All Entries Tagged With: "Chicago Cubs"
The Interconnectedness of Carlos Zambrano’s Challenges
by Buddy Biancalana I recently returned from baseball’s Winter Meetings. Reflecting back over the three days, one conversation I had is staying with me. The conversation of which I intentionally did more listening than speaking, included Carlos Zambrano’s agent Barry Praver, Cub’s VP, Player Personnel, Oneri Fleita and MLB.com writer Carrie Muskat. They were discussing Zambrano’s challenges. [...]
Why Albert Pujols Will Stay In St. Louis
We heard it a lot. At the end of September and during every playoff series, we heard “this could be the last time Albert Pujols has an at-bat in a Cardinal uniform,” sometimes tweaked with the last home appearance. So much so that someone made a chart out of how he did in those situations. (Spoiler, not all [...]
A Video Look Back into the Baseball Career of Michael Jordan
This post made possible by Pro Dunk Hoops basketball goal systems Michael Jordan – 1994-04-07 – White Sox vs. Cubs An interview with Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray (even though Jordan was a member of the White Sox, the other Chicago MLB team). Michael Jordan’s Minor-League-Baseball Career This video includes his first HR, conversation with his AA [...]
GM Theo Epstein Would be a Smart Hire for the Cubs
Multiple sources, including ESPN and The Sporting News, are reporting that Red Sox GM Theo Epstein has agreed to a five year deal worth more than $15 million with the Chicago Cubs. While the Sox and Cubs are still discussing compensation for Epstein, since he is still under contract with Boston, sources are saying that [...]
Vote of Confidence Signals Long Overdue End
Few words scare any team executive, coach, or even player quite like the dreaded “vote of confidence.” In fact, according to a Wall Street Journal study done last year, 20% of coaches who receive a vote of confidence from their boss are pursuing gainful employment within just the next month, while others are fired shortly [...]
Author Bill Palmer’s Reflections on the Game of Baseball
This is my first article for Baseball Reflections and I’m very happy to be here. What a great name for the site. It got me thinking about my personal baseball reflections. I’ve always thought memories are a lot like reflections, especially when it comes to baseball memories. Sometimes, but not often enough, the memory is [...]
Try Our Free 1-Day Fantasy Baseball FreeRoll Hosted by DraftStreet.com
Baseball season has arrived and it’s time for fantasy baseball. But not the average, full-season, six-month type that seems to never end. I’m talking about a one-night showdown on Friday, May 13th. Yes, Friday the 13th! We have teamed up with DraftStreet.com to offer an exclusive free contest to BaseballReflections.com readers. The freeroll will [...]
More Concern Over the Use of Maple Bats in MLB
Cubs Rookie OF Tyler Colvin Impaled by Another Broken Maple Bat The latest incident in MLB concerning the dangerous use of maple bats comes at the expense of rookie OF for the Cubs, Tyler Colvin. While on third base as a baserunner, Colvin headed towards the plate on contact when in his sprint towards home [...]
PHILLIES MONTH IN REVIEW: JULY
The story in July was in every way a roller coaster for the Phillies. The Phils entered July having already gone through a historically awful offensive slump in May and June, so when Chase Utley was injured on June 29 and it was announced on July 1st that he would need surgery and would be [...]
Former MLB Player Delino DeShields Surprises Kaleb Cowart with HS Baseball Award
Posted on behalf of Gatorade… 13-year MLB veteran (most recently of the Chicago Cubs) Delino DeShields helped surprise Kaleb Cowart of Abel, Georgia with the 2009-10 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year award. The Gatorade Player of the Year program is celebrating its 25th year in recognizing elite high school athletes throughout the nation. [...]
Top 5 Fantasy Surprises So Far in 2010: Pitchers
*These stats are as of 5/26/2010. The stats next to their names are W-L/SO/ERA/WHIP. These pitchers are the biggest surprises of the season so far… 5. Tyler Clippard, RP of the Washington Nationals 7-3/33/2.12/1.15 with 10 holds For a bullpen guy to have a 7-3 record so quickly into the season is unusual at best. [...]
DRSEA INFORMER: Volume III, Issue 7
Baseball Continues Global Affair – Major League Baseball continues to reflect an international flavor as 27.7 percent of the 833 players on 2010 Opening Day rosters and disabled lists were born outside the United States. The foreign-born players represent 14 countries and territories, with the Dominican Republic leading the way with a contribution of 86 [...]
Baseball News, Tweets & More
Image by mikeleeorg via Flickr Tuesday Afternoon Edition @espn_durrett: A look at long tossing: Baseball Prospectus has an article out on long tossing, asking if it’s a cure to pitching … http://bit.ly/9XMwiE @mlbtraderumors: Dodgers Sell Stults To Hiroshima Carp http://bit.ly/cmNlFE #mlb & Red Sox Make Four-Year Offer To Beckett http://bit.ly/bkxRLQ #mlb & Orioles Sign Joey [...]
Baseball News, Tweets & More: Wednesday pm
Image by mikeleeorg via Flickr Wednesday Afternoon Edition @MLB_Monster: Maddon still supporting Burrell (source: CBS News): Rays manager Joe Maddon says he isn’t concerned about DH Pat B… http://bit.ly/cdNV6H & Butler not letting up this spring (source: CBS News): Royals 1B Billy Butler, who broke out with a .314 batting av… http://bit.ly/alEKR1 & MLB — [...]
Three-Way Trade Is Bad News for D-backs
The Arizona Diamondbacks took part in a three-team trade that sent pitchers Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth to Detroit for right-handers Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy. It’s hard to figure what the D-backs were thinking, as the swap will be a detriment to the Diamondbacks’ chances for 2010 and beyond. The Diamondbacks entered the offseason [...]
Playing Good Idea/Bad Idea with the Cubs Offseason
It’s really hard for me in the midst of a brutal Chicago Bears season to take a step back and relive a brutal Cubs season. What a disappointment 2009 was for the Chicago Cubs. So much anticipation, so few results. I posted my thoughts on Derek Lee and his contributions to the Cubs season in [...]
Joe Niekro Foundation and Arizona Fall League Partner To Strike Out Aneurysms
Natalie Niekro threw out the first pitch at the Houston Astros game on September 13, 2009. She will be throwing out the first pitch at three Arizona Fall League games between October 26-31 as part of “Aneurysm Awareness Week” at the Arizona Fall League. Unlike the deceptive and tricky pitch that her father used to [...]
Derrek Lee Shines in a Season to Forget
What can you offer up about the Cubs that hasn’t already been said? The Cubs have been a major disappointment in 2009 and yet, following Wednesday’s game they only find themselves 5.5 games out of first place. Yes, they also trail four other teams besides the Colorado Rockies, and yes they don’t even resemble in [...]
Reminder: Keychain Raffle Has Only 8 Days Left!
Welcome to the first, and hopefully not last, Baseball Reflections Keychain Raffle sponsored by WholesaleKeychain.com. We will be raffling off 9 MLB team keychains. There will be links below to the WholesaleKeychain.com page of the 9 teams (these links will open up in a new tab or page) selected for this raffle. There will be [...]
Reminder: MLB Keychain Raffle
Welcome to the first, and hopefully not last, Baseball Reflections Keychain Raffle sponsored by WholesaleKeychain.com. We will be raffling off 9 MLB team keychains. There will be links below to the WholesaleKeychain.com page of the 9 teams (these links will open up in a new tab or page) selected for this raffle. There will be [...]
As the Cubs Roll Into August…
July turns to August and finds the Chicago Cubs still in the NL Central hunt. Nevertheless, they didn’t look like a contending team as the trading deadline neared, making a nominal move for minimal help which may actually hurt the team this season. Image by Getty Images via Daylife In a month in which Roy [...]
Cubs Reflections on Being in First Place
Despite all my nay-saying and doom-daying, the Chicago Cubs woke up on July 27th and found themselves in first place in the NL Central. Outside of any performance by the Cubs, here are five reasons which this has happened: 5. The St. Louis Cardinals have no hitting. A month into the season, the Cardinals looked [...]
The Cubs Are Slumping and on the DL
Over the course of a 162 game season, even the best teams have slumps. Particularly in this era of relatively balanced competition even the perennial division winners – teams like the Red Sox, Cardinals, and Angels – run into rough stretches. But the 2009 Chicago Cubs are currently enduring a slump that even the worst [...]
The Cardinals Flip Flop in May
I don’t watch horror or suspense movies. I’m not big on being scared or losing control of bodily functions. So I can’t say that this season for St. Louis has been like one of those movies from personal experience, but knowing the general formula for a movie of that type, the analogy seems to fit. [...]
Dontrelle Willis Needed This!
He needed to step onto that mound at Comerica Park and feel the evening sun shine upon him, the clouds in retreat, the swirling winds at bay. He needed to kick his right leg high into the air and bring his left arm across his body in perfect plane as the baseball left his fingertips [...]
Friday Night Links
This edition of Friday Night Links will once again act as a site update for the departure and addition of writers and their sites. First, we have recently seen the departure of The Zoner (White Sox writer) from Zoner Sports and Kurt (Tigers writer) from Mack Avenue Tigers. If you liked their work here, please [...]
The Cardinals: Two Weeks in April
While it’s not been the Dickensonian “best of times, worst of times” for the St. Louis Cardinals so far this season, 2009 has already had plenty of high points and low points in the first two weeks. The Cardinals sit in a virtual tie for first with the hated Chicago Cubs in the NL Central, [...]
Reds Looking for Results in 2009
After spending the last few years rebuilding their minor league system, the Cincinnati Reds are ready to reap some of the rewards for their efforts in 2009. Though Cincinnati has not posted a winning record since the 2000 season, there is a renewed sense of optimism in 2009 that the decade of disappointment may finally [...]
What to Expect From The Cubs in 2009
To say that this is probably the beginning of the end for Derrek Lee would miss the point – we have likely reached the end of the beginning of the end. The beginning of the end came in 2006, when he broke his wrist in a collision with Rafael Furcal. Lee has had two good [...]
Reflections on the Cub’s Off Season
The Chicago Cubs and their fans can congratulate themselves on a page-turning 2008 season. In what was the centennial year of World Series drought for the lovable losers, the Cubs managed to convince their fans that this was “The Year” before being summarily dismissed from the post-season by the Los Angeles Dodgers. In the process, [...]
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