The Minor Leagues’ Home Run King
Most baseball fans are familiar with Barry Bonds, also known as baseball’s all-time home run king. But he’s just the MLB’s leader in home runs. “Who leads the minors in career homers?” you ask. The answer? A man named Mike Hessman. Hessman went to Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California and was a star […]
The Miggy Trade: Did the Marlins Get the Better Deal?
Eight years ago from December 4th, Miguel Cabrera was traded to the Detroit Tigers from the Florida Marlins. The trade didn’t just involve Miggy, however. There was a slew of players in the exchange, but who got the better deal: Tigers or Marlins? Tigers’ Acquisitions: Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis Miggy has had some very productive […]
New York Mets best options for a right hand hitting OF/ 1B
If a grade could be given to the New York Mets 2015 off season, I guess it would vary based on one’s vested interest in rooting for the franchise. Outsiders (non- Mets fans) will continue to talk about the Mets projected starting staff, which of course features Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz […]
4 Front Offices That Will Make a Lot of Moves This Baseball Offseason
The baseball offseason is an exciting time for fans of strategy. This is the time of year when every baseball front office is trying to outsmart the others, and that can make for a very unique and entertaining kind of theater. This year promises to be especially interesting, because a large number of front offices […]
Retooling the Red Sox Bullpen for 2016
It has begun! On Friday, November 6th, the Red Sox outrighted RP’s Alexi Ogando (who I was going to tag as a keeper for the 2016 pen) and Jean Machi. That same day, the Cubs claimed RP Ryan Cook. So, with those moves already done, we plow forward with my thoughts for how I think […]
2015 MLB World Series: Mets vs. Royals
This is not the match-up I, nor MLB (I’m guessing), would have hoped for as having the Cubs in there would have been classic especially with all of the Back to the Future hype. Not to mention their historic drought since their last World Series! I for one am glad to NOT see the St. […]
TEJADA’S OUT, UTLEY SUSPENDED!
BY ISMAEL NUNEZ If you missed it: This past October 11th, 2015 on Saturday night in the MLB playoff game between Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, the talk was not the Dodgers 5-2 victory it was the slide! Dodger 2nd Baseman Chase Utley slid into Mets Shortstop Tejada causing a broken fibula. Tejada is out for […]
Yogi 10/04/2015
The baseball community suffered a great loss. On September 22, 2015, Yogi Berra passed away of natural causes. An all-around great person, Yogi is one of the greatest catchers in baseball history, known for his prowess behind the plate and his unique power in the batter’s box. But there’s more to Yogi than just assertions […]
The Boston Red Sox Search for an Ace
The one thing, besides hiring a new GM, Dave Dombrowski needs to do this off season is to get an Ace for the staff. Realistically, he only has two ways to do this seeing that there currently isn’t an internal option. He can either trade for the new Red Sox ace or sign one of […]
Boston Red Sox 2016 Holes to Address in the Infield
First off, let’s just say right up front that the Red Sox are all set at the middle infield positions with Dustin Pedroia at 2B and Xander Bogaerts (his 2015 numbers can be seen below) at SS! That leaves question marks at 1B, 3B and Catcher, not because they don’t have guys to play all […]
Joe Maddon to win NL Manager of the year
The NL Manager of the Year Award is a tribute given yearly since 1983 to the best managers. A number of managers have won the award in a season when they guided their team outstandingly well to more wins. In this year, managers such as Joe Maddon of the Cubs, Terry Collins of the Mets, […]
Can These Diamondbacks Contend In 2016?
Given that we haven’t quite hit September yet, it feels a little bit early to start baseball offseason speculation. But with the Diamondbacks a few games under .500 in a competitive NL West and well outside of a Wild Card shot, it’s time for Arizona to look ahead. But before we get into some potential […]
The greatest mid season acquisition the Mets ever had?
Yoenis Cespedes has performed better than anyone could have imagined since his trade to the New York Mets from the Detroit Tigers. For a better part of the last calendar year or so, talk has been about the Mets need to add a franchise star caliber bat to their lineup. Comparisons were made to the […]
Handicapping the NL Central: Playoff Odds and Perspective For Every Team in 2015’s Toughest Division
There are plenty of great division races going on in baseball right now, but none of them are quite as exciting as the ongoing contest in the National League Central. Baseball’s toughest division includes the best team in baseball (the St. Louis Cardinals, 76-43, .639 win percentage) and the third-best team in baseball (the Pittsburgh […]
Baseball Equipment Buyer’s Guide: Protective Gear
Whether you are a professional major league baseball player or someone playing for fun; wearing protective gear while playing baseball is a must. The history of baseball’s protective equipment can help understand its importance in the sport. 1870 was the year when the first baseball glove was invented. The glove was just a regular […]
What Dave Dombroski Needs to do to Fix the Boston Red Sox
Ben Cherington had a heck of a ride as GM of the Boston Red Sox. He came into an organization that was in shambles in 2011, acquiesced when ownership insisted on hiring Bobby Valentine to replace fired manager Terry Francona, booted Valentine after a horrific 2012 season, set out to rebuild the team in 2013, […]
MEXICO/VENEZUELA: THREE DAY ADVENTURE AT LLWS
BY ISMAEL NUNEZ August 26, 2015-Venezuela vs Japan: Throughout the whole game there was good defense and pitching. The score was tied 2-2 going into the 6th inning and then extra innings. Venezuela got one run on a Home-Run on the top of the 8th inning, and added another run with a Home-Run. Yet Hall […]
The Top 10 World Series Contenders
The MLB season is a long, sometimes-slow journey. Often by the time we’re approaching the postseason, it’s almost strange to recall the beginning of the season. Similarly, preseason predictions and projections can often be almost comical by the time teams are 100-plus games in and trades, call-ups, and injuries have impacted the picture. Heading into […]
BASEBALL HOF VOTING – SOME WRITERS DON’T DESERVE THE PRIVILEGE
As it happens every summer, for one weekend in July, the eyes of the baseball world will turn to Cooperstown, New York, for Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. After the ceremonies, thoughts will turn to next year’s candidates and Ken Griffey, Jr., who was elected to Major League Baseball’s All-Century team in 1999, […]
Can Anyone Stop the Surprising Houston Astros?
It’s been a strange season in baseball. The aging Yankees are actually pretty good. The Nationals are, for some reason, pretty mediocre. The Mets are good. The stacked Padres roster can’t get it done on the field. The Tigers are lousy. And, most unbelievably of all, the Houston Astros are finally good. Yes, those […]
Handicapping the AL East Race: Playoff Percentages and Keys for the rest of the Season
Now that the All-Star break and the trade deadline are both in the rear view mirror, the baseball season finally is getting serious. And as the division races heat up, there’s no better place to find the action than in the storied American League East. Even with the Yankees–Red Sox rivalry all but out […]
LA Dodgers: Win or Bust
It is not a fair assessment to say the Los Angeles Dodgers have all the money in the world, just about a third of it. In all seriousness though, if recent baseball history is any indication, the Dodgers’ flush wallets alone may not be enough to buy a championship in the MLB, and that leaves […]
Texas Rangers: The Cole Hamels Deal
The Texas Rangers certainly aren’t strangers to making splash deals for top of the line starting pitching. Back in the summer of 2010, Cliff Lee, among the best pitchers in the MLB at the time, was dealt to the Texas Rangers in exchange for a number of prospects. While Lee performed well for the Rangers […]
Is Nolan Arenado Ready to be the Next Face of the Colorado Rockies?
Nolan Arenado might just be the next face of the Colorado Rockies, but it’s safe to assume that he has no idea. When Arenado was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the second round of the 2009 amateur draft, he was selected two picks after Cincinnati’s Billy Hamilton and four picks before Cleveland’s Jason Kipnis, […]
BRAVES UPDATE
“No matter how good you are, you’re going to lose one-third of your games. No matter how bad you are you’re going to win one-third of your games. It’s the other third that makes the difference.” — Tommy Lasorda The Braves were 42 and 47 as of July 15, 2015 and on a 5 game […]
Down on the Farm: New York Yankees
For years, the New York Yankees have played with one mindset: winning the World Series. This was mostly fantastic for fans; the team tried its hardest every season to put its premium lineup out on the field season after season. However, that type of playing style takes its toll in other areas. Throughout New York’s […]
The Greatest Historical MLB Second-Half Comebacks
Have no fear, Atlanta Braves. No need to worry, Seattle Mariners. There is plenty of time to come back and make the playoffs. You want proof? As the second half of the baseball season begins, here is just a sampling of some teams that overcame large deficits to get into the postseason. 1951 New York […]
The All-Stars of the All-Stars
What was originally thought of as a one-shot deal in 1933 has been turned into the annual mid-summer night baseball event. Of course, the All-Star Game pits the best players in each league against each other, but even among these high-profile contests, some shine brighter than others—and make up our All-Star “All Stars.” C: Gary […]
Baltimore Orioles – Home Sweet Home
The defending American League East Champion Baltimore Orioles certainly didn’t get off to the start they wanted in 2015, but thanks to a May to June surge, the team finds themselves right in the thick of the playoff race. As of July 6, the Orioles currently sit second in the division, just one game […]
Early Trade Deadline Predictions
As teams continue to grind through the Major League season, it will become apparent which clubs have a shot at the playoffs, and which clubs are out of it entirely. This evaluation process really picks up near baseball’s trade deadline, which is July 31st. The introduction of the second wild-card team in 2012 has allowed […]
