MLB Baseball Blogs

The defending World Champion St. Louis Cardinals have filled their need for a lefthander in their bullpen. 

Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak announced Thursday that the club has signed free-agent left-handed pitcher J.C. Romero to a one-year contract.  Romero has spent parts of 13 seasons in Major League Baseball.

Continue reading "Cardinals Sign J.C. Romero to 1-Year Contract"

The Royals were in dire need of a utility infielder.  They did not have to look far to find one.

Yuniesky Betancourt and the Royals agreed to a one-year, $2 million contract with incentives.  If Betancourt can become a full-time player, he could be paid $2.5 million next season.

Continue reading "Betancourt Returns to Royals"

The Minnesota Twins are looking to improve their dismal starting rotation numbers in 2012.

Last season, the Twins starters combined to post the third-worst ERA (4.64), while also striking out just 617 batters in 961 innings-pitched.

Continue reading "Twins Sign Jason Marquis to 1-Year Deal"

The Cubs managerial merry-go-round takes another spin as Mike Quade was not re-hired by Theo Epstein, the new honcho for Cubs baseball.  Epstein was recently hired in talks so compicated that they a resembled U.S.-Russia nuclear pact to reduce nukes.

Continue reading "Mike Quade Gone As Skipper of Cubs"

Now that Terry Francona is out as manager of the BoSox, due to their amazing collapse in September, the thought arises, is he good enough for the Cubs?  Theo Epstein may be right behind him? 

Continue reading "Cubs: Don't Hire Terry or Theo"

The Chicago White Sox are in one of their funks, on a losing streak and appear to be headed for a loss in Kansas City tonight.  Unless they can score 2 runs to tie the game.  This team is playing out the schedule.  The starting pitchers are getting roughed up and the guys aren't hitting the ball  The power quotient on this squad is pretty tepid.  Paul Konerko has one homer in like 85 at bats.  Of course that blast was a GS to ice a win.  If there was an award for not scoring runs with two outs, the Sox would win it. 

Continue reading "White Sox Woes"

The Chicago White Sox came up with a big seven run 7th inning at home against Cleveland on Thursday night.  Brent Morel broke a 1-1 tie with a 3 run homer and Paul Konerko, broke out of HR drought by hitting a Grand Slam to break open the game.  The Sox took a 8-1 lead into the 8th inning.  Perhaps the Sox can't win it this year, too far behind and too few games, but they can certainly finish in 2nd place a few games over .500.  The Sox are a decent team that looks good when it plays well and looks bad when it doesn't play well. 

Continue reading "Konerko and Morel Connect for ChiSox"

The White Sox seem on the verge of beating Minnesota for the third straight time.  There was a time when the Sox couldn't beat the Twins.  They did beat them in a one game playoff a few years back to get into the playoffs.  Since then,  Minnesota has been dominant.  It looks like Chicago is getting a measure of payback.  It's about time.  I don't know if its all too late for this season.  Detroit leads the Sox by eight games and there aren't many left.  Chicago can't hope to go .500 and gain ground. And, that's what they've been doing all season.  Win four games here, lose 5 straight, pick up a few wins, drop a few...back and forth.  When a team does that, it's hard to gain ground.  It's like climbing a mountain and not going anywhere or walking in quicksand.  You get the picture. 

Continue reading "Up and Down White Sox All Season"

Chicago White Sox pitcher Zach Stewart threw a 1-hitter in blanking the Minnesota Twins, 4-0 in the second game of a day-night doubleheader.  Stewart retired the first 21 batters he faced, a perfect game for 7 innings, until Danny Valencia hit a double to lead off the 8th inning for the Twins.  Stewart kept his composure and retired the next six hitters he faced for a 1 hitter in a terrific outing tonight.  Stewart was almost unhittable.  Where was that pitching in the Detroit series?

Continue reading "Almost Perfect Game for Stewart"

Derrick Lee hit a grand slam with two outs in the top of the 9th inning off of Carlos Marmol and the Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs in a stunner at Wrigley Field, 7-5.

Marmol gave up a slami blast to Houston recently which was the game winner in the bottom of the 9th.  This time he loads the bases and gives up a grand slam to Lee, the ex-Cubs power hitter.  Boy, the Cubs are experts at losing.

Continue reading "Marmol Blows Another Save"

There is good news an bad news if you are a long-time Chicago White Sox fan.  The good news, the White Sox moved into 2nd place ahead of the Cleveland Indians by a half game when the Sox won and the Indians lost on Sunday.  Now, the bad news, the Sox face Minnesota Twins, who have the Sox's number in recent years.  The last time they played, the Sox swept the Twins in Minnesota.  The Twins will be seeking to return the favor.

Continue reading "Sox Still Alive After Seattle Sweep"

The Chicago White Sox had three hits in the bottom of the first inning vs. Clevleand Wednesday night, and came up empty.  No runs.  And, they wasted a precious hit from Adam Dunn, who singled with Paul Konerko on base.  Alexei Ramirez came to the plate with two runners on and went down on an infield out. 

Continue reading "Sox Are Frustrating To Follow"

The Chicago White Sox gained respectability today when they defeated The Kansas City Royals 6-2, behind a hot John Danks, and a three-run blast by Brent Lillibridge.  Danks is now 5-9 for the year, after starting 0-8.  He's on his game at the right time.  As for the Sox, it has 42 games to get in the thick of the AL Central pennant race.  The Sox trail Detroit by 4 games and Cleveland by 2 1/2.  The Sox will have to up their game to catch the Tigers, who look pretty good in this weak Division. 

Continue reading "White Sox Finally at .500"

The Chicago White Sox are a decent to good team and that's the deal.  They just left the bases loaded in the 7th inning and could have broken the game wide open.  The team scored two runs to take a slim 5-4 lead, and it is up to the bullpen to close out the game.  And, that is not a given.  A good team should have had a bigger inning.  The Sox had 1 out with the bag loaded.  Morel struck out and Brent Lillibridge made the third out.  The Sox stranded 3 runners.  That is their MO for the year, leaving runners on base.  The Sox are making it tough against the pesky Royals who play Chicago tough.

Continue reading "ChiSox Don't Make It Look Easy."

The Chicago White Sox finshed a successful road trip (6-1) thtt put them in discussion for the AL Central race.  Just when you think the Sox are dead, they come back to life.  The Sox won tonight as Mark Buerhle, Mr. Reliable, tossed eight innings and gave up 3 runs.  He has averaged three runs per game for almost the whole season.  Now, the season heads to the dog days, when people take their vacations, the weather is warm, and you just want to sip some lemonade and take a nap. 

Continue reading "Pale Hose Still Breathin'"

The Chicago White Sox looked bad last week after losing four straight to the NY Yankees at home.  They went to six games under .500 and were 6 1/2 games behind Division leader Detroit.  But a funny thing happened next.  The Sox went on the road and just won a season high five straight games to make things interesting again. 

Continue reading "Sox Have A Pulse"

Unless the Chicago White Sox start hitting soon, this season will be history.  The ChiSox lost to the Ynakees 3-2 on Monday night.  Alexei Rodriguez accounted for all the offense when he hit a 2-run homer off C.C. Sabathia to make it a one run game.  But scoring one run for these ChiSox is like closing the debit ceiling.  Kind of hard.

Continue reading "Sox Season On The Brink"

The Chicago White Sox lost to Boston 5-3 on a hot day at Cellular Field in Chicago. Lefty Mark Buerhle went six innings and left the game leading 3-2, but Boston scored 2 runs off Jesse Crain in the 7th, and Adrian Gonzalex powered a double in the 9th as the Bullpen failed to hold off the Red Sox.

Continue reading "Sox Just Don't Have Enough This Season"

Another busy day for the Redskins front office.  There is a new strategy in DC these days, steal away talent from your rivals.  Instead of looking all over the country for players, we looked at situations in our division and up 95 to shore up our roster.  Let's take a look at the recent moves.

Continue reading "Stealing Away Some Rival Talent"

So the Redskins were said to be making a huge "splash" in free agencey, which they haven't really done.  The main targets for the Redskins (WR Santonio Homes, OL Marshal Yanda, and OL Doug Free, CB Ike Taylor) all re-signed with their respective teams.  So, plan B.  They made some moves pretty quick although they weren't what was expected.

Continue reading "Redskins Free Agent Activity!!"

The White Sox are 49-51 with 62 games left to play.  The've gone nine games over since early May.  Only in the weak AL Central, could the Sox have a shot to take the Divison and they do.  They beat Cleveland 4-2 on Sunday to move 2 1/2 games behind the Indians in 2nd place.  The White Sox host the first place Tigers in an important 3 game series starting this Monday. 

Continue reading "Sox Have Shot If They Play Well"

The Chicago White Sox are hanging around the AL Central, a few games under .500 and 3 or 4 games out of 1st place.

The only reason the Sox are in it is because the rest of the team in the Dvision are not that good.  This is a must year for the Sox to make a push, because if they can't win it this year, well, there's no excuse.  The Sox are an ineffficient team.

Continue reading "Sox Need To Score Runs"

 

Legendary Yankees captain Derek Jeter went 5-5 and recorded his 3,000th career hit with a third inning home run to lead New York to a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays Saturday afternoon in the Bronx.

Continue reading "Derek Jeter is a hero on the field ..."

The Chicago White Sox are 40-41 and 3 1/2 games out of first place in the AL Central.  That is pretty good for a team

that has walked the mediocre line all season.  If not for the outstanding play of slugger Paul Konerko, hitting over .316

Continue reading "White Sox Hanging Around"

Major League Baseball started Interleague play this weekend.  People have debated this through the years.  Keep it? or go back to regular schedules?

Has the novelty won off?  Is it a good idea?  I say keep it for now.  This weekend has the Chicago Cubs playing in Fenway Park to face the BoSox.  The last time these two team met was in the 1918 World Series, which the Cubs lost, by the way.

Continue reading "Keep Interleague Play"

No one really thinks that Washington is going to seriously compete in the National League East, and why would they? You have Philadelphia and their incredible starting rotation, Atlanta, who made it to the playoffs last season, and even Florida and the New York Mets are probably given more credit than the Nationals. But Washington is starting to show signs of forming their own impressive pitching staff, even without their injured phenom, and they’re going to be needed as the Nationals can’t score any runs.

Continue reading "Pitchers Trying To Hold It Together In Washington"

Lou Gorman, General Manger of the Boston Red Sox from 1984 to 1993, was asked what he was going to do after negotiations with a player had just broken down.  He replied, “The sun will rise, the sun will set and I’ll have lunch.’’  Somehow, I can hear him saying the same line this week, after one of the worst opening weeks in Red Sox history.  Lou passed away last week, on the morning of the Sox season opener.  What a difference a week makes.  It was just one week ago Red Sox Nation was talking about 100 victories and the best team ever to take the field.  And today, just seven days later, we are looking at a team with a record well below the Mendoza line.

Continue reading "Opening Day 2011"

If you’re looking for a baseball book that will keep you entertained until Opening Day, check out Dirk Hayhurst’s The Bullpen Gospels: Major League Dreams of a Minor League Veteran

Continue reading "A baseball read to hold you over until Opening Day"

Following Andy Pettitte’s retirement announcement last week, the New York Yankees are left with a big hole in their starting rotation.  CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, and A.J. Burnett are the team’s top three starters, while the last two spots are up for grabs.  Ivan Nova and Sergio Mitre are options for Joe Girardi, but their limited experience in The Show may hurt their chances, as the Bronx Bombers tend to go with more established pitchers.  That leaves Freddy García (35) and Bartolo Colón (37), both of whom will try to prove they are not washed-up.

Continue reading "Yankees look to fill Pettitte’s ..."

While it should come as no surprise that a professional baseball player holds the state of Georgia's high school home run record, it may come as a shock that the record-holder is not a slugging outfielder like Jason Heyward, Mike Cameron, Jeff Francoeur, Nick Markakis, or J.D. Drew.  It isn’t a catcher with pop like Buster Posey or Brian McCann.  It isn’t even “The Big Hurt” Frank Thomas or “The Georgia Peach” himself, Hall of Famer Ty Cobb.  In fact, the record-holder isn’t a position player at all: it’s Diamondbacks pitcher Micah Owings.

Continue reading "Who ever said pitchers can’t hit?"

Trevor Hoffman, Major League Baseball’s all-time saves leader, announced his retirement this week after an illustrious 18-year big league career.  The seven-time All-Star finishes his career with 601 saves, a 61-75 record, a 2.87 ERA, and 1,133 strikeouts.  In 1089.1 innings pitched – spanning 1035 games – he surrendered exactly 100 home runs.  Hoffman spent the bulk of his career with the Padres, with whom he won four division titles and one National League pennant.

Continue reading "Trevor Time calls it a day"

The Arizona Diamondbacks have a bit of hole at first base after Adam LaRoche left via free agency, but it may not be for long.

Diamondbacks fans, fantasy players and MLB spread betting experts are quietly wondering whether there is a sleeper fill-in waiting in the wings.

Continue reading "Miranda Ready To Breakout For D-Backs?"

One of the most talented hitters of the nineties did not receive enough votes for induction to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, but I’m hoping Edgar Martínez does not have to wait too much longer.  I don’t expect him to be elected in 2011 because too many voters don’t think a Designated Hitter is a full-time player.  (Martínez came up as a third baseman, but injuries forced him to become Seattle’s regular DH in 1995.)  In my opinion, if a poor defensive player can make it to Cooperstown based on his offensive contributions, then someone who does not play a defensive position should be able to do the same.

Continue reading "Edgar Martínez’s case for Cooperstown"

It’s hard to believe, but Jeff Bagwell has not played in the majors in five years.  That means, of course, that in the upcoming election, he is eligible for the Hall of Fame.

Bagwell’s stats speak for themselves: 449 home runs, four All-Star appearances, and several notable awards: three Silver Sluggers, Rookie of the Year (1991), and MVP and a Gold Glove in the same year (1994).  He is the Houston Astros’ career leader in Home Runs, RBIs (1,529), Walks (1,401), Sacrifice Flies (102) and Intentional Walks (155).  Additionally, he is second in franchise history behind former teammate Craig Biggio in Games, At-Bats and Plate Appearances, Runs Scored, Hits, Doubles, Extra-Base Hits, and Total Bases.

Continue reading "Bagwell has one more stop in baseball career"

Ron Santo, who played 3rd base for the Chicago Cubs during their hey-day as baseball's darlings, and later became known as WGN Radio analyst on Cubs games, died yesterday at the age of 70.  He died of cancer.

Continue reading "Cubs Great Ron Santo Dies at 70"

Shin-Soo Choo likely earned an exemption from South Korea’s two-year military service requirement, as his country won this year’s just-completed Asian Games.  Led by none other than Choo, who hit .571 (8-for-14) with three home runs, six walks, eight runs scored and 11 RBIs during the tournament, South Korea defeated Taiwan, 9-3, in the final game earlier today.

Continue reading "Shin-Soo Choo: one of a kind"

Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants, who are World Champions for the first time since moving to the west coast more than 50 years ago.  Their last title in New York came in 1954, when Willie Mays made “the catch” that will be played on highlight reels forever.  The Giants came unbelievably close to not even making the playoffs this year, but the fans who claimed that watching their team was “torture” are now the happiest fans in baseball.

Continue reading "A new champion is crowned"

2011 Atlanta Braves Fantasy Camp 1/25/-1/30/2011 @ ESPN’s Wide World of Sports

For more information go to www.braves.com/fantasycamp or email Fantasycamp@braves.com or call 1-404-614-1526 Remember to mention promo code: Bravesfan to receive a free Braves T-shirt to the first 10 Braves fans who register!

Continue reading "Atlanta Braves Fantasy Camp"

Postseason sweeps are great if your team comes out victorious, but for the fan who just wants to see a good series because his team is already done for the year, sweeps make October less exciting.  The Phillies and Yankees outplayed their first-round opponents so it was no surprise that the Reds and Twins failed to win a single game, but the other two division series were more fun to watch.  Additionally, the League Championship Series in both the AL and NL will last a minimum of six games, which is how it should be.  A postseason series that features one team in complete control over the other is like a boxing match in which one fighter KO’s the other in the first round, but then fights him again the next night and does it all over again.  A series that goes the distance (or a game shy of it), on the other hand, is good for ball.

Continue reading "Longer series are good for ball"

While the fans in Cincinnati, Atlanta, and St. Petersburg may not have appreciated it, nearly every game played so far this postseason has featured a dominant pitching performance.  Roy Halladay no-hit the Reds, Tim Lincecum shut out the Braves on just two hits while striking out 14, and C.J. Wilson and Cliff Lee combined to hold the Rays to one run in 13.1 innings.  Lee displayed his talents during last year’s World Series, earning both of the Phillies’ wins over the Yankees, but Halladay, Lincecum and Wilson were all making their postseason debuts, and not one of them showed any sign of butterflies.

Continue reading "Playoff newcomers show the baseball ..."

Reds rookie Mike Leake went from Arizona State to the majors without throwing a pitch in the minor leagues.  Stephen Strasburg spent two months split between Double-A and Triple-A before making his big league debut in front of the entire baseball world.  The rise to the top does not come so easily – or at all – for others who share the dream of playing in The Show.  Two such players are John Lindsey, who was drafted way back in 1995, and Max St-Pierre, who had played 978 games in the minors – nearly all of them as a catcher – before getting called up this month to the Dodgers and Tigers, respectively.  Lindsey had played for five different organizations and even tried independent ball in 2005.  St-Pierre had spent 14 seasons in the minors, including 13 in the Tigers organization, and was one of the Toledo Mud Hens' backstops in 2010.  He probably did not expect the promotion after starting the year at Double-A.  It’s always exciting for any minor leaguer to find out he's going up to the big leagues, but for a 33-year-old first baseman and a 30-year-old catcher going up for the first time, it has got to be the greatest feeling in the world.

Continue reading "Hard work pays off for career minor leaguers"

The Minnesota Twins are on the verge on taking their second straight game against the Chicago White Sox and their win will put them in a commanding lead in the AL Central.  The Twins are winning 8-2 late in the game, and with the victory, the Twins will take an 8 game lead.  The Twins are red hot and the Sox are not.  Chicago had their chances in recent weeks but lack of hitting in key situations and the failure of starting pitching, one of the Sox's strengths earlier this season, combined to send Chicago packing.  The final two weeks of the seaon are an after-thought.  And, there may be some fall-out or shakeups in the Sox roster. 

Continue reading "ChiSox Losing to Twins and Hopes Fade"

The Minnesota Twins came to town and roughed up starter John Danks and were leading the Chicago White Sox late, 5-3 tonight.  It doesn't look good.  Chicago trails the Twins by six games and basically need a sweep to have a fighting chance down the stretch of the season.  If the Sox come out of this trailing by more than six, you can wave goodbye to any post-season chances.  Let's face it, the Twins may be the better team.  The Sox are good but the Twins are better.

Continue reading "It Looks Tough For White Sox"

Albert Pujols and Joey Votto have been battling each other all year, but Carlos Gonzalez has leap-frogged the front-runners in the Triple Crown race.  Gonzalez leads the National League in hitting (.337), is tied with Votto for the league lead with 100 Runs Batted In, and with 32 home runs is just five back of Pujols, two behind Adam Dunn, and tied with Votto and Mark Reynolds.  While he may have the best shot at the Triple Crown, I suspect Gonzalez’s home-road splits (.387/.435/.783 at Coors Field, .288/.310/.450 on the road) will keep the voters from naming him the NL MVP.

Continue reading "Another Triple Crown candidate storms to the top"

Perhaps the Chicago White Sox will look back on their season and say that their 4-3 road win against the Indians was a big one.

Credit catcher A. J. Pierzynski with coming up with a clutch three run HR in the top of the 9th to break a 1-1 tie.  The Sox held on to top Cleveland 4-3.  Edwin Jackson pitched into the 9th to notch his 3rd win with Chicago since arriving from Arizona in a late summer trade.  The win puts the Sox 4 games behind first place Minnesota in the AL Central. 

Continue reading "Pierzynski's HR downs Tribe, 4-3"

Manny Ramirez, who electrified the city of Los Angeles while a member of the Dodgers, was claimed off waivers and will be heading to the Chicago White Sox.  While this addition is going to add plenty of buzz in Chicagoland, and will make the lineup of the White Sox formidable, time will tell if this is the answer that Chicago needs.

Continue reading "Manny Headed to ChiSox"

It's getting toward crunch time and the Chicago White Sox wasted scoring chances only to fall 2-1 to the NY Yankees in Chicago before a sold-out crowd.  It was a picture perfect day for baseball and Gavin Floyd pitched well but not well enough for the win, in giving up 2 runs.  Rookie pitcher Ivan Nova did him better, going 5 2/3 innings while allowing a Juan Pierre single to drive in Gordon Beckham. 

Continue reading "Sox Lose A Tough Game, 2-1 to Yanks"

The Chicago White Sox scored in bunches to put away the New York Yankees 9-4 on Friday night in Chicago.  The Sox put up two 4 run innings to take control of the game.

The White Sox came out early and scored 4 runs in the bottom of the first inning, highlighted by A.J. Pierzynski's double which scored two runs.  The Sox also got a nice performance from pitcher Freddy Garcia (11-5) who kept the Yanks off balance all night.  Garcia went 7 innings and ate up some innings.  The bullpen has been battered, and reliever E. Threets possibly re-injured himself and had to be taken out of the game.  Both Matt Thornton and JJ Putz are on the DL.

Continue reading "ChiSox Top Yanks, 9-4"

Albert Pujols and Joey Votto are having monster seasons.  Not only are the sluggers leading their teams in the playoff hunt – the Cardinals are 1.5 games back in the Wild Card race while the Reds lead the NL Central – but Pujols (.321, 34 HR, 93 RBI) and Votto (.326, 31 HR, 90 RBI) are the top two National Leaguers in each of the Triple Crown categories.  Both have strong cases for the MVP award, but if either one wins the first Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967, it would be awfully hard for the voters not to choose him as the league’s Most Valuable Player.

Continue reading "Pair of Triple Crown candidates duel it out"

Cubs' manager Lou Piniella, cited the health of his ailing mother as the reason he left the Cubs organization on Sunday, a month or so before the end of the season.  Cub fans heading the park didn't know for sure that this was his last game until an improvised ceremony with Braves Manager Bobby Cox at home plate signalled that something was up. 

Continue reading "Goodbye Lou, Piniella Retires Earlier Than Planned"

Well, it wasn't J.J. Putz's fault, he wasn't in the game. It was Matt Thornton, who owns a blazing fastball, who pitched the bottom of the 10th and Jim Thome hit one a mile to send the Sox to a heart-breaking loss, 7-6.  Thome hit a 2 run homer in the last of the 10th inning to give Minnesota a 4 game cushion in the AL central.  Time is running out on the Sox.

Continue reading "Thome's Blast Sinks Sox in 10, 7-6"

Where is Bobby Jenks when you need him?  The Chicago White Sox lost two tough games to Detroit, both in the late innings over the weekend, to fall 3 games behind the hot Minnesota Twins.  The Twins are a good team.  You have to play well to beat them, and the Sox haven't figured out how to do it against them.  Their upcoming series will be telling.

Continue reading "Bullpen Falters, Sox Drop 3 Games Behind Minnesota"

Chipper Jones is out for the year with a torn ACL, but let’s hope this isn’t it for the man who has played his entire major league career for manager Bobby Cox.  Chipper has made it known since last season that retirement could be around the corner, but like Baseball Tonight’s Eduardo Perez, I don’t see Chipper calling it quits now that his season has ended unexpectedly.  He wants to go out on his own terms, and these aren’t them.  At 38, his career is nearing the end, but I find it hard to believe that he will be able to say good-bye after watching from the bench as his team battles for the National League crown.

Continue reading "Will Chipper hang 'em up?"

There is still plenty of baseball to be played.  It is early August.  But as the season winds down, you come face to face with your division rivals.  And, the Chicago White Sox play a doubleheader against Detroit on Tuesday.  This isn't a do or die series, The Sox lead the Tigers by 6 games in the standings.  But for all the hard work they have done in recent weeks, the Sox can ill afford to have a bad series in Detroit.  If they split their games, or win 3 out of 4, they will be in very good shape. 

Continue reading "Big Series in Detroit for ChiSox"

You know, baseball is a funny game.  The Chicago White Sox have rescued their own season by winning games, and are a season high 14 games over .500 at 58-44.  Now, the front office wants to get into the act.

Continue reading "Sox Obtain Jackson in Trade; Stymied ..."

With the Dog Days of August about to begin, now is the time for teams to decide whether they are buyers or sellers – that is, whether they should mortgage their future and go for it this year or trade away their veterans for up-and-coming prospects.  “Going for it” says to a team’s fans that the organization thinks it has a legitimate chance to win it all, but a more conservative approach can send just as strong a message.  While a middle-of-the-pack team may have to acknowledge that this isn’t the year, going out and building for the future – as long as it is not the distant future – can usually be taken to mean that the front office is willing to sacrifice an outside shot at the playoffs in order to increase its chances of winning in the long term.  Buyer or seller, every GM will be busy until tomorrow’s trade deadline.

Continue reading "Buyer or Seller?"

The Chicago White Sox hit last night and Gavin Floyd went 7 strong innings to get the win, as the rolled to an 11-0 rout of Seattle on Tuesday night.  The Sox are hot at home and have won nine in a row.  The White Sox, who turned around its season winning 26 of 31 games after June 8th, are playing solid baseball at the end of July.

Continue reading "ChiSox Play Longball in 11-0 Rout of Mariners"

Chicago White Sox pitcher John Danks pitched two hit ball for over 7 innings and Alex Rios continued his hot hitting as the Sox blanked the Mariners, 4-0 Tuesday nite.  With the win, The Sox pick up a game on both Detroit and Minnesota, who both lost earlier in the day.  The Sox lead increased to 3 1/2 games over both teams, their largest lead of the season.

Continue reading "Danks' Gem Paces Sox to 4-0 Win"

The Chicago White Sox were close to winning a game up in Minnesota, where gettings wins is as rare as finding gold coins in the street.  They led 6-3 going into the 9th inning and closer Bobby Jenks and Sergio Santos played "Who wants it more?"  The Sox seemed to say "We don't want to salvage a split" and slip away with a 2 1/2 game lead over the Twins, their nemesis in recent seasons. 

Continue reading "Sox Have To Shake Off Tough Loss"

Thank goodness Joey Votto (.314/.422/.589 with 22 home runs) was elected to the National League All-Star team via the Final Vote.  Billy Wagner, Carlos Gonzalez, and Ryan Zimmerman are great players and were all worthy of roster spots, but Votto should have been the NL’s starting first baseman over Albert Pujols, and it would have been a travesty had he not made it in the end.  Votto leads the NL in both On-Base Percentage and Slugging Percentage and is tied for the lead in home runs; if the season ended today, he’d likely be voted the league’s Most Valuable Player.  It’s too bad, then, that Votto went 0-2 and did not make an impact in the game.  (Each of the other first basemen on the National League side – Pujols, Ryan Howard, and Adrian Gonzalez – went 0-2 as well.)

Continue reading "All-Star Game thoughts"

The Chicago White Sox beat KC in a 15-5 rout, hitting 5 homers in the game, including Carlos Quintin's grand-slam for good measure.  It was his second HR of the day, when four Sox players hit home runs in a 7 run spurt.

Continue reading "Sox Climb To The Top, Win 8th In Row"

The White Sox starting pitching is good.  Jake Peavy goes out the other night with a torn muscle in his upper back that could sideline him for the rest of the season.  Ok, up steps Jonathan Danks, who when he is good, he is really good.

Continue reading "Danks Hurls a CG Two Hitter in 1-0 Win"

All one can say is the Chicago White Sox has turned around their season.  They are winning games.  They are now in second place with a win and a Twins loss last Wedneday night.  The bad news and the Sox have to get ready for this, is Jake Peavy, a former CY Young winner, was placed on the DL and is likely out of the season.  If he is out, the Sox have chance now to make the adjustments.  The can bring in Daniel Hudson who has been pitchning well in the Whits Sox famr system. Or they can try to trade for a pitcher.  All I can say is, a trade is going to cost you.  You have to give up to get.

Continue reading "Sox Make Five Errors En Route to 4th In Row."

The Chicago White Sox won a big game 5-3, against the Texas Rangers.  Alexei Remirez hit a big two run blast in the 6th inning for the winning Sox.  The Sox climbed back in the race on a sorching hot streak.  They cooled off a bit on this road trip, dropping two out of three to KC, and then righting themselves with a big win tonight.  This coupled with losses by the Twins and Detroit give Chicago a fighting chance to do some damage right before the All-Star break. 

Continue reading "Sox In Race To Win It"

With All-Star rosters set to be announced this weekend, I’m hoping that fans made good decisions in for whom to cast their final ballots.  While voting began not long after spring training ended, the true All-Stars have revealed themselves over the entire first half of the season.

Continue reading "Who's on first at the Midsummer Classic?"

When you're hot you're hot and that's what the Chicago White Sox are.  They won their 11th sraight game Saturday night, 3-2, defeating their cross-town rivals, the Chicago Cubs on Paul Konerko's 8th inning Home Run.  Konerko has 19 dingers and most likely will be picked for the AL All-Star team in a few weeks. 

Continue reading "White Sox Keep Winning, Beat Cubs 3-2"

Don't count them out.  Just about everyone who follows baseball did, but the Chicago White Sox have found a winning recipe, great starting pitching, and have won 9 straight games.  The White Sox beat Atlanta 2-0 on a late Paul Konerko 2 run blast to left field.  They swept the Braves, now bring on the Cubbies. If ever a cross-town rival series had import, this one does.  If the White Sox take 2 out of 3 this weekend, they will be in the Central Division race. 

Continue reading "ChiSox Are Hot, Win 9th Straight"

The hype over Washington Nationals’ phenom Stephen Strasburg has been followed by terrific pitching from the young right-hander, but the Nats’ front office also deserves a lot of credit.  In his first three starts, Strasburg has faced the Pirates, the Indians, and the White Sox, all of whom rank near the bottom offensively.  While I think Strasburg has a tremendous amount of talent and is going to be a great pitcher for quite some time, I’d like to see how he fares against the heavy-hitting lineups of the Yankees, Reds, and Red Sox.

Continue reading "Nationals handle Strasburg’s schedule ..."

Chicago Cubs closer Carlos Marmol gave up a two out two run single in the bottom of the 9th to lose a nailbiter in Milwaukee, 3-2.  That's why the Cubs are the Cubs.  Having a 2-1 lead in a game in not enough runs.  Marmol has been great in the 9th inning so far this season, but tonight he showed he's human.  It doesn't matter how the Cubs battled to take a 2-1 lead in the 8th inning.  It does matter than the Cubs couldn't hold a lead in a game they had.

Continue reading "Late Hit Spells Defeat for Cubbies"

In a fight marred with controversy, Puerto Rican icon Miguel “Junito” Cotto defeated aspiring rabbi Yuri Foreman by a ninth-round TKO to capture the WBA super welterweight crown Saturday night at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. 

Continue reading "Valiant Jew loses crown to Puerto ..."

Though it was overshadowed by Armando Galarraga’s nearly perfect game, Ken Griffey Jr. announced his retirement on Wednesday, marking the end of a historic career.  Griffey’s various injuries over the last 10 years prevented him from breaking the all-time home run record, but The Kid will still go down as one of the very best of his era.  He was a 13-time All-Star (including 11 in a row) and totaled 2,781 career hits, 630 homers (good for 5th all-time) and 1836 Runs Batted In.  He won 7 Silver Sluggers and an MVP Award, and his 10 Gold Gloves tie him for third-most among outfielders; he won them in consecutive years.  Known for his sweet swing, tremendous defense in center field, and contagious smile, Griffey will take his place in Cooperstown before we know it.

Continue reading "Junior hangs 'em up"

WBA super welterweight champion Yuri Foreman and former WBO welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto will fight Saturday at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. 

Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) last fought on November 14 when he relinquished his belt to Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) by a brutal 12th round TKO. 

Continue reading "Puerto Rican icon will trump Jewish ..."

Could "The Panda" be snapping out of his slump? Pablo Sandoval was hitting bullets all over the place Friday night as the Giants finally offered some run support behind Matt Cain in a

Continue reading ""Where Have You Been Pablo Sandoval?""

If the Chicago Cubs are thinking of making any noise this summer they need to beat their rival, the St. Louis Cards, today and tomorrow.  The Cubs are five games behind the Cincy Reds, the surprise of the Division, so far.  But St. Louis, is right in the hunt and they are loaded once again with talent.  Albert Pujols, perhaps the dangerous hitter in the league, anchors their lineup.  When he is on, you simply don't pitch to him.  The starting rotaton with Chris Carpenter poised to have another fine year, is solid.  The Cards find a way to get it done.  Something the Cubs haven't managed to do.

Continue reading "Cubs Need To Win Games vs. Cards"

The Chicago Cubs may not be that bad afterall.  The Cubs beat the hot Dodgers 3-0 Tuesday night behind the pitching of Rick Dempster and the hitting of Derrick Lee.  Lee whose bat has been in hiberation since the start of the season had 3 hits including a 2 run HR to back Dempster's solid effort.

Continue reading "Cubs Beat Dodgers 3-0, Close In On .500"

Hey, nothing like snapping out of a five-game slide with some timely hitting! The Giants beat the Washington Nationals 4-2 Tuesday night in the first game of a fresh nine-game home stand after l

Continue reading ""The Giants' Bats Show Some Signs ..."

Julio Franco may be the oldest player in Major League history to hit a home run (he also holds a number of other oldest player records), but Jamie Moyer has established himself as the game’s new Ageless Wonder.  In throwing a two-hitter against the Braves on May 7th, the 47-year-old became the oldest player to throw a complete game shutout.

Continue reading "Jamie Moyer: baseball's new Ageless Wonder"

It is early May and already the warning signs are here.  No lead is safe in the 9th inning for the White Sox.  If the Cubs strings hits together, they might win a game.  The Cubs have the pitching that the Sox don't.  Meanwhile Paul Konerko is leading the majors in the early going with 13 homers.  And Alex Rios is living up to his contract, batting .320 and hitting for power. 

Continue reading "Baseball's a Bust in Chitown"

The game of baseball lost two old-timers this week, as beloved Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell passed away at the age of 92 and Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts died at 83.

Harwell is best known for his 42 years broadcasting Tiger games, but before his career in Detroit, Harwell made history.  For this, I turn to wikipedia:

Continue reading "Farewell to a pair of the game's greats"

Will The New York Yankees Win the 2010 World Series?
  YES
  NO
  
pollcode.com free polls

Continue reading "Will The New York Yankees Win The ..."

State of the (Cleveland Sports) Union Address

Cleveland Indians Edition

By Brad VanFossan

Dear Cleveland Indians,

I have assessed the performance of your ball club both on and off the field over the past few years. You seemed to have your stuff together for awhile there, but even being the

Continue reading "State of the (Cleveland Sports) Union Address"

Okay Giants' fans, it's time to get over Wednesday's loss, and get ready for the Rockies Friday night. Hey, I can be just as greedy as anyone, especially when it comes to a potential three-game sweep of the defending N.L. Champion Phillies. Everything was looking good: Lincecum on the mound, a three-run lead in the top of the 9th, and Brian Wilson getting loose in the pen should Timmy run out of gas. Then, with one out, a four-pitch walk to Shane Victorino, Bochy yanks Lincecum after 106 pitches, and Wilson cannot close the door. Jayson Werth's bases-clearing bloop double down the right field line tied the game at 4-4. In my opinion, total fluke! Wilson had not allowed a single run all season, and actually retired the first batter he faced. There were two outs before Utley singled and Howard walked to load the bases. Listen, if Wilson had finished off the game as he usually does, we wouldn't be having this endless discussion about Bochy's ill-fated pitching change. If he had left Timmy finish the game and he blew it, the same people would be criticizing Bochy FOR NOT making a move. It's really an impossible position for the skipper. I don't mind seeing Lincecum throw 120 pitches, but you have to figure it will make a difference later in the season once he exceeds the 200-inning plateau. If Bochy can save him, and limit the pitch count here and there, it could keep him fresher into September, and that's really the big picture. Don't pound your horses into the ground in April. Yes, it would have been nice to see the complete game, but IT IS Wilson's job to slam the door, and Wednesday just wasn't his day.

Continue reading ""Time for the Giants to Focus on ..."

After a long hiatus, it’s great to be back blogging about the greatest sports franchise on the planet. Since my last blog entry, the New York Yankees have won the World Series (coincidentally on this blogger’s birthday last year. SWEET!) and got some good quality talent during the offseason, namely Curtis Granderson from the Tigers, Nick Johnson from the Marlins, and Javier Vasquez from the Braves, among others. They’ve gotten off to an awesome start, winning every series this year so far except this past weekend when they lost 2 out 3 in Anaheim against the Angels. Bringing up Javi Vasquez leads me to discuss Robinson Cano because the Yanks gave up his seemingly inseparable buddy Melky Cabrera to get him. The 2 were like brothers. They lived together. They visited each other’s family. They supported each other, helping each other during slumps. Their antics at times were the life of the clubhouse and highlight reels. But now that is over. Robinson is now on his own outside his comfort zone minus Melky. Manager Joe Girardi took a gamble and put Cano to bat behind Alex Rodriguez in the #5 spot and, boy, did it pay dividends. “You want to take care of your veterans, but all we’ve got is veterans. I consider Robbie a veteran player, “ Girardi said in an interview during spring training. In 18 games so far this season, he’s already had 1 multi-homer game & is hitting .368 with an on base percentage of .416.  He has 5 HRs, 14 RBIs and is going into tonight’s game hitting safely in 8 out of his last 10 games. He’s been clutch since the beginning of the season. He’s had to. The #5 spot last year was occupied by Mr. Clutch himself, Hideki Matsui, who is now with the LA Angels of Anaheim. Those are some heavy shoes to fill especially considering Godzilla was the World Series MVP last year. With more focus and less distractions, Yankee fans, expect another career year from Robinson Cano this season. I admit he’s nowhere near as clutch as Matsui, but he’s do a pretty job so far.

Continue reading "Cano’s a go to stay at the #5 spot"

At 10-10 for the early season, you can't say the Cubs are good or bad.  But this past week, they have been better than good, winning 4 straight to head toward respectability.  Carlos Zambrano took a demotion for the team and is pitching his best as a late set-up man for Carlos Marmol.  Now, the Cubs bullpen has been improved with a $90 million pitcher.

Continue reading "Cubs hit .500 mark with 4-3 win over Nats"

The Miami Heat had a foul to give, and Paul Pierce still intimidated his defender enough to dribble within the arc and take a shot that was so clutch in this series it gave me the chance to shout, "Miami can't 

Continue reading "The Truth in Miami"

As if Ubaldo Jimenez’s no-hitter was not enough excitement for one day, the Mets and Cardinals took part in a marathon contest, playing a 20-inning game Saturday in St. Louis.  If that does not…, the most remarkable part of the monumental occasion was that the two teams went scoreless through the first 18 frames!  That’s like back-to-back shutouts being thrown by both teams!  In a game that took nearly seven hours and featured an astounding 18 pitchers (two of whom were actually position players that Cardinals manager Tony La Russa sent to the hill), three Met hitters – Jose Reyes, Jason Bay, and Jeff Francoeur – went a combined 0 for 21.  That is an ugly line in the box score for three of the team’s four best offensive players.

Continue reading "Oh, what a night!"

I have folded up the Tom Brady jersey and put it away.  I have set aside the Kevin Garnett jersey until i take it out for the Celtics playoff push.  It is time now to don the jersey of your favorite Red Sox players and get ready for another exciting Major League Baseball season.  Spring is finally here.  I have to hand it to Major League Baseball.  I think that this year they got it right.  They didn't ship the World Series winners overseas to play in Japan or China or somewhere and they didn't open the season with Royals vs Tigers or some other match-up without much appeal.  This year the season began on Easter Sunday with a match-up between the defending World Series champion New York Yankees and their arch rival the Boston Red Sox.  This is, hands down, the best rivalry in sports.  The series didn't go the way I wanted it to, but we did get our first win against the Yankees under our belt and the games were well played for the most part.  Hey, when you think about it last year the Sox won the first 8 games against the Yankees only to lose 9 out of the next 10 so maybe losing 2 out of the first 3 ain't bad.

Continue reading "Sox Begin 2010"

When the Atlanta Braves announced during the last week of spring training that Jason Heyward had made the big league roster, it made headlines in part because both Stephen Strasburg and Aroldis Chapman were being assigned to the minors.  However, after winning the starting right fielder’s job in Atlanta, the 20-year-old phenom wasted no time before impressing the baseball world by launching a three-run home run in his very first major league at-bat.  Batting seventh in the lineup behind Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, and others has limited the pressure on the 14th overall pick in the 2007 draft, but before long, you can expect to see Heyward taking his hacks in the cleanup spot.

Continue reading "Jason Heyward: Instant Hit"

AT LAST, regular season baseball to discuss! I wasn't too shocked by the final roster moves, and like the veteran additions to the bull pen with Mota, and to the starting staff with Wellemeyer. More on that in a minute. Not to bring up a sore point right out of the box, but I saw that Brad Penny pitched very well (seven strong innings and a no decision) in his St.Louis debut Thursday -- a 2-1 loss to the Reds. Hey, nice start for the Giants in Houston, and a rock-solid start for Lincecum, Zito, and (almost) Cain. The "Cainer" got burned by a couple of bad breaks Wednesday, and pitched better than the final

Continue reading ""The Braves will Pose a Tougher Test ..."

Dontrelle Willis and the Detroit Tigers defeated the Royals 7-3 Thursday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. 

Willis, who made his first start since last June when he was placed on the disabled list due to social anxiety, pitched six innings and surrendered only two earned runs. 

Continue reading "Dontrelle Willis Is Ready To Again ..."

It's four hours before the second game of the 2010 season. I'm in the 9th in of the Opening Day- night- game and one out away from seeing the Sox win for the fourth time I've watched this game. It was that great of a game. Truly, it's taken me this long just to digest the game. I've been savoring it since the 8p.m. start and even now I think the 0-2 pitch to Curtis Granderson in the 9th was a strike, especially given home plate umpire Jerry West's expansion of the strike zone as the 4 hour game went on. I enjoyed a season's worth of emotions over the 9 innings, and ultimately I was reminded just how special a ball game at Fenway Park can be.

Continue reading "Opening Day Thoughts, two days later."

Former commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti once wrote: “[Baseball] breaks your heart.  It is designed to break your heart.  The game begins in spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone.” 

Continue reading "Fenway Home Opener 2010"

Today’s post is brought to you from Toledo, Ohio.  With Spring Training wrapping up in just over a week, every team has reason to be hopeful that this will be their year.  Though it is widely accepted that exhibition games are meaningless, the Giants should feel good about their 18-7 record this spring, and the Indians are certainly pleased that they have won 13 of their first 19 games.  The reigning World Series champion Yankees, meanwhile, can shake off their 9-12 record as rustiness.  It may not have the excitement of October, but April is when everyone’s glass is half full; no one has ground to make up or nagging injuries to play through.  Every team has a share of first place, and that’s what makes it the most promising time of the year.

Continue reading "The most promising time of the year"

Washington Nationals right-handed pitcher Stephen Strasburg made his spring training debut Tuesday in a 9-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers in Viera, Fla. 

Strasburg, who was selected by the Nationals with the number one overall pick out of San Diego State University in the 2009 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft, fanned two batters in two scoreless innings before the was relieved. 

Continue reading "Stephen Strasburg Will Be a Top-Ten ..."

Baseball Hall of Famer Goose Gossage claimed this past weekend that New York Yankees icon Mariano Rivera is not the best relief pitcher in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB).

“I think he (Rivera) is a tremendous relief pitcher,” said Gossage, a nine-time All-Star who played his last game for the Seattle Mariners in 1994. “He’s the best, current-day, modern reliever. When I was inducted into the Hall of Fame, I was told that I had 53 saves with seven-plus outs. I was told that Mariano had one and Trevor Hoffman had two. So, I think that says it in a nutshell.”

Continue reading "Goose Gossage Wasn't Half The Pitcher ..."

A Golden Effort Falls Just Short By Brad VanFossan I know it’s more than just a hockey game when my 63 year old father is looking forward to watching, and has been watching most of the

Continue reading "Golden Effort Falls Just Short"

After their playing careers are over, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera will undoubtedly be elected to the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility, but will teammate Jorge Posada join them in Cooperstown?  Yankee fans may feel differently, but the truth is that if Posada retired from baseball today, he would not belong in The Hall.  His credentials include five trips to the All-Star Game, five Silver Slugger awards, 243 home runs, and five seasons with 90+ RBI’s, as well as having caught the perfect game thrown by David Wells in 1998.  Arguments against Posada’s candidacy are that he is not a strong defensive catcher, has only once batted over .300 (.277 career average) and his 1,488 career hits do not make him stand out among his catching peers.  Despite 11 career playoff home runs, his postseason line (.239/.351/.384) is sub-par for a catcher known primarily for his hitting.

Continue reading "Third member of Yankee trio not a lock for Hall"

WBC world heavyweight champion Vitali “Dr. Iron Fist” Klitschko announced this past weekend that he will retire from the sport of boxing before 2010 is completed. 

Klitschko (39-2, 37 KOs), the owner of the highest knockout percentage (94.9%) of any heavyweight boxing titlist ever, also stated that he would like to fight both WBA world heavyweight champion David “The Hayemaker” Haye (23-1, 21 KOs) and Nikolai Valuev (50-2-0-1, 34 KOs) before he hangs-up his gloves.  

Continue reading "Vitali Klitschko to retire and join ..."

Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas officially announced their retirements this week, ending speculation that either one would attempt a comeback in 2010 after not appearing in a big league game last season.  Glavine was a great finesse pitcher of his generation, and Thomas was a premiere slugger of the nineties.

Continue reading "Two more great careers reach the end of the line"

As we head into spring training 2010 all of Giants' nation has the same thing on their mind, offense. After some last minute acquisitions, the Giants look to be headed in the right direction. First, grabbing Mark DeRosa and Aubrey Huff this off-season will hopefully produce that offensive spark that the Giants have been longing for since the Bonds days. I was not initially thrilled with deciding to get DeRosa or Huff initially. DeRosa is a pretty decent hitter who can keep his average at around .270, while Huff is a streaky power man. When there are such prospects as Jermaine Dye, Adam Laroche, or Dan Uggla in the market why settle for average players? I honestly thought that with these two, the Giants were doomed to another just short of the playoffs season. Then the clouds parted ways, and (through some seemingly divine intervention) the Giant's organization made a big move and resigned the two big bats we all thought they were losing, Juan Uribe and Bengie Molina. I love Buster Posey, don't get me wrong, but Bengie can produce and it wouldn't hurt to see Posey take one more year of minors work. Uribe and Sandoval carried that team last year and now they have got DeRosa and Huff to hit around Pablo. Who could argue with a Derosa, Sandoval, Huff, Uribe, Molina 2 3 4 5 6? Plus, throw a healthy Sanchez in there and that is, without a doubt a playoff calibur team.

Continue reading "Spring Training 2010"