arizona Fall League duty on Thursday, finishing with a .376 average in 26 games with the Mesa Solar Sox. Not bad for a 19-year-old.

• Dealing, not shopping, on Cubs' agenda

  Carrie Muskat

  20 Nov 2009 | 7:01 am

  Once the free-agent market officially opens for business on Thursday at 11:01 p.m. CT, general manager Jim Hendry and the Cubs were expected to try to make some deals to tinker with the roster rather than do much shopping.

• Wood hosts event for children's hospital

  Scott Merkin

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:38 am

  Through the Champions for Children's event Sarah and Kerry Wood hosted at the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago, the Woods brought the Cubs and White Sox together in perfect harmony for the tremendous cause of Children's Memorial Hospital.

• Heilman dealt for two prospects

  Carrie Muskat

  19 Nov 2009 | 1:45 pm

  The Cubs dealt right-handed reliever Aaron Heilman to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday for two Minor League prospects.

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  Cincinnati Reds News

• Reds make moves, fill out roster

  Mark Sheldon

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:43 am

  Faced with a slew of prospects that needed protection, the Reds added some players to their 40-man roster on Friday while also cutting a few.

• Leake finishes whirlwind year strong

  Robert Emrich

  19 Nov 2009 | 3:02 pm

  Right-handed Reds prospect Mike Leake allowed two hits over four shutout innings for the victory as the Peoria Saguaros defeated the Mesa Solar Sox, 8-1, on Thursday afternoon.

• Reds won't be busy in free agency

  Mark Sheldon

  18 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

  Free agency opens for business at 12:01 a.m. ET on Friday, and that means it will be buying season for all 30 clubs. Don't expect the Reds to be busy free-agent shoppers, however.

• Piniella to be in attendance for Redsfest

  Mark Sheldon

  18 Nov 2009 | 1:12 pm

  The skipper who led the Reds to their last World Series will be at Redsfest -- current Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella.

• Q&A with Reds' Bailey

  Mark Sheldon

  18 Nov 2009 | 11:43 am

  Despite his being only 23 years old, starting pitcher Homer Bailey seemed on the brink of being written off by Reds fans that wanted him traded, but a sensational 2009 second half has changed that.

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  Colorado Rockies News

• Marquis tops free-agent list for Rox

  Thomas Harding

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  The Rockies have made no secret of their build-from-within philosophy in recent years, but that doesn't mean they will sit on the sideline during the free-agent signing period, which begins Thursday night at 10:01 p.m. MT.

• Rox to visit Albuquerque in spring

  Steve Gilbert

  18 Nov 2009 | 3:13 pm

  The Rockies will play a pair of exhibition games in Albuquerque, N.M., on April 2-3 prior to the start of the 2010 regular season.

• Rockies extend Tracy's deal through 2012

  Steve Gilbert

  18 Nov 2009 | 12:41 pm

  On the same day in which he received the 2009 NL Manager of the Year Award, Jim Tracy received a contract extension from the Rockies that runs through the 2012 season.

• Tracy rewarded with NL Manager honor

  Thomas Harding

  18 Nov 2009 | 10:31 am

  After an 18-28 start cost Clint Hurdle his job, the Rockies went 74-42 under Jim Tracy and won the NL Wild Card. For that, Tracy received on Wednesday an honor he deserved -- the NL Manager of the Year Award.

• Rays' Montoyo wins Coolbaugh Award

  Bill Chastain

  17 Nov 2009 | 10:59 am

  Triple-A Durham manager Charlie Montoyo has been named the 2009 winner of the Mike Coolbaugh Award, which is presented to an individual who has shown an outstanding baseball work ethic, knowledge of the game and skill in mentoring young players on the field.

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  Florida Marlins News

• Marlins add five to fill up 40-man roster

  Alden Gonzalez

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:51 pm

  In anticipation of the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 10, the Marlins filled up their 40-man roster on Friday, adding right-handers Jose Ceda, Jay Buente, Brett Sinkbeil and Kris Harvey, as well as outfielder Scott Cousins.

• Marlins unveil Spring Training schedule

  Alden Gonzalez

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:49 am

  The Marlins announced their Spring Training schedule on Friday, a 33-game exhibition slate that will see them play the Red Sox, Mets, Cardinals and the University of Miami, among others.

• Marlins brass tour Target Field

  Joe Frisaro

  20 Nov 2009 | 6:20 am

  With Target Field in Minnesota set to open next spring, members of the Marlins' front office recently toured the stadium to get some ideas for the opening of their new park in 2012.

• Marlins could fill gaps with free agents

  Alden Gonzalez

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  Though the Marlins will not be in the running for the big free-agent prizes, that doesn't mean they can't use the market to get into the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

• Inbox: Meyer has bright Florida future

  Joe Frisaro

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:39 am

  In addition to the prospects of Dan Uggla, Marlins fans have the future of promising reliever Dan Meyer on their minds. Beat reporter Joe Frisaro tackles this and more in the Inbox.

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  Houston Astros News

• Re-signing their own Astros' priority

  Brian McTaggart

  18 Nov 2009 | 7:59 pm

  When it comes to the big names of the free agent market this offseason, don't expect to see the likes of Matt Holliday or John Lackey spending time looking for real estate or researching the best school districts in the Houston area.

• Wright's winter work impressing Astros

  Brian McTaggart

  18 Nov 2009 | 1:30 pm

  If his performance in the Dominican Winter League is any indication, Wesley Wright could have a future in the Astros' rotation.

• Astros not interested in Smoltz

  Brian McTaggart

  17 Nov 2009 | 6:09 pm

  While the Astros have kicked around dozens of names from the list of free agents who have filed, sources indicate their interest in John Smoltz just isn't there.

• Scott new Minors field coordinator

  Brian McTaggart

  17 Nov 2009 | 1:47 pm

  Dick Scott, who had been with the Toronto Blue Jays organization for eight years, was named the Astros' Minor League field coordinator on Tuesday.

• Astros open to re-signing Tejada

  Brian McTaggart

  17 Nov 2009 | 11:15 am

  While the Astros may not be in the market for other teams' big-ticket free agents, they are interested in re-signing some of their own players, including shortstop Miguel Tejada.

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  Los Angeles Dodgers News

• Dodgers add three to 40-man roster

  Chris Haft

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:36 pm

  The Dodgers added three prospects to their 40-man roster Thursday by purchasing the contracts of shortstop Ivan DeJesus, outfielder Trayvon Robinson and right-hander Kenley Jansen.

• Pitching tops Dodgers' free-agent list

  Chris Haft

  19 Nov 2009 | 12:40 am

  Rare is the year when the Dodgers lack quality starting pitching. But they might have to delve heavily into the free-agent market to maintain that asset.

• Time in LA 'disappointing' for Schmidt

  Ken Gurnick

  18 Nov 2009 | 2:45 pm

  Jason Schmidt filed for free agency last week, surprising a lot of people who thought he had already retired. "Just leaving my options open," he said. "At this moment, no, I'm not thinking about pitching anymore.

• Finalists selected for Stenson Award

  Danny Wild

  18 Nov 2009 | 9:30 am

  The Arizona Fall League is set to announce the winner of the annual Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award, an honor given to the player who best exemplifies unselfishness, hard work and leadership.

• Virtual Catalog kicks off holiday season

  Mark Newman

  17 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  The launching of the Virtual Catalog at the MLB.com Shop signals the official start to another season of holiday shopping.

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  Milwaukee Brewers News

• Brewers taking a look at Halama

  Adam McCalvy

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:42 am

  The Brewers told John Halama's agent that they will have a scout in the stands for the former big league left-hander's start in the Dominican Republic on Friday night, and Halama hopes to strike a Minor League deal with Milwaukee by early next week.

• Brewers-Braves deal would have hurdles

  Adam McCalvy

  19 Nov 2009 | 6:56 pm

  FoxSports.com says the Brewers and Braves have discussed a Corey Hart-for-Derek Lowe swap. But the Braves aren't believed to have much interest in Hart, and it remains to be seen whether the Brewers likely have concerns about Lowe's bulky contract.

• Brewers unveil park improvements

  Adam McCalvy

  19 Nov 2009 | 10:30 am

  The Brewers on Thursday announced a number of minor upgrades at Miller Park, which will host its 10th season of baseball in 2010.

• Brewers on lookout for starting pitching

  Adam McCalvy

  18 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

  Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said he's been working the phones all week to express interest in free agents, but baseball rules have prevented him from doing any negotiating.

• Brewers add Cain, Rivas to 40-man roster

  Adam McCalvy

  18 Nov 2009 | 1:02 pm

  With Friday's deadline for protecting players from the Rule 5 Draft looming, the Brewers added prospects Lorenzo Cain and Amaury Rivas to their 40-man roster Wednesday.

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  New York Mets News

• Inbox: What's the best way to improve?

  Mary Noble

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:19 pm

  Should the Mets try to sign a slugger or focus on improving their team team defense? Should the Mets have Daniel Murphy play second base? Beat reporter Marty Noble answers Mets fans' questions in the Inbox.

• Mets ready to shop, spend on open market

  Marty Noble

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  When the free-agent filing period ends at midnight ET Friday, the Mets and 29 other Holliday shoppers will be free to launch their pursuit of Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, John Lackey and any other of the more than 300 free agents.

• Havens heats up as AFL winds down

  Robert Emrich

  18 Nov 2009 | 3:15 pm

  Mets prospect Reese Havens fell a homer short of the cycle and scored three times Wednesday, leading Surprise to an 11-9 victory over the Saguaros.

• Inbox: Can Reyes regain his mojo?

  Marty Noble

  18 Nov 2009 | 12:55 pm

  What a difference a year makes. After a difficult 2009 season, Jose Reyes is no longer considered in the upper echelon of NL shortstops, and Mets fans want to know if that is a permanent change.

• Marquis eyes return home with Mets

  Alden Gonzalez

  18 Nov 2009 | 7:24 am

  New York native Jason Marquis told the New York Post that he considers the Mets to be a great fit. The free-agent right-hander made the All-Star team in 2009 as a member of the Rockies.

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  Philadelphia Phillies News

• Phillies no stranger to awards

  Todd Zolecki

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:27 pm

  Phillies left-hander J.A. Happ fell just short of the National League Rookie of the Year Award on Monday. Charlie Manuel finished sixth in the NL Manager of the Year Award voting on Wednesday.A

• No late additions planned for Phils' roster

  Todd Zolecki

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:17 pm

  The Phillies have until 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday to add players to their 40-man roster to protect them from next month's Rule 5 Draft, but there were no expected last-minute additions.

• Fall Classic memorabilia at Hall of Fame

  Alden Gonzalez

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:10 am

  Artifacts from baseball's most memorable moments from this past postseason -- one that saw the Yankees notch their 27th World Series championship -- have been put on display at the Autumn Glory exhibit at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.

• Phils' training staff honored with award

  Todd Zolecki

  20 Nov 2009 | 9:31 am

  Back in February, when the Phillies still had highlights of the 2008 World Series running through their heads, the club talked about what it would take to win back-to-back championships.

• Phils' Gosewisch busts out in Fall League

  Robert Emrich

  18 Nov 2009 | 9:08 pm

  Phillies prospect Tuffy Gosewisch broke out of a slump with three hits and two RBIs on Wednesday, leading Scottsdale to a 7-5 victory over Mesa.

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  Pittsburgh Pirates News

• Minor League look: GCL Pirates

  Jenifer Langosch

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:25 pm

  Here is part six in a seven-part series taking an in-depth look at how each of the Pirates' Minor League affiliates fared during the 2009 season.

• Pirates look for value in free agents

  Jenifer Langosch

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  Beginning Friday, it's a free-agent free-for-all. In Pittsburgh, that certainly raises two questions: First, will the Pirates be players in the free-agent market? And if so, to what extent will they be?

• d'Arnaud a finalist for Stenson Award

  18 Nov 2009 | 12:52 pm

• Conditioning is Alvarez's ticket to Majors

  Jenifer Langosch

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:36 am

  Ever since the Pirates made Pedro Alvarez the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 Draft, there have been debates about whether the former Vanderbilt standout would be able to remain a third baseman.

• Bucs give journeyman Jones shot to shine

  Lisa Winston

  18 Nov 2009 | 6:05 am

  Garrett Jones, the 28-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder/first baseman who was an overnight sensation 10 years worth of overnights in the making, may change the image of the Minors "six-year free agent" just a bit.

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  San Diego Padres News

• Padres unveil Spring Training schedule

  Corey Brock

  20 Nov 2009 | 6:15 pm

  The Padres announced their 2010 Spring Training schedule on Thursday, one that has them opening with a familiar foe.

• Padres unlikely to go big in market

  Corey Brock

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  Free agency is set to begin at 9:01 p.m. Thursday, though if history is any indication, the Padres will likely be quiet on that front again this offseason.

• Multi-team trade for Gonzalez a tough task

  Corey Brock

  17 Nov 2009 | 8:19 am

  Trying to trade a burgeoning superstar -- like Adrian Gonzalez -- is never an easy proposition for a team, and attempting to do so within the framework of a multi-team deal figures to be an even thornier plan.

• Virtual Catalog kicks off holiday season

  Mark Newman

  17 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  The launching of the Virtual Catalog at the MLB.com Shop signals the official start to another season of holiday shopping.

• Gonzalez adds to Padres' awards haul

  Corey Brock

  16 Nov 2009 | 6:58 pm

  In 2009, Adrian Gonzalez became the latest Padre to win a significant postseason award, when he captured his second consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove.

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  San Francisco Giants News

• Giants unlikely to court Holliday, Bay

  Chris Haft

  19 Nov 2009 | 6:26 pm

  On the eve of open free agency, Giants general manager Brian Sabean essentially ruled out any possibility of signing Matt Holliday or Jason Bay, regarded as the two most significant impact hitters available.

• Lincecum's next goal: Get to Series

  Chris Haft

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:33 pm

  At 25, Tim Lincecum is as vulnerable as any athlete to injuries, distractions or bad luck that can derail a career. But by winning the NL Cy Young Award in each of his first two full seasons, Lincecum inspires predictions about his future that sound more legitimate than hyperbolic.

• Lincecum's the one; that makes two Cys

  Chris Haft

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:31 pm

  Giants right-hander Tim Lincecum repeated as the National League Cy Young Award winner on Thursday, besting St. Louis right-handers Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright.

• Close Cy call, but Lincecum prevails

  Matthew Leach

  19 Nov 2009 | 3:07 pm

  With his second Cy Young Award, Tim Lincecum made some baseball history on Thursday, becoming just the 15th pitcher to win the award twice, joining a list populated by Hall of Famers and greats of the game.

• Giants to show patience with free agency

  Chris Haft

  19 Nov 2009 | 12:57 am

  When Brian Sabean recently announced that he planned to exercise stealth instead of speed in pursuing free agents this offseason, the Giants general manager probably didn't have history in mind.

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  Washington Nationals News

• Nationals' coaching staff in place

  Bill Ladson

  20 Nov 2009 | 10:22 am

  The Nationals have retained hitting coach Rick Eckstein, pitching coach Steve McCatty and third-base coach Pat Listach. The club also named John McLaren the bench coach, Jim Lett as bullpen coach and Dan Radison the first-base coach.

• Nats take precaution with Strasburg

  Bill Ladson

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:50 pm

  Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg has been scratched from Saturday's start in the Arizona Fall League championship game because of a twisted left knee, suffered during a Phoenix Desert Dogs workout Thursday afternoon.

• Nats add three arms to 40-man roster

  Bill Ladson

  19 Nov 2009 | 1:31 pm

  The Nationals selected the contracts of pitchers Juan Jaime, Atahualpa Severino and Aaron Thompson on Thursday.

• Nats in market for big-name pitching

  Bill Ladson

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:06 pm

  With free agency starting at 12:01 a.m. ET on Friday, the Nationals are expected to be players. Look for them to spend most of their money on pitching.

• Nats name Johnson senior advisor to GM

  Bill Ladson

  18 Nov 2009 | 3:55 pm

  The Nationals named Davey Johnson as the senior advisor to the general manager Mike Rizzo on Wednesday afternoon.

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  Baltimore Orioles News

• O's claim Tatum off waivers from Reds

  Alden Gonzalez

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:53 am

  The Orioles on Friday claimed catcher Craig Tatum off waivers from the Reds. In order to make room for Tatum on the 40-man roster, they in turn designated left-hander Chris Waters for assignment.

• Corner infielders top O's shopping list

  Alden Gonzalez

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  The Orioles haven't been shy about what's on their offseason list: corner infielders and starting pitchers. Beginning Friday, Andy MacPhail and his crew can officially begin the process of bringing that plan into fruition.

• Jones' breakout year ends on high note

  Alden Gonzalez

  18 Nov 2009 | 1:46 pm

  The 2009 season was a breakout year for Adam Jones, and it ended on a high note. A campaign that saw the 24-year-old named to the All-Star team garnered him his first Gold Glove, a payoff for highlight-reel defense and a potent arm.

• Orioles add six to 40-man roster

  Alden Gonzalez

  18 Nov 2009 | 11:41 am

  The Orioles added six players to their 40-man roster on Wednesday -- right-handers Brandon Erbe and Luis Lebron, and infielders Josh Bell, Pedro Florimon, Rhyne Hughes and Brandon Snyder.

• O's pitching coming out on top in AFL

  Alden Gonzalez

  17 Nov 2009 | 4:01 pm

  Three of the Orioles' pitching prospects sure had a hand in helping the Phoenix Desert Dogs clinch the division in the AFL.

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  Boston Red Sox News

• Henry receives corporate citizenship award

  Ian Browne

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:19 pm

  Because he is introverted by nature, Red Sox owner John W. Henry's extensive work when it comes to community service -- be it in Boston or around the world -- often goes unnoticed.

• Bay tops Epstein's free-agent priorities

  Ian Browne

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:37 pm

  The past few weeks have been mostly about planning, dialogue and research for the Red Sox's front office, led by general manager Theo Epstein.

• Papi gearing up for big return in 2010

  Ian Browne

  19 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pm

  As evidenced by his wardrobe, David Ortiz didn't need to make an extra trip into Fenway Park on Thursday to promote his upcoming charity golf tournament.

• Francona fields questions from callers

  Ian Browne

  18 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pm

  Overlooking Fenway Park on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, Red Sox manager Terry Francona made himself uniquely accessible to the rabid fans that follow his team.

• Red Sox release catcher Kottaras

  Alden Gonzalez

  18 Nov 2009 | 11:59 am

  With Victor Martinez already entrenched as the starter behind the plate in 2010 and Jason Varitek guaranteed to return as his backup, the Red Sox have released catcher George Kottaras, according to a team spokesman.

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  Chicago White Sox News

• White Sox add five to 40-man roster

  Kelly Thesier

  20 Nov 2009 | 10:55 am

  On Friday, the deadline for clubs to protect prospects from next month's Rule 5 Draft, the White Sox added five players to their 40-man roster.

• White Sox reportedly near Vizquel deal

  Kelly Thesier

  20 Nov 2009 | 9:30 am

  The White Sox are close to signing Omar Vizquel to a one-year deal to be their backup infielder, according to FoxSports.com.

• Wood hosts event for children's hospital

  Scott Merkin

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:38 am

  Through the Champions for Children's event Sarah and Kerry Wood hosted at the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago, the Woods brought the Cubs and White Sox together in perfect harmony for the tremendous cause of Children's Memorial Hospital.

• Thome open to return to White Sox

  Scott Merkin

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:51 am

  If White Sox fans made the judgment regarding Jim Thome's immediate baseball future, then the prolific slugger would be chasing 600 career home runs at U.S. Cellular Field 2010.

• White Sox likely to monitor bargains

  Scott Merkin

  18 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

  Where the free-agent market is concerned, general manager Ken Williams and the White Sox might be waiting until late January or early February to add the final pieces to the 2010 puzzle.

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  Cleveland Indians News

• Indians add seven to 40-man roster

  Anthony Castrovince

  20 Nov 2009 | 7:20 am

  The Indians added seven players to their 40-man roster prior to Friday's deadline, thus protecting some of their top prospects from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft in December.

• Wood hosts event for children's hospital

  Scott Merkin

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:38 am

  Through the Champions for Children's event Sarah and Kerry Wood hosted at the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago, the Woods brought the Cubs and White Sox together in perfect harmony for the tremendous cause of Children's Memorial Hospital.

• Hot Stove to kick off quietly for Tribe

  Anthony Castrovince

  18 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

  This figures to be a quiet Hot Stove season for a Tribe team that made plenty of noise at the Trade Deadline in July. If the Indians do become players in the free-agent market, they'll likely be late players, looking to scoop up some discounts on lower-profile guys.

• McBride among Stenson nominees

  18 Nov 2009 | 1:17 pm

• Acta focused on quick Tribe start

  Anthony Castrovince

  18 Nov 2009 | 12:59 pm

  Manny Acta is nearing the end of his first month on the job as the Indians' manager. And though the Tribe is still a long way from Acta's first official game at the helm, he's certainly kept himself busy.

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  Detroit Tigers News

• Tigers add four players to roster

  Anthony Castrovince

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:24 am

  The Detroit Tigers today announced the club has purchased the contracts of second baseman Scott Sizemore and shortstop Audy Ciriaco from Triple-A Toledo and first baseman/outfielder Ryan Strieby and outfielder Brennan Boesch from Double-A Erie.

• Tigers Minor Leaguer suspended

  Jason Beck

  19 Nov 2009 | 2:04 pm

  Tigers Minor Leaguer Ronnie Bourquin will miss the first 50 games of next season as part of a suspension from Major League Baseball for testing positive for an amphetamine.

• Infield, 'pen among Tigers' market concerns

  Jason Beck

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski has trade discussions percolating, but he says those won't slow any of his free-agent talks.

• Decisions ahead for Tigers prospects

  Jason Beck

  18 Nov 2009 | 2:55 pm

  Detroit and other Major League teams have until Friday night to finalize 40-man rosters ahead of next month's Rule 5 Draft, essentially deciding which eligible prospects to protect and which to leave exposed for teams to consider.

• Tigers lowering select 2010 tickets

  Jason Beck

  18 Nov 2009 | 12:49 pm

  The Tigers are lowering prices on select lower and upper box seats and freezing prices on all other tickets as part of their ticket plans for the 2010 season.

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  Kansas City Royals News

• Royals ink Campillo to Minors deal

  Dick Kaegel

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:05 am

  The Royals added pitching depth to the organization on Friday by signing former Braves right-hander Jorge Campillo to a Minor League deal for 2010.

• KC a contender for '12 All-Star Game

  Dick Kaegel

  19 Nov 2009 | 9:29 pm

  The 2012 All-Star Game seems to be edging closer to a home in Kansas City. That was the indication after the Owners' Meeting on Thursday in Chicago, where Commissioner Bud Selig hinted that the newly renovated Kauffman Stadium would get the game.

• Royals announce 2010 spring schedule

  Dick Kaegel

  19 Nov 2009 | 12:09 pm

  Variety will spice up the Royals' Spring Training schedule at Surprise, Ariz., next year. They'll play 13 different Cactus League teams in home games.

• Royals sign Thompson to Minors deal

  Dick Kaegel

  19 Nov 2009 | 9:20 am

  The Royals, anxious to deepen their pitching options, have agreed to a Minor League contract with former Cardinals right-hander Brad Thompson.

• KC has needs as market opens

  Dick Kaegel

  18 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

  Royals GM Dayton Moore promises not to be shy about making some changes. He's vowed to be aggressive, particularly in pursuing trades if not so much chasing after free agents, the market on which opens at 11 p.m. CT on Thursday.

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  Los Angeles Angels News

• MLBlog: Quinlan drawing interest

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:41 pm

• Hunter to undergo sports hernia surgery

  Lyle Spencer

  19 Nov 2009 | 10:21 pm

  Angels center fielder Torii Hunter is set to have surgery on Monday for a sports hernia. He is expected to be ready for Spring Training in February.

• Coaching staff remains intact for 2010

  Lyle Spencer

  19 Nov 2009 | 11:55 am

  Mike Scioscia, selected as 2009 American League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Wednesday, will have his entire coaching staff back in 2010.

• Speedy Bourjos added to 40-man roster

  Lyle Spencer

  19 Nov 2009 | 11:47 am

  The Angels added outfielder Peter Bourjos to their 40-man roster on Thursday, bringing their total of players to 38. Bourjos is considered the fastest player in the organization.

• Claire: Scioscia is the ultimate team leader

  19 Nov 2009 | 11:38 am

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  Minnesota Twins News

• Twins add six to fill out 40-man roster

  Kelly Thesier

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:36 pm

  The Twins maxed out their 40-man roster by protecting six players in preparation for the Dec. 10 Draft that will take place at the Winter Meetings in Indianapolis.

• Twins eye pitching, infielders in market

  Kelly Thesier

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  The free-agent market will officially be open for business at 11 p.m. CT and with it comes the opportunity for the Twins to begin exploring the market for ways to improve their club for another run at the postseason.

• Gardenhire second in MOY Award balloting

  Kelly Thesier

  18 Nov 2009 | 7:30 pm

  After leading the Twins to a wild finish and the AL Central title in 2009, Minnesota skipper Ron Gardenhire came in second for the AL Manager of the Year Award on Wednesday.

• Mauer looks to take home big prize

  Kelly Thesier

  18 Nov 2009 | 1:25 pm

  While Twins skipper finished second for the AL Manager of the Year Award, catcher Joe Mauer is still in the mix to win his first AL MVP.

• Virtual Catalog kicks off holiday season

  Mark Newman

  17 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  The launching of the Virtual Catalog at the MLB.com Shop signals the official start to another season of holiday shopping.

• 
  New York Yankees News

• Fall Classic memorabilia at Hall of Fame

  Alden Gonzalez

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:10 am

  Artifacts from baseball's most memorable moments from this past postseason -- one that saw the Yankees notch their 27th World Series championship -- have been put on display at the Autumn Glory exhibit at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.

• Dunn, Kennedy shine in AFL stint

  Anthony DiComo

  20 Nov 2009 | 9:50 am

  The Arizona Fall League, if nothing else, opens eyes. Strong performances in the desert can lead to big reputations -- just ask Tommy Hanson of the Braves -- and big opportunities.

• Inside the pinstripes: Part three

  Bryan Hoch

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch checks in from Yankees Fantasy Camp, where he is donning the pinstripes this November.

• Pettitte files to become free agent

  Anthony DiComo

  19 Nov 2009 | 10:38 am

  The final eligible Yankee, Andy Pettitte, officially filed for free agency on Thursday, in a formality that could have a ripple effect on the team's offseason plans.

• Different goals in free-agent market

  Anthony DiComo

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  One year ago, right around this time, the Yankees officially shed more than $80 million in payroll, losing the expired contracts of Jason Giambi, Bobby Abreu, Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, Carl Pavano and Kyle Farnsworth to free agency.

• 
  Oakland Athletics News

• Beane looking to go young in offseason

  Mychael Urban

  18 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pm

  The 15-day window in which teams hold exclusive negotiating rights with their own free agents closes at 9 p.m. PT on Thursday, at which point the A's will be free to start their holiday shopping.

• A's Lieppman wins 'Chief' Bender Award

  Mychael Urban

  18 Nov 2009 | 11:34 am

  Keith Lieppman, who turns 61 in January, has been named the recipient of the second annual Sheldon "Chief" Bender Award, presented by Minor League Baseball.

• Patience pays off in honors for Bailey

  Mychael Urban

  17 Nov 2009 | 1:27 pm

  A day after being named the American League's 2009 Rookie of the Year, Bailey on Monday spent the better part of a news conference at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Tuesday espousing the power of self-faith.

• Virtual Catalog kicks off holiday season

  Mark Newman

  17 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  The launching of the Virtual Catalog at the MLB.com Shop signals the official start to another season of holiday shopping.

• Bailey captures AL rookie award

  Mychael Urban

  16 Nov 2009 | 11:24 am

  A's reliever Andrew Bailey, who posted an Oakland rookie-record 26 saves and a 6-3 record with a 1.84 ERA, was named the American League Rookie of the Year on Monday.

• 
  Seattle Mariners News

• Fields getting confidence back

  Jim Street

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:04 pm

  A fastball that made him so good in the first place is back, and so is the confidence that went away from right-hander Josh Fields, one of the Mariners' top prospects.

• Mariners remain mum on FA intentions

  Jim Street

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  Seattle figures to be only slightly more active in the free-agent market this year than it was a year ago. But GM Jack Zduriencik has been tight-lipped about his intentions.

• Inbox: Who will earn '10 catching duties?

  Jim Street

  18 Nov 2009 | 12:26 pm

  Who will handle the catching duties next season? Will Carlos Triunfel get playing time? Beat reporter Jim Street answers fans questions in the latest Inbox installment.

• Mariners announce spring schedule

  Jim Street

  18 Nov 2009 | 11:05 am

  A 33-game Cactus League season, announced on Wednesday, begins on March 3 at Peoria Stadium against the Giants, one day before the Mariners and Padres play their annual charity game at Peoria Stadium.

• Improvement defined by award contention

  Jim Street

  18 Nov 2009 | 10:20 am

  The Mariners had the lowest team earned run average in the American League this past season and as the postseason award season continues, the pitcher that led the way finished second among the Cy Young Award candidates.

• 
  Tampa Bay Rays News

• Inbox: When will Jennings arrive?

  Bill Chastain

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:09 am

  Will Desmond Jennings play for the Rays this season? What can fans expect from Pat Burrell in 2010? Beat reporter Bill Chastain looks at these and other questions in the latest Inbox.

• Rays add three prospects to 40-man roster

  Bill Chastain

  19 Nov 2009 | 1:45 pm

  The Rays set their 40-man roster a day early on Thursday by adding outfielder Desmond Jennings, right-hander Jeremy Hellickson and left-hander Alexander Torres, thus ensuring none will be selected in next month's Rule 5 Draft.

• Reliever, backstop on Rays' short wish list

  Bill Chastain

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  The free-agent season officially begins at 12:01 a.m. ET on Friday, and the Rays will be looking to add quality pieces to improve an already solid club.

• Finalists selected for Stenson Award

  Danny Wild

  18 Nov 2009 | 9:30 am

  The Arizona Fall League is set to announce the winner of the annual Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award, an honor given to the player who best exemplifies unselfishness, hard work and leadership.

• Brignac poised for breakthrough season

  Bill Chastain

  18 Nov 2009 | 9:09 am

  Reid Brignac gave Rays fans snapshots of the future this season during several stints with the Rays. Come spring, he will report to Rays camp in Port Charlotte with his first legitimate chance to make the team.

• 
  Texas Rangers News

• Byrd's future home still up in air

  T.R. Sullivan

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:16 am

  Marlon Byrd wants to return to the Rangers, but early discussions between the team and his agent have not been particularly productive, leading to the distinct possibility that Byrd will be playing elsewhere in 2010.

• Path of the Pros: Ian Kinsler

  Josh Jackson

  20 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  Ian Kinsler, who wasn't picked until the 17th round of the 2003 Draft, has been a perpetual underdog, but he proved impossible to ignore in the Minor Leagues.

• Scheppers, Teagarden excited for '10

  Danny Wild

  19 Nov 2009 | 3:41 pm

  Tanner Scheppers and Taylor Teagarden gave the Texas Rangers plenty to look forward to in 2010 in the Surprise Rafters' 7-4 walkoff win over the Phoenix Desert Dogs on Thursday.

• Rangers add pair of lefties to 40-man

  T.R. Sullivan

  19 Nov 2009 | 12:43 pm

  The Rangers picked up two more left-handers on Wednesday when Michael Kirkman and Zachary Phillips were added to the 40-man roster.

• Young healthy, not focused on moves

  T.R. Sullivan

  19 Nov 2009 | 11:22 am

  Michael Young, while making the move from shortstop to third base, played in just 135 games in 2009, his fewest since his rookie season in '01.

• 
  Toronto Blue Jays News

• Inbox: Jays may have pick of litter

  Jordan Bastian

  20 Nov 2009 | 10:07 am

  Between potential free-agent departures and compensatory picks from last year's Draft, the Jays may have a golden opportunity in June, as beat reporter Jordan Bastian discusses.

• Gonzalez added to Jays' 40-man roster

  Jordan Bastian

  19 Nov 2009 | 2:45 pm

  The Blue Jays considered promoting pitcher Reidier Gonzalez to the big leagues this past season. On Thursday, the club decided it did not want to risk losing Gonzalez to another team this winter, adding him to its 40-man roster.

• Rebuilding Jays may not be major players

  Jordan Bastian

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  Though they will be able to offer contracts to all free agents beginning Thursday, the Blue Jays are in full-out rebuilding mode and don't plan to be major players until they're on the cusp.

• Scutaro keeping all his options open

  Jordan Bastian

  17 Nov 2009 | 12:12 pm

  Coming off a career year, shortstop Marco Scutaro is weighing all his options as he enters free agency this offseason. That includes a possible return to the Blue Jays if he is offered salary arbitration, as expected.

• Coveted Halladay recognized in Cy vote

  Jordan Bastian

  17 Nov 2009 | 12:01 pm

  For Roy Halladay, it marked the fourth year in a row that he finished in the top five in balloting for the Cy Young. The ace is the type of pitcher every team covets and one who could potentially be had in a blockbuster trade this offseason.

• 
  Major League Baseball News

• Marlins add five to fill up 40-man roster

  Alden Gonzalez

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:51 pm

  In anticipation of the Rule 5 Draft on Dec. 10, the Marlins filled up their 40-man roster on Friday, adding right-handers Jose Ceda, Jay Buente, Brett Sinkbeil and Kris Harvey, as well as outfielder Scott Cousins.

• Nationals' coaching staff in place

  Bill Ladson

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:37 pm

  The Nationals have retained hitting coach Rick Eckstein, pitching coach Steve McCatty and third-base coach Pat Listach. The club also named John McLaren the bench coach, Jim Lett as bullpen coach and Dan Radison the first-base coach.

• Twins add six to fill out 40-man roster

  Kelly Thesier

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:36 pm

  The Twins maxed out their 40-man roster by protecting six players in preparation for the Dec. 10 Draft that will take place at the Winter Meetings in Indianapolis.

• Reds make moves, fill out roster

  Mark Sheldon

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:43 am

  Faced with a slew of prospects that needed protection, the Reds added some players to their 40-man roster on Friday while also cutting a few.

• Tigers add four players to roster

  Anthony Castrovince

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:24 am

  The Detroit Tigers today announced the club has purchased the contracts of second baseman Scott Sizemore and shortstop Audy Ciriaco from Triple-A Toledo and first baseman/outfielder Ryan Strieby and outfielder Brennan Boesch from Double-A Erie.

• 
  MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

• Blue Jays Contacted Cubs About Halladay

  Ben Nicholson-Smith

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:34 pm

  The Blue Jays want to move Roy Halladay this offseason and have contacted the Cubs about a potential trade, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. However, it's unlcear if the Cubs have room for another $15.75MM in payroll. Plus, they'd have to be willing to part with top prospects, such as shortstop Starlin Castro, to obtain the Jays' ace.

• Red Sox Claim Robert Manuel From Mariners

  Ben Nicholson-Smith

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:09 pm

  The Red Sox claimed pitcher Robert Manuel off of waivers from the Mariners, according to a team press release. The 26-year-old righty made his MLB debut with the Reds this year, recording 13 outs without allowing an earned run. His Triple A numbers were good, too; Manuel had a 49K/16BB ratio and an overall   2.88 ERA for the Reds and Mariners.

• Pirates Claim Chris Jakubauskas

  Ben Nicholson-Smith

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:52 pm

  The Pirates claimed pitcher Chris Jakubauskas off waivers from the Mariners, according to a team press release. The designated Jeff Karstens for assignment to clear roster space. Jakubauskas, 31 next month, allowed 91 hits and 27 walks in 93 innings for the Mariners last year, striking out 47 for a 5.32 ERA.

• White Sox Close To Deal With Omar Vizquel

  Tim Dierkes

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:10 pm

  3:10pm: Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago hears that the White Sox are close to a deal with Vizquel's representatives. Levine notes that the White Sox offered Vizquel a long-term deal before the 2005 season only to see him sign with the Giants.10:59am: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the White Sox are close to a deal with free agent shortstop Omar Vizquel.  He says it'd be a one-year deal and Vizquel would serve as a backup. Vizquel, 43 in April, hit .266/.316/.345 in 195 plate appearances for the Rangers this year while playing shortstop, second base, and third base.  He earned $1MM.

• Rockies Sign Phillips; Interest In Torrealba

  Ben Nicholson-Smith

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:03 pm

  The Rockies signed catcher Paul Phillips to a minor league deal today, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Phillips will make $450K if he's on the big league roster. Last year, he posted an .818 OPS in 54 plate appearances in the majors. In nearly 2800 minor league plate appearances, Phillips has a .702 OPS.This doesn't necessarily mean that the Rockies won't bring back free agent Yorvit Torrealba, however. Two other teams have expressed interest in Torrealba so far, but the Rockies could re-sign him. One of the interested clubs plays in the American League and the other is in the NL…

• 
  Len and Bob

• Keeping Busy

  Len Kasper

  19 Nov 2009 | 3:35 pm

  Hi Everbody, hope you're enjoying this lovely autumn we're having. Actually, the cold temperature is not a big deal to me, but I wouldn't mind seeing the sun a little bit more. And it's a bit depressing when it gets dark at 4 pm. But I will say this--the Midwestern winters just get me that much more excited for spring training. I've found ways to stay busy around the house the last couple months while always keeping an eye on the Cubs and MLB news of the day. Here's a link to an interview I did with Cubs fan Drew Brown for his blog. Enjoy...and Happy Thanksgiving!

• Jim Hendry at GM Meetings

  WGN Sports

  10 Nov 2009 | 9:13 pm

• Paul Sullivan and Dan Roan Discuss the Ricketts

  WGN Sports

  30 Oct 2009 | 5:47 pm

• Ricketts Family Introduced

  WGN Sports

  30 Oct 2009 | 11:53 am

• Podcast: Season Recap

  Diane Yamazaki

  5 Oct 2009 | 10:34 am

  Get the season summary, info on the Len & Bob Bash and more in this season's final Len & Bob' podcast. RSSSubscribe to Len and Bob's Podcasts via an RSS link. Audio Video Podcast on iTunesSubscribe to Len and Bob's Video Podcasts on iTunes. Video Podcast Audio Podcast

• 
  St. Louis Cardinals News

• Pujols likely to add to Cards' awards

  Matthew Leach

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:55 pm

  Thursday brought a disappointing surprise for the Cardinals. If Tuesday also brings disappointment, it will fall more under the category of jaw-dropping shocker.

• Cards close, but miss on Cy Young

  Matthew Leach

  19 Nov 2009 | 6:10 pm

  Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter each were hoping to bring home the top pitching prize, but both saw the NL Cy Young Award go to Giants ace Tim Lincecum on Thursday.

• Cards must prep for future without Holliday

  Matthew Leach

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:00 pm

  Whether by keeping Matt Holliday or by other means, the Cards must upgrade offensively. They also must decide on the last two starters, and whether to upgrade the 'pen.

• La Russa runner-up in NL MOY voting

  Matthew Leach

  18 Nov 2009 | 2:40 pm

  Tony La Russa was in the running for a record fifth Manager of the Year award from the Baseball Writers Association of America. Instead he settled for a slightly less glamorous record.

• Cardinals move to avoid Rule 5 losses

  Matthew Leach

  18 Nov 2009 | 2:05 pm

  The Cardinals completed some roster housekeeping on Wednesday, adding eight players to their 40-man roster in advance of next month's Rule 5 Draft.

• 
  Baseball Analysts

• A Pitchf/x Look at Passed Balls and Wild Pitches

  Dave Allen

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:12 pm

  Catcher defense is one of the more enigmatic areas of baseball study. It has developed relatively independently of other position player defensive analysis. This is probably because, although catchers field some ground balls and pop ups, their main defensive contribution is very different from that of all other position players. This contribution is mostly in preventing stolen bases, passed balls and wild pitches. The difference in ability to do those things, as well as not make fielding and throwing errors, resulted in a range of 13 runs above average (Gerald Laird) to ten runs below(Mike…

• Holliday-Bay: Visual Scouting Reports 1.0

  Jeremy Greenhouse

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:09 pm

  Jason Bay and Matt Holliday are the two best hitters on the market. Holliday is a year younger than Bay, and will likely command a more lucrative contract. If you'd like to know how they stack up in left field, check out ESPN's recent articles analyzing the matter. But I’d like to concentrate on their hitting. Here’s how they stack up, per FanGraphs Over the past two years, they’ve been rather even hitters. Using 2008-09 pitchf/x data, I’ll take a deeper look A couple weeks ago, I introduced a series of graphs that try to provide a visual scouting report of sorts for hitters. Here's…

• On Greinke and Things Related

  Patrick Sullivan

  18 Nov 2009 | 4:44 am

  Zack Greinke won the 2009 American League Cy Young Award yesterday, capturing 25 of 28 first place votes. I am going to dive into Baseball Reference's Play Index to try and gain some perspective on Greinke's 2009 season, but first let's have a look at a couple of mainstream baseball pieces that appeared yesterday. Since we tend to wander into the realm of media criticism from time to time here, let's start off with the negative, a look at Steve Kornacki's defense of his first place vote for Justin Verlaner. Writes Kornacki... Verlander received my first-place vote because nobody was tougher…

• MVP Award Balloting: Is It Fair?

  Sky Andrecheck

  17 Nov 2009 | 4:17 am

  The MVP and Cy Young Awards are closely upon us, and soon we'll know this year's choices. As you know, the balloting for these awards is done by two baseball writers from each city. I'll spare the indignation about why award choices are limited to just two BBWAA members when there are a host of other highly qualified people who could be consulted on the awards, and concentrate on the balloting process. For the MVP award, voters rank their top 10 choices for the award. Each 1st place vote receives 14 points, each 2nd place vote receives 9 points, each third place vote receives 8 points, etc,…

• Holiday Shopping Ideas

  Rich

  16 Nov 2009 | 9:29 am

  "People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring". — Rogers Hornsby With the holiday season fast approaching, it's time to begin putting together your wish or gift list. You can do your part to stimulate the economy by purchasing an item or two in one of the many sports memorabilia auctions taking place in November and December. In the 6th Annual Live Auction at Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, Hunt Auctions just sold Curt Flood's 1963 Rawlings Gold Glove Award for $13,200 (vs. an estimate of…

• 
  NYT: Baseball

• It Figures: Lincecum Captures Cy Young

  By TYLER KEPNER

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:50 am

  Tim Lincecum went 15-7 with a 2.48 E.R.A. and led the N.L. with 261 strikeouts. Chris Carpenter finished second in the voting and his St. Louis teammate Adam Wainwright was third.

• The Mets Finished Last in 2009 Draft Spending

  By BEN SHPIGEL

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:16 am

  According to figures compiled by Baseball America, the Mets spent less money on the 2009 draft than any other team in baseball.

• Giants’ Lincecum Wins His Second Consecutive Cy Young

  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

  19 Nov 2009 | 11:18 pm

  Tim Lincecum went 15-7 with a 2.48 E.R.A. and led the N.L. with 261 strikeouts. Chris Carpenter finished second in the voting and his St. Louis teammate Adam Wainwright was third.

• Sports Briefing | Baseball: Arizona Acquires Reliever

  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

  19 Nov 2009 | 8:10 pm

  The Arizona Diamondbacks traded two minor leaguers to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for reliever Aaron Heilman, a former Met.

• Use of Statistics Helps Greinke to A.L. Cy Young

  By TYLER KEPNER

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:55 pm

  The Royals’ ace easily outdistanced Felix Hernandez for the Cy Young Award after compiling a 16-8 record with a major league-low 2.16 earned run average.

• 
  Bats

• The Lessons of the Cy Young Awards

  By TYLER KEPNER

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:53 pm

  The voting for the Cy Young Award shows that voters are looking at more intricate statistics.

• What to Make of the Manager of the Year Award?

  By TYLER KEPNER

  18 Nov 2009 | 12:51 pm

  The managers of the year were announced Wednesday, and as usual, there were no surprises. The winners were Jim Tracy of the Colorado Rockies and Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels. This is an odd award, isn't it?

• And Now, the Encore: Yanks Charting Off-Season Course

  By TYLER KEPNER

  17 Nov 2009 | 6:42 pm

  The Yankees' off-season plans could include taking a chance on a starting pitcher.

• Pedro Martinez Gearing Up for 2010

  By JUSTIN SABLICH

  17 Nov 2009 | 10:56 am

  Pedro Martinez is hoping another team will take a chance on him in 2010, this time for the entire season.

• Mets Balancing Two Sets of Off-Season Priorities

  By BEN SHPIGEL

  17 Nov 2009 | 8:41 am

  The Mets' two biggest off-season objectives are to acquire another slugger and add a No. 2 starter to back Johan Santana. But there are other needs to address as well.

• 
  Over the Monster

• Make Your Own "Abraham Abominaters" Team

  Randy Booth

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:23 am

  Stealing is the sincerest form of flattery. Wait. That doesn't sound right... Anyway, moving on. Peter Abraham of the Globe at Extra Bases is proposing to create your own free agent team. He has a little contest going where you can submit your team, he'll look through them and decide a winner. I like this idea. For once, I am doing this kind of thing (but not for the free book, although I probably would read it, whatever it is). So I figured let's try this at OTM, too. I don't really care if you want to post your team here, there or both locations. Doesn't matter to me, I just think it would…

• David Oritz admonishes Red Sox for not adding power. 2007 WS year they scored 867 runs, hit 166 HR....

  Randy Booth

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:02 am

  David Oritz admonishes Red Sox for not adding power. 2007 WS year they scored 867 runs, hit 166 HR. In 2009 scored 872 runs, hit 212 HR. Twitter / Peter Gammons: David Oritz admonishes Red ... Mr. Gammons doesn't say much on Twitter, but when he does, he's always spot on.

• Terry Francona Wants A Pitcher: How About Chris Capuano?

  Randy Booth

  20 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  According to the manager himself, Terry Francona always tells Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein to get a pitcher. Get me dat pitchah. I need dat pitchah. Sure. That sounds simple enough. But have you seen the free agent market? It's kind of ugly. Plus, what does Tito want exactly? A starter or reliever? Or a guy that can do both? Or a guy who he can beat in cribbage? Unlike this guy. There's one name that is intriguing to me and I think the Sox can grab him if they wish: Chris Capuano, formerly of the Brewers. Like most free agent pitchers, there's a lot of reasons to cover your eyes when…

• Over the Monster Top 20 Prospects Voting #2: Kelly Takes the Top Spot

  USG

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:48 am

  Your #1 Prospect: Casey Kelly (via snapshots.mlblogs.com) View full size photo » Throwing this up a bit early. I have faith that no voting past 3:45 AM CST is really gonna mess with the overall result too much, and I've got a very busy day ahead. It's not exactly a revolutionary choice, but then again, why should it be? Coming in with around 34% of the vote, Casey Kelly claims the top spot on our prospect list by way of plurality. While Kelly is not quite as clear a winner as Lars Anderson was last year, he's no less deserving than the first baseman was last year. Hopefully, Kelly's…

• Once Again, David Ortiz Wants Another Power Bat

  Randy Booth

  19 Nov 2009 | 1:44 pm

  More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP 3 months ago: Boston Red Sox' David Ortiz stretches on the field prior to a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics at Fenway Park in Boston Thursday, July 30, 2009. Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were among the more than 100 Major League Baseball players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003, according to a report in The New York Times. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) Browse more photos » David Ortiz is already singing the same story from last season: The best stuff came when David was asked about the Sox needing more power in…

• 
  The LoHud Yankees Blog

• Girardi being honored by Knicks

  Chad Jennings

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:21 pm

  Hoping some of that championship glow will rub off, the Knicks are going to honor Yankees manager Joe Girardi for being a generally good guy in the hours after the World Series win. Here’s the press release. KNICKS TO HONOR JOE GIRARDI WITH “CITY SPIRIT” AWARD Yankees’ Manager Wins “City Spirit” Award For Heroic Efforts After World [...] Click on the headline for the rest of this blog post ...

• Chien-Ming Wang talks, Taiwan listens

  Chad Jennings

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:20 am

  MLB Trade Rumors pointed me to this report, which points to another report that I can’t read without a translator. Basically, Chien-Ming Wang was asked about his uncertain offseason for what must have been the thousandth time. He said he prefers to stay with the Yankees, but the idea of playing for Joe Torre was brought [...] Click on the headline for the rest of this blog post ...

• Fall League wraps up for Yankees

  Chad Jennings

  20 Nov 2009 | 5:30 am

  The Surprise Rafters played their final game of the Arizona Fall League season yesterday. They finished second in the division with generally encouraging numbers for the Yankees on their roster. Colin Curtis, one of the Yankees who would have to be added to the 40-man to be protected from the Rule 5 draft, finished with a .397 [...] Click on the headline for the rest of this blog post ...

• The Yankees bullpen: Do or don’t

  Chad Jennings

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:50 pm

  It seems an odd bit of news, but FoxSports reported today that they’ve heard two different stories about the Yankees bullpen plans. Some say the Yankees are interested in Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano. Some say the Yankees are content to stay in house. I have to think both are true. Like with making a call to the Blue [...] Click on the headline for the rest of this blog post ...

• Yankees waiting to announce 40-man decisions

  Chad Jennings

  19 Nov 2009 | 3:27 pm

  You might have noticed a lot of teams in baseball making signficiant roster changes today and yesterday. The Rays have added Desmond Jennings and Jeremy Hellickson to the 40-man. The Orioles have added Brandon Erbe and five others. The Cardinals have added a whopping eight players. The Yankees have added none. I checked with Austin Jackson this afternoon just to [...] Click on the headline for the rest of this blog post ...

• 
  Wax Heaven

• Panini Resurrects Studio!

  Mario A.

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:43 pm

  As a long time collector, it’s not often I get too excited about the happenings in The Hobby. Today, I can say I am truly happy after finding out that an old school favorite is back and looks pretty damn good. Take a look at the return of Donruss Panini Studio. It officially makes its return in late February of 2010 and has a $4 dollar per pack SRP. Furthermore, each pack contains five cards and a full box carries 24 packs. Some notable names in the autograph checklist includes “Magic” Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Isiah Thomas, and Blake Griffin. No word yet on whether the…

• Take My Cards, Please

  Mario A.

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:31 am

  I want to apologize for the slow week of writing as of late. I recently began a new job which has me scheduled for 72 hours per week, all night shifts. As you can imagine, the little time I have at home is spent relaxing. I just wrote reviews for a ton of basketball and football products that arrived from Panini and Upper Deck. As usual, all these cards will go out the door into the homes of those who read Wax Heaven. The contests have begun and are being hosted on the social network (now pushing 200 members). As usual, the rules are simple. If you win, you send a bubble mailer and postage. I…

• 2009 Donruss Gridiron Gear Review

  Mario A.

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:18 am

  At least they’re consistent. While bustin’ through packs of Donruss Gridiron Gear I was surprised to see the design on the base cards. They didn’t look Donruss-made. For starters, no foil or weird borders. It wasn’t until later that I found some more Donruss-style cards in the box. Thankfully, the foil was left on the cutting room floor and collectors have been left with some of the classiest football cards I’ve ever seen from Panini … well, almost. Everything in this box was great until I pulled a very strange autograph. The card in question, a Willie…

• You Be the Judge – SP Threads

  Mario A.

  20 Nov 2009 | 7:52 am

  I’ve been saying for quite some time that Upper Deck’s design team clearly has more talent for creating football products than anything else. It seems like every time I bust a U.D. football product, I am amazed by a design, insert, or another new concept. 2009 SP Threads follows in that tradition. For starters, the base cards look cooler than anything I’ve seen this year in football. The die-cuts, which we’ve been seeing a lot of from this design, still looks great and actually features a different photo on the back … something that’s very rare in trading…

• 2009/’10 Panini Rookies & Stars Review

  Mario A.

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:13 pm

  A few months ago, Scott Prusha, Marketing Director for Panini America discussed how he wanted to have all of Kobe Bryant’s autographs on-card rather than a sticker. He told Beckett Media that it was important to Kobe that he get a chance to touch and feel the card he signs. While Panini has kept true with on-card Bryant autographs, I really wish they would do it for an entire basketball release sans stickers. Rookies and Stars is an interesting product with a very unique base design that looks like something out of 1995. In case you’re wondering, that’s a good thing in my…

• 
  RotoFeed

• The Housies: Your 2009 Fantasy Baseball Awards Ceremony

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 pm

  by R.J. WhiteFiled under: MLB New Studs, MLB Sleepers, MLB Value Machine Major League Baseball announced the winners of its prestigious awards this week; now, FanHouse is following suit. We voted on winners in five categories (MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Draft Day Bargain, Draft Day Bust), the results of which are revealed below. Remember, this awards show deals strictly in fantasy baseball. I'll also throw in a few awards I'm personally doling out for performances that made the 2009 season what it was.The Housies: Your 2009 Fantasy Baseball Awards Ceremony originally appeared on…

• Reviewing some telling Fantasy data from '09

  20 Nov 2009 | 10:03 am

  There are many different approaches to drafting a top-notch Head-to-Head Fantasy team, but one constant remains. Our Eric Mack looks back at which players proved to be the most successful in Fantasy in 2009.

• Highlighting top Mets prospects for '10

  20 Nov 2009 | 9:53 am

  The Mets' season was an unmitigated disaster from the major leagues all the way to the minors. Somehow through the weeds of garbage, though, the Mets have some decent prospects to hang their future on. Our Eric Mack runs through them looking for potential usefulness in 2010.

• Highlighting top Marlins prospects for '10

  20 Nov 2009 | 9:47 am

  The Marlins had an outfielder win NL Rookie of the Year honors, but it wasn't the one many expected to win. Our Eric Mack takes a closer look at some elite talent in the Florida organization.

• Highlighting top Braves prospects for '10

  20 Nov 2009 | 9:45 am

  They don't quite have the system they once had, but the Braves still boast a few of the most-elite prospects in baseball. Our Eric Mack scours the organization for Fantasy talent for 2010 and beyond.

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  AaronGleeman.com

• 19 Nov 2009 | 10:05 pm

  Aaron

  19 Nov 2009 | 10:05 pm

  Link-O-RamaZack Greinke outed himself as an FIP-loving stathead after winning the AL Cy Young.Obviously the true test will come when the AL MVP is announced Monday, but so far at least I'm very pleased with how the Baseball Writers Association of America has voted this year. They've matched my choices for AL Cy Young, NL Cy Young, and AL Rookie of the Year while disagreeing only on NL Rookie of the Year. Hopefully the logic continues next week.As described (and pictured) in the New York Post, Derek Jeter celebrated his fifth World Series title by "frolicking with gorgeous gal pal Minka Kelly…

• 17 Nov 2009 | 10:05 pm

  Aaron

  17 Nov 2009 | 10:05 pm

  Twitter Mailbag: AnswersLast week I asked for mailbag questions submitted via Twitter and you guys sent me a whole bunch of them, so here are some answers ...Where do you expect J.J. Hardy to bat in the lineup?This is tough to say before knowing who'll be playing second base, because history suggests that Ron Gardenhire will want to use a middle infielder in the second spot. J.J. Hardy wouldn't be a very good fit there because he has a poor .323 on-base percentage and grounds into a lot of double plays, which isn't the skill set that you want hitting directly in front of Joe Mauer. Ideally…

• 15 Nov 2009 | 10:05 pm

  Aaron

  15 Nov 2009 | 10:05 pm

  Twins Notes: Washburn, Buscher, Huber, Crede, NeshekJoe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune notes that the Twins "are expected to pursue" free agent Jarrod Washburn, which certainly isn't surprising. At various points over the past two years the Twins have been linked to Washburn in trade rumors, and depending on who you believe they were on the verge of acquiring him from the Mariners two seasons ago. However, based on his likely price tag signing Washburn would be a mistake for the Twins.An extreme fly-ball pitcher who took advantage of the Mariners' power-deflating ballpark and…

• 12 Nov 2009 | 10:05 pm

  Aaron

  12 Nov 2009 | 10:05 pm

  Twitter Mailbag: Any Questions?I'm having some computer problems that rule out putting together a decent Link-O-Rama for this week, but it does give me the opportunity to try something new. I've been on Twitter for a few months now and it recently occurred to me that putting together an AG.com mailbag entry consisting entirely of questions submitted via Twitter could be interesting. Plus, one issue with the traditional mailbag columns that I've done here in the past is overly long questions that are difficult to re-print, and Twitter forces brevity.Here's how it'll work: If you have a…

• 11 Nov 2009 | 10:05 pm

  Aaron

  11 Nov 2009 | 10:05 pm

  Realistic Free Agent Options: Third BaseProjecting which free agents the Twins will go after is difficult because their pursuit of low-cost options depends upon how the market shakes out and who drops into their price range. In the past five years they've also wasted money on a lengthy list of washed-up veterans like Tony Batista, Livan Hernandez, Ramon Ortiz, Craig Monroe, Juan Castro, Sidney Ponson, and Luis Ayala (among others) with only an occasional worthwhile signing like Joe Crede or Dennys Reyes sprinkled in.For the most part the Twins have targeted only bargain-basement options while…

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  Baseball America

• Astros Top 10 Chat With Ben Badler

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:41 pm

  Ben Badler said he was impressed with the Astros' top three prospects in his Nov. 20 chat.

• Houston Astros Top 10 Prospects With Scouting Reports

  19 Nov 2009 | 6:44 pm

  Scouting reports on Houston's top 10 prospects.

• Cubs Deal Heilman to D'backs After Only One Season

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:29 pm

  The Cubs shipped righthanded reliever Aaron Heilman to the Diamondbacks for a pair of minor leaguers: lefty reliever Scott Maine and first baseman Ryne White

• Houston Astros Top 10 Prospects

  19 Nov 2009 | 1:35 pm

  We rank the top prospects in Houston's farm system.

• LSU Reloads Again

  19 Nov 2009 | 9:15 am

  Aaron Fitt looks at the winners and losers from the early signing period.

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  umpbump.com

• What they need: Marlins

  Coley Ward

  19 Nov 2009 | 6:28 pm

  The Marlins finished in second place in 2009, but the reality is they only scored 6 more runs than they allowed and the third-place Braves had a much better run differential. So Florida will have to improve more than a little if they’re going to compete for a playoff spot in 2010. Offense isn’t a big … [visit site to read more] Tagged:  Marlins, What They Need

• What They Need: Minnesota Twins

  Alejandro A. Leal

  16 Nov 2009 | 6:54 pm

  If you take a quick glance at the Minnesota Twins 2009 campaign, you might deem it a success since they reached the postseason. But taking a closer look at the numbers and you’ll realize that the Twins were … [visit site to read more] Tagged:  Twins, What They Need

• What They Need: Dodgers

  Nick Kapur

  16 Nov 2009 | 2:20 am

  Look, we could talk about how the Dodgers need a second baseman now that Joe Torre completely alienated Orlando Hudson by benching him in favor of an inferior player down the stretch and in the playoffs, or how the Dodgers need another starting pitcher or two, but why beat around the bush when what the Dodgers clearly need, way more than anything else, is new ownership.

• What They Need: Red Sox

  Sarah Green

  15 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  The Red Sox finished 7 games behind the Yankees and were swept out of the first round of the playoffs. How can they avoid a similar fate in 2010? Boston’s biggest problem in 2009 was defense. They had the third-best run differential in baseball, yet ranked dead last in deff eff for much of the year. Their lineup, while certainly not bad, was not good enough. And their starting pitching, while good, was not good enough in the postseason. Defense, offense, and pitching sounds like a lot … [visit site to read more] Tagged:  Red Sox, What They Need

• What They Need: Mariners

  Paul Moro

  14 Nov 2009 | 8:10 am

  The 2009 Mariners became a bit of a darling in the sabermetric world. The proponents of the non-traditional fielding stats such as Ultimate Zone Rating and Defensive Plus/Minus were actually able to see their beliefs translate to on-field success. You see, the Mariners brought in a group … [visit site to read more] Tagged:  Mariners, What They Need

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  Thunder Matt's Saloon

• Person of Interest: Guy On a Bike at Night

  Chaim Witz

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am

  Hey you. Yeah, jackass with the skinny jeans, unkempt beard and thrift store t-shirt. Yeah you, asshole. Riding your bike at night? Not cool. Riding without any sort of reflectors or lights? Well, all I can say is that you deserve whats coming to you, be it an accidental run in with a rogue car door or me purposely running you off the road into the storefront window of a record store that you probably work at part time.Listen, I love a good bike ride, I really do. Get some fresh air, get the blood flowing, see the beautiful sights of Chicago. It's economical, it's good for your body and it…

• Trash I Saw On Lifetime: Cyber Seduction

  Adam Blank

  17 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am

  I'm a fan of the old exploitation movies; the kind of movies about a scandalous or hot-button issue filmed on a shoe-string budget and rushed to drive-ins & decaying grindhouse theaters to turn a quick profit while the subject was still relevant. And while this sort of movie doesn't often get made for theatrical release anymore, they're still being made for television. Lifetime's original movies are a goldmine for trash movie aficionados. Case in point: Cyber Seduction: His Secret Life...Justin has a mediocre but stable life. He's a good student and the star of his high school's swim…

• Brant's Rant

  Brant Brown

  16 Nov 2009 | 4:40 am

  NFL 'hang time' clocks:What in the hell is the point of showing the 'hang time' of a punt in digital format on an NFL broadcast. The point of a punt is to pin the receiving team as deep into their own territory as possible. Why in God's name would I care if it takes that punt 4.9 or 4.3 seconds to land? How much money went into creating that graphic on each broadcast. Better yet, how many wasted dollars are going to some chump in a truck starting and stopping that fucking clock? Yes, these are hard economic times, but that ass hat would serve us a lot better if he were washing our cars or…

• Ha Ha, Look at You!

  Chaim Witz

  15 Nov 2009 | 9:05 pm

  Wow. Just wow. Up by 6 with less than two minutes to play and you elect to go for it on 4th and 2 on your own 28? You don't make it, Peyton gets the ball on the 25....ballgame. The Evil Genius costs his team the game and home field advantage in the playoffs in one fell swoop.I honestly can't recall a more irresponsible coaching decision in all of my grizzled, slightly homosexual days, especially in such a crunch time spot. A lesser coach would be fired. If he were a soccer coach, he'd likely be murdered. (No joke)As The Hundley aptly stated, 'Ego is a bitch'. Guess that sleeveless hoodie/cum…

• Holy Christ, Please Trade for Granderson

  Brant Brown

  12 Nov 2009 | 9:40 am

  Word in the rumor mill (thanks MLB TradeRumors, Paul Sullivan, Jon Heyman, etc.!) is that the Tigers may be willing to listen to offers for Curtis Granderson. Unless God hates us all, the Cubs are sure to at least kick the tires. How often can you kill two birds with one stone (leadoff hitter and lefty pop) in these times of economic hardship?Oh, we would bring up the economics of it all, wouldn't we! Granderson's contract has him due for $25.75 million over the next three years. That's nothing for the Ricketts, who have said that they intend to keep the Cubs among the top three spenders in…

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  The GNUru Fantasy Sports News | Popular Fantasy News

• Zubrus (leg) out 4-6 weeks

  SlapShot

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:44 pm

  The Bergen Record reports that Devils C Dainius Zubrus is out 4-6 weeks with a leg injury he suffered on Thursday. 5 Vote(s)

• Love two weeks away from practicing

  DoubleDribble

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:44 pm

  The News Kevin Love (broken hand) is about two weeks away from practicing, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Our View He would then need about a week of practice before being declared game ready. With Minnesota's season already lost, don't be surprised if he is out even longer, as they likely to exercise the utmost of caution. 6 Vote(s)

• Varejao playing

  DoubleDribble

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:44 pm

  The News Anderson Varejao (hip) is expected to play and come off the Cavaliers bench on Friday night, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Our View J.J Hickson will again be in the starting lineup. Varejao will, as usual, provide the team high-energy minutes, especially in Shaquille O'Neal's absence. 5 Vote(s)

• Shaq out Friday

  DoubleDribble

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:44 pm

  The News Shaquille O'Neal (shoulder) will not be active on Friday, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Our View His return to the lineup is uncertain at this point. Zydrunas Ilgauskas will continue to start in his absence. 5 Vote(s)

• Nats name McLaren, Lett, Radison coaches (AP)

  DuckSnort

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:44 pm

  Former Seattle Mariners manager John McLaren was hired Friday as bench coach for the Washington Nationals, who rounded out manager Jim Riggleman's staff by also adding Jim Lett as bullpen coach and Dan Radison as first-base coach. McLaren replaces Pat Corrales, Lett takes over for Randy Knorr, and Radison replaces Marquis Grissom.7 Vote(s)

• 
  Surviving Grady

• Now How Much Would You Pay?

  Red

  20 Nov 2009 | 3:40 am

  Jason Bay has rejected the Sox' initial offer of four years at 60 million bucks. My question for you this morning is what's the highest amount you'd want to see the front office pay to keep his 36 home runs, 119 RBIs, 162 strikeouts and .384 OBP (all 2009 stats) in Boston?

• NESN Presents The Adventures of Ellsbury 'n' Elf Episode 11-B5: When Remdawg Comes Callin'

  Red

  18 Nov 2009 | 9:19 pm

  Anybody home?If you're waiting for "Get Your Picture Taken With the 2008 MVP Day," that's only on Wednesdays. We're actually lookin' for yer roommate. Is he around?Probably upstairs tuggin' on his jay-jay. Want me to get him?Indeed.What's up?That was fast.Ah. Mornin', there, Jacoby.Hi.We understand that you'll be wearin' a new number next season. That's right. Number two.I see. Ya know, sometimes wearin' the number two can get you into all sorts of trouble. Huh?What my brother's tryin' to say is that some cultures consider the number two to be a little unlucky, heralding the arrival of all…

• This Was Supposed to Be the Summer of George

  Red

  18 Nov 2009 | 7:43 pm

  Only, it won't be. Because George Kottaras, the light-hitting, fast-loving and oft-injured back-up catcher, has been waived by the Sox and picked up by the Brewers.This move leaves us with two catchers, one Canadian (With Kottaras' departure, Bay is now the Sox' lone Canuck) and nobody named George. And that, as they say, is that.

• Off-Season, Off-Topic: RIP, Ken Ober

  Red

  18 Nov 2009 | 4:51 am

  Stepping out of the fog of business travel for a few moments yesterday, I was saddened to hear about the passing of Ken Ober, former host of MTV’s game show Remote Control. Honestly, I was never a big fan of Remote, and it’s hard to wax nostalgic for a show that pushed Adam Sandler, Colin Quinn and Kari Wuhrer on an unsuspecting world. But Ober always seemed to rise above it all, giving knowing glances to the camera as if to acknowledge to all of us watching at home that, yes, this sucks, but he really needs to eat.That said, having consumed a night’s worth of Remote Control re-runs…

• The Truth Is Out There

  Denton

  17 Nov 2009 | 9:27 pm

  I'm back. Or did I really ever go away? Not for you to know. Just listen. Everything happens for a reason. Consider all the theories you've heard for the past 48 hours about the Patriots-Colts game, and let it go. Dust in the wind. Forget every mangled statistic you've heard defending how going for a 4th and 2 inside your own 30 gives you a better chance to win a football game than punting the ball away and making Mr. Manning work for his glory. What? You didn't know I was a sports fan? I'm not. I'm a fan of the truth and the deception that makes you believe that truth. Forget the Kool-Aid…

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  RotoRob

• NBA Today: Sputtering Spurs

  Even when he's starting, Keith Bogans isn't offering any Fantasy value.Have you seen what’s going on in San Antonio with the perennial contender Spurs? Thursday night the Spurs dropped their third straight game to slip to 4-6 – the first time they’ve had a losing record through 10 games since ...

• Free Agent Watch: Garret Anderson

  After bombing in Atlanta, could free agent Garret Anderson wind up with the Marlins?With free agency beckoning, Garret Anderson didn’t do himself any favours with a substandard 2009 campaign. Then again, how much did we expect him to do? Other than a big July in which he looked like the ...

• Video Game Review: Modern Warfare 2

  Intensity in Tent City... well, actually it's more of a shanty town.Before 2007, the Call of Duty series had always been grounded in pseudo-historic World War II lore, using the weapons and locales of that time period. But then, developer Infinity Ward went outside the box and brought things into ...

• San Francisco 2009 Season Review: Part III

  Too many Fred Lewis types doomed the Giants in 2009.We’re back with more of our look at the 2009 San Francisco Giants. You find our previous segments here: Part I and Part II. In our previous parts, we focused on the pathetic nature of the Giants’ offense, and yet another reason ...

• MLB Draft Review: 2001 Part Two

  Josh Karp topped out at Triple-A for the Expos/Nats, making him a colossal bust as the sixth overall pick in 2001.It's been a couple of years since we've done an edition of our MLB Draft Review series. When we last left off, RotoRob had started previewing the 2001 draft, the ...

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  Blogs - mudville

• Don't expect repeat of 1950 [1]

  John Ames

  26 Oct 2009 | 3:18 pm

  AP Photo It’s like déjà vu all over again. Hall of Famer Yogi Berra tags out Granny Hamner in the ninth inning of Game 3 of the 1950 World Series at Yankee Stadium. Dusty Boggess makes the call. There are some out there that can remember the last time the Yankees and Phillies met in the World Series. To set the record straight, I am not one of them. And for that I’m grateful. Or so I thought until I looked at the box scores of the Series. Each of the first three games were decided by a run. The final game had it’s own drama with the Phillies mounting a two-run…

• Twins going outside to play

  John Ames

  26 Oct 2009 | 12:04 pm

  AP Photo Grounds crew workers remove home plate moments after the Twins played their final game in the Metrodome – a playoff loss to the Series-bound Yankees. If you ever attended a game at Minneapolis’ Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome you’ve probably experienced the not-so-subtle shove in the back as you walk out the door. This gentle kick in the backside, a result of the different levels of air pressure on either side of the doorway, is just one of the building’s many quirks. The Twins and their fans may miss some of these quirks as they enhanced the Twins’ decided…

• Not everyone falls for parity myth [2]

  John Ames

  16 Oct 2009 | 1:20 pm

  AP Photo The small-market Pittsburgh Pirates, who haven’t been to the World Series since winning it in 1979, aren’t feeling the “competitive balance” love. Bud Selig was caught recently by the Los Angeles Times saying that for the five years before this one, Major League Baseball enjoyed “as much competitive balance as we’ve ever had.” Of course, that’s not saying much considering baseball’s historic lack of parity. But Selig’s contention that the years 2004-08 were competitively balanced is inherently wrong. Check out Joe…

• Not so fast, New York

  John Ames

  8 Oct 2009 | 5:12 pm

  AP Photo The memory of Nick Adenhart, who died in a car accident in April, has motivated and inspired the Angels. The Yankees’ 103 wins are impressive. Will that gaudy number carry them to another World Series title? It can’t and it won’t. In fact, I think the Yankees will be watching the Series on TV. Before I get into the impending Yankees flame-out, here’s a very quick look at the National League. You can’t say the Cardinals own the Dodgers, but they did pretty well, and their pitching is superior. So they’ll advance to play the Phillies who will beat…

• MLB's oldest veteran turns 100, wants to reconnect

  John Ames

  5 Oct 2009 | 3:42 pm

  AP Photo/Los Angeles Dodgers Tony Malinosky got hits off Dizzy Dean and Carl Hubbell, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was told by a former college classmate to call him “Mr. President.” Baseball’s oldest veteran celebrates his 100th birthday today. Tony Malinosky’s career as a Brookly Dodger was a short one, but his loyalty has survived the many decades since a knee injury forced him out of the game. Malinosky still watches the Dodgers and was in attendance to see the Dodgers clinch the NL West title this past weekend. Perhaps its that strong sense of loyalty…

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  Minor League Baseball News - MLN - The Raw Feed

• West Tenn Diamond Jaxx Outfielder Ezequel Carrera Named to Topps MiLB Double-A All-Star Team

  James Scott

  20 Nov 2009 | 5:31 am

  MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - (NOVEMBER 18, 2009) JACKSON, TN – Diamond Jaxx outfielder, Ezequel Carrera added another award to his 2009 season accolades by being named to the Topps MiLB Double-A All-Star team. The award was announced in a press release from . . .

• Former New Orleans Zephyrs Infielder Chris Coughlin Named NL Rookie of the Year

  Bob Matuszak

  16 Nov 2009 | 8:04 pm

  MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com -Metairie, LA – Chris Coghlan, who began the 2009 season in the New Orleans Zephyrs’ infield, has been named National League Rookie of the Year by the Baseball...

• Greeneville Astros Release 2010 Schedule

  Kerri Mandelaro

  14 Nov 2009 | 6:25 am

  MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - GREENEVILLE, TN- The Greeneville Astros have released their 2010 schedule. The slate features thirty-four home games at Pioneer Park in addition to thirty-four games on the road throughout the Appalachian League beginning in late June and . . .

• Mitch Jones Named to Topps Triple-A All Star Team

  Bob Matuszak

  13 Nov 2009 | 4:52 am

  MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com -The season may be over but the accolades keep rolling in for Albuquerque Isotopes slugger Mitch Jones, who has been named to the Topps Triple-A All-Star Team,...

• Los Angeles Dodgers Announce 2010 Spring Training Schedule

  Melissa Martinez

  12 Nov 2009 | 12:02 am

  MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com- LOS ANGELES – The 2009 National League West Division Champion Los Angeles and begin their 2010 Cactus League schedule on Friday, March 5 playing against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch-Glendale ...

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  mlb garbage: dispelling nonsense from columnists

• 16 Nov 2009 | 8:35 am

  John

  16 Nov 2009 | 8:35 am

  Double Edged PlateWatching the world series I developed the impression that Yankee pitchers were more effective at keeping the ball on the outer and inner edges of the plate than the Phillies pitchers were. I investigated with pitch f/x data. First, I defined my 2 "edges" of the plate. The pitch f/x strikezone stretches from about -0.8 ft to 0.8 ft in their coordinate system, so I defined the right edge (inside for righthanded batters) as -1.5 ft to -0.5 ft and the left edge as 0.5 ft to 1.5 ft (inside for lefthanded batters). During the entire series Yankee pitchers hit these edges with 55%…

• 14 Nov 2009 | 10:16 am

  John

  14 Nov 2009 | 10:16 am

  Game full of vacuum and air look the same? The argument goes like this:Delving deeper, from The Book we see the leadoff hitter receives roughly 4.80 PAs per game and the 5th hitter only receives 4.34. Over 150 games, that means that the leadoff hitter receives roughly 70 more plate appearances. Over these 70 plate appearances, the amount of runs gained by switching a player from the #5 spot to the #1 spot who is 20 points of wOBA better is roughly one run. This may be erased by properly leveraging an on-base threat at the top of the lineup, but it certainly will not end up being significant…

• 6 Nov 2009 | 11:23 am

  Ben

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:23 am

  Monetary RealignmentAs the only major American sport to fully embrace the free market (the largely ineffective luxury tax aside), a frequent discussion topic regarding MLB is payroll disparity. Both between the high and the low (think Red Sox/Mets vs. Pirates/Marlins) and the high and the absurdly high (Yankees vs. Everyone Else). While a salary cap is the ultimate solution, there is no sign that Selig would embrace such a measure; nor that there are even many owners behind it. The Yankees give enough in revenue sharing to cover the bills of the low-market teams; the high markets get the…

• 17 Oct 2009 | 4:53 pm

  Ben

  17 Oct 2009 | 4:53 pm

  Chasing MannyWhile there are multiple reasons for the Red Sox's stumbles during the 2009 season (starter injuries, significant decline from some veterans, fatigued bullpen, arguable game-to-game mismanagement, etc.), my personal theory is that the Red Sox have not suitably replaced the dominant lineup presence provided by Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz during most of the Epstein Era. Obviously this is no mean feat -- there are few 1-2 hitter combinations like that in history -- and if the goal is "just" to be a playoff team 8 out of every 10 years then the Red Sox are doing fairly…

• 6 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

  John

  6 Sep 2009 | 1:00 am

  Research IdeaI feel like players who move from the AL to NL midseason enjoy an irregular level of success (this feeling biased by Holliday/Lugo/Smoltz/Penny from this year). My idea is that playing against tougher competition for half a season makes you better through practice (if true this would have large implications, like players could get better if they practiced harder). I don't have any idea how to measure this though (as in what would the control be here?), how to measure specifically this (as in how to isolate the league change effect), or how to normalize for sample bias since you'd…

• 
  The Joy of Sox

• Blogging In 1974

  20 Nov 2009 | 6:28 am

  Daniel Shoptaw, the man behind the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, is posting short Q&As of BBA members. Here's mine.One thought: this blog is a clear descendant of the sports pages I created on my parents' electric typewriter roughly 35 years ago. Also, I love hearing about other writers who did similar things when they were kids.

• Bay Rejects Boston's 4/60 Offer

  19 Nov 2009 | 1:08 pm

  Not a surprise, as Theo Epstein said.He may end up back in Fenway, but at age 31, Bay wants to see what is out there in the free agent waters.Terry Francona held court on a number of matters, including Bay:He has earned the right to be a free agent. This is his first time, and he wants to see it through. You know we're going to be a major player. We always are. Do I hope it gets done? Yeah.The Red Sox's exclusive rights to negotiate with Bay end at midnight tonight.While Tito would like the Sox to go after some pitching (like John Lackey), David Ortiz says the team needs a power bat:I said…

• Sox Release Kottaras

  18 Nov 2009 | 4:50 am

  Zachary Nicholson, Sox Prospects:With the deadline to add players to the 40-man roster and protect them from the Rule 5 Draft rapidly approaching, the Red Sox [Tuesday] made another move to clear space, releasing catcher George Kottaras. ...Links: 40-man roster deadline and Rule 5 draft (to be held on December 10).

• Greinke Wins AL Cy Young

  17 Nov 2009 | 11:37 am

  It's a rout. 1st 2nd 3rd PtsZack Greinke, KC 25 3 134Felix Hernandez, SEA 2 23 1 80Justin Verlander, DET 1 9 14CC Sabathia, NYY 2 7 13Roy Halladay, TOR 11 11NL Cy on Thursday.Rookies of the Year: Andrew Bailey (A's) and Chris Coghlan (Marlins).

• Dock Ellis And The LSD No-No

  14 Nov 2009 | 7:18 am

  On June 12, 1970, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis took the mound in San Diego while high on LSD.A video from No Mas and James Blagden.Ellis:I started having a crazy idea in the fourth inning that Richard Nixon was the home plate umpire, and once I thought I was pitching a baseball to Jimi Hendrix, who to me was holding a guitar and swinging it over the plate.The audio in the video comes from an interview Ellis did with NPR shortly before his death last December.

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  Sox and Pinstripes

• The slowly developing Price War

  Vince Mercandetti

  19 Nov 2009 | 6:44 pm

  The Yankees are a walking time bomb right now. It’s not because their future is in any sort of danger, or because the team could change locations or ownership. In fact, with youthful owners compared to their father, with a manager who has won it all recently, and with a new stadium, the Yankees’ franchise is in better hands than it has been since well before the dynasty years of the 90’s. No, the Yankees are a walking time bomb because if they open the check book for any player from another team (it will only take one), regardless of if that team wants nothing to do with said player,…

• The waiting game begins now

  Vince Mercandetti

  15 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  This is the worst time of the year to be a baseball fan. The season is long enough over where you miss actual games, if your team won the World Series, the DVD isn't out yet and you can't inject yourself with baseball nicotine by watching it 47 times in a row, and the hot stove is nothing more than speculation. Add to that the element of having a blog you need to update and the whole situation is pretty awful, particularly this off season. Unlike last year, the Yankees don't have many holes to fill. They don't need to pick a new right fielder, their second baseman and…

• The finale to Rebuilding the Defending Champs

  Vince Mercandetti

  13 Nov 2009 | 8:59 pm

  If the Yankees' plan is to get younger and compete for years on end, there are only two real blockbuster deals I would entertain. Trade for Felix Hernandez (who has often been mentioned with the Red Sox but never the Yankees) or trade for Curtis Granderson (who is said to be available from the Tigers) The Yankees seem to have issues making deals with Seattle, but Hernandez is about the only pitcher I'd open the farm for (I'm talking Montero and Chamberlain in a package). Roy Halladay is just too old for me to want to see a big money and prospect party over. Sure a rotation of…

• Sorting out the Yankees' Hot Stove rumors (a continuation of rebuilding the Defending Champs)

  Vince Mercandetti

  12 Nov 2009 | 10:07 pm

  When you're a defending champion and you're also the most affluent franchise in the game, rumors will run rampant around a team. The Yankees will be linked to every player involved in any trade or as a Free Agent regardless of if New York has any interest whatsoever or if the deal would make sense.It is the job of a good agent to get the Yankees, Red Sox and other teams with deep pockets in the bidding for its players. The connections don't need to be genuine or true, they just have to exist. It creates a deeper array of options and drives up the price for the player. Likewise,…

• Matsui to Boston not likely

  Jeff Louderback

  12 Nov 2009 | 1:26 pm

  The report made little sense when it was first released on multiple web sites, and based on what Theo Epstein said at the GM meetings, it is not going to happen. Hideki Matsui will not become a member of the Boston Red Sox.Matsui has undoubtedly had a successful major league career. Add the fact that his bat guided the Yankees to a World Series title, and that he has long been a Red Sox killer, and it might seem that he would be a good fit in Beantown. The problem is that Matsui is 35, has severe knee problems and can no longer adequately play the outfield. The Sox already have a guy who is…

• 
  Roto Think Tank

• 2009 A.L. Catchers

  Mike Gianella

  16 Nov 2009 | 12:41 pm

  As I said last year, welcome back!For those of you who are fairly new to the blog, this is my third annual installment of position-by-position reviews, starting with the American League. Prices are for 12-team A.L.-only and 13-team N.L.-only leagues. They're based on Alex Patton's pricing methodologies, but I customize the values somewhat. The result is that the prices might be a dollar off one way or the other for individual players. The important thing is that my values for the 276 or 299 players purchased in A.L. or N.L.-only leagues add up to $3,120 or $3,380 just like Alex's do.The big…

• Moving Forward

  Mike Gianella

  16 Nov 2009 | 12:37 pm

  I will be moving forward with 5x5 values, and hope to have my first post shortly.I am once again writing some of the player profiles for Rotoman's magazine, and am working on an article for the mag that may or may not be published.

• Other Updates

  Mike Gianella

  26 Oct 2009 | 1:44 pm

  I'm also going to be doing some writing for Rotoman's magazine this winter. So far the only thing I've committed to are player profiles, but I might wind up doing a little more than that this year.The good news is that this keeps me exposed, expands my readership, and gives me other writing opportunities. The bad news is that it stretches me too thin to update the blog as much as I'd like over the next few days....

• Quick Question

  Mike Gianella

  25 Oct 2009 | 12:44 pm

  This is the third winter that Roto Think Tank is up and running, and each year I've been getting a little better at putting up quality content over the winter. The not-so-veiled goal has been to replicate some of the stuff in Alex Patton's old books while also putting my own spin on it.I'm considering switching the values in my off-season tables from 4x4 to 5x5. There are some obvious advantages to this change, but the most obvious advantage is that the expert leagues (LABR, Tout Wars, CBS Sportsline) that I track all are 5x5 leagues. Using 5x5 values will give the 20 or so posts I write this…

• Regular A.L. Post-Mortem IV: Caught in the Middle

  Mike Gianella

  24 Oct 2009 | 6:35 am

  Last time, I went through the trades that I made during the regular season in my non-expert American League. I had auctioned to dump one category and half-dump two others with the hope that I could get lucky in at least one of the two categories I was half-dumping and maximize my points in the other two. Based on the trades I had made, though, this didn't work out too well. I was doing fine in most of the categories where I was trying to compete, but was short in RBI. But I hadn't been able to either get lucky with a big time base stealer or a cheap closer off of the waiver wire.The real…

• 
  Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf

• Tampa Story

  ronkaplan

  16 Nov 2009 | 5:48 pm

  (Based on the famous movie named after another Florida city.) Just got out of dinner. Reggie Jackson gave a very sweet speech about Yankee tradition and how the players at Yankees Fantasy Camp exemplify those virtues. The managers of my team — the Bombers — are Roy White and Jesse Barfield. Other players in attendance include Ron Blomberg, Al Downing, Homer Bush, MickeyRivers, Chris Chambliss, Oscar Gamble, Fritz Peterson, Tommy John, and Phil Linz (I hope I didn’t omit anyone). So far, they seem like a nice bunch of fellows, easy-going and eager to share a story or a laugh.

• * Tampa Bay, safe and sound

  ronkaplan

  16 Nov 2009 | 11:13 am

  Just arrived at the Tampa Bay Sheraton Suites, where I will spend the next week as an embedded journalist at Yankee Fantasy Camp, specifically writing about the new Kosher component. Ran into an old “colleague,” Bryan Hoch, who covers the Yankees for MLB.com. I met Bryan years ago when he was a 19-year-old covering the Mets for his own website. Nineteen. I’ve got (fill in the blank) older than that. Anyway the weather is great and looking forward to getting down to business tomorrow as a member of the Bombers. No really, that’s my particular teams name. And by the…

• * RK Review: Playing with the Enemy

  ronkaplan

  14 Nov 2009 | 8:54 am

  A Baseball Prodigy, a World at War, and a Field of Broken Dreams, by Gary W. Moore I wanted to wait a bit after Veteran’s Day because I didn’t want this to appear as a knock against the vets. I have nothing but respect for them, their service and sacrifice. Gary Moore writes this respectful, affectionate homage to his father, Gene, a crackerjack catcher in small town America. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the Moore brothers, Gene and Ward, being the patriotic sons of the homeland, signed up for military as soon as they could. Ward went off to fight with a tank unit, but…

• * Let us not have any cross words

  ronkaplan

  13 Nov 2009 | 12:16 pm

  Unless it’s the one in the Nov. 16 issue of New York magazine, which features a theme of “Baseball Hall-of-Fame Anagrams.” Sorry, but it doesn’t appear to be on their website.

• * TWIBB — November 13

  ronkaplan

  13 Nov 2009 | 7:03 am

  This week in baseball books, featuring the best-sellers according to Amazon.com on Friday, November 6. Title Rank General The Bill James Handbook 2010 (Ranks 613 in books) 1 The Machine: A Hot Team, a Legendary Season, and a Heart-stopping World Series: The Story of the 1975 Cincinnati Redsby Joe Posnanski (709) 2 Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, by Michael Lewis (970) 3 Sixty Feet, Six Inches: A Hall of Fame Pitcher & a Hall of Fame Hitter Talk about How the Game is Played, by Bob Gibson, Reggie Jackson, and Lonnie Wheeler(1,030) 4 The Yankee Years, by Joe Torre and Tom…

• 
  Mopupduty.com

• Derek Jeter on the Beach with Minka

  Callum

  20 Nov 2009 | 9:38 am

  What a douche. “I love how some dudes hate me for dating their fantasy girl, as if they were going to if I hadn’t” - John Mayer © Callum for Mop Up Duty | Baseball News Sabermetric | Baseball History Bio, 2009. | Permalink | | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: Derek Jeter, Douche, Minka Kelly, St. Bart's $25+ of Free Baseball Media Files

• One More Day

  Kman

  19 Nov 2009 | 12:55 pm

  One more day. Yep, I keep telling myself that. Free Agency opens up on the 20th. Will the Jays be active? I don’t think so. AA quote via Bastain regarding the Jays & Free Agency I don’t think it’ll happen all in one offseason. There definitely is a plan. We have players that we have, as an organization, targeted to try to acquire. We’re going to do the best we can to acquire the players, and we’re certainly set up for a Plan B and C if we don’t get them In related cheapo Jays news the club is cancelling their yearly season holder BBQ and trip to…

• What Can Be Gleaned From This AFL Season?

  Callum

  17 Nov 2009 | 2:36 pm

  If you are a Jays fan, not too much.  Adam Loewen, who struggled at single-A this season, struggled here.  Brad Emaus improved upon his AA production - albeit against inconsistent competition.  Reidier Gonzalez is good but how good? We don’t know, he pitched only a handfull of innings in relief. I do know a little about Robert “Bobby” Ray on the other hand.  Scouts have been comparing his delivery to that of Carl Pavano’s (is this a good thing or a bad thing?).  His mission at the AFL was to add some tools to get LH hitters out and he seems to have done that by…

• Dock Ellis Addendum

  Callum

  16 Nov 2009 | 11:44 am

  3 years ago Earl wrote a post on the infamous Dock Ellis. It is an interesting and fun read but now we have video to go along with the story which is an absolute treat. © Callum for Mop Up Duty | Baseball News Sabermetric | Baseball History Bio, 2009. | Permalink | | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: Acid, dock ellis, LSD, Pittsburgh Pirates $25+ of Free Baseball Media Files

• G-Money For Gold Glove?

  Callum

  10 Nov 2009 | 4:43 pm

  For once, I am not talking about Gregg Zaun.  In this case I am referring to Detroit Tigers catcher Gerald Laird. Today the American League Gold Glove awards were announced and at the Catcher position, Joe Mauer of the Twins was awarded the…. award. Let’s be clear: offensively, Mauer had an MVP calibre type season.  Defensively? You know the part of the game that the Gold Glove is supposed to be based on? Not so much. Let’s compare 4 defensive metrics for these 2 catchers:  passed balls, fielding percentage, range factor and perhaps most importantly caught stealing…

• 
  Baseball-Intellect

• Link Love for 11-20-09

  Alex Eisenberg

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:05 am

  An assortment of links and thoughts on Rich Harden, Jenrry Mejia, Royals prospects, and BJ Upton among others...

• Aroldis Chapman: Everything You Need to Know

  Alex Eisenberg

  19 Nov 2009 | 1:53 pm

  An in-depth breakdown on everything Aroldis Chapman...

• Jordan Lyles vs. Yankee Prospects David Adams and Daniel Brewer

  Alex Eisenberg

  18 Nov 2009 | 2:50 pm

  A pitch-by-pitch breakdown of the Houston pitching prospect vs. the New York Yankees affiliate Charleston RiverDogs...This is a Premium-Level article, so you'll have to sign up for a membership to read it...

• Scouting Yankees Prospect Hector Noesi

  Alex Eisenberg

  16 Nov 2009 | 12:25 pm

  A pitch-by-pitch breakdown of the young Yankees pitcher...

• Scouting Brewers Prospect Eric Arnett

  Alex Eisenberg

  12 Nov 2009 | 5:37 am

  A pitch-by-pitch breakdown of Brewers pitcher and first round pick, Eric Arnett...This is a Premium-Level article, so you'll have to sign up for a membership to read it...

• 
  BBTF's Baseball Primer Newsblog

• White Sox reportedly near Omar Vizquel deal

  jimfurtado@baseballthinkfactory.org

  20 Nov 2009 | 4:55 pm

  Vizquel, 42, would give the White Sox a versatile backup for nearly all the infield positions. Last season, Vizquel played third base, second base and shortstop while batting .266 in 62 games for the Rangers. The White Sox said Friday that beside the five additions the club made to its 40-man roster, there would be no other news. In addition to the 11-time Gold Glove winner providing solid defense, Vizquel would also give the White Sox a veteran infielder to help mentor shortstop Alexei Ramirez and second baseman Gordon Beckham, who is making his second position change in two years. This is…

• NY Post: Marquis calls Mets ‘perfect fit’

  jimfurtado@baseballthinkfactory.org

  20 Nov 2009 | 4:33 pm

  Jeff Francoeur wasn’t kidding when he told The Post this summer that free-agent right hander Jason Marquis badly wants to be a Met in 2010. Marquis backed that up this week, telling The Post he considers the Mets “a perfect fit” while expressing his admiration both for their lineup and Citi Field. “It would always be nice to come back home and represent your hometown [as a member of the Mets],” said Marquis, who grew up in Staten Island and still lives there. “This is where I’m from, so to come back here and play in front of friends and family would be an honor.”

• Huffington Post: J.C. Bradbury: Wins Suck

  jimfurtado@baseballthinkfactory.org

  20 Nov 2009 | 4:29 pm

  On the same day Francesspool is calling for Keith Law’s vote to be stricken...and another humungi vatula of grizzard brazing Diet Coke! How dare you! When choosing a metric for evaluating athletic performance, I rely on three criteria: 1) How much does it correlate with winning? 2) How well does it measure individual performance? and 3) How does it fit with our intuition? Wins don’t do so bad at identifying the impact on winning: Wins are correlated with run prevention and team wins. But, other metrics of pitcher performance that separate out the impact of offense (like ERA) are far…

• BPro: Indians Top 11

  jimfurtado@baseballthinkfactory.org

  20 Nov 2009 | 4:21 pm

  Five-Star Prospects 1. Carlos Santana, C Four-Star Prospects 2. Lonnie Chisenhall, SS 3. Alex White, RHP 4. Jason Knapp, RHP 5. Nick Hagadone, LHP Three-Star Prospects 6. Hector Rondon, RHP 7. Lou Marson, C 8. Jason Kipnis, OF/2B 9. Carlos Carrasco, RHP 10. Michael Brantley, OF 11. Zach Putnam, RHP Four More: 12. Jess Todd, RHP: Todd is a short, squat reliever acquired from the Cardinals, and one who reached the big leagues in short order, but his ceiling is probably as a seventh-, maybe eighth-inning set-up man. 13. Nick Weglarz, OF: Two years of non-performance have dropped him…

• SF Gate: Sabean Won’t Be a “Stalking Horse”

  jimfurtado@baseballthinkfactory.org

  20 Nov 2009 | 4:20 pm

  Sabean essentially said he refuses to be a “stalking horse” for any player who is just using the Giants to get more money elsewhere, and that the Giants will talk only to free agents who have a genuine interest in coming to San Francisco. He said he doubts Bay and Holliday will have genuine interest because the Yankees, Red Sox and other bigger-market teams will be chasing them. At the same time, Sabean said, he believes there is a good crop of “second-tier” free agents to look at. Marlon Byrd and Adam LaRoche, come on down!

• 
  脱毛(エステサロン・クリニック・脱毛クリーム・脱毛器)専門の口コミ＆最新ニュース

• 【新商品】ふたりの記念日を刻みます☆透明アクリル携帯ストラップ

  10 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  世界にひとつだけの雑貨店 『透明アクリル携帯ストラップ 』 オーダーメイド対応にて新発売！　 ■特徴：お洒落系・セレブ系の女性的携帯ストラップ。 更にレーザー刻印にて自由に刻印が可能。　 URL： http://zakka-onlyone.com/hpgen/HPB/entries/138.html

• 日本最大級のサンプリング＆クチコミサイト「モラタメ.net」　　サイトリニューアル

  2 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  　株式会社ドゥ・ハウス（港区　代表：稲垣佳伸）が運営する日本最大級のサ ンプリング＆クチコミサイト「モラタメ.net」はより多くの皆さまに快適に ご利用いただくため、サイトリニューアルいたしました。

• ユニ・チャーム、ディズニーキャラクター「チップ＆デール」をデザインしたベビー用紙おむつを発売

  1 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  …

• 登録お問い合わせ殺到中！全国の住宅展示場・モデルハウスを一挙紹介！住宅業界待望の発展型高機能ポータルサイト“モデルハウスナビ”、オープン。

  31 Oct 2009 | 11:00 pm

  全国の住宅展示場やモデルハウスの情報を、家を建てたいユーザーに迅速に提供するポータルサイト“モデルハウスナビ”。登録料・利用料が一切不要で、初心者でも簡単に掲載・更新できる画期的なCMSを搭載。住宅展示場・モデルハウスを効果的にアピールでき、集客率のアップに貢献する新しいポータルサイトの誕生。

• 業界初!!口コミ機能付き、有料老人ホーム紹介サイト『シニアハウスコム』が、シルバー新報に掲載されました。

  28 Oct 2009 | 11:00 pm

  現在、約270施設を掲載している有料老人ホーム紹介サイト『シニアハウスコム』が9月17日にリニューアルオープンいたしました。それに伴い、『シルバー新報(9/11 発刊)』に掲載されました。

• 
  Blue Collar Baseball

• Bob Costas for Commissioner of Baseball

  Deaner

  10 Nov 2009 | 8:33 pm

  I'm currently watching Bob Costas' interview of Bud Selig on the MLB Network and he's giving the commissioner hell! If you've got the MLB Network on your cable system, check the schedule and plan to watch it next time it's on. You regular readers know my views about Selig. Costas, I like. He's a traditionalist and I'd love to see him as baseball's next commissioner. Costas' book, Fair Ball (2001), is a little outdated now but it's still a great read. Costas lends a well thought out discussion of how he would protect and promote the game.

• Lee and Pedro bring inspiration

  Deaner

  29 Oct 2009 | 5:04 pm

  I'm back. Part of the reason that I haven't posted in over a month is that I've found it difficult to get inspired. The last few weeks of the regular season and the first couple of rounds of the playoffs didn't really light a fire under me. This year's World Series between the Phillies and Yankees seems to be a great matchup on paper but, to be honest, I don't like either team so I wasn't sure I'd find anything to write about. I hate what the Yankees symbolize. That coupled with the fact that I'm a small-market fan means that I can't root for them. I do, however, have a great deal of respect…

• Aaron Harang Giveth

  Deaner

  18 Sep 2009 | 6:00 am

  If you watched the Reds game on FS Ohio last night you may have heard George Grande and Chris Welsh talking about what Aaron Harang did to show his appreciation for the hard-working Reds clubhouse staff. Harang bought Rick Stowe and his staff a primo 6-seat golf cart to use while running errands around the ballpark. It's a top-of-the-line $6,500 cart. Harang said last night that it is road ready on streets up to 35mph. Here is Mark Sheldon's post. Hat tip to Redleg Nation for the link.

• Ernie's farewell

  Deaner

  17 Sep 2009 | 8:47 am

  Few people get a chance to give a farewell speech or see how much they've touched other peoples lives but if anyone deserves that chance it's Ernie Harwell. Here is his farewell address to Tigers fans.Big League Stew's post.Ernie's farewell to his media colleagues.

• Harwell's diagnosis is incurable

  Deaner

  4 Sep 2009 | 5:16 am

  Sorry folks for not posting much lately. I've been extremely busy.I just wanted to share this piece of news about long-time Detroit Tigers radio broadcaster, Ernie Harwell. Unfortunately, Harwell has been diagnosed with an incurable cancer. Harwell is one of baseball's great voices and I highly recommend listening to one of his old broadcasts if you get the chance.The Detroit Free Press store sells a few of Harwell's books as well as an audio scrapbook. I'm continually enthralled by some of the stories that Harwell tells on the 4-CD audio scrapbook, like getting Babe Ruth to autograph his…

• 
  Crooked Pitch

• Welcome Chris Jennings to the Browns Running Back Mix

  Knox Bardeen

  20 Nov 2009 | 9:31 am

  Tony Grossi of The Plain Dealer says that Jerome Harrison and Jamal Lewis may start losing carries to Chris Jennings in the Cleveland Browns’ backfield. Next step in the de-evolution of the... To read the rest of this article, please visit Crooked Pitch...

• Jerricho Cotchery Will Return Punts in Week 11

  Knox Bardeen

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:38 am

  If you play in a fantasy football league that rewards return yardage, Jerricho Cotchery just got a little more valuable. Rich Cimini of the New York Daily News says that Cotchery will return punts... To read the rest of this article, please visit Crooked Pitch...

• Week 10 Fantasy Football Rankings and Injuries

  Knox Bardeen

  12 Nov 2009 | 10:00 am

  Just wanted to share a few links and such to some FanHouse articles that will help you set your lineups for fantasy football Week 10. Rankings (Week 10) QB RB WR TE Defense K Also, here are some... To read the rest of this article, please visit Crooked Pitch...

• Will Kolby Smith Rise to Starting RB in Kansas City?

  Knox Bardeen

  12 Nov 2009 | 8:04 am

  In a Q&A with Chiefs head coach Todd Haley, Kolby Smith is brought up as a potential starting running back. Q: Is Kolby [Smith] come along to a point where he can be the starter? HALEY: “He’s... To read the rest of this article, please visit Crooked Pitch...

• Fantasy Football Notes - Tuesday November 10

  Knox Bardeen

  10 Nov 2009 | 12:21 pm

  I just wanted to take some time and make everyone aware of a few fantasy football notes from around the interwebs. Over at FanHouse I wrote a column called Damage Control this morning about injuries... To read the rest of this article, please visit Crooked Pitch...

• 
  Baseball Awards

• 1977 National League

  Shawn

  24 Oct 2009 | 8:16 am

  The NL kept its lineup while the AL expanded. The Reds fell from the top spot, as the Dodgers returned to the top of the NL West with 98 victories. The Reds were second with 88. Houston went 81-81 to finish third, followed by San Francisco, San Diego, and finally Atlanta with 101 losses. Philadelphia won the East again with 101 wins, with Pittsburgh just behind at 96 victories. St. Louis was 3rd, Chicago 4th, Montreal 5th and the Mets last. The Dodgers then beat the Phillies in the NLCS.Dave Parker won the batting title with a .338 average, just ahead of teammate Rennie Stennett at .336.

• 1977 American League

  Shawn

  18 Oct 2009 | 9:03 am

  New York's Yankees won their first World Series since 1962, and started a modern version of their dynasty. The Yanks first had to survive a dogfight in the East Division, besting Boston and Baltimore each by a mere 2.5 games in a race to the end. The Yankees won 100 games, the Red Sox and Orioles 97 each. The rest of the division was under .500, even with the presence of two expansions teams, as Toronto and Seattle entered the league. Detroit, Cleveland and Milwaukee were the also-rans, and Toronto brought up the rear in the East with 107 losses.The West was won by Kansas City for the second…

• 1976 National League

  Shawn

  13 Oct 2009 | 3:55 pm

  Cincinnati repeated as World Series champs by going undefeated in the postseason, and Joe Morgan repeated as MVP. Philadelphia made the postseason for the first time since 1950, taking the East Division title. Neither division race was especially close. The Reds won 102 games and led the Dodgers by 10 at the end. The rest of the division was under .500, with Houston, San Francisco, San Diego, and Atlanta trailing behind. The Phillies beat out the Pirates by 9 games, 101 wins to 92, with New York 3rd at 86 wins. Chicago and St. Louis trailed, and Montreal lost 107 games.Morgan led in OPS by a…

• 1976 American League

  Shawn

  3 Oct 2009 | 6:12 am

  The Yankees won the pennant for the first time in 12 years, their longest drought since the dynasty began in 1921. The free agent era dawned, after an arbitrator ruled in the offseason that clubs could renew contracts for one season only, not in perpetuity. This led the A's stars to play out their option years en masse, and set off the preseason trade of Reggie Jackson and Ken Holtzman to Baltimore for Don Baylor and Mike Torrez. The Yankees then picked Holtzman up at midseason in a huge 10-player trade. New York won 97 and outdistanced Baltimore by 10.5 games in the East, with Boston 3rd,…

• 1975 National League

  Shawn

  27 Sep 2009 | 8:56 am

  The Dodgers were hailed as the new dynasty over the winter and into May. Then the Reds moved Pete Rose to third base, installed George Foster in the lineup and kicked into high gear, not stopping until they won 108 games. They went on to win their first World Series since 1940. LA was left in the dust with 88 wins. San Francisco was 3rd, San Diego 4th, then Atlanta and Houston. Pittsburgh won the East, 6.5 games ahead of the renewed Phillies. The Mets and Cardinals tied for 3rd, with Chicago and Montreal tied for 5th.Bill Madlock led the league in average, Mike Schmidt in home runs, Greg…

• 
  Baseball Daily Digest

• The NL Cy Young – Counting The Ballots

  Craig Brown

  19 Nov 2009 | 3:15 pm

  For the second consecutive Cy Young award, the electorate seemingly ignored the Win stat and threw their support behind Tim Lincecum, who won all of 15 games for the San Francisco Giants. The knee jerk reaction will be that the BBWAA got this one correct.  I’m not so sure. It was a tight vote between Lincecum and [...]

• Rattling The SABR – Guerrilla Warfare and Rebuilding

  Rob McQuown

  18 Nov 2009 | 11:21 pm

  Guerrilla Warfare is summarized on wikipedia as: “irregular warfare and combat in which a small group of combatants use mobile militaryfr tactics in the form of ambushes and raids to combat a larger and less mobile formal army.”  It’s from the Spanish “guerra” (war) and “-illa” (diminutive), translating literally to “little war”.  And throughout history, [...]

• The Nationals and Winning

  Zach Sanders

  18 Nov 2009 | 6:13 pm

  Tracee Hamilton shares this tidbit from the Arizona Fall League: So do the players really care about the AFL championship? Nats reliever Jeff Mandel says yes. Mandel and his Phoenix Desert Dogs teammates, champions of the East division, will play the Peoria Javelinas at 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday. The game will be televised on the MLB Network [...]

• AL Cy Young Fallout

  Craig Brown

  18 Nov 2009 | 8:02 am

  Those of us in Kansas City have taken to wishing each other Happy Greinke Day on the days where Zack Greinke is scheduled to start.  Cheesy?  You betcha.  But this is the Royals we’re talking about.  It’s not like there are too many things that make us excited to watch a ballgame with the hometown [...]

• Pacific Perspectives: NPB Imports

  Michael Street

  17 Nov 2009 | 3:25 pm

  This year doesn’t have the high-voltage interest generated by Junichi Tazawa, Koji Uehara and Kenshin Kawakami. In fact, it’s more likely that the recent tsunami of Eastern talent is waning with several players likely returning to Japan, as indicated in last week’s column. But there are two significant Japanese pitchers who have announced their intention to [...]

• 
  Baseball Prospectus

• Prospectus Q and A: Lou Marson and David Huff by David Laurila

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  Two of Cleveland`s young prospects sit down to talk about their relationship, changing organizations, and working the strike zone.

• Early Career Splits: Drilling Down by Tim Kniker

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  Do extreme splits early in a player`s career predict future success?

• Fantasy Focus: First Base Rankings Review by Marc Normandin

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  Looking back on the 2009 projections at first base, and seeing what takeaway lessons come of them.

• Future Shock: Indians Top 11 by Kevin Goldstein

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  Cleveland added considerable depth with last season`s deals, but will it be enough to rebuild with?

• Checking the Numbers: The 2009 Platoon Split Awards by Eric Seidman

  18 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  Handing out awards for the best same-handed pitcher/batter and opposite-handed pitcher/batter combos.

• 
  BR Bullpen Today in Baseball History

• 20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  1915 - Jack Aragon, pinch runner (d. 1988)

• 20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  1904 - Dell Darling, catcher (b. 1861)

• 20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  1884 - The National League agrees to allow overhand pitching, but rules that pitchers must keep both feet on the ground throughout their pitching motion in order to reduce the velocity of their pitches. They still must throw the ball at the height requested by the batter. In addition, teams are now required to supply a separate bench for each club at their park to limit inter-team fraternization.

• 20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  1953 - Duane Theiss, pitcher

• 20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

  1888 - The Joint Rules Committee reduces the number of balls for a walk from five to four, establishing the four balls/three strikes count that remains in effect more than a century later. It also eliminates an out on a foul tip if the catcher catches it within 10 feet of home plate.

• 
  Roto Savants

• Young Power Lefties for 2010

  Troy Patterson

  16 Nov 2009 | 6:42 am

  Head over to THT for my new Clone Wars as I look at Jonathan Sanchez and Clayton Kershaw. This was a bit different from my usual post as I went for pitchers who are very similar in numbers like K/9 and BB/9, but had much different results so far. This could be very useful in 2010.

• Derek Jeter wins Gold Glove in "most improved" category - assist to Mark Teixeira

  Aaron Murray

  11 Nov 2009 | 12:56 pm

  Derek Jeter won his fourth Gold Glove this week and it wasn't even that bad of a choice by the voters. Unlike '04-'06 when he also won Jeter actually had a positive UZR/150 this year and although there were three AL SS's with better UZR/150 numbers - Cezar Izturis, Elvis Andrus, and Adam Everett - Jeter still wasn't a terrible choice. Izturis and Everett each started in only 107 games this year while Andrus committed twenty-two errors which is hard for some people to overlook. I'd have voted for Andrus this year but at least Jeter wasn't a terrible choice.If you're discussing the issue with a…

• Two Guys Walk Into a Bar...

  Ryan A. Restivo

  9 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  Okay so two guys walk into a bar. One pitched in the playoffs and starts talking about how much he's going to make in free agency this offseason. One talks about how he hopes to turn the corner next year and be an ace like starter. The bartender asks for their last 3 years stats (oh, just play along with me) so both say their stats. The playoff starter says he went 42-22 with a 3.48 ERA, 1.23 WHIP with 448 strikeouts in the last 3 years. The other player says he went 27-34 with a 4.15 ERA, 1.29 WHIP with 353 strikeouts in the same span.The bartender, not the biggest baseball fan in the world,…

• Hot Stove: Royals-White Sox

  Ryan A. Restivo

  5 Nov 2009 | 9:45 am

  Royals trade Mark Teahen to the White Sox for Chris Getz and Josh FieldsSo the White Sox found their replacement to Jermaine Dye? All they had to do was give up their every day second baseman and a player who had never made a true impact on the Sox.So as difficult as it is to try to get into Kenny Williams mind, let's try play this line of reasoning:Teahen can play 3B or RF really for this team. His defense would probably be better than Dye's but not better than Gordon Beckham's.You could play with an infield of Teahen-Beckham-Ramirez-Konerko around the diamond. Alexei Ramirez's defense at…

• Hot Stove: Pirates-Rays Trade

  Ryan A. Restivo

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:30 am

  We already have two trades. Here's the first.Rays trade Akinori Iwamura to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Jesse ChavezChavez is a decent haul for the Rays who didn't have a spot anymore for Iwamura. Zobrist should now be enshrined as the permanent second basemen, unless the Rays want to push him out to right field and sign another second baseman. For fantasy purposes this means Zobrist will be getting a lot of at bats in 2010.Meanwhile this might not mean more moves are coming, but it does mean a few things fantasy-wise.It probably means Delwyn Young will be pushed back into the outfield…

• 
  Diamond Hoggers

• 19 Nov 2009 | 12:32 pm

  TheNaturalMevs

  19 Nov 2009 | 12:32 pm

  Tim Lincecum wins second consecutive Cy Young Award. A little Mary Jane didn't stop the phenom ace of the San Francisco Giants from winning his second consecutive Cy Young Award, edging out Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright narrowly. [Mercury News

• Had a dream last night

  TheNaturalMevs

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:16 am

  So last night I had this glorious dream. It was the best dream a man can have. Yes pervs, I was more disappointed waking up from this dream than a dream of any female from my youth or past. I had this dream that the Reds were in the World Series, and I cannot remember who against. They had just won a tight ballgame 7-5 or so to take a 3 to 1 series advantage over their AL opponent. Adam Dunn (who had been re-acquired) slugged the home run that made the difference. Jay Bruce had homered as well. The Reds were heading back to Great American Ball Park for game 5 and I was about to go and scalp a…

• The Offseason Dreams of Matt Stairs

  TheNaturalMevs

  18 Nov 2009 | 9:30 am

  Well, fuck. Now that we done lost the World Series to them damn Yankees of up north, I figured I'd travel home to my homeland and live with the rest of the Nordiques of my kind. My baseball career's aboot over with and I figure I can find work as a trapper, a rancher, or maybe a trailsmen somewhere well hidden in some wooded area beyond the border. I've carved oot a pretty good career. 17 seasons and 11 teams later I've got a .264 average and 3 stolen bases to show for it. I think I might fit well as a lumberjack too. The timber is fresh up in New Brunswick. Fuck being a substitute teacher.

• DH Video Select: When it Was A Game

  TheNaturalMevs

  18 Nov 2009 | 9:15 am

  As we did a lot last offseason, we bring you the first installment of Diamond Hoggers Video Select to help entertain you and get you through the offseason. Fair warning though, you will not always be brought baseball content within this space. It could be anything amusing, weird, funny. Anything submitted to us that strikes our fancy. Today, we bring you baseball though. If you read this blog you probably have seen When It Was a Game. If you haven't seen it, you need to see it. It's basically old classic footage of the game before it got tainted with agents, cleat chasers, Selig, Barry Bonds,…

• Cy Greinke

  TheNaturalMevs

  18 Nov 2009 | 6:48 am

  Zach Greinke's 2009 campaign started out pretty unbelievably, and it ends with an American League Cy Young AwardGreinke went 16-8 with a 2.16 ERA, throwing 6 complete games, 3 shutouts, and striking out 242 hitters in just over 229 innings pitched. He allowed only 51 walks.Basically, this guy makes the Kansas City Royals watchable. And you know something else? If they add another quality arm or two and a couple guys who can produce runs at a reasonable salary, Kansas City isn't that far away from being a contender. When you can trot out a Greinke every 5th day, anyone you build around him in…

• 
  FantasyScope Baseball

• 2010 Sleeper: SS Alcides Escobar

  redsoxtalk

  15 Nov 2009 | 5:49 pm

  There are a number of new names to know for 2010, guys who should see quite a bit of playing time relative to what they’ve seen in the past. This is called a fantasy sleeper. Draft them as late as you can (but before other owners do), and you’ve got yourself quite a bargain. Knowing [...]

• 2010 Profile: Jake Peavy

  redsoxtalk

  13 Nov 2009 | 11:27 am

  Jake Peavy has changed over to the DH league and will be spending his first season outside of pitcher-friendly PETCO Stadium. Not only that, but he’s coming off a pretty major injury. How will these factors affect his fantasy value this season? In just three AL starts last year, Peavy performed quite well (3-0, 1.35 ERA), [...]

• 2010 Projections and fPAA, Alpha Edition

  redsoxtalk

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:42 pm

  Now that we have some projections to look at, we can start to look at fantasy value. I have developed our fPAA method using 2009 fantasy league data. I calculate player value in two ways: first I look at their value in terms of production rates (i.e. total playing time doesn’t matter as long as [...]

• FantasyScope 2010 Early Projections

  redsoxtalk

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:36 am

  With the 2009 World Series in the books, it’s time to start thinking about next year. Too many days without baseball makes my brain go numb, so here’s something for you to play around with. I have posted the alpha version of my FantasyScope projections for 2010! Full spreadsheet available here. Feel free to use these [...]

• 2010 Profile: Ben Zobrist

  redsoxtalk

  3 Nov 2009 | 10:37 pm

  After a stellar .297-91-27-91-17 season (at multiple positions) which made Ben Zobrist a household fantasy name, what can we expect from him next year? Zobrist has always been a good hitter in the minor leagues, but 2009 came as pretty much a universal surprise. After a career year like that, it’s important to have realistic [...]

• 
  Insurance Runs

• well, i asked for it

  leo

  18 Nov 2009 | 6:00 pm

  Earlier I was feeling confident about the Phils. What did I get?A Rod holds trophy, laughs like school girlNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!Majority of the season: A-How it ended: F+

• a short take on baseball and the coming apocalypse

  leo

  24 Jul 2009 | 8:10 am

  Hi there!Remember when people cared about this?I do. Kind of.Right now is that time that I usually start paying attention to baseball again. I mean, REALLY paying attention, not just glancing at box scores and standings. Why not, since nothing else is on. And lookie here! The Phils are dominating of late and are the favorite to get Roy Halladay and create an Arziona-circa-2001 tandem that should blow away people.The Dodgers, whom I get to see more of than I want to, are admittedly rolling, but they don't seem built for the postseason. The Red Sox and Yankees... blah, blah, blah, infloated…

• Best. Season. Ever.

  leo

  2 Nov 2008 | 6:28 pm

  Yeah, I know, I didn't write anything this season and neither did anyone else.I was going to write in June how awesome it was that Tampa Bay was finally doing something, but it was early and I didn't want to jinx them.I was going to write in September how awesome it was that Tampa Bay was still doing good and the Yankees and Braves were going to miss the playoffs, but I wanted to be sure.I was going to write in early October how awesome it was that the Phillies upended the Mets late - again - but then I worried about them running into the Dodgers.I was going to write in late October how…

• 2 Oct 2008 | 10:51 am

  Werd

  2 Oct 2008 | 10:51 am

• 2008 preview

  leo

  1 Apr 2008 | 7:13 pm

  No one is reading this, but it's tradition.I'll be quick.NL playoff teams (wildcard *): Padres, Cubs, Mets, Phils *AL : Angels, Tigers, Yankees, Mariners *World Series: Mets over AngelsThere. I said it. That way, it won't happen.

• 
  Joe Posnanski

• Begging The Question (From Midair)

  Joe Posnanski

  20 Nov 2009 | 9:34 am

  I remember talking to a colleague of mine and, for some reason, Amelia Earhart came up. And he said: “Who is she?” I have to say at this at this point that this colleague is very smart and knowledgeable about any number of things, and has a million facts as his disposal on a million subjects. That’s why it was so startling to me. And it was. I was stunned. He did not know Amelia Earhart? How was this possible? I said she was the woman pilot from Kansas who disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to fly around the world.* His face registered some sort of vague…

• The LVP Awards

  Joe Posnanski

  19 Nov 2009 | 10:56 am

  The last of our awards … it’s Least Valuable Player Awards … and American League fans, it’s not who you think it is. American League LVP: Vernon Wells, Toronto Also considered: Yuniesky Betancourt, Kansas City; Jhonny Peralta, Cleveland; Alex Rios, Toronto/Chicago; Jose Guillen, Kansas City. Comment: Yes, I know — it has to be Yuni. I mean it HAS to be Yuni. And, of course, I do believe that Yuniesky Betancourt is the worst player in the American League. To me, you have a hitter with a 65 OPS+, a shortstop with a -20.5 Ultimate Zone Rating and a player with a…

• The Sweetland Awards

  Joe Posnanski

  19 Nov 2009 | 8:36 am

  Les Sweetland was a Depression Era lefty who pitched for the better part of five seasons and went 33-58 with a 6.10 career ERA. His strikeout-to-walk ratio was 159-357. Some of Sweetland’s lack of success was context driven — he pitched for terrible teams and spent much of his time pitching in the Baker Bowl, one of the worst pitching parks in baseball history. And then, a lot of it was that baseball people continuously seemed to believe he would pitch better the next time out. We name our Anti-Cy Young Award after Les Sweetland. The AL Les Sweetland Award: Jason Berken,…

• The McCloskey Awards

  Joe Posnanski

  19 Nov 2009 | 6:28 am

  Well, I decided to break up the awards today … since this apparently is what you are supposed to do with baseball awards. I mean, seriously, could we in the Baseball Writers Association stretch out these awards any more? OldHossRadbourne on Twitter yesterday announced that he was just told he won the Cy Young in 1884. Well, he did deserve it. He won 59 games that year. Honest John McCloskey had quite a baseball career. He barnstormed with numerous baseball teams in Old Hoss Radbourn’s wild 1880s, and it is said that he played literally every position, including pitcher and…

• Coming tomorrow

  Joe Posnanski

  18 Nov 2009 | 3:08 pm

  I’m up in Minneapolis working on a couple of Sports Illustrated stories … more on that later. But really, I just want to promote that tomorrow is our special baseball awards day. Yes, that means … The John McCloskey Award! The Les Sweetland Award! The LVP! You can probably figure out pretty quickly what those awards mean. I’m debating whether to put them all up at once or to spread them out over the day. What do you think? Oh, and while you’re at it, yes, it has been a long time since I’ve promoted this. Makes a great holiday gift. Let’s move…

• 
  Lady At The Bat

• 5 Nov 2009 | 6:03 am

  5 Nov 2009 | 6:03 am

  Readers, I'm facing yet another crisis. I hope to be posting again soon. Congratulations to the New York Yankees, the 2009 World Champs!

• Like Sugar, Game 2 Is Sweet

  30 Oct 2009 | 5:38 am

  The World Series features the best players in the world going after one of the most prestigious prizes in all of sports. Only about 700 men are blessed with enough talent to even have the slightest reason to believe that their Fall Classic dreams can become a reality. For AJ Burnett and the Yankees last night, reality got a little better, as they won Game 2. I am sure it was sweet as sugar.Sugar is also the name of a feature film that looks at the other side of the pro-baseball spectrum: the guys who never make it past rookie and A ball. I've been wanting to see this movie ever since it came…

• The 2009 World Series Preview

  28 Oct 2009 | 5:52 am

  The Yankees will face their toughest opponent this postseason when they face off against the Philadelphia Phillies tonight at the new Yankee Stadium.How do these two teams stack up against each other? Here's a preview:Offense: Everyone knows about the Yankees' potent lineup. It's the most powerful in all of baseball. But don't count the Phillies out in this area. Philadelphia has some great hitters, and Ryan Howard can go head-to-head with Alex Rodriguez anytime. Almost. Alex is still the best player in the game. Edge, Yankees.Defense: The Yankees' weak defensive outfield hurts them, but…

• These Are Not The 2004 Yankees

  26 Oct 2009 | 7:40 am

  Ladies and gentlemen, meet your 2009 American League Champions, the New York Yankees:After the Yankees won the ALCS last night 4 games to 2, it was pretty clear that these are not your 2004 "choke's on us" Yankees. Actually it was clear before that, but for Yankee fans, it probably was hard to see the proverbial forest for the trees.The trees in this case would be inviduals like AJ Burnett, Phil Hughes and Nick Swisher. Some would add Andy Pettitte to this mix. I could not believe how many people trashed Pettitte in the days leading up to his start last night. But, come on guys, these trees…

• Kevin Long Interview: LockerBlogger.com

  23 Oct 2009 | 8:06 am

  I received an email yesterday promoting a new sports site called LockerBlogger. It's a sports social networking site. Pretty cool. Anyway, they wanted to tell me about an interview they did with Yankee hitting coach Kevin Long.It's a good interview. Long talks about how different each player on the team is, how his approach for one player might not be the same as it is for another player. Also, his answer to the question of who he thinks would make a good hitting coach one day is pretty interesting. Have a look:

• 
  TigerBlog

• Tigers Set 40 Man Roster

  Brian

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:20 pm

  The Tigers added four players to 40 man roster today in anticipation of the midnight deadline.  All four were position players and they included future second baseman Scott Sizemore.  Audy Ciricao (shortstop), Ryan Strieby (first base) and Brennan Boesch (outfield) were all protected as well. That leaves quite a few pitchers unprotected heading into the Rule [...]

• Facebook, Twitter and Free Agents

  Brian

  20 Nov 2009 | 5:43 am

  Tigerblog just entered the 21st century.  I finally figured out to how to set up a Facebook fan page so if you want to follow the site that way, sign up as a fan.  You can also find me on Twitter at @tigerblog. Free agent signing season begins today.  I expect things will be rather subdued until [...]

• Ron Bourquin Suspended

  Brian

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:28 pm

  Minor League infielder Ron Bourquin got a 50 game suspension for testing positive for amphetimines.  What’s interesting is Bourquin could have been lost in the Rule 5 draft, but he’s now effectively protected because I doubt a team would want to scoop him up knowing he’ll take up a roster spot and miss 50 games.  Bouquin [...]

• Jose Valverde Projected As a Tiger

  Brian

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:56 am

  Paul White at the USA Today is projecting that the Tigers will sign Astros closer Jose Valverde.  He’s a little too injury prone for my tastes and my bet is his price tag will be too high.  The Tigers have some good young arms to use in the pen.  If they’re going to go for [...]

• Billy Martin, Prospects and the Offseason

  Brian

  19 Nov 2009 | 6:03 am

  Just a few quick links.  First off, Chris Jaffe has written an excellent book (I’ve seen parts of it) on baseball managers. Evaluating Baseball Managers: A Comprehensive History and Performance Analysis, 1876-2008 goes way back into the 1800s and brings things up to present, analyzing managers along the way.  He wrote a couple of excerpts [...]

• 
  River Avenue Blues

• Girardi named March of Dimes Sportsman of the Year

  Mike Axisa

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:30 pm

  While CC Sabathia is up for SI’s Sportsman of the Year award, his manager took home some honors of his own. The March of Dimes named Joe Girardi their Sportsman of the Year (Venus Williams was Sportwoman) because of his achievements with the Yankees in 2009, and will honor him 26th annual March of Dimes luncheon on December 2nd. The luncheon is at the Waldorf Astoria (walking distance from Grand Central), and if you want to attend, give the MoD a call at 212-353-1143, or email jcarlo (at) marchofdimes (dot) com. The MoD is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby…

• Looking at two free agent amateur lefties

  Mike Axisa

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pm

  Keith Law’s list of the Top 50 Free Agents hit the tubes yesterday, and mixed among the Matt Hollidays and John Lackeys and Placido Polancos of the free agent world were two amateur lefthanders that won’t necessarily make an impact in the big leagues next year, but would still be a wise investment for some team(s). First up is the guy you all know, Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman. He comes in at number five on KLaw’s list: Chapman is the wild card of the free-agent market, as his track record is largely unknown, he’s barely thrown for clubs since defecting and…

• RAB Live Chat

  Mike Axisa

  20 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am

  RAB chat 11-20-09 Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blogRAB Live Chat

• Yanks say Swish not being shopped, obviously

  Benjamin Kabak

  20 Nov 2009 | 10:29 am

  Yesterday afternoon, a low-level rumor by Bob Nightengale concerning the Yanks’ reportedly making Nick Swisher available took the Internet by storm, and we debunked and contextualized it. Late last night, one of George A. King III’s Yankee sources denied the rumor and said that Swisher isn’t being “shopped.” Of course, he’s not being shopped, but as I said yesterday, if the right offer comes around, he’s available. Nick Swisher is definitely not untradeable. Post from: River Ave. Blues A New York Yankees blogYanks say Swish not being shopped,…

• Dodgers a possibility for Wang?

  Joseph Pawlikowski

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:31 am

  The deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players is December 12, just a few weeks away. The Yankees will have decisions to make on a few players, including Melky Cabrera, Brian Bruney, Chad Gaudin, and Sergio Mitre. Chances are the Yankees will offer arbitration to all four, though I still think there’s a chance they’ll non-tender Bruney. The biggest decision they face, though, is on Chien-Ming Wang. The Taiwanese righty might have already thrown his last pitch in pinstripes. We learn this morning, via MLBTR, that Wang would consider pitching for the Dodgers.

• 
  Scott Proctor's Arm

• 27

  Andrew Fletcher

  4 Nov 2009 | 10:07 pm

  How sweet it is! Reuters

• Who says they hate each other?

  Andrew Fletcher

  27 Sep 2009 | 4:02 pm

  There are plenty of fun celebration photos all over the Internet, but the above photo is pretty cool.  Who says Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter don’t get along? NYDN Photo

• Top of the East

  Andrew Fletcher

  27 Sep 2009 | 3:01 pm

  The Yankees clinched the American League East championship with their 4-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox this afternoon. Despite starting the year 0-8 against their longtime rivals, the Yankees were able to fight back and eventually split the 18-game season series. The Yankees also won their 100th game of the season behind Andy Pettitte’s six innings and Mariano Rivera’s 43rd save. The division title was the Yankees first since 2006. Though the job isn’t done yet, today is a good day for the Yankees and for the fans.

• Saturday YanksBlog.com game recap

  Andrew Fletcher

  26 Sep 2009 | 5:04 pm

  CC Sabathia pitched seven shutout innings in the Yankees 3-0 victory over the Red Sox this afternoon.  Read all about it on YanksBlog.com. --- And on that note, I’d like to offer up an apology.  I obviously have not been blogging much this month.  I’ve been busy with school and the newspaper, and maintaining this site has been moved to my mental backburner.  I hope to write more as the playoffs are set to begin.

• Saturday YanksBlog.com game recap

  Andrew Fletcher

  12 Sep 2009 | 2:40 pm

  The Yankees lost to the Orioles for the second straight day, this time 7-3 with A.J. Burnett allowing two home runs and six runs in the second inning.  Read all about it at YanksBlog.com.

• 
  The Chuck Knoblog

• Parade Madness

  8 Nov 2009 | 6:24 pm

  I was at the Parade and when standing out in the cold for a few hours people find a ways to occupy themselves. Near me people were throwing toilet paper back and forth, which was fun. Some other people were doing this:Here is the quote from Deadspin:I attended the Yankee parade this Friday...and a group of kids were picking random people to be thrown in the air just for the hell of it. This was hours before the parade started. It was quite entertaining...and this girl was being thrown around like a beach volleyball.Deadspin has been bitching and moaning about the Yankees forever but that is a…

• For Anyone Who Missed It

  8 Nov 2009 | 8:58 am

  Click For HD

• Yankees Watching LEBRON!!!!

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:51 pm

  Here are the boys at the Knicks game. Notice the different styles of dress (A-Rod, Melky, Tex). CC and Melky matched their shoes with their shirt. That is very impressive for Melky; he strikes me as a guy who doesn't know what day it is.

• Yankees on Letterman Tonight

  5 Nov 2009 | 7:47 pm

  Already miss seeing your beloved Yankees on T.V.? Well, tonight at 11:35 eastern 3 of the core 4 (Jeter, Po and Pettitte) can be seen on the David Letterman show tonight. You don't even wanna know how many of the staff members have had sex with Jeter.

• 2009 New York Yankees Parade Info

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:13 pm

  Friday's ticker-tape parade will begin on Broadway at Battery Place (map above). They will make their way down the Canyon of Heroes to City Hall where the Mayor will present everyone (even Bruney) Keys to the City.The Parade will start at 11 AM Friday Morning (11/6/09)There are projected to be 3 million people attending the parade (including Nate and I)You need tickets to go to the City Hall ceremony but they will showing it on a giant TV near City Hall plaza. Here is the quote from Bloomberg: Congratulations to the Yankees for bringing the world championship back home to New York City, where…

• 
  Sliding Into Home: A Yankees Blog

• 11/20 Demolition Update

  Greg Cohen

  20 Nov 2009 | 9:54 am

  These pictures come from WCBS 880's Tom Kaminski. For the entire gallery click here.Images used with permission from WCBS880.com(click to enlarge)For the main demolition page click here.

• Will Wang Reunite With Torre?

  Greg Cohen

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am

  From Diamond Notes (hat-tip to MLB Trade Rumors):Yankees pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, a non-tender candidate, told Taiwanese reporters Thursday that his first choice was to remain with New York. But if the Yankees cut him loose, Wang said he would not be opposed to going to the Dodgers.“Not bad,” Wang said of the scenario presented by reporters that would have him going to Los Angeles. The two-time 19-game winner indicated that he would feel comfortable playing for a manager in Joe Torre who knows him well. Wang also went to middle school with Dodgers reliever Hong-Chih Kuo, and the two…

• AOL Fanhouse's Top 50 Free Agents

  Greg Cohen

  20 Nov 2009 | 7:20 am

  With the free agent market officially open AOL Fanhouse has listed their top 50 free agents. Toping the list is John Lackey. You can find all the characteristics of an ace in Lackey. He has the big-game experience, has thrived in that environment, and the ability is obviously there. You can bet all the usual suspects will be in on the action for the 6-foot-6 right-hander. This isn't a guy you need to worry about falling flat after he signs either. Lackey is a pitcher who isn't afraid of adjustments. He knows how to change things on the fly and fight through his struggles.Here's the rest of…

• See The Premiere Of The 2009 World Series Video

  Greg Cohen

  20 Nov 2009 | 5:43 am

  Yesterday I posted the trailer to the video, this morning here's some info on where you can see a special premiere screening of the film.On Monday, November 23rd at 7:30 p.m. there will be several screenings throughout the area. If you're in Manhattan you can attend the event at the Ziegfeld Theatre located at 141 west 54th street. There will also be screenings in many other theaters in New York and New Jersey. Here's the full list. Tickets to the event are $30.

• 11/19 Winter Ball Report

  Greg Cohen

  19 Nov 2009 | 11:16 pm

  In the final game of their AFL season the Surprise Rafters defeated the Phoenix Desert Dogs 7-4. With the win the Rafters finish the AFL season with a 16-16 record. (Box Score-Recap)Pitching:Mike Dunn (W, 1-2): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, pitches-strikes: 26-14, 4.35 ERA(click on pitcher's name for PitchFX data)Here's the final stats for all Yankees who played for the Rafters:Colin Curtis: .397/.472/.731, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 19 runs scored, 3 SB, 11 walks.Brandon Laird: .333/.406/.633, 6 HR, 24 RBI, 9 doubles, 18 runs scored, 10 walks.Austin Romine: .400/.438/.400…

• 
  Mister Baseball

• Prospects in 2009 – Kalian Sams – Everett Aqua Sox

  philipp

  20 Nov 2009 | 10:56 am

  During the winter months we are going to look back at the performances of Europeans, who played in the United States during the 2009 season. Kalian Sams Birth date: 08/25/1986 in The Hague, Netherlands Throws/Bats: Right/Right Organization: Seattle Mariners Position: Outfield 2009 Season: In his third professional season Kalian Sams split time between the Midwest League and the Northwest League. He started the year with the Clinton Lumber Kings batting .161 (OBP .230/SLG .339) with a homerun, two triples and three doubles in 16 games. He scored four times and drove in six. He was optioned to…

• 2009 in Review – Spanish Division de Honor – Baseball Navarra

  philipp

  20 Nov 2009 | 7:40 am

  During the “slow” winter months we’re going to take a look back at the 2009 season in the European Leagues. We’ve started with the Dutch Hoofdklasse and the Italian Baseball League. The Spanish Division de Honor is next up. Baseball Navarra 2009 Record: 18-18 2009 Ranking: 5th Place in Division de Honor Runs Scored: 142 Runs Allowed: 180 Best Batter: Hector Perozo. He batted a league-leading .448 (OBP .534/SLG .610) with three homeruns, eight doubles, 15 runs scored and 20 RBI in 31 games. Best OPS: Hector Perozo 1.144 Most Home Runs: Juan Jose Lopez 6 Most RBI: Juan Jose Lopez 21…

• 12,000 World Series Pictures packed into a 3-minute Master Piece

  philipp

  20 Nov 2009 | 12:31 am

  World Series Time-Lapse by Robert Caplin from Robert Caplin on Vimeo. Robert Caplin photographed the action at and around game six of the 2009 World Series between the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies and produced out of 12,000 pictures this fantastic clip. h/t NY Times Lens

• New Players for Montepaschi Grosseto, Coaching Staff completed

  philipp

  19 Nov 2009 | 11:34 pm

  The offseason in the Italian Baseball League is about to heat up. MONTEPASCHI GROSSETO announced a few decisions this week. New manager Ruggero Bagialemani returned from Cuba and completed his coaching staff with Humberto Casamayor and Antonio Acea, who will join Paolo Minozzi (bench coach), Alessandro Cipriani and Emiliano Ginanneschi (pitching coach). The first player transfers are also completed. Juan Figueroa will remain with the club in 2010. Kelly Ramos leans to an extension too. Yovany D’Amico also is expected back. Bagialemani also welcomes three new players. Liviston Santaniello…

• 2009 in Review – Spanish Division de Honor – CB Viladecans

  philipp

  19 Nov 2009 | 8:34 am

  During the “slow” winter months we’re going to take a look back at the 2009 season in the European Leagues. We’ve started with the Dutch Hoofdklasse and the Italian Baseball League. The Spanish Division de Honor is next up. CB Viladecans 2009 Record: 16-20 2009 Ranking: 6th Place in Division de Honor. CB VILADECANS was ranked ahead of EL LLANO in the final standings despite the same 16-20 record due to a federation ruling. Runs Scored: 181 Runs Allowed: 164 Best Batter: Oscar Angulo. The shortstop batted .379 (OBP .438/SLG .591) with 16 extra base hits, 32 runs scored and 32 RBI in 36…

• 
  BaseballGB

• You Are the Scorer: Thread for queries

  Joe Gray

  20 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  The weekly You Are the Scorer post will be used as a thread for scoring queries for the rest of the year, so please leave a reply below if you have a question or comment. To hunt through the first 50 You Are the Scorer questions, click here.

• Book Review: The Long Season by Jim Brosnan

  Matt Smith

  17 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pm

  The Long Season by Jim Brosnan, (Penguin, 1983), 278 pages Jim Bouton’s Ball Four is generally considered to be the first book that showed fans the real lives that ballplayers lead.  In fact, Jim Brosnan’s book on his 1959 season with the St Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds was first published ten years before Bouton’s more infamous text.  Ball Four’s place in the history of baseball literature was assured by the controversy caused by his uninhibited revelations about teammates and opponents, but The Long Season shouldn’t be overlooked just because of its less sensationalist…

• Press coverage gained in Merseyside for Norman Wells, Sr, Sir John Moores, and the British Baseball Hall of Fame

  Joe Gray

  17 Nov 2009 | 12:04 pm

  With two of the three inaugural inductees into the British Baseball Hall of Fame last month being Merseyside-based (Sir John Moores and Norman Wells, Sr), this is clearly the region of the country where press coverage was most likely to be achieved. And achieved it has been, with news stories appearing in three newspapers: the Liverpool Echo the Bootle Times and the Southport Visiter. The prominence of baseball in the Merseyside sports press could not have come at a more useful time for the region’s dominant team, the Liverpool Trojans. They are the oldest existing team in Britain but…

• MLB 2009 season review – NL East

  Matt Smith

  15 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pm

  After looking at the AL East last week, we’ll stay on the east coast and review the division won by the other League champion. BGB Predictions Joe: Mets, Mark: Phillies (Wild Card: Mets), Matt: Phillies (WC: Mets), Russ: Braves Mark and I were correct in predicting that the Phillies would retain their division title for the third straight year.  We were both undone by the Mets’ injury woes with our Wild Card predictions and they also scuppered Joe’s NL East pick.  Russ’s hopes that the Braves’ pitching acquisitions would push them to the top of the division didn’t quite…

• Rounding the Bases: Options, Hot Stove news and more

  Matt Smith

  15 Nov 2009 | 7:23 am

  BaseballGB is guided by three main aims and experience has proved that so long as we keep them in mind, seemingly simple ideas can be the foundation of features that are enjoyable and interesting to read and very rewarding to write.  That  leads me to the first instalment of the latest such new feature in which I will round up the main news from the previous seven days or so over the offseason.  It’s a straightforward premise, but one that I think will be well worth building on.  British newcomers to the sport will be able to keep up-to-date with the important news topics (not least the…

• 
  baseballdeworld.com

• Mexico: Mazatlan Clinch First-Half Title

  admin

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:29 pm

  MEXICO – The Mazatlan Venados reeled off a seven-game winning streak to clinch the first-half title in the Mexican Pacific League, putting an exclamation point on what has been a dominant season thus far for the defending Mex Pac champions. Mazatlan finished with a 25-10 record to outdistance second-place Mexicali, who ended the primera vuelta four games back at 20-14. The Venados’ strength lies in their pitching, as their 3.24 team ERA ranks first in the league. Mazatlan pitchers have allowed the fewest runs, hits and walks among the eight Mex Pac teams. Although the Deer batters…

• Florida Winter Baseball League Folds

  admin

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:27 pm

  UNITED STATES – The Florida Winter Baseball League has folded after just 15 games, the fledling circuit announced on Wednesday. “The Florida Winter Baseball League (FWBL) is suspending play for the remainder of the 2009-10 season. Although the inaugural season was shortened, the FWBL will continue on with its mission to provide the only US-based winter baseball alternative for professional baseball players,” said President and CEO Mickey Filippucci in a press release. The four team league, which played its games at the baseball diamond at the Cocoa Expo, was tagged as the…

• Top 10 International Baseball Websites

  admin

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:25 pm

  The days of scouring search engines and non-english websites for international baseball news has become a distant memory. And even though the majority of American baseball fanatics have yet to take notice, the game is growing at unprecedented levels all across the globe. Baseball continues to flourish in Asia where the sport enjoys a rich history. The Korean League has developed into a top circuit capable of standing toe-to-toe with the best teams in Japan. And, while gangs make a mockery of the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan, the game remains the most popular sport on the…

• Yomiuri Giants Ink Taiwanese Prospect

  admin

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:18 pm

  JAPAN – The Yomiuri Giants announced on Friday that they signed 20-year-old Taiwanese pitcher Chih-Lung Huang to an Ikusei contract. Huang possesses a fastball in the low 90s range and reportedly turned down an offer of $125K from the Texas Rangers last year. The 5′9″, 165 pound right-hander is a former top prospect who enjoyed a storied career as a member of Taiwan’s junior national team. He touched 94 mph a few years ago and was clocked around 86-90 mph in a recent college tournament. Huang, who had been training with the Giants since the end of October, also throws…

• Cuba: Maikel Folch Blanks Sancti Spíritus

  admin

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:44 pm

  CUBA – Lefty Maikel Folch became the first Ciego de Avila pitcher with a complete game shutout in the 49 National Series. He went the distance in a 10-0 victory Wednesday in a shortened eight innings game, allowing only five hits and beating the Sancti Spíritus Roosters. The Tigers starter was brilliant as he threw a five hit shutout against Sancti Spíritus earning him his third win on the season. Folch (3-0) put on quite a performance showing complete command of his pitches as he dominated the Roosters lineup. The win gave Folch his 54th career win and 15th career complete game. He…

• 
  The Cub Reporter (TCR) | A Chicago Cubs Blog

• Sun Sets on 2009 Solar Sox

  Arizona Phil

  19 Nov 2009 | 5:13 pm

  Mike Leake (CIN) threw four innings of shutout ball and Lance Zawadzki (SD) had three hits, including a solo home run and a two-run double, leading the Peoria Saguaros to an 8-1 victory over the Mesa Solar Sox at HoHoKam Park this afternoon. box score This was the final regular season game for both teams, as the Phoenix Desert Dogs (East Division Champions) and the Peoria Javelinas (West Division champs) will play in  the 2009 AFL Championship Game at Scottsdale Stadium on Saturday. The Solar Sox finished in last place in the AFL East Division, with the worst record in the league. Starlin…

• Cubs Deal Heilman to Diamondbacks

  Rob G.

  19 Nov 2009 | 1:44 pm

  The Cubs have traded RHP Aaron Heilman to the Arizona Diamondbacks for two minor leaguers, LHP Scott Maine and 1B Ryne White. No one on the Cubs or their fans is probably gonna miss Heilman so I won't waste much space on him, but it was a good way for the Cubs to get something for a guy that was probably a good bet to get non-tendered. White's a local boy that went to high school at St. Rita, not too far from MIdway Airport. He then went to college at Purdue and was drafted in the 4th round by the Diamondbacks in 2008. He spent that year in Rookie Ball and then the Midwest League for a…

• Grabow Deal Near Completion

  Rob G.

  19 Nov 2009 | 6:27 am

  Bruce Levine is reporting that a deal with John Grabow should be completed today for two years and nearly 7.5 million. I had expressed my indifference in the past over resigning Grabow. Oh sure, his ERA has been pretty good the last two years, but with a BB/9 rate near 5 last year and 4.15 for his career, I don't think anyone would really miss him if he got away. I was asked in the comments yesterday how I'd handle this situation and here was my response. I offer Grabow arbitration and wait to see if he takes it...chances are he will because a team doesn't want to give up a draft pick for a…

• Final Cashner AFL Start Simply Indefensible

  Arizona Phil

  17 Nov 2009 | 3:17 pm

  Nick Evans (NYM), Mike Moustakas (KC), and Colin Curtis (NYY) each crushed two-run homers, and Ian Kennedy (NYY) threw five innings of one-run ball, leading the Surprise Rafters to a 9-2 drubbing of the Mesa Solar Sox in Arizona Fall League action at HoHoKam Park in Mesa this afternoon, in what was Andrew Cashner's final AFL start. box score   Cashner allowed three runs (two ER) on four hits and a walk, with three strikeouts, over his three innings of work, but he actually looked very good. He threw a shutout top of the 1st, issuing a one-out walk to Daniel Descalso (STL) and allowing…

• Phoenix Top Dog in AFL East

  Arizona Phil

  16 Nov 2009 | 3:12 pm

  Danny Espinosa (WAS) had three hits and drove-in four runs and Josh Bell (BAL) cracked a three-run homer to cap a seven-run 4th, as the Phoenix Desert Dogs drubbed the Mesa Solar Sox 11-1 this afternoon at HoHoKam Park, clinching the AFL East crown and earning a berth in the 2009 AFL Championship Game versus the Peoria Javelinas next Saturday afternoon at Scottsdale Stadium.  box score Starlin Castro (playing 2B and batting 2nd) and Josh Vitters (playing 3B and hitting 6th) were in the Solar Sox original starting lineup, but Vitters was a last-minute scratch. I don't know why Vitters was…

• 
  Baseball Ink

• Animation Tribute to Dock Ellis and The LSD No-No by James Blagden

  SamM

  20 Nov 2009 | 2:15 am

  Artist James Blagden has provided a video tribute to Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis and his June 12, 1970 no-hitter against the San Diego Padres. “In celebration of the greatest athletic achievement by a man on a psychedelic journey,” writes Blagden’s NoMasTv in its YouTube description. The makers of the video hazard a guess that of all [...]

• Daily Show Compares Philly Douches to NY Douches

  SamM

  19 Nov 2009 | 2:42 am

  The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c Clash of the Cretins www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis The Daily Show’s Jason Jones and John Oliver have a douche-off between Philadelphia Phillies fans and NewYork Yankees fans.  You can decide the winners for yourself.  View the video here.

• How the World Saw the World Series

  SamM

  18 Nov 2009 | 2:09 am

  The British media went wild this month with the Yankees World Series victory. Many writing about the Series for the UK press brought in the A-Rod connection: “A season that started in turmoil ended in glory for the New York Yankees and their superstar hitter Alex Rodriguez,” wrote The Mirror. “Alex Rodríguez comes full circle to [...]

• There are some things money can’t buy …

  SamM

  17 Nov 2009 | 4:15 am

  See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor. Those amusing young whipper-snappers over at College Humor had a go at Messrs Jeter, Matsui, Rodriguez and Steinbrenner in this recent video following the Yankees World Series win.

• Baseball, US, Cuba

  SamM

  16 Nov 2009 | 5:13 am

  The Associated Press asks in a headline this week whether baseball can help restore relations between the United States and Cuba. “‘Pingpong diplomacy’ thawed relations between the United States and China in 1971. Can “baseball diplomacy” help do the same for the U.S. and Cuba?” the story begins. A group of slow-pitch players from Massachusetts are [...]

• 
  About.com: Baseball

• Comeback theme to AL Cy Young, manager awards

  18 Nov 2009 | 3:44 pm

  Zack Greinke and Jim Tracy certainly weren't front-runners for major awards back in April. Greinke was a guy with a ton of talent who almost lost it all because of a social anxiety disorder that threatened his career. Tracy wasn't even a manager, squarely in retread territory as the bench coach with the Colorado Rockies after two terrible seasons as the Pittsburgh Pirates' manager and a last-place finish with the Dodgers in 2005. Greinke, the AL Cy Young Award winner, starred for a last-place team in Kansas City, but it certainly wasn't his fault with a 2.16 ERA. He won 16 games - the lowest…

• Star potential resides further down the rookie ballots in 2009

  16 Nov 2009 | 6:25 pm

  Andrew Bailey and Chris Coghlan could become stars like Derek Jeter, Cal Ripken, Pete Rose or Willie Mays. It's also just as likely they'll become Bob Hamelin, Joe Charboneau, Pat Listach or Butch Metzger. All of the above, now including Bailey and Coghlan, were selected Rookies of the Year in their respective leagues. It means a lot, or a very little. Sometimes we see the brilliance early. Other times, it fades away as quickly as it seems to arrive. And I could be very wrong here, but at this point I'm leaning toward the latter camp with Bailey, who was a solid closer for the A's (26 saves,…

• Big markets bidding for Cuban lefty

  14 Nov 2009 | 3:34 pm

  One of the wild cards this free agent season is a guy who hasn't thrown a major-league pitch. The agent for Aroldis Chapman is drumming up buzz for his client, a Cuban defector who pitched in the World Baseball Classic. He actually didn't throw all that well, but he's a 21-year-old lefty who throws 100 mph. Those don't exactly grow on trees. He's making the media rounds, telling his story about how he defected (there weren't any motorboats - he just left a hotel during a tournament and got in a car at a predetermined time). He left behind a family, a girlfriend and a baby daughter. He also…

• Gold Gloves can be fool's gold

  11 Nov 2009 | 5:18 pm

  Baseball's Gold Glove winners, honoring the top fielders in the game, are always going to have a tendency to be flawed, because defense can be subjective. The sabermetrics folks have fielding stats, too, and they scoff at the Gold Gloves because the managers and coaches select them. The new stat used to measure fielding is the UZR (ultimate zone rating). It factors in range, arm, and fielding percentage in a form of  runs saved or cost, in comparison to an average fielder. (Click here for a more detailed explanation.) How well do the managers and coaches do compared to the stats? Not well at…

• Free-agent system is no relief to bullpen dwellers

  11 Nov 2009 | 1:35 pm

  The Elias rankings are out, which is one of those moments in the offseason that seems to become more important every year. The draft each June seems to take on more importance every year as salaries escalate for the top picks. Scouting has never been better; few prospects fall through the cracks. A first-round pick is now more valuable in many cases than a decent free agent, especially to a rebuilding team. And there's the rub in the current free agent/draft pick system. Any team that picks a Type A free agent - defined as a player in the top 20 percent of players at his position - loses its…

• 
  lenNY's Yankees

• What 12,000 pictures can do

  Lenny Neslin

  20 Nov 2009 | 9:00 am

  If you like the sound of a piano, and you like the Yankees, you’ll enjoy this. Just found this sweet time-lapse of Game 6 by Robert Caplin. Go figure, it was on a blog named after me.

• Yankees Roy Halladay rumors

  Lenny Neslin

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:33 pm

  The Yankees have been in contact with the Blue Jays to talk about ace starter Roy Halladay, according to Jon Heyman. As you know, I believe the Yankees should definitely go after Halladay. He is available to AL East teams this time around, his proven ability exceeds the cost of prospects and pairing him up with CC Sabathia translates to a 28th world championship. Heyman mentions that the Red Sox are more determined then ever to add a big player. But Bob Nightengale is throwing in the Dodgers to the list of bidders for Halladay as well. With free agents being eligible to sign with other teams…

• Going off of what I said earlier…

  Lenny Neslin

  19 Nov 2009 | 2:14 pm

  Last Friday, I posted about being careful of what you read with all of the hot stove rumors going to be flying around when the clock strikes 12:01 tonight. Here are some more key phrases you should be aware of. I. Hate. Rumors.

• USA Today: Swisher available

  Lenny Neslin

  19 Nov 2009 | 2:04 pm

  Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweeted some interesting news this afternoon: The Yankees, ever so quietly, are letting teams know that RF Nick Swisher is available. Swisher is under contract through 2011, but his price tag goes way up. Look at how his contract shapes up from when he signed back before the ‘07 season: 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012* $0.7M $3.5M $5.3M $6.75M $9M $10.25M *Club option ($1M buyout) Despite his big increase in money over the next few years, I would hate to see Swisher go. Swish was a big part of the 2009 team’s chemistry. Now, some say that had nothing to do with…

• Poll Results: Yanks should get Holliday

  Lenny Neslin

  19 Nov 2009 | 9:00 am

  Despite the fact that the Yankees have no interest in Matt Holliday, the fans have voted Holliday as the player the Yankees should covet most. Curtis Granderson and Johnny Damon finished in a close second, which are the two I’d like to have. Next poll: Which young guns would you give up for Roy Halladay?

• 
  Baseball Boss Online Game Blog

• Reducing the Available 2008 Spire Case Inventory

  CrashD

  18 Nov 2009 | 4:01 pm

  Based on suggestions we’ve gotten from a number of players, we’ve decided to reduce the number of 2008 cases available for purchase by 2,000.  As of this writing, there will still be about 1,500 cases available for purchase. We’ll make that change next Wednesday, 11/25. And since a number of you have also asked, as of today we only have 3 of the Grand Slam bonus bundles left.

• Questions About New Sets

  CrashD

  9 Nov 2009 | 11:45 am

  We know many of you have had questions about new sets in Baseball Boss.  I thought my last post would help clarify things, but since we are still getting questions, let me attempt to clarify what’s up. As we always have, we have a number of new card sets in development for Baseball Boss. Our goal is to round out the eras of baseball that are currently not represented in the game. But, as some of you know from previous conversations, posts, and the like around here, producing new sets is never just as simple as a desire to make the cards.  There are always circumstances around photos,…

• An Update on Baseball Boss & Challenge Games

  CrashD

  28 Oct 2009 | 9:57 am

  As many of you know, Baseball Boss is a little over a year old. As Gussie Busch said about his 1982 St. Louis Cardinals, it’s been “a heckuva year.” The fun part (and the challenging part) about building games for the web is that the web evolves incredibly rapidly. A great example of this is what has happened to gaming over the past year. It’s impossible not to notice the impact social networks - and especially Facebook - have had on how people play games. After a great deal of thought and deliberation, we’ve decided the best way to build games that large numbers…

• A-Rod vs. Ryan Howard: Who is the Clutchiest of Clutchtown?

  Matty Baseball

  19 Oct 2009 | 10:28 am

  Let’s review the tale of the tape: Alex Rodriguez: New Mr. October Officially a true Yankee Dating Kate Hudson Ryan Howard: Towering Physical Specimen Postseason Beast Dating Jared Fogel I’d choose the Subway sub over Kate Hudson, too. Aside from that, I’m not sure whether to go with the guy who’s as productive as the Eagles offense and looking to tie Lou Gehrig’s 77-year-old record for consecutive postseason games with an RBI, or the guy who’s shedding demonizing labels and looking to reclaiming his GOAT status. Not scapegoat: Greatest of All-Time.

• NLCS Game 1 Recap, ALCS Weather Forecast, And Most Importantly: Balloon Boy!

  Matty Baseball

  16 Oct 2009 | 11:25 am

  Phillies win 8-6 with timely power hitting, return to form of its once dominant closer, blahblahblah. But let’s get down to brass tacks: I loves me a good hoax, and oh, did the Balloon Boy Incident have it all. There was a Pixar-inspired UFO, reality-TV parents, a spooky box in the attic, and all of it caused a media swell for a truly spectacular couple of frenzied hours. The national live feed of the low-speed chase following the homemade saucer’s flightpath from the local-affiliate newscopter might just be our generation’s white Ford Bronco on the lam coverage. [And notice…

• 
  Hot Foot Blog

• Keep the Prospects, Go for Lackey

  Roy Halladay is available. Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos has made that clear, and is even willing to give a team a window to discuss a contract extension. This does not mean the Mets should get involved. For the first time in a few years, the Mets actually have a good ...

• Heilman Goes to the DBacks

  The Cubs have traded RHP Aaron Heilman to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for a pair of prospects, LHP Scott Maine and 1B Ryne White. After posting a 5.21 ERA for the Mets in 2008, Heilman bounced back somewhat to post a 4.11 ERA to go along with a 4-4 record ...

• Mets Could Use a Wang

  According to many reports, such as Joel Sherman's in the New York Post, it looks like the Yankees will non-tender RHP Chien-Ming Wang. According to his agent, Wang will be ready by mid-April or May. Within ESPN.com Rumor Central earlier this week, Keith Law had to say: "If the Yanks can work ...

• An Outside The (X)Box Offseason Plan

  With recent talk that the Mets may not be spending on a top-tier free agent, many Mets fans have begun speculating which second-tier free agents or trade targets may be a fit. With this in mind, I have come up with a four-part offseason plan that would make fantasy baseball players, video ...

• Please, No Cameron Redux

  Monday for Fan Graphs, the very intelligent Dave Cameron opined that if a team were looking for a cheaper alternative to Matt Holliday, Mike Cameron and not Jason Bay is the cost effective solution. With other reports, such as Adam Rubin's for The Daily News, suggesting that the Mets may not be ...

• 
  Rounding Third

• Baseball Only? Day 3

  Rounding Third Staff

  20 Nov 2009 | 1:47 am

  RT Staff Note: The following is our response to a thread on NorCal Preps.com that talks about the issue of whether or not players should baseball year round. The following is our take, but for the entire thread go to NorCalPreps.com Baseball Message Board. Not everyone agrees with our viewpoint. It's a great discussion and this message board is a model for other message boards, especially during the off-season. For the record, our stats on players that play only baseball come from our readers. We have received hundreds of e-mails from parents announcing their sons NLI and their sports…

• Baseball Only? Day 2

  Rounding Third Staff

  19 Nov 2009 | 1:47 am

  RT Staff Note: The following is our response to a thread on NorCal Preps.com that talks about the issue of whether or not players should baseball year round. The following is our take, but for the entire thread go to NorCalPreps.com Baseball Message Board. Not everyone agrees with our viewpoint. It's a great discussion and this message board is a model for other message boards, especially during the off-season.There are a couple of interesting viewpoints and we have written about most of them in the past. We are big supporters of what we call College Development Programs. Those are programs…

• Baseball Only?

  Rounding Third Staff

  18 Nov 2009 | 1:47 am

  RT Staff Note: We occasionally scour Rivals message boards and came across a subject on NorCal Preps a few months ago. The issue discussed...should an athlete concentrate on baseball year round? Over the next few days, we will post our answers and comment on the entire subject...The following is our initial answer. For the entire thread, go to NorCal Preps Baseball Board.The answer to your question depends on the ability, desire and goals of the player. For the purposes of this post...I will concentrate on High School only.If a player desires to play baseball with a D-I college and has the…

• NLI Signing Rant

  Rounding Third Staff

  17 Nov 2009 | 1:47 am

  As we scoured the nations newspapers looking for news on recent high school players that may have slipped our web of contacts, we noticed that 95% of newspapers nationwide did not cover or mention any baseball National Letter of Intent signings. Those same newspapers did announce basketball NLI's. This isn't new and it's been done this way for years because baseball is not considered a revenue generating sport like basketball and football. But as the true American Pastime, the sport deserves better.The good news is...we see a change in the making as it relates to baseball as a revenue sport.

• How to Slow Down Time With Your Mind

  Rounding Third Staff

  16 Nov 2009 | 1:47 am

  RT Staff Note: We saw this fascinating article on the web and had to reprint it. It takes the phrase, "think out of the box" to a whole new level. Interestingly, many of the top hitters in the game like Ichuro, A-Rod and Jeter practice mental techniques just like this article suggests. Scouts talk about the 5 tool athlete...The power behind all of those tools lies from within your mind.By Enoch Tan / Creator of Secrets of Mind and RealityYour spirit operates outside time and space. When there is an emergency where danger is about to approach you faster than you can normally sense, your spirit…

• 
  Pitchers Hit Eighth :: A St. Louis Cardinals blog

• UCB Roundtable: Mark McGwire as hitting coach, a circus?

  Josh

  5 Nov 2009 | 9:40 am

  This one fell into my lap, and who am I to not to jump at the chance to get everyone’s feelings… The Monday (10.26) night Radio Show was just the start, and the UCB crew takes a lot of pride in our work. With that being said, how much of a circus is it going to be with Big Mac in the fold for the 2010 campaign? Don’t hold back now — honesty scores bonus points! Dan (C70) — Honestly? I think it still depends. If McGwire will come out, answer questions, and really make an attempt to handle the issue, I think it’ll die out along the way. Probably some story in…

• UCB Radio Hour with guest P.J. Walters

  PH8

  4 Nov 2009 | 5:49 pm

  Join Josh and I tonight for another UCB Radio broadcast over at Blog Talk Radio, 9:30pm Central Time. Tonight we’ll be chatting with Cardinals pitcher P.J. Walters. Call in at 929.646.1758, listen live at BTR, or download the podcast at iTunes later! No comment | Permalink | Share on Twitter | © Pitchers Hit Eighth, 2008-2009 Categories: PHE Ramblings

• Interview with Josh Squatrito on UCB Radio Tonight

  Josh

  29 Oct 2009 | 12:11 pm

  Join us for another Special Edition of the UCB Radio podcast with Josh Squatrito, Batavia Muckdogs Reliever of the Year and St. Louis Cardinals Rookie Reliever of the Year, tonight at 5 pm CST! No comment | Permalink | Share on Twitter | © Pitchers Hit Eighth, 2008-2009 Categories: Batavia Muckdogs, Josh Squatrito, UCB Radio

• Bill DeWitt III on UCB Radio podcast

  PH8

  26 Oct 2009 | 12:40 pm

  St. Louis Cardinals team president Bill DeWitt III will be the special guest on a Monday evening edition of the UCB Radio Hour podcast tonight. Join us, along with Dan of C70 at the Bat and Mike of Stan Musial’s Stance as we get the opportunity to talk Cardinals baseball and all things surrounding it with DeWitt. Not entirely sure how much time we’ll have with Mr. DeWitt, but we’ve got plenty of topics to discuss, so join in live via Blog Talk Radio, or download the podcast from iTunes tomorrow morning! One comment | Permalink | Share on Twitter | © Pitchers Hit Eighth,…

• 2009 Cardinals Player Grades: First Base (Josh)

  Josh

  23 Oct 2009 | 6:03 pm

  Today’s post took much longer than I planned for two reasons. The first is related to the Cardinals but the second, is well, not even close. For those that know me, my love for movies is nearly on par with that of a certain St. Louis sports team. We are going to keep this rolling along, but the movie references will be staying. Instead of writing up my review of Albert Pujols yesterday, my fiance and I took in a matinee. She is a big fan of horror movies, and there just happens to be a nice selection of choices playing. Before I say anything else, please don’t take just my opinion…

• 
  Capitol Avenue Club

• Friday Links and AFL Report

  CapitolAvenueClub

  20 Nov 2009 | 8:23 am

  Today’s post is dedicated to Jack Zduriencik, who just last year pulled perhaps the greatest magic trick a GM has pulled since 1991. Zduriencik took a team that won 61 games the previous year, a team that was 13th in the AL in scoring runs and 11th in the AL in allowing runs, and a team that the sabermetric community hated because they were losing for all the wrong (and easily avoidable) reasons (dependence on aging, overpaid players; mis-allocation of resources; crappy OBP’s; bad defense; and a bunch of finesse pitchers) and turned them into an 85-win team. Furthermore, they went…

• On the NL Cy Young

  CapitolAvenueClub

  19 Nov 2009 | 1:18 pm

  I suppose I should write something about this.  It seems to be the most prestigious award these days, seeing as the voters get it right some times. Many people view the selection of Tim Lincecum as a giant victory for statheads.  First of all, I’ve never viewed it as something to be attained.  The voting and awards are what they are.  It’s not a “victory” for “us” if Lincecum wins, it means the right person won the award.  I’ve never really been concerned with it, I guess.  Vote for the right person, vote for the wrong person, I don’t…

• Rough Estimates of Braves Starters Trade Value

  CapitolAvenueClub

  19 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  The trade value is in green: Tommy Hanson Year WAR Salary Excess 2010 5.0 $400,000 $22,100,000 2011 5.2 $400,000 $23,000,000 2012 5.4 $400,000 $17,300,000 2013 5.6 $7,000,000 $13,200,000 2014 5.8 $12,000,000 $10,100,000 2015 6.0 $16,000,000 $11,000,000 Total 33.0 $36,200,000 $96,700,000 Jair Jurrjens Year WAR Salary Excess 2010 3.5 $400,000 $15,350,000 2011 3.7 $5,000,000 $11,650,000 2012 3.9 $8,000,000 $9,550,000 2013 4.1 $12,000,000 $6,450,000 Total 15.2 $25,400,000 $43,000,000 Tim Hudson Year WAR Salary Excess 2010 3.8 $9,000,000 $8,100,000 2011 3.7 $9,000,000 $7,650,000 2012 3.6…

• The Best Few Paragraphs I’ve Read Today

  CapitolAvenueClub

  18 Nov 2009 | 1:11 pm

  Jerry Crasnick has a new article called Much gray area in defensive analysis.  The basic argument in the article is rather simple: We used to not have advanced defensive metrics.  Now we do, and that is good.  But scouts are still useful.  And the smart teams use both scouting evaluations and advanced metrics when evaluating a player’s defense. It’s rather well written, though, and thus worth the read, since his point is right, no matter how obvious and simple it seems.  But it contains the best few paragraphs I’ve read today: [Oakland A's GM, Billy] Beane listens to…

• Another Case Study on Perception and Reality

  CapitolAvenueClub

  18 Nov 2009 | 11:13 am

  One of the recent poll questions was: If you had to trade one of the two (Jair Jurrjens, Yunel Escobar), which would you?  The response was almost exactly 50/50.  I assume that if I’d substituted Kris Medlen for Jair Jurrjens it would’ve been a landslide win for Medlen.  I think most fans would rather part with Medlen than Jurrjens.  Take a look at the comparison of their performances in their age 20, 21, 22, and 23 seasons: Kris Medlen Year IP BB H R HR K WHIP RA FIP 20 2006 22.0 2 14 2 0 36 0.727 0.82 0.20 21 2007 47.0 12 39 14 2 63 1.085 2.68 1.84 22 2008 120.3 27 121 47 8…

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  Bats

• The Lessons of the Cy Young Awards

  By TYLER KEPNER

  19 Nov 2009 | 7:53 pm

  The voting for the Cy Young Award shows that voters are looking at more intricate statistics.

• What to Make of the Manager of the Year Award?

  By TYLER KEPNER

  18 Nov 2009 | 12:51 pm

  The managers of the year were announced Wednesday, and as usual, there were no surprises. The winners were Jim Tracy of the Colorado Rockies and Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels. This is an odd award, isn't it?

• And Now, the Encore: Yanks Charting Off-Season Course

  By TYLER KEPNER

  17 Nov 2009 | 6:42 pm

  The Yankees' off-season plans could include taking a chance on a starting pitcher.

• Pedro Martinez Gearing Up for 2010

  By JUSTIN SABLICH

  17 Nov 2009 | 10:56 am

  Pedro Martinez is hoping another team will take a chance on him in 2010, this time for the entire season.

• Mets Balancing Two Sets of Off-Season Priorities

  By BEN SHPIGEL

  17 Nov 2009 | 8:41 am

  The Mets' two biggest off-season objectives are to acquire another slugger and add a No. 2 starter to back Johan Santana. But there are other needs to address as well.