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  • Roundup: Rays Rally to Overtake Blue Jays

    NYT > Baseball
    By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
    16 May 2012 | 1:20 pm
    David Price won for the fifth time in six starts and Tampa Bay rallied from a 3-0 deficit in Toronto.

  • There's More To LSU's Gausman Than Gas

    Baseball America
    16 May 2012 | 2:17 pm
    Even though Kevin Gausman was a veteran of the high-profile showcase circuit, his emergence as a true blue-chip pitching prospect in high school snuck up on him a bit, the way he tells it.

  • Class A prospect Freeman racks up seven hits

    Arizona Diamondbacks News
    16 May 2012 | 2:45 am
    Class A prospect Freeman racks up seven hits

  • Braves find winning formula to defeat Cueto

    Atlanta Braves News
    Jon Cooper
    15 May 2012 | 11:16 pm
    Brian McCann snapped a 32-at-bat homerless streak and Tim Hudson threw six shutout innings before relenting as the Atlanta Braves topped the Cincinnati Reds, 6-2, on Tuesday night at Turner Field.

  • Garza hopes for healthy results vs. Phillies

    Chicago Cubs News
    Joey Nowak
    15 May 2012 | 6:22 pm
    Matt Garza will try to stop the surging back end of the Phillies' lineup, while the Cubs will face off with fill-in starter Kyle Kendrick.
 
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    Baseball America

  • There's More To LSU's Gausman Than Gas

    16 May 2012 | 2:17 pm
    Even though Kevin Gausman was a veteran of the high-profile showcase circuit, his emergence as a true blue-chip pitching prospect in high school snuck up on him a bit, the way he tells it.

  • Correa Shines In Loaded Year For Puerto Rico

    16 May 2012 | 10:11 am
    When shortstop Carlos Correa first transferred to the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy three years ago, there wasn't any fanfare or hype involved. Coming from Raham Baptist Academy, there was little reason to believe Correa may soon become his country's most prized draft pick.

  • AL/NL East Potential Relief Aces

    16 May 2012 | 9:42 am
    Could these pitchers be relief aces in the making? The reality for many minor league pitchers—even starters—is that they'll make most of their big league appearances in relief. Teams always need fresh arms for the ever-expanding major league bullpen.

  • Phillippe Aumont Can See Finish Line In Phillies Bullpen

    16 May 2012 | 9:32 am
    Triple-A Lehigh Valley righthander Phillippe Aumont has the best fastball-curveball combo in the Phillies system, but will he throw enough strikes for it to matter?

  • Buxton's Tools Put Baxley On The Draft Map

    16 May 2012 | 9:08 am
    To see the best high school position player for the 2011 draft, scouts had to go to Gardner, Kan., to see outfielder Bubba Starling. While not a baseball hotbed, Gardner was a relatively easy trip, as it's about 30 miles from downtown Kansas City. Baxley, Ga., on the other hand, is much more remote. A Deep South town, population 4,509, Baxley is bisected by U.S. 341 about 100 miles southwest of Savannah, Ga., a 30-minute drive from the middle of nowhere. The nearest major airport is two hours south—in Jacksonville, Fla. The nearest lodging is at least 15 miles away. Ask any scout,…
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    Arizona Diamondbacks News

  • Class A prospect Freeman racks up seven hits

    16 May 2012 | 2:45 am
    Class A prospect Freeman racks up seven hits

  • Rookie Corbin set to face veteran Moyer

    Jon Star
    16 May 2012 | 1:54 am
    To date, the race in the National League West has been a one-team affair while the pursuing teams jockey for position. Two of those clubs -- the D-backs and Rockies -- will meet for the first time Wednesday as Arizona travels to Coors Field for a battle of generational southpaws when Patrick Corbin and Jamie Moyer square off.

  • Miley slows Dodgers as D-backs end slide

    Steve Gilbert
    16 May 2012 | 1:19 am
    Wade Miley tossed 6 2/3 quality innings to lead the D-backs past the Dodgers, 5-1, on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, snapping Arizona's three-game losing streak.

  • Gibson quiet on brushbacks between aces

    15 May 2012 | 8:21 pm
    One day after D-backs right-hander Ian Kennedy and Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw exchanged brushback pitches, Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said he was not sure what all the commotion was about.

  • D-backs try to keep from pressing at plate

    15 May 2012 | 8:21 pm
    The harder D-backs hitters try to break out of their funk, the worse they do, and the worse they do, the harder they try.
 
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    Atlanta Braves News

  • Braves find winning formula to defeat Cueto

    Jon Cooper
    15 May 2012 | 11:16 pm
    Brian McCann snapped a 32-at-bat homerless streak and Tim Hudson threw six shutout innings before relenting as the Atlanta Braves topped the Cincinnati Reds, 6-2, on Tuesday night at Turner Field.

  • Braves try to keep hitting against Buehrle, Marlins

    Tom Green
    15 May 2012 | 10:50 pm
    While Mark Buehrle's 2-4 record may not indicate it, the Marlins righty, who signed with the team in the offseason after 12 seasons with the White Sox, has pitched well for Miami.

  • Kimbrel chipping in to aid kids with cancer

    15 May 2012 | 6:22 pm
    Craig Kimbrel decided he wanted to do something to try and level the playing field and found the perfect vehicle in Curing Kids' Cancer, a Georgia-based charity.

  • Braves may see return of 'Everyday Jonny'

    15 May 2012 | 6:22 pm
    Jonny Venters is not used to giving up multi-run innings. He shouldn't be. He only did it five times in all of 2011. That he's done it twice in six appearances in May is rather unusual. It's certainly more unusual than it is, say, disconcerting to Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez.

  • Delgado 'covering up,' settling into rotation

    15 May 2012 | 6:22 pm
    The cover-up may be worse than the act in some walks of life, but it's working wonders for Atlanta Braves rookie pitcher Randall Delgado. Delgado's ability to cover up is helping make him a popular figure in the Braves' clubhouse.
 
 
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    Cincinnati Reds News

  • Class A prospect retires 16 straight in spot-start

    16 May 2012 | 1:06 am
    Class A prospect retires 16 straight in spot-start

  • Cueto pounced on early, suffers first loss

    Guy Curtright
    15 May 2012 | 10:30 pm
    The Braves batted around in a four-run third inning, and the previously unbeaten Johnny Cueto was gone after one more frame as the Braves rolled to a 6-2 victory that dropped the Reds to 2 1/2 games behind St. Louis in the NL Central.

  • Leake seeks to find his way as Reds meet Mets

    Lance Lysowski
    15 May 2012 | 9:50 pm
    Entering Wednesday's matchup against the Mets, Reds starting pitcher Mike Leake is hoping to snap out of the worst stretch of his career, while Johan Santana is trying to build off of a strong outing his last time out.

  • Reds prepare for extended stay in Big Apple

    15 May 2012 | 5:35 pm
    In what is sure to be a challenge to the per diems of players and staff, the Reds will spend five straight days in New York City because of a scheduling quirk.

  • Baker: 'I hate to have Chipper go'

    15 May 2012 | 5:35 pm
    Chipper Jones is retiring after this season, and the Reds, like other teams, will pay tribute to the future Hall of Famer when the Braves come to Cincinnati for a four-game series beginning Monday.
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    Colorado Rockies News

  • Scutaro's homer wins it for Rockies

    Alex Espinoza
    16 May 2012 | 2:43 am
    With his team in the midst of an early-season funk, veteran infielder Marco Scutaro hit a game-winning solo shot in the top of the ninth to give the Rockies a 5-4 win against the Giants on Tuesday night.

  • Veteran Moyer set to face D-backs rookie

    Jon Star
    16 May 2012 | 1:54 am
    To date, the race in the National League West has been a one-team affair while the pursuing teams jockey for position. Two of those clubs -- the D-backs and Rockies -- will meet for the first time Wednesday as Arizona travels to Coors Field for a battle of generational southpaws when Patrick Corbin and Jamie Moyer square off.

  • Tracy raves about Friedrich's dominant starts

    15 May 2012 | 9:31 pm
    Manager Jim Tracy could hardly contain himself when reflecting on the week-long Major League career of rookie southpaw Christian Friedrich.

  • Tulowitzki back in action after foul-ball injury

    15 May 2012 | 9:31 pm
    The Rockies breathed a collective sigh of relief Tuesday after Troy Tulowitzki was inserted back into the starting lineup following Monday night's injury scare.

  • Rosario impressing as Rockies' backup catcher

    15 May 2012 | 9:31 pm
    Eliezer Alfonzo may be eligible to return to the Rockies after Major League Baseball recently overturned his 100-game suspension, but Colorado already has a contributor at the backup catcher position. Wilin Rosario, 23, has been on a home run tear of late.
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    Houston Astros News

  • Facing Brewers, Norris aims to build on gem

    Joey Nowak
    15 May 2012 | 6:28 pm
    Following Houston's 4-3 loss to the Phillies on Tuesday afternoon, the Astros sat at 15-21 -- just a half-game behind the Brewers in the NL Central standings. The two will have the opportunity to gain some ground as they face off against each other starting Wednesday.

  • Astros rally in ninth, but fall to Phils in 10th

    Michael Radano
    15 May 2012 | 5:06 pm
    Jordan Lyles was solid and the Astros rallied to tie in the ninth, but Hunter Pence's second homer of the game off Brett Myers won it for the Phillies in the 10th.

  • To rest Lowrie, Astros give nod to Gonzalez

    15 May 2012 | 12:58 pm
    The decision to start rookie Marwin Gonzalez on Tuesday afternoon against Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee was made several days before the Astros arrived in Philadelphia, primarily to give starting shortstop Jed Lowrie a day off.

  • Astros make Lyles a last-minute starter

    15 May 2012 | 12:58 pm
    It wasn't a government secret, but the Astros treated the identity of Tuesday's starting pitcher as such for a variety of reasons before giving the nod to callup Jordan Lyles.

  • Harrell's solid start not enough in loss

    Mike Radano
    14 May 2012 | 10:11 pm
    After a solid outing from right-hander Lucas Harrell, the Astros were unable to muster the offense needed to overcome the Phillies' pitching in Monday's 5-1 loss.
 
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    Los Angeles Dodgers News

  • Big hit eludes LA as win streak ends at five

    Quinn Roberts
    16 May 2012 | 1:46 am
    With Chad Billingsley lasting just four-plus innings and an offense unable to match that of the D-backs in their first game since Matt Kemp went on the DL, the Dodgers took a 5-1 loss on Tuesday.

  • Capuano ready to take next shot at Padres

    Paul Casella
    16 May 2012 | 12:53 am
    When the Padres and Dodgers open a brief two-game series Friday at Petco Park, the matchup will feature a clash of two left-handed starters headed in very different directions.

  • Sands eager to impress in return to Dodgers

    15 May 2012 | 7:11 pm
    As newly recalled outfielder Jerry Sands got into a routine and put in extra work at Triple-A Albuquerque, things began to turn around with his swing.

  • Ethier handles first start in center with ease

    15 May 2012 | 7:11 pm
    With Matt Kemp on the 15-day DL, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly put together his most interesting outfield alignment this season, with Andre Ethier making his first career start in center.

  • Dodgers' wives, kids have brighter place to play

    Quinn Roberts
    15 May 2012 | 4:19 pm
    Ownership updated the wives and family room at Dodger Stadium during the team's most recent road trip, believing that any renovations are a step in the right direction for the franchise.
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    Milwaukee Brewers News

  • Ishikawa's two homers lead Crew's barrage

    Adam McCalvy
    15 May 2012 | 11:23 pm
    The rain held off and the Brewers went off on Tuesday, getting two home runs and a career-best five RBIs from Travis Ishikawa and a slump-busting home run from Rickie Weeks for an 8-0 win over the Mets at Citi Field.

  • Wolf kicks off two-game set against Astros

    Joey Nowak
    15 May 2012 | 10:02 pm
    Following Houston's 4-3 loss to the Phillies on Tuesday afternoon, the Astros sat at 15-21 -- just a game behind the Brewers in the NL Central standings. The two will have the opportunity to gain some ground as they face off against each other starting Wednesday.

  • Conrad seeking first hit since callup

    15 May 2012 | 5:54 pm
    A game on Brooks Conrad's iPad was giving the Brewers' utility man a tough time Tuesday afternoon. Nothing has come easy of late.

  • Roenicke hopes Veras has turned corner

    15 May 2012 | 5:54 pm
    Will Monday's clean inning prove to be a turning point for Brewers seventh-inning specialist Jose Veras? Manager Ron Roenicke sure hopes so.

  • Weeks hopes homer can get him going

    15 May 2012 | 5:54 pm
    Rickie Weeks returned to the Brewers' lineup as promised on Tuesday and went 1-for-5 with three strikeouts. Manager Ron Roenicke is hoping desperately that the one hit was a big one.
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    Oakland Athletics News

  • Milone looks to get past his road woes

    Jesse Sanchez
    15 May 2012 | 9:59 pm
    Yu Darvish is going for his sixth win of the season as the Rangers take on Tommy Milone and the A's on Wednesday at Rangers Ballpark.

  • Colon solid, but A's blanked by Angels

    Jane Lee
    15 May 2012 | 8:47 pm
    Bartolo Colon allowed four runs on a season-high 12 hits and the A's were shut out for the fifth time this season in a 4-0 loss to the Angels on Tuesday at Angel Stadium.

  • A's claim lefty Blackley off waivers

    15 May 2012 | 6:21 pm
    The A's claimed lefty reliever Travis Blackley off waivers from the Giants on Tuesday, yet again adding to their Aussie contingent.

  • Manny on track to join A's on May 30

    15 May 2012 | 3:26 pm
    The A's announced on Tuesday that Manny Ramirez will begin a 10-day stint with Triple-A Sacramento on Saturday, putting him on track to join Oakland in Minnesota on May 30, when his 50-game drug suspension concludes.

  • A's roll in Anaheim behind Ross

    Jane Lee
    15 May 2012 | 1:45 am
    Josh Reddick's first-inning homer proved to be just the right dose of momentum to jump-start the A's to a series-opening win at Angel Stadium, where Tyson Ross pitched six dominant innings in Monday's 5-0 decision.
 
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    New York Mets News

  • Mets to host 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field

    Anthony DiComo
    16 May 2012 | 11:12 am
    Major League Baseball and the City of New York announced Wednesday that the Mets will host the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field on July 16, 2013.

  • Wright, Collins smooth things over

    Ethan Asofsky
    15 May 2012 | 10:58 pm
    To protect David Wright, manager Terry Collins pinch-hit for his star third baseman, which set up a heated argument between the two in the dugout in between innings.

  • Collins' cool head prevails in heat of moment

    Barry M. Bloom
    15 May 2012 | 10:35 pm
    As the bottom of the seventh inning of Tuesday night's game at Citi Field began, Mets manager Terry Collins said he had only one option in mind: limit the damage.

  • Amid Wright drama, Gee, Mets fall to Crew

    Spencer Fordin
    15 May 2012 | 10:24 pm
    Dillon Gee and the Mets were shut out for just the second time all season. The club may have found a galvanizing force in the loss, however, when manager Terry Collins opted to protect third baseman David Wright.

  • Johan aims to extend success as Mets greet Reds

    Lance Lysowski
    15 May 2012 | 9:50 pm
    Entering Wednesday's matchup against the Mets, Reds starting pitcher Mike Leake is hoping to snap out of the worst stretch of his career, while Johan Santana is trying to build off of a strong outing his last time out.
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    Philadelphia Phillies News

  • Elbow inflammation forces Worley to DL

    Todd Zolecki
    16 May 2012 | 10:27 am
    The Phillies on Wednesday placed starter Vance Worley on the 15-day disabled list and recalled lefty reliever Joe Savery from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

  • Former Phils hurler Greene revisits no-hitter

    Tommy Greene
    16 May 2012 | 7:19 am
    Former Phillies right-hander Tommy Greene gives details of his 1991 no-hitter in Montreal, as the 21st anniversary of his historic outing approaches.

  • Kendrick to start for Worley on Wednesday

    Todd Zolecki
    15 May 2012 | 6:56 pm
    Phillies right-hander Vance Worley (3-2, 3.07 ERA) will not make the team's trip to Chicago on Tuesday and will miss Wednesday's start against the Cubs at Wrigley Field because of soreness in his elbow. Right-hander Kyle Kendrick will start in his place, while Worley will be examined Wednesday in Philadelphia.

  • Kendrick steps in as Phillies head to Chicago

    Joey Nowak
    15 May 2012 | 6:22 pm
    Matt Garza will try to stop the surging back end of the Phillies' lineup, while the Cubs will face off with fill-in starter Kyle Kendrick.

  • Pence makes amends with walk-off homer in 10th

    Todd Zolecki
    15 May 2012 | 5:57 pm
    Hunter Pence's error helped the Astros rally in the ninth, but his home run in the 10th -- his second of the game -- gave the Phillies their third straight win, 4-3, on Tuesday.
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    Major League Baseball News

  • Vlad begins journey back to the big leagues

    Adam Berry
    16 May 2012 | 12:34 pm
    Vladimir Guerrero was at extended spring camp Wednesday, launching homers in batting practice and working his way back into baseball shape, and to the big leagues.

  • Lawyers spar as McNamee testimony continues

    John Schlegel
    16 May 2012 | 12:30 pm
    Through testimony that at times was testy and frustrated on both sides, Rusty Hardin, a lawyer for Roger Clemens, went after statements that Brian McNamee made before Congress and in his direct testimony earlier in the week, attempting to poke holes in the witness' credibility.

  • White Sox instructor Hickey dies at 56

    Zack Meisel
    16 May 2012 | 11:51 am
    Kevin Hickey, a pre-game instructor and former pitcher for the White Sox, died Wednesday morning. He was 56.

  • Myers, Odorizzi move up to Triple-A

    Evan Drellich
    16 May 2012 | 11:37 am
    The Royals on Wednesday promoted two of their top prospects -- outfielder Wil Myers and right-hander Jake Odorizzi -- to Triple-A Omaha.

  • Mets to host 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field

    Anthony DiComo
    16 May 2012 | 11:12 am
    Major League Baseball and the City of New York announced Wednesday that the Mets will host the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field on July 16, 2013.
 
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    Pittsburgh Pirates News

  • Cut4: Tabata sports a new hairdo

    15 May 2012 | 11:17 pm
    Cut4: Tabata sports a new hairdo

  • Correia can't contain Marlins; Bucs settle for split

    David Villavicencio
    15 May 2012 | 10:18 pm
    The Pirates gave Kevin Correia an early lead, but the right-hander could not slow the Marlins' offense on Tuesday, as a five-run fourth inning pushed the Marlins to a 6-2 win before 24,242 at Marlins Park.

  • Bedard, Gio set to square off in southpaw battle

    Paul Casella
    15 May 2012 | 9:44 pm
    Erik Bedard is hoping his start Wednesday against the Nationals goes much better -- and lasts much longer -- than his abbreviated start last week against the same club.

  • Down in lineup, Presley making adjustments

    15 May 2012 | 7:01 pm
    The Pirates' struggles have caused manager Clint Hurdle to try some different things with his lineup with the hope that it would help his struggling hitters find success again. One of those hitters is Alex Presley, whom Hurdle dropped from second in the lineup to seventh

  • After slow start, Barajas finding his swing

    15 May 2012 | 7:01 pm
    Rod Barajas seems to have connected with Pirates pitchers, because the staff's 3.12 ERA is second best in the Majors. However, his offense got off to a slow start, batting just .143 in April.
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    MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

  • Indians Release Robinson Tejeda

    Ben Nicholson-Smith
    16 May 2012 | 1:06 pm
    The latest minor moves from around MLB... The Indians announced that they released right-hander Robinson Tejeda. Tejeda, 30, appeared in one Triple-A game for Cleveland after signing a minor league deal with the team this offseason. The 6'2" Tejada owns a 4.42 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in seven MLB seasons.

  • Outrighted: Wheeler, Magnuson

    Ben Nicholson-Smith
    16 May 2012 | 1:05 pm
    The latest outright assignments from around MLB... The Indians announced that they outrighted Dan Wheeler to Triple-A Columbus. The right-hander, who was designated for assignment over the weekend, must accept the minor league assignment. The Blue Jays announced that they outrighted right-hander Trystan Magnuson off of the 40-man roster to the Dunedin Blue Jays (via Sportsnet.ca's Shi Davidi on Twitter). The Blue Jays sent the 26-year-old native of British Columbia to Oakland in the Rajai Davis trade then purchased him back from the A's last offseason. Magnuson has been pitching at Class A…

  • 2013 Contract Issues: Cincinnati Reds

    Ben Nicholson-Smith
    16 May 2012 | 12:45 pm
    The Reds are next in MLBTR’s 2013 Contract Issues series: Eligible For Free Agency (2) Scott Rolen - Rolen, now on the disabled list with a strained shoulder, could be replaced by Todd Frazier in 2012. Frazier is 11 years younger than Rolen and considerably more affordable. Miguel Cairo - Cairo, 38, contributed at three positions and posted a .742 OPS in 102 games last year. He's off to a slow start in 2012, and will probably be looking at a minor league deal next offseason. Contract Options (2) Ryan Madson: $11MM mutual option with a $2.5MM buyout. As MLBTR's Dan Mennella recently…

  • Phillies, Rays Swap Rich Thompson For Kyle Hudson

    Mike Axisa
    16 May 2012 | 11:48 am
    The Phillies have traded outfielder Rich Thompson to the Rays for outfielder Kyle Hudson, reports Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com (on Twitter). Both players have been playing in Triple-A this season. Thompson, 33, has hit .307/.390/.398 in 101 plate appearances for Philadelphia's top minor league affiliate this season. He's a .276/.349/.383 career hitter in over 3,400 plate appearances at Triple-A, where he's spent the last five years with the Phillies' organization. Thompson has one big league plate appearances to his credit, coming with the Royals back in 2004. Hudson, 25, has hit…

  • Heyman On Greinke, Red Sox, Wright

    Ben Nicholson-Smith
    16 May 2012 | 11:00 am
    Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has the latest from a handful of MLB owners... Brewers owner Mark Attanasio told Heyman he wants to sign Zack Greinke to a long-term deal. "Sure, why not? We'd like to keep him,” Attanasio said. Greinke, a free agent this offseason, said he likes playing in Milwaukee. "Good owner. Good guys in management. Good guys in the clubhouse. Really good, really good,'' Greinke said. It’s likely Greinke will ask for a $100MM contract this offseason, and that would be a lot for the small-market Brewers to commit. Red Sox owner Tom Werner told Heyman that manager Bobby…
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    Len and Bob - WGN

  • The W

    14 May 2012 | 12:36 pm
    Ryan Dempster has made history already this year.  According to STATS, he has the lowest ERA (1.02) since 1921 through 5 starts without recording a win.  As you can imagine, he is getting awful run support--in fact, the 2nd-lowest in MLB.  But, as we like to say, if he keeps pitching the way he has, wins will eventually follow.  It's another classic example of wins and losses not telling the whole story in terms of how good a starting pitcher has been.  Ryan has been the best Cubs starter and right now is leading the majors in ERA.  He has given his team a chance to win every time out…

  • Cubs Game Notes For Monday @ Cardinals

    14 May 2012 | 12:26 pm
    * These teams have split the first six games of their 2012 season series, with both clubs going 2-1 at their home park.

  • Stations Carrying Monday's Cub Game

    14 May 2012 | 9:00 am
    Tonight's Cubs/Cardinals game is a WGN Sports on the U game, being shown on WCIU Channel 26 in Chicago and also these stations in the Midwest:

  • Stats Sunday: Fielding Independent Pitching

    13 May 2012 | 8:45 am
    Greetings Cub fans, good to be here on Stats Sunday! 

  • FIP Leaders

    13 May 2012 | 8:27 am
    All data courtesy of Fangraphs.
 
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    San Diego Padres News

  • Bass bests Strasburg as Friars take DC finale

    Corey Brock
    15 May 2012 | 4:48 pm
    Will Venable had four hits and Anthony Bass was superb as the Padres roughed up Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg on Tuesday, scoring three runs in the first inning on their way to a 6-1 victory before a crowd of 23,902 at Nationals Park.

  • Richard hoping Dodgers will help him get going

    Paul Casella
    15 May 2012 | 3:20 pm
    When the Padres and Dodgers open a brief two-game series Friday at Petco Park, the matchup will feature a clash of two left-handed starters headed in very different directions.

  • Guzman starting to heat up for Friars

    15 May 2012 | 12:28 pm
    After a slow start at the plate, Jesus Guzman, who was the Padres' top hitter in the second half of 2011, appears to be finding his swing.

  • Headley concerned about Nats' Leon

    15 May 2012 | 12:28 pm
    A day after Padres third baseman Chase Headley collided with Nationals catcher Sandy Leon, Headley was still thinking about the incident at the plate that led to Leon -- who was making his Major League debut -- being placed on the disabled list with a right ankle sprain.

  • Hundley showing skills at nabbing basestealers

    15 May 2012 | 12:28 pm
    Catcher Nick Hundley entered Tuesday's game against the Nationals as the Major League leader in nabbing would-be basestealers, with 12 this season.
 
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    Baltimore Orioles News

  • In KC, Hunter hopes O's keep slugging

    Josh Liebeskind
    15 May 2012 | 10:10 pm
    The O's -- tied with the Rays atop their division -- will look to keep the power supply coming in the opener of a short two-game series with the Royals on Wednesday.

  • Chen flummoxes Yanks, keeping O's in first

    Greg Luca
    15 May 2012 | 8:50 pm
    O's rookie Wei-Yin Chen, pitching as his parents looked on from the crowd, held the Yankees to just two runs on four hits and two walks in seven innings as Baltimore defeated New York, 5-2, to maintain a tie atop the American League East with the Tampa Bay Rays.

  • Winning essay symbolizes fan's resilience

    Greg Luca
    15 May 2012 | 7:40 pm
    Hunter Youngblood was one of four first-place winners in Major League Baseball's Breaking Barriers essay contest, which recognizes students who use the personal values of Jackie Robinson to overcome adversity.

  • O's lean toward second injection for Reimold

    15 May 2012 | 6:50 pm
    Orioles outfielder Nolan Reimold isn't showing signs of improvement from Friday's epidural injection in his sore neck, and manager Buck Showalter acknowledged on Tuesday that administering a second shot -- which would further delay Reimold's timetable -- is becoming increasingly likely.

  • Hammel reports steady improvement in knee

    15 May 2012 | 6:20 pm
    Orioles right-hander Jason Hammel said on Tuesday afternoon that he didn't experience any overnight discomfort in his right knee after Monday's start, and the 29-year-old righty is on track to make his scheduled start on Saturday against the Nationals.
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    Boston Red Sox News

  • Back in the saddle: Beckett dominates Mariners

    Evan Drellich
    15 May 2012 | 8:38 pm
    Josh Beckett rescued himself from the rough Tuesday in the Red Sox's 5-0 win over the Mariners that was meaningful not only for a pitcher who has taken his share of flack, but a team whose starters could not get on track until five games ago.

  • Sox riding momentum into showdown with Rays

    Austin Laymance
    15 May 2012 | 8:22 pm
    The Red Sox are red hot as they roll into St. Petersburg to begin a two-game series with the Rays on Wednesday. Clay Buchholz gets the ball on Wednesday looking to continue Boston's recent stretch of strong starting pitching, while Jeremy Hellickson starts for Tampa Bay after a strong outing against the Orioles on Friday.

  • Mirabelli knows how to make an entrance

    15 May 2012 | 6:51 pm
    Mirabelli knows how to make an entrance

  • Red Sox pay tribute to Wakefield at Fenway

    Austin Laymance
    15 May 2012 | 5:29 pm
    Tim Wakefield is still adjusting to life after baseball. On Tuesday, he returned to the place he called home for 17 years: the mound at Fenway Park.

  • Salty, not Shoppach, behind plate for Beckett

    15 May 2012 | 4:07 pm
    With the Mariners starting right-hander Blake Beavin on Tuesday, manager Bobby Valentine elected to go with Jarrod Saltalamacchia instead of Kelly Shoppach, who is a weaker hitter against right-handers.
 
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    Chicago White Sox News

  • White Sox instructor Hickey dies at 56

    Zack Meisel
    16 May 2012 | 11:51 am
    Kevin Hickey, a pre-game instructor and former pitcher for the White Sox, died Wednesday morning. He was 56.

  • For starters: Sale talks way back into rotation

    Scott Merkin
    16 May 2012 | 9:00 am
    The smile on Chris Sale's face looked something like the joy usually reserved for an exceptionally cool holiday gift, or maybe even the birth of his son. But on this occasion, it was just Sale sitting in the White Sox dugout telling the tale of how he left -- and then returned -- to the starting rotation in the matter of one week.

  • Floyd looks to continue excellence against Angels

    Lance Lysowski
    15 May 2012 | 11:59 pm
    The White Sox and Angels open a two-game series in Anaheim on Wednesday, with right-handers Gavin Floyd and Jerome Williams taking the hill for their respective clubs.

  • Peavy, White Sox endure series-splitting headache

    Scott Merkin
    15 May 2012 | 5:15 pm
    Jake Peavy sailed into the sixth inning Tuesday afternoon with a six-run lead, but the Tigers crushed three homers during an eight-run outburst and cruised to a 10-8 victory over the White Sox in Chicago. A.J. Pierzynski went 5-for-5.

  • White Sox, MLB to host Diversity Summit

    Joey Nowak
    15 May 2012 | 2:45 pm
    Major League Baseball and the White Sox will co-host the first MLB Diversity Business Summit to provide attendees with access to human resource and procurement executives from across baseball, MLB announced Tuesday.
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    Detroit Tigers News

  • Tigers roar past White Sox with eight-run sixth

    Cash Kruth
    15 May 2012 | 6:25 pm
    Miguel Cabrera, Ryan Raburn and Austin Jackson all homered during an eight-run sixth inning and the Tigers held on for a 10-8 victory over the White Sox in Chicago on Tuesday afternoon.

  • Back stiffness forces Valverde out of game

    Cash Kruth
    15 May 2012 | 5:48 pm
    Tigers closer Jose Valverde left Tuesday's ninth inning because of back stiffness in Detroit's 10-8 win against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

  • Consistent success elusive for Tigers, Twins

    Paul Casella
    15 May 2012 | 5:42 pm
    Detroit will be looking to win back-to-back games for the first time since April 18 as it welcomes Minnesota to Comerica Park for a two-game series on Wednesday.

  • Leyland respects resurgence of Dunn, Peavy

    15 May 2012 | 12:07 pm
    Tigers manager Jim Leyland expected 2011 was simply a blip for White Sox slugger Adam Dunn, and Dunn has come back in 2012 to show exactly that.

  • Fielder takes over consecutive games streak

    15 May 2012 | 12:07 pm
    With Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp going on the disabled list Monday with a strained left hamstring, Tigers first baseman Prince Fielder is now MLB's active leader in consecutive games played.
 
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    Kansas City Royals News

  • Royals Minor League Report: May 15

    16 May 2012 | 1:03 pm
    Royals Minor League Report: May 15

  • Myers, Odorizzi move up to Triple-A

    Evan Drellich
    16 May 2012 | 11:37 am
    The Royals on Wednesday promoted two of their top prospects -- outfielder Wil Myers and right-hander Jake Odorizzi -- to Triple-A Omaha.

  • Royals rock Rangers for fourth straight win

    Dick Kaegel
    15 May 2012 | 11:42 pm
    How's four straight wins and a two-game sweep over the high-ridin' Texas Rangers sound? Mighty good to the Royals, who beat the Rangers, 7-4, on Tuesday. The Royals have won six of the last seven games, and the four-game win streak is their longest of the season.

  • Two starts in, Paulino targets consistent form

    Josh Liebeskind
    15 May 2012 | 10:10 pm
    The O's -- tied with the Rays atop their division -- will look to keep the power supply coming in the opener of a short two-game series with the Royals on Wednesday.

  • Soria, Duffy can look to Chen for inspiration

    15 May 2012 | 8:05 pm
    Royals closer Joakim Soria already has had Tommy John surgery this year and starter Danny Duffy apparently is headed in that direction. If they need inspiration about recovering from the reconstructive elbow surgery, they can look no further than teammate Bruce Chen.
 
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    New York Yankees News

  • Yanks seek length from Kuroda in Toronto

    Jon Star
    15 May 2012 | 9:45 pm
    Fresh off a two-game series with one team they're chasing in the American League East, the Blue Jays welcome another division pace-setter when the Yankees travel to Rogers Centre for Wednesday's matchup, the first meeting between the two clubs this season.

  • Without much help, CC handed first defeat

    Bryan Hoch
    15 May 2012 | 8:50 pm
    The Yankees' offense lagged against Wei-Yin Chen and the Orioles handed CC Sabathia his first loss of the season, posting a 5-2 victory over New York on Tuesday at Camden Yards.

  • Battling illness, Rapada willing to pitch

    15 May 2012 | 5:44 pm
    Reliever Clay Rapada was expected to be available for the Yankees' series finale at Camden Yards on Tuesday, one day after he had to be helped down the dugout stairs following a dizzy spell.

  • Yankees hope Nova can stay on turn

    15 May 2012 | 5:44 pm
    Ivan Nova said that his sprained right ankle improved overnight and the Yankees right-hander is hopeful that he will be able to make his next turn in the rotation.

  • Recalling history as closer, Soriano confident

    15 May 2012 | 5:44 pm
    Rafael Soriano has been named the Yankees' third closer in the last two weeks, and the right-hander is thrilled to be receiving the assignment.
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    Seattle Mariners News

  • Beavan lacks pinpoint command, M's get blanked

    Greg Johns
    15 May 2012 | 7:52 pm
    Blake Beavan prides himself on being an innings eater who gives his team consistent quality starts, but the young right-hander could only get through four frames on Tuesday as the Red Sox rolled to a 5-0 victory behind Josh Beckett for a quick sweep of the two-game series.

  • Mariners trot out ace Felix in Cleveland opener

    Josh Liebeskind
    15 May 2012 | 6:43 pm
    The Mariners will send ace Felix Hernandez to the mound Wednesday as the Indians counter with Ubaldo Jimenez, as a struggling Johnny Damon looks to get his bat going.

  • Smoak slowly gaining momentum at plate

    15 May 2012 | 3:15 pm
    It's been a tough go for Justin Smoak this season, but the first baseman has heated up over the last four games and appears to be gaining some momentum.

  • Ichiro staying put at No. 3 spot for now

    15 May 2012 | 3:13 pm
    Though manager Eric Wedge has mentioned several times in recent days that Ichiro Suzuki isn't a "prototypical" No. 3 hitter in his lineup, he said Tuesday there is no immediate plan to move the veteran hitter.

  • Gutierrez remains sidelined by heel issue

    15 May 2012 | 3:10 pm
    Oft-injured center fielder Franklin Gutierrez continues undergoing treatment on plantar fasciitis in a heel, which figures to delay his return to the Mariners until at least late June, manager Eric Wedge said Tuesday.
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    Tampa Bay Rays News

  • Price continues dominance over Blue Jays

    Chris Toman
    16 May 2012 | 11:11 am
    David Price's dominance at Rogers Centre continued and Tampa Bay's bats chipped in just enough to help complete the two-game sweep of Toronto, beating the Blue Jays, 4-3, on Tuesday.

  • Hellickson looks to cool off surging Red Sox

    Austin Laymance
    15 May 2012 | 10:30 pm
    The Red Sox are red hot as they roll into St. Petersburg to begin a two-game series with the Rays on Wednesday. Clay Buchholz gets the ball looking to continue Boston's recent stretch of strong starting pitching, while Jeremy Hellickson starts for Tampa Bay after a strong outing against the Orioles on Friday.

  • Cobb, Archer likely starter candidates

    15 May 2012 | 5:51 pm
    With Jeff Niemann on the disabled list, the Rays' leading candidates to replace him in the rotation are Minor League starters Alex Cobb and Chris Archer.

  • Rays recall Lueke to bolster 'pen

    15 May 2012 | 5:51 pm
    The Rays recalled right-hander Josh Lueke from Triple-A Durham on Tuesday to make room on their 25-man roster after placing Jeff Niemann on the 15-day disabled list.

  • Niemann placed on DL with broken leg

    15 May 2012 | 5:50 pm
    Jeff Niemann, who was seen hobbling around Rogers Centre in an air boot and crutches on Tuesday, has been placed on the 15-day disabled list.
 
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    Toronto Blue Jays News

  • Vlad begins journey back to the big leagues

    Adam Berry
    16 May 2012 | 12:34 pm
    Vladimir Guerrero was at extended spring camp Wednesday, launching homers in batting practice and working his way back into baseball shape, and to the big leagues

  • Lawrie ejected after arguing strike call

    Gregor Chisholm
    15 May 2012 | 11:13 pm
    Brett Lawrie was ejected in the bottom of the ninth inning for arguing a strike-three call with home-plate umpire Bill Miller. Lawrie slammed his helmet into the ground and it bounced off Miller's leg.

  • Defensive woes continue in loss vs. Rays

    Gregor Chisholm
    15 May 2012 | 10:55 pm
    Henderson Alvarez had another strong outing, but for the second consecutive night, Toronto's defense had a lackluster performance en route to a 4-3 loss to the Rays at Rogers Centre.

  • With Yankees in town, Drabek targets top form

    Jon Star
    15 May 2012 | 9:45 pm
    Fresh off a two-game series with one team they're chasing in the American League East, the Blue Jays welcome another division pace-setter when the Yankees travel to Rogers Centre for Wednesday's matchup, the first meeting between the two clubs this season.

  • Lind continues struggles at the plate

    15 May 2012 | 5:51 pm
    While the Blue Jays continue to try to find a way to get Adam Lind out of his slump, manager John Farrell acknowledged how important it is that Lind produces for Toronto's lineup.
 
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    Over the Monster

  • Salem Red Sox Update: Jackie Bradley, Xander Bogaerts, Matt Barnes

    Marc Normandin
    16 May 2012 | 12:00 pm
    Jackie Bradley, CF Year Age Tm Lg Lev PA 2B 3B HR SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG 2012 22 Salem CARL A+ 158 11 2 3 11 3 27 20 .383 .500 .583 2 Seasons 198 12 2 4 11 5 31 28 .353 .465 .532 Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original TableGenerated 5/16/2012. If you hadn't noticed, Jackie Bradley has been pretty okay in his first year of full-season ball. He has more walks than strikeouts, 16 extra-base hits, 11 steals in 14 chances, taken first on a hit-by-pitch six times, and played well defensively in center. Alex Speier reminds us that the last two players to come out of college and hit like…

  • Red Sox Minor Lines 5/15: Jose Iglesias Homers; World Ending

    Ben Buchanan
    16 May 2012 | 11:00 am
    Pawtucket W 8-2 Box Score Scott Podsednik: 1-5Jose Iglesias: 3-5, HR, K-Make your peace, folks. End times.Lars Anderson: 1-4, BB, 2 KRyan Lavarnway: 1-3, 2B, KAlex Hassan: 1-5, 2 KChe-Hsuan Lin: 2-3, BB, K Mark Melancon: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K-Just going through the motions at this point. Xander gets hit after the jump. Oh dear! Portland W 8-5 Box Score Kolbrin Vitek: 2-4, 2B, BBOscar Tejeda: 1-5, 2BJuan Carlos Linares: 1-3, 2 BBBryce Brentz: 2-5, 2 K Anthony Ranaudo: 4 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 HR-A little rusty, then. Was hitting 96 per Mike Antonellis. Salem Game 1 W 8-6…

  • Clay Buchholz's Last Start, And Things To Watch For

    Marc Normandin
    16 May 2012 | 9:30 am
    Things went a bit differently for Clay Buchholz's last start. This was a pitcher who had given up at least five runs in every outing to that point, was leading the league in runs allowed, had already surpassed his 2010 total for homers allowed, and had just one more strikeout than walk. He had been an absolute disaster, but against the Indians, he was able to hold his own long enough to escape with a win he actually deserved. Well, sort of. Buchholz pitched effectively, in the sense he kept runs off of the board. But the why behind that success is something that is a bit elusive. He struck…

  • One Plate Appearance: David Ortiz

    Matthew Kory
    16 May 2012 | 8:01 am
    I was watching the Red Sox game last night and thought, wouldn't it be interesting to look at one single at-bat in depth. To show the intricacies of the encounter and not just the result, but how the result was achieved. Today, I'm going to look at David Ortiz's third inning at-bat against Mariners pitcher Blake Bleavan. It was the bottom of the third inning in a 0-0 game. David Ortiz stepped to the plate against Seattle starter Blake Beavan. There was one out and nobody on base. To that point, Beavan had had a little bit of trouble with the Red Sox. He had given up a single to Dustin Pedroia…

  • YouTube: The Red Sox Crowded 40-Man Roster

    Marc Normandin
    16 May 2012 | 6:30 am
    Seven players on the 60-day disabled list in addition to a full 40-man roster means that the Red Sox will soon be in something of a roster crunch. Things are bad enough already in those regards with the 25-man roster, as Mark Melancon, Junichi Tazawa, and Clayton Mortensen sit in Triple-A awaiting a way to return to the big-league club, but the larger 40-man roster has its own set of issues. What are some of the options before the Red Sox, who will need to sort this mess out in the next month or so, once injured players are no longer hurting? That's the topic of discussion today in Over the…
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    The Baseball Card Blog

  • National-sized Expectations

    Ben Henry
    15 May 2012 | 9:16 pm
    It's less than three months away... The autograph-guest lineup for the National has been announced and it looks like the entire Major-League roster from the late 1970s will be in attendance: Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Pete Rose, Ferguson Jenkins, George Foster, Joe Morgan, Jim Palmer, Bruce Sutter, etc. It should be interesting to see what the hierarchy of superstars will be, if everyone will sit peacefully side by side at long tables, or if some of the old timers will conspire on a power grab or coup for the best folding chair and a spot near the men's room ... I'm interested to see what some…

  • NEW "Missing Cards" up on Facebook!

    Ben Henry
    15 May 2012 | 9:08 pm
    Did you know? If you haven't visited The Baseball Card Blog on Facebook, you're missing half of the conversation, including "Missing Cards" that won't be showcased on the blog until the series is complete. Visit today!

  • 1976 Topps Traded: The Missing Cards - #26T Andy Thornton

    Ben Henry
    14 May 2012 | 8:29 pm
    1976 Topps Traded: The Missing Cards - #26T Andy Thornton Let's talk about lopsided trades: Andre Thornton was traded straight up to the Cleveland Indians prior to the 1977 season for Jackie Brown. While not exactly Milt Pappas for Frank Robinson, with 20-20 hindsight it was an incredible deal for Cleveland.

  • Casting Agent: "Hops"

    Ben Henry
    13 May 2012 | 5:26 pm
    This week's edition of "Casting Agent" is for a pay-cable mini series drama focusing on the trials and tribulations of running a brewery during the late 1850s/early 1860s in the United States. It will take place in Milwaukee and focus on a character based on Joseph Schlitz, the power struggles of running a profitable brewery, and more larger themes like the U.S. Civil War. I see this as a "television event"–type series, with six episodes (at most) and no additional series renewal. I'm calling it "Hops." Characters Jim Thome as Tom Schlipps, upstart owner of the Knüg Brewery/Schlipps…

  • 1976 Topps Traded: The Missing Cards - #48T Joe Ferguson

    Ben Henry
    12 May 2012 | 8:58 am
    1976 Topps Traded: The Missing Cards - #48T Joe Ferguson Ferguson was famous for a few things: his home-run heroics in the 1974 World Series while a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers; his record-setting 1973 season when he made only three errors behind the plate; he had a bazooka for an arm, which helped gun down runners as an outfielder; and there was another athletic Joe Ferguson who was famous at the exact same time. I can think only one other occurrence of this off the top of my head: Eddie Murray, the great slugger for the Baltimore Orioles and Eddie Murray the kicker for the Detroit…
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    The LoHud Yankees Blog

  • Pitching matchups in Toronto

    Chad Jennings
    16 May 2012 | 11:16 am
    Tonight RHP Hiroki Kuroda (3-4, 3.56) vs. RHP Kyle Drabek (2-4, 3.66) 7:07 p.m., YES Network Thursday RHP Phil Hughes (3-4, 5.50) vs. RHP Drew Hutchison (2-1, 5.53) 7:07 p.m., YES Network and MLB Network Click on the headline for the rest of this blog post ...

  • “You’d like to be consistent”

    Chad Jennings
    16 May 2012 | 8:00 am
    The Yankees have one of the highest-scoring lineups in baseball. They rank near the top in all three slash categories, and they’ve built the third-highest run total in the American League. So how do nights like last night happen? It seems to come down to consistency – night to night and at-bat to at-bat. Despite a well above [...] Click on the headline for the rest of this blog post ...

  • Postgame notes: Robertson hoping for short DL stint

    Chad Jennings
    15 May 2012 | 10:39 pm
    We’ll get to the game in just a bit, for now there’s a little more information on Dave Robertson… After taking a train to and from New York earlier today, Robertson was back in the Yankees clubhouse tonight. His socks were pulled high as if he were going to pitch. “It’s really disappointing,” he said. [...] Click on the headline for the rest of this blog post ...

  • Yankees drop one in Baltimore

    Chad Jennings
    15 May 2012 | 8:50 pm
    CC Sabathia’s five-game winning streak came to an end tonight, partially because Sabathia wasn’t particularly sharp and partially because the Yankees lineup couldn’t handle Orioles starter Wei-Yin Chen. The 5-2 loss was Sabathia’s first loss of the season. Although he occasionally limited the damage and pitched out of trouble, Sabathia allowed four runs through six innings. When [...] Click on the headline for the rest of this blog post ...

  • Game 36: Yankees at Orioles

    Chad Jennings
    15 May 2012 | 6:00 pm
    YANKEES (20-15) Derek Jeter SS Nick Swisher RF Robinson Cano 2B Alex Rodriguez 3B Mark Teixeira 1B Curtis Granderson CF Andruw Jones DH Jayson Nix LF Chris Stewart C LHP CC Sabathia (5-0, 3.51) Sabathia vs. Orioles ORIOLES (22-14) Robert Andino 2B J.J. Hardy SS Nick Markakis RF Adam Jones CF Matt Wieters C Wilson [...] Click on the headline for the rest of this blog post ...
 
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    RotoFeed

  • Adam Wainwright: NL Starting Pitcher

    16 May 2012 | 1:15 pm
    Adam Wainwright The Cardinals’ success without Adam Wainwright last season was a minor miracle. Chris Carpenter had a fantastic season at the top of the rotation and Jaime Garcia and Kyle Lohse did enough in the middle to make up for the fact that they struggled to find a capable back end of the rotation until the trade deadline acquisition of Edwin Jackson. So far this season, Jackson is gone, Carpenter has yet to make his debut, and Wainwright isn’t exactly leading the team into the fields of glory. Lance Lynn has been a pleasant surprise and Jake Westbrook has already nearly equaled…

  • Sell High Starting Pitchers: Looking At The 10 Best Strand Rates (Cueto, Hellickson & More)

    16 May 2012 | 1:15 pm
    At this point, while sample sizes are still somewhat small, we can at least start to see who has been incredibly lucky over the first few weeks of the season.  Are these players worth selling?  Let’s take a look at the pitchers with the best strand rates (through Monday) and try to decide who should be sold and who should be held: 1) Johnny Cueto – Cincinnati Reds – 91.5% He’s opened the year by posting a 1.12 ERA and 0.97 WHIP.  Of course, a lot of that has to do with a lot of luck (.253 BABIP on top of the inflated strand rate).  Considering that opponents are teeing off at a…

  • The Razzball Podcast – The One Where Grey Works Hosmer Into Every Question

    16 May 2012 | 1:00 pm
    We talk about a bunch of fantasy baseball podcast related thing-a-ma-whosies in today’s fantasy baseball podcast thing-a-ma-whatsie, while I try to work in Hosmer.  Hey, I’m not sweating Hosmer.  In fact, he should be sweating me, because if he doesn’t start hitting we’re gonna have words.  Those words going something like this:  Grey, “Please hit above .250 with power.  Please!  In the name of all that is holy.”  Hosmer, “Who are you?  And why are you hiding under my bed?”  We talk about other things in the podcast for s’s and…

  • Fantasy Relief: Let's be Frank about Francisco

    16 May 2012 | 12:56 pm
    Another week, another round of closer news. Are you on a never ending hunt for saves? Our Michael Hurcomb touches on some of the more volatile situations in his latest edition of Fantasy Relief.

  • On Platooning Chase Headley

    16 May 2012 | 12:15 pm
    Wasting time with the proverbial series of tubes one day, I stumbled upon one of the dumbest questions I’d seen in a Yahoo! forum. Some sad human being actually asked “how many dimes are in a dollar” on Yahoo, the top response was “How many do you want there to be?” No fooling. Now, as dreadfully Homer Simpson as that might sound, I actually found sort of a terrifying similarity when looking at one of my fantasy squads. I’ve had such a run of terrible luck at third base that I rather feel like I’m getting about five dimes on the dollar in return for…
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    AaronGleeman.com

  • Getting to know the Twins’ draft options with the No. 2 overall pick

    aarongleeman
    16 May 2012 | 12:05 am
    Not all draft classes are created equal and unfortunately for the Twins they've stumbled into a bad year to have their first top-10 pick since 2001 and five other top-100 selections. There's no year in which having the No. 2 overall pick won't allow a team to potentially land a future star-caliber player, but the consensus on this year's pool is that it lacks the elite-level talent typically available that high in the draft and isn't even particularly strong in overall depth. Georgia high school outfielder Byron Buxton is widely considered the highest-upside prospect in the class, but several…

  • Podcast: “Gleeman and The Geek” (Episode 41)

    aarongleeman
    14 May 2012 | 12:05 am
    Topics for this week's episode of Gleeman and The Geek included Danny Valencia's demotion to Triple-A and Francisco Liriano's move to the bullpen as part of yet another roster shakeup, Scott Diamond's unexpected gems, votes of confidence, Dan Osterbrock's outspoken tweets, our PickPointz contest winners from last week and predictions for this week, what the future holds for Trevor Plouffe and Joe Benson, and my mom calling in for Mother's Day. Gleeman and The Geek: Episode 41 In addition to the direct download link above you can also subscribe to the podcast via iTunes. This week's blog…

  • Twins Notes: Birthday boys, pimping, demoting, neglecting, and mocking

    aarongleeman
    11 May 2012 | 12:05 am
    • Reminder: Gleeman and The Geek airs live on KFAN at 4:00 on Sunday. I can neither confirm nor deny that this week's show will just be me sighing into the microphone for an hour. • Happy birthday to No. 1 prospect Miguel Sano, who turned 19 years old today and is hitting .303/.417/.655 with 10 homers and 20 walks in 33 games at low Single-A. Last week Sano hit a game-winning homer against the Angels' affiliate and the benches cleared because, as Cedar Rapids manager Jamie Burke put it: "I think he kind of pimped that home run a little bit." Here's more from Jeff Johnson of the Cedar…

  • Twins’ latest shakeup sends Valencia to Triple-A and Liriano to bullpen

    aarongleeman
    10 May 2012 | 12:49 am
    Minutes after the final out of last night's loss the Twins shook up the roster for the second time this week, demoting Danny Valencia to Triple-A and designating Matt Maloney for assignment while calling up utility man Darin Mastroianni and right-hander P.J. Walters from Rochester. They also announced that Francisco Liriano has been shifted to the bullpen, with Walters taking his spot in the starting rotation beginning Saturday against the Blue Jays. Less than 48 hours earlier Ron Gardenhire insisted that the Twins would stick with Liriano as a starter, but now they're apparently hoping to…

  • Morneau’s latest injury leads to Dozier’s arrival and roster shakeup

    aarongleeman
    8 May 2012 | 12:05 am
    Justin Morneau exited last Monday's game with soreness in his surgically repaired left wrist, immediately flying from California to Minnesota to be examined by team doctors and admitting that the injury had been bothering him for several days. At the time I wondered why the Twins wouldn't just put him on the disabled list for two weeks if the situation was serious enough for a cross-country flight and an MRI exam for a chronically injured player. Instead, as they've done far too many times with far too many injured players during the past few seasons, they kept Morneau on the active roster…
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    UmpBump.com

  • Someone Should Toss Bob Davidson

    Joe Tarring
    16 May 2012 | 7:42 am
    Is there an official in any sport who is more desperate for attention than Bob Davidson? Just watch this from last night and this from last year and tell me that both of those incidents aren’t just examples of Davidson interjecting himself onto the game where a half decent umpire would have managed the situation completely differently. It’s would seem from the infrequency with which umpires are fired, demoted or suspended that MLB has either little motivation or ability to challenge the umpire’s union but Davidson is out there making umpires and the league look silly on a…

  • Angels Shake Things Up…A Bit.

    Joe Tarring
    16 May 2012 | 3:45 am
    Was Mickey Hatcher encouraging Albert Pujols to spend 2012 doing the best Wilson Valdez impression he could? The Angels fired their long-standing hitting coach last night in an attempt to revive an offense that is on pace to set a record for futility in at least one category. It’s an understandable move in some ways; it won’t hurt to change things up even if Hatcher can hardly be at fault for so many Angels hitting quite so poorly: Albert Pujols: .197/.235/.275 (46 OPS+) Erick Aybar: .193/.220/.235 (31 OPS+) Alberto Callaspo .225/.271/.275 (58 OPS+) Vernon Wells .233/.258/.408 (87…

  • MLB’s Discipline Policy Isn’t Working (2012 Edition)

    Joe Tarring
    8 May 2012 | 8:25 am
    Cole Hamels was suspended for five games. Last summer, in my first piece for this site, I explained why I thought Major League Baseball’s disciplinary system could at best be described as ‘inept’. I think the last few day’s events have vindicated my point. Cole Hamels intentionally pinning Bryce Harper, albeit ‘only’ in the back, and then bragging about it to the media has drawn a paltry five game ban from the Commissioner’s Office. With an off day on the docket this week, you could argue that the suspension actually benefits the Phillies given that…

  • Top 10 Overhauls

    Joe Tarring
    30 Apr 2012 | 3:07 am
    Using the lists produced by Kevin Goldstein at Baseball Prospectus, Jonathan Mayo at MLB.com and the team at Baseball America, the following players could all consider themselves to be ‘Top 10′ prospects entering the 2012 season: Matt Moore, Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Jurickson Profar, Julio Teheran, Dylan Bundy, Jesus Montero, Manny Machado, Gerrit Cole, Shelby Miller, Jameson Taillon, Trevor Bauer and Yu Darvish. As only 14 different names feature across the three top 10 lists (13 if you discount Darvish from consideration as Goldstein and Mayo did) there seems to have been a…

  • Red Sox Should (Mostly) Hold Course

    Joe Tarring
    25 Apr 2012 | 7:01 am
    Despite thumping the Twins 11-2 last night, the Red Sox remain an underwhelming 6-10 on the season. The offense seems to be coming to life behind the surprising double threat of Cody Ross (.283/.350/.623) and Mike Aviles (.333/.365/.567) as well as the usual suspects David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia even while Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis offer very little in the early going. This may not be the best offense in baseball this year, but it won’t be too far away come the end of the year. The real issue so far has clearly been the pitching and the bullpen in particular. First the good:…
 
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    Thunder Matt's Saloon

  • Laugh At The Cubs And The Cubs Laugh With You

    Mr. Funk
    15 May 2012 | 8:14 am
    LaHair is no longer allowed to 'raise the roof'Without going into the specifics of why I loved a movie that many people didn't see, I'll just say I was a fan of 2011's Real Steel and leave it at that. Yes, it's basically just Rock-'Em, Sock-'Em Robots: The Movie. Yes, it's just as hard to get emotionally invested in as Rocky would have been if Rocky was a giant robot that couldn't feel pain.The reason Real Steel was great was Hugh Jackman's performance. While not winning any Oscars (unfortunately), Jackman was completely committed to the role and sold the hell out of it, which…

  • Bartender Banter: Pub Crawl Edition

    Jake the Terrible Cubs Fan
    11 May 2012 | 10:54 am
    No Friday Bar Rag this week.  Instead I'm too busy resting my liver for tomorrow's big event.  I will be heading to Chicago for the 4th Annual Wasting Away in Wrigleyville Pub Crawl.  9 innings, 9 bars, no mercy.  I'll be joining John and Steve from WAIW along with fellow TMS bartenders from past and present including Mr. Funk and White Chili, and whole cast of ragtag misfits for what's surely going to be an event I'll not remember.And to share with you, our dear readers numbering in the tens, I plan to video document this event.  Armed with a beer, my iPhone and a…

  • An Apology to Bryan LaHair

    Jake the Terrible Cubs Fan
    9 May 2012 | 2:39 pm
    It's hard for me to say this but...I'm sorry.I thought for sure you would fail miserably, and after a month you'd be relegated back to AAA and out of our lives forever.  However that has hardly been the case. I blame the long line of Cubs players showing promise that inevitably let me down. There are too many to name but specifically when it came to you I could only think of Micah Hoffpauir.  The parallels were all there. Roughly the same age when he had a breakout year in AAA, he emerged with the big league club and was given a shot, only to fall flat on his face.Granted…

  • Cubs Take A Series From A First Place Team? LOLWUT???

    Mr. Funk
    6 May 2012 | 8:29 pm
    Unicorn George Brett shall haunt your dreams...or your nightmares.I wish I had something witty or insightful to start this post off with. But I don't. Much like this year's Cubs team, I'm only going to do juuuuust enough here to (hopefully) keep your passing interest. Here's what I saw this weekend, with the Cubs and other things.The Cubs took two of three from the Dodgers! As great as it is to have the Cubs take a series from a first place team, I feel like the Dodgers are not as good a team as their record may show. 11 of their 18 wins have come against the awful Padres, Astros and Pirates.

  • Friday Bar Rag Cocktail

    Jake the Terrible Cubs Fan
    4 May 2012 | 11:35 am
    While you sit and wonder if we really did see Carlos Marmol blow a save for the last time, here is a hodgepodge of crap for you to check out from the past week.bbq for men - For $950. And it's going to have fucking terrible heat retention. But yeah, the mahogany handle is the tits. Can't wait to keep it outside during winter. Let's see how "art"looks after the thaw.Prometheus International Trailer - Enjoy nerds.New Nets logo - It's a million times cooler simply for not having "New Jersey" in it.The Fourth Annual WAIW Pub Crawl is coming up on May 12.  It's too late to buy the shirt…
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    The Outsiders Look at the Insides of Baseball

  • Fixing the BoSox...or Not

    Brandon Heikoop
    25 Apr 2012 | 1:30 pm
    I picked the Boston Red Sox to win the American League East, I also picked the Rangers to finish second to the Angels in the American League West. I'm glad we're only two weeks in.While I may have been one of the more optimistic prognosticators when it came to the Red Sox, I simply can't understand the crazies who think there needs to be major changes in Boston in order for this team to turn things around.Here's the thing, the Red Sox pitching has been atrocious, unbearably bad. As of this post, they own a team ERA of 6.27, their starters, a hefty 5.63. You know how you fix this team? Give…

  • 2012 Predictions....American League

    Brandon Heikoop
    6 Apr 2012 | 11:00 am
    I know I haven't written in a while but I thought with the excitement of Opening Days and all the picks of "experts" and talking heads that I'd again throw my hat in the ring. I'm going to break down every team and give my prediction on where they should rank this season.American LeagueEastI don't agree that this is the power house division everyone says it is. There are a lot of holes, a lot of aging players, some awful rotations. Where it is strong is in the prospect ranks which makes the top 4 teams in this division buyers on the trade market.1. Boston Red SoxI think they have the best…

  • Dear Yahoo/Experts League Organizers

    Brandon Heikoop
    9 Feb 2011 | 2:18 pm
    May you please allow me to join a league with Brandon Funston?Yesterday Yahoo released their starting pitcher preseason ranks. Mr. Funston tabbed Jon Lester as his 11th best starting pitcher. That's right, 11th! Meaning there are 10 pitchers that are superior to Lester.Now I know it is common for experts to undervalue pitchers, claiming that there are soooo many, and I will admit that I easily overvalue Lester - I have him as my #1 or #2 starter entering this season, I'm extremely bullish on him.Here's the line I'm thinking for Lester for 2011 season - his age 27 season:20w, 240k, 2.80, and…

  • Let's Try This "Blogging" Thing Again, Again

    Brandon Heikoop
    8 Feb 2011 | 4:59 pm
    I've been thinking that it's time to try getting back into writing. I truly did enjoy it when I was at my heyday of putting out an article a day and part of me misses it. While time may play a role in not allowing me to write as much as I would like, I'm going to give it a go, again, again.The focus however will shift, it will shift to "Fantasy" baseball. While writing about Major League Baseball from an outsiders perspective providing feedback and breaking down trades provided a good starting off point, I feel as though I can't offer anything to the baseball community and the fans at large -…

  • Worst Blogger Alive....

    Brandon Heikoop
    27 Oct 2010 | 4:26 pm
    Since the worst blogger died.Quickly, San Francisco is still my pick to take the World Series. The Rangers have faired well to this point while not having to face the caliber of pitching that they will see from the Giants. Further, four of the possible seven games will take place in a pitchers ball park, where those can'o'corn homers will be more along their rightful lines.I'm going with San Francisco in five, although I want to say six.Either way, Giants win.I think Panda has a huge series.
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    The GNUru Fantasy Sports News

  • Happy Hour: Kurt Busch is out of chances

    Jay Busbee
    16 May 2012 | 1:06 pm
    Welcome to the latest Happy Hour mailbag! You know how these work: You write us with your best rant/ joke/one-liner at happyhournascar@yahoogroups.com or on Twitter at @jaybusbee, we respond to your messages, everyone goes away with a smile on their face. So I was running low on gas the other day and I tried the Jimmie Johnson solution: turn off the engine and coast, then turn it back on again. FYI: It doesn't work so well in traffic. Now, your letters, starting with the topic du jour: Urt, Urt, Urt. A lot of us try, and I mean really try, to give you a chance to redeem yourself but it's…

  • Pacers’ Larry Bird is NBA Executive of the Year (Yahoo! Sports)

    Yahoo! Sports - NBA News
    16 May 2012 | 1:05 pm
    NEW YORK (AP) Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird has been voted the NBA's Executive of the Year, becoming the first person to win that award, plus the league's MVP and Coach of the Year honors.

  • The Ron Washington puppet is watching you while you sleep — and has possibly jinxed the Rangers

    Kevin Kaduk
    16 May 2012 | 12:27 pm
    I'm not saying that this Ron Washington puppet is inherently evil (though if it has a voice that sounds like the ghost of Nipsey Russell I probably have no other choice). What I am saying is that the Texas Rangers are 0-2 since this fan turned the stands of Rangers Ballpark into an episode of the "Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour." _ By the way, this isn't the first time that Ron Washington has been portrayed in puppet form. During the last World Series, a woman showed up with dueling Wash and Tony La Russa puppets. Want more baseball fun all season long? Follow @bigleaguestew, @KevinKaduk and…

  • First-round tee times for HP Byron Nelson Championship (PGA Tour)

    Yahoo! Sports - Golf News
    16 May 2012 | 11:46 am
    First-round tee times for HP Byron Nelson Championship

  • Penguins GM Ray Shero wants Jordan Staal in Pittsburgh, not on trade block

    Greg Wyshynski
    16 May 2012 | 11:32 am
    Jordan Staal could be a No. 1 center in over a dozen NHL cities right now. Instead, he's like Bill Hader on SNL: Brilliantly talented, the glue that holds sketches together, but rarely in the spotlight save for Stefon on "Weekend Update" because Andy Samberg and Kristen Wiig get all the airtime. (Evgeni Malkin in this case being Kristin Wiig; Sidney Crosby being Andy Samberg, as Lindsay Lohan informed us earlier in the season.) Staal has one year left on his current deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and rumors are that he wants more responsibility (re: ice time, offensive chances) with the…
 
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    RotoRob

  • Video Game Review: Minecraft

    Herija Green
    15 May 2012 | 5:10 pm
    Old McDonald has nothing on this sweet looking Minecraft farm. As I’ve noted many times, I am a console gamer. That means no PC, no phone and no tablet games. As such, I was very much looking forward to the fourth and final week of Xbox Live’s Arcade Next, which signaled the arrival of Minecraft on the Xbox 360. I had a general idea of what the game was all about, but I was surprised at just how easily I was sucked into its blocky world. CONTROLS (4/5) When PC games that rely on point-and-click mouse controls are ported over to controllers, the worry is that too much precision…

  • MLB Today: Adrian Gonzalez Shaking Off Slow Start

    RotoRob
    14 May 2012 | 5:05 pm
    Kevin Millwood reached the 2,000-strikeout mark Sunday. Boston’s awful start this year has plenty of culprits behind it, including a sluggish start by first baseman Adrian Gonzalez – especially in the power department. Well, after dropping the opener against Cleveland on Thursday, the BoSox won each of the final three games. A-Gon figured prominently in the series, recording multiple hits in three of the four games and flashing some extra-base pop, with five doubles among his six hits. After career highs in runs and hits last year, Gonzalez still has a long way to go to get back on track,…

  • The Wire Troll: Andy Dirks Finds His Groove

    RotoRob
    13 May 2012 | 9:19 am
    If you own Andy Dirks, you’re probably grinning like an idiot, too. Tim is off at a wedding this week (no, not his own – he’s already married and he lives in Northern Ontario not Northern Utah), so the Troll once again falls into the shaky hands of your non-so-trusty Editor. On to our picks of the week… Andy Dirks, OF, Detroit Tigers: Heading into the season, Dirks sat at the very bottom (145th) of our Fantasy outfielder rankings. Clearly, we’re not the only ones to be shocked to see him playing at a top 50 level, but that’s where he’s been, as this dude has found a home in…

  • Video Game Review: Prototype 2

    Herija Green
    12 May 2012 | 1:27 pm
    Massive claws: good for killing, bad for jock itch. “Fun but flawed” would be an apt CliffsNotes review of the original Prototype, which allowed you to run amok as the powerfully mutated Alex Mercer in an open-world sandbox. Some three years later, developer Radical Entertainment has teamed up with Activision once again to release Prototype 2, a title that looks to build on the promise found in the first game. CONTROLS (3.75/5) Prototype 2 is a rare game in that it actually gets more difficult to control as your abilities evolve and become more powerful. Early on it’s easy…

  • Podcast: Surprise, Surprise — Jamey Carroll Isn’t a Real Starting Shortstop

    RotoRob
    11 May 2012 | 3:40 pm
    The Twins finally clued in that Jamey Carroll is not a starting-calibre shortstop. While RotoRob is lost in playoff anguish, Buck and Tim carry on with RotoRob’s Fantasy Baseball Weekly, heard each Thursday at 9 p.m. EST on Blogtalkradio. In this week’s episode, the boys covered a veritable cornucopia of Fantasy baseball goodness, including: Despite the inexplicable two-year deal they gave him, the Twins finally figured out that Jamey Carroll isn’t anybody’s idea of a real starting shortstop so they’ve brought up prospect Brian Dozier to do the job. Can he…
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    the joy of sox

  • G37: Red Sox at Rays, 7 PM

    16 May 2012 | 12:55 pm
    Red Sox - Rays - Clay Buchholz / Jeremy HellicksonThe Red Sox - winners of five straight - begin an eight-game road trip with a pair of games in Tampa Bay. Over their last four games, Boston has outscored its opponents 27-3.Adrian Gonzalez:It doesn't matter what is ahead of us. The last five games we've played baseball the way you are supposed to play baseball. . . . We play like this, there are not many games we are going to lose.

  • Youkilis Begins Rehab Assignment Tonight

    16 May 2012 | 11:05 am
    Kevin Youkilis begins a rehab assignment with Pawtucket tonight in Durham, North Carolina. He will be the PawSox's DH tonight against the Bulls, then play in the field on Thursday. Youkilis, whose strained lower back has kept him out of the lineup since April 28, could rejoin the team on Friday in Philadelphia.Felix Doubront was hit near the right ear by a fly ball before Tuesday's game, but he says he is fine and will make his start tomorrow night.The ball hit off the fungo and I didn't see the ball. [It] just came right to my ear, but I'm fine, I'm good.Bobby Valentine, on Doubront:Whenever…

  • G36: Red Sox 5, Mariners 0

    15 May 2012 | 7:31 am
    Mariners - 000 000 000 - 0 4 0Red Sox - 001 210 01x - 5 9 0Josh Beckett (7-4-0-2-9, 93) struck out six of the first nine Seattle batters and finished with a season-high nine strikeouts. Boston (17-19) has now won five consecutive games.The only thing resembling a Mariners rally came in the fourth when two singles put runners on first and second with one out. Beckett then got a fly to left and a ground ball to second. Ichiro Suzuki was the lone Seattle runner to touch third base (and one of only two to make it to second), but that came with two outs in the sixth, and he was stranded there.Rich…

  • G35: Red Sox 6, Mariners 1

    14 May 2012 | 11:14 am
    Mariners - 000 000 001 - 1 8 0Red Sox - 200 300 01x - 6 9 0Lester (9-8-1-0-6, 119) went the distance as the Red Sox won their fourth consecutive game. It was Lester's first nine-inning complete game since June 27, 2010, against the Giants. (He threw an eight-inning CG this year, on April 11.)After Dustin Pedroia drew a one-out walk in the first, David Ortiz and Adrian Gonzalez hit RBI doubles to left field.Daniel Nava hit a two-run homer in the fourth and, one out later, Kelly Shoppach crushed a solo shot over the Monster Seats. Marlon Byrd added a bases-loaded sac fly in the eighth.Cody Ross…

  • G34: Red Sox 12, Cleveland 1

    13 May 2012 | 8:35 am
    Cleveland - 001 000 000 - 1 7 0Red Sox - 401 001 60x - 12 12 0Boston scored four times in the first inning after making two outs. David Ortiz walked and Adrian Gonzlaez doubled to the Wall in left. Will Middlebrooks's single scored Ortiz and Daniel Nava's double off the Wall scored Gonzalez. After Cody Ross was hit by a pitch, Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled in WMB and Nava.Middlebrooks (2-for-3, three runs scored) hit a solo home run in the third. ... Dustin Pedroia doubled in the seventh to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. ... Nava was 2-for-2 with two doubles, two HBP, three runs…
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    Scouting Book RSS Updates

  • Phenoms Debut to Mixed Results: Harper Has Better Night, But Both Here to Stay

    29 Apr 2012 | 4:15 am
    (TOP STORY) [Updated] The two biggest hitting prospects in baseball joined their MLB clubs on Saturday, making for a surprise historic day in baseball, and at least one of them is already living up to the hype. [more...]

  • Closer Watch Update: TOR

    Update: TOR -- Still looking for the right combination, the Toronto Blue Jays shook up their bullpen again today, demoting volatile closer Francisco Cordero and escalating Casey Janssen to closing duty, at least for now. Sergio Santos, cleared to resume throwing after sitting out the last two weeks, is still another dozen games away from ready to return to the bullpen, giving Janssen a two-week window in which to firm up the job. (5/10/2012)

  • Prospects on the Rise...

    These prospects have moved up in our composite rankings recently: Yu Darvish (#3)... Addison Reed (#47)... Zack Cozart (#50)... Drew Smyly (#58)... Lance Lynn (#66)... Derek Norris (#90)... Tom Milone (#91)... Ryan Lavarnway (#93)... Kirk Nieuwenhuis (#123)... Steve Lombardozzi (#142)... Norichika Aoki (#169)... Justin Nicolino (#202)... Christian Friedrich (#244)... JJ Hoover (#282)... Charlie Blackmon (#292)... Jacob Anderson (#450)... See our detailed prospect rankings for more info. (5/16/2012)

  • And Prospects on the Fall...

    These prospects have moved down in our composite rankings recently: None. See our detailed prospect rankings for more info. (5/16/2012)

  • Team By Team Wrapup: Spring 2012 : A Handy Guide to All 30 Prospect Reviews

    1 Apr 2012 | 8:09 pm
    With the Regular Season upon us, it's time for one final look back at the state of each team's farm system for 2012, and the top prospects within each. No franchise is perfect, so of course every team in the baseball will continue making moves in the weeks and months to come to improve their minor leagues, with the mid-season First Year Player Draft being the single biggest opportunity to do that. [more...]
 
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    Roto Think Tank

  • In the Minors 5/15/12

    Mike Gianella
    15 May 2012 | 9:21 pm
    Vladimir GuerreroIt took a while, but last year's aging DHs are finally latching on, albeit mostly to minor league/make good deals. I was going to do some digging into the why of the Guerrero signing, but Fangraphs' Eno Sarris beat me to the punch with a great article that's worth your time if you haven't read it already. To reiterate what Sarris already said, it's a nifty signing by the Blue Jays, but Vlad's Roto value is likely to be limited as a part-time bat against left-handed pitchers. You're also going to be clogging up your DH slot. That doesn't make Vlad…

  • A.L. FAAB Log: May 14, 2012

    Mike Gianella
    14 May 2012 | 7:58 am
    Andy Pettitte $15. Other bids $12, $8, $6.I didn't need him, but I'm surprised that more than four teams didn't take a flyer on Andy Pettitte last night. He looked decent in his first few innings against the Mariners before running out of gas, and I suspect that the issue with him going forward is going to be endurance and the ability to last down the stretch. Pettitte wasn't throwing nearly as hard as he used to, but he had the Wily Veteran package of changing speeds on display and it seemed to work for him. We'll see how he does against tougher line-ups, but for now I say take the…

  • N.L. FAAB Log: May 14, 2012

    Mike Gianella
    14 May 2012 | 7:00 am
    Jon Rauch $15. Other bids: $15, $10, $4.You can always tell when news breaks on a Sunday which owners are paying attention and which owners are wolfing down the Mother's Day candy with their wives. After Frank Francisco's latest blow-up, the implication seems to be that the job isn't his anymore, and that Terry Collins will at the very least go by committee. That makes Rauch the obvious favorite for saves come next week. Buried beneath Rauch's decent ERA is a putrid K/9 rate and a BABIP that's unsustainable. Rauch might get better, but he's still a weak option for saves if he does claim…

  • Programming Notes

    Toz
    12 May 2012 | 9:25 pm
    The bad news: I will be away from the blog next week.  Mike G. will be handling both the American League and the National League next week while I discuss fantasy baseball with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and the rest of the characters at Disney.  I hope you miss me.The long term news: I wanted to hold this until later in the year, but this part of the post wrote itself over the last couple of days.  So here it is.  I have decided to hang up the fantasy cleats at the end of the year.  I have now hit a quarter-century of playing fantasy baseball in one form…

  • A.L. Gearing Up: May 15-21

    Mike Gianella
    11 May 2012 | 7:23 pm
    Rising UpDerek Lowe (25% owned last week; 29% this week)Lowe probably isn't available in most A.L.-onlies, but his previous owner looked at Lowe's peripherals, saw that start against Boston, and hit the eject button (he waived him). The reality is that while Lowe probably wasn't as bad as he was last year with the Braves, he's not really this good either. The low K rate also means that he's not producing as much Roto value as a pitcher with worse peripherals but more Ks. Lowe does have a two-start week on tap, including a sweet match-up against the Twins, so feel free to run…
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    WordPress.com News

  • Stay In The Conversation

    Beau Lebens
    15 May 2012 | 6:01 pm
    It’s now much easier for you and your commenters to keep track of the conversations you’re involved in across WordPress.com. Some recent tests have shown that by subscribing commenters to new comments by default, they are more likely to stay engaged and come back and comment more on your blog. With that knowledge, we’ve changed the default comment following behavior to help you get more conversations going on your blog. We made the initial changes last week and after great feedback from you we just launched an update. Here’s how it works: By default, posting a comment…

  • Look at These Gorgeous Blogs

    Sheri
    15 May 2012 | 1:05 pm
    We’ve added a user showcase where you can view stunning customizations made by people just like you. From complete redesigns with CSS to adding pizzazz with Custom Fonts to clever use of options like background and header, this showcase will spark your imagination and inspire creativity. Discover details about what each showcase blog is doing with WordPress.com themes and customizations by clicking a thumbnail to see a colophon-style list of credits on the left. We’ve also updated footer links so blog owners can show off the types of customizations they’ve made and visitors can…

  • Photo Blogging 101, Part 1

    Erica V.
    14 May 2012 | 10:00 am
    Spring is in the air. With the weather warming up, now is a great time to get started on a photo blog. Creating a photo blog is a wonderful introduction to blogging on WordPress.com or an opportunity to refresh your current site. Ready to get started? You can sign up for a new blog right over here. Getting started Photo blogs, sometimes called phlogs, use pictures instead of words. While many photo bloggers choose a type of photo that they want to focus on, such as portraits, others use their photo blog to document their life’s events. Photo blogs come in a variety of styles, including…

  • New Themes: Just Desserts and Oxygen

    Michelle Langston
    10 May 2012 | 8:11 am
    Happy Thursday! We’ve added some exciting new themes to our ever-growing collection, and we’re happy to tell you all about them. First out of the oven is…Just Desserts. Yep, that’s a theme! Designed by Andy Rutledge, Just Desserts is a deliciously stylish premium theme that’s perfect for blogs centered on food. With its responsive, single-column layout and unique presentation of images and posts on the front page, Just Desserts gives you a delectable canvas on which your mouthwatering photos and text can really shine — even when viewed on smaller mobile devices…

  • Find Friends Who Use WordPress

    Nick Momrik
    1 May 2012 | 2:32 pm
    Are you curious to see how your friends are using WordPress? Give the new and improved Friend Finder a try to connect with your Twitter, Facebook, and Google contacts who have WordPress sites! After authorizing WordPress.com to use your Twitter, Facebook, or Google account to find your friends (don’t worry — none of this account information is saved!) you’ll see a list of people you know who have WordPress sites. Click Follow and each time your friend publishes a new post it will show up in your Reader under Blogs I Follow. If you have multiple blogs, make sure to set the…
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    Mop Up Duty

  • Brett Lawrie & Bill Millers Strike Zone

    Matthias Koster
    16 May 2012 | 9:47 am
    Around 12 hours ago, Brett Lawrie was representing the tying run in a 4-3 game in the bottom of the ninth. He worked a 3-1 count and then all hell broke loose. A long story short, Lawrie had the next two pitches, clearly balls, called strikes. He lost his shit, threw down his batting helmet, which proceeded to ricochet off the ground and hit umpire Bill Miller. He was tossed and will assuredly be suspended. Video Your browser does not support iframes. Pitches in question: As the video and the heat map clearly show, both pitches are off the plate. Bill Miller’s 2012 overall strike zone…

  • Victor Mesa: The Showman

    Callum Hughson
    15 May 2012 | 1:13 pm
    “Baseball is not just a sport but a show, by far the most attractive for Cubans.” – Victor Mesa Victor Mesa is one of the most storied figues in Cuban baseball.  As touched on in Commie Ball,  Victor Mesa was the manager of the Villa Clara Orangemen of the Cuban National Series. “El Loco” (as he is called by fans, as well as “The Orange Explosion” and ”The Show”) can be described only as a living legend. Victor Mesa When Mesa was only nine years old, Cuban officials noticed him playing baseball in the streets.  He was immediately…

  • It’s Time to Platoon David Cooper and Adam Lind

    Matthias Koster
    10 May 2012 | 10:59 am
    The Case for Limiting Lind AB I usually stay away from such obvious post subjects. Babe Ruth had plus power, Randy Johnson had a good slider and Adam Lind can’t hit lefties. These are all givens, aren’t they? After posting a .639 OPS vs lefties in 2011 (including 36 K vs 5 BB, only 3 HR in 149 PA), Lind appears to be limping along at his usual pace in 2012. In 2012 (as of 05/09/12) he’s hitting .160/.192/.280 for a .472 OPS, 15.4% K rate vs 3.8% BB, making weak contact with 13 ground balls vs 8 flyballs + line drives. The problem this season is that he’s not really…

  • The Best Toronto Blue Jays Finishers

    Callum Hughson
    10 May 2012 | 6:00 am
    Last week we were treated to back-to-back shutouts from Brandon Morrow and Henderson Alvarez.  In case you missed it, here’s the highlight reel from Brandon Morrow’s start: and Henderson Alvarez’s start: Buck Martinez and Pat Tabler were quick to point out that the Jays had not pitched back-to-back shutouts since September of 1988 (it was Dave Stieb and Jimmy Key).  I couldn’t even remember the last time a Jays pitcher even threw a complete game (it was Ricky Romero, August 18th, 2011).  In fact, the Blue Jays only threw 7 complete games as a team in 2011.  In Roy…

  • Notable Names in Nippon Professional Baseball

    Callum Hughson
    9 May 2012 | 5:50 am
    Like the Forgotten Former Toronto Blue Jays post this week,  there’s a few interesting players of note that are plying their trade in the Japanese league known as Nippon Professional Baseball.  Though there’s not many former Blue Jays, there’s still a few interesting stories.  Let’s take a look, shall we? Brian Wolfe Former Blue Jay reliever Brian Wolfe enters his 3rd season in Japan, pitching for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.  You may recall that the Blue Jays acquired Wolfe from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for the Real Canadian Hero Corey Koskie. …
 
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    Baseball-Intellect

  • Scouting Kolten Wong

    Alex Eisenberg
    15 May 2012 | 11:23 pm
    Breaking down one of the top second base prospects in baseball...

  • Pitch-by-Pitch: Scouting Padres Prospect Joe Ross

    Alex Eisenberg
    12 May 2012 | 2:53 pm
    Breaking down one of the upcoming pitching prospects in Minor League baseball...

  • Scouting Cardinals Prospect Oscar Taveras

    Alex Eisenberg
    8 May 2012 | 8:43 pm
    Breaking down one of the better hitting prospects in baseball...

  • Site News

    Alex Eisenberg
    4 May 2012 | 4:41 am
    A change in plans for upcoming content...

  • Colorado Rockies Top-15 Prospects of 2012

    Alex Eisenberg
    25 Apr 2012 | 10:21 am
    The Rockies have a good reputation for churning out quality, high level prospects from their farm system, and this year is no exception. They suffered some setbacks to a couple of their more highly regarded prospects (Tyler Matzek is one example), but at the same time a couple of others stepped up to fill any void left (Nolan Arenado is one example here).
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    BBTF's Baseball Primer Newsblog

  • Can the Orioles Buck History and Stay Above .500?

    jimfurtado@baseballthinkfactory.org
    16 May 2012 | 9:36 am
    Rany Jazayerli assesses Baltimore’s fast start. “You can be forgiven if, as a fan of another team, you are captivated by the Baltimore Orioles’ hot start and you start believing in their playoff chances. If you are a fan of the Orioles, you have no such excuse.”

  • Miami Marlins: We have no plans to move in the fences

    jimfurtado@baseballthinkfactory.org
    16 May 2012 | 9:35 am
    But we have eased back on booster seat limitations! Marlins President David Samson said the team has no plans to move in the fences at Marlins Park following the season. The park has gained a reputation as being pitcher friendly and ranks as the fifth-most difficult in the NL to hit a home run, with 20 in the first 15 games, or 1.33 per game, entering Tuesday. Of the Marlins 32 home runs, just 13 are at home. “We want it to be pitcher friendly, but fair to hitters who get all of it,” Samson said. “No cheapies. If you get it, we want it to go.” The dimensions at Citi Field, home of the…

  • When Robin Ventura’s slow hook meets the mean - South Side Sox

    jimfurtado@baseballthinkfactory.org
    16 May 2012 | 8:53 am
    What’s the hook like in Texas? Is this a related phenomena? I did a quick search but couldn’t find any team comparisons. Does anyone know where I can find such data online?Ventura has shown a slow hook so far, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Certain situations call for it, especially if the good relievers need a break. However, it often seems like he’s slow to even get the bullpen stirring as the starter approaches or crosses any of the above thresholds, which leads to situations like Will Ohman facing three righties in a close game. That’s a failure in planning for any…

  • Olbermann: Hershiser Won’t Auction Record-Breaking Baseball After All

    jimfurtado@baseballthinkfactory.org
    16 May 2012 | 8:23 am
    Collectors were jonesing a ton for this item! The auction house explained to me today that Orel just couldn’t bear to part with it. That would be a natural emotion for any of us collectors, so one can only imagine the emotional tug when it’s the baseball you threw to set the record which happens to be yours. I mean, I own the ball that pinch-hitter Cookie Lavagetto bazooka’d off the right field fence at Ebbets Field with two outs in the ninth inning when Bill Bevens of the Yankees was an out away from the first World Series no-hitter, in Game 4 of the ’47 classic, but that doesn’t…

  • ESPN: Szymborski: Hamilton a good Triple Crown bet (INSIDER)

    jimfurtado@baseballthinkfactory.org
    16 May 2012 | 5:31 am
    In 1967, Carl Yastrzemski hit .326 with 44 home runs and 121 RBIs, leading the American League in all three categories. You might not be able to quote these numbers off the top of your head, but if you’re a hardcore baseball fan, you likely know that Yaz’s 1967 numbers represented baseball’s 16th and most recent Triple Crown season. Given that the median age of Americans is 37 and Canadians is 41, the majority of North American baseball fans (myself included) weren’t yet born the last time someone pulled off baseball’s Triple Crown. One aspect that makes the Triple Crown so…
 
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    BR Bullpen Today in Baseball History

  • 16 May 2012 | 5:00 am

    16 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    1931 - Ben Johnson, pitcher

  • 16 May 2012 | 5:00 am

    16 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    1963 - Don Hankins, pitcher (b. 1902)

  • 16 May 2012 | 5:00 am

    16 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    1892 - A Supreme Court decision permitting the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to give reduced rates to groups of 10 or more is a boon to Major League baseball teams, who can expect to save 25 percent on transportation costs.

  • 16 May 2012 | 5:00 am

    16 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    1978 - Nate Janowicz, minor league player

  • 16 May 2012 | 5:00 am

    16 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    1894 - Losing to Cincinnati, 6 - 4, in the 8th inning, Louisville's William "Farmer" Weaver hits a grand slam, and Danny Richardson follows with a solo shot - the last home run of his 11-year career - to spur a 9 - 7 win.
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    Diamond Hoggers

  • Two down, 598 to go

    TheNaturalMevs
    15 May 2012 | 9:55 pm
    Harper v. Bass. Bass is swallowed whole. The smoke-grey bat was back this afternoon, and Bryce Harper took a piece from Anthony Bass that he can never have back. On a day where Bass was particularly stingy, Harper still found a way to tally another impressive bomb. And not that I’ll be able to make this a habit, but I’ve caught them both live. Here’s Bryce Harper career home run number two: ….And the bomb show resumes tomorrow against the Pirates. Erik Bedard, keep your head on a swivel.

  • The First of Many

    TheNaturalMevs
    14 May 2012 | 9:41 pm
    I saw Bryce Harper’s first MLB home run live. He said to Tim Stauffer “I hope you’re ready to fly, because you’re leaving the yard with me,” and then hit a majestic gun-shot blast over the center field wall. It was everything you would have pictured the kid’s first home run to be. If you missed it, it’s okay. It’s captured forever here for you to enjoy. And I wouldn’t worry, because you’ll be able to see about 600 more of these bad boys over the course of the next two decades.

  • When a Moment Can Change a Season

    TheNaturalMevs
    14 May 2012 | 9:34 pm
    [Box Score] [Cincinnati.com] I knew trailing 6-5 in the 9th, that if the Reds could get Joey Votto to the plate that they would win the ballgame. All that needed to happen was Chris Heisey reaching base. By the way I had seen Votto going earlier in the day, it didn’t matter how hard Henry Rodriguez was throwing. His fastball was simply too straight to sneak past Votto three times with the bases loaded and the game on the line. And it was a big ballgame. The Reds again salvage a miracle contest on getaway day to improve their record to 10-1 in such contests. For as many friends that want…

  • Game 29, 2012: Brewers rock Bailey & Reds 8-3

    TheNaturalMevs
    9 May 2012 | 12:22 pm
    [Box Score] [Cincinnati.com] [Redleg Nation] [Brewers Mission 162] Things started going badly in this one–again because of Homer Bailey’s inconsistencies. He came out with 96 MPH stuff, some of the best velocity I’ve seen him have a in a long time and after retiring what seemed like the first two hitters of the game with ease, he came unraveled a little bit. He loaded the bases and Lucroy singled home a couple of runners and the route was on. It summed up Homer Bailey’s entire Cincinnati career. Come out with electric stuff, but for some reason you lack the ability to…

  • Game 28, 2012: Reds put it all together in 6-1 win over Brewers

    TheNaturalMevs
    8 May 2012 | 10:04 am
    [Box Score] [Cincinnati.com] [Mark Sheldon] [Redleg Nation] This was one of the most complete efforts on the year so far for the Reds. It probably starts with Bunny Arroyo’s fine outing on the mound. He somehow struck out nine Brewers, allowed only the mammoth home run to Ryan Braun and walked just one. He’s now 2-1 on the season with a 2.75 ERA. The Reds starters are getting it done, between Bunny’s fine effort and what Mat Latos did on Sunday in Pittsburgh. The Reds pounded out another ten hits last night, with a lot of the damage coming in that big 4th inning. This is…
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    WordPress.com News

  • Stay In The Conversation

    Beau Lebens
    15 May 2012 | 6:01 pm
    It’s now much easier for you and your commenters to keep track of the conversations you’re involved in across WordPress.com. Some recent tests have shown that by subscribing commenters to new comments by default, they are more likely to stay engaged and come back and comment more on your blog. With that knowledge, we’ve changed the default comment following behavior to help you get more conversations going on your blog. We made the initial changes last week and after great feedback from you we just launched an update. Here’s how it works: By default, posting a comment…

  • Look at These Gorgeous Blogs

    Sheri
    15 May 2012 | 1:05 pm
    We’ve added a user showcase where you can view stunning customizations made by people just like you. From complete redesigns with CSS to adding pizzazz with Custom Fonts to clever use of options like background and header, this showcase will spark your imagination and inspire creativity. Discover details about what each showcase blog is doing with WordPress.com themes and customizations by clicking a thumbnail to see a colophon-style list of credits on the left. We’ve also updated footer links so blog owners can show off the types of customizations they’ve made and visitors can…

  • Photo Blogging 101, Part 1

    Erica V.
    14 May 2012 | 10:00 am
    Spring is in the air. With the weather warming up, now is a great time to get started on a photo blog. Creating a photo blog is a wonderful introduction to blogging on WordPress.com or an opportunity to refresh your current site. Ready to get started? You can sign up for a new blog right over here. Getting started Photo blogs, sometimes called phlogs, use pictures instead of words. While many photo bloggers choose a type of photo that they want to focus on, such as portraits, others use their photo blog to document their life’s events. Photo blogs come in a variety of styles, including…

  • New Themes: Just Desserts and Oxygen

    Michelle Langston
    10 May 2012 | 8:11 am
    Happy Thursday! We’ve added some exciting new themes to our ever-growing collection, and we’re happy to tell you all about them. First out of the oven is…Just Desserts. Yep, that’s a theme! Designed by Andy Rutledge, Just Desserts is a deliciously stylish premium theme that’s perfect for blogs centered on food. With its responsive, single-column layout and unique presentation of images and posts on the front page, Just Desserts gives you a delectable canvas on which your mouthwatering photos and text can really shine — even when viewed on smaller mobile devices…

  • Find Friends Who Use WordPress

    Nick Momrik
    1 May 2012 | 2:32 pm
    Are you curious to see how your friends are using WordPress? Give the new and improved Friend Finder a try to connect with your Twitter, Facebook, and Google contacts who have WordPress sites! After authorizing WordPress.com to use your Twitter, Facebook, or Google account to find your friends (don’t worry — none of this account information is saved!) you’ll see a list of people you know who have WordPress sites. Click Follow and each time your friend publishes a new post it will show up in your Reader under Blogs I Follow. If you have multiple blogs, make sure to set the…
 
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    LADY AT THE BAT

  • David Robertson Injury Means An Average Bullpen

    16 May 2012 | 6:35 am
    If David Robertson hadn't been so mediocre in the two save attempts he made last week, I'd be way more upset about his injury. I had been in the Robertson As Closer Camp before he started closing and was willing to keep camping out after he blew his second save opportunity. But now that he has gone on the 15-day DL for that strained left oblique, it's easy for me to admit he didn't distinguish himself as a closer. It is also easy for me to put my support behind Rafael Soriano as closer.After all, what choice to I have? The bullpen, which started off as a major strength, is now just an…

  • Mark Teixeira: The Definition Of Insanity

    15 May 2012 | 6:57 am
    Because of the night Mark Teixeira had, the injuries (Nova, Robertson, Ibanez) and the illness (Rapada) that surfaced before the end of last night's game in Baltimore were a little bit easier to take. Teixeira went 2-4 with a homerun, leading the Yankees to an 8-5 victory over (and, I'm getting sick of saying this) the first place Orioles. Teixeira hopes that what he did last night will get him going. He hopes? Hope isn't going to get it done, unfortunately. Hope will not help him conquer the shift. He needs to do something about it, and not what he has been doing. What he has been doing…

  • Podcast Episode 7: Oh Andy! Oh, Mama

    14 May 2012 | 8:19 am
    Andy Pettitte's return to the Yankees yesterday could have been better but, it could have been worse, too. In this latest episode of the podcast, Lisa Swan of Subway Squawkers and I talk about Pettitte's first start since he retired in 2010, as well as other topics swirling around Yankees Universe. I close out the podcast with a Mother's Day story about the woman who introduced me to the greatest game in the world: Leave your comments below, email me (ladybatting@gmail.com) or tweet at me (@LadyBatting). You can also leave me a voice mail at (347) 640-4259. (Who knows? I might play your…

  • Ladies At The Bat: Friday Links

    11 May 2012 | 11:58 am
    Here is this week's ladies linkfest:Micah Chaplin of Baseball Is My Boyfriend has posted a recap of yesterday's Rangers-Orioles doubleheader at Camden Yards.At Garlic Fries and Baseball, Ronnie Redmond is excited about her upcoming trip to see the Oakland A's and Detroit Tigers on Mother's Day.Cyn is sticking with the Boston Red Sox through thick and thin at Toeing The Rubber.At Confessions Of A She-Fan, Jane Heller saw both good and bad in last night's Yankee win against the Rays.Brit has written about her disappointment in the new Yankee Stadium at The Yankees Baseball Whisperer.Kate has…

  • Mo Blessed, Robertson Blows

    10 May 2012 | 6:33 am
    I am going to ignore Day 2 of The David Robertson Era. It is too painful even to think about. Although, I suppose I would be in much more pain if I were more than the fair weather Knicks fan then I am and if I were a New York Rangers fan period. So there's that.What kind of a fan is Mariano Rivera?  You know he is a fan of God (even if some fans call Mo himself a god.). He considers himself a child of God and believes everything happens for a reason.  When I heard about his blood clot yesterday I couldn't help but wonder if Mo is right. While it's not entirely…
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    TigerBlog

  • Smyly – The No Decision Master

    Brian
    15 May 2012 | 8:48 am
    Drew Smyly made his seventh start of the season and for the sixth time this season he didn’t get a decision.  He still sits at 1-0 and he has yet to “lose” his first major league start.  A more telling look is the fact that the Tigers are 4-3 in his starts but in two [...]

  • Athletics Split

    Brian
    14 May 2012 | 10:30 am
    The Tigers salvaged a split of their four game series with the Athletics yesterday and they need a nice start by Justin Verlander and an Inge-less Athletics lineup to do it.  He threw seven solid frames and came out after that because a callous on his throwing hand broke.  Still, he needed just 104 pitches [...]

  • Justin Verlander Rights the Ship

    Brian
    9 May 2012 | 8:24 am
    Despite not having his best start, Justin Verlander helped push the Tigers back onto the winning side of the record with a 6-4 win over the Mariners.  He had the one rough inning in the third where he gave up three but other then that, he looked pretty solid.  His usual velocity was there even [...]

  • Fister Returns

    Brian
    8 May 2012 | 5:17 pm
    Doug Fister made his return to the Tigers rotation yesterday and you have to be happy with the results.  He was able to keep his pitch count down and threw seven shutout innings while needing just 73 pitches.  He didn’t walk anyone and he struck out three.  Keep in mind this was against a weak [...]

  • Max Scherzer, Delmon Young and Brandon Inge

    Brian
    30 Apr 2012 | 9:50 am
    We’re one day removed from the end of the first month of baseball season and the Tigers sit at 11-11.  Considering they’ve dropped eight of their last ten, that start is a little disappointing.  We all knew this team had it’s share of holes but I didn’t think they’d be exposed this quickly.  That doesn’t [...]
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    River Avenue Blues

  • Logan could adopt new role amid injuries

    Joe Pawlikowski
    16 May 2012 | 12:30 pm
    (Nick Laham/Getty Images) It might be Rafael Soriano‘s time to shine, but he’s not the only member of the Yankees bullpen whose role will change. With both Mariano Rivera and David Robertson on the shelf, the entire bullpen moves up two pegs. For Boone Logan, that could mean a change in roles from left-handed specialist to setup man. When Logan debuted for the Yankees in 2010 he was essentially useless against right-handed batters. In 78 PA that season righties hit .279/.372/.471 against him, the virtual equivalent of Mark Teixeira that year. Yet his role was to get out lefties…

  • 5/16-5/17 Series Preview: Toronto Blue Jays

    Mike Axisa
    16 May 2012 | 10:30 am
    Brett Lawrie is going to get suspended and the Yankees are arriving in Toronto just in time for him to a miss a few games. The tirade you see above was the result of two questionable called strikes last night, and they just so happened to result in the game-ending strikeout a strikeout that was the second out of the ninth inning. That’s pretty bad. Lawrie might appeal the suspension and be able to play in this two-game set, but … yeah, that’s really bad. Inexcusably bad. What Have They Done Lately? Like the Yankees, the Blue Jays just wrapped up a two-game series with a…

  • Injuries give Soriano a chance to shine

    Mike Axisa
    16 May 2012 | 8:30 am
    (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) Rafael Soriano‘s tenure in New York hasn’t exactly been a pleasant experience. First Brian Cashman stood at the introductory press conference and made sure everyone knew he didn’t want to sign the guy, then Soriano struggled for the first few weeks of 2011 before hitting the DL with the latest elbow injury in a career full of them. Through his first 16 or so months in pinstripes, Soriano has pitched to a 3.71 ERA (3.67 FIP) in 53.1 innings as the fourth highest paid reliever in baseball. In the span of two weeks, Soriano has gone from seventh…

  • Yanks have no answer for Chen in loss to O’s

    Mike Axisa
    15 May 2012 | 10:00 pm
    What’s the old saying, every team is going to win 50 games and lose 50 games so it comes down to the other 62 games? This feels like one of those 50 losses. It just wasn’t happenin’ for the Yankees on Tuesday and they split their two-gamer with the Orioles. (REUTERS/Gary Cameron) Double Trouble The Yankees have a bit of a double play problem at the moment, grounding into three twin-killings in this game and eight (!) in their last three games. That’s pretty frustrating. The first double play came with a man on first and one out in the third, the second with men on the…

  • Betances wild again in AAA loss

    Mike Axisa
    15 May 2012 | 9:04 pm
    Check out this David Driver article on Brett Marshall, who spoke about the time he’s spent with Andy Pettitte and also about his brother Chris, who just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. Oh, and apparently the Low-A South Atlantic League will hold their Homerun Derby on an aircraft carrier this summer, which is awesome. The game is in Charleston and figures to feature a lot of hometown River Dogs. In other news, Craig Heyer was placed on the DL after leaving a start with arm stiffness over the weekend. Double-A Trenton added Adam Miller in his place and also activated Walt Ibarra…
 
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    WordPress.com News

  • Stay In The Conversation

    Beau Lebens
    15 May 2012 | 6:01 pm
    It’s now much easier for you and your commenters to keep track of the conversations you’re involved in across WordPress.com. Some recent tests have shown that by subscribing commenters to new comments by default, they are more likely to stay engaged and come back and comment more on your blog. With that knowledge, we’ve changed the default comment following behavior to help you get more conversations going on your blog. We made the initial changes last week and after great feedback from you we just launched an update. Here’s how it works: By default, posting a comment…

  • Look at These Gorgeous Blogs

    Sheri
    15 May 2012 | 1:05 pm
    We’ve added a user showcase where you can view stunning customizations made by people just like you. From complete redesigns with CSS to adding pizzazz with Custom Fonts to clever use of options like background and header, this showcase will spark your imagination and inspire creativity. Discover details about what each showcase blog is doing with WordPress.com themes and customizations by clicking a thumbnail to see a colophon-style list of credits on the left. We’ve also updated footer links so blog owners can show off the types of customizations they’ve made and visitors can…

  • Photo Blogging 101, Part 1

    Erica V.
    14 May 2012 | 10:00 am
    Spring is in the air. With the weather warming up, now is a great time to get started on a photo blog. Creating a photo blog is a wonderful introduction to blogging on WordPress.com or an opportunity to refresh your current site. Ready to get started? You can sign up for a new blog right over here. Getting started Photo blogs, sometimes called phlogs, use pictures instead of words. While many photo bloggers choose a type of photo that they want to focus on, such as portraits, others use their photo blog to document their life’s events. Photo blogs come in a variety of styles, including…

  • New Themes: Just Desserts and Oxygen

    Michelle Langston
    10 May 2012 | 8:11 am
    Happy Thursday! We’ve added some exciting new themes to our ever-growing collection, and we’re happy to tell you all about them. First out of the oven is…Just Desserts. Yep, that’s a theme! Designed by Andy Rutledge, Just Desserts is a deliciously stylish premium theme that’s perfect for blogs centered on food. With its responsive, single-column layout and unique presentation of images and posts on the front page, Just Desserts gives you a delectable canvas on which your mouthwatering photos and text can really shine — even when viewed on smaller mobile devices…

  • Find Friends Who Use WordPress

    Nick Momrik
    1 May 2012 | 2:32 pm
    Are you curious to see how your friends are using WordPress? Give the new and improved Friend Finder a try to connect with your Twitter, Facebook, and Google contacts who have WordPress sites! After authorizing WordPress.com to use your Twitter, Facebook, or Google account to find your friends (don’t worry — none of this account information is saved!) you’ll see a list of people you know who have WordPress sites. Click Follow and each time your friend publishes a new post it will show up in your Reader under Blogs I Follow. If you have multiple blogs, make sure to set the…
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    Sliding Into Home: A Yankees Blog

  • Kay and Kenny on the Yanks Offensive Woes

    Greg Cohen
    16 May 2012 | 11:45 am
    Your browser does not support iframes. I'm not really sure why anyone would be surprised by the Yankees lack of clutch hitting, after all, this isn't a new problem. Apparently, fans have already begun to forget about last year's ALDS.

  • D-Rob to the DL

    Greg Cohen
    16 May 2012 | 9:32 am
    From the AP via USA Today:Robertson was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a strained muscle in his left ribcage. The right-hander was working as the fill-in closer for Rivera, who is likely to be sidelined the rest of the season after tearing a knee ligament on May 3. Robertson finished five games this season and was 0-1 with a 2.51 ERA and one save. He had not pitched since Friday because of discomfort in his ribcage, an injury diagnosed Tuesday as a strained oblique muscle. "We don't think it's too severe, but it's hard to tell," manager Joe Girardi said. "Obliques can be…

  • Hey, Guess What? More Injuries!

    Greg Cohen
    15 May 2012 | 1:17 am
    Here's a rundown of the most recent rash of injuries to hit the Yankees clubhouse via Marc Carig:RHP Ivan Nova, sprained/bruised right ankle and foot, X-Rays negative The 25-year-old took a comebacker to his right ankle in the third inning and rolled the same ankle while making a defensive play in the sixth. After the game, Nova said his ankle was swollen and still in pain, though he didn't want to miss his next start. Of course, he may not have a choice in the matter. "That's a possibility," Girardi said of scrubbing Nova's next outing. "We’ll have to be smart about it and make sure he’s…

  • Pettitte & Girardi On Pettitte's Return to the Mound

    Greg Cohen
    13 May 2012 | 7:48 pm
    Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes.

  • Game 34: Yankees vs. Mariners - Andy's Back!

    Greg Cohen
    13 May 2012 | 11:47 am
    REGULAR SEASON GAME 34 YANKEES vs MARINERS First Pitch: 1:05 PM | TV: YES | Radio: WCBS Here are the lineups: YANKEES (19-14) Derek Jeter SS Curtis Grander CF Alex Rodriguez 3B Robinson Cano 2B Mark Teixeira 1B Nick Swisher RF Raul Ibanez LF Eric Chavez DH Russell Martin C Starting pitcher: LHP Andy Pettitte (0-0, -.-- ERA) MARINERS (15-20) Dustin Ackley 2B Casper Wells LF Ichiro Suzuki RF Jesus Montero C Justin Smoak 1B Alex Liddi 3B Michael Carp DH Michael Saunders CF Brendan Ryan SS Starting pitcher: RHP Kevin Millwood (0-4, 5.88 ERA)
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    Mister Baseball

  • Former Major Leaguers come to Barcelona for Clinic in September

    philipp
    16 May 2012 | 9:35 am
    Four Ex Major Leaguers plus a couple of European Baseball veterans will be in Barcelona, Spain from September 2 to 4 to hold a baseball clinic for players ages 10 to 18. Former big leaguers Luis Alicea (second baseman, 13 seasons in MLB), Jeffrey Hammonds (outfielder, 13 seasons in MLB), Charles Johnson (catcher, four consecutive gold gloves between 1995 and 1998) and Michael Tucker (outfielder, 12 seasons in MLB) will make the trip to Europe. Also on hand will be Davide Dallospedale (infielder, retired after 14 seasons in Italian baseball, lives in US), Fabio Betto (pitcher, 19 seasons in…

  • Lowin Sacramento from the Canary Islands to Tuscany

    philipp
    16 May 2012 | 6:30 am
    Grosseto Baseball has engaged a new pitcher for the bullpen. They replace the injured Theon Bourdaniotis with Lowin Sacramento. The Dominican right-hander with Spanish passport is coming from the Tenerife Marlins Puerto Cruz to Tuscany. He has a 7-2 record with a save and an ERA of 1.99 so far this season. He struck out 76 in 68 innings, walking 25. He played for Spain at the 2010 European Championship and CB Sant Boi in 2011.

  • Challenge de France starts this Wednesday

    philipp
    16 May 2012 | 4:05 am
    The 2012 Challenge de France, an annual cup tournament for the eight Division I teams in French Baseball will start tonight, when the Templiers Senart inaugurate their new ballpark against the Montpellier Barracudas. Also Montigny will host the CdF with preliminary round games played there on Thursday and Friday. You can follow the tournament via Live Play by Play. The winner will receive a berth in the 2013 European Cup competition. Live Play by Play Senart Live Play by Play Montigny Schedule: Wednesday, May 16: 19:30 Templiers Senart – Montpellier Barracudas (Senart) Thursday, May 17:…

  • Recaps: Kinheim, Amsterdam with Road Wins in Hoofdklasse on Tuesday

    philipp
    16 May 2012 | 3:04 am
    AamigoO ADO Lakers – Corendon Kinheim 3-7 Corendon Kinheim traveled to The Hague on Tuesday for a make-up game. They returned from the hosting AamigoO ADO Lakers with a 7-3 victory. Four runs in the first inning put them on the winning track. Nick Veltkamp pitched six two-hit innings to pick up the win. Remco Draijer had a two-run triple during the opening rally and drove in three runs overall. Rene Cremer, Mervin Gario and Quintin de Cuba scored twice. Reggie Bomberg took the loss, issuing three hits, six runs (5 ER) and a whopping eight walks in five-plus innings. DOOR Neptunus –…

  • Recap: Fortitudo defeats Godo Knights on Tuesday

    philipp
    16 May 2012 | 2:56 am
    Unipol Bologna defeated the De Angelis Godo Knights 6-4 on Tuesday evening in a make-up game of a twice rained out game. Fortitudo took a quick 3-1 lead and added three more runs in the fifth to get on winning lane. Godo tried to come back, but the deficit was too steep to get over. Mark Castellitto went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Daniele Malengo also drove in two. Takahiko Sato scored twice. Juan Gonzalez had a pair of RBI for the Knights. Paolo Tanesini crossed the plate two times. Cody Cillo picked up the win, allowing an unearned run on three hits and two walks in five innings.
 
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    BaseballGB

  • BGB Fantasy League 2012 Week Six

    Mark George
    15 May 2012 | 11:59 am
    After another week of dramatic walk-off hits, closer meltdowns and Josh Hamilton giving Roy Hobbs a run for his money, let’s look back at week six of the BaseballGB fantasy league.   R HR RBI SB AVG OPS W SV K HLD ERA WHIP Score NE Riverkings 28 7 27 4 0.27 0.82 2 2 57 5 4 1.17 11 YD33′s 18 2 12 3 0.28 0.69 1 0 29 1 5.8 1.4 1   We begin with the week’s big winners as the Riverkings go joint top of the standings with an 11-1 win against YD33s. Lynn and Greinke were the pick of the pitchers, while the red-hot David Wright and Markakis were the top hitters. Eduardo…

  • Tough times for Twins

    Matt Smith
    15 May 2012 | 8:11 am
    Just over two years ago, baseball fans in Minnesota were eyeing their glorious new ballpark, Target Field, and dreaming of a new era of Twins baseball.  After years of measly payrolls and wrangling by the Twins’ ownership to get a new ballpark, including the threat of contraction, Target Field was meant to usher in a period of stability off the field and success on it as additional revenue streamed in.  The ballpark may still achieve those aims in time, but the initial returns have not been so promising and that was made starkly clear to me when I looked at the standings on ESPN.com…

  • Sixteen early games this working week

    Matt Smith
    14 May 2012 | 1:12 pm
    We’ve got an impressive 16 MLB games that start before midnight UK time this working week. Monday is the only day of the week that doesn’t offer any evening baseball for Brits, perhaps offering sports fans the chance to pause for breath after the sensational climax to the Premier League season on Sunday before getting back to the drama and excitement on Tuesday. It’s rare for there to be any early games on Tuesday, but there are six on that day this week. They include a Stephen Strasburg start in Washington, a Cliff Lee start in Philadelphia and the fried chicken eating,…

  • Pettitte returns

    Matt Smith
    13 May 2012 | 4:17 am
    There will be pink at every turn today as MLB once again raises awareness of breast cancer on Mother’s Day in North America. Watching players waving pink bats around always looks a little odd, but that’s the whole point. It’s an eye-catching way for the sport to do something positive and is one recent initiative that MLB can be proud of (even if it can produce panic in Brits thinking for a moment that Mother’s Day has come around again very quickly and they’ve somehow missed it today). The main news story of the day is Andy Pettitte’s return to the mound.

  • Wilson’s revenge?

    Matt Smith
    12 May 2012 | 4:44 am
    The stand-0ut series of the weekend in MLB is taking place in Arlington, Texas, and first blood went to the non-red team on Friday. Josh Hamilton continued his incredible week with a two-homer performance as the Rangers defeated the Angels 10-3. The game didn’t go to plan for former Ranger C.J. Wilson as he could only throw 22 pitches before the contest was brought to a halt by heavy rain. The delay lasted nearly two hours so Wilson didn’t return to the mound and that landed him with a loss on a pitching line of 0.1 innings pitched and  four earned runs conceded. However he gets…
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    Baseball de World

  • Interview: Goyang Wonders Player Stephen Yoo

    Eric Bynum
    15 May 2012 | 10:35 am
    South Korea’s first independent baseball team started playing this year. The Goyang Wonders are playing in the Korea Futures League. Each of the other teams are either affiliated with one of the KBO teams or the police/military. On the roster of the Wonders is Stephen Yoo. Yoo was born in the States. He has played [...]

  • Germany: South Division Leaders Sweep Weekend Series

    Eric Bynum
    15 May 2012 | 10:03 am
    GERMANY – The Regensburg Legionaere and the Heidenheim Heidekopfe both notched South Division twinbill sweeps last weekend in the German Baseball League. Regensburg (11-3) continued the woes of the slumping Mainz Athletics with a 12-4 blowout win last Friday night. Petr Cech and Ludwig Glaser hit back-to-back homers as Dutch right-hander Mike Bolsenbroek (4-0) picked [...]

  • Germany: North Division Leader Solingen Splits Pair with Bonn

    Eric Bynum
    15 May 2012 | 10:00 am
    GERMANY – Glimpses of parity emerged over the weekend in the German Baseball League as North Division heavyweights Solingen and Paderborn both suffered rare setbacks. The division-leading Alligators (13-3) used a pair of four-run frames to rout the Bonn Capitals 11-1 in Sunday’s twinbill opener. Moritz Buttgereit tallied three RBIs and southpaw Andre Hughes improved [...]

  • Italy: Unipol Bologna Takes Two of Three from T&A San Marino

    Eric Bynum
    15 May 2012 | 9:55 am
    ITALY – Unipol Bologna continues to pace the Italian Baseball League after capturing two wins over T&A San Marino last weekend. However, the IBL’s hottest squad is a streaking Danesi Nettuno team that has won eight games in a row. Bologna (15-5) opened the three-game set with a 6-5 home victory on Thursday night. Marco [...]

  • The Netherlands: L&D Amsterdam Sweeps Sparta/Feyenoord

    Eric Bynum
    15 May 2012 | 9:48 am
    THE NETHERLANDS – The L&D Amsterdam Pirates outclassed last-place Sparta/Feyenoord over the weekend to take over the top spot in the Dutch Baseball League. The reigning Holland Series champion is just percentage points ahead of second-place Corendon Kinheim. Ben Grover (3-0) limited opposing hitters to just a walk and a lone hit over six shutout [...]
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    The Cub Reporter (TCR) | A Chicago Cubs Blog

  • Cubs Win One & Tie the Other at Indian School Park

    Arizona Phil
    15 May 2012 | 7:33 pm
    Rock Shoulders belted a two-run home run and Shawon Dunston Jr doubled twice and scored two runs, but Kentrell Hill rifled a game-tying RBI triple in the bottom of the 7th to enable the Giants to avoid defeat on Field #1, while Ian Dickson and three relievers were combining to toss a three-hit shutout as the Cubs blanked the Giants 1-0 in the other game on Field #2, in a Cactus League Extended Spring Training doubleheader played this morning at Indian School Park in Scottsdale, AZ. Both games were seven-inning contests (the game on Field #1 was called after seven innings with the score tied…

  • Game 36 Thread - Maholm vs. Lohse

    Rob G.
    15 May 2012 | 11:51 am
    For the sweep!!!! Cardinals Cubs #Furcal, SS *DeJesus, RF *Schumaker, CF *Campana, CF Holliday, LF Castro, SS Craig, RF *LaHair, 1B #Berkman, 1B Soriano, LF Molina, C *Stewart, 3B *Carpenter, 3B Castillo, C Greene, 2B Barney, 2B Lohse, P *Maholm, P Cardinals have lost four in a row...so I'm sure I just jinxed that with my magical blogging psychotherapy powers.

  • Ryan Dempster waiting at the baggage claim from hell.

    CubbyBlue
    15 May 2012 | 10:01 am
    It's so cruel watching Ryan Dempster pitch one outstanding game after another and still not get his first win of '12.Well, I guess he did give up 4 earned runs so his ERA ballooned to 1.97, but still. He's winless in his last 15 starts.Oh well, the baggage conveyor belt just keeps going and one day it'll spit out a W.Could you believe it when Mitchell Boggs threw a strike to Soriano in the 8th?You'd swear that Tony Campana took off from 2nd and scrammed all the way home before Matt Holliday's relay got to the infield.If they put some of these Campana plays in a time capsule and aliens watch…

  • Game 35 Thread - Dempster vs. Westbrook

    Rob G.
    14 May 2012 | 5:56 pm
    The Cubs NL Central barnstorming continues with a trip to Missouri. NL ERA-leader Ryan Dempster tries to secure his first win against a Beltran-less lineup. Cardinals Cubs #Furcal, SS *DeJesus, RF *Jay, CF *Campana, CF Holliday, LF Castro, SS Craig, RF *LaHair, 1B #Berkman, RF Soriano, LF Freese, 3B *Stewart, 3B Molina, C Soto, C *Schumaker, 2B Barney, 2B Westbrook, P Dempster, P   Which will happen first? Dempster wins a game Soriano hits a home run Campana hits a home run    pollcode.com free polls    Sadly, the poll from Friday still applies.

  • Rock Shoulders the Load at Fitch Park

    Arizona Phil
    14 May 2012 | 4:48 pm
    Rock Shoulders ripped a two-run double, walked twice, and scored a run, Trey Martin drilled a two-run single, and Danny Lockhart laced an RBI triple, leading the Cubs to a 6-2 victory over the Diamondbacks in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa, AZ. Micah Gibbs continued his rehab assignment, catching for the first seven innings and then switching to DH. He got six Plate Appearances today, and although he went hitless, he walked and scored three times. He also stole a base. Gibbs is just 1-11 in his three EXST games, but with six walks and…
 
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    Baseball Ink

  • In-Season Promotion/Relegation Standings at ProRel.org

    TheUmpire
    12 May 2012 | 3:01 am
    The sabermetric savants over at ProRel.org have started an in-season promotion/relegation table for American baseball this year. What is Promotion-Relegation? (from here on out we’ll just call it P-R) The P-R system is one in which teams are in tiered leagues (i.e. in baseball: the Majors, Triple-A, AA, and so forth) and at the end [...]

  • The Greatest Baseball Limerick Contest Ever

    TheUmpire
    24 Mar 2012 | 6:52 am
    Just in time for spring training:  The fine folks over at Chortler are running their annual baseball limerick contest, so dust off your meter and air out your rhyme.  A free DVD and your limerick published on BaseballLimericks.com for the winner. See if you can do better than this: There once was a slugger named [...]

  • Nearly Half 2012 HoF Firsties Not Starter Quality

    TheUmpire
    18 Dec 2011 | 12:54 pm
    Once again the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) erodes any remaining credibility with its 2012 National Baseball Hall of Fame nominations.  Six out of 13 of first-year candidates have a career average WAR (avgWAR) of below 2.00, which Baseball-Reference.com categorizes as “reserve.” Tony Womack comes in with an avgWAR of 0.15.  I guess he [...]

  • Average WAR for 2012 Hall of Fame Candidates

    TheUmpire
    18 Dec 2011 | 7:29 am
    Jeff Bagwell tops the list again for Baseball Hall of Fame candidates.  None of the first-year 2012 candidates makes the cut. Brian Jordan leads the pack of non-worthy rookies, largely due to an impressive defensive WAR. Tony Womack looks to be this year’s Lenny Harris. We have converted a baseball player’s career Wins Above Replacement [...]

  • Letter to the Editor – Promotion and Relegation in Baseball

    JeremyC
    17 Nov 2011 | 2:30 pm
    To whomever wrote that excellent article on promotion/relegation: I just wanted to say that I am impressed with the site and particularly with the article on promotion/relegation. I also wish MLB had the good sense to make it more exciting by adopting such a system. I hope that you continue to publish the hypothetical situation [...]
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    About.com Baseball

  • Interleague returns this weekend: Let's rank the matchups

    16 May 2012 | 5:27 am
    We get our first interleague weekend coming up in a couple days, which is met with equal parts welcome and disdain. Next year we'll have interleague every weekend because of Houston's move to the American League (giving each league an odd number of 15 teams), which will make it even less "special."...Read Full Post

  • Win should get fans off Josh Beckett's back, for now

    15 May 2012 | 8:39 pm
    Few have fallen faster in fans' eyes than Josh Beckett has in Boston. A big reason why the Red Sox won the title in 2007, Beckett was booed off the mound last Thursday in a loss to Cleveland in which he gave up seven runs in 2 1/3 innings at home to an offense that nobody will mistake with the 1927 Yankees....Read Full Post

  • Monday Morning Manager: Red Sox make classiest gesture of the year

    13 May 2012 | 8:07 pm
    The Boston Red Sox might have given themselves some karma on Saturday night. Without fanfare, Boston executives John Henry, Larry Lucchino and Tom Werner went to the visiting Cleveland Indians clubhouse before Saturday night's game at Fenway Park. They presented Derek Lowe with a 2004 World Series ring, one to replace the ring that was stolen from his home in Fort Myers over the winter....Read Full Post

  • At the quarter pole, troubles in Philly and Boston

    13 May 2012 | 9:27 am
    It's Mother's Day, a day for pink bats and an unofficial quarter pole to what's been an eventful regular season. And if the season ended today, the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians and Washington Nationals would be in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox are in last place....Read Full Post

  • Adam Dunn is swinging hard, coming back, and closing in on an odd record

    9 May 2012 | 7:51 pm
    Adam Dunn was a punching bag and a punch line last season, his first with the Chicago White Sox and his first in the American League. It wasn't pretty at all. He hit .159 and struck out 177 times, perhaps the worst performance by an established hitter in a full-time role ever. His batting average was the lowest in MLB since 1900 among hitters with at least 450 plate appearances. After hitting 38 homers or more in seven consecutive seasons in the National League, he hit 11 in 2011, and none in his final 28 games. His OPS was more than 300 points below his career average....Read Full Post
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    lenNY's Yankees - A Bronx Bombers Blog

  • 10 early-season surprising stats [Globe]

    Lenny Neslin
    14 May 2012 | 12:57 pm
    I'm not your typical journalist. I love statistics. Databases? I eat those for breakfast.I compiled 10 of the most surprising statistics in the first month of action, and they are available for your consumption in gallery form at Boston.com. Enjoy. And because I love stats so much, you'll find a few surprising Yankees statistics if you continue reading.David Robertson struck out a staggering 13.5 batters per nine innings last year. This year, he's managed to exceed that, whiffing 15.1 per nine. Michael Pineda has not recorded an inning in pinstripes. His trade counterpart, Jesus…

  • Not sold on Pettitte

    Lenny Neslin
    13 May 2012 | 3:22 pm
    Andy PettitteDon't get me wrong, I couldn't have been happier to see No. 46 back on the mound on Mother's Day in his signature style, shielding his face from the batter.Everything looked like it was going great until the sixth inning, when Andy Pettitte allowed five hard hits including a two-run homer to Casper Wells, his first of the year. He had thrown just 63 pitches before the inning began.Remember, he was facing one of the worst offenses in the league. The Mariners were hitting .233 as a team going into today's action (13th in AL) with 129 runs scored (10th).Pettitte's final line:…

  • 2012 MLB predictions

    Lenny Neslin
    6 Apr 2012 | 10:58 am
    The Yankees open today, and that means it's time to make predictions. You can also find my more detailed league scouting reports on Boston.com (AL | NL). The Reds let me down last year, but I'm sticking with them.AL East 1. Yankees2. Rays* 3. Red Sox4. Blue Jays 5. Orioles AL Central 1. Tigers 2. Royals 3. Indians4. Twins5. White SoxAL West 1. Angels 2. Rangers* 3. Athletics4. Mariners NL East 1. Phillies2. Braves* 3. Marlins4. Nationals5. Mets NL Central 1. Reds2. Cardinals*3. Brewers4. Pirates5. Cubs6.

  • MLB social media: Yankees are most-liked, Swisher is most-followed [Infographic]

    Lenny Neslin
    5 Apr 2012 | 12:16 pm
    The Wall Street Journal shared a cool infographic about social media in baseball, and it revealed some not-so-surprising Yankees victories.The Yankees are the most-liked team on Facebook (5.3 million) and Nick Swisher (1.5 million) is the most-followed baseball player on Twitter.The Red Sox (3.4 million) rank second on Facebook and David Ortiz (225,460) ranks fourth.The Phillies are the most-followed team on Twitter (680,000), while the Yankees rank second (550,000).Speaking of Facebook and Twitter ... make sure to get updates from this blog on the two popular networks (Facebook |…

  • Joba released from hospital, feels 'good'

    Lenny Neslin
    25 Mar 2012 | 12:14 pm
    Thankfully, we have a positive update in the Joba Saga after Friday's frightening news broke.Joba just released from hospital, according to person there. Came out in wheelchair. Said "good" when asked how he's doing.— Erik Boland (@eboland11) March 25, 2012Joba hopes to return in July, according to the Post but Brian Cashman said that's the optimistic prediction. Meanwhile, he also has to worry about his Tommy John Surgery rehab. After he recovers from these two significant injuries, he could be a different pitcher -- again.
 
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    Rounding Third

  • Feeling a Bit Nostalgic Today

    Rounding Third Staff
    9 May 2012 | 10:33 am
    I haven't written a post in months and I am sorry for all of those readers that supported me over the past several years. My sons college baseball career is coming to a close in three weeks. I have gone to every weekend series this year...including traveling down to a few Tuesday games. Of course, I work too, but opportunities to watch your kid play a collegiate sport come around only once...and it goes by very fast. Work can wait. It seems like only yesterday I was dropping my son off at college for the first time. That was a very emotional time and in three weeks, my wife and I will see…

  • The $5 Piece Of Plastic

    Rounding Third Staff
    15 Oct 2011 | 3:11 am
    We had interesting responses from a couple of readers on yesterdays post. We like interaction and we are going to break the comments down...It can be read below the posting...just click on comments. The basic ideas for our anonymous responders, was that high school and college baseball is straying away from it's priorities on education. It's more about the trophy...or as we like to call it..the $5 piece of plastic. Generally, we would say we agree, but after some research, we have a different take...and there are some surprises as well. In bold are their comments and our response is below…

  • Keep Up The Conditioning

    Rounding Third Staff
    14 Oct 2011 | 3:11 am
    Fall work-outs are winding down, but that doesn't mean that baseball players stop working out. It's time to step up the work-outs to avoid injury. The most common complaints when spring comes around are shoulder and elbow soreness and if you don't follow our suggestion to long toss and build arm strength this winter season, you increase the risk of injury. In addition to long toss and other arm drills, we have found that the Jaeger bands and similar band work is a sure way to strengthen that arm to limit any soreness or injury. A site that we really like and can give you a quick tutorial on…

  • Baseball Exercises

    Rounding Third Staff
    13 Oct 2011 | 3:11 am
    RT Staff Note: We are busier than ever and sometimes we rely on others to do our work for us. Todays article is from Jon Doyle of Baseball Training Secrets. Enjoy. By Jon Doyle, MA, CSCS While you search around the Internet for baseball exercises, you no doubt come across some odd and strange looking exercises. The problem is a great deal of these "exercises" is not only worthless, but potentially dangerous. So I figured I'd write up a quick article so you can determine if an exercise you come across is worthy of you adding to your program. 1. Ground-based Exercises - Not all baseball drills…

  • Prove It!

    Rounding Third Staff
    12 Oct 2011 | 3:11 am
    RT Staff Note: The following is the third in a series of Monday Morning articles from Carmen Bucci, President of The Complete Athlete. Carmen teaches high school athletes how to communicate better with their current coaches, college coaches and/or professional scouts. Since our theme for the past several weeks has been about communication, we welcome Carmen as a RT contributor. By Carmen Bucci, The Complete Athlete It’s not enough just to tell a college coach or professional scout that you work hard or you’re a leader on /and off the field. It’s not enough to tell a college coach you…
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    Pitchers Hit Eighth

  • Shyam Wow

    Dennis
    16 May 2012 | 9:59 am
    MVPee Major League Baseball has fired arbitrator Shyam Das after 13 years on the job.  His firing comes quickly on the heels of a vote that overturned the 100-game suspension of the Rockies’ AAA catcher, Eliezer Alfonzo.  Too bad the sack job comes several months too late to save baseball from 2 separate black eyes.  Alfonzo’s legal representation took the same approach that Ryan Braun’s lawyer did in attacking the “chain of custody” associated with the handling of Alfonzo’s samples. Given the timing, some may see this as a retaliatory move by MLB which…

  • Witness For The Defense

    Dennis
    15 May 2012 | 10:29 am
    Have an opinion about a particular player, coach, manager, team, or franchise you wish to express?  Try tossing stones 140 characters at a time on Twitter, and then wait for every keyboard jockey with a view contrary to yours to find you.  Either nature or some universal law entitles everyone to their own opinion, and in theory there are no wrong opinions.  Great theory.  Poor execution.  Consider for a moment that you wish to play “armchair GM” for a moment.  You better be prepared for the inevitable onslaught of both knee jerk reactions and well-reasoned opposition. Do you…

  • Tao of Pu

    Dennis
    14 May 2012 | 10:15 am
    Pujols Slump Traced to use of Whiffleball bat At seemingly every opportunity, many baseball media members take the time on Twitter, TV, and sports websites to remind baseball information consumers that Albert Pujols remains in a slump of monumental proportions.  These people almost take delight in delivering bad news, and the degree to which some seem to revel in making these deliveries has gone beyond the norm.  Spreading unbiased information as news remains the primary objective of the mainstream sports media, but many members deviate frequently from being a vehicle for transporting news…

  • The Cardinals Have A Math Problem

    Dennis
    12 May 2012 | 3:35 pm
      Indeed, the limitations of the 25 man roster impose certain constraints on the Cardinals that some teams do not have.  The Cardinals legitimately have greater than 25 players who have to varying degrees earned spots on the roster and potentially deserve some playing time.  For many teams, that “problem” represents a best-case scenario.  For the Cardinals, it represents untimely misfortune for 1 or more players they would like to see thrive or at least survive at the major league level.  Here is how the math works… The Cardinals carry 12 pitchers on the roster…

  • Commish For A Day

    Dennis
    9 May 2012 | 3:05 pm
    Imagine that you have been made commissioner of MLB for 1 day and have been granted all-powerful control to make 1 rule change that doesn’t have to be approved by anybody else.  What would you do?  What would you do? Take Our Poll
 
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    Capitol Avenue ClubCapitol Avenue Club

  • 5/16 News, Links, Discussion: Braves-Marlins, Freddie Freeman, Law’s Mock Draft

    David Lee
    16 May 2012 | 11:44 am
    First Taste of Fish Following a 6-2 win over the Reds that split the two-game series on Tuesday, the Braves will wrap up their quick homestand with two against the Marlins, their first look at the new-look Fish this season. It will also be their first look at newcomer Mark Buehrle, who faces Mike Minor at 7:10. Atlanta: SportSouth, WNNX 100.5, WCNN 680. Miami: Fox Sports Florida, WAXY 790, WAQI 710. Game Notes MLB.com preview STATS preview AJC preview Freddie Freeman sat out Tuesday’s game with inflamed eyes, which he is treating with antibiotic eye drops. He was originally scheduled to…

  • Game 37: Braves 6, Reds 2

    David Lee
    15 May 2012 | 10:40 pm
    Source: FanGraphs Game MVP: Tim Hudson, .170 Brian McCann, .132 Most Valuable Red: Miguel Cairo, .007 Least Valuable Red: Johnny Cueto, -.313 Big swing: McCann homered in the second for a 1-0 lead, .126

  • Randall Delgado Has Been Exactly As The Braves Hoped

    Ben Duronio
    15 May 2012 | 11:38 am
    After posting a 3.84 ERA and 3.82 FIP, along with an 8.44 K/9 and 3.53 BB/9 in double-A last season, Randall Delgado’s performance in the majors so far has been exactly what the Braves could have hoped for. Predictably, Delgado’s strikeout and walk rates have declined in his move up to the big club. He has struckout 7.81 per nine while walking just over 4 per nine, which is far from a great ratio but certainly is not terrible. He has about a league average home run per fly ball ratio, so his xFIP correlates pretty closely with his FIP. Where Delgado has probably been a bit lucky…

  • 5/15 News, Links, Discussion: Braves-Reds, Freddie Freeman Update, Michael Bourn’s Contract

    David Lee
    15 May 2012 | 11:15 am
    Turning to Tim The Braves lost 3-1 to the Reds on Monday, ending a short burst of offensive power that was on display in St. Louis in the previous series. Atlanta will look to split the two-game series as it sends Tim Hudson to the mound against Johnny Cueto at 7:10. Atlanta: SportSouth, WNNX 100.5, WCNN 680. Cincinnati: Fox Sports Ohio, WLW 700. Nationally: MLB Network. Game Notes MLB.com preview STATS preview Freddie Freeman left Monday’s game with blurred vision in his right eye. He went through two pairs of contacts and couldn’t fix it, and he visited the team eye doctor after…

  • Game 36: Reds 3, Braves 1

    David Lee
    14 May 2012 | 9:37 pm
    Source: FanGraphs Game MVP: Chris Heisey, .243 Least Valuable Red: Zack Cozart, -.126 Most Valuable Brave: Randall Delgado, .163 Least Valuable Brave: Jonny Venters, -.368 Big swing: Brandon Phillips’ RBI double in the eighth off Jonny Venters gave the Reds a 2-1 lead, .246. Jason Heyward’s strikeout with the bases loaded in the eighth against Aroldis Chapman, -.145.
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    TODAYinBASEBALL.com

  • May 16, 1939: 1st AL night game

    BTGrimes
    16 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    Into the night PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - On this date in 1939 the American League finally played a game under the lights - four years after the National League pioneered the trend. The game took place at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. The Cleveland Indians beat the home team Philadelphia Athletics (today's Oakland A's) 8-3 in ten innings. Night games are so prevalent today, it's hard to imagine a time when all games were played during the day. That slowly began to change in 1935. The Cincinnati Reds played the first night game at Crosley Field in Cincinnati May 24, 1935. Crosley was the…

  • May 15, 1912: Cobb charges fan

    BTGrimes
    15 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    Cobb out of control NEW YORK, NEW YORK - Baseball superstar Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers got so ticked off at a heckler during a game on this date in 1912 that he charged into the stands after him. Cobb was not known for his gentlemanly demeanor, but this was different. The man he went after, Claude Lueker, was disabled. He'd lost one hand and three fingers on the other in an industrial accident. American League President Ban Johnson came down hard on Cobb by suspending him indefinitely, which ended up being until May 27th, twelve days. "The Georgia Peach" didn't seem to care that he rubbed…

  • May 14, 1927: Stands collapse

    BTGrimes
    14 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    Stampede kills fan PHILADELPIA, PENNSYLVANIA - A section of the stands at Philadelphia's Baker Bowl collapsed on this date in 1927 causing a stampede which killed a fan and injured more than 50. The 50-foot section of the lower deck seats down the first base line gave way during a Philadelphia Phillies - St. Louis Cardinals game throwing some 300 fans out of their seats. According to newspaper reports at the time, "The collapse threw the crowd into a panic and it swarmed on the field..." (The Charleston Gazette, West Virginia). The game was suspended with the Phillies ahead 12-3. The ballpark…

  • May 13, 1958: Musial reaches milestone

    BTGrimes
    13 May 2012 | 12:00 am
    Stan the hitting machine CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - Stan Musial got his 3,000th hit on this date in 1958, a double off the Chicago Cubs' Moe Drabowky at Wrigley Field. At the time only seven players in history had reached 3,000 hits; Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, Honus Wagner, Eddie Collins, Cap Anson, Paul Waner and Nap Lajoie, quite a list. Stanley Frank Musial ended up with 3,630 hits in a career that spanned 22 years. As of this writing, he is fourth on the all-time career hits list. Only Hank Aaron, Ty Cobb and Pete Rose have more. Musial was born in Donora, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh on November…

  • May 12, 1926: Walter Johnson wins 400th

    BTGrimes
    12 May 2012 | 4:00 am
    "Night Train" keeps on rollin WASHINGTON, D.C. - Walter Johnson won his 400th game on this date in 1926. Only two pitchers have reached that plateau. The other was Cy Young, winner of an astonishing 511 games. You know Cy. They named an award after him. Walter Johnson came from Humboldt, Kansas. He broke into the majors with the Washington Senators (today's Minnesota Twins) in 1907 at age 19. They called him "Night Train," and he pitched for the next 21 years, finishing with records like 36-7, 33-12, 23-7, 25-13, 20-7, for a team that lost more than it won (The Senators finished under .500…
 
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    Lady Loves Pinstripes

  • New York Yankees: Are the bats the problem?

    Kate
    16 May 2012 | 2:44 am
    Cano - Cano - Cano don't you know? After watching CC Sabathia struggle and the Yankees lose pathetically, 5-2, to the Baltimore Orioles last night I realized that the pitching was not the problem here. Even with a bad start, Sabathia allowed four runs to score but the Yankee hitters can easily beat that number; and this reminded me of a something MLB veteran Andy Van Slyke once said: “Every season has its peaks and valleys. What you have to try to do is eliminate the Grand Canyon.” Now, the Yankees have not quite hit Grand Canyon level but the ups and downs are now a recurring theme.

  • New York Yankees: Houdini to DL

    Kate
    15 May 2012 | 5:15 pm
    Talk about some bad luck as the New York Yankees have placed another on the ever-growing DL (disabled list). David Robertson on April 24, 2011 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) This time it is reliever/interim-closer David Robertson who has a strained left oblique and will be out for 15 days at least. It is not surprising that the Yankees did not acknowledge that Robertson was hurt publicly until their backs were against the wall, as skipper Joe Girardi and GM Brian Cashman have a knack for not revealing anything in full. I guess this explains why Yankee fans haven’t seen Robertson throw a pitch…

  • New York Yankees: Wounded but winning

    Kate
    14 May 2012 | 11:39 pm
    Mark Teixeira swings at a pitch during a game between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles on August 28, 2011 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) As if there weren’t enough already, the New York Yankees suffered even more injuries during their big, 8-5 win against the Baltimore Orioles last night. The wounded Bombers are literally dropping like flies, and it is going to make it tough for skipper Joe Girardi to give Mark Teixeira, who was hacking up a lung after his big two-run homer, a much-needed day off. So, here is a quick list of the Yankees latest casualties with the most updated DL list…

  • Yankees vs. Orioles: You need to beat the birds

    Kate
    14 May 2012 | 4:00 pm
    The New York Yankees are in Baltimore to face the first-place Orioles for two quick games starting tonight. New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles April 24, 2011 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) The O’s have been playing some great baseball lately but the Yankees have won four of the six times the two AL East rivals have faced each other. Can the Orioles make the playoffs for the first time since 1997? Well, I know Orioles fans have ripped me lately for not ranking them higher in my weekly power rankings. But until I see Buck and his birds sustain the top spot all the way to the All-Star break, I…

  • New York Yankees: Trusting Hughes too soon

    Kate
    13 May 2012 | 11:57 pm
    Other than the New York Yankees winning their second series in a row over the weekend vs. the Mariners, once again it seems that pitcher Phil Hughes has managed to keep his spot in the starting rotation. I will be the first to admit that Hughes pitched better in his last two starts, which were against the Royals and the Mariners. Just so you know all the facts, here are the stats from Hughes last two starts: Phil Hughes - 05/04 & 05/12 - stats. As you can see from the stats, Hughes was not the only Yankee playing well in those two team wins. The bats scored 16-runs in total but to be…
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    Rays Index

  • This Might Be The Coolest Interview Joe Maddon Has Ever Done

    Cork Gaines
    16 May 2012 | 11:45 am
    If somebody ever asks us why the Rays are successful, we will tell them about Stuart Sternberg and Andrew Friedman, and then we will show them this interview with Joe Maddon. Our favorite line? “You’ve gotta go under the hood to find the edge man” © The Professor for Rays Index, 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags:

  • Hideki Matsui Just Misses A Home Run In Triple-A Debut

    Cork Gaines
    16 May 2012 | 10:08 am
    Hideki Matsui made his debut with the Durham Bulls last night, going 0-4. He did just miss a home run in his second at bat. Here are his first two at bats and his post-game press conference… FIRST AT BAT: Your browser does not support iframes. SECOND AT BAT: Your browser does not support iframes. POST-GAME: (...)Read the rest of Hideki Matsui Just Misses A Home Run In Triple-A Debut (6 words) © The Professor for Rays Index, 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags:

  • Last Night’s Game Included A Funky Slide And A Hot Rod

    Cork Gaines
    16 May 2012 | 9:37 am
    The Rays won their third in a row last night, by sweeping the two-game set with the Blue Jays. Just a small set of images today, but as usual, here are the highlights you won’t see on SportsCenter… This was going on outside the (we're still calling it) Skydome. People are nuts. ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 8 © The Professor for Rays Index, 2012. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags:

  • [THE HANGOVER] The One Where We Discuss Red Hot Sean Rod And Not Trading Big Dub

    Cork Gaines
    16 May 2012 | 8:17 am
    The GBT – The Good, The Bad and The Telling sandwich, where The Bad is nice and lean and the The Telling is ripe. RAYS 4, Blue Jays 3 (boxscore) THE GOOD: David Price. The Rays needed 7 innings from Price and he delivered, giving up 3 runs on 6 hits. More importantly, he had the plus-slider and didn’t walk a batter, striking out 6…The Bullpen. There weren’t a lot of arms out there last night, but two that were, Joel Peralta and Fernando Rodney, came in and retired all 6 of the batters they face (with a little help from the umpire, see below)…Sean Rodriguez. Dude…

  • Postgame Shot Of Joe: Team Of Destiny?

    Joe Rays Fan
    16 May 2012 | 4:55 am
    Joe is back with his post-game thoughts…. Joe watched Ben Zobrist’s seeing-eye, bloop double, all those Jays errors, and Brett Lawrie’s almost justifyable temper tantrum, and Joe couldn’t help but sit back and contemplate after the Rays’ 4-3 win that destiny really is on Tampa Bay’s side this season. And for this latest victory we got to soak in another big night for Will Rhymes, Elliot Johnson and old man Crooked Cap. It has to make you laugh. Every fan knows the long list of injuries and surprises associated with the 2012 roster. The Rays being on pace…
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    Sports Fan Talking | Baseball History, News & Discussion

  • Baseball Today – Major League Baseball Draft

    mickey536
    10 May 2012 | 10:06 am
    Major League Baseball Draft In any sport drafting young talent, regardless of how much prep work a team does, is a crap shoot. Major League Baseball has the biggest challenge. Only a hand-full of number one draft picks start at the major league level. It can take years before that player develops his skills to the point where he gets called up and then the real test starts on whether or not his is good enough to stay and be productive. History shows us that being the number one overall pick isn’t a guarantee that a player will turn out to be the superstar a team hoped he would be when he…

  • Player Spotlight – Ivan Rodriguez

    mickey536
    25 Apr 2012 | 9:07 am
    Ivan Rodriguez, Texas Ranger Congratulations to Ivan Rodriguez on what should be a Hall of Fame career. Ivan “Pudge” Rodríguez, a 14-time All Star catcher, ended a 21-season playing career when he officially announced his retirement as a Texas Ranger. Hall of Fame Career Rodriguez hit .296 with 311 home runs and 1,332 RBIs in 2,543 games overall with Texas (1991-2002, 2009), Florida Marlins (2003), Detroit Tigers (2004-08), the New York Yankees (2008), Houston (2009), and Washington Nationals (2010-11). His 13 Gold Gloves were the most for a catcher. American League MVP…

  • Player Spot Light – John Smoltz

    mickey536
    22 Apr 2012 | 10:51 am
    Pitcher, John Smoltz The Atlanta Braves are retiring John Smoltz‘s number. Smoltz will be the ninth Braves player to have his number retired by the team. The Braves announced that Smoltz’s No. 29 will never be worn by another Braves player. Smoltz also will be inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame at Turner Field. The ceremonies will take place June 8. He joins Greg Maddux (31) and Tom Glavine(47). These three pitchers who helped Atlanta win a record 14 straight division titles in the 1990s and 2000s. They are arguably the best three Maddox, Smoltz and Glavine pitchers in the same…

  • Baseball Today – What’s Next, A 15 Year Contract?

    mickey536
    16 Apr 2012 | 11:48 am
    MLB Money The major league average salary rose 4.1 percent to $3.44 million, the steepest hike since 2008. Revenue sharing has spread the wealth, and more teams have rich cable television contracts. Surprisingly, million-dollar salaries dropped slightly, from 453 to 448. Still, that’s nearly 53 percent of the 852 players on Opening Day rosters and disabled lists. The number of $10 million players increased from 82 to 89, and $20 million stars rose from 10 to 14. Sixty-eight players make the $480,000 minimum — boosted from $414,000 under baseball’s new labor contract. The…

  • Baseball History – Topps Lost Cards

    mickey536
    21 Mar 2012 | 10:20 am
    2011 Topps Lost Cards Set As part of 2011 baseball, Topps issued the “Lost Cards” set, which includes some of the cards that Topps didn’t produce, for one reason or another, during the years 1953-1957. The list of ten only includes six names: Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Duke Snider, Bob Feller and Roy Campanella. All but two of the omissions resulted from the contract wars between Topps and Bowman up through their 1955 sets. The other two cards resulted from Stan Musial’s non-appearance in the ’56 and ’57 sets. In fact, four of the cards in the set are Musial cards.
 
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    Rays Colored Glasses

  • Talking Rays-Red Sox with Bosox Injection’s Derek Skytalo

    Robbie Knopf
    16 May 2012 | 9:47 am
    In anticipation of the Rays-Red Sox two-game series that begins tonight, I chatted with Derek Skytalo, the editor at Red Sox website Bosox Injection, about the Red Sox and what we can expect … [visit site to read more] Talking Rays-Red Sox with Bosox Injection’s Derek Skytalo - Rays Colored Glasses - Rays Colored Glasses - A Tampa Bay Rays Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

  • The Undercards: Pawsox Mar Matsui’s Durham Debut

    Robbie Knopf
    16 May 2012 | 7:28 am
    Big news in the Rays system today was the season debut for Hideki Matsui at … [visit site to read more] The Undercards: Pawsox Mar Matsui’s Durham Debut - Rays Colored Glasses - Rays Colored Glasses - A Tampa Bay Rays Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

  • Game 37: Resurgent Price, Timely Offense Leads Rays Back from 3-0 Deficit

    Robbie Knopf
    15 May 2012 | 9:25 pm
    It’s frustrating to fall behind in games as a pitcher. But the best pitchers can stay composed and find a rhythm to keep their team in the game. visit site to read more] Game 37: Resurgent Price, Timely Offense Leads Rays Back from 3-0 Deficit - Rays Colored Glasses - Rays Colored Glasses - A Tampa Bay Rays Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More
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    Vinci Baseball and Softball Sports Blog

  • Last Day to Get a Free Pair of Sunglasses with Orders of $150 or More!

    Vinci
    15 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    Today is the last day to get a free pair of Vinci Multi Lens Sport Sunglasses with your order of $150 or more.Your choice of adult or youth frames in any of our available colors. Click here to place your order today!   Vinci Multi Lens Sport Sunglasses Vinci Multi Lens Sport Sunglasses sell at a retail price of $44.95 for youth and $49.95 for adult. When you make a purchase of $150 or more we will send you a pair for free! Each pair comes with 3 different lenses, carrying case (for sunglasses and lens) and cleaning cloth. Vinci Multi Lens Sport Sunglasses are lightweight and created with…

  • Vinci Exclusive gloves Plus Free sunglasses with orders of $150 or more

    Vinci
    5 May 2012 | 11:03 am
    Special going on at vincipro.com. Any orders from now until May 15th, 2012 of $150.00 or more, receive a free pair of multi lens youth or adult sunglasses. Specify style and color in the comment section when checking out.Exclusive gloves are VERY limited quantity. Check out some pics below.   Colored and styled after our Pearl harbor glove. Without engraving. Exclusive glove-Check it out Click here to view all of our exclusive gloves.Order today! These gloves will go fast. Any questions please call 888-529-6864 Random PostsNew Vinci Glove Break In KitSpring Training 2010: Part 3Lester…

  • Carlos Torres-Colorado Rockies

    Vinci
    4 May 2012 | 11:57 am
    We at Team Vinci are happy to say that Carlos Torres is to be called up to the Colorado Rockies later today. After being 2-1 with a 2.88 era pitching for the triple a Sky Sox, Carlos is slated to be a long reliever with the big league club. Click to read the full article about Carlos Torres Carlos is not only someone who wears our baseball glove, he has become a very good friend. Let er rip Los Related PostsCongratulations Luis Marte of the Detroit TigersLester Oliveros Wears Vinci Baseball Glove For MLBJoakim Soria Wears Vinci Baseball Glove for MLB Vinci Baseball Gloves Go to Japan

  • Vinci Exclusive Gloves: Get em While They are HOT!

    Vinci
    19 Apr 2012 | 10:31 am
    Vinci’s exclusive gloves are all one-of a kind. Featuring glove models from our regular line in unique color patterns and design. Each glove is crafted and designed to produce a glove that will set you apart from the crowd. New exclusive gloves are introduced periodically, but each glove is produced in a limited quantity, so once they’re gone…they’re gone. Latest Exclusive Gloves   Exclusive 13.25 Inch Glove with Y-Web in Bordeaux and Black   Exclusive 13.25 Inch Glove with Net-Y Web in Red and Black Available in Left Handed Thrower Only   Click here to…

  • Vinci Exclusive Gloves Featuring One-of-a-Kind Baseball / Softball Gloves

    Vinci
    4 Apr 2012 | 2:04 pm
    Vinci’s exclusive gloves are all one-of a kind. Featuring glove models from our regular line in unique color patterns and design. Each glove is crafted and designed to produce a glove that will set you apart from the crowd. New exclusive gloves are introduced periodically, but each glove is produced in a limited quantity, so once they’re gone…they’re gone. Click here to view the current exclusive glove models   Latest Exclusive Glove Models: Vinci Exclusive MEO24-M Bordeaux and Black with Gray Mesh and Lace Web Style Double Bar Glove Back Vinci-Open Color…
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    Bullpen Brian

  • Dale Sveum Knows Better

    bullpenbrian
    16 May 2012 | 1:00 am
    I’ve had few frustrations with Dale Sveum through the first 36 games. For the most part he’s pressing the right buttons, has the team hustling and seems to be getting the most from a team struggling to be relevant in the standings (15-21). However, Sveums insistence on pitching to Yadier Molina, instead of around him, continues to pain me Molina, the noted Cubs killer, nearly cost Sveum and his club a victory Monday night. Less than 24 hours later Sveum wasn’t as lucky when Yadier delivered a walkoff single to RF in the bottom of the ninth Tuesday afternoon. In both games…

  • This Guy’s A Cubs Killer

    bullpenbrian
    15 May 2012 | 1:15 pm
    In this installment of ‘Name that Molina’ I’m talking about Bengie, Jose, Yadier Molina, the Cubs killer who’s a lifetime .281 hitter with 9 HR and 48 RBI through 101 games vs. Chicago. This year alone he’s batting .346 with 1 HR & 9 RBI against the Cubs. Certainly numbers the Chicago coaching staff is aware of. But with all due respect to Sveum and his staff, I don’t understand why the Cubs keep pitching to Molina, especially in clutch hitting situations? In the latest example, Yadier was the centerpiece of the Cardinals sixth inning rally against…

  • Winless Dempster Still Money

    bullpenbrian
    15 May 2012 | 3:00 am
    Ryan Dempster staked to a 4-0 lead through five innings felt like money in the bank. Who wouldn’t bet he’d get that elusive first win? Demps was cruising along needing just 27 pitches to retire 10 of 11 Cardinal batters from the second through fifth innings. It was all the makings of a streak buster, a winless drought spanning 14 starts (now 15) without Dempster (0-1) earning a victory. Go figure he’d allow four runs an inning later and leave his 300th career start with a no-decision. All things considered, it was another strong start from the right-hander whose ERA jumped from 1.02…

  • Name That Cub!

    bullpenbrian
    14 May 2012 | 12:00 am
    Has 3 HR in his last 9 starts.Driven in a run in 6 of his last 15 games.Batting .385 in Late/Close situations.His 11 walks are all against right-handers.Made 21-straight starts without committing an error.Name that Cub! -3B Ian Stewart Filed under: Name That Cub! Tagged: Chicago Cubs, MLB, Wrigley Field

  • Volstad, Travis Wood & Tony La Russa

    bullpenbrian
    13 May 2012 | 2:00 am
    It’s time the Cubs removed Chris Volstad from the starting rotation and replaced him with Travis Wood. Wood’s lone outing this season, a quality six inning start of 3-runs on 3-hits during last Sunday’s 4-3 win against Los Angeles, is better than anything Volstad has accomplished this season. Meanwhile, Volstad’s inability to pitch out of trouble and avoid the big inning was in full effect Saturday afternoon as he allowed six earned runs in six innings, five of which scored in the sixth inning. More to the point, it was exactly the kind of poor performance the Cubs…
 
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    Cleveland Indians

  • Cleveland Indians Likely To Recall Johnny Damon By May 1

    Ryan Gaydos
    21 Apr 2012 | 11:39 pm
    The Cleveland Indians and free agent outfielder Johnny Damon agreed to a deal earlier in the week and the way his contract is structured it would be wise for the Indians to call up Damon. If he his not called up by May 1 he will be release as stated by his contract. Damon has been getting at-bats in the minor leagues so far this season. Once Damon is called up by the Indians he will be joining an outfield that already consists of Michael Brantley, Shin-Soo Choo and Shelley Duncan while Travis Hafner is occupying the designated hitter position so it would be interesting to see where Damon…

  • Which Former Indians Players are in the Playoffs?

    Lewie Pollis
    2 Oct 2011 | 5:10 pm
      Are you an Indians fan struggling to figure out which games are worth watching this postseason? We’ve already covered the problem of who to root for this month, but if your biggest priority is simply seeing your old hometown heroes chasing glory, here’s a list of each of the seven former Indians players who are on postseason rosters, sorted by team: Arizona Diamondbacks No former Indians.   Detroit Tigers   Victor Martinez (Indian from 2002-9). Martinez hit .297/.369/.463 with 103 homers, 518 RBI, and 20.7 fWAR and made three All-Star teams before being traded to…

  • Study: Indians Fans Should Root for Diamondbacks, Cardinals in Playoffs

    Lewie Pollis
    30 Sep 2011 | 11:31 am
    For the fourth year in a row, the Cleveland Indians have missed the playoffs. It’s something we Tribe fans are used to by now, but it’s also something we never quite get over—great as the virtually non-stop month of postseason baseball is every year, it’s always bittersweet when the Indians aren’t involved. So who should Cleveland fans be rooting for this October instead? According to one formula, Tribe fans should be pulling for the Arizona Diamondbacks. This week at Beyond the Box Score, I unveiled ROOT (Rootability Of Other Teams), a tchotchke statistic that ranks…

  • Indians’ Final Game Emblematic of Tumultuous Season

    Lewie Pollis
    29 Sep 2011 | 6:37 am
    The Cleveland Indians’ 5-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers last night wasn’t a positive note on which to end the 2011 season, but it was an exceptionally fitting one. Just as the Indians got off to a hot start this year, keeping the Tigers’ potent offense off the board and scoring first. By the middle of the fourth inning, Cleveland had a 3-0 lead, and things were looking good—just as they did in mid-May. But reality started settling in. Detroit got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, and after six Cleveland’s lead had completely evaporated. Heading into the eighth,…

  • Indians’ Radio Man to Retire: Tune in Tonight for Mike Hegan’s Last Game

    Lewie Pollis
    28 Sep 2011 | 6:17 am
    Hard as it is to believe, Game No. 162 has arrived. That means that, once the final out is made at Comerica Park tonight, the Cleveland Indians’ 2011 season will come to an end. There isn’t much at stake in tonight’s game. The Tigers could be playing for home field advantage and an Indians win would bring their season record to .500, but while the latter would be nice and the former could have repercussions for the postseason, neither would have a particularly large impact for Tribe fans. Moreover, there aren’t too many players on the roster who will be departing this…
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    Baseball de World

  • Interview: Goyang Wonders Player Stephen Yoo

    Eric Bynum
    15 May 2012 | 10:35 am
    South Korea’s first independent baseball team started playing this year. The Goyang Wonders are playing in the Korea Futures League. Each of the other teams are either affiliated with one of the KBO teams or the police/military. On the roster of the Wonders is Stephen Yoo. Yoo was born in the States. He has played [...]

  • Germany: South Division Leaders Sweep Weekend Series

    Eric Bynum
    15 May 2012 | 10:03 am
    GERMANY – The Regensburg Legionaere and the Heidenheim Heidekopfe both notched South Division twinbill sweeps last weekend in the German Baseball League. Regensburg (11-3) continued the woes of the slumping Mainz Athletics with a 12-4 blowout win last Friday night. Petr Cech and Ludwig Glaser hit back-to-back homers as Dutch right-hander Mike Bolsenbroek (4-0) picked [...]

  • Germany: North Division Leader Solingen Splits Pair with Bonn

    Eric Bynum
    15 May 2012 | 10:00 am
    GERMANY – Glimpses of parity emerged over the weekend in the German Baseball League as North Division heavyweights Solingen and Paderborn both suffered rare setbacks. The division-leading Alligators (13-3) used a pair of four-run frames to rout the Bonn Capitals 11-1 in Sunday’s twinbill opener. Moritz Buttgereit tallied three RBIs and southpaw Andre Hughes improved [...]

  • Italy: Unipol Bologna Takes Two of Three from T&A San Marino

    Eric Bynum
    15 May 2012 | 9:55 am
    ITALY – Unipol Bologna continues to pace the Italian Baseball League after capturing two wins over T&A San Marino last weekend. However, the IBL’s hottest squad is a streaking Danesi Nettuno team that has won eight games in a row. Bologna (15-5) opened the three-game set with a 6-5 home victory on Thursday night. Marco [...]

  • The Netherlands: L&D Amsterdam Sweeps Sparta/Feyenoord

    Eric Bynum
    15 May 2012 | 9:48 am
    THE NETHERLANDS – The L&D Amsterdam Pirates outclassed last-place Sparta/Feyenoord over the weekend to take over the top spot in the Dutch Baseball League. The reigning Holland Series champion is just percentage points ahead of second-place Corendon Kinheim. Ben Grover (3-0) limited opposing hitters to just a walk and a lone hit over six shutout [...]
 
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    The Mets Report

  • Ike Davis Is Hitting – On the Road

    Dave Doyle
    8 May 2012 | 7:33 pm
    Much has been written this year about Ike Davis’ struggles at the plate. And he sure has struggled mightily. But when you look at his splits, he’s not hitting that badly on the road. He just can’t hit a lick at home. Going into tonight, his slash line for the season is .173/.236/.276. Really ugly! But if you look at his home/road splits, he’s not hitting that badly on the road. He’s hitting a home run every 16 at-bats on the road this year. That’s better than his (short) career numbers of a home run every 25.8 at-bats. His slash line on the road this year…

  • Mets Ruben Tejada Likely to Disabled List

    Dave Doyle
    7 May 2012 | 6:21 am
    Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada did a face plant on first base legging out a bunt in the fourth inning yesterday. He just got tripped up before the base and stayed on the ground for a few minutes. It was bad enough that he left the game and had an MRI. It looks like the damage is a strained quad and facial cuts and bruising. He’ll probably go on the DL today before the Mets start their series in Philly. Jordanny Valdespin is already on his way to Philly to re-join the team. He’s played in 7 games this year with only 6 at-bat’s and no hits. He’s also been playing the…

  • Mets Should Start Jeremy Hefner

    Dave Doyle
    5 May 2012 | 6:07 pm
    Jeremy Hefner (Photo credit: SD Dirk) The Mets decided to replace Chris Schwinden in the starting rotation with Miguel Batista… For now. But they should take a look at what Jeremy Hefner’s been doing at Buffalo so far this season. He’s 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA in 33 IP. He threw 6 scoreless innings over 5 games for the Mets this spring too. Hefner may be over-matched my Major League pitching but he’s mastering the Triple-A level right now and deserves a shot at Mike Pelfrey’s vacated rotation spot. Hefner isn’t a kid either. He’s 26 years old. So any…

  • Mike Pelfrey’s Mets Career Ends with Surgery

    Dave Doyle
    1 May 2012 | 7:35 pm
    Mets starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey underwent Tommy John surgery today in Alabama by Dr. James Andrews. The surgery will force Pelfrey to miss the rest of the 2012 season and, in all likelihood, end his disappointing Mets career. Pelfrey was a non-tender candidate coming into 2012. So it’s impossible to imagine him coming back to the team following a major injury. If he doesn’t come back, he’ll be remembered by Mets fans as a big disappointment after being the 9th overall draft pick in 2005. Hopes were high for Pelfrey to continue the Mets tradition of drafting and developing…

  • Philip Humber Throws Perfect Game

    Dave Doyle
    21 Apr 2012 | 8:09 pm
    Former Met Philip Humber threw the 21st perfect game in MLB history today for the White Sox against the Mariners in Seattle. Humber was drafted by the Mets in 2004 and traded to the Twins in 2008 as part of the Johan Santana deal. Add Humber to the list of fomer Mets that threw a no-hitter, or perfect game in this case, once they left the Mets. It drives me crazy every time I hear about another for Met throwing a no-hitter as the Mets come up on 9,000 games without one. Congratulations to Humber and here’s to hoping someone on the 2012 roster can finally break the streak and leave the…
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    PRO Rumors

  • Chicago White Sox designate Eric Stults for assignment

    juan
    16 May 2012 | 11:01 am
    Left handed pitcher Eric Stults has been designated for assignment by the Chicago White Sox, the team announced. The 32-year old lefty went 0-0 with a 2.70 ERA, 0.0 HR/9, 5.4 BB/9 and 5.4 SO/9 in 6.2 innings with the White Sox this season. Image by anneh632 under the Creative Commons License Agreement.

  • Athletics claim left hander Travis Blackley off waivers

    juan
    16 May 2012 | 10:52 am
    The Oakland Athletics have claimed left handed pitcher Travis Blackley off waivers from the San Francisco Giants the team announced. The Giants designated Blackley for assignment two days ago. Blackley went 0-0 with a 9.00 ERA, 0.0 HR/9, 3.6 BB/9 and 3.6 SO/9 in five innings this season with the Giants. Image by Monica’s Dad under the Creative Commons License Agreement.

  • Cubs sign RHP Mike MacDougal

    juan
    16 May 2012 | 10:44 am
    The Chicago Cubs signed recently released Mike MacDougal to a Minor League deal according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. MacDougal was released by the Dodgers a couple of days ago. MacDougal, 35, went 0-0 with a 7.94 ERA, 0.0 HR/9, 9.5 BB/9 and 6.4 SO/9 in 5.2 innings pitched with the Dodgers in 2012. Image by terren in Virginia under the Creative Commons License Agreement.

  • Cole Hamels is looking for a seven-year deal

    juan
    15 May 2012 | 8:49 am
    Baseball’s new villain Cole Hamels is looking for a seven-year contract extension that surpasses C.C. Sabathia’s seven-year, $161 million deal with the Yankees in 2008 according to Andrew Kulp The700Level.com. Apparently he’ll hold the world hostage if nobody gives that kind of money to him. Back in March, I speculated that Hamels could ask for a C.J. Wilson’s type deal with the Angels (5-year $77.5 million), and that I wouldn’t go beyond five-years and $95 million, but apparently Hamels and his agent think he deserves better than Sabathia, Wilson, Matt Cain…

  • Mets preparing an offer for David Wright

    juan
    14 May 2012 | 5:20 pm
    Third baseman David Wright’s future with the Mets has been subject for debate lately, and even though they still have one more year before they have to decide whether to keep him, Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal reports that the “team is quietly preparing to offer” him a long-term deal as soon as this season. This makes a lot of sense, because as Costa points out, if they can’t reach an agreement with Wright before next winter, they’ll probably have to consider trading him during that time. Back in April we discussed the possibility of Wright staying in…
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    Number 5 Type Collection

  • 1968 Topps Baseball #5, NL Home Run Leaders

    15 May 2012 | 6:04 pm
    Today's #5 captures the only National Leaguers to hit 30+ homers in 1967, three HOFers and Sports Nickname All-Star Jim "Toy Cannon" Wynn. Multiple-player leader cards often include a one-year wonder or two, but these guys excelled for 15+ years each. Santo had the lowest career OPS+ of the four at an impressive 125. (Wynn a tick better at 129, McCovey at 147, and Aaron a monstrous 155--Hank still holds the records for RBIs and total bases.)Career stats and power numbers aside, wondering why Wynn's wearing an airbrushed black hat? Topps used this picture because baseball cards are also a…

  • Happy Mothers Day 2012

    13 May 2012 | 3:10 pm
    A fond Leon Day card and best wishes to all mothers near and far!HOFer Leon Day hit his own high point on July 23, 1942, striking out 18 batters to set the Negro League single-game record. He later joined the US Army, played on (integrated) military teams for two years, and landed with the Allies at Normandy on D-Day, an anniversary just three weeks off (June 6).See my 1978 Long Ago Black Stars set profile for much more about Leon Day the player. I'd write more, but it's time to give mom a call.

  • 1977 Bob Parker's Baseball Hall of Fame, #5 Charles "Chief" Bender

    9 May 2012 | 11:00 pm
    Former Topps card artist Bob Parker turned his love of baseball into a profitable sidelight for much of the 70s and 80s, sketching out single-tone sets that he sold to collectors at shows and by mail order. Like this #5, Parker embellished player profiles with extra cartoons, highlights, and details on each blank-backed postcard. (As mentioned in the "More Baseball Cartoons" profile, his design evokes 1938 Goudey, a nice callback for any set to make.)One event this #5 doesn't mention is the 1911 World Series, where Bender did something unseen in the 100 years since. He…

  • Review: Knuckleball! the Movie (2012)

    4 May 2012 | 3:41 pm
    I had the good fortune to catch Knuckleball! (the movie) last weekend at Boston's Independent Film Festival. It's a documentary treatment of baseball's least-predictable pitch and several men who made throwing it their profession.Filmmakers and knuckleballers show their gripThe movie focuses most of its energy on New York's R.A. Dickey and Boston's Tim Wakefield as baseball's latest knuckle practitioners, with several asides on retired specialists Charlie Hough, Phil Niekro, Wilbur Wood, and Jim Bouton. A few others from the past appear in photos and conversation, including Phil's…

  • 1975 TCMA Larry French Baseball #5, Brooklyn Dodgers

    1 May 2012 | 3:34 pm
    TCMA is no stranger to retrospective baseball sets, especially for their earliest work in the 1970s. Many past players and teams reappeared temporarily on TCMA cards, typically as simple black-and-white designs with a common theme.For today's set, I assume TCMA acquired a handful of Larry French photos, found him a willing interviewee, and decided to write a story that tied together his life and career. (The yellow backgrounds are from an eBay listing linked below; all six are postcard-sized and come in black-and-white.)Larry French was a classic innings-eating pitcher in the 1930s, one of…
 
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    New York Mets

  • Pulling David Wright Was Right Move

    Tyler Moore
    15 May 2012 | 10:54 pm
    Should the New York Mets have pulled David Wright this evening? After he was pulled, emotions arose, as it was shown that David Wright was yelling at manager Terry Collins after he was pulled. However, that doesn’t make it wrong to pull him. Of course he’s going to be upset about being pulled. He loves the game, plays it hard, and doesn’t want to be taken out. He’s a gamer and a leader, he’ll want to be the one getting hit, but he shouldn’t be the one actually getting hit. I think Terry Collins made the right move pulling David Wright. D.J. Carrasco hit…

  • New York Mets Take Game One Against Milwaukee Brewers

    Tyler Moore
    15 May 2012 | 6:20 am
    The New York Mets had just dropped a tough series against the Miami Marlins and were heading home to face the Milwaukee Brewers. They were preparing for what could be a bad start from Miguel Batista, and were contemplating removing Frank Francisco from his closer position. Frank Francisco, brought in this past offseason to close out games, is 1-3 with a 8.59 earned run average and a few blown saves. Yet, everything seemed to fall into place. The New York Mets sent Miguel Batista to the mound in the first game of the two game series trying to get back on track. He didn’t disappoint. He…

  • David Wright Is Rumored To Get a Contract Extension

    gilgerard
    14 May 2012 | 12:32 pm
    David Wright has been one of the better hitters in all of baseball for quite some time. He’s off to a ridiculous start, and might be cashing in soon. With several news outlets reporting, there are rumors surfacing David Wright is about to get another major payday from the New York Mets. I don’t think this would be a great move for the Mets. They’re going through some cash flow efforts, have a terrible farm system, and are stuck in a bad contract. There is a ton of work to be done, and I’m not sure giving Wright a 100 million dollar contract is the best way to go. I…

  • New York Mets Head To Miami Looking To Continue Winning

    Tyler Moore
    11 May 2012 | 2:01 am
    The New York Mets should lower their brooms now. Fresh off of their sweep against the Philadelphia Phillies in Philadelphia, the New York Mets are now preparing for a 3-game weekend series against the Miami Marlins in Miami. The last time these two teams met, it was at CitiField in New York, and the New York Mets swept the Miami Marlins. So why am I saying they should lower their brooms? They’re coming off a sweep of one team in their division, and the team they’re getting ready to play, they swept the last time they played. However, this time it’s at Marlins Park. The New…

  • New York Mets Sweep In Philadelphia With Another Comeback Victory

    Tyler Moore
    10 May 2012 | 11:49 am
    Fans of the New York Mets can now lift their brooms high. For the third consecutive game, they came from behind to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, sweeping the series. The New York Mets are now 5-1 against the Philadelphia Phillies this year. Of all the teams to sweep, this feels best, especially in their own stadium. As I said recently, this team doesn’t quit. This game was back and forth for a good portion of it, as the Phillies would score, and then the next inning the New York Mets would tie it right back up. Dillon Gee didn’t pitch great, but he kept them in the game and…
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    Baseball Reflections

  • Book Review: Starting and Closing

    Bill Jordan
    15 May 2012 | 2:30 pm
    Not many players in the history of baseball had as unpredictable a career as John Smoltz. Usually a starting pitcher stays such throughout his career, or if a player becomes a dominant closer one year, it is impossible to change them from that role. Smoltz would be the ultimate exception to this rule. In short, Smoltz was a pitcher, not to be defined by silly words like starter, reliever or closer. He pitched where the team dictated they needed him most, and that is what makes his story special. In his new book, written with Don Yaeger, Starting and Closing: Perseverance, Faith, and One More…

  • Josh Hamilton’s Home Run Derby: Legit or Lucky?

    Reid Spagna
    15 May 2012 | 5:10 am
    With two Silver Sluggers and an Most Valuable Player award, the Texas Rangers’ Josh Hamilton has always been one of baseball’s elite, but his on-field injuries and off-the-field substances have limited his potential throughout his career. However, you’ve probably heard that 2012 is a completely different story. Through his first 30 games, the Rangers’ outfielder has amassed a whopping 18 home runs and 41 runs batted in, with an eye-popping .402/.457/.873 slash line. Unless you’ve been living under a rock recently, you probably also heard about Hamilton’s power surge last Tuesday…

  • Are the 2012 Phillies starting to resemble the 2009 Mets?

    John Pielli
    12 May 2012 | 3:00 pm
     I know this is a crazy thought. And perhaps it is too early to make this assumption. A couple of things the 2012 Philadelphia Phillies have that the 2009 New York  Mets did not was starting pitching. Going back to 2009, the Mets had a staff led by Johan Santana and a younger Mike Pelfrey. Pitchers like John Maine and Oliver Perez had fizzled out. Obviously the current Phillies have the distinct advantage of having Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and at least for the rest of the season, Cole Hamels. Also, this is a team that won the National Leaguie East five years in a row, something the Mets only…

  • Factor 12 Leaders: Week 5

    Josh Robbins
    12 May 2012 | 5:30 am
    The Factor12 Rating (F12) is an analytic measurement utilizing league average performance to compare the value of all MLB pitchers on 60ft6in.com.   Jered Weaver (Photo credit: Wikipedia) (1) Jered Weaver retains the current top spot on the Factor12 Top12 in 2012 with a 32.589 rating.  The Los Angeles Angels right-hander continues to pitch superb baseball compiling a 1.60 ERA and 0.79 WHIP over his first seven starts of the season.   (2) Jake Peavy has regained his 2007 NL Cy Young form.  The Chicago White Sox hurler has pitched outstanding baseball over his first seven starts of…

  • Why Adrian Gonzalez Isn’t Hitting for Power

    Bill King
    11 May 2012 | 12:27 pm
    Adrian Gonzalez photo taken from Zimbio via Google Images A midst the massive failure that is the Boston Red Sox from the Fall of 2011 and though this point in the 2012 season, there have been a lot of fingers pointed and opinions formed. One point I heard being discussed on a Boston sports talk radio show over the weekend was asking why Adrian Gonzalez hasn’t hit for power since he dawned a Boston Red Sox jersey. All the talk was that with the new ballpark, that Gonzalez would be a lock for 40 home runs annually, since Petco Park had hampered his power production for his career thus…
 
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    Chicken Fried Baseball

  • Unfinished Business

    chickenfriedbb
    14 May 2012 | 5:00 am
    The Rangers are going to make the playoffs. A bold prediction? Hardly. You’ll have to search far and wide to find someone who disagrees with this projection. Rather, the question now is whether or not they finish 2012 with the best record in the American League, and where the team’s final tally will line up among the great teams of recent memory. The incentive to finish the season with the league’s best record is the highest it has been since divisional play began in 1969. The team with the best record will secure home field advantage, and have the opportunity to potentially play the…

  • Life is Good

    chickenfriedbb
    27 Apr 2012 | 5:29 am
    I apologize for the infrequency of blog posts over the past month. I’ve missed a great opportunity to intensely chronicle the Rangers franchise record six consecutive series victories to start a season. Fortunately, Texas’ hot start is not surprising, and I expect to intensely chronicle the team’s first ever 100 win season. A personal aside: In the middle of March, I accepted a position with a Google Apps for Business premier partner, and I officially changed careers on April 2nd. I will remain a partner of the Philippines call center I started in ‘07, but will no longer have an…

  • Good-Bye to Baseball’s Most Indispensable Player

    chickenfriedbb
    19 Apr 2012 | 7:43 am
    Pudge Rodriguez is expected to retire as a Texas Ranger on Monday. My all-time favorite player, and arguably the Rangers franchise best, will fittingly leave the game at a time when his former team is arguably at its franchise best. It has become a recent trend for departing free agents to take out full-page newspaper ads thanking their former teams. In this case, it wouldn’t be surprising to see fans take out an ad thanking the player. SI Headline from 1997 following Pudge's acceptance of a below market value deal to stay in Texas.

  • Almost Famous

    chickenfriedbb
    10 Apr 2012 | 6:42 am
    Move over Henry Rowengartner. In the 1990′s baseball film Rookie of the Year, a young fan rose to fame after catching a home run and firing it back on to the field. Texas apparently has its own version. Rangers fans saw a welcome and familiar face on Monday night: Trent Williams. He’s not a player, or an individual involved in the game in anyway, but a fan who often appears at the team’s best moments. Williams is a regular at Rangers Ballpark, and seems to catch just about every home run hit onto the centerfield lawn. He celebrates when he catches a Ranger homer, and has…

  • Good News for Rangers Fans

    chickenfriedbb
    9 Apr 2012 | 4:36 am
    Good news for Rangers fans: 1. Season tickets are still on sale. 2. 159 regular season games still remain. 3. The 2012 Rangers are probably the best team in the franchise’s 40 year history. The Rangers have improved their record in every season since they went 75-87 in Ron Washington’s first season as Rangers manager in 2007. It looks like the trend may very well continue despite their franchise high of 96 wins in 2011. 2011 marked the first time in my memory that the Rangers didn’t really need another starting pitcher. When July came around, the Rangers attention was instead directed…
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    The Shea Faithful

  • Listen to The Shea Faithful's Jon Presser Co-Hosting "Stache Radio" Episode 2

    JonPresser
    14 May 2012 | 1:32 am
    If you follow me on Twitter, you've probably seen me tweet each Sunday night about Stache Radio, the Mets radio show co-hosted by yours truly and Matt Falkenbury of the Daily Stache. For those who haven't yet been enlightened by the radio greatness that is Stache Radio, good news! By the power of the internet, all our shows are on-demand, in case you missed it live. If you missed the first episode of the relaunched Stache Radio, don't fret. We're back at it this week with episode two, which you can listen to here. We had special guest Vinny Cartiglia from MetsBlog.com and…

  • New York Mets Rookie Jordany Valdespin's Presence is Impossible to Ignore

    JonPresser
    8 May 2012 | 4:17 am
    Jordany Valdespin sure knows how to put on a show. The 24-year-old rookie made his first MLB hit a memorable one, that's for sure. Brace yourselves, Mets fans. The onslaught of "Spin" puns is inevitable now, for better or for worse. Yes, for a player with just one hit in his major league career, Jordany Valdespin sure has an intriguing presence about him. Valdespin seems to bring excitement with him, and it's not hard to imagine that energy being contagious in the dugout. The question is, however, what can we really expect out of him? His skill-set is still pretty raw. It would be foolish to…

  • Video: Justin Turner's Clutch PA That Set the Stage for the New York Mets Sweep of the Miami Marlins

    JonPresser
    26 Apr 2012 | 5:49 pm
    In case you missed Thursday's game at Citi Field, the New York Mets swept the Miami Marlins in grand fashion, coming back to rally for two runs in the bottom of the 9th inning off former Met Heath Bell. Kirk Nieuwenhuis was the hero, as the rookie center fielder lined a two-out gamewinning RBI single over the head of Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton for the walkoff winner. However, the turning point of the game (no pun intended) was Justin Turner' pinch-hit, 13-pitch plate appearance two batters prior, in which he drew a walk to drive in the tying run. Turner's had a knack for…

  • Should Fred Wilpon Make An Appearance at the New York Mets Anniversary Conference at Hofstra?

    JonPresser
    19 Apr 2012 | 4:34 pm
      This season, the New York Mets are celebrating their 50th anniversary. As many Mets fans and bloggers know, next week there will be a Mets conference at Hofstra University. The conference will include a celebration of the franchise's history over the past 50 years, one of the largest Mets-related conferences perhaps ever. Dedicated to the memory of Hofstra professor and Mets blogger Dana Brand, gone far too soon last year at the age of 56, the conference aims to celebrate the rich, memorable culture of Mets history. Many panelists and scholars are expected to attend, as well…

  • Terry Collins is Proving to Be the Right Man for the Job as New York Mets Manager

    JonPresser
    7 Apr 2012 | 9:13 pm
    I was a little skeptical when Terry Collins was named manager of the New York Mets in 2011.  I had my reasons. For one, Collins hadn't managed in MLB since 1999 before he got the gig. There weren't exactly glowing reviews from his previous stints with the Houston Astros and the Anaheim Angels, either. However, Collins really earned my respect last season. There were great moments in 2011, and some not so great ones. But through it all, Collins kept his team together through thick and thin, and you could tell he cared about his players and his players cared about him. Here we are, in…
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    Macho Row

  • Out of the Batter's Box [5.15.2012] - A toast to Placido Polanco's 2,000th hit

    15 May 2012 | 4:17 am
    A toast to George Brett, who celebrates his 58th birthday today. Here he is enjoying a beverage with Mike Schmidt for a Sports Illustrated photo.  Placido Polanco's first home run of the season sure was a memorable one. Polanco's two-run homer to left center field last night in the eighth inning of a damp game against the Houston Astros pushed the Phillies lead to 5-1, taking the game out of a save situation and making victory just a little more certain for a team that has struggled to close games out. Of course, the home run was also the 2,000th hit of his career. Here is some…

  • Out of the Batter's Box [5.14.2012] - Phillies earn second home series win of season

    14 May 2012 | 6:57 am
    Cole Hamels was good yesterday. Hey, he should have been with the extra rest after being suspended last week. With yesterday's 3-2 win against the San Diego Padres, the Phillies picked up just their second home series win of the season (and first since taking two of three from Miami from April 9-12). So far the Phillies are 7-9 at Citizens Bank Park. If Charlie Manuel really did send a message with his closed-door meeting the other night, then the Phillies will take both games of a mini two-game series with the Houston Astros, starting tonight (weather pending). The Wall Street Journal is…

  • Mike Schmidt elected to Hall of Fame, again

    11 May 2012 | 5:42 am
    Long before he was perfecting the position of third base and smacking home runs against National League pitchers, Mike Schmidt was a college baseball player trying to win a College World Series. The former Ohio Bobcat was elected in to the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame yesterday, with the induction ceremony scheduled for next Thursday, April 17. "We couldn't be happier for Mike and his family," said Ohio Athletics Director Jim Schaus. "Mike truly is one of the legendary figures in the game of baseball, but also at Ohio University as he helped lead our program to the 1970 College…

  • Cole Hamels gets off easy with suspension

    7 May 2012 | 5:40 pm
    I know I said earlier that I was done talking about Cole Hamels and his bean ball incident against Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals, but when news breaks it changes plans quickly. Hamels has been suspended five games by Major League Baseball, and he will begin serving the penalty without contest immediately. As I said earlier today, by openly admitting to intentionally hitting Harper Sunday night Hamels automatically loses any right to appeal he would have had otherwise. Of course, as Todd Zolecki points out, the way the schedule plays out, the suspension really means nothing other…

  • Report: Jayson Werth to have surgery, miss 10-12 weeks

    7 May 2012 | 1:13 pm
    It looked ugly right away, and Jayson Werth's reaction told the story well enough. The Nationals confirmed last night that their star right fielder suffered a broken wrist while trying to snag a ball in the outfield last night against the Phillies. His slide looked like it would result in a nice catch but Werth's wrist got caught and twisted in a bad way, forcing the outfielder to grimace in pain and go right to holding his wrist in great pain. This afternoon Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports that Werth will undergo surgery today, forcing him to potentially miss ten to 12 weeks of…
 
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