MLB insights and analysis for fantasy baseball player news and team trends, including pure speculation about players and trades. If its not posted here, its a link away.
|
March 30
Albert Pujols
Are the St. Louis Cardinals a 1-man team? We're about to find out. Reading here, Pujols is the only starter remaining from the 2004 team that won 105 games. But Pujols was on fire in Spring Training (read it here) and it's not out of the ballpark to think he could single-handedly carry the team. Think Barry Bonds. But, another key factor, could be Opening Day starting pitcher (article), Adam Wainwright. He might deliver a big year. Last season was his first full season as a starter, and while not consistent, he showed potential (Wainwright's game log here).
Nationals Park
A new stadium enters the baseball world tonight, Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals. Take a tour here. Facts (not much) here and here. Reminds the Atlanta newspaper of Turner Field (article), but may actually resemble U.S. Cellular a little more. And, not surprisingly since both were designed by renowned sports design firm, HOK Sports (official project list here and more about them here, builder of US Cellular link).
March 24
MLB Season
Well, the season gets underway on Tuesday March 25 at 6:05 AM courtesy of the Boston-Oakland game in Japan. See our 2008 MLB season previews: AL Season Preview (ALCS: Yankees beat Mariners) and NL Season Preview (NLCS: Mets beat Phillies). And, TradeSports (try this link) has Vegas prices for World Series winners. Red Sox trading at 15.2; Mets at 13; Tigers at 11.7; Yankees at 11.5; and Angels, Indians, and Cubs around 6. Since the contracts would expire at 100 if the team won, those numbers can be viewed as percentage likelihood. To make a long story short, there is no major favorite this season as Red Sox have just a 15.2% chance at winning.
March 19
Boston Red Sox
In the past 5-10 years the Red Sox have gained a lot of fans. Most of the gains were based on rooting for an underdog that hadn't won in so long... and to beat the Yankees. Well, that trend might reverse after this week. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner is often maligned, but this week he led his Yankees to Blacksburg, Virginia to play the Virginia Hokies baseball team in honor of the shooting victims (stories here and here). Meanwhile, the Red Sox players are looking out for their poor coaches and trainers (it must be miserable being a part of a MLB team). For all the hardship of taking an international business trip to Japan, the players insist the coaches need an extra $40,000 payment. What about the fans hardships? The games start at 6:05 AM Eastern-- that's 3:05 AM for you West Coast Red Sox faithful. Shouldn't the Red Sox players be giving you some compensation? People make international business trips all the time on behalf of their company. There is no extra payment. Red Sox fans will have all kinds of reasons to justify this ('well, MLB promised it'.. and, 'those poor coaches, glad someone is sticking up for them'), but this is nothing more than complete childish behavior by spoiled millionaire baseball players. Read about it here, here, and here. The dispute has been settled (MLB offical press release was necessary to dispel the story), but you can take sides in the comment boards here.
January 2
Tampa Bay Rays
Well it's official this season. New logo and new nickname. Official team web site here. Will dropping the 'Devil' turn the franchise into a winner? If that's not enough, the Rays have another plan in the works-- a brand new open-air stadium (read here and here) that would have a one-of-a-kind fabric retractable roof.
Hideki Matsui
Desperate for pitching, and with an extra outfielder, the Yankees are evidently still shopping the Japanese superstar, Godzilla, to see what he can bring. Talks with the San Francisco have reportedly fallen through after the Giants signed OF Aaron Rowand. Recent stories: here.
December 15
The Mitchell Report
Well first, if you are like most people, you're probably wondering who Mitchell is. Here's much more than you need to know (Wikipedia bio). Well, the U.S. Congress got involved, and the 409 page report to Congress is published. It has a 40-page Executive Summary PDF here. Click here for the MLB news release (a much shorter summary). Now your ticket prices are not just going to be paying for the player's big salaries. We will all be paying for an expanding MLB headquarters bureacracy-- a new "Department of Investigations" heading by a "senior leader in law enforcement, with the highest credibility among state and federal law enforcement officials." And, if you just want the grease... the bottom line... also at MLB.com they've put all the named players into a list, complete with the page number where you can find them in the big report. Check that out here. And, now, after so agressively and persistently dumping on Barry Bonds.. what will the journalist's reaction be.. if they beat up Bonds, will they now have to beat up Roger Clemons? They are giving it at least an initial go with this ESPN piece by Howard Bryant: what to do about Clemen's Cy Young awards.
October 2
Padres-Rockies
There should be little question-- it was the wrong call at home plate. It was the bottom of the 13th and it was a tie game after San Diego scored 2 in the top of the 13th, the Rockies had rallied back to tie it. The game shouldn't have been decided on that kind of play. If you read between the lines of this story here you can think McClelland's just playing c.y.a. Perspectives here and here. Anyways... congratulations to the Rockies. They put themselves in this position. They weren't even supposed to be in the playoffs. A few weeks ago, a 1-game playoff was a distant dream. Even as a result of a bad call, the Rockies earned the trip. You have to be there in the first place to get the lucky call. And down 2 runs heading into the bottom of the 13th, facing top closer Trevor Hoffman, the Rockies put themselves into position even in this game.
September 30
N.L. Wild Card
N.L. Standings here and tiebreaker scenarios here, and here.
September 27
National League
Heading into the final 3-game weekend series of the season. And not 1 playoff spot in the National League has been clinched. What a great season for the N.L. (Standings).
September 1
Baltimore Orioles
Not a great 10 days for the Orioles. 9 losses in 10 games including becoming the first team in over 100 years to give up 30 runs in one game, and tonight they give up a no-hitter to a young Red Sox rookie pitcher (story).
August 22
30 Runs in a Baseball Game
It hasn't happened since the 1800's. Not since June 1897 when the Chicago Colts (now the Cubs) set the major league record with a 36-7 win. That's over 110 years ago. The "modern-era" record dates back to April 1955 when the White Sox scored 29 runs. The Texas Rangers entered the top of the 4th inning down 0-3. But they preceded to score 5 runs in the 4th, 9 in the 6th, 10 in the 8th, and 6 more in the 9th to finish with a 30-3 victory. The Rangers hit just 4 home runs to score their 30 runs, however 2 of them were grand slams. Story and box score here. A side note to show the absurdity of some baseball statistics these days-- Texas relief pitcher Wes Littleton earned a save by pitching the final 3 innings. He entered the game with a 14-3 lead.
August 9
Alex Rodriquez
What! A-Rod's not clean either? Speculation based on comments from Chipper Jones, re: Jose Canseco. Story here.
August 6
Barry Bonds
Take it easy reading about Barry Bonds mysterious mechanical edge (the "elbow armor") here.
July 25
Curt Schilling
The Red Sox pitcher is speaking out about Bonds, McGwire... and Canseco and Palmeiro: "If you didn't do it, you say no. Any other answer is some form of yes." He says Canseco's MVP award "should go to the runner-up" and Rafael Palmeiro should be stripped of a season of hits which would take the 3,000 hit mark from him. Story here.
July 24
Bud Selig
For all of the complaining about what Bud will or won't do, this statement may be one of the most simple, best statements in the history of major league sports commissioners: "Now that he is on the verge of tying the record, the time has come to announce I will make every attempt to attend the record-setting moment, out of respect for the tradition of the game, the magnitude of the record, and the fact that all citizens of this country are innocent until proven guilty."
July 20
Bud Selig
Yeah, there's lots of faults to find with Bud. But, look, the dude showed up at the park to watch Barry Bonds. And he will be there again on Saturday and Sunday. Sports writers like Jayson Stark probably had 2 columns ready to go-- one to rip Selig if he didn't go, and one to rip Selig for going, but not doing it the right way. Well, Selig went to the game, so Stark rants here.
July 10
Home Run Kings
Just as we stated back on April 26, Bonds won't be the last new home run king. Records are meant to be broken. Barry himself says A-Rod will pass him. Story.
May 28
Yankees Meltdown!
After getting swept by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim the Yankees are now 12.5 games back in the A.L. East and 6 games under .500. Latest from NY here. Is Steinbrenner going to go down with Torre and Cashman this year? Because if there's a time to make a change, this is it.
May 13
Interleague Play
It's great for the fans. It's fun for the players. But it's not always so great if you want your team to make the playoffs. That's the conclusion Chipper Jones has reached. Yeah, he likes playing at Fenway. But he says that 6 games against the best team in the American League will ultimately affect where the Braves finish in the standings, because with interleague play all schedules are not created equal (story).
Jack Cust
Another home run-- a game winner. Home runs in 4 straight games and 6 of his last 7 (here). Where did it all come from? Career stats here. It's his 6th year in the majors, and the A's are his 5th team. He had 5 career home runs (in 144 at-bats) going into this season.
May 9
Curt Schilling
Schilling continues to make waves with his blog, 38 Pitches. The latest: an apology for sounding off against Barry Bonds on the radio.
May 7
Roger Clemens and the Yankees
The Yankees starting pitching problems run too deep for even Roger Clemens to solve. Signing Clemens helps the situation, but it doesn't fix the problem. For Clemens, he gets a huge payday out of this ($26 million) for less than one year of work. We think Clemens can be a big difference maker come October. It's still on the team's back to get into the playoffs. Clemens can help a little, but it will take much more than just Clemens to make the playoffs. But if they can get there, the prospect of facing the Yankees in a 7 game series where Clemens can either start or play long relief, could mean the Yankees could make it back to the World Series for the first time since 2003 (world series winners).
May 6
Yankees and Red Sox
After such a horrible start (last place on April 31 in the A.L. East-- view here), the Yankees have recovered. If you told someone at the start of the season, on May 6 (May 6 standings), the A.L. East will be 1. Boston, 2. New York, they'd respond 'duh'.
Barry Bonds
Better late than never. After several years of the media bashing Bonds, one journalist, Jayson Stark at ESPN, finds some evidence that maybe their one-sided portrayal of Bonds is wrong. Maybe people don't hate Barry Bonds as much as the media does. Maybe Bonds is even actually respected, and liked, by some of the fans. An open admission here. Unfortunately though, ESPN can't help themselves: they have to bring race into the issue with a poll in the right column.
April 26
Major League Records
Barry Bonds is getting pretty close to the all-time career home runs record. But its very possible his record might now even stand that long. He won't be the first home run hitter to play into his 40's. It could be possible that several players will have passed Hank Aaron within 20 years. But here is a record that may be very difficult to break. Sammy Sosa has hit a home run in 44 different MLB stadiums (story). This record requires an amazing confluence of events. First the player needs to play long enough in both the National League and the American League to homer in every park, then new stadiums need to sprout up all over the place during that same period.
March 30
2007 Season
First Game: Sunday Night Baseball: Mets (Glavine) at Cardinals (Carpenter) on ESPN, 8:05 Eastern. Day-by-Day Major League Baseball schedule here.
March 28
Barry Bonds Watch
To track the home run progress visit here, including a 'predictor' for you to estimate when Bonds will pass Aaron.
March 23
Jonathan Papelbon
No surprise. He's heading back to the bullpen (story). After last season's performance, why did the Red Sox ever want to move him to the rotation? Keep in mind that his value can be inflated in some leagues if he is "starter" eligible. These types of 'loopholes' are a major drawback of online fantasy games.
March 5
Fantasy Baseball
Our player rankings are now posted: Best Fantasy Baseball Hitters and Best Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitchers.
Spring Training
Must be a real slow news day: "Bonds misses another day of spring training" (story). Fans collectively yawn.
February 25
2007 Spring Training
The first game is Wednesday, February 28th. Full spring schedules: grid: here; and, with games times here.
February 19
2007 Season Preview
Team-by-team previews at CNN Sports Illustrated, via Athlon Sports, start here. And here is USA Today's weekly Power Rankings. And at ESPN's full Spring Training coverage here, there's just 40 days to opening day.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Since winning 3-consecutive division titles, the Pirates have had 14 consecutive losing seasons (team win history here) dating back to 1992-- the last season Barry Bonds was on the team. This year, the Pirates are going to need much more production at the top of the order. And they would need their pitchers to have a Tigers-style breakout in order to reverse the tide. Team depth chart here.
February 3
Spring Training 2007
Hope springs eternal. Another year is about to arrive. And if the Detroit Tigers can get to the world Series-- what's stopping your favorite team? For full coverage of Major League Baseball, including fantasy baseball, visit our MLB Stats page all year. And to get ready for spring training, check out when your team is reporting to camp here.
December 28
Offseason Player Movement
Great summary of all teams, including status of free agents, arbitration situations, players acquired, and players lost: NL and AL.
San Francisco Giants
One offseason, 2 Barry's. Just when it appeared that the Giants were going to gut the roster and start over from scratch-- they re-sign Barry Bonds for 1-year, $16 million (story) and they add Barry Zito (story) (coverage). Zito will earn $126 million over 7 years (that's $18 million per). The $126 million ties for 6th all-time, and is the highest ever for a pitcher (surpassing Mike Hampton's well-earned 2001 contract for $121 million, stats). Compare Barry Zito's stats here, to Jason Schmidt's stats here (who the Giants lost to the Dodgers this offseason for $16 million over 3 years). Schmidt will be 34 next year, Zito will turn 29 in May.
December 20
Yankees and Red Sox
Not to be out done by Boston, the New York Yankees are on the verge of signing a Japanese pitcher of their own, Kei Igawa (career stats here).
December 16
Daisuke Matsuzaka
The addition of Japan's superstars to MLB rosters has risen up to another level this year-- following Matsuzaka's "Big Monster Deal" (fitting not just because of Fenway's Green Monster, but because Matsuzaka's nickname is "The Monster"). The deal will pay $52 million for 6 years, plus $51 million to pay-off his former Japanese team, the Seibu Lions. Story here. That's big money, but he's also proven talent. Japan's Prime Minister calls him "Japan's best pitcher" here, and he was MVP of the 2006 World Baseball Classic (stats here). He's 26-years old, but he has already pitched 8 full seasons in Japan's professional league, as he was identified right out of high school.
Barry Zito
Career stats here. Latest stories on his free agency here and here. ESPN says Mets or Rangers.
December 12
Free Agents
The next big prize-- Barry Zito-- has now moved to the top of the interest list (story). MLB.com reports the Rangers are at the top of the list. And that the Mets and Giants have been in discussions. Other speculation is the Yankees, Angels, Mariners, and.. the Red Sox (if the negotiations with Daisuke Matsuzaka fall through).
December 2
Barry Bonds
A slow-motion drama is unfolding-- a movie that has the feel of knowing the ending before it comes. The Giants aren't going to say they don't want him back. The A's got rid of Frank Thomas. Bonds moves across the bay. But it can't all happen at once. There need to be stories like this (with the caveat that maybe Piazza heads to Oakland, and the Padres take Bonds).
2007
November 30
MLB Winter Meetings
On Monday December 4th this year's Baseball Winter Meetings get under way in Orlando, FL. There is always news at the winter meetings. You can track this year's free agents via MLB Hot Stove here.
November 11
Sheffield Trade
Detroit is basking in the glory of being a "now team" (story). And, it's true: since when are the Yankees trading big bats for prospects.
October 27
World Series
It was a great, surprising year for the Detroit Tigers. But, experience ended up winning the World Series (official site here). The Tigers were rattled-- committing numerous errors. And so the St. Louis Cardinals-- swept by the Red Sox in 2004-- are winners for the first time since 1982.
October 14
October Baseball
Last year's unlikely hero was Scott Podsednik (Game 2 World Series walk-off home run after z-e-r-o home runs in the regular season: story). This year, its the Cardinals 5-10, 163-pound outfielder, So Taguchi (career stats here). Taguchi played 10 year's in Japan (mostly under the shadow of Ichiro Suzuki) before joining the Cardinals in 2002. He has 16 career home runs before last night's game winner in the 9th vs. the Mets hard-throwing reliever Billy Wagner (story).
October 12
Cory Lidle
One journalist gets smacked around (read the comments) for suggesting suicide here. Full story here.
October 9
Oakland A's
Could the A's playoff run could provide the cash, and incentive, to add Barry Bonds in the offseason? The story seems to be piecing itself together. Barry can move to the A.L. as a DH. And he would be part of a championship contending team. And he would stay in the Bay Area, where the same fans can switch hats, drive over one of the bridges, and see their guy continue his home run chase.
October 3
Yankee Stadium
Whether you love the Yankees, or hate 'em-- it doesn't matter. The fact is that baseball in Yankee stadium, in October, is a whole 'nother league. Winning at Yankee Stadium in October just seems to mean more. If you win it all, Diamondbacks, Yankees, or Red Sox-- having it go through Yankee Stadium means more. Will it ever get old? Stadium history here. The bigger question is whether the new stadium will carry the torch-- pictures here. It's going to look much the same-- and that means something.
October 2
2006 MLB Season
For the first time since 2000, there were no teams in MLB that won over 100 games (final standings here).
Peter Magowan and his Giants
Peter Magowan has thoughts about the future of his San Francisco Giants here. Basically, he says they are entering a rebuilding era. It seems like he's softly and slowly breaking the news to fans that Barry won't be back next year. We disagree with one part of his assessment. We think Barry Bonds, as a marketing and promotional tool, is just about what the Giants need to begin a turnaround. They have years of rebuilding to do. Why not keep Barry around to provide the fans with some entertainment? Perhaps, what really is going on is that Barry is the one that wants to compete-- he wants to be on a team that has a chance at a World Series. Magowan is basically saying it won't be the Giants. Will Bonds be heading across the Bay to the Oakland A's.
September 21
Baltimore Orioles
About 1,000 fans took matters into their own hands. They didn't wear bags over their heads. But that was the point they were trying to make. Wearing black T-shirts that said "For Pete's Sake" on the front and "Free the Birds" on the back, the fans stormed out of Camden Yards in the 4th inning of today's game-- making a statement to owner Pete Angelos. They do have a point-- the Orioles will finish this year with their 9th straight losing season (really). But, Angelos has a point too-- it costs big bucks to compete against the Red Sox and Yankees (story).
Barry Bonds Journalists
How far were newspaper reporters and book authors willing to go to make a quick buck off Barry Bonds bashing? They overstepped the bounds of the law (ESPN story) in order to publish stories and books-- essentially making the case against Bonds one of 'guilty until proven innocent'. In a twisted way, Bonds could end up getting out of his jam, because of overzealous reporters. Reading the article it seems the reporters still feel they are above the law-- seeking minimal penalties for their behavior. And, ironically, it seems they are only asking for the type of treatment they would never give Barry Bonds-- a 2nd chance, a fair shake, a benefit of the doubt, a forgiving attitude.
September 17
A.L. MVP
It's a wide-open race this year: Jeter? Morneau? Dye? Ortiz? Even, Santana is being talked about. Though our opinion is that pitchers get Cy Young's. Batters get MVP's. Santana shouldn't be in the MVP consideration (but that's only our opinion, because plenty of pitchers have won the MVP before-- most recently, Dennis Eckersley in 1992 and Roger Clemens in 1986). And some other things are sorting themselves out. With the Red Sox and White Sox likely missing the playoffs-- Dye and Ortiz are effectively out of it. Here is what the Baseball Writers Association (official lame web site here) considers as its guidelines for MVP: 1. Value of player to the team (strength of offense and defense), 2. Number of games played, 3. Character, disposition, loyalty, and effort, 4. Former winners are eligible, and 5. May vote for more than 1 player on a team. Sounds like Jeter, or Morneau.
September 4
Fan Club
If you haven't read about Fan Club yet (in Sports Illustrated here), then check it out here. It is a project of LivePlanet in conjunction with MSN. It's reality-TV invading minor league baseball. The Schaumburg Flyers (team site here) are the experiment.
August 26
Roger, Julio, and Barry
The typical media storyline with Barry Bonds is that only someone using steroids can perform well over 40. But when it comes to Roger Clemens or Julio Franco, well then the media storyline is about how amazing even old geezers can play. Case in point: this recap of Clemens brilliant performance in Houston last night here. And, then there's much praise of Julio Franco, who just turned 48, such as here. Clemens and Franco deserve big time credit for what they are doing-- it's amazing. And you can make a lot of arguments against Bonds, but using his age as proof is kind of defeated by Clemens and Franco's success.
August 17
Yankee Stadium
Diversion read from ESPN.com Page 2 here: Ground has been broken on the new $1 billion Yankee Stadium (story). And the old stadium has nothing left to do but "host another three World Series".
August 16
Worst Baseball Trades in History
This is a great list of the "Worst Trades in Baseball History", via Fox Sports (list here in no particular order). What MLB trades stand out for us? 11/13/03: Giants trade pitchers Joe Nathan and Francisco Liriano for A.J. Pierzynski. And, 7/30/04: White Sox grab Jose Contreras and cash from the Yankees for Esteban Loaiza. But, the 1920 Babe Ruth giveaway (more here) will go down in history as a clear worst trade winner.
August 6
Mark McGwire
Congress is coming to investigate and Mark McGwire (70 home runs in 1998-- career stats here) is not talking (story). Is McGwire right not to talk? Well, one problem with some investigations is that they try to point the finger elsewhere. Has there been any talk about MLB's complicity in this whole steroid scandal? The MLB Commissioner (official site here) and team owners were busy helping baseball recover from the baseball strike and missed World Series in 1994 (history) (World Series results). They may have looked the other way and let the steroid use take place because of the entertainment value of records being smashed. Whether that is right or wrong, we aren't here to answer. But our stance is that if you need to have a bad guy in this, it may not be as simple to reduce it to Mark McGwire or Barry Bonds. And, it seems, correctly so, that McGwire knows that by talking, the bigger fish only get more cover.
Analysis on MLB Standings
The MLB standings as of today's date, here. N.L.: We are shocked at how bad the Phillies have been. The offense has had its moment of showing how powerful it is. And we thought the offense might even carry the pitching. However, the Phillies are 12 games back and showing few signs of putting good offense and good pitching together on a consistent basis. Still, they are just 3.5 games back in the wild card chase. And that is something Philadelphia should be shooting for. A.L.: It took some time, but the Yankees are now on top in the East and this should be the case at the end of the year. And, because of the Tiger's surprising strength, it might be the Red Sox who are in danger of missing the playoffs. The White Sox have triple motivation to gain ground as the season winds down (proving 2005 was no fluke by ending strong; catching the Tigers if possible; and, at least, grabbing a playoff spot anyway they can get it).
July 16
New York Yankees
Once again, the Yankees drift and the skeptics started to bite. Then, bam, the 'Bronx Bombers' pick up the pace. This weekend, the Yankees swept the defending World Series champs (first sweep for the Yankees since May 5-7 at Texas). The White Sox slip a little further back behind the AL-leading pace of the Detroit Tigers. And, the Yankees close in on Boston (MLB standings here).
July 5
2006 All-Star Game
The MLB All-Star Game is July 11th, in Pittsburgh. Rosters here. Full coverage of the All-Star Game at MLB.com here. Because of Bud Selig they are still playing for home field advantage in the World Series. To us, the All-Star game is an exhibition game and home field advantage in the World Series should have nothing to do with it.
Jose Canseco
One thing seems sure, we agree that Canseco is "not going away that easy." He definitely has things he wants to say. For now, MLB can just call it "fabrication" (story).
June 7
Performance Enhancers
Is ESPN kidding? Do they mean players other than Bonds used performance enhancers? Pitchers! Story from Jayson Stark. Count us as just stunned.
Major League Baseball
On the eve of the tip-off for the NBA Finals and during the NHL Stanley Cup, baseball still manages to grab the spotlight. On the east coast, 21-year old NY Yankees rookie, Melky Cabrera (in left field now because both Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield are injured) makes the catch of the year, robbing Boston's Manny Ramirez of a game-tying home run in the 8th inning. See the highlight video at MLB.com. And, on the west coast, Jason Schmidt and Eric Gagne are back to form. Schmidt strikes out 16 for the Giants (story) and Gagne picks up his first save (striking out Delgado and Wright in his one innning of work).
June 6
2006 All-Star Game
The MLB All-Star Game is exactly 5 weeks away, July 11th, in Pittsburgh. You can "vote now" here. Full coverage of the All-Star Game at MLB.com here.
Mark Prior
Is it a strain or a tear, or a strain that is a tear, that isn't a tear because its a strain? story.
MLB Draft
With the third pick in the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays select... Eva(n) Longoria. Story and Top 10 draft picks here. For the best, full coverage of the draft its all about MLB.com 2006 Draft Central.
June 5
Chicago Cubs
Mark Prior is making the rounds in the minor leagues. So far so good. After another week he should be ready to join the team (story). Derrek Lee should be back within a couple weeks too (cast is off).
Fantasy Baseball Injuries
The injuries are piling up this year. Some of them aren't that big of a deal: Chris Carpenter (already back), Roy Oswalt, and Mariano Rivera. Some of them are: Hideki Matsui, Gary Sheffield, Derrek Lee, Ben Sheets, Albert Pujols.
May 29
Dusty Baker and Derrek Lee
The Cubs have lost 19 of their last 23, but no worries for Cubs fans-- there are no changes on the way. Dusty Baker is fine-- he's going to get "every opportunity" (story) to pull the Cubs back from the abyss. We are no fans of Dusty Baker. However, in the case of this season-- with the major pitching injuries and the injury to Derrek Lee, it's clear why the Cubs are losing so much. Lee is due back around June 12th (link).
May 26
Chicago Cubs
As bad as things may be in Kansas City, the Cubs are having, literally just as bad a month of May (schedule). Both the Cubs and the Royals are 5-18 (.217) in May. The amazing thing about the Cubs record is that the fans, team, (well maybe not Maddux, link), and manager, kind of expect it and settle for it.
Kansas City Royals
Just 2 weeks ago, they swept the Cleveland Indians. Now the worst team in baseball is back on track with a 13 game losing streak. See the month of May details here. The Royals best 3 players combined RBI totals can't match Pujols. And, it would take 7 Royals to match Pujols' home run numbers. Royals team batting stats here. Plenty of blame to go around on the mound too (stats here).
Albert Pujols
Will Pujols have the best season in the history of Major League Baseball? So far, his league leading statistics (here) are incredible. ESPN has historical comparisons in the "Useless Information Department" here. SI cover story here.
May 24
Derek Jeter
Jeter has a career-best .352 batting average and is on pace for his best RBI totals since at least 1999 and maybe even set a career best there too (career stats here). But it was the last play of tonight's Red Sox-Yankees game (box score here) that gives yet another reason to watch Jeter as a possible MVP candidate. Jeter made the final out with an unbelievable, spot-on throw from deep short. Yankees take 2 out of 3 in Boston.
May 22
Barry Bonds
ESPN took a detailed, scientific look here at Barry Bonds home run totals post-1998. Some of it makes sense, some of it seems like a stretch. But the general premise is a decent one. Only now they need to do it for the hundreds of other players that took steroids and they might even have to add some back in for Bonds and other players if some of the pitchers were using steroids or other perks. At the end of the day what happened on the field is done. We can move Bonds down in our own heads or make our own comparisons of his degree of greatness. But what is done on the field is over. He has 714 homers.
May 21
Mets-Yankees
The Mets-Yankees rivalry means time to talk new stadiums (article).
Detroit Tigers
They have the best record in Major League Baseball. And yet, all it gets is a tie for the division. Which almost says more about the White Sox, and Jim Thome, then it does about Detroit's great start. Usually such a great start gives you a 3 or 4 game cushion. Instead, it looks like just a matter of time before the Tigers fall back. They have established a higher tier of respect in baseball, but that may be about it this year.
May 18
Justin Verlander
He's been inconsistent at times, but he just beat Johan Santana (box score). "His biggest step toward greatness" (quote) is maybe a little too dramatic, but, Verlander (game log) is making a name for himself. And not so quietly anymore either (more).
May 15
Barry Bonds
What if Bonds just walked off today? What if he just decided to say: 'With my knees, and my age, I've just decided, what the heck, I'm moving on'? And with that, Barry Bonds, stuck on 713 for over a week, would retire right there-- one short of Babe Ruth ('live', all-time MLB home run records here). But then what would the journalists rant about? Even Bloomberg (a major financial news outlet) is ranting about Barry, here. The Bonds "circus" heads to Houston-- great coverage here (including 3 reasons to cheer and 3 reasons to boo the guy suffering a 6-day case of the 'curse of the Bambino'.
May 14
MLB Standings Update
Basically, this can be called a season of no surprises so far. MLB Standings here. But, looking for things to talk about: A.L. West is a dog fight as expected, but all of the teams are playing below expectations. A.L. Central surprise is not so much the slow start from Cleveland as the sensational pitching of the Tigers (which, probably won't last). A.L. East is not even slightly different than anyone expected. N.L. East, many expected a much improved Mets team but now the Phillies are gaining, which really doesn't surprise us (they may end up the best team in the N.L.). N.L. Central: Granted the Cubs have had big-time injury trouble (Prior, Wood, and Derrick Lee) but still, Cubs fans are much too content. The Reds could probably make a case as the biggest surprise in baseball. N.L. West: here come the Padres. Otherwise, no surprises.
Albert Pujols
What is the fastest way for everyone to forget about Barry Bonds 72 home runs in 2002? Have Pujols hit 73. Sounds almost too good to be true for Major League Baseball. He is the fastest player to 19 home runs in history (story).
May 13
Barry Bonds
Need another dose of Bonds bashing? Check out the latest from Yahoo! Sports Jeff Passan here. The column seems lost from the beginning, rambling on about something that doesn't even seem like a big deal. But, for journalists these days, any chance to crank out an anti-Bonds column can't be wasted. Bonds is no saint, but no matter what he is one of the best baseball players of all-time. And, no one deserves to get constantly ripped like Bonds.
May 11
Brad Lidge
The Astros would have been happier thinking their biggest pitching issue was whether and when Clemens would join the rotation. June? And now a bigger problem has come up. Brad Lidge (game log) has given up 4 runs in 3 of his 11 saves this season. He's blown 3 saves, including a loss on 4 earned runs in 2/3rds of an inning April 24th. About a week ago he blew a save and the Astros lost to Colorado. And tonight, the Astros gave him the ball in the 9th, but had to pull him with the bases loaded. The Astros pulled Lidge and put in the 0-2, 5.52 ERA Dan Wheeler (profile) to close it out. Wake up call for Lidge? Or start of a change?
April 10
Fantasy Baseball
MLB.com has a new fantasy game that's starting April 24th. Its designed for people who "wonder where the day went". It's called MLB.com 2006 Open here. They do have a point that most people just don't have time to manage a team for a whole 162-game season. And they don't say it, but another good strategy is the April 24th starting date-- how many fans have the season sneak up before they can signed up for a team? So maybe this will be a hit. Sign up page.
Lee vs 'Big Papi'
Two major league contracts today. The Cubs' Derrick Lee gets $65 million for 5 years (13 per) (story). David Ortiz was locked up by Boston through 2010 with a 2011 option. Ortiz evidently pulled down $12 million per year (story). But don't tell anyone that you know that number. The Red Sox and MLB are evidently trying to downplay the big contract (they don't even mention the dough in this recap or the official press release).
April 6
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
The team has until May 31st to decide if they want to change their nickname. The Mayor of Tampa Bay suggests dropping the 'Devil' and sticking with just 'Rays' (story). The last name change without a move was the Houston Colt .45's became the Astros in 1965 (franchise history here).
April 5
Jonathon Papelbon
Stock up? The first save of the season (box score) for the Red Sox goes to Jonathon Papelbon (profile). He also had 2 K's. RotoWorld says (here) it doesn't mean he will get every save chance, but now "he has to be owned in all leagues". Foulke closed out the first game of the season but gave up a run in Boston's 7-3 win: box score.
April 2
Opening Day
Last year, the Red Sox and Yankees opened up the season on Sunday evening. This year its another must see matchup with the Cleveland Indians facing the defending World Champion Chicago White Sox (game preview here). On Monday, Jimmy Rollins will aim to continue his hitting streak. Last season ended with a hit in each of Rollins last 36 games. This season, Jimmy would need 20-straight to catch DiMaggio. But, Chris Carpenter could put the clamps on Rollins-- fast (story) (Phillies schedule here).
March 31
More 2006 Playoffs
ALCS: Yankees (over Cleveland) and White Sox (over A's) sets up a classic Big Apple-Windy City match-up. Yankees beat the White Sox. NLCS: Astros (beat Dodgers) vs Phillies (beat Cardinals). Philadelphia gets a trip to the World Series. World Series: Yankees-Phillies.
2006 MLB Playoffs
Time to take a shot at the season. Our division winners are: National League: Phillies, Astros, and Dodgers (NL Predictions). American League: Yankees, White Sox, and Athletics (AL Predictions). For the Wild Card were taking Cleveland (aren't they due for a trip to the playoffs) and the Cardinals. Who's Out (and Why)? Cubs (Red Sox, White Sox, Cubs in order would be too much), Red Sox (pitching, Schillings not the same), Angels/Rangers/Mariners (anything could happen), Braves (last year we said they would do it again and no one else agreed. this year we say their out while the pundits hop back aboard), Mets (they have the offensive pieces, with defense they could surprise).
Oakland Athletics
So, who doesn't like the A's this year in the A.L. West? RotoTimes: "they might have the best pitching staff in baseball" (ranked 4th in MLB here). We have them ranked to win their division and so does Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, Sporting News, (see our AL West Predictions) and ESPN (#2 overall to start the season here). So that's got us thinking about our pick. Cause it seems only El Hombre (here) smells a rat.
March 30
2006 Season
Don't forget to check out our preseason predictions. American League 2006. National League 2006. One note of caution-- just about everyone has the A.L. West (Oakland, L.A., Texas, Seattle). Granted, its only 4 teams to pick in order, but its probably best to think that the masses (including us) will be confounded by this one. Should we change our pick to the Mariners?
March 28
Pete Rose
So far, in our opinion, tabloid-style books and one-sided trash sports columns demonizing Barry Bonds are just attempts at their own fame. But, now here comes some perspective from someone who we believe has a big stake in this type of debate. And his opinion actually carries some weight (story). It's just a perspective that has to be rightfully heard. Our opinion-- Pete Rose has more than served his time. And its a shame that what he accomplished on the field isn't recognized in Cooperstown (site).
March 23
Fantasy Baseball
See the fantasy rankings at Sporting News. Start with the outfield player rankings here including average draft positions. Complete Sporting News fantasy baseball coverage here. Also, Sporting News has one of the best fantasy baseball games around: Ultimate Fantasy Baseball ($50 million, 14 players). Rules here.
Barry Bonds
Possible illegal activity in the book about Bond's wrongdoing (story).
March 22
Philadelphia Phillies
We have the Phillies winning the N.L. East and we think they might even be the best team in the National League. See our 2006 baseball predictions. But we seem to be among a slim few holding this view. Last year we picked the Braves when everyone thought their reign was clearly over. Now the heard is all about the Mets.. and, ironically, the Braves. Sportsline ranks all the teams here. Vegas World Series odds here. It's all offense in Philadelphia (line-up), and that will give the pitchers confidence for the Phillies to surprise most people.
Cleveland Indians
The Indians have come a long (and, surprisingly, positive way) since dumping Jim Thome and Bartolo Colon. And a lot of it has to do with General Manager Mark Shapiro. Forget Brian Cashman and Theo Epstein. Think about the job Shapiro has done in assembling talent, without the blank checks. Indians fans could never have imagined how quick things would turnaround after Shaprio made what Cashman says was a "giant step backward" (story). Don't forget, the Indians were baseball's hottest team down the stretch last year (just barely missing the playoffs). Eric Mack (here) expects the Indians to pick right up where they left off. We also like the Indians chances of making the playoffs (2006 A.L. Central baseball predictions).
March 20
More Soriano
The next go-of-it is Wednesday at 1:05 (schedule). Don't forget, both the Yankees and Rangers have already been trying to get Soriano to switch from 2B. And the reason is simple-- his 2B defense is the worst in the league (stats). So, the Nationals management isn't doing something that every baseball owner and manager wants to do. In fact, its not clear which MLB teams would trade for him and grant his 2B wish. The closer truth is that, eventually (this year, next, or the year after) Soriano won't be playing 2B anymore. The Nationals only sin here is trying to call his bluff. Clearly, Soriano wasn't bluffing (story). But, now the shoes on the other foot. Because Soriano's only option is to see if the Nationals are bluffing. Since technically MLB still owns the team, maybe Selig can work the phones and try and help move him. No player, not even A-Rod, gets to bat where they want and play where they want. When the Yankees said A-Rod would have to move to 3B, he hesitated, but gave way. It may not have been the best decision for the Nationals to try and be the team to force Soriano to change positions. Too many examples (literally millions of examples) of players that have had to change their positions, or change their order in the line-up, or whatever (against their will) because... well, because, the time just came. Soriano should be thankful teams have put up with his poor, bottom-of-the-league fielding at 2B for so long. Obviously Soriano is hard-headed and tempermental. Still, Michael in Indiana thinks Soriano's "not a piece of meat"-- odds are he just drafted Soriano for his fantasy team.
March 20
Alfonso Soriano
He's slated to get paid $10 million this year, and this is how he acts.
March 19
Mark Prior
The latest details here. It will be another 6 days before Prior sees the Cubs orthopedic specialist. And until then it doesn't appear Prior will throw at all even though the Cubs trainer says "the symptoms have significantly improved." Funston still has Prior ranked 43rd overall (here- note Funston's out for a week, during the busiest time for fantasy baseball fans?)-- though clearly his fantasy value has slid further than that. We have moved him out of our top 20 in our MLB starting pitcher rankings.
More Barry
How many home runs would Barry have hit if some of the pitchers he faced had not been using steroids? There are just too many questions like this that lead us to thinking that this single-minded focus on Barry Bonds is not justified (short link). But for Mike Lupica (column) (and just about every sportswriter on the planet) this is just so cut and dry. He goes in with the whole 'who-could-do-that-at-his-age' argument. Yet, last year, at the age of 42, one of the best pitchers of all-time started 32 games and had the best ERA of his 22-year career (stats). Now that's an amazing accomplishment that has been rightfully acknowledged. What we are just pointing out is the obvious simplifications some Bonds opponents make in their arguments. Bonds couldn't possibly get better with age. Then there is the argument that his stand out season shows how much he cheated. Well, in one sense yes, but a stand alone season is not a rarity. Look at Roger Maris and see that his record season was even much more of an oddity (stats). Was he clean? We would guess probably. So the point is that maybe baseball players can have big years just one time. And maybe without steroids, but with the same work ethic in the gym every day Barry would have hit 60 homers instead of 73. All of the blame should not be left at Barry's doorstep just because all the journalists are pointing their fingers. Is his character flawed? Absolutely. But is he the only one to blame just because journalists are cashing-in on Bonds by writing tabloid style books about him?
March 18
Barry Bonds
It's really hard to find a sports columnist writing anything but hate columns about Barry Bonds. It's definitely the easy, safe story. And it just keeps rolling off the fingers and into the newspapers, Yahoo! Sports, etc.-- latest rant (here). When fans show up to cheer the legendary Barry Bonds in stadiums across the country (though surely they will be outnumbered by boos) it will shed some light that this is not just an open and closed case of hate Barry Bonds and forget him. We just ask: where were/are the negative columns about Mark McGwire, or any other steroids user? Where were/are the books and front cover stories? They write about Bonds because it makes them money. And that puts them in the same boat as Barry Bonds, or anyone else. If there is blame to go around, it goes far beyond just Barry Bonds.
Barry Bonds
ESPN's Dan LeBatard sums it up: "You can't investigate him. You have to investigate everybody if your gonna do that." But then Deadspin has its own thoughts about Barry and what you hear on ESPN.
March 16
MLB Futures
Vegas odd are up for the World Series champs (click here). No surprise: the Yankees are the favorite. The Phillies stand out as far too underrated. Also notable, Vegas likes the Cubbies.
March 15
Barry Bonds
Everyone knows the story: bat's fine; legs aren't. That part is pretty easy to understand. But the million dollar fantasy question is where to draft him. If you follow every second of baseball action and you can change your line-up every day than you might be able to get maximum value out of Bonds-- ie. pull him out of your line-up when its a day game following a night game, etc. Otherwise (and that's most people) it will be a little frustrating not knowing when to take him out. For the total season, presuming he stays healthy, he will probably play 110 games or so (and many of those 1 or 2 at-bats). However, he could still hit 40 home runs. Funston has him ranked 78th (here) Recap here with plenty of the latest on Barry.
Ian Stewart
Five home runs so far this spring have not changed the Colorado opinion (story, Stewart). And who could argue. With the line-up the Rockies have, there just isn't room for a big power bat.. right. They already have Garrett Atkins at 3B (which, actually Atkins is having a pretty decent spring himself).
March 9
Barry Bonds
We have another rant to come regarding the media feeding frenzy on Barry Bonds. In the meantime, this link (loosen up and be prepared to laugh) somewhat captures our thoughts on the latest Bonds media tirade.
March 5
Fantasy Baseball
See our MLB top fantasy baseball players and top fantasy baseball pitchers. MLB cheatsheets: NL and AL. And see our team-by-team predictions for the NL and AL (A.L. Predictions and N.L. Predictions).
February 25
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic (official site here) gets started this Friday, March 3rd. Full schedule here. The Finals are Saturday March 18th and Monday March 20th in San Diego.
Outfielders
Top 100 fantasy baseball outfielders here. Cabrera, Bay, and Crawford make the top 5.
February 24
Fantasy Baseball
Whose Up? Whose Down? Yahoo! has some thoughts here.
February 22
New Stadiums
Getting a new stadium past the Washington DC City Council is a nearly impossible task. In New York City it takes about an hour with a 12-1 vote (story). The new Yankee Stadium would look a lot like the current one. It's scheduled to open in time for the 2009 season (details). More photos here.
February 20
Barry Bonds
This story is probably one of the best you will read summarizing all of Barry's own words from the last couple days. Basically, Bonds says his new knee brace has given him a "new lease on life." But with that, he's talking hitting because Bonds flat out admits he's "bone on bone" in his knee and he can hardly run. So what to expect? All eyes will be watching when he shows up Tuesday to begin Spring Training.
February 18
2006 A.L.C.S.
Let the speculation begin. Ozzie on A-Rod was just the opening shot. Now Steinbrenner says, Ozzie "shut it up" (story). Looks like the stage is being set for a battle between the Big Apple and the Windy City in October?
A.L. East
CNNSI division previews are up (A.L. East here). And. They think the Red Sox drop a notch this year. We agree that the Red Sox may end up a little more worried about the Blue Jays than the Yankees. See our 2006 American League Preview.
Ichiro Suzuki
As far as we are concerned he's a question mark heading into the season (2006 fantasy baseball rankings). Funston has him ranked 19th (big board). Last year, by our count, he was 38th in 5x5. Will he be heading up or down this season? Check out his stat graphs here. Ichiro will need to bounce back from last season when he struggled to stay above .300 in the 2nd half (game log here). Btw, for the record, the Mariners official site has him as 'Ichiro Suzuki'.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Did the Dodgers make all the right moves in the offseason. Eric Gagne thinks so. And he also thinks he's 100% and ready for a big year. Sportsline sums up the excitement in Vero Beach, FL. Just skip to part 2 of the article here.
February 1
Roger Clemens Watch
A decision is imminent. He said he was going to decide by the end of January. Andy Petitte, a guy who would have a pretty good idea of Clemens intentions says, "he would be surprised if he didn't" come back (story). But that part almost seems settled. Or is it? The fact that he's warming up to pitch is more of a reflection of his intention to be ready for the World Baseball Classic (official site here).
January 29
Fantasy Baseball
Our combination cheatsheet / depth charts are one of the best, unique fantasy baseball resources out there: American League Fantasy Baseball Cheatsheet and National League Fantasy Baseball Cheatsheet.
January 27
Spring Training
2006 Spring Training reporting dates are here. The Giants, Angels, and Mariners kick it off with pitchers and catchers on Wednesday, February 15th. Full squad workouts begin Tuesday, February 21st.
January 26
2006 MLB Fantasy Baseball Player Rankings
The page ranks the top 50 according to our fantasy baseball total rating system and includes stats and 5x5 rankings as well. Commentary for players, and possible upside surprises. Go to: Top MLB Player Fantasy Rankings.
January 21
2006 MLB Cheatsheets
We have now posted our earliest version of our 2006 National League and American League cheatsheets which have a unique one-page format with team-by-team line-ups and rotations along with grades for each players 2005 performance. N.L. Cheatsheet and A.L. Cheatsheet.
January 20
Roger Clemens
The Rangers no longer have Rogers, but they are trying to get a Roger. The Rocket (news) could play for the Astros, Yankees, Rangers, or Red Sox (story). Clemens said Wednesday he would make his decision by the end of the month (story).
January 19
Ozzie Guillen
Guillen has always been very proud of his heritage-- born in Venezuela. Most MLB fans recall his enthusiastic support for Venezuela during the White Sox playoff run. The White Sox Manager turns 42 on Friday and will become a U.S. citizen the same day (story).
January 16
2006 MLB Season
What's Changed? Check out MLB team depth charts at SportsLine here and USA Today here (includes batting order). For free agents see: the MLB.com Free Agent Tracker here and SportsLine's Top Free Agent lists here.
January 15
Barry Bonds
ESPN's Jim Caple asks How will you feel about it? And visit our article on the Barry Bonds controversy.
January 14
World Baseball Classic
On Monday, Team USA will reveal its 60-man roster (story). The World Baseball Classic site is here. The U.S. begins its quest on March 7th vs. Mexico in Phoenix. The Final is scheduled for March 20th in San Diego. .
2006 Spring Training
Spring Training officially kicks off Thursday February 16th. For game schedules go here or here. And for all of the key MLB dates in 2006 go here.
January 7
Team Relocations
It's just preliminary at this point, but the Florida Marlins lease at Pro Player Stadium ends in 2007 and the team is visiting Portland and also considering Las Vegas as homes after that (story). And, Washington, DC has yet to seal the deal with the Nationals. The City Council continues to 'play hardball' with MLB. And MLB has yet to sell the team to local owners. No one is talking about the deal falling through... yet. A mediation process is expected to start soon (story).
January 5
MLB Trade Rumors
A couple of sites to visit to keep track of the latest trade rumors and free agent news: MLB Hot Stove here, Pro Sports Daily MLB Rumors here, and SportsLine here.
December 12
San Francisco Giants
The Giants have made a bold move, scoring Matt Morris under a 3-year deal. The right-hander has been a proven talent for the St. Louis Cardinals. He will join Jason Schmidt in the rotation, giving the Giants (with a healthy Barry Bonds) a big boost in their competition with the Padres for the N.L. West. Morris has tailed off quite a bit after his breakout season in 2001 (22-8, 3.16). But he's still highly regarded and is a reliable 200 innings (career stats here).
Boston Red Sox
Two of Theo Epstein's assistants are moving up to fill the void Theo left at GM in Boston (story). Epstein (bio) turned down a $4.5 million contract extension that expired October 31. The Red Sox want him involved in whatever capacity he would be willing to help out. We suspect that for Epstein, baseball is about the alure of chasing after new, up-and-coming players and building a great team from scratch. The Red Sox are in buy-and-see-how-far-you-can-go mode, like the Yankees, and maybe Boston's just not fun for Theo at this point in time. Who knows, what explains a guy who grew up a mile away from Fenway Park (story), passing up a big money contract to stay on as GM of a MLB team. It all seems to strange for reality-- and maybe that's why there is a lot of buzz about a possible Theo return (the scoop).
November 28
New York Mets
Once again, the Mets are attempting to buy the division (not our words either) and surely, they hope, a crack at the World Series. This trick seems to work real well for the Marlins, but has not worked for the Yankees. And, last year's attempt by the Mets failed miserably. We think the Mets are taking the absolute wrong approach to turn things around. They are trying too hard to break the Braves record run of National League East titles. Ultimately, at this point, we are inclined to believe the additions of Delgado and Wagner (story) will not change things for the Mets. We don't agree with the story in the first link. The Mets haven't bought anything.
November 19
Nick Swisher
Heading into the 2005 season, Baseball America ranked Nick Swisher as their #1 top rookie (here). He ended up having a decent enough season, but his .236 batting average put a cap on any enthusiasm. In the final 2 1/2 weeks of the season he did manage to hit 4 home runs which was a 40 HR clip (see game log here).
November 17
Talking Trades
The offseason is starting to warm-up as trade rumors are already swirling. SI's John Donovan takes a look (here-- via Yahoo!). CBS Sportsline has a more colorful version here. And, a new site launched: MLB Trade Rumors (here).
November 14
National League MVP
The big question: Will Albert Pujols get an MVP award? The answer is once again up in the air. Though it looks like he's got no worse than a 50% chance. His competition: Andruw Jones. In the past, Pujols has suffered first due to Barry Bonds and second because of other bats in the Cardinals line-up. This year was different: Jim Edmonds (only 142 games) and Reggie Sanders (only 93 games) were the only other big bats. In terms of runs scored, Pujols was much more important to his team than Jones (16.0% of runs scored vs 12.4% for Jones). But in what are generally the two most important categories in batting comparisons (at least historically for the MVP award), Andruw Jones came up big: 51 home runs to 41 for Pujols, and 128 RBI's to 117 for Pujols. See full N.L. batting stats here. In fact, Jones had 17.5% of Atlanta's RBI's vs. Pujols at 15.5% for the Cardinals. But, history, and a couple other categories, might tip the scales for Pujols. For example, Pujols wins the comparisons for: runs scored: 129 to 95; stolen bases: 16 to 5; batting average (handily): .330 to .263; on-base percentage (again, convincingly): .430 to .347; and slugging percentage (.609 to .575). So, the biggest home run hitter in baseball this year (Jones), who carried the Braves to the N.L. East title, or the guy who always seem to come up just shy, but whose stats have always been right at the top of the list in the N.L. for five straight years (Pujols)?
A-Rod Wins A.L. MVP
The Yankees' Alex Rodriquez won the American League MVP award over Boston's David Ortiz (331 points and 16 first-place votes to 307 points and 11 first-place votes; official numbers). Some are saying it is due to the fact that A-Rod actually plays a position while David Ortiz was just a DH (story). But the bigger reality might be in the statistics. David Ortiz clearly bested A-Rod in RBI's 148-130; no comparison (see full A.L. batting stats here). But from there-- in every other major category-- A-Rod was better. Home runs: 48 to 47. Runs scored 124 to 119. Batting average: .321 to .300. On-base-percentage: .421 to .397. Slugging percentage: .610 to .604. Stolen bases: 21 to 1. In some respects, it may be harder to argue why Alex Rodriquez shouldn't be the MVP. Just about every stat backs up the decision... plus the Yankees won the tiebreaker with Boston to take the A.L. East (not to mention that A-Rod is a right-handed hitter playing in Yankee Stadium).
November 12
American League MVP
First up this week is the announcement of the winner of the A.L. MVP award. First, it's hard to decide between Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz Tom Singer, writing at MLB.com, says Alex Rodriquez is the favorite. Here's the stats for comparison: A-Rod vs Ortiz.
October 19
2005 World Series
Something completely different this year. No Yankees. No Red Sox. Not even the Cardinals could make it back. For the first time since 1959, there will be a team from Chicago in the World Series. That was the White Sox, who also made it in 1919, and won it all in 1917. The Cubs last made it in 1945, 1938, 1935, 1932, 1929, 1918, and 1910. The Cubs last won a World Series in 1908-- and 1907. And the White Sox beat the Cubs in the 1906 World Series. See the complete World Series History. The Houston Astros entered MLB in 1962 and the franchise has never been to the World Series (Astros history). So, it is definitely an original World Series. See WorldSeries.com. Schedule and scores. Complete MLB Stats coverage.
October 18
Albert Pujols
Baseball is so unpredictable. And, last night was about as perfect an example as they come. Houston was a pitch or so away from wrapping up its first ever National League pennant and heading to Chicago for the World Series. They had their best reliever on the mound and a crowd full of screaming fans. And then, with one swing of the bat, they are on the way to St. Louis for some tough baseball. What a game.
October 17
Chicago White Sox
It could be said that not too many teams have so thoroughly dominated an opponent as the White Sox did the Angels. It can definitely be said that no team dominated an opponent like this and yet was essentially harrassed by national sports broadcasters the entire series. So, are we over the top in saying this? Well, let's look at some stats and facts.
The Angels scored 11 runs in 5 games. This is better than just one team in the history of the ALCS. The Angels had just 27 hits-- an all-time low for any team in any LCS that went five games or longer (story). Was it bad calls that caused Vladimir Guerrero to bat 1-for-20? Vlad was bad, but how about the rest of the Angels line-up: their lead-off hitter (Figgins) batted .118. Next up: Cabrera at .200, then Garret Anderson at .176. Bengie Molina batted .118 and it didn't get much better from there. The White Sox won three straight in Anaheim in October. It may be tough to admit, but maybe it is truly a well-deserved trip to the World Series for the White Sox.
October 15
Angels vs Yankees: The Cano Call
The more the announcers question the umpires in the ALCS for so many calls going against the Angels, the more we think about the Cano call. It's not like that play wasn't controversial (here). Yet, on that play, for some reason the broadcasters totally supported the umpire. Now we wonder about this developing thread-- the consistency for Fox announcers seems to be that its a bad call if it impacts the Angels negatively and its a good call if it helps the Angels. This isn't at all to say that the calls aren't questionable-- it's just to spend several innings talking about a catcher's interference when its a 4-run game seems odd to us. Baseball happens.
ALCS: Angels vs White Sox
Perhaps if the Fox Sports announcers were the umpires for this series then the Angels would definitely win. It's not unusual to hear players, fans, managers, and owners complain that the calls aren't going their way. But national TV broadcasts are supposed to be a little more objective. When a team is getting beat 6-2 a possible catcher's interference doesn't change the game.
Archive of all previous comments posted on the MLB Notes- rumors and insights page
|
Thank you for using Fanbay.net.
Your gateway to Major League Baseball with fantasy baseball statistics, news, info, player rankings, and top baseball web resources. Fantasy MLB player rankings, detailed and historical MLB statistics, team pages, predictions, depth charts, and an extensive amount of links to all kinds of additional MLB resources, including news wires.
|
|
